An era of globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

An era of globalization - Essay Example Apart from the economic conditions which allowed for the state's generosity in regards to welfare provision, political rationales have also been forwarded as contributory to the rise of the welfare state. The widespread victory of Labour parties in Europe, particularly in Britain, for example, is said to have led to an increase in social policies targeted towards the social and economic security of the working class, the main beneficiaries of the welfare state and the backbone of these parties. (Korpi 2003) Esping-Andersen also articulates another view of the welfare state's "golden age" as a political move to instill social citizenship among the citizenry: "In moral terms, the welfare state promised a more universal, classless justice and solidarity of 'the people': it was presented as a ray of hope to those who were asked to sacrifice for the common good in the war effort. The welfare state was therefore also a political project of nation-building: the affirmation of liberal democracy against the twin perils of fascism and bolshevism. Many countries became self-proclaimed welfare states not so much to give a label to their social policies as to foster social integration." (1997) The presence of several contributory factors accountable for the welfare state's "golden age" precludes the existence also of more than one factor responsible for its decline. As has been stated earlier, the decline of the welfare state is said to be marked by the economic recession of the mid-70s. Beginning from then, the expansion of welfare state provisions which marked the golden age of the post-war decades has grounded to a halt, and in most countries has reversed into a retrenchment. This trend continues to persist, and the factors contributing to it have been a matter of much debate. Demographics, or population characteristics such as age, fertility rates, and the gender composition of the labor force within these welfare states is one of the key factors that has often been forwarded in regards to the welfare state's decline. Changes in the demography of these welfare states, particularly an increase in the number of welfare recipients brought about by an ageing population and decreased fertility rates, is said to exert demands on the welfare state which it cannot meet, resulting in a retrenchment of welfare policies. (Pierson 2001) As the main proponent of this view, Pierson further explains that this age shift in the population structure of these welfare states exerts tremendous pressure since it increases the demand on two key welfare sectors: health and pension, sectors which, in the EU alone, accounted for almost 2/3 of the total spending on social protection in 1991. (2001) Cochrane agrees that demographics do influence the policy-making of welfare states: In the golden age, the same demographic trends exerted similar pressure to the welfare states to increase welfare benefits and services. (Cochrane 2001) The differences in government response then and now, though, indicate the prevalence of other factors which determine what

Speech Variation In Restaurants Essay Example for Free

Speech Variation In Restaurants Essay There are three different dialects in Pennsylvania that will give away where you reside. Why is there so much contrast in speech among the residents of the city and country? The culture where I am from has molded my speech, attitude, and actions; it also has created who I am today. The â€Å"city life† is exceptionally different from the â€Å"country life,† I know this because of my expedition to the middle of nowhere, Lock Haven, PA. Somewhere on the four-hour car ride from Philadelphia to Lock Haven, the residents begin to talk a little stranger with a different dialect then the east coast. For the last five years, I have been employed at a corporate owned Mexican-grill restaurant, Chili’s. When I came to school at the beginning of the Fall 2011 semester, I took on a job at the local corporate restaurant, Ruby Tuesday. By working in restaurants, it forced me to communicate with thousands of people from all over the world. Not only did I encounter the behavioral differences of the â€Å"townies† in the Lock Haven area, but also I found it extremely difficult to converse and understand the costumers and employees at Ruby Tuesday. Going out to eat is something you do for relaxation and pleasure, but when a new employee is thrown into the stressful world of the restaurant industry, the â€Å"new fish† is quickly exposed to words that may seem like a foreign language. Although the syntax in the restaurant business is the same as the English language, the function words vary. There are countless restaurant terms that are used by every position in the establishment. These function words also change through out the country. Not only are you dealing with regional accents, you are dealing with different terminology that is dependent on the location of the business. In the city, it is usually assumed that slang would be more present in the restaurants. This is a true statement for the costumers going out to eat, this is a false statement for the employees that have to represent a corporation that is located in an area of high population, where most of the income is coming from. I have seen more employees get fired in the city for being unprofessional and using slang then I have seen in Lock Haven. At Ruby Tuesday, I have found myself baffled countless times by some of morphology my costumers use. It’s frequent that the costumers have to repeat themselves because of the language barrier. A speech community is a group of people who set norms and expectations regarding the use of language, and being from the city makes any Philadelphia aborigine an outcast. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech_community]. There are different words for the same thing, synonyms, which vary around the state of Pennsylvania in restaurants. For example the seating area around the bar is called the â€Å"lounge† in Philadelphia. The seating area around the bar in Lock Haven is still known as the dinning room area. [http://blog.etundra.com/in-the-restaurant/glossary-restaurant-terms/]. Pennsylvania is divided into roughly three different dialects, The Atlantic midland, East midland, and Pittsburg. [http://aschmann.net/AmEng/]. After watching videos of citizens such as City Councilman Frank Rizzo, Jr. who resides in Philadelphia, Rick Gray, mayor of Lancaster, and U.S. representative Michael Doyle of Pittsburg, it’s is evident that Pennsylvania has distinct native accents. After watching all three videos of these men talking, the accent and dialect that I can most relate to would be Frank Rizzo Jr., the accent that affiliates the most with Lock Haven dialect is Michael Doyle. The way Frank Rizzo pronounces his vowels are very distinct. You can tell in the way he says â€Å"bad, had, and dad,† the IPA sound |à ¦| is pronounced as the IPA sound |I| is pronounced, this is a sign that he is a native of Philadelphia tongue. By having different accents in the restaurant industry, it could get confusing because of the constant screaming and communication in the BOH (Back of the House, or kitchen). [http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/phoneticsymbolsforenglish.htm] Just in Pennsylvania, there are at least three contrasting dialects. There are multifarious clues that can give away where a costumer or fellow employee is from. If one pays attention to the sound of the use of their vowel pronunciations, behavior, actions and use of slang, it is effortless. It is a phenomenon how just a few hours can exaggeratedly change the way someone talks. Next time you go out to eat, try to figure out where your server is from using these clues!

Parapsychology :: science

Parapsychology Derived from the term 'paranormal', parapsychology is the science that lies beside or beyond psychology; the field of psychology which studies those unique experiences and unknown capabilities of the human mind that suggest consciousness is capable of interacting with the physical world in ways not yet recognized by science, but not beyond science's ability to investigate. Two types of parapsychological phenomena have been described. The first and less common is pyschokinesis (PK) which is the direct influence of the human mind on the environment. In rare cases, this may involve obvious movement of objects, however most contemporary research studies PK influences on atomic or electronic processes. More commonly known is the second type of parapsychological phenomena, called extrasensory perception (ESP), which is the ability to acquire information without using the known senses. In cases when another person is involved, then it may be considered telepathy, or mind-to-mind communication. This is often common in twins, as many instance have been reported in which one twin can sense the other's thoughts or pain. When it is knowledge of just a distant place or event, then the term clairvoyance is often used. It is mainly this type of ESP which leads people to feel strongly about the existence of past lives, due to experience of deja-vous. In practice, it is often difficult to distinguish among types of ESP, thus investigators generally refer to all instances as ESP. When the information seems to be of some future event, it is called precognition. This category of ESP is also what makes fortune tellers so popular, as they claim to be able to see your future. Real life experiences that appear to involve ESP are commonly termed psychic experiences. Taken together, all of these phenomena are often called psi phenomena. Scientific interest in the subject is of relatively recent origin, beginning in 1927 when the Duke University Parapsychology Laboratory was set up under Dr. J. B. Rhine, an important figure in the advancement of parapsychology, particularly ESP. Dr. J. B. Rhine and his wife, Dr. Louisa E. Rhine, came to Duke University in 1927 to pursue studies of psychic phenomena with Professor William McDougall, chairman of the new Psychology Department. Within a few years, Dr. Rhine was conducting the groundbreaking research that demonstrated certain people had the ability to acquire information without the use of the known senses. He introduced the term extrasensory perception describe this ability and adopted the word parapsychology to distinguish his experimental approach from earlier methods of psychical research.

Central business district investigation Essay

Introduction: The inner city is the zone between the central business district (CBD) and the suburban housing areas. In British cities the inner city grew during the industrial revolution. Factories were built on the edge of the historic towns, now the CBD. Many people view inner city areas as rather dull and depressing as they tend to be overcrowded and polluted. Unfortunately even though the problems of inner city areas are apparent the local councils and business and invested a greater proportion of money in CBD rather then inner cities, which has lead to an escalating problems. The Diagram illustrates the burgess conurbation model, which highlights the various areas of a conurbation settlement: The burgess model of urban land consists of five concentric circles arranged around a CBD inner core. All conurbation models initiates with the central business district (CBD), which forms the heart of a settlement. Large businesses exist here since they are the only ones able to afford the high land values and rents. The inner city is the 2nd zone in the burgess model. This zone represents old industry established at the birth of the city. The third zone is known as the â€Å"Low-class residential† which is located in the inner city close to the old industries. This was because the poor who worked in these industries had to be local. The medium class residential represents the penultimate zone. This is more expensive housing catering for the moderately wealthy populace. The final zone is the high class residential located in the rural urban fringe. This is the most affluent area and caters for the wealthiest element in the population. According to this model, cities grow outwards from the original site; therefore properties are younger on the outskirts of the city. – The Burgess Urban Land Use Model In 1925, E. W. Burgess presented an urban land use model, which divided cities in a set of concentric circles expanding from the downtown to the suburbs. This representation was built from Burgess’s observations of a number of American cities, notably Chicago. The main characteristic of the inner city was for the industries to build factories to maximise production. The land was cheap and there was room for expansion for the industries. Houses were constructed local to the factories so that workers would not need.

Difference between personnel management and HRM Essay

Difference between Human Resource Management and Personnel Management Human resource management involves all management decisions and practices that directly affect or influence the people, or human resources, who work for the organization. In other words, Human resource management is concerned with ‘people centric issues’ in management. The Human Resources Management (HRM) function includes a variety of activities, and key among them is deciding what staffing needs you have and whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs, recruiting and training the best employees, ensuring they are high performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring your personnel and management practices conform to various regulations. Activities also include managing your approach to employee benefits and compensation, employee records and personnel policies. Usually small businesses (for-profit or nonprofit) have to carry out these activities themselves because they can’t yet afford part- or full-time help. However, they should always ensure that employees have — and are aware of — personnel policies which conform to current regulations. These policies are often in the form of employee manuals, which all employees have. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HRM AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT ALTHOUGH both human resource management (HRM) and personnel management focus on people management, if we examine critically, there are many differences between them. Some are listed below: i) Nature of relations: The nature of relations can be seen through two different perspective views which are Pluralist and Unitarist. There is a clear distinct difference between both because in personnel management, the focus is more on individualistic where individual interest is more than group interest. The relationship between management and employees are merely on contractual basis where one hires and the others perform. Whereas, HRM focuses more on Unitarist where the word â€Å"uni† refers to one and together. Here, HRM through a shared vision between management and staff create a corporate vision and mission which are linked to business goals and the fulfillment of mutual interest where the organization’s needs are satisfied  by employees and employees’ needs are well-taken care by the organization. Motorola and Seagate are good examples of organizations that belief in this Unitarist approach which also focuses in team management and sees employees as partners in an organization. Relation of power and management: The distribution of power in personnel management is centralized where the top management has full authority in decision-making where even the personnel managers are not even allowed to give ideas or take part in any decision which involves â€Å"employees†. HRM, on the other hand, sees the decentralization of power where the power between top management is shared with middle and lower management groups. This is known as â€Å"empowerment† because employees play an important role together with line and HR managers to make collective and mutual decisions, which can benefit both the management and employees themselves. In fact, HRM focuses more on TQM approach as part of a team management with the involvement and participation of management and employees with shared power and authority. The nature of management is focused more on bottom-up approach with employees giving feedback to the top management and then the top management gives support to employees to achieve mutually agreed goals and objectives. ii) Leadership and management role: Personnel management emphasizes much on leadership style which is very transactional. This style of leadership merely sees the leader as a task-oriented person. This leader focuses more on procedures that must be followed, punishment form non-performance and non-compliance of rules and regulations and put figures and task accomplishments ahead of human factors such as personal bonding, interpersonal relationship, trust, understanding, tolerance and care. HRM creates leaders who are transformational. This leadership style encourages business objectives to be shared by both employees and management. Here, leaders only focus more on people-oriented and importance on rules, procedures and regulations are eliminated and replaced with: Shared vision; Corporate culture and missions; Trust and flexibility; and HRM needs that integrates business needs. iii) Contract of employment: In personnel management, employees contract of employment is clearly written and employees must observe strictly the agreed employment contract. The contract is so rigid that there is no room for changes and modifications. There is no compromise in written contracts that stipulates rules, regulations, job and obligations. HRM, on the other hand, does not focus on one-time life-long contract where working hours and other terms and conditions of employment are seen as less rigid. Here, it goes beyond the normal contract that takes place between organizations and employees. The new â€Å"flexible approach† encourages employees to choose various ways to keep contributing their skills and knowledge to the organization. HRM, with its new approach, has created flexi-working hours, work from home policies and not forgetting the creation on â€Å"open contract† system that is currently practiced by some multinational companies such as Motorola, Siemens and GEC. HRM today gives employees the opportunity and freedom to select any type of working system that can suit them and at the same time benefit the organization as well. Drucker (1996) calls this approach a â€Å"win-win† approach. iv) Pay policies and job design: Pay policies in personnel management is merely based on skills and knowledge required for the perspective jobs only. The value is based on the ability to perform the task and duties as per the employment contract requirement only. It does not encourage value-added incentives to be paid out. This is also because the job design is very functional, where the functions are more departmentalized in which each job falls into one functional department. This is merely known as division on labour based on job needs and skill possessions and requirement. HRM, on the contrary, encourages organizations to look beyond pay for functional duties. Here, the pay is designed to encourage continuous job performance and improvement which is linked to value-added incentives such as gain sharing schemes, group profit sharing and individual incentive plans. The job design is no more functional based but teamwork and cyclical based. HRM creates a new approach towards job design such as job rotation which is inter and intra-departmental based and job enlargement which encourages one potential and capable individual to take on more tasks to add value to his/her job and  in return enjoy added incentives and benefits. Human resource management is the new version of personnel management. There is no any watertight difference between human resource management and personnel management. However, there are some differences in the following matters. 1. Personnel management is a traditional approach of managing people in the organization. Human resource management is a modern approach of managing people and their strengths in the organization. 2. Personnel management focuses on personnel administration, employee welfare and labor relation. Human resource management focuses on acquisition, development, motivation and maintenance of human resources in the organization. 3. Personnel management assumes people as a input for achieving desired output. Human resource management assumes people as an important and valuable resource for achieving desired output. 4. Under personnel management, personnel function is undertaken for employee’s satisfaction. Under human resource management, administrative function is undertaken for goal achievement. 5. Under personnel management, job design is done on the basis of division of labor. Under human resource management, job design function is done on the basis of group work/team work. 6. Under personnel management, employees are provided with less training and development opportunities. Under human resource management, employees are provided with more training and development opportunities. 7. In personnel management, decisions are made by the top management as per the rules and regulation of the organization. In human resource management, decisions are made collectively after considering employee’s participation,  authority, decentralization, competitive environment etc. 8. Personnel management focuses on increased production and satisfied employees. Human resource management focuses on effectiveness, culture, productivity and employee’s participation. 9. Personnel management is concerned with personnel manager. Human resource management is concerned with all level of managers from top to bottom. 10. Personnel management is a routine function. Human resource management is a strategic function. Human resource management past and present Human resource management has changed a lot in the past 100 years. Previously, HRM was called personnel administration or personnel management, that is, it had to do with the staff or workers of an organisation. It was mainly concerned with the administrative tasks that have to do with organising or managing an organisation, such as record keeping and dealing with employee wages, salaries and benefits. The personnel officer (the person in charge of personnel management) also dealt with labour relations.such as problems with trade unions or difficulties between employers (those who employ workers) and their employees. Before we look at the role of HRM in organisations today, we will examine the way people were managed in organisations in the past. Definition Personnel Management – Personnel Management is thus basically an administrative record-keeping function, at the operational level. Personnel Management attempts to maintain fair terms and conditions of employment, while at the same time, efficiently managing personnel activities for individual departments etc. It is assumed that the outcomes from providing justice and achieving efficiency in the management of personnel activities will result ultimately in achieving organizational success. Facts [+] The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is the world’s largest HR department. OPM provides HR services for the federal governments workforce of nearly 2.8 million workers. It’s staff carry out the tasks to recruit, interview, and promote employees; oversee merit pay, benefits and retirement programs; and ensure that all employees and applicants are treated fairly and according to the law. To set the COLA [cost-of-living allowances] rates, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) surveys the prices of over 300 items, including goods and services, housing, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses. OPM conducts these surveys in each of the COLA areas and in the Washington, DC, area. Human resource management is concerned with the development and implementation of people strategies, which are integrated with corporate strategies, and ensures that the culture, values and structure of the organization, and the quality, motivation and commitment of its members contribute fully to the achievement of its goals. HRM is concerned with carrying out the SAME functional activities traditionally performed by the personnel function, such as HR planning, job analysis, recruitment and selection, employee relations, performance management, employee appraisals, compensation management, training and development etc. But, the HRM approach performs these functions in a qualitatively DISTINCT way, when compared with Personnel Management. Main Differences between Personnel Management and HRM HRM has a long history of growing from a simple welfare and maintenance function to that of a board level activity of the companies. In recent years, the focus on people management from human capital/intellectual capital perspective is also shaping firmly. However, the hard fact is that this growth can be generally witnessed in management literature and rarely in practice. Peripheral observation of people management in organization can mislead the observers since, hardly there could be any organization that is  yet to rename its old fashioned title of industrial relations/personnel/welfare/administration department into HRM department. But, in practice, these organizations continue to handle the people management activities the way they had been handling earlier. The reasons for this could be many and varied. Among them, the potential reason is lack of clear understanding about the differences between personnel/IR and HRM. Professor John Storey brilliantly portrayed these differences in 27 areas of people management in 1992 in his book titled Developments in the Management of Human Resources. These differences are illustrated in Table Dimensions Personnel and IR HRM Beliefs and assumptions 1. Contract Careful delineation of written contracts Aim to go beyond contract 2. Rules Importance of devising clear rules/mutually ‘Can-do’ outlook; Impatience with ‘rule’ 3. Guide to management action Procedures Business-need’ 4. Behaviour referent Norms/custom and practice Values/mission 5. Managerial task vis-a-vis labour Monitoring Nurturing 6. Nature of relations Pluralist Unitarist 7. Conflict Institutionalized De-emphasized Strategic aspects 8. Key relations Labour management Customer 9. Initiatives Piecemeal Integrated 10. Corporate plan Marginal Central 11. Speed of decision Slow Fast Line management 12. Management role Transactional Transformational leadership 13. Key managers Personnel/ IR specialists General/business/line managers 14. Communication Indirect Direct 15. Standardization High (e.g. ‘parity’ an issue) Low (e.g. ‘parity’ not seen as relevant) 16. Prized management skills Negotiation Facilitation Key levers 17. Selection Separate, marginal task Integrated, key task 18. Pay Job evaluation (fixed grades) Performance-related 19. Conditions Separately negotiated Harmonization 20. Labour-management Collective bargaining contracts Towards individual contracts 21. Thrust of relations with stewards Regularized through facilities and training Marginalized (with exception of some bargaining for change models) 22. Job categories and grades Many Few 23. Communication Restricted flow Increased flow 24. Job design Division of labour Teamwork 25. Conflict handling Reach temporary truces Manage climate and culture 26. Training and development Controlled access to courses Learning companies 27. Foci of attention for interventions Personnel procedures Wide ranging cultural, structural and personnel strategies

Pivotal Talent Pools and Role Challenges Essay Essay Example

Pivotal Talent Pools and Role Challenges Essay Essay Example Pivotal Talent Pools and Role Challenges Essay Paper Pivotal Talent Pools and Role Challenges Essay Paper Pivotal Talent Pools and Role Challenges Davis Young provides a wide array of litigation support products and services. Its core business is tied to the insurance defense industry. The primary customer base includes regional and national insurance companies. The key strategic elements that the Firm uses for differentiation are superior customer service, high product quality, and a solid reputation (brand). I can only assume you have revamped your Deliverable 1 to support this part. I am a bit concerned that you have yet to get a handle on strategy ececution. They are owned by 13 practicing Senior Attorneys, all responsible for maintaining a full trial docket. Various subsets of this group provide strategic leadership, handle or lead large accounts, and act as management for the Firm. A large percentage of the daily work load falls to the eight Associate Attorneys. These Junior Attorneys cost less than the Senior Attorneys and are relied upon to provide a wide range of deliverables such as legal research, brief writing, and daily interaction with the clients (customers) with minimal supervision. Other administrative duties are handled by the support teams. This talent pool consists primarily of Legal Assistants, Paralegals, Office Administration and Accounting. From a value chain perspective, Let’s break this down to the components of the value chain primary and support activities. It is likely that with the size of the firm that each position will serve multiple roles. The Value Chain helps us to find the pivotal Talent pools. the Owners, Associate Attorneys, Office Manager, Paralegals, and Legal Assistants would primarily be classified as Operations. They are running the operation and creating the â€Å"product† on a daily basis. However, in small organizations such as this, parts of the team will multitask into other value chain components. For instance, the Owners will manage sales and marketing by continuous client maintenance, as well as searching out new clients and landing new accounts. The Office Administrator and Office Manager do an excellent job of handling the HR function. Technology is a support function that is wholly outsourced. Three talent pools are readily identified as critical to the strategy (service, quality, reputation); the Owners, the Associate Attorneys, and Support Staff. The question to be answered in identifying which of these three is most pivotal is as follows: â€Å"for a given investment in either training of or recruiting in the talent pool could be any component of the HCA but you are getting ahead of yourself. , which would yield the largest improvements in the strategic elements? † Figure 1 illustrates the findings. Figure [ 1 ] The Owners are all senior, experienced Attorneys. They have demonstrated the ability to be effective at building relationships with the clients, delivering quality product, and protecting the brand. As such, the performance versus strategic value curve is fairly flat (once you get to the acceptable threshold). The Associate Attorneys vary in experience. There are junior Attorneys here that can show significant improvement through hands-on training programs (internal), continuing legal education (outside training programs), and active mentoring. Also, consider that these Associate Attorneys are responsible for a significant percentage of the work and client interactions. This is where the product quality and service elements are visibly manifested. Consequently, an investment in this pool has a significant payback. This can be illustrated by the higher slope on the yield curve. The support function includes a wide range of specific positions but most of them have a much higher level of supervision, less interaction with the customer, and their final work is screened by one of the attorney groups. As such their yield curve is dampened. There is still significant potential, but it is much less than that of the Associate Attorneys. This analysis identifies the Associate Attorneys as the Pivotal Talent Pool. The positions within this pool are fairly standard so the pivotal position is that of â€Å"Associate Attorney. Would the performance of the firm as defined in the strategy execution and support of competitive advantage improve if a 20% increase in quant or qual? The Associate Attorneys are pivotal due to their significant amount of customer contact and their room for growth. To identify the pivotal role challenges, we must identify the strategic deliverables for the position. For superior ser vice, we have identified a number of elements including: responsiveness to client demands; developing personal relationships; positive attitude; and dependability (delivering on commitments). Are these critical outcomes to support strategy execution? Do you have these from Del #1? The Associate Attorneys work with the clients on a daily basis. This is a pivotal role challenge. How does this interaction go? Are the associates attentive and positive? Do they connect with the client on a personal basis such that they build durable relationships? Are they participating in social events designed to strengthen and build these relationships? Demonstrating these behaviors will be critical. The associate Attorneys can be developed and trained and certain metrics can be used for elements like responsiveness. Others such as relationship building and positive attitude will require work in recruiting the right people and assimilating the existing culture. Customer feedback mechanisms should also be developed and maintained. Some customers already provide individual and firm-wide â€Å"report cards. † In addition to the pivotal role challenge as it relates to customer interaction, another pivotal challenge exists with respect to Associate Attorney interaction within the legal community at large. It is the development of these relationships that ultimately serve as the underpinnings of the relationship between the Firm and its primary customers. This is also critical in maintaining the reputation of the Firm. Within this component, relationships with judges, court personnel, opposing attorneys, and competitors are critical. Metrics can be developed to monitor the Associate Attorneys’ development with respect to these other peer groups (by speaking with the judge, opposing counsel, other attorneys involved in a particular case during the course of or at the conclusion of a particular case. Most of these other peer groups are willing to share specific information concerning attorney development and this information can be analyzed to determine whether it conforms with existing reputation standards and Firm specific cultural norms. Table 1 provides a list of skills identified as critical to delivering product quality. Table 1: Attorney Skills critical to product quality| Reporting skills| | Interaction skills| | Specific skills| Writing| | Negotiating| | Mediation| Research| | Advocacy| | Trial| Analytical| | Persuasiveness| | Interrogation| | | Speaking| | | These really belong in Del #3 – performance drivers. All of these skills can be improved through targeted training. Many are best filled by good recruiting and hiring systems. The pivot role challenges occur when the product is delivered. Does it meet the Firm’s standards? These pivot role challenges can occur as the Associate Attorney is attending a pre-trial or in mediating, arbitrating or trying a case. It can happen when they are in front of a judge advocating a position on behalf of their customer. They can occur when a brief or report is being delivered to the customer. Product quality deliverables have some tangible elements that can be measured. Standards can be developed for brief writing and other report deliverables. Mediation, arbitration and trial protocols can be developed to set a standard. In summary, the Associate Attorney is identified as the pivotal position. Pivot Role Challenges center around; customer interactions in support of the Service and Reputation strategic elements, the interaction within the general legal community in support of the Reputation, and the state of the final product in support of the Product Quality strategic element.

The USA Patriot Act of 2001 essays

The USA Patriot Act of 2001 essays Since the incredible events of September 11, we Americans have had plenty to be concerned about: the nation has been grieving over the tragic loss of lives, nervous about the economic fall out from the attacks, reluctant to fly in commercial aircraft, anxious over the threat of bio-terrorism delivered via a once innocuous and common medium and, now perhaps, uneasy about the impending war with Iraq. Our flags have been waving to signal solidarity and love for our country, and many people have rediscovered a sense of pride and appreciation for all the United States upholds. Another domestic concern should be added to our list. On October 26, 2001, a massive bill designed to combat terrorism was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The bill, a revision of legislation the Bush administration proposed barely a week after the September 11 terrorist attacks, was re-introduced in early October, 2001 and passed through both houses of Congress following little debate and no formal hearings. The USA PATRIOT Act (full title: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, H.R. 3162) grants federal authorities expanded surveillance and intelligence-gathering powers (Frieden, 2001). Following the signing of the bill, Attorney General John Ashcroft, who reportedly had lobbied hard for the legislation, stated that federal agents would immediately begin exercising their new capabilities. Supporters of the bill contend it will help federal law enforcement agents prevent future terrorist attacks, rather than respond with prosecutions after the fact. Objections were raised about the manner in which the bill was hastily pushed through the voting process: Rep. Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, stated that the law was processed in the most undemocratic way possible, and it is not worthy of this institution (Dean, 2001). During the House debate, sponsors ad...

2019 Writing Contests The Ultimate Guide - Freewrite Store

2019 Writing Contests The Ultimate Guide - Freewrite Store 20 Writing Contests in 2019 Finding the right writing contest for you can be a difficult and time-consuming process. I googled the term â€Å"writing contests† and got 126,000,000 results. For that reason, we compiled a comprehensive and up-to-date list of the best writing contests in 2019. You’re here because you’re looking for credible writing contests that offer cash prizes and/or the ability to get your work in front of more people.  Discover the best essay, poetry, novel, and short story writing competitions for fiction and non-fiction writers. Disclaimer:The majority of the descriptions of each contest were taken directly from the most relevant contest website. We did the leg work and we’ll continue to curate and update this list throughout the year. If you want to receive updates when we update this list, sign up for updates! Submit your work to these competitions for a chance to win notoriety, rewards and of course, cash prizes. Related: Struggling to get your piece finished before the competition deadline? UseSprinter, our online, distraction-free writing tool. Produce your best work by staying productive and creative. Did we miss a writing competition? Let us know in the comments or by tweeting at us, @astrohaus. 20 Writing Contests in 2019 1. 2019 fresh.ink Fiction Contest To celebrate the launch of our beta reader platform, we're hosting a fiction writing contest with $7,500 in prizes. Our judging process is unique and very transparent. Instead of editors, we match your work with private beta readers on our fresh.ink platform who rate your story. Highest overall score wins in each of the four categories: short story, novelette, novella, and novel! Deadline:December 1st, 2019  Fee: None  Prize:  $1,000 - $3,000  Ã‚  View Contest 2. Amazing Women's Edition Tell us about an amazing woman. The National Youth Foundation is pleased to announce the 2020 Amazing Women's Edition Contest student book competition. Students are tasked to get to know women in their communities and tell us about the heroines. The contest is open to students in grades K-8. Prizes include $500 for the student(s), $250 for the teacher or parent advisor and the book is published and donated to schools and libraries across the country. Deadline:  January 6, 2019  Fee:  None  Prize:  $500 and Publication of Book  View Contest 3. 2019 Accenti Writing Contest The annual Accenti Writing Contest has an open topic.  Multiple entries are welcome.  The contest is open to prose works of fiction, non-fiction or creative non-fiction with a maximum length of 2000 words.  Winners are chosen by blind judging. Four finalists make the shortlist, from which the judges choose the winner.  The popular vote winner is the submission from among the four finalists that receives the most votes by Accenti readers. Winners' names, bios and submissions will be posted on Accenti in May and reported in the Accenti Newsletter. Top prize: $1000.00 (CDN) and publication in Accenti.  Two runner-up prizes: $100.00 (CDN) each and publication in Accenti.  Popular Vote prize: $100.00 (CDN) and publication in Accenti.Deadline: February 3rd, 2020  Ã‚  Fee: $30  Ã‚  Prize: $100 - $1,000 View Contest 4. The Juniper Literary Prizes The Juniper Literary Prizes showcase distinctive and fresh voices and share their work with a wide array of readers. Every year, faculty-judges from the distinguished  University of Massachusetts MFA program select two  winners in poetry, two in  fiction, and one in creative nonfiction, and the awardees each receive an honorarium of $1,000 and a publication contract with the University of Massachusetts Press. Deadline:September 30, 2019  Fee:  $30  Prize: $1,000 View Contest 5. WOW! Women On Writing Summer 2019 Flash Fiction Contest Seeking short fiction of any genre between 250 - 750 words. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, communication, and well-rewarded recognition to contestants. Electronic submissions via e-mail only; reprints are okay; simultaneous submissions okay; reprints okay; multiple submissions are okay as long as they are submitted in their own individual e-mail. Open internationally. Limit: 300 entries. Entry: $10 entry fee; critique option for an additional $10 Deadline:  August 31, 2019  Fee:$10  Prize:  Up to $400 + publication  Ã‚  View Contest 6. 2019 African American Voices in Children’s Literature: Writing Contest Strive Publishing Free Spirit Publishing are partnering to shine a spotlight onMinnesota’s African American authors in the first annual African American Voicesin Children’s Literature Writing Contest. Eligible entries will include original fiction or nonfiction board books for ages 0–4 (50–125 words) and picture books for ages 4–8 (300–800 words) featuring contemporary African American characters and culture and focusing on one or more of the following topics: character development, self-esteem, diversity, getting along with others, engaging with family and community, or other topics related to positive childhood development. Deadline:  June 30, 2019  Fee:  None  Prize:  $1000  View Contest 7.  2019 Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction The Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction was established in 2004 in memory of Liza Nelligan, a writer, editor, and friend of many in Colorado State University’s English Department, where she received her master’s degree in literature in 1992. By giving an award to the author of an outstanding short story each year, we hope to honor Nelligan’s life, her passion for writing, and her love of fiction. The Nelligan Prize is offered annually. The winner receives a $2,000 honorarium and the story is published in the fall/winter issue of  Colorado Review. Deadline:  March 14, 2019  Fee:  $15  Prize:  $2,000 View Contest 8.  SFC Literary Prize The biennial $50,000 Literary Prize is sponsored by St. Francis College to offer its support and encouragement to the literary community and mid-career authors who have recently published their 3rd to 5th work of fiction.   Self-published books and English translations are considered. The next Prize will be for work published between June 2017 and May 2019. Deadline:  May 15, 2019  Fee:  None  Prize: $15,000 View Contest 9.  The Restless Books Prize For New Immigrant  Writing The ethos of the modern world is defined by immigrants. Their stories have always been an essential component of our cultural consciousness, from Isaac Bashevis Singer to Isabel Allende, from Milan Kundera to Maxine Hong Kingston. In novels, short stories, memoirs, and works of journalism, immigrants have shown us what resilience and dedication we’re capable of, and have expanded our sense of what it means to be global citizens. In these times of intense xenophobia, it is more important than ever that these boundary-crossing stories reach the broadest possible audience. With that in mind, we are proud to present The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing. We are looking for extraordinary unpublished submissions from emerging writers of sharp, culture-straddling writing that addresses identity in a global age. Each year, a distinguished panel of judges will select a winning manuscript to be published by Restless Books. We can’t wait to read and share what the new voices of the world have to say. Deadline:  March  31, 2019  Fee:  None  Prize:  $10,000  View Contest 10.  Sarton Women's Book Awards The Sarton Women’s Book Awards are given annually to women authors writing chiefly about women in memoir, nonfiction, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and young adult. The awards are limited to submissions originally written in English and published by small/independent publishers, university presses, and author-publishers (self-publishing authors).  The award program is named in honor of May Sarton, who is remembered for her outstanding contributions to women's literature as a memoirist, novelist, and poet. Deadline:  July 1, 2019 (Early Bird Entry)  Fee:  $90 (Early Bird Fee)  Ã‚  Prize:  $100 + commemorative medallion and advertising considerations  View Contest 11.  6th Ó Bhà ©al Five Words International Poetry Competition The O Bheal Five Words Poetry Competition is one of the more unique competitions on this list. Instead of opening yearly or even quarterly, this contest is held weekly. Every Tuesday around noon (UTC), from the 16th of April 2019 until the 28th of January 2020, five words are posted on the competitions page. Entrants have one week to compose and submit one or more poems which include all five words given for that week. One winner is selected from all the weekly winners. Deadline:  Weekly, through January 28, 2020  Fee:  Ã¢â€š ¬5  Prize:  Ã¢â€š ¬500  View Contest 12.  L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is an opportunity for new writers of science fiction and fantasy to have their work judged by some of the masters in the field and discovered by a wide audience. Deadline:  March 31, 2019  Fee: None  Prize: Up to $5,000 View Contest 13. Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition Writer’s Digest has been shining a spotlight on up and coming writers in all genres through its Annual Writing Competition for more than 80 years. Enter our 88th Annual Writing Competition for your chance to win and have your work be seen by editors and agents! Almost 500 winners will be chosen. The top winning entries of this writing contest will also be on display in the 88th Annual  Writer’s Digest Competition Collection. Deadline:  May 6, 2019  Fee:  $25  Prize:  $5,000 View Contest 14.  Drue Heinz Literature Award The Drue Heinz Literature Prize recognizes and supports writers of short fiction and makes their work available to readers around the world. The award is open to authors who have published a book-length collection of fiction or at least three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals. Manuscripts are judged anonymously by nationally known writers. Past judges have included Robert Penn Warren, Joyce Carol Oates, Raymond Carver, Margaret Atwood, Russell Banks, Rick Moody, and Joan Didion. Winners receive a cash prize of $15,000, publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press, and support in the nation-wide promotion of their book. Deadline:  June 30, 2019  Fee:None  Prize:$15,000  View Contest 15.  Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize Established in 1981, the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize is administered by theUniversity of Pittsburgh Press. Named in honor of Agnes Lynch Starrett, the Press’sfirst director, the prize is awarded for a first full-length book of poems. The prize carries a cash award of $5,000 and publication by the University ofPittsburgh Press as part of the Pitt Poetry Series. The series  is edited by Ed Ochester, who also serves as final judge in the Starrett competition. Deadline:  April 30, 2019  Fee: $25  Prize:  $5,000  View Contest 16.  Miami Book Fair/ De Groot Prize The Miami Book Fair, the nation’s finest and largest literary gathering, presented by Miami Dade College, has partnered with The de Groot Foundation to launch the Miami Book Fair/De Groot Prize to be awarded to an author for an unpublished novella. Deadline:  April 30, 2019  Fee:None  Prize:  $6,000 and publication by Melville House   View Contest 17.  Write The World Founded in 2012 by David Weinstein, Write The World is a program dedicated to the development of high school aged writers. They’ve created a global community and a guided interactive process that’s subscribed to by thousands of youth writers and educators. Image via: Write the World Their current competition is a food writing competition. Writers aged 13-18 may submit a 600 - 1,000 word essay about food. Along with cash prizes of up to $100, youth writers will receive recognition from the global Write The World community. Deadline:  Monthly  Fee:  None  Prize:  Up to $100  View Contest 18.  ServiceScape Short Story Award 2019 Calling all short story writers: Are you a short story writer interested in gaining more exposure and a bigger audience for your creative work? Would an extra  $1,000.00 USD  in your pocket be a great thing right now? If so,  the ServiceScape Short Story Award is the perfect way to achieve both. For this award, any genre or theme of short story is accepted. All applicants should submit their original unpublished work of short fiction or nonfiction, 5,000 words or fewer, to be considered. Along with receiving an award for  $1,000.00 USD, the winner will have his or her short story featured within our blog, which reaches thousands of readers per month. Rules and exclusions apply.    Deadline:  November 30, 2019  Fee:  None  Prize:  $1,000  View Contest 19.  Narrative Prize 2019 THE $4,000 NARRATIVE PRIZE  is awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction published by a new or emerging writer in  Narrative. The winner is announced each September, and the prize is awarded in October. The award, citing the winner’s name and the title and genre of the winning piece, is widely publicized, and each winner is cited in an ongoing listing in  Narrative. The prize will be given to the best work published each year in  Narrative  by a new or emerging writer, as judged by the magazine’s editors. In some years, the prize may be divided between winners, when more than one work merits the award. Deadline:  June 15, 2019  Fee:None  Prize:  $4,000  View Contest 20.  Architecture of Power: Short Story Contest Welcome to 2019; polarizing political views are an ever-present reality and it doesn't seem to be improving. Whether you live in the US or on the other side of the globe our environments are actors in the theater of influence. What happens when design becomes part of the equation?Write a short story that puts into narrative how architecture and the built-environment affect the lives of the people in power and those on the fringes of society. Deadline:  February 28th, 2019  Ã‚  Fee:  $25  Prize:  $500 + Bonus  View Contest - There are many good reasons to enter writing contests. First and foremost, there is the possibility of winning a cash prize. Secondly, having your name attached to a popular literary magazine or writing organization can help get your work seen. With that said, before taking the plunge, be sure to read the contest guidelines thoroughly. Some writing contests have regional, age, gender, ethnicity, and word count restrictions. If you’ve found what you’re looking for, don’t delay, get writing! Writing competitions are one of the best ways for writers to get their work in front of a broad audience.    Carlton Clark loves to write about business, baseball, and popular culture. A writer, marketer, and entrepreneur. At the age of 14, he founded the media company  ballplayerplus.com. Currently, Carlton helps businesses share their stories through social media and blogging. When he’s not writing or creating content, Carlton coaches youth baseball at his local high school and plays guitar. You can find him online on Instagram @itscarltonclark, and on Twitter @carlton_mukasa

The Education Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Education Industry - Essay Example 1). They put students in control of their education rather than the faculty, staff, or accrediting bodies, because all or most of their funding comes directly from the students and they are treated with "customer service" instead of having to earn their degrees. According to Zach Stocks (2009, pg. 1), "Consistent readers should be aware of the fact that I see many for-profit education companies as short candidates. Conventional wisdom states that during tough economic times, workers will pursue education programs in order to improve their wage potential, or to develop skill in an area likely to provide them a job." Certainly, no one is saying that a college degree is not valuable. In fact, we are stating quite the opposite. It is just a matter of choosing the wiser path to follow for your own needs: for-profit or nonprofit. It is really up to you. We can prove the worth of a college degree simply by looking at the graph that follows. According to the National Center for Study of the Privatization of Education (2009, pg. 1), "There are two types of for-profit schools. The first kind is a school that operates as a business and attempts to make a profit from its educational operation. The school receives a fee for each student it enrolls. The second kind is an educational management organization (EMO) that contracts with school districts and charter schools to operate public schools. The most important difference between the two types of for-profit schools is that EMOs usually manage schools receiving public funds. Most for-profit schools function as EMOs." For-profit schools are considered controversial. They use business techniques to improve their schools rather than relying on state or federal mandates to improve them. "Therefore, the main concern of management is realizing profits and promoting growth. Proponents of for-profit schools claim business models will benefit students, because financial success depends on providing a quality education. Schools must improve if they are to compete for students. Opponents fear for-profit schools will make students a secondary concern and eliminate beneficial programs that are too expensive or take short-cuts to enhance profitability. The potential

The Old Folks Home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Old Folks Home - Essay Example The author of â€Å"The Old Folks Home† begins his narrative with the statement that approaching always brings up the same feelings in the author: duty, of course, and excitement because he hasn’t seen his grandma in so long†¦ but there is always a touch of apprehension, of dread. The fact is, there is not a whole lot that we have in common together, not a lot of common ground to talk about.   This means that we will check up on each other – because we do care, we truly do, but after that first inspection, the tales of the past week or two or four, a silence laps. The visit turns into watching jeopardy or a Cubs game, comfortable, yet not all that fulfilling.   The author tells that he cannot leave after the first checkup though – what would the point be for such a short visit?   Wouldn’t that be admitting defeat?   Wouldn’t that be telling each other that there is not actually that much for us to talk about anymore? He keeps on telling himself, and his grandma keeps on telling him, that she appreciates them, that the author is doing a good thing.   But he also worries that his discomfort is shared – that she knows no matter how much they love each other, that there is nothing that love can do to help bridge the 60-year gap that separates their birth.   He tells himself this is fine, that his presence is all that is required, that he is doing good.   He wishes he could believe himself.   He wishes he could do more.

Language Arts lesson plan analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Language Arts lesson plan analysis - Essay Example Furthermore, by allowing the students to predict what will happen, especially the ending of the story, students will be using inquiry based learning. They will be responding to questions, as well as asking themselves questions in the process of making a story. Thus, the various learning styles and strategies learned should help students gain a better grasp of what the beginning, middle, and end of something, such as a story, means. This will hopefully help them better understand analysis and storytelling in the future. As far as content specific strategies are concerned, this is a very interesting lesson plan. It does have quite a bit of promise. Students at the elementary age love storytelling, and thus incorporating a lesson plan into storytelling is a very good way to bring them into the actual lesson, and to catch and hold their attention. Asking them questions and getting them to focus on the illustrations will also help to keep their interest, since children typically love looking at the pictures in books. However, a stronger assessment could be presented in this lesson.

Guidelines for Country Case Report ( Viet Nam) Essay

Guidelines for Country Case Report ( Viet Nam) - Essay Example on (ASEAN) in 1995, and thereby of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), and signed memorandum of understanding for commercial cooperation with the European Union (USA International Business Publications 121). Moreover, Vietnam consents to all efforts in support of its economic development and foreign investment (122). Despite moderation of trade barriers and enhanced diplomatic relations with more than a hundred territories worldwide, Vietnam remains true to the communist ideals. The Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) still has control of election of government officials, from the highest to the most minor positions; and prohibits establishment of independent political, religious and labor organizations (USA International Business Publications 122). This is one practice that does not correspond with the concepts of globalization; yet seems to have worked well in Vietnam, perhaps because the greater part of its population trusts that it serves the common good. In this case, it is safe to assume that Vietnam recognizes the advantages of international trade but views all states as autonomous (Harrison)—meaning, interdependence may exist but it does not force all states to follow a resolute pattern of governance as was intended for the Washington Consensus. From the surface, this realistic philosophy of Vietnam towards foreign affairs, that is, making certain actions to open itself to globalization yet is not willing to share sovereign powers with other actors (Brawley 47), appears to provoke conflict among those that consider themselves dominant. Following the game theory perspective, however, this can be associated to a game of stag hunt—wherein cooperation among actors is the key to seizing the best price, although delegation of a leader or each actor deciding on its own strategy does not significantly affect the aftermath of the event. As mentioned earlier, Vietnam puts diplomacy at the forefront of all its ventures; and should there be a risk of tension due to

Convergence from GAAP to IFRS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Convergence from GAAP to IFRS - Essay Example The paper will further discuss the benefits, which will accrue to United States firms, investors, and the economy as a whole, as a result of converging from United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles to International Financial Reporting Standards. Convergence from Generally Accepted Accounting Principles to International Financial Reporting Standards Currently, International Financial Reporting Standards are used by more than 12,000 companies in the world and have been in use in over 100 countries around the globe. According to Kaiser et al. (2012), there are various ongoing projects, which were initiated by the International Accounting Standards Board and the Financial Accounting Standards Board with an aim of enhancing the International Financial Reporting Standards and America Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and eventually making the principles fully compatible. Majority of these projects covers the key components of the financial reports. Through these proje cts, the boards plan to enhance financial disclosure information for shareholders while also aligning U.S. GAAP and international bookkeeping standards. Revenue recognition, financial instruments, and leases are deemed as the priority projects largely as a result of existing difference of IFRS and U.S. GAAP and the necessity for enhancements, especially in the principles they are intended to replace. The boards have also concentrated on financial reports presentation and consolidations projects due to considerable implications they might have (Kaiser et al., 2012). According to Henson (2012), in late 2011, SEC Chief Accountant, James Kroeker, indicated that considerable progress had taken place on numerous IASB and FASB Memorandum of Understanding convergence projects encompassing other comprehensive financial and income reporting fair value guidance. In January 2012, the chairman of IASB, Hans Hoogervorst acknowledged that International Financial Reporting Standards pose several ch allenges for the SEC. U.S. uses a sophisticated, mature and time stated set of bookkeeping standards, and this makes it difficult to make the convergence decision. In June 2012, IASB and FASB agreed on lease bookkeeping model where all leases with a period of one year or more would be reported on the balance sheet. Hans Hoogervorst indicated that the two boards anticipate completing the convergence project by year 2013 (Henson, 2012). The considerable progress in the convergence projects requires the United States companies, to start examining the implications of the convergence on their operations. This would enable companies to plan how to adopt the changes, which will arise from the convergence. This implies that, at the beginning of 2014, the U.S. public traded corporations might be obligated to file financial reports with the SEC using the International Financial Reporting Standards. In my opinion, it is beneficial for the United States to converge from America Generally Accept ed Accounting Principles to International Financial Reporting Standards. The convergence has various challenges and advantages. The challenges facing the transition may be addressed appropriately by all stakeholders involved in the convergenc

Islam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Islam - Assignment Example Other masters have also taken on social inequality, whereas sometimes putting their own lives on the line in their attempts to change political and social conditions for spiritual revival and improved living conditions. Sufism’s missionary activities have led to an increased number of their faithful. It is impossible to overstate the importance the spiritual education, as well as inculcation of such virtues as veneration of the prophet, faith in the love of God, piety, and trust in God. Sufism’s dhikr formulas are still preservative of their quieting and consoling power that it has on the illiterate. Persian literature and literature that influenced Persian literature is permeated by mysticism. This literature has aided millions by being a source of happiness. However, several modernists have argued against this literature because of its narcotic-like influence on the thoughts of Muslims. However, modern life and the effects of industrialization have caused a constant d ecline in Sufism’s influence in many states. People who attempt to show that mysticism and modern science conform have preserved the order’s spiritual heritage. This is because mysticism is central to the beliefs of the order. 2. Explain in detail the five pillars of Islam The five pillars of Islam are the most important Islamic pillars. These are five obligations that all Muslims are required to satisfy so as to live a responsible and good Islamic life. The first pillar is â€Å"Shahadah†, which is a basic statement that states that there is no God, but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger. This statement is the basic one in Islam with those who cannot recite the statement wholeheartedly considered as non-Muslims. Muslims who recite this statement proclaim that they will obey all Islamic commitments in their life; Allah is the only God, and Muhammad is his prophet; and that they accept the statement to be true. The second pillar of Islam is â€Å"Salat†, which are the obligatory prayers said by Muslims five times a day. Allah ordered that Muslims pray every day at five set times. These are; Salat al-fair, which is at dawn, Salat al-zhur, which is at midday, Salat al-‘asr, which is just before the sun sets, Salat-al-maghrib, which is said just following sunset, and Salat al-‘isha, which is said between midnight and sunset. Every Muslim tries to abide by the set times with even children encouraged to pray. The third pillar of Islam, Zakat, refers to the compulsory giving to charity of a particular proportion of a person’s wealth. Muslims as a form of self-purification and worship regard Zakat. It is not referent to charitable gifts from Muslims given out of generosity or even kindness; however, it refers to systematic offering of 2.5% of a Muslim person’s wealth every year for the benefit of poor people. Sawm is the fourth pillar of Islam with a requirement for all Muslims to fast on Ramadan. During the entir e period of Ramadan, every adult Muslim is required to give up various things, including sexual activity, smoking of any kind, as well as food and drink. The fifth and final pillar of Islam is Hajj. Once every year, there is a gathering in Mecca of diverse groups of Muslims praising Allah together in front of the Kaaba. It is meant for the promotion of sisterhood and brotherhood among Muslims to show that they are all equal

Convergence from GAAP to IFRS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Convergence from GAAP to IFRS - Essay Example The paper will further discuss the benefits, which will accrue to United States firms, investors, and the economy as a whole, as a result of converging from United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles to International Financial Reporting Standards. Convergence from Generally Accepted Accounting Principles to International Financial Reporting Standards Currently, International Financial Reporting Standards are used by more than 12,000 companies in the world and have been in use in over 100 countries around the globe. According to Kaiser et al. (2012), there are various ongoing projects, which were initiated by the International Accounting Standards Board and the Financial Accounting Standards Board with an aim of enhancing the International Financial Reporting Standards and America Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and eventually making the principles fully compatible. Majority of these projects covers the key components of the financial reports. Through these proje cts, the boards plan to enhance financial disclosure information for shareholders while also aligning U.S. GAAP and international bookkeeping standards. Revenue recognition, financial instruments, and leases are deemed as the priority projects largely as a result of existing difference of IFRS and U.S. GAAP and the necessity for enhancements, especially in the principles they are intended to replace. The boards have also concentrated on financial reports presentation and consolidations projects due to considerable implications they might have (Kaiser et al., 2012). According to Henson (2012), in late 2011, SEC Chief Accountant, James Kroeker, indicated that considerable progress had taken place on numerous IASB and FASB Memorandum of Understanding convergence projects encompassing other comprehensive financial and income reporting fair value guidance. In January 2012, the chairman of IASB, Hans Hoogervorst acknowledged that International Financial Reporting Standards pose several ch allenges for the SEC. U.S. uses a sophisticated, mature and time stated set of bookkeeping standards, and this makes it difficult to make the convergence decision. In June 2012, IASB and FASB agreed on lease bookkeeping model where all leases with a period of one year or more would be reported on the balance sheet. Hans Hoogervorst indicated that the two boards anticipate completing the convergence project by year 2013 (Henson, 2012). The considerable progress in the convergence projects requires the United States companies, to start examining the implications of the convergence on their operations. This would enable companies to plan how to adopt the changes, which will arise from the convergence. This implies that, at the beginning of 2014, the U.S. public traded corporations might be obligated to file financial reports with the SEC using the International Financial Reporting Standards. In my opinion, it is beneficial for the United States to converge from America Generally Accept ed Accounting Principles to International Financial Reporting Standards. The convergence has various challenges and advantages. The challenges facing the transition may be addressed appropriately by all stakeholders involved in the convergenc

Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Marketing Plan - Essay Example ignificance of the fast food industry and major factors forming and regulating the industry and the environment under which it experiences its slow but steady and unbroken growth. Location: Location and surroundings of a business place play the most pivotal part in the success or failure of a company. The location for the very first restaurant of this fast food brand is suggested to be selected beside the beautiful lake, seven miles away from the city, where this newly introduced fast food will be launched within few months. The main reason behind establishing this location for the restaurant includes the peaceful and serene atmosphere, which is particularly attractive and appealing to the families, friends, youngsters, lovers and children alike. Hence, the individuals belonging to every age and socioeconomic status will enjoy themselves to drive towards the restaurant offering multiple food and entertainment facilities under an ideal and healthy environment. Targeting & Segmentation of Customers: Since food industry is one of the fastest growing businesses of the contemporary era, targeting and segmentation of the clients and customers is the most imperative strategy for an entrepreneur. Since fast food is particularly appealing to every socioeconomic class as well as age-group, both young and old are the target customers for the restaurant. The restaurant will have to assure the hygiene of the product it offers to its customers, so that it can witness a constant growth for the future years to come. In addition, being a bit away from the commercial and residential areas of the city, the restaurant will have to assure the quality of its product along with presentation of it under a pleasant, eye-catching, jubilant and enjoyable atmosphere, so that the visitors cannot resist the charm it offers to them at their first visit. Nature of Food: The restaurant aims to offer egg rolls, burgers, pizza, fried chicken pieces, nuggets, French fries and other immediately

Death into the Wild Essay Example for Free

Death into the Wild Essay Into the Wild was Jon Krakauer’s best selling non-fiction novel about the adventures of Christopher McCandless. In essence it was an expansion of his earlier work entitled â€Å"Death of an Innocent† which appeared in the January 1993 issue of Outside. The novel chronicles the experiences of Chris McCandless, the 24-year-old nature enthusiast who left his suburban Washington, D. C. , home in 1992 for a wilderness trek through Alaskas backcountry. Equipped with a 10-pound bag of rice, a small-caliber rifle, and not much else, McCandless fashioned himself into a modern-day American Adam determined to explore the nations Last Frontier. The excursion, however, came to an abrupt end four months later with McCandless’ emaciated corpse discovered in an abandoned school bus not far from the boundaries of Denali National Park. Into the Wild presents Krakauers account as to what drove McCandless to such a fate. Between the time of its appearance in 1993 to its publication as a book in 1996, Krakauers story elicited numerous responses, including many from Alaska residents who derided the author for glorifying what they saw as nothing more than a young mans folly. For these readers, McCandless represented just another ill-advised individual who ventured unprepared into dangerous country in the hope of discovering answers to his life, which was merely met by mosquitoes and a lonely death (72). As I reckon such a perspective fails to account for the significance of Krakauer’s novel within the genre of narrative non-fiction. In lieu of this, what follows is an explication of the role of Krakauer’s methodology in the process of explicating the story of McCandless into the wild. Narrative non-fiction takes the form of a documentary as far as it opts to elucidate the objective conditions underlying the formation of a particular situation. A literary work within the genre of narrative non-fiction may thereby be understood as a â€Å"creative treatment of actuality† (Carroll 154). The aforementioned notion works on the assumption that literature may be able to shape reality creatively through the introduction of an artistic dimension within a literary piece. Such a dimension however, which necessitates the introduction of an aesthetic aspect within the text contradicts the foundations of works of non-fiction which involves the maintenance of objectivity within the text. Objectivity in this sense is assessed through the author’s general appraisal of the events presented within the text. In that sense, objectivity takes the epistemological form of objectivity wherein it understood as objectivity in judgment. Such a form of objectivity is maintained within works of non-fiction since such works are understood as the author’s account of an event. To understand a work as an account enables the application of fluidity upon the work since it is presented as open to interpretation as well knowledge and truth coercion. Such a process of truth coercion may be seen in Krakauer’s narrative of McCandless’ journey into the wild. Into the Wild begins with a narrative exposition wherein the reader is introduced to the major characters of the story along with the necessary background information needed to contextualize the discovery of McCandless’ corpse. The beginning of Krakauer’s Into the Wild thereby is highly similar to the expository beginning of a novel. Such a beginning enables the skillful orchestration of a preconceived conception of McCandless’ story. It enables the conception of McCandless as an individual who ventured for the discovery of his self through the discovery of a presumed unknown territory. Krakauer’s work thereby functions as a vehicle for the reader’s discovery of McCandless journey towards himself. Such a journey was enabled by the collage of various materials that enabled the factual retelling of McCandless’ life up to the point of his demise. The process of contextualization mentioned above was made possible by using materials from interviews as well as McCandless’ journal along with photographs, letters, and other secondary research materials that enabled the explication of the conditions as to McCandless’ adventures. The use of these varied materials enabled the book to be a moving literary piece formulated through the combination of journalistic, historical, nature and travel writing, as well as memoir writing. It should be noted that these materials as well as the formation of the collage of the aforementioned materials were constructed by the author. Into the Wild thereby presents us with Krakauer’s account of the events. As I reckon, it is the construction of the narrative as well as Krakauer’s presentation of the account, which serves as his take into the events that governed McCandless’ existence. Other individual’s perceived McCandless’ act as an act of folly however, Kraukaeur presented it in such a manner that it focused on the adventure and drama, which he perceives as intrinsic to the act of finding or discovering one’s self. Within the book, he represented McCandless as an extraordinary individual whose existence was governed by courage and skill evident in his demonstration of McCandless’ desire to survive within an unchartered territory. Kraukauer’s analysis of the risks examined as well as the narrative structure of text presented Krakauer’s judgments as to the life that McCandless led. Works Cited Carroll, Noel. â€Å"Fiction, Non-Fiction, and the Film of Presumptive Assertion: A Conceptual Analysis. † Philosophy of Film and Motion Picture: An Anthology. Eds. Noel Carroll and Jinhee Choi. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. New York: Villard, 1996.

Teenagers and Their Tanning Problem Essay -- Health, Skin Cancer

Teenagers and their Tanning Problem 30 million people are expected to go tanning this year (â€Å"Tanning poses risks† 1). That means that 30 million people are putting themselves up for the risk of skin cancer, premature aging, and they are putting themselves in a possible unsanitary environment. The tanning industry wants a person to think that the only thing that tanning can do for them is to make them bronze and beautiful. When in reality, it has the opposite effect. People need to know what they are doing to themselves before they put themselves in a tanning bed. Many people choose not to acknowledge all of the harmful effects that tanning can have on your body. They think that it won’t happen to them. But, I will give facts and statistics to show that everyone is at risk of the possible outcomes that come from using a tanning bed. There are 1 million new cases of skin cancer found each year (â€Å"No Teen tanning† 1). We need to make that number go down. If we make a law that makes a person have to be over 18 to go tanning, many lives would be saved. Tanning salons are not keeping up to their regulations. They are not only lying to us, but are also misleading us in multiple ways. A recent survey done where a reporter from The Consumer Union asked employees at tanning salons from 12 different cities multiple questions to see the results. When they did this they found that 75% of employees said their customers could tan everyday, 6% said they would allow them to tan without eyewear, 20% said minors could come without any adult and 35% said that tanning doesn’t cause skin cancer (â€Å"Tanning poses risks† 1). These statistics are way too high. Not only are the people at the tanning bed not trustworthy, but so are their actual beds. Emp... ...abit at all. Being 18 is a big step in a teenager’s life. They automatically become more responsible and more mature. They should be able to be mature enough to make the right decision by choosing to not go tanning. They would also no longer have the peer pressure while being in high school to look a certain way. This would be a great law that could save lives, but still protect that American right of freedom to choose what a person does with oneself. Lots of states are taking action and creating new regulations and laws for tanners. Let us be the one who really goes all out. Let us be the one to start something new. People would look to us and think about how much we care about our people and their lives. If we do create this law, then many lives would be saved. Future cancer patients would no longer exist. Our Indiana State citizens will thank us in the future.

The Role of Women in Ancient Egyptian Society Essay -- Ancient Egypt W

It is difficult to fully understand the role of women in ancient Egyptian society because the understandings of the society and government are still incomplete. There are also two other major problems, those being that there is very little source material on women, and the material that has been found was biased by the ideas and minds of previous Egyptologists. The only source material that has survived from great kingdoms of Egypt is material that has been either found in tombs on the walls and sarcophaguses, or carved on major government and religious document. None of the writings on papyrus and other delicate materials survived. This material, which has survived, is the writings of the Egyptian literate male elite. In their writings the also did not show any emotions or feelings, this was not the style of the Egyptian people, writings were purely a record keeping device. Because of these limitations, â€Å"It is essential to avoid the temptation to extrapolate from the par ticular to the general, a process which can only too easily introduce error.† Upper class men, who had been schooled in their craft, did all the writings. As a result, there is very little material that deal with the lower peasant class. They were all illiterate and unable to record their tales. When studying women in Ancient Egypt, the great majority of the available texts discuss the lives of the upper class, which composed only a small percentage of the Egyptian population. In Pharonic Egypt, women were the legal equals of men. They were not denied any rights in accordance of the law because of their gender. Women, like men, could own property, coming into it either through inheritance, as a payment for goods or services, or through purchase. Women could buy houses and goods, and with them, they were allowed to do as they chose. Being landholders and people of property afforded ancient Egyptian women a reasonable amount of social freedom. They could travel about freely in towns without veiled faces. In their own homes, women could move about as they pleased, they were not forced to remain in one section of the house or forbidden from other common areas as they were in other societies of the time. Women could initiate legal proceedings, and they were responsible for their own actions. They could be the executors of wills and even sign their own marriage contrac... ... Egyptian women were looked at differently than men; their role was that of the nurturer and the caregiver, the bearer of a family’s future. They were just as important to the society as the men. Ancient Egypt was a very complex world, and just as complex was the role that women played in its society. They were not free, but they also were not enslaved. They were vital, but only in terms of their husbands and their children. Egypt offered women a far more free life than the rest of the ancient world. In the end, women played a secondary role to men putting their desires for achievement aside so their husband could be king. Bibliography: Fischer, Henry George. Egyptian Women of the Old Kingdom and the Heracleopolitan Period. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York. 1989 Hawass, Zahi. Silent Images: Women of Pharonic Egypt. Cultural Development Fund, Cairo, Egypt. 1995. Robbins, Gay. Women in Ancient Egypt. St. Martins Press, New York, New York. 1991. Tyldesley, Joyce. Daughters of Isis, Women of Ancient Egypt. Penguin Books, London, England 1995 Watterson, Barbara. Women in Ancient Egypt. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 1993

Language education Essay

It is not a secret that teaching has a great role in our life. In our constantly changing world we have to get knowledge from everything: from people and things surrounding us, from different technologies, from our experience. But nothing of these can take the place of a teacher, who plays a great role in life of every person. During rather long period of time a teacher was an integral part of children’s life. He does not only impart the knowledge of the world, prepares children for everyday life but also influences their souls, teaches them to be honest, to be patient, to help each other, to  respect each other. But who is a teacher? We usually think that a teacher especially if we speak of a female is a nervous persistent creature. And if we speak of a male, we are sure he is odd, absent- minded and very often not strongly built and healthy. But in the broadest sense, a teacher can be defined as someone who not only teaches or imparts knowledge, but also someone responsible for shaping the minds and hearts of all those whom they teach. Foreign language teachers have a lot of common qualities with the teachers of other subjects. Moreover such â€Å"ideal† teacher would posses personal qualities, technical abilities and professional understanding. One must admit that the future of any student depends on the qualities and dedication of a teacher of foreign language or any other subject. That is why it is necessary to be a good teacher who will create an interest in students to achieve the aims they set for themselves. But what qualities, features do make a teacher a good teacher? Speaking about it first of all we should touch teacher’s personal and professional qualities. The most important feature for both foreign language teacher and teacher of other subjects is to enjoy his profession and love children. If a teacher loves his profession and his students he is ready to devote themselves to such a hard work as being a teacher. A teacher who is full of love for his work is motivated, energized, and creative; he comes to place of work in high spirits, he is open and can share his positive emotions with the students. The next most important concern is teacher’s eternal patience. A foreign language teacher must be patient. He must never be annoyed with students because they don’t understand something. Not all children learn at the same pace and inevitably some will require special attention. However, giving up on these children is a mistake as they can usually succeed with encouragement and hard work. It is a well-known fact that a good teacher must possess leadership qualities. He must have great confidence and strong will power to obtain the best results from his students. A good sense of humour is another great tool that helps a teacher to simplify his task. I  think that a good sense of humor can create a pleasant atmosphere where everyone knows they can ask questions, make mistakes or try out new ideas. One more qualities of a good teacher which is necessary to mention is respect. It is very important to respect the students, their opinions, ideas, style of living, and attitude towards something. Having that respect for others gets you the respect back from others. Endurance, tolerance, optimism, enthusiasm, objectiveness, amiable disposition are also in the first ranks of qualities of a good teacher. I think that all these characteristics are some kind of challenge for a person because it is not so easy to combine all of them. But as the future teachers we must make every effort in order to develop them because we are the future examples for younger generation. Besides, a good foreign language teacher should possess certain professional knowledge. First of all he must know psychology of his children. It will help a teacher to have a certain way with the students, to involve them, to make the lessons more interesting and effective. Without any doubt a good foreign language teacher must be knowledgeable in his subject, because he is an example for the pupils. He must know all the peculiarities of the language, its grammar, lexical structure perfectly well. The pronunciation of a good foreign language teacher must also be on a high level. In other words he must be a professional, a master of his skills. Besides, a good teacher also must have the ability to analyze his work in order to see his mistakes, to find more effective and productive way of teaching. But on the other hand, their social position of officially respected but badly paid specialists doesn’t allow them to occupy the desirable step on the social ladder. Unfortunately very often teachers don’t have an easy access to necessary scientific literature to improve their professional skills. One more negative aspect of this profession is that they almost have no weekends, as their Monday is more likely to begin on Sunday, because some important preparations should be done. And young teachers are often not ready for the emotional impact and the amount of work  coming down on the teacher. To draw the conclusion, one can say that future teachers must remember that being a teacher is a great responsibility, because teachers are charged with children’s young souls. They must improve themselves in order to become good teachers, to acquire the qualities which will help to open children’s hearts, to become friends for them, to become examples for them to follow, to stay in their minds and hearts forever. One cannot deny that the experience the teachers get at school make a great influence on their attitudes to life and people.

Health Care in United States Essay

The United States, as a leading developed country, is very attractive to many foreigners. Everyone dreams of coming to the United Sates to study or work. However, they are concerned about their health care while stay in the United States. The health care system in the United States is problematic. It is so extensive and complicated that it is almost impossible for the government to make everyone satisfied. Reformation of health care occurred many times in the history. President Bill Clinton tried to overhaul the health care system and failed. Before Clinton’s failure it had been Carter’s. Before Carter’s it had been Nixon’s. The health care system in the United States has several major problems. Among all of them, insurance policy is the core issue. The Unites States is the only developed country, except for South Korea, that does not provide healthcare for all of its citizens (Farrell). According to the research, there are still 50.7 million people uninsured, which is 16% of the United States population (about one in six people), or the combined population of 25 average-sized states, such as Oklahoma, Connecticut, Iowa, Mississippi, and Kansas (Parker-Pope). The main cause is that the price for health insurance is too high. Many people are not able to pay insurance premiums and over these years the situation has been getting worse and worse. During the past eight years, insurance premiums have nearly doubled, resulting in health insurance moving farther out of reach for millions (Farrell; Klein). Despite millions of people cannot afford medical insurance; the government do not have a solution. The government now only pays two kinds of insurance. Medicare is a program set up for senior citizens (65 or older). Most of them retire and do not have any income sources. Therefore the government offers them insurance. Medicaid is established for the disabled or those with low income. However, the criterion of qualifying low income is incomplete and farfetched. Those two programs were originally set for great purposes; now they are associated with many frauds. For example, federal authorities announced on May 2 they had arrested 107 health care providers, including doctors and nurses, in several cities and charged them with cheating Medicare out of $452 million (Matthews). Medicaid is just as bad, or worse. New York City has been a huge problem for Medicaid with one former official suggesting that 40% of NYC’s Medicaid payments are â€Å"questionable.† The New York Times reported that a Brooklyn dentist had filed 991 claims in one day (Matthews). These two kinds  of government support have many problems, and while there is benefit to those really in need, a major overhaul is needed. Generally, despite Medicare and Medicaid, there are two ways to get insured. One is employer-based which the employers pay premiums for employees. In that sense, employees do not have opportunity to choose their own health plan. The employers choose for their workers. Once one looses his or her job, the insurance plan automatically become invalid and one has to pay for his or her own premium. Due to this reason, many people are bonded to their current jobs. However, if one does not have a job or has a part-time job that the employers do not pay for premium because of shortage of working hours, one has to purchase his or her insurance plan. Individual plans can be quiet very expensive, especially for families. Statistics showed that Americans spend more than any other country in the world. In 2005, per capita, or per person spending on medical insurance was $6,697 (Klein). Medical insurance is so costly that it takes up ten percent of an average American’s annual income. The U.S. spends a higher percentage of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on healthcare than other industrialized countries. In 2003, it was 15%, versus an average of 8.6% in the OECD nations (the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, a group of major industrialized countries). Federal spending on healthcare in 2005 alone totaled $600 billion, a massive one-quarter of the federal budget. (Farrell). Although Americans spend so much they are still not receiving an equivalent amount of care. Approximately one-third (31%) of adults and a little more than one-half (54%) of children do not have a primary care doctor (Appendix A). Americans pay for advanced equipment in the hospital but only 30% of them report that they can access a doctor on the very day they need one, as opposed to 41% of Britons and 55% of Germans. A full 67% of Americans , more than in any other country, say it is difficult to get care on nights, weekends, or holidays and resort to the emergency room, where care is costlier and, if one’s injury is not grievous, less efficient (Klein). The waiting time is often too long and the treating time is too short. In the United States health care system, laws and regulations play essential roles within it. Supposedly, the PPACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) is going to lower the insurance premium and make health plans affordable, reduce overall health care costs by making services available to  the 32 million who currently can not afford insurance (Amadeo). Now, only 49% of adults are receiving recommended preventative care and screening tests according to guidelines for their age and sex (Farrell). On the one hand, increased coverage would enable more people to receive preventative care. However, on the other hand, increased coverage may move the cost up rapidly because many people will receive preventative care and testing who, fortunately, find out they didn’t have that critical illness. However, the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) found that additional testing, such as cancer screening and cholesterol tests, will lead to higher net medical spending (Amadeo). Therefore, if the expenditure is up, the tax must be raised to compensate the gap in between. Especially to those do not want to purchase insurance or are not qualified for Medicare or Medicaid, they would have nightmares. They will be assessed a tax of $95 (or 1% of income, whichever is higher) in 2014. It increases to $325 (or 2% of income) in 2015, and $695 (or 2.5% of income) in 2016 (Amadeo). Last but not least, the statistics conducted by Department of Health and Human Services demonstrates that National health-care spending per person will rise from $7421 in 2007 to estimated $13,100 in 2018 ( The Staff of The Washington Post)(Appendix B). The spending is almost doubled. The CBO also predicted that about four million people, 1.2% of population would end up paying more taxes to the government than paying their own insurance premium (Amadeo). As the health care gets more affordable, the pharmaceutical companies are going to give up enormous parts of their profit to make up the â€Å"doughnut hole† (a gap in prescription drug coverage) which is included in Medicare part D. Approximately extra $84.8 billion would be paid to fix the doughnut hole. Moreover, in 2013, medical-device manufacturers and importers will pay a 2.3% excise tax. Indoor tanning services already pay a 10% excise tax (Amadeo). This could discourage those businesses from hiring new employees, which is going to be a major problem in the future. Abortion is legal in the United States and there is a heated debate about it. An estimated 48 million babies have been aborted since 1973. Approximately 24% of all U.S. pregnancies end in abortion (Abortion Statistics). Abortion contradicts to God’s word and it is immoral. In Job 10:8-12, â€Å"Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk †¦Ã‚  and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit†. God clearly stated that abortion is not pleasing in His eyes. God also included in His great ten commandments: â€Å"You shall not murder.† Abortion is definitely considered murder. Psalm 127:3, â€Å"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him†, suggests that children are gift from God. God also indicates that kids are wonderful in Psalm 139:13-16. â€Å"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that fully well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.† Therefore, abortion is inappropriate in the current health care law. In PPACA, the United States government is paying for birth control in order to reduce the abortion rate. Contraception is anti-life and unnatural; it also carries high risks. Contraception prevents people who might benefit humanity from being born (Summary of the arguments against contraception). Contraception is a personal choice that the government should not use taxpayers’ money to co-pay the prices. In this way, PPACA, the health plan passes by President Obama is unconstitutional. The government does not have the right to force citizens to buy insurance or to share the cost of birth control. To put all into a nutshell, the health care system in United States now is very costly and needs some major changes in regards to insurance policies and the budgets. Currently, the United States owes 16 trillion dollars to other countries, mostly to China. Health care is a major component for it. There are millions of people do not have primary care doctors and do not receive any treatment when sick. God bless the United States so much that most people do not need to worry about food or shelters. However, the government still needs to pay close attention to those do not have any form of health care. Instead of only trying to make to the goal with a band-aid approach, the government actually needs to think through the original problems with the system.