Managing Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managing Sustainability - Essay Example And the human economy is a subsystem of this biosphere. From the session I came to know that according to the neo-classical concept, the market system is considered to be the preferred institution for allocating scarce resources. The market system accomplishes this wonderful feat using prices as a means of gauging resource scarcity. In sharp contrast to the Malthusians, neoclassicists believe that economic growth, through increases in per capita income and improvements in technology, provides solutions for both environmental and population problems. In other words, the solution to environmental and population problems is more, not less, economic growth. It was quiet evident to me that according to Malthusian doctrine of resource scarcity and economic growth, technology is not the ultimate escape from the problem of resource scarcity from which I agree to some extent but it doesn’t means that we should stop economic growth. Human beings have a natural propensity for self-destru ction while critics consider that the Malthusian predictions of economic collapse are unwarranted and moreover not helpful politically. In the neoclassical economics I came to know that resources are generally considered to be fungible. On that point I agree to the criticism that the link between the flow of matter–energy in the economic system and the natural environment is very much ignored. From my point of view, economic growth and technological advances should be viewed not as problems in themselves – the way Malthusians tend to view them, but as cures for stresses involving population, resources, pollution, and other environmental damages which were rectified to some extent in ecological economics. According to ecological economics, systems are complex, adaptive, living systems that need to be studied as integrated, co-evolving systems in order to be adequately understood (Costanza et al. 1993). Here, the human economy is viewed as a subsystem of the natural ecos ystem. The nature of the exchanges of matter and energy between the ecosystem and economic subsystem is the primary focus of ecological economics (Ayres 1978; Pearce 1987). Except for information, the natural ecosystem is the ultimate source of all material inputs for the economic subsystem. In this sense, then, nature can rightly be regarded as the ultimate source of wealth. In Sustainable development economics we studied three different conceptions of sustainability, namely Hartwick–Solow sustainability, ecological economics sustainability and the safe minimum standards (SMS) sustainability. Ecological economics presumes that the sustainability of ecological systems is a prerequisite to sustainable human economic development, and it views human and natural capital as complements. Market failures can happen when the benefits of natural or social capital depletion are privatized and the costs are often externalized. When natural capital is undervalued by society since we are not fully aware of the real cost of the depletion of natural capital then also market failures happen. Information asymmetry can also result in market failure when the link between cause and effect is obscured, making it difficult to make informed choices. From the session I agree to the view of Boulding (1966) â€Å"

My Definition of Success Essay Example for Free

My Definition of Success Essay Success is not an eventual pinnacle. It is an odyssey that has multiple peaks, and at each peak one must strive to attain his goal and culminate his efforts into something fruitful. Different people have myriad opinions about success. Some relate it with money, some with power. However, for me â€Å"success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best, to become the best of that you are capable of becoming. † It consists in being content with what you do!! Success is something one assembles from components he discovers in his soul and his imagination. It can be achieved by knowing, understanding, believing in oneself, and executing the apposite actions required to achieve it. â€Å"The truth is that all of us attain the greatest success and blithe possible in this life whenever we use our native capacities to their greatest extent. † â€Å"Do not aim for success if you want it! Just do what you love and believe in, and†¦it will come naturally. † Sorrowfully, success has been commercialized with fame and popularity. â€Å"The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic, and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them-for the most part- humble, tolerant, and kind. Setbacks also help in achieving success. It is very aptly said that discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. Multi-faceted success doesn’t lie in not falling, but lies in rising each time you fall. If we become dejected, we will be in nadir and will lose the hope to ever rise again. It is imperative that we take our failures in our stride, which will actuate us to accomplish our tasks. Having done so, we can set an inspiring example and leave an indelible imprint on the minds of others to emulate.

Evidence of Witness Statement

Evidence of Witness Statement The evidence that the prosecution wants to adduce at trial is the police statement made by Bennie which shows that he had seen Avril dealing drugs many times. This evidence wants to be used by the prosecution to prove Avrils involvement with the dealing of drugs as well as her involvement with the Black and reds local gang. Before the prosecution can adduce the evidence, there are a series of factors that needs to be considered and the first is relevance. What can be regarded as relevant is something that applies to the matter in question; affording something to the purpose and something that is legally sufficient.[1] Bennies evidence can be said to be relevant because it does apply to the matter in question which is Avrils drugs offence. The second factor the prosecution needs to consider before adducing Bennies evidence is the competence and compellability of Bennie. In the issue stated Bennie can be seen to be Avrils husband which puts him under the category of a spouse. A spouse per Glover is a person who is lawfully married to the accused at the time when he or she is called to give evidence.[2] In the issue, it was seen that Bennie and Avril had recently separated. They are still legally married regardless of the separation factor. It was not stated that they were divorced or the marriage was annulled, therefore Bennie still falls under the category of a spouse. There is a general rule which can be found in s53(1) of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act (YJCEA) 1999[3] that all witnesses are presumed to be competent[4]. In the application of this rule there is a presumption that Bennie is a competent witness for the prosecution. In regards to compellability, a spouse is generally not compellable for the prosecution unless the exceptions that are set out in s80(3) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984[5] are met. Relating the exceptions listed out in s80(3) of PACE 1984[6] to the issue, the type of offence that Avril is being charged with are drugs offences and as such Bennie does not fall under any of the exceptions which make him a non-compellable witness to the prosecution. It has been established that Bennie is a non-compellable witness which means he is not legally obliged to give evidence but has the choice to do so. This shows that he can choose to testify in court, however the prosecution can admit Bennies police statement as evidence through a hearsay exception which can be found in the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) 2003. The case of R v L [2009][7] can be used in regards to this issue. In this case the Witness who was a spouse could not be compelled to testify against her husband however a pre-trial statement which was a police statement was admitted as an exception to the hearsay rule[8]. According to LT choo hearsay evidence is an out of court statement that is being adduced in court as evidence of the matter stated in the statement.[9] Hearsay evidence is generally inadmissible unless it falls under the exceptions in CJA 2003[10]. For the evidence to be admissible under the witness unavailability exception three conditions must be met which can be found in Section 116 (1)(a) (1)(c) CJA 2003. It is important to note that S116(1)(c) shows that hearsay evidence can be admissible if it satisfies any of the five conditions stated in subsection 2[11]. One of the conditions that is shown in subsection (2)(e) of the CJA 2003 relates to fear of a witness. In relations to the issue, Bennie refuses to testify in court and leading up to his refusal it was seen that he had a bruising to his face. An assumption can be made that he is refusing to testify because of fear and as such the prosecution can adduce Bennies evidence under s116 as a hearsay exception provided all the cond itions are satisfied. Other than the hearsay exception, the part for Bennie could also make an application for a special measure direction (SMD). Bennie refuses to testify and has a bruising to the face. This brings about an assumption of fear which makes him a vulnerable witness and vulnerable witnesses can make applications for SMDs. There are three stages in which SMDs can be granted. The first stage is looking at the eligibility of the witness which can be found in s16 17 YJCEA 1999[12]. The second and third stage can be found in s19(2)(a) and (b) YJCEA 1999. Looking at Bennie he could be eligible for an SMD on the grounds of fear or distress about testifying[13] which falls under s17 YJCEA 1999[14]. If the courts are satisfied that Bennie meets all the stages, the application will be successful and Bennie will be able to testify through an SMD. SMDs that are available to Bennie are screening[15] which is stated in s23 YJCEA 1999 or video recorded evidence in chief[16] which is shown in s27(1) (3) Y JCEA 1999. In conclusion, Bennie is a competent and a non-compellable witness and as such he has no legal obligation to testify in court. However, the prosecution can pass Bennies police statement through the hearsay exception of witness unavailability if he can satisfy all the conditions set out in the provision. B. The evidence that the prosecution wants to adduce are Avrils two previous convictions for theft and two previous convictions for drugs offences involving possession of marijuana with intent to supply. The prosecution wishes to use this evidence to prove that Avril committed the drugs offences she is being charged with. The evidential issue that this raises is bad character evidence. Bad character is defined is s98 of the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) 2003. The key factors of the definition are evidence of, or a disposition towards misconduct on his part, other than evidence which (a) has to do with the alleged facts of the offence charged (b) is evidence of misconduct in connection with the investigation or prosecution of that offence.[17] In assessing the two previous convictions of theft for Avril the evidence has nothing to do with the alleged facts of the current offence that is being charged. The previous offence and the alleged facts are not so closely connected as defined in the case of R v Tirnaveanu [2007][18]. Also, it is not in relations to the investigation or prosecution of that particular offence[19] which is the drugs offences. This shows that her two previous convictions for theft is a bad character evidence which can be admitted through one of the gateways under s101(1)(a) (g) CJA 2003 and expanded on in s102-106 CJA 2003. The first gateway that should always be used is gateway D which can be found under s103 CJA 2003. Gateway D is the relevance to important issue between the defendant and the prosecution[20]. The prosecutions evidence of a defendants bad character is admissible based on its relevance to an important matter in issue between the defendant and the prosecution[21]. An important matter means a matter of substantial importance in the context of the case as a whole[22] as defined in s112 CJA 2003. Section 103(1)(a) is in regards to propensity to commit the offences of the kind that the defendant is being charged with. In the application of this provision to Avrils previous convictions for theft it could be said that she does have propensity for theft but the crime of her previous convictions are not relevant to the matter in issue because they fall under different categories of offences. A case that relates well to s103(1)(a) is Hanson (Gilmore) [2005] [23]. The defendant was charged with theft of goods from a shed, and he had three previous convictions for shoplifting which were admitted on grounds for showing propensity[24]; the offences were similar. Section 103(1)(b) also does not apply to her previous convictions because the provision refers to the propensity to be untruthful which has no obvious similarity to her previous convictions. Therefore, the bad character evidence cannot be admitted through gateway D. If this cannot be admitted through gateway D then Gateway C can be looked at which is under s101(1)(c) CJA 2003. Gateway C is the important explanatory evidence[25]. This gateway reflects the common-law rule which permits background or explanatory material where the account otherwise to be placed before the court would be incomplete and incomprehensible.[26] This simply means in order for the jury to better understand the facts in issue the background evidence should be allowed. A case that refers to this is Phillips [2003] [27]. In Phillips[28], the evidence of the defendants previous threats to kill his wife when he was on trial for her murder were admissible as background evidence[29]. Referring to Avril, her previous convictions for theft cannot be allowed as background evidence to the drugs offences because they fall under different categories. Therefore, her previous convictions for theft is inadmissible under the gateway D and C. It was seen that she also had two previous convictions involving possession of marijuana and intent to supply. Her two previous convictions for drugs offences was seen to be done in the year 2011 and 2014. Her previous convictions have nothing to do with the offence charged. Firstly, the evidence is relevant. The previous offence and the current offence is not so closely connected because there is quite a gap between the years of her previous offence and the current offence; no nexus in time. It is also not an evidence of misconduct relating to the investigation or the prosecution of the offence, therefore it is a bad character evidence. Going through gateway D her previous convictions involving drugs offences show propensity to commit the kind of offence charged.[30] The test for propensity was established in R v Hanson.[31]Where the propensity to commit the offence is relied upon there are three questions to be considered. (i) Does the history of conviction(s) establish a propensit y to commit offences of the kind charged? (ii) Does that propensity make it more likely that the defendant committed the offence charged? (iii) Is it unjust to rely on the conviction(s) of the same description or category; and, in any event, will the proceedings be unfair if they are admitted?[32] Relating this to Avrils two previous convictions for possession of marijuana with intent to supply, her history of her past convictions does show a propensity to commit the kind of offence charged. This is because in 2011 she was convicted for drugs offences as well as in 2014 for the same crime. Avril being in possession of marijuana and intent to supply has a strong similar link to her drugs offence that she is currently being charged with. It can be said that her propensity makes it more likely that she did commit the offence charged because they all share similar features which means there is a strong MO link. Similar features such as the type of offence, the possession of illegal drugs and intent to supply. It will be just to rely on her previous convictions because it shows a high possibility of reoffending based on her propensity. Avrils previous convictions meet all the Hanson criteria which means her previous convictions shows a propensity for her to commit the kind of offen ce charged therefore gateway D is applied. In conclusion, Avrils previous conviction for theft is bad character evidence but it could meet the threshold for gateway D and C which shows the evidence to be inadmissible. Nonetheless, her previous convictions for drugs offences met the criteria for gateway D which means it can be admitted as bad character evidence for the prosecution. C. The evidence is Avrils confession and the prosecution wants to adduce this evidence to prove that she committed the drugs offence that she is being charged with. The evidence is relevant because it is in relations to the issue and the drugs offence charged. The evidential issue that this raises is the admissibility of confession. Section 82(1) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 gives definition to a confession. According to McAlhone and Stockdale A statement is a confession if, whether oral or written or made by conduct (e.g by video re-enactment), it is at least in part, adverse to its makers interests.[33] It is important to note that confessions are an out of court statement that the defendant made and the prosecution wants to admit it for its truth. This makes the evidence hearsay and as such it is generally inadmissible but there are exceptions to the hearsay rule which is contained in two provisions. The statutory provisions that regulates the admissibility of confessions is s76 and s78 of PACE 1984. S76(1) of PACE lays out the admissibility of the confession made by the defendant as evidence against him/her. The key factors for admissibility under section 76(1) of PACE is (i) the confession should be relevant to any matter in issue and (ii) it is not excluded by the court in pursuance of s76.[34] The court have a discretion to exclude a confession if it falls under the provision of s76(2) of PACE and it is up to the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the confession does not fall under s76(2) of PACE[35]. S76(2)(a) refers to a confession being obtained by oppression. Section 76(8) of PACE explains what constitutes oppression but this is only a partial definition. In R v Fulling[36] oppression was given the oxford dictionary meaning; the oxford dictionary defines oppression as prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or exercise of authority.[37] While Lord Lane in the case of Fulling[38]gave a description of what s76(2)(b) covers. He believed that the confession must be shown to be voluntary in the sense that it was not obtained by fear of prejudice or hope of advantage, excited or held out by a person in authority[39] s76(2)(b) looks at the unreliability of a confession, hence looking at the circumstances of anything said and done on the occasion of confession that would make it unreliable; it also includes things not said and not done which could include omissions, breaches of PACE and associated Codes of Practice[40]. There needs to be a causal link between what was said and done in the circumstance and the confession. Relating this to the issue, Avril made a confession which could be admissible under s76(1) of PACE 1984 because the confession is relevant to the matter in issue. The second factor is the no exclusion by the courts. S76(2)(a) does not apply to Avrils case because it can be seen from the facts of the issue that her confession was not obtained by oppression; there was no exercise of authority or torture or inhuman and degrading treatment done to Avril. Since Avrils confession does not fall under oppression s76(2)(b) can be used. The first fact of the issue was that P.C. Pumpkin forgot to issue the police caution before she was interviewed. The failure to give a police caution is a breach of code C under PACE 1984 as seen in Doolan [1988][41]. The second fact of the issue was Avrils solicitor was not called because of the confusion in the change of police shifts. The right to a solicitor for the accused is found in s56 of PACE 1984[42]. Failure to provide access to a solicitor as required by this provision could lead a person of low IQ who knows little about the process to confess but this may have less effect upon a person who can cope with an interview situation and is aware of his legal rights[43] as seen in R v Alladice (1988)[44]. There is an assumption that Avril is aware of her legal rights because she has had past convictions of the similar offence, therefore her not having a solicitor has little effect on her confession. The third fact of the issue was that Avril was not given any food and drink for 24 hours and became claustrophobic in the police cell and is also diabetic. Her confession is unreliable because she was not given proper rest[45] which can also include the provision of food and drink. A police misconduct is not required. In Walker [1998] [46]the police were unaware of the mental condition of the defendant[47]. The police were unaware of Avrils claustrophobia as well as her diabetes so the police misconduct in regards to this cannot be relied upon. Nonetheless code C does require the police to attend to detained person if the need for attention is urgent. Another provision that protects the accused from unfair proceedings and unfair evidence is s78 of PACE 1984[48]. This provision shows exclusion of unfair evidence by the court if it would have an adverse effect on the fairness of the proceedings[49]. A breach of PACE or the codes may lead to an exclusion, however the breach should be significant and substantial[50]. It will not be appropriate to exclude a confession based on a breach which is inconsequential, for example, failure to provide a solicitor[51]. It was clear that there was a breach of code when the police did not give Avril access to a solicitor but based on an assumption that Avril could handle an interview situation because she has had previous dealings with police interviews from her past convictions the breach may not be substantial enough for the court to exclude it. In conclusion, Avrils confession is unreliable under s76(2)(b) of PACE which can be excluded by the court. This shows that her confession cannot be admissible under s76 of PACE. Nevertheless, it can be admissible under s78 of PACE because her confession was not unfair evidence, therefore it is highly likely the courts will not exclude this, subsequently the prosecution may adduce the evidence through this provision. BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS Andrew L-T Choo, Evidence (3rd edn, Oxford University press, 2012) Christina McAlhone and Michael Stockdale, Nutshells, Evidence in a nutshell (3rd edn, Sweet and Maxwell Limited, 2002) Richard Glover, Murphy on Evidence (14th edn, Oxford University Press, 2015) CASES Hanson (Gilmore) [2005] EWCA Crim 824 R v Alladice (1988) 87 Cr App R 380 R v Davis [2008] EWCA Crim 1156 R v Doolan [1988] Crim LR 747 R v Fulling [1987] 2 All ER 65 R v Hanson [2005] EWCA Crim 824 R v L [2009] 1 WLR 626, CA R v Phillips [2003] EWCA Crim 1379 R v Tirnaveanu [2007] EWCA Crim 1239 R v Trussler [1988] Crim LR 446 R v Walker [1998] Crim LR 211 STATUTES Criminal Justice Act 2003 Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 WEBSITES Oxforddictionary.com Oppression, https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/oppression accessed 15 March, 2017 TheLawDictionary.org, What is RELEVANT?, http://thelawdictionary.org/relevant/ accessed 8 March 2017 [1] TheLawDictionary.org, What is RELEVANT?, http://thelawdictionary.org/relevant/ accessed 8 March 2017. [2] Richard Glover, Murphy on Evidence (14th edn, Oxford University Press, 2015) p 590 [3] Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 s 53 (1) [4] Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 s 53 (1) [5] Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 s80 (3) [6] Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 s80 (3) [7] R v L [2009] 1 WLR 626, CA [8] R v L [2009] 1 WLR 626, CA [9] Andrew L-T Choo, Evidence (3rd edn, Oxford University press, 2012) p 277 [10] Criminal Justice Act 2003 [11] Criminal Justice Act 2003 s116 (2) [12] Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 s16-s17 [13] Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 s17 [14] Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 s17 [15] Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 s23 [16] Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 s27(1)-(3) [17] Criminal Justice Act 2003 s98 [18] R v Tirnaveanu [2007] EWCA Crim 1239 [19] Criminal Justice Act 2003 s98 [20] Andrew L-T Choo, Evidence (3rd edn, Oxford University press, 2012) p 258 [21] Andrew L-T Choo, Evidence (3rd edn, Oxford University press, 2012) p 258 [22] Criminal Justice Act 2003 s112 [23] Hanson (Gilmore) [2005] EWCA Crim 824 [24] Hanson (Gilmore) [2005] EWCA Crim 824 [25] Criminal Justice Act 2003 s102 [26] R v Davis [2008] EWCA Crim 1156 [27]R v Phillips [2003] EWCA Crim 1379 [28] R v Phillips [2003] EWCA Crim 1379 [29] R v Phillips [2003] EWCA Crim 1379 [30] Criminal Justice Act 2003 s103 (1) (a) [31] R v Hanson [2005] EWCA Crim 824 [32] R v Hanson [2005] EWCA Crim 824 [33] Christina McAlhone and Michael Stockdale, Nutshells, Evidence in a nutshell (3rd edn, Sweet and Maxwell Limited, 2002) p 82 [34] Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 s76 (1) [35] Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 s76 (2) [36] R v Fulling [1987] 2 All ER 65 [37] Oxforddictionary.com Oppression, https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/oppression accessed 15 March, 2017 [38] R v Fulling [1987] 2 All ER 65

Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby as Commentary on the Failure of Society E

Fitzgerald's Corrupt View of Society in The Great Gatsby       "What people are ashamed of usually makes a good story," was said of Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is about the American Society at its worst and the downfall of those who attempt to reach its illusionary goals. The idea is that through wealth and power, one can acquire happiness. To get his happiness Jay Gatsby must reach into the past and relive an old dream. In order to achieve his dream, he must have wealth and power. Fitzgerald was wrong in the way he presented Gatsby's American Society because of the way Gatsby made money, found love, and lived his life.    The way in which Gatsby made money was a despicable practice. Gatsby's bootlegging business made him millions. The time during Prohibition in the 1920's was a opportune time to take advantage of the lack of alcohol and sell it for those who would pay large sums for it. Organized criminals catered to the needs of the drinking public by illegally supplying them with liquor. The book and Fitzgerald didn't reference straight to t...

Servervault Case

ServerVault Case Servervault is a company in the hosting industry located in the United States which has been in operation since December 1999. A hosting company provides its customers with physical space for servers and supporting services. Servervault chooses only to operate in the managed hosting section which gives more value-added services to customers. ServerVault attracts Internet-reliant and security-savvy customers. It also provides end-to-end solutions to customers. Servervault differentiates itself from competitors by offering high level of security protection.It also has enough bandwidth and power supply to ensure the Internet access is always available. Servervault has three sources of revenue: one-time setup fees for new customers, monthly hosting fees and fees for additional value-added services. Although the variable cost of serving an additional customer is relatively low, it requires large funds to build facilities upfront. Recently, the president/CEO and CFO want t o raise some capital for its expansion. The potential investors want to learn more about ServerVault’s projected cash needs to make the investment decision.Macroeconomic analysis Economic background As it can be seen from Appendix A(1), the NASDAQ composite peaked at 5048. 62 in March 2000 before dropped dramatically to 3205. 11 in April. The major contributor to the loss is the internet bubble. The increasing stock prices over the last few years made some investors too confident in IT companies. However, the collapse of the bubble took place in 2000, when a lot of IT companies failed. As a result, the NASDAQ composite witnesses a huge loss in the stock market. Hence, it is a good opportunity for ServerVault to get more market share.On the other hand, Appendix A(2) illustrates that the US GDP has kept growing during the last six years, which suggests that the loss may only occur in the IT sector. The growth in GDP brings more business capital spending. (Please see Appendix A( 3)). Some of these capital spending may be used to hire third parties to strengthen firms’ IT departments. Therefore, it is a good news for ServerVault since it may have more customers in the future. Social background An analysis in social background will help ServerVault to determine what customer needs.The number of internet users worldwide was only about 30 million in 1995, but it increases to around 280 million in 2000. Please see Appendix B. The popularity of internet offers businesses a new way to advertise and sell their products. Nowadays, people like to shop online so that more and more companies need reliable internet servers to handle complex transactions. Since ServerVault specializes in this area, the increase in the number of internet users is definitely good. Microeconomic analysis Competitors Competitors are a major threat to the business.Therefore, to gain some insights of competitors’ businesses can help ServerVault to determine where it stands in rel ation to the industry. According to the information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ServerVault faced intensive competition in 2000, as the number of establishments in the data processing and web hosting industry was approximately 28000. However, that number decreases by 46% to around 15000 in late 2011. (Appendix C(1)). As the demand for web hosting services has kept growing, during the 10-year period, some firms in the industry become very large while a lot of them failed.In 2000, the leaders in the managed section of the web hosting industry were Digex, IMB and Data Return. The major service provided by Digex is largely the same with the one offered by ServerVault. However, Digex also has revenues from value-added services including firewall management, stress testing, consulting services. It also provides computer hardware, software, network technology, and systems management necessary to customers. In the year of 2000, it had revenues of 168 million and a net loss of 143 m illion. As it can be seen from its balance sheet, it has huge investment in capital assets.Its property and equipment account for 77% of its total assets. (Please see Appendix C(2)). IBM operates in five business segments. Web hosting services would fall in the system and technology segment, which provides clients with business applications requiring computing power and storage capabilities. The total number of signed strategic outsourcing contracts valued at more than $100 million increases from 24 in 1997 to 58 in 2000. In 2011, the system and technology segment had revenue of 20 billion with pre-tax income of 1. 6 billion. (Please see Appendix C(3)).Data return also offers ongoing maintenance of hardware and software, including content back-ups and system upgrades, in addition to its web hosting service. It has total revenue of $7. 1 million and a net loss of $12 million in 2000. (Please see Appendix C(4)). Customers Customers are very important to ServerVault, because they are t he source of revenue. Small companies usually have simple internet needs and can be satisfied by shared hosting services. Those who already owned and managed their own servers but lack a suitable space and a reliable internet connection are customers of the co-location segment.The customers in the managed section would be companies with significant internet presence and high volume e-commerce. E-commerce in the United States grows at a fast speed during the last decade. Please see Appendix D(1). Since each e-commerce company has the possibility to outsource their web host, the demand for managed web hosting service will also grow at a fast pace. In addition, globalization, deregulation, and technological innovation force companies to find outsourcers to get ready for the future. Please see Appendix D(2).Therefore, ServerVault can attract lots of customers with custom services that fit customers’ needs at reasonable cost. Substitute If there are many substitutes, the demand fo r the managed web hosting service will decline as customers are able to switch between different services. Therefore, it is important to determine if there are any substitutes to the managed web hosting industry. To operate internet-based applications, companies only have two options. They can either outsource that work to a third party or do it by themselves.Outsourcing has several advantages. Firstly, companies should focus on the goods and services that they sell or provide. The time spend on developing internet-based application could be better spent to make their products and services more competitive. Secondly, there is financial advantage to outsource the work to a third party. Digex, one of the major competitors, spent around $170 million to purchase property and equipment. (Please see Appendix E). For many companies, it is a significant amount of cash flow.In addition, companies can cut the number of employees required in the IT department. Meanwhile, the outsourcing expens e is tax deductible under tax law. Lastly, the technology used in the web hosting industry is usually far from clients’ core business area. It is not wise to spend time and money in this technology. Suppliers Since server is an important input to the business, the server price will have an impact on the profit. There is much competition in the server market, as the total number of the server manufacturer amounts to 14132 worldwide.The majority of them are located in China and other Asian countries. Please see Appendix F(1). However, IBM, HP, Dell, Oracle, Fujitsu have almost 90% of the total market share. Please see Appendix F(2). Therefore, it is likely that ServerVault will choose to buy servers from these manufacturers, and it needs to carefully monitor the market price to make wise purchase decision. New entrants To learn more about the possibility of new entrants is beneficial to ServerVault, because new entrants will have downward pressure on prices which may affect the earnings negatively.The major factor that will prevent new entrants to the industry will be labor shortage. Please see Appendix G. In 2000, the labor shortage of computer professionals may limit the growth of the IT industry. As college graduates prefer to work for large companies, newly-founded companies will find it very hard to hire suitable employees. Therefore, it is very unlikely that the web hosting industry will have many new entrants in the next a few years. Appendix A A(1) Source: http://www. google. com/finance/historical? q=INDEXNASDAQ%3A.IXIC&histperiod=weekly&ei=cKBjULDdL4mQkwPTwwE A(2) Source: the raw data come from US Department of Commerce-Bureau of Economic Analysis http://www. bea. gov/national/index. htm#gdp A(3) Business capital spending. U. S. corporations are primary purchasers of information technology, and they often require the help of computer services vendors in order to use it effectively. Therefore, any long-term decline in the level of business capita l spending would result in fewer computers being set up and maintained and would have a negative impact on the computer services industry.Figures for U. S. business capital spending (categorized as â€Å"nonresidential fixed investment†) are available quarterly from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. During the past few years, business spending has risen faster than the economy. In 1999, such spending was up 8. 3% over 1998. Source: http://www. netadvantage. standardandpoors. com. myaccess. library. utoronto. ca/NASApp/NetAdvantage/showIndustrySurvey. do? code=ccs&date=/ccs_0600/ccs_0600. htm Appendix B Source: http://www. netadvantage. standardandpoors. com. myaccess. library. toronto. ca/NASApp/NetAdvantage/showIndustrySurvey. do? code=cox&date=/cox_0300/cox_0300. htm Appendix C (1) Source: http://www. bls. gov/ces/data. htm Calculation: (28000-15000)/28000=0. 46 C(2) Co. is a provider of managed Web hosting services to businesses operating mission-critical, multi-functional Web sites. In addition, Co. offers Web hosting services to the rapidly growing number of application service providers, enabling them to more efficiently deliver their application services to their customers over the Internet.Co. also offers related value-added services, such as firewall management, stress testing and consulting services, including capacity and migration planning and database optimization. Co. services include providing the computer hardware, software, network technology, and systems management necessary to offer Co. ‘s customers comprehensive outsourced Web site and application hosting solutions. http://www. new. mergentonline. com. myaccess. library. utoronto. ca/companyfinancials. php? compnumber=90285 C(3)International Business Machines operates in five business segments: global technology services, which provides information technology infrastructure services and business process services; global business services, which provides professional services and application management services; software, which consists of middleware software that enables clients to integrate systems, processes and applications, and operating systems software engines that run computers; systems and technology, which provides clients with business applications requiring computing power and storage capabilities; and global financing, which facilitates clients' acquisition of Co. ‘s systems, software and services. http://www. new. mergentonline. com. myaccess. library. utoronto. ca/companyfinancials. php? compnumber=4427 C(4) Co. provides Microsoft-based Internet hosting services to businesses, web site developers, application service providers and other organizations. Co. ‘s advanced hosting services enable its' customers to establish and maintain e-commerce and other applications through which they can conduct transactions and manage information on a worldwide basis over the Internet. Co. rovides management services for its' customers' hosting ne eds, including: consultation and recommendations on standardized system architecture; installation, configuration and stress testing of hardware and software; ongoing maintenance of hardware and software, including content back-ups and system upgrades; a broad array of system and network monitoring and reporting services; and technical support designed to respond to both simple and complex system issues. http://www. new. mergentonline. com. myaccess. library. utoronto. ca/companyfinancials. php? compnumber=98629 Appendix D(1) Source: www. destevenwhite. com D(2) According to IDC, slightly more than half of all outsourcing worldwide occurs in the United States. Demand is being driven by globalization, privatization, deregulation, and technological innovation. These factors are leading to increased global competition, which is forcing companies to focus more on cost-cutting measures.However, companies aren’t using outsourcing just to cut costs and get out of trouble. Now they a re also turning to outsourcers to prepare for the future — and to avoid trouble down the road. Source: http://www. netadvantage. standardandpoors. com. myaccess. library. utoronto. ca/NASApp/NetAdvantage/showIndustrySurvey. do? code=ccs;date=/ccs_0600/ccs_0600. htm Appendix E http://www. new. mergentonline. com. myaccess. library. utoronto. ca/companyfinancials. php? compnumber=90285 Appendix F(1) http://www. alibaba. com/trade/search? SearchText=SERVER;IndexArea=Products;fsb=y F(2) http://www. fool. com/investing/general/2011/03/12/server-market-share-the-strong-get-stronger. aspx Appendix GHowever, a major impediment to sustained growth is the shortage in skilled technology labor. Computer professionals, including programmers and system designers, are in short supply. Computer and data processing added 8,000 jobs in March 2000, a rise of only 0. 4% (or 4. 8% on an annualized basis), representing a slowdown in the rate of growth from 1999. Over the next few years, demand for talented computer services professionals is expected to outstrip supply, leaving many positions unfilled overall. Source: http://www. netadvantage. standardandpoors. com. myaccess. library. utoronto. ca/NASApp/NetAdvantage/showIndustrySurvey. do? code=ccs;date=/ccs_0600/ccs_0600. htm

The Meanings of the German Verb Ausmachen

The Meanings of the German Verb 'Ausmachen' The German verb machen is a very common regular verb with the basic meaning of to make or to do. It gets plenty of mileage all by itself, but by adding the prefix aus-, machen turns into something even more interesting - and takes on many more meanings. (It can add other prefixes, notably an-, but well concentrate on aus- here.) Understanding German verb prefixes is an important part of learning German vocabulary and German verb conjugation. As we shall see with ausmachen, a prefix can make BIG changes in the meaning of a German verb. Although the essential meaning of aus (which is also a dative preposition) is out and ausmachen can mean turn off/out (the light) or put out (a fire), that is only one of its many meanings (in German or English). Lets examine this versatile verb, which has no fewer than ten different meanings, depending on the context. The ten basic meanings listed below are generally ranked in the order of how frequently the verb is used in that meaning, but this is not an exact science. Each meaning also has one or more German synonyms listed along with the English meaning. Ausmachen (là ¶schen) English Meaning: to put out, extinguish, douseExample: Kannst du die Kerzen bitte ausmachen? (Can you please douse/extinguish the candles?) Ausmachen (abdrehen, ausschalten) English Meaning: to switch off, turn off(Note: The opposite is anmachen to switch on, turn on another verb with several different meanings.)Example 1: Machen Sie bitte das Licht / den Fernseher aus! (Please turn off the light / the TV.)Example 2: Sie mà ¼ssen das Gas zuerst ausmachen, bevor sie die Reparaturen machen kà ¶nnen. (They have to turn off the gas before they can make the repairs.) Ausmachen (stà ¶ren, rgern)(etw macht jdm etw aus) English Meaning: to bother (sb), mind, object toExample 1: Macht es Ihnen etwas aus, wenn ich rauche? (Do you mind if I smoke?)Example 2: Es macht mir nichts aus, ihm zu helfen. (I dont mind helping him.) Ausmachen (ermitteln, entdecken)(etw/jdn) English Meaning: to make out (sth/sb), spot, determineExample 1: Ich kann ihn nicht ausmachen, weil es zu dunkel ist. (I cant make him out because its too dark.)Example 2: Es ist noch nicht ausgemacht, dass er seinen eigenen Putsch politisch à ¼berlebt. (It hasnt yet been determined that he will survive his own coup politically.) Ausmachen (ins Gewicht fallen) English Meaning: to make a differenceExample 1: Was macht es schon aus? (What difference does it make?)Example 2: Es macht gar nichts aus! (It makes no difference at all!) Ausmachen (vereinbaren) English Meaning: to agree to, agree on, set up (appointment)Example 1: Wir mà ¼ssen nur noch ausmachen, wo wir uns treffen. (We just need to agree on where well meet.)Example 2: Wie ausgemacht, habe ich das Auto am Flughafen gelassen. (As agreed, I left the car at the airport.) Ausmachen (austragen) English Meaning: to sort (sth) out, settle (a case, a dispute, an issue, etc.)Example 1: Das mà ¼ssen wir mit ihm ausmachen. (We have to sort that out with him.)Example 2: Kà ¶nntet ihr diesen Streit nicht unter euch ausmachen? (Cant you guys settle this argument among yourselves?) Ausmachen (auszeichnen) English Meaning: to be (all) about, be the essence of sth, make (up) sth, make sth specialExample 1: Was macht das Leben aus? (What is life all about?)Example 2: Arbeit / Liebe macht das Leben aus. (Work/love is what lifes about.)Example 3: Ihm fehlt alles, was einen richtigen Manager ausmacht. (Hes missing everything that goes to make a real manager.) Ausmachen (betragen) English Meaning: to amount to, add up to, come toExample: Der Zeitunterschied macht neun Stunden aus. (The time difference is/amounts to nine hours.) Ausmachen (ausgraben) English Meaning: to dig up (dialect, regional)Example: Sie haben die Kartoffeln ausgemacht. (They dug up the potatoes.)

Whats Better for You IB or AP College Expert Guide

What's Better for You IB or AP College Expert Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs are both high school programs that offer college-level courses and the opportunity to earn college credit. So what’s the difference between AP and IB? Does one look more impressive than the other? Which will improve your odds of getting into a top school the most? We’ll introduce you to both programs, and explain which one will look more impressive on your college applications. Key Differences Between IB and AP Both the AP and IB programs offer challenging courses to high school students that you can earn college credit while doing. However, their philosophies and goals are quite different. The AP program was developed in the US to help high school students prepare for college by taking advanced courses, with no set program of courses. Students could take just one or even a dozen AP classes, depending on their school, schedule, and goals. // In contrast, IB was developed in Switzerland to be an internationally recognized diploma. To earn the diploma, you have to take a certain amount of courses in a range of subjects. It is possible to just take a few IBs without earning the diploma, but IB was developed to be a set program of courses. #1: AP Is Much More Popular Than IB The IB program is much less common than AP. Over 2 million students took AP exams in 2014, but only about 135,000 took IBs. Furthermore, according to AP, over 30% of US public high students took at least one AP exam. While AP is quite widespread, the IB program is rarer since schools have to be able to offer enough classes for the diploma to host an IB program. Adding IB is often more costly than starting a few AP classes. // #2: IB and AP Have Different Program Goals The programs have different goals, as well. IB has more emphasis on writing and developing critical thinking skills- and not just on the exams themselves. The IB diploma also requires the extended essay, a long, college-style research paper. The IB program also has extracurricular requirements. In contrast, the AP is a program focused on teaching students specific content and testing their knowledge on the exams. There is more multiple-choice and emphasis on meeting certain content goals. #3: IB Is More Expensive Than AP IB exams are more expensive. There is a $172 registration fee each year plus a $119 fee per exam. // APs are $94 per exam without an additional fee. However, many schools have financial aid and fee-waiver programs, so your actual cost could be lower. Talk with a counselor at your school’s guidance counseling office to find out about testing costs. (Also remember that these fees, while steep, are much less than the cost of taking the equivalent course in college.) #4: Only IB Requires You to Enroll in Classes You can take AP exams without being enrolled in a class, but you have to be enrolled in an IB class to take an IB exam. If you have proficiency in a language not offered by your school, or if you want to self-study for a niche subject like Art History, the AP program gives you more flexibility. AP is a good option for students who like to study on their own. Also, IB offers higher-level and standard-level courses. To get an IB diploma, you have to take at least three higher-level courses. AP courses are offered at a single level, though there are certain subjects, like calculus and physics, that have different course options. IB higher level is at some high schools considered harder than AP. Most colleges give credit for AP exams and higher-level IB exams, but not all give credit for standard-level IB exams. // You can search the AP credit policy of various colleges at the AP college database. The IB program doesn’t have a similar database, but you can look up the IB credit policy of any college or university by searching â€Å"[Name of College/University] IB Credit.† You may be attracted to the IB program’s focus on writing and a broad education, or you may think the AP program’s flexibility makes it a better choice for you. Definitely take these program differences into account as you make your choice. But what do colleges think? Does one program have a reputation for being more rigorous? What Do Colleges Think of IB and AP? Actually, colleges don’t automatically consider AP or IB harder or more impressive on a transcript. Since IB is a rarer program, they can’t penalize students for not taking it. Plus, there are huge differences in how both AP and IB courses are taught and graded at high schools across the country. // Because of the differences in IB/AP course grading, colleges- especially the most selective ones- just want to see you have taken the most challenging course load available at your high school. That means instead of worrying about AP versus IB, you should worry about taking the most rigorous classes your high schools offers. For example, Princeton says on their admissions website, â€Å"Whenever you can, challenge yourself with the most rigorous courses possible, such as honors, Advanced Placement (AP) and dual-enrollment courses. We will evaluate the International Baccalaureate (IB), A-levels or another diploma in the context of the program’s curriculum.† Princeton is more interested in how hard your schedule is considered at your school rather than whether you chose AP or IB. So if your high school just has APs, then you should take some AP classes. If your high school has just the IB program, you should take some IB classes or, even better, go for the diploma. If your high school has both, you can take a mix. Since IB is a diploma program and AP is not, if you’re going for the most selective schools, it’s smart to pursue the IB diploma if it's offered at your school. If you don’t, you technically haven’t taken the most challenging courses available to you. However, if you have a demanding extracurricular schedule or are intensely committed to a few academic areas, you won't necessarily be penalized for not doing the diploma. Bottom line: consider your high school's offerings and how challenging your schedule (including extracurriculars) looks in comparison. // One thing to keep in mind is that the IB diploma shows you are challenging yourself in all subject areas, whereas with the AP program you could just pick subjects you are strong in. Colleges will notice this. If you can, try to take AP classes in a broad range of subjects while digging deeper into subjects you are passionate about. For example, if you’re a writer and do well in your English classes, definitely take AP English Literature and AP English Language if you can. But you should also consider trying AP Statistics or AP Calculus to show you also have quantitative skills. One of the single most important parts of your college application is what classes you choose take in high school (in conjunction with how well you do in those classes). Our team of PrepScholar admissions experts have compiled their knowledge into this single guide to planning out your high school course schedule. We'll advise you on how to balance your schedule between regular and honors/AP/IB courses, how to choose your extracurriculars, and what classes you can't afford not to take. Does IB or AP Give You More College Credit? Another difference between the AP and IB courses is how much course credit you can earn from them at different schools. If a college you’re interested in seems to favor one program or the other, it could help you decide which program to pursue. In most cases, if you earn a high passing score- for example a 7 on IB or a 5 on AP- you will get course credit. // But one thing to keep in mind is that while IB higher-level courses are usually accepted by colleges, standard-level IB courses aren’t always taken. In contrast, AP is offered at one level. So if you take three higher-level IB courses and three standard-level IB courses as part of the diploma, you may end up with less credit than you would for the same six AP courses. Furthermore, many colleges have slight variances in credit hours between AP and IB, which could affect your decision between the two programs. For example, at Stanford, the IB and AP credit lists are mostly the same, with language, math and physics getting the exact same credit. However, you can get more credit for IB Chemistry than AP Chemistry. But some colleges tend to give AP more credit. For example CU Boulder generally gives AP Language exams more weight than IB language exams. Some colleges give more credit for IB. The University of Michigan generally gives more credit hours for IB classes. // The bottom line? AP and IB credit are both widely accepted, but there are lots of slight differences in credit policies. We suggest looking up policies at your target schools since the credit policies can differ. How do you get this info? Search for â€Å"[Name of College/University] IB Credit Policy† or â€Å"[Name of College/University] AP Credit Policy.† The University's web page with credit information will often be the first or second result. If a school you’re really interested in seems to vastly favor one program or the other, you should take that into consideration when weighing the two programs. But odds are if you look up more than two or three schools, it will end up being a wash, with some schools slightly favoring IB and others favoring AP. Also, keep in mind you only get credit in most cases if you have a 5 or higher on IB exams or a 4 or higher on AP exams. So whether you take AP or IB, remember to focus on doing well and passing! // Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Other Considerations for Deciding Between AP and IB There are a few other factors you should think about when deciding between AP and IB. How Do They Fit With Your Scheduling and Extracurriculars? Would doing the IB diploma prevent you from a certain extracurricular, like Yearbook or Debate or Band? Are APs and IBs offered as the same class at your school? Are you ready to commit to an IB diploma or do you want the flexibility of AP classes? These are questions you should consider before signing up for either AP or IB classes. Ask your high school if they have suggested four-year plans for advanced students. This will give you an idea of what your schedule might look like and how it could conflict with extracurriculars you want to participate in. // Do IB or AP Classes Have Better Teachers at Your School? Does your school have the same or different teachers for AP and IB courses? What are their reputations? The quality of a teacher can make or break your experience in a class. You can ask upperclassmen about their experience in certain classes, or see if there is a way to see syllabi from current and past years for AP and IB classes. You can also ask your guidance counselor about the exam pass rates for different teachers. This can give you a sense of a class’s reputation and how many students are successful in which classes. Should You Change Schools For IB? We’ve talked about deciding between AP and IB at the same school. But what if your local high school doesn’t offer IB, and you’re considering switching to a school that does? // Remember to consider the time it will take to commute! I had to make this decision myself. My district had three high schools, but only one offered the IB program. That high school was pretty far away from my neighborhood, but it drew tons of students specifically for the IB program, and a lot of my friends were going there because they wanted to get into good colleges. I strongly considered going to that different high school for the IB program. I eventually decided to go to my neighborhood high school that offered just APs. Going to the other high school would have involved at least an hour of commuting each day, and it would have strained my family’s schedule. Since I saved time by not commuting, it was actually easier to get involved in after school extracurriculars like debate and Model United Nations. I was also able to keep doing piano lessons and service work, activities I had done since I was little, since my schedule wasn't squeezed by commuting. // Furthermore, I was able to take a rigorous schedule of AP classes. I earned leadership positions in my extracurriculars by junior year. All of this helped me put together competitive college applications. I likely could have done as well at the other high school, but the point is that even without IB, I was able to pursue a rigorous and challenging high school program. Since I took the most challenging program available at the high school I attended, I didn’t hurt my admission chances. In fact, I might have improved them by having more time for extracurriculars. There is one exception to this worth noting- there was an in-state scholarship competition I was in the running for that ended up selecting most of its winners from IB schools. It’s possible that for some private scholarships and organizations, IB looks more impressive. But that is a factor that could vary state by state, and even district by district. // The key is to do your best at whatever high school you attend. Colleges are evaluating you in the context of your school. If you feel like you won't have many opportunities to be challenged at your local high school and really want to attend a different school, you can make that call. But don't feel pressured to switch just because you think it will look better on an application. Bottom Line: AP vs IB Taking either AP or IB classes will look very good on your applications, as it shows you are challenging yourself with college-level courses. There is no real preference or benefit from doing one or the other, as long as you do well in your chosen courses. As one admission officer at Northwestern University said, â€Å"one qualification (AP vs IB) is not better than another.† However, you want to make sure you are doing well in your classes and not overloading. There is no point in taking on 10 AP classes or the IB diploma if you get a low GPA and don’t pass the exams. // Finally, you want to make sure other parts of your application are strong, especially your ACT/SAT score. Along with your transcript and GPA, your ACT/SAT score can have an enormous impact on your admission chances, especially at selective schools. What’s Next? Speaking of the SAT and ACT, do you know which exam you’re going to focus on? Find out definitively which one you will be best at. Get a study schedule for the SAT and ACT. The earlier you start, the more opportunity you have for a high score. What’s a good SAT/ACT score for the Ivy League? Find out the scores you need to be competitive. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: //

10 Jobs Perfect for People Who Value Freedom and Want to Travel

10 Jobs Perfect for People Who Value Freedom and Want to Travel So you love to travel. The trouble is, you also, you know, have to work most days. Thank goodness it is possible to get paid to travel- oh yes, it is. Travel jobs might not be the easiest to find, but they are out there. Figure out how to earn a salary while traveling the world by checking out a few of these choice job options. 1. ArcheologistFor this, you need to have a passion both for traveling and ancient artifacts. It will require a good deal of schooling, but then you’ll be out in the field as much as you’ll be in a classroom or a lab. So get your Ph.D. or master’s, and start taking those long research trips to keep you going.2. Athletic RecruiterFind a job through a college or professional sports organization and travel the country- even the globe- scouting out talent. Being an avid sports fan is a requisite, as well thriving when you are living on the road and seeing the world.3. English Teacher AbroadYou might take for granted that you speak English, but did it ever occur to you that your natural ability is actually an asset in foreign countries? Find somewhere you really want to go and then figure out how and where you can teach English there. Any required certification is easy to acquire. You can also consider becoming an au pair and caring for children while helping them to learn English.4. Tour GuideEspecially if you’re an extrovert, you can get a job as a tour guide sharing your passion for a foreign place with other travelers. If your memory is good and you learn fast and chat well with people, you’ll be a natural.5. WWOOFLove traveling, the outdoors, and organic produce? Try WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). You’ll get paid and you’ll be doing something good for the planet and for small farms and your travel will be super ethical, rather than super frivolous or exploitative. Give back!6. Flight AttendantThis seems like a pretty obvious travel-friendly career choice, but it’ s also quite enjoyable and jobs are not that hard to come by. See the world, get paid rather well, and score discounted flights for life! You’ll have to be a people person and put up with some unorthodox hours, but it’s a great way to get around.7. Cruise EmployeeThere are lots of these jobs out there in a wide variety of areas, but lots of people want them. If you do get one of these coveted gigs, you’ll be getting free room and board, and a chance to see some of the most beautiful places on earth.8. YachtieGet paid a great amount of money to work insane hours in some of the most beautiful places in the world. Free room and board, though you’ll be slaving away for almost all of your waking hours. But for the right people, this job is a dream.9. Travel AgentIf you love travel so much that you feel the need to share tips and help people plan their own travels, then why not get paid for it? Plus, you’ll enjoy deep discounts and perks when it comes ti me for your own vacations.10. Travel WriterIt’s not as impossible as you might think to get paid to write about travel. Just remember you’ll have to start somewhere- likely small and unpaid, and work your way up to recognition and compensation. But the more interesting your travels, and the better your writing, the easier a time you’ll have setting up your audience and your career.

Six Sigma and CQI discussion questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Six Sigma and CQI discussion questions - Essay Example Various instruments in six sigma are critical to improving efficiency in hospitals as they involve collecting feedback from health care users and staff on the quality of services offered in the organisation, collecting and analysing the data to identify the causes and effects of the challenges that are encountered in provision or receiving of health care. The information or the trends that are derived after data analysis are then used to improve the situation to the optimal levels, and then measures and controls are put in place to ensure any deviations in future are rectified before they can cause damages or defects to the customer (Arthur, 2011). With efficiency improved, wastages such as idle staff or some hospital facilities that are underused will be put in to optimal use, thus ensuring that the hospital is operating at minimal costs level. The hospital will increase the volume of patients that can be served per day therefore increasing profitability since efficiency has also been maximised. Continuous quality improvement is a never ending programme that is aimed at improving products and services that an organisation offers to its clients and is driven by data and feedbacks from clients. The programme is nor driven by complaint or events, rather it is self initiating and aims to improve on the current quality levels. In a health care organisation, this means the management should keep on improving on the quality of health care offered to users continually based of the responses and suggestions from all the relevant stakeholders and not wait upon when complaints or bad incidents happen. Based on the information gathered from the continuous quality improvement and knowledge present within the organisation, new methods of practising can be built. This can be done through staff motivation or evaluation forums with the personnel in the

History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

History - Assignment Example Oligarchs, through the different mechanisms of the government, only made their pockets deeper and their house bigger, while the citizens who work day-in and day-out are still dying from hunger and starvation with barely enough food on the table. This scenario of social entrapment brought forth the rise of Marxism and Socialism through revolutions, whether in the context of arms conflict or legal-political reforms. Cuba had Fidel Castro, Venezuela had Hugo Chavez, Mexico had Venustiano Carranza, and many more in Latin America. Socialism, with its thrust on social justice and equality to all, appealed well to the people who suffered from an extensive history of oppression by an oligarch or a dictator. 2. On pg. 855 in the section, â€Å"The West & Islam,† discuss the current issues between the Muslim world and the United States and why there is such anti-American feeling and resentment. Anti-American feelings, not only in Islamic states, but to the entire world, is the pre-emine nce of the United States on the four corners of the globe, from the small island-states of Oceania, to the icy winters of Siberia, the scorching land of Africa, even in the middle of the oceans in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.

The American Experience from 1865 to 1945 Essay

The American Experience from 1865 to 1945 - Essay Example The analysis looks at the Spanish-American war which took place in 1898. This war is said to have been started by Cuba following its urge for independence. The key figures include President Woodrow Wilson and Charles Evans (who was the secretary of state). An event like the Swedish emigration to North America between 1840 and 1920 is well captured by the author. The real cause for this emigration was poverty and Swedish were trying to run away from it. The highest number migrated in 1869 and1887. He approximates the number of Swedish to be about half a million, most of who settled in Canada, Australia and Brazil. They left Sweden by boat from Gothenburg and traveled to Liverpool from where they were ferried to New York and Boston by the emigrant ships. One of the authors Vilhelm Moberg (1898-1973) who even wrote a book titled the emigrants. It is also features Buchanan's (1856) whose art compromise skills led him to be the only president in America to be from Pennsylvanian. He ruled for four years and declined to take another term. He was succeeded by Abraham Lincoln. It was the informal agreements between Buchanan himself and South Carolina that kept was on hold. All these writings by this author acts as an eye opener to the reader giving him/her a chance to clearly examine rationalization and the inner thoughts as portrayed by the author. This can help in documenting the America's history and the changing spheres that can perpetually change America's history and its connection with the today's world1. This paper incorporates analysis from the book titled The Colonial Period of American History that was authored by Andrews and published in 1930. Materials from this book are meant to appear as confirmation to the author's information so as not to come up with conflicting history regarding the America's experience. The book concentrates more on the events that took place between 1865 and 1918, thus covering up to the first world war.America's Experience World War 11 For many years the United States has been largely involved in the world war. During the year 1865 America was involved in the civil war with its principal problems being: - Preservations of Monroe Doctrine integrity - The doctrine were a treaty that pledged signatories to a joint control of any future, unfortified isthmian canal dominion by one of the involved parties. Preventing the southern independence recognition by France and Britain. Holding those powers to proper

Chinese Foreign Currency Reserves Swell by Record Amount Article - 1

Chinese Foreign Currency Reserves Swell by Record Amount - Article Example However, this spawns another problem. The additional renminbi issued causes the money supply in the country to rise even further. What was not discussed in the article is the direct impact of the level of money supply on inflation. A high level of money supply circulating in the economy causes aggregate demand to rise. This increased demand for goods and services is what pushes general prices to go up. Looking at China’s foreign reserve levels, in the third quarter of 2010, it increased by $194 million. In the fourth quarter, it jumped by $199 million to raise the total to $2.85 trillion. This increase was much larger than what economists had expected. During this time, China â€Å"doubled its intervention in the currency markets to about $2 billion a day† (Bradsher, 2011). And so, the country’s money supply was 19.7 percent higher in December than a year earlier. The increase in money supply though is not solely due to the central bank’s efforts to keep the value of the renminbi in check. Banking loans have also risen and measures taken by the central bank to slow down lending, primarily by increasing bank reserve requirements have proven to be ineffective. Bradsher, K. (11 January 2011). Chinese foreign currency reserves swell by record amount. The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2011.

Business for Social Responsibility (Environment study) Essay

Business for Social Responsibility (Environment study) - Essay Example This happened prior to the emergence of modern multinational corporations. The most renowned philosophers of that time, Thomas Hobbes, Jean Rousseau and John Locke introduced the concepts of responsibilities and rights of government to its people and citizens to fellow citizens (White 2007 p.13). This line of thinking became the idea behind the modern concept of a democratic state and democracy at large. This was a situation whereby the ultimate power rested on the citizens. However, the citizens are willing to delegate authority to the state. Through this, individuals could participate in social activities that enhance a shared future in a defined territory or community. The basics of social contracts are clear although the emphases and assumptions may vary. The modern day pluralistic society discourages a few people to use power to oppress the majority (Buchholtz & Carroll 2012 p19). These basics have not changed for centuries notwithstanding the huge shift from agrarian societies to complex industrialized societies which are dominated by the global economy (White 2007 p. 8). According to White (2007), this facilitated the shift from a life of endless conflicts over control of assets like water and land. These assets are considered to be common. The rights became defined. Citizens accepted to respect the rights of their fellow citizens with the assurance that their own rights will be protected. Penalties for those who violate the rights of others were introduced (White 2007 p. 8). The foundation of social contracts lies behind the principle of shielding or protecting human rights by means of individuals giving authority or state willingly. The scope of human rights has been rapidly expanding, but the underlying principle remains the same. Social contract is the awareness that the government is supposed to serve the people. With that understanding, the people own all the political power, but in most cases they delegate it to government officials. The people ca n give or opt to withhold power (Buchholtz & Carroll 22). Social contract theory urges that people can exchange power with authorities so that their rights can be protected. In this process, people surrender some of their freedoms and submit to an authority for protection (White 2007 p.16). The relationship between legal and natural rights becomes a vital aspect of the social contract theory. Members of the society decide to cooperate so that the entire society can benefit. A social contract is a general agreement between members of a society of with the government that explains how the rights of the society shall be protected in a sustainable manner. This agreement is not written, but it is known to exist between the state and individuals. In case of mature democracies, the rights are delegated to elected officials and the leaders are held accountable. Impacts of the iron law of responsibility and social contract. Property rights assist people with the atmosphere to nurture wealth which is supposed to enrich and improve their productivity. According to Thomas Paine, a philosopher in the 18th century, natural property comes from God, who is the Creator of the universe. Therefore, it should not be used for just personal and private needs. The impact of social contracts is increasingly being felt. A society which allows incursions into communal resources to benefit a few cannot have true democracy (White 2007). The level to

An Interview with a Local Entrepreneur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

An Interview with a Local Entrepreneur - Essay Example Owing to ethical reasons, animosity has been maintained about the person, and hence his real name has not been used here and is replaced by Jimmy Ferris. But his story of coming into the business and being successful is worth telling. The story shares the difficulty that a person faces in his life, yet moves on to fulfill his dreams. It was truly a beautiful experience to have a chat with him and know about his journey through the business. This may also inspire new ideas, which are waiting to get explored. In today’s world, new and budding entrepreneurs are coming up with vibrant new ideas which are worth noting and considering. This is, however just one story among many. Hackensack is a city in New Jersey in the United States having a population of around forty-five thousand. There are several small businesses in this city which covers different industries, including marketing, agriculture, healthcare, housing, insurance, information technology, manufacturing, and other publ ic sectors. Each business has its own story behind it about the role that an entrepreneur plays, and thus each has a different success story. The story narrated here is that of Mr. Jimmy Ferris (name changed) who was born in London in June 1976 in a family that had histories of business starters. His father was involved in an import-export business and made huge money at one point of time. Jimmy, from his very childhood, was very interested in medicines and so wanted to take up a career in that industry. He also completed his medical studies from a known medical college in New Jersey. Being a very good student, he successfully completed his course and joined a medical college as a junior doctor. When he talked about how he started up his own pharmacy, a story that Jimmy shared was quite challenging. By the time Jimmy was doing well in the medical college where he was serving as a junior doctor, his father’s business started deteriorating with respect to the market conditions and other dealership problems. The markets were becoming vulnerable and his business started failing, which led to severe losses to his company. Ultimately, the business had to be terminated. This affected their lives heavily as the family’s expenses were mainly covered by the income from the business. Jimmy, too, had just started his career, the income from which was not sufficient enough to support his family entirely. All this together had created a situational crisis for the entire family. Jimmy’s father could not take up the shock of loss and failure in his business and suffered a massive heart attack, which led him to bed rest for a long period of time, and according to the doctors, he was not supposed to involve in any kind of stress taking job, if he had to stay well. So, it was clear for their entire family that the man was no more in a position to conceptualize any new business which might hurt his health. Around the end of year 2009, Jimmy started thinking o f starting something of his own. He had to support his family. His father was ill, and his mother was trying to support the family by taking up a small job in a fashion garment store. Thus, it was a huge responsibility on Jimmy to take up the lead for the welfare of his family. Jimmy shared his reasons why he chose to start up a pharmacy store or a business in this industry and not anything else. From his childhood, Jimmy always loved to serve ill and sick people. This was also the reason

Chinese Foreign Currency Reserves Swell by Record Amount Article - 1

Chinese Foreign Currency Reserves Swell by Record Amount - Article Example However, this spawns another problem. The additional renminbi issued causes the money supply in the country to rise even further. What was not discussed in the article is the direct impact of the level of money supply on inflation. A high level of money supply circulating in the economy causes aggregate demand to rise. This increased demand for goods and services is what pushes general prices to go up. Looking at China’s foreign reserve levels, in the third quarter of 2010, it increased by $194 million. In the fourth quarter, it jumped by $199 million to raise the total to $2.85 trillion. This increase was much larger than what economists had expected. During this time, China â€Å"doubled its intervention in the currency markets to about $2 billion a day† (Bradsher, 2011). And so, the country’s money supply was 19.7 percent higher in December than a year earlier. The increase in money supply though is not solely due to the central bank’s efforts to keep the value of the renminbi in check. Banking loans have also risen and measures taken by the central bank to slow down lending, primarily by increasing bank reserve requirements have proven to be ineffective. Bradsher, K. (11 January 2011). Chinese foreign currency reserves swell by record amount. The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2011.

An Interview with a Local Entrepreneur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

An Interview with a Local Entrepreneur - Essay Example Owing to ethical reasons, animosity has been maintained about the person, and hence his real name has not been used here and is replaced by Jimmy Ferris. But his story of coming into the business and being successful is worth telling. The story shares the difficulty that a person faces in his life, yet moves on to fulfill his dreams. It was truly a beautiful experience to have a chat with him and know about his journey through the business. This may also inspire new ideas, which are waiting to get explored. In today’s world, new and budding entrepreneurs are coming up with vibrant new ideas which are worth noting and considering. This is, however just one story among many. Hackensack is a city in New Jersey in the United States having a population of around forty-five thousand. There are several small businesses in this city which covers different industries, including marketing, agriculture, healthcare, housing, insurance, information technology, manufacturing, and other publ ic sectors. Each business has its own story behind it about the role that an entrepreneur plays, and thus each has a different success story. The story narrated here is that of Mr. Jimmy Ferris (name changed) who was born in London in June 1976 in a family that had histories of business starters. His father was involved in an import-export business and made huge money at one point of time. Jimmy, from his very childhood, was very interested in medicines and so wanted to take up a career in that industry. He also completed his medical studies from a known medical college in New Jersey. Being a very good student, he successfully completed his course and joined a medical college as a junior doctor. When he talked about how he started up his own pharmacy, a story that Jimmy shared was quite challenging. By the time Jimmy was doing well in the medical college where he was serving as a junior doctor, his father’s business started deteriorating with respect to the market conditions and other dealership problems. The markets were becoming vulnerable and his business started failing, which led to severe losses to his company. Ultimately, the business had to be terminated. This affected their lives heavily as the family’s expenses were mainly covered by the income from the business. Jimmy, too, had just started his career, the income from which was not sufficient enough to support his family entirely. All this together had created a situational crisis for the entire family. Jimmy’s father could not take up the shock of loss and failure in his business and suffered a massive heart attack, which led him to bed rest for a long period of time, and according to the doctors, he was not supposed to involve in any kind of stress taking job, if he had to stay well. So, it was clear for their entire family that the man was no more in a position to conceptualize any new business which might hurt his health. Around the end of year 2009, Jimmy started thinking o f starting something of his own. He had to support his family. His father was ill, and his mother was trying to support the family by taking up a small job in a fashion garment store. Thus, it was a huge responsibility on Jimmy to take up the lead for the welfare of his family. Jimmy shared his reasons why he chose to start up a pharmacy store or a business in this industry and not anything else. From his childhood, Jimmy always loved to serve ill and sick people. This was also the reason

Bullying and Harassment Among the Lgbtq Youth Essay Example for Free

Bullying and Harassment Among the Lgbtq Youth Essay Adolescence is a difficult stage in life because it is a time for many when social status is seen as very important and self-esteem can be fragile. One’s social status can directly affect one’s self esteem and overall happiness. Unfortunately, many of those who possess a higher social status in middle and high school use it against those who are deemed socially inferior to them, whether that is due to race, attractiveness, intelligence or sexuality. In other words, the adolescents at the bottom of the social pyramid are often subjected to bullying and harassment from their socially â€Å"superior† classmates. Bullying and harassment have become a widespread problem in schools all around the United States and have proved to have serious implications, such as problems in academics for those who are victimized by bullies. Victimization from bullying and harassment can be linked to lowered self-esteem, anxiety, depression, avoidance of school, and suicide (Hawker Boulton, 2000). Unfortunately, one of the most victimized groups of students subjected to bullying and harassment is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer youth. According to the National Youth Association, 9 out of 10 LGBT students have experienced harassment while at school. It also states that LGBT teens are bullied two to three times as much as straight teens. These high rates of bullying may explain why more than one-third of LGBT kids have attempted suicide (Hawker Boulton, 2000). Specific harm aimed towards LGBTQ community, known as gay bashing and gay bullying can be defined as verbal or physical abuse against a person who is perceived by the antagonist to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. This also includes those who are actually heterosexual but may appear to be non-heterosexual due to stereotypes. The three main types of bullying the LGBTQ youth is most subjected to are verbal harassment, physical assault, and cyber bullying. The first main type of bullying, verbal harassment may be hard to detect because it leaves no physical proof, but rather mental and emotional trauma. However, it is still a popular and damaging tactic used by bullies to hurt the LGBTQ youth everyday. In fact, according to River’s study in 1996, it is the most popular tactic among bullies. Also, according to bullyingstatistics.org, many victims of verbal bullying experience lowered self-image, and can have lasting effects in emotional and psychological ways. This type of bullying can lead to low self-esteem, as well as depression and other problems (Hawker Boulton, 2000). According to River’s study in 2001, many LGBTQ adolescents report being exposed to verbal harassment and stigmatization. River’s recent survey shows that 82% of the LGBTQ youth in schools are subjected to verbal slurs (Rivers 2001). According to another study from the Mental Health of America in 1998 on verbal abuse, students hear anti-gay slurs such as â€Å"homo†, â€Å"faggot† and â€Å"sissy† about 26 times a day, which would be about once every 14 minutes throughout their school day. Anti-gay language used on a regular basis in school settings is creating an unfriendly and unwelcoming atmosphere for the LGTBQ students, which may be causing them to be isolated and socially withdrawn (Swearer, Turner, Givens, Pollack, 2008). Although not all anti-gay slurs heard in school are meant to be malicious, it is still hurtful for the gay youth to hear. Many adolescents who use gay slurs may not be homophobic, but more ignorant to LGBTQ issues. Obviously not all homophobic name-calling is directed at young gay and lesbians. For example, researchers found that terms such as ‘‘gay’’ and â€Å"homo† are often used to refer to anything unmasculine or ‘‘uncool’’ (Duncan, 1999). Regardless of intention, the constant degradation of these words causes a hostile and uncomfortable environment for the LGBTQ youth (Thurlow, 2001). Homophobic slurs such as â€Å"That’s so gay,† or â€Å"no homo,† are popular among adolescents and often go unpunished due to the heteronormative atmosphere dominating schools (Thurlow, 2001). Many students may feel hesitant to speak out against anti-gay slurs out of fear of being persecuted themselves. In the U.K. a series of surveys commissioned by Stonewall reported that as many as 93 percent of young gay, lesbian and bisexual people who are ‘‘out’’ at school suffer verbal abuse (Thurlow, 2001). It is evident that it is not a coincidence the LGBTQ youth face the most harassment of any minority at school. Along with verbal abuse, LGBTQ youth also experience physical violence in schools across the country everyday. Back in the 1980’s and 1990’s sociologists such as Joyce Hunter thought that much of the physical abuse happening towards the LGBTQ population stemmed from the stigma and fear that came from the AIDS epidemic that was spreading rapidly among the gay community in that time. In a study as recent as 2003, 60% of LGBTQ youth had reported being assaulted physically due to their sexual orientation (Chesir-Taran, 2003) These phy sical actions towards the gay and lesbian youth has caused many to fear going to school. In fact, many LGBTQ students avoid school in order to escape the physical harassment. This drop in attendance has detrimental effects on the student’s academics (American Educational Research Association). According to StopBullying.gov, since LGBTQ students are more likely to avoid school they are at a higher risk for decreased academic achievement, including lower GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school as well. LGBTQ youth that have been subjected to physical harassment, or youth perceived†¨as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, are more are also more likely smoke, use alcohol and drugs, or engage in other risky behaviors (Rivers 2001). This also causes lesbians, gays or bisexuals to be twice as likely as their peers to be depressed and think about or attempt suicide (Russell Joyner, 2001). This high rate is physical abuse may be one of the reasons why the American Educational Research Association reported that LGBT teens are 3.3 times more likely to think about committing suicide than heterosexual teenagers, as well as three times more likely to actually commit suicide. These victims of physical abuse also have higher rates of unexcused absences from school (American Educational Research Association). According to the social comparison theory, anti-gay violence, such as hates crimes tend to occur due to heterosexuals wanting to make a distinction between themselves and homosexuals. Meaning that the bullies are not acting on their own, but in a group. Some research implies that heterosexuals preform violence upon homosexuals to create a negative evaluation of LGBTQ’s, which in return creates a larger separation between homosexuals and heterosexuals. In other words, heterosexuals wants to make a clear distinction between themselves and homosexuals, and therefore violence is used to create this differentiation (American Educational Research Association). Since the LGBTQ is such a small minority group in most schools it is easy for heterosexuals to make the homosexuals the out-group, whereas other heterosexuals benefit from in-group biases and tr eatment (Herek, Berrill Berrill, 1992). What is so important about the social comparison theory and gay violence is that violence is one of the most effective and obvious way to create a differentiation between the in and out-groups. Interestingly, Herek Berill found that most crime related violent acts usually only involved one victim and one perpetrator, however when these violent acts were considered hate crimes, especially among gays and lesbians, the number of perpetrators averaged around four. Herek Berill also found in their research that boys are at a high risk for being both the perpetrator and victim, most likely due to bullies wanting to assert their sexual superiority and masculinity over homosexual boys (Herek Berill, 1992). In contrast to being pushed into lockers or being called homophobic slurs while walking down the hallway to class, LGBTQ students are subjected to a new form of harassment nowadays, which takes place outside of the classroom, and more specifically on the Internet. According to stop bullying.gov, Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place via electronic technology. This includes devices such as cell phones, computers, social media sites, text messages, web chat, and websites. O ne reason that this type of bullying is on the rise is because as technology advances, adolescents become more exposed to it, while adults become more disconnected. This discrepancy in culture between adults and adolescents causes many parents to become unaware of what their children are doing on the Internet, which may put them at a risk for being harassed, or even preforming the harassment (Keith Martin, 2005). One of the most recent and well-known cases of anti-gay cyber bullying is the story of Tyler Clementi, a gay Rutgers University student. Clementi was a victim of cyber-bullying because his roommate, Dharun Ravi, spied on his make-out sessions with a hidden webcam and outed him online. This caused Tyler Clementi to kill himself by jumping off the George Washington Bridge in 2010.Studies show that LGBTQ youth who are bullied online were more likely to have skipped school, to have detentions or suspensions, or to carry a weapon to school (Ybarra, Diener-West, Leaf, 2007). In this same study, the majority of the participants who admitted to being the perpetrators of cyber bullying attributed anonymity for feeling more comfortable harassin g others online due to the fact they had little fear of repercussions or of being traced backed to crime. This leads aggressors to threaten, harass, or abuse others and to even assume a new persona or character online (Ybarra et al, 2007). The victims in this study reported that they felt more helpless when they were attacked via the Internet, than in classroom. One student from another study related to cyber bullying stated that said that she felt like there was no point in telling an adult about cyber harassment because there is no proof who actually did the bullying, simply because the perpetrator could easily say, â€Å"that wasn’t actually me, it was someone pretending to be me† (Keith Martin, 2005) Although one study found that cyber bullying is the least common type of bullying (Wang, Nansel Iannotti, 2010,) the fact that these cyber bullying victims feel as though they cannot seek help or end the victimization may explain this study found that these students had the highest rates of depression and helplessness. Some studies, such as one in 2003 say that the high rates of suicide and depression among LGTBQ youth are proof of internalized self-homophobia (van Wormer Mckinney, 2003). In other words, the LGBTQ youth are so exposed to homophobia that it has caused them to become self-hating and prejudiced against their own-selves. Hiding in the closet, not fitting in, and living in fear has caused a melting pot for self-hatred, and self-embarrassment. Findings from this research stated that those who are considered to be experiencing self-hating are at a higher risk for reckless and self-destructive behavior. The findings from this research even go as far as crediting the high rates of AIDS among gay communities to self-hatred. The results state that many gay men fail to use protection due to a subconscious belief that they feel guilty for being queer and are unable to deprogram the negative stereotypes they receive for being queer. The same researcher also found that high rates of might be due to high drug addiction rates among queers that may be brought on by self-hatred (van Wormer Mckinney, 2003). Although the recent suicides and murders of LGBTQ youth such as the death of Matthew Shepard in 1998 are unwarranted and tragic, they have started paved the way for protection of all students institutionally, regardless of sexual orientation. Promptly after the death of Shepard the organization known as PFLAG implemented 150 chapters in the U.S. schooling system (van Wormer Mckinney, 2003). These chapters helped raise press for non-discriminatory policies in schools, support straight-gay alliances, donate LGBTQ literature to libraries, and to train teachers in crisis interventions. GSA clubs in schools have been credited as one of the major factors in helping teenagers create openly gay lives with peers and relate and support them (van Wormer Mckinney, 2003) According to the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, there are over 3000 gay-straight alliance programs in high schools across the country. Van Wormer Mckinney describe harm reduction principals as a guide produced by the U.S. Department of Education and Justice to minimize violence against students. Recently, the state of Massachusetts was the first state to enforce teachers to discuss homosexuality as well as heterosexuality in age-appropriate ways to prevent students from feeling left out. According to the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, there are three different federal laws protecting LGBTQ students from bullying and harassment in schools. The first type of law that prevents bullying and harassment of LGBTQ students is known as the Enumerated Anti-Bullying Laws. The states that have implemented this specific law include: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. With this law LGBTQ students can feel safer at their schools and know that these laws will protect them and there will be repercussions for those who do not follow them. The second type of law protecting LGBTQ students is known as the non-discriminatory law. The following states have implanted this non-discriminatory law: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. With this law implemented LBGTQ students cannot not be denied basic fundamental rights, and are guaranteed the same opportunities as heterosexual students. Unlike the first two laws, the third law may harm or stigmatize LGBTQ students. This is because this law bans LGBTQ students from receiving extra or special protection, even though it is proven they are at a higher risk for being harassed and bullied. No promo homo laws, local or state education laws that expressly forbid teachers from discussing gay and transgender issues. The states that allowed this law to be implanted are: Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. Apart from the government and organizations pushing for protection of LGBTQ youth in schools, public figures have also reached out to the young gay community to remind them how important they are. In 2010 the famous gay author Dan Savage created the â€Å"It Gets Better Campaign,† in response to the suicides of teenagers who were bullied because they were gay. The website consists of LGBTQ people posting videos directed towards others struggling with their sexuality and who might be contemplating suicide. According to Savage, the website was an overnight success with a claim of 30,000 video entries between 2010 and 2012, including videos from celebrities and respected public figures, such as Barack Obama. This campaign is helping to raise awareness of the injustices and prejudices plaguing the American school systems, which are having detrimental effects on the LGBTQ youth. Another recent and popular campaign that has been gaining much attention recently is known as â€Å"The Trevor Project.† This non-profit organization is also helping raise awareness of the recent LGBTQ youth suicides and according to the gay affiliated magazine, The Advocate; the organization offers the â€Å"Trevor Lifeline,† which includes a telephone number, which will connect people with suicidal thoughts to professional counselors. Because the LGBTQ youth is such a small minority in schools across the country, it is to no surprise that they are at the highest risk of being subjected to bullying and harassment in school. This harassment includes, verbal abuse, physical assault and cyber bullying. Therefore it is no surprise studies that were previously mentioned show that 9 out of 10 LGTBQ students have reported some sort of bullying in school. With the extremely high rates of depression, fear and suicide among the gay youth, it is important that there is a social reform implemented across the country, especially in the schooling system. Regardless of personal opinion and beliefs on homosexuality, everyone deserves to feel safe and happy in their classroom. Thanks to anti-discriminatory and anti-bullying laws implemented in some states, many LGBTQ youth have been working towards equality. However there is still much progress needed. With positive organizations such as â€Å"It Gets Better,† and â€Å"The Trevor Project,† hopefully the rates of bullying, harassment and suicide among the LGTBQ youth will drop, allowing these young students to witness history for themselves and their queer allies. As Ellen DeGeneres once wisely said, â€Å"Things will get easier, people’s minds will change, and you should be alive to see it.† References Scholarly Research 1. Jing Wang, Tonja R. Nansel, Ronald J. Iannotti, Cyber and Traditional Bullying: Differential Association With Depression, Journal of Adolescent Health, Volume 48, Issue 4, April 2011, Pages 415-417, ISSN 1054-139X, 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.07.012. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X10003435) Keywords: Cyber bullying; Traditional bullying; Depression 2. Thurlow, Crispin, Naming the â€Å"outsider within†: homophobic pejoratives and the verbal abuse of lesbian, gay and bisexual high-school pupils, Journal of Adolescence, Volume 24, Issue 1, February 2001, Pages 25-38, ISSN 0140-1971, 10.1006/jado.2000.0371. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140197100903713) 3. Rivers, I. D’Augelli, A.R. (2001). The victimization of lesbian, gay and bisexual youths. In D’Augelli, A.R. Patterson, C.J. (ed.) Lesbian, gay and bisexual identities and youth: Psychological perspectives, New York: Oxford University Press. pp.199-223. 4. Russe ll, S.T. Joyner, K. (2002). Adolescent sexual orientation and suicide risk: Evidence from a national study. American Journal Public Health, 91, 1276-1281. 5. D’Augelli, A. R., Pilkington, N. W., Hershberger, S. L. (2002). Incidence and mental health impact of sexual orientation victimization of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths in high school. School Psychology Quarterly, 17, 148-167. 6. Herek, G. M., Berrill, K., Berrill, K. T. (1992). Hate crimes, confronting violence against lesbians and gay men. Sage Publications, Inc. 7. Ybarra, M.L., Diener-West, M., Leaf, P.J. (2007). Examining the overlap in Internet harassment and school bullying: implications for school intervention. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(6 Suppl 1),S42-50. 8. Van Wormer, K. , Mckinney, R. (2003). What schools can do to help gay/lesbian/bisexual youth: A harm reduction approach. Adolescence, 38(151), 409-501. 9. Keith, S., Martin, M. (2005). Cyber-bullying: creating a culture of respect in a cyber world. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 13(4), 224-228. 10. Chesir-Teran, D. (2003). Conceptualizing and assessing heterosexism in high schools: A setting-level approach. American Journal of Community Psychology, 31, 267–279. 11. Hawker, D. S. J., Boulton, M. J. (2000). Twenty years’ research on peer victimization and psychosocial maladjustment: A meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41(4), 441-455. 12. Vaillancourt, T., Hymel, S., McDougall, P. (2003). Bullying is power: Implications for school-based intervention strate- gies. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 19, 157-17 6. 13. Swearer, S. M., Turner, R. K., Givens, J. E., Pollack, W. S. (2008). â€Å"You’re so gay!† Do different forms of bullying matter for adolescent males? School Psychology Review, 37, 160-173. 14. Duncan, N. (1999) Sexual Bullying: Gender conflict and pupil culture in secondary schools. London, RoutledgeNon-Scholarly Research 15. Tyler Clementi, a gay Rutgers student, was a martyr to cyber-bullying; his roommate, Dharun Ravi, spied on his make-out sessions with a hidden webcam and outed him online. (2012, March 19). National Review, 64(5), 10. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA282583085v=2.1u=vol_b92bit=rp=ITOFsw=w 16. Stonewall. (1999, 21 April). Stonewall News: 77% of Gay Pupils Suffer Homophobic Bullying. Available (03/06/99) at 5http:www.stonewall.org.uk/news 17. Gay bullying. (2010, November 07). Retrieved from http://www.nyaamerica.org 18. StopBullying.gov. Home | StopBullying.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012. 19. American Educationa l Research Association (2011, October 12). Education research shows LGBTQ-identified students at higher risk than straight-identified students. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 7, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com ­ /releases/2011/10/111012151507.htm 20. Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (2008). 2007 National School Climate Survey: Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT Students Harassed. Retrieved December 5, 2012, from