Close reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Close reading - Essay Example The first stanza has also been endowed with a caesura. This part sets out the referent point of the poem. Though â€Å"My Life† has been used as the subject of the first line of the first stanza, it sets out the subject for the entire poem. â€Å"My Life† becomes the subject of the entire poem through the application of the caesura. Emily Dickinson uses personification of the â€Å"gun† to mean the poet which should otherwise been her to mean a woman can be a weapon. The poet has been kept in the corner of the room until the owner passed and carried her away. This is a clear illustration of how women are not allowed to go looking for suitors for but are meant to wait until a suitor comes along and proposes to her. It is imperative to say that even if the woman has been kept waiting for the man for a long time to come for her; she can be dangerous as she has the power. This can be seen where Dickinson uses the words a â€Å"Loaded Gun† which means that the gun is dangerous. This is the power endowed to a woman even when she keeps still and allows herself be used as a tool by men, she can defend herself. Emily Dickinson stresses the power women have by using a metaphor. The first line of the poem â€Å"My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun† is used metaphorically in this poem. This is done by comparing her life with that of a loaded gun indirectly. She uses this metaphor in order to deliver an impression to the readers, of the dangers which are presented by a loaded gun. Since it is well known that a loaded gun is very dangerous and is often used as a symbol of power and command, then she depicts the same amount of power to women. Emily Dickinson has also presented the futility of a woman’s power when she is not with a man. This is seen when the poet says that although she has been loaded, she has been waiting at the corner, this shows that there is nothing the poet could have done prior to the arrival of the husband who is presented as the

An analysis comparing the front pages of the Sun Essay Example for Free

An analysis comparing the front pages of the Sun Essay An analysis comparing the front pages of the Sun and the Mirror, considering the impact of ownership, the way front pages are constructed, the audience and issues of representation. Introduction The term Tabloid refers to a newspaper that focuses more on celebrity gossip and sport as opposed to a broadsheet, which puts more of an emphasis on serious issues and world affairs. Tabloids are renowned for their easy-reading factor with large print and many pictures, they are the ideal choice for people who are maybe not particularly intellectual, although this is of course a stereotype as many people from all different walks of life and intellectual abilities choose to read Tabloids. . Tabloid newspapers tend to be cheap and the newspapers we have chosen to study are no exception, with the Sun priced at 30p and the Mirror priced at 32p. The front pages that I will analyze were both published on Monday 17th November 2003 (just two days after Englands World Cup glory against Australia). In my opinion, it is important to study the tabloid press in order to have an understanding of the way in which they work. Also, we need to appreciate that bias is common and stories are not always truthful and that a particular trait of them is to sensationalize stories in order to make them appear more dramatic. Rupert Murdoch owns the Sun, which is only a fraction of his vast media empire. Other mediums in his power include the Times, Sky television and News of the World. Born in 1931 in Australia, Murdoch is considered one of the most influential media entrepreneurs of today. Murdoch is a strongly right-wing capitalist who famously helped to keep Margaret Thatcher in power. In contrast, the owner of the Mirror, Robert Maxwell, born in 1923 was strongly in favour of the Labour party and hated Margaret Thatcher, which, therefore, made him a socialist. These political views are important because of the vast effect that they have on readers; for example, because Murdoch supported Thatcher, it is likely that they would have launched a campaign to keep her in power. This would have had a major influence on the general public. Institution The dangers of cross-media ownership are quite severe. One of the main effects that can occur is one point of view being broadcast over a variety of different medias. As a result, most people will receive news and current affairs in a way that is biased towards the owners perspective. This would influence the audiences to shape opinions similar to those of the owner. The two front pages have both obviously been influenced by the ownership. The Sun, who are in favour of Bush, has run the same story as the Mirror but have written the story to represent Bush in a positive light. This is particularly illustrated through the photographs used in the articles. The Mirror has used a picture that portrays Bush to be solemn and unfriendly. In contrast, The Suns makes Bush appear pleasant and welcoming. In addition, the headlines Chicken George and Your troops did not die in vain show Bush in contrasting lights. Obviously, Murdoch or his editors have chosen a quote from George Bush to make their newspaper appear important and have placed a banner which proclaims: Bushs personal message to Sun readers; this is effective as it personalizes it and therefore increase sales rate because you may buy the paper to discover the message and also making it personal is a successful persuasive technique. The PCC (Press Complaints Commission) is a body which controls what the press can and cannot do, all newspapers must adhere to the PCCs code. In my opinion, the Mirror have stretched this code for not distinguishing between conjecture and fact, particularly in the quote: Was last night branded a chicken because it does not state who says it, for all we know it could have been the journalists opinion; however, they get away with it! In conclusion, a knowledge of institution (who controls what you read and how people and events are represented in the media) is extremely important in order to understand the ways that tabloids can be biased by ownership and to avoid being persuaded one particular viewpoint we must discover the facts before we make pre or misconceived judgements about a current issue. Media Language The main features of the front page of the Mirror are, first, a picture of Jonny Wilkinson. A white light, which makes him appear angelic and a hero surround him, this is paired with the headline Jonny B God it is securing his place as a national hero. Secondly, your eyes are drawn to the headline Chicken George. Moreover, there is a 3am section aimed specifically at women; this may help to attract more women customers because they feel they are being catered for. In comparison, on the front page of the Sun, there is also a picture of Jonny Wilkinson from a slightly different angle and then the headline: your troops did not die in vain. This headline is also underlined which connotes a sense of importance. The masthead of the Sun is rather plain, containing only the basic facts of price, name, website and date. Whereas the mast head of the Mirror is more bold and angular which makes it appear more significant, it contains all the same facts as the Sun apart from in place of the website are the words Newspaper of the Year. This is more effective because it implies that people have chosen this newspaper over the Sun. The language of the Suns headline is quite formal and it is also unusual to have a quote as headline. This is quite effective because it suggests that there is a special feature about Bush inside which could be a selling point of the paper. However, the language of the Mirrors front page is quite informal and immature, this may appeal to people who want a light hearted read so it could equally use this as a selling point. It very much depends on the individual. The tone of the Mirror is rather like a parody of George Bush: it mocks him and taunts him, which presents him in a negative light. On the other hand, The Sun is rather serious and they appear to be hanging on to Bushs every word. The news values according to theorists Galtung and Ruge referred to on the front pages of the Sun and the Mirror are both demand, reference to elite persons and reference to something negative. The political orientation is evident on both headlines, particularly by the slant that is put on the splash stories. The tones of both articles imply two contrasting things about George Bush. In summary, the format of a tabloid front page will often contain at least one picture, usually more, and the picture will tend to be at the top of the page or at the side. The headline will often be below and, usually, the main photograph will not link to the splash. Audience The audience is vital to the press, without an audience there would be no press. They shape what stories are run and the political orientation. Tabloids are popular because of their easy reading factor. They often focus more on human-interest stories, which can make the newspapers a more compelling read they are also often more accessible than broadsheets which tend to be aimed at more business men whereas tabloids are stereotypically aimed at manual workers aged between 25 and 50. The papers address their audiences in very separate ways. Whilst the Mirror tends to use headlines and language that their audience can relate to, the Sun often use provocative pictures to entice men to buy the paper; this is based on the idea that sex sells. The Mirror has obviously attempted to appeal to women by including a section only aimed at them, which contains a Love Actually feature. In addition to these there is a free Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD that may appeal to families, predominantly families with young sons. Also, there is another free gift of a poster of Jonny Wilkinson that is chiefly aimed at supporters of England and sports fans. If a tabloid published a story that was of high demand, it is likely that the sales rate would increase for that day. However, if you put on a story that some find offensive then you would expect the sales rate to decline. Demand for a story though is probably the deciding factor for whether or not a story would appear on the front page or not. Tabloids can have a major influence on many things by what they say and do. For example, if a tabloid was in favour of the Labour party at the time of an election, it is very likely that they could use their influence to encourage others to vote labour. Representation The main factors that influence how a story is being represented are the political bias of the owner and editor, the popularity of a person or an event or, occasionally, how the person who is being represented wishes to be portrayed. However, this is rare as editors know they are much more likely to sell papers when they make reference to something negative according to Galtung and Ruges theory of news selection. The story on Jonny Wilkinson in the Mirror represents him in a positive light, the white glow around him connotes that he is of an almost godly status because of the denotation on the screen, and the headline Jonny B God confirms this. Jonny Wilkinson was not particularly an elite person before all the media coverage of his notorious drop-goal, so all the stories in the papers have contributed to his super-star reputation. Obviously, he has been represented in this way because of the demand from their audience. The only reason he has been represented in this way is because he won the World Cup, if he had missed his drop-goal then such a fuss would not of been made and Jonny Wilkinson would not have been the nations hero. Foreign news is much less likely to be reported in newspapers than local news. This is because the general public are much less likely to be interested in something that is happening abroad unless it applies directly to them. Therefore, in the newspapers, foreign news that does not apply to us as a country, very rarely occurs in the British press. In my opinion, the editor of the Sun has chosen to represent George Bush in a good way because of the renowned political opinion of his newspaper and because he is aware of his audiences political opinions as well. Therefore, he must conform to these expectations. Similarly, the Mirror is required to do the same but instead of making George Bush appear good, they must present him as being weak and fearful. The way a story is represented affects whether the public are supportive or unsupportive to a current news affair depending on how it has been represented in the media through the use of language and photographs. Newspapers aim to cause controversy through putting bias on stories, this is specifically to manipulate a certain reaction from the public. In conclusion, the way newspapers represent something has a particular effect on how it is received by the public. Conclusion The foremost difference between the Sun and the Mirror are the contrasting political viewpoints. This is evident in many of their stories by the bias that is used. I think that the Mirrors layout is better than the Suns because it appears more orderly and not so cluttered. In my opinion, the tabloid press is an important and influential part of society. I disagree with the way that they harass celebrities and invade their privacy but appreciate that this all part of their job. I also realize that it is vital to be aware of the ways that ownership can affect the way an issue is represented. Furthermore, it is crucial to be able to recognise bias in a tabloid and the reasons a story has been biased in order to make up your own mind without being influenced by the opinion of a journalist.

Dr. Faust, Scientist :: essays research papers

The Webster’s New Collegiate defines a scientist as: One learned in science or Natural science; also know as a scientific investigator. The Dr. Faust described in Marlow’s Faust defiantly fits all of these criteria. He was very learned (or so he thought) in all the different sciences. In here lies his problem, Faust said that he is boarded or sees no reason for analysis, physics, law and divinity (lines 5-60). It is possible that Faust could be looking for a new more interesting science. Therefore because he is constantly searching for more knowledge, under these guidelines, he is defiantly a scientist. It is important to note that unlike most scientists, Faust is not searching for knowledge just to better himself. He is only interested in more knowledge because it produces more power; and power is Faust’s main goal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  More evidence that Dr. Faust is a scientist lies with in Act 2. This is the act where Faust finally sells his soul and the second thing he asks for are the tools of scientist, books. The first book he wants is a book that â€Å"behold(s) all spells and incantations†(lines 161). He asks for this one first because it beholds more power for him while the books he asks for after this are more for the learned aspect of Faust personality. These other books he now wants that allow him to â€Å" see all the characters and planets of the heaven† and â€Å"(to) see all plants, herbs and trees that grow upon the earth† (lines 165 and168). These last two books provide no direct means for power, unlike the first book of spells. The fact that he does ask for these last two purely intellectual books provide more proof that he is indeed a scientist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Faust would of found himself at home in the Royal Society for the improving Natural Knowledge. This is true for two reasons: first because he was very interested learning about new sciences, even if he did it for his own needs. He repeats his constant search for more information when he questions the seven deadly sins (lines 105-163). Here he continues to feed his scientific appetites by cross-examine and classifying the sins. Secondly, Faust would be part of this society because like the rest of the society he believed that science and religion is intertwined. Proof that he believes this lies in the fact that he uses religious applications to increase his knowledge.

History of Physics :: Science Scientific Physics Essays

History of Physics Physics began when man first started to study his surroundings. Early applications of physics include the invention of the wheel and of primitive weapons. The people who built Stone Henge had knowledge of physical mechanics in order to move the rocks and place them on top of each other. It was not until during the period of Greek culture that the first systematic treatment of physics started with the use of mechanics. Thales is often said to have been the first scientist, and the first Greek philosopher. He was an astronomer, merchant and mathematician, and after visiting Egypt he is said to have originated the science of deductive geometry. He also discovered theorems of elementary geometry and is said to have correctly predicted an eclipse of the sun. Many of his studies were in astronomy but he also observed static electricity. Phythogoras was a Greek philosopher. He discovered simple numerical ratios relating the musical tones of major consonances, to the length of the strings us ed in sounding them. The Pythagorean theorem was named after him, although this fundamental statements of deductive geometry was most likely first an idea from Egyptian methods of measurements. With the help of his followers he discovered that the earth was a sphere, but he did not believe it revolved around the sun. Democritus was the leader of a group called Atomists. Although they were unable to prove that matter was made up of small particles, they were the first to come up with the idea. Democritus believed that atoms differed in size, shape, and movement but were all made of the same substances. Aristotle was the most important scientific philosopher in Greece. He believed that all matter on earth consisted of four pure substances or elements, which were earth, air, fire, and water. He also believed that the earth was the centre of the universe, and that anything beyond the earth consisted of a fifth pure substance called quintessence. Archimedes was an inventor and mathematician, who discovered several basic scientific principles and developed a number of measuring techniques. Ptolemy was an Egyptian astronomer. He developed a model for predicting the positions of the sun, moon, stars, and planets. Like Aristotle, he believed that the earth was the center of the universe. Between 400 AD. a nd 1000 AD. Most educated people in Western Europe looked to religion rather than scientific investigation to answer their questions about the laws of nature.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Epilogue

Epilogue The angel took the book from him, then went out the door and across the hall, where he knocked on the door. â€Å"He's finished,† the angel said to someone in the room. â€Å"What, you're leaving? I can just go?† asked Levi who was called Biff. The door across the hall opened, and there stood another angel, this one seeming to have more a female aspect than Raziel. She too held a book. She stepped into the hall to reveal a woman standing behind her, wearing jeans and a green cotton blouse. Her hair was long and straight, dark with reddish highlights, and her eyes were crystal blue and seemed to glow in contrast to her dark skin. â€Å"Maggie,† said Levi. â€Å"Hi, Biff.† â€Å"Maggie finished her Gospel weeks ago,† said Raziel. â€Å"Really?† The Magdalene smiled. â€Å"Well, I didn't have as much to write as you did. I didn't see you guys for sixteen years.† â€Å"Oh, right.† â€Å"It is the will of the Son that you two go out together into this new world,† said the female angel. Levi went across the hall and took her in his arms. They kissed for a long time until the angels began to clear their throats and murmur â€Å"Get a room† under their breaths. They held each other at arm's length. Levi said, â€Å"Maggie, is this going to be like it always was? You know, you're with me, and you love me and everything, but it's only because you can't have Josh?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"That's so pathetic.† â€Å"You don't want to be together?† â€Å"No, I want to, it's just pathetic.† â€Å"I have money,† she said. â€Å"They gave me money.† â€Å"That's good.† â€Å"Go,† said Raziel, losing his patience. â€Å"Go, go, go. Go away.† He pointed down the hallway. They started walking down the hallway, arm in arm, tentatively, looking back at the angels every few steps, until at last they looked back and the angels were gone. â€Å"You should have stuck around,† the Magdalene said. â€Å"I couldn't. It hurt too much.† â€Å"He came back.† â€Å"I know, I read about it.† â€Å"He was sad because of what you had done.† â€Å"Yeah, so was I.† â€Å"The others were angry with you. They said that you had the greatest reason to believe.† â€Å"That why they edited me out of their Gospels?† â€Å"Good guess,† she said. They stepped into the elevator and the Magdalene pushed the button for the lobby. â€Å"By the way, it was Hallowed,† she said. â€Å"What was Hallowed?† â€Å"The H. His middle name. It was Hallowed. It's a family name, remember, ‘Our father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.'† â€Å"Damn, I would have guessed Harvey,† Biff said. Afterword Teaching Yoga to an Elephant And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. JOHN 21:25 Can you really teach yoga to an elephant? Well no, you can't, but we're talking about Jesus here. Nobody knows what he could do. The book you've just read is a story. I made it up. It is not designed to change anyone's beliefs or worldview, unless after reading it you've decided to be kinder to your fellow humans (which is okay), or you decide you really would like to try to teach yoga to an elephant, in which case, please get videotape. I researched Lamb, I really did, but there is no doubt I could have spent decades researching and still managed to be inaccurate. (It's a talent, what can I say?) While I've made some attempt to paint an accurate picture of the world in which Christ lived, I changed things for my own convenience, and sometimes, obviously, there was no way of knowing what conditions really existed in the years 1 through 33. The available written history about the peasant class, society, and the practice of Judaism in the first century in Galilee degenerates quickly into theory. The role of the Pharisees in peasant society, the Hellenistic influence, the influence of an international city like Joppa nearby: who knows how these things would have affected Christ as a boy? Some historians postulate that Yeshua of Nazareth would have been little more than an ignorant hillbilly, while others say that because of the proximity of Sepphoris and Joppa, he could have been exposed to Greek and Roman culture from an early age. I chose the latter because it makes for a more interesting story. The historical life of Jesus, beyond a couple of references by Josephus, the Jewish historian of the first century, and the odd mention by Roman historians, is again mostly speculation. What we can know today of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is included in the four slim Gospels found in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. For those readers who know the Gospels (bear with me), you know that Matthew and Luke are the only two to mention Christ's birth, while Mark and John cover only the ministry part of Jesus' life. The wise men are mentioned only in one short passage in Matthew, and the shepherds are mentioned only in Luke. The slaughter of the innocents and the fleeing into Egypt are mentioned only in Matthew. In short, Jesus' infancy is a jumble, but the chronicle of his childhood is worse. Of the time from Jesus' birth to when he began his ministry in his thirties, the Bible gives us only one scene: Luke tells us of Jesus teaching in the Temple in Jerusalem at age twel ve. Other than that, we have a thirty-year hole in the life of the most influential human being to ever walk the face of the earth. With Lamb, in my own goofy way, I attempted to fill that hole in history, but again, I am not trying to present history as it might really have been, I'm simply telling stories. Some of the historical elements of Lamb are uncomfortable to work the modern mind around. The precocious sexuality comes to mind. That Maggie would have been betrothed by twelve and married by thirteen is almost certain from what we know of Jewish society in the first century, as are the facts that a Jewish boy of the time would have been learning his trade by age ten, would be betrothed at thirteen, and would be married by fourteen. Trying to create empathy for the adult roles of those whom we, today, would consider children, was of no small concern to me when I was writing that section of the book, but it may be the one section where the sexuality of the characters is not historically out of place. The average peasant in Galilee would have been lucky to live to the age of forty, so perhaps the children, by necessity, reached sexual maturity earlier than they would under less harsh conditions. Although there are, I'm sure, many historical inaccuracies and improbabilities in this book, the most blatant that I have knowingly indulged is in the section where Biff and Joshua visit Gaspar in the mountains of China. While Gautama Buddha did indeed live and teach some five hundred years before the birth of Christ, and while his teachings were widespread in India by the time our heroes could have made it to the East, Buddhism didn't make it into China for almost five hundred years after Christ's death. The martial arts would not be developed by Buddhist monks until after that, but to remain historically accurate, I would have had to leave out an important question that I felt needed to be addressed, which is, â€Å"What if Jesus had known kung fu?† The life of Gaspar, as described in Lamb (the nine years in the cave, etc.), is drawn from the legends of the life of the Buddhist patriarch Bodhidharma, the man who is said to have taken Buddhism to China around A.D. 500. Bodhidharma (or Daruma) is credited with the school of Buddhism that we know today as Zen. Buddhist legend does not mention Bodhidharma encountering a yeti, but they do have him cutting his eyelids off to avoid falling asleep and having them sprout into tea plants which later monks would brew to keep awake during meditation (which I left out), so I traded that story in on an abominable snowman and Biff's theory of natural selection. Seemed fair. Bodhidharma is also said to have invented and taught kung fu to the famous Shao Lin monks to condition them for the rigorous regimen of meditation he prescribed. Most of the details of the festival of Kali, including the sacrifices and mutilations, come from Joseph Campbell's Oriental Mythology, from his Masks of God series. Campbell cites eyewitness accounts of the bloody ritual from nineteenth-century British soldiers and states that even today over eight hundred goats are beheaded for the festival of Kali in Calcutta. (Anyone who had trouble with this passage, please write to Campbell in his current incarnation.) The cited verses from the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita are actual translations of those revered writings. The verses from the Kama Sutra are completely from my imagination, but you'll find weirder stuff in the actual book. Theologically, I made certain assumptions about who Jesus was, mainly that he was who the Gospels say he was. While I used the Gospels heavily for reference, and there are a couple of references to the Acts of the Apostles (specifically the giving of the gift of tongues, without which Biff could not have told the story in modern American idiom), I tried not to draw on the rest of the New Testament, specifically the letters of Paul, Peter, James, and John, as well as Revelations, all written years after the Crucifixion (as were the Gospels). These missives eventually went on to define Christianity, but no matter what you may think of them, you have to agree that Jesus would not have been aware of them, or the events in them, or certainly the consequences of their teaching, so they had no place in this story. Joshua and Biff, as Jewish boys, would, however, have been familiar with the books of the Old Testament, the first five of which made up the base of their faith, the Torah, and th e rest which were referred to by people of the time as Prophets and Writings, so I referred to these when I felt it was appropriate. As I understand it, however, the Talmud and most of the Midrash (illustrative stories explaining the law of God) had not yet been formulated and agreed upon, so they were not used as a reference for Lamb. From the Gnostic Gospels (a set of manuscripts found at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945, but which actually may have been written earlier than the canonized Gospels) I've drawn only slightly on the Gospel of Thomas, a book of Christ's sayings, because it fit well with the Buddhist point of view (many of the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas are also found in Mark). The other Gnostic Gospels were either too fragmentary, or frankly, just plain creepy (the Infancy Gospel of Thomas describes Jesus, at age six, using his supernatural powers to murder a group of children because they tease him. Sort of Carrie Goes to Nazareth. Even I had to pass.) Lamb is peppered throughout with biblical references, both real and made-up (i.e., Biff quotes liberally from nonexistent books of the Bible such as Dalmatians, Excretions, and Amphibians). My editor and I discussed the merit of footnoting these references and decided that footnotes would detract from the flow of the story. The problem arises, however, that if the reader knows the Bible well enough to recognize the real references, there's a good chance that he or she has decided not to read this book. Our final decision – well, my final decision, my editor wasn't really consulted on this because he might have said no – was to advise those who are not familiar with the Bible to find someone who is, sit them down, read them the passages in question, then say, â€Å"That one real? How 'bout that one?† If you don't know someone who is familiar with the Bible, just wait, someone will come to your door eventually. Keep extra copies of Lamb on hand so they can take one with them. Another problem with telling a story that has been told so many times is that people are looking for elements with which they are familiar. Although I've glossed over many events that are chronicled in the Gospels, there are numerous elements which many people think are there, which simply are not. One is that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. She's always portrayed that way in movies, but it doesn't ever say that she is in the Bible. She is mentioned by name eleven times in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Luke, Mark). Most references to her talk about her preparation for the burial of Jesus, and then being the first witness of his resurrection. It also says that Jesus cured her of evil spirits. No whore references, period. There are â€Å"Marys† without surnames all over the Gospels, and some of them, I suspect, may refer to the Magdalene, specifically the Mary who, soon before his death, anoints Jesus' feet with expensive ointment and wipes them with her hair, certainly one of the most tender moments in the Gospels and the primary basis for my rendering of Maggie's character. We know from letters that many of the leaders of the early church were women, but in first-century Israel, a woman who struck out on her own without a husband was not only considered uppity, but was very likely referred to as a harlot (as was a woman who was divorced). That could be where the myth originated. Another Gospel misassumption is that the three wise men were kings, or, in fact, that there were even three of them. We make that assumption because there are three gifts given to the Christ child. Their names are never mentioned. The names Balthasar, Gaspar, and Melchior come to us from Christian tradition written hundreds of years after the time of Christ. We assume that Joseph of Nazareth, Jesus' stepfather, dies before the Crucifixion, yet it is never stated in the Gospels. He just may not have been involved. We make assumptions based on what we have been fed over the years at Christmas pageants and passion plays, but often, although inspired by faith, that material is little more than what you have just read: the product of someone's imagination. The Gospels do not agree on the order of the events that happen during the ministry, from Jesus' baptism by John to the Crucifixion, so I arranged events from all the Gospels in what seemed a logical, chronological order, while adding t hose elements that allow Biff's participation in the story. There are, of course, elements of the Gospels which I left out in the interest of brevity, but you can always find them in the Gospels if you want. My sending Joshua and Biff to the East was motivated purely by story, not by basis in the Gospel or historical evidence. While there are indeed astounding similarities between the teachings of Jesus and those of Buddha (not to mention those of Lao-tzu, Confucius, and the Hindu religion, all which seem to have included some version of the Golden Rule), it's more likely that these stem from what I believe to be logical and moral conclusions that any person in search of what is right would come to, e.g.: that the preferable way to treat one another is with love and kindness; that pursuit of material gain is ultimately empty when measured against eternity; and that somehow, as human beings, we are all connected spiritually. While historians and theologians don't completely rule out the possibility that Christ may have traveled to the East, they seem to agree that he could have formulated the teachings we find in the Gospels with no more influence than the rabbinical teachings in Galilee and Judea. But what fun would that have been? Finally, this story was set in a dire time, a deadly serious time, and the world of the first-century Jew under the rule of the Romans would not have been one that easily inspired mirth. It's more than a small anachronism that I portray Joshua having and making fun, yet somehow, I like to think that while he carried out his sacred mission, Jesus of Nazareth might have enjoyed a sense of irony and the company of a wisecracking buddy. This story is not and never was meant to challenge anyone's faith; however, if one's faith can be shaken by stories in a humorous novel, one may have a bit more praying to do. My thanks to the many people who helped in the research and writing of this book, especially those who were generous enough to share their beliefs without judgment or condemnation. Many thanks to Neil Levy, Mark Joseph, Professor William â€Å"Sundog† Bersley, Ray Sanders, and John â€Å"The Heretic† Campbell for their advice on religion, philosophy, and history. To Charlee Rodgers for putting up with the fits, starts, whining, and hubris of the process, as well as to Dee Dee Leichtfuss for readings and comments. Special thanks to Orly Elbaz, who was my tour guide through Israel and who showed infinite patience in answering my nitpicky historical questions. Also to my agent, Nick Ellison, and my editor, Tom Dupree, for their patience, tolerance, and advice. Christopher Moore BIG SUR, CALIFORNIA NOVEMBER 2000

intro to ecommerce essays

intro to ecommerce essays In the broadest sense, electronic commerce (e-commerce), is the buying and selling of products and services over the Internet. It has included the handling of purchase transactions and funds transfers over computer networks. According to the Forrester Research Study "Sizing Intercompany Commerce," total U.S business-to-business Internet trade in 1998 is $7.7 billion, compared to a total global e-commerce of $21.8 billion, dramatically increasing from $2.5 billion in 1997. By the year 2002, according to the report, there will be $328 billion worth of e-commerce. Electronic commerce is the ability to perform transactions involving the exchange or use of goods or services between two or more parties using electronic tools and techniques Some main technologies have made e-commerce viable - WWW, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and E-mail. EDI is the inter-organisational, computer-to-computer exchange of business documentation in a standard, machine-processable format. EFT was designed to optimise electronic payments with electronically provided remittance information. Electronic commerce provides the capability of buying and selling products and information via telephone lines, computer networks, and other electronic means. The Internet, the largest network of computer networks, is the medium usually favoured for electronic commerce because it allows an organisation to cut service costs while increasing the speed of service delivery. Electronic commerce is considered a primary means by which organisations may expand rapidly into high growth emerging markets of the world. This is possible because, firstly as trans-national companies become skilled in their use of the Internet, they will be able to pursue global electronic commerce more efficiently, saving important advertising, communication, and administrative costs. Secondly, the Internet can increase responsiveness by notifying individual cu...

Grammar Tips Subjectâ€Verb Agreement - Proofread My Paper

Grammar Tips Subject–Verb Agreement - Proofread My Paper Grammar Tips: Subject–Verb Agreement An important part of writing a grammatical sentence is making sure that the subject and verb in a sentence agree. In the following, well take a look at some of the basics. The Basics of Subject–Verb Agreement In the present tense, subject–verb agreement requires using singular verbs with singular subjects and plural verbs with plural subjects. In this context, the â€Å"subject† is the person or thing in the sentence performing the action, while the verb is the action being performed: Singular Subject Present Tense Singular Verb The bird†¦ †¦sings. Plural Subject Present Tense Plural Verb The birds†¦ †¦sing. In the simple past tense, though, there’s usually no difference between singular and plural verbs: Singular Subject Past Tense Verb The bird†¦ †¦sang. Plural Subject Past Tense Verb The birds†¦ †¦sang. Songbirds themselves care little for grammar.(Photo: Georg_Wietschorke) Compound Subjects Subject–verb agreement becomes more complicated when using a compound subject. When two subjects are joined with the coordinating conjunction â€Å"and,† we always use a plural verb: Bob and Cheryl are going to the game. However, when using â€Å"either/or† or â€Å"neither/nor† in a compound subject, whether to use a singular or plural verb depends on the term nearest to the verb: Singular: Either the girls or the boy is going to the game. Plural: Neither the boy nor the girls are going to the game. In the above, we use the singular â€Å"is† when the singular noun â€Å"boy† comes after â€Å"or,† but the plural verb â€Å"are† when the plural noun â€Å"girls† comes after the conjunction. Parenthetical Statements One common mistake with subject–verb agreement occurs when a parenthetical statement appears between the subject and the verb: The man, in the company of his dog, goes for a walk. Here, we use the singular verb â€Å"goes† because the bit of the dog is mentioned within a parenthetical clause (i.e., within commas), not as part of the subject of the sentence. If we rephrased this so that the dog was part of a compound subject, we would use the plural verb â€Å"go† instead: The man and his dog go for a walk. But when an additional person or thing is mentioned in parentheses or within commas, the verb should always agree with the subject that appears outside of the parenthetical clause. A man trying to explain parenthetical statements to his dog.(Photo: ToNic-Pics) Collective and Mass Nouns Another potential confusion relates to the use of collective nouns. In American English, these require using a singular verb despite referring to a group of things: The team is playing to win! Here, we use â€Å"is† because â€Å"team† is singular. Mass (or â€Å"non-count†) nouns are similar, since they take singular verbs despite referring to a mass substance (e.g., â€Å"milk† or â€Å"sand†): The milk is going sour. Here, it doesn’t matter how much milk we’re discussing: we’d always use the singular â€Å"is.† Some Exceptions As usual in English, there are exceptions to the rules above. The first-person â€Å"I† and the singular second-person â€Å"you,† for example, reverse the usual rules in the present tense (e.g., we say â€Å"I sing† not â€Å"I sings,† even though â€Å"I† is singular and â€Å"sing† is usually a plural verb). Auxiliary (or â€Å"helper†) verbs (e.g., â€Å"is†/â€Å"are† or â€Å"has†/â€Å"have†) also cause trouble, since they often change depending on whether the subject is singular or plural when using a past participle (e.g., â€Å"The boy has finished his homework† vs. â€Å"The boys have finished their homework†). And since the rules do vary depending on how a sentence is constructed, it pays to be careful with subject–verb agreement! Having your work proofread is a good idea if you’re not confident about this aspect of grammar.

Growth of Urgent Care Centers

Growth of Urgent Care Centers Abstract The need for urgent care in the current health care system is irresistible. Various reasons have been cited to be the cause of increased demand for urgent care centers including crowded hospital emergency departments, insufficient clinicians to provide primary care as well as the rising health care cost.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Growth of Urgent Care Centers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Most importantly, the inefficiencies and long queues in hospital emergency departments have been the main drivers for increased consumer demand for urgent care centers. Essentially, urgent care units have been perceived by the populace as critical in improving accessibility to immediate medical services at affordable costs. In fact, urgent care centers make available walk-in care for simple ailments due to minor infections and injuries that need immediate attention. However, urgent care centers do not nece ssarily deal with complex emergency cases. In most cases, urgent care centers offer treatments and care ranging from simple injuries and illnesses to most complex treatments including blood transfusion and X-rays though not life threatening. Actually, urgent care centers are not equipped to handle life threatening emergency cases. Introduction The current health care system in US is struggling with the problem of over stretched hospital emergency department capacity, limited clinicians to provide primary care as well as constant increase in health care cost (Petterson, 2012). As such, urgent care centers have come out as an option to the increasing health problems that need immediate attention. Essentially, urgent care units have been perceived by the populace as critical in improving accessibility to immediate medical services at affordable costs (Landen, 2013).Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper wit h 15% OFF Learn More Besides, the growth in urgent care centers in the recent past indicates the consumer increased demand for immediate medical services. In fact, urgent care centers offer medical services for minor illnesses and injuries that need pressing consideration. However, the centers are not fully equipped to handle complicated emergencies. Studies indicate mixed data on the impact of urgent care centers on health care. However, the rising optimism among the health professionals and the public indicate positive effects in terms of costs and accessibility to medical services (Fields Dorren, 2013). In most cases, urgent care centers have contributed to reduced visits and long queues in hospital emergency departments. Other studies directly link urgent care centers to increased accessibility and reduced health care costs. Moreover, most studies indicate that the growth of urgent care centers is driven by consumer demand. While the growth in urgent care center s is seen as disruptive to the health care coordination in some quarters, proponents argue that the concerns may be overstated given the fact that urgent care centers put much emphasis on intervallic and uncomplicated health conditions instead of chronic and multifaceted cases (Japsen, 2013). The future growth potential of urgent care centers is bright given the expansion of heath care coverage under the health care reforms. The expansion of health coverage would lead to increased pressure on both primary and emergency care living room for the growth and expansion of urgent care centers. Background of the Study The popularity of urgent care centers cannot be ignored due to their simplicity in people management and range of services they offer to patients. According to Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA), over three million Americans are visiting the urgent care centers weekly.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Growth of Urgent Care Centers spe cifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, urgent care centers are offering treatments and care ranging from simple injuries and illnesses to most complex treatments that do not need complicated equipments (McQueen, 2011). However, urgent care centers are not provided with complicated equipments to handle severe cases including multifaceted surgeries. Essentially, urgent care centers do not have appropriate equipments to offer multifaceted medical services. The increasing numbers of urgent care centers correspond to rising demand for efficiency in offering emergency services. Health data indicate that urgent care centers have increased by over twenty percent since the year 2008. The reasons for rapid growth and development of urgent care centers range from efficiency in services delivery to reduced costs. Generally, most of the clients visit urgent cares centers to avoid long queues, which normally characterize emergency rooms in major hospital s and care providers (Weinick, Burns Mehrotra, 2014). Besides, the growth of urgent care centers is expected to continue given the expected expansion of health coverage (Betancourt Weinick, 2007). Essentially, the cause and effects of urgent care centers on health care provision has been sparingly understood. Moreover, the appropriate promotional strategies that lead to increased patients in urgent care units need to be determined. The need for more information on urgent care centers necessitates the study. Even though urgent care centers are increasingly becoming popular, most of the specialists in the field tend to be worry of their increasing attractiveness. In particular, physicians argue that the increasing trend in growth of urgent care centers may cause deficiency in the coordination of health care provision (Turner, 2013). However, proponents argue that the concerns may be overstated given the fact that urgent care centers put much emphasis on intervallic and uncomplicated health conditions instead of chronic and multifaceted cases.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Problem Statement The need for urgent care centers are continuously increasing given the problems current health care system in US is facing. In fact, current health care system is struggling with the problem of over stretched hospital emergency department capacity, inadequate health professionals as well as steady rise in health care cost (Yee, Lechner Boukus, 2013). Moreover, most of the consumers are struggling with cost constraints and inefficiencies in major emergency departments. As such, urgent care centers have come out as an option to the increasing health problems that need instantaneous awareness. In other words, consumers have perceived urgent care units as alternative to improved accessibility to affordable immediate medical services. Besides, the growth in urgent care centers in the recent past indicates the consumer increased demand for immediate medical services. As indicated, urgent care centers provide walk-in care for ailments and accidents that need immediate at tention though not necessarily complex injuries (Lowes, 2013). Besides, given the expansion of heath care coverage under the health care reforms, the need for urgent care centers will increase tremendously as major hospitals emergency departments will be more crowded (Fields Dorren, 2013). In other words, the expansion of health coverage would lead to increased pressure on both primary and emergency care. As such, urgent care centers will be needed to provide for excess capacity. Purpose of the Study The major aim of the study is to determine factors that contribute to the growth of urgent care centers. In other words, the main purpose of the study is to determine variables that result in increased growth in demand for urgent care centers particularly within the five boroughs of New York. Specifically, the study tends to determine whether efficiency in services delivery and reduced costs are major determinants in the increased growth and expansion of urgent care centers. Broadly, t he study tends to understand factors that contribute to the expansion of urgent care centers as well as the manner in which urgent care centers operate. Objectives Even though the major aim of the study is to determine factors that contribute to the growth and expansion of urgent care centers, the specific objectives of the study include To determine the number of patients visiting urgent care centers as well as physician to patients ratio To determine whether having many locations help in building urgent care center’s population growth To determine whether having a short wait time is a positive or negative aspect in urgent care center’s services provision To determine the results of City MD urgent care center in Manhattan, New York To determine whether having the motto â€Å"patient first† can hinder employees’ ability to serve each patient To determine the types of promotions that would cause increased growth of urgent care centers To determine employe es’ reactions to fast growing City MD urgent care centers Research Questions Upon completion of the study, the following questions will be answered How many patients report to urgent care centers and what is the physician to patient ratio? How does having many locations help in building the urgent care’s population growth? Can having a short wait time be a positive or negative aspect in patients’ services delivery at urgent care centers? What results have been seen since the opening of City MD urgent care center in Manhattan, New York? Is having the motto â€Å"patient first† hinder employees ability to serve each patient? What different kinds of promotions allow the potential growth of urgent care centers? What are the reactions of employees to fast growing City MD urgent care centers? Significance of the Study The study will be critical in understanding the dynamics and processes involved in the operations of urgent care centers. Moreover, the study will be useful in providing information on urgent care centers and the manner in which they differ from private practices and hospitals as well as emergency departments. Most importantly, the study will be useful in understanding the effectiveness of urgent care centers in terms of services delivery and costs. Besides, the study will provide insights on how urgent care centers works particularly through the application of business ideas. In addition, the study conclusion and recommendations will provide guidelines to the urgent care practitioners on how to improve their effectiveness in services delivery. In other words, the study findings will enable practitioners to implement urgent care effectively by preparing a framework for the strategy. As such, this research will assist organizations that operate urgent care centers particularly City MD to understand the manner in which urgent care centers operates and their importance in order to improve the clients’ satisfaction. St udy Limitations The research scope is limited to few selected participants or small sample size to make the results have reliable and valid conclusions. In addition, the study is limited to only one institution in which urgent care centers have been adopted. In other words, urgent care centers both private and institutional based need to be studied in order to come up with valid and reliable conclusion. As such, the study findings cannot suitably be adopted in cross-industrial applications due to this limitation. Besides, there are limitations in terms of finances, time, research materials and the study expatriates particularly where interviews techniques will be applied. Literature Review The Growth and Expansion of Urgent Care Centers Urgent care centers have proliferated and grown considerably in the last two decades. The rapid growth and development of the urgent care centers has been attributed to the inefficiencies in the primary care deliveries, crowded emergency departments and the need to for increased accessibility to immediate medical attention (Betancourt Weinick, 2007). Essentially, urgent care centers provide medical services based on walk-ins. Besides offering the medical services during the regular business hours, urgent care units offer their services during weekend and evenings (Betancourt Weinick, 2007). In most cases, urgent care centers offer medical services usually provided by primary care units ranging from flu to minor ear or eye infections. Contrary to hospital emergency departments, urgent care units are not fully equipped to deal with complex medical services situations. In terms of staffing, physicians with professional backgrounds in emergency medicine or primary care manage urgent care centers (Galewitz, 2012). Though urgent care centers emerged in early eighties, most of the practitioners lacked clear marketing strategy to attract the interest of consumers. However, demands for urgent care units have been increasing consistent ly as the need for increased accessibility and efficiency in emergency medical services increases (Japsen, 2013). Current studies linking primary care physicians and health care services delivery indicate deteriorating provision of health services particularly during the extended hours. The void is filled by urgent care centers prompting their rapid growth in the recent past (Landen, 2013). Before, urgent care centers were being managed and owned by independent private entities. However, increased growth and expansion of urgent care centers have led to large units being managed by big hospitals and chain of entities (Japsen, 2013). Moreover, hospital systems are expanding in urgent care systems to increase their services offerings. Besides, insurers have also embraced the low cost systems of urgent care centers thereby shifting some of the medical care from emergency departments to urgent care centers. Essentially, insurers believe that urgent care centers cost less compared with em ergency care departments (Weinick et al., 2014). Factors Influencing Location and Ownership of Urgent Care Centers Market dynamics is one of the major factors influencing the ownership and location of urgent care centers (O’Malley, 2013). Urgent care centers are likely to be located in populous areas particularly in metropolis with the presence of vehicles and human traffic. Besides, urgent care centers are also likely to be located in affluent environments particularly in sub-urban with large employed populace and employer-sponsored health coverage (Weinick et al., 2014). The reason for targeting large population is that urgent care centers are volume-driven model. In other words, urgent care centers need sufficient population to breakeven. According to the Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA), urgent care units whether independently owned or affiliated with hospitals are often found within the urban or suburban areas. The presence of urgent care units in these areas m irrors the greater need of health care delivery systems in these markets (McQueen, 2011). Factors Influencing the Growth of Urgent Care Centers The increasing numbers of urgent care centers corresponds to rising demand for services they offer. Health data indicate that urgent care centers have increased by over twenty percent since the year 2008. The reason for rapid growth and development of urgent care centers include increased efficiency in services delivery as well as reduced costs. Most clients visit urgent cares centers to avoid long queues, which normally characterize emergency rooms in major hospitals and care providers (Weinick et al., 2014). Another factor contributing to the growth of the urgent care centers include the ready funding particularly from the equity borrowers (Eng, 1997). Besides, the growth of urgent care centers is expected to continue in the next two years due expanded health coverage due to the implementation of affordable care act. The implementation of the act will enable health services be affordable to million Americans. Studies indicate majority of Americans have no regular doctors. As such, they opt for urgent care centers for immediate attention for simple ailments (Betancourt Weinick, 2007). The growth opportunities for urgent care centers have attracted funding particularly from equity borrowers that tend to be privy of risk taking (Eng, 1997). Essentially, affordability is one of the major factors that contribute to increased growth of urgent care centers. While prices might seem to be the same with hospitals emergency rooms, a visit to urgent care centers may save the patient two times less compared to visiting hospital emergency rooms (Mehrotra, 2009). Studies indicate that twenty percent of medical cases in hospital emergency rooms can be treated in urgent care centers. The effect in terms of cost saving is huge. In other words, treatments in urgent care centers would result in an estimated savings of over $4 billion a nnually. The low-cost strategy has prompted insurance providers to opt for urgent care centers in their provider networks. Moreover, most of the hospitals have added urgent care centers in their services due to increased consumer demand. Besides cost, the selling efficiency is another factor. In fact, most of the patients prefer efficient and affordable services. Efficient offering of services is a critical success factor in urgent care centers (Mehrotra, 2009). In fact, saving time is critical selling point in urgent care centers. For instance, in most of the urgent care centers admission and discharge within an hour remain a priority goal. In addition, patient waiting monitoring systems in urgent care centers ensure that patient does not take more than an hour in the waiting room. Research Methodology and Design Introduction The research study will be qualitative conducted to establish factors that contribute to the rapid growth of urgent care centers. The data will be collected f rom both primary and secondary sources. In other words, the study will utilize secondary data sources such as related journal articles from electronic database and library. However, the study will basically utilize primary data collected through interviews and surveys. The empirical data will be collected through the application of specified number of participants. In addition, the number of participants will be limited to 10 respondents that will be chosen through simple random sampling procedures. Design and Statistical Procedures As indicated, the study will primarily utilize the qualitative methods of data collection majorly surveys and interviews. The methods of data collection are chosen due to their effectiveness of reaching out to the respondents and the quality of the obtained data (Bazeley, 2002). Moreover, the data will be gathered from respondents selected through random sampling procedures. Besides, in terms of data analysis, integrated statistical analysis tools includ ing Microsoft office applications and statistical software will be applied (Patton, 2002). The analyzed data will be presented through the application of line graphs, tables as well as statistical bar charts. Further, the methods of data collection are chosen due to the reliability and validity of the obtained results (Bazeley, 2002). On the other hand, the study will utilize secondary data sources such as related journal articles from electronic database and library. The secondary information will be subjected to content analysis in order to provide an insight on the study subject. Sampling Procedures The study focuses on the contributing factors to the rapid growth of urgent care centers. Therefore, doctors working in urgent care centers, physicians and City MD urgent care center employees as well as patients are deemed viable for the study. However, only a small number of participants including five patients and five employees or staff will be selected through random sampling pro cedures (Trochim, 2006). In addition, other personal attributes including gender, age, experience and academic qualifications will also be taken into consideration. From the total number of patients and staff that may be sampled, just 10 participants from City MD will be selected via a technique dubbed as convenience simple random sampling strategy (Trochim, 2006). The interviews as well as a survey will be conducted to help in addressing the formulated research questions. Data Collection Procedures As one of the most important studies in health care system, the information will be collected through administering properly designed survey questionnaires as well as conducting well-structured in-depth interviews to unbiased selected participants (Patton, 2002). The soundly designed survey and interview questionnaires will be administered to 10 participants constituting five patients and five employees. Each part of the questionnaires will constitute key items that suitably attend to th e research questions. In addition, data collected through secondary sources will provide insight on the dynamics and operations of the urgent care centers. In other words, the study will utilize secondary data sources such as related journal articles from electronic database and library that will provide an insight on the study topic. Proposed Data Analysis To obtain the best correlation approximation values, the study quantitative data analysis will be carried out by utilizing the integrated Statistical Analysis Tool (WISAT). The quantitative data, which form the bulk of information, will be analyzed through the application of various techniques including statistical analytical software such as the SPSS to come up with measures such as percentages, frequency distribution and deviations to help in the understanding of the type of correlation between the variables (Patton, 2002). The techniques will be used to determine the research respondents’ proportions that chose various responses. The method will be applied for each group of items available in the questionnaire that ideally corresponds to the formulated research question and objectives. Line graphs, tables as well as statistical bar charts will be used to make sure that quantitative data analysis is simply comprehensible. Besides, the secondary data will be subjected to content analysis in order to provide an insight on the subject of study. References Bazeley, P. (2002). Computerised data analysis for mixed methods research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Betancourt, R. M. Weinick, R. M. (2007). No appointment needed the resurgence of urgent care centers in the United States. Oakland, CA: California HealthCare Foundation. Eng, S. (1997). Workplace diversity means commitment, persistence. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com.proxy.davenport.edu/docview/255503278?accountid=40195 Fields, G. Dorren, C. J. (2013). Doctor shortage: for the mentally ill, finding treatment grows harder. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com.proxy.davenport.edu/docview/1469987574/BAFAC864F0904305PQ/2?accountid=40195 Galewitz, P. (2012). Urgent care centers are booming, which worries some doctors. Retrieved from: kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2012/september/18/urgent-care-centers.aspx Japsen, B. (2013). A boom in urgent care centers as entitlement cuts loom. Retrieved from: forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2013/03/11/a-boom-in-urgent-care-centers-as-entitlement-cuts-loom/ Landen, R. (2013). Study says urgent-care centers filling void. Retrieved from modernhealthcare.com/article/20130711/MODERNPHYSICIAN/307119974# Lowes, R. (2013). Urgent care centers divert patients from PCPs, EDs alike. Retrieved from: medscape.com/viewarticle/807775 McQueen, M. P. (2011). Health costs: centers for urgent care. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com.proxy.davenport.edu/docview/858775249/4B4A842B0BE34061PQ/2?accountid=40195 Mehrotra, A. (2009). Comparing costs and quality of care at retail clinics with that of o ther medical settings for three common illnesses. Annals of Internal Medicine, 151(5), 87-95. O’Malley, A. S. (2013). After-hours access to primary care practices linked with lower emergency department use and less unmet medical need,† Health Affairs, 32(1), 231-237. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Petterson, S. M. (2012). Projecting U.S. primary care physician workforce needs 2010-2025. Annals of Family Medicine, 10(6), 201-209. Yee, T., Lechner, A. E., Boukus, E. R. (2013). The surge in urgent care centers: emergency department alternative or costly convenience? Retrieved from: hschange.com/CONTENT/1366/ Trochim, W. (2006). The research methods knowledge base. Cincinnati, OH: Atomic Dog Publishing. Turner, T. D. (2013). Theres no urgent in an urgent care. Retrieved from: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-07-17/news/ct-x-0717-trice-column-20130717_1_emergency-room-emergency-care-urgent-care-association W einick, R. M., Burns, R. M., Mehrotra, A. (2014). Many emergency department visits could be managed at urgent care centers and retail clinics. Health Affairs, 29(9), 344-351.

Human Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Systems - Essay Example Development of writing skills is an asset that can be used in my future undertakings. While a writing skill can be useful in the rank-and-file positions, it can be more helpful for one holding a position of leadership. I agree with the Lin Grensing 1988 report declaring that â€Å"one of the most important to productivity† is a writing skill (Hansen & Hansen, 2008, para. 5). And even as early as 1991, the U.S. Labor Department had already said that majority of jobs in the coming years would indeed need writing skills (Hansen & Hansen, 2008) and that includes the computer and information technology sector. Writing skill is necessary in many line of work. In some areas, it may even contribute to success in one's career. Its importance cannot be simply ignored because it is a mode by which we communicate with others and exchange ideas. Whether a person is in computer programming or software production, exchange of ideas with colleagues is indispensable. My discipline is primarily concerned with computers and the people using them. At first glance, it may seem that there is no need for someone involved in my discipline to have any skill in writing. As long as I can speak with the people using the computers, then that would be enough. ... There is a need to file them in the folder for archiving or reference at a future time. Some documents and reports have to be submitted to my immediate supervisor and the higher officers of the organisation. Other written documents are intended to be read by my peers. These written forms should be made in a formal manner and to do it, I must possess that skill in writing that conforms to a certain writing style. Moreover, there is a specific format in writing formal business documents. The document must also convey the message clearly. Corporate and business correspondences are intended to transfer critical or important information. And whatever message intended by the sender to be disseminated to the rest of the members of the organization, it must be understood as what the sender intended it to be. A faulty written document can relay a wrong impression or an erroneous interpretation. It can have a disastrous effect upon the business or the organisation as a whole. A writing skill t hen, is crucial to the internal operation of any business or company. In the same manner, when holding a higher position such as that of a manager, a skill in writing is also necessary. The manager has to write reports, letters, and messages for subordinates (Stiller, 2010). Such documents must be easily understandable by the intended recipient, otherwise, it will be consume unnecessary time for the readers to figure out what the author is trying to convey or what instructions are being relayed. If it is a safety instruction and has been misunderstood, an accident or injury can result. An example in my discipline that concerns computer and people working with it can be exemplified clearly in this simple scenario. There are several computer units

Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Investment - Essay Example 99.03 98.98 98.65 Technology SPDR (ETF) 34.82 34.58 34.69 34.66 34.58 SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust 180.94 178.94 179.73 179.75 180.53 GE 26.94 26.45 26.64 26.56 26.66 eBay 52.01 51.41 51.09 51.93 51.35 AAPL 560.02 567.9 565 566.32 551.23 Cimarex shrank in value from $98.65 per share on Monday to $95.95 by week’s end. But if the investment game had commenced at the recent low of $64.99 in June 28, capital gain would have been a very satisfying +47.6% before transaction charges and taxes. SPY (SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust) was moribund that week as market sentiment held back the ETF to trade between $178.94 and $180.94. Hence, devoting the lion’s share of the training investment in SPY did little good at all as the stock closed the week a measly 0.2% up for the week. Nonetheless, its beta of 0.92 at last count suggested that the ETF is not as volatile as the market as a whole. Apple is a long-term hold, beloved of institutional buyers and pension fund managers. The closing price of $ 560.68 when the simulation game ended on Friday, Dec. 6, corresponded to a market cap of $503.871 billion. This despite founder Steve Jobs having passed away in late 2011, two years now, and no seriously new breakthrough products in the same timespan (Thomson Reuters 1). Chairman/CEO Tim Cook is not the visionary that Steve Jobs was. Even as he languished in his deathbed, the latter had engineered a long-term run-up in the stock price with the cash cow iPod line, energized the world with the launch of the iPhone, and brought down the moribund desktop PC industry with the iPad tablet PC. Anyone holding the stock in late 2004 (the aforementioned pension funds that are loathe to sell AAPL) would have ridden the dizzying rise of the stock from $11.36 in February 2004 to $560.02 (a 48-fold gain) on the... The paper tells that during the gaming period in question, Apple and eBay did in fact record the best capital gains of 1.6% and 1.3%, respectively. Apple was once again on a roll this week. It approves that Apple is a long-term hold, beloved of institutional buyers and pension fund managers. The closing price of $560.68 when the simulation game ended on Friday, Dec. 6, corresponded to a market cap of $503.871 billion. This despite founder Steve Jobs having passed away in late 2011, two years now, and no seriously new breakthrough products in the same timespan. According to the paper at the end of week, loading the portfolio with SPY. GE, eBay and Cimarex turned out to be too conservative and defensive a strategy. In retrospect, SPY was too cautious in approximating the performance of the S&P 500. Though ETF’s have much lower expense ratios, no investment minimums, are taxed less and grant option and short-selling opportunities, the lesson learned is that minimizing risk with diversification works but rewards the patient investor over a long bull market. On the other hand, AAPL contributed tremendously to portfolio gains because management was clearly bent on continuing its 18-month run of unleashing quarterly dividends as never before in the last ten years. The object lesson: the intrinsic value of a market leader that has had a two-generation love affair with its upscale markets beats ETF’s and industrials when market sentiment is mixed, as it has been since mid-2007, the start of the Great Recession.

Computer Network Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Computer Network - Essay Example This would make the Wi- Fi more effective by ensuring it spreads wider field through structures and different obstructions. Organizations that profit from shopper information transfers are not excited about the thought. As indicated by the Washington Post, Verizon, Intel, AT&T, Cisco, and others have suggested that the range should be issued to organizations as opposed to being utilized in the FCCs proposed arrangement. "We imagine that the range would be most valuable to the bigger society and to broadband organization in the event that it were authorized," an Intel official says. At the same time, Google and Microsoft have have their own ideas regarding the proposition. These propositions include prompt advantage to clients, free national web access that would make a country own brilliant organized gadgets, "a huge number of gadgets that will make the advancing Internet out of things."(Lee, Yi, Chong, & Jin, 2014). Presently, the advocates of both Google and Microsoft are part of the Wireless Innovation Alliance, which is a care group for the FCCs drive.This incorporates Dell and the New America Foundation. Google stands out to be the beneficiary if more individuals begin using its administrations to browse the web over extensive free Wi-Fi systems, or make any telephone and future calls through free administrations like Google Voice or Google Hangouts. Google has suggested that free mass Wi-Fi would start a blast in development. It is obvious that this will open a door for greater budgets that will offer room for advertisements through pursuit or in other imaginative ways. Faster internet and Wi-Fi across the nation means that people will experience the best live shows on the web, through Google Hangouts, which could incorporate promotions across the nation through broadcasts over that the Internet using tablets and cell phones(Niyato & Hossain, 2007). A proposition

HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in Men Research Paper

HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in Men - Research Paper Example Seppa (2011) explains that though the virus was previously believed to infect women and not men, observations, in history, have indicated high rates of infection among men. This means that while the infection was previously ‘non-existent’ in men, or otherwise previously not detected in men, cases of viral infections have increasingly been reported among men to an extent that men are now equally vulnerable to the viral infection as women are. Further research has also proved that varieties of types of the HPV virus are sexually transmitted and hence the infection in men that occurs during contacts in sexual interactions. As a result, the viral infection in men is not a recent emergence, but has either been existed in history without being noticed, or has taken some time to rise from a zero prevalence rate to its current prevalence rate that equals the rate among women. The history of the relationship between HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in men has also been significantly reported with an increasing trend in men bellow fifty years of age. Marur et al. explains that the cancer has particularly been increasing among the category of men in the past years (2010). The authors particularly relate the cancer to â€Å"human papillomavirus 16 infection† (p. 781). ... Research developments that have revealed the extent of vulnerability of men with respect to Oropharyngeal cancer have also identified HPV as an increasingly developing risk factor towards Oropharyngeal cancer infections (D'Souza, G., & Dempsey, A. 2011). Statement of problem This paper seeks to discuss significant research and data that has been developed over HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in men with the aim of exploring HPV as a contemporary issue facing nurse practitioners and established relationship between HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in men. The paper will also research into the role of nurse practitioner with respect to HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in men. Literature review The general perception that has in the past existed that HPV infections are associated with women and not men is still felt as little research has been conducted to understand men’s opinions and knowledge over the infection. A research conducted by Brewer et al. indicated that a majority of men have not yet understood the relationship between HPV infections and cancer. In the research that sought to establish the perception among heterosexual men and homosexual men, the authors established that men are oblivious of the possible infections that are associated with HPV. Only about 40 percent of the respondents, for example, were aware that HPV could lead to genital warts. Similarly, less than a quarter of the respondents were aware that HPV could cause either anal cancer or oral cancer. There is therefore a high level of ignorance over the relationship between HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in men. Though a significant majority of the respondents associated sexual interactions with infections such as â€Å"genital warts and anal cancer,† they did not specifically identify the

Lies and Interpersonal Communication in Win, Win Movie Review

Lies and Interpersonal Communication in Win, Win - Movie Review Example Mike’s practice is â€Å"slow† and does not earn him enough income. He is having a tough time paying the bills, which is made obvious when he refuses to call someone to take care of the dead tree in front of their property that is threatening to fall on their house. The plumbing and the heating system in his office need repair badly. His back-up system is malfunctioning and he refuses to call an IT person because it would cost money. He wants to shield his wife, Jackie, and their daughters, Abby and Stella, from the problem. Whether by accident or by choice, Mike ends up concocting a series of lies that landed him with more responsibilities and troubles. This paper will assess whether the consequences of Mike’s lies actually justify his decisions. It is said that lies are often treated â€Å"as the most efficient solution to interpersonal communication problems† (Camden, Motley, & Wilson, 1984, p.309). Deception is usually considered as the right thing to do in circumstances when one desires to avoid conflict, avoid distress, and protect one’s self and/or livelihood, among other acceptable reasons (Levine, Kim, & Hamel, 2010, p.273). These three reasons can be seen in the film â€Å"Win, Win† as Mike tries to protect his family from enduring the problems he is currently facing. First, Mike tries to avoid conflict by not telling Jackie that he became Leo’s guardian. This is to hide from her the fact that he took guardianship for the $1508.00 monthly commission. He also tries to avoid conflict by not informing anyone that he deceptively placed Leo in a nursing home despite the old man’s desire to stay in his own house. He even openly lied to Leo by telling him that it was the judge’s decision to place Leo in a nursing home for some time. Second, Mike tries to avoid distress by not telling Jackie about his real financial status. He hides from her the fact that he cannot call someone to cut down the tre e because he is worried about paying for labor. He tries to tell Jackie that he will cut down the tree with the help of his friend, Terry, but Jackie does not agree with him because she does not know the reason for this. Third, Mike tries to protect himself and his livelihood by telling the judge that he can keep Leo in his home. He lies to the state and the court by saying that he can do a better job in ensuring that Leo’s will is implemented more properly if he will be the guardian instead of the state. These lies are high stake lies because they hold severe consequences (Camden, Motley, & Wilson, 1984, p.309) for Mike and the people he lied to. To compare, low stake lies are simple lies that usually do not affect the people involved (Camden, Motley, & Wilson, 1984, p.310). For example, lying about a favorite color is a low stake lie. On the other hand, high stake lies affect the people involved in a big way (Camden, Motley, & Wilson, 1984, p.309). This is the case for Mike ’s lies. Had he not lied to avoid conflict and distress, the normally calm household he has might be impacted negatively. Mike would also have been pressured to keep Leo in his home, which technically defeats the purpose for why he volunteered to be Leo’s guardian in the first place. Obviously, keeping Leo in his home would cost not only more money but also more time from Leo. Furthermore, had Mike not lied to protect himself and his livelihood, he would have gone through more inner turmoil in thinking about how to continue his practice. The effects of Mike’s lies leak through his non-verbal communication. As a viewer, one could immediately sense through his actions that he is trying to control the situation that his lies created. A good example is in how Mike’

HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in Men Research Paper

HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in Men - Research Paper Example Seppa (2011) explains that though the virus was previously believed to infect women and not men, observations, in history, have indicated high rates of infection among men. This means that while the infection was previously ‘non-existent’ in men, or otherwise previously not detected in men, cases of viral infections have increasingly been reported among men to an extent that men are now equally vulnerable to the viral infection as women are. Further research has also proved that varieties of types of the HPV virus are sexually transmitted and hence the infection in men that occurs during contacts in sexual interactions. As a result, the viral infection in men is not a recent emergence, but has either been existed in history without being noticed, or has taken some time to rise from a zero prevalence rate to its current prevalence rate that equals the rate among women. The history of the relationship between HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in men has also been significantly reported with an increasing trend in men bellow fifty years of age. Marur et al. explains that the cancer has particularly been increasing among the category of men in the past years (2010). The authors particularly relate the cancer to â€Å"human papillomavirus 16 infection† (p. 781). ... Research developments that have revealed the extent of vulnerability of men with respect to Oropharyngeal cancer have also identified HPV as an increasingly developing risk factor towards Oropharyngeal cancer infections (D'Souza, G., & Dempsey, A. 2011). Statement of problem This paper seeks to discuss significant research and data that has been developed over HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in men with the aim of exploring HPV as a contemporary issue facing nurse practitioners and established relationship between HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in men. The paper will also research into the role of nurse practitioner with respect to HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in men. Literature review The general perception that has in the past existed that HPV infections are associated with women and not men is still felt as little research has been conducted to understand men’s opinions and knowledge over the infection. A research conducted by Brewer et al. indicated that a majority of men have not yet understood the relationship between HPV infections and cancer. In the research that sought to establish the perception among heterosexual men and homosexual men, the authors established that men are oblivious of the possible infections that are associated with HPV. Only about 40 percent of the respondents, for example, were aware that HPV could lead to genital warts. Similarly, less than a quarter of the respondents were aware that HPV could cause either anal cancer or oral cancer. There is therefore a high level of ignorance over the relationship between HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer in men. Though a significant majority of the respondents associated sexual interactions with infections such as â€Å"genital warts and anal cancer,† they did not specifically identify the

Main Reasons why Humans Remain Earthbound Essay

Main Reasons why Humans Remain Earthbound - Essay Example As such, as science has grown and developed throughout the years, one of the primal questions that have been born from this original question of the solitary nature of life within the universe is a better understanding and more complete explanation of the universe in which we dwell. For this reason as well as for many others, scientists have long sought to find ways in which to explore the bounds of the neighborhood in which the Earth and the Milky Way galaxy ultimately reside. The extant problem that is illustrated though is the fact that there are a number of constraints that provide an ultimate barrier to humans traveling to other solar systems throughout our galaxy. As such, this brief analysis will consider the key issues that constrain mankind to inter solar system travel (and a limited amount of that). Furthermore, by analyzing each of several different viewpoints for how exploration within and without of our own galaxy might seek to take place, as well as analyzing the key we aknesses inherent in each, it is the hope of this author that the reader might be able to come to a better understanding of just what is preventing us from further exploring and/or colonizing other regions of the universe. The first of these is the fact that the distances that must be traveled are so vast as to be nearly incomprehensible. As a function of this understanding, the reader should come to an appreciation of the fact that distance within the universe is calculated not in miles or kilometers but rather in light years; i.e. the distance covered by a beam of light during the period of a year’s time. To understand just how vast such a distance is, one must understand that the actual speed of light is something approaching 300,000,000 meters per second. As such, the reader can begin to comprehend the actual distance that a single light year actually represents. Furthermore, due to the fact that the nearest star to our own Sun is that of Alpha Centuri, one might assume t hat it would be most reasonable to visit this one as a means of further exploring our universe and understanding the many nuances that exist within it. However, the fact of the matter is that although Alpha Centuri is the closest star, besides our own Sun, it is nonetheless 4.2 light years away (Corley, 2012). This distance provides a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to the current technology that exists. For instance, scientists and researchers in the Russian Federation have been performing extensive rounds of testing on how a manned mission to Mars would affect the health of the crew members. This has been done by isolating a crew of several individuals and putting them in a replicative environment that would simulate the same stresses, both physical and psychological, that such a mission would necessarily engender. Although the trip to and from Mars would take a little under a year’s time, the strain and pressures of sustaining life aboard an unnatural environment for suc h an extended period of time present a whole array of challenges which are but a brief understanding of the means that such pressures would be realized should a longer voyage be undertaken (Landau & Strange, 2011). Although an understanding of the means by which our universe has come into existence, continues to expand, and will ultimately experience a heat death, the science and technology governing astrophysics and space exploration has advanced greatly since the first manned trip into space. However, surprisingly, one aspect of technology that has not developed at all is with

Nation and Imperialism Essay Example for Free

Nation and Imperialism Essay Imperialism was a very effective form of empowerment over weaker nations for early Britain and other European countries. They dominated and fought over whole continents and countries, arguing over who had conquered more land. There were many reasons why the European’s wanted to imperialize unindustrialized nations such as natural resources. This also made a big impact on said nations, positive and negative. Going on that state of mind, the long term effects of imperialism showed for decades after it really being assumed not an imperialistic state anymore. Some of the reasons the Europeans’ sought out to imperialism is because of social Darwinism, raw materials and natural resources, and prestige. Social Darwinism, the theory of survival of the fittest, was their justification for conquering weaker countries, if the country could fend off invaders then it shall be considered conquered. Raw materials and natural resources were of big importance to the Europeans. Diamonds and other precious assets that could not be found in Europe were found in the countries and could be used for trade, making the economy better. Prestige was also a major influence for imperialistic Europe. If one country had more than another then that country had to conquer more. It was all like a big game to the Europeans, until the natives of the country fought back. Then it was all a strategically thought out counter attack. The impact this made on the conquered was quite noticeable and apparent; both good and bad. A positive effect is the Europeans built them roads, canals, and railways. Showed them the telegraph, newspaper, established schools for them, gave them the blessing of their civilization, and overall made them economized. They were part of modern culture after this occurred. There were new crops; tools and farming methods, which helped increase food production. These changes meant less death to smaller colonies, and overall improve the state of living. A negative effect is the people of the dominated nations were put to work as cheap labor. They had no freedom, had to do what the mother country said since it has so much towering power over them, they were exploited and were taken advantage of. As a result, there were long term effects. The most obvious one would be the formation of nationalism. Imperialism essentially created nationalism. People of different countries under imperialism were  united because of single governmental system, one national language, development of roads, rails, common defense systems, and an unified education system; thus, making people more aware of their identity and rights; eventually leading to independence of their governing countries. The era of imperialism gave birth to new modern world. Aside from their own languages, people of different nations under imperialism also learned the language of the imperialists and started go to diverse places and establishing new links through learning and education of their conquerors. So in conclusion, imperialism had many advantages and disadvantages making it very successful for all involved. The Europeans had reasons and means to imperialize nations, made impacts, and then long term effects which in turn made each country either thrive or perish. The other nations gained economic, social, and political wealth.

Market Research into the London Zoo

Market Research into the London Zoo The London zoo Introduction The London zoo was very good before but now it is facing problems because visitor number is reducing very much. The government planned to deal with this situation either by closing the zoo or supporting it more with money and other things so that it can continue. Recently, they held a meeting and decided that it is good to do a research so that the zoo can be made to be more profitable in the future. The manager of the zoo decided to tell a college student to do a market research so that they can know what the visitors are thinking about the zoo and what the visitors want. Now, there are many awareness issues about zoo and about animals and some people are asking why they are keeping animals in zoo and not in the wildlife. This is a difficult question for the managers of zoo to keep. But the zoo still is attracting many visitors from other country and from local. So we want to talk about the questionnaire which they used for the zoo research. The questionnaire is very important document if doing research and this can be done by anybody, but those who are doing questionnaire should follow the right process in making it so that the reason for the questionnaire can be known carefully. IT is a primary method of getting data from the source. Primary methods are good as you get first experience. There are other methods called secondary method where information is taken from what had already been made (Creswell, J. 2003: 219). Some things which they must consider when making a questionnaire is that (Struwig F., 2001: 89-90) The questions should be simple and easy to understand so that those who answer cannot find a problem with this. The questionnaire must be having just enough questions, not too much because, if too much, it is not good. The respondents of questionnaire are not having all time to answer. The one making questionnaire should say why he is making it, what is purpose and who need to use it. This gives assurance to those who answer so that they know what is to be done. The questionnaire also, must have closed questions which make the one who answer not struggle to think about answer, if it does not have close questions, then it is difficult sometime to think about the answer. The question to be given must be very appropriate for the topic, for example in case of London zoo; they have to ask not about politics but about the zoo. This is very important to have relevant information. It is also good to use simple language which everyone can understand and to create common understanding so that people not struggle to answer it. Compare This questionnaire of London zoo was made to help find problems facing the London zoo and to use it for making future plans that can solve the problems. But if we look at the progress, it is seen that this questionnaire has some difference with what is best method. Like This questionnaire does not tell the respondents about their confidential needs. It should say that all information given will be used carefully for the benefit of London zoo. It is very long. The problem is that it is very long and so it is not good. Most respondents will be visitors who want to see animals and when they sit down, they want to relax not to fill questionnaire, he should. For all these questions the visitors will just rush and rush and not do anything good. The questionnaire also is using rating method. This is not as per best practice because it needs that question to be different that so that the respondents are able to know how to do the rating. In some areas of this questionnaire, the language used was not average and may make people to struggle to answer. Strengths and the weaknesses of the London zoo questionnaire This questionnaire it has some areas which are good and some which are not good. The strengths and weaknesses are in this table. Strengths It got many questions and likely to answer many answers that is wanted by the manager. It has rating method so at analysis stage, this can be done quickly. It asks many relevant questions about the zoo and about animals. Weaknesses It is very long, with more than 30 questions which make it very time consuming. No objectives are given in the questionnaire. Some questions are not clear, like questions 19a, b, and c about commitment. This is not clear. This questionnaire is of bad layout and the way question is arranged it will not be very effective. How Else to gather data Instead of using this questionnaire, the company could use the face to face interview method in this case the one who is looking for answers could go and ask people at the zoo to say what they thing about the situation at the zoo and what can be done to solve the situation. The interview method of data collection has following strengths and weaknesses Strengths of interview a. At interview, the people can be more willing to take part because they are just answering what they think b. The person asking question only need one paper for questions instead of maybe 1000 and this can be cheap for the process c. At interview, people can be told to explain more about what they think is the situation of the zoo and so more information is taken from them. Weaknesses of interview Interview may not give anyone chance to think about the situation so they can just answer anything they want which is no good. Interviews also, time consuming because it does need to stand and wait for all answers before going to the next person. It may need many people and can be expensive if all them must be paid salary. The best For dealing with the London zoo situation, the best type of method is to use the Interview, this will require a few volunteer to be trained and told to go to field and ask questions. It will not only meet those at the restaurant or those relaxing, but anyone can answer. For this method to be successful, some questions to be moved and also when asking questions, the interviewers can clarify to the respondent so that they get it clearly. 2. IP matrix: its work and what changes be made to 99 matrix (Slack N., 2007: pg 76-78) IP matrix is to help in making good importance performance decision, about managing the company or organisations. It show a grid of 99 where we see importance and performance on one side and the other. The importance area is the area where there is need an action is taken. It this areas that we have to act. Performance also, is important. In different zones of IP matrix, there is different urgency for performance. Some action is immediately to taken and others are not. The IP matrix also, makes company or organisations know what it needs to remove from the list. Like anything excess is not want now and should removed complete. Changes to IP matrix The 99 matrix is not to be used all situations. It can not give all the good answers need in all situation. It needs changes. The 99 matrix show different points in the graph. Some point is of need urgent action. There is need to be done fast. But others not so much do need action urgently. The IP matrix for putting London zoo is to be very big. The 9z9 cannot used to put all the information. IN this London zoo, is there many overall figures and all is used so we have to be very careful. The other change is about this grid. We just need to use line to draw and say all factors in one region is ok the other factor in another region is need changes. This is shown in region A and region B. Items of Region A they need urgent action priority and those of B are moderate. Use IP matrix IP matrix is a tool for managers to make decisions about running the company. They see on the matrix that there are some things that need urgent action and some things which do not. The managers use the matrix to decide how to approach the future so that they are in a good position to develop the organisations. IP matrix can also be used as a first stage to doing a statistical evaluation like in using a method like Correlation and Hypothesis testing which are other methods which can be used. Action graph (appendix area) Other methods which can be used apart from the IP matrix are; According to (Freeman D., 2007), there are other methods which may be used to develop and solve this problem apart from IP matrix. Correlation: it is about testing if there is a relationship between to things for example in the case of London zoo, they may want to test if the facilities at the zoo, discourage the number of visitors. It is important to know what one or two factors affect the others. Hypothesis testing: In this method the work is to make a conclusion that is not confirmed then to try and confirm the conclusion which has been made. Hypothesis can be Null or alternates. These could be used instead of IP matrix Advantages of Correlation It is a method that can be use to explain the relationship between two variables, like A and B. It helps to know exactly which thing to deal with so that resources are not wasted like if variable A is the cause of Bs problem, the there is no need to deal with B, ,we just deal with A and save resources. Disadvantages It requires many calculations with a difficult formulae and this may be tiring the researcher. This method may not tell us what to do, it is just indicative and cannot be taken as it is. Hypothesis testing Advantages -It gives the researcher the fake destination or objective so the researcher is having a guide on where to go. -It usually good for difficult situations like it can check the expected results versus the observed using what are called Chi square analysis. Disadvantages; -This method is difficult to use became it has many stages of using. -This method does not specify what answer is or the problem. This method depends on the unconfirmed conclusion to be made and this can be a problem if there is no hypothesis. My improvement to this matrix If I make a matrix, I could suggest that the IP matrix be changed in some ways. My improvement to this matrix is from some number of things like 1. Use a design of only four boxes like a table. Not nine sections but only 4. This is easy to use and also the things can be put easily in 4 sections than in 9 sections. 2. Picking only few items which are very important from the ratings so that the iP is made with a few information than too many information which can be confusion. 3. The questionnaire below is given as the alternative to the one which was made by MBA student for London zoo. There are some best practices points which have been giving in this questionnaire, these are; a. They questionnaire is not long. It is just a enough number of questions b. The writer tries to use simple language so that those who are going to answer the questionnaire will find it simple to answer. c. We try to put in the open ended questions so that it can be easy for the people to just tick the right answers. d. This also assure of confidentiality of the respondents who will answer. Conclusion London zoo should try and find the real reason for all the problems it is facing. There are other external reasons for which nothing is can be done. But in the internal place, they should see that processes and cleanliness is maintained. They can also use TV advertisement during when time of festival is about to come then to bring more people to the zoo. This will bring more customers and bring money and will make the zoo to improve very much. This questionnaire made, can be used to find the main reasons why there is problem at the zoo. They can use the information to improvement by the management. References Creswell., J. (2003) Resaerch desing: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach. SAGE. 2nd Edn. Freeman D., (2007) Statistical models. Theory. Cambridge. Pg,.6 Slack N., (2007) Operations management. Pearson. 5th Edition. Struwig F., (2001) Planning, designing and reporting research. Pearson South Africa. Pg 89-90