A critique of a film

Day by day, it is increasingly more difficult to maintain safety in our society, since interactions between people create dangers, either at ‘high’ political level, or on the daily basis.We live not in the no-man’s-land, so people adjust to new conditions and changing situations. Still, there are those, who cannot accept this environment and who, probably, cannot be accepted. Being busy with our education and careers, we simply have no time to think carefully about the hidden threats of the environment, which can be really aggressive, and even destruct our bodies.In the movie ‘Safe’, Carol White (Julianne Moore) lives with her husband and stepson in a comfortable suburban home in California.   Her life is completely predictable, and in spite of the fact that she has ‘relationship’ with her husband, she begins feeling isolated and then – drained and depressed.Mysteriously, she falls ill with weird symptoms: she experiences nose bl eedings, dizziness and allergies, and doctor attributes it to stress. Having passed different tests, she understand that there is nothing physically wrong with her, but nevertheless she takes medication and changes her diet, getting of the all-fruit diet and cutting back diary products.When her condition doesn’t go away, she gets a recommendation to visit psychiatrist. The problem with her mind is a reason for the illness. Carol finally understands the necessity, which requires of her to go to a place, where people who suffer from toxic allergies and those with AIDS can ‘clean’ themselves, and, probably, the only place where she can feel safe.As the plot develops, it becomes clear that the treatment, received at hospital, is improper and probably, only worsens the situation. Haynes’s idea was to show the powerlessness of traditional medical science against new illnesses, caused by external irritants, but destroy humans from inside. In the film, Carol comba ts a real ten-headed hydra, which responds to the new treatment courses with new painful fits of allergy.Carol drives her car – and endures a coughing fir; she breathes in her new perfumes –and feels lightheadedness. Aerobic classes, which pursue a goal of helping her relax, are initially doomed to be unsuccessful: she has never had tension in her life, she has never had close relations, so there was no ground for either extremely positive or extremely negative emotions in her life. Thus, she cannot relax, because she never experiences stresses in pure medical meaning.Moreover, the medicaments Carol receives are irritants, as they also consist of toxins or other synthetic substances. On the contrary, Dunning chooses a different direction and creates some kind of cult, or community with certain beliefs, values and philosophy. People living there find there attachment and new system of coordinates, in which it is possible to consider their illness and cope with related i nner problems.It is possible to notice that by the end of the movie, she becomes increasingly more shattered, and probably her sickness breaks her and makes her re-evaluate the relationships which had existed in her life before she fell ill. She has a husband, bad hasn’t given birth to children, because Carol ‘endures’ the existence of a domestic plant, which should be carefully watered and supplied with the necessary nourishment, but whose opinion weighs like any plant’s opinion.It is possible to note that her first steps were determined (or, at least, highly influenced) by her husband. To my view, her sickness is a force which makes her re-think her existence and understand that she had had only ‘mechanical’ relationship with her husband, who even doesn’t try to understand her and empty conversations with her friends, carpenter and drycleaner.The scene, which reinforce her sense ‘of nobodiness’ is one where she looks at h er husband from the bed and asks ‘Where am I? At the moment?’. He answers that she is in Carol and Greg’s house, but she begins to cry, because this lush house has never belonged to her as well as her own life.

‘Brave New World(BNW) by Aldous Huxley and ‘Bladerunner’ (BR) by Ridley Scott Comparison

It can be seen that both composers were heavily influenced by their own contexts as both texts present a fairly critical view of the society in which they were produced. For example, the novel BNW was composed during a time of scientific and technological advancement, in a world where communist powers were on the rise, and with the influence of growing trends in industrialization and consumerism, Huxley was concerned with his society's lack of morals and exploitation of nature during the twenties. By translating his fears into a satiric critique of his 1920's society, Huxley created a dystopian portrait of society in the future that was superficially a perfect world. This was his attempt to show his audience (the intellectuals of his time) his fears of the present, while simultaneously providing a warning of what the future may bring. In effect, Huxley deliberately endowed the â€Å"ideal† futuristic society with features likely to alienate his audience, making the â€Å"Brave New World† an unsettling, sinister place where nature has been marginalized and natural rhythms such as child birth have been replaced with substitutes and surrogates. The setting of the novel immediately accentuates the harsh reality of the ‘world state' in the opening paragraphs when the reader is confronted with a ‘squat grey building' where the atmosphere is as ‘cold for all the summer beyond its panes', emphasizing the coldness, paleness and clinical nature of the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, and allowing Huxley to successfully portray a world in which science has superseded nature. Secondly, BR was created in the 1980's, a time where technological advances had become more immediate in every day life, and people were becoming more aware of environmental degradation as a result of human destruction, consequently leading to the general fear that technology was taking over to the detriment of humanity. These issues were of great concern to Ridley Scott, and thus through the medium of film, he portrays a post- modern apocalyptic, dystopian world, in which ecological systems have been replaced by technological constructs, and the future is depicted as a chaotic place with a distinct lack of the natural world and its humane values. His projection was an attempt to warn his society that if certain trends were to continue, humans have the potential to destroy what they value most, being humanity and the natural world. Dramatized by Scott in the opening scene, the wide-angled camera shot gives a birds eye vantage of what Earth has become in the future; a vast industrial metropolis, studded with huge chimney like exhaust outlets from which fireballs explode, as if to resemble in a way â€Å"hell on Earth†. Furthermore, the city's streets are devoid of natural elements such as sunlight due to pollution, and in Gaf's words ‘the little people', are basked in the flickering of neon lights, as huge neon advertisements dominate the city landscape. The urban jungle of Los Angeles 2019 combined with the integration of other techniques and genres such as film noir and science fiction enables Scott to effectively create a world of environmental degradation and in turn warn people that the apocalyptic world depicted may not be far from reality in the near future if trends continue. Both texts share the same tragic flaw, being humanities detachment from the natural world. Thus both seek to demonstrate the effects scientific and technological advancement may have on the natural world and its rhythms in the future. In order to demonstrate the extent to which nature has been superseded by science in BNW, Huxley overwhelms the reader with scientific processes and names, communicated through the use of complex, pseudo-scientific jargon such as the ‘bokanovsky's Process, or ‘Podsnap's Technique, giving the processes in the Brave New World an authentic ring. The application of science to replace natural rhythms such as childbirth The distinct lack of the nature in the film BR is demonstrated through the absence of real animals in the film due to their rarity and price, with artificial animals taking their place eg. Zhora's snake. Also quite ironically the only element of plant life that appears in the film is a small, stunted bonsai, symbolizing the extent to which nature has been stunted by technology. Finally, the elusiveness of night and day displays the disruption technology has made to the world's natural rhythms, demonstrated by Scott through the use of film noir to create a smoky, hazy atmosphere irrespective of the time of day throughout the entirety of the film. The characters in each text are also used to emphasize the composer's concepts. For example It can be seen that â€Å"Humans†, as depicted in BNW and BR are often lacking the qualities that seem fundamental to being human, and thus provoke the responder to question what it really means to be â€Å"human†.

New Jersey’s Proposals to Cut Health Care Spending

In virtually every corner of the United States, State governments are grappling with the inevitable challenge of deriving a balanced budget given the outstanding deficits in revenues, a scenario largely precipitated by the financial crisis that has hit the nation. New Jersey is no exception. Indeed, state officials have increasingly found themselves faced with the reality of soliciting sufficient revenues to fund the topmost priority issues, unlike in previous budget allocations. In an attempt to draw a balanced and fair budget for the 2010 fiscal year, various proposals have been advanced.One of the efforts that can not escape notice is the idea of cutting funding for the state’ FamilyCare. The proposed strategy in realizing such an objective involves freezing the enrollment of parents between 150 and 200 percent of the federal poverty level and the implementation of co-payments for individuals in Medicaid and the AIDS Drug Distribution Program (ADDP) (NJ for Health Care, 200 9). Indeed, the budget dilemma facing the state is understandable, given the severe economic conditions.Whereas the idea of cutting monetary allocations on some items would suffice in minimizing the critical budget deficits that are essential in facilitating the advancement of the state’s yearly programs, adopting a rational approach based on critical evaluation reveals the utter need to reconsider the said proposals. In an economy where a significant majority is struggling to meet the high costs of living, the proposal to cut back FamilyCare enrollment of parents is evidently a grave issue that can be described as a matter of life and death.The fact that a healthy population is vital in the enhancement of economic prosperity is an indisputable reality that the state authorities embrace. In essence, the provision of Medicaid prescription drug benefits as well as the upgrading of Drug Distribution Programs for AIDS patients is essential in promoting health and wellness among N ew Jersey residents. Amidst the tough economic times, the advocacy of a sound healthcare policy is of critical significance. As such, the proposal to cut back funding on health-related programs like FamilyCare, Medicaid and ADDP should be inevitably reconsidered.The Significance of the Proposed Changes on Health Care The availability of quality and affordable health care services is necessary in the advancement of individual well-being. From a medical perspective, the client (patient) is the most important person. A general look at the proposed cuts and co-pays gives the indication that they will affect the ability of individuals to meet health care costs at a time when the cost of living has reached significantly high levels.In reality, the proposals will have a significant impact on health-seeking behavior, which constitutes a direct concern for the nursing and medical professions. The Impact of the Proposals from Positive and Negative Perspectives Generally speaking, the idea of coming up with a single healthcare policy that is not only budget-friendly, but which adequately addresses the health needs of the American population has remained elusive.At the national as well state level, financial analysts have year in year out grappled with the task of allocating funds to diverse priority issues. The idea of substituting certain financial allocations with others discerned to be of more socioeconomic consequence, often with mixed repercussions, has emerged as one of the most popular trends. Indeed, years of research and analysis has depicted the initiative of cutting health care spending on specific items as a double-edged sword. Positive ConsequencesOne of the healthcare policy issues that have been extensively studied is the effect of Medicaid drug co-payments. Examining the results reveals a significant degree of consistency in as far as the programs’ ability to minimize the overall healthcare expenditure is concerned. A longitudinal survey carried ou t in thirty eight states revealed that co-payments play an important role in barring individuals entitled to Medicaid benefits from filling prescriptions during a particular year, holding all other factors constant (Mason, Leavitt, and Chaffee, 2007).The predominant argument advanced in support of such behavioral trends is that beneficiaries of government-sponsored healthcare programs are inherently motivated to excessively utilize healthcare services funded by the government, which include ADDP and Medicaid, when compared with those with private insurance (National Organization for Women, 2007). By extension therefore, implementing co-pays suffice in instilling an increased sense of responsibility on beneficiaries of such programs, thus minimizing the tendency to seek unnecessary medical care.In essence, the rationale behind the suggestion to implement co-pays is based on their underlying assumption that the move would discourage unnecessary consumption of the Medicaid and ADDP pro grams which have traditionally been sponsored by the New Jersey government. In the long-run, the move is expected to save the state from excessive expenditures, and the arising funds directed to other priority issues. Negative Consequences A closer evaluation depicts the proposed healthcare cutbacks as likely to precipitate numerous unintended consequences in the long-term.For instance, it would expose the residents of New Jersey to increased health risks and dangers. This is particularly so considering the vulnerable population groups such as the poorest of the poor, the physically and mentally challenged, and those suffering from terminal illnesses. According to preliminary projections, the Medicaid proposal will affect an estimated 418,000 of the most vulnerable individuals, while the ADDP one will affect about 7,500 individuals registered under the program (NJ for Health Care, 2009).Indeed, New Jersey’s FamilyCare program acts as the principal health insurance plan for lo w-income families within the state (Castro, 2007). Thus, the decision to close the insurance programs and implement co-payments will have far-reaching consequences on health-seeking behavior amongst these vulnerable groups. The most obvious result would be to deter patients from seeking healthcare at the appropriate times. This would serve to exacerbate their health conditions, and majority would definitely end up requiring specialized hospitalization and emergency attendance.For instance, baring individuals with HIV/AIDS from accessing the AIDS Drug Distribution Program and imposing co-pays implies that a significant majority from low-income households could fail to access the life sustaining drugs as well as the related services necessary for positive living. While the assumption that depicts co-pays as serving to reduce unnecessary expenditures for individuals entitled to state-sponsored medical programs like Medicaid and ADDP could hold under certain circumstances, there is also a strong counterargument that the opposite could be true.Denial of the existing health insurance program (FamilyCare) which is fairly affordable would precipitate avoidable scenarios such as healthcare emergencies as well as serious illnesses (National Organization for Women, 2007). On another front, raising co-payments encourages patients to avoid cost-effective healthcare, and instead, seek medical attendance when their health status has significantly deteriorated. Examining the previous results of implementing co-pays gives provides strong indications that they indeed cause disadvantaged and marginalized groups to forego healthcare services, even those often described as fundamentally essential.In the last financial year for instance, the state of Oregon eliminated co-pays for prescription drugs after it emerged that the state’s Medicaid program co-payments were precipitating significant shifts in treatment patterns (Mason, Leavitt, and Chaffee, 2007). According to an inv estigation carried out in the same year, Medicaid co-pays for low-income individuals not only failed to reduce health costs as envisioned in the initial plan, but also precipitated clients to prefer a waiver of the co-pay as opposed to seeking medical services. The overall result of such tendencies is to inevitably increase the associated healthcare bills.Thus by implementing the FamilyCare, Medicaid and AIDS Drugs Distribution programs, the state of New Jersey would end up incurring more costs. From a practical point of view, this increased burden would be transferred to the ordinary taxpayer who has to pay additional taxes so as to cater for the unplanned healthcare expenditures. According to an analytical survey conducted by the Hispanic Directors Association of New Jersey (HDANJ), the proposed cuts are indeed shortsighted, and will most likely have severe financial implications (NJ for Health Care, 2009).This is not only in reference to the direct costs incurred in curative care , but as well those initiatives deemed to alleviate disease causation and spread. A case in point is when we consider the possible costs of patients who contract infectious diseases like the HIV virus, simply because they lack concise awareness of how the infection is transmitted. Similarly, it would be necessary to embrace a relatively new approach in the institutionalization of mentally sick clients who fail to receive appropriate outpatient counseling (Castro, 2007).In practice, these and other cases would most likely make the state and county governments incur additional and unplanned healthcare costs. Why the Nursing Professional Body Should Oppose the Proposed Cuts and Co-pays Examining the available body of evidence provides sufficient proof that the proposals to freeze the enrollment of parents in FamilyCare and implementation co-payments for individuals in Medicaid and the AIDS Drug Distribution Program are not only unnecessary, but also poses unprecedented health risks and dangers to the residents of New Jersey.It is imperative that nursing professional organizations throughout the state join hands with the rest of the citizenry in ensuring that these proposals are not implemented, considering the pivotal nature of the nursing profession in advocating for sound healthcare policy and promoting individual wellbeing in society. Indeed, the nursing fraternity should fight these cuts by using whichever means possible to influence state authorities to safeguard the health for all residents through the restoration of funding for the State’s FamilyCare, Medicaid and AIDS Drug Distribution Programs.This could be achieved by heeding the recently derived initiative of making phone calls to the state headquarters so as to express dissatisfaction with the proposals. Rationale for the Decision The proposals to cut health care spending on programs like Medicaid and ADDP in the state should not have been advanced at such an inappropriate timing. Indeed, the c urrent financial crisis facing the nation as a whole has not spared New Jersey. Examining the unemployment rates reveals that they have attained record-high proportions.As more and more citizens are laid off thus losing individual and family healthcare insurance, the situation is becoming more and more desperate for many residents, particularly for low-income households. At a time when living costs have attained unprecedented levels, the move to cutback enrollment in the State’s FamilyCare for poor working adults as well as the initiative to implement co-payments for individuals who least can afford them could not be less untimely and misplaced.To further highlight why the proposed cuts and co-pays are unwarranted, it is worthwhile mentioning that New Jersey has indeed received unanticipated federal funding aimed at stimulating the state’s economic growth. Recently, for instance, the state received a windfall of an estimated two billion dollars (for Medicaid) and anoth er one hundred million dollars (for FamilyCare) in additional federal funding, both of which were unexpected (). Despite the fact that these funds were largely utilized to correct the deficits in the state budget, it would have been similarly important to use a certain percentage cushion the health cutbacks.Indeed, this was the actual intention of the Congress. By utilizing the additional funds in appropriate ways, New Jersey would have probably won itself even more federal funding to meet its priority issues. In a nutshell therefore, implementing the said proposals is certainly a misplaced option, considering that it would have been avoided had the sound allocation mechanisms been employed. According to recent projections, an estimated seventy thousand people would be removed from the FamilyCare program, the only major health insurance scheme for low-income households should the stated proposals go through (NJ for Health Care, 2009).Likewise, the proposed move to implement Medicaid co-payments will affect the majority of those it is intended for: the elderly, poor, and children. The increased premiums and co-pays for health care have the implication that these vulnerable groups will be unable to access and afford essential medical services. Indeed, thousands of children in New Jersey could end up losing coverage for essential health care services such as payments for hearing aids, eyeglasses, and speech therapy among other necessary therapies hardly affordable to low-income households.In addition, implementation of co-pays for patients registered in the ADDP means that the less disadvantaged may experience unprecedented challenges in accessing drugs, counseling services, and any other necessary therapies and therapies. Overall, the implementation of the proposed cuts and co-pays make it hard for New Jersey residents to access quality and affordable health care which has often been cited as a necessary prerequisite for economic growth and development. As evide nce from the Oregon case where similar cutbacks were implemented, the overall state expenditure on healthcare is likely to increase, rather than decrease.Though proposal to implement FamilyCare cuts and Medicaid programs co-payments may lead to reduced costs in the short-term, the unintended consequences such as the tendency by patients to seek medical services when their health condition has deteriorated will mean additional in the long-term. Rather than the envisaged intention of lowering costs, the implementation of the proposals will only serve to place extra pressure on the state coffers, which in turn will be redirected to ordinary taxpayers.As New Jersey’s Senator Joseph Vitale recently observed, not only will vulnerable families be affected, but the state economy will also be hurt (NJ for Health Care, 2009). According to state projections, investing a single dollar in FamilyCare generates about four dollars in business activity, which translates to a loss estimated at forty million dollars (The Star-Ledger Editorial Board, 2009). Evidently therefore, the implementation of the proposed cuts and co-pays will have vast, disastrous and multiple consequences on individual families and the state as a whole.Those arguing for the implementation of Medicaid and ADDP co-payments also seem to neglect the essentiality of good health. By making healthcare services less affordable particularly for low-income families, the proposed co-pays will push individuals to the edge where they will continuously face one inevitable dilemma: that of choosing between basic necessities like food and housing on the one hand, and heath care needs on the other. The overall result would be to discourage health-seeking behavior.By implication, the nursing and medical professional fraternities will be faced with the increased task of attending to patients in critical conditions, which puts unwarranted burdens on an already strained health care system. Conclusion Considering the t ough economic conditions that prevail in the state of New Jersey, it is imperative that the proposals to implement cuts for FamilyCare and co-pays for Medicaid and ADDP programs be reconsidered.Particularly for individual families earning low incomes, the implementation of such initiatives presents a situation where one is increasingly faced with the dilemma of choosing between heath care needs and other necessities of life. Considering that the harsh economic conditions may force the State’s residents to opt to satisfy the more pressing needs of food and rent at the expense of health care services, it is necessary to reexamine the proposals.In a nutshell, the New Jersey State authorities should focus on expanding health care insurance coverage for all residents irrespective of their socioeconomic status or race, rather than suggesting cuts and co-pays which will not only harm individual families, but the wellbeing of the state as a whole. References Castro, R. J. (2007). Tim e to Keep the FamilyCare Promise. New Jersey Policy Perspective. http://njcitizenaction. org/hcfallingshort. pdf Coalition for a Moral Budget. (2009). Press release: Medicaid and ADDP co-pays will harm the most vulnerable New Jerseyans call upon legislature to eliminate co-pays from budget.Mason, D. J. , Leavitt, J. K. , and Chaffee, M. W. (2007). Policy & politics in nursing and health care. (5th ed). Edinburgh : Elsevier Mosby. National Organization for Women. (2007). Tax cuts hurt the poor. Opposing Viewpoints: Poverty. Ed. Viqi Wagner. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Apollo Library. Retrieved June 25, 2009 from http://find. galegroup. com/ovrc/infomark. do? &contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010159287&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=apollo&version=1.0 NJ for Health Care (2009). Senator Vitale, Chair NJ Senate Health Committee stands with advocates to oppose cut backs to NJ FamilyCare, Medicaid and the Aids Drug Distribution Program. May 12, 2009. Retrieved June 25, 2009 from http://njcitizenaction. org/hcpress20090512a. html The Star-Ledger Editorial Board. (May 26, 2009). N. J. FamilyCare funding: An avoidable budget cut. The Star-Ledger. Retrieved June 25, 2009 from http://blog. nj. com/njv_editorial_page/2009/05/nj_familycare_funding_an_avoid. html

Revising E-Mails and Podcasts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Revising E-Mails and Podcasts - Essay Example When reading it is easy for somebody to get bored or keep losing track of the particular sentence he or she is reading. I am therefore suggesting three improvements that would ensure the reader’s attention is maintained. First, the sentences need to be grouped into paragraphs, second it would helpful if headings and subheading were included and lastly the font size and line spacing should be a bit bigger. My second issue is about the audio player, in my opinion I would prefer if instead of the player only showing a paly button, you should make your podcasts have some attractive pictures or slide show display relating to the topic. This will ensure the listener does not lose attention or focus to other moving objects in his or her environment. The third issue is the download link is missing from the podcast. Sometime I may require downloading the podcast and listening to it somewhere where I do not have internet connection. However, I have realized that without a third party application this is not possible. I think this would another better way to improve the podcast. Finally I would like to thank you for the informative and comprehensive nutrition advice you provide it has helped me a lot improve my lifestyle. Renagel, M. (2011, September 20). The Nutrition Diva: Quick and Dirty Tips for Eacting Well and Feeling Fabulous/155 ND Truth about Whole Grains. Retrieved from Podcast.com:

Jewish Immigration History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Jewish Immigration History - Essay Example This necessitated their migration to seek a better start, in America, which was regarded as land that valued freedom and equality. They also migrated to take tap into the opportunities that abounded in the American community. This era of migration had significant implication in global history. Place of origin The group to be analyzed is the Jewish immigrants that settled in America according to historical records. Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe origin are traced from Russia and Eastern Europe. The period is traced in the early 1880 and 1924 and is one of the utmost immigration to occur in American Jewish history. The main reason for the Jews immigration from the initial region was because of economic and anti-Semitism, which they believed was sufficient in America. The main place of origin was from Eastern Europe and statistics show that five out of six of Americans Jewish are from that place (Daniels, 223). They are believed to have settled in the heavy industrial areas that were characterized by extensive commercial and cultural centers. The town they settled are as follows; ‘New York’, ‘Philadelphia’, ‘Boston’ and ‘Baltimore’. The worked exceptionally hard to stabilize their economy and managed to live affluent lives, which they believe is part of their life. ...hard in industries such as garment industries, petty trade, and cigar manufactures, constructions and food production, which enable Jewish immigrants, to raise their children and stabilize their economy. Those from Europe were from Spain and areas bordering Mediterranean, Germany and some portions of Poland. The core rationale for migrating from their indigenous areas was because of harassment and discrimination. They were mistreated and strained to labor without substantial wages (Daniels, 225). Religion The Jewish religious’ aspect was characterized by strict submission to the strategy and rules that guide the lives of the people. Th e group consisted of religious streams such as orthodox, reformist, and conservative.

Construction Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Construction Management - Coursework Example Different sizes of projects require different services, and so before one makes a decision on the system to use to require the services, size is one of the basic things to consider. This report is about the construction project that we undertook. Being the four of us, each member was given a different role and each member had to closely work together with the other members of the group in order to succeed. Negotiation was very important in the whole process as every member of the group had to convince the other three members of the group to sign the given roles assigned to each member. Since this was a small project, we used the contract management procurement system to come up with the roles and services that each group member was supposed to perform (Rodgers, 2000, p. 87). This procurement system is very efficient in gaining greater visibility for the whole project. With the use of the procurement lifecycle, the system is able to appropriately assign different roles to different co ntractors without being unfair to one party. The procurement system A construction project requires different parties, each playing different roles in the project. In contract management procurement system, each member of the project is given a specific role to play. The members have to agree to the given task by having a head of terms which both parties have to sign. In our project, the main contractor assigns roles to the different stakeholders of the project. Each member has the power to accept the roles or refuse. The roles are then put down in a heads of terms in which each stakeholder has to sign to show compliance to the given tasks. Contract management has a strict measure of negotiation. This means that before the members agree to the given roles, they have to come together and negotiate the roles. This will ensure that both parties avoid exploitation from the other members (Walker, 2008, p. 45). Being the head of the procurement process, I had to set up a lot of terms for the whole project. It was agreed that 50% of the payments were to be given before the start of the project, and the other half to be given when the project was completed. Changes to the heads of terms had to be done through the person affected through a signed new heads of terms. This will ensure that the project management does not change the terms during the project. During the formation of the roles, each member of the project sat with the other party who was to perform the given roles; then, they started the negotiation process, and this is where each heads of terms were made. Each member gave the other member the task that they were to perform and instructed how the payments will be given out. In case of a disagreement, the project manager had to get in to consult the problem. The members then drafted the heads of terms which each one of them had to sign to show compliance to the given task (Green 2010, p. 89). After the signing process, it is assumed that each member is satisf ied with the given terms and that in case of any changes, then they had to communicate with the management, and the terms can be changed only with the agreement of the other member of the team. This type of contract management is very crucial in the definition and management of risk. Each member clearly understands the risks they are getting into and what is totally required from them. They do not therefore rise complains later. In our project, this stage was

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide - Essay Example The company owns and runs the Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc, which provides premier world class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and access to Starwood brands(NHS para 10). Answer to question1 The Middle East hospitality and tourism industry is one of the more robust in the world. Data released by the world travel and tourism council indicates that visitor numbers are expected to soar high in the coming five years since the Middle East region projected to grow in international visitor arrivals by 6.5%. Starwood is well placed to exploit this market especially Dubai which is gearing up to attract new sectors such as conferencing with its world class infrastructure and competitively priced hotels (NHS para 3). Starwood should leverage on the number of business visitors in the Middle East. The company should offer value added hospitality services such as conference facilities, dining facilities and tourist villas. In some instances, international brands can be introdu ced to foreign markets without much consideration for local tastes and preferences. In this case, the company can introduce its standardized product in the foreign market and exploit economies of scale in its operations, this way; it can maintain a price advantage over its competition. However, a standardized product strategy should be flexible enough to respond to local markets, the products should be designed with a more balanced strategic focus giving weight to local and global concerns. There should be an emphasis on  the global market coordination to avoid duplication of activities and to capitalize on the scope and economies of scale (NHS para 3). The company should utilize economies of scale in order to reduce the operating costs and threat of new entrants in the market. If necessary, the Starwood subsidiaries in the Middle East should be given more autonomy to tailor their products to the needs of the market. The subsidiaries can design products specifically for the Middle East market or adopt existing Starwood brands and customize them depending on local preferences. Adopting existing brands is especially important for the franchised system of management adopted by Starwood where the owner of the hotel is not the brand owner. Thus adopting an international brand gives the subsidiaries worldwide exposure and recognition associated with an established brand (NHS para 7). The company should pursue both a global strategy, but also emphasize on the customization of the hospitality services to the needs of the local market. The company should differentiate its services in order to attain competitive edge in the hospitality industry. Where global brands are adopted, teams of experienced staff should be established on the ground to modify the global campaign locally and serve as the public face of the brand. Their activities are then coordinated by a matrix structure reporting to the global brand manager or a local marketing manager. A separate team should be established, and it is responsible for new product development to fit the local market or to adopt global brands that fit into the existing Starwood portfolio. Brand strength is the life-blood of a franchising company like Starwood, and it is important that the staff develop and promote a brand culture (NHS para 5). The company has attained brand recognition and efforts should be shifted to retaining the customer loyalty through new and innovative hospitality products and loyalty

Linking Sexual Satisfaction and Exercise Research Paper - 1

Linking Sexual Satisfaction and Exercise - Research Paper Example   The participants consisted of undergraduate students enrolled in health science courses and were 408 in number. It was conducted on a voluntary basis, and anonymity of the participants was ensured. They were to fill a cross-sectional questionnaire of 130-items. The questionnaire was able to collect information concerning demographic variables, perceived fitness, exercise frequency, the perception of sexual desirability, and sexual performance. Data analysis involve the use of SAS programs and chi-square and mainly based on gender. Females were more than the males while ethnically, the Caucasian was the majority. Ninety percent of males who reported their fitness level being above average rated their sexual desirability and sexual performance as above average or more above average. In the case of females, it was indicated that there was no association between exercise frequency, sexual performance, and sexual desirability. Seventy-one percent of females who rated their fitness lev el being much above average had their sexual desirability above average or more above average. Significant gender differences were noted for sexual performance and sexual desirability by exercise frequency and by fitness. From the data that was gathered and analyzed it was found that higher levels of fitness and longer exercise frequency improved the perception of sexual desirability and sexual performance.   The research also demonstrated that constant physical activity provides benefits to one's psychological well-being.  

Topic Developement 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Topic Developement 3 - Essay Example Therefore, this study will attempt to answer the following questions: i. What is the legal definition of bankruptcy and what are the causes and consequences of bankruptcy? ii. What are the various forms of bankruptcy and what are the legal procedures applicable in declaring a company bankrupt? iii. What is the chronological evolution of bankruptcy in the USA? iv. What are the tendencies and signs pointing to bankruptcy of a company and what are the technical financial details of bankruptcy? v. How can bankruptcy be mitigated and what is the role played by other disciplines such as psychology and management in mitigating the effects of bankruptcy? Through answering these questions, it will be possible to thoroughly cover the concept of bankruptcy, right from its evolution to the current state, highlighting the tendencies and the signs indicating that a company is headed for bankruptcy, as well as addressing how the state of bankruptcy can be mitigated. Additionally, the role of certai n disciplines in addressing bankruptcy will be evaluated, to create an understanding of the interrelationships between various disciplines. This study will take the form of qualitative research design, where the historical background of bankruptcy will be analyzed, with a view to understanding the chronological changes in bankruptcy laws, up to the current laws applicable. The study will also take the form of a case study, where it will analyze the historical bankruptcy of certain companies in the USA. The focus of this analysis will be an inquiry into the causes of the bankruptcy, what laws and legal procedures were applied to declare those companies bankrupt and what were the consequences of the declaration of bankruptcy to the company and to tits stakeholders. Further, the study will engage in probing the attempts made by various companies to revive themselves from the state of bankruptcy, and how successful their strategies were, to revive the companies. The study will also enga ge in comparing bankruptcy for different companies, evaluating how such companies addressed the issue of bankruptcy and determining which companies were successful and which ones were not. In so doing, it will be possible to determine the most appropriate strategies that are applicable in addressing the issue of bankruptcy for companies. Additionally, the role of various disciplines such as psychology and management in helping the companies address their state of bankruptcy will be analyzed, with a focus to understanding the relationship between the concept of business, management and psychology. This will be followed by recommendations on how companies can address bankruptcy, based on the success factors identifiable under different company case studies. The effect of bankruptcy in the economy is yet another focus of this study. Bankruptcy offers an individual or an organization the opportunity to start afresh, through forgiving the debts that cannot be paid and strategizing on the way forward (Ekvall & Smiley, 2007). Additionally, the declaration of bankruptcy gives the creditors an opportunity to measure the extent of their debt repayment, based on the assets of the organization that are available. This way, the declaration of bankruptcy is beneficial to the economy, since it serves to untie and set free the resources held by the redundant business, which are then re-invested into the economy with much vigor (Ekvall & Smiley,

Project1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project1 - Essay Example The products are marketed as a total solution to different hair and scalp problems and thereby act as market leaders in scalp care. Over the years from 1961 to current, ‘Head and Shoulders’ have slowly evolved as one of the best shampoos to fight perennial problems like dandruff and hair fall and also other types of scalp problems. Products marketed under the Dandruff category are further divided into three types like shampoo, conditioner and 2-in-1 for both men and women customers. Shampoos and hair products of Head and Shoulders generate a wide array of benefits to customers like generating protection to damaged and broken hair and also in making hair thicker, stronger and moist in nature (Procter & Gamble, 2014). Procter and Gamble, the company that markets Head and Shoulders operates as a multinational company in the consumer goods segment. The company aims at producing branded products that contribute in enhancing the lives of consumers along different parts of the globe. Value additions are generated in terms of innovating different product offerings to meet the changing needs of the consumers from time to time and in retailing the right quality and quantity of products to the customers (Procter & Gamble, 2014). Procter and Gamble is well known in terms of the global brands created by the company along which are marketed by the company along different consumer segments spread along 180 different countries. Current estimates related to Procter and Gamble reflect that the company through its operation baaed along 23 different brands earns the potential of generating a total sales revenue of around $10 billion. Another set of 14 brands tend to generate a total sales of around $1billion in an annual fashion. The rate of market capitalization for Procter and Gamble is evaluated to be greater than the Gross Domestic Product of a number

Online Class Systems in the University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Online Class Systems in the University - Essay Example Approximately 3 million enrolments in online courses are reported in the U.S.A by American sources. According to the Statistical Analysis Report February 2002, at least 3.3 million signed up in no less than one online course. According to the Sloan Report, students appear to be at least as satisfied with what they achieve from online courses as they are with the traditional ones. Studies show that public schools offer more online courses than private schools. It is evident that online learning has become a popular form of schooling with numerous advantages. This system, however, has disadvantages to it that should not be overlooked. The quality of these courses is not very high (Sims 54). Problems encountered in the online system of learning and their solutions The following are some of the problems that may be encountered in an online learning system along with their solutions: Computer illiteracy is a major problem facing online learning systems. ... Technology has proven to be quite unreliable and break downs occur at any point even when the system was initially operating smoothly. Students are responsible for their own progress and as if this is not enough, they have to keep up with technological advancement. Sometimes, something that seems as simple as establishing contact with the learning provider can turn into the most cumbersome challenge even to computer wizards let alone the novice. This may lead to frustration and discouragement which may cause the learner to discontinue with the program. The University Of Central Florida found that technical problems were a cause for students’ withdrawal. Even the most sophisticated technology happens to be unreliable and the question is not whether the system will fail, but when. A server hosting the program could suddenly crash and cut off all learners from the class, internet connection could fail or get disconnected abruptly and the institution hosting the connection could b e bogged down by users hence cause it to be slow or fail altogether. For online programs to be successful, the technology in use ought to be reliable and friendly to the users. This can be achieved by using systems that have been upgraded to ensure weak points have been dealt with appropriately. While online learning may be considered an effective method of education for the mature and self-disciplined students, some learners are dependent and have problems assuming the responsibilities required by an online system of learning. Elementary and secondary students fall into this category. Such students need to be self-motivated, organized and have the ability to manage their time well in order to successfully participate in the online program.

Money Laundering Sources Essay Example for Free

Money Laundering Sources Essay 1.Drug traffic: it is considered as the most important financial source in the illegal business. The important money operation is related to drug dealings. 2.Bribery: it is one of the sources that lead to have illegal money. Most of the laws prohibited the bribery in its different ways and have imposed some punishments when bribery takes place. 3.Money embezzlements: the crime of embezzling money is one of the important crimes that is related to administrative corruption. People who get the embezzled money tend to put it in banks outside the country with the intention of bringing it back in an illegal way. 4.The illegal evading from paying taxes: it is also called â€Å"tax cheating† or â€Å"tax evading†. This means that one can evade or escape from paying the due taxes through practicing cheating and counterfeiting in the records and breaking the taxation rules and laws. The evading process is considered one of the sources that lead to gain huge amounts of money that will become later a target for the money laundering operations. 5.The crime of money: these are crimes that aim to gain huge amounts of money and the people that commit such crime work on hiding or concealing its sources so it can look as if it is legal. 6.The crimes of people with white collars: these crimes are done by people who have a high position socially and economically while practicing their businesses. 7.The crimes of the politicians: the money laundering operations is connected to the political corruption that is associated with the utilization of the power and authority to gain the huge amounts of money then, smuggle it outside to be laundered and bring it back in a legal way. There is also the method of buying the stocks and assets where the money launderers buy perceptible assets such as cars, boats, real estate, precious stones, drawings for famous artists, or buying cash instruments like banking checks, paying orders, traveler‘s checks, notes and many other means. The most favored technique for the money launderers is buying commercial notes, especially depositing certificates, for example instead of depositing cash money which in many cases can be detected if the amount is big, it is divided into the ways of buying the notes which could be easily bought in value ranges between 100 and 100,000 dollars. Some commercial activities that can be used for laundering money are : 1.Operations of the equivalent markets: in this type of plans, the launderers tend to replace the dirty dollars with other foreign currencies and sometimes, they switch it back to dollars again. 2.Illusive deals: counterfeiting operations is considered one of the popular activities used in laundering money. With the use of exaggerated prices, money launderers can establish illusive companies or work with their partners for finding illusive bills where the prices included in these bills are either exaggerated to an extent exceeding the amount paid actually, or that the commodity is never bought at all. 3.Insurance companies: there is another planning for cash brokers in the free commercial areas which appears in accepting cash liquidity from the drug dealers to buy life insurance documents and get back its value by the virtue of checks. 4.Off shore companies: the off shore companies are traditionally used by money launderers. For example, a money launderer can establish commercial business in Lebanon as a cover for opening a commercial account in a bank. Then, the money launderers travels to one of the countries that are refuges for free taxation with the help of a lawyer or local agents to establish an external company in the free area. The local agent can be the owner and the boss of that company where the name of the launderer isn‘t used in any of the external documents. After that, the illusive company pretends to do some commercial activities and then transfer the dirty money telegraphically from the commercial account in Lebanon to the account of the external company in the free area. This could be done through the counterfeited bills which are used to pretend that there are legal commercial dealings. As the dirty money is put in the Off Shore companies, it can be transferred telegraphically to any place in the world. Money laundering is not restricted to banks but in the banking field for example, the money launderers are used to collude with the employees of the banks administrations. This is often done by using methods of corruption to allow the passing of the special transaction related to transferring huge amounts to pass by without filling the application from or through splitting them into small amounts to avoid the procedures.

Analysing The Differences Between Soft And Hard Power Politics Essay

Analysing The Differences Between Soft And Hard Power Politics Essay Soft power was a term first coined by Joseph Nye in 1990 to recognise that nations had power resources other than the more readily conceived hard power of economic and military power. In his 2004 book Soft Power Nye attempts to expand upon the term and provide a tighter definition of soft power. His definition It is the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments  [1]  is general and needs substantial qualification and explanation to provide utility to statesmen and academics alike. Soft power has therefore generated significant debate as to its existence and utility. It has been argued that soft power is merely an argument for the merits of public diplomacy.  [2]  Nye himself argues that soft power is a resource that is underappreciated.  [3]  Increasingly the term soft power is being used by politicians and academics alike to portray a warmer less aggressive approach to international relations in the contemporary connected world. Eme rging powers such as China and India have been applauded for their use of soft power to attract outcomes they desire.  [4]  The US under Obama has distanced itself from President Bushs unilateral approach and has re-emphasised the utility and power of soft power to influence the world.  [5]   Despite the increased use of the term soft power, questions still remain as to the validity of soft power as an actual usable form of political power. Criticisms of soft power abound and include recognition that soft power is too fickle and generated from factors many of which are outside the direct control of a government. Soft power can have a positive effect on one group but have a polar opposite effect on another group within the same nation. Realist thinking in particular finds it difficult to reconcile so called soft power against a much more tangible hard power such as military might. But images such as a lone protester standing in front of a column of Chinese tanks in Tiananmen Square do have a tangible affect on how the world reacts to situations. The protester certainly had less hard power, yet world opinion was certainly not attracted to the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on that day. If not hard power, what sort of power is that then? The world today is increasingly connected. Images and opinions on crises and conflict can quickly be dispersed throughout the global community. The privilege of information superiority enjoyed by the leaders of nations in the past is increasingly threatened today. The governed can now get access to events and information much quicker and much more accurately than at any other time in human history. Measures of national power have to therefore take account of how a nation is perceived by the emerging global consciousness enabled by the information age. International relations is an ever changing tapestry of competition, cooperation and conflict but increasingly the interactions between states is becoming much more personal, much more deeper and much more diverse. While interactions between states remain dominant no state, particularly democratic states, can ignore the views of its citizens and their values. Much as violence is seen as distasteful within societies, there is now a great er threshold for justification of violence between states in the mind of the global community. Actions perceived as aggressive and without sufficient justification suffer a backlash of public opinion that undermines the ability of a regime to pursue a policy. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The aim of this paper is to better define the concept of soft power as a tool of international relations and establish the critical importance of soft power within the contemporary world. The research question as such, is as follows: What is soft power and why is it important in the world today? This will be answered by firmly establishing that the foundation of all political power, international or domestic, is the will of people and that power is becoming more dissipated throughout a globalised world. To aid in the understanding of soft power a number of questions need to be addressed. First and foremost is the question of where power comes from. To understand from where political power is derived we need to investigate power from its base form in human society. By understanding the basis of political power we can begin to understand why or how the nature of power may begin to manifest itself in different ways. Soft power is different from hard power. How and why this is the case is necessary to better understand what soft power actually is. Yet power is power and therefore at some, if not all, levels hard and soft power must interact and effect each other. The question of the relationship between hard and soft power must be addressed to gain greater insight into what soft power is and how to employ it. Hard power is the more easily recognisable and traditional manifestation of national power such as armed might and economic capability. Next is the question of how do we measure soft power. National power has always been perceived within a context of raw power potential shaped and melded into international effect by a nations leaders to achieve their international objectives. Does a nation therefore have a raw soft power potential and if so how can it best be cultivated and employed? Hard power can often be perceived as finite and expendable. Once you expend a resource you no longer have it. Is this true of soft power also? Or can soft power be re-used over and over? Finally an understanding of the trends and phenomenon of the world today is fundamental to determining the importance of soft power today and into the future. The importance and relevance of soft power is growing as more of humanity becomes connected. As people become more connected so the complexity of human interaction increases. This dramatically enhanced presence everywhere on the globe has the potential to generate a surge of global opinion. Increased connectivity however does not only provide presence everywhere for opinions to form on significant world events. People can now connect with a more diverse and more numerous audience throughout the world. The international relations implications are profound. As the complexity of human interaction increases so too does the complexity of international relations and politics. LITERATURE REVIEW This paper is on soft power. However to properly ground this concept in International relations this paper will cover a number of interrelated topics. Therefore, a variety of writings, including some on International relations, International relations theory and globalisation will be used to define what soft power is. Contemporary articles and media will update current discussions on soft power and aid in determining its relevance and utility. Joseph Nyes 2004 book Soft Power is dedicated to the subject of soft power and attempts to establish firmly through contemporary examples and discussion what soft power is and how it is generated and used. Nye defines soft power as It is the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments.  [6]  Nye has attempted to expand upon the concept after first coining the term in 1990. In many regards he has not adequately achieved this and has in many regards muddied the waters and propogated confusion about what soft power is. Nye has not anchored this concept in any theoretical framework. Hans Morganthau book Politics Among Nations, first published in 1948 and then updated with eleven further editions up to 2005 will provide a basis for analysis of what national power is. Morganthaus chapters on political power, the struggle for power and the essence of power all provide insights into the enduring nature of power and a framework for determining what the basis of power is and therefore how relevant soft power is as a concept. Kenneth Waltzs book Realism and International Politics was published in 2008 and is a compilation of Waltzs earlier works. Waltzs works span six decades from 1959 until 2002 and will be used to provide a more contemporary understanding of international relations and a barometer to show how international relations, and more specifically political power, are evolving as the world changes. The theme of globalisation and issues associated with it is fundamental to the rising awareness and importance of soft power. Thomas Friedmans The Lexus and the Olive Tree published in 2000 provides an excellent discussion of globalisation and its effects on the world. Friedmans early chapters provide a good description of what globalization is and how it has arisen. Friedman also touches upon the impact of globalisation on how power is employed in the emerging world. Friedman has expanded on his previous work on globalisation with his 2006 book The World is Flat. Now in its third expanded and updated edition within three years, the publishing history of this book is testament to the increasing speed of globalisation within the world today. In this book Friedman highlights three phases of gloablisation that he terms Globilisation 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. The idea that in Globalisation 1.0 nations gloablised, Globalisation 2.0 organisations globalised and in Globalisation 3.0 that we are seeing every individual globalised is central to understanding the importance of soft power in the contemporary world. If Friedman is to be even half believed, soft power is only going to become even more critical in coming years. The relationship between globalization and international politics is further enhanced with The Globalization of World Politics, An Introduction to International Relations by John Baylis and Steve Smith, first published in 2001 and updated in 2005. While providing a comprehensive and detailed understanding of contemporary international relations overall it is striking to note that this work offers only the barest mention of the concept of soft power. Likewise Charles Kegleys 12th edition of World Politics: Trend and Transformation, published in 2009 is a comprehensive text that charts the evolution of international relations from a theoretical perspective but mentions soft power only as an aside. Malcom Gladwells now famous The Tipping Point, first published in 2000 and now in its fifteenth reprint, provides a discussion on how the little things can make a big difference in a globalised connected world. Gladwells work does not specifically deal with international politics or power but his central concept provides food for thought on why soft power is now so critical. RELEVANCE OF RESEARCH The 2003 US invasion of Iraq has highlighted both the unstoppable military might of the worlds only superpower and the limitations of operating solely in a hard power domain of international relations. While it is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss the merits or not of the decision to invade Iraq, it is clear that the US found that it suffered a significant backlash from the way in which it did approach this issue on the global stage. Understanding soft power is more critical with every passing day as the world continues to connect. The concept of soft power is fuzzy and ambiguous. Skeptics will always be found for any subject. Proponents of the concept have varying interpretations of what it actually is. Many use the term from a simplistic point of view that helps undermine the importance of soft power. Nye has done well in articulating the concept but confusion and misunderstanding persists. This paper endeavors to contribute in even the smallest measure to a better understa nding of soft power and why it is critical in the world today and into the future. METHODOLOGY AND LIMITATIONS This research paper will focus on a theory review from the library resources available at the Maktab Turus Angkatan Tentura (MTAT), Malaysian Armed Forces Ministry of Defence, the University of Malaya, Malaysian and New Zealand Bookshops. In addition to this various journals and articles sourced from on-line databases will also be used. The intention of this paper is to bring together theoretical international power and globalisation concepts with Nyes concept of soft power, in order to provide a better understanding of soft power, its relationship to other elements of national power and its growing importance. Due to time constraints and resource limitations, research for this paper is based on a limited number of secondary sources. Some books obtained are not the most recent editions however internet resources have been used where possible to ensure ideas gained from older editions have not been superseded. CHAPTERISATION This paper is divided into five chapters. Chapter one provides an introduction to the study to be undertaken including background information and a review of the literature available in compiling this research. Chapter one also outlines the methodology undertaken in order to obtain the required information. Chapter two focuses on the theoretical concept of power. The chapter discusses power from its fundamental principles recognising that in todays world that . Chapter three introduces the concept of soft power as defined by Joeseph Nye and the transnational crime threats and regional security mechanisms within the South Pacific, describes the current security environment and a summary of transnational crime and security issues. The chapter will then discuss the factors contributing towards transnational crime in the South Pacific within the framework of political, military, societal, economic and environmental security concerns. Chapter three then discusses the regional security mechanisms by outlining the Pacific Islands Forum, The Pacific Plan, the Forum Regional Security Committee, and then concludes. Chapter four introduces the responses to threats in the South Pacific and discusses the approach being taken by regional and global governments, non government organisations and law enforcement agencies to combat transnational crime within the South Pacific region. Chapter five concludes the paper by drawing together the concepts of transnational crime and security, the transnational crime and security threats in the South Pacific and the responses to them, and concludes that in order to overcome the threats of transnational crime to a states national security, non government organisations and law enforcement agencies must understand the complexity of transnational crime, the contributing factors, the challenges associated with combating it and focus their efforts in a joint approach to address the threats to the benefit of the state, its population and the global community.

Public Sector Reform In Ghana Politics Essay

Public Sector Reform In Ghana Politics Essay Ghanas public sector serves as the largest employer of her labor force and also contributes significantly toward the countrys development. Contrarily, people generally tend to hold negative perceptions about the sector. However, in her bid to instill sanity and promote a good image of the system as well as ensure increased productivity of the sector, the Government of Ghana recently introduced several reforms within her public sector. This paper therefore explores the current public sector reform programs such as the wage reforms popularly dubbed Single Spine Salary structure (S-cube) that have been implemented in Ghana. The author however investigates whether or not these current reforms programs would be sustainable. INTRO DUCTI ON The catchphrase Public Sector Reforms has emerged over the past decades in both advanced and developing countries where governments have embarked upon sweeping reforms to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the public sector. Efforts at reforming the public sector is more pronounced in Africa where the sector in many of its countries is seen as a mere watchman rather than serving as a facilitator for the private sector to drive the pace of growth and development. As Fatile et al (2010: 145) aptly put it All African countries are caught in the web of Public Sector Reforms. Ghana, a country in Sub-Saharan Africa has witnessed its share of these reforms and continues to experiment with new ones. Like many African countries, Ghanas attempt at reforming its public sector can be traced back to the 1980s when it underwent the World Banks Structural Adjustment Programs. From that time until now, successive governments have consistently implemented reforms in its Public Sector which has been full of mixed results. Amongst these include, Civil Service Improvement Program (CSPIP), Public Administration Restructuring and Decentralization and Implementation Committee (PARDIC), the Civil Service Reform (CSR) and Public Sector Reform Program (PSRP) of the now defunct Ministry of Public sector Reform (Holm- Graves, 2011). Quite recently, the public sector of Ghana came under intense criticisms from the public with many citing the sectors inability to meet the needs of its employees, corruption, poor delivery of services, and a host of other issues as the ills plaguing the sector. These issues alongside global pressures have made the Government of Ghana to introduce and implement new reform initiatives ranging from pay reforms to improvement in service delivery. This paper as part of a larger project aimed at investigating the new reform programs that have been implemented in Ghana and to contribute to the broader discussion of public management literature focuses on the on-going pay reform program popularly known as the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) that is being undertaken to replace the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS) which proved to be marginally successful (Cooper-Enchia, 2008). Unlike the GUSS which is the first comprehensive pay policy implemented in Ghana, the SSSS tries to bring more order to the pay setting process by promoting adequate comparability of similar jobs across public sector services and institutions (Cavalcanti, 2009). This paper therefore attempts to examine the sustainability of the on-going SSSS in Ghana. Due consideration is also given to the prospects and challenges faced in the implementation of this new pay reform program. The rest of the paper is structured as follows. The next section looks at public sector reforms in Ghana by narrowing the discussion to pay reforms that have been implemented in the country to put the paper in perspective. Section three provides an overview of Ghanas Single Spine pay reform program. Here, the prospects and challenges facing the implementation of the on-going program have been discussed. The final section of the paper discusses the way forward for the current reform program in Ghana. PUBLIC SECTOR REFORMS IN GHANA: A HISTORICAL CONTEXT Historically, efforts at reforming the public sector in many countries have been diverse which can be largely attributed to the issues that occasion such initiatives. In Africa and other developing countries, public sector reforms have been heavily driven by worldwide decline in public finances and the need to get more for less (Caiden cited in Ayee, 2008: 2). These initiatives were promoted to improve the image of governments in the global arena and to mitigate the dead hand of bureaucracy. It is against this background that Ghanas public sector reform efforts have evolved. A closer look into past reform efforts in Ghana shows that initial attempts dates back to 1980s when many African countries implemented a wide range of reform programs with the support and supervision of the World Bank and other reform institutions (Owusu,2006). Ghana vigorously pursued these reforms with the aim of halting economic decline and stagnation to institutional reforms and poverty reduction. The Civil Service Reform Program implemented in 1987, a component of the series of the economic reform programs was the first reform program to be undertaken in the country. The implementation of the CSRP was aimed at reducing overstaffing and trimming redundant civil servants (Owusu, 2005). However, between 1994 and 2003, reform initiatives in Ghana took a new look with the establishment of the National Institutional Renewal Program (Owusu, 2003). Efforts at this stage were centered on improving the public sector through enhancing its efficiency. Recognizing the failures of all the reforms that were implemented from 1987-2003, the erstwhile Kuffour administration took a giant step to establish a Ministry of Public Sector Reform in 2005 to ensure the development of home grown reform initiatives which oversaw the implementation of a number of reforms in the public sector until it was eventually replaced with the Public Sector Reform secretariat under the Mills regime. Having undergone several reform efforts, Public sector reformers in Ghana have realized that many of the problems associated with poor performance, lack of professionalism and corruption are directly related to low salary levels and ineffective pay administration (Cooper-Enchia, 2008), thus, the introduction of the Single Spine Pay Policy which forms the crux of the paper. However, any discussion of this new pay policy calls for a critical look into past wage and salary reform attempts. Past Public Sector Pay Reform Attempts in Ghana Over the years, governments in Ghana have introduced several pay reforms and reviews in order to bridge the disparity and inequity gaps in its pay administration systems (TUC bulletin). Prominent among these efforts are reviews under committees and commissions such as Mills-Odoi (1967); Issifu Ali Committee (1973); Azu Gabbe Commission (1979), the National Committee for Wage and Salary Rationalization (1983) and the Gyampoh Salary commission (1992) (Ibid). All these efforts notwithstanding, the problems that these reviews sought to address still lingered on since most of these committees and commissions which were set up remained adhoc and short-lived (source). Moreover, the recommendations that the committees and Commissions made on the existing pay system were never implemented by the government. For instance, the NDC government accepted the recommendations of the Gyampoh Commission in 1992 to consolidate allowances into basic salary but failed to implement them (Kiragu et al, 2003). These gives credence to the fact that political will is key in ensuring the implementation and success of reforms and buttress what Polidano (2001) says account for the why reforms in government fail. Having failed in its bid to achieve the objective of rectifying the imbalances in the pay administration system, there was the need to develop a more realistic and sustainable mechanism to reform the public services pay structure. Therefore, a more comprehensive approach to reforming the public sector pay inadequacies known as the Ghana Universal Salary Structure ( GUSS) was introduced in 1997 to forestall the problems inherent in the existing pay structure. The GUSS, a 22 level salary structure was put across to be implemented in all public sector institutions in Ghana. However, the aim of universality underlying the implementation of the pay policy could not be achieved since some sections of the public service institutions were made to opt out of the policy without any sanctions melted out to them. Moreover, the central body which oversaw the implementation of the GUSS did not have any legal mandate that established its legality to implement the policy and were also not adequately resourced (Government of Ghana, 2009). THE SINGLE SPINE PAY POLICY Overview The Single Spine Pay Policy is a new comprehensive pay reform program introduced to replace the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS). It is anticipated that the Single Spine Pay Policy will be able to restore equity and transparency in Ghanas public service remuneration structure (Government of Ghana, 2009). The Policy is designed to cover all the public sector employees specified under Article 190 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. Those in these category include the civil service, the Judicial service, the Audit service, the Education service, the Prisons service, the Parliamentary service, the Police service, the Immigration service, and the legal service. Others include workers of the constitution and all other public services as Parliament of Ghana may by law prescribe to part of the policy. However, the policy excludes all public employees specified under Article 71 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana. The officials who fall under this classification include the speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice and other justices of the superior court of Judicature, the Auditor- General, the chairman and Deputy Chairmen of the Electoral Commission, the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and his deputies and the District Assemblies Common Fund Administrator; and the Chairman and Vice- Chairman and other members of the National Council for Higher Education, the Public services commission, the National Media Commission, the Lands Commission and the National Commission for Civic Education (Constitution of Republic of Ghana, 1992; Ankomah, 2010) The SSSS places public sector employees on a 25-level unified salary structure as compared to the 22-level salary structure under the GUSS. Moreover, since the SSSS attempts to put all public sector employees on a common structure, it utilizes the so called base pay (Cavalcanti, 2009) which is the minimum pay on the structure (Ankomah, 2010). Aside the common base pay, there are other remunerations such the Market Premiums as to induce certain category of professionals which is over and above the common base pay. Other commissions and allowances are also expected to be made specifically to certain group of public sector employees (Cavalcanti, 2010) It is worth mentioning that, the first time in Ghanas pay reform history, there have been an establishment of a Fair wages and salaries commission (FWSC) legally mandated by an Act of parliament (Act, 737, 2007) to oversee to the implementation of this pay reform policy (Ankomah, 2010; Cooper-Enchia, 2009; Government of Ghana, 2009). Rationale for Ghanas New Pay Policy There have been serious debates concerning Ghanas public sector pay over a long period of time. Issues that have been at the center stage of such debates concerns how to manage the pay disparities within the public sector and the rising cost of the public sector wage bill. For instance, although public sector salaries in Ghana constitute a major proportion of the government expenditure, it still remains very low and uncompetitive thus making the attraction and retainment of technical and managerial talents difficult (Ankomah, 2010). In addition, pay disparities continues to widen among public sector workers. It is against this backdrop that the Government has introduced this new pay policy. Hence, the Single Spine Pay Policy seeks to address the following key issues; Pay disparities that have emerged within the public services Rising cost of the public sector wage bill Large number of public sector pay negotiations Linkage of pay to productivity ( Government of Ghana, 2009) Aim and Objectives of the SSSS The overarching aim of the Single Spine pay policy is to ensure equity, fairness and transparency in the public service pay administration. Specifically, the objectives of the policy are to; Place all the public sector employees one vertical structure Ensure that jobs within the same job value range are paid within the same pay range (i.e equal pay for work of equal work ) Allow Government the ability to manage the wage bill more efficiently Ensure compliance and ease of monitoring the pay structures of self-accounting institutions Minimize industrial-relation tensions related to low pay and distortions across the public services; and Link pay to productivity ( Government of Ghana, 2009) Ghanas SSSS Implementation The implementation of Ghanas Single Spine Pay Policy commenced in July 2010 with the Police service being the first public sector institution to be migrated onto the new pay structure. The full scale implementation is scheduled to be undertaken within a five year period. Currently, all government employees specified under Article 190 of the 1992 Constitution of Republic of Ghana have been moved onto the structure. The stages that were followed in implementing the policy are listed below; Job analysis and evaluation Design of a grading structure based on the results of the job evaluation Placement of jobs on the grading structure Determination of the base pay and relativity through negotiations Design of the SSSS Placement if the individual jobholders on the SSSS Standardization of the allowances Negotiation of other conditions of service between Fair wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and Unions/ Associations in the nine service classification Development of public sector-wide performance system Monitoring and ensuring compliance (Ankomah, 2010;Government of Ghana, 2009 ) Emerging Challenges The implementation of the single Spine pay reform in Ghana like its predecessor policies have faced several challenges. Amongst the key challenges the policy has been beset with include the following; First, the migration of public sector workers onto the SSSS have been met with mixed results. While, the Police Service who were the first institution to be moved onto the new pay policy have hailed the policy as a good approach to ensure substantial increase in the salaries of all Ghanaian workers. Other Public sector workers share lukewarm attitudes toward the new pay policy. For instance, the health sector workers have consistently raised issues about internal relativity distortions and lack of transparency in the Job placement. They contend that the re-evaluation that was done prior to the placement of workers onto the SSSS was a total flaw (Ankomah, 2010). These same issues have also been advanced by other workers including Ghana Prison Service Staff, Civil Service and Local Government staff (Ibid) Another major challenge confronting the SSSS implementation has to do the payment of market premiums to certain categories of workers such as doctors, nurses, etc who are said to possess special skills set that are in short supply. It is argued that the absence of such professionals could throw the country into chaos (Abbey cited in Ankomah, 2010) A third critical issue that has been raised by the labor unions and associations particularly Civil and Local Government Service Association of Ghana as far as the implementation of the SSSS has to do with collective bargaining arrangements. Under the SSSS, there is only one umbrella negotiation committee, that is, the Public Services Joint Negotiation Committee that can negotiate Public Salary which comprises Fair Wages and Salaries Commission on one hand and organized labor / associations on the other hand Ankomah (2010). This threatens workers right as stipulated in the Labor Act, 2003 to collectively bargain and renders them powerless to fight for future improvements in their salaries and conditions of service. Poor management systems on human resources in Public institutions in Ghana have also been cited as a major challenge facing the implementation of the SSSS. According to Ankomah (2010), the current policy will require a thorough and complete assessment and review, which would demand a lot of competences and skills. Unfortunately, the human resource departments and units do not have the capacity to adequately manage this change. Moreover, the data base and Monitoring and Evaluation systems in the public institutions are not enough to cope with this new policy. WAY FORWARD CONCLUSION

Molieres Tartuffe Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Moliere’s description of a satire, he was very direct as to the function and objectives of ones are. The function is to correct men’s problems, using satire to ridicule them and expose them to the public opinion. Although the satire is making fun of many things, things in the church and organized religion. Tartuffe has many themes that reoccur throughout the play. The time period which this piece was written, was know as The Age Of Reason. One of the main ideas and attitudes during this period was, reason must always control passion. Due this attitude, one theme that constantly appears through out the play is the battle between reason and passion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Act II, Scene 4 one of the major conflicts between reason and passion is played out. Valere confronts Mariane with the rumors he has heard about her marrying Tartuffe. Throughout this entire confrontation, they are letting their passions stop them from getting what they truly want, each other. Then Dorine brings about the reason that is needed for their dilemma. Dorine says to Volere and Mariane, if you ask me, both of you are mad as mad can be. Do stop this nonsense, now. I’ve only let you squabble long enough to let you see where it would get you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C...

Guest House :: Essays Papers

Guest House The first chapter introduces Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. We don’t know their first names because the wife calls her husband Mr. Bennett and he calls her â€Å"my dear†. They have five grown up daughters and one is named Lizzy or Elizabeth who is the father’s favorite. The mother thinks Jane is handsome (or good-looking) and Lydia humored. The other two daughters have not been introduced yet. Mr. Bennett thinks they are all silly and ignorant, except Lizzy. Mrs. Bennett wants the father to go with her to visit an eligible, â€Å"well to do† bachelor who will move into a neighboring estate at Michealmas the 29th of September, so she can aquaint him with her 5 available daughters. She would love to marry them off to money. There’s not much going on in her life except worrying about marrying her daughters and visiting with the other neighbors. Mr. Bennett, however, is not interested in meeting Mr. Bingley form Northern England and after twenty three years of marriage fancies himself to be the greater mind of the two. Chapter II Mr. Bennett goes ahead and is one of the first people to visit Mr. Bingley. He doesn’t tell them straight out that he has been to visit him, because he knows they’re all dying to meet him. So, he teases them about it first by telling them that hey may be the ones to introduce him to some of the other neighbors. They still don’t catch on until he drops the bomb that he’s already been to visit. He enjoys their shocked reaction, but doesn’t stick around. In this chapter we find out that Lizzy (the fathers favorite) is the second daughter. We also find out that one of the other daughter’s name is Kitty and she has an annoying cough and is really sensitive about it. The other girl’s name that we didn’t know is Mary, who is a bookworm. She is quiet. We also find out that Lydia is the youngest, but is also the tallest of the 5 girls. She appears to have a little spunk to her. Chapter III The girls along with their mother try to get their father to tell them about Mr. Bingley. They try every cleaver thing that they can think of to get even a hint of that he looks like or personality. Guest House :: Essays Papers Guest House The first chapter introduces Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. We don’t know their first names because the wife calls her husband Mr. Bennett and he calls her â€Å"my dear†. They have five grown up daughters and one is named Lizzy or Elizabeth who is the father’s favorite. The mother thinks Jane is handsome (or good-looking) and Lydia humored. The other two daughters have not been introduced yet. Mr. Bennett thinks they are all silly and ignorant, except Lizzy. Mrs. Bennett wants the father to go with her to visit an eligible, â€Å"well to do† bachelor who will move into a neighboring estate at Michealmas the 29th of September, so she can aquaint him with her 5 available daughters. She would love to marry them off to money. There’s not much going on in her life except worrying about marrying her daughters and visiting with the other neighbors. Mr. Bennett, however, is not interested in meeting Mr. Bingley form Northern England and after twenty three years of marriage fancies himself to be the greater mind of the two. Chapter II Mr. Bennett goes ahead and is one of the first people to visit Mr. Bingley. He doesn’t tell them straight out that he has been to visit him, because he knows they’re all dying to meet him. So, he teases them about it first by telling them that hey may be the ones to introduce him to some of the other neighbors. They still don’t catch on until he drops the bomb that he’s already been to visit. He enjoys their shocked reaction, but doesn’t stick around. In this chapter we find out that Lizzy (the fathers favorite) is the second daughter. We also find out that one of the other daughter’s name is Kitty and she has an annoying cough and is really sensitive about it. The other girl’s name that we didn’t know is Mary, who is a bookworm. She is quiet. We also find out that Lydia is the youngest, but is also the tallest of the 5 girls. She appears to have a little spunk to her. Chapter III The girls along with their mother try to get their father to tell them about Mr. Bingley. They try every cleaver thing that they can think of to get even a hint of that he looks like or personality.

Spot The Difference Attitudes towards people onwelfare benefit in the 19th and 21st centuries

To be clear on the people who receive welfare benefits, it is necessary to divide everyone into classes. Even if people refuse to admit they are in a ‘class' there are clear characteristics of what class they belong to. This division that is still active now, was even more operational in the 19th century. It was a way of life that the higher you were in the social class and hierarchy, then the more successful and prosperous you were to become in life. It was also some times a case of where you lived. It was Charles Booth that marked on maps of London where each social class lived. Places like Mile End Road and Orsman Road contained the ‘vicious poor', the people at the bottom of the hierarchy. They were labelled as; ‘The lowest class which consists of some occasional labourers, street sellers, loafers, criminals and semi-criminals. Their life is the life of savages, with vicissitudes of extreme hardship and their only luxury is drink.' Although this may seem that Booth is being ‘snobbish', it was noted that Booth had sympathy for the poor. He worked with the lower class, and reported that it wasn't always necessary to have money to be happy. He described that although the poor were more likely to die of disease and less likely to survive, he thought that they seemed to be happier, without nurses and servants etc. That the rich are more likely to suffer from being spoiled than from harshness, ‘that the simple natural lives of working-class people tend to their own and their children's happiness more than the artificial complicated existence of the risk.' Now in the 21st century, these locational divides are still in place, although the locations of the ‘vicious' poor have changed. While it is more noticeable in the 19th century maps, the upper class and lower class virtually side by side, it is possible that people were more willing to tolerate each other, nowadays there are more clear divisions. This change could be due to people's tolerance and attitude towards different classes. However, it seems more apparent that there are different attitudes towards social classes. Usually, people aren't willing to live near people of a lower class, places like council estates accommodate people of the same status, but they are prepared to pay taxes towards their welfare and benefits. During the 1800's the conditions of the workhouses, and the ‘relief' from the government or parishes was of little help. People still struggled to make ends meet. The rule was that no one got above the lowest workers wage, which was 12s to 15s a week. It was said that for a comfortable life, a worker needed a wage of 30s a week, concluding that few people had a comfortable life. In 1885, it was reported that 25% of the population lived in poverty, however, after Charles Booth investigated, and wrote Labour and Life of the People, he found that actually 35% of the population were in poverty. In simple terms, it was harder to receive help in the 19th century. Today there are fourteen types of benefits, including: benefits in kind for employees, child maintenance, council tax benefit, disability and carers benefits, housing benefit, incapacity benefit, income related benefits, invalid care allowance, mothers, widows and families benefits, retirement allowance, statutory sick pay, unemployment benefit, unfit for work benefits and war pensions and industrial injuries. While in the 19th century, it was an innovation to have the poor law, today there are 2.7 million people claiming incapacity benefit, and the government are trying to reduce this number. 1.610% of the population are on incapacity benefit; this is an immense difference from what it was in the 1800's. Although there are so many types of benefits, the government has become more active in getting people into work. The attitude of the government is that they need as many people in work as possible; they have introduced schemes such as EMA, something that would never have been thought of in the 19th century. People's attitude was that the government were doing something about the increasing poverty, at the expense of the economy. But why is the government making changes to benefits? The bottom line is that society has a responsibility to care for those unable to work. The government have introduced new schemes to prevent people from abusing benefits, the same thing that the government did in the 1800's when welfare was introduced. The changes proposed are likely to separate the seriously disabled or those suffering from terminal conditions such as cancer, who are unlikely ever to return to work, from those claiming to be incapacitated by a â€Å"bad back† or depression. People's attitudes have changed enormously from the 1800's to the present day. In the poor law days, going into the workhouse was shameful; people did as much as they could to prevent this, it was the lowest they could go. The workhouse conditions were terrible, starvation was often a common factor, families were separated and people's dignity and rights weren't an issue. People's attitudes today have changed a great deal over the years not because welfare benefits have changed, but because people's basic human rights have become more of a factor. It is expected that people who cant feed and look after themselves or their family, can receive help from the government. This way of thinking has developed partly from the original poor law. People started thinking that they needed to help others, even if it meant paying in taxes. Today, although people aren't ‘proud' of receiving benefit, it has become more acceptable; it is possible for people to stay on benefits their whole lives however, it costs the government à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12 billion a year to fund benefits. This extra spending has been criticised by certain groups. There a lot of differences between 19th and 21st century welfare benefit. People's attitudes today mean that it is common for people to receive benefits. They know that they can fill in a form and receive at least à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½55 a week, not including child allowance. Today people can live just as well as people who work, which has caused some protest. While it seems that in the 19th century, welfare was a last resort, they didn't want to receive help, partly because the standard of help sometimes wasn't better than being left to starve. From old maps of London, it can been seen that people used to live close to others of different classes, while today, it is more likely that people move to places that are within the same income bracket. This displays another way that attitudes have changed, that people aren't willing to live near people who cannot support themselves, or they live near people of similar means. However, some similarities can be found, although it can be assumed that today attitudes have become more relaxed, today's government tries to remain vigilant as it was years ago. The government are aware of people mistreating the benefit, and so have chosen the attitude to fight those who misuse it. This could include imprisonment and fines etc. People had more of a superior attitude towards people on benefits in the 1800's, it was assumed by some that these poor were too lazy to work and the same can be said for today. But the underlying principle still remains, in the 19th century and 21st, welfare benefits are aimed to help people, and although people may have different feelings about those dependant on welfare, the benefits will still remain in place.

Morality and Person Essay

Now I want to tell you a few words about myself. I am 168 sm tall a nice-looking girl with a fair complexion. As for my figure, in my view I am not fat, but I am exceedingly well-fed. My face is oval, I have green, warm eyes and regular, large features. My eyebrows are arched and bushy and my hair is brown, waved and luxuriant. I have got even teeth, a round chin, a broad, open forehead and curving eyelashes. I am a Sagittarius by a horoscope. Frankly speaking, I trust others easily and expect in turn to be trusted. I like exchanging ideas and see the bright side of things. Generally speaking, I am imaginative, creative, and well-read. But I can be hot-headed and cruel with enemies. Apparently, I am a gambler at heart and risky. My parents believe that I am individualistic, very shy and intelligent. From their point of view I am a calm and composed person. But they also think that I can be very idle and irresponsible, because I don’t always help with the household chores. As for my teachers, they think that I am a hardworking, quick on the uptake, average, funny student. They tell me that I seem to be really trying my best to finish my school work and maintain my good grades. Unfortunately, sometimes I don’t pass all my work in on time, and to be quite honest, my teachers think that I am a bit lazy person. And they don’t think I work as hard as I am capable of. My friends think of me as a ball of fire, cheerful and a mixed up person, because I love sports, serials, different kinds of books, films and I am fond of almost everything which connect with mysticism. All in all, just talking and walking with my friends makes me very happy. Some of my friends think that sometimes I am a mean person and a bore. I fully agree with the fact that usually I can me an awful bore but I don’t know why they are sure that I am a mean person. I am a person with strong morals who desires to do the right thing to the entire humanity. As for my plans about my future, I haven’t decided yet. I am very interested in learning different foreign languages. And that’s why I think a lot of becoming a translator or a reporter. It’s not ruled out that I will become a lawyer. My life challenges and experience since childhood have given me an opportunity to develop a good understanding of the person I am. Because of my ideals, my ambitions to see these ideals in society and even to help put these ideals into play sometime in the future, I believe myself to be an idealistic person. In conclusion, I do not regret my good moral standing. I appreciate my strict and loving parents who contributed to the person I am today. I remember hard decisions that I made to remain honest and they have come a long way in improving my personality. All in all I am a person who believes that honest is the best policy.