Wellness plan Essay Example For Students

Wellness plan Essay Quiz 2 I would recommend a lot of changes for this patient, including exercise, change of diet, and cessation of his smoking habit, to name a few. This patient should use a lumbar support pillow in his chair at work, as well as a foot support, to alleviate strain on his lower back form sitting all day. I would recommend that he quit smoking and change his diet to one containing less fatty foods, and much less cholesterol. The pain he feels in his neck could be partially attributed to high cholesterol. A baseline cholesterol reading should be taken and a diet recommended according to how high the level is, and how quickly it should be reduced. We will write a custom essay on Wellness plan specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The cholesterol reading can be taken at the same time he is administered a full physical. The patient should then be instructed to have a full physical done yearly, or at least every other year, since problems can and will develop faster the more he ages. Cessation of smoking will also help to lower the patients LDL reading. A reduced calorie and reduced fat diet should help to burn off some of the extra pounds that the patient is carrying around. It might also be recommended that he cut out the nightly beer in order to reduce those added empty calories from his diet as well. Drinking does not have to be completely cut out of his diet, however, since there have been studies showing drinking in moderation can be good for your health. He should change the beer to wine, which typically tends to be healthier, and people are more apt to sip wine, as they are to guzzle beer, so less will probably be drank with that subtle change. The whiskey should probably be cut out all together, and the total reduction in alcohol consumption will help to reduce alcohol related heart and liver trouble, as well as calorie intake. It may be suggested that the patient not necessarily cut out the TV watching, but rather tow an exercise machine of some sort in front of the TV and fulfill his exercise quota in the time that he would normally be idle on the couch. This would make good use of his idle time, also cutting out the possibility of the patient using lack of time to exercise for an excuse. If the patients cholesterol was found to be high in the baseline draw of blood. It would be wise to take a LDL level every month, until the level begins to fall and then every several months until it is within normal range. It would then be advisable to take a LDL level with each physical. Further suggestions for change of lifestyle, and/or diet should be made if the LDL level is not falling at the rate you expect, or not falling at all. Bibliography: n/a .

Time Warner Merger Essays

AOL/Time Warner Merger Essays AOL/Time Warner Merger Essay AOL/Time Warner Merger Essay The merger of AOL and Time Warner was announced in January 2000 against the backdrop of a seeming technology revolution but prior to the bursting of the stock market bubble. Prior to Mid-March 2000, some of the bluest of blue chip companies feared marginalization by an upstart dot.com army. Today, however, every decision made in that era has been subject to the punitive scrutiny of hindsight. The AOL-Time Warner merger made a great deal of sense in the context of emerging competitive realities at the time and may prove to be a compelling combination as the Company moves forward and competes head-on with the likes of Microsoft. Both companies addressed perceived threats from externalities and bargaining problems. Nonetheless, it is clear that AOL gleaned the greatest lasting advantage from its choice of corporate strategies. The Time Warner Imperative At the time of the merger, Time Warner was the largest media firm in the world, having assembled an unparalleled portfolio of related assets, spanning both content and distribution. This was driven largely by two fundamental factors; first, the economics of the media industry dictate extracting multiple sources of rents from any given production, and second, media industry consolidation throughout the 1990s which saw large media firms largely internalize their distribution. However, with the rise of the Internet revolution, Time Warner was feeling pressure on a number of fronts: * A stagnating stock price as markets rewarded nimble, net-centric businesses, no matter how unproven; * Fragmentation of its audience, particularly to Internet media outlets, which it feared would sap it of the scale that provided leverage with advertisers; * Failure in a number of its own Internet ventures, feeding the fear that old economy companies truly were ill-equipped to succeed in the emerging e-conomy; * Rising costs of talent fueled by the exodus of executives seeking Internet riches. Against this backdrop, Time Warners agreement to link up with AOL seemed like a solid defensive move, guarding against the potential obsolescence of its resources by giving itself a stake in the Internet Revolution. It also held out tremendous offensive potential by giving the Company a new avenue to leverage its portfolio of competencies, namely the effective creation and distribution of content across multiple distribution channels; in this case AOLs 33 million subscribers. In the words of one analyst, Time Warner managed to acquire the Internet brand it had yet to build, thus enabling it to successfully overcome a major externality that was threatening its continued success. The AOL Imperative Throughout its history, AOL had leveraged joint ventures and partnerships as a means to grow and thrive. But competitive pressures were growing, and AOL, through its acquisition of Netscape and Compuserve, had begun to come more directly into competition with Microsoft, without the proprietary resources to win a fair fight. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, despite AOLs dominant position as the number one Internet service provider, it only provided dial-up service, the growth of which was coming to a halt. Future subscriber growth required being able to provide broadband access, which provided much greater speed of connection and data transfer, enabling significantly richer functionality and significantly more profitable subscribers. AOL had succeeded on the basis of providing easy access to the Internet and simple, convenient, features such as email and instant messaging, that won early loyalty. However, the Internet was moving beyond its early beginnings, broadband was the key to the Internets future and AOL didnt possess sufficient unique content to compete as a dial-up provider. AOL also feared that it would be vulnerable to hold-up, or frozen out altogether, by those companies that had broadband capabilities. The merger with Time Warner allowed AOL to address its potential bargaining problems in two ways. First, it acquired a wealth of unique content that should give it significantly greater leverage vis-à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½-vis firms like Microsoft that was extracting a heavy toll for access to the desktop. Second, by acquiring the number two cable provider, it instantly guaranteed itself a future in broadband and immediate access to millions of potential subscribers, mitigating the hold-up problem. Cross-Pollination Hailed as one of the two world powers of interconnectivity, a major rationale behind the merger was to win control over the home network which Gerald Levin described as the final battlefield. The vision was to create a seamless platform that would give AOL TW scale and scope beyond any other media company in the world and allow it to promote [their] products and brands across all of its media properties. This would require the successful transfer of skills between the two companies. The companies would have to effectively share their combined knowledge of cross-selling, Time Warners skill in media creation, their respective distribution competencies (AOL online and Time Warner in broader media outlets), and finally lever AOLs success in establishing meaningful joint venture relations. Enter Microsoft From the first time that AOL had to negotiate with Microsoft for access to the desktop, it was inevitable that the two would eventually come to compete. What was probably much more difficult to envision was the breadth of different businesses in which Microsoft would become a competitor. Microsoft has an entrenched presence on what, until recently, was the only vehicle for accessing the Internet; the computer. But recognizing, as AOL does, the convergence of technologies in media and communication and the likely zero sum game for the home network, Microsofts key corporate strategy has been its ability to achieve coordination by creating or venturing with firms that provide complementary products or services. Despite being late to the Internet game, Microsoft has effectively leveraged its ubiquity in computing and its vast financial resources to build or invest in businesses that go head to head with AOL in almost every facet of its operations. Microsoft has established links with complementary companies that will enable it to remain the de facto operating standard even when computing and Internet functionality leave the desktop and migrate to such vehicles as the television or the phone. It has also increased its content and functionality in areas such as messaging, gaming, transaction facilitation, online music and video, ensuring that there is no substantial area of interest in which consumers can not find a Microsoft or Microsoft-enabled solution. The result of these activities is that Microsoft and AOL will continue to go toe-to-toe for control of the digital consumer until a winner emerges. AOL/Time Warner: Who won? Determining who won and who lost in the AOL-Time Warner merger is complicated by the choice of criteria used to determine victory. If a more formidable and sustainable competitor was created, did both Companies win? But ask any Time Warner shareholder who won and youll get an unambiguous answer; AOL. By most standards, its acquisition was a coup. Its true that the merger makes great strategic sense for the businesses in which both companies compete. But the fact that AOL acquired Time Warner with vastly inflated stock means that AOL shareholders partook in one of the great robberies of the Internet bubble. While the value of most Internet companies plummeted over the past three years, AOL shareholders had managed to acquire some of the most valuable old economy assets. Time Warner, on the other hand, has seen the value of its consideration decline substantially, at a time when its stable mix of businesses should have held up much better. Had Time Warner acquired AOL for 20-30% of AOLs market value in January 2000, it might have been viewed as one of the shrewdest mergers in recent memory. The circumstances of the two companies coming together, however, will leave a cloud over the Company until it begins to realize its great potential that was envisioned at the outset.

Depressive Disorders in Children and Adolescents Research Paper

Depressive Disorders in Children and Adolescents - Research Paper Example Son & Kirchner (2000) have conducted their research on the same topic and have pointed out the causes and consequences of depression upon children, according to which the family background as well as domestic environment certainly invite sadness among the young innocent individuals at large. The authors are of the view that depression is affecting 2 percent of pre-pubertal children and 5 to 8 percent of adolescents in the United States. While discussing the main reasons for increase in the depression level among the individuals belonging to early years, the authors also blame poor performance at school as one of the most prominent causes behind such gloomy mood of children. The authors have also mentioned the symptoms of depressive attitude, which include lack of mixing in family, disinterest in studies, recreational activities, including both indoor and outdoor, and reluctance to join the peers in sports and games. Greenberg (2009) has also conducted his study while focusing upon th e symptoms of depressive attitude in children and adolescence. The researcher submits to state that it was misconception that only the adults may experience depression; however the same disorder is frequently observed by the young ones.

Marketing a Blackberry Phone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing a Blackberry Phone - Essay Example The researcher states that Blackberry is one of the most reliable cell phone manufacturing companies. It provides innovative, stylish, and reliable mobile phones to the customers. The paper tells that some of the biggest attractions of Blackberry mobile phones include enhanced connectivity, excellent camera results, and a long battery time. The present research has identified that the target audience for the new Blackberry mobile phone will be the middle-class people, college students, money spenders, young children. This paper illustrates that the phone includes all such features that a high priced mobile phone includes. According to the study conducted, the only difference is the price of the phone. This essay discusses that the price has been kept low in order to make it affordable for the people who do not enough money to buy a reliable phone. The target group is not just local customers from the United States; rather the product will be made available to international customers through online services. The author has rightly presented that the new Blackberry phone, which we are going to advertise, has a number of attractive features and qualities, which make this product different from many of its competitors. Although such features can be found in some of the latest mobile phones manufactured by other companies but they cannot meet the level of quality and reliability provided by the Blackberry 9380 GSM Cellular Phone.

Sassoon siegfried Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sassoon siegfried - Essay Example Ths history books r concrnd with th Grt Wr nd how popl djustd to diffrnt circumstncs during tht priod. D Brnirs nd Sssoon hv diffrnt viwpoints nd thir writings diffr from ch othr. DBrnirs' dscriptions of wr is xcruciting, ll too rl, s th uthor tks th rdr to th y of th cyclon to xplin how good mn bcom trnsformd into morl nimls nd t th sm tim los thir souls. This is th rl horror to wr, th dstruction of th dignity tht humns r trying to striv for. nd thus th book is cvt to ll ldrs to think mor dply bout th full rmifictions of rushing off to wr. Th min chrctr of th book is Cptin Corlli who is th snior Itlin officr in villg on n occupid Grk Islnd. His humnity rchs byond indignous hostility. Th Itlin rmy occupis th islnd first, nd th Itlins hv rltivly sy-going rltionship with th islndrs. cntrl chrctr is n Itlin cptin, ntonio Corlli, who plys th mndolin. Th othr min chrctrs r young womn, Plgi, hr fthr, Dr. Inns, locl doctor who is tching his dughtr ll bout hrbl mdicins, nd Plgi's boyfrind, Mndrs, Grk prtisn fighting th Grmns. In his book Louis D Brnirs dscribs Dr Inns s vry ddictd to his job "Dr Innis hd njoyd stisfctory dy in which non of his ptints hd did or got ny wors..."( Louis D Brnirs ). Whn th cptin is injurd nd is trtd by th doctor h mts Plgi, nd thy fll for ch othr. This mks for complictd sitution, sinc th two r on opposit sids in th wr nd sinc Plgi is nggd to th prtisn, Mndrs. Things gt vn mor complictd whn th Grmns rriv nd put n nd to th sy-going rltionship btwn th islndrs nd th occupirs. s wll s bing profound story bout humn rltionships, this is lso wr story, nd th uthor shows us how popl r trnsformd by wr. Through th cptin nd his Grk finc, it is finly xprssd ffirmtion of th humn spirit. Th moving runion in old g is crtinly for th lchrymos. Yt, in ssnc, Cptin Corlli mbodis blk honsty which is th vry ntithsis of sntimntlity, nd which mks d Brnirs' ultimt ffirmtion of humnity ll th mor powrful for bing so vidntly hrd-won. Oddly nough, his rdrs sm to rcogniz this mor clrly thn h dos himslf: if thr's on thing tht nnoys vryon bout th book, it's th nding - by dlying th ultimt runion of Plgi nd th cptin for 50 yrs, d Brnirs sms to btry n uncrtinty s to whthr his rsolution hs bn truly dsrvd. Still, it coms in th nd. Indd, it is strng to rd novl so full of pin, which nvrthlss lvs on with such strong sns of joy. Myb its succss, for tht vry rson, should itslf b considrd lif ffirming on. D Brnirs smlssly mixs brod comdy with grphic dscriptions of suffring or violnc, tndr pisods nd visionry flights of fncy. His book is lso highly sxd, bwdy nd stiricl. Cptin Corlli's spcil kind of historicl romnc ws, howvr, somthing of dprtur from his rlir novls' full us of 'mgic rlism'. Sigfrid Sssoon rmins mong th bst known soldir pots of th Grt Wr of 1914-18. Mmoirs of n Infntry Officr, th bst known of his wr mmoirs, ws first publishd in 1930. Mmoirs of n Infntry Officr is th scond volum of Sigfrid Sssoon's fictionlizd utobiogrphy. Th first nd third volums r Mmoirs of Fox-Hunting Mn, nd Shrston's Progrss, rspctivly. Whn this book ws first publishd in 1930, th vrg rdr my not hv rcognizd Shrston s n unrlibl nrrtor, but upon scond rding, much of wht th nrrtor tlls us grows in irony. Ths lins from 'Convlscnc' r typicl of th gm h plys with th rdr: "Bsid th bd thr ws bowl of whit lilc nd Bibl. Opning it t rndom to try my luck, I put my fingr on th following vrs from th Pslms: 'Th words of his

Challenges And Prospects For The Asean Economic Community Economics Essay

Challenges And Prospects For The Asean Economic Community Economics Essay Free trade is a significant stimulus to regional production, linkages and competitiveness.   ASEAN has made significant progress in that regard since the implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) from 1993.   The AFTA initiative has been particularly successful in reducing tariffs in the trade in goods. Currently, some 99.8 per cent of the products in the Inclusion Lists of ASEAN-6 (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) have been brought down to the tariff range of 0-5 per cent, with about 65 per cent of those products having zero import tariffs.   Meanwhile, 91 per cent of the products traded by the CLMV countries (Cambodia, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Viet Nam) under the Common Effective Preferential Tariff package have been moved into their respective Inclusion Lists.   About 77 percent of those products are already within the 0-5 per cent tariff band. However, regional free trade alone is not sufficient to release the full energies and the inherent potential of ASEAN.   All of us now have to take a further step forward.   Deeper economic integration is necessary for ASEAN to cope effectively with the unprecedented opportunities as well as the unprecedented challenges, on both scale and depth, unleashed by globalisation. China and India have altered the global economic landscape through huge market openings and greater competition, too.   Meanwhile, interlinked supply networks have proliferated all over the world, among many other innovative and more efficient ways in value creation and industrial organization.   Last but not least, there are the freer and often instant movements of new ideas, people and resources across national boundaries. The ASEAN Economic Community.   In the midst of two giant economies, ASEAN Leaders made a historic resolution in December 1997 to leverage the regions potential by building an economic community (ASEAN Vision 2020).   Henceforth, ASEAN is to be transformed into a stable, prosperous, and highly competitive region with equitable economic development, and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities.   Notably, that resolution took place in the midst of a severe financial and economic crisis in ASEAN.   This underscored once again ASEANs common perception of the critical importance of greater regional cohesion and complementation in coping with good as well as bad times.   Subsequently at the Bali Summit in November 2003, ASEAN Leaders declared that the AEC would be the end-goal of regional economic integration (Bali Concord II).   This Community shall weld together 10 separate entities as a single market and production base by 2020.   The ASEAN Economic Ministers have recently recommended that the target year be sped up to 2015. Put it simply, there will be a free flow of goods, services, investment and a freer flow of capital in the AEC.   This is to be complemented by freer movements of skilled human resources including regional business persons, professionals, and cultural and artistic talents.   The consequent gains from deeper and broader integration are substantial in ASEAN.   They are estimated by McKinsey and Co to cut as much as one-fifth of production costs of consumer goods in the region.   As such, the AEC building process will empower ASEAN to remain a dynamic and competitive player in the regional and global supply chains.   But the same process is also predicated on wide-ranging adjustments and reforms to be carried out by Governments and the business sector, among other stakeholders in the region.   The commitments so far made include, to name just a few, the ASEAN Free Trade Area of 1992; the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services of 1995; the ASEAN Agreement on Customs and the ASEAN Customs Vision 2020 of 1997; the Framework Agreement on the ASEAN Investment Area and the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Mutual Recognition Agreements, both of 1998; the Initiative for ASEAN Integration of 2000; the ASEAN Framework Agreement for the Integration of Priority Sectors of 2004; and the ASEAN Policy on Standards and Conformance of 2005. ASEAN has three key strengths in the economic arena.   We have abundant natural resources in our region.   We have large supplies of professionals and talented people.   And, we have the capability to adopt, adapt and advance technology.   By leveraging on these strengths the AEC is likely to be realised sooner than later. ASEAN Charter.   A key development complementing the AEC work is the process to establish the ASEAN Charter.   A Charter is certainly not a panacea. But at a minimum, it is going to facilitate the transformation of ASEAN into a rules-based regional organization with a legal personality.   Provisions in the Charter to establish robust mechanisms for monitoring implementation and ensuring compliance would contribute greatly to ASEANs effectiveness. Through the Charter, ASEAN will be able to enshrine the values and principles that shaped by our history and experiences in the last 39 years.   It will virtually become our new and official birth certificate in the sense that we are re-born as the ASEAN Community. Such a Charter would also serve to make ASEAN a more responsive, dynamic and integrated regional organisation. In short, the Charter will define ASEANs future. The ASEAN Eminent Persons Group (EPG) has been working on its recommendation for the drafting of the Charter.   In a few days, the EPGs report will be considered by the ASEAN Leaders during the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the Philippines, from 11-12 December 2006.   In that report, the EPG will recommend what should go into an ASEAN Charter. And at the upcoming Summit, a High-Level Task Force is expected to be mandated by the ASEAN Leaders to start drafting an ASEAN Charter, taking into account recommendations of the EPG, among other things. This achievement would not only become a benchmark for the region to further enhance its cohesiveness and coherence, but also would venture forth a new cooperative spirit for the community building in the region.  Ã‚   To be sure, there is a lot more work to do, especially in converging the different levels of ambition.   Yet, I am optimistic ASEAN is on the threshold of a quantum leap in collective development and growth. ASEAN-EU economic interaction. Against that backdrop of dynamic changes and developments within ASEAN, the EU has remained, among other roles, an important partner in trade and investment and a major source of technical assistance to ASEAN. The EUs valued roles will continue to be very helpful to AEC building efforts in the coming decade. As a market, for example, the EU-15 economies took in some US$ 78 billion worth of ASEAN exports in 2005, a steady growth of 5 per cent a year since 2000.   The EU was the third largest trading partner, with an average share of 12 per cent of ASEAN trade in the last two years (or just about one percentage point behind Japan and the U.S.A. during 2004-2005).   Germany, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and France are the most important EU traders with ASEAN. Likewise, the EU-15s foreign direct investment (FDI) in ASEAN has been significant, with the largest share of 57 per cent of the FDI hosted by our region in 2000 (totalling US$ 23.5 billion).   However, this share fell to 19 per cent of the FDI flows to ASEAN (US$ 38.1 billion) in 2005.   Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Viet Nam and Thailand were the main destinations of FDI from the EU. http://www.aseansec.org/19001.htm 30 MAC 2011

Deforestation Resulting from European Shipbuilding :: Environment Environmental Pollution Preservation

Deforestation Resulting from European Shipbuilding Historical texts have documented the countless technologies, ideas, diseases, plants and animals the European ships delivered around the world during the Age of Exploration. However, these texts fail to include one key cargo item: deforestation. European shipbuilding triggered an epidemic of forest depletion that gradually spread to the lands they encountered. Beginning in the early fourteenth century, wood fueled the increased production of exploratory sea vessels. The loss of trees coincided with the rapid rate of shipbuilding. Eventually, Europeans exploited their timber reserves to such an extreme that they began looking elsewhere for wood, including colonies in North America and Southeast Asia. With newfound resources, the European shipbuilding machine churned on, yet before long deforestation also became an issue in the colonial areas. Although shipbuilding played an integral role in a period of European advancement, it devastated not only the European environment but the fores ts of other continents as well. Prior to the Age of Exploration, hardwood trees blanketed all of Europe to form a forest
giOB47;comparable in size to the Amazon Basin† (David Morse). Forest density was intense, such that â€Å"scattered clearings must have appeared like islets in an ocean of green† (Morse). Nevertheless, as humans discovered the value of wood as fuel for warmth, deforestation followed close behind. The progression of human technologies presented more uses for timber. Eventually, wood became a staple in a wide range of manufacturing processes, among them shipbuilding. The production of sea vessels put extreme pressure on the oldest and largest trees in European forests; the massive tree trunks that were years in the making were also the best suited for the immense hulls of open sea ships. For every ship built, the environment lost some of its oldest flora members, who were unfortunately also the hardest to replace. Shipbuilding was also closely intertwined with another forest consuming industry: metallurgy, especially iron production. Iron comprised the weaponry and structural support aboard many sea vessels. Because the production of iron required high temperatures, the demand for firewood grew to almost insatiable proportions. Thus, the amount of timber invested in shipbuilding included more than just the lumber for the hulls. As David Morse points out, the trend in metallurgy history dictated that â€Å"wherever ironmaking took over . . . it did away with the forest† (Morse). In effect, shipbuilding and its association with iron production impacted the forest landscape two-fold.

Jade Goody’s life – creative writing

As I turned on the TV to catch the first episode of Big Brother 3, I watched eagerly as each housemate entered the famous ‘Big Brother House'. One by one the participants passed over the threshold like lambs being lead to the slaughter. They wore nervous smiles of anticipation. The third housemate caught my eye; she was a twenty year old dental nurse who spent her early years in Bermondsey. Jade soon earned her place in the house, as the majority of housemates were picked decisively to keep the audience amused. Jade was known for causing trouble throughout her time in the BB house, ending up drunk and she was also criticized for backstabbing. From then on she was known as a loud mouthed rebel, who had a poor standard of knowledge, but she withstood numerous amounts of evictions and her popularity grew. Her time in the BB house soon came to an end and overall she came fourth in the competition. Jade's life in the public eye did not end there and then; she had a few years of publicity ahead of her†¦ Also read The Story of an Eyewitness Essay Analysis Determined and strong, Jade carried on in the spotlight and appeared in numerous gossip oriented women's magazines such as Heat and OK! She was one of the most talked about celebrities for weeks after the BB house. I admired her courage and willpower to stay popular, and in 2006 I was pleased to hear that she put herself forward to take part in the London marathon. I was proud of her because she was doing it for charity; there was a lot of negative publicity about this as people did not think that she would be able to finish the race. Anyone who is willing to participate in any form of marathon must have fortitude to do so as twenty six miles is an extensive distance. But as her drive took her to a dedicated twenty one miles her body gave in. It shows how much Jade wanted to finish the race as she did not stop until she was at the state of collapse. I think this reflects me as I usually don't give up until I am injured, or there is something permanently blocking my path! This is one of the reasons why I look up to Jade, although she had her defaults she aspired to grow in knowledge and acquire respect from the public. Very rarely did Jade seem despondent about the harsh press, and that's what I think kept her going. She even published her own autobiography: Jade: My Autobiography. Many people had no clue as to how Jade was brought up, and when this book was released in May 2006 numerous people were intrigued to find out how tough her upbringing was. Her father who was of mixed race was a drug addict who a frequent visitor in her majesties service. Jade's mother, Jackiey Budden separated from Jade's father and was left to bring her up single handedly. This was demanding for Jade's mother, but I can relate to Jade as I no longer live with my dad. After appearing on Big Brother three, Jade decided she would accept the invitation to enter Celebrity Big Brother five, as she was now a public figure. At this point in her courier Jade had earned between two million and eight million pounds. I think most people do not aspire to become famous through reality TV, as it doesn't require talent. Jades second appearance on BB included her Mother and Boyfriend entering the Big Brother house. This was when the whole racial feud between Jade and the Bollywood star Shilper Shetty took place. I felt that Jade made a fool of herself on national TV and my respect for her took a step back. As I watched the headlines I questioned whether Jade should be the only one to blame. As Jade began to redeem herself I valued her strength of mind to get her life back on track. In late 2008 Jade appeared in India's version of BB, ‘Big Boss'. I didn't think it would do anything for Jade as Shilper Shetty was going to appear on ‘Big Boss' alongside her. I was worried for Jade after the ordeal she went through previously. But nothing was said and two days into the show something awful had been uncovered. Something that made me shudder at the thought because she was a young mum with all of her life ahead of her. Something finally that could be terminal. She had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. It was all over the headlines, and when I heard I felt disbelief. The first thing that came to mind was her two sons. How is it going to affect their lives? How are they going to cope? Jade was immediately flown back to England for further testing. From that day on Jade suffered. She was strong willed and kept her battle up for a year. Her story really touched me, and this is why I have chosen to write about her because I think she is an inspiration to many women out there. It has been made apparent that because Jade made her battle with cancer so publicized more women will be aware of cervical cancer and a lot more will be saved. I think that by saving just one life, Jade's short life will not have been in vein. Jade had her ups and downs, but at the end of the day if she has prompted women to get checked out then she is, in my eye a hero.

The Emotional Impact of the Civil War essays

The Emotional Impact of the Civil War essays The Civil War began July1861 when Union troops set out for Richmond, Virginia. They met Confederate forces soon after the left at a small stream in Virginia called Bull Run. The carnage that followed showed the nation that the war was anything but civil. In this war fathers fought sons, brothers fought brothers, and families fought themselves. This no doubt left emotional scars for everyone involved. An example of the emotional impact that the war had left on the soldiers, the families, and the nation is "The Slopes of War" by N.A Perez. This book is about the Summerhill family, which is going through the Civil War. Rebekah Summerhill has three family members who are fighting in the war. Buck Summerhill, Rebekah's brother, is accompanied by his friend Tully Willard. They are both privates in the Union Army. Custis and Mason Walker, Rebekah's cousins, are privates in the Confederate Army. During their childhood Rebekah, Buck, Custis, and Mason were close since the both grew up in the same area. Because of this Buck and Rebekah has the emotional dispute of fighting their own blood in a war. The purpose of this thesis is to show the emotional impact the Civil War had on the people involved. And how " The Slopes of War" portrayed it. I will show examples of this in a letter by Jno. D. Dameron, another letter by JN Bennet, and a song called, "The Prisoner's Hope" by George F. Root. The letter by Jno. D. Dameron is to his father. In it he writes about his father not writing to him, 'I had concluded that I could not write to any more until I had received a letter from home." (Dameron, letter by author, December 1862) This shows how homesick Dameron was. This is exactly how Buck felt during the first parts of the book, "We're getting close to home" (The Slopes of War, N.A. Perez, PG 3) The quote came from when Buck's squadron is heading towards Gettysburg, Buck's hometown. This I think shows that most of the soldiers, Union and Confed...

Shareholder Activism Essay The WritePass Journal

Shareholder Activism Essay Introduction Shareholder Activism Essay Can shareholder activism actually deliver the desired change?IntroductionShareholder activism – the Theoretical PerspectiveLegal BasisExamples of Shareholder ActivismAnalysis and ConclusionsReferencesRelated Can shareholder activism actually deliver the desired change? Introduction The increasing awareness of shareholders and their level of importance to the modern organisation have raised multiple questions as to the potential role which shareholders can play in influencing the decision making of the management team and their willingness to engage with a broad range of stakeholders. Where shareholders have an impact to any degree, this is referred to as shareholder activism and is largely described as being the role that shareholders play in dominating the decisions made by management teams (Bainbridge, 1995). Whilst it is readily accepted that shareholders own the company, whereas directors manage the company, there has historically been a misapprehension that shareholders are simply interested in the financial profits that the company produces. It is argued in this paper that this is not the case and shareholders are becoming much more involved in ensuring a balanced approach and that organisations have a wider awareness of issues such as corporate social re sponsibility (Schacht, 1995). The purpose of this paper is to consider whether or not this type of shareholder activism can actually be seen to be delivering a positive change, specifically in the area of corporate social responsibility. In order to look at this issue and the development of CSR, shareholder activism in its entirety needs to be looked at, before then considering the legal regime which encourages such activism and any specific cases that are relevant, before drawing conclusions on the key question. Shareholder activism – the Theoretical Perspective The management of an organisation has, for a long time, accepted that the performance of a business is down to them and that, if the shareholders are unhappy about the performance or the returns of the business they may potentially walk away from the organisation or the position of the manager may be in jeopardy. Where shareholders take this type of action on board, it can be suggested that shareholder activism is in operation. Broadly speaking, there are several key reasons why which investors may pursue the shareholder activist approach. Firstly, shareholder activism occurs in order to procure a better return on shareholder investment; secondly, to ensure that the company pursues a different corporate strategy that will ultimately improve performance and profitability, a key example of this being the suggestion that the company should demerge; thirdly, to make changes in the management team; fourthly in order to pursue some form of special interest, such as a social and ethical agenda (it is this agenda which will be looked at in more detail in the paper below). Finally, shareholder activism is undertaken to influence the outcome of some form of corporate agenda that has already been pursued (Tarrow, 1994). Shareholders have always had the option of essentially voting with their feet, when they disapprove of the decisions of the management team. For example, they can simply sell their shares, where traditionally the criticisms of management decisions would take place in private, with shareholders simply moving away when they were displeased. Although the concept of shareholder activism is not necessarily new, in recent years, it has certainly increased in its operation and become much more prevalent. Examples of recent shareholder activism include action by an institutional investor, Knight Vinke Asset Management which lobbied for changes in the HSBC strategy, or in Tesco where shareholders became involved in demanding changes in working conditions relating to clothes’ suppliers in Asia. Interestingly, shareholder activism does not depend on the size of the market, with shareholder activism being a tool that can be used in any type of organisation. Those holding shares are also potentially able to act in this way and therefore this lends a considerably more diverse meaning to the notion of shareholder activism, which can be derived from a much broader range of sources (Roe, 2003). With this potential diversity in mind, the next step is to look at the tools that are available for the activist shareholder and to identify the statutory basis upon which such action can take place. Legal Basis One of the key statutory powers which are available in order to support shareholder activism is that of the Companies Act 2006 (the Act). This Act lays down the legal framework which enables a shareholder to exercise any of their legal rights when they are pursuing an activist agenda. The precise options available to the shareholder will depend on the type of company in which they hold shares; for example, there are different rights attached to public companies. For the purpose of this analysis, all potential legal rights will be looked at and it should be borne in mind that these may not always be available, particularly to shareholders of private companies (Wrneryd, 2005). In accordance with sections 303 to 305 of the Act, shareholders are able to call a general meeting. This is a strong element of the shareholder activism as it provides members with a platform in which they can make their requirements known. In the aftermath of the Shareholder Rights Directive 2009, members and groups of shareholders representing a minimum of 5% of the public companies voting rights are able to demand that the directors call a general meeting of the company. Similarly, where the directors choose to convene a general meeting there are rules associated with giving notice to the individual shareholders. This allows shareholders the opportunity to bring a platform upon which to discuss their own issues. Secondly, in accordance with sections 314 317, members with a shareholding of at least 5% or shareholders or that have at least 100 shares with an average of at least  £100 per member are entitled to demand that the company circulates a statement to shareholders of up to 1,000 words regarding a proposed resolution or any other business that is going to take place at the meeting. This again provides the shareholders with the information that they need in order to be potentially active. It is also noted that beneficial owners of shares can count towards the threshold in order to meet the 5% trigger (Belloc and Pagano, 2009). As well as the ability to gain access to the meeting and information in relation to the meeting, shareholders are also entitled to be active within the meeting itself. In accordance with section 338, shareholders holding a total of 5% shares can propose a resolution, a strategy that was used by the investor efficient capital structures but they required a resolution as part of the 2007 AGM of Vodafone plc to pursue a specific strategy. Furthermore, section 168 provides shareholders with the ability to propose the removal of the directors. Arguably, this is one of the greater sanctions available to shareholders, from the perspective of the individual directors. Where this process is being initiated, special notice of 28 days must be given of the intention to propose this resolution and to reasonably work in line with the articles of association of the company (Filatotchev, et al 2006). Importantly, section 116 of the Act allows any shareholders to gain access to the shareholder register which then may offer them the opportunity for the shareholders to join forces in order to deal with a particular agenda, making the ability to reach the 5% thresholds somewhat easier. There are, however, requirements for shareholders to ensure that when they are canvassing support they are doing so for the proper purpose. There are certain thresholds which allow shareholders to have rights, with 5% offering the opportunity to propose a resolution, to require an independent report in the case of quoted companies, the power to require companies to publish audit concerns, again in quoted companies, and also the power to include a matter that should be considered at AGM. When the required percent of the shareholders join forces, the power becomes much more threatening to the management team, as this is the requisite amount required a specific resolution. For example, at 75%, the shareholders can require a special resolution to be passed. The regime associated with proxies can play a very important role when it comes to shareholder activism with the 2006 Act making changes as to the way in which proxies can operate, allowing the property to be much more effective. For example, members have an absolute right to appoint a proxy who can attend a meeting and vote on their behalf. Another key area of shareholder activism emerged from the ability to use corporate representation, rather than using a proxy, as this allows shareholders a much greater degree of practical flexibility when they are unable to comply with proxy deadlines, or some other form of formality. Corporate shareholders are also able to appoint representatives by virtue of their own board resolution. Finally, it is worth noting that shareholders’ rights can be utilised by indirect investors. For example, under the 2006 Act, it is possible for the beneficial shareholders holding shares to enjoy information rights, i.e. to obtain information in relation to the company and in many cases the beneficial shareholders can count towards reaching the 5% thresholds. Although this goes beyond the scope of the discussion here, it is worth noting that these beneficial shareholders can have a direct impact on any agenda for shareholder activism. Examples of Shareholder Activism In order to gain an understanding of just how effective these legal provisions can be, the situation in Tesco can be looked at. In 2007, the poverty charity â€Å"War on Want† used the fact that it held a 5% shareholding in order to present a resolution at the 2007 AGM, with a view to ensuring a better deal for suppliers, in particular across Asia. The matter did not rest there and in June 2008 Tesco was targeted once again by a group of shareholders who were headed by an individual high- profile shareholder, to look at the living conditions of chickens, prior to their purchase by Tesco for sale. The shareholders in both these cases used section 338 of the Companies Act 2006, in order to demand resolutions relating to their individual issues. Once this resolution had been demanded, the company was required to circulate information relating to the resolution, as well as any supporting statements (Aguilera, 2005). This type of shareholder activism was seen to be successful in these individual cases and provided a real forum for the shareholders with a relatively minimal percentage to change the strategy and activities of the organisation itself. Tesco is not alone in facing these types of issues and many other large companies have also faced action from minimal shareholders, relating to specific issues such as wages for staff or supplier issues. This shows a clear indication of the willingness of shareholders to become much more active in putting their points forward and being willing to take on corporations by forcing resolutions to be placed and information to be provided to the broader shareholding (Hendry et al 2007). Analysis and Conclusions The question presented here is to consider whether or not shareholder activism can truly have an impact on organisations, when it comes to encouraging changes and improving corporate social responsibility within the organisation. By looking at the history of shareholder activism and the way in which shareholders are becoming much more willing to engage in the operation of the company, as well as examining the provisions of the 2006 Act which provide shareholders with the ability to undertake these activities, it is argued here that shareholder activism is a growing and real threat to management teams of all sizes. In particular, the 2006 Act offers a considerable opportunity for shareholders to demand information and to have certain items discussed at the AGM. By merely providing this platform for discussion, shareholders can become more active in order to ensure their ultimate agenda is not pursued. By looking at this and using a company such as Tesco as an example, it can be seen that groups of shareholders are gaining real attention and are able to have a direct and dramatic impact on the decisions made by the management teams, particularly when faced with the ultimate sanction that shareholders can request the removal of those directors who fails to comply (Gillan and Starks, 2000). It is concluded here, therefore, that shareholder activism is a real and direct method whereby shareholder groups can encourage changes in the strategy of the organisation relating to both corporate, social responsibility and any other relevant issues. References Aguilera, R.V. (2005) ‘Corporate governance and director accountability: An institutional comparative perspective’ British Journal of Management, 16: S39–S53. Bainbridge, S. M. (1995) The politics of corporate governance, Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, Vol. 18 (3), pp. 671-735. Belloc, M. and Pagano, U. (2009) Co-evolution of politics and corporate governance, International Review of Law and Economics, Vol. 29 (2), pp. 106-114. Filatotchev, I., Jackson, G., Gospel, H., and Allcock, D. (2006) Key Drivers of ‘Good’ Corporate Governance and the Appropriateness of UK Policy Responses The Department of Trade and Industry and King’s College London. Gillan, S.L. and Starks, L.T (2000) ‘Corporate governance proposals and shareholder activism: The role of institutional investors’ Journal of Financial Economics, 57 (2): 275- 305. Hendry, J., Sanderson, P., Barker, R. and Roberts, J. (2007) ‘Responsible ownership, shareholder value and the new shareholder activism’ Competition Change,11 (3): 223-240. Roe, M.J. (2003) Political Determinants of Corporate Governance: Political Context, Corporate Impact Oxford University Press. Schacht, K.N. (1995) ‘Institutional investors and shareholder activism: Dealing with demanding shareholders’ Directorship, 21 (5): 8-12. Tarrow, S. (1994) Power in Movement: Collective Action, Social Movements, and Politics in Marens, R. (2002) ‘Inventing corporate governance: The mid-century emergence of shareholder activism’ Journal of Business Management, 8 (4): 365. Wrneryd, K. (2005) Special issue on the politics of corporate governance: Introduction, Economics of Governance, Vol. 6 (2), pp. 91-92.

Transgenic Plants and Animals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Transgenic Plants and Animals - Essay Example Transgenic plants can help in the area of food sufficiency, through production of high yielding crop varieties; improving plant tolerance against extreme conditions such as drought or floods; increasing resistance to pests; and increasing resistance to herbicides. These improvements would reduce production cost, reduce wastage, increase yield per hectare and thereby increase food availability. Today, varieties of peanuts and corn resistant to pests are already grown throughout the world. In health, genetic modifications can aid in making life saving drugs in large amounts. Transgenic livestock that produce recombinant proteins in their milk can provide an economic and safe system for production of valuable proteins, such as pharmaceutical proteins for treatment or prevention of human disease or biomaterials for medical use (Keefer, 2004). As an example insulin and the clotting factors are made by human systems. If we insert the gene that is capable of producing insulin from humans into cows in the right way, then we can get the cows to produce the insulin or clotting factors in their milk. Then we have a potential mass producer of insular greater than human is capable of doing. In the areas of nutrition, common staple crops like rice, corn, root crops, and others can be modified to produce varieties high in necessary nutrients. In the area of environment, organisms can de modified to degrade non-biodegradable plastics and other materials and make them more useful to the environment. Major concerns on transgenic plants and animals The production of transgenic plants and animals has faced several concerns among conservatives in Europe, America, and almost every corners of the globe. Thro (2004) emphasized that there are conflicting views about the idea... The researcher states that recent development in biotechnology that gains attention in the scientific world is the alteration of genetic components of plants and animals. The process involves adding and integrating foreign genetic material into the genetic structures of the plants and animals. Transgenic technology affords methods that allow the transfer of genes between different species. The produced organism is generally called as GMO or transgenic plants or animals. A transgene is a gene with desirable characteristics that is moved from a source organism implanted into a new organism in order to improve the desired characteristics of the recipient organism. This is an improvement from the traditional process of breeding wherein a plant or animal with a desired trait is mated with an existing plant or animal of the same type, to transfer the desired trait to the offspring. The limitation of this old method is that the only genes that are involved are the genes already present in t he parental plants or animals. For example, if you bred dogs, you get dogs with genes coming from both dog parents and nothing else. In genetic modification, genes from plants can be integrated into animals or vice versa; genes from birds can be integrated with horses. Production of transgenic plants is expensive and complicated since it uses costly technology and facility. Companies producing GM seeds in countries such as the US desire to produce more revenues on them because they put a lot of resources into making them.

Personal Motto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Motto - Essay Example Although drawing inspiration from a fantasy film may be somewhat strange, my personal motto has been heavily influenced by the film â€Å"Sucker Punch†. Although the film’s message and even plot line are somewhat substandard and not overly engaging, there was a line that was delivered within the film that has greatly influenced my personal motto and made a very large impact upon the way in which I integrate with life and view my own personal stance towards issues both great and small. As such, the line is as follows: â€Å"If you don’t stand for something – you will for anything†. Due to the relative simplicity of this quote, it cannot be fully attributed to the writers of the film and ultimately traces its origins as far back as Alexander Hamilton who said the following: â€Å"Those who do not stand for anything, fall for everything† (Wolf 155). As a function of the underlying truth that this denotes, it is not surprising that this type of t hought process has been explicated at various points throughout history. As a personal motto, this has helped me to realize the importance of choosing a firm and definitive stance on key issues as well as seeking to self-analyze with regards to many situations that I might otherwise take for granted. Although many mottos are designed as a means of cheering one up with regards to the otherwise mundane or seemingly hopeless nature of life at times, this particular motto is able to engage in me a sense of moral determinacy and ethical strength in situations that others might merely accept at face value. It is important to note within the context of this particular motto that this is not used to define and divide each and every situation that this author integrates with on a strictly black and white basis of ethics or morality; rather, it is used as a rubric for determining which instances demand a firm stance on the issues and an analysis of all of the factors involved and which do not. By seeking to differentiate key components of ideas based upon their ind ividual merit, it is possible for the individual to seek to better integrate with the underlying truth or fallacy that a given concept or approach denotes. In such a way, one can separate fact from fiction and attempt to engage an issue that is partly right or partly wrong rather than merely rejecting it out of hand or accepting it wholesale. With regards to which of the chapter of the text most definitively relate to the motto that has been chosen, it is the belief of this author that the chapters which most closely integrate with the motto include the following: self-awareness as well as goals and obstacles. By analyzing beliefs within the framework of this particular motto, it is possible for me to come away with a much clearer view of what is important and on what aspects of belief and principle it is possible to engage with. Similarly, with respect to goals and obstacles, such a motto allows for the author to view a situation from the core of its meaning and separate a situatio n based upon the obstacles to understanding, morality, ethics, and practice that it represents. As a function of such an interpretation framework, it is possible to then formulate one’s goals in a much more expeditious manner and engage life with a more complete understanding of situations than one could if they merely accepted them at face value or within the framework of how others have accepted them within the past or present. Although it is not the belief of this author that the motto which has been enumerated upon is the be all and end all of ways to interpret reality, it has been highly beneficial with regards to being able to delve deeper into key situations and observe the component parts of an argument or way of life that would otherwise not be considered. At the risk of intellectual arrogance, such an approach is also beneficial from the perspective of an individual who is natural skeptical by nature and seeks to understand the level to which information is