Company Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Company Problem - Essay Example sales targets for the current year (2008) owing to the continuous fall in the sales of its trucks and SUVs which form a significant part of its revenues. The fall in its automobile segment is also largely due to the growing environmental concerns, likely impact of global warming, and the resultant shift in customer preferences towards environmental friendly and fuel efficient cars. All these factors together have led to formation of several alternatives that could help the company address these critical issues and retain its competitive positioning in the industry as well as continue its rapid progress towards attaining its future targets that of a 15% share in the global automobile industry. The alternatives discussed above are developed keeping in mind the company’s strengths and weakness and its ability to tackle the present situation through its range of products and strategic planning abilities. The Toyota Motor Corporation is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world. Founded in 1926, by Sakichi Toyoda as a modest automatic looms manufacturing company, Toyota has grown to be a multi million dollar organization and a world leader in automobile manufacturing. The company through its substantial diversification, expansion and R&D efforts has managed to capture significant market shares, and aims to capture 15 %1 of the global market by the year 2015. However, the company currently has been facing certain setbacks due to several factors such as the rising fuel prices, environmental concerns such as global warming, weakening of the yen, as well as threats from low cost car manufacturers from developing nations such as India and China. These factors could pose serious threats to the company’s advancement towards growth and prosperity. To combat such external forces, the company has initiated efforts at creating environmental awareness through encouraging an d driving the sales of its hybrid car – The Prius, as well as by initiating and

Patient Safety in Healthcare

Patient Safety in Healthcare Introduction and background Patient safety has always been the heart of healthcare practice and nursing through the history of medicine. However, all through the world occasional non-deliberate accidental harm occurs to patients looking for care. Such unfavourable incidents can occur at all levels of healthcare whether clinical or managerial, curative or preventive, and in general healthcare, or private. It may occur at any stage of management (radiology, laboratory, operating room, ward, or ICU). The WHO, at the meeting held on July 2006, in New Delhi, India, identified an adverse event as a separate unconnected incident associated with health care, which results in in-deliberate injury, illness, or death. Such incidents can be preventable as with contaminated injections. Published surveys on patient safety show that in industrialized advanced countries, more than half of these adverse events are preventable and occur because of a shortage in system or organization design or operation rather than because of poor performance of healthcare providing staff (WHO report, 2006). Harvard Medical Centre study in 1991 (after WHO report, 2006) was the first to draw the attention to the volume of patient safety problem. Based on medical records review, the rate of adverse event in three US medical centres ranged between 3.2 to 5.4 percent. In UK, the rate was 11.7 percent and in Denmark, the rate was 9 percent (WHO report, 2002). Results of recent studies suggest the rate is between 3.2 and 16.6 percent (per 100 hospital admissions). The situation in the less well-documented health care centres in the developing countries is more serious (WHO report, 2006). The cost of adverse events that endanger patient safety can be very high, considering all the aspects. It includes, loss of confidence and credibility and reputation of health care institutions, loss of enthusiasm and job gratification among the working staff. In addition, the cost includes damage to the patients and their relatives especially when taking defensive attitudes and keeping information hidden from patients families. Other added costs are those of prolonged hospital stay and increased medical expenses and those of lawsuit demands (WHO report, 2006). Objective The objective of this paper is to review, in brief, the problem of patient safety with particular attention to patient safety in the ICU being one of the essential patient care systems in a health care organization. Besides, the vulnerability of ICU patients augments the importance of patient safety concept. Methodology This thesis is a literature review study. The researcher performed an article search using the following internet databases: National Centre for Biotechnology – National Library of Medicine – National Institutes for Health (NCBI), at  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Medscape database, at  http://www.medscape.com Amedeo: The Medical Literature Guide, at  http://www.amedeo.com British Medical Journals, at  http://group.bml.com/products/journals World health organization – Publications, at  http://www.who.int/en/publications Yahoo and Google scholar general databases, site of .org, .gov and.edu only considered. Terms of search were patient safety, basics, and principles of patient safety, review of patient safety, patient safety in the ICU and the critically ill patient safety. Findings Patient safety event is a wide term; it does not only mean a medical error during the course of medical management and nursing. The Department of Health and Human Services, 2008, defined a patient safety event as an incident, which takes place during providing a health care service. It causes or may have caused a harmful outcome to the patient. It includes errors of not doing (omission) or errors of doing (commission), it also includes faults and mistakes of the patient care processes (involving drugs and equipments) or the environment where these processes are carried out. The phrase, one cannot manage what cannot be measured hold true for patient safety. One of the reasons of the lack of effective patient safety strategies is the need for a measurement tool to provide measures, consequently, reduce medical errors and improve patient safety. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) developed an array of Patient Safety Indicators planned to screen administrative data for events related to patient safety. This list of indicators includes 16 situations where a threat to patient safety may occur during the course of healthcare delivery. Using this measurement tool shows that patient safety incident of highest rates are failure to rescue, decubitus ulcers and postoperative wound infection (which is specifically increased by 35% during the period 2002-2006) (Health Grades Inc, 2006). Infection control: An important part of patient safety Bruke, 2006, has provided a comprehensive review of infection control as an important aspect in patient safety strategy. Based on many studies, hospital acquired infection; in this context, alternatively called health care associated infection, is one the most frequent risks for patient safety in patients admitted to hospitals. The answer to the question of why it is an important aspect for patient safety lies in the fact that 5-10 percent of patients admitted to acute care hospitals acquire one or more nosocomial infection. In the US, 2 million patients acquire hospital infection every year with 90.000 deaths. This adds a cost of 4.5 to 5.7 billion US $ to the health care cost (Bruke, 2006). There are four types of hospital-acquired infections, which account for 80% of the total rate. These are infection associated with urinary catheterization, blood borne infection (usually with vascular invasive procedures), surgical wounds infections, and pneumonia (usually associated with the use of ventilators). Therefore, it is understandable that 25 per cent of these infections occur in the ICU (Bruke, 2006). The increased awareness of patient safety resulted in reorganizing the concepts of infection control and placing it in the domain of public health with consequent increased surveillance and epidemiological studies. It is true that recognizing risk factors allows clarification of what is adjustable and what is not, however modification of some terms is advisable. Instead of saying avoiding the use of catheters, we should recommend reducing the duration of use of catheters. Many other terms as use antibiotics intelligently, and training and staff education are hazy and indistinct, accordingly, tricky to employ (Bruke, 2006). Nursing practice and patient safety The report of the Institute of Medicine, 2004 (after Armstrong and Laschinger, 2006) recognized nursing role as pivotal to patient safety. The report suggests the degree of activity of hospital nurses and the extent of giving them authority to take part in decisions, directly affects the quality and perception of patient safety. The results of Armstrong and Laschinger, 2006 supported this assumption; they recommended that nurses should enjoy better communication and participation in decision-making. The responsibility of nurse managers, at the unit level, is even greater. They take part to establish nursing practices, which support patient safety culture, they also sustain professional nursing practices, and they should listen carefully to nurses relevant affairs. If nursing managers achieve their direct responsibilities, then they work with others in the healthcare establishment to make the organizational process better as regards limiting the nurses competence towards better patient care. The result of Armstrong and Laschinger, 2006 suggested that nurse managers (nurse leaders) have the capability of developing patient safety in healthcare organizations. Medication management and patient safety Duthie and colleagues, 2004, analyzed the 108 reports submitted to the New York State Department of Health investigating the medical errors in New York State healthcare organizations. From quantitative viewpoint, their results suggested that nursing the first discipline to be involved in such errors and they provided the explanation that nurses are the end dispenser since they give the medications to patients directly. In addition, they showed that patients over 65 years are the most vulnerable to these errors, perhaps because of the increased number of medications prescribed at this age. From a qualitative viewpoint, they suggested that what may endanger patient safety is dispensing system malfunction, failure to rescue situations and working space limitations. They suggested the need to educational initiatives and pointing out possible dispensing system malfunctions. Adamski, 2005, suggested the following precautions to minimize medication errors: Monitoring how patients respond to medications as long as it is dispensed in the healthcare organization. Diagnosis and indication for a particular medication should be available in the patients progress notes, history or examination sheets. Clear order forms to dispense medications in order to ensure clear and mutual understanding among the prescribing physician, pharmacist, and thenurse who administers the medication. Davis and colleagues, 2006, examined the patient role in medication errors. They suggested that low literacy patients (up to 6th  grade level) are more liable to misunderstand medications label instructions. However, they suggested that lower reading and writing skills and high number of medications prescriptions link separately to misunderstanding of instructions on medications labels. Hospital design and device purchase in patient safety strategies Reiling, 2005, suggested that building a hospital (whether new or relocated) around the principles of patient safety would have two important impacts on return of investment. First, it combines safety and efficiency, second, it reduces the costs of adverse effect and hospital stay therefore; reduces the patients cost on discharge. To achieve a safety cantered hospital design, Reiling, 2005, suggested that architects, engineers, contractors, heads of departments and executive managers should participate in discussions around what they need. There is no specific design but contributions of the whole team from the perspectives of patient safety culture are mandatory. Johnson and colleagues, 2004, examined the patient safety in purchasing equipment. They analysed purchasing decisions taken at three different healthcare centres. Johnson and other, 2004, assumed there were points of strengths and others of weaknesses. The points of weaknesses draw the attention to the necessity of having guidelines to help healthcare providers to assess issues of patient safety when purchasing medical devices. Patient safety in the ICU There are many reasons that make the ICU a special unit to look at specifically as regards patient safety. Of these reason, the patients are critically ill, which renders them vulnerable to the adverse effect of medical errors. Second, the great effort performed by nurses and internists with sometimes exhaustive shift work, which may result in sleep deprivation and possibly lack of concentration. Third, the diverse use of equipment (ventilators, catheters, monitors etc) and the invasive procedures sometimes adopted (emergency tracheotomy, central venous pressure or arterial-venous cannulation) which add to the risk of hospital-acquired infection or increase the incidence of adverse effects (Rothschild and others, 2005). Rothschild and colleagues, 2005 conducted a one-year prospective observation study as a part of Harvard Hours and Health Study (2002-2003). They designed their study as a multidisciplinary epidemiological study to portray both frequency and types of adverse effects in the ICU. The result were informative, there were 120 adverse events reported (80.5 per 1000 patient-day). Of the patients who suffered adverse effects, 13.8% suffered one adverse effect, and there were 16 life-threatening adverse effects. The commonest were respiratory, infection, and cardiovascular system (19%, 15%, and 12% respectively). The incidence of serious medical errors was 149.7 per 1000 patient-day of which, 11% were life threatening. Incident discovery was by direct observation in 62% of the cases and the patients nurses discovered 36 % of the cases. In 74.8% of cases, errors occurred during the course of treatment or a procedure. An intern failure to wash hands after attending a patient formed 51% of sterility hazards related to procedures. Although their results cannot be applied to all ICU units, yet it draws the attention to how frequent and how serious patient safety can be compromised in ICU units. At the same time, their result show how results of treatment in the ICU would improve, despite the hard work, if teams stick to unit protocols and principle of patient safety (Rothschild and others, 2005). Kho and others, 2005, used the Safety Climate Survey (a tool approved by the Institute of Health Care Improvement) to measure patient safety in four ICU units, 56.9% of those responded to the survey were nurses. Based on their results, they assumed that Safety climate survey and Safety culture scales are reliable tools to measure patient safety in ICU. Chang and other, 2005, suggest that reform of patient safety in the ICU should start by establishing physician and nurse leadership, once this is achieved, carrying out patient safety protocols becomes a matter of team effort and commitment to the concept. Identifying a specific group of patients to start with (as an example, patients on ventilators), planning carefully the procedures, and opening a communication channel among the staff should reach the best results. Following evaluation of what progress made, the next move is for another group of patients. At the end, this should provide synchronization among the staff that makes decision making in shortage of time easier and provides better training and education to the newly coming staff. Obstacles facing the implementation of patient safety Cook and colleagues, 2000, considered the complexity of healthcare as an overwhelming obstacle to achieve desired patient safety levels. Technical work in healthcare needs appropriate and quick decision making, critical to the patients safety at times, moreover, it is risky by nature. It is true that health practitioners whether physicians, nurse, technicians or other staff are trying to cope with this complexity, however this complexity creates a disparity in healthcare practice and nursing (they called it gap). Cook and colleagues assumed the means of improving patient safety is by supporting practitioners ability to perceive and cross these disparities, rather than making changes in authority or different roles with possible division of professional work force. The search and detection of these disparities or gaps as a research goal should make the breakthrough in patient safety achievements. During this research pursuit, disparities indicate areas of weaknesses and susceptibility and may elicit the means complexity flows through health care systems to patients (Cook and colleagues, 2000). Amalberti and colleagues, 2005, identified five system barriers to even safer healthcare; the first is regulations, which significantly limit the risk allowed, thus, limiting maximum performance of healthcare givers. There is a real need for proper balance between the industrial notions to get a high productivity whatever it takes, and the concepts of patient safety culture. Doing that, researchers should take into consideration the economic troubles of the healthcare system and the spontaneous drive of productivity among healthcare workers. Second, other important issues need dealing with before or in conjunction with the issue of patient safety, an important example to these issues is the need for standardization of healthcare practice and nursing. Third, the core of healthcare work is synchronization among practitioners, therefore recommendations should stress on teamwork and opening communication channels among the healthcare staff, instead of trying to reach optimal performance of each organizational level separately. The fourth obstacle is the need for system-level mediation to improve patient safety planning. References WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia (2006). Working Paper: Promoting Patient Safety At Healthcare Institutions. Retrieved 28/04/2008, from WHO Secretariat report (2002). Quality of care: patient safety. Retrieved 30/04/2008, from Department of Health and Human Services. (2008). Patient Safety and Quality Improvement. Washington DC: Federal Register. Vol.73 (29): 8112-8183. Health Grades Inc. (2006). Third Annual Patient Safety in American Hospital Study. Golden, Colorado. Bruke, J. P. (2006). Infection Control A Problem for Patient Safety. The New England Journal of Medicine, 348 (7), 651-656. Armstrong. K J. and Laschinger H (2006). Structural Empowerment, Magnet Hospital Characteristics, and Patient Safety Culture: Making the Link. J Nurs Care Qual, 21 (2), 124-132. Duthie E, Favreau B, Ruperto A et al. (2004). Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Medication Errors: The New York Experience. Advances in Patient Safety, Vol. 1, 131-144. Adamski P (2005). Medication Management: A patient safety priority. Nurs Manag, 36 (10), 14. Davis T C. Wolf M S. Bass P F. et al (2006). Literacy and Misunderstanding Prescription Drug Labels. Annals of Internal Medicine, 145 (12), 887-894. Reiling J G. (2005). Creating a Culture of Patient Safety through Innovative Hospital Design. Advances in Patient Safety, Vol. 2, 425-439 Johnson T R., Zhang J., Patel V L. et al (2004). The Role of Patient Safety in the Device Purchasing Process. Advances in Patient Safety, Vol. 1, 341-352. Rothschild J M., Landrigan, C P., Cornin J W. et al (2005). The Critical Care Safety Study: The Incidence and Nature of Adverse Events and Serious Medical Errors in Intensive Care. Crit Care Med, 33 (8), 1694-1700. Kho M E, Carbone J M, Lucas J and Cook D J (2005). Safety Climate Survey: reliability of results from a multicenter ICU survey. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 14, 273-278. Chang, S.Y., Multz, A. S. and Hall, J. B (2005). Critical Care Organization. Critical Care Clinics. Vol. 21 (5), 43-53 Cook R I. Render M. and Woods D. D (2000). Gaps in the continuity of care and progress on patient safety. BMJ, 320 (7237), 791-794. Amalberti, A, Auroy, Y, Berwick, D and Barach, P (2005). Five System Barriers to Achieving Ultrasfe Health care. Annals of Internal Medicine. Vol. 142 (9), 756-764 Wilson, A R., Dowd, B E. and Kralweski, J E. (2005). Patient Safety Research in Medical Group Practices: Measurement and Data Challenges. Advances in Patient Safety, Vol. 2, 51-62 Woolf, S H. (2004). Patient Safety Is Not Enough: Targeting Quality Improvements To Optimize the Health of the Population. Ann Inter Med, Vol. 140, 33-36 Baxter, S K and Brumfitt, SM (2008). Benefits and Losses: a qualitative study exploring healthcare staff perception of teamworking. Quality and Safety in Health Care, Vol.17, 127-130 Pstay, B M. and Bruke, S P. (2006). Protecting the Health of the Public: Institute of Medicine Recommendations on Drug Safety. The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 355, 1753-1755

The Function of the Chorus in Henry V Essay -- Papers Shakespeare Essa

The Function of the Chorus in Henry V "O for a muse of fire," The Chorus introduces the start of Henry V with imagery of flames and war. Shakespeare uses the Chorus to initiate the play and summarise each act to the audience before the next one begins. He is merely a tool to avoid the audience getting too confused. The function for the chorus is merely a practical one, by summarising the plot at every available opportunity; there is little chance for confusion, even if the audience do have to use their imagination. But, we must ask ourselves, if this was Shakespeare's only reason for including the Chorus, why does he not use a similar device in his other plays? Surely in all of his plays the audience have to imagine the setting (the stage of the globe was set in the round, and so had no room for large props and scenery), and many of his plays have more complex plots than this one, so why do we need the Chorus? The answer is the Chorus puts across a very clear view of warfare and Henry's kingship. It is a very romantic, idealised view, which uses over-zealous language, such as "two mighty monarchies" to create a strong glorified impact on the audience. They are building up the audience's expectations of this to be a mighty, glorious play. The use of the imagery of flames and fire repeats itself throughout the Chorus's scenes. "O for a muse of fire" is the very first line, which immediately conjures up a grand image. Flames represent war, but are also a typical representation of courage and bravery. When the Chorus says, "the youth of England are on fire," it imposes upon the audience the idea of keen anticipation and excit... ...nch of salt and are not really to be trusted. Certain productions of Henry V do glorify war, for example Laurence Olivier's production in the 1940's painted a beautiful, majestic picture of war, However after analysing the role of the Chorus in the play, I do not believe this play is a glorification of warfare. Henry's leadership is romanticised in the play considerably more than the idea of warfare. Productions such as Kenneth Brannagh's creation paint a far more realistic view of war, as a bloody, filthy affair. This is more what I feel the subtext of the play is. War is not really idealised in this play, it can be taken as being glorified, but because of Shakespeare's use of the structure of the play, and the Chorus's propaganda fabrications, the character of the Chorus does not in any way add to this glorification.

Chapter 13 Mad-eye Moody

The storm had blown itself out by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy; heavy clouds of pewter gray swirled overhead as Harry, Ron, and Hermione examined their new course schedules at breakfast. A few seats along, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were discussing magical methods of aging themselves and bluffing their way into the Triwizard Tournament. â€Å"Today's not bad†¦outside all morning,† said Ron, who was running his finger down the Monday column of his schedule. â€Å"Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures†¦damn it, we're still with the Slytherins†¦.† â€Å"Double Divination this afternoon,† Harry groaned, looking down. Divination was his least favorite subject, apart from Potions. Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry's death, which he found extremely annoying. â€Å"You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?† said Hermione briskly, buttering herself some toast. â€Å"Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy.† â€Å"You're eating again, I notice,† said Ron, watching Hermione adding liberal amounts of jam to her toast too. â€Å"I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights,† said Hermione haughtily. â€Å"Yeah†¦and you were hungry,† said Ron, grinning. There was a sudden rustling noise above them, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Instinctively, Harry looked up, but there was no sign of white among the mass of brown and gray. The owls circled the tables, looking for the people to whom their letters and packages were addressed. A large tawny owl soared down to Neville Longbottom and deposited a parcel into his lap – Neville almost always forgot to pack something. On the other side of the Hall Draco Malfoy's eagle owl had landed on his shoulder, carrying what looked like his usual supply of sweets and cakes from home. Trying to ignore the sinking feeling of disappointment in his stomach, Harry returned to his porridge. Was it possible that something had happened to Hedwig, and that Sirius hadn't even got his letter? His preoccupation lasted all the way across the sodden vegetable patch until they arrived in greenhouse three, but here he was distracted by Professor Sprout showing the class the ugliest plants Harry had ever seen. Indeed, they looked less like plants than thick, black, giant slugs, protruding vertically out of the soil. Each was squirming slightly and had a number of large, shiny swellings upon it, which appeared to be full of liquid. â€Å"Bubotubers,† Professor Sprout told them briskly. â€Å"They need squeezing. You will collect the pus -â€Å" â€Å"The what?† said Seamus Finnigan, sounding revolted. â€Å"Pus, Finnigan, pus,† said Professor Sprout, â€Å"and it's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon-hide gloves; it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, bubotuber pus.† Squeezing the bubotubers was disgusting, but oddly satisfying. As each swelling was popped, a large amount of thick yellowish-green liquid burst forth, which smelled strongly of petrol. They caught it in the bottles as Professor Sprout had indicated, and by the end of the lesson had collected several pints. â€Å"This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy,† said Professor Sprout, stoppering the last bottle with a cork. â€Å"An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, bubotuber pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples.† â€Å"Like poor Eloise Midgen,† said Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff, in a hushed voice. â€Å"She tried to curse hers off.† â€Å"Silly girl,† said Professor Sprout, shaking her head. â€Å"But Madam Pomfrey fixed her nose back on in the end.† A booming bell echoed from the castle across the wet grounds, signaling the end of the lesson, and the class separated; the Hufflepuffs climbing the stone steps for Transfiguration, and the Gryffindors heading in the other direction, down the sloping lawn toward Hagrid's small wooden cabin, which stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid was standing outside his hut, one hand on the collar of his enormous black boarhound, Fang. There were several open wooden crates on the ground at his feet, and Fang was whimpering and straining at his collar, apparently keen to investigate the contents more closely. As they drew nearer, an odd rattling noise reached their ears, punctuated by what sounded like minor explosions. â€Å"Mornin'!† Hagrid said, grinning at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. â€Å"Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this – Blast-Ended Skrewts!† â€Å"Come again?† said Ron. Hagrid pointed down into the crates. â€Å"Eurgh!† squealed Lavender Brown, jumping backward. â€Å"Eurgh† just about summed up the Blast-Ended Skrewts in Harry's opinion. They looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd places and no visible heads. There were about a hundred of them in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over one another, bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes. They were giving off a very powerful smell of rotting fish. Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of a skrewt, and with a small phut, it would be propelled forward several inches. â€Å"On'y jus' hatched,† said Hagrid proudly, â€Å"so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!† â€Å"And why would we want to raise them?† said a cold voice. The Slytherins had arrived. The speaker was Draco Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle were chuckling appreciatively at his words. Hagrid looked stumped at the question. â€Å"I mean, what do they do?† asked Malfoy. â€Å"What is the point of them?† Hagrid opened his mouth, apparently thinking hard; there was a few seconds' pause, then he said roughly, â€Å"Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things – I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer – I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake – just try 'em out with a bit of each.† â€Å"First pus and now this,† muttered Seamus. Nothing but deep affection for Hagrid could have made Harry, Ron, and Hermione pick up squelchy handfuls of frog liver and lower them into the crates to tempt the Blast-Ended Skrewts. Harry couldn't suppress the suspicion that the whole thing was entirely pointless, because the skrewts didn't seem to have mouths. â€Å"Ouch!† yelled Dean Thomas after about ten minutes. â€Å"It got me.† Hagrid hurried over to him, looking anxious. â€Å"Its end exploded!† said Dean angrily, showing Hagrid a burn on his hand. â€Å"Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off,† said Hagrid, nodding. â€Å"Eurgh!† said Lavender Brown again. â€Å"Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?† â€Å"Ah, some of 'em have got stings,† said Hagrid enthusiastically (Lavender quickly withdrew her hand from the box). â€Å"I reckon they're the males†¦.The females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies†¦.I think they might be ter suck blood.† â€Å"Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive,† said Malfoy sarcastically. â€Å"Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?† â€Å"Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful,† Hermione snapped. â€Å"Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?† Harry and Ron grinned at Hagrid, who gave them a furtive smile from behind his bushy beard. Hagrid would have liked nothing better than a pet dragon, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew only too well – he had owned one for a brief period during their first year, a vicious Norwegian Ridgeback by the name of Norbert. Hagrid simply loved monstrous creatures, the more lethal, the better. â€Å"Well, at least the skrewts are small,† said Ron as they made their way back up to the castle for lunch an hour later. â€Å"They are now,† said Hermione in an exasperated voice, â€Å"but once Hagrid's found out what they eat, I expect they'll be six feet long.† â€Å"Well, that won't matter if they turn out to cure seasickness or something, will it?† said Ron, grinning slyly at her. â€Å"You know perfectly well I only said that to shut Malfoy up,† said Hermione. â€Å"As a matter of fact I think he's right. The best thing to do would be to stamp on the lot of them before they start attacking us all.† They sat down at the Gryffindor table and helped themselves to lamb chops and potatoes. Hermione began to eat so fast that Harry and Ron stared at her. â€Å"Er – is this the new stand on elf rights?† said Ron. â€Å"You're going to make yourself puke instead?† â€Å"No,† said Hermione, with as much dignity as she could muster with her mouth bulging with sprouts. â€Å"I just want to get to the library.† â€Å"What?† said Ron in disbelief. â€Å"Hermione – it's the first day back! We haven't even got homework yet!† Hermione shrugged and continued to shovel down her food as though she had not eaten for days. Then she leapt to her feet, said, â€Å"See you at dinner!† and departed at high speed. When the bell rang to signal the start of afternoon lessons, Harry and Ron set off for North Tower where, at the top of a tightly spiraling staircase, a silver stepladder led to a circular trapdoor in the ceiling, and the room where Professor Trelawney lived. The familiar sweet perfume spreading from the fire met their nostrils as they emerged at the top of the stepladder. As ever, the curtains were all closed; the circular room was bathed in a dim reddish light cast by the many lamps, which were all draped with scarves and shawls. Harry and Ron walked through the mass of occupied chintz chairs and poufs that cluttered the room, and sat down at the same small circular table. â€Å"Good day,† said the misty voice of Professor Trelawney right behind Harry, making him jump. A very thin woman with enormous glasses that made her eyes appear far too large for her face, Professor Trelawney was peering down at Harry with the tragic expression she always wore whenever she saw him. The usual large amount of beads, chains, and bangles glittered upon her person in the firelight. â€Å"You are preoccupied, my dear,† she said mournfully to Harry. â€Å"My inner eye sees past your brave face to the troubled soul within. And I regret to say that your worries are not baseless. I see difficult times ahead for you, alas†¦most difficult†¦I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass†¦.and perhaps sooner than you think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. Ron rolled his eyes at Harry, who looked stonily back. Professor Trelawney swept past them and seated herself in a large winged armchair before the fire, facing the class. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, who deeply admired Professor Trelawney, were sitting on poufs very close to her. â€Å"My dears, it is time for us to consider the stars,† she said. â€Å"The movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who understand the steps of the celestial dance. Human destiny may be deciphered by the planetary rays, which intermingle†¦.† But Harry's thoughts had drifted. The perfumed fire always made him feel sleepy and dull-witted, and Professor Trelawney's rambling talks on fortune-telling never held him exactly spellbound – though he couldn't help thinking about what she had just said to him. â€Å"I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But Hermione was right, Harry thought irritably, Professor Trelawney really was an old fraud. He wasn't dreading anything at the moment at all†¦well, unless you counted his fears that Sirius had been caught†¦but what did Professor Trelawney know? He had long since come to the conclusion that her brand of fortunetelling was really no more than lucky guesswork and a spooky manner. Except, of course, for that time at the end of last term, when she had made the prediction about Voldemort rising again†¦and Dumbledore himself had said that he thought that trance had been genuine, when Harry had described it to him. â€Å"Harry!† Ron muttered. â€Å"What?† Harry looked around; the whole class was staring at him. He sat up straight; he had been almost dozing off, lost in the heat and his thoughts. â€Å"I was saying, my dear, that you were clearly born under the baleful influence of Saturn,† said Professor Trelawney, a faint note of resentment in her voice at the fact that he had obviously not been hanging on her words. â€Å"Born under – what, sorry?† said Harry. â€Å"Saturn, dear, the planet Saturn!† said Professor Trelawney, sounding definitely irritated that he wasn't riveted by this news. â€Å"I was saying that Saturn was surely in a position of power in the heavens at the moment of your birth†¦.Your dark hair†¦your mean stature†¦tragic losses so young in life†¦I think I am right in saying, my dear, that you were born in midwinter?† â€Å"No,† said Harry, â€Å"I was born in July.† Ron hastily turned his laugh into a hacking cough. Half an hour later, each of them had been given a complicated circular chart, and was attempting to fill in the position of the planets at their moment of birth. It was dull work, requiring much consultation of timetables and calculation of angles. â€Å"I've got two Neptunes here,† said Harry after a while, frowning down at his piece of parchment, â€Å"that can't be right, can it?† â€Å"Aaaaah,† said Ron, imitating Professor Trelawney's mystical whisper, â€Å"when two Neptunes appear in the sky, it is a sure sign that a midget in glasses is being born, Harry†¦.† Seamus and Dean, who were working nearby, sniggered loudly, though not loudly enough to mask the excited squeals from Lavender Brown – â€Å"Oh Professor, look! I think I've got an unaspected planet! Oooh, which one's that, Professor?† â€Å"It is Uranus, my dear,† said Professor Trelawney, peering down at the chart. â€Å"Can I have a look at Uranus too, Lavender?† said Ron. Most unfortunately, Professor Trelawney heard him, and it was this, perhaps, that made her give them so much homework at the end of the class. â€Å"A detailed analysis of the way the planetary movements in the coming month will affect you, with reference to your personal chart,† she snapped, sounding much more like Professor McGonagall than her usual airy-fairy self. â€Å"I want it ready to hand in next Monday, and no excuses!† â€Å"Miserable old bat,† said Ron bitterly as they joined the crowds descending the staircases back to the Great Hall and dinner. â€Å"That'll take all weekend, that will†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Lots of homework?† said Hermione brightly, catching up with them. â€Å"Professor Vector didn't give us any at all!† â€Å"Well, bully for Professor Vector,† said Ron moodily. They reached the entrance hall, which was packed with people queuing for dinner. They had just joined the end of the line, when a loud voice rang out behind them. â€Å"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!† Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing there, each looking thoroughly pleased about something. â€Å"What?† said Ron shortly. â€Å"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!† said Malfoy, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet and speaking very loudly, so that everyone in the packed entrance hall could hear. â€Å"Listen to this! FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.† Malfoy looked up. â€Å"Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?† he crowed. Everyone in the entrance hall was listening now. Malfoy straightened the paper with a flourish and read on: Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers (â€Å"policemen†) over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of â€Å"Mad-Eye† Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene. â€Å"And there's a picture, Weasley!† said Malfoy, flipping the paper over and holding it up. â€Å"A picture of your parents outside their house – if you can call it a house! You r mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?† Ron was shaking with fury. Everyone was staring at him. â€Å"Get stuffed, Malfoy,† said Harry. â€Å"C'mon, Ron†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?† sneered Malfoy. â€Å"So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?† â€Å"You know your mother, Malfoy?† said Harry – both he and Hermione had grabbed the back of Ron's robes to stop him from launching himself at Malfoy – â€Å"that expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?† Malfoy's pale face went slightly pink. â€Å"Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter.† â€Å"Keep your fat mouth shut, then,† said Harry, turning away. BANG! Several people screamed – Harry felt something white-hot graze the side of his face – he plunged his hand into his robes for his wand, but before he'd even touched it, he heard a second loud BANG, and a roar that echoed through the entrance hall. â€Å"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!† Harry spun around. Professor Moody was limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and it was pointing right at a pure white ferret, which was shivering on the stone-flagged floor, exactly where Malfoy had been standing. There was a terrified silence in the entrance hall. Nobody but Moody was moving a muscle. Moody turned to look at Harry – at least, his normal eye was looking at Harry; the other one was pointing into the back of his head. â€Å"Did he get you?† Moody growled. His voice was low and gravelly. â€Å"No,† said Harry, â€Å"missed.† â€Å"LEAVE IT!† Moody shouted. â€Å"Leave – what?† Harry said, bewildered. â€Å"Not you – him!† Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the white ferret. It seemed that Moody's rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head. Moody started to limp toward Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the dungeons. â€Å"I don't think so!† roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again – it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more. â€Å"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned,† growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. â€Å"Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly. â€Å"Never – do – that – again -† said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again. â€Å"Professor Moody!† said a shocked voice. Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books. â€Å"Hello, Professor McGonagall,† said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher. â€Å"What – what are you doing?† said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air. â€Å"Teaching,† said Moody. â€Å"Teach – Moody, is that a student?† shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms. â€Å"Yep,† said Moody. â€Å"No!† cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing. â€Å"Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!† said Professor McGonagall wealdy. â€Å"Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?† â€Å"He might've mentioned it, yeah,† said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly, â€Å"but I thought a good sharp shock -â€Å" â€Å"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!† â€Å"I'll do that, then,† said Moody, staring at Malfoy with great dislike. Malfoy, whose pale eyes were still watering with pain and humiliation, looked malevolently up at Moody and muttered something in which the words â€Å"my father† were distinguishable. â€Å"Oh yeah?† said Moody quietly, limping forward a few steps, the dull clunk of his wooden leg echoing around the hall. â€Å"Well, I know your father of old, boy†¦.You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son†¦you tell him that from me†¦.Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?† â€Å"Yes,† said Malfoy resentfully. â€Å"Another old friend,† growled Moody. â€Å"I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape†¦.Come on, you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And he seized Malfoy's upper arm and marched him off toward the dungeons. Professor McGonagall stared anxiously after them for a few moments, then waved her wand at her fallen books, causing them to soar up into the air and back into her arms. â€Å"Don't talk to me,† Ron said quietly to Harry and Hermione as they sat down at the Gryffindor table a few minutes later, surrounded by excited talk on all sides about what had just happened. â€Å"Why not?† said Hermione in surprise. â€Å"Because I want to fix that in my memory forever,† said Ron, his eyes closed and an uplifted expression on his face. â€Å"Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret.† Harry and Hermione both laughed, and Hermione began doling beef casserole onto each of their plates. â€Å"He could have really hurt Malfoy, though,† she said. â€Å"It was good, really, that Professor McGonagall stopped it -â€Å" â€Å"Hermione!† said Ron furiously, his eyes snapping open again, â€Å"you're ruining the best moment of my life!† Hermione made an impatient noise and began to eat at top speed again. â€Å"Don't tell me you're going back to the library this evening?† said Harry, watching her. â€Å"Got to,† said Hermione thickly. â€Å"Loads to do.† â€Å"But you told us Professor Vector -â€Å" â€Å"It's not schoolwork,† she said. Within five minutes, she had cleared her plate and departed. No sooner had she gone than her seat was taken by Fred Weasley. â€Å"Moody!† he said. â€Å"How cool is he?† â€Å"Beyond cool,† said George, sitting down opposite Fred. â€Å"Supercool,† said the twins' best friend, Lee Jordan, sliding into the seat beside George. â€Å"We had him this afternoon,† he told Harry and Ron. â€Å"What was it like?† said Harry eagerly. Fred, George, and Lee exchanged looks full of meaning. â€Å"Never had a lesson like it,† said Fred. â€Å"He knows, man,† said Lee. â€Å"Knows what?† said Ron, leaning forward. â€Å"Knows what it's like to be out there doing it,† said George impressively. â€Å"Doing what?† said Harry. â€Å"Fighting the Dark Arts,† said Fred. â€Å"He's seen it all,† said George. â€Å"‘Mazing,† said Lee. Ron dived into his bag for his schedule. â€Å"We haven't got him till Thursday!† he said in a disappointed voice.

Perfection Essay

Argumentative Essay: The Quest for perfection If you were a child with lung cancer, would you want someone to find a cure, or just live in misery for the rest of your life? Doctors Dr. Melissa Stopper and Dr. J. Burr Ross try every day to find some type of cure or treatment for patients who are battling with lung cancer. Trying to find perfection has led to many accomplishments in our society. The search for perfection leads our society to advances and saves people’s lives from misery. The Quest for perfection doesn’t lead to misery or oppression because with that quest we have found cures for diseases like lung cancer. According to the Thomara Latimer Cancer Foundation, 2.6 percent of deaths occurred in the U.S. every year. About 564,800 people are expected to die of cancer every year. Without a way of finding a cure of treatment more than that number of people will die from lung cancer. Trying to find cures for diseases has also, provided an improvement in our daily lives. Medicine, prosthetics, and contact lenses wouldn’t be here right now if Robert Bartlenn, Peter Baliff of Berlin or, Sir John Herschel didn’t try to find a way to perfect deformities. Without Robert Bartlenn, we wouldn’t have the medicine to treat AIDS or even treat Breast Cancer. People like Peter Baliff, and Sir John Herschel created prosthetics and contact lenses. Their advancements and accomplishments have made this world, a better place to live. Transportation would not be how it is today if the Wright Brothers and Karl Benz didn’t try to make their creations better. If we didn’t have the Wright Brothers create the first glider/airplane, we wouldn’t have â€Å"Southwest, Delta, American, or JetBlue† airlines like we do now. If it weren’t for Karl Benz we would be riding around in a â€Å"Toyota, Mazda, Benz, or Cadillac† without his creation. If we didn’t have these talented people, we would probably still be riding around on buggies and horses. Air Bags wouldn’t have been created if it wasn’t for John W. Hetrick. In 1951, he invented the  air bag system. Without him we wouldn’t have the safety we have today in our cars. About more than six years ago, an investigation by the Kansas City Star newspaper found that 1,400 people may have died from in head-on or frontal collisions because they didn’t have air bags. More people could’ve died but John W. Hetrick made a creation that shocked the world. An objection to these facts would be that obsession with plastic surgery to be perfect leads to low self-esteem. To that statement, my counterargument would be; that’s true but people have obsession with plastic surgery to fix or better prosthetics. Sometimes people use plastic surgery to make themselves feel important or have high self-esteem. Also, another objection is having discrimination against people that are not â€Å"perfect†. My refute to the statement above would be: Yes, but if everyone was the same there would be no judgment and discrimination. If everyone were the same there would be no name calling or bullying because everyone would be the same as each other. As an example, here is a quote by Gandhi: â€Å"The only difference between man and man all the world over is one degree, and not of kind, even as there is between trees of the same species.† – Mahatma Gandhi In my opinion, I still believe the search for perfection leads our society to many advances. Without this quest we wouldn’t the cures, advances or accomplishments today! With the information I’ve provided, do you agree or disagree that the â€Å"Quest for perfection always lead to misery and oppression†?

The Effectiveness of Animal Testing essays

The Effectiveness of Animal Testing essays Animal experimentation is a scientifically invalid practice because data from animal studies are not reliable. Over 3 million animals have been abused and killed all in the name of science. It has been found that only 5%-25% of side effects caused by medicines is accurately predicted. This leads us to wonder what is actually being gained from animal experimentation? Animals make inaccurate models for studying human diseases because molecular biology has revealed significant differences between species on the cellular level; therefore it sidetracks medical progress and wastes time, talent and resources. Animal rights activists focus their arguments mainly on the differences between the physiology of humans and other animals, providing the answer to why human reactions to illnesses and drugs are completely different from those of other animals. They are trying to get people to understand that just because a drug works on rats and doesn't hurt them, does not mean it will work on humans, and vice versa. These differences can even be deadly if the results of animal testing are applied to human medical treatment. Many of the organizations demonstrate cases of how animal testing has failed. 1.SIAV gives an example of the research for the polio vaccine. Although those who promote vivisection often cite the polio vaccine to support animal experimentation, the truth is more complicated. Salk and Sabin, who are usually credited with the polio vaccines, tested on monkey tissues, and the results had these scientists believe that polio enters only through the nose. It was later discovered polio entered through the mouth to the intestines. This apparently set back research drastically. "Sabin himself made an impressive argument against vivisection when he testified to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs in 1984 saying: 'Work on prevention [of polio] was delayed by an erroneous conception of the nature of the human disease, based on mislead...

Cannabis Hemp essays

Cannabis Hemp essays Why is it that the one plant that could save our planet from certain environmental destruction is illegal in our country? The Cannabis plant is grown legally for hemp in many countries around the world and yet the government of this country continues to view it as a dangerous plant. The prohibition of the Cannabis plant in this country is one of the greatest injustices in our history. Cannabis has been used by humans for its fibers, oils, and medical qualities for more than 10,000 years. It seems as though Cannabis was created with the basic needs of humans in mind. It can provide us with clothing, building materials, fuel, oils, food, and many other products that are currently synthetically made. Our world economy could be based on this one plant instead of harmful petroleum. Humans who are concerned about their environment should fight for the legalization of the cannabis plant. It is the only renewable resource that can meet our consumption needs for paper, food, and fiber . Not only can hemp meet our needs, it can often produce a higher quality product than what is currently produced. For thousands of years cultures across the globe have recognized and utilized the amazing qualities of the Cannabis plant. Our government refuses to recognize that hemp has beneficial uses and in doing so directly lies to its citizens. The history of humans and the use of hemp products go back as far as the last ice age. Ten thousand years ago in Turkey hemp was used widely to make ropes, cloth, and fishing nets. The ancient Chinese were also users of hemp. They made their first paper with hemp and also ropes, clothing, and medicines. References to the medicinal properties of marijuana were found in a Chinese emperor's pharmacopeia. Hemp was also the dominant fiber used in the ship building industry until the late 1800s. It was used for ropes, rigging, and sails because of its strength and durability. Our country also has ...

Awesome Cover Letter Examples for College Students to Engage Employers

Awesome Cover Letter Examples for College Students to Engage Employers Awesome Cover Letter Examples for College Students to Engage Employers Writing a cover letter for resume as an undergraduate or freshly graduated student is both an exciting and difficult prospect. While many students focus on writing their resumes in order to impress their future employers, it’s important to note that both your resume and the cover letter for resume you send are what make your application. They both serve as a way of communicating who you are and how the company you are applying for can benefit from having you. It’s a two-way street after all. Many students will complain that their cover letter wasn’t good enough and that’s why they were turned down. While it’s not impossible, the more probable cause was that they mass e-mailed a resume with a cover letter and crossed their fingers. This is not how you apply for an internship or a job position. It shows that you don’t care about your employer and only think about yourself. Let’s take a look at how you can write a cover letter for resume in order to get hired. Do your research The best way to come up with perfect content for your application paper is by doing research. What does your dream company do? How long are they in business? Who is their CEO? Any and all information that you find about the company that you are chasing for an internship will help you a great deal. It will show that you care about them and do your work thoroughly. You can look up some cover letter examples in order to have a better understanding of what a company is looking for in its interns. The most prominent and developed companies don’t look for your academic background but for your particular set of skills. The most sought after skill in the corporate world is leadership. The ability to manage people and projects. Not how high your grade was in a particular course. Adapt to your company’s needs and you will be on your way of earning that internship you are looking for. Adapt your writing There is a cover letter for resume example everywhere you look, and knowing which style and tone of voice to acquire in order to impress your employer is part of the writing process. Some of the cover letter examples for students offer very detailed and step-by-step guides on how to craft your cover letter. Make sure that you study each one in order to recognize what style you need to use for that particular company. Are you sending your application via e-mail or in an envelope? Sometimes the envelope might be a great idea considering that it’s a dying fashion. It will help you look professional and elegant; making sure that your cover letter for resume actually gets read. Manage expectations The fact of the matter is that you are not the only person applying for a particular internship. It doesn’t mean that you should panic, only think critically about the chances you have. The most common mistake many students make is that they think the cover letter for resume is the first thing that your future employers will read when they receive your application. While in some cases that might be true, your employer is more interested in your resume. If it is well written and has everything that that particular employer wants in an intern, he or she will read your cover letter. Only then will the cover letter for resume come into play when applying for an internship. This means that your resume must be on par with what the company is looking for. It has to be well written and formatted, but most importantly it needs to fill the employer with confidence that you are the right person for them. It also means that you have to adapt your cover letter to your employer. While students think of internship more than they do of the company providing it, this has proven wrong in practice. You letter must be hand-crafted to cater to that particular company and only then does it have a chance in impressing your employer and landing you an internship. Format your paper While it’s important to adapt your writing to your employer, it’s even more important to format the paper properly. Try looking at some cover letter examples for students. You should start your cover letter for resume by greeting the person reading it (by name, mind you). The introduction of your paper should contain the reason for why you are writing the application and how you specifically can help the company. Employers are interested into why they should hire you and what benefit they have from you. Be sure to get straight to the point as soon as possible and your cover letter for resume will do the trick. The next paragraph should focus on your particular skills and again, how they can benefit the company. Make sure to keep the narrative going forward and don’t use the same sentences twice. It’s unprofessional and the employer will get the impression that you don’t have anything else to say. Use the final paragraph to close your cover letter for resume and state that you are looking forward to getting a phone call or an e-mail from the company. Always make sure that you give the reader a call-to-action, something that you expect them to do after they finish reading. As you’ve probably noticed by now, there is no way to write one cover letter and send it to multiple companies hoping that they will contact you; because they won’t. Adapt to your company of choice and craft the paper according to the research you’ve previously done. Following these tips and ideas will greatly increase your chances of earning an internship. It doesn’t mean that your cover letter for resume will be perfect, but it will be that much more professional and true to whom you are. Put every bit of hard work and effort into crafting your resume and cover letter; you will soon realize that hard work does pay off.

Review of the Strategic situation of DeBeer's Essay

Review of the Strategic situation of DeBeer's - Essay Example In view of the emerging challenges, DeBeers had to g back to the drawing board and strategize how it would remain relevant in the market, having lost its monopolistic powers and its market share reduced to 60%. The image of the company had also been tainted for engaging in non-business friendly and illegal practices when it was the market leader as it tried to wade off competition. The company had to change its strategy from a ‘buyer of a last resort’ to a more demand driven strategy that bore in mind the need for a good brand image. A good analysis of this strategy indicates that the company is still going to be a relevant contributor to the industry in the foreseeable future amid the challenges it faces. TABLE OF CONTENTS Title page 1 Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Body Analysis of business environment 6 Analysis of the Organization’s strategy 8 Appraisal of the strategy 10 Conclusion 10 Reference list 11 Word Count 12 DeBeers’ Diamond Dilemma Introdu ction Natural diamonds are formed as a result of carbon atoms beneath the surface of the earth bonding in to cubic structures due to excess heat and pressure in a very hard transparent compound. With the discovery of diamond deposits in various parts of the world in the 18th and 19th century, extraction process begun leading to the establishment of the diamond industry as one of the biggest economic sectors of most countries with diamond deposits (Hesse, R. W. 2007). Diamonds are heterogeneous minerals and were initially not considered as commodities in the market like other minerals such as copper and gold. Natural diamonds have widely been used in making jewelry and other precious and coveted ornaments. One of the countries naturally endowed with diamond deposits is South Africa. Other countries with huge deposits of diamond include Angola, Botswana, Democratic republic of Congo, Russia, Australia, and Canada. Together, the seven countries account for about 96% of global productio n of diamond and about 88% of the value of diamonds produced. Initially the diamond producing countries would export the rough diamond to other countries for processing (Carlson, 2005). Diamond processing involves cutting and polishing the rough diamonds into precious items. India was the most dominant diamond processing country in the beginning, while the situations has now changed since most of the producing countries now have diamond processing plants locally. DeBeers, a diamond extraction company in South Africa has for a long time been the market leader in the global diamond industry, controlling about 80% of total diamond supplies and produced about 45% of global production of diamonds. As a market leader, DeBeers could control the prices of rough diamonds globally by regulating supply. In a bid to expand its market share, the company engaged in various practices that aimed at killing any competition. So9me of the company’s practices were illegal in other jurisdictions and contributed to creation of a negative image of DeBeers on the global scene. From the early 1990s to date, the position of DeBeers as the market leader has been overtaken due to various factors that led to establishment and growth of other competitors as well as the popularity of synthetic diamonds and the shifting of the diamond market to adopt the demand-supply structure as the main price determinants. The dissolution of the Soviet Union led to

Are Writing Deficiencies Creating a Lost Generation of Business Essay - 1

Are Writing Deficiencies Creating a Lost Generation of Business Writers - Essay Example Quible and Griffin (2007) explore most prevalent reasons for writing deficiencies. Based on their research, Quible and Griffin (2007) recommend solutions to the challenge of writing deficiencies. They propose three major approaches to addressing the challenge. First, they propose the modified context-based approach. Second, they recommend the glossing approach. The third proposal to addressing the challenge is the rules-based approach. Because of the necessity to have employers who are competent in oral and written communication, businesses meet various costs in upgrading such employees. American firms spend as much as 3.1billion dollars annually in making remedies for the writing deficiencies among their employees (Quible & Griffin, 2007). The move is justified by the need for businesses to keep a pool of employees with good writing skills to boost their competitiveness. Success among employees, among other factors, relies on effective communication skills. Consequently, communication deficiency among employees may cause losses to businesses. Businesses organizations that have employees with writing deficiency experience communication breakdown. In situations where there is writing deficiency, business clients find dissatisfaction in service delivery. Quible and Griffin (2007) cite a report by the NCW in their research. According to the report, students in schools lack essential communication skills due to writing deficiency. The research shows the students are today less effective than fifteen to twenty years ago (Quible & Griffin, 2007). The ineffectiveness resulted from teachers’ failure to teach standard grammar as evidenced in the report. English teachers focused on promoting context-based approach as they showed Traditional School Grammar as they termed it ineffective. Consequently, businesses fail to get a generation of good writers. According to Braddock as cited in Quible

'The accounting 'economics' of innovation Essay

'The accounting 'economics' of innovation - Essay Example Success in these 2 markets depended on product quality, price, availability, and on-time delivery. Currently, with the wide scope of Whirlpool’s operations, it has disjointed information systems implemented in the various business units which hamper the company’s success in meeting its customer and operations requirements. To remedy this, Whirlpool is evaluating the plan to implement a company-wide enterprise resource planning system, called Project Atlantic. The cost of Project Atlantic is sizeable both in financial and non-financial terms. A rigorous capital investment appraisal, both quantitative and qualitative need to be conducted before embarking on the project (Case Resource). Question 1: Summarize the main factors that Whirlpool Corp needs to take into account when deciding whether to invest in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems named Project Atlantic. Your summary should include: Whirlpool Corp’s Project Atlantic is an undertaking to design and implement an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that would allow the company to better serve its consumer and contract markets for appliances, as well as reduce its inventory by 12 days of sales. Enterprise resources are the manpower, machines and materials necessary for business operations and which have to be properly allocated and utilized to achieve business objectives. The main factors that Whirlpool Corp needs to take into account to decide whether to invest in Project Atlantic are the benefits that can be derived from the project; the costs of design, implementation and maintenance; whether benefits outweigh the costs and when will the company get payback from the ERP systems; how long will the process of designing and implementing take and what external and internal resources are necessary; and what changes need to be undertaken by the company to enable the new systems to fit in, how will

Growth of Crime Prevention in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Growth of Crime Prevention in the UK - Essay Example The essay will also discuss some of the key events and conflicts that have led to the development of these policies from the 80s to date. Finally, it shall discuss the limits to crime prevention as a strategy for controlling crime in Britain. The State Welfare Crisis Lea (1997) notes that the 1997 election of the conservative government under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher is significant in the development of the UK’s social policy. After the Second World War ended all the way to the 70s, a consensus was stuck embracing both the Conservative and Labor parties. The two parties came together in thought in what historians refer to the Keynesian Welfare state. The Labour party’s policy was based on the assumption that the economic policy of Keynesian would guarantee citizens full employment and economic growth. This would help in the elimination of poverty as well as associated social problems (Gilling 1997 p.35-66). Secondly, the Labour party campaigned on the ground that if elected to power, it would introduce a substantive system that respects social rights including the right to state education, healthcare, a minimum wage, and better housing. This in turn would ensure a cohesive, homogenous and stable economy. Lea (1997) reveals that around the 1960s, it became apparent that the zones within UK that still experienced high poverty rates, economic backwardness, and increasing rates of small criminal activities were opposed to the incorporation of general affluence. Because of this, they were associated with ‘social pathology’. These areas, which include decaying central city, and older industrial areas were perceived to be in need of strategic and decisive intervention of experts’ social engineering, that includes education, social work and skill training intervention in family pathology as well as at the additional economic resources level among others (Gilling 1997 p.35-66). Under the above spectrum of policies, criminalit y occupied a minor position (Lea, 1997). Lea notes that the rate of crime was relatively low even in places that were underdeveloped. Juvenile delinquency was not given much attention as it was seen as a maturity state from childhood to adulthood (lea, 1997). In this case, the main issue with regard to criminal justice policy between 1950 and 60s were those of penal reform (Gilling 1997 p 45-67). Lea notes that juvenile delinquents were mainly treated based on a strong philosophy that advocated for social reintegration. This was done through welfare, rehabilitation therapy, and special education instead of punishment as prescribed by the judicial system. Towards the end of 1970s, the new strategy developed by Keynesian Welfare State concerned severe political and ideological crisis (Lea 1997). To begin with, it was evident that the strategy had failed to do away with social iniquity and eliminate poverty. When Thatcher government came into power, it laid an elaborate decisive ideolo gy transforming the welfare state from providing ineffective solutions to crime to fighting social injustice by establishing their root causes (Lea 1997). In this case, the philosophy of social collectivism and the welfare state were perceived to undermine the cultural entrepreneurship which had at one time transformed UK to a dynamic society. Under the Thatcher government, the increase in criminal activities and poverty were perceived as the result of dependence on welfare

The Role of Suspense and Foreshadowing in the Novel Frankenstein Essay

The Role of Suspense and Foreshadowing in the Novel Frankenstein - Essay Example The typical gothic plot tends to delay narrative development through digressions, interruptions, infolded tales, interpolated poems, etc. which move the narrative backwards as well as forwards and Frankenstein is no exception to this. The novel's structure of framed and embedded narratives (for example, Walton narrative and that of the De Lacey family) act as diversions from the main narrative told by Frankenstein, a delay that serves to increase suspense and tension. Marry Shelly's use of Foreshadowing in Frankenstein creates a literary taste in the novel. "But I forget I am moralizing in the most interesting part of my tale; and your looks remind me to proceed" (Baldick, 1997, pp. 45-59). Foreshadowing is an important part of Frankenstein. It is used to increase suspense because as a readers go through novel the foreshadowing is revealing them that something bad is about to happen and it is their job to go after the clues and try to guess what it is. Throughout the novel, as we observe that the three main narrators (Victor, the Monster, and Walter) use foreshadowing. Each of the narrators uses foreshadowing in a diverse and different way. Some of the narrators like victor are more obvious in their hints as to what is going to happen than others. "If the Study to which you apply yourself had a tendency to weaken your affections , and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful," (Baldick, 1997, pp. 45-59). In this quote Victor is speaking about how if something you are doing takes up all your free time and makes you neglect the other aspects of your life it certainly cannot be good. In this quote Victor is also foreshadowing the completion of his monster and the effect it will have on his life. This is an example of the most blatant foreshadowing in the novel; this book was written as if Victor was relating it out loud to William. As a result of this most of the foreshadowing victor does is extremely blatant because when a person is telling a story it is hard for them to keep from foreshadowing the ending through there body language, tone, or the way they tell the story. Because Shelly could not convey tone or body language through written words sh e had to make the foreshadowing victor does much more blatant to keep the suspense of the story. "One day, when I was oppressed by cold, I found a fire which had been left by some wandering beggars, and was overcome with delight at the warmth I experienced from it. In my joy I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain. How strange, I thought, that the same cause could produce such opposite effects!" (Literary Cavalcade, 2002, pp. 34-37). In this quote by the monster, shows the style in which he foreshadows in this story. This was one of the monster's earliest experiences where he finds that some things can cause both pleasure and pain. This is

Personal and Professional Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal and Professional Development - Essay Example Times have changed and are continuing to change as the gauntlet is transferred from one form of learning expertise to another. While previously it was enough for a teacher to be able to handle simple routine tasks, this definition has passed into oblivion in recent times. Above everything else, a teacher must be possessed with a vision to go forward and to explore new turf. Modern life is all about integration and modern teaching and learning are following the same path. Consider for example the state of communication that we exist in today. Only a few years ago it was common to have a phone at the office, a cellular phone in the pocket, a fax machine on the desk, a desktop computer and other such articles to deal with communication. Today all of these things have disappeared altogether. Everything is integrated. It is extremely common today to find all of this communication equipment and more (such as GPS, location tracking and the like) in a simple Smartphone that sits in your pocket. This trend of integration has not been limited to high end executives and CEOs alone. Instead integration has been sweeping the entire socio-economic strata from end to end. A Smartphone is as common in the Corner Office as it is with children attending high school these days. The key thing to take note of here is integration. Much similar to communication equipment, teaching and learning are becoming more and more constrained to integrate with other things in order to drive the efficacy and success of both. Modern careers are coming under increasing pressure to obtain individuals who have more than one area of expertise. The modern manager for a car repair business for example may need to know how to handle people, how to mix paint, how to repair fenders, how to create budgets and other such functions all at the same time. This situation is different from the specialization that was offered under the Fordist model of growth that calls for specialization. Instead a manager and a lead er today need to have essential skills in their bag to deal with the competitive nature of the market. This is only possible if the learning offered to the modern student is enough to handle the strains of modern careers. Modern learners need to be offered various avenues to explore their own potential in order to produce individuals who are ready to pick the gauntlet and walk with it. Traditional methods of learning including blackboards and hard printed books are all but things of the past. The modern learner is far more interested in finding the information they require using digital methods rather than having to search through volumes of printed material. It could be expected that children would need to be taught how to extract information. However, in the modern day this situation is nowhere to be found. Instead the teacher is at times learning from students as to extracting information from the internet. Modern students are well equipped and prepared to handle the information t

The Role of Suspense and Foreshadowing in the Novel Frankenstein Essay

The Role of Suspense and Foreshadowing in the Novel Frankenstein - Essay Example The typical gothic plot tends to delay narrative development through digressions, interruptions, infolded tales, interpolated poems, etc. which move the narrative backwards as well as forwards and Frankenstein is no exception to this. The novel's structure of framed and embedded narratives (for example, Walton narrative and that of the De Lacey family) act as diversions from the main narrative told by Frankenstein, a delay that serves to increase suspense and tension. Marry Shelly's use of Foreshadowing in Frankenstein creates a literary taste in the novel. "But I forget I am moralizing in the most interesting part of my tale; and your looks remind me to proceed" (Baldick, 1997, pp. 45-59). Foreshadowing is an important part of Frankenstein. It is used to increase suspense because as a readers go through novel the foreshadowing is revealing them that something bad is about to happen and it is their job to go after the clues and try to guess what it is. Throughout the novel, as we observe that the three main narrators (Victor, the Monster, and Walter) use foreshadowing. Each of the narrators uses foreshadowing in a diverse and different way. Some of the narrators like victor are more obvious in their hints as to what is going to happen than others. "If the Study to which you apply yourself had a tendency to weaken your affections , and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful," (Baldick, 1997, pp. 45-59). In this quote Victor is speaking about how if something you are doing takes up all your free time and makes you neglect the other aspects of your life it certainly cannot be good. In this quote Victor is also foreshadowing the completion of his monster and the effect it will have on his life. This is an example of the most blatant foreshadowing in the novel; this book was written as if Victor was relating it out loud to William. As a result of this most of the foreshadowing victor does is extremely blatant because when a person is telling a story it is hard for them to keep from foreshadowing the ending through there body language, tone, or the way they tell the story. Because Shelly could not convey tone or body language through written words sh e had to make the foreshadowing victor does much more blatant to keep the suspense of the story. "One day, when I was oppressed by cold, I found a fire which had been left by some wandering beggars, and was overcome with delight at the warmth I experienced from it. In my joy I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain. How strange, I thought, that the same cause could produce such opposite effects!" (Literary Cavalcade, 2002, pp. 34-37). In this quote by the monster, shows the style in which he foreshadows in this story. This was one of the monster's earliest experiences where he finds that some things can cause both pleasure and pain. This is

Cherrie Morag Heroes And Saints Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cherrie Morag Heroes And Saints - Essay Example Heroes and saints represent horrible epidemics of incurable diseases birth defects among other problems that a small farming town faced; this was caused by the spraying of a pesticide that resulted in a great suffering among the people. These Political injustices arose in the American system of governance. The play seeks to sound a message to the present people that they should not count on other people, to bring changes, but should demand the help. People must learn to come together, and fight for their basic rights. This can only be achieved if the oppressed come together, and in one voice demand, their rights and this will lead to the eventual attainment of happiness and liberty. The race takes precedence in the play, once one was recognized as a Latino he or, she was taken to have a sort of disability. Race and disability are both identities that are interstitial and simultaneous. In this play, Moraga makes use of disability as a metaphor and phenomenal frame for economic oppress ion, gender, and racial discrimination. Felipe Franco is a character used by Moraga in this play, the mother to Felipe worked in the fields poisoned by pesticides when she was pregnant, due to this Felipe was born with no limbs. Here, what is seen is the use of disability put forward in lived reality and used as a metaphor dissipating oppression. An environmental justice group identified race to be a very powerful factor when it comes to the public’s exposure to toxicity. Pesticides tend to focus on the female reproductive system resulting.

Demand And Supply Of Houses And Apartments Economics Essay

Demand And Supply Of Houses And Apartments Economics Essay By considering the factors that affect the demand and supply of houses and apartments explain what has led to the changes in the prices of houses and apartments in the UK over the last three years. What would affect the sizes of different elasticities of demand for houses? Introduction The past couple of years have seen dramatic fluctuations in the demand and supply of houses. It has been observed that movement in house prices is a balance of the quantity demanded and supplied. In this essay, we first look into the factors that affected the prices of houses in UK in the past three years. Then, we will discuss factors that affect the sizes of elasticities of demand of houses. Factors affecting demand of houses The table below shows the various factors that affect demand of houses. Table 1: Factors affecting demand of houses. S. no. Factor Trend Reason Change in the demand curve 1. Affordability As affordability of houses increases, demand for houses increases and vice versa. Because when the price of houses goes down more people can afford to buy houses. Movement along the demand curve. FIG. 1 2. Disposable Income As the disposable income of the people increase the demand for houses increases and vice versa. People tend to buy houses when they have sufficient disposable income with them so that their weekly budget is not affected significantly. Shift in the demand curve. FIG. 2 3. Economic Trends If the economy is booming, then there is a net increase in demand for houses. Similarly, in case of a recession, the demand for houses decreases. A booming economy means a good overall health of the economy which translates into greater demand of all goods. Shift in the demand curve. FIG. 2 4. Supply of substitutes If the supply of substitutes such as rented accommodation decreases, then there is a net increase in demand for houses and vice versa. If the supply of rented accommodation is less, then there is an increase in the price of rented apartments. Therefore, in the long run people find that it is cheaper to buy houses than to live in a rented accommodation. Hence, then they will tend to purchase a house. Thereby, increasing the net demand for houses. Shift in the demand curve. FIG. 2 5. Availability of mortgage finance If the mortgage finance is easily available then this results in a net increase in demand and vice versa. This is because it is easier for people to arrange for money to finance their houses. Shift in the demand curve. FIG. 2 6. Interest rates If the interest rates are high, then there is a net decrease in demand and vice versa. This is because at higher interests rates people will have to shell out more money to repay their loan. As people have a fixed monthly income, a higher interest rate would mean that the loan instalment would form a higher portion of their monthly income. Thereby, decreasing the demand for houses. Shift in the demand curve. FIG. 2 7. Consumer confidence As consumer confidence in the housing market increases, the demand for houses increases and vice versa. If prices of houses are expected to rises then consumers think it is profitable to enter the market. However, if the prices fall or remain static then consumers find no urgency to enter the market. Shift in the demand curve. FIG. 2 8. Demographic factors As increase in immigration, number of divorces, life expectancy, results in an increase in demand for houses. An increase in immigration, number of divorces, life expectancy will result in more people needing independent houses. Shift in the demand curve. FIG. 2 9. Inherited wealth An increase in number of people inheriting a huge wealth would result in an increase in demand of houses. Because these people have more money to spend on luxury products, such as houses. Shift in the demand curve. FIG. 2 10. Tax benefits If people receive greater tax benefits by buying houses, then this would result in a net increase in demand for houses. This is because people prefer to use their hard earned money on themselves rather than paying it to the government. Shift in the demand curve. FIG. 2 Source: Nationwide, Besanko et. al 2007 FIG. 2: Shifting of the demand curve. D D Price P1 Q2 Q1 D D Quantity FIG. 1: Movement along the demand curve. Price P1 P2 Q2 Q1 D D Quantity Factors affecting the supply of houses The table below shows the various factors that affect the supply of houses. Table 2: Factors affecting supply of houses S no. Factors Trend Reason Change in supply curve 1. Price If the price of houses increases then there is an increase in supply of houses and vice versa. Because sellers can then sell houses at higher rates thus making more profit. Movement along the supply curve. 2. Cost of building a house If the cost of building a house increases then there is a net decrease in supply of houses and vice versa. As this would mean a larger initial investment for the builder. Shift in the supply curve. 3. Government regulations If government regulations are inclined towards building/selling of houses then there is a net increase in supply of houses and vice versa. This would mean lower costs from the perspective of a builder/seller, which would result in more building/selling of houses. Shift in the supply curve. Source: Nationwide, Besanko et. al 2007 FIG. 1: Movement along the Supply curve. Price P1 P2 Q2 Q1 S S Quantity FIG. 2: Showing shifting of the supply curve. S S Price P1 Q2 Q1 S S Quantity Factors that have led to changes in the prices of house in UK over the last 3 years Source: Nationwide FIG. 5: Average house rates in UK from 2008 to 2010 During the first half of 2008 there was a 5.1% drop in house prices. With the financial crisis and a looming economic recession this price fall was expected. This was evident from the clear change in the consumers housing market sentiments, with people being more reluctant to buy houses. It should be noted that there is a direct relationship between the demand of houses and the confidence consumers have in the market (See table 1). In addition, factors such as high mortgage rates, tighter lending criteria, and higher interest rates affected the house prices in early 2008. The fall in demand from the buyers was also due to the rise in unemployment and associated job insecurity. Further, the problems in the credit market led to tighter lending conditions which made it difficult to obtain loans at higher loan-to-value ratios. However, these strict rules were predicted to lead to a more stable housing market. FIG. 6: Consumer House Price Expectations and House Purchase Approvals An anomaly in this trend was the slight increase in the prices in June and July 2008. This was probably because the suppliers had responded to price decline by reducing the supply of property. The reduced supply combined with an increased demand from potential buyers, who had been priced out previously, translated into a slight price rise of houses. In addition, the slight increase in prices was because of latent demand for houses. Earlier, due to the banking crisis there was reluctance among buyers to purchase houses. However, once the buyers saw that the government was taking corrective actions to stabilize the banking system, they re-entered the market along with the added assistance of low interest rates. (Nationwide, 2008) However, this was a mere aberration and between August 2008 and March 2009 the house prices fell by 10.1% due to the overall lack of consumer confidence in the economic and market conditions. In addition, there was an additional supply of houses from homeowners, whose financial positions were impacted by higher unemployment and lower income levels. FIG. 7: UK GDP and House Price Growth between 1985 and 2007 With UK slipping into recession, even drastic cuts in interest rates didnt help in increasing the demand for houses. The reduced access to credit resulting from the financial crises catalysed the fall in prices. Then, a combination of initial fall in prices, widespread news of financial turbulence, and slowdown in the real economy prompted consumers to expect further price falls. As consumers expectations turned negative, the incentive to enter the market reduced and this led to a sharp price fall. (Nationwide 2008, 2009) Then in June 2009, the low interest rates and extension of stamp duty holidays were welcomed by borrowers as they reduced the costs of already high priced housing market. Further, notwithstanding the economic downturn, there was a notable shift in house price expectation from negative to positive. These two factors resulted in increasing the demand for houses and thus increasing the price of houses. (Guardian 2009, Nationwide 2009) The second half of 2009 was marked by rebound in house prices. This was contributed by the better than expected performance of the labour market. Even though workers were forced from full-time to part-time work resulting in a reduction in income, the impact was less severe than if they had lost their jobs completely. In addition, reduction in mortgage rates meant that fewer borrowers had fallen into arrears than expected. This led to lesser number of second-hand properties being on sale and thus stabilizing the housing markets. (Nationwide 2009) The first half of 2010 also saw a 4.1% rise in prices of houses. An important factor of price rise during this period was the low level of stock for sale as many homeowners and buy-to-let landlords preferred to wait for prices to rise. And this approach was supported by the very low levels of interest rates. As a result, many potential sellers could easily afford to wait for prices to recover further before they decided to sell. Between July and October, there was a fall in the prices of houses. The impact of increasing capital gains tax from 18% to 28% was seen in the housing market, with many second homeowners choosing to sell them in response to the tax increase. Further, the spending cuts by the new government had clearly put a pressure on the disposable incomes of households. As a result there was a decrease in the prices of houses during this period. (Nationwide 2010) Factors that affect the sizes of different elasticities of demand for houses The responsiveness of the quantity of houses demanded to the change in prices, income, price of other goods, etc. is measured by the corresponding elasticities, i.e., Price elasticity of demand of houses, Income elasticity of demand of houses, or Cross prices elasticity of demand of houses. Factors that affect the sizes of different elasticities are as follows: Availability of substitutes: It is observed that more the number of substitutes, more elastic the demand will be. If the availability of rented accommodations is high, then a slight price rise will result in a large change in demand for houses because people will prefer to live in a rented apartment than to buy a house. Therefore, making the demand for houses elastic. On the other hand, if availability of rented accommodations is low, then even a large change in price would not affect the demand because everyone needs a place to live. Therefore, the demand for houses will be inelastic. Importance of the good in the consumers budget: Expenditure on housing, according to R.K. Wilkinson (1973), is an outcome of three sets of influences on the consumer, i.e., their needs, their aspirations, and their ability to realize their needs and aspirations. The latter is measured by the consumers income and the two former qualify the way in which income and changes in income affects housing expenditure. If there is a need for a house and consumers have the ability to realize that need, then the demand of houses would be inelastic. In contrast, if there is no real need and an aspiration to buy a (bigger) house combined with no real income to realize that aspiration, then the demand for houses will be highly elastic. Time: It was observed by Hanushek and Quigley (1980) that the demand for houses is elastic in the short-run. However, in the long-run the demand tended to be inelastic. This was because higher prices dissuade buyers to buy houses in the short-run. However, in the long-run he may realize that the price of houses will rise and thus he finds it better to buy a house. Conclusion In this essay we determined the factors that affected the prices of houses in UK during the last three years and the various factors that affect the elasticities of demand of houses. Based on the above discussion, I think consumer expectation of house prices is one of the most important drivers of prices in the short-run. As for the long-run, the drivers of house prices are the economic conditions, the fiscal policies, and supply of houses.

Comparing the Synoptic Gospels Essay -- Papers Bible Christianity Jesu

Comparing the Synoptic Gospels Should one fully read the opening four Gospels of the New Testament, he or she can find many similar patterns of literature and themes affording much attention to detail and study. This is what someone such as Merriam Webster would define as the ?Synoptic Gospels?. So, what are and how can we explain the differences and similarities among synoptic authors Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the gospel, John? Which Book was written first? To what extent did the Evangelists depend on oral tradition, written sources, or each other? The phenomenon and mystery of these similar but unique Synoptic Gospels has for centuries challenged some of the best minds of academia and the church, stirring up much scholarly controversy; baffling many New Testament Survey students. To completely understand the similarities and differences between these Synoptic Gospels we must first be acquainted with the authors of them; we ought to discern the background of their life, academic qualifications, experiences, litera ture styles, and occupations. We must also ask the questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? The first very important question I?d like to pose is: Who? Who were these author?s that challenged our hearts and minds and taught us Jesus? life, ministries, and importance? The foremost book of the New Testament is Matthew. It was written by the author, Matthew, to illustrate clearly that the ?King? has arrived. Matthew, a Jew, was very literate. He was a despised tax collector who later changed his life and lived completely for Jesus and became one of His? twelve disciples. Matthew directed this Gospel to his fellow Jews c.60-65 A.D. to prove that Jesus is the Messiah and to explain God?s kingdom that He holds i... ...ner?s Sons, New York, 1932) Stonehouse 1963 Ned B. Stonehouse, Origins of the Synoptic Gospels, (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1963) Heim 1947 Ralph D. Heim, A Harmony of the Gospels for Students (Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1947) Linnemann 1992, ET 1992 Eta Linnemann, English trans. by Robert W. Yarbrough, Is There a Synoptic Problem: Rethinking the Literary Dependence of the First Three Gospels (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1992). Appleton 1910 Robert Appleton, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IX (Robert Appleton Company, 1910) Koester 1990 Helmut Koester, Ancient Christian Gospels: Their History and Development (Philadelphia: Trinity Press Int'l, 1990). Farmer 1994 William R. Farmer, The Gospel of Jesus: The Pastoral Relevance of the Synoptic Problem (Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox, 1994).