Answer Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Answer Questions - Assignment Example Preventing the development of addiction in young people is essential. Family involvement is important for the families who have an addictive problem. Disclosure among a parent with an addictive problem to the child is essential as well as letting the child know that addiction is a family problem and it runs in the family, thus the child will be aware of their chances of being an addict. In schools, it is important to educate the children on the consequences that result from abusing drugs such as addiction so that the young people can be aware. Teachers and parents should be involved in childcare to discover any abnormal behaviors of the child to offer corrective measures as such behaviors result due to instances of drug abuse (Vida &Rasa, 2011). Children from alcoholic’s families have a four-ten times risk of becoming alcoholics themselves. Hereditary is a major predisposing factors to drug addiction. It is important for such parents to discuss and disclose their addiction problems to their children. Despite the problems being faced by addict parents, the child needs to be shown that they are loved. They need to know that it is not their fault that the parent has an addictive problem. The parent needs to involve the child in their own program of rehabilitation by assuring them that they will do everything to get out of the problem. It is good to discuss with the child about drug addiction as it is hereditary so that the child may avoid any instances. In so doing, young people will be aware of drug addiction thus will be very cautious not to develop an addiction problem. Often, alcoholism and other drug addictions are a family legacy. The family (parents) has the major responsibility to provide support for the alcoholic children or drug addicts. Treatment period brings the family together enhancing and opening up communication within the family structure. The parents needs to offer physical, emotional as well as

Porters Five Forces Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Porters Five Forces - Essay Example Johnson Controls supplies the Ford franchise with car batteries, electronics, seats and interiors. TRW is ranked higher than other peers in the industry including Johnson Control and it is due to this reason that TRW Automotive received two Ford World Excellence Awards. (United States Security Exchange, 2014) 3) Who are the major buyer groups of the product provided by the industry; what are their characteristics ( i.e. size of group, demographics, income level, etc.); are there many or few in each buyer group; who has power over whom? 4) The golden generation (55 to 64 year olds) had higher vehicle purchases than other age groups according to a recent survey by Michigan University. In 2011 alone, Ford Motors sold 23% of all its models to this age group, which was higher than all other industry players combined. This age group is estimated to be around 76 million and has passed 35 to 44 year old age group as the consumer leaders. (United States Security Exchange, 2014) According to 2014 survey, the three main industry players are General Motors Company, Ford Motor and Toyota Motor. The total number of units sold by General Motors was 2.7 million; this represents 17.9% of the total market share. Ford Motors came second with 2.4 million units sold; representing 15.9% market share. Toyota came third with 2.2 million units sold in the US, representing 14.3% of the market share. (Business Monitor International, 2014) Ford’s F-Series remains to be the best selling model in the US. However, there are domestic and international brands that are growing in popularity each year. Chrysler’s Jeep Cherokee reported 9% increase in sales, 1% shy of the F-series. Subaru has also seen its sales rise after it switched focus from china to the US. Other popular brands include Mercedes Benz and BMW. (Business Monitor International,

EasyJet strategy: SWOT and PESTEL analysis

EasyJet strategy: SWOT and PESTEL analysis This report will provide a detailed analysis of EasyJet’s current corporate appraisal or SWOT analysis. This will identify its strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This will help the companies decision makers understand where the organisation is now. A PESTEL analysis of the industry will examine the local, national and global influences of political, economic, social and technological factors to understand opportunities and threats well. This will provide an evaluation of the external business environment in which the company operates. This analysis will highlight the fundamental changes that the airline industry is undergoing, especially; in defence to the turbulent environment it faces from exogenous forces (terrorism, oil prices, SARS etc) and endogenous forces. Next we will use Porter’s Five Forces analysis of the industry and the increasing threat of other low-cost carriers (Ryanair, bmi baby etc) and also threats from the flag carriers (British Airways, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa etc). This will show how its critically important for EasyJet that strategic alliance, size and technological innovation have on its profitability. Overall the analysis will highlight the inherent threats and weaknesses suffered throughout the industry, and also the importance of innovation to maintain low cost advantage, alliances and size to success. Finally the report will examine the extent to which EasyJet’s current ‘no frills’ strategy is the appropriate strategic fit to its organisation both in terms of resource capability and business environment. An Internal and corporate analysis in terms of strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) will assist in gaining an understanding of where EasyJet is currently in terms of strengths and where improvement is required within the business and what outside environmental threats it may face as well as what new opportunities are available to the company in the short and medium term. We will start by looking at strengths: EasyJet serves diverse ranges of European routes with principle activities in both Leisure and business markets, offering 60 key European routes. Its current cash flow position is also strong, with cash flow from operating activities increased by 61 percent between the six months ended 31st March 2003 to six months ended 31 March 2004. The business has also enjoyed an increase turnover and trading profits resulting in continuous substantial growth in underlying profitability over the last 7 years (see table 1). This has resulted in a strong Balance Sheet – the companies’ net assets reaching the record level of  £724 million (aided by retained profit mainly). EasyJet is also Europe’s leading low-cost airline having completed a merger deal with Go to create Europe’s number one low-cost airline. Brand Awareness is another strength that is attributable to the company – In November 1999, selected as a business super brand by the Super Brand Council, recognising EasyJet as an outstanding brand name. The company’s Online booking facility in October 1999 aided Internet sales to pass the one million mark. This has lead to EasyJet customers enjoying ‘ Ticketless travel’ – this reduces the cost of issuing, distribution, processing and reconciling tickets. EasyJet also enjoys internal strengths in its operations in terms of efficient use of airports – by reducing turnarounds to 30 minutes and below, EasyJet can achieve extra rotations on the high frequency routes. EasyJet appears to have internal strengths in terms of brand awareness, cash flows, and operational efficiencies. But what are the internal weaknesses suffered by EasyJet? The primary weakness is the perception of low quality – low cost can also be seen as low quality service than that offered by the established national airline i.e. British Airways. Also, suffers weakness in the area of hospitality in terms of on board offer of ‘Free Lunch’, the eliminating of free catering on board may result in loss of potential customers. The existing competition also have strong brand image globally, EasyJet is recognised nationally and within the European markets, however, national airlines like British Airways is recognised worldwide and has stronger brand awareness. EasyJet also operates a flat management structure, which may lack a formal discipline that is needed as the organisation grows. The idea of remote working can also result in co-ordination and control weaknesses. It is difficult to co-ordinate the individual employee because in principle they operate independently of each other. It’s also hard to monitor the performance of each individual. So having considered the internal strengths and opportunities above, what are the potential opportunities available to EasyJet and what are the threats faced by EasyJet both from within the Airline industry and as a result of the world economy itself. Weaknesses identified earlier could also offer potential opportunities in terms of development of brand awareness globally. The EasyJet brand is established in the European market, but brand awareness is required outside the continent. There are potential opportunities in terms of new routes and expansion of services offered, EasyJet has already launched a number of new European routes, how about expansion into the Asian Pacific? Undertaking market shift to globalisation expanding outside the European market will be key to continuous enhancement of business performance. Follow on from market expansion will also create opportunities for new facilities or services ‘Free Lunch’ – offer on board catering facilities to compete with mainstream airlines. The increase growth of world tourism will offer opportunities in terms of undertaking joint venture with local/foreign travel companies; hence, Going places and Thomas Cooke are already providing such services to growing number of holidaymakers each year. Finally, opportunities may also exist in the area of innovation and alliances, how about a joint venture scheme with Ryanair to maintain and enforce the low cost competitive advantage. Figure1: EasyJet SWOT Analysis Having considered the possible future opportunities what are the potential threats that EasyJet needs to bear in mind? Firstly, threats in terms of new existing competition. Ryanair continues to lower costs, which enables it to persist lowering fares aggressively. Also, mainstream airlines are now lowering fares to engage in price competition. Another major industry wide threat is the volatility in price of fuel Oil price record high of $53 a barrel. this was the headline in the business pages of all the newspapers last November. EasyJet also faces potential threats in terms of unprecedented tragic events like September 11th. Potential threats in terms of changing social trends like holidays outside Europe (many now want to experience the eastern cultures and travel to holiday destinations like China and Japan) and also travelling via the EuroStar to Paris etc. Potential threats of economic recession, since air travel is effectively a commodity product, it is recession prawn. And, finally threats of any takeover bids from national airlines. Figure 2: Five Forces Model ACCA Paper 3.5 (2001) Porter explains that there are five forces inherent in a market, which will jointly determine the intensity of competition and profitability of EasyJet and the airline industry. The first is the threat posed by new entrants, as with the European deregulation of commercial aviation and the emergent of low cost carriers. The second is the threats from substitutes, rail travel v air travel, the growing demand in Eurostar and cruses. The third force is the threats from the bargaining power of buyers, is this strong for both EasyJet and the entire airline industry with a large number of alternative suppliers, hence, the aggressive pricing strategy. This results in a very strong competitive rivalry in the industry. This is intensified as a result of little or no differentiation in the service offered. Finally the threats from the suppliers bargaining power, this is very strong in the airline industry for two reasons, one is highly skilled labour can command a very favourable terms and seco nd is the price of oil. All of those (political, economic, social, technical, legal and environmental) factors will to some extent apply to the airline industry. POLITICAL – Following the European deregulation of commercial aviation, a fleet of low cost carriers are reshaping the local airline landscape. Ryanair uncompromisingly fought its way into the market with an aggressive pricing strategy. ECONOMIC the travel industry is vary recession prawn and also very sensitive to changes in oil prices. Since the events of September 11th the airline industry suffered heavily, stocks plummeted and ticket prices are at all time lows. The world economy is however, now on the up post September 11th. Consumers are optimistic and the travel and tourism industry are now booming again. SOCIAL – changes in consumer taste and lifestyle represent both opportunities and threats for the industry. Opportunities in terms of worldwide destinations are now popular with holidaymakers and also the growing trend in international business ventures, e.g. major banks and insurance companies’ relocation call centres in Asia. The threats are in terms of alternative holidays Disneyland Paris via Eurostar (Euro tunnel) and PO cruise. TECHNICAL – Changes in retailing methods as such ticket sales via the Internet is now a common place in air travel, passengers receive an email containing their travel details and booking reference when they book online. Paperless operation, the management and administration of the company are undertaken on IT systems, which are accessed through secure servers; provide flexibility in the running of the airline. The development of the next generation aircraft will also lead to technological opportunities in term of fuel efficiencies. LEGAL – The European deregulation of the commercial aviation provided both major strategic threats and opportunities, the national mainstream airlines faced severe price competition from discount carriers. Threats are also in terms of legislative environmental laws regarding pollution and use of more environmentally friendly fuel, which are at premium prices. ENVIRONMENTAL – The energy sources used, namely oil has vast ecological/environmental implications. The threats are in terms of fines and rise in cost of raw materials. A ‘no frills’ strategy is often associated with low cost airline companies like EasyJet. This form of strategy combines a low price, low perceived service benefits (no free lunch) and a focus on a price-sensitive highly competitive market segment. This strategy is focused on keeping costs down and EasyJet’s policy of ‘no free lunch’ and efficient use of airports by limiting turnaround to 30 minutes. Back in 1995 when EasyJet was lunched it was tipped by most to fail with its ‘no frills’ strategy. However, by year 2000 it has not only managed to survive but also increased its market shares and assets of aircrafts to 74 and servicing 105 routes and carrying over 20 million passengers a year. So the strategy has been very successful for EasyJet and appears to have been the correct strategic decision. Beneath the surface of EasyJet’s cosmetic cost savings of not offering free in-flight refreshments or different first, business and economy classes, was a philosophy of cost saving that permeated through the entire organisation. The 2002/03 annual report reconfirmed this business model of the airline: Dense point-to-point network to allow linking of major airports with large catchments areas with high level of frequency, as this will be attractive to business and leisure travellers. A strong and visible brand to create a high level of awareness with consumers. Supported by innovative and effective advertising. Dynamic fares with a simple structure and also ensuring that it are the cheapest fare on the route. Therefore, demand led with proprietary yield management system. 100 per cent direct selling of fares; over 90 per cent of sales are online. This eliminates the need to any commissions to external sales agency. Highly utilised fleet of aircrafts that are large, modern, efficient and relatively environmentally friendly. This results in high levels of asset utilisation and reduced unit costs. Finally, the key to sustaining high levels of growth is the scalability of the operations. This also reduces the marginal cost of incremental growth; increasing scale brings valuable economies (Johnson, G., Scholes, K., Whittington, R., (2005). Another price-based strategy is the hybrid strategy this seeks to achieve an element of differentiation and a price lower than that of competitors. Implementing this strategy successfully depends on EasyJet’s ability to deliver enhanced benefits to customers over its competitors together with low prices. However, if EasyJet could significantly differentiate its service over its competitors then it could obtain higher prices. Therefore, the low cost strategy is the ideal strategic fit to its environment. Combining perceived low price with perceived added value can be a highly successful strategy but one that requires innovative thinking. EasyJet’s competitive advantages via low prices are sustained in a number of ways. EasyJet in its pursuing of low-price strategies may be prepared to accept the reduced margin either because it can sell more fares than competitors. EasyJet may be prepared and has to a large extend engaged in price war with competitors via its lower cost structure (economies of scales due to its larger operations) and also has the financial resource capability to fund short to medium-term losses with the aim of driving out competitors in the longer terms. A prime example of this was the subsequent takeover of Go by EasyJet. Price wars are becoming more prevalent as traveller use the Internet to compare prices and ‘shop around’. EasyJet has cost advantages through company specific capabilities, which drive down costs throughout the value chain. Porter comments on cost leadership as ‘the low-cost producer in its industry†¦ must find and exploit all sources of cost advantage’ (Porter M.E (1980)). We will consider the value chain for EasyJet in more detail later in our discussion. Cost advantages might be achieved because of EasyJet’s efficient use of airports. This will require a mindset where innovation (in cost reduction) is regarded as essential to survival. EasyJet is an international example, The introduction of Airbus A319 aircraft, combined with the retirement of ‘old generation’ Boeing 737 aircraft, will result in a two-type ‘new technology’ fleet, which will commonality and lessen complexity and deliver high level of asset utilisation and reduce unit costs. Finally, EasyJet has sustained its price-based advantage by focusing on market segments where low fares are critical and valued by customers. EasyJet’s first generic strategy is to achieve an overall cost leadership in the low cost airline industry. Therefore, it is vital for EasyJet to have a thorough comprehension of their costs and cost drivers. EasyJet is forever trying to attain a cost level that is low relative to its competitors. EasyJet cost efficiency is achieved in a variety of way as shown in the following diagram: The success of low-fare (cost) strategy is primarily dependent on the maintenance of a low cost base. This is critical for EasyJet having analysed the competitive rivalry position in the industry. With Ryanair maintaining high margins despite reducing yields through strict cost management. Lower costs are the only competitive advantage in the short-haul economy sector as air travel is effectively a commodity product. It is also anticipated that Ryanair will continue to lower costs, which will allow it to continue to engage in a price war, by lowering fares aggressively. Managing for value involves managing both value activities and cost drivers. This involves EasyJet retaining funds from operations; hence, a healthy Balance sheet in terms of retained profits. Significant investment in assets and managing financing costs. Funding strategies developments is clearly important in that the nature of funding must be appropriate and compliments the low cost strategy of EasyJet, by ensuring that interest costs are low. Strategies are largely determined by the extent to which they deliver best value to both customers in terms of being competitiveness in the marketplace (leading low cost airline) and also to provide value to shareholders. EasyJet’s no frills strategy does not only mean a cut in Cabin crew and â€Å"denial of food†, but also allows for a faster pre-flight preparation, thereby reducing the time grounded as well maintaining fare. As funding from operations are clearly a major contributor to value creation. In the long term, this is concerned with the extent to which the organisation is operating profitably. Table below provides an analysis of EasyJet’s sales revenue and profitability ratio since 1998. Investments in assets are also key consideration in value creation in that consideration of the extent to which assets and working capital are being utilised. EasyJet appears to have developed competences in supporting much higher levels of business from the same asset base than other rival airlines. This affects value creation as follows: The cost of capital investment The management of the element of working capital Table 1: Sales and Trading Profit of EasyJet Most theories argue that strategic success and improved wealth generation stem from two strategies. The first is to reduce the ‘bottom line’ costs of operation (low cost strategy) and the second is to increase the value of the organisation and its reputation to customers, so that they will demand more or pay more for what they receive (differentiation strategy) (ACCA Paper 3.5 (2001)). Porter through the use of the value chain illustrates how resources should be utilised to enhance least-cost production or differentiation strategies (the generic strategies suggested by Porter). The value chain analysis will show the total value added by the airline industry and EasyJet. All airline companies within the industry will have similar value chain, which will include activities such as obtaining fuel, designing fare structures, airport facilities, developing co-operative agreements, and providing customer service. Value chain analysis can provide important insights into what ma nagement need to focus on strategically. In terms of analysis, EasyJet’s distribution activities are important in terms of e-commerce, as EasyJet like to consider itself as the ‘webs favourite airline’. Standardisation in its activities as an airline leads to both economies of scale and a simpler product, which is cheaper and easier to distribute. The price of EasyJet’s tickets various as a function of the number of seats remaining, the time until the flight, and historical trends. This is done in order to maximise the yield from a flight, as many of the costs associated with running a flight are fixed relative to the number of passenger on board. Yield management is a form of risk management and therefore, adds value. The sales process is efficient, as EasyJet sells directly to customers, instead of using external sales teams. It has been streamlines by using e-commerce, firstly by telesales and now through the Internet. Marketing and sales will involve making customers aware of EasyJet’s services are price information and also selling. This will involve retention of best salespeople supported by HR management, engineering support in terms of maintenance of the web page supported by technology development to ensure that web site has the latest prices and route and flight information. This needs to be updated constantly as this will be a live system. EasyJet manages its sales process extremely efficiently, its sells its tickets directly. Previously it used telesales and now sales are through e-commerce web site. As Internet transactions have a lower cost associated with it EasyJet encourages its customers to book on-line by offering them a discount for on-line ticket reservations. Savings made from e-commerce is another source of value creation. In terms of competitive advantage, the internet offers overall cost leaders new abilities to reduce costs in primary activities such as marketing (i.e. e-commerce) and support activities such as fir infrastructure (e.g. quick order processing). EasyJet through its use of an overall cost leadership strategy can use internet-based technologies to reduce value chain costs in a variety of ways: On-line bidding and order processing to eliminate the need for sales calls and decrease sales force expense. Another benefit of Internet technology is lower transaction costs at multiple levels in value chain activities. Such lower costs benefit EasyJet initially as innovation is rewarded. However the sustainability of competitive advantages may be problematic: as rivals copy successful strategies, EasyJet will loose its initial advantages. And finally, service, activities that ensure that customers enjoy their flight by providing friendly on board service and assisting traveller with any special needs requirements. In terms of support activities, EasyJet takes advantage of technological developments in order to reduce costs. EasyJet also have a reputation for paying low wages in line with its low cost strategy. Procurement and firm infrastructure as a support activity does not add much extra value. In terms of strategy, many factors are outside the control of the company, such as use of high quality components and low defect rates for its aircrafts. This analysis outlines for EasyJet’s management how individual activities may be altered to reduce costs of operation or improve the value offered to customers. Those changes will ensure that EasyJet sustains its current market share and position and also increase margin. EasyJet may be especially good at outbound logistics lined to its marketing and sales operations and supported by its technology development. It is possibly not as good in terms of operations and its inbound logistics. This will assist management to decide as to what EasyJet should be concentrating on and what requires de-emphasising or even outsourcing. EasyJet’s overall cost leadership strategy uses low costs at each point in the value chain to lower costs. The customers of EasyJet have been using the Internet for making bookings. In addition to that, EasyJet has been offering no in-flight meals, no in flight movies. Also, only one type of aircraft is used, in order to minimise maintenance costs. The concept of the value chain is particularly useful in understanding an organisation’s strategic capability since its concentrates on value activities and the linkages between activities rather ran just resources. Therefore, capability is strongly related to the way that resources are used and controlled. The linkages with the value chains of channels and customers which are the essence of EasyJet’s capability and which can protect its market leadership and maintain cost leadership competitive advantage from competitors. This section we will investigate EasyJet’s resources as a means of assessing the organisation’s strategic capability. Analysis of financial resources in order to understand the strategic capability of EasyJet will need examination of financial capability and performance. Table 1 shows that EasyJet’s sales has increase year on year since 1998, with profit and gross margins also experiencing a positive trends. The company has also grown in terms of its acquisitions of GO and also increase in purchases of its own aircrafts. EasyJet also has a strong cash flow position primarily from its policy to retain profits and reinvest it back to the business. A Balanced scorecard approach is need to effectively conclude a balanced perspective on EasyJet’s resource capability in order to ensure that the low cost strategy is supported and is Cohabitation: The end of Marriage Cohabitation: The end of Marriage Introduction The following essay is aimed at discovering whether cohabitation has literally displaced marriage. It will focus on the processes of cohabiting as well as marriage, briefly touching on their historical backgrounds as well as the trends for each of the processes in different countries. Immediately after the war, marriage became practically universal phenomena but apparently, its popularity has declined towards the end of the twentieth century. Bumpass and Lu (2000) and Teachman, Tedrow and Crowder (2000) explain that patterns of family formation and also dissolution are changing in the United States. She clearly cites an increase in divorce, cohabitation and non marital children which clearly shows a shift from traditional marriage. According to Murphy and Young, (1999), marriage has been in steady decline since the early 70s in the United Kingdom. A McRae (1999) point out that marriage in 1995, which was 322,000, is thought to be the lowest on record since 1926. As the marriage rate dropped, so did the remarriage rate resulting in a steady rise of cohabiting. (Morgan 2000) Cohabiting according to Marshall (1998) refers to an arrangement whereby couples who are not legally married live together as husband and wife. In view of the above definition, the term, not legally married brings in another dimension as to the authenticity of cohabitation. This leads to the idea of common law marriage. There seems to be a huge misconception of the idea of common law marriage, with some authorities and according to Fairbain, (2009) there is no specific legal status for what many refer to as common law marriage. She also points out that many cohabiting couples are unaware of this fact. On the other hand, marriage, as defined by Horton and Hunt defined marriage as the approved social pattern whereby two or more persons establish a family. Majumdar takes it further by defining marriage as a socially sanctioned union of male and female or as a secondary institution devised by society to sanction the union and mating of male and female for purposesof establishing a househ old, entering into sex relations, procreating and providing care for the offspring There appears to be a clear distinction between marriage and cohabiting, judging from the definitions above which helps me conclude that they are not one and the same thing. The question which I will attempt to answer is whether on is displacing or replacing the other. Shaw and Haskey, (1999) seem to concur with the idea of a clear dichotomy as they point out that there has been a major trend towards a decline in marriage and a rise in cohabitation. Hasky, (1999) also points out that marriages popularity rose throughout the 1950s and the 1960s but notes that towards the end of the century, it fell, giving rise to cohabitation. It appears there was a shift in family formation from the traditional marriage to cohabitation. To further support the prevalence of cohabitation, Bramlett and Mosher, (2002) confirm that the increase of cohabitation is well documented showing that the majority of newly weds have cohabited before their first marriage. Levidon (1990) also argued that consensual unions, (cohabitation) appeared to constitute a new type of union. However, he mentions that the process was transitory, which points to the fact that marriage still was seen to be the end goal. A major development however was that there was more recognition of informal unions and as a social institution. (Haskey 1999)Kiernan, and Estaugh (1993), came up with the idea of nubile cohabitation which involved young people living together either as a prel ude to or as an alternative to marriage. This was further elaborated on by Bumpass, Sweet and Cherlin (2001); Smock, Huang, Bergstrom and Manning (2005) who cited one of the key reasons why cohabitation was on the rise, as a way of testing out a relationship and determine compatibility. Research however found out that there is a positive correlation between cohabitation and marital dissolution. (DeMaris and Rao 1992, Teachman and Polonko 1990 and Schoen 1992 cited in Smock (2000). They also found out that the link between cohabitation and marriage failure is complex, with other factors like, race, sexual history and ethnicity playing a significant influence. (Phillips and Sweeney 2005). According to Casper and Sayer (2000) and Brown and Booth (1996), cohabiters, are distinguished by factors like plans to marry It is noted that most of the cohabiters eventually plan to marry but not all cohabiters enter into cohabitation with marriage plans. (Manning and Smock 2005). In this way, cohabiters treated their cohabiting as an initial stage of the marriage process which clarifies that they did not see it as an alternative to marriage and likewise, those without marriage plans also viewed cohabitation as part of courtship or single hood. According to Brown (2004), cohabiters with marriage plans view cohabitation as a semi marriage and as a matter of fact, they share the same relationship quality as the married couples. Another factor that needs to be looked at is the individuals cohabitation history which researchers say in very significant. It was proven that women who cohabited only once with the same partner, being intimate, had the same relationship stability as those w ho never cohabited, (Teachman 2003). On the contrary, young adults who had multiple cohabiting partners are likely to encounter marital instability, (Teachman and Polonko 1990), (DeMaris and McDonald 1993). It is worth pointing out though that they concede that individuals who had multiple cohabitation before marriage could possibly have enough experience to enable them to make better marriage choices. Duncan et al (2005) states that cohabitation is often equated with do it yourselfand is no longer restricted to particular social groups. In line with this notion, Manning, Smock and Majumdar (2004) and Phillips and Sweeney (2005) maintain that race, and ethnic differences in cohabitation are likely to have an impact on cohabitation. It was noted that cohabitation had a negative effect on Whites marital stability but none on Blacks. This is likely so because of the view each ethnic group has on cohabiting. It was further observed that amongst cohabiting couples, Blacks had weaker marriage plans than Whites. (Manning and Smock 2002) Brown (2000) also argued that Blacks were less likely to go through to the actual marriage even with marriage plans. Between 1986 and 1990, there was a dramatic rise in cohabitation in Britain. 29% of unmarried females under 60 were cohabiting in 2001 and 2002. This was a three fold increase. As cohabitation rose, children being born to cohabiting couples were estimated to be over 25% by the beginning of the twenty first century. The fall decline of and delay in marriages, have all given rise to the phenomenon of cohabitation. Marriage does not stand out as the only means of commitment for life since some couples choose to cohabit, citing reasons like less commitment and the ease of opting out if things do not work well. (Kieman 2004). According to Duncan et al (2005) the shift from marriage to cohabitation suggests that individuals have found an option which meets their personal needs and has less or no hassles in terminating. Having looked at the history and trends of the two processes, marriage and cohabitation, this paper will focus on the individualisation theory. According to Beck, (1992) and Giddens (1992), we have entered a late modern era of de-traditionalisation and individualisation. Financial stability, education and provision through the welfare state tend to give individuals the latitude to move away from traditional customs. According to Lewis (2001), the pursuit of self fulfilment and individual happiness and freedom has brought up changes on the view of family. While the traditional institutions are still valued, there is less emphasis on marriage vows or private commitments and more emphasis on self projects. The project of self, places an emphasis on individual self-fulfilment and personal development, comes to replace relational, social aims. (Duncan and Smith 2006) The prevalence, historically, of economic and legal inequality, and the belief of there being accepted patterns of behaviou r is now getting weaker. (Lewis, 2001, p3) According to Lewis (2001), individualisation is thought to be a formulation of freedom of choice and personal preferences which competes with social structural traditions. However, in the eyes of the traditionalists, this may be viewed as a counter cultural revolution Beck (1992( suggests that social structures of gender, class, family and religion are gradually weakening due to individuals becoming more reflexive in making own choices, resulting in the creation of their own biographies. As a result, relationships now focus on individual fulfilment and consensual love, with sexual and emotional equality, substituting formal unions which have been historically prescribed within set gender roles. (Bauman, 2003, Duncan and Smith 2006). With reference to Majumdars definition of marriage, there is particular mention of it being a union of male and female or as a secondary institution devised by society to sanction the union and mating of male and female for purposesof establishing a household, entering into sex relations, procreating and providing care for the offspring. However, with reference to individualisation, the prescript nature of the marriage institution is challenged resulting in sexuality being largely freed from institutional, normative and patriarchal control as well as from reproduction. (Duncan and Smith 2006). This notion has led to the acceptance and rise of same sex relationships as confirmed by The Civil Partnership Act 2004 which was passed and came into effect in December 2005 created civil partnerships which gave same-sex couples who entered into them the same rights and responsibilities of marriage. From a feminist perspective, Lewis (2001) would argue that historically, marriage has reinforced the limiting of the self development of women. Marriage was seen as a restrictive union and could dictate emotions, feelings and behaviour. Cohabitation, from a different perspective could then be argued to be a form of liberation for women. (Morgan 2000). Marriage was viewed as being restrictive and confining, thereby limiting independence and autonomy. Morgan argues that marriage is an unencumbered life without binding commitments. This then presents the idea of cohabitation as a viable alternative which affords people choice to determine their own conditions for the establishment and dissolution of a relationship, Morgan (2000). The emergence of this contemporary family has been viewed positively and negatively. According to Giddens, (1992) and Weeks, (2001), the greater diversity of lifestyles and the opening up of choice leads to democracy in personal relations, and liberation from oppressive institutions. On the contrary, the work of Zygmunt Bauman (2003) and Francis Fukuyama (1999), stresses that the breakdown of traditional ties leads to a disintegration of families and the moralities once maintained by them; this demoralisation leads to individual alienation and social breakdown. Maslow (1954) maintains that people who engage in self actualisation were concurrently individualistic and altruistic. In order to meet their needs, individuals moving towards self actualisation, became higher selves and according to Maslow, this is healthy selfishness (p.156). In this process, the healthy self focuses more on the self Kilpatrick (1975) According to the pioneers of the individualisation theory, Becks and Gersheim (2002), society has shifted away from traditional structures where, people no longer have pre-given life worlds and life trajectories. (Heath, et al 2007). Generally, individuals are no longer expected by society to follow a set family pattern. According to Beck, (1992) this notion has altered the previous accepted family structures resulting in the dissolution of the social foundations of the nuclear family as more emphasis is placed on the family of choice Fukuyama (1999) argues that the institution of marriage has previously been viewed as the bedrock of society but due to the emergence of the family change and freedom of choice, traditional ties have weakened and as a result, there has been family degeneration. Gender roles have also shifted since from the categorization of men as breadwinners and women as house makers. The major change appears to be women emancipation advocated for by the womens moveme nts and this has altered societal and demographic values. Active participation by women on the labour market has significantly changed the notion of a family unit by bringing in more choice and autonomy women did not have in the past. The Legal Position of Cohabitation in Britain Heterosexual cohabitation has been socially and universally accepted as an alternative to marriage in the UK for over two decades but very little has been finalised as regards legal rights of the cohabitants is debatable. (Duncan et al 2001) The issue with cohabiting is that while it can be registered as a Civil marriage, it does not attract the same legal rights and privileges of a marriage. Traditionally, marriage has been regarded as Bauman, Z (2003) Liquid Love: on the Frailty of Human Bonds. Oxford, Polity. Beck, U. (1992) Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity, London, Sage. Bumpass, L., Lu, H. (2000). Trends in cohabitation and implications for childrens family contexts in the United States. Population Studies, 54, 29-41. Duncan, S. and Smith, D. (2002) Geographies of family formations: spatial differences and gender cultures in Britain Transactions Institute of British Geographers, 27, 4, 471-493. Fukuyama, F. (1999) The Great Disruption: Human nature and the Reconstitution of Social Order, New York, Free Press. Giddens, A. (1992) The Transformation of Intimacy: Sexuality, Love and Eroticism in Modern Societies. Cambridge, Polity Press. Horton, P. B. and Hunt, C.L. (1984) Sociology. 6th ed. Singapore: McGraw Hill Book Companies Kiernan, K. and Estaugh, V. (1993) Cohabitation Extra-marital Childbearing and Social Policy,Joseph Rowntree Foundation/Family Policy Studies Centre. Lewis, J. (2001) The End of Marriage? Individualism and Intimate Relationships, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Marshall, G, (1998) A Dictionary of Sociology cited on http://www.encyclopedia.com Accessed 20/11/2009. Weeks, J. (2001) Same Sex Intimacies: Families of Choice and Other Life Experiments. London, Routledge. Teachman, J. Tedrow, L and Crowder. K. 2000. The Changing Demography of Americas Families. Journal of Marriage and the Family 62:1234-1246.

Interpretation of Muirs Horses Essay -- Muir Horses Essays

Interpretation of Muir's Horses My interpretation of Edwin Muir's poem entitled "Horses" is one of a past memory and the conflict and anger brought about by this memory , a conflict between light and darkness, good and evil in the mind of a elderly dying man, fearing death as he gazes out across a field. The memory being that of a day from his past, where he as a child farm worker watched a team of horses ploughing the stubble back into the field during a rainy day which gets progressively more stormy. The horses making their way to and fro across the field leaving furrows, the setting sunlight breaking through the clouds picking out images in the distance. Images getting darker and more vivid as the horses drew nearer. A symbolic religious conflict being acted out between good and evil with almost mythological qualities, leading to a crescendo of images eventually fading to the old man lamenting and wishing to be as that child, at the beginning of his life with all the purity and innocence that children have. The poem has the distant images of horses as a t...

The Activity Of Service Learning Education Essay

Service acquisition is an activity in which a voluntary provides his or her clip to function something or person in their community. Besides, in order for it to be considered service larning the voluntary must larn something from their activity whether it is a accomplishment acquired or another signifier of benefit received. ( Moore, Cassie ) Personally, I believe service acquisition should be compulsory in all colleges across the state. Providing community service in college has many positive impacts on a studentaa‚ ¬a„?s hereafter some of which include presenting a strong work ethic, every bit good as doing the pupil more active in their community. Finally, implementing experiential acquisition creates a safer environment around the college for the pupils. The chief ground that most pupils are at college is to derive cognition and advance their hereafter, unluckily there are other pupils whose concluding for go toing college is more of a joyride/partying experience. This is one of the chief grounds why service acquisition should be compulsory for college pupils. The act of embarking out into the community and supplying aid to another individual or organisation will get down to learn pupils about pull offing their clip more efficaciously, and will assist fix them for a occupation. Pull offing clip efficaciously is a major job in college because some pupils procrastinate and this leads towards low classs and skipped categories. However, if experiential acquisition was compulsory in college so pupils would be forced to fix a rigorous agenda around their needed activities, and they would hold to make up one's mind what activities that are more recreational and un-required in their modus operandi. This scheduled system would make more dedic ated pupils and would hence take to increased classs at the college, every bit good as more organized pupils. College pupils do n't recognize how much free clip they have, because most of it is wasted on leisure activities and slumber. College categories are normally non taken on every twenty-four hours of the hebdomad so most pupils do hold clip that they could give towards assisting their community either on or off campus. Besides, acknowledging demands is another accomplishment learned from community engagement as it influences pupils to get down acquiring involved in other activities to be able to separate themselves when seeking for a occupation. Bing able to state that you performed much more community service while in college will hike as pupils opportunities at having a extremely coveted occupation. Harmonizing to the Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture ‘s employment plan pupils who volunteer, â€Å" benefit by basking a high degree of station graduatio n success, increased calling satisfaction and consistence, higher wages, and increased success in being accepted to and prosecuting alumnus and professional plans of survey. † The survey subsequently goes onto say that employers can be ensured that they are engaging dedicated, reliable, and skilled workers. ( Ellis, Jr. , Michael ) All of these properties are acquired from the pupil being active in a service larning atmosphere. Along with bring forthing a really strong work moral principle in college pupils, service acquisition besides will do a pupil more involved in their community. By supplying a service the pupil is forced to go active in their community and go a portion of activities which they may hold ne'er been involved with antecedently. Bing involved in a pupils community allows pupils to assist the country around them, but besides personally profit by larning information. This is explained in a survey demoing that wise mans non merely merely learn information but they besides learn from the people that are being taught. ( Banks ) Being active is of import for some pupils because they begin to believe that when they do n't hold category that they can remain at place watching telecasting all twenty-four hours. However, small do pupils cognize that most larning in college is done outside of the schoolroom and that is where service acquisition can come into the image. If colleges enforced service lar ning an copiousness more of information could be acquired by the pupil instead than merely larning what is required to go through a trial. This could include trades/skills that an activity could learn them which would profit them in the hereafter. For illustration, an active pupil versus inactive pupil would distinguish in the mode of the non active pupil cognizing book information while the active pupil may cognize custodies on how to execute a undertaking. This is really helpful for graduating college pupils because the work force is looking for people who know what they ‘re making and are good at it instead than cognize about it. Besides, most colleges are taking this into consideration because they believe that pupils should offer their service in times of convulsion. They believe that college pupils are more willing to offer their clip during a crisis, and that this should be changed towards compulsory experiential acquisition on a regular footing. ( Strout, Erin ) Another benefit of compulsory service larning in college would be a safer environment around the college campus for pupils. By coercing pupils to go involved in activities around their community they learn about their milieus and possible unsafe scenes that may approach their lodging country. All service larning undertakings are different and if a pupil feels uncomfortable they begin to recognize how different their life may be than person else ‘s. This normally causes a pupil to maturate to another degree and do them esteem the environment around them more than they did antecedently. This could run from driving more reserved to restricting litter. For illustration if picking up litter is a undertaking chosen by a pupil they may be influenced to litter less due to the acknowledgment of the work required to clean up the rubbish. In bend, this will make more healthful milieus at college campuses. In decision, I strongly believe that experiential acquisition should be required for all college pupils. There are multiple positive benefits towards doing pupils voluntary in their community, including a safer and more mature environment at the campus. Besides, a pupil will be forced to take part in the community more often every bit good as create a strong work moral principle which will assist pupils happen a womb-to-tomb calling. The benefits of coercing a pupil to take part in service larning greatly outweigh those in resistance, and hence I strongly believe that every college pupil must take part in service acquisition.

Arrivals and departures: Essay

Meeting the child’s needs: Helping the child to feel safe and secure and to reassure them that their parent will come back for them. Agreements with parents : Share any dietary requirements , agree to any sleep pattern , parent to be encouraged to develop their own departure routine . The participation of children: Child will know where to hang coat , put belongings and were to go to begin the day. School / pre-school runs: Meeting the child’s needs: Time to talk about the day ahead ,good preparation routine to ensure no rushing Agreements with parents: Take child to agreed school at agreed time The participation of children: Encourage older children to be independent and carry their own belongings and to be organised Meal and snack time: Meeting the child’s needs: Ensuring the child is aware of when to expect snack times, have a basic hygiene routine before snack Agreements with parents: Ensure parents pass on information about meals , when a child needs to eat and what a child should or shouldn’t eat at certain times. With babies , ensure times of feeds are clear. The participation of children: Children must have a clear hygiene routine before eating , They must be clear about where meal and snack times will take place Sleep and rest: Meeting the child’s needs: Children will need a sleep routine to ensure they do not get over tierd Agreements with parents: Ask parents how much sleep their child will need , when their child should sleep and how the child likes to sleep The participation of children: Children should understand that sleep time happens at certain times of the day for example after lunch Play and activities: Meeting the child’s needs: The child knows when play time will be and can predict when they will be doing play or activites Agreements with parents: Any specific activities the parent may require to happen , for example a child to read their reading book when arriving home from school. The participation of children: Children need to to be aware of key times when it is time to stop play or activities , tidy time will be signalled by a certain piece of music or noise for example whistle or bell Off site visit and outdoor activities: Meeting the child’s needs: Ensuring children are safe at all times Agreements with parents: Agreeing with parents where you will go with their child The participation of children: Children must have specific routines for crossing roads , being at toddler groups or playing in the garden to ensure their safety Home and evening activities for school aged children: Meeting the child’s needs: Many children are tierd and hungry at the end of a school day so a routine is needed to help let the child rest and eat before any activity Agreements with parents: Parents need to inform childminder of any homework they would like the child to do whilst at the setting , for example reading books learning words The participation of children: Children will have a frim routine of collection from school , snacks , quiet time and homework Adapting routines Good routines help children to know and expect and understand what will come next, even young babies can fit into day to day routines. It is important to adapt routines to suit all of the children in a setting. An arrival routine can be adaped for a baby, toddler and school child . A parent and child will arrive at the setting they can then choose an activity thats set out in the morning , for example lego for a school age child, a farm for a toddler and noisey toys for baby. Once child settled the parent and childminder can share information needed to know and then the childminder takes over care sharing play with the child. During snack all children and babies can sit together at the table and drink , babies will need highchairs and the correct cups etc for their age . This will encourage a social time for all of the children. sleep routines can be adapted to suit all the individual needs, some children will need milk before bed others may need a story this could be shared and then children encouraged to sleep or this can be adapted for quiet time for older children. Welcoming and valuing Children that arrive into my setting will be welcomed with open arms , they will be made to feel completely at home, there will be familiar objects around to help them settle in. Each child will have their own space to put their coat and belongings. The children and parents will be asked what activities they like and what they like to do so that daily plans can be shaped around all children and their individual interests , this will create a good foundation for them to discover new things together , it will also help each child to feel valued to know that im interested in them and what they like to do . View as multi-pages

USS Oregon (BB-3) in the Spanish-American War

USS Oregon (BB-3) in the Spanish-American War In 1889, Secretary of the Navy Benjamin F. Tracy proposed a large 15-year building program consisting of 35 battleships and 167 other vessels. This plan had been devised by a policy board that Tracy convened on July 16 which sought to build upon the shift to armored cruisers and battleships that had begun with USS Maine (ACR-1) and USS Texas (1892). Of the battleships, Tracy wished ten to be long-range and capable of 17 knots with a steaming radius of 6,200 miles. These would serve as a deterrent to enemy action and be capable of attacking targets abroad. The remainder were to be of coastal defense designs with a speed of 10 knots and a range of 3,100 miles. With shallower drafts and more limited range, the board intended for these vessels to operate in North American waters and the Caribbean. Design Concerned that the program signaled the end of American isolationism and the embracing of imperialism, the US Congress declined to move forward with Tracys plan in its entirety. Despite this early setback, Tracy continued to lobby and in 1890 funding was allocated   for the building of three 8,100-ton coastal battleships, a cruiser, and torpedo boat. The initial designs for the coastal battleships called for a main battery of four 13 guns and a secondary battery of rapid-fire 5 guns. When the Bureau of Ordnance proved unable to produce the 5 guns, they were replaced with a mixture of 8 and 6 weapons. For protection, the initial plans called for the vessels to possess a 17 thick armor belt and 4 of deck armor. As the the design evolved, the main belt was thickened to 18 and consisted of Harvey armor. This was a type of steel armor in which the front surfaces of the plates were case hardened. Propulsion for the ships came from two vertical inverted triple expansion reciprocating steam engines generating around 9,000 hp and turning two propellers. Power for these engines was provided by four double-ended Scotch boilers and the vessels could achieve a top speed around 15 knots. Construction Authorized on June 30, 1890, the three ships of the Indiana-class, USS Indiana (BB-1), USS Massachusetts (BB-2), and USS Oregon (BB-3), represented the US Navys first modern battleships. The first two ships were assigned to William Cramp Sons in Philadelphia and the yard offered to build the third. This was declined as Congress required that the third be built on the West Coast. As a result, construction of Oregon, excluding guns and armor, was assigned to Union Iron Works in San Francisco. Laid down on November 19, 1891, work moved forward and two years later the hull was ready to enter the war. Launched on October 26, 1893, Oregon slid down the ways with Miss Daisy Ainsworth, daughter of Oregon steamboat magnate John C. Ainsworth, serving as sponsor. An additional three years were required to finish Oregon due to delays in producing the armor plate for the vessels defenses. Finally completed, the battleship commenced its sea trials in May 1896. During testing, Oregon achieved a top speed of 16.8 knots which exceeded its design requirements and made it slightly faster than its sisters. USS Oregon (BB-3) - Overview: Nation: United StatesType: BattleshipShipyard: Union Iron WorksLaid Down: November 19, 1891Launched: October 26, 1893Commissioned: July 15, 1896Fate: Scrapped in 1956 Specifications Displacement: 10,453 tonsLength: 351 ft., 2 in.Beam: 69 ft., 3 in.Draft: 27 ft.Propulsion: 2 x vertical inverted triple expansion reciprocating steam engines, 4 x double ended Scotch boilers, 2 x propellersSpeed: 15 knotsRange: 5,600 miles at 15 knotsComplement: 473 men Armament Guns 4 Ãâ€" 13 guns (2Ãâ€"2)8 Ãâ€" 8 guns (4Ãâ€"2)4 Ãâ€" 6 guns removed 190812 Ãâ€" 3 guns added 191020 Ãâ€" 6-pounders Early Career: Commissioned on July 15, 1896, with Captain Henry L. Howison in command, Oregon commenced fitting out for duty on the Pacific Station. The first battleship on the West Coast, it commenced routine peacetime operations. During this period, Oregon, like Indiana and Massachusetts, suffered from stability problems due to the fact that the vessels main turrets were not centrally balanced. To correct this issue, Oregon entered dry dock in late 1897 to have bilge keels installed. As workers completed this project, word arrived of the loss of USS Maine in Havana harbor. Departing dry dock on February 16, 1898, Oregon steamed for San Francisco to load ammunition. With relations between Spain and the United States quickly deteriorating, Captain Charles E. Clark received orders on March 12 instructing him to bring the battleship to the East Coast to reinforce the North Atlantic Squadron. Racing to the Atlantic: Putting to sea on March 19, Oregon began the 16,000-mile voyage by steaming south to Callao, Peru. Reaching the city on April 4, Clark paused to re-coal before pressing on to the Straits of Magellan. Encountering severe weather, Oregon moved through the narrow waters and joined the gunboat USS Marietta at Punta Arenas. The two ships then sailed for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Arriving on April 30, they learned that the Spanish-American War had begun. Continuing north, Oregon made a brief stop at Salvador, Brazil before taking on coal at Barbados. On May 24, the battleship anchored off Jupiter Inlet, FL having completed its journey from San Francisco in sixty-six days. Though the voyage captured the imagination of the American public, it demonstrated the need for the construction of the Panama Canal. Moving to Key West, Oregon joined Rear Admiral William T. Sampsons North Atlantic Squadron. Spanish-American War: Days after Oregon arrived, Sampson received word from Commodore Winfield S. Schley that the Admiral Pascual Cerveras Spanish fleet was in port at Santiago de Cuba. Departing Key West, the squadron reinforced Schley on June 1 and the combined force commenced a blockade of the harbor. Later that month, American troops under Major General William Shafter landed near Santiago at Daiquirà ­ and Siboney. Following the American victory at San Juan Hill on July 1, Cerveras fleet came under threat from American guns overlooking the harbor. Planning a breakout, he sortied with his ships two days later. Racing from the port, Cervera initiated the running Battle of Santiago de Cuba. Playing a key role in the fighting, Oregon ran down and destroyed the modern cruiser Cristobal Colon. With the fall of Santiago, Oregon steamed to New York for a refit. Later Service: With the completion of this work, Oregon departed for the Pacific with Captain Albert Barker in command. Re-circling South America, the battleship received orders to support American forces during the Philippine Insurrection. Arriving in Manila in March 1899, Oregon remained in the archipelago for eleven months. Leaving the Philippines, the ship operated in Japanese waters before putting into Hong Kong in May. On June 23, Oregon sailed for Taku, China to aid in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion. Five days after leaving Hong Kong, the ship struck a rock in the Changshan Islands. Sustaining heavy damage, Oregon was refloated and entered dry dock at Kure, Japan for repairs. On August 29, the ship steamed for Shanghai where it remained until May 5, 1901. With the end of operations in China, Oregon re-crossed the Pacific and entered Puget Sound Navy Yard for an overhaul. In the yard for over a year, Oregon underwent major repairs before sailing for San Francisco on September 13, 1902. Returning to China in March 1903, the battleship spent the next three years in the Far East protecting American interests. Ordered home in 1906, Oregon arrived at Puget Sound for modernization. Decommissioned on April 27, work soon commenced. Out of commission for five years, Oregon was reactivated on August 29, 1911 and assigned to the Pacific reserve fleet. Though modernized, the battleships small size and relative lack of firepower still rendered it obsolete. Placed in active service that October, Oregon spent the next three years operating on the West Coast. Passing in and out of reserve status, the battleship took part in the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco and the 1916 Rose Festival in Portland, OR. World War II Scrapping: In April 1917, with the United States entry into World War I, Oregon was re-commissioned and commenced operations on the West Coast. In 1918, the battleship escorted transports west during the Siberian Intervention. Returning to Bremerton, WA, Oregon was decommissioned on June 12, 1919. In 1921, a movement began to preserve the ship as museum in Oregon. This came to fruition in June 1925 after Oregon was disarmed as part of the Washington Naval Treaty. Moored at Portland, the battleship served as a museum and memorial. Redesignated IX-22 on February 17, 1941, Oregons fate changed the following year. With American forces fighting World War II it was determined that the ships scrap value was vital to the war effort. As a result, Oregon was sold on December 7, 1942 and taken to Kalima, WA for scrapping. Work progressed on dismantling Oregon during 1943. As the scrapping moved forward, the US Navy requested that it be halted after it reached the main deck and the interior cleared out. Reclaiming the empty hull, the US Navy intended to use it as a storage hulk or breakwater during the 1944 reconquest of Guam. In July 1944, Oregons hull was loaded with ammunition and explosives and towed to the Marianas. It remained at Guam until November 14-15, 1948, when it broke loose during a typhoon. Located following the storm, it was returned to Guam where it stayed until being sold for scrap in March 1956.

Amibor Heart essays

Amibor Heart essays ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY: THE ABIOCOR HEART On September 13, 2002, mankind reached another technological milestone. Tom Christerson, a patient in Kentucky completed his first year of life sustained by a self-contained artificial heart. The heart, considered the bodys engine, keeps all the other organs working by supplying them with blood and nutrients. All of the bodys organs require blood to function. This means that a product of advanced technology, the plastic and titanium Abiocor heart, is now performing one of the most vital functions of a living human being. The Abiocor heart is the result of decades of research. 1The first artificial heart dates back to the mid-fifties when a team of scientists led by Willem Kolff, a Dutch-born physician, tested their model in animals. In 1969, a team led by Denton Cooley of the Texas Heart Institute successfully kept the first human patient alive for more than sixty hours with their model. Then, in 1982, a team led by William DeVries of the University of Utah, implanted the Jarvik-7 artificial heart into a patient named Barney Clark, who lived for 112 days. 2The Jarvik-7 was an air-driven pump that required Clark be bound to a compressor the size of a washing machine. Tubes from the compressor passed through his chest wall restricting him to his bed and causing constant infections. His blood kept clotting as it passed through the pump and he suffered numerous strokes before he died. After Clarks death, hopes for an artificial heart faded. Scientists focused on heart transplants and today, 386 percent of patients who receive a heart transplant survive for at least one year. More than 70 percent live for at least four years. However, there are only 4,000 hearts available for transplanting each year and at least 700,000 people suffer from heart failure. Faced with this shortage, scientists knew they had to design a smaller, ...

Dogged and Doggedly

Dogged and Doggedly Dogged and Doggedly Dogged and Doggedly By Maeve Maddox Any uncertainty about the pronunciation of the adjective dogged and the adverb doggedly usually centers on whether to pronounce the -ed as a separate syllable, so I was surprised the other day to hear an announcer on a classical music station have trouble with the double g. The announcer, a young one, judging by his uncertain delivery and the sound of his voice, was reading a program note about a composer who had â€Å"worked doggedly† on some composition. The announcer pronounced doggedlywith some difficultyas [DOJ-ed-ly]. Doggedly [DOG-id-lee] is an adverb corresponding to the adjective dogged [DOG-id]. dogged (adjective): having the persistence or tenacity characteristic of some breeds of dog; obstinate, stubborn, resolute. doggedly (adverb): With the persistence of a dog; obstinately, stubbornly; resolutely. Most English words spelled with double g followed by ed are pronounced as one syllable, for example: bagged [BAGd] The hunter bagged a deer. nagged [NAGd] Her husband nagged her to lose weight. plugged [PLUGd] The cook plugged the holes in the kitchen baseboard with aluminum foil. rigged [RIGd] The children rigged a tent with bed sheets. In each of these examples the double-g word is the past tense of a verb. A few double-g words–like dogged–are adjectives. In these words, the ed is pronounced as a separate syllable: jagged [JAG-id] The garment was ruined by a jagged cut down the center. rugged, ragged [RUG-id, RAG-id] Around the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran. bowlegged [boh-LEG-id] The stereotypical cowboy is bowlegged. Here are some examples of the usage of dogged and doggedly: Those born on March 19 have the dogged persistence needed to achieve their ends and know how to use their charm and allure to help them. The same dogged determination that drove tech entrepreneur Steve Jobs to control every aspect of Apples products [] might have also led to his personal downfall. Suzanne Spaak worked doggedly to save the lives of Jewish children who were facing deportation to the German death camps. The Queen Mary battered her way through the storm with her decks awash. Lily Pons, clutching a rope, sang doggedly through the night. Because the words dogged and doggedly are synonymous with stubborn and stubbornly, it’s redundant to talk about â€Å"dogged stubbornness,† but people do it: The shy, childlike appearance of Pilar Primo de Rivera belied her dogged stubbornness. It is also pertinent that although he wasnt physically strong, he was endowed with such dogged stubbornness that he achieved what he wanted. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should Know60 Synonyms for â€Å"Trip†9 Forms of the Past Tense

Advice to student about buying a house Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Advice to student about buying a house - Article Example According to Mr. Buffetts principle, the more people fear home ownership, the closer the investment comes to perfection. Although around 30% to 50% of current mortgages have sunk in the recent years in the U.S. market, recent weeks have seen good terms of investment which means that the market is not extremely on the negative side. Besides, housing prices have been on the rise tremendously with Case-Shiller Index rising by 2.2% in more than 20 urban cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Minneapolis. This increase has been on the rising trend which makes renting not a better alternative. Buy a house when you are fully prepared to settle down in one place. The housing market is very volatile. Prices rise and fall within few years or even months. Buying a house when you have not decided to stay for long exposes one to transactions of buying and selling and thus the risk of losing more money during reselling. Another problem is capital gain tax which will be required of you if you sell the house at a profit. This indicates that either way, it is a loss-loss situation. Buying a house is feared by many people because of mortgage charges. However, proper analysis of renting a house reveals other underlying costs in renting a house as opposed to buying a house. Buying a house is a good investment when done

Are people obligated to fight evil if they have the ability to do so Essay

Are people obligated to fight evil if they have the ability to do so And are intellectuals the most fit to lead society - Essay Example It can be termed as destructiveness, as well as motives of causing pain and suffering for selfish or malicious intentions. Leadership, conversely, has been illustrated as the procedure of social authority in which an individual can procure the aid, as well as support, of others in the deed of a common duty. Other in-depth meanings of leadership have also materialized. This paper will discuss whether people are obligated to fight evil if they have the ability to do so and whether intellectuals are most fit to lead the society than non-intellectuals. Question 1 There is a distinction between an individual who is uninformed of social etiquette and a person who has a permanent impulse to wound and hurt other people. There is also a distinction between someone who has a rough day, as well as someone who is rough every day. The fact is that evil, as well as an evil person, is characterized by deception, viciousness, cruelty among other traits (Freeman 1). However, at other times people jus t might be having one of those temporary lapses that everybody has at times. The known characteristics portrayed by evil characters are: destruction, depiction as well as manipulation. Destruction is where by people aim to cause damages. Evil people recurrently tear down relationships plus they cannot maintain friendships. Evil people continually wound other people with cruel actions, as well as speeches. Now, a way of obviously fighting this person would be simply to avoid him or her. However, the challenge is how to note an evil person before a person becomes interactive with him or her. Another trait of evil or an evil person would be deception (Freeman 1). It is a fact that evil individuals chronically tell lies to the extent that people never know when they are telling the truth. People are obliged to avoid such behaviors, and they should take it as their initiative never to believe a word of an evil person. It is viable even not to talk to evil people. That is a vital way of t aking the initiative of fighting evil. Evil is also known to be a vital factor of manipulation. This is because evil people do not have a ‘god’ complex. Evil individuals desire to be the center of the universe. They also think that they are the center of the universe. Hence, they will proceed with what they want so as to acquire what they need. Now, a person with high self esteem, as well as morals, cannot easily be manipulated. The only means to fight such an individual is to show them that they cannot easily control a person’s life. That acts as a diminishing factor to evil people since they want to control everything (Freeman 1). This is a way of taking your own initiative to fight evil. Also, simply hoping that evil or an evil person will get better will not work. Hoping they will astonish people with 'goodness' is also a poor strategy. If a person is in a position to control evil, then they should undertake the task. It will mostly work if the person takes o n the evil person in public. This will put the evil person in a tough spot. It is not advisable to send any message such as a text or email, not unless from a lawyer. Also, people can tackle evil if they have the ability to involve a higher person in the society (Freeman 1). If the evil person is breaking the organizations rules, the person should involve the boss in a way of fighting that evil. It is also advisable to make their actions known by everybody. Everybody trying

Talking about the poem Let America be America Again, The New Colossus, Essay

Talking about the poem Let America be America Again, The New Colossus, and the novel Enrique's Journey - Essay Example According toHughes, the author, he is not just representing the plight of most of the African Americans, but also the minority groups the economically disadvantaged folks I am the young man, full of strength and hope, Tangled in that ancient endless chain Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land † (6). Besides showing open criticism to the unfair American life, the poem illustrates a ray of hope that is yet to come in the yet to be achieved American dream, â€Å"†¦America never was America to me, and yet I swear this oath-America will be† (Hughes 8). This poem has been an important agenda in most of America’s discussion about the American dream and how it can be redrafted so that all American people enjoy the treasures of their land. According to the poem, in as much as there have not been successful strategies in the achievement of this dream, a great hope hangs in the air over the probability that at one point in time, this dream will be achieved. The author of the poem makes a declaration that America has to be left to itself; here, he emphasizes that the dream that once was a promise by the country should be left to come by, especially for the pioneer of the land, who decided to seek a home in a place that he could be free. The author notes that, â€Å"America was never America to me† (Hughes8).In his perspective, America is expected to go back and become the great dream according to the way the dreamers put it, â€Å"great string land of love† (Hughes 6). In achieving its dream the way the dreamers wanted the land to be, the author wishes that America can be a home for all people. He notes that the country should not have people that are tyrants and kings or those that have to crush other people in their journey to greatness. The author emphasizes in the repetition that, â€Å"It never was America to me† (Hughes 4). In his assertion, the author of this poem wishes that America embodied

Science and Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Science and Religion - Essay Example In this point, it is evident that Plantinga is trying to create a view that science and religion can support each other in line with one consistent belief about God’s existence and his divine works. Plantinga has two remarkable major points. The first one is an assertion that God created humans in his own image and likeness. In this point, Plantinga strongly believes that God in any way is capable of creating humans with moral sense, and has the capacity to love him (American Philosophical Association Central Division Conference 2). He tries to argue that our contemporary view of evolutionary theory has been God’s major way of creating the modern humans we know today. Believing that God has the capacity to create everything in the world, Plantinga considers the evolutionary process as God’s major way of creating humans in the best possible option. This is evident from his opening statement in a conference. He stated that ‘God could have caused the right mut ations to arise at the right time’ (American Philosophical Association Central Division Conference 2). In this manner, God is able to save the best species he intends to proliferate in this world through an evolutionary process. Plantinga believes that this sounds consistent with theistic religion and the theory of evolution and his main stand is to point out how it is unfailing with Darwinism as well.

Advanced Investment and Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Advanced Investment and Theory - Assignment Example This brings about the price movements in the direction of the current value of the cash flows in the future. An efficient capital market is the one that incorporates information accurately and in a steady manner into the security prices (Kleinbrod, 2006, Pg. 78). The weak-form efficient capital market is reached after the information regarding the history of previous returns and prices are fully reflected in the security prices. In such markets, the stock returns are unpredictable. The semi-strong-form efficient market is realized whereby, the public information is completely reflected in security prices. In the particular market, traders who have non-public information access may earn excess profits. In the third type of efficient market, the strong form, investors can under no circumstances, earn excess profits since every bit of information is incorporated into the prices of securities. The funds that flow from the capital markets, originating from savers to the firms aiming to finance projects must also flow into the best and highly valued projects. In this case, information efficiency is of great significance. Stocks must have efficient prices. If securities were accurately priced, the investors who lack time for market analysis would ga in confidence about making investments in the capital market (Moyer et al.2009, Pg.8). The efficient markets theory of financial economics explains that the price of a product reflects all available relevant information about the fundamental value of the product. Although the theory applies to every type of financial security, its discussion is mostly focused on one type of security, shares of common stock. The encyclopedia of economics states that financial security stands for a claim in future cash flow. Therefore the fundamental value of the product is the present value of the cash flow that is expected by the security owner.  

Professional Capstone Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Professional Capstone Project - Essay Example To address this issue further clinical trials are essential and preventive health strategies addressing the established causative agents should be implemented. Lung cancer often results from the abnormal growth of the cells lining the passageway of the lungs. They can be dangerous as they can spread and invade other tissues of the body. Because of this it is one of the most common causes of cancer death worldwide. The disease has a very low prognosis, with less than 15% of the diagnosed patients surviving 5 years after diagnosis. The clinical signs and symptoms are often vague and non-specific Radiologic tests such as x-ray and CT scan often provides the usual indication of lung cancer. PET scan has been shown to be important in cancer staging. The role of diagnosis on the staging, treatment and management of lung cancer cannot be overemphasized, thus it is essential to understand the contributions and limitations of each diagnostic procedure. The signs and symptoms of lung cancer are often covert or if not, they mimic other respiratory infections. Radiologic techniques, especially X-ray and CT (computerized axial tomography) scan are the most preferred techniques for initial diagnosis, and yet both offer some advantages and drawbacks. X-ray could not determine small tumors, if detected the patient may be in the late stages thus making treatment more difficult and even impossible. CT scan is more sensitive, having the ability to determine even the smaller tumors and yet lacks the ability to resolve whether the tumor is benign or just an inflammation as a result of respiratory infection. Furthermore, CT scan has not reduced the mortality rate of lung cancer. Furthermore, CAT scans have not decreased the incidence of the disease (Spiro, 2007). Proper screening and diagnosis of any type of cancer is important in the staging and treatment.

Advanced Investment and Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Advanced Investment and Theory - Assignment Example This brings about the price movements in the direction of the current value of the cash flows in the future. An efficient capital market is the one that incorporates information accurately and in a steady manner into the security prices (Kleinbrod, 2006, Pg. 78). The weak-form efficient capital market is reached after the information regarding the history of previous returns and prices are fully reflected in the security prices. In such markets, the stock returns are unpredictable. The semi-strong-form efficient market is realized whereby, the public information is completely reflected in security prices. In the particular market, traders who have non-public information access may earn excess profits. In the third type of efficient market, the strong form, investors can under no circumstances, earn excess profits since every bit of information is incorporated into the prices of securities. The funds that flow from the capital markets, originating from savers to the firms aiming to finance projects must also flow into the best and highly valued projects. In this case, information efficiency is of great significance. Stocks must have efficient prices. If securities were accurately priced, the investors who lack time for market analysis would ga in confidence about making investments in the capital market (Moyer et al.2009, Pg.8). The efficient markets theory of financial economics explains that the price of a product reflects all available relevant information about the fundamental value of the product. Although the theory applies to every type of financial security, its discussion is mostly focused on one type of security, shares of common stock. The encyclopedia of economics states that financial security stands for a claim in future cash flow. Therefore the fundamental value of the product is the present value of the cash flow that is expected by the security owner.  

Personal determinants Essay Example for Free

Personal determinants Essay An important factor in addressing how a person interprets the outcomes is recognition of the personal determinants. This is affected by the choice of variables to be used in the evaluation process. Bandura’s choice for such variable depicts what may be the most distinctive aspect of human life, that is, people have abilities to adapt to different environments (Bandura, 1986). For instance, people are able to live in a variety of physical environments such as deserts, rainforests, Polar Regions and so on. They are also able to live and engage in a variety of social environments such as nomadic systems, diverse religious beliefs, different socio economic and socio cultural activities and so on. People also exhibit a variety of unique capabilities that cannot be attributed to the occurrence of evolution over time (Bandura, 1971). In fact, the list of human beings’ unique capabilities relative to animals cannot be exhausted in a single book. Hence, in order to perform an analysis of psychological functioning, one must specify the psychological mechanisms that facilitate the unique capabilities. Bandura’s (1986) theory has a focal point on the cognitive methods that enable people to learn about the world around them (environment) and also about themselves, and use the knowledge gained to control their behavior and mental experiences. In particular, Bandura (1986) enlisted five basic capabilities that facilitate the learning process, as described below. Symbolizing capability implies the ability of people to represent their knowledge symbolically. The most common symbolic representation or conveyance of messages is language (Bandura, 1971). The ability to use symbols in terms of language is perhaps the most fundamental capability in human beings as it serves as a leeway for the other capabilities. Vicarious capability is the ability to acquire skills, knowledge and other emotional tendencies through observation or a similar approach (Bandura, 1971). Bandura’s (2006) assiduous analysis of vicarious processes that are involved in acquiring skills makes the cognitive theory not only realistic but also unusually easy to comprehend and interpret. In addition, it clears most of the issues that are usually overlooked by psychological theories such how people acquire knowledge and skills that enable them to act efficiently. According to Bandura (1997), vicarious capability enables people to keep away from risky or costly undertakings that could lead to fatal outcomes. This is because the people ideally have a sense of experience by observing their own characters relative to the characters or behavior of others. Bandura (1986) referred to the ability to anticipate future contingencies as the forethought capability of human beings. Forethought capability is vital for both emotional and motivational perspectives of life. For instance, contrary to popular belief, psychological distress arises from peoples’ anticipated dreadful experiences and not the present or actual experiences. It is because of the ability to derive alternative approaches that one can foresee the consequences of an action without actually being involved in it. According to Bandura (1986), the fourth unique human capability is the self-regulatory capability. This is the capacity of an individual to set goals. In addition, this capability allows individuals to evaluate their performance in relation to their own (internal) standards of performance. Bandura (1986) further noted that the ability of people to evaluate their self-concept, esteem and values enables them have a sense of self-direction and ability to lead life without much reliance on others. Much similar to the above capability is the self-reflective capability. According to Bandura (1997), this is the capacity of human beings to have personal thoughts. In this context, personal reflections lay a course for action and formulation of ideas by individuals based on self-efficacy. The aforementioned capabilities do not work in isolation but in concert. In particular, according to Bandura (1997), the aspects of self-reflection, self-regulation and forethought act in synergy to form a self-system, which comprises the framework of personality. Furthermore, people are able to control their emotions and social lives by integrating the constituents of the self-system (Bandura, 1986). Self-reflection in particular is â€Å"distinctly human† and forms a prominent feature of the social cognitive theory. Through self-reflection, individuals derive sense from their experiences and embrace their cognitions and self-beliefs. Consequently, they are able to engage in self-evaluation and are able to shift their thinking and behavior accordingly (Bandura, 1986).

Mental Health Facility Closure: Effects on Patients

Mental Health Facility Closure: Effects on Patients Patrick A. Mallare Mental health facilities provide different services to a person at any age who are experiencing mental and emotional crisis. Some of these services include alcohol and substance abuse treatment, behavioral disorders treatment, rehabilitations and support groups. These facilities are very helpful to our society as mental health professionals work together to help and support those people in need to regain their good mental health and live normally. There are several mental health facilities around the world, however, some of these facilities are planning to close or had closed already. Some reasons of the facilities closure are related to financial issues, non-compliance with the laws and regulations or quality of care complaints. There is one in York, the Bootham Park hospital (public adult mental health hospital) have decided to closed in October 2015 with only five days notice. Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors came unannounced and found it was unfit for purpose and that patients were at significant risk of harm (Slawson, 2015) and forced to close in 5 days. But, per Greenwood (2016), there is a speculation that the hospital will be sold to private developers. Another mental health facility, the Community Counseling Centers of Chicago which is known as one of the largest providers of mental health services to poor North Siders; which cares for more than 10,000 patients, including children (Chicago, 2015) was about to close in May 2015 due to financial difficulties. But because of the concern to 10,000 existing patients, C4 remained open with partnership agreement to CountyCare, Cook County Health Hospitals Systems Medicaid health plan (Zumbach, 2015). Closure of any facilities whether it is small or big facilities matters to all the patients and their families as well as the employees and healthcare professionals. Mental health facilities closure has big impact to everyone especially the patients who are seeking help for their recovery. Serious problems might be encountered and will greatly affect their lives. The first option that patients will do if facility closes is to find a new facility where they would be accepted to receive the care that they need. And, looking for a new place means changing their healthcare provider. In this situation, any changes will be difficult for these kinds of patients with mental and behavioral disorders. Like what Fawcett (2014) mentioned in her article, Medical records can be transferred in the blink of an eye but it takes much longer to open up to someone and feel comfortable talking about your symptoms, particularly if you have a stigmatized psychological disorder such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. And, building rapport and developing a doctor-patient relationship could be difficult as well. Amy Watson, an associate professor at University of Chicago-Illinoiss Jane Adams College of Social Work who specializes in mental health policy, also stated that it takes months before youre in a position where you might know that person, trust that person and feel comfortable with really working on things with them (Fawcett, 2014). It is difficult to build a trusting relationship to anyone especially for patients with severe mental disorders/illnesses. In this situation, physical and emotional challenges may be experienced and this will affect their decision whether they will be interested to look for another facility for their treatment or just do nothing. Per Hwong (2016), San Franciscos county jail is the largest mental health facility wherein 35 to 40 percent of inmates are getting treatment for mental illness. Closure of mental health facilities is one of the reason why people with mental health issues especially poor people ended up in jail. One example that Fawcett (2014) mentioned in her article, a homeless person sleeping on somebodys car will be arrested for trespassing when the driver calls the police. In this situation, it is not really their intention to scare people. They just dont have any place to go to. And, if those homeless people are mentally ill and was not receiving the medication treatment that theyre supposed to take, then their behaviors will show and will act differently. Closure of mental health facilities or other healthcare facilities is very devastating. Patients, families, employees and healthcare professionals cannot control or stop this kind of situation. It is the owners responsibility on how to maintain the facilitys integrity, quality of care and compliance to laws and regulation to meet the quality standards in a facility. But, before both parties agrees with the closure of the facilities, they should think about their existing patients too who really needed their help. For some people with mental and behavioral disorders, that place is the only place that they know for sure a safe place to stay and get recovered. So, when people try to take away this place to them, they might be in distress again, panic and make them more confuse. I agreed with Hwong (2016) statement: Directing funding to mental health and housing services rather than more criminal justice facilities is a first step in the right direction, but clinicians and consumers must be part of the process; If we dare, we can develop innovative solutions for mental heal th care ones that allow people to live with the kind of dignity and justice that we all deserve. This is one of the main solution and alternative shelter and a place for continues recovery for people with mental and behavioral disorders when mental facilities decided to close. References Greenwood, P. (2016). The NHS mental health hospital closed with just five days warning. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/mar/14/the-nhs-mental-health-hospital-closed-with-just-five-days-warning Fawcett, K. (2014). What Happens to Patients When Mental Health Clinics Close? US News. Retrieved from: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2014/09/30/what-happens-to-patients-when-mental-health-clinics-close Hwong, A. (2016). S.F.s largest mental health facility the jail. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved from: http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/S-F-s-largest-mental-health-facility-the-10645994.php Slawson, N. (2015). Bootham Park Hospital: sudden closure leaves patients vulnerable. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/01/ bootham-park-hospital-sudden- closure-leaves-patients-vulnerable Zumbach, L. (2015). Mental health deal keeps Community Counseling Centers of Chicago open. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-c4-countycare-agreement-met-20150515-story.html Devastating closure of mental health centers to hit 10,000 patients next month. Chicago Suntimes. Retrieved from: http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/devastating-closure-of-mental-health-centers-to-hit-10000-patients-next-month/

Does God Exist? :: essays research papers fc

Does God Exist?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  St. Thomas Aquinas has written several important works. Some of them are: The Disputed Questions on the Power of God, Exposition of Dionysius on the Divine Names and Disputed Questions on Spiritual Creatures. Most of Aquinas's works have been written to try to prove the existence of God. Aquinas has been a firm believer that everything had to have a creator and the only possible solution would be something called God. It is with this idea that Aquinas's Third Way was written.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his De aeternitate mundi contra murmurantes, Aquinas insists that human reason cannot prove the impossibility of an eternally created universe. Once again Aquinas has written with the certainty that God has to exist in order to have created the universe. There is no doubt in Aquinas's mind that everything was created for a reason and that reason was God's will.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the text Medieval Philosophy, St. Thomas Aquinas' article entitled Does God Exist? , Aquinas tries to show the different steps that can prove God does exist and that the world had to have been created by God. This article is comprised of five different ways in which Aquinas tries to prove that we can be sure that God exists. In the third way, Aquinas tries to show that God exists if it is true that we exist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the article Aquinas says that it is possible for things to exist and for them not to exist. He means that living things will one day become non- living things. Aquinas believes that all things can not be mortal because if it were true, then at some point nothing would exist. What he means is if all things were living things, meaning that they had to be mortal, then at some time these things must also become non-existing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aquinas says that if everything were mortal, then nothing could be existing at present, because what is nonexistent begins to be only through something which already exists. This can be translated to mean that if all mortal things have to stop existing then there can't be anything which exists today. Aquinas believes that it takes a living presence to help create other live things in order for them to live also. This means that there must have been something which existed through eternity to help create living things which exist today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aquinas believes that something had to have created life throughout time in order for things to be living today. He says this thing must have existed from the beginning and that it must still exist now. His belief is that living