Pleasures of Reading Essay

Some people get pleasure from picnics and tours. Others like to discuss various topics and find pleasure in it. But the reading of books provides us with such pleasure as we do not get from any other activity. Great is the blessing of books. Books are written by learned persons. They contain the best experiences and thoughts of their writers. Literature is said to mirror society. Writers put in their books not only their own ideas and feelings, but also what they observe and find in society. The books of the past reflect the condition of the times in which they were written. By reading books written by great thinkers, we come in contact with their minds. Books enable us to know the best of different countries. So, if we want to keep abreast of the great minds of all ages, we must read books. When we are alone, books are our best friends. They entertain us in our spare moments. Good novels, books on poetry and short stories, give great enjoyment. At times we become so absorbed in our books that we forget even our important engagements. Loneliness is no trouble for a reader. If we are in a cheerful mood, our joy is increased by reading. When we are in a depressed and dejected mood, books console and soothe our troubled minds. They provide us with the best advice and guidance in our difficulties. Indeed, books are out best friends as they help us in our need. Books contain grains of wisdom. They give us sound moral advice. That is why all great men of our country have liked to read the Gita and the Ramayan. The example of Rama and Sita is cited, whenever we want to emphasize noble deeds and their results. We call a bad man by the name of Ravan. It is through the reading of books that we learn to love virtue and hate sin. The reading of good books develops and elevates our character. Now-a-days the world is changing fast. A man cannot remain in roach with the changes in his own country, or in the world, without reading the latest literature. One who wants to be respected in cultured society must keep himself well-informed. Good magazines, newspapers and other books provide us with valuable upto-date information. It gives us great pleasure to feel that our knowledge is upto-date. We get great satisfaction when we feel ourselves to be well-informed and capable of moving in any educated society. Reading of good books is the key to the store-house of pleasure. It was the English author Bacon who said that reading makes a full man. No one can question the truth of this saying. But we cannot derive full advantage from reading, if our choice is not good. Some books are such that instead of doing any good, they do positive harm to the readers. Such books must be avoided. Cheap books, not in cost but in contents, should not be read, even if they provide some amusement and entertainment. It is the reading of good books alone which bestows upon us the maximum benefit. The advantages of reading – the pleasures of reading novels; they carry us into a different world and enlarge our experience; suspense and our tendency to identify ourselves with the hero – other kinds of books are also delightful. The advantages of reading are well known. Reading enables us to pass examinations and get jobs, and enhances our general ability and competence in any field of life. But the pleasures of reading are as important as its uses. In fact, books cannot be really useful unless they are first enjoyed. There can be few more delightful ways of spending a holiday than reading a good novel. One source of pleasure afforded by novels is that they make us escape for a time from the drab, humdrum circumstances of our lives. Romantic novels, of course, transport us into an exciting world poles apart from our own. But even realistic novels bring us into contact with experiences different from our own. Our personal experience in real life is limited and much of it is commonplace. Reading fiction is delightful, partly because it indirectly provides us with several experiences for which we have no opportunities in actual life. Another source of the pleasure of reading novels is suspense. A novel with a good plot makes us eager to know, from beginning to end, what is to happen next. It is because of this quality of suspense in some novels that we are unwilling to lay them aside till we have read them to the end. Again, as everybody knows, another reason why reading novels is pleasant is that we tend to identify ourselves with the hero or the central character, and experience his joys and sorrows for the time being. This mainly accounts for our pleasure in reading biographies. While fiction is usually considered to be a delightful form of reading, other kinds of writing too impart pleasure. Apart from plays which resemble fiction, books of travel and light essays are enjoyable. Poetry appeals to our feelings and sense of beauty. Reading even serious or heavy books – books on science or philosophy – is not without its joy for those who are interested in the subjects concerned. All knowledge is pleasure, and reading a book on the dullest or the most unpleasant subjects can be pleasurable, provided one is intensely interested in it.

What makes a good teacher

Teachers play a crucial role in the continues growth of society. The goal of every teacher is to pass his/her teachings to his/her students for their personal benefit. As a student I was assigned the task of analyzing and defining the differences of a teacher and a good one, comparing the virtues of a good teacher with many others things, and making clear what a good teacher is not. In order to understand what a good teacher is, first we need to analyze what is a teacher. A teacher is an individual who can be either male or female. A teacher is an adult who has mental ability. Teachers are individuals who have educated and prepared themselves such as going through a university degree, plus two years teachers college. Now, who is a great teacher? Being a good teacher does not ensure his or her to be a good one. Good teachers need to be wise people with enough experience and knowledge. Also, good teachers are patients and humorous with the main purpose that their teachings are easily understood by their students. Good teachers are sociable individuals who can interact with all their students in order to understand and respect their students` opinion. Good teachers could be compared with many things in this world. Good teachers are physiologists, as they are able to deduce their students’ problems. Good teachers are similar to parents given that they play a role model for students to become very successful in their future life. Good teachers are a great source of knowledge and experience. Good teachers are as coaches given that they encourage their students to achieve what they really want. In addition, good teachers can be considered as an encyclopedia because they have a broad knowledge, which they transmit to their students. By defining, what a good teacher is not, improve the understanding of a good teacher. Good teachers are not individuals who are only interested in making money because their commitment is to play an important role model for students. Good teachers are not magician; they cannot do miracles to incentive the students to study as the result depends on how eager the students have to meet their goals. In addition, good teachers are not robots because they also can get tired and have problems as students do. In conclusion, there are many differences between a teacher and a good one. However, the major task of a good teacher is to guide their students through the right path in order to make the students become successful in their future life. What Makes a Good Teacher What Makes a Good teacher? To teach or not to teach that is the question Teacher is not only a person, who should teach, it is a person who must lead the pupil on the way to the knowledge. Teacher shows the world and explain the laws of this world. He is often a tutor, a preceptor, a person that you respect. This profession is very hard and important. But, what makes a good teacher? There are many things which make a teacher great and they all can`t be defined. However i`ve always considered several of them essential.In my opinion a good teacher is someonewho first of all creates interest in studying,doesn`t underestimate the children,has equal expectations of siccess from everyone and last but not least likes his job. A good teavher always has a sense of purpose. He chooses very carefully the teaching programme and adjusts it to the needs of his students. Children always come first and that`s why the decision he makes are based on how they will affect them. He shares experience with other teachers and thus is always learning new things.It is very important for a teacher to be a good communicator. my mind, teacher is at first a man, a person and if he is a difficult person with inner problems, with bad character – he can’t be really good teacher because teacher works with people, not with machines. He should know how to socialize, how to help others. Good teacher must understand their pupils, their feelings. Teacher’s purpose is giving knowledge, but people don’t take knowledge easily, they want to convince themselves in necessity and importance of this information.Good teacher can make so that pupils let pass the studies throw their hearts. Most of all, it is very important for teacher to love his subject. His mood, opinion irrationally hands on his pupils. If person love something – his feelings, his example will be better than any words. So, what makes a good teacher? I think, a good teacher is a vocation, a gift of God bec ause sometimes a person have excellent qualities, wonderful character, loves his subject, but we can’t say that he is really good teacher. To be a good teacher is a talent and a miracle. What Makes a Good Teacher A person may be blessed with natural abilities, but through human nature, we desire personal connection and motivation. The movie Stand and Deliver told the story of a high school class that fell short of academic requirements. Jamie Escalante was a new, influential teacher who made an impact on inner city students by simply demonstrating interest and faith. Jamie showed attention to the students outside of the classroom and did not give them the opportunity to make excuses. Mr. Escalante cleverly manipulated his students into success with various techniques, a majority of which would help me thrive in math class.Angel was a student, first introduced as a trouble maker. As the audience realizes that there is more to Angel than his tough guy routine, so does Mr. Escalante. He is a compassionate grandson, taking care of his sickly grandmother. Angel showed up to Mr. Escalante’s house on Christmas Eve with his grandma, and although it was an act of resentment, they were welcomed in for dinner. Personally, when I was younger my grandpa was very sick; I would spend nights in the hospital with him and my family unable to complete homework assignments which ultimately set me behind in classes.However, like Mr. Escalante, my teachers understood that my life did not always revolve around the classroom. I had other responsibilities and worries on my mind. However, Mr. Escalante also did not allow his students to let their worried minds become excuses for their lack of success or sloppy work ethic. All Mr. Escalante asked of his students was ‘ganas’ or the desire to learn. He held them to a higher standard than they ever had been before which motivates me well because it gives me something to prove.I want to join the Navy after high school and a friend of my sister’s said that I do not have the desire for it. After I heard that, I became more encouraged than ever. Also no excuses were tolerated in his classroom which I believe is a fantastic tac tic. Students know exactly how to manipulate teachers, whether there is a sincere justification for something or just an excuse. When Angel is late to class, Mr. Escalante kicks him out, since his tardiness shows that Angel does not see the value in learning.Later, Angel again comes into class tardy, this time after being with his grandmother in the hospital. Although Angel’s excuse is genuine, Mr. Escalante does not accept it and asks Angel to leave. It is this attitude that inspires the students to attend class regularly and on time. In life, excuses get you nowhere except back where you started. Teachers who do not accept excuses are the ones who care about you enough to get you ready for the real world. Mr. Escalante was very successful. He started with a class of students who did not care about grades or math at all.However, through his tactics, within a few years, those same students passed the advanced placement calculus final. Mr. Brechlin, I will do better in math an d school in general if I am forced to be all I can be just as Jamie’s students were. I am a slacker†¦ and need to be pushed! Like Angel I do have personal and family issues and need help and guidance at times. However, as Mr. Escalante put it, when I’m getting hired for a job they will not want to hear my problems. In the real world, there are no such things as excuses, only my work ethic and ability to succeed.

Underlie Essay

What values underlie your desire to help others? The value that I feel that underlies me to help others Is my ability to put people first, as In being able to put my feeling aside so I would be willing to be there for them. For example my father was dating a woman that I felt was a woman after his pocket, she lied a lot and was a fake.But besides how I felt about her my father loved her and he new how I felt about her, but I stood by him and was respecting his wishes. Now If she was putting him In harm's way then I would have to step up and something. 2. Which client behaviors would you have trouble accepting? I would have a hard time accepting a mother who has abounded her child for their to have a child in their lives to give them love and support.This is very personal to me, as a child left on the front door of their father's house with a white trash bag by y mother at the age of 11 is very hard to understand especially since I am a mother now and there is no chance I could do tha t to my own child. 3. What would you like to accomplish in human services? I would like to accomplish a lot in human service; first I would like to help as many children as I can, give them a good home with a happy family. Being able to make a person or child smile is my main goal, help them in their lives in any way I can.My main mission is to be there for the worst and turn that situation upside down into a better situation. 4. How do you go about solving personal problems? Solving the problem is based on the situation, one thing I always follow is get all of the facts, hear both sides of the stories. But once you have lied and crossed me, it is hard to build my trust back. Solving personal problems is hard at times but there is always a solution to a problem so I never give up until I find that answer.

Increasing taxes of alcohol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Increasing taxes of alcohol - Essay Example According to the health minister, when in the year 2000 the previous government initiated a tax decrease on these products, it led to a drastic increase in the consumption of these products. Official data suggests that the consumption increased form 14 percent to around 60 percent with young girls. Moreover, an even more alarming situation for the government is that the consumption of ready to alcohol drinks is increasing within teenagers and data suggests that girls are even more responsive towards this trend in comparison with boys. The government hopes to reverse this trend with this price increase since the segment is price sensitive plus the government also promises to spend the tax revenue in preventive health schemes. The above-mentioned case in many ways relates to different concepts of economics. The first one can be the very basic relation of price and demand. Economics at its initial level teaches that price charged for any product and quantity demanded of that product enjoy a negative or inverse relationship. If price charged for a product increases than the quantity demand decreases and vice versa1. This case shows a similar kind of a situation. According to the health minister when in year 2000, the previous government decreased the taxes, it led to the decrease in the price charged for it to consumers and this decrease in price led to a drastic increase in the quantity demanded for ready to drink alcohol drinks. Official data suggests that it rose from 14 percent to 60 percent within the segment of young girls. The price demand relationship explains the idea and phenomenon behind this happening. Another important concept of economics applied here is the price elasticity of demand. Sensitivity of quantity demanded to the changes in the price charged is the price elasticity of demand. In order words, it can also be said that it refers to the responsiveness of demand in relation to the changes in price.

Paper 3--The Persuasive Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

3--The Persuasive - Research Paper Example The champions of vegetarianism are so convinced of the benefits of vegetarianism that some of them even advocate that it should be made compulsory. However, although its practitioners put forward many arguments in favor of vegetarianism, none of these are strong or conclusive enough to warrant such an extreme stand. The two major arguments advocated in favor of vegetarianism center round the health benefits of avoiding meat and cruelty to animals. Both these arguments are refutable and open to debate. The primary health-centered argument advanced by vegetarians is that a vegetable based diet has major health benefits, when compared to an animal based diet. It can readily be conceded that the phytochemicals and antioxidants found primarily in fruits and vegetables help the body combat heart disease and cancer. The high fiber content of vegetables and fruits further aid in digestion and protect against disease. However, it must also be conceded that a vegetarian diet is deficient in pr otein, essential amino-acids, calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin B-12. Studies published in 1988 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition â€Å"concluded that elderly people also should be especially cautious about adopting vegetarian diets† (Health Response Ability Systems). ... Price Foundation). Soy is to be consumed in small quantities and cannot be treated as a generous substitute for animal protein. The second health-centered argument in favor of vegetarianism is that the consumption of animal-based products leads to several diseases, particularly cancer, atherosclerosis, obesity and diabetes. This is attributed to the dietary cholesterol and saturated fats found in animal products. However, it is relevant to note that these diseases for the most part are fairly recent, twentieth-century phenomena, while mankind has been consuming animal products from primitive times. This strongly suggests that extraneous variables, such as food processing, methods of cooking, indulgence in tobacco, alcohol and caffeine, consumption of trans-fatty acids (which are found in margarine and vegetable shortening), and the excessive intake of sugar and carbohydrates may be the actual culprits, in combination with lifestyle factors, including lack of physical exercise, stress and pollution. (Byrnes). It is processed, ‘junk food’ which should be banned and not meat eating. After all, a plate of French fries is as healthy as a hamburger! Thirdly, the advocates of vegetarianism hold that eating animal-based products is hazardous to health as the administration of growth hormones and antibiotics to animal fodder and the contamination of fish by mercury lead to the ingestion of toxins by humans. Inadequate cooking of meat poses the risk of food poisoning. This argument can be countered by the fact that the consumption of genetically modified crops and pesticide contaminated vegetables poses an equal health hazard. Vegetables and fruits can be contaminated by infection causing listerium

Lotus Rental Cars Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lotus Rental Cars - Research Paper Example However, electric cars are more expensive than fossil fuel and hybrid cars due to the technological peculiarities. Therefore, buying electrical vehicles for business is a risky enterprise. Even though hybrid and electrical cars are more expensive than gas engine vehicles and company might lose profit, adding hybrid/electric cars to the company’s fleet will be a good investment for the enterprise which gives cars for rent. Accurate assessing of the situation and finding the right niche may give benefits to such a company as Lotus Rental Car CFO if the company decides to use electrical cars along with conventional. First of all, the benefit is connected to a reduced amount of costs spent on fuel. Among the clients of rental car offices people on business trips are the most frequent followed by tourists. Most employers that send their employees to business trip will rather pay extra dollar to rent a fuel efficient car like a hybrid than reimburse their employees for gas. Savings for the money on electricity are much more persuasive compared to fuel savings. It was estimated that driving about 15 thousand miles will cost for about $500 annually taking into account existing prices for electricity in the USA. The same distance will require $1900 for a gas engine. So it is possible to cover high prices for the electric car with money raised by fuel economy. And this argument will be important for those who take car for a rent. Electric /hybrid cars are perfect for rent because the driver can calculate his/her distance in advance and charge it at the company`s office and in several other places(Electric Vehicles, 2013). Maximum time that allows driving without extra recharge is about 8 hours now, and most people who rent cars especially for business trips plan to cover the distances which are not so great. However, it is important to understand that electric cars differ

Can global governance avert economic crises Term Paper

Can global governance avert economic crises - Term Paper Example terized by prolonged periods of increased unemployment and inflation, reduced international trade and investment, a loss of foreign reserves and recession. Various types of crises can arise in the global economy. An example of the crises is the financial crisis that is usually observed globally. A Financial crisis according to Portes (1998) is a situation where the financial markets are disturbed in such a manner that the markets fail to allocate the capital. As a result, the investment and the financial intermediation are gravely affected. A ‘financial crisis is’ a term that is usually broadly used for many types of crises. According to Portes (1998) a financial crisis is used to refer to exchange rate problems, bankruptcy, and debt defaults. Some of the examples of the financial crises are explained below. According to Jahjah (2000), defaults refer to a situation where any individual or a country fails to comply with the terms and conditions of an agreement and also is not able to pay the required debts at the already proposed time. An example of a default crisis would be the sub prime crisis that occurred in the US in 2008 where the borrowers were provided with the loans that could not be sold in the prime market according to Whalen (2008). The term ‘sub prime’ was used for the ‘sub prime’ crisis because it actually defines the status of the borrower. This means that during the crises that borrowers who had poor credit history were granted loans. As mentioned above, these loans could not be sold out to anyone in the prime markets. There was a sub prime crisis because the borrowers and lenders both were at risk. The reasons were that the sub prime lending according to Whalen (2008) meant that the borrowers and the lenders had to face markets with higher interest rates, a high rate of default and poor credit history. In the US according to Shankar (2008), the sub prime lending increased from 9% in 1996 to 21% in 2004. Some analysts argue that the

Tanning Beds Should Be Banned Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tanning Beds Should Be Banned - Essay Example The tanning beds again are accessible as their popularity also enabled the growth of salons. Tanning bed salons are found in almost every area. The tanning service done indoors allows for a cosmetic tan in moderation and control of the skin form and a regulator that minimizes the danger of overexposure and sunburn. The affirmative psychological benefits of tanning can also be as a result of other factors saves for endorphins. The advantage alleged by the tanning industry with regards to the tanning indoors different from the outside tanning is the quantity of control the tanner bears. An often alleged advantage of non natural tanning is the increased production of Vitamin D. The utilization of Vitamin D offers a supplementary reliable, fair and clearly protected way to acquiring the desired Vitamin D (www.time.com, 1) Indoor tanning beds may perhaps or might not be valuable for the treatment of SAD. It is plausible that the advantage that numerous SAD patients experience is more as a result of tanning leaving a sense of good feeling in general, instead of treating the SAD itself because the tanning beds do not generate wavelength of light required for an efficient treatment of SAD. WHO on Tanning Beds and Cancer This article tackles the effects of tannin g bed as researched by The World Health Organization’s Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The article reports that tanning beds have hard harmful effects on populations as well cause cancer. WHO has declared tanning bed usage, a vital cancer danger. It reports that the organization ranked UV tanning beds to its highest cancer risk grouping, â€Å"carcinogenic to individuals." According to the article, the faction had previously categorized sun lamp and tanning bed application as potential â€Å"carcinogenic to humans.† It offers information connecting the indoor tanning to the lethal skin cancer melanoma which is ample and undeniable. A remarkable increase in melanoma, mostly among the youthfu l women, has been observed in recent years. Studies done imply that the past decade offers enough evidence to ascertain that, tanning bed use, has had a significant role, jointly with exposure to direct sun. A tan which excites many people who view it a sign of health are unaware of its dangers to the skin (Boyles, 1). The IARC faction met and reviewed the research on tanning beds as well as part played by ultraviolet light contact in skin cancer. They concluded that ultraviolet A (UVA), B (UVB) and ultraviolet C (UVC) radiations, all contribute in causing cancer, in animal forms. This is critical because as it contradicts the claims of the indoor tanning industry, which advocated that tanning beds were secure since the bulbs possessed more UVA radiation as compared to UVB. It is reported in the article that melanoma cases in the US have doubled between the periods of mid 1990s to 2004. The research argued that this rapid rise could not be elaborated by screening and prior detection of cancer. It was also reported that tanning before one reaches 30 years linked with an astounding 75% rise in melanoma hazard. It was also discovered that according to the article that young women suffering from cancer between 1973 and 2004 indicated tripling cases on melanoma (Boyles, 1). Reasons against tanning beds and their harm Although

Development and Expansion Strategy of SMART Cars Essay

Development and Expansion Strategy of SMART Cars - Essay Example Acquire new customer by optimizing search engine submissions, introducing online competitions and a free web mail system for SMART car owners and fans. Introducing a secure online transaction service that can be used to buy products and services or apply for finance, with a quick turnaround time of 24 hours. Implementation of actions to enhance and streamline the SMART sites so that they are easier to navigate and offering the customers a richer more rewarding personal experience. Addition of an exclusive owner section with car service record, logbook and special promotions. 2 Terms of Reference This report was commissioned by SMART on December 12th 2005 3 Methodology This report references the following: The Institute of Direct Marketing, SMART Car Handout, 2006. MediaCo, Email Marketing - Opt In Email Marketing. J. S. Fleming and Gail Said Johnson. Designing an Effective Web Page. 2003. 4 Situational Analysis 4.3 Company Analyzes SMART an automobile manufacturing, supply and sales enterprise was established in 1994 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler Chrysler, with approximately 1200 employees. SMART have dealership networks in 35 countries, with their administrative network in Bblingen Germany and production facility in Hambach France. Its product range exists out of three models, the ForTwo, ForFour and Roadster in hard top and cabrio styles. SMART's key issue has been always been the environment, with guidelines ensuring SMART cars are engineered to protect the environment by being energy efficient and preserving natural resources. SMART's policy starts with development, runs through production, and ends in the recycling of many SMART components. SMART Car UK has a multi-channel approach in selling their relevant products and...Its product range exists out of three models, the ForTwo, ForFour and Roadster in hard top and cabrio styles. SMART's key issue has been always been the environment, with guidelines ensuring SMART cars are engineered to protect the environment by being energy efficient and preserving natural resources. SMART's policy starts with development, runs through production, and ends in the recycling of many SMART components. SMART Car UK has a multi-channel approach in selling their relevant products and services. A customer gets acquainted to products and services by visiting their respective website's www.thesmartcar.co.uk & www.smarttogo.co.uk, and purchasing these products at one of 53 SMART dealerships. In the fiscal year of 2004/5, SMART UK's turnover was 6.8 million and the growth forecast indicate a possible increase rate of 15% for the 2005/6 period, with a total turnover forecast of 7.25 million. SMART's online marketing and promotion contributed towards the sale of 850 units of the total 11000 sales in the UK in 2005. Smart car UK is already a established business with a strong consumer base from which to launch a aggressive marketing strategy to increase its share of the automobile market. Some of its strong points are: SMART car as a new entry to the automobile market offering the consumer the retro unique look.

Professional Growth Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Professional Growth Plan - Assignment Example ental since the only way to understand cultural diversity is by learning the underlying differences, then embrace and integrate them into the already running system. Cultural proficiency is a developmental process that utilizes resources prior to the realization of an advanced outcome. Information is a vital resource in this process, and the advantage in this case is that vast information about cultural proficiency is readily available and accessible. From libraries to the internet, there are diverse and dynamic sources of information about cultural proficiency. Keeping at par with current information in personal development towards cultural proficiency is fundamental in learning and understanding cultural diversity in the world (Lindsey, Nuri-Robins, Terrell & Lindsey, 2011). On the same note, use of information as a resource will enhance cross-cultural analysis in an unbiased manner. Teacher-student interactions often require a culturally responsive learning environment. To create an environment that best accounts for this requirement, differentiated instruction becomes a fundamental strategy to use for the benefit of the students. Differentiated instruction will basically account for the diverse and differentiated students’ needs in the teaching and learning context. This will also enhance their academic understanding, over and above the realization that their various cultural differences are accounted for in the teaching and learning systems. Culturally responsive efforts are pursued at all levels, especially at individual and social levels. The primary interest is to enhance social coherence amid individual and social differences that are rooted in variant cultures. Colleagues or even the school at large can employ different efforts to enhance their cultural responsiveness. Personal change and transformation constitutes essential efforts that can be employed to improve and exacerbate cultural responsiveness (Lindsey, Nuri-Robins, Terrell & Lindsey, 2011).

Use of Elemental Imagery Jane Eyre Essay Example for Free

Use of Elemental Imagery Jane Eyre Essay The use of elemental imagery in Jane Eyre, revealed throughout the novel both literally and metaphorically, is one of Charlotte Bronte s key stylistic devices. The opposition of the two elements, fire and water, highlights the need for the characters to find equilibrium between the two. Fire can describe passion and warmth, but it can also burn. Water can describe coolness and comfort, but it can also chill. Because of Charlotte Bronte s use of elemental imagery in her book, Jane Eyre, the reader can better comprehend what the characters of Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester, St. John Rivers, and Bertha Mason are feeling and thinking. Fire imagery helps the reader understand the strong feeling of passion in the character of Jane Eyre. At Gateshead, Jane is unable to control her passions and hits John Reed after he bullies her. As her punishment, Jane is locked up in the red-room. Fire imagery here, in the form of the red room, is Bronte s way of representing Jane s passion and fury. A bed supported on massive pillars of mahogany, hung with curtains of deep red damask (20) is used by Bronte to represent, through physical manifestation, Jane s overly passionate nature. Also very significant is the direct use of fire. This room was chill, because it seldom had a fire (20) is Bronte s way of saying that Jane is the fire in the room. There was not a fire until Jane inhabited the room. This key symbolism generates a horrific image in the reader s mind of what Jane looks like and is acting like in this scene due to Bronte s significant use of elemental imagery. Another instance of fire describing Jane is when she sees Mr. Rochester s bed torched. It is ironic that Jane happens to find Rochester s bed torched. The reason, illustrated by Bronte, is because they share passion with each other. They have feelings for each other in a way that Bronte can only describe with the fire imagery. The scene s sheer coincidence makes that hard not to believe. Because Bronte used fire to describe Jane s passion in that scene, the reader can really grasp how Jane is feeling. On the contrary, that scene extinguishes the fire, thus the passion. Later in that scene, Jane extinguishes the fire in Rochester s room with water. The water that Jane uses to put out the passion flame in that scene is metaphorically telling the reader that she needs to relinquish her passion. The flame between Jane and Rochester is too hot. They need to find equilibrium. The reader can see the amount of passion that Jane feels, and the amount needed to extinguish her passion. Another instance of water imagery describing Jane s feelings is when Jane shows Rochester one of her paintings. This painting tells the reader much about Jane s concerns and values through the rich sense of imagery in them. The first painting is described as having a drowned corpse in its swollen seas of green water (143). Jane, because of her passionate nature, sees water, representing a locking out of passion and emotion, as death itself. Given that Jane has hot, fiery passion, water imagery is used by Bronte to show the reader how and equilibrium needs to be reached between the two. Another character, Mr. Rochester, shows extreme passion in his multifaceted and intricate feelings. Thornfield is usually considered a gloomy house like a grey hollow filled with rayless cells, (133) but when Rochester enters, Jane sees a warm glow in the oak staircase and a genial fire lit in the grate (133). Immediately upon Rochester s return to Thornfield, fire imagery is used more by Bronte. Come to the fire, (152) said by Rochester to Jane is seen as an invitation to indulge Rochester s passion. Bronte portrays Rochester as fire itself. His purpose is to offer passionate and romantic love to Jane. Rochester, viewed as fire, makes the passion swelling in him more obvious to the reader. St. John Rivers does not feel much passion in his life. Therefore, he can be described as cold and icy. The first and foremost evidence of this is exemplified just by reading his name, Rivers. When Jane sees St. John for the first time, she says, I have never seen that handsome face of his look more like chiseled marble as he put aside his snow wet hair from his forehead (386). Bronte writes that St. John was at the fireside a cold, cumbrous column, gloomy and out of place (393), hinting the incompatibility of Jane and St. John. Jane s nature is passionate while St. John s is not. Bronte again uses water imagery to describe the strange marriage proposal of St. John s. She compares him with imagery of cold, running water when Jane says he has no more a husband s heart for me than that frowning giant of a rock, down which the stream is foaming in yonder gorge (459). St. John Rivers feelings are better illustrated from this use of water imagery. Bronte uses fire to describe Bertha Mason. Through Bronte s use of this imagery, the reader can see the potential dangers of allowing passion to rule uncontrolled. Bertha represents unleashed, untamed passion, without any control or reason. This can be observed when she torches his bed curtains. The imagery, such as the lit candlestick on its side lying on the hallway floor, symbolizes destructive passion that Bertha possesses. Notice that the candlestick is on its side, not upright in a safe position. When Bertha torches Thornfield, she is described as having hair streaming against the flames (476). This description signifies that Bertha has almost a satanic nature bearing a head full of fire. These two scenes are designed to make the reader appreciate the grave danger of uncontrolled passion. In Charlotte Bronte s Jane Eyre, the reader understands better what Jane, Mr. Rochester, St. John Rivers, and Bertha Mason are feeling and thinking due to Bronte s use of elemental imagery. As a result of this, the reader appreciates these characters even more. Without the use of fire and water imagery to show the characters feelings, comprehending what the characters are thinking would be difficult. Basically, Bronte s use of fire and water imagery signifies her relentless pursuit to show the reader what her characters in Jane Eyre are feeling.

Culture debasing Essay Example for Free

Culture debasing Essay The mass media is constantly around us, through newspapers and magazines, the internet, television and film etc. these are used by us everyday in our spare time and academic work. So are we influenced by this form of secondary socialisation in our lives to create a mass culture? And does this mass culture debase ordinary culture? In this essay I will use secondary research and my own opinion to answer this question. The media itself plays a big part in creating images through the way they report and advertise consumer products and moral panics. I feel that the type of media presentation demonstrated influences different subcultures into believing that what they are seeing is true, hence the change in their attitudes to different topics, music and fashion. Especially young people today can be nai ve and believe everything they see or hear on television or the internet, which could cause primary socialisation to change for the children, because of these views. This mass culture, I believe could destroy and make an ordinary culture into extinction through too much influence of babble and consumer products on television. Although you could ask what is ordinary and normal? Normal does not have a clear definition; as no one is completely normal, but ordinary seems to be defined as routine or customary, so an ordinary culture is considered the norm way of living. So what is mass culture? An extra- ordinary way people live, or is it a negative perception of some peoples choice of life? By using the textbook seventh edition Sociology Themes and Perspectives. I found that the development of the media was debasing the culture of ordinary people, which could cause problems for western societies. This comment could back up my opinion of a negative effect of media through a mass culture which could destroy the traditional thoughts and practices of western life. Dwight Macdonald had a theory about mass culture. He claimed that mass culture was very different from high culture and folk art. He states that mass culture is standardized and a commercial kitsch (popular culture which could be considered worthless) used by business to create a profit. This shows that Macdonald as well as I believe that mass culture is kitsch- worthless babble used to sell products, which also influences or brainwashes people into believing that anything merchandised is right or sick as teenagers of today say. Dwight also stated that mass culture takes less mental effort and that it tended to undermine high culture. So basically he is saying that mass culture is maybe for a different class of person.

Knowledge Based Practice in Substance Abuse Interventions

Knowledge Based Practice in Substance Abuse Interventions Knowledge based practice Introduction This paper will look at how research informs practice. I will be looking at young people and substance misuse and older people and how research might inform or affect my practice. Good professional practice is knowledge based practice which often means that it is practice based on what others have done, or research that others have undertaken. Research is an important part of most aspects of the human services. In health, in education, and in social work research is important informs our view of the world and can provide a framework for dealing with a particular subject or case. Research has a prominent place in the social services and it is important to the social worker. When people undertake research into areas of social and health care, then these findings and recommendations are generally used to inform practice. Not only is research important in informing social work practice, it is also important when it comes to Government policy. Like most social workers I have found some research an invaluable asset when dealing with disaffected and vulnerable groups such as young children and socially excluded young people. Some research may have been undertaken some time in the past but its findings still prove to be useful today. Willis’ (1977 in Giddens 2001) used group interviews (what are sometimes called focus group interviews) in his study of working class boyS and the ways in which the education system attempts to prepares them for the labour market. Both individual and group interviews were used in collecting this data, and while the work has been criticised it provided, and continues to provide useful information about how working class boys communicate and interact. This type of research is a source of invaluable knowledge to someone working with young people. It provides some insights into why youngsters react against authority and why they might act the way they do. Research can be a two edged sword, on the one hand it informs, and on the other it can produce lasting impressions that can lead to oppressive policy making. While Government papers on young people set a framework for soc ial workers, this kind of early research is useful when dealing with them in a practice context. Yet another valuable, yet some might say, problematic, source of information is Bowlby’s (1946) work on why young people commit crime or get involved in substance abuse. While Bowlby’s work, (which points to maternal deprivation as a cause of problematic behaviour in young people )has been deeply criticised within academic circles his ideas still have a significant impact on current Government discourses on youth. Certainly many social workers find themselves dealing with youngsters who have substance abuse problems and may feel themselves in an ethical dilemma when confronted with some of the policies in this area. One of the worst influences that work such as this has had is the growing tendency to treat anyone who does not conform to society’s norms as sick and deviant. Government initiatives on drugs, more often than not, appear to be targeted at poor and working class communities. Further there is a tendency for these initiatives to link poverty and drugs in the minds of other people. If an adolescent comes from the poorer part of town and is perhaps unemployed then this can lead to people in authority thinking that he/she is more likely to be seen as a drugs user even if they are not. Eley (2002) maintains that this leads to the association of drugs and crime with those who are already underprivileged in society. For social workers this is can be an extremely problematic situation. Do I as a social worker automatically assume something about a young person who is in trouble, and label them as sick and deviant, or do I adhere to what I believe to be the case, that everyone is of equal worth and therefore deserves an equal chance. If I am to abide, in my professional capacity by the 1998 Human Rights Act, then ethically, I could be duty bound to ignore Government guidelines in this area. Moore (1996) says that Government overstates the case on drug misuse when it refers to drug users as addicts because, he argues, most of the drug use that takes place in Britain is recreational This implies that those who use them are in control of the situation with regard to when they take drugs e.g. weekends, and how much they spend. Theorists are divided on why adolescents take drugs therefore it might be argued that the reason adolescents use drugs are quite complex and differ from person to person. This means that a social worker should act in accordance with the Human Rights Act when dealing with the problems of young people because that also implies treating each case on its individual merits Becker (1963) has argued that young people are often viewed as delinquent because of the way society viewed certain acts, such as drug taking. Calling or labelling a young person as deviant is problematic because it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Those in authority often take the view that young people, and particularly underprivileged young people are deviant and if the label is applied often enough, and by those with the power to apply it, then that is how the adolescent may come to view themselves. Taylor, Walton and Young (1973) however, say that no theory is sufficient unless there is also an analysis of the power relationships that exist in society. Hall (1978) maintains that the way in which adolescents are represented in the media has a huge effect on the way in which they are viewed by others. This can then have a further effect on their actions. In my own professional practice I have to be aware of such theories and how they inform public perception and Government policy. I also have to be aware of them in my practice and this might involve questioning the assumptions and methods behind certain research findings i.e. I am questioning their theories. Theories aid us in making sense of the world, one explanation of theory is an observation of observed regularities for example that women do more housework than men. Many things are not self-evident but need an explanation, thus Abbott and Wallace (1997) maintain that all of us are theorists because of the need to analyse and interpret our ordinary everyday experiences in order to make sense of them In sociological theory, some theories are extremely abstract, for example critical theory. Merton (1967 in Giddens, 2001) has called these theories ‘grand theories’ because they operate at a general and abstract level, theories such as those of Willis and Bowlby are middle range theory, because they are looking at an aspect of social life. Usually Merton (1967in Giddens 2001) maintains it is the middle range theories that are more likely to guide research. Labelling theory and Becker’s work, for example is a middle range approach to research that was developed out of the sociology of deviance. The problem is that while I as a social worker dealing with a young person with substance abuse issues might prefer to treat that person as an individual, and ethically I am bound to do so, Government discourses take a quite different view. Drug abuse and crime as mentioned earlier are closely associated in public discourses with poverty and this is evident in recent policy making. When evaluating research and research findings social workers need to find some sort of framework within which to evaluate the work this might be the 12 step approach advocated by Locke or it might be something as simple as using a content analysis approach to evaluate what the researcher has done and decide how effective that research may be. The Government’s report, No More Excuses (The Causes of Youth Crime) states that deprivation and poverty are usually a contributing factor in youth crime.[1] Government research suggests that while young people who offend may not do it very often, there are a few persistent offenders who are responsible for the greater part of youth crime new Youth Justice reforms will concentrate on preventing crime and on early intervention where children and young people are at risk of becoming involved in crime.[2] Leitner et al (1993) maintain that the British public is concerned about drug use, drug dealing, and the crime that is associated with this. Pudney (2003) maintains that if young people take soft drugs such as cannabis then they are more likely to progress to hard drugs and to criminal activity. He also argues that such behaviour is strongly associated with unobservable personal characteristics and New Labour have consistently targeted drugs initiatives at underprivileged commun ities. Working with young people means that I have to take into account Government reports as well as other research findings. At the same time I, like many other social workers, have as Moore (2002) points out, entered social work because of a commitment to social justice, or at the very least a desire to help others and to see improvement and positive change in people’s lives. Some critics maintain that the way in which social services often operates is self-serving rather than serving the needs of the clients, yet social workers do police themselves and their profession. The way in which they do this is to think critically about what they are doing, why they are doing it, and what moral implications this may have. Certainly social work ethics should not lead anyone to believe that the social work profession should serve itself, rather the needs of the client should be most important. One of the ways this is achieved is by establishing clear relationship boundaries early on and thi s is vital when working with young people who have issues around substance misuse. The BASW has to say about social work ethics and values. The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work (BASW,2001). [3] Social work practice, in order to be ethical practice must be centred on the needs of service users Social workers of necessity intervene in people’s lives and have an influence on situations, ethical decision making is therefore a vital component of social work practice (Osmo and Landau, 2001). Yet another area where social work practice can be a minefield is in working with older people. When working with older people a social worker has a duty to abide by the 1990 NHS and community care act. Working with older people can be difficult on the one hand there is what you want to achieve as a social worker and on the other there are guidelines that may prevent you from doing your best for a client. There are an increasing number of legal and policy requirements that the social worker dealing with an older person must adhere to. It is difficult for the social worker to negotiate the needs and wishes of the client while remaining within the legislative framework. Working together is not always straightforward. The more recent Health and Social Care Bill of 2001 gives Government powers to require health bodies and local authorities whose services are failing to pool their resources. Parrott (2002) undertook research into the care management process and how it affects social worke rs and service users. He points out that there is often no common guidelines on which services should be provided, or the standard of care to expect. The social worker may find that he/she has to perform most of the assessment and to discover whether an older person’s family would be prepared to help so that he/she could remain in their own home. Whatever the decision the social worker would also need to ensure that the client could, at some level, participate in the decision making process. Thus the process is fraught with problems, for example a social worker might assess a person as needing a certain level of care but this has to be agreed with the social worker’s supervisor and with care management. So the person may not receive the care that the social worker deems appropriate. Thus the social worker has a dilemma. While knowledge does inform practice it is not the only thing that the social worker has to deal with, management decisions also affect the process as Parrott’s research shows. One thing that has become apparent to me is while research can inform practice, it should not be allowed to determine it, if and when it does this can result in oppressive practice and a complete disregard of the rights of the service user and this is against ethical practice as outlined by the BASW. Conclusion This paper has looked at knowledge based practice and how research informs what a social worker does. When dealing with research one is not looking at it in isolation but also having to deal with policies that emerge as a result of that research. Many of the funding restrictions that social workers have to deal with are a result of the 1988 Griffiths report which found that getting organizations to work together, and using a market based approach to social care would save the Government money. Bibliography Abbott and Wallace (1997) An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives, London, Routledge Becker, H.S. 1963. Outsiders. New York, Free Press. Bennet, T. Holloway, K. and Williams T. 2001.Drug use and offending: Summary results of the first year of the New-ADAM research programme. Home Office Research Study 236 Home Office London Blaxter, L, Hughes, C and Tight, M (1996) How to research. OU press Bowlby, J. 1946. Forty-four Juvenile Thieves. London, Tindall and Cox. British Association of Social Workers (2002) The Code of Ethics for Social Work.http://www.basw.co.uk/. Bryman, A 2004 Social Research Methods 2nd ed. Oxford, Oxford University Press Eley, S. 2002. â€Å"Community-backed drug initiatives in the UK: a review and commentary on evaluations.† Health Social Care in the Community10(2),99-105. Giddens, 2001 4th ed. Sociology Cambridge, Polity Hall,S. Critcher, C. Jefferson,T. Clarke, J. and Roberts, B. 1979 Policing the Crisis. Mugging, Leitner M., Shapland J. Wiles P. 1993. Drug Usage and Drugs Prevention: The Views and Habits of the General Public. HMSO, London. Moore, S. 2002 3rd Edition Social Welfare Alive Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Moore, S.1996 Investigating Crime and Deviance London, Collins Educational Parrott, L 2002 Social Work and Social Care London, Routledge. Taylor Walton and Young. 1973. The New Criminology. London, Routledge 1 [1] http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs/nme.html#CHAP1 [2] http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs/nme.html#CHAP1 [3] http://www.basw.co.uk/articles.php?articleId=2page=2

A Comparison of a Hobbsian World and the World of Candide Essay

The Disparity between a Hobbsian World and the World of Candide    In an anarchistic Hobbsian world, man leads a purely selfish existence, perpetually waging war against his fellow men.   In this world Nature subsists as a playing field for evolution: only the strong and cunning survives, and even survival results in life that is "nasty, brutish, and short" (Hobbes).   However, with restraints (that is, government), a Hobbsian world can blossom into society.   According to Hobbes, those who wish to subside from natural anarchy must implicitly surrender some personal freedom in exchange for societal order.    Hobbes' philosophies influenced many of his contemporaries and subsequent intellectuals, including Voltaire, demonstrated in his satire, Candide.   At first glance, Candide seems to be a strict manifestation of Hobbsian philosophy: an anarchistic world centered around war, relieved only through the yield of personal freedom for communal order-Eldorado and the garden.   Yet after a thorough examination of the work, one recognizes that the characters in Candide are not Hobbsian.   Hobbsian man is innately selfish and ambitious while Voltaire's characters are not.   Perhaps some characters in Candide are driven through their misfortunes as a result of their avarice; however, this foible can not be ascribed as innately human. Instead, avarice, in the world of Candide, arises as a byproduct of the fallibility of man-made institutions (that is, religious and educational), which are the primary targets of Voltaire's satire. Thus, the world of Candide, although structured like a Hobbsian world, contains men that are not Hobbsian.   This d... ...the inability to cooperate.   Or perhaps Voltaire suggests that the world can be controlled more effectively if the man-made institutions that he is satirizing could be somehow reorganized.   All in all, Voltaire's subtle divergence from strict Hobbsian philosophy enables him to pose perhaps unanswerable questions about mankind and our potentials. Works Cited Bottiglia, William. "Candide's Garden." Voltaire: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Hobbes, Thomas. â€Å"Of Religion.† ed.Smith,Lacey Baldwin and Jean Reeder Smith. The Past Speaks. 2nd ed. 1 vol. Lexington: Heath, 1993. Richter, Peyton. Voltaire. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1980. Tsanoff, Radoslav. Voltaire's Candide and the Critics. California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., 1966. Voltaire. Candide. New York: Viking Publishers, 1996.

Mr. :: essays research papers

In September 1998, Steven Spielberg received the Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany from President Roman Herzog, who expressed Germany's appreciation to the American Jewish director. "Germany thanks you for work that has given us more than you may realize," said Herzog. The film that made the Germans realize that there were maybe heroes among them would be Schindler's List. Yet at that time, Spielberg's subsequent film was also playing in German cinemas--a film that had as its cornerstone the same verse from the Talmud emblazoned on the screen in Schindler's List: "Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire." In making Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg inverted that principle to show an entire group setting out to save a single--and virtually unknown--soldier, someone more remote to them than Schindler's people were to him. Saving Private Ryan focuses on Captain John Miller's (Tom Hanks) leading a special squadron detailed to find and save the last son of Mrs. Ryan, whose other three boys have perished on three different fronts. The carnage they must face is so often blamed on their quest that, by the time we meet Ryan himself, he all too readily accepts the burden of guilt. Spielberg's ability to look at World War II first this way, then that, has guaranteed him an altar in the magazine/TV/newsprint edifice that enshrines pop culture--where our latest products are sheltered, framed, hung, and subjected to an examination of ourselves within the work of art. The critical establishment seldom bothers to wire in a feed from Europe, where reactions to Hollywood product can alert us to surprising things about the movies themselves, as well as the auteurs behind them. In Germany, for example, the reception of Schindler's List undoubtedly benefitted from the effect of historian Daniel Goldberg tutoring the people in their proper role as willing villains. Spielberg brought relief by focusing on the hero among them and creating a masterpiece dedicated to their past.

Nick Carraway - Biased Narrator of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Nick Carraway - Biased Narrator of The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby, a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It is a novel that tells the story of different peoples lives and how they are intertwined with each other. The story is told from the viewpoint of the character Nick Carraway. It is through his eyes and ears that the reader forms their opinions of the other characters. In the novel the characters trust Nick and confide in him quite a bit. He thinks of himself as an open minded non-judgemental, non-partial person. I think that it is almost impossible to live your life and not judge others and also not be partial and judge different individuals with different standards. Nick wants the readers to believe that the way he was raised gives him the right to pass judgement on a immoral world. He says, that as a consequence of the way he was raised he is "inclined to reserve all judgements" about other people (page 5). His saying this makes it seem like we can trust him to give a fair unbiased account of the story that he is telling, but we later learn that he does not reserve all judgements. Nick further makes us feel that he is a non-partisan narrator by the way he tells of his past. We come to see that Nick is very partial in his way of telling the story. This is shown when he admits early in the story that he does not judge Gatsby because Gatsby had a "extraordinary gift for hope, a romanric readiness". This made Nick more loyal to Gatsby than other characters in the book. Nick overlooks the wrongness of Gatsby's bootlegging, his known associations with speakeasies, and with the character Meyer Wolfsheim, a man rumored to have fixed the World Series in 1919. Yet he is disapproving of Jordan Baker for cheating ina golf game. He also says that he is prepared to forgive this sort of behavior in a woman, "It made no difference to me. Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you cannot blame too deeply, I was causualy sorry, and then I forgot" it seems like he can't accept her for being "incurably dishonest" and then he says that his one "cardinal virtue" is that he is "one of the few honest people" he has ever known.

Outline on Genital Herpes

Kamara Gayle Outline of Major Report November 12, 2011 Title: An Introduction to Genital Herpes Introduction The definition of Genital Herpes Symptoms of Genital Herpes Treatment for Genital herpes The definition of Genital Herpes. A. Definition 1. Genital herpes is highly contagious, sexually transmitted viral infection of the genital and anal regions caused by herpes simplex virus and characterized by small clusters of painful lesions. B. First discovered by Hippocrates in the early ancient Greek times.Hippocrates was a Greek physician and that was highly reckoned as the superlative physician of his time. The human body and observation was his main focus and medical practice. Hippocrates discovered that illness in the body was not caused by superstitions and by possession of evil spirit. Based on his study he realized that the body must be treated as a whole and not just series of parts, natural healing process of rest, a good diet, fresh air, cleanliness. However, severity of symp toms varys from one person to another and thoughts, ideas, feeling come from the brain and the heart.C. Rate of occurrence 50 to 80 percent of the adult populations have Genital Herpes. Approximately 1 out of 5 female ages from 14 to 49 and Approximately 1 out of 9 male ages from 14 to 49 have Genital Herpes. Most of the time these individuals do not know they have the virus D. Causes Being female Being born to a mother with active genital herpes during pregnancy or delivery Having a compromised immune system due to medications or such conditions as HIV/AIDS Having multiple sexual partnersHaving unprotected sex, including vaginal, oral, or anal sex, with a partner who has had one or more other sexual partners History of another sexually transmitted disease III. Symptoms of Genital Herpes A. Primary Infection Painful red blister that burst to leave open sores around the genitals, rectum (back passage) The blistering and ulcers on the cervix In woman a vaginal discharge Very painfull when passing urine Temperature fever of 38Â ° C (100. 4 Â °F) or over Not feeling well with aches and pain in general B. Recurrent Infection Signaled by a tingling sensation Itching in the genital areasPain in the buttocks or down the leg IV. Treatments for Genital Herpes A. Oral medications Famciclovir (Farmvir) Valacyclovir (Valtrex) Acyclovir (Zovirax) These prevent the virus from multiplying and even shorten the length of eruption. B. Self-care at home Avoid excessive heat or sunlight that makes the irritation more uncomfortable. Do not used perfume or antibacterials soaps, feminine deodorant or douches. Wear comfortable loose fitting cotton clothing. Take aspen, acetaminopen (tylenol and others) Used cool cloths on the affected area if it soothes the pain. V. Conclusion

Professional Roles And Values Essay

Nursing is governed by state boards of nursing, specific to the state that the nurse is practicing in. These boards seek to define the scopes of practice particular to a specific set of people, such registered nurses, practical nurses, home health aides, etc. The New Jersey State Board of Nursing dictates things like applications, accreditation, fees, and continuing education requirements. It is regulatory in nature. (NJ Board of Nursing, n.d.) As a labor and delivery nurse, the professional organization that enhances my practice is AWHONN (Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal nurses). As opposed to the board of nursing which provides direction to general nursing practices and procedures, AWHONN is specific to my field. It provides current research, education opportunities, and clinical resources. (Awhonn.org, n.d.) An important aspect in delivering nursing care is the nursing code of ethics. The American Nurses Association (ANA) oversees this code of ethics. There are many ethical implications in nursing care in every specialty. In obstetrics, one of my biggest ethical dilemmas is the subject of abortion. Should a healthcare provider have the right to refuse to take part in any medical procedure? The nursing code of ethics allows health care providers to apply conscientious objection to this situation. Conscientious objection is allowed in situations where the â€Å"action would violate some deploy held moral or ethical value about right and wrong (Odell, Abhyankar, Malcom, &Rua, 2014). Another example of how the code of ethics influences my practice is the protection of the rights of privacy and confidentiality. I am sometimes given information from patients during the admission process that other family members, even the father of the baby, may not know. Things such as previous abortions, sexually transmitted diseases, and number of sexual partners are pertinent in my treatment of the patient, but are often not things that they would like shared with the rest of the family (Code of Ethics for Nurses, 2015). I believe one of the most important traits a nurse can possess is that of patient advocacy. People are usually at their most vulnerable when they are sick and may not be able to adequately advocate for themselves. Another important traits I would bring to an interdisciplinary team of healthcare providers is respect, respect for the patient and their choices, respect for my colleagues, but especially when I disagree with decisions made by either. Collaboration is also an important trait as a patient’s care is usually multi-disciplinary. Finally, responsibility and accountability are essential traits when part of a team. Team members need to be able to trust the people they are working with. Inevitably, mistakes are made and the true test of a professional is when they are able to own up and take responsibility for their wrongs. Code of Ethics for Nurses, 2015). There is an element in most nursing theories that influences my practice. Dorothea E. Orem’s self-care theory most resonates with my care of the maternity patient. It encompasses physical, interpersonal, psychological, and social aspects. Since most of the labor patients I take care of are considered â€Å"well† patients with insignificant medical issues, most of my time is spent teaching and observing – making sure my patient is able to care for her child once she leaves the hospital. This includes determining not only the physical needs, but also social and psychological well being of mother and father or extended family members involved in the care of the infant. Another influential figure in women’s health care was Margaret Sanger. She founded an organization called the American Birth Control League, presently known as Planned Parenthood. Sanger was a pioneer in the movement to improve women’s health through birth control and family planning. A controversial move at the time, she distributed pamphlets discussing birth control, menstruation, and sexuality. She was also instrumental in the founding of the first birth control clinic in the United States. Family planning and birth control continue to be extremely important women’s health initiatives (Wikipedia, 2015). On a daily basis, I strive to create a safe, respectful environment for all  of my patients. Beneficence is defined as â€Å"the doing of active goodness, kindness, or charity, including all actions intended to benefit others†(beneficence, n.d.) while nonmaleficence is defined as â€Å"the ethical principle of doing no harm†(nonmaleficence, n.d.). An example that exemplifies both of these traits is in a recent patient who presented to the hospital for induction of labor. After doing a thorough history of prior pregnancies, I determined the patient had a previous cesarean section. This information didn’t automatically exclude her from induction but it would dictate what induction method we would use. After further research and a request of records from another institution, it was determined that patient actually had a vertical uterine incision, which is not only a contraindication for induction but also a contraindication for vaginally delivery. At the very least, we avoided an emergency cesarean section, which had the potential to impact both the mother and infant’s life. As a maternity nurse, beneficence is a part of my daily routine, but following through on incomplete, undocumented information was an ethical decision I made to make sure the patient received proper care. References American Nurses Association, (2015). Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nurses. (n.d.) Retrieved February 2, 2015, from https://www.awhonn.org/awhonn/content.do?name=10_AboutUs/10_AboutUs_landing.htm Beneficence. (n.d.) Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. (2003). Retrieved February 17 2015 from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/beneficence Code of Ethics for Nurses. (2015). Retrieved January 28, 2015, from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-of-Ethics-For-Nurses.html Margaret Sanger. (2015, February 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:22, February 17, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Margaret_Sanger&oldid=645358719 New Jersey Board of Nursing Laws. (n.d.). Retrieved February 1, 2015, from http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/nursing/nur_rules.htm nonmaleficence. (n.d.) Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. (2003). Retrieved February 17 2015 from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/nonmaleficence Odell, J., Abhyankar, R., Malcom, A., & Rua, A. (2014). Conscientious objection in health professions: A reader’s guide to the ethical and social issues. Retrieved February 1, 2015, from https://scholarworks.iupui.edu/bitstream/handle/1805/3845/conscientious-objection-short- overview-20140201.pdf

Political Advertising: Candidates for Sale Essay

The Internet has not diminished the importance of television advertisements in presidential elections. The latter remains to be one of the most effective means of obtaining votes. In as short as 30 seconds, a television advertisement can convince voters about the competence and integrity of a particular candidate. The advertisement â€Å"sells† the candidate with as much enthusiasm and gusto as when it is selling products and services (Elliot, n. pag. ). However, political advertisements are not without contention. Akin to all other forms of advertising, they are subjective. As they are geared towards â€Å"selling† specific candidates, it is inevitable for political advertisements to present a biased point of view. Their subjectivity is sometimes obscured by noble trappings that are bombarded with images of American flags, the White House and Mount Rushmore (Elliot, n. pag. ). Despite questions about their reliability, political advertisements will continue to be an indispensable part of presidential campaigns. Candidates in recent presidential elections have focused their television commercials on â€Å"battleground† states such as Ohio and Florida. This trend is expected to increase – there are already about 20 â€Å"battleground† states as of this year. In addition, presidential candidates Barack Obama (Democrat) and John McCain (Republican) are both running nationwide advertisements (Elliot, n. pag. ). Political advertising was first developed and used in the mid-19th century. In order to generate turnout, political parties during this period distributed buttons, banners and posters to voters at local candidate rallies and at polling places on Election Day. But it was not until the advent of mass media in the 20th century that political advertising was elevated to its current status. The first national campaign commercials were broadcasted through radio in 1928 for presidential contenders Herbert Hoover (Republican) and Al Smith (Democrat) (Elliot, n. pag. ). The arrival of television in 1952 increased the cardinality of political advertisements in presidential campaigns. In the same year, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower (nicknamed Ike) was promoted in animated commercials that bannered the catchy slogan â€Å"I like Ike,† tuning him into the first presidential candidate to appear in television advertisements. These were followed with short commercials entitled Eisenhower Answers America, wherein Eisenhower was featured replying to questions from average voters about issues such as the rising cost of living and the Korean War. Eisenhower Answers America was frequently played during the commercial breaks of hit sitcoms like I Love Lucy, resulting in its instant popularity among voters. Succeeding presidential candidates followed suit, paying advertising firms millions of dollars to create catchier campaign advertisements for them (Elliot, n. pag. ). What makes political advertising effective is its ability to provide information to a wide audience within a short period of time. Furthermore, the manner in which they transmit information often appeals to the emotions rather than the intellect. Candidates are packaged as capable and trustworthy leaders who entered public office to serve the ordinary citizen. Candidates are also sometimes portrayed as the long-awaited â€Å"alternative† to a â€Å"useless† incumbent regime. As a result, the latter often makes political advertisements appear as smear campaigns against political opponents. These negative political advertisements, however, are the types of advertisements that have the greatest impact on people. They impart an overly-simplistic, â€Å"us-versus-them† philosophy, which, in the process, does the thinking for the voters. Consequently, negative political advertisements are very potent campaign materials. They reach everyone, including those who do not pay much attention to the campaign (Elliot, n. pag. ). This need for mobility is the reason for political advertising’s gradual shift from the television to the Internet. Websites such as YouTube. com (http://www. youtube. com) contain countless clips of political advertisements which people can access from virtually anywhere at any time. In addition, YouTube. om allows its members to post comments on the video clips that they viewed. In the context of political advertising, this can result in discussions that can help sharpen public opinion regarding politics and the electoral process. While negative political advertisements are effective in gaining votes, they are detrimental to American society and politics in the long run. According to Mike Hughes, president of an advertising agency in Richmond, Virginia, negative political advertisements are also untruthful. They often deceive voters by using stage effects and half-truths that make a candidate appear deserving of the position that he or she is aspiring for. Hughes was quick to add that this was not the fault of advertising agencies – most political advertisements nowadays are created by political consultants who specialize in campaign commercials. Unlike advertising agencies, which face criminal prosecution in the event that they produce inaccurate pitches, these consultants are allowed by the First Amendment to create political spots as part of their right to free speech (Elliot, n. pag. ). The deceitful usage of political advertisements is very dangerous, as it sends the people, particularly the youth, the message that the only way to get ahead in life is through lying. In addition, voters are tricked into voting leaders who will not think twice about resorting to dishonesty just to get what they want. A leader who got into power through dishonest means will most likely remain in power through dishonest means as well. Thus, there is a big possibility that lying in political advertisements will progress to violation of civil rights and liberties disguised as protection of national security.

Resources and Capabilities of Coca-Cola Essay

In the competitive corporate world it is very important for organizations to have a strategy. This strategy should be based on resources and capabilities that the firm has and also taking into consideration the opportunities that arise in the external environment enabling companies to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. (Grant, 2005). The company that I have chosen is Coca-Cola. The reason behind me choosing this company is because from my point of view, Coca-Cola has been a company that has always invested, upgraded and leveraged its resources and capabilities to be the most successful brand in the soft drink industry for more than 120 years. According to Interbrand ´s report on Best Global Brands, Coca- Cola has been ranked in the first position for the 13th consecutive years. Estimating its brand value at $77.8 billion and having a rise in 8% since last year annual report. (The New York Times, 2012). Coca-Cola ´s was discovered by John Pemberton, a pharmacist from Georgia, as a result of an accident, which has now become the most consumed soft drink in the world. (The Coca-Cola Company, 2012). Around 1.7 billion of Coke products are consumed in a day. (The World Fact Book, 2012). Its portfolio of products range from the traditional Coca-Cola, carbonated soda water, bottled water, tea, sports drink and fruit juices, having over 3,500 products and brands. The company holds 275 bottling partners around the world; these companies are dedicated to produce, package and distribute most of the company ´s products. The company competes in over 200 countries. (The Coca-Cola Company, 2012). The resource based view is a framework that suggests that companies obtain competitive advantage by focusing on strategies that exploit their internal strengths by responding to the external opportunities and trying minimize external threats and internal weaknesses. (Barney, 1991). The advantage of this model is that the firm can consider factors that are within their control. (Connely, 2010). Moreover, this model has two assumptions in analyzing resources. The first one is that the firm is heterogeneous to the strategic resources they control. The second is that resources aren’t perfectly mobile across firms and thus heterogeneity can be long lasting. (Barney, 1991). Before talking about Coca-Cola ´s resources and core capabilities it is important to understand the difference between these two. â€Å"Resources are the productive assets owned by the company, capabilities are what the firm can do well. Resources can be classified as three types; tangible resources, intangible resources and human resources.† (Grant, 2005, p. 136-137). Authors such as Teece and Pisano (1997) suggest that an organization has to always renew and recreate its resources to meet the needs of changing environments. They are three basic types of dynamic capabilities the ones sensing opportunities and threats, the ones concerning seizing opportunities and the ones concerned in re-configuring the capabilities of an organization. Dynamic capabilities can take various forms such as recruitment and management process, major strategic moves, such as acquisitions and alliances. Tangible resources are physical and financial resources that can take a variety of forms. These assets and capabilities determine how efficiently and effectively a company performs its functional activities†. (Grant, 2005, p.139). To determine if a company has a strong financial position financial analyst tend to evaluate in general the gross profit margin, operating margin, ROA and ROE ratios. The Coca Cola Company has a very strong financial position, its sales were $46.542 billion, its gross profit margin in the year 2011 was 60.86%, 2010 it was 63.86%, in 2009 it was 64.22% meaning that the company has been consistent in their efficiency of manufacturing and distribution during the production process. (Google Finance, 2011). The operating margin in 2011 was 23.06% and 2010 it was 39.13%. The margin is the measure of the proportion of company ´s revenue left after deducting variable costs. The margin has been consistent which means that the company is always trying to maintain its variable costs. The ROA is the indicator of how efficient a company is using its assets to generate earning. In 2011, Coca-Cola ´s ROA was 10.17%, during this year the management was less efficient at using its assets but during last few it has been quite efficient. In 2010 it was 16.19%; in 2009 it was 14.02%. The ROE from last year has dropped from 28.17% in 2010 to 17.73% in 2011, even though the company is trying use less shareholders equity to produce profits. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual Report, 2011). The physical resources that Coca-Cola owns can be classified into building, equipment and their bottling partners. The buildings account for $ 5.24 billion, the property, plant and equipment account for $ 23.15 billion. The distribution of the drink is done through 275 bottling partners. The bottling partners manufacture, package, merchandise and distribute the finished branded beverages. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual Report, 2011). The intangible resources tend to contribute more than tangible resources. They can be classified as; intellectual property, resources for innovation and reputation. (Grant, 2011). One of Coca-Cola ´s most valuable intangible resource is its secret formula. The company tends to sell concentrated syrups to their bottling partners, who then use the syrup to produce the final product. This means that the company does even share their secret formula with its bottling partners. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual Report, 2011). According to Coca- Cola another intangible resource that they own is their technology and the know-how. They related this technology to the â€Å"Company ´s products and the processes for their production, the packages used for our products, the design and operation of various processes and equipment used in our business and certain quality assurance software.† (Coca-Cola ´s Annual Report, 2011, p. 9). An intangible asset that Coca-Cola owns is its â€Å"Goodwill†. The goodwill can be classified as the strong brand name, good customer relations or good employee relations. (Investopedia, 2012). In 2011 Coca- Cola ´s good will accounted for $ 12,219. The company performs impairment tests of goodwill at geographic operating areas. The operating areas are: Eurasia and Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America and Pacific. Coca- Cola ´s brand loyalty and recognition can be considered as Coca-Cola ´s most valuable intangible resource. Every day 1.7 billion of coke products are consumed in a day, more than 60% of the of the world ´s population have a Coke drink in a day. (Market Line, 2011). Moreover, the red and white logo is recognized by 94% of the world ´s population. (Business Insider, 2012). The Coca-Cola Company had 146,200 employees worldwide in the year 2011, respectfully called associates. The Company always tries to keep their employees engaged by motivating and indulging responsibility in projects. Their work place includes on site company gym, free Coca-Cola drinks, summer and flexible working hours. Training and development also plays a big role, they continually invest in employee development plans, internal talent management, leadership development for managers and employee performance management. They also tend to reward their employees by different elements such as pension, health care and additional holidays. Once analyzed Coca-Cola ´s tangible and intangible resources I now proceed to analyze their core competence and dynamic capability. Core competence can be defined as â€Å"the linked set of skills, activities and resources that, together, deliver customer value, differentiate a business from its competitors and potentially can be extended and developed†. (Johnson et al, 2011, p. 89). Coca-Cola ´s major dynamic capability is large investment in marketing. In 2011, Coca- Cola spent $ 3.3 billion on advertisement. (Google Finance, 2011). Their marketing programs are developed to â€Å"Think Globally, but act locally† designed to enhance more consumer awareness and product appeal for customers. The company tends to differentiate its marketing strategy in developed markets and developing markets. In developed markets is objective is continue having growing profits and in developing markets its objective is to increase brand value. In emerging markets they invest in brands and infrastructure programs to give access to the consumers to the product. In developed markets they invest in making the product affordable, good communication with its customers and differentiation within its products. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual report, 2011). Another core competence that enables the company owns to gain competitive advantage is their distribution and bottling operations. Most of their products are â€Å"manufactured, sold and distributed by independently owned and managed bottling partners†. (Coca- Colas Annual report, 2011, p. 32). The company owns nearly 275 bottling companies, distributing their products in more 200 countries. Three most known bottling companies are Coca-Cola Hellenic, Coca-Cola Femsa, and Coca-Cola Amatil. Coca-Cola Hellenic distributes in 28 European countries. In 2011, 46% of the unit case volume of Coca-Cola Hellenic consisted of Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages. Coca-Cola Femsa is a Mexican company covers most of parts of South America. In 2011, 62 percent of the unit case volume of Coca-Cola FEMSA consisted of Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages. Coca-Cola Amatil covers Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Indonesia. In 2011, 45 percent of the unit case volume of Coca-Cola Amatil consisted of Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages. According to Coca-Cola the ownership of bottling companies helps them reduce costs and make the product more available throughout the world. In the next five years the company has committed to invest $30 billion in their bottling companies. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual Report, 2011). Coca-Cola ´s innovation in products can be classified as one of its most dynamic capability. They always try to â€Å"recreate and renew† their products. The company holds around 500 products. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual Report, 2011). Their innovation philosophy is â€Å"70/20/10†. They invest â€Å"70 of their resources in existing products, 20% in innovations related to existing products and 10% in pure innovation. (Forbes, 2012). The newest products launched into the markets are mini cans of 7.5 ounces and has only 90 calories. Another new product is Sprite Green, naturally sweeten Truvia, every 8.5 ounce serving has 50 calories and 5% lemon juice. (World of Cola, 2012). Once analyzed all of Coca-Cola ´s resources and core capabilities, the next step is to use the VRIN model, which consists in externally analyzing the firm’s resources and dynamic capabilities to see if these are useful to generate sustainable competitive advantage. VRIN stands for Value, Rarity, Inimitability and Non-Substitutability. (Barney, 1991). Nevertheless some authors such as, McEcily and Chakravarthy (2002), believe that the framework lacks semantic logic that account for characteristics that impede certain activities in the firm at the same time enhancing others. The value of resources can be determined if they can give a company competitive advantage at a cost that it allows the organization to have acceptable profits. (Johnson et al, 2011, p. 89). In case of Coca-Cola the company is very innovative this makes them the market leader. It always takes advantage of new market trends to develop new products and gain competitive advantage. In 1892, they were the first ones recognize about the change that consumers were getting more health conscious and introduced the Diet Coke, a low calorie beverage, which since then became the world ´s top-selling low-calorie soft drink. (World of Coca-Cola, 2012) In terms of Rarity, rare capabilities are those that no or few firms posse. (Johnson et al, 2011, p. 89).According to Coca-Cola their brand value, brand loyalty and brand recognition are capabilities that no other firm holds in the industry. As stated before, their brand value is estimated at $ 77.8 billion and their logo is recognized by 94% of the world population. They have been holding this capability since many years which drives them sustainable competitive advantage. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual report, 2011). Coca-cola resources can also be classified as inimitable. Their distribution system and bottling companies are so widely spread throughout the world, making their products available to customers everywhere at any time of the day. It is really difficult for companies to have such wide distribution network as the costs would be really high for a new firm trying to do this. (Forbes, 2012) Moreover, their secret formula of making coca-cola is considered as non substitutability resource. This is because it hasn’t been discovered by any other soft drink company. Even thought there are substitutes available in the market none of them meet up to Coca-Cola ´s taste or standard. (Coca-Cola ´s Sustainability Report, 2011) In conclusion, Coca-Cola ´s history, brand equity, people, distribution network, secret recipe, etc. are resources that are difficult to imitate, while being extremely valuable. The company constantly works to gain competitive advantage by developing healthier products as consumers are becoming more health conscious and by having big investments on marketing programs to have more consumer engagement. Even though Coca-Cola ´s strategies and competitive advantage are extremely sustainable the company can face competition from healthier and more environmental friendly firms, which the company is trying to tackle by implementing the 2020 vision. The 2020 vision has 5 long-term objectives. The first one is energy conservation/climate change which consists in reducing by 15% carbon footprint. Second, sustainable packaging/recycling makes their packaging 100% recyclable. Third, water stewardship which consists in establishing a water sustainable operation in which they minimize the use of water and have neutral water impact on the local communities where they operate. The Fourth is product portfolio/wellbeing, they intent to provide healthier beverages for every lifestyle and occasion. Fifth, diverse and inclusive culture consists in creating a better work place to work every employee with a wide diversity of culture.

Explain the Relation between Trade and World Output

World output or global output represents the sum of the entire amount of goods and services produced by all the countries of the world for a certain period of time. In simple terms, if each country produces a pair of shoes, a computer and a sack of coffee, multiply that by the total number of countries in the world to get global output. On the other hand trade, or more correctly international trade, is the exchange of goods and services across international borders. Since it is impossible for all the countries to produce similar products, trade allows countries to focus on products that they have an advantage in producing over other countries. A classic example is crude oil. Not all countries have an abundant supply of oil – the reason why Middle East countries sell their excess oil to countries that need them. Trade encourages effective and efficient use of a country’s resources. A country that is more proficient in growing coffee could forgo the manufacture of computers and shoes and increase their yield of coffee to ten sacks of coffee and trade some of these excess coffee to a country that has an advantage at making shoes and computers. Following the logic of this interaction, as a country becomes more efficient in producing goods and services its total output also increases. And, as all the other countries increase their total output, world output ultimately increases. Describe the broad pattern of international trade International trade has been evolving at a much faster pace after World War II. Much of the evolution of trade in present times is attributed to rapid advancements in technology. Production of goods is now done at a much faster and more efficient rate – lowering overall manufacturing cost and doubling-up output. At the same time, it is now faster to ship goods to any point in the globe and attendant support communication facilities have improved tremendously. According to statistics from the World Trade Organization (the organization tasked to oversee international trade): –   75 percent of the global exports come from developed countries, while only 25 percent are from developing ones. – 83 percent of exports from developed countries are manufactured goods, accounting for 62 percent of total world exports. – Manufactured goods from developing countries are growing – now registered at 56 percent of their total exports — and account 14 percent of the world total. – Today, more primary products are being exported by developed countries than by developing countries: 14% of world exports, compared with 11% by developing countries. If the nations of the world were to suddenly cut off all trade with one another,  what products might you no longer be able to obtain in your country? An obvious answer is oil since it is one of the top imports of the country. Still, other items would be woodcrafts and furniture and certain agricultural products like rubber and natural oils. If the other trading country is China, products that will no longer be available here are office equipment, shoes and other articles of apparel, telecom and sound equipment, and, professional and scientific equipment. Choose one other country and identify the products it would need to do without In the case of China, products that would no longer be available in that country are electrical and heavy machineries, mineral fuel, oil, seeds and fruits, organic chemicals, iron and steel, aircraft and spacecraft, and cotton, yarn and fabrics. Discuss trade patterns Trade patterns deal with what goods and services a country trades, with whom, and in what direction. Trade patterns are studied in two ways: through the pattern of movement in commodities like oil, capital and raw materials, and, through factor contents or the amounts of primary factors used in the production of goods. Trade patterns reveal the current state of international trade, the direction it is heading and its effect on overall global output. Trade patterns also reveal emerging markets as well as markets that are on the decline. Trade patterns also influenced by global events that do not deal directly with international trade. These events include the September 11 attacks, SARS and the war in the Middle East. The current trade pattern reveals an interesting trend: prior to World War II, primary commodities came mostly from developing countries whereas manufactured products came mostly from developed countries. After the WW II, the trend has reversed and that reversal continues up to the present. Explain the methods governments use to promote and restrict international trade International trade is generally regulated and controlled via imposition of tariffs. Nations carry out such measures in three ways: on their own (unilateral); in agreement with another country (bilateral); or, in agreement with several other countries (multilateral). Non-tariff measures include imposition of quotas and voluntary export restraints (VERs) – a restriction on a country's imports that is achieved by negotiating with the foreign exporting country for it to restrict its exports. To promote international trade, countries give concessions like preferential trading agreements (PTAs), custom unions and common markets. Custom unions are groups of countries that who adopt zero tariffs and no other restrictions on trade when trading among them. Common markets on the other hand, are groups of countries, who choose to eliminate all barriers to movement of both goods and factors among themselves. References World Trade Report: 2006 (2006). World Trade Organization. Retrieved October 30, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/reser_e/world_trade_report_e.htm Deardorff, A. (2001). Deardorff's Glossary of International Economics. Retrieved October 30, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~alandear/glossary/    Morrison, W. (2007). China-US Trade Issues. Retrieved October 30, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33536.pdf    Wild, J. Wild, K., & Han J. (2006). International Business. Prentice Hall