General Mills Financial Analysis Essay

From ready-to-eat cereal to convenient meals to wholesome snacks, General Mills is one of the biggest food products manufacturers and competes in growing food categories that are on-trend with consumer tastes around the world. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Haagen Daazs, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Totinos, and Cheerios, among others. Main rivals include Kellogg, Kraft, Conagra Foods, and Sara Lee. General Mills sells its products in three segments: U.S. retail (63% of net sales), International (25% of net sales), and Bakeries and Foodservices (12% of net sales). In addition, General Mills sells cereals and ice cream through its Cereal Partners Worldwide and Haagen Daazs Japan joint ventures. General Mills continues building its presence in developed markets and increasing presence in emerging markets worldwide by investing in established brands while also developing new products. The company’s goal is to generate balanced, long term growth. Profitable perform ance through the past years General Mills has shown a strong profitable performance during the past years. The company has achieved during the last 3 years an average RoE of 28% supported by strong efficiency, financial leverage, and a moderate profitability ratio given the nature of the business. This has resulted in a positive trend of the share price that delivered 3 year returns of 44% from 2009. The upward trend in RoE that peaked in 2011 reaching 30.6% reversed in 2012 that closed with a RoE of 24.5%. The RoE drop of c. 600 bps in 2012 compared to 2011 is explained by a reduction in profitability that was affected by high input-cost inflation primarily in food ingredients and energy that was not fully transferred to customers (370 bps Gross Profit Margin drop). Performance was also affected by restructuring actions (60 bps impact on profitability) taken to improve organizational effectiveness to drive future growth. General Mills managed to continue improving efficiency as the increase in sales (3 Years CAGR of 6.7%) outpaced the average assets growth (3 Years CAGR of 5.8%), reachin g in 2012 the highest efficiency ratio (83.8%) of the past 3 years. Efficiency improvement was primarily supported by inventory reduction efforts that, coupled with increase in accounts payable derived from shifts in timing of payments, reduced the cash conversion cycle to 43 days. It is worth noting that during fiscal 2012 the balance sheet had an important growth as a result of the acquisition of the international Yoplait business, including goodwill and other intangible assets of $2.3 bn USD. Sales growth also benefited from the acquisition and will be discussed in the next section. General Mills runs a leveraged operation where, in average, the total assets are 3 times shareholders equity. Leverage ratio has decreased since 2010 as retained earnings have increased at a faster pace than assets driven by strong business performance. A slight revamp in the leverage ratio during fiscal 2012 was mainly driven by an increase in other comprehensive losses related to pensions and postemployment activity, and foreign currency translation that offset retained earnings for the same period. Sustainable growth while generating strong levels of cash flows General Mills has shown a strong, sustainable growth throughout the last years. Net sales increase has been driven by a moderate average growth in the US Retail segment (3.8%), coupled with the expansion in the International business (13.4%). The big year on year increase of 12% in fiscal 2012 is driven by the acquisition of the international Yoplait yogurt business that contributed 7 points of sales growth, while underlying business grew 5%. It is important to note that sales growth has been mainly driven by volume growth with a slight component of net price increase and a favorable mix. Segment Operating Profit has also maintained a sustainable growth. The slowdown during fiscal 2012 and drop of Gross Profit Margin is driven by high input-cost inflation as previously mentioned. Despite high costs, the company managed to increase segment operating profit to exceed $3bn for the first time in the company’s history. General Mills has managed to generate strong levels of cash flowacross the years. Over the most recent 5 years, the company operations have generated almost $10bn USD in cash. A significant portion of this cash has been returned to stockholders through dividends and shares repurchase. In addition, this cash is used to fund Capital expenditure. In the most recent year, the company operations generated $2.4bn of cash compared to $1.5bn in the prior year. The major increase is driven by a favorable change in working capital supported by inventory reduction efforts, prepaid expenses, and other current assets. Cash used by investing activities had a significant increase in fiscal 2012 that is mainly explained by the acquisition of international Yoplait ($1bn USD). General Mills invested in fiscal 2012 c. $700m USD in land, buildings and equipment, similar to previous years. Cash used by financing activities includes a constant payment of dividends and purchase of treasury stock in the last years. In addition, General Mills has been actively managing their cost of funds by issuing / pre-paying long term debt and commercial paper as convenient. General Mills performance has outpaced main competitors in the recent years General Mills strong performance is accentuated when benchmarked against Kellog Co, another of the key food producers. Both companies present similar profitability with General Mills having a lower gross profit margin compensated by lower marketing investment and general expenses. Nevertheless, General Mills has managed to grow sales and has delivered higher returns at a faster pace than Kellog. In addition, General Mills produces higher levels of free cash flow and has grown dividends per share faster. Finally, Kellog has a heavy debt load while General Mills has lower leverage ratio. Solid position to face a challenging, uncertain future In a nutshell, General Mills has shown a strong performance in the recent years and has outperformed his competitors mainly in compound growth rates and value creation. A challenging future lies ahead with uncertain economic environment and increase in commodity costs. Pricing strategy to maintain margin while not impacting market share will play a key variable in the company’s performance. Strong brands, innovations, expansion in diversified markets, and solid cash position and moderate leverage should support General Mills to face these challenges and continue creating value in the following years.

Blue Parker Original Writing: The Blitz

It started out as a normal day; birds were singing and the autumn leaves were falling, each golden, crisply leaf floating to the golden carpet of the woodland. Everyone in the village smiled and said, â€Å"Hello† as you passed them by, the sun was shining like a shimmering coin. Trees were dancing in the mid-day breeze which lightly blew through the perfect air†¦ That was until a growing cloud started to shroud my village and eclipsed the sun. That was until the rain shot down like bullets. That was until my home was blitzed by the German army. The quiet and tranquil morning was suddenly replaced with chaos and fear. No longer did the citizens not stop to say hello, instead they dashed into their homes. No longer did bird song echo on the breeze. Now only the sound of chaos and fear remained. The black mist closed upon my village; it was in complete darkness. Then I saw them; the fighter planes which elegantly swooped down like a graceful yet vicious swarm. The planes dived and ducked to violently attack my home land. In the air I could smell fear mixed with a smoky blitz of burning buildings; the odour of engine oil, gunpowder, smoke; the unforgettable stench of dust which ate through the smoky polluted air. The silent clouds above sneaked through the frozen sky. The scent of tense anticipation hung in the air, until †¦.. Crash†¦. Boom! The bullets and blaze covered my village in a thunderous crackling wave of panic and despair. The inferno took hold and the flames flared like grotesque dancers approaching the finale of their show. The cold morning was replaced with an orange glow as the flames began to devour the village. The buildings burned one by one leading up to the church, where the priests stayed vainly believing that they would be safe in the 400 year old masterpiece. The cathedral was as white as snow and stood at a staggering height, apposing the fire until the moment of reckoning finally came: the church was defeated by the orange, glowing demon which got stronger and stronger as it ate through my village. My usually quiet village was in ruins the perfect landscape ruined. Roads became blackened dirt tracks, houses became shacks and people†¦ became corpses. Flashes of red and orange ate the buildings throughout the village, buildings were falling, crashing and burning. Was it a horrible dream? I didn’t care; I had to run. I kept running towards the safest place which ironically was the tallest building in the whole of the village. As I stumbled over the hill, which blocked the telephone tower‘s view, I was astonished to find it their, sizzling in the soaring heat that beamed down. It was just lying there like a sleighed knight. My plan was a failure. What now? Everyone around me raced towards the next town (Greenford) it was every man for himself people frantically clawed passed each other. Desperate people fled the village, there were no attempts to calm or put out the blazing monster which tore the village apart, nobody helped the trapped helpless people that were taken captive by the evil red monster. As for me, I followed the desperate horde of people to safety. But would the next village get bombed then the next then where do we go? The next day came. All around me I could see nothing but death and destruction. The village was ruined. Buildings, once standing proud and beautiful were nothing more that blackened shells. Lone people, hysterically crying, wandered from building to building in the hope that they might salvage something. The German planes had left hours ago, flying away safely and smugly satisfied with the havoc and devastation they had reeked. The enemy had gone but the consequences of war remained.

Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) for Antibiotics

Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) for Antibiotics Dhayalini Yoginthran Antibiotic resistance is something that has been growing in the world, some might even say that we are entering or have already entered a post antibiotic world. It is currently one of the superior concerns in the 21 st century, especially in regards to pathogenic microorganisms. Throughout the years, research had allowed for the development of first line antibiotics that were efficacious against infections plaguing the population. Due to resistance build up towards first line agents, second line agents were then used to treat infections, which usually have a broad spectrum in treatment. In some cases pathogens have also acquired resistance towards multiple drugs, one such example would be Staphylococcus aureus (Zainnudin and Dale, 1990) . Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are substances produced by animals, bacteria and plants. They are also known as host defence peptides and are a part of the non-specific immune system. Differences between eukaryotes and pro karyotes show the potential of targeted therapy with the use of AMPs . They are dynamic and are of broad spectrum and have shown plausible evidence that they may be used as a new therapeutic agent. AMPs are quite small, have various sequences and lengths. They are also known to be cationic and amphipathic (Hultmark, 2003). They have shown considerable bactericidal activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative strains of bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis , malignant cells as well as viruses that are enveloped (Reddy et al., 2004). AMPs work by the interaction with the membrane of the potential pathogen thus leads to the perturbation of said membrane. The peptide is then inserted into the bilayer of the membrane that causes the displacement of the lipids. The perturbation and the displacement actions render it easy for the peptide to be translocation into the intracellular target of the pathogen. AMPs are usually derived from coding sequences in a gene, databases of known AMPs have been curated to hold information of AMPs as well as to provide tools to predict possible AMPs that are found in genomes (Fjell et al., 2007). The Antimicrobial Peptide database (APD) is one of the major resource for antimicrobial peptide sequences that have been curated. AMPs from various phylogenetic kingdoms are available, making the prediction of models based on qualitative and quantitative activity easier. In order to bring the development of AMPs into light, certain objectives are to be met. An AMP must be active against the pathogen in which it is targeted against and must have a high therapeutic index. In order to look for a suitable AMP that can act as a broad spectrum antibiotic. A method will be explained to show the screening process to look for one such AMP. The method would be to employ template based studies. A template AMP will be used to look for peptides that have better antimicrobial activity and also is reduced in toxicity by altering amino acid sequence s. In order to elucidate positions of amino acids that are important in antimicrobial activity, a single amino acid in the peptide will be changed, and hence the changes will be studied. Template AMPs that could be used for this would be lactoferrin or magainin. The variety of peptides are designed based on the amphiphilicity and charge of the AMPs and their role in antimicrobial activity. It will be possible to synthesis peptides using a high throughput approach of arrays that is done together with a speedy luminescence assay to portray bactericidal activity. This would lead to us being able to perform a complete substitution method to study the amino acid changes in the desired peptide. Several substitution studies that have been performed have shown that the activity shown by the substituted amino acids differ with regards to the template AMP utilised (Schneider et al., 1995). A linguistic model shall be used to pinpoint patterns in natural peptides (Loose et al., 2006). It is po ssible that the novel peptide that is constructed based on this will show superiority against models that are generated based on the random shuffling of amino acid sequences. Functionally important patterns of amino acids will be found using this linguistic model. In a previous study conducted by Loose et al (2006), 4 out of 40 designed peptides showcased activity against E. coli and B. cereus at an acceptable concentration.

First day in college Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

First day in college - Essay Example The beginning of college meant the initiation of a different social environment where I would have to settle with my class fellows. When I entered college, my levels of anxiety raised and I walked in quietly towards the seminar room where there was a welcome address for the new students. I was very conscious because of the fear of being bullied. But my experience in the seminar room was not bad as I had expected it to be. This is because I came across many friendly people who like me were trying to settle in the new environment. I started a conversation with two of my class fellows and by the end of the session, we were all pretty comfortable. After the welcome address we moved to our classrooms and I started pondering on who would be teaching us and whether we would be having good teachers or not. I took a seat in my new class and our class teacher entered. She was a sweet lady who understood that most of us were stressed. She calmed us down and interacted with us prior to starting her teaching session. She proved to be not only very friendly but an extremely skilled teacher who was perfect at what she was teaching us. This was a relief as it was a good beginning of the day. When college ended and I was leaving the premises, I was happy that I had taken the decision to join this college. My anxiety had gone and I knew it that I was at the right place. It was a well disciplined place with high quality teaching and a perfect learning environment. I was also glad that I was in a class where the students were positive and optimistic about learning. My first day at college proved the nightmares that I had imagined with regard to it to be wrong. It was a good beginning of a new chapter of my life as I saved many precious memories from my college. Following the first day, I looked forward to going to college as the

Macroeconmics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Macroeconmics - Term Paper Example gh a combination of stable prices of goods and services across the economy coupled with a low inflation level and level of confidence of the investors in the currency of the country. The Fed comes out with the monetary policy in order to ensure a certain key objectives like, delivering price stability with a low inflation level coupled with an objective to support the Government’s economic objectives of growth and employment. To understand how the Fed monitors price related regulations to keep a check on inflation, we may consider a small example of the regulation of house and property prices. To take any decisions related to interest rates keeping in mind the ongoing inflation rate, the Fed must be thorough with the booming property prices and must take steps to ensure that the prices are not artificial. Government intervenes through its central bank to regulate the prices of many commodities; similarly it also regulates the prices of houses like any other important commodity. Fed has the responsibility to keep a check on asset prices including the prices of houses. There can be a number of reasons why the prices of houses may shoot up, like the simple rule of demand and supply has a definite impact. (Demand and Supply for Housing). Other reasons behind a change in property prices can be Mortgages. A mortgage is the money borrowed to buy a house, as for most people buying a house is not easy. Over the years mortgage market has picked up greatly and the current scenario is totally different from the one that existed in the beginning. Mortgages were supplied only by the building societies. Building societies were non-profit institutions and encouraged only the members for the grant of loans, so the people who were members and had contributed to an extent for a considerable period of time got loans easily and account with building societies became the only means to get mortgages. Soon these societies had to compete with the banks and other financial

Unemployment and Labor Force Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unemployment and Labor Force - Essay Example According to the economist Edmond Malinvaud, the type of unemployment that prevails at a particular time depends on the situation at the goods market. If the goods market is a buyers’ market in which sales are restricted by demand then Keynesian type of unemployment prevails, while if a production capacity is limited classical unemployment prevails. Common types of unemployment are as follows:1.  Frictional Unemployment: This type of unemployment occurs when a person switches from one job to another. While the person looks for another job he experiences frictional unemployment. This unemployment also applies to fresh graduates who look for jobs. It is a productive part of the economy as it increases worker’s economic efficiency and his long term welfare. This type of unemployment usually occurs due to incorrect information in the labor market due to which workers do not know what type of job they are getting hired for and hence they look for getting a new job. 2.  C lassical Unemployment: This type of unemployment occurs when real wages for available jobs are set above the market clearing level. This usually happens due to government intervention when government sets a minimum wage for a job. Even taboos especially taboos can sometimes cause wages to be set above the market clearing level (America’s Great Depression p45).3.  Structural Unemployment: This type of unemployment occurs due to mismatch between employment offered by employers and those seeking jobs.... Common types of unemployment are as follows: 1. Frictional Unemployment: This type of unemployment occurs when a person switches from one job to another. While the person looks for another job he experiences frictional unemployment. This unemployment also applies to fresh graduates who look for jobs. It is a productive part of the economy as it increases worker's economic efficiency and his long term welfare. This type of unemployment usually occurs due to incorrect information in the labor market due to which workers do not know what type of job they are getting hired for and hence they look for getting a new job. 2. Classical Unemployment: This type of unemployment occurs when real wages for available jobs are set above the market clearing level. This usually happens due to government intervention when government sets a minimum wage for a job. Even taboos especially taboos can sometimes cause wages to be set above the market clearing level (America's Great Depression p45). 3. Structural Unemployment: This type of unemployment occurs due to mismatch between employment offered by employers and those seeking jobs. It may occur due to geographical location or skill of workers or because of many other reasons. If structural unemployment occurs, frictional unemployment becomes significant as well. 4. Keynesian Unemployment: This type of unemployment occurs when there is insufficient demand in the economy. It occurs when there is a business cycle recession in the economy and wages of jobs do not fall to meet the equilibrium rate. An economy with high unemployment rate is an economy which is not using its entire available labor source which reduces its efficiency. If all the frictionally unemployed in this economy accept the first available job to them, then they

Race and Criminal Justice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Race and Criminal Justice - Research Paper Example The types of crimes that are in the spotlight when racial discrimination is discussed within these quarters matter (Neugebauer, 2000). Researchers have also placed a higher barrier when racism is discussed with the focus of their studies mainly being the black population rather than the reasons why they have been incarcerated. Furthermore, this paper has been researched on the backdrop of the fact that within the past two decades, racism, conscious and unconscious, individual and institutional, has been uncovered in all major criminal justice agencies and more so within the prisons and the police (Bhui, 2008). The purpose of this paper is to conduct a research on how the two, race and the criminal justice system interact and whether there are any undertones that require being addressed from a policy-making point of view. The main method of research will be the use of surveys where ten participants have been identified to participate in this research. The main method used to conduct the survey will dwell both on the oral and the electronic forms to allow for greater elaboration of any unclear sentiments. Confidentiality will be maintained with each participant assured of their privacy. America is one of the most racially diverse nations in the world. However, despite the fact that people feel that racism was fought against and won over after the civil rights movements took issue with the apparent discrimination, many still believe that racism is one of the most rife topics in the country. More so, people have taken an offensive against the criminal justice system where they believe that the American criminal justice system has become a racially biased institution whose main targets are African-Americans (Quigley, 2010). According to the Political Research Associates (2006), roughly 70% of the nearly 2.1 million adult men and women in prison are persons of color. This has led to the conclusion by many that the

Hobbes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hobbes - Essay Example Thus, in his book, Morgan had tried to trace moral and political philosophy within realm of science and its numerous branches. He had also tried to establish civic peace as a way to direct mankind to fulfill their individual civic duties. To delineate these, Morgan has illustrated lifestyles and works of some of the greatest philosophers, sociologists, mathematics and scientists like- Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, etc. Through some selective excerpts of their works, Morgan has tried to establish his goal. Moreover, he has also attempted to motivate citizens in performing their civic duties by analyzing the aspects which makes thought and action of one individual different from another. Once goodness of soul is achieved, citizens will be able to establish civic peace in their societies (Matthews,. 4-27). History Philosophy and science were interrelated from the very beginning, so much so that philosophical ideas developed during seventeenth century has played a huge role in development of science and technology of modern times (Matthews,.1). It was during the beginning of seventeenth century that contradictory views of Plato and Aristotle were noticed by the modern world. At that time, philosophies theories and ideas were re-modeled due to two important contemporary movements- the European Renaissance and Scientific Revolution, with the latter supporting medieval thinking patterns of Plato. However, aspects of Aristotle’s views had more to offer regarding â€Å"empiricism, essentialism, naturalism and teleology† (Matthews, 5). Added to these, Aristotle’s thinking had directly influenced thinking of some of the greatest geniuses like Galileo, Newton, etc. who in turn contributed a lot to modern philosophy. The fact that science and philosophy are interrelated is proved again and again. For instance, the proposition that the stars do not twinkle because they are near or because the stars are so near that they do not twinkle. When there is no con version of the middle term with more relative non- explanatory term, or at times when the middle term is present outside, the proposition is proved by logic but the reason remains unexplained (Matthews, 31-32). Solution to this unexplained reason can be traced with help of different branches of science, like- optics can be related to geometry, mechanics to solid geometry, harmonics can be related to arithmetic and watching stars and comets could be linked to astronomy. This is what Morgan had tried to establish in his book. Putting moral and political philosophy on a scientific basis Appropriate upbringing is required for making good citizens. For this reason, people must learn to abstain from pleasure and pain generated by every single action. The same hypothesis is supported by medical treatments- the corrective treatments to be more precise. Thus, science has its own remedies for pleasures and pains as consequence of any action generated by excess of virtues. Virtue is a part of moral philosophy which pursues people to avoid anything that is wrong. The difficulty to fight pleasure makes both craft and virtue more challenging. This theory holds true for political science also (Morgan, 267). ‘Knowledge’ exists in two forms, namely of â€Å"fact† and of â€Å"consequence of one affirmation to another†. While the former one relies on individual’s sense and memory, the latter strictly relies on science. Philosophy and logic differs from science in the

Case Brief Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brief - Case Study Example While the plaintiff does not have her palimony agreement in writing, because she filed her claim before the enactment of the new legislature, the judge ruled the amendment does not apply to her case. In doing such, the judge further ruled to deny the defendant’s motion to dismiss the complaint and the defendant’s counterclaims. Barbara A. Botis is the girlfriend of the late Gary A. Kudrick. Botis claims herself and Kudrick were in a â€Å"marriage-type relationship† for the greater part of 32 years after Kudrick divorced his wife. Botis further claims that Kudrick promised to take care of her after his death even though he did not put her in his will. Therefore, Botis seeks palimony- or compensation made by one member of an unmarried couples to another member after separation. Estate of Gary A. Kudrick denies that Botis and Kudrick were ever in a â€Å"marriage-type relationship† and, therefore, the plaintiff is not entitled to any compensation. Furthermore, the Estate seeks its own compensation from the plaintiff for unauthorized withdrawals from a home equity line on one of the deceased’s residences, removing belongings from one of the residences, and refusing to return stolen financial documents. In addition, the defendant later requested to expand the later counterclaim to include fraud, perjury, attorney fees, and punitive damages. Plaintiff stands that her and the late Gary Kudrick met in high school in approximately 1954. Although they initially married other people, after both of their respective marriages ended, they began a committed relationship. In 1976, Kudrick moved into Botis’s residence while still maintaining his own separate residence. They then lived together for approximately eight years before selling her residence and moving into his expanded residence in 1984 of which she claims she invested $17,000. Then, in 1995, they supposedly purchase another home

Customer Journey Mapping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Customer Journey Mapping - Essay Example The various elements that are included in the journey of a customer involves awareness, finding answers of any possible queries that the customer might have, then comes the price and when a customer is satisfied with all of the above then he performs the purchase. Most of us would think that, that is when the process ends but there is more to it which is known as the post sales journey which includes the post-sales support, lodging of any complaint that the customer found in the product or service. The assessment of this complaint is the next step in the process upon which the organization then upgrades or amends its services based on the post sales review.There are numerous benefits for the assessment of customer journey mapping however, the three main essential advantages include the fact that it gives an overview of the experience which was given to all the customers, it gives an idea about the basic needs and requirements that the organization requires and it also showcases the v arious aspects of importance and the aspects that should not be given importance.For the purpose of this assignment, I will be studying two very popular e-commerce websites i.e., eBay and amazon and will assess the process of customer journeys for each of these organization and how this affects the ways in which the customer approaches the organization. EBay has long been a very popular place for the buying and selling of goods and with over one million customers, it is a place which serves as the global market.

The novel Roll of thunder Essay Example for Free

The novel Roll of thunder Essay For my diverse cultures essay, I will be studying and revising different factors of that time period and place for example the weather, the language, religion, politics, gender, lifestyle. The novel Roll of thunder, hear my cry is written by Mildred D. Taylor. This story was set in the 1930s which is after the depression, were the whole of America went into a slump. The novel is about a young, black girl who expresses and learns about the ways of life in the 1930s. The novel was set in the 1930s, which was during the time of, The great depression. It was set in the less prosperous part of America in Mississippi. This was a time and place when thousands of families like Cassie were poor and considered the lower, working-class. As you go through the book, you find that Cassie discusses and questions certain issues; for example racism and growing-up. Generally people think that informal slang speech is wrong, but it is just an alternative version to the English language. The way a person speaks is often a way of revealing how educated a person may be. The general dialect spoken within a community is a part a communitys identity, for example; the cockney language represents the people of southeast England. In the novel the language spoken has a western style to it. The novel consists of two main styles of speech, but the communities speak the main style commonly. The language is the same as Standard English but with many abbreviations. The local dialect shortens and blurs words together. The weather in this novel plays an important part, because this sets the mood of the characters and it is also an indication to show that something will happen, like in the novel the night whispered of distant thunder. It was muggy, hot, a miserable night for sleeping. This indicated that there is something wrong, so Cassie is being kept awake for the problem to occur. Racism was demolished mainly in mid century, so racism was a big factor in the novel as the story was set in the 1930s. Racism came about when the blacks were shipped in to the country for slavery, from then on the whites considered the blacks as a lower class, and thats what Cassie had to come to terms with. Today there is many forms of entertainment like: television, Internet, music, but early on in the century there was not a lot of entertainment but it was still no good as not many could afford entertainment. The community of Mississippi was a rural area, hence the lifestyle for the Logan family and most others was mainly work, and all families did go to the local church on Sundays for community gatherings as well as services. Generally ladies were thought as housewives but in the novel two of the teachers in the local community school Great faith were ladies, one being Cassie Logans mum, and also ladies had no means to educate or be educated. Early on in the century blacks had no law to protect themselves, but to deify convention at the end of the novel T. J Avery was about to get hanged in front of his own family but Mr. Jamison stopped this from happening by telling them that a fair trial will be held. If blacks were to commit crime then this will not be tolerated under no circumstances, and because the blacks have no law for them this gave an open chance to attack the blacks. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mildred Taylor section.

Legal framework for social work in United Kingdom Essay Example for Free

Legal framework for social work in United Kingdom Essay Social work is defined as a professional and academic discipline that will seek to have improvement on the individuals, groups’ and communities’ quality of life and their well-being through having policies, conducting researches, organizing communities and teaching for the good of the people affected by social limitations that may include poverty, mental and physical sickness, social injustice including violation of human rights. International (Federation of Social Workers 2000). These groups may include school dropouts, the elderly in the society, juvenile offenders, drug and alcohol abusers and the homeless Social workers will work in different settings within a set of framework of legislation and practices. The setting may include a school situation, the service users’ home, a hospital or a public sector premise Social work values Social work is argued to be value based. Since it is a profession on, social work ethics (values) thus refer to a set of guidelines that have to govern the way professionals treat the people they interact with and the sort of actions that are regarded as right or wrong. They offer a vision and discernment (Bernstein 1970) Social work in the United Kingdom occurs in four spheres. The first sphere is majorly a concept relates to the moral philosophy that creates the ethical arguments on social work. The second sphere is based on the legislation that has created an environment for practice of social work with reference to the social work cases. The third sphere is the political ideas and concepts and their influence in shaping and sculpturing the social work models, social work methods and practices. The last sphere presents the historical part of the beginning of social work as a profession and its struggle for professional identity. These spheres are extended, mid range and restricted definitions of social work ethics and values (Bernard et al 2008, p. 6) This paper will focus on the second sphere in reference to the United Kingdom. Social work and law Social work as a profession has to follow certain laws and regulations which govern the profession. The legal framework involves the statute laws and case laws and tries to explain the relationship that links them. Moreover, it details legislation of the government under acts of parliament, the international laws, policy guidance, and the local government circulars that articulate the purpose and guidance principles of legislation. The Health and Care professional Council code of practice As a social worker, it is paramount to be aware of the legal obligations required of them to cretae a healthy and safe working conditions. The General Social Care Council code of practice imposes more duties for employers of social workers. The code states that (Brayne Carr 2002, P. 49) The social worker shall protect and promote interests of the service users The social worker will strive to establish, maintain trust and confidence of the service users The social worker will promote independence of the service users while giving them protection from possible harm The social worker shall respect the rights of the service users while ensuring that their behavior will not harm other people and themselves The social worker shall uphold the public trust and confidence in the social care services The social worker shall be accountable for quality in their work and taking responsibility for maintenance and improvement of their knowledge ACTS OF PARLIAMENT The Carew standard Act 2000 This Act has a significant role in the social care work as it did extend the registration regime for the social care in England and that of Wales for provision of the children’s services, the Act requires the following: Registration of children homes Registration of family centre’sRegistration of the independent fostering agencies Registration of voluntary adoption agencies Registration of support agencies To be a permanent registered member one has to meet a set of regulations tailored to each individual service. In coming up to a decision whether the regulatory requirement shave been fulfilled, the registering authority must have a regard to minimum National standards. England’s registration authority is Office for Standards in Education, Childrens Services and Skills (OFSTED). The Social workers and the social care services cannot function without having satisfied the above requirements. As a social worker or a social care service provider, there is a need to have knowledge to avoid prosecution by Law The health and social care Act 2012 This bill was agreed upon by both houses and obtained the Royal Assent on the 27th of March to become an act of parliament. The bill created an independent National Health Service Board to promote choices made by the patients in regard to their health issues and reduced the administration tool of the National Health Service. A National Health Service Board was also created to allocate resources and provide guidance on commissioning of social care services. Powers of the government’s ability to commission services on behalf of patients were increased. The function of the Care Quality Commission was strengthened and Section 209 of this Act amended. The powers of the new law under Section 60 of the 199 Act gave her majesty the power by order in the council to regulate social workers and social care practitioners of England. This placed the role of social workers and the role of social health care providers directly under her majesty (Britain 2012, p. 9). This Act placed a lot of Significance on Social Care services being provided in the United Kingdom. A consideration on the adult social care was emphasized. For example, allowing the transfer of public health to the local authorities through local health and the well being boards. Various new bodies have emerged such as the Local health watches which have a function of checking on health and the social care standards. Children’s Act 2004. In England, the law protects the right of children. Section 11 and 12 of this Act places a statutory duty on all agencies to co-operate and promote the welfare of the children. The government guidance for social workers and other professionals that interact with children is that: the social worker has a duty of keeping the children safe. There should be constant feedback to the children social care local authority on suggestions and assessment and lastly every person who has a role should not think that he/she has the absolute right to the child’s needs. Professionals sometimes fail to report the abuse and neglect cases do not face penalties for crime however; they might be subjected to professional discipline Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 The bill got a Royal Assent on 8th of March. The bill aimed to give strength to the social enterprise businesses sectors and make relevant the concept of social value and its importance in the placing and providing of public services. With this bill a National Social enterprise strategy was created to encourage the engagement in social enterprises. The local government act 2000 section 4 was then required to have a sustainable community strategy proposal that promote the engagement of social enterprise in their areas. The Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 This Act brought together the different fields of social work into a single Social service department in every local authority. With this establishment, an emphasis was laid on a co-ordinated and comprehensive system of approach to the social care, the support of families and identifying the need for people to seek aid. The formulated departments then became responsible for domestic aid, residential accommodation and recreational services. Care council of Wales All social workers should be registered. It is one of the bodies mandated to register and regulates the activities of the social workers and all other social care in Wales. The care council is set up under the Care Standards Act 2000. It includes the codes of professional practice, conduct rules, and a well established guideline on the complainant’s procedure. Some other features accessed include consultation services, annual reports, the newsletters and the e-bulletins. Registration of workers ensures that there is as constant data of available social workers and social health care workers in a given state or region. It is easy to verify a genuine worker and avoids imposters who might be out on criminal activities Care and Social services inspectorate Wales This is a body mandated to regulating and inspecting the establishment of agencies that offer social care services in Wales region. It carries out duties on behalf of the ministers of Wales. It has been given power under Act 2003 of the Social and Health care to look into the handling of social services by the local authorities. On their website, one is able to raise a query on social workers conduct for necessary action. Rights and freedoms of Social workers and limitations Guide to information sharing Social work is a professional duty. When dealing with children, England places emphasis on effective information sharing between the local agencies and the social workers on identification and assessment of service provisions. These are defined in â€Å"Working together to safeguard children (PDF). Under this guidance, paragraph 1.24 states clearly that fears that arise on sharing personal information should not hinder promotion of a child’s welfare and safety. All social workers and social care provider thus are required to have an efficient information discernment process to avoid a scenario of neglect in believe that another individual will do the task. Limitations to this guide These provisions however do have limitations. In Wales’s guidance on information sharing is found in chapter 14 of Safeguarding children working together under the Children Act 2004 (PDF). In these guidance paragraph 14.5 overlaps the guidance for professionals in England. It states that â€Å"The safety and welfare of a child or young person must be put into consideration first when making decisions about sharing information about them† and that must be, â€Å"an overriding public interest in disclosing information.† The guidance then further goes on to give the way forward in sharing on information. Paragraph 14.6 states that â€Å"the best way of ensuring that information sharing is properly handled is to work within carefully worked out information-sharing protocols between agencies and professionals involved, and taking legal advice in each case where necessary. Guide to Loss and damage Social workers have been mandated with a legal duty of caring and service providers. In essence these role places the employers with responsibility of paying up damages their employees suffer while in line of duty. In the event those being taken care of suffer adverse damage as a result of social work interference, then they are entitled to sue the social work company for negligence. These may be as a result of physical damage, emotional or psychological damage. While this is the case, the law prohibits the suing of social workers when performing certain statutory functions like safeguarding children. Employers need to understand the times which their employees may be liable to protection under the law and when not. Legislation on discrimination on Personal privacy In line of duty, social workers provide aid services. In order for them to carry out these functions effectively, it is paramount for them to have knowledge of the raft of legislation that protects individuals for discrimination basing on their gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability or ethnicity. These are domestic laws of the United Kingdom and are complemented by European Convention on human right which protects the citizens of the United Kingdom against unjustified state interference with their life. It is always possible for government and social work agencies getting into people’s life when they are not willing. In this event then the public can resort to the human rights protection of privacy and autonomy. Social workers and social work agencies need to have knowledge of the rights and privileges granted to the masses under the European convention for both parties to avoid violating them while at the same time helping individuals who have had their rights contravened The Human rights Human rights are legal obligations that are to be adhered to universally. Human rights are defined as â€Å"the universal right to standard living that is adequate for healthy and well being of individuals and their families.†(Roosevelt 2000, p.5). The global social work perspective embodies this by stating that â€Å"The struggle for dignity and fundamental freedoms, which allows for the full development of human potentials, boils down to two words: human rights.†(IFSW 1996). With this law, special work in the United Kingdom is bound to human rights which are considered sensitive to human race and collective citizenship. The social work must then be conceptualized and sensitized to the culture in which the services are offered. Thus a social worker in England should be able to accept the culture and laws of a state or region in which he/she is working in. Conclusion Social work and social care has a pivotal role in service delivery to the society. This view cannot go unnoticed. The values, ethics of social work such as respect for humanity, equality and service to all have played a major role in helping the less privileged in the United Kingdom. The beneficiaries have included the mentally ill, the old, women and children. The United Kingdom having realized the vital role of social care came up with various laws not only to check but to guide the professionals in their field of work. These laws have been defined in various Acts of parliament, Scholarly publications and various codes of ethics and conduct of the Social work profession. Social workers and social care workers interact with different people on daily basis. In order for a harmonious and efficient system of operation to uphold, these laws and various publications have played a major role. However the legal stipulations have also had a negative side of the story being felt where they h ave had to hamper the operations of social workers and social care practitioners. Technological advancements and constant reviews of challenges that have risen in the working environment of this profession I believe can act as a catalyst to new ideas to command this noble profession to greater heights in the United Kingdom References BRITAIN, G. (2012). Health and social care act 2012: chapter 7. [S.l.], Tso. BRAYNE, H., CARR, H. (2012). Law for social workers. Oxford, Oxford University Press. BRITAIN, G. (2012). Health and social care act 2012: chapter 7. [S.l.], Tso. BARNARD, A., HORNER, N., WILD, J. (2008). The value base of social work and social care. Maidenhead, England, Open University Press. ROOSEVELT, E. (2000). Universal declaration of human rights in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Arabic. Bedford, Mass, Applewood Books. HEALY, L. M. (2008). International social work: professional action in an interdependent world. Oxford, Oxford University Press. REAMER, F. G. (2006). Social work values and ethics. New York, Columbia University Press. BERNSTEIN, P. (1997). American work values: their origin and development. New York, State Univ. of New York Press.BANKS, S. (2012). Ethics and values in social work. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan. (2004). Children Act 2004: Explanatory notes. [S.l.], Stationery Office. Source document

The Operation Of The Smart System Construction Essay

The Operation Of The Smart System Construction Essay Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and becomes a well known international city with a large number of high rise buildings. Klang River overflowed its bank and flooded the city which between Tun Perak Bridge and Dang Wangi Bridge on 26 April 2001. Besides that, Kuala Lumpur has a very dense population and most of the residents are driving their own vehicle to works. This substantially brings a serious congestion especially during working hours. Government has decided to formulate the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) project to mitigate the floods and ease of traffic congestion which is carried out through a joint venture pact between MMC Corp Berhad and Gamuda Berhad with the Department of Irrigation And Drainage Malaysia and the Malaysian Highway Authority. Every mega projects in the world will undergo long process during the design phases in order to produce a best and unique product. SMART project also faced the same situation and it has its own uniqueness whereby it combines the wet and dry tunnel in a structural element. The SMART Project is an innovative solution that it serves a dual purpose of mitigates the floods and ease of traffic congestion at Kuala Lumpur. Generally, the SMART tunnel consist of a bypass tunnel constructed from underground from the upstream of Kang River towards Taman Desa which is about 9.7km in length. Besides that, there will be a holding basin in Kampung Berendam, a storage reservoir at Taman Desa, a twin box culvert structure and control gates structures. SMART tunnel is constructed by using the tunnel boring machine method. The tunnel is constructed into two decks motorway which is the upper deck and lower deck. Moreover, at the bottom of lower deck, there will be a place for the water to channel through the tunnel. The safety of the tunnel is consider as good because it is surrounded by close circuit television, 24 hours of patrol, equipped with the necessary firefighting equipment, first aid and emergency phone in the event of emergency happened. Other features of tunnel are good ventilation to maintain the air quality in the tunnel by using strong ventilators. This SMART tunnel wrote a new page of building technology in Malaysia by bring in a few tunneling technology such as tunnel boring machine. It definitely shown a new step took by the government in enhances the national transportation system and flood issue as well. 1.2 Problem Statement Kuala Lumpur is a nerve centre for Malaysia ¿Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s economy and it is a capital of the Malaysia. Every year, there is an occurrence of heavy floods in this area and resulted in extensive damages. The city is also subject to traffic congestion due to the population increase in the city. In order to address the problem, government decides to build a Smart Tunnel to solve the both issue carried out through a joint venture pact between MMC Corp Berhad and Gamuda Berhad with the Department of Irrigation And Drainage Malaysia and the Malaysian Highway Authority as the executing government agencies. Smart Tunnel is serving a dual purpose which is ease of traffic congestion and mitigates the floods issue in Kuala Lumpur. However, Kuala Lumpur ¿Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s SMART Tunnel is not looking so smart anymore as the there is occurrence of heavy flood at Jalan TunRazak and Kampung Baru (The Star Online, 2011).Besides that, the heavy traffic congestion in Kuala Lumpur still cannot be solve even the SMART tunnel has been constructed with its secondary function which is serve to ease the traffic problem. In order to understand better on how the SMART tunnel operates, maintain and the effectiveness of its function, it is necessary to carry out a research on how the water is diverts and how it ¿Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s serve to ease the traffic at Kuala Lumpur. 1.3 Aim and Objectives Title A Study and Evaluation of SMART Projects in Malaysia Aim To establish the conceptual model of SMART projects in serving the dual purpose of flood mitigation and ease of road congestion. Objectives The objectives of the study are (i) To ascertain the operating system and maintenance system of SMART tunnel. (ii) To identify the effectiveness of the smart tunnel in mitigate flood and ease of traffic congestion. (iii) To study the benefits of SMART tunnel by comparing before and after the construction of SMART tunnel. 1.4 Scope of Study In this research proposal, three main aspects will be focused and carried out such as the operating and maintenance system of SMART Tunnel. This is mainly study on how the SMART tunnel reacts; operate when there is a heavy flood and how is the maintenance system of the SMART tunnel. Besides that, an analysis on the effectiveness of the SMART tunnel will be carried out. Benefits of the SMART tunnel will be study by comparing the before and after of the construction of SMART tunnel. On the other hand, the other three aspects that will not be focus throughout the research proposal will be the management system of the SMART tunnel, the comparison on the performance of the structure under seismic loading when there is an occurrence of earthquake and the construction method used in constructing SMART tunnel. 1.5 Research Methodology Methodology in a simplify term can be defined as a term whereby it enable the research ¿Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s goal and objectives can be achieved effectively. So, it is important that a systematic methodology should carry out in order to collect all the necessary and important information to get a best result for the study. Generally, the methodology of this research proposal is as follows: First stage (Literature Review) In this stage, the study will begin with the formulation of research aim, objectives and problem statement. At this early stage, some of the secondary data will be use as reference such as articles, reference books and newspaper. Secondary data is used in this stage in order to understand the topic thoroughly thus formulates the aim, problem statement and objectives of the research proposal. Second stage (Interview/Questionnaire/Case Study) After the formulation of aim, objectives and problem statement, other necessary information will gather from primary data. The relevant information will be acquired through primary sources such as interview, questionnaire and case study. The relevant respondents that have knowledge towards the topic will be interview and questionnaire approach will also be conducted by distribute a number of questionnaires to the respondent to fill up. Third Stage After collecting all the relevant data, the data will be analyse by using a analysis method to analyse whether the objective of the research has meet. The effectiveness of the SMART tunnel in mitigates the floods and ease of traffic congestion will be analysed at this stage and another method of analysis will be done by comparing the benefits before and after the construction of SMART tunnel. Then, the result will be presented in the proposal itself. 1.6 Chapter Planned The research proposal mainly comprises of five chapters which as shown below: Chapter 1 Chapter 1 of the research proposal is just a brief on the research proposal. In this chapter, a brief introduction of SMART tunnel will be discussed. Then the aim, objectives, problem statement and scope of study will be formulated after read through the relevant information of SMART tunnel. Besides that, research methodology, the flow of chapter and planning of chapter will also be identified at this stage. At last, a work programme will be prepared by comparing the pre-planned work and actual work done throughout the research proposal. Chapter 2 The objectives that formulated in chapter 1 will be discussed more detail in this stage. In this chapter, the mode of operating and maintenance system of SMART tunnel will be study and discussed by referring to the books, journal and articles. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of the SMART tunnel in mitigates the flood and ease of traffic congestion will be elaborate thoroughly by referring to the articles. Then, the benefits of the SMART tunnel by comparing the before and after the construction of it will be identified and discussed at this stage. Chapter 3 This chapter is mainly focus on the methodology used in preparing the research proposal. Obviously, the methodology used which is primary data. Interview and questionnaire will be conducted by interview a person who had knowledge on the SMART tunnel such as Architect, Engineer and Quantity Surveying. Questionnaire will be distributed to the road users that uses SMART tunnel at least five times in a week. Chapter 4 After the collection of primary and secondary data, a detail analysis will be carried out by using the SPSS software to calculate the outcome. This will be applied to the questionnaire collected after filled up by the road users and the interview being conducted with the Architect, Quantity Surveyor or Engineers whereas the interview will be analyse by writing it into an essay form in research proposal. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 is the conclusion part prepared after the analysis of the data collected. A possible recommendation will also be produced in order to provide alternative solution to the statement as stated in Chapter 1. 1.7 Summary of the Proposal Flow Chart 1: Summary of the proposal Source: Wong Yee Vern 2.1 Introduction In the year of 2001, Government has sort out a solution that would allow a severe flood to enter into the city without flooding or cause damage to the city centre. An idea was proposed by the Government to implement a project named SMART Project by constructing a tunnel which serve a dual purpose in mitigates the flood issue and ease of traffic congestion. The procurement method of this project is design and build contract and is carry out by a joint venture between Malaysian Mining Corporation and Gamuda Sdn Bhd. Meanwhile, the concessionaire of the project is Syarikat Mengurus Air Banjir Terowong Sdn Bnd and undergoes a concession period of 40 years. The construction method of SMART tunnel is using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) method and it cost around RM 1.9 billion to construct. Design of the tunnel is consider as unique as it is divided into 2 decks and the length of the tunnel is about 9.7 km with an outer diameter of 13.2m. The construction of SMART Tunnel began on 25 November 2003 and officially operates on 14 May 2007. 2.2 Physical Components of Stormwater System The SMART system is a sequence of storage, attenuation and regulated flow. The system diverts flood discharges from the city centre and subsequently releases them downstream while ensuring the flood problem is not transferred elsewhere (Ir. Ng Koh Hing, Ir. David N. Welch Subathra Devi Ramachandram, 2008). No overflow shall occur by ensuring the system optimizes the storage, attenuation and regulation within and adjacent to the system. Generally the bypass system consists of intake and outlet system. Besides that, the intake and outlet system consist of a debris removal system complete with floating booms, trash rack and a debris removal and disposal unit. A river flow diversion system complete with a 4-bay diversion weir structure and an 8-bay offtake structure shall also be part of the intake and outlet system. Then a set of twin box culverts which gated at both end conveys the discharge from storage reservoir to Kerayong. Moreover, a holding pond will be situated at the upstream of the tunnel with a storage capacity of 600,000 cubic metres and a storage cum attenuation pond with a storage capacity of 1,400,000 cubic metres located at the downstream end of the tunnel. 2.3 Operation of the SMART System When there is an event of downpour of rain, the data collected will be analysed to predict the operation mode of SMART Tunnel. For instance, when mode II is predicted by the analysis of data collected then action will be taken accordingly. Initially, this means that the defined operating rules will be operated and the sequence of operation will be displayed for monitoring and supervision purpose in Stormwater Control Centre (SCC) which involved the operation of various gates. The mode of operation of SMART tunnel will be subdivided into 4 modes. 2.3.1 Operation Rules of SMART Tunnel Before 2.3.2 Modes of Operation The operation of SMART tunnel and motorway is depend on the flood condition at the upstream of Klang River or Ampang River and works on four principle mode. The principle mode of operation system of SMART tunnel can be referred to figure 1.2. Mode I This is the mode when the raining water is very little and traffic is allowed in the tunnel thus no diversion of water into the tunnel is required. Mode II This mode is activated when the flow rate is between 70-150m3/s which means that when the flow rate of the rainwater recorded at the upstream is between these rate, Mode II will be automatically activated. The road tunnel traffic will remain opened to the road users but the excess flood water will be diverted to the holding pond and the lower deck of the tunnel will channel the flood flow to the attenuation pond with a flow rate of 50m3/s. Mode III When there is a heavy rain fall, this mode will be activated and the flow rate is 150m3/s or more. However, the traffic is motorway is required to be close down in order to allow the water channel through the both tunnel. Under such circumstances, the tunnel will be close up to 8 hours after the rain stops to do some maintenance work. Mode IV After the 2 hours of declaration of Mode III, this mode will be activated if the rain water storm prolong and the road tunnel will be re-opened to the traffic only within 4 days of closure. Moreover, the tunnel will be used for channel the floods after the completion of evacuation of traffic. Figure 1.2 Operation Mode of SMART tunnel

Teen Smoking :: essays research papers

Teen Smoking Teen smoking. Those two words mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. To some it means nothing. They are just two meaningless words found under T and S in the dictionary. To others it is as if these words symbolize some sort of treason or crime against society. Yet to others it is just another stereotype to be placed under. And to some it is a salvation. An escape. Unfortunately I am writing this paper so you will get my positions on teen smoking rather than other peoples. Teen smoking gathers a lot of emotions when I think about it. It makes me very angry sometimes. My first draft of this was good but I saw myself getting angry and lashing out on everyone, so I revised it. But enough of that, I find teen smoking to be a very controversial subject. To be completely honest with you I am smoking right now as I am writing this. Obviously I am a smoker. I am 17 years old and I am a smoker. In the late 1990’s, the statistics showed that approximately 25% of teens smoke. That’s one out of every four teenagers. High school is a tough time for teens. These years are critical to a teens future. This explains why a vast majority of smokers start at 16 years or younger with the most common age being 14 years old(freshman). It has also been proven also that teens who score lower in school smoke more than higher scoring students do. It seems that everyone smokes in our school. Our school is overrun with smokers. It is right now at least 50% smokers and 65% if you count the people who will smoke before their high school career is up. We practically encourage it. I mean Fireman’s Field practically condones teen smoking. Teen smoking is defiantly a problem in our school, as well as schools all over the United States. I feel that teen smoking is a huge problem. I feel that too many teenagers smoke cigarettes. It is something that needs to get dealt with. But before I get into that I should probably start with the causes of teen smoki ng. There are several factors that start teens on smoking cigarettes. There has to be considering that over 1 million new teenagers will start smoking annually. The most common is peer pressure. Teen Smoking :: essays research papers Teen Smoking Teen smoking. Those two words mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. To some it means nothing. They are just two meaningless words found under T and S in the dictionary. To others it is as if these words symbolize some sort of treason or crime against society. Yet to others it is just another stereotype to be placed under. And to some it is a salvation. An escape. Unfortunately I am writing this paper so you will get my positions on teen smoking rather than other peoples. Teen smoking gathers a lot of emotions when I think about it. It makes me very angry sometimes. My first draft of this was good but I saw myself getting angry and lashing out on everyone, so I revised it. But enough of that, I find teen smoking to be a very controversial subject. To be completely honest with you I am smoking right now as I am writing this. Obviously I am a smoker. I am 17 years old and I am a smoker. In the late 1990’s, the statistics showed that approximately 25% of teens smoke. That’s one out of every four teenagers. High school is a tough time for teens. These years are critical to a teens future. This explains why a vast majority of smokers start at 16 years or younger with the most common age being 14 years old(freshman). It has also been proven also that teens who score lower in school smoke more than higher scoring students do. It seems that everyone smokes in our school. Our school is overrun with smokers. It is right now at least 50% smokers and 65% if you count the people who will smoke before their high school career is up. We practically encourage it. I mean Fireman’s Field practically condones teen smoking. Teen smoking is defiantly a problem in our school, as well as schools all over the United States. I feel that teen smoking is a huge problem. I feel that too many teenagers smoke cigarettes. It is something that needs to get dealt with. But before I get into that I should probably start with the causes of teen smoki ng. There are several factors that start teens on smoking cigarettes. There has to be considering that over 1 million new teenagers will start smoking annually. The most common is peer pressure.

Free College Admissions Essays: MIT :: College Admissions Essays

MIT Admissions Essay    I may seem to be someone with many unconnected facets and talents once you have read all the other essays on this application. This essay is intended to slap together a few of the pieces of myself that I have displayed here.    The human race is immortal ( that was a doozy wasn't it ). There is nothing that forces us to decay into old age and die, this is merely our body destroying itself once our purpose ( reproduction ) is complete. Evolution not only did not bother to select against genes that kill off people past 40, but to some degree selected for such genes: the faster we go through generations, the faster we evolve. If the genes that cause the changes we associate with old age were suppressed in some chemical way, we would be capable of eternal life. Another way to immortality would involve the building of a biomechanical body of some sort, something right out of a Terminator movie, that would support the brain with only the chemicals necessary to survival ( if we could determine which those are ) and thus avoid the effect of aging genes. All of this genetic, biochemical and hydraulic research would be based on knowledge gained in college. One other thing: we've all heard of cults that claim they hav e discovered immortality in some way, which supposedly have members who've lived 200 years. If there's even a shred of truth in any of that, my guess is that these 200-year veterans have managed to order their minds in some way ( through some arcane style of thinking perhaps ) that erased the biological clock.    All in all, immortality is only one small thing that humans might be capable of. The strange abilities seen in autistic people, like incredible number crunching speed, really are not unique to autistic people. These abilities are buried deep in everyone's subconscious, and it is just a matter of our minds letting us use them or not. In fact, I think that along with those mathematical abilities are buried many more abilities. I feel sure that among them is perfect coordination, and there might be some really strange psychic or time-related abilities as well. The subconscious is driven by its creator, evolution. It is only concerned with reproduction. Evolution has erected a barrier between ourselves and our potential, and lets ability seep through to those who have desirable traits and are intended to reproduce.

History of Home Schooling Essay -- essays papers

History of Home Schooling Before public schools emerged, children were educated in the home by their parents. They were taught arithmetic, practical skills, and to read and write. Some wealthy families preferred hiring a tutor for their children (Koetzsch, 1997). In the 1840s, prominent leaders such as Horace Mann lead a movement to institute public schools in the United States (Thattai, 2001). These reformers argued that public schools would create good citizens, unite society, and prevent crime and poverty. As a result of their efforts, public elementary schools evolved in American society by the end of the 19th century. Massachusetts was the first state to pass a compulsory attendance law, ruling that all children had to attend at least elementary school (Thattai, 2001). By 1918, all states had the compulsory attendance law. Catholics weren’t happy with the public education system, so they instituted private schools (Thattai, 2001). When public institutions emerged, home schooling nearly vanished in the United States (Koetzsch, 1997). Education critics began voicing concerns about public schools in the 1960’s (Hess, 2002). Some of the complaints against public schools included, preaching alien values, failing to adequately educate, and adopting unhealthy approaches to child development (Hess, 2002). Many parents joined the de- schooling movement based on a popular book by John Holt called How Children Learn. John Holt was a professor in Boston, who believed that children are born with the desire to learn and educate themselves. The book states that all children need the following for a successful education; materials, access to the â€Å"real world†, emotional support, freedom to explore, and time to assess idea... ...ws of home schooling in the state of Maryland. The article included a summary of the Maryland education code. Home school facts. (2005). Home Education Magazine, 25. Home Education Magazine is a popular magazine among home school parents and children. It explores all aspects of home schooling. The article that I used for my research paper did not specify and author. Number of home schooled students rises. (2004, August 4). The New York Times, A14. This newspaper article describes the increase of home schooling in the United States through a recent survey. The article does not specify an author. Interview with Brigitte Mankiewicz, home school parent. March 21, 2005. I interviewed Brigitte Mankiewicz about what it is like to be a home school parent. She answered questions regarding the positive and negative aspect of home schooling.

Research Based Instructional Program

Running Head: LIFE SKILLS RESEARCH-BASED INSTRCTIONAL PROGRAM Research-Based Instructional Program One major disadvantage to developing and implementing instructional programs not based on research is the time spent. â€Å"Time is money†, and wasted time means wasted money. Money is wasted on implementing programs that are not research based. Time and money is wasted on training. Overall time and money are wasted on the program. Without the proper research it may not be known if the program is needed in the first place. Programs may be developed that are not needed, or that may not give the desired results. Research is the prerequisite for change or reform in education. DuFour & Eaker (2008) discuss reasons why the United States is behind other countries and the curriculum reforms that have come as a result. Without research no one would be able to give reasons as to why the United States cannot compete globally in education. Without research the scholar, practitioner, research model would not exist. Program Overview Botvin Life Skills Training (LST) name after its developer, Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin was developed in the late 1970s. The program is based on scientific evidence, and is backed by over 20 scientific studies. It is a drug and alcohol abuse prevention program designed to be implemented in a classroom setting. It was developed to be taught in grades as early as 3rd grade and as late as 10th grade. The elementary grades program consists of 24, 30-45 minute class sessions that should be taught over a 3 year period. The middle grades program consists of 30, 45 minute sessions that are taught over a 3 year period. The high school program consists of 10, 40-45 minute classes that can be taught in conjunction with the middle grades program. Adoption of research-based program In the state of California more than $2 billion is spent each year on prevention efforts. California’s gang czar, Paul Seave was quoted in saying that ,â€Å"there are so many evidence based practices, but few have scientific support† (Reynolds, 2010). Peter Greenwood, leader of the Association for the Advancement of Evidence Based Practice is also quoted in saying that,†the American public does not have a strong science background and people don’t always have the skills to know when someone’s pulling their leg†. The middle grades Life skills program was implemented in an effort to cut back and potentially stop gang violence and the use of drugs and alcohol among school age children. The program has proven to be far more successful than program such as DARE (Drug Abuse and Resistance Education) and other â€Å"tough love† strategies. These programs do not seem to motivate students to stay out of jail, and steer clear of drugs and alcohol. People believe in these programs, and find it hard to believe that they do not produce the desired results. Outcomes and Implications Students that use drugs and alcohol are prone to dangerous consequences. Some of these consequences include increase in behavior that increases risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, increase risk of jail time, and potentially hurting others around them. The purpose of implementing a program such as Life Skills is to make students aware of these consequences and give them tools to stop their life from going in a downward spiral. Staff Development As an instructional leader one must show their staff that they believe in the things that are being taught to students. First, a good leader has to research in order to have a knowledge base for the tasks that teachers will be asked to take part in. Second, the leader must have training on the materials and the results that should be expected. They should be shown the way that things need to go in order for a program to be successful. Finally, an effective leader has to be motivated and be able to motivate their subordinates to take on a task that will benefit the student population. Once the leader is prepared themselves, they can then train their subordinates, or get the proper resources for the training to take place and be effective. References Botvin Life Skills Training, Retrieved from http://www. lifeskillstraining. com DuFour, R. , & Eaker, R. (2008). Professional Learning Communities at Work. New Insights for Improving Schools. Reston, VA: Solution Tree. Patterson, D. , & Keefe, R. (2008). Using Social Construction Theory as a Foundation for Macro-Level Interventions in Communities Impacted by HIV and Addictions. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 35(2), 111-126. Retrieved from Research Starters – Sociology database. Reynolds, Julie. (2010). Keeping kids out of trouble not easy [Electronic version]. The Herald.

Soc 402 Outline for Final

Substance Abuse in the Workplace Contemporary Social Problems and the Workplace SOC402 Instructor: Douglas Nelson October 4, 2012 Substance Abuse in the Workplace Substance abuse is a growing problem in the workplace. â€Å"Substance abuse is the repeated use of alcohol or drugs to the point that users develop personal problems and distress related to use. † (Giraffe, 2011) I am going to discuss the major problems with substance abuse and outline some mind-boggling statistics.Furthermore, I will relate substance abuse to a work environment I have been associated with and express the chaos I have witnessed from co-workers abusing illegal substances and over-using alcohol. I am going to analyze ways this problem can be possibly solved or at least prevented to a certain degree. If substance abuse is prevented, I have determined several social and economic benefits that may occur. I. The major problem with substance abuse 1.Substance abuse in the workplace is extremely dangerous; the one abusing the substance increases not only their chances, but also increases the likeliness of their co-workers of injuries or possibly death depending on the situation. a. â€Å"Alcohol and drug abuse on the job is a serious issue for employers because it may cause lost productivity or dangerous conditions from mistakes, reduced efficiency, and increased absenteeism. † (Giraffe, 2011) b. â€Å"Alcohol use, although legal, also significantly contributes to workplace substance abuse problems. (Giraffe, 2011) II. Substance abuse related to my work environment 1. I have had co-workers come into work hung-over and possibly still drunk, I have seen them hide in the bathroom and sleep for several hours. a. â€Å"Furthermore, substance abusers are not only less productive, but they also use three times the number of sick days and file five times the number of workers' compensation claims as nonabusers† (U. S. Department of Labor, 1999). b. â€Å"Substance abuse also l eads to injuries† (Giraffe, 2011) III. Ways this problem can be decreased 1.Although the problem is abundant in the work-center, there are possibly solutions to minimizing substance abusers at work. a. â€Å"In 2005, for example, an estimated 17 million people used illegal drugs and nearly 75% of them were employed† (U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2011) b. â€Å"The Department of Health and Human Services study reported that almost 9% of full-time workers reported heavy alcohol use within the past month. The vast majority of those were between 18 and 25 years old† (Larson, Eyerman, Foster, ; Gfroerer, 2007). c. OSHA provides employers with recommendations for substance abuse prevention programs, including the drug-free workplace policy. † (Giraffe, 2011) d. â€Å"Training is an important component of a drug-free workplace to make sure supervisors understand how to enforce the policy without violating the law. Many companies offer empl oyee assistance programs (EAPs) as part of their benefits package. EAPs provide individual counseling services and are a resource for referral to rehabilitation programs, medical services, or other therapeutic services. † (Giraffe, 2011) e. This was followed by the Drug-Free Workplace Law of 1988, which has been amended several times to require federal contractors to actively promote a drug-free workplace and to have a substance abuse prevention policy in place† (Reagan, 1986). 2. Social benefits if prevented 1. The workplace will be a more socially accepted atmosphere is the problem was to be prevented. a. â€Å"According to a Department of Health and Human Services study, males are more likely than females to use illegal drugs, and employees with lower education levels are more likely to use drugs than those with college degrees† (Larson, Eyerman, Foster, ; Gfroerer, 2007). . Economic benefits if prevented 1. Companies will save a great deal of money if this pro blem were to be prevented. a. â€Å"can cause increases in health insurance costs† (Giraffe, 2011) b. â€Å"Estimates that the residual cost of substance abuse in the workplace is more than $80 billion in the United States. † (U. S. Department of Labor, 1999) Substance abuse in the workplace is a problem that has been around for years, and it has yet to slow-down, however, I noted several ways the problem can be prevented.I expressed why substance abuse is the extensive problem it is, and I related the problems I have seen inside my own work-center. If my solution to substance abuse in the work center is implemented, there will be many social and economic benefits. References Giraffe, V. (2011). Contemporary social problems and the workplace. San Diego, Bridgepoint Education,Inc. Retrieved from https://content. ashford. edu/books/AUSOC402. 11. 1 Larson, S. L. , Eyerman, J. , Foster, M. S. , ; Gfroerer, J. C. (2007, June). Worker substance use and workplace policies and programs (U.D. Services, Producer). Retrieved from http://www. oas. samhsa. gov/work2k7/work. htm#6. 1 Reagan, R. (1986, September 15). Executive Order 12564 Drug-Free Workplace. Retrieved from http://uscode. house. gov/download/pls/41C10. txt U. S. Department of Labor. (1999). How does substance abuse impact the workplace? Retrieved from http://www. dol. gov/elaws/asp/drugfree/benefits. htm U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2011). Workplace substance abuse. Retrieved from http://www. osha. gov/SLTC/substanceabuse/index. html

Philosophy “Divergent Currents of Humanism” Essay

The nationalities rooted in different traditions and perhaps owed something to old trunks differences Latinos and barbarians, took shape especially the divergence of economic interests and natural conditions of Italy and Germany. Italian Humanism meant more than a break with the past, Italy was consumed in glorious extravagance and soon returned to agriculture and to the spirit of medieval life. Life essentially offered the Italian humanist enjoyment and creation, the Christian scheme gave way to a Greek morality, in which life was an art, freed from any sense of obligation. The religious interest was not very present at least we want to talk about a religion of beauty. His ideal was universal man fully rounded personality of a Leonardo. I tried to absorb everything and became syncretistic culture, retaining the opposing elements of Roman and Greek Christians in reconciling universal symbolism. Zeus, Jupiter, and God really meant it. This ideal was bound to remain aristocratic, without much anchor in popular sentiment and produced a high class and cosmopolitan artist who took easily to the envestida of the counter. The north, however, seemed to have the old spirit was however felt the north where an impulse of the forces would dominate the new era, the north broke with the church and turned to industry trade, science . Life offered the German humanist work and self-discipline, the German turned rather to the moral Roman life was a stoic discipline, a job and a vocation remained deeply religious obligations became even more ethical than supernatural. It is dedicated to education and scholarship. More democratic, seeking her ideal as a member of an ordered society and not as an independent personality. Before him stood flight ahead fraternal society work, could not combine the various elements and see the universal in the multiplication of symbols: multiplicity of symbols is a big difference between the imagination of the great Italian painters and Durer, the Dutch and Flemish. Humanists Nordic passed gradual stages of faith illustrated medieval cosmopolitanism and urban. Touched by the Italian scholarship, dropped out and worked for a scholastic education reform without criticizing the church system. Modernity and tragedy of Erasmus The modern spirit sympathize more with the second group, and especially with Erasmus, representative ideals, having been shriveled by 200 years due to the reform, finally flourished in naturalism and humanism of the eighteenth century. Erasmo was definitely the humanistic ideal both their faults as virtues. Its narrower interests reflect limitations of humanistic attitude to the deeper forces of the time. Unconcerned by the wonderful art of his generation, without interest in the new world that would in the eyes of men, and very hostile to the scientific interest because it shifted the spirits of the human problems of morality. His biggest concern heading into the past, not the future, rather represented tolerance, conciliation and meditation. It was witty and urban, with a charming conservatism. Finished destroying old prejudices, demolishing the medieval order, had nothing to offer except a rather negative spiritual liberalism.

Alara Agri Case

1. Should Taner engage in consumer research for Alara Agri’s prepackaged cherries or should he attempt to persuade German and Belgian retailers to conduct some test marketing in their stores? Taner should engage in consumer research for Alara Agri’s prepackaged cherries because throughout the case, German and Belgian retailers were very pessimistic of the idea of prepackaged cherries, believing that the packaging would deter the consumers in their countries from buying because it does not give the â€Å"farm fresh feel. The German and Belgian retailers also stated that their consumers were more price sensitive, and would not be prone to packaging unlike other countries such as the UK which is an island. German and Belgian retailers were under the assumption that the UK consumer would pay more for packaged goods because they are an island, and it is not as easy to obtain such fruits and vegetables all year round.After reading studies, a Belgian report showed, â€Å"an in-store survey revealed less than 40 percent of consumers are able to state the correct price of a jar of mayonnaise immediately after purchase, more than 20 percent having no idea at all of the price charge. † A German study of consumers at supermarkets found a staggering number of just under 70 percent of purchases were made at the point of sale, and that brand meant a lot, because it distinguished quality items from not. 2. If you think consumer research is appropriate, what are the specifics of your research plan?The specifics that would be most appropriate for the research plan, would have to be having a brand/label test, as well as a price test. The ultimate goal is to propose the plan to the German and Belgian retailers, which is already touchy. The plan is to show a minute cost increase but with a return far greater with the idea of longer shelf life, as well as a brand that would stick. The challenge to overcome is to figure out how to convince the German and Belgian retailers that the cost of convenience and quality would catch on quickly as it did in Europe.The research plan will also include test marketing in the stores, perhaps with a credit to the retailers whose shelf space was wasted as a result of a failed attempt to gain a new base of consumer. All in all, getting the brand name out and getting it to stick with the meaning of quality, with an offering of good faith that if the attempt fails, the retailers would be reimburse to the fullest. 3. If you think test marketing by retail customers is appropriate, what are the specifics of your research plan?Test marketing is absolutely appropriate by retail consumers, because it allows a company to not throw all of their eggs in one basket only to have it fail. It gives the company an opportunity, as well, to determine whether or not it would be appropriate to make such a drastic change in an already established market. In order to do this, we would need retailer willingness of shelf space for any certain amount of time. We would also have to implement a consumer report of customers who picked through cherries, as opposed to customers who picked up the â€Å"punnets† of cherries.This type of comparative data would allow us to show the Belgian and German retailers an analysis of growth, profit, and gross margin, ultimately convincing, or proving the Belgian and German retailers correct. 4. Do you have any other recommendations for Mr. Taner? My only other recommendations is that Mr. Taner prove his brand and quality meet the expectations of those he is trying to convince. Rightfully so, Mr. Taner has all of the tools he needs in order to perform a thorough study which should allow him to obtain shelf space in German and Belgium, on the pretense that his changing of the market is an actual success.

Case Study 4 - Adrian Lamo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Case Study 4 - Adrian Lamo - Assignment Example This is because he targeted companies such as Microsoft and prominent people like the jimmy carter (IT Security Editors). He wanted to know the things these entities do in secret, hence he went ahead to hack into their systems to fulfill his desire of knowing everything that goes on behind the public eye. He fits into the hacker stereotype because since childhood, when he hacked into systems, he was not interested in pleasing his friends, but he hacked for fun, and endeavored to advance his knowledge (IT Security Editors). The hacker stereotype is a smart person who is not concerned with social gains they gain from the actions, but long to know everything that makes them smart on the computer. His punishment fits his crime since he was not judged harshly and he was put under house arrest rather than going to prison. He confessed to his mistakes, and was willing to abandon the bad hacking habits. However, I feel that the damages he had to pay were high since he had no bad

Sx wk2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sx wk2 - Essay Example This is where Freud suggests that children begin to form an attraction to their opposite sexed parent. In the fourth stage, called the latency stage, the child has dormant sexual feelings instead of acting on them (six years old to puberty). Finally in the fifth stage, the child is beginning to show interest in their genitals and they are they are beginning to start sexual activity or at least talking about it (puberty and up). (Feist and Rosenberg, 2010, p. 505). Freud believed that sexuality was a natural experience for a human being. He believed that there was nothing wrong with homosexuality and it was not at all pathological. He said that "all human beings are intrinsically bisexual" (Bohan, 1996, p. 76). Basically he felt that heterosexuality and homosexuality were natural outgrowths of human sexuality. He also called it a "developmental distortion" (Bohan, p. 76). Freud thought that children determined their sexuality when they were younger and it would depend on the relationship that the child had with their parents. He believed that both heterosexuality and homosexuality came form a "castration complex" when a boy found out that his mother was different than he was because she did not have a penis; a boy could also have problems breaking away from a mother who was domineering (Faqs.org). He also saw that boys and girls had their first attractions to people of the opposite sex when they found themselves attracted to their opposite sex parent. He stated that boys would develop an Oedipus Complex and girls would develop an Electra Complex. He believed that no matter what the sexuality, it was a healthy outgrowth of development. Freud was a very interesting man and it is known that he studied mostly the people who were in mental institutions where he worked. This is why many researchers criticize his work. Do you think that studying the mentally ill tainted his results? Would you think that the

I have to choose one of these two Article to write a comment about one Essay

I have to choose one of these two Article to write a comment about one of them - Essay Example It is a qualitative research which sheds light on the feedback of participants and concludes based on the results of analysis. The fundamental objective of this research is to determine the perceptions as according to the definition adopted by Barkhuizen (1998). His definition connotes perception as an interaction of three actions; expressing one’s feelings, forming a judgment and making a prediction. Bialystok and Hakuta (1994) also call their attention on perception as the interaction of the above three processes. Hence, this concept of perception governs the results of this investigative study. The study calculates the utility or â€Å"usefulness† of interacting with a partner. Being a qualitative study, the researcher has pulled together the opinions, experiences and feelings of the individuals in order to identify the factors which affect student interactions. The by-products of the study were the gains and losses, struggles, investments, motivations and ideologies about languages of the learners/students. â€Å"Usefulness† in this study refers to whether if individuals reap the benefit of interaction in terms of improvement in grammar, lexis, pronunciation or even if they learn something new which they did not know prior to the interaction. Although some participants were of the opinion that they sought to converse with a student who had better command over English language than them, so they can receive better guidance or get a chance to be rectified improving their language skills. On the contrary, this was not observed and errors were not noticed or corrected. Some students believed that their language skills could only be improved by guidance from the teacher or material only. However, during my experience of teaching I had found that students interact with those students who had better command over English language so they get a chance to improve

Violence on children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Violence on children - Essay Example However, the other perspective is that corporal punishment is nothing more than violence against children masked as discipline. It is a crucial debate, and a complex issue that affects everyone. Although there are well-developed arguments for both sides of this topic, corporal punishment is sometimes necessary for children to become well developed, and it is not a form of behavior that should be considered the same as violence against children or physical abuse. Using corporal punishment on a child is often considered to be a form of violence, and some consider it to be a particularly bad form of punishment. This consideration comes from the fact that the offender is the person that the child looks to for protection, and as such, the act of violence directly breaks the trust the child has. The use of corporal punishment on children has been the subject of substantial research, as people attempt to determine whether this type of discipline has negative repercussions on children. A study published in Pediatrics provides persuasive evidence that shows the short-term benefits of using corporal punishment on children does not outweigh the long-term negative consequences. The authors found that children who were physically punished more often at the age of three was likely to be more violent than other children of his or her age by the time the child reached five years old. Not only were the five-year-olds who had been physically punished more vi olent and aggressive towards people, animals and objects, they were also more demanding, rebellious and become frustrated easier than children who were physically punished less often or not at all (Taylor 1057-65). It can be argued that this occurs because hitting a child results in fear, which does not help the child to understand the proper methods of behavior. It also has the potential to teach children that violence is the solution to the problems of adult life, leading them to turn to violence themselves

Medical Billing Specialist Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Medical Billing Specialist - Personal Statement Example Certain life experiences also have inspired and motivated me towards this aspiration and goal. Significant among which is the event of my father falling seriously ill. Seeing him suffer and groan in pain and the kindness and timely action and intelligent decisions of the doctors, nurses and other health care professionals who battled for life made me realize the importance of professionals in the medical field. I decided that I will spend the rest of my life in the health care field serving the sick people and taking cognisance of my qualifications I knew where I was heading. It was towards a career of Medical Billing and Coding. Having the requisite patience and ability to focus on details and having the needed problem solving skills paramount in professionals in the medical field I realised that it was a Medical Billing and Coding professional that I was going to be. These factors have prompted me to evolve this decision and I am thereby requesting you to please appoint me as a med ical billing specialist in your reputed company. Dear Miriam I see you as the ideal Medical Billing and Coding Specialist. I have learnt that you are applying for a sales position. But I have a better alternative for you. I seriously think you should apply for the position of Medical Billing and Coding Specialist. You are wrong in thinking that you are not suited for the job. Actually you have all the requisite skills. Let me first tell you the job specifics. 2 When the patient has a disease the coder gives the diagnosis a number i.e. alphanumeric codes to specific illnesses, injuries, and medical procedures, under a system of coding that is used across the health care system, from doctor's offices and hospitals to insurance companies, federal agencies and international organizations. The codes are used by hospitals and doctors for internal data collection and planning, 3"while insurance companies and public agencies require the codes to reimburse health care providers. The codes are even used by international health organizations to track patterns of disease and the costs of health care." Coming to think of it you are also well remunerated and what's more you have all the requisite personality traits and skills. What is essential to this profession are computer skills and you work with computers all day using different programs. You also keep yourself updated regularly and learn new programs which is just the ideal position you are in. What is more you even have the personality for the job. Being detail oriented, making independent decisions on your own and refraining from a lot of interaction with people is the kind of personality that is required for this position and you are a perfect package. Hence I really think you should apply for this post as it really suits you and would give you a lot of job satisfaction and you will never regret your choice. Name: 028004 End Notes: 1All Allied Health Schools. "Your Guide to Allied Health Education." "A