Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Free Essays on Overpopulation In Prisons

Overpopulation in Prisons According to Allen J. Beck, Ph.D an estimated 1,585,400 persons were incarcerated in the United States in 1995 and that since 1985 the total number of inmates in the State and Federal prisons has grown 8.3 percent annually. (Beck, 1) The prisons in the United States are seeing about 45,000 new inmates each year. Greg Botonis, writer for the Los Angeles Daily News, says â€Å"Since the first year [California State Prison] opened, more than 4,000 inmates have been assigned to the prison designed for 2,200, and the population explosion has been especially great since spring.† (Botonis, 1) Those are pretty big numbers. From 1994 to 1995 Iowa’s prison population alone grew 8.6 percent. How can the government afford to keep putting this many people in prison? That’s right, the taxpayers are paying for it. Overpopulation in prisons impacts negatively on staff morale and on the services rendered, it also is the cause for abnormally high maintenance costs of pris on facilities. Why are we having problems with crowding in our prisons? The overpopulation problems in the prisons are due to mandatory minimum sentencing laws which was brought out by the anti-drug abuse act of 1986. This law states that judges are required to use minimum sentences on offenders based on the type and quantity of the drug involved. Last year over half a million Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses and now most of them are in our prisons. Overpopulation in prisons has lead to the need for new prisons to be built. Which means even more money is needed from the taxpayers. Just for one inmate to stay in a federal prison for one month it costs about $1,910. The cost for building a new prison facility can vary from fifteen to sixty million dollars. The taxpayers are giving prisoners pretty much a free ride. Prisoners have it better than most American citizens. These prisoners get to have all of their utilities ... Free Essays on Overpopulation In Prisons Free Essays on Overpopulation In Prisons Overpopulation in Prisons According to Allen J. Beck, Ph.D an estimated 1,585,400 persons were incarcerated in the United States in 1995 and that since 1985 the total number of inmates in the State and Federal prisons has grown 8.3 percent annually. (Beck, 1) The prisons in the United States are seeing about 45,000 new inmates each year. Greg Botonis, writer for the Los Angeles Daily News, says â€Å"Since the first year [California State Prison] opened, more than 4,000 inmates have been assigned to the prison designed for 2,200, and the population explosion has been especially great since spring.† (Botonis, 1) Those are pretty big numbers. From 1994 to 1995 Iowa’s prison population alone grew 8.6 percent. How can the government afford to keep putting this many people in prison? That’s right, the taxpayers are paying for it. Overpopulation in prisons impacts negatively on staff morale and on the services rendered, it also is the cause for abnormally high maintenance costs of pris on facilities. Why are we having problems with crowding in our prisons? The overpopulation problems in the prisons are due to mandatory minimum sentencing laws which was brought out by the anti-drug abuse act of 1986. This law states that judges are required to use minimum sentences on offenders based on the type and quantity of the drug involved. Last year over half a million Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses and now most of them are in our prisons. Overpopulation in prisons has lead to the need for new prisons to be built. Which means even more money is needed from the taxpayers. Just for one inmate to stay in a federal prison for one month it costs about $1,910. The cost for building a new prison facility can vary from fifteen to sixty million dollars. The taxpayers are giving prisoners pretty much a free ride. Prisoners have it better than most American citizens. These prisoners get to have all of their utilities ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

A Practical Five-Step Strategy to Get More Social Media Followers as a Writer

A Practical Five-Step Strategy to Get More Social Media Followers as a Writer Right at this moment, there are millions of pseudo-influencers online trying to hot-take their way to fame. If youre one of them, you can move on to the next article. This one isnt for you. This is for the people with a genuine message burning inside. The people who have something important to say but cant seem to get any traction. The people who, no matter how hard they try, arent getting new followers. The people who are starting to get discouraged. Do This For A Month And See What Happens. Focus on one social media channel for one full month. The most important fact to understand about social media is that it is one (and only one) aspect of your strategy to gain readers. In general, you want people there for as short a time as possible. Your ultimate goal is to move people from social media (a channel you cant control) to an email list (a channel you can control). When you have peoples email addresses (as in an email list), you have an almost-guaranteed way to get a hold of them. When you send an email to your email list, theres no complex algorithm to understand. Just write a good email, send it to people, and, if it interests them, theyll pay attention. Your social media channel, on the other hand, is not something you can control. Since you only have peoples social media handles, your ability to contact them is tenuous. Its based on a platform and an algorithm you have no control over. But most of all social media eats up a significant amount of the most valuable resource you have as an entrepreneur: Your time. The Practical 5-Step Strategy Make a list of all the social media channels youre on and the number of followers. Browse through each social media channel to determine where you have the most activity, but most of all, the most engagement. Choose a channel to focus on for the month. Research (and use!) the best practices for your chosen channel. Were all so busy we throw the same graphic on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, whatever, and call it a day. Not cool and not productive. No more! Find out the ideal image dimension sizes for your chosen channel. Make your graphics for that channel. Figure out the content people respond to most. Emulate its style and use it for your own content. Consider video. Your goal is to become an expert on the best practices of your chosen channel. Use your extra time to dig into another lead generation method. Here are a few to consider. SEO (Excellent post from our expert) Guest Blogging YouTube Paid Media Quora Podcasting There are dozens more of these Pick a strategy outside of social media. Test it. See what results you get, then try another if its not working. Youll be shocked how you can change your results when you focus on being an expert on one channel instead of seven. If youre not sure which to pick, we can vouch for the fact that theres huge potential in organic SEO if youre patient. (We grew a New York Times bestselling authors monthly blog traffic If It Doesnt Work After a Month, Do This Try another one. Keep testing until you find a channel that works. Keep trying to crack the code for the channel youre focusing on for that month. And, as you dive in, remember: Everyone started at 0 followers. What If Nothing Works If you cant get traction after trying every single social media channel out there, people arent resonating with what you have to say. Its time to re-evaluate your message. Survey your people. Ask what they want to hear from you, then provide it. Youre not the first person to run into this issue. In fact, youre not the first person to run into this issue today. Dont be discouraged. Dont give up. Instead, focus on systematically testing the different platforms to see what performs best for you. Theres no silver bullet here. It will take a lot of effort and elbow grease, but the end result will be worth it. And remember, youre not alone. Invest in your personal growth, and if you ever need someone to talk to about your next steps, consider dropping us a line.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Service and Sacrifice by America's Veterans Benefit Today's Youth by Essay

Service and Sacrifice by America's Veterans Benefit Today's Youth by - Essay Example However, Veterans who fought in the Second World War, the Vietnam War, the Korean War and the Gulf wars are still with us today and their sacrifice is remembered since they gave America the status of the global power it enjoys today. America did not come to this position overnight and government policy as well as the collective work of the American society itself certainly deserves credit but the veterans form an essential element in being the strong arm of the American government as well as the enforcers of American policy. This enforcement of American policy includes the protection of American interests around the world whether they are threatened in the black forest of Germany or on the islands of Japan. From the deserts of the Middle East to the mountains in South America, wherever there is a need for an American soldier, s/he is ever present and vigilant. Veterans were responsible for putting their feet on the ground and maintaining American control wherever it was needed. Undoubtedly, some of the wars have been called unjust and have also been noted as mistakes. The Vietnam war and even the gulf wars have been called unnecessary since the government decided to go into battle without all the required information or by working with the wrong data. However, that does not take anything away from the valor and the courage of the veterans who fought when they were told to fight believing that they were defending America, the freedom of the American people and their liberty. Thus, the freedoms enjoyed by the American youth can be credited to the efforts of the veterans who protected and defended America when they were called to do so. Had these veterans not offered their lives and their blood as a sacrifice, it is entirely possible that America would not be what it is today. In fact, from the first individual who died fighting in the War of American Independence to the soldiers who are giving their blood for their country today, the debt which the nation

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Benefits Management Plan for the Perth Arena Project Case Study

Benefits Management Plan for the Perth Arena Project - Case Study Example Reduce congestion in the parking lots in Perth city 680 capacity underground parking bay to be provided by November 2011 Perth city tracks movement of vehicles into and out of the city and their numbers in the parking lots DHW (Department of housing and works) Failure of parties involved in the project to take responsibility. Poor cost estimation Improve the appearance of Perth Arena and create the perception that it is a cool place to visit. Minimized cost of raising a car park by having it fabricated within the Arena $2 million saved by having an underground park bay by end of 2009 $2 million budgetary reduction in Perth Arena upgrading cost DHW Poor cost planning Negligence of responsibilities and errands Save the Australian government money required in upgrading and remodeling cities. Increased revenues resulting from parking fees (600 new bays) $79200+ annual increase in parking fees by end of 2012 Assess the amount of parking profits collected in 2012 and in 2013 and calcu late the change in terms of percentage VenuesWest and DHW Poor revenue collection systems Depreciating value of the Australian dollar as a result of changes in time value of money. Improved economic sustainability of the facility

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Trade Liberalization in China and Brazil Essay Example for Free

Trade Liberalization in China and Brazil Essay Debt crises and financial stability problems had been the major causes why some countries resort into imposing new economic programs such as implementing free trade which is also called trade liberalization. To lessen the limitations of a country on trade industries they have established has been the main point of the process called trade liberalization (Biz/ed, 2007).   Through this process, tariffs or the fee that the government charges to every importer of foreign goods, as well as trade barriers are reduced in order to allow more foreign investments on a country’s economy.   Ã‚   Through this, the host country would have the privilege of acquiring imported products with a lower price.   However, domestic and national industries are also protected and looked after from competitors such as foreign producers through protectionism.   In this way, local industries are protected through tariffs, other non-tariff barriers and quotas. The price of imported goods is increased by tariffs, which make the entry of foreign business competitors a difficult and expensive task.   Aside from tariffs, governments have also devised other ways of protecting their local market, calling these methods as non-tariff barriers.   One kind of a non-tariff barrier are quotas.   These are restrictive and protective moves of nations or local governments against the entry of foreign goods into their local market (Biz/ed, 2007). It would be beneficial, for the academe and all the economy governing bodies in the world to know how a modern economic policy, more specifically the economic trade liberalization policy, affects a previously existing economic body.   Not only would it help the academe and the governing bodies understand the policy even more, but would also make them realize how these policies affect the economy in various levels, both in the macro and microeconomic level. This paper would focus in the trade liberalization policy and how it affects a particular country, or in this case would be called an economic body.   This paper would not be able to mention all the countries that are presently implementing the economic free trade policy, because of practical reasons, so the researcher had resorted into using two well-known countries from two different continents to show how the aforementioned economic policy affects different economic bodies in different geographical and cultural contexts. This paper would not focus on developed countries because it would just defeat the objective of knowing how this said policy would affect those countries that have implemented it because of their need to use it as a means of increasing their economic, and eventually their political power in the international arena.   The two countries to be used as points of comparison, would be China, which is found in East Asia, and Brazil, which is found in the continent of South America. China is one of the most well-known countries when it comes in business.   Historically, it has been one of the world’s greatest political powers, even before the time when the Europeans set out into the unknown.   It has been economically active by trading goods such as garments, oil, spices and jewelries with its Asian neighbors such as the Philippines, Japan, Malaysia, and other more, even before the age when the Europeans discovered the different lands in the region. In the recent past, China had become less economically active because of its experiences of that lead to the minimal decrease of its political power in the international arena.   But today, because of its social, political and economic policies, it is slowly rising back to the top of the list of political and economic powers.   In this country, retailing has grown and underwent rapid changes over the years. And this retail process has played an important role when it comes to food production and/ or selling of food in their culture. China, being the world’s most populated country, having more or less 1.3 billion in population, tried to utilize this kind of capital.   Because they have a very large pool where they can get manpower, they have used this to use labor to their advantage.   Because of the lesser need to use machinery, compared to other countries, they have succeeded in lowering the market prices of the goods they have produced in dramatic rates.   They also used their manpower as their source of political power. But then, people in China are more likely to be savers than spenders and so, their market is steered by the price of their goods.   The price of every local product is where the imported goods have a hard time competing with because the imported products are much expensive than the other (Moustakerski, 2002).   This is because the price of imported goods considers the price of tariffs paid. In addition, China has also signed significant trade treaties under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).   GATS is one of those contracts or agreements that include rules on investments in services and trade.   It covers services such as water delivery, health care, postal delivery, tourism, road building, municipal services, education and insurance.   The scope and range of GATS is broad and covers the regulation of government with regards to trade and services as well as government services in all levels (Glossary of International Trade Terms). These commitments include distribution services, tourism, telecommunications, banking, insurance, audiovisual and professional services.   Agreements regarding the distribution of goods and services are important, basically for merchandise trades since this kind of commitment would help prevent economic barriers from emerging through the control of distribution (Ianchovichina, Martin and Wood, 2000).   Also, with these, the process of trade becomes quite more complicated.   Again, these commitments entail changes and processes that may be difficult for some foreign country to get into another country and share their products to possible consumers. The commitments concerning the financial services modes may differ across countries and can also change over time.   These may include the following (Kono, et al., 1997): All measures on liberalization should be equal among World Trade Organization (WTO) members The members of WTO can not discriminate foreign and domestic firms, except when it is clearly said at the time by which it joined the GATS. Domestic policies must be available as well as unrestricted to everyone. Continuous process of liberalization or by which affiliated territories be in agreement enhancing the liberalized sectors and reduce exceptions within sectors in such a way that they commit to negotiating rounds in the future. Harmed countries can give authorization against the disturbing or violating country. Despite these, there are also important exceptions that should be taken note of: The different programs of the principal bank and / or other systems associated with the government that transmits money along with policies on convertibility that are not included in the GATS. Economical construct is also not liable to GATS and it is created for making sure governments of the host country may protect their local financial system as well as their participants through the application of prudential standards of the host country. The said measures do not necessarily comply with pledges of the right to use markets, national treatment as well as the preferred responsibility of a nation (Key, 2003). Other government relations that are not related to prudential measures are also exempted from GATS commitments except when they disobey necessary obligations (Kono, et al., 1997). Considering the different limitations, restrictions and qualifications on trading, selling and importing food made from foreign countries has been even more complicated.   The country’s infrastructure and legal systems are underdeveloped and the law or enforcement is often inconsistent and biased.   Thus, corruption among the people and protectionism of the locals has remained to be problems (Moustakerski, 2002). China’s share on exports have consist goods in which the country did not like in relation to their advantage in production.   Hence, the producers of goods that are exported had no economic incentives in order to broaden their international sales.   Also, with that, the ability of China to invest on imports that may involve technology which could have contributed to the country’s economic expansion and growth productivity has been impaired (Lardy, 2003). Considering China’s integration in the global economy and its progressive recognition of the principles of marketing has been encouraged by the United States economic and political engagement.   These developments helped relations grew deeper between the two countries – United States and China.   But these two countries have also caused friction between their relationships. In any case, the relationship between the countries has become essential to the countries’ economy.   Thus, China’s economy has grown closely to investment regimes and open trades of the world’s major economies.   Also, the gross domestic product (GDP) of China accounts 40 percent of their exports and so, the country has depended on its export sector’s growth to stimulate their economy’s modernization as well as to support and improve their standards of living (U.S. China Trade and Relations. 2006). The gross domestic product or (GDP) is the annual total value of services and goods by a certain nation and does not include the net factor income from abroad (overseas investments and interest and / or profits and the wages of workers. GDP is also an indicator of the economy’s status and includes the government purchases as well as total value of the country’s export and investments in the United States.   As what was aforementioned in this paper, countries that undergo economic crises make some alternative ways of coping with their problem, such as what happened with most Latin American countries in the early 1980’s. Most Latin American countries had resorted into having economic changes after they had experienced such problems, but Brazil was one of the latest countries to join the trend of making its national market a free market.     Just like in the case of China and the other countries that are practicing free trade, Brazil has been experiencing many large scope changes since the first time it practiced the said trade policy. With the start of the late eighties to the early nineties, there arose some issues in the political and economic arena about the consequences of the new economic policy.   Trade liberalization had three major environmental effects on Brazil, and on the other countries as well, namely; the scale effect, the composition effect and the technological effect (Antweiller and Copeland, 1998). The first one, the scale effect according to Antweiler (1998), â€Å"measures the increase of pollution generated if the economy were simply scaled up, holding constant the mix of goods produced and the production techniques.†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This simply means that the increase or decrease of the amount of pollution produced by a certain economic body can be determined by the economy itself, depending on its course, whether it is scaling up or down. Just like in the case of Brazil, which is one large economic body that is in its course of upscaling its economy, it does not experience radical and abrupt changes in the rate of production of its goods and the techniques of production it has.   However, because of the fact that it had implemented free trade, its economy would be stronger than before, or in other terms scaled up, and also because of that, it would tend to be more polluted at the same time. The composition effect is another environmental effect that can be observed in Brazil.   This effect means that when the economic state of a certain country, as well as the emission intensities at a constant level, then that particular economy would tend to allocate more of its resources to the production of possible pollutants, consequently polluting the environment more. Brazil has an economy that is technically and relatively not scaling up, and the rate of the production of pollutants just stays the same.   Because of this, they are forced to allot more and more of their resources into producing more goods that they have to export like sugar.   This economic move thus increases the scale in which they have to produce the goods, which in turn increases the amount of pollutants produced by the manufacturing and the processing of these goods. And the last one is the technological effect, or what Antweiler (1998) calls the technique effect, claims that when everything else was held constant (emission intensity, mix of goods produced, production techniques, and the scale of economy), a possible increase in the intensity of the emissions would tend to heighten pollution levels.     In connection with the previous effects, and in connection with logic, the more pollutants an economic body produces, the more polluted it gets.   Because of free trade, more imported goods will come into the country.   Without even producing and manufacturing vehicles, one country can acquire a large quantity of those by free trade.   Also, they can acquire these vehicles even without increasing their economy.   And as everybody knows, vehicles that use gasoline and crude oil as their main fuel produce pollutants, because of this, it may become one way of increasing the pollution in that economic body. These three effects are good observations by Antweiler, because these seem to summarize, and in a way quantify some of the effects of the phenomenon of free trading, especially in those countries that had only resorted to the economic policy because of the immediate need to rise from their economic troubles.   Also, these effects can be used to describe and predict the possible effects of free trade policies on a particular economic body. It is known that Brazil is a major sugarcane producing country, having produced 1,324 million metric tons in 2004 (Earley and Earley, 2006).   It also came to a time that it dominated the sugar production in the world in 2004 and 2005.   It had also dominated in the exportation of these sugar products, even leading over the US, Australia and Thailand. According to one policy analyst, who focused on the liberalization of agriculture, the implementation of the trade liberalization as a structural adjustment program had been ideally conceptualized so the lives of the Brazilians would be improved both politically and economically.   But instead of doing what it was supposed to do, according to his analysis, the economic reform program had worsened the case, because not only did it make the poor poorer and the rich richer, it also â€Å"redressed† (according to the author) and widened the inequality between social groups (Cassel and Patel, 2003). Considering the Brazil’s relationship with other countries, it has established connection with that of the United States of America when it comes to ethanol production. The world’s production of ethanol has strongly grown because of the worldwide oil prices increase and thus, ethanol is being considered as one of the alternative fuels (Earley and Earley, 2006). As what was mentioned earlier in the paper, Brazil is among leading sugar producing countries in the world, mainly because it has acres of land area to use for planting sugarcane.   Ethanol can be made by using sugarcane juice, and then by fermentation, distillation, and dehydration of the end product, which is ethanol or E-85. A large number of vehicles in Brazil are now using ethanol as their main fuel.   Ethanol has also become a major fuel in the said country, providing almost 18% of the total amount of vehicle fuel.   Because of this, they have become the world’s leading producer of ethanol producer back in 2005 (Ethanol Fuel, 2007). The policies as a result of both international and national efforts to prevent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions had also increased interest in using such fuel and so, authorization on the use of ethanol helps the industry of the country grow.   Also, because trade liberalization means more products would come in, which would also mean that products would need to be transported from one point to another by means of a particular kind of highly durable and highly powerful vehicles.   And because these vehicles need to have more power, they utilize fossil fuel products as their source of power, which would eventually add up to the pollution problem of the economic body. A study with regards to Brazil has found out that, the country’s trade liberalization had an effect on employment rates. It was noted that there has been a negative effect wherein there has been a decrease in employment in different capital-intensive industries as well as a decrease on the labor-intensive industries in the country. There are some who claim that the decrease in employment is not necessarily attributed to the country’s trade liberalization because the trade reforms has been passed and implemented on a macroeconomic environment which was characterized by recessionary conditions and high inflation rates (Mesquita Najberg, 2000). But looking back at the basics, employment can be and is directly affected by the particular economic body’s economic status at a given time.   Because of this, the aforementioned claim may not be telling what really is happening, but only what is ideally to happen. Considering the stated information above, it can be inferred that China and Brazil both differ in ways of how they manipulate their trade systems in order to increase their economy and be known to their respective fields of interest and products.   Simply, the two countries aim to improve their economy and be able to increase their economy’s status in such a way that they would be able to have connections or be in association with other countries. Also, it may be good to hypothesize that trade liberalization can help an economic body only in the macroeconomic level, but it can also negatively affect the economy in the microlevel in the same time.   It can also be hypothesized that economic trade liberalization policies only serve the benefit of those countries that already have the economic advantage at the first place, because they already have the means of being the first ones to do trade with the countries that implement the economic policy. And last, another hypothesis that can be drawn from the previous premises is that free trade can be one of the modern economic policies that may endanger the previously existing local industries in a country, because it only gives the people more choices in the market, which would mean, greater diffusion and lesser concentration of the choice of goods sold in the market. References Antweiller. W., Copeland. B.R.   and Taylor. M.S. (1998). â€Å"Is free trade good for the environment?†. NBER working paper. Biz/ed. (2007). Trade Liberalisation: A Means of Promoting Growth in Developing Countries? – Activity. Retrieved, July 17, 2007, from http://www.bized.co.uk/educators/16-19/economics/international/activity/liberalisation1.htm. Cassel, A and Patel, R. PhD.   (2003).   Agricultural Trade Liberalization and Brazil’s Rural Poor.   Institute for Food and Development Policy/Food First. Earley, J. and Earley, T.   (2006).   Specific Environmental Effectsof Trade Liberalization: Sugar.   International Policy Council. Ethanol Fuel (2007).   Wikipedia.   Retrieved july 19, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel#Production_Process. Glossary of International Trade Terms.   Retrieved July 18, 2007 from http://www.afsc.org/trade-matters/learn-about/glossary.htm#wto. Ianchovichina, E., Martin, W. and Wood, C. (2000). ‘Effects of the Vietnam- US bilateral trade agreement’, Mimeo, World Bank. Key, S. J., (2003), The Doha Round and Financial Services Negotiations, (Washington DC: The American Enterprise Institute Press). Kono, M. and L. Schuknecht, (2000), â€Å"How Does Financial Services Trade Affect Capital Flows and Financial Stability,† in Internationalization of Financial Services ed. by S. Claessens and M. Jansen, (London) Kluwer Law International, pp139-176. Lardy, N.   (2003). Trade Liberalization and Its Role in Chinese Economic Growth. Prepared for an International Monetary Fund and National Council of Applied Economic Research Conference A Tale of Two Giants: Indias and Chinas Experience with Reform and Growth. New Delhi. Mesquita, M. and Najberg, S. (2000). Trade Liberalization in Brazil: Creating or exporting jobs?. Journal of Development Studies. Moustakerski, P. (2002). The effect of trade liberalization on China’s retail sector. Retrieved, July 17, 2007, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3723/is_3_14/ai_84879835. Trade Liberalization and Employment (2001).   International Labor Office.   Geneva.   282nd Session. U.S.-China Trade Relations: Entering a New Phase of Greater Accountability and Enforcement. (2006). United States Trade Representative

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Diabetes an Epidemic in the African American Community Essay -- Biolog

Diabetes an Epidemic in the African American Community "The facts are clear: The diabetes epidemic sweeping the U.S. is hitting the African American community particularly hard, according to doctors." (2) Diabetes is defined as, "A disease that affects the body's ability to produce or respond to insulin, a hormone that allows blood glucose (blood sugar) to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy." (1) There are two types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, which usually begins during childhood or adolescence, "Is a condition characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by total lack of insulin. This occurs when the body's immune system attacks the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas and destroys them.." (2) Type 2 Diabetes, most common form of the disease, "Usually occurring in middle age adults after the age of forty-five, is a condition characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by either lack of insulin or the body's inability to use insulin efficiently." (2) National heal th surveys over the past 35 years show that the number of African American's that have been diagnosed with diabetes is drastically increasing. In fact, it has been reported, "Out of 16 million Americans with diabetes, twenty-three million are African Americans." (3) There are clearly many implications on why diabetes is so rampant in the African American community, those of which will be discussed in this report. In this report, I will exam aspects of the "African American Culture," in order to determine whether those aspects have anything to do with the reasons why diabetes is higher in the African American community, more so than others. "Have you ever heard in the Black culture someone say t... ... amounts of oils and sugars in food, improper dieting and apathy towards treating the disease. Diabetes is a major disease in all ethnicities, particularly in African Americans and can be deadly if not treated properly. If the cycle of diabetes is to lessen, in the African American community, people have to take the approach to eat right and exercise, or else the diabetes will continue to run rampant throughout the community. Internet Sources: 1) http://www.diabetes.org/community/outreach/african_americans/diabetesin.jsp , a rich resource from the diabetes community outreach project 2) http://www.ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/control/4Steps.htm , a rich resource from the department of health and diabetes. 3 http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/africanamerican/index.htm, a rich resource on diabetes 4) http://66.102.126.72?Diabetes.htm, a rich resource on diabetes

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How Does Counselling Differ from Other Helping Skills

INTRODUCTION TO COUNSELLING ASSIGNMENT ONE HOW DOES COUNSELLING DIFFER FROM OTHER HELPING SKILLS? Lorna Wilson 15/12/09 How does Counselling Differ from other Helping Skills? In everyday life people experience difficulties and problems that they feel they are not able to deal with on their own and need help with. The help that people receive to overcome their problems can be in many different forms. People may receive help in an informal way, such as having a chat to a close friend or relative, who can offer support and advice or they may seek help in a more formal capacity from various helping professionals, such as counsellors, social workers, psychiatrists, doctors, etc. For all of these professionals it is their formal role to help people manage distressing problems of life, but the help that is given can be very different depending on the profession of the helper & their specific skills. This assignment aims to consider how counselling differs from other forms of helping. Not every person who uses counselling skills is designated a counsellor. We can distinguish two groups of people who use counselling skills. People who are called counsellors, who engage in counselling as a distinct profession and others who use counselling skills as part of their role. We may go to a doctor to discuss a problem we are facing and a helping relationship is formed, but what the doctor offers is not counselling. They may well use their counselling skills, by listening to the patient to gain an understanding of their distress, but they also use other skills such as giving advice and providing factual information. The British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy define counselling as ‘taking place when a counsellor sees a client in a private and confidential setting to explore a difficulty the client is having, distress they may be experiencing or perhaps their dissatisfaction with life, or loss of a sense of direction or purpose. It is always at the request of the client, as no-one can properly be sent for counselling’. It is a supportive relationship that enables clients to explore, understand, come to terms with and resolve their problems. Hough (2006) describes counselling as a relationship which is often between two people, but can sometimes be in a group setting. The counselling relationship is unique to other forms of helping for various reasons. One reason is due to the special form of communication that takes place between the client and counsellor. A primary difference between counselling & other forms of helping is the way in which counsellor’s listen. By listening attentively and patiently the counsellor begins to perceive the difficulties from the client’s point of view and can help them to see things more clearly or from a different perspective. Active listening involves thinking behind the client’s words and about their feelings and emotions. It also involves being aware of non-verbal communication such as eye contact, facial expressions and body language. All of which can provide the counsellor with information about what the client may be experiencing. Some helping relationships involve giving advice, which means telling people what they should do. This should not take place in counselling. The counsellor may well talk through with the client what is possible and explore different ways that problems could be resolved but it is about helping the client to take responsibility for finding a solution that feels right for them. This enables the client to take control of their own life and is based on the principle of empowerment. Freud (1920) even cautioned against giving advice. He felt that people should be helped to come to their own independent decisions without pressure. Confidentiality is also an essential part of the agreement between counsellor and client, but it can also be important to other helping professionals in their work. During counselling, clients may reveal intimate details about their lives. They would not want these private details to be passed on to other people and need to be reassured of confidentiality, probably more so than in other helping professions due to the depth and intimacy of the information that is being discussed. However, it is not always that simple and there may be some instances when it is not possible to maintain total confidentiality and the counsellor my have to pass on certain information that was revealed. For example, if a crime has been committed or if there is a risk of harm to another person. In this case the counsellor must be clear with the client what information they may have to pass on and to whom. Professional counsellors are also bound by other ethics such as being non-judgemental and should not exploit their clients in any way. They must be respectful of how their clients choose to live and their right to self-determination. Counsellors must not impose their own thoughts or feeling on other people & should not have any expectations or impose any conditions on their clients. The relationship between counsellor and client should be one of equality. Although, the client may not feel that there is equality, they may feel powerless, as they are seeking help. The counsellor must try and convey a sense of equality and use their skills and knowledge to enable the client to take control of their life and feel empowered. The setting where counselling takes places is also very important. The counsellor must have an environment that feels comfortable, safe, private and consistent to enable the client to feel more at ease and therefore able to talk more freely about difficulties they are experiencing. Professional counsellors also have to undergo specific training. As previously mentioned many helping professionals use counselling skills such as listening and attending to clients, asking questions, helping clients to clarify their thoughts etc. Professional counsellors become experts at using these particular skills. Professional counsellors also have training in the theory behind counselling and for example have knowledge of the process of human development and personality, knowledge of problems which can occur at different stages of the lifespan and how the environment and other influencing factors can affect people’s ability to deal with everyday life. They are aware of common psychological processes such as bereavement, loss and attachment and how people form and interact in relationships. Personal development is also another aspect of the role of a counsellor, as it is essential that they have increased self-awareness. The more self-aware the counsellor is the more they will be able to understand their clients. They often have their own supervision or counselling to enable them to reflect on their own thoughts and feelings. To summarise, people experience difficulties and problems that they feel they are not able to deal with on their own and need help with. The help that they receive to enable them to overcome their problems can be in different forms, it can be informal advice from a friend or family member or it can be help from a professional that has particular skills in helping others. It was identified that many professionals use helping skills in their work but this differs from the work of a professional counsellor. Counselling is a supportive relationship that enables the client to explore, understand and resolve their problems in a private and comfortable setting. There is a special relationship between counsellor and client that is based on equality, respect, confidentiality and a non-judgemental attitude. The counsellor uses expert skills such as listening, enabling them to perceive the difficulties from the clients point of view. They also have specific training to develop these skills and have knowledge of the theory behind counselling and increased self-awareness through personal development. Word Count: 1300 References British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (2005) What is Counselling? , London: BACP. Egan,G. (1998) The Skilled Helper, Brooks/Cole Publishing Company Freud, S. (1920) A General introduction to Psychoanalysis. New York: Horace Liveright. Hough, M (2006) Counselling Skills & Theory, London: Hodder Arnold Swain, J (1995) The Use of Counselling Skills: A Guide for Therapists, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Crystal Edge Restaurant Essay

Type of Business Crystal Edge Restaurant is a sole trader venture that is owned and operated by Miss Jheneal Hall. She is responsible for the daily running of this restaurant, any profits or losses or any problems that the business encounters she is held accountable. Crystal Edge Restaurant will provide exquisite fine dining services to both local residents and tourists who visit the busy area of New Kingston. Other individuals from other areas are also welcomed to dine over high quality meals. The main objective here at Crystal Edge is to ensure that persons dine over healthy foods, in a nice clean friendly environment with an essence to feel home away from home. Our mission statement is â€Å"To ensure that each guest receives prompt, professional, friendly and courteous service. To maintain a clean, comfortable and well maintained premises for our guests and staff. To provide at a fair price – nutritional, well-prepared meals – using only quality ingredients. To ensure that all guests and staff are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. To thank each guest for the opportunity to serve them. By maintaining these objectives we shall be assured of a fair profit that will allow us to contribute to the community we serve.† Justification of Loctaion Crystal Edge Restaurant is located in the commercial area of New Kingston at 4-6 New Kingston Shopping Centre. The restaurant is located here for several reasons: * Because of the large number of individuals that come here to shop and work, so therefore it is worth starting up a business in this vicinity because we see where profits can be maximized. * Another reason for the selection of this location is that it is accessible and safe for customers. * The government provides tax relief for restaurants operating in this area Selection of Appropriate Labour The type of labour necessary at Crystal Edge Restaurant is unskilled labour. The restaurant will need a total of nine (9) employees. The employment process will be done with aid of applications forms and resumes and the nine employees that will be selected will have different roles to play to make Crystal Edge Restaurant a success. The restaurant will need a head chef, an assistant chef, three waitresses, two janitors and two cashiers. The head chef which is also the owner plans and prepares the meals with the assistant chef to help in the preparation of meals also. The three waitresses will work extremely hard on a daily basis to ensure that the customers’ orders are taken and the food is delivered to them and also cleans the tables after other customers have finished dining. The janitors are responsible for cleaning and sanitizing the kitchen and dining area to ensure a clean and healthy environment and lastly two cashiers that cash the orders taken and give a printed receipt. This type of labour is necessary because it is an inexpensive way of accomplishing production and service goals without raising consumer costs. Sources of Fixed and Working Capital My sources of fixed and working capital are funding all my savings and a loan from the commercial bank. Some examples of fixed assets that will be bought are equipment, furniture’s, dishes, glassware, silverware and cookware’. working capital is defined as raw material, money and other items that are used up in the day to day running of the business or the goods that are constantly being used up in the business in it daily operation . Some examples of working capitals are the food inventory, supplies, and worker’s wages and salaries. Role of the Entrepreneur The entrepreneur is optimistic and future oriented; I believe that success is possible and I’m willing to risk my resources in the pursuit of profit. I’m fast moving, willing to try many different strategies to achieve my goals of profits. And I’m flexible, willing to change quickly when I get new information. The entrepreneur is also needed to invest skills and management abilities to promote production. Three functions of the entrepreneur are: * Entrepreneur initiates the business activity Meaning the entrepreneur has to start the business activity by preparing a proper plan. The plan should deal with the type of goods and services to be produced, sources of raw material and credit, type of technology to be used, the markets where the products can be sold, etc. The plan should be detailed one covering all the aspects of the business * Entrepreneur is the decision maker The most vital function an entrepreneur discharges refers to decision making in various fields of the business enterprise. He is the decision maker of all activities of the enterprise. * Managerial Function: Entrepreneur performs a variety of managerial function like determination of business objectives, formulation of production plans, product analysis and market research, organisation of sales procuring machine and material, recruitment of men and undertaking, of business operations. The entrepreneur also undertakes the basic managerial functions of planning, organising, co-ordinating, staffing, directing, motivating and controlling in the enterprise. Type of Production Crystal Edge is involved in primary production. Primary production can be described as extracting raw materials from the earth. We are involved in this type of production because we produce breakfast, lunch and dinner on a daily basis, so it is inour best interest to grow our natural foods such fruits, vegetables and some spices to also reduce expenditures on imports on help to stop global warming. Levels of Production Crystal Edge production will be for the domestic market. Meal will be prepared and served to local residents as well as tourist who visit the New Kingston area at reasonable and affordable prices.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Definition of Heterogeneous Mixture With Examples

Definition of Heterogeneous Mixture With Examples A heterogeneous mixture is a mixture having a non-uniform composition. The composition varies from one region to another, with at least two phases that remain separate from each other, with clearly identifiable properties. If you examine a sample of a heterogeneous mixture, you can see the separate components. In physical chemistry and materials science, the definition of a heterogeneous mixture is somewhat different. Here, a homogeneous mixture is one in which all components are in a single phase, while a heterogeneous mixture contains components in different phases. Examples of Heterogeneous Mixtures Concrete is a heterogeneous mixture of an aggregate, cement,  and water.Sugar and sand form a heterogeneous mixture. If you look closely, you can identify tiny sugar crystals and particles of sand.Ice cubes in cola form a heterogeneous mixture. The ice and the soda are two distinct phases of matter (solid and liquid).  Salt and pepper form a heterogeneous mixture.Chocolate chip cookies are a heterogeneous mixture. If you take a bite from a cookie, you may not get the same number of chips as you get in another bite.Soda is considered a heterogeneous mixture. It contains water, sugar, and carbon dioxide, which forms bubbles. While the sugar, water, and flavorings may form a chemical solution, the carbon dioxide bubbles are not uniformly distributed throughout the liquid. Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous Mixtures In a homogeneous mixture, the components are present in the same proportion, no matter where you take a sample. In contrast, samples taken from different parts of a heterogeneous mixture may contain different proportions of components. For example, if you take a handful of candy from a bag of green MMs, every candy you pick will be green. If you take another handful, once again all the candies will be green. That bag contains a homogeneous mixture. If you take a handful of candy from a regular bag of MMs, the proportion of colors you take might be different from what you get if you take a second handful. This is a heterogeneous mixture. However, most of the time, whether a mixture is heterogeneous or homogeneous depends on the scale of the sample. Using the candy example, while you may get a different sample of candy colors comparing handfuls from a single bag, the mixture may be homogeneous if you compare all the colors of candies from one bag to all the candies from another bag. If you compare the ratio of colors from 50 bags of candy to another 50 bags of candy, chances are good there will be no statistical difference between the ratio of colors. In chemistry, it is the same. On the macroscopic scale, a mixture may appear homogeneous, yet become heterogeneous as you compare the composition of smaller and smaller samples. Homogenization A heterogeneous mixture can be made into a homogeneous mixture via a process called homogenization. An example of homogenization is homogenized milk, which has been processed so that the milk components are stable and dont separate. In contrast, natural milk, while it might appear homogeneous when shaken, isnt stable and readily separates into different layers.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Study Distractions You Should Say Yes To

Study Distractions You Should Say Yes To Most students (and their professors) are assured that distractions is something you should avoid - they keep you away from getting your tasks done on time, listening carefully to your tutor in class, and studying for important exams. But you cannot help it! When you have to study for several hours straight, your mind gets tired and trivial little things seem to become incredibly important. You switch your attention to a TV show, updating your software, or flipping through Facebook news. Well, these distractions cannot help you be more productive especially when you have an exam tomorrow. However, there are distractions that can actually boost your energy and help you improve your studying results. There are right distractions, which give you a mental rest. A short rest can strengthen and consolidate your memory and improve later learning. Here are some beneficial distractions for studying you can use for better productivity. You can clean your room and update your Windows later Physical Exercises When the body gets sluggish, so does the mind! Keep up with physical training during midterm exams to stay bright eyed and bushy tailed. Attending gym lets you switch over to another wavelength. It is beneficial since you give your brain a break from studying while refreshing your body. Late Night Time with Friends Make it a routine to have late-night events with your friends. Invite your friends for a movie or get some snacks together. This will help you stay efficient when you have to complete a task late at night because of the burning deadline. Just dont forget to go back to studying when you have to! Naps Short power naps can improve your productivity and memory. Allow yourself to catch small periods of sleep, but keep them to less than half an hour, or else your head will experience something like heaviness and it will be difficult to come back to your work. Long nap will also steal your time, and you need to finish your project before the deadline! Something Funny Do something that will make you laugh: whether it is watching an episode of Friends or your favorite stand-up show. Laughter reduces stress and releases endorphin, your bodys natural hormone of happiness! So take your mind off your textbooks for at least 30 minutes, laugh hard, and then come back to studying. Meal Your body and mind need energy. Take a break for a nice meal to replenish your energy supplies. It is true that most people retain more information if their stomach is full. Also, allow yourself to have some snacks while studying, but make it healthy. Replace biscuits and potato chips with nuts and dried fruits. Music The right kind of music is perfect for studying. It works as a right distraction that cuts down on useless distractions and helps you relax your mind and focus on your homework. Classical music for better concentration is a traditional productivity advice. Teaching Yourself Something Interesting If you are interested in fine arts, cinema or quantum physics - make a pause to read a couple of articles or books on the topics of your interest. This will keep your mind active and efficient while taking a small break from a boring textbook. Its like continuing your studying while taking a rest from your studying! Double win! Games and Puzzles Small games really work for most people. They keep your mind in an active thinking mode so you dont have to go through engage/disengage process. Yet, small games provide refreshing break because they are sufficiently different from studying work. So, from a practical point of view, we suggest that when students are faced with complicated and long tasks, such as large writing projects or midterm exams, it is crucial for them to take small breaks on themselves. Small breaks will help you get more energy and stay focused on the task! Work hard, rest hard and good luck! What other distractions do you find helpful? Share your experience in the comments!

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Impact of the human activities on the sustainability of cities Essay

Impact of the human activities on the sustainability of cities - Essay Example This urbanization then results to increasing numbers of people in these particular areas and hence continued and sustainable growth of the towns. This growth or even the sprouting of the new towns can be attributed to the fact that the new populations are always scrambling for the limited facilities. Therefore, the investors on pointing the new market niches ventures to the cities and hence the whole process of urbanization continues. In this essay, we will seek to explore the activities these people carry-out and their effects in these areas before and after inhabiting the cities. Shenzhen city in China will be used as a case study. Human activities in urban areas can be categorized into two main categories: positive and the negative activities. On the positive side, we will seek to elaborate those activities enhance not only the areas that this entire process of urbanization takes place but also the human beings themselves and the entire ecosystem. We will also highlight the merits this process brings about in the long run (Myron, 2001). On the other hand, in the negative side, we will seek to explain the human effects that the urbanization process has brought about to the ecosystem and the possible results of this process to human life and the entire ecosystem. Effects of human activities in cities are of great concern to everyone who has interests on the sprawling of cities. Investment is one of the major human activities in the process. We are living in a business world whereby everyone aspires to maximize their returns on every single cent they invest in any venture. It is, therefore, true to say that investors deserve the biggest part of the credit for urbanization. Well, how do investors contribute to this? First and foremost it is important to know that the main reason people move from rural areas to urban centers in their endeavor to secure employment and hence better

Friday, November 1, 2019

Summary of September 11, 2001 Attacks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Summary of September 11, 2001 Attacks - Essay Example 9/11 was therefore an attack in the running conflict between faiths. According to al Qaeda, Koran teaches that giving ones life when killing infidel enemies, the Americans is a holy act. Therefore, they committed the attack because it is what their god destined them to do. The attack was also committed because of the fact that Americans are not living as Islamists do and they are therefore sinners in whatever endeavor they undertake. The al Qaeda stated that their attacks on Americans will continue until specific foreign policies on the Middle East are stopped. On the day of the attack, four planes were hijacked by terrorists and later two of them were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. This led to huge fires that after a short while led to the crumbling of the towers. One of the remaining two planes crashed in the Pentagon in Washington D.C and the last crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. The terrorists had planned that the planes crash in buildings an d landmarks but this efforts were thwarted by passengers who were on board (Lloyd 45-58). Most of the passengers were mainly sailors and solders. Due to the negative devastating effects of September 11, 2001, it is believed to be the worst terrorist attack ever to be experienced by the Americans. Some of the direct horrific outcomes were the death of about 3000 Americans and massive destruction of property. The broader vision of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 however shows different consequences including political, economic and social problems. The immediate economic effect of the attack was a sharp drop in performance of global stock markets. It was the largest insured event leading to about 40 billion dollars of insurance losses. The opening of the New York Stock Exchange had been delayed since the first plane had crashed on the north tower of the World Trade Center. The subsequent attacks led to the closure of the NYSE. Trading on the bond market also ceased as a re sult of the attacks. The Federal Reserve acted fast by introducing the discount window that was put in place to meet liquidity needs. This helped to stabilize the economy and reduce disruptions that arose in the financial system as a result of the attacks. Prices of several commodities escalated to extremely high levels. Travel and entertainment stocks experienced immediate shake up including online travel agencies while tourism plunged in New York. This led to massive losses that included sharp decline in the tourism earnings as a result of fall in hotel occupancy. This was because of lack of tourists who were reluctant to fly due to fear of repeat attacks. All these direct impacts on the economic position of USA show the elementary correlation between a country’s ability to generate wealth and the ability to defend itself. Several issues therefore came up including the worst effects of threats of terror to an economic superpower and use of economic tools to curb devastating effects of terrorist attacks. The attacks came at a time when the US economy was in the process of recovery. The costs of the attacks were devastating; the mostly affected was the infrastructure and the rescue and clean up operations. The insurance losses were due to the increased insurance rates that made insurance premium too high