Relationship Between The Price Of A Bond And Interest Rates

An inverse relationship exists between the prices of bond, and interest rates. As interest rates go up, the bond prices come down. To understand the reason behind this relationship lets consider an example. For instance, if a bond has a par value of $1000 and is currently trading at $950, then the rate of return on the bond is around 5. 26%. Now suppose that the interest rate in the market is 10%. No investors will buy the bond as they are getting a higher return on interest rates. Hence, to make the bond more attractive the bond price is pushed down to match the same return offered by interest rates.On the other hand, if we suppose that the interest rates are at 3%, then everyone will buy the bond, and it will sell at a premium. The price of the bond will increase till it matches the rates provided by interest rates. (Shim & Siegel, 2008) What is the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and its primary conclusion? Evaluate the concept of beta. The capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is model developed by William Sharpe that helps in analyzing the relationship between the rate of return and risk.The basic assumption of the model is that the expected rate of return on a stock is equal to the risk-free rate plus a risk premium. The risk premium of the stock depends upon the beta of the stock, which is a measure of the stock’s relative volatility in relation to the market. The model says that if the required rate of return doesn’t equal the expected return then the investment should not be taken. The primary conclusion of this model is that the relevant riskiness of a stock is its contribution to the riskiness of a well-diversified portfolio. (Shim & Siegel, 2008)What is behavioral finance? How does this alternative theory of risk and return add to our understanding of how markets work? Behavioral finance is a relatively new field in which theories from psychology are applied to classical financial principles to understand the performance of markets. It is based on the premise that the market participants don’t make their decisions rationally. Behavioral finance was developed to explain the irrationality in the market that contradicted the efficient market hypothesis. It is closely related to the field of behavioral economics.Two of the major concepts used in behavioral finance to understand market inefficiencies are heuristics and framing. Heuristics refer to the fact that investors may take investment decision based on their personal ideas or values, which may or may not make economic sense to an outsider. Framing refers to the fact that the way the presentation is made to the investor will influence his decision. It is how the idea is ‘framed’ to the investor that will decide what decision the investor will make. (Shim & Siegel, 2008) Research and define technical analysis and fundamental analysis.Provide examples of each type of analysis. Which style of analysis makes the most sense for the long-term invest or? There are two ways of analyzing a stock price, technical analysis and fundamental analysis. In technical analysis, the investor estimates the future price of the stock based on its past prices and market activity. On the other hand, in fundamental analysis, the investor tries to determine the intrinsic value of the stock by analyzing the qualitative and quantitative factors affecting it like industry conditions, company’s cash flow, etc.In the long run, fundamental analysis will make most sense as it places importance on quantitative factors, rather than relying on charts and past trends to predict future performance. To better understand the difference between the two analyses consider both types of analysts in a shopping mall. A fundamental analyst will go to each store, and study the product before deciding whether to buy or not. On the other hand, a technical analyst will base his decision on the activity of people going into each store. (Shim & Siegel, 2008) Relationship Between The Price Of A Bond And Interest Rates An inverse relationship exists between the prices of bond, and interest rates. As interest rates go up, the bond prices come down. To understand the reason behind this relationship lets consider an example. For instance, if a bond has a par value of $1000 and is currently trading at $950, then the rate of return on the bond is around 5. 26%. Now suppose that the interest rate in the market is 10%. No investors will buy the bond as they are getting a higher return on interest rates. Hence, to make the bond more attractive the bond price is pushed down to match the same return offered by interest rates.On the other hand, if we suppose that the interest rates are at 3%, then everyone will buy the bond, and it will sell at a premium. The price of the bond will increase till it matches the rates provided by interest rates. (Shim & Siegel, 2008) What is the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and its primary conclusion? Evaluate the concept of beta. The capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is model developed by William Sharpe that helps in analyzing the relationship between the rate of return and risk.The basic assumption of the model is that the expected rate of return on a stock is equal to the risk-free rate plus a risk premium. The risk premium of the stock depends upon the beta of the stock, which is a measure of the stock’s relative volatility in relation to the market. The model says that if the required rate of return doesn’t equal the expected return then the investment should not be taken. The primary conclusion of this model is that the relevant riskiness of a stock is its contribution to the riskiness of a well-diversified portfolio. (Shim & Siegel, 2008)What is behavioral finance? How does this alternative theory of risk and return add to our understanding of how markets work? Behavioral finance is a relatively new field in which theories from psychology are applied to classical financial principles to understand the performance of markets. It is based on the premise that the market participants don’t make their decisions rationally. Behavioral finance was developed to explain the irrationality in the market that contradicted the efficient market hypothesis. It is closely related to the field of behavioral economics.Two of the major concepts used in behavioral finance to understand market inefficiencies are heuristics and framing. Heuristics refer to the fact that investors may take investment decision based on their personal ideas or values, which may or may not make economic sense to an outsider. Framing refers to the fact that the way the presentation is made to the investor will influence his decision. It is how the idea is ‘framed’ to the investor that will decide what decision the investor will make. (Shim & Siegel, 2008) Research and define technical analysis and fundamental analysis.Provide examples of each type of analysis. Which style of analysis makes the most sense for the long-term invest or? There are two ways of analyzing a stock price, technical analysis and fundamental analysis. In technical analysis, the investor estimates the future price of the stock based on its past prices and market activity. On the other hand, in fundamental analysis, the investor tries to determine the intrinsic value of the stock by analyzing the qualitative and quantitative factors affecting it like industry conditions, company’s cash flow, etc.In the long run, fundamental analysis will make most sense as it places importance on quantitative factors, rather than relying on charts and past trends to predict future performance. To better understand the difference between the two analyses consider both types of analysts in a shopping mall. A fundamental analyst will go to each store, and study the product before deciding whether to buy or not. On the other hand, a technical analyst will base his decision on the activity of people going into each store. (Shim & Siegel, 2008)

Should Recycling Be Mandatory?

Is recycling really going green with the environment? Or is recycling just a way to go for green material known as dollars? Recycling is a method in which materials that are not used anymore by people are processed in order to transform them in useful products. In the recent years, recycling has caused a lot of controversies whether if it is a good way to go green and help planet’s health or if it is just a big misconception driven by the media and the government. Some experts in the issue affirm that this practice is still running because recycling was transformed into a political issue that helps government and environmentalists to win money and create jobs. Many people, politicians and non-profit organizations support recycling, generally based on misconceptions; while there are other people that do not support it based on facts. Recycling should not be mandatory because it is very expensive, it will not save the planet’s environment and it does not save natural resources. Recycling is a method that appeared as a solution for the problems that environmentalists were having with landfill’s capacity and contamination of garbage around 1980’s. According to Christopher Douglass (2003), dramatic predictions of landfill closings created a crisis mentality in America. He also informs that the in 1988 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported to Congress that â€Å"one-third of all landfills in the United States would close by 1994 and that by 2008 nearly 80 percent of landfills would be shut down† (Douglass, 2003). The situation that the EPA presented to the Congress in 1988 seemed to be disastrous; but fortunately those predictions were all wrong. The problem with these predictions was that the government and environmentalists turned on red lights in order to solve this issue in a positive way that could help the planet’s environment. As a result, state and local governments had the idea of implementing a method that was supposed to reduce garbage, pollution and save resources: the government implemented recycling. Forty-four states established recycling goals in the late 1980’s (Douglass, 2003). Recycling seemed to be a great process that was supposed to save resources, clean the environment and also make money. Local governments had the idea of making money by selling recovered household waste. The process of recycling, as explained by the government, looked like a miraculous way in which all problems of garbage would be solved and that not enough with it, it will also make money for the government. Recycling was a great Idea; it was the hope of the government and also for the citizens of the United States. â€Å"The recycling movement was amazing and successful at motivating action. In 1989 most Americans chose the environment as their top priority for more government spending, ahead of even crime and health care, according to a National Opinion Research Center poll† (Douglass, 2003). The only problem with this movement was that its foundational notions were, in large part, misconceptions. Despite what the EPA said, there was no landfill crisis in the 1980’s. The new landfills opening in the 1990s were much larger in order to offset the high fixed costs of the new rules and today; landfill capacity is more than adequate (Douglass, 2003). The beginning of this custom that is still practiced in our city is based in misconceptions and myths. On the other hand, many environmentalists and experts on the issue affirm that recycling is still a great process that contributes to conserve the planet’s environment and to save money. Many non-profit organizations and even schools interested in the wellness of the community, such as Joy Christian School, supports recycling and make ads in order to persuade people to recycle for a healthier world. According to the National Recycling Coalition (NRC), well-run recycling programs cost less to operate than waste collection, landfilling, and incineration. They also argue that the more people recycle, the cheaper it gets (Recycling Benefits, 2010). Organizations that support recycling usually discuss that recycling is not a waste of money and that sometimes it helps to save and earn more money. According to the NRC recycling creates 1. 1 million U. S. jobs. For every job collecting recyclables, there are 26 jobs in processing the materials and manufacturing them into new products (Recycling Benefits, 2010). Even thought these facts seem to be a very good support for recycling, they are not. According to Douglass (2003), â€Å"the cost of collecting and sorting recyclables has exceeded their market prices in most parts of America, forcing most recycling programs to operate at a deficit†. It is more expensive to collect a ton of recyclables that a ton of landfill garbage. Many local government have been in the necessity of cancelling their recycling programs because after all, those programs always end operating at a deficit. In addition, councilman Paul Thurman of Chillicothe, Ohio, a city that dropped its recycling program because of its high cost and little profit said, â€Å"To me, it's [the recycling program] just a waste of tax money† (as cited in Douglass, 2003). Recycling also creates many jobs, just as the NRC said, but the problem is that in many cases the local governments do not have the enough money to pay for all those new jobs created by recycling; and that is another reason why recycling programs usually operate at a deficit. Recycling is a very expensive method. Recycling is not the solution to save natural resources; actually, in some cases it is responsible for wasting more resources. The idea that recycling will save all natural resources of the earth is just a myth; truly, in some cases the recycling processes waste more resources than the manufacturing process. Making recyclables generates waste. According to Peter Werbe (2003), all the water bottles are supposed to be recycled; but truly, just the ones with the number 1 or 2 printed at the bottom of the bottle can be recycled. He also states that recycling these bottles are only slightly better than letting them go into a landfill. Actually, he is being generous because if people compute the energy needed to ship a leftover designer water bottle to China along with millions of others to be reprocessed, manufactured into a new item, then shipped back to the U. S. , transported to a mall, purchased, used, and finally landfilled; maybe it would be worse to recycle (Werbe, 2003). Even one of the best examples that environmentalist use to persuade people to recycle has had problems with the environment. Recycling water bottles does not always helps the environment or saves recourses; actually, sometimes it produces more pollution due to the energy used to transport the bottles and process them. Recycling sometimes could be even harmful than beneficial. In addition, there is another factor to consider when people think about saving resources: the scarcity. Yet there is no environmental reason to recycle trash because resources are not scarce. For example, another example that environmentalist usually use trying to persuade people to recycle is paper. They argue that if people ecycle paper sheets or newsprint, the beautiful trees that maintain our jungles and landscapes gorgeous will be saved instead of converted into newsprint; but the reality is that those arguments are false. In fact, much newsprint comes from trees grown for that specific purpose (Bandow, 2006). Considering this factor, when people recycle paper they are not saving our beautiful landscapes, they are just saving tr ees that were planted for that specific purpose and also saving the money of the big companies that need to plant trees in order to produce paper to sell. Another reason of why recycling should not be mandatory is because garbage is not harmful for people and recycling not always protects ecosystems. People should know one extremely important thing; folks recycle because they think it is a good thing to do, but what is the real point of being a green person? Are people really saving the world’s health by recycling stuff? The truth is that garbage will not damage the society and recycling is not the miraculous method that will save the ecosystems in the earth. As time goes by through the past of the years, garbage accumulates, but also disappears thanks to they new technologies created in order to have a solution for garbage problems. The arguments that establish that our garbage will bury us and that it will also poison us are completely false. According to Daniel K. Benjamin (2006), since the 1980s, people repeatedly have claimed that the United States faces a landfill crisis. The United States today has more landfill capacity than ever before. In 2001, the nation's landfills could accommodate 18 years' worth of rubbish, an amount 25 percent greater than a decade before. Nowadays is pretty clear that we are not going to be full of garbage in the future. The myths that stated that in a few years there would be no more landfill spaces for garbage in the United States were completely false, but the good new is that nowadays the mentioned misconception is completely denied. In addition, there were many people who argued that the garbage sent to landfills could produce deaths in the country. They think that the toxic substances produces by the garbage could reach cities and cause dangerous diseases to people. Again the good new is that they were wrong. According to Benjamin (2006), the Environmental Protection Agency itself acknowledges that the risks to humans from modern landfills are virtually nonexistent: Modern landfills can be expected to cause 5. 7 cancer-related deaths over the next 300 years. To put this in perspective, cancer kills over 560,000 people every year in the United States. In a few words, there is technically no risk for humans to die because of the accumulation of toxic substances produced by the trash that is in landfills. In addition, it is interesting to know how garbage and not going green sometimes deal with different kind of subjects that apparently people did not have idea about before. Recycling is a process that in a good point of views cuts pollution but that is not always. Recycling can reduce pollution but when is time to recycle things it produces almost the same pollution it prevented before. So what is it the point of recycle? The EPA has examined both virgin paper processing and recycled paper processing for toxic substances and found that toxins often are more prevalent in the recycling processes (Benjamin, 2006). People should know that in occasions recycling produces more pollution than the ones that it is supposed to save. If people think that recycling is supposed to save the environment, how can it cause more pollution than the normal garbage process? The answer again is misconceptions. Finally, recycling needs more money than people think. When we hear recycling, one of the first words that come to our mind right away is save; save money, save resources, save the world. All this since there is too many people who assume that recycling is a right thing to do. Experts have been doing research about recycling and its expenses, is it really worth to invest those big amounts of money in just going green? We all would like to have a yes answer to that question; unfortunately we obtain a different answer, an opposing one. The reality is that collecting recyclable items is more expensive than collecting just garbage to landfills. John Tierney (2006), a staff writer for the New York Times Magazine, points out that â€Å"collecting a ton of recyclable items is three times more expensive than collecting a ton of garbage because the crews pick up less material at each stop. For every ton of glass, plastic and metal that the truck delivers to a private recycler, the city currently spends $200 more than it would spend to bury the material in a landfill†. All of this because when people want to recycle they have to separate all stuff depending on how is it classified. It takes a lot of time to classify, but also transport to go back and forward for each thing. Instead if people collect all the garbage at once, they would save time and money, but also carbon dioxide would be less produced by the trucks used to pick up the garbage. It is unbelievable the amount of money that is invested on recycling. All green products are more expensive than products that are not recycled, and that is because it costs too much to recycle. Another important fact is that recycling programs usually operate in a deficit. According to Douglass (2003), â€Å"the cost of collecting recyclables is about $139 per ton for programs that recycle old newsprint and magazines. The cost of sorting these recyclables averages $86 per ton, and the benefits from avoiding land-filling fees is typically $27 per ton, for a net cost of $198 per ton. The majority of recyclables collected yield less than $198 per ton at 1998 prices†. This is a great problem. How does recycling is supposed to be mandatory if recycling programs usually operate in a deficit? It is very difficult for local government to maintain these recycling programs because sometimes the local budget is limited and waste money in a program that operates in a deficit is a very bad idea. For example, in 1998 Chillicothe, Ohio dropped its $220,00 recycling program because the money that the government was investing in recycling could be better used in more important city needs, such as a new aerial ladder truck for their fire department. Accordant to this problem, Chillicothe councilman Paul Thurman said, â€Å"To me, it's [the recycling program] just a waste of tax money† (as cited in Douglass, 2003). The government of that city has already the experience needed to know the truth about recycling programs and the only cause that they produce: waste of money. Recycling seems to be useful just for people who still believe all the myths about it and have not yet discovered the truth about this method. Nowadays, recycling should not be mandatory because it is very expensive, and in the big majority of the occasions the recycling programs operate in a deficit that produces financial problems in local governments. In addition, the myth about landfill spaces is completely false because nowadays there are a lot of landfills with great technology that eliminates the risk of poison people because of the garbage. Finally, it is proved that recycling does not always save resources and in some cases, it wastes more energy or water than the normal garbage process. The question now is: how can such a wasteful practice persist? John Tierney (2006) answered this question concluding that; â€Å"this practice persists by turning garbage into a political issue, where environmentalists have created jobs for themselves as lawyers, lobbyists, researchers, educators and moral guardians. Environmentalists may enuinely believe they're helping the Earth, but they have been hurting the common good while profiting personally†. Tierney provide a great response for such a controversial question. The politicians who feel pressure by environmentalists are the ones who still support recycling in order to maintain their good political status. On the other hand, environmentalist may think that they are really helping the health of the world, but something that is really truth is that they are being directly be neficiated because of the continuity of recycling. Do they really want to go green or do they prefer to go for the green material named dollars? The real intention of environmentalists is something that only they know. People may feel confortable with recycling because they could think that they are helping; and if they feel good about themselves they are free to continue with this wasteful practice, but the government should reveal the truth about recycling in order to clarify the misconceptions about this topic. If after that people still want to recycle they are still free to do so. As Tierney (2006) states, â€Å"it is time for an environmental reformation, in which lawmakers change public policy to reflect the wastefulness of recycling†. All the citizens that trust in recycling have the right to know the real situation that involves their â€Å"miraculous† method and to clarify their misconceptions. After people know the real pros and cons about recycling it would be very easy for the majority to know if recycling should be mandatory or not.

Changes in Nursing Essay

Nursing Passed Down Through the Generations Everyone has probably noticed all of the changes in technology in the last fifty years. Now there are cell phones, tablets, home computers, and so much more. All of these devices are often used every day by all kinds of people in all different professions. People use cell phones to call their bosses and other people around the world for business. Some people use computers all day every day for bookkeeping, journaling and various other jobs. Many people in the medical field use computers, cellphones, and so many other kinds of technology every day, especially nurses. Technology is not the only advancement or change in nursing, there has also been changes in medications, uniforms, racial and gender roles, schooling, and other areas. Nurses can take better care of their patients due to the advancements of medicine and technology in the last fifty years. New machines and computers are always invented that help nurses do their job better. According to Charlene Boyle, a retired nurse, in h er interview stated while she worked they had to write all of the patients’ information down and papers and information got lost or accidentally thrown away. In her last few years working the hospitals and doctor’s offices started to get computers in all the hospitals and she said it was a huge change. She said that the computers helped keep the information more organized and easier to find (Boyle Interview). In the article by Julie Blanche called Nursing 50 Years Back and Today: How the Nursing Field Has Changed over the Last 50 Years, she says, â€Å"Nurses also benefited from wireless technology, as they were able to bring their laptop computers into the patient rooms so they could perform other functions, such as admissions work, while keeping an eye on the patients† (Blanche 2). Technology did not only help nurses keep track of patient information, machines and other devices were created to help nurses better treat patients with health issues. Technology he lps nurses perform jobs faster and with fewer errors. Fifty years ago doctors and nurses started using the ultrasound machines on pregnant women. Now it is typical for all women to get an ultrasound. According to The History of Insulin Pumps by Elliot Bethke, insulin pumps were invented in 1963 and they were so big it was basically a backpack diabetics had to wear around. Now they are small and most people wouldn’t even notice it if someone was wearing one  (Bethke 1). According to Julie Blanche in Nursing 50 Years Back and Today: How the Nursing Field Has Changed over the Last 50 Years, hospitals made an effort to make it easier for nurses to do their jobs well. The hospitals paid for new bedside technology, including an automated medication-administration system and wireless computers. The medication-administration check requires bar codes for medication, nurses and patients, ensuring that nurses will make fewer errors. With a simple scan, nurses learn if the medication matches the patient and the physician’s order (Bl anche 1). The advancements in technology helps nurses to keep track of patients’ information as well as allowing them to treat the patients in more effective ways. In order to learn about all of the changing technology, the schooling that nurses were required to take was also changed. There has also been many changes in schooling for a nurse. Charlene Boyle, a retired nurse, stated that by her senior year she was running the floor along with the other seniors in her class. She also said â€Å"I had to go to school for three years with one month off a year. Currently to be a Registered Nurse or RN, you have to go to school for four years with your summers off† (Boyle Interview). In A History of American Nursing: Trends and Eras by Deborah Judd, Kathleen Sitzman, and Megan Davis state until the 1960s, most nurses were diploma nurses, nurses who only had their high school diploma, and their education was provided by a hospital or hospital school, not a college or universi ty. Judd, Sitzman, and Davis also state â€Å"Nursing has debated two questions related to education for almost 50 years. First, what should the entry level of education be for practice as a registered nurse – associate or baccalaureate? Secondly, should all nurses be required to participate in continuing education as a part of active or inactive practice?† (Judd, Davis, and Sitzman 187). The book by Davis, Judd, and Sitzman included a survey asking nurses what level of education they have received. According to the survey, 34% of the nurses interviewed have received their associate’s degree, 31% have their baccalaureates degree, 10% have earned their master’s degree or PhD, 16 % have their associate’s degree and are working towards their baccalaureates degree, and 3% are diploma nurses (Judd, Davis, and Sitzman 190). Just as schooling and technology has been improved so have the uniforms that nurses are required to wear. When someone says the word nurse most people invision a woman in a white suit with a red cross on her hat,  but that is not what modern day nurses w ear. Uniform is another major change in the last 50 years. According to Julie Blanche in Nursing 50 Years Back and Today: How the Nursing Field Has Changed over the Last 50 Years, the nurse’s uniforms 50 years ago were the typical white, starch outfits. â€Å"In the 1960s, nurses still wore dresses and stocking as their uniforms†¦ The uniforms also take a turn in the direction of more fashionable than in the past. Some of the more modern touches include belts and feminine cuffs. Don’t forget the hat that was an essential part of the nurse’s uniform† (Blanche 1). Blanche also explained the modern-day uniforms, â€Å"During the 1990s and today, nursing dresses have been replaced with much more user friendly scrub suits. Scrub suits can be found in a wide variety of colors and styles. Some hospitals have specific scrub suit colors for different types of hospital staff and others allow nurses and other staff to choose colors and styles that appeal to th em.† (Blanche 1). Since the uniform has changed that also means that the places where nurses work must have also evolved. The hospitals, doctor’s offices and wherever else a nurse might work were all changing. The hospitals and offices were getting new technology and better prepared nurses. Along with better prepared nurses comes a higher pay and more complex jobs for the nurses to complete. Charlene Boyle, a retired nurse, stated in her interview that when she was a nurse, the job was definitely a lot simpler than it is now. Now it is more complex. She also talked about her average pay as a nurse. She started out getting $400 to $500 a month but by the time she retired she was getting $40 an hour (Boyle Interview). According to TheRichest website by TheRichest an average wage for a nurse today is about $28 an hour (TheRichest 1). The hours that nurses work have stayed the same. Charlene Boyle continued â€Å"I worked eight hour shifts. Sometimes took a day shift from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. or night shift from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. This is what made me start drinking coffee† (Boyle Interview). Changes in technology, schooling, uniforms, hours, and pay are not the only changes in nursing in the last fifty years, there have also been changes in gender and race. The role of a nurse fifty years ago was always a woman’s job. Normally men were the doctors. Charlene Boyle, in her interview recalled â€Å"I had thirty-three people in my class. All of them were women and only one of them was Black all the rest of us were Caucasian† (Boyle). Fifty years ago the Civil Rights Movement was in its  final years and some people were still against African-Americans, which is why it was very uncommon for an African-American to be a nurse. In modern times, men and African Americans are both nurses. Although it is still fairly uncommon to see a male nurse. The change in gender and race are big social changes. There have also been changes in where the role of nurses takes place. According to Judd, Sitzman, and Davis in A History of American Nursing: Trends and Eras nearly a century ago people cared for their family at home. From the beginning of the 20th century until now, hospitals have become part of everyday life. Hospitals have become places where moth ers bear their children, medical specialties achieve perfection, and new inventions were proved. It is also a place where nurses care for those who need to be cured as well as those who need relief from pain or suffering (Judd, Davis, and Sitzman 192). Before there were hospitals, mothers took the role of nurses. They took care of their children as well as they could with homemade remedies and other medical tips they had learned from their mothers. Now there are hospitals and doctor offices where people go in regularly for check-ups, illness, and injuries. We even have an emergency room where people in urgent need of medical attention go for help. Recently they have also come out with Quick Care offices, most are in Hy-Vee’s and patients can run in and it only takes about ten to twenty minutes for the doctors to diagnose the patient’s sickness. Then they prescribe medicine for the patients that they can fill right at the store’s pharmacy. It makes going to the doctor a lot faster and cheaper. The prices for a doctor’s visit have also changed. According to Charlene Boyle, a retired nurse, in her interview she said that in the 1960’s is cost about $5 to go to the doctor and today it can cost anywher e from $100 to $200 for one visit. It seems ridiculous (Boyle). Hospitals have made it easier for people to get treated for diseases and made it easier on parents to keep their children healthy. Although the prices for doctor’s visits went up, now there is insurance. Insurance helps people pay for visits to the hospital and to doctor’s offices. With all the changes in technology and medicine over the last fifty years, nurses have definitely been able to take better care of patients. The nurses are more prepared and they have more advanced technology to help their patients. Nursing is not the only branch in the medical field that has made advancements. Many more medical careers have  made advancements. The medical field as a whole has improved and has become part of everyday life. Works Cited Bethke, Elliot. â€Å"The History of Insulin Pumps.† – BIOE 414 Instrumentation Projects. The Board of Trustees at the University of Illinois, College of Engineering, 13 Dec. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. Blanche, Julie. â€Å"Nursing 50 Years Back and Today: How the Nursing Field Has Changed Over the Last 50 Years.† HeatheCareers Network. HealtheCareers, 2 Nov. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2013 Boyle, Charlene. Life as a Nurse. Telephone interview. 28 Sept. 2013. Judd, Deborah M., Kathleen Sitzman, and Megan Davis. A History of American Nursing: Trends and Eras. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett, 2010. Print. TheRichest. â€Å"Registered Nurse Salary – How Much Does Registered Nurses Make?† Celebrity Net worth Richest People in the World Registered Nurse Salary How Much Does Registered Nurses Make Comments. Google+, 3 June 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

Apple Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Apple - Research Paper Example The company was previously known as Apple Computers for 30 years and in 2007, it was renamed as Apple Inc. to reflect the intended expansion of Apple in the field of entertainment technology. Apple’s Innovation In a periodical it was stated about Apple, ‘†¦this is truly one of the most innovative companies on earth, one that has defied the odds and overcome amazing adversity.’ (DeMarzo) Apple has always provided its customers with unique products which are ahead of time because its engineers are product-oriented. They create even before the consumer realizes that he needs it. In this period of global recession when companies are laying off their employees and cutting back on its research, Apple is successfully moving forward through ‘...investing, inventing and innovating. In an interview Steve Jobs once pointed out, â€Å"Some very good product people invent some very good products, and the company achieves a monopoly. But after that, the product peop le aren't the ones that drive the company forward anymore. It's the marketing guys or the ones who expand the business†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He explains that engineers of the company initiate an upward move by creating products but it’s the responsibility of the marketing personnel to keep the show running. It’s not just innovation and product development that defines the success of a product but it is important to understand how it is delivered to the customer. Very often, new inventions are not acceptable to the customers because they are not accustomed to the new product. Apple doesn’t advertise to reach out to its first customers but use it to help their first customers reach out to the rest. Apple’s marketing is so consumer-oriented that people buy their products even before seeing it. This happens when people market products for the consumers. An example of this is 250000 iPhone sales on the first day prove the success of their marketing strategy. Apple is, without doubt, the most successful consumer electronics company but it focuses primarily on business-to-consumer market. In my opinion, Apple should partner with other companies and also focus on business-to-business market. Partnering with other companies would enable Apple to grow its business through joint initiatives. For example, recently Nokia has partnered with Microsoft which enables it to become a massive force in the Smartphone industry, the advantages are numerous, both companies can exploit each other’s best resources and get ahead of the competitors. If apple caters to business to business market, it would be a new horizon for the company to grow. There is a lot of potential in Business to business market as the firms are becoming more aware of creating and maintaining competitive edge through being agile towards new technology. These strategies will not only boost its profits but will also help them create more innovative products like they did when they partne red with Intel and HP. I believe that Apple has become a market leader of business-to-consumer market and now, it should also work towards becoming the market leader of business-to-business market. Industry Analysis: Above 100 million iPods have been sold already since 2006. On the contrary statistics show that game consoles sold in 2006 stood at 26 million, digital cameras at 94 million, mp3 players at 135 million with iPods commanding an 80% market share and PCS sold at 209 million. Mobile phones sold at 957 million.

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 17

Business Plan - Essay Example The SmartHand pointing and teaching device is a touch screen instructor that accurately figures commands that include clicking, double clicking, moving the mouse, as well as left and right clicking. It is designed with the aim of enhancing the teaching quality of the instructor. It helps in getting the job done and minimizes the waste of time in lectures since it allows the lecturers to write on the projection screen remotely. The lecturers are also able to change windows as they move away from the computer. It is a great appeal to those who are interested in an incorporate and advanced technology in the educational use. It is made in a way that the computer has a customized action by hand gestures such as the screen, capture; minimize windows and the rotating objects in design software. With this, it is customized for those lecturers who yearn for convenience and portability. The SmartHand is available for sale at most of the electronics retailers such as the Bestbuy, and the softwa re download is available at the company website. About 57% of all the Universities professors, targeted at Architecture, Engineering, Design schools are expected to present content using their computer screens, which help in the illustrations. These include drawings and plans of different structures. There are about 1,267,700 post-secondary school teachers, 5,726,160 individuals employed, by the large, entrepreneurial firms and 211,500,000 individual gamers. 70% of the professors have computers that they use to teach, 27% of them possess projectors while 5% have alternative pointing devices that make their work easier. Very few of them have portable devices that they can use remotely to illustrate from any position in the classroom. Thus, the main target market of the SmartHand pointing device are the lecturers in universities and the tutors who are faced with the challenge of having to move around the classroom in

Bank Annual Report Assignment - Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bank Annual Report Assignment - Economics - Essay Example Other mining activities accounted for ASD 0.83 billions forming 0.22% of the total GDP.Thus taking the contribution of mining industries to 32.78 %( Annual 2004). Annual Report of the Central Bank of United Arab Emirates for the year 2004 has the data at Table (2-1) that Manufacturing and Construction Sectors contributed ASD 70.43 billions to 2004 GDP at constant prices of ASD 323.60 billions. In percentage terms this contribution came to 21.76 %( rounded off to 22%). Table(2-2) of the Annual report further shows that Manufacturing and Construction Sectors contributed ASD 78.02 billions to 2004 GDP at current prices of ASD 378.61 billions. In percentage terms this contribution came to 20.61 %( Annual 2004). Table(2-8) ,captioned 'Employees by Economic Sectors' , of the Annual Report of the Central Bank of United Arab Emirates for the year 2004 has the data that UAE had a total of 2.46 million employees in UAE in 2004.Of this 0.27 million were engaged in the Government Sector forming about 10.98% of the total employees. As against this Oil& Gas, and Manufacturing sectors deployed 0.35 million employees which formed about 14.23 % of the total employees (Annual, 2004).Thus more number of employees were deployed in Oil& Gas, and Manufacturing sectors when compared to the Government Sector.

Effects of No Income Tax Policy on Dubai's Economy Essay

Effects of No Income Tax Policy on Dubai's Economy - Essay Example "Dubai has changed dramatically over the last three decades, becoming a major business center with a more dynamic and diversified economy. Dubai enjoys a strategic location and serves as the biggest re-exporting center in the Middle East. The city now has thriving manufacturing, finance, information technology, big choice of Dubai property and tourism sectors and is home to numerous multinational companies such as AT&T, General Motors, Heinz, IBM, Shell, and Sony."1 In Dubai there are no personal taxes other than import duties (mostly at rates up to 10%), a 5% residential tax assessed on rental value, and a 5% tax on hotel services and entertainment.1 Being an oil-rich country, the government is not dependent on direct taxation as a source of its revenue and thus, there is no income tax. This attracts not only petty businessmen but multinationals too to invest in trading opportunities in the country. It has been noted that while tourism has grown exponentially in the last ten yeas, p eople are also looking forward to investing in property in Dubai. Since investing anywhere else in the world would attract taxes from the government: both direct and indirect, both during purchase and sale of land; foreign nationals, especially western Europeans are attracted to Dubai as an investment center. The government has made huge investments in hotels, leisure and recreational facilities to attract a large number of tourists, who might later be interested in buying property. This would attract people not only for business but also for buying property and migrating to Dubai. For an economy that was primarily dependent on its oil reserves, this would be a boon. With more and more investment in both people and land by foreign companies and high net worth individuals, the economy is all set to grow. Manufacturing industries have been set up in sectors like beverages, chemicals, paper, pharmaceuticals and rubber. As the diversity of the population grows, so would the needs and a necessity to increase economic activity. Thus, the no income tax policy followed by the Dubai government has benefited the economy immensely. Can other gulf states emulate this policy Is it feasible Yes or No Other gulf states can emulate this policy to a certain extent. While most countries like Oman and Saudi Arabia are already following a No Income tax policy, there are certain restrictions on investment in property by foreign nationals. Not all governments might be as open to change as the government in Dubai. There could be a small fear lurking in the minds of the authorities of being overpowered or misused by vested interests. Investment in land by a foreign national is allowed only in partnership with a local company or individual in some gulf countries. This might have been followed to safeguard the interests of the local population. "Free capital movements raise concerns about the loss of national sovereignty and other possible adverse consequences. Foreign direct investment ("FDI") even more so than other types of capital flows has historically given rise to such concerns, since it may involve a controlling stake by multinational corporations over which domestic authorities, it is feared, have little power."2 "Islamic law goes into great detail about family, inheritance, foundations, property rights and obligations, and public law operates along with rules of usage

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Research - Essay Example This research identifies a marketing idea for Live Healthy Eat Fresh Company, which is a specialized diet center that provides a complete nutritional plan, preparing dieters and normal people to set clear goals for weight loss or healthy lifestyle. The market research analyzes the market situation of the aforementioned organization, in terms of competitive forces and environmental forces. Also, in this marketing research, issues pertaining to the target market, positioning, marketing mix, budget, external and internal factors and controls for the company have been evaluated and analyzed. First Part Business Live Healthy Eat Fresh is a diet center which provides unique, healthy food. The center provides a complete nutritional plan, preparing dieters and normal people to set clear goals for weight loss or healthy lifestyle, foreseeing roaring appetite and "need to eat" moods and anticipating conduct to deal with them. The enterprise ensures that clients are welcomed by trained personne l to ensure that their welfare and satisfaction are addressed sufficiently. Through qualified and certified dietitians, Live Healthy Eat Fresh is committed to help its customers modify their standard way of eating and transform it into a healthier one. The main aim of Live Healthy Eat Fresh is to provide a unique healthy food with the best ingredients. To achieve this goal, Live Healthy Eat Fresh will be serving a variety of menus, which include, Lebanese, Indian, Italian, Chinese and American food, where quality be given the first priority. Understanding the skills that will be used to meet and exceed the customers’ expectations is important in building a market base (Shiring, Jardine and Mills 69). Therefore, the needs, wants and demands of clients will be fulfilled by provision of a variety of ingredients. Market Situation The market of the hotel and hospitality industry in the UAE is expected to improve by more than 10% in three years to come (Jones par 1). This means tha t more than Dhr 17.99 billion of revenue will be realized from the hotel and hospitality industry (Jones par 2). This dynamic growth in the hotel industry has lead to the emergence of innovative hotel designs, as well as, attraction of diverse talents. Openings by chained hoteliers and local players, as well as, internationally respected brands have been witnessed in the UAE (Euromonitor International Par 2). More hotels have been opened since 2004, making the industry more competitive. Given these developments, Live Healthy Eat Fresh is set to be affected by both environmental and competitive forces. Environmental Forces Harsh climatic conditions are prevalent in the UAE. Therefore, the country is not food self sufficient, leading to importation of majority of the country’s food and beverage products because on fifteen percent of dairy, poultry and sea products and fruits and vegetables are produced locally (International Markets Bureau Par 4). In terms of population, the UA E is composed of a large percentage of transient, expatriate-based workers. The most populated emirate is Abu Dhabi, followed by Dubai. The tremendous economic growth and development in the country has resulted into majority of the population settling in urban areas. The UAE culture has its

Complaint and Compliment Letters Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Complaint and Compliment Letters - Assignment Example After 30 minutes we began boarding, this extended our arrival time in Montreal to conservatory 1415Hrs. We arrived in Montreal with barely enough time for us to make a connecting flight. I remember the agent commenting on how he thought we wouldnt make it on time. My luggage (a suitcase), which was supposed to be checked all the way through until I arrived in New Brunswick, baggage tag no. (TKY00275612) Apparently didn’t make the flight. It was probably offloaded in Montreal. The ground workers in Montreal lost the luggage counter. When I made an inquiry, a (Mr Johnson) informed me that they would update me within 24hrs on any development about my luggage. It is very disappointing, especially with the level of customer touch the airline has maintained in the past. I expected to have the same treatment as the cabin crew provides when you ask for a refill or water. In this case it felt cold and unwanted. No warmth and feeling of acceptance that used to greet clients when one boards the flight or when the captain says, â€Å"Thank you for flying Air Canada.† It has been three days since our conversation. Though we have made contact a few times since my arrival, all I get is scanty assurances that they are looking into the matter. It has dawned on me that they have no clue as the whereabouts of my luggage; hence I chose to write to you as my connecting handlers. I fail to understand on how in the modern age, with top notch security and technology, my luggage has not been recovered. I have launched a claim with my insurance, but the entire value of the belongings and items in the luggage were double what the insurance is willing to compensate. Moreover, the luggage contained some items that are completely irreplaceable. I have made follow-up steps, including getting in touch with Toronto airport and New Brunswick customer desk to no avail. The situation has caused me to feel like your policy is just

Course Project Benefit Plan Analysis Term Paper

Course Project Benefit Plan Analysis - Term Paper Example Organization profile This report assesses and analyzes the benefit plan and design. It revolves around the profile of an organization called the Metropolitan Chicago Health Council (MCHC). This organization is engaged in the provision of valued added healthcare services, governmental advocacy and educational services. It has a wide range of hospital human resources section requirements which handles the benefit plan on behalf of the employees. The benefits that the employees accrue involve an indirect compensation designed to improve the quality of work together the personal lives of all employees. The benefits for the employees are approximately 43% of their total gross salary. Since these benefit programs are costly in nature, this report looks into their costly nature. It further acknowledges the need for a revision of these benefits programs in order to meet the current regulatory requirements and changing market needs. Benefits program The benefit program also requires developme nt of structural choices at all levels. According to Bohlander (2009), the inclusion of defined or non-defined retirement schemes in the benefit plan leads to risks and more workload in terms of resource management. The project will consider the need of considering factors to be taken into consideration when implementing the benefit plan and the reason for stakeholder involvement. Main focus is centered towards the aspect of cost of the benefit program. Solutions relating to the cost issue are cost analysis, cost description and cost minimization. Cost minimization will be the preferred solution out of the three. Cost analysis and description are equally good though cost minimization ensures maximum and optimal benefits to both the employer and employee in the short and long run. Characteristics of a sound benefit plan A sound benefit plan should be the one that values all the needs of both the employees and the employer. It should also take into consideration the ever changing mark et expectations both in the short and long term and should also meet all the regulatory requirements (Rosen, 2005). Finally, it should be cost effective meaning that cost are easily managed and kept at a minimum. Part 2: Statement of the issue The issue in Metropolitan Chicago Health Council is the need for a revision of its benefits programs in order to meet the current regulatory requirements and changing market needs. Health benefits for employees are issued by insurance companies. The criterion used in deciding the kind of benefit to be given to each employee is that of expertise and skill. Most of the benefit packages are custom made by worksite solutions. Every staff member is given a custom benefit statement that included the salary. With the increased demand in healthcare benefit schemes, the cost of implementing and sustaining the benefit plans has increased. Therefore, cost minimization is a goal in most organization. An online system is an advantageous way of minimizing c osts. This is because it

Corean Healthcare System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corean Healthcare System - Essay Example Just like in most of the western world, women in South Korea have monthly OBGYN visits. Sonograms are also part of the routine. Along with the routine checkups and sonograms that women undergo are certain foods that Koreans believe to be beneficial for prenatal care. For instance, pregnant women are strongly encouraged to eat only foods that are fresh, some of which are uncooked. In addition to these practices, women are also encouraged to relax and think about nothing negative. Koreans believe that doing all of these things will promote the health of the baby.During the labor and delivery process, the mother-in-law was traditionally the only one present. Now, however, other family members can be present. Women are to endure the delivery process in a manner that is quiet. They are not to shout loud. They are to just endure the pain. When the woman has gone through with labor and delivery, she is to come home and relax. Only the immediate family is allowed to visit the mother and baby, until the baby is one month old. To continue to maintain health after pregnancy, it is advised to consume seaweed soup twice a day for the first two weeks after giving birth (Korean National Statistical Office-Women's Lives Through Statistics). Nutrition As far as maintaining optimal health and nutrition is concerned, Koreans prefer to utilize natural methods. Some of the natural methods they make use of are getting plenty of fresh air, taking walks, and using traditional Oriental health practices as a means of preventing illness, such as the use of a fomentation bath or sauna to promote blood circulation (Shin et al, 2004). Other long standing traditions are observed, as well. For instance, traditions to show respect for parents and ancestors are observed routinely. In addition to this, there are traditions that are practiced in regards to the birth of the child, as well as on the child's first birthday to promote long life and happiness (Vogler, 2005). Korea offers a great variety of hearty and healthy dishes. Kimchi (fermented spicy cabbage) is the most popular, as it is eaten and enjoyed by almost everyone in Korea. Koreans are practically vegetarians; however, several dishes can be found that contain a wide variety of seafood's, as well as different meats. Many noodle and soup dishes are favorite among Koreans, and the variety of courses varies, depending on the class of people. Lower class individuals typically eat a meal that consists of three courses, while royalty will typically eat twelve (Shin et al, 2004). Since the introduction of western way of life into Korea, such as the eating habits and the westernized fast-food restaurants, obesity is on the rise. The South Korean media uses educational materials to

Divine Justice In King Lear Essay Example for Free

Divine Justice In King Lear Essay King Lear inspires many philosophical questions; chief among them is the existence of divine justice. This concept was particularly important during the Elizabethan era, because religion played such a significant role in everyday life. Religious leaders directed people to expect that they would have to answer to a higher authority, expressing some hope that good would triumph and be rewarded over evil. But throughout King Lear, good does not triumph without honorable characters suffering terrible loss. In fact, at the plays conclusion, many of the good characters lie dead on the stageLear, Gloucester, and Cordelia. In addition, the audience hears that Kent will soon die, and the Fool has earlier disappeared, presumably to die. Of course, the evil characters are also dead, but their punishment is to be expected according to the laws of divine justice. But how then does the audience account for the punishment and, finally, the death of the good characters in King Lear? Lear makes several poor choices, most importantly in misjudging the sincerity of his daughters words; but when he flees out into the open heath during a storm, his madness seems a painful and excessive punishment to witness. Parallel to Lears punishment is that which Gloucester suffers. The plucking of Gloucesters eyes can be perceived as another instance in which divine justice is lacking. Gloucester has made several errors in judgment, as has Lear; but the brutal nature of Gloucesters blindingthe plucking out of his eyes and the crushing of them under Cornwalls bootsis surely in excess of any errors he might have made. Both Lear and Gloucester endure terrible physical and mental suffering as punishment for their misjudgment, but before dying, both men are reunited with the child each earlier rejected. This resolution of the child-parent conflict, which earlier tore apart both families, may be seen as an element of divine justice, although it offers little gratification for the audience. Throughout King Lear, the audience has witnessed Edmunds growing success as a reward for his evil machinations. But when Edgar and Edmund meet in Act V, the duel between these two brothers is very different from the traditional match for sport. Christian tradition recalls several biblical battles  between good and evil, as divine justice is an important component of trial by combat. The duel between Edgar and Edmund is really a conflict that replays this ongoing battle between good and evil, with Edgars defeat of Edmund obviously signaling the triumph of righteousness over corruption. Edgars victory, as well as his succession of Lear, as king of Britain, points to an intervention of divine justice. And yet, when Lear enters with Cordelias body, any immediate ideas about divine justice vanish. The deaths of Cornwall, Edmund, Regan, and Goneril have lulled the audience into a belief that the gods would restore order to this chaotic world. But Cordelias death creates new questions about the role of divine justice; a just god could not account for the death of this faithful and loving daughter. In spite of the seemingly senseless death of this young woman, Shakespeare never intended for his audience to escape the painful questions that Cordelias death creates. Instead, the audience is expected to struggle with the question of why such tragedies occur. The deaths of Gloucester and Lear are acceptable. Both have made serious errors in judgment, and although both came to recognize their complicity in the destruction that they caused, the natural resolution of this change was an acceptance of their future, whatever it held. But Cordelia is young and blameless. She is completely good and pure. At the plays conclusion, the stage is littered with bodies, some deserving of death and some the innocent victims of evil. Cornwall has been destroyed by his own honest servant; Edmund is killed by the brother he sought to usurp; both Goneril and Regan are dead, one murdered and the other a suicide; the obedient steward, Oswald, is dead, a victim of his own compulsion to obey. In the end, no easy answer surfaces to the question of divine justice, except that perhaps man must live as if divine justice exists, even if its only a product of rich and wishful imaginations.

Preventing Delinquency and Recidivism

Preventing Delinquency and Recidivism Demetrius Deaver In chapter twelve the book talks about preventing juvenile crime. Society has to remember that youths are going through an adolescence stage. So kids cognitive skills are not fully development and they might act without thinking. Its important that society try to help reduce juvenile crime and try to have interventions so there wont be a high recidivism rate. Recidivism is a repeated offender or going back to jail. Theres a lot factors for high recidivism rate. Studies has shown that the higher the at-risk environment, the more likely someone will recidivate (Measuring Recidivism 2008). Prevention is the creation of conditions, opportunities and experiences that encourage and develop healthy, self-sufficient children and that occur before the onset of problems (Arizona State Senate 2002). Prevention, efforts that help prevent a youth from entering the juvenile justice system as a delinquent (Florida Department of Juvenile Justice 2008). There is two ways to classify prevention efforts. The two ways are prevention versus control and the three levels of delinquency prevention. Prevention is before the delinquent act and control is the measure thats taken after delinquent behavior. Theres three kinds of prevention, corrective prevention, punitive prevention and Mechanical prevention. Corrective prevention goal is to eliminate the conditions that causes criminal behavior. Punitive prevention goal is to use punishment. Mechanical prevention goal is to tighten security. The three levels of delinquency are primary prevention, secondary prevention and Tertiary prevention. Primary prevention goal is to change society and the conditions that leads to criminal activity. Secondary prevention goal is to have interventions with individuals to deter them from crime. Tertiary prevention goal is to prevent recidivism. Researchers has found out that anticrime programs dont work. Criminologist Lawrence W. Sherman and others review more than 500 scientific evaluations of crime-prevention programs funded by the Justice Department, with a special focus on factors relating to juvenile crime and program effects on youth violence, and concluded that the following programs dont work (Sherman et al. 1998, 7). Programs such as gun buyback programs, boot camps, scared straight, Dare programs, Drug prevention and many more. Even though some of these programs dont work, it strengthens kids relationships with family and school. The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) is blueprints to find effective violence prevention programs to help communities implicate them. Out of 900 programs about 11 programs has shown results of reducing juvenile behavior, aggression, substance abuse and other behaviors. The Midwest Prevention Project (MPP) is a community based program for adolescent drug abuse prevention that targets ages 10 to 12. The goal is to reduce the use of gateway drugs. Big Brothers Big Sister of America (BBBS) is a mentor program. Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is a family intervention program for youths ages 11 to 18. The goal is to reduce bad behavior. Life Skills Training (LST) is an in class program prevention of tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse. The goal of the program is to prevent early uses of substances.ÂÂ   Multisystemic Therapy (MST) evaluate kids who has antisocial disorders. The reduced of gun violence has put stricter restrictions on guns and also put officers in area s where gun crime happens. Gang prevention will have a major impact on reducing crime. Anti-gang programs like behavior codes, graffiti removal, conflict prevention strategies, crisis management and community involvement. The book discusses many more prevention programs that help reduce crime. References Arizona State Senate. 2002. Arizona Statute 8-201. Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. 2008. Florida Statute CH 985.03. Measuring Recidivism. 2008 (February 20). Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice. Sherman, Lawrence W., Denise C. Gottfredson, Doris L. Mackenzie, John Eck, Peter Reuter, and Shawn D. Bushway. 1998 (July). Preventing crime: What Works, What Doesnt, Whats Promising. Washington, DC: U.S Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice Research in Brief. (NCJ 171676).

Media, Sexuality And Teenagers

Media, Sexuality And Teenagers Youths living in the 21st century spend inordinate amounts of time with the media. They laugh with characters who are funny; they viciously attack and destroy evil creatures as they play their favorite video games; they see advertising for candy, makeup, and even liquor; they listen to rap lyrics about sex and violence; and they interact with people all over the world online. Needless to say, it is a completely different social world than the one their parents and grandparents faced during childhood and therefore, the effect media has on teenagers is overpowering. In constant contact with the media, Teenagers today are faced with often conflicting and confusing messages about how they are supposed to behave sexually. While adults, schools, and religious institutions are still reluctant to provide sexuality education for adolescents, the mass media is not at all reticent, portraying sexual behavior as riveting, common in everyday life, emotionally and physically risk free. Undoubtedly , the sexuality presented in the media has had a significant effect on the behavior of modern day teenagers, making the confusion between media and reality and the perception that teens have on reality. Considering the effect media has on adolescents. First of all, it must be recognized that over time, the amount of sexual content that is shown in the media has increased remarkably at a swift rate. Media and its leniency to what may or may not be shown or heard publicly have increased a great amount over the years. A study showed that Pornography is big business, generating $13 billion just in the U.S. in 2006 (IT Facts, 2007). Although sex magazines have greatly declined in circulation since the mid-1990s, that drop has been more than compensated for by video sales and rentals, cable and pay-per-view TV, and especially the explosive growth of Internet pornography, producing over 20% of the total revenue in 2006. (Bryant 305) Even the media that is meant for children is being tampered with and contaminated with information that most children do not and should not know. The book, Children, Adolescents, and the Media states that On television each year, American children and teenagers view nearly 14,000 sexual references, innuendoes, and behaviors, few of which (less than 170) involve the use of birth control, self-control, abstinence, or responsibility. (Strasburger 213) Adolescents today have too easy access to the variety of media and therefore, are more susceptible to any inappropriate or sexual content than their parents. There are four major sources of media that children and teenagers are exposed to. These are the shows that they view on television, the music, the games, and the Internet. When adolescents are exposed to this various media, they have a tendency to choose media and interact with it based on who they are or who they want to be at the moment. The assumptions of media uses are similar to gratifications theory, which suggests that media consumers come to the media with different needs and motives and that what they take away from the media will depend on why they came to it. (Brown 9) Moreover, what those adolescents learn also varies according to the adolescents sense of self-identity and lived experience. Since these teenagers are undergoing the crucial moment in their lives, shaping their own ego and identity and extremely vulnerable to all this tremendous amount of information from the media, what they choose to absorb from the media and what is sensational and stimulus in the media can be very influential. The exaggerated or distorted image of sex in the media is omnipresent and detrimental to adolescents who are not fully prepared to distinguish betwe en reality and situation that can only happen an unreal world, such as television show. One of the most influential media that affects teenagers is television. Many studies have documented televisions ability to transmit information and to shape attitudes. Television influences adolescents perception of social behavior and social reality. Television may offer teenagers a guideline for sexual behavior that they might not be able to observe anywhere else. Television stations such as Disney Channel, Nickelodeon or even Cartoon Network have been intensified and marketed in a way so that older children would continue to watch these channels. By doing this, the younger children who have initially always watched the shows are exposed to things that they shouldnt be experiencing. The most recent content analysis of television found that more than 75% of prime-time kids shows on the major networks contain sexual content, but only 14% of incidents include any mention of the risks or responsibilities of sexual activity or the need for contraception. This figure rises to 27% for sh ows depicting or implying intercourse. (Kunkel, Eyal, Finnerty, Biely, Donnerstein) Television is definitely one of the sources of media which convey wrong image of sex. Television has a tremendous impact on the behavior of children and teenagers over time by giving them improper knowledge of sex. The media and the amount of sexual and violent content that is allowed to be shown not only on childrens stations but on stations that are meant to be viewed as families have increased a lot. An example of this is just the commercials that are advertised on television. Even on channels such as Nickelodeon, advertisements that are shown are not necessarily appropriate for children. It is known that Nickelodeon guides children towards MTV by featuring artists whose music and actions are inappropriate for young children in concerts and in Kids Choice Awards. (McEntire) A major part of television is also music channels, such as MTV and many more. These channels are the most universally watched channels by teenagers both male and female. On these channels, there are not only reality shows in which they show characters as violent and show sex as accepted, but the re are many music videos which show many images of sex and violence. An example of reality shows on music channels are The Real World and Laguna Beach on MTV, or shows such as Jersey Shore, in which the main character was a girl who was known because of being a stripper and having pictures on MySpace with revealing clothes. On VH1 there are shows such as Flavor Flave in which a retired rapper is perused by many young women or I Love New York where a young, ignorant acting female is trying to be won over by many men. In these shows, there are many illustrations of promiscuous actions that were not necessarily sex, but may have led up to sex by what is shown in the show. However, music videos by themselves are a serious issue with the media. A surprising amount of illustrations of sex are shown in music videos, which were reported in the article by McEntire that said, The average music video contains 93 sexual situations per hour. This includes eleven scenes actually depicting interco urse or oral sex. (McEntire) These numbers are alarming, and to know that these are the programs that almost all teenagers view on a daily basis is upsetting. As Television has become increasingly sexually explicit, Music plays a large part in the media affecting teenagers and their behavior. Many different types of music, such as Rap, Hip Hop, and Rock music are mainly directing its sales to the younger generation of people. The lyrics of these songs portray sex and violence. In many of these songs, they downgrade the worth of women and promote violence as it should be accepted. When the younger generation listens to these messages, as it is played repeatedly they begin to believe that it is the way that they should act, and lose sight of reality. In these songs, they also encourage the use of illegal substances to the younger generation such as drugs or Alcohol. An article proves that As the popularity of music among youth grows, the number of teens who are becoming more violent, more sexually active and who are experimenting which drugs is steadily increasing. (Keshan) Teenagers who listen to large amount and genres of music are less li kely to be affected by the messages depicted in the music but those who mainly listen to one type of music are more likely to take in the message given out in this music. The particular genres of Rap, Hip-Hop and Rock and Roll have a large impact on the behavior of young females, especially those of the African-American and His panic races. A study shows that Girls who watch 14 hours or more of rap music videos are more likely to engage in unsafe sex with multiple partners and get a STD. (McEntire) Just like most teenagers never take off their head phones playing their favorite music, video games are played by all ages of children, from little toddlers who are starting out learning letters or how to count to the older teenagers who play games with more detail and different situations. Video games over time have gotten more violent with content that is not appropriate for teenagers. From games of racing and sports such as football or baseball, to games that involve shooting and killing as if it was normal. These games do not only affect the behavior of teens, but they desensitize the future generations and how they depict violence. Furthermore, the worst thing is that they include sexual images such as naked women and strippers roaming a town or even raping scene as a mission. These games provoke teenagers to have strong desire to try out those distorted sexual images in reality. Grand Theft Auto is a game that is popular among teenagers, especially boys. A study depicts that Gr and Theft Auto: Vice City, a video game rated M, was the best selling game among teens in 2002. In the game, players can simulate having sex with a prostitute and then killing her. (Greenspan) This is just one example of many ways that violence and sexuality can be shown in multiple different video games. These games are mainly marketed to males, between the ages of 13 and 17 who would be more likely to go out and ask for a game containing violence or cars. Although this game is marked as M for mature, many parents wouldnt know or check for the rating of a video game when purchasing the game for their child. Although adolescents enjoy their pastime playing video games, the largest source of information that teenagers spend most of their time doing would to be the internet. With search engines such as Google, it is possible to find any information that may want to be discovered, whether it is appropriate or not. However, this exposure to inappropriate content is not always by the free will of the person sitting behind the screen. According to a study shown in 2006 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.increased proportions of youth internet users were encountering unwanted exposures to sexual material and online harassment, but decreased proportions were receiving unwanted sexual solicitations (Online Victimization of Youth) which basically means that while being on sites that they had business being on, ads and pop-ups that were not necessarily appropriate appeared on the screen. This is the case on many children sites, such as Nickelodeon.com or NickJr.com. These advertisement and pop-ups which are mostly ab out pornography and mortgage increase teenagers curiosity and lead them to explore those inappropriate sites. All these contents in television, music, game, and internet, enhancing adolescents lust and injecting wrong perception of sex into teens affect the behavior of them and eventually lead to social catastrophe. A study manifests that Teens who see and hear a lot about sex in the media may be more than twice as likely to have early sexual intercourse as those who are rarely exposed to sexual contentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦12 to 14-years old exposed to the most sexual content in movies, music m magazines, and on television were 2.2 times more likely to have had sexual intercourse when re-interviewed two years later than their peers who had a lighter sexual media diet. (Lagorio) This has agitated the mindsets of young children, primarily in America. Teen pregnancies over the past 10 years have been largely affected by the change in censorship in the media. As the amount of sexual content increased in the media, the amount of teen pregnancies or children having children has elevated proportionally. With the portrayal of teenagers having children in shows such as The Secret Life of an American Teenager in which the main character is a girl who is pregnant, the idea of teenage girls getting pregnant is becoming more accepted and more common. This girl carrying a child in the television show is only depicted as a fifteen years old, and although she is carrying a child she still maintains a child-like innocence herself, which emphasizes the fact that she is only a child carrying another chilled. This however, is not only the case in television shows. Many girls between the ages of 14 and 17 are turning out pregnant, although it is obvious that they arent capable of supporting a child on their own. Since the statistic of young girls h aving babies has skyrocketed, many public school systems have felt the need to add Daycare Units into the schools so that they can promote the teenage mothers staying in school, and having free care for their child while they continue to get an education. This all comes back to the media, which is unmonitored for the most part, and promotes messages of sex, and becoming caught in a sensual moment, which would result in a lack of protection because of no preparation. When sex is illustrated in many television shows, they make it as though the couple has sex without needing protection such as condoms. All these uncensored information from the media bring out a huge social consequence in a long term. The media, at large, does have an effect on the beliefs and behaviors of teenagers over a long period of time. In a society that limits access to sexual information, teenagers will look to the media for answers to their questions. More important, the media may have a strong effect on teens without their even being aware of it, especially those whose parents do not instill in them a strong sense of family values. Although many adolescents try to get answers from the media about sex, unfortunately the media answers to these questions are usually not the healthy or accurate answers. Hence, in order to prevent any further tragedy befalling to teenagers, immediate solution has to be made. One of the possible solutions that would grant youth a healthier view of sex and sexuality is that widespread advertising of birth control in mainstream media. Advertising birth control represents one means of increasing teenagers access to it. Such advertising needs to address the risks of pregnancy, not merely the superficial difference that birth control pills can make. Unless new products such as the morning-after pill are widely advertised, teenagers will not know about them or use them. Comparative studies between the United States and Europe make it clear that countries that promote the use of birth control via advertising, sex education classes, and programming are rewarded with lower rates of teen pregnancy. (Strasburger 254), yet the media remain resistant. Given that eight studies now prove that making birth control available to teenagers does not increase the risk of early sexual intercourse, there is no longer any excuse to withhold access to it. Like advertising birth control, second solution would be having a greater responsibility and accountability of mainstream media for producing healthy and accurate messages about sex and sexuality. Entertainment industry executives need to realize that, their product is educating American children and teenagers, since media have become one of the most important sources for sexual information for young people today. Besides reforming mainstream media, middle and high schools should not underestimate the sex education and inform students the fallacy in the media. This would be resulted in teenagers being less likely to overestimate sexual activity among their peers and more aware of the truth about sex and sexual imagery in the media. Third key to protect teenagers from the unhealthy information from media is to execute more and better counter advertising. Only the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unwanted Pregnancy has engaged in long term efforts to counterprogram through the media. Although no clear data exists about this organizations success, several successful efforts involving counter advertising against tobacco and illicit drugs with teens as the target audience through the media have been demonstrated. Fourth solution would be having a greater sensitivity of parents to the influence of the media on adolescents. Many parents often seem not to see the impact of media on their children and teenagers. The most important steps that parents can take are to set rules about TV viewing, monitor what shows are being watched, and keep TV sets out of the bedroom. The last possible solution is to conduct better research on getting statistics on the effect of the media. Considerably more research needs to be funded, use a variety of methods and a variety of populations, and will need to take into account developmental, gender, and ethnic differences. School systems and parents need to grant access to researchers, and foundations need to fund such efforts. Foundations need to recognize media research as a new and much needed priority. Society needs to accept the fact that teenagers should be able to give consent for such research on their own and that parents can be informed about ongoing studies explaining the research. Although it is apparent that the medias negative effect on teenagers is catastrophic, we can take these resolutions discussed above and make adolescents prepared for unhealthy information from the media and enlighten them that some of sex and sexuality expressed in the media are false. Work Cited Brown, jane, Steele, Jeanne, and Walsh-Childers, kim. Sexual teens, sexual media: investigating medias influence on adolescent. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Eribaum Associates, Inc. Publishers Bryant, Jennings, and Mary Oliver. Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research. 3rd ed. New York, NY: TaylorFrancis, 2009. Greenspan.Sam. How the Silver Screen Affects Your Teen. 2004, 10 Feb 2010 Hart, Eileen. Teens, Sex, and Media. 2002, 15 Jan 2010 Lenhart, Amanda. Teens and Social Media. 19 Dec 2007 InternetAmerican Life Project. 17 Feb 2009 Lagorio, Christine. Media May Promt Teen Sex. 03 Apr 2006 17, Feb 2009 McEntrie, Teresa. The Prevalence And Effects of Sex In The Media. 2002 Strasburger, victor. Children, Adolescents, and the Media. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, inc, 2009.

Hamlet-identity Crisis Essay -- essays research papers

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is arguably one of the best plays known to English literature. It presents the protagonist, Hamlet, and his increasingly complex path through self discovery. His character is of an abnormally complex nature, the likes of which not often found in plays, and many different theses have been put forward about Hamlet's dynamic disposition. One such thesis is that Hamlet is a young man with an identity crisis living in a world of conflicting values. An identity crisis can be defined as 'a psychosocial state or condition of disorientation and role confusion occurring especially in adolescents as a result of conflicting internal and external experiences, pressures, and expectations and often producing acute anxiety.' (www.dictionary.com) It was apparent that Hamlet did indeed have an identity crisis because of his conflicting internal and external experiences and the pressures and expectations from those in the Royal Court of Denmark. He endures conflicting internal and external experiences such as the ghost of his father requesting him to exact revenge on Claudius and in doing so contradict all of the morals he has formed. Pressures to accept the dubious marriage of his mother to his uncle, pressure to accept Claudius as the new king and expectations from the court to be emotionally strong in spite of his father's demise and from the ghost of his father to avenge his death by killing Claudius all challenge Hamlet's strength of se lf. His anxiety is caused as a result of these external pressures. Hamlet lives in a country of different worlds. At the time, Denmark was in a state of transition between three metaphysical worlds; the heroic world, where a man's honour was foremost, killing was not accepted but expected, might was power, the Machiavellian world, an amoral world where politics and mind games were employed ruthlessly, the ends justified the means, and the Christian world of love and forgiveness. Hamlet was a Christian living in a dying Heroic world which was succumbing to the Machiavellian world. Hamlet's father, King Hamlet, belonged to the heroic world, and so for him revenge was of the utmost importance, shown by the fact that "but two months" (1:2, 136) after his death he returned to instruct Hamlet to avenge his murder. Hamlet's disgust at his mother's marriage to his uncle before "the salt of most unrighteous tea... ...ing madness to sanity are reminiscent of a bi-polar disorder such as manic depression. It is possible that Hamlet put on his antic disposition to allow himself freedom from the usual constraints and etiquette of the court so that he could use different means to discover Claudius' guilt without being discovered himself. Or his feigned madness may have been a reaction to the stress of his predicament, because in doing so he frees himself from having to make decisions on courses of action and he effectively becomes a spectator in the running of his own life. Hamlet is a man with an identity crisis because of the conflicting emotions he is feeling and expectations being thrust upon him. His eventual plunge into a state of insanity was a direct consequence of stress. The stress between worlds destroyed his moral base, the actions of his mother and his consequential treatment of Ophelia left him with no 'north point' to follow and his constant changing of moods either caused his crisis or were as a result of losing his way. Hamlet to this day remains a complex character in the centre of perhaps the finest play in the history of the English language.

History of LOTR :: essays research papers

Legend has it that Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien of the University of Oxford was at his desk one summer's day in 1930 wearily correcting examination papers when he came upon a page in an answer-book that was left blank.. "In a hole in the ground," he wrote on the page, "there lived a hobbit." At the time, he had no idea what a hobbit was, much less why it would live in a hole in the ground- but he had to find out. So, during his free time, always at the same desk, he developed a story about a funny creature named Bilbo who was befriended by dwarfs and faced various adventures with them in a quest to steal a dragon's gold. When he finished writing the story, he let some of his students read it. Little did he know that one of his pupils was an employee for Stanley Unwin of the publishing firm Allen and Unwin. She introduced the book to Mr. Unwin and in 1937 Allen and Unwin published The Hobbit. Professor Tolkien was suddenly an author. The book was an instant sensation, popular with critics and the public alike. It very quickly became a classic. Soon, readers and his publisher asked the professor for a sequel. For many years, none was ever presented. Then, in 1954, Professor Tolkien stunned the world with The Lord of the Rings. Nearly fifteen years in the making, LOTR was the polar opposite of "The Hobbit," despite being its sequel. As professor Paul H. Kocher wrote in Master of Middle-Earth "The Hobbit is a story for children about the stealing of a dragon's hoard by some dwarves with the reluctant aid of a little hobbit. The Lord of the Rings, on the other hand, stretches the adult imagination with its account of a world in peril. Each work has virtues proper to its kind, but they had better be read independently of each other as contrasting, if related, specimens of the fantasy's writers art... The Hobbit was never meant to be a wholly serious tale, nor his young audience to listen without laughing often. In contradistinction, The Lord of the Rings does on occasion evoke smiles, but most of the time its issues go too deep for laughter." It was ultimately decided by the publisher that The Lord of the Rings would be told through three separately released books due to a post World War II paper shortage.

Product costing and cost accumulation in a batch production environment Essay

As production takes place, manufacturing costs are tracked in the Work-in-Process Inventory account. Every product is made up of three cost components: direct materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead. After products are completed, the corresponding cost leaves the Work-in-Process account and is debited to the Finished-Goods account. (A merchandising firm buys its goods already completed and directly debits the items’ cost to Merchandise Inventory.) When units are sold, the Finished-Goods Inventory account is credited and Cost of Goods Sold is debited. A product-costing system must be adapted to match the environ ­ment in which it operates. A job-order costing system is used in an industry where products are made individually, or in relatively small batches, and one product or batch is readily distinguishable from the other. Candidates for job-costing systems would be custom homebuilding, custom printing, custom furniture construction, legal cases, medical cases, audits, and research projects. A process-costing system is employed in an environment at the other end of the continuum: the mass production of like units. Users might include manufacturers of chemicals, gasoline, and microchips. This topic is discussed fully in Chapter 4. 4.ACCUMULATING COSTS IN A JOB-ORDER COSTING SYSTEM A job-cost record is used to accumulate the actual direct materials, actual direct labor, and applied manufacturing overhead costs for each job. The recording of costs on this record and in the general ledger is triggered by various source docu ­ments. Material requisition forms authorize the transfer of direct materials from the warehouse to production. In many firms, the requisitions are based on a bill of materials that lists all of the materials (e.g., parts) needed. Supply chain—the flow of all goods, services, and information into and out of the organization. The supply chain often has ramifications for materials, as manufacturers work with vendors to achieve improved delivery schedules and reductions in material cost. Time records are used to gather the amount of direct labor worked on a specific job. Manufacturing overhead is entered on the job-cost record in the form of applied (i.e., estimated) overhead. Source documents, such as invoices for factory insurance and schedules for factory depreciation, trigger a general-ledger entry that debits the Manufacturing Overhead account. 5.OVERHEAD APPLICATION Overhead accounting involves a number of steps. Chapter 3 focuses on the final step: the application of overhead to jobs and products. Although overhead cannot be directly traced to the product, the use of an application rate should allocate an equitable amount of cost to each job (known as overhead application). Step 1: Set a predetermined overhead rate at the beginning of the accounting period. This is done by dividing the period’s estimated (budgeted) overhead by the period’s estimated number of cost-driver units. Step 2: Use the predetermined overhead rate to apply an equitable portion of overhead to each job. As the actual number of cost-driver units used on a job becomes known, it is multiplied by the predetermined overhead rate. Actual overhead costs incurred during the year are debited to the Manufacturing Overhead control account. In contrast, applied overhead is debited to Work-in-Process Inventory and credited to Manufacturing Overhead. The year-end difference between actual and applied amounts is known as over- or underapplied overhead. This figure is adjusted in the process of closing the Manufacturing Overhead account to zero by either: Charging or crediting the amount to cost of goods sold. This approach is acceptable if the over- or underapplication is small or if most of the products made during the period have been sold. Prorating the amount among work in process, finished goods, and cost of goods sold. Teaching Tip: Emphasize that under- and overapplied overhead is the difference between actual and applied overhead, not actual and budgeted overhead. The budgeted figure is used solely in the determination of the predetermined rate. 6. EXTENDED ILLUSTRATION OF JOB COSTING As noted earlier, the Work-in-Process Inventory account contains charges for direct materials used, direct labor, and applied manufacturing overhead. Period costs are expensed and not charged to Manufacturing Overhead. A sale requires two journal entries: one to record the sales revenue and another to transfer the goods’ cost from Finished-Goods Inventory to Cost of Goods Sold. Teaching Tip: Although the text illustration appears relatively complicated, it is simply presenting the details that accompany the flow of goods (and costs) from work in process, to finished goods, to cost of goods sold. 7.FINANCIAL SCHEDULES FOR MANAGERS The schedule of cost of goods manufactured details the activity in the Work-in-Process account (beginning balance, direct materials used, direct labor, applied overhead, and ending balance). The schedule of cost of goods sold details the activity in the Finished- Goods Inventory account. It is similar to the cost-of-goods-sold schedule as shown in financial accounting courses for merchandising companies, except the â€Å"purchases† amount is replaced with cost of goods manufactured. 8.FURTHER ASPECTS OF OVERHEAD APPLICATION Actual and normal costing Accountants prefer predetermined application rates, which are used in a normal-costing system. Such rates help to smooth product costs over time and allow users to cost products/jobs upon completion. In contrast, users of actual-costing systems derive an actual overhead rate at the end of the accounting period. Product-cost information to management is therefore delayed. Choosing an appropriate cost driver Direct labor has been a very common and appropriate cost driver. Past processes were labor intensive, and products incurring more labor often produced higher amounts of manufacturing overhead. Today, many processes are automated and less dependent on labor. Thus, firms now use machine hours, process time, throughput (cycle) time (the average amount of time to convert raw materials into finished goods), and other measures as cost drivers. Single vs. multiple overhead rates Companies commonly use multiple (rather than single) application rates. With computerized accounting systems, multiple rates are easily generated, thus lowering the cost of producing highly accurate information. A single overhead rate is commonly known as a plantwide rate; multiple rates are often known as departmental rates. Two-stage cost allocation Stage one: Overhead is first accumulated in production departments. This frequently requires the allocation of service department costs to production departments. Stage two: As a final step, production department costs are assigned to individual jobs and products via overhead application. 9.PROJECT COSTING Project costing refers to job costing in a nonmanufacturing environment. â€Å"Jobs† in this case refer to cases, contracts, and/or programs. Costing involves tracking the direct, easily traceable costs and subdividing them by project. Overhead is then applied by using a predetermined rate, with a possible application base being a project’s direct professional labor cost. Technology such as bar coding may be used to track appropriate costs to projects, although this is just one of many possible applications. Service providers, along with manufacturers, are also making use of: Electronic data interchange (EDI), which involves the electronic transfer of information from one organization to another by using a computer-to-computer interface. Extensible markup language (XML), which is web-based and allows users to share structured data such as product order lists and price data. Teaching Overview I begin the topic of job costing by explaining that students should not expect to apply a so-called â€Å"textbook system† to any real-world company, because cost systems must be designed to meet a firm’s unique needs. However, the two traditional system models, job order and process costing, give users the ability to build-in various modifications for use in actual situations. The major difficulty that students encounter in job costing is the concept of manufacturing overhead. The first area needing clarifica ­tion is terminology, namely: Estimated = budgeted Applied = allocatedIncurred = actual The second area in need of clarification is the sequence of procedures for overhead application: calculating predeter ­mined overhead rates, using the rates, and adjusting the over ­- or underapplied amount. This problem stems from the fact that students are doing textbook assignments where all the information is given simultaneously. Therefore, the question arises, â€Å"Why use an imperfect predetermined overhead rate when I have all the totally correct, actual data in the next paragraph?† It is helpful to be on the lookout for this line of thinking when discussing homework assignments and to remind students how and when information becomes available in the real world. (I suspect this is a problem mainly for under ­graduates with limited work experience.) Based on many years of teaching, I also find that students struggle with the journal entries required to handle a sale. Two entries are needed: one to transfer the cost of units sold from finished goods to cost of goods sold; another is needed to record revenue. Students often forget one or the other or exhibit some creativity, creating a new account entitled Profit on Sale. Be sure to spend a few extra minutes with this issue. After the preceding issues have been handled, students generally are quite interested in job-costing concepts, particularly those who have worked in a family business or who plan to start their own business. Students are also interested in job costing in a service enterprise (discuss something as basic as the activities of a sports agent who represents clients across the country) and the impact of changing manufacturing techniques (such as the acquisition of new, state-of-the-art production technology) on product-costing procedures. I recommend Exercise 3-35 (manufacturing overhead) and Problem 3-46 (job costing and journal entries) as lecture demonstration problems.