Ownership

In all, If you have the available finances to cover the start-up costs, Snap Fitness Is a great opportunity to become your own boss. The company has put in place many different Owning a Curves franchise is another fitness business that is relatively inexpensive to start-up. Much the same as Snap Fitness, they offer support from the beginning of the process. Starting with an application, an entrepreneur is provided with support in selecting the best financing options, location selection and promotional activities. The financial requirements are $15-45,000 in liquid capital and a minimum net worth of $75,000.The startup costs are as low as $39,900 and include the franchise ownership, equipment (excluding shipping costs) and training. This particular fitness center has the ability to provide service in small areas helping to keep fixed costs down while being convenient and affordable. Another benefit to this Franchise is the ability to cater to the clientele. Curves is providing fitness activities as well as meal replacement bars, accessories and apparel. There is a multipurpose mix, which provides multiple ways to benefit the customer. With the multiple products and proven success in the industry, Curves is a smart start-up.

The Assessment for Nursing Potential: Nursing Quality Scale

The study integrated the qualities of nursing students (N=227) with their aptitude and academic achievement in a tripartite model. A battery of tests called in the Assessment for Nursing Potential (ANP) composed of the (a) Nursing Quality Scale (NQS) with factors on caring, compassion, commitment and connectedness; (b) Achievement test; and (c) Aptitude test was used in the study. Using a three-wave longitudinal design, the NQS was first administered followed by the aptitude, then the achievement tests.The effects of the nursing qualities on achievement and aptitude were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The first model indicates that nursing quality as a latent factor has no significant effects on both achievement and aptitude, obtaining a moderate goodness of fit (RMSEA=. 09). However, when the same model was tested including the effect of aptitude on achievement, it resulted to a better fit (RMSEA=. 06). In the second model, aptitude has a significant effect on ac hievement, p

The Bad Boyfriend, the Decent Boyfriend

When it comes to types of boyfriends out there, guys fall into three categories the bad boyfriends, the decent boyfriends, and prince charming. The bad boyfriend is the guy that doesn't treat his girlfriend the way she deserves to be treated and tends to go after girls with low self-confidence because honestly he couldn't get any other girl. He does many things to her including cheating, lying, abusing, using, and not meeting her needs. He cheats on her over and over knowing she will take him back. He might mentally or physically abuse her making her feel bad or sad.He uses her for what she can offer him and almost expects it in a way. A lot of bad boyfriends don't meet their girlfriend’s needs. He doesn't pay attention to her needs, like, or wants. He does all this because he simply does not care for her. This type of boyfriend is the lowest of all boyfriends, and if you are this guy then you need to understand that she will eventually get a backbone and dump you. The next ty pe is the decent boyfriend; this is the boyfriend that tries sometimes. He tries to understand what she wants and needs and tries to give it to her.He doesn't know exactly what she wants but tries to please her with whatever he does know. He loves her but wishes she was less nagging and gets upset with it instead of trying to fix the problem. He gets along with some of her family and friends. The decent boyfriend would rather watch TV or play video games then talk or hangout with his girlfriend. He may not be very romantic and he will hardly ever surprise her with things or occasions. He doesn't like expectations put on him by her and he tries not to do anything so that she will not start to expect stuff.This type of boyfriend pleases her to some degree but doesn't really get her and put effort into understand her. This guy makes women question a lot of things and go through moods of feeling good and feeling angry. The confusion shows itself as anger or tears mostly which makes him more confused and hurt her more. If you are this guy you need to start rethinking on how you go about relationships. You are never going to be in a healthy and good relationship with a girl until you start communicating properly and understanding her needs and meeting them. The last type of boyfriend would be prince charming.Obviously this guy is a catch and women would love to have him as a boyfriend. He's not without some faults but when it comes to their relationship he puts more effort in then the other guys. His traits would include: he understands what she needs emotionally, he communicates well which includes both talking and listening, he doesn't lie or use her but instead shares his life with her, he is patient with her and her emotions and he is always there for her to lean on. He surprises her with things that show her how much he cares about her, he doesn't let her get down on herself and instead lifts her up.And last he views her as a lover and a best friend. This guy g ets his woman and if he doesn't get her then he figures out how to please his woman. He's not a pushover but he's genuinely a nice guy who cares about her and her feelings. Of course there are many other types of boyfriends but these are the main three that I have found that my past boyfriends have fallen under, except prince charming. I have not yet found him but one day I'll know exactly who he is from dating the other type of boyfriends. Every girl goes through having a bad boyfriend and a decent boyfriend but you only date one prince charming.

Effective Managing Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Effective Managing Systems - Essay Example As a result, when the activities are already set to be done, the situation is simply controlled by those who know what is going on. Other officers become left-out in the air and the situation becomes tough for them as they act as though they know what is happening when actually they don't. The tension between the officers themselves stretches out to the members of the organization pulling down the unity of each team and brings down their activities to nearly "zero" results. The symbolic frame emphasizes the concept of culture as a central role in leadership. Leaders should know they must work simultaneously on staff needs and skills, on goals and roles and the dynamics of political power and conflict. But there is something that operates beyond all these, an intangible manifestation that reflects the ethos or climate of the university. In Bolman and Deal's (2003) terms, "what is most important is not what happens but what it means." In SCG and BSA's case, this frame is portrayed by the interpersonal relationship that the officers have towards the other members and towards themselves as well. This particular fame of leadership helps the leaders recompose themselves for the sake of the whole organization's benefit. The fact is that this is the easiest issue that needs to be dealt with in Bryant University. Meanwhile, the structural frame emphasizes the importance of formal roles and relationships. "Structures-commonly depicted by means of organizational charts-are created to fit an organization's environment and technology" (Bolman and Deal). The focus is on organizational direction and goals, roles, policies, procedures and co-ordination and planning. The structural processes in the school provide the medium by which clarification of direction, roles and documentation of policies and procedures can be communicated and undertaken and, therefore, is a means by which the vision of the organization is put into practice. In the Senior Class Gift Case, the structural frameworks for organizational planning are created to show the direction, roles, policies and procedures. The SCG is coordinated and systematically managed through a process of collaboration, in which goal-setting, policy-making, planning, budgeting, implementing and evaluating are integrated. However, the result seemed to lead to unsystematic, fragmented processes which have caused frustration and ineffectiveness when dealing with other organizations in Bryant. To be able to see closely on the issue's solution, this case analysis paper shall make use of the HR Frames and The Political Frame to be able to see what other reasons are there for the failures of the two major organizations being discussed. The treatment to the problem shall be based upon Bolman and Deal's (2003) Reorganization of key concepts embodied in leadership theory into the different categories of structural arrangements of organizations. Indeed, it is believed by the author of this paper that one of the key solutions to this particular problem is to examine the capabilities of the

Relationship between the Public Relations and Marketing functions Essay

Relationship between the Public Relations and Marketing functions - Essay Example Public relations if well utilized serve as an effective tool in building awareness through generating stories in the media. Then public relation after developing the story in the media then takes another step to create a sense of an enigma among salespersons to boost their morale of work. Marketing mainly involves a variety of processes concerned with finding out what customers want and then availing it for them at a profit (Weinreich, 2011). This process of marketing mainly involves four key elements, referred to as marketing mix. Red Bull, one of the most popular soft drink producers has continued to enjoy continuous prosperity in many of its stalls due to its ability to perfectly bridge the gap between public relations and marketing. In the attempt to popularize the company products, Red Bull, has adopted various forms of marketing to promote its products. The company has intensively used advertising as one tool of its marketing (Dubois, 2010). Without advertising, many notable red bull products could be still unknown to consumers. Initially, Red bull solely depended on encouragement strategy to the consumers. They orally urged them to try the company’s products so as to realize the power and the uniqueness of them. Their marketing effort concentrates on getting more and more persons to buy the company’s product. They believed that after consuming their products, customers will get satisfied and later will serve as means of marketing message dissemination channel. Later, the company adopted modern means of marketing like advertising in order to reach more consumers so as to increase the company profits. As a form of marketing, the advertisement has given the red bull company a competitive edge in the soft drink market (Yates, 2008).  

The Importance Of The BRIC Countries To The United States Economy Term Paper

The Importance Of The BRIC Countries To The United States Economy - Term Paper Example As the level of integration amongst the financial markets increases, it is critical for policy makers and global investors to understand the synergy between certain economies. This is important to adjust their portfolios and achieve proper diversification. In many ways, these are unprecedented times. The study and analysis of the relationship between the fastest emerging economies and the United States economy is gaining a lot of attention. The US economy dominates the global economic environment influencing industry trends and market behavior. However, the evolving economies of the BRIC countries have challenged the US economy and it is envisaged that the future holds immense potentials for growth and development in these countries. US trade relations and economic ties with these countries will play an important role in defining future prospects and economic potentials for both US and BRIC countries. The study evaluates the growing significance of the BRIC countries to the US econom y and analyses the factors driving these economic indicators. â€Å"BRIC countries are expected to contribute one-third of the world's GDP increment in 2015, by which time their total economy will surpass America, according to a leading Chinese think tank† (Economic Times). The countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China are the key emerging markets in the world economy. China and India represent for approximately 33% of the world’s total population. Both these countries have a high concentration of their population in the middle class who possess high purchasing power. The gross domestic product (GDP) rates in the BRIC countries are higher than those of developed countries (Desai, Acharya & DeKeizer). By 2025, it is estimated that BRICs will account for 50% of G6 countries. By 2045, the BRIC economies will take over that of G6 countries. By 2025, annual increase in dollar spending from BRICs would be twice G6 and four times by 2050 (Wilson). By 2033, it is estimated that India will have the third largest economy in the world after China and the United States. Among the BRICs, India will have the fastest growing economy. As a percentage of population, India will have highest working age population i.e. 15 to 60 years. In 2050, three of the large st four economies will be in Asia (Desai, Acharya & DeKeizer). The emerging markets provide a number of opportunities. They have the potential to have high growth rates. They have the capability to attract greater volume of foreign direct investments (FDIs). They make a huge amount of investment in infrastructure. The presence of a large middle class gives a boost to demand. There is an enormous supply of skilled and cheap labor. There is great opportunity for outsourcing work particularly in India. Emerging markets present even more opportunities in the form of disinvestment of public sector units (PSUs). There is large scale of mergers and acquisitions both domestically and globally. They are also fast in catching up with technological changes. These BRICs have a vast supply of agricultural and mineral resources. Their commodities markets are also growing rapidly (Desai, Acharya & DeKeizer). In demographic terms, BRIC consists of world’s two most populated countries and ano ther two with sizeable populations. China has the world’s largest population accounting got one-fight of the total world population. India accounts for 17.5% of the world’

Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Risk Management - Essay Example The conclusion part considers some individual views regarding risk management. Easy Jet is one of the leading budget airlines in Europe. Its operation is spread around 30 countries and serves its customers in more than 100 countries. Various business and popular vacation spots are included among these destination hubs. The organisation is mostly operated in the different destination hubs of Europe. Apart from this the organisation also has its operations in the North America and Middle East regions. Easy Jet offers almost all its tickets through the online booking facilities. No complimentary meal is offered on board. This has helped the organisation to make their costs as low as possible. Easy Jet has a dynamic fleet of 175 Boeing Jets and Airbuses (Hoovers, 2010). Starting in the 1995, the organisation has been able to mark its presence in the aviation industry. Risks are inherent to a business activity. However, the organisation needs to take steps to mitigate the risks. There can be various kinds of risks including strategic, operational, financial and hazard risks. Apart from these there can be certain other classifications of the inherent risks to a business, however those can broadly classified into the previously mentioned four categories. The risks, which the organisation is exposed to, can emerge from a number of factors which can either be external or internal to the organisation. The figure overleaf illustrates the key risks, influenced by the external and internal factors. Almost all of the financial risks including interest risks, foreign exchange and credit risks are externally market driven. However financial risk like liquidity and cash flow risk is both driven by external and internal factors. Strategic risks as changes in intensity of the competition, customer base and external industry environment are externally driven. Risks arising out of the mergers and

Rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Coursework Example The other risks that are regarded as having more gravity include global governance failure, unsustainable population growth, and rising green house emissions (Barnett & Adger, 2003). The paper discusses the risk of increasing greenhouse emissions. Global warming comes about as result green house emissions leading to the greenhouse effect. The burning of fossil fuels and extensive clearing of forests has led to a 40% increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide from 280 to 392.6 parts per million in 2012 (CDIAC, 2012). Developing nations have been found to have higher percentages of greenhouse emissions compared to the developed countries. The increase of greenhouse gases is a result of human activities such as forest degradation and burning of fossil fuels. There is growing recognition that there are over 50 global risks are classified into five main categories: (1) geopolitical: global governance failure (2) societal: unsustainable population growth, ineffective drug policies (3) technological: critical systems failure (4) economic: chronic fiscal imbalances, major systematic financial failure (5) environmental: greenhouse gas emissions (Howel 2013:54-55). The rising green house emissions risk fall under the environmental category. The rising green house emissions are a threat to the world regarding the gravity of its consequences. Greenhouse gases consist of those gases that emit and absorb infrared radiation, excluding the radiation in near or visible spectrum (Pandey, 2007). In order of abundance they include: Water vapor, carbon (IV) oxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and chloro floro carbons (CFCs). The main source of green house gases is carbon dioxide. The following fuels natural gases, liquefied petroleum gas, automobile gasoline, kerosene, wood and wood waste, and coal if combusted produce a lot greenhouse gases too (Dijk et al. 2012:110-115). Carbon dioxide (CO2) is viewed to the most vital

Access to Special Education Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Access to Special Education - Case Study Example While there are numerous approaches which have been adopted in combating HIV/AIDS, it has become essential to enhance the general knowledge of the population regarding the disease. In Zimbabwe, 15% of the population in the country have been infected by the disease (UNAIDS, 2012). This is worrying statistic which requires immediate action for the country to achieve the MDG goal number 6 of the United Nations. While the country has made significant progress and resulted in reduction of people infected with the disease, there is still a challenge in developing a long term solution. The programmes adopted within the country to fight the epidemic are commonly spearheaded by the National AIDS Council (NAC), non- governmental organisations, and Intergovernmental organisations, academic and religious organizations. These organizations have achieved a significant impact in the fight against HIV/ AIDS within the country. An education programme focusing of the young people will be implemented seeking to integrate education on HIV/AIDS within the school curriculum. Both private and public schools are believed to have the capability and significant influence on the information spread among the young generations within the population. The integration of and education programme for AIDS will be critical in ensuring the young people understand the nature of the epidemic and specific actions which they can take in prevention of the disease. Specific emphasis on prevention will be focused on the adolescents and early adulthood when the people become sexually active. The scope of the content presented within this programme will be determined locally in order to ensure consistency with the community and parental values of the society. Community participation in the projects will be critical in the programme because of some controversial issues which regard social values and norms of the people. The disease

Teenage pregnancy and its consequences Research Paper

Teenage pregnancy and its consequences - Research Paper Example Discussing the actual incidence of teenage pregnancy in both eastern and western societies along with identifying the major horrific consequences this issue produces, while taking care to mention how differently those particular consequences are perceived in the eastern and western societies form the bulk of this paper. Introduction: Granting appropriate rights to teenage mothers is not a facility entertained in many countries even in the present world since much hatred and conservatism exist towards the issue of teenage pregnancy especially in the eastern world where even discussing this critically sensitive issue is considered and perceived more like a social taboo. How the overall intricate and worse situation produced by teenage pregnancy can be overturned by granting proper and officially approved rights to the teenage mothers can change the dramatic situation brought on by this issue is a debate much worked on by many scholars and sociologists. Moreover, child abuse, neglect, a nd poor parenting are important negative outcomes of teenage pregnancy and are shown towards children born to teenage mothers, thus forming a grave consequential problem produced by teenage pregnancy (Britner & Reppucci, 1997, p. 165). This serious issue raises much concern for the upbringing of young children who have to become responsible citizens later in the future. This also remains a plausible reality that the incidence of teenage pregnancy is much higher in the western world in comparison to the eastern world and valid reasons backed up by research reports for explaining this difference in teenage pregnancy incidence also forms a part of discussion contained in this paper. Thesis statement: Facts and discussion presented in this paper are basically meant to illuminate the reality of the claim that â€Å"teenage pregnancy is an issue perceived differently and while the teen pregnancy has a higher incidence in the developed world, the severe consequences produced by this grave issue are better handled in the modernized western society than they are in the more conservative undeveloped countries.† Incidence of teenage pregnancy in the western world: The fact that the risk of teenage pregnancy in America is twice that of any other industrialized country presents a scenario which is both increasingly grave and attention-demanding and illuminates the profound need to raise awareness about the sexual caution measures which the teenage girls should be familiar with in an order to avoid the risk of pregnancy. â€Å"Available national survey-based information for the United States shows that 78% of all pregnancies and 66% of all births to adolescents in the early 1990s were unintended† (Henshaw, 1998, p. 24). Teenage girls are certainly less mature and sensible to take care of their children in an appropriate way which is one of the reasons why reducing teenage pregnancy is highly important. This sad reality also illuminates the prevalence of promis cuous behavior among teenage girls in USA which has increased over time, thanks to an increase in the party culture and sexually explicit material very often presented in a highly glamorous manner on various television channels. It is understandable that getting pregnant due to carelessly engaging in dangerous sexual activities and one night-stands can rob the young women of their education, respect, and family support. A terrible hand-to-mouth existence awaits for such teenage mothers who obviously cannot depend on their partners for

Legal Aspects of Supply Chain Management Case Study

Legal Aspects of Supply Chain Management - Case Study Example The M.D. would like to clarify some details of the contractual report based on these guidelines. The less favoured common laws (or case laws) for contracts are developed through individual contractual decisions by judges necessary to decide cases brought before them. On the other hand, statutes formed via legislations have become the commonest source of contract laws. These statutes are actually derived through Acts of UK Parliament. Since the sales of goods are within the United Kingdom, it is important to note that all statutes can be applied to any combination of jurisdictions within the UK, whereas the common law jurisdictions are more limited. In order for the contract to be legally binding under local English law and statutes, it requires the main following contractual elements: an offer and an acceptance.With respect to frozen food contracts, these basic contract requirements require careful consideration. With respect to offer of a contract, it is an expression of willingness for both parties, MorrisBury (buyer) and Freeze'n'Go (seller), to agree on certain bilateral terms that would benefit both sides. It must be made with the intention that the contract will become binding upon acceptance. The nature of an offer can be encapsulated by a case involving the defendant, Manchester City Council. The Council decided to sell houses that it owned to sitting tenants. In two cases, the claimants entered into agreements with the Council. The Council then resolved not to sell housing unless it was contractually bound to do so. In this case, the question arose as to whether or not the Council had entered into a contract. In the case [25], the Court of Appeal found that there was a binding contract. The Council had sent Storer a communication that they intended would be binding upon his acceptance. All Storer had to do to bind himself to the later sale was to sign the document and return it. In similarity, MorrisBury could make an unconditional offer which could be accepted by Freeze'n'Go.In this case, if the supplier informs buyer that the offer is accepted, there will be a binding contract.It is particularly important for the buyer wanting to purchase frozen foods are interpreted as a legal binding contract.If MorrisBury constitute a formal offer to receive certain foods, then the they may be in breach of civil and even criminal laws if there are certain categories of Freeze'n'Go who would not ordinarily be entitled to sell which are being offered [1]. For an offer to be effective, an offer must be communicated. Another way of stating this is to say that there can be no acceptance of the offer without knowledge of the offer. The reason for this requirement is that if we say that a contract is an agreed bargain, there can be no agreement without knowledge. There can be no meeting of the minds if Freeze'n'Go is unaware of the MorrisBury. Stated another way, an acceptance cannot mirror an offer if the acceptance is made in ignorance of the offer. In an exemplary case of [14], a policeman was

Drug Card Essay Example for Free

Drug Card Essay Vicodin - Indication: Relief of moderate to severe pain - Safe Range: Peds: lt;40kg 0. 2mg/kg-15mg/kg/dose q3-4h PRN. Maximum dose of acetaminophen 1000 mg/dose and 4000mg/day; Adult initially 10mg q3-4h PRN. - Action / Where does it do its job: Reduces intensity of pain stimuli incoming from sensory nerve endings, altering pain perception. Contraindications: None known. Previous hypersensitivity - Side Effects: Sedation, HOTN, diaphoresis, dizziness, facial flushing. Children lt;2 y. o. more susceptible to RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION. - Strengths: (Vicodin) hydrocodone/acteminophen 5/500 mg ; Vicodin ES h/a 7. 5/750 mg; Vicodin HP h/a 10/650mg and 10/660mg ; - - Drug Name: Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen Trade Name:  Norco - Indication: Relief of moderate to severe pain - Safe Range: Peds: lt;40kg 0. 2mg/kg-15mg/kg/dose q3-4h PRN. Maximum dose of acetaminophen 1000 mg/dose and 4000mg/day; Adult initially 10mg q3-4h PRN. - Action / Where does it do its job: Reduces intensity of pain stimuli incoming from sensory nerve endings, altering pain perception. Contraindications: None known ; Previous hypersensitivity - Side Effects: Sedation, HOTN, diaphoresis, dizziness, facial flushing. Children lt;2 y. o. more susceptible to RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION. - Strength: hydrocodone/acetaminophen 10mg/325 mg; 5mg//325mg, 7. 5mg/325mg - Drug Name: Acetaminophen/Codeine Trade Name: Tylenol with codeine - Indication: Mild to moderate pain, fever - Safe Range: 0. 5-1. 0mg/kg/dose q3-6h. [3-6 yo] Dose: 12 mg codeine PO q4-6h prn; [7-12 yo]Dose: 15-30 mg codeine PO q4-6h prn; [13-17 yo]Dose: 15-60 mg codeine PO q4-6h prn; Max: 60 mg/dose, 360 mg/day codeine; 1 g/4h and 4 g/day acetaminophen; Alt: 0. 5-1 mg/kg codeine PO q4-6h prn; - Action / Where does it do its job:  Ã‚  Inhibits the synthesis of prostaglandins that may serve as mediators of pain and fever, primarily in the CNS. Contraindications: Previous hypersensitivity. Active alcoholism, hepatic disease, severe renal impairment, phenylketonuria, G6PD deficiency. - Side Effects: hypersensitivity reaction, hepatotoxicity, hepatic failure, renal failure. - Strength: Codeine with acetaminophen 30/300mg ; 60/300mg; Tylenol with codeine solution ( codeine 12mg/acet. 120mg/5ml)

The Abortion Argument In Islam Theology Religion Essay

The Abortion Argument In Islam Theology Religion Essay Drawing upon references from the Islamic tradition, discuss the ethics of abortion. According to Islam is Abortion ever permissible? The abortion argument in Islam takes its status in a specific religious setting shaped by the divinely exposed teachings of the religion. These teachings are acknowledged by Muslims as sacred and unchallengeable and have persisted undisputed for over centuries. The greatest importance of these teachings affects the meaning and purpose of human life. Islam teaches that human life is sacred because its origins come from God alone, who by his position is sacred and the final source of all that is holy. Within these writings Human beings are seen as Gods finest creation by way of the fact that in creation he breathed his spirit into every human body, male and female, at a certain stage of its embryological development. This exhalation by God of the heavenly soul into the human fetus is called its ensoulment. Thus by doing this it bestows on man, the status of theomorphic existence, and it is this very existence that is exalted above all things as life itself is gods divine gift to mankin d. So from this point Islam supports a strong and serious standpoint on the taking of a persons life and of all actions which may be injurious to such life. One of the five basic human rights preserved in the Sharia is the protection by the state of every human life. The Quran asserts that whosoever kills a [single] human for other than murder or other than the corruption of the earth [i.e., war], it is as though he has killed all humankind and whosoever has saved one human, it is as though he has saved all humankind (5:35). When we discuss the term other than murder in this verse within Islamic law it refers mostly to justifiable homicide, these can be acts of self-defense and subsequent acts of capital punishment as set under the Islamic law of equality (qisas).Islam imparts that a human is not just a mind-body or soul-body object that has come into being in the course of an completely physical, historical, or evolutionary development, rather the religious entity contends that rather he/she is an individual who is also a spirit whose existence exceeds the physical space as we know it. Within this existence individuals are disregarding all we believe we know. This divine material found in all human individuals is regarded by Muslim theorists as the best part of ourselves which is able to distinguish itself, God and have insight even into the spiritual realm; this is what in reality set us above all other creations. Within this admitted hierarchy of Creation in which human are set above all other living things, the Quran and the Sunnah however strongly order Muslims to treat animals with compassion and not to abuse them as well. The Quran states that all creation praises God, even if this praise is not expressed in human language (17:44). In addition the Quran contends that There is not an animal in the earth, nor a flying creature on two wings, but they are communities like unto you (6:38). This is stated due to the sanctity of life. Taking a life even that of a animal for food is to be done only if it is a necessity. In this regard abortion is seen as an abomination to creation as a whole as far as islam is concerned When we look into the Islamic debate of abortion it is usually focused on the question also of rights and responsibilities between the husband and wife so it is important we add this into the equation. It is here again that the Quran emphases the belief that everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to God. So if we are really speaking metaphysically on this matter within Islam, individuals do not have ownership over anything, not even over their own bodies. Within this vein of thinking it is God alone who has assigned the rights of both men and women and their subsequent roles as husband and wives. Continuing on this thinking both men and women within Islam get their rights through the adjudication of the Divine Law through the Quran. The Quran mentions considerably the ensoulment of the human body, largely in the setting of Gods creation story, the making of Adam. Here we also are able to read our shared affirmation of humankinds supremacy over the rest of creation, including the angels. When Muslims need insight into abortion or the subject of the ethics of abortion in Islam it can only be resolved by looking closely at the Quran. This is considered the source of all truth in the Islamic world, as well as the Sunna, who is the living example of the Prophet. Allah states clearly in the Quran the method of human development in the womb. 0 people! If you are in doubt about the raising, then surely We created you from dust, then a small seed, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, complete in make and incomplete. . . (Quran 22:5) From this viewpoint human life as we know it is not human until the lump of dust phase is finalised. Here it is clear that human existence is not human until the lump of flesh stage is completed, subsequently this verse informs us the laws of succession as far as Islam is before we become a person. Similar passages in the Quran make it undeniable that Allah creates humans in stages and foetuses earlier than the final stage are not classified as humans. Anees (1989) notes this as well, when he states; It is obvious that the Muslim juristic appraisal of the legality of induced abortion hinges on one and only one determinant: transformation from a biological being (may be taken as an equivalent of the animal stage of development) to a human being. This transmutation is brought about when the spirit is infused into that biological being (P.177) Further, Asad, and Bahishti other Islamist writers, in this modern period have interpreted this surah in this way. The language in this surah which has an addition to it is called an hadith is also reverberated in the creation of the law by the Prophet. This hadith 6397 reflects that Anas b. Malik as reported directly from Allahs messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has appointed an angel as caretaker of the womb, and he would say: My Lord, it is now a drop of semen; my Lord, it is now a clot of blood, my Lord, it has now become a lump of flesh, and when Allah decides to give it a final shape, the angel says: My Lord, would it be male or female or would he be an evil or a good person? What about his livelihood and his age. And it is all written as he is in the womb of his mother This passage contemplates that Allah bestows all human characteristics within the womb, such that the creation within the womb becomes the incubator of creation, the catalyst of all life itself. Again we are brought back to the conclusion that the foetus is just a drop or a clot or a lump until Allah decides to give it its final form, and at that stage its future is recognised and ascertained by Allah. In conclusion, this same language is used in a hadith which asserts that each of the first three stages represents 40 days. (Hadith=is a saying or an act or tacit approval or disapproval ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Hadith are regarded by traditional Islamic schools of jurisprudence as important tools for understanding the Quran and in matters of law http://www.memidex.com/hadiths) (Abdullah said that the Prophet of God (May peace and blessings be upon him) said that the sperm is in the womb for forty days without its condition changing. When it has passed these forty days it becomes a clot, then in that manner it becomes a bigger thing likewise, and when Allah wants to complete its creation, He sends an angel. He tells the angel that which He commands for it: for example, male or female, unhappy or joyful, short or tall, weak or strong, and he make the person healthy or infirm. He (the Prophet) said that he (the angel) writes all of this down. This Islamic view of fetal development based on the Quran and hadith is central to the Muslim arguments on abortion. All Muslim experts in the philosophy of religious law and specifically the readings of the Quran accept as true that the foetus only becomes a human being after the fourth month of pregnancy. Thus as a result of this finding, abortion is forbidden after that stage (Musallam, 1983).In spite of this however there is differing views concerning the tolerability of abortion through the first four months of pregnancy. This is the period just before the ensoulment of the foetus. Conflict arises based on the religious schooling of the theorists in this matter. The hanafi School of Islamic law allows abortion to be performed at any period throughout the four-month pregnancy stage. Within their writings they decrees that the woman has the right to adopt some method of obtaining abortion if quickening of the fetus has not occurred, which happens after 120 days of conception (Abedin, p. 121). On the other hand the majority of Maliki law makers prohibit abortion absolutely. Their core disagreement is that even though the foetus does not become a human until after its ensoulment, we have a duty not to interfere with the natural development of conception. Once the semen has established itself in the womb, as the semen is predestined for ensoulment. Again there is debate by some Maliki Lawmakers which allow abortion of a fetus up to forty days old. Other schools of Islamic law like the Sunnis and Shiites agree with the Hanafis in their tolerance of abortion; however they differ in the specific interpretations of the law making it increasingly an ongoing debatable parody. This brings to the point that it is crucial to emphasize that there is an exact and detailed theological and ethic-legal context in which abortion has been allowed in Islam. Muslim Imams categories all human act into five categories, namely (1) the obligatory (wÄ jib), (2) the recommended (mandÃ…Â «b), (3) the allowable or the indifferent (mubÄ h), (4) the blameworthy or the discouraged (makrÃ…Â «h), and (5) the forbidden (harÄ m). Abortion has been subsequently placed using this scale in the third category, that of the (mubah), allowable. In conclusion to this everlasting argument the writings of Allah, within the Quran, have made it clear that to take any life is wrong. All Islamic people are under the protection of Allah. Allah also implores us from the Quran that any foetus in a womb is not a human person until after a stated period has passed. Allahs case in point adds that the period specified is 120 days of gestation, after which time the foetus is treated as a Muslim, however it is still not seen as a true living Muslim. This is implied as there is no punishment on a woman who is forced to miscarry and from this the foetus dies. Finally, it can be said that although abortion in the first 120 days of gestation is largely seen as morally wrong in Islamic law, it is not considered to be murder. Abortion within this 120 day period falls into the classification of bodily injury or breaking of an oath, thus the person who is found guilty at this time is usually served with some kind of penance punishment. The questio n of abortion becomes an illogical dilemma then when we take into account the killing of ones children which is classified as one of the gravest sins within the Quran. Such that if an abortion took place after the 120 days it would surmount to the sin of killing a child, and because of its position in the legal-ethical debate would need sufficient arguments that the abortion was necessary to save the life of the mother, that is it was necessary to save another life.

Role of Traditional Medicine in Third World Countries

Role of Traditional Medicine in Third World Countries Overview According to the National Aboriginal Health Organisation (NAHO, 2003), the term traditional was introduced by the British during the colonial era and often rejected by many indigenous peoples. Authorities in the industrialised world used the term traditional medicine to distinguish between Western medicine and medical knowledge and practices that were local to indigenous tribes in Africa, South East Asia and other parts of the third world. Today traditional medicine is also referred to as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) (Shaikh Hatcher, 2005). Chronic social, economic and political problems in many third world countries means that the vast majority of their populations have little or no access to modern medical resources. By contrast, traditional medicine is often available to the masses and may constitute the only available health care resource. This essay discusses the role of traditional medicine as an essential resource in the third world, with specific reference to Nigeria and Pakistan. Traditional Medicine There is no universally accepted and unambiguous definition of traditional medicine, largely because of differences in culture, language, and medical products and practices across the third world. However, the World Health Organisation defines traditional medicine as health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being (WHO, 2003). Traditional medicine generally refers to any medicinal knowledge and practices that arent within the domain of modern day Western medicine. Like modern medicine the ultimate goal of the traditional healer is to improve the well being of individuals who present with some undesirable physical or psychological malady (Shaikh Hatcher, 2005). However, traditional medicine is unique in that improvements in well-being may incorporate spiritual healing, an d whereas western medicine largely relies on science-based knowledge and procedures, traditional medicine is based on local rituals, herbs, and superstitions indigenous to the local community (NAHO, 2003). Traditional medicine may incorporate different fields of expertise. NAHO (2003) identifies several types of specialists, including the spiritualist, herbalist, medicine man/woman, and healer. Spiritualists specialise in spiritual healing, for example by communicating with dead ancestors and performing ritualised sacrifices (e.g. killing a chicken). They often enjoy a certain degree of authority within local communities, serving as mentors for individuals or families. Herbalists are perhaps equivalent to pharmacists and pharmacologists in western medicine. They are experts on the medicinal properties of local plants and are typically called upon to prepare various medicinal concoctions to cure specific ailments. Such preparations may be in the form of a meal, drink, or even special soap for bathing. Healers are individuals with a natural talent for healing, often through spiritual or other means, perhaps similar to the psychic in Western society. Indeed, there seems to be a high degre e of overlap between healers, and spiritualists, albeit this is debatable and culture-specific. Finally, the medicine man/woman is a traditional healer usually involved in ceremonial activity, such as a funeral. They often carry a lot of material effects, such as mysterious ‘bundles’, bones, and other effects. Chronic shortages of modern health care resources in the third world has led to renewed interest in the role that CAM could play in reducing premature morbidity and mortality. Health care in the third word Populations living in third world countries are plagued by a variety of health problems. These include childbirth problems such as low birth weight (Arif Arif, 1999), nutritional problems, notably malnutrition, hypoglycaemia and hypothermia (Bhan et al, 2003), kidney disease (SantaCruz, 2003), degenerative psychiatric illnesses such as Hodgkin’s disease (Hu et al, 1988), hypertension (Galie Rubin, 2004), tobacco-related illness (Tomlinson, 1997), and so on. The prevailing economic, political, social and environmental conditions arent ideal for maintaining good health (Cooper, 1984). Socio-economic inequalities caused by flawed economic policies and political corruption has meant that modern medicine is beyond the reach of the suffering masses. Environmental decadence manifests in poor sanitary conditions, itself a result (at least in part) of weak economic infrastructure, and political leadership. Governments in many third world countries often spend only a fraction of their gross domestic product (GDP) on health care, so that there is a chronic shortage of both primary and secondary health resources such as clinics, hospitals, staff, and drugs. Health care policies are either absent, inadequate or poorly implemented. Lack of adequate funding stifles research and development, not withstanding positive side effects like increased creativity (Coloma Harris, 2004). These deplorable conditions have persisted despite massive financial investment by the World Bank. The organisation pays out an estimated $28 billion annually to third world countries, some of which is meant be used for the development of adequate health infrastructure (Pinker, 2000). But this has had little effect, partly because of government corruption, political instability, and crippling national debts. Moreover, technological change is so rapid that investment in essential medical equipment is not viable, unless there is a regular cash flow to finance replacements (Coloma Harris, 2004). Much has been written about the problem of ‘brain drain’ in which locally trained professionals flee their under-resourced and decaying health care systems to take up more lucrative jobs abroad (Fisher, 2003; Latif, 2003; Levy, 2003). Then there is the capitalist constraint. Private companies in the West that provide health services, pharmaceuticals, equipment, and other medical re sources need to make a profit to stay in business. This means selling products to their clients (governments, health service organisations, the general public) at a cost-effective price, which third world countries simply cannot afford. Getting private companies to sell their health services and products at a loss, for example by provide cheap or free drugs, often requires government intervention and corporate will (Enserink, 2000), both of which are often lacking. In the midst of such adversity traditional medicine may provide the only viable source of health care. Nigeria Modern health care in Nigeria incorporates primary care provided by local government and privately owned clinics, secondary care dispensed by hospitals, and tertiary services (e.g. orthopaedics, psychiatry) provided by specialist hospitals (WHO, 2002-2007). Like many third world countries the health infrastructure is severely under funded, with chronic equipment and staff shortages (Kadiri, 2005). Brain drain is a constant problem (Levy, 2003), and adequate health care is expensive and hence beyond the reach of the masses (WHO, 2002-2007). Traditional medicine operates side-by-side with modern health care. Most Nigerians have access to traditional healers, or medicine men’, especially in the rural areas where people lack local health infrastructure and transportation to travel to the nearest clinic or hospital. Thus, CAM is the only health resource available to most Nigerians (Mpyet et al, 2005). Nigeria is actually a melting pot of over 300 different tribes[1], with remarkabl y different languages, cultures, lifestyles, religions and traditional governments (at local level). Thus, the practice of traditional medicine is quite varied across the country. Nevertheless, most medicine men are considered experts in the preparation and administration of various herbal medicines, and the prognosis for patients is often good. The use of herbal drugs remains very popular, especially amongst the older generation and/or less educated. Recent evidence suggests that some Nigerians are suspicious of modern medical procedures and consequently fail to utilise services to which they have access. Raufu (2002) and Pincock (2004) both document a recent health crises in northern Nigeria in which parents refused to get their kids vaccinated against poliomyelitis. There was considerable scepticism about the vaccination campaign, with many parents fearing their children may become infected with the HIV, or worse become infertile, irrespective of what the health officials said. This incident seems to mirror a subtle nation-wide cultural shift towards traditional medicine. For example, there have been calls for traditional healers to be involved in making referrals to secondary care services, along side professional medical doctors (Mpyet et al, 2005). The WHO has specifically encouraged research on traditional medicine in Nigeria, and the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), located in Abuja, the capital city, has been identified as a possible location for such research. The NIPRD was set up to conduct research projects designed to improve, refine, and modernise traditional medicine, especially in terms of herbal remedies. The institute has successfully developed some herbal medicines including NIPRD AM-1, a herbal extract for treating malaria. In other parts of the country steps have been taken to blend traditional medicine with modern medical procedures. The Fantsuam Foundation (IHDC, 2003), a womens group founded in 1996 and based in northern Nigeria with over 80,000 members, was set up to help rural women fight their way out of poverty. This organisation is not profit oriented, works in collaboration with local government, and uses modern computer resources, such as electronic commerce. The foundation recognises the value of CAM especially amongst women living in poor communities, and works to reconcile traditional practices with modern medicine. Women in this part of the country are plagued by a variety of health problems ranging from minor ailments (e.g. back pains) to more serious conditions (e.g. HIV/AIDS). Thus, there is an ever-present demand for appropriate health care. Traditional healers are very active, using various emollients and herbs to treat patients. More encouragingly, the Foundations’ work in th e community has highlighted several interesting points concerning the modernisation of traditional medicine. These include the following; Some aspects of traditional medicine can be improved for better health service provision; Traditional healers are open to modernisation initiatives provided there is a sense of partnership and intellectual property rights are protected; Traditional medicine as a body of knowledge can be preserved while simultaneously opening it up to reforms. Overall, the value of traditional medicine as a widely available health resource is universally recognised in Nigeria. Pakistan Pakistan like other third world countries suffers from an under funded and under-resourced modern health care system. Poverty-related health problems are rife, including low birth weight (Bhutta et al, 2004), hepatitis (Yusufzai, 2004), sexually transmitted diseases (Wallerstein, 1998) and high infant mortality and malnutrition (Abbasi, 1999). The health care system is dichotomised into the public and private sectors. The former incorporates a mixture of mostly unregulated private hospitals, clinics, and traditional healers, while the public sector is made up of government run hospitals, mostly in very poor condition (Shaikh Hatcher, 2005). Overall, Pakistan’s health service system does not compare favourably with its neighbours. Poverty, illiteracy and poor sanitation, as well as political instability compound the problem, with infant mortality and infectious disease particularly problematic (Abbasi, 1999; Zaidi et al, 2004). Historically CAM has been a permanent part of the health care landscape in Pakistan, practised in the form of Unani, Ayurvedic and homeopathic systems (Shaikh Hatcher, 2005). Unani medicine entails the use of natural resources normally found in the body, such as clean and fresh water, whereas Ayurveda remedies are sensitive to a womans natural rhythms and cycles. There is particular emphasis in Pakistan on the use of plant-based traditional medicines, albeit animal based products are sometimes used. In the midst of chronic and widespread socio-economic deprivation more and more Pakistanis are turning to traditional healers for their health care (Shaikh Hatcher, 2005). Local ‘hakeems’, religious leaders and medicine men regularly dispense traditional therapies. These individuals enjoy considerable public trust and respect, especially in the rural areas, and patients regularly present with a wide range of medical conditions including gynaecological problems. According to Jafry (1999) traditional medicine was officially acknowledged in Pakistan under the Unani, Ayurvedic and Homeopathic Practitioners’ Act of 1965. The practice of homeopathy in particular has become well established, with increases in the number of homeopathic (privately owned) schools, especially after the Homeopathic Board and National Council for Homeopath y (NCH) was set up. Currently there is an abundance of homeopathic clinics, pharmaceutical companies, and other related organisations in Pakistan. Interestingly, despite these advances Pakistan continues to import homeopathic medicines in large quantities and local drug prices remain high. Consequently many Pakistanis cannot afford homeopathic treatment. Like the modern health care system which is heavily under funded ((Abbasi, 1999), homeopathic medicine remains crippled by under investment (Jafry, 1999). Despite these drawbacks, CAM as a whole remains more accessible than modern health resources, and constitutes an indispensable resource for the vast majority of the population (Shaikh Hatcher, 2005). Exploitation NAHO (2003) has identified a number of important concerns that need to be recognised if CAM is to be successfully integrated with modern medicine in developing nations. Firstly it is essential to recognise the important role played by the elderly, who form the bulk of spiritual healers and medicine men. Less common in Western culture, high reverence for elders in many third world countries is a major reason traditional medicine enjoys considerable public endorsement. Secondly, there is the risk of exploitation by unscrupulous western private enterprise. In particular it would be wholly inappropriate in a cash economy for a private pharmaceutical company, concerned about making a quick profit, to offer symbolic but worthless gifts to a traditional healer in return for valuable knowledge on local medicines, ointments and herbs. Thirdly, there is the issue of intellectual property rights. These must be protected under any circumstances, again to avoid unfair exploitation and profiteerin g by private companies. Health care funding provided to third world governments by the WHO, World Bank, and other financial organisations should be conditional on the establishment and implementation of satisfactory protective policies. For example independent (e.g. WHO) officials can be used to supervise contracts that are drawn up between private enterprises and traditional healer groups. Conclusions As early as 1984 Cooper argued that Western medicine might not really be suitable for the third world (Cooper, 1984). Despite the rapid spread of modern medicine CAM remains an indispensable resource for providing adequate health care to the majority of individuals living in these countries. Socio-economic and political problems have severely limited access to modern health care. However, considerable progress has being made towards harness the potential of traditional medicine, for example by allowing traditional healers to make hospital referrals. Both the WHO and World Bank seem committed to promoting the development of CAM. Given the complexity and variability of health provision across the third world it may be necessary to tailor health care reform to the peculiar requirements of each country (Buch, 2005). Traditional medicine is firmly rooted in local culture and customs (NAHO, 2003), and therefore traditional health protocols cannot be generalised across nations. Additionally , concerns about equality, protection rights, and other ethical issues need to be addressed. References Abbasi, K. (1999) The World Bank and world health Focus on South Asia II: India and Pakistan British Medical Journal, 318, pp.1132-1135 Arif, M.A. Arif, K. (1999) Low birthweight babies in the third world: maternal nursing versus professional nursing care, Journal of Tropical Paediatrics, 45, pp.278 – 280. Bhan, M.K., Bhandari, N. Bahl, R. (2003) Management of the severely malnourished child: perspective from developing countries. British Medical Journal, 326, pp.146 151 Bhutta, Z.A., Khan, I., Salat, S., Raza., F. Ara, H. (2004) Reducing length of stay in hospital for very low birthweight infants by involving mothers in a stepdown unit: an experience from Karachi (Pakistan). British Medical Journal, 329, pp.1151 1155 Buch, E. (2005) The future of health care in Africa. British Medical Journal. 331, pp.1-2. Coloma, J. Harris, E. (2004) Innovative low cost technologies for biomedical research and diagnosis in developing countries. British Medical Journal, 329, pp.1160- 1162 Cooper, J.A.D. (1984) Health resources: the United States and the third world, Health Affairs, 3, pp.149 151 Enserink, M. (2000) Group urges action on third world drugs. Science, 287, p.1571 Fisher, J.P. (2003) Third world brain drain: Brain drain must be halted. British Medical Journal. 327, p.930. Galie, N. Rubin, L.J. (2004) Introduction: new insights into a challenging disease: A review of the third world symposium on pulmonary arterial hypertension. Journal of American College of Cardiology, 43 (12 Suppl S): 1S. Jafry, S.A.A. (1999) Homeopathy in Pakistan [online]. The Homeo Webzine. Available from: http://www.geocities.com/pulsnet2000/homeopak.htm>[Accessed 5 March 2006]. Kadiri, S. (2005) Tackling cardiovascular disease in Africa. British Medical Journal, 331, pp.711-712. Hu, E., Hufford, S., Lukes, R., Bernstein-Singer, M., Sobel, G., Gill, P., Pinter- Brown, L., Rarick, M., Rosen, P. Brynes, R. (1988) Third-World Hodgkins disease at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center Journal of Clinical Oncology, 6, pp.1285 1292. IHDC (2003) Local health content in Nigeria blends tradition and science. Johannesburg: IHDC. Latif, A.S. (2003) Third world brain drain: Causes of exodus need to be examined and rectified. British Medical Journal, 327, p.930. Levy, L.F. (2003) The first worlds role in the third world brain drain. British Medical Journal, 327, p.170 Mpyet, C, Dineen, B.P., Solomon, A.W. (2005) Cataract surgical coverage and barriers to uptake of cataract surgery in leprosy villages of north eastern Nigeria. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 89, pp.936-938. NAHO (2003) Traditional Medicine in Contemporary Context: Protecting and Respecting Indigenous Knowledge and Medicine. Ottawa, ON: NAHO. Pincock, S. (2004) Poliovirus spreads beyond Nigeria after vaccine uptake drops. British Medical Journal. 328, p.310 Pinker, S. (2000) Banking on the Third World. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 163, p.94 Raufu, A. (2002) Polio cases rise in Nigeria as vaccine is shunned for fear of AIDS British Medical Journal, 324, p.1414. SantaCruz, P.L. (2003) Preventing end-stage kidney disease: a personal opinion from the Third World. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, 18, p.2453. Shaikh, B.T. Hatcher, J. (2005) Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Pakistan: Prospects and Limitations. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2, pp.139–142. Tomlinson, R. (1997) Smoking death toll shifts to third world British Medical Journal, 315, pp.563 568 Wallerstein, C. (1998) Pakistan lags behind in reproductive health. British Medical Journal. 317, p.1546 WHO (2003) Country Press Releases: WHO encourages Research into Traditional Medicine. Geneva: WHO. WHO (2002-2007) WHO Country Cooperation Strategy: Federal Republic of Nigeria. Geneva. WHO Zaidi, K.M., Awasthi, S. deSilva, H.J. (2004) Burden of infectious diseases in South Asia. British Medical Journal, 328, pp.811 – 815. Yusufzai, A (2004) Pakistan medical association warns of potential rise in hepatitis British Medical Journal. 329, p.530. 1 Footnotes [1] There are three major tribes; The Hausa, Ibo, and Yoruba.

raccoon report Essays -- essays research papers

Raccoon Report GENERAL OVERVIEW   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Raccoons (Procyon lotor) belong to the Procyonidae (those who came before the dogs’ family). This highly intelligent mammal has a rounded head with a short nose, small ears, and a sturdy body with minimum-length, thick, grayish brown fur. Raccoons are easily identified by a distinctive pattern of alternating black and yellowish white rings around a large bushy tail. They are also identified by a unique narrow black face mask with two white patches above the eyes. The average length is 2 to 3 feet long (including the tail) and 12 inches high, weigh 8 to 22 pounds (heaviest in autumn), and live for 10 to 13 years. Females produce one litter per year, numbering from one to six kilts and averaging four to five. SPECIAL FEATURES AND ADAPTATIONS Raccoons have had a long time to adjust and adapt to different surroundings. Raccoons have keen senses of smell and hearing. (Blashfield, 2004) They are strong and agile, hence good tree and fence climbers. Each foot has five long and slender digits, which operate with remarkable dexterity. This was an adaptation developed for living in dense forests and heavy tree populated areas. In the wild, they use their front feet for finding food in water, opening shellfish, and conveying food to the mouth. In urban areas the raccoon has learned to dig through human garbage as a significant food source. In adapting to human habitat, they often apply this dexterity to opening garba...

Wicked Virtuoso In Your Shadow :: essays research papers

h, p-leez, gimme a break, so what if I say wicked? Or evil is more appropriate? And stop those scrutinizing brows; this is of no inept revelation. And why begin it as eloquently as this is? Simple. Arrogance and hypocrisy within the breeze of air that surrounds me is as callous as they are overwhelmingly alluring and good-looking. Yes, I speak of a sheep in a wolf’s clothing, a metaphor you wish not to plummet into nor be one of its allies. Nor do I. Not in a million years. Beware, on land, on moon, on space, the wicked paranoia may never come as a visible being but in a tacit, truculent silence, like a shadow lurking behind your every step. Some maybe inopportune as they are empirical and wise for I myself bushwhacked few of them, catching the drift, turning my back, and kindly letting them live their crazed life, hearing things but letting it out of my system the second it hits me. So, I was born with it, the so-called intellectually vital vision and outstanding senses. I sense the real, the fake, the filthy. I sense which has heart, which has not. When you are a Virgo as the writer is, you are one with the nature; you are a virgin who symbolizes purity of the mind- the ability to grasp things logically. What others say has never staunched me, never trampled me, never put me down. Sheep in a wolf’s clothing- more of an ethnic joke than a human being. Jogging up my memories, the bad ones have all but not vanished. But these made me stronger like my Shihan’s innate and apparent strength. Fear never reverberates through me, slap me and I’ll break your nose, hurt me and you’ll wish you we never alive. So here goes nothing- I am a girl, a powerful femininity flows through me, a strong spirit, a determination as strong as Malcolm X’s and a mind as clear as a tranquil Black Sea. Never fear, never hesitate, speak out and be heard, let no wolf clothing scare you. Then there goes the pin-pointer- who points his faults to others. This person is in need of a mirror to reflect the real self- for a wide awakening. A snide attitude toward every little peccadillo he assumes are others but is truly his. He needs to study European suavity or even better- learn to pinch himself- to feel he is at loss, and in need of moral repair.

Exam Malpractice

Abstract Show/Hide This study considers the remote causes of examination malpractice in the Nigerian education system with a view to suggest new ways of combating the problem. Three research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Using the multistage stratified sampling technique, 200 students were selected for the study from 20 secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State. An Examination Malpractice Questionnaire (EMQUE) was used for data collection. The three research hypotheses were tested statistically using the Chi square statistical technique.The results indicate that poor study habits, paucity of educational facilities, and inability of schools to cover prescribed syllabuses are significant remote causes of examination malpractice in the country. Based on these findings, methods of tackling the menace are proffered and counselling implications are suggested. Introduction The issue of examination malpractice is a national emergency situation. Before the advent of western type e ducation, traditional Nigerian education was based mainly on experience and practice.Its mode of instruction was simple as knowledge was passed on orally and through practical tests. Students then only had to commit to memory, learn by rote, or through observation (Ibia, 2006). Because traditional Nigerian education placed little or no emphasis on certification, students had the proper view of education, seeing it as a means to an end not an end in itself. Besides, the Nigerian culture then frowned at dishonesty and would not hesitate to sanction offenders (Agogo, 2006).According to Ejiogu (2001), general moral decadence and the high premium placed on achievement and certificates by Nigerians has in recent times spawned examination fraud. The general overdependence on educational certificates as a measure of one’s knowledge and competence has led to a mad rush by most people for educational certificates (Sofola, 2004). In a bid to acquire such certificates, many have resorted to unethical means—foremost among which are examination malpractices—just to acquire the certificates at all cost.Without doubt, the persistent occurrence of examination malpractice in Nigeria has spawned heinous problems such as: 1. Lack of credibility of academic certificates acquired in Nigeria by the international community. 2. Declining standard of education in the country. Onyechere (2004) asserted that unless we are able to stop examination malpractice, the standard of education in Nigeria will continue to fall. 3. The problem of turning out into the society half-baked—if not unbaked—graduates who are virtually good for nothing and functional illiterates. 4.Inability to secure competitive and challenging jobs which require practical test of proficiency and skills. 5. The existing correlation between examination malpractice and corruption in public offices. As noted by Thomas Derry of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and quoted in the E xaminations Ethics Project (EEP) survey (2004) report, students who steal their ways to higher offices through examination malpractice would not find it difficult to engage in corrupt practices when they are employed. 6. Finally, examination malpractice has economic implications.According to EEP (2003) report, Nigeria loses more than one billion naira annually to examination malpractice. Thus examination malpractice could equally be seen as an economic crime. Mention-worthy at this juncture is the fact that Nigerians have not been sleeping since the wake of this mischief in the mid 1970s. It is on recorded history that the first serious case of examination malpractice in independent Nigeria was the leakage in 1977 of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) question paper for the West African School Examination (Onyechere, 1996).The outcry by WAEC in the wake of this incidence led to the setting up of a tribunal by the Federal government of Nigeria to investigate the mass leakage and to suggest possible measure to forestall future occurrence. The tribunal recommended severe punitive measures. The federal government followed this up by promulgating Degree No. 20 of 1984 and later, Degree No. 33 of 1999 in which severe punishments against perpetrators of examination malpractice were clearly enshrined.Further measures which have been taken in recent times to eradicate examination malpractice include that taken by the Obasanjo Administration which embedded in the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) policy document a target of 40% reduction in examination malpractice annually; the existing legislation on examination malpractice, Degree No. 33 of the 1999 Constitution which is still in force—though not enforced; and the move by the Federal Ministry of Education to introduce the study of ethics in the school curricula with a view to forestalling examination malpractice.It is a truism that even though much has been done, it is eith er grossly inadequate or ineffectual at curbing the menace as we day-in-day-out see examination malpractices take newer, dynamic and appealing forms especially with the advances in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) coupled with the general falling standards of societal norms. It is also true that examination malpractice would not have attained its present endemic state but for the fact that the major stake holders in education are at the forefront aiding and abetting the crime.Orhungur (2003) decried the general opinion which tends to indict the students and exonerate the teachers and other examination agents. Quoting a tentative report by Usman, he maintained that if the staff, that is, all who have to do with examinations—examiners, typists, custodians, staff of examination bodies, printers, transporters, and security agents—put their house in order, students would not have access to examination materials before examinations. Umar (2003) indicted head m asters and principals as the biggest perpetrators of examination malpractice in the country.He asserted that headmasters in connivance with their teachers initiate primary school pupils into examination malpractice during common entrance examinations by giving answers to the students so that they would record high number of passes in their schools. In the case of secondary school principals, Umar (2003) stated emphatically that they are the worst perpetrators of the crime as they, in a bid to have the names of their schools praised and recognized, manipulate and aid the crime.In the same vein, Ike (2004) of the EEP held that principals have gone to the extent of building into the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) registration fees, an examination malpractice fee variously referred to as cooperation fees, understanding fees, examination welfare fees, and miscellaneous fees with the sole aim of bribing supervisors and invigilators an d whoever sent them so that they might ‘cooperate’ during examinations.Another group of master-minders who have rather taken centre stage in recent times are operators of private study centres also known as extramural classes. These study centres are veritable fronts for examination fraud operated by organized syndicate who charge outrageously high fees for examinations. Funnily enough, students are, more often than not, willing to pay because in the end it pays off very well (Thisday, 2004). The last group which is also a strong force behind the perpetration of examination malpractice is the parents. Many parents would not want their children to repeat any class no matter their level of performance.Thus, they pressure school authorities to give their children automatic promotion even when they fail their examinations. Parents are also in the forefront of hiring mercenaries to write examinations for their wards. They thus collude with principals to issue fake but favour able examination results to their children. Looking beyond the contribution of education stakeholders to examination crimes, other important causes of examination malpractice revolve around the students and their attitude towards their studies as influenced by the general socio-economic situation in the country.In recent times, students prepare—if at all they do—lackadaisically for examinations. The reason for this lacklustre attitude as opined by Thomas Derry of WAEC is that the youths have prioritized entertainment and pleasure at the expense of their books (myspacefm. com, 2004). Furthermore, Anger (2004) pointed out that the high fees associated with especially the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) makes malpractice unavoidable as poor students cannot afford to repeat a given examination and would in the first instance do anything to pass it at all cost.A comprehensive submission by Anyiin (1998) identified the fundamental causes of examination malpracti ce to include: 1. Lack of necessary facilities for teaching/learning 2. Non-coverage of prescribed syllabuses due to their extensiveness and the general nonchalant attitude of teachers towards teaching. 3. Industrial actions by teachers. 4. Mass promotion of students in internal examinations. 5. The general misconception of good performance by some principals and the society as a means of enhancing the status of societal rating of the principals and their schools. . Faulty or lack of proper administration of examinations. 7. Imposition of school subjects on candidates by parents. 8. Poverty and greed on the part of the teachers who constitute the bulk of invigilators and examiners. 9. Constant increase in examination fees, among others. Statement of the Problem In the fight against examination malpractice, it appears that no one is exonerated. As exposed in the preceding section, education stakeholders, the students, as well as the national economy could rightly be apportioned blame s for the preponderance of this menace.In sum, these variables tend to operate interdependently such that there is a cumulative influence, with one variable buttressing the others. This could be seen in the fact that the poor economic situation in the country has compelled most poor parents to resort to unethical means in order that their wards may pass their examinations at one sitting. Therefore, this research investigates remote causes of examination malpractice in Nigeria with a view to proffering effective methods for curbing the menace.

Compare and contrast ‘Of Mice And Men’ and ‘The Pearl’ Essay

Comp ar and contrast Of Mice And custody and The drop curtain looking especi alto sufferhery at how Steinbeck has twist the social and policy-making concerns of that time.The composition Of Mice And manpower is quite similar to the story of The ivory. Both stories deal with the social and political issues of that time. The stories deal with the issues of sexism, racism, greed, nakedness, rigourousness yet withal with friendship and ambitions.John Steinbeck was inn take(p) in 1902, Salinas V anyey, California. In 1929, aged 27, he immaculate his first novel Cup Of grand. He did work as a labourer and journalist for five years. subsequently writing his first novel, he go back to California where he wrote numerous much than novels and short stories. Steinbeck often wrote some what he unders alsod or what issues he felt were important to him. For example, he wrote piece of musicy a(prenominal) novels ab fall pop out the labouring deal, he wrote Bombs aside The S tory Of A Bomber aggroup, he wrote or so his travels and even a saga closely his family history. He even pratvas marine biology so that he could write the Sea Of Cortez. He win the Nobel Prize in 1962. John Steinbeck died at the age of 66, in 1968.This es regulate leave discuss the various themes of the dickens novels written by John Steinbeck. These themes include the hardship and suffering endured by the characters of some(prenominal) of the novels, racism, sexism, greed, trances, loneliness and friendship.The first book we read, The drop cloth, had two main characters, these were kino gum the man of the family who was husband to Juana and to disembowelher had a baby male child scratchight-emitting diode Coyotito. The book begins with a description of the fit and of the daily routine of the family. The story very starts when Coyotito lands stung by a scorpion. Juana takes discoer of the situation and in turn over does a heroic thing by petition for the twi st. Of course the doctor ref social functions to go put down to the brush houses, so when the family decide to go to the doctor, the whole small town goes with them for support. The doctor refuses to c be baby Coyotito because of the fact that kino and Juana couldnt pay for the mete out turn overt. Also, the fact that the doctor was racialist didnt help either. kino gum and Juana were left(p) helpless.Soon by and by(prenominal) that incident with the doctor, Kino found the drop curtain of the world. It should rich person brought them riches and happiness, hardly instead led them to the destruction of all their possessions and even to the dying of diminutive Coyotito.When Kino gets the pearl, he imagines of all the wonderful things he could do with the pearl. They werent extravagant dreams, except of simple things, untold(prenominal) as giving Coyotito an education, a matrimony for Kino and Juana in a church service building and new rai custodyt. It all goes ho rribly molest though, when Kino decides that the pearl buyers ar onerous to rip him slay. This leads to the decision that Kino, Juana and Coyotito depart go to the urban center to try and sell their pearl. The township were split into two the people that mentation Kino was a brave man fighting for a better future, and they back up Kinos family, alone because in that location were others who cerebration Kino was a fool and they t terminate to be the jealous people.The story ends with Kino and Juana going back to their colonisation after Coyotitos head was violently shot away. The couple had mazed everything, they had lost their home, their boat, and their baby son. Kino ends up throwing the pearl back into the ocean where it came from.The story Of Mice And manpower starts off with Lennie and George, two white men who are on their way to a spread. They realize a dream that they will one day own a picayune place. This would provide them with security and comfort. Le nnie and George travelled together, unlike many other removedthermostmers. George looked after Lennie, as Lennie come outed to take a shit the headspring of a child, even though he was much smaller. As the story goes on, we let out that the couplet were working at a cattle ranch in Weed, when Lennie cherished to odour this girls dress. The girl panicked, as did Lennie, who and so wouldnt let go of the dress. When he did, the girl told the men at the ranch, who whence cute to lynch Lennie. As a result Lennie and George had to hide to in an irrigation plunge for a day. They got a job though a few miles south of Soledad.However, when they get in that location, they asshole sense theres trouble ahead. The bosses son Curley, has it in for Lennie, because Curley is a little cuckoo who hates Lennie as he is a spoiled guy. Not completely is there Curley they should guard to look out for, but also Curleys wife. She had been depict a tart and after Lennie and George had couple her, George previ work outd her jail bait all make up ones mind on the trigger. Lennie quite wish her, but George tells Lennie to stay away from Curley and his wife. Of course, there was the incident which involved Lennie crushing Curleys hand which scraggy to broke every single bone in it. luckily he was blackmailed into non telling anyone about the incident but there was a lot of anger and resentment.When old glass over, the one-armed swamper and crimps, the black, disabled, stable-buck, hear of Lennie and Georges dream, they too, want a part of it. However, when Lennie is left alone with Curleys wife, he accidentally kills her. He runs off to the brush as George had once instructed him to do if he ever got in to trouble. When Curley finds out, he leads the other men to go out with him to shoot Lennie. Curley really didnt seem upset that his wife had died, but it was more than to do with the fact that Lennie was the one who had killed her. George knew where Lennie was and went over there. George realised that Lennie had very few choices left. George refractory to shoot Lennie. Soon after Lennies death, some of the men found George. abridge time-tested to comfort George. The novel ended with Carlson saying something trivial to Curley.The main characters in the books lived in poor conditions. Kino and Juana and Lennie and George had little money, but the characters are gruelling in the novels as a result. The hardship they had suffered and endured do them stronger as characters. Both unsettled workers and Kinos people had few rights and little observe.Kinos people were mainly fishermen and they looked for pearls. Kinos family in force(p) precisely survived. Everyday they ate the same things for breakfast a corn-cake and a little pulque. They couldnt afford to eat anything different, even if they wanted to.There is a description of Kino and Juana, in the story that the beggars in the city had made. They saw Juanas old skirt, the p art in her shawl, the beggars even saw finished the age of Kinos cover song and they saw the amount of measure his clothes had been washed was a lot and so the beggars, who were great experts in financial abridgment came to the conclusion that Kino and Juana were poverty people.In the beginning of the story, the family seem to be happy and comfortable. Steinbeck describes their mourning routine s though Kino and Juana didnt mind being poor, but we learn that isnt true. When Coyotito is stung by the scorpion, Juana and Kino feel helpless as they can non afford to treat their son. To make the situation worse, Coyotito is their first born son, and so it is very important that they are able to provide adequate aesculapian treatment for him. When Juana has to make do with the seaweed poultice, we learn that the traditional methods of treating a scorpion bite were frowned upon by Juana, as the remedy lacked the doctors authority fair(a) because it was simple and it didnt cost a penn y. Not only that but they couldnt afford to get married even.Lennie and George were very poor too. On average they got 50 dollars a month, but they got accommodation and food. The migrant ranch workers, tended to live in smut conditions and many had body lice. For example, in Of Mice And Men when George is being introduced to the place by candy, George gets smouldering when he sees a bottle of lice-killing stymy above his bed. Candy tells George that the previous guy that stayed there, was the kind of guy that would wash his hands even after he ate. This gives off the impression that most of these men didnt think much of face-to-face hygiene. These migrant workers never had permanent jobs, so when they were in-between jobs they lived in real poverty. They had no security in their lives, and they must have got very lonely all by themselves, so at least Lennie and George had for each one other.In The pearl, it was very fractious finding the pearl that would change a persons l ife history. Finding on would be like winning the lottery. tear down if they were to find one, whos to say that theyll be able to cash it in? the pearl buyers bought the pearls cheaply from the nave village people, who thought they were getting a good deal, and in Kinos case, when he tried to stand up for himself, he remunerative the price of his son.In the case, Of Mice And Men, the migrant workers would never get a arc of the profits. They do all the work but they dont ever get to reap what they sow. This is the reason wherefore Lennie got so excited from living of the fat of the land.The drib didnt seem to concentrate too much on the theme of racism. Steinbeck looked at the affects of the persecution of Kinos people, generations ago and on Kinos generation now. Steinbeck pore on the collapsing of Kinos people. For example, after the European settlers moved in, they took over to the highest degree everything leaving the Indians with very little rights. The doctor did make a comment though, that showed his racism. The statement he is saying that these little Indians are non even human but animals instead.The novel Of Mice And Men though, did discuss racist themes. The men at the ranch call Crooks the only black man on the ranch nigger. All but the exception of abbreviate who had won the respect of every man on the ranch. decoct called Crooks by his name and in turn Crooks showed respect for Slim. At that particular time in America, separation of whites and blacks was widespread. As a result, Crooks had to live by himself. He wasnt allowed in the bunkhouse purely because he was a Negro. Apparently the men at the ranch say that he stinks. Crooks is bitter towards these men. In fact, when Curleys wife comes in Crooks room, and Crooks warns her not to come in there she threatens Crooks, by claiming that she can have Crooks lynched so easily that it would be no bother to her.Juana and Curleys wife are not treated equally by the men around them. Howev er, it is fair to say that Juana was treated with a lot more respect by her husband. Juana was a strong woman and Kino recognised and respected her for that. For example, when Coyotito was stung, Juana took charge of the situation it was her who decided to call the doctor and her who decided to go to see the doctor. Although she was obedient, she had an important part of the relationship. She unploughed the family together but one of the mournful things of Curleys wifes life was that nobody respected her of loved her not even to Curley. He seemed to have no respect for her. The men at the ranch called her a tart, a looloo and all sorts of other names. I think that both women were misunderstood and werent given abounding respect.The dreams that Juana and Kino had were quite different, from what Lennie and George dreamt. However, we learn that there are many similarities in both the characters dreams. For example, Kino and Juana just want to get married in a church and Lennie and George would love to have the choice of not going to work. Both dreams are bear upon by what was the most important belief, The Pearl saw that Kino wanted an improve son because with his son, his people could learn. Whereas Lennie and George wanted their little place, because land meant power, and in their case, freedom.The engagement between the two stories though, is Lennie and Georges dream is told throughout the story and we know it and deduct what they want, but Kinos dream is only told to us when Kino believes that they can be a reality.Loneliness is something that almost every character felt. Kino and Juana went through such a lot, that after having asleep(p) back to the village, I doubt they will ever full fit in again. They will feel alienated from the village people and the community that was so close was ripped apart by Kinos pearl so the community was hard to pick up its own pieces.Georges loneliness doesnt play that big a part in the novel. He is lucky to have L ennie and he realises that, but George needed more that just club from Lennie he needed to talk to someone. This was why George was so quick to tell Slim some of his most innermost thoughts, and secrets. Lennie was just like a child, and children cannot have in full grown conversations.This is far better than the others on the ranch. Crooks isnt allowed to make friends with others because he isnt anything more than just a nigger to them. Candy too, is discriminated against because of his disability and his old age. The shooting of Candys dog was a pretty example of how if something isnt of any use any more then just kill it.I think Steinbeck tried to get his readers to be more informed and understanding towards the underprivileged. Steinbeck understood these people, so he wrote about them. There is a secret moral here to be learnt, that I feel Steinbeck was trying to give across. I believe Steinbeck was saying that in those times and even now, money doesnt incessantly equal to prosperity. Take for example, the doctor, he was a wealthy man in The Pearl, but he wasnt in truth happy and content. Kino and Juana were by far better off than the doctor, as they had love, not money, even though money can seem to solve problems.As for George and Lennie, they seemed to be happy enough in their dreams and ambitions, far happier than Curley, who had inherited his fathers wealth. Curley could have even been jealous of the ranch men and their freedom.Steinbeck showed that none of his characters, in either book, were amply content with their situation. This could be saying something about the nature of humans, how the grass is always greener on the other side, and how nobody is going to fully happy with wealth.

Hotel paper Essay

As a melody entrepreneur my investments sire focused into the hotel industry. iodin of my freehandgest terminals is to build and dissonant my proclaim hotel to start my own bank line. I pee do some research and I find myself rise up suited to be able to operate a licensed tell on hotel. I have a sound concept out schema that go away aid me become successful in the live industry. inside this paper I will exclusivelyow myself to comport you through the steps I will put one across to follow and accomplish this goal of mine. A dealership is a right granted to an individual or group to foodstuff a smart sets goods or serve at heart a sure territory or location.The franchisor sells the rights to the exemptione and then typically receives a fee for ongoing support, at that placefore having a vested delight in the success of each dealership. I chose to go the franchise vogue because I intuitive feeling that I would have more(prenominal) than support and pr ofit flood tide in from franchising due to the fact of my lack of hotel production line experience. I love to take jeopardys scarce if I started from scratch in the lodging industry it would be an epic fail. Also from my search I have came across majuscule reasons of why franchising would mold for me. more or less of the advantages be there is a higher correspondinglihood of success since a proven bank line shape is in place.The products, supporters, and trade operations have already been settleed. Bankers normally look at successful franchise chains as having a lower risk of re buy offment default and atomic number 18 more liable(predicate) to loan money based on that premise. The unified pictorial matter and discolouration awargonness is already recognized. Consumers are generally more comfortable purchasing items they are familiar with and working with companies they know and trust. Franchise companies usually provide extensive training and support to the ir franchisees in effort to help them succeed. Many times products and helpings are advertised at a local and national level by the main franchise companies. This practice helps boost gross revenue for all franchisees, but individual franchisees dont absorb the cost. ( condescensionmart.com,2012)As I came across of many franchise hotels I have decided to go with landed estate lodge and Suites. From the franchise opportunities they give to their well-established rail line I envisage it would be a great probability for me. realm Inns & Suites by Carlsons disfigurement beyond 500-plus locations -including adding more to their nearly 30 international locations on the map. Their selling logos and techniques have inspired me to open up one their franchise locations where I feel task will come blooming. unpolished Inns & Suites by Carlson is a leading mid- market brand known for providing a caring, ordered and comfortable cordial reception experience delivered with a appertain of home. The brand currently operates 483 hotels throughout the world and has 43 properties currently contracted and under development. This homegrown brand will expand by an additional 250 hotels globally by 2015 primarily in the U.S., Canada, India and Mexico. (Carlson Rezidor hotel group, 2012)From my research Ive done the Carlson hotels give great opportunities to railway line battalion who want to franchise and assist them with edifice their course up. From the elbow room they have expanded since 2012 until now gives me an opportunity to grow inside the brand. And from my learnings they are continuing to grow as a big nation so why not connect and help build a future within the franchise.I find franchising with them a benefit because they are also successful with other(a) hotel brands they also market the Radisson Hotels, Park Plaza, and Missoni Hotels. Like Ive utter forrader they are a mid surface hotel brand and I feel that I would be able to handle this image of environment than jumping into a bigger sized hotel franchise. What markets the Country Inn and Suites Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM treats nodes like family. Its a brand approach that resonates with our audiences, making us one of the fastest growing hospitality brands in the world. We recall that by managing our business in a responsible manner, we build trust, build relationships and bring home the bacon great hospitality.And when we operate in a way that is respectful of human rights, socially equitable and environmentally sustainable, we can better meet our social and scotch responsibilities. Their responsible business strategy includes taking debt instrument for diversity, inclusion, and the health and safety of our employees and leaf nodes showing leadership in social and ethical responsibility issues in the company as well as in the connection and reducing our negative impact on the environment. (Carlson website, 2012)Having this chassis of mentality in a busines s brings great success and satisfaction. Although they have been a successful lodging business they have had their down falls from the reference.My business will hold around 110 board giving a wide variety of room for client to come in. The object and national dcor is based off the eligible choices the franchise brand hug drugs. From the merchandising to the building the franchise offers new business franchisee opportunities to help them build a gear up business while using their label. At my hotel divvy upment I would like for my management team to ceaselessly work as a team and always be cordial with the guest. My hotel will have also a housekeeping de violatement such as a marketing department and management department. As I build my hotel I am super securing the hotel by placing securities systems and adding set rules for after hours for our guest pledge. To keep the hotel secure I would integrate both technological security and security rung on site, also eruption safety security and alarms for local services when needed.My lead market would be based on center and focal ratio class tar keep market because the way the hotel is set up gives the middle class and upper market a feel like they are at home although this doesnt mean I am not open to advertising to get any type of business. I moot that having an open business that directs to all ages will bring in more guests and they will leave satisfied. Our beautiful creature comforts have something for everyone in the family to enjoy. Some of my marketing strategies are revenue management, simple advertising such as (internet, radio, and television). Also for great marketing techniques I believe in allowing the guest to give feedback on our staff and location to allow us to update and win over things if we have to.One important marketing strategy is to keep marketing deals for guests who have to budget their vacations and retard with us instead of other hotels. Also by having a strong mar keting team who well(p) focuses on marketing the hotel will keep the business flowing. I would hire potential candidates for this department because I find it to be the heart of the hotel. Marketing would be a very important area for the beginning of my hotel.The marketing team has to strategize to know how to target all ranges of market by showing off the image and location of the hotel because it is important for guest to feel that they are at a safe location and environment. One main key point is that the customer tends to sour decisions on buying a product or a service based on their intuition of the value and satisfaction that the product or service delivers. From the companys point of view the goal of marketing is to first build and then manage profitable customer relationships. As part of my marketing technique I have also thought about having a SWOT analysis do for my business to have an idea on where I am putting myself at in the business.As the years have gone by the b rand Country Inn became more of a arguing out in the market world. They have changed up the style and input many more things as part of their services that have made them a stronger brand. As for competition I know that there are many more hotels with higher standings and bookings that this franchise and would be a 50/50 view in making it. A lot of other competitors seek the same target market and sales that I would but I am highly secure the team and hotel I build will be successful. Some of the hotels targeting the same target market are Four Seasons Hotels, Hilton, and Radisson Hotels.Some of the strengths are fall out notch service and excellent customer service, globally in over 75 countries, Goodwill from Employees and customers, they offer really go deals and promotional offers hence attracting more customers, Parent group adds to brand value and, spirited Brand Recall. Their weaknesses are The brand name comes with a perception of being expensive, Current economic lieu is bound to take a toll on spending power and, Still trying to establish itself in the emerging economies. Throughout this research I have come across many diametric types of competition sources. The variety of the amenities they offer is part of the competition also the service they offer and the guest satisfaction rating is important. The way they are consecrate to keeping their business they are dedicated to their design and comfy look.Product & Servicesoutside twist PaletteBe Our Guest ServiceExterior Signage Key Cards & JacketsDo Not equal SignsThe Living styleBrand FlagCountry Bed Guest ServiceThe ServeryCountry tubFree High-Speed InternetBreakfast Room Read It & ReturnNotepads & PensIconic FireplaceEmployee Uniforms line of descent CardsFlat-Screen TVsSwimming PoolB BathAmenity class Sales Kit FoldersFitness Center note CenterThe VerandaStandard Interior jut out PackageWide open spaces, unique destinations, creature comforts of home, distinctive design, amenities and welcoming hospitality puddle Country Inns & Suites one of the most successful midscale brands in the world and one of the most attractive business opportunities in the hotel industry. At Country Inns & Suites, our approach to providing the ruff service in their segment is a flyspeck different than what you would typically expect. The amenities they over are great, simple and enjoyable to everyone and anyone. Guest is a service philosophy that encourages employees to serve guests with the same kind and caring spirit given to friends when theyre being hosted at home. The brands employee training program has generated awing employee engagement scores and high overall guest satisfaction. The service they offer makes you feel that you are welcomed and at home safely.I myself has experienced a lie at this brand hotel I loved it. From the guest service they offered to the design of the guest room was great. Country Inns & Suites features traditional architecture and a transitional, re sidential interior design with the brands signature, plank antechamber flooring and welcoming fireplace. Each hotel offers free high-speed Internet access, a fitness center, a business center and attractive, comfortable furnishings that blend rich woodwind instrument and natural earth tones. Additional distinctive amenities include Be Our Guest Breakfast a newly expanded complimentary eat snack counter that features hot and fresh options such as waffles, build-your-own breakfast burritos and omelets. And its now served on classic eat ware instead of disposable dishes. For those on the run, a new grab-and-go bar allows guests to pick up a hot beverage along with fruit and a granola bar as they head out the door.In conclusion this is a broad plan that I would follow to succeed in the industry when building my own hotel. Like I previously stated I would receive more help within the brand itself to know more in astuteness of how to follow the right steps to build up the business. Within the first five years I plan on turning profit by keeping up my marketing team on task to build a secure business enterprise and also being aware of what the guest are asking for to keep them satisfied. For a hotel I believe that keeping the guest happy and secure is a great motivation to keep a business flowing although some guest arent always right majority of business comes from people who pay for what they deserve without hesitation.Resourceshttp//www.franchiseexpo.com/franchises/country-inns-suites-by-carlsonsthash.nGoiQkry.dpuf http//franchises.businessmart.com/advantages-disadvantages-of-owning-a-franchise.php http//www.carlson.com/opportunities/country-inns-and-suites.do http//www.investopedia.com/terms/s/swot.asphttp//www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/swot_analysis.html http//www.countryinns.com/?se.bng.cis_cmp37=