What are the causes and effects of obesity Essay

What are the causes and effects of obesity - Essay Example This essay "What are the causes and effects of obesity?" outlines the major reasons for obesity and its impact on the health of the person who suffers from this health condition. It is surprising that many regions that registered high poverty rates in the past are now making headlines with the alarming obesity rates. Evidently, unhealthy eating habits are a leading contributor to the increasing rates of obesity. Notably, many people living in the developed and developing world consume unhealthy foods. There is a remarkable high preference for food products that have high sugar content instead of whole food (Gustafson 2015, n.p). The increased consumption of soft drinks and high-fat content food has also contributed to the development of obesity in many parts of the globe. According to the Word Obesity Federation, unhealthy eating habits have contributed to an energy imbalance in the body. The globe registers a higher level of food consumption. For this reason, the intake of calories is higher than the body requires (Abc.net.au 2015, n.p). People are slowly becoming used to large food portions without considering the recommended calorie intake required for their body and age. The preference for high-energy food serves to increase the energy imbalance in the body. Lack of physical exercise is an additional cause of the increasing rates of obesity. Many people are adopting a sedentary lifestyle with little or no exercise at all. The world has moved into a new technology level, eliminating the value of physical labour.

The marketing strategies of McDonalds and Starbucks andthe comparison Essay

The marketing strategies of McDonalds and Starbucks andthe comparison of their current marketing plans - Essay Example Food industry can be considered as a concurrent or triple point in terms of history, innovative ideas, and taste. This industry is dependent on number of factors like government regulations regarding hygiene standards and suitability, new innovative brands and trends in the market, consumer behavior, and cultural and religious beliefs. Despite of all such factors, the industry is one of the largest industries in the world as it had sale revenue of about $3.2 trillion in 2004. In USA almost 16.5 million people are professionally associated with food industry and Americans spend about $1 trillion annually which is about 10% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). UK fast food is the largest fast food market in Europe which is double and triple in size than Germany and French markets respectively. The food industry (including fast food) had an estimated gross value added of  £73.4 billions in 2007 (http://www.whatmattersweblog.com). It had a contribution of 18.8% of national part-time employ ment and 8.7% of national full time employment. Coffee has established a strong standing in hospitality industry in last 10 years. In many countries espresso, cappuccino, and caffe latte has replaced the brewed filter coffee and therefore set a cafà © style coffee. Because of having a major contribution with respect to both the revenue and volume in market, the carbonated beverages are the mainstay of the industry. Australian citizens prefer milk-based coffee as about 90% of coffee cups sold in 2005 contained milk in it. In recent years, cappuccino has come out as the most favorite brand of coffee for Australian people however, people having strong financial assets particularly young ladies have more inclination towards the caffà ©s lattes.es lattes. Espresso and the flat white are generally more demanded by young males and senior citizens respectively. Another significant trend in coffee industry is the cafe preference of customers with respect to either fair trading or sustainable source. A rising trend has been observed by th e farmers that they intended to approach the fair trading cafes instead of low pricing cafes (Bacon, 2005). McDonalds are the two leading companies in the industry of fast food and soft drinks respectively. McDonalds is the world’s largest fast food providing organization, presently operating at more than 33,000 locations across the world and serving more than 64 million people around 119 countries on daily basis (http://www.mcdonalds.ca/). Although the company has more than half century experience even then it works through dynamic marketing strategies. McDonalds offers innovative ideas in their operations to keep itself at No.1 position in the fast

History of terrorism

History of terrorism Terrorist acts or the threat of such action have been in existence for centuries. Historical examples of terrorist events can be traced, in writing, to biblical times; the Romans were known to have both practiced and been the recipients of terrorist activities. (Carr, 2003). The earliest known organizations that exhibited aspects of modern terrorism were the Zealots of Judea, and the Sicarri, theand Jewish groups active during the Roman occupation of the first century Middle East. The preferential weapon of the Sicarri (literally, Dagger Men) was the sica, a short dagger which they used it for murdering those those (mainly Jews) they believed to be traitorsy deemed apostate and, thus, selected for execution.The Zealots, who generally targeted Romans and Greeks, gave the modern term Zealot, one translation of which is a fanatical partisan.. (Merriam-Webster, 1984). Such killings usually took place in daylight and in front of witnesses, with the perpetrators using such acts to send a message to the Roman authorities and the Jews who collaborated with them. This tactic was adopted by subsequent generation of groups which are now known as terrorists. The Assassins, also deemed as a terrorist organization, were an eleventh century offshoot of a Shia Muslim sect known as the Ismailis.They also perhaps also recognized the significance of high publicity as do contemporary terrorists. Like the Zealots-Sicarri, the Assassins were also given to stabbing their victims (generally politicians or clerics who refused to adopt the purified version of Islam they were forcibly spreading) (Bugress, 2003; Rapaport, 1965). The term Assassin (from where the modern term assassination is derived) literally meant hashish eater- , -which is in reference to the ritualistic drug-taking, they were perhaps falsely rumored to indulge in prior to undertaking their murderous missions. (Bugress, 2003; Rapaport, 1965). Often, the Assassins deeds were carried out at religious sites on holy days a tactic intended to publicize their cause and incite others to it.Similar to the numerous religiously motivated terrorists nowadays, they also looked at their deaths on such actions as sacrificial. Even though both the Zealots and the Assassins operated in the past, they are relevant today: First as forerunners of modern terrorists in aspects of motivation, organization, targeting, and goals. Second ly, although both were eventual failures, the fact that they are remembered hundreds of years later, demonstrates the deep psychological impact they caused. Sacrifice was also a central element of the killings carried out by the Thugees (from which the word thug is derived). They were the followers of an Indian religious cult which ritually strangled their victims (usually travelers chosen at random) as an offering to the Hindu goddess of terror and destruction, Kali. In this case, the intent was to terrify the victim (a vital consideration in the Thugee ritual) rather than influencing any external audience. The Thugees were active from the seventh until the mid-nineteenth centuries. They were known to have committed as many as one million murders. Perhaps they were the last example of religiously-inspired terrorism until the phenomenon re-emerged a little over 20 years ago. According to David Rapport, Before the 19th century, religion provided the only acceptable justifications for terror. (Robespierre, 2009). Probably all holy texts (not just the Quran) have been conveniently interpreted to justify violence against others. Robiespierre described terror as the emanation of virtue. An additional tendency at the end of 19th century was the ever-increasing wave of nationalism throughout the world, which incorporated the nation (the identity of the citizens) and the political state. Simultaneously, the states began to stress upon the national identities of the citizens who were conquered or colonized, much like the Jews during the period of Zealots who either chose to integrate or fight back. Over the last several decades, the most well-known, Irish nationalistic struggle has still been unresolved. Nationalism, similar to Communism was the most ideological force of the 20th century. (Burgess, 2003). Nationalists and Anarchists The English word terrorism comes from the regime de la terreur that prevailed in France from 1793-94. In the beginning it was a device of the state, and was intended to strengthen the authority of the new-found radical government, shielding it from elements thought to be subversive. Always value-laden, terrorism was, initially, a positive term. The French revolutionary leader, Maximilien Robespierre, viewed it as vital if the new French Republic was to survive its infancy, and proclaimed in 1794 that: Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible; it is therefore an emanation of virtue; it is not so much a special principle as it is a consequence of the general principle of democracy applied to our countrys most urgent needs.(Hoffman, 1988). Under such rationalization, some 40,000 people were executed by guillotine, a fate Robespierre and his top lieutenants would themselves suffered. In the meantime terrorism started to take negative undertones which it carries today. (AltThough the terrorists themselves do not consider themselves to be unconstructive or harmful to society). Edmund Burk, who demonized the French revolutionary practitioners, made the term popular in English writings. As a result of the French Revolution,new distinct concepts of nationalism and citizenship were evolved, which also led to the development of a new form of primary secular terrorism. The Italian revolutionary Carlo Pisacanes theory of the propaganda of the deed, which recognized the utility of terrorism to deliver a message to an audience other than the target, and draw attention and support to a cause was a hallmark to this new form of terrorism. (Laqueur, 1999). Pisacanes thesis was first put into practice by the Narodnaya Volya (NV), which was not in itself new and would probably have been recognizable to the Zealots-Sicarri and the Assassins. In 1878, a Russian populist group, (which was described as to Peoples Will) was formed to be in opposition to the Tzars regime. The groups most famous decisive action was the assassination of Alexander II inon 1 March 1881, which also effectively sealed their fate by incurring bringing upon themselves, the full wrath of the Tsarist regime. Unlike most other terrorist groups, the Volya went to great lengths to avoid innocent deaths, carefully choosing their targets; usually state officials who symbolized the regime. Often compromising operations rather than causing what would today be termed collateral damage. It is also called bluecalled blue on blue by the military. Volya actions inspired radicals in different places. Anarchist terrorist groups were particularly enamored by the example set by the Russian populist Volya. Nationalist groupslike the ones in the Balkans and Ireland decided to resort to terrorism to meet their goals. As the 19th century gave way to the 20th century, terrorists attacks were carried out as far as India, Japan, and the Ottoman Empire. Two US presidents and a succession of other world leaders were victims of assassination by various radical elements often affiliated to groups but operating without their explicit knowledge or support. 9 (Stern, 2001). As in Europe , terrorism arrived on American shoresalso arrived in America before the twentieth century Not only were Anarchists active in America throughoutall through the 1880s, but during the American Civil War;, had seen acts deserving of the name, committed on both sidesAnarchists as were also instrumental in the formation of the Ku Klux Klan to fight the reconstruction effort which followed. (Hoffman, 1988). Terrorism and the State Sponsored Terrorism Long before the outbreak of World War I in Europe in 1914, what would later be termed as state-sponsored terrorism had already started to manifest itself in Europe. For instance, many officials in the Serbian government and military were involved in supporting, training and providing arms to the various Balkan groups which were active prior to the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand inon 28 June 1914 in Sarajevo; an act carried out by an activist from one such group, the Young Bosnians credited with setting in progress the chain of events which led to the war itself. (Guelke, 1998). Similarly, the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (MRO) survived largely because it became for all intents and purposes a tool of the Bulgarian government, and was used mainly against Yugoslavia as well as against domestic enemies. ( Walter Laqueur )that it became for all intents and purposes a tool of the Bulgarian government, and was used mainly against Yugoslavia as well as against domesti c enemies. Such examples clearly illustrate that state-sponsored terrorism is not a new phenomenon. The events in 1930s led to a fresh wave of political assassinations which justified the word terrorism. This led to proposals at the League of Nations for conventions to prevent and punish terrorism as well as to the establishment of an international criminal court (neither of which came to being as they were overshadowed by the events which eventually led to World War II).12 (Volkan, 1997). Simultaneously, in between years of war, state terrorism increased; a reference to the oppressive measures imposed by various totalitarian regimes, particularly in Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Stalinist Russia. While terror from above, from the states ruling elite, was the predominant form of terror from Roman times through the French Revolution up to the present, even in the twentieth century, terror from above, such as the Hitlers Holocaust, Stalins purges, Pol Pots Killing Fields, the Rwandan massacres, and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, has clearly claimed many more lives than the terror exerted from below. (Volkan, 1997). In the beginning of twentieth century, the term terrorism started to become synonymous with terror acts from below that attempt to disrupt, overthrow, or simply express rage against the existing political order. 14(Reich, 1990).Generally, academics agree that modern terrorism from below first surfaced as an identifiably notable entity with the emergence of the Narodnaya Volya (the Peoples Will) in Russia, at the close of the nineteenth century. This particular group harboured intellectual ideologies, and they believed that by creating an institution of the state, they could ferment a revolution to completely cleanse the existing system. They tried to accomplish this by terrorist acts such as assassinating numerous Tsarist officials, including, in 1881, the Tsar Alexander II himself. (Parry, 1976).Even though they possessed an enduring hatred for their victims, this group showed remorse and regret for their actions, inflicting self-torture and beatings as punishment for taking the liv es of their victims. In fact, they were so concerned, selective and meticulous about only killing their intended victim that if their target was accompanied by a family member, or if there was a danger that innocents might be killed, they would call off the attack and wait for a better situation to present itself. (Laqueur, 2001). But they continued their actions because they comprehended that, political terror is unavoidable, moral and effective and that organized terror movements are the preferred alternative to a blind, witless insurrection of dumb people. (Ivianski, 1987). More recently, other governments, such as those of military dictatorships which ruled some South American countries in recent years, or the regimes in Zimbabwe, have also been open to charges of using such methods as instruments of state. Some commentators, such as Bruce Hoffman, argue that, such usages are generally termed terror in order to distinguish that phenomenon from terrorism, which is understood to be violence committed by non-state entities. (Hoffman, 1988). However not everyone agrees that terrorism should be considered a non-governmental undertaking. For instance, Jessica Stern insists that states in deliberately bombarding civilians as a means of demoralizing enemy, states have indeed resorted to terrorism. According to Stern, such instances include not only the Allied strategic bombing campaigns of World War II, andbut the American dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended the Pacific phase of that conflict. (Stern, 2003). This issue remains controversial, with individuals such as the World War II British Air Chief Bomber Harris was simultaneously defended and despised for his belief in the utility and morality of strategic bombing. It bears similarity to the modern-day concept of collateral damage. Terrorism Sincesince World War II In By contrast, the predominanceprevalence of non-state groups active in the terrorism that emerged in the wake of World War II is less arguable. The immediate focus onfor such activitiesty primarily mainly shifted from Europe itself to various colonies in the continents.Across the Middle East Asia and Africa, emerging nationalist movements resisted European attempts to resume colonial business as usual after the defeat of the coalition Axis powers.As the colonialists had been recently expelled from or subjugated in their overseas empires by the Japanese, it provided psychological support to such indigenous uprisings by dispelling the myth of European invincibility. Often, these nationalist and anti-colonial groups conducted guerilla warfare, which differed from terrorism mainly in that it tended towards larger bodies of irregulars operating along more along towards military lines than their terrorist partners in the other regions.Similarly in China and Indochina, such forces conducted insurgencies against the Kuomintang regime and the French colonial government respectively. In other places, like the Algeria, campaigns were fought, in both rural and urban areas, using guerilla warfare, for independence from French rule Struggle for independence against British and French rule also took place in Kenya, Malaysia, Cyprus and Palestine. (Both the French and the British bore the brunt of this new wave of terrorism, a consequence of their large pre-war empires). These struggles were conducted by groups who can more readily be described now as terrorist. These groups quickly learned to exploit the mushrooming globalization of the worlds media. According to Hoffman: They were first to recognize the publicity value inherent in terrorism and to choreograph their violence for an audience far beyond the immediate geographical loci of their respective struggles. (Hoffman, 1988). Furthermore, in some cases (such as in Algeria, Cyprus, Kenya and Israel) terrorism perhaps helped such organizations in the successful realization of their goals. As such these nationalist and anti-colonial groups are notable for any wider understanding of terrorism. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, terrorist numbers swelledincreased to include not only nationalists, but also those motivated by ethnic and ideological considerations. Nationalists groupslike the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), and its several affiliates came into existence. Moreover, other groups mushroomed such as the Basque ETA and the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The IRA also comprised of organizations such as the Italian Red Brigade, and the Red Army faction in Germany (then West Germany). With As with the emergence of modern terrorism almost a century earlier, the United States couldwas not remain immune from this latest wave of terrorism, although there the identity-crisis-driven motivations of the white middle-class Weathermen starkly contrasted with the ghetto-bred malcontent of the Black Panther Movement. (Lacqueur, 2001). Many of the terrorist groups of this period readily adopted methods that would allow them to publicize their goals and accomplishments internationally.The Palestinians were among one of the well-known groups who pioneered the hijacking of a jet airliner as a mode of operation and publicity. One such group, Black September, staged what was (until the terrorist attack of 9/11, 2001) perhaps the greatest terrorist publicity coup then seen, with the seizure and murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games.Such incidents resulted in the Palestinian groups providing the inspiration, in some cases, mentorship and training, for many of the new generation of terrorists organizations. Most of these organizations today have reduced their operations or ceased to exist altogether, whileothers, such as the Palestinian, Northern Irish and Spanish Basque groups, motivated by more enduring causes, remain active today, although some of them now have made moves towards political rather than terrorist methods.Meanwhile, by the mid-1980s, state-sponsored terrorism re-emerged, the catalyst for the series of attacks against American and other Western targets in the Middle East. Countries such as Iran, Iraq, Libya and Syria came to the forefront came to be supposedly believed to be the main sponsors of terrorism as a popular belief. Falling into a related category were those countries, such as North Korea, who directly participated in covert acts of what could be described as terrorism.[xviii] (Guelke, 1998). In the recent years the re-emergence of the religiously inspired terrorist attacks are common. But the state-sponsored terrorism remains a concern of the international community today (especially its Western constituents), although it has been somewhat overshadowed. The latest manifestation of this trend began in 1979, when the revolution that transformed Iran into an Islamic republic; the West blamed Iran to use and support terrorism as a means of propagating its ideals beyond its own borders. (Hoffman, 1988). Very soon the trend had spread to places as far as Japan and the United States, and to other major world religions as well as many minor cults. Sarin gas used in Tokyo subway attack in 1995 may not have been the first breach of the psychological barrier in the use of toxic/chemical agents becausesmallpox-infected clothing was used by the Pilgrim Fathers against the indigenous tribes of North America. Also, plague-infected bodies were launched into besieged cities and used to pollute water supplies in the fourteenth century. The same year Oklahoma bombing took place in USA. At this stage, the complex mix of motivations included religion. But it was the 9/11 al Qaeda attack which made the world realize, particularly the United States, just how risky this latest transformation had become. Contemporary Terrorism At present, terrorism influences events on the international level to a degree which was not previously achieved. This was primarily the outcome of the 9/11 attacks in 2001 on the World Trade Center, which destroyed the symbolic Twin Towers; and threatened the Pentagon. It thus dented the stronghold of America. Most Americans came to believe that an unmatched era of terrorism had erupted and the world had changed forever. Some observers of the event even believed that the daring, yet tragic, events of this particular day should be considered as an epochal moment in the history of the world. (24) (Carr, 2002). Soon after 9/11, US President George Bush declared the start of a Global War on Terrorists: an open-ended war with an undefined terminal objective. In a speech to the Congress, he committed all resources at his disposal, every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, and every necessary weapon of war (Bertrand, S, 2003) to defeating Am ericas newest adversary in that nations first war of the twenty-first century. (26)(Mandelbaum, 2001).However, for most people in the world, terrorism was not new and these events, while spectacular and disturbing, did not constitute the dawn of a new era in terrorist activities. On the contrary, the attack became a continuous and developing reality for the world, which was present in different forms for centuries. Hence, for most of the world, terrorism was familiar and acceptable as an additional form of traditional warfare. (Henrichon, 2003). Still, for most North Americans and many other Western observers, the radical novelty of the 9/11 terrorist attacks represented a new form of terrorism for the 21st century. (Deschenes, 2003). Since then, in the United States at least, terrorism has largely been equated to the threat posed by al Qaeda, a threat inflamed not only by the spectacular and deadly nature of the 9/11 attacks themselves, but by the fear that future strikes might be even more deadly and perhaps employ weapons of mass destruction. The worldwide threat of terrorism by al Qaeda and its franchises, to a large extent remained egocentric, and were seen as the rhetoric of the US administration concerning a so-called Global War against Terrorism. This was far from unique, considering the implications that al Qaeda in fact intended to start a global revolution. For instance the general public of countries such as Colombia or Northern Ireland that had long faced terrorism was more preoccupied with when and where the next FARC REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA ( FARC or FARC-EP, is a Marxist-Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization based in Colombia. They have fought in the ongoing Colombian Civil War for more than 40 years)or Real Irish Republican Army attacks would occur rather than where the next al Qaeda hit will descend. Thus, the above reflections indicate, terrorism goes beyond al Qaeda, which it not only predates but will also outlive. Hence if terrorism is to be tackled efficiently, any consideration of handling it must be seen beyond the threat which is presently posed by this particular organization. Consequently, without a broad-based approach, this threat of terrorism will not only be difficult to resolve, but may become uncontrollable. The Evolution of Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century Terrorism is continuously changing. While at the surface it remains the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fearit is fast becoming a major strategic tool of the opposing forces. In the twenty-first century, it has become the most predominant irregular warfare strategy. It is easily adaptable to changes in facilities available to the terrorists, in order to operate, acquire finances, and evolve new capabilities; thereby developing a different relationship with the world at large. Two major events in the first half of the twentieth century predisposed the nature of present-day conflicts. The effects of two World Wars inflamed passions and hopes of nationalists throughout the world, and severely damaged the legitimacy of the international order and governments. During the earlier decades of the twentieth century nationalism and radical political ideologies were the major developmental forces acting upon terrorism. After World War I the Treaty of Versailles redrew the map of Europe by breaking up the Austro-Hungarian Empire and thus created new nations. It recognized the rule of self-determination for nationalities and ethnic groups. The minorities and ethnicities not receiving recognition to campaign for independence or autonomy were thus encouraged. Nevertheless, in most cases self-determination was limited to European nations and ethnic groups and deprived the others, especially the colonial assets of the major European powers, creating bitterness and setting the stage for the long conflicts of the anti-colonial period. The Arab nationalists particularly felt that they were betrayed. Believing they were promised post-war independence, they were doubly disappointed: first when the French and British were given authority over their lands; and then especially when the British allowed Zionist immigration into Palestine in keeping with a promise contained in the Balfour Declaration. In the last two decades, terrorists have committed tremendously violent acts for so-called political or religious reasons. Their political ideologies range from the extreme left to the extreme right. For example, the far left can consist of groups such as Marxists and Leninists who propose a revolution of workers led by revolutionary elite. On the distant right, one finds dictatorships which typically believe in an amalgamation of state and business leadership. Consequently, all Arabs have been united in their opposition to the State of Israel and to the Western Powers, particularly the United States. The Western world feel f eels equally a sense of guilt and remorse for the treatment of the Jews during the Second World War. (Berman, 2003). Consequently, the Western powers, under the patronage of the United Nations, have championed the Israeli right to a homeland at the expense of the Palestinians. (Hoffman, 1988). On the other hand, equally important has been the growth of Wahhabism in the Arab World. The indignation of the Wahhabis was initially directed, not against Western and colonial sources, but against those practitioners of Islam whom they believed were degrading and betraying the religion from within. The Wahhabi sect became true Islamic zealots who sought to eliminate anything or anyone who failed to meet the strict standards of their belief of purity and Islamic authenticity. (Hoffman, 1988). Even though initially a creation of eighteenth century Arabian Islam, Wahhabism has flourished because of its association with the ruling parties in most Arab countries. These particular regimes were ins talled by the Western powers when the various countries were created, because these particular Arab leaders had either granted the European powers with legitimacy during their colonial rule of the region; or had supported the Allied armies during the two World Wars. Under the old Arab system, social injustice and power were limited. However, with the new structure of states, the oil wealth, and the prevalence of modern communications, the inequality gap has been widened and the discrepancies have become much more obvious.Hence, lacking any other outlet, new and growing discontents find expression in religious extremist movements (Hoffman, 1988), like the so called Islamic Fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood and terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. In contrast, for the Palestinian movements, which had concentrated and limited their efforts in the Middle East against Israel and for the repossession and recreation of an independent Palestinian state, these new organizations have a worldwide r each. Their supporters believe that the remedy for all of the ills of modernization is to return to true Islam. This thought process, included the abolition of all laws and social borrowings from the West and the restoration of the Islamic Holy Law, the Sharia (Berman, 2003). Their aim was not only to remove the Western intruders from their homelands; they also wanted to transport their message through violent means into the heart of the Western nations, especially the hegemonic United States, their most dangerous enemies, as they see it, are the false and renegade Muslims who rule the countries of the Islamic world and who have imported and imposed infidel ways on Muslim peoples. (Lewis, 2003). In addition to the traditional terrorist groups, the nationalists, and the religious, the 1980s and 1990s also saw a growth of terrorist groups with a variety of motivations, such as narco-terrorists, eco-terrorists, anti-abortionists, and animal liberationists. Some terrorists were simply m otivated by common criminal activities. (Laqueur, 1999). Religious inspired terrorism has a universal theoretical basis. The patterns of religious violence of the Sikhs could be exactly that of Irish Catholics; or Shiite Muslims in Palestine; or a fundamentalist Christian bomber of abortion clinics in the United States. (Juergensmeyer, 2001). Special interest groups include people on the radical fringe of many legitimate causes; e.g., people who use terrorism to uphold antiabortion views, animal rights, and radical environmentalism. These groups consider that violence is morally justified to achieve their objectives. With the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the end of Cold War in the early 1990s, the features of international terrorism took on a new face. The changing geopolitical situation, following the end of the East-West conflicts, a third radical concept has evolved in the form of twentieth century terrorism. There was no Soviet Union, no Warsaw Pact, no Cold War, and no consensus on what came next. (Lacqueur, 1999). However, it was now clear that the Soviets were no longer available to provide financial support or ammunitions to terrorist organizations or to their sponsoring states. (Bell, 1999).However, instead of retreating into their own nationalistic or religious cocoons, some of these terrorist groups adapted and evolved into truly global transnational organizations. As a result, counter terrorist organizations are not confronting a specific state, nor are they confined to their old norms of understanding and operations. In addition, todays terrorist groups are very well-financed. (Kushner, 1998). Such transnational groups no longer rely on handouts from sponsoring states, but, instead, have developed exceptional methods of gaining and handling their financial resources. Today robbery and ransom are replaced by high-tech criminal businesses, such as growing drugs; fine processing and distribution operations; and, finally, money laundering through legitimate businesses. (Combs, 2003). The modern terrorist is also very well-trained and well-educated. They have not only learnt from their past experiences, but also from military and criminal training methods, and integrated them into their own training programs. The former independence and isolation of many terrorist groups has given way to complex, multilayered, transnational organizational structur es, resembling the corporate hierarchy of a multinational corporation. Lastly and most significantly, todays terrorist groups are said to have access to the knowledge of highly sensitive destructive weapons; and have the ability to use Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), such as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weaponry, although use of this type of armaments is still abhorrent to many terrorists. (Schweitzer, 1998). The use of terror has, throughout history, been known as an effective technique to achieve political, criminal, religious and ideological aims. The underlying objective to use the terror was aptly captured by the fourth century BC Chinese strategist, Sun Tzu, kill one, frighten ten thousand. The Anatomy of Terror (Sinclair, 2003) indicates that history is replete with examples of the use of terror in the pursuit of religious aims (e.g. the massacres by the Crusaders); material aims (e.g. the Stranglers of Southern India who terrorized road travellers, and the Mafia); quasi-moral, and ideological aims (e.g. General Bedfords supremacist Ku Klux Klan and the Shining Path); state and political aims (e.g. the Tzarist Okrhana and the Nazi Geheime Staatspolizei); and in the current context, religio-political aims (e.g. Al Qaeda and Hamas). Terror is easier to define than terrorism. Over 100 definitions of terrorism have been evolved. Sinclair gave interesting examples of the early use of biological and chemical agents as means of inducing fear and terror. These include the use of poison gas by the Spartans during the siege of Plataea in 428 BC; the use of smallpox infected materials by the Pilgrim Fathers from England to conquer the indigenous population

Leonard?s Tattoos in Memento Essay -- essays research papers

Leonard’s Tattoos in Memento Memento is a film written by director Christopher Nolan, where Leonard Shelby, an overly confused man wants revenge after his wife's murder. Leonard suffers brain damage rendering him incapable of making new memories; her death is the last thing branded in his mind. Though his affliction keeps him from being able to form new memories, Leonard seeks revenge; to wreak this revenge he must keep notes on even his own life, tattooing himself with important clues. Told in segments that move backwards in time, the audience follow Leonard back through a series of events, learning in each segment what happened previously, things Leonard has already forgotten. To help him with his search, he has evolved a system. He takes Polaroid pictures, putting names to faces, marking which car is his, which hotel room is his. Moreover, to keep certain notes from being lost or changed, he has an elaborate series of tattoos slowly growing all over his body. The largest of these tattoos is written right across Leonard’s chest, written in backwards script so that when he stands in front of a mirror, the main fact is there for him to see: â€Å"John G. Raped and Murdered My Wife.† Below this is another tattoo that reads, â€Å"Find him and kill him.† Scattered across his torso and arms are a collection of facts he has gathered about the case, the points that Leonard thinks are most important. In addition, he has only one tattoo that is visible with clothes in which he is able ...

Use of Real Options Theory in Financial Management/Modeling

At a previous employment environment, the president of the corporation acted on a whim, rather than, conducting a series of testing for his expansion to go into other businesses ventures. Within a few short months, the plan was abandoned for lack of profitability. As an employee, I thought of this as a failure on the owner’s part. However, the Real Options Theory is basically, weighing the outcome for expansion or acquisition utilizing capital investments for future ventures. Consider Real Option theory as a method to remove some of the risk in capital investments. Helpful assistance and decision making can be derived using such charts as the Decision Tree. The decision can be extremely tiresome. Use of Real Options Theory in Financial Management/Modeling Long past are the days, where a company can sit idling waiting for an idea, because while waiting someone else is making the move. The benefits that an older company may experience through experience may not fit into today’s society of technological changes. However, the risk of a company that has existed over 50 years, can they lose to new companies that evolve because of revolutionary changes in the ability to change the course of history. Creating valuable service for consumers and bringing a product or service to market, must be planned to meet the expectations of stockholder profits. Consider the comparison of social networking sites, Myspace and Facebook. Both are considered to be rapidly growing and competitive to increasing in membership. However, rapidly increase the popularity of Facebook and exceeded the expectations within the social network environment. The billion dollar corporation enters the market with more appeal to younger consumer, as well as a variety of other industries. Facebook provided more appeal by allowing the markets to meet the consumer where they were located, rather than wait on the consumer to come to them. As financial managers in the corporate environment decide which project is beneficial to stock holders’, returns on investment, and which should be abandoned or expanded, risk can become a certainty in the outcome. The risk of capital investment in the attempt to take on future debts just because they have a hunch that the business will be a success. The amount of time to construct a business model would save enormous amounts of money before taking on the future project. Gathering data of the competitive market and using past financial accounting statements will be useful, however, with new projects, there will be limitations, but estimation of the percentage values can be constructed. Strategic budgeting and capital investment planning decisions to expand into the future profitability of a company can be agonizing if not properly planned by financial managers. The assets, in addition to capital and distribution, change over long periods of time according to the supply and demand of the consumer markets. The net present value (NPV) of what is available, as far as Return on Assets and the Return on Investment (ROI). Cost projection into buying new equipment, inventory over the long run rather than a short period. Capital resources and budgets are the topics as it relates to using the Real Options Theory in Financial Management Modeling. Financial managers can utilize the Real Options Theory as a series of practical solutions to foresee into the future over several years. New products and the amount of capital to invest as well as the funding needed to make an expansion or either to realize that the project would not work. Theoretically, it is very simple and that many companies would utilize this theory. However, the recap or history of business failures is not seen in the futility of business success. The numbers may not lie. All systems may say go full steam ahead with the plans for expansion; however, there is a business cycle which will prove the business model incorrect. According to Rothbard, (2005), expectation in business fluctuations all the time. There is no need for any special â€Å"cycle theory† to account for them. It is simply the results of changes in economic data and is fully explained by economic theory. Many economists, however, attribute general business depression to â€Å"weaknesses† caused by a â€Å"depression in building† or a â€Å"farm depression. † But declines in specific industries can never ignite a general depression. Shifts in data will cause increases in activity in one field, declines in another. There is nothing here to account for a general business depression — a phenomenon of the true â€Å"business cycle. † It is pointless to say, as many people do, that a farm depression will ignite a general depression, because farmers will buy less goods, the people in industries selling to farmers will buy less, etc. This ignores the fact that people producing the other goods now favored by consumers will prosper; their demands will increase. (2005, pp. 6) Both the entrepreneur and large corporations have ideas to expand into new market. The main goal is company profits, either with or without expansion. Business expansion into other industries or international territories with current business. However great the idea may seem at the Real Options application of theory will conclude how fallible an idea with be in implementation. Payback period, cash flows and internal rate of return, as well as long term debt financing are the foundation of provision for utilizing the real options theory. Major growth will not derive from duplication of products that are already in the market place, but to begin with creating superior quality and improvements. Such as Facebook found a better way for people to communicate over the internet. Before Myspace, there were such things as electronic mail. Facebook, the ability to socialize as well as form groups, and fan pages begin with meager begins on a college campus. However, did the owner plan for this growth or was it happenstance. How does the work into the corporate structure for a welding company or maybe a warehouse which manufactures auto parts? Examining the stream of information within the forums, research and development addressed. According to Ketchen et al, (2007), â€Å"entrepreneurship refers to firms' pursuit of superior performance via simultaneous opportunity-seeking and advantage-seeking activities. Both small and large firms face impediments while pursuing strategic entrepreneurship† (2007, p. 71)In other words, rather an entrepreneur or fortune 500 company, Real Options Theory, should be the focus to starting a new business, taking on expansion or abandoning projects. The only difference will be in the amount of capital investments. Kretchen et al, continues to state, Ketchen, et al, (2007), While small firms' opportunity-seeking skills may be strong, their limited knowledge stocks and lack of market power inhibit their ability to enact the competitive advantages necessary to an appropriate value from opportunities the firms choose to pursue. In contrast, large firms are skilled at establishing ompetitive advantages, but their heavy emphasis on the efficiency of their existing businesses often undermines their ability to continuously explore for additional opportunities. (2007, p. 371) There are many three components in which company financial manager should be interested in the expected return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and debt ratio. Finally, another method of expansion can be with the acquisition of new business that is in operation. As stated by Stefano, Reality is that buyers must have capital available to be competitive in acqu isition negotiations. Accumulating capital may be as simple as retaining earnings in the agency instead of distributing those earnings, which is the equivalent of creating a war chest. The other option is to have a line of credit available from a financial institution. Banks are much more willing to offer financing for acquisitions than in years past. Today many banks are in the insurance business and got there through acquisitions. Insurers are also very supportive of the acquisition process and will uncover acquisition prospects because they like to see their successful agencies growing. Stefano, 2005) As explained by Childs et al, (Sep. , 1998), summarizes several calculation in deductive and calculated reasoning for financial managerial modeling and utilizing the Real Options Theory. They state, â€Å"consider a firm that has the opportunity to invest in two projects (a and b). Investment in each project takes place in two stages: The firm can invest in C1 R (I = a, b) to develop a project, which res olves uncertainty regarding the project’s future profitability; it can then make a further investment of K1, (i= a, b) to implement a project. 1998, p. 308). It is clearly mentions by Childs et al, the â€Å"NPV framework for making capital investment decisions has been extended to recognize the dynamic nature of investment decisions† (Childs, p. 305) According to Miller who goes into greater details of the formulation of providing computations to make a decision, it basically states if one project NPV is greater than 0, then it would be wise to invest in the project or product. Screenshot, (2005, p. 7) Summary Companies can no longer hesitate to make a business decision. However, ecisions that are not planned out utilizing capital assets can also cause undue hardship. It is no longer the large Fortune 500 companies designing the most innovative products and services, but also it can be the small entrepreneur with a grand idea. The markets no longer persuaded by familiar names, but can be mesmerized by new names such as Facebook. Methodology and theoretical planning and measurements can be experimenting with resourceful application s as Real Options Theory. By carefully measuring the logistics of one or more projects and committing or abandoning them all.

Environmental Values Paper Essay

Ecofeminism like other groups advocating the ideals of feminism is a particular distinction applied to women whose great efforts are directed towards the interrelations of society and nature. Greta Claire Gaard (1993) pointed out that the term ecofeminism is â€Å"more descriptive of a concern with cultivating an ecological ethic that goes beyond concepts of social justice† (p. 18). Ecofeminism is defined as â€Å"a value system, a social movement, and a practice, which offers political analysis which explore the links between androcentrism and environmental destruction† (p. 18). In other words, what Claire Gaard is pointing out is that ecofeminism is an awareness that starts with the understanding that the abuse of nature is closely â€Å"linked to Western Man’s attitude toward women† (p. 18). That is, according to Claire Gaard, there is a parallel in men’s thinking between their right to exploit nature, on the one hand, and the use they make of women on the other. Pluralism and environmental pragmatism on the other hand is not new to many of us. Thus, these two were not given much introduction in this paper though they are equally important topic. The most important principles of ecofeminism The most important principle of ecofeminism is to ensure that progress is tempered by an ethic of care for nature, and to create â€Å"sustainable level of progress that respect the needs of nature as well as the true needs of humans† (Meyer, M. K. & Prugl, E. 1999, p. 227). The first principle which emphasized on the care of nature is very important amidst the issue of climate change, globalization, maintaining ecological balance. Today, we are all aware of the enormous environmental problems created by human exploitations and abuses of nature. This includes deforestations through illegal cutting of trees and illegal farming, over fishing, exploitations of mineral reserves, conversion of lands to industrial and residential use, and so forth. Added to these are the burden of carbon dioxide emission of millions of cars around the world which are fast building greenhouse gasses that are creating global warming and climate change. With out ecological balance, our planet is doomed to become like a huge furnace that is no longer fit to live with. The ecofeminist emphasis on the ethic of care for the nature is consistent with the call of ecological scientists for everyone to help preserve our planet through taking care of our environment. Although this principle implies a double meaning, but they are right to say that progress should not be an excuse for environmental abuses and degradation. The other important principle of ecofeminism is to create ‘sustainable level of progress that respects the needs of nature as well as the true needs of humans. ’ Concern for the needs of nature may be different from simply preserving the nature it self, and sustainable level of progress requires careful intervention on the part of the government to implement protective laws that will ensure balance between the uses of ecological product and the sources. That is, with greater demands for these ecological products and with little efforts to replenish them, most of what we have now will soon become extinct. Emphasis on sustainable progress based on the needs of nature and true human needs is very important because it determines our future and the future of our mother earth. The most important principle of pluralism Pluralism confronts us in all aspect of our lives. Plurality pervades our society and it encompasses the different political, ethical, philosophical, religious, and cultural belief of any given society. Two most important principle of pluralism according to Timothy J. Demy and Gary P. Stewart (2000) is the so-called ‘distributive justice and the retributive justice (p. 75). The pluralist principle of distributive justice includes the emphasis on equity, equality, and need. As Barbara Mellers and Jonathan Baron explain, distributive justice is concern with fairness which defines the â€Å"apportionment of rewards, with the goal of facilitating social interaction† (p. 90). In other words, the pluralist principle of distributive justice is concern about equality and that justice and fairness is equally serving to all races regardless of beliefs and all barriers imposed by racist and discriminatory segment of the society. This is very important in our society for us to be able to live peacefully and meaningfully. The other most important pluralist principle is the retributive justice. Retributive justice according to Demy has to do with punishment of the crimes committed. In other words, crimes deserve punishment, â€Å"what one sow is what one reaps. † I believe that this important principle in order for the society to maintain order, peace, and security. State punishments of crimes committed are just as they are within the definition of the law. Retributive justice makes our society orderly, peacefully, and securely for everyone. The most important principle of environmental pragmatism There are perhaps several important principles of environmental pragmatism but due to space limitation, I only discuss in this paper the most important one. This principle is that, â€Å"the environmental issues have important value and ethical components that must be addressed in the formulation of environment policy† (Minteer, B. A. & Manning, R. E. 2003, p. 220). This principle is true not only in the context of the writer but in the context of the reality that confronts us, regarding the problem of global warming and climate change. In this context, environmental issues are very important in the formulation of environment policy because it concerns the future of our society and the future of our world. Which principle best complement my values and ethical beliefs regarding environmental issues. While ecofeminism provides us understanding about how sustainable level of progress can be attained with out abusing the environment, and the principle of pluralism showed us the way to live a peaceful life and secure life, but it is the principle of environmental pragmatism that best complement my values and ethical beliefs regarding environmental issues. I would like to emphasize further this view by entreating everyone wherever part of the globe to be environmentally conscious. As for me, I firmly believe that all environmental issues are important issues that can affect our lives not only in our generation but also the next generations and onwards. We must all be aware of the impact of pollution that we tossed up in to the atmosphere and try to do our part to stop the things that pollutes our society, and our planet. Let us rally our selves in support of the effort of preventing global warming and climate change to get worse.I believe it not to late yet to act on this problem. References Demy, T. J. & Stewart, G. P. (2000) Politics and Public Policy USA: Kregel Publication Gaard, G. C. (1993) Ecofeminism USA: Temple University Press Mellers, B. A. & Baron, J. (1993) Psychological Perspective son Justice USA: Cambridge University Press Meyer, M. K. & Prugl, E. (1999) Gender Politics in Global Governance USA: Rowman & Littlefield Minteer, B. A. & Manning, R. E. 2003, p. 220 Reconstructing Conservation USA: Island Press

Lifetime of student debt Essay Example

Lifetime of student debt Essay Example Lifetime of student debt Essay Lifetime of student debt Essay Zeinab Abdel-Hak October 28th, 2013 ENG 1010 Differences In Our Societys Eating Habits When it comes to the topic of nutrition, most of us agree that in order to live a long healthy life one must eat right and choose nutritious alternatives to preserved and fast food products. The incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy is a huge problem that lingers in our every day lives. In recent discussions of nutrition, a controversial issue has been whether obesity is determined by the food industry or the way we eat. Some are onvinced that trusting yourself and your body will lead to better choices, others argue that eating food in moderation and more fruits and vegetables is the path to choose. In this day and age, there are many different debates on what one can do to eat healthier and make better decisions in regard to diet. Many people have proposed their own theories and advice on beginning a healthier lifestyle, such as Mary Maxfleld and Michael Pollan. In her essay Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating, Mary Maxfield, a famous blogger insists most wont go for the healthy foods if we are aught to eat like the Western Diet has taught us. Maxfield states, Trust yourself. Trust your body. Meet your needs (446). In my point of view, Maxfield is saying we have as much facts about eating healthy as we do common sense, hinting that Americans dont know much when it comes to healthy eating habits, food should not be seen as a negative thing. My view on the benefits of healthy eating is that you can eat what you want to, but in moderation. If you notice your pants are starting to not fit, and are sure its not a growth spurt then I claim there is something wrong with our diet. Meet your needs. If you are an athlete, eat like one. Todays population does not have the best opportunity to eat healthy. Every street corner is practically filled with quick and easy fast food Joints to satisfy ones hunger. Culture is what took food and demoralized it. Food cant be right or wrong, it is simply what is good or bad for you. What one chooses to eat is merely up to them. Today, food choice, toxic food ingredients, nutritional deficiencies, and lack of exercise cause a gigantic percent of all chronic disease. There needs to be changes in how we go about our daily diet. When it comes to the issue of the Western diet, Michael Pollan, agrees that diet shouldnt be about the science, counting this nutrient and avoiding that nutrient. In his essay Escape from the Western Diet, Pollan reports that the science of nutrition is focusing on specific nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and carbohydrates and that this only satisfies our hunger for a simple, one-nutrient explanation. What Pollan means is that a single nutrient isnt going to change the Western diet and the illness he Western diet may cause is simply done by not eating the Western diet and cutting down on processed foods. Pollan introduces his response to a new way of eating healthier known as nutritionalism; a way of life in which people choose real, well grown, and unprocessed food over fast food or processed food with certain preservatives. He proposes three rules to avoid the Western diet. Eat f ood. Not too much. Mostly plants (440). The Western diet is easy, fast, and cheap. At the same time, fast food is more cost efficient and less time consuming. Although, eating healthier would definitely take more time and work, exercising, growing your own food, and consistently choosing the right kinds of food will help create a happier and healthier society. Society needs to make better food choices in order to decrease obesity rates and build a healthier environment. Pollans aim to persuade the audience that knowing the scientific breakdown of nutrients isnt going to help you avoid the Western diet and Americas bad eating habits. His claim is to not eat much food, and mostly plants. There is a lot of advice out there about helping people eat better, and making smarter health decisions. My formula for eating would simply be eating whatever I like, but in balance. There is nothing wrong with treating yourself to a good treat or a nice carb filled dinner if you do it every once in a while. My outlook of the basics ofa healthy lifestyle is maintaining a good exercising schedule, eating fairly, and getting the necessary fruit and vegetables needed in a normal diet. Also, the amount of food you consume in one sitting can play a major role in a healthy diet. Eating small portions about 5 times a day is a perfect way to maintain food consumption. However, while food regulation is extremely important, so are beverages. It is crucial to stay away from sugar filled beverages when obtaining a healthy lifestyle. Sugary drinks are one of the main culprits behind the obesity epidemic. It is best to drink water, fat-free milk, or one percent milk. My formula for eating is pretty easy to follow; one can still enjoy a good slice of cake and some ice cream as long as it is all in acceptable balance. All of this being said, there are many different basics for healthy living in society today. Although they all may not be accurate, there are many different paths one can take to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Now that you have seen what a balanced diet should be, some of the aspects of life that health and diet affects, I hope that it has helped you to understand why health and diet are so important in everyones lives. Mary Maxfield and Michael Pollans theories differ in their formula of eating, but both have very interesting points regarding our societys well-being and nutrition lifestyles.

Make a Memory Book With Questions to Ask Your Relatives

Make a Memory Book With Questions to Ask Your Relatives Important pieces of a familys history are found only in the memories of the living relatives. But many times those personal stories are never written down or shared before it is too late. The thought-provoking questions in a memory book can make it easier for a grandparent or other relation to recall people, places and times that they thought they had forgotten. Help them tell their story and record their precious memories for posterity by creating a personalized memory book or journal for them to complete. Make a Memory Book Begin by purchasing an empty three ring binder or a blank writing journal. Look for something that either has removable pages or lies flat when open to make writing easier. I prefer the binder because it lets you print and use your own pages. Even better, it also allows your relative to make mistakes and start over with a fresh page, which can help lessen the intimidation factor. Create a List of Questions Be sure to include questions which cover each phase of the individuals life: childhood, school, college, job, marriage, raising children, etc. Get your family into the act and have your other relations and children suggest questions that interest them. These history interview questions can help you get started, but dont be afraid to come up with additional questions of your own. Gather Together Family Photos Select images that include your relative and their family. Have them professionally scanned into digital format or do it yourself. You can also photocopy the photos, but this generally doesnt yield as nice a result. A memory book offers an excellent opportunity to have kin identify individuals and recall stories in unidentified photos. Include one or two unidentified photos per page, with sections for your relative to identify the people and place, plus any stories or memories which the photo may prompt them to recall. Create Your Pages If youre using a hard-backed journal you can print and paste in your questions or, if you have nice handwriting, pen them in by hand. If youre using a 3-ring binder, use a software program such to create and arrange your pages before printing them out. Include only one or two questions per page, leaving plenty of room for writing. Add photos, quotes or other little memory triggers to accent the pages and provide further inspiration. Assemble Your Book Decorate the cover with personalized sayings, photos or other family memories. If you want to get really creative, scrapbooking supplies such as archival-safe stickers, die cuts, trim, and other decorations can help you add a customized, personal touch to the publishing process. Once your memory book is complete, send it off to your relative with a pack of good writing pens and a personal letter. Once they have completed their memory book, you may want to send new pages with questions to add to the book. Once they return the completed memory book to you, be sure to have photocopies made to share with family members and protect against possible loss.

Darci Pierce and the Murder of Cindy Ray

Darci Pierce and the Murder of Cindy Ray Cindy Ray was eight months pregnant when she was abducted and murdered by an obsessed woman who needed a baby at whatever the cost. The Lie Darci Pierce lied to her husband and friends about being pregnant. She stuffed her clothing a little more each month so she would look pregnant. But as the months wore on, Pierce was running out of excuses for why she had not had her baby. Fearing her pregnancy was the major hold she had on her husband and the reason he married her, the 19-year-old Pierce devised a plan to get a baby. Preparation Pierce studied books about Caesarean operations. She bought the instruments she needed to perform the procedure. And finally, she found the woman who would provide the baby. The Crime On July 23, 1987, brandishing a fake gun, Pierce kidnapped eight-month pregnant Cindy Lyn Ray from the parking lot of a clinic at the Kirkland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ray was returning to her car after having had a prenatal exam inside the clinic. Pierce drove the two to her home where she was set up to perform the Caesarean operation and steal Rays baby girl, but as she approached the house, she saw that her husband was home. She then drove to a secluded area up in the Manzano Mountains. There she strangled Ray with the cord of a fetal monitor which was in Rays purse. She then dragged her behind bushes and ripped at her abdomen with a car key until she could reach the near-term baby. She bit through the umbilical cord, severing the baby from her semi-conscious mother, who she then left to bleed to death. More Lies On her way home Pierce stopped at a car lot and asked to use the phone. Covered with blood, she explained to the employees that she had just had her baby on the side of a highway between there and Santa Fe. An ambulance was called, and Pierce and the baby were taken to the hospital. The attending physicians became suspicious of Pierces story when she refused to be examined. Pressing her further, Pierce changed her story. She told them that a surrogate mother had given birth to the child with the help of a midwife in Santa Fe. The authorities were called, and Pierce was taken into custody. The Truth is Finally Told Reports surfaced that there was a missing pregnant woman from the base. Under the pressure of police interrogation, Pierce admitted to what she had done. She showed detectives where she had left Ray, but it was too late. The 23-year-old Cindy Lyn Ray was dead. Pierce was found guilty-but-mentally-ill of first-degree murder, kidnapping and child abuse and was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison. 1997 - Pierce Seeks a Retrial In April 1997 Pierces new attorney tried to get a new trial on the basis that her previous attorneys failed to follow up on information which could have helped prove Pierce was insane. Had she been found insane instead of guilty-but-mentally-ill she would have been placed in an institution until a judge determined she was sane enough to be released. The bid to overturn her conviction was denied.

Final Exam (communication) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Final Exam (communication) - Essay Example The technique allows the filmmaker to utilize the whole space, satisfying the viewer. He also applies the wipe technique. This involves one picture wiping off another from the screen. The two techniques make the film appealing to the eye, entertaining the viewer. This is a film depicting a relationship between the rich and the poor. It tends to show that a good community should distribute its wealth equally among the people. The main actor Antonio brings out the true nature of Italian Neorealism by the state of his poverty while there are extremely reach people in the neighborhood. Antonio also has to work extremely hard to get food for his family. Lastly, Italian Neorealism was full of criminal activities such as stealing which Antonio is involved in. The main reason why some films are appealing compared to others is their content, shooting techniques and message involved. An individual’s feels after watching a film would determine whether he would like to watch the same film again. Films that are watched repeatedly are characterized by excitation, novelty and satisfaction. Example of such films includes Citizen Kane. The film illustrates how Blacks fought for their rights from the whites. The director uses violence, love and Ku Klux Klan  to show the hatred between Blacks and whites. The director also dresses the Blacks in torn clothes to illustrate their poverty. The use of violence against the Blacks by Ku Klux Klan provides the ugliest evidence of how the Blacks were enslaved by the Whites. Lastly the violence in the film is a clear reminder to the Americans that never again should they go to Civil War. Martin McDonagh films are interesting to watch. This is because of the message indicating upshots of our responsible actions. The films also contain eloquent and comic actors who appeal to most viewers. Lastly, his film Six Shooter is humorous and entertaining. This makes it a must watch film that could

Punctuation Marks in the English Writing Research Paper

Punctuation Marks in the English Writing - Research Paper Example Introduction More and more users of English are joining this language community worldwide, as globalization increases. A common language to use in communication across the globe is necessary: electronic technology allows people to reach anyone, from anywhere in the world, so communication has to take place in a common language, if the advantages of instant access and wide connectivity are to be realized. The structure, syntax and construction of English have been, throughout its history, adaptable. From its earliest documentation, by writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer, to its latest uses in text-messaging and social website writing, this language has changed. These changes have often been visible in the words used, the structure of sentences, the positions of parts of speech in expressed sentences, and in the punctuation marks used in writing. Punctuation is defined in the Encyclopedia Britannica as â€Å"The use of spacing, conventional signs, and certain typographical devices as aid s to the understanding and correct reading, both silently and aloud, of handwritten and printed texts.† Many say that punctuation is necessary to â€Å"clarify meaning† and that its misuse â€Å"appears to reflect wider social decline† (Hitchings, 2011, web page), and hence it needs to remain traditional. But clear and accurate meaning is important in any written communication, and changing a language for the sake of change is not wise. Still, there seems to be room for change in the punctuation of English. Thesis Statement This essay will focus on the question of why we use punctuation marks in English writing. To explore this question, the flowing ideas will form the structure of the discussion: The historical development of punctuation marks in language, with specific focus on English The current use of punctuation marks in English, and how this is changing The continued need for accurate use of punctuation, to ensure clear communication Background – Th e Historical Development of Punctuation in Written Language Earliest Forms In classical times, the Greeks and then the Romans used punctuation to indicate to speakers when and for how long they had to pause in their speech. These symbols were eventually named after the pauses they represented, so that a period came to show the longest pause, when a speaker had reached the end of a complete idea; the comma indicated a short pause, for breathing or effect; and a colon indicated that a clause, or a sub-idea, had ended (Nordquist, 2011, web page). Nordquist cites W.F. Bolton (A Living Language, 1988), who suggests that these punctuation marks came to assist speakers in planning the pace, emphasis and elocution of a speech. The Vulgate Bible, for example, allowed St. Jerome to begin to standardize the use of punctuation – he used the period to show when a passage should be read in one breath – from period to period – rather than to end an idea (Crandall, 2008, web pa ge). From the Fifth to the Twelfth Centuries, punctuation continued to determine the reading style of a passage, rather than any syntactical structure, even

Ethics case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Ethics case - Essay Example dy of a lady named Lisa Michaels who is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and presently works with Home and Personal Care Products as Finance Manager. She is an experienced and dutiful employee with a very good reputation for honesty and depth of analysis skills. In this case, Lisa faces the challenge of identifying loopholes in the financial matters between her own company Home and Personal Care Products and a company it acquired named Prestige Fragrance Company. Lisa has concerns over evaluation of the assets of the acquired company and Mr. Anderson, who is also a CPA and Controller of the merger on behalf of Prestige Fragrance Company has not managed to address Lisa’s concerns satisfactorily. Lisa thinks that the costs have been capitalized by Prestige Fragrance Company whereas they should principally be not. The ethical challenge for Lisa is to find answers to her queries without tarnishing the relationship between the parent company and the acquired company. Key stakeholders in the case include everybody working in and associated with both companies i.e. Home and Personal Care Products, and Prestige Fragrance Company in general, and the controllers of financial operations of the two companies i.e. Lisa and Mr. Anderson in particular. Lisa might lose her job if her claims are based on weak foundations and if she cannot find proof in support of her accusations that she has not yet openly made. Mr. Anderson, on the other hand, who is also a CPA and is respected a lot by the Board of Directors, risks losing his job as well as image if he is found guilty of capitalization of costs or presentation of liabilities as assets to Home and Personal Care Products. Stakeholders also include the people and companies that have purchased shares of the two companies because any profit or loss made by any of the two companies has a direct impact on the value of their shares. In order to maximize the likelihood of a successful merger, it is imperative that both companies

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

MARKETING - Essay Example Conformity may engender a force that in itself threatens to destroy the essence of competition. For competition requires the creation of differential advantage. But competing institutions have a tendency to become alike and to imitate each other, and thereby eradicate the differences that comprise the essence of competition The main opportunities are reduced prices and increased international operations, improved service quality and low barriers to trade. Thus, the main threat is negative publicity and critique of fast food industry and obesity problems caused by restaurants like MacDonald’s (Macdonald’s Home Page 2009). Modern technology is the necessary and sufficient condition for the creation of mass culture. Our society with its mass culture emphasizes higher standards of living and expanding expectations. But this massification has been assailed. Ours has been termed the homogenized, Philistine society. The mass media, television, movies, newspapers, and magazines, which are among the tools of market communication, have been proclaimed the purveyors of a mass culture that has a relatively low common denominator. The tendency to conformity is tempered by dynamism and change. Marketing analysts should be well aware of the significance of sociological factors; they have been described as socio-graphics. Predictions of them give indications of the dimensions of future markets. 2. VALS typology is an interesting and useful tool to analyze customer-based strategies and evaluate their strengths and drawbacks. Thus, this typology is not accurate and objective as it describes only eight types of buyers and market segments. Buyer behavior is more complex that it is described by VALS typology. Economists and marketing people seem to have differing perspectives on the value of life-style concepts and findings. In most economic studies (although these are exceptions), the life style of a

Research write up for publication in a UK nursing journal from an Essay

Research write up for publication in a UK nursing journal from an already written disertation - Essay Example Methods: An ethnographic approach was the basis of the research undertaken. This approach allows an understanding from an insider’s perspective that focuses on the interactions that occur and lead to the assessment of hand washing. In keeping with the requirements of the approach a sampling plan was devised. Intrusive data collection methods were eliminated from use. Four care homes from within two primary care trusts were selected from the care homes that volunteered for the study. The sampling process for participants was the same for each of the four participating care homes. The participants included both qualified nursing staff and care assistants. Observation and interviews were the means by which data was collected. Domain analysis, taxonomic analysis, componential analysis and theme analysis was used to analyse the data collected. Findings: Management styles had a significant impact on the socio-cultural influence on the decisions with regard to hand washing. Where management styles were authoritative and interfered in all aspects of the functioning, thus reducing the autonomy of the nursing staff there was a negative impact on the socio-cultural influences and thereby a negative attitude towards hand washing. Where the management styles offered greater autonomy in the functioning of the nursing staff and encouraged discussions on hand washing a positive impact on the socio-cultural influences was clearly visible and accordingly a higher importance given to hand washing. Conclusions: Lack of motivation is not the reason for health care workers not performing hand decontamination risk assessment. It is the social and cultural environment that the health care worker is in that decides the performance of hand decontamination risk assessment. The more amenable the environment the more favourable the impact upon the ability to perform the decision

A landscape material - Mulch (Organic) Assignment

A landscape material - Mulch (Organic) - Assignment Example In such like practices, a form of irrigation known as Drip is often essential because plastics never allow water to penetrate through. In the small-scale farming, commonly used mulch is the homemade organic mulch. It involves farm remains and household leftovers. After being composed in an accurate place for some time, it will then be placed in between the plants by use of hands. Initially, mulch is often introduced into the farm during the start of a growing season. Some farmers can opt to add it ones on the farm while others can continuously reapply it over and over. During these times, the mulch will efficiently provide a form of heating system to the soil through the retaining of the heat. In this attempt, it will create room for individual activities including early harvesting and relocation of the crops. In the long run, the soil will end up attaining firmness in relation to adequate warmth and moisture (Ripley, 56). The use of mulch has always been accompanied by several benefits to both the land, the plants and to the landowners too. First, use of mulch helps significantly in the ensuring that the soil preserves much water during the dry seasons. Mulch can be of many benefits in the event of trying to overcome the weeds available in a certain piece of land. The applied mulch will tend to cover the available spaces that ought to have been the growing space for the weeds. Mulch also increases the efficiency of the texture of the soil. In certain places, farmers have embarked in using of mulch manure in an attempt to prevent the infestation of the crops by some pests. Mulch is also beneficial to the plants by offering protection to the roots of the plants in certain extreme temperatures. Crops are often known to fall from the main plant due to certain reasons including wind. However, in the event that mulch is used on a farm, it can be of help suppose an edible crop or fruit drops. The mulch will assist greatly in the

Research write up for publication in a UK nursing journal from an Essay

Research write up for publication in a UK nursing journal from an already written disertation - Essay Example Methods: An ethnographic approach was the basis of the research undertaken. This approach allows an understanding from an insider’s perspective that focuses on the interactions that occur and lead to the assessment of hand washing. In keeping with the requirements of the approach a sampling plan was devised. Intrusive data collection methods were eliminated from use. Four care homes from within two primary care trusts were selected from the care homes that volunteered for the study. The sampling process for participants was the same for each of the four participating care homes. The participants included both qualified nursing staff and care assistants. Observation and interviews were the means by which data was collected. Domain analysis, taxonomic analysis, componential analysis and theme analysis was used to analyse the data collected. Findings: Management styles had a significant impact on the socio-cultural influence on the decisions with regard to hand washing. Where management styles were authoritative and interfered in all aspects of the functioning, thus reducing the autonomy of the nursing staff there was a negative impact on the socio-cultural influences and thereby a negative attitude towards hand washing. Where the management styles offered greater autonomy in the functioning of the nursing staff and encouraged discussions on hand washing a positive impact on the socio-cultural influences was clearly visible and accordingly a higher importance given to hand washing. Conclusions: Lack of motivation is not the reason for health care workers not performing hand decontamination risk assessment. It is the social and cultural environment that the health care worker is in that decides the performance of hand decontamination risk assessment. The more amenable the environment the more favourable the impact upon the ability to perform the decision

Business Studies Case Study on a Music Industry (With Diagrams) Essay Example for Free

Business Studies Case Study on a Music Industry (With Diagrams) Essay Benny, a class 9 boy who excelled in the art of singing wanted to make use of his rare talent and raise money for his future education. He set up a small time business with 2 of his friends to raise money, as he was very poor. One of his friends Sam decided to handle accounts as he was skilled at Maths and had a good understanding of what price to set. Another of his friends Josh was in charge of building personal relations with some consumers to enhance sales as he had excellent persuasions and people skills. All three of them thought about different marketing strategies. They conducted research and found: * This was a gap in the market as there are few talented child singers going public * Most of the people in their class were willing to buy the CD at a reasonable price, his juniors and seniors were also willing to buy, * There would be an excitement about the album only for he first few weeks as the three of them had built considerable hype for the launch of the event, * Knowing Benny personally helped as people knew that they could associate and comment on his album, selling the album anywhere else would not earn enough. * They would need to add a lot more value to the album like adding a live video of Benny singing and dancing and a virtually DJ mixed song. They calculated the cost of making one CD: * They had to pay a monthly rent of Rs 10,000 for the recording studio for one month but due to lack of funds the owner of studio allowed them to pay 50% after 4 months * Printing the cover page of the CD- 5 Rupees * Cost of empty CD 15 Rupees * Cover of the CD 10 Rupees * Other Rs. 5000 per month They did not think that they could do all the work themselves and hence employed 20 members of their class and promised to pay them 100 Rupees if they managed to sell 20 CDs each per month. They worked under the sales department. The album was launched in January and Sam decided to sell each CD for a cost of 99 Rupees. The first month the 3 of them sold only in their school and to their close friends and were able to sell 500 CDs in cash while another 250 were sold in credit. The next month the 3 of them decide to go outside school after taking customer feedback through questionnaires, interviews and observations and improving the mistakes they made in the album. Then they decided to market the CD throughout Mumbai and were promoted and sponsored by Planet M, as Planet M is a well known music shop; which charged 10000 per month for advertising. Every week on a Saturday, which is statistically Planet Ms day with the most footfalls, a special promotion took place where Benny sang live in the store. Planet M also advertised this in the Rolling Stones Magazine and newspaper. Benny became an instant hit and at the end of the year they sold 1000 CDs per month in cash and 500 CDs in credit that was to be paid by the next month. Now Benny and his friends have decided to sell the rights of the album to Tips Industry limited for 500,000 so that they could sell whole over India. They took this step as there board exams were approaching but as per the contract Benny has to perform about 1 stage show per month all over India and gets 10,000 Rupees for doing so.

Complementary Therapies in UK Medicine

Complementary Therapies in UK Medicine There is an increasing use of complementary therapies and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) nowadays, and its use has steadily increased over the last ten to fifteen years in United Kingdom (UK) (Ernst and White 2000; 35). A more specifically data obtained within the UK has shown that there is a rapid increase in the use of complementary therapies and CAM with an estimated 15 million users nationwide (Andrew 2003; 337; House of Lords Select Committee 2000). It is estimated that this sector in the UK is rapidly expanding 1.6 billion pounds per annum industry, with around 60,000 practitioners, over 170 professional associations and around 5 million patients (Budd and Mills, 2000). The use of complementary therapies and CAM widely based in specific disease entities such as cancer, cystic fibrosis and asthma, in clinical settings such as obstetrical care and paediatric oncology and by international geographic locations (Yeh et al. 2000; 56). The concept of holism, which is an appreciation of the inter-relationship between body, mind and spirit, and recognition of the socio-cultural factors are fundamental to complementary therapies and medicine (Tiran 2006; 341). A number of definitions for complementary therapies and medicine have been proposed by different researchers. One of the definitions given is a broad domain of healing resource that encompasses health systems, modalities and practices and their accompany theories and beliefs, other than those intrinsic to the dominant health system of a particular society or culture in a given historical period (Snyder and Lindquist 2001; 6). According to Uzun and Tan (2004; 239), complementary therapy is defined as therapy used in conjunction with conventional therapy. Existing studies on complementary therapies and medicine focus mainly on two things. One is the focus on the specific mechanisms of actions such as particular herbal remedies, homeopathic medicines and essential oils, often with regard to assessing their safety and efficacy; the other one is focusing on specific therapies and medicine modalities such as herbal medicine, homeopathy and aromatherapy, as if they are stable or not, uniform and constant forms of health care practice (Williams 2000; 163). CURRENT ISSUES IN THE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY AND CAM There is a steady increase in the use of complementary therapies and CAM by the general public in the last two decades (Ernst and White 2000: 32). This is parallel to their increased used in health care settings, including the UK NHS (Richardson 2001). In 1998, only 10% from 22 million visits to complementary therapy practitioners in England were though NHS contacts, highlighting a clear need for the provision of equitable and appropriate access to these services (Thomas et al. 2001; 8). Cancer patients are amongst the main users of complementary therapies in the UK, with up to a third of patients having received one or more complements therapies (Wilkinson 2002; 68). Due to the increase in demand, the UK government has commissioned a House of Lords Select Committee Report on complementary therapies (House of Lords Select Committee 2000). In order to have a clearer and better understanding of the complementary therapies, the report recognised the urgent need for the generation of high quality research evidence to support the complementary therapy and CAM use (House of Lords Select Committee 2000). The Prince of Wales Foundation for Integrated Health (FIH) has also recognised the need to combine the best of complementary therapy with conventional health care (Robert et al. 2005; 116). In order to deliver a good quality of complementary therapy, FIH has produced national guidelines for their use within the field of supportive and palliate care (FIH 2003). For application by the managers and commissioners of complementary therapy services within the field, the guidelines is used to inform service development and management, and practice development (Roberts et al. 2005; 116). REGULATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL BODIES OF COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY The number of people using complementary therapies and CAM in the K continues to grow (Thomas et al. 2001; 2). Unfortunately, a high proportion of complementary therapies and CAM practitioners in the UK are unregulated and due to the increased in demand, there is a need of certain mechanisms to protect the public against skilled practitioners (Mills 2001; 158). At present, a General Practitioner (GP) can only delegate treatment to complementary therapists, and the GP are responsible for the treatment provided and their effects (Walker and Budd 2002; 8). Two therapies which have achieved statutory self-regulation are osteopathy and chiropractors (Walker and Budd 2002: 8). Regulations and Professional Bodies of Aromatherapy Aromatherapy was introduced in the UK during 1960s and is one of the fastest growing complementary therapies with number of registered therapists increase from 2500 to 6000 between 1991 and 2000 (Walkman and Budd 2002: 13). The Aromatherapy Organisation Council (AOC) is an umbrella body represented by members from 13 established professional associations and claims to be the governing body for the aromatherapy profession in UK (AOC 2000). The AOC (2000) have welcomed and supported the findings of the select committee report, even though there is no statement stressing on the need for statutory regulation for aromatherapy but AOC will continue with their process under the Health Act 1999 towards statutory self-regulation to ensure public safety. Regulations and Professional Bodies of Osteopaths and Chiropractors The osteopathic and chiropractic professions have struggled for many years to be recognised as part of mainstream medicine (Walker and Budd 2002; 12). In May 2000, the Osteopathic Act was set up and enforced, making it a criminal offence for those who are not on the General Osteopathic Council register to call them osteopathic (GOsC 1999). On the other hand, Chiropractors Act was enforced in June 2001 and the conditions are the same as Osteopathic Act whereby those failing to join the General Chiropractic Council statutory register are considered as a criminal offense (Copland-Griffths 1999: 5). Regulations and Professional Bodies of Herbalists In 1993, the European Herbal Practitioners Association (EHPA) was formed and the Medicine Control Agency (MCA) and Department of Health have been working with EHPA on legislation aimed at protecting public safety and the rights of herbalists to prescribe herbs (Walker and Budd 2002: 12). Regulations and Professional Bodies of Acupuncturists The main regulatory body of acupuncturists in the UK is the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) with 2200 members and was formed in 1995 (Walker and Budd 2002: 12). British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB) was also being set up and well-established for educational standard(Walker and Budd 2002: 12), and Regulation Action Group was set up too to carry out an extension consultation exercise which include regional group meetings and discussing options for regulations (BAcC 1999). WHO USES COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY AND CAM? According to the study carried out by Fox et al. (2010; 95), the prevalence rate for visits to complementary therapies practitioners in UK increased from 20% in 1998 to 27% in 2002. The practitioners most frequently visited in UK (reflexology, aromatherapy, acupuncture, chiropractic and so forth) are similar to other findings done by other researchers (MacLennan et al. 2002; 170). UK complementary therapies and CAM users are more likely to be well educated, affluent, middle-aged and employed especially those suffering from panic, anxiety and depression, and the findings are similar to international findings (Fox et al. 2010; 95). According to Risberg et al. (2004; 532), females showed more positive view towards complementary therapies and CAM than males. Consistent with the above findings of the complementary therapy and CAM, studies have found that a range of non-life threatening but long-term chronic conditions to be the most (Willison and Andrews 2004; 83). Wellman et al. (2001; 18) found that older CAM users typically presented with chronic non-life threatening conditions such as musculoskeletal problems (50%) and emotional problems (10%). Andrews (2002; 360) found that 59% of complementary therapies and CAM users were encountering musculoskeletal problem (including 11.3% for arthritis and 20% for chronic back pain) and 11% for emotional and mental health problems. On the other hand, Fautrel et al. (2002; 2438) were more specific and found use of complementary therapy and CAM on thyroid disease and arthritis. In the research carried out by Williamson et al. (2003; 25), complementary therapy and CAM users were found to use the treatments for moderate pain relief (54.8%) and in terms of general well-being, health fitness improvement purpose (45.2%) and life quality improvement (40.5%). FACTORS OF USING COMPLEMENTARY THERAPYAND CAM In the study carried out by Wellman et al. (2001), he found out that consumerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s pathway to use complementary therapy had consulted a physician or specialist but subsequently turned to complementary therapy and CAM because the physician or specialist failed to help them. Similarly, Andrews (2002; 361) found dissatisfaction with orthodox medicine lead them opt for complementary therapies and CAM. On the other study, both Wellman et al. (2001) and Andrews (2002; 361) concluded that advice from families members and friends influence both their choice to use CAM and which complementary therapy to select. A study conducted by Lewith et al. (2002; 104) has found that 32% of patients indicated they were currently receiving some form of complementary therapies, suggesting a trend is increasing in usage of complementary therapies over recent years. An earlier survey showed that 70% of National Health Service (NHS) Hospitals in England and Wales were offering one or more complementary therapies in the management of cancer care, with relaxation and aromatherapy being the most commonly available (Scott et al. 2005; 132). AROMATHERAPY Definition Aromatherapy involves the therapeutic use of essential plant oils and has existed for 5000 years (Barclay et al. 2006; 141). It is increasing being used in the cancer care and dermatology settings (Fellowes et al. 2004). Ways of Application Essential oils are applied to the skin by various method, such as ingested or inhaled, and they bring no harm unless it is used incorrectly (Steflitsch and Steflitsch 2008; 76). Aromatherapy massage is the most widely used complementary therapy in nursing practice (Macmillan Cancer Relief 2002). Who Uses It and Effects of Aromatherapy According to Kimber (2002; 22), aromatherapy massage helps to improve self-image during pregnancy and may aid acceptance of physical changes in mother. The relaxation effects generated also extend to the foetus (Diego et al. 2002; 404). Besides that, massage is found to be able to stimulate production of endorphins and decrease blood pressure, through its effect on the parasympathetic nervous system (Casar 2001; 11). Aromatherapy massage facilitates the absorptions of essential oils via the skin (Buckley 2002; 277), and aromatherapy is one of the primary therapy used to treat anxiety (Long et al. 2001; 182). In addition, essential oils are able to stimulate areas associated with smell in the limbic system of the brain and evidence that odours affect emotions and cognition (Alexander 2002; 54). Study conducted by (Steflitsch and Steflitsch 2008; 78) found that cancer patients receiving aromatherapy significantly improved quality of life and anxiety. According to Burns (2000; 84), an analysis of 8058 mothers who had received aromatherapy between 1989 and 1990 indicated that more than 50% of mothers found it helpful to release stress and relaxing. Ballard et al. (2002; 556) conducted a double-blind study involving dementia patients with clinically significant agitation treated with Melissa oil from eight NHS nursing homes in UK and concluded that those treated with Melissa group showed a higher significant improvement in reducing aggression than the control group by the fourth week. Besides that, aromatherapy is believed to have beneficial effect in reducing back pain and periarticular pain and Dolara et al. (2000: 357) had proven that aromatherapy exerts a strong anaesthetic effect that able to block the sodium current and thus reduce pain. Besides that, Friedman et al. (2002; 1555) concluded that essential oils have specific antibiotics and antifungal properties, and have significant beneficial effect on the urinary tract infection. BENEFITS AND OUTCOMES OF OTHER COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES AND CAM The role of complementary therapy and CAM is mainly focusing on imposing the patientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s quality of life (Roberts et al. 2005; 119) which includes psychological, social, spiritual and practical (Kaasa 2000). In one cancer clinical survey of trial patients carried out by Sparbe et al. (2000; 627), respondents informed that complementary therapies helped to enhance patientsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ quality of life by improving the capability of coping with stress and decreasing the discomfort of treatments. Boon et al. (2000; 2518) found that most of the breast cancer patients use complementary therapy to boost their immune systems. Some patients claimed that complementary therapy is playing an essential role in ameliorating and curing conditions including chronic problems (Luff and Thomas 2000; 256). DRAWBACK IN THE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES AND CAM Complementary therapies and CAM are progressively being integrated into conventional health care through their provision in the UK NHS and independent hospice movement (Macmillan Cancer Relief 2002). However, there has been little effective evidence to support these developments in UK and this suggests that most complementary therapies and CAM services development over the last 10 years were in creeping developments (Roberts et al. 2005; 117). In conjunction to this matter, there is a need for the initiation of more scientific research to investigate individual complementary therapy and CAM (Wilkinson 2002; 468). In addition, there is also a need to evaluate the effectiveness of the provision of complementary therapy and CAM as an integrated NHS service, across acute and primary care (Roberts et al. 2005; 117). Many researches have been using randomised control trials in the study of the effectiveness of the individual complementary therapy and CAM interventions (House of Lords Select Committee 2000). However, such approach does not allow for a more complex multi-dimensional analysis of the effectiveness of service provision as a whole (Roberts et al. 2005; 118). Besides that, it is also difficult to determine the effect of short-term versus long-term use of complementary and CAM therapies (Jones et al. 2010; 151). Currently there are still a limited numbers of real complementary therapy and CAM professionals (Furnhan 2002; 44). Health professionals such as doctors and nurses also highlighted their lack of knowledge on complementary therapy and CAM consumption (Salmenpera et al. 2003; 360). Physicians have been reported to be indifferent or opposed to complementary therapy and CAM uses (Risberg et al. 2004; 530). This may be due to lack of understanding by clinicians, through a lack of appropriate education and doubts about the benefits offered by complementary therapy (Corbin-Winslow and Shapiro 2002; 1178). The issue of physicianà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s emphasis on scientific evidence and their lack of understanding may contribute to the lack of effective explanation to the patients of the purpose of complementary therapy interventions (Tasaki et al. 2002; 217). CONCLUSION Aromatherapy has shown in various studies to overcome anxiety and panic, back pain, fungal and virus infection, dementia and pregnancy stress. In conjunction with this, the future clinical application of aromatherapy will probably have a place to be integrated in clinical medicine, especially in the hospitals, clinics and health care centres. However, more future research needs to be carried out in order to identify the beneficial aspect and it effects of different essential oils. This is because essential oils exhibit pharmacological, antimicrobial, physiological and psychological properties. It is a waste if there is no much research to explore the vast beneficial potentials hidden in the essential oils in order to determine its clinical potential in healing. The finding indicating physicians expressed more negative attitude towards complementary therapy and CAM compared to other health professionals such as doctors and nurses in UK is essential. This is because from this moment a better training and attitude can be provided to the physicians and other health care professionals so that they can have a better understanding on the importance and potentials of these therapies and medicine. In fact, it might also improve the understanding and cooperation between the health care professionals and the practitioners so that the practitioners can get a better confident, service and treatment from the health care professionals and physicians in the future. Besides that, quantitative and qualitative research on short-term and long-term effects of the therapies and CAM must be emphasised more in order to obtain more accurate and precise data proving the reliability, consistency and accuracy of the research. This is also to allow the public to have a wider choice in selecting the best treatment for their health.