Community and Population Health Essay

Introduction I currently reside in Denver County, Colorado. I have chosen to assess and analyze this community for this assignment. Denver, Colorado is located east of the Eastern Foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Denver County is centrally located within the city of Denver, Colorado and includes the Denver International Airport located north-east of the city. The elevation of this county is 5,277 feet and therefore is nicknamed the â€Å"Mile-High City†. Denver County contains 154.9 square miles of land with a large amount of parks and rivers, of which 1.4 miles is water. (City and County of Denver, 2011). Population Economic Status According to the 2010 census, Denver County has a population of 600,158 people with a median age of 33.7 years old (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010a). Denver County’s population is approximately 50% male and 50% female (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010a). The ethnicity of Denver County is predominately White (52.2%), with Hispanic (31.8%) and Black (9.8%) ethnic groups comprising the next largest population groups (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010a). The median household income in Denver County from 2008-2012 was is $49,091; compared to $58,244 for the entire state of Colorado (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010b). From2008-2012, 18.9% of households were at or below poverty; compared to an average of 12.9% for the entire state of Colorado (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010b). The average reported unemployment rate for persons ages 16 + in Denver County was 8.6% (with a +/- 0.4% margin of error) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010a). Denver County has a high percentage of educated workforce. In 2008-2012, 36.7% of the population age 25 + had obtained their Bachelor’s Degree, or a higher level of education; compared 28.5% for the entire US (U.S. Census  Bureau, 2010b). Although Denver County has a large percentage of educated residents, it also has a high number of homeless residents. In a survey taken in January 2013, an estimated 11,167 people were homeless in Denver (including employed homeless) (Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, 2013). Of those individuals, 43% were women and 62% were adults with children (Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, 2013). The birth rate in Denver County in 2012 was 9,236 (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2012). This was average compared to the previous two years – in 2011 there were 9,431 births compared to 2010 where there were 9,584 births (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2012). Denver County’s death rate in 2012 was 4,220 (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2012). This number was average compared to the previous two years as well – in 2011 there were 4,156 deaths and in 2010 there were 4,210 deaths. The number one cause of death in Denver County from 2010 – 2012 was cardiovascular disease (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2012). The majority of deaths related to population was individuals age 85+ (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2012). Denver County offers two primary basic food assistance programs. These programs are called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children). For the fiscal year of 2013, Colorado had an average of 47,636,090 persons from a total of 23,052,396 households were signed up for SNAP benefits (USDA, 2014a). This number had increased by approximately 1,027,016 persons from 2012 fiscal year (USDA, 2014a). For the fiscal year of 2013, Colorado had an average of 8,662,591 persons (including women, infants, and children) were receiving supplemental nutrition from the WIC program (USDA, 2014b). This number decreased by 245,249 persons from 2012 fiscal year (USDA, 2014b). Cultural Assessment The population size and sex of the cultural group I interviewed was of twenty white women. Out of the twenty women I interviewed, ten women were between the ages of 20-29 years old and ten women were between the ages of  30-49 years old. All twenty women are currently registered nurses on the internal medicine/oncology floor at the hospital I am currently employed at. The amount of nursing experience these individuals have ranges from two years to 29 years of experience. All twenty individuals interviewed have health insurance. The attitudes toward age and aging of the twenty individuals surveyed varied with a similar goal of staying healthy to prevent the onset of diseases. The younger group interviewed felt it was important to eat healthy and exercise to promote internal health and longevity of life in general. The older group interviewed were more specific with their answers and felt it was important to maintain low stress lifestyles to promote good mental and physical health, to exercise to promote strong bones/balance, to perform mental exercises to help prevent the onset of dementia, and to regularly attend appointments. Both groups agreed that positive vs. negative attitudes directly affect physical health and one’s quality of life. When I asked both groups of their opinions regarding what age adolescents are considered adults, I received drastically different answers. The younger group felt as if ages 18-19 years old are considered adults related to society’s description of an adult, the independency promoted with high school graduation, and the onset of college. The older group felt as if ages 22-23 years old are considered adults primarily related to maturity, life experiences, and the beginning of an entry level career after completion of a college degree. Both groups felt as if college education was an expectation. All of the individuals interviewed currently have their degree in nursing with an active nursing license. Approximately one-third of those interviewed have their Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and several of those interviewed possess recognizable specialty healthcare certifications. As an entirety, the group interviewed is healthy. Over half of those interviewed have no prior diagnoses regarding their state physical of health. The most obvious physical characteristic that both groups share is being overweight with eleven out of the twenty women interviewed currently being overweight according to their projected BMI. The entire population interviewed shared the mental challenge of overcoming the stress presented at work regarding difficult/challenging patients and all women interviewed believed they have compromised their safety while caring for a patient at one time or another in their career. When I asked this group what the usual sources of stress are, work was number one for all twenty women interviewed. The younger population interviewed stated that children/family and educational goals are some of their secondary sources of stress. The older population interviewed stated that aging/retirement and the health of other family members are their secondary sources of stress. Both groups primarily use the mountains/nature and outdoor activities, such as skiing and hiking, to cope with stress. Five of the individuals drive nearly sixty miles to work (one-way) daily, related to owning a home in the mountains to escape the â€Å"rush and chaos† of the city and helping to find a â€Å"balance in life†. Out of all twenty individuals interviewed, over 3/4 of the woman are married and/or have a significant other. When asked what their number one priority in life was, family was consistently number one. Most all other interests and goals were related to benefiting or bettering the family. Some of the answers named were continuing educational goals, buying a new home, having a baby, planning retirement, and helping their parents with activities of daily life. Of the cultural group identified, all of them share a team attitude while still exhibiting individualist perspectives unique to personal preferences and opinions. Neighborhood/Community Safety Denver is divided into about 80 different official neighborhoods within Denver County (City and County of Denver, 2011). Those 80 different neighborhoods have been divided into seven police and fire districts; including Denver International Airport with has its own district (Denver Police Department, 2014; Denver Fire Department, 2014). The average response time for the Denver Police Department varied in 2013 from 14.9 minutes to respond to urgent, emergency calls (from the time a 911 call was received to the time an officer arrived on the scene) to 16.9 minutes for an officer to respond to a non-emergency call (Maass, 2013). According to Lt. Matt Murray from the Denver Police Department, these slow response times  have been directly correlated with a lack of officers (Maass, 2013). According to Murray, the Denver Police Department can have as many as 1,426 officers and as of October 3, 2013, the Denver Police Department had only 1,350 officers (Maass, 2013). A new class of 70 recr uits are currently in training in hopes to decrease the department’s response times in 2014 (Maass, 2013). The Denver Fire Department maintains 34 different fire stations that are strategically split into seven districts (Denver Fire Department, 2014). Firefighter’s each work an average of three 24-hour shift with an average of 180 firefighter’s on-duty per shift (Denver Fire Department, 2014). The Denver Fire Department responds to a variety of calls including Fire Suppression, Rescue Operations, Hazardous Materials Response, Technical Rescue, Urban Search and Rescue, Water and Ice Rescue, High Angle Rope Rescue, Confined Space and Trench Rescue, Wildland Firefighting, and Emergency Medical Services. They also perform thousands of building inspections annually, daily training and certifications, public and community education, school fire drills, and organize other special events (Denver Fire Department, 2014). According to the Denver Fire Department 2012 Annual Report, there were a total of 101,531 alarms/calls made in 2012 that required the response of the fire department team (Maass, 2013). Out of those 101,531 calls made to the fire department, 54,350 were for medical calls, 8,103 were for auto accidents, 2,248 were for fires, and approximately 37,000 calls required other services or rescues (Maass, 2013). Denver County has a significant amount of violence, crime, and gang activity within the community. In January/February 2014 there were a total of 7,268 crimes captured by the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) (Denver Police Department, 2014). According to this reporting system, the crimes are broken down into four categories; (1) crimes against persons, (2) crimes against property, (3) crimes against society, and (4) all other offenses (Denver Police Department, 2014). The top two offenses in Denver County per category included (1) simple assault and aggravated assault, (2) larceny and criminal mischief/damaged property, (3) drug/narcotic violations and prostitution, and (4) disorderly conduct/disturbing the peace and  criminal trespassing (Denver Police Department, 2014). These figures are slightly elevated from a total of 6,822 crimes in January/February 2013 (Denver Police Department, 2014). There is a variety of different gang activity in Denver County. In 2003, Denver police estimated that there were 14,000 gang members in Denver who were affiliated with 220 different gangs (Gang activity in Denver, 2013). The Denver Police Department has since created gang prevention programs including education, a gang hotline, outreach programs for former gang members, crime stoppers anonymous tips hotline, and the Denver Police Department Gang Bureau (Denver Police Department, 2014). Even with gang prevention involvement in the community and with these prevention programs in place, from January-September 2013 there was a total of 143 total crimes that could be directly related to gang activity (Gurman, 2013). These crimes included homicides, sexual assault, robberies, and aggravated assault (Gurman, 2013). Denver County is also populated with a high level of alcohol and drug abuse. The availability of marijuana with the recent legalization of recreational marijuana makes marijuana the most widely abused drug in Denver County (Mendelson, 2014). Alcohol, methamphetamines, heroin, cocaine, and prescription drugs are all found within the city limits of Denver as well (Mendelson, 2014). Denver County is centrally located between two interstates; I-25 and I-70. These interstates have many different entry and exit points to and from the city that provide easier access for drug trafficking and other illegal activities. Denver County has many different programs protecting its air and water quality. The Environmental Quality Division (EQD) is responsible for a variety of measures including conducting compliance inspections of air emissions, monitoring pollutant levels, issuing permits, and constructing models of air pollutant levels in the Denver area (Department of Environmental Health, 2014a). In February 2014 Colorado became the first state to regulate methane emissions from hydraulic fracking (Kroh, 2014). This new regulation will directly increase water quality and decrease smog in the Denver area. The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) is responsible for monitoring the quality of water in Denver’s lakes and  streams. The DEH collects an average of 13,000+ water samples and conducts more than 50,000 tests annually to ensure that Denver’s drinking water is clean and safe (Department of Environmental Health, 2014c). The goal is for the city of Denver to have fishable and swim mable waters in all the lakes and streams by 2020 (Department of Environmental Health, 2014c). Denver’s Departments of Environmental Health, Public Works, and Parks and Recreation are all work together to ensure that the City meets this goal (Department of Environmental Health, 2014c). Denver’s current number one pollutant is trash and litter. Urban Drainage and Flood control district alone collects approximately 100 tons of trash from the streams and rivers in Denver annually (Department of Environmental Health, 2014b). There are several health risks living within Denver County. These risks include earthquakes, hazardous materials, winter storms, and severe thunderstorms with hail, lightening, tornados, and/or flooding (Office of Emergency Management, 2014b). Hit and run injuries have become an epidemic in Denver County with an increase in fatal crashes in Denver County. Denver police reported 18,662 hit-and-run accidents, both sustaining injuries and sustaining no injuries, during 2011-2013 (Hubbard, 2014). At least one person in Denver metro area is injured every day by a hit-and-run driver and nearly three times a month a pedestrian is fatally injured by a motorist who flees the scene (Hubbard, 2014). Colorado legislators have recently increased the potential prison sentence for hit-and-run cases resulting in bodily injury and/or death. They have also formalized an alert program to inform the public on suspects, vehicles, and/or license plate numbers in an attempt to help in track down perpetrators (Hubbard, 2014). Disaster Assessment and Planning The state of Colorado and city of Denver has worked hard to organize a variety of disaster and emergency preparedness plans within the community. One source of information, READYColorado, offers a variety of data sources for the community. Their website, READYColorado.com, offers awareness and disaster preparedness for a variety of natural disasters, technological disasters, and human caused disasters. The website also contains statistics, facts, and a calendar list of current events and training exercises. It offers links for volunteer opportunities regarding community involvement and educational classes and it also lists ways to stay informed of emergencies  from such sources such as radio, television, text, live twitter feeds, and blogs. Three critical facilities in Denver County include three specific venues; Coors Field with 50K capacity, The Pepsi Center with 19K capacity, and Sports Authority at Mile High Stadium with 76K capacity (City and County of Denver, 2011). The most vulnerable populations to these disasters are the 22.3% of households with children less than 18 years of age, the approximately 23,000 individuals 65+ that live independently, and the residents in 51 long term care facilities within Denver County (City and County of Denver, 2011). The primary disaster of concern for the Denver County is winter weather. Winter weather is an expectation living in Colorado. READYColorado contains information for home and vehicle preparation, emergency communications planning, proper dress for indoors and outdoors to protect the body from hypothermia, and hypothermia/frostbite warning signs. One can also find more information at Ready.gov, Colorado Department of Transportation, NOAA watch, and the American Red Cross regarding winter weather and the risks involved. Avalanches are of great threat to the mountainous regions of Colorado but do not pose a threat within Denver County. The risk of earthquakes is low in Denver County. However if an earthquake was to occur, the city would be very susceptible to extensive damage. Residencies and some of the older buildings in Denver are not made to withstand earthquakes and would most likely suffer damage to their structures (Office of Emergency Management, 2014b). Severe thunderstorms bringing hail, lightening, and tornados pose threats to the Denver County annually. Residents of the Colorado’s Front Range area are located in the heart of â€Å"Hail Alley† which begins mid-April and lasts through mid-August. The Front Range and Denver County receives a high frequency of large hail annually, averaging three to four hailstorms a year, and costing at least 25 million dollars in insured damage for each event (READYColorado and the State of Colorado, 2014b). Lightening poses the greatest threat to areas where the mountains and plains intersect (READYColorado and the State of Colorado, 2014b). Three deaths related to  lightning strikes have known to occur in Denver since 2001 (National Weather Service, 2011). Tornados pose a threat to all areas of Colorado; however tornados to not typically get high intensity ratings within Denver County (City and County of Denver, 2011). Flying debris from high winds cause most injuries. NOAA weathe r radio, telephone alerts, and television sources provide alerts severe thunderstorms and the destructive events that they bring. Denver County also has an outdoor warning siren system consisting of 76 electro-mechanical sirens that sound when there are tornado alerts and warnings (Office of Emergency Management, 2014a). Wildfire ignition by lightning is a bigger concern rural Colorado areas compared to the city. Respiratory problems can still result from the inhalation of smoke spread by wind. Wildfires burn thousands of acres and destroy hundreds of structures annually in Colorado. These fires are generally ignited by lightening or human causes and can easily be fueled by drought conditions, insect infestations, and heat. READYColorado offers information on risk assessment, home preparation, evacuation plans, and shelter information. More information regarding wildfires can be found at Ready.gov, Ready, Set, Go!, Surviving Wildfire, The Red Cross, US Fire Administration – FEMA, and Colorado State Forest Service websites. Colorado Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal is also a useful tool in determining fire risks. Currently, Denver’s fire risk is between lowest intensity and moderate intensity risk (Colorado State Forest Service, 2014). Flooding has a big impact on Colorado and in 2013 challenged many residents in the Denver area. NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, television, and internet sources provide information on flood watches and warnings, including flash floods in Denver County. Flash flooding along streams such as Cherry Creek, Clear Creek, and Harvard Gulch pose the greatest threats within the Denver area. The Corps of Engineers, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District websites provide 2013 flood information, current projects, and resources for flooding preparation and damage control in Colorado. Health risks involved from flooding include contamination from bacteria (ie. E.coli), parasites (ie. giaria), and viruses (ie. Hepatitis A), respiratory infections from mold and other irritants, and bodily injury from swiftly moving currents, electricity hazards, and hypothermia. It is very important for all Denver County residents to be up to date with Tetanus  vaccinations. Terrorism poses a rather unpredictable threat to Denver County. Denver County has a large metropolis population and houses both government buildings and military installations, contains large sports stadiums and an international airport. It is known that failure of the Cherry Creek Dam would cause catastrophic damage to both life and property within Denver County (City and County of Denver, 2011). There have been known international and domestic terrorist groups identified in Colorado during previous years (City and County of Denver, 2011). Education regarding the â€Å"eight signs of terrorism† can be found at multiple terrorism related websites including READYColorado.com. Denver also has specialized units including Denver Police Department Mounted Patrol, S.W.A.T.(Special Weapons And Tactics) who’s primary objective deals with hostage negotiation, drug busts and counterterrorism (City and County of Denver, 2011). Hazardous material spill have an increase potential in Denver County related to the many different companies storing hazardous materials within city limits. There are approximately 400 facilities storing reportable quantities of hazardous materials on properties located throughout the county (Office of Emergency Management, 2014). Each company is regulated by law to hold emergency plans that would go into effect if an accidental release of substance was to occur. The interstates bring added risk to Denver County related to the traffic along I-25 and I-70. These two interstates pass through densely populated areas of Denver County Denver fire and police have Hazardous Materials Response teams in place that are trained to respond to such an event(s). Denver County has nearly a dozen different hospitals with a vast amount of public transportation options such as bicycle, RTD bus and light rail services, taxi cabs, car2go, and Lyft services. Denver County has excellent communications and response teams in the event of a disaster with a vast amount of online education; however this information is published mostly in the English language. With such a large population of homeless in Denver County and 18.9% of all households at or below poverty level (U.S. Census  Bureau, 2010), the internet is not a good primary option for learning. Also, approximately 28% of all households speak a language other than English (City and County of Denver, 2011). Community Diagnosis Denver County is a very strong community regarding the number of educated workforce, median household income, number of hospitals, amount of public ground transportation, the protection of air and water quality, and the number of fire and police with specialty training teams and programs operating within the community. There is a very small percentage of residents 65+ who live independently and slightly over 1/5 of all households have children less than 18 years of age. The primary language is English and the community culture has a good overall team mentality. Denver County’s birth rate double the death rate with the leading cause of death cardiovascular disease in a primary death rate existing in the population 85+ (Colorado Department of Public Health, 2012). Denver County has many open avenues regarding opportunities and readiness attitudes within community. The population of Denver County is approximately 50% male and 50% female with a median age of 33.7 years old (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010a). This provides the community with the opportunity to explore young ideas and diversity among sexes. Denver County has a large number of homeless population with approximately 1/5 of the total population at or below poverty. These numbers exceed the national average. Denver County has two specific food programs being utilized greatly; SNAP and WIC benefits. There is a high number of crime, violence, and gangs within Denver County. There is a high level of alcohol and drug abuse within the community as well. Specialized police teams and community resources/programs assist with deterring these types of activities and assist in recovery efforts for those individuals. Colorado has recently legalized recreational marijuana which could be positive in terms of tax revenue for the state and future funding of programs and resources for the community. There could also be negative consequences regarding adolescent drug use and the increase of impaired drivers on the streets; however these statistics have not yet been measured and studied. Denver County is  contains a 100% urban population. This is both a strength and weakness to the city in terms of emergency evacuation. There are three critical facilities that exist in Denver County at specific venues with a capacity between 19K and 76K (City and County of Denver, 2011). Denver County is centrally located between I-25 and I-70 which can be an opportunity for evacuation or a barrier regarding avenues for drug trafficking and other illegal activities. There is a high ratio of hit-and-run injuries and fatalities within Denver County. Colorado legislators have recently increased potential prison sentences for hit-and-run cases resulting bodily injury and/or death. They have also formalized an alert program to inform and involve the public as an attempt to help track down perpetrators. The formulation of a city-wide educational program focusing on the prevention of hit-and-run occurrences may be beneficial in reducing these numbers as well. It is important for the Denver Police Department to have quicker response times to both emergent and non-emergent calls. Hopefully with the addition of new recruits for the force who are currently in training, Denver County will see quicker response time to all calls made. This will also hopefully decrease the amount of gang-related crimes and deter community activity in general. It is evident that Denver County has a large trash and litter problem. The initiation of more trash cans and recycle containers parallel with city-wide education would be beneficial in decreasing this problem. It would also be of benefit to the community and the court systems to enact a community service program that revolved around helping clean up the neighborhoods and streets. Denver County has good disaster and emergency preparedness plans within the community; however educational resources to the public need to be explored with a variety of different materials and other languages for maximum effectiveness. The primary educational method is by internet with most of the materials written in the English language only. Nearly 1/3 of all households in Denver County speak a language other than English. References City and County of Denver. (2011, Oct). Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment. Retrieved March 8, 2014, fromhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source =web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.denvergov.org%2FPortals%2F428%2Fdocuments%2FDenver%2520Hazard%2520Identification%2520and%2520Risk%2520Assessment.pdf&ei=AvEtU6etF8OJogSh5oDwDw&usg=AFQjCNEEQhg_2-JDt_OVeX3pIyYSKGcx9g&bvm=bv.62922401,d.cGU Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. (n.d.). Health Statistics: 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s& source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chd.dphe.state.co .us%2FResources%2Fvs%2F2012%2FDenver.pdf&ei+I14tU9zPA-SNygGZ-IDYBw&us G=AFQjCNH_VbyYxdRvmxNekgRu-y0LhIgrzw&bvm=bv.62922401,d.aWc Colorado State Forest Service. (2014). Colorado Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www.coloradowildfirerisk.com/map Denver Fire Department. (2014, January 7). In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver_Fire_Department Denver Police Department. (2014, January 6). Reported Offenses In The City And County Of Denver By Month. Retrieved March 8, 2014, from http://www.denvergov.org/police/ PoliceDepartment/CrimeInformation/CrimeStatisticsMaps/tabid/441370/Default.aspx Denver’s Water Quality Program. (2014, February 14). Sampling Results. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from https://www.facebook.com/DenversWaterQualityProgram?sk=app_190322 544333196&app_data Department of Environmental Health. (2014a). Air Quality Program: Our Role In Protecting Air Quality. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://wwwdenvergov.org/environmental Health/EnvironmentalHealth/EnvironmentalQuality/EnvironmenatlAssessmentPolicy AirQuality/tabid/444649/Default.aspx Department of Environmental Health. (2014b). Water Quality Program: Trash and Litter. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://wwwdenvergov.org/environmentalhealth/ EnvironmentalHealth/EnvironmentalQuality/WaterQuality/tabid/444650/Default.aspx Department of Environmental Health. (2014c). Water Quality Program: Water Quality In Lakes and Streams. Retreived March 9, 2014, from https://wwwdenver.gov.org/environmental health/EnvironmentalHealth/EnvironmentalQuality/WaterQuality/tabid/444650/Default. Aspx Gang activity in Denver. (2013, August 17). In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_activity_in_Denver Gurman, Sadie. (2013, October 15). The Denver Post. Denver Police: Gang violence rises this year, involves more victims. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://www.denverpost.com /breakingnews/ci_24309448/denver-police-gang-violence-rises-this-year?source=rss Hubbard, Brent. (2014, Feburary 17). Rocky Mountain PBS. Hit-and-run fatal crashes rising in Colorado. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www.coloradoan.com/article/201 40217/WINDSORBEACON01/302170069/Hit-run-fatal-crashes-rising-Colorado Kroh, Kiley. (2014, February 24). Climate Progress: Colorado Become The First State To Regulate Methane Emissions from Fracking. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http:// thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/02/24/3322651/Colorado-methane-fracking/ Maass, Brian. (2013, October 3). CBS Denver. Denver Police Response Times Worsen, Complaints Rising. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/ 10/03/denver-police-response-times-worsen-complaints-rising/ Mendelson, Bruce. (2014, Feburary). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Drug Abuse Patterns and Trends in Colorado and the Denver/Boulder Metropolitan Area – Update: Jan 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/organization/work groups-interest-groups-consortia/community-epidemiology-work-group-cewg/meeting- reports/highlights-summaries-january-2014-4 Metro Denver Homeless Initiative and National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. (2013, January). The Gathering Place – Homelessness and Poverty Statistics. Retrieved On March 8, 2014, from http://www.tgpdenver.org/homelessnessfaq?printable National Weather Service. (2011, June 21). Colorado and National Lightning Casualty Statistics. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/?n=/Itg/Itg_stats_index. php Office of Emergency Management. (2014a). Alert and Warning Systems. Retrieved March 10, 2014, https://www.denvergov.org/AlertandWarning/tabid/391430/default.aspx Office of Emergency Management. (2014b). Potential Threats. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://www.denvergov.org/Redirect_404/tabid/391429/Default.aspx? READYColorado and the State of Colorado. (2014a). Retrieved March 10, 2014, from https:// www.readycolorado.com/ READYColorado and the State of Colorado. (2014b). Severe Weather/Thunderstorm. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from https://www.readycolorado.com/hazard/severe-weatherthunder storm READYColorado and the State of Colorado. (2014c). Tornado. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from https://www.readycolorado.com/hazard/tornado READYColorado and the State of Colorado. (2014d). Wildfire. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from https://www.readycolorado.com/hazard/wildfire

Political Development Essay

Morocco is located in North Africa at the border of Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea . Onto the south it neighbors Western Sahara and due east with Algeria. Its terrain consists of mountain, desert and coastal plain with only about 21% of total land which is productive . The people in the region basically comprise of the Berber, Arab, African, Spanish and French. Morocco is considered to be one of the most westernized Islamic nations. Its population is close to thirty million with a population growth rate of 2% per annum . Arabic is general spoken language. The Southern parts of Morocco uses French while in the Northern parts, Spanish and French are commonly used languages. English language is a new language which is being introduced in the country. Majority of the population are Muslim affiliates and number of Jewish, while in northern parts especially those who speak Spanish and French, a greater portion belong to catholic religion. Morocco’s economy is that of liberal in nature which follows the dictates of demand and supply. Privatization policy is not a new phenomenon as some of the sectors were handed down to the hand of private sectors. However, its economy is characterized by relatively slow economic growth and inflation rate. Basically, employment largely anchors at agricultural sector which is never reliable due inadequate rains . Unemployment is escalating generally, affecting majority of the youths especially in urban areas . Social evils such as trafficking of young women and girls for prostitution and domestic service and sexual abuse are the characteristic phenomena in Morocco besides high level of illiteracy, and unemployment . Non-Governmental Organizations refers to lawfully constituted organizations that operate independently from the government. There are some Non –Governmental Organizations which acts as donor and or development partners depending on the charter of their mandates. Virtually all of the Non-Governmental Organizations acts on humanitarian grounds focusing on alleviating human suffering by improving the human welfare for quality living. Some Non-Governmental organizations operates on a large scale where they may cover a very large geographical region, while still others operate at national level or in limited areas within a country . International Non-Governmental Organizations cover several geographical regions as their scope of operation while local Non –Governmental Organizations usually operate within the country or in some parts of the country International and Local NGOs in Morocco: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is one of the International Non-Governmental Organizations that has intensified its work in the country of Morocco through an economic program. Since Morocco has a liberal economy, it is governed by the law of supply and demands. In the context of globalization, farmers in the country would have faced cut-throat competition after agricultural tariffs were lowered as result of trade agreement between USA and Morocco. To save the farmers from such agony, USAID works with the farmers to have their crop yields improved and creates alternative jobs in form of industries to avert overdependence on farming as the only way of employment. It assists by linking export business to competitively get into the US market in ways such as by cutting down the numbers of days officially needed to register the business from sixty to eleven. This was actualized when USAID got into the microfinance field in Morocco. It had two prime objectives. One was to start a microfinance institution that would be self sustainable and grow to support the farmers and businessmen’s need. The second one was to foster policy that could favor this establishment of microfinance sector. All of its efforts toward making true these objectives were very successful due to its technical skills it possessed and its full commitment for these projects’ sustainability to serving large number of the poor . This has been witnessed particularly for the last seven year of its operation. Besides improvement of economic growth of Moroccans, it also featured in improving education level by increasing access to quality education and relevant basic education to all. This was because there has been high illiteracy level in the country. To achieve this USAID used ‘school-to-work’ approach by ensuring linkage between training and employments at various levels. Basic education has much attention on achieving high retention rates to ninth grade and possible equipping the learners at this level to adaptable skills for the next level. It lays more emphasis on courses such as information technology and tourism in technical colleges as the country has prominent tourist attraction sites and this is geared to promote tourism industry in the country. Global Rights is an International Non-Governmental Organization that partners for justice through advocacy of human right by collaborating with local activists. They speak to make heard injustices done at global level. It deals with legal and human rights education comprehensively from semiliterate to illiterate women from all walks of life in Morocco. This initiative aims to empower women to know their collective and individual rights so as to be assertive to these right and give them power in decision making in all matters affecting them, be it in household, community, national or at global level. So far the program has reached thousands of women across the country. By so doing the initiative aims at curbing alarming number of young women and girls at risk of human trafficking for prostitution and domestic service in the region. Besides human trafficking in different parts of Morocco, there has been an increase in cases of sexual abuse among young women and girls. Therefore, this necessitated direct service and intensive advocacy . Increased access to information has been deemed to be one of the successful approaches particularly starting with community liaisons, lawyers, teacher, researchers and the at-risk population and entire community would help curb such vices. Food and Agricultural Organization has not been new in Morocco. This country having been relying heavily on the agricultural sector for employment, much is needed to be done to revive the sluggish economic growth of the country . Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is the United Nation’s agency that is involved in collecting, analyzing and interpreting and sharing the information with relevant stakeholders related to agriculture and nutrition. It is barely four months when an outbreak that posed threat to sheep and goats was announced in Morocco. In the month of September peste des petites (PRR) threatened to kill about a million sheep and goats where a hundred and thirty three outbreaks were reported within twenty nine provinces of Morocco. Being a viral causative agent and a very contagious to all ruminants, about 17 and 5 million sheep and goats respectively were at stake . This could be translated to loss of family livelihoods as so many of them depended on this. In response to this, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) took drastic measures after receiving request from the government to beef up the interventions. This made FAO’S Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) to convene a two-day meeting in Tunisia to chart the way forward over the situation. During the two-day summit, it was collectively agreed to help the Morocco government to prepare an emergency plan and see its implementation together with appropriate coordination with veterinary services of Maghreb among others from neighborhood countries. Right now FAO is in the advanced stage of setting up an urgent regional cooperation project. Control measures that were taken necessitated quarantine of suspected or affected farms and institutions and make urgent review of animal disease emergency contingency plans as well as raise awareness on the outbreak of the disease by all stakeholders concerning its risks and clinical signs. This is the latest development that FAO has been able to undertake in Morocco. Besides, livestock production, in the sector of agriculture, F. A. O has been in the forefront to see the country is in the process of achieving the millennium goal number one; that of eradication of extreme poverty and hunger through adoption of new innovations such as high yield, and fast growing crops that are drought tolerance. This will enable the country to attain level of food and nutrition security required. Use of biotechnology which has been witnessed in Nigeria where cassava clones are being propagated as disease free plants for the higher yields, are now incorporated in Morocco. World Food Program is the world’s largest humanitarian body. World Food Program is on a global campaign to ensure undernourished school going children are educated through its school feeding program. During worst time when there is total crop failure in Morocco, it has severally responded by providing relief food to the regions that needs emergency intervention. Community Based Organizations are local non-governmental organizations which are found in Morocco just like in other third world developing countries. Community based organizations collaborate with International Non-Governmental Organization and are the ground players. International Non-Governmental Organization for sustainable development make use of local organizations so that without setting other new parallel programs they can build on the existing system and facilitate on capacity building of the community. Faith Based Organization is a local non-governmental organization that has particular religious group affiliation. For instance, in northern parts of Morocco there is significant number of Christians who have come together to form faith based organizations to cater for the needs of their less fortunate member in time of need. Conclusion Non-governmental organizations primarily have humanitarian affair at their centre of focus. They feature on development transformation of community in which they are operating on. According to the transformational development indicators, the lives of many communities in different parts of the country have really improved. The level of illiteracy has decreased as a result of increased enrollment and retentions in schools . School- to- work approach has created job linkages among youths as a way of fighting unemployment in the country. Through, improving agriculture and easy accessibility to credit facilities, farmers are able to get good returns while others are able to diversify their income. This has seen improvement of living standard of the community. References: Agnaou Fatima, (2004); Gender, Literacy, and Empowerment in Morocco. ISBN 0415947650, 9780415947657, Routledge Davis K. Diana, (2006); Neoliberalism, Environmentalism, and Agricultural Restructuring in Morocco. The Geographical Journal, Vol. 172 Facts about Morocco, (2008). Retrieved on 16th November 2008 from: http://cc. msnscache. com/cache. aspx? q=morocco+facts&d=74397575479858&mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US&w=1d93f448,870bb89e Fisher Julie, (1998); Nongovernments: NGOs and the Political Development of the Third World. ISBN 1565490754, 9781565490758, Published by Kumarian Press Kourous George & Omolo Dominic, (2008); Outbreak of ‘peste des petits ruminants’ in Morocco. Retrieved on 16th November 2008 from: http://www. fao. org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000918/index. html USAID/Morocco, (2004); Annual Report. Retrieved on 16th November 2008 from: http://pdf. dec. org/pdf_docs/PDACA063. pdf

Business Mission Statement and pany Performance

Thorns' tries to be a world-driving supplier of coordination arrangements, cooperating with its clients to make supply chains more effective, sheltered and supportable. Thorns' present territories of vital concentration include the following points: Putting resources into system advantage: The quality and size of Brambles' system of clients, individuals, benefit areas and resource administration ability is intrinsic to the Group's strategic offer to clients and shareholders alike. The Group is focused on contributing to keep up this system preferred standpoint and upgrade it through advancement and client joint effort; Driving operational and hierarchical effectiveness: Brambles bolsters its speculation programs with inward productivity activities that empower money related assets to be diverted to exercises that are esteem including for clients. The Group targets constant efficiencies in direct expenses while the five-year authoritative proficiency program, One Better, is centered around backhanded cost diminishment; and Taught capital allotment for long haul development: notwithstanding financing its built up organizations, Brambles tries to assign money to natural business openings or acquisitions where the Group trusts its particular production network ability can include esteem for clients and make esteem for shareholders. Thistles' shared qualities are explained in its Code of Conduct and are a center part of the Group's way of life: Blackmores works in three major regions of the world that include Australia, New Zealand and Asia too where they have developed their brand name in a very short period of time. The journey started with the initial contributions of only one person whose name was Maurice Blackmore. He was more focused toward the human wellbeing and his contributions are well-known for the betterment of the humans. The pany started off with a great boost and faced some difficulties in the middle of expanding their business but soon they were in the right place. Since then, the pany’s mission and vision is to ensure humans’ health with the best of the services. Some of the key points which they have always focused on include the following: Our excitement and trust in a virtuoso, prehensive manner to manage prosperity moves us to splendor in all that we do. We are direct, reliable additionally, mitted to the most astonishing benchmarks of individual, master furthermore, business lead. We treat each other with sensibility, regard and sympathy and we get a handle on contrasts. As an organization, in groups and as people, we utilize our astuteness, experience and information to rouse what's more, impact everybody to be their best (Amran 2012). Our activities show our care, regard and sympathy for our kin, the more extensive group and the earth. Since then, Maurice just toot forward the traditions of his father and continued serving humanity with the best of the services. The role he played for the betterment and health of the people is totally amazing because he did not had much resources initially but with the passage of time, he took this business to the highest level. Our things are made to requesting essentials, under the worldwide PIC/s (Pharmaceutical Inspection Tradition and Pharmaceutical Investigation Co-operation Conspire) measures of good delivering sharpen. We use magnificent fixings sourced from around the world. Our thing definitions are supported by major authorities where they are sold and are required to meet both our claim and diverse governments' stringent measures of security, quality and suitability. All business ought to be led in agreement with the laws and controls of the nations in which the business is found. We contend reasonably in the business sectors in which we work. We should work securely and apply industry best practice to the wellbeing, security and prosperity of our workers, clients, providers and the groups in which we work. We ought to plan to bring long haul advantages to Briers, as opposed to fleeting preferred standpoint for people to the detriment of the association's long haul interests. Our faith in individuals and collaboration requires participation with our partners over the Group to a plish our corporate objectives (Dharmadasa et al. 2012). Our words and activities must show regard for the differing scope of individuals and societies with whom we work and for their human rights. Degenerate practices are inadmissible. No influences or parable installments will be made to, or acknowledged from, any gathering. Every single business exchange will be legitimately and precisely recorded. Deals specialists, experts and parable guides ought to be designated as per these standards and paid at a rate steady with the estimation of their administrations. Resources and private data ought to be pletely ensured and should not be utilized by representatives for individual pick up. Maurice Blackmores' energy for normal human services keeps on being at the heart of what we do today. It is not only a theory; it is the way we work together. This energy is something we request that all workers share. Blackmores' prosperity is firmly connected to the way we concentrate on our clients; think imaginatively; act mindfully toward each other, the earth and our nearby group; and endeavor to exhibit our qualities (Orhan et al. 2014). Blackmores' qualities are woven into each fiber of our association. These qualities - known as PIRLS - are both behavioral and optimistic. They support our work rehearses and are upheld by lawful strategies and methodology. PIRLS shape our center hierarchical values and join: Our energy and trust in a trademark, widely inclusive approach to manage prosperity moves us to wonderfulness in all that we do. We are direct, dependable and concentrated on the most astonishing standards of individual, master and business lead. We treat each other with fairness, regard and passion and we get a handle on arranged qualities. As an association, in gatherings and as individuals, we use our knowledge, experience and figuring out how to energize and affect everyone to be their best (Castillo 2014). Our exercises show our care, respect and passion for our kinfolk, the broader gathering and the earth. Blackmores' faith in the significance of selecting and holding the best individuals, creating driving items and supporting an enthusiasm for what we do is the establishment of our way to deal with acting as a group. A lot of our prosperity is supported by drawing in and holding excellent staff that share our qualities and prehend what we are attempting to a plish together (Hopkins 2012). We solicit a great deal from each other: open correspondence, demonstrable skill, execution, and an authentic faith in our business objectives and corporate culture. Blackmores is focused on giving a workplace that cultivates fulfilled and drew in representatives who share a typical longing to be their best. Thorns is focused on ensuring that exact data about its issues is made accessible to its partners time lily, specifically to make beyond any doubt that the Australian market is legitimately educated of anything which would be probably going to have a material impact on its share cost. Keeping in mind the end goal to do this, it is key that we work an open inside divulgence arrangement so that applicable data from the organizations and capacities is gone through the proper channels to the corporate focus (Calder 2014). Board has been set up which is in charge of actualizing reporting procedures and controls and decides rules for the arrival of data. The board will delegate Disclosure Officers in each of the specialty units and key capacities. These officers will be in charge of giving the advisory group instantly with material data about the exercises of their specialty unit or range of practical duty. Blackmores' Board and administration are devoted to the most noteworthy measures of corporate conduct and responsibility all through all levels of the association. The Board routinely audits its administration practices to guarantee the necessities and desires of partners are met inside a structure that is suitable for Blackmores and guarantees lawful consistence. The Board embraces the ASX Corporate Governance Chamber's Corporate Governance Principles and R mendations (ASX Principles). This is how Blackmores focuses more on its stakeholders and keeps on obliging them through a better business. Stakeholders of Blackmores are very much familiar with the working standards of the pany and they know that this pany is doing a good job for its customers (Idowu et al. 2013). Their strategies and policies are in the best interest of the people. Moreover, they are fully equipped with the latest and advanced technologies which make them more stable and reliable for their stakeholders. They tak e really good care of their stakeholders by implementing the best strategies in their business. Amran, N.A., 2012. Mission statement and pany performance: Evidence from Malaysia.  International Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences,  2(4), pp.98-107. Calder, W.B., 2014. Achieving an Institution's Values, Vision, and Mission.  College Quarterly,  17(2), p.n2. Castillo, R., 2014. Awareness, acceptance and perception of Batangas State University stakeholders towards its vision, mission, goals and objectives.  International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR). Retrieved from https://gssrr. Org/index. php. Coleman, J., 2013. Six ponents of a great corporate culture.  Harvard Business Review,  5(6), p.2013. Cornelissen, J., 2014.  Corporate munication: A guide to theory and practice. Sage. Dharmadasa, P., Maduraapeurma, Y. and Herath, S.K., 2012. Mission statements and pany financial performance revisited.  International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting,  4(3), pp.314-324. Orhan, G., Erdo?an, D. and Durmaz, V., 2014. Adopting Mission and Vision Statements by Employees: The Case of TAV Airports.  Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,  150, pp.251-262. Fernandez, M.W.B., 2015. Awareness, acceptability, relevance and congruence of the PNU-Negros Occidental vision, mission, and goals and objectives of the teacher education program.  Asia Pacific Higher Education Research Journal (APHERJ),  2(1). Grà ¼nig, R. and Kà ¼hn, R., 2015. Stakeholder Analysis and Revising the Mission Statement. In  The Strategy Planning Process  (pp. 77-83). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Hopkins, M., 2012.  The planetary bargain: Corporate social responsibility matters. Routledge. Idowu, S.O., Capaldi, N. and Zu, L., 2013.  Encyclopedia of corporate social responsibility. Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Is Turkish law incompatible with EU membership Essay

Is Turkish law incompatible with EU membership - Essay Example Ten years ago Turkey applied for accession to the European Union.Till today the accession has not be granted.Mainly because of the huge overall concern that Turkey is not what is perceived to be a truly democratic and free countryOne largely ignores the fact that not half a century ago that what was mostly a divided and warring section of Mediterranean countries like Greece, Spain and Portugal is now today an integrated and peaceful Europe and the European integration project in which Turkey wants to join, has brought Europe together into a cohesive whole creating a 'security community' within an ever growing community where there is a "democratic peace". Former authoritarian and militarily dominated countries have come together. And the conditionality for the membership 'peace and cooperation' has been the most potent tool for the drawing together of diverse cultures and groups such as French, German, Poles, Hungarian and Romanian countries. Dialogue and a mutual sense of security e xists where earlier there was only confrontation and suspicion. Till today Turkey's dream of integration into the EU is still a dream. A virulent debate still rages over whether Turkey will strengthen EU's 'democratic zone' or destroy it and undermine the functioning of the EU through its action, most of which is considered as unlawful in the EU.The most prominent argument is that Turkey is a hardliner and the regions surrounding Turkey is filled with instability, violence, terrorism and political instability with hard-line Islamic fundamentalism. But internationally prominent figures like George Bush and Condoleeza Rice, Tony Blair are all for the process of Turkey's integration into the European Union. Olli Rehn (assumed office as EU Commissioner for Enlargement on 22 November 2004,) is the President of the European Commission responsible for Enlargement of the European Union (ENP), which was adopted in 2003. EU borders are being stretched now to the Middle East and World borders are breaking down. Increasingly Turkey is starting to play a prominent role. It is shedding the coercive aspects of its political views and laws are becoming much more liberal and dependent on dialogue and cooperation, dismantling prejudices and promoting mutual trust. The Portuguese Foreign Affairs minister recognized this and after the Brussels Council meeting in 2005 he said 'the US will be pleased and Bin Laden will be disappointed'. This was the meeting where it was decided that talks on Turkey accession to the EU would start. With this accession to the EU it's credibility and influence in world politics and the Muslim world will increase significantly. Prominently opposition was because the Turks did not allow freedom of expression. For a long time challenging status quo in Cyprus amounted to treason and the Anan Plan was criticized and applauded in turn. The Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdoan (wanted a "win-win" solution) Discourse of this kind was a new phenomena and a novel one in Turkey and undoubted this was the pressure that was created due to the EU and the prospect of accession. On 12th September 2005 was published the 12 cartoons by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten which showed the Muslim Prophet Muhammad in a variety of humorous or satirical situations. Turkey and the Muslim world clashed with the western world. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's nomination as NATO's new secretary-general due to his stand in 2005 in this issue lead to his leadership being strongly opposed and the rights and the freedom of expression in the Muslim world being strongly questioned. It seemed to be incompatible with the U.N declaration of human rights. Muslims complained about an 'ongoing smear campaign' in Denmark against Islam and warned that negative reaction could result in Muslim countries and Muslim communities in Europe. They called on the prime minister "to take all those responsible to task under law

Letter of Advice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Letter of Advice - Essay Example It is important to note of the barriers that hinder effective communication and relationships. Most barriers in communication stem from self-protection. However, there are unavoidable circumstances, especially, if partners come from backgrounds that possess disparity (Wood, 2012). The intensity of the situation regards the level of disparity. The crucial thing for partners is that they realize these differences. In turn, they should be aware of how the same affects their communication. Individuals possess fears and insecurities that hinder one from wholly experiencing the benefits of a relationship. The light thing about these fears is that people learn about the same. This comes from the fact that partners may fear judgment from the same. Besides, they fear ridicule and appearing stupid in front of partners. This fear is coupled comes with the view that someone is sensitive of being overpowered. In this sense, fear impairs communication in notable ways. To begin with, a partner woul d not communicate true thoughts because one preempts what the other partner would like. This creates a situation where an individual stifles one’s emotions and thoughts. Another barrier of proper communication concerns with the case of insensitivity. It relates to inadequate care for a partner’s feelings. In addition, it entails inaccurate perception and portrayal of one’s feelings (Allen, 2002). It relates to detachment of an individual in the relationship until one becomes only preoccupied with oneself. It articulates as a case of personal insulation. Insensitivity expresses in notable ways. For instance, it comes as a method of diverting others’ concerns. In typical instances, one would turn a mutual conversation towards oneself. It deviates from the person who engages in talking. This occurs when a partner does not have proper listening skills. In certain instances, it comes as

Sport coaching Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sport coaching - Essay Example By considering athletics as the multi-skill sport, the key target audience will be young sportspersons within the age group of 12 to 25 years. Development of psychology and discipline as a part of sport coaching would be the key result areas for the coaches with regard to this group of athletes. The relevance of the coaching sessions and its importance will be evaluated through the essay. Coaching is an important aspect in the field of sports as it assists the athletes in developing their skills and leading a disciplined life. Quality coaching aids in enhancing the safety, health and self-esteem of the sports person. It promotes fair play, social unity among the players, teamwork and assists in developing a quality life with enjoyment (The National Coaching Foundation, 2008). The process of coaching includes three major elements i.e. planning, conducting and evaluating. The planning is to develop a proper training schedule to assist the athletes belonging to the age group of 12-25 years in achieving their goals. Conducting refers to the applicability of the training sessions as planned prior by the coach. Evaluation of coaching refers to determining the progress of the athletes in the games of athletics which is a multi-skilled sport discipline (BrianMac Sports Coach, 2014). The Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model is a part of the coaching regiment for the phy sical development of the athlete with regard to the sports such as track and field, long jump and high jump. LTAD model facilitates in the development of proper physical activity, balance, coordination and agility of the athletes which in turn will aid to channel the energy of the athletes in the right direction (SCCU, 2011). Warm Up is a significant part for the athletes at the beginning of the session as it will help them in gaining the rhythm along with energising them for the training. Warm up signifies

Financial Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Planning - Essay Example The role of three companies, like Colonial First State Investments Limited and Professional Investment Services Pty Ltd related to provide financial planning services has been sorted out in the assigned study. The of Financial planning in Australia begun in the years 80s, as during those years there were no Financial Planners as they were not existing then. This occurred due to the fact that as there was no prerequisites for the clients within the Marketplace to enable them get efficient financial advice. It was only network of insurance that existed during that period under review. The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) is the peak professional body for Australia's financial planners, representing approximately 12,000 individuals and businesses (The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA). However, (Cowen, Blair, Taylor, 2006, p 4) reveals that "In the early 1980s, a leading Australian financial planning industry stalwart Gwen Fletcher visited the United States intent on pursuing discussions with the U.S. industry association, the International Association for Financial Planning (IAFP). These discussions related to the creation of either a new industry body for A ustralia or the establishment of an affiliated chapter of the IAFP. At a later meeting of dealers conducted by the Department of Corporate Affairs (the then-regulatory body issuing licenses to dealers of securities), the affiliation model was proposed but rejected. However, a new industry body consisting of an elite group of independent advisors was formed, the Association of Independent Professional Advisors (AIPA). It is important to note that this group excluded all banks and insurance companies from membership". Additionally, following the International Conference of IAFP held in Australia in the years 1982 and 1984 respectively, Australian IAFP was officially launched. (Cowen, Blair, Taylor, 2006, p 4) states that after the launching, "The IAFP in Australia was to be an open forum for individuals, dealers and fund managers alike. Following U.S. IAFP requirements, the newly formed Australian association sought and was granted a license for the CFP designation and subsequently established the Diploma of Financial Planning (DFP) course. This necessitated strong collaboration between the United States and Australian bodies with the College of Financial Planning in the United States providing much of the DFP educational materials and resources. The US IAFP oversaw and closely monitored the development of educational standards to ensure that the Australian DFP met the educational requirements for the CFP designation. This involved an ongoing process of quality assurance by the U.S. body". It is e stimated that there are about 5,500 financial planning practices in

Analyse and discuss the advantages and disadvantages, pros and cons, Assignment

Analyse and discuss the advantages and disadvantages, pros and cons, of group decision making. What aspects should be avoided in multi departmental decision making in order for them to be effective - Assignment Example the success of any organisations are denoted by the strategic decisions made through initiatives such as group decision making and other strategic positioning plans. Nevertheless, specific aspects of decisions should be avoided in order to make departments effective. Stone (2013) articulated on core aspects that touches on sensitive matters and which should be avoided for effective running of organisations. In fact, Freeman (1999) further argued that group decision making can only yield good results if a set of conditions pertaining the group chemistry are met. It is evident that group members have different skills and competence. Thus, sharing of ideas and information on a particular issue can lead to more information and more comprehensive. The ground for the argument is many alternatives are provided and the most appropriate one is chosen from the list. This is unlike in situations where one individual is left to make decisions that affect a whole company or department. Chances of getting the best outcome are minimal when compared to individual decision making. In addition, the whole process becomes effective since issues related to revising the decisions made are minimal especially because the whole group is present or representatives are present during decision making. Thus, group decisions are acceptable by all since everybody is represented during the process. DuBrin (2012) conversely observed that, with group decision making, biases are eliminated especially those that come in as a result of lack of inclusion of the target individuals. In a broader sense, group decision making acts a training ground for subordinate and new members. They learn skills of articulating on matters as well as the importance of collaborative workforce. Further, group decision making is viewed as a democratic style of leadership, which is inclusive and accommodates views from all the parties and consolidate them before arriving into a single decision that suits everybody. Since

The IDEA Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The IDEA Project - Research Paper Example For GSS, the variable designation is SEX and RACE while for the WSV, the designations are v214 for column and v208 is control. There would be no significant differences among the race classification and between genders in their ranking of buying stolen goods. A larger percentage of women would consider buying stolen goods as never justified as compared to the men. The results show that a greater percentage of women strongly agrees that they receive respect at work for both races ( 43% as compared to 29% for men of the race=white and 45% as compared to 35% for the men of the race =black). However, when we consider the 'agree' column, we see that more men 'agree' that they receive respect. Taking the cumulative percentage for 'strongly agree' and 'agree', the percentage of male and female in the white race agreeing that they receive respect at work has a minimum difference (92% for men and 91.6% for women). The same is also true for the black race (93% for both sexes). It is also worthy to note that 3% of black women strongly disagrees as compared to 0% for men. Comparing the male response, one can see that a greater percentage of black men strongly agrees that they receive respect at work but then again a greater percentage of white men 'agrees' that they receive respect at work as compared to the black men. ... Results for GSS: Chart for RACE = 1(WHITE) Chart for RACE = 2(BLACK) Male Comparative Chart for Race(My Own Work): P Values: p This implies that the relationship is not statistically significant and the results cannot be generalized to the whole US population. The results show that a greater percentage of women strongly agrees that they receive respect at work for both races ( 43% as compared to 29% for men of the race=white and 45% as compared to 35% for the men of the race =black). However, when we consider the 'agree' column, we see that more men 'agree' that they receive respect. Taking the cumulative percentage for 'strongly agree' and 'agree', the percentage of male and female in the white race agreeing that they receive respect at work has a minimum difference (92% for men and 91.6% for women). The same is also true for the black race (93% for both sexes). It is also worthy to note that 3% of black women strongly disagrees as compared to 0% for men. Comparing the male response, one can see that a greater percentage of black men strongly agrees that they receive respect at work but then again a greater percentage of white men 'agrees' that they receive respect at work as compared to the black men. Taking it cumulatively, we see that there the difference is not significant (91% for white while 91.8% for black). Note also that 3% of white men strongly disagree that they receive respect at work. Results for WSV: Chart for Hispanic American Chart for Black American Chart for White American Chart for Asian American Chart for Indian American P Values p This implies that the relationship is not statistically significant and the results cannot be

Law Reflection Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law Reflection - Coursework Example Overview of the concepts One of the course’s concepts is formation of a contract that follows the legal definition of a contract as a legally binding agreement that is enforceable by a legal system. Such enforceability however depends on formation of a contract that meets essential legal elements. One of the elements is an agreement between the involved parties. This includes an offer by one party and acceptance, subject to legal provisions, by the other party, known as the offeree. There are however a number of principles that governs offer and acceptance such as communication of an offer or acceptance, termination of an offer and communication of such a termination. Another essential element that defines formation of a contract is transfer of consideration from the offeree to the offeror. Consideration, like agreement, is also governed by legal principles such as the doctrine of past consideration and the existence of an offer to be supported by the consideration. Other elem ents in the formation of a contract are the parties’ â€Å"intention to create legal relations,† â€Å"reality of consent,† contractual capacity of the parties and legality of the subject matter (Mead, Sagar and Bampton, 2009, p. 44). A formed contract, based on the elements, can therefore be enforceable, unenforceable ab initio or voidable at a party’s discretion (Mead, Sagar and Bampton, 2009). Another learnt concept from the course is a person’s legal capacity to form a valid contract. Even though every individual is generally presumed to have a contractual capacity, there are exempted categories of people whom law presumes to lack contractual capacity. Such groups are minors; people bellow legally recognized majority age, those who are mentally incapacitated, and those who are substantially under influence of intoxicants. Minors, due to their lack of capacity are only legally liable for being a party to contracts for supplies of their necessiti es while the mentally ill or intoxicated are legally liable when they become parties to contracts for provision of necessities or at a time of insignificant degree of insanity or intoxication. Any other contract by the parties, whose subject matter is legal, is therefore unenforceable unless affirmed by the parties upon gaining contractual capacity. The contracts however bind the other party, if it has contractual capacity unless the contract is avoided. Principles of the doctrine of legal capacity also have a number of exceptions (Twomey and Jennings, 2010). Relevance of the concepts to my career The concepts are relevant to my intended career of venturing into business as they regulate the profession. My career will for example involve formation of contracts with both my suppliers and my buyers for sale of the cloths. Establishment of promises and their enforceability will therefore rely on the essential elements of a contract and contractual capacity of my customers and suppliers . The concepts are therefore relevant in regulating agreements that will exist between my buyers and suppliers, and my business (Mead, Sagar and Bampton, 2009). How the concepts will help me prepare for my career The concepts will help me prepare for my career through developing my knowledge in the career’s legal environment. Being informed of formation of enforceable contracts will for example help me to avoid losses due to unenforceable contra

Company Delamere Pottery Limited Essay Example for Free

Company Delamere Pottery Limited Essay Company Delamere Pottery Limited, which produces earthenware tableware, founded in 1997 after obtaining assets of T.G. Delamera Co ltd. Company acquired a functional structure to better support the increase in turnover (Williamson et al., 2004, p. 53) in new markets areas that offer greater margins. To enhance the competitiveness, company launched a new strategies in business, marketing and finance mainly to increase gross margins by 10% and increase customer satisfaction together with a reduction of inventory (Williamson et al., 2004, p. 207). Business strategy is mainly based on the more efficient use of existing resources of the company. With implementation of the ERP system, the company promises to improve the planning, transparency and shortening process times and increasing the performance. ERP systems are often used by manufacturing companies to achieve a competitive advantage (Zhang et al, 2005, p. 69). ERP system helps companies create a strong information infrastructure, more accurate decision-making thanks to always actual data, enhance the overall quality and streamline the exchange of information between departments, suppliers and customers (Shatat Udin, 2012, p. 577). Further costs reductions, the company tried to streamline production by reducing the overall waste. Basically to become  ´Ã‚ ´lean ´Ã‚ ´ and build an efficient, just-in-time manufacturing system to increase the overall quality. According to Lewis (2000, p. 962), company which is lean, is effective in transforming inputs resources into outputs, this reduces the costs and increase overall business financial performance. Becoming more  ´Ã‚ ´lean ´Ã‚ ´ (having lower costs) is one of the advantages over the competition (Lewis, 2000, p. 964). Source: Lewis (2000, p. 962) One of the main asset of the company are employers. To increase the overall success of the company can be achieved by: increase communications, increasing cooperation and following common goals, raising creativity and innovation, emphasizing on continuous development, empowering people (Kourdi, 2003, p. 84). Marketing strategy relies mainly on improving quality of products, service and so increase the overall brand reputation. Delamere Pottery Limited wanted to differentiate from competition through their products, supply chain and marketing (Williamson et al., 2004, p. 90) and so obtained higher saleability. The achievement of this strategic plan had five segments: Quality, Design, Service, Reliability, Brand awareness (Williamson et al., 2004, p. 210). Marketing strategy was closely linked to business strategy, with emphasis on the lean production. Improvement of manufacturing processes has a direct positive impact on the quality of the products and also thorough better controlling of the packaging, labeling and delivery of products can reduce costs. The company sought to be recognized as a progressive and innovative (Williamson et al., 2004, p. 210), therefore been given a lot of emphasis on design. Decisions in product design can have a large impact on cost, but also with design can be achieved the differentiation from the competition and getting higher profits (Desai et al, 2001, p. 37). Be credible among customers, the company tried to improve service, improve communication and improve the performance in the delivery of finished products to the customers on time. To support this plan has been introduced customer relationship management (CRM). Another tool how to increase turnover is to enhance the brand awareness. Greater brand awareness among customers increase the differentiation from competition and gives firm the possibility to increase the prices of products. Financial Strategies Delamere Pottery Limited was divided into two main parts: increasing gross margin and additional turnover (Williamson et al., 2004, p. 211). The results of gross margins depended on the success of the implementation of ERP system, lean manufacturing and improved distribution and getting the brand into public awareness. Additional turnover was possible made by sale of selected products for specially selected markets and the gradual-depth sales to particular markets. In company Delamere Pottery Limited the main emphasis has been taken on comprehensive manufacturing strategy. To support this strategy, in year 1999 was presented the system MPC (Manufacturing, Planning, Control). MPC should be associated with the other main functions such as finance, purchasing, sales and marketing (Williamson et al., 2004, p. 216). According to Williamson et al. (2004, 216-218), the implementation of MPC system, company received the following benefits: -With connection to ERP system is possible to have more efficiently planning and greater control of the production. -With connection to CRM system improve communication and service with customers. Significant improvement of delivering products on time. Increase of  £2M in turnover. -Better inventory management, increased stock turns. Reduction in working capital  £120.000. -Better recognition of loss-making and non-contribution products. Enhance in pre-tax profits of  £150.000.

High School vs College Essay Example for Free

High School vs College Essay The transition from high school to college is sometimes difficult, but with a little knowledge and planning, students can make the transition very easily. There are some major differences between high school and college. There are differences in the teachers, the cost, and the personal responsibility involved. In high school, teachers are more helpful, there is relatively no cost, and although students are encouraged to be responsible, responsibility lies mainly with their parents. In high school, students have it pretty easy. Teachers are there to guide and help students, and often will stay after school, offer extra credit or extended projects to help in the learning process. Teachers also often communicate with students’ parents to ensure they know what is going on in the classroom. There is relatively little cost involved with public high school. There are participation fees for sports and a fee paid at the beginning of the year, but textbooks are provided free of charge. Some more hands-on classes will have additional fees, but most of these classes are electives and do not have to be taken. As far as personal responsibility, in high school, students are expected to behave as if they are preparing to be adults. They are given breaks from time to time, but are expected to behave as if they were training for the real world and to take their studies seriously. However, responsibility falls on the parents if a student is struggling in school or not attending classes. In college, teachers are not just teachers any more, the expenses are great, and personal responsibility is one of the lessons most hard learned. In college, teachers are not referred to as â€Å"teachers†. They are â€Å"instructors† or â€Å"professors†. They have high degrees of education in their field, and are passionate about their subjects, often striving for perfection from their students. College professors often do not accept late or sloppy work and some do not accept extra credit or projects. Many have so many students in a class that they often are not even aware who is or is not in class. College instructors never speak to students’ parents about grades; it is a violation of confidentiality. College is quite expensive, however. In addition to tuition, there are fees for books and supplies and labs. College textbooks can cost up to $150 per class. While parents usually help to offset the costs of college, personal responsibility falls solely on the student. Many students attend colleges away from home, so they need to begin doing their own laundry, cleaning, and cooking. Many will also work part-time or full-time jobs in addition to school to pay for the extras that their parents no longer provide. Personal responsibility is one of the lessons that college teaches students. Although they are both institutions of learning, high school and college are very different. They differ in the teachers, the cost, and the personal responsibility involved on the part of the students.

The Harmful Effects Of Smoking Health And Social Care Essay

The Harmful Effects Of Smoking Health And Social Care Essay There are many bad effects of smoking related to health, social and psychological level which can harm the life of a person in great detail. For smoking people grow the tobacco tree whose leave which are mostly smoked or chewed and sniffed for many different effects. Smoking which involves tobacco which then contains a certain chemical known as nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive chemical, and a smoking person can become a slave of nicotine for very long time if he/she is not cautious a first time. Tobacco other than nicotine contains nineteen different cancer causing chemicals, and together these chemical are called tar. People smoke for different reasons such as they want to produce a sense of being well, to boost their mood, and to improve short term concentration and memory. Until recently smoking was consider good thing, and there were many advertisements for smoking in newspaper, television, and other mass media. Smoking is major health risk, but still people give different reasons for smoking most of these justifications are not very reasonable. Smoking is mostly starts at young age because teenagers think that if they start smoking they will be considered as mature, but of course they are wrong and causing serious health risk for themselves. Smoking by many is way to relax, but it comes with greater health risk for damaging the brain. Smoking is very bad habit thus it should be quitted by people, smoker dont risk their lives but lives of other which inhale the smoke (Greaves, 2002). Smoking effects differ from a person to another person depending upon exposure to chemicals of the cigarette. Smoking is not only public health issue, but also it has great financial cost on the nations. Until we stop smoking, more people will be addicted, more people will get sick, more families will be devastated by loss of loved ones, bring great damage to medical system of the nations. Harm of smoking on body of a person is enormous, and smoking should be ban from all public places. Smoking can easily make a body weak, and cause a slow and steady death. There many facts related to smoking and deaths, for instances in United States there were about 443,000 deaths by smoking, which is about one in five death every year. It is also believed that each year more deaths happen due to smoking compared to combine the deaths by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), alcohol, suicides, illegal drugs, murder and vehicle injuries. Due to smoking ninety percent of all lung cancer in men is cause d, and eighty percent of all lung cancer deaths in women. It is also estimated that deaths ninety percent of all deaths by chronic obstructive lung diseases are caused by smoking. Human body is very vulnerable to harmful effects of smoking, and it can harm our heart, lungs, blood circulation, bones, stomach, mouth, eyes, skin, reproduction and fertility. Smoking effect on heart and lung in very serious manner, in case of heart nicotine raises blood pressure and blood gets clot easily. Carbon monoxide raids the blood of oxygen and causes development of cholesterol deposits in artery walls. In case of lungs smoking causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which is group of disease that includes asthmatic bronchitis and emphysema. Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) are well known as silent killer diseases. Most of smokers dont know that they are affected by it until it is too late to save them. There is no cure for such type of diseases and almost fifteen percent of smokers develop chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). Harm to blood circulation start at by smoking, and veins and arteries get hard, narrow, and also get coated by fat deposits. This can then lead to problems such as cold skin, ulcer, cramps, pain and blockages in veins which can cause a stroke and heart attack. Smoking makes bones weak and breakable, and women need to be careful because they are more likely to suffer by osteoporosis than non-smokers. Smoking can harm stomach, eyes and skin. Stomach damages can affect vital organs in the body, and increase the chance of stomach cancer. There are even more danger for eyes such as eye diseases related to Graves ophthalmopathy, glaucoma and cataract. Worst thing which can be done by smoking is causing a permanent blindness. Smoking lessens the amount of oxygen for the skin. This can mean that skin start to age more quickly and making you look like dull and grey. Smoking effect on reproduction and fertility are very serious. Smoking can increase risk of feebleness, and can damage sperm by reducing sperm count and casing testicular cancer (Team, 2009). Everybody knows the harm of smoking but nobody cares to stop it, this attitude towards smoking should be changed. Smoking is vilest habit of about 1.2 billion which are addicted to smoking. It has no benefit for smoker and the society. Smoking impact on society is beyond health and illness. Smoking regularly impacts the financial resources of smoker especially when people have limited resources. For instance in England economically poor households spend about 2.5 percent of income on smoking per week. It is believed that economic burden of smoking exceeds one percent of European GDP. Society has to pay the cost of smoking by morbidity and mortality. Direct cost of smoking is related to health care and indirect cost is related to the loss of human capital due to premature deaths, productivity losses, and unpaid income taxes. Currently estimate the total smoking attribute cost of two leading groups of smoking related diseases in COPD and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), amount between 105 .83 to 130.31 billion euros. In Australia smoking net social cost is between 2.1 to 3.4 percent of their GDP (Kaiser S, 2009 ). Smoking effect on children and teens are intense. Smoking passively can impair childs ability at mathematics and reading by leading researchers claims. Study of smoking environment is essential, and one such study shows that if people at home smoke regularly then children get low marks in test. In journal of Environmental Health Perspectives measure that exposer to smoking at home leads to cotinine in children. Cotinine is common in children by second-hand smoke. Exposer of smoking at home to children is important issue which government must resolve to keep the childrens safe (Society Guardian, 2005 ). Teenager starts to smoke at very young age thus cause the buildup foundation of diseases in their bodies. Teenage at large think smoking as fashionable thing and get involved in smoking. Children and teenager are building blocks of our society if they are in safe environment then society are in safe environment. Implication of life is lost due to smoking, and as result average persons loses 10 to 15 minute of exquisite life whenever smoking. Smoking is largest preventable cause of unwanted deaths around the world. Smoking cause more than twenty five diseases and most of them are life intimidating, and strappingly suspected to relate to smoking. Average smoking reduces the total life expectancy to 6.8 years, heavy smoking reduces the total life expectancy to 8.8 years. Furthermre smoking reduced the number of disease free life by 5.8 years. Stop smoking at age of forty and increase your life expectancy to 4.6 years(Baijal, 2010). Over the years smoking has proven harm for our society and one such harm is at psychological level. Smoking seems to take control of our mind and make us do illogical things. Some strong smoking people are increasing becoming threat for their families and a burden on the society. Most smokers being during young age, and this leads to risk taking or rebellion later in their lives. Presence of high status model and peer also leads to encouragement of smoking. Smokers say they smoke to relieve the feeling of stress but in truth they have higher stress level than non-smokers. Psychologist Hans Eysenck has developed a personality profile of smokers, and Extraversion is trait in smoker in which they tend to be impulsive, sociable and excitement seeking individuals (Eysenck, 1965). Psychologists also believe that personality and social factors are great causes of smoking. Now it is responsibility of government around the world to take action against smoking and ban it from public places. Go vernments around the world should provide quitting treatments of smoking in different society so we can eradicate the diseases from our society. In conclusion smoking is not only harmful to you but all the people around you. People who smoke have increased their chance of getting heart diseases and lung cancer. Smoking is bad addiction and as soon we can get rid of smoking its better for people around us. We should reduce the number of people who smoke in our society because it destroys our society from its core. It is absolute necessity to fully understand the harms of smoking and stop it from taking lives of virtuous peoples. The smoking should be quitted by smoker to avoid financial losses the harmful effects of health. Smoking strongly contributes to sterility thus both male and female should discourage it. We know almost every disease which is linked to smoking and causing the deaths thus it is time to say no to harmful effects of smoking.

Peter Rabbit and Voices in the Park Essay example -- Literary Analysi

The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Voices in the Park were published at either end of the twentieth century, a period which witnessed the creation of the modern picturebook for children. They are both extremely prestigious examples of picturebooks of their type, the one very traditional, the other surrealist and postmodern. The definition of ‘picturebook’ used here is Bader’s: ‘an art form [which] hinges on the interdependence of pictures and words, on the simultaneous display of two facing pages, and on the drama of the turning of the page’ (Bader, quoted in Montgomery, 2009, p. 211). In contrast with a simple illustrated book, the picturebook can use all of the technology available to it to produce an indistinguishable whole, the meaning and value of which is dependent on the interplay between all or any of these aspects. Moebius’s claim that they can ‘portray the intangible and invisible[†¦], ideas that escape easy definition in picture s or words’ is particularly relevant to these two works. Potter’s book is, beneath its didactic Victorian narrative, remarkably subtle and subversive in its attitudes towards childhood, and its message to its child readers. Browne’s Voices in the Park, on the other hand, dispenses with any textual narrative; by his use of the devices of postmodernism, visual intertextuality and metaphor, he creates a work of infinite interpretation, in which the active involvement of the reader is key. Although The Tale of Peter Rabbit is not a ‘modern’ picturebook, and was written to a different concept of childhood than Voices in the Park, it certainly falls within Bader’s description. Susan Hill has described the events of the book as reflecting ‘the world of the Victorian nursery†¦ Naughtiness may be understood... ...h the message is conveyed. Potter’s juxtaposition of picture and word also rewards the reader for trusting the evidence of his or her eyes, rather than simply submitting to the authoritative voice. In comparison, Voices in the Park is infinitely complex and layered with meaning and symbol, wherever the reader should choose to find it. Moebius’s statement is fully realised here as Browne combines all of the technology of his medium - the words as text and picture, use of symbol, intertextuality and space - to portray ideas that remain intangible, and concepts that are infinitely open to definition. In this he displays the complexity of his and his readers’ experience, in the way that Potter, in her own way, did of hers.

Shakespeares Hamlet - Gertrude Essay -- GCSE English Literature Cours

Regarding Hamlet’s Gertrude  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Angela Pitt in â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies† comments that Shakespeare’s Gertrude in Hamlet is, first and foremost, a mother:    Gertrude evinces no such need to justify her actions and thereby does not betray any sense of guilt. She is concerned with her present good fortune, and neither lingers over the death of her first husband nor analyses her motives in taking another. . . .She seems a kindly, slow-witted, rather self-indulgent woman, in no way the emotional or intellectual equal of her son. . . . Certainly she is fond of Hamlet. Not only is she prepared to listen to him when he storms at her, proof that he is sufficiently close to her to have a right to make comments on   her personal life, but she is unfailingly concerned about him. . . .When she has drunk from the poisoned cup, almost her last words are: ‘O my dear Hamlet!’ The simple endearment is very poignant, reminding us that the bond between mother and son, and Hamlet’s desperate jealousy of Claudius, account for as much of the tragic progress of the play as the need to avenge old Hamlet’s death (46-47).    Is Gertrude a mother first, and queen second? This essay hopes to resolve seeming contradictions in the character of Queen Gertrude, as well as dealing with other aspects of her multi-faceted character.    At the outset of the tragedy Hamlet appears dressed in solemn black. His mother, Gertrude, is apparently disturbed by this and requests of him:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do not for ever with thy vailed lids   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Seek for thy noble father in the dust:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thou know'st 'tis common; ... ...'s Hamlet." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.1 (May, 2000): 2.1-24 <URL: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-1/lehmhaml.htm>.    Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint of Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    Smith, Rebecca. â€Å"Gertrude: Scheming Adulteress or Loving Mother?† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of â€Å"Hamlet†: A User’s Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996.    Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.† Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.      

A Portrait of Dorian Gray :: A Portrait of Dorian Gray

A Portrait of Dorian Gray â€Å"He began to wonder whether we could ever make psychology so absolute a science that each little spring of life would be revealed to us†. Lord Henry spent many days merely philosophizing about the power of the mind and how it could be manipulated. Exercising his abilities of control and influence was what Harry lived for, and when Dorian uttered the fateful phrase wishing to trade places with the portrait, he was not striking a bargain with the Lord of Darkness, but rather one of his rogues. Lord Henry assumed the role of temptation and lured the naà ¯ve Dorian into a legacy of abominable deeds and sordid affairs. Dorian received the benefits of Harry’s charm, wit, and views. As for payment, Dorian surrendered any control he may have had over his own thoughts, decisions, or emotions. Harry was able to pursue his quest for mind control and perform his own psychological experiments as he willed. The matter of the portrait that had plagued Dorian for most of hi s adult life can easily be explained. The painting was merely his guilt that had manifested and displaced itself as figment of his imagination. For although he had traded his self control for superficial characteristics, he still remained the owner of his soul. Harry slowly exerts control over Dorian in two simple ways. First he implants ideas and reactions into Dorian’s sub-conscience leading him to believe that the thoughts that are flowing from his head are his own, not Lord Henry’s. After Sybil’s death, Harry consoles Dorian, or at least that is how Dorian sees the encounter. â€Å"You have explained me to myself, Harry†¦I felt all that you have said, but somehow I was afraid of it, and I could not express it to myself. How well you know me!†. It is not that Harry knows Dorian so well, but that Lord Henry has influenced and molded Dorian’s coping mechanisms. The young man will now follow this pattern of denial each time he is faced with remorse, guilt, or sadness. Henry himself admits to the fact that he is experimenting with Dorian, â€Å"It was clear to him that the experimental method was the only method by which one could arrive at any scientific analysis of the passions: and certainly Dori an Gray was a subject made to his hand, and seemed to promise rich and fruitful results†.