The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 17

Micha I called my dad from the road and got his address. He tried to talk to me a little bit, but I hung up on him. Confronting him for bailing is not something I'm going to do over the phone. He lives about two hours away, which pisses me off. Two hours away and he hasn't stopped by once. When I pull up to his house, my hands nearly choke the life out of the steering wheel. He lives in a two-story white-brick mansion. The neighborhood is nice with gigantic houses and people walking their dogs along the sidewalk. There's no drug dealings going on, no fights, no junky cars parked in the front yard. I sit in my car staring at the red door with a big â€Å"Welcome† sign hanging on it. There are flowers around the front of the yard and the grass is green and cut. Is this why he left us? Because he wanted a fancier life. Why the fuck couldn't he do that with us? My phone beeps in my pocket and I turn it off. It's Ella and I can't talk to her right now. The front door opens and a man in his forties steps out onto the porch. His hair is the same color of blonde as mine, but thinner. He's wearing a black suit and looks like an arrogant prick. He scoops up the newspaper from the ground and squints at my car as he trots off the porch. I count to five in my head, force my hands away from the steering wheel, and get out of the car. He recognizes me immediately and his face drains of color. â€Å"Micha?† He tucks the newspaper under his arm. â€Å"Is that you?† I take another deep breath and walk across the front lawn. â€Å"I don't even know why I'm here.† â€Å"Why don't you come inside so we can talk?† he suggests. I follow him into the house that's even nicer on the inside; hardwood floors, a massive chandelier, and freshly painted walls with family pictures on them. â€Å"You have a family?† He tosses the newspaper onto a table and motions for me to have a seat in the living room. â€Å"Yeah, a daughter that's twelve and a son that's eight.† Feeling awkward, I sit down in a chair that's decorated with frilly pillows. He seats himself across from me, seeming like he has no idea what to do or say next. â€Å"So how have you been?† â€Å"Super.† There's a large portrait on the wall taken in a church of him and his wife on their wedding day and I stare at it, doing the math. â€Å"How long have you been remarried?† He fidgets uncomfortably as he leans back in the chair and stations his foot onto his knee. â€Å"Micha, look I'd rather not get into this.† â€Å"What did you do? Like run out on us and marry the first person you came across?† Anger burns in my voice. He looks away toward the window and I get it. â€Å"You were seeing her while you were still with mom, weren't you?† He makes eye contact with me again, with eyes exactly like mine. â€Å"Look Micha, there were things going on between your mother and I that you don't understand†¦ I wasn't happy.† â€Å"There were things going on between you and me, too,† I snap. â€Å"So what's your excuse for that one?† He rubs a hand across his face and lets out an exhausted sigh. â€Å"I'm sorry.† I clench my hands into fists, fighting the urge to jump off the couch and strangle him. â€Å"You're sorry? Great answer, asshole.† He snatches a manila folder out of the drawer of the end table and slams it down on the coffee table between us. â€Å"Your grandfather left you some money in his will.† My eyes flash from the folder to my father. â€Å"Is that why you brought me here?† He opens the folder and takes a small stack of papers out. â€Å"I thought maybe you could use it to go to college or something. That would be nice, wouldn't it?† Shaking my head, I get to my feet. â€Å"I'm not going to college and you'd understand that if you knew me past the age of six.† He slides the papers across the table and sets a pen next to them. â€Å"Please just take the money, Micha. I want to know that you're taken care of otherwise it'll haunt me.† I pause. â€Å"Are you planning on ever seeing me again?† His silence gives me the only answer I need. â€Å"I don't want your God damn money.† I throw the papers at him and storm for the front door. â€Å"Give it to one of your real kids.† He doesn't call after me when I stomp out the door and he doesn't chase me down. I march straight for my car, getting more furious with each step, and I slam my fist into the driver's side window. It doesn't break, but a couple of my knuckles pop. â€Å"Fuck!† I shout, clutching my hand and the old lady across the street, who's working in her garden, scurries inside her mansion. I jump in my car and speed off down the road with no idea where the hell I'm going.

Once Upon a Time

In the poem â€Å"Once Upon a Time,† by Gabriel Okara, the persona is reflecting on the behavioral patterns of people in the present and the past hence using ‘once upon a time’ as the first line suggesting this was a long time ago. He then begins to compare the differences between how he acted as a child and how much that has changed now that he is an adult and a father . This poem is about a man growing up and losing the innocence he once had as a child.While in the poem â€Å"Forgive my Guilt,† by Robert Coffin, the persona committed an awful thing. As a boy he loved to shoot birds but it came to pass that one day he started to realize that the things he had done were â€Å"sins† line 1 captures this â€Å"not always sure what things called sins maybe†. In the poem he starts to recall the moment in which he killed the two birds the poet uses the imagery in line 4 and line 8 to capture this 4â€Å"I lay in the frost flowers with a gun† , â€Å"8my gun went off they ran with broken wings†.The persona in â€Å"once upon a time,† feels as if he has adapted all too well to the hypocrisy of the world using lines 20-24 â€Å"I have learned to wear many faces like dresses- home face, office face, street face, host face, cocktail face, with all their conforming smiles like a fixed portrait smile†, he uses the word conforming suggesting this is a permanent feature for example the face of a politicians wife, the persona has mastered the art of being a hypocrite.The persona desperately wants to change, he expresses his desires in lines 34-36 says â€Å"I want to be what I used to be when I was like you, I want to unlearn all these muting things†, this suggests that he wants to be like who he was when he was a child, before he was brought in to learning the muting like things of the world, he wants to go back to being hospitable, genuine, true, sincere etc.While the boy in the poem â€Å"Forgive m y Guilt,† is eager to kill without knowing the consequences, now a man he is haunted by his past actions no matter how he tries to get over his sins even as an adult he cannot. This is seen in lines 17-19 â€Å"the cries went out one day, but I still hear them all over, the sounds of sorrow in war or peace I ever have heard, time cannot drown them†. The deaths made him feel sorry, sad and pity during the beginning, when they died he knew he cost them everything and felt guilty.The author expresses it again in lines 23-24, â€Å"I have hoped for years all that is world, airy, and beautiful will forgive my guilt. † In the poem â€Å"Once Upon a Time† and â€Å"Forgive My Guilt,† several literary devices can be found such as similes and puns. One example of a simile in the poem â€Å"Once Upon a Time,† can be found in line 23-24 â€Å"with all their conforming smiles like a fixed portrait smile. These lines were used by the poet to express the general image that was shown throughout the persona’s adult life . The word conforming is derived from the word ‘conform,’ which means to comply with rules, standards or laws or   behave according to socially acceptable conventions or standards: â€Å"the pressure to conform†. The persona was pushed to conform to the ways of the world â€Å"the muting things. † It wasn’t socially acceptable to show your true feelings, it was normal for him to behave hypocritically.The line also says, â€Å"like fixed portrait smiles,† this tells us that no matter where the persona went he had that portrait like smile, it was a permanent feature that came with him. This line is very effective it emphasizes how people behaved. In the poem â€Å"Forgive My Guilt† a pun was identified in line 21 where it says â€Å"two airy things forever denied the air† this line has two significant meanings: one , that the birds were denied the air becaus e they were unable to fly and two, they are no longer going to be able to breathe (they are dead).These lines are very effective. The poet gives to us, the reader, an evoking mental image of what the persona denied the two birds. In both poems there is a sense of guilt, in â€Å"Forgive My Guilt† there was the guilt of the past and in the poem â€Å"Once Upon a Time† there was the guilt of the present. The poems reflect childhood experiences and how it affected the present state of each persona.

Health Care Reform

Basic overview of health care reform (3 articles):The Health Care Reform is making a huge economic impact as it has very important  insinuations when it comes to the US economy. Hence it is important to understand what is going on with this topic. In  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Health care reform stands: How it impacts your coverage† by Parija Kavilanz, it states that the Supreme Court supported the health care reform meaning that it is obligatory for people to purchase coverage by 2014 and if not they will have to be fined.Hence by 2014, this will affect uninsured persons because they will have to purchase coverage by either doing it personally, by their employer's offered health plans or by a health insurance exchange. If they decide not to purchase coverage then a tax penalty would apply, for example when 2014 arrives, if an individual has not purchased coverage than the penalty fee will be $285 per family or 1% of their revenue (they will have to pay the higher one). By 2016, the penalty f ee will increase drastically to $2,085 per family or 2. 5% of their revenue, paying the higher one.In the intervening time, the people that are insured will still benefit from the significant things that are offered by the law. This includes things such as full coverage for preventive care and for grownup dependents of up to 26 year of age. However, this is possible because of the personal greater expenditure. Today in the US, greater than 50% of everyone (about 160 million people) acquire their health insurance straight from the company they work for and with this law in place by 2014, employers with greater than 50 full-time workers will be obligated to offer health insurance and if not they will have to pay fines.For the remaining people, 50 million of them don’t have coverage and the other millions purchase coverage personally through a private insurance or obtain coverage from the government though plans like Medicaid or Medicare. In  Ã¢â‚¬Å"How health reform may help †¦ or hurt,†Ã‚  by Jeanne Sahadi, it explains how this reform in  health care can have huge impacts. Citizens in the US are being informed that this health reform is a correct objective and that it will help the economy. Obama had stated that this reform does not pertain to the problems when discussing the fiscal future but that it is part of resolving issues.However, the issuer is that the US health care expenditures are way more than other established countries and yet the cost and what get out of it does not match up. Temporarily, many citizens don’t have enough money for coverage or their coverage that they do have does not cover sufficiently their medical charges. In Washington discussions are often raised to talk about the possible outcomes and options for this issue. In the past 40 years, the cost for health care expenditures has gone up quicker than inflation and incomes.Currently, the US’s government, companies and people, devote greater than 16% of its GDP on health care, which according to Kaiser Foundation is about $7,421 per individual. Furthermore, the US’s high debt is also because of the growing health care costs, which increases federal expenditure on Medicare and Medicaid. However, if the health reform does work, as time goes by it would cover its own cost as well as decrease health spending without conceding quality and deliver inexpensive, accessible care for everyone.Lastly, they have to think about if the health reform fails. All these  Ã¢â‚¬Å"what ifs† are essential because one key point of why complete health reform has been an indecisive process is  that  it is very hard to  uncover how to do it well. In â€Å"What the Supreme Court ruled on health care ‘tax'†Ã‚  by  Josh Levs, it discussed how the Supreme Court finds that consequences that the law puts on individuals that do not purchase health insurance amount as a constitutional tax protection while Obama claimed that th e fees should be reflected as a penalty.Meanwhile, the high court did not agree with Obamas view point. The court said that the law does not require other penalties for negation to purchase health coverage and hence there will be about 4 million individuals per year that will rather have the IRS fee instead of purchasing coverage. Furthermore, the court highlighted that it was not upon if this command was the right thing to do but because the Constitution allows this type of tax, hence it is not the courts part to prohibit it.In summation, it is important to understand the health care reform as discussed in these articles, as it has a huge impact on the country. Health Care Reform's Effect on Business  (http://www. accountingtoday. com/news/):  Ã‚  Ã‚  This article explains the opinions that very influential accountants have towards the health care reform and its effect on the economy as it’s  becoming a very important topic in the elections as well as to every day busi nesses that have considered this issue and because of it have hindered business decisions. One of these influencers is Mark Albrecht, CEO of XCM Solutions.He explained that every business will now have to see if it is convenient to keep providing health coverage for their employees or to pay the fine while the employees buy their coverage from a private insurance company. He believes that since the fines are not that high, that there can be many companies that will prefer not offering health insurance, which is the opposite of the objective of the health care reform law. Hence, insurers have a lot of work ahead of themselves because of the fact that customarily they do not sell coverages to individuals and being that health insurance exchanges are a new notion.As for health care providers, the impacts to them of this reform will fluctuate since they will have to demonstrate that they are providing superior care and if not it is likely that they will get a compensation cut. For state governments, almost all of the weight of this reform implementation will be on the states. The states will be responsible for arranging the health insurance exchanges as well as management for the programs. Therefore, a lot of states are questioning the constitutionality of this reform as it interjects the states' rights.As for the taxpayers, this new reform doesn’t have an established or authorized method to monitoring the increasing health care costs. Health care expenditures are anticipated to keep on growing and hence will become a worry for many citizens in the US and for businesses as well. With no regulatory system of this increase in health care costs, it will be very challenging for the federal government to reduce the deficit and diminish the national debt liability; hence there will still be a huge economic crisis. Why Reform Health  Care (http://useconomy. about. com):The U. S. devotes $2. 5 trillion to its health care system, which is the highest contribution within other developed nations. This is because the majority of the expense derives from the first and last days of a lifetime. A huge progress and a lot of research has been conducted in order to save premature infants and very ill seniors and this has been very expensive. Also there is an increase of malpractice lawsuits, as doctors sometimes rather prefer to conduct unnecessary expensive tests instead of getting sued later because they had not conducted the test.Furthermore, it is very expensive in the US because there is less price competition than in other industries as people simply have a fixed charge (co-pay). Health care costs keep on increasing and hence there is a need for a reform. Other reasons for a reform is to increase the superiority of care and to cover the 25% of citizens that have minimum or no health coverage to refuge their medical expenditure as each year more than 101,000 Americans pass away for not having coverage. This threatens the economy as half of all b ankruptcies are of medical expenses.Furthermore, a reform would be needed to stop the  financial expenditures of health care fraud. In 2010, when the  Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act  law came about, it gave coverage to individuals with present illnesses, kids, and individuals who had lost their jobs. It offered  aid  to  small businesses, elders with high medicine expenditures, and capital to help the scarcity of doctors. The overheads of this was planned to be balanced by having greater payroll taxes, greater charges to medicine companies, and less expenses to infirmaries and clinics.With this act, greater than 600,000 young individuals are now covered, as individuals of up to 26 years of age are insured under their parents' coverage, which benefits the insurance companies. Also a Kaiser survey found that greater than 46% of small businesses, compared to 2010, had health care benefits. With an increase in small business with coverage for their employees, the re are less bankruptcies as well as improved credit scores and greater consumer  demand which permit greater spending, hence stimulating economic growth. Opposing Views: Voices on Health-Care Reform:Eric Ries, in â€Å"Why the New Health-Care Law May Encourage Entrepreneurship,† explains that as an entrepreneur, he was aware that if his company didn’t succeed , he could always attempt something else. Hence, he always thought the actual risk of financial loss would be from the probability of a severe sickness that wouldn’t be covered by his insurance. However, these fears were overcome because at the time he began as an entrepreneur, he was young, healthy, and with no family to provide. Most successful entrepreneurs are in their forty’s and need to provid their families to health insurance.Hence, the Kauffman-RAND Institute for Entrepreneurship Public Policy conducted a study indicating that entrepreneurship increases as prospective entrepreneurs become capable of getting Medicare. He believes that for there to be greater entrepreneurship, there has to be policies that decrease the price of failure so that more individuals are capable to be â€Å"start-up founders† and that the Health care reform is part of the answer to make this happen. On the other hand, Rose Corona in â€Å"Why the Health Care Law May Be a Harmful Prescription for Entrepreneurs† emphasis that ObamaCare is a catastrophe for small businesses.She believes that this tedious, unclear and costly law will not help the economy. As a small businesses owner that doesn’t provide insurance to her employees, she doesn’t see the fairness of proposing her 30 employees a coverage if it means her business would go bankrupt. Also, she believes that with this reform, small businesses will maintain their employee count below the 50 employee minimum prerequisite to remain excused from offering health insurance hence this will create less jobs and expansi on of businesses.So this will have small businesses considering to either increasing their prices to be able to offer health care to their workers or to reduce benefits to hence maintain competitive prices. Rosa clearly does not agree with this reform. Businesses Ponder Impact of Health-Care Reform: The Supreme Court has been dealing with opinions over the topic of obligating all Americans to buy health coverage because the reform states that in 2014 businesses with greater than or equal to 50 employees will have to offer health insurance or pay a fee of $2,000 per employee. About 96% of all U. S. Small Business have less than 50 employees.Many questions have risen such as are part-time or seasonal employees part of this reform, is it less costly to pay for health coverage or the fee and what is the minimum of coverage that has to be provided? David Keiter, the owner of Yellow Van Cleaning, a carpet cleaning business with currently 48 workers is putting off hiring more employees unt il he sees what happens to this reform and many businesses are going through the same. He says that prosperous small businesses are about performing in â€Å"better, faster and more efficiently† ways and that with â€Å"complicated regulations,† it is just â€Å"an obstacle† in the way of achieving this goal.The Economic Effect of Health Care Reform on Small Business and their Employees:Small businesses in the US compromise a great part of the country’s economic world. However, small businesses are strictly underprivileged with the existing health care system. The Council of Economic Advisers conducted a study that showed that small businesses are very important to the economy and are a huge foundation of the US job evolution as they are the mainstream of business start-ups, hence very crucial when it comes to the topics of innovation and fiscal progress.Also, it showed that the health care now does not function very well these small companies as well as their employees as there are hefty taxes enforced. The health care reform would help small businesses to buy health insurance through an insurance exchange which offers a huge amount of coverage options at a lower price and for small businesses that offer health coverage to their workers, they will get a tax credit to ease the excessively costs and therefore make them want to offer coverage.This establishment of the insurance exchange will deliver improved and lower price alternatives for employees that currently do not receive insurance from their job. Moreover, health insurances will not be able to judge who to give insurance because of present illnesses. The reform can also help grow the entrepreneurial movement by potentially increase the amount of workers that would want to work for a small business and can decrease â€Å"job lock† of when employees are scared to quit their job because of terror of finding inexpensive health insurance.Only the small business that cannot or will refuse to offer health insurance will endure a huge cost. Papa John's CEO Says Health Care Reform Law Will Increase Price of Pizza:Papa John's CEO John Schnatter stated that people should anticipate for pizza orders to be more expensive by 2014 because of the health care reform. The estimate for this reform per pizza is about an additional 11 to 14 cents. In a company meeting, he informed the company that its approach would be to impose the additional expense onto customers in order to keep the shareholders of the company at their best benefit.They also commented about how this reform might have a undesirable influence as the company and its franchises might have to offer health insurance to their part-time employees which is something they don’t always do for certain part time workers. This also applies to other employers and a study by Mercer L. L. C. said that about 46 percent of hospitality businesses will experience greater health insurance costs by about 3 perce nt by 2014. Cogent statement:After reading the articles summarized above and getting a better understanding of the health care reform, even though many of the articles oppose this reform, it might not be such a negative approach for the country but instead in the long run, I think that it will have a positive change. A lot of thought has been put in this reform and there are reasons of why it includes specific details. With the study conducted by the Council of Economic Adviser, we can have an idea of the economic influences that this health care reform will have on the US economy as a whole.They approximated that by reducing the yearly increase in health care costs by 1. 5 percent, then this would give rise to the real GDP. Hence, with a decrease in the growing rate of health care expenditures, the revenue gains are slightly minor, but still significant. Also, decelerating the growing percentage of health care expenditures will avert the devastating increases that we see in the Fed eral budget deficit as well as decrease the unemployment levels. Furthermore, offering health insurance to those without coverage would increase the net financial welfare by approximately $100 billion per year.The health care reform will possibly also rise employment and eliminate preventable obstacles to work mobility. In the article â€Å"Health Care Reform Bill Summary: A Look At What's in the Bill† on CBS News, it informed that the cost of this reform would be about $940 billion in ten years, but that the deficit would decrease by $143 billion in ten years after implementing it. This reform would offer health insurance to about 32 million people in the US, who presently do not have coverage. For the people with no insurance or for those who are self-employed, they will be capable of obtaining insurance by going to their state insurance exchanges.There will also be subsidies accessible to people as well as their families if their revenue falls in the 133 percent through 40 0 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. For small businesses, distinct exchanges would be formed to buy insurance which will be in live in 2014. As for small businesses, with the present health care system of the country, they spend significantly more to offer coverage to their employees. Normally, small businesses spend about 18 percent extra on health insurance than bigger businesses. Hence, Health Care Reform The present healthcare system compared with other developed nations is currently spending more for healthcare. In 2005, the U. S. spent 15. 3% of its GDP for healthcare compared to the average 9% of others in the first world (ACP, 2008). However, despite greater spending and a wealthier economy, the number of uninsured and underinsured is still high with 47 million at present. Not a few hospitals have complained that the rising number of uninsured they serve is leading to greater financial struggles to maintain operations.The greater national spending can be attributed to the more frequent use of technologies in the U. S. that other countries may regard as luxury (ACP, 2008). In addition, there is a marked shortage of healthcare workers. The aging healthcare workforce attests to this. There seems to be no incentive given for individuals to gain education in this field and current workers face a lot of difficulties as they perform their jobs. They are not rewarded for conducting preve ntive services but are greatly remunerated if the number of people seeking medical services increase.These problems exist because of the lack of regulation on healthcare and its related industry. Other countries exert more effort to regulate this area which has a great impact on the health and well-being of their citizens. The greatly market-oriented and profit-based healthcare system in the U. S. leads to the benefit of pharmaceutical companies and greater individual expenses for those who can afford it while denying access to the underprivileged (ACP).Clinton, McCain and Obama have presented their own versions of healthcare reform which are mainly anchored in increasing the access of the uninsured to healthcare. However, none have gone to a detailed outline of how exactly they can implement these once elected. This may be because garnering the most votes is more important than presenting a definite and concrete stand on such a complex issue which may turn off some sectors of socie ty. Health Care Reform Basic overview of health care reform (3 articles):The Health Care Reform is making a huge economic impact as it has very important  insinuations when it comes to the US economy. Hence it is important to understand what is going on with this topic. In  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Health care reform stands: How it impacts your coverage† by Parija Kavilanz, it states that the Supreme Court supported the health care reform meaning that it is obligatory for people to purchase coverage by 2014 and if not they will have to be fined.Hence by 2014, this will affect uninsured persons because they will have to purchase coverage by either doing it personally, by their employer's offered health plans or by a health insurance exchange. If they decide not to purchase coverage then a tax penalty would apply, for example when 2014 arrives, if an individual has not purchased coverage than the penalty fee will be $285 per family or 1% of their revenue (they will have to pay the higher one). By 2016, the penalty f ee will increase drastically to $2,085 per family or 2. 5% of their revenue, paying the higher one.In the intervening time, the people that are insured will still benefit from the significant things that are offered by the law. This includes things such as full coverage for preventive care and for grownup dependents of up to 26 year of age. However, this is possible because of the personal greater expenditure. Today in the US, greater than 50% of everyone (about 160 million people) acquire their health insurance straight from the company they work for and with this law in place by 2014, employers with greater than 50 full-time workers will be obligated to offer health insurance and if not they will have to pay fines.For the remaining people, 50 million of them don’t have coverage and the other millions purchase coverage personally through a private insurance or obtain coverage from the government though plans like Medicaid or Medicare. In  Ã¢â‚¬Å"How health reform may help †¦ or hurt,†Ã‚  by Jeanne Sahadi, it explains how this reform in  health care can have huge impacts. Citizens in the US are being informed that this health reform is a correct objective and that it will help the economy. Obama had stated that this reform does not pertain to the problems when discussing the fiscal future but that it is part of resolving issues.However, the issuer is that the US health care expenditures are way more than other established countries and yet the cost and what get out of it does not match up. Temporarily, many citizens don’t have enough money for coverage or their coverage that they do have does not cover sufficiently their medical charges. In Washington discussions are often raised to talk about the possible outcomes and options for this issue. In the past 40 years, the cost for health care expenditures has gone up quicker than inflation and incomes.Currently, the US’s government, companies and people, devote greater than 16% of its GDP on health care, which according to Kaiser Foundation is about $7,421 per individual. Furthermore, the US’s high debt is also because of the growing health care costs, which increases federal expenditure on Medicare and Medicaid. However, if the health reform does work, as time goes by it would cover its own cost as well as decrease health spending without conceding quality and deliver inexpensive, accessible care for everyone.Lastly, they have to think about if the health reform fails. All these  Ã¢â‚¬Å"what ifs† are essential because one key point of why complete health reform has been an indecisive process is  that  it is very hard to  uncover how to do it well. In â€Å"What the Supreme Court ruled on health care ‘tax'†Ã‚  by  Josh Levs, it discussed how the Supreme Court finds that consequences that the law puts on individuals that do not purchase health insurance amount as a constitutional tax protection while Obama claimed that th e fees should be reflected as a penalty.Meanwhile, the high court did not agree with Obamas view point. The court said that the law does not require other penalties for negation to purchase health coverage and hence there will be about 4 million individuals per year that will rather have the IRS fee instead of purchasing coverage. Furthermore, the court highlighted that it was not upon if this command was the right thing to do but because the Constitution allows this type of tax, hence it is not the courts part to prohibit it.In summation, it is important to understand the health care reform as discussed in these articles, as it has a huge impact on the country. Health Care Reform's Effect on Business  (http://www. accountingtoday. com/news/):  Ã‚  Ã‚  This article explains the opinions that very influential accountants have towards the health care reform and its effect on the economy as it’s  becoming a very important topic in the elections as well as to every day busi nesses that have considered this issue and because of it have hindered business decisions. One of these influencers is Mark Albrecht, CEO of XCM Solutions.He explained that every business will now have to see if it is convenient to keep providing health coverage for their employees or to pay the fine while the employees buy their coverage from a private insurance company. He believes that since the fines are not that high, that there can be many companies that will prefer not offering health insurance, which is the opposite of the objective of the health care reform law. Hence, insurers have a lot of work ahead of themselves because of the fact that customarily they do not sell coverages to individuals and being that health insurance exchanges are a new notion.As for health care providers, the impacts to them of this reform will fluctuate since they will have to demonstrate that they are providing superior care and if not it is likely that they will get a compensation cut. For state governments, almost all of the weight of this reform implementation will be on the states. The states will be responsible for arranging the health insurance exchanges as well as management for the programs. Therefore, a lot of states are questioning the constitutionality of this reform as it interjects the states' rights.As for the taxpayers, this new reform doesn’t have an established or authorized method to monitoring the increasing health care costs. Health care expenditures are anticipated to keep on growing and hence will become a worry for many citizens in the US and for businesses as well. With no regulatory system of this increase in health care costs, it will be very challenging for the federal government to reduce the deficit and diminish the national debt liability; hence there will still be a huge economic crisis. Why Reform Health  Care (http://useconomy. about. com):The U. S. devotes $2. 5 trillion to its health care system, which is the highest contribution within other developed nations. This is because the majority of the expense derives from the first and last days of a lifetime. A huge progress and a lot of research has been conducted in order to save premature infants and very ill seniors and this has been very expensive. Also there is an increase of malpractice lawsuits, as doctors sometimes rather prefer to conduct unnecessary expensive tests instead of getting sued later because they had not conducted the test.Furthermore, it is very expensive in the US because there is less price competition than in other industries as people simply have a fixed charge (co-pay). Health care costs keep on increasing and hence there is a need for a reform. Other reasons for a reform is to increase the superiority of care and to cover the 25% of citizens that have minimum or no health coverage to refuge their medical expenditure as each year more than 101,000 Americans pass away for not having coverage. This threatens the economy as half of all b ankruptcies are of medical expenses.Furthermore, a reform would be needed to stop the  financial expenditures of health care fraud. In 2010, when the  Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act  law came about, it gave coverage to individuals with present illnesses, kids, and individuals who had lost their jobs. It offered  aid  to  small businesses, elders with high medicine expenditures, and capital to help the scarcity of doctors. The overheads of this was planned to be balanced by having greater payroll taxes, greater charges to medicine companies, and less expenses to infirmaries and clinics.With this act, greater than 600,000 young individuals are now covered, as individuals of up to 26 years of age are insured under their parents' coverage, which benefits the insurance companies. Also a Kaiser survey found that greater than 46% of small businesses, compared to 2010, had health care benefits. With an increase in small business with coverage for their employees, the re are less bankruptcies as well as improved credit scores and greater consumer  demand which permit greater spending, hence stimulating economic growth. Opposing Views: Voices on Health-Care Reform:Eric Ries, in â€Å"Why the New Health-Care Law May Encourage Entrepreneurship,† explains that as an entrepreneur, he was aware that if his company didn’t succeed , he could always attempt something else. Hence, he always thought the actual risk of financial loss would be from the probability of a severe sickness that wouldn’t be covered by his insurance. However, these fears were overcome because at the time he began as an entrepreneur, he was young, healthy, and with no family to provide. Most successful entrepreneurs are in their forty’s and need to provid their families to health insurance.Hence, the Kauffman-RAND Institute for Entrepreneurship Public Policy conducted a study indicating that entrepreneurship increases as prospective entrepreneurs become capable of getting Medicare. He believes that for there to be greater entrepreneurship, there has to be policies that decrease the price of failure so that more individuals are capable to be â€Å"start-up founders† and that the Health care reform is part of the answer to make this happen. On the other hand, Rose Corona in â€Å"Why the Health Care Law May Be a Harmful Prescription for Entrepreneurs† emphasis that ObamaCare is a catastrophe for small businesses.She believes that this tedious, unclear and costly law will not help the economy. As a small businesses owner that doesn’t provide insurance to her employees, she doesn’t see the fairness of proposing her 30 employees a coverage if it means her business would go bankrupt. Also, she believes that with this reform, small businesses will maintain their employee count below the 50 employee minimum prerequisite to remain excused from offering health insurance hence this will create less jobs and expansi on of businesses.So this will have small businesses considering to either increasing their prices to be able to offer health care to their workers or to reduce benefits to hence maintain competitive prices. Rosa clearly does not agree with this reform. Businesses Ponder Impact of Health-Care Reform: The Supreme Court has been dealing with opinions over the topic of obligating all Americans to buy health coverage because the reform states that in 2014 businesses with greater than or equal to 50 employees will have to offer health insurance or pay a fee of $2,000 per employee. About 96% of all U. S. Small Business have less than 50 employees.Many questions have risen such as are part-time or seasonal employees part of this reform, is it less costly to pay for health coverage or the fee and what is the minimum of coverage that has to be provided? David Keiter, the owner of Yellow Van Cleaning, a carpet cleaning business with currently 48 workers is putting off hiring more employees unt il he sees what happens to this reform and many businesses are going through the same. He says that prosperous small businesses are about performing in â€Å"better, faster and more efficiently† ways and that with â€Å"complicated regulations,† it is just â€Å"an obstacle† in the way of achieving this goal.The Economic Effect of Health Care Reform on Small Business and their Employees:Small businesses in the US compromise a great part of the country’s economic world. However, small businesses are strictly underprivileged with the existing health care system. The Council of Economic Advisers conducted a study that showed that small businesses are very important to the economy and are a huge foundation of the US job evolution as they are the mainstream of business start-ups, hence very crucial when it comes to the topics of innovation and fiscal progress.Also, it showed that the health care now does not function very well these small companies as well as their employees as there are hefty taxes enforced. The health care reform would help small businesses to buy health insurance through an insurance exchange which offers a huge amount of coverage options at a lower price and for small businesses that offer health coverage to their workers, they will get a tax credit to ease the excessively costs and therefore make them want to offer coverage.This establishment of the insurance exchange will deliver improved and lower price alternatives for employees that currently do not receive insurance from their job. Moreover, health insurances will not be able to judge who to give insurance because of present illnesses. The reform can also help grow the entrepreneurial movement by potentially increase the amount of workers that would want to work for a small business and can decrease â€Å"job lock† of when employees are scared to quit their job because of terror of finding inexpensive health insurance.Only the small business that cannot or will refuse to offer health insurance will endure a huge cost. Papa John's CEO Says Health Care Reform Law Will Increase Price of Pizza:Papa John's CEO John Schnatter stated that people should anticipate for pizza orders to be more expensive by 2014 because of the health care reform. The estimate for this reform per pizza is about an additional 11 to 14 cents. In a company meeting, he informed the company that its approach would be to impose the additional expense onto customers in order to keep the shareholders of the company at their best benefit.They also commented about how this reform might have a undesirable influence as the company and its franchises might have to offer health insurance to their part-time employees which is something they don’t always do for certain part time workers. This also applies to other employers and a study by Mercer L. L. C. said that about 46 percent of hospitality businesses will experience greater health insurance costs by about 3 perce nt by 2014. Cogent statement:After reading the articles summarized above and getting a better understanding of the health care reform, even though many of the articles oppose this reform, it might not be such a negative approach for the country but instead in the long run, I think that it will have a positive change. A lot of thought has been put in this reform and there are reasons of why it includes specific details. With the study conducted by the Council of Economic Adviser, we can have an idea of the economic influences that this health care reform will have on the US economy as a whole.They approximated that by reducing the yearly increase in health care costs by 1. 5 percent, then this would give rise to the real GDP. Hence, with a decrease in the growing rate of health care expenditures, the revenue gains are slightly minor, but still significant. Also, decelerating the growing percentage of health care expenditures will avert the devastating increases that we see in the Fed eral budget deficit as well as decrease the unemployment levels. Furthermore, offering health insurance to those without coverage would increase the net financial welfare by approximately $100 billion per year.The health care reform will possibly also rise employment and eliminate preventable obstacles to work mobility. In the article â€Å"Health Care Reform Bill Summary: A Look At What's in the Bill† on CBS News, it informed that the cost of this reform would be about $940 billion in ten years, but that the deficit would decrease by $143 billion in ten years after implementing it. This reform would offer health insurance to about 32 million people in the US, who presently do not have coverage. For the people with no insurance or for those who are self-employed, they will be capable of obtaining insurance by going to their state insurance exchanges.There will also be subsidies accessible to people as well as their families if their revenue falls in the 133 percent through 40 0 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. For small businesses, distinct exchanges would be formed to buy insurance which will be in live in 2014. As for small businesses, with the present health care system of the country, they spend significantly more to offer coverage to their employees. Normally, small businesses spend about 18 percent extra on health insurance than bigger businesses. Hence,

Personal Management Framework Paper (Evolution of Management Class Essay

Personal Management Framework Paper (Evolution of Management Class - Essay Example Drucker (1999) informs that Karl Marx and many other theorists introduced theories to describe and give final opinion on the concept of two types of workers, however, they were not successful because they lacked pragmatic experience. With the passage of time, conceptual theorizing was there along with pragmatic knowledge of the working scenarios. According to Drucker (1999), the innovator of the concept of efficiency or productivity of the workers in relation to practical knowledge was Fredrick Winslow Taylor. After his description of the concept, the attention of theorists diverted to the efficiency of workers in relation to the augmentation of financial system. It was due to the innovative concept of Fredrick Winslow Taylor that the Taylor’s Scientific Management Theory came into existence and its name is indicative of Taylor’s contribution. Along with Taylor, other theorists like Maslow, Gilbert and many others also worked towards forming a final opinion about the co ncept of productivity of workers. It is because of the stated theories that nowadays, these approaches are applied in actual work environments to increase the efficiency of the workers. This paper discusses my personal framework and addresses the assumptions, value, beliefs, and any relevant practices. In addition, it integrates relevant management theories and theorists that are seminal to the foundation of my framework and includes the role of the manager, worker, and organization in my framework. Present Management Assumptions, Values and Practices The change in the organizational structure by the passage of time is becoming more difficult and gigantic. Time has caused this change and now the real meaning of the productivity in sense of workers is realized globally. Theorists and researchers proposed many theories related about increasing the productivity of workers and by workers, but in today’s environment none of these theories can be purely applied to the organizationa l structure. The reason behind the imperfection of these theories of management presently is that these theories evolved when the industry was growing and many theorists presented these at the early stages of the growing industries. Some of the theories are applied today by the management. At that time these theories of management were thought likely to be correct to increase the workers productivity at a maximum level. At time of this evolution industries were spreading at a greater pace all around the world. In older days, when industry was growing management was not particular about the worker’s productivity in the sense that the workers are considered as machines and they are not mentally and physically soothed instead only basic need are fulfilled by the management. But now a day workers are not considered as machines and the management has to worry about the other needs of the workers too. Now a day workers have some other luxuries and their basics in term of needs. Tay lor opinions about the organizational structure in terms of its workers and suggests about the basic trait of workers in an organization that numerous workers are not known of their work and still many organizational

Business Law International Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Law International - Research Paper Example This therefore makes the establishment of wholly owned subsidiary an alternative to consider. The legal risks Definitely Maybe will be exposing itself to if it embarks on export of Chocolates to China Some difference in law exist between China and UK and this is bound to affect important areas of business for Definitely Maybe. These areas include taxation, import procedures, currency dealings, agency distribution arrangements, protection of intellectual property and property rights. It is also important to understand that international laws and regulations in China could change and this could be applied differently from that of UK. This means that the interests if Definitely Maybe may be compromised if such changes are not friendly to foreign enterprises exporting their products or services to China. However, there is a way to overcome this potential threat. One of the best ways is for the business to draft a contraction in collaboration with a chine legal firm to ensure its interest s are taken care of (Exim Guru 1). China is very sensitive when allowing the importation of goods that are directly consumed by its people. The government is also very sensitive to lawsuits involving life threatening issues like production of harmful products. Definitely Maybe is therefore exposing itself to the risk of being sued for any harm that its chocolates could cause on the Chinese people.. If the company happens to conduct business with a customer who is not trustworthy and the customer fails to pay, the government does not intervene in any way. In addition, legal actions for the recovery of such debts is often expensive and even impossible. Because of this risk, Definitely Maybe must acquaint itself with the type of law and dispute-settlement procedure which the company will apply. Dealing with a different legal system increases the risks of a foreign company becoming confused and experiencing potential problems arising out of this. It is also worthy to note that the compa ny fails to enlighten itself on the responsibilities and issues surrounding the appointment of intermediaries such as distributor or agent, it could lead to unpleasant legal risks like legal disputes. Such legal issues are likely to arise if the company fails to follow the right procedure when appointing its intermediaries. The company must therefore obtain a list stating these issues and ensure they are included in its contract agreement, specifying the duties and rights of the parties involved. The best form of corporate entity that is ideal for Ultra-educators in China It is more significant for Ultra-educators to have wholly owned subsidiary in China as compared to operating through other corporate entities like a branch. One of the reason is that this form of corporate entity limits the liability of the parent company in UK in regard to the activities of its subsidiary in China. Unlike having a branch, there is some there is separation of legal corporate identities between the parent company and its subsidiary (Klein and Coffee 265). Because of this, the parent company is insulated and cannot be sued for the financial and legal issues of the subsidiary. If the company was to open a branch in China for purposes of physical presence, the parent company will totally liable to the legal and financial liabilities of its branch. This is because a branch is not recognised by Chinese law as an entity that is legally separate from its parent company. A wholly owned subs

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HR Case Study of Motivation, Compensation and Rewards Research Paper

HR Case Study of Motivation, Compensation and Rewards - Research Paper Example It however has a large number of employees whom it ensures that they receive a fair and equitable treatment. TRI Company however will require an appropriate compensation, reward and benefits system to enable its employees to stay motivated and to improve their performance. The appropriate performance appraisal system will also be required to measure the performance of the employees. The appropriate reward system will therefore be needed and this involves the financial rewards, non-financial compensation and the employee benefits. The reward system will be composed of processes that measure the value of job, motivational practices applicable, structures that relate the appropriate pay to the value of work done, schemes for providing incentives and rewards and structures that help to maintain the reward system (Armstrong, 2002). With the large number of employees available in the company, TRI will require compensation models that will ensure that the employees are more productive in their contribution to the company. The models that TRI may use to compensate their employees include merit pay, base pay, which include salaries, rewarding them using hourly wages, contingent pay, which includes use of bonuses, stock options, and gain sharing plans, indirect compensation and profit sharing. Base pay, which is also referred to as basic pay will include payment of a basic salary to the employees in the organization. The application of this model to TRI Company will involve ensuring that every employee is entitled to a basic monthly salary, which they should receive at the end of every month, year or other determined interval. The basis for this basic salary will be the managerial judgments that are used to recruit these employees. It is used as a platform through which other additional payments are determined. It also forms the platform on which other entitlements such as pensions are based. Merit Pay for TRI will involve determining the amount of

Global Theological Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Global Theological Analysis - Essay Example It has its origin in the eastern Mediterranean and rapidly grew in quantity and influence for several decades. By the fourth century, it had developed into a prominent religion within the Roman Empire. During the early part of the twenty-first century, statistics show that Christianity has between 1.5 billion and 2.1 billion followers. About one-third of the world's population is represented by Christianity and therefore is considered as the world's largest religion. Many countries around the world have made Christianity as their state religion. Among the adherents of Christianity, Christian theology has become an aspect of Christian doctrine where many have varied views and methodologies. This research report deals with global Christian theology from an evangelical perspective and looks into the nature and scope of theology. Furthermore, it identifies the factors that impact theological discourse. Dr. Alvah Hovey, the great Baptist theologian defined Christian theology as the "science of the Christian religion, or the science which ascertains, justifies, and systematizes all attainable truth concerning God and His relation, through Jesus Christ, to the universe and especially to mankind." (Hovey, pp. 14-16) "It is the science of God and divine things, based upon the revelation made to mankind in Jesus Christ and variously systematized within the Christian church" (Pope, p. 14) is the definition given by William Burton Pope. The Nature of Christian Theology Christian theology is also known as Dogmatics which is a branch of theological science that has its objectives of presenting in a systematic way the teachings of the Christian faith. The term theology comes from the two Greek words theos and logos. It indicated a discussion about God. Aristotle applied the term theology to his highest or first philosophy. The Greeks apply this term to their poets and their teachers which they honor. The term theology, therefore, maybe applied to an investigation which is systematic or scientific, of true or supposed sacred persons, things, or relations. If the subject matter pertains to that which is considered sacred then the term theology is used. Qualifying terms such as Christian or ethnic are used to make the term theology specific and definite. The Scope of Theology In order to understand a wide range of examination or research, the study of Christian theology must be stretched and put in an orderly and organized manner according to the main beliefs or philosophies regarded as foremost in the history of the Christian thought. Subjects which must be given consideration are as follows: God being the foundation, the theme, and the conclusion of all theology; Religion as the the agent which provides consciousness in man without which man cannot receive spiritual revelations; Revelation as a resource of facts wherein systematic theology is built upon; The relation of these facts to Jesus Christ , who is the Eternal Word and The Personal Word; The organization and development of theology in the church as the manifestation of the Christian life under the power of the Holy Spirit; and lastly, The relation of Christian theology to contemporary thought. A Brief History of Christian Theology Early Christian Theology Proofs of some of the earliest forms of reflection of the Christ

Cognition and Instruction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

Cognition and Instruction - Assignment Example As humans interpret each new situation, they will constantly revise their own mental models to reflect the new information, and will, therefore, construct their own interpretation of reality. Constructivism is often compared to objectivism, which is usually quoted as being the opposite of constructivism. Objectivist theory is primarily based on the work of behaviorists such as B.F. Skinner. Objectivists believe that information itself is knowable outside the bounds of any human mind, and that any individual interpretation of knowledge can be said to be either correct or incorrect. Objectivists view individual pieces of information as symbols or currency that can be acquired by humans, and can be transferred from human to human should the correct learning conditions exist. While much of the early work in traditional educational and instructional design derived from objectivist theory, modern academic minds have come to accept that learning environments which more closely match the nee ds of constructivist learning may be more effective. The perceived benefits of constructivist learning may be particularly valuable where the teaching of complex skills, such as problem solving or critical thinking skills are concerned. If we accept that constructivist theory is the best way to define learning, then it follows that in order to promote student learning it is necessary to create learning environments that directly expose the learner to the material being studied. For only by experiencing the world directly can the learner derive meaning from them. This gives rise to the view that constructivist learning must take place within a suitable constructivist learning environment. One of the central tenants of all constructivist learning is that it has to be an active process; therefore, any CLE must provide the opportunity for active learning. There are four basic characteristics of CLEs, which must be considered when implementing constructivist instructional strategies: 1) Knowledge will be shared between teachers and students. 2) Teachers and students will share authority. 3) The teacher’s role is one of a facilitator or guide. 4) Learning groups will consist of small numbers of heterogeneous students. The teacher’s role in a CLE must include spending time developing or preparing the CLE for the students to use. This can require detailed preparation to ensure that the students are exposed to relevant authentic tasks. For example, this may encompass preparing collaborative environments to expose students to multiple perspectives. It can also include the design of situated learning cases that match the student’s zone of proximal development, or the design of problems for problem based learning environments where the students have no experience of the subject matter under study. Constructivist pedagogical models are sometimes classified into two separately identifiable groups: 1) Those that are derived from social constructivism, wh ich grew out of the works of the Swiss philosopher and psychologist, Piaget, and therefore emphasize the need for collaboration and social interaction. 2) Those that derive from Cognitive constructivism, which grew out of the work of the Russian psychologist, Vygotsky, and therefore emphasize the importance of authentic meaningful tasks. Learning environmen

Wordsworth and Coleridge Essay Example for Free

Wordsworth and Coleridge Essay Wordsworth and Coleridge saw themselves as worshippers of nature. How is this demonstrated in Lyrical Ballads? (an exam-style essay) Themes relating to nature are instrumental in the poetry collection Lyrical Ballads by William Wordworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. As part of the Romantic movement, both poets strongly believed in a power and supreme beauty of nature and the education it can impart onto man, and their works in Lyrical Ballads demonstrate this. In The Dungeon, Coleridge demonstrates his view that nature has healing properties and that it would be a more effective method of rehabilitating criminals than the usual method of locking them away in prison would be an elevated view of nature and its power. He justifies this opinion using glorious imagery describing nature as he sees it, with the intent of portraying its complete beauty. Thy sunny hues, fair forms, and breathing sweets, Thy melodies of woods, and winds, and waters, Coleridge also uses a direct contrast and juxtaposition with this and the dark imagery used in the first stanza to emphasise the beauty of nature. He also does this to demonstrate that the dark and horrible dungeon and the free and beautiful nature are polar opposites, and ultimately to come to the conclusion that they have similar effects on criminals. Circled with evil, till his very soul Unmoulds its essence, hopelessly deformed By sights of ever more deformity! Using this juxtaposition, Coleridge explains that the total beauty of nature will overcome the criminal and their dark ways. He expresses how nature will appear a jarring and dissonant thing as it is as far-removed from their dark and deceitful ways as is possible. Finally, he concludes that this will immediately have the effect of healing him and removing all bad intent that he possesses (His angry spirit healed and harmonized / By the benignant touch of love and beauty) This conclusion is very much in keeping with the Romantic idea of the supreme power and beauty of nature and the profound impact it can have on man. This is a theme also explored in The Tables Turned, in which Wordsworth argues that there is more to be learnt from nature than there is from books and conventional education. To this end, he uses a affable and conversational style (Up! Up! My friend, and quit your books) to mimic the emotive encouraging of one man to another to leave their studying aside and go out into nature. In this conversational style he abandons the pretence and subtlety that are commonplace in classical poetry, and tries to persuade the reader of the much greater value of experiencing nature, in contrast to the irrelevance of books, through such passages as Let Nature be your teacher. The personification of nature throughout serves to further emphasise the fact that it can be a superior substitute for conventional education, and has a far greater knowledge to impart than its perceived inanimateness would suggest. In the last two stanzas, a different tone is adopted as Wordsworth ceases his direct plea and talks of, using emotive language such as murder, how humanitys meddling intellect and study of, amongst other things, nature, has distorted and lessened its beauty. To conclude the poem, he uses the metaphor of books being barren leaves (dead and of little value), in contrast with the previous personification of nature and its rich portrayal of being beautiful and very much alive. This human distortion of nature is also a theme prominent in The Nightingale. In this, Coleridge argues that the classical poets of old who commented on nature did not have a full understanding of it, but instead wrote at length about it, projecting their own feelings and opinions onto their depiction of it. He manifests this through the Nightingale, which the speaker cannot believe is portrayed as most melancholy, whilst, he argues in nature there is nothing melancholy. Showing disdain for the poets who wrote like this, he takes a similar approach to Wordsworth in The Tables Turned and argues that they had far better stretchd [their] limbs / Beside a brook in mossy forest-dell / By sun or moonlight, or in other words experience nature and come to understand it fully before writing about it. He further concludes that nature is essentially joyous and should inspire joy; it must not be made to serve simply as a screen upon which our human feelings are indiscriminately projected. Throughout Lyrical Ballads, unsophisticated form and structures are used, such as in The Dungeon, which is written in simple blank verse, a style of writing very similar to normal everyday speech and in The Nightingale, which is subtitled a conversational poem. This form is used to help convey that their poetry can be ordinary and be understood by ordinary people, and that its themes are relevant to all. In the case of The Dungeon, this idea is then emphasise by the use of a prisoner as the main character; elevated and unrealistic characters are not used; the likes of whom were prominent in classical poetry, which Wordsworth and Coleridge undoubtedly viewed as out of the reach of the normal person. This shows that the poets wanted their message to reach as many people as possible, and it not bypass some who would be put off by more formal poetry. It is also in keeping with the Romantic belief that wisdom is not to be found in books, sciences and the arts, but in nature itself.

A Study On The Social Policy Social Policy Essay

A Study On The Social Policy Social Policy Essay One definition of social policy is the legal framework from within which society, or in our sphere, medical professionals operate. In the UK social policy mainly consists of Acts of Parliament, although there is also an element of Common Law (laws that are made by the courts) and Ministerial Instruments (Instructions from Ministers that instruct). It is worth noting that all social policy that is passed is within the context of the UK being a western democracy and as part of the EU. The notion of western democracy is important. Parliament does not just pass legislation, it attempts to pass legislation that is either in the short term or long term interests of the electorate, us! We elect and lobby MPs, governments are formed and Bills are introduced and discussed in both Houses. In addition we join pressure groups and professional associations that attempt to exert influence on the legislative process. One of consequences of legislation is that society begins to work on behalf of individuals. John Locke introduced the idea of a Social Contract the relationship between the state and the individual; the idea that the state should provide a minimum standard of living for the individual. Poor Laws were introduced as far Back as 1536 an attempt by the state to provide work for the individual. Laissez Faire the idea that market forces should prevail was being questioned, Charities, the church and philanthropists began to provide for people. Samuel Greg, for example, founded Styal Mill in Cheshire, an industrial work place, but he also took in children and trained them to work in the mill as well as providing quality housing and health care provision for his workers. This approach took a while to bed in bed other captains of industry began to see the advantages of treating their employees with compassion and soon began to lobby government to organise this new interventionist approach t o society. In 1870 the Forster Act was passed, this was the turning point the state took responsibility for education for children between the ages of 5 and 12. Further changes to the education, pensions and benefits systems were introduced over the next 80 years but the main raft of social policies were introduced after WWII. During WWII William Beveridge conducted an audit into the state of the nation. He toured the country and was astonished with what he found. Britain was not a country fit for heroes. Change was needed. He identified 5 great evils: Want, Ignorance, Squalor, Disease and Idleness. Together these evils prevented Britain realising its potential, they were a cancer evident in the fabric of society. Together they negated any notions of meritocracy. With the end of WWII came great optimism, a new post modern society was the vision. Politicians saw their roles as architects of such a society. In July 1947 The Welfare State was officially launched. It aimed to provide a safety net for the population, to intervene in peoples lives and to provide where and when needed. The days of Laissez Faire were over the state would provide. The Welfare State also aimed to eradicate the 5 great evils in the following ways Want: A universal benefits system was introduced. No longer were those in poverty forced to go cap in hand to the church, family members or charities. Many benefits were not means tested they were universal, e.g. Child benefit is paid to all mothers irrespective of income. Ignorance: The Tri-partite system was introduced as a result of the Bulter Education Act 1944. All students sat the 11+ and the result of this exam determined what school they then attended; Grammar School, Secondary Modern Schools, or Secondary Technical Schools. All students attended school until the age of 15 and it was free. Squalor: Squalor means absolute and systemic poverty that is exacerbated by appalling living conditions, e.g. the Gorbals Tenements in Glasgow or the Victorian slums in many industrial cities e.g. Burnley, which were described as, crowded, one of the most filthy and one of the most unhealthy villages P144 Briggs. In addition there was the opportunity that was created by the bombings of the major cities during WWII. People needed housing and needed it fast. The result was The New Towns Act that were passed by Parliament in 1946. It enabled local authorities to build completely new towns in the following areas: England; Basildon, Bracknell, Corby, Harlow, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Milton Keyes, Newton Aycliffe, Peterlee, Redditch, Runcorn, Skelmersdale, Stevenage, Telford, Washington, and Welwyn Garden City. Idleness: People faced crippling unemployment. The Great Depression started in 1929 in the US but continued well into the 1930s and 1940, real economic activity only came as a result of WWII. People needed jobs and the government proposed a policy called Jobs For All. Everyone who needed / wanted a job would be given a job by the government. This was relatively easy to achieve as the welfare state saw a massive building programme and subsequent job in health, education, benefits, etc. The following graph show unemployment rates since WWII: Disease: The government introduced the national Health System in 1947, for the 1st time ever all people had access to free GPs, Hospital care, midwives, Dentists, Opticians etc. Prescriptions were free, inoculations were given, the old killers; TB, Polio, etc were virtually eradicated. Infant mortality rates dropped, life expectance rose and it appeared that the initial spending by the state could be reduced as people were becoming dramatically healthier. All of the above was free at the point of access. The Welfare State was paid for initially by government borrowing and National Insurance contributions. One of the remarkable things about the Welfare State is that is saw the origins of Consensus Politics. Consensus Politics can be defined as the phrase used to describe the practice of government in Britain between 1945 and 1979. The phenomenon was observed by political scientists and media commentators; Britains two major political parties, the Conservative Party and Labour Party, were in agreement, or consensus, over certain basic government policies in the decades after World War II. The introduction of fundamental changes in government responsibility, such as the welfare state, the national health service (NHS), and widespread nationalization of industry, were effectively unchallenged by either party. Essentially this means that regardless of who was in power from 1945 to the mid 1970s both parties agreed to the broad principles of the Welfare State, Interventionism and State Control of Industry. Governments strived to be philanthropic in their nature, to support people, to enable people to realise their potential. Britain strived to become more meritocratic in nature. No longer would it be the case that people were given jobs due to their family, with a free education system according to, age, aptitude and ability theoretically anyone could rise from the lowest social class to the top jobs in society, John Prescott being a relatively good example of where this has been the case. What led to the end of consensus politics is a matter of debate. James Callaghans Great Debate Speech at Ruskin College Oxford is cited as a turning point. Essentially he asked the questions: what has the Welfare state achieved thus far and, more importantly, what is the future? Here both main parties went their separate ways. Thatcher was elected in 1979 and with her came politics of the market and the New Right. During the 1980 Labour wet left on the political spectrum Thatcher sold off the Industrialised industries, she also introduced the broad principles of the market into the various parts of the Welfare State. This policy is know as markedization. Essentially the five major components of the Welfare State were re-orientated in way to create a more flexible workforce, and a way where the principles of the market were the most important. The important policies that were introduced during this time were: Education: The Educational Reform Act 1988 introduced OFSTED, League tables, GM schools, competition between schools. Passing exams became more important that gaining an education. Health: Ken Clarkes mainly effective reforms. Health authorities were now purchasers buying broad block contracts from hospitals. Regional authorities took strategic decisions. Costs became more transparent; the one error was allowing competition on price. To ginger up the market, keen GPs held their own budgets to buy faster services for their patients, creating an unfair two-tier system. But this was a purely internal market with no private involvement and all cash staying in the NHS. The Guardian 7th October 2005 Housing: Council homes were sold off by Thatcher at greatly reduced rates, thus creating a need for more social housing and also a raft of new middle class propertied people who now may well vote Conservative. At its simplest, if the Welfare State were a safety net suspended beneath society to help people bounce back into work, affluence etc, the safety net was lowered, people would have to look after themselves again. The days of Big Interventionist Government were over as epitomised by Thatchers quote in 1987: I think weve been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, its the governments job to cope with it. I have a problem, Ill get a grant. Im homeless, the government must house me. Theyre casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. Its our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour. People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. Theres no such thing as entitlement, unless some one has first met an obligation. The New right dominated through to 1997. Blaire was elected on May 2nd 1997, at the celebration party they played d-ream things can only get better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHXA5GykEbw it appeared to be the start of a brave new era, underpinned by Giddens Third Way, neither left wing or right wing politics but a realistic and pragmatic combination of both and a smattering of blue skies thinking the challenging of paradigms. Thirteen years later, subsequent elections, wars in Iraq, sleaze and MPs and it would appear that there was very little difference between Thatcher, Major, Blaire or Brown. All we have seen is the consensus politics after WWII replaced with neo-consensus politics that is to the right of the political spectrum. At the very least politicians campaign in poetry and govern in prose, to be frank they are at least disingenuous, at worse they are mere puppets. The Marxist model of power advocates that power resides in the hands of the bourgeoisie, Britain is not a meritocracy of a democracy, and such notions are illusions perpetuated by the bourgeoisie to perpetuate false class consciousness. All the welfare state actually achieves is a proletariat who are educated, housed and healthy enough to be exploited by the bourgeoisie in the capitalist means of production. Politicians merely manage the affairs of the bourgeoisie. All legislation that has ever been passes is initially in the interests of the bourgeoisie. The welfare state for example is not some altruistic gift from government it is actually paid for by the proletariat. If one were to consider the works of Althusser, Illich, Bowles and Gintis etc, then one might actually conclude that the welfare state is actually against the interests of the Proletariat. To conclude one could look at Britain PLC. Postmodernism would argue that NGOs and TNCs are far more influential that nations particularly small nations like the UK. What politicians do needs to be as a consequence of global factors. Young people today are competing for jobs with people in their own town as well as those from India and China and the skills that they need must reflect this fact. Future social policy will be very similar to legislation passed in other countries. This can be seen with the Health care reforms advocated by Obahma, or the educational policies in operation in Australia, we are becoming similar, globalization is happening, IT is creating a homogenous mass. Biography http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/history/victorian/quarrybankmill.html Sociology in Focus. Haralambos. 7th Edition. 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elementary_Education_Act_1870 Social Insurance and Allied Services. Sir William Beveridge. 1942. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_Act_1944 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorbals Victorian Cities by Asia Briggs 1993. http://www.budget.gov.au/2004-05/bp1/image/bst4-1.gif http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2005/oct/07/publicservices.health Giddens: The Third Way. The Renewal of Social Democracy. 1998

Types, causes, and advantages and disadvantages of monopolies

Types, causes, and advantages and disadvantages of monopolies Monopoly is the situation in which there is a single seller of a product (i.e., a good or service) for which there are no close substitutes. The word is derived from the Greek words monos (meaning one) and polein (meaning to sell). Governmental policy with regard to monopolies can have major effects not only on specific businesses and industries but also on the economy and society as a whole. Types Oligopoly: Is a situation in which sales of a product are dominated by a small number of a relatively large seller who is able to collectively exert control over its supply and prices. Cartel: Is a type of oligopoly in which a centralized institution exists for the purpose of coordinating the action of several independent suppliers of a product. The best example today is the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Trust: Popular way to form monopolies in USA. This was an arrangement by which stockholders in several companies transferred their shared to a single set of trustees. In exchange, the stockholders received a certificate entitling them to a specified share of the consolidated earning of the jointly managed companies. The trust came to dominate a number of major industries (tobacco, sugar, etc.) Monopsony: Is the opposite of a conventional monopoly in the sense that there is only a single buyer or only one dominant buyer for a product for which there are multiple sellers. Some companies are both monopolies and monopsonies. By being also a monopsonist, a monopoly can increase its profits even further by putting pressure on the companies that supply inputs for its products to reduce their prices. Extreme cases Pure monopoly: One company has complete control over the supply or sales of a product for which there are no good substitutes. Perfect competition: There are many sellers of identical or virtually identical products. Causes of monopoly By developing or acquiring control over a unique product that is difficult or costly for others companies to copy. By having a lower production cost than competitors. By using various legal and illegal tactics (predatory tactics) By controlling a platform and using vendor lock-in. By receiving a government grant of monopoly status, becoming a government-granted monopoly. Advantages Despite their reputation for evil, monopolies can actually generate a net benefit for society under certain circumstances. These are usually situations in which the power and duration of the monopoly are carefully limited. Natural monopolies can be particularly beneficial. This is because of their ability to attain lower costs of production, often far lower, than would be possible with competitive firms producing the same product in the same region. However, it is almost always necessary for such monopolies to be regulated by a relatively uncorrupted government in order for society to obtain the potential benefits. This is because such monopolies by themselves, as is the case with all monopolies, have little incentive to charge prices close to cost and, rather, tend to charge profit-maximizing prices and restrict output. Likewise, there is often little incentive to pay much attention to quality. It has long been recognized that government-granted monopolies can benefit society as a whole by providing financial incentives to inventors, artists, composers, writers, entrepreneurs and others to innovate and produce creative works. In fact, the importance of establishing monopolies of limited duration for this purpose is even mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. Disadvantages Large monopolies have considerable potential to damage both economies and democratic governments and monopolists often go to extreme lengths to disguise or hide such harmful effects. Example The table below illustrates the case of monopoly. Marginal cost is the value of the additional resources needed to produce another unit of output. The marginal benefit to consumers is the price that consumers are willing to pay for each unit. You should recognize this column as a demand curve. The maximization principle tells us that the economically efficient amount to produce is five, the amount that gives consumers the greatest value. To produce the first unit, the firm takes resources that have a value of $5.00 and turns them into something with a value of $7.01. Because this transformation has increased value, producing the first unit is more economically efficient than producing none. By this logic, producing the sixth unit would decrease economic efficiency because the firm would take resources with a value of $5.00 and transform them into something with a value of only $4.51. The monopolist, however, will find it most profitable to produce only three units because it does not see marginal benefit the same way that buyers see it. For the seller, the extra benefit of the second unit is only $6.01. It sells the second unit for $6.51, but to sell the second unit, it had to reduce the price it charged by $.50. Thus, it lost $.50 on the first unit, so the net increase in its revenue was only $6.01. (You can get the same answer by computing a total revenue column and then calculating revenue increases.) In a similar manner, the rest of the fourth column can be obtained. Using the maximization principle, one can see that producing beyond the third unit is not in the interests of the firm. The fourth unit brings in added benefits of only $4.01 to the firm (it sells for $5.51, but to sell it, the firm lowers price by $.50 on three other units), but costs an added $5.00. From the point of view of the buyers, however, the fourth unit should be produced. It brings them added benefits of $5.51 and uses resources worth only $5.00.

Time Warner :: essays research papers

In January 2000, AOL and Time Warner announced a record setting $166 Billion Dollar merger. Referred to as â€Å"the Deal of the Century† the talk immediately centered on the potential synergies the new company would realize. Steve Case, announced as Chairman, championed the idea of AOL/Time Warner as the â€Å"Wal-Mart† of the media and entertainment industry – a one-stop shop marketplace for advertisers to reach their audience. Case envisioned fully integrated advertising campaigns with bundled AOL/Time Warner products. The idea was simple enough: through a single point of contact, a marketer like Pepsi could get product placement in a major event movie, run a sweepstakes promotion on the web with the winner appearing in a Warner Brothers sitcom, sponsor a Warner Music artist’s concert tour and distribute a national print and television branding campaign. Investors applauded. AOL/Time Warner’s scale & scope would give it a clear advantage over stand alone competitors. Furthermore, with the integration of Time Warner, AOL, the leading ISP, with 40% of the US market, would be able to differentiate its products with proprietary content from such established brands as People Magazine and Sports Illustrated. Time Warner executives, in turn, saw AOL as a new distribution pipeline into consumer households that could be used to promote and extend their collection of brands. The deal seemed to make sense for both sides. So what went wrong? The big question these days is: Should Time Warner sell AOL? Is the company stronger together or apart? Over the past year, analysts, investors and company executives have grappled with this issue. Since it helps to understand a company’s past when making a decision about its future, we have structured this presentation in the following format: First we will briefly review AOL & Time Warner’s market positions as separate companies. Second we will cover the complex merger issues that concerned federal regulators. And third, we will take a look at the period directly following the merger’s approval. Finally, once we have painted the full picture of the merger and its results, we will conclude with our recommendation for the company’s future. Prior to merging with AOL, Time Warner, was itself the result of two successful mega mergers. The first was in 1989 when Time-Life, a print media company, merged with Warner Communications, an entertainment company with interests in movies and music. This was subsequently followed up with the merger of Turner Broadcasting Systems, Ted Turner’s Atlanta based company with cable properties like TNT and CNN. These two mergers had created a powerful, vertically and horizontally integrated media company but still, something was missing.

Metropolitan vs. Colonial Space in Forster’s A Passage to India and Lawrence’s Women in Love :: Passage India

Metropolitan vs. Colonial Space in Forster’s A Passage to India and Lawrence’s Women in Love   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At first glance, it seems easy to state a definitive distinction between what Said calls â€Å"metropolitan space† and â€Å"colonial space.† In its simplest form, metropolitan space is the space occupied by the colonizers. Examples of this include England, France and the places these people reside in while living in these colonies. Likewise, colonial space is that which is occupied by those who are colonized. India and Africa are both good examples of this. However, upon closer inspection, it is clear that this distinction is not as simple as it may originally appear.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although the above definitions are accurate, they are also incomplete. As Said says, colonialism is not a â€Å"simple act of accumulation and acquisition (9).† The distinction between metropolitan space and colonial space does not lie solely within physical and tangible spaces. It also exists in the mindsets and attitudes of the people involved in colonialism. Said points out that a direct result of colonialism is that it comes with changes in attitudes (52).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another important element of the distinction between metropolitan and colonial spaces is the understanding that this distinction exists because of the differences in power. Said defines metropolitan space as a â€Å"socially desirable empowered space (52).† He goes on to say that metropolitan spaces are connected to colonial spaces by the â€Å"design, motive and development† of these colonial spaces. Further, he says that cultures want to move into these colonial spaces because they are viewed as ‘desirable but subordinate (52).† This point is especially important to note. There is a definite understanding that those who occupy the metropolitan space have the power while those who occupy the colonial space do not.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The vocabulary used is also an essential element of the distinction between the two spaces. Said mentions that some of the key elements/words associated with colonialism include: â€Å"inferior† and â€Å"subordinate peoples. (9)† These terms further reinforce the division of power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India is a prime example of the distinction between metropolitan and colonial spaces. Using the simplest definition, Forster presents an India where the distinction between metropolitan and colonial spaces is very clear. Metropolitan space is present in the form of England, but also is present locally in the form of the club. The Indians occupy their own colonial spaces that the British rarely enter into.

Character Orientation

Values In order to make better transformations in life, I believe that change should start from within. I will exercise good values at all times, strive hard to be a better version of myself, will give my best in school, and I will never stop learning and working towards my goals. The little things we do everyday affects our future in big ways so it might as well be good. It's also important that we keep our personal relationship with God strong and intact.And let his blessings and miracles work in our lives. There are things we couldn't avoid in our family like quarrels and disagreements. I am trying to be more patient and I try not to talk when I'm in a bad mood to keep myself from saying cruel things that I don't even mean. Also try to reach out to them after every fight and ignore my pride, and in doing so, I can be at peace with myself too. I admit it's not easy to forgive and forget but my love for my family is greater than any of that.And I believe that everyone should do the same to maintain a healthy relationship with their implies. It's easier to do great things with my friends in school. Everyday makes a huge difference. Thefts all very nurturing and supportive and they can expect me to do the same too. I will also continue to share my talents and teach them the things know. School activities can be very stressful but this is what makes us responsible, clever, disciplined etc. And some Of the essential values we need to succeed in life.I'm not a very social person and I admit that I don t usually go out. Trying to come up with something that will make differences for our community is challenging. But maybe someday I'll be able to support a cause, donate to charities, and use art to inspire and encourage people. For now, I will just prepare myself so that if I'll be given the opportunity to contribute to something that will make great changes for our community, I will surely give it my best.

Jonouchi Motoharu

Jonouchi Motoharu played an important part in forming and collecting a wide variety of artistic institutions. He also formed and governed many of anti-art groups that included the cinema club formed at Nihon University, the Neo-Dada Club, and a cinematic research center known as VAN.   His works demonstrated the devastation of what took place in Japan during World War II. It represents the experiences of the soldiers and civilians who were affected by the nuclear warfare of that time. The frailty of life is a major subject of the films. People are shown in their vulnerability and the audience is allowed to view them from the perspective of the universe—which shows humans as tiny and inconsequential. It also shows the relative ease with which people’s lives can be destroyed. The films contained in this showing are â€Å"Hi Red Center Shelter Plan,† â€Å"Wols,† â€Å"Gewaltopia Trailer,† and â€Å"Shinjuku Station.† Showing these Motoharu films together highlights the violence that drives many of the processes of life. In the film â€Å"Hi Red Center Shelter Plan,† one views an initial short of body measurements. Male and female figures are shown laid out and their measurements taken. These picture images shown at the beginning represent a comparison of the gender figures. One man is shown lying naked in the bathtub, and the coldness of the picture of him being measured like meat or material is poignant in its representation of the meaningless of humanity when life is looked at on grander scales. Men and women are measured in different positions. They are made to stand facing the camera, and the made to turn around showing their backs toward the camera. They are also made to lie on the bed or to lie upside down on the bed. The film â€Å"Wols† features a rapid montage of surreal pictures with changes occurring in a manner that shocks the senses. Each picture is shot at different angles to create an even greater shock on the senses, and to give a quick and fleeting image of perspectives. The â€Å"Gewaltopia Trailer† opens with a short of a right eye stenciled or branded with some Japanese words. These words are written on the eyelid. It is followed by two shots showing nuclear explosions. The sounds used in this film’s beginning and ending sequence is the voice of a woman moaning. The content of the film is very violent. People are shown with helpless expressions on their faces. The entire film is filled with body parts of these people on which Japanese characters have been stenciled. Images of destruction are rampant, with such figures as King Kong and hellish features of life. Many images of fighting and union demonstrations are also found in the film. The camera angles itself from above and shoots down at the city representing increasing Japanese power The final film by Jonouchi Motoharu, â€Å"Shinjuku Station† begins with a devastated world in shambles. People are shown passing through Shinjuku Station and cars are shot as they drive along the roadway. A man comes on the screen speaking Japanese and it is clear from his tone that he is upset. Despite his speech being in Japanese, he constantly repeats the word â€Å"station.† Over and over he says the word in this angry tone. The scene finally changes to a shot of a wide, grassy area and then the screen goes to black. This black screen is purposefully left to be viewed by audiences for approximately a minute. The music continues for this period of blackness in which the audience is left to think about what they have seen. Humanity’s contribution to the violence in the universe is the them of   Jonouchi’s works. Two of his films, â€Å"Gewaltopia Trailer,† and â€Å"Shinjuku Station,† form part of a series called Gewaltopia. This word is made up of two parts: â€Å"Gewalt,† which is German for â€Å"violence† and a truncation of the word â€Å"utopia.† This idea is characteristic of the films produced by Motoharu. He seeks to illuminate the world in which we live and highlight how its inhabitants (primarily humans) revel in the violence that they are instrumental in creating. The four films are shown together to highlight this fact, and as a means of demonstrating the historical and artistic significance of the war in demonstrating humanity’s culture of violence. Works Cited Jonouchi Motoharu Program. Anthology Film Archives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.anthologyfilmarchives.org/schedule/search/film/?id=8528&height=400&widt  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   h=730 Motoharu, Jonouchi. â€Å"Hi Red Center Shelter Plan.† 18minutes – 16mm. Japan 1964. —. â€Å"Wols.† 18minutes – 16mm. Japan 1964. —. â€Å"Gewaltpia Trailer.† 13minutes – 16mm. Japan 1969. —. â€Å"Shinjuku Station.† 14minutes – 16mm. Japan 1964.