Analysis of UK Economy in Comparison with Qatar Economy Essay

Analysis of UK Economy in Comparison with Qatar Economy - Essay Example This essay presents a brief informative analysis of the economic statuses of the United Kingdom and Qatar. These countries demonstrated high levels of economic development in recent years. Economic trends usually differ from country to another. Economists have developed several economic measures to determine which country is ahead of the other in terms of economic progress. The availability of goods and services to the citizens of the country and the affordability of the commodities may be used to know how the citizens are in terms of accessibility to the national income. Other factors that are looked at in determining the wealth of the nation in comparison to another include; health facilities accessibility and affordability, food, housing and other social amenities. The U.K. wealth is one of the best in the globe. The lifestyle of the people of the kingdom is desirable, and the state is ranked among most developed economies of the world. The wealth of the kingdom is also one of the oldest, aging back to the pre-colonial period. The country was thus able to amass wealth from the colonies and developed itself on various social and industrial sectors. There are various components of the UK that can be put into comparison with Qatar. During the economic meltdown that was experienced globally, the country sought to protect her banking industry and therefore was not strictly harmed. The country’s GPD is mainly supported by the natural gas investment. More than 50% of the GDP is obtained from this industry.

Theories of Therapeutic Alliance

Theories of Therapeutic Alliance QUOTE:- The therapeutic alliance is a key concept and quintessential variable whose importance is commonly accepted. It is seen as a multi-dimensional concept, emerging trends indicate four dimensions, namely: the patients affective relationship to the therapist; the patients capacity to purposefully work in therapy; the therapists empathic understanding and involvement; the client/therapist agreement on the goals and tasks of treatment. B. JUST 1997 Essay The concept of the Therapeutic Alliance has its roots in the seminal works of Freud when he began formulating his theories in respect of the various concepts relating to the phenomenon and dynamics of transference. (Freud S 1912). Freud began to refer to the concept in his early writings in different terms as a the therapeutic, working, or helping alliance which encapsulated the idea that a relationship between therapist and patient was important for therapeutic success. We note, in the context of this essay, that Freud’s opinion was that such a working arrangement was important but not essential for a therapeutic outcome. His early comments tended to refer to the â€Å"positive feelings that develop between doctor and patient â€Å" although, as his theories evolved, these concepts developed into more concrete forms. As is the case with most evolving concepts it was developed and expanded by a number of other notable figures. Zetzel looked at a number of different types of alliance formation (Zetzel E R 1956) and Greenson conceptualised this in a fuller form drawing a distinction between the real and adaptive forms of this type of relationship and drawing attention to the transferential properties and the possibility of the transference of fantasy in the adaptive elements of the alliance. (Greenson R R 1967) Working at about the same time as Greenson in the USA, Rogers characterised the Therapeutic Alliance in the terminology of â€Å"Client-centered therapy† and, for the first time in the literature, we find a reference to such an alliance being considered â€Å"essential† rather than â€Å"desirable† for the possibility of a positive outcome. (Rogers C R 1965). Rodgers referred to the Therapeutic Alliance as an â€Å"empathetic bond† which had to be actively developed by both doctor and patient and was an essential precursor to any form of exploration of the patient’s problems. Bordin expanded and generalised this concept further still and sought to increase its usefulness by adapting it to psychotherapy in all of its various forms. (Bordin E S 1979) and, in a seminal move towards Just’s analysis, proposed three elemental components of the Therapeutic Alliance, namely the identification of the goal, the identification of the task in hand and the formation of the doctor / patient bond of trust and empathy. In consideration of the title of this essay we should consider this analysis more fully. Bordin conceived of the Therapeutic Alliance as a totally bipartisan construction which required an equal (but different) input from both therapist and patient. This construction required the mutual identification and recognition of the shared goals that were going to be achieved together with an agreed and accepted delineation and acknowledgement of the various tasks necessary to achieve these goals and the bond which he saw as and â€Å"attachment bond generated primarily from mutual respect and empathyâ€Å". (Bordin E S 1979). It follows from this analysis, that Bordin conceived the Therapeutic Alliance not as something which arose spontaneously form the efforts and interaction of therapist and patient, but as the actual vehicle and mechanism by which psychotherapy worked. His attempts to apply this concept to the various contemporary forms of psychotherapy culminated with the realisation a nd articulation that the different forms of psychotherapy focussed in on, and exploited different aspects of the Therapeutic Alliance at different stages of the treatment. This finding is echoed in other writings. As we have outlined, the concept of the Therapeutic Alliance has its origins in the psychodynamic traditions of psychotherapy but has been embraced by the other traditions as well. Those theorists who are grounded in the cognitive school also acknowledge the establishment of a collaborative relationship between therapist and patient as an essential prerequisite to effective therapy. (Beck A T et al. 1979) More recent work as sought to quantify the nature and depth of the Therapeutic Alliance in the various disciplines. Martin’s tour de force on the subject is an impressive meta-analysis which sought to quantify the relationship between the strength of the Therapeutic Alliance and the eventual outcome of treatment. (Martin D J et al. 2000).His findings suggest that it depends how one quantifies the Therapeutic Alliance as to how strong the relationship is found to be. This is an area that we shall return to shortly. Horvath takes this point further with a similar meta-analysis across various forms of psychotherapy and comes to the conclusion that the impact of the Therapeutic Alliance is roughly similar in the different forms and the efficacy of outcome is directly related to the strength of the Therapeutic Alliance bond, irrespective of which particular mode of measurement is used. (Horvath A O et al. 1991). These issues, and indeed the thrust behind Just’s terminology of the Therapeutic Alliance as being the â€Å"quintessential variable are all totally dependent on just how one defines or measures the concept. It is clear from the discussions presented already that it is a â€Å"multidimensional concept†. One is certainly tempted to observe, from a brief overview of the literature, that it has at least as many dimensions as there are authorities writing on the issue. Although such a comment is superficially clearly bordering on the flippant, is can be taken at a much deeper level as a reflection of the fact that the Therapeutic Alliance is defined and measured by different authors in different ways. Historically the evolution of the ability to measure the strength of the alliance has evolved in much the same was (and to some extent in parallel) as the actual formulation of the concepts of the Therapeutic Alliance itself. (Luborsky L et al. 1983). In essence, a judgement of the extent to which one considers the Therapeutic Alliance essential rather than simply desirable, is dependent on the way that one either quantifies or measures it. If we consider the implications of this statement further we can cite comments by two authorities that we have quoted earlier in a different context. In their critical analysis of the role of the Therapeutic Alliance in the field of general psychotherapy, Horvath and Luborsky suggest that research is unlikely to provide guidance to clinical practice unless the relations between clearly defined therapist actions in specific contexts and the effect of these interventions on process or outcome can be demonstrated (Horvath A O, Luborsky L 1993 Pg. 568 ) The effectiveness of the Therapeutic Alliance is also demonstrably effected by other factors. In his book the Heart and Soul of Change, Miller (et al. 1999) puts forward the suggestion that what is of fundamental importance in establishing the alliance is not the persuasion, or theoretical background of the therapist, nor even how empathetic the therapist actually is to the problems of the patient (even if the criteria that one uses is how empathetic the therapist believes that they are being) but is actually the degree to which the patient believe that the therapist understands their own perceptions of reality. To quote Miller â€Å"It the client’s theory of change not the therapist’s that is important.† This thread of argument is taken further with Gabbard’s analysis (Gabbard G O et al. 1994) that the efficacy of the eventual therapeutic intervention, if measured in terms of transference interpretations, defence interpretations, and supportive interventions is ultimately dependent on factors that are therapist independent such as the strength of the patient’s ego, the state of readiness that the patient has reached in terms of their own self-exploration or elaboration, the current phase of the therapeutic process and even the timing within any particular session. Which implies that it is both dynamic and variable. If we consider the third of Just’s four dimensions, that being that the therapists empathic understanding and involvement is an essential prerequisite for the formation of the Therapeutic Alliance, then we can see that Gabbard’s analysis is clearly at odds with Just’s. It is fair to observe that Gabbard is not alone in his assertions as Sexton’s slightly later and incredibly detailed assessment of the status of the Therapeutic Alliance, came to essentially the same conclusions. (Sexton H C et al. 1996). A rather more controversial view is expressed by Kernberg who was admittedly considering the phenomenon of Therapeutic Alliance in the specific context of severe personality disorder (Kernberg O F 1994) and came to the conclusion that the Therapeutic Alliance has to be initially very strong to allow the possibility of negative transference in order for the therapist to sometimes avoid the possibility of either premature termination of therapeutic stalemates. To an extent, he vicariously supports Miller’s contentions by pointing out that the practical strength of the Therapeutic Alliance is largely independent of the therapist’s wishes if one is dealing with a patient who is angrily attacking or even overtly manipulating the frame and goals of treatment. He adds the comment that in these circumstances the strength of the Therapeutic Alliance is largely determined by the level of the patient’s intrinsic anxiety state. Perhaps this can be interpreted as an extension or perhaps a paraphrasing of Miller’s later suggestion. It therefore follows that if we are to agree or to disagree with Just’s original statement, we need to consider just how we can quantify the strength of the various parameters of the Therapeutic Alliance. This is no easy topic and the literature on the subject is vast. One of the first significant and serious attempts to produce some form of measuring tool came in the form of the Luborskys Penn Helping Alliance scales (Luborsky L et al. 1983). This had a number of serious shortcomings and was modified many times in the years immediately after its publication. The Penn Helping Alliance questionnaire was an offshoot of this collaboration and this evolved further into a 19 item scale. Many difficulties arose in the original tools because, to a degree they were dependent on the degree of benefit that the patient had already received from any previous attempts at therapy. A number of commentators made the suggestion that the tools, in order to maximise their applicability and usefulness, should be as independent as possible from the degree of benefit that the patient had already received. (Marmar C R et al. 1989). If we return to our consideration of Bordin’s tripartite assessment of the Therapeutic Alliance which can be considered a fundamental progenitor of Just’s model, then we can cite Horvath and Greenbergs Working Alliance Inventory (Horvath H O et al. 1989) as a useful tool to measure the Therapeutic Alliance in terms of the three subsections of the Bordin definition mentioned earlier. This is perhaps the best direct justification and support of Just’s hypothesis that we can find as Bordin’s threefold thrust of assessment is essentially the same as three of the four elements of Just’s and the fourth element that Just included of the therapist’s empathetic understanding and involvement as being an â€Å"essential prerequisite† of the Therapeutic Alliance, is largely dismissed by authorities such as Gabbard and Sexton who we have cited earlier. Clearly we do not presume to make a judgement as to which authority is essentially correct as we have to observe that the evidence base to support either view is not particularly strong. To return to the original thrust of the concept of measurement, we can state that authorities have regarded Horvath and Greenbergs Working Alliance Inventory as being highly reproducible and as having high levels of interrater reliability in both the 36 item and the shorter 12 item version. (Horvath H O et al. 1989) A degree of vindication for Just’s analysis of the Therapeutic Alliance can be found in the California Psychotherapy Alliance Scales (CALPAS) , which essentially measures the strength of the therapist / patient alliance as a multidimensional construct. It uses four subscales to assess the strength of the bond namely: (i) the patients capacity to work purposefully in therapy, (ii) the affective bond with the therapist, (iii) the therapists empathic understanding and involvement (iv) the agreement between patient and therapist on the goals and tasks of treatment. Which, in essence, cover the four basic premises of Just’s hypothesis. Like the other scales already referred to, the CALPAS scale utilises a 6 point Likert scale for each item. This particular scale has achieved wide acceptance in research literature with a good predictive ability which appears to be valid across the majority of psychotherapeutic disciplines including cognitive behavioural therapy (Fenton L R et al. 2001), psychodynamic psychotherapy (Barber J P et al. 2000) and across several other different treatment areas (Gaston L et al. 1991). It has been found to be especially useful among neurotic patients, but it does appear to be only a weak predictor of outcome with cocaine-dependent patients (Barber J P et al. 1999). In terms of the arguments set out earlier, we note that all of the scales that we have already cited have both a therapist rated and patient rated version as well as an independent observer version. If one considers the literature we can see that the patient self-reported versions tend to give better predictions of outcome than those reports that are therapist based (particularly when assessed early in treatment trajectory). This gives credence to Miller’s view that it is the patient ‘s perception of the Therapeutic Alliance which is the single most important prediction measure of outcome in the psychotherapeutic field. Thus far in this essay we have largely considered the presence of the Therapeutic Alliance as being a comparatively static modality which is either present or not. Although we have acknowledged some views that refer to its dynamic state, we should perhaps examine this in more detail. We have referred to the evolution of the strength of the Therapeutic Alliance as therapy progresses, but we should point to the fact that a number of authorities refer to the relationship of either the variability of the fundamental stability of the Therapeutic Alliance to a number of both clinical and empirical implications. (Hatcher R L et al. 1996). As long as three decades ago Luborsky wrote about the dynamic nature of the Therapeutic Alliance which was actively responsive to the dynamic and changing demands of the evolution of the various phases of therapy. (Luborsky L 1976). A further aspect of this dynamism is to be found in the writings of Bordin who, while acknowledging that the role of the therapist is generally one of support, noted that the role of the therapist tends to be the dominant factor at the beginning of the therapeutic relationship and this evolves into a more shared responsibility as goals and treatment plans are both articulated and defined. He writes that it is the inevitable cycle of the Therapeutic Alliance bond being strained, ruptured and then repaired that is central to the therapeutic process. (Bordin E 1980) Writers such as Gelso and Carter (Gelso C J et al. 1994) formalised (some would say stylised) the evolution of the alliance over the therapeutic interaction as involving â€Å"a weakening after an initial development, followed in successful therapy by an increase to earlier, high levels.† Other authorities have taken a more idiosyncratic view, which may reflect their own personal experience rather than necessarily an informed overview. Horvath characterises the typical trajectory as â€Å"an initial phase of development for the alliance, held to occur within the first five therapy sessions (and probably peaking during the third session), followed by a second, more critical phase, during which the therapist challenges maladaptive patterns, the effect of which is a weakening or rupturing of the alliance that must be repaired if therapy is to continue successfully†. (Horvath A O et al. 1994). In order to provide a balanced picture of the literature, one could also cite the opinion of Greenberg who appears to have a more philanthropic outlook when he describes the process of evolution of the Therapeutic Alliance in successful therapies as â€Å"either rising or holding a steady value over time†. (Greenberg L S 1994) In consideration of the evidence that we have assembled thus far we can state that the Therapeutic Alliance, in Just’s words, is clearly a key concept. We would suggest that the evidence points to the fact that not only is it a key concept but that it is both crucial and fundamental to the whole discipline of psychotherapeutic intervention. References Barber J P, Luborsky L, Crits-Christoph P, Thase M, Weiss R, Frank A, Onken L, Gallop R: 1999 Therapeutic alliance as a predictor of outcome in treatment of cocaine dependence. Psychotherapy Research, 1999 ; 9 (1) : 54 – 73 Barber J P, Connolly M B, Crits-Christoph P, Gladis L, Siqueland L: 2000  Alliance predicts patients outcome beyond in-treatment change in symptoms.  J Consul Clin Psychol 2000 ; 68 (6) : 1027 – 1032 Beck A T, Rush A J, Shaw B F, Emery G: 1979  Cognitive Therapy of Depression.  New York : Guilford Press, 1979 Bordin E S: 1979  The generalizability of the psychoanalytic concept of the working alliance.  Psychotherapy : Theory, Research and Practice 1979 ; 16 (3) : 252 – 260 Bordin E: 1980  A psychodynamic view of counseling psychology.  The Counseling Psychologist 1980 ; 9 : 62 – 66 Fenton L R, Cecero J J, Nich C, Fankforter T L, Carroll K M: 2001  Perspective is everything: the predictive validity working alliance instruments.  Journal of Psychotherapy Practice Research 2001 ; 10 (4) : 262 – 268 Freud S: 1912  The dynamics of transference.  Standard Edition 1912 ; 12 : 97 – 108 Gabbard G O, Horwitz L, Allen J G, et al: 1994  Transference interpretation in the psychotherapy of borderline patients: a high-risk, high-gain phenomenon.  Harv Rev Psychiatry 1994 ; 4 : 59 – 69 Gaston L, Marmar C R, Gallagher D, Thompson L W: 1991  Alliance prediction of outcome beyond in-treatment symptomatic change as psychotherapy processes.  Psychotherapy Research, 1991 ; 1 (2) : 104 – 113 Gelso C J, Carter J A: 1994 Components of the psychotherapy relationship: their interaction and unfolding during treatment.  Journal of Counseling Psychology 1994 ; 41 : 296 – 306 Greenberg L S: 1994  What is real in the relationship? Comment on Gelso and Carter (1994).  Journal of Counselling Psychology 1994 ; 41 : 307 – 310 Greenson R R: 1967  The Technique and Practice of Psychoanalysis.  New York : International Universities Press, 1967 Hatcher R L, Barends A W: 1996  Patients view of the alliance in psychotherapy: exploratory factor analysis of three alliance measures.  J Consult Clin Psychol 1996 ; 64 : 1326 – 1336 Horvath H O, Greenberg L S: 1989  Development and validation of the Working Alliance Inventory.  J Couns Psychol 1989 ; 36 (2) : 223 – 233 Horvath A O, Symonds B D: 1991  Relation between working alliance and outcome in psychotherapy: a meta-analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology 1991 ; 38 : 139 – 149 Horvath A O, Luborsky L: 1993  The role of the therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy.  J Consult Clin Psychol 1993 ; 61 : 561 – 573 Horvath A O, Gaston L, Luborsky L: 1994  The therapeutic alliance and its measures, in Psychodynamic Treatment and Research, edited by Miller L, Luborsky L, Barber J et al.  New York, Basic Books, 1994, pp 247 – 273 Kernberg O F: 1994  Severe Personality Disorders: Psychotherapeutic Strategies.  New Haven, CT, Yale University Press, 1994 Luborsky L, Crits-Christoph P, Alexander L, Margolis M, Cohen M: T 1983  Two helping alliance methods for predicting outcomes of psychotherapy: a counting signs versus a global rating method.  Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 1983 ; 171 : 480 – 492 Luborsky L: 1976  Helping alliance in psychotherapy, in Successful Psychotherapy, edited by Cleghhorn JL. New York; Brunner / Mazel, 1976, pp 92–116 Marmar C R, Gaston L, Gallagher D, Thompson L W: 1989  Towards the validation of the California Therapeutic Alliance Rating System. Psychological Assessment:  J Consul Clin Psychol 1989 ; 1 : 46 – 52 Martin D J, Garske J P, Davis M K: 2000  Relation of the therapeutic alliance with outcome and other variables: a meta-analytic review.  J Consulting and Clin Psych 2000 ; 68 : 438 – 450 Miller E A et al. 1999  The Heart and Soul of Change  APA : Detroit 1999 Rogers C R: 1965  Client-Centered Therapy.  Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1965 Sexton H C, Hembrek K, Kvarme G: 1996  The interaction of the alliance and therapy microprocess: a sequential analysis.  J Consult Clin Psychol 1996 ; 64 : 471 – 480 Zetzel E R: 1956  Current concepts of transference.  Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 1956 ; 53 : 16 – 18 ################################################################ 11/01/07 Word count 3,493 PDG

Costs and benefits of free speech and press -- American Constitution U

Freedom of speech and press, or freedom of expression, are "fundamental rights". Without these freedoms a truly free society cannot exist. By definition, they allow the citizens to communicate their ideas both verbally and in print. There are many advantages, as well as disadvantages, that an individual receives these rights. However, as with most constitutional freedoms, free of expression can be limited under certain circumstances. The First Amendment in the United States Constitution states ?Congress shall make no law?abridging the freedom of speech, or the press?? According to the Framers, the freedom to express individual views is vital to a free government and from their personal experience the freedom to write and publish also needs to be sheltered from government intervention. Every state constitution contains securities of free expression similar to the U.S. Constitution. An extra safeguard for the individual's right to free expression is stated in Section 1 of the 14th Amendment: ?No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.? By incorporation of the 14th Amendment, the rewards of the 1st Amendment not only include protection from the federal government, but state governments. Free expression sponsors development of individuals by allowing people to have their own opinions and is also essential in shaping governmental policy. Also, by permitting citizens to influence public opinion by persuasion rather than violence, free expression allows for peaceful social change. For example, in the 1950s and 60s the civil rights movement peaceably brought ... ... at issue. Freedom of speech not only protects the right to speak out, but the right not to speak. This includes when a person is first arrested and their right not to speak is kept by Miranda Rights. In the Fifth Amendment, a person has the right to keep silent in court if they will incriminate themselves. Still, if a judge grants immunity testifying is mandatory but nothing said will be used against you. Free expression protects us from the government. Obviously the benefits outweigh the costs, but, the negative aspects are remedied through limitations on free expression so as not to interfere with a person?s life, liberty, and property. The right not to speak is protected through various Amendments in the Constitution most noticeably Amendment 1. It is through these guidelines that free expression has become fundamental law and establishes a truly free society.

Ideas and Beliefs in Justine Larbalestier’s Liar Essay

Justine Larbalestier’s enthralling novel Liar features unreliable protagonist, Micah Wilkins, dealing with issues of identity and truth. I have come to realise, through studying Larbalestier’s novel, that the ideas of truth and identity can be extensively challenged, that lies can become someone’s identity. Micah’s cryptic character has forced me to question what I trust and who I think I am. I have been faced with rethinking my views on sexuality, gender roles, guilt and the real meaning of ‘truth’ due to Micah’s questionable and unpredictable words. Due to society’s restrictive and sexist attitudes towards what is considered male or female, people who don’t fit neatly into a category face issues of identity and belonging. Micah’s relationship with her sexuality and how she perceives gender roles is extraordinarily untidy and indecisive. Being a teenage feminist myself, I can identify with Micah not desiring to subscribe to gender roles although I’m not entirely sure Micah is avoiding acting and looking conventionally ‘feminine’ because of feminist views. I believe Micah is genderqueer or transgender and too afraid to embrace it because it is a hard truth for her to face, â€Å"Being a boy was fast becoming my favourite lie† (p. 8). When Micah talks about her taking the pill to supress her periods she says â€Å"I wish I was a man† and that â€Å"[Her mother] thought having your period was what made you a woman† (p. 57). Perhaps Larbalestier is implying that Micah is not a woman because she doesn’t experience menstruation? Being a woman comes with oppression no matter what class or race you are in; this oppression is more often than not related to sex. Micah constantly refers to being called a ‘slut’ by her peers, â€Å"By kissing [Sarah and Tayshawn] first I confirmed the thousand slut calls†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 238). I believe there is a part of Micah that subconsciously oppresses herself. Right after Micah tells the reader she never slept with Zach she said, â€Å"See? I am a good girl after all† (p. 116). This tells me that Micah believes being a ‘good girl’ is not having sex- this only emphasises my suspicion that Micah desires to be a man because men are free of the ‘slut’ label. She has desires that she feels she can’t pursue without judgement due to her being a biological woman. Identity can be formed from the constructed truth and straight-out lies; people can create their own realities. â€Å"[The worst danger of being a liar] is when you start to believe your own lies† (p. 194). Micah’s story suggests that when you begin to believe your own lies, it shapes who you are and becomes your ‘truth’. I believe Jordan’s death contributed to Micah’s muddled identity, that his death was so traumatic that she created a world of her own to escape the reality. I believe that Micah was responsible for her brother’s death because of how she refers to him: vile, horrible and awful. Micah depicts Jordan as being this way so it’s easier for her to deal with her guilt, â€Å"†¦maybe the world is better the way I tell it† (p. 34), â€Å"We don’t talk about [Jordan’s death]. I can’t think about it† (p. 284). My assumption with this theory was formed by my own experiences. Whenever I have lost something of value, I told myself that it wasn’t that great or important anyway which resulted in less guilt and unhappiness; we lie to ourselves in hope of finding protection from confronting notions. Perhaps the reality Micah has formed for herself actually becomes reality, her truth. Society has conditioned us to accept certain pieces of information without questionning whether it really is the truth. More than with any other work of fiction I have read, Liar led me to question whether what the protagonist said was true. In the first part of the novel ‘Telling The Truth’, Micah is supposedly being honest and sincere with the reader when she reveals she is a liar; this idea in itself is problematic and intensely complicated. The way Larbalestier has written Liar challenged me, for the first time, to question why I believe what I do; why did this particular work of fiction spark such a notion, such a feeling of distrust and uncertainty? Should I have these feelings with everything I read? Whilst talking about her ability to spin detailed lies, Micah says â€Å"It’s odd how often telling the truth feels like lying and lying like the truth† (p. 53). I believe this can be reversed and applied to the reader: it’s easier to believe lies and reject truth. Constantly throughout the novel, Micah reassures the reader that she isn’t lying and that she’s a ‘good girl’; this shows that she is trying to convince herself of those things and using the reader as a distraction, a scapegoat. Micah also sounds condescending and makes the reader feel small by saying things like â€Å"You buy everything, don’t you? You make it too easy† (p. 225). This directly links back to the idea that Larbalestier is forcing the reader to evaluate why we trust and believe what we do. Every story has an underlying moral, intentional or not, and I believe Liar’s is ‘Don’t believe everything you read’. Liar has addressed many ideas and issues such as society’s view towards gender roles, identities created by one’s self, and being accepting of certain information despite the validity being possibly compromised. Larbalestier has made me question more about my values and beliefs than I thought possible. I’ve formed the belief that lies are a part of all of us, unintentionally or otherwise – they become our truth. Micah has made me think about why we as humans try so hard to seek the truth and then lie to ourselves when it’s too unbelievable. Larbalestier’s open-to-interpretation styled-writing is almost metaphorical in relation to life. No truth is absolute, nothing is exactly what it seems and everything is affected by an individual’s perception.

Plastic money: Indian Experience Essay

Introduction to Plastic Money Plastic money or polymer money, made out of plastic, is a new and easier way of paying for goods and services. Plastic money was introduced in the 1950s and is now an essential form of ready money which reduces the risk of handlings a huge amount of cash. It includes Debit cards, ATMs, smart cards, etc. Credit cards, variants of plastic money, are used as substitutes for currency. see more:what is plastic money MEANING Plastic money refers to credit cards, we use them whenever we want and pay later (with interest, of course). It makes it too easy for us to buy things we normally could not afford, which makes it easier to get into debt. DEFINITION A slang phrase for credit cards, especially when such cards used to make purchases. The â€Å"plastic† portion of this term refers to the plastic construction of credit cards, as opposed to paper and metal of currency. The ―money† portion is an erroneous reference to credit cards as a form of money, which they are not. Although credit cards do facilitate transactions, because they are a liability rather than an asset, they are not money and not part of the economy’s money supply. The History Of Credit Cards and Debit Cards InPlastic Money Credit cards have evolved into a safe and secure manner to purchase goods and services. The Internet has given credit card users additional purchasing power. Banks have options like cash-back rewards, savings plans and other incentives to entice people to use their cards. Debit cards allow people the convenience of cards without the worry of racking up debt. The convenience, security and rewards offered by credit and debit cards keep shoppers using their cards as opposed to checks or cash. Credit Card Origins The first credit cards were issued by individual stores and merchants. These cards were issued in limited locations and only accepted by the businesses that issued them. While the cards were convenient for the customers, they also provided a customer loyalty and customer service benefit, which was good for both customer and merchant. It was not until1950 that the Dinner’s Club card was created by a restaurant patron who forgot his wallet and realized there needed to be an alternative to cash only. This started the first credit card specifically for widespread use, even though it was primarily used for entertainment and travel expenses. Plastic Becomes the Standard The first Diner’s Club cards were made out of cardboard or celluloid. In 1959 American Express changed all that with the first card made of plastic. American Express created a system of making an impression of the card presented at the register for payment. Then that impression was billed to the customer and due in full each month. Several American Express cards still operate like this as of 2010. It was not until the late 1980s that American Express began allowing people to pay their balance over time with additional card options. Bank Card Associations In 1966, Bank of America created a card that was a general purpose card or â€Å"open loop† card. These â€Å"closed loop† agreements limited cards like Diners Club and American Express to certain merchants, unlike the new† open loop† cards. The new general purpose system required interbank cooperation and additional regulations. This created additional safety features and began building the credit card system of today. Two systems emerged as the leaders–Visa and Master Card. However, today there is little difference between the two and most merchants accept both card associations. Debit Cards Emerge The Visa association of cards took credit cards to a new level in 1989 when they introduced debit cards. These cards linked consumers to their checking accounts. Money was now drawn from a checking account at the point of sale with these new cards and replaced check writing. This helped the merchants check that money was available and made it easier to track the customer if the funds could not be obtained. Consumers liked the convenience of not having to write checks at the point of sale, which made debit cards a safe alternative to cash and checks. The Future There were almost 29 million debit card users as of 2006, with a projected 34.4 million users by 2016. However, online services like Pay Pal are emerging as a way for people to pay their debts in new, secure and convenient ways. Technology also exists to have devices implanted into phones, keys and other everyday devices so that the ability to pay at the point of sale is even more convenient. TYPES OF PLASTIC MONEY Different types:- Credit card A credit card is plastic money that is used to pay for products and services at over 20 Million locations around the world. All you need to do is produce the card and sign a charge slip to pay for your purchases. The institution which issues the card makes the payment to the outlet on your behalf; you will pay this ‘loan’ back to the institution at a later date. In short†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Cashless payment with a set spending limit Payment takes place after the purchase Great flexibility thanks to installment facility Most well-known credit cards: American Express, MasterCard, Visa Debit card Debit cards are substitutes for cash or check payments, much the same way that credit cards are. However, banks only issue them to you if you hold an account with them. When a debit card is used to make a payment, the total amount charged is instantly reduced from your bank balance. Don’t borrow on your credit card! Here’s why A debit card is only accepted at outlets with electronic swipe-machines that can check and deduct amounts from your bank balance online. In short †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Card is linked to the cardholder’s bank account Transaction is directly Debited immediately from bank account No credit or installment facility Most well-known debit cards: Maestro, Postcard Charge card A charge card carries all the features of credit cards. However, after using a charge card you will have to pay off the entire amount billed, by the due date. If you fail to do so, you are likely to be considered a defaulter and will usually have to pay up a steep late payment charge. When you use a credit card you are not declared a defaulter even if you miss your due date. A 2.95 per cent late payment fees (this differs from one bank to another) is levied in your next billing statement. In short Cashless payment without a set spending limit Payment takes place after the purchase No credit or installment facility Most well-known charge cards: American Express, Diners Club Amex card Amex stands for American Express and is one of the well-known charge cards. This card has its own merchant establishment tie-ups and does not depend on the network of MasterCard or Visa. Credit cards: Remember these dos and don’ts. This card is typically meant for high-income group categories and companies and may not be acceptable at many outlets. There are a wide variety of special privileges offered to Amex cardholders. Dinner club card Diners Club is a branded charge card. There are a wide variety of special privileges offered to the Diners Club card holder. For instance, as a cardholder you can set your own spending limit. Besides, the card has its own merchant establishment tie-ups and does not depend on the network of MasterCard or Visa. However, since this card is typically meant for high-income group categories, it may not be acceptable at many outlets. It would be agood idea to check whether a member establishment does accept thecard or not in advance. Global card Global cards allow you the flexibility and convenience of using a credit card rather than cash or travelers cheque while traveling abroad for either business or personal reasons. Co-branded card Co-branded cards are credit cards issued by card companies that have tied up with a popular brand for the purpose of offering certain exclusive benefits to the consumer. A debit card with a difference For example, the Citi-Times card gives you all the benefits of a Citibank credit card along with a special discount on Times Music cassettes, free entry to Times Music events, etc. Master card & Visa MasterCard and Visa are global non-profit organizations dedicated to promote the growth of the card business across the world. They have built a vast network of merchant establishments so that customers worldwide may use their respective credit cards to make various purchases. Smart card A smart card contains an electronic chip which is used to store cash. This is most useful when you have to pay for small purchases, for example bus fares and coffee. No identification, signature or payment authorization is required for using this card. The exact amount of purchase is deducted from the smart card during payment and is collected by smart card reading machines. No change is given. Currently this product is available only in very developed countries like the United States and is being used only sporadically in India. Photo card If your photograph is imprinted on a card, then you have what is known as a photo card. Doing this helps identify the user of the credit card and is therefore considered safer. Besides, in many cases, your photo card can function as your identity card as well. Customer card/store card (PLCC) Card with payment and credit function can only be used at specific retailers Well-known customer cards: my One, Globus, Media Markt. Prepaid card/gift card Card is topped up with credit before use No credit or installment facility Open system (American Express, Visa, MasterCard) or closed system (can only be used at specific retailers) CREDIT CARD INTRODUCTION A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder’s promise to pay for these goods and services. The issuer of the card grants a line of credit to the consumer or the user) from which the user can borrow money for payment to a merchant or as a cash advance to the user. Usage of the term â€Å"credit card† to imply a credit card account is a metonym. When a purchase is made the user would indicate consent to pay by signing a receipt with a record of the card details and indicating the amount to be paid. Issuer agrees to pay the merchant and the credit card user agrees to pay the card issuer. DEFINITION The credit card can be defined as â€Å"A small plastic card that allows its holder to buy goods and services on credit and to pay at fixed intervals through the card issuing agency. MEANING A credit card is a card or mechanism which enables card holder to purchase goods, travels and dine in a hotel without making immediate payments. The holders can use the cards to get credit from banks up to 45days.The credit card relieves the consumers from the botheration of carrying cash and ensures safety. It is a convenience of extended credit without formality. Thus credit card is a passport to, â€Å"safety, convenience, prestige and credit. ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OFCREDIT CARD ADVANTAGES OF CREDIT CARD The benefits of credit card can be grouped as follows: (A) BENEFITS TO THE BANK a) A credit card is an integral part of banks major services these days. The credit card provides the following advantages to the bank: the system provides an opportunity to the bank to attract new potential customers. b) To get new customers the bank has to employee special trained staff. This gives the bank an opportunity to find the latent talent from among existing staff that would have been otherwise wasted. c) The more important function of a credit card, however, is simply to yield direct profit for the bank. There is a scope and a potential for a better profitability out of income / commission earned from the traders turn over. d) This also provides additional customer services to the existing clients. It enhances the customer satisfaction. e) More use by the car holder and consequently the growth of banking habits in general. f) Better network of card holders and increased use of cards means higher popularity and image of the bank. g) Savings of expense on cash holdings, i.e . stationery, printing and man power to handle clearing transactions while considerably is reduced. It increases. (B) BENEFITS TO CARD HOLDER The principal benefits to a card holder are: a) He can purchase goods and services at a large number of outlets without cash or cheque. The card is useful in emergency, and can save embarrassment. b) The risk factor of carrying and storing cash is avoided. It is convenient for him to carry credit card and he has trouble free travel and may purchase his without carrying cash or cheque. c) Months purchases can be settled with a single remittance, thus, tending to reduce bank and handling charges. d) The card holder has the period of free credit usually between 30-50 days of purchase. e) Cash can usually be obtained with the card, either on card account or by using it as identification when encasings a cheque at the bank. f) Availing credit with minimum formality. g) The credit card saves trouble and paper work to traveling business man. (C) BENEFITS TO THE MERCHANT ESTABLISHMENT The principal benefits offer credit card to the retailer is a) This will carry prestigious weight to the outlets. b) Increases in sale because of increased purchasing power of the card holder due to unbilled credit available to the card holder. c) The retailers gain from the impulse buying and trading up the tendency to buy the bigger or better article. d) Credit card ensures timely and certainly of payments. e) Suppliers/sellers no longer have to send reminders of outstanding debits. f) Systematic accounting since sales receipts are routed through banking channels. g) Advertising and promotional support on national scale. h) Development of prestigious clientele base. DISADVANTAGES OF CREDIT CARD The following are the common disadvantages of the credit card: a) Some credit card transactions take longer time than cash transactions because of various formalities. b) The customer tends to overspend out of immerse happiness. c) Discounts and rebates can rarely be obtained. d) The cardholder is responsible for charges due to loss or theft of the card and the bank may not be party for loss due to fraud or collusion of staff, etc e) Customers may be denied cash discount for payment through card. f) It might lead to spending habits and cardholders may end up in big debts i) Avoid the entire cost and security problem involved in handling cash. j) Losses to bad debts and reduced an additional liquidity is. k) It also allows him to delegate spending power to add on members. l) Credit card is considered as a status symbol. Parties Involved Cardholders: The holder of the card used to make a purchase, the consumers. Card-issuing Bank: The financial intuition or others organisations that issued the credit card to the cardholder. Acquiring bank: The financial institution accepting payment for the products or services on behalf of the merchant. Merchant Accounts: This could refer to the acquiring bank or the independent sales organization, but in general is organization that the merchants deal with. Credit Card Association: An association of card-issuing banks such as Discover, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc. that set transaction terms for merchants, card –issuing banks, and acquiring banks Transaction network: The system that implements the mechanics of electronics transaction. May be operated by an independent company, and one company may operate multiple networks. Affinity Partner: Some institutions lend their names to an issuer to attract customers that have a strong relationship with that institution, a nd get paid a fee or a percentage of the balance for each card issued using their name. Insurance Providers: Insurers underwriting various insurance protections offered as credit card perks. Transaction Steps Authorization: The cardholder presents the card as payment to the merchant and the merchant submits the transaction to the acquirer (acquiring bank). The acquirer verifies the credit card number, the transaction type and the amount with the issuer (Card-issuing back) and reserves that amount of the cardholders credit limit for the merchant. An authorization will generate  an approval code, which the merchant stores with the transaction. Batching: Authorized transactions are stored in â€Å"batches†, which are sent to the acquirer. Batches are typically submitted once per day at the end of the business day. If a transaction is not submitted in the batch, the authorization will say valid for a period determined by the issuer, after which the held amount will be returned to the cardholders available credit. Clearing and Settlement: The acquirer sends the batch transactions through the credit card association, which debits the issuers for payment and credited the acquirer. Essentially, the issuer pays the acquirer for the transaction. Funding: Once the acquirer has been paid, the acquirer pays the merchant. The merchant receives the amount totalling the funds in the batch minus the â€Å"discount rate†, â€Å"mid-qualified rate†, or â€Å"non-qualified rate† which are tiers of fees the merchant pays the acquirer for processing the transactions. Charge backs: A Chargeback is an event in which money in a merchant account is held due to a dispute relating to the transaction. Charge backs are typically initiated by the cardholder. In the event of charge backs, the issuer returns the transaction to the acquirer for resolution. The acquirer then forwards the chargeback to the merchant, who must either accept the chargeback or contest it. Costs Credit card issuers (banks) have several types of costs: Interest Expenses Operating Costs Charges offs or Bad Debts Rewards Fraud Promotion Revenues Offsetting the costs are the following revenues: Interchanges fee Interest on outstanding balance Over limit charges Fees charged to customers Late payments or overdue payments Charges that result in exceeding the credit limit on the card (whether done  deliberately or by mistake), called over limit fees Returned cheques fees or payment processing fees (e.g. phone payment fee) Cash advances and convenience cheques Transactions in a foreign currency. A few financial institutions do not charge a fee for this. Membership fees (annual or monthly), sometimes a percentage of the credit limit. Exchange rate loading fees. ADVANCTAGES OF PLAST MONEY Plastic is very useful in the building and construction, electronics (laptops wouldn’t work well if they were made from glass), packaging (glad wrap), transportation industries. Very easy to make – water bottles, plastic bags, pens, cups etc. The main advantages of plastic materials are also the reason why plastic is such a problem. It lasts forever and it is very cheap to make. When I say it last forever, I mean it does not biodegrade. There is a flotilla of plastic the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean. It gradually photo-degrades into tiny pieces that enter the marine food chain. Plastic is good, light, strong and cheap to produce. There are many advantages to using plastic. It does not decompose but it can instead be recycled. This is done more easily than producing more plastic. Unlike aluminum cans, plastic bottles can be re-used and stored over and over again. Plastic is usually not breakable and it is see-through. It’s light-weight and odourless. Plastic comes from a natural resource (oil) but CAN’T be re-made into bottles (but they can be re-made into other items- WEIRD!) It takes a long time to break down†¦ Customer having poor credit worthiness can opt for debit card. Instant finalization of accounts less identification and scrutiny than personal checks, thereby making transactions quicker and less intrusive. A debit card may be used to obtain cash from an ATM or a PIN-based transaction atnoextracharge. DISADVANCTAGES OF PLAST MONEY it is a compound that is indestructible, even when it is melted the compound gas that is gives off is very harmful to our heath and environment; it weakens the ozone layer. Most plastic is produced from oil. The world is gradually running out of oil. Scientists are now developing plastics that are made from vegetable oil and other organic matter. This means that the plastic is more likely to be degradable, so it will be less of a problem in future. Another Disadvantage is pollution Plastic accumulation in the environment is a looming catastrophe. It is cheap but it is not easily disposable so it is in a lot of landfills. plastic bags can kill the marine animals and destroy the soil Limited to the existing funds in the account to which it is linkedÊ Banks charging over-limit fees or non-sufficient funds fees based upon pre-authorizations, and even attempted but refused transactions by the merchantÊ Lower levels of security protection than credit cardsÊ More prone to frauds. Plastic Fraud State-of-the-art thieves are concentrating on plastic cards. In the past,this type of fraud was not very common. Today, it is a big business for criminals. Plastic cards bring new convenience to your shopping and banking, but they can turn into nightmares in the wrong hands. This pamphlet describes credit and debit cards and some common schemesinvolving card fraud with tips to help you avoid them. The following are the types of frauds 1.Stolen Cards at the Office 2.Extra Copies of Charge Slips 3.Discarded Charge Slips 4.Unsigned Credit Cards 5.Loss of Multiple Cards 6.Strange Requests for Your PIN Numbers 7.Legitimate Cards 8.Altered Cards 9.Counterfeit Cards TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE One of the most important features that Plastic Money offers is thetechnology associated with this business. Credit card businesses rely on very reliable and secure technology anddemands very Strong connectivity backbone. Although a third world country, with lot of insecurities and almost noinfrastructure, Pakistanhas no exception when it comes to credit card business. There is approximately 3000 Point of Sale Terminals (POST) presenton merchant’s sites connected with bank host system. Inter-city connectivity is accomplished through X.25 networks. Perhaps, it is the most important time in the history of Pakistan as the parameters of its Infrastructures are coming into existence. There is an immense need of reliable wide area connectivity and thismarket is so huge and lucrative that it can accommodate many moreindustry giant CASE STUDY What Happens in Credit Card Fraud Cases? The Basics A variety of crimes constitute credit card fraud. The term candescribe a person using a stolen credit card to purchase goods or services posing as the person named on the card. It can also describe illegally andfraudulently withdrawing funds from an account that is not yours. Identitytheft, which is the act of posing as an individual to make purchases, is oftenclassified together with credit card fraud. A victim of credit card fraud cansometimes see bank accounts emptied of all their funds or negative marksgoing on her credit report for things she had nothing to do with. Many banks will monitor transactions made with a credit card and alert the personnamed on the account of any potentially suspicious activity. This is to protect the bank or Credit Card Company just as much as it is to protect thecustomer. Investigation Exactly what happens during a credit card fraud case depends a great deal on the actions of the Credit Card Company or bank involved. If fraudulent transactions are proven to have been made on a person’s account but the amount of the transactions is lower than the cost of an investigate on the company can credit the money back to a person and then close the account to protect from further farm. If the amounts of fraudulent charges are so great that an investigation is warranted, the police will be notified. The credit card company can look at a list of the fraudulent charges and determine where they were made. At that point an officer can question witnesses and review security camera footage in an attempt to identify suspects. If a suspect isarrested he can be tried in a court of law. Felony Credit card fraud is considered a felony by the courts of the United States. As a result a person convicted of credit card fraud could face jail time (the exact amount of which depends on the extent of the crime). A felony conviction stays on a person’s record and can prevent the person from getting hired for a job. Having a felony on a criminal record will also take away a person’s eligibility in terms of running for public office. If a person who is not a natural- born citizen of the United States commits credit card51 fraud and is convicted of a felony the result could be being deported to their country of origin CONCLUSION 21STCentury banking has become wholly customer-driven &technology driven by challenges of competition, rising customer expectations & shrinking margins, banks have been using technology to reduce cost & enhance efficiency, productivity & customer convenienence. Technology intensive delivery channels like net banking, mobile banking, etc have created a win-win situation by extending great convenienence. &multiple options for customer. From educating customers about credit cards there is a need to educate them about the differentiating factors of the cards. Because visa and master card are advertising regularly and thereby increases awareness. The strategy should be to emphasize on its differentiating characteristics. They also need to identify potential customers and target those using mailers. As internet is growing at a fast rate the net users can be targeted by having interactive sites. The prospective company’s card personality could also be used in the home page to solve c ustomer queries in the ‘Best Possible Manner The Indian Plastic Money Journey Citibank and HSBC were the pioneers in the Indian credit card market in the 1980s. Over the next two decades, the number of players increased to more than ten in 2000. The credit card market registered a healthy annual growth rate of over 25% during 1987-2001†¦ While companies were putting in place various measures to address security issues, the debit card market was having a smooth run in India. After being introduced in the mid 1990s, debit cards acquired popularity  and user acceptance at a rapid pace. A major reason for the quick popularity gained by debit cards was the absence of the credit component that resulted in elimination of interest charges or monthly card bills†¦ Plastic Money: the Currency of Modern India Indian consumers have never had it so good. The soiled notes are definitely out. Carrying cash is no more `a pain in the neck’ as consumers are relying more on the `plastic card’ which gives them money on credit. Plastic money basically means debit cards and credit cards which is having a magnetic stripe, logo, signature of the cardholder made of plastic. Credit Cards have finally arrived in India. The card industry which is growing at the rate of 20% per annum is flooded with cards ranging from gold, silver, global, smart to secure†¦.the list is endless. From just two players in early 80s, the industry now houses over 10 major players vying for a major chunk of the card pie. Currently four major bishops are ruling the card empire—Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC and State Bank of India (SBI). The industry, which is catering to over 3.8 million card users, is expected to double by the fiscal 2003. According to a study conducted by State Bank of India, Citibank is the dominant player, having issued 1.5 million cards so far. Stanch art follows way behind with 0.67 million, while Hongkong Bank has 0.3 million credit card customers. Among the nationalized banks, SBI tops the list with 0.28 million cards, followed by Bank of Baroda at 0.22 million. OBJECTIVE OF STUDY Primary objectives †¢To know the perception of people towards plastic money Secondary objectives †¢To know the importance of plastic money in the daily life of consumers’ W.R.T creditand debit cards. †¢To study the benefits of debit card and credit cards. †¢To find out the market leader among the various banks/companies issuing credit anddebit cards †¢To know the problems faced by respondents using plastic money. †¢To study the satisfaction level of consumers towards plastic money. NEED AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY Need of the study It is rightly said the plastic money is need of hour. People are using these cards on a vastscale. But after considering the review of literature it is seen the whole payment process of processing these cards is not safe and customer are facing many problems relating to plasticmoney. That’s why study is focused on consumer perception regarding the plastic money. Need of the study is to get to know about the comparative analysis of plastic money. Thereare many ethical issues and challenges in the market of plastic money which is required to bestudied. This study is concerned with the Seven perks of plastic money Convenience,Budgeting technology, Reputation boosting, Corporate might,Cops and robbers, The float,Openness,to negotiations.

Francis Joseph Cassavant returned home to Frenchtown without a face Essay Example

Francis Joseph Cassavant returned home to Frenchtown without a face Essay Example Francis Joseph Cassavant returned home to Frenchtown without a face Paper Francis Joseph Cassavant returned home to Frenchtown without a face Paper Essay Topic: 7th Grade 8th Grade In Cold Blood The war is over and Francis has returned home. He is glad to be home. Even in the horrible state he is in. He has eyes because he can see and eardrums because he can hear but his ears are just bits of dangling flesh. The thing that bothers Francis the most is his nose. His nostrils are caves dug into the middle of his head. He has no eyebrows and his cheeks are pieces of skin grafted from his thighs. He has been having nightmares, he is in a small alleyway automatic in his hand, and suddenly two German soldiers appear in white uniforms their rifles come up but Franciss automatic is to fast. Francis is not over the war as he has been having nightmares ever since, the head of one of the soldier explodes like a ripe tomato and the other cries Mama as my gunfire cuts him in half, both halves tumbling to the ground. Francis wakes drenched in sweat, gasping. Francis is a mess. Francis is wearing a scarf that covers the lower part of his face. There is a Red Sox cap on the top of his head, tilted forward so that the visor keeps the upper part of his face covered. A bandage is rapped around his head covering the space where his nose was. : The old army fatigue jacket covers his torso and half way down his legs. He doesnt want to be noticed. I walk with my head down as if I have lost money on the sidewalk and am looking for it. This tells us that he is low on self-esteem. Francis has plenty of money. He received back pay when he was discharged from Fort Delta. He keeps his money in cash, stashed in his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He is staying in the attic tenement in Mrs Belanders three-decker on Third Street. He is staying with someone who he used to know this suggest that he is curious about his old friends. As Francis drops the duffel bag onto his bed he remembers of the gun stored at the bottom and thinks of his mission and knows it is about to begin. Going to a religious school may have made Francis more religious. I pray for the souls of my mother and father. Later that day he is in the St Judes Church, kneeling at the communion rail he says his prays. He prays for the souls of his mother and father and Uncle Louis and of course he prays for Nicole Renard and finally he prays for Larry LaSalle the man he is about to kill. At this present stage of Franciss life he is very low on self-esteem and he doesnt want to be noticed, I walk with my head down as if I have lost money on the sidewalk and am looking for it. Francis is not over the war as he has been having nightmares ever since, the head of one of the soldier explodes like a ripe tomato and the other cries Mama as my gunfire cuts him in half, both halves tumbling to the ground. He also is looking for revenge with Larry LaSalle, the man I am going to kill. Francis was in the 7th grade and was going to St Judes Parochial School when he first saw Nicole. Nicole was small and slender with shinning black hair and pale skin. Francis thought she looked beautiful. It was love at first sight for him. He was in ore of Nicole. Nicole was the main influence on his life at this point of his life everything he thought revolved around Nicole. Nicole became friends wit Marie LaCroix who lived above Francis so he waited for her day after day and tried to say something to her each time she walked past him, but he never could. After she walked buy and Francis stayed silent hed vow to talk the next time. Id plunge into agony of regret, vowing to talk to her the next time. The Frenchtown Recreation Centre was being refurbished when Francis was in 7th grade (year 8). The night it was finished someone crossed out the word on the sign and wrote Wreck Centre. The Wreck Centre opened its doors the day after St Judes Parochial School closed for the summer holidays. Francis first met Larry LaSalle that morning when the wreck centre opened. Larry was standing in front of the centre with all the children around him. Larry was a tall slim man with short blonde hair. Larry LaSalle was in charge of the Wreck Centre he taught the children arts and crafts but he also gave them training in sports. Pied piper to the children of Frenchtown. Larry was a mentor to all the children who went. He made them better than they really were. But most of all he was a teacher to them. Francis spent all his free time at the Wreck Centre in his 7th and 8th grades, although he wasnt very good at any of the activities. Finally Francis joined callisthenics after Larry LaSalle made a speech urging people to participate in at least one activity. The wreck centre changed Franciss life forever. This is where the main events of his life will be. Larry finds the perfect sport for Francis, table tennis. Larry trains him well and Francis is a natural. Meanwhile Nicole has been taking ballet. Larry organises a table tennis tournament and a ballet show for the weekend. He wants Francis to be the table tennis champion on Saturday and Nicole to be the star of the show on Sunday. Francis wins the tournament, but the crowd cheer for a match of Francis against Larry. They play and Larry lets Francis win without anyone knowing but Francis. Nicole presents Francis with the trophy and he feels so confident. For the first time in my life a tide of confidence swept through me. The next day pearl harbour gets bombed. Larry LaSalle was one of the first to enlist in the army. Larrys enlistment causes the Wreck Centre to close. The closure of the Wreck Centre gives the opportunity to ask Nicole out to the cinema to his great delight she accepts. The relationship between Francis and Nicole is very strong. They are as much in love as it is possible to be at the age that they are. Months pass and finally Larry returns home after fighting in the war. Larry hadnt changed much during the time he spent fighting for his country but he appearance has changed. His slenderness was knife-like now. There is a party in the Wreck Centre and Larry and Francis play table tennis for hours until finally Larry says it is time for Francis to go home so he and Nicole can have one finally dance. Francis reaches the front door but holds back to watch, the song ends but he hears a moan and a rustle of clothing and watches as Larry LaSalle, the hero of Frenchtown rapes Nicole. A whimpering, like a small animal caught and trapped moaning distinct now. Larry walks out not noticing Francis as he shrunk into the shadows but as Nicole leaves she sees Francis and new hed watched what Larry had done to her and done nothing. It is amazing that the heart makes no noise when it cracks. Francis believes his life is over. Three days later when he finally talks to Nicole she tells him to go a way. Poor Francis, go away Francis. Just go away. Francis climbs up the church steeple and ponders on the thought of suicide but decides not kill himself there and then. Firstly because it would be cowardly to kill himself in this way when soldiers were dying honourably in battlefields all over the world. Secondly he did not want to disgrace the thought of his mother and father. He cannot forgive himself for not helping Nicole. So the next afternoon he boarded the bus to Fort Delta. In his pocket a fake birth certificate. Francis feels there is no forgiveness for deserting Nicole when she needed him the most, this is why he is intent on killing himself or letting himself get killed. Weeks had passed and there was no sign of Larry LaSalle, until Francis walked back from another round of roaming the Frenchtown streets when he heard in a very harsh French from Mrs Belander porch that Larry LaSalle had returned home and was living in the green house on the corner. Francis had got him. Francis knocks on the door, Larry calls from inside. Come in the doors not locked. Francis comes in and sees Larry sitting in a rocking chair by the stove. Francis announces himself. They talk about old times for a bit but finally Francis pulls out the gun. He tells Larry about seeing what he did to Nicole. Larry talks about the sweet young things which suggests he has done this to other girls too. Finally Larry pulls out his own gun and tells Francis that he would not have been able to kill Larry in cold blood. Larry is still trying to make him better than he really is. You would have fallen on that grenade, anyway. All your instincts would have made you sacrifice yourself for your comrades. Francis leaves; when he is downstairs he hears the gunshot and knows Larry LaSalle is dead. His mission was complete. We will never find out if Francis would have been able to kill Larry in cold blood. Francis finds Nicole they talk about the rape and how he enlisted into the army and why. They dont talk for long but Francis is no longer timid around her. For once in my life I am not timid with her. He has overcome his shyness around her. They say goodbye and Francis departs never to see her again. Franciss character changes dramatically throughout the course of his life. It does so because of Nicole and Larry mainly and the way they treat him change the way he is and the person he is.

Andrew Jackson Nicholas Biddles Monster Bank

Andrew Jackson Nicholas Biddles Monster Bank Nicholas Biddles bank was a great issue during Andrew Jacksons Election. At the time of around 1832, the bank was the only nationwide bank and exerted tremendous influences over the nations financial system. Andrew Jackson was very much against the renewal of the “Second Bank of the United States”, because he saw it as a huge monopoly since it was a private bank managed by a small group of people. With the Bank President being Nicholas Biddle, Andrew Jackson went after him.The very first national bank was founded in 1791 with support of Alexander Hamilton. The bank was authorized for a twenty year period during James Madisons tenure in 1816. Unfortunately, the First Banks charter expired in 1811 under President James Madison. Fortunately, the Bank was revived in 1816, as what we now know as the Second Bank of the United States. James Madison and Congress saw the bank as a good way to control the current inflation after the government found that it was in a considerable amount of debt from the “War of 1812”.78 year old Andrew JacksonThe now infamous Nicholas Biddle was given the position of the Banks director.Who is Nicholas Biddle Anyways? Biddle was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ancestors of the Biddle family that had previously immigrated to Pennsylvania with William Penn, and fought in the famous Pre-Revolutionary Struggles. Biddle was a very well educated man, he began his education at a very prestigious academy in Pennsylvania. Because of his rapid success with education, he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania at the very young age of 10. Surprisingly, the University refused to award him with a degree because of his young age, so he transferred to Princeton and graduated in 1801; He was awarded as the Valedictorian at age 15. Later in life,

Grade Point Average (GPA) and Graduate School Admission

Grade Point Average (GPA) and Graduate School Admission Your GPA or grade point average is important to admissions committees, not because it signifies your intelligence, but because it is a long-term indicator of how well you perform your job as a student. Grades reflect your motivation and your ability to do consistently good or bad work. Generally, most masters programs require minimum GPAs of 3.0 or 3.3, and most doctoral programs require minimum GPAs of 3.3 or 3.5. Usually, this minimum is necessary, but not sufficient, for admission. That is, your GPA can keep the door from shutting in your face but many other factors come to play in getting accepted to graduate school and your GPA  usually wont guarantee admission, no matter how good it is.   Course Quality Can Trump Your Grade Not all grades are the same, though. Admissions committees study the courses taken: a B in Advanced Statistics is worth more than an A in Introduction to Pottery. In other words, they consider the context of the GPA: Where was it obtained and of what courses is it comprised? In many cases, its better to have a lower GPA composed of solid challenging courses than a high GPA based on easy courses like Basket Weaving for Beginners and the like. Admissions committees study your transcript and examine your overall GPA as well as the GPA for the courses relevant to the programs to which youre applying (e.g., GPA in science and math courses for applicants to medical school and graduate programs  in the sciences). Ensure that youre taking the right courses for the graduate program to which you plan to apply. Why Turn to Standardized Exams? Admissions committees also understand that applicants grade point averages often cant be meaningfully compared. Grades can differ among universities: an A at one university may be a B at another. Also, grades differ among professors in the same university. Because grade point averages are not standardized, its hard to compare applicants GPAs. Therefore admissions committees turn to standardized exams, like the GRE, MCAT, LSAT, and GMAT, to make comparisons among applicants from different universities. Therefore if you have a low GPA, it is essential that you try your best on these tests. What If I Have a Low GPA? If it is early in your academic career (for example you are in your sophomore year or beginning your junior year) you have time to boost your GPA. Remember that the more credits you have taken, the harder it is to raise your GPA, so try to catch a spiraling GPA before it does much damage. Heres what you can do before it’s too late. Try your best. (This is a given.)Take high-quality courses. Sure, its easy to raise your GPA with introductory courses and so-called easy As but admissions committees will see through those tactics. A lower GPA composed of high-quality courses will do you more good than a high GPA composed of easy courses.Take more classes. Dont just take the minimum number of courses needed to graduate. Instead, take more courses so that you have more opportunities to raise your GPA.Take summer courses. Summer classes are intense but they permit you to focus entirely on one (or two) classes, which means that youre likely to do well.Consider delaying graduation. Spend an extra semester or more in school to take courses to raise your GPA.After graduation, take a few graduate courses or challenging undergraduate courses to show your aptitude. Point to your performance in these classes as an indicator of your capacity for graduate work.

MGT506 - Strategic Leadership, Mod 2 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGT506 - Strategic Leadership, Mod 2 SLP - Essay Example According to the definition, open systems elaborate an organizational model that allows the organization to interact with the society i.e. take necessary input and deliver outputs. Considering that factor, open social systems and organizations have a tendency to adapt to social changes according to feedback provided and makes required changes internally. Hence, open system of an organization is a live mechanism that is continuously evolving and showing changes in its structure and behavior. In contrast with an open system, closed system shows a deterministic approach. This system operates in the absence of feedback loop that is detached from external factor. It can be said that closed systems allow its components to remain within the sphere of their identity that shows a constant character. In the light of these doctrines, it can be established that language and society are closed mechanisms that only shows slow alterations only when the system needs external information and shows gr adual changes over decades and sometimes centuries. Similarly, external discharge of information is also selected and limited (Katz & Kahn, 1966). It has been observed that Martin Luther King was a transformational leader who used pathos, ethos and symbols for influencing his followers. It can be observed that MLK has emerged as the leader of African Americans due to consistency in his behavior and lack of adherence to requirements of other social forces. This astute and consistent behavior makes him a follower of closed system regime. These demands had a concrete background based on bias shown towards Blacks by American society that spreads on the span of centuries. Basing his requirements on the discriminated behavior, he demanded equal rights for African Americans from the beginning and did not alter his requirements in response to other social factors. Requirement was only one which entails that African Americans citizens must have equal legal and ethical status as the white one s (Luther, 1963). On the basis of this stature, he managed to illustrate a behavior of constant struggle and fundamentality in his principles. With the help of this consistency in overall behavior, he managed to attract and retain millions of Blacks as his followers which ended up brining revolution in American society and legislation. In comparison with MLK, Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a follower of open-system ideology. Jinnah himself was a learned barrister who had spent most of his life in England. He was a follower of a belief that Muslims and Hindus in subcontinent should live together. However, after spending considerable time in All India Congress, he observed the bias against Muslims that made him lay down the foundation of Muslim League in Subcontinent, the only Muslim party that legalized the initiatives for separate country for Muslims (Wolpert, 2005). Where Jinnah initially worked on transforming the legal and ethical status of Muslims in subcontinent like MLK, his percepti on changed over time on the basis of events that lead him to believe that Muslims need to have a separate homeland for earning a right of respectful living. Therefore, after late 1920s, the direction of

Language in Copley's Gibraltar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Language in Copley's Gibraltar - Essay Example Dadaism â€Å"unbound† language and played with its potential. I also want to â€Å"unbind† â€Å"language† as a concept by relating it to one of John Singleton Copley's paintings, The Siege and Relief of Gibraltar. I selected the word â€Å"language,† because it has a large role in several defining experiences of my college life. In this essay, I describe painting as a â€Å"language† in itself that can be directly experienced, struggled with, and enjoyed, which is like learning a second â€Å"language.† A painting has a â€Å"language† that can be directly experienced, when the audience try to interpret its implied stories and meanings. The Siege and Relief of Gibraltar tells the story of the battle between two old superpowers, Spain and Great Britain, a battle that can be related to the struggles of learning a second language. The painting asks the audience to see the Battle at Gibraltar in splendid action and drama with definitive winners and losers. It is neatly divided into two planes of the two groups. The British are depicted as an orderly and coordinated team. General Sir George Eliott leads his men through giving orders on how to float the Spanish flotillas or floating batteries. The Spaniards witness their flotillas sinking along with their crew. They are portrayed, not only as the losers, but also as barely human beings, because of the lack of details in how they were painted. I look at this painting and it teases my imagination, as I think about Eliott's ingenuity in planning always three steps ahead. I can feel the experience of the action in the battlefield. I designate myself as an impassioned observer, but amazed at the military tactics and technologies used during these times. General Sir George Eliott has planned everything so well that his men hardly had to do anything, while the Spaniards, in sharp contrast, resemble cats who are at their ninth life. They will try everything to survive. The S iege and Relief of Gibraltar has embedded meanings and implications that â€Å"language† can dismantle. This visual reading is similar to learning a second â€Å"language,† where I also have to make sense of the arbitrary symbols the English â€Å"language.† I find it perplexing to no longer see my native â€Å"language† as arbitrary, because I have grown with it. It is part of my breathing already. Yet this other â€Å"language† loses its natural character and becomes emerged into arbitrariness, transforming it into an alien code that I have to learn and decipher. I understand now why Dadaism undermined the linguistic sign. A foreign â€Å"language† can take a psychophysiological eidetic experience, one that can be broken apart and played with (Rumold 77). In addition, Copley's painting fits what Keats describes as the ability of a work of art to become a â€Å"made† entity that catch the audience by â€Å"teasing [them] out of thou ght† (cited in Behrendt 37). Truly, reading a painting can bring the audience to an â€Å"imaginative alternative reality† (Behrendt 38). Furthermore, the painting, as an experience, pushes the audience to attack the works through reflecting on the process that it is perceived and assessed (Behrendt 38). Learning a second â€Å"language† also invited me to be critical of this perception process. How do I see English as a â€Å"

Participation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Participation - Essay Example They believe that the sole authority of one’s life is the person himself and hence he should be allowed to take decisions whether to continue his life or not. The above argument seems to be a convincing one when we analyse it in a glance. But when we analyse it more deeply we will identify the difficulties associated with such claims. A person who is allowed to terminate his life may have lot of social and family commitments. He might be a father, a son, or a brother to somebody and he has some moral responsibilities to all these relatives. Moreover, when we analyse this case on religious terms, again we cannot support one’s decision to commit suicide. Life is a precious thing given to the human by the creator and no human so far succeeded in creating an artificial life. Only the creator has the authority to destroy or modify his creations and hence only God has the authority to take our life back as per the religious beliefs. So in normal case, if he commits suicide, i t cannot be accepted as a moral or ethical activity. At the same time, consider the same person in a pathetic condition, suffering from lot of pain due to chronic diseases. If he is in a no hope condition or the doctors have written off his case, (say in a paralysed condition with lot of pain and incapable of doing anything without the help of others), he can seek the assistance of a physician to terminate his life (Physician assisted suicide). In such cases, it cannot be considered as a normal suicide. In other words, a suicide can be justified if the person was in a no hope condition with nobody to assist him and the medical science has written off his case. Moreover, the morality and ethics behind an action depends on a person’s belief in some cases. In the above example itself, if the person happens to be a nonbeliever in God or religion, then his decision to seek the help of a physician to terminate his life because of pathetic conditions might be

Prediction of stall on an aircraft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Prediction of stall on an aircraft - Essay Example Stall speeds change with angle of bank, configuration and any changes in gross weight. Furthermore, an aircraft will stall at a higher speed with flaps retracted than with them extended. The phenomenon of stall is shown in the figure below:- Stall occur due to a number of reasons and can thus be divided into a number of types1 like power off stalls (also called approach-to-landing stalls, practiced by pilots to simulate normal approach-to-landing conditions and configuration), Power-on stalls (also known as departure stalls, practiced by pilots to simulate takeoff and climb-out conditions) and Accelerated stalls (experienced at higher-than normal airspeeds due to applying abrupt or excessive controls to aircraft and may occur in steep turns, pullups or other abrupt changes in your flight path.). Many aircraft in Flight Sim use a stall indicator to alert you when the airflow over the wing(s) approaches a point that lift cannot be sustained. The stall indicator is part of aircraft for a reason so no one should ignore it. Setup a numerical optimization procedure that can be useful to the aerodynamicist in the rapid design and development of high-lift system configurations and that can also provide derivative information regarding the influence of various design parameters (gap, overlap, slat and flap deflection angles, etc.) on the performance of the system. The variables that describe the relative element positioning can be used as design variables. These variables include flap and slat deflection angles, gaps, overlap, shapes of each of the elements and many more depending on method used2. Like in Continuous Adjoint Method, variables are flow-field variables and the physical location of the boundary. Then the governing equation which expresses the dependence of these variables can be written in flow field domain in form of partial differential equations. After introducing a Lagrange Multiplier and solving adjoint equations and applying boundary

Auxilium Pharmaceutical Corporation Research Paper

Auxilium Pharmaceutical Corporation - Research Paper Example In relation to the study the company which has been selected is Auxilium Pharmaceutical, a firm that has been in business since 1999. The firm’s common stocks are traded publicly in NASDAQ under the symbol AUXL. The mission statement of the company is: â€Å"To improve the lives of patients throughout the world by rapidly and efficiently identifying, developing and commercializing innovative specialty biopharmaceutical products†. The firm’s products target the following healthcare markets: hand and plastic surgeons, endocrinologist, rheumatologists, urologists, and primary care physicians. The two top selling brands the company has are Testim and Xiaflex. The values of the company include integrity, quality, innovation, teamwork, and result oriented. In fiscal year 2010 Auxilium Pharmaceutical generated $211 million in revenues. The organization has 565 employees. The pharmaceutical industry is one of the largest and most powerful industries in the world with 201 0 global sales of $875 billion. The United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. One of the challenges that U.S. healthcare companies face when trying to develop a new drug is that it takes a lot of time and money to bring a new drug to market. During the last five years the costs of bringing a new drug to market have gone up from $800 million to $1.3 billion. One of the primary reasons companies receive lengthy patent protection is to allow companies sufficient time to recover its investment and make a reasonable profit. All the costs across the entire healthcare system in the United States are on the rise. The medical spending per capita in the United States is twice as high as other developed countries such as the members of the European Union. In 2009 the United States spend $7,410 in healthcare spending per capita, while Europe in the same period spend only spend $3,615. Quality is not the main issue that’s driving the costs up since the Europeans receive equal if not better healthcare than American citizens. The cost of education may be a factor that is affecting the salary scales for doctors in the United States. Most medical students borrow over $250,000 in student loans to finance their education. Once they start practicing doctors are seeking higher salaries than ever before. Drugs are becoming more expensive due to higher development costs and medical plans are charging astronomical yearly fees in comparison with the past. In 2009 the average cost of family healthcare plan was $13,375. Medical insurance plan inflation increased 5% in comparison with 2008. Due to the rising cost of medical insurance the amount of Americans that are uninsured has increased to over 50 million. This hurts the sales of pharmaceutical companies because uninsured citizens typically cannot afford to pay for their prescription drugs in cash payments. Auxilium Pharmaceutical has multiple strengths that are helping the company stay competitive. T he firm has build up a nice brand value during its 13 years operating in the industry. During 2010 the company had very solid sales results of $211.4 million which represent an increase of 29% in comparison with the previous year.

Built environment organisation and Process Essay

Built environment organisation and Process - Essay Example This dissertation is an attempt in the context of a construction project and takes into consideration the individual capabilities of an architect and a Quantity surveyor in order to determine the most suitable among the two for adopting the role of a lead consultant for a project. The next two sections will outline the work areas and individual areas of specialization of these professionals and the subsequent section will provide a requisite analysis of the two professions with a view to determining the most suitable among them. The prime tasks of an architect are to implement the plan and design of a construction project. Additionally, monitoring the progress and the various stages of construction happen to be the other important tasks. The work environment and methods of an architect are aimed at understanding the needs of the resident at all levels and to the slightest detail. This is due to the fact that designing the elevation and the interior details as well as estimating the dimensions of every entity within the construction project are the sole responsibilities of the architect. The importance of an architect within the purview of a construction project arises from the single fact that he/she must possess the ability to be able to visualize all requirements and needs of the customers in absolute totality as there is virtually no room for any adjustments or modifications once the basic framework is in place. Moreover, an successful architect is always known to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that none of the requirements are left open in an unclear or ambiguous way. As such, an architect sits at the top of the construction hierarchy when it comes to the extent of contact with the customer. There are many cases where the architect is also supposed to be well informed with the legal construction norms of the land (need to elaborate on this) as any kind of plan or design is likely to be influenced either directly or indirectly as a result of which it is extremely necessary to grasp all the norms and constraints beforehand. An able architect always knows the right technology to use for the purpose of construction and as such is entrusted with the responsibility of suggesting the best available methods for construction both to the customer as well as the developer. The usefulness and importance of these suggestions has direct implications on the cost, effort and schedule that goes into the project. Thus, in a way, an architect functions as an interface between the client and the developer. CAPABILITIES OF THE QUANTITY SURVEYOR In any construction project, the management of the finances involved is a major task. This requirement grows both in magnitude, complexity and importance especially when the construction project is huge, spans a long period of time and involves the exchange of money between several hands. As such, keeping track of all the transactions and making the requisite decisions becomes an individual and concentrated task that needs to be handled by a trained qualified and experienced professional. Therefore, in the

Auxilium Pharmaceutical Corporation Research Paper

Auxilium Pharmaceutical Corporation - Research Paper Example In relation to the study the company which has been selected is Auxilium Pharmaceutical, a firm that has been in business since 1999. The firm’s common stocks are traded publicly in NASDAQ under the symbol AUXL. The mission statement of the company is: â€Å"To improve the lives of patients throughout the world by rapidly and efficiently identifying, developing and commercializing innovative specialty biopharmaceutical products†. The firm’s products target the following healthcare markets: hand and plastic surgeons, endocrinologist, rheumatologists, urologists, and primary care physicians. The two top selling brands the company has are Testim and Xiaflex. The values of the company include integrity, quality, innovation, teamwork, and result oriented. In fiscal year 2010 Auxilium Pharmaceutical generated $211 million in revenues. The organization has 565 employees. The pharmaceutical industry is one of the largest and most powerful industries in the world with 201 0 global sales of $875 billion. The United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. One of the challenges that U.S. healthcare companies face when trying to develop a new drug is that it takes a lot of time and money to bring a new drug to market. During the last five years the costs of bringing a new drug to market have gone up from $800 million to $1.3 billion. One of the primary reasons companies receive lengthy patent protection is to allow companies sufficient time to recover its investment and make a reasonable profit. All the costs across the entire healthcare system in the United States are on the rise. The medical spending per capita in the United States is twice as high as other developed countries such as the members of the European Union. In 2009 the United States spend $7,410 in healthcare spending per capita, while Europe in the same period spend only spend $3,615. Quality is not the main issue that’s driving the costs up since the Europeans receive equal if not better healthcare than American citizens. The cost of education may be a factor that is affecting the salary scales for doctors in the United States. Most medical students borrow over $250,000 in student loans to finance their education. Once they start practicing doctors are seeking higher salaries than ever before. Drugs are becoming more expensive due to higher development costs and medical plans are charging astronomical yearly fees in comparison with the past. In 2009 the average cost of family healthcare plan was $13,375. Medical insurance plan inflation increased 5% in comparison with 2008. Due to the rising cost of medical insurance the amount of Americans that are uninsured has increased to over 50 million. This hurts the sales of pharmaceutical companies because uninsured citizens typically cannot afford to pay for their prescription drugs in cash payments. Auxilium Pharmaceutical has multiple strengths that are helping the company stay competitive. T he firm has build up a nice brand value during its 13 years operating in the industry. During 2010 the company had very solid sales results of $211.4 million which represent an increase of 29% in comparison with the previous year.

The Split between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church Research Paper

The Split between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church - Research Paper Example It continually gained a significant number of converts and eventually became one of the world’s strongest religions. During the postclassical civilization, Christianity took the centre stage as it played a vital role both in Western and Eastern parts of Europe. Christianity is believed to have begun as part of Jewish reform movement. Even before the birth of Jesus, some Jews had begun to preach about the coming messiah. The Jews had the belief that the birth of Jesus would bring salvation to mankind, and judgement as well to those who failed to honour salvation. Christianity transformed from the persecuted group of believers over a long period of time, alongside the harsh and vastly changing political environment in Europe. During the fourth and the fifth century, the Roman Empire collapsed. This enhanced the growth of a very powerful church that remained on course for a very long time. All this collapse resulted in subjugation of the church. The early followers of Christ began to spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire. It began with one the earliest converts like Saul, who was converted to Paul, and his major task was an assignment to take the Christ’s message around the Mediterranean region. Wherever he went, he created churches and constantly wrote letters to them. The early churches shared their common belief in Christ and were united in their worship; they usually met together, shared the scriptures and listened to one another. They were very caring and were usually bonded together. However, as time went by â€Å"Christians began to disagree as to who should lead the groups, the form the worship should take, and how Christian beliefs should be understood. This led to splits within the Christian church† (Jordan 5). It has been observed that the early churches enhanced their unity through faith. They had unity of the doctrine and the traditions that existed in the churches, and this led to