Retirement Planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Retirement Planning - Assignment Example The purpose of this paper is to discuss the different investment alternatives that I can use to develop a solid retirement plan. The biggest investment that people have is their homes. Despite the falling real estate market that occurred as a consequence of the recession of 2008 homes historically gain a lot of value over time. In 2012 the value of homes in America rose by 5.9% (Humphries, 2013). Buying a home is the first step towards financial independence. People that pay rent are throwing their money in the trash. An advantage of purchasing a home is that the interests from the mortgage on your first home are tax deductible. A good way to create wealth is by purchasing additional homes for rental. The rent typically pays for the majority of the mortgage. Upon retirement age a person can sell their second house to obtain a large sum of money. One of the best places for people to invest money towards their retirement is the stock market. The biggest stock exchange in the world is t he New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The most common investment instruments sold in the stock market are common stocks. A common stock is a security that represents ownership in a corporation (Investopedia, 2013). Owners of common stocks have voting rights. People can earn money from common stocks from equity appreciation and payment of dividends. The price of common stocks fluctuates every day. The average annual return on common stocks is 9.4% (Observationandnotes, 2009). One of best type of stocks to invest in is blue chip stocks. Blue chip stocks are stocks issued by a well know company with an established record of making money and paying dividends (Teweles, Bradley, Teweles, 1992). Three examples of blue chip stocks are Microsoft, McDonald’s, and Dell. Two types of stocks that have higher risks are foreign stocks and penny stocks. The average return of foreign stocks is 15%, but the standard deviation on the return is much higher (Ahl, 2004). Risk adverse investors should stay away from these types of equity instruments particularly penny stocks. Another type of stock that investors are often attracted too is preferred stocks. The difference between a common stock and preferred stock is that preferred stocks do not have voting rights, but dividends are guaranteed. It is important for investors to compile a diversified portfolio. Diversification can help investors lower their overall portfolio risk. The money market is another option for investors that are looking to save money towards retirement age. The money market is a financial market in which funds are borrowed or lend for short periods as distinguished from the capital market for long term funds (Teweles, et al., 1992). The best and most common money market instrument is treasury bills. Treasury bills are 90 day loans that the federal government sells to investors. The best attribute of a treasury bill is that it is a risk free investment. The federal government has never defaulted on its obli gations. The federal government also sells debt instruments that mature in six and twelve months. Another popular debt instrument is bonds. A bond is a long term loan that investors give to a governmental agency or a private institution. Bonds sold by corporations are often referred too as commercial paper. An investor that invests in a bond obtains interest known as the coupon rate. Once a

V for Vendetta Essay Example for Free

V for Vendetta Essay V for Vendetta sets the Gunpowder Plot as Vs historical inspiration, contributing to his choice of timing, language and appearance For example, the names Rookwood, Percy and Keyes are used in the film, which are also the names of three of the Gunpowder conspirators. The film creates parallels to Alexandre Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo, by drawing direct comparisons between V and Edmond Dantes. (In both stories, the hero escapes an unjust and traumatic imprisonment and spends decades preparing to take vengeance on his oppressors under a new persona. The film is also explicit in portraying V as the embodiment of an idea rather than an individual through Vs dialogue and by depicting him without a past, identity or face. According to the official website, Vs use of the Guy Fawkes mask and persona functions as both practical and symbolic elements of the story. He wears the mask to hide his physical scars, and in obscuring his identity – he becomes the idea itself. As noted by several critics and commentators, the films story and style mirrors elements from Gaston Lerouxs The Phantom of the Opera. V and the Phantom both wear masks to hide their disfigurements, control others through the leverage of their imaginations, have tragic pasts, and are motivated by revenge. V and Eveys relationship also parallels many of the romantic elements of The Phantom of the Opera, where the masked Phantom takes Christine Daae to his subterranean lair to re-educate her. As a film about the struggle between freedom and the state, V for Vendetta takes imagery from many classic totalitarian icons both real and fictional, including the Third Reich and George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four. For example, Adam Sutler primarily appears on large video screens and on portraits in peoples homes, both common features among modern totalitarian regimes and reminiscent of the image of Big Brother. In another reference to Orwells novel, the slogan Strength through Unity. Unity through Faith is displayed prominently across London, similar in cadence to War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength in Orwells book. This connection between the two can also be seen when Evey is being tortured and finds the rat in her room, akin to that being the protagonists worst fear in Nineteen Eighty-Four. There is also the states use of mass surveillance, such as closed-circuit television, on its citizens. Valerie was sent to a detention facility for being a lesbian and then had medical experiments performed on her, reminiscent of persecution of gays and Jews in Nazi Germany (see Persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany and the Holocaust). The name of Adam Sutler is inspired by the name of Adolf Hitler. Sutlers hysterical speech is also inspired from Hitlers style of speech although his targets for persecution now include Muslims rather than Jews. Norsefire has replaced St Georges Cross with a national symbol similar to the modern Cross of Lorraine (both crossbars near the top). This was a symbol used by Free French Forces during World War II, as it was a traditional symbol of French patriotism that could be used as an answer to the Nazis swastika. The letter V and the number 5 Voila! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage – no mere veneer of vanity – is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valourous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition! The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one-day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that its my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V. — Vs introductory monologue upon meeting Evey Similarly to the graphic novel, there is repeated reference to the letter V and the number five throughout the film (note V is the Roman numeral five). For example, Vs introduction to Evey is a monologue containing 48 words beginning with the letter V, and containing a total of 52 letter Vs. When Evey tells V her name he repeats it slowly as E V. In Eveys name, the letter E is the fifth letter of the alphabet, V is the fifth letter from the end of the alphabet and is the Roman numeral for five, and the letter Y is the 25th letter of the alphabet; 25 being 5 squared. In Latin, Eveys phonetic name means exit V; the character V acknowledges this, knowing that this event has begun the chain-reaction of events which will end in his demise. During his imprisonment at Larkhill, V was held in cell V, as is Evey during her fake imprisonment. Vs Zorro-like signature is also the letter V. In the explosion involving the Old Bailey, the fireworks form a red V configuration, completed by a circular firework, thus resembling not only V but the V for Vendetta logo. It is revealed that Vs favourite phrase is By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe, which according to the film translates into the 5 Ved Latin phrase: Vi Veri Vniversum Vivus Vici. (Vniversum is actually written with a U, but in old Latin, the letter U was written as a V. ) In a dance with Evey, the song V chooses is number five on his jukebox. In fact, all the songs are song number five. When V confronts Creedy in his greenhouse, he plays Beethovens Fifth Symphony, whose opening notes have a rhythmic pattern that resembles the letter V in Morse code (†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬â€œ). The films title itself is a reference to V for Victory. As V waits for night to fall, he arranges a complex domino pattern in black and red which forms the V logo. In the short sequence overlooking the train carriages, the railway tracks form the letter V. In a flyover shot of London towards the end of the film, Big Ben is shown, with its hour hand pointing at 11 and the minute hand at 1, forming a V shape. When the time is read, it shows 11:05, another reference 11–5, or November 5. In the battle with Creedy and his men at Victoria station, he uses five of his six daggers and forms a V with his daggers just before he throws them. As V throws two of his daggers at the men on either side of Creedy, the daggers form a V shape five times while spinning through the air. After V kills Creedys men, Creedy fires five shots at V. After the battle, when V is mortally wounded, he leaves a V signature in his own blood. The destruction of Parliament results in a display of fireworks which form the letter V, which is also an inverted Circle-A, a symbol commonly used by anarchists. Modern fears of totalitarianism We felt the novel was very prescient to how the political climate is at the moment. It really showed what can happen when society is ruled by government, rather than the government being run as a voice of the people. I dont think its such a big leap to say that things like that can happen when leaders stop listening to the people. —James McTeigue, Director With the intention of modernising the film, the filmmakers added topical references relevant to a modern 2006 audience. According to the Los Angeles Times, With a wealth of new, real-life parallels to draw from in the areas of government surveillance, torture, fear mongering and media manipulation, not to mention corporate corruption and religious hypocrisy, you cant really blame the filmmakers for having a field day referencing current events. There are also references to an avian flu pandemic, as well as pervasive use of biometric identification and signal-intelligence gathering and analysis by the regime. Many film critics, political commentators and other members of the media have also noted the films numerous references to events surrounding the then-current George W. Bush administration in the United States. These include the black bags worn by the prisoners in Larkhill that have been seen as a reference to the black bags worn by prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and in U. S. -administered Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, though the pre-The Matrix draft of the screenplay also contains this reference to black bags. Also London is under a yellow-coded curfew alert, similar to the U. S. overnments color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System. One of the forbidden items in Gordons secret basement is a protest poster with a mixed U. S. –U. K. flag with a swastika and the title Coalition of the Willing, To Power which combines the Coalition of the Willing with Friedrich Nietzsches concept of Will to Power. As well, there is use of the term rendition in the film, in reference to the way the regime removes undesirables from society. There is even a brief scene (during the Valerie flashback) that contains real-life footage of an anti-Iraq War demonstration, with mention of U. S. President George W. Bush. Finally, the film contains references to Americas war and the war America started as well as real footage from the Iraq War. The film also makes a brief reference to wars in Kurdistan, Syria and Sudan. Despite the America-specific references, the filmmakers have always referred to the film as adding dialogue to a set of issues much broader than the U. S. administration. When James McTeigue was asked whether or not BTN was based on Fox News Channel, McTeigue replied, Yes. But not just Fox. Everyone is complicit in this kind of stuff. It could just as well been the Britains Sky News Channel, also a part of News Corp.

Woolworths Australia History

Woolworths Australia History Woolworths has the biggest supermarket chain in Australia and is owned by the Woolworths Limited. Woolworths Limited was established in 1924 with the initial store opening in Sydneys Imperial Arcade. Its opening advertisement claimed that every city required the Woolworths and thus everybody needed a handy place where good things were cheap (Karen Plunkett-Powell, 2001). Woolworths was founded by Stanley Edward Chatterton, Harold Percival Christmas, Ernest Robert Williams, George William Percival Creed and Cecil Scott Waine. Stanley Chatterton and Percy Christmas had opened the first floor Frock Salon in Queen Victoria Markets currently the Queen Victoria Building at the corner of George and Market streets in Sydney (Collier and Evans, 2010). Formation of Woolworths limited It was obvious in 1924 the premises of S.E. Chatterton were small steered to opening of another branch. Formation of the new company (Woolworths limited) incorporated with the nominal capital of 25,000 shares each. The once proposed Woolworths Bazaar seemed cumbersome and on 22nd September in 1924, the company got registered as Woolworths limited after realization that the overseas Woolworths Company has no agenda to open in Australia. It had the following founding directors: S.E. Chatterton, H.P. Christmas, C. Scott Waine, E.R. Williams and G.W.P. Creed as the nearest advisers (Karen Plunkett-Powell, 2001). There were 15,000 shares which were given to public though there was small confidence in the business enterprise. Only 11,707 shares got subscribed by 29 people mostly the friends of promoters. Despite the mode, it was decided to go on and open soonest possible. The store was an instantaneous success and in its initial year the company remunerated a dividend of 5%, 40% in the second year and 50% in its third year (Collier and Evans, 2010). The policy of the founders to sell good in popular demand on cash and carry basis had been maintained (Peter Schulz, 1982). Woolies before Transition Retail environment in Australia Over the last 50 years, the Australia enjoyed fine business environment with increased population with the shopping centre developers becoming some of the leading in the world. The country enjoys fine weather all the year round, apart from having many of open air shopping centers. The usually encompassed centers have also an outdoor component with enclosed air conditioned areas which offer the respite from summer heat in warmer states. Evolution of supermarkets came with huge impact on Australias retail landscape. Riding on the strength of supermarkets retailing, Woolworths were at the time prepared on their way to become the biggest largest retailers. The Woolworths and Cols have currently neared 10% of the total Australian retail sales. As the retail sector in Australia has grown, it has also remained flexible and strategic to cope with micro and macro economic challenges, consumer trends, technological advances, new retail formats, consumer trends, globalization, rising retail rents, and increasing competition. Warehousing At first the Sydney Bulk Store was built on the two floors above Oxford Street store in 1929 though the space was outgrown quickly and in 1933 the three floors of the nearby Wentworth Avenue warehouse got taken over. The 20,000 sq ft seemed enough for the foreseeable future though it was outgrown within two years. This lead into purchase of 1 acre site at Pyrmont and 100,000 sq ft warehouse establishment opening as Sydbulk in 1936. Within the two years of growth, the space was outgrown as now Woolworths had 71 stores bulk and trading buying was the significant part to supply the best prices to customers. A novel bigger site was obtained at Glebe and in 1940 a modern warehouse of 262,000 sq ft was opened. Simultaneously, the Sydprint which was initiated in 1934 as the silk screen department in Majestys store moved likewise into Glebe warehouse (Karen Plunkett-Powell , 2001). The availability of enough warehousing was short lived and the influx of troops in the World War II created a space at the premium and in 1942 the Woolworths managed to bargain for smaller area in the attempt of taking the Glebe Warehouse as 100,000 was fenced for Americans. The World War II had brought the companys growth into termination. Many Woolworths men and women joined into military services which made it difficult for the company get its stock and staff (Karen Plunkett-Powell, 2001). The company saw a big change in its top management in 1940 with the appointment of Mr. Theo Kelly as the General Manager preceding Mr. H.P. Christmas then in office after the company sought the relief solution from increasingly arduous duties. Mr. Kelly who had joined Woolworths in 1928, its dedication interest in stock control issues led into his appointment as the Warehouse Manager two years later (Peter Schulz, 1982). Mr. Kelly was transferred to New Zealand in 1931 as the general manager and after three years he was appointed as the Director of Woolworths NZ. He took leave from position of General Manager to serve in RAAF for a few years and then got appointed into the board on his return. In 1945, Mr. Christmas retired as the managing director which led Kelly to be appointed as the successor at age 37. Mr. Christmas retained his Board position though on his oversees trip he suddenly died at Bordeaux in France. His position on Board was taken by Mr. Cedric Hart who joined the company in 1928 as the Queensland Accountant and got appointed as Secretary at the Head Office, Sydney in 1929. Post-War Expansion The termination of war brings the duty of rehabilitating the returned service personnel and the depleted warehouses and stores. The first post-war store was commenced at Brankstown, Sydney in 1948 and other stores quickly enhanced. In 1954, the Woolworths purchased the Majestys building for $ 2,200,000, Australian record price for one piece of the real estate and in 1955 the Woolworths opened the 200th store in Civic Centre, Canberra (Collier and Evans, 2010). Woolworths continued to grow in New Zealand to acquire 10 McDuffs stores by 1951 and in 1955 there were already 50 Woolworths stores established in New Zealand. In 1956 the company commenced its staff Journal which soon came to be called the Woolies News and circulated to all the states and stores to keep the Woolies family updated on the activities of rapidly expanding company (Karen Plunkett-Powell , 2001). Woolies Transition Woolworths limited continued to develop and in 1929 it saw its establishment in the London Buying Office (Australasian Chain Stores Ltd) and its related company in New Zealand, the Woolworths Zealand ltd whose initial store opened at Cuba Street in Wellington in 1929. By the ending of 1933, Woolworths limited had grown into 23 branches in Australia and 8 branches in New Zealand. The initial Victorian store was opened at Bourke Street in Melbourne in 1933. On the proceeding year, the former Bargain Basement Imperial Arcade in Sydney was closed after the company got the lease of her closest Majestys Theatre (Karen Plunkett-Powell , 2001). Following the considerable internal reconstruction, her new Majestys branch at Market and Pitt Street became the Woolworths major Sydney store which opened on 1934. In 1938, another new company was built to control the freehold properties of Woolworths properties ltd, Woolworths freehold properties and in 1942 the companys initial architect was selected. Woolworths had consistent advertisers in daily newspapers from beginning. In 1937, the company decided to utilize the comparatively new medium of radio sponsoring; the evening program referred to as Rhythm Round-up aired in station 2GB in Sydney (Collier and Evans, 2010). The Woolworths appeal for almost unfamiliar before breakfast resulted in Jack Davey to get its initial peak-time break in the show business and became one of the Sydneys principal personalities (Karen Plunkett-Powell , 2001). In 1981, the construction began on novel 74,000 sq metre warehouse complex on a land of 13 hectares at Yennora at the approximate cost of $20 million. The Yennora Distribution Cntre opened in 1983 and became the companys initial computerized Food warehouse. The second computerized Food Warehouse was established at the Acacia Ridge, Qld in 1983 and the novel meat processing plant at Wacol, Brisbane stated its production in July. In 1985, acquisition of 126 Australian Safeway Stores brought Woolworths to be the biggest food retailer in Australia. The Safeway Stores were located in Queensland and Victoria, New South Wales and involved the Northern New South Wales and Food Barns in Queensland. The stores got acquired following the agreement in which the Safeway Inc received 19.99% interest in Woolworths Limited (Peter Schulz, 1982). This led into Mr. J.W.R, the managing director and chairman of Australian Safeway stores, and Mr. P.A. Magowan, the chief executive officer and chairman of the Safeway stores Inc, USA got appointed into the Woolworths Board (Karen Plunkett-Powell, 2001). Currently the Food Store Chain included Philip Leong, Flemings (NSW), BCC, Food for Less (QLD), BCC, Fabulous (SA), Nancarrows (Vic), and Food Fair (WA) and it was concluded that from 1986 the businesses would operate as Food and Wholesaling Unit based at Mascot, Flemings, and Sydney. Woolworths also enhanced into franchising with the passing of Clancys franchises from the testing stage and 12 Clancy stores which operated in New South Wales. On January of 1985, acquisition of 50% for issued capital of Chandlers, Australia got pronounced. Chandler operated the chain of 59 electrical retail stores in Northern New South Wales and Queensland while in April the initial Dick Smith store was established in San Francisco, United States (Collier and Evans, 2010). In 1985, the minute group of 12 Homemaker stores was terminated. These stores were initially established in 1973 with stores in Jesmond in NSW and Bankstown Square, which involved a wide range of furniture, white goods and furnishings. On November, the IEL advised the unconditional offer to all shares in Woolworths Limited at the price of $3.65 cash per share. On December, the chairman for Woolworths declared the Woolworths directors had agreed on IEL offer to get the Woolworths shares. In 1989, the IEL had acquired 98.4% of shares in Woolworths and went on with compulsory acquisition of remaining Woolworths share (Collier and Evans, 2010). Woolworths became fully owned subsidiary of IEL at the cost of $ 850 million and on 31st of May, the Woolworths Limited shares got delisted and the company never appeared on Stock Exchange Boards after being listed for 65 years (Peter Schulz, 1982). The Woolworths limited stores had not been given attention until the premises offer on the highly advantageous terms which resulted in Woolworths opening at the store in Queen Street, Brisbane in 1927. On the preceding year, the company opened a store at 370 Pitt Street, second in Brisbane in the Valley and initial in Western Australia at the Hay Street, Perth (Peter Schulz, 1982). Cost and Benefits On October in 1964, the Woolworths opened its initial entirely sponsored and established the regional shopping centre (Jesmond Centre), near Newcastle, NSW. The 12 acre $2 million project involved the Woolworths initial BIG W department store, extensive car parking and specialty shops. In the preceding year the company opened the second BIG W department store at Chatswood. In 1964 Woolworths celebrated its 30th anniversary for its total retail sales which totaled $250 million setting the record for Australian retailer. It saw the building of laboratory of food testing at Perishables Warehouse in Auburn hence launching the company on the Quality Assurance Program which became one of the biggest and most comprehensive in retail industry in Australia (Karen Plunkett-Powell , 2001). In October 1965, Woolworths opened the second regional shopping centre at Newcastle in New South Wales. The $4 million establishment was referred as Kotara and in August 1966 was preceded by a drive-in shopping centre at the Liverpool nearby Sydney. And in November 1968, the Rock-hampton (Central Queensland) got its initial drive in the shopping centre when the Woolworths started the Northside Plaza (Karen Plunkett-Powell , 2001). On the proceeding year, Sundale on Queenslands Gold Coast was established on March and the fifth drive-in shopping centre got entirely expanded by Woolworths. Also the $71/2 million regional shopping centre on a 13 acre site comprising 50 shops was flagged as one of the developed designs in Australia by the time (Karen Plunkett-Powell, 2001). The drive-in supermarkets greatly spread as Warrawong Regional Centre in the nearby Port Kembla, and New South Wales opened in 1969. Woolworths drive-ins opened its seventh shopping centre south of Warrawong at Warilla Grove with Woolworths supermarket and other 20 specialty stores (Peter Schulz, 1982). Woolworths formed an export division in 1963 as Woolworths registered in Malaysia, Thailand Philippines and Hong Kong. In May 1965, the Woolworths Limited in Malaysia acquired the management interest in Fitzpatricks Food Suppliers, the Far East Limited, which is one of the Leading Singapores retail, agency and wholesale organizations. This was consequently sold in 1970. In 1965 Woolworths had the significant events of acquiring the long-term lease in Bebarfalds building the famous Sydney landmark at the corner of Park and George streets opposite Sydney Town Hall. In 1978, the board agreed the offer from LD Nathan and Co Ltd, from New Zealand to buy the Woolworths 40% interest in Woolworths (NZ) ltd. The company had the net gain due to transaction of $2,016,000 and 1,887,844 shares in Co.Ltd and LD Nathan which represented the 15% interest in the company (Peter Schulz, 1982). In 1979 Woolworths shares in LD Nathan plus Company Limited got sold to the New Zealand institutions bringing into an end the association which extended over half century. Woolworths established their initial New Zealand store in Cuba Street, Wellington in 1929 and lastly got 98 stores in New Zealand. In the marketing style changes of the Woolworths first self-service, a variety store was started at Beverly Hills, in a Sydney suburb on October, 1955. In the similar concept in retail trading overseas, especially in America, customers no longer waited to be catered for but serviced themselves to the items they required to pay at the checkouts as they moved out of the store (Peter Schulz, 1982). In 1983, the company made the year sales of $3,243,701,000 and the net profit of $56,965,000 after taxing. To recognize the companys 60th anniversary, the directors issued for bonus issue of shares made to all shareholders in the proportion of 1 to 10. The dividend reinvestment plan was pronounced and became operating in 1984 last dividend. In the year, 10 small stores in north of Western Australia got acquired from Elders IXL. The acquisition brought Woolies into a sole rich Pilbara region of north Western Australia for initial time and into the total number of 793. The concept was successful and the second self-service store got opened in Carnegie, in Melbourne the preceding year. In this whole period, the company experimented with small food sections in the rear parts of its variety stores including the Burswood, Punchbowl, Dee Why and Campsie (Karen Plunkett-Powell, 2001). The grocery range was limited though it included delicatessen items, fresh vegetables and packaged fresh meat sold in refrigerated cabinets. The variety sectors were serviced while the food sections were on self-service basis and had their own checkouts in the middle of the store. In May 1958, the company enhanced his fewer food outlets by acquisition of other 32 BCC (Stores food markets) in Queensland. The quick expansion enabled Woolworths to open its 300ths store in Wentworthville in December 1959. 1960 was the momentous year as Woolworths continued to proceed into the food sector to acquire John Wills supermarket chain which consisted of nine stores in Western Australia (Collier and Evans, 2010). With enhanced expertise in food marketing, the Woolworths planned for a series of comprehensive supermarkets, self selection stores, giving a variety of goods and range of food under one roof, with nearby parking space to meet the needs of fast growing population of car owners (Peter Schulz, 1982). The first Woolworths supermarket was opened at Warrawong, New South Wales in 1960 and was a great success which the other stores planned on drawing board reviewed to allow for full growth of the entire sites. In November and December of the same year, supermarkets got opened at Seven Hills, Berala, St. Ives, and Fairfield Heights, New South Wales, Margate and Coorparoo in Queensland and Elizabeth in South Australia. Acquisition for the 55 store Flemings food Chain in June and 57 New South Wales stores At McIraiths in November enhanced Woolworths food marketing. Woolworths became the initial retailer to function widely in Australia in 1960 when it bought the Northern Territory business for Centralian Traders Pty Ltd, in Alice Springs and Woolies were brought in the centre of the continent as Darwin followed in 1962. Following the massive expansion, the Glebe warehouse became a bit small and the existing stock-handling techniques too cumbersome. By the beginning of 1960, a new eighteen acre distribution centre at North Auburn, Silver water in NSW got established in stages. It occupied the entire block and offered the largest building for its kind in Australia with 800,000 sq ft of the storage space on two levels (Peter Schulz, 1982). The variety stock was held in one floor with consumables and groceries on other. Installation in the warehouse of Ramac, electronic computer for distribution and modern stock control, built Woolworths as the leader in computer usage in retail industry. In 1962, the completion of warehouse in Sydprint shifted from Glebe warehouse to Silverwater and got renamed as Woolprint and remained there until 1989. A new subsidiary Meatex was formed at Auburn for meat supplication to supermarkets and by 1961 another smaller Meatex plant got opened at Welland, South Australia before it relocated to Marleston in 1963. In August, a novel Meat distribution centre got completed in Blacktown to replace the Meatex at Auburn. The modern plant had extensive facilities which facilitated distribution for fresh meat to Woolworths NSW supermarkets (Collier and Evans, 2010). In 1960s, Woolworths expanded again into apparel market. It purchased 70 Rockmans apparel stores which operated in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland in 1961 and by November purchased the manufacturing company (L.O. Bailey Pty Ltd) 78 and other related Chic Salon lingerie shops. The initial stage of enhanced alterations towards the building now called the Woolies Corner, culminated in November opening of the new look Woolworths variety store which occupied the basement, first and ground floors (Peter Schulz, 1982). There was the addition of two additional storeys, and the upper floors became the head office of the company in March 1970. Her Majesty store which traded for 36 years terminated in 1970 and the building got sold to AMP Society for redevelopment as a portion of Centre point project. In 1966 a Knighthood, the Queens Birthday Honor List was pronounced for Woolies Chairman and Managing Director (Sir Theo Kelly) in reorganization for his services to industry and Commerce. Sir Theo Kelly had taken the part of Mr. C. Scott Waine as the Chairman of Board in 1963, to hold the appointment jointly with Managing Directorship. In 1967 eight Cox brothers department stores got acquired successfully to comprise the Foys at Bourke Street in Melbourne and the stores in Melbourne in Chadstone suburbs, Prahran, Northland and Collingwood; Cox-Economic at Hay stret, Morshead atBallarat, Cox-Foys and Perth at Mt Gambier SA. The Victorian group of 26 food stores (trading as Nancarrows) was acquired in 1969 and further group of 75 Crofts Food Stores in 1970. The stores added to existing Food Fairs to make it the composite group of 120 food stores which trading as Nancarrows and offered the strong entry into Victorian market (Collier and Evans, 2010). Woolworths opened a novel BIG W Centre at Booval near Ipswich Qld which featured the complete self-selection and checkout process to merchandising in department store as well as food in 60,000 sq. ft. trading level. On the preceding year, a similar store opened at Indooroopilly in Brisbane. This became announced as the Woolworths Family Centre and Booval store got adopted at the same time (Karen Plunkett-Powell, 2001). Simultaneously, it was decided to hold the trading name of BIG W department stores for the purpose of transferring the existing stores to new Woolworths Family Centre Division. In the end of 1970 other three Woolworths Family Centers started to operate in Queensland at Mt, Isa, North Rockhampton and Mt Gravatt, Brisbane. Popularity in Woolworths Family Centers, Queensland gave way for more expansion for this new division and in 1971 the initial New South Wales centers started at Warilla Grove shopping centre and St, Wollingong. These got followed by the Wagga NSW, 10th and the Phoenix Park near the Fremantle WA, 31st. By the end of September in 1971, there were opened six more Family Centers, three in Queensland, two in (NSW) and one in WA. Also the company lauched its 25-year club in 1970 where the Woolworths honors its employees retired or active with 25 or more years service. The inaugural functions got held in the entire states at Companys London Office (Karen Plunkett-Powell, 2001). Sir Theo Kelly retired in 1971 and Owen Price the general manager since 1969 was appointed as the companys chief executive. Sir Theo remained as the chairman of Woolworths Limited, subsidiary and associated companies and the managing and chairman of Woolworths, in New Zealand Limited. In November 1972, the last surviving member of Woolworths group who founded Woolworths, Mr. Stanley E. Chatterton CBE, retired from the directors board to severe the link of great historical importance. In 1974, the general manager, Mr. Owen Price, resigned and Mr. Paul Simons and Mr. W.B Dean got appointed jointly as general managers and Mr. C.T. Waldon became the deputy general manager. On December in 1978, Mr. C.T. Waldron the deputy general manager became appointed as the joint general manager corporate services after resignation of Mr. Paul Simons as Mr. W.B. Dean maintained his responsibility as the Joint General Manager (merchandising). In 1973 Woolworths introduced the carefully organized series of Woolworths own brands. It launched 200 items under five different names: St Mark, Chevron, Grandway and Woothworths which all bared the Own Brands seal. For qualification in inclusion of the Own Brands range, the e product retained the least equal quality to national market leader though it sold at a minimal price (Karen Plunkett-Powell, 2001) Woolworths limited 50th anniversary was celebrated by the shoppers in the entire Australia on 5th December as Australia shaped cakes which bared 50 candles got distributed in all the stores for customers and staff to share (Peter Schulz, 1982). That year saw the retail sales of $702,024,065 and the operating profit minus the tax of $9, 933,770. The staff currently which totaled 32,000 made the Woolworths as one of the largest employers of private labor enterprise sector (Collier and Evans, 2010). The Woolworths board recently established the four clear corporate objectives: To offer the customers with good quality merchandise at cheap prices. Improved profit on shareholders funds to make the people owning Woolworths To receive good returns on investment. To offer their customers with adequate and friendly services. To provide good conditions, wages, job satisfaction for its employees. In 1975, there was a high inflection in Australia and Woolworths got affected by the heavy increases of wages. Even though, 143 new stores got completed in the year and significantly the policy discussions got held to rationalize the trading operations and plan for establishment of BIG W Discount Store Division, the novel style for retailing of Woolworths. The BIG W concept was for big store, and sold the general merchandise on a sole level with enhanced parking facilities. The initial BIG W DISCOUNT STORE was started at West Tamworth in New South Wales in 1976 and by the ending of 1978, up to 13 BIG W Discount stores operated with stores in the entire states and ACT. Also in 1976, Woolworths became the initial Australian retail organization to get the sales which exceeded $ 1 billion in a financial year and the initial Annual Report to staff got distributed, an additional initial Australian Retail Industry (Karen Plunkett-Powell, 2001). In 1980, Sir Theo Kelly OBE retired from the position of Chairman and got succeeded by Mr. E.P. McClintock. Sir Theo Kelly was established to commemorate his 52 years in the company and 17 years as the chairman. The foundation offered the scholarship to enable managers from the industry participates in the moment of tertiary education aiming directly to develop the skills in Executive Retail Management. On January, 31st, Mr. AJ Tony the previous state manager for NSW was selected as to general manager and also chief executive and director for the board before his appointment as the managing director in 1981. In the year which ended in 28th January in 1981, the company sales exceeded by $2 billion for initial time and the increased results made the bonus issue of usual shares of 1 for 10. A $30 million pronounceable rights matter for convertible unsecured was made to ordinary shareholders to help in funding of new store development. In 1981, the Woolworths got 60% of the established companies operated by Dick Smith Electronic, and the remaining 40% of Dick Smith group got acquired in 1983. The food store group was based in Townsville, Qld as Philip Leong was taken in April and acquirement of Purity Group of 14 supermarkets and Roelf Vos group of 10 supermarkets in Tasmania. Woolworths had been in the forefront in utilization of the latest technology and improved its retail performance. In year 1926 the receipt-printing cash registers got installed by National Cash Register Company which declared Woolworths Limited was the words firt variety store to implement that kind of machines to record its sales (Collier and Evans, 2010). In August of 1982, the Arndale Supermarket and the Frenchs Forest formed the initial centre for scanning operations with NCR equipment in Sydney. Preceding the successful pilit scheme, the scanning systems got introduced in 10 supermarkets in Purity Stores and New South Wales in Tasmania. The Proceeding year on 5th of December, there was the introduction of the worlds first national electronic funds transfer system at the point of sale at that supermarket at Neutral Bay, New South Wales. The Food Plus and BP Australia joined Westpac for this historic initially. In 1998, the trial for the first scanning system got launched at Glenorchy Purity Supermarket, Tasmania. In the first week of December, celebrations were held in the entire Woolworths stores to celebrate the companys 60th Anniversary. This followed the giving of 11 kilo maps of Australia cakes to all Woolworths stores for cake-cutting ceremonies and presentation in the community groups. This give opportunity for the 25 year club with the membership f 705 which held special functions in all the states. The community gestured for 60th anniversary and the poster of Australian flags with 38 flags depicting the Australian history got produced for Australian day. Two of posters were given free to all the Australian schools, state and independent likewise to make available in all the parliamentarians and any interested parties. They proved to be successful and became an annual event with the new poster on Australian theme designed and distributed every year (Collier and Evans, 2010). The Future of Woolworths Improvement in Profitability The companys results reviewed a dramatic turnaround from negative effects of 1987. The half year trading of 1988 confirmed the improvement trend in profitability of company though the directors never declared on interim dividend. In the period of 1988 to 1989, the sales and the group operating profit increased and again putting the Woolworths as the leader of retailed food in Australia (Peter Schulz, 1982). In 1989, the new concept of store presentation introduced alongside Crazy Prices Store that was opened at Eastwood, NSW. Formally growing from aggressive efforts into clear stocks on closing of unprofitable variety stores, the precepts was then enhanced into new sites and in two years the 20 Crazy Prices stores got established (Karen Plunkett-Powell, 2001). Environment Woolworths looked for various ways of reducing its effects on environment. It engaged in recycling of in-store waste like polystyrene boxes, cardboard boxes, meat off cuts and chicken rotisserie fat and the supermarkets came up with storefront bins of plastic bag recycling. In the last half of 1989, Woolworths established the testing program and became the CFC free and utilized only the HFC refrigerants. All the refitted and new Woolworths supermarkets are fitted with HFC products nationally (Peter Schulz, 1982). Woolworths currently uses the latest technological advances to offer the service for their customers. The Woolworths Online Fresh Food Website involves the personalized meal planning features. The site gives room for the customer to browse around 2000 delicious recipes, dietary advice and practical cooling tips from the leading nutritionist: Rosemary Stanton and register for dietary requirements and personal food preferences. Proper meal plans particularly tailored to those kinds of requirements are generated and after the recipes are chosen, the sites form a shopping list and advice to the viewer of their nearest Woolworths Purity, Safeway or Roelf Vos Supermarket. Its Home Page Services got extended when the Homeshop went live in 1998. Centered on the Woolworths store at Eastwood, Sydney, the Homeshop enables the customers to view for products range including fresh fruit and vegetables, groceries, serviced deli, fresh meat, liquor, frozen and chilled foods. The customers have got their chosen groceries delivered within the nominated 2 hour delivery window amidst 7am and 11pm by the refrigerated Homeshop van as the payments are made via mobile EFTPOS on their arrival. The service has been expanded rapidly with plans to cover the for 140 suburbs in Sydney (Collier and Evans, 2010). In July of 1998, the Woolworths and Commonwealth Bank pronounced the alliance purposed at offering the range of co-branded financial services to personal customers. Immediately after the Woolworths had announced it, contracted with the Dan Murphy Cellars liquor business (in Victoria) with five other retail outlets in metropolitan Melbourne. It had been the intention of Woolworths to sustain the Dan Murphy business as the autonomous expand and operation nationwide in the new brand-name concept (Peter Schulz, 1982). Woolworths goes on to enhance its activities with novel marketplace shopping centers in construction , and more so Metro Stores being opened in New South Wales and Queensland likewise to Woolworths +Plus Petro enhancing up to 42 outlets and new distribution and warehousing centers at Minchin bury, broad meadows and New South Wales, Victoria (Karen Plunkett-Powell, 2001).

Essay --

Markus Zusak Markus Zusak was born on June 23rd, 1975 in Sydney, Australia. His mother is German, and his father is Austrian. When he was just a boy, his parents told him stories about what happened during world war two, and these stories would eventually inspire him to write The Book Thief. He even included specific events that he learned about from his mother, such as the parade of Jews, and when Munich was bombed. He began writing when he was but a teenager, and stated that his inspiration came from The Old Man and the Sea, and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. Importance of Setting The Book Thief is set in a small fictional German town called Mulching, which is said to be right outside of Munich. The story begins in the midst of the troubles of world war two, when Hitler has been in power for a decent amount of time. Zusak wanted to portray the story of the German side of things, showing how information about what Hitler was doing was not commonly known. He wanted to show the struggles that can happen in even the smallest towns, emphasizing Nazi influence throughout the book. Some Germans full of pride, others with regret, even more with fear. This is just a small town, but even what they do has consequences, and this shows how much of an actor you had to be to stay alive if you disagreed with the Gestapo. List of Characters Death The introduction of death is an oddity that should be expected, as a spiritual superstition given form should always have some sort of mystery about them. Death is the narrator of The book Thief, telling the readers the tales that he finds interesting while supplanting seemingly meaningless interjections of facts and other such trivial things. In the beginning of the book, he tells us o... ...t. She makes money by doing the laundry of the rich people in Mulching, but secretly hates it and them. Her love for her husband Hans is great, and enjoys Liesel’s company just as much, even if she doesn’t show it. Max Vandenburg A Jew who has been living in secret with the Hubermanns in their basement. He befriends Liesel and has been steadily learning how to read with her help. With Liesel’s inspiration, he starts to draw and write his own books, basing them off his life and his visions. He titles the two books â€Å"The Standover Man† and â€Å"The Word Shaker†. Hitler is a recurring thought for him, as he imagines himself fighting him in a fist fight, which makes sense considering that Max was always ready and willing for fighting other people when he was younger. Max is forced to leave after Hans makes a mistake and shows his compassion for people. Rudy Steiner

The Shortage of Educationally Prepared Nursing Faculty

The Shortage of Educationally Prepared Nursing Faculty The nation is in need of a sufficient Registered nurse supply. The adequacy of this supply is critical in providing quality health care. An integral role of Registered nurses (RNs) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in primary care delivery helps to bring focus to the nation’s health care systems of patients’ and communities. The United States’ estimated shortage of nurses will grow to 260,000 by 2025, disturbing the nation’s health care delivery systems (American Nurses Association, 2011).The widespread of attention toward the growing need of nurses in the United States presents decreased awareness on the focus of nurse faculty shortages (National League of Nursing, 2010). Although active nursing numbers are growing, state, and national projections predict nursing shortages will increase as the population ages and requires more care, and practicing nurses, in large numbers, begin to retir e. Without coordinated statewide actions addressing the growing problem of faculty shortages, United States citizens will continue to face severe nurse shortages (National League of Nursing, 2010).Nursing faculty is intertwined with the current national shortage of nurses (American Nurses Association, 2011). Issues and Influencing Factors Some of the main issues affecting nursing shortages are the worsening of shortages of faculty in academic environments, damaging nursing professions infrastructure in edcation. Ninety-four percent of academic health centers believe faculty shortages arrive in at least one medical school, and 69% agree that these faculty shortages are an issue for institutions abroad.The majority have identified nurse faculty shortages as the highest in demand followed by allied health, pharmacy, and medicine (National League of Nursing, 2010). The limitation of student capacities is growing across the country in relation to nurse faculty shortages. Influencing fact ors contributing to these shortages involve aging faculty, budget constraints, the workload of full-time nurse educators in non-administrative positions teaching in either pre-licensure RN or graduate-level RN programs, competing salaries among employers in medical facilities versus universities, and recruitment (American Nurses Association, 2011).Recruitment of qualified new faculty is limited of master’s and doctoral programs with a focus on nursing education like the underrepresentation of minority groups, inadequate faculty compensation, and workplace issues like employee workload, clinical scheduling, student attitudes, and abilities, and cultural issues (American Nurses Association, 2011).According to the American Nurses Association (2011), â€Å"United States nursing schools turned away 75,587 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2011 from insufficient faculty numbers, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors, and budget constraints† (Scope of the Nursing Faculty shortage). One other contributing factor is salary differences. According the Maryland Statewide Commission on the Crisis in nursing (2005), â€Å"The average salary for a practicing nurse with an advanced degree is $80,000, but a nursing faculty member makes about $50,000.The starting salary for a full-time faculty member at a Maryland school of nursing is approximately equal to that of a new graduate from an associate-degree or baccalaureate nursing program beginning as a full-time staff nurse. Given the additional education, master’s degree in nursing at minimum, and the experience required for a faculty position, this disparity in salary seems inequitable† (p. 2). Shortage Challenges, Strategies, and Consequences A challenge to decrease the growing shortage of nurses is to enhance opportunities for nursing faculty in addition to faculty increases in a timely manner.Countering strategies toward nurse faculty shortage s need to gain a focus on various educational methods within institutions like retaining senior faculty, and recruitment of new faculty in a timely manner in collaboration with anticipated retirements. National prospects suggest the initiation of a new motivation tool that launches new educational and research training with focuses on doctoral studies early in nursing careers with added support (Hinshaw, 2001). The consequence of a non-functioning solution to the problem will continue to contribute to nursing shortages placing the health care arena in jeopardy of poor health care delivery.The decrease of nurses has major consequences on preparing for emergencies, quality health care, the safety of patients’, access to health care services, and growth of the economy (The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, 2006). More nurses will resume other avenues of employment, in addition to an increase of workload burnout. Recommendations Schools of Nursing, nursing school†™s educational institutions, and nursing professions need to evaluate old strategies and develop new and creative solutions for decreasing the shortage of nursing faculty (Hinshaw, 2001). A strong recommendation is retaining productive senior faculty.Academic administrators and faculty should evaluate new solutions for retaining senior faculty skills as they enter the retirement phase. Strategies suggested and developed should include methods based on the respect held for the expertise of senior faculty members on the needs of the nursing program as new junior faculty are recruited (Hinshaw, 2001). According to Hinshaw (2001), examples of recommendations include senior faculty to develop, and share new experiences, offer phased retirement plans, establish intellectual homes like Centers of Excellence based on research, and provide service components to retain senior faculty.Timing for replacement of senior faculty incorporates a specific strategy of preplanning. A widely used stra tegy used is to negotiate a loan from nursing program parent institutions. The loans are paid back as senior faculty retires. The major benefit of this loan program is it permits for the recruitment of new faculty as the experienced senior faculty is in place, providing several years for mentoring relationships between the two groups.Such a cadre of new and senior faculty can also build a strong climate for teaching mastery, research programs, and sponsorship into leadership positions in the profession because time is available for the new individuals to develop in a more comfortable, less stressed environment. At the same time, the expertise of the senior faculty is respected, and acknowledged. Another recommendation is to increase faculty salaries in comparison to clinical salaries. Currently there is more than a 20 thousand dollar difference between the two master’s of nursing professions, which also complicates recruitment of nursing faculty.According to American Nurses A ssociation (2011), â€Å"The average salary of a nurse practitioner, across settings and specialties, is $ $91,310. By contrast, in March 2011, master's prepared faculty earned an annual average salary of $72,028† (Factors contributing to the Faculty Shortage). Because the United States is economically challenged, increased salaries for higher educated nursing professionals may steer him or her toward faculty employment. Last, a resolution to gaining more nurses to consider faculty positions is to introduce academics early in his or her nursing career. Incorporating teaching throughout Associate Degree programs nd higher will appeal a more viable career option toward academic nursing. Economic Investments The nursing shortage detrimentally has damaged the health care system. Studies have revealed that nursing shortages contribute to non-desirable patient outcomes, medication errors, and an increase in mortality rates. Inadequate staffing issues were linked to increased patien t mortality (American Nurses Association, 2011). Researchers have identified that federal investments in nursing education is needed. Hospitals and other medication institutions need to support educating future nurses and increase nurse efficiency.There is a need for innovative pathways in education toward bachelor and graduate studies in nursing in addition to incentives for recruitment of nursing faculty. Families and surrounding communities need to recognize the effects of nursing care has on the quality and safety of health care and be prepared to assist with funds to support the need for higher education. The public should become involved with an understanding that united is a stand, and divided the country shall fall in addition to taking a stand to demand better care of growing communities with longer lifespans.Conclusion Shortages of nursing faculty, placements in clinical settings, and nursing program classrooms report each year in every state in the congressional district report denying qualified candidates to nursing schools (National League of Nursing, 2010). Rising factors affecting the nursing shortage is wages. Wages for nurses compared to past wages have grown dramatically but still lag behind other health care professionals with equal education. Although many strategies have been initiated, there is no one strategy, or solution to the ongoing issue of a need for roughly 800,000 nurses needed by 2020 (American Nurses Association, 2011).Until communities, governments, hospitals, and other medical institutions, in addition to nursing programs take a united stand in promoting the future of quality health care, the United States will continue to experience a shortage in nursing. The key to producing qualified nurses is to employ more qualified faculty. A solution to this promotion should start within early nursing programs with teaching as a focus. This will help future nurses to admire the importance of helping patients in addition to helping new nurses grow in the nursing practice. References American Nurses Association. (2011). Nurse Faculty Shortages.Retrieved October 07, 2012, from American Nurses Association: http://www. aacn. nche. edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/nursing-faculty-shortage Hinshaw, A. (2001, January 31). A Continuing Challenge: The Shortage of Educationally Prepared Nursing Faculty. Retrieved October 07, 2012, from The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 6(1). Manuscript 3. Available: http://www. nursingworld. org/MainMenuCategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNursing/workforce/NursingShortage/Resources/ShortageofEducationalFaculty. html Maryland Statewide Commission on the Crisis in Nursing. (2005, September 02). Nursing Faculty Shortage .Retrieved October 07, 2012, from Maryland Board of Nursing: http://www. mbon. org/commission/nsg_faculty_shortage. pdf National League of Nursing. (2010, February). 2010 NLN Nurse Educator Shortage Fact Sheet. Retrieved October 07, 2012, from National League of Nursing: h ttp://www. nln. org/governmentaffairs/pdf/nursefacultyshortage. pdf The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools. (2006, September). Thoughts on a Nursing Shortage. Retrieved October 08, 2012, from The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools: http://www. healthinschools. org/News-Room/EJournals/Volume-7/Number-9/Thoughts-on-a-Nursing-Shortage. aspx

Merck & Company, Inc: The Recall of Vioxx Essay

Introduction Geroge W. Merck stated once stated, â€Å"We try never to forget that medicine is for the people. It is not for the profits. The profits follow. Initially, Vioxx was the blockbuster drug that Merck needed due to the upcoming Zocor patent cliff in 2006. With an estimated 27,785 heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths that could have been avoided if Celebrex had been used instead of Vioxx, Merck faces the possibility of not only having to pay enormous civil and criminal penalties, but also losing the trust of patients. Many parties are partially culpable, but Merck faces the severe uphill battle of regaining a reputation that once served as a market differentiator; in the 1980’s, Merck was voted the â€Å"Most Admired Company in American Business† for seven consecutive years. A critical issue in this case is to analyze the events listed in the case and propose an alternate course of action that may help prevent future deaths from other pharmaceutical drugs while not prohibitively restricting innovative research that could potentially save lives if tested properly. Critical Points and Issues Merck was relying on the success of Vioxx due to Zocor’s expiring patent and the direct competition Vioxx was engaged in with Celebrex, which had a first mover advantage. While Celebrex was also a Cox-2 inhibitor, Vioxx was the only Cox-2 inhibitor proven to be beneficial for ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. Once studies came out suggesting that Vioxx contributed to a greater number of cardiovascular problems than naproxen, Merck seemed to opportunistically interpret these results. Furthermore, Merck did not institute any studies that might have found negative cardiovascular results, and management failed to perform a study that focused specifically on the cardiovascular risks of Vioxx. Instead, Merck spent a record amount on advertising the gastrointestinal benefit of the drug in a period of uncertainty. The advertising in the time of uncertainty is really unparalleled, and opens the door to questioning (Appendix). Stakeholder Impacts Merck Merck wanted to discover a drug in the Cox-2 inhibitor class that would compete with another class of drugs known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Cox-2 inhibitors were developed to eliminate the most common side effects of other NSAIDs, ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding, as an estimated 15,000 people die from GI bleeding annually; Vioxx was designed to treat those high-risk candidates. Vioxx was the only Cox-2 inhibitor proven to have a benefit for ulcers and GI bleeding. Thus, the blockbuster status was created: a stronger drug with a proven benefit for ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. As the events unfold in the case, the crucial errors occur prior to the decision to recall the drug on September 30, 2004. After Merck learned that patients had double the risk of heart attack or stroke than if they took placebo and two new competing Cox-2 inhibitors were introduced, Merck decided to pull the drug, but it was already far too late. Dr. Eric Topol, a highly regarded cardiologist conducting research at the Cleveland Clinic, was the first researcher to raise questions about Vioxx. While he concluded that Vioxx produces a risk of heart attack five times greater than naproxen sodium, some believed that Merck’s scientists interpreted the data opportunistically; by saying the difference was due to the protective effect of naproxen, this downplayed the important possibility that Vioxx was contributing to cardiovascular problems. Some scientists say that the protective effect of naproxen argument is implausible, and noted that naproxen would have to be three times as effective as aspirin to account for the difference. While the FDA didn’t buy this argument and issued a warning on all Vioxx labels, many began to wonder if this was the first sign of an unethical deception, cover-up, and manipulation by Merck. Additionally, as the label was added, Merck would later ironically cite the VIGOR study in defense o f Vioxx: it increased the risk only in those patients believe to be a high risk. However, Dr. Gregory D. Curfman, editor of the prominent New England Journal of Medicine noted that it had â€Å"solid evidence that important data on cardiac events was deleted or withheld.† Dr. Curfman argued that the three deleted heart attacks occurred in people who were otherwise at low risk for heart problems, which would ultimately discredit Merck’s claim that is only increased the risk for high-risk patients. The FDA’s mild warning hardly curbed the widespread use of the drug, yet Merck continued to advertise its big benefit to consumers more than any other company in 2000 (Appendx): it causes fewer cases of stomach bleeding. However, this is only a problem for a very small percentage of patients. Thus, there was evidence that hundreds of thousands of people were using the drug that didn’t really benefit from its one advantage. Merck seemed to engage in deceptive marketing practices highlighting this benefit and not the immense risks to compensate for its declining financial situation, nor the fact that the drug was designed specifically for consumers that were in the high-risk gastrointestinal category. In March 2000, management first learned the results from a study of 8,100 rheumatoid arthritis patients that began to take the medication in January. The results from the Vigor study should have alerted management to the potential dangers and risks of using Vioxx. However, since the FDA repeatedly approved the drug, this psychologically this seemed to create the illusion that the drug was safe. While evidence was mounting against the potential risks, in 2000 alone, Merck spent $160 million in direct-to-consumer advertising, the highest that year for all drugs. FDA The FDA has commonly been criticized for requiring superfluous testing. However, others argue that drugs are rushed through testing due to enormous pressure from the drug companies. Even after a drug has been approved, many of the risks are still unknown. The mild warning given by the FDA seemed entirely inappropriate, an action that ultimately prolonged the use of Vioxx for consumers that were not high-risk candidates. In Merck’s defense, it was promoting a product that did in fact reduce pain and gastrointestinal problems; however, it omitted the crucial detail that it increased the risk of cardiovascular problems. The FDA responded by giving Merck a warning, but ultimately, the FDA failed in its ultimate duty to protect the American consumer. Doctors The doctors prescribing the medications failed to sufficiently research the medication and seemed to rely too heavily on the influence of Merck salespeople and/or the general public. If physicians were cognizant that only a small percentage of the population would actually benefit from the fewer gastrointestinal problems, but would expose themselves to a potentially higher risk of developing heart problems, the doctors should have at least informed the patients that NSAIDS might be a safer alternative. The risk-benefit for many patients simply was not justified. The mild warning given by the FDA did not prompt most doctors to research the warning, as essentially all drugs have notable risks. Doctors and patients are also usually affected by the psychological affect of new drugs-these drugs are perceived to be better than existing drugs on the market. Knowing this psychological affect on consumers, the doctors may have felt pressured to prescribe the drug if consumers were asking for it after seeing the advertisements. However, Vioxx was first approved for people with a high risk of GI problems. It is estimated that only about 10% of the prescriptions for Vioxx were most likely for patients that had a high risk of GI problems; the drug was widely overprescribed and was not the optimal treatment for many patients. Patients and Advertising As Merck spent over $500 million advertising Vioxx, many critics try to blame Merck for promoting a product that many believed had a risk that severely outweighed the benefit, especially for patients without a prior history of gastrointestinal problems. An underlying problem in the case is that medicines in America are overused. Many health problems can be avoided by a lifestyle change. Patients need to know that all medications are potentially dangerous and should be used sparingly. However, in the Vioxx case, many consumers were ultimately oblivious about the risk-benefit tradeoff, as it was not mentioned in the advertisements or consultations with physicians. Options and Solution Implementation Considering that Merck adheres to the philosophy of its founder, George Merck, â€Å"medicine is for the people. It is not for the profits,† the course of action taken by modern-day Merck executives followed a path seemingly motivated by financial pressures. The executives seemed to believe that the success of the company was heavily reliant upon Vioxx, and wanted to mitigate any negative associations the drug had with cardiovascular problems. When evidence began to come in showing a potential link between Vioxx and cardiovascular problems, Merck did not run any studies that attempting to reveal the cause of the negative cardiovascular results. Management should have listened to Dr. Deepak Bhatt, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, who proposed a study of Vioxx in patients with severe chest pain to Merck management. Dr. Bhatt commented at the time â€Å"they {Merck} should have done a trial like this. If they {Merck} internally thought this drug was safe in patients with heart disease, there was no reason not to do it.† Management never ordered a test that would directly explain the results of the clinical trial in 2000. The FDA sent Merck a warning letter for minimizing the serious cardiovascular findings. However, a better option would have been for the FDA to put a black-box warning on Vioxx’s label, or stop the direct-to-consumer advertising until the issue was sorted out. Considering Merck operates under the aforementioned motto, Vioxx was not the optimal treatment for the majority of the patients that took the medication. The patients were not aware of this, and Merck’s aggressive marketing campaign reinforced the belief that this was the proper medication for all patients. Many patients were unnecessarily exposed to a risk due to aggressive marketing tactics when other NSIDS would have been the optimal medication for many patients, not to mention at a lower cost. The government should pay for tests that compare new drugs to older drugs. Many older drugs are simply ignored in favor of newer, heavily advertised drugs. Ultimately, it may take several years following approval for side effects to be exposed-a phenomena that could be avoided altogether if this analysis is done. In addition, the patent life of drugs should be extended. Obviously after this tragedy, drug makers should be required to conduct more studies, but the patent life should be extended to mitigate the pressure to rush drugs to market. Another year of testing means another lost year in terms of patent coverage, and many companies feel pressured to rush drugs to market due to the declining exclusivity period. Bringing a drug to market takes roughly 14 years at a cost of $1.3 billion. If companies are forced to go through additional testing, patent lives should be extended to ensure the incentive for future innovation. Additionally, this could help alleviate the pressure placed upon the FDA to rush drugs to market if companies have longer exclusivity periods, allowing the FDA to conduct additional testing that could potentially prevent future problems. Communication Analysis Vioxx was a medication that was designed to alleviate the gastrointestinal problems for high-risk patients. Vioxx was effective for these high-risk patients that did not have weak hearts. The drug should have never been prescribed to 90% of the patients that received the medication. In the end, some people who shouldn’t have been taking the medication died, and the people who could actually benefit from the medication couldn’t use it because it was pulled from the market. Once preliminary evidence began to mount that there was evidence of this potential link, the aggressive advertising should have stopped immediately. Management should have communicated more clearly to the physicians that this medication was primarily for high-risk patients and articulated the cost/benefit more clearly. In addition, ignoring negative evidence seemed to prove management’s confirmation bias. Management’s deceptive promotion of the drug to increase sales has marred the reputation of a company that may never sufficiently recover. The rigidity of management, unethical, and criminal behavior has tarnished a once respected name.

English words spelled

English Words Spelled with 3-letter /Ä «/ English Words Spelled with 3-letter /Ä «/ English Words Spelled with 3-letter /Ä «/ By Maeve Maddox Among several ways to spell the long i sound in English is the 3-letter combination -igh- as in sight [sÄ «t]. The spelling reflects an earlier pronunciation in which the gh represented a sound made with the soft palate, rather like the ch heard in German ich. The -igh- spelling has persisted in English because it occurs in a small group of high frequency one-syllable words. Its easy to tolerate an apparently difficult spelling when one sees it frequently. Most of the -igh- words end with the /t/ sound and spelling. Exceptions are high, nigh, and sigh, in which igh represents the final sound. The other most common -igh- words are: bright from O.E. beorht, byrht fight from O.E. feohtan flight from O.E. flyht knight from OE cniht, cneoht light from O.E. leï ¿ ¼oht might from O.E. meahte, mihte night from O.E. niht right from O.E. riht sight from O.E. sihth The word delight has come to be grouped with the -igh- words because of association with the word light. Etymologically speaking, delight belongs with sprite and spite. All three words come from the French. delight from Old French delit, deleit, from delitier, deleitier sprite from Old French esprit spite shortened from despite which comes from Old French despit In the 16th century, sprite was often spelled spright and spite was spelled spight. Since then, theyve reverted to spellngs closer to their origins, probably because they are not in such frequent use as delight. In case you havent come across the word sprite as anything but a brand name, Ill define it: A sprite is an other-worldly creature, like an elf or a fairy. The word derives from the same source as spirit, but spirit has a more serious connotation than sprite. A sprite plays tricks. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"The Possessive ApostropheEspecially vs. Specially

Planting, Growing, and Marketing Royal Paulownia

Planting, Growing, and Marketing Royal Paulownia Paulownia tomentosa has had marvelous press on the Internet. Several Australian and United States companies make claims of extraordinary growth, unbelievable wood values, and magnificent beauty. Paulownia, they write, can shade an area in record time, resist insects, feed livestock, and improve the soil component - and in some ways this is correct. But is this just hype or is the plant truly a supertree Let me introduce you to Royal Paulownia and you just might rethink the abilities given to the tree by producers. Empress Tree - Mythology vs. Facts You can tell this tree is very special right away, from just its name. The plants pedigree and regal names include Empress Tree, Kiri Tree, Sapphire Princess, Royal Paulownia, Princess Tree, and Kawakami. The surrounding mythology abounds and many cultures can claim title to embellishing the plants many legends. Many cultures love and embrace the tree which in turn promoted its worldwide popularity.  The Chinese were the first to establish a much-practiced tradition that included the tree. An oriental Paulownia is planted when a daughter is born. When she marries, the tree is harvested to create a musical instrument, clogs or fine furniture; they then live happily ever after. Even today, it is a valued wood in the orient and top dollar is paid for its procurement and used for many products. A Russian legend has it that the tree was named Royal Paulownia in honor of Princess Anna Pavlovnia, daughter of Russias Czar Paul I. Its name Princess or Empress tree was an endearment to a nations rulers. In the United States, many of these trees have been planted for wood production  but naturalized wild stands grow along the Eastern Seaboard and through the mid-western states. Paulownias range is said to have expanded because of the seed pods used in packing shipped cargo from China early in the last century. Containers were emptied, winds scattered, the tiny seeds and a fast paulownia forest developed. The tree has been in America since introduction during the mid-1800s. It was first discovered as a profitable tree in the 1970s by a Japanese timber buyer and the wood was purchased at attractive prices. This sparked a multimillion-dollar export market for the wood. One log is said to have sold for $20,000 US dollars. That enthusiasm has mostly run its course. One thing to remember is, the wood is totally ignored by domestic timber companies in the United States and speaks volumes about its economic potential, at least to me. But utilization studies by several universities including Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, and Virginia suggests the potential  for a favorable future market. Should You Plant Royal Paulownia? There are some compelling reasons to plant Paulownia. The tree has some of the best soil, water, and nutrient retaining properties. It can be made into forest products. At first blush, it makes sense to plant Paulownia, watch it grow, improve the environment, and make a fortune at the end of ten to twelve years. But is it really that simple? Here are the attractive reasons for growing the tree: Paulownia is a light, air curable wood, that does not warp, twist, or crack. The tree is fire resistant and water repellent. These are very good wood qualities and the tree has all of these. Paulownia can be sold for pulp, paper, poles, construction material, plywood, and furniture and at top dollar. You still have to be lucky enough to be growing the trees in an area with a good market. Paulownia can be commercially harvested in five to seven years. This is true but only for some products made by companies that may or may not be buying at any given time. Paulownia is a beautiful tree and is easily propagated from root cuttings. But it can also become a problem in the landscape because of its messy habits. Paulownia is nitrogen rich and makes an excellent livestock fodder and soil amending mulching material.   If all of these statements are true, and for the most part they are, you would be doing yourself a favor to plant the tree. It would, in fact, be a great idea to plant the tree on a good site. Great for the environment, great for shade, great for soil, great for water quality and great for a beautiful landscape. But is it economically sound to plant Paulownia over large areas? Are Paulownia Plantations Economically Practical? A recent discussion on a favorite forestry forum was are Paulownia plantations economic? Gordon J. Esplin writes promoters of Paulownia plantations are claiming incredible growth (4 years to 60, 16 at breast height) and value (eg $800/cubic meter) for Paulownia trees. This seems to be too good to be true. Are there any independent, scientific studies on the species? James Lawrence of Toad Gully Growers, a Paulownia propagation company in Australia sums it up completely. There has, unfortunately, been much over-hyped promotion of Paulownia. It is true, however, that under the right conditions, Paulownia produces valuable timber in a shorter time frame... Lawrence goes on to say that it usually takes from 10 to 12 years to achieve a size economical to mill and is not construction strong enough to be used as building material. It is most likely to find its place in moldings, doors, window frames, veneers, and furniture. He further says that trees in the cooler regions of Australia may be more slowly grown and consequently of higher timber quality - close growth rings are desired for furniture - than those grown in warmer climates; however, the higher rate of crop rotation in the warmer zones should compensate for any lower returns per m3. Lawrence just indicated, at least to me, that we need to take a deep breath and grow the tree slower for optimum quality. And what about a little thing called market? Remembering that the top three things that affect the value of any real property are location, location, location, I would suggest that the top three things that affect the value of standing timber price are markets, markets, markets. Paulownia is no different from any other tree in this regard and you need to find a market before planting and I have found no support for a market on the Internet. The literature suggests that the present US market is extremely under-developed in Paulownia and one source actually suggested that there is no present market. The future of this tree depends on a future market. I did run across a credible reference to price. Mississippi State University indicates in a report on Unique Species and Uses that Paulownia logs have been found growing in the Mississippi Delta and south along the Mississippi River. Paulonia logs have been in high demand in Japan and bring excellent prices (my emphasis) to landowners in Mississippi. I have yet to find that buying source. Also, there are risks associated with any tree planting venture. Paulownia is no different. It is sensitive to drought, root rot, and diseases. There is also the economic risk of producing a tree with little future economic value.

Business Ethics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Ethics - Case Study Example Additionally, informing the customers about the risky fuel tank versus keeping the issue under wraps is also another moral issue which had the potential of winning the trust of customers and spelling doom for the then Ford’s newest car model. If Ford officials were asked to justify their decision of making unsafe fuel tanks, they would have defended their actions as follows: firstly, they would cite the principle of fidelity in their effort to keep the weight and cost of the Pinto car at 2,000lb and $2,000 respectively. A remodel of the fuel tank would mean an upward adjustment of the cost and weight of the car. Secondly, the principle of autonomy would work in their favor. This is especially true because their decision was made from an informed, independent business point of view (Shaw, 2010). Thirdly, they would have cited the principle of beneficence as a defense for their continued survival in the US auto industry in their effort to offer affordable cars to millions of locals with lower income. Lastly, the moral principle of utility favored the actions of Ford officials since they tried to balance the ratio of benefits to harm to the company, its consumers, and the general society. Ford’s decision favored the c ompany’s business interests, and the economic contributions the company was making in the US market. In my view, Ford’s decision to build affordable cars with less fortified fuel tanks that could not withstand a rear impact of 20 mph meets the threshold of utilitarianism. This is especially true for a safer fuel tank that could withstand such an impact would have resulted in a more expensive Pinto model (Shaw, 2010). This would mean fewer sales of the car model and losses upon Ford, as many customers would opt for cheaper (foreign) car models with the same specifications.

Introspection of Faith in the Act of Terrorism Assignment

Introspection of Faith in the Act of Terrorism - Assignment Example The September 2011 bombing of World Trade Center marked a climatic event in history. Al Qaeda, the Islamic terrorist group, achieved worldwide fame upon its linkage to the bombings (Farmer, 2003). The loss of lives in the attack induced American patriotism and the need to eradicate terrorism. It paved the way for urgent and extensive means in combating terrorism. In spite of the negativity and rage in which the world perceived the attacks, Al Qaeda saw it in a contradictory perspective. For the members of Al Qaeda, there is global declension and there is a need to put today’s society into complete demise (Farmer, 2003). The death of the people who they deem as ‘evil’ is a triumphant moment for Al Qaeda. According to them, they are acting to please their God by eliminating America which they deem as the â€Å"evil power† . On the other hand, although Islam is the most associated religion in terrorism, there are also terrorist groups claiming their values are based on Christianity. One of these is the Ku Klux Clan. The original aim upon the founding of the group is severely deviated from the deeds they performed. From the playful acts and practical jokes in the 1800’s, Ku Klux Clan became one of the notorious racist and moralist groups in history (Farmer, 2003). They argued that white people are superior and that they are true descendants fitted to inherit the kingdom of God (Farmer, 2003). Consequently, black people and those who do not meet their moral criteria are labeled as targets.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 144

Assignment Example The ‘ice cold’ phrase mentioned on the product also helps in the attraction of the people to buy the coca cola product (Shimp &Terence 58). Additionally, it indicates that its product is a delightful and also heathful to both men and women. Convesely,it also includes the students indicating that it is cold enough for them during the athletics (Shimp &Terence 58). The presence of condoms is highly expanding in the contemporary culture for the youth. This makes their advert offensive due to its unethical presentation. This advertisement has really led many of the youths to sexual activities and various disease transmissions. Additionally, the display of the product on the advert is not pleasing to people and thus the product is not largely marketable. The company uses such an advert to attract customers but the advert also shifts the people’s cultural landscape. Again the company also displays nude people expressing sex action on a bed. This is an offensive advert because it encourages immorality in the society. It is contrary with the culture and thus people do not buy the product (Shimp &Terence

MySpace is not a Controversy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MySpace is not a Controversy - Essay Example This paper summarizes and analysis an article on My Space controversy by Bill Hewitt and highlight the points and reasons of disagreement. MySpace is an online recreational area for kids and at the same time it draws the attention of perverts and creeps (Hewitt).I disagree with the way Hewitt positions this article to prove MySpace as a controversy right from its title and description. Primarily aimed at building a community of young people looking for new friends, sharing music and their experiences, the website attracts and teenagers on a large scale. These attractions make it one of the biggest web players with 20 percent of young visitors between the ages of 14-17(Hewitt). With such level of popularity and its widespread use among young adults and kids throughout the world, criminal use of such a convenient source right from their bedrooms is not unlikely. The fact is disturbing; however, it does not make â€Å"MySpace Nation† as Hewitt calls MySpace users, a controversy. I disagree with his term MySpace Nation at the first place, and secondly attributing them as a controversy. If we go by Hewitt understanding, we must attribute those schools and all their students as controversy whose students are found guilty of rape or violence. Criminal acts like murder and rape are also associated with the teens using MySpace that has become preferable location for cyber-bullies and pedophiles (Hewitt).I completely disagree with Hewitt when he attributes criminal acts like murder and rape with the use of MySpace. It is not more than an exaggerated accusation without supporting evidence. By doing so, Hewitt may also refer Harvard as a terrorist institution just because people who studied there were found involved in some terrorist activity. Hewitt does not clarify that how using MySpace is linked with 2 or 3 out of their million users being murderer or rapists. The picture Hewitt portrays injects a fear in the mind of readers and they immediately feel threatened by online safety of their kids using MySpace specifically. Hewitt describes parents’ experience who felt blown away by MySpace use as personal diaries. However, I completely disagree with the idea of comparing MySpace with personal diaries. The main idea of MySpace is networking with friends and keeping the sense of community alive. For the safety part, kids can always personalize their space and select their friends. Parents can keep check on their kids’ friends and activities online to some extent as well. However, the idea of restricting MySpace use or limiting the time of using internet to 15 minutes seems completely impractical. MySpace membership is restricted to users who are 14 or above, however, younger children with email address can easily access and get exposed to objectionable content instantly (Hewitt). Though the claim is true, but I disagree on the grounds of attributing it only with MySpace. The fact is that it is same with all socializing networks on internet. None of the network uses proper identification of its members, targeting MySpace specifically seems strange. Random incidents of crime and predators targeting kids seem very threatening. However, Hewitt does not inspire authorities to make changes in the model of social networking sites. Rather than attacking MySpace, Hewitt should have suggested some built-in features or some membership requirements that can stop underage membership or even

Comparison between the uk and usa on the Legislation system on Essay

Comparison between the uk and usa on the Legislation system on occupational safety and health - Essay Example The 1974 act on the safety and health of the worker at the place of work in the United Kingdom and the 1970 act targeting the safety and health of workers in the United States are some of the example of the legislations that have been passed with workers health and safety in mind. The health and safety executive in the United Kingdom is responsible for enforcing laws that targets occupational health and safety within the member countries. In the United States, the occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) which was created in the 1970 is responsible for ensuring the safety of the workers at their place of work. OSHA is responsible for guiding both the employee and the employer on occupational health issues and ensuring the laws that support occupational health and safety are applied at the place of work. These are done through education and training .The impact of globalization in the two regions has been considered as a force of change in the occupational health and safety scope. World trade liberalization, significant improvement in the transport and communication sector, rapid progress in technology, shifts in employment patterns, changes in practices at the place of work, changes in employment patterns targeting women and men and the structures , enterprise lifecycles and advancement in technology has generated new patterns and types of exposures, risk and hazards (Burke &Ronald, 2011). Population movements and changes in demography have affected the health and safety of people at their place of work. the high rate of unemployment due to increase in number of people migrating to the united kingdom has resulted to opening up of more industries with owners not informed of the legislation pertaining to occupational health. Lack of information on occupational health legislation among the employers both in the United Kingdom and the United States has resulted to exposing workers to work environments that are unsafe and which can

Business Law Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Law Questions - Essay Example Since the purse contains cash and is a valuable property, there is no chance of it having been abandoned. In both the other instances, Ms File has better rights on it when compared to others, but not so when compared to the original owner of the file whoever he may be. Under Common Law in the United States, the finder of the property is entitled to hand it back once the real owner has made a demand for it from the present holder. If Ms File is dishonest, or casual about the affair, she could spend the money or give to someone to spend. But in any case, she is liable to the true owner once he makes a demand for it. This is also true for any person who receives the lost or mislaid property from Ms File. But for arguments sake, if the purse had indeed been abandoned, Ms File holds better title to the property than anyone else including the owner. She has to hand over the purse and its contents if the owner identifies her and demands it back. Some states in the country stipulate a certai n time period after which ownership is transferred to the buyer. The only other right she has to claim for any expenses that might have incurred to keep the property in good condition. But there is no chance of Ms File incurring any expenses to keep a purse in good condition. She could be held guilty under the statute on conversion which is a tort in US law in case she refuses to hand it over. The facts of the case are as follows. Hank, who bought a car from Ford Motor Company with his friend Cheatem as surety was found to be insane at the time of contract. But this became apparent only when Ford sued Hank for non-payment of installment on the vehicle. Cheatem refused to pay up on behalf of Hank on the defense that the contract was invalid due to the insanity clause. According to US laws, â€Å"insanity or mental incompetence is also a defense against enforcement of a

MySpace is not a Controversy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MySpace is not a Controversy - Essay Example This paper summarizes and analysis an article on My Space controversy by Bill Hewitt and highlight the points and reasons of disagreement. MySpace is an online recreational area for kids and at the same time it draws the attention of perverts and creeps (Hewitt).I disagree with the way Hewitt positions this article to prove MySpace as a controversy right from its title and description. Primarily aimed at building a community of young people looking for new friends, sharing music and their experiences, the website attracts and teenagers on a large scale. These attractions make it one of the biggest web players with 20 percent of young visitors between the ages of 14-17(Hewitt). With such level of popularity and its widespread use among young adults and kids throughout the world, criminal use of such a convenient source right from their bedrooms is not unlikely. The fact is disturbing; however, it does not make â€Å"MySpace Nation† as Hewitt calls MySpace users, a controversy. I disagree with his term MySpace Nation at the first place, and secondly attributing them as a controversy. If we go by Hewitt understanding, we must attribute those schools and all their students as controversy whose students are found guilty of rape or violence. Criminal acts like murder and rape are also associated with the teens using MySpace that has become preferable location for cyber-bullies and pedophiles (Hewitt).I completely disagree with Hewitt when he attributes criminal acts like murder and rape with the use of MySpace. It is not more than an exaggerated accusation without supporting evidence. By doing so, Hewitt may also refer Harvard as a terrorist institution just because people who studied there were found involved in some terrorist activity. Hewitt does not clarify that how using MySpace is linked with 2 or 3 out of their million users being murderer or rapists. The picture Hewitt portrays injects a fear in the mind of readers and they immediately feel threatened by online safety of their kids using MySpace specifically. Hewitt describes parents’ experience who felt blown away by MySpace use as personal diaries. However, I completely disagree with the idea of comparing MySpace with personal diaries. The main idea of MySpace is networking with friends and keeping the sense of community alive. For the safety part, kids can always personalize their space and select their friends. Parents can keep check on their kids’ friends and activities online to some extent as well. However, the idea of restricting MySpace use or limiting the time of using internet to 15 minutes seems completely impractical. MySpace membership is restricted to users who are 14 or above, however, younger children with email address can easily access and get exposed to objectionable content instantly (Hewitt). Though the claim is true, but I disagree on the grounds of attributing it only with MySpace. The fact is that it is same with all socializing networks on internet. None of the network uses proper identification of its members, targeting MySpace specifically seems strange. Random incidents of crime and predators targeting kids seem very threatening. However, Hewitt does not inspire authorities to make changes in the model of social networking sites. Rather than attacking MySpace, Hewitt should have suggested some built-in features or some membership requirements that can stop underage membership or even

Business Law Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Law Questions - Essay Example Since the purse contains cash and is a valuable property, there is no chance of it having been abandoned. In both the other instances, Ms File has better rights on it when compared to others, but not so when compared to the original owner of the file whoever he may be. Under Common Law in the United States, the finder of the property is entitled to hand it back once the real owner has made a demand for it from the present holder. If Ms File is dishonest, or casual about the affair, she could spend the money or give to someone to spend. But in any case, she is liable to the true owner once he makes a demand for it. This is also true for any person who receives the lost or mislaid property from Ms File. But for arguments sake, if the purse had indeed been abandoned, Ms File holds better title to the property than anyone else including the owner. She has to hand over the purse and its contents if the owner identifies her and demands it back. Some states in the country stipulate a certai n time period after which ownership is transferred to the buyer. The only other right she has to claim for any expenses that might have incurred to keep the property in good condition. But there is no chance of Ms File incurring any expenses to keep a purse in good condition. She could be held guilty under the statute on conversion which is a tort in US law in case she refuses to hand it over. The facts of the case are as follows. Hank, who bought a car from Ford Motor Company with his friend Cheatem as surety was found to be insane at the time of contract. But this became apparent only when Ford sued Hank for non-payment of installment on the vehicle. Cheatem refused to pay up on behalf of Hank on the defense that the contract was invalid due to the insanity clause. According to US laws, â€Å"insanity or mental incompetence is also a defense against enforcement of a

Widescreen Edition Essay Example for Free

Widescreen Edition Essay My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next. These stirring words by General Maximus epitomizes the vengeful nature of Ridley Scotts Gladiator. A true revenge movie for the ages, it uses todays computer-generated imagery influenced with Hollywood yesteryears sword-and-sandal epics to produce a stunning and spectacular saga. Russell Crowe plays Maximus, a faithful and successful Roman General in the service of Marcus Aurelius (aptly played by the late Richard Harris). His loyal and selfless servitude is rewarded by the Emperor with a pledge of being leader in his place when he dies, until Rome again becomes a republic. This pledge is betrayed by the Emperors son, Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix), who murders his own father and usurps the throne. Aware of the promise made to Maximus, Commodus orders Maximus execution and has his lands taken, his title stripped, and his family murdered. Maximus narrowly escapes his pursuers, is left for dead and sold to slavery. In North Africa, Proximo (Oliver Reed’s last, though excellent, on-screen performance) purchases the fazed former general and enlists him as a gladiator. With nothing left to live except a quest for vengeance, Maximus ferociously fights in arenas, winning all his battles and eventually working his way to the Coliseum in Rome, where he plots to have his revenge. The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Its epic scope (set in 150 A. D. ), savage battle scenes, rousing soundtrack and superb performances by the cast were well-received in the global box-office, raking in almost half a billion U. S. Dollars. Its influence is felt with the revival of the historical epic in Hollywood, with subsequent releases of Troy, Alexander, 300 and Ridley Scott’s own Kingdom of Heaven. Given the superlative success that the film had, it is quite surprising to discover that the film encountered numerous hiccups during production. For instance, the script had to be rewritten numerous times and the plotline needed several revisions. There was even talk of Russell Crowe, the actor playing the star role, walking out of the set when not getting what he wanted. There is also the tragic death of Oliver Reed during filming which editors had to fix in post-production using clever computer superimposing and body-doubles. Nevertheless, the film delivers a heroic display worthy of past Hollywood greats such as Spartacus and The 300 Spartans. Critics complain of the lack of depth in the characters as the main protagonists often deliver scenes of depression and moroseness. Others counter that a hero is supposed to undergo such catharses in order to contrast it with developments later on in the movie, of which this writer agrees. The set, albeit designed and executed using sophisticated computer imagery, was not in any way intrusive to the story being told. In fact, the background was more than sufficient in suspending disbelief and even adds to the fervor with its monstrous crowds and impressive panorama. There were those who questioned the brutal blood and gore displayed in the battle scenes and the arenas as being over-the-top and bordering on gratuity. They however fail to mention that, unlike the famous Hollywood yarns of the past, today’s sagas are more compelling due to the realism employed. It is impossible for you to realize the barbarity and desperation of gladiatorial combat if the setting omits the consequences of blood and gore that face those in defeat. All in all, Gladiator attains the rank of immortality to the movie-going public due to its enlivening account of the vindication of a judicious and honorable man wronged by the greedy ambitions of a damnable nemesis. Its distinctive gift to its watchers of being able to â€Å"reach back to hallowed antiquity† and see the triumph and spectacle of a worthy warrior win his quest is deserving of all the accolades given to it. For, if such a spectacular and gripping show as Gladiator is, if it still fails to grip the viewer into vicarious entertainment, there may be a need to ask â€Å"Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here? † Works Cited 1. Gladiator: Widescreen Edition. Dir. Ridley Scott. Perf. Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed and Richard Harris. 2000. Universal Studios, 2003.