Developments in the Last Century Essay

In detail this paper will show how the media played an important role in the culture today. It will answer the questions What were the major developments in the evolution of mass media in the last century? It will also ask How did each development influence American culture? And What is ment by the term media convergence and how it affected everyday life? How we conceive mass media comes in different ways such as: television (24 -hour news channels,) (hoarders to fashion models,) (music videos, nature documentaries, and reality shows). With videos on demand provided by the local cable company plus online streaming or down loading. Media literacy on one hand, is the growth of the internet as the primary information source exposes the public to increased levels of text, thereby increasing the level of literacy. What were the major developments in the evolution of mass media in the last century? The three major developments in the last century were (print, electrical, and digital). In terms of print media books are durable and contain a large amount of information. Books are expensive to produce. As for newspapers they are cheaper and can be made quickly. In the 1800 hundreds the newspaper faced a new threat called penny press. These papers were cheaper than the regular newspapers. The penny press also printed more of murder and scandal rather than of the political news of the day. Another form of mass media is the radio. Radio was not that expensive less than television and more available. Radio gave the people the opportunity to listen to a live event at the same time. Specifically the radio was made for advertising. Radio accessed a large audience. Radio also made listening in the privacy of one’s own home to be pleasure seeking and curious. With radio one can listen to a story and imagine in one’s own head how the story plays out, thus creating imagination. Television is another form of mass media. The television was invented in 1923. Broadcast television was the most dominant form of mass media. By 1946 more than 17,000 televisions existed. There were at the time only three major networks, they controlled more than 90% of the news programs. By the 1960s television televised the conflict of the Vietnam war. The telegraph is part of the mass media seen also. Any part of information received via radio, television, newspaper, and Internet have been considered to be mass media. In today’s society more people tend to receive their news and other information via the Internet. How did each development influence American culture? Each development influenced the American culture in many ways. The way we receive the news is very different today. Newspapers came a long way from just black and white to color. Before anything what we had was newspaper that is how one would get the facts regarding what is going on in the world. With newspaper they do not get to see the vast aura of colors as television. The newspaper made people want to read what was written. For the television world was more in tuned to today’s society. Television has the visual aspect and as for the news per say the electronic media has come full circle from radio to television. For print people did not have to rely on teachers, preachers, or story tellers. They were allowed to read what was published and interpret it how they seen it. The telegraph led to radio, fax machine, and phones. Instant communication is how print and electrical mass media influenced America. They are able to put more information out there along with visual aspects . What is ment by the term media convergence and how it affected everyday life? Media convergence is the merging of all the technology together. A merger of mass media. It affects us in many ways such as fax machines and e-mail. We as humans no longer have to hand write a letter any more when we have e-mail. We went from writing letters by hand to typing them on a type writer to writing an e-mail on computers to texting on phones. With the simple click of a button the letter is sent through millions of power lines to get to the person it is intended for. Media convergence is a link between old and new technologies. They come together to share the same tasks and resources. There are five kinds of convergences they are Economic, Organic, Cultural, Global, and Technological. a) Economic involves such things as internet, phone, and cable regarding the provider one chose for these services. b) Organic occurs when one can stream video listen to music and text a friend all at the same time. c) Cultural occurs when a person turns a book into a movie, film, and even toys such as Spiderman. d) Global occurs when the process of geographically distance cultures influencing one another despite the distance that physically separates them. e) Technological occurs when the merging of technologies come together, such as the ability to watch television shows online on sites like crackle. Conclusion In conclusion the media has changed in many ways, such as how one receives the news and communicates with one another. We have gone from the telegraph to radio, television, phones, and computers regarding how we receive information. It is completely up to the individual how one use the various forms of media technologies out there today. However, a few things have stayed the same major media companies own popular media content sites such as Hulu, and YouTube and control access to a great deal of online information. Perhaps the standards for literacy will shift to an emphasis on simplicity and directness.

Roman Class System

Roman Class System An integral part of Roman culture is the divergence of class systems. The laws of ancient Rome actually enforced this divide. People were born into one of two extremes. You were either considered upper class or lower class. There was no concept for a middle class in the Roman empire. This had a major influence in how you would live out your life.Children born into the noble class would eventually strive for a senate seat or to progress their wealth, while being born into the lower class, for the most part, were stuck there even though there was the ability for upward mobility it was extremely uncommon if not impossible in some cases. Aside from these two major groups of classes there was no bridging class between the two. No middle class to speak of creates a major distinction between wealth and life opportunities. The upper class consisted of two sub classes. These were Senators (Senatorial Class) or the rich (Equestrian Class).The Senatorial Class was completely defined by holding a political office and their families. They were distinguishable by tunics with broad stripes on them. There was also a massive monetary requirement attached as well, further enforcing the divide by being required to prove â€Å"that they had property worth at least 1,000,000 sesterces†(vroma. org). They had no income purely from being in the senate however but were forbidden to participate in any â€Å"nonagricultural business, trade or public contracts†(McManus). The Equestrian Class was the lowest of the Upper Class and was majorly defined by an individuals wealth or family line.They were set apart from society by wearing tunics with narrow stripes on them. â€Å"A man could be formally enrolled in the equestrian order if he could prove that he possessed a stable minimum amount of wealth (property worth at least 400,000 sesterces)†(McManus). This price was mostly unattainable for common people and was a major driving factor in the massive d ivide between the Upper and Lower Class. The Equestrians were mostly entrusted with business that was prohibited for anyone who was in the Senatorial Class. In this particular class there was upward mobility possible but it was infrequent and not common at all.However if an individual was elected into the senate he legally became a member of the Senatorial Class along with his family. The lower class was virtually every other person in roman society, spanning from common people, people who lived in italy, foreigners, freed people, and even slaves at the very bottom of the bottom. Anyone who was born into the lower class, just like the upper class, remained in the lower class after birth. â€Å"On the streets of Rome citizens, non-citizens, slaves and ex-slaves may have mingled quite freely, showing few observable symbols of their status† (bbc. o. uk). This can be viewed as a further divide between the social elite and the rest of society because they made sure that everyone w ho saw them knew who they were based on their attire. However despite the massive gap in social classes it was still possible to bridge into nobility from the lower end of society, besides freed people and slaves. â€Å"Birth remained important, and new citizens, however wealthy, could be stigmatised by their past. Ex-slaves in particular could not escape the taint of slavery, and were not allowed to hold high office† (bbc. co. uk).Slaves and even freed slaves were particularly interesting in ancient roman society. Freed people could either be released from slavery by their masters or buy their freedom. They were seemingly only released from the title of of slavery for their blood line from then on however. They were ineligible for office positions; this and being still in service of their former master, now their patron, made it impossible for a freedman to have any chance of mobility. Their children, on the other hand, became full roman citizens. But even then they didnâ₠¬â„¢t receive the same treatment or chances through life. There was a social stigma attached to being a freedman's son†(McManus). This made it difficult for even a freed person’s children to succeed because of the name that distinguishes them from any other Roman citizen. But it seems that after a few generations the stigma was lost due to the lack of people to attest to any particular person’s heritage over time as generations pass away (Dowlingsoka). This giving them just as much, although very slim, of a chance to bridge the seemingly impossible bridge from commoner to equestrian given enough success and wealth.It may have become clear that until now women have not been mentioned once. This is due to the fact that women had no say in their class. They were placed where they were purely because of the class that their father was or the class of their husband. Cicero makes it very clear how men saw females in society when he wrote, â€Å"Our ancestors, in their wisdom, considered that all women, because of their innate weakness, should be under the control of guardians† (roman-empire. net). This by no means says that women were not successful in their own right. while Roman women held no direct political power, those from wealthy or powerful families could and did exert influence through private negotiations† (Milnor) Women used their connections very powerfully. For example â€Å"most prominently Livia, who contributed to the formation of Imperial mores† (Rawson). Roman society seems to have been extremely rigid when it came to most things, social classes in particular however. While the ability to leap from lower class to upper class existed it was extremely difficult due to the wealth required to be legally considered an upper class citizen, and women were seemingly along for the ride.Women along side with slaves were unable to attain office and were looked down upon. However in both cases all was not lost, women too k advantage of their connections and were able to make a real impact on history and slaves were able to, while not being fully freed themselves, give their blood line hope down the rode to becoming wealthy and successful Works Cited Burns, Jasper. â€Å"Sabina,† in Great Women of Imperial Rome: Mothers and Wives of the Caesars (Routledge, 2007), pp. 124–140. DowlingSoka, Joel . People of ill-repute and Non-Romans in Roman Society. † Roman Civilization. The Ohio State University. ., Columbus, Ohio. 20 Feb. 2013. Class lecture. Hope, Dr Valerie. â€Å"BBC – History – Ancient History in depth: Social Pecking Order in the Roman World. † BBC – Homepage. N. p. , 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. . McManus, Barbara F.. â€Å"Roman Social Class and Public Display. † VROMA :: Home. N. p. , 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. . Rawson, Beryl. â€Å"Finding Roman Women,† in A Companion to the Roman Republic (Blackwell, 2010), p. 325.

The Effectiveness and Use of Sustainable Tourism in the World Dissertation

The Effectiveness and Use of Sustainable Tourism in the World - Dissertation Example Sustainable tourism is a form of tourism that has grown from concern for the damage that traditional methods are causing to the environment. The concept was originally developed from sustainable development (Hunter, 1997).  Sustainable development is a contested field which has a wide range of definitions depending on the people that are advancing it. For example, a multinational corporation has a significantly different view of sustainable development than a group of environmental activists. One classic definition is growth that meets the requirements of the present generation without compromising the needs of the future generations (Giddings et al., 2002 ). Sustainable tourism develops on this concept, with the aim of modifying current tourism and any new tourism so that it does not have a negative effect on the environment or any negative effect that it does have is significantly reduced (Bramwell and Lane, 1993).  Degrading the environment that plays host to the tourism event ually results in the decrease of the activity itself and as a consequence the associated profits. For tourism to continue in an area, it is important that the environment remains able to support the activities that are occurring (Butler, 2004). Sustainable tourism is a form of tourism that has grown from concern for the damage that traditional methods are causing to the environment. The concept was originally developed from sustainable development (Hunter, 1997). Sustainable development is a contested field which has a wide range of definitions depending on the people that are advancing it. For example, a multinational corporation has a significantly different view of sustainable development than a group of environmental activists. One classic definition is growth that meets the requirements of the present generation without compromising the needs of the future generations (Giddings et al., 2002). Sustainable tourism develops on this concept, with the aim of modifying current touris m and any new tourism so that it does not have a negative effect on the environment or any negative effect that it does have is significantly reduced (Bramwell and Lane, 1993). There is no unified definition of sustainable tourism, and some applications take into account purely ecological factors, will others also include economic, cultural or social factors. Sustainable tourism is important in both planning and management of areas where tourism is prevalent, especially where the environment plays a large role (Eagles et al., 2002). The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a specialized agency that is part of the United Nations has undertaken significant

Enterprise Finance Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Enterprise Finance - Coursework Example These shares are exceptionally risky. The advantages of ordinary shares are: 1) If there are good profits, dividends are paid at a higher rate. 2) Share value goes up in the stock market, increases profits. 3) Shares can be straightforwardly sold in the stock market. 4) Shareholders have a say in company management. 5) Capital raised by issuing of shares is not required to be paid back during company lifetime. 6) Regarding payment of dividends on shares the company is not liable. The demerits of ordinary shares are: 1) Uncertainty in dividend payment, shareholders get bonuses only when the company is making profits. 2) There is share prices speculation especially when bonus paid by the company is high. 3) Over-capitalization danger from miscalculation of long-term financial requirements. 4) There is a high degree of risks for the equity shareholders for instance, if the company is winding up, they are the last to be refunded. The other shares are preference shares. Preference shareho lders enjoy several rights over ordinary shareholders; they receive a bonus at a fixed rate and regularly, capital is given back in case of wounding up of the company this means they are paid before ordinary shareholders. Preference shares are safe comparing with ordinary ones. From the above information, we can now easily differentiate between equity and preference shares. In preference shares, issuing of shares is not compulsory compared to equity shares where issuing of the shares is compulsory. In preference shares, paying of bonus are done before equity shareholders while, in equity shares, the shareholders are paid only preference shareholders. In case of closing up of a company, preference shareholders are refunded their capital before the equity shareholders, while the equity... The disadvantages are: 1) Uncertainty: in order for a company to attract public to deposit their savings, it should have a credit rating that is high. Certain financial problems may arise from sudden deposits withdrawals. 2) Lack of security: there are no charges on the concerned assets by the public. Therefore, there is a risk in depositing savings with a company that is not very sound. 3) Obstruction of capital-market growth: lack of capital-market growth deprives the investor and the company good security benefits. This comes from more and more incoming deposits with the company hence less security investment. 4) Over–capitalization: this source of finance may lead to raising of more currency than is needed. This will lead a company to get involved in speculative activities or may be unable to put the funds to best use. The fifth long-term source is, borrowing from banks. This involves acquiring of loans from banks and financial institutions. Lending between a bank and organization is dependent on trust and understanding amongst the two. Banks give loans for more than a year. Banks give funds to small-scale units. Long-term borrowing from banks has some merits: 1) Flexible in nature this is seen when loans are repaid when the need is met. 2) Availability of finance for a definite period thus no burden. 3) Secrecy by banks on its clients’ financial operations. 4) Saves time and cost compared to shares and debentures. 5) No interference of internal affairs by the bank hence company control is retained by management. Demerits of borrowing from banks are as follows: 1) When borrowing, personal guarantee or assets pledge is required, and an organization cannot raise more loans on these assets.

Overpopulation in India Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Overpopulation in India - Research Paper Example It has been said that among the government’s duties and responsibilities is to care for the people under its subjection, feeding them and providing them with the means to make their living – and the education necessary for them to do so. In this regard, some countries do better than others, even succeeding on many levels, allowing its citizens to enjoy life to the fullest. There are also countries that instead fail miserably, due to the untimely interplay of certain factors. Unfortunately, whether this failure results from an actively malevolent government, or from a merely neglectful one, the result is still the same; it is the people who suffer. Sometimes, though, it so happens that while the government may indeed be willing to care for its citizens, the fact that there are just too many of them may prove to be a hindrance. After all, the government will always be composed of human beings who are flawed, and will consequently be unable to watch over every single citizen living in the country at all hours. Even worse is that some governments may not be that effective at providing for their far-too-many citizens to begin with, resulting in widespread suffering all over the country. It is bad enough that, for whatever reason, these countries find it difficult to provide their citizens with at least the basic level of care and support that they need. But when there are too many people in one place, the government’s already limited ability to provide for its citizens becomes even more constrained. And when this happens, people suffer – which can then give rise to a whole new range of issues. Sadly, such countries st ill do exist in this day and age. For instance, China’s status as one of the world’s superpowers has done little to alleviate the suffering of its 1.3 billion people, no thanks to issues such as corruption and poor legislation. And considering how the issue of overpopulation is a major, major concern even in economically powerful countries, the same can be assumed to be just as applicable in the case of the many developing countries all over the world, maybe even more so. This particular paper focuses on the issue of overpopulation in the Indian nation in the context of concurrent environmental issues, analyzing it in comprehensive detail in order to hopefully suggest solutions to the problem. Additionally, the main problem of overpopulation shall also be connected to other pervading issues within the country in order to shed more light on the situation. Overpopulation in India – Poor Water Sanitation The deplorable state pervading in India is definitely a disqu ieting sight to behold. Not only does it share the same problem of overpopulation with the People’s Republic of China, it does not even have a strong economy to help it cope effectively with the problem. This becomes an even more urgent concern when one takes into account how India’s population is exceeded only by the Chinese, and how even this state of affairs may not last much longer. More to the point, the fact that India is exceeded by one other country in terms of overpopulation does not make it any less overpopulated. Indeed, unlike China, India cannot adequately rely on its economy to compensate for its excess where the population is concerned. For while the steady and consistent growth of the Indian economy is definitely a positive sign, it loses much of its meaning when one considers the horrendously skewed wealth distribution pervading in India, so much so that 33% of the income is earned by the top 10% of income groups (Civil Society Information Exchange, 20 03). The Indian government’s ability to provide for its people is already severely limited on its own, and is further stretched to the breaking point in its efforts to provide for its 1.1 billion citizens (Hoevel, 2007). This same source also quotes the US Census Bureau, which estimates that this number will have ballooned further by 700 million people by the year 2050, noting that

Business research skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business research skills - Essay Example conomies around the world saw a booming trend and governments in different nations began to play a larger role in American workers pay determination and remuneration. The American government soon ratified the Act Executive order 11246, Title 7 of equal pay within the Civil Rights Act of 1963 (Noe, et al., 2003). In this context, one can cite the case of Nigeria, where Decree of 1987 provided for details of workmen compensation wherein all businesses and companies had to give a workman’s compensations coverage that was designed for the benefit of employees even in case of any injury or incapacity to work while being on the job. The Decree was modified and followed by the Reform Act in 2003, which made it mandatory for companies to have a life insurance policy for each employee, working in favour of employees. Such insurance was to account for a minimum of 3 times the total gross emolument of the employee compensation (Bernadin, 2007). Compensation has a significant effect on success of any organization. This comes through with the treatment of employees as a capital investment. The company should focus towards improvement of their skills and productivity along with the comprehensive human element in the workplace. The prime objective of the compensation design program was to divide the entire compensation format into two basic groups, which were the direct compensation group and the indirect compensation group. Direct compensation is related to direct wages and salaries, while indirect compensation relates to benefits that are enjoyed by workers from the company. It was devised by Cascio (2003) that integration of the two formats contributes towards attainment of organizational goals through employee motivation and content. The term compensation might have quite a few meanings through its diverse attempts to conceptualisation; however, it is usage of the concept that holds more importance. According to views presented by Armstrong and Brown, (2001) it can be

Experimental work on the mechanical properties of concrete using Dissertation

Experimental work on the mechanical properties of concrete using recycled aggregates - Dissertation Example This paper illustrates that the main environmental problem in the world today is the disposal of waste material. In order to protect the environment, the consumption of natural energy is reduced while the consumption of waste energy is increased. This minimizes the amount of natural resources that is used which in turn helps in the conservation of natural resources. Every construction activity needs a lot of materials. Some of these materials include; sand, bricks, timber and mud. However amongst these materials, concrete remains the most important of them all. With respect to the environment and adaptability, the concrete that is used in any construction must satisfy all the environmental and economical needs of any given area. When we use recycled aggregate for construction then we are able to construct the environment while at the same time minimize the cost used in the construction process. The waste and by products of cement contain almost 75% of natural aggregates and so it is of greater importance as natural aggregates. When we talk about recycled aggregates here we mean; slag, waste from power plants, used concrete, quarrying and mining wastes, waste glass and many more. There are lots of demolished concrete that is left without use in demolished sites as well as construction sites. These concrete wastes provide are the main source of recycled waste that we will look at their strength. Cement (Portland cement) History Portland cement is the main type of cement that is used in making concrete in construction site. Its fine powder is produced by grinding clinker and some limited amount of calcium sulfate. It was developed in the early 19th century in Britain from natural cement. The name is derived from Portland stone, a building stone that was used during the same time. The origin of Portland cement is believed to be from Aspdin Joseph. He was a brick layer from Britain Leeds. One of his employees Johnson developed a production technique which resulted i n hard and fast drying cement. The cement also had high compressive strength as compared to other concrete. As days passed, people started to prefer the Portland cement to the roman cement which had been in use for many years. In 1843 Aspin’s son William made a version of this cement which was improved. He named it patent Portland cement though it did not have patent in it. He later moved to Germany to improve cement making and came up with Portland cement. In 1878 the German government gave a standard for Portland cement. Hydration When Portland is mixed with water and it reacts with it, a process called hydration, this mixed with sand and some gravel produces a synthetic rock, which we call concrete. This concrete is very essential in today’s world as electricity and water. During the hydration process, four main types of minerals are always present. They include belite, alite, aluminate, and ferrite. The addition of water causes an exothermic reaction to occur, afte r this reaction, (C3A) reacts with water forming aluminum gel. This gel in turn reacts with any sulphates in the mixture to form ettringite. The

Performance management systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Performance management systems - Essay Example The causes and issues related to rewards and performance management system shall also be outlined in this particular study. There are two important components included within performance management system such as employee development and performance appraisal. It can be denoted as a mechanism to motivate employees so as to ensure that they perform well. In every organization there is a need to perform well and accomplish set organizational goals. To be more precise employees have to be highly motivated in order to reach targets and generate high profit margins for the company. Performance management system encompasses a wide array of activities required to address goals in most effective and efficient manner. This approach enables management to well align employees, resources and systems with strategic objectives. Performance management system comprises of multiple values like motivated workforce, improved control of management (2008) and generating high financial gains. Rewards or p erformance appraisal system ensures high degree of employee engagement. In this study, the first part will be literature review on performance management systems, its link to rewards and its possible strategic value. The second part shall be a reflective summary centered towards implications of findings on professional practice. Literature ReviewAccording to Zanko (2008), organizations basically witness various competitive conditions and this in turn requires continuous improvement in the workplace.

Othello, the Moor of Venice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Othello, the Moor of Venice - Essay Example Due to his complete trust of Iago, he failed to examine the situation and preferred to be moved by the intensity of his emotions, assuming a full thought of betrayal he didn’t attempt to seek basis on. On this note, one may find having momentary empathy over Othello’s condition in which he finds it truly painful to discover infidelity which he supposed had come so abruptly from the side of Desdemona. His ardent love for her brings to revelation the weakness of a character who has had so much to prove in terms of his skills as a Moorish general in the Venetian army and several other aspects which rightfully place him as a novel’s protagonist. Iago has been capable of executing his cunning, manipulative strategies to get into power without getting caught due to his intelligence and expertise as a high-ranking soldier that he managed to hold in secret the marriage between Othello and Desdemona. This makes Othello keep a considerable amount of confidence with Iago along with the other incidences in which the former was aided by him so it could never be in Othello’s mind to suspect Iago of deception turned against him. On the other hand, Othello instantly lacks trust and faith with his relationship with his love and has allowed desperation to ruin any wisdom in his reservation. He could have acted and moved with thought, considering his position and character, that there are sides to be heard, justice, and faith of a loved one who, by him, was unjustly fated. His unjustified reaction could have been suspended had he employed a meditative trait of a wise

Paradoxes of Whistle-blowing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paradoxes of Whistle-blowing - Essay Example Third, the act is required, whether or not it is moral to do so or not. The act needs to be performed because of a rational non-moral reason. In this context, whistle-blowing is morally problematic because there is confusion on whether whistle-blowing should be something morally permissible, morally required or at the other extreme morally wrong. Whistle-blowing involves revealing information that ordinarily, would not be revealed, because one is entrusted with that information. By this definition, the police officer, the criminal informant or the clerk who happens upon evidence of wrongdoing in another department, are not whistle-blowers because they have not been entrusted with the information, even if they were while working under false pretences. According to the standard theory, whistle-blowing is permissible when an organization's product or policy is harmful to the public; when the prospective whistle-blower has identified the harm, reported such to a superior, and the superior does nothing about it; the prospective whistle-blower has done everything possible within the organization to call attention to the identified harm. Additionally, according to the standard theory, whistle-blowing is required when the prospective whistle-blower has evidence that will convince an impartial observer that the threat to public safety is correct; and when the prospective whistle-blower is convinced that revealing the threat will be able to prevent harm at reasonable cost. Generally speaking, there appears to be nothing wrong with the standard theory, except S1 which places the burden of identification of the gravity of the threat is the judgment of the whistle-blower, as well as S5, which again puts the burden of judgment regarding reasonable cost on the shoulders of the whistle-blower.. 3. Explain the three paradoxes that Davis claims the standard theory gives rise to. If you were a defender of the standard theory, how might you respond to Davis' arguments According to Davis, the first paradox that has arisen from the standard theory is the paradox of burden. The standard theory presupposes that whistle-blowers are minimally decent individuals who blow the whistle after complying with five justifications. Actually, whistle-blowers are exemplary individuals who risk financial security and personal relations for the good of the public. The second paradox is the paradox of missing harm. According to the standard theory, the harm that justifies whistle-blowing needs to be serious and considerable in magnitude. Injustice, deception and waste are not justifications for whistle-blowing under the standard theory. The third paradox is the paradox of failure. The standard theory requires that one of the justifications for whistle-blowing is the prevention of harm. Paradoxically, if harm cannot be prevented by whistle-blowing, then it is not justified. In defense of the standard theory, the paradox of burden is the natural result for the whistle-blower. The standard theory works on the premise that organizations, unless those which are criminal, would not deliberately seek to produce harmful products for the general public. So only in extreme cases would there be a need for whistle-blowers. Relaxing the rules would only encourage unfounded complaints and back-stabbing

Fangirl Essay Example for Free

Fangirl Essay There are some kinds of love in this universe. Without love, a human being will not be able to live normally and there will be something empty inside their hearts. This can be love for our God, parents, families, lovers, or maybe just for our bestfriends. But now just think about this case: how about love for someone that we have never even met before? Maybe just fangirls who know how it feels, because they are the one who have a non-sense head over heels in love all over the time. What thing that comes in your mind when you hear the word â€Å"fangirls†? Maybe just a bunch of weird girls who are too much obsessed with the artist whom they admire to death. Why are they so weird? Because commonly, fangirls always have their own world, their own strange hobbies, and their own reason for being so crazy. The things such as plastering their idol’s face as their phone wallpaper, sticking so many huge posters at their rooms, overreacting when their favorite songs from their precious boys are played at the public place, sighing desperately when their hardisk is running out of memory due to a bunch of photos and videos that are too precious to be deleted, and other nonsense actions; they just do it naturally and with no other purpose than their own satisfaction over the idols. They just want to feel close with their boys. Moreover, fangirls even often call them as their ‘‘husband’’. See? It seems like fangirls’ imagination is their last hope. The other thing about fangirl is for most of them, every single thing about their boys always matters. That is why they joined some fanbases that keep updating about their boys’ current condition all the time. And believe me it means trully literally, starting from what their idols are doing, if there is any newest clip or tv show, attending some events, or even just being spotted at a supermarket without wearing any make up. They keep sharing the information with the other fangirls all over the world. That’s why for these girls, living in social networking such as twitter and facebook is much more interesting than their own and always-boring-real life. Being a fangirl sometimes can also be very annoying to the people surrounding them. I mean, when their â€Å"love†, or should we call it as an â€Å"obsession† instead? Yeah, stuff like that goes into an extreme level, obviously people may look at them in an oh-i’m-so-irritated-by-this-creature way. For example, when two angirls meet each other for the first time, have a little chit chat, and then find out that they are admiring the same person in a same group, those two will dive into their own world. Those fangirls will easily connected and nonstop talking about the newest news from their idols and ignoring the others who keep staring at them all the times, wondering what they are excitedly talking about. That is the reason wh y people always ignore the fangirls when they started talking about the topic-that-god-and-them-who-only-know. Now, let’s move on some obstacles that might bother most of fangirls in this earth. One of them is that being a fangirl is extremely expensive, since they always have the urge to wipe out their credit cards or spend lots of money to buy every single album, postcard, DVD, photobook, and other merchandise that has their idol’s face on it. This collecting habit will make their wallet pathetically empty. The most ironic thing about this is, when their idols’ groups come to their country and hold a big concert with such a high price ticket, the fangirls would separate into two paths. The first, in the case of fangirls who fortunately come from the have family, or maybe already have salary from their job, they will easily buy the ticket with no hesitation, watch the concert excitedly, and form a smile that will never leave their face for at least one month later. Such a sweet memories~ In the other way, for those who do not have enough money to own the ticket, they will just cry to death all day long, knowing that they will just let their boys come to their country and perform perfectly as always on the stage without witnessing it by themselves. Their sorrowful faces won’t dissapear easily for sure. Do you think fangirl is nothing than just a weirdo because theye’re crying for something that isn’t worth it? They do know it by themselves but they just couldn’t deny the feeling. Even though their obsession towards the boys sometimes makes no sense, there is still some positive things that can be taken from those fangirls. One of them that is, the faith. They always keep the faith, no matter what mistake that their boy’s done, they will find the excuse behind it, apologize them, and continue supporting them as always. That’s why the artist wouldn’t be exist without their loyal, caring, and supporting fans behind them.

English Literature Essays Orient Opium Drug

English Literature Essays Orient Opium Drug Orient Opium Drug Why do you think any two or more of De Quincey, Coleridge and Doyle were so interested in the Orient in their drug writing? Throughout the nineteenth century, persisting through much of the twentieth and even so far as today, the use of intoxicating substances, namely opium, is inextricably linked with visions of the Orient. Although there has been no significant proof of a universal chemical change in its users, opium undeniably evokes an obsession with the ‘other’. If one cannot attribute this to biological factors, then it is crucial to ascertain the historical, cultural or psychological implications that relate to its conception. Much of the association between opium and the Orient in nineteenth-century Britain was a consequence of British imperialism and the colonisation of the East. In expanding the Empire, Britain dominated the Eastern world, coming with the promise of providing a benevolent civilisation. Instead, they exploited states for many of their most valuable commodities, including opium, and destroyed an already established pride of individuality and national-identity whilst asserting their own sense of a hegemonic British nationality upon inhabitants. The works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge make a substantial contribution in our understanding of the relationship between opium use and Orientalism. Coleridge followed the German Higher Criticism that viewed the Bible as an extension of Oriental mythology, supplying what he believed as evidence of single God in the Eastern world. Coleridge’s writing at the turn of the nineteenth-century encapsulates not only the anxieties of Oriental differentiation, but more poignantly, the conspicuous differences from its impressions on the English opium user. His literary works aside, Coleridge presented perhaps his most vehement condemnation of British involvement in the Orient during a public lecture in 1795. He contrived that such ‘commercial intercourse’ was resulting in the death of millions of East Indians, saddling Britain with an inevitable sense of overwhelming guilt. Furthermore, he details the potentially catastrophic long term effects on Britons, that being, a dilution of national identity through the pollution of imports from the Eastern world. Through his damning of British colonisation, Coleridge provides a macrocosm of himself; his own opium intake was destabilising not only to his own body, but the world around him. He believed the mind state brought about through the ingestion of opium masked many of the distinctions to be made between not only English and Oriental, but between male and female, and even self and other. Much of the singularity of Coleridge’s work, in particular the visionary ‘Kubla Khan’, emanates from his ability to encompass polar opposite sensations towards opium in a single moment, often oscillating between both attraction and repulsion, or pleasure and pain. The phantasmagoric quality of ‘Kubla Khan’ was composed out of what Coleridge attributed to a ‘sleep of the eternal senses’. When describing his opium reveries, Coleridge explained: ‘Laudanum gave me repose, not sleep: but you, I believe, know how divine that repose is – what a spot of inchantment, a green spot of fountains, and flowers and trees, in the very heart of a waste sands’. It comes as no surprise then that Coleridge had the potential to produce such a work as ‘Kubla Khan’ whilst submerged in the alternative realm of consciousness that opium gave him. In the opening stanza of the poem there radiates an awe of harmony within paradise. The Oriental landscape, with ‘caverns measureless to man’ and ‘forests ancient as the hills’, suggest an unworldly, ineffable quality. Although the components of Xanadu may potentially appear threatening, they are harboured within the confines of ‘walls and towers†¦ girdled round’. Thus, Xanadu is rendered passive and benevolent, under the control of the poet. Throughout the next stanza, the Oriental landscape of Xanadu is feminised, with particular reference made to the ‘deep romantic chasm which slanted / Down a green hill athwart a cedarn cover’, a subtle indication of the presence of female genitalia. The ensuing description is one that is far removed from the serenity of an English landscape, detailing ‘A savage place†¦ a waning moon was haunted / By woman wailing for her demon-lover’. The wailing woman suggests a deep pain, perhaps even insanity. This ascends into a threatening, sexually explicit orgasmic crescendo: ‘From this chasm†¦ As if the earth in fast thick pants were breathing, / A mighty fountain momently was forced: / Amid whose swift, half-intermitted burst / Huge fragments†¦ beneath the thresher’s flail.’ The ‘swift, half-intermitted burst’ mentioned evokes notions of seminal emission. The nature of this portrayal belies the expected Romantic interpretations of lakes and seas which poets leisurely sip from for inspiration, instead presenting ‘a mighty fountain’, potentially a phallic symbol, which threatens to engulf all. The overriding image is one of the Oriental landscape breaking through the boundaries attempting to suppress it; occurring metaphorically through the phallic fountain, the fluids from the chasm, and the entrance into the caverns. However, what may initially seem as a jubilant liberation of sexual energy from the constraints of rigid gender roles eventually conspires to be anything but, paving way for a state of almost ‘Armageddon’ proportions; ‘And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean†¦ Ancestral voices prophesying war!’ Thus, provided is an ironic sense of warning against those who dare try and tame these powerful forces. The overall effect is that where the danger of the second stanza undercuts the perceived harmony of the first, suggesting an ambiguity within Xanadu; indicating perhaps the presence of a dark side to the heavenly paradise foretold. One of Coleridge’s primary concerns with regards to Orientalism lay in its power to usurp the author’s authority of and consciousness of writing, a threat to his own artistic control. When referring back to Coleridge’s own comments on British ‘commercial intercourse’ in the East, a definite causal link can be inferred between the Orient infiltrating Britain, by means of opium intake, and introducing a ‘conscious-usurping Orient into the British body and mind to convert them from British to Oriental’. Despite this, through the ingestion of opium, he actively seeks the empowerment this ‘other’ provides him. Analysis of the conclusion of ‘Kubla Khan’ perhaps gives some indication of a shift towards a positive outlook on the conjuring of the Orient; hoping that through the ‘milk of Paradise’ the speaker may be able to transcend to a state in which he may ‘build that dome in the air’. However, his ascension to God-like status, he believes, may make others treat him as unholy, perhaps with ‘holy dread’: ‘And all should cry, Beware! Beware! / His flashing eyes, his floating hair! / Weave a circle round him thrice, / And close your eyes with holy dread’. The use of the oxymoronic phrase ‘holy dread’ reiterates Coleridge’s own pleasure against pain contradiction with opium ingestion and Orientalism. Furthermore, it perhaps subtly indicates the approach he believes the imperialistic order of Britain should adopt when attempting to contain those with ‘flashing eyes’. The ‘plot’ that unravels throughout ‘Kubla Khan’ is one where a powerful Eastern, feminine force penetrates and destroys the flimsy Western, male barriers that enclose it. The implication presented by Coleridge is that these same forces can not only impose themselves on a nation, but on an individual. D. A. Miller identifies the male terror at the prospect of being occupied by the female, arguing that it resembles and inverts a classic rape scenario. Thus, it strikes a common chord in Coleridge’s own Oriental possession, which is often feminised, invading his body but exerting its own control over it, by nature evoking paradoxical destruction and pleasure within him. Moreover, this ‘inverted rape scenario’ is itself a partial reversal of what Coleridge deemed Britain’s exploitation of the East, and an ironic act of retribution. It was Coleridge’s foremost concern that this invasion and alteration process went some way into eroding sense of national identity and British culture, a process that he deduced would ultimately blur any distinctions to be made between Britain and the Eastern world, until they eventually merged into one. Thomas De Quincey’s analyses of the relationship between opium and Orientalism yield conflicting opinions to those formulated by Coleridge. It was De Quincey’s underlying theory that opium acted as a means of excavating the Orient within the British self. He concludes, contrary to Coleridge, that divisions between the East and West never actually existed; the Oriental ‘other’ never facilitated a hostile invasion of body and nation, but was present at conception, and is indeed the origin of all things ‘British’. In a similar vein to Coleridge, De Quincey condemns the exposure of the ‘other’ within the self, but still paradoxically seeks it by means of opium intake. John Barrell comments that De Quincey identifies the internal manifestation of the Orient within as an infection, and adopts measures to protect him against this. One such method follows the process of inoculation, whereby in taking a piece of the Orient into himself, namely opium, De Quincey hopes to dismiss that which he does not attribute to himself, conceptualising an internal West against East division in terms of what is familiar and what is alien. However, as Barrell suggests, this measure is destined for failure because the subject reinforces the infection by the same means he hope will crush it. Integral to De Quincey’s musings on Orientalism is the visit of the Malay in ‘Confessions of an English Opium-Eater’. The Malay is depicted in a demonic fashion, with ‘fiery eyes’ that ‘took hold of my fancy and my eye in a way that none of the statuesque attitudes exhibited in the ballets at the Opera House’. The ‘otherness’ of the Malay is overtly referred to in its comparison to the domesticity of the young servant; mention is made of an ‘impassable gulf’ that exists between their methods of communication. In addition, the figure with a ‘turban and loose trowsers of dingy white’ is harshly juxtaposed with the ‘native spirit of mountain intrepidity’ displayed by the young servant: ‘And a more striking picture there could not be imagined, than the beautiful English face of the girl, and its exquisite fairness†¦ contrasted with the sallow and bilious skin of the Malay, enamelled or veneered with mahogany†¦ his small, fierce, restless eyes, thin lips, slavish gestures and adorations.’ The impression given is one of a man, or, as his title may imply, a collective, who are dehumanised, depicted in terms of a polished piece of furniture; his only relief is that his ‘trowsers of dingy white’ are excused by the ‘dark panelling’ of the kitchen. Furthermore, De Quincey emulates Coleridge’s sense of ‘holy dread’ within ‘Kubla Khan’ in the manner in which he expresses the young servant’s reaction to the appearance of the Malay: ‘he had placed himself nearer to the girl than she seemed to relish; though her native spirit of mountain intrepidity contended with the feeling of simple awe which her countenance expressed as she gazed upon the tiger-cat before her.’ Provided here is not only a comment on the approach taken by the familiar West to the alien East, one that, although threatening, still proves intriguing, but perhaps further indicates De Quincey’s own personal struggle with his opium intake. Moreover, significance lies in De Quincey’s attempts to converse with the Malay in Classical Greek, in that it exemplifies Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism; De Quincey’s construction of a material conjoined East, in which differences between India and China, for instance, are ignored is why he believes speaking to the Malay in any ‘Oriental’ tongue will suffice. De Quincey’s oriental dreams in the later stages of ‘Confessions†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ provide a supplementary outlook on the Orientalism construct. He reveals that ‘the causes of my horror lie deep’, continuing: ‘As the cradle of the human race, it would alone have a dim and reverential feeling connected with it†¦ The mere antiquity of Asiatic things, of their institutions, histories, modes of faith, c. is so impressive, that to me the vast age of the race and name overpowers the sense of youth in the individual. A young Chinese seems to me an antediluvian man renewed.’ De Quincey is of the opinion that the sheer age and permanence of the Orient implies that it provides the origin for everything attributed to British culture and identity. This notion is enhanced by his further consolation that ‘the barrier of utter abhorrence, and want of sympathy placed between us by feelings deeper than I can analyse’; De Quincey ironically accepts that there is in fact, no barrier at all, and that what may indeed lie on the other side manifests itself within him during his opium reveries. Thus, De Quincey inverts his own previously conjured distinctions between West and East, self and other, through his opium ingestion. Paradoxically, that which reveals itself as most ‘other’ to him is still ironically the origin of his own self. De Quincey’s conceptualised Orient is thus rendered useless as he accepts that the West always was the East to begin with, and that any argument to the contrary is a futile one. Bibliography Allen, N. B., A Note on Coleridge’s â€Å"Kubla Khan†. Modern Language Notes, 57, 1942, pp. 108-113 Berridge, V., Opium and the People: Opiate Use and Drug Control Policy in Nineteenth and Early Twentieth-Century England, 2nd edition (London: Free Association, 1999). Cooke, M. G., De Quincey, Coleridge, and the Formal Uses of Intoxication. Yale French Studies, 50, 1974, pp. 26-40 Hayter, A., Opium and the Romantic Imagination (London: Faber, 1968). Jay, M., Emperors of Dreams: Drugs in the Nineteenth Century (Sawtry: Dedalus, 2000). Leask, N., British Romantic Writers and the East: Anxieties of Empire (Cambridge: University Press, 1992) Said, E. W., Orientalism (London: Penguin, 2003) Schneider, E., The â€Å"Dream† of Kubla Khan. PMLA, 60, 1945, pp. 784-801

Analysing The Fostering Industry Social Work Essay

Analysing The Fostering Industry Social Work Essay The Competitor analysis consists of finding out how other firms compete with fostering solutions in the market. What they are doing or providing that make them different from fostering solutions and how fostering solutions can improve upon to become a more efficient, much more profitable and recruit more foster carers. This has been done by understanding the current situation of the fostering industry, the challenges its facing. Also the role the local authority plays in fostering industry and finding where the demand exists across UK. After this the competitors are assessed have been assessed on turnover, profit margin, ofsted ratings, location, services provided, placements provided and foster carer allowance paid. This gives an idea as to how these firms compete directly with fostering solutions in the industry. Competitor analysis The fostering industry is going through a phase of challenges. There is a shortage of over 10000 foster care families in UK. Because of this local authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are forced to make placement of children with respect to available vacancy rather than meeting best needs of child.(fosteringnet,2010)Accurate information on the number of foster carers in each country and number of foster carers recruited by each independent agency is less readily available, but statistics compiled by the fostering network for England by Ofsted suggest that there has been an increase in number of foster carers by 12.6% since 2004. However the growth was only 7.2% in England whereas it was up by 60% in Wales. (updatecostfostercare, 2010) A report from researchers at Loughborough Universitys Centre for Child and Family Research (CCFR) and leading charity the Fostering Network has identified a shortfall in funding for foster care in the UK.  The Cost of Foster Ca re, a report published about the fostering industry analysis, shows that fostering industry is an underfunded service, with a need of around  £580 million across the UK immediately to develop a efficiently resourced fostering service that fulfils the needs of children in care.(lough,2010) Following the Governments decision to assert the local authorities more flexibility on making savings, the Fostering Network is of the belief that any reduction in spending on foster care would make the system ineffective, unsustainable and hinder the improvements made in outcomes for children. It warns funding for foster care must be maintained otherwise societys most vulnerable children will suffer. Fostering is under immense pressure due to year-on-year increases in the number of children coming into care and the chronic shortage of 10,000 foster carers. (bbc,2010) Statistics on looked after children There are over 83,000 children and young people looked after in the United Kingom. Out of these children, around 70,000 are looked after away from home, over 54,000 of whom (around 77 per cent) live with at least 45,000 foster families.(fosteringnet1, 2010) Statistics by nation The statistics below provide a picture of the care system on just one day of the year. Many more children and young people move in and out of public care over the course of 12 months. England As of 31 March 2009 60,900  children have been looked after. Over  three fourths  of children are being looked after away from home (44,200 or 78 per cent) were living with foster carers. It is estimated that in England there are at least  37,000 foster families.   An estimate by the fostering network shows a shortage of at least 8200 foster carer families. (fosteringnet1, 2010) Northern Ireland As of 31 March 2009 2463 children have been looked after. Around sixty six percent  of children looked after away from home (1,607 or 65 per cent) were  living with foster carer families. It is estimated that in the Northern Ireland there are approximately  1,800 approved foster families  of which 450 are family and friends carers. An estimate by the Fostering Network shows a  shortage  of around 200 long-term foster families.(fosteringnet1, 2010) Scotland As of March 2009 around  15,288  children are looked after by local authorities in Scotland out of which  around 6,366  are children looked after away from home and their family. Over  two thirds  of children being looked after away from home and their family (4,497 or 71 per cent) were living with foster carer families. There are approximately  3,300  foster families  in Scotland. An estimate by the Fostering Network shows there is a  shortage  of at least  1,700 foster families.(fosteringnet1, 2010) Wales As of 31 March 2009 around 4,705  children looked after. Over  four fifths  of children looked after away from home (3,630 or 86 per cent) were living with foster carers. Approximately 3000 foster families are there in Wales. An estimate by the Fostering Network shows there is a  shortage  of at least  750 foster families in Wales. (fosteringnet1, 2010) Demand Local authorities were asked how many foster families they would have to recruit in order to offer placement choice to the children in their care. Placement choice means having a sufficiently wide pool of foster families so that each child can live with a family that meets their individual needs.(fosteringnet2, 2010) England  8,200 of which North West 1,700 North East 1,300 West Midlands 650 East Midlands 450 East 650 South West 600 South East 850 London 2,000 Northern Ireland  200 (updated in March 2009) Scotland  1,700 (May 2005 figure) Wales  750 (fosteringnet2, 2010) There is maximum demand for foster carers in London and North West of England. Research by the Fostering Network also found 82% of local authorities saw a rise in the number of children coming into care and needing foster homes in 2009-10. (bbc, 2010) Local authority as a competitor When a porters 5 forces model is developed, the local authority is a supplier, buyer as well as a competitor in this industry. The local authority buy the service of the fostering agency, they supply the children for placement to the fostering agencies and they also place children on their own hence they are a competitor. Comparison of Approved foster carers in year 2008-2009 between Local authorities and Independent Fostering agencies Local Authority Independent agencies Total number of foster carers approved 3423 2088 Total number of foster carers held as 23195 9893 on 31 march 2009 Comparison of placements provided between Local authorities and Independent fostering agencies in year 2008-2009 Total number of long term placement 6146 3758 Total number of continuing care placement 1655 1149 Total number of time limited placement 12879 4877 Total number of emergency care placement 824 2013 Total number of intensive fostering placements 1016 874 Total number of treatment care placements 86 150 Total number of short break for disabled children 2876 398 Total number of short break for non disabled children 534 50 (fostering agencies and fostering services dataset,2010 ) The local authority has placed more children in the 2008-2009 period as compared to the independent fostering agencies and are therefore identified as one of the bigger threats to fostering solutions along with the top two fostering agencies Foster care associates and National foster association. On discussion with Michelle about this we came to a conclusion that the reason could be that local authorities do not strive for the inspection quality in their approval process that the independent agencies might be doing. And this was found out to be true when we chose 6 local authorities in random and checked their ofsted ratings. None of whom had outstanding ratings, 2 had satisfactory and 4 had good. (refer to appendix c1) Number of applications from prospective fostering households received Local Authority 7253 Independent agencies- 6607 The statistics show that even though the independent fostering agencies are providing better allowances the prospective foster carers prefer the local authority to independent fostering agencies. The reason here could be because local authorities are key authority in placing children to the foster carers. Hence the myth that if foster carers join the local authority fostering they could get children placed quicker with them. How many foster carers successfully completed the Childrens Development Workforce Councils certificate in Training, Support and development Standards for Foster Care? Local authority- 825 Independent fostering agencies- 529 (fostering agencies and fostering services dataset,2010 ) Local authorities are thus a serious competitor(substitute) for the independent fostering agencies. Competitor analysis-company reports The fostering industry is going through a challenge to recruit foster carers to look after children who are in abundance. In the fostering business agencies recruit foster carers, who are when placed with children or young people get paid for the placement from the local authority. In consultation with fostering solutions we have identified the top 9 independent fostering agencies who directly compete with fostering solutions in the industry. Foster care Associates National Fostering Agency Orange Grove SWIIS Pathways Barnardos Capstone Fostercare TACT By the Bridge Fostering In the Appendix C2 shows the turnover, profit margin, ofsted ratings, foster carer allowance paid comparison of the 9 competitors. Below is a detailed report on each of 9 fostering companies in terms of location, ofsted ratings, services provided, placements provided, number of employees and foster carer allowance paid. By doing so we can find out how each of these companies compete with Fostering solutions in the industry. After each company report we look at a findings/strategy/comparison section to emphasize how they compete in the industry and vs fostering solutions. Due to word limit a detailed analysis of services comparison is provided in the appendix. (refer appendix m3) Foster Care Associates Over 80 Offices in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. (fca1, 2010) Part of Core assets group. The Core Assets Group of Companies provides an international portfolio of social care services, offering innovative business solutions to the care sector. Foster care associates has subsidiaries in UK. Fostering First (Ireland ) Limited Fostering people Limited Outcomes (UK) Limited Fostering First International, a sister company  to Foster Care Associates Ltd, is  currently  located in 7 different countries:  Republic of Ireland,  Finland,  Sweden, Germany,  Australia,  New Zealand  and  Canada. (fcacorp, 2010) Services provided to foster carers(fca2, 2010) They provide a Respite of up to 21 nights per year. They avail the service of a Therapist They hold Regular group meetings held at local fca office They give Membership to foster talk They arrange for Organised activities They hold Foster care training program They provide for Children and young people support workers Placements provided(fca3, 2010) Emergency Short term Long term Respite Parent and child placement Placement for sanctuary seeking children and young people Placement for disabled children Short term breaks OFSTED ratings (ofsted,2010) 2 Outstanding and 7 good Foster carer allowance- 390 Pounds / Week (fca4, 2010) Financial data( FAME) th gbp 2008(data available only for financial year end 2008 Turnover 119612 Profit before taxation 10074 Number of employees 871 Key Issues and Facts(fca5,2010) 2400 children placed as of December 2009. Highest number of placements across all IFAs in the UK.(fca5,2010) Foster carer recruited in year of 2009 above 360 . 94% of local authorities present in England have partnered with them. They claim 66% of the Scottish Local authorities work as partners with them. They claim 95% of the local authorities present in Wales work as partners with them. They claim that 100% of Northern Ireland local authorities work in partnership with them. (fca6, 2010) Findings/Strategy/Comparison FCA have presence internationally whereas fostering solutions is based only in UK. Therefore having presence internationally could be a benefit to FCA over fostering solutions. There is a credibility, brand image and recognition that comes with being present in multiple countries. FCA has presence in North Ireland whereas fostering solutions has no office/branch in Northern Ireland. FCA have a monopoly in Northern Ireland as none of the 8 competitors and fostering solutions do not have an office there. *Turnover is the highest, but profit margin is not may be because the cost is also high. We assume that it could be because it maintains high cost to maintain quality and good service. *financial data of 31-12-2008 only was available for FCA. Thomson research database showed inconclusive data of FCA having round about same turnover for 2009. Services Therapist available for consultation for Fca, whereas Fostering solutions has no mention of providing such a service in their brochure.   Supporting foster carers in negotiating with schools and promoting the childs educational needs, no mention of providing such a service in their brochure. 21 days paid respite per year vs 2 weeks paid respite provided by fostering solutions FCA provides placement for disabled children which fostering solutions do not provide. On consulting with Michelle she highlighted the costs associated with providing such a service and the specialised staff that would be required. In addition to this she added that placement of disabled children is only a small number. Nonetheless its a way in which foster care associates are competing with fostering solutions since they have the staff and specialisation to provide the placement even if its for a small number of placements. Location Their major strengths are their presence in various locations across UK, with over 40 offices. They claim you are never more than 40 miles from an FCA office and their relationship with local authorities as highlighted above, since its the local authorities who are going to give them the placement for their foster carers. People prefer companies/agencies that are local in their presence in the fostering industry. Therefore FCA promotes themselves locally to be able to recruit foster carers efficiently. National fostering agency They are located at Cardiff, Lowestoft and Stirling with Head Office at Uxbridge.(nfa1, 2010) Services provided (nfa2, 2010) The national fostering agency believes that fostering is a service which is to be provided at a local level to be a successful fostering agency. They pride themselves in believing they provide a fostering service with local care and support along with national expertise. Most of the centralised functions occur through their head and regional offices, the key job involving high quality placements for children remains with the local foster carer. The National Fostering Agency claim the foster carers are supported on a 24 hour basis by local professionally qualified and experienced Supervising Social workers. The foster carers are provided support from a professionally qualified social worker They provide a 24 hour telephone advice and support to the foster carers. The provide one monthly visit and a weekly telephone call There are various training and development opportunities They provide foster carers the opportunity to meet with other foster carers at support groups The foster carers are given good financial support for caring for the child They provide membership of the Fostering Network to the foster carers. They provide good legal protection insurance The foster carers are provided regular foster carers news and information. Placements provided (nfa3, 2010) Emergency Placements Task Centred Placements Parent Child Placements Bridging Placement Long Term Placements Foster carer allowance 366 pounds GBP PW(nfa4, 2010) Financial Data FAME database th Gbp 2009 Turnover 43122 Profit before taxation 6623 Number of employees 171 OFSTED Ratings(ofsted, 2010) 2 good Findings/Strategy/Comparison When compared with fostering solutions NFA more or less provide the same range of basic services to foster carers. They have just 4 offices across the UK but their turnover and profit margin is more than fostering solutions. (appendix c2). Their way of operating is, all referrals for placements throughout the UK are managed by four teams located in their offices at Lowestoft, Uxbridge, Cardiff and Stirling. They work in close ties with the regional social workers and thus manage to provide efficient placements. Inspite of being present in only 4 locations their method of working closely with regional social worker staff gives them a local presence. NFA have an interesting strategy to recruit foster carers. They have advertised on job search websites such as reed and jobsite for foster carer recruitment. This strategy has been followed by a number of companies though fostering solutions have not used this method of recruiting foster carers.(reed, 2010) SWIIS Foster care Location ( sw1,2010) SWIIS Foster Care was formed in the year 2000 as an Independent Fostering Provider within the already successful SWIIS group of social care related companies. They have their Head office in London with 6 more offices/branches in England and 4 offices/branches in Scotland. Services provided (sw2,sw3, 2010) SWIIS is dedicated to creating the best opportunities for children and young people in foster care: They believe in creating the best outcomes for children and young people in foster care. They provide a comprehensive package of social work, education and health They work in close relations with placing authority social workers, local education, health and therapy providers They provide each child or young person with a care package that addresses all of their needs They claim to offer the best value for children, carers and placing authorities alike They claim to work with local authorities to help them meet required Performance Indicators They claim their placements provide demonstrable positive indicators of improvement for young people in the five key outcome areas namely being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being They provide all the approved SWIIS foster carers extensive pre and post approval training including the opportunity to take relevant social care training modules and NVQ programmes with the priority being given to issues such as Safer Caring and Managing Challenging Behaviour Health(sw3, 2010) They provide designated health professionals to support children for their health and is an outstanding provision in this area. Education They make sure every effort is taken to ensure children and young people can reach to their potential in education by dedicated staff. There are efficient resources in place to support the children with their education. Types of Placements available (sw4, 2010) short term placements longer term. bridging placements respite placements placements provided for all age groups which includes higher aged teenagers, sibling groups and disabled children. short notice unplanned placements provided. Foster carer allowance 400-580 £ PW- best in the industry.(sw5,2010) Financial Data th GBP 2009 Turnover 13362 Profit before taxation 1074 Profit margin 8.04% Number of employees 81 OFSTED ratings(ofsted- sw, 2010) 2 outstanding 3 good and 1 satisfactory Findings/Strategy/Comparison There is a designated education officer to help children with studies, no mention of any such service in fostering solutions brochure. There is a designated health officer to advice foster carers on health issues for the children, no mention of any such service in fostering solutions brochure. They provide the best financial package of all the fostering companies with 400 580ppw. This could mean since they provide the foster carer a high allowance, they could be charging the local authority a high amount. There is lack of data available regarding charges to local authority by independent agencies and children placed. By looking at their turnover and profit margin we can see that they have done well and ranked sixth in the turnover/profit margin index. This means they have been placing children from local authority to the foster carers.(refer to appendix c1 or above for turnover/profit margin) They have the specialisation and staff to provide placement for children with disabilities provided, whereas as we have already looked above fostering solutions do not. By The Bridge Fostering They have branches/offices at Sittingbourne, Kent, Regional offices in Essex and Warwickshire and West London. (bythebridge1, 2010) OFSTED Rating 1 Only one ofsted report was found at ofsted inspection reports. Outstanding (ofstedbythebridge, 2010) They achieved iso 9001 accreditation in 2009 Advertising board deal with crystal palace football club- Marketing strategy to increase its brand awareness and reputation. (bythebridge2, 2010) Therapeutic Fostering The by the bridge foster carers are committed and have a unique opportunity to enrol into a degree certificate in therapeutic fostering from the University of Greenwich. (bythebridge3, 2010) Financial data th GBP 2009 Turnover 10132 Profit before taxation 2451 Profit margin 24.19% Number of employees 40 Findings/Strategy/Comparison By the Bridge fostering is a small agency with just 40 employees, but they have higher profit before taxation than fostering solutions. This could be due to lesser administration overheads due to its small size. They are recruiting in East, South east, London and Midlands region.(refer to appendix c2) Its key to note that by the bridge fostering has the best profit margin of all the 10 agencies.( refer to appendix,c1) The foster carers are committed to a degree in therapeutic fostering. Thus they have an added incentive of becoming a foster carer as well as a chance to earn a degree certificate in therapeutic fostering. This could be a major attraction to foster carers in joining by the bridge fostering. This unique certificate in therapeutic fostering is provided which is a one year course covering transactional analysis theories combined with social work ideas to help understand what children and others do what they do and how can they be helped, no such service provided by fostering solutions. Orange Grove Location (og1, 2010) The Orange Grove fostering agency was taken over by Hillcrest foster care to operate under the Orange Grove Fostercare. They have 10 Offices in England. Types of placement available(og2, 2010) Teenagers Sibling groups Parent and baby for young people chance to become a parent Special needs Unaccompanied asylum seeking young people Solo placements Services provided to foster carers(og3, 2010) They provide a minimum of 12 supervision visits by a local Social Worker They provide additional support visits on a needs-led basis by our approved Social Workers or Family Support Workers There is a minimum of 1 unannounced visit per annum There is provision for 1 independently-led annual review per annum They provide Psychological support on a needs-led basis plus additional support groups/surgeries as required They provide Out of hours 365/24/7 on-call support service by local social work staff They provide 14 nights of respite They offer Retainer payments (subject to qualifying criteria)*** There is a monthly carer support meeting The agency will endeavour, with the help and support of carers, to ensure that all carers have a Schedule 3 Respite Carer in place*** They provide a published programme of regular training They provide training in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (Fostering)/Management of Aggression with regular follow-up training They provide birthday, Festival and Holiday allowances at The Fostering Network rates There is a target of 4 regional activities per office for carers and children, e.g. Pantomime, Theme Parks, BBQs, etc They provide a weekend break for birth children They provide an independent Childrens Helpline to foster children and birth children They provide an Independent allegation support service Their Social Workers attend at all meetings, conferences, reviews, etc They provide Educational support There is an annual carer conference. Hillcrest ( Orangegrove ) Financial data th gbp 2008 Turnover 23993 Profit before taxation 1906 Profit margin 7.94 Number of employees 526 (FAME,2010) to be done referencing Foster carer allowance 320-461ppw (og4, 2010) OFSTED ratings(ofsted-og, 2010) 4 good 1 satisfactory Findings/Strategy/Comparison Services Target of 4 regional activities per office for carers and children, e.g. Pantomime, Theme Parks, BBQs, etc, no mention of providing such a service by fostering solutions in their brochure. -Training in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Birthday, Festival and Holiday allowances at the Fostering Network rates, Independent Childrens Helpline for foster children and birth children -Independent allegation support service, no mention of providing such a service by fostering solutions in their brochure. Strategy- orange grove provide a combination of an array of services to foster carers with an upper limit of allowance of 461ppw as compared to 390 being upper limit paid by fostering solutions. They are a strong competitor as they match with fostering solutions on services provided and also pay a competitive allowance whose upper limit is higher than fostering solutions. Barnardos Wide coverage in UK with presence in London, Yorkshire, Midlands, North West, Scotland, Cymru, Northern Ireland. (barnardos,2010) Fundraising Fostering and adoption Research and influencing practice Barnardos have more than around 100 years of experienced in the fostering industry. They have above 30 services recruiting a variety of carers across the United Kingdom. (barnardos, 2010) What facilities they give the foster carers They provide on-going relevant/specialist training They provide 24-hour advice and back-up They provide regular supervision from their friendly team Provision of a generous fee and allowance They provide careful and considered matching with a child They provide the opportunity to lead the way in setting the highest standards for children and young people in foster care. placements provided (baplacements, 2010) -permanent and long term -bridging placement -short term -emergency -parent and child Foster carer allowance- 100-200ppw (cypnow,2010) Current and future strategies and objectives making barnardos influencing work more effective looking to improve the extent to which lessons learnt from its work on the ground leaed to better outcomes for disadvantaged children. Brand and image enhancement- it recognises it needs to be better at explaining to the public exactly how it works and what it stands for so that it can generate more support for its influencing work- Believe in Children- Strap line. Implementing refreshed strategies for participation and volunteering. Increasing net return from fundraising Improving cost effectiveness of support functions both at head office and locally. Loss before taxation -27358 Profit margin Number of employees 7085 OFSTED RATINGS(ofsted-ba, 2010) 2 outstanding 8 good Findings/Strategy/Comparison They compete as a reputed company with 100 years experience in fostering. Its a charity organisation in existence for a long time with presence in number of countries. They do fostering also as a part of helping children and young people. Prospective foster carers might be attracted to foster with barnardos due to its brand name and reputation which could get them a placement quickly. They pay lower allowance to foster carers than any other company which means they might be charging the local authority less than any other independent agency. They being a charity organisation, the prospective foster carers could feel a sense of social cause attachment to the organisation and could be a big plus for an agency like barnardos. Capstone fostercare Locations 7 offices at Birmingham, Devon, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Somerset, Kent and London. (cap1, 2010) Services provided (cap2, 2010) All those preparing to become foster carers will attend two days of Skills to Foster training followed by one day of CWDC Workshop training. This gives a detailed picture of what fostering is about and looks more closely at developing the skills and kno

Affirmative Action: Keeping minorities down for 30 years. Essay

The subject of affirmative action in college admissions has been hotly debated since its inception. Although affirmative action was originally supported by the vast majority, that same majority is now starting to wonder if there is a better way. Commonly asked questions include: â€Å"Is affirmative action still working?† and â€Å"Is there an alternative?† The answers to each of these questions will provide insurmountable evidence that affirmative action in college admissions no longer fulfills its intended purpose and that the only viable alternative is to focus more attention on primary schooling for the underprivileged. The most common question that arises in contemporary debates over affirmative action is, â€Å"Does affirmative action still work as intended?† The original purpose of affirmative action in college admissions was to eliminate racial bias in the applicant selection process and provide a helping hand to disadvantaged minority students. Has this happened? The simple answer is â€Å"No†, but a more precise answer requires more elaboration. Richard Rodriguez, the Mexican-American author of Hunger of Memory and a direct beneficiary of early affirmative action policies, puts it this way, â€Å"I think – as I thought in 1967 – that the black civil rights leaders were correct: Higher education was not, nor is it yet, accessible to many black Americans† (Rodriguez 144). In 1967, civil rights leaders of all types began to pressure universities and colleges all over the United States to admit more minority students and hire more minority teachers. They claimed that racial bias was the nefarious culprit responsible for the low numbers of non-white students and teachers at these institutions and that these low numbers were unrepresentative of the surrounding populations. Affirmative action policies were born in a drive to better represent minorities in institutional America. However, all has not gone according to plan. In an effort to avoid the label of Racist, colleges and universities sometimes give preferential treatment to minority applicants. This preferential treatment means that promising majority (white) applicants are often passed over for less promising minority applicants. The term Reverse Discrimination has been applied to this phenomena and th... ...needed now is to focus all of our efforts on improving primary schooling for the underprivileged. Referring to the above cartoon, why not give everyone the advantages of the majority instead of lowering the standards to fit the minority? Works Cited Billingsley, K.L. "Affirmative Action Is Racist." 1995. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. University Library. IUPUI, Indianapolis. 14 Nov. 2004. Cohen, Carl. "Affirmative Action in Admissions Harms College Students.† 1998. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. University Library. IUPUI, Indianapolis. 14 Nov. 2004. < http://galenet.galegroup.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/servlet/ OVRC?vrsn=218&slb=SU&locID=iulib_iupui&srchtp=basic&c=15&ste=17&tbst=ts_basic&tab=1&txb=%2522Affirmative+Action%2522&docNum=X3010148224&fail=8192&bConts=16207> Detroit Free Press. 2001. 14 Nov. 2004. Messerli, Joe. â€Å"Should affirmative action policies, which give preferential treatment based on minority status, be eliminated?† 2003. BalancedPolitics.org. 14 Nov. 2004. < http://www.balancedpolitics.org/affirmative_action.htm> Rodriguez, Richard. Hunger of Memory. New York: Bantam Books, 1983.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell :: Animal Farm Essays

Hypocrisy on Animal Farm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, the animals possess many traits that humans portray such as emotion and physical qualities and activities. The novel withholds many examples of hypocrisy among the animals. These acts of hypocrisy originate from the animals hatred for the humans, which eventually transforms them into humans in an animal form and the major downfall of Animal Farm. These acts of hypocrisy are primarily summoned by the pigs in many different fashions including the higher equality, the ban on human characteristics and activity and the basis of â€Å"four legs good, two legs bad†. The higher equality of certain animals was a major contribution to the general act of hypocrisy that takes place on Animal Farm. During the beginning of the novel, all the animals are equal and happy, but once the pigs gain total control, they decide to change the rules. : â€Å"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.†(90). This is hypocritical due to the sudden change of the animal’s views. During the beginning of the novel, all the animals are equal and agree upon equality as a group. After a while, the pigs begin creating rules that help to provide and advantage themselves. After the pigs make this statement, the other animals begin to see that Napoleon and his committee are very similar to their previous owner, Mr. Jones. While the pigs are living the simple life of relaxation, the other animals are doing slave labour to ensure that humans do not regain control of Animal Farm and ensuring that they don’t not lose control of their o wn lives. Another ac of hypocrisy located in the novel, deals with the ban on human appearances and human activity. During one of the first meetings after the rebellion, the animals make the rules clear and state that they will apply it to every animal on the farm. : â€Å"No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade.†(6). Despite the rules agreed upon by the animals at the starting of the novel, the pigs decide to become more like the humans and gain complete control over Animal Farm. Things at first seem pretty reasonable, like the learning to read and write, but when the pigs begin wearing clothes and compromising with the neighbouring farm owners, the animals become suspicious of their motives.

The Criminalization of the Mentally Ill Essays -- Prison for Individua

Problem Analysis: The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world and of that over sixty percent of jail inmates reported having a mental health issue and 316,000 of them are severely mentally ill (Raphael & Stoll, 2013). Correctional facilities in the United States have become the primary mental health institutions today (Adams & Ferrandino, 2008). This imprisonment of the mentally ill in the United States has increased the incarceration rate and has left those individuals medically untreated and emotionally unstable while in jail and after being released. Better housing facilities, medical treatment and psychiatric counseling can be helpful in alleviating their illness as well as upon their release. This paper will explore the increasing incarceration rate of the mentally ill in the jails and prisons of the United States, the lack of medical services available to the mentally ill, the roles of the police, the correctional officers and the community and the revolving door phenom enon (Soderstrom, 2007). It will also review some of the existing and present policies that have been ineffective and present new policies that can be effective with the proper resources and training. The main objective of this paper is to illustrate that the criminalization of the mentally ill has become a public health problem and that our policy should focus more on rehabilitation rather than punishment. A huge factor in the prevalence of mental health problems in United States prison and jail inmates is believed to be due to the policy of deinstitutionalization. Many of the mentally ill were treated in publicly funded hospitals up until the 1960’s. Due to budget cuts and underfunding of community mental health services we ... ...aluating mental health courts as an ideal mental health intervention. Best Practices in Mental Health, 21-37. Lamb, H. R. (2004). Mentally ill persons in the criminal justice system: Some perspectives. Psychiatric Quarterly, 108-126. Markowitz, F. E. (2011). Mental illness, crime, and violence: Risk, context, and social control. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 36-44. Raphael, S. &. (2013). Assessing the Contribution of the Deinstitutionalization of the Mentally Ill to Growth in the U.S. Incarceration Rate. The Journal of Legal Studies, 187-220. Rock, M. (2001). Emerging issues with mentally ill offenders: Casues and social consequences. Administration and Policy in Mental Health., 165-180. Soderstrom, I. R. (2007). Mental illness in offender populations: Prevalance, duty, and implications. Mental health issues in the criminal justice system., 1-17. The Criminalization of the Mentally Ill Essays -- Prison for Individua Problem Analysis: The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world and of that over sixty percent of jail inmates reported having a mental health issue and 316,000 of them are severely mentally ill (Raphael & Stoll, 2013). Correctional facilities in the United States have become the primary mental health institutions today (Adams & Ferrandino, 2008). This imprisonment of the mentally ill in the United States has increased the incarceration rate and has left those individuals medically untreated and emotionally unstable while in jail and after being released. Better housing facilities, medical treatment and psychiatric counseling can be helpful in alleviating their illness as well as upon their release. This paper will explore the increasing incarceration rate of the mentally ill in the jails and prisons of the United States, the lack of medical services available to the mentally ill, the roles of the police, the correctional officers and the community and the revolving door phenom enon (Soderstrom, 2007). It will also review some of the existing and present policies that have been ineffective and present new policies that can be effective with the proper resources and training. The main objective of this paper is to illustrate that the criminalization of the mentally ill has become a public health problem and that our policy should focus more on rehabilitation rather than punishment. A huge factor in the prevalence of mental health problems in United States prison and jail inmates is believed to be due to the policy of deinstitutionalization. Many of the mentally ill were treated in publicly funded hospitals up until the 1960’s. Due to budget cuts and underfunding of community mental health services we ... ...aluating mental health courts as an ideal mental health intervention. Best Practices in Mental Health, 21-37. Lamb, H. R. (2004). Mentally ill persons in the criminal justice system: Some perspectives. Psychiatric Quarterly, 108-126. Markowitz, F. E. (2011). Mental illness, crime, and violence: Risk, context, and social control. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 36-44. Raphael, S. &. (2013). Assessing the Contribution of the Deinstitutionalization of the Mentally Ill to Growth in the U.S. Incarceration Rate. The Journal of Legal Studies, 187-220. Rock, M. (2001). Emerging issues with mentally ill offenders: Casues and social consequences. Administration and Policy in Mental Health., 165-180. Soderstrom, I. R. (2007). Mental illness in offender populations: Prevalance, duty, and implications. Mental health issues in the criminal justice system., 1-17.

International Governance of Environmental resources

People need many natural resources to live. Other natural resources are used to make life easier. Defining Global Governance Governance is the framework of social and economic systems and legal and political structures through which humanity manages itself. † World Humanity Action Trust, 2000. Environmental governance â€Å"is the term we use to describe how we as humans exercise our authority over natural resources and natural systems. † It is about questions concerning â€Å"how we make environmental decisions and who makes them†¦. Using this broad conceptualization, environmental governance involves much more than the work of governments. It â€Å"relates to decision-makers at all levels-?government managers and ministers, business people, property wieners, farmers, and consumers. In short, it deals with who is responsible, how they wield their power, and how they are held accountable. † In discussions of governance, three terms come up often: Institution s. In the context of governance, â€Å"institutions† can be thought of as the formal and informal rules that govern social interactions.Formal rules are illustrated by laws and regulations, and informal rules are illustrated by social norms. Good governance. This term is used to describe governance characterized by high levels of transparency, accountability, and fair treatment. Civil society. This term â€Å"refers to the arena of uncovered collective action around shared interests, purposes and values. In theory, its institutional forms are distinct from those of the state, family and market, though in practice, the boundaries between state, civil society, family and market are often complex, blurred and negotiated.Civil society commonly embraces a diversity of spaces, actors and institutional forms, varying in their degree of formality, autonomy and power. Civil societies are often populated by organizations such as registered charities, development non-governmental organ izations, community groups, women's organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, trades unions, self-help groups, social movements, business associations, coalitions and advocacy group. † Why Reform?Nature of problems Scale, scope and complexity Failed collective action Lack of incentives for collaboration Fragmentation Institutional proliferation Deficient authority Inadequate mandate, funding, political support Insufficient legitimacy Lack of process and outcome fairness What to Reform? Institutional structure re's Institutional methods of governing What to Achieved? Improved problem solving Improved collective action Enhanced legitimacy Strengthened policy space Improved fairness New global ethic How to Reform?

The E-Word for a Beautiful Me

Taking care of our health is not an option. It is our responsibility and we can reach our fullest potential and have a beautiful healthy body with exercise. The newspapers,magazines,billboards and advertisements are saturated with information on how excersice keeps fit and helps prevent diseases. There is a wide variety of excersice that we can do. Young adults can do brisk walking,jogging,cycling,swimming and playing games for thirty minutes a day, three times a week. One exercise programme that is highly recommende is aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise ,if done consistently,help to boost metabolism. It promotes cardiovascular fitness by making the heart and lungs work harder. The heart pumps more blood and this help prevent the building ip of fat and clotting of blood in the arteries. The lungs receive more oxygen during the activity and this makes them stronger. Another benefit is the control of weight and increase in the flexibility of muscle and joints. Exercising or doing workouts at the gym two to three times a week is enough to increase our fitness level. The frequency depends on one's fitness level and time. It should be done as a form of relaxation,not a burden. One can supplement these workouts with brisk walking or jogging in the park during the week. This will help to maintain and keep the habit of exercising alive. It can become a way of life. Every session or outing can take about 30 to 45 minutes. When working ,keep the pace brisk and relaxed not tense. One should feel comfortable and not be panting or out of breath. The key to a good workout is to do it with a companion. To take the. onotony or tedium out of exercise,exchange opinions and comments to encourage or discourage with your companion. It is also encouraging to have someone to compete with,albeit on a friendly basis. All these exercises will not beneficial if one's diet is not in tune with the body. Eat moderately and healthily. Do not oeverindulge as overeating is,at the risk of sounding mundane,bad for health. Disciss this with a dietician if you are not sure. So,the E-word for a beautiful me is exercise but have a good balance with whatever form exercise you take and follow a proper diet.