Finagle A Bagels’ upside-down organization chart Essay

1.What does Finagle A Bagel’s upside-down organization chart suggest about the delegation of authority and coordination techniques within the company? Finagle A Bagels’ upside-down organization chart suggests that the people who are normally on top, support the people who are at the bottom, such as the general managers and workers. This gives general managers the authority to do whatever it takes to alleviate problems in their stores or increase sales. 2.Is Finagle A Bagel a tall or flat organization? How do you know? Finagle A Bagel is a Flat Organization. Flat organizations generally are more responsive to customer demands since decision making power may be given to lower-level employees which is what Finagle a bagel does. Whereas tall organizations have many layers of management which can cause communication to be distorted as if flows from one manager to next before reaching the employee dealing solely with the customer. 3.What values seem to saturate Finagle A Bagel’s corporate culture? The values that seem to permeate Finagles A Bagels’ corporate culture is team work, positive work ethic and strong a support system. 4.Why would Finagle A Bagel build a dough factory that has more capacity than the company needs to supply its stores and its wholesale customers? A reason why Finagle A bagel would build a dough factory that has more capacity than the company needs would be to account for future business growth. By purchasing a factory that is able to produce more then what they currently need, they are leaving open the option of expansion without having to spend more revenue on another factory to compensate for growth.

Fahrenheit 451 Son’s Book Report 9th Grade

Guy Montag, a fireman in the future who burns books, is the main character, and the story is told from his point of view. Mildred is Montag’s wife, who is depressed and watches television all day. Captain Beatty is Montag’s boss and becomes his enemy. Clarisse McClellan, Montag’s 17 year old neighbor, comes from an unconventional family and has a powerful effect on Montag. Professor Faber who is Montag’s friend that helps him by making a plan to reprint books. The Hound who is a mechanical dog that hunts down Montag after he disobeys the law. The events take place in an unnamed time in the future in an American city. There are several settings: the firehouse, Montag’s home, the city streets, and the forest outside the city. In this world, books are banned, and everyone’s lives are isolated from each other. Guy Montag is a fireman and his purpose is to burn books. One day Montag meets a young girl named Clarisse McClellan who helps him realize that his life is empty. When Clarisse dies, and his wife attempts suicide, Montag decides to read books. But in Montag’s world a person caught reading books has his house burned down. Then Montag goes back to work, and he is forced to burn down a house holding books with the owner inside. After that he seeks help from an English professor named Faber, and they make a plan to destroy the firemen and to preserve books by publishing them. Mildred tells the firemen about the books that Montag has been hiding, and he is forced to burn down his own house. When Beatty tries to arrest Montag, he runs away and is pursued by the police. After Montag escapes, he runs into group of people outside the city called â€Å"the Book People. † They hold memories of books they have read and are waiting for a chance to start a new world. I think this is a great book. Ray Bradbury was very descriptive and the story has a great plot, because it was suspenseful. I would recommend it to people because it made me think about the value of books.

A case study of authoritarian parenting

A case study of authoritarian parenting From all the lines of the passage, clearly Sammy was raised under authoritarian parenting style. Authoritarian parents are adult-centered, demanding and punitive which based on their authority and power. This conclusion can be drawn from the scenario that Sammy’s parents had high expectations on her academic performance and let her further her study. Moreover, authoritarian parents would set straight standards of behavior and allowed little open dialogue. Because of this, Sammy rarely had a chance to express her wills and feelings. They adopted nagging and complaining once they noticed Sammy not working, but not other moderate method persuasion, such as affection, praising and rewards (Moore, 1992). Sammy recalled that she didn’t have a clue when their peaceful verbal interaction was, this not only because the parental control over Sammy was high, her parents spent little time on nurturance and giving response as they were both busy working. These are the major barrier s lead to poor communication. Also, rather than questioning why she was hindering behind on academic aspect, Sammy’s parents nagged and complained instead. The criticism of the parents had created lots of conflicts owing to the rebellious thoughts of Sammy. Hence, there was hardly a conversation between them. The lack of disclosure of themselves, made they not understand each other’s thoughts and feelings easily. This brought a lot of negative influences to their relationship, that, this caused a vicious circle to the link between them. Sammy did not know her identity and her interests. These were the symptoms complied with the idea of â€Å"Identity Crisis† suggested by Erikson (1968). Sammy stuck at the fidelity stage of Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. By Erikson, it is the crossroad of transforming to adulthood from childhood. Clearly, Sammy was experiencing confusion in her roles which may haunt her in her mature years. Additionally, Sam my felt she was not as competent as her friends and classmates as well as not as pretty looking as her sister. These show that she lacked confidence. Clearly, Sammy was not satisfied with her body image, which body image was defined as the perception to one’s appearance, and it had a strong correlation to the concept of self. Additionally, female were more unsatisfied than male in terms of their appearance (Stowers and Durm, 1996), hence Sammy, a lady, maybe more negatively affected by her look. These factors have done lots of bad impacts to her physical self of Four Developmental Areas of Self (Hanna, Suggett, and Radtke, 2010). Moreover, the learning abilities, the motivation, beliefs and attitude towards learning of Sammy is surely low. This is a result of being raised under authoritarian parenting. Children under authoritarian parting are less individuated, perform more poorly on cognitive tests and see their parents as more restrictive (Baumrind, 1991). Moreover, a study of adolescents in the San Francisco Bay Area found that the authoritarian parenting style was linked with lower school grades for all ethnic groups (Dornbusch et al 1987). Consequently, Sammy was probably experiencing problems in her mental self of Four Developmental Areas of Self (Hanna, Suggett, and Radtke, 2010). Since Sammy was not doing well on both mental-self and physical-self, it poorly affected the integration with other two aspects, the emotional self and social self. Since the â€Å"selves† should be integrated in a complete model to form a whole self. Otherwise, the selves are mutually affected either. Hence, Sammy was poorly affected making her graded low in self-esteem. As a result, low self-esteem affects academic performance and classroom behaviors (Baker, Beer, and Beer, 1991), and also accounted for loneliness and depression ( Bothwell and Scott, 1997). She was not confident in her. By theory of fulfilling prophecy, she self predicted that she could never f inish tasks as good as others, though there was no evidence to prove she was biologically and physically worse than others.

Product, Sales and Marketing Orientation at Kelloggs Assignment

Product, Sales and Marketing Orientation at Kelloggs - Assignment Example The sales strategy is directly based on forecasting and predicting the future demand and supply for a particular product. Extensive research encompassing both primary and secondary research is used to forecast the demand for a particular product. The forecast is used to derive the sales strategy. This type of sales strategy helps in generating a realistic demand for the product and also enables better achievement of the sales targets. The market orientation of Kellogg’s is towards creating more value in the brand and establishes the brand as a formidable entity in the market. It also adopts a brand based product strategy that allows it to target multiple consumer segments (Wayne's State University, n.d.) Types of needs, wants and demands Kellogg’s Customers The demands as well as needs and wants for Kellogg’s consumers are constantly changing. ... In the case of Kellogg’s this assumes even more significance considering the fact that the product category is such that the demands of the consumers are changing rapidly. Also, there is a huge competition in the market that makes it necessary to conduct market research. Market research can help the company understand the actual demands of the consumers as well as gaps in the product offering so as to formulate a product offering the fills the gaps in customer expectations that is the key element to success (Nykiel, 2003, p.18). Qualitative versus Quantitative Research Qualitative research involves analyzing data without using number while qualitative research involves the use of numbers to undertake a statistical analysis of the data. The questions used in qualitative research are probing in nature while those of quantitative are not probing in nature. The sample size in qualitative research is also smaller as compared to quantitative research where the sample size is larger. Qualitative researches are also less prone to replicate that is the findings cannot be generalized while the case is the reverse in case of quantitative research analysis methods.     

Organizational Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organizational Management - Term Paper Example The range of theories on leadership highlights the multidimensional nature of the concept. However, the primary theories of leadership such as trait theory, behavioral theory, and contingency theory have more or less remained the same. This paper on Leadership Theories, studies the various theories of leadership against the background of U.S. military, and explores the manner in which these theories influence the various aspects of the military as an organization. The armed forces continuously seek to improve their efficiency and leadership by evaluating various forms of leadership and application of various leadership principles. In order to achieve effective leadership, the army relies on both the traditional as well as contemporary leadership theories and instances of effective leadership drawn from corporate organizations and applies the same within their own setting. According to the army, the term leadership is defined as â€Å"influencing people by providing purpose, directio n, and motivation, while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization† (NA, 2004, p.5). The various concepts and theories of leadership as it pertains to the U.S. Army are described in the following sections. Leadership in the U.S. Army: The army believes in effective leadership which aims to not only motivate the followers / soldiers but also ensure that they are trained appropriately to enhance their skills. The officers in the army are likely to encounter various critical situations in their day to day lives, and particularly in cases of war, where they are entrusted with a responsibility to lead their troops safely and successfully towards the final accomplishment of their missions. The leaders in the army, hence, are expected to motivate their followers, and apply their skill, personal and ethical values, tactical expertise and most of all, lead them fearlessly towards their common goals. Leadership as observed in various cases, comprises of a wide var iety of elements and characteristics, and hence in order to truly understand the true essence of leadership as applied in various forms of organizations and organizational sectors, it is essential to study various theories and models of leadership, as there is no single and right way to study leadership. It is multidimensional in nature, and every theory can be applied differently in different situations. It must be taken into consideration that in order to become a good leader, the application of various theories of leadership is essential, one theory alone cannot help in making a good and efficient leader. The primary theories of leadership, discussed in the following section, help in understanding various leadership theories and the various ways in which these leadership theories can be and are implemented by the U.S. Army. Primary Leadership theories: The primary theories of leadership include trait theory, behavior theory and contingency theory but for the purpose of this study other theories of leadership such as transformational theory and servant-leadership style, and the situational leadership theories are also included for a broader understanding. Trait theory Northhouse (2007, p.3) the term leadership refers to a process by which an individual seeks to influence the others for the accomplishment of a common goal. The leaders seek to motivate their subordinates to achieve the common organizational goals based on their own personal characteristics such as

Cloud Computing Services - International Business Machines Assignment - 2

Cloud Computing Services - International Business Machines - Assignment Example President of Fujitsu Masami Yamamoto briefed on the alliance and hoped they will earn the long-term growth at a global level to become competitive and comprehensive (OSAWA). Microsoft values IT services for business through making innovations. Microsoft follows the ISO 27001:2005 accreditation. Employees are enabled to access the cloud computing services at any time and any place. Cost of the development of a critical infrastructure in avoided by Cloud computing services (Microsoft). IBM is another example of a global business that deals with the largest public as well as private sectors of the world. IBM is in direct competition with the Amazon.com. IBM is making efforts to win a big share of the market based on its broad technology offers and industry knowledge. IBH has identified the cloud computing as a major contributor the revenue including the data analysis software and technology systems for urban areas. However, IBM changed the business strategy and valued the smaller sized companies for increasing their share in the market (ANTE). â€Å"Cloud First† strategy of US government is becoming fast as Federal budget 2011 was focused on the incorporation of Cloud Computing in order to reduce costs and increase the efficiency (Chandrasekaran and Kapoor). Based on the above examples, it is known the cloud computing is the ultimate need of the global companies in the future. Innovation in the corporation is driven by the power of Cloud Computing technologies. Now a small business company can trap the resources and increase the capacity for growth in the busy periods. Money is saved on various fronts such as the server maintenance, cooling costs, software licensing, and up gradation of the applications. Microsoft also presents that companies can save the budget on the hardware, which is never, used (Microsoft). Information security governance Model such as COBIT leverages the operations and infrastructures of the large and global corporations.     

The Chinese Room Argument Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Chinese Room Argument - Research Paper Example Strong AI is intended to try and be like human in their cognition or even supersede him in their capability to solve problems. However, John Searle argues against the idea, he says that consciousness is an emergent property of a physical system that is only caused by a particular kind of physical process, and it is absurd to relate consciousness with a proper behavior. He further maintains that it is not worth thinking that consciousness is there, just because you have the right behavior. Computers are not conscious because they behave in the correct way, because the physical processes involved in human mind and computers are different. According to him, the basic physics and processes are everything. A person is likely to think that other people are conscious not because they operate as you do, but because it is evidently known that the physical performance of their brains are basically the same: and the same common kinds of physical effects occur in their brains as yours, therefore, the same emergent properties can be expected. My opinion is totally in contrast with Searle’s view that seems to divide things into two perspectives, that is the physical objects and abstraction of a physical system that also appears to be different in all. According to my understanding, the distinction between different kinds of properties is inconsistent. In human beings and other living things, emergent properties are caused by the processes within them as it is in the artificially made objects. The only difference here is artificial, but in real sense the emergent property is general to both AI and the human brains. It is clear in response which includes the range of actions made by artificial objects, organisms or systems in relation to the environment in which they exist. The surrounding could include other systems, other organisms or even the physical environment. This response is

What does it mean to have a canon in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essay

What does it mean to have a canon in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - Essay Example is in this context that in all the religions, canons are considered to be monotheistic, containing messages directing towards the supreme power, the Almighty God and put stress on the moral responsibilities of human beings to emphasize its consequences on the Judgment Day. As canons are considered to be the depiction of different ideologies and principles of different religions, it is likely that the approaches detailed in the canons of Judaism, Christianity and Islam will also possess certain variances1. Canon, in Judaism, reflects the scripture of Torah of Moses, detailing on the period before the birth of the Christ. The Jewish canon stresses on the belief that Moses was the one who got enlightened by the commandments of God, as depicted in the Jewish Bible. Jewish canon procures 10 books, which is however less than the Canon of Septuagint Greek. To be noted in this regards, in the canon of Judaism, 24 books give similar information to that presented in the 39 books of the Old Testaments of Christianity2. The Jewish canon is divided in three sections of Torah, Prophets and Writings. As similar to any other culture, canon in Judaism also holds considerable significance to its followers. As often noted, it is considered as the â€Å"Book of Beginnings† in Judaism, which apparently portrays its theological meaning in the religion3. Argumentatively, the orientation of canon in Christianity is much complex and multidimensional as compared to other religions. At the onset, it is divided into two sections, i.e. the Old Testament canon and the New Testament canon4. It is in this context that the inclusion of various books of Old Testament canon in other religions, such as in Samaritanism and Judaism, has led to many disputes among the believers. However, the New Testament is considered to hold a significant difference in noting the beliefs of Christianity as differing from that of the other religions5. Irrespective of such differences, it is noteworthy that the canon

Why did Radical Republicans Abandoned Women Seeking Rights after the Essay

Why did Radical Republicans Abandoned Women Seeking Rights after the Civil War - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the reasoning and events that took place that drove radical Republicans from acknowledging women's rights and why women in general stopped supporting the Republican Party. As Anna Yeatman (1993) explains it, "the dominant discourses of modern citizenship are predicated on systemic exclusions of those who are othered by these discourses" (quoted in Kingfisher, 1998, p. 128). When "woman" is added to the previously mentioned descriptors, another layer of exclusion is added. For example, the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, enacted after the Civil War, granted suffrage rights to black men, but excluded women of all races.i The famous line from the Constitution that "All men are created equal" was written completely literally; this line did not include women or slaves as they were considered property. The founding fathers did not think twice when it came to denying the freedoms they had fought for to others, and it has been a long struggle since then to reclaim equal rights for all. Even with constitutional amendments making discrimination based on sex or skin color illegal, it still seems as though the white men in their suits have some sort of advantage over everyone not exactly like them. This undoubtedly is one of the reasons why Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have seemed like such a breath of fresh air in this year's political landscape. Of course, with this year's main democratic candidates being a black man and a white women running for president, it's easy to forget that it was President Lincoln's Republican Party that emancipated the slaves and supported women's rights. So why exactly were the slaves freed in 1865 and women weren't given the right to vote until 1920 The women's rights movement and the abolition movement were conjoined before the Civil War, but afterwards, the Republican Party that had been given so much support by women in the abolition movement promptly dropped their support for equal rights for women. To begin explaining how all of this took place, it is necessary to go back one hundred years before the emancipation of the slaves to obtain a more complete story. The society of 1750's was still highly centered on the farm. Since there was so much work required to be done around a farm, men and women had to invest there full time into the work required. As factories began to become more prominent, many of the traditional jobs delegated to women began to change. These factories took the place of many jobs, such spinning and weaving, and this left women with much more time on their hands. With this extra time, they searched for ways to be more productive. They formed different organizations, some social, and these organizations became the foundations of many women's rights groupsii. The accepted notion of the time was that men and women belonged to different "spheres" of work and socializing, and that it was inappropriate for either men or women to cross the boundaries of these spheres. Men were supposed to work and engage in politics, while women were supposed cook, clean, and take care of the children. It is important to remember that at this time men thought that women should remain submissive. They were thought to have weak constitutions and needed men to take care of them. Throughout the history of the women's rights movement, this attitude was so prevalent that some women even spoke out against being given the right to vote, thinking that it gave too much responsibility. After being told that they were inferior for so long, they apparently began to think that the way they were treated was fair. It took a lot of courage for a woman during this time period

Research on Occupy Movement Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

On Occupy Movement - Research Paper Example Various well known scholars joined in the movement such as Peter Funke, Harry Vanden, Ednie Garrison and Robert Benford among others. The Wall Street became a part of this movement as the organizations located in this financial district played an important part in the economic crisis of 2008 which marked the Great Recession. The protest is mainly against the richer section of the society. The movement mainly focuses on the slogan, â€Å"We are the 99%†, which refers to the growing disparity of wealth in the society in between the richer section of 1% and the rest 99% of the population. Moreover, they are continuously enhancing their income rates as compared to the remaining 99%. Thus, the 1% population holding the 99% of income and wealth are enjoying a much lavish lifestyle whereas the living standard of 99% populace is declining (Melendez, â€Å"Professors Dissect Occupy Movement†). In addition, the great recession increased the gap between the rich and the poor secti ons. The 99% of the population faced numerous problems such as unemployment in spite of having quality degree along with inequality, wage difference and poverty among others. The government of America was neither fair nor sympathetic towards the 99% population of the society. ... The protests are mainly due to the inequality, unemployment, low wage, financial crisis and problems related with basic needs such as food, shelter and health care among others, which are not realized by the richer section. Therefore, the wealthier section of the society is increasing their income rates along with the wealth and thus relishing their lives with great pleasure. On the other side, the poorer section has been the main victim of these circumstances, which is acting as a curse in their life (Hertzberg, â€Å"Occupational Hazards†). Argument and Discussion The occupy movement is the enduring gripe against the gap among the 1% and the 99% populace of America. The protest has spread in various places throughout the world very rapidly and has drawn in not only the scholars but also the students and general individuals as well. The movement included a slogan, which focused mainly on the growing  indifference  in the society. The movement highlights the discrepancies such as unemployment, low wages, inequalities, economic migrants, financial crisis as well as problems related to primary needs such as food, shelter and health care. The slogan states that the 99% of the population is enduring the pain of lower financial stability as compared to richer individuals. Thus, the problem of unemployment is increasing among the 99% of the general population (Hertzberg, â€Å"Occupational Hazards†). Moreover, they are also facing the problem of unemployment due to recession and economic changes as well. Due to these problems the 99% populations are becoming much poorer as compared to the rest 1% of the society. Similarly, on the other side, the 1% of the remaining population is doubling their income rates along with the wealth and

Native American Essay Example for Free

Native American Essay It is believed that the Hopi are the Native American tribe that has been living for the longest time in the same place. They arrived in the arid region of Northwest Arizona probably over a thousand years ago, and traditionally lived in the cultivation of corn and other plants, for which they achieved a very careful use of water and space. Despite the friction between the Hopi and both the Navajo and the Western, resulting from the invasion of both cultures of the Hopi lands in the past, they are one of the few aboriginal groups who maintain their culture until today. Their villages are ancient, some with a history of 1000 years. They have developed a reputation for basketry and sculpt miniatures. They are owners and operators of a cultural center, a museum and a hotel complex. According to Hopi tradition, the history of mankind is divided into periods they call worlds, which are separated by terrible natural disasters: the first world fell in the fire, the second by the ice and the third by water. Our present world, the fourth according to their prophecies, is coming to an end and will give way to a new world in the not too distant future. In total, humanity must walk through seven worlds. Hopi Indians claim that their ancestors were visited by beings from the stars who moved on flying shields or thundering birds and who dominated the art of cutting and carrying huge blocks of stone, as well as to build tunnels and underground facilities. These rescuers were called katchinas, meaning wise, honorable and respected. Katchinas were able to save the Hopi from some disasters, and they taught them to observe the stars, cutting roots, enforce laws and a long list of activities. They multiplied as people, and from them emerged clans and nations that extended across America. Hopi means peaceful or civilized person in Hopi language. Fascinated by the Hopi language linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897-1941) became inspired on his research on the Hopi to formulate his principle of linguistic relativity, which states that the language in which people operate affects their view of reality. When Whorf studied the tribe of the Hopi, he was surprised to find that the Hopi language words cannot express the past, the present and the future. The Hopi see life as a continuum and that is why they need not to describe the meaning of time as we do. According to Whorf, the lack of isomorphism between the Amerindians and the English language indicates a basic difference in thinking that is culturally acquired by the individual in the process of language acquisition. The Hopi language, according to Whorf, has a much larger number of verbs than names, unlike European languages, and this is reflected for instance in a different conception of time and motion and this is very important for the following: The Hopi conceive time and movement in a purely operational way – a matter of complexity and scale of those operations that connect facts so that the time element is not separated from the element of space, which enters as a part of the operation regardless of the former. Whorf tells us that one could assume that the Hopi, who know – initially only the language and cultural ideas of their own society, have the same notions of time and space that we have, or that concepts such as time and space involve intuitions that are universal. Yet this is not true, the Hopi do not have – originally a general notion or intuition of time that elapses uniformly and in which everything in the universe goes by the same pace. Though this theory has been observed for several decades, it has also been the target of attacks and criticisms, including those of the well-known professor emeritus of languages Ekkehart Malotki, a specialist in Hopi culture, who argues on his studies that the Hopi language contains various tenses, metaphors and units of time. These include days, number of days, parts and kinds of days, such as yesterday, morning, day, week, month, months, lunar phases, seasons and years. The Hopi live, move and exist within their religion, they fit into the description that anthropologist Mircea Eliade makes of the archaic or religious man , which perceive both the environment and the human actions as sacred, and who is able to respond to this sacredness in the sense that they repeat the exemplary models that they’ve received from their ancestors. The perception of a primordial temporality, as opposed to our Western linear temporality, responds to how they perceive objects and actions in the world. The objects are not perceived as themselves, in isolation, but as participants in a web of meaning that shapes totality, in this way everything is done and acquires significant value in response to other things to which it relates. In relation to actions, each action has an exemplary model, which was inaugurated by a mythical ancestor (for the Hopi, the katchinas), who initiated the action and forged its exemplariness or genuineness, which is now repeated: the paramountcy of time in the repetition of exemplary actions. We see that the difference between the Hopi and Western temporalities can be explained from the meaning of human actions on both cultures, in our Western culture in everything we do we are affected by the past, and we act in response to the consequences that we can get done in the future, however Hopi perceive time as a unit, a continuum, and the actions that ultimately shape their perceptions are not divided in a linear temporality (past-present-future) as they are a constant repetition of the key, mythical actions. This means that the Hopi continually celebrate with their doings a more genuine status of things.

No Child Left Behind Essay Example for Free

No Child Left Behind Essay The education policy that I chose is on education today and the influence of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. In 2001, President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act. The NCBL is a United States Act of Congress, which includes Title 1 (program for disadvantaged students offered by the government). This Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills. Each state is required to give these assessments to all students to receive federal school funding. This Act does not set the standards nationwide; each individual state sets the standards. Diane Ravitch, an education philosopher was a supporter of this Act when it was being passed. She believed that every child had the right to a proper education. As the years passed she acquired more experience and knowledge on the Act, and is now completely opposed to the NCLB Act. Ravitch believes that the states dumb down the standards in light of the NCLB. The question now is: is the No Child Left Behind Act seeking to repair the problem, or is it the cause? Under NCLB, the accountability of a childs education is examined by the Federal government and turned into the hands of the state. This was the first time an American president has set a goal of universal proficiency in reading and mathematics for all children. The federal emphasis on literacy, reading, and mathematics emphasizes teacher and school accountability, with negative consequences when schools do not meet established improvement goals (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). Under NCLB the state must have accountability provisions that include how they will close the achievement gap. According to the Department of Education the achievement gap is defined as such; The difference between how well low-income and minority children perform on standardized tests as compared with their peers. For many years, low-income and minority children have fallen behind their white peers in terms of academic achievement (Department of Education, 2002). States must also monitor that every student not excluding the disadvantaged achieve academic proficiency. Yearly assessments must be produced to inform parents of the progress of both the state and the  community. Schools that do not meet the academic proficiency standards must offer supplemental services and take corrective action. If within five years the school is still not making yearly progress, than dramatic changes in the schools academic direction must be made. Dramatic changes according to the Department of Education are defined as follows; †¦additional changes to ensure improvement. The definition raises the question of whether there is a plan for failure at all. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, in its National Report Card shows that these goals may be falling short. Students in fourth grade show temporary improvement in math right after No Child Left Behind became a law, but returned to pre-reform growth rate. The NAEP estimates that by 2014 less than 25% of financially challenged and African American students will achieve NAEP proficiency in reading. Using the same time frame less than half the financially challenged and African American students will obtain proficiency in math. With so much pressure on the states to perform well, a trend is becoming apparent that they are inflating proficiency levels of students. This causes discrepancies between the NAEP and state assessments especially among the financially challenged, African American, and Hispanic students. With no sufficient evidence shown on that NCLB is working, the question is as follows; is the federal government capable of running our school systems? There are undoubtedly dangers in the public school system teaching a federally mandated curriculum. When one controls peoples perception of history, one controls the present. There is, of course, a point to be made that if the nations children are kept in watered down public schools, positions of power will be opened to the children of the aristocracy, who without fail, are being sent to private schools. So many of those Politicians who stand in the way of allowing poor children to escape failing schools, send their own children to private schools (sic). In New York City, where I have spent most of my professional life, both the current and the past chancellor of schools sent their children to private schools. Six of the seven members of the now-defunct Board of Education had  also sent their children to private schools at one time or another. One might add to the list other notables in New York-the governor, the mayor, the leaders of both houses of the legislature, and the junior U.S. senator (and former first lady). In fact, I cannot remember a mayor of the city who sent his children to public school (Viteritti, 2003). The reports of success of NCLB are encouraging to those who support the project. There have been schools in Sterling, Virginia and New York City that have received No Child Left Behind blue ribbons for their success in closing the achievement gap. Other schools have earned national praise for instituting such curriculum as Fit for the Future, a standards-based health and fitness curriculum for grades 1-10; and an anti-bullying intervention program in York, Pennsylvania (Department of Education, 2005). These programs are used to show the benefits of NCLB but are they academic necessities? The curriculum in a kindergarten class in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin included a lesson entitled The Little Convincer. In which a state trooper came into the classroom with a mechanism designed to simulate a car accident. In a discussion about car seat laws, a topic critics of the curriculum call too heady for kindergarteners, the students, ages five to six years old, were asked repeatedly which one of them were actively using car seats, and whether their parents wore seat belts as well. One child who innocently told the officer that his daddy did not wear his seatbelt was told by the trooper that his daddy could go through the windshield and the glass would cut his face and arms like ribbons, and once he hit the road, the car would roll on top of him. The dramatic lesson ended with each of the students taking a turn in the mechanism that simulated the car crash. The officer would speak softly to the child asking them questions about their class or the clothes that they were wearing and when the child began to speak would jerk them forward violently to teach them that an accident could happen at anytime. The question is, are these academic lessons that parents assume that their children are attending school for? Is placing the curriculum in the hands of legislators going to further our childrens grasp of the three Rs as most parents hope, or are they going to be taught how to become complacent law abiding citizens? The problem in purposing that the public school system is flawed beyond repair is offering an alternative that people are comfortable with. When a conversation about privatizing the school system begins many questions must be answered to abate the fears of the public. Would privatizing schools be affordable to all families? Many debates have waged on the validity of a voucher program, allowing families to choose any school they desire whether it is parochial, private, public, or chartered. Without public schools, there are no taxes necessary to support the program, and that money can be returned to the families of school aged children, creating extra funds for private education. In a system of free market education the individual and specialized institutions of learning would have to compete for students, because the money would be linked to the students themselves. Never in the history of the free market have advances been made without competition. When the monopoly on our childrens future ends, a true marketplace of ideas will be born. In an interview with US News, Ravitch was asked What needs to happen to make the law more effective for school? she responded I think the main thing to change is . . . to get rid of the remedies and the sanctions because the remedies dont work and the sanctions dont work. What No Child Left Behind has given the United States is an atmosphere of punitiveness. The word accountability has come to be a synonym for punish. If students dont learn, its the teachers fault. Fire the teachers. Close the schools. Were now on a wrecking mission to destroy American public education. Ravitch has completely rejected this Act, and believes we should do something to make our education system stronger. I questioned? Is the No Child Left Behind Act seeking to repair the problem, or is it the cause? I now have the answer. The NCLB Act sounded very tempting as it was passed by congress, and many like Diane Ravitch had hopes in such a great project for our education system, but everything is not perfect. The NCBL offers great support to schools, although standardized testing is not the correct way of determining the amount of financial support each school deserves or requires. After long hours of research I believe that the No Child Left Behind Act has taken a part in the cause of our problem in our education system today. Schools will not improve if the value is set only on what is tested. The tests we have now provide useful information about students progress in reading and mathematics, but they cannot measure what matters most in education. (Ravitch. The Death and Life of The Great American School System, pg. 226) In order to improve our public school system we must start by focusing on our schools, offering them an authentic and sincere education that encourages our students to learn.

Analysis of Refugee Protection Mechanisms

Analysis of Refugee Protection Mechanisms INTRODUCTION On any given day, thousands of individuals including women and children from all parts of the world are forced to flee their homes for fear of persecution or to escape the dangers of armed conflicts and other refugee-creating force making claims for refugee status in foreign countries. If the key in defining who a refugee is, should not be the reason for leaving ones country but rather the reason for being unable or unwilling to return to it, then in contemporary international system, the problems of border control and trans-boundary flows of asylum seekers are ever relevant to states as well as to the academic researchers in the field of International Relations. After the crises in the management of refugees during World War II, international bodies, primarily United Nations, has allocated significant proportions of its attention and its resources to build up and develop norms of refugee protection as part of the international system of governance. The primary goal of the collective attempts was to lay down the basics for refugee protection in cases of political turmoil, civil or national wars and ethnic conflicts. These attempts, though, were not only the results of the dramatic event of World War II as hinted above, but also accompanied the development of Human Rights regimes at the global level since the late years of the 1940s. It is in this context that the Convention related to the status of Refugees had been drafted and was released on 28th July, 1951. Additional international document in the field is the 1967 Protocol Relating to the status of Refugees known as the New York Protocol. According to the UNHCR 2008 Global Trends report, there were some 42 million forcibly displaced people worldwide at the end of 2008. This includes 15.2 million refugees, 827000 asylum-seekers (pending cases) and 26 million internally displaced person (IDPs).[1] The legal obligations requiring that receiving states not return these refugees to situations of serious human rights abuse derive from international law, but does the so-called international refugee law clearly determine how governments respond to involuntary migration? If the answer is yes then why do states pay lip service to the important of honouring the right to seek asylum, but in practice devote significant resources to keep refugees away from their borders.[2] My work will attempt to evaluate the international refugee system so as to discover whether the norms in the system for refugee protection constitute an international regime, as defined by international relations literature in order to show that if it is a regim e, then states are no longer afforded the full freedom of action and decision making under the doctrine of sovereignty and that they have a certain level of obligation to abide by regime rules and help in the upkeep of the regime. International regime is increasingly in a state of crisis. While armed conflict and human rights abuse continue to force individuals and groups to flee, many governments are retrenching from their legal duty to provide refugees with the protection they require. In this work, I will attempt to explain among other things, refugee laws increasingly marginal role in defining the international response to refugee protection. This will lead me to suggest the basic principles upon which I believe reformulation of international refugee protection mechanisms should be predicated. Refugee law must be reaffirmed, bolstered and perhaps reconceived to respond to this serious deterioration in the rights and security of refugees. This thesis will evaluate the international legal mechanisms for refugee protection. Its premise is that refugee law is a mode of human rights protection. The paper will address the legal definition of a refugee, refugee rights and the institutional and procedural structur es through which claims for protection are evaluated. It will clearly define and apply contemporary legal standards, within an international and domestic legal context, and subject the present domestic and international regime to critical scrutiny. TOPIC AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work is to closely look at the international refugee protection system that is made up of the various conventions, treaties and regional agreements, and domestic refugee policies, in order to determine whether or not the system constitute an international regime. The purpose of trying to discover whether these mechanisms for refugee protection do or do not constitute an international regime is to show that the members of the regime (i.e. signatory states to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol, regional agreements and those states that have enshrined the Convention in to their domestic asylum policies) thus have their actions restricted considerably by the very fact that they are members of the regime. They are no longer allowed the full freedom and decision-making afforded to them under the doctrine of state sovereignty. Regime plays important role in the international system in bringing about co-operation and stability. In my analysis of regime theory, I will attem pt a highlight of the role the refugee protection regime plays within the international system as a whole and discuss whether the roles are changing. THESIS QUESTION: In lieu with the above, this paper will attempt to address the following thesis questions: Do the contemporary refugee protection mechanisms in the international system constitute an international regime? If the system of protection is an international regime, what kind of regime does it represent? What are its characteristics and how is it important? How are restrictive measures adopted by states affecting the international protection regime? Specifically, do they account for the change within or of, the regime, or a weakening of the regime itself? What is the role of the regime within the international system as a whole, and how is this role evolving especially in the face of states use of restrictive measures? THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK The study will use the Rationalist approach to regime theory. The mainstream rationalist theories of (interest- based) neo-liberalism and (power-based) neo-realism are the basis for the theoretical framework for this write-up. The focus on neoliberal or interest based theory of regime represents the fact that it has been extraordinarily influential in the past (two) decades and have come to represent the mainstream approach to analyzing international institutions.[3] The work will however not be limited to these two theories. In a situation where millions of innocent lives are at stake each year and states come together to attempt to solve the existing problems and potentially stop it from occurring in the future, the researcher believes that it is not rational to assume that state action is driven by self interest and power politics alone. In contrast, state behavior within the international refugee protection regime largely comes from humanitarian concerns for people in need and fr om respect for international human rights law and international humanitarian law. It is in this light that the thesis will also consider the use of constructivist paradigm so as to show the importance of international norms, rules and principles, both within the regime itself and the role they play within the domestic asylum policy. SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY The work will aim at addressing the contemporary mechanisms in the international system for the protection of refugees focusing on post WWII onwards to current from historical perspective. While looking at the restrictive measures that states across the entire international system practice, the researcher will not undertake a close examination of any specific state within the international system of protection, but rather would address the system as a whole in an attempt to define and analyze its contents, discuss its importance in the international system and analyze the various changes that may be occurring within it and how these may affect the regime. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The methodological framework of this research is a qualitative one. This study will use interpretivism as its main research philosophy. A descriptive research intends to present facts concerning the nature and status of a situation, as it exists at the time of the study (Creswell, 1994). It is also concerned with relationships and practices that exist, beliefs and process that are on-going, effects that are being felt or trends that are developing. In addition, such approach tries to describe present conditions, events or systems based on the impressions or reactions of the respondents of the research (Creswell, 1994). Unlike quantitative research methods, which largely use a positivist epistemological position, qualitative research methods are based on an interpretivist epistemological position which stresses the understanding of the social world through an examination of the interpretation of that world by its participants. Interpretivism holds a different logic of research procedure from positivism. It seeks to understand human behavior, instead of just explaining it, which is what positivism seeks to do. The ontology of qualitative methods is constructivist, which contends that social phenomenon is continually being accomplished by social actors- they are produced through social interaction and are thus constantly being revised.[4] Basically, a descriptive research utilizes observations and surveys. It is for this particular reason that this approach was chosen by the researcher, whose intention is to gather first hand data. Moreover, this will allow for a flexible approach that when important new issues and questions arise at the duration of the study, a further investigation can be conducted. Another advantage is that with this approach, the research will be fast and somehow cost-effective. Aside from the qualitative finding method, secondary research will be conducted in this study. Sources in secondary research will include previous research reports, existing findings on journals and existing knowledge on books, newspapers, magazines and in the internet. The study will undertake an extensive review of the relevant literature on the subject of refugee flow, asylum policy, border control, state sovereignty, international humanitarian and human rights laws, and international refugee law. Basically, interpretation will be conducted which can account as qualitative in nature. STRUCTURE OF THE PAPER CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION In the first chapter, the researcher will introduce the aim of the thesis and formulates the research questions. The methodology of the thesis, a secondary research method and a qualitative, interpretivist, constructivist approaches will be outlined. Finally, the relevant theoretical and empirical literature will be reviewed. CHAPTER 2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK This chapter will present the rationalist approach to regime theory, including neoliberal and neorealist theories. These theories are chosen as the theoretical framework for the thesis and will be used to evaluate the international mechanisms for refugee protection so as to discover whether or not the system constitutes an international regime considered as legal. CHAPTER 3. THE INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE PROTECTION MECHANISMS: AN INTERNATIONAL REGIME? The third chapter will firstly provide the definitions of the key terms discussed in the work. Then, it will discuss the historical background of the system. It will further discuss the three major components of the refugee protection mechanisms in the international system namely: the legal documents (various conventions, treaties and regional agreements), the protection bodies (UN bodies, human rights organizations, among others) and finally domestic refugee policy. The chapter will finally show how these three levels of protection are integrated to form the refugee protection mechanism. CHAPTER 4. THE REFUGEE PROTECTION MECHANISMS AS AN INTERNATIONAL REGIME. In this chapter, the researcher will attempt a discussion of the various types and components of international regime that exist in the international system. This discussion is then related to the international protection system in an attempt to prove whether or not the system constitutes an international regime, and what type of regime it is. It evaluates the role of the regime and its importance within the international system as a whole. CHAPTER 5. RESTRICTIVE MEASURES In this chapter, a description of the various restrictive measures that states practice in order to cut down the influx of refugees across national borders is presented. The reasons for, and effect of, the restrictive policies are outlined. The concept of state sovereignty in relations to states reasons for, and justification of, the use of restrictive policies will also be discussed in this chapter. CHAPTER 6. RESTRICTIVE POLICIES AND REGIME CHANGE This chapter will outline the neoliberal, neorealist and constructivist explanation of regime transformation. It will attempt to prove whether or not the use of restrictive measures by member states represents a change within, or of, the regime, or a weakening of the international regime of refugee protection. It then discuss the potential impact of the regime weakening on the regime itself, as well as for member states and for the refugees. CHAPTER 7. CONCLUSION This is the conclusive part of the work. The researcher will address the research question and attempts to answer them by providing a summary of the main conclusions about the refugee regimes type, strength and importance, and the role that it plays in the international system and how this is evolving. LITERATURE REVIEW (ANNOTATED) From the initial review of literature, the researcher found resource materials including the following books, legal documents, journals and articles which will provide insights in to the study: ALTERNATIVES, Turkish Journal of International Relations. Volume 5, number 12, spring and summer 2006. Countries have different approaches to refugee protection system. This article can be very useful for the research as it shows that one of the major differences in approaches is the receiving and/or transit status vis-a-vis the refugee flow. Using four European countries- Belgium, Slovenia, Greece and Turkey as cases, the article examines refugee policies and makes an evaluation of differences in refugee protection system that each country develops. Donnelly, Jack, International Human Rights: A Regime Analysis in International Organization, Vol. 40, No. 3 (summer, 1986), 599-642. Donnellys article will be used in order to discover what type of regime the mechanism for protection in the international system is. It is useful for regime analysis. Creswell, J. W. 2003. Research Design: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE. Thousand Oaks. USA. For the researchers choice of method of investigation, a reference to Creswells work on research design will provide great help. Guy S Goodwin-gill: (1996) The Refugee in International Law2nd Edition. Oxford University Press: Oxford. In this book, Goodwin-Gills provide an excellent overview of contemporary international refugee law, the three levels of protection, and the meanings and workings of the treaties and conventions on refugee protection. The book is widely recognized as the leading text on refugee law and as an excellent treatise of the international law on refugee, all the major problems are discussed in a general and lucid way. Hasenclever, Mayer and Rittberger (1997) Theories of International Regimes. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. This book is very essential in the writing of this thesis as it provides an overview of the rationalist approach to regime theory. The book examines in detail the neoliberal and neorealists distinct views on the origins, robustness and consequences of international regimes. Hathaway, James (ed) (1997) Reconceiving International Refugee Law. Martinus Mijhoff Publishers: The Hague. Hathaways Book, a collection of essays by leading migration scholars, will be helpful in that it offers a response to the concerns of many states that refugee protection has become no more than a back door route to permanent immigration. It explores the potential for a shift to a robust and empowering system of temporary asylum, supported by a pragmatic system of guarantees to share both the cost and human responsibilities. Helmut Breitmeier (2008). The Legitimacy of International Regimes. Ashgate Publishing Limited. England. How legitimate are outcomes, outputs and impacts of international regimes? In this book, theoretical and empirical chapters balance one another. The book explores the question whether problem-solving in international regimes is effective and equitable and whether regimes contribute that sates comply with international norms. It also analyses whether non-state actors can improve the output and input-oriented legitimacy of global governance systems. Michelle Foster (2007) International Refugee Law and Social Economic Rights. Refugee from Deprivation. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. A range of emerging refugee claims is beginning to challenge the boundaries of the refugee convention regime and question traditional distinction between economic migrants and political refugees. Fosters book will greatly help in identifying the conceptual and analytical challenges presented by socio-economic deprivation. It undertakes an assessment of the extent to which these challenges may be overcome by a creative interpretation of the refugee convention, consistent with correct principles of international treaty interpretation. Keohane, Robert O., International Institutions: Two Approaches in International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 32, No. 4 (Dec., 1988), 379-396. This is a journal article by Keohane that will also be helpful in formulating the rationalist approach to regime theory. Krasner, Stephen D. (ed) (1989) International Regimes. Cornell University Press: Cambridge This book by Krasner includes articles by various authors on neorealist and neoliberal approaches to regime theory. It also provides sharp criticism of regime theory and so therefore will help the research. Wendt, Alexander, Anarchy is what States Make of it: The Social Construction of Power Politics in International Organization, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Spring, 1992), 391-425 Wendts article will be useful in creating an alternative understanding to neorealism of how and why cooperation occurs in the international system of states. Aside, a variety of conventions, treaties, and agreements Will also be reviewed and referred to, including the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, the Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees, the 1990 Dublin Convention, the 1990 Schengen Convention, the 1977 Treaty of Amsterdam, the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights, the 1981 African Charter on Human and peoples Rights and the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights and its Protocols. These documents can be accessed in the annexes of Guy S, Goodwin-Gills book The Refugee in International Law2nd Edition. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 379-550. 2008 Global Trends: Refugee Asylum- seekers, Returnees, Internally Displaced and Stateless Persons (16 June 2009). James C. Hathaway (Ed.). Re-conceiving International Refugee Law. P. xvii Hasenclever, Mayer and Rittberger (1997) Theories of International Regimes.p.4 Creswell, J.W. (1994) Research design: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. in Bryman (2001) Social Research Methods, Oxford University Press, Oxford, p.264

Malaria Parasite Plasmodium and the Epidemiology of the Disease Essay

The Malaria Parasite Plasmodium and the Epidemiology of the Disease Abstract For ages malaria has affected mankind in almost all parts of the world. It has left a deep imprint on people who have been affected with the disease, and even today in countries where epidemics are common, malaria is a constant threat to people's daily lives. Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium (phylum Apicomplexa), and there are four species in the genus that cause the disease in humans. Their primary hosts and transmission vectors are female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles; humans act as intermediate hosts. Places near the equator with a warm, subtropical climate are most susceptible to malaria endemics. More than half of the cases of malaria occur in sub-Saharan Africa. It was only recently that developments have been made to research the eradication of the disease on a global scale. Malaria, Italian for ?bad air?, is an infectious disease which for nearly 4,000 years has terrorized mankind in many parts of the world. It has greatly influenced human populations and human history, and even today, malaria is a leading cause of disease and death in the world with over one million deaths every year (Sherman 91). This means that every 30 seconds, a person dies from malaria. Unfortunately, the general public knows only little about the disease, which is one of the key reasons as to why so many people suffer from malaria. However, since the turn of the 20th century, a great deal of knowledge has been uncovered by microbiologists about this merciless killer. The biology behind malaria is extremely complex. As opposed to popular belief, malaria is actually a family of four different diseases caused by four different parasi... ...y 1. Day, Nancy. Malaria, West Nile, and other Mosquito-Borne Diseases. London: Enslow Publishers, 2001. 2. Desowitz, Robert S. The Malaria Capers: More Tales of People, Research, and Reality. Greenwich: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. 3. Doolan, Denise L. Malaria Methods and Protocols. Denver: Humana Press, 2002. 4. ?Malaria.? 19 June 2006. Wikipedia. 18 Jul. 2006 . 5. ?Malaria Information.? 30 May 2005. Centers for Disease Control. DDT. 18 Jul 2006 . 6. Roberts, Roger. The Green Killing Fields; the Need for DDT to Defeat Malaria and Reemerging Diseases. AEI Press, 2006. 7. Sherman, Irwin W. Molecular Approaches to Malaria. New York: ASM Press, 2005. 8. The Malaria Eradication Project. Ed. Maya Winifred. May 2000. Indiana University. 22 Jul 2006 . 8 Malaria Parasite Plasmodium and the Epidemiology of the Disease Essay The Malaria Parasite Plasmodium and the Epidemiology of the Disease Abstract For ages malaria has affected mankind in almost all parts of the world. It has left a deep imprint on people who have been affected with the disease, and even today in countries where epidemics are common, malaria is a constant threat to people's daily lives. Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium (phylum Apicomplexa), and there are four species in the genus that cause the disease in humans. Their primary hosts and transmission vectors are female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles; humans act as intermediate hosts. Places near the equator with a warm, subtropical climate are most susceptible to malaria endemics. More than half of the cases of malaria occur in sub-Saharan Africa. It was only recently that developments have been made to research the eradication of the disease on a global scale. Malaria, Italian for ?bad air?, is an infectious disease which for nearly 4,000 years has terrorized mankind in many parts of the world. It has greatly influenced human populations and human history, and even today, malaria is a leading cause of disease and death in the world with over one million deaths every year (Sherman 91). This means that every 30 seconds, a person dies from malaria. Unfortunately, the general public knows only little about the disease, which is one of the key reasons as to why so many people suffer from malaria. However, since the turn of the 20th century, a great deal of knowledge has been uncovered by microbiologists about this merciless killer. The biology behind malaria is extremely complex. As opposed to popular belief, malaria is actually a family of four different diseases caused by four different parasi... ...y 1. Day, Nancy. Malaria, West Nile, and other Mosquito-Borne Diseases. London: Enslow Publishers, 2001. 2. Desowitz, Robert S. The Malaria Capers: More Tales of People, Research, and Reality. Greenwich: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. 3. Doolan, Denise L. Malaria Methods and Protocols. Denver: Humana Press, 2002. 4. ?Malaria.? 19 June 2006. Wikipedia. 18 Jul. 2006 . 5. ?Malaria Information.? 30 May 2005. Centers for Disease Control. DDT. 18 Jul 2006 . 6. Roberts, Roger. The Green Killing Fields; the Need for DDT to Defeat Malaria and Reemerging Diseases. AEI Press, 2006. 7. Sherman, Irwin W. Molecular Approaches to Malaria. New York: ASM Press, 2005. 8. The Malaria Eradication Project. Ed. Maya Winifred. May 2000. Indiana University. 22 Jul 2006 . 8

Sanchez Essay -- essays research papers

The short story "Sanchez," written by Richard Dokey, is a story about Juan Sanchez and his family. "Sanchez" is told in many different settings, which are all unique and represent various feelings that Dokey portrays to his readers. The settings are described realistically; they affect Juan and Jesus in personal ways. The settings vary from a small village in Mexico to the Sierra Nevada in California. At first the story is set in Stockton in the San Joaquin Valley. Jesus, Juan's son, got his first job in a cannery called Flotill. Stockton is shown to be a working town where Juan had lived before. To Jesus, Stockton is his future and his hopes are large enough to shield him from the "skid row" section of town. Jesus was to live in a cheap hotel while he worked in the cannery. The hotel was described as stained, soiled, and smelly (151). Jesus is proud of his room and his job, but Juan only sees them as disappointing. Stockton, for Juan, brings back memories of hard work and time away from his wife, La Belleza. La Belleza was the prime focus of Juan's life and if he was away from her, he definitely wasn't happy; this is why Juan has bad feelings for Stockton. From the hotel, we, as readers, are taken through the town of Stockton. There are torn buildings and rubble all over the place. A "warm and dirty" pool hall was Jesus' "entertainment" (152). This smoky pool hall was recreation for Jesu... Sanchez Essay -- essays research papers The short story "Sanchez," written by Richard Dokey, is a story about Juan Sanchez and his family. "Sanchez" is told in many different settings, which are all unique and represent various feelings that Dokey portrays to his readers. The settings are described realistically; they affect Juan and Jesus in personal ways. The settings vary from a small village in Mexico to the Sierra Nevada in California. At first the story is set in Stockton in the San Joaquin Valley. Jesus, Juan's son, got his first job in a cannery called Flotill. Stockton is shown to be a working town where Juan had lived before. To Jesus, Stockton is his future and his hopes are large enough to shield him from the "skid row" section of town. Jesus was to live in a cheap hotel while he worked in the cannery. The hotel was described as stained, soiled, and smelly (151). Jesus is proud of his room and his job, but Juan only sees them as disappointing. Stockton, for Juan, brings back memories of hard work and time away from his wife, La Belleza. La Belleza was the prime focus of Juan's life and if he was away from her, he definitely wasn't happy; this is why Juan has bad feelings for Stockton. From the hotel, we, as readers, are taken through the town of Stockton. There are torn buildings and rubble all over the place. A "warm and dirty" pool hall was Jesus' "entertainment" (152). This smoky pool hall was recreation for Jesu...

Dr. Martin Luther King :: essays research papers

My impression of Dr. Martin Luther King was always and still is that he was a great leader for the African American people. He was a big leader in the civil rights movement. He was also very involved in the community. Even though I have much respect for Dr. King, I felt he was a â€Å"house† or â€Å"yard† negro leader, the term Malcom X used, and was only interested with civil rights issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term â€Å"house† and â€Å"yard† negroes was what Malcom X called black leaders who were just puppets for the white man. They were there just to keep peace among African American people. Like I stated early I have much respect for Dr. King but I still felt he was like the rest of the black leaders who just preached about nonviolence. The ones who always say, look have far we come from the old days, but in actuality we were no better then, than we were back in the old days. I just felt hat violence was never an option when it came to Dr. King and his beliefs. Until I read his comments and he states, â€Å"we still have a choice today; nonviolent coexistence or violent co annihilation.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I also thought Dr. King was more interested in civil rights than he was human rights. â€Å"How is the black man going to get â€Å"civil right† before first he wins his human right?†(Malcom X). But after reading his comments my views have changed. He stated, â€Å"The limited reforms we have won have been at bargain rates for the power of structure. There are no expenses involved, no taxes are required, for Negroes to share lunch counters, libraries, parks, hotels and other facilities. Even the more substantial reforms such as voting rights require neither monetary or psychological sacrifice. He was also quoted saying â€Å"it a crime for people to live in this rich nation and receive starvation wages.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My opinions of Dr. Martin Luther King, has changed since reading his comments. I went from thinking violence was never a choice for Dr. King to learning that it was. Although I feel that he was still a 100 percent against violence. My main opinion of him has change a great deal. I thought Dr. King was only for the civil rights moment, meaning he would be happy with us just getting our voting rights and every thing else that represented the civil rights movement. Dr. Martin Luther King :: essays research papers My impression of Dr. Martin Luther King was always and still is that he was a great leader for the African American people. He was a big leader in the civil rights movement. He was also very involved in the community. Even though I have much respect for Dr. King, I felt he was a â€Å"house† or â€Å"yard† negro leader, the term Malcom X used, and was only interested with civil rights issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term â€Å"house† and â€Å"yard† negroes was what Malcom X called black leaders who were just puppets for the white man. They were there just to keep peace among African American people. Like I stated early I have much respect for Dr. King but I still felt he was like the rest of the black leaders who just preached about nonviolence. The ones who always say, look have far we come from the old days, but in actuality we were no better then, than we were back in the old days. I just felt hat violence was never an option when it came to Dr. King and his beliefs. Until I read his comments and he states, â€Å"we still have a choice today; nonviolent coexistence or violent co annihilation.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I also thought Dr. King was more interested in civil rights than he was human rights. â€Å"How is the black man going to get â€Å"civil right† before first he wins his human right?†(Malcom X). But after reading his comments my views have changed. He stated, â€Å"The limited reforms we have won have been at bargain rates for the power of structure. There are no expenses involved, no taxes are required, for Negroes to share lunch counters, libraries, parks, hotels and other facilities. Even the more substantial reforms such as voting rights require neither monetary or psychological sacrifice. He was also quoted saying â€Å"it a crime for people to live in this rich nation and receive starvation wages.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My opinions of Dr. Martin Luther King, has changed since reading his comments. I went from thinking violence was never a choice for Dr. King to learning that it was. Although I feel that he was still a 100 percent against violence. My main opinion of him has change a great deal. I thought Dr. King was only for the civil rights moment, meaning he would be happy with us just getting our voting rights and every thing else that represented the civil rights movement.

Strategic Marketing of Giordano

University of La Verne – BUS 567 Service Sector Marketing| Giordano | Positioning for International Expansion| Sheng-I, Chang (Becky)Chang-Ta, Yang(Frank)Chieg-Chiung, Chen (Jeff)September , 15th, 2011 | Introduction Giordano established in 1981 by Jimmy Lai. It is a Hong Kong- based retailer of casual clothes targeted at men, women and children via its four company brands, Giordano, Giordano Ladies, Giordano Junior and Blue Exchange (Bitner & Zeithaml, 2011).Giordano is one of the best known and established apparel retailers in the Asia Pacific region, employing over 8,000 friendly staff with over 2,400 shops operating in 30 territories worldwide (About Giordano, 2011). They are committed to delivering quality products and service to their customers in the worldwide market. Their vision is to be the best and the biggest world brand in apparel retailing with the mission of making people â€Å"feel good† & â€Å"look great†. This paper starts with a corporate prof ile of Giordano.The main part of the case is positioning the international expansion of Giordano and a detailed analysis of its competitive environment and alternative solutions. Furthermore, the company’s growth strategies are discussed with recommendations provided to conclude the case. Company Profile The Giordano Group is a leading international retailer of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and accessories. Giordano’s success is measured by the company’s relentless focus on its five corporate business values of quality, knowledge, innovation, simplicity and service.The company has its own apparel manufacturing division where many of its own clothing styles are produced. Giordano is also renowned for its basic and practical men’s, women’s, and children’s T-shirts and trousers, especially denims. In comparison, Giordano is very similar to the American based popular retailer The Gap. Responding to the slow sales in the past, Giordano changed its positioning strategy in 1987 which the company decided to shift its focus to maximizing sales instead of maximizing price margin via a â€Å"value-for-money† policy with selling discounted casual unisex apparel, and increased commitment to customer service.The shift in strategy was successful. The management values and style leads Giordano to be successful, which including a willingness to try new and unconventional ways of doing business and to learn from past mistakes, and considering front-line workers to be its customer service heroes. Giordano's commitment to service began with its major Customer Service Campaign in 1989. There are three tenets in this campaign which is † we welcome unlimited try-ons; we exchange – no questions asked; and we serve with a smile†.Giordano's philosophy of quality service could be observed not only in Hong Kong, but also in its oversea outlets. There are many companies in the market selling c asual apparel. The way in which Giordano differentiates itself from other companies to gain competitive advantage is critical to its success. Giordano's Strategies Giordano distinguishes itself from the others through its high-quality service and superior customer value. However, Giordano is still a long way off from being well known brand compared to other international brand.Giordano is a label that doesn't shape opinion, After 2005, when the garment quota is abolished, imports into the Asia region will become more competitive. This change could affect Giordano's position and growth potential. Philosophy And Value System Regarding to Giordano's philosophy and value system, they believe that mistakes are unavoidable because of the rapid changes in the market. The critical thing is to learn from the mistakes. Giordano has made his employees comfortable about making mistakes.They believe in empowering people through providing a supportive, participative environment in which employees feel safe when mistakes are made. In Giordano philosophy, they feel that with contribution and participation of all employees, mistakes will be minimized. People only make mistakes when they have decision-making ability. Employees As An Asset Training is an important part of Giordano's strategy. It is provided on a continuous basis in order to support Giordano philosophy that employees are key to the company's success.However, even the most sophisticated training program will not guarantee the best customer services and satisfaction. It is the people who deliver that gives it from and meaning. Giordano has stringent recruitment and selection procedures to match its value and service requirements which continues to maintain top-level service to customers. Performance Evaluations Performance evaluations are conducted frequently at the store level, as well as for individual employees. Stores are evaluated for customer satisfaction twice every month, while individual employees are eval uated once every two months.Internal competitions are designed to motivate their employees and stores intend to do their best in serving their customers. Product Strategy & Quality Services Giordano is able to incorporate a high level of customer service as part of its products through a concerted effort, which involved every employee of the company. The company focuses on the concept of value-for money which constantly improves the value of the products and what the products mean to their customers.However, it is also essential to recognize the importance of the management and leadership’s commitment to be customer-oriented and to provide high quality service. Product strategy is to sell a small number of core products in its stores. Giordano's limited product line is seen as a strength. It has no more than 100 items and no more than 17 core items in the store while other retailers have 200-300 items. Because the company believes that merchandising a wide range of products w ill affect retailers to take a longer time to response to the market changes.Simplicity, flexibility and speed as values at Giordano is reflected in several ways which allowing company to react rapidly to the market changes, and quick decision making and well communication through its flat organizational structure. Competitive Advantage The competitive advantages those worked as key success factors for Giordano to achieve a distinct position in the competitive markets are as following: * Computerization – The POS terminals that are used to record and transmit flows of stocks to a mainframe computer which then aids in controlling stock flow of inventory. A tightly controlled menu – It mainly focus on a few items whose demand and desirability can be closely monitored. * Frugality – Curbed spending on advertising and tight inventory control * Value pricing – Value for money apparel. * A dedicated workforce in all outlets that provides quality service: In ord er to maintain this Giordano follows stringent selection procedures to ensure only desired employees are chosen, conduct workshops on â€Å"attitude training†, follows rotational on the job training method and performance related pay systems on the basis of periodic performance evaluations. Simplicity and speed of operations: Giordano maintained a flat organizational structure and this facilitated easy communication between people within the organization, helped to make speedy decision and to manage the project efficiently. * A recognized brand: Giordano has received awards such as: The American Service Excellence Award, ISO 9002 Award and People Developer Award which helped Giordano to establish their brand as a familiar one in over 30 countries.All these competitive advantages and sources should be maintained by Giordano in order to keep its current competitive position and there are some other competitive advantages that should be developed by Giordano in future. The futur e competitive advantages can be gained through investment into the development of employees and continued development of a learning organization which may not be gained by the other competitors. (Giordano K-10, 2010) Giordano's Problems We have indicated some problems and considerations regarding to the position for international expansion.If at all, Should Giordano reposition itself against its competitors in its current and new markets, and should it have different positioning strategies for different geographic markets? Does the company need to apply different HR strategies to suit different countries? Analysis & Solutions I. Should Giordano reposition itself against its competitors in its existing and new markets, and should it have different positioning strategies for different geographic markets?Regarding to the Giordano's positioning of international expansion, should Giordano reposition itself against its competitors in its existing and new markets, and should it have differ ent positioning strategies for different geographic markets? According to Osama Taha- â€Å"A positioning strategy results in the image you want to draw in the mind of your customers, the picture you want him/her to visualize of what you offer, in relation to the market situation, and any competition you may have† Giordano's current positioning strategy is based on providing â€Å"value-for-money† or quality merchandise of discounted casual unisex appeal.The company also emphasized on the merchandise that is relatively mid-priced which means â€Å"inexpensive yet contemporary and trendy†, and offers quality, value and excellent customer services. The reasons for Giordano's success in market place are filling a gap in the market for trendy with reasonable price and quality unisex apparel, and the delivery of quality customer service. Now the fact is whether or not Giordano should reposition itself against its competitors in its current and new markets.Moreover, a fter thirty years of operation, Giordano's brand name and value have been in the customers' mind clearly. If Giordano changes its positioning strategy, it will be very difficult to obtain high-end customers acceptance in this intensive global apparel competition, and may lose the existing low-end customers at the same time. Therefore, we believe that Giordano should not change its existing positioning strategy. Repositioning is not necessary for the entire company because Giordano’s relatively mid-priced positioning worked well in the past decades. The Inexpensive Yet Trendy† clothing appealed to Asia’s frugal customers in the Asia market. However, Giordano could alter their brand image into a more high-value, high-quality, and high-end market. This could mean primarily repositioning Giordano as a higher priced and higher value brand in particular markets in the world. The price may can increase within 5 ~ 10 %, but not too high. According to the statistics, adju st the middle range of clothing prices within 5 ~ 10% will not affect the consumer's sensitivity of the price. Giordano must continue to be creative in their promotions.Perhaps they should spend more on traditional advertising, as they spend less on advertising and promotion than close competitors. However, compared to other international brands, Giordano still doesn’t shape opinion. One of the Giordano's competitors is Esprit who are seen as more up-market than Giordano, while being stylish and trendy. Besides, Esprit promoted a â€Å"lifestyle† image, even though it is positioned similarly to Giordano. Therefore, Giordano could re-launch its image, to be more stylish and thus promoting a lifestyle and not just a brand.It is not necessary for Giordano to follow same positioning strategies for different market but it will depend on the market condition of a particular whether to follow standardized or customized strategy. The company can go after with standardized posi tioning strategies â€Å"value-for-money merchandise† for different markets within the same region like South East Asian countries. But before implementing this standardized positioning strategy Giordano needs to understand the particular market on the basis of consumer’s tastes and preferences about the products and promotional activities.On the other hand, the other successful strategies of Giordano in proving excellent quality customer services, information system and efficient logistics and human resource policies and practices should be implemented tactically for different markets. It means customized strategies should be developed for different countries even within Asia because there are some variations between countries in terms of their economic, cultural and social factors. II. What are Giordano’s key success factors and sources of competitive advantage?Are its competitive advantages sustainable, and how would they develop in the future? The company is establishing a good key success factors. They serve their clients with good quality service and having other company as a reference for bench mark. The company emphasizes the service and the value-for-money which has a big impact to the company source of success. When they are selling their products, they are selling service which is half the price and the other half goes to the production cost. They are not only for goods but they also sell services.Moreover, Giordano have other key success factors like short product development cycle and fast market-driven new product development, excellence in management’s swift cost-control strategies, good in marketing and strong brand positioning, excellence service with â€Å"no questions asked exchange† and â€Å"unlimited try-on† policy, good location primarily in good ground-floor areas, drawing high-volume traffic and facilitating shopping, browsing, and impulse buying. By all of these key successful factors, they ha ve strong competitiveness in the clothing retail market.However, in the long run, sustainability of key success factors of Giordano highly depend on creativity and innovative of the organization. Some competitive advantages can be Giordano key success factors now, but it may not be in future. For example, information was disseminated to production facilities in real time by IT system but if Giordano’s competitor installed the similar system as Giordano did, it will no longer Giordano’s competitive advantages and cannot become the key success factor of Giordano.Giordano should never satisfy itself in such rapid changing current market situation. As the results, Giordano should look into new ways of improving and strengthening its competitive advantages. Creativity and innovative play an important role in continue to gain competitive advantages as â€Å"people are the key† to create value to organization or so called â€Å"organization culture† which is dif ficult to adopt by its competitors in market.Although Giordano might lose some of competitive advantages in future, investment in human resources will help Giordano to create new competitive advantages to contribute in the key success factors of Giordano and stay ahead in future market. Besides this, Giordano should keep on commit to its excellent customer service orientation philosophy and well monitoring with their market competition. These key success factors would develop in certain training and more research about the service and the products the target market wants to have.Innovation of product and service is a must for a company to develop and gain profit in a long period of time. Also, Giordano should rapidly development in Internet and Intranet technologies, solutions such as MS Office, point of sale (POS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, and supporting telecommunications service (e. g. broadband Internet access), Giordano’s competitor could acquire i ntegrated IT and logistics technology more easily and more cost-effectively than ever before. III. A third issue to be considered was Giordano’s growth strategy in Asia as well as across continent.Would Giordano’s competitive strengths be transferable to other markets ? Would strategic adaptation to IT strategy and marketing mix be required or would tactical moves suffice? Giordano Company’s main competitive strengths which can be transferred to other market are: the experience of the employees, inventory controlled system, HRM practices but the policies should be different for each country and can use the established distribution, marketing and inbound channels members in order to market their product outside the home country.IT strategy which is currently used by Giordano, it should not adopt the same strategy for other countries where they are planning to expand their business. Because the IT infrastructure for each country in Asia and other continents may no t be the same and the current IT strategy of Giordano may not be supported by that particular country’s technological structure. Giordano needs more efficient, cost effective, and secure internal communication platform which will link its many sites in Hong Kong and other host countries.As the cross border business of Giordano is increasing, the company needed a comprehensive communications tool that would help Giordano employees conduct multisite management meetings, share documents and collaborate for fast business decisions and quality customer service. In such scenario Giordano can go for partnership with the IT company (Like Microsoft), through which they can install such a server and software through which they can equipped their staff with real time teamwork and presence capabilities that dramatically increased productivity.At the same time they can decrease its multi-national direct dialing and travel cost, as well as IT management costs. The marketing mix strategies that are followed by the Giordano for the existing market should not be the same for new markets where the company is willing to enter. The marketing mix strategies mainly deal with arrangements of the 4 Ps’. So the strategies regarding product price, price, place and promotion should not be the same for all target countries as the market differs in terms of their economic, cultural, social and political environment.But the successful strategies which are currently used for other market can be used by Giordano as guidelines and can develop tactical strategies for different market according to the market situation and customers’ requirements. Recommendation In the past, Giordano has relied on a consistent strategy across retail outlets in the Asian countries that it transacts with. The success strategies include the company's positioning and quality service, recruitment and selection policy, training and development, above-market reward and compensation system, flat str ucture, quick decision making.We believe that the same brand in different regions should not apply different positioning strategy, which should keep the same business strategy consistency. Due to the intensive competitions in the global market, same brand name with different positioning strategy will cause the confusion of customers worldwide. Customers in these markets may become confused as to what Giordano stands for, and this inconsistency makes effective service strategy implementation difficult, particularly as consumers are becoming increasingly mobile and travel more frequently between Giordano’s core markets.Moreover, Giordano might can develop a new high-end brands in order to satisfy the demands of high end markets. From the above analysis we have some recommendation for expansion in the international market for Giordano. First, it is essential to start promotions to increase brand awareness when starting businesses in new market. Second, the location and site sele ction for establishing Giordano’s outlet in different country will be critical. The company should carefully select the site to position their stores which will be convenient for the customers. Third, customer is the key and main factor for differentiation is customer care.The company needs to follow customized customer service strategy for each market segment. Fourth, Giordano needs to find out possibility of outsourcing to maintain low costs. Fifth, extensive market research is needed to investigate designs and fabrics required by the target customers. Giordano has perfectly focused in the value-for-money concept and everything they do is managed at a world-class standard. The management conducted their business in such an excellent and professional manner which helped this brand to reach from Asia to the Middle East and India, Australia, Eastern Europe, and now in North America.Reference Giordano (2011). About Giordano. Accessed Sep 15 , 2011 from http://www. giordano. com . hk/web/HK/ourCompany. html Giordano (2011). Giordano International Limited Annual Report 2010. Kowloon, Hong Kong. Accessed Sep 15 , 2011 Bitner, Zeithaml, Gremler (2011). Service Marketing – Integrating Customer Focus Across the File 5th edition. McGraw Hill. Accessed Sep. 15, 2011. Tam, F. Y. , Chan, T. S. , Chu, P. W. , Lai, T. C. , Wang, L. L. (2005). Opportunities and challenges: Hong Kong as Asia’s fashion hub. J.Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 9(2), 221-231. Accessed Sep. 15, 2011 Tyler, D. , Heeley, J. , Bharma, T. (2006). Supply chain influences on new product development in fashion clothing. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 10(3), 316-328. Accessed Sep. 15, 2011 Taha, O. (2000). How to Design Your Positioning Strategy. Retrieved Sep. 23, 2011, from http://www. dime-co. com/marketing/positioning. htm Giordano International Limited (Hong Kong). (2011). Retrieved Sep. 25, 2011, from http://www. giordano. com. hk/web/HK/index. html

Meaning of Working Capital Essay

running(a) cap refers to the grammatical constituent of total capital which is required for twenty-four hour period to day working of the business. The funds atomic number 18 required by the business for conducting its tied(p) operations such(prenominal)(prenominal) as bargain for of raw materials of finished goods, payment of wages & manufacturing expenses, office and administrative expenses, selling & dissemination expenses.The funds necessary for making such regular payments of business is called work big(p) therefore have been defined as the add together of funds necessary to scotch be of operating the enterprise. The working capital of a business enterprise is metric on the basis of its funds locked up in various up-to-date assets such as inventors, accounts receivables and change & bank balance.2.2 definition of work dandyVarious administration have difined working capital in following manner. (1)Working Capital is the amount of funds necessary to cover the c ost of operating the buisness enterprise.(Shuibn) (2)Working Capital is the difference between the book value of the current assets.and the current liablities.(Hoagland)2.3 move CapitalCirculating capital means current assets of stick with that are changed in the ordinary dividing line of business from into another, as for example from cash to inventories, inventories to receivables and receivables into cash. Cash Raw Receivables MaterialsFinished goods Work-in-progress2.4. sort of Working Capital 1. Gross Working Capital5. Variable Working Capital2. gain Working Capital 6. Balance sheet of paper Working Capital 3. Negative Working Capital 7. Cash Working Capital 4. Permanent Working Capital2.5. Sources of Working Capital-The following are the some essential of the sources of working capital.

Cna Research

Pulling the Plug health check Nursing Aide Jane Roberts Instructor Mary Mooney October 4, 2012 What does life sentence plunk for hold for a person who is animate by technology of a support for a machine? The person who is unhealed does not engender a chance of waking up and subject to live a normal life. Sometimes throng see life support as a lifesaver which in many cases, it can be. In this case if it was me, and I had to make a quality to guard them off life support it would be a hard descsion if you know that there is a possible chance they will never survey to or be in a veg state.Life support t is a combination of machines and therapies that act as together to sustain human life (www. livestrong. com). I know that life support in few case allow a person who has been ill or in accident to get up and carry on with their lives in this case Betty Jean, had pierce her heart and stop breathing twice and had no brain activity, the doctor assured Tony, there was postal c ode else they could done . In life we have descsion to tote up life in this world not to take life.I can agree with leavens as well as the maintain the p arnts love their daughter and know parent wants to lose a child save the husband wants his wife taken off life support Betty Jean, too had a living will that declared o ventilator. I think that Tony loved his wife so much and he followed her wishes Betty Jean, had been a bear so she knew extent of what life support she also was active in hospice so she knew the extent of life support.Tony had to made a tough decision I think he should of waited like the parents wished just a little longer there are several(prenominal) kinds of life support decisions rather it is ventilators or living and Hydration or (DNR) order which Do Not Resuscitate. These are hard decisions for anyone and it best not to make this image decisions on your own.Betty Jeans, living will over office the parents rights but morally I would have waited just b ecause of my own beliefs it hard to allow a love one go but in this case the husband had to make the ratiocination decisions. REFERENCE PAGE Use caution in ending life support for brain-injured, experts say. (2011, U. S. News & beingness Report, , 1. Retrieved from http//search. proquest. com http//www. livestrong. com(2009)