Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Economics - Essay Example Economists Brad DeLong and Stephen Cohen have expressed in their book, The End of Influence that as other nations are rapidly gaining economic power, people will soon experience a major change in life style. People have conventionally tried to associate themselves with America in terms of culture and life style because Americans, being rich, have been idealized. In the recent years, the free-market capitalism has put American economical stability into crisis and has transferred the power to the economy of emerging nations as India, China and Latin America. This transfer of economical power will soon put an end to the long sustained dominance of American ideology, culture and fashion over other nations. This will essentially be an end of â€Å"the neoliberal dream†. It is being realized that in early 2000s, policymakers in America unnecessarily became too satisfied with the trends of economical power and stability whereas the actual situation required them to think otherwise. S ome economists are of the view that banks should look forward to an inflation target of 4 % instead of the targeted 2 % so that they can manipulate things as required. Blanchard suggests that raising the inflation now would ease the monetary policy during financial crisis, and the fiscal positions would thus be saved considerably.

Marketing Essay Example for Free

Marketing Essay For any entrepreneur, marketing is an important component for the success of all businesses. Marketing can be identified as the process in which any business informs, satisfy and keep possessions of its customers. It is the main ingredient to bringing in customers to increase profits for a business. Many may think that marketing is as simple as advertisements and promotions but in the real business world to be successful, marketing is a bit more complex. A business needs a solid marketing plan to succeed and also to show the investors the company is able to return the investment the investors have given. For an entrepreneur to master the marketing skill the individual must understand the marketing mix. Marketing mix is the combination of the elements of marketing and what roles each element plays in promoting your products and services and delivering those products and services to your customers (about. com). Elements of Marketing Mix The marketing mix has four elements and until recently there have been a few new added elements which are referred to the 4 ps or the 7 ps of marketing mix. The 4 ps of marketing are product, place, price, and promotion and the additional p’s are process, people and physical evidence. When looking at it from a business sense of view it make a lot of sense because even though the added p’s can be explained in the original 4 ps, they each can stand alone. For instance process can be looked at as the protocol used by businesses for the marketing strategies and people can be seen as what they used to explain in debt the product or services. Last but not least physical evidence is what most consumers today go by which shows firsthand that a product or services does work. Product is the product and services offered to your customer, and how they are different from the competitors’ products. Businesses also have to make sure when offering a product to their customers it has to have the correct features meaning it must look good and work well and have enough to go around. Price is described as how you price your product or service so that your price remains competitive but still allows you to make a profit. In pricing businesses should also keep their targeted market in mind ensuring it is affordable to them and potential future customers. Place is describe as the distribution or where your business sells its products or services and how it gets those products or services to your customers. Place is very important because a business would want to make sure that their goods and services arrive when and where they are needed. For the promotion element it is the methods used to communicate the features and benefits of your products or services to your target customers. In today market promotion is made easier because your targeted consumer can be reached by the push of a button. With that being said businesses should keep technique and deliverance of the product and services offered into consideration also. The fifth p in marketing mix is described as people and is how your level of service and the expertise of the people who work for you can be used to set your business apart from the competitors. With the majority of products and services being offered by the click of a button, most consumers tend to rely on reviews to help them decide. If the business does not have the right people that look professional and have good ethics with the knowledge of the product or services they are selling it can hurt the business extremely. Which brings us to the saying a first impression last. Organization The Atlanta barber and beauty supply company or ABBS is an organization that supplies barber and beauty shops all around the country. They have been in business serving professional barber shops since 1946 with new, used and antique barber supplies and equipment. It is specifically marketed to the licensed barber or beautician shop owners. Just like any other organization ABBS has used the four elements of marketing mix to assist in the marketing strategy. For the product element the company has shown how each of their products are of great professional quality and last for years. Even though they sell top quality products, they also provide lower end products for those that maybe not willing or able to spend as much. They sell the same products as their competitors but they have a wider variety of clippers and shears in stock that are antiques. This allows them to provide their products to a larger consumer group from the older shops to the younger and ever changing shops. The company takes pride in having any kind of hair products in stock. Some barbers have specialty shops that only cater to an older market and likes nostalgic products and equipment to make their shop look and feel like the barber shops of the past, and ABBS has these products and items in stock and can ship them anywhere all around the world. This element does not affect the development of the company’s marketing strategy because it helps it by making sure the company keeps plenty of stock of their products. This element also gives the company a reason to look at other countries hair products to see what new products are being made and used in that country that can be sold to that market in the future. In the price element this affects the marketing strategy of the business by making the company decide how to price their products without making the price to expensive but attractive to customers to gain more customers than the competitors. The prices for the products are at competitive rates but lower than other barber supply companies because they give discounts to the owners of the barber shops. They also give a discount on shipping on all items purchased $60 and over. That is a strategy to bring in and keep more customers to use their internet website. The place element/distribution element for the ABBS is placed in 186 Mitchell St. S. W. Atlanta, GA that is the main building set for distribution of all barber and beauty products. The company utilizes its internet website by offering its products via e-commerce to a worldwide market. This affects the company’s marketing strategy and tactics in a good way by broadening their market to attract more customers. The more the clients they can generate worldwide the more the companies’ profits will increase. The internet is the best tool to advertise a business and its products these days, because of its power to reach a mass amount of people around the world in a matter of seconds. They also use catalogs to keep their existing customers updated on new products and price and can also be a good way of keeping them in the loop of new adventures to come. In past years the radio and TV ads were the top marketing tool for businesses, but it came with an expensive price to get a radio or TV ad spot it also only reached a local market so small businesses were stuck only doing business domestically. The internet made it easier and cheaper for mainly anyone to advertise anything to anyone all around the world. Now the company distributes its products from the main building in Atlanta to thousands of clients in many different countries. The ABBS Company has developed policies for its internet clients that are overseas; it also ships to APO/FPO addresses. In the promotion element the company communicates through the internet to advertise its products it also sends out catalog magazines to all new barbershops that are listed in the phone books of each city. The company is a top search when searched on Google. ABBS promotes the business in all forms of the marketing aspect, from newspaper ads, magazines, radio/TV ads, and the internet. Conclusion In conclusion new entrepreneurs understand that the marketing mix is a good tool to use when planning the marketing strategy of the business. It shows that these strategies are ever evolving with time and for a business to be and keep being successful their approach to cater to their consumer must also evolve. After identifying the four elements of marketing mix which are product, price, place, and promotion I was able to describe how each element affected the development of the company’s market strategy and tactics. I also described how each of the four elements was implemented for the business, and identified the industry in which ABBS exists.

John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay -- essays papers

John Miltons Paradise Lost John Milton’s Paradise Lost is a religious work, and is in many ways an autobiography of Milton’s own life. John Milton was raised catholic and converted to Protestantism. Later in life he became a Calvinist. His strong Calvinists beliefs can be seen throughout Paradise Lost. It was Milton’s desire to be a great poet, but he did not believe that was his purpose in life. He believed that he had been put here to serve God, and that any thing that he wrote should be in one way or another related to that purpose. In this way Milton felt that in writing Paradise Lost not only was he writing the epic poem he had always wanted to, but also fulfilling his godly purpose here on earth. At the time that Milton was writing Paradise Lost he was a prisoner in his home and to his blindness. He had been involved in the rebellion with Cromwell when the King had been executed and the monarchy had been run out of England. When Cromwell died and the King returned to power he was forced to go into hiding and no longer had any rights of an English man. If he had come out of hiding he most likely would have been executed for treason. He had also lost his sight completely and was being taken care of by his daughters. The subject of Paradise Lost is man’s disobedience and how disobedience leads to the loss of happiness. He is dealing not only with the disobedience of Adam, Eve, and Satin, but also with his own disobedience. Different autobiographical issues are dealt with through Adam and Satin. Adam seems to represent his sins against God, which led to his blindness, and Satin could represent his disobedience to the King. The first book deals with the war in heaven and the devils being sent out into ... ...ventually die for their sins. Being kicked out of the garden also has some autobiographical significance in the life of Milton. He loved gardens and both of his punishments, blindness and being imprisoned in his home made it impossible for him to enjoy them. In the last book Michael shows Adam what is to come for the human race. This gave Adam some hope for the future and makes it easier for him to carry on after falling from God. Adam sees that much good will come from his sin in the end. Bibliography: Works Cited Masson, David. Afterword â€Å"A Brief Life of Milton† Paradise Lost. By John Milton. Ed. Scott Elledge. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Ed. Scott Elledge. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. Wagenknecht, Edward. The Personality of Milton. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1970. John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay -- essays papers John Miltons Paradise Lost John Milton’s Paradise Lost is a religious work, and is in many ways an autobiography of Milton’s own life. John Milton was raised catholic and converted to Protestantism. Later in life he became a Calvinist. His strong Calvinists beliefs can be seen throughout Paradise Lost. It was Milton’s desire to be a great poet, but he did not believe that was his purpose in life. He believed that he had been put here to serve God, and that any thing that he wrote should be in one way or another related to that purpose. In this way Milton felt that in writing Paradise Lost not only was he writing the epic poem he had always wanted to, but also fulfilling his godly purpose here on earth. At the time that Milton was writing Paradise Lost he was a prisoner in his home and to his blindness. He had been involved in the rebellion with Cromwell when the King had been executed and the monarchy had been run out of England. When Cromwell died and the King returned to power he was forced to go into hiding and no longer had any rights of an English man. If he had come out of hiding he most likely would have been executed for treason. He had also lost his sight completely and was being taken care of by his daughters. The subject of Paradise Lost is man’s disobedience and how disobedience leads to the loss of happiness. He is dealing not only with the disobedience of Adam, Eve, and Satin, but also with his own disobedience. Different autobiographical issues are dealt with through Adam and Satin. Adam seems to represent his sins against God, which led to his blindness, and Satin could represent his disobedience to the King. The first book deals with the war in heaven and the devils being sent out into ... ...ventually die for their sins. Being kicked out of the garden also has some autobiographical significance in the life of Milton. He loved gardens and both of his punishments, blindness and being imprisoned in his home made it impossible for him to enjoy them. In the last book Michael shows Adam what is to come for the human race. This gave Adam some hope for the future and makes it easier for him to carry on after falling from God. Adam sees that much good will come from his sin in the end. Bibliography: Works Cited Masson, David. Afterword â€Å"A Brief Life of Milton† Paradise Lost. By John Milton. Ed. Scott Elledge. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Ed. Scott Elledge. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. Wagenknecht, Edward. The Personality of Milton. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1970.

Infant and Child Development Essay

This assignment will critically review Howlett, Kirk and Pine’s (2011) study, which aims to investigate whether attendance of gesturing classes affects parental stress. Howlett et al. , (2011) attempt to examine claims, advertised by commercial products, that believe attending gesturing classes can improve child-parent communications, thus reducing parental stress. Participants gave demographic information and completed a Parenting Stress Index (PSI) questionnaire. ANCOVA was used to look at whether attending gesturing classes affected parental stress, mothers attending a gesture group and mothers attending a non gesture group were compared; with ‘sibling status’ and ‘birth order’ controlled. Researchers found that mothers who attended infant gesture classes had higher stress scores than mothers who had attended non-gesturing classes. From these findings the following claims are made: that mothers in the gesture group had higher pre-existing stress than in the non gesture group, * that mothers attended gesturing classes in an attempt to alleviate their pre-existing stress, * that gesturing classes may cause mothers to view their child negatively. This critique will firstly provide an overall evaluation of the article with reference to strengths and weaknesses found. Flaws will also be highlighted with suggestion to how these could be rectified. Points of detail in the evaluation will then be expanded and conclusions di scussed. Overall evaluation First and foremost, the overall presentation of the article appears to lack in structure and organisation; this results in a lack of flow and clarity. In the introduction, the research question and key definitions of interest (i. e. ‘gesture, ‘non gesture’ and ‘stress’) are not discussed at the beginning. Characteristics of non gesturing mothers are instead firstly mentioned in the discussion section. The outline of categories in the background demographic questionnaire should have been made aware to readers in the methodology. Furthermore, in the results, findings from the study should have been stated in the opening paragraph. A fundamental flaw consistent throughout the article regards its lack of sufficient detail in ensuring strength of argument. In the introduction and discussion more research is needed in relation to how and why parental stresses occur to support findings. Furthermore unjustified claims are used to sustain argument which questions the validity of the research. The lack of detail regarding the direction of study also instigates ambiguity. More information is also needed about the procedure of the study so as to allow for replication. Further details as to how these flaws can be rectified are discussed later. Fundamental flaws are apparent regarding the non-random sample used and the lack of baseline stress measures. As no baseline pre-test has been conducted authors’ claims, as stated previously, can only be based on speculation. More information is provided on these flaws in the latter section. Strengths highlighted in the article include the demographic information provided. This information is useful as it allows for generalisation of results by ensuring groups are appropriately matched and offers useful information for future research in the region. (Keith, 2010). Furthermore the PSI questionnaire used, is well validated (Colver, 2006); using a creditable measuring instrument like this increases the reliability of the study. Moreover, the correct statistical test has been used, ANCOVA, and results are also provided with appropriate information. Abstract and Introduction The abstract fails to provide a rationale for the study; as this is unclear, readers may misjudge the subject matter. There is also no description of the stimuli used; the meaning of ‘gesturing’ is unexplained. Authors should elaborate upon what they mean by ‘gesturing’ so as to avoid misinterpretation. However, principal findings and design measures used in the study are stated. The introduction appears to lack in structure and organisation. No initial description of research question with reference to what it attempts to demonstrate is present; this is firstly mentioned in the third paragraph. Furthermore, authors first provide a definition of ‘gesturing’ in midpoint of this section. Considering this topic is the phenomenon of the study it would have been more appropriate to be stated at the beginning, rather than after the discussion of the benefits of gesturing; this may prevent misinterpretation. Although an explanation of ‘non-gesturing’ is provided in the discussion section, it would also be helpful for readers if it were included in the introduction; this enables differentiation between the two conditions. Similarly, a definition of the authors’ interpretation of ‘stress’ could have been stated at the start in ensuring readers’ clarity of terms. There is also no statement of hypothesis. nd authors do not provide a rationale or historical backdrop, therefore it lacks in significance and does not substantially contribute to the literature. Moreover, research discussed appears to be framed as a general review of literature and set out in list form with a lack of evaluation. For example, research has been described in relation to a study that has found no relationship between gesturing and linguistic benefits in infants (Kirk, Howlett, Pine and Fletcher), however it has not been evaluated or linked to the aims of the study. Furthermore, there are limited findings provided relating to the negative aspects of gesturing. Considering the paper is directed towards whether these classes affect parental stress, more research should be discussed in relation to the disapproval of gesturing classes, to support findings in the article. In addition, the article has included different research examples to support their view that parental stress can inhibit parent-child relationships, however there is no development in argument of how or why these stresses occur. To rectify, in ensuring clarity, more detail should be provided whereby these examples should be put in context with direct reference to the research question. Moreover, unjustified claims have been used in an attempt to sustain argument; for example, Howlett et al. , (2011) highlight ‘‘advertising claims that baby sign will reduce parental frustration and stress have little empirical foundation’. As this statement is not explained, it may seem misleading and as an ineffective use of argument. There is also no valid reference provided. In improving the structure and validity of their argument, authors should use evidence from influential papers to provide further detail in supporting their claims. The direction of study also appears ambiguous as authors switch between terms when stating the aim of the research. It is unclear whether authors are focusing on gesturing affecting stress or gesturing reducing stress. Howlett et al. , (2011) firstly state, ‘there are valid reasons to suggest that gesturing with an infant could reduce parental stress, this paper evaluates that claim’, (p. 438) they continue by stating, ‘this research investigates whether gesturing with an infant affects parenting stress’ (p438). One clear statement of what is being intended to measure needs to be used throughout the article so as to avoid confusion. The final paragraph includes a vague definition of variables whereby readers are left to determine their own assumptions. For example, it is stated that the frequency and duration of gesture use was used to measure the relationship between gesture use and stress, however it is unclear at this stage whether authors are implying ‘gesturing’ in terms of when mothers’ attended gesturing classes or their general use of gesturing; in and out of classes. The PSI is outlined, however researchers have not explained its benefits or why it have been use; this may leave readers questioning its credibility. Furthermore, it is important for researchers to include a statement of predictions, however this is not present. Methodology The authors recruited 178 participants (mothers) from the south-east of England; the sample size represents regional bias as mothers’ solely attending gesturing classes in this region is not representative of the whole country. Age range of infants used in the study is firstly mention in this section. It is stated infants ranged between 3 and 36months; however research discussed in the introduction only refers to the importance of gesturing from 9 months. Therefore authors have not justified the relevance of focusing on infants younger than 9 months; in certifying readers understanding, this could have been mentioned in the introduction. Authors have stated the measuring instruments used in the study. A strength regards the sufficient detail provided about the PSI booklet; examples of typical features such as the subscales of both the child and parent domains have been described. However no further details are provided about the background demographics questionnaire; categories are presented in the results section, however, it would be helpful for readers if details were included in this section. The potential confounding effects of using self-report questionnaires should also be noted. Social desirability bias may be apparent whereby participants may respond in a favourable light; mothers may not want to admit they are experiencing difficulties and respond untruthfully. Furthermore, as questionnaires are standardised, ambiguous questions cannot be explained; this may lead participants to misinterpret questions. Motivation for parents to complete questionnaires may also be scarce, resulting in superficial responses. In helping overcome these difficulties, authors could have stated whether participants were informed about why the information was collected and how the results will be beneficial; if participants knew the importance of their responses and were informed that negative responses were equally as helpful as positive, it may have made them want to answer more honestly. A fundamental flaw in methodology regards the fact that authors have not measured parental stress levels before conducting study. As there is no baseline stress measures prior to class attendance, there is no way of knowing if gesturing classes caused an increase in stress or what would have happened regardless of the implementation of the program; to rectify, researchers should use a pre-test methodology. Furthermore, another weakness in the methodology regards the fact that no ethic considerations are discussed. For example, authors could have included whether participant confidentiality was taken into account and whether de-briefing was offered subsequent to the study to respondents who may have expressed signs of upset. Description of procedures appears to lack in detail whereby there is no sequential pattern to how the research was carried out. There is also no precision in relation to what is investigated, to whom, and under what conditions. For example, Howlett et al. , (2011) state ‘contact was made with the infant groups’ (p. 39); more information should be provided such as how and when participants were contacted. Furthermore, no information is provided on how many classes parents had attended before the study or when the questionnaires took place; more sufficient detail is needed so as to allow replication and in ensuring consistency. There are also issues surrounding the amount of time participants were given to complete the PSI; it is stated the questionnaire takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, however, the procedure of collection differed between participants. Some gave completed questionnaires to a group leader, others were returned by post; the same conditions should be applied to all participants in ensuring standardisation. In addition, authors have not provided details of data collection or analysis undergone in the study; to avoid ambiguity it is important to include where the scores used in the analyses have derived from. An apparent fundamental flaw in the procedure relates to the fact that participants were not randomly allocated to the two groups in the study; randomisation is important as it eliminates sources of bias and ensures unpredictability. To rectify, random selection of mothers from a population could participate in the study. Results The beginning paragraph of the results is too vague; the hypothesis is not stated and no information on what statistical tests were used is provided. Furthermore, what the study found has not been not stated; it is firstly mentioned half way through this section. However, a strength in the article regards the demographic information provided for the two groups of mothers. Hours a week mothers’ work, maternal education, family income and siblings were included. It also highlights the similarities and equivalence between the two groups, making the interpretation of results valid. Another strength to this study regards the fact that researchers have applied the correct statistical tests. Two analyses of ANCOVA were conducted to measure the differences between the gesturing and non gesturing groups’ PSI scores. ANCOVA is appropriate to use as it allows to compare one variable (PSI stress scores) in two or more groups (gesture group and non gesture group) ith consideration for variability of other variables; covariates (‘sibling status’ was used as a covariate in the first ANCOVA and ‘birth order’; in the second). Controlling ‘sibling status’ and ‘birth order’ stops these conditions being confounding variables and ensures validity. As ‘sibling status’ and ‘birth control’ covariates have been controlled, it may have been more beneficial for readers if authors ma de aware of these strategies used prior to the results section as there is no discussion relating to siblings until this point. Results found from ANCOVA also confirm to readers exactly what the researchers were intending to measure; after confusion from the introduction, uncertainties are clarified and findings explain that the focus is upon whether attending gesturing classes affects parental stress. Results are also provided with adequate information whereby the obtained F value, df and level of significance have been stated. Furthermore researchers are correct in using a Pearson’s r correlation in confirming results which is used to see if there is a correlation between at two continuous variables. By doing so, it was found that there was no relationship between how long or often gesture groups mothers had been gesturing with their infant, and the mothers’ total stress scores. Therefore mothers stress levels were unrelated to frequency and duration. Furthermore, in this section descriptive statistics have been provided in two separate tables. In ‘Table One’, which shows the ‘mean (S. D) stress scores for each item on the PSI by group’, data does not seem to be explained in full. The scale used is unclear and readers have not been informed on the system used whereby there is confusion as to what the numbers mean. Tables 2 which shows the ‘summary of two ANCOVA results’, is more coherent as a brief description is displayed underneath describing the covariates. Discussion In this section, yet again, the aim of the research remains unclear; it is stated ‘the aim of the study was to investigate the impact of gesturing with an infant upon parental stress’ (p442), authors need to be more specific in their interpretation of ‘gesturing’, whether they are referring to attendance of gesturing classes or general use of gesturing is uncertain. Possible explanations for findings have been discussed, such as the view that there may have been a difference between gesturing and non gesturing mothers due to gesturing mothers feeling more stressed prior to the study. Authors continue by suggesting these mothers chose to attend gesturing classes because of these feelings of stress in hope that they would help. However, authors’ claims can only be seen as speculation as no baseline measurement was used. It should be noted that researchers have evaluated their findings and acknowledged that as baseline measures are not present, no assumptions can be made as to why mothers who attended gesturing classes had increased stress levels compared to non gesturing mothers or whether they were more stressed before attending the classes. Due to the lack of solid findings, like in the introduction, groundless claims have been used in an effort to uphold argument in explaining mothers’ cause of stress. For example, it is stated ‘mothers have high aspirations for their child and the parenting industry may, albeit unwittingly, foster maternal insecurities’(p443); no justification has been provided for this claim. Moreover, additional research is needed to support the authors’ concluding claims that attending gesturing classes may be detrimental and effect mothers’ perception of their infant in a negative light. Only Hyson’s (1991) study relating to mothers who induced academically focused activities on preschool children has been used as evidence to back up this claim, this does not justify the authors’ inflated claims. To conclude, even though this article has used creditable measuring instruments and appropriate statistical tests, Howlett et al’s claims can only be seen as speculation as no pre-test baseline is used. No findings can be validated without measuring the stress levels of mothers prior to class attendance, whether increase in stress has occurred due to attending gesturing classes in unknown. For future recommendations, authors could use a baseline measures to test mothers’ stress scores prior to the study.

European Crisis

Meanwhile, it has greatly magnified its intensity as well as its scale; Italian, Portugal, and Spain have recently come its next victims after Greece and Ireland. An apt and practical remedy is what we desperately need at this time of harshness. In the scope of this essay, the three most commonly accepted solutions to the Crisis will be presented and discussed. Germany, the only European country having a growth in economy during the previous year, plays the central role in two of them. Greece, on the other hand, might also have the chance to resolve its shameful ‘legacy.Despite the diversity of routes and methods, all these strategy have the same objectives: save the Rezone from a possible break-up and bring prosperity back to the Continent. . Seeking for the cure Since the collapse of Greek economy in 2009, two bailout loan packages for this country, which valued ? ¬110 billion and ? ¬130 billion, respectively, have been signed off by European leaders. In addition, a ? ¬ 85 billion loan to Ireland and another ? ¬78 billion to Portugal were made shortly afterward.While these loans' expected effects are still miles away, its counter effect has been so obvious to Europe: the enormous burden borne by other members will pull even financially healthy countries back into crisis. Governments is on its way down. In the worst scenario, if Italian goes defaulted, the added bailout loan for the fourth largest economy in Europe is estimated to cost more than ? ¬1,000 billion, a terribly huge number which surpasses many countries' GAP and amounts to over a half of French GAP in 2011.Bailout now appears to be only a temporarily fire-fighting solution, because if things keep going on this way, the Rezone will, sooner or later, find it getting trapped in the vicious circle of crisis- bailout-more crisis. An ultimate rescue plan for the Rezone is now more desirable than ever before. One of the most concerned and most controversial proposals was about the Rebound' – a bond issued by the whole Rezone countries as an effort to share debts among members in a more comprehensive way.If exist, that new bond would be guaranteed by the confidence in the powerful economic engine of Germany. The risk premium on that bond would reduce significantly, which could translate into a lower interest rate and a more acceptable burden, whereas it would also be more attractive to investors than separate governmental bonds of Greece, Italian or Spain. In case the bonds grow to maturity, the peripheral countries would not have to bear the obligation of payment alone, as the whole region's economies would share that indebtedness.In brief, ‘Rebound' is a way of transferring the abundant wealth from rich countries to troubled countries which are in need of that money, and simultaneously, sharing the burden among Rezone members more equally. Of course, this requires a high level of solidarity and mutual trust within Europe, since it may turn the Rezone in to the most fiscally and politically cohesive union in the human history. The idea of ‘Rebound' was immediately in favor of new French President, Franà §ois Hollander, and MIFF President, Christine Laggard.These two French people know that, although always being considered the second largest economy in Europe, France is now at the edge of recession, due to its closely financial relationship with Greece and other peripheral countries (before the Crisis, France was Grace's largest creditor, holding nearly $60 billion Greek direct debts). ‘Rebound' appears to be the best solution for France to avoid the destructive orbit of crisis. However, Angela Marker and Germany did not find this idea interesting. From the very beginning, German people have blamed other countries' profligacy for the Crisis.They argued that they had always worked diligently, and paid one of the highest tax levels in the world, with the belief that these taxes would better off their social welfare, as it actually did. They were tired of watching their tax money dedicated to hopeless bailout loans to countries, which had pursued reckless expenditure policies. They simply did not want to take another chance with that so-called ‘Rebound', since it directly targeted at them as the main player, so they would, eventually, have to work and pay for most of the living of the whole region.The profound disagreement only exist on paper. Gary Silverman of Swordfish Research says Germany would only budge ‘at one minute to midnight if the alternative was a complete collapse of the system'. 3. The ‘Credit' plan On November 2011, Lord Wolfs, chief executive of retailer Next, launched a competition and offered a prize of IEEE,OHO for the best idea to get Europe out of the current situation. Many proposals had been submitted from all over the world, and the winning one was the entry of Roger Bottle and his team at Capital Economics.Their plan suggested that Greece and other countrie s which are currently at the edge f default should leave the Rezone and introduce a new currency. A ‘Credit'-a combination of ‘Greece' and ‘exit' implying the escape of Greece from the Rezone-is believed to be vital for the restructuring of Greek economy as well as for the stability of other countries' financial systems. According to this plan, the transformation process has to be prepared thoroughly and secretly, and the action must be carried out promptly and straightly without prior public announcement.Right after the introduction of the new currency, called the ‘drachma', the Greek government has to reclaim the conversion rate between Euro and drachma. An initial one-for-one rate would be appropriate and widely acceptable. For example, a book which used to cost ? ¬2 would now simply cost 2 drachmas. This would be helpful in avoiding confusion among the public, as well as reducing the ‘menu costs' in business transactions. In addition, people would probably want to withdraw their Euro holdings in banks because they have little confidence in the new drachma.Therefore, governmental controls are necessary to prevent a capital flight, which could instantly cause a vegetating collapse in Greek ailing bank industry. Until withdrawals in Euro and in drachma could be told apart, the whole withdrawing system, including banks and ATM, need to be shut down. In the next step, the Greek government could negotiate the redefinition of its Euro-denominated debts right after the transformation. Although the conversion rate appears to be understandable for the creditors, they would surely claim a substantial extra payment from Greece as the compensation for changing the terms of debt contracts.The strategic aim of this whole meticulous plan would only take its toll hourly later. As being issued by such a weak state as Greece, drachma would soon experience a devaluation compared to Euro, followed up by a high inflation rate. Inflation is exactl y what Greece currently needs. First, debts now denominated in drachma would significantly reduce in value, making them more likely to be repaid at a more acceptable cost for Greece. Additional, a high inflation rate meaner a lower real interest rate, which would stimulate borrowings and spending.Devaluation would also make Greek exports more competitive in the global market, which greatly contributes to the national income. Finally, according to macroeconomic theory, inflation could reduce the unemployment, and create more Jobs for a quarter of Greek labor force. Conundrums Greece is faced with, but will also assuage the burden to the rest of Europe. The regional stability will partly recover, and concerns about the health of Euro will probably be replaced by a slight increase in creditworthiness of Italian, Spain or Portugal.On its side, Germany can be relieved from the bad affects of the Crisis, as well as the duty of sharing Grace's debts. It can focus more on internal affairs a nd other peripheral countries. However, such a risky plan with perfect timing requirements would not happen without the nod and the intervention of Germany, Greek current main creditor. 4. The return of Deutsche Mark Another newly raised proposal suggests Germany exit the Rezone and reintroduce the Deutsche Mark (DAM). At the first glance, it seems to be inconceivable, as Germany is now considered the only power left which can save the Rezone from a complete collapse.However, there is a potential opportunity of reform lying beneath the contradiction. This plan states that Germany's exit would immediately weaken the Euro, and that event would create the crucial breathing space needed for other countries' self-renovate plans. The depreciation in Euro would have similar consequences as a ‘Credit'. It would make the real value of debts in Euro reduce, while increase Rezone countries' competitiveness in exporting, including France's and the Netherlands'.Despite of Germany's withdra wal these states would be more likely to stay, and their manufacturing industries would benefit a lot from a weaker Euro. This stimulation would become the main inspiration for an uprising of the hole monetary union and each of its members. As the regional economies foster, there would have a great demand of labor force, which would ultimately solve the issue of unemployment in troubled countries. Also, Spanish lower priced real estate would become a bargain for foreign investors, provided the Euros devaluation.That inflow of capital would be a precious resource for Spain to take necessary steps out of the Crisis. As opposed to the ‘Credit', supporters of this plan claims that Greek exit could surely result in uncontrollable panic for peripheral countries, which is followed by bank nuns, failures and a tremendous trend of escaping. Meanwhile, a strong nation like Germany could ‘execute a swift exit that would be over before anyone could panic'. Additional, if Germany exi ts, it would not have to act as secretly as Greece would do.It would simply start the process by issuing government bonds denominated in DAM, while still live up to all previous assets, liabilities or contracts in Euro. A transition period would be necessary for Germany to get rid of the old Euro currency, but it would be less shocking and less risky than a Greek redefinition. Although Germany would initially suffer a considerable decrease in exports, since the DAM, which is much stronger than the Euro, would make German goods more expensive, the German powerful economy could promptly revive shortly after the exit.This action might appear to be agonizing, but people believe that it would completely end the lingering pain of the Crisis. Polls conducted recently have pointed out that many German people will be happy if they can return to the old currency. Like Britain, although Germany would not be in the Rezone anymore, its important position in the soundness of European economy woul d not diminish. He region, Germany is currently the only nation that can use its exclusive prosperity to save the rest of Europe from the haunt of crisis.Alternatively, it may choose to abandon the Euro, return to its Deutsche Mark, and leave an adequately necessary space for the reform of other countries. Or it may even do nothing but watch Greek people get out of the union and take their chance with the drachma. The time left is not much. Spain is on the edge. Italian may be the next one. George Sorbs, the legendary investor, says that Germany has only three month to save both the Rezone and ‘a lost decade'. Whatever the decision of Germany is going to be, it must be made promptly and wisely enough.

Literary Wit and Wisdom

Literary Wit and Wisdom Chinua Achebe (1930-2013, Nigeria): â€Å"We cannot trample upon the humanity of others without devaluing our own. The Igbo, always practical, put it concretely in their proverb Onye ji onye nani ji onwe ya: He who will hold another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep him down,† The Education of a British-Protected Child. Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986, Argentina): â€Å"You cant measure time by days, the way you measure money by dollars and cents, because dollars are all the same while every day is different and maybe every hour as well.† Willa Cather (1873-1947, United States): â€Å"In great misfortunes, people want to be alone. They have a right to be. And the misfortunes that occur within one are the greatest. Surely the saddest thing in the world is falling out of loveif once one has ever fallen in,† The Professor’s House. Kate Chopin (1850-1904, United States): â€Å"Some people are born with a vital and responsive energy. It not only enables them to keep abreast of the times; it qualifies them to furnish in their own personality a good bit of the motive power to the mad pace. They are fortunate beings. They do not need to apprehend the significance of things. They do not grow weary nor miss step, nor do they fall out of rank and sink by the wayside to be left contemplating the moving procession, The Awakening.    Victor Hugo (1802-1885, France) â€Å"What Is Love? I have met in the streets a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, the water passed through his shoes and the stars through his soul. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784, England): â€Å"A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.† George Orwell (1903-1950, England) â€Å"A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it, 1984. Natsume SÃ… seki (1867-1916, Japan) â€Å"Approach everything rationally, and you become harsh. Pole along in the stream of emotions, and you will be swept away by the current. Give free rein to your desires, and you become uncomfortably confined. It is not a very agreeable place to live, this world of ours, The Three-Cornered World. John Steinbeck (1902-1968, United States) â€Å"Its so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone, The Winter of Our Discontent. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745, Ireland) â€Å"You should never be ashamed to admit you have been wrong. It only proves you are wiser today than yesterday. Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910, Russia) â€Å"If, then, I were asked for the most important advice I could give, that which I considered to be the most useful to the men of our century, I should simply say: in the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you, Essays, Letters and Miscellanies. Edith Wharton (1862-1937, United States) â€Å"A classic is classic not because it conforms to certain structural rules, or fits certain definitions (of which its author had quite probably never heard). It is classic because of a certain eternal and irrepressible freshness.† Émile Zola (1840-1902, France) â€Å"If people can just love each other a little bit, they can be so happy,† Germinal.

Bolivia essays

Bolivia essays Bolivia is located in the west-central part of South America and is the fifth largest country of the continent having an area about twice the size of Spain. Bolivia is landlocked bordering five countries: Brazil on the northeast, Paraguay to the southeast, Argentina on the south, and Chile and Peru on the west. The main physical feature of Bolivia is the Andes Mountains, which define the country's three geographic zones. First is the Altiplano, or plateau region, which lies between the Cordillera Occidental and the Cordillera Real. On the northern end of the Altiplano lies the Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable body of water in the world. Secondly are the Yungas that form a transition zone between the peaks of the Andes and the Amazonian forest. Lastly are the Lowlands that make up over two-thirds of the national territory; north and east of the Andes. Most of Bolivia's important rivers are found in the northern lowlands all that eventually flow into the Amazon. The area of modern Bolivia was controlled by Spanish conquest in 1525. The territory of Bolivia, a part of the ancient empire of the Incas, was conquered in 1538 by the Spanish conquistador Hernando Pizarro. As Spanish royal authority weakened during the Napoleonic wars, judgment against colonial rule grew. Between 1808 and 1810, the Wars of Independence took place in Upper Peru which constituted efforts to achieve independence. The revolt on May 25, 1809 was one of the first in Latin America. On July 16, 1809, Upper Peru proclaimed itself an independent state. The Battle of Ayacucho in 1824 was the final battle that effectively ended Spanish rule in Upper Peru. On August 6, 1825, Bolivia achieved independence from Spain after a struggle led by Simon Bolivar and Antonio Jos de Sucre. To satisfy Bolivar's reservations about the independence of Upper Peru, the new nation was named after him. Five days after Bolivia declared its independence from Spain, on August 11 the...

How to Sing Silent Night in Spanish

How to Sing Silent Night in Spanish Here are most commonly used Spanish lyrics for Silent Night, one of the worlds most popular Christmas carols. Dive into the grammar and vocabulary of the song in the sections following. This song was originally written in German by Joseph Mohr. Noche de paz Noche de paz, noche de amor,Todo duerme en derredor.Entre sus astros que esparcen su luzBella anunciando al nià ±ito Jesà ºs.Brilla la estrella de paz,Brilla la estrella de paz. Noche de paz, noche de amor,Todo duerme en derredor.Sà ³lo velan en la oscuridadLos pastores que en el campo estnY la estrella de Belà ©n,Y la estrella de Belà ©n. Noche de paz, noche de amor,Todo duerme en derredor.Sobre el santo nià ±o Jesà ºsUna estrella esparce su luz,Brilla sobre el Rey,Brilla sobre el Rey. Noche de paz, noche de amor,Todo duerme en derredor;Fieles velando allà ­ en Belà ©nLos pastores, la madre tambià ©n,Y la estrella de paz,Y la estrella de paz. English Translation of Spanish Lyrics Night of peace, night of love.All sleep in the outskirts of the town.Among the stars that spread their beautiful lightannouncing the baby Jesus,the star of peace shines,the star of peace shines. Night of peace, night of love.All sleep in the outskirts of the town.The only ones keeping watch in the darknessare the shepherds in the field.and the star of Bethlehem,and the star of Bethlehem. Night of peace, night of love.All sleep in the outskirts of the town.Above the holy baby Jesusa star spreads its light.It shines over the King,it shines over the King. Night of peace, night of love.All sleep in the outskirts of the town.The faithful are keeping watch there in Bethlehem,the shepherds, the mother too,and the star of peace,and the star of peace. Grammar and Vocabulary Notes De: Note how the phrase noche de paz, literally meaning night of peace is used here, while in English we might say peaceful night. It is very common in Spanish to use de in situations where of would be cumbersome in English. Todo duerme: This phrase can be translated as all sleep or everyone sleeps. Note that todo is treated as a collective noun here, taking a singular verb, much like the singular word gente is treated as a singular word even though it has the plural meaning of people. Derredor: You wont find this word listed except in larger dictionaries. In this context, it refers to the outskirts of an area, or the area surrounding something else. Esparcen: The verb esparcir generally means to spread or to scatter. Bella: This is the feminine form of bello, meaning beautiful. It modifies luz, which is on the previous line. One clue that bella refers to luz is that both it and luz are feminine. Anunciando: This is the gerund or present participle of anunciar, meaning to announce. In the English translation, we probably see announcing taking the role of an adjective modifying light. But in standard Spanish, gerunds act like adverbs, so anunciando points back to the previous verb, esparcen. However, in poetry  it isnt unusual for gerunds to take an adjectival role, as velando does in the final stanza. Brilla: Brilla is a conjugated form of the verb brillar, which means to shine. The subject of that verb here is estrella (star). Although in this case the subject comes after the verb for mostly poetic reasons, it isnt unusual in Spanish to use a verb-subject word order. Velan: The verb velar isnt particularly common. Its meanings include staying awake and taking care of someone or something. Oscuridad: Oscuridad can refer to the quality of being obscure, but it more often refers simply to darkness. Pastores: A pastor in this context isnt a pastor, but a shepherd (although the word may also refer to a minister). In both English and Spanish, the word originally means shepherd, but its meaning was broadened to include people who were appointed to watch over a flock of believers. Pastor comes from an ancient Indo-European root meaning to protect or to feed. Related English words include pasture, pester and even food and foster. Santo: Santo is frequently used as a title before the name of a person to mean saint. Through the process of apocopation or shortening, it becomes san before the name of male. In this context, since the baby Jesus wouldnt have been considered a saint, santo is better translated as holy or virtuous. Fieles: Fiel is an adjective meaning faithful. Here, fieles functions as a plural noun. In nonpoetic speech, the phrase los fieles would have been used. Belà ©n: This is the Spanish word for Bethlehem.

Information security management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Information security management - Essay Example The next key element is PLAN. The Plan defines the service level agreements as per business requirements, foundation of contracts, operational level agreements, and policy statements. All these components included in the planning are based on the requirements of the business. After the completion of control and plan, the next key element is to IMPLEMENT all these components. Implementation involves creating knowledge and consciousness along with categorization and listing of assets. Moreover, personnel security and physical security related to theft is implemented. Likewise, implementation element also involves security related to network, applications and computing devices. In addition, configuration and management of access rights and contingency planning of security incident processes is also a part of this element. All of the three elements control, plan and implement lays a foundation of a structure. After the deployment of ISMS structure, the next key element is EVALUATE. The e valuation consists of internal and external auditing of the processes that are implemented in the previous three phases. Moreover, self-assessment is also conducted, along with security incident evaluation. For instance, if there is a breach in security, the security management processes ensure to deal with security incidents. The last key element is MAINTAIN. This phase frequently monitors processes including security management, new threats, vulnerabilities and risks. These elements, do not only monitors these processes, but also improve processes where required , and if there are certain processes that needs to be improved, the ISMS cycle start from the first key element i.e. CONTROL. 1.1 ISMS Scoping A good definition of ISMS is available on www.praxiom.com, defined as â€Å"An information security management system (ISMS) includes all of the policies, procedures, plans, processes, practices, roles, responsibilities, resources, and structures that are used to protect and preser ve information. It includes all of the elements that organizations use to manage and control their information security risks. An ISMS is part of a larger management system†. The goal is to protect the information of the organization itself as well as its customers. The ISO/IEC has established two standards that emphasize of ISMS. The ISO/IEC 17799 is a code for information security management. It is the framework or a system that is based on certain processes, to ensure that organizations achieve their information security management objectives i.e. ISMS. The second standard is ISO/IEC 27001 is associated with several different factors including (, ISO/IEC 27001:2005 - Information technology -- Security techniques -- Information security management systems -- Requirements): Implemented in the organization to originate security requirements and goals Implemented within the organization in such a manner that security risk management bears less cost Implemented within the organi zation for guaranteed deployment of compliance with laws and regulations Implement a process framework within the organization for deployment and management of controls in order to meet particular security objectives Defining new processes

Reading Responses to a Poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Reading Responses to a Poem - Essay Example The poem also takes a look at systems and structures of the human institution and how self made rules and principles made by humans are expected to be adhered to without fail. There are specific elements of literature that the writer used to bring out the nature of the poem better and these elements are discussed below. Form The form of a poem is supposed to give a generalized structure about the poem. It is supposed to show the poem is organized and the manner in which a reader is expected to carry out the reading pulses (Gabrielle, 2009). In this very regard, a lot can be said about the poem, â€Å"I’m Nobody! Who are you?† first, it is seen that the poem is written in just two stanzas. The response I had from this was the writer’s ability to lay his intensions and thoughts clear in a very brief manner. As the African proverb goes, if a medicine will save you, you only need a pill of it. The writer therefore conveyed all her message clearly in only two stanzas. Within the two stanzas, there are spreads of loose iambic trimester with a number of fourth stresses. This gives the poem ABCB rhyme scheme. Some kind of fall out from the norm was however noted with the ABCB rhyme scheme. ... In â€Å"I’m Nobody! Who are you?†, the writer chooses the concept of human relationship and talks on the theme of essence in humble social status. The writer tactfully expresses her opinion on the need for a person to live in quite humility rather than open pride. The writer employs the terms â€Å"no body† and â€Å"somebody† to show the differences between two people; one of who are regarded as poor and having nothing. To this people, the writer appreciates their position as an enviable one because it is free from public pressure. She however subjects the high class in society to the need to think carefully about the responsibilities that their status in life brings to them. In essence, the writer is advising all people to live in humility rather than wanting to be the topic of social discussion and yet having a lot of herculean responsibilities that they may eventually find as stressful. The response I had from the theme was very striking and left me t hinking about how important it is for me to appreciate what I have as a person. Language One of the only ways the writer could make her poem meaningful despite the fact that there were only few stanzas was to use thought provoking and highly insightful language and this is exactly what the writer of â€Å"I’m Nobody! Who are you?† did (Gabrielle, 2009). This notwithstanding, the writer was able to make the content of the poem highly understandable. The understanding of the poem was first vested in the title of the poem, which was more or less a summation of the theme of the poem, asking that â€Å"I’m nobody! Who are you?† Subsequent to this title, the writer uses language that further justifies

Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment 3 - Essay Example The event I am proposing to be given a chance to organize will be intended at raising funds to be used in covering the costs of the medical examination of 250 high school athletes from Megan High School. In order to organize a successful event, our agency will need to get word out about an upcoming event. The best way to publicize an event is to advertise. I will, therefore, start by preparing a press release we intend to send to newsrooms hopefully to be published or to be used in writing an article. Then I will prepare a video commercial to be used in advertising on television or on the internet. Finally, I will prepare a full page print ad that will be put out in newspapers and magazines (Tucker, 1997, p. 56). There is a growing need for funds to be raised in support for athletes in high school due to the fact that the cost of running the athletic department at the school has increased. This is even more necessary considering the number of programs in the athletics department. Our agency proposes the following press release to be used for advertising the event. I have also included a one-page print ad that we propose to use in publicizing the event. Section  II. ... During the event, invited guests will be shown a video of the last Sports Day held at the school in order to exhibit the various talents that students at Megan High School have. Some of the sporting events that will be showcased include tennis, basketball, volleyball, hockey, and badminton. The main event of the evening will be a car raffle which will be sold at one hundred dollars each. These raffle tickets will be sold to willing business associations, sports clubs and persons taking part in the fundraising event. Our target for this fundraising will be to raise a minimum of 100 dollars per student. In the event that we raise more than the required amount, we intend to put the rest of the funds into good use such as the maintenance of sports programs at the school, improvement of sports facilities, and sponsoring of medical examinations for more students next academic year. Robert Kelly, Chairman of Tennis Federation said, â€Å"The fundraising event at Megan High School is very i mportant as it highlights the importance of sports in the lives of students. It also gives an opportunity for those students who wish to pursue sports in college but are short of funds an opportunity to start the application process.† The newly appointed Chairlady of the club Maggi’s also said "We are excited that Save the Children has agreed to conduct this sports fundraiser. Megan High School Booster Club has been a strong supporter of nurturing sports talent in the young ones. This event will go a long way in impacting the lives of our young athletes." To register for this event, contact Mercy at (44) 875-9272. Section III. Print Ad We, as Megan High School Booster Club, a local civic organization, plan a fundraising event aimed at

Informative Speech on Ebola Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Informative Speech on Ebola - Essay Example However, the people who were seroconverted by the Ebola virus did not develop the Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The last known strain Ebola virus strain is the Ebola Cote d’Ivoire that was discovered in the year 1994 (Li and Chen, pg 8). It occurred when an ethnologist was performing a necropsy in Tai forest on a dead chimpanzee infected herself in the process. Ebola outbreak in 2014 is the largest ever in the history of Ebola. It became the first ever Ebola outbreak in West Africa countries and recorded as the world’s first epidemic ever. There are few cases reported in Nigerians Port Harcourt and Lagos. The cases in Nigeria have been associated with a man who had visited Liberia and died of Ebola days later in Lagos. However, the virus has not spread widely in Nigeria. In Senegal, one case of Ebola was reported from a man who had traveled from guinea (Center for Disease control and Prevention factsheets). As per September 18th, 2014, the number of cases counted had risen to 5347 with total deaths of 2630. Among the counted people, 3095 have been confirmed in the laboratory to have been infected by the Ebola virus. The deaths have been experienced across five countries in West Africa among the affect countries are Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Guinea (Gatherer, pg 5). So far the food and drugs association has not approved a safe vaccine for Ebola virus. Therefore, the prevention modalities are guided by the behavior of individuals when in the Ebola outbreak affected areas. To prevent spreading of the virus, a number of behavioral practices have to be integrated to the people visiting the outbreak areas. According to Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reports, preventive measures involves careful hygiene without any contact with body fluids of infected people, avoid handling items used on the affected people’s body fluids,

PRODUCT ASSESSMENT Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PRODUCT ASSESSMENT - Term Paper Example Why, though, is dial-up Internet service in the decline stage along the product life cycle? According to the U.S. Census conducted in 2010, metropolitan areas experienced much faster growth than rural regions, by a rate of 4.9 percent (census.gov, 2011). This means that consumers are seeking opportunities to migrate to metropolitan or suburban areas at a much faster pace than those looking for rural living opportunities. It is in the urban regions of the United States where major, contemporary Internet providers have developed the appropriate technologies and support tools to sustain broadband Internet access as well as service providers along service networks that provide multitudes of options, today, for abandoning dial-up services. In essence, these migrating shifts away from rural locations gave consumers much more opportunities to explore faster and more efficient non-dial-up Internet service providers. Rationale for Explaining Dial-Up Decline According to Michael Porter (2011), a respected business theorist, threats to sustaining a product and ensuring longevity, thus avoiding decline, include threats of substitutes on the market. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was commonplace while Internet services were in the introductory and growth stages to maintain dial-up services due to limited providers and appropriate network developments across the country designed to support faster Internet services. Political de-regulation of Internet services, along with both private and public corporation investment into developing new Internet technologies, provided a foundation for the emergence of many service providers (such as Verizon and Comcast) to put substitutes into the market. With growth in competition, the economic-related benefits to consumers requiring Internet services began to witness various price competitions occurring, thereby providing more value to consumers to abandon dial-up Internet service providers. Up until just the last five years, it was common for dial-up Internet to range between $15 and $25 monthly. It was only upon development of appropriate Internet networks and mobile Internet technologies that dial-up service providers were forced to dramatically lower dial-up services in order to maintain competitiveness against major Internet providers now emerging all across the country. Shifts in social lifestyle also changed the dynamics that no longer made dial-up services viable to sustain busy lifestyle and professionalism. With the ability to now access the Internet using mobile devices (i.e. smartphones), consumers could access the Internet out of their bricks-and-mortar businesses and homes, making dial-up service both impractical and not nearly as reliable. Buyers, due to concentrated and saturated competitive markets, now maintained considerable buying power as switching costs from moving from one provider to another competitor were no longer high as they were in the day of growth of dial-up services. Change s in social lifestyle, as aforementioned, added a new type of pricing transparency for the many broadband and mobile Internet providers now on the market, giving consumers an advantage in choice and purchase selection opportunities. Recommendations for Potential Action The first recommendation would be for dial-up service providers to reposition dial-up services to maintain unique innovations not found with other broadband or mobile providers currently offering

Comparison between Two Sisters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison between Two Sisters - Essay Example This paper illustrates that two years back the author’s cousin, Kate invited him over to California during the summers to spend the vacations with her family, and the researcher had readily accepted the invitation. Kate had married Sam, African America Doctor. It was the first time the author was going to meet Kate’s two daughters, Kate used to talk about them all the time. The older one, Anna was twelve years old and the younger one Sally was ten years old during the summers last year. If the researcher was to describe them physically then Anna was very much like Kate, she had her flawlessly pink complexion, beautiful hazel eyes, and dark brown shoulder length hair that were delightfully curly. She had a fairly good height for her age too. Sally, on the other hand, had straight black hair that came down to her waist; she had her father’s dark skin, big round eyes that were black in color. Sally was slightly chubby adding to that was her average height. Both sist ers were vastly different. The difference between the two was not just in their physical appearances but also in their personalities. As one would expect, Anna was more outgoing, vocal about her views, desires, and preferences, she had quite a huge circle of friends too. Sally, on the other hand, was very quiet, she was shy and usually avoided meeting people, and she had only one friend at school - Jane. Sally did not even talk much to her parents or to Anna. She liked to stay alone in her room, usually reading story books. The moment the researcher met the two of them he could not help but notice how lovely Anna was and what a beauty she was growing into. However, the innocence on Sally’s face was so attractive that the author automatically wanted to strike a conversation with her, it was only later that he realized how difficult a task that was.

PRODUCT ASSESSMENT Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PRODUCT ASSESSMENT - Term Paper Example Why, though, is dial-up Internet service in the decline stage along the product life cycle? According to the U.S. Census conducted in 2010, metropolitan areas experienced much faster growth than rural regions, by a rate of 4.9 percent (census.gov, 2011). This means that consumers are seeking opportunities to migrate to metropolitan or suburban areas at a much faster pace than those looking for rural living opportunities. It is in the urban regions of the United States where major, contemporary Internet providers have developed the appropriate technologies and support tools to sustain broadband Internet access as well as service providers along service networks that provide multitudes of options, today, for abandoning dial-up services. In essence, these migrating shifts away from rural locations gave consumers much more opportunities to explore faster and more efficient non-dial-up Internet service providers. Rationale for Explaining Dial-Up Decline According to Michael Porter (2011), a respected business theorist, threats to sustaining a product and ensuring longevity, thus avoiding decline, include threats of substitutes on the market. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was commonplace while Internet services were in the introductory and growth stages to maintain dial-up services due to limited providers and appropriate network developments across the country designed to support faster Internet services. Political de-regulation of Internet services, along with both private and public corporation investment into developing new Internet technologies, provided a foundation for the emergence of many service providers (such as Verizon and Comcast) to put substitutes into the market. With growth in competition, the economic-related benefits to consumers requiring Internet services began to witness various price competitions occurring, thereby providing more value to consumers to abandon dial-up Internet service providers. Up until just the last five years, it was common for dial-up Internet to range between $15 and $25 monthly. It was only upon development of appropriate Internet networks and mobile Internet technologies that dial-up service providers were forced to dramatically lower dial-up services in order to maintain competitiveness against major Internet providers now emerging all across the country. Shifts in social lifestyle also changed the dynamics that no longer made dial-up services viable to sustain busy lifestyle and professionalism. With the ability to now access the Internet using mobile devices (i.e. smartphones), consumers could access the Internet out of their bricks-and-mortar businesses and homes, making dial-up service both impractical and not nearly as reliable. Buyers, due to concentrated and saturated competitive markets, now maintained considerable buying power as switching costs from moving from one provider to another competitor were no longer high as they were in the day of growth of dial-up services. Change s in social lifestyle, as aforementioned, added a new type of pricing transparency for the many broadband and mobile Internet providers now on the market, giving consumers an advantage in choice and purchase selection opportunities. Recommendations for Potential Action The first recommendation would be for dial-up service providers to reposition dial-up services to maintain unique innovations not found with other broadband or mobile providers currently offering

HPV critical Analysis Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HPV critical Analysis - Article Example to establish and collect not only this data, but also to provide a baseline estimate to measure the wide-scale impact of the current HPV vaccine on reducing infection, as well as providing models with a baseline on cost-effectiveness of distributing said vaccine. Were these seven colleagues qualified to do so? Indeed they were, by virtue of profession and training. As listed in the article, six out of the seven that conducted the study not only held the title of Ph.D. or M.D., but also were employed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which not only supported their work but also conducted the larger survey of which the study was a part of, the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NAHANES). All seven worked together to gather, collate, and sort the data, with Dr. Eileen F. Dunne taking the lead role, as well as responsibility for the data that supported their conclusions. Dr. Dunne and her colleagues made no claims about the HPV virus, though they did claim that baseline data would be effective in measuring the prevalence of the disease. Their main concern was that such data did not exist, and therefore in the future there would be nothing to measure the actual reduction of the HPV virus in women against, had they been given the vaccine. To conduct the study, Dr. Dunne and her colleagues used a â€Å"representative sample† of women aged 14-59 that were taking part in the NHANES survey. The women self-reported their race and ethnicity via questionnaires as well as providing a cervical swab. Out of 2482 females that took part in the study, 2387 were examined in a mobile examination center and asked to self-collect a sample via swab, which was then submitted for analysis. HPV detection, as well as typing, was then performed, and the results analyzed. Out of the 2387 females, 466 were considered â€Å"nonresponders†, due to the fact that they either submitted â€Å"an inadequate swab specimen†, or did not submit a specimen at all. The various types

Neonatal Ethics Essay Example for Free

Neonatal Ethics Essay In this paper, I have described all sides of neonatal ethics and have presented my view regarding the topic. I have also managed to integrate philosophical and historical perspectives regarding neonatal care and ethics. In the end, I have given my personal opinion concerning the solution of the issues at stake. The ethical debate regarding the proper care of severely unwell infants is one of the oldest debates in medical sciences. In the present times, approaches that are extremely unusual have been taken to decide about the care of such newborns. This is the reason why it is exceedingly important to analyze the ethical concepts and arguments about many issues concerning the neonatal medicine. Such ethical debates revolve around â€Å"the value of human life; the role of best interests; the deliberate ending of life; and the withholding and withdrawing of treatment† (Brazier). It is a known fact that mankind has been facing ethical concerns since the dawn of civilization. As far as clinical situations are concerned, physicians also face ethical questions on a regular basis regarding one case or the other. However, those involved in neonatal care face a lot of ethical controversies. It is not an untold secret that ethical and moral issues regarding the treatment of neonates have penetrated into a number of features of such cases (Pueschel). When the newborns are within the first 28 days of their lives, they are known as neonates. As far as neonatal intensive care units are concerned, they frequently accommodate and look after for babies who fall in any of the three categories i. e. babies born premature having birth weight that is very low, babies born after nine months (full-term babies) having severe conditions or babies born with inherited abnormalities (Bioethical Issues Neonatal Ethics). However tremendous changes have taken place in the modern times and it is now more than five decades that â€Å"neonatal medicine has been practiced to provide specialized and intensive care measures aimed at improving the health and survival of premature and critically ill newborns† (Carter). In the contemporary world, the ethical issues generally revolve around the decision making for the betterment of neonates. Such decisions entail the consideration and evaluation of treatment and assessing whether it would be helpful or ineffective for the wellbeing of the little individual. Thus both short-term and long-term scenarios related to the health of the child are considered while taking any certain decision. The two issues that are of main concern in the process of decision making are the likelihood to survive therapeutic/remedial involvement and the quality of life in the future. It is important here to mention the most renowned case of neonatal decision-making regarding Baby Doe. The child was born with Down’s syndrome and a tracheal-esophageal fistula in 1982. The parents opted for the hard choice and agreed to not repair the fistula with surgical intervention. They decided so because it was in the best interest of the child. They did not want their child to continue living a depended and quality-lacking life given by Down’s syndrome. In the end, starvation ultimately took Baby Doe’s life (Bioethical Issues Neonatal Ethics). When neonatal context is discussed, decision making in this regard is rather multifaceted and difficult. The parents of seriously ill neonates have to consult with the care providers and in most of the cases, have to make decisions concerning the newborns’ life-and-death treatment. It is too difficult to decide about the fate of a child who is being awaited for so long. At the same time as it is burdensome for parents to decide the outcome of their child’s life, parents are put in a difficult position to decide so with no clear decision-making process. As a consequence, parents are often given assistance by providers and make illogical, stress-laden and uninformed choices that are not based on systematic analysis but on intuition. As a matter of fact, majority of the opted methods do â€Å"correspond with what is in the best interests of their newborn† (Panicola 723). On the other hand, in few cases, the decisions made by parents result in non-treatment decisions for babies who must be given a chance for survival and treatment decisions for neonates who must not be given a chance to survive due to their extremely poor physical condition (Panicola 723). There may be mandatory, elective or ineffective treatment based on the neonatal cases’ unique aspects. However, the physicians and parents decide to continue with a particular kind of treatment after observing the prognosis of a newborn. If the prognosis looks good, they eventually decide for medical intervention necessary to keep the newborn alive. On the other hand, there are a number of cases where parents refuse to involve medical intercession for the treatment of their child. In such occasional circumstances, hospitals take the help of their ethicists for seeking a court order so that the decisions of the parents may be made ineffective and treatment can be initiated for the betterment of the newborn. The situation turns out to be more notorious when there is no adequate knowledge regarding the prognosis of a neonate and the parents are given the choice to discuss their options about the treatment with the physician (Bioethical Issues Neonatal Ethics). Thus, it is when bioethics comes into scene that deals with the limitations, commitments and responsibilities of all the people who are a major part of the decision-making progress. As a final point, there are also a number of cases when medical intervention is considered pointless and unsuccessful, nevertheless the doctors and parents insist to treat the newborn. In such circumstances, treatment is regarded as tremendously troublesome and tentative thereby pointing out that there are small chances of surviving treatment with quality of life in the least. As far as bioethics evaluation is concerned, it considers the patient rights, parental rights and physician duties and responsibilities (Bioethical Issues Neonatal Ethics). It is important to mention here that in the last four to five decades, there has been a momentous development in the technology, skills and medicinal/therapeutic interventions in the neonatal intensive care unit (Bioethical Issues Neonatal Ethics). Also, technical capabilities have been improved drastically allowing more speedy and accurate diagnosis, efficient scrutiny and supervision and unambiguous treatment. Special-care nursery beds are now available in large numbers and the number of important people including the professionals and specialists has also increased for the successful treatment of God’s susceptible population (Carter). Although such a notable development in neonatal care has brought up stories of joy and miraculous recovery of the newborn, there have been depressing and painful stories where the newborns ended up with severe disabilities (Bioethical Issues Neonatal Ethics). As a consequence, bioethics can be helpful and facilitate both physicians and parents in solving issues related to the â€Å"regulation on use of experimental technological developments and by providing guidance in controversial situations† (Bioethical Issues Neonatal Ethics). If the pages of the past are turned, it is rather obvious that the percentage of premature babies who managed to survive was very low. However, in the last three decades, the advancements in technologies and medical developments at the beginning of life have totally revolutionized the likability of babies’ survival that born before 28 weeks of gestation. In the current times, it has been recorded that in developed countries like United Kingdom, more than eighty percent pre-mature babies manage to survive and a good number of the little creatures even survive at gestation period of just twenty-three weeks. Such advancements and developments are rather exciting. However, at the same time, concerns have raised regarding the human and financial cost of such progressions in the care of neonates. According to the research, more or less twenty percent of the survivors who were born extremely premature have ninety-nine percent chances of having disabilities like cerebral palsy. A majority of such survivors are also likely to be challenged with academic and behavioral problems once they are in schools (Wyatt 1). Therefore, a lot of people are concerned whether attempts to save the life of such weak neonates is a sensible utilization of resources or not. Another contradiction in this regard is that even as huge investments are made for making it possible for a newborn to survive, the abortion of fetuses is also tolerated for social reasons. Thus, as far as ethical dilemmas are concerned, they are not only raised by the premature babies but also by babies who have grave complicated congenital malformations at the time of birth. These malformations may be in heart, nervous system, brain, lungs etc. Thus, the ethical concerns regarding neonatal care is that whether such babies must be treated or medical intervention be withheld? (Wyatt 1). As far as the historical perspective and philosophies regarding the issue of neonatal care is concerned, a number of different societies all over the world have considered newborn babies as being less valuable when compared with the adults. In Greek and Roman societies, infanticide i. e. the deliberate killings of newborns and the exposure of infants was a practice that was acknowledged commonly and practiced far and wide. As the mentioned societies characterized themselves for athleticism, power and strength so it was not a surprising thing that those people looked down on and hated babies who were weak, dependent and immature. Thus, an individual child was given importance on the basis of his likable future contributions to the society as a mature adult. Regrettably, no rules and regulations and laws were there that prohibited people from murdering the helpless and ill babies. Sorry to say, in some cases, even the newborn babies who were in good physical health did not have protection by social custom or lawful decrees. It is a bitter reality that killing of malformed babies was considered important for the maintenance of the quality of the civilians. Similar practices were also common in some parts of the Eastern world (Wyatt 1). As far as the secular perspective in this regard is concerned, a number of contemporary philosophers today have accepted the fact that unwanted babies were killed or allowed to die and it was not an abnormal practice in many of the societies in the historical times and societies. It is also claimed that even today people do not consider the murdering of unwanted babies as unethical and this is evident from the fact that prenatal diagnosis and abortion for fetal abnormality is now accepted by a lot of people and societies. Thus, this acceptance crystal clearly demonstrates that even the modern societies of today value the life of a child on his/her physical strength and healthiness and his/her prospected future contributions as an adult citizen for the society (Wyatt 2). Neonatal care raises a number of ethical issues including the deserving neonates who must be given prenatal and neonatal specialty care, the person/group responsible for paying for the care, whether neonatal intensive care costs are acceptable or not, the assurance and equitable distribution of the care, whether babies require intensive care or not, the burdensome consequences of neonatal intensive care, the decision-maker and on what basis decisions are made. These mentioned issues create dilemmas for the healthcare professionals as they obstruct the process of provision of neonatal intensive care. To some extent, these ethical issues concerning neonatal care throw light on the values of the healthcare professions, patients, parents and families. It is important to mention that that these issues are not to be ignores as the failure to acknowledge them may devalue the cultural influences that may shape up a society and human interactions. As already mentioned, neonatal medicinal advancements have provided more options to the physicians and parents. However, what must be done is still a complex decision for them as risks of deaths and disabilities have also increased. This ethical issue has been the factor of conflict between parents and doctors and in a number of cases; guidance was required through courts (Laurance 42). The research suggests that neonates must not be given medical aid and be allowed to breathe their last â€Å"when the struggle to save them results in intolerable suffering that outweighs the babys interest in continuing to live† (Laurance 42). As far as my opinion is concerned, I believe that it is the obligation of a doctor to preserve the life of a human being wherever and whenever possible. As far as neonates are concerned, these babies always have a chance to survive in the future and there have been cases when extremely premature babies were enabled to live a full life. One of the most encouraging aspects in this regard is that in the last decade, the rate of survival of exceedingly weak babies has more or less doubled. I strongly believe that the physicians and parents/guardians must not attempt to do anything that may put a stop to the continued existence of a little one simply for the reason that he/she won’t be a healthy and contributing adult in the future due to his unhealthy severe physical condition (Laurance 42). However, it is unfortunate that all the answers of the mentioned dilemmas are rather difficult as there is always a clash between values conflict and principles of morality. In addition to this, it is also not easy to agree upon a consistent situation where beneficence can be chosen over autonomy and vice versa. A majority of people hold on to both the sides of the conflict i. e. â€Å"the respect for persons principle and to the principle of beneficence† that helps them to decide about the particular actions that may result in the best consequences for the patient and the family. Unfortunately, there is no special recipe that may facilitate the involved people to decide about what is the best thing to do in situations when there is a conflict between these principles. This is also not fair to stick to one decision and disregard the other options. Thus, the best thing that can be done by a decision maker in the occurrence of such conflicts is to do a deep analysis of the situation in the most cautious manner and try to identify the values at risk and all people who may be affected by the outcomes of the decision. For sure, the patient’s interests must be the top priority before the interests of others involved (Macklin). To cut a long story short, it is better not to utilize the neonatal intensive care â€Å"when the death of the baby can only be postponed temporarily, at the price of severe suffering, or when survival is associated with severe disabilities and an intolerable life for the child and the family† (Orzalesi). This is because in some unique circumstances, the best alternative for the betterment of the child is to withhold or withdraw intensive treatment.

tempnature Caliban as Representative of Natural Man in Shakespeares T

Caliban as Representative of Natural Man in The Tempest      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Tempest presents an argument against the concept of the noble savage through the character of Caliban.   Caliban is the main focus as far as the notion of "nature" and "natural man" is considered in the play.   Proof of this can be found in his name--"Caliban" sounds very similar to "cannibal," and hence serves to link him with primitive, natural man.   In the first scene of the play, Caliban's character is connected with the lower objects of the planet, including the "springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile."   Caliban thus appears to be beneath most human men because of his bestial nature.   His mother's background also indicates that there may be quite a bit of evil in him.   Characters in the play call him a "monster," however, at times, Caliban speaks some of the most beautiful and lyrical language in the play.   Thus, Caliban, as the representative of nature, emerges as a very complex character.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the first scene, it seems as if Shakespeare intended to present Caliban as a beast and a savage.   However, two items come across to reveal the fact that Caliban is more than just a monster, he is a human being with real emotions (Wagner 13).   First, the audience sees a sense of sensitivity when Caliban reflects on his previous relationship with Prospero, when Prospero spared him and attempted to educate him.   Prospero exchanged his teachings for lessons from Caliban about the island itself; because Caliban is so close to nature, he is the best person to teach Prospero about it:    When thou cam'st first, Thou strok'st me and made much of me, wouldst give me Water with berries in 't, and teach me how To name the bigge... ...gne would expect to see.   Not only does Caliban act instinctually, thus pushing him beyond the bounds of morality, but he is also spiteful and angry.   On the other hand, Shakespeare does not demonstrate a bigoted response, for if he believed that the natives deserved what they got, he would not have made Caliban so sympathetic.   Hence, Caliban becomes a natural representation of what Shakespeare believed the natives were: a complex mixture of various aspects.    Works Cited    Ferguson, Francis.   Shakespeare: The Pattern in his Carpet. New York: Delacourt Press, 1970.    Knight, Wilson.   The Wheel of Fire.   London: Oxford University Press, 1930.    Thorndike, Ashley.   How Shakespeare Came to Write "The Tempest."   Garden City: Doubleday Anchor Books, 1969.    Wagner, Emmar.   Shakespeare's Tempest.   Yellow Springs: Antioch Press, 1933.

Wind Energy and its Environmental Effects Essay -- Environment Power W

Wind Energy and its Environmental Effects Wind energy can play a critical role in saving our planet from the negative effects of energy powered by fossil fuels. Wind turbines work effectively at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. For instance, a single utility scale wind turbine can prevent the emission of 5,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere a year by displacing the power generated by fossil fuels. Also, a single 750-kilowatt turbine can produce roughly 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Turbines of this nature are the ones now being used in power plants around the world (Wind Energy Weekly). One good example is California. Their wind power plants displace 4.5 billion pounds of CO2 each year with the 3 billion kilowatt hours of energy they produce. To put it into an environmental perspective, that is as much CO2 as could be absorbed by a forest covering 1100 square miles (Wind Energy Weekly). Although wind energy has little to no impact on the environment when it comes to air pollution or greenhouse gases, there are other environmental concerns surrounding this form of energy production. Some of the concerns about wind energy include visual impacts, birds and other living resources, lightning and noise (Wind Energy Development). Wind turbines, by nature, must be sited in highly visible areas to give them enough space to produce the amount of energy desired. However, many of the sites for wind turbine farms are now located in areas that are ...

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a “Child-Free”Lifestyle

Amtrak: Long Distance Trains: FY 2008 Long-Distance Train Facts †¢ A long-distance train typically consists of sleepers, coaches, a diner and/or a lounge car. †¢ Long-distance trains travel as far as 2,800 miles and pass through as many as 12 states. †¢ Amtrak operates 15 long-distance trains over 18,500 route miles serving 39 states and the District of Columbia. These trains provide the only rail passenger service to 23 states. †¢ In FY 2008 these trains carried 4. 2 million passengers accounting for 2. billion passenger miles—42% of Amtrak’s total—and produced ticket revenues of $415 million. †¢ The average long-distance train passenger traveled 626 miles in FY08. †¢ Long-distance trains run primarily on tracks owned and maintained by private freight railroads. †¢ These trains are not the big money-losers that they are often portrayed to be; only about $300 million annually would be saved if they were eliminated, and only afte r a five-year period. Background InformationAmtrak’s long-distance trains provide an essential transportation service for many communities and to a significant percentage of the general public. Many long-distance trains serve small communities with limited or no significant air or bus service, especially in remote or isolated areas in the United States. As a result of airline deregulation and decisions by national bus carriers to exit many communities, rail transportation may provide the only feasible common carrier transportation option for a growing number of areas. If long-distance trains were eliminated, 23 states and 243 communities would be left with no intercity passenger rail service and 18 other states would lose some service. No state or private operator has picked up a long-distance route that Amtrak has eliminated. Amtrak Government Affairs: February 2009 Amtrak: Long Distance Trains: FY 2008 Importance of the Long-Distance Trains The route across the northern tie r of states, the Empire Builder, with 554,000 passengers in 2008, is the only public transportation service in many communities in North Dakota, Montana and eastern Washington.For most of the states along the Empire Builder, tourism serves as a major economic engine. A recent study identifying the economic contributions of the Empire Builder showed nearly $14 million in annual economic benefits in Montana alone. 2 Long-distance trains also provide transportation during periods Amtrak’s California Zephyr follows the of severe weather or emergencies that stall other modes of same route over Donner Pass as the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. transportation.This was demonstrated after the September 11 terrorist attacks that grounded air travel. Additionally, these trains provide a strong economic benefit for the states and communities that they serve. The majority of passengers on the long-distance trains do not travel between the endpoints, but rather to any com bination of city pairs. For example, the Southwest Chief, which travels from Chicago to Los Angeles via Kansas City, has 33 stops, creating 528 possible trip combinations.Measuring Financial Performance of Long-Distance Trains Most of Amtrak’s expenditures are due to the immense capital needs of its infrastructure, particularly the Northeast Corridor, not the operating costs of the long-distance trains. These operating cost figures should be cited with caution. Critics often refer to the â€Å"loss per passenger† of the longdistance trains. However, each long-distance train passenger is the equivalent of five short distance train passengers because of the greater distances traveled.More importantly, these â€Å"loss per passenger† figures often include not only the â€Å"avoidable† costs of operating individual long-distance trains (such as the cost of diesel fuel) but all of the shared costs that Amtrak incurs for the benefit of both long-distance and co rridor trains (such as the cost of mechanical facilities, Amtrak’s computer systems, and stations like Los Angeles Union Station). Including shared costs produces inflated and misleading â€Å"loss† figures, since these costs will not go away if long-distance trains are eliminated. Eliminating all long-distance trains would produce negligible cost savings in the first few ears because Amtrak must pay labor protection to impacted employees. When these payments end after five years, the savings would still be minimal—around $300 million annually, or about a quarter of Amtrak’s annual appropriation in recent years. Eliminating individual trains produces even fewer savings—most of the shared costs of Amtrak’s long-distance network would remain. Additionally, Amtrak continues to make changes to its long-distance trains that will improve revenue and finances for the system. Amtrak exited from the mail and express business in 2004, resulting in sho rter and more convenient schedules, with reduced labor costs.The repair of wreck-damaged equipment continues and will allow Amtrak to increase capacity, and therefore revenues, on long-distance trains, which often sell out. Amtrak began a Simplified Dining Service on most long-distance trains in early 2006. These changes will help further reduce the losses of long-distance trains. 1 Intercity Passenger Rail Transportation: AASHTO, 2002. 2 Analysis of the Economic Benefits of the Empire Builder, R. L. Banks & Associates: http://www. mdt. state. mt. us/tranplan/docs/empire_builder. pdf Amtrak Government Affairs: February 2009