While this English class was more of a reminder of Essays

While this English class was more of a reminder of what I learned in High School, it was a welcome refresher course. This reflection paper is supposed to be a reminder of my own thoughts for later use. In this reflection, I will talk about my feelings for the class. I will mention my thoughts for the paper, what I learned, and how it will help me with future endeavours. Overall, it will be a brief summary for and of my own thoughts. I thought that in this English class I would have more creative freedom with assignments. Having a topic chose for me to write was not that inspirational. The class overall reminded me of the key points of writing I learned in High School that I had forgotten. It also gave a refresher on how to cite and place references. These are all things I learned at a High School level, but it was nice to get a refresher on them all since I don't usually cite or use references when I type something. While not a beginner, I am no where near an expert. I type things all the time, but not at a professional level. I already learned how to write papers and use peer reviews, but was able to get used to them again in a school setting. I sort of felt like my peer reviews could have been better. The questions I needed to answer didn't sound like they would be as helpful to the peer I was reviewing as much as they could have been. Other than being reminded of how to cite sources and learning how to peer review with overwhelming kindness, I am not exactly sure I learned a great deal. However, I stay confident in my personal writings with topics I know more about. My essay took several forms. I usually start just writing down whatever comes to mind and polish it up after working on the paper for a while. That is when the organization of the paper comes into play. The final version took into account everything my teacher and peers said. They are trying to be helpful so clearly it is better to take what they say into account while keeping the paper as much my own as possible. I just need to remember to organize better so my paper is not as scatter brained as the first draft. I think I did well enough in this class. I am not very proud about anything since there was just one generic paper to write. Something I would do differently in the class would be to try and give one hundred percent to the paper from the start. I find it hard to write an amazing paper for a topic I do not take to heart. Though I think I did an alright job at it. I know that in the real world we are forced to do things we do not want to do, but I still wish we would have more topic freedoms. I did not use anything from my first three classes in this class. Actually I think having English first would have been better than having it fourth. I am not exactly sure how citing things will help me in the workplace, but it's good to know just in case I do need it. English all around is something I'll use in the workplace and in the rest of my classes. Should I need to write a paper for another class or type something for work, what I learned in English class will help me. In this class I was able to be reminded of all the finer points of English writing that I long forgot since High School. It was nice to get that refresher of grammar too. With all my thoughts placed together in this one paper, I will be able to reflect on it later on. I know that it will help me to remember this class should I need to recall something. Reflection is the better part of the day.

A Tale Of Two Cities Essays - English-language Films, British Films

A Tale Of Two Cities Essays - English-language Films, British Films A Tale of Two Cities In the fictitious novel Tale of Two Cities, the author, Charles Dickens, lays out a brilliant plot. Charles Dickens was born in England on February 7, 1812 near the south coast. His family moved to London when he was ten years old and quickly went into debt. To help support himself, Charles went to work at a blacking warehouse when he was twelve. His father was soon imprisoned for debt and shortly thereafter the rest of the family split apart. Charles continued to work at the blacking warehouse even after his father inherited some money and got out of prison. When he was thirteen, Dickens went back to school for two years. He later learned shorthand and became a freelance court reporter. He started out as a journalist at the age of twenty and later wrote his first novel, The Pickwick Papers. He went on to write many other novels, including Tale of Two Cities in 1859. Tale of Two Cities takes place in France and England during the troubled times of the French Revolution. There are travels by the characters between the countries, but most of the action takes place in Paris, France. The wineshop in Paris is the hot spot for the French revolutionists, mostly because the wineshop owner, Ernest Defarge, and his wife, Madame Defarge, are key leaders and officials of the revolution. Action in the book is scattered out in many places; such as the Bastille, Tellson's Bank, the home of the Manettes, and largely, the streets of Paris. These places help to introduce many characters into the plot. One of the main characters, Madame Therese Defarge, is a major antagonist who seeks revenge, being a key revolutionist. She is very stubborn and unforgiving in her cunning scheme of revenge on the Evermonde family. Throughout the story, she knits shrouds for the intended victims of the revolution. Charles Darnay, one of whom Mrs. Defarge is seeking revenge, is coneztly being put on the ezd and wants no part of his own lineage. He is a languid protagonist and has a tendency to get arrested and must be bailed out several times during the story. Dr. Alexander Manette, a veteran prisoner of the Bastille and moderate protagonist, cannot escape the memory of being held and sometimes relapses to cobbling shoes. Dr. Manette is somewhat redundant as a character in the novel, but plays a very significant part in the plot. Dr. Manette's daughter, Lucie Manette, a positive protagonist, is loved by many and marries Charles Darnay . She is a quiet, emotional person and a subtle protagonist in the novel. One who never forgot his love for Lucie, the protagonist Sydney Carton changed predominately during the course of the novel. Sydney , a look-alike of Charles Darnay, was introduced as a frustrated, immature alcoholic, but in the end, made the ultimate sacrifice for a good friend. These and other characters help to weave an interesting and dramatic plot. Dr. Manette has just been released from the Bastille, and Lucie, eager to meet her father whom she thought was dead, goes with Mr. Jarvis Lorry to bring him back to England. Dr. Manette is in an insane state from his long prison stay and does nothing but cobble shoes, although he is finally persuaded to go to England. Several years later, Lucie, Dr. Manette, and Mr. Lorry are witnesses at the trial of Charles Darnay. Darnay, earning his living as a tutor, frequently travels between England and France and is accused of treason in his home country of France. He is saved from being prosecuted by Sydney Carton, who a witness confuses for Darnay, thus not making the case positive. Darnay ended up being acquitted for his presumed crime. Darnay and Carton both fall in love with Lucie and want to marry her. Carton, an alcoholic at the time, realizes that a relationship with Lucie is impossible, but he still tells her that he loves her and would do anything for her. Darnay and Lucie marry each other on the premises of the two promises between Dr. Manette and Darnay. Right after the marriage, while the newlyweds are on their honeymoon, Dr. Manette has a relapse and

The American War of Independence

The American War of Independence The American Revolution denotes the social, political and intellectual developments in the American states, which were characterized by political upheaval and war. This happened during the last half of the eighteenth century (Burg, 1). The revolution began in 1763 and lasted up to 1383 when the American Revolutionary war or the American War of Independence ended.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The American War of Independence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More During this time, the thirteenth states of North America, which were colonies of the British Empire, joined effort to fight for their freedom (McNeill, para.1). These states came together and formed the United States of America. The American people started by rebelling against the government of Great Britain and denying the administration structure and composition. The people rejected the authority of Britain’s Parliament governing them from overseas wit hout local representation. The British government had imposed many laws on their colonists and imposition of many taxes in order to demonstrate their authority. The move by the colonizers seemed unpopular to the colonists and a violation of their rights. The colonists made plans to come up with their own congress. This led them to expel all the royal officials. The American people then made local governments, which they replaced with the British’s ruling apparatus by 1772. This triggered the British government to send combat troops to dissolve the local governments and impose their direct rule (Lancaster and Plumb, 66). By 1775, the colonies had mobilized their troops and war broke out.Advertising Looking for report on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In search for independence, the thirteen British colonies in North America started a war between them and the British government; a war, which was known as the American war of Independence, or the American Revolutionary war. This war, which started in 1775 and lasted through 1783 ended in a global war between the many great powers of Europe. The war saw the end of the political revolution of America, where the parliament of Great Britain was rejected as a legitimate governor of the people of America. By 1776, all the thirteen colonies in North America had succeeded in driving out the colonial governors and declared the colonies states. They set out their own legislation and this new constitution was used in each state (Mcllwain, 21). Newhampshire ratified its constitution on January 5, 1776 as the first state constitution. Later, the other states like Virginia, South Carolina and New Jersey created their own constitutions to decide what kind of government they needed. In July 4, 1776, the Continental congress adopted the declaration of independence statement, a day that is celebrated as their Independence Day. On November 15, 1777, a new constitution was passed by the congress for ratification. This document was then ratified on March 1, 1781, a move, which saw the dissolution of the Congress and the establishment of the government of the United, States the following day. After the defeat in 1776, the British returned between 1776 and 1777 to defend the revolution. In July 1776, the British defeated the continental army of Washington, which was considered as one of the greatest engagement in war. Later, the Americans formed alliances with the other nations like Spain, French, and the Dutch thus defeated the British and forced them to move southward.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The American War of Independence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The American people did not like laws and taxes to be imposed on them, an issue they considered as infringing their rights and thus had to undergo social, political and intellectual revolution in orde r for them to regain their independence and rights. Lancaster, Bruce, and Plumb, John H. The American Revolution. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001. Print. Burg, David F. The American Revolution. Clark, N.J.: InfoBase Publishing, 2007. Print. McNeill, J. R. â€Å"How mosquitoes helped swarm the redcoats at Yorktown.† Washington post. 19th October 2010. Web.  washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/18/AR2010101806002.html Mcllwain, Charles H. The American Revolution: A Constitutional Interpretation. The Lawbook Exchange Ltd, 2001. Print.

Animal Farm Bookreview essays

Animal Farm Bookreview essays The book Animal Farm was written by George Orwell, whose real name is Eric Blair, in 1943-1944. George Orwell was from England and wrote the book while living there. Orwell was born in 1903 and died in 1950. During his life he wrote many other books such as Down and Out in Paris and London, Burmese Days, and Come Up for Air. Orwell is usually known for writing political and social idealistic books. The book takes place on the Manor Farm in the 1940s to 1950s. The book never states the exact time period, but we assume it took place between this time span. The isolation of the farm influences the actions of the characters. The characters do not have much contact with the surrounding area. The book has the necessary isolation from the world for the birth and development of a new society. Its life is simple in the sense that it is unlike the urban life typical of the twentieth century. The setting of the book is a crucial component in the outcome of the story. The main characters in Animal Farm have significant traits that add to the development of the story. Old Major is the pig who truly cares for all the farm animals and is thus respected by them all. Snowball is the most articulate, innovative, and bravest of all the animals. Snowball provides an important link between the pigs and the other animals. Napoleon is the tyrant and chief revolutionary of Animal Farm. He is also an opportunist and is able to manipulate events to his own purpose. Snowball and Napoleon contend for the leadership, but Napoleon eventually runs Snowball off the farm. Squealer has strong powers of communication and uses them to twist the doctrines of Old Major. He is the propagandist of the animal society and the eyes and ears of Napoleon. Boxer is a kind, hard-working horse, but he lacks intelligence. His lack of intelligence is exploited by the pigs and he remains loyal to the new system despite its flaws. Clover understands th...

Human Resource Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Human Resource Management - Assignment Example nvolved (A Managers Responsibility and Liability in Health and Safety, 2008) Having an effective leadership team and effective workforce management will help the organization in protecting and safeguarding the interest of the employees. The indispensable and critical principles are- An effective leadership management team who play an active role towards assimilating strong health and safety management. Workforce involvement in promoting and achieving high safety conditions in work environment Frequent follow-ups, monitoring, and reviewing the performance of the safety measures (Health safety executive, n.d) Effects of poor health and safety measures- In 2006, approximately 30 million working days were lost due to poor health conditions and physical injuries to the employees. Approximately 200 employees are killed each year due to poor and negligent health and safety measures at work places in companies Many employees reported each year with respiratory diseases and cancers due to occ upational illness (Health safety executive, n.d) Benefits of good health measures: Reduced cost and reduced risks Low employee turnover and employee absence which improves productivity indirectly Corporate responsibility among clients, partners Do you think managers should be held liable for health and safety violations? Protecting the health and safety of the employees should be one of the main focuses of the risk management team in any organization. Health and Safety plays an integral and fundamental part of the organization’s success. Management, board members and the leadership team who do not show any focus in this area would never be able to achieve the highest achievement of health and safety management and should be penalized. Failure on the part of the management to incorporate... This essay focuses on the analysis of the Human Resources department, that usually helps in organizing and deals with any issues related to compensation, safety, policies, wellness settlement, general administration, training and development. The researcher mentiones that they are also expected to add value to the employees. Health and safety law basically safeguard the welfare of employees and the general public. This law holds the person, company or organization liable for any employee injured through accident at work or death of any employee. The Health and safety team can execute a criminal prosecution against the company, which may result in penalty or imprisonment against the company management and human resources department. The affected employee can also seek for damages in the civil court. The role of the human resource team should have a health and safety program clearly defined and stated. Some of the areas that human resources should examine and supervise are management a nd employee training on health and Safety measures to prevent work related injuries and illnesses and ensuring workplace safety culture is being driven to ensure safety of the employees working onsite. The researcher then concludes that having an effective Health and Safety department has become very important from a commercial and a governmental viewpoint of the company. Many high profile safety negligence cases over the last few years have been mostly caused by bad management team in the company.

Robert F. Kennedy's Assassination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Robert F. Kennedy's Assassination - Essay Example In one of the speeches that Robert Kennedy in 1962, he was quoted, "The future is not a gift: it is an achievement. Every generation helps make its own future. This is the essential challenge of the present.†1 It is truly a tragedy for the American government to lose leaders with advocacies like the 2 Kennedy’s. Robert Francis Kennedy (RFK) was filled with not just emotion but passion towards leading and serving the country and its people. Yet, just like his older brother John, RFK was assassinated. The will within the person to live is so strong that RFK only died more than 24 hours after the assassination.2 RFK was said to be just like his older brother to have both the brains, the heart and the capabilities to assume the presidency. Bobby, as RFK is fondly called, failed to achieve the coveted post despite the credentials that he has under his belt. The odds are very much going his way and Bobby was just a few more steps towards becoming the next American president. A ll was shattered a couple of minutes past midnight on the 5th of June 1968. His life was ended during his presidential campaign at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, CA by a gun shot. A man with a very promising future was killed by an assassin identified as the Palestinian-American Sirhan Bishara Sirhan.3 Since it was the period for the presidential campaign, media was all over the place. ... All of the 3 assassinations were highly publicized. However, RFK’s assassination seemed to be more traumatic since it was the 2nd Kennedy assassination in less than half a decade. In the filed video coverage of RKF’s presidential campaign in 1968, the crowd’s jubilation was turned into panic and fear as the sound of the gunshot echoed in the atmosphere. According to Melanson et al: Cameras captured the frenzied struggle to subdue the attacker. They showed us the terrible vision of Robert Kennedy lying on the floor and bleeding profusely. To this day, many people believe that these same cameras captured the actual shooting (as the Zapruder film had done in President Kennedy’s assassination); some are insistent to the point of anger that it’s all in film†¦No photographic record of the actual shooting is known to exist.5 The picture of the blood-covered RFK lying on the floor is truly quite disturbing and heartbreaking. It is disturbing because of the graphical representation of a man respected and eyed to be the next president of a very powerful nation. One can think that the photo being published and circulated in media can be considered as an invasion of privacy. Even if the person involved in the picture is a public servant, such situation should be kept private as to reserve the dignity and respectability of the person. The picture of a dying man lying on the floor covered with his own blood can trigger so many emotions within a nation.6 Since the assailant was identified, the assassination case was considered closed. That is what the public was made to believe. People from different walks of life might agree or disagree with the previous

Strategic hospitality management Literature review

Strategic hospitality management - Literature review Example In discussing about the hospitality brands, that are owned, managed or franchised by the group, it can be said that the brands has a presence in almost every category like luxury, full service, select service, extended stay suites as well as timeshare. The Hilton Worldwide in the year 2011 was credited as the fastest growing major hotel company. As of the year 2011, the hospitality chain accumulated around 30 million HHonors members out of which 3.5 million members joined in the year 2011 itself. The hotel brand has presence in various continents around the world like the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa as well as Asia. Vital information about the company is given below in a summarised format: In 2011, the hotel company had an inventory of over 630,000 rooms all over the globe. The company is the owner of multiple popular brands which are present in around 90 countries. In the year 2006, the annual revenue of the hospitality company was around 7.44 billion USD. Journalistic Art icle While performing a strategic performance analysis for the Hilton Worldwide from the investors’ point of view, it is important to focus on conducting an overview of the global hospitality industry along with estimating the growth of the company in the recent times. Focus also needs to be given on the prospects of growth for the company in markets around the world. Overview of the global hospitality industry In discussing about the global hospitality industry, it is important to highlight that the global macro factors are bound to have a strong influence in this particular industry. Talking on this note, it needs to be stated that in the current years, the global hospitality industry has been affected in a significant manner by the political and economic factors around the world. In the year 2012, the global hospitality industry suffered the impacts that generated from US presidential election, sovereign debt crisis of the Euro zone, political disturbances and tension in v arious regions of the Middle East along with slowing down of Asian economies. Talking on this note, it can be stated that in the year 2012, the hospitality sector of the US, especially in the locations of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco as well as Chicago displayed indications of growth and expansion. A report by the globally popular consulting firm Ernst and Young revealed that the average revenue per available room as of the year 2012 touched the levels of 2007. A deeper analysis revealed that the growth in the average revenue per room happened mainly because of the increase in occupancy levels as well as average daily rate (ADR). It was also found that the influence of the factors like high barriers to entry, longer and extended periods of development of hotel property as well as reduced dependence on wholesalers has greatly helped the upscale, upper upscale as well as luxury segment players of the hospitality industry of the region to attain an increase the revenue per avai lable room (RevPAR) in the recent times. The RevPAR for the Asia Pacific region, barring countries like India and New Zealand also recorded an increase in the year 2012. The prolonged political disturbances in some of the major markets of Middle East regions resulted in generation of mixed performance for this particular

Easter traditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Easter traditions - Essay Example Life indeed is full of miracles. It could come to you, as it did to me this morning, with an offer to write on a magazine, or it could emerge out of a bottle of Dior that would give your skin a lasting glow, which its label promises with great authority at Sephora's open counters; that brim with lipsticks and fragrances, eyeshadow and mascara, or revitalizing lotions. I gazed at them, and even tried on a few scents just for the heck of it, dreaming about how my articles and by-lines would look in magazine print, as the painted salesgirl obligingly kept spraying little strips of paper for me to sniff,shoving the coffee pods in between that made me forget the last fragrance I had breathed in.I wandered out to the bookshop across, wondering if they do not carry any Easter eggs, but the once they did have were too plastic or too ornate, so I thought of browsing a few magazines to get a better idea on Easter eggs in vogue, and where best to get them. Of course I drifted towards the cooker y section where I was sure of   recipes for candy in the shape of Easter eggs. The girl next to me in overdone casual chic and a tad too much make-up stood   poring over a magazine, mumbling to herself, and when I passed by her I couldn't help gazing over her hunched shoulders. It was a quiz, â€Å"Is he the man for you?†, and I could tell she was seriously worried as she whipped out her neon-pink cellphone and began whispering furiously into it.The carpeting at the bookstore made me drag my feet a little, and I longed to put my sling-bag down. and sit down someplace for a cuppa. The girl at the coffee shop beamed at me the same smile she had put up for those ahead, and I settled down on a chair next to an old man with a lot on his mind, or at the very least, on his laptop. Between loud slurps on his plastic glass, where he presumably scalded his tongue each time, shook his head, and went ahead for another reckless gulp, he scribbled on a pad beside him and played around with his Blackberry. Maybe he was waiting for a wire transfer, drumming impatiently on the table, and I thought of Runaway Jury, and how I was taken with Gene Hackman, despite being the villain of the piece, or somehow because of it. The old man I sat next to was portly and appeared scatty. I soon lost all thoughts of Hackman, and let my gaze roam around in search of a possible candy shop. Having detected none by the time I had dragged the mocha to the last sip, I decided maybe the little shops across the road that I had spotted on my way here could be a likely source of holiday eggs. I loitered out, the edgy separates at the A/X Exchange on the way drawing my eye. I bought a staple scarf in discreetly

Qunatitative Decisions in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Qunatitative Decisions in Business - Essay Example All of these topics are related to quantitative decisions in business. Plan. Problems are the groundwork of modeling that is why understanding and identifying problems are necessary before commencing with a plan. If problems are already at hand, then relevant data should also be gathered together. These two elements are needed in the formulation of spreadsheets model and in doing some calculations by hand. This initial calculation will give a background of results to be followed by second hand calculations for a checking of results, and finally the sketching of spreadsheets layout before entering the various elements. Build. After the planning stage is the building of spreadsheet model, wherein the sketch layout is moved into the new worksheet in Excel for finalization. Always start with a small version and thoroughly examined the model if the logic are working accurately before expanding to a full-scale model. Test. The manageable version of the model is being tested to determine the accuracy of results. If ever there are major problems along the way like the giving of unexpected results or the changing of values, all of these can be easily corrected because of the model’s manageable size. Build. The process of building and testing often moves back and forth especially if errors occur several times. If the testing of the small version of model verifies accuracy then it is time to build a much larger spreadsheet. There could only be a full-scale version of the model if satisfaction has already been attained. Analyze. It is not impossible to encounter problems at the evaluation stage even if the model has been into several tests. At this stage, the results of the tests in the small version and full-scale version are thoroughly examined. This is to make sure that the output cells give the accurate answers and inadequacies are being revealed. If

Capital Justification Purchase Essay Example for Free

Capital Justification Purchase Essay This assignment requires justification to the vice president for approval to purchase a major piece of equipment for use in the radiology department of the hospital. My main objective is to provide valuable information to justify the cost as well as provide critical data that substantiates the ROI. Additionally, the report will have detailed information outlining the benefits that will assist in the decision making process and address all concerns and questions relating to the purchase. Lastly, the report will include how beneficial and profitable the technology will be for the hospital. The radiology department is in need of a MRI machine to better provide safer and reliable results for detecting breast cancer. I have done extensive research on the several different types of technological devices and believe that I have come up with the best model. In considering the Siemens’s MAGNETOM Espree-Pink the following six major categories to follow were taken into account to help substantiate the purchase:† 1) available alternative; available resources; cost data; benefit data; prior performance, and risk projection.† (Cleverely, et al, 2011, pg. 426). Based upon the research conducted, I believe that this model will improve the quality of patient care, help streamline breast exams and detect the disease with greater confidence. Research shows that MRI’s can be helpful in breast care, especially in high-risk women. The MAGNETOM Espree –Pink offers a unique design and has demonstrated that no other system comes close to offering patient comfort. This state of the art equipment will take us into the future with the latest technological advances. MAGNETOM Espree-Pink combines an open-bore design with the Sentinelle breast coil for Siemens which offers exceptional breast imagining and biopsy capabilities. And, the future is built in, for instance should our needs change over time, we have the option to upgrade the system to a MAGNETOM Espree whole-body scanner –with all the latest advanced applications and renowned technology. This will allow us the capabilities of having the ability to detect cancer in  other ar eas of the body. MAGNETOM Espree-Pink offers the following: Pink Comfort, Pink Workflow and Pink Applications. Pink Comfort can greatly reduce errors due to patient movement, resulting in better image quality. â€Å"The open-bore design offers an exclusive 70 cm inner diameter, providing exceptional comfort. It enables patients to feel more at ease, particularly claustrophobic or obese patients. Pink Workflow provides a dedicated multimodality Workplace that offers standard MRI evaluation, it enhances breast reading and reporting, and it is coupled with syngo BreVis, a computer-aided tool for real-time breast analysis. It is easy-to-use, fast, and reliable. Pink Applications allows for faster imaging, excellent clinical detail, shorter exams – all part of the dedicated solution for breast care. With its optimized applications, MAGNETOM Espree-Pink enables you to see more, by improving accuracy and showing more details. These applications enable truly comprehensive breast care, helping to improve diagnostic confidence as well as patient care.† (www.siemens.com/espree-pink) Financial Considerations In the acquiring of the MAGNETOM Espree-Pink there are some financial aspects to be considered. The manufacture’s price of the equipment is listed at $1.5 million and listed are a couple of options that could provide for this capital expenditure. We would like to look at available alternatives to acquiring this equipment: purchasing or leasing. The cost benefits of leasing include the ability to lease for a short period of time with less expense and the ability to upgrade the equipment as technology changes. For example, with a five-year lease of $150,000 per year, we will pay $750,000 over the life of lease. The immediate rate of return may be greater which may reduce the expense of the equipment. For example: The assumption is that the charge per usage is $2000 and numbers are based on number of patients seen per year.# of Patients Cost of Equipment Lease per year Operations Cost Per Incidence Total Expense Profit 750 $150,000 $500 $525,000 $975,000 1000 $150,000 $500 $650,000 $1.35 million 1250 $150,000 $500 $775,000 $1.725 million The cost benefit of purchasing the equipment is that it would be owned outright by the hospital. The ROI may be seen within the first three years. This can be done by purchasing directly or by financing the purchase. We now have to consider the fixed cost of the purchase price per year and its depreciation and interest. Our operation cost per incidence will now remain the same as leasing the equipment. Our number of patients is assumed to be the same as our option for leasing along with our procedure charge of $2000. # of Patients Cost of Equipment Purchase Operations Cost Per Incidence Total Expense Profit 750 $315,000 $500 $690,000 $810,000 1000 $315,000 $500 $815,000 $1.185 million 1250 $315,000 $500 $940,000 $1.560 million In conclusion, the technological advances of MAGNETOM Espree-Pink can provide numerous benefit to the radiology department by enhancing the speed and accuracy of diagnoses, facilitating earlier and more accurate treatment predicating breast cancer and generating additional revenue. The initial cost of purchasing or leasing will be a great expense to the hospital, but the ROI will outweigh the initial cost over a five year period. I believe that the MAGNETOM Espree-Pink will meet the critical needs of the hospital and our community in which we serve. References Cleverley, William, O., Cleverley, James, O., Song, Paula, H. (2011). Essentials of health care finance – 7th ed. MAGNETOM Espree-Pink (http://usa.healthcare.siemens.com/magnetic-resonance-imaging/0- 35-to-1-5tmri-scanner/magnetom-espree-pink)

Religious Experience And Its Kinds Religion Essay

Religious Experience And Its Kinds Religion Essay First of all what is a religion. According to Immanuel Kant Religion is the recognition of all duties as divine commands, not as sanctions, i.e. arbitrary and contingent ordinances of a foreign will, but as essential laws of any free will as such . Another popular definition is by Karl Marx Religion is the general theory of this world, its encyclopaedic compendium, its logic in popular form, its spiritual point dhonneur, its enthusiasm, its moral sanction, its solemn complement, and its universal basis of consolation and justification. I can go on and on, there are countless definitions of religion. My personal definition of religion is that it is a state of mind in which an individual feels a need to be subject to a superior being, and therefore makes these beliefs as a way of his or her everyday life. They are several types of religion Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hindu, Buddhism, etc. But the major types of religion are Christianity and Islam. Every religion is believed to have p eople who have had a spiritual or religious experience. All these religions have some popular figures that have had an encounter with a supernatural being and have told the story of this encounter which has turned their lifes around for the better. They believe that this experience is scared, For example they are other popular examples of these experiences, in islam the Great Prophet Muhammad was said to be in a cave on Jabal al-Nour, when he received his first revelation from Allah (Quran 96). Arjuna was in a chariot on a battlefield, when Krishna revealed his divinity to him. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was bathing in a river when he was taken into the presence of God, and shown that there was one divine reality behind the cosmos (Guru Granth Sahib p.1). This examples show that religious experiences are very scared in religion, and play a very important role in a religious individuals everyday life. There are different ways to look at religious experiences; we can look at its universality, Diversity and its importance to religion. Universality: Its is a universal phenomenon, which is anyone at any point in time could experience, for example in the bible when Moses was out tending to his father-in-laws sheep, when he suddenly saw a burning bush from which God spoke to him (Exodus 3:1-4), he had his experience while tending to animals, which shows it could happen at any point in time in our everyday lives. From research and studies its been proved that spiritual or religious experiences has always been in our society. Diversity: There are different types of religious experiences; just the same way there are different types of people and different types of religion, but at the same time they are also some similarities which makes religious experiences very unique and rare in our society. Importance: To religion, religious experience is has so many importance, it is sometimes a life changing experience for example in the bible when Saul was on his way to Damascus to arrest the Christians, Jesus appeared to him in form of a bright light which blinded him for 3 days (Acts (9:1-11). After the experience he changed his name to Paul and joined the Christian community. Apart from being a life changer , religious experiences also alters a persons mentality, the way he or she views life, fellow human beings and the environment. During my research I saw that there could be two versions of religious experiences namely the weak version and the strong version; in 1896 William James in his The Will to Believe describes the versions as the strong version contends that religious experiences are evidence for the existence of God or other supernatural beings for everyone, whereas the weak version holds that they are only evidence for such things for the experiencer. According to my class note there are different kinds of religious experience which are namely regenerative, charismatic, and mystical. Regenerative religious: is one in which the experiencer undergoes a life transformation a conversion. Elsewhere this kind of experience is expressed as experiencing religion, experiencing salvation, or being delivered from evil. Through such experiences, individuals often find their lives to be changed, filled with meaning and newness, and full of love, joy, and hope. Along with conversion and salvation, another facet of the regenerative experience is moral transformation. In this case, prior to the experience, the individual may feel a sense of sin, guilt, or the inability to do what he or she knows to be morally appropriate. Upon having the regenerative religious experience, she senses that sin and guilt have been removed and a new vision of goodness is seen and sought after; a new or renewed emphasis on moral duties ensues in ones life. Such example of such an experience could be found in the bible when Moses was out tending to his father-in-laws sheep, when he suddenly saw a bur ning bush from which God spoke to him (Exodus 3:1-4). This experience of the burning bush (conversation we God) changed his life and made him the man we all know him as. Charismatic experience: This is a type of experience in which special abilities, gifts, or blessings are manifested. Prophecy, divinely inspired revelation or interpretation. Although prophecy is perhaps most commonly associated with Judaism and Christianity, it is found throughout the religions of the world, both ancient and modern. In its narrower sense, the term prophet (Greek: prophutus, interpreter, expounder [of divine will]) refers to an inspired person who believes that he has been sent by his god with a message to tell. In a broader sense, the word can refer to anybody who utters the will of a deity, often ascertained through visions, dreams, or the casting of lots; the will of the deity also may be spoken in a liturgical setting. The nature of prophecy is twofold: either inspired (by visions or revelatory auditions) or acquired (by learning certain techniques). In many cases both aspects are present. The goal of learning certain prophetic techniques is to reach an ecstatic state in which revelations can be received. That state might be reached through the use of music, dancing, drums, violent bodily movement, and self-laceration. The ecstatic prophet is regarded as being filled with the divine spirit, and in this state the deity speaks through him. Ecstatic oracles, therefore, are generally delivered by the prophet in the first-person singular pronoun and are spoken in a short, rhythmic style. Mystical experience: which, as described by James, includes four distinct characteristics: 1) Ineffability: the experience cannot be adequately described, if at all. 2) Noetic quality: the experiencer believes that she has learned something important from the experience. 3) Transiency: the experience is temporary and the experiencer soon returns to a normal state of mind. 4) Passivity: the experience occurs without conscious decision or control and it cannot be brought to happen at will. Some people claim to have experienced God in such an intense way, that they have literally been in the presence of God. Some people also believe they have become one with God at certain times. People who claim to have such experiences are often called Mystics. It is common for Mystics to use a variety of spiritual techniques, such as meditation, to come into the presence of God in this special way. Mystical experiences take different forms, but a common theme among many of them is identity or union with God in Western religion, or with Absolute Reality Brahman or nirvana or the dao in Eastern religion. A description of a mystical experience within the Advaita VedÄ nta school of Hinduism is given by Shankara. In my research I found more kinds of religious experience, first. Numinous: The German thinker Rudolf Otto (1869-1937) argues that there is one common factor to all religious experience, independent of the cultural background. In his book The Idea of the Holy (1923) he identifies this factor as the numinous. According to him the numinous has two aspects namely mysterium tremendum he explains this as having the tendency to put fear into the host, and the second is mysterium fascinas this has the opposite, which is the tendency to fascinate and attract. The numinous experience is said to describe the feeling that God is very different and superior to us. Rudolf Otto sees the numinous as the only kind religious experience. He states: There is no religion in which it [the numinous] does not live as the real innermost core and without it no religion would be worthy of the name (Otto: 1972) Miracles: This is usually said to happen when God acts in a special way in the world, which go against the laws of nature. In the bible Jesus the son of God exhibited lots of miracle; the bible says miracles could happen through any medium. And the bible also says that God works in mysterious ways. So therefore miracles as far as religion is consigned are very significant especially in Christianity. Ecstasy: this is the kind of experience where by the experiencers spirit lives the body, to go and communicate with the higher beings. This kind of religious experience is very similar to that which a shaman experiences. Enthusiasm: This the kind of experience whereby a scared power or being enters into the body or mind of a person and uses the body to manifest supernatural features such as miracles, etc and also uses the person to communicate its message to the world. The person who is used is called a medium. This kind of religious experience reminds me of the term we used in class Avatara the similarity is that the being enters in to a human body. Now lets look at how the science worldviews and translates religious experiences, according to in class video shown by my instructor science has explains religious experience as an epilepsy of the temporal lobe which causes the host to enter a trance and could make him or her believe that they just had an encounter with a supernatural being. It also showed that electronic devices could also cause an individual with a sensitive brain to hallucinate making them see and believe in things that are not actually there. According to the neurotheologist Andrew B. Newberg, neurological processes which are driven by the repetitive, rhythmic stimulation which is typical of human ritual, and which contributes to the delivery of transcendental feelings of connection to a universal unity. However, that physical stimulation alone is not sufficient to generate transcendental unitive experiences. For this to occur they say there must be a blending of the rhythmic stimulation with ideas. Once this occ urs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ritual turns a meaningful idea into a visceral experience. Moreover they say that humans are compelled to act out myths by the biological operations of the brain due to what they call the inbuilt tendency of the brain to turn thoughts into actions. The scientists have been able to also show that religion and its beliefs are natural, that man always feels the need to believe in something, a higher and superior being. So therefore science explains religious experiences in another way and gives us all another point of view. In conclusion Religion experience from my point of view and experience is that they are real, they are actually cases where a being has manifested itself to a human being and also there cases where people have lied about these experiences, which has also put doubt the minds of some people that religious experiences do not exist, but because of my beliefs as a practicing Christian i believe that God could communicate with human beings thru different mediums. Work Citied. http://www.thatreligiousstudieswebsite.com/Religious_Studies/Phil_of_Rel/God/religious_experience_intro.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_experience http://atheism.about.com/od/argumentsforgod/a/religexperience.htm The Holy Bible (Authorized King James Version) Comparative religion slides

Good vs. Evil in Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

Good vs. Evil in Macbeth The good characters in Macbeth are less interesting than the evil ones. Everybody has an 'evil seed' planted in them. Only the really evil person acts on them and commits something morally wrong. Like Macbeth. When Macbeth first received the prophecies, he actually considered them. " Two truths are told,...but what is not" (line 137-152, Pg 27-29). We see him arguing with himself and feeling disgusted that he even thought that. That was interesting because we get the feeling that something out of the ordinary is coming up and our anticipation gets into the story straightaway. At the end, we didn't expect that a murderer like Macbeth would have a dramatic and poetic imagination "To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,...And then is heard no more: it is a tale" (line 21-28, Pg 233), or that he would, even in defeat, display conscience and bravery. "I will not yield to kiss the ground before young Malcolm's feet,...And damn'd be him that first cries 'Hold, enough!'" (line 32-39, Pg 249 ). We are surprised, and astonished because we see Macbeth in a different light and for that reason, he is interesting. While Banquo (the good character) on the other hand, was sceptical and quickly dismissed the idea of the prophecies, saying it was just their imagination. " Were such thing here as we do speak about? ...That takes the reason prisoner?" (line 86-89, Pg 27). That response was so predictable. There was no excitement at all. Lady Macbeth. When she got the letter from Macbeth about the prophecies, she immediately thinks of murder and we saw how evil she really was. " The raven himself is hoarse,...To cry, 'Hold, hold!'" (line 41-57, Pg 41). Here we see her summon evil spirits to thicken her blood and to turn her milk into bitter gall and then calls on them to prevent her from feeling remorse and to remove her femineity. This is very intriguing. We didn't even expect that an apparently strong, practical, and determined woman would act in such contradiction to her womanliness. We also see her as a selfish woman when Macbeth had second thoughts about murdering King Duncan. "Was the hope drunk...Like the poor cat I' the adage?" (line 38-48, Pg 59), "What beast was't then...As you have done to this" (line 52-64, Pg 59). She then attacks his manhood to persuade him to kill Duncan.

Imagination, Perception and the Experience of Nature in Literature Essa

Imagination, Perception and the Experience of Nature in Literature Works Cited Missing I am a psychology student with an English minor. While the combination seems odd at first glance, the two studies actually compliment each other quite nicely. I have always been fascinated by the way in which writing can reflect the inner workings of an author's mind, by the way it effects the reader in such a profound, defamiliarizing way, as well as by the way that it can be used to explore the many facets of human nature in a much more effective way than any research study. Because of this thought process I have been particularly interested in several of the poets that we have looked at and their exploration of the effects of the forces of imagination and sensual perception on their perception of nature. The debate over how much of our personal experience is based upon what we see and hear and how much is based on what we feel and believe is long standing and crosses many fields of study, psychology being only one of them. William Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey", Percy Shelley's "Mon t Blanc" and to an extent Samuel Coleridge's "Chamouny: the Hour Before Sunrise" all represent different stances on the issue and therefore aid the reader in exploring the effects of perception and of imagination on experience. In Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey", the poet explores the experience of nature as collaboration between imagination and sensual perception. He reflects on how the Wye valley has existed for him in his imagination in the years since he first visited the valley, and how now that he has returned to the same site "with gleams of half-extinguished thought, / With many recognitions dim and faint / And somewhat of a sad perplexity, / The p... ... nature is affected by their attitudes and the degree to which their attitudes are in place because of their experiences with nature. Wordsworth seems to hold back from committing himself to any one view of the relationship between experience and attitude, sensual perception and imagination. He seems to best appreciate the two way street that the aspects of unified perception operate on. While there can be no conclusions drawn as to the degree to which our experience of anything is based upon sensual perception or upon our imagination, I think that it is safe to say that our unified perception of the world around us is based upon interplay between the two. Exploration of the nature of experience by the poets discussed in the previous paragraphs further highlights the relationship between psychology and literature and helps to explain my fascination with both. Imagination, Perception and the Experience of Nature in Literature Essa Imagination, Perception and the Experience of Nature in Literature Works Cited Missing I am a psychology student with an English minor. While the combination seems odd at first glance, the two studies actually compliment each other quite nicely. I have always been fascinated by the way in which writing can reflect the inner workings of an author's mind, by the way it effects the reader in such a profound, defamiliarizing way, as well as by the way that it can be used to explore the many facets of human nature in a much more effective way than any research study. Because of this thought process I have been particularly interested in several of the poets that we have looked at and their exploration of the effects of the forces of imagination and sensual perception on their perception of nature. The debate over how much of our personal experience is based upon what we see and hear and how much is based on what we feel and believe is long standing and crosses many fields of study, psychology being only one of them. William Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey", Percy Shelley's "Mon t Blanc" and to an extent Samuel Coleridge's "Chamouny: the Hour Before Sunrise" all represent different stances on the issue and therefore aid the reader in exploring the effects of perception and of imagination on experience. In Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey", the poet explores the experience of nature as collaboration between imagination and sensual perception. He reflects on how the Wye valley has existed for him in his imagination in the years since he first visited the valley, and how now that he has returned to the same site "with gleams of half-extinguished thought, / With many recognitions dim and faint / And somewhat of a sad perplexity, / The p... ... nature is affected by their attitudes and the degree to which their attitudes are in place because of their experiences with nature. Wordsworth seems to hold back from committing himself to any one view of the relationship between experience and attitude, sensual perception and imagination. He seems to best appreciate the two way street that the aspects of unified perception operate on. While there can be no conclusions drawn as to the degree to which our experience of anything is based upon sensual perception or upon our imagination, I think that it is safe to say that our unified perception of the world around us is based upon interplay between the two. Exploration of the nature of experience by the poets discussed in the previous paragraphs further highlights the relationship between psychology and literature and helps to explain my fascination with both.

The Diary of Anne Frank Rtl: Mood

When the Franks and Van Deans enter the annex they still have hope that they can et through this especially Anne â€Å"You could not do this you could not do that but somehow we children managed to have fun†. Everyone is nervous as well; they feel a touch of nervousness of what Lies ahead. â€Å"I don't ever want you to go beyond that door† ( Mr.. Frank, pig 711). They spend their time doing nothing but moving around In their little annex at first, but then the tension in their families start to break. Peter and Anne start to make fun of each other; Anne mocking Pewter's Cat and Peter reminding Anne of old schoolyard names she used to be called.Anne starts to annoy everyone as well. But the real conflict starts with the Van Deans. â€Å"You ought to be ashamed of yourself† (Mr.. Van Dana, pig 718) Mr.. Van Dana directs to Peter, showing off his disappointment of Peter. The annex becomes heated with arguments between Anne and the Van Deans, them calling Anne rude and troublesome. After all this arguing everything becomes still and calm Just as Mr.. Diesel arrives. Anne and her mother's relationship takes a toll on the group leaving them all depressed. They all try and make things work but they can't shake that feeling.They all feel hurt from all the squabbling, Anne says it best â€Å"Oh Pimp, I was horrible wasn't They all feel down In the dumps but when Hanukkah arrives. It's the first night of Hanukkah and they are all happy for once. â€Å"That was very moving† (Mr.. Diesel, pig 736) responded Diesel to Mr.. Franks prayer. They are all uplifted by everything and everyone especially Anne as she generously gave presents to everyone. That Is until Peter and Mr.. Van Dana start to fight about his cat, and from bad to worse a burglar comes and scares all of them dampening their mood.But through all of that they sing a Hanukkah song and end their night in happiness. As always this does not last. They are all hungry and bitter. The Van Deans more than anyone, â€Å"Their discussions becoming more violent† (Anne pig 749) described Anne. They all are becoming even angrier. Except for Peter and Anne, they are becoming closer, but leaving everyone else lonely. They all become slightly more optimistic because of news from MIPS. The Invasion had begun, the allies landed on Normandy. This gave everyone hope of survival. Peter and Anne are still friends, they are all happy.Anger arises when Mr.. Van Dana is caught stealing food, Mrs.. Frank furious and yelling at him to leave. This 1 OFF all spirals Into something worse when ten Nazis Tina teen, teen are all captured t dread they had felt the whole time in the annex finally hits them with full force. The Franks and Van Deans experience in hiding was terrible. They all felt dread the whole time. They were hiding their emotions as best as they could. They clung to their memories and ultimately their lives. They felt a dreadful mixture of hope and misery.

Brazil and United States Healthcare Essay

Abstract The topic of health care has become the most pressing and ongoing debates for not only the United States but also many other nations around the world. Many countries have implemented a universal health coverage for years with effective results. While the United States steps into a immature national health care program, the government can observe Brazil’s health care system to learn valuable lessons. The type of health care system a country chooses has a major effect on the country’s health care professionals. While comparing the health care professionals of the United States and Brazil, many similarities can be seen; however, the United States can learn many lessons from Brazil. A Comparative Analysis of Health Care Professionals in Brazil to Those in the United States The latest topic in the United States today, is the subject of healthcare reform in the United States. With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012, Americans everywhere have formed an opinion about the new national health care system—most opinions viewing the national system as negative. However, several developed nations similar to the United States have partaken in a national health care system for years. The large nation of Brazil has utilized a national health system since 1923, and has seen both positives and negatives. Many Americans see the supply and demand of health care professionals as a potential threat to the future of the ACA and the United States as a whole—a definite issue that has affected Brazil. In Brazil, health care is viewed as a constitutional right being offered by private and government organizations and is an obligation of the state. Through the Unified Health System (SUS), public health care is universal and provided free of charge to all Brazilian permanent residents. In addition to the United Health System, Brazilians also have private based health insurance coverage which the wealthier population can usually purchase, and Brazilians can be offered health  coverage by their respective employers if available. As of 2003, 174.6 million Brazilian residents receiving benefits from the SUS were documented. Of the 174.6 million, 475,699 healthcare professionals existed within Brazilian health care. In 2012, the total percentage of GDP spent on health expenditure in Brazil was at a four-year high of 9.3%. However, Brazil’s health expenditure is far lower than the United States health expenditure that spent a total of 17.9% in 2012. In Brazil the average life expectancy has been on the rise since 2000. In 2010, average Brazilian life expectancy was reported at 73.5 years with a life expectancy for men at 69.7 and for women at 77.3. The infant mortality rate in Brazil has been decreasing over the years, but is still considered high for a developed nation. Maternal mortality rate in Brazil is also decreasing in years and would be considered average compared to other countries. In an attempt to improve the national health care system in Brazil, the Brazilian government established the â€Å"Mais Medicos† program, or more doctors program, in 2013. The project was aimed to create close to 1,000 jobs for physicians to tend to patients in the 22 states that have fewer doctors than the national average—most of the states lying in the Northern region of the nation. In addition to their salaries, doctors are provided financial aid to cover housing and sustenance per municipalities of the government. The program will employ physicians temporarily while the Brazilian government looks to increase attendance to Brazilian medical schools over a short amount of time by offering substantial amounts of financial aid and increasing expenditures on medical school scholarships. Originally, the program was offered to Brazilian resident doctors only in an attempt to bring doctors from the more populated and urban areas to the rural and less populated areas. When few residential doctors applied, the Brazilian government extended Mais Medicos to Brazilian doctors who received their education overseas and foreign doctors. Prior to applying, it was suggested that applicants should have a general understanding of the Portuguese language in order to be accepted into the program. At the end of the application process, nearly 20,000 doctors had submitted applications with listed preferences of the cities that they wish to work in. Doctors involved in the program are required to work 40 hours a week for three years and may work no longer than 6 years in the program. The physicians accepted into the Mais Medicos program receive 10,000 Brazilian  Reals (an equivalent to $4,501 US dollars) per month to spend on housing and necessities. During 2013, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff imported nearly 11,000 Cuban physicians to serve in the program. Cuban physicians were to serve similar hours, but their salaries would be sent to the Cuban government who would distribute 40%-50% of the earnings to the physicians working in Brazil. This exchange has been an ongoing debate between the medical community of Brazil and its government. The benefits listed above are considered to be beneficial to physicians. The life expectancy, infant mortality rate, and maternal mortality rate are all at a good standing compared to recent generations in Brazil; therefore, the physicians having these characteristics as a resume topic shows that they were a part of a â€Å"change† in Brazil. Although the Mais Medicos program seems to have some flaws and a definite group that disapproves of it, it also is seen by many to do well for the health care system in Brazil and has many supporters. The common problem in Brazil for health care professionals seems to be a lack of distribution of doctors into the more rural areas of the country. On average in Brazil, there are only 2 hospital beds per 1,000 people. In the northern regions of Brazil, where more rural areas are found, the amount of hospitals per resident is lower than the average. Much like in the United States, doctors are very reluctant to the thought of beginning a practice in a small rural town. Reasons being that small rural towns are usual ly less populated and on average bring in less household income. In Brazil, the idea of practicing medicine in these depressed areas is even less glamorous because of the government involvement in health care. In these areas, practices receive less attention including lack of supplies and infrastructure. Physicians located within wealthier and more populous areas have slightly better access to equipment and infrastructure, but the conditions differ only slightly. Doctors are extremely rushed with a constant overflow of patients and consistently working in hot rooms with little air circulation. This is problem does not only exist in the public clinics of general physicians. Specialist physicians have a persistent flood of patients who do not need a specialist’s care, but seek the specialist because there is no general physician available. Another challenge that Brazil’s physicians face is the complete absence of electronic health records (EHRs). Although electronic health records can be difficult and  costly to implement, the benefits of them to a health system that lacks infrastructure can be monumental. EHRs improve quality, convenience, care coordination, practice efficiencies, and cost efficiencies. Implementing electronic health records would improve the quality of Brazil’s physicians work environment. The last challenge Brazil physicians face is the existence of corruption within the system. One example includes Brazil’s wealthier population paying physicians under the table to treat them before others. While some patients are in dire need of an operation or treatment, a wealthier patient has the opportunity to offer the physician an amount of money that will sway the physician to treat their situation before others—even though the others have been waiting an extended amount of time. Unfortunately, these types of situations are not illegal in Brazil; therefore, it happens frequently. In the United States, health care has only recently been provided as â€Å"universal coverage†. It is an ongoing debate to whether health care in America is a right or a privilege. The United States has always offered free health coverage to the elderly and the poor—paid for by taxpayers. In 2010, Medicare and Medicaid covered at least 112,979,783. In addition to Medicare and Medicaid, most of the American population has chosen to receive employer-based health coverage. The number of Americans with employer-based health coverage, however, has been declining since the discussion of the Affordable Care Act. Since the Affordable Care Act has come about, over 8 million people have signed up for coverage with 87% of the newly insured being previously uninsured. In 2012, the World Bank reported that there were 2.5 physicians per 1,000 people. In 2012, the total percentage of GDP spent on health expenditure in the United States was at a 17.9%. This total is far greater than the amount of GDP spent on health expenditure in Brazil. In the United States the average life expectancy has steadily increased over generations. The life expectancy reported in 2012 was 78.7 years. Although it would normally be a slight age difference, it is an incredible gap for life expectancy with Brazil at 73.5. The infant mortality rate in the United States has been steady over recent years at 6 deaths per 1,000 births. Maternal mortality rate is significantly lower in the U.S. than Brazil with Brazil at 69 deaths per 100,000 births and the United States at 28 deaths per 100,000 births. Overall, physicians  working in the United States would have a greater professional advantage over those who practice in Brazil. Not only does the United States report superior statistics for life expectancy, infant mortality rate, and maternal mortality rate, but the United States is generally a wealthier nation than Brazil. Because the United States has been a democracy for over 200 years and because of their general wealth, it is likely that the United States is in a better position to take over a health care system plan like Brazil’s. Much like Brazil, the United States new ACA health care plan has cut the uninsured rate in half and will continue decreasing the number of uninsured over the next several years. In regards to the corruption that Brazil faces on a daily basis with the wealthy paying physicians under the table, the United States cannot completely rule out the possibilities of that happening within the new health care system. However, regulations and laws have been established to prevent such situations. While there are many benefits to becoming a healthcare professional in the United States, there are also some challenges. One of the greatest challenges that physicians in the United States will face under the ACA is the growing number of patients who need to be seen by a doctor. New patients will flood waiting rooms with problems that may be preexisting with no prior treatment. However, doctors may not mind seeing more patients per day, because the amount of insurance reimbursement doctors receive will continue to decline. This is because the Affordable Care Act not only set out to achieve health care for more Americans, but it also set out to decrease overall health care costs. With the discussion of the ACA causing insurance reimbursement shrinkage and higher insurance premiums, it will become more costly to run a private practice. Overall, both the United States and Brazil’s health care system have their advantages and disadvantages. While American physicians are struggling with shrinking reimbursements and a surplus of patients, Brazilian physicians are struggling with a lack of equipment and supplies and are challenged by corruption regularly. While it seems that the United States is leaning towards a similar health care system to Brazil’s United Health System, Americans can correct the mistakes made by Brazil in regards to the treatment and use of its health care professionals. References The Affordable Care Act: A Quick Guide for  Physicians. (n.d.). National Physicians Alliance. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from http://npalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/NPA-ACA.Quick_.Guide_.for_.Physicians.041311.p Bevins, V. (2014, January 6). Brazil’s president imports Cuban doctors to ease shortage. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-ff-brazil-doctors-20140106-story.html#page=1 Elias, Paulo Eduardo M., and Amelia Cohn. â€Å"Health Reform in Brazil: Lessons to Consider.† PubMed Central. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 July 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles> Flying in doctors. (2013, August 31). The Economist. Retrieved July 8, 2014, from http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21584349-government-imports-foreigners-reach-parts-locals-dont-want-flying-doctors Kane, J. (2012, October 22). Health Costs: How the U.S. Compares With Other Countries. PBS. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/health-costs-how-the-us-compares-with-other-countries/ LoGiurato, B. (2014, May 1). Here’s How Many People Actually Gained Insurance Because Of Obamacare. Business Insider. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-people-signed-up-for-obamacare-2014- Squires, D. A. (2012, May 1). The mission of The Commonwealth Fund is to promote a high performance health care system. The Fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research on health care issues and making grants to improve health care practice and policy. Support for . Issues in International Health Policy. Retrieved July 10, 2014, from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/medi The World Bank. (n.d.). The World Bank. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://data.worldbank.org

Customers Switching Behavior Essay

Relationships and individuals’ bank switching behavior Abstract We examine the role of relationships between individuals and their banks in determining bank switching behavior. Using data from a survey questionnaire from a random sample of bank customers in the United States, we find that the variables measuring the various dimensions of a relationship significantly lower an individual’s propensity to switch banks. These include the duration of an individual’s relationship with her bank, whether or not she has had problems with her bank in the past, and aspects of the quality of the service relationship. An innovation of the current paper lies in incorporating finance/economic aspects of relationship with the various dimensions of service quality relationship collectively as determinants of an individual’s propensity to switch banks. The attributes capturing whether or not an individual feels that her bank is responsive, is empathetic and is reliable to her needs, are all significantly negatively correlated with her propensity to switch banks. Our results demonstrate just how relationships may help in limiting bank switching behavior and deliver a strong message to banks about the importance of relationships in retaining loyal customers. Our findings also underscore the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate disciplines to better understand the behavior and decision making of individuals and their banks. Author Keywords: Bank switching; Relationships

Pros and Cons of Patriot Act essays

Pros and Cons of Patriot Act essays The devastating events of September 11, 2001 traumatized Americans, and many innocent citizens lost their lives. Americans were so traumatized by 9/11 that they were ready to surrender their most treasured liberties. On October 26, 2001 President Bush signed a massive bill designed to combat terrorism into law. The bill passed hardly a week after the terrorist attack was passed with little debate and no formal hearings. The bill is the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, largely known as The Patriot Act. Does this bill ask Americans to give up some of their freedoms for the sake of the country? Yes. Is it unconstitutional? This paper looks as the schools of thought surrounding the controversial Patriot Act. The USA Patriot Act was conceived by Attorney General John Ashcroft and passed through Congress under the pressure of G.W. Bush. Only one United States senator, Russell Feingold, of Wisconsin voted against the USA Patriot Act (EPIC). Feingold was quoted as saying Preserving our freedom is one of the main reasons that we are now engaged in this new war on terrorism. We will lose that war without firing a shot if we sacrifice the liberties of the American people(Brown). The act gave the government more powers to invade citizen privacy, imprison people without due process and allowed for more roving wiretaps without court orders. While that sounds extremely threatening the act also made it illegal for citizens to house known terrorist, tap phones of suspected terrorist, and tripled the number of border patrol and costumes inspectors throughout the country. The statute of limitation for prosecuting terrorist acts was lengthened, along with heightened measures against money laundering (Rosen). Many of the Patriot Act laws are targeted towards nationals. The most serious provisions of the Act are directed at non-citizens. So is it really ...

The Title of this essay is Pubic Lice. It explains the causes of it, its effects, and different studies about this STD.

The Title of this essay is Pubic Lice. It explains the causes of it, its effects, and different studies about this STD. Every year, millions of people treat themselves for pubic lice. Pubic Lice is an STD caused by a small, light brown, flat, wingless insect called Phthirus pubis. It looks like a crab and so the STD is also called "crabs" or "cooties". This is because the insect has claws like a crab, which it uses to hold on to the pubic hair. The insect likes to feed on blood. Pubic lice occur when adult lice lay eggs, called nits, on the hair shaft close to the skin. The egg, which is white and shiny, requires 7 to 10 days to hatch. A typical infestation is by less than a dozen lice.The main symptom of pubic lice is slight to severe itching. The itching is thought to be caused by an allergy to the bite of the louse. You may not always have itching. There may also be tiny dark brown spots on the skin or undergarments where they come in contact with the affected area.English: Pubic lice in abdomenSmall red bumps in the pubic area may also appear.There is an estimated 3 million new cases a year in the United States. Anyone can get it because it can be picked up from material things such as towels, washcloths, clothes, pillows, bed sheets, etc that the infected person comes in contact with. But, sexual contact is the most common way to get it so all those who are sexually active are at a much higher risk.Lice may be treated easily with special creams, lotions or shampoos, which are available at a drugstore. Ask the pharmacist for help, and then follow the directions carefully. If you don't treat lice, you may get a skin infection that will require a visit to a doctor and you might transmit pubic lice to sexual...

Protecting Women From Abuse †Canadian Law Essay

Protecting Women From Abuse – Canadian Law Essay Free Online Research Papers Protecting Women From Abuse Canadian Law Essay Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, discrimination against women and violence towards women is illegal. It states that women have the right to seek help and to obtain legal protection to keep themselves and their children safe. Abuse is defined as â€Å"misuse; to address something rudely.† However, the laws do not adequately and effectively protect women against abuse. Canadian laws need to be enforced and improved immediately to better women’s role in society. Laws on women abuse must firstly be properly funded and enforced by police to diminish the number of women in violent relationships. Also, to successfully protect women from abuse, it is critical that the penalty and punishment for committing this crime is sterner. Simply too many men aren’t being sentenced appropriately considering the unfixable damage that they have caused to the women victims and their families. Firstly, women who are battered or abused sexually, emotionally, physically or verbally feel guilty, ashamed, blamed, intimidated, and live everyday in fear. This might explain why â€Å"the province is failing 75% of abused women, who never turn to the police to begin with.† (Changing the Way we Prosecute Spousal Abuse, p.1). The majority of women do not turn to the police because â€Å"they are forced to choose between putting up with relentless physical abuse and being cast adrift without the basics of life.† (Zosky, p.2). Activist Punam Khosla fought against abuse saying: â€Å"Women are not victims by nature. We become victims because we do not have the resources or access to the power that we need in order to protect ourselves and take care of our lives.† (Khosla, 2002). This underlines some of the basic problems in the laws on women abuse. Therefore, some of the most important steps that need to be taken quickly to facilitate the transition of leaving an abused home for single women or mothers are: tougher restraining orders, giving victims emergency cell phones, more community and local support, shelters, more available lawyers, second-stage housing, women’s centers and crisis lines. The government is aware that these are critical steps, yet funding is not being provided. If these resources were established and funded, perhaps victims would never consider the option of staying in an abusive relationship because they now believe â€Å"the laws are so bad that we think it is better to stay with the partner because that was at least you know where he is.† (Jaffe, 1999). Abuse affects children, who absorb the values that their parents pass onto them; and in turn they pass those values onto their children. Crime rates amongst minors are becoming more and more common. Although it is rightfully argued by many that children who grow up in an abusive domestic environment do not abuse in the future, sixty percent of children who witness violence suffer from psychological or post traumatic stress. (Boys, 1999). In addition, one can not argue that the primary examples children follow or acknowledge are not the ones a parent expresses. Therefore if we want our future generations to live with moral and caring virtues, the Canadian Justice System must enforce laws now to better tomorrow and the day after. These children see their mothers assaulted with wine bottles, dragged by their hair, kicked, slammed to the floor, pummeled with fists, jacked with brooms, chocked, hit and raped. (Armstrong, p.3). Police officers need to do a better job of collecting diligent evidence that can be used in trials (such as photographs, video tapes, 911 phone calls, etc.) Ideally we should have a special domestic violence police squad and team of prosecutors. This would intensify the research and investigation process in domestic and women abuse, allow police to provide women with facilitated arrests and gather information which would allocate a much higher conviction rate. Some might argue that women abuse only occurs in the minority of relationships, however two women a week are murdered every week by an inmate partner, and at least 1 in 8 women will be assaulted by the man with whom she is living. Spousal abuse is present amongst all cultures, races, occupations and income levels. Others also assert the belief that it is the woman’s fault for not standing up for her rights and leaving her abusive husband or boyfriend. However, statistics show that women who leave have a 75% greater risk of being killed by the partner than those who stay. (Hart, 1988). It also goes unnoticed that 50% of homeless women are on the streets without life necessities because they have left a life of battery. To leave a life of fear and battery any woman should never have to lead a new life of disregard and hopelessness. When women are being abused daily for months or years by someone whom they love, when they are afraid of loosing their children, financial supp ort, home, family and well-being it is abhorrent to expect them to get up one morning and leave. Secondly, the punishment men receive for abusing their wives and girlfriends’ everyday is usually a fine or a mere six months in jail. One calls this type of consequence a tap on the hand; a small reprimand. The lack of severe punishment often results in the women being forced to change their identity, their life. It can also nurture a man who now doesn’t merely hit his wife when she speaks of politics, refuses to follow instructions, but an angry man determined to hurt, or kill his wife or girlfriend. For example, â€Å"thirty two percent of men charged in one week were already facing domestic violence charges or had similar convictions, in more than fifty percent cases involving the same victim, usually a woman.† (Armstrong, p.4). If men were dealt with properly and more severely on the first arrest and conviction, sub sequentially the number of men charged with domestic abuse per week would diminish by thirty two percent. Under the Domestic Violence Protection Act, the abuser would be left with a â€Å"serious social stigma† and would be immediately put in jail for up to two years. (Flaherty, 2000). For ex: Arlene was killed by her husband although she had a restraining order against him. Later, the jury said: â€Å"We are faced with the reality of the violence occurring to women and children in our society. Until we, as a country, stand up and declare a ‘zero-tolerance’ this problem will not only continue, but in this jury’s opinion, will escalade. It is our belief that every person has an equal right to be protected from abuse.† Also, individuals charged should be restricted to being granted bail because this gives them the freedom to repeating behaviors that led them to be convicted in the first place. One could argue that in certain cases the abuser ‘lost control’ or acted in the ‘heat of passion’ but abuse is abuse and if an abuser is determined to kill a woman, the only thing we can do to successfully stop him is put him in jail, said Toronto Police Officer Green. However, because of the lack of evidence and lenient punishment, these men who are determined to kill a woman are not faced with the obligation of going to jail. In conclusion, the laws on abuse do not protect women from abuse. They are simply not enforced to the degree which they need to be and do not receive proper funding. They leave women alone, confused and victimized. The consequence or punishment that the abuser receives needs to be deeply intensified and taken more seriously because more than often men walk away with a restraining order that will not hold him back if he is determined to hurt his wife, or girlfriend. If these milestones are tackled immediately and the issue of women’s abuse is embarked upon than women will have more resources when leaving a violent relationship, will have access to more direct funding for education, job opportunity and legal aid. One now can hope that the issue of women abuse has become so significant in our everyday life that it can no longer be swept away, that it must be dealt with immediately, so that a neighbor, teacher, dentist, family member, loved one, mother, sister or even daughter can live life in control, instead of being controlled. Research Papers on Protecting Women From Abuse - Canadian Law EssayThe Fifth Horseman19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCapital PunishmentPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito

Best TV Shows About College Life

Best TV Shows About College Life If not for television, would we know how it feels to have the experience of raising 8 kids? Would we understand the thrill and rush that comes with learning to express yourself in high school through song and dance? What about the strength, bravery, and courage of a woman trapped in a religious theocracy that is simply doing what she can to survive and get herself out? While the plots for shows mentioned above may take their liberties with emotion and drama to create visually stunning programming and ratings producing statistics, something is to be said for those shows that create a more realistic window into the everyday lives of people. One of the most important of those experiences being, of course, college life. Television has, over the decades, created a wide range of shows that are meant to represent college life. Some take a more whimsical approach to the topic, like when Sabrina went to college and learned that life with magic isnt just hard in high school. Others take a more simple approach, choosing to pick and pull sugar coated lessons from college meant to entertain, rather than provide thoughtful insight into a character or experience like when Saved by The Bell took it to the College Years.. However, not all shows are designed to just be purely for entertainment. Some of the best tv shows about college put the focus on the characters and their complicated and sometimes tragic backstories, the political realness that comes with being different in a place where you have a voice to express it, and the all to familiar sense of falling in and out of love with the person you are becoming. Throw in a bit of bad cooking, take-out, deadlines, and romance, and you have the makings of a truly great tv show about college life. Here is our list of the Best TV Shows About College Life! Dear White People This critically acclaimed show about college life comes from Justin Simien. Dear White People focuses on a group of African American students at an Ivy League school that is trying to balance their school life with the â€Å"post-racial† society we are currently in. While sometimes misguided, their actions put them in situations that give voice to current social and political issues facing minority college students today. What makes Dear White People so great, is that it is for everyone. The show doesnt just focus on stereotypical â€Å"black-anger† or â€Å"white-guilt†, instead, it shows us what life is like learning to interact with people on both sides who just dont know better than what they have been raised to believe. With an intelligent script and a standout cast, this is one college life tv show that you are sure to binge watch! Grown-Ish Something about college show spin-offs always tends to do well and Grown-ish is no exception. A spin-off of ABC’s blackish follows their eldest daughter as she traverses her way between what the series creator calls â€Å"that in-between place where you are not quite an adult but facing grown world problems for the first time.† What we love about this show is its very real ability to show how the character struggles with not always getting what she wants. Too often we go to college assuming that we have finally made it, only to realize that we are only just beginning the first steps into adulthood. This show provides an excellent view of what this can make us feel like, and more importantly, the do’s and donts of how to react to it. Veronica Mars Veronica Mars follows the story of a girl who had everything in high school, and, after a series of personal events, finds herself an outcast in her school and neighborhood. Turning lemons into lemonade, she begins her journey of healing and self-discovery working as a private detective for her father. While the first 2 seasons of this show put Veronica in high school, the final third season explores her transition into college life. The confidence, bravery, and cunningness needed to survive those harsh high school years are just enough to help her keep a hold on things as they turn upside down in college. What we love about Veronica Mars and her college years is watching what type of greatness can be achieved out of tragedy. No story is better for watching someone who fell from grace so to speak, rise up to be better, smarter, and more capable than they had ever dreamed of being. Different World This Cosby Show spin-off follows the life of Denise Huxtable as she journeys through her college life at a historically black college. What makes this so real is that it represented life for African Americans in a way that hadnt been done on TV at the time. Fully diving into the social and political challenges that people of color were facing at the time was highly instrumental in teaching and motivating African American students to enroll in university and find an outlet to be the type of change they wished to see in the world. Mixed into the all-star cast, and the strong storylines was also a lot of fun, laughs, pranks, and hilarious misunderstandings. Truly one of the best television shows about college ever created! Community This NBC sitcom features a ragtag bunch of students that get together, initially, to form a study group. As time continues, they form a rather unique, bond that pulls them through the ups and downs of life at a community college. What makes Community great is that the setting isnt your typical university where everyone is bright eyed and bushy tailed with a long and exciting future ahead of them. With it being a community college, the age of the characters widens,providing a unique perspective into the world of people when they think that they have done everything right and it all turns out so wrong. The best part about this college life tv show is that it uses humor and hijinks to prove a lesson that most are looking for in college just be yourself, because nobody knows what they are doing! Felicity Felicity followed a small town girl who thought she would follow a small town boy to the Big Apple to win him over. While Felicity led a sheltered existence, she soon learns that life doesnt always go as planned and that finishing the day off as the same person you started it isnt always possible. What makes Felicity so great is the fact that it best represents what happens when we thought we had a plan, and even something better comes along. The endless possibilities that hit us in our college years provide the foundation that we build all future decisions on and the story of Felicity’s journey is a moving and inspiring one that is sure to connect with anyone who wanted to follow their heart to a better life. The Magicians The Magicians comes from a book of the same name and follows a group of students doing a postgraduate program at Brakebills a school for magic. Often described as a darker and more adult version of Harry Potter, this show, in reality, is so much more. What makes this show so great is the fact that the magic aspect isnt a huge deal in the show. Or at least it is just as important as showing the characters leveling up of their emotional and mental prowess in addition to their magical one. Love, betrayal, stress, and anxiety all fold together beautifully to show a college experience that has everyone constantly stressed and worried if they are going to make it to the next day. That is surely something that everyone can relate to. And while the extra sci-fi touch to it may be a bit much for some, we are confident that it is just enough to keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more! Whether we love watching them because the stories are more relatable, or because the characters are more believable, (no teenager is ever that clever in real lifeever), one thing is for certain, they are the shows that touched our hearts and got us through some of the best and worst times in that wonderful time we call college life. Image credit: IMDB

Children and the Sense of Placement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Children and the Sense of Placement - Essay Example Varied perspectives and techniques have been repeatedly discarded and developed. Educationists today consider that a child develops a sense of place with the help of reading. It helps the child develop the feelings of belongingness and is able to relate to their environment. The following paper highlights the importance of placement in childhood and its correlation with children’s books that tell a story through pictures along with accompanying text. Before, understanding the correlation it is important to be familiar with the concept of placement and its importance in childhood and education alike. For understanding the mentioned topic, it will interchangeably explain the depiction of childhood in children’s books. Importance of placement in Childhood During early years, as a baby the child starts to develop visuospatial attention. A visuospatial attention is developed by being familiar with the visual stimuli. In case of a baby, it starts to recognize its siblings, parents, and other close family members. This kind of attention span starts to develop at an early age and continues to evolve over the period of time (Smith & Chatterjee, 2008). The importance of place holds a greater significance in the development of a child at every level. The concept of place develops in a child the sense of self, sense of community, sense of destiny, and the sense of mortality. By the term sense of place, it is meant a child’s relationship with its surroundings. Many children are not able to relate to what they were taught in school. This is mainly because of the fact that when they read they understand, but when they look around in their environment and try to implement it they repetitively fail to do so. Therefore, books that explain the text with images increase their sense of place in a way that when they look at their environment they are more familiar with what they have been taught in the school. It also increases their ability to recall and retain. Moreover, many educationists are of the view that if a child is made familiar with its environment than only will it be able to maintain it. For this reason, it is important to develop a sense of place in children at an early age. This could be developed with different activities such as pictorial books, outdoor activities, and play (Derr, 2002). Sense of Place: The Bigger Picture During the seventeenth century, the literary books written for children were didactic. The books usually focused upon teaching the sounds of alphabets to children. However, some books explained to children the moral and spiritual values. Nevertheless, in 1700’s, John Newbery, a British publisher, was impressed with the idea of John Locke. The idea expressed held the notion that books must be published for children where they can enjoy the content in the form of a story. With the innovation in the literature for children, they started to develop a sense of personality and were better able to understand people around them. Most importantly, they started to recognize and build their own personality with the help of the revolution in the field of literature (State University, 2013). However, children were encouraged to read books in order to enhance their sense of placement. To make children familiar with their surroundings and culture in particular, many educationists concluded that a story must be formed that depicts the culture of that particular country. In order to develop the sense of place, many educationists incorporate culture along with nationalism in a story. The story instils in the children a sense of place through the characters of the story. It is widely believed that binding a story with elements

Reflection Paper - TRENDS & ISSUES IN TOURISM Research

Reflection - TRENDS & ISSUES IN TOURISM - Research Paper Example petite for these distinctive horns has led to the rapid reduction of rhinos to the extent in some regions have become extinct (â€Å"Rhino horn use: Fact vs.Fiction†). Although importation of rhino horns was banned in Yemen, they are still used by Muslims as handles for their curved daggers commonly referred as â€Å"Jambiya†. Many Asian countries such as Malaysia and china also manufacture their medicine from rhino horns, hence contributing to heightened termination of these species (â€Å"Rhino horn use: Fact vs.Fiction†). Africa is the home to the largest population of elephants commonly known as â€Å"Jumbos† (Joyce). Currently, a pound of ivory goes for$1,000 (Joyce). The sudden rise in the value of elephant tusks has led to an increase in the level of poaching throughout the continent (â€Å"BBC News World†). Recently, Kenya port officials managed to confiscate a large consignment of elephant tusks at their Mombasa port from Uganda destined fo r Malaysia (â€Å"BBC News Africa†). Tourism education can help curb poaching. Most of those who take part in poaching are normally citizens of that specific country. They should be made aware of how lack of tourists will greatly affect their economy, hence no income for citizens who own businesses such as lodges and restaurants (Craig). Based on the information presented in these articles, authors have explicitly elaborated the issue of poaching whose statistics are high in the developing states. This is by giving exact figures worth of recent consignments already captured by respective states’ wildlife authorities destined to the eastern states. These articles’ core theme encompasses predicament evident in developing states especially in Africa where poachers and cartels are exterminating â€Å"jumbos†, rhinos to get their tusks and horns respectively. However, they do not highlight measures which respective states have ensured to curb poaching except education. These materials have been of much benefit to me. This is