Saturday, August 31, 2019

Attracting Cockroaches with Different Substances

Reason: The reason I did this project was because I am absolutely fascinated by cockroaches. I think they are really interesting. It also makes me happy that I’m the only person I know of who is not scared of cockroaches. We have cockroaches that will come into our house to escape from the cold outside, so I thought, why not get rid of some of them? But I had to know what kind of bait to put out for them in order to accomplish this. So that is how I came up with this. Hypothesis: If the peanut butter, the butter, the cheese, and the bread are tested, then the butter will attract the most cockroaches. If the peanut butter, the butter, the cheese, and the bread are tested, then the bread will attract the least amount of cockroaches. Experiment What I did: Well, first I put four 4 by 10 sticky traps on our counter. Then, I got out some butter, some peanut butter, some bread, and some cheese out. After that, I got a tablespoon and scooped the substances out. I put the tablespoon of each substance on its own sticky trap. The butter on one, the peanut butter on another, and so on and so forth. Then I turned off the light and went to bed. When I got up, I got my data book out and went out to our counters. When I turned on the light, I counted how many cockroaches were on each sticky trap and I recorded my results. I tested this out ten times, and each time I recorded my results. Discussion Comparing: It was very interesting because according to my research, cockroaches like moist substances that they can easily pick up. But instead of going for the moist substances I put out, they went for the dry ones! Another thing I didn’t look at before was the temperature. The temperature really affected my results. According to my research, cockroaches can be seen the most inside houses when it is cold outside. And my results proved that it was true. When I did my project, it showed that as the temperature got colder, more and more cockroaches got stuck on the sticky trap. Uncontrolled Events: I think one uncontrolled event was the temperature. The temperature fell while I was doing my project. Usually, cockroaches will come indoors to escape from the cold outdoors. More cockroaches came in when the temperature dropped. Another thing I couldn’t control would be the exact place I put the sticky traps. I mean, I did put them on the counter, but I couldn’t put them all in the exact same place. What if a cockroach was just making his way across the counters when he got stuck on the sticky trap? What I would have done differently: If I had to do my project again, I would add in the temperatures of the night as well, because it really does affect my results. Either that, or I would make sure the temperature was pretty much the same each night. If it wasn’t around the temperature that I wanted, I would wait for the next night. I would also have added more bait to test because four traps really isn’t that much. Other Experiments that can be done: Some other experiments that can be done would be like, how the temperature effects on how active the cockroaches are, or what traps trap cockroaches best. You could also see if cockroaches are more active at night or in the daytime. According to my research though, cockroaches like to come out at night, while it’s still dark out, because to them, light means that somebody is there and can hurt them. But when it’s dark out, that’s the signal that everybody is asleep. One last test somebody could do, would be how long a cockroach could survive without food or water. Would it be affected if they had been fed a lot before the experiment started? What if they had only been fed a little bit before the experiment started? Conclusion Results: My results showed that the roaches went for the bread and cheese more than the butter and peanut butter, so my hypothesis was wrong. Each night, hardly any cockroaches went for the butter and peanut butter. They would mostly all go to the bread and cheese.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Several Kinds of English that I Speak of

My family and I lived in several places and so as we move from one place to another, I have learned to speak several kinds of the English language as well.For instance, I am a little familiar with West Indian English, wherein one of the major characteristics of their grammar is the absence of â€Å"-s† if its state is singular and is in the present tense, and so sometimes instead of stating â€Å"Cleavon loves music†, I would only say, â€Å"Cleavon love music†Ã‚   (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.).In addition to that, another grammatical characteristic of the West Indian English is the elimination of the word that connects the subject and the predicate or what is technically referred to as the â€Å"copula† (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.). For example, â€Å"Cleavon extremely passionate†, instead of â€Å"Cleavon is extremely passionate† or â€Å"Cleavon my cousin† instead of â€Å"Cleavon is my cousin† (Oxford Univer sity Press, 2008, n.p.).Furthermore, when we moved to Canada and stayed there for about two years, I managed to acquire a little bit of Canadian English as well which is sometimes evident in the way I pronounce words, for example, my classmates would be confused even if I meant â€Å"caller† because what they heard from me was â€Å"collar† (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.). Similarly, if I say â€Å"caught†, they would misunderstand it since it sounded like â€Å"cot† (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.). I also got the nanny confused one time when I said, â€Å"May I please just have porridge for breakfast?† I forgot that in U.S. English, it is known as, â€Å"oatmeal† (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.).Last but not least, since we now moved back to the United States, my U.S. English is back as well (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.). Nowadays, I would jokingly say â€Å"My seatmate is such a nerd; she would spend three sleeple ss nights for our science project and would not even complain a bit† (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.). Nobody would be confused by my statement since this is the Standard English that they utilize also (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.).ReferenceOxford University Press. (2008). Types of World English.Retrieved April 7, 2008 fromhttp://www.askoxford.com/globalenglish/types/?view=uk

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Does Science Tells Us the truth Essay

In the American heritage Dictionary of the English Language, science has been defined as â€Å"the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural phenomenon† (Gottlieb, 1997). But can these explanations be equated to truth? Through out history, science has explained myriad occurrences in the universe. However, until today, many still questions the validity of scientific knowledge in relation to its truthfulness and the veracity of its claimed truthfulness. According to Gottlied (1997), science is â€Å"an intellectual activity†¦designed to discover information†. This information is then organized and used to create a meaningful pattern that can explain natural phenomenon (Gotltieb, 1997). It is also said that the main purpose of science is to collect facts that discern the â€Å"order that exists between and amongst the various facts† (Gottliedb, 1997). The ability of science to discern and collect facts to give meaningful explanation of the causes and effects of natural phenomena becomes a way of discovering the truth. Without science there would be no discipline to work on these explanations and the truth will be left undiscovered and mankind will be left in the dark wondering about things. Does science tells us the truth? Or is it concern with the pursuit of truth? According to Esting (1998), â€Å"scientists must understand that it is moral cowardice to dissociate the practice of science from the pursuit of truth†. This only means that scientist should use science in order to discover the truth and inform the people of what lies behind every scientifically explainable phenomenon. In addition, Esting (1998) also mentioned that the mere fact that science is but a mere creation of men, does not change the purpose of science, which is the pursuit of truth. For example, according to the article, ‘What Is’, versus ‘What Should Be’ (n. d. ), it is mentioned that science is more concerned in explaining the ‘what is’ truth of things, thought it cannot provide the facts of the ‘what should’ truth of things. Moreover, the article also stated that â€Å"science knows the truth of nature, but only on the material side and incorporates technology to explain how to achieve and prove this fact. In order to explain this claim, take the case of pure science principle of the freezing point of water. Science tells us that water freezes when temperature drops to zero degrees Celsius. In this regard, technology then suggests and explains the various ways on how to drop the temperature to zero (‘What Is’ versus ‘What Should be’, n. d. ). Meanwhile, to answer the question, Cross (200) mentioned that the best way to determine whether or not science tell us the truth is to understand how scientists think and how they arrive at their conclusions. According to him, the existence of science is for the discovery and understanding of human nature apart from the fact of existence of men. In order to understand the laws of nature, we gather facts and formulate theories to explain every phenomenon. These theories try to explain why things happen, why things did not happen and why natural results are unavoidable. The results of these queries by the scientists are then published and made known to the public for whom the information of the conclusion is intended for. Once these conclusions are released, they became open to scrutiny and other scientists try to prove wrong these findings by conducting their own experiments and data gathering; or by modifying these conclusions based on their own findings (Cross, 2000). When scientific findings and conclusiosn remain unchallenged, they become the working guidelines for human actions, which then become ‘facts of life’ and the ‘truth’. Because many people trust how science works, science has become their only way to tell the truth and at least explain the truth about things (Cross, 2000). As it is provided by Cross (2000), science â€Å"has been hugely successful in giving us explanations of the world around us†. However the explanation as to whether or not science does tells us the truth, lies on the determination of what the truth is or what the truth is all about. According to Bradley (2004), even Einstein, one of the greatest scientists of all time, who showed and discovered the ‘truth’ about things, â€Å"showed that everything is relative† (Bradley, 2004) and â€Å"that truth itself is relative† (Bradley, 2004). The relativity of what the truth is also results to the relativity of the findings and conclusions of science in relation to the truth and how people perceive what the truth is. Finally, science is never an infallible aspect of human existence. There are times that science cannot also explain certain phenomenon, not at the present at least. But, this should not be seen as to mean that science does not tell the truth but rather, its own limitations and the vagueness of life itself, hides the truth from even among the greatest scientists of our time. If men would live in doubt of the truth offered by science and scientific knowledge; then â€Å"all science becomes futile; the search for objective knowledge becomes futile; and no scientific knowledge gathered to date can be true†(Gottlieb, 1997).

Biography on Abraham Lincoln Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Biography on Abraham Lincoln - Essay Example His brother John Kennedy served as the president of America and Robert Kennedy himself served as the Senator of United States. This essay would further provide details about the biography of Robert Kennedy (Talbot 2007). Robert Kennedy studied in different schools all over his life and graduated from the Milton Academy in 1942. He then served in the military for two years in the World War II after which he was discharged. After serving in military Kennedy joined Harvard University and performed in the football team. He completed his degree of bachelors from the Harvard University in 1948. He further studied law from the University of Virginia and graduated from the university in the year of 1951. It was in 1950 that Kennedy married Ethel Shakel and their first child was born in 1951 named Kathleen. It was the coming years in which the career of Robert Kennedy developed and he successfully played a role in the politics of United States (Evan 2000). The career of Robert Kennedy in real life started when he enter the arena of law in 1951 after graduating from the Wisconsin University. Robert joined the Criminal Division the US Department of Justice as a lawyer but later resigned to help his brother John in his the election of Senators. In 1952 Kennedy was hired by McCarthy as an assistant advocate for the Senate subcommittee. Being a counsel for the subcommittee McCarthy performed many researches which showed as to how the allies were backstabbing each other. He was against the cargos being delivered to enemies and gave out several speeches in this regard. However, again in 1953 Robert resigned from this post because he was not fond of the internal running of the committee. He joined the committee back in 1954 and became the chief counsel in the year 1955. His major breakthrough as a chief counsel was when he was appointed as the head of the committee which was investigating the

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Parenting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Parenting - Essay Example This paper briefly analyses the importance of parenting. According to Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint, "Most children need their parents' help and encouragement to discover the satisfaction of using their own imaginations" (Thoughts for Today). Psychological development of children is as important as the physical development. Many parents- even the educated parents- concentrate more on the physical development of the children and give less importance to the psychological or emotional development. Such parents believe that their duty remains only in giving proper food, clothing and shelter to the children till they become adults. In fact parents’ love, care and attention are more important to the children than the food or other physical things. Growing children do not know how to adapt with its surrounding. He will look suspiciously or anxiously at all new things which may catch his attention. The presence of parents and their advice will help the children in dealing with new situations more comfortably. â€Å"Some parents believe that if they've spent an hour of "quality" time with their children, they've done enough. This hour is usually focused on an enjoyable activity: watching TV going out to eat, going to the movies, etc† (Parenting Tips: Giving Your Children the Gift of Time). Many of the mothers are professionals and they get less time to spend with their children. Infants and children often forced to spend their majority time in the day care centers with nannies rather than mothers. The services of nannies can never be considered as the substitute of mother’s services to a child. In order to compensate for the less time spent with the children; some working mothers have the habit of spending an hour with the children when they come back their home. They are of the false belief that spending an hour as a friend with their children is enough for the proper development of their children. Children need the services of parents rather than friends . If parents give the services of peers, from where the children will get the services of parents? â€Å"Suffice it to say that guilty parenting overcompensates and causes children to view themselves as victims. This happens because children model our behavior and point their fingers at the parent who points the finger at himself† (Parenting Tips: Giving Your Children the Gift of Time). Parents who failed to spend adequate time with their children often try to give more love and care to their children when they get opportunities to spend time with their children. This overcompensation usually do harm to the children rather than goods. Over activities of parents will increase the children’s desire for the presence of their parents further and further. Failure to spend increased time with parents will develop the feeling of victimization among children. According to Frank A. Clark, â€Å"The most important thing that parents can teach their children is how to get along without them† (Parenting Quotes). Making the children self sufficient to meet the realities in life is the core of good parenting. Parents are the first teachers in a child’s life. They consider their parents as the role models in their life. Whatever the things they learned from the parents or family will often reflect in their behavior in society. Society or schools can do little in the molding of children when we compare the roles parents can

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Evaluate the potential effects of the Recession on Property Management Essay

Evaluate the potential effects of the Recession on Property Management Companies and Estate Agents - Essay Example First if the consumers are confident enough about the future of an economy, they will buy more. So production will increase in order to satisfy the excess demand. If the investors have faith that the trend will prolong, they will be investing more and more in the market leading to an upward rising stock market. All these combinations will lead to an upward spiral causing an expansion of the economy. But any booming economy is destined to fall. If the consumers are not confident enough, they will demand less, leading to a lower production. As the production level falls, the investors will be apprehensive about the market leading to a lower investment and a crash in the market. Compared to other industries/sectors the impact of recession over property management is different. It not only affects the companies or agencies related to this business but also impacts other financial organizations that are associated with it. The real estate economy is a huge part which is integrated with the general business economy. Like all other sectors of the business economy, this sector also gets impacted by the recession. If there is any downturn in the general business economy, people will not invest in the properties and real estates. When people can not purchase house, there will be an increase on the demand for rented houses. The property management companies and the estate agents can help in these cases. The companies related to operation of property have diverse work to do. They range from rent collection to maintenances, payment of taxes to providing utilities and insurances. But property management does not always mean managing of real estate properties. They may also be responsible for managing capitalized assets. Estate agents are people or businesses who are related to selling and providing rents of the homes, lands and buildings. They are mainly related to the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Nuclear pharmacy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nuclear pharmacy - Research Paper Example The new method of diagnosing and treating diseases presents a number of both advantages and disadvantages al of which affects its acceptance as the discussion below portrays. Nuclear pharmacy works by detecting radiations coming from the body of a patient. The doctors inject a radiotracer in the blood vessels of a patient. As the radiotracer flows in the veins of the patient, it emits gamma radiations since it decays in the process. A gamma camera scans the radiations thereby creating an image. This provides a vivid visual aid in the diagnosis process. The process carries out the diagnosis process by analyzing the functionality of the various organs in the body. Such is an effective method of diagnosis since it analyses the functionality of the individual organs. The process of diagnosis differs from other conventional methods that analyses the anatomical and structural appearance of the organs. Analyzing the anatomy and structures of the organs does not provide a vivid portrayal of the effects of the tumors among other infections that impair the functionality of the organs. This implies that nuclear pharmacy offers a realistic way of diagnosing diseases thereby advising equally effective modes of treatments. Nuclear pharmacy comprises of two fundamental parts known as the radioisotope and a carrier molecule. The radioisotope is a unique chemical element with an unstable nucleus. The unstable nucleus decays to a stable nucleus thereby emitting radiations. A carrier molecule just as the name suggests is a chemical molecule that carries the radioisotope. During a process of diagnosis, a doctor injects the carrier molecule with radioisotope into the veins of the patient. The carrier molecules travels throughout the body of the patient including the heart and lungs which are always the most difficult to diagnose. The gamma camera records the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Major Sales ( Marketing Analysis Paper) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Major Sales ( Marketing Analysis Paper) - Essay Example (Bonoma, 2006). The buyer – seller relationship is unique setting in which psychology play a huge role in the outcome of the intervention. Psychology is about understanding people’s needs and how to fulfill them (Heywood, 2007). The sales strategy utilized by a company must take into consideration how to fulfill the desires of the customers in order to obtain a final sale. An interesting scenario from the article written by Thomas Bonoma involved a company that had the best prices in the industry, but it was being outperformed by competitors because other companies were offering higher discount to the customer to finalize the sale even though their final prices were higher. This example clearly shows the perception of a higher discount played into the customers mind and created a false illusion of offering a better deal. The corporate world is complex which implies that a seller can not target a single person in a company when making a sales approach. In order to be effective at selling it is important to combine the individual and group dynamics of buying to predict what the buyer decision unit will do (Bonoma, 2007). A company can be visualize as a buying center which has different components within the organization. A corporate sale requires the salesperson to make an approach to different people within the organization to obtain results. Once the sales pitch is given to the initiator of the target this person will pass the information along to others for evaluation. The key for the salesperson is to ensure the information reaches the hands of the decision makers within the organization which are the ones that ultimately make the decision to purchase the product or service. Selling is an art and a science at the same which must be mastered by the seller. Persuasion is an element that can help salespeople a lot. If for example a particular characteristic of the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

James Dickey [Choose a good topic for me if you can] Research Paper

James Dickey [Choose a good topic for me if you can] - Research Paper Example Dickey, in his early poems, described confrontations particularly in nature and war not as away of telling people his heroic past, but as an ingenious way for discouraging acts of aggression, mortality, and redefining good moral values. Instead of adopting formalism, Dickey favored a narrative approach typified with charged emotions drawn from his past experiences (Clabough 3-6). This paper aims to explore James Dickey. Specifically, the paper aims to explore his biography and how Dickey used things that happened in his own life in the stories, books, or poems that he wrote. This paper will explore a number of novels and even poems to make the points clear. Mini-Biography Early years James Dickey was born on 2nd of February 1923 to Maibelle Swift and Eugene Dickey in Buckhead, Atlanta (Thesing and Wrede 1). He went to North Fulton High School and joined Clemson Agricultural College in 1942. He only spent one semester at Clemson Agricultural College before joining the US army. While i n the army, he participated in the WWII and Korean War. The break in between the wars enabled him to enroll at Vanderbilt University to pursue courses in philosophy and English. These qualifications landed him a new job as a lecturer at the University of Florida. Career Apart from serving in disciplined forces, Dickey lectured at Rice University in Texas and at the University of Florida. He also worked for McCann-Erickson, an advertising company as a copywriter. This introduced him to written art and it never took long before publishing his first book in 1960. More books on poetry were produced in the following years. His recognition as a great poet earned him another job as a Professor of English at the University of South Carolina around 1970. Personal Life James Dickey married Maxine Syerson in 1948 and together they had two sons, Christopher and Kevin, before his wife passed on in 1976. A few years later, he married another wife by the name Deborah Dodson and together they had a daughter, Bronwen. Just like the father, Christopher and Bronwen are novelists and Kevin is a practicing radiologist. Before he died in 1997, Dickey was working as poet-in-residence at the University of South Carolina. He succumbed to problems associated with alcoholism, jaundice and fibrosis of the lungs. Explaining the Thesis Dickey had an exceptional vision and in most cases he drew a lot from his life experience. In fact, most scholars who have reviewed his work were tempted to classify him as a confessional poet (Hill, para. 7-8). Every piece of work he published was motivated by a life experience. Dickey wrote about personal experiences, particular places, situations and memories. The distinctive poem of Dickey is one of reflection on experience or memory. Since, Dickey came from the South at a time when slave trade had not been abolished; his poems like "Slave Quarters" were developed around memories relating to places he visited. In "Slave Quarters," the intention of Dickey was to deal with undisclosed moral issues-the guilt over slavery characterized by sexual abuse and killings. A similar style is captured in his poem, "The Firebombing." In "The Firebombing poem,† Dickey genuinely raised issues of consciousness, empathy, regret and lack of good will.

Friday, August 23, 2019

International Financial Reporting Standards Dissertation

International Financial Reporting Standards - Dissertation Example Due to the globalization process, organizations have become truly global in nature with their presence in different countries of the world. However, due to different accounting standards prevailing in each country, international organizations have to report their financial performance according to different standards. This, therefore, created the issue of uniformity of the accounting reporting and disclosure requirements. The rapid internationalization of the business activities necessitated the creation of a uniform set of accounting standards to improve the disclosure requirements. It is critical to note that not all countries have adopted the IFRS and the overall process is still considered as challenging for most of the countries. One of the most notable omissions is US which has not yet adapted the standards for different reasons. This literature review will discuss the issues and concerns which are preventing US from adapting the IFRS. International Financial Reporting Standard s It is argued that financial accounting standards are necessary because they allow investors and other stakeholders to have access to the information which is consistent as well as understandable. Following a uniform set of accounting standards is considered as important from the view point of consistency (Cangemi, 2008). Globalization should be considered as one of the beginning points towards the development of IFRS. It was the increase in the overall complexity of businesses at the international level that has resulted in the development of IFRS at the global level. The process of globalization is considered so strong that it requires revamping of existing regulatory frameworks in order to help globalization to take its roots. The unrestricted movement and flow of capital across the borders have resulted in the movement of goods, services and investments across the markets. This has also triggered further expansion of international businesses as organizations shifted their headq uarters to places where accounting standards were different. Due to the relocation of business operations, organizations had to prepare accounting statements according to the prevailing local accounting standards. The internationalization of the accounting standards and introduction of IFRS, therefore, are considered as part of the same process to allow the development of a uniform set of standards (Daske & Gibhardt, 2006). Various research studies have actually highlighted the importance of adapting IFRS as it is believed that a uniform set of accounting standards can improve the quality of reporting. Having same reporting standards would allow investors to better understand and evaluate the performance of the global firms and develop a unique insight. Though it has been suggested that estimating the overall importance and how a uniform set of standards can actually improve the quality of reporting may be too early (Jacob & Madu, 2009). It has also been argued that fair value accou nting practices under the IFRS have also created much fear at the organizational level. It has been argued that fair accounting revaluation of assets under the IFRS has resulted in a drastic reduction in the values of the assets. This reduction in the value of assets, therefore, has diluted the balanced sheets of the firms and further resulted in worsening of financial crisis in developed countries. Accounting standards made under the historical cost concepts may have been more suitable in order to allow organizations to report their assets and liabilities at the right values (Smith, Boje, & Melendrez, 2010). At the global level, there are two sets of accounting sta

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The Portrayal of Homosexuals in Movies Essay Example for Free

The Portrayal of Homosexuals in Movies Essay In this paper, I will be discussing two movies that portray homosexuals and homosexuality in very different ways. The first movie is The Birdcage (1996), a comedy directed by Mike Nichols, and starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane as a pair of long-term gay lovers. The second movie is Brokeback Mountain (2005), a drama directed by Ang Lee, and starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as star-crossed gay lovers. A Movie Filled with Stereotypes In The Birdcage (1996), the movie that I have chosen that I feel stereotypes homosexuals, all the typical gay stereotypes are there: the flamboyant physical gestures, the garish color scheme of the decor and the wardrobe, the hysterical emotional reactions, the drag queens, the cattiness, and even the lisps. In brief, Robin Williams plays Armand Goldman, a middle-aged gay man who is the owner of a gay cabaret in Miami. His live-in lover, Albert, played by Nathan Lane, is also the star of the cabaret show, a drag queen named Starina. Armand has a 20-year-old son, Val, from a brief heterosexual relationship, and Val has been raised in Armand and Albert’s household. Val arrives home, declares that he’s engaged to the daughter of an extremely right-wing conservative U. S. senator, and that the senator and his wife are coming to dinner. Albert decides to dress in drag and pretend to be Armand’s wife. The garish decor and wardrobe, which might seem out of place if the setting were Wisconsin or Kansas, doesn’t seem quite as stereotypical as it might since the setting is South Beach in Miami. The bright, neon colors are quite popular there, and although there is certainly an element of exaggeration, I don’t think these colors would be out of place in mainstream Miami. What is really interesting about this film is that even though it is filled with so many gay stereotypes, and even though it gets huge laughs playing to these stereotypes, it is really not a film that refuses to look deeper than the surface. The out-and-proud Armand and Albert are in a long-term, committed relationship, and we see how that relationship plays out. Armand and Albert could be any two people in a relationship, although Armand is portrayed as pretty mainstream gay, minus most of the stereotypical characteristics, while Albert is loaded with these types of characteristics. In fact, he seems to be one, big overacting gay diva in every respect. He is always throwing fits, crying, accusing, locking himself in his room, and trying to lay guilt trips on Armand. I hate to say it, but not only does Lane portray Albert as the complete stereotype of a gay man, but he also portrays Albert as the complete stereotype of a straight woman who has PMS. I think the stereotypes that are portrayed in this movie are just as popular as a set of misconceptions today as they were a decade ago. But on the other hand, the biggest stereotype, the one where people believe that all gay men sleep around with many, many partners, is not even addressed in this film because, as I said, it focuses primarily on a committed relationship between two middle-aged gay men. This, I feel, could be beneficial in showing the public in general that not all gay men jump from man to man. On the other hand, the audience is going to see what it wants to see, and if they believe all the stereotypes going in, this film will probably reinforce their beliefs. But, at least, a gay comedy could get made at all. It doesn’t happen that often in Hollywood. But it seems that comedy makes everything more palatable to middle America. It removes them from the truth of the situation just enough so that they can be absorbed into the story and laugh. That has got to be a benefit, as it’s a start to seeing â€Å"gay people† as â€Å"just people. † A Movie with Positive Images Brokeback Mountain (2005), the movie I have chosen that I feel does not stereotype homosexuals, is about as far away from The Birdcage (1996) as you can get. It’s a romantic drama with a love story between two cowboys as its central theme. Ennis Del Mar, played by the late Heath Ledger, and Jack Twist, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, meet as young men on an isolated assignment herding sheep. Ennis is already married, but Jack is not yet married. The two surprise themselves by falling in love with each other, something that was greatly looked down on in the American West in 1963, where this film begins its story. They keep their love a secret, or so they think, and meet when they can over the years. Jack marries for cover, Ennis grows even more distant from his wife, and eventually Jack meets a violent end after his homosexuality is discovered. In looking at the effect that the images in this film had or might have on mainstream, non-gay America, I’d say that the image of two virile cowboys falling so unexpectedly in love with each other was a positive one. So many of the stereotypes show gays as effeminate and unmanly. But there was none of that in these two men. They were as strong and physically active as most men, and probably in better shape than most straight men, but the fact that they were both buff did nothing to add to the misconceptions that most gay men work out at the gym and are vain and body-oriented. Instead, their good physical forms were the results of hard manual labor. These non-stereotypical images are important to the focal point of the film, which is how the romantic relationship between these two men develops over the course of 20 years. Brokeback Mountain (2005) was really the first big-budget Hollywood movie that took the risk to portray two non-flamboyant, non-stereotypical gay men in a romantic drama, where the gay romance was the theme of the movie. Whereas both men were closeted and married, and it appeared that Jack had other boyfriends while Ennis did not, we see how their love lasts and grows over the years. We see the longing and the yearning and the way they miss each other. Mainstream straight America sat up and thought, they’re just like us! That’s how I feel about my husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend. We could relate to them and what they were going through. I think this reaction was a product of the times. Homosexuality is a lot more out in the open now and middle America is a lot more socially tolerant now than they were even ten years ago. The Comparison In spite of the fact that Brokeback Mountain (2005) was made in 2005, it is set in a time period from 1963 to 1983. So what we see in Brokeback Mountain (2005) is how attitudes and social expectations used to be when America was a much more closed-off society than it is now. We actually get to see what led up to the change in American values by the time of The Birdcage (1996), which is set in 1996. Another difference in the setting is that Brokeback Mountain (2005) is set in the American West, supposedly representing middle American values, whereas The Birdcage (1996) is set in South Beach Miami, known more for it’s nightlife than for it’s middle-class values. A kind of â€Å"anything goes† feeling pervades this setting. In South Beach, a gay man can be as safely â€Å"out† as it is probably possible to be in the United States. In the American West, four decades ago, there were few places that it was safe to be known as homosexual. An image is created of fear and intolerance and keeping your true self hidden. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), director Ang Lee created images that were evocative and memorable. The beauty itself of Brokeback Mountain, where the two men fell in love, was all lush and green and charming vistas. Yet, when the men separated and spent long periods apart, the landscape was dry, dusty, run down and baron. It seemed that this love had just happened to them and that they had no control over it in spite of the strong yearning to be together. In The Birdcage (1996), director Mike Nichols, on the other hand, told a story that was all about a kind of false world created by his two main characters. The settings were primarily indoors, often garish with colors and styles left over from the 1980’s, and literally, audibly loud. It was a world based on illusion, but the illusion was created by the two gay men and it was on their own terms. I think one product of the times in which these films were made was the number of graphic love scenes that were included. Even 13 years ago when The Birdcage (1996) was made, it was very rare to show two men kissing in a mainstream Hollywood movie. But ten years later, Brokeback Mountain (2005) showed not just two men kissing, but two men in love, making love. Times have changed and what we are willing to accept up on the screen has changed with it. However, this may not be just a product of the times, but also a product of the type of film that was being made. In 1996, no one expected two gay middle-aged men to make out or to make love in a comedy, but come 2005, love scenes in a romantic drama were considered normal, although pushing the envelope quite a bit when the protagonists were both males. Conclusion When I saw Brokeback Mountain (2005), I have to admit that I was enchanted, fascinated and a little bit put off. The scenery and cinematography were typical, breathtaking Ang Lee, and the story was so beautifully done, unlike anything that had been done before. But this film also went a lot farther than I was comfortable with in terms of showing physical contact between two gay men. They showed a lot of kissing and love making, and when they showed Ennis spitting on his fingers, I about lost it. I guess I consider myself a socially-tolerant prude: I don’t mind what people do as long as I don’t have to watch it in graphic detail. In The Birdcage (1996), I thought Robin Williams did an excellent job of portraying a gay man without all the usual stereotypical characteristics to fall back on. It could not have been an easy task, especially for someone who can overact anyone under the table, but Williams found a nice middle ground in portraying a man who was clearly gay but also clearly not a stereotype. However, there was one character who was purely a stereotype played for laughs all the way: the butler named Agador, played by Hank Azaria. I have to admit that I thought this character, small though his role was, was the funniest part of the movie. He took just about every gay stereotype out there and exaggerated it as much as humanly possible, and he pretty much stole the show doing it, too. In addition, I was glad that we didn’t have to watch two middle-aged men kissing and making love. That would have been too much for me. I guess there really is something to playing it for laughs and making the audience comfortable. You really don’t want to put the audience too far out of their comfort zone or they will just simply reject the whole premise, or the whole film, in other words. As you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, I believe that motion pictures can help break through to increased social tolerance by easing the medicine down gently. References Nichols, M. , Machlis, N. , Imperato, M. , and Danon, M. (Producers), Nichols, M. (Director). (1996) The Birdcage [Motion picture]. USA: United Artists. Schamus, J. , McMurtry, L. , and Ossana, D. (Producers), Lee, A. (Director). (2005) Brokeback Mountain [Motion picture]. USA: Focus Features.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Evolution of Aviation in World War I and II Essay Example for Free

The Evolution of Aviation in World War I and II Essay Because of urgent needs, aviation evolved rapidly in the First and Second World War. It was in the First World War that air fights occurred upon the development of fighter planes and that aerial bombings were carried on by bomber planes. Along with the invention of fighters and bombers was an innovation in design of airplanes for increased speed and capacity for higher altitudes. The Second World War saw the continued evolution of aviation, still geared upon increased speed and capacity for higher altitudes. What was the main difference in the first and Second World War was the development of the turbojet engine as an alternative to piston-engines. Radar was also used in aviation for the first time in the Second World War. This paper will discuss how aviation evolved in the First and Second World War. It will also explore the major differences in Research and Development during those era. II. Aviation in World War I When countries of Europe entered into a conflict that was called the First World War, airplanes and airships were already popular inventions. Prior to the conflict, these flying machines were primarily used for transport. Also there was air competition, specifically regarding design and speed, that were participated by many European countries and winners were awarded with money. However, some countries had also seen the military potential or usefulness of these flying machines in war time especially for reconnaissance or spying (Murphy, 2005, p. 33). And when European countries embraced the devastating First World War, airplanes and airships were put into good use. In the early days of the war, airplanes and airships were utilized extensively for reconnaissance. Airplanes were not primarily thought as weapons for warfare. In fact, the condition of military aviation in most countries when the war broke was only in its infancy stage. It was Germany who owned the largest operationally deployed aircraft but it was France who produced the best quality and had the largest aeroplane manufacturing base (Cowin, 2000, pp 8-9. ). Although Russia was also technologically advance in terms of air power, it lacked the industrial infrastructure to develop its aircraft needs. The United States on the other hand, although the first to develop the ‘heavier-than-air† flight in 1903, was slow in advancing its air technology (Murphy, 2005, p. 34-37). Reconnaissance was a very important part of military strategy in the war. Airplanes and Zeppelins (German airships) were used for long-range spying. Reconnaissance involved the photographing of fronts and scouting to see the movements and weakness of the enemy troops and to also keep track of where one’s own troops were already at after launching. Commanders used all reconnaissance information for their battle plans (Murphy, 2005, p. 50). The effectiveness of reconnaissance helped to change aviation history. It was the success of aircraft reconnaissance that contributed to the stalemate of warring nations as war progresses. In this connection, reconnaissance aircrafts became targets of new high powered ground weapons. Nations therefore had to make a way to protect their reconnaissance aircrafts. Moreover, trench warfare also called for an immediate action to prevent the enemy from conducting aerial spying ( Murphy, 2005, p. 48). These situations gave rise to the development of mostly biplanes (two winged) fighters and bombers. Consequently the development of fighters and bombers results to design innovation of the airplane (Murphy, 2005, p. 48). Pilots used pistols and rifles for firing especially in dogfights were flying fighter planes exchanged bullets at each other. However, it was not an effective weapon against a moving target. Designers had thought of installing the newly invented lightweight machine guns instead. Earlier, inventors had observed that it is more effective to fire a machine gun through the arc of the propeller using a tractor driven aircraft (plane propeller at the front) so that pilots can use the airplane for aiming. Pusher planes (planes that have propellers and engine at the rear) may seem advantageous at first in that the machine gun can be put at the nose of the plane however this left the rear of the plane vulnerable to attack and also it was hard and slow to maneuver. There is danger, however, in tractor driven aircraft in that the bullet may hit the propeller and strike the pilot or damage the engine. To solve this problem, a Dutch aircraft designer, Anthony Fokker, developed a synchronized machine gun in his monoplane called the Eindecker. It works by synchronizing the interrupter gear with the camshaft so that the interrupter gear could be timed to prevent the gun from firing at a moment when a bullet would strike a propeller blade (Murphy, 2005, pp. 52-54). The bombers, on the other hand, were developed out of a strong desire to strike behind enemy lines and to cripple their capacity and will to fight. In the early days of the war, the Germans had attempted to use their Zeppelins for bombings but it was extremely vulnerable to ground fire. In fact, they lost three Zeppelins by the end of August 1914 alone ((Murphy, 2005, p. 48). Other innovations in the design of the airplanes were also called for to gain advantage over the enemy. In fact, at the end of the First World War, the airplane had undergone rapid physical renovation that it bores little resemblance to the â€Å"frail wooden and cloth war birds that had entered the war† ( Eckert , 2006, p. 58). Prior to 1914, most planes were designed after the Wright Flyer with control surfaces in front of the wings for a canard type or having wings that were shaped like birds or pigeon type. In this prewar model (or birdman era), the fuselage and the wings were made from plywood covered with fabric and held together by string to meet the requirement of achieving the least possible weight for the entire structure in â€Å"heavier than air† flights. The replacement of thin airfoils with a self-supporting cantilevered wings held in place by struts and wires was an important innovation to reduce air resistance and increase speed along with strong motors. The influence of the wingspan and shape of wings were also studied. Before long the airplane evolved into a full metal construction, example, the Junkers F-13 (Eckert, 2006, pp. 58-59). Another innovation in aviation was in increasing speed and rising at high altitudes to avoid being shot down by the enemy and to carry heavy loads of bombs. It calls for a remarkable advance in the power of the engines. At the beginning of the war, most of the engines were of about 50 horsepower and the aircraft flew at 70 or 80 miles per hour and rising around 10,000 feet only (Cowin, 2000, p. 9). By the end of the war, some planes were powered by engines of more than 300 horsepower. Fighter planes could travel at 140 to 150 miles per hour and rising at 30,000 feet (Cowin, 2000, p. 84).

The Social Context of Death and Dying

The Social Context of Death and Dying Introduction Using course materials from Death and Dying, I will discuss the idea that death is something to be feared. I will use course material from Block 1, The Social Context of Death and Dying, focusing on units 1 and 2. I will provide evidence of arguments for and against this notion and consider other attitudes of how these views are formed by society. I will also illustrate my answers using materials form the course website, reader and audio activities. I have also incorporated some personal and professional experience. in an attempt to illustrate my points. Death is portrayed and discussed in various ways by people from all walks of life, their upbringing and religious views can have an impact on how they perceive death. As discussed in Block 1, one indicator that death is something to fear is our use of language. This anxiety is demonstrated in the euphemisms individuals use when describing or explaining a death. For example when undertaking activity 1.1, Explaining the meaning of death, (Block 1, unit 1, pg 1). I discussed my first experience of death. I recall having to explain to my youngest sibling that our mother had died. My sister was 8 years old and I sat her down and spoke firstly about angels and the stars. I went on to tell her that God had decided he needed mum to be an angel. I couldnt bear to use the word dead as I was struggling with mum being dead and was of the view that using the word ‘dead would have been too painful and therefore spoke about angels to make it less emotive. Since then I have experienced the dea th of other relatives and friends and find that I will use euphemisms such as, â€Å"passed away† or â€Å"gone to a better place†. I have also heard myself use phrases such as â€Å"kicked the bucket, however, this is usually when referring to someone I didnt really know. A number of examples are provided in block 1 in relation to euphemisms used to describe what occurs after death. Spiritualist and Mediums use words such as â€Å"crossing over† or â€Å"passed over† as they see the death as the beginning of a journey from this world to what they describe as the ‘spirit world. Komaromy (2005) spoke of how she found that whilst exploring how death and dying were managed in care homes, was â€Å"frequently met with difficulty over the use of words ‘death, ‘dying and ‘dead† (Block 1, unit 1, section 1.2, pg 13). It would appear the fear of using these words were not necessarily from the residents themselves but by those who cared for them. The beliefs instilled in people from a young age from their family, educational professionals and religious sources as well as their personal experience of death can often have a profound impact on how they perceive death and dying. Roman Catholics appear comfortable when speaking about death as they see death as a momentous event that should not be feared. Catholics believe in life after death, stating the soul leaves the body and will normally spend a period in Purgatory and when the soul is cleansed of the temporal consequences of sin they will enter heaven. However some anxiety remains, as for many, there is uncertainty of how long their soul will remain in purgatory. â€Å"They do not fear the next world, but rather the passage, the crossing over..† (Toscani, et al(2003), OU course material, website). Professor Douglas Davis research highlighted that gender plays a significant role in the belief in life after death in contemporary British Society. He states that women are far more likely to believe in an afterlife, than men, with a ratio of almost 2:1. He informs 30% of the population with a similar gender imbalance believe the dead remain among us and have had contact in one form or another with their loved one. (Audio1, activity 1.8, Identity and Belief). This I would argue is based on a persons knowledge of the deceased and is linked to their sense of identity and the need to continue the link with their loved one, which in turn may offer comfort and peace of mind to those who are bereaved. People also seek comfort through contact with the dead via spiritualists and mediums, in an effort to communicate with loved ones. Justine Picardie describes this as attending a social gathering of the dead (Picardie in Making Sense of Death and Dying and Bereavement: An Anthology, pg 198, E arle, et al). Research and studies regarding the beliefs and views of individuals in life after death vary from person to person depending on their religious or non-religious beliefs. For example the article â€Å"Life at the end of Life: beliefs about individual life after death and â€Å"good death† models a qualitive study† Toscani, F., et al, highlights two different models and arguments regarding death and what would be classed as a â€Å"good death†. The attitudes and assumptions depend on whether the individual is a believer or non-believer but even then there can be conflicting opinions between faiths. Tibetan Buddhism describes in great detail the process of death and the passage over. Tibetan Buddhists are encouraged to read â€Å"The Tibetan Book of the Dead† and when an individual is dying, there is a common conception that it is good to read this book to the dying person. â€Å"By understanding the death process and familiarisingour self with it, we can remove fear at the time of death and ensure a good rebirth† (Death and Dying in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, Hawter; V.P internet source: Buddahnet.com). In contrast, Seventh-day Adventist beliefs regarding death are totally different from those of other religions. Adventists believe that people do not die nor do they go to Heaven or Hell. It is their belief that the individual â€Å"goes to sleep and will rise again on the Day of Judgement†. (Kormaromy, 2005, Block1, unit 1, section 1.2, pg13). By this they mean the person will remain unconscious until the return of Christ. The views of atheists vary, although the consensus is that there is no life after death, that when we die, we die, and that is it. â€Å"If I am, death is not; if death is, I am no longer: why, then, fear death?† (Toscani,et al(2003), OU course website, pg 8). This does not mean that atheists do not have a fear of death, like believers there are similarities with regards to how they will die and where they would like to die. I worked with a family whose child was dying. When trying to support the family through this difficult period they spoke of feeling angry at individuals who had questioned why they were not in church praying. They informed me that as far as they were concerned that when their child died that was the end. They stated their only fear was that their child would die alone if they left his side. The management of death and dying has changed over time. French Historian, Phillipe Aries claimed that in the Middle Ages people appeared more optimistic with regards to death, as they acknowledged death as part of life, as it unavoidable. The death affected not only the family of the deceased but the community as a whole. With individuals being assigned particular roles, for example, preparing the body for burial, announcing the death and it was customary to view the body of the deceased. Death was a common occurrence and this may explain why death was seen as inevitable and therefore not feared. Aires argued that after the 19th century death in western society was hidden and following the First World War, death became a taboo subject and was no longer seen as a natural process of life. (Block 1, unit 2.2, pg 38). The explanation for this could be that it was due to what we know as the ‘nuclear family era? Norbert Elias (1985) would argue that in todays society the role of preparing the deceased has been taken over by funeral directors who offer a wide range of services to the family. This includes collecting and preparing the body for burial or cremation. In my own recent experience of the death of my son, the only duty the funeral director could not undertake was to register the death. Elias argument â€Å"is that dying people are now more isolated than in the past† (Block 1, Unit 2.2 pg40). It should be noted that some traditions continue, for example, the viewing of the deceased remains within many faiths be it within a church setting or funeral directors chapel of rest, although this is usually by family and close friends. This could explain why Aires theory that death after the 19th century did not have an overall impact on the community but rather than on a smaller network, family and friends. German Sociologist, Norbert Elias (1985), (Block 1, unit 2.2, pg 40) challenged Aires ideas, that in the past, death was accepted as being a natural process. Elias claimed death was painful as life was much shorter and more dangerous. Conclusion Perhaps the idea of life after death allows us to cope with what can only be seen as a natural fear as the alternative, non-existence is unimaginable and we are psychologically inept to deal with this. Therefore we need to ask the question is death something feared by all? Is this a hypothesis or could it be that for many individuals, especially, those in old age or with a terminal illness that death could be the beginning of something better. It can therefore be argued that whilst individuals and society have diverse opinions regarding death and what happens to them when they die, the majority do have a fear of how they will die. For example being alone, suffering pain, dying young or, being forgotten.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Bismark Essay -- essays research papers

II. Summary 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book I have reviewed, Bismarck, is a complex look at the life of the German legend, and is certainly intended for historians not unlike the author himself. Palmer does not exclude any part of the man’s life even dwelling into his childhood and adolescence. His attention to details is very apparent, even to his own admission, using public and private letters written by Bismarck himself. This book is not intended for a student looking for a little more information on the subject, nor the minimal information needed to satisfy the general public. The book was obviously written by someone who greatly admired Bismarck, and spared no expense in writing as much as he could about him. 2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Otto Van Bismarck was born April 1st 1815, son of mother Wilhelmine von Bismarck, and father Ferdinand, a Prussian landowner. He studied at Gottingen and Berlin, and after holding minor administrative offices he was elected to the Prussian Landtag in 1847. While in the Landtag, he advocated the unification of Germany under the aegis of Prussia, and was opposed to the liberal movements. He gained the position of ambassador to St. Petersburg, in 1859, and soon after became the ambassador to Paris in 1862. There he would gain much insight and experience that would determine his future policies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bismarck was appointed premier by the King of Prussia, William I, in the king’s effort to secure his military program, which was strongly opposed by the parliament. With his new position Bismarck ultimately, instigated the Austro-Prussian War, as well as the Franco-Prussian War, in order to rid the German Confederation, and fully unify Germany. A struggle for power ensued between Bismarck and William II, which finished with Bismarck’s dismissal and finally his retirement. III. Analysis 1) The author of this book, Alan Palmer, is a reliable historian educated at Oxford University. He is an expert in European History and even headed the History Department in Highgate School. He left his post of sixteen years to concentrate on historical writing and research. He went on to publish eighteen books on numerous leaders and empires of Europe. His work includes, Napoleon in Russia, Alexander I: Tsar of War and Peace, The Decline and Fall of the Ottoman Empire and many more. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  &n... ...eveled in it. His credentials were well established having graduated from Oxford and writing many other books based on the same period of time in Europe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book was written very straightforward, and did not zig zag from different periods of time, but instead stayed in a chronological order, which helped the book flow easily from one event to the other. The book also stayed on topic, never straying off the topic of Bismarck, and remaining a biography, rather than a history book. Bismarck’s nature and personality were shown through examples such as letters, articles and speeches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author also stayed true to his word, and did not force his own opinions or interests into the book. The author left it up to facts to prove his own feelings, and did not mettle with history in order to preserve his own feelings. He showed Bismarck as a great, but not perfect man. In closing, I would recommend this book to anyone with a strong interest in Germany, and someone who wanted to know more about the man who helped create it. Bismark Copyright 1976 by Alan Palmer Copyright under the Berne Convention Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York

Monday, August 19, 2019

Protection From Abuse And Neglect :: essays research papers

Protection From Abuse and Neglect I have recently been elected in a new statewide project in Minnesota to create and provide leadership in a small scale voluntary association for children . The focus of the small scale association is based on the United Nations General Assembly that adopted a Convention on the rights of the Child. It is a program to provide information and knowledge on the substantive right for "Protection from abuse and neglect" designed specifically for children. The right states that " the State shall protect the child from all forms of maltreatment by parents or others responsible for the care of the child and establish appropriate social programs for the prevention of abuse and the treatment of victim". The purpose of the new state-wide small scale association is to inform children through first-hand knowledge and example on the protection from abuse and neglect. The substantive right is very important for children to know and understand in case they, or someone they know is ever involved in an abusive situation. The small scale association is limited to children so they can feel free to express their experiences and ask questions openly to others without having to worry about adult supervision. This may interest children to comment on situations and on general conversation that they normally would be scared to ask their parents. I feel that this is relevant to children in today's society because these situations of abuse and neglect occur in many households, and children either do not know their rights or fail to take action to them. The kinds of topics and issues discussed in the association and in connection with children's rights will vary according to importance. The beginning stages of the meetings will consist of examples and definitions of what abuse and neglect constitute. We will then as a group apply what we know to everyday situations in which these forms of maltreatment by parents or others responsible for them. Next we would apply these situations to the substantive right for Children according to what the United Nations Generally assemble established. In connection with the "Bill of Rights" and through discussion, children will learn that they might have been involved in a situation of abuse or neglect and failed to realize it. This gets aback to the focus of the small scale association which is to inform children what the "Protection from abuse and neglect" really means and what they can do about it. After the early stages of the meetings where we introduce the substantive right, the group will become further involved in field trips and

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Threats :: essays research papers

Anthony, soaked in his own perspiration after a friendly soccer match, barged through his classroom door angrily, with his soccer ball within his arm. He sat down, disposing his gear- grassy socks with its stink, goalkeeper’s gloves – into an NTUC Fairprice plastic bag. The thirteen-year-old then lay back in his chair, deep in thoughts, unaware of the quietness of an empty classroom late in the afternoon. â€Å"Boy, what an idiot you are! If you do not turn up for the next soccer practice, I’ll replace you with that boy from 1C, that Weixiang!† – The sight of his soccer match, Mr. Anderson, yelling into his face kept flashing within Anthony’s mind. The pot-bellied English man had a reputation for deafening his students with his voice, not much difference from using a loud hailer. Anthony is proud of his position, as goalkeeper of the C’ Division soccer team of the school. Never could he imagine Weixiang, that scrawny egg-shaped spectacles-rimmed nerdy homo-sapien replacing that post due to missing a few soccer practices for the sake of competing at Counterstrike games with his long-timed rivals at the cybercafe nearby. It is a hard-earned achievement for Anthony Tan, previous top-scorer in his lowly unheard Primary School; he has intentions of converting from his library-dwelling old self, to the sporty, sociable stud of Bukit Timah Secondary School. The ‘stud’ packed his school bag. His eyes felt dry. â€Å"Darn. I have been wearing these contact lenses since six this morning,† he thought, rubbing his left eye with the back of his hand. All he wanted to do was to shoot his way home to remove the irritating focuses. Anthony swung the bag across his back in a fashionable manner – similar to those American kids on TV hanging out at their school lockers. He dribbled his favorite ball – most desired 13th birthday gift, indication of start to teenage-hood. Out of the dark classroom, along the dimly lit corridors, attempting to make his way out of the school compound while showing himself as a well-inspired fan of Paolo Maldini. Dribbling on, with pillars in place as his defenders. He stopped. Slowly, in a dramatic manner, our hero ascended his right leg to a certain level. Anthony gave the soccer ball a hard deserving kick. How he wished it was the head of his Mathematics teacher. Our friend then discovered – venging anger on non-living objects with the hint of cruel imagination does cure vengeance within the heart.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Toyota (target costing)

Toyota Motor Corporation started as a subsidiary of the Toyota Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. It was founded in 1937 as the Toyota Motor Company, Ltd. It changed its name to the Toyota Motor Corporation in 1982 when the parent company merged with Toyota Sales Company, Ltd. In 1 993, Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) was Japan's largest automobile company. It controlled approximately 45% of the domestic market. Its next largest Japanese competitor was Ionians, with approximately 25% market share, followed by Honda and Mazda, which together represented about another 20%.The remaining 10% of the domestic automobile market was made up of several domestic manufacturers, including Issue, and several foreign competitors, such as Mercedes Benz and the â€Å"big three† American firms: General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. The domestic and world automobile markets were characterized by Intense competition. Models were brought out rapidly despite their high development costs. Fractions of a pe rcentage of market share were often viewed as representing the difference between success and failure.No Globalization Over the years, Toyota had evolved into a global firm. In 1993, a considerable part of the firm's overseas markets were serviced by local subsidiaries that frequently designed and manufactured automobiles for local markets. For example, local plants produced almost one-third of the vehicles sold in the North American market. These vehicles were produced in three plants, one in Kentucky, another in Ontario, Canada, and the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (MINIMUM) Joint venture plant with General Motors.These plants produced approximately 400,000 vehicles per annum, including 220,000 Camera, 170,000 Corollas, and the remainder being pickup trucks. Production volumes for pickup trucks were expected to increase to approximately 100,000 in the next Professor Robin Cooper of the Peter F. Trucker Graduate Management Center at The Claremont Graduate School and Professo r Take Tanana of Tokyo Aziza University prepared this case as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation.Copyright 1997 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685 or write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means-?electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise-?without the permission of Harvard Business School. This document is authorized for use only by Lingua Wang at Chinese University of Hong Kong until May 2013.Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] Harvard. Du or 617. 783. 7860. 197-031 few years. In 1994, the firm expected to begin exporting vehicles from North America to markets such as Japan and Taiwan. In addition to automobiles, the firm also manufactured and sold forklifts. Toyota controlled 70% of the forklift market in the United States. The same commitment to local manufacture and control was apparent in Toast's other major overseas markets. In Europe, two new UK plants began producing to reach 100,000 by 1995 and 200,000 units before the end of the century.Altogether, Toyota vehicles were either manufactured or assembled in more than 20 nations. These local manufacturing facilities provided Jobs for nationals and business for local supplier firms. The relative importance of the international supplier business to Toyota was increasing. In 1992, for example, Toyota purchased locally approximately 70% of its parts requirements (or $5 billion) for its North American operations. The other 30% was imported from Japan, but this percentage was expected to decrease over time. By 1994, Toyota expected to purchase $6. Billion of parts from local suppliers worldwide and import $2. 9 bi llion for domestic use. Supplier Relationships Product design was also international in scope. Salty Research, Inc. , a Toyota subsidiary formed in California in October 1973, was responsible for the body styling ND interiors of new models scheduled for production in North America. The design styling for European markets was coordinated from the firm's design and technical centers located in Brussels. Third-party suppliers were responsible for approximately 70% of Toast's parts and materials.In particular, the cost and quality of third-party supplied parts was considered critical to the firm's success. In recent years, Toast's expansion into international production had required increased interaction with non-Japanese suppliers to raise their efficiency and quality to the same level as that of Toast's Japanese suppliers. Etc To help non-Japanese supplier firms manufacture acceptable parts, Toyota had developed programs to transfer Japanese manufacturing techniques. At the heart of t hese so-called design-in programs was Joint work by suppliers and Toyota engineers on new components.This Joint work began in the early stages of the vehicle- development process, because prospective suppliers cited a lack of involvement in the early stages of vehicle design as an obstacle to winning business in highballs components. In a typical design-in program, several designers competed for a part interact; the firms were evaluated on the prices bid, the technology applied, and their performance. The winning firm was granted a contract for the life of the model. When the next model was developed the contract was once again thrown open for bidding.By 1993, more than 120 U. S. Suppliers had participated in design-in programs and firms were involved in such programs but had yet to sign contracts for parts. A similar program was in place in Europe. Toyota engineers also helped its overseas suppliers to adopt the Toyota Production System. Many Toyota overseas suppliers had now succe ssfully implemented modified erosion of the Toyota Production System. The system contained four key elements: just-in-time production, Kanata, total quality management, and multi-functional work teams.Just-in-time production avoided the build up of excessive work-in-process inventories and increased the firm's ability to respond quickly to customer demands. Kanata was the driving force behind KIT, tying production closely to customer demand. Total quality management ensured high-quality products and minimized the risk that the reduced levels of inventories would lead to stock-outs because of poor-quality components. Finally, multi-functional workers, capable of performing several tasks, dealt with the increased complexity of the production process. 2 Cost Planning Cost planning at Toyota worked to reduce product costs at the design stage.Toyota first set its cost planning goals and then set out to achieve those goals through aggressive design changes. To correctly assess the gains m ade, the exact amount of cost reduction achieved through design changes was estimated after excluding all other factors that affected costs, such as increases in material and labor prices. The measurement process started with cost tables that helped engineers estimate he current cost of existing models. These cost tables were kept up-to-date for changes in material prices, labor rates, and production volume levels.The updated production volumes helped determine both depreciation and overhead charges that would be allocated to the new model. Comparison of this estimated cost to the vehicle's target cost gave the desired level of savings, or cost-planning goal, as it was called. At the profit-estimation stage, also referred to as the â€Å"target cost-setting stage,† Toyota calculated the differences between the costs of the new and current models, strutted the appropriate portion of the cost-reduction goal to the design divisions, and then assessed the results.Profit targets f or the life of the new model were also calculated as differences between estimates and targets. This process constituted the essence of budget control at Toyota. Toyota clearly specified cost reduction goals for each control unit to ensure that the company's overall goals were attained. Target Costing Toyota invented its target costing approach in 1959. Although many major manufacturers in Japan use target costing, Toast's system is the oldest and insider by many the most technically advanced.While the idea of systematic cost reduction had existed at Toyota since it was founded, the process was first codified in the mid-sass, when the firm set itself the objective of producing a $1,000 car. Existing cost estimation played a role in target costing, but there are differences between the two. First, cost estimates relied upon existing standards while target costs were adjusted for any future savings due to design changes. Second, cost estimates had a horizon of six months while the hor izon for target costs was the time engaging until the launch of the new product.Target costing brought the target cost and the estimated cost of a product into line by better specification and design. Toast's target costing system was designed not simply to estimate the cost of new products but to enable a product to attain its profit targets throughout its life. Product Planning Toyota used two broad categories of product development, one for completely new types of automobiles and the other for changes to existing models. The development of an entirely new model, such as the Lexus, was relatively unusual.Most of the reduce development projects focused on modifications to existing models. Japanese passenger cars usually underwent major model changes every four years. However, recent industry trends suggested that the period between full model changes may The firm used target costing primarily to support model changes, though the same general cost control procedures were applied to the design of entirely new vehicles. Cost estimates for new vehicles involved a greater degree of uncertainty than for model changes. 3 A model change began with a proposal from chief engineers for development of a new model.The proposal usually included: Specifications such as size (length, width, wheelbase, and interior space), weight, mileage, engine (type, displacement, and maximum power), transmission (gear and moderation ratios), chassis (suspension and brake types), and body components; Development budget; Development schedule; and Retail price and sales targets. New models basically maintained the same product concept as their predecessors. Styling was not specified at this stage; usually no more than a vague image was mentioned. Most of the cost incurred in any model change was for prototyping. Retail Prices and Sales Targets oodles.The retail price remained the same unless a change in function or performance altered the perceived value of the vehicle in the eyes of the cus tomer. In theory, therefore, prices changed as the perceived value of the vehicle changed. Formula for List Price of a New Model The selling price of a new car model was composed of the selling price of the equivalent existing model plus any incremental value due to improved functionality. For example, adding air conditioning to the standard version of a model would increase its price by the value of air conditioning as perceived by customers.The incremental value of a new model was determined by analyzing market conditions. Because the automotive industry was mature, most new features already existed in some form on other models. For example, if air conditioning was to be included in the standard version, its added value was determined using the list price of optional air conditioners for other models. In the unlikely event that no equivalent option existed, then the firm's design engineers and market specialists would estimate how much customers were willing to pay for the added f eature.The price increase for an added function did not always equal its selling price as a attendant option. The incremental price for an increase in functionality might be lowered because of the firm's strategy for the vehicle and because of competitors' pricing strategies. As functions were added to the standard version, Toyota increased the selling price until it reached the upper limit for that class of vehicle. When this limit was reached, the only potential benefit from adding functionality was increased sales.Because new models were introduced some four years after the design project began, Toyota delayed setting the functionality of the standard version as long as possible. Therefore, the target price and margin for a new model, and thus the associated target unit price, were set quite some time before product launch. The exact functionality of the standard version was set only when factors such as competitive offerings, foreign exchange rates, and user demand were better u nderstood. Changing the functionality of the standard version increased the probability that the new model would achieve its 4 desired level of profitability.Similarly, the actual selling price was not fixed until Just before product launch. Delaying these two critical decisions reduced significantly the uncertainty faced by the firm. For example, suppose the incremental value assigned to an air bag in the US market was $450 but the competition had set it at $700. In this case, Toyota might increase its price by the difference. Similarly, if the competitive prices were lower, Toyota would drop its prices to match. The sales division proposed anticipated production volumes based upon past sales levels, market trends, and competitors' product offerings.The sales division typically proposed a figure that was considered safe (I. E. , achievable), based upon the model's current sales level. Optimism was restrained in favor of realistic goals. Development Plan Assisted by engineers in the design, test-production, and technical divisions, a chief engineer drafted the development plan for the new model and then led the development project. Well over a hundred engineers from the various divisions worked with a chief engineer on a typical project, but since they belonged to different divisions, probably only about a dozen people reported directly to the chief engineer.In this sense, the chief engineer was more a project leader than a supervisor of product development. The chief engineer coordinated the design process at the design divisions, which were relatively autonomous; the chief engineer was expected to develop a â€Å"concept† for the new vehicle that spanned multiple design divisions. Toyota considered the tensions created by this matrix approach beneficial to the creative design process and worth any conflict that might arise. Toyota set the cost-planning goal based upon the product plan and the targets for the product's retail price and production volum e.Because an estimated price had the expected profit from product sales over its production life (usually, four years). The product's target cost was the unit cost upon which the profit target was based. Calculating Target Profit and Target Cost Toyota calculated the lifetime target profit for a product, such as the Celiac, by multiplying the target sales volume by the model's return on sales (or, as it was known at Toyota, profit ratio of sales). Toyota set the sales profit ratio with reference to the corporation's long-term target profit ratio.Estimated cost was determined from the firm's cost tables. Estimated profit was calculated using this figure. Estimated profit was less than the target profit because the target cost included the estimated cost savings due to value engineering and other cost reduction activities. The difference between target and estimated profit was the amount to be cut from costs through cost planning. The cost-planning goal was obtained by subtracting the estimated total profits from the target profits.The goal of cost planning was to determine the unit profit needed to achieve the profit target, and thus the amount to be trimmed from the new product's cost through cost planning activities. Estimated profit equaled the retail price minus the estimated cost per unit times the production volume. As cost reduction activities were implemented, the product's estimated costs decreased. If the goal was achieved, the target cost and expected cost became equal, as did the expected and target profits. Estimating Difference Costs Rather than adding together all of the costs for a new model, Toyota added the determined at the major function level. Thus, cost planning could begin even before blueprints for the first test model were drawn. Also, estimating the total difference instead of the total cost tended to be more accurate because the typical new model was heavily based upon existing designs. Trying to estimate the cost of a new vehicle fro m scratch would, in management's opinion, introduce more errors than using existing data and modifying it accordingly. And it helped the related divisions understand cost fluctuations. The approach was more helpful to the design divisions because it highlighted the areas of the new model that were different from existing designs. New designs required most of the work in the design divisions. Thus, the estimated cost of a new model was the cost of the current model plus the cost of any design change. Thus, for every increment in the functionality of a new del there was an estimated incremental price and cost.This approach allowed the firm to measure the incremental profitability of each new function it built into a new model. A full model change required many design modifications. Consequently, the cost of the design change was broken out into the costs of a number of different design modifications. The design team analyzed each modification and assigned it an estimated cost. The sum of these cost estimates had to equal the cost planning goals for the new model. Estimating differences helped clarify the cost-planning goal and wowed accurately how much was accomplished through cost planning.Cost planning focused on new model design. Its effectiveness was measured as the amount of cost reduction achieved through design. Therefore, other factors that affected cost, including wages and fluctuations in indirect costs incurred by related divisions, had to be eliminated from overall cost reduction in order to identify the portion due to cost planning. By fixing the cost of the current model and calculating the differences between the current and new models, Toast's system dealt only with cost changes resulting from changes in design and production volume.Without actual drawings for the new model, the estimate often began with Just an idea. Since rough sketches provided by the design division were often the only sources of information, estimates were made under the gui dance of the cost planning division rather than the accounting division. Toast's 20 design divisions designed each major function of the new vehicle, including the engine, transmission, air conditioner, and audio system Because the people at the design and cost planning divisions had the latest in-house

Friday, August 16, 2019

Crazy Eddie, Inc. financial fraud case Essay

Crazy Eddie was an American retail store chain run by the Antar family, which was established as a private company in 1969 in Brooklyn, New York by businessmen Eddie and Sam M. Antar. The fraud at Crazy Eddie was one of the longest running in modern times, lasting from 1969 to 1987. Crazy Eddie became a known symbol for corporate fraud in its time, but has since been eclipsed by the Enron, Worldcom and Bernie Madoff accounting scandals. Commencement of fraud The fraud began almost immediately, with the management of Crazy Eddie underreporting taxable income through skimming cash sales, paying employees in cash to avoid payroll taxes and reporting fake insurance claims to the company’s carriers. Eddie Antar, the CEO of the company who was the mastermind in the fraud, was skimming money from sales taxes that he only partially remitted to the government, while using part of the money to give steep discounts to customers. Much of the rest of the money he used to fund a partying lifestyle, while secreting a fortune at home and abroad. He also repackaged used and damaged electronics and resold them to customers as new. When electronics companies refused to supply him because he was selling the products to his customers below list price, he instead sourced the products from suppliers in other countries on the gray market. He used massive sales promotion strategy to promote his company’s name and products. The television ad of the company was very much popular that time. The company began to grow rapidly and had several branches across the country. As the chain grew in size, the Antar family started planning for an initial public offering (IPO) of Crazy Eddie and scaled back the fraud so that the company would be more profitable and get a higher valuation from the public market. This strategy was a success and Crazy Eddie went public in 1984 at $8 per share. The final phase of the Crazy Eddie fraud began after the IPO and was motivated by a desire to increase profits so the stock price could move higher and the Antar family could sell its holdings over time. Management now reversed the flow of skimmed cash and moved funds from secret bank accounts and safety deposit boxes into company coffers, booking the cash as revenue. The scheme also involved inflating and creating phony inventory on the books and reducing accounts payable to boost profits at the company. Concealment of fraud The electronics chain used the young, inexperienced, undereducated and under skilled auditors for the audit purpose. The chain was able to fool young auditors by showing them inventory stock rooms filled with empty boxes of electronics gear, while distracting them with attractive female workers so they wouldn’t bother to look at what was inside or behind the stacks of boxes. They had a concept that if the auditor was wearing a suit, it was sure he wasn’t going to get it dirty by moving the boxes. Eddie Antar was the mastermind behind the various schemes and hired his relatives to work at the electronics chain to help aid and abet the fraud. Eddie Antar paid for his cousin Sam E. Antar to learn accounting so he could eventually work at the growing company’s small auditing firm, Penn and Horowitz. In 1981, Sam passed the CPA examination with a 90% and scored in the top 1% in the country. He later became the Penn and Horowitz Company’s CFO in 1986. All the family members were bound together by a culture of crime and were working as a team for commitment and concealment of crime. Exposure of fraud The company was making so much money that Eddie Antar was having trouble finding places to put it. He ran out of hiding places in his office and home, and eventually began traveling to Israel and Switzerland to stash the money in secret bank accounts. However, the scheme began to unravel when his wife found out he was cheating on her, and the family took sides in the dispute. The fraud was finally uncovered in 1987 after the Antar family was ousted from Crazy Eddie after a successful hostile takeover by an investment group. The acquirer found out how overvalued Crazy Eddie really was and hired another outside auditor to look closely at the books. Crazy Eddie limped along for another year before being liquidated to pay creditors. Eddie Antar, the CEO of Crazy Eddie, was charged with securities fraud and other crimes, but fled to Israel before his trial. He spent three years in hiding until he was eventually tracked down by authorities in 1992 and extradited back to the U.S. to face criminal charges. Antar and two other family members were also convicted for their role in the fraud. In 1997, Antar was sentenced to eight years in prison and paid large fines. He was later released in 1999. Crazy Eddie Red Flags The red flags in the Crazy Eddie, Inc. financial fraud case which could notify the potential fraud were as follows:- The tight knit Antar family ruling Crazy Eddie had virtual absolute control over all aspects of the business. Very poor audit trails and documentation. Major self-dealing transactions and related party transactions by family members. Substantial increases in wages from below market wages before the company went public. In 1985, an attempt was made to falsify certain store inventories which was uncovered by the auditors. The auditors accepted an excuse that it was not sanctioned by management. Substantial increases in gross margins, profits, inventories, debit memos etc. from prior periods for no logical reason. Significant volume of outstanding deposits in transit at fiscal year end. Individual deposits in transit extremely high in relation to normal amounts at fiscal year end. Unusually high inventory volumes in stores where physical counts were not observed by outside auditors. Inventories in many individual stores were in excess of space capacity. Major differences between amounts confirmed from vendors for accounts payable and amounts reported on Crazy Eddie’s books and records. Use of â€Å"gross margin method† to value inventories during interim periods instead of taking interim inventory counts. Change of accounting methods for purchase discounts and trade allowances in 1987 from cash basis to accrual basis noted in footnotes with no accounting adjustments. Small CPA firm that conducted Crazy Eddie audits before (then big eight firm took over audits) had a significant revenue base from Crazy Eddie. Controller and later CFO for Crazy Eddie (Sam E. Antar) worked for small CPA firm that audited Crazy Eddie books. Biggest Crazy Eddie Audit Errors The reason, Crazy Eddie was able to conceal and commit the fraud for such a long time could be the inefficiencies of the auditor and the government to uncover the fraud. The government, auditors and investors were fooled by the company’s flamboyant founder and CEO, Eddie Antar and his family. Some of the biggest Crazy Eddie Audit Errors were as follows:- Assuming a proper audit can be conducted in the absence of credible internal controls. Under  educated, under skilled, and under experienced audit staff. Over using audits as training grounds for inexperienced audit staff. Lack of investigative or forensic accounting skills by auditors. Failure to ask proper questions to the concerned persons. Assuming the answers to good questions as correct without verification. Failure to ask follow up questions. Lack of professional skepticism. Allowing company staff to distract auditors from doing filed work by engaging in social conversations, thereby wasting time during audits so they have to rush their work in the end to meet the audit deadline. Failure to simultaneously observe inventory counts in all locations. From 1984 to 1987, the auditors did not observe all store inventories or inventories at all locations. Failure to take copies of full inventories taken when leaving the premises. Failure to conduct proper test counts of inventories by relying on company staff to count boxes and allowing company staff to take possession of test counts to make copies on behalf of auditors. Failure to follow through on analytical test issues. Failure to conduct all required analytical testing. Failure to conduct sales cut off testing at year end. Failure to examine items listed as deposits in transit at year end. Failure to age accounts payable. Failure to conduct adequate verification of accounts payable balances. Failure to contact vendors when major discrepancies were identified as vendors sent back verification requests. Failure to secure audit work papers left on premises during the audit by leaving keys to trunks containing audit documents on company premises. Allowing company personnel to view audit work papers in process. Auditors signed off on financial reports to outside directors and allowed the issuance of financial statements before the fiscal year 1987 audit was completed and backed into the numbers. Auditors made misrepresentations to the outside directors about certain questionable practices and directions from the outside directors to investigate them. Auditors made misrepresentations to the SEC about directions from the audit committee to investigate questionable accounting practices. The auditors  failed to follow up on recommendations of Crazy Eddie’s outside counsel law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind to investigate irregularities concerning sales to a trans-shipper in 1987. The auditors disagreed with recommendations by Crazy Eddie’s outside counsel law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind to provide more detailed disclosure on Crazy Eddie sales to trans-shippers and other issues. The Fraud Triangle The Crazy Eddie, Inc. financial fraud case, if linked up with the fraud triangle, following result can be obtained:- a. Incentives/Pressures Greediness Desire of Luxurious Lifestyle Expensive extramarital relationships of Eddie Antar Pressure to maintain social status Pressure to sustain in competitive market b. Opportunities Lack of internal and external controls Lack of audit trail Inability of the auditors to judge performance quality Lack of outsiders’ access to information c. Rationalization Sam Antar, former CFO of Crazy Eddie gave a statement, – â€Å"we committed crime simply because we could. Criminologists like to analyze white collar crime in terms of the ‘fraud triangle’ — incentive, opportunity, and rationalization. We had no rationalization. Simply put, the incentive and opportunity was there, but the morality and excuses were lacking. We never had one conversation about morality during the 18 years that the fraud was going on.† This statement shows that there was no rationalization used while committing the fraud, we could assume that following rationalizations could have been used by them:- Whatever they were doing did not hurt anybody else. Whatever they were doing was not wrong. Moral justification like, â€Å"Everyone else is doing it, so it must not be so bad to do this† could have been used. References 4 Massive Frauds You’ve Probably Never Heard Of. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/12/four-unknown-massive-frauds.asp A Convicted Felon Speaks Out about White Collar Crime. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.whitecollarfraud.com/947660.html Crazy Eddie – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Eddie Crazy Eddie Masterminds [Video file]. (2012, January 7). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP8iO5lvCoU Weirich, T. R., Pearson, T. C., & Churyk, N. T. (2010). Accounting & auditing research: Tools & strategies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Sop for Public Health

Being a compassionate person at heart, I was inclined towards social work since my school days. So naturally I was inclined to do some good when I was studying to be a dentist. So in the rather drab subject of Community Dentistry which most of students hated well I found some interest on Public Dental Health services, recordings for case studies, Indices and Epidemiology. There I learnt that the delivery of health services and primary care was very difficult in a vast and diverse country as India. Epidemiology and diagnosis of diseases like AIDS, tobacco cessation program, Dental lath education were interesting.I even made a project in my third year on oral manifestations of HIVE. The project was a hard copy of pictures and slides that explained the various routes of transmission of HIVE, difference between HIVE and AIDS, what are the early signs and symptoms of HIVE, and how to prevent spread of this infection, in a manner easily understandable by a layman. While many people have st arted using this and showed improvement, I constantly wonder about performing such techniques on a bigger scale – something that will make it possible.India and especially South Asia has a great population who are in influence of chewing Tobacco and Smoking. They have led to losses socially, economically, functionally, psychologically and of life in our society. During my training in dental school I came to realize that number of tobacco users are much more in my state. And they have to suffer a lot because of this habit from diseases like cancer at very early age. Already quality of health is poor and because of such habit people made it more worst.This inspired me to attend a special training workshop for tobacco cessation counseling by Tobacco Intervention Initiatives (T†). My extensive knowledge on pre-cancerous lesions proved to be extremely helpful at the time of implementation of the training at related campaigns. And I already used this knowledge during my inter nship to aware people about harmful effects of tobacco and helped them to quite their habit. It made me realize that we needed greater skills of Management and organization in our Society and this was a major hurdle in our Health Care system.