Health Standing for Mexico Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Standing for Mexico - Assignment Example Health Standing for Mexico Mexico cumulative health statistics has improved to a great extent over the years. Nevertheless, Mexico lags behind other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development nations (OECD) in health standing and health care accessibility. Overall health care expenditure accounted for a 6.9% of GDP in the year 2009; for every capita expenses on health care was US$846, which was adjusted for buying power parity, making it an approximate of a divide of four parts of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development typical. In the year 2009, 45.5% of health expenditure was remunerated from public sources. Private backing in Mexico is almost exclusively in the structure of out-of-pocket expenses, as only 3.1% of totality expenses on health are subsidized through private health assurance (UNICEF, 2010). Healthcare within Mexico is worldwide, which makes private programs’ health cover pointless except for utilization in private hospitals. A numbe r of authorities have made a note of that whilst Mexico has a number of 3000 private hospitals; a few private hospices could by a hair's breadth be well thought-out hospitals at all, given that they do not have laboratories, radiography paraphernalia, or even nurses. The outstanding 1000 or several public hospitals take account of the greater part of hospital divans and, in fact, the size of private hospitals are establishments that have less than 20 beds. In the year 2009, Mexico had an approximate of 1.8 doctors as well as 2.2 nurses for every 1,000 population, a noteworthy boost in healthcare human resources over the preceding decade but again underneath the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development standards for these pointers. The death rate for children who are younger than five years of age was 17 for every 1,000 surviving births in the year 2009, and Mexico has given away a faster increase of rate to lower death rates when compared to the United States and Canada within the preceding 10 years. 94% of the populace had direct access to clean water and 85 % to sanitation (UNICEF, 2010). In the same year of 2009, the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) amid persons who are 15 years of age to 49 years of age was 0.3%. At 11,000 deaths in a year vs. 22,000 deaths per year in the United States, this corresponds to a 44% elevated per capita mortality rate than the U.S. The Mexican government has made Health Insurance for a New Generation referred to as "Life Insurance for Babies’, which will reduce the death rates of children. This will help families to effectively take care of their children till they reach adulthood, without any difficulties in how they are to pay for health services they access. Universal Care Coverage has been made available for Pregnant Women. This is particularly vital because these women can have access to prenatal care making sure that the unborn babies are wel l taken care of till they are born and after with the Life Insurance specifically meant for babies (UNICEF, 2010). Top Recommendations to the Mexican Leadership I recommend that Mexican leaders should make universal Care Coverage public for everyone.

Problem gambling Essay Example for Free

Problem gambling Essay She took one last look out the window as they drove away, the tears streaming down her face. At the age of four, her world had fallen apart. Karina’s life started out as a perfect middle-class family, and soon turned into a broken mess. They had everything, a perfect house in a really nice part of the city, a nice car; everything was wonderful. As Karina got older, she began to notice things weren’t perfect. Her dad was never there. He was always out gambling in one way or another. â€Å"As time progressed we lost the car, and other possessions due to my dad’s gambling problem. It’s not only about gambling and the money. When people gamble, they do other stupid things, he had an affair. My parents decided to get a divorce. My dad didn’t argue, in fact he said that for the safety of our family it would probably be better because a lot of people were angry at him for what he owed them. It was all because of gambling and snowballed into a mess that could have been really dangerous for my mom and me had we stayed around. I’m sad that my life played out in that way at such a young age, and it’s very unfortunate. I know that if he wouldn’t have had gambling around none of those things would have taken place and we would probably still be the family that we were, but unfortunately that’s not how it played out. † Although many people think that legalizing gambling will have a great effect on the economy, I think the negative effects are much more evident. People’s views on subjects often have to do with their ethics. Ethics, as defined by Seiler and Beall, are an individual’s system of moral principles. My ethics lead me to believe that gambling is wrong because I was raised to believe that my family is more important than economic wealth. As it is evident in the story above, gambling can have a major negative effect on someone’s life, and so it is too much of a risk to legalize this dangerous game. Three main reasons that gambling should be kept illegal are that gambling creates tension among the family members, gambling increases crime in the society, and the addiction to gambling is too great for many to overcome. The first reason that gambling should be kept illegal is that gambling creates tension among the family members as the money that should be used for the family is being spent on gambling. Even though gambling might, in some cases, bring money into the state and local economies, there are side effects to having a casino down the street. Forshey (1998) states, â€Å"The gambling jobs, taxes, and recreational values provided by the industry cannot compensate for the social pain-in the form of bankruptcies, white-collar crime, divorce, a compromised political process, an increase in alcoholism-it inflicts. † The drain of a working person’s money that wager’s his or her paycheck and loses is not compensated with the amount of jobs a casino brings to a community. Gambling is a greedy industry that produces nothing more than empty hopes, empty dreams and empty wallets. Anderson states, â€Å"Proponents argue that state lotteries are an effective way to raise taxes painlessly. But the evidence shows that legalized gambling often hurts those who are poor and disadvantaged. † Without casino gambling, many local citizens would spend their money on groceries or clothes, instead of reducing their savings on gambling. As William Thompson states in his article â€Å"Gambling: A Controlling Substance,† It [gambling] is a pleasure, like other entertainment, but in that regard, it is an expensive pleasure. † Thompson then continues with this thought: â€Å"Politicians must recognize that the benefits of gambling are bounded by market structures. Gambling money does not grow on trees. It comes out of the pockets or real people, who otherwise would have spent it on something else. † All of this evidence shoes that gambling should be kept illegal because it creates tension among the family members as the money that should be used for the family is being spent on gambling. A second reason that gambling should be kept illegal is that gambling increases the amount of crime within a society. Gambling often becomes associated with crime, a relationship that seems quite understandable. Not only does gambling continue to be illegal in some forms which makes it a crime to participate in, but also the second half of the issue occurs when gambling increases the amount of street crime in a surrounding area. Crime rates have been significantly higher in places that allow gambling. Kindt states, â€Å"Atlantic City showed a jump in crime when gambling was legalized. The city went from 50th in the nation in per capita crime to first. Problem gamblers may also become more likely to have financial troubles and use illegal activities as a way to pay off their debts and keep up their unhealthy habit. † This graphic shows a report done by the U. S. Department of Justice studied people that were arrested in Las Vegas and Des Moines, Iowa. The results show many connections between gambling and crime. â€Å"More than 30 percent of pathological gamblers who had been arrested in Las Vegas and Des Moines reported having committed a robbery within the past year, nearly double the percentage for low-risk gamblers. Nearly one-third admitted that they had committed the robbery to pay for gambling or to pay gambling debts. In addition, about 13 perfect said they had assaulted someone to get money. † As is evident, gambling should be kept illegal because it increases the amount of crime within a society. We will now look at the last reason why gambling should be kept illegal. Finally, a third reason that gambling should be kept illegal is that the addiction to gambling is too great for many to overcome, resulting in psychological problems for the gambler. Some people argue that if a person wants to gamble badly enough they will do it. They say that one will be able to control his or herself and only gamble when it’s appropriate, but gambling is an addiction that some people can’t escape. The addiction is a nationwide problem, and as much a part of gambling as the dice. As an article in the Omaha World Herald states, â€Å"Problem gambling is the urge to gamble despite harmful negative consequence or the desire to stop, and pathological gambling involves wagering to such excess that it has a severe negative effect on the gambler’s life. † Getting hooked on gambling comes mainly from the action and thrill, an experience chemically the same as those with inhaled substances. They fall under the spell of action. Action is an aroused, joyous state involving excitement, tension, and anticipation of the outcome of a gambling event. It is the thrill of living on the edge. Gambling has little to do with money and everything to do with the feelings of a gambler. William Thompson states, â€Å"People will lie to themselves, also in calculating the money because they don’t want to tell themselves that they were foolish about gambling. † Problem gamblers describe gambling as â€Å"highs† similar to that experienced from many drug substances. Some experience these sensations when just thinking about gambling. How is a person supposed to avoid gambling if he or she is constantly being surrounded with opportunities to place bets and be involved in the â€Å"action†? As Frey suggests casinos increase the number of problem gamblers, and make it that much more difficult to stop for those already addicted. In order to stop the number of pathological gamblers from increasing, the amount of gambling in the United States must decrease as a whole. Pathological gamblers were twice as likely to describe their general health as fair to poor over the past two years and were more likely to acknowledge mental or emotional problems. Rates of alcohol and drug dependence, job loss, and bankruptcy were also significantly higher for pathological gamblers relative to non-gamblers. According to Weinstock and Meyers, â€Å" Almost 20 percent of the people diagnosed as pathological gamblers file for bankruptcy compared to the less than 5 percent of those in the general population. † Percentage of Population with Gambling Problems In order to stop the number of pathological gamblers from increasing, the amount of gambling in the United States must decrease as a whole. As is evident in this bar graph the amount of people with gambling disorders has greatly increased. According to Weinstock and Meyers, â€Å"Recent studies have found that approximately 2 percent of Americans have had severe levels of disordered gambling at some point in their lifetime. Alarmingly, the rate in the Mid-South is even higher. Studies with Mississippi and Louisiana reveal that about 5 percent of the residents in Mississippi have a gambling problem, while in New Orleans, Louisiana 8 percent of the population reported significant problems because of their gambling. † Gambling should be kept illegal because the addiction to gambling is too great for many, even adolescents to overcome. According to Welte, Barnes, Tidwell, and Hoffman, â€Å"Over 2% of U. S. adolescents have experienced problem gambling (i. e. , sub-clinical pathological gambling) in the past year. Females have a . 1% problem gambling rate, and males a 4. 2% problem gambling rate within the past year. † If we don’t put a stop to this now the future of pathological gambling will continue. Regrettably, these pathological gamblers will most likely have to deal with many adverse life events because of their addiction. Many problem gamblers are under so much stress, they commit domestic violence or suicide. There are other, less dangerous ways to find entertainment. So many people suffer every day from their addiction to gambling. The United States should put a stop by banning the gambling industry, and therefore eliminating the harmful side effects of legalized gambling. All of this evidence shows that gambling should be kept illegal because the addiction to gambling is far too great for some people to overcome, resulting in psychological problems for the gambler. The negative effects of gambling out-weigh the positive. The tension created among family members, increased crime in society, and the addiction resulting in psychological problems are just too great of a risk for the people of our society to undergo. So the next time you walk into a casino, remember Karina’s story and how the gambling may affect your life, because even if you’re willing to take the chance, odds are the negative effects of gambling will leave you unlucky in life. It is important for all of you to take note of the consequences and refrain from gambling. Staying away from the dangers of gambling, and setting an example to others is extremely important. No matter what type of personality you have, you can be an influence to others and help stop the spread of gambling all over the nation. I want to challenge you that if you know someone that gambles or you yourself gamble share what you know about gambling and try to put a stop to the habit! References: * Anderson, K. Gambling. Gambling Probe Ministries.Retrieved October 31, 2001 from http://www. probe. org/site/c. fdKEIMNsEoG/b. 4219137/k. C8BD/Gambling. htm * Brandt, K. (Personal communication, October 21, 2011) * Forshey, G. E. (1998). Lonely crusade: Fighting the Gambling Industry. The Christian Century. Retrieved October 31, 2011 from http://vnweb. hwwilsonweb. com/hww/results/getResults. jhtml? _DARGS=/hww/results/results_common. jhtml. 35 * Kindt, J. (1994). The Economic Impacts of Legalized Gambling Activities. Drake Law Review, 40 (1), 50-87. Retrieved October 26, 2011 from https://www.ideals. illinois. edu/handle/2142/16297 * Meyers, A. Whelan, J. Weinstock. (June 1998). Gambling: When it is not a Game Anymore. Business Perspectives, 16-22. Retrieved October 27, 2011 from http://www. allbusiness. com/specialty-businesses/291076-1. html * Problem Gambling: Be aware of warning signs. Omaha World Herald. (March, 19, 2010). Retrieved October 23, 2011 from Library. * Seiler, W. J. and Beall, M. L. (2009). Communication and Ethical Behavior. In Communication: Making Connections (8th Ed) (pp. 8-9). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Allyn.

Cross Cultural Management Report On Nandos Cultural Studies Essay

Cross Cultural Management Report On Nandos Cultural Studies Essay The operation of business on a global scale requires that firms should cultivate their international business by respecting the national differences in the countries where they expand to. This is what Nandos had failed to observe. It has rigidly and excessively stuck to its corporate culture exhibited in South Africa. It failed to note that South African s national culture is not the same thing as what applies in countries in European and Asian states . Also , the Nando s management in the South African headquarter had given no room for the management of its firms in other countries to operate freely this has given them no room for innovative strategic marketing planning in observance to the environment in which they operate in . The national culture of South Africa has greatly influenced the corporate culture of the Nando s organization and it thus constituted a negative impact when its adherence and transfer to other national culture that is not compatible , led to the unprofitable business operations in these countries . The level of competition in the fast food industry in contemporary times is getting tense, with expansion in big firms and new entrants to the business. Issue#2 Advertisement issue in Australia and South Africa Nandos is known in South Africa for its humorous but often controversial adverts. One such television advert from 2000, involved a blind woman being led into a pole intentionally and knocked unconscious by her guide dog, which then proceeded to eat the chicken that the woman had just purchased. This caused uproar from people who were concerned that the blind would be offended. The South African Advertising Standards Authority  called for the withdrawal of the advert. Several blind people were quoted in the media as finding the advert amusing In Australia, Nandos ran an advertising campaign based around the 2002 political controversy regarding the mandatory detention of illegal immigrants. The detainees had been waging a hunger strike campaign, even resorting to physically sewing their lips closed. Nandos adverts proclaimed that the strikers decided to unsew their lips after hearing the news that with every Nandos quarter chicken combo, Nandos are giving away an extra quarter chicken free. Melbournes Sphere Advertising, said that the ad was designed to spark controversy, saying that they knew that theres a section of our audience thats going to be uncomfortablebut we want to evoke a response. In 2007, there was further controversy in Australia when Nandos aired a sexually explicit advertisement; centered around a family whose mother figure was also a pole dancer. Despite complaints to have it removed, the Advertising Standards Bureau ruled that it did not contain excessive nudity for its M rating. Currently, this advert is still causing a heated debate. It ranges from virulent opposition to Nandos on various blogs to modest reviews in some Australian online directories. Most recently they have created a cheeky campaign for their new Tropico Burger with the former football star  Warick Capper  as the face of the new promotion. Capper asks the question, Whose buns does the sun shine out of the most? Mine or the Tropico Burger? They have developed a catalogue of commercials on the  Nandos Australia Advertising  website. During the South African national elections of 2009, Nandos made an advert lampooning  ANC  Youth League president  Julius Malema  by using a puppet that resembled him. Malemas lawyers sued Nandos and the original advert was removed. However, an altered version was released, with the puppets face pixelated and the voice altered. The puppet used in the advert was later sold at auction for R100,000 which was donated to an educational charity. Issue#3 How to retain cultures and values while expanding abroad One of the biggest challenges for Nandos was seen as how to retain their culture and values while expanding abroad. As Jane Hume related: My key task is to keep our culture burning within the expanding South African and global context. We want to be global but local, big but small, and decentralized with central reporting andcontrol. Above all, we must retain our close family centred culture, our core values, in the process of globalization, yet adapt to very different cultures. A second challenge for Nandos lay in how to build critical mass in foreign markets. Stores overseas had to begin with simple store marketing, just as South African stores did when Nandos began. In most countries, people were not familiar with Portuguese food, and their advertising had to be a lot more educational than was the case in South Africa. Nandos wanted this education to be done with the same tone, fun and irreverence that was typical for the brand at home. Recognizing the potential pitfall, however, McKenzie noted that no attempt was made to translate humour from South Africa to other countries.They have to find their own level of humour. It is very much a cultural thing. Their advertising should be topical. Only they know the burning issues in their country, the areas that would attract most attention. But it must be packaged in the Nandos way. It was assumed that humour and irreverence were sound positioning strategies worldwide. Issue#4 Is Nandos haram or halalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Issue arises in Pakistan and Malaysia A mail from a customer who confidently state with some evidence that nandos is not halal Dear Friends,   AOA I am posting an email(un-edited)received from a relative.Comments of brothers will help.To me besideNOT HALAL the acts are CRUAL in a society which claims to be flag bearer of humanity.Commercialization (for cost saving,profits)to save some money cannot be used to induce ZULAM on livings.Here is the text received. Councillor Salim Mulla   Chair Regeneration   Town Hall, Blackburn   BB1 7DY   01254 585321 01254 260208 Email:  [emailprotected] Asalaamualaikum Brother and Sisters, After a recent meeting with HMC (Halal monitoring committee) I can confirm that the chicken served by Halal Nandos outlets still is NOTHALAL. HMC personally inspected the slaughterhouse of Freemans and came up with this conclusion. My point of contact is Haroon Rashid. Their chickens are all electrocuted, the power is that much that some of the brains explode and so do nerve endings. They dont do ziba as the chickens flap around too much and it leads to their wings getting damaged. This is definitely not Halal and not the way that Allah says to treat these animals. An extract taken from the Guardian (astaghfirullah) website on the issue of fast-food taking the case of Freemans who is the supplier of Nandos. Newent sits in folds of lush countryside at the far western reach of the Cotswolds hidden from view, is Freemans of Newent. Clifford Freeman and his cousin own this poultry abattoir. It is the largest Halal plant in Britain , employing more than 250 people, slaughtering 300,000 chickens a week, and after considerable   persuasion and hesitation Freeman has agreed to show me how it is done. The birds are collected from farms at night, transported to the site in the early hours of the morning, and kept in darkness until   they are ready to be killed. Workers hang them upside down by their feet in shackles, suspended from a conveyor belt, or line, which then dangles them through an electrified bath. Their heads are submerged, and a high-frequency current in the water stuns them. The line keeps moving,  taking the birds on to the slaughter area, where three men are standing ready to cut their throats. Issue#5 Issue in U.A .E where people are highly responsible and human oriented Dear All, here some informations i got today. I m a regular customer of Nando`s in the Greens. I like the food and (till this day) the concept of Nando`s. Even the home delivery service it was always good. BUTwhat i heard today made me very angry!! The staff of Nando`s in the Greens have to work daily minimum 12 hours, without to get any payment for the overtime (btw..it is against the rules of U.A.E to do so) furthermore almost all of the staff would like to leave the company asap, because of the Manager there and his behavior. Actually there`s one case, where a Lady from the Philippines after 3 years worked as a waiter, wants to leave Nando`s to start a new job in a other company. I saw her crying and asked her what`s wrong with her. She explained me her problem. Her previous contract (incl. labor card, viza and so on) with Nando`s in the Greens is expired and as per the rules of U.A.E, she can leave Nando`s and start to work somewhere else where ever she wants. The problem is the Manager of that branch in the Greens. He is trying to force her to stay there and to renew the contract. They signed already the letter of resignation (both the Lady and the Manager), but still the Manager is forcing her and telling her lies so that she have to stay there and work. His problem is the lack of staff, that is why he wants her to stay there. That behavior of the Manager is inacceptable!! I gave the Lady my phone number and will support her in that case. I have some powerful relatives here in the U.A.E. and until now (Thanks God) i never needed their help, but in that case i will call them and will ask them to help me/us. Anywayi wont visit any Nando`s anymore. Such a concept of modern slavery i wont support!! I will inform all of my friends and relatives about and tell them not to go there anymore! Regards H.Resad Issue#6 Controversies in India regarding their taste Nandos has opened its branch in India recently in 2010. Only one branch of Nandos is operating in India though India is a very large country and highly populated. The main issue which Nandos has to come across is that majority of the Indians are vegetarian and they dont eat chicken because of their customs and religion. Where as Nandos is a restaurant for chicken lover and that is the main biggest draw back to Nandos. Once it happens with Mc donalds that they open their branch in a very wrong area where majority of the people were vegetarian and because of which they face the loss and it all leads to bad publicity that is why Nandos open their one branch and they couldnt have the advantage over the large population because Nandos wanted to play safe Issue#7 Cultural discrimination in Saudi Arabia Nandos is also operating in Saudi Arabia but they arent that successful due to some reasons. As we all know that Arabs are known not be efficient and unproductive people. Thus, less people are hired from Saudi Nationals as employee and waiters and more are hired on international basis as they are considered to be more efficient and more productive. Therefore, there is a cultural discrimination problems leading to cultural issues. As it has been disliked by Saudis as more international are hired rather than locals. Through a survey it was been found out that among Nandos employees only 30 percent Saudi were hired and the majority were internationals. The consequences of this discrimination were really bad as it led to a very bad publicity for Nandos. Lessons and the reasons of their growth A global brand talks about growing the right way http://www.monkeydish.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/article_main_photo/articles/Nandos-Chicken.jpg How do you build a global restaurant chain? Robbie Brozin, the founder of $1-billion-a-year Nandos Chicken, ended the educational component of the Restaurant Leadership Conference with some specific tips for attendees. Nandos specializes in Portuguese-style chicken at its 1,000 stores, only four of which are located in the United States. The chicken is grilled and spiced with peri peri, a hot sauce widely known in Nandos home base of South Africa. Brozin said hell open three more stores this year in his New World foothold of Washington, D.C., guided by what hes learned from operating on four continents. Here are some of the lessons he shared with the 1,400 executives in attendance: You cant build great brands with advertising. At the end of the day, its the people. Nandos looks for hires that are a little different. We spend an inordinate amount of money to motivate our staff. We have a saying: Happy staff equals happy customer equals happy bank manager. How Nandos motivates its employees can vary greatly from market to market (its strongholds are Australia, with about 300 stores; the United Kingdom, 300 stores; and South Africa, also with 300). The constants are an emphasis on having fun and making a difference to the people who please customers one quarter chicken at a time. Partying is encouraged. Design can change a culture. [But] everything you design has to be about the people. He cited such people-pleasing possibilities as the look of the uniforms. You have to be profitable in America, and you have to have it profitable in Australia. The means are often very different, Brozin noted. Yet the brand has to have a common thread. Programmed into the DNA of every Nandos is the focus on chicken and the staff that serves it. Indeed, the absolute key to Nandos success, especially in the early days, was focus, Brozin stressed. He never forgot the objective, or the means to that end: At the end of the day, you have to have an amount of passion. But you also have to have an amount of commitment to making money. Recommendations Thus for organization like Nandos the need to observe people s custom, taste , national culture in carrying out its strategic marketing this is germane for their effective and successful operations as they expand the business . To overcome the issue in India, Nandos should open their outlet in the area where there are less vegetarian and they should introduce more new food stuff which doesnt contain chicken in it and should go fir more vegetables item. And while doing advertisement they should focus on stuff which doesnt contain chicken so that Nandos dont conflict with their custom and religion. To overcome the issue in Saudia, they should hire more Saudis rather than foreigners. In order to increase the efficiency and productivity of Saudis they should arrange more training programs and should give them more and better training in that way they can increase their productivity and they dont have to hire the people from outside and this how they can overcome this problem. To overcome the problems regarding Halal and Haram which is mostly concerned by the Muslim countries such as Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Bangladesh? Nando should spent more on advertising so as to ensure people that the chicken food provided by Nandos is Halal and not Haram. As many people consider their chicken as Haram due to which they have stopped eating it. Therefore, in order to avoid such bad publicity nandos should make people aware of the fact and should provide fool proof reasons that the chicken offered to them is Halal and not Haram Nandos had failed to observe. It has rigidly and excessively stuck to its corporate culture exhibited in South Africa. It failed to note that South African s national culture is not the same thing as what applies in countries in European and Asian states . To overcome this issue they should cultivate their international business by respecting the national differences in the countries where they expand to Nandos is known in South Africa for its humorous but often controversial adverts. This controversies create a lot of problems in South Africa and Australia to overcome this problem they should make different ads in different countries and all those ads should be within the limitation of their culture and should be that much decent that it is acceptable by everyone. They can solve the issue in U.A.E by chaging their manger because the mangaer behavior with the employees were not good and he was not being fair with them and they were nt evn paid for the over time because of which people were running away from Nandos and no one was ready to work over there. This was even affecting their sales because when customer came to know about the unfair with the employees they were so human oriented that they went on protest against nandos which resulted in bad publicity

Barn Burning :: Literary Analysis, William Faulkner

Sarty's betrayal of his father in William Faulkner's story "Barn Burning" is justified. The reader is introduced to Sarty's father as he is being tried for burning the barn of Mr. Harris. Lacking evidence, the Justice of the Peace drops the charges against Abner Snopes, Sarty's father, and he is ordered to leave the country. A harsh image of Sarty's father is presented in the line, "he [Sarty] followed the stiff black coat, the wiry figure walking a little stiffly from where a Confederate provost's man's musket ball had taken him in the heel on a stolen horse thirty years ago" (2177). The reader is given insight into Snopes' shady past and learns he has never been a law-abiding citizen. Sarty's inner turmoil centers around his sense of loyalty to his father and his own conflict with knowing his father's actions are wrong. Through Faulkner's use of stream-of-consciousness narration, the reader is aware of Sarty's thoughts. In one instance, Sarty alludes to Mr. Harris as "his father's enemy (our enemy he thought in that despair, ourn, mine and hisn both! He's my father!)" (2176). Upon hearing the hiss of someone accusing his father of burning barns, Sarty feels "the old fierce pull of blood" and is blindly thrust into a fight, only to be physically jerked back by his father's hand and his cold voice ordering him to get in the wagon. As the Snopes' family leaves town, Sarty consoles himself with the hope that this will be the last time his father commits the act that he cannot bring himself to even think of : "Maybe he's done satisfied now, now that he has" (2177). Deep down, Sarty knows his father is not going to end his destructive rampage. Ten-year-old Sarty cannot understand the true reasons for his father's actions: "that the element of fire spoke to some deep mainspring of his father's being," and, even more importantly, the fire served as "the one weapon for the preservation of [his] integrity" (2178). Sarty's thoughts when he realizes he might be questioned regarding the barn burning reflect the fear and despair he experiences: "He aims for me to lie. And I will have to do hit" (2176). Later, Sarty's father violently reminds him that blood is thicker than water when he accuses Sarty of being ready to betray him.

True Human Nature Exposed in Lord of the Flies Essay -- Lord of the Fl

True Human Nature Exposed in Lord of the Flies       The island in Lord of the Flies represents "a microcosm of human society." Stranded on an island where no definite authority is to be obeyed, the boys quickly forget the social standards that their parents have impressed on them. Eventually, the wildness of their ids cannot be suppressed. They lose their pride as "British boys" and choose their leaders, their social groups, and their lifestyles with their basic instincts rather than with practicality. Fear and superstition rule the island instead of the laws of science. Without the constant pressure of society's expectations, the boys display the fundamental elements of human nature in the way that they choose to live.    In society, a constant struggle exists between what people want to do and what they need to do. If Freud's ideas about the human mind are correct, those who stress the former are more strongly controlled by their ids. Those whose lean more towards the latter are controlled by their ego. The government tries to enforce rules while the people struggle for more freedom. This is plainly displayed in how Ralph and Jack fight for the loyalty of the other boys. Ralph promises rescue, which works for a time. However, Jack promises them fun. People would rather have pleasure than security. The boys cannot see the importance of following the rules. In society, people have a similar problem. Everyone desires to be "liberated from shame and self-consciousness." Unfortunately, this inclination is not always in their best interest.    Humans will always separate themselves into groups based on appearance and similarities. The boy automatically separate themselves into "biguns" and "littluns." The older c... ...s in self-defense, Jack tells them "I told you- he's dangerous." This type of manipulation is common in human society, particularly when a fight for power is involved.    In human society, people will do what comes easiest. They will be manipulated and mistreated before they start to think for themselves or to act as individuals. This is shown well by the boys in The Lord of the Flies because boys have not yet suppressed their basic natures as completely as adults have. The thoughtless attitudes that the boys have is common in human society, even if adults pretend otherwise.    Works Cited Baker, James R.   William Golding, A Critical Study.   New York: St. Martin's Press, 1985. Golding, William.   Lord of the Flies.   New York: Harcourt, 1962. Riley, Carolyn, ed.   Vol. 1 of Contemporary Literary Criticism. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1993.

Blood Brain Barrier Essay -- Biology

The brain is permeated by a vast network of tiny blood vessels called capillaries- so tiny and thin that blood cells have to pass through in single file. In the brain alone there are enough capillaries that if you laid them all out end to end they would stretch from Tucson to Tijuana. These capillaries are surrounded by a single layer of cells. That layer of cells forms a barrier between the capillaries and the cells and fluid of the brain. These barrier-forming cells are called "endothelial cells". You can think of "endothelial" as a synonym for "lining" or even just "barrier". When we use the phrase Blood Brain Barrier, (which for obvious reasons we'll refer to as BBB from here on out!), we're talking about all of these endothelial ("barrier") cells collectively. Function of the BBB The cell membranes of the BBB contain transport proteins. If the brain is a nightclub, the transport proteins are bouncers. They decide who gets in, and who gets kicked out. On this website we'll be introducing you to the most important transport proteins- OATP, MDR1, and MDR2. Don't let all the acronyms intimidate you- read carefully and you'll be fine. If the nightclub/bouncer analogy doesn't work for you, you could also think of them as little vacuum pumps and blowers. An extremely detailed view of their actual mechanisms is beyond current knowledge. Importance of the BBB Without the BBB, undesirable molecules could freely diffuse from the capillaries to the fluid that surrounds the brain cells. These undesirable molecules include: TOXINS- poisons taken in from the environment. IONS- that might upset the delicate electrochemical gradients of the cerebral fluid. ACIDS and BASES- that might upset the cerebral ... ...aks down the BBB, so the mice infected with GBS lacking this toxin developed less bacterial meningitis than those infected with the normal GBS. -Doran says: Ââ€Å"These findings demonstrate a novel function of the blood-brain barrier, to act as a sentry that detects the threat of a bacterial pathogen and responds by triggering an immune response to clear the infection. 3. Neuwalt- Researches treatment of brain tumors with chemotherapy, hard because of the BBB (natural defense against chemical transport into the brain) introduction of chemicals to the brain by shrinking endothelial cells that make up the BBB with a concentrated sugar solution that creates gaps in the BBB allowing chemicals to enter (called Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption Therapy) project tenfold to a hundredfold more successful than normal chemotherapy and intra-arterial chemotherapy (Neuwalt, 1998)

Divine command theory

The most basic difference in divine command theory and Immanuel Kant’s moral theory is where the founding principle comes from. Kant argues that as rational creatures with the ability for autonomous thought and action, we can rationally determine the morality of any situation. Divine command theory requires that humans ascertain the will of God to know the difference between right and wrong. In large part the two theories overlap and many who promote divine command theory would argue that Kant simply did not take his explanation far enough.They would argue that had he determined the source of rationality, i.e. the theory that God endowed His creation will freewill and autonomy, then he would see that even the rational choice theory of morality leads back to divine intervention. However, Kant argued that it is impossible using rational arguments to determine if God exists or not. We can, however, argue rationally that humans are rational beings and capable of autonomous action. Therefore, we can argue that autonomous beings have the rational capability of determining a guiding moral principle.Kant’s theory argues that the moral principle which guides life should be determined in a vacuum, absent of the facts. This was his way of arguing against situational ethics. A guiding principle, the basics of morality, should be determined based solely on rational thought and then, once the principle is established, the facts of the situation may be applied to the moral principle and the appropriate action, the answer to the question, †What ought I to do?†,   can be determined. Kant’s theory requires the identification of the categorical imperative that is essential to living a moral life. Morality is determined by the one rationally determined categorical imperative.If then an action seems within the situation as though it will not be compatible with the categorical imperative, then it is morally wrong and there is no justifying it or ch anging things around to make it okay.   For example, if the rationally determined categorical imperative is that murder is wrong, then it is wrong. This is actually a form of the argument many people use in opposing the death penalty. They argue that it cannot be morally justified to kill someone even if it is being done because he killed someone else. Their categorical imperative is that it is irrational to kill another person. This person should also then be a conscientious objector as there is no circumstance under which killing is not morally wrong.Under diving command theory, the order of God that â€Å"thou shalt not kill† would be an equally definitive moral compass, except that the God’s commands are rarely that direct. One of the biggest criticisms of divine command theory is that it does not indicate how one is to determine what God’s command is. Many point to the scriptures, but those vary, sometimes greatly among translations and faiths. In centuri es past, many believed in the divine rule of kings as God’s voice on earth.Therefore, if the King commanded it, it was the word of God as well and since many of these kings sent men into battle in direct opposition to the commandment against killing, the theory of divine command is weakened by the need to identify God or His commands. Even extending into the modern day, the Pope is considered by Catholics to be the voice of God. Is the word of the Pope then the moral guide for the divine command theory? And, the seemingly contradictory messages of the Bible (or other scriptures) become a much greater problem. If we are basing our morality on God’s command, but His words are unclear, how can morality become clear?Ultimately, the difference between right and wrong in the two theories is potentially huge. Under the divine command theory, anything that God commands can be considered right and anything contrary to God’s command is wrong.   With Kant’s theory , wrong is defined as being immoral and immorality is irrational. Therefore, any act which is irrational could be considered morally wrong.   Thus the two theories can lead to very different conclusions in the exact same case.Essentially, the difference between the two is that though Kant argued that moral theory should be determined in the absence of facts, it is not hard and fast and allows for some circumstantial ethics. The simple problem with divine command theory is that if it relies on scriptures as God’s command, it is clear cut with no room for interpretation. Why then would man be capable of rational thought if there were no rationality needed? With divine command theory any creature that can understand simple commands could be taught to obey the law and the creation of a species capable of rational thought would be unnecessary.Likewise, the problem with moral theory is that it does not have clear cut right and wrong. By arguing that the requisite is rational acti on, Kant has made it possible for anything to be rationally justified even perhaps the greatest of moral wrongs including murder or even genocide, if the reasoning were sound. Because of the difference in their application, the two theories can be applied with completely different outcomes.For instance, assume that a man is walking through the woods late in the evening and sees a man attacking a woman whom he knows to be virtuous (just to make it clear she is the victim here). Because the attacker is in such a rage, the only manner that the observer has to prevent him from killing the innocent is to kill the attacker. If we use the divine command theory to determine our course of action, harkening back to the Ten Commandments and â€Å"Thou Shalt Not Kill†, the observer is left with no action that he can take to prevent the death of an innocent woman.Under Kant’s moral theory, it is completely irrational for the observer to allow an innocent to be killed simply because a Divine Being ordained that killing is wrong. Therefore, under the Kant theory, the observer would be wholly justified in killing the attacker. He would be doing the right thing. While clearly not all moral obligations and decisions would ever be this clear cut, this example illustrates where the two theories diverge drastically.It is precisely this type of scenario which leads me to support Kant’s moral theory over the theory of divine command. The theory of divine command relies on the existence of a Supreme Being and the knowledge of His will in personal action. Like Kant, I am not certain that we can determine if God exists, much less what His divine command would be. In a different age, divine command theory as method of determining morality made perfect sense.The king, ruling with diving right, could ordain the divine commands of his nation and the law would therefore be good, but as we have entered the age of reason and science, the theory of divine command falls sho rt. It does not offer any guidance on issues that were not conceived of when the Bible or other scriptures were written. Unless one accepts that the Pope is the direct conduit to God’s will left on earth, how could on determine what the divine command theory would be on an issue like cloning and therefore what the morality might be.Some religious people might say that cloning is wrong because it attempts to subvert God’s role in creation, but where in the Scripture does it say ‘thou shalt not clone’?   And, if we accept the argument that God did not intend for man to interfere in the creation process, should we not then find in vitro fertilization and even breeding controls on animals to be contrary to God’s law?   The simple failing of the divine command theory is that it does not reach into the modern age and allow moral decisions appropriate to the times in which we live.Kant’s theory on the other hand is perfect for the age of reason, probably based on the time frame in which it was being developed.   When the means test of rationality is applied, virtually any decision can be made, often in the style of Kant’s writings about common sense.For example, the rational mind can identify the moral ambiguity of cloning, especially cloning of a rational being. With all consciousness of thought, we can determine that creating that which we do not understand may be wrong. We can also rationally determine that choosing to mate specific animals in hopes of getting a particular set of genetic traits or implanting an embryo into a uterus is not an evil act simply because it involves creation. Even those who believe in the existence of a Supreme Being cannot argue why a God that is â€Å"good† and benevolent would object to the use of scientific advances to prolong life and to assist the natural process of procreation.As a further example of this, consider the use of nuclear weapons. Though we can default to th e idea that thou shalt not kill as divine command argument against the use of the weapon, the argument falls short when we realize that man has been commanded to kill hundreds of times throughout history in God’s name. However, when we consider the discussion of nuclear weapons using Kant’s theory, we can determine that the use of nuclear weapons on any widespread basis is irrational and therefore immoral and therefore wrong.The rational arguments against the weapons are plentiful: they destroy every living creature for miles, they destroy the land making it uninhabitable for years, and the radiation spread cannot be controlled, leading to countless additional injuries, illnesses and deaths. Ultimately, both theories come to the same conclusion, but Kant’s theory provides a better argument supporting the cause.Objectors will say that the problem with Kant’s theory is that humans have the capacity to act irrationally and therefore immorally. That irrationa lity negates the concept of a rational test of morality. This argument is flawed in that it is based on a premise which we call mental illness. In American society at least, when a person has lost the ability to tell the difference between right and wrong, we determine that they are mentally ill. This means even our system of psychology is based loosely on Kant’s premise that we are rational creatures, capable of autonomous action.Furthermore, nothing in theory would ever preclude a person from acting in a manner contrary to their moral theory. It is completely possible for a person to know an action is morally wrong and do it anyway. Sometimes, they will make attempts to justify the actions in their own minds or to others, but even the great majority of criminals can acknowledge that there is a significant difference between right and wrong even while they are choosing the wrong option. This is the reason that the American legal system recognizes mitigating factors, those ex cuses for why it was okay to do the wrong thing. We understand that the rational mind can also try to reason out doing what it desires.Critics of Kant’s theory would also argue that there are no simple clear cut definitions of right and wrong. That is correct. There aren’t. Ethics and morality are situational, no matter what people want to say or believe. It can be as simple as believing that a little white lie is occasionally okay (Do you really want to tell your mother her new dress looks hideous?) or as extreme as a blatant attempt to manipulate society and yourself that murder is justifiable. Regardless, Kant would argue that the theory holds true. Rational beings know that these actions are wrong and society, which is not a rational being, has dictated that we are allowed to act otherwise.