Autism Is Not Just One Disorder And It Affects The Normal...

1 in 68 births in the United States will result in a child with autism. According to the Autism Society of America, it is reported as the fastest-growing disability, reaching epidemic proportions at a rate of 10-17 percent per year. Most parents recognize the signs and symptoms of autism anytime between birth and the first three years of their child’s life. Autism is classified as a neurological disorder and it affects the normal development of a child’s brain. Autism is not just one disorder, but a group of related disorders with a shared set of symptoms. All children on the autism spectrum have three major challenges; they are with social skills ab nd behavior, communication and cognition. Autism can be identified by a certain set of behaviors, but children can have any combination of the behaviors at any degree of severity. In fact, when it comes to their behaviors and abilities, no two kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are the same; each child has their own u nique capabilities, symptoms, and challenges. There are many different treatments and medications used to remedy and lessen the symptoms of autism. They include different types of therapies and training, special diets, vitamin supplements, as well as, complementary and alternative medicines. Music therapy is the most effective treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder. Of all the therapies associated with autism, none achieve more positive results. No other type of treatment helps children toShow MoreRelatedThe Is A Diversity As Well Essay1474 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"I think when one becomes identified with a label that’ll become all anyone sees; the expansiveness and breadth of the all of who you are suddenly hidden from view. I look to the entire history of the label and how it came to be. Our Western world likes to compartmentalize putting everything into simplistic categories. Now they have such terms as ‘neurotypical’ and ‘neurodivergen t’, separating the entire human population on the plant into two categories. I would say that ‘neurotypical’ is a diversityRead MoreAutism : The Fastest Growing Disorder1076 Words   |  5 PagesAutism affects people in a lot of different ways. Autism is the fastest growing disorder in the U.S.There is no cure for this disorder but there is treatment. Autism costs a family about $60,000 in one year on average. Symptoms of ASD can have different ranges depending on the person’s. Communication for an Autistic person is extremely difficult, so ASD people don’t even speak, they use hand signals or gestures. Peoples with ASD have a difficult time in social settings, they tend to have outburstRead MoreAutism : A Developmental Disability That Causes Problems With Skills And Communication1395 Words   |  6 Pages Autism is a developmental disability that causes problems with skills and communication, and can be mild or severe differing from person to person. (Autism. 2013). Autism is from birth, meaning it can t be developed after birth. Symptoms can get better or worse with time, depending on certain dietary plans and medicines. Some autistic symptoms, however, can occur after a traumatic brain injury or TBI. Autism isn t present in a person after such an injury. ASD has many different forms and conditionsRead MoreThe Effects Of Autism Throughout Early Childhood, Education, And Later Life1328 Words   |  6 PagesThe Effects of Autism throughout Early Childhood, Education, Relationships, and Later Life There are many disorders that affect how the brain works. Some of these disorders can stem from birth, while others appear later, almost at random throughout someone’s life. Autism seems to be a disorder that develops from birth, although most children are not officially diagnosed until they are about two or three years old. Why is this? One can infer that it very well may be that most children tend to beginRead MoreAutism Is A Disorder That Affects About 1-88 Children1287 Words   |  6 PagesNorthampton Community College Autism Rikki Correll BIOS 204: Section 2 Associate Professor Paula Burch November 20, 2015 Autism â€Å"Autism is a disorder that affects about 1-88 children. It has an effect on the person, the family, and society. Autism has become a huge part in fundraising and most people heard about autism awareness, but do most people know what autism is and what causes it? â€Å"Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by dysfunction of social interactionRead MoreThe Controversy Of Autism Spectrum Disorder1323 Words   |  6 PagesDefining Autism Autism continues to spark countless discussions and debates throughout the medical field. Some doctors believe that autism is a neurological disorder that can and should be treated, as others continue to think it is simply a difference in human adaption that needs to be nurtured and acknowledged. Regardless of what autism may be, it continues to dramatically rise in the number of children and families affected. With autism being based on such a broad spectrum, the affects and causesRead MoreAutism Is A Psychological Disorder1329 Words   |  6 PagesAutism continues to spark countless discussions and debates throughout the medical field. Some doctors believe that autism is a neurological disorder that can and should be treated, as others continue to think it is simply a difference in human adaption that needs to be nurtured and acknowledged. Regardless of what autism may be, it continues to dramatically rise in the number of children and families affected. With autism being based on such a broad spectrum, the affects and causes leaves the medicalRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1575 Words   |  7 Pagessymptoms that have been associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD, the name adopted in 2013) including, repetitive movements, emotional difficulties, sensory problems, etc. The exact cause of these symptoms is a widely debated topic. In this paper, I will discuss the overall prevalent causes for Autism as well as the different variations and subgroups. People are familiar with other disorders such as Down syndrome or Trisomy 21. These types of disorders are discussed frequently because of theRead MoreEssay about Inclusion of Children with Autism1315 Words   |  6 Pageswith Autism The inclusion of children with learning disabilities into normal classrooms has proved to exhibit both positive and negative effects on children with and without disabilities. However, the negative aspects of inclusion have not proven a strong enough point in that the good, which comes from this experience, severely outweighs any doubt of its success. Inclusion of autistic children has shown to be beneficial due to the notion that these disabled kids can attend normal classesRead MoreThe Effects Of Autism On Children s Children1076 Words   |  5 Pagesdelightful, happy, and relaxing. Knowing someone with autism can lead to more confusion, but a child that has autism can be even worse. Commonly people aren’t aware that their child is autistic or that someone around them is autistic. Classifying children as autistic is done correctly and incorrectly every day, because autism has just become recognized and isn’t commonly known by most people and doctors recently. There are many different views on autism, whether it is classified to the children correctly

Dome of the Rock Free Essays

The Dome of the Rock Dennis Stoneman The Dome of the Rock is located in Jerusalem, and is one of the biggest temples in the Islamic religion. It has been a very important spot for thousands of years, and seems that it will remain so for a very long time. Because of the religious beliefs, there are also a lot of conflict that surrounds the temple. We will write a custom essay sample on Dome of the Rock or any similar topic only for you Order Now Both the Jews and the Muslims lay claim to the site, saying it is the most important spot in their religions. The importance of the rock itself dates back to the very inceptions of the two religions. Today it is under scrutiny, as to who has actual claim of the area, and of course which religious claim is the true one. The Jews and Muslims have been feuding for centuries, and I don’t see any stop to it any time soon. With all of the claims between the two parties, I have my own theory. The dome itself is covered with 900 gold plates. Some have called the Dome of the Rock a Muslim masterpiece. There are 17 cisterns, each with its own significance, and style. The Dome of the Rock tells a story about why it is there. One of the most elaborate temples in existence. I think it is very elegant, and distinguished. It took many years for the Dome of the Rock to turn into the magnificent religious structure it is today. The Dome has even undergone several makeovers, has had visitors who are and are not Muslim. At times non Muslims were not permitted. http://www. cyberistan. org/islamic/domerock. htm http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Temple_Mount How to cite Dome of the Rock, Papers

Thucydides vs Plato free essay sample

Thucydides displays empirical thinking in his studies of human nature and behavior during the Peloponnesian War and Plato displays normative thinking in his books and dialogs in particular The Republic Plato views a good life on the ideals that a person has reached happiness. When a person is in a state where they have no desires because they have all love in their life. He believed this to be the same for everyone and that exhibiting total virtue is obtainable by everyone. Plato considers virtue to be obtained when you have all love and all desires you have are gone. Having love does not mean falling in love with a person, but having a mythical understanding of the world. Normative thinking in philosophy is thinking in terms of ideals, values, and how things should be. In The Republic Plato uses normative philosophies as he talks about an ideal society and the principles of justice. We will write a custom essay sample on Thucydides vs Plato or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He focuses mainly on justice and that it is the greatest virtue and if a man is just then they are a happy person. Justice is described as each part of the soul doing its own part that is balance. Justice, in short, is a virtue, a human excellence. His next point is that acting in accordance with excellence brings happiness. Then he ties excellence to ones function. The just person is a happy person is a person who performs his function. Since these are tied together, injustice can never exceed these virtues and so justice is stronger and is the good. In The Republic, Plato refers to a mans soul of having three parts. The mind, which makes decisions, the spirit which gives courage, and the body which are the pleasures regulated by the rational mind. The Greek Historian, Thucydides, showed his imperialistic approach when recounting the history of the Peloponnesian war between Athens and Sparta. He was a realist who had strict standards for evidence or fact gathering, observation, and analysis. He was not influenced by the gods, religious beliefs, or any biases in his recounting of the Peloponnesian war. Thucydides relates the facts of the war with as much facts and truth as possible which is much different than Plato who uses ideals. He was unbiased and completely objective and created a scientific approach to history. Thucydides is not interested in entertaining but to portray the true terrors and horrors of war by accounting events and speaking through others in speeches rather than speaking in his own name. Thucydides imperialistic approach in his documentation of the Peloponnesian war was a precursor of modern history and is based on significant differences for other historians of his time who typically like to write elaborate stories according to their own beliefs and political agenda. He searched for the truth underlying historical events and learned that the motives of men follow certain patterns. Therefore, the proper analysis of the Peloponnesian War would reveal those general principles that also govern human behavior. In conclusion, the two contrasting approaches in philosophy show that Plato clearly uses normative claims in talking about how people ought to act and his moral beliefs. While Plato wrote about ideals and beliefs, Thucydides uses empirical claims basing his writing on first hand observations and experiences during the Peloponnesian War.

Should Courts Seek the Original Meaning of the Constitution Essay Example

Should Courts Seek the Original Meaning of the Constitution? Essay The Constitution of the United States should is a flexible and dynamic document, that changes as the country it was framed for grows. This argument is not founded by what’s written in the constitution, but what’s absent. The framers were some of the greatest minds of the time period, and fabricated the constitution to protect those freedoms that had been denied to them by their former governments. These men however chose not to address how they wanted their words to be interpreted over time. They were some of the greatest scholars of the era but chose not to address a key issue such as how their base of their new found government should be interpreted. It makes the argument that it was not the framers intent for the constitution to be interpreted literally, they have simply written into the constitution. The simple fact that didn’t address the issue in the document makes their intention to have the document interpreted loosely not literally very clear. Putting aside the founder’s intentions for the document it would be unpractical to interpret the constitution literally word for word, then try and mold a government around it. The basic principles and ideals should be upheld, while adapting to the changes and needs of the country. The country has simply changed too much for the document to be interpreted word for word, and to do so would destroy its usefulness in our government. By not interpreting the constitution literally we allow it the ideals to adjust to our modern government. A good example of this is our traffic laws. We will write a custom essay sample on Should Courts Seek the Original Meaning of the Constitution? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Should Courts Seek the Original Meaning of the Constitution? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Should Courts Seek the Original Meaning of the Constitution? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Obviously, there wasn’t a single automobile in the world when the constitution was framed, so the subject of how the United States would govern traffic violations was left out. However in the eighth section it does establish congress’s rights including †To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States. † So while the document doesn’t state word for word that the United States will give DUI’s, it does entitle congress to pass laws that are in the best interest of its citizens. By interpreting the constitution this way it allows us to maintain the ideals engrained into the constitution, while adapting them to our modern needs in our government. Now obviously this allows thousands of debates over which points to interpret which ways, and how to maintain the ideals the constitution was founded upon. But once again, I think these arguments were foreseen by the framers of the constitution and not just allowed, but seen as necessary to maintain a moral government. By allowing the document to be debated and interpreted you draw in the morality of those who are debating it. In setting up a government that is constantly changing I believe the framers were taking a risk. They believed they were founding a moral and ethical country that throughout its existence would be run by just that, moral and ethical people. The founders new the interpretation of the constitution would become a subject of debate, just like any other legal document. By setting up the constitution to change with our government they entrusted the morality of the country into the individuals that would be called and those who elect them into office.

Life and Work of H.L. Mencken, Writer and Social Critic

Life and Work of H.L. Mencken, Writer and Social Critic H.L. Mencken was an American author and editor who rose to prominence in the 1920s. For a time, Mencken was considered one of the sharpest observers of American life and culture. His prose contained countless quotable phrases that worked their way into the national discourse. During his lifetime, the Baltimore native was often called The Sage of Baltimore. Often regarded as a wildly controversial figure, Mencken was known for expressing strident  opinions that were difficult to categorize. He commented on political issues in a syndicated newspaper column and exerted influence on modern literature through a popular magazine he co-edited, The American Mercury. Fast Facts: H.L. Mencken Known As: The Sage of BaltimoreOccupation: Writer, editorBorn: September 12, 1880 in Baltimore, MarylandEducation: Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (high school)Died: January 29, 1956 in Baltimore, MarylandFun Fact: Ernest Hemingway made mention of Menckens influence in his novel The Sun Also Rises, in which protagonist Jake Barnes reflects, So many young men get their likes and dislikes from Mencken. Early Life and Career Henry Louis Mencken was born September 12, 1880 in Baltimore, Maryland. His grandfather, who had emigrated from Germany in the 1840s, prospered in the tobacco business. Menckens father, August, was also in the tobacco business, and young Henry grew up in a comfortable middle class home. As a child, Mencken was sent to a private school operated by a German professor. As a teen he moved on to a public high school, the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, from which he graduated at the age of 16. His education was focused on science and mechanics, subjects that would prepare him for a career in manufacturing, Yet Mencken was far more fascinated by writing and the study of literature. He credited his love of writing to his childhood discovery of Mark Twain, and especially Twains classic novel,  Huckleberry Finn. Mencken grew into an avid reader and aspired to be a writer. His father, however, had other ideas. He wanted his son to follow him into the tobacco business, and for a few years, Mencken worked for his father. However, when Mencken was 18, his father died, and he took it as a chance to follow his ambition. He presented himself at the office of a local newspaper, The Herald, and asked for a job. He was turned down at first, but persisted and eventually landed a job writing for the paper. An energetic and quick learner, Mencken quickly rose to be the Heralds city editor and ultimately the editor. Journalism Career In 1906, Mencken moved to the Baltimore Sun, which became his professional home for most of the rest of his life. At the Sun, he was offered the chance to write his own column, titled The Freelance. As a columnist, Mencken developed a style in which he attacked what he perceived as ignorance and bombast. Much of his writing targeted what he considered mediocrity in politics and culture, often delivering cutting satire in carefully crafted essays. Mencken blasted those he considered hypocrites, which often included sanctimonious religious figures and politicians. As his scathing prose appeared in magazines nationwide, he attracted a following of readers who saw him as an honest appraiser of American society. When World War I broke out, Mencken, who was very proud of his German roots and skeptical of the British, seemed to be on the wrong side of mainstream American opinion. He was somewhat sidelined during controversies about his loyalty, especially after the United States entered the war, but his career rebounded in the 1920s. Fame and Controversy In the summer of 1925, when a Tennessee schoolteacher, John Scopes, was put on trial for teaching about the theory of evolution, Mencken traveled to Dayton, Tennessee to cover his trial. His dispatches were syndicated to newspapers around the country. The noted orator and political figure William Jennings Bryan had been brought in as a special prosecutor for the case. Mencken gleefully mocked him and his fundamentalist followers. Menckens reporting on the Scopes Trial was widely read, and citizens of the Tennessee town hosting the trial were outraged. On July 17, 1925, the New York Times published a  dispatch from Dayton  topped with the following stacked headlines: Mencken Epithets Rouse Daytons Ire, Citizens Resent Being Called Babbitts, Morons, Peasants, Hill-Billies, and Yokels, and Talk of Beating Him Up. Shortly after the conclusion of the trial, William Jennings Bryan died. Mencken, who had reviled Bryan in life, wrote a brutally shocking appraisal of him. In the essay, titled In Memoriam: W.J.B., Mencken attacked the recently departed Bryan without mercy, dismantling Bryans reputation in classic Mencken style: If the fellow was sincere, then so was P. T. Barnum. The word is disgraced and degraded by such uses. He was, in fact, a charlatan, a mountebank, a zany without sense or dignity. Menckens skewering of Bryan seemed to define his role in the America of the Roaring Twenties. Savage opinions written in elegant prose brought him fans, and his rebellion against what he saw as Puritanical ignorance inspired readers. The American Mercury While writing his syndicated newspaper column, Mencken held a second and equally demanding job as a co-editor, with his friend George Jean Nathan, of the literary magazine The American Mercury. The magazine published short fiction as well as journalism, and generally featured articles and pieces of criticism by Mencken. The magazine became known for publishing the work of major American writers of the era, including  William Faulkner,  F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sinclair Lewis, and  W.E.B. Du Bois. In 1925, an issue of The American Mercury was banned in Boston when a short story in it was deemed to be immoral. Mencken traveled to Boston and personally sold a copy of the issue to one of the censors so he could be arrested (as a crowd of college students cheered him on). He was acquitted and widely praised for his defense of freedom of the press. Mencken resigned from the editorship of the American Mercury in 1933, at a time when his political views were seen as getting more conservative and out of touch with progressive readers. Mencken expressed open contempt for  President Franklin D. Roosevelt  and endlessly mocked and condemned the programs of the  New Deal. The eloquent rebel of the 1920s had turned into a grumpy reactionary as the country suffered during the Great Depression. The American Language Mencken had always been deeply interested in the development of language, and in 1919 had published a book, The American Language, which documented how words came into use by Americans. In the 1930s, Mencken returned to his work documenting language. He encouraged readers to send him examples of words in various regions of the country, and busied himself with that research. A greatly enlarged fourth edition of  The American Language  was published in 1936. He later updated the work with supplements published as separate volumes. Menckens research on how Americans changed and used the English language is dated by now, of course, but it is still informative and often very entertaining. Memoirs and Legacy Mencken had been friendly with Harold Ross, the editor of The New Yorker, and Ross, in the 1930s, encouraged Mencken to write autobiographical essays for the magazine. In a series of articles, Mencken wrote about his childhood in Baltimore, his raucous years as a young journalist, and his adult career as an editor and columnist. The articles were eventually published as a series of three books,  Happy Days,  Newspaper Days, and  Heathen Days. In 1948 Mencken, keeping to his long tradition, covered both major party political conventions and wrote syndicated dispatches about what he had seen. Late that year he suffered a stroke from which he only partly recovered. He had difficulty speaking, and his ability to read and write had been lost. He lived quietly in his house in Baltimore, visited by friends, including William Manchester, who would write the first major biography of Mencken. He died on January 29, 1956. Though he had been out of the public eye for years, his death was  reported as front-page news  by the New York Times. In the decades since his death, Menckens legacy has been widely debated. There is no doubt he was a writer of great talent, but his display of bigoted attitudes surely diminished his reputation. Sources Mencken, H. L. Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of American Literature, vol. 3, Gale, 2009, pp. 1112-1116. Gale Virtual Reference Library.  Berner, R. Thomas. Mencken, H. L. (1880–1956). St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, edited by Thomas Riggs, 2nd ed., vol. 3, St. James Press, 2013, pp. 543-545.  Henry Louis Mencken. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 10, Gale, 2004, pp. 481-483.  Manchester, William.  The Life and Riotous Times of H.L. Mencken. Rosetta Books, 2013.Mencken, H. L., and Alistair Cooke.  The Vintage Mencken. Vintage, 1990.

The Bessemer Steel Process

The Bessemer Steel Process The Bessemer Steel Process was a method  of producing high-quality steel by shooting air into molten steel to burn off carbon and other impurities. It was named after the British inventor Sir Henry Bessemer, who worked to develop the process in the 1850s. While Bessemer was working on his process in England, an American, William Kelly, developed a process using the same principle, which he patented in 1857. Both Bessemer and Kelly were responding to a pressing need to refine the methods of manufacturing steel so it would be entirely reliable.   In the decades before the Civil War steel was produced in great quantities. But the quality of it often varied widely. And with large machines, such as steam locomotives, and large structures, such as suspension bridges, being planned and built, it was necessary to manufacture steel that would perform as expected. The new method of producing reliable steel revolutionized the steel industry and made widespread advances possible in railroads, bridge-building, construction, and shipbuilding. Henry Bessemer The British inventor of the greatly improved steel process was Henry Bessemer, who was born in Charlton, England, on January 19, 1813. Bessemers father operated a type foundry, which made mechanical type used in printing presses. He had devised a method of hardening the metal he used, which made his type last longer than type made by his competitors. Growing up around the type foundry, young Bessemer became interested in building things of metal and in coming up with his own inventions. When he was 21  years old, he devised a stamping machine which would be useful to the British government, which routinely stamped important legal documents. The government praised his innovation, yet, in a bitter episode, it refused to pay him for his idea. Embittered by the experience with the stamping machine, Bessemer became very secretive about his further inventions. He came up with a method for manufacturing gold paint to be used for decorative items such as picture frames. He kept his methods so secret that outsiders were never allowed to see the machines used to add metal chips to the paint. Bessemer Contribution to the Steel Industry In the 1850s, during the Crimean War, Bessemer became interested in solving a major problem for the British military. It was possible to produce more accurate cannons by rifling the bores, which meant  cutting groves in the cannon barrel so the projectiles would rotate as they exited. The problem with rifling the cannons commonly used was that they were made of iron, or of low quality steel, and the barrels could explode if the rifling created weaknesses. The solution, Bessemer reasoned, would create steel of such high quality that it could reliably be used to make rifled cannons. Bessemers experiments indicated that injecting oxygen into the steel-making process would heat the steel to such a level that impurities would burn off. He devised a furnace that would inject oxygen into the steel. The impact of Bessemers innovation was dramatic. Suddenly it was possible to make steel of high quality, and high quantities that could be manufactured ten times faster. What Bessemer perfected turned the making of steel into an industry with limitations into a very profitable venture. Impact on Business The manufacturing of reliable steel created a revolution in business. The American businessman Andrew Carnegie, during his business trips to England in the years following the Civil War, took special note of the Bessemer process. In 1872 Carnegie visited a plant in England which was using Bessemer’s method, and he realized the potential of producing the same quality of steel in America. Carnegie learned everything he could about steel production and began using the Bessemer Process at mills he owned in America. By the mid-1870s Carnegie was heavily involved in steel production. In time Carnegie would dominate the steel industry, and high-quality steel would make possible the building of factories which defined the industrialization of America in the late 1800s. The reliable steel produced by the Bessemer process would be used in countless miles of railroad tracks, vast numbers of ships, and in the frames of skyscrapers. Bessemer steel would also be used in the sewing machine, machine tools, farm equipment, and other vital machinery. And the revolution in steel created also created an economic impact as a mining industry was created to dig the iron ore and coal needed to make steel.   The breakthrough that created reliable steel had a cascading effect, and it would not be an exaggeration to say the Bessemer Process helped to transform all of human society.

What is the significance of parthenogenesis in her underground Term Paper

What is the significance of parthenogenesis in her underground - Term Paper Example From the biological point of view this is a significant word that defies scientific principles and highlights the processes created naturally. The biological situation about Jesus during embryological development is the issue to be taken note of and all the process till His birth are known as parthenogenetic. God arrived to the human race, not through the normal sexual processes. Parthenogenesis is reproduction by a virgin. This supports the natural processes happening in the world though the physical aspects of Incarnations. Virgin births among the animals are known for centuries, but parthenogenesis is occasional amongst human beings. Knowledge about parthenogenesis has developed extensively and it covers most of the groups of multicellular animals and they reveal unisexual reproduction of one type or another. â€Å"But parthenogenesis is genuine sexual reproduction because it also uses sex cells,† (Kessel) yet is different from the normal union of

Management Problem of the U.S. Pension Crisis Essay

Management Problem of the U.S. Pension Crisis - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the pension crisis is an ongoing concern among various nations on their economic ability to fund the pending pension benefits especially those of public employees. The problem began with concerns related to the increasing number of retirees and the limited contributions being remitted to the scheme. In the United States, the problem is being experienced in both the private and public benefit plans. The two forms of pension plans being used by the American workers include the defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans. The corporate bodies, with support from political circles, took advantage of the 2007 economic crisis to impose measures that undermined the defined benefit plans in the pretext of saving the pension crisis. Other challenges that the United States pension Scheme faces include providing for the retirement income and old age poverty and funding for the labor market participation and incentives for the old generati on. Additionally, contributing to the low saving plans of the United States citizens and preserving the economic soundness of the local and state government as well as corporate pension schemes depletes the scheme. If left unreformed, the Social Security system will be faced with the shortage of financial resources as the life expectancy of the current generation increases. The number of workers paying the contributions is declining compared to the ones receiving the benefits. Problem Statement Underfunding is the prominent challenge facing the United States pension program. According to Horowitz (2004), the 2002 Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp (PBGC) balance sheet dropped from 7.7 billion to 3.6 billion dollar deficit with an estimated loss of 11.3 billion dollars. The figure was approximately five times compared to the previous year. In January, the Bloomberg Business Week, (2012) reported that financial estimates suggest that the PBGC could face a deficit of 120 billion dollars over the next decade. The PBGC also confirms that it required approximately 23 billion dollars over the same period. This implies that most pension plans will be lost and the taxpayers will be required to contribute in the bail out. Contributing in the Aletho news in July 3, 2012, Rasmus indicated that the crisis was not related to increases in pension benefits for workers. He attributed the crisis to the mismanagement practices and adoption of inefficient corporate policies. Factors that resulted f rom the mismanagement practices further aggravated the situation. They include the collapse of the economy, jobs and pension contributions, reduction in pension funding, stagnant jobs, and failure of the economic recovery. Almost all states have made cuts to the public-employee pension but the 900 billion dollar retirement funding deficit remains. The economic forces are reshaping the past rivalries in pension schemes, making the labor leaders and policy-makers become convinced that the past plans are unsustainable. This has cemented the unity between political leaders with the labor unions. According to the wall street journal research by Corkery, 2012, adoption of the labor laws on job cuts have only trimmed 100 billion out of the 900 billion dollar deficit between the amount the workers remit and the retirement benefits owed by the states. Additionally, the changes made to the pension scheme cater for the compensation of the most expensive benefits implying that most inexpensive benefits will take decades to be considered. The strategy of reducing the benefits for the current workers and retirees to cater for the pension crisis has failed due to the legal nature of the benefits. Causes of the Problem The prominent cause of pension crisis is the demographic shift. This is characterized by a growing number of retirees with proportional reduction in the number of people contributing to the fund. This problem can be minimized through increasing the retirement age

Accounting and Finance For Business Essay Example for Free

Accounting and Finance For Business Essay While these tutorial tasks MUST be submitted individually, you are encourage to work through these tasks together with the other members of your team, both during this week’s tutorial and in your own time. This is a good opportunity to ensure that all members of your group can calculate a breakeven point before and after-tax, a margin of safety and make a managerial decision regarding the addition of a new product (in this tutorial exercise, the addition of a new route). All answers must be inserted into the on-line form provided in LMS titled, Topic 9 Tutorial Exercises. Kangaroo Airlines Kangaroo Airlines in small local carrier located in the Kimberly region of Western Australia. All seats are economy class and the following data is available: 1.What is the break-even point in number of passengers per month? 30000 2.What is the break-even point in sales revenue dollars per month? 2100000 3.What is the break-even point in number of flights per month (round up)? 334 4.If Kangaroo Airline currently has on average 40,000 passengers per month what is Kangaroo Airline’s margin of safety in number of passengers? 5.If Kangaroo Airlines raises its average full passenger fare to $85 and the  average variable costs per passenger will remain at $30, it is estimated that the load factor will decrease to 60 percent. What will be the break-even point in number of flights (round up)? 6.The cost of aviation fuel is a significant variable cost to any airline. If fuel charges increase by $8 per barrel, it is estimated that variable cost per passenger will increase to $40 however that average full passenger fare will remain at the original $70 per passenger as will the original load factor of 75 percent. What will be the new break-even point in number of passengers? 7.The cost of aviation fuel is a significant variable cost to any airline. If fuel charges increase by $8 per barrel, it is estimated that variable cost per passenger will increase to $40 however the average full passenger fare will remain at the original $70 per passenger as will the original load factor of 75%. What will be the new break-even point in number of passengers? What will be the new break-even point in number of flights (round up)? 8.Kangaroo Airlines has experienced an increase in average variable cost per passenger to $35 and an increase in fixed costs to $1,500,000. Kangaroo Airlines has decided to increase the average full passenger fare to $80. How many of passengers are needed to generate an after-tax profit of $400,000, if the company tax rate is 30 percent (round up)?

Distinguishing Between Good and Bad Fats in the Human Diet Essay

Contrary to public belief, not all fats that we consume are bad. Similar to our lesson in complex carbohydrates and added sugars, the key is to be able to distinguish the â€Å"good† from the â€Å"bad,† as well as to learn ways to select leaner food products more wisely and to moderate our total daily fat intake. The fats that are considered â€Å"bad† are the saturated and trans-fatty acids, which are both associated with raising LDL cholesterol (Whitney & Rolfes, 2005, pg 159). An elevated level of LDL cholesterol is linked with artherosclerosis, a plaque formation in arterial walls that causes stiffening and the loss of elasticity in their smooth muscle (Marieb & Hoehn, 2007, pg 980). Plaque formations not only pose increased risk for stroke and heart attack, but they also cause a narrowing of the blood flow through arterial vessels and raise blood pressure (Whitney & Rolfes, 2005, pg 159). In order to prevent the potential for such a trickle down, domino effect towards increasing one’s likelihood for cardiovascular disease, we can intentionally try to avoid intake of food sources that contain saturated fats, such as: whole milk, butter, cheese, fatty cuts of beef and pork, and tropical coconut and palm oils; in addition to products containing trans fats, including: vegetab le shortening, margarine, imitation cheese, and meat and dairy products (Whitney & Rolfes, 2005, pg 159). Baked goods, fried foods, and snack chips may also include trans-fats in their ingredients or cooking method. Considerable reduction, replacement, or complete omission of these â€Å"bad† fats from the diet could make a significant difference in preventing these deadly heart diseases. Conversely, the monounsaturated fats (in olive, canola and peanut oils; avocados) ... ...ds (McMurry, Castellion, & Ballantine, 2007, pg 748). At room temperature, saturated fats (i.e. lard, butter, bacon grease) solidify because their hydrocarbon chains are stable and can pack together (McMurry, Castellion, & Ballantine, 2007, pg 770). Plant-derived polyunsaturated fats (sunflower, safflower, soybean, and corn oils) are unstable and remain in liquid form at room temperature, because of the rigid kinks of the cis double bonds (McMurry, Castellion, & Ballantine, 2007, pg 752). The more double bonds that a polyunsaturated fat contains, the less it is able to bind together as a solid (McMurry, Castellion, & Ballantine, 2007, pg 752). Other than identifying foods having the â€Å"bad† saturated or trans-fats with safe food containing the beneficial â€Å"good fats,† the difference between the two ultimately is found within the molecular structures of fatty acids.

The rise of online foodshopping

The rise of online foodshopping BY beast4242 Using frameworks from the chapter analyse the strategic capabilities of Dyson. According to Johnson, Whittington, Scholes stated that the capabilities of an organisation that contribute to its long-term survival or competitive advantage. Here we can use VRIN framework to analysed Dyson's strategic capabilities. The four key criteria of strategic capabilities are Value, Rarity, Inimitability and Non- substitutability.Strategic capabilities are of value when they provide potential competitive advantage in a market at a cost that allows an organisation to realise acceptable levels of return. Rare capabilities are those possessed uniquely by one organisation or by a few others. Inimitable capabilities are those that competitors find difficult to imitate or obtain. Non-substitutability refers to that the organisation is not at risk from substitution. In term of identifying whether a product has competitive advantages, VRIN is really a ood tool. As the product is manufactured by Dyson, that are attracted more people pay attention to and the founder are becoming their main signs, so that the products of Dyson also becoming more and more valuable. Since the products of Dyson have featured shaped and unique innovation. They spent a long time to developing and engineering prototypes special for household product. That seeks to provide a twist to the typical device. For example, vacuum cleaners that provide smooth turning round the corners, the Dyson air multiplier perform the same function as a conventional air, etc.The most important thing is that are 11 patents application in Dyson desk fan, so that the products of Dyson are able to avoid being imitating. On the other hand, Dyson also invest heavily in Chinese and Asian manufacturing in order to make their product cheaper and then to maintain profit margin benchmarks. This design of their organizational planning does not mean that many products can be manufactured. But they s ell to the target†¦

Organisations and Behaviour Essay

The Purpose of management is to set collective goals for the organisation and communicate to members of the organisation. They make sure these goals are met organisational structures and systems are designed to make members ‘pull’ together and so that resources are utilised efficiently and effectively. They also create and sustain a corporate identity and culture; they look after the interests of the organisation’s stakeholders too. Managers need to control what goes on in their department, they also need to make sure that everything is co-ordinated otherwise things wont happen properly and problems will start to occur. They are very commanding in order to get jobs done properly and on time and also to show that they are the ones with the authority, i.e. the one who is in charge, what I say goes. Management are given many different types of authority so that they can then implement what they have to do in their role as a manager. They have power, which is the ability to do something or get others to do it. Their authority gives them the right to do something or get others to do it. Along with these comes responsibility, which is where the liability of a person is called into account for the way authority has been exercised. Finally there are also able to delegate, this means that they give a subordinate authority over a defined area of which is within their own scope of authority, they hand over work to someone else but and not rid of the responsibility and work fully. Read more:  Explain the Nature of Groups and Group Behaviour Within Organisations Managers have a number of roles; they consist of interpersonal, informational and decisional. A man called Henry Mintzberg in 1973 identified these roles. An interpersonal role is one that shows leadership, and consists of figurehead, leader and liaison. The interpersonal role has a very important factor known as ‘coaching’. According to Needham et al (1999 p214) â€Å"Coaching is an ongoing process in which one person works closely with another to develop skills and abilities†. An interpersonal manager would need to be a good coach I order to be effective. They build one-to-one relationships with the people they work with in order to build up loyalty and support and at the same time they unleash their full potential. The informational role is an administrating role and consists of monitoring, disseminator and spokesman. Managers in this role are supposed to be able to process information with confidence. They are also supported by information technology in this role, they need to be able to adapt to the changes that happen to rapidly in this environment. The decisional role is a kind of fixing role and involves entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator and negotiator. The managers in this type of role have to make decisions; this means they need to choose courses of action from a set of different alternatives available. There are two main type of decisions, programmed and non-programmed. Herbert Simon (1957, cited in Needham et al 1999 p214) says that Programmed decisions â€Å"are straight forward, repetitive and routine, so that they can be dealt with by a formal pattern† and that Non-programmed decisions â€Å"are novel, unstructured and consequential. There is no cut-and-dried method for handling situations that have not arisen before†. Over the years the way people thought about management and the way they implemented different strategies has changed vastly. To start with back in the early 1900’s there was a scientific approach to management brought about by a man called F W Taylor. Each work process was to be analysed and then by a scientific method it was possible to find the best way for people to do their task or job. Taylor’s thought was that in the same way that there is one special machine that was best for doing one certain job, there is one specific way by which people should undertake their jobs. They would get what was described as a fair days pay for a fair days pay. If workers were to take up Taylor’s methods of working their wages would increase due to it being a more efficient and productive way of working and thus they would become more motivated. However, when actually implemented there became strong criticisms and reactions to his scientific management methods as workers actually found the work boring and weren’t interested, as it required very little skill from them. The workers saw this as disempowerment of them and didn’t like it. So although this was one of the very first approaches to management Drucker (1976, cited in Management and Organisational Behaviour, 1999 p52) says â€Å"Taylor’s greatest impact may still be ahead †¦. The need to study Taylor anew and apply him may be the greatest in the developed countries† suggesting that we may still need to use this theory in present day organisations. Moving on into the 1920’s brought Webber and Fayol with their classical administration/bureaucracy approach to management. This type of management brought sets of official positions, with rules for experts and rules for officials. It showed clear hierarchical authority structure. Impersonal actions by managers in dealing with clients and other workers were seen in order to get rational judgements and a good performance of duties. There are four main features of the bureaucracy theory, they consist of: 1. Specialisation – of the job, so that should the current jobholder leave the job can still continue to function. 2. Hierarchy of authority – a very clear and sharp distinction is made between the workers and the management. And then within the management there are clear ranks between levels of authority, just like what can be seen in current day armed forces. 3. System of rules – this is where the ‘impersonal’ bit comes in as they were set to provide efficient, impersonal operation. These rules are set to provide a stable environment, even though some of the rules are open to change. 4. Impersonality – The rules set down above in number 3 are used to allocate privileges and exercise authority. The characteristics of impersonality are a feature of bureaucracy. Stewart, R (1986, cited in, cited in Management and Organisational Behaviour, 1999 p55) says â€Å"A bureaucracy should not only be impersonal but be seen to be impersonal.† This impersonal-ness in relationships leads to a lack or responsiveness with some incidents and problems. There was also an over emphasis on the rules and procedures in bureaucracy method. Caulkin (1988, cited in Management and Organisational Behaviour, 1999 p56) criticises this over emphasis by saying â€Å"The overemphasis on process rather than purpose, fragmented responsibilities and hierarchical control means that it’s all too easy for individuals to neglect the larger purposes to which their small effort is being put† People then began to recognise about this impersonal-ness and came upon the fact that the workers needs had to be recognised somewhat. This was known as the human relations approach and brought about by Blake, Mouton and Hertzberg in the 1920-1930s. The human relations theory was a major turning point as it started to take into account the needs, values and relationships of the workers. The workforce became more motivated and satisfied job wise, as the human relations approach recognised the importance of informal organisations. They emphasised the needs of wider social needs of individuals and gave recognition to social organisations. The importance of groups and values was emphasised which influenced their individual behaviour at work. All of this led to continued attention being paid to matters such as job satisfaction, group dynamics, participation, leadership and motivation. However, certain criticisms of the human relations approach were that it was not scientific enough and it ignored the role of the organisation itself in how society operates and so another theory was introduced, called The System’s theory. Katz and Kahn introduced the System’s theory in the 1960’s. The systems approach tries to reconcile the theories of Webber and Fayol with that of Hertzberg. It focuses on the interrelationships of structure and behaviour within the organisation. There are two types of systems, an ‘open’ and a ‘closed’ system. A closed system is one that is shut off from its environment. Whilst an open system is usually business related organisationally and it involves continual interaction with its broader external environment. They take in influences from ‘outside’ as INPUTS and produces/influences the environment using OUTPUTS. Every system can have many sub-systems, some including marketing, sales accounts departments etc. INPUTS PROCESS OUTPUTS Materials, Labour, Machinery, Land. Products, Services, Profit. As we moved on into the 1970’s along came the contingency approach, mainly Burns and Stalker brought this to us. The contingency approach shows the importance of structure as a significant influence on the organisational performance. It is also seen as an extension to the systems theory. There is no on optimum state in this approach. The structure and success of an organisation is dependant on the total picture of internal factors and external environment. This type of approach shows that not one style of organisational structure is suitable for all types of businesses, it all depends on the circumstances and structure at that particular moment in time. This theory suggests that an organisation should not seek just one best type of structure to use but that they should look at the present situation and relevant background factors that influence management decisions. The final and most current management theory came about in the 1980’s. This is known as the chaos theory and was brought to us by Tom Peters. The chaos theory tries to make organisations emphasise on the fact that they need to prepare themselves for turbulence, rather than having a rigid, inflexible structure with fixed conditions. It incorporates the contingency approach as it suggests that you should prepare for the unexpected with contingency plans. You can see that the chaos theory is working in current day situations as shown by Peters. Peters, T.J and Waterman, R.H (1982, cited in Management and Organisational Behaviour, 1999 p58) â€Å"found that excellent American companies achieved quick action just because their organisations were fluid, and had intensive networks of informal and open communications†. Part A – (2) Two organisations that I am going to compare are Irwin Mitchell Solicitors and Signfab. Irwin Mitchell Solicitors is a formal, geographical organisation as it has branches across the UK and is run through a partnership. Whilst Signfab is a small local, informal organisation which is run by a sole trader. There are many different approaches to management that could be taken by an organisation, one would be the Theory X and Theory Y approach brought about by McGregor. The main principle of Theory X is based on direction and control through a centralised system of the organisation and the exercise of authority. Whilst Theory Y bases itself on the integration of individual and organisational goals. These Theories influence a range of managerial behaviours and strategies. Managers of Theory X take an authoritative approach and those of Theory Y use a more democratic one. Signfab seems to take a Theory Y approach to its management. In Theory Y management they would check peoples attitudes and skills rather than their references, they would also have frequent informal contacts with their employees rather than consulting them through trade unions. Also the pay scheme for Theory Y is mainly based on a salary and profit related pay, whilst Theory X uses piece rate pay and a personal performance related pay. If you look at the theories that Fayol and Mintzberg took to management we can compare them to what managers currently take in modern day organisations. In the organisation Signfab I would say that they seem to use Mintzberg’s managerial roles. Mintzberg says that there are 10 different roles of managers. Interpersonal, which consists of a figurehead, leader and liaison. Informational, which consists of monitor, disseminator and a spokesperson. And lastly decisional roles these involve entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator and a negotiator. On an average day Signfab the owner of Signfab would take on almost all of these managerial roles. He would become a figurehead, leader, monitor, spokesperson, disturbance handler, resource allocator and negotiator. He uses all of these roles because he takes on the jobs of selling products to consumers, sorting out the finance for daily, weekly, monthly running of the business, he briefs his employees on new tasks they have to do and daily jobs that need finishing. He also has to ensure the equipment is safe and working properly for them to use, he takes care of the advertising and takes orders for items to be made and places orders for new stock that they need and then he also gets involved in the making of the products himself on a daily basis. There is also the Chaos theory; this is where the organisations need to be able to move with the turbulent world that we live in today. When the unexpected happens they need to have a plan of what to do so that things are not to badly disrupt and their organisation may still function properly. A key concept of the Chaos theory is that tiny small changes in the input of the organisation and environment result in overwhelming differences in the output. According to Needham et al (1999 p201) â€Å"clearly the emphasis for the modern organisation should be on thriving on chaos. This requires forward-thinking and adaptive structures†. In the organisation Irwin Mitchell Solicitors the managers had a more empowering approach to their management. If you take the theories of Henri Fayol you can see that his theories have a more hierarchical structure to management. Managers have 5 main functions in Fayol’s theory; they consist of – planning, co-ordinating, organising, control and command. The planning function means that they had to decide what needs doing and then make a plan of action. The co-ordinating meant that they were harmonising all the activities and effort of the organisation in order to make possible its working and success. The organising meant that they provided material/human resources and building the structure in order to carry out the activities of the organisation. The controlling was checking that everything was occurring in accordance with their plans, instructions and established principles. Finally the commanding meant that they were maintaining the activity among personnel, getting the best return from all employees in the interest of the whole organisation. Irwin Mitchell’s had a very strict set of procedures and plans for what needed to be done in time for the end of the financial year. Their managers were all very co-ordinated in that each department was in some way connected to the one next to it and they quite often had meetings to see how they could get their teams to work more efficiently between them. There was a very big sense of control over the workers in that your manager checked everything you did. The managers were also very commanding as they hardly ever did the work you did they were more into dictating what needed to be done and then expecting it to get done without their assistance. There was a very long chain of command style structure, as you reported to and any problems to your team leader, who then reported it to her/the department manager, who in turn reported it to the site manager who then reported to the directors of the Sheffield branch. The managers had a lot of authority and unity of command in this organisation. Their approach was very structured and hierarchical, in that the higher up the scalar chain you were the more authority, power and command you had. Part B – (1) Organisational culture is known as the way we do things around here. A more detailed version according to Miner (1971, cited in Management and Organisational Behaviour, 1999 p803) would be that organisational culture is â€Å"†¦the collection of traditions, values, policies, beliefs and attitudes that constitute a pervasive context for everything we do and think in an organisation†. Organisations reinforce culture through their rites and rituals, patterns or communication, the expected patterns of behaviour and the informal organisation. Schein (1985, cited in Management and Organisational Behaviour, 1999 p803) suggests â€Å"a view of organisational culture based on distinguishing three levels of culture: artefacts and creations, values and basic assumptions†. Level 1 – The Artefacts: These are the most visible aspects, the physical and social environment. They include things like physical space and layout, management style, technological output, written and spoken language and the behaviour of group members. Level 2 – The Values: These are solutions for how to deal with a new task, issue or problem, which are based on convictions of reality. If the solution works it is often then transformed into beliefs. These values and beliefs then become part of a process whereby group members justify actions and behaviour. Level 3 – The Basic Underlying Assumption: When the solutions to problems mentioned in level 2 work repeatedly it gets taken for granted. These assumptions actually guide behaviour and determine how the group member perceive, think and feel about things. There are four main types of culture, these consist of Power, Role, Task and Person. * Power culture is also sometimes known as club culture. A key feature of this type of culture is centralisation of power. Power culture is often found in small organisations where control lies with one single person or a small group of individuals. The power culture structure can often be seen to be drawn as a spider’s web style diagram. This is because there is a central power source and rays of influence spread out from there. In power culture decisions are made by high-status individuals, rather than a group of people, because of this the decisions can be made extremely quickly. A bad point about power culture is that other workers in the organisation may feel demoted by a lack of challenge and suppressed by those with the power. The web may crack if they support to many activities . a good example of this would have been the Ford Motor Company , up until the early 1980’s its approach to management was functional specialisation, with hierarchy and tight control. * Role Culture, a typical example of a role culture organisation would be a bureaucratic one, where they are divided into layers of offices and officials, with sets of functions that get determined by sets of rules and procedures. Organisations like this operate by using logic and reason. They would also be arranged according to different functions, such as marketing, human relations and finance. In role culture, power is hierarchical and determined by the employees’ position, like in the armed forces with generals, colonels and majors. A job description and set of communication procedures determine the relationship between each role. Position is ‘the’ source of power and the main source of influence are the rules and procedures. There is little scope for individual initiative and recognition making jobholders feel cramped and no room for development, this being a major disadvantage to the role culture organisations. * Task culture is team oriented. Needham et al (1999 p251) describe this type of culture as â€Å"A task culture is job- or project-oriented and emphasis is placed on completing a specific task†. The ‘task’ states the way in which the work is organised as oppose to the individuals or rules like in power and role cultures respectively. Task culture is often illustrated in the form of a net, with some strands being thicker then others and most of the power and influence laying at the interstices of the net. Task cultures are rewarding environments to work in because the employees have a large amount of freedom and flexibility. All this lack of authority can make management and control of this type of culture difficult though. In today’s work force we can increasingly see more and more emphasis placed on team working style cultures. * Person culture is rarely found in a profit-related organisation as they exist only to serve those within their own organisation. You are most likely to see examples of person culture in co-operatives, barristers’ chambers and architects’ partnerships. This is because you usually see a cluster of individuals all operating at the same level in person culture. Hierarchies are not possible in person culture, unless by mutual consent, given a choice though most people would opt for this type of culture. Each organisation will use their own choice of culture , some larger businesses will use a mix of cultures. There are many things that influence the development of corporate culture. Some of these influences are: * History – the age, values of owners and way in which the organisation was originally formed all effect the culture. A merger or reorganisation of management also change the type of culture used. * Primary functions and technology – The businesses’ primary function affects the culture. Primary function of an organisation is the nature of methods of undertaking work, this effects the culture but also the structure too. * Goals and objectives – An organisation will want to be profitable but they will also have to give their objectives and goals attention, the resultant strategies of their objectives will effect and be effected by the change in culture. * Size – Rapid growth or decline in size and the rate or growth and all the results that come from these, like staffing procedures influence the structure and culture. * Location – The geographical and physical characters of an organisation have a major influence on the culture of the organisation. * Management and staffing – Top managers, directors and executives all have a considerable effect on the nature of the corporate culture. * The Environment – An organisation must be responsive to external environmental factors in order to be an effective business. So from all this we can see that the culture of an organisation is an important thing for them to have stated. It helps to account for all sorts of variations among organisations and managers, on a national and international scale. As Oliver, J (1977, cited in Management and Organisational Behaviour, 1999 p807) mentions â€Å"it helps to explain why different groups of people perceive things in their own way and perform things differently from other groups†. Part B – (2) Irwin Mitchell Solicitors Structure: There are four different areas of the UK where this organisation exists. I have focused on the Sheffield one, as that is where I was. However, they all the other sites were run in the same way that the Sheffield branch was. To look at the structure, there was a group of four to six directors for each location. Then there at Sheffield there was two sites each having their own overall/building manager. The building had about 4-5 floors where each floor had about 4 teams of workers, each floor had a supervisor who was in charge of all the departments/teams on that floor and then each department/team had a department/team leader who had typically 8 people in their team. The personnel department was located in one of the Sheffield branches and each location had their own IT technicians. So we can see from the diagram of their structure that they are a geographical organisation operating on a combined line and staff organisation structure. There is a presence of task culture at the bottom where it is in teams and yet power culture at the top where the directors of the company make all the decisions and are seen to be very high-status and powerful. The employees of this organisation are grouped by function, this means that they are divided into sectors according to what they do, for example a sales, an accounts and a quality control department. This is good because specialists are able to work in an area with like-minded people and each part of the organisation is then pursuing their own primary function, making contributions to the overall well being of the organisation. However, it can be bad to organise things like this because it means individuals can not move easily between departments, the organisation gets bigger and the communication channels become distorted between levels of people and also the different departments may pull in opposite directions, causing the company to focus too much on one specific area. They are also grouped by the type of customer in some areas/cases, as they offer a service which is designed differently for depending on the customers circumstances and each different product like accidental injury area, a divorce section are in their own little divisions. This type of grouping shows clearly that each department can concentrate on its own needs, also the customer will fell more inclined to go to your company as you deal with different problems in different areas and more specifically and its easier to check on the performance of their individual product/service. Although having them grouped in this way may mean that each division will compete with each other for the companies resources, this type of structure is costly to set up and more accounting and administrative services are needed. The structure above is a very formal structure; this means that the structure is based on the employees’ official roles. It also has a fairly narrow span of control. A span of control according to Needham et al (1999 p236) is â€Å"The span of control of an individual is the number of people he or she manages of supervises directly†. If an organisation has a narrow span of control this can be good because it enables close supervision and fast communications. However, it also means that the organisation might be too ‘tall’ meaning there is too many levels of management, this usually makes it very costly to run and also means that supervisors get too involved in their subordinates work. A wider span of control would show a much greater amount of trust in the subordinates and also mean having fewer managers; this still allows a hierarchy yet it gives fewer levels. Signfab’s Structure: Signfab is a local sign makers which consists of the owner and two employees, they all partake in the general making of the signs but the owner/manager takes on all the accounts, advertising, purchasing, payroll and general running of the company. From the structure above you can see that this is a much less complicated structure, with a lot fewer employees. There is hardly any span of control as it only consists of the owner and two employees. This is however a good thing because it means they have direct contact and communications with their boss/manager. It is a very flat structure with only two levels. A matrix structure/organisation consists of a combination of functional departments that are specialised and in a permanent location with ones that integrate activities of different functional departments such as a project team, product, programme and system basis. So you can see that the matrix organisation is shown through a grid with a two-way flow of responsibility and authority. Organisations that chose the matrix structure are opting for this because it means that they don’t have to choose one type of grouping over another. I would say that the above structure is a matrix organisation, as it is not grouped in any specific way. There are signs of power culture as all the authority lies with the owner and he makes all the decisions very quickly. So in this structure the owner has a lot of power and authority over his/her employees/subordinates as he/she is the owner and there is no one else higher than him to constrict his reign of power. Whilst in the solicitors structure there is a great deal of restriction in the amount of power they are allowed to have over their subordinates as there is always someone higher up the structure than them that has power over them and what they can and cannot do. The Signfab organisation is centralised as you can see that it is easy to implement policies for the organisation, the organisation on a whole is very co-ordinated, the subordinates are independent but not to a great extent, the decision making is very efficient as there is not compromise of authority when making them and they have a greater use of specialisation in what they do as an organisation. Whilst Irwin Mitchell Solicitors is more decentralised as their administrative services are close to the services they provide so that they can be more effective, opportunities for training in management arise very frequently, the staff are very encouraged by this and therefore morale is very high. Also the decisions can be made closer to the operational level of work. Part B – (3) Irwin Mitchell’s structure and culture are related to the organisations performance as their structure is a very tall structure and this means that they are less customer responsive as the communications between the managers and the employees are more complicated and not as good as they would be in a flatter structure. If their structure were more flat the managers would be nearer to the consumers and be in a better position to see and adapt to what their needs are. This is what Hertzberg suggests in the Human Relations approach. That the employees should not be treated as another part of the machinery their values and relationships should be seen and heard, this improves the morale of the workforce as they are at last being acknowledged. This acknowledgement of the workers and their values brought about an increase in their motivation and so the performance of the organisation would increase too. Irwin Mitchell solicitors take in to account the human relations approach to some extent as the workers values, relationships and suggestions are taken into account. This is seen by the fact that they hold functions at Christmas time for the employees to attend where they are rewarded for their hard work throughout the year. There is also more delegation in a flat structure as there is usually less managers and they would not necessarily be able to carry out all the work that double their amount of managers would have and therefore delegate some of this work to their subordinates, this improves the employees morale and is a good way of motivating them in to working harder so that the businesses performance will also increase. As Irwin Mitchell Solicitors has a tall structure their employees are less motivated and the morale is not always very good within the teams, meaning that the organisations performance is not as good as it could be. They do operate a Kaizen culture though, this is where the employees can suggest things that they think would help or improve the organisation. These are usually small things and are implemented gradually so that the performance of the firm will to improve gradually. This type of culture improves the employees moral, motivation to the company as they are rewarded for the ir efforts/suggestions if they succeed. Bibliography The books I used for reference in this assignment are: Business for Higher Awards 2nd edition by Needham et al published in 1999 by Heinemann. Management and Organisational Behaviour 5th edition by L J Mullins published in 1999 by FT Prentice Hall. HNC HND Business Core Unit: 3 Organisations and Behaviour 1st edition by BPP Publishing in September 2000.

TJN Interview Questions Why are you looking for a new job

TJN Interview Questions Why are you looking for a new job When you’re prepping for a job interview, you are trying to play defense before the other team is even on the field. Before you shake hands, sit down, and make small talk with an interviewer, you need to anticipate (at least a little) of what’s coming up in the heart of the interview. Many of those questions will be about your specific qualifications and skills. But you also need to be ready for the more personal, reflective questions, like, â€Å"Why are you looking for a new job?† Let’s look at some tips for making sure you have your answer ready to go. Be honest†¦If you’re looking for a job because you lost your previous one, it’s okay to say so. It’s true that the stats are with people who already have a job when they start looking for another, but if you’re cagey about whether you’re still employed and it comes out in a background check that you’re not, well, that makes you look dishonest (even if youâ₠¬â„¢re only trying to avoid looking desperate).If you lost your job due to a layoff, you can tell the interviewer that your previous company was downsizing or reorganizing- most people have been through that at one time or another and they get it. If you left your previous job for personal reasons, it’s okay to say that too- although you don’t want to go into too many details, given that the interviewer is technically not allowed to use your family status or other protected personal details against you. In a case like that, it’s fine to say that you’ve taken some time off to deal with personal/family issues, and that you’re ready to take your skills and experience and get back in the game.†¦but not too honest.If you were fired, it’s a little trickier- but you can still finesse it a bit. You can spin it as a â€Å"lessons learned† situation where you emerged stronger and smarter, with renewed career goals. The words â€Å"it just wasn’t a good fit for me† is a solid baseline, and then you can use that to pivot into a list of the positive reasons why a company or job like this one would be a better match for the assets you bring. But again, remember that if things ended badly at your last job it may come up during the vetting process. It’s better to keep things a little vague rather than offer details that could be seen later as dishonest.Don’t talk smack about your previous job/employer.When an interviewer asks you why you’re on the hunt for a new job, they know the answer isn’t going to be â€Å"because I love my current job and boss so very much.† However, resist the urge to use this as an opportunity to vent your frustrations. If you hate your job, think about the core reasons why. Is it because you weren’t given enough challenging projects? Were there not enough opportunities for growth and development? Was the company’s culture not a good fi t? See this as an opportunity to underline why this job would be a better application for your skills and how you see yourself growing into the role.When you prepare to talk about why you’re looking for another job, the most important part is finding the right tone somewhere in the middle of â€Å"I want more money† and â€Å"if I don’t get out of my current job, I’m going to lose my mind.† The interviewer is looking for red flags, true, but they’re also looking to see if you’re able to end one phase of your career and start a new one gracefully and professionally.

3 causas para que te quiten la green card

3 causas para que te quiten la green card La green card, o tarjeta de residencia permanente, es un privilegio otorgado por la autoridades estadounidenses a extranjeros que cumplen con ciertos requisitos y que permite trabajar y residir en Estados Unidos. Pero la pueden quitar por 3 causas. Antes de comenzar a explicar cada una de esas 3 causas, es conveniente comenzar destacando que hay dos tipos de green card. En primer lugar, la condicional que se da en 2 casos: cuando se adquiere por inversià ³n a travà ©s de una EB-5 y en ciertos casos en los que se saca por matrimonio con un ciudadano (no en todos). Estas residencias condicionales se convierten en permanentes  a los dos aà ±os, despuà ©s de hacer ciertos trmites legales. Por otro lado, si no se levanta la condicionalidad, la green card deja de tener validez y tambià ©n se puede revocar si no se cumplen las condiciones para levantar dicha condicionalidad. Por ejemplo, que la inversià ³n no sea la adecuada o que el matrimonio hubiese acabado en divorcio. Y en segundo lugar, estn las tarjetas de residencia permanentes. Estas son, en principio, para toda la  vida. Excepto en casos muy concretos en los que el gobierno puede decidir que cancela o revoca o considera no vlida una tarjeta de residencia. Causas para perder la green card o tarjeta de residencia permanente La green card puede perderse cuando se da alguna de las siguientes 3 causas:   Fraude- Bajo esta categorà ­a entran acciones muy diversas, como por ejemplo, un matrimonio de conveniencia con el à ºnico propà ³sito de conseguir la green card. Pero hay ms: mentir en un formulario migratorio o, incluso, ocultar informacià ³n relevante en uno de los trmites. En el momento en que se descubre el fraude se puede invalidar la green card.Condena por ciertos delitos- Se trata de situaciones graves debià ©ndose prestar atencià ³n a los casos de condenas por los denominados delitos agravados. En caso de tener en contra una acusacià ³n por este tipo de delitos es fundamental contar con la defensa de un abogado criminalista con conocimiento en posibles efectos migratorios de una condena. En estos casos, despuà ©s de cumplir con la condena, el migrante se enfrenta muy seriamente a la posibilidad de quedarse sin la green card y ser deportado.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Abandono- Esto sucede cuando el inmigrante no cumple con su obligacià ³n de residir habitualmente en los Estados Unidos. Por ello, hay que ser prudentes con los tiempos que se pasan en otros paà ­ses, particularmente si se trata de ms de 180 dà ­as y menos de 1 aà ±os. Y tambià ©n saber que puede resultar muy conflictivo el hecho de entrar a trabajar a diario a Estados Unidos pero vivir en Mà ©xico o en Canad. En los puentes internacionales con Mà ©xico se ha dado casos de migrantes legales a los que se ha alentado para que renunciaran voluntariamente a la green card, cosa que si quieren no estn obligados a hacer (ver ms al final de este apartado). Adems, en los casos de estancia fuera de Estados Unidos por ms de 1 aà ±o pero menos de dos se necesitar un permiso de reentrada.   Si es ms de 2 aà ±os la duracià ³n de la estancia en otro paà ­s, no hay problemas si se trata del cà ³nyuge o hijos menores y solteros de personal civil o militar o similares de los Estados Unidos y que est estacionado en el extranjero. En los dems casos a veces se puede solicitar una visa SB-1 como residente que quiere retornar pero que sà ³lo se concede si se cumplen requisitos muy estrictos. El formulario a llenar es el formulario que se conoce como DS-117. En los dems casos de pà ©rdida de la tarjeta de residencia por abandono sà ³lo es posible recuperarla iniciando de nuevo todo el proceso y esperando mientras tanto fuera de los Estados Unidos.   Es muy importante que si se llega a un punto migratorio de ingreso a Estados Unidos y el oficial asegura que se ha producido un abandono de la residencia que el residente permanente se niegue a firmar el documento que se conoce como I-407 Abandonment of LPR Status. Si lo hace, pierde la consideracià ³n de residente. Por el contrario debe solicitar ver a un juez migratorio y se le debe entregar una Notice of Appear para presentarse en Corte. Sà ³lo asà ­ se le puede quitar la tarjeta de residencia despuà ©s de que el juez encuentre de forma clara e inequà ­voca y basndose en evidencia de que verdaderamente se ha abandonado el estatus de residente. En otras palabras, no firmar el I-407 en ningà ºn punto de control migratorio y pedir ir a Corte. Otros requisitos de los residentes permanentes La tarjeta de la green card es vlida por diez aà ±os. Debe renovarse antes de que expire. Asimismo, si se pierde o se mutila debe aplicarse por una nueva y notificar su extravà ­o, robo o destruccià ³n a las autoridades migratorias. La à ºnica excepcià ³n es cuando se solicita y obtiene la ciudadanà ­a por naturalizacià ³n. Una vez que se es ciudadano ya no hay que renovar nada. Los tiempos de espera para solicitarla depende de cà ³mo se haya obtenido la residencia. Finalmente, los residentes permanentes tienen otras obligaciones, como pagar impuestos o notificar los cambios de domicilio. Consejos para conservar la green card Por ley, todos los residentes legales permanentes mayores de 18 aà ±os deben llevar consigo en todo momento prueba de su estatus migratorio. El no cumplimiento de este requisito puede dar lugar a una condena por faltas. La aplicacià ³n de esta ley varà ­a muchà ­simo de estado a estado. Para aprender ms sobre la green card, los derechos que da y las obligaciones que impone es aconsejable tomar este test de respuestas mà ºltiples. Da respuesta a las inquietudes ms frecuentes. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Agriculture in the next 30 years Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Agriculture in the next 30 years - Assignment Example For quite a long time, researchers have ranked agriculture as the major source of income globally. In this regard, as the main economic activity and many countries’ economic backbone, speculations have always been made in fear of what might happen the next minute.A renowned scholar, Glen Hiemstra, of futurist.com once noted that any individual who does not emprise technology that comes along with agriculture remain a stumbling block to countries economic progress. In support to Hiemstra words, every individual’s effort towards agriculture helps to boost country’s GDP and per capita income.As an activity drawing scholarly interest, several definitions have been brought forth all inclined towards recognizing agriculture as farming or husbandry, a way of animal cultivation, plants and fungi production as well as production of foods and fiber all geared towards human life sustainability (Rosner, 2009). As a study majorly phrased as agricultural science refers to huma n activities. This paper gives an in-depth analysis of the future expectations of agriculture, drawing argument from past and present happenings. Agricultural activities date back thousands of years and it has developed tremendously due to different climates, cultures, and technology. Being the backbone of human life, agriculture had to be developed continuously to sustain the needs of the people in the world. In confirmation of the importance of the activity in generating income, most of the industries worldwide deal with agricultural product in their operations (Li, Liu, & Chen, 2011). Agriculture is thus a core activity to the world and people cannot live without it. The economy has to grow through the help of agriculture as the main activity. In general, as years go by, the need for foods, feed, fibers, biofuels, and fishing will increase significantly thus the need to develop and diversify agricultural sector. This will greatly be attributed by the desire to feed the constantly growing population, creation of employment activities to the citizens, need for a source of income and due to the fact that it is a source of foreign exchange. As such, every individual expects positive development of agriculture in the future. This is from the understanding of the impact it has to a county’s development. Agriculture is a very costly exercise in terms of cost and involvement, like for instance, buying of pesticides, nutrient runoff, excessive water usage and many more. Furthermore, pesticide poisoning, pollution of environment through chemicals emitted by agricultural activities are the major negative impacts by agriculture. Pollution of water by biofuels emitted from industries causes water scarcity hence increased the challenge of producing enough food for the growing population. Thus, the need to fulfill agricultural needs results to environmental degradation and negative implications on peoples lives in terms of high costs and their health and therefore the need for stern measures to be taken to counter the effects. It is expected therefore that in the future, having in mind the increasing living standards, the cost of all the above-mentioned will increase notably (Hiemstra, 2000). However, other scholars are for the opinion that better and cheaper means of farming might be initiated cutting down much of the expenses and hence bettering and increasing the production. The presently initiated biotechnological products will in the future, if not well handled expose human beings to dangerous infections such as cancer, diabetes, and heart attacks. People infected with such disease may even end up dying or developing lifetime complexities (Mundlak, 2000). The need to feed the growing population has called for swift development in crop production and pest control. In future, it is expected that technological advancements will be developed swiftly to curb food shortage and various pest control techniques. Disease prevalence in crops has ho wever remained constant despite all the

Small business taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Small business taxation - Essay Example Similarly, some activities of the incorporated may be economically similar to those of the unincorporated small businesses. These activities may be similar in economic terms but they are different legally and in terms of rights and obligations. Crawford and Freedman suggest that these different types of entities could be treated in the same way for tax purposes, but it may not be achievable to do so in a straight forward manner because differences in legal forms between such entities have significant practical implications on taxation. Some of the treatments of taxation of employees and self-employed people may be based on receipts and tax rates. Providing the same tax treatment in relation to receipts may not be possible because receipts vary in nature (Crawford & Freedman, 2008). Business receipts cannot be equated to employees’ receipts. Business receipts need to be treated under rules that may derive profit figure. Furthermore, receipts of companies still require to be deducted for the payment of salaries or shareholders’ dividends. In terms of similar tax rate across the small business spectrum, aligning tax rates to on different levels of income across the incorporated and unincorporated small businesse s requires the analysis of tax charged at both corporate and personal level. This is structurally difficult. The second reason why it is not possible to treat the two types of entities similarly in terms of tax rates and receipts for taxation purposes is because there is a trend in which labour is taxed differently from capital. Higher taxes are often levied on labour than on capital. This causes differentials in tax treatment for different small businesses. Due to this differential in tax rates, there is an incentive of reduced taxes for converting labour income into capital income if possible (Crawford & Freedman, 2008). Incorporation of a small or big business leads to higher scope of conversion of labour income such

Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Movie Review Example merican politics appears to be largely stage managed by the affluent sections of the society, in the climax it portrays a healthy picture of the American politics, where the leaders listen to the voice of their conscience and were the values like honesty, fairness, family bonding and justice manage to thrive over selfishness and untruth. 3. The lesson that this movie tends to convey is that essentially the American politics is value driven. The mechanics and the framework of the American politics and the public expectations are such that they tend to push back the fake and the selfish. Though at a superficial level, many a time it may seem that the privileged sections of the society have a greater say in the political setup, eventually it is the strong undercurrent of integrity and uprightness that always has a final say. 1. Thank You for Smoking, a 2005 film directed by Jason Rietman, is essentially about the exploits of a smooth and smart tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor who uses his public speaking skills to win support in the favor of smoking. The film depicts the ploys and schemes resorted to by Nick Naylor and his like minded friends to mould and influence the public and political opinion in favor of the causes that happen to be basically harmful to the public health. 2. The view of the American politics as presented in Thank You for Smoking is quiet negative and disturbing. In Thank You for Smoking the American politics comes out as a political system that is vulnerable to being managed and influenced by the people who are influential, powerful and deft public opinion managers. The American public is shown as an unsuspecting victim to the schemes of people who are not averse to lying and using faulty logic. 3. While State of the Union ends in the victory of the essential American values like honesty, integrity and justice, Thank You for Smoking tends to project the victory of the powerful and the unscrupulous over the desired political values and

The Hardship Of Vietnamese Students Education Essay

The Hardship Of Vietnamese Students Education Essay In a developing Asian country like Vietnam, studying is the most important activity in ones life. Unlike in the United States where going to school brings children happiness, Vietnamese schools are often considered a kind of mental and intellectual training. Except for some special students who are intelligent by birth, most ordinary students have to struggle in order to keep up with very strict requirements of the education system in Vietnam. This reality, however, is not commonly recognized by responsible adults. Because I used to be in that kind of environment, in my point of view, Vietnamese students are constantly suffering from enormous stress. First, parents expectations put students under a lot of pressure. As a matter of fact, most of Vietnamese families struggle to earn enough income to support their lives, and this has not changed at all for several centuries, even when the economic situation has improved a lot. As a result, most parents want their kids to live more comfortable life than the previous generation. This kind of wish is not wrong, because it comes from the hearts of parents who do not want their children to suffer like they did. However, parents use that reason to push the poor children beyond their threshold, for they think that the kids are a tool for them to fulfill the wishes they could not complete when they were young. Most people make their children go to cram school every day, and do not bring them home until eight in the evening. Some other parents make their children learn various subjects, like violin, piano, ballet, or martial arts after school time. They think that those actions help them expr ess their love for the kids. However, the adults do not understand that children need rest after school as much as they need rest after work. Personally, I have seen children in the age below twelve dozing off behind their parents on the motorbike when going home from a martial arts course. Regarding Vietnams transportation situation, it is very dangerous because the kids can fall off the bike any moments. Their own parents do not care, though. Moreover, parents in Vietnam lack sympathy for their children. They do not feel the need to understand their childrens problems because they are parents. When the kids get bad grades, instead of getting encouragement or at least consolation from their beloved parents, they only get some nasty words and even violence. Another mistake that most parents do is that they keep comparing their kids to some other kids on newspaper. The adults think that comparing will make their kids reflect on themselves and behave, but it only brings out negative e ffects on the children. Additionally, parents do not encourage their children to pursue their own dreams, but force the kids to become what the parents want. Most students do not have the chance to choose their paths, and it will lead to many bad consequences in the future if the students are not suitable for that major. To me and most of my friends when we were still in school, going home does not bring any kind of happiness, but only stress and pain. Second, the whole societys idea of success places even more stress on the students. In Vietnam, it is very hard to get a job without having powerful parents. In order to get a good position, a person from ordinary background must have excellent intellectual abilities, which is proved through their degrees and certificates. Therefore, students must study hard ever since elementary school in order to get in famous schools, and eventually graduate from the most well-known universities so as to get a job. Ever since they are young, students are taught that school performance is the only way to determine a persons value. Consequently, if a student cannot excel in class, he or she will be regarded as a useless person who will never get a good life and will probably spend the rest of his or her life collecting trash on the sidewalk for a living. Teachers also cause stress on their students. This traces back to the fact that teachers in Vietnam do not earn much income compared to other professions. As a result, teachers tend to do whatever they can to earn more money for their families. Most teachers have to open extra classes at home as an alternate source of income, which becomes another session of school for children. Unfortunate students are given extremely difficult tests so that they get bad results; then, they are threatened that they can never get good grades unless they become students at their teachers extra classes after school. Unfortunately, most parents do not detect this kind of evil actions of the teachers; they think the children are neglecting their studying, and blame them for the bad grades. This unjust action makes children very disappointed and even under more stress. In addition, many teachers teach their students very wrong ideas about the relation between success in school and in life. In their opinio n, if a student can do math and write good essays, that child will be rich in the future. On the other hand, if a student cannot do math or cannot write a decent essay, the child will most likely lead a pathetic life regardless of other talents that the kid may have. Some teachers, especially homeschool teachers, create a gap between good students and bad students, causing the bad ones many negative feelings toward their better classmates. Moreover, a small number of teachers have a tendency to treat one or two students better than the rest of the class due to their excellence in studying, or just because their parents are rich. In other words, students are taught that the value of one person do not depend on their personalities but on their social background and intellectual abilities. As if there is not enough pressure from their superiors, students create pressure on themselves and on their peers. Most children strive for their parents satisfaction, so they push themselves as hard as they can. They think that only through good grades can they be loved by their parents. Although they do realize that all the adults are wrong about the importance of school grades, they have no way to escape from it, nor do they have enough courage to break out of those invisible chains. As a result, they become the same as the adults who used to mentally abuse them, thus maintaining the vicious circle. Besides, students subconsciously become their classmates source of pressure. Because young children learn a lot from their peers, they are usually confused by their friends hard work and doubt whether they are already doing their best or not, which intensifies the competitiveness between classmates. Another factor that contributes to academic pressure on students is the excessive amount of schoolwork, especially in high school. At my high school, an average student has to attend class lectures for four hours every day from Monday to Friday in the morning. Three afternoons per week, the student have to go to school for another four hours; also, the student has another two more hours on Saturdays for extracurricular activities. After getting out of school at five in the afternoon, the student will most likely engage in another session of cram school, which usually last two hours or even more. Because most teachers offer extra classes which usually last four or three hours per week ,or even six hours for major subjects like mathematics, and a student often has to take at least two different extra classes, the total time for cram school can easily exceed eight to ten hours every week. In total, an average student at my high school spends at least 40 hours per week on going to school s and extra classes, as much time as a normal full-time worker does. However, it does not end there. At home, an ordinary student has to do homework and study for upcoming exams. The time for self-studying varies from one student to another, but as far as I know, half of my class stayed up late to do homework, and the other half did not go to sleep until past midnight. For students in middle and elementary schools, this amount of time is slightly reduced, but it does not mean that the amount of work is. From middle school, a student has to learn 13 subjects a week, all year long, and all of them are compulsory. If the student gets a final score of less than eight in any of those 13 subjects, he or she will probably lose the chance of getting a title of good student, which is very important for scholarships or other benefits in Vietnam. To make things even worse, none of those subjects can be considered easy. One friend of mine said ironically, At school, we have to be as knowledgeab le as Einstein, run as fast as Usain Bolt, draw as beautifully as Picasso, sing as well as Elvis Presley, have communist ideals like Karl Marx, and be as good a person as Mother Theresa. She was not entirely exaggerating, since her words practically described much of the education system in Vietnam, no matter how unbelievable it may sound. Even for pre-school children, the situation is not better, for they are expected to read and write smoothly before actually entering their first school year. Except for my elementary teachers who were all very nice to me, many other teachers will not hesitate to hit a young kid for making a mistake on their exams. Indeed, violence adds to academic pressure as well. Those kinds of pressure has become a part of everyday life, so no students can recognize how stressful their school years are until they get to university and look back on the previous time. Working hard in a long time is not all wasteful, however, because, in one way or another, it strengthens students mind and provides them with more than enough knowledge so as to prevail in foreign countries universities. Still, I hope that one day all those unfair stresses will be lifted away, so that the children can actually enjoy their childhood and no longer see their schools as a kind of prison, just like what I used to do throughout twelve years of my life.