Video Games Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Video Games Violence - Essay Example For instance, there was the case of Virginia Tech massacre, where a student tragically ended the lives of his fellow students in April of 2007. This was just one of the violent acts affiliated with academic institutions, and numerous attributions of violent video games are easily available to anyone. In addition, this case worsens if one has the financial power to invest in a gaming console or just a computer, and even at times, if one can afford to spend time in cyber cafe. Analysts of the Virginia Tech incident sparked debate over violence in video games and their influence on the student who decided to massacre his fellow students. I believe this was the same reason Phil McGraw took to the television screens stating that video games of a violent nature and content have causal effects on the violent nature of the students conduct in killing his fellow college mates. Video games also have significant influences on the behavior of students in being violent towards their schoolmates, for instance, in the case of Phillip Kazmierczak, who shot his fellow students in Northern Illinois University, and evidence points to video games. This is following the fact that he was an avid gamer of violent games, although there may be some form of confounding in which other factors were overlooked prior to make such conclusions that may have led to the shootings. Similarly, video games have been proved to have a profound impact on the behavior of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebod, the main characters in the Columbine High shooting. The above said two, are known to have been fans and avid players of the game â€Å"Doom† (Ferguson 26). Even though records indicate that video games are not to blame for every act of school violence, every two out of five are directly related to video games. However, relying on statistics, video games are the highest causal agents of school shootings especially considering that there are many who view those that view video games as causal agents are only seeking to find a scapegoat. Personally, I believe it also means that, in spite of all opposition on the dangerous effects of games on the wellbeing and safety of students in college and institutions of learning, video games play a significant role. As of the case of Columbine High shooting, students who were well acquainted with the perpetrators gave detailed information on the level of exposure to violent games. This includes their networked computers in order to play games in multiplayer mode against each other and even against other computers. Moreover, the two perpetrators were exposed for hours on end, which can be perceived as a tool to harden and get their skills to the outside world, in this case, fellow students. Furthermore, with the games that the two were hooked on, â€Å"Doom and Quake†, the level of violence portrayed is not one that anyone can boast of considering it led to the real loss of human life. In addition, considering that the killings were d one by the two as a team, it appears more as a continuation of their gaming process in their favorite video games that saw the loss of twelve lives. In addition, once an individual is exposed to violent media, of which video games are included; their cognitive, affective and behavioral processes are altered (Funk et al 23). This process

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The Effect of Gangs in There Are No Children Here Essay -- There are N

The Effect of Gangs in There Are No Children Here  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Throughout There Are No Children Here, a continuous, powerful tension always lurks in the background. The gangs that are rampant in the housing projects of Chicago cause this tension. In the Henry Horner Homes, according to Kotlowitz, one person is beaten, shot, or stabbed due to gangs every three days. In one week during the author's study of the projects, police confiscated 22 guns and 330 grams of cocaine in Horner alone (Kotlowitz 32).    For the children of the projects, the pressure to join a gang never waivers. Quick cash and protection are hard forces to resist in a world of poverty and violence. However, the children's role in these gangs is inferior to that of the leaders. At first, the concept of joining is quite attractive. According to Lafeyette, one of the two brothers profiled in the book, " 'When you first join you think it's good. They'll buy you what you want' " (31). However, " 'You have to do anything they tell you to do. If they tell you to kill somebody, you have to do that' " (31).    What Lafeyette refers to is frighteningly true. In the inner city, gangs often recruit young children to do their dirty work. Shortly after joining, a fourteen-year-old friend of Lafayette's allegedly shoots and kills an older man in an alley half a block north of Lafayette's building (31). Acording to Kotlowitz, life in the Henry Horner Homes is controlled to a great extent by gangs, particularly the Conservative Vice Lords. Residents so fear and respect the Vice Lords' control that they refuse to call 911 (34). Snitching can get a resident killed. Even though the Chicago Police Department installed a hot-line number and promise confidentia... ...rime, Social Forces, Vol. 75 No. 2 December 1996, pg. 619-645. Lo, Chun-Nui, A Social Model of Gang Related Violence, Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology, Vol 19 no. 1, May 1991, pg. 36-43. Osgood, Wayne et al., Routine Activities and Deviant Behavior, American Sociological Review, Vol. 61 no. 4, August 1996, pg 635-655. Brantley, Gangs, Vol.63, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, May 1,1994, pp1-8 (Article) Kennedy, Leslie and Stephen Baron, Routine Activities And A Subculture Of Violence: A Study Of Violence On The Street, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Vol. 30 No. 1, Febuary 1993, pp. 88-112 (Journal) Lo, Chun-Nui (Celia), A Social Model Of Gang-Related Violence, Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology, Vol 19 No 1, May1991, pp. 36-43 (Journal) Shakur, Sanyika, Monster: The Autobiography Of An L.A. Gang Member,Penguin Book Ltd., 1993

Bullying Is a Legal Crime Essay

On September 18, 2011 a 14-year-old Jamey Redeemer took his life after years of bullying. The news spread in a blink of an eye. The whole country mourned. Jamey cried for help for months. He regularly posted online about being bullied at school and how people would launch insults at him. Soon, students started to bully Jamey online. They posted horrible things like â€Å"I wouldn’t care if you died. No one would. So just do it 🙂 It would make everyone WAY more happier!† Jamey left several messages on his blog letting everyone know that he was in trouble and needed help. But still no one listened. On Saturday night he posted a lyric from Lady Gaga’s song on his Facebook page which said: â€Å"Don’t forget me when I come crying to heaven’s door.† In a few hours he wrote that he was looking forward to seeing his great grandmother, who recently died. It was Jamey’s final message. (â€Å"Suicide: Police Consider Criminal Bullying Charges†) As identified by the the United States Department of Justice, bullying has two key components: repeated harmful acts and an imbalance of power. â€Å"It involves repeated physical, verbal or psychological attacks or intimidation directed against a victim who cannot properly defend him- or herself because of size or strength, or because the victim is outnumbered or less psychologically resilient.†(â€Å"Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series†) In other words, children are verbally and physically assaulted by their peers every day. At school, bullies rip their victim’s self-esteem to shreds while theirs gets high. It has become a huge problem in the U.S. Nearly 160 000 students stay home and miss school everyday due to the fear of being bullied. 20% of all children say they have been bullied and 20% of high school students say they have seriously considered suicide with the last 12 months. By age 24, 60% of bullies have a criminal record. (â€Å"National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education†) As a matter of fact, bullying can occur almost anywhere. At home. At work. At school or even on the street. It becomes a very widespread, invisible threat. Statistics go that that one out of 4 boys or girls will be bullied sometime throughout their childhood. (â€Å"The United States Department of Justice†) The media started to pay more attention to the problem of bullying recently. While it is seemingly impossible to defeat, it can be overturned. This is possible if parents get involved, students are taught how to identify and stop bullying, and if individuals stand up for and support the victims and bullies. These solutions overtime will definitely bring bullying to its demise. One of the widespread questions is who truly a bully is, why does he or she behave in such a way or another. For the most part, bullies are the kids who feel insecure about their beliefs and appearance or who are the victims of bullying. In that case, bullying becomes a mental defense for the victims. â€Å"A number of researchers believe that bullying occurs due to a combination of social interactions with parents, peers and teachers. The history of the parent-child relationship may contribute to cultivating a bully, and low levels of peer and teacher intervention combine to create opportunities for chronic bullies to thrive (as will be discussed later).† (â€Å"Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series†) A child that comes from a poor, abusive and usually one-parent family will probably end up a bully. Being picked on at school or simply rejected by the peers, kids tease smaller ones just to feel better about themselves and release negative energy. Tracy Vaillancourt, Canada Research Chair in children’s mental health and violence prevention at the University of Ottawa claims that there are two types of bullies. The first type is the habitual bullies. â€Å"They tend to be really impulsive and have poor emotional regulation. And that represents about 10 per cent of kids who bully others.† (â€Å"Interview: Who’s a Bully?†) Basically, Tracy Vaillancourt is saying that this type of a bully is the most rare one, but at the same time it is the most severe and brutal. It more or less becomes a disease that requires an immediate medical intervention. The point is that this type of a bully is the easiest to identify: it is usually impulsive kids who get into trouble in school for bad behavior. The second type of a bully is everyday kids. According to Tracy Vaillancourt, â€Å"they tend to be really popular; because they have power, they can abuse power.† It is the hardest type of a bully to identify. Therefore, it is the most dangerous one. Parents usually get blindsided when their kid might be bullying someone. They take their child’s side, and it is completely natural. Parents want to protect their son or daughter no matter what. Unfortunately, they don’t realize that they do more harm than good and that the consequence of such parenting behavior can be catastrophic. â€Å"In terms of childhood abuse and bullying, it is possible that intrusive, flashback memories of these traumatic events occur in adolescence and adulthood.† (â€Å"Society and Psychosis†) In other words, the authors of the â€Å"Society and Psychosis† believe that a victim of bullying will suffer psychological harm for almost the rest of his or her life. Moreover, a bullied child is more likely to develop a criminal record or get psychiatric disorder and mental illness than his or her peers. (â€Å"Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series†) At this point, suicidal behavior becomes a real threat. And numerous teenage suicides and suicidal attempts are an alert and a call to action to all of us. As bullying becomes a serious problem, people try to come up with different ways of solving it. Different programs, developed to stop or at least reduce bulling, almost every time pay much attention to the parents and teachers. On the one hand, I agree that authorities including but not limited to parents, teachers and professor are capable of maintaining a positive surrounding for the kids creating a safe, free from bullying environment. But on the other hand, I still insist that those authorities are not the key to solving this problem. Bullying has been identified as a potential threat for a long time. This issue has been discussed many time at the different forums and summits, and all kinds of programs were introduced to stop it. But, apparently, it’s not working. Most of the teachers don’t even care about their students lives, since it’s not their business. That’s the way things are in my home country Russia. Teachers go to the classes, give lectures and go back home. They view their job as a way to educate students on a particular field of study. When, in fact, teachers are mentors for children or at least that’s what the have to be. They should set an example of a loving, accepting, tolerant human being who is willing to help and support a person in need whether it’s a student, colleague or a friend. The most important thing is that the first step in stopping bullying has to be made by us, the ones who are often easily affected by it. Every each one of us can contribute to solving this problem and making the world a better place. First of all, we have to change the climate of the school environment and stop putting the power in the hands of the teachers, or the government. I don’t believe they have the answers. I believe we do. It is out lives after all. The truth is that there’s no law that can be passed on the federal level to stop or prevent bullying. The public school system in the U.S. is operated by state laws that are hard to pass. (â€Å"Bullying Prevention State Laws†) Rather than dealing with the legal system, we should come to an understanding that we have the power to make a shift in how people view bullying and react to it. It is not an over night thing. It has to become a cultural change, a movement of tolerance, love and acceptance. Another thing is that people pay too much attention to cyber bullying and consider it as the major dangerous form of bullying. But, truthfully, it’s really not. It’s the most visible because you can see all the hate mails and comments online. The worst bullying experience is face to face, on the street, in the school, at home. There has to be a support system in our communities. We need to change the way kids think about themselves. There has to be a suppÐ ¾rt system around every human being that can help anyone build confidence in themselves and others. The work has to be done from the ground up. Creating a climate and an environment in schools where everyone feels safe has to become a priority today for parents, school administration, teachers and students themselves. By doing little acts of kindness, we will create a loving and accepting environment. Just come to a friend or a person you don’t know. Say a compliment or how good the weather is today, or simply: you look great. These are the things that are going to chÐ °nge the culture and make a huge shift in how people communicate and react to bullying in a particular environment. Just set an example. Because teenager are very impressionable. And if you set an example, the rest will follow. Find a friend. Tell somebody in your life, someone important or maybe someone you don’t know about love, tolerance and acceptance. It is not gonna be just the experts that are going to change things. It is going to be all of us. As we all know, life is an energy. And we are responsible for the energy we bring into this space. Every action has an opposite and equal reaction. If you insult someone, the negative energy you put onto them will come back to you. By brining negative energy onto those people, you are making them bring negative energy onto others. Firstly, empowering youth is one of the keys to stopping bullying. All of us have to set an example of brave and tolerant human beings. It has to become cool to be the person that says that something’s not quite right here, that help is needed here. For whatever reason, students tend to ignore the acts of bulling or teasing in school. They go to classes, do their homework, hand in the paper, go home†¦ Students notice the violence, happening in schools, but the do not speak about it. There needs to be attention that is payed to looking for signs of violence and bullying. When students start to look up for each other, then the major shift is made. Secondly, using a multifaceted, comprehensive approach will definitely decrease the percentage of bullied kids. This approach includes establishing a school-wide policy that addresses indirect bullying, providing guidelines for teachers and, most importantly, students on specific actions to take if bullying occurs, encouraging students to report known bullying, to be supportive to classmates who may be bullied and educating and involving parents so they understand the problem and the importance of it. I believe that each of us comes with a gift – to use our lives, to bring goodness to the world, to connect with other people. Every single person, whether it’s victim of violence or the person who committed the violence,has one thing in common: we all want to know that what we do and what we say and who we are matters. We want to be validated. Every single person. Every argument is really about: do you see me, do you hear me, does what I say mean anything to you? Come up to a girl who always seats alone at the canteen, talk to her. Maybe you will be the one who’ll make her day. Be loving, accepting and tolerant. Only this way we’ll create a kind, free from violence and bullying environment.

Mountain Resorts in Malaysia

There are three mountain resorts that are famous as a tourist attraction throughout the Asian region. The thousands of tourists who visit and revisit these three places are proof that these three mountain resorts are fun, addictive and keep you coming back for more. Which three mountain resorts that I am talking about? The three most popular mountain resorts as a tourist attraction in Malaysia are Genting Highland, Cameron Highland and Fraser’s Hill. Genting Highland, the Las Vegas of Malaysia, have three main activities.The first is a wide selection of outdoor and indoor theme parks. The indoor theme park has six theme areas from around the world, each with unique rides. The outdoor theme park features rides suitable for the entire family, such as the double loop Corkscrew for the adults and teenagers and the Flying Jumbo for small children. (pktan, Travel Guide Malaysia, 2007) If you are looking for something else to do, you could gamble at the only legal casinos in Malaysia . There are table games and slot machines for your entertainment. Wikitravel, n. d) Other than that, Arena of Stars in Genting has shows from musical concerts to live shows and sporting events. This fully-roofed amphitheater can make your holiday to be an unforgettable one. (rwgenting. com, n. d) Cameron Highlands is one of the most popular highlands retreat around Malaysia, losing out only to Genting Highlands. There are many different activities that can occupy your time there. Firstly, there are many agriculture farms there, such as tea plantations, strawberry farms and vegetable farms.To savor the delicious fruits, you can pluck the strawberries yourself or just visit the day market at Kea Farm. (Cameron Highlands Online, n. d) There are also honey bee farms and butterfly farms scattered around Cameron. Various honey products and framed preserved butterflies can be bought as a souvenir. (Cameron. com. my, n. d) Thirdly, there is a museum called Time Tunnel Gallery, where the pas t of Cameron Highlands can be seen through photographs.It is full of heartwarming relics from the local descendants from the pre-war days. (Clove Two, 2009) Fraser’s Hill is one of the famous mountain resorts in Malaysia. A few hundred years ago, Scottish James Fraser recruited some guides and hacked his way to the top of the mountains on Titiwangsa range in search of gold and precious metal. He did not find gold but made a home there and opened a tin mine as it is rich in tin deposits. The British authorities build a hill tation there after he disappeared 25 years later and named it Fraser’s Hill. (JourneyMalaysia. com, n. d) Fraser’s Hill is the coolest place in Malaysia. (Kuantan Hotels. com, n. d) The view is spectacular and is a hotspot for naturalists and photographers. As a result, it is a popular tourist attraction and attracts around 60,000 tourists a year, as reported by M. Hamzah Jamaludin from The New Straight Times. Other than visiting Fraserâ€℠¢s Hill for nature, there are also many sport activities that could be enjoyed by the whole family.Nature walk, bird watching, golf, fishing and horse riding are just some of the many activities that could fill your day. (Pahang Tourism, 2011) As the years grow, Fraser’s Hill is slowly growing to be the top tourist attraction in Malaysia. In conclusion, Genting Highland, Cameron Highland and Fraser’s Hill, are all exciting, tourist attraction mountain resorts in Malaysia. These three resorts lure many tourists, local and international, to Malaysia every year, no doubt making them the three most renowned mountain resorts in Asia.

The Top Jobs in the U.S. Mountain Plains Region

The Top Jobs in the U.S. Mountain Plains Region if you’re looking for a career change (or a change of scenery!), here are some of the fastest-growing jobs for 2016 in the mountain-plains part of the unites states. per the u.s. bureau of labor statistics, this region includes colorado, kansas, missouri, montana, utah, and wyoming. when you hear the lines, â€Å"o beautiful for spacious skies,/for amber waves of grain,/for purple mountain majesties/above the fruited plain!† in â€Å"america the beautiful,† chance are you’re thinking of u.s. heartland states like the mountain-plains region. once known for its prairie spirit, the region’s population is growing as the former frontier cities turn into (or grow their existing status as) major hubs.tech job outlook: technical support specialistsutah and colorado might be better known for mountain vistas and film festivals, but cities like provo and fort collins are fast becoming booming tech communities, with companies like hewlett packard, intel, and nu merous startups staking a claim. as technology companies expand operations in the region, tech support specialists are in high demand. these specialists help customers and companies troubleshoot computer software and equipment, and are often the front lines of defense when tech goes wrong.a bachelor’s degree is frequently required, but some openings require an associate’s degree or specialized classes. the median salary for these support specialists is $50,380 a year, with a faster-than-average 12% growth expected.administrative job outlook: actuaryactuaries are an essential part of many industries, but especially the insurance field. they use statistics, math, and financial theory to forecast financial risk, make predictions for their company, and then plan how to minimize that risk.the actuarial field usually requires a bachelor’s degree and offers on-the-job training for new hires. the median salary is $96,700 per year, with robust expected growth of 18%.othe r jobs like data entry specialist are easy to find, but not as much potential in term of promotion and learning.logistics job outlook: truck driverper an npr poll in 2014, the most common jobs in missouri in 1978, 1996, and 2014 were truck, delivery, and tractor drivers. that consistency doesn’t seem likely to shift soon- this region is a hotbed of distribution activity, and this trend will keep on truckin’ in 2016 and beyond.the median salary for truck drivers is $38,200, and the field is expected to grow by at least 11% by 2022.healthcare job outlook: emts and paramedicsthere are often shortages of qualified medical personnel, and no career path sees that as much as front-line emergency medical technicians (emts) and paramedics. these vital professionals offer emergency care for illness and injury, and are often the first responders in a variety of emergency situations.demand for these emergency workers is expected to increase by at least 24% in the coming years, and the median salary is $31,700. if you thrive on high-pressure situations and aren’t squeamish at the sight of blood, this can be a very strong career choice.service job outlook: nanny/childcare workeras the number of households with both parents working continues to increase, so do the needs for quality childcare. this field is especially trending in urban areas, as families look for alternatives to traditional daycare options. nannies and childcare workers are responsible for the daily care of children, and in cases of individual family employment, may also help run the household on a daily basis. the median salary is $28,000, with 5-10% growth anticipated in the coming years.so remember: while you’re seeking out those fruited plains and purple mountain majesties, there are many promising career options available to you.

Puddnhead Wilson essays

Pudd'nhead Wilson essays Puddnhead Wilson, like many other Mark Twains novels, was slightly changed when put on motion picture. There are a number of similarities and differences throughout, making the story more interesting or what some may call, A brutal attempt at shredding a classic. Nonetheless, they are different in these ways: After Roxy discovered Toms gambling problem, he was impelled and willing to respect his mother, the incident with Angelo and Tom at the Sons of Liberty political gathering, and the awe infamous alibi Tom uses to buy himself time. When Roxanna arrived from her voyage as a chambermaid, she spoke with Thomas and discovered Marse Tom was in debt and in trouble. Roxy entered Toms room and was welcomed with belligerent and jilting words that not even a foe of great force would say to his opposite. She proceeded to ask for a dollar in which she can eat and stay healthy and again she was slapped with the coldest slap. This left her with no other option but to tell him that she knows what is going on and will expose him if he doesnt provide for her. In the book, this is the turning point in which he starts to obey and respect his blood. Tom, on a numerous occasion, makes many trips back to the haunted house to inform Roxy about his current status; doing all he can to raise money and keep his mother afloat and to also get himself out of trouble. He also keeps a civil tongue and calls her mammy as she requested. However, in the movie he visits the house twice in a spiteful manner, and once outside when he revea led to her that he got into more trouble with gambling. The straw that broke the Camels back, was when Roxy made it abundantly clear, Its ...

Educational Opportunities in the Everyday

Educational Opportunities in the Everyday Learning opportunities surround us every day, but we may miss them because the tasks seem so mundane. As you go about your daily activities, look for opportunities to capitalize on the educational moments in your everyday life. Grocery Shopping   It’s become something of a humorous homeschool stereotype that homeschooling families can turn a trip to the grocery store into a field trip, but the fact is there are many educational opportunities your kids can experience in the grocery store. You can: Learn to read a scale by weighing producePractice estimation and rounding by keeping a mental tally of the amount you’re spendingDiscuss a variety of measurements such as bushel, pounds, gallons, and pints.Practice percentages by figuring sale pricesLearn how to do comparison shopping using unit pricesDiscuss healthy eating habits Used Car Shopping The experience of purchasing a pre-owned car, while a  bit outside the ordinary, is an excellent opportunity for  real-life training skills. Some of the skills you can work on include: Learning what to look for in a used car, such as dependable reputation, safety, gas mileage, and vehicle historyHow to comparison shop and use tools such as Consumer Reports and Kelley Blue Book to gauge value and dependabilityHow interest rates and the age of the car affect the price - for example, we were better off purchasing a newer car through our credit union at just over 2% interest. Cars older than 10 years only qualified for a signature loan and those rates were 10% and higher.How to figure taxes on automobilesConsidering the cost of insurance when purchasing a car  - newer cars and sports cars will mean higher monthly premiumsLearning what’s involved in registering and titling a car Doctor and Dental Appointments If you’ve got to take time out of your busy schedule for appointments, you might as well make them educational. You might learn about: Preventative measures for disease controlProper oral and personal hygieneWhy doctors check your blood pressure and how it affects your overall healthHow dentists screen for diseases like oral cancerWhat causes cavities, illness, or infectionWhat is involved in becoming a doctor, dentist, nurse, or dental hygienist Ask questions  - especially if you’re at the dentist; it will give your dental hygienist something to talk about, rather than asking you questions that you can’t answer because her hands are in your mouth. Cooking Home ec is one subject that you never really have to go out of your way to teach. You may just need to be a bit more intentional about bringing your kids into the kitchen with you to help you prepare meals. As you do so, talk with them about: Food prep and safetyMeasurements such as cups, teaspoons, and tablespoons, along with common conversions for increasing or decreasing the number of servings in a recipeFollowing directions on a recipeHow to properly use cooking utensilsVarious cooking techniques such as baking, broiling, sautà ©ing and simmering You might want to include some specific recipes as you teach your kids about food, such as biscuits, cookies, a few family favorite main dishes and sides, and some desserts, but all of this can be accomplished in the regular day-to-day of your life. Random Educational Moments Don’t miss the random educational opportunities all around you. Look for opportunities to use daily activities that we may take for granted to put to practical use the abstract concepts your kids are learning in school. For example, say youve been getting price quotes to have a concrete pad poured (so youll have a place to park that used car you bought). Youll be able to talk about area and perimeter in concrete terms (pun intended!). You can also use real-world math to figure up how many bags of concrete needed and what the cost would be to do yourselves, along with comparing the cost, in both time and money, to hire someone to do the job. Use sales and dinners out (tipping your server)  to teach your kids simple ways to  quickly calculate  percentages in their heads. Ask your young children to choose a color and count all the cars of that color that they see as you’re driving down the road. Encourage your older kids to tally the variety of colors they see and create a graph to see which color is more popular. Learning opportunities are all around us if we just look for moments to capitalize on the educational in the everyday.

The Educational Part Of The Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Educational Part Of The Life - Essay Example As a professional nurse, my past experience will make my work more interesting because I will have the fore-knowledge towards tackling the situational crisis and managing available resources to benefit every citizen regardless of social class. It will be with regards that I am offered the scholarship to further my studies in a provision that throughout my life I have struggled to accomplish my dream in career and goal achievement. Currently, I have an obligation as a father and at the same time a student. Having closed my business and quit the NA position, it will be challenging to pay tuition fees for my children at the elementary level to college level, at the same time provide basic needs for them and cater for my education. The scholarship offer will greatly be a show to the society, especially to the nontraditional students that there is always a way and learning requires space and time to be accomplished. With all the devotions experienced in life, I am affirmed that the result s to my Master’s degree in Nursing will change the face of the society and that of my family. Having difficulties in finishing high school due to financial constraints, I wish to engage all my efforts in my studies and that’s why solely my mind has got the right direction to pursue MDN though the scholarship offer. Receiving the scholarship will instill credibility and as well sound as a form of reward to my hard work recognition to an extent of empowering my personality as a father and a professional in the field of nursing.

Using Hydraulic Fracturing for Hydrocarbon Extraction Research Paper

Using Hydraulic Fracturing for Hydrocarbon Extraction - Research Paper Example While this process is a simple in principle, the geological differences at the well site affects the exact fracturing process hence raises both safety and efficiency concerns (Golden, John and Hannah, 998). Hydraulic fracturing was commercially explored for the first time in Velma, Oklahoma by Halliburton in the year 1949 to extract gas from limestone deposits. Since then, there have been several technological advancements especially in 1980s that resulted to the discovery of diamond-studded drill bits and horizontal drilling. These technological advancements opened room for gas access in shale formations thus resulted into what is today known as â€Å"shale gale† (Bolonkin, Joseph and Shmuel, 234). Benefits of Hydraulic fracturing as a technology cannot be underestimated given the adverse effects of burning coal and generating nuclear energy. Research shows that Hydraulic fracturing accounts for more than 70% of the development of natural gas which will reduce cost of manufacturing and increase employment opportunities (Middleton et al, 505).Hydraulic fracturing is inevitable as well as a vital aspect of many countries energy’s policy due to its tremendous economic benef its and is estimated that the industry will employ over one million users in the US by 2025 (Middleton et al, 506). However, it is estimated that the cost of a gas well ranges between 2.5 and 3 million dollars depending on the area, local taxes, depth of formation as well as other effects of operating costs such as fresh water availability, equipment and transportation while the United States energy information estimates the costs at about 5.3 million dollars (Middleton et al, 505). This is high compared to the other methods of extraction but economical in the short run. Despite the many benefits of Hydraulic fracturing, the process poses serious risks to the human health and quality of fresh water. One of the serious concerns of Hydraulic fracturing is the large quantities of water used.

International Market Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Market Report - Essay Example Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana, Qatari business group partnership with the Harvey Nichols to open eight international stores in Doha. The proposed plan was established to open store in the year 2017. According to chief executive of Harvey Nichols, Doha is an exciting place to increase market portfolio. The store of Harvey Nichols provides ultimate fashion experience for customers. Harvey Nichols has three small-format stores and four large-format stores within the Ireland and United Kingdom. Research states that brand name perceived by people of Qatar is on higher level. The Qatari customers translate brand awareness well. The prime purpose of the report is to assess various strategic options and marketing environment to develop international presence. Additionally, the strategy of Harvey Nichols for international growth is effectively presented in the paper. The situational analysis is referred as the assemblage of strategies that are analyzed by managers on basis of external and internal environment of an organization. Moreover, it benefits to understand the business environment, customers and capabilities of organization. The business measurement tools implemented for situational analysis are SWOT analysis, PEST analysis and Porter five forces. It is a structured planning method that is useful for understanding strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats involved in a corporate venture or a project. The prime purpose of this method is to determine the effectiveness of opening store in Qatar. One of the major strengths of Harvey Nichols is its brand awareness. It is regarded as one of the most luxury and fashionable departmental stores globally. The deal struck by Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Qatari firm to bring one of the highly famous departmental stores in the world to make its debut in Qatar. One of the beneficial strengths of opening Harvey Nichols store in Qatar is high level of existing sales and distribution networks (Table 1). There

Data and knowledge management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Data and knowledge management - Assignment Example Most important work for the data manager is to make the data available for the management as it is required. Other than the knowledge and skills requirement, the personality of the applicant should be such that he/she is more committed towards problem solving, result oriented and has an eye for detail. The data manager can be required on an off hour basis depending upon the nature of problem. These are some of the basic roles required of a database manager. Some of the differences found after reviewing several job descriptions are that the job description of database manager is changing from organization to organization as it depends upon on what kind of data needs to be saved and managed. For instance, database manger required in a bank must preferably be having an investment banking support experience other than the basic IT knowledge and skills required and he must be aware of the banking rules, regulations and the way banks work. He must also be aware of the database environments in accordance with the banking standards. Likewise database manager required in a school must be having a familiarity with the school system other than having technical knowledge required which is a must for this job. Where the job is financial advisory side there, communication and presentation skills have been given more weight age as it requires an ability to convince other people to accept their business proposal. Another very important difference seen is that in some job descriptions it is required of the candidate to work independently while in others he is required to assist others and seek help from others. The salary structure is not given along with the posting of jobs. However, it is mentioned that the salary would be competitive along with perks. The average salary for this position is USA is USD sixty eight thousands per year. However, people having more experience have a higher

Strategic management Final EXAM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategic management Final EXAM - Essay Example Strategic management can operate at corporate level or business level. A definition of strategic management at corporate level is: "the pattern of major objectives, purposes or goals and essential policies or plans for achieving those goals, stated in such a ways as to define what business the company is in or is to be in and the kind of company it is or is to be."1 One must also take into account the culture and leadership of the organisation, both of which influence corporate strategic management. For example, after the return of Steve Jobs to Apple Computers Inc a top-level decision was taken to making a major shift away from heavy investment in Research and Development (R&D) of innovative and premium-priced computers, and have invested more heavily in the highly competitive consumer electronics sector. At the business or unit level of operation, strategic management is more concerned with competition, adding value and recruiting and retaining clients. Returning to the example of Apple Computers Inc, since 2001 it has been developing products such as the iPod believing that it could add high-value, user-friendly software in a way that a pure electronics business could not. Business level strategic management has been defined as: "the match between [the organisation's] internal capabilities and its external relationships. It describes how it responds to its suppliers, its customers, its competitors and the social and economic environment within which it operates."2 This view argues that strategic management boils down to having a clear sense of the organisation's objectives and identifying how these will be achieved. However there is no universal agreement on which level the subject should be studied at: corporate or business. Therefore it is important to bear in mind that such gurus as Michael Porter tend to focus on business level strategic management. There is also another school of thought which argues against this prescriptive viewpoint. This alternative and less well-documented emergent view points out that given the impossibility of planning for an uncertain future, identifying a single strategy is a waste of time. Instead organisations should focus on finding market opportunities, experimenting and developing their competitive advantage over-time.3 The three key elements of strategic management are resources, the external environment and the organisation's capacity to add-value to its core activity. An organisation's resources include its personnel and their respective skillsets, its investment and capital. These items are important for the organisation to create and sustain competitive advantage. It could be argued that Apple Computer Inc's recent success in setting the latest standard in MP3 players was built upon the fact that it had a major brand and R&D capabilities from its niche computer business and an excellent own-brand distribution network already in place. In short Apple Computer Inc optimized existing resources. The environment refers to economic and political situation the organization finds itself in, its competitors, customers and suppliers, and increasingly to 'green' issues as concerns regarding global warming and exploitation of low-wage workers become more wide-spread. For example, IBM lost much of its initial dominance of the personal computer market when it failed

Case report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case report - Essay Example As a leader and a manager, James Riady has not been able to completely professionalize the family business. This is a common challenge that faces family owned businesses. The effects of lack of professionalism can be very extreme if not taken care of in time. Smith & Cockburn (2014) argues that the problem of professionalism can only be solved from the top management since it is the source of all power in a business. Whenever the leadership of a business fails to create room for professionalism, it simply means that it is creating room for failure. The importance of professionalism is that it creates a more stable and reliable system of operation and structures that facilitate the incorporation of different expertise. Whenever a business is operated without professionalism, it becomes hard for accountability to be traced back to the leadership and management involved. This is because lack of professionalism creates loop holes for people to make mistakes that might be very harmful to the business. James Riady for a long time has been working based in transformational other than transactional basis. The decisions made by Lippo group were more based on instincts other than detailed analysis. This has therefore given the leader freedom to ma ke major decisions without much consultation among other members of the business. Professionalism if not taken care of, can easily lead to compromise of the ethical codes and standards. When the ethical issues start to rise in a business, the leadership of the business is often put on the spotlight to shun light on the issues. This becomes worse when it is one of the leaders involved in these issues. Professionalism gives a clear line and guideline on how to deal with ethical issues. According to Brooks et al. (2010), firms encourage their employees and the management to operate with the highest level of professionalism by ensuring that they do not violate the ethical issues and codes of

Strategic management Final EXAM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategic management Final EXAM - Essay Example Strategic management can operate at corporate level or business level. A definition of strategic management at corporate level is: "the pattern of major objectives, purposes or goals and essential policies or plans for achieving those goals, stated in such a ways as to define what business the company is in or is to be in and the kind of company it is or is to be."1 One must also take into account the culture and leadership of the organisation, both of which influence corporate strategic management. For example, after the return of Steve Jobs to Apple Computers Inc a top-level decision was taken to making a major shift away from heavy investment in Research and Development (R&D) of innovative and premium-priced computers, and have invested more heavily in the highly competitive consumer electronics sector. At the business or unit level of operation, strategic management is more concerned with competition, adding value and recruiting and retaining clients. Returning to the example of Apple Computers Inc, since 2001 it has been developing products such as the iPod believing that it could add high-value, user-friendly software in a way that a pure electronics business could not. Business level strategic management has been defined as: "the match between [the organisation's] internal capabilities and its external relationships. It describes how it responds to its suppliers, its customers, its competitors and the social and economic environment within which it operates."2 This view argues that strategic management boils down to having a clear sense of the organisation's objectives and identifying how these will be achieved. However there is no universal agreement on which level the subject should be studied at: corporate or business. Therefore it is important to bear in mind that such gurus as Michael Porter tend to focus on business level strategic management. There is also another school of thought which argues against this prescriptive viewpoint. This alternative and less well-documented emergent view points out that given the impossibility of planning for an uncertain future, identifying a single strategy is a waste of time. Instead organisations should focus on finding market opportunities, experimenting and developing their competitive advantage over-time.3 The three key elements of strategic management are resources, the external environment and the organisation's capacity to add-value to its core activity. An organisation's resources include its personnel and their respective skillsets, its investment and capital. These items are important for the organisation to create and sustain competitive advantage. It could be argued that Apple Computer Inc's recent success in setting the latest standard in MP3 players was built upon the fact that it had a major brand and R&D capabilities from its niche computer business and an excellent own-brand distribution network already in place. In short Apple Computer Inc optimized existing resources. The environment refers to economic and political situation the organization finds itself in, its competitors, customers and suppliers, and increasingly to 'green' issues as concerns regarding global warming and exploitation of low-wage workers become more wide-spread. For example, IBM lost much of its initial dominance of the personal computer market when it failed

Assignment #7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assignment #7 - Essay Example Under the given circumstances, it is torment for him as he finds it very difficult to take in the very idea of people in apparently advantageous situation laughing at their ill-fated counterparts. It seemed quite unfair and illogical to the naive little boy who had very fine sensibilities. Social acceptability was the major element that determined the manner in which a particular person was treated by others. In the perception of Acuna, the migrants were not acceptable as they were hardly clean. They lived out side the town keeping to the dirt roads and dust. They were compelled by their situation to remain aloof thus. Their poverty and displacement took away their sense of self-esteem and they knew they were being treated like implements. 2. The growers kept the migrant families apart because they wanted the families to fight against each other for jobs. By taking advantage of the desperate situation of the poor workers, the grower community tried to extract the maximum from each. One another tactic they resorted to was the practice of assigning the best crops to the fastest workers in the hope of generating professional rivalry among them, which would invariably result in enhanced quality of work. Acuna was very naive and ignorant of the mysterious ways of the world. Therefore, he did not realize the hideous aspect of the acts of his employers who deliberately attempted segregation among the families of the migrant community. 3. The social acceptance that came with the job is what prompted Acuna to take up the position of foreman. Besides the monetary benefits, his eagerness to make his parents proud of him counted significant in this move. 4. Acuna joined the Marines at the age of seventeen. It was immediately after he had his disillusionment as a foreman. He quit the job because the company refused to hike his wages though they increased the pay of those below him.

Abercrombie & Fitch vs Armani Essay Example for Free

Abercrombie Fitch vs Armani Essay ‘’Fierce,’’ ‘’work it,’’ ‘’bespoke,’’ ‘’black,’’, ‘’covert couture,’’ ‘’edgy,’’ ‘’fashion forward,’’ ‘’aspirational,’’ ‘’faux pas,’’ ‘’so last season,’’ ‘’glamourista,’’ ‘’retro-futurism,’’: these are some of the words most familiar to fashionistas around the world. Milan, Paris, New York City, London, and Tokyo: these are the cities to be in if you want to know what each designer is preparing for next season, places to be if you want the best and new collection for your clothes. Nowadays, designers know not only that they need the newest and finest clothes but also the psychological appeal that will make the consumer want to buy their clothes. Abercrombie Fitch and Armani both employ the same type of models, but Armani the one that appeals to more conservative and upscale customers is more effective. The designers use the same type of models in their ads. They employ typical young models, athletic, handsome, charming, radiant, almost angelic. They know how to target their audience and appeal to their emotions because most of the consumers want to look like the models in their advertisements. The models that they put in the ads are those who the everyday consumer doesn’t resemble. The designer implies that buying the product will make the consumer look like the model. Ultimately, both designers appeal to a certain type of consumer and demographics according to their style of clothing design. Less clothes and more revealing is what Abercrombie Fitch commercializes and advertises. In New York, their store has semi-naked models greeting customers. Some of the models might only he wearing jeans, and, in other cases, they might be walking around in their underwear. See more: Homelessness as a social problem Essay Their target audience is the guy next door outgoing, fun, young, athletic, casual, and, most of all, nice-looking. In this particular ad, Abercrombie and Fitch use black and white contrast. The scene gives the illusion of how the costumer would feel like in paradise, and where everything is laid back and where there are no problems. Their models are not wearing shirts, and the scene is casual contrast. The scene sends the consumer into the outdoors, in the spring, and where the fun is endless, priceless, and where the perfect place to be is and all of your wild dreams come true. Couture and sophistication brands Armani. Classic and cultivated is how they advertise and commercialize. When consumers hear this brand, they automatically think of blase, refined, elegant, luxury, and conservative. Their target audience is upper class with refined taste, a working man who wants to feel important and cultivated, the class of customers who are not only going to spend money but also know the quality of the product. In this ad, the designer picked an upscale place to shoot and the background is mainly black.. The ad was shot in black and white but the consumer still can distinguish the color of the model’s clothes and bag. The ad also evokes a fine of classic film and elegance, and lures the consumer into an era of where wealth and refined is everything. The ad transports the consumer into a fantasy dream of how he would look with those clothes on and what kind of life style you can have. Both Abercrombie Fitch and Armani hire a specific type models, the models have to be over 6 ft tall, slimmed and tone, perfect cheek bones, blond and black hair, porcelain face, and almost like a creature send from heaven. However, they differ in how they promote their product. One believes semi-naked models are more marketable while the other goes for the extravagance and exquisiteness. Abercrombie Fitch and Armani are known worldwide. Their type of advertisement works because they appeal to different audiences. Abercrombie Fitch pushes the envelope in the sexuality and homoeroticism. Armani stays traditional and conservative and doesn’t push the envelope in sexuality. Their product has a tremendous impact in our society, dictating class and taste in clothes, imagine of success, income, and whether or not the consumer fashionista. These two particular brands have an impact on my life because I have worn both designer clothes, and Armani is my favorite designer. Even if the consumer didn’t know who Armani was or what is sells, just by looking at this ad, it captivates the consumer with its style of model, clothes, accessory, and allure of black and white film that puts the consumer into this trance of what their life would be like and how they would look like if they owned Armani clothes.

Comparison Of International Healthcare System Health And Social Care Essay

Comparison Of International Healthcare System Health And Social Care Essay This research paper deals with comparison between health care systems of United States and India. I chose these two countries because of my familiarity with health care system in India and interest in the U.S health care system. While U.S. and India have few things in common, there are a lot of differences. The health care systems in these two countries are an ideal example of fundamental difference in health care system of an industrialized country and a developing country as well as two different approaches to health care. I will elaborate components of health care system, performance of health care system , health care expenditures, how government in involved, health care coverage and insurance system and a little about administration and payment system. Introduction: The health care system in United States can be categorized as public-private health care system while India has a universal health care system. In US, Health care facilities are largely owned and operated by the private sector. Health insurance is primarily provided by the private sector, with the exception of programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, SCHIP (Childrens Health Insurance Program) and VA (Veterans Health Administration). Universal health care system is built around the principle of providing universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision. Over the past few years, Indian health care system is in transition. With the growth of Indian economy, more and more money is pumped into nations health care system. This infusion of money has resulted in substantial gains in health care including increased life expectancy, reduced infant mortality and the eradication of several diseases; although these gains have been uneven across subpopulations. A comparison between health care system of US and India can shed light on the challenges that are common to both and also highlight the unique challenges each faces. What is Health Care System? Health care system is made up of individuals and organizations that are involved in the delivery of health care to target population. Health care system can also be defined as the organization of people, institutions and resources to deliver health care services to meet the health needs of target populations. Components of Health Care System The health care system is made up of three interrelated components; providers, institutions and clients. People who deliver health care services the professionals and practitioners are health care providers. Health care providers are the ones that serve the clients and provide them treatments. The systematic arrangements for delivering health care-the public and private agencies that organize, plan, regulate, finance and coordinate services are the institutions or organizations of the health care system. The institutional component includes hospitals, clinics and home-health agencies; the insurance companies and programs that pay for services like Blue Cross and Blue Shield, managed-care plans such as health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs); and entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid. People in need of health care services are health care consumers or clients. Clients receive care from the healthcare provider. They also either pay the payers such as insurance companies who then pay the provider- or they pay the provider directly, or they have their bills paid on their behalf by the government. Providers receive payment from the payers. Payers are those who finance the healthcare. Payers can include the family of the client, the clients themselves, the insurance companies, or the government. Performance of health care system Performance of health care system can be measured by examining which system performs better and its ability to distribute health care to the population. While comparing health care systems of US and India, I am not going to take into account the vast difference in resources available to each country; instead I will focus on the relative measure of total resources available and resources allocated to health care. We will use traditional measure of infant mortality, life expectancy and cancer survivability rate of the target population to compare health care systems of US and India. Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year. This number can be used as measure of health of target population. Life expectancy in US is 78.3 years. Life expectancy in India is 64.7 years. Infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births. This number is used as an indicator of the level of health care access and awareness in a country. The infant mortality rate of the world is 49.4 according to the United Nations and 42.09 according to the CIA World Fact book. Infant mortality rate in US is 6.3. Infant mortality rate in India is 55. Cancer survival rate is the percentage of people who survive a certain type of cancer for a specific amount of time, usually measured for five years. This number is good indicator of richness of health care system. In US, cancer screening tests like mammograms, Pap smear, PSA screening and colonoscopy are used more frequently. US have plenty of diagnostic equipments like Enhanced imaging equipments like LIFE (Lung Imaging Fluorescence Endoscopy), MRI machines and CT scanners. Abundance of these machines results in early screenings for cancer which in turn help in early treatment of cancer. Cancer survival rate in US is 63% in men and 66% in men Cancer survival rate in India is 30%. Health care expenditure U.S. spends more money on health care than any other nation in the world. In 2008, U.S. spent 16.2% of GDP on health care. This is around $2.3 trillion or $7681 per capita, of these 46% is financed by government. Healthcare is one of Indias largest sectors in terms of revenue and employment and the sector is expanding rapidly. But it is nowhere near US health care sector in terms of size. During the 1990s, Indian health care grew at annual rate of 16%. Currently, the total value of the sector is more than $34 billion. This is around $34 per capita, or roughly 6% of GDP (private expenditure of 5.0% and public expenditure of 0.9%), of these 19% is financed by government. Naturally, the overall standard of health care available to the majority of population is poor. The problems of care surrounding childbirth and maternal health, malnutrition in children, all kinds of infectious diseases and infestations are rampant mostly among rural and urban poor who constitute the majority of the population. Government Involvement in health care In the U.S., direct government funds health care through Medicare, Medicaid that covers senior citizens over 65, poor and disabled, nursing home care and women with low income and State Childrens Health Insurance Program which covers children in families below 200% of poverty level. The federal government also runs the Veterans Administration, which provides medical care to veterans, their families and survivors. Some 59% of U.S. residents have employer health care coverage although this figure is decreasing Workers contribution varies widely in this coverage. People who are self employed or unemployed have to purchase their own insurance. U.S. federal and state governments is more and more involved in U.S. health care spending regardless of large private business. In 2004, governments spent 45% of the $2.2 trillion spent on medical care in 2004. The U.S. government spends more on health care than on Social Security and national defense combined. Beyond direct spending, the U.S. government is also involved in health care through regulation. For example, the 1973 HMO Act provides for HMO by giving grants and loans. The health care system in India is characterized by multiple systems of medicine, mixed ownership patterns and different kinds of delivery structures. Public sector ownership is divided between central and state governments, municipal and Panchayat local governments. Public health facilities include teaching hospitals, secondary level hospitals, first-level referral hospitals (CHCs or rural hospitals), dispensaries; primary health centers (PHCs), sub-centers and health posts. Also included are public facilities for selected occupational groups like organized work force (ESI), defense, government employees, (CGHS), railways, post and telegraph and mines among others. Health care in India is universal health care system run by the constituent states and territories of India. The private sector is the dominant sector in India. In India, already 80% of the curative care is being sought by people from the private sector. Hospitals are run by government, charitable trusts and private organizations. The government hospitals in rural areas are called Primary Health Center. These provide basic health care. If there are patients such as snake bite or heart attack, such patients are given basic drug treatment and then sent to a hospital nearby. Hospitals are located in major cities. Along with modern system of medicine, traditional and indigenous medicinal systems like Ayurvedic and Homeopathy systems are in practice throughout the country. Indian health care system is run by the state governments. Government hospitals provide preliminary treatment at the expense of taxpayers. Primary care is focused on immunization, malnutrition prevention, pre and postnatal care and treatment of common ailments. Necessary drugs are offered for free in government hospitals. In these hospitals, charges for basic in-hospital check-up and treatment are much less compared to the private sector. But the private sector also is not expensive when compared to western countries. The cost for these subsidies comes from central and state governments. But government hospitals are not financed enough and have less staff. Since they do not face competition, government hospitals do not maintain basic standards of treatment. Because of these factors, many people are either forced to or prefer to visit private medical practitioners. The majority of the Indian population is unable to access high quality healthcare provided by private entities as a result of high costs. Many are now looking towards insurance companies for providing alternative financing options so that they too can afford better quality healthcare. 75% of expenditure on healthcare in India is still being met by out-of-pocket consumers. Only 10% of the Indian population today has health insurance coverage. The opportunity remains huge for insurance providers entering into the Indian healthcare market since Health insurance has a way of increasing accessibility to quality healthcare delivery for private healthcare providers for whom high cost remains a barrier. Health Care Coverage and Access About 16% of US population is uninsured. Also, about 24% of the U.S. population was under-insured and have insurance that barely covers their medical needs. This leaves them unprepared for major medical expenses. According to some studies, about 40% of U.S. citizens do not have sufficient health insurance to cover their health needs. 59% of U.S. citizens have health insurance related to employment, 27% have government-provided health-insurance while nearly 9% purchase health insurance directly (there is some overlap in these figures). Medical debt is the one of the major cause of bankruptcy in the United States. Thus, the cost of health care not the availability of resources is major impedance to health care access in US. The US federal government does not offer universal health care to all its citizens. But there are some publicly funded health care programs to help elderly, disabled, poor and children. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act or EMTALA ensures public access to emergency services. The EMTALA law forces emergency health care providers to stabilize an emergency health crisis and cannot withhold treatment for lack of evidence of insurance coverage or other evidence of the ability to pay. But person receiving health care under EMTALA still has to pay the hospital. Hospital can pursue any defaulter for the cost of emergency services they provided. When it comes to healthcare, there are two faces of India: a country that provides high-quality medical care to middle-class Indians and medical tourists and a country whose residents have limited or no access to quality health care. Today only 25% of the Indian population has access to Western (allopathic) medicine, which is practiced mainly in urban areas, where two-thirds of Indias hospitals and health centers are located. Many of the rural poor must rely on alternative forms of treatment, such as Ayurvedic and Homeopathy. A widespread lack of health insurance compounds the healthcare challenges India is facing. Although some form of health protection is provided by government and major private employers, health insurance schemes available to the Indian public are generally basic and inaccessible to most people. Only 11% of the population has any form of health insurance coverage. For the small percentage of Indians who do have some insurance, the main providers are all government run insurance companies. Only 1% of the population was covered by private health insurance in 2004-05. Because so little insurance is available to the population of India, out-of-pocket payments for medical care amounted to 98.4% of total health expenditures by households, as of the most recent (2001-02) census. Without insurance, the poor must resort to taking on debt or selling assets to meet the costs of health care. It is estimated that 20 million people in India fall below the poverty line each year because of indebtedness due to healthcare needs. Availability of health care resources There is a greater availability of health care equipments and facilities for tests such as mammograms and PAP smears (for women), PSA screenings (for men) and colonoscopies in US. Consequently, the use of these tests is more frequent in the U.S. for example, 86 percent of U.S. women ages 40 to 69 have had a mammogram. The U.S. also is endowed with many MRI machines and CT scanners per capita. Higher levels of screening and equipment helps in early detection and treatment of diseases like cancer. While no such statistics is available for India, low cancer survivability rate can be attributed to scarcity of diagnostic facilities in India. In the United States, access to health care is primarily determined by whether a person can pay for the treatment, by the availability of services in the area and by willingness of the provider to deliver service at the price set by the insurer. Wait time Waiting time determines how fast a patient is able to get medical attention. Waiting time illustrates efficiency of health care system. In US, the average wait time was 17 days for an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. One of my friend had to wait 27 days to see a female surgeon. In India, according to one survey, waiting time is a chronic problem affecting hospitals run by Indian government. 44% patients wait in the hospital for more than two weeks before seeing doctor for preliminary diagnosis. They cannot start treatment before knowing cause of their illness. Although this is not the case in private hospitals. In some government hospitals, patient has to wait for couple of weeks for X-ray or USG exams. Waiting time for surgery could stretch up to 2 months. In India, it is not mandatory to reach a government hospital in times of emergency. You can go to your physicians private hospital or a multi-facility hospital run by a panel of doctors. Also you have an easy access to your Primary care physician in case you need to talk to him. This does not happen in U.S. You have to communicate with the nursing staff before talking to your physician. India faces a huge need gap in terms of availability of number of hospital beds per 1000 population. India stands just a little over 0.7 hospital beds per 1000 population whereas U.S. has 2.5 beds per 1000 population. Administrative overheads Administration accounts for 31% of health care spending in the United States. Some of that money goes to doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. Private insurance in US has administrative overhead of about 12%, Medicare has administrative overhead of about 4% while Medicaid has administrative overhead of about 7%. United States have a program to provide prescription drugs to the poor but it is limited. The introduction of Medicare Part D in US has extended partial coverage for drugs to Medicare recipients. Most important difference between health care systems of US and India is the much higher cost of prescription drugs in the United States. It is very expensive to get a treatment in United States as compared to India. For instance: cost of normal delivery in Indian private hospitals is approximately Rs 6,000 ($120). It is free of charge in government hospitals for everyone. Caesarean section costs about Rs 20,000 ($400) inclusive of anesthesia charges and drug expense but you pay everything out of pocket. In U.S. cost of normal delivery is approximately $20,000. Insurance plan covers most of the cost but depending on the plan, patients usually receive separate bills for anesthesiology and other expenses. U.S. disallows Medicare or Medicaid from negotiating drug prices. Therefore, they cannot buy medicines in bulk and lower prices. In US, the cost of malpractice lawsuits is 0.46% of health care spending which comes to $16 per person each year for the total cost of settlements, legal fees, and insurance. The total cost of defending and settling malpractice lawsuits in the U.S. in 2001 was approximately $6.5 billion, or 0.46% of total health spending. According to some, defensive medicine consumes up to 9% of American healthcare expenses. India has fewer doctors per capita than the United States. US have 2.3 doctors per 1,000 people in 2005 while India has 0.6 doctors per 1000 people. Physicians are paid fee for service. Now multi-facility clinics have a panel of doctors who work as hospital employees. There are a number of additional costs that are significantly higher in the U.S. Government orders on keeping the records of insured people which results in greater administrative effort. Higher marketing costs by insurance companies and health care providers contribute to higher health care costs. Conclusion Overall health care system in India and U.S has their own drawback and benefits. U.S. health care system is better in terms of cost coverage and quality health care but it is more expensive than that in India and lack of universal care affect the poor people in U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed on 23rd March, 2010 mandates universal coverage for all. This will certainly benefit the poor. So, by expanding resources and making health care more affordable and accessible to many Americans through premium tax credits, individual mandates, the expansion of Medicaid, new employer benefits and responsibilities, and state-based Exchanges, the United States has taken a step in the right direction.   Health care reform will absolutely grant many millions of Americans with what we feel is a basic human right: access to health care.

Analysis of Raleghs Nature, that washed her hands in milk Essay

Analysis of Ralegh's "Nature, that washed her hands in milk" Nature, that washed her hands in milk† can be divided structurally into two halves; the first three stanzas constitute the first half, and the last three stanzas make up the second half. Each stanza in the first half corresponds to a stanza in the second half. The first stanza describes the temperament of Nature, who is, above all, creative. This first stanza of the first half corresponds to stanza four, the first stanza in the second half of the poem. Stanza four divulges the nature of Time, who, unlike Nature, is ultimately a destroyer. Time is introduced as the enemy of Nature, and Ralegh points out that not only does Nature â€Å"despise† Time, she has good reason for it (l. 19). Time humiliates her: he â€Å"rudely gives her love the lie,/Makes Hope a fool, and Sorrow wise† (20-21). The parallel between the temperaments of Nature and Time is continued in stanzas two and five. Stanza two describes the mistress that Nature makes for Love. This mistress, who is made of â€Å"snow and silk† instead of earth, has features that are easily broken (3). Each external feature is individually fragile: her eyes are made of light, which cannot even be touched, her breath is as delicate as a violet, and she has â€Å"lips of jelly† (7-8). Her demeanor is unreliable, as well; it is made â€Å"Only of wantonness and wit† (12). It is no surprise that all of the delicate beauty Nature creates in stanza two is destroyed by Time in stanza five. Time â€Å"dims, discolors, and destroys† the creation of Nature, feature by feature (25-26). Stanzas three and six complete the parallel. In the third stanza, the mistress is made, but in her is â€Å"a heart of stone† (15). Ralegh points out that her charm o... ...s known to outlast flesh once a body has died. Time spoils the insides of the mistress, as well; he â€Å"doth dull each lively wit,/And dries all wantonness with it† (29-30). The poet’s preservation of the order of creation and demolition helps to present Time as a methodical destructive force. Time is in no hurry to get rid of the mistress or beauty, but he certainly will perform his task to completion. Careful word choices and syntax aid Ralegh’s depiction of Time, as well. Reading â€Å"Nature, that washed her hands in milk† feels like a lesson and a story at the same time because the syntax is short and to the point. Each stanza ends with a rhyming couplet, giving a self-contained feeling to each phrase, which lends to the aphoristic feel of the poem. Both Ralegh’s plain style and his use of parallel structure serve as vehicles to convey the meaning of his poem.

What Motor Is More Reliable?

The survey found that the Japanese brands Yamaha,Honda are more reliable brands. But to me Honda is more reliable to me because its cheaper to fix if it breaks and Yamaha has more hp and tuqort and is faster. Honda is just a all around good atv, dirt bikes because you have your 400ex and you crf250f. Yamaha is good for speed and racing atvs, and dirt bikes like your 400 bashanee and your yz450f.Honda is made in the US so everything is cheaper for parts and take less time to get to your destination. The next year, Honda marketed the handling-friendly ATC200X to beginners. honda's first introduced the KLT200 – a three-wheeled atv – into the market in 1981. The company's first four-wheeler in 1985 and was called the Bayou 185. The Bayou 300 4Ãâ€"4, honda first atv 4-wheel drive atv.Yamaha is made in japan and the parts cost so much because they have to ship cost The YZ250X is optimized for the unique demands of Hare Scrambles and GNCC ® racing. The YPVSâ„ ¢-equipped 249cc two-stroke engine is combined with a wide-ratio five-speed transmission for the ultimate cross-country power plant.Yamaha .com TOKYO, Japan, October 5, 2016 – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that the two companies have begun discussions toward a possible business alliance in the Japanese market in the â€Å"Class-1 category*† which include scooters with a 50 cc engine or emy community does atv poker runs at least once a year to raise money for charity, i've seen almost every brand of atv and i will address them all, for the record out biggest ride was about 300 bikes Honda: their not the most powerful or fastest but their quality is by far the best, i've seen one break down Polaris: laughing stock, i don't even know why people buy them, they do have power, but in a few years you will rebuild the whole bike Yamaha: a close second, they have very few problems, but its probably because most people don't keep them stock and try to modify them to much Kawasaki: i don't see many of them, but what i do see are impressive, a tie for second Can-am: i've only seen a few and they may beat honda on quality , but the price for a decent bike is ridiculous, their to pricey, but seeing less than a dozen, i can't saylectric motor. Debate honda is the best .com . Some people like other atv brands that's their opinion.

Legal Memorandum of the case of Griswold v. Connecticut

The appellants in this case are Griswold, the Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut, and Buxton, the Medical Director of the Planned Parenthood League in New Haven.   They were charged of violating a Connecticut statute for giving information, instruction, and medical advice to married couple as means of preventing conception. Sec 53-32 of the Connecticut Statute states that : â€Å"Any person who uses any drug, medicinal article or instrument for the purpose of preventing conception shall be fined not less than fifty dollars or imprisoned not less than sixty days nor more than one year or be both fined and imprisoned.†Ã‚   Section 54-196 provides that â€Å"Any person who assists, abets, counsels, causes, hires or commands another to commit any offense may be prosecuted and punished as if he were the principal offender.† The appellants were found guilty as accessories for violating the said statute and fined $100 each.   They filed their appeal and argued that the said statute violated the Fourteenth Amendment.   The Appellate Division of the Circuit Court affirmed the judgment of the lower court. Issue: Whether the Connecticut statute forbidding use of contraceptives violates the right of privacy which is protected by the Bill of Rights Decision: The Supreme Court ruled that the subject Connecticut statute forbidding the use of contraceptive violates the right to marital privacy.   It is unconstitutional. Analysis: This is not the first time the Connecticut statute has been the subject of a controversy.   In the earlier case of Tileston v. Ullman 318 U.S. 44 (1943) the Supreme Court did not have the opportunity to rule the constitutionality of the said statute.   In this case, a doctor challenged the statute on the grounds that a ban on contraception may in certain situations threaten the lives and well-being of her patients. He argued that the statute would prevent his giving professional advice concerning the use of contraceptives to three patients whose condition of health was such that their lives may be endangered by child-bearing.   The Supreme Court declined to rule on this issue but dismissed the case on the ground that the plaintiff lacked the standing to litigate the constitutional question This is the first time that the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of the statute.   According to the Supreme Court, though the US Constitution and the Bill of rights does not explicitly mention some rights, such as right of the people to meet and associate, or the right of the parent to educate a child in a school of their choice, or the right to study any particular subject or foreign language, the First Amendment has been construed to provide protection to these rights. Among these cases are: the Pierce v. Society of Sisters which affirmed the right of the parents to send their children to any school of their choice under the First and Fourteenth Amendment; the Meyer v. Nebraska case which affirmed the right of the students to study German language in a private school; the NAACP v. Alabama which protected the freedom to associate and affirmed a person’s privacy in one’s own association. These cases strongly indicate that the Bill of Rights have penumbras which emanate from the specific provisions of the US Constitution and its amendments.   These extended guarantees give flesh and blood to the various protections under the US Constitution without which the guarantees under it will merely be a useless formality.   Indeed, the various guarantees create zones of privacy. The relationship between spouses and their choice to procreate lie within the zone of privacy protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.   The statute should therefore be struck down as unconstitutional. It is a well-settled principle that though the state may control or prevent activities that are subject to its regulation, it cannot exercise its power so broadly as to invade the areas protected by the constitution. The objective of the statute is laudable but means for its accomplishment seriously violates the right to privacy of the married individuals.   The objective of the statute could be accomplished by other means such as regulating of the manufacture, sale of the contraceptives. If the Supreme Court were to uphold the constitutionality of this statute, it is as if we are tolerating the law enforcement officers to search the sacred precincts of the marital bedrooms simply for the purpose of finding out if they are indeed using contraceptives.. Conclusion: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the trial court and the appellate court.   It also invalidated a Connecticut statute for invading the privacy of married couples.   Although the constitution does not explicitly mention the right to privacy of the citizens, this right is found in the penumbras of the other constitutional protections. This case is considered as a landmark decision in the sense that it established a basic sphere of personal privacy to which all people are entitled.   (Decision: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965))   It confirmed that marriage couples do have the right to privacy.   With this decision, our country took a giant leap forward finally recognizing the right of individuals to make their most private decision on planning their families, deciding the number and spacing of children.   (Elizabeth Borg, 2005) Further, this decision paved the way for another land mark decision which is the case of Roe v. Wade. (John W. Johnson, 2005) Bibliographies Borg, Elizabeth.  Ã‚   (2005) The Fight that Won Us the Right to Birth Control.   Star Tribune.   8 June 2005. Retrieved 11 September 2007 Decision: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) About.com.   Retrieved 11 September 2007 from:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://atheism.about.com/library/decisions/privacy/bldec_GriswoldConn.htm Johnson, John W.   (2005) Birth Control and the Constitutional Right to Privacy.   Retrieved 11 September 2007 from: http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/johgri.html Tileston v. Ullman 318 U.S. 44 (1943)      

Sexual Biography

To be honest, I do not remember any milestone or turning point of my sexual biography. My sexual awareness came smoothly and naturally as I grew up. The events I am going to tell will be pretty vague in terms of time order and my feelings. I have no idea when I began noticing that girls and boys have different parts but it was not earlier than my first grade. However, I did notice that there was something from the girls in class that made me blush and acting awkwardly when I had to talk to them.Also, the boys in my fourth grade talked about condom everyday, so I perhaps knew how condom was used, but it would not be a proper way even before I were aware of what a penis could do. I masturbated quite often until I were 14 and had a first relationship. The reason were self masturbated felt good andI thought no one would know about it. But my dad knew eventually. One day he talked to me about it, but in an awkward way. That time I was embarrassed, but I also wondered why he had to behave so unnaturally. He expected me to tell my little brother later on, but I never told him so I bet he did it himself.I read much about masturbation and knew people found it embarrassing themselves when doing it, but I have never thought masturbation was a guilty behavior or some kind of sins. I barely asked my parents about how I was born. Actually we did not talk much about everything. I remember I asked my mom just one time. She pointed at her navel and said I came from that little hole and I believed her. When I was around 12, I still wondered is if girls are interested in taking about boys? Of course I didn’t know what they would do together! I didn’t even wonder if girls masturbate.I thought they were some kind of godlike creature, some kind of angels that don’t do things boys do. But now I know female also want the things male want, although they want less than male do. Also, I liked a girl who was 2 years younger than me in middle school. I was bothered by the fact that I have had wanted a girlfriend in the same age. I thought I should not like that girl, that it was immoral and going against the natural order of the community. I fought against those thoughts and eventually gave up. After that, I didn’t think it immoral anymore†¦ I am recently in a relationship with a young lady who is 2 years younger than me.We have sex and were very clear about premarital sex. Unlike before I now have very clear position about controversial issues such as premarital sex, abortion, gay marriage and transgender. I am also aware of condom, menstruation, pregnancy, masturbation, oral sex and sex positions†¦ The fact were I and my partner agreed not to have sex until marriage, but we failed and committed to intercourse sex 3 times per week. It has been 2 years since we started having sex and it feel good and splendid. But more than that, we feel great and secure since we are together.

The world of Sports matematics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The world of Sports matematics - Research Paper Example Just to mention but a few, in crickets, it serves to establish the number of runs and to enumerate the total number of runs needed in each over, what is referred to as the run rate. This is critical in beating the opponent. The discipline also serves in majoring the courtyards in football and to mark the perimeter from say the mount all through to home plate in baseball. The field is often 100 yards long and so it is marked at an interval of 10 yards using a line. This brings about the center being 50 yards from either side and divides the two teams halfway apart. In athletics otherwise referred to as sprints, mathematics is used to determine the speed of an individual relative to the opposition’s. This is achieved by determining two variables, which are the distance covered and the stride frequency. An interesting mathematical concept is involved in interpreting the speeds of any given athlete. To ascertain the technique best suits a sprinter in so far as take off is concerned, the athlete’s tangential slope is used to gauge his or her velocity. The results are then exposed to three modus operandi. In order to establish who among the players is best based on performance and contribution of the match, mathematical concepts still set in. The number of passes he or she receives and the number of complete passes he makes are translated into numbers, counted and used to determine their performance throughout the season. Baseball for instance derives its popularity from statistics which was used to keep records and tracks from home runs. The major operations such as subtraction, division, addition and multiplication have been used to bring fourth analysis and rational judgments in matters of sports. In football for example, there must be designated teams according to each pool and all these have to battle it out in order to secure a place on top of the pool. This in essence calls for counting of the number of goals scored, the

Week #2 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week #2 - Article Example This shows that independence is really an asset when used well. Another thing I have learnt is that if you believe in a value a cause you have to stand up for it, invest your time and money in it, and be smart about it. Without effort (which is basically time and money) a cause will remain just an idea that is worthless unless it is followed up. Still on page 126, we are told how since Lancie Clippinger did not invest in expensive specialized equipment, he was able to modify his ways to suit his wishes and circumstances. This might appear coincidental, but it is clear from the book that Clippinger is really just a smart and dedicated man who knows what he wants and goes for it. Had he been half-hearted in his approach to the venture, he would not have invested so wisely. On page 120, we are told that Lancie Clippinger is an intelligent man who understood the value of his own thinking and paying attention, and who â€Å"understood clearly that the profit is in the difference between costs and earnings, and who proceeded directly to minimize his costs†. This spells out another very important lesson, that it is vital to understand what we are doing. This is only possible if we have passion for what we do, which will allow us to act in an intelligent manner like

Leadership in Customer Service Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership in Customer Service - Article Example There are so many kinds and interpretations of a leader, but which one does it take to make a customer-service-driven business successful? Leadership needs to have a vision of what is wanted to achieve. Leaders possess not only this but are driven by passion—the strength and the energy to work against the odds to achieve the vision (Williams, 2005). Great leaders delegate and empower. Leaders do not just pin point on people and tell them what to do instead they create structure, allocate responsibility, help create systems, provide support and training and resources, and empower subordinates to make decisions thus making them feel significant in the business group. Through empowerment, a leader is set differently from an authoritarian. A leader does not dictate but respect employees and treats these people as customers as well. Great leaders sometimes have to take tough decisions but there's always respect for the subordinates (Williams, 2005). Workers are encouraged to: participate in the action plan; develop awareness of the goals; participate in the change plan; have reasonable expectations and attitude. Communication flow is always open to a leader and is never one way. Successful business leaders are always keeping their people informed thus key performance indicators are displayed; targets are set, accomplished and celebrated. Everyone is made to feel as part of a community to create a sense of unity (Williams, 2005). A leader motivates people to do what is important and leads an example. There's a famous story about a group of visitors to Disney who was walking in the Magic Kingdom when they saw a grey-haired man walk out of his way to pick up a piece of litter. One of the members of the group approached the man and asked, "How many custodians are there here?" The man replied, "45,000". The guest was surprised at so many.

Can Freelancers form themselves into a union and successfully seek Research Paper - 1

Can Freelancers form themselves into a union and successfully seek formal recognition via the rules speled out in the National L - Research Paper Example Dissimilar to other unions, freelancers unions are somewhat innovative and are more like expert trade organizations. Be that as it may, they may play a significant function in one’s professional life by proposing certain benefits. The major aim of the National Labor Relation Act is to characterize and defend the privileges of workers and employers, to boost collective bargaining, and to eradicate some of the performances on the part of work and administration that are hurtful to the general welfare (hcl.chass.ncsu.edu). Similarly, when creating a union for freelancers, one of the large-scale challenges, or obstacles, in employed individually is the need of wellbeing care options. By evolving a constituent of an amalgamation, or other kind of expert membership-based association, one habitually has the opening to buy wellbeing protection at a cheaper rate (i.e. at a group rate). Not only does a freelancer union provide good deals on monthly charges and lesser deductibles, but on e may furthermore gain the proficiency to select from more than one kind of healthcare program.

What were the causes of the Global Financial Crisis which began in Essay

What were the causes of the Global Financial Crisis which began in 2008 - Essay Example Mortgage capital expansion based policy that took upon the local industries such as housing, small to medium scale business activities led to an unprecedented environment and accumulation of artificial bubble. It was early in 2007 when the high risk mortgages saw an unusual trend in the market existence in the form of defaulting initiation to the business activity set the market on negative trends and footings leading on to massive economic strangulation in next year or so. Initial normalcy and relatively lower interest rates were another contributing factor that resulted in the upward pressure on the industry as well as the private lending agencies and entities being forced to increase the rates of interest subject to the external market and negative values by that time towards mid 2008. Mortgage backed security (M.B.S) was another mechanism and aiding element which lead to the stiffening of the market and overall mood. The second factor that contributed to the global recession was the element of securitization of the mortgages. It has been termed as the contributing factor which led to reduced certainty within the market trends and increased trends of risk. Introduction of concepts and policies such as Corporate loan securitization led to an initial let off to the investors and banking sector businesses that were initially indebted in small scale values, yet the long term impacts would show up in times ahead which did so in the most frightening form in span of less than five years from after 2002-2003. The fact that the American government had been following a relatively non consistent trend and pattern of loan handling made the picture relatively further murky. The practices such as collateralized loan obligation(C-L-O), was one similar practice of the United States government and banking policies which lead to increased debt values. The values initially were limited to less than 25 billion dollars, in less than five

Who Causes Collision Essay Example for Free

Who Causes Collision Essay Come aboard the Operation Lifesaver train and take a moment to complete the following quiz. Remember to use your common sense, because failure to do so could be fatal! Thank you for taking part in our quiz. Your quiz score: 14/15 Feel free to take the quiz again or visit www.traintodrive.net for more information. All the questions in the quiz along with their answers are shown below. Your answers are bolded. The correct answers have a green background while the incorrect ones have a red background. The Advance Warning Sign tells you: †¢ There is a railway yard nearby †¢ To slow down, you are approaching a railway crossing †¢ There is only one railway track ahead The advance warning sign warns you in advance of the highway/railway crossing. You should slow down and be alert as you are approaching a crossing. The crossbuck sign tells you: †¢ To hurry across the tracks †¢ There is only one railway track ahead †¢ To slow down, look, listen, and be prepared to yield for an approaching train When you see the crossbuck sign, you know that you are at a railway crossing. It is your responsibility to slow down, look, listen and yield to oncoming trains. Trains sound the engine whistle at most highway/railway crossings as a safety warning. When you are approaching a crossing and hear an engine whistle, you must: †¢ Be prepared to stop †¢ If a train is approaching, stop at least 5 metres from the nearest rail †¢ Ensure all tracks are clear before proceeding †¢ All of the above The locomotive engineer is required, by law, to sound the train whistle when approaching most crossings. When you hear it, be prepared to stop. If a train is approaching, stop at least 5 metres from the nearest rail and ensure all tracks are clear before proceeding. If you are being careful and obeying the traffic signs, you should never find yourself on the tracks while the gates are closing. The crossing lights start flashing before the gates come down. If you should find yourself in this situation, the best thing to do is to: †¢ Keep going †¢ Abandon the vehicle †¢ Stop †¢ Back up If you are being careful and obeying the traffic signs, you should never find yourself on the tracks while the gates are closing. The crossing lights start flashing before the gates come down. If you should find yourself in this situation, the best thing to do is to keep going. Most highway/railway crossing collisions involve drivers living within _____ of the location of the collision. †¢ 10 km †¢ 40 km †¢ 65 km †¢ 100 km 40 km. As you might expect, familiarity with highway/railway crossings breeds complacency. Many collisions occur close to home. A freight train with 80 railcars traveling 100 km/h can take _____ distance to stop. †¢ Less than 500 metres †¢ 1 km †¢ Up to 2 km †¢ More than 2 km Even in an emergency, a train travelling at 100 km/h could take up to 2 km to come to a stop. Remember, locomotives and railcars are a lot heavier than the family vehicle, and it takes a greater distance to stop. You can stop much more quickly! Some vehicles stop at all crossings. These may include: †¢ Public transit and motor coach vehicles carrying paying passengers †¢ School buses †¢ Hazardous material carriers †¢ All of the above In some provinces, public transit and motor coach vehicles carrying paying passengers, school buses and hazardous material carriers may stop at all crossings. So be prepared to stop if you are following one of these types of vehicles. The main contributing factor of a train-vehicle collision is: †¢ Weather conditions †¢ Malfunctioning warning devices †¢ Poor eyesight †¢ Vehicle driver error According to studies, vehicle drivers who do not exercise due caution at crossings are the main reason for highway/railway crossing collisions. These drivers, who fail to obey the warning signs and/or signals, take dangerous risks with their lives and those of others. It is illegal to drive around crossing gates. †¢ True †¢ False It is not only illegal, but also dangerous to drive around gates. Never race a train to the crossing. †¢ True †¢ False The race for the crossing was a highlight of many an old movie comedy; in real life, there is nothing funny about such a scene — it can be deadly, because even in a tie, you lose! It is okay for you to cross when the last car of a train clears the crossing. †¢ True †¢ False Do not proceed until you are sure that all tracks are clear and that all applicable automated warning devices have ceased operation – you might walk or drive right into the path or side of a moving train on the same or other track. Drivers often drive with their headlights off. This explains why many collisions involve a vehicle slamming into the side of a train at night. †¢ True †¢ False At night, some drivers overdrive their headlights. This means that you drive so fast that you cannot stop in the distance illuminated by your headlights. Slow down when you see the advance warning signs and be prepared to stop. Avoid stopping on the tracks in a traffic jam. †¢ True †¢ False Before proceeding across the tracks, be sure there’s enough space for your vehicle on the other side. If it doesn’t fit, don’t commit! A train should be expected on any track at any time. †¢ True †¢ False Don’t fall into the trap of knowing a crossing too well. Trains don’t always run at scheduled times. Extra trains may run at any time. Remember any time is train time. If you stall on the tracks when a train is approaching, get away from your vehicle immediately. †¢ True †¢ False If your vehicle stalls on a crossing, get all the occupants out of the vehicle and away from the track immediately. Do not run! Walk quickly to a point at least 30 metres away from the track. This will prevent you from being struck by flying debris if the train hits the stalled vehicle.