Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Globalization - Essay Example n has led to creation of new social networks and activities that have increasingly overcome traditional cultural, political, economic and geographic boundaries. This has played a critical role in the intensification and acceleration of social exchanges and activities hence increasing human consciousness and interdependence. Steger (23) brings the concepts together and defines globalization as â€Å"a multidimensional set of social processes that create, multiply, stretch and intensify worldwide social interdependencies and exchanges while at the same time fostering in people a growing awareness of deepening connections between the local and the distant.† According to Appuradai (1), it only takes the merest acquaintance with the facts of the modern world to note that it is now an interactive system in a sense which is strikingly new. Hughes (34) states that historians and sociologists, especially those concerned with translocal processes and with the world systems associated with capitalism have long been aware that the world has been a congeries of large scale interactions for many centuries. Yet today’s world involves interactions of a new order and intensity. According to Hansen (34), cultural transactions between social groups in the past have generally been restricted, sometimes by the facts of geography and ecology, and at other times by active resistance to interactions with the other. Appuradai (6) has proposed an elementary framework for exploring various disjunctures applied in globalization. The framework looks at five dimensions of global cultural flow which includes: ethnoscapes, mediascapes, technoscapes, financescapes and ideoscapes. The suffix scape points out to the fluid, irregular shapes of the landscapes, shapes which characterize international capital as deeply as they do to international clothing styles. The landscapes are therefore the building blocks of the imagined worlds of persons and groups To start with, ethnoscape refers to the

Dickens & education in Hard Times Essay Example for Free

Dickens education in Hard Times Essay In Hard times we see two versions of the world of education. The first view is that of Thomas Gradgrinds and his model school. A place where facts are valued and imagination is regarded as unimportant. This is the utilitarian view. The second view is contrasted with the utilitarian view and is that of Mr Slearys circus. This is a place with much knowledge valuing both imagination and education. A place without the wealth of the Gradgrinds but much in humanity. This is the fanciful world. I think Dickens is telling us that there are many different ways of bringing up and educating children. It is about getting the right balance between education and imagination. For example Sissy was brought up by her father and didnt go to school but was quite well educated as she used to read to him, but her father let her use her imagination as she read the wrong books from Gradgrinds point of view. Which were about Fairies and the Hunchback and the Genies. But when she went to Gradgrinds house to live there she was cut off from having an imagination, as so was struggling to learn facts. The reader knows this as Sissy says, I am O so stupid! when really she isnt stupid at all, it is just that she has been forced to be brought up the utilitarian way, which is the wrong way for her, as she is used to having a balance between education and imagination but Gradgrind hasnt allowed it. She became low spirited, but no wiser. This is because she has an emotional memory and so she cant learn the facts because she is being taught with a utilitarian view and so she cant attach a feeling to what she is being taught. This is how Dickens implies that different people learn different ways and at different rates. For Gradgrind it could be argued that it was the right way for him as he was educated by his father the utilitarian way. He became a model pupil and owned a school. The reader knows that he was a model pupil as Dickens tells us five young Gradgrinds were models everyone. And They had been lectured at from their tenderest years. And in Gradgrinds eyes this had worked so He intended every child to be a model. But what Gradgrind doesnt realise is that all children are different and need to be brought up different ways, which is what Dickens is suggesting to the reader.

Clash of identity :: essays research papers

Clash of Identity The difference between Rodriguez’s struggle between identity and Angelou’s struggle is that, Angelou’s identity’s center of focus is her name, while Rodriguez’s identity seems to revolve around his â€Å"complexion†. Although they both wrote about the struggle with their own identity, the views and attitude of the two authors differ. In Richard Rodriguez’s essay â€Å"Complexion† and Maya Angelou’s essay â€Å"Mary† both authors illustrate some hardships they faced during their life, such as their experience with racism and prejudice. In spite of the fact that they are both faced with similar situations, the actuality that sets apart their characters is how they dealt with each of their situations. Rodriguez attitude about himself during his childhood was largely influenced by his family, especially his mother, â€Å"Dark skin was for my mother the most important symbol of a life of oppressive labor and poverty.†(Rodriguez. 451), people who worked in fields and construction sites spent most of their time under the sun, causing their â€Å"complexion† to darken, so it was assumed that a person with dark skin was a menial laborer. Rodriguez’s mother would commonly point out his dark complexion by comparison with the poor and the black, at one time she told Rodriguez, â€Å"You look like a negrito†¦ you won’t be satisfied till you end up looking like los pobres†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Rodriguez 447). His mother’s friends would also often talk of what a burden or a curse it was, to have dark skin, â€Å"†¦ it was a woman’s spoken concern: the fear of having a dark-skinned son or daughter.†(Rodriguez 449), Rodriguez is illustrating t hat in his culture, people preferred light skin children over dark skin, knowing that a light skinned child would not face as much prejudice a dark skinned child would growing up. In contrast, Margaret wasn’t ashamed of her skin, or being of different color, she was proud of her race and ethnicity, at the beginning she expresses her pride through her relatives accomplishment, â€Å"†¦my grandmother had owned the only Negro general merchandise store since the turn of the century.†(Maya 3), this she said to a Texas women, when asked about her hometown.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rodriguez and Angelou both expressed their struggled in search for their own identity in their essay. Margaret’s identity was compromised when Margaret was called out of her original name. Margaret’s name was casually changed by Mrs. Cullinan, â€Å"That’s too long she’s Mary from now on†(Maya 6).

Creon Antigone by Sophocles Essay

In Antigone, written by Sophocles, Creon dominates the play with his powerful yet arrogant personality. Even though Antigone is the name of this play, Creon, the ruling king of Thebes with a no turning back attitude, proves to be the main character. Creon rules over everyone but that does not stop the intelligent Antigone from protecting her brothers dead body. She gets caught in this illegal act by the very dynamic character of Creon. There are endless personality traits to describe Creon, but certain traits that pop out are his strength/power and his stubbornness. Who is the man here, she or I if this crime goes unpunished?(Scene 2, lines 82,83). This quote is a simple example of how stubborn a king with that much pride can act toward his own family. We then learn that no matter how wrong he is in his decisions, he still sticks with what he believes to be the right punishment to Antigone. The other proving quote in Scene 3 (line 26) is when Creon states, Do you want me to show myself before the people? Or to break my sworn word? No, and I will not. Creon slowly starts to realize the right thing to do in his situation but something inside of him prevents him from saving Antigone. It could quite possibly be him knowing his own strength and power compared to everyone else. His strength plays a key role in the problems that occurred. Antigone sees right through this personality trait of his. Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way.(Prologue, line 35) Also,in Scene 1 line 118 Creon says,Theres nothing in this world that is more demoralizing than money. Creon really means it when he says this. He thinks that everything in the world has a price. His strength can be translated as a waste cause he doesnt use his powers for the better of the city of Thebes. His power completely forces him to believe that no one is above him. That is where the conflict began for Antigone and Polyneices. There was not much motivation for his actions besides his pride, which is apparently the cause of all their troubles. If Creon would have realized early on that the right thing to do is more important then power and pride, Antigone would not have of been dead. In Scene 2, (line 75,76) Choragus is right on when he says, Like father, like daughter both headstrong, deaf to  reason. Creon believes that his word over all should be the final say. But when Antigone, a female at that, defies him, he flips out and sentences her to rot in a prison cell. In his mind, he was rational with the choices he made. When it comes down to it, Creon was just trying to represent the position of the king. Unfortunately, his greed overcame his responsibility of the throne. His power against everyone else in Thebes proved to be significant when he sentenced Antigone. After the events that happened, he was still so stubborn to turn back. At the very end of this play, Creon finally realized his wrong doings and he said, I was the fool, not you. And you died for me.(Scene 5, line 92) Both his stubbornness and his power broke down and we saw the real Creon. Characters like this in Greek literature are important because the form the plot, the conflict, and the resolution. Without the Creons in plays, there would not be any tragedy or any thing to resolve at the end.

Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER SEVEN FARMER

FARMER Stor Gendibal jogged along the country road outside the university. It was not common practice for Second Foundationers to venture into the farming world of Trantor. They could do so, certainly, but when they did, they did not venture either far or for long. Gendibal was an exception and he had, in times past, wondered why. Wondering meant exploring his own mind, something that Speakers, in particular, were encouraged to do. Their minds were at once their weapons and their targets, and they had to keep both offense and defense well honed. Gendibal had decided, to his own satisfaction, that one reason he was different was because he had come from a planet that was both colder and more massive than the average inhabited planet. When he was brought to Trantor as a boy (through the net that was quietly cast throughout the Galaxy by agents of the Second Foundation on the lookout for talent), he found himself, therefore, in a lighter gravitational field and a delightfully mild climate. Naturally he enjoyed being in the open more than some of the others might. In his early years on Trantor, he grew conscious of his puny, undersized frame, and he was afraid that settling back into the comfort of a benign world would turn him flabby indeed. He therefore undertook a series of self-developing exercises that had left him still puny in appearance but kept hint wiry and with a good wind. Part of his regimen were these long walks arid joggings – about which some at the Speaker's Table muttered. Gendibal disregarded their chattering. He kept his own ways, despite the fact that he was first-generation. All the others at the Table were second – and third-generation, with parents and grandparents who had been Second Foundationers. And they were all older than he, too. What, then, was to be expected but muttering? By long custom, all minds at the Speaker's Table were open (supposedly altogether, though it was a rare Speaker who didn't maintain a comer of privacy somewhere – in the long run, ineffectively, of course) and Gendibal knew that what they felt was envy. So did they; just as Gendibal knew his own attitude was defensive, overcompensating ambition. And so did they. Besides (Gendibal's mind reverted to the reasons for his ventures into the hinterland) he had spent his childhood in a whole world – a large and expansive one, with grand and variegated scenery – and in a fertile valley of that world, surrounded by what he believed to be the most beautiful mountain ranges in the Galaxy. They were unbelievably spectacular in the grim winter of that world. He remembered his former world and the glories of a now-distant childhood. He dreamed about it often. How could he bring himself to be confined to a few dozen square miles of ancient architecture? He looked about disparagingly as he jogged. Trantor was a mild and pleasant world, but it was not a rugged and beautiful one. Though it was a farming world, it was not a fertile planet. It never had been. Perhaps that, as much as any other factor, had led to its becoming the administrative center of, first, an extensive union of planets and then of a Galactic Empire. There was no strong push to have it be anything else. It wasn't extraordinarily good for anything else. After the Great Sack, one thing that kept Trantor going was its enormous supply of metal. It was a great mine, supplying half a hundred worlds with cheap alloy steel, aluminum, titanium, copper, magnesium – returning, in this way, what it had collected over thousands of years; depleting its supplies at a rate hundreds of times faster than the original rate of accumulation. There were still enormous metal supplies available, but they were underground and harder to obtain. The Hamish farmers (who never called themselves â€Å"Trantorians,† a term they considered ill-omened and which the Second Foundationers therefore reserved for themselves) had grown reluctant to deal with the metal any further. Superstition, undoubtedly. Foolish of them. The metal that remained underground might well be poisoning the soil and further lowering its fertility. And yet, on the other hand, the population was thinly spread and the land supported them. And there were some sales of metal, always. Gendibal's eyes roved over the fiat horizon. Trantor was alive geologically, as almost all inhabited planets were, but it had been a hundred million years, at least, since the last major geological mountain-building period had occurred. What uplands existed had been eroded into gentle hills. Indeed, many of them had been leveled during the great metal-coating period of Trantor's history. Off to the south, well out of sight, was the shore of Capital Bay, and beyond that, the Eastern Ocean, both of which had been re-established after the disruption of the underground cisterns. To the north were the towers of Galactic University, obscuring the comparatively squat-but-wide Library (most of which was underground), and the remains of the Imperial Palace still farther north. Immediately on either side were farms, on which there was an occasional building. He passed groups of cattle, goats, chickens – the wide variety of domesticated animals found on any Trantorian farm. None of them paid him any mind. Gendibal thought casually that anywhere in the Galaxy, on any of the vast number of inhabited worlds, he would see these animals and that on no two worlds would they be exactly alike. He remembered the goats of home and his own tame nanny whom he had once milked. They were much larger and more resolute than the small and philosophical specimens that had been brought to Trantor and established there since the Great Sack. Over the inhabited worlds of the Galaxy, there were varieties of each of these animals, in numbers almost beyond counting, and there was no sophisticate on any world who didn't swear by his favorite variety, whether for meat, milk, eggs, wool, or anything else they could produce. As usual, there were no Hamish in view. Gendibal had the feeling that the farmers avoided being seen by those whom they referred to as â€Å"scowlers† (a mispronunciation – perhaps deliberately – of the word â€Å"scholars† in their dialect). – Superstition, again. Gendibal glanced up briefly at Trantor's sun. It was quite high in the sky, but its heat was not oppressive. In this location, at this latitude, the warmth saved mild and the cold never bit. (Gendibal ever. missed the biting cold sometimes or so he imagined. He had never revisited his native world. Perhaps, he admitted to himself, because he didn't want to be disillusioned.) He had the pleasant feel of muscles that were sharpened and tightened to keenness and he decided he had jogged just long enough. He settled down to a walk, breathing deeply. He would be ready for the upcoming Table meeting and for one last push to force a change in policy, a new attitude that would recognize the growing danger from the First Foundation and elsewhere and that would put an end to the fatal reliance on the â€Å"perfect† working of the Plan. When would they realize that the very perfection was the surest sign of danger? Had anyone but himself proposed it, he knew, it would have gone through without trouble. As things stood now, there would be trouble, but it would go through, just the same, for old Shandess was supporting him and would undoubtedly continue to do so. He would not wish to enter the history books as the particular First Speaker under whom the Second Foundation had withered. Hamish! Gendibal was startled. He became aware of the distant tendril of mind well before he saw the person. It was Hamish mind – a farmer – coarse and unsubtle. Carefully Gendibal withdrew, leaving a touch so light as to be undetectable. Second Foundation policy was very firm in this respect. The farmers were the unwitting shields of the Second Foundation. They must be left as untouched as possible. No one who came to Trantor for trade or tourism ever saw anything other than the farmers, plus perhaps a few unimportant scholars living in the past. Remove the farmers or merely tamper with their innocence and the scholars would become more noticeable – with catastrophic results. (That was one of the classic demonstrations which neophytes at the University were expected to work out for themselves. The tremendous Deviations displayed on the Prime Radiant when the farmer minds were even slightly tampered with were astonishing.) Gendibal saw him. It was a farmer, certainly, Hamish to the core. He was almost a caricature of what a Trantorian farmer should be tall and wide, brown-skinned, roughly dressed, arms bare, dark-haired, dark-eyed, a long ungainly stride. Gendibal felt as though he could smell the barnyard about him. (Not too much scorn, he thought. Preem Palver had not minded playing the role of farmer, when that was necessary to his plans. Some farmer he was – short and plump and soft. It was his mind that had fooled the teenaged Arkady, never his body.) The farmer was approaching him, clumping down the road, staring at him openly – something that made Gendibal frown. No Hamish man or woman had ever looked at him in this manner. Even the children ran away and peered from a distance. Gendibal did not slow his own stride. There would be room enough to pass the other with neither comment nor glance and that would be best. He determined to stay away from the farmer's mind. Gendibal drifted to one side, but the farmer was not going to have that. He stopped, spread his legs wide, stretched out his large arms as though to block passage, and said, â€Å"Ho! Be you scowler?† Try as he might, Gendibal could not refrain from sensing the wash of pugnacity in the approaching mind. He stopped. It would be impossible to attempt to pass by without conversation and that would be, in itself, a weary task. Used as one was to the swift and subtle interplay of sound and expression and thought and mentality that combined to make up the communication between Second Foundationers, it was wearisome to resort to word combination alone. It was like prying up a boulder by arm and shoulder, with a crowbar lying nearby. Gendibal said, quietly and with careful lack of emotion, â€Å"I am a scholar. Yes.† â€Å"Ho! You am a scowler. Don't we speak outlandish now? And cannot I see that you be one or am one?† He ducked his head in a mocking bow. â€Å"Being, as you be, small and weazen and pale and upnosed.† â€Å"What is it you want of me, Hamishman?† asked Gendibal, unmoved. â€Å"I be titled Rufirant. And Karoll be my previous.† His accent became noticeably more Hamish. His r's rolled throatily. Gendibal said, â€Å"What is it you want with me, Karoll Rufirant?† â€Å"And how be you titled, scowler?† â€Å"Does it matter? You may continue to call me ‘scholar.'† â€Å"If I ask, it matters that I be answered, little up-nosed scowler.† â€Å"Well then, I am titled Stor Gendibal and I will now go about my business.† â€Å"What be your business?† Gendibal felt the hair prickling on the back of his neck. There were other minds present. He did not have to turn to know there were three more Hamishmen behind him. Off in the distance, there were others. The farmer smell was strong. â€Å"My business, Karoll Rufirant, is certainly none of yours.† â€Å"Say you so?† Rufirant's voice rose. â€Å"Mates, he says his business be not ours.† There was a laugh from behind him and a voice sounded. â€Å"Right he be, for his business be book-mucking and ‘puter-rubbing, and that be naught for true men.† â€Å"Whatever my business is,† said Gendibal firmly, â€Å"I will be about it now.† â€Å"And how will you do that, wee scowler?† said Rufirant. â€Å"By passing you.† â€Å"You would try? You would not fear arm-stopping?† â€Å"By you and all your mates? Or by you alone?† Gendibal suddenly dropped into thick Hamish dialect. â€Å"Art not feared alone?† Strictly speaking, it was not proper to prod him in this manner, but it would stop a mass attack and that had to be stopped, lest it force a still greater indiscretion on his part. It worked. Rufirant's expression grew lowering. â€Å"If fear there be, bookboy, th'art the one to be full of it. Mates, make room. Stand back and let him pass that he may see if I be feared alane.† Rufirant lifted his great arms and moved them about. Gendibal did not fear the farmer's pugilistic science; but there was always a chance that a goodly blow might land. Gendibal approached cautiously, working with delicate speed within Rufirant's mind. Not much – just a touch, unfelt – but enough to slow reflexes that crucial notch. Then out, and into all the others, who were now gathering in greater numbers. Gendibal's Speaker mind darted back and forth with virtuosity, never resting in one mind long enough to leave a mark, but just long enough for the detection of something that might be useful. He approached the farmer catlike, watchful, aware and relieved that no one was making a move to interfere. Rufirant struck suddenly, but Gendibal saw it in his mind before any muscle had begun to tighten and he stepped to one side. The blow whistled past, with little room to spare. Yet Gendibal still stood there, unshaken. There was a collective sigh from the others. Gendibal made no attempt to either parry or return a blow. It would be difficult to parry without paralyzing his own arm and to return a blow would be of no use, far the farmer would withstand it without trouble. He could only maneuver the man as though he were a bull, forcing him to miss. That would serve to break his morale as direct opposition would not. Bull-like and roaring, Rufirant charged. GendibaI was ready and drifted to one side just sufficiently to allow the farmer to miss his clutch. Again the charge. Again the miss. GendibaI felt his own breath begin to whistle through his nose. The physical effort was small, but the mental effort of trying to control without controlling was enormously difficult. He could not keep it up long. He said – as calmly as he could while batting lightly at Rufirant's fear-depressant mechanism, trying to rouse in a minimalist manner what must surely be the farmer's superstitious dread of scholars – â€Å"I will now go about my business.† Rufirant's face distorted with rage, but for a moment he did not move. Gendibal could sense his thinking. The little scholar had melted away like magic. Gendibal could feel the other's fear rise and for a moment But then the Hamish rage surged higher and drowned the fear. Rufirant shouted, â€Å"Mates! Scowler he dancer. He do duck on nimble toes and scorns the rules of honest Hamish blow-for-blow. Seize him. Hold him. We will trade blow for blow, then. He may be firststriker, gift of me, and I – I will be last-striker.† Gendibal found the gaps among those who now surrounded him. His only chance was to maintain a gap long enough to get through, then to run, trusting to his own wind and to his ability to dull the farmers' will. Back and forth he dodged, with his mind cramping in effort. It would rat work. There were too many of them and the necessity of abiding within the rules of Trantorian behavior was too constricting. He felt hands on his arms. He was held. He would have to interfere with at least a few of the minds. It would be unacceptable and his cancer would be destroyed. But his life – his very life – was at hazard. How had this happened? The meeting of the Table was not complete. It was not the custom to wait if any Speaker were late. Nor, thought Shandess, was the Table in a mood to wait, in any case. Stor Gendibal was the youngest and far from sufficiently aware of the fact. He acted as though youth were in itself a virtue and age a matter of negligence on the part of those who should know better. Gendibal was not popular with the other Speakers. He was not, in point of fact, entirely popular with Shandess himself. But popularity was not at issue here. Delora Delarmi broke in on his reverie. She was looking at him out of wide blue eyes, her round face – with its accustomed air of innocence and friendliness – masking an acute mind (to all but other Second Foundationers of her own rank) and ferocity of concentration. She said, smiling, â€Å"First Speaker, do we wait longer?† (The meeting had not yet been formally called to order so that, strictly speaking, she could open the conversation, though another might have waited for Shandess to speak first by right of his title.) Shandess looked at her disarmingly, despite the slight breach in courtesy. â€Å"Ordinarily we would not, Speaker Delarmi, but since the Table meets precisely to hear Speaker Gendibal, it is suitable to stretch the rules.† â€Å"Where is he, First Speaker?† â€Å"That, Speaker Delarmi, I do not know.† Delarmi looked about the rectangle of faces. There was the First Speaker and what should have been eleven other Speakers. – Only twelve. Through five centuries, the Second Foundation had expanded its powers and its duties, but all attempts to expand the Table beyond twelve had failed. Twelve it had been after Seldon's death, when the second First Speaker (Seldon himself had always been considered as having been the first of the line) had established it, and twelve it still was. Why twelve? That number divided itself easily into groups of identical size. It was small enough to consult as a whole and large enough to do work in subgroups. More would have been too unwieldy; fewer, too inflexible. So went the explanations. In fact, no one knew why the number had been chosen – or why it should be immutable. But then, even the Second Foundation could find itself a slave to tradition. It took Delarmi only a flashing moment to have her mind twiddle the matter as she looked from face to face, and mind to mind, and then, sardonically, at the empty seat – the junior seat. She was satisfied that there was no sympathy at all with Gendibal. The young man, she had always felt, had all the charm of a centipede and was best treated as one. So far, only his unquestioned ability and talent had kept anyone from openly proposing trial for expulsion. (Only two Speakers had been impeached – but not convicted – in the hemimillennial history of the Second Foundation.) The obvious contempt, however, of missing a meeting of the Table was worse than many an offense and Delarmi was pleased to sense that the mood for trial had moved forward rather more than a notch. She said, â€Å"First Speaker, if you do not know the whereabouts of Speaker Gendibal, I would be pleased to tell you.† â€Å"Yes, Speaker?† â€Å"Who among us does not know that this young man† (she used no honorific in speaking of him, and it was something that everyone noted, of course) â€Å"finds business among the Hamish continually? What that business might be, I do not ask, but he is among them now and his concern with them is clearly important enough to take precedence over this Table.† â€Å"I believe,† said another of the Speakers, â€Å"that he merely walks or jogs as a form of physical exercise.† Delarmi smiled again. She enjoyed smiling. It cost her nothing. â€Å"The University, the Library, the Palace, and the entire region surrounding these are ours. It is small in comparison with the planet itself, but it contains room enough, I think, for physical exercise. – First Speaker, might we not begin?† The First Speaker sighed inwardly. He had the full power to keep the Table waiting – or, indeed, to adjourn the meeting until a time when Gendibal was present. No First Speaker could long function smoothly, however, without at least the passive support of the other Speakers and it was never wise to irritate them. Even Preem Palver had occasionally been forced into cajolery to get his way. – Besides, Gendibal's absence was annoying, even to the First Speaker. The young Speaker might as well learn he was not a law unto himself. And now, as First Speaker, he did speak first, saying, â€Å"We will begin. Speaker Gendibal has presented some startling deductions from Prime Radiant data. He believes that there is some organization that is working to. maintain the Seldon Plan more efficiently than we can and that it does so for its own purpose. We must, in his view therefore, learn more about it out of self-defense. You all have been informed of this, and this meeting is to allow you all a chance to question Speaker Gendibal, in order that we may come to some conclusion as to future policy.† It was, in fact, even unnecessary to say this much. Shandess held his mind open, so they all knew. Speaking was a matter of courtesy. Delarmi looked about swiftly. The other ten seemed content to allow her to take on the role of anti-Gendibal spokesperson. She said, â€Å"Yet Gendibal† (again the omission of the honorific) â€Å"does not know and cannot say what or who this other organization is.† She phrased it unmistakably as a statement, which skirted the edge of rudeness. It was as much as to say: I can analyze your mind; you need not bother to explain. The First Speaker recognized the rudeness and made the swift decision to ignore it. â€Å"The fact that Speaker Gendibal† (he punctiliously avoided the omission of the honorific and did not even point up the fact by stressing it) â€Å"does not know and cannot say what the other organization is, does not mean it does not exist. The people of the First Foundation, through most of their history, knew virtually nothing about us and, in fact, know next to nothing about us now. Do you question our existence?† â€Å"It does not follow,† said Delarmi, â€Å"that because we are unknown and yet exist, that anything, in order to exist, need only be unknown.† And she laughed lightly. â€Å"True enough. That is why Speaker Gendibal's assertion must be examined most carefully. It is based on rigorous mathematical deduction, which I have gone over myself and which I urge you all to consider. It is† (he searched for a cast of mind that best expressed his views) â€Å"not unconvincing.† â€Å"And this First Foundationer, Golan Trevize, who hovers in your mind but whom you do not mention?† (Another rudeness and this time the First Speaker flushed a bit.) â€Å"What of him?† The First Speaker said, â€Å"It is Speaker Gendibal's thought that this man, Trevize, is the tool – perhaps an unwitting one – of this organization and that we must not ignore him.† â€Å"If,† said Delarmi, sitting back in her chair and pushing her graying hair backward and out of her eyes, â€Å"this organization – whatever it is – exists and if it is dangerously powerful in its mental capabilities and is so hidden, is it likely to be maneuvering so openly by way of someone as noticeable as an exiled Councilman of the First Foundation?† The First Speaker said gravely, â€Å"One would think not. And yet I have noticed something that is most disquieting. I do not understand it.† Almost involuntarily he buried the thought in his mind, ashamed that others might see it. Each of the Speakers noted the mental action and, as was rigorously required, respected the shame. Delarmi did, too, but she did so impatiently. She said, in accordance with the required formula, â€Å"May we request that you let us know your thoughts, since we understand and forgive any shame you may feel?† The First Speaker said, â€Å"Like you, I do not see on what grounds one should suppose Councilman Trevize to be a tool of the other organization, or what purpose he could possibly serve if he were. Yet Speaker Gendibal seems sure of it, and one cannot ignore the possible value of intuition in anyone who has qualified for Speaker. I therefore attempted to apply the Plan to Trevize.† â€Å"To a single person?† said one of the Speakers in low voiced surprise, and then indicated his contrition at once for having accompanied the question with a thought that was clearly the equivalent of: What a fool! â€Å"To a single person,† said the First Speaker, â€Å"and you are right. What a fool I am! I know very well that the Plan cannot possibly apply to individuals, not even to small groups of individuals. Nevertheless, I was curious. I extrapolated the Interpersonal Intersections far past the reasonable limits, but I did it in sixteen different ways and chose a region rather than a point. I then made use of all the details we know about Trevize – a Councilman of the First Foundation does not go completely unnoticed – and of the Foundation's Mayor. I then threw it all together, rather higgledy-piggledy, I'm afraid.† He paused. † Well?† said Delarmi. â€Å"I gather you†¦ – Were the results surprising?† â€Å"There weren't any results, as you might all expect,† said the First Speaker. â€Å"Nothing can be done with a single individual, and yet – and yet†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And yet?† â€Å"I have spent forty years analyzing results and I have grown used to obtaining a clear feeling of what the results would be before they were analyzed – and I have rarely been mistaken. In this case, even though there were no results, I developed the strong feeling that Gendibal was right and that Trevize should not be left to himself.† â€Å"Why not, First Speaker?† asked Delarmi, clearly taken aback at the strong feeling in the First Speaker's mind. â€Å"I am ashamed,† said the First Speaker, â€Å"that I have let myself be tempted into using the Plan for a purpose for which it is not fit. I am further ashamed now that I am allowing myself to be influenced by something that is purely intuitive. – Yet I must, for I feel this very strongly. If Speaker Gendibal is right – if we are in danger from an unknown direction – then I feel that when the time comes that our affairs are at a crisis, it will be Trevize who will hold and play the deciding card.† â€Å"On what basis do you feel this?† said Delarmi, shocked. First Speaker Shandess looked about the table miserably, â€Å"I have no basis. The psychohistorical mathematics produces nothing, but as I watched the interplay of relationships, it seemed to me that Trevize is the key to everything. Attention must be paid to this young man.† Gendibal knew that he would not get back in time to join the meeting of the Table. It might be that he would not get back at all. He was held firmly and he tested desperately about him to see how he could best manage to force them to release him. Rufirant stood before him now, exultant. â€Å"Be you ready now, scowler? Blow for blow, strike for strike, Hamish-fashion. Come then, art the smaller; strike then first.† Gendibal said, â€Å"Will someone hold thee, then, as I be held?† Rufirant said, â€Å"Let him go. Nah nah. His arms alane. Leave arms free, but hold legs strong. We want no dancing.† Gendibal felt himself pinned to the ground. His arms were free. â€Å"Strike, scowler,† said Rufirant. â€Å"Give us a blow.† And then Gendibal's probing mind found something that answered – indignation, a sense of injustice and pity. He had no choice; he would have to run the risk of outright strengthening and then improvising on the basis of There was no need! He had not touched this new mind, yet it reacted as he would have wished. Precisely. He suddenly became aware of a small figure-stocky, with long, tangled black hair and arms thrust outward – careening madly into his field of view and pushing madly at the Hamish farmer. The figure was that of a woman. Gendibal thought grimly that it was a measure of his tension and preoccupation that he had not noted this till his eyes told him so. â€Å"Karoll Rufirant!† She shrieked at the farmer. â€Å"Art bully and coward! Strike for strike, Hamish-fashion? You be two times yon scowler's size. You'll be in more sore danger attacking me. Be there renown in pashing yon poor spalp? There be shame, I'm thinking. It will be a fair heap of finger-pointing and there'll be full saying, ‘Yon be Rufirant, renowned baby-smasher.' It'll be laughter, I'm thinking, and no decent Hamishman will be drinking with you – and no decent Hamishwoman will be ought with you.† Rufirant was trying to stem the torrent, warding off the blows she was aiming at him, attempting weakly to answer with a placating, â€Å"Now, Sura. Now, Sura.† Gendibal was aware that hands no longer grasped him, that Rufirant no longer glared at him, that the minds of all were no longer concerned with him. Sura was not concerned with him, either; her fury was concentrated solely on Rufirant. Gendibal, recovering, now looked to take measures to keep that fury alive and to strengthen the uneasy shame flooding Rufirant's mind, and to do both so lightly and skillfully as to leave no mark. Again, there was no need. The woman said, â€Å"All of you back-step. Look here. If it be not sufficient that this Karoll – heap be like giant to this starveling, there must be five or six more of you ally-friends to share in shame and go back to farm with glorious tale of dewing-do in baby-smashing. ‘I held the spalp's arm,' you'll say, ‘and giant Rufirant-block pashed him in face when he was not to back-strike.' And you'll say, ‘But I held his foot, so give me also – glory.' And Rufirant-chunk will say, ‘I could not have kiln on his lane, so my furrow-mates pinned him and, with help of all six, I gloried on him.'† â€Å"But Sura,† said Rufirant, almost whining, â€Å"I told scowler he might have first-shrike.† â€Å"And fearful you were of the mighty blows of his thin arms, not so, Rufirant thickhead. Come. Let him go where he be going, and the rest of you to your homes back-crawl, if so be those homes will still find a welcome-making for you. You had all best hope the grand deeds of this day be forgotten. And they will not be, for I be spreading them far-wide, if you do make me any the more fiercely raging than I be raging now.† They trooped off quietly, heads hanging, not looking back. Gendibal stared after them, then back at the woman. She was dressed in blouse and trousers, with roughmade shoes on her feet. Her face was wet with perspiration and she breathed heavily. Her nose was rather large, her breasts heavy (as best Gendibal could tell through the looseness of her blouse), and her bare arms muscular. – But then, the Hamishwomen worked in the fields beside their men. She was looking at him sternly, arms akimbo. â€Å"Well, scowler, why be lagging? Go on to Place of Scowlers. Be you feared? Shall I company you?† Gendibal could smell the perspiration on clothes that were clearly not freshly laundered, but under the circumstances it would be most discourteous to show any repulsion. â€Å"I thank you, Miss Sura†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The name be Novi,† she said gruffly. â€Å"Sura Novi. You may say Novi. It be unneeded to moresay.† â€Å"I thank you, Novi. You have been very helpful. You be welcome to company me, not for fear of mine but for company-pleasure in you.† And he bowed gracefully, as he might have bowed to one of the young women at the University. Novi flushed, seemed uncertain, and then tried to imitate his gesture. â€Å"Pleasure – be mine,† she said, as though searching for words that would adequately express her pleasure and lend an air of culture. They walked together. Gendibal knew well that each leisurely step made him the more unforgiveably late for the Table meeting, but by now he had had a chance to think on the significance of what had taken place and he was icily content to let the lateness grow. The University buildings were looming ahead of them when Sura Novi stopped and said hesitantly, â€Å"Master Scowler?† Apparently, Gendibal thought, as she approached what she called the â€Å"Place of Scowlers,† she grew mare polite. He had a momentary urge to say, â€Å"Address you not yon poor spalp?† – But that would embarrass her beyond reason. â€Å"Yes, Novi?† â€Å"Be it very fine like and rich in Place of Scowlers?† â€Å"It's nice,† said Gendibal. â€Å"I once dreamed I be in Place. And – and I be scowler.† â€Å"Someday,† said Gendibal politely, â€Å"I'll show it thee.† Her look at him showed plainly she didn't take it for mere politeness. She said, â€Å"I can write. I be taught by schoolmaster. If I write letter to thee,† she tried to make it casual, â€Å"how do I mark it so it come to thee?† â€Å"Just say, ‘Speaker's House, Apartment 27,' and it will come to me. But I must go, Novi.† He bowed again, and again she tried to imitate the action. They moved off in opposite directions and Gendibal promptly put her out of his mind. He thought instead of the Table meeting and, in particular, of Speaker Delora Delarmi. His thoughts were not gentle.

Free Essays on UFO’s And Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life

The question â€Å"Are We Alone in the Universe?† has been brought up and speculated on for thousands of years. My answer to the above question is I don’t know. I will not try to give you answers in this essay, because as of now nobody knows the answer. I will merely speculate on this subject based on the information we obtain at present. The question of UFO’s and intelligent life on other planets has become very popular. UFOs stand for Unidentified Flying Objects, which are any object in the sky that the viewer cannot recognize. Many scientists believe that we cannot be alone in the universe. There have been many unreported sightings of UFO’s. Many of them however are found to be hoaxed or misperceptions. However among the thousands and thousands of sightings surely some of them have to be genuine. Some researchers believe that there were UFO sightings in ancient times. The evidence however is highly speculative. The next significant reports came into existence during World War I and there were also reports during World War II. Many people point out that UFO’s do not and cannot exist and quote Physics and science to back them up. But we have to realize that we can only attempt to describe the universe in terms relative to things that we can measure. Just because UFO has not definitel y been measured (as far as we officially know) does not prove they do not exist. John G. Fuller in the book UFO’s? Yes! says â€Å"I would point out that we have always been bombarded by certain wavelengths of radio as universal background noise from the edge of the universe. Until we discovered a way to generate and use radio for our own purposes, we had no way to know of it’s existence â€Å"out there†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Now that technology exists to â€Å"listen†, we can use that information to add to the description of the universe.† Who knows how many other means of describing the universe have yet to be discovered? Infinity is a very bi... Free Essays on UFO’s And Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life Free Essays on UFO’s And Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life The question â€Å"Are We Alone in the Universe?† has been brought up and speculated on for thousands of years. My answer to the above question is I don’t know. I will not try to give you answers in this essay, because as of now nobody knows the answer. I will merely speculate on this subject based on the information we obtain at present. The question of UFO’s and intelligent life on other planets has become very popular. UFOs stand for Unidentified Flying Objects, which are any object in the sky that the viewer cannot recognize. Many scientists believe that we cannot be alone in the universe. There have been many unreported sightings of UFO’s. Many of them however are found to be hoaxed or misperceptions. However among the thousands and thousands of sightings surely some of them have to be genuine. Some researchers believe that there were UFO sightings in ancient times. The evidence however is highly speculative. The next significant reports came into existence during World War I and there were also reports during World War II. Many people point out that UFO’s do not and cannot exist and quote Physics and science to back them up. But we have to realize that we can only attempt to describe the universe in terms relative to things that we can measure. Just because UFO has not definitel y been measured (as far as we officially know) does not prove they do not exist. John G. Fuller in the book UFO’s? Yes! says â€Å"I would point out that we have always been bombarded by certain wavelengths of radio as universal background noise from the edge of the universe. Until we discovered a way to generate and use radio for our own purposes, we had no way to know of it’s existence â€Å"out there†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Now that technology exists to â€Å"listen†, we can use that information to add to the description of the universe.† Who knows how many other means of describing the universe have yet to be discovered? Infinity is a very bi...

Free sample - First half of Forecasting and Second Half of Forecasting. translation missing

First half of Forecasting and Second Half of Forecasting. First half of Forecasting and Second Half of ForecastingIntroduction Hard Rock Cafe- from one pub in London in 1971 to more than 110 restaurants in more than 40 countries today, became a corporate-wide demand for better forecasting. Hard Rock uses long-range forecasting in setting a capacity plan and intermediate-term forecasting for locking in contracts for leather goods (used in jackets) and for such food items as beef, chicken, and pork. Its short-term sales forecasts are conducted each month, by cafe, and then aggregated for a headquarters view. Designing forecast system Before using forecasting techniques to analyze operations management problems, a manager must make three decisions: (1) what to forecast, (2) what type of forecasting technique to use, and (3) what type of tool to use. We discuss each of these decisions before examining specific forecasting techniques. Deciding the area of forecasting Although some sort of demand estimate is needed for the individual goods or services produced by a company, forecasting total demand for groups or clusters and then deriving individual product or service forecasts may be easiest. Also, selecting the correct unit of measurement (e.g., product or service units or machine-hours) for forecasting may be as important as choosing the best method. Different forecasting applications used at Hard Rock The forecaster's objective is to develop a useful forecast from the information at hand with the technique appropriate for the different characteristics of demand. This choice sometimes involves a trade-off between forecast accuracy and costs, such as software purchases, the time required to develop a forecast, and personnel, training. Two general types of forecasting techniques are used for demand forecasting: qualitative methods and quantitative methods. Lucent's CDP process uses a combination of both methods. Qualitative methods include judgment methods, which translate the opinions of man ­agers, expert opinions, consumer surveys, and sales-force estimates into quantitative estimates. Quantitative methods include causal methods and time-series analysis. Causal methods use historical data on independent variables, such as promotional campaigns, economic conditions, and competitors' actions, to predict demand. Time-series analysis is a statistical approach that relies heavily on historical demand data to project the future size of demand and recognizes trends and seasonal patterns. Hsiao.J.C. and D.SCleaver, 1982 Management Science, Houghton Mufflin Company, Boston.    A key factor in choosing the proper forecasting approach is the time horizon for the decision requiring forecasts. Forecasts can be made for the short term, medium term, and long term. SHORT TERM: In the short term managers typ ­ically are interested in forecasts of demand for individual products or services. There is little time to react to errors in demand forecasts, so forecasts need to be as accurate as possible for planning purposes. Time-series analysis is the method most often used for short-term forecasting. It is a relatively inexpensive and accurate way to generate the large number of forecasts required. Although causal models can be used for short-term forecasts, they are not used extensively for this purpose because they are much more costly than time-series analysis and require more time to develop. In the short term, operations managers rarely can wait for development of causal models, even though they may be more accurate than time-series models. Finally, managers use judgment methods for short-term forecasts when historical data are not available for a specific item, such as a new product. However, these forecast techniques also are more expensive than forecasts generated from time-series analysis. MEDIUM TERM: The time horizon for the medium term is three months to two years into the future. The need for medium-term forecasts relates to capacity planning. The level of forecast detail required is not as great as for the short term. Managers typically forecast total sales demand in dollars or in the number of units of a group (or family) of similar products or services. Causal models are commonly used for medium-term fore ­casts. These models typically do a good job of estimating the timing of turning points, as when slow sales growth will turn into rapid decline, which is useful to operations managers in both the medium and the long term. Some judgment methods of forecasting also are helpful in identifying turning points. As we mentioned earlier, however, they are most often used when no historical data exist. Time-series analysis typically does not yield accurate results in the medium or long term primarily because it assumes that existing patterns will continue in the future. Although this assumption may be valid for the short term, it is less accurate over longer time horizons. LONG TERM: For time horizons exceeding two years, forecasts usually are developed for total sales demand in dollars or some other common unit of measurement (e.g., barrels, pounds, or kilowatts). Accurate long-term forecasts of demand for individual products or services not only are very difficult to make but also are too detailed for long-range planning purposes. Three types of decisions- facility location, capacity planning, and process choice- require market demand estimates for an extended period into the future. Causal models and judgment methods are the primary techniques used for long-term forecasting. However, even mathematically derived causal-model forecasts have to be tempered by managerial experience and judgment because of the time horizon involved and the potential consequences of decisions based on them. POS system in forecasting at Hard Rock JUDGMENT METHODS When adequate historical data are lacking, as when a new product is introduced or technology is expected to change, firms rely on managerial judgment and experience to generate forecasts. Judgment methods can also be used to modify forecasts generated by quantitative methods, as is done with Lucent's forecasting process. In this section, we discuss four of the more successful methods currently in use: sales-force estimates, executive opinion, market research, and the Delphi method. SALES-FORCE ESTIMATES Sometimes the best information about future demand comes from the people closest to the customer. Sales-force estimates are forecasts compiled from estimates of future demands made periodically by members of a company's sales force. This approach has several advantages. The sales force is the group most likely to know which products or services customers will be buying in the near future, and in what quantities. Sales territories often are divided by district or region. The forecasts of individual sales-force members can be combined easily to get regional or national sales.  Ã‚   Salespeople may not always be able to detect the difference between what a customer "wants" (a wish list) and what a customer "needs" (a necessary purchase).   If the firm uses individual sales as a performance measure, salespeople may underestimate their forecasts so that their performance will look good when they exceed their projections or may work hard only until they reach then-required minimum sales. Name several variables that would be good predictors of daily sales and how could this information be gathered and used at each cafà © CAUSAL METHODS; LINEAR REGRESSION  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Causal methods are used when historical data are available and the relationship between the factor to be forecasted and other external or internal factors can be identified. These relationships are expressed in math ­ematical terms and can be very complex. Causal methods provide the most sophisticated forecasting tools and are very good for predicting turning points in demand and preparing long-range forecasts. Although many causal methods are available, we focus here on lin ­ear regression, one of the best-known and most commonly used causal methods. In linear regression, one variable, called a dependent variable, is related to one or more independent variables by a linear equation. The dependent variable, such as demand for doorknobs, is the one the manager wants to forecast. The independent variables, such as advertising expenditures and new housing starts, are assumed to affect the dependent variable and thereby "cause" the results observed in the past. A linear regression line relates to the data. In technical terms, the regression line minimizes the squared deviations from the actual data. In the simplest linear regression models, the dependent variable is a function of only one independent variable, and therefore the theoretical relationship is a straight line: Y = a + bX  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ';-':  Ã‚  Ã‚   ' Y = dependent variable X = independent variable a = Y-intercept of the line b = slope of the line The objective of linear regression analysis is to find values of a and b that minimize the sum of the squared deviations of the actual data points from the graphed line. Computer programs are used for this purpose. For any set of matched observations for Y and X, the program computes the values of a and b and provides measures of fore ­cast accuracy. Three measures commonly reported are the sample correlation coeffi ­cient, the sample coefficient of determination, and the standard error of the estimate. The sample correlation coefficient, r, measures the direction and strength of the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable. The value of r varies from -1.00 to +1.00. A correlation coefficient of +1.00 implies that period-by-period changes in direction (increases or decreases) of the independent variable are always accompanied by changes in the same direction by the dependent variable. How is forecasting carried out as an effective weapon in a company? Executive opinion- It is a fore ­casting method in which the opinions, experience, and technical knowledge of one or more managers are summarized to arrive at a single forecast. EXECUTIVE OPINION When a new product or service is contemplated, the sales force may not be able make accurate demand estimates. Executive opinion is a forecasting method in w the opinions, experience, and technical knowledge of one or more managers are summarized to arrive at a single forecast. As we discuss later, executive opinion can be use to modify an existing sales forecast to account for unusual circumstances, such as a new sales promotion or unexpected international events. Executive opinion can ate be used for technological forecasting. The quick pace of technological change make keeping abreast of the latest advances difficult Executive opinion can I costly because it takes valuable executive time. When actual sales are much lower than the forecasts, everyone blames someone else for the extra inventory that was created. Hence, the key to effective use of executive opinion is to ensure that the forecast reflects not a series of independent modifications but consensus among executives on a si ngle forecast. MARKET RESEARCH Market research is a systematic approach to determine consumer interest in a product or service by creating and testing hypotheses through data-gathering surveys. Market research may be used to forecast demand for the short, medium, and long term. Accuracy is excellent for the short term, good for the medium term, and only fair for the long term. Although market research yields important information, one short ­coming is the numerous qualifications and hedges typically included in the findings. For example, a finding might be "The new diet burger product received good customer acceptance in our survey; however, we were unable to assess its longer-term acceptance once other competitor products make their appearance." Another is that the typical response rate for mailed questionnaires is poor. Yet another shortcoming is the possibility that the survey results do not reflect the opinions of the market. Finally, the survey might produce imitative, rather than innova ­tive, ideas because the customer's reference point is often limited. T.F. Dodd, 1974, Sales Forecasting, Gower Press, England DELPHI METHOD This form of forecasting is useful when there are no his ­torical data from which to develop statistical models and when managers inside the firm have no experience on which to base informed projections. A coordinator sends a question to each member of the group of outside experts, who may not even know who else, is participating. Anonymity is important when some members of the group tend to dominate discussion or command a high degree of respect in their fields. In an anonymous group, the members tend to respond to the questions and support their responses freely. The coordinator prepares a statistical summary of the responses along with a summary of arguments for particular responses. The report is sent to the same group for another round, and the participants may choose to modify their previous responses. The Delphi method can be used to develop long-range forecasts of product demand and new-product sales projections. It can also be used for technological forecasting. The Delphi method can be used to obtain a consensus from a panel of experts who can devote their attention to following scientific advances, changes in society, governmental regulations, and the competitive environment. The results can provide direction for a firm's research and development staff. The Delphi method has some shortcomings, including the following major ones: The process can take a long time (sometimes a year or more). During that time, the panel of people considered to be experts may change, confounding the results or at least further lengthening the process.   Responses may be less meaningful than if experts were accountable for their responses.   There is little evidence that Delphi forecasts achieve high degrees of accuracy. However, they are known to be fair to good in identifying turning points in new-product demand. How is forecasting carried out in your organization (be sure to specify the level you are discussing)? 2) How does that relate to product development and services it offers? 3) What are the difficulties your organization faces most in coming up with accurate forecasts? Could they improve their forecasts by using different methods? GUIDELINES FOR USING JUDGMENT FORECASTS Judgment forecasting is clearly needed when no quantitative data are available to use quantitative forecasting approaches. However, judgment approaches can be used in concert with quantitative approaches to improve forecast quality. Among the guide ­lines for the use of judgment to adjust the results of quantitative forecasts are the fol ­lowing - Adjust Quantitative Forecasts When Their Track Record Is Poor and the Decision Maker Has Important Contextual Knowledge.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contextual knowledge is knowledge that practitioners gain through experience, such as cause-and-effect relationships, environmental cues, and organizational information, that may have an effect on the variable being forecast. Often, these factors cannot be incorporated into quantitative forecasting approaches. The quality of forecasts generated by quantitative approaches also deteriorates as the variability of the data increases, particularly for time series. The more variable the data, the more likely it is that judgment forecasting will improve the forecasts. Consequently, the decision maker can bring valuable contextual information to the forecasting process when the quantitative approaches alone are inadequate. Make Adjustments to Quantitative Forecasts to Compensate for Specific Events.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Specific events such as advertising campaigns, the actions of competitors, or international developments often are not recognized in quantitative forecasting and should be acknowledged when a final forecast is being made. In the remainder of this chapter, we focus on the commonly used quantitative fore ­casting approaches. Conclusion Since Hard Rock Cafà © is a company founded at the end of 1971 based at a single site in London,   its growth is awesome. Within a very short time, the company has come to a great summit of success. From this modest start in 1971, the number and geographical spread of the customers have increased rapidly in part as a result of the company’s effective marketing strategies. These are very evident sources that the company has come through these desired objectives mentioned.       References 1. John C Chambers, Satinder K. Mullick and Donald. D. Smith, 1971, How to choose the right forecasting technique, Harvard business Review, July-August2. T.F. Dodd, 1974, Sales Forecasting, Gower Press, England.3. David .M. Georgoff and Robert Gmrdick, 1986, Manager’s Guide to forecasting, Harvard Business Review, January - February.4. Dunn, R. And K.D.Ramasingh, 1981, Management Science, Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc. Bombay.5. J.L.Riggs, Engineering Economics, McGraw-Hill.N.Y.2nd ed., 1982.Ch.3.6. Burns.T. and Stalker.G,The Management of Innovations, London : Tavistock Publications,1961.7. Foster, Douglas, 1982, Mastering Marketing, The Macmillan Press Ltd.8. Goldhar.J.D.MJelinek,1983 Plan for Economics for Scope, in Harvard Business Review, December.

Louisiana Serial Killer Ronald Dominique

Louisiana Serial Killer Ronald Dominique Ronald J. Dominique of Houma, LA has confessed to murdering 23 men over the course of nine years and dumping their bodies in sugarcane fields, ditches and small bayous in six southeast Louisiana parishes. His reason for killing? He did not want to return to jail after raping the men. The First Victims In 1997, authorities found 19-year-old David Levron Mitchells murdered body near Hahnville. The body of 20-year-old Gary Pierre was found in St. Charles Parish six months later. In July 1998, the body of 38-year-old Larry Ranson was found in St. Charles Parish. Over the next nine years, more bodies of men ranging in age from 19 to 40 would be found dumped in sugarcane fields, desolate bayous, and ditches in remote areas. Similarities in 23 of the murders lead investigators to suspect the men were victims of a serial killer. The Task Force A task force made up of nine South Louisiana parish sheriffs offices, the Louisiana State Police and the FBI were formed in March 2005, to investigate the murders. Investigators knew the 23 victims were mostly homeless men, many who led high-risk lifestyles, which included drug use and prostitution. The victims had been asphyxiated or strangled, some raped and several were barefooted. The Arrest After receiving a tip, authorities armed with forensic evidence, arrested Ronald Dominique, 42, and charged him with the murder and rape of 19-year-old Manuel Reed and 27-year-old Oliver Lebanks. Just days before his arrest, Dominique had moved from his sisters home into the Bunkhouse shelter in Houma, LA. Residents of the home described Dominique as odd, but no one suspected he was a killer.​ Dominique Confesses to 23 Murders Soon after his arrest, Dominique confessed to murdering 23 southeast Louisiana men. His tactics in capturing, sometimes raping then murdering the men was simple. He would lure homeless men with the promise of sex in exchange for money. Sometimes he would tell the men he wanted to pay them to have sex with his wife and then show a picture of an attractive woman. Dominique was not married. Dominique then led the men to his home, asked to tie them up, then raped and eventually murdered the men to avoid arrest. In his statement to the police, Dominique said the men who refused to be tied up would leave his home unharmed. Such was the case with one unnamed man who reported the incident to the task force, a tip that eventually led to Dominiques arrest. Who Is Ronald Dominique? Ronald Dominique spent much of his youth in the small bayou community of Thibodaux, LA. Thibodaux sits between New Orleans and Baton Rouge and is the type of community where everyone knows a little about each other. He attended Thibodaux High School where he was in the glee club and sang in the chorus. Classmates who remember Dominique say he was ridiculed for being homosexual during his teen years, but at the time he never admitted he was gay. As he got older, he seemed to live in two worlds. There was the Dominique who was helpful to his neighbors in the small trailer parks where he lived. Then there was the Dominique who cross-dressed and did bad impersonations of Patti LaBelle at the local gay club. Neither world embraced  him, and among the gay community, many remember him as someone who was not particularly well liked. Through most of his adulthood, Dominique struggled financially and would end up living with his mother or other relatives. In the weeks before his arrest, he was living with his sister in a single-wide trailer. He was suffering from declining health, having been hospitalized for a severe heart condition and forced to use a cane to walk. Outwardly, there was side to Dominique who enjoyed helping people. He joined the Lions Club just months before his arrest and spent Sunday afternoons calling out Bingo numbers to senior citizens. The membership director said he was well liked by everyone he had met through the Lions Club. Maybe Dominique had finally found a place he felt accepted. What sparked Dominique to move from the comfort of his sisters home to the dismal surroundings of a shelter for the homeless is uncertain. Some suspect the family grew uncomfortable by the 24-hour police surveillance and Dominique, knowing he was soon to be caught, moved away to avoid getting his family involved in his arrest. A Criminal History Dominiques past arrests include forcible rape, disturbing the peace and telephone harassment. Feb. 10, 2002 - Arrested in Terrebonne Parish after he allegedly slapped a woman during a Mardi Gras parade. According to the reports, Dominique accused a woman of hitting a baby stroller in a parking lot. The woman apologized, but Dominique continued to verbally assault her, and then slapped her across the face. He was arrested but entered a parish offenders program instead of standing trial. Reports show he met all his conditions in the program in October 2002.May 19, 2000 - He received a summons to appear in court on disturbing the peace charges. Since it was a misdemeanor, he was able to plead guilty and pay a fine to avoid appearing in court.Aug. 25, 1996 - Dominique was arrested on forcible rape charges and booked on a $100,000 bond. According to neighbors, a partially dressed young man escaped from the window of Dominiques home in Thibodaux, screaming that he had tried to kill him. When the case was brought to court, the victim could not be found to testify. In November 1996, the judge continued the case indefinitely. May 15, 1994 - Arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and speeding.June 12, 1985 - Arrested and charged with telephone harassment. He pleaded guilty, paid a $74 fine and court costs. Three days after Dominiques arrest for killing Mitchell and Pierre, investigators said Dominique confessed to 21 other murders, giving details only the killer would know.

Human relationship and introduction to counseling Essay

Human relationship and introduction to counseling - Essay Example Accordingly, this analysis will be broken into six subsections which will be numbered accordingly and seek to answer key components of this authors communications model, the ways in which it has developed, and how a greater understanding of communications and communication theory can help in ameliorating future breakdowns in interaction with key shareholders of given topics. Communication is essential in every interaction because it is through this process that an individual makes clear his/her thoughts and ideas. In health and social care, effective communication is necessary because there are certain conditions that greatly require the skill. For instance, for health caregivers, they should not just be able to be patient in making the patients understand why they need to take in their medicines, rest at appointed periods of the day or do some exercise. They can do this by explanation but the fact is that, when one deals with a person who is in pain, they can easily get irritated an d would refuse to listen and cooperate with the caregiver. Therefore, it has been suggested that people working in health and social care environments should be able to organize a conversation for effective communication. ... In addition, the caregiver should also understand cultural differences in order to understand what is being communicated by the patient and s/he would also know how to tell things to the patient. Asking questions is another skill that health and social care providers must be proficient in because they are able to bring out more necessary information about their clients through questioning (Lawrence 4). Lastly, they should also have listening skills, understanding what is said between the lines and not just grasping meanings from spoken words. There are indeed many facets of communication and these should be mastered for effective communication. As a function of analyzing the different means whereby communication takes place, and under what contexts/within which theories, this analysis will seek to briefly elaborate on the main categorizations of applicable theory and draw a level of inference upon the way in which models of communication can ultimately help in increasing the level an d excellence of healthcare, as well as social care, to the end patient. Although it is not specifically the intent of this brief research to discuss the level to which communications within healthcare and social care can affect each and every shareholder, it is worth mentioning, and will be briefly discussed, the level to which communications ultimately leads to a clearer and more nuanced approach to healthcare and social care even within the healthcare community and the many shareholders this ultimately represents. Although the term communications encompasses a great many mechanisms, theories, and constructs, the term itself, with relation to healthcare and social care can be simply defined as â€Å"the process of

Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Report - Research Paper Example In discrete market segments the consumers have relatively little power and in a less discrete environment, the relationship leads to less consumer loyalty and greater consumer choice on account of greater mobility enjoyed by the consumers. Background The technological developments in telecommunications and media in the recent past have opened up new avenues for marketing of the products. The developments have also enhanced the awareness among the consumers about their rights, quality of the products, pricing pattern of the similar products, track record, servicing in respect of the products and host of other factors related to marketing. Therefore the changing business environment has necessitated revisiting of the strategies hitherto adopted by the companies in marketing of the products and services and streamlining their strategies in line with the developments in the industry for their survival. Upgrading of the products and processes is a continuous process keeping in tune with t he changes in technology and tastes and fashions of the consumers. Objectives This paper discusses consumer behavior with reference to an ongoing concern. An ongoing concern has to approach the issue from two angles, one in connection with the existing consumers and the other with the prospective consumers. Though there may be an element of overlapping, strategies vary for collection of information. The paper seeks to analyze the issues with regard to the existing and potential consumers. In the case of existing consumers, the information about them is already available with the company. The techniques such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) would be useful for the management of these customers as well as the potential consumers. In the case of prospective customers, the information from the industry, community and other external sources will be required and the techniques such as market research would be useful for collecting information. In this connection a clear perspecti ve formed by the management with regard to Consumer psychology and Consumer behavior is essential. Consumer psychology Consumer  psychology  deals with the study of issues most relevant to the decisions taken by the people in purchasing a particular item, determining the value of a service and the influence of advertisements in the media in their decisions, especially when they are confronted with the new products or services, consequently interrelated to the consumer behavior. The entire gamut of consumer psychology encompasses marketing, advertising and social psychology apart from economics and cultural diversity or differences and extends to several other related areas such as product packaging as well. For example, Choi, Kwon & Lee (2007, p. 10) state that â€Å"mortality salience has an impact on materialistic consumption. People with a greater fear of becoming a terrorism victim showed a greater tendency for brand name consumption and compulsive consumption†. This is an extension of the application of Terror Management Theory to consumer behavior. Likewise, the opportunities afforded are endless and includes new uses for the existing products which may give rise to new ideas in marketing a product. The economic and social background of the consumers and the psychological interplay in this backdrop is very crucial in the product placement and positioning, considering the target consumers,

This is the idea report of Small Business Management Assignment - 1

This is the idea report of Small Business Management - Assignment Example Market conditions tend to have significant effect on the viability of a business. While conducting market analysis certain strategic tools are required. Keeping the objective in mind PEST analysis of Australia has been conducted. Special emphasis has been to the city of Sydney while conducting a PEST analysis. A part from this the 4 P’s of marketing has also been used to provide a future action plan. The in-depth analysis has been punctuated with a brief market audit of the Australian Restaurant and cafà © market to analyze the present and future market scenario as well as growth opportunities (Burgemeister, 2009, p.25). Mainly due to the unrestricted spending nature of the restaurants, the industry has come across certain difficulties in trading. Due to the recent economic down turn consumers decided to control their spending and decided to eat at home more of than not. However the preference of gourmet coffee among of the coffee has been quite evidently visible. This is largely due to the fact that the Aussies view quality coffee like a luxury product at an affordable price. If numbers are to be believed more than one billion cups of coffee have been sold in Australia. The percentage of out of home consumption of coffee has seen a steady rise. According to analysts as the economic conditions are set for improvements, steady growth of the cafà © and restaurant business is expected over the course of next five years and so. Such growth is applicable as there is likely to be presence of both international players as well as other franchises (Henry, 2008, p.51). The cafà © and restaurant industry of Australia can be tagged as highly competitive. The main reasons can be presumed as very low barriers to entry. Add to that the industry is believed to be highly fragmented. According to reports the major players hold less than ten percent of the total market share. The small

The Future Security of Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Future Security of Britain - Essay Example This will benefit them in the European and global economy. However, their security will rest on the confidence they have in their relationship with the US. In return, the EU will continue to benefit from Britain's special, though politically expensive, relationship with the US. The politically risky situation in Iraq, NATO's continued commitment to Afghanistan, and the changing threat of global terrorism have made it imperative that Britain, the EU, and the US act in concert against acts of terrorist aggression and reduce the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This will require retooling the armed forces and developing new sophisticated technologies. The US must be willing to commit the resources and take the lead, whilst Britain must be prepared to share the burden and play a pivotal role. The EU needs to continue to expand its existing security forces and be prepared to meet the changing threats of the 21st century. The European Union (EU) is defined as the current 15 member nations. Trade organisations are recognised by their common acronyms as well as State organisations. A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is any weapon capable of inflicting massive human casualties with or without sustaining property damage. These can include, but not limited to, nuclear, biological, environmental, and electronic means. Terrorism is the threat of indiscriminate fear and destruction against a civilian population or unengaged forces. The Scenario The British Empire has seen a decline in domination in the recent decades. Once the ruler of the seas, the colonial empire has diminished. With the changing landscape of British holdings has come a new era of trade and economics. The recently formed European Union has a Gross Domestic Product that rivals the United States. Free trade agreements have offered the opportunity for a stabilised economic future. The threats to Britain's security have undergone dramatic change. Britain finds itself in a position of requiring military security with minimal political risk. Britain's challenge is to engage the US in productive security arrangements without damaging regional political relationships. Iraq and the war on terror have placed a strain on these commitments. Britain has reached a crossroads where they must decide where it will place the future of its economics, politics, and military security. Discussion Economics Britain has for several decades promoted international trade through GATT, the WTO, and support for the Doha round of the WTO. When those talks have stalled, Britain has tended to side with the US against resistance by some of Britain's largest trading partners, most notably China and India. When Doha talks were suspended in July 2006, The US and the EU blamed each other for the collapse.1 However, Blair commented on his talks with Bush and insisted, "We both agreed we needed to make one final effort to re-energise the negotiation and I hope we can do so within the next few weeks".2 Britain has made a substantial commitment to the future and expansion of the European Union. On the subject of Enlargement, Blair has been very clear and states, "It would be a Europe confident enough to see enlargement not as a threat [...], but an extraordinary, historic opportunity to build a greater and more powerful

The war between Georgia and Ossetia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The war between Georgia and Ossetia - Essay Example The key issue of the conflict is the history of the two nations. It is important to determine who the original settlers in the region are. Georgia believes that they are the initial settlers of the place given that Ossetia settlement began two to three centuries before the war. The Ossetia nationals however believe they are a descendant of the Alans, a tribe that occupied the Caucasus in ancient times. In 1918, Georgia declared its independence and signed a friendly treaty with Russia in 1920 where it recognized South Ossetia as its integral part (Sammut and Cvetkovski 7). In 1918 Georgia left Russia and South Ossetia declared independence as a Soviet republic on 8th June 1920. Conflict arose after the separation with each nation justifying its move. The people believed that the issue would rise again, but the central question was how and when (Sammut and Cvetkovski 8). The causes of the war are complex and multifaceted. The Caucus has faced territorial struggles since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since the 20004 election of the Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili tension in the region has been high. Mikhaels’s national policies were to further democratic reforms in Georgia and also pushed for the accession of Georgia to NATO. He tightened border controls and hence increased pressure on South Ossetia and what was called the Rose Revolution. He dismantled a smuggling operation organized by Russia and which included corrupt Georgia officials. He further gave military, police and intelligence personnel in South Ossetia arguing it was aimed at enhancing peacekeeping. Russia also sent its paramilitary to South Ossetia and also assisted those form Abkhazia and Transintria to gain access to South Ossetia. Clashes between the paramilitaries by late 2004 led to Russia and Georgia withdrawing most of their paramilitary forces. The internat ional community intervened and helped

The Future Security of Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Future Security of Britain - Essay Example This will benefit them in the European and global economy. However, their security will rest on the confidence they have in their relationship with the US. In return, the EU will continue to benefit from Britain's special, though politically expensive, relationship with the US. The politically risky situation in Iraq, NATO's continued commitment to Afghanistan, and the changing threat of global terrorism have made it imperative that Britain, the EU, and the US act in concert against acts of terrorist aggression and reduce the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This will require retooling the armed forces and developing new sophisticated technologies. The US must be willing to commit the resources and take the lead, whilst Britain must be prepared to share the burden and play a pivotal role. The EU needs to continue to expand its existing security forces and be prepared to meet the changing threats of the 21st century. The European Union (EU) is defined as the current 15 member nations. Trade organisations are recognised by their common acronyms as well as State organisations. A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is any weapon capable of inflicting massive human casualties with or without sustaining property damage. These can include, but not limited to, nuclear, biological, environmental, and electronic means. Terrorism is the threat of indiscriminate fear and destruction against a civilian population or unengaged forces. The Scenario The British Empire has seen a decline in domination in the recent decades. Once the ruler of the seas, the colonial empire has diminished. With the changing landscape of British holdings has come a new era of trade and economics. The recently formed European Union has a Gross Domestic Product that rivals the United States. Free trade agreements have offered the opportunity for a stabilised economic future. The threats to Britain's security have undergone dramatic change. Britain finds itself in a position of requiring military security with minimal political risk. Britain's challenge is to engage the US in productive security arrangements without damaging regional political relationships. Iraq and the war on terror have placed a strain on these commitments. Britain has reached a crossroads where they must decide where it will place the future of its economics, politics, and military security. Discussion Economics Britain has for several decades promoted international trade through GATT, the WTO, and support for the Doha round of the WTO. When those talks have stalled, Britain has tended to side with the US against resistance by some of Britain's largest trading partners, most notably China and India. When Doha talks were suspended in July 2006, The US and the EU blamed each other for the collapse.1 However, Blair commented on his talks with Bush and insisted, "We both agreed we needed to make one final effort to re-energise the negotiation and I hope we can do so within the next few weeks".2 Britain has made a substantial commitment to the future and expansion of the European Union. On the subject of Enlargement, Blair has been very clear and states, "It would be a Europe confident enough to see enlargement not as a threat [...], but an extraordinary, historic opportunity to build a greater and more powerful

Evidence Based Practice (EBP) and nursing research Paper

Evidence Based Practice (EBP) and nursing - Research Paper Example The role of the nurse in evidence-based practice is to use research findings to conduct decision-making that will effectively guide their actions, practices and interactions with their patients (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011). Nurses are required to have specific actions that are not just clinically appropriate but cost effective, so that they can be professionally accountable to their patients through quality improvements and positive healthcare transformations. These initiatives encompasses patient-centered practice adoption, model advancement and theory development, education and curricular rearrangement, scientific rendezvous in new research areas, as well as engagement in local and nationwide research network that seeks to enhance nursing practices (Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, 2014). In order to avoid the mounting cost of healthcare, nurses are now expected to be part of the cost-controlling practices and they are expected to document and apply social pertine nt and effective practices (Riba, 2008). Most institutions and health organizations apply a combination of models depending on their clinical setting and type of patient care required. They all observe the patient population, interventions, comparison, and outcome (PICO) format which entails synthesis and evaluation of targeted multiple-interventions (Dontje, 2007). There is the Patient Safety Research Coordinating model, which comprises a combination of concepts acquired from scientific information regarding knowledge transfer, to social marketing skills, to organizational innovation combined with behavioral and social transformations (Centre for Health Services Research, 2006). There are also models that focus on execution of nursing research into clinical practices, and they include Stetler model, the Magnet Recognition Program developed by American Nurses Credentialing Center, Baby-Friendly Hospital Certification model,

Childhood Obesity Essay Example for Free

Childhood Obesity Essay Obesity is such a hot topic in America today and childhood obesity and the ethical arguments over obesity has greatly increased over the last 10 years. Health problems that occur from this deadly disease is something that no one wants to talk about. When people think about health, what usually is discussed is cancer or heart disease. Not many people really think about one of the biggest issues out there that is really not taken very seriously and that is obesity. In America there are hundreds of thousands of children that are overweight. Obesity is a disease, a disease associated with many other health issues, including congestive heart problems, diabetes among other physical and mental complications associated with this disease. We will discuss throughout this paper how one of the classical theories would help resolve the problems that are associated with the dangers of childhood obesity, then discuss the perspective of society and how it relates to relativism in todays world. There are many arguments about how childhood obesity starts, whos to blame for allowing this to happen and societies ethical and moral obligation associated with fixing the problem. Who or what is to blame for the increasing levels of childhood obesity? Some believe it is the parents themselves; others accuse the food industry and government. One fact cannot go unchallenged and that is the longer this disease is allowed to grow and is not brought under CHILDHOOD OBESITY 3 control, the higher the percentage of childhood obesity will increase and the effects and diseases will become an even greater risk to kids. It is important to recognize childhood obesity as a disease condition and the role that is played in aggravating the development of other diseases (Barton, 2012). There are numerous health issues that will happen to our children now, and as they reach adulthood if we do not act now to help prevent these ramifications from happening. Childhood obesity is associated with an increase for other diseases not only during childhood but as the youth become adolescent and then into adulthood. â€Å"Obesity in childhood causes a wide range of serious complications, and increases the risk of premature illness and death later in life†. (Strauss, RS, 1999) Obesity in children if left neglected, will increase the risk of developing chronic adult diseases. There are substantial risk for obese children even before they reach adulthood. Of equal concern is that obese children could become obese adults. (Papoutsakis, 2007) Childhood obesity not only affects todays generation but will also affect tomorrows adulthood. Obesity in children has become a major ethical and moral challenge for todays society and is now threatening to become a disease with multiple health risk for today as well as beyond. Obesity is a disease, a disease that if not taken seriously may have health ramifications for years to come. The problem with childhood obesity is not just the weight issue but the other diseases associated with the neglect of this disease. Understanding and working CHILDHOOD OBESITY 4 towards solutions will only improve the chances of solving this disease and all other diseases associated with childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and other breathing issues, and heart disease on the physical side of this disease. On the mental side, childhood obesity can be associated to depression, low self esteem, and learning problems are associated with childhood obesity. Diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, which previously affected only adults, have begun to show up in with increasing frequency in youths in recent years. The primary cause is the growing number of overweight and obese children. (CDC,2011) As the number of childrens weight have increased their cholesterol levels have also increased, adding for concern of cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure. Childhood obesity is also linked to depression in youth as well as young adults. Obese children face ridicule and teasing from other students in school as well as a decrease in friends. This leads to isolation and depression which could lead to low self-esteem into adulthood. Obese children are sometimes withdrawn in the classroom which diminishes their learning ability and social skills development which affects social interaction in adulthood. What causes childhood obesity? Obesity in childhood is influenced by social and family matters as well as their DNA and activity level through out the day. Childhood obesity is the result of eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity.2 (CDC, 2011) In todays society, most children spend most of their day playing video games or sitting around CHILDHOOD OBESITY 5 watching television. â€Å"It has been estimated that roughly 60-92% of children play computer games daily†. (Papoutsakis, 2007) With the staggering number of television viewing, the role of food advertisers must be addressed as one of the causes of obesity. â€Å"Nearly half of U.S. middle schools allow advertising of less healthy foods, which impact students decision making of healthy food choices†. (CDC, 2011) Portion control has also changed for kids in the last five years. â€Å" Portion sizes of less healthy foods and beverages have increased over time in restaurants, grocery stores, and vending machines. Research shows that children eat more without realizing it if they are served larger portions. This can mean they are consuming a lot of extra calories, especially when eating high-calorie foods.† (CDC , 2011) Another factor that is affecting obesity is children is the fact that most families in todays world are way to busy to enjoy a meal at home and spend more time eating out on fast food. In summation, in todays world, kids are not exercising like they should and are eating the wrong type of food as well as eating more to satisfy their appetites. Television and video game playing is a contributing factor because it takes away time that is needed to exercise and influences kids to make unhealthy and irrational choices concerning food consumption based on food advertisements. By not confronting childhood obesity, we are not facing the challenges associated with this disease. It is not a matter of who is to blame for childhood obesity, we all know that this disease is very prevalent in children today. â€Å" Obesity now affects 17% of all children and adolescents in the United States – triple the rate of a generation ago† (CDC, 2011). The numbers are staggering and the health ramifications associated with this disease cannot be discounted. The CHILDHOOD OBESITY6 preliminary findings are disturbing with regards to the disease and consequences of not finding solutions to fight this disease. Obesity is a worldwide epidemic that is causing life threatening diseases. Obesity has become a serious health issue and causes 2.6 billion deaths each year. (Raj, Kumar, 2010, p.598) The threat of of this disease cannot be discounted and must be addressed before its too late for this generation. There are many different ways to combat obesity in children. There must be a plan in place for it to be successful. The plan must include changing the eating habits of todays youth. Children must eat planned out meals, eating meals as a family instead of eating out on the run. Limiting the amount of snacking throughout the course of the day, knowing what the children are eating when they are in school. Controlling the portions or the amount of food that is consumed and increasing the physical activity. Putting a plan in place will help manage and hopefully decrease the chance of childhood obesity in todays youth. Executing the plan and trying to resolve the problems associated with this disease is high on the political, public health and research agenda. However, programs to prevent overweight and obesity are susceptible to various ethical shortcomings and need assistance for a successful remedy to eh problem of childhood obesity. One classical therory that should help with the success to combact obesity is deontology. CHILDHOOD OBESITY7 Deontology theroy is to make the correct moral choices, we have to understand what our moral duties are and what correct rules exist to regulate those duties. When we follow our duty, we are behaving morally. When we fail to follow our duty, we are behaving immorally and this is where we have to step in and take moral actions to reduce and prevent childhood obesity. A common criticism of deontological moral systems is that they provide no clear way to resolve conflicts between moral duties. a deontological moral system should include both a moral duty not to lie and one to keep others from harm so we can see why this theory best fits with childhood obesity, although it is our duty to help and support there really is not a clear way to resolve the problem relating to this terrible disease that affects million of children each and every year. In conclusion, childhood obesity has risen to significant levels nationally with serious health consequences. In addition to diabetes, heart complications, emotional, and social issues, this disease poses a serious hazard to the health care of America. Unless this disease is taken seriously, the implications of this disease of future generations will be devastating and might be unrecoverable. CHILDHOOD OBESITY8 References Barton, M. (2012). Childhood obesity: A life-long health risk. Acta Pharmacologica Sinica, 33(2), 189-93. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/aps.2011.204 Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Childhood Overweight and Obesity, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html Manu Raj and R. Krishna Kumar (2010), Obesity in Children and Adolescents. Indian J Med Res. 2010 November; 132(5): 598–607 Papoutsakis, C. (2007). Genediet interactions in childhood obesity: Paucity of evidence as the epidemic of childhood obesity continues to rise. Personalized Medicine, 4(2), 133-146. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2217/17410541.4.2.133 Reilly, J. J. (2007), Childhood Obesity: An Overview. Children Society, 21: 390–396 Strauss RS. Risks and consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity. Int J Obesity 1999; 23 (suppl): S2–11.