Nostalgia and the frontier Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nostalgia and the frontier - Assignment Example Since it introduced new changes into he society, it was fiercely opposed by the native populations. Meaning, it sparked a violent resistance from the natives who were threatened by the coming of these colonialists into their land. Such a version can appeal most to the scout who perceive America to be built from violent resistances. Initially, Americans were democratic people who believed in equality, peace and social order. This is the view of Turner in his highly regarded Frontier thesis in which he says that the Native American populations were peace-loving. At the same time, they were egalitarians who did not entertain selfishness, but believed in the sharing of resources amongst themselves. This was seen in the manner in which they managed land resources. In fact, it is because of this that the native Indian Americans believed in the free land system. After all, there was a vast land with numerous resources to exploit making it unnecessary for these natives to scramble for them. However, when the land was invaded by the colonialists, all these changed as a new social order was established. After the signing of numerous with the Europeans, the natives would soon find out that life would never be the same. As demonstrated by Buffalo Bill, violence had to erupt because the invasion opened a new frontier to the Indian Americans whose life had been confined within their geographical area. So, unlike before, they would be exposed to the western community and the rest of the world thus influencing them a great deal. Apart from introducing new economic systems, the frontier led to the establishment of the states. These were totally new developments that had to be defended. All in all, the ideas expressed by the boy scouts, Buffalo Bill Wild West shows and Westerns demonstrate that the frontier was indeed a new development that marked a big turning point in the lives of the Indian Americans. If it were not for it, these natives

Negative Classroom Behaviors Essay Example for Free

Negative Classroom Behaviors Essay In the classroom there are many opportunities for disruptions to the flow of learning. When the process of education is disrupted it affects learning outcomes and student progress. Educators and students both play a vital role is how smoothly the class is run. In this paper we will examine common disruptions in the classroom and look at carious ways that these disruptions can be resolved productively and efficiently. Through incorporating different discipline and classroom management styles most interruptions to learning can be avoided and the process of education can continue. Disruptions come in many forms and we will look at a few. We will first look at common disruptions in the classroom caused by students and then take a look at those caused by teachers. Yes teachers can be a disruption to the learning process and as we will see sometimes they cause more disruption than their students. It seems that often in today’s society when we think of the typical public school classroom, images of chaotic behavior, chattering students and paper being thrown quickly come to mind. This behavior, while not uncommon should not be the norm, there is a solution. The first three behaviors that we will address is the seemingly ever-present excessive talking, laughter and general outburst. It seems that no matter how many times the lights are turned off, names of students are written on the board, recess or free time taken away students continue to use their voices out of turn in excess ways, making instruction and learning difficult. Often times when students have an outburst in the class or the talking becomes excessive, teachers sometimes give a general knee-jerk reaction.  They may yell at the student who has been consistently talking to â€Å"be quiet or†¦ then some threat of a punishment is given and the student is quiet for a moment and the behavior is likely to happen again and the process continues. Educator Barbara Coloroso believed that students should be taught how to govern themselves accordingly and that whatever actions took place in the classroom they were not only responsible for them but that they were held accountable for them. Barbara guided educators to understand that an important part of education students was to also teach them inner discipline and self control. (Building Classroom Discipline, 11th edition, 2014) In her book Kids Are Worth It: Giving Your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline, Coloroso outlines key ways in which not only parents but also educators can teach children how to have inner discipline. Coloroso suggest that inner discipline be developed as follows; First students must be shown what they have done wrong, then given ownership of the problem hence making them responsible, following this students are guided on ways to solve the problem when appropriate. Finally Coloroso encourages to educators to ensure that during this entire process the dignity of the student is kept in tact. I imagine that by incorporating this strategy into my classroom management and discipline style my students will gain more self-control and become more aware of the consequences behind their actions. In this way, they will be far more likely to think before they act. Likewise I as a teacher will feel better about the way in which I handle disruptions. With the ability to handle each disruption as a possible teaching moment that encourages students to do better, rather than simply pointing out what they did wrong, students will develop a better sense of trust. Likewise by ensuring that in each situation the student is treated with dignity, students are aware of the respect I have for them and this respect become reciprocal. Two other common disruptions in the classroom are that of students who get out of their seats at inappropriate times and who take a long time to get organized, settle down and get started on their work . This not only disrupts learning for the student who gets up but it causes a distraction for those around. Often there are tedious reasons for why students are not in their seats. When asked why have they gotten up, a student may respond  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I was going to sharpen my pencil.† Likewise when asked why have they not sat down and began the warm up they may reply â€Å"I cannot find my pencil.† Educators Harry and Rosemary Wong created a classroom management and discipline theory that creates a way to eliminate many classroom disruptions. The Wong’s theory suggest, that beginning with the first day of class, students be taught that not only the classroom but that the entire school was a place for successful learning. This theory had to be accepted school wide in order to work effectively. In order to achieve that success teachers, students and administrators and support staff, must do their part. The Wong’s suggest that the biggest hindrance to learning is not the behavior of the students but the ineffective manner in which teachers disseminate information regarding the roles, rules, procedures and expectations in the classroom. (Building Classroom Discipline, 11th edition, 2014) Upon introduction to the class, teachers are encouraged to two things. First teachers must go over the roles, expectations and responsibilities of both teacher and student (Building Classroom Discipline, 11th edition, 2014). This is done over a period of several days and may continue through reinforcement throughout the first portion of the school year. In this way students not only understand where they fit in the classroom but they also know how everyone else fits as well. In my own classroom I can visualize my students on their first day. Part of my classroom management style will be to ensure that there is a procedure set in place for most of the foreseeable situations in the classroom. One thing that I will make certain to do, is to make the procedures detailed yet simple to understand and follow. In this way my students will be clear on what to do and when. For example, the student who has wasted ten five minutes of the 15 minute warm up time, will know in the beginning of the school year that sitting down and getting started on the warm-up up within the first three minutes of class is mandatory. If you are not prepared and do not have all of your materials, there are always extras that can be checked out from me and then returned at the end of class. Simple procedures like this will eliminate small disruptions and keep the learning process flowing. The next two disruptions are those students who lack respect for teachers and fellow  classmates along with horseplay in the classroom. Teachers must establish and demand respect in the beginning of the class. Students must know not only what is expected of them, but also what happens when they fall short of those expectations. Educator Craig Seganti teaches teachers how to take charge in the classroom. Taking the Seganti approach in my class will dictate that my students know that I am the authority in the classroom. Establishing this authority by setting the rules along with the consequences of breaking them, and enforcing them from day one will put me in control from the outset. When students see that there is no wavering in the rules, they will take what you are saying seriously. Establishing that the classroom is a place of learning and that anything that disrupts that will have consequences will if not completely eliminate, will certainly minimize disruptions. When teachers and students are disrespected in the classroom it would be good to incorporate civility in the classroom. P.M. Forni was best known for teaching students how to behave civil and with respect n the classroom. By encouraging students to conduct themselves in a way that reflects the â€Å"Golden Rule† students will be far less likely to tease and disrespect their teacher and classmates. (Building Classroom Discipline, 11th edition, 2014). Using these two strategies in the classroom will be of great value in the way the classroom is managed. Finally I want to take a look at three behaviors that are exhibited by teachers that cause disruptions in the classroom and halt the learning process. Disorganization, nagging and the inability to leave whatever you have going on at home, at home can cause the classroom environment to feel unsafe and chaotic (Building Classroom Discipline, 11th edition, 2014). Using a combination of strategies from authorities on classroom management can help with these hindrances to education. First knowing what you want your classroom to look and feel like I a huge help in getting and staying organized. Often times teachers become disorganized because they have lost control of the classroom. By establishing your authority in the classroom as suggested by Seganti, you are less likely to lose control and if this does happen it should be easier to regain. Constant nagging of students over trivial matters of work habits or behavior are not helpful. In the long run you are not taken seriously. Students must know how to behave in the classroom. Ensuring as suggested by Wong that students are crystal  clear on expectations and procedures, teachers will spend much less time nagging and more time teaching. Lastly when teachers are unable to leave their home life separate from their classroom the results can disrupt and devastate a classroom. Teachers must before anything else, know their role. As a teacher you are there to provide a safe learning environment for your students. When your personal life interferes with that, learning outcomes and student-teacher relationships are compromised. In my classroom I imagine that by establishing an initial foundation of authority based on my acknowledgement of my role as teacher and educator, I will be able to create safe, fun and effective learning environment. By creating my classroom management style, revisiting it when necessary and setting up rules and procedures from day one, I will have the freedom to teach without disruptions and my students will be able to achieve all of the learning outcomes that have been set for them. Reference Page 1. C. M. Charles Building Classroom Discipline, Eleventh Edition, 2014

The Effective Advertising And Misleading Consumer Economics Essay

The Effective Advertising And Misleading Consumer Economics Essay Effective Advertising and Misleading Consumer Over the past few decades advertising has been an important marketing strategy. Advertising is always subjected to change because peoples taste, demographic, cultural and socio economic factors change always. Consumers changing response to advertising is essential to develop more effective and efficient marketing strategies. Chanjin (2000) developed a varying-parameter advertising model specifying advertising parameters as a function of advertising strategies and the market environments to explain the varying nature of the advertising responses. The model is applied to New York City fluid milk market and he concludes his findings that advertising strategies and market environment play important role in determining advertising effectiveness and he further concludes that demographic factors are more important than economic factors(Chanjin, 2000). Companies change their advertising strategies time to time to attract customers as well as keep the existing customers with their products. B ut in some developed countries they have their own self regulatory system in order to stave off the government intervention. Harker(2003) states in his published article that despite claims of social and economic benefits, advertising has always had its critics. However, when dealing with unacceptable advertising, advertisers in developed countries usually choose a self-regulatory approach in order to stave off government intervention. The recent breakdown of one of the worlds longest established advertising self-regulatory programmes in Australia has reopened the 20 years old debate concern with enhancing understanding of such regulatory system(Harker, 2003).Though he states like that , even in some developed countries the advertising misleading consumers significantly sometimes very badly. To face to the race of businesses, companies use varies marketing strategies to attract and retain consumers with their products. Advertising is one of the most efficient marketing tools that most widely used in the world. The issue is it has become a main tool or a media where consumers are misled for products or services. Expressing the finding of the result of his research paper, Howard (2005) says over half of the sample viewed most or all mail and telephone advertising as misleading, and that 38 percent of the respondents regarded most or all television advertising as misleading. Also, findings for the Age groups indicate that two out of three respondents regarded most or all advertising directed at children as seriously misleading (Howard, 2005). Advertising has become a powerful emotional promotion method and now there is a trend of sending advertisements via mobile phones even without prior permission. But Melody(2004) points out those consumers generally have negative attitu des toward mobile advertising unless they have specifically consented to it(Melody, 2004). Generally in most countries attitudes toward the quality and information containing in advertisements are not in a good scale. Richard (1993) explains in his paper that a comprehensive model of attitudes toward advertising includes three personal utility factors (product information, social image information, and hedonic amusement) and four socioeconomic factors (good for economy, fostering materialism, corrupting values and falsity/no-sense). He tested these seven factor model on two independent samples and found most respondents exhibited conflict between an appreciation of the personal uses and economic value of advertising and an apprehension of cultural degradation(Richard, 1993). False information in advertisements significantly decreases the credibility of the product. That is why some standard organizations validate their advertisements before broadcast or expose to general public. Ste phen (1998) conducted a study to investigate whether consumers who are exposed to an advertisement containing a deceptive environmental claim have significantly different attitudes about the advertisements than those consumers exposed to a similar non-deceptive advertisement. He conclude the study mentioning that higher levels of perceived deception were associated with lower level of perceived corporate credibility, less favourable attitudes towards the advertisement, less favourable attitudes toward the advertised brand, and decreased purchase intention toward the product in the advertisement(Stephen, 1998). Marketing Pharmaceuticals-Increasing trend Marketing pharmaceuticals are very dynamic and innovative subject especially in this current business arena. Pharmaceutical industry is one of the most profitable businesses in all over the world. Kesic(2008) states that the world pharmaceutical industry has been changing profoundly in the last decade. Intensive globalization, increased competitiveness and the fight for global market shares create new challengers for pharmaceutical companies. Not only in pharmaceutical industry, but also in most of the business entities, profit maximization is a core objective. However, Chandra(1999) points out that pharmaceutical product companies are not like most other companies because most other companies do not deal with a product which directly affect human health. Reinhardt(2004) highlights that it is not clear that the current allocation of the pharmaceutical industrys revenue dollars to marketing and research development is efficient for societys point of view(Reinhardt, 2004).Kesic (2008) concludes that basic research and development(RD), together with marketing and sales activities two of the most important operative and even more strategic priorities of the world pharmaceutical industry. Having analysed these figures he has found that the biggest, inventive world pharmaceutical companies invest, on average, approximately 16% of their sales into RD and even more, about 26% or more into marketing and sales activities(Kesic, 2009). Drug companies really spend ample amount of money for marketing especially for direct-to-consumer advertising. Lisa(2008) says according to the IMS health report in 2006 in America, drug companies has spent nearly 5 billion on direct advertisements to consumers, and 80 percent increase over what they were spending in 2002(Lisa, 2008).Likewise Chiu(2005) explains that according to the National Institute for Health Care Management, U.S consumers spent $154.5 billion on prescription drugs in 2001.This amount to 10% of total health spending, wh ich account for 14.9 % of the U.S GDP as of 2002.In a publication Parker(2003) states that there is a little doubt that the pharmaceutical industry is a major force in todays economy as measured by both over-the-counter(OCT) and prescription drug sales and further more he says that it seems clear that there have been rather dramatic increases in advertising expenditures by pharmaceutical companies in the past few years. It also seems clear that these expenditures have coincided with significant increases in sales of both OTC drugs and prescription drugs(Parker, 2003). Promoting drugs to consumers directly has become a new trend in all over the world and many pharmaceutical companies have experienced it as a very effective way to market their products. Wilkes et al(2000) points out that direct to consumer drug(DTC) advertising of prescription drugs is affecting patients, doctors, and health care organizations in profound but not always predictable ways. Not only have the numbers of drugs advertised increased, but so have the drug companies advertising budgets directed at consumers. Wilkes et al (2000) further state that several news sources had suggested that drug manufactures earnings have directly benefited from this new promotional strategy(Michael, 2000). According to Moynihan et al(2002)theres a lot of money to be made from healthy people they are sick. Some forms of medicalising ordinary life may now be better described as disease mongering: widening the boundaries of treatable illness in order to expand markets for those who sell and deliver treatments(Moynihan, 2002). Director of research and policy at the National Institute for Health Care Management, Findlay(2000) concludes that Advertising works and pharmaceutical companies have successfully promoted their product to doctors for decades. They are now bringing that marketing survey to the consumer market place. The question is whether -over time-the benefits of raising consumers awareness of specific drugs and the conditions the medicines treat will outweigh the danger that consumers will bring to demand and use some medicines inappropriately(Findlay, 2000). Over-The-Counter Drugs and Paracetamol Advertising Over-the-counter drugs can be purchased any amount without a prescription anywhere in the world. But some researchers have pointed out having some sort of mechanism for issuing these drugs to consumers may reduce misuses. Trends towards greater availability are paralleled by increase in its use for both non-fatal overdoses and suicide. Paracetamol related morbidity and mortality seem to be less frequent in France where the quantity of paracetamol in a single purchase is limited. Although non conclusive, these data add to a body of evidence which suggest that restrictions in the quantity of paracetamol available as a single purchase in other countries can reduce suicide and liver failure related to paracetamol(D Gunnell, 1997).Most of these over-the-counter drugs are advertised frequently in mass media to get and keep attention of consumers on those products. Ashish(1999) in his research paper states that manufactures may attempt to familiarize consumers with brand names in hopes that the consumer will purchase product. The consumer may think that he has heard of this product and assume that it is somehow better than competitive product(Ashish, 1999).In his research paper Hawton(2004) clearly states that suicides and hospital admissions due to paracetamol poisoning reduced after change in legislation which is limiting the size of the available pack of the paracetamol for consumers and in his study he concludes that legislation reducing pack size of analgesics in the United Kingdom has been beneficial and further reduction in pack size could prevent more deaths(Hawton, 2004). Over the counter drug usage among children is very common. Allotey(2004) mentions in his recently published paper Research on the medication of preschool-aged children has suggested that the use of OTC medication is substantial. Kogan et al for instant, found that 54% of three year olds in the United States has been given OTC medications in the 30days preceding the study. In a common survey in New York, 22% of children have taken OTC medication in the preceding 3 day period. Studies in United Kingdom also indicated high rate of OTC medication use among children, ie,28% during a 2-week period and 66% during a 4-week period(Allotey, 2004). Wazaify(2005) emphasizes that increasing availability of non prescription medicines may encourage patients to believe that there is a drug treatment for every ailment. Furthermore, he explains the use of such products may delay/mask the diagnosis of serious illness, with increased risks of interactions and adverse reactions and of self treatment being undertaken when medical aid should have been sought. There is also the potential for misuse and abuse of such products(Wazaify, 2005). According to the Sri Lankan context there are many proprietary products under one generic product. Senarathna(2008) in her thesis of master of philosophy points out that there are around forty registered product of paracetamol in Sri Lanka(Senarathna, 2008).Weerasuriya(1993) points out there were 63 registered paracetamol products in the country in 1993 and paracetamol was the commonest drug registered in the OTC category(Weerasuriya, 1993). Ethics of Advertising OTC drugs It is clear there is an increasing trend of usage for OTC drugs in all over the world. Wazaify(2005) states that in recent years there have been an increasing trend in self-medication with non prescription drugs available in pharmacies and retail outlets and in parallel, more product have been deregulated for purchase without a prescription(Wazaify, 2005). At the same time Solhaug(2006) concludes in his recent abstract publication that only half of the information presented in drug advertisements was correct and clinically relevant and relatively few statements were fault, but a considerable proportion of statements gave an excessively positive picture of the product; hence, in general, this kind of information has no value as a source of information(Solhaug, 2006).Among the publications those point out that drug advertisements are not up to the standard especially OTC drug, Ashish(1999)states in his publication that in reality, it has been observed that pharmaceutical product advert isers often promote their products to achieve their own goals at the potential risk of having an adverse effect on the consumers health and this type of advertising is most often seen in OTC drug product advertisements(Ashish, 1999). Wazaify(2005) points out that the deregulation process has been championed by the pharmaceutical industry, the pharmacy profession and government health policy makers and is supported by the view that patients wish to have a greater role in their treatment choices. Almost all countries in the world has not allowed to pharmaceutical companies to advertise their product to consumers directly. Stremersh(2009) states in his research paper that so far only two countries, New Zealand and the United States, allow pharmaceutical marketers to advertise directly to consumers and in the same paper he further explains that due to this reason patient requests are often accommodated by physicians mainly because they affect physician visit satisfaction and show patients that the physician cares(Stremersch, 2009). Drugs are categorized into few groups and essentially there are two categories which are OTC drugs and prescription drugs. What is categorized as OTC varies from country to country and is dependent on the local legislative framework according to (Buckley, 2004). Many researchers have pointed out over-the-counter drugs has become a public health problem due to misuse, disease mongering and drug abuse and wrong, in appropriate or inadequate information given in the promotional program may have an impact of this health issue(Ashish, 1999, Allotey, 2004, Fernando, 2008, Buckley, n.d.). While there are government agencies charged with monitoring the marketing of medicines, typically this is one of many briefs for these agencies and is often only in a reactive fashion. In other words such monitoring as does occur, occurs only in response to complaints, and even then is often very slow and cumbersome'(Buckley, n.d.). Buckley(n.d.) urges that two things should be happen to put this issue in a correct track which are establishing independent monitoring bodies to police marketing codes of practice with real penalties and paying increased attention to the education of the consumers of pharmaceutical advertising, in particular those with prescribing pow ers(Buckley, n.d.).In Sri Lanka also the situation is almost same like most of the countries in the world. The government has imposed rules and regulations for promoting and advertising pharmaceuticals within the country. In a paper published by the Sri Lanka medical associations ethics committee recently says that Advertisement to the general public should help people to make rational decision on the use of drugs which are legally available without a prescription. They should take account of peoples legitimate desire for information regarding their health, but should not take undue advantage of their concern for their health. Drug advertisement should neither portray nor be directed at children. Advertisement may claim that a drug can cure, prevent or relieve an ailment only if this can be substantial. They should also indicate, where applicable, limitations to the use of the drug When lay language is used, the information should be consistent with the scientific data sheet or other legally determined scientific basis for approval. Language, pictures or sounds, which bring about undue fear or distress, should not be used. The following list illustrates the type of information that advertisement to the general public should contain The name of the active ingredient, using either international non-proprietary names or the approved generic name of the drug The brand name Major indication(s) for use Major precautions, contraindications for warning Name and the address of the manufacturer or the distributor Information to the consumer on price should be accurately and honestly portrayed(Committee(SLMAEC), 2003). Though the guidelines are clear, there is a doubt of implementing and practicing the guidelines in many countries including Sri Lanka. There is a big challenge and responsibility for the government authorities and regulatory bodies in terms of providing correct information to the consumers. Techniques, methods and effective advertising Pharmaceutical industry is in a pressure and Kesic(2008) states that fast globalization definitively reinforces the consolidation of the world pharmaceutical industry. There are so many challengers in pharmaceutical industry and drug companies running after many strategic moves to have sustainable competitive advantage. Direct marketing products to consumer have become one of the innovative methods to win the market comparatively. Buckley(n.d.) states that in United States all drugs may be promoted to consumer, but in practice direct to consumer advertising focuses on OTC and common ailment targeted prescription drugs(Buckley, n.d.). But some authors support to this argument and they mention direct to consumer advertising makes consumer better understanding and make more informative for drugs available to them(Leonard, 1999, Weissman, 2003). On the other hand some researchers like Maguire(1999) points out that American physicians are being asked to rubber stamp self diagnoses and sel f-prescriptions by patients. That is how some advertisements have been influenced on consumers. Kesic(2009) reveals in his paper that it is no surprise that the biggest world multinational pharmaceutical companies invest more than 25% of their sales into marketing activities in a goal to get considerable global market shares. Supporting to the argument of Kesic, Michael adds that not only have the number of drugs advertised increased, but so have the drug companies advertising budgets directed at consumers; the advertisements have also become far more sophisticated(Michael, 2000). A paper published in Thailand in 2005 on Radio drug advertisement situation and regulation in Thailand says advertising has a strong influence on the sale volume of any goods. Drug advertising covers media such as television, radio, newspaper, magazines, internet and printed materials. It further says that radio advertisements can easily mislead people in rural areas because of socioeconomic and educational status(Kittisopee, 2005). Allotey(2004) mentions that OTC medications promoted through televisi on, radio and print advertising directly targeted at women, housewives or working mothers, encourage them not only to self medication but also to dispense OTC medications to their children, because it is important to establish a lifelong pattern of sensible (drug)use'(Allotey, 2004), Ashish(1999) explains that all pharmaceutical advertising is not bad but advertisements should be considered what they are promotions. Drug marketers should always try to follow the unwritten rules of marketing ethics and consider what is best for their consumers before developing a particular advertising strategy. Nowadays the issue is consumer can purchase any kind of drug online. Buckley(2004) highlights in his paper that consumers can purchase all kind of prescription drugs online often without need for a proper prescription and he further points out that most internet pharmacies provide poor quality information(Buckley, 2004). Moynihan(2002) expresses that inappropriate medication carries the dangers of unnecessary labelling, poor treatment decisions, iatrogenic illness, and economic waste, as well as the opportunity cost that result when resources are diverted away from treating or preventing more serious disease(Moynihan, 2002). How consumers are misled -Reliability, Relevance and adequacy of Advertisements Many research papers point out that drug advertisements mislead consumers in many ways directly or indirectly (Sidney, 2002, Michael, 2000, Ashish, 1999, Findlay, 2000). Though it is a common phenomena in all over the world, a practical guide on understanding and responding to pharmaceutical promotion published by the world health organization recently explains clearly how information is given to consumers in advertisements in developed and developing countries. It says while advertisements from developed countries typically contain nearly all of the information listed in the box, this is not always the case in developing countries(WHO, n.d.). The table below published by Hawkins(1993)in his research paper support to the above argument strongly and in the discussion he states that indications were mentioned more often than the negative effects of medicines. Important warnings and precautions were missing in half of the advertisements while side effects and contraindications in about forty percent. Price tended to be given only in countries where a social security system pays for the medicines(Herxheimer, 1993). Nowadays there is a trend of promoting drugs through internet. Buckley(n.d.)mentions on his research paper that most of the internet advertisements provide less information or poor quality information. Many pharmaceutical companies mislead consumers in many ways. A United States Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has issued 88 letters accusing drug companies of advertising violations from August 1997 to Aug 2002(Buckley, n.d.). Most of the time drug companies overstated the effectiveness of the promoting drug and they always keep attention not to highlight its risk. Some companies disseminate advertisements misleading advertisements even after they were warned or cited for violations(Gottlieb, 2002). Some drug companies stimulate consumers to buy expensive or new drugs which has high profit margin and it raises the health care cost of consumers as well as of the country ultimately. Some drugs promoted by pharmaceutical companies have limited Medical beneficiaries but those are heavily advertised because of the high profit margin. Rebecca(2010) says its almost impossible for the public to actually parse the ads and come to their own independent conclusions(Rebecca, 2010). But Weissman(2003)states in his research paper that industrys argument is that patients are highly motivated to seek the best available treatment for their condition and they need and deserve more and better information on which to base their judgement(Weissman, 2003). It is true if the pharmaceutical advertisements provide proper, balance and correct information to their consumers. A research done in Thailand, sharing the findings says that 22% radio advertisements have misled consumers and only 7% of the advertisements have recommended an appropriate dose among studied advertisements. Further more a warning message was found in only 3% of the advertisements and name of the manufacturers were present only 20% of the advertisements collected(Kittisopee, 2005).Weil(2009) is really against the trend of this drug advertisements. He says many adv ised drugs are not only ineffective, but have serious side effects that are frequently played down (and occasionally cancelled) by manufactures. Because advertised drugs have such vast profit potentials, political and financial interests collude to speed them to market before they have received sufficient scientific scrutiny(Weil, 2009). Now there is a trend of using popular characters for marketing advertisements of drugs and sometimes they are neither reliable nor relevance. In a paper published by Michael(2000) says that Now advertisements enlist well-known personalities to endorse pharmaceutical products (Michael, 2000). Lot of people imitate and follow famous personalities and it help pharmaceuticals to reach consumer quickly and in a familiar manner. Criticizing this promotional tactics Weil(2009) says in his report that Sally Field is a talented actor, But what qualifies her to promote Boniva, an osteoporosis drug that is of limited benefit, has worrisome side effects, and for which there are natural alternatives that merit careful consideration?.(Weil, 2009) Drug companies are in the process of promoting their product to consumers in many ways. Sometimes they may use health care professionals to reach consumers because they know that consumer believe professionals who have background knowledge about treatments. Wazaify(2005) points out in his recent published paper that The main factor found to influence the publics choice of OTC medicines was pharmacist recommendation. This is reassuring especially with increasing availability of potent medications without prescription and the increased potential for interactions(Wazaify, 2005). It is one of the indirect marketing methods that the pharmaceutical industry uses. On the other hand people have a belief that over the counter drugs like paracetamol do not have serious side effects. Some over the counter drugs have serious side effects when consumer uses it with some other medications. A very good example is Viagra used for erectile dysfunction. If consumer use it while using nitrate as a treatment of blood pressure, it cause severe drop of blood pressure which is difficult to treat. Buckley(n.d.)says it has mentioned on advertisements but in a much smaller font, it is You must not take Viagra if you are using any nitrate medication including amyl(poppers). It may lead to a severe drop of your blood pressure that may be difficulty to treat. As sexual activity may be a strain on your heart your doctor will need to check whether you are fit enough to use Viagra(Buckley, n.d.). Buckley points out the ordinary people do not know what is nitrate medications and they cannot recognize from this statement that the combination of these two drugs will enou gh to kill them more often. Supporting to this argument Wazaify(2005) mentions that consumers generally believe that only safe medicines are permitted to be sold without prescription and OTC medicines do not usually have serious side-effects(Wazaify, 2005). Some giant pharmaceutical companies have their own physicians, independent monitoring committees and analytical groups etc. They make aware public some new drugs which are effective treatment for some diseases which are common among current generation and they suggest through advertisements, that it may be effective to use their drugs or supplementary product to prevent from those diseases. This is another current trend in the world and basically what they do is label healthy people that they are sick. Supporting to this arguments Moynihan(2002) express his view in this paper stating that Within any disease categories informal alliances have emerged, comprising drug company staff, doctors and consumer groups. Ostensibly engaged in raising public awareness about undiagnosed and under treated problem, these alliances tend to promote a view of their particular condition as widespread, serious, and treatable. Because these disease awareness campaigns are commonly linked to companies mark eting strategies , they operate to expand market for new pharmaceutical products(Moynihan, 2002). Extensive advertising and promotion has put on higher price on pharmaceuticals. Consumer has become the victim of those expensive pharmaceuticals. Dave(2010)says Promotion may affect price through two difference processes. First, promotion may increase demand and/or reduce the absolute magnitude of the demand price elasticity (that is, reduce the price responsiveness of purchasers), which may raise price. Second, the increasing operation cost due to high promotional spending may be shifted to purchasers in the form of higher price. Concluding his findings he states that in addition to potential misuse, the cost of direct to consumer advertising result from increased drug price and increased use of expensive drugs in place of equally effective lower-price drugs(Dave, 2010). Effect of Misleading Many researchers have pointed out that misleading consumer due to unprofessional advertisement of the pharmaceutical industry has created considerable issue to the society in many countries(Herxheimer, 1993, Dave, 2010, Leonard, 1999, Ashish, 1999). There is a reasonable doubt whether consumers spend money for their real requirements of treatments. Moynihan(2002) says drug companies earn lot of money form healthy people and it is better to describe as disease mongering. He further says whereas some aspects of medicalisation are the subject of ongoing debate, the mechanics of corporate backed disease mongering, and its impact on public consciousness, medical practice, human health, and national budgets, have attracted limited critical scrutiny(Moynihan, 2002). There are people who count this criticism and say Direct To Consumer Advertisements (DTCA) fosters rapid detection of disease and promote grater compliance with treatment regimes. Further more they suggest that DTCA is simply pa rt of a wider social trend whereby consumers take greater responsibility for their health care(Hoek, 2002). Pharmaceutical industry may grab ample amount of money from consumers through unprofessional promotions and advertising drugs. Most of the time heavily promoted drugs may has less clinically importance considering the price as the generic drug provide almost similar clinical effect at a cheap price. Parker(2003),supporting to this argument says Prescription drugs such as Celebrex and Vioxx are heavily promoted and cost the consumer just over $2per pill, while generic ibuprofen, which cost the consumer pennies per pill, often work just as well(Parker, 2003). Effective and attractive advertisement can attract consumer towards the product some times without considering the quality or the value of the product. Ashish(1999) states in his publication that Advertising is thought to contribute to the economy as well. By effective promoting increase in promotion of goods and services may occur, which in turn can result in increase in sales and the flow of money within society(Ashish, 1999).B ut some researchers expresses a different idea about the relationship between drug price and drug advertisements. They point out when drugs are advertised, the market is more competitive and due to that the price of the particular drug reduces. Research has generally found that advertising tend to reduce price, rather than increase them, primarily because advertising makes markets more competitive(Calfee, 2002). Sometimes drug advertisement give wrong information due to many reasons for consumers and it is affected for less dose or overdose usage of drugs. A general problem associated with drug advertisements is that it is a powerful influence which may motivate consumers to select overly expensive, overrated, or less than optimum medications for their particular needs. More specifically, it is possible to identify numerous individual problems associated with the promotional practice(Ashish, 1999). Our culture very much believes in the More in Better principle and consumers sometimes even hospitalized or suffer from serious long term complications due to this misleading information. Galapatti says it is important that media try and make people aware of the side effects and danger of excessive usage of these

The Study of Psychology :: Graduate Admissions Essays

The Study of Psychology As a psychology major at the University of Northern Iowa I enjoyed studying human interaction and individual processes. I continued to take a variety of psychology courses and found I was especially interested in psychological issues within business settings. To obtain a better understanding of the business environment I then decided to double major and receive a B.A. in management, with an emphasis in human resources. Â   As I continued to pursue my two degrees problems occurring in the work environment became very interesting and exciting to me. My psychology major biased my business interest negatively toward finance and production operations, and stimulated interest in human behavior and interaction in organizational settings. I became engaged in aspects of motivation, job enrichment, and job satisfaction and concluded innumerable improvements could be made in am individual's work life and environment. I feel these improvements are psychologically and physically advantageous to workers, as well as, profitable for businesses and society. It is my intention to contribute empirically based findings to the Industrial/Organizational psychology field through my research and practice. I expect to provide and inspire some of the necessary solutions to problems in the business environment. Â   I am applying to Colorado State University because of the very thorough and effective foundation provided for work in the Industrial/Organizational field. I have been told by many professionals that Colorado State has excellent faculty and research facilities, as well as, job opportunities in the area. I intend to pursue a career in applied research and organizational consulting, therefore, these qualities are imperative to myself and my career. Initially I plan to gain practical experience in the field through employment with a consulting firm. My long range objective is to acquire a teaching position with a college or university, while continuing research and consulting endeavors. Â   I expect that graduate work at Colorado State University will be demanding, challenging, and exciting and I look forward to attending a program of this sort.

Honda (a)

Q1. What’s the strategy that allowed Honda to be so successful in the US market? It is a fact that Honda had experienced a remarkable success during the period from the late 50’s to the end of the 70’s. This success is a result of the strategy the company developed at that stage of its lifecycle. This strategy in principle is a technologically based strategy; where Honda established Honda Technical Research Institute (HTRI) in 1946. In the meantime, Honda developed manufacturing expertise to become fully integrated producer of motorbikes components.In order to minimize the associated risk, Honda offered a multiproduct line, taking leadership in product innovation through the HTRI and exploiting opportunities for economies of mass production by gearing design to production objectives. How is possible that Honda’s many expensive investments lead to lower costs? The company achieved a significant product advantage through a heavy commitment to R&D and advance d manufacturing techniques.Honda used its productivity-based cost advantage and R&D capability to introduce new models to the market very quickly and at prices below those of competitive machines. Over time, Honda had smoothly descending real prices. This price reduction is experience-based which means that as long as more experience is acquired, Honda is capable to develop new methodologies to produce motorcycles at lower cost. This was mainly due to high production volume and improved productivity of the Japanese labor. Q2. How did Honda come to have this strategy?Honda’s strategy was a result of Honda’s underlying philosophy which is a marketing philosophy; i. e. grapping more market share and increasing the sales volume. Selling and Distribution system was a tool to implement this philosophy. What evidence do we have of forethought and planning in the company approach to production? Honda built a manufacturing plant with a capacity 10 times in excess of demand at t he time of construction in 1958. Honda developed manufacturing expertise to become fully integrated producer of motorbikes components.Honda minimized risk through: offering a multiproduct line, taking leadership in product innovation through the HTRI and exploiting opportunities for economies of mass production by gearing design to production objectives. Marketing? In the 1958 Honda’s market research identified a large untapped market segment seeking a small, unintimidating motorcycle that could be used by small motorcycle business for local deliveries. Honda advertizing concerted to change the image of motorcyclist through heavy campaigning towards middle class consumers. Distribution?Honda followed a policy of developing the market region by region beginning with the west coast and moving eastward. Design? Honda designed the lightweight motors to match the market research results. In general, Products are updated or redesigned whenever a market threat or opportunity is perc eived, prices are set at levels to achieve market share targets and will be cut if necessary, effective marketing systems are set up in all markets where serious competition is intended – regardless – of short term cost and finally plans and objectives look to long term payoff.Q3. To what degree was the US entry strategy thought out in advance? Honda was already the world’s largest motorcycle producer. Honda established a US subsidiary and began its push in the market by offering very small lightweight motorcycles. Honda followed a policy of developing the market region by region beginning with the west coast and moving eastward until it established the largest dealership network in the US. Honda (a) Q1. What’s the strategy that allowed Honda to be so successful in the US market? It is a fact that Honda had experienced a remarkable success during the period from the late 50’s to the end of the 70’s. This success is a result of the strategy the company developed at that stage of its lifecycle. This strategy in principle is a technologically based strategy; where Honda established Honda Technical Research Institute (HTRI) in 1946. In the meantime, Honda developed manufacturing expertise to become fully integrated producer of motorbikes components.In order to minimize the associated risk, Honda offered a multiproduct line, taking leadership in product innovation through the HTRI and exploiting opportunities for economies of mass production by gearing design to production objectives. How is possible that Honda’s many expensive investments lead to lower costs? The company achieved a significant product advantage through a heavy commitment to R&D and advance d manufacturing techniques.Honda used its productivity-based cost advantage and R&D capability to introduce new models to the market very quickly and at prices below those of competitive machines. Over time, Honda had smoothly descending real prices. This price reduction is experience-based which means that as long as more experience is acquired, Honda is capable to develop new methodologies to produce motorcycles at lower cost. This was mainly due to high production volume and improved productivity of the Japanese labor. Q2. How did Honda come to have this strategy?Honda’s strategy was a result of Honda’s underlying philosophy which is a marketing philosophy; i. e. grapping more market share and increasing the sales volume. Selling and Distribution system was a tool to implement this philosophy. What evidence do we have of forethought and planning in the company approach to production? Honda built a manufacturing plant with a capacity 10 times in excess of demand at t he time of construction in 1958. Honda developed manufacturing expertise to become fully integrated producer of motorbikes components.Honda minimized risk through: offering a multiproduct line, taking leadership in product innovation through the HTRI and exploiting opportunities for economies of mass production by gearing design to production objectives. Marketing? In the 1958 Honda’s market research identified a large untapped market segment seeking a small, unintimidating motorcycle that could be used by small motorcycle business for local deliveries. Honda advertizing concerted to change the image of motorcyclist through heavy campaigning towards middle class consumers. Distribution?Honda followed a policy of developing the market region by region beginning with the west coast and moving eastward. Design? Honda designed the lightweight motors to match the market research results. In general, Products are updated or redesigned whenever a market threat or opportunity is perc eived, prices are set at levels to achieve market share targets and will be cut if necessary, effective marketing systems are set up in all markets where serious competition is intended – regardless – of short term cost and finally plans and objectives look to long term payoff.Q3. To what degree was the US entry strategy thought out in advance? Honda was already the world’s largest motorcycle producer. Honda established a US subsidiary and began its push in the market by offering very small lightweight motorcycles. Honda followed a policy of developing the market region by region beginning with the west coast and moving eastward until it established the largest dealership network in the US.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 17

â€Å"Her name's Ulma,† a voice said, and Elena looked down to find Lakshmi holding back the curtains of the litter with a hand over her head. â€Å"Everybody knows Old Drohzne and his slaves. He beats 'em until they pass out and then expects 'em to pick up his rickshaw and go on carrying a load. He kills five or six a year.† â€Å"He didn't kill this one,† Elena murmured. â€Å"He got what he deserved.† She squeezed Ulma's hand. She was vastly relieved when the litter stopped and Damon himself appeared, just as she was about to start bargaining with one of the litter bearers to carry Ulma in their arms to the doctor. Without regard for his clothing, Damon still somehow managed to convey disinterest even as he picked up the woman – Ulma – and nodded to Elena to follow him. Lakshmi skipped around him and took the lead into an intricately patterned stone courtyard and then down a crooked hallway with some solid, respectable-looking doors. Finally, she knocked on one and a wizened man with a huge head and the faintest remnant of a wispy beard opened the door cautiously. â€Å"I don't keep any ketterris here! No hexen, no zemeral! And I don't do love spells!† Then, peering short-sightedly, he seemed to focus on the little group. â€Å"Lakshmi?† he said. â€Å"We've brought a woman who needs help,† Elena said shortly. â€Å"She's pregnant, too. You're a doctor, aren't you? A healer?† â€Å"A healer of some limited ability. Come in, come in.† The doctor was hurrying into a back room. They all followed him, Damon still carrying Ulma. Once she arrived, Elena saw that the healer was in the corner of what looked like a crowded wizard's sanctuary, with quite a bit of voodoo and witch doctor thrown in. Elena, Meredith, and Bonnie glanced at one another nervously, but then Elena heard water splashing and realized that the doctor was in the corner because there was a basin of water there, and the healer was washing his hands thoroughly, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows and making a lot of frothy bubbles. He might call himself a â€Å"healer,† yet he did understand basic hygiene, she thought. Damon had put Ulma onto what looked like a clean white-sheeted examining table. The doctor nodded to him. Then, tch-tching, he pulled out a tray of instruments and set Lakshmi about fetching cloths to clean the cuts and staunch the profuse bleeding. He also opened various drawers to pull out strong-smelling bags and stood on a ladder to pull down clumps of herbs that were strung from the ceiling. Finally he opened a small box and took a pinch of snuff, himself. â€Å"Please hurry,† Elena said. â€Å"She's lost a lot of blood.† â€Å"And you've lost not a little,† the man said. â€Å"My name is Kephar Meggar – and this would be Master Drohzne's slave, yes?† He peered at them, looking somehow as if he were wearing glasses, which he wasn't. â€Å"And you would be slaves, too?† He stared at the single rope Elena was still wearing, and then at Bonnie and Meredith, each wearing the same. â€Å"Yes, but – † Elena stopped. Some infiltrator she was. She'd very nearly said â€Å"But not really; it's just to satisfy convention. She settled for saying, â€Å"But our master is very different from hers.† They were very different, she thought. Damon didn't have a broken neck, for one thing. And for another, no matter how vicious and deadly he might be, he would never strike a woman, much less do something like this to one. He seemed to have some kind of internal block against it – except when he was possessed by Shinichi, and couldn't control his own muscles. â€Å"And yet Drohzne allowed you to bring this woman to a healer?† The little man looked doubtful. â€Å"No, he wouldn't have let us, I'm sure,† Elena said flatly. â€Å"But please – she's bleeding and she's going to have a baby†¦.† Dr. Meggar's eyebrows went up and down. But without asking anyone to leave while he treated her, he pulled out an old-fashioned stethoscope and listened carefully to Ulma's heart and lungs. He smelled her breath, and then gently palpated her abdomen below Elena's bloody camisole, all with a professional air, before tipping to her lips a brown bottle, from which she drank a few sips, then sank back, her eyes fluttering closed. â€Å"Now,† the little man said, â€Å"she's resting comfortably. She'll need quite a bit of stitching of course, and you could use a few stitches yourself, but that's as your master says, I suppose.† Dr. Meggar said the word master with a definite implication of dislike. â€Å"But I can almost promise you that she won't die. About her babe I don't know. It may come out marked as a result of this business – striped birthmarks, perhaps – or it may be perfectly all right. But with food and rest† – Dr. Meggar's eyebrows went up and down again, as if the doctor would have liked to say this to Master Drohzne's face – â€Å"she should recover.† â€Å"Take care of Elena first, then,† Damon said. â€Å"No, no!† Elena said, pushing the doctor away. He seemed like a nice man, but obviously around here, masters were masters – and Damon was more masterful and intimidating than most. But not, at this moment, to Elena. She didn't care about herself right now. She'd made a promise – the doctor's words meant that she might be able to keep it. That was what she cared about. Up and down, up and down. Dr. Meggar's eyebrows looked like two caterpillars on one elastic string. One lagged a little behind the other. Clearly, the behavior he was seeing was abnormal, even liable to be punished by serious means. But Elena only noticed him peripherally, the way she was noticing Damon. â€Å"Help her,† she said vehemently – and watched the doctor's eyebrows shoot up as if they were aimed for the ceiling. She'd let her aura escape. Not completely, thank God, but a blast had definitely discharged, like a flash of sheet lightning in the room. And the doctor, who wasn't a vampire, but just an ordinary citizen, had noticed it. Lakshmi had noticed it; even Ulma stirred on the examining table uneasily. I'm going to have to be a whole lot more careful, Elena thought. She cast a quick look at Damon, who was about to explode, himself – she could tell. Too many emotions, too much blood in the room, and the adrenaline of killing still pulsing in his bloodstream. How did she know all that? Because Damon wasn't perfectly in control, either, she realized. She was sensing things directly from his mind. Best to get him out of here quickly. â€Å"We'll wait outside,† she said, catching his arm, to Dr. Meggar's obvious shock. Slaves, even beautiful ones, didn't act that way. â€Å"Go and wait in the courtyard then,† the doctor said, carefully controlling his face and speaking to the air in between Damon and Elena. â€Å"Lakshmi, give them some bandages so they can staunch the young girl's bleeding. Then come back; you can help me.† â€Å"Just one question,† he added as Elena and the others were walking out of the room. â€Å"How did you know that this woman is pregnant? What sort of spell can tell you that?† â€Å"No spell,† Elena said simply. â€Å"Any woman watching her should have known.† She saw Bonnie flash her an injured look, but Meredith remained inscrutable. â€Å"That horrible slaver – Drogsie – or whatever – was whipping her from the front,† Elena said. â€Å"And look at those gashes.† She winced, looking over two stripes that crossed Ulma's sternum. â€Å"In that case, any woman would be trying to protect her breasts, but this one was trying to cover her belly. That meant she was pregnant, and far along enough to be sure about it, too.† Dr. Meggar's eyebrows drew down and together – and then he looked up at Elena as if peering over glasses. Then he nodded slowly. â€Å"You take some bandages and stop your own bleeding,† he said – to Elena, not to Damon. Apparently, slave or not, she had won some kind of respect from him. On the other hand, Elena seemed to have lost stature with Damon – or at least, he'd cut his mind off from hers quite deliberately, leaving her with a blank wall to stare at. In the doctor's waiting room, he waved an imperious hand at Bonnie and Meredith. â€Å"Wait here in this room,† he said – no, he ordered. â€Å"Don't leave it until the doctor comes out. Don't let anyone in the front door – lock it now, and keep it locked. Good. Elena is coming with me into the kitchen – that's the back door. I do not want to be disturbed by anyone unless an angry mob is threatening the house with arson, do you understand? Both of you?† Elena could see Bonnie about to blurt out, â€Å"But Elena's still bleeding!† and Meredith was with her eyes and brows calling council on whether or not they needed to hold an immediate velociraptor sisterhood rebellion. They all knew Plan A for this: Bonnie would throw herself into Damon's arms, passionately weeping or passionately kissing him, whichever best fit the situation, while Elena and Meredith came at him from the sides and did – well, whatever had to be done. Elena, with one flash of her own eyes, had categorically nixed this. Damon was angry, yes, but she could sense that it was more with Drohzne than with her. The blood had agitated him, yes, but he was used to controlling himself in bloody situations. And she needed help with her wounds, which had begun to hurt seriously, ever since she'd heard that the woman she had rescued would live, and might even have her baby. But if Damon had something on his mind, she wanted to know what it was – now. With one last comforting glance at Bonnie, Elena followed Damon through the kitchen door. It had a lock on it. Damon looked at it and opened his mouth; Elena locked it. Then she looked up at her â€Å"master.† He was standing by the kitchen sink, methodically pumping water, with one hand clenched against his forehead. His hair hung over his eyes, getting splashed, getting wet. He didn't seem to care. â€Å"Damon?† Elena said uncertainly. â€Å"Are you†¦all right?† He didn't answer. Damon? she tried telepathically. I let you get hurt. I'm fast enough. I could have killed that bastard Drohzne with one blast of Power. But I never imagined you'd get hurt. His telepathic voice was at once filled with the darkest kind of menace imaginable and a strange, almost gentle, calm. As if he were trying to keep all the ferocity and anger locked away from her. I couldn't even tell him – I couldn't even send words to him to tell him what he was. I couldn't think. He was a telepath; he would have heard me. But I didn't have any words. I could only scream – in my mind. Elena felt a bit light-headed – a little more light-headed than she'd already been feeling. Damon was feeling this anguish – for her? He wasn't angry about her flagrantly breaking rules in front of crowds, maybe breaking their cover? He didn't mind looking bedraggled? â€Å"Damon,† she said. He'd surprised her into speaking out loud. â€Å"It – it – doesn't matter. It's not your fault. You would never even have let me do it – † â€Å"But I should have known you wouldn't ask! I thought you were going to attack him, to jump on his shoulders and throttle him, and I was ready to help you do that, to take him down like two wolves taking down a big buck. But you're not a sword, Elena. Whatever you think, you're a shield. I should have known that you would take the next blow yourself. And because of me, you got – † His eye drifted to her cheekbone and he winced. Then he seemed to get a grip on himself. â€Å"The water is cold, but it's pure. We need to clean those slashes and stop that bleeding now.† â€Å"I don't suppose there's any Black Magic around,† Elena said, half jokingly. This was going to hurt. Damon, however, immediately began opening cupboards. â€Å"Here,† he said after checking only three, triumphantly coming up with a half-full bottle of Black Magic. â€Å"Lots of doctors keep this as a medicine and anesthetic. Don't worry; I'll pay him well.† â€Å"Then I think you should have some, too,† Elena said boldly. â€Å"Come on, it'll do us both good. And it won't be the first time.† She knew that the last sentence would clinch it with Damon. It would be a way of getting back something that Shinichi had taken from him. I'll get the whole of his memories back from Shinichi somehow, Elena decided, doing her best to screen her thoughts from Damon with white noise. I don't know how to do it, and I don't know when I'll get the chance, but I swear I will. I swear. Damon had filled two goblets with the rich, heady-smelling wine and was handing one to Elena. â€Å"Just sip at first,† he said, helpless but to fall into the role of instructor. â€Å"This is a good year.† Elena sipped, then simply gulped. She was thirsty and Clarion Loess Black Magic wine didn't have any alcohol – as such – in it. It certainly didn't taste like regular wine. It tasted like remarkably refreshing effervescent spring water that was flavored with sweet, deep, velvety grapes. Damon, she noticed, had forgotten to sip as well, and when he offered her a second glass to match his, she accepted willingly. His aura sure had calmed down a lot, she thought, as he picked up a wet cloth and began, gently, to clean the cut that almost exactly followed the line of her cheekbone. It had been the one to stop bleeding first, but now he needed to get the blood flowing again, to cleanse it. With two glasses of Black Magic on top of no food since breakfast, Elena found herself relaxing against the back of the chair, letting her head drop back a little, and shutting her eyes. She lost track of time, as he stroked the cut smoothly. And she lost strict control of her aura. When she opened her eyes it was in response to no sound, no visual stimulus. It was a blaze in Damon's aura, one of sudden determination. â€Å"Damon?† He was standing over her. His darkness had flared out behind him like a shadow, tall and wide and almost mesmerizing. Definitely almost frightening. â€Å"Damon?† she said again, uncertainly. â€Å"We're not doing this right,† he said, and her thoughts flashed at once to her disobedience as a slave, and Bonnie and Meredith's less serious infractions. But his voice was like dark velvet, and her body responded to it more accurately than her mind. It shivered. â€Å"How†¦do we do it right?† she asked, and then she made the mistake of opening her eyes. She found that he was stooping over her as she sat on the chair, stroking – no, just touching – her hair so softly that she hadn't even felt it. â€Å"Vampires know how to take care of wounds,† he said confidently, and his great eyes that seemed to hold their own universe of stars caught and held her. â€Å"We can clean them. We can start them bleeding again – or stop them.† I've felt like this before, Elena thought. He's talked to me like this before, too, even if he doesn't remember. And I – I was too frightened. But that was before†¦ Before the motel. The night when he'd told her to run, and she hadn't. The night that Shinichi had taken, just as he'd taken the first time they'd shared Black Magic together. â€Å"Show me,† whispered Elena. And she knew that something else in her mind was whispering too, whispering different words. Words that she would never have said if she had for a moment thought of herself as a slave. Whispering, I'm yours†¦ That was when she felt his mouth lightly brush her mouth. And then she just thought, Oh! and Oh, Damon†¦until he moved to gently touch her cheek with his silky soft tongue, manipulating chemicals first to make cleansing blood flow, and finally when the impurities had all been so softly swept away, to stop the blood and to heal the wound. She could feel his Power now, the dark Power that he had used in a thousand fights, to inflict hundreds of mortal wounds, being held tightly in check to concentrate on this simple, homely task, to heal the mark of a whiplash on a girl's cheek. Elena thought it was like being stroked with the petals of that Black Magic rose, its cool smooth petals gently sweeping away the pain, until she shivered in delight. And then it stopped. Elena knew that she'd once again had too much wine. But this time she didn't feel sick. The deceptively light drink had gone to her head, making her tipsy. Everything had taken on an unreal, dreamlike quality. â€Å"It will finish healing well now,† Damon said, again touching her hair so softly that she could barely feel it. But this time she did feel it, because she sent out fingers of Power to meet the sensation and enjoy every moment of it. And once again he kissed her – so lightly – his lips barely brushing hers. When her head fell back, though, he didn't follow, even when, disappointed, she tried to put pressure on the back of his neck. He simply waited until Elena thought things out†¦slowly. We shouldn't be kissing. Meredith and Bonnie are right next door. How do I get myself in situations like this? But Damon isn't even trying to kiss†¦and we're supposed to be – oh! Her other wounds. They really hurt now. What cruel person had thought up a whip like that, Elena thought, with a razor-thin lash that cut so deeply it didn't even hurt at first – or not that much†¦but got worse and worse over time? And kept bleeding†¦we're supposed to be stopping the bleeding until the doctor can see me†¦. But her next wound, the one that burned like fire now, was diagonally across her collarbone. And the third was near her knee†¦. Damon started to get up, to get another cloth from the sink and cleanse the cut with water. Elena held him back. â€Å"No.† â€Å"No? Are you sure?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"All I want to do is cleanse it†¦.† â€Å"I know.† She did know. His mind was open to hers, all its turbulent power running clear and tranquilly. She didn't know why it had opened to her like this, but it had. â€Å"But let me advise you, don't go donating your blood to some dying vampire; don't let anyone sample it. It's worse than Black Magic – â€Å" â€Å"Worse?† She knew he was complimenting her, but she didn't understand. â€Å"The more you drink, the more you want to drink,† Damon answered, and for a moment Elena saw the turbulence she had caused in those calm waters. â€Å"And the more you drink, the more Power you can absorb,† he added seriously. Elena realized that she had never even thought of this as a problem, but it was. She remembered the agony it had been to try to absorb her own aura before she had learned how to keep it moving with her bloodstream. â€Å"Don't worry,† he added, still serious. â€Å"I know who you're thinking about.† He made a move again to get a cloth. But without knowing it, he had said too much, presumed too far. â€Å"You know who I'm thinking about?† Elena said softly, and she was surprised at how dangerous her own voice could sound, like the soft padding of heavy tigress feet. â€Å"Without asking me?† Damon tried to finesse his way out. â€Å"Well, I assumed†¦.† â€Å"No one knows what I'm thinking about,† Elena said. â€Å"Until I tell them.† She moved and made him kneel to look at her, questioningly. Hungrily. Then, just as it was she who had made him kneel, it was she who drew him to her wound.

Decentralized Computing essays

Decentralized Computing essays Decentralized computing with shared information is the best structure for organizations. This structure supports the transaction and customer integrated systems. Decentralization computing with shared information is the use of several workstations or personal computers accessing the same database. This will help in reducing the continuous re-inventing of the wheel. Data information is accessible to all who need to mine it. This eliminates the need of several databases, which in turn reduces capital expenditures. According to most textbook definitions, a transaction processing system (TPS) is a system that processes transactions that occur in the organization. TPSs are mainly responsible for capturing transactions, creating new information, and storing them in a database. The secondary responsibility is conveying this data to users. Customer integrated system (CIS) is an extension of a TPS that places technology in the hands of an organizations customers and allows them to process their own transaction. An example of this is the automated teller machines used widely by the public. These machines allow the customer to do their own banking without the use of personal services of bank tellers. This system reduces the headcount and increases profit with the reduction in benefits and wages. These transactions provide real time information to the databases. The real time data allows managers to study customer transactions, as well as, print out real time information for the user. The decentralized computing with shared information greatly improves the organizations ability to reduce cost and capital equipment. The TPS and CIS allow customers to handle their own transactions. With the data being updated real time, organizations and customers are better equipped to handle issues as they arise. These systems help the organizations reduce time and cost while increasing customer satisfaction. ...

NED HERRMANNS THINKING essays

NED HERRMANN'S THINKING essays Ned Herrmann wrote several books on whole brain and creative thinking, especially as they relate to the corporation. Initially, Herrmann worked for General Electric in management training, but as he continued to study and develop his theories on creativity and using the whole brain in thinking, he formed his own training group in 1980, the Ned Herrmann Group. Herrmann died in 1999, but his work continues being taught throughout the world, and the Herrmann Group carries on his work and One of the techniques he developed, the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), is an assessment used to show an individual's "strength of preference" in each brain quadrant (Scott). Herrmann broke down the brain into four quadrants, A, B, C, and D, and he believed each quadrant was used for a specific type of thinking. Quadrant A is the Analyzer, and utilizes the areas of logical thinking, analyzing facts, and processing numbers. Quadrant B is the Organizer, and utilizes the areas of planning, organizing facts, and reviewing details. Quadrant C is the Personalizer, and utilizes the areas of interacting, sensing relationships, and expressing feelings, and Quadrant D is the Visualizer, and utilizes the imagination, thinking about the big picture, and conceptualizing ideas and solutions (Scott and Atkin). Herrmann's theories take the "left brain/right brain" theories two steps further, and create more depth in the areas of the brain, and how they think and react. In fact, Herrmann used "the research of Paul McLean (the Triune Brain) and Roger Sperry (Left Brain/Right Brain function)," (Atkin) to help develop his own theories and methods. Herrmann believed we all have the ability to use each quadrant of the brain, but we use some of them more often and more effectively than others, and his HBDI helps measure which parts we use the most, and helps us use them to our best ability. On...

Media Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Media Power - Essay Example Persons with power are rather few in number and are associated with even few owners and corporations producing, directing, editing and selecting topics and issues deemed "newsworthy." Given media's extreme power to influence, study of media is most critical to understanding how political behavior is, or can be influenced. News should be logical and objective, applying every possible test to verify the data or information gathered. The journalist should constantly strive to eliminate personal feeling and preference. He or she must resist temptation to seek only the data that support his topic. There is no attempt to persuade or to prove. The journalist should elevate clear thinking and logic as well as suppress feeling and emotion in his analysis. Politics - the struggle over who gets what, when and how - is largely carried out in the mass media. The arenas of political conflict are the various media of mass communication - television, newspaper, magazines and the internet. What we know about politics comes to us largely through these media. Great power derives from the control of information. Who knows what helps to determine who gets what. The media not only provide an arena for politics; they are themselves players in the arena. The media not only report on the struggles for power in society; they are themselves participants in those struggles. The media have long been referred to as America's "fourth branch" of government - and for a good reason. Media power is concentrated in leading television networks, the nation's leading newspapers and broad circulation magazines. The reporters, anchors, editors and producers of these prestige news organizations constitute a relatively small group of people in whose hands rests the power to decide what we will know about people, events and issues. The Myth of the Mirror Media people themselves often deny that they exercise great power. They sometimes claim that they only "mirror" reality. They like to think of themselves as unbiased reporters who simply narrate happenings and transmit videotaped portrayals of people and events as they really are. Occasionally, editors or reporters or anchors will acknowledge that they make important decisions about what stories, people, events, or issues will e covered in the news, how much time or space they will be given, what visuals will be issued and what sources will be quoted. They may also occasionally acknowledge that they provide interpretations of the news and that their personal politics affects these interpretations. But whether or not editors, reporters, producers or anchors acknowledge their own power, it is clear that they do more than passively mirror reality. Government and the media are natural adversaries. Public officials have long been frustrated by the media. But the US Constitution's First Amendment guarantee of a free press anticipates this conflict between government and the media. It prohibits the government from resolving this conflict by silencing its critics. Media professionals are not neutral observers of American politics rather are active participants. They not only report events but also discover events to report, assign them political meaning, and predict their consequences. They seek to challenge government officials, debate political candidates, and define the problems of society. They see their profession as a "sacred trust" and themselves as the true voice of the

Textbook Evaluation Justification Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Textbook Evaluation Justification - Assignment Example The first textbook limits the fourth grade students to classroom-based activities thus making in inappropriate. The second book enables teachers to equip students with the skills applicable both within and outside class. In many institutions of learning, teachers are recommended to use different learning strategies in order to make students complete and resourceful people both in school and after graduating. The second textbook balance the content provided to students thus making it the best for teaching fourth grade students (Harcourt School Publishers Staff 2012). Content of some textbooks such as the first one lack sequence thus sabotaging efforts of students to build upon their prior knowledge and foundation skills. The second textbook Harcourt Language becomes preferred choice because sequence of content. Harcourt Language is one of the few books which effectively transfer content from one writing level to another. It equips students with language and writing skills necessary in other levels of education. Null curriculum is unnecessary thus should not have any impact on learning operations of the students. The second book does this best thus making it the most suitable for teaching fourth grade students. Learning institutions comprises of students of different sex and they come from different social, ethnic, political and religious backgrounds. As such, the content taught should factor this aspect. The evaluation of the second book indicates that it meets this criterion thus making it more appropriate. A good textbook uses unlimited primary source materials. It should also encourage students to use higher order thinking skills through examples. Harcourt Language perfectly does it (Harcourt School Publishers Staff 2012). The organization of the chapters and the format of the book are excellent thus enabling the teachers and the students to easily use it. This is also facilitated by outstanding organizational

Fiscal and monetary policy theories and application Essay

Fiscal and monetary policy theories and application - Essay Example Fiscal policy entails the processes through which the government achieves major economic goals through taxes and government spending. The government collects tax and spends it to achieve economic development. Taxation is one of the key avenues though which governments collect revenues from local and foreign residents. Three main aspects that make up fiscal policy include consumption, investment and government spending. In this sense, the government relies on the three aspects of demand to achieve desired economic goals. The desired economic goals include full employment, price stability, economic growth, and maintenance of a favorable balance of payment, The three aspects add up to determine the equilibrium level of the gross domestic product. On the other hand, monetary policies refer to the manipulations of interest rates and money supply to achieve various economic ends. The economic ends are similar in the sense that they entail full employment, economic growth, price stability, and a favorable balance of payment. This suggests that the fiscal policies and the monetary policies possess the same goals. In the regulation of the money in circulation, central bank adjusts the interest rate that entails the price of borrowing money. In the history of economics, different schools of thought vouch for different policies. The fiscalists rely on the Keynesian school of thought in stabilizing the economy. This school of thought believes that fiscal policies are the only effective measure of instigating economic growth during a period of recession in a country. In turn, monetary policies are ineffective in stirring economic growth during a recession in a country.

Legalizing Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Legalizing Marijuana - Essay Example For the last 10 years, there has been an on going debate that whether marijuana should be legalized or not in USA. It has become a countrywide debate, but still there is no conclusion drawn that whether the drug is significant or not in use and adaptation. The issue is common but still found in debate and more discussion (Hanson & Venturelli, 2012). I being the speaker of my audience will present the information regarding marijuana’s purposive use and legalization. I will be putting a light on controversies prevailing in the aspect of marijuana legalization. The common perception regarding Marijuana use is that it is a drug, which carries more negative influences than positive for the society. Marijuana is highly influential for the young segment of the society is what the Institute of Drug Abuse asserts in its recent survey (Tate, 2013). The Drug Policy Alliance claims that 90 million Americans of the total country’s population try marijuana once in the lifetime. Moreover, organizations such as the Institute of Drug Abuse and the Drug Policy Alliance depict that violence or psychosis are some behaviors related to Marijuana use and adaptation. These are some negative impressions which people keep about marijuana and its legalization in the country (Steve, 2011). There is another positive side of the perception, which says that marijuana is a productive drug. It is a drug that not only is required in medical treatments but also a drug that can add efficiently to the economy of the country (Caulkins, 2012). According to the contemporary literature, marijuana is the oldest and most significant drug used in the human civilization. Marijuana has been in adaptive use of the western civilization, since the early nineteenth century when it got named as western medicine (Cheryl, 2009). Most of the health institutions like the Institute of Drug Abuse claim that marijuana carries a lot of health risks and therefore

MKT Unit 3 IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MKT Unit 3 IP - Research Paper Example Organization which can adapt itself with the changing business needs and scenarios are in a greater position to remain sustainable and competitive in the long term. The rise of technology has transformed the global markets in to a single connected entity. As businesses around the world engage in cross border transactions with individuals and other business entities, the issue of security in online financial transactions has gained high importance. This project introduces a new online product, which belongs to the online transaction market. This new product will try to resolve consumer issues faced in regards to existence of high service charges as well as level of security and confidentiality provided by the online transaction service provider. Introduction The world of business today has undergone a significant amount of change as compared to the early decades. Due to the rise of technology and internet, the extent of doing business for organizations as well as individuals comprises of various markets around the world. In the context of engaging business in various markets, the individuals and organizations has to engage in online transfer of high value transactions. As of the recent times, the financial options that are available to facilitate the online money transfer has some strong drawbacks in regards to the financial cap allowed as well as the application of high service charges. ... n as well as effective integration of the various elements of the promotion mix like advertising, public relations, personal selling, direct marketing with the multiple other elements of the marketing mix of the brand like product, place and price (Shimp, 2013, p. 12). It is important to remember that in the context of integrated marketing communication, the AIDA concept holds tremendous importance. The AIDA framework talks about generating awareness, interest, desire and action from the consumers. The various elements of the communication mix like advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, public relations campaign as well as personal selling helps the marketer in implementing the AIDA concept for the purpose of value communication of their product or service. In the course of discussing the aspects of integrated marketing communications, each of the elements will be explained in details while weighing their respective pros and cons. Advertising Advertising is a paid and mediat ed form of communication which originates from a reliable and identifiable source, whose responsibility comprises of generating consumer interest or consumer action in regards to the value offered through the product or service (Shimp, 2010, p. 182). Advertising in the modern day world can happen through the traditional channels like the print and electronic media as well as through the digitized channels like the internet and online social media. Since the channels of advertising have become diversified in nature with the advancement of technology, so the advantages and disadvantages of advertising has to be evaluated in a separate case by case basis. While judging the advantage of traditional channels like the print and electronic media, the factor of geographical selection, content

Reforming the U.S. Corporate Tax System to Increase Tax Essay

Reforming the U.S. Corporate Tax System to Increase Tax Competitiveness - Essay Example Center of discussion in this paper is taxation as the means by which the sovereign body raises income through collection from natural or juridical persons to defray the expenses of the government so that the latter could perform its functions. Without taxes, the government cannot exist as it will not be able to deliver the services expected from them by the constituents. Although one of the fundamental powers of the State, the exercise of the power of taxation however should not be abused. Certain principles must guide its application so as to make it as equitable and efficient to all stakeholders as it must be. Since taxation generally depends on income, taxes should be proportionate thereto and should not go beyond the net income; otherwise, the same would constitute as part of the expense already that could deprive the income-earner of the fruits of his labor. However, certain rules and practices in the taxation system of the United States appear to violate the principle of equity . This results to resentment, loss of bigger revenues, lesser capital investments in the country, and ultimately, deprivation of better economic life for the citizenry. There are two (2) kinds of international tax systems: (i) worldwide; and (ii) territorial. The United States system of taxation is classified as worldwide as it imposes taxes on all incomes derived by the United States domestic companies within and outside its territorial jurisdiction. However, the United States allows tax credits of tax payments made by these companies in country where the income or profit was produced. This was made in order to avoid the apparent double taxation of the same income. This tax credit is allowed only up to the extent of the tax rate imposed in the United States. Thus, if the tax paid in a foreign country based on the income derived by a United States domestic company therein is much higher than the tax supposed to be collected by the United States, the difference thereof is not chargea ble against the other tax liabilities of said domestic company. This however, is generally fair and the United States has no fault on this aspect. The problem however lies with respect to businesses made by domestic corporations in another country which practices territorial system of taxation. Territorial system of taxation is a form of taxation wherein domestic corporations are taxed only for income derived within the country’s territorial jurisdiction. Hence, income derived by the domestic corporations from outside the country is tax-exempt. Here, the problem lies with the global competitiveness of companies incorporated in the United States which, as mentioned before, practices worldwide system of taxatio

Legalizing Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Legalizing Marijuana - Essay Example For the last 10 years, there has been an on going debate that whether marijuana should be legalized or not in USA. It has become a countrywide debate, but still there is no conclusion drawn that whether the drug is significant or not in use and adaptation. The issue is common but still found in debate and more discussion (Hanson & Venturelli, 2012). I being the speaker of my audience will present the information regarding marijuana’s purposive use and legalization. I will be putting a light on controversies prevailing in the aspect of marijuana legalization. The common perception regarding Marijuana use is that it is a drug, which carries more negative influences than positive for the society. Marijuana is highly influential for the young segment of the society is what the Institute of Drug Abuse asserts in its recent survey (Tate, 2013). The Drug Policy Alliance claims that 90 million Americans of the total country’s population try marijuana once in the lifetime. Moreover, organizations such as the Institute of Drug Abuse and the Drug Policy Alliance depict that violence or psychosis are some behaviors related to Marijuana use and adaptation. These are some negative impressions which people keep about marijuana and its legalization in the country (Steve, 2011). There is another positive side of the perception, which says that marijuana is a productive drug. It is a drug that not only is required in medical treatments but also a drug that can add efficiently to the economy of the country (Caulkins, 2012). According to the contemporary literature, marijuana is the oldest and most significant drug used in the human civilization. Marijuana has been in adaptive use of the western civilization, since the early nineteenth century when it got named as western medicine (Cheryl, 2009). Most of the health institutions like the Institute of Drug Abuse claim that marijuana carries a lot of health risks and therefore

Reforming the U.S. Corporate Tax System to Increase Tax Essay

Reforming the U.S. Corporate Tax System to Increase Tax Competitiveness - Essay Example Center of discussion in this paper is taxation as the means by which the sovereign body raises income through collection from natural or juridical persons to defray the expenses of the government so that the latter could perform its functions. Without taxes, the government cannot exist as it will not be able to deliver the services expected from them by the constituents. Although one of the fundamental powers of the State, the exercise of the power of taxation however should not be abused. Certain principles must guide its application so as to make it as equitable and efficient to all stakeholders as it must be. Since taxation generally depends on income, taxes should be proportionate thereto and should not go beyond the net income; otherwise, the same would constitute as part of the expense already that could deprive the income-earner of the fruits of his labor. However, certain rules and practices in the taxation system of the United States appear to violate the principle of equity . This results to resentment, loss of bigger revenues, lesser capital investments in the country, and ultimately, deprivation of better economic life for the citizenry. There are two (2) kinds of international tax systems: (i) worldwide; and (ii) territorial. The United States system of taxation is classified as worldwide as it imposes taxes on all incomes derived by the United States domestic companies within and outside its territorial jurisdiction. However, the United States allows tax credits of tax payments made by these companies in country where the income or profit was produced. This was made in order to avoid the apparent double taxation of the same income. This tax credit is allowed only up to the extent of the tax rate imposed in the United States. Thus, if the tax paid in a foreign country based on the income derived by a United States domestic company therein is much higher than the tax supposed to be collected by the United States, the difference thereof is not chargea ble against the other tax liabilities of said domestic company. This however, is generally fair and the United States has no fault on this aspect. The problem however lies with respect to businesses made by domestic corporations in another country which practices territorial system of taxation. Territorial system of taxation is a form of taxation wherein domestic corporations are taxed only for income derived within the country’s territorial jurisdiction. Hence, income derived by the domestic corporations from outside the country is tax-exempt. Here, the problem lies with the global competitiveness of companies incorporated in the United States which, as mentioned before, practices worldwide system of taxatio

Food Irradiation Essay Example for Free

Food Irradiation Essay People all over the world are starving for fresh, uncontaminated food. Insects, pests, and invisible microorganisms are not what the public want to find on their dinner plates. Throughout history, life has depended on ways of treating food to reduce or destroy these naturally occurring harmful contaminants and to enable foods to be stored after harvesting so that they can be saved for use at other times of the year. With increasing populations and the growth of cities, it is even more important to be able to preserve food so that it can be transported over considerable distances and stored for long periods before it reaches the consumer. The relentless pressure to supply safe foods to mass markets has led to major contamination problems arising in recent years. The food industry has responded by developing new methods to treat food, such as food irradiation. To some in the food industry, irradiation is a wonderful new technology that could solve many contamination problems without any apparent effects on the treated food. To the consumer, it is a new process that has unknown threats and benefits. Currently, 37 countries, including the United States, permit the use of irradiation and approximately 25 actually use it. Irradiation will remain an expensive and little used technology until there is general acceptance of irradiated foods by consumers. The modern food industry has to make certain choices as to how and when it treats food during the food production cycle. It can start by reducing the level of microorganisms and pests in food by using chemical treatments and pesticides during growth. For this to be effective the food must then be protected against fresh contamination during transport and storage. An alternative approach is to do very little to the food as grown and harvested, but to treat it nearer to the point of consumption. This is common with herbs and spices. The food industry will tend to choose the way it deals with contamination based on the economics of each case, in other words, the cheapest way possible. Even where food is produced relatively close to the point of consumption, it may have to be treated because contamination is inherent in the production process. This is why milk has to be pasteurized. Pasteurization is the most effective way of killing microorganisms with minimal effect on the food itself. Unfortunately, pasteurization can only be used on a very limited range of foods. Poultry in much of the developed world is now infected with salmonella. In Europe, 75% of chicken sold is infected and in the US 60%. It is estimated that the US has some 2,000,000 cases of food poisoning as the result of consuming salmonella costing $2,540 million annually. Even in relatively advanced countries like the United Kingdom the authorities admit that the food contamination problem is out of control stating: the multiplicity of potential routes of contamination makes the elimination of microbiological contamination from poultry being presented for slaughter a virtual impossibility. This need not be the case as has been demonstrated in Sweden. There it has taken 20 years of ruthless killing of any flock with a salmonella infection to achieve 99% of flocks free of salmonella. Poultry costs more as a result but the Swedish authorities and consumers clearly believe this is worth paying. It has been known since the last century that living organisms can be damaged or killed by exposure to certain forms of radiation. The idea that radiation might be used to kill bacteria and other micro organisms in food was seriously proposed in the 1930s but the technology for producing radiation was too expensive and specialized for it to be used other than in experiments. The contamination problems mentioned above have led scientists to try to improve these techniques. The effects of irradiation on food vary much depending on the type of food and on the dosage level. Only a limited range of foods can be irradiated successfully, that is, leaving a food that is still wholesome enough to eat. The main types of food that can be irradiated are meats, seafood, fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices. In some foods the dose level is very critical, a slight overdose and the food acquires an unpleasant taste and texture. This is the case with eggs, for example. Everything in our environment, including food, contains trace amounts of radioactivity. This means that this trace amount (about 150 to 200 becquerels) of natural radioactivity (from elements such as potassium) is unavoidably in our daily diets. In countries where food irradiation is permitted, both the sources of radiation and their energy levels are regulated and controlled. The irradiation process involves passing the food through a radiation field at a set speed to control the amount of energy or dose absorbed by the food. The food itself never comes into direct contact with the radiation source. The maximum allowable energies for electrons and X-rays two machine-generated sources of radiation that can be used are 10 million electron volts (MeV) and 5 MeV, respectively. Even when foods are exposed to very high doses of radiation from these sources, the maximum level of induced radioactivity, or radioactivity left present in the food, would be just one-thousandth of a becquerel per kilogram of food. This is 2,000,000 times smaller than the level of radioactivity naturally present in food. There are many advantages to using irradiation to process food, for instance: it can kill insects and pests that infest food without harming the food itself. Irradiation can also kill or greatly reduce the levels of microorganisms such as salmonella and listeria. Irradiation also stops normal ripening and decay processes so that foods can be stored longer, as well as sterilizing foods making them fit to eat for sickly patients in hospitals. Currently the FDA allows electron beam irradiation for meat, grains, fruits and vegetables, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, spices, seasonings, eggs, sterilizing medical products, such as surgical gloves, destroying bacteria in cosmetics, and purifying wool. If the food industry could have its way (the way most profitable for them), the only foods that would not be irradiated would be seafood, dairy (which is pasteurized), honey, coffee, chocolate, and oils (fats become rancid easily because of the free radical creation, so they wont be irradiated if they could be eaten raw). Baked goods and dried legumes do not need irradiation. The advantages to food irradiation cannot be far in front of the disadvantages so here they are. Irradiation can only be used on a very limited range of foods, and it is expensive when it is being used. Irradiation also affects some important parts of a persons diet like the level of vitamin E. When irradiation is used, the level of vitamin E can be reduced by twenty-five percent and vitamin C by five to ten percent. Recommended doses of radiation will not kill all of the microorganisms. Ninety percent of the germs and none of the viruses are killed so after the irradiation the food still has to be treated with care to avoid rapid reproduction by the remaining microorganisms. Irradiating foods can also cause new substances that were not in the food before. These substances are called radiolytic products, such as benzene, formaldehyde, and lipid peroxides. While not radioactive themselves, there is considerable controversy over whether these products are dangerous. Some opponents of food irradiation state that if irradiation is put into wider use, people may become more careless about sanitation in food production facilities. Irradiation does not kill all the bacteria in a food and in a just few hours at room temperature, the bacteria remaining in meat or poultry after irradiation can multiply to the level existing before irradiation. Some bacteria, like the one that causes botulism, as well as viruses and prions (which are believed to cause Mad Cow Disease) are not killed by current doses of irradiation. Free-market economists say irradiation is efficient, that it provides the cheapest possible food for the least possible risk. However, these economists are not concerned about the impaired nutritional quality of the food. They are not considering the environmental effects of large-scale corporate farming, the social costs of centralization of agriculture and loss of family farms, the potential long-term damage to human health, and the possibility of irradiation-resistant super-bacteria. If irradiation is to be more widespread, a cheap and reliable detection system should be developed for monitoring organizations to use. The UN should also establish as set of skeletal regulations to ensure that every county irradiating consumer goods is labeling them as such. The priorities of worldwide governments should also be focused on farming clean, thereby eliminating contaminants as thoroughly as possible from the production chain, rather than killing off the harmful organisms at the last stage of production with radiation. Clearly, the public needs to become better educated about the food we are buying. Too many times do we go into supermarkets and buy things because of their price, without really taking a good look the package, and put our trust solely in the people who are trying o turn a buck. While reading about the problem of food irradiation, I was reminded of the novel The Jungle where the greed of people like Gustavus Swift turned meat-packing plants into death traps and sold ground cardboard, rats, and fingers to the public as ? fresh meat while sweeping the floors of the plant to recover the sliced-off bits and package them as potted meat. Clearly the food industry is driven by capitalism, and not by concern for the consumer, and although I am wholeheartedly in favor of capitalist businesses, I do think federal regulation needs to come into play not just in the United states, but in other countries where most of the people have no legal recourse at all if they fall ill or die as the result of unclean food. Education of the consumer is the key to this problem, as is objective research. Governments around the world should be made to adhere to guidelines recommended by people whose main concern is the safe and healthy production of food, instead of the cheapest way to produce it, or what would be best for the businesses already irradiating food, as is the case for the federal government. Without measures taken during all aspect of food production to ensure cleanliness, the consumer is doomed to a lifetime of choices between dirty food, and dirtier food.