Corporate Governance Practices in Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Corporate Governance Practices in Qatar - Essay Example Governments are creating new regulatory frameworks to improve corporate governance of companies (Adamson, 22- 03-2011). Multinational companies are evolving and changing corporate governance to meet benchmarks and the basic requirements required by investors in making investment decisions. Companies are focusing on best practices such as risk management in order to have good corporate governance. Companies are emphasizing the management of their reputations to improve the perception of local and global community about their images. The drive to implement good corporate governance and the financial crisis in Qatar have led directors and officers of multinational companies to increase the awareness of their responsibilities. The executives are taking companies’ failure as personal liability. In Qatar, Investors are holding executives and boards responsible for unsatisfactory performance. Companies are under thorough scrutiny especially on managerial actions. Executives are aware of risks facing them. Therefore, they act to limit personal liability. The Arabic companies are embracing a more pragmatic and less litigious approach in their corporate governance to serve the international community. The Qatar government is creating new frameworks for practices and regulations that favour multinational companies. The aim of the government of Qatar to provide real business environments to attract both foreign and local investors. The greater accountability for boards and executives actions has made companies prio ritize shareholders’ interests. It is because shareholders and financial regulators put a scrutiny on issues of corporate governance. Multinational companies are now taking a proactive approach in risk management to protect executives and boards’ members. These companies are improving the standards of corporate governance to march the

Environmental Scan Paper Essay Example for Free

Environmental Scan Paper Essay For any company to survive in the business environment, they must be accustomed toward any situation within the environment because of certain issues, perceptions, chances, and resources. These are such reasons every business must observe any applicable changes, which can occur within the environment and invent from existing policies to adjust toward variations. For any company to succeed the company will need to conquer the trials and tribulations of the constant shifting environment. An environmental scan were conducted for the two following companies Starbucks, and Cocoa Cola. With the environmental scanning it will increase their chances and distribute their resources in the expectation of the constant changes within the environment. Starbucks was originated in 1971 in Seattle Washington on Pikes Place Market. Starbucks is a specialized whole bean, ground coffee, and tea business/distribution. Over the course of their years Starbucks until this present day builds relationships with millions of customers in over 17,000 stores all over the world. Starbucks are known in Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, El Salvador, England, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States, and Wales. As it has been read Starbucks are very much known all over the world. Of course Starbucks just is not about coffee, they are also specialized in more than 30 different blends of coffee both hot and iced. They also make smoothies (for the health conscious), and different variety of teas such as black tea, green tea, calm tea (herbal tea), and passion tea (herbal tea) just to name a few. Starbucks also sells pastries, sandwiches, yogurts parfaits, salads, fruit cups, and oatmeal. Of course they also make (which is what they are known for) the infamous Frappuccino. The internal environment of the Starbucks company is a representation of the general conditions, which affect their aptitude in executing a successful strategy. The internal elements are their growth of strategy (diversified portfolio), brand management, and human resources. The external environment of the Starbucks company are focused on competition, which are within the same business as them, legal and, political changes, opportunities such as environmental concern, and the demographic social issues such as income per household. Coca Cola one of the major producers, supplier, and vendor of the soft drink industry sells a variety of up to 35,000 different products ranging from their regular soft drinks, to clothing, and collectable toys. Coca Cola sells four of the five top selling soft drink beverages, which are Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta, and of course, Coca Cola. The Coca Cola company also sell water, juices, and sport drinks. The internal environment for Coca Cola have key attributes, which include competence in the production method, from excellent communication and management skills. For the Coca Cola company to monitor their internal environment, they would need to evaluate the process, which by they can take action on the factors that would cause any kind of inadequacies on the phases of production. Such things as obesity, scarcity, and quality of water have changed the nonalcoholic beverage business, which include changes with consumer preferences based on health and nutritional research. Because of the research consumer taste and needs have changed and also because of the changes of the law and new regulations the Coca Cola company needed to adopt the additional warning requirements, and additional labeling for the warning requirements. Coco Cola understands that the external environment may affect the business and its revenues. The increases and decreases of the economy, the attitudes from consumers, the principals of the consumers, and the demographics of society have a big impact on Coca Colas revenue. Competitive Advantages and Current Strategies Starbucks Starbucks has contributed toward the green movement by informing the public they will only deal with the suppliers that meet the Starbucks standards for sustainable development. Starbucks understands the social influence and how it can ether force a change or contribute toward a change because the company understands that individuals are becoming more concerned with the preservation of the planet earth, which is why Starbucks have teamed up with the Green Team to established company wide recycling, reduction of waste, conserving energy, and conserving water programs. Another concern that Starbucks have taking into consideration are the publics growing concern of healthy eating habits. It is imperative for Starbucks to guarantee that their products are not labeled as unhealthy, so they have added more health conscious choices such as salads, smaller portions of pastry, and healthier liquid choices for the health conscious consumer who enjoys the Starbucks environment. Coca Cola Coca Colas strategy is to target the distinct market groups that are divided by competitive intensity and socioeconomic levels. They have implemented a planned product, pricing, and packaging strategy through certain channels of distributions so they can gain operational efficiency within the company. Coca Cola have used such events as the Super Bowl and the World Series to attract the consumers attention with their commercials. The customer surveys help the Coca Cola company with their marketing strategy and show, which adjustments would need fixing. Such marketing strategies such as phone surveys, social media, mail surveys, e-mail surveys, and text messaging assist the company on further marketing strategies on improving their revenue. Such things as market leadership, joint ventures, managerial expertise, inventive business solutions, and flexible organizational structure have giving Coca Cola a competitive advantage (Coca-Cola FEMSA, 2010). Coca Cola also provide managerial expertise training programs to improve their abilities, The inquiries for both companies on sugar content in the products have increased. Also there are negative doubts about their recipe of sugar content effecting weight control, pop culture, and society. Over the course of the years Coca Cola have adjusted their recipe because they are using crafty marketing and distributing smaller products so criticism can decrease on their products. To improve further recognition in Latin America the Coca Cola company have had joint ventures with companies in Mexico and Brazil. They also have plans on heightening engineering and supply capacity so they can boost operational effectiveness. References Business Unit. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.femsa.com/en/business/coca_cola_femsa/ Coca Cola . (2012). Retrieved from http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/energy_climate_protection.html Recycling and Reducing waste. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/environment/recycling Goals and Progress . (2012). Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/global-report/environmental-stewardship

My Relationship With Alcohol Essay -- Alcohol Use

Question: Name two prevalent authorities in your life that have shaped how you use, or do not use, alcohol. Explain how and why they have shaped you so. The strongest and most influential person who modeled alcohol use in my childhood was a male relative. I was not completely aware of many of these impacts until adolescence. As a child, I did not know what alcoholism was, I just assumed that the Beefeater Gin stench coming from my relative was his cologne. However, as I grew older and was exposed to a greater variety of people and circumstances, I slowly became aware of alcoholism. I began to incorporate the new experiences I had in relation to alcohol use with a deeper understanding of my extended family. This new awareness was unsettling and painful to me. Many of my relatives were alcoholics. There was never a family brunch, dinner, or casual gathering that was not centered around alcohol. The excessive and consistent reliance on alcohol fueled the arguments and shouting matches I witnessed between my male relatives. Their arguments were always laden with racist, sexi...

Economy of US Essay

President George W. Bush, in a speech before his economic team on August 8, 2007 talked about the nation’s thriving economy. President Bush said: â€Å"I just finished a productive meeting with members of my economic team. We discussed our thriving economy and what we need to do to keep it that way. We care a lot about whether our fellow citizens are working, and whether or not they’ve got money in their pockets to save, spend, or invest as they see fit. We talked about America’s role in the global economy. † (President Bush Meets) Looking at some major economic indicators, the President’s claim on the growth of the economy has some sense. For this paper, the following indicators will be discussed: the Gross Domestic Product – which measures overall economic productivity of the nation; Inflation rate – which measures the rise in the general level of prices; Unemployment or employment rate – which reflects the number of people with jobs; and Balance of Payments – which reflect the relationship between exports and imports. The United States Government uses two sets of tools that affect the American Economy. These tools are Monetary Policy and Fiscal Policy. The first one deals with how the government controls the supply of money and therefore the general stability of prices. The second one deals with government expenditures specifically how much the government is earning (taxes and revenues) and where will it spend the money (budget). Monetary policy is executed by the Federal Reserve System through its Board of Governors while Fiscal policy is carried out by Executive branch with or without the support of Congress. The U. S. Economy in Review The U. S. Economy is the largest and most powerful economy in the world. By the end of the third quarter of 2007 its Gross Domestic Product was close to $14 Trillion. Starting in 2004, the U.  S. economy was hit by significant events that tested its resiliency. The aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks led to major shifts in national resources to fight global terrorism. The costly war in Iraq led to a more costly U. S. occupation in Saddam Hussein’s country. Huge investments were made by the country for the war – investment in budget, resources and human capital. During the same period, Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage in the Gulf Coast. Resources were diverted to aid those who suffered from the natural calamity. Oil prices soared between 2005 and 2006 also threatening the economy. Despite these setbacks, the U. S. economy posted strong growth during the period 2004-2007. Gross Domestic Product The U. S. Gross Domestic Product recorded growth rates of 2. 9 percent in 2004, 3. 2 percent in 2005 and 2006 and a leap to 4. 2 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2007. According to the Bureau of Economic Accounts, the increase in GDP primarily reflected increases in consumer spending, investment in equipment and software, federal government spending, and residential fixed investment. The President, in his State of the Economy address in January 2007, highlighted the strong and dynamic economy, and discussed the challenges faced in keeping the economy growing. The President stressed that the U. S. economy is resilient and responsive, adding more than 8. 3 million jobs since 2003 despite numerous challenges including a recession, corporate scandals, the 9/11 attacks, and the worst natural disaster in American history. Inflation Inflation is generally reflected through the rise and fall in the Consumer Price Index. CPI measures the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. During the period 2004 to 2006, CPI rose at a manageable level – indicating inflation is under control. No data was shown for 2007. In 2004 – CPI rose 3. 3 percent over the previous year. In 2005, the rate was at 3. 4 percent and in 2006 it slowed down to 2. 5 percent. The recent behavior of inflation shows it remains low and stable and has minimal impact on the economy (U. S. CPI) Unemployment and Employment  The number of unemployed persons was 7. 2 million in October 2007 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A year earlier, the number of unemployed persons was 6. 7 million, and the jobless rate was 4. 4 percent. Also according to the BLS, total employment was at 146 million in October. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, health care, and leisure and hospitality. Manufacturing employment continued to decline, and construction employment was little changed. The employment-population ratio was at 62. 7 percent. The civilian labor force was at 153. million and the labor force participation rate was at 65. 9 percent. Balance of payment The country’s balance of payment particularly the relationship between the country’s exports and imports still show a deficit. The deficit decreased to $190. 8 billion in the second quarter of 2007 from $197. 1 billion in the first quarter. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a decrease in net unilateral current transfers to foreigners and increases in the surpluses on services and on income more than accounted for the decrease. Monetary Policy The Federal Reserve System, the independent U. S. central bank, manages the money supply and use of credit (monetary policy), while the president and Congress adjust federal spending and taxes (fiscal policy). The government’s monetary policy is governed by the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors. The Federal Reserve’s monetary policy has stressed preventing rapid escalation of general price levels which usually leads to inflation. The Federal Reserve acts to slow economic expansion by reducing the money supply, thus raising short-term interest rates. When the economy is slowing down too fast, or contracting, the Federal Reserve increases the money supply, thus lowering short-term interest rates. The most common way it effects these changes in interest rates, called open-market operations, is by buying and selling government securities among a small group of major banks and bond dealers. A particularly tricky situation for monetary policy makers, called stagflation, occurs when the economy is slowing down and general price level (inflation) is rising too fast (U. S. Monetary Policy). The Federal Reserve’s recent monetary policy is towards keeping the overall economy on an adjustment path where growth is moderate and sustainable. As Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke mentioned in his Testimony Before the Committee on Financial Services, U. S. House of Representatives on July 18, 2007: â€Å"At each of its four meetings so far this year, the FOMC maintained its target for the federal funds rate at 5-1/4 percent, judging that the existing stance of policy was likely to be consistent with growth running near trend and inflation staying on a moderating path† (Bernanke). Given these conditions, the Committee decided to leave its target for the federal funds rate unchanged at 5-1/4 percent. The Committee further stated in its policy statement that some inflation risks remained and that additional action would depend on changes in the outlook for both inflation and economic growth (Monetary Policy Report 6). According to Janet L. Yellen, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco in her speech on The U. S. Economy and Monetary Policy, â€Å"I think the current stance of policy is likely to foster sustainable growth with a gradual ebbing of inflationary pressures† (2). However, Yellen further stated that â€Å"a sustained moderation in inflation pressures has yet to be convincingly demonstrated† (15). Policy Actions taken by the Federal Reserve The Federal Open Market Committee in its meetings on June 27 and 28 and voted to hold the federal funds rate, the Federal Reserve’s main policy tool, unchanged at 5? percent (Monetary Policy Report 6). At the time the report was made to Congress, the funds rate has been kept at that level for the last twelve months. According to the Committee, this decision would avoid exposing the economy to the risk of a recession, while, at the same time, hoping that this policy will produce enough slack in goods and labor markets to relieve inflationary stresses. This direction will enable the Federal Reserve to achieve its dual mandate—low and stable inflation and maximum sustainable employment. In the past year, then Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan wrapped up an eventful 18-year career Tuesday with a final interest rate hike and cleared the way for his successor Bernanke to bring the long credit-tightening campaign to a close. Acting on Greenspan’s final day in office, Federal Reserve Board raised the benchmark overnight lending rate another quarter-percentage point to 4. 5 percent, pushing up borrowing costs for consumers and businesses in their ongoing bid to keep a lid on growth and inflation (Wolk). In the months after that, the Board came up with a series of cuts in interest rates to address the prevailing economic condition. This balancing act is in line with the Federal Reserve’s responsibility of trying to maintain full employment (generally considered to be around 4 to 5 percent unemployment) while keeping inflation low. One can imagine the risks and uncertainties involved in such act. Alan Greenspan once said, â€Å"Policymakers often have to act, or choose not to act, even though we may not fully understand the full range of possible outcomes, let alone each possible outcome’s likelihood. As a result, risk management often involves significant judgment as we evaluate the risks of different events and the probability that our actions will alter those risks (Greenspan). † . This delicate balancing act is done by using interest rates as a tool. When interest rates are low, capital is easier to acquire. Left unchecked, however, this leads to inflation. If interest rates are too high, however, the result can be a recession and, in extreme cases, deflation; the result of which can be economically devastating. There are two ways as to how the Federal Reserve influences the direction of interest rates: by raising or lowering the discount rate or by indirectly influencing the direction of the Federal funds rate. The discount rate is the interest rate banks are charged when they borrows funds overnight directly from one of the Federal Reserve Banks. The Federal funds rate is the rate that banks charge each other for overnight loans (U. S. Monetary Policy). Fiscal Policy When President George W. Bush first stepped into the Whitehouse in 2001 he promised several things to the American public. Among his list of promises which was an ambitious $1. 3 trillion tax cut. President Bush promised that â€Å"whoever pays taxes gets a tax break. † Campaigning for his second term in office in 2004, President Bush promised to make tax cuts that were earlier adopted in 2001 permanent. In his August 8 speech the President said: â€Å"Real after-tax income has increased by an average of more than $3,400 per person since I took office. † The President further stated: Tax cuts let Americans keep their own money. It stimulates entrepreneurship. † The President emphasized that he is against the plan to increase taxes and turn them into additional government programs and said: â€Å"We want the people to keep more of their own money because we understand that the American economy, entrepreneurs and small business owners are the ones who create jobs. † However, there is a growing opposition to his fiscal policies. Some say these cuts were distributed disproportionately. Higher income tax payers got the biggest breaks they say as opposed to lower income individuals. It is also important to note that during the first term of President Bush, federal spending increased by 26 percent. This seems to go in a different direction with the tax cut measures. On one hand tax cuts mean lesser revenue for the government, on the other, more money is needed as more money is being spent. It will not take a genius to figure out that the tax cuts, and significant increases in spending will have effect on the budget deficits during the Bush administration. From a surplus of $127 Billion when President Bush assumed office, the budget went to a deficit of $929 billion. Future impacts of these fiscal policies have been also widely discussed. Shapiro and Friedman believe: â€Å"Over the next 10 years, total tax-cut costs will equal $3. 9 trillion, reaching nearly $600 billion or 3. 3 percent of the economy in 2014 alone. The resulting higher deficits will slow future economic growth, saddle future generations with sizable interest payments, and leave the nation ill-prepared not only for the retirement of baby boomers but also for responding to potential future crises from security matters to natural or environmental disasters the particulars of which are unknown today. Even Former President Clinton went on record to criticize President Bush’s fiscal and tax policies: â€Å"Tax cuts are always popular,† Clinton said. â€Å"But about half of these tax cuts since 2001 have gone to people in my income group, the top 1 percent. I’ve gotten four tax cuts. Now, what Americans need to understand is that that means every single day of the year, our government goes into the market and borrows money from other countries to finance Iraq, Afghanistan, Katrina and our tax cuts,† Clinton added. We depend on Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Korea primarily to basically loan us money every day of the year to cover my tax cut and these conflicts and Katrina. I don’t think it makes any sense. I think it’s wrong† (Stephanoupoulos, 2005). Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan also had a few words to say about President Bush’s policies. Greenspan criticized President George W. Bush for pursuing an economic agenda driven by politics rather than sound policy, with little concern for future consequences (Benjamin. 2007). Greenspan was quoted as saying: â€Å"The Bush administration turned out to be very different from the reincarnation of the Ford administration that I had imagined. Now, the political operation was far more dominant. † (Benjamin 2007). Comparing past presidents and the current Chief Executive, Greenspan said Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton were the most intelligent; Ford the most normal and likeable; Ronald Reagan was the most devoted to free markets; George H. W. Bush, the current president’s father, was very cordial. However, Greenspan saved his harshest criticism for Bush. `Little value was placed on rigorous economic policy debate or the weighing of long-term consequences,† he wrote. (Benjamin 2007). Still President Bush remains steadfast saying: â€Å"When people earn money, tax revenues go up. This year, tax revenues are expected to be $167 billion higher than last year’s, because the economy is growing. Growing tax revenues combined with spending restraint has helped us drive down the federal deficit, and we were able to do so without raising the taxes on the people who work, or without raising taxes on small business owners or farmers. Estimates show the deficit will drop to $205 billion this year. That is well below the average of the past 40 years as a percentage of our economy. † (President Bush Meets) Conclusion Not too many believed that the U. S. economy can rebound so fast from the series of unfortunate events of 2004 to 2007. Yet the number one economy in world has proven its resiliency and durability by weathering these storms. Much of the credit should go to the managers of the economy. The adoption of effective policies and strategies were the keys to sustaining the growth even in the midst of uncertainties. However, the growing opposition to the President’s Fiscal Policies needs to be given more attention. The clamor does have its points. Tax cuts, everyone must understand, have side effects. Remember, it is from taxes that the government generates revenues. Revenues that are badly needed to fund the operations of the government. These are the same revenues that run schools, hospitals, provides welfare to the poor, and funds homeland security and the war against terror. Without revenues where does the government go? What does it do? It borrows money. Huge amounts of money that, in the end, would be marked as owed by every individual in this country to some bank or foreign government. Overall, greater challenges loom ahead. The economy still faces long-term problems including inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and budget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups. The country will call on again the time tested policies to deal with these adversities. As President Bush said â€Å"Our economy is on the move and we can keep it that way by continuing to pursue sound economic policy based on free-market principles. â€Å"

Coyote Blue Chapter 1~2

Part 1 Epiphany CHAPTER 1 Life Will Find You Santa Barbara, California While magic powder was sprinkled on the sidewalk outside, Samuel Hunter moved around his office like a machine, firing out phone calls, checking computer printouts, and barking orders to his secretary. It was how he began every business day: running in machine mode until he left for his first sales appointment and put on the right persona for the prospect. People who knew Sam found him hardworking, intelligent, and even likable, which is exactly what he wanted them to find. He was confident and successful in business, but he wore his success with a humility that put people at ease. He was tall, lean, and quick with a smile, and people said he was as comfortable in a Savile Row suit before a boardroom of businessmen as he was lounging in jeans at Santa Barbara's wharf, trading stories and lies with the fishermen. In fact, the apparent ease with which Sam mastered his environment was the single disturbing quality people noticed in him. How was it that a guy could play so many roles so well, and never seem uncomfortable or out of place? Something was missing. It wasn't that he was a bad guy, it was just that you could never get close to him, you never got a feel for who he really was, which is exactly how Sam wanted it. He thought a show of desire, of passion, of anger even, would give him away, so he suppressed these emotions until he no longer felt them. His life was steady, level, and safe. So it happened that on an autumn-soft sunny day, not two weeks after his thirty-fifth birthday, some twenty years after he had run away from home, Samuel Hunter stepped out of his office onto the sidewalk and was poleaxed by desire. He saw a girl loading groceries into an old Datsun Z that was parked at the curb, and to the core of his being, Sam wanted her. Later he would recall the details of her appearance – a line of muscle on a tan thigh, cutoff jeans, the undercurve of a breast showing below the half shirt, yellow hair tied up haphazardly, tendrils escaping to brush high cheekbones and wide brown eyes – but her effect on him now was like a long, oily saxophone note that started somewhere in that lizard part of the brain where the libido resides and resonated down his body to the tendons in his groin and back into his stomach to form a knot that nearly doubled him over. â€Å"You want her?† The question came from beside him, a man's voice that startled him a bit, but not enough for him to tear his eyes from the girl. The question came again. â€Å"You want her?† Already off balance, Sam turned toward the voice, then stepped back in surprise. A young Indian man dressed in black buckskins fringed with red feathers sat on the sidewalk by the office door. While Sam tried to regain mental ground, the Indian dazzled a grin and pulled a long dagger from his belt. â€Å"If you want her, go get her,† he said. Then he flipped the dagger across the sidewalk into the front tire of the girl's car. There was a thud and a high squealing hiss as the air escaped the tire. â€Å"What was that?† the girl said. She slammed the hatchback and moved to the front of the car. Sam, in a panic, looked for the Indian, who had disappeared, and then for the knife, which had vanished as well. He turned and looked through the glass door into his outer office, but the Indian wasn't there either. â€Å"I can't believe I manifested this,† the girl said, staring at the flattened tire. â€Å"I've done it again. I've manifested failure.† Sam's confusion blossomed. â€Å"What are you talking about?† The girl turned and looked at him for the first time, studied him for a second, then said, â€Å"Every time I get a job I manifest some kind of tragedy that ruins my chances of keeping it.† â€Å"But it's just a flat tire. You can't manifest a flat tire. I saw the guy that did this. It was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sam stopped himself. The Indian in black had triggered his fears of being found out, of going to prison. He didn't want to relive the shock. â€Å"It was probably some glass you picked up. You can't avoid that sort of thing.† â€Å"Why would I manifest glass in my tire?† The question was in earnest; she searched Sam's face for an answer. If he had one, he lost it in her eyes. He couldn't get a grip on how to react to any of this. He said, â€Å"The Indian-â€Å" â€Å"Do you have a phone?† she interrupted. â€Å"I have to call work and tell them I'll be late. I don't have a spare.† â€Å"I can give you a ride,† Sam said, feeling stupidly proud of himself for being able to speak at all. â€Å"I was just leaving for an appointment. My car's around the corner.† â€Å"Would you do that? I have to go all the way to upper State Street.† Sam looked at his watch, out of habit only; he'd have driven her to Alaska if she had asked. â€Å"No problem,† he said. â€Å"Follow me.† The girl grabbed a bundle of clothes from the Datsun and Sam led her around the corner to his Mercedes. He opened the door for her and tried not to watch her get in. Whenever he looked at her his mind went blank and he had to thrash around looking for what to do next. As he got in the car he caught a glimpse of her brown legs against the black leather seat and forgot for a moment where the ignition slot was. He stared at the dashboard and tried to calm himself, even as he was thinking, This is an accident waiting to happen. The girl said, â€Å"Do you think that the Germans make such good cars to atone for the Holocaust?† â€Å"What?† He started to look at her, but instead turned his attention to the road. â€Å"No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?† â€Å"It doesn't matter, I guess. I just thought it might bother them. I have a leather jacket that I can't wear anymore because when I have it on I have to drive miles out of my way to avoid going by cow pastures. Not that the cows would want it back – zippers are hard for them – but they have such beautiful eyes, it makes me feel bad. These seats are leather, aren't they?† â€Å"Vinyl,† Sam said. â€Å"A new kind of vinyl.† He could smell her scent, a mix of jasmine and citrus, and it was making driving as difficult as following her conversation. He turned the air-conditioning on full and concentrated on timing the lights. â€Å"I wish I had calf eyes – those long lashes.† She pulled down the visor and looked in the vanity mirror, then bent over until her head was almost at the steering wheel and looked at Sam. He glanced at her and felt his breath catch in his throat as she smiled. She said, â€Å"You have golden eyes. That's unusual for someone with such dark skin. Are you an Arab?† â€Å"No, I'm†¦ I don't know. I'm a mongrel, I guess.† â€Å"I never met a Mongrel before. I hear they were great horsemen, though. My mother used to read me that poem: ‘In Xanadu did Kublai Khan a stately pleasure dome decree†¦. I don't remember the rest. Someone told me that the Mongrels were like the bikers of their time.† â€Å"Who told you that?† â€Å"This person who's a biker.† â€Å"Person?† Sam knew there was some reality to grab on to somewhere, a position from which he could regain control, if only he could get a straight answer. â€Å"Do you know where the Tangerine Tree Cafe is on upper State? That's where I work.† â€Å"Just tell me a block or so before we get to it.† Even after twenty years Sam found it impossible to distinguish one area of Santa Barbara from another. Everything was the same: white stucco with red tile roofs. The city had been partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1925, and since then the city planners had required all commercial buildings to be built in the Spanish-Moorish style – they even dictated the shade of white that buildings were painted. The result was a beautifully consistent city with almost no distinctive landmarks. Sam usually spotted his destination just as he passed it. â€Å"That was it back there,† the girl said. Sam pulled the car to the curb. â€Å"I'll go around the block.† She opened the car door. â€Å"That's okay, I can jump out here.† â€Å"No! I don't mind, really.† He didn't want her to go. Not yet. But she was out of the car in an instant. She bent back in and offered her hand to shake. â€Å"Thanks a lot. I work until four. I'll need a ride back to my car. See ya.† And she was gone, leaving Sam with his hand still extended and the image of her cleavage burned onto his retinas. He sat for a moment, trying to catch his breath, feeling disoriented, grateful, and a little relieved, as if he had looked up just in time to slam on the brakes and avoid a collision. He took his cigarettes from his jacket and shook one out of the pack, but when he reached for the lighter he noticed the bundle of clothes still lying on the seat. He grabbed the clothes, got out of the car, and headed down the street to the cafe. The doors to the cafe were the big, heavy, hand-carved, pseudo-Spanish iron-banded variety common to almost all Santa Barbara restaurants, but once through them the decor was strictly Fifties Diner. Sam approached a gray-haired woman in a waitress uniform who was manning the cash register at the head of the long counter. He didn't see the girl. â€Å"Excuse me,† he said. â€Å"The girl that just came in here – the blonde – she left these in my car.† The woman looked him up and down and seemed surprised at his appearance. â€Å"Calliope?† she said, incredulously. Sam checked his tie for spots, his fly for altitude. â€Å"I don't know her name. I just gave her a ride to work. She had a flat tire.† â€Å"Oh.† The woman seemed relieved. â€Å"You didn't look like her type. She went to the back to change. I guess she won't get far without these.† The woman took the clothes from him. â€Å"Did you want to speak to her?† she asked. â€Å"No, I guess not. I guess I'll let her get to work.† â€Å"It's no problem, that other guy is waiting for her too.† The woman nodded down the counter. Sam followed her gaze to where the Indian was sitting, smoking a cigarette and blowing the smoke in four directions with each drag. He looked up at Sam and grinned. Sam backed away from the counter and through the doors, tripping on the step down to the sidewalk, almost falling, but catching himself on the wrought-iron railing. He leaned on the railing feeling as if he had just taken a hard shot to the jaw. He shook his head and tried to find some sort of order to what was happening. It could be some kind of setup; the girl and the Indian in it together. But how could they know who he was? How did the Indian get to the cafe so fast? And if it was blackmail, if they knew about the killing, then why be so sneaky about it? As he climbed back into the Mercedes he tried to shake off the feeling of foreboding that was creeping over him like a night fog. He'd just met the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and shortly he would see her again. He had come to her rescue; what better first impression? Even if he hadn't planned it. The Indian was a coincidence. Life was good, right? He started the car and put it into gear only to realize that he couldn't remember where he was going. There had been an appointment when he left the office. He drove several blocks trying to remember the appointment and who he was going to be when he got there. Finally he gave up and pressed the autodialer on his cellular phone. As the phone beeped through the numbers to his office it hit him: the source of his discomfort. The Indian had had golden eyes. In the time it took for his secretary to answer, twenty years of his life, of denial and deception, was pulled away in a stinging black undertow, leaving him feeling helpless and afraid. CHAPTER 2 Montana Medicine Drunk Crow Country, Montana Black Cloud Follows thundered across the dawn silence of a frost-glazed Little Bighorn basin, out of Crow Agency, under Highway 90, and into the gravel parking lot of Wiley's Food and Gas. A 77 ocher-colored Olds Cutlass rattletrap diesel, Black Cloud Follows stopped, coughed, belched, and engulfed itself in a greasy black cloud of exhaust. When the cloud moved on, wafting like a portable eclipse through the golden poplar and ash trees on the Little Bighorn's banks, Adeline Eats stood by the Cutlass twisting the baling wire that held the driver's door shut. Adeline's blue-black hair was layered large and lacquered into a flip. A hot-pink parka over her flannel shirt and overalls added a Michelin Man concentric-circle symmetry to her oval shape. As the Cutlass chugged and bucked – the thing that refused to die – Adeline lit a Salem 100, took a deep drag, then delivered a vicious red Reebok kick to Black Cloud Follows's fender. â€Å"Stop it,† she said. Obediently, the car fell silent and Adeline gave the fender an affectionate pat. This old car had been indirectly responsible for getting her a husband, six children, and a job. She couldn't bring herself to be mean to it for long. Walking around to unlock the back door, she noticed something lying in a tuft of frost-covered buffalo grass: something also frost covered, that looked very much like a body. If he's dead, she reasoned, he can wait until I've made some coffee. If he ain't, he'll probably want some. She let herself into the store and waddled around turning on lights and unlocking doors, then started the coffee and went out to unlock the laundromat, another of the cinder-block buildings in the Wiley's Food and Gas complex, which also included an eight-room motel. Crunching back through the grass, she looked at the body again, which hadn't moved. But for the frost, Old Man Wiley would have been out at dawn setting gopher traps all over the grounds and would have taken care of the body problem. He would have also given Adeline no end of shit about Black Cloud Follows, which he had been doing for fifteen years. It had been Wiley, a white man, who had named the car in the first place. It was not the Crow way to name cars or animals, but Wiley missed no chance to get in a dig at the people from whom he made his living. Maybe, Adeline thought, a morning of peace was worth dealing with a body. When the coffee was finished, she filled two large Styrofoam cups (one for her and one for the body) and poured a generous amount of sugar in each. The body had long braids, so she assumed he was Crow and would probably take sugar if he was alive. If he was dead Adeline would drink his, and she definitely wanted sugar. Back in the buffalo days, the Cheyenne prophet Sweet Medicine had seen a vision of men with hair on their faces who would come bringing a white sand that was poison to Indians. The prophecy had come true, the white sand was sugar, and Adeline blamed the white man for poisoning her right up to two hundred pounds. She took the coffee, butt-bumped through the back door, and crunched through the grass to where the body lay. He was facedown and his Levi jacket and jeans were crystalline blue with frost. Adeline nudged him in the ribs with her foot. â€Å"You froze?† she asked. â€Å"Nope,† the body said into the ground; a little dust came up with the steam. â€Å"You hurt?† â€Å"Nope.† More dust. â€Å"Drunk?† â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"You want coffee?† Adeline sat one of the cups by his head. The body – she was still thinking of him as the body – rolled over and she recognized him as Pokey Medicine Wing, the liar. Creaking, Pokey sat up and tried to pick up the coffee, but couldn't seem to get his frozen hand to work. Adeline picked up the cup and handed it to him. â€Å"I thought you was dead, Pokey.† â€Å"I might have been. Just had me a medicine dream.† As he raised the cup to his lips the shakes set in and he had to bite the edge of the cup to steady it. â€Å"I died twice before, you know†¦.† Adeline ignored the lie and pointed to one of his braids, which had fallen into his coffee cup. Pokey pulled the braid out and wiped the beaded band around it on his jacket. â€Å"Good coffee,† he said. Adeline shook a Salem out of her pack and offered it to him. â€Å"Thanks,† he said. â€Å"You gotta offer a prayer after a medicine dream.† Adeline lit his cigarette with a Bic lighter. â€Å"I'm a Christian now,† she said. She really hoped he wouldn't use the cigarette to carry a prayer. She'd only been a Christian for a few weeks and the old ways made her a little uncomfortable. Besides, Pokey was probably lying through his tooth – he had only one – about the medicine dream. Pokey squinted up at her and grinned, but did not pray. â€Å"I saw my brother Frank's boy, the one with the yellow eyes who threw that cop off the dam. You remember?† Adeline nodded. She really didn't want to hear this. â€Å"Maybe you should tell a medicine man.† â€Å"I am a medicine man,† Pokey said. â€Å"Just no one believes me. I don't need no one else to tell me about my visions. I saw that boy with Old Man Coyote, and there was a shade with 'em that looked like Death.† â€Å"I got to go to work now,† Adeline said. â€Å"I need to find that boy and warn him,† Pokey said. â€Å"That boy's been gone for twenty years. He's probably dead. You was just dreaming.† Pokey was a liar and Adeline knew that there was no reason that she should let his ravings bother her, but they did. â€Å"If you're okay, I got to go to work.† â€Å"You don't believe in medicine, then?† â€Å"Mr. Wiley will be coming in soon. I got to open the store,† Adeline said. She turned and started back toward the store. â€Å"Is that a screech owl?† Pokey shouted after her. Adeline dropped her coffee, fell into a crouch, and scanned the sky in a panic. In the old tradition the screech owl was the worst of omens; vengeful ghosts lived in screech owls; seeing or hearing one was like hearing the sound of your own death. Adeline was terrified. Pokey grinned at her. â€Å"I guess not. It must just be a hawk.† Adeline recovered and stomped into the store, praying to Jesus to forgive Pokey for his sins, but adding to her prayer a request for Jesus to beat the shit out of Pokey if He had the time.

Learn How Separation of Powers Balances the Government

Learn How Separation of Powers Balances the Government The term separation of powers originated with the Baron de Montesquieu, a writer from the 18th-century French enlightenment. However, the actual separation of powers amongst different branches of government can be traced to ancient Greece. The framers of the United States Constitution decided to base the American governmental system on this idea of three separate branches: executive, judicial, and legislative. The three branches are distinct and have checks and balances on each other. In this way, no one branch can gain absolute power or abuse the power they are given. In the United States, the executive branch is headed by the President and includes the bureaucracy. The legislative branch includes both houses of Congress: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. The Fears of the Framers One of the framers of the U.S. Constitution, Alexander Hamilton was the first American to write of the balances and checks that can be said to characterize the American system of separation of powers. It was James Madisons scheme that differentiated between the executive and legislative branches. By having the legislature divided into two chambers, Madison argued that they would harness political competition into a system that would organize, check, balance, and diffuse power. The framers endowed each branch with distinct dispositional, political, and institutional characteristics, and made them each answerable to different constituencies. The biggest fear of the framers was that the government would be overwhelmed by an imperious, domineering national legislature. The separation of the powers, thought the framers, was a system that would be a machine that would go of itself, and keep that from happening. Challenges to the Separation of Powers Oddly, the framers were wrong from the outset: the separation of powers has not led to a smoothly working government of the branches that compete with one another for power, but rather political alliances across the branches are confined to party lines that hinder the machine from running. Madison saw the president, courts, and Senate as bodies who would work together and fend off power grabs from the other branches. Instead, the division of the citizens, the courts, and the legislative bodies into political parties have pushed those parties in the U.S. government into a perpetual struggle to aggrandize their own power in all three branches. One great challenge to the separation of powers was under Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who as part of the New Deal created administrative agencies to lead his various plans for recovery from the Great Depression. Under Roosevelts own control, the agencies wrote rules and effectively created their own court cases. That enabled the agency heads to select optimal enforcement to establish agency policy, and since they were created by the executive branch, that in turn greatly enhanced the power of the presidency. The checks and balances can be preserved, if people pay attention, by the rise and maintenance of a politically insulated civil service, and constraints by Congress and the Supreme Court on agency leaders. Sources Levinson DJ, and Pildes RH. 2006. Separation of Parties, Not Powers. Harvard Law Review 119(8):2311-2386.Michaels JD. 2015. An Enduring, Evolving Separation of Powers. Columbia Law Review 115(3):515-597.Nourse V. 1999. The Vertical Separation of Powers. Duke Law Journal 49(3):749-802.

Standard of living essays

Standard of living essays Standard of Living and the Quality of Life Todays companies should not be responsible for the standard of living and quality of life of their foreign suppliers. Many of the major companies like Nike and Mercedes-Benz have moved their factories overseas or in other countries because of the minimum taxes and regulations. For instance a celebrity was recently under fire for having her clothes made in India. They were making around 70 cents a day. Being Americans we thought they were getting ripped off and that the celebrity was taking advantage of the people working for them, in fact they probably were, but we do not know how much money you need to survive to live in India. It might be $0.05 a day or it might be a lot more. It is not right for us to tell other people in foreign countries how to live. We cant just go to India and say You need to build your houses like we do in America. The minimum wage here is $6.75, etc. It is not our right to do that. Foreign countries have a different standard of living than the Un ited States. Companies should be responsible for making and keeping their employees happy. The companies should not be responsible for their quality of living. Companies do not know how their employees would like to live. All the companies need to do is keep their employees happy in the work place. Once they are off the job they can do whatever they want to make them happy. Their employers should not be held responsible for how they live their life outside of work. ...

Munich Olympic Massacre Aftermath

Munich Olympic Massacre Aftermath The 2012 London Olympics marked the 40th anniversary of the tragic massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich games. An international calamity, the murder of the athletes by the Palestinian extremist Black September group on September 5, 1972, naturally spurred increased security measures at all subsequent Olympic games. The incident also forced the United States federal government, especially the State Department, to modernize the way it handles diplomatic security. Black September Attack At 4 a.m. September 5, eight Palestinian terrorists broke into to the Olympic village building where the Israeli team stayed. As they attempted to take the team hostage, a fight broke out. The terrorists killed two athletes, then took nine others hostage. A globally televised standoff ensued, with the terrorists demanding the release of more than 230 political prisoners in Israel and Germany. Germany insisted on handling the crisis. Germany had not hosted the Olympics since the 1936 Berlin games, in which Adolf Hitler tried to showcase German superiority in the pre-World War II years. West Germany saw the 1972 games as a chance to show the world it had lived down its Nazi past. The terrorist attack on Israeli Jews, of course, stabbed right at the heart of German history, since Nazis have perpetrated the extermination of some six million Jews during the Holocaust. (In fact, the infamous Dachau concentration camp sat about 10 miles from Munich.) German police, with little training in counter-terrorism, botched their rescue attempts. Terrorists learned via TV reporting of a German attempt to rush the Olympic village. An attempt to take them at a nearby airport where the terrorists believed they had passage out of the country, collapsed into a firefight. When it was over, all the athletes were dead. Changes in U.S. Readiness The Munich massacre prompted obvious changes in Olympic venue security. No longer would it be easy for intruders to hop two-meter fences and stroll unchallenged into athletes apartments. But the terror attack also changed security measures on a more subtle scale. The U.S. State Departments Bureau for Diplomatic Security reports that the Munich Olympics, along with other high-profile terrorist incidents in the late 1960s and early 1970s, caused the bureau (then known as the Office of Security, or SY) to reevaluate how it protects American diplomats, emissaries, and other representatives abroad. The bureau reports that Munich caused three major changes in how the U.S. handles diplomatic security. The massacre: Put diplomatic security in the forefront of U.S. foreign policy concerns; Changed SYs focus from background checks and evaluations to committing the personnel and technology necessary to combat terror; Put the State Department, White House, and Congress all in the diplomatic security policy-making process. Executive Measures U.S. President Richard Nixon also made executive changes to Americas terror preparedness. Foretelling the post-9/11 administrative reorganizations, Nixon ordered that U.S. intelligence agencies cooperate more effectively with each other and foreign agencies to share information regarding terrorists, and he created a new cabinet-level committee on terrorism, headed by Secretary of State William P. Rogers. In measures that seem quaint by today s standards, Rogers ordered that all foreign visitors to the U.S. carry visas, that visa applications be closely screened, and lists of suspicious persons code-named for secrecy be submitted to federal intelligence agencies. Congress authorized the president to cut U.S. air service to countries that aided hijackers  and made attacks against foreign diplomats on American soil a federal offense. Shortly after the Munich attack, Rogers addressed the United Nations and in another tactic that presaged 9/11 made terrorism global concern, not just that of a few nations.  The issue is not war...[or] the strivings of people to achieve self-determination and independence, Rogers said, it is whether the vulnerable lines of international communication...can continue, without disruption, to bring nations and peoples together.

Civil war and the abolition of slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Civil war and the abolition of slavery - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that from 1565-1568, Spanish conquerors established a settlement in Florida wherein 500 slaves were introduced. After that, a flock of African slaves was brought by Dutch explorers in Jamestown, Virginia in the form of â€Å"indentured servitude,† and this group was the first permanent forced and involuntary servants in the New World. Northerners had a different view towards slavery because first and foremost, the North was an industrial territory while the South had a vast acre of agricultural plantations. Therefore, the Southerners took advantage of the presence of African slaves because of their massive labor force while the Northerners felt threatened that these slaves would soon take away their industrial jobs away from them since they worked for free. Both the abolition and pro-slavery sentiments were growing during the late 17th century. The abolition of slavery sentiment was fought by the Northerners, and later on, was grante d in 1804. Moreover, the federal government also encouraged the Southerners to end up slavery in order to achieve a balance between slave states and Free states. There was already the establishment of political balance in the United States, but the proposition of Democratic senator Stephen Douglas to allow territories between the Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains to choose whether or not to give permission to slavery. According to Arnold, this event led to the Civil War because it destroyed the said balance.

Financial analysis of the Creative Chips case Study

Financial analysis of the Creative Chips - Case Study Example rom this, as can be observed in the balance sheet of the company for the year 2002, there are wages which are yet to be paid by the company, which amount to $ 7,350. In addition to this information, it is also worth noting that the total expenditure incurred by the company in relation to payroll amounted to $ 89,850. Among the expenditure incurred in relation to payroll, $ 42,000 ($ 3,500 x 12) refers to salary of Lesay, therefore it is found that the amount which is related to the payment of wages is $ 89,850 - $ 42,000 - $ 12,000, i.e. $ 35,850. However, keeping in mind that there is an amount of wages payable therefore after accounting for the total payment made towards the salaries and wages expenses, there is still an amount of $ 7,500 left to be paid, and it is, therefore, recorded as wages payable in the balance sheet (Drury, 2007; Nikolai, Bazley, & Jones, 2009). The company Creative Chips is involved in the business of manufacturing and selling chips. The overall financial information presented indicates that the company is performing satisfactorily in financial terms. The fact that company is utilizing its rented space in a way that it does not require additional space for manufacturing and storing its inventory stocks, is indicative of the efficient operations of the company. Apart from this, the gross profit amount as depicted in the income statement of the company is significant and can be regarded as highly favorable for the company. However, the operating expenses of the company are significantly high, which, as a result, have undermined the significance of the gross profit. The liquidity position of the company indicates that there are too much liquid assets held up by the company, which could have been invested for generating income from other sources (Webster, 2003; Nikolai, Bazley, & Jones, 2009). The company’s operational efficiency can be questioned on the basis of the fact that there is only one employee who runs the manufacturing

Arabic Language and English Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Arabic Language and English Language - Essay Example Arabic is from the Semitic language family, subsequently, its grammar is altogether different from English. There is an expansive potential for lapses of impedance when Arab learners produce composed or spoken English. Arabic has a three-consonant root as its premise. All words (parts of speech) are shaped by joining the three-root consonants with altered vowel designs and, in some cases, an affix. Arab learners may be befuddled by the absence of examples in English that might permit them to recognize nouns from verbs or descriptive words, and so forth. The Arabic sentence is generally separated into two primary parts: the column and the supplement (extra) if any. The column could be mapped to the thought of the atomic in expository structure hypothesis. The satellites of the logical structure hypothesis could be equal to the supplement. The column has two parts: the data furthermore the subject. The subject could be acknowledged as the member where an activity, a state, or a depicti on is alluding to. The data could be seen as the movement, the state, or the portrayal itself. An Arabic sentence may be either ostensible sentence or a verbal sentence. The ostensible sentence begins fundamentally with a noun and the verbal sentence begins with a verb. The mainstay of an ostensible sentence is constituted by a primate and a predicate. The primate is a noun that generally a sentence begins with. The capacity of the primate is the subject-work (the member). The predicate qualifies the primate and fills the data a piece of the mainstay of the ostensible sentence. The mainstay of the verbal sentence is constituted by a verb and an operator if the data is a known verb or a star executor if the data is a disregarded verb. While proceeding towards the comparison in details it is necessary to first shed some light on the definition of culture as defined by Geert Hofstede. According to the cultural dimensions premises acknowledged by Geert Hofstede, the westernized nations like the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, etc. creates the individualist bunch and is placed at one severe end of the band whilst the Asian nations such as Pakistan, Hong Kong, India, Thailand, etc. forms the collectivist bunch and is placed at the other intense end of the range.  

Sickle cell anemia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sickle cell anemia - Essay Example value to carrying a single sickle-cell gene in these areas because people with only two alleles of the gene are much less likely to fall victim to malaria (Kwiatkowski, 2005). The condition is characterized by the shape of the individual’s red blood cells, which tend to adopt a rigid, abnormal ‘sickle’ shape to them that decreases the cell’s flexibility and can create a number of complications throughout the body as a result. This occurs as a result of a mutation in the hemoglobin gene and it affects approximately 1 in 5,000 Americans, most of who are of African American descent. The life expectancy for people with sickle cell anemia is shorter than normal averaging 42 for men and 48 for women (Platt, Brambilla & Rosse, 1994). The purpose of the present research is to identify the genetic origins of this illness and the affects it can have upon the body. There are a number of different forms of the disease which are classified based upon the mutations present within the blood. Sickle cell anemia is the term used to specifically apply to those individuals who present homozygosity for the mutation (Green et al, 1993). In these individuals, long-chain polymers of HbS have the effect of changing the normally smooth, donut-like shape of the red blood cells to a more spiked and rigid shape that makes the cell more susceptible to breakage. People who are heterozygous for the illness are generally carriers, having only one sickle gene and one normal gene that generally makes up for the deficits of the sickle gene. However, when the ‘normal’ gene is also abnormal in some way, other forms of the illness can manifest, typically referred to as compound heterozygous (Green et al, 1993). The sickling effect is caused by a point mutation in which the glutamic acid, a type of amino acid, is replaced with valine, a hydrophobic amino aci d, at the sixth position. When in low oxygen conditions such as being at a high altitude, this causes an aggregation of

Company Audit for Darden Restaurants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Company Audit for Darden Restaurants - Essay Example For example, the company takes advantage of the contemporary trends in demand towards national cuisine and healthy dining by introduction of the new brands and formats, e.g. Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52. It addresses the growing competition from the other established chain operators, as well as local restaurants, by constant improvement of the operational activities and emphasis on market research and product improvement. Darden Restaurants is a leader in the casual dining market. Its position, however, is constantly challenged by the two closest competitors, namely Applebee's International and Brinker International. Both operators have established position in the hospitality industry and currently operate big chains of company-owned restaurants under Applebee's brand (Applebee's International) and Rockfish, Chilli's, Romano Macaroni Grill, Maggiano's, On the Other Border Mexican Grill brands (Brinker International). The areas of strength include market share, financial position, and advertising. Darden Restaurants Company is leading with regard to the most influential factors, including product quality, management, and market share. However, the company can improve its standing in terms of global expansion, pricing strategy and gaining customer loyalty. The Internal Factors Evaluation Matrix (see below) was constructed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the functional areas of the Darden Restaurants Company. The strengths and weaknesses are chosen based on how they affect the ability of the chain to take advantage of the external opportunities and limit or control the risks. Internal Factors Evaluation Matrix (IFE) Key Internal Factors Weight Rating Weighted Score Internal Strengths Financial position (revenues and net income) .15 4 .60 Steady growth for several years in revenues and EPS .10 4 .40 Marketing research .10 4 .40 Constant brand

The decline of women's rights in the Muslim world Essay

The decline of women's rights in the Muslim world - Essay Example Certainly, the world has seen the latter of the two in the news more than the predominantly peaceful observers of the religion. One of the most questionable practices of Islam is the requiring of women to cover their bodies head to toe as to not attract a man’s attention, thus causing him to break one of Allah’s laws. This practice is most usually not just done to behave in a religiously moral manner, but has actually become mandatory by law in many Islamic countries. Women who do not practice this tradition are often punished harshly. Similarly, the Islamic forms of government enforce the death penalty on women who have, in their eyes, committed adultery. The punishment for this can include the horrific and agonizing practice of being stoned to death. With this, the extremists of Islam who have managed to reform governments into Islamic practices and enforcement with a desire to make an example of anyone who contradicts the Islamic way and its government. The government-supported Islamic regimes do not allow for any sort of deviation or differing opinion in regards to faith. Today, marriage within the Islamic faith is solidified by a contract. Though the marriage contract stipulates the need for an exchange of good treatment between a husband and wife, the governments which make Islamic principle law allow for few rights of woman and total right to men. It is also not unheard of for a woman who has committed adultery to be sent away to what are known as ‘rape camps’. Within the past few years, groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have declared rape a war crime and certainly the hosting of rape camps. One of the perks to being male and Islamic is the acceptance of polygamy. Men in Islam can have multiple wives, but the inverse is not true. Additionally, the Islamic faith encourages along the extremely

Company Audit for Darden Restaurants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Company Audit for Darden Restaurants - Essay Example For example, the company takes advantage of the contemporary trends in demand towards national cuisine and healthy dining by introduction of the new brands and formats, e.g. Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52. It addresses the growing competition from the other established chain operators, as well as local restaurants, by constant improvement of the operational activities and emphasis on market research and product improvement. Darden Restaurants is a leader in the casual dining market. Its position, however, is constantly challenged by the two closest competitors, namely Applebee's International and Brinker International. Both operators have established position in the hospitality industry and currently operate big chains of company-owned restaurants under Applebee's brand (Applebee's International) and Rockfish, Chilli's, Romano Macaroni Grill, Maggiano's, On the Other Border Mexican Grill brands (Brinker International). The areas of strength include market share, financial position, and advertising. Darden Restaurants Company is leading with regard to the most influential factors, including product quality, management, and market share. However, the company can improve its standing in terms of global expansion, pricing strategy and gaining customer loyalty. The Internal Factors Evaluation Matrix (see below) was constructed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the functional areas of the Darden Restaurants Company. The strengths and weaknesses are chosen based on how they affect the ability of the chain to take advantage of the external opportunities and limit or control the risks. Internal Factors Evaluation Matrix (IFE) Key Internal Factors Weight Rating Weighted Score Internal Strengths Financial position (revenues and net income) .15 4 .60 Steady growth for several years in revenues and EPS .10 4 .40 Marketing research .10 4 .40 Constant brand

Female Gentinal Mutilation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Female Gentinal Mutilation - Research Paper Example The paper shall also at times adopt a postcolonial approach to demonstrate the different forces that affect the creation of social forces the way they are. The paper shall, in the ultimate analysis, denounce the practice of female genital mutilation as it is a corrupt practice that impinges on the freedom of women. It shall look at the views of various theorists of Female Genital Mutilation. It shall also look at theorists like Michel Foucault, Amartya Sen, Edward Said and Ngugi wa Thiongo so as to understand the sociological and symbolic, economic, cultural and postcolonial aspects of the problem that Genetic mutilation presents. The problem, finally, needs a holistic solution that shall talk of the need to delink power from sexuality as much as possible. It shall also argue for an altered means of production in postcolonial societies. This is what shall lead to freedom, sexual and economic. Female Circumcision and its Abolition Female circumcision is practiced in many cultures acro ss the world. There are many reasons that are often advanced in favor of this practice and many of them are considered to stem from customary practices of a particular community. However, there are several aspects of this issue that make this situation a complex one. An analysis of this issue needs to take into account what is religiously sanctioned and what is the result of customs that are peculiar to a certain community. For this purpose, it is important to note the differences that arise in different communities that practice circumcision. It also becomes necessary to look at the importance of the differences between the practices of female and male circumcision to understand the impact that patriarchy has upon the custom. This institution has persisted in times of modernity as well. This modernity was inspired largely by European notions of the same. Discussions into the practice of female circumcision shall also lead to a discussion of this modernity. Since much of these notio ns were introduced into non-European cultures through the process of colonization, it is also important to analyze the impact of colonization on the processes of the culture formation in nations that were erstwhile colonies. The persistence of this phenomenon despite the introduction of so many changes to the culture of a place speaks volumes about the entrenched quality of patriarchy in these parts of the world. The phenomenon of genital mutilation can thus be linked to patriarchy and the protests against it can be looked at through a feminist perspective. This may seem like a very obvious point but it needs to be made. This is because it enables one to employ feminist perspectives to critique the practice of genital mutilation. These perspectives would enable one to present one’s critique in a systematic fashion. This paper shall attempt to do so and argue in this context that corrupt practice such as circumcision of Muslim women should be abolished. Female Genital Mutilati on and the Youth of a Nation One of the most important aspects of the abolition of female circumcision is the fact of it happening through the youth of a nation. This would fuel a larger change in the society where it happens by effecting a collective change that would lead to not just legal changes but also to changes in the mentalities of people (Palmieri and Mottin-Sylla, 2011). The change in female circumcisi

Active Listening in 4 Steps Essay Example for Free

Active Listening in 4 Steps Essay Active listening in 4 steps: The best managers make the best listeners Managers spend a good part of their workday listening to other people. But bear in mind, there’s a big difference between â€Å"passive† and â€Å"active† listening. Effective listening includes a four-step process to ensure understanding: 1. Listen to the total message.  2. Prove your understanding by using nonverbal signals. 3. Use open-ended probes. 4. Paraphrase what you hear. Motivating employees through realistic deadlines: 4 dos and donts Without deadlines, employees flounder. They can’t be aware of the urgency or priorities of a project unless their supervisors tell them. Following are four tips on motivating employees by setting realistic deadlines: 1. Do be specific  Name the target day and time. And mean what you say. If you ask for completion â€Å"next week,† don’t complain on Friday that you really needed it on Wednesday. 2. Do clarify priorities Let people know if this assignment takes precedence over any other projects they’re working on now. Avoid the old, favorite deadline â€Å"ASAP,† which usually translates in an employee’s mind as â€Å"whenever it gets done.† 3. Don’t set false deadlines  Setting a deadline earlier than necessary (because you don’t trust your employees to meet the real deadline) creates more problems than it solves. Your staff will soon learn that’s how you operate and will assume there’s always air in the schedule. As a result, they’ll always miss that first deadline, just as you knew they would. 4. Do establish an update schedule  The best-laid plans can go astray, and so can deadlines. You’ll minimize the chance of this occurring by setting up a progress report schedule when you assign the project. This is especially important for long-term projects. Motivating employees to do their best each day: 6 office communication techniques Here are six tips for motivating employees to stay on task and work together toward the common goal, according to a report by OnPoint Consulting: 1. Clarify, clarify, clarify.  2. Establish clear expectations. 3. Don’t micromanage your entrepreneurial-minded employees. But do monitor them. 4. Encourage employees to share bad news with you. 5. Solve problems quickly, but not too quickly. 6. Encourage informal and spontaneous interaction. Managing employee retention: Listen for subtle whispers of employee turnover Most good employees don’t stand up one day and quit out of the blue. They send off subtle hints that, if you’re listening, you can act on before the good employee walks out the door. That’s why it’s important to listen to statements like these that can act as an â€Å"advance warning system† for employee turnover: * This job isn’t what I thought it would be. Rather than exploring what the employee was originally told or trying to defend miscommunication, focus on the present. Ask, â€Å"How do you want your job to be?† * I’m at a plateau. I can’t grow here. Consider that a plea for job stimulation. Provide the employee with new responsibilities, cross-training opportunities or exposure to influential mentors. * I don’t get any feedback. Most employees crave regular input from their supervisors. Don’t leave them in the dark. Plan regular sessions to discuss ongoing projects and performance. * This place has too much politics. While you may not be able to eliminate all dissension and politics in the organization, you can level with the employee. If someone makes this complaint, address rumors head-on, a nd don’t play favorites. Maintaining workplace productivity: 7 common employee gripes (and how to silence them) A recent study says that 40% of managers in the United States are considered â€Å"bad bosses† by their employees. Yet most managers assume that their relationships with their employees are running smoothly. Obviously, some of those bosses are wrong †¦ and that can create major problems for workplace productivity. A Gallup Poll says organizations are 50% less productive—and 44% less profitable—when serious boss-employee conflicts exist. Employee retention strategies: 8 little things managers can do to retain the best When good employees leave for greener pastures, it makes a manager’s job much more difficult. Managers can prevent this syndrome by doing what they can to make their own pasture the greenest. While compensation helps, it’s not always cash that makes pastures greener. When salaries are equal with the marketplace, other factors take priority. Here are eight easy-to-plant â€Å"seeds† that help keep employees growing and content, according to a KEYGroup report: 1. Keep them engaged. Consider ways to provide opportunities for employees to improve on their skills or learn new skills they can use in their jobs. 2. Give praise where praise is due. Recognizing a job well done isn’t an expensive proposition, but it will mean the world to your employee. 3. Be aware of employees’ changing needs. By recognizing their changing needs, you show sensitivity to what’s going on in their lives. This builds loyalty and helps bring stability to their personal lives, which means they can focus better at work. 4. Realize that great employees thrive under great leaders. Employees won’t leave for greener pastures unless you drive them. The buck starts and stops with their leaders. 5. Conduct regular â€Å"stay† interviews. Rather than exit interviews, use regular â€Å"stay† interviews to provide an opportunity to compliment high performers on their work and inspire them to do more. 6. Create an environment where people can do their best work. By allowing employees to develop and implement their own ideas, you’ll keep them passionate about their work. 7. Create an environment of trust. Employees are happier and work harder when they trust their leaders. They decide which leaders they can trust based on how their fellow employees, company vendors and customers are treated. 8. Rid your pasture of weeds. The weeds are those poor performers and negative employees who stifle the good attitudes and high performance of their co-workers. The bottom line: Striving to keep employees happy and engaged is not just a â€Å"nice† thing to do — it’s the only way to maximize workplace productivity. Thoughtful employee retention strategies are useful not just for retaining people to avoid the high cost of recruitment. Engaged employees are creative, productive, motivated and brimming with good ideas

Effect Of Pharmacist and Nurse on Improving Blood Pressure

Effect Of Pharmacist and Nurse on Improving Blood Pressure Afzal Hussain Problem and Purpose In this paper, I will be critically analyzing the article â€Å"A Randomized Trial of the Effect  Of Community Pharmacist and Nurse Care on Improving Blood Pressure Management  in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus- Study of Cardiovascular Risk Intervention by Pharmacists–Hypertension (SCRIP-HTN) by Donna L. Maclean ; Finlay A. McAlister; Jeffery A. Johnson, Kathryn M. King; Mark J. Makowsky ; Charlotte A. Jones and Ross T. Tsuyuki. This article outlines a quantitative experimental design involving two sample groups (experimental and Control). According to Sullivan-Bolyai, Bova, Singh (2013), experimental designs are particularly suitable for testing cause and effect relationships because they help eliminate potential alternative explanation (threats to validity) for the findings (p. 217). The authors articulate their recognition of the fact that interventions are key markers to identify and observe blood pressure (BP) control in diabetic patients. The authors also recognize the fact that there is a need for a new model of care to improve BP control, particularly with significant challenges in accessing primary care physicians attributing to labor shortages in the health scare system. In addition, the authors used manipulation by introducing the intervention, then by comparing the standard and usual care among the control group and experimental groups. This resulted in the manipulation variable being the difference of care among patients with blood pressure and diabetes. One intervention delivered to the group based on the manipulated variable of difference of care is evident through the interventions made by the pharmacist-nurse teams at various pharmacy sites, which included cardiovascular risk reduction counselling, education brochure on hypertension, lifestyle strategies, effect of diabetes on high BP, and referral to the patient’s primary care physician for further BP and cardiovascular assessment (McLean, McAlister , Johnson, King, Makowsky, Jones, and Tsuyuki, 2008, p. 2356). The control group received the standard and usual treatment compared to the experimental intervention group. Furthermore, blood pressure wallet card, educational pamphlet on diabetes and physician care were received by the control group. (McLean et al., 2008, p. 2355).The authors used randomization to categorize the research participants into two groups- experimental intervention and control which is set to receive the standard treatment of care. Mclean et al (2008) states, â€Å" Randomization was at the level of the patient ( stratified by pharmacy and using a variable block design), it was performed centrally to preserve allocation concealment using a computer generated sequence over a secure internet service at the Epidemiology Coordinating and Research (EPICORE) centre,(p. 2356). The authors propose a practical necessity for this research problem to be explored and be further researched. The purpose of the research was to explore whether pharmacist or nurses can professionally contribute to improving the BP control of patients with diabetes and implement preventative care measures due to ongoing lack of physicians, pharmacist and nurses, it is clear that the research is also significant. It is based on changing the attitude of health care professionals to meet current outcomes, outcomes which seem to be on par with those of the current health care system in Canada. Sample Size, Design and Collection Methods The sample for this study was appropriately assembled for a quantitative study. The study sample is easily identified when reading the article, included a description of the demographic characteristics and the size of the sample. Also included were any sampling bias, drop outs or loss of patients to follow up. In doing so, an adjustment of 85 to 110 per group were added. (McLean et al., 2008, p. 2357). Its purpose was to test the efficacy of community-based interventions through a pharmacist and nurse team approach on reduction of cardiovascular events in diabetes mellitus patients. This was achieved by measuring the BP which has been linked to comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, and to BP measurement changes used as an indicator of health. This sampling was appropriate to the study as the sample were to represent diabetic patients. Mclean et al (2013) states, â€Å" All adult diabetic patients with BP higher than 130/80 mm Hg on 2 screening visits separated by 2 weeks wer e identified in participating pharmacies. Diabetes was identified by community pharmacists through the use of diabetes indicator medications in each pharmacy’s prescription database. (p. 2356). In this study, Mclean et al (2008) used a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in 14 community Pharmacies in Edmonton, Alberta as a method of data collection (McLean et al., 2008, p. 2355). Participants were identified and manipulated by pharmacists and nurses who were trained using a combination of an online learning program and a case-based learning session – both based on the Canadian Hypertension Education Program (CHEP) guidelines†. Also the use of a commercial BP monitor set at an average of 5 measurements of BP taken 1 minute was used to measure participants BP (McLean et al., 2008, p. 2356). Data analysis procedures were appropriate to the research study because â€Å"all analyses were conducted using a commercially available software program† (McLean et al., 2008, p. 2357). Threats to Internal and External Validity specifically the authors use of instrumentation and selection could possibly have introduced problems of internal validity in the research. This threat was discussed by ensuring that both groups (control and experimental) BP were measured with the same BP device, which has 6 readings, discard the first test and further takes an additional 5 measures . Mclean et al (2008) found that, â€Å"It is possible that the more frequent contact with the pharmacist –nurse team reduced the anxiety of patients and any â€Å"white coat effect† on their BP measurement†. (p.2359). Furthermore, the screening modules used by the researchers to collect the data were conducted by pharmacists and nurses well versed in their profession. Selection bias was another threat predisposing the sampling design to internal validity. The authors in their findings found that patients eligible for selection presented with lower BP, this can be caused by the researchers utilizing a convenience sample instead of a random sample. Also, selection bias may have been an essential part of the end results due to the fact that patients who are eager to monitor and control their BP are more likely to agree to participate in the trial, also that more than 80% of trial participants were aware that hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (McLean et al., 2008, p. 2358). The external validity of the study was weakened by the sampling design. The authors failed to take into consideration non English speaking people, whose cultural differences and beliefs could influence the study, and who may lack health literacy to read and identify medical abbreviations and symbols. Maclean et al (2008) states, â€Å"pharmacists and nurses who participated may be different from those who did not participate, an investigator vol unteer bias that may limit generalizability of the program† (McLean et al., 2008, p. 2359). Limitations of the Design One major limitation of the design identified by the authors is regarding the interventions implemented in regards to the in person contact time between patients and the pharmacist-nurse team, which can be further be evaluated by future studies on whether less intensive interventions are The researchers identified a potential limitation regarding that the intervention involved substantial in-person contact time between patients and study personnel, and that future studies will need to determine whether less intensive interventions are productive in controlling BP in diabetic patients (McLean et al., 2008, p. 2359 Generalization of Findings The research findings can be generally be applied to larger populations, the authors acknowledge the fact that their research intervention was extremely efficacious, resulting in a 24.1 mm Hg greater reduction in systolic BP (McLean et al., 2008, p. 2358) They recommend a new model of care to improve BP control. In addition, by utilizing an experimental research design in which a cause and effect relationship can be analyzed and measured, the researchers were able to provide coherent evidence and correlation that community pharmacists and nurses through a collaborative effort with primary care physicians could have a huge impact on hypertension management in patients with diabetes mellitus and BP control within the community (McLean et al., 2008, p. 2360) References LoBiondo-Wood, G., Singh, M.D., (2013). Introduction to quantitative research. In C. Cameron, M. D. Singh (Eds.), Nursing research in Canada: Methods and critical appraisal for evidence-based practice (3rd ed.) (pp. 198-215). Toronto: Elsevier Canada McLean, D. L., McAlister, F. A., Johnson, J.A., King, K.M., Makowsky, M.J., Jones, C.A., Tsuyuki, R.T. (2008). A randomized trial of the effect of community pharmacist and nurse care on improving blood pressure management in patients with diabetes mellitus. Archives of Internal Medicine, 168(21), 2355-2361 Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19029501 Sullivan-Bolyai, S., Bova, C., Singh, M.D. (2013). Experimental and quasiexperimental designs. In C. Cameron, M. D. Singh (Eds.), Nursing research in Canada: Methods and critical appraisal for evidence-based practice (3rd ed.) (pp. 216-233). Toronto: Elsevier Canada

Bosnia Civil War Essay -- History, The Serbs, Genocide

The genocide in Bosnia started in 1992 and lasted until 1995 and it involved the massacre of the Muslims by the Serbs . The United Nations and the Great Powers of the world failed Bosnia in providing support and aid. To understand what went wrong during the crisis in Bosnia one must first look at the situation that existed there before the conflict. Bosnia is made up of three different ethnicities, the Muslims made up forty-five percent of the population, the Serbs made up thirty-three percent of the population and the Croats consisted of the remaining sixteen percent . The major difference between these ethnicities is not their language but their religions. The Muslims generally practice Islam, the Serbs were traditionally Orthodox and the Croats were mainly Roman Catholic, but the conflict between them was not so much based on their religion as much as nationalism (pg691) . The different ethnicities were not separated within Bosnia; instead they were all mixed together . For exampl e, villages that were made up of mostly Serbs may surround a largely Muslim town . The different ethnicities would not interact with one another on a regular basis but they also were not separated into different and exclusive areas (pg691) . The tensions between these three ethnicities had been steadily rising throughout history but they were generally kept under control by outside forces . They were originally forced to co-exist under the Ottoman Empire, then a Serb monarchy forced them to cooperate and lastly it was Tito who installed order through Yugoslavia . After Tito passed away they each started to embrace the freedom they never had and that is when the violent ethnic conflicts started (pg691) . As well as the different ethnicity another part o... ...to prove themselves because of the failures of previous peacekeeping operations including Somalia. Furthermore, the rules and the structure of the U.N. creates many difficulties that make it hard to accomplish any goals. Lastly, the peacekeepers faced many obstacles that were unable to overcome. There were problems within the actual peacekeeping force that limited what they were able to accomplish, and although the attempted to complete the tasks set out for them it was impossible to do with the resources they were given. The situation in Srebrenica is an example of the impact that the failures of the U.N. have on an actual mission of the peacekeeping operation. The Bosnian civil war is an unfortunate crisis that the U.N. should take as an opportunity to learn from their mistakes, because unfortunately their mistakes cost the lives of a numerous amount of people.

A Comparison of the American and the Japanese Health Care Systems

Both the United States and Japan are part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, an organization composed of industrialized countries) and as such both countries are under the pressure to live up to a certain median when it comes to the quality of health care. Apart from the median created by OECD countries, the US and Japan are also equally pressured by such organizations as the World Health Organization (WHO) that sets up checklists for good health care systems. In a report last 2000 on the health care systems of 191 countries, WHO set some goals for a health care system.These goals are the following: good health, responsiveness, and fairness in financing (WHO in Bureau of Labor Education of the University of Maine 2001, 1). By â€Å"good health† WHO refers to the good health status of the entire population although out the human being’s life cycle. â€Å"Responsiveness,† on the other hand, refers to â€Å"the extent to which careg ivers are responsive to the client/patient expectations with regard to non-health areas such as being treated with dignity and respect† (Bureau of Labor and Education o the University of Maine 2001, 6).Fairness in financing generally refers to the progressiveness of the health care system wherein those who have less are also to spend less on medical care. These goals shall be utilized to evaluate and compare the Japanese and the American health care systems. But before an effective evaluation and comparison could be done, it will be important to individually describe the health care systems of these two countries. As such, this paper shall consist o the following parts: a description of the American health care system; a description of the Japanese health care system; an evaluation and the comparison of the two health care systems.The American Health Care System A. The Framework of the American Health Care System The American Health Care System could best be illustrated using figure 1. In figure 1, it could be noted that there are two insurance systems in America, public and private. Public insurance system refers to Medicare, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), and the Veteran’s Administration (VA). Private insurance system, on the other hand, refers to either employer-sponsored insurance or private non-group insurance. We shall discuss each of these types.Medicare is a federal program that insures seniors aged 65 and above as well as some disabled individuals (Chua 2006, 2). This is a single-payer, government-administered program that covers hospital services, physician services, as well as prescription drug services (Chua 2006, 2). Medicare is financed three ways: federal income taxes, payroll tax (paid both by employers and employees), and individual enrollee premiums (Chua 2006, 2). There are individual enrollee premiums because even if Medicare provides the above-mentioned services, there are still import ant services that are not covered without the premium coverage.These premium services include nursing facilities; preventive care coverage; and coverage for dental, hearing, or vision care. This means that the elderly who are covered by Medicare would many times still need to avail of premium services and as such, they contribute a total of 22% of their income for the cost of health care (Chua 2006, 2). Medicaid is a state-administered health insurance program that provides coverage to low income citizens and disabled; specifically, this insurance â€Å"covers very poor pregnant women, children, disabled, and parents† (Chua 2006, 2).As for its administration, Medicaid is paid for by the state and the federal government. At the very least, the federal government pays $1 for every dollar that the state pays for (Chua 2006, 2). Unlike Medicare, Medicaid offers a more comprehensive health benefits. S-CHIP is like Medicaid as regards administration but it is specifically for child ren whose parents do not qualify for Medicaid due to their income but still do not make enough money to provide insurance for their children. VA is a state-sponsored health insurance service for the veterans of the military.This insurance provides comprehensive health benefits that make the veteran spend almost nothing for health care. Employer-sponsored insurance refers to private health insurance services the premium of which are largely paid for by employers. Under this system are the many organizations that offer health maintenance (HMOs). This is where corporations like Aetna and Kaiser Permanente fall. The coverage offered as well as the degree of co-sharing by the different HMOs differ also (Chua 2006, 3).Private non-group health insurance is the sort of insurance availed by those who are self-employed and those that could not avail of employer-sponsored insurance. This sort of insurance allows the insurance company to impose rules regarding pre-existing conditions. Usually, pre-existing conditions are not covered by the insurance. This sort of insurance is fully administered by the HMOs and the benefits vary widely as well. B. Characteristics and Problems of the American Health Care System The American Health Care System is mostly a combination and interaction of public and private entities.This is most exemplified by the two general types of health insurance services: the public and the private. This fact could be demonstrated by a 2003 statistics on Health Insurance Coverage of the nonelderly (in Chua 2006, 1). This statistics shows that 62% of nonelderly Americans receive private employer-sponsored insurance, while 5% purchase their insurance in the market (Chua 2006, 1). 18% of these nonelderly individuals are in public insurance like Medicaid or Medicare, while the remaining 15% are uninsured (Chua 2006, 1).Elderly Americans aged 65 years and above are mostly insured through Medicaid (Chua 2006, 1). Or, better yet, we might as well look at statist ics from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid represented as a pie graph in figure 2(American Hospital Association 2005, 6). In the 2003 statistics on the â€Å"Distribution of US Health Care Expenditures by Payer Source,† of the total $1. 7 trillion expenditures on health care, more than half are paid for by private entities. The lion’s share goes to private insurance. In this statistics, 35.8% are paid for by private insurance (American Hospital Association 2005, 6). Consumer’s out-of-pocket spending on health care account for 13. 7% of the 2003 health care expenditure, while other private expenditure account for 4. 8% of the expenditure. Medicare, a government health insurance system, pays for 17% of health care expenses, while Medicaid, another government health insurance system, shoulders 16% of the expenditure. The remaining 12. 7% of expenditure is paid for by other government systems like the S-CHIP and VA (Centers American Hospital Association 2005, 6; Chua 2006, 2).As such, we could see that the American Health Care System’s expenditure is more than 50% private. In spite of the big percentage in the budget that the federal government allots to health care, probably the biggest budget allotment in the OECD countries, a big percentage of health expenditures is handled by private entities. It is worth mentioning that America is spending on the average 15% of its GDP on health care when the average on OECD countries is only 8. 6% (Chua 2006, 5).This also means that America has the highest per capita spending on health care compared to other OECD Countries. It was documented that almost 10 years ago, the US was already the biggest per capita spender among its OECD colleagues. It spent $4,178 per capita while Switzerland, then second to the US on per capita spending, spent only $2794 per capita on health care. In spite of the big role of private entities and the high percentage in budget that health care system has, a big percen tage of non-elderly adults are uninsured (15% are uninsured as we saw above).This means that millions of adults in the working age have to spend their own money for health services. This also means that probably America is the only developed country that does not provide health services to all its citizens (Bureau of Labor Education in the University of Maine 2001, 3). Another problem is the fact that the United States has a high infant mortality rate compared to the other OECD counties. In fact, the United States ranked 26th in infant mortality rate among the industrialized countries (Bureau of Labor Education in the University of Maine 2001, 5).Neither did America rank well in disability-adjusted life expectancy ranking 24th among OECD countries (Bureau of Labor Education in the University of Maine 2001, 5). This means that a number of Americans expect to live parts of their lives in disability which probably is a consequence of not having access to health care (as a big percentag e of nonelderly are uninsured). Aside from these problems, American health care is also characterized by a deficit in resources as most emergency departments in hospitals report of being â€Å"at† or â€Å"over† capacity (American Hospital Association 2005, 25).In figure 3, we could see a bar graph showing how some hospitals (especially teaching hospitals) could be at 43% beyond capacity. Such a lack could be accounted for largely by the lack of critical care beds, and not necessarily by overcrowding, in these emergency departments (American Hospital Association 2005, 27). This would mean that a number of hospitals, both in their emergency departments and intensive care units, would need to spend time on diversion (American Hospital Association 2005, 26). These are all ironical problems in a country that is supposed to be most advanced in economy and technology.The Japanese Health Care System A. The Framework of the Japanese Health Care System The Japanese Health Care System, in contrast to the American system, offers coverage for all the citizens. This system offers services that are fairly comprehensive. Currently, the Japanese Health Care System provides â€Å"a basic package of benefits (including medical consultation, drugs, and other materials; medical treatment, surgery, and other services; home care treatment and nursing; and hospitalization and nursing at medical institutions) and they may offer additional benefits (e.g. , funeral benefits, maternity allowances) under the collective scheme† (Ward and Piccolo 2004). This system is best illustrated by figure 4. Health services are paid for in four ways: health insurance contributions, by patient co-payments, by taxes, and by out-of-pocket payments (Jeong and Hurst 2001, 10). Health services are given by providers which could be categorized according to the following: hospitals, doctors’ clinics, health centers, and pharmacies. Most hospitals are categorized as general hospita ls which mean that beds are allocated for long term care.These hospitals are closed to doctors who have clinics, these clinics being capable of minimum bed capacity of 12 (Jeong and Hurst 2001, 11) and may have the latest medical devices needed for diagnosis. Pharmacies may have their own doctors who may dispense their own prognoses and prescriptions. Nursing services are also considered as health providers. The insurance services, though provided by more or less 5,000 HMOs, are largely non-autonomous non-governmental bodies (Jeong and Hurst 2001, 13). These HMOs are basically in charge of operating the compulsory national health insurance system (Jeong and Hurst 2001, 13).These HMOs experience control by the national and local governments. In fact, even doctors’ fees as well as other health services fees are standardized. The Japanese Health Care System may be categorized into two big divisions: the Social Insurance System (SIS) and the National Health Insurance (NHI) (Ward and Piccolo 2004). People are assigned to a health insurance such that those who are working in a company or office are assigned in the SIS, while everyone else who cannot be classified as working in a company or office (including self-employed professionals) should fall under the NHI (Ward and Piccolo 2004).63% of the population is insured under the SIS. Under the SIS, employers pay 50 to 80% of the premium while employees, depending on their income, pay around 8. 5% of their income for health insurance premium. In this system, the insured and their dependents pay 20-30% of in-patient and out-patient costs, at the same time act as co-payers in prescription drugs (Ward and Piccolo 2004). The NIH system, on the other hand, covers the remaining 37% of the population. Premiums paid by the insured depend on incomes and assets. The insured as well as their dependents are required to be co-payers of 30% of the cost.In spite of the requirement for co-payment, Japan offers a co-payment cap: â€Å"The cap is at ? 63,600 (US$600) per month, with the average monthly disposable income being ? 561,000 (US$5,300)† (Ward and Piccolo 2004). In addition, those who are elderly may benefit from long-term insurance which covers 90% of long-term maintenance costs. B. Problems with the Japanese Health Care System The Japanese Health Care System boasts of having state-of-the-art equipment accessible to its citizens. In fact, Japan has the highest CT and MRI scanners per capita among all countries.Japan also has low infant mortality rate in spite of lower GDP spending (7. 6%) for health care, well within the OECD median (Ward and Piccolo 2004). Japan is also able to provide co-payment cap though like the United States, Japan’s health system is also highly paid for by private entities: â€Å"Japan spent ? 29. 8 trillion (US$280 billion) on healthcare, of which 53% was covered by insurance, 32. 3% by the government, and 14. 8% by patients' co-payments† (Ward and Pi ccolo 2004). Nevertheless, the Japanese Health Care System has its own share of problems.For one, unlike in most Western countries, specialization does not matter as much as in America. What matters is where a doctor is affiliated, thus making the distinction between a general practitioner and a specialist blurred. This makes having a â€Å"family doctor† difficult to have and standardization difficult to come by (Jeong and Hurst 2001, 13). Also, Japan has 2 to 3 times longer hospitalization time compared to other countries which means that Japan would need more beds to accommodate patients (National Coalition on Health Care, 3).Probably the biggest problem that the system is facing is the increasing number of elderly population which would obviously strain (National Coalition on Health Care, 3). There is also the problem of weak preventive care as well as low public awareness on â€Å"taboo† illnesses such as HIV and AIDS (Ward and Piccolo 2004). Comparison Between th e Two Health Care Systems In the introduction, we spoke of the WHO requirement for good health, responsiveness, and fairness in financing. Let us evaluate the two systems based on these WHO goals.The American system, aside from the problems posed above, obviously lacks in its ability to provide â€Å"good health† for the entire population. For one, the American health care system does not cover the entire American population. There is just no mandate for such. The Japanese system is obviously different. Japan has a national mandate for universal coverage. This means that the Japanese system is made in such a way that all Japanese would have to fall into one of the two insurance systems.The fact that all Japanese are insured at the same time Japanese spending on health care against GNP is well within the OECD median is something that Americans would have to learn from. The very concept of a co-payment cap is a very good thing that makes health care more responsive to the call for â€Å"good health for the entire population. † As regards responsiveness, the fact that millions of Americans are uninsured automatically makes them not capable of even evaluating client/patient relations for issues such as dignity, respect, etcetera.Nevertheless, the Japanese system also has room for improvement as the existence of â€Å"taboo† sicknesses would obviously compromise the treatment of patients with dignity and respect. Lastly, as regards the requirement for fairness in financing, the Japanese system is way better than the American system. To a certain extent, the American system would make it difficult for certain parts of the population to be insured as they are not too poor to qualify for Medicaid but they are also not employed nor financially endowed enough to pay for private insurance. This is totally not a problem in the Japanese system.