Internet and Books Essay

In today’s modern world, technology has a great influence on our life and time. Back in the early 19th century, when electronic devices had not been invented, the population could only use printed word such as books, posters, newspapers or magazines, to gather information. Later, in the mid 20th century, the use of computers, televisions and radios helped people to know about the incidents happening all around the world, more easily. Now, in the 21st century, the creation of internet and other devices to access it has helped us to attain gigabytes of information, just with the click of our mouse. The internet has made it possible for us to acquire answers for almost all of the questions that we ask, and has alleviated the access to information to almost every topic imaginable. Firstly, internet helps to save time and effort. All you need to do is type in your question and click SEARCH. It can give an answer to almost every question type in, and it is usually very quick, speedy and fast. On the other hand, using books or other printed texts can waste time, as you need to find the appropriate book and then search for the information you need from it. For example, while searching for a book in the library, you waste time trying to reach there, and even more time trying to find the book you need. Despite this, time is also lost when you try to find the information that is useful to you from the book. Whereas the internet acts as a filter that sieves out all the data you need, in a span of seconds. However it can be argued that using electronic devices can cause distractions and disturbances. Using the internet can divert your attention to some other unrelated site and will cause you to waste time. For instance, you may login to facebook or twitter, or check your mail instead of researching and using the time well. On the contrary, you cannot be easily distracted in a library where silence is preferred, and is filled with people who want to work. But if the internet is used properly, and if the person has a self control over himself the internet has more advantages comparing to printed texts. So in short internet can be a time-saver only if used wisely. Alternatively, the internet can sometimes provide us with unreliable information. It is like a blank page in which people are allowed to post whatever they want, and sometimes even the wrong information. As exemplified by blogs, in which anyone can post their opinions and views on a topic, the internet can be a source of unreliable and inaccurate information as it contains the judgement of different individuals and not the actual facts. On the contrary, printed texts can be a great source of reliable information. Books are written by experienced authors who have researched well about the topic themselves before publishing it. A library can assure you that the book in your hand is dependable and trustworthy. In spite of being unreliable, internet can provide us with up-to-date data. It offers information on the most recent discoveries and inventions, the latest cars or other products and about the contemporary incidents and happenings all around the world. However once a book is published, any recent findings cannot be added to it. There are always new developments in the field of health, science, technology and politics that the library simply cannot keep up with. Therefore, the internet can provide us with the latest news about our modern day developments and can be dependable only if used properly by checking the sources of a particular website. Thirdly, glaring at a screen for a long period of time can cause various eye and back problems. Computer vision syndromes like eye strain and cataracts are caused by glaring at the computer screen for prolonged periods. Millions develop a condition called ‘dry eye’, resulting in gritty, itchy, inflamed eyes, due to staring at the screen for hours. The light from computer screens can cause drastic problems to your eyes, and sometimes even partial blindness. Unlike computer screens, books can be very easy to read as they are just words printed on paper. However there are many solutions to prevent the damage caused to eyes by computer screens. Screen filters can be bought to reduce the amount of light radiation hitting our eyes. There are also many softwares that can transfer the information audibly or with the help of videos, and do not require data to be read. Regular breaks, and turning away from the screen constantly can also help in avoiding eye and back problems. Usually, there is an option to zoom in, which enables people to read easily. Unlike computers, books cannot be zoomed in, when the letters are too small to be visible, causing eye problems as well. So the problems caused by glaring at computer screens or reading the small printed texts in books, can be reduced by taking regular breaks and exercises, as anything in excess is not good for our health. Moreover, a lot of paper is wasted in the creation of books and magazines. Deforestation, being one of the greatest threats that humans are facing today, is increased by the production of paper in books. A few sheets of paper could be worth one tree. Hence the number of trees is reducing day by day. Obviously, trees are vital for our living as they are the natural producers of food. Deforestation not only causes scarcity of food and other resources, but also results in the rise of the earth’s temperature, causing global warming. In contrast to books, modern technology like mobile phones, computers or tablets does not harm the environment to a very great extent. In the case of computers the energy used is electricity, which is renewable and can be created again and again. The internet is a huge database, and more information can be adjoined into it, very easily. However books are created from sheets of paper, and if the number of books increase, then the level of deforestation can increase correspondingly. To reduce the destruction of the earth’s forests by deforestation, paper should be recycled and not wasted. Instead it is much easier to use the help of modern technology that functions with the help of renewable energy, which does not have a great impact on nature. Therefore modern electronics has made it possible to overcome a huge problem to the environment. In conclusion, modern technology has many positive uses; it has made the world a smaller place by allowing us to contact individuals all around the world, many electronic devices are very cheap making it affordable to all and has also allowed people to find out about the news and incidents happening all around the world. But every good has some bad, and the extensive use of technology can be harmful to our health. I strongly believe that modern technology has been very helpful and useful to the human population. It has eased our access to information in very sustainable manner, and has connected the world together.

Paraphrase Sample

Unit II Assessment Question 2 Ramesh Punna Columbia Southern University Original Passage Large-Scale Complex IT Systems (Ian Sommerville, Dave Cliff, Radu Calinescu,Justin Keen, Tim Kelly , Marta Kwiatkowska,John McDermid, and Richard Paige): Complexity stems from the number and type of relationships between the system’s components and between the system and its environment. If a relatively small number of relationships exist between system components and they change relatively slowly over time, then engineers can develop deterministic models of the system and make predictions concerning its properties.However, when the elements in a system involve many dynamic relationships, complexity is inevitable. Complex systems are nondeterministic, and system characteristics cannot be predicted by analyzing the systems constituents. Such characteristics emerge when the whole system is put to use and changes over time, depending how it is used and on the state of its external environment . Dynamic relationships include those between system elements and the system’s environment that change.For example, a trust relationship is a dynamic relationship; initially, component A might not trust component B, so, following some interchange, A checks that B has performed as expected. Over time, these checks may be reduced in scope as A’s trust in B increases. However, some failure in B may profoundly influence that trust, and, after the failure, even more stringent checks might be introduced. Complexity stemming from the dynamic relationships between elements in a system depends on the existence and nature of these relationships.Engineers cannot analyze this inherent complexity during system development, as it depends on the systems dynamic operating environment. Coalitions of systems in which elements are large software systems are always inherently complex. The relationships between the elements of the coalition change because they are not independent of how th e systems are used or of the nature of their operating environments. Consequently, the nonfunctional (often even the functional) behavior of coalitions of systems is emergent and impossible to predict completely.Paraphrase for above passage: Minimizing the relationships among the entities in large scale system reduces the complexity. Complex systems are not very scalable and would be huge effort when we need to do any changes over time. Relationships should be changing depending on their performances over the life cycle of application to be more robust and granular. Dependency between the software systems must be identified in design phase to make a large scale system and failure to do this process would result in unstable and fragile software system.

Music Appreciation Essay

Sound – any sensation that is perceived by the aural senses. – Physically, sound is vibrational, mechanical energy that moves through matter (usually air) as a wave. The Hearing Process – Vibration, resonation, transmission, reception, interpretation, music appears. Pitch – relative highness or lowness of a sound, speed of vibration. Tone – a sound that has a definite pitch. Interval – the distance in pitch between any two tones, ex: half step. Accent – emphasis on a certain tone. Tone Color/Timbre – quality of sound that distinguishes on instrument or voice from another. – timbre contrast, one instrument vs. another. Dynamics- Associated Terms – Degrees of loudness or soften in music: Pianissimo (pp) – very soft Piano (p) – soft Mezzopiano (mp) – moderately soft Mezzoforte (mf) – moderately loud Forte (f) – loud Fortissimo (ff) – very loud Crescendo – gradually get louder Decrescendo – gradually get softer Chordophones – make their sound when a stretched string vibrates. – there is usually something they makes the sound reverberate such as the body of a guitar or violin. – the strings are set into motion by either plucking, strumming or by rubbing with a bow. Membranophones – Any musical instrument that produces sound primarily by the way of a vibrating stretched membrane. Ex: timpani Roto toms non-pitched drums snare drum (S. Dr.) tenor drum (T. Dr.) field drum (F. Dr.) bass drum (B. Dr.) Tom-Toms Bongos Timbales (Timb.) Conga Drums Tambourine Idiophones – Ex: Marima Crotales Steel Drums Cymbals (cym.) Suspended Symbol Hi-Hat Finger Symbols Triangle (trgl.) Anvil (anv.) Cowbells Tam-Tam (t.t) and other Gongs Sleigh Bells (sl.b.) Bell Tree (bl.t.) Brake Drum (br. dr.) Thunder sheet (th. sh.) Rachet (rach) Wood Blocks (w.bl.) Temple Blocks (t.bl.) Claves (clav.) Castanets (cast.) Maracas (mrcs.) Guiro Whip (wh) Aerophones – any musical instrument that produce sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate. 1st class: where the vibrating is not contained in the instrument itself. Ex: Harmonica 2nd class: where vibrating air is contained by the instrument. Ex: Flute Identify Basic String Instruments – Violin Viola Cello Double Bass Renaissance Lute/Music Dulcimer The Koto-Koto Music The Sitar Identify Basic (Wood)Wind Instruments – Piccolo Flute Clarinet Bass clarinet Oboe English horn Bassoon Identify Basic Percussion Instruments – Timpani Xylophone Snare drum Bass drum Cymbais Identify Basic Keyboard Instruments – Piano Pipe organ Harpsichord Notation/Identify Basic Symbols Staff/Identify Lines and Spaces Time Signature Meter-7,6,5,4,3,2 Downbeat Tied vs dotted rhythms Syncopation Tempo Metronome Arpeggio Half-Step Whole-Step Texture Polyphony Monophonic Homophonic Heterophonic Counterpoint Key Major vs minor vs chromatic scales Key Signature Modulation/Key Change Chord/Progression Harmony Consonance Dissonance Dominant Chord Tonic Chord Sub Dominant Chord Musical Form/Ternary/Binary Phrase/Antecedent/Consequent Cadence Melody/Theme Must Be Prepared to Write Scales and A Chord Progression I –IV-V-I on the staff. Be prepared to insert the Minor chord. Four flats or sharps is the max. . Must be prepared to identify musical instruments and the families they belong to.

Unit7 dsc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit7 dsc - Essay Example It is to be remembered that for paraphrased material, there is no need to include page or paragraph numbers. Among the best ways of integrating sources into one’s writing is by using signal phrase. Signal phrases are mainly used to mark the borders between the writer’s words and the source material. The use of signal phrases should not leave the readers guessing why a quotation has been used in the paper. After a signal phrase has been used, it is also important to follow it up with exploiting discussions or interpretive remarks so as to provide the link with the papers argument. A good example of how to integrate sources into writing is given here. â€Å"Its a good idea to embed a quotation--especially a long one--between sentences of your own.† (Diana 2005). The other way is Diana (2005) stated that â€Å"Its a good idea to embed a quotation--especially a long one--between sentences of your own† (p. 98). Whenever there is a quotation of less than 40 words, it is necessary to enclose the text in double quotation marks. Additionally, â€Å"quotations containing more than 40 words are indented in a block format without quotation marks† (APA, 2010, p.

Registered nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Registered nursing - Essay Example RNs are responsible for teaching patients or family members on how to take care of post-treatment home care, diet and exercise programs, and self-administration of medication and physical therapy and at times grief counseling as well. (Occupational Outlook Handbook) 1 Registered nurses also team up with doctors in the performance of treatments, tests and examinations, the administration of medications, and the provision of direct patient care in convalescence and rehabilitation. (Mayo School of Health Sciences) 2 RNs also provide direct patient care, they observe, asses, and record symptoms, reactions, and progress, which provides the basis for care planning and intervention. Registered nurses work in various settings from patient care and case management to establishing nursing practice standards, developing quality assurance procedures, directing complex nursing care systems, conducting clinical research, teaching in nursing programs, legal nursing as well as practicing in many other stimulating settings. (Explore health careers) 3 RNs can also specialize in one or more patient care specialties separated by work setting type of treatment; disease, ailment, or condition; organ or body system type; or population. They may specialize by becoming ambulatory care nurses, critical care nurses, emergency, or trauma, nurses, home health care nurses, hospice and palliative care nurses, medical-surgical nurses, perianesthesia nurses, perioperative nurses, radiologic nurses, psychiatric nurses, etc. the list is endless. Aspiring nurses must graduate from an approved nursing program and pass a national licensing examination, the NCLEX-RN, in order to get a nursing license. After this there are different means of becoming an RN. The first method is a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing (BSN); these programs are offered by colleges and universities and require four years of study. The second

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 4

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Motivation of employees is another aspect of HR which the HR manager needs to ensure in order to keep them happy and working. There are various ways of motivation. The organisation can reward their performing employees or give them a promotion. Or even a simple gesture of communication is very helpful in making them motivated towards their job. The employees need to feel that the organisation values and respects them. This in turn will make the employees motivated and dedicated towards their company. ANSWER 3 Training and development forms an important aspect for an employee. When an employee joins the organisation, he is she needs to undergo an initial round of training in order to understand the job role and responsibilities. Thereafter during their work life they have to undergo several training modules to further improvise on their job skills. When an employee realises that their organisation is spending a lot for them in order to develop their skills at workplace, it gives them a sense of importance in the company. They feel that the organisation considers them important and need their support in order to grow. The moment this feeling arises within an employee, he or she will automatically try to give more to the organisation. This feeling of belongingness cannot just come by all of a sudden. The realisation has to be made by the company to their employees. Normally catering to employees problems or ensuring his or her well being can really motivate the employees but this is just a small apart. On a bigger scenario, training and development of the employee is a major factor in boosting their morale. In order to understand the question at hand, we must create a corporate scenario where a training... It is a very important part of human resource as it is concerned with bringing in manpower into the company. It also helps in the growth and development of the organisation. One of the important aspect is training and development. Once a person joins an organisation, he or she needs to undergo an initial training period which helps him or her to understand the job role and the responsibilities. Generally when an employee joins, he or she under goes an induction period where in he or she is made acquainted with the work environment, the organisation culture, etc. the next phase is the training period. the training can be on the job or off the job. The main idea behind collective bargaining is to settle a dispute between an employee and the management in the best possible way without any kind of biasness. Collective bargaining and unionization have two main benefits. The moment this feeling arises within an employee, he or she will automatically try to give more to the organisation. This feeling of belongingness cannot just come by all of a sudden. The realisation has to be made by the company to their employees. Normally catering to employees problems or ensuring his or her well being can really motivate the employees but this is just a small apart. On a bigger scenario, training and development of the employee is a major factor in boosting their morale. Collective bargaining and unionization has been used in many cases across the world. The management and the labourer’s representatives sit and discuss their issues and try to come to common agreement where both of them are happy and satisfied.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Seethetwoarticleslistedattheendofthisdocument.Basedonthematerialcoveredinthemicroeconomicsclass,provideaneconomicanalysisofthepolicyscenariogiven below - Essay Example This may include External Price Referencing element in it. In some countries like Germany, they allow free pricing of patented drugs but use the policy of External Price Referencing in reimbursements. It is not the same in Netherlands which sets a cap on the price of medicines considered to be of therapeutic value. It must be noted that not all types of drugs are subjected to this policy of External Price Referencing. There different guidelines in different countries that are used when using the policy. The drug m market follows the rules of demand and supply just like other products. The only difference comes in regulatory protection and approval and also on the role played by the demand side. (Mossialos, et al, 2004). This varies with different countries for they have different rules and regulations that guide the policy being undertaken on pharmaceutical products. Also the value of a particular pharmaceutical product is determined by factors such as the amount the consumers are willing to pay for the product. This varies in different countries based on availability, accessibility, importance of the drug and other factors like the government policies and controls. The manufacturer and those importing set their own pricing which affects the price of the drug. This varies in different countries which have different tariffs on imported goods. Others factors are differences on costs of procurement and even price discrimination by the suppliers of patented drugs on those countries with a factory producing generic drugs. (Olcay and Laing, 2005). The incomes of individual consumers and national, degree of competition in the public and private sector, the system of health capacity and the public policy in different countries. Those countries that are developing public health cost account for the second largest government expenditure after staffing cost. (World Bank

Bionic Men and Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bionic Men and Women - Essay Example Mechanical enhancements have already been accepted by the society with simple aids like glasses and contact lenses employed to aid the eyesight of individuals. Complex mechanical enhancements are also being witnessed, with prosthetic limbs, hearing aids among others being incorporated into the human body through implants. Machines, which include ventilators, incubators among others, clearly show the extent at which technology has advanced. These technological developments come with ethical responsibilities with question arising just how far a human being should enhance their body with technology. The society should also consider how dependant it will become on technology, and how money should be allocated for the purpose of technological therapies. Mechanical prosthetics Generations ago, it would have been inconceivable that it will be a possibility for a human being to incorporate mechanical implants into their body functions. The modern society, however, has accepted the idea of te chnology being employed to aid with the functions of the human anatomy. This comes in the form of use of prosthetic limbs in place of natural missing ones, hearing aids, pacemakers to rectify heart problems and numerous other applications. Earlier versions of implants were mostly inert, but this is not the case with modern ones. Some implants being used currently perform complex and intricate functions in the human body. This comes because of the incorporation of different disciplines that include biology, electronic and mechanics. This resulted in the improvement of devices universally referred to as biomechatronics (Herzfeld 2009). Current devices of this nature are created in such a way that they are directly connected with the psychological together, with or separately, with the neurological functions of the body. This makes their incorporation seamless and appears as part of the human body as compared to the earlier versions of mechanical aids. This is mainly attributed to the developments and research evident this field. To get a clear picture at the direction where the field of prosthetics is heading one should consider the recent developments being realized in the development of the prosthetic hand. The scientists at the prestigious John Hopkins’ department of applied physics, in 2006, made a breakthrough after being able to harness the signals that originate from the brain in order to facilitate movement of the fingers of a prosthetic hand. They also went further by being able to facilitate the sensing of temperature differences. Sensors in place relating to flexible force have the ability to detect the amount of force that the prosthetic hand is applying on objects. The communication of the sensors was facilitated by the patient’s skin, while others were incorporated into the muscle of the patient. These developments are remarkable though the scientists are still trying to achieve the ultimate goal of wiring these sensors into the centr al nervous system. The recent developments in the prosthetic limbs have made them more efficient than the tradition mechanical limbs, in that, the limbs are now enabled to grasp objects as a response to muscle stimuli. This, however, has a downside since the skin, which is crucial for the role of sensing, is bulky and has a range of movement that is limited (Herzfeld 2009). Other Biomechatronic Devices However, other

The Success and Challenges of Ryanairs Operations and Marketing Essay

The Success and Challenges of Ryanairs Operations and Marketing Strategies - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the technology which is used by Ryan Air is one of the key factor successes because it saves check-in time and also helps to reduce check-in staff costs. Through this process, a company can maximize its profits. Effective resource planning and redesigning its operations are also the success factors. The company maintains low fare as it is generally operated short distance trips. This policy attracts fare-conscious customers who have to travel frequently. The demand is increasing and the travelers are motivated as they are getting the best value for money air services. The company carries out point to point operations on a regular basis which helps to eliminate the requirement of frills services. This point to point operation eliminates extra cost and travelers can get direct routes and non-stop services which cannot be provided by the long route airlines services. Units costs are also reduced as the aircraft are utilized more. As the rou tes are direct so it helps to reduce operating costs and further expenses. It targets to reduce aircraft equipment costs. They have generally used the single type of air crafts but later they upgraded it by using the new model of aircraft for stiff competition in the market and also for environmental rules and regulations. So this competitive mentality is another key factor of success as well as they are thinking about the society at large and agreed with corporate social responsibility. The company has the core competence which is nothing but a set of technology and skills. Through this core competence, the company enables to achieve a particular benefit which they also can provide to its customers.

Organizational Behavior - Leading and Motivating Iranian Employees Essay

Organizational Behavior - Leading and Motivating Iranian Employees - Essay Example Rial has depreciated significantly hence first raw materials are more expensive to purchase and the customers expect no changes in price and quality of final products. If you charge them more they will go to your competitors. If you don’t charge them more for your expenses, you will not earn your overheads and the company will go bankrupt. Beside sanction there are internal and external factors that affect Dorna Company and its employees. This paper will discuss why money in Iran is the most important incentive and motivator for workers, if there are any other factors that motivate an Iranian worker and how can we lead them in order to achieve organizational goals. Salary is one of the main factors that motivate employees’ performance in an organization. While in other countries like Switzerland, employees tend to also care for other criteria in a job aside from money - vacations (Keller) and days-of etc.higher positions (Staff), etc - for Iranian employees it with easy to get motivated once salary is raised or rewarded by more money as a bonus or commission. But imagine if this system goes on each time a manager wants to motivate his employees or encourage them to do a task. Dorna is a printing company, which has been running for 35 years. Dorna became one of the most famous and reliable printing companies in Tehran and its success was derived from two main factors. First the use of up-to-date high technology equipment imported from Germany, plus the well trained team of staff who was sent to Europe to get their education and certificates in the printing field. These last years because of sanction (Denis Balibouse) and limitations in importing and exporting, the company faced some new problems. Workers are not motivated anymore. The first raw material for printing machines is not available as before, therefore the company is unable to perform a routine. The prices are not as cheap as the period before the sanctions since the Iranian Rial has depreciated

Smoking Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Smoking Marijuana - Essay Example Marijuana can be consumed either by smoking or oral administration. The drug can be smoked in the form of a simple paper wrapped joint or through different devices like bongs and chillums. The contents of Cannabis can also be vaporized, wherein a gas is produced without actually burning the drug. This method of consumption is considered less harmful than direct smoking as the vaporized gas contains lesser concentration of toxic substances. Studies conducted have revealed that subjects were "only 40% as likely to report respiratory symptoms as users who do not vaporize, even when age, sex, cigarette use, and amount of cannabis consumed are controlled" (Abrams et al 572). The alternate way is to consume marijuana orally in its dehydrated or heated form. Occasionally, it might be taken in combination with other drugs or with alcohol or tobacco. This coupling increases the toxicity and potency of marijuana. Studies have revealed that nearly four percent of the world's adult population (162 million) use cannabis annually and 0.6 percent (22.5 million) daily (UNODC). There has been a rampant increase in the use of marijuana ever since the 20th century. Contrary to popular belief, marijuana is not extensively used by teenagers. A study conducted by the National Institute of Drug Abuse proved that aforesaid fact. The results demonstrate that fewer than one in five high school going teenagers were marijuana users (NIDA) Marijuana- Brief History Marijuana has been used since ancient times. Its history dates back to the third millennium BC. Seeds of the plant Cannabis have been excavated from sites of several ancient civilizations. The drug was used commonly in ancient India and Nepal, where it was known as ganjika or ganja. It is mentioned in the Vedas as a sacred hallucinogenic, and was one of the five spiritual plants in Indian mythology (Rudgley 102). The Chinese used to cultivate cannabis to obtain hemp fibres and also for food. The use of Cannabis is also found among ancient Aryans, Assyrians, Scythians and Thracians. It is also believed that shamans burnt the leaves of the plant cannabis to induce a state of trance (Cunliffe 405). Besides these medicinal purposes, marijuana was also used for spiritual and religious practices. Scythians observed religious ceremonies where marijuana was consumed. The Scythians also used marijuana as offering in royal tombs. It was, in fact, the Scythians who introduced hemp into northern Europe around 500 BC. Historians also believe that it was used by ancient Jews, Christians and Muslims. Thus, through the course of history, marijuana has been used for multiple purposes. The long period from the third millennium BC to the present times has experienced the spread of marijuana around the globe. With the widespread popularity also came the discovery of its possible side effects. It was largely used by many musicians especially jazz artists, for they believed that smoking marijuana gave them transcendence and the inspiration to create music. Its use was glamorised and it was sold in the black market. As its abuse increased greatly, many countries were forced to declare it an illicit drug. Marijuana was made federally illegal in the United States America in 1937 by the Marihuana Tax Act. It was classified as a Schedule I drug, which implies that it was classified a

Cars Versus motorcycles Essay Example for Free

Cars Versus motorcycles Essay In the united states many people buy cars and motorcycles. Some people prefer driving cars rather than motorcycles. Both are very popular types of transportation these days. Cars and motorcycles have many differences in their cost, convenience ,safety, comfort and maintenance. The first difference between cars and motorcycles are the cost. For example, people need to pay a lot of money if they want to buy or lease a car. However, motorcycles are cheaper to rent or buy. Also, cars are more convenient than motorcycles. For instance, cars can transport many people but motorcycles do not do it. Also, cars have air condition and people can listen music while they drive. Other, advantages have a car is another person can drive for someone when he is drunk. Motorcycles are most popular in young people because is most exciting, easy to parking and avoids traffic. The second important difference is safety. For example, cars have seat beats and air bags can protect the drivers. However ,in motorcycles, people only can use helmet, so drivers are fragile. Also, cars have a cage most protectors in case of accident than motorcycles. Although, the car insurance is the most expensive than motorcycles it covers all damage. Also, people in motorcycle need to use sunglasses for protect their eyes. In case of terrible accident people in motorcycle died, so cars are most safety. Other essential differences are comfort and maintenance .Motorcycles do not have comfort because seats are very awkward. However ,cars have soft seats and if it is raining people will not get wet. When people need to change oil and tires, it is very expensive. Also, cars are most difficult to repair and use a lot of gas. However ,motorcycles are too easy repair because do not have a big motor. Motorcycles are not difficult to maintain. In conclusion ,cars and motorcycles are very different in their cost, convenience, safety, comfort and maintenance. A lot of people buy cars or motorcycles, it is a very common type of transportation .Each person buys a vehicle that they like for their features.

Money Is The Biggest Motivator Commerce Essay

Money Is The Biggest Motivator Commerce Essay Money is the biggest motivator of people at the workplace. Most people are motivated by money. According to Alison Griffiths, journalist of Metro Canada, survey showed that 53 percent of Baby Boomers in Canada did want to earn more money while 32 percent of them did plan to open a own business after retirement to earn more money too. Besides that, Reuters (2012) also stated that 31.4 percent of Americans aged from 65 to 69 were still working in year 2010, compared to year 1990 with a lower percentage which is 21 percent. These showed that Baby Boomers value money as an important motivation factor. For example, A Generation X employee tells a Boomer manager that he had been working too hard and request for taking an off for family vacation. Instead of saying thanks, the Boomer replies, I work to get ahead, to get a promotion, not for a vacation. The Boomer manager then gave the employee a bonus, rather than a vacation (Hammill, G., 2005). In contrast, Generation X seek a work-life bal ance where they will take less money if they are given opportunity to work lesser hours and have time off to spend with family or take a vacation. For them, money act as an incentive or reward but it does not add value to the job. Whilst, Boomers are attracted to position and even more money rather than placing value on vacation time or flex time. According to Mcshane (2010), Generation X and Generation Y employees expect a more egalitarian workplace. For them, money is an important factor but it is not a standalone. A study by Accenture consulting firm found that 50% of middle managers were interested in new job that provide benefits such as more time off rather than more pay (Williams, R., 2010) Thus, money is very important to employees for number of reasons. I firmly believe that money is the major and biggest motivator at the workplace. Some of the motivation theory model also explains the importance of money as a major motivator factor such as Maslows Needs Hierarchy Theory, E RG Theory, Equity Theory and etc. 2.0 Content Maslows needs hierarchy theory According to Maslow, the most basic needs on the needs hierarchy had to be satisfied before the next level of needs emerge (Mcshane, 2010). Maslow stated that individual needs are arranged in a hierarchy from the lower level to the higher level of needs. It classified individual needs into 5 levels which is physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness needs, esteem needs and self-actualization. Money which is a basic needs for survival, as stated by Maslow, it is very important as money can get shelter, food, clothing, water and other necessaries of life to satisfy individual basic physical needs such as physiological and security needs. As a matter of fact, worker is motivated to work in the organization to receive economic rewards to meet his basic needs. Whilst, the organization helps an individual to satisfy their basic needs by providing good salaries, benefits and good working condition. Besides that, the most general theoretical explanation for moneys importance is the fac t that it is useful for obtaining many other things that we want and wish for because of its symbolic value (Davis, K. and Newstrom, J. W., 2002). Thus, money or pay did satisfy individual drives and needs. Company and organization such as Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Tesco, Kelloggs, Siemens motivates its workers by providing these basic needs wherever they create job (McShane, 2010). Furthermore, money or pay is frequently used as a standard used for comparison for social status and personal accomplishment (Davis, K. and Newstrom, J. W., 2002). In addition, money or pay can help an individual to acquire a higher level on Maslows motivational needs hierarchy, including social esteem and self-actualization (Davis, K. and Newstrom, J. W., 2002). For instance, money can carve the path towards social recognition, making it possible for early retirement, a good education for ones children as well as free time for enjoyment. For example, a manager motivate his worker by raises his worke rs pay because the worker had done a good job. The worker felt he was respected and rewarded as well as more security and was highly pleased with this recognition (Davis, K. and Newstrom, J. W., 2002). Hence, money or pay did affect ones self-esteem as well as self-respect. ERG Theory In ERG theory, needs affect an individuals behavior as described by Maslow. Alderfers ERG theory reorganizes Maslows five groups into three which is existence, relatedness, and growth (McShane, 2010). Existence needs are the same as physiological and safety needs as Maslow. Relatedness needs are the same as belongingness needs as Maslow. Growth needs are the same as self-esteem and self-actualization needs. Unlike Maslow, which only explained how people progress up the hierarchy, ERG theory also describes how people regress down the hierarchy when fail to fulfills a higher needs (McShane, 2010). In another word, Alderfer suggested that more than one needs may be operative at the same time. Likewise, assume that a nurse who is seeking a promotion because the promotion will raise her pay. This promotion will promote her to a head nurse position would help meeting the nurses needs for growth as well. After a prolonged wait, she learned that she was dropped from further consideration. Sh e becomes frustrated, disappointed, and concerned about her future. Her supervisor and her co-workers talk with her assuring her that other opportunities will occur and her value to other co-workers is immeasurable. After few days of feeling frustrated, she redirected her need for the promotion to the relatedness category and seems to enjoy her work and her colleagues. Furthermore, Alderfer also suggested that the failure to satisfy relatedness or growth needs will cause renewed interest in existence needs. For instance, this might increase the desire for more money or for better working condition. Likewise, money or pay which is the factor of existence needs. It drives people to go to work for survival. Individual at the existence level who is given the opportunity to earn additional $100 will be more motivated compare to someone earning $100,000 per year. This can be explained with McClellands theory which low achiever view monetary reward as an end in itself while high achiever v iew monetary reward as symbol of success or achievement and feedback about job performance. In contrast, the importance of money or pay is indeed a strong motivator. It ensures an individual primary needs to be met as well as providing security and personal growth and development as the worker is assign to perform more responsibility on the job. Other than achievement, money can be use to buy affiliation and power. For example, people can use money to buy their way into expensive clubs as well as giving them the capacity to influence others such as through political contributions. Furthermore, money or pay is classified as a hygiene factors in Frederick Herzbergs motivator-hygiene theory. Herzberg suggested that manager first must improve the hygienic conditions of work before trying to increase motivation. Negative hygienic conditions distract employees because they are necessary for building a foundation on which to maintain a reasonable level of motivation in employees. Therefore , the role of money or pay must not be ignored. Expectancy Theory According to Victor Vrooms Expectancy theory, the theory stated that work effort is directed toward behaviors that people believe will lead to desired outcomes. That is, people are motivated to achieve the goals with the highest expected payoff. For example, a person may be a high-performing employee because he believes that this will lead to a merit increase in pay. This means that an employee must want more pay or money which is valence, must believe that effort will be successful in producing desired performance which is expectancy, and must trust that the monetary reward will follow better performance which is instrumentality. Most employees do respond to money as a reward. For instance, a person may prefer a 10 percent merit increase rather than transfer to a new department. Thus, money often has high valence. Likewise, pay or money also plays a larger role in applicants job choices. That is, a level of pay must be met before an individual will even consider accepting a job offe r. Company that offer starting salary or pay below the market range will not even being considered by the applicant. In another word, money can attract employee as well as retaining the employee such as offering high salaries and increased variable pay. Equity Theory In equity theory, the equity principle infers that people should be paid in proportion to their contribution. The theory posits that individuals evaluate the fairness of their pay by comparing their own ratio of inputs and outcomes to the input and output of other person such as close coworkers, workers in other companies, or the employees past work history. In addition, the theory predicts that an individual who perceives his raise to be inequitable is likely to change his behavior in several ways like expressing dissatisfaction to his supervisor, working harder to get a bigger raise next year, working less to bring her inputs in line with his perceived outcomes, or even quit the job in disgust. Hence, money or pay level clearly becomes important as an outcomes perceived by the employees in exchange for their services. For instance, it will affect employee behaviors if it is cut. As such, employees are on high alert and sensitive for every time employers make pay changes. It reflect s differences in how the employees are regarded or value by the employer. In another word, employees react strongly to changes in pay. An example of employee reaction to underpayment inequity occurred in a manufacturing plant that the company cut 15 percent pay of all employees because some important contracts were canceled. The affected employees reacted by doubling their normal theft rate by stealing tools and supplies from the company. Turnover rate also increased from 5 percent to 23 percent. In particular, underreward seems to produce motivational tension with negative consequences. Hence, pay was a symbolic scorecard to employee that they are overreward, equity or underreward. 3.0 Recommendation Based on the above theory and facts, in emphasizing the importance of money as the biggest motivator, we are not saying that money is the only important motivator but money play a key role in motivating people especially among the low achiever. Indeed, it is clear that many other factors such as interesting work, participation in decision making, flexible working hour and etc are also important motivator to many people. However, in order for money to be the biggest motivator, pay or money has to be used in a way that would produce motivation such as incentives or bonuses that boost the morale of the workers by performing better performances. This is simply because money acts as a mechanism for rewarding and modifying behavior in industry. It is an extrinsic reward that encourages people to work harder, more energetically as well as motivate the employee to achieve higher level of performance. Furthermore, the effectiveness of money as a motivator depends on variety of individual and situational factors. Each individual has different perception, preferences, expectancy, and self-concept toward money. Thus, manager has to talk to their employees to understand and find out which needs or preferences a particular employee is seeking. 4.0 Conclusion In conclusion, we strongly believe that money is indeed the biggest motivator in the workplace. Based on the points and statements above, we can clearly see that money is indeed the important factor that motivates people at the workplace. Money is regarded as a very high reward for the individuals that have worked hard for it. It is also regarded as the highest form of reward for employees. The higher the pay grade, the higher the recognition they receive from their employers as well as from the working mates. Finally, we conclude that money is indeed the most important factor that motivates individuals at the work place. (2001 words) 5.0 References McShane, S.L. and Glinow, M.A.V. (2010) Organizational Behavior. 5th ed. New York: McGraw Hill. Luthans, F. (2008). Organizational Behavior. 11th ed. New York: McGraw Hill. Gibson, J.L., Ivancevich, J.M., Donnely, J.Jr. and Konopaske, R. (2003) Organizational Behavior Structure Processes. 11th ed. New York: McGraw Hill. Newstorm, J.W. and Davis, K. (2002) Organizational Behavior: Human Behavior At Work. 11th ed. New York: McGraw Hill. Gibson, J.L., Ivancevich, J.M. and Donnely, J.Jr. (1997) Organizations Behavior Structure Processes. 9th ed. United States of America: McGraw Hill. Edward, J. (2011) Organizational Behavior: Intergrating Individuals, Groups, and Organizations. 4th ed. Milton Park: Taylor Francis Group. Banerjee, M. (1995) Organizational Behavior. 3th ed. Madras: Allied Publishers Limited. Aswathappa K (2005) Human Resource and Personnel Management: Text and Cases. 4th ed. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Raju, R.S. and Parthasarathy, A. (2009) Management. 2nd ed. New Delhi: PHI Learning Private Limited. The Times 100 (2012) Motivational Theory In Practice At Tesco [Online]. Retrieved from: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/tesco/motivational-theory-in-practice-at-tesco/taylors-motivational-theory.html#axzz2ChPkuekgl [Accessed 12 November 2012 ]. The Times 100 (2012) Motivating Through Total Reward [Online]. Retrieved from: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/royal-bank-of-scotland/motivating-through-total-reward/what-is-motivation.html#axzz2Ch7FZfye [Accessed 12 November 2012]. Griffiths, A. (2012) The Boom In Canadian Baby Boomer Small Business [Online]. Retrieved from: http://metronews.ca/voices/alison-on-money/404772/the-boom-in-canadian-baby-boomer-small-businesses/ [Accessed 12 November 2012]. Hammill, G. (2005) Mixing and Managing Four Generations Of Employees [Online]. Retrieved from: http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm [Accessed 12 November 2012].

Overt or covert observations

Overt or covert observations Question 1 The researcher says that [i]ntense observations in the classroom and playground area were completed [and] detailed observations were conducted in lessons(p.184). What can you infer about the things she observed and the methods she used to record her observations? Qualitative research is an effort to understand situations in their uniqueness as part of a particular context and the interactions there. (Merriam, 2009:14) An ethnographer participates, overtly or covertly, in peoples daily lives for an extended period of time, watching what happens, listening to what is said, asking questions; in fact collecting whatever data are available to throw light on the issues with which he or she is concerned. (Flick 2005:146) The author, Lisa Russell is a young female ethnographer entering the research field for the first time. This paper is a description of The implications of investigating student resistance and the importance of how the researchers; personal dispositions influence the research process are discussed. (Russell, 2005:181) The research was conducted in three culturally diverse schools of Birmingham and Sydney and the information was gathered through observations and interviews. Students in the age bracket of 14-16 years were identified for observation, especially the ones finding the experience difficult either academically or emotionally (Watts, 2001; Russell, 2005:184) According to Esterberg, ethnography is intensively studying a specific social group by observing the group in its natural setting (Esterberg, 2002:8). Sometimes ethnography and participant observation are used interchangeably. But to its contrary, ethnography requires a participation observation style of fieldwork. Participant observation thus can most usefully be seen as a means of producing ethnographies rather than as synonymously with ethnography. (Thorpe Holt, 2008:100) Russell being new to the field entered her research ground with no ideal, logical step-by-step approach (Russell, 2005:182). She used her relative inexperience to her advantage. She started her research by observing students in various classes and free time. She observed them in their favorite and least favorite modules, covering one of the most popular aspects of student resistance. Once the trust between them grew, she advanced to spending time with them in their own comfort zones, which gave her more of an insight to their personal lives. This way she managed to get valuable information concerning their behavior and problems. There were instances when she witnessed highly disruptive behavior of students, like that of a male student kick and bash a school vendor machine during break-time (Russell, 2005:193) but blinded herself to the situation. At the same time, there were occasions when she found herself caught in uncomfortable circumstances like the time she landed up in the deputys office as she was with students who got late for class. Names like the follower and leech suggest that during the initial stages Russell was not accepted by the students as she shadowed them all around. But gradually she managed to gain one of the most vital aspects of the study trust. Ethnographers are viewed differently as a relationship is built up and trust developed. (Cassell Symon 2004:316). I feel her main tool for recording data was a daily logbook, but filling the same in front of her research subjects could make them very suspicious and inquisitive. Although as her relationship with the students strengthened, she allowed the researched the chance to see what was being written about them (Russell, 2005:187).This she did to gain feedback and more importantly trust. To conclude, I feel the main aspect she focused throughout was to develop a trustworthy relationship with the students. This she did over a gradual period as she observed and learned from them. Question 2 The author is a young ethnographer researching teenagers (p.193). What difference does our knowledge of her age and personal details make to the account? Qualitative research is a form of interpretative inquiry in which researchers make an interpretation of what they see, hear and understand. Their interpretation cannot be separated from their own backgrounds, history, contexts, and prior understandings. (Creswell, 2009:176) The author, Lisa Russell is a young, novice, female, white, northern English ethnographer (Russell, 2005:181). Her smallness in height and build influenced how students and teachers interacted with [her]. (Russell, 2005:182) Russell used a very reflexive approach towards her research and took into consideration how different aspects of her personal disposition affected her entire study. Researchers reflections on their actions and observations in the field, their impressions, irritations, feelings and so on, become data in their own right, forming part of the interpretation, (Flick, 2005:6) I feel her age -23-24 at the time of field work (Russell, 2005:182) and youthful nature helped her immensely in developing a trustworthy bond with the students. The students opened up to her about their grievances which they might not have done with someone older and more experienced. The researchers ability to build relationships and develop rapport with subjects is crucial. (Thorpe Holt, 2008:151) Her repetitive emphasis on her age and naivety throughout the paper shows that these facets of her personal disposition helped her to engage in discussions and activities with the teenaged students, which if she was older wouldnt have been able to do. Her closeness to their age made it simpler for both herself and the students to be able to relate to each other. Although, at the same time it was difficult for her to develop a similar bond with the teachers and she felt exceptionally uncomfortable in staffroom discussions. In my opinion, she put in a lot of effort and time into understanding the point of view of the students and didnt do the same with the teachers. But as she graduated to the third school her heightened confidence and greater experience (Russell, 2005:188) made it easier for her to relate to and interact with the teachers. This paper also brings into account the being there quality. Good ethnography is about communicating the impression of having truly been there, of having had close-in contact with far-out lives while at the same time making the reader feel he or she has been there too. (Bate, 1997:1163) In the context of Russells paper the way she elucidates her experience and subsequently her problems, make it very easy for us to believe and understand her observations. I as a student believed that the intense description about her personal characteristics played a significant role in helping me comprehend her entire research. I also inferred that as an amateur, she mentioned her young and novice personality keeping in mind that even if her study was not up to the mark it would have been excusable. I held a degree of emotional attachment towards some students given the significant time I had spent with them and the nature and detail of their lives they had shared with me. (Russell, 2005:196) This confession of hers illustrates that she let herself get emotionally involved with the students. Students also, at times would seek for support and guidance (from her or consider Russell as a shoulder to cry on (Russell, 2005:196). Since this was her first ever ethnography leaving the field and detaching herself from her research subjects, became difficult. Russells reflexive approach and personal disposition especially her age influenced and widened her scope for the study. This nature of the report helped her retain authenticity throughout the paper. Question 3 Russell claims that her ethnographic research investigates the complex and sometimes contradictory culture(s) of student resistance to schooling (Wills, 1977) (p. 181). How is this claim supported in the paper? According to Russell This study examines the significance and relationship between class, gender and ethnicity in the construction of resistance. It aims to understand how the wider societal and cultural environment influences the working of a school and the behaviour of the actors within it. (Russell, 2005:182) Student resistance is often perceived as explicit rejection of formal education. It is a deliberate yet hesitant activity of students arising due to social, cultural, emotional and academic concerns. According John Deweys comment that teaching and learning are much like selling and buying: One might as well say he has sold when no one has bought, as to say that he has taught when no one has learned'(Dewey, 1910,p.29) (Provenzo, ed. 2006) The students selected for the research ranged from truancy issues and students negative attitude towards school and learning to low self-esteem concerns.(Russell, 2005:184). Taking the instance of a student who had an alcoholic mother and [was struggling] to cope with her domestic responsibilities (Russell, 2005:185) shows that how a family related problem can hamper a persons education and make her unenthusiastic about school. In my opinion this supplement is a conflicting account. As mentioned clearly in the paper it aims at providing an insight to student resistance to schooling, where as there is not much mentioned about the same. According to my inference, it explores the experience and problems faced by the researcher, Lisa Russell during the course of her research. She at the same time concentrates on describing the methodologies used for observations and to gather information. On the other hand, she made the study interesting for readers to read by providing examples to support her content. Ethnography is art, science and craft rolled into one. As artists we seek to capture experiences in images and representations which symbolize reality; in this regard, expression is more important than precision. (Bate, 1997:1153) This repository statement, expression is more important than precision holds true in this study. I as a student found the report very engrossing because of the way she articulated her encounters with her research subjects. Some which put her into awkward situations while trying to gain trust from disruptive students made the account appealing. A few others were when she witnessed students truant, thieve, damage school property, take illegal substances and even [asked her] to participate. (Russell, 2005:193) Russell subconsciously seemed to be bias towards the students. Bias may be viewed as unavoidable as researchers often hold sympathy for some groups over the others. (Russell, 2005:190) Since this study was centered around students she preferred to take their side predominantly, intending to gain further insight into student resistance. I personally would have preferred to know more about the teachers since they played an equally important role in the research. She could have discussed the teachers reaction to some of the above instances in detail. In conclusion I believe this paper constitutes more about Russells experiential data and personal disposition than on its primary topic of student resistance. Reconsidering Work-Life Balance Debates: Challenging Limited Understandings of the Life Component in the Context of Ethnic Minority Womens Experiences Nicolina Kamenou Question 1 The author appears to have had difficulties recruiting interviewees (see especially p.s102). Why, for example, might an organization withdraw from the study claiming restructuring was in progress? (p.102) Work-life balance means that individuals have successfully segmented or integrated life and work so as to achieve a satisfying quality of life, overall satisfaction and less strain or stress around juggling conflicting role demands. (Blyton et al., 2006:2) The work-life balance equation (Kamenou, 2008:S99) is a vast concept covering a number of aspects ranging from career, ambition, family, pleasure and culture. Suitable prioritising between the same helps to accomplish ones goal in life. This article is centred on ethnic minority womens experiences of managing their work and personal lives. (Kamenou, 2008:S99). The author, Nicolina Kamenou, collected the data via semi structured, in depth interviews primarily with ethnic minority females. The perception of ethnic minority men, white women and white men was also taken for comparison. The broader study aimed to investigate best practice on the equality issues but also to examine whether the reality matched the rhetoric of equality of opportunity within organizations by exploring employees perceptions and experiences. (Kamenou, 2008:S102). The author evidently faced difficulties in recruiting interviewees, since only three out of the twenty organisations approached responded positively to the invitation (Kamenou, 2008:S102). Further to this, one of them withdrew claiming restructuring was in progress. The basic strategy for in depth interviews should be in three stages prepare, contact, and follow up (MacDougall Fudge, 2001). These stages include preparing for the research by describing and constructing a sample, negotiating with the key people or organisations personally, and providing feedback and maintaining relationship with the participants. Initially I feel a loop hole in the recruitment procedure could have led to rejection from many of the organisations contacted. Besides this there could be many reasons for it. This study is mostly based on topics such as ethnicity, culture, religion, racism and sexism which are very sensitive in nature. One of the main reasons for companies to withdraw from the research could have been to avoid any controversy. They would not want to risk their reputation and find themselves involved in any problematic situation as a consequence of the research. The firm which withdrew claiming restructuring was in progress was a financial organisation. This shows that the management could have been worried about the companys inside information since such a research could have revealed confidential data to the market and its competitors and thus affected its integrity. The company possibly had something to hide. On the other hand if a company is confident, a research is a good way of gaining credibility and even one of the cheaper ways of getting feedback from its employees. I also feel, stating the real names of the participating organisations could have been avoided. Kamenou should have used pseudonyms instead as confidentiality is a significant factor of researches. Confidentiality must be assured as the primary safeguard against unwanted exposure. All personal data ought to be secured or concealed and made public only behind a shield of anonymity. (Denzin Lincoln, 2000:139). Kamenou could have most definitely got a better response from the companies initially contacted, had she offered to keep the names anonymous. In my opinion, the sensitive character of the study and the matter of confidentiality, were the main reasons which lead to the difficulties faced by the researcher while recruiting interviewees. I also believe, that a better response could have been achieved had the interviewees been assured about the authenticity of the information being published. Regarding the financial company no conclusion can be drawn as we have no proof against them. Question 2 Would you expect differences between the people in organizations where formal access had been been granted and the independent group identified through personal networking? (p. s102) If so, what might these differences be? In this article, Kamenou focuses on the specificities in the experiences of ethnic minority women, incorporating other groups experiences where necessary, with regard to balancing their work and personal life (Kamenou 2008:S107). For this purpose both males and females from different cultural backgrounds were selected to be interviewed. The researcher recruited these interviewees formally from organizations. An independent group of participants was also identified through personal networking across a range of various public, private and voluntary organizations. All the participants varied in their occupations. The researcher derived information from a number of job profiles, to name a few there were nurses, managers, lawyers and psychologists. The researcher conducted semi structured, in-depth interviews. The main goal of these interviews was to explore a topic more openly and to allow interviewees to express their opinions and ideas in their own words. (Esterberg, 2002:86). The researcher must have certainly got different responses from the formally approached people and the independent group. Since the exact procedure of recruiting the interviewees has not been mentioned, I feel that the participants of the organizations where formal access was granted may not have been given a choice. Thus, they may not have voluntarily agreed and would have been least interested in the research. They would have restrained from giving out information concerning their organization with the fear of it reaching higher authorities and thus loosing their jobs. At the same time their response could have been manipulated by the employers to gain publicity. On the other hand, the independent group were people selected through personal networking and thus their cooperation was completely voluntary. We can refer to it as snowball sampling. This basically means when existing research subjects refer future subjects from among their acquaintances to help widen the information base. Such participants would have been interested and involved in the interview. They would have been more forthcoming with their response. Since these participants were being interviewed without any pressure form an organization, they would have been more willing and open about discussing their personal experiences. The only problem in such sampling is that of bias. The researcher could have recruited these participants according to her own convenience. She might have selected them with the point of view of extracting maximum information. In my opinion, the independent group would have been more fascinating and appropriate to interview since they would have provided with more intense and authentic information than the formal access participants. A key reason for including the independent group was to add richness to the data by looking at minority womens work and career experiences in a variety of sectors and occupations. (Kamenou, 2008:S103) On the whole, the author managed to acquire a wide range of experiences and data from both types of participants. Thus, this gave us a deep understanding of the problems faced by ethnic minority women while balancing work with other responsibilities in life. Question 3 From reading the paper, what do we know about the author? How might the identity of the author have made a difference to the research? This paper is an example of feminist research approach. In such a study the goals are to establish collaborative and nonexploitative relationships, to place the researcher within the study so as to avoid objectification, and to conduct research that is transformative. It is a complex area of inquiry with numerous frameworks (e.g., male oriented, white feminist oriented, able-bodied female oriented) and difficult issues (e.g., the absence and invisibility of women, who can be knowers) (Creswell, 2007:26) Of the various forms of qualitative research, ethnography is the most common one used by females. A researchers personal disposition plays a very significant role in a research, especially when done by a female. Reflexivity also has a big impact on such studies and makes the output of the same extremely relatable. In this paper, Nicolina Kamenou, explores minority womens perceptions of the reciprocal relationship of career demands and other aspects of their lives, such as family and community expectations and responsibilities (Kamenou, 2008:S99). The authors method in this research is not reflexive at all. At no point in the study does she reveal any personal information regarding herself. There is no mention of the influence her personality has on the study nor of the interpretations she derived from the same. In my opinion, if the author had made revelations about her personal details, the research would have been more engaging. Even though this article gives a rich insight into the work life equation, it does not elaborate on the authors experience and relationship with her research subjects. It would have been appealing to know her age and cultural background because these seem to be the two most important factors which could have influenced the research. She has left the readers guessing her identity. If the author was associated with the ethnic minority group, she could have given an account of her experiences and hence added some personal touch to the research. But at the same time, if she had adopted a reflexive approach, she would have left the readers questioning her objectivity towards the research. We as readers would have assumed that she was bias towards her subjects and thus she would need to justify herself to us. In my view, Nicolina Kamenous approach towards her research was very different as compared to Lisa Russells. Russells adopted a very reflexive approach and described in detail the impact her personal disposition had on her subjects, interpretation and conclusion of the research. She does not keep the readers guessing her identity and gives away a considerable amount of personal information which helps us as learners relate to her. On the other hand, Kamenous approach is far from being reflexive in nature. The readers gain no knowledge about her personal characteristics and the impact of the same on her research. In conclusion, Lisa Russells study gave an excellent account of the authors personal impact on the entire research, where as it didnt focus much on the information she derived from it. On the other hand, Nicolina Kamenous research offered a rich insight to her topic of discussion, while it didnt enlighten us with her thoughts towards the study. Overall, the papers gave me a good understanding of two contradicting accounts in the vast field of qualitative research methods. References: Bate, S.P. (1997) Whatever happened to organisational anthropology? A review of the field of organisational ethnography and anthropological studies, Human Relations, 50 (9): 1147-1175 Blyton, P., Blundson, B., Reed, K., Dastmalchian, A. (2006) Work-Life Integration: International Perspectives on the Balancing of Multiple Roles, 1st ed. New York: PALGRAVE MACMILLIAN Cassell, C. Symon, G. (2004) Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research, Thousand Oaks: SAGE Creswell, J.W., (2007) Qualitative Inquiry Research Design : Choosing Among Five Approaches,2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Creswell, J.W. (2009) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches,3rd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Denzin, N.K. Lincoln, Y.S. (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE MacDougall, C. Fudge, E. (2001) Qualitative Health Research: Planning and Recruiting the Sample for the Focus Groups and In-Depth Interviews [Online], 11(117) Available at: [Accessed 16 November 2009] Esterberg, K. G. (2002), Qualitative Methods In Social Research, New York : The McGraw-Hill Companies Flick, U., (2005) An Introduction to Qualitative Research, 2nd ed. London : SAGE Kamenou, N. (2008) Reconsidering Work-Life Balance Debates: Challenging Limited Understandings of the Life Component in the Context of Ethnic Minority Womens Experiences. British Journal Of Management, Vol. 19 s99-s109 Merriam, S. B., (2009) Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation 2nd ed. San Francisco: Joosey Bass Provenzo Jr, E.F., ed., 2006. Forthcoming in the Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural Foundations of Education [online] Available at : http://danbutin.org/Resistance%20-%20Encyclopedia%20entry.pdf [Accessed 18 November 2009] Russell, L. (2005) Its a question of trust: balancing the relationship between students and teachers in ethnographic fieldwork. Qualitative Research Vol. 5 (2) 181-199 Thorpe, R. Holt, R. (2008) The Sage Dictionary of Qualitative Management Research. London: Sage

The Bus :: essays research papers

The Bus I have this friend named Ted. Ted has an old school bus all spray-painted and beat up looking. This in and of itself is not that big a matter. What makes this bus different is he attached the top half of a Volkswagon van on top of the bus. This bus has been around for around fifteen years or so and has looked about the same if not worse the whole time. See, Ted used to live in this bus. It's a project he has been working on for some time now. Numerous people have asked him why he won't get rid of the ugly thing. His parents don't ask him to, they tell him to get rid of it. I have wondered myself why he has a bus such as he does and why he bothers putting so much money into it. I do notice a slight difference in Ted's eyes when he is working on it though, so there must be something about it worth saving. Ted Jensen was born December 29, 1969 right here in Vancouver, Washington at the old Memorial Hospital (now a clinic I have been told.) His parents are still alive and kicking along with his brother and sister. I met Ted as my neighbor when I first moved to my current home. He has a strong sense of what’s right and fair, as I feel I do. This must be the biggest reason why I like Ted. That and he would not intentionally hurt anybody without them deserving it completely. He may be a little headstrong at times, but he is very easy going most of the time. If I ever need anything, and I do mean anything, Ted is the guy I go to. If he does not already have it, or have access to the item or information I want, he can usually tell me who does. The year is 1986 and the location is a Grateful Dead concert. As Ted was enjoying the festivities of such a concert he came across a vehicle that pulled him to examine it closer. It was an old school bus that had been rebuilt and remodeled into a motor home of sorts. Ted knew then that he had to have one and proceeded to investigate his options. As luck would have it one of his friends needed some cash flow for a lawyer and had a 1976 school bus for sale to get it.

The Reasons Why the Vietnam War Lasted So Long :: Vietnam War Essays

The Reasons Why the Vietnam War Lasted So Long It is said that the U.S. has never gotten over the Vietnam War and it is still a controversial war, these are the reasons why the Vietnam War lasted so long. In 1973, the United States and North Vietnam signed a treaty called the Paris Peace Agreement; this was the beginning of the withdrawal of all remaining U.S. forces from Vietnam which was mandated by the treaty ("Vietnam War," 1991). Also in the agreement was the return of U.S. prisoners of war, and a cease-fire (1991). The war was not over though until 1975 when the North Vietnamese stormed Saigon (1991). While the war ended, the bad feelings would linger. One example of this is the continued relevance in respect to whether or not candidates "served in the military, or dodged the draft, or smoked pot, or dabbled in radical politics, or engaged in the more promiscuous activities of the sexual revolution" (McDougall, 1995, p.478). Some say that men were put into harm's way without thoughtful consideration. Vandemark (1995) claims that from the outset, the U.S. was doomed. It would never complete the mission successfully and Johnson and his cronies knew this (Vandemark 1995). If that is the case, it would explain why there are still conflicting ideas about Vietnam. And while there were people who knew that the U.S. would not win, and that too many of the nation's sons would be lost, there were many who were idealistic, who thought themselves to be freedom fighters and who fought for freedom. It was a pie in the sky idea, a glimpse of the future that saw a free world without the blood, and without the body bags. It was a war that never should have been fought. While much of this has been supported by the literature, the United States withdrew its forces from Vietnam in 1973. Some wonder why it took so long to withdraw and why this did not happen earlier. It is a difficult question to answer, but the Vietnam debacle was not something quick or clear. It was a situation that mushroomed. The actual goal was to preserve an independent, noncommunist government in South Vietnam, but by April of 1975, the communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) ruled the entire country ("Vietnam War," 1991). The mission was not accomplished but the goal did emanate from paranoia about communism and a fear of the domino effect.

Defining Race and Ethnicity Essay

The use of the terms â€Å"race† and â€Å"ethnicity† is varied. The two terms are misused as if they are identical. The casual and common appearance of the terms side by side in the public discourse may discourage people from regarding them as distinct terms. Race is based on the premise of biological and physical differences. the concept of ‘race’ included any essential zing of groups of people which held them to display inherent, heritable, persistent or predictive characteristics, and which thus had a biological or quasi-biological basis. Ethnicity is an embodiment of values, institutions, and patterns of behavior, a composite whole representing a people’s historical experience, aspirations, and worldview. Ethnic classification, either externally imposed or intrinsically engendered, often defines people’s membership to a group. Aside from social constructs, ethnicity is innately more central to human experience and identity than race. I do not believe that these concepts should be important to society. Racial and ethnic categories are neither fixed across societies nor within a society. Racial and ethnic categories are fluid and changing depending on the socio-political context of a society at any given time. Ethnic and racial differences do not inherently lead to conflict. Instead, these differences can take on a social meaning of hierarchy leading to conflict when divided groups fail to negotiate. In such cases, the imbalance of power, not the racial or ethnic differences per se, is the underlying cause of the conflict. In each of these cases, it is critical that the topic of race and ethnicity receives continual examination. The ideology and myth of racial and ethnic differences cannot be validated to support or legitimate superiority, privilege, or conflict as has often been the case in both historical and global contexts.

Role Off Company Secretary

A Company Secretary is a person at very high position in a private sector company or public sector organization, normally at a managerial position. In some countries in a public sector the company secretary is reoffered as Corporate Secretary or Secretary. There is a requirement to appoint company secretary. It is already understood that a company is the creation of law, having rights, duties and obligations just as that of human being. The so-called legal entity may therefore sue and be sued: Saloman’s case. But because of the abstract nature of a company as a ‘person’ it becomes necessary that directors be put in place to see to the effective running of the corporation. However, the directors are not required to be lawyers nor know anything about the company law. In the same regard, the prompters of the company need not be lawyers or know anything about company law. But a company being an artificial person, created by operation of law, must subsist as a person on law – it must continue to obey the provisions of the law since it derives its existence as a person from it. Therefore it becomes necessary that the company be run effectively in a manner that conforms to the statutes and other regulations and best practices hence the need for a Company Secretary. The position of a company secretary is created by the law creation of law in section 293 -298 of the Companies and Allied Matters, Act, 2004 which provides for the appointment and functions of the Company Secretary, with special reference to public companies . The Company Secretary is responsible for the efficient functioning and administration of a company, particularly with regard to ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements and for ensuring that decisions of the Board of Directors are implemented. [1] Even though the name suggests the job of a clerk or secretary it is nothing related to it. The company secretary ensures that an organization complies with relevant legislation and regulation, and keeps board members informed of their legal responsibilities. Company secretaries are the company’s named representative on legal documents, and it is their responsibility to ensure that the company and its directors operate within the law. It is also their responsibility to register and communicate with shareholders, to ensure that dividends are paid and to maintain company records, such as lists of directors and shareholders, and annual accounts. In many countries, private companies have traditionally been required by law to appoint one person as a ompany secretary, and this person will also usually be a senior board member. A company secretary is one of the senior board members according to the law in India. Most people forming a company undervalue the importance of a company secretary. The company secretary is the named representative on legal documents and it is their responsibility to advice the directors of their corporate compliance obligations. In moat established companies the company secretary serves as a focal point between the board of directors, senior management and the company’s shareholder. Since 6th April 2008 there is no longer a legal requirement to have a company secretary, although many limited companies appoint one to cover a range of jobs roles. A job of a company secretary is to organize and prepare agendas. A company secretary takes minutes at the board meeting and annual general meetings. Filing with the companies house, maintaining company records and statutory books are some of the important deals of company secretary. A company secretary deals with stock transfer and dividends he ensures the security of the company’s legal documents. He also ensures compliance with all the legal and the statutory requirements. He builds up a contact with external and regulatory bodies Roles and responsibilities The Company in all sectors have high level responsibilities including governance structures and mechanisms, corporate conduct within an organization’s regulatory environment, board, shareholder and trustee meetings, compliance with legal, regulatory and listing requirements, the training and induction of non-executives and trustees, contact with regulatory and external bodies, reports and circulars to shareholders/trustees, management of employee benefits such as pensions and employee share, insurance administration and organization, the negotiation of contracts, risk management, property administration and organization and the interpretation of financial accounts. Company secretaries are the primary source of advice on the conduct of business and this can span everything from legal advice on conflicts of interest, through accounting advice on financial reports, to the development of strategy and corporate planning. Among public companies in North America, providing advice on corporate governance issues is an increasingly important role for corporate secretaries. Many shareholders, particularly institutional investors, view sound corporate governance as essential to board and company performance. They are quite vocal in encouraging boards to perform frequent corporate governance reviews and to issue written statements of corporate governance principles. The corporate secretary is usually the executive to assist directors in these efforts, providing information on the practices of other companies, and helping the board to tailor corporate governance principles and practices to fit the board's needs and expectations of investors. In some companies, the role of the corporate secretary as corporate governance adviser has been formalized, with a title such as Chief Governance Officer added to their existing title. In view of the important roles the company secretary plays in business, PLC’s and large companies require the company secretary to be suitably trained, experienced and professionally qualified for these responsibilities. In the UK, the company secretary may be qualified by virtue of examination and membership of the institute of chartered company secretary and administration (ICSA), which is the main qualification specifically for company secretaries. ICSA is the body dedicated to the advancement and recognition of professional administration based on a combination of degree-level studies, carefully vetted experience and sponsorship by two people of professional status. Only a person thus qualified is entitled to be designated a ‘Chartered Secretary' or ‘Chartered Company Secretary'. The Faculty of Secretaries and Administrators founded in 1930 is the second body of corporate secretaries in the United Kingdom and now has a strong emphasis on equality work and governance and its members are designated ‘corporate secretaries' or ‘certified public secretaries'. It is expected that Company Secretaries of Publicly Quoted Companies will be professionally qualified through ICSA, one of the Chartered Professional Bodies in the Accountancy Profession or have appropriate training and experience through another body. In India, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) regulates the profession of Company secretaries. ICSI is a statutory professional body which has more than 29,010 associate members. Chartered secretaries are employed as chairs, chief executives and non-executive directors, as well as executives and company secretaries. Some chartered secretaries are also known in their own companies as corporate secretarial executives/managers or corporate secretarial directors. Chartered Secretaries are the sixth highest paid employees in the UK according to the Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (March 2010). Many corporate secretaries of North American public companies are lawyers and some serve as their corporation's general counsel. While this can be helpful in the execution of their duties it can also create ambiguity as to what is legal advice, protected by privilege, and what is business advice. In India every company having a paid up share capital of Rs. 50 million (5 crores) or more is required to appoint a qualified person as Company Secretary. A company having not less than Rs. one million (10 lacs) paid up capital and not required to appoint a full-time company Secretary should file a compliance certificate signed by a practising Company Secretary with the Registrar of Companies. Section 383A of the Companies Act, 1956 provides for the mandatory appointment of a whole time secretary where the paid up capital of the Company exceeds Rs. 50 million (5 crores). If the capital is less than Rs. 50 million (5 crores), the company is required to obtain a secretarial compliance certificate and attach the same to the Directors' Report and file it with the Registrar of Companies. Statutory declarations of compliance under various other provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 are also to be certified by practicing company secretaries. Under the MCA 21 e filing regime several forms (including some, exclusively) are required to be pre-certified by practicing company secretaries. The MCA 21 regime has ushered in a dramatic change in the role and profile of the profession, particularly, the practicing side. The annual returns of companies listed on recognized stock exchanges are to be signed by a practising company secretary. Further, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) also recognizes the Company Secretary as the Compliance Officer and the practicing company secretary to issue various certificates under its Regulations. Further, the practicing Company Secretaries are also authorized to certify compliance of conditions of corporate governance in case of listed companies. The Reserve Bank of India also authorizes company secretaries to issue various certificates. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India is the premier professional body to develop and regulate the profession of Company Secretaries in India. It was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1980. When the Companies Bill, 2011 will be passed by the parliament and becomes an Act, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) will be given powers of a court and all matters relating to Company Law would be heard before it instead of High Court. A Company Secretary would be eligible to appear before NCLT. This will open more opportunities for a Company Secretary. What Does a Corporate Secretary Do? So just what does a Corporate Secretary* do, anyway? A good question, but difficult to answer! While the basic duties of the Corporate Secretary can be outlined easily, the position's overall responsibilities–and the fit of the role within senior management–vary and are more difficult to explain. A â€Å"Corporate Secretary† is required by state corporation laws for every corporation; he or she is, at the most basic level, the individual who keeps the official records and minutes of the corporation. Corporate by-laws set forth the powers and duties of the Corporate Secretary and other corporate officers. One may think that the Corporate Secretary is merely a combination of scrivener and custodian, but this is not the case in practice. The Corporate Secretary in today's world is a senior corporate officer with wide-ranging responsibilities, who serves as a focal point for communication with and between the board of directors, senior management and the company's shareholders, and who has a key role in the administration of the Board and critical corporate matters. The Corporate Secretary is often a confidante and counselor to the Chief Executive Officer, members of the Board, and other members of senior management, especially on corporate governance matters. A key responsibility for the Corporate Secretary is to ensure that Board members have the proper advice and resources for discharging their fiduciary duties to shareholders under state law. A Corporate Secretary also is responsible for ensuring that the records of the Board's actions reflect the proper exercise of those fiduciary duties. Some Corporate Secretaries who are lawyers handle this function themselves; others partner with the General Counsel and/or outside counsel. The function ranges from making sure new directors have training in the applicable state law duties and the business of the company, to ensuring that management follows the proper steps for major corporate actions such as share issuances, the declaration of dividends, and mergers, acquisitions, or dispositions of corporate assets. A Corporate Secretary also provides advice on corporate governance ssues, particularly related to the re-election of directors and other shareholder action taken at Annual Meetings. Many shareholders, particularly institutional investors, view sound corporate governance as essential to board and company performance. The Corporate Secretary is usually responsible for a comp any’s Corporate Governance Principles or Guidelines. In some companies, the role of the Secretary as corporate governance adviser has been formalized, with a title such as Chief Governance Officer or Corporate Governance Officer added to their existing title. Most Corporate Secretaries are responsible for the following : (More details are available by clicking on some of these topics. ) 1. Board and Committee Meetings

Disadvantages fast food Essay

Fast food is pretty controversial. It has some advantages like saving time and money, but also some drawbacks, most of them related with one’s health condition. The popularity of fast food is on the rise in more and more countries of the world. Many people consider it a convenient source of food especially given the fact that the modern man is always in a hurry. This type of food is prepared and served very quickly and it can be excellent for busy people or for single persons who don’t have time or desire to cook. Even though it certainly comes with a bunch of advantages, there are also disadvantages of fast food which need to be considered carefully. Undoubtedly, the main advantage of fast food is the fact that it saves time. Home cooked meals don’t only require the actual time for preparing the food, but also time spent shopping and washing the dishes. Such problems simply don’t exist when going for fast food. This is also an excellent choice for people who don’t like or don’t know to cook or for single people who don’t feel like cooking for one. Fast food is definitely cheaper, especially for people who live on their own. When cooking for a single person, you almost always end up with more food than necessary. Fast food on the other hand comes at a lower price than home cooked meals. Even though the main disadvantages of fast food are health related, people on a diet can also find good options in the menu of most fast food chains. There are salads to choose from and whole wheat breads. Some fried products also have boiled alternatives. When it comes to drinks, one can skip the sugary ones and go for fresh juices or low fat milk. Fortunately, fast food is not very rich in desserts, so there is no temptation. People can also customize their orders and exclude unhealthy ingredients like mayonnaise for inst ance. Fast food opponents argue that there are many disadvantages of fast food for the health condition of the consumer. This type of food is richer in salt, fats, oils and artificial substances than home cooked meals. This increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Unfortunately, obesity is on the rise and it is strongly connected with the popularity of fast food. While the body definitely needs salt and fats, the amount of these ingredients in fast food is too high. Additionally, the cooking method of fast food usually implies frying which destroys most nutrients. The adverse effects of the fats, sugars, chemicals and salt in fast food are definitely enhanced by a  sedentary lifestyle. In most of the cases the people who eat lots of calories from fast food don’t burn these calories because they don’t exercise enough. The result is that the extra calories transform in fat and lead to obesity. Disadvantages of fast food are not only related with the health condition. If fast food is cheaper for a single person, things change when an entire family consumes such food regularly. Enemies of fast food also come up with the argument that eating ready to serve food reduces the quality time that a family can spend together cooking and eating. Ordering and eating in a fast food restaurant is very quick and people don’t take the time to enjoy food and to chat while eating. While there are undeniable benefits of fast food, there are also aspects which should worry regular consumers. As always, moderation is needed in consuming this type of food. Occasional visits at a fast food restaurant are not as harmful, especially if they are combined with plenty of physical activity. However, a sedentary lifestyle and constant consumption of fast food can lead to health problems. More than 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants in the United States itself, and over 8000 KFCs in 80 countries, only goes to reflect the popularity of fast food all over the world. Food that is prepared and served quickly is termed as ‘fast food’. Such type of food suits perfectly into the fast paced life of a working individual. There is nothing more than ready-made food that a hard-working professional living in the city away from family could ask for. However, those who are against fast food highlight the adverse effect that it has on our health. Despite all the debate about the advantages and disadvantages that fast food has, the industry is flourishing. Is fast food good or bad? The most evident advantage of fast food is that it saves time. In today’s fast-paced life, there is nothing better than getting a ready meal. No matter how much the chefs praise the benefits of fresh food, at the end of a hard-working day, when one returns home all tired and hungry, a pizza or a burger can be godsend. Besides the time an individual has to spend in the kitchen, cooking a meal also requires one to make a trip to the supermarket to buy the ingredients for the dish. Then there is the added effort and time consumed in washing and peeling the vegetables. All this  makes eating fast food score more preferably over cooking a meal for a busy individual. Besides time, cost saving gives fast food an edge over the meal prepared in the kitchen. If one lives alone, then it is cheaper to buy a meal at the supermarket instead of cooking it at home. Also certain fast foods like fries and burgers come pretty cheap. Fast food does raise health concerns. However, if careful, you can find some options on the menu of a fast food restaurant t hat could be healthier. Salads are a smart choice. Go for bread products that are made from wheat bread. Opt for lean meat. If you could choose between the fried and boiled options, order the boiled preparation. Avoid ordering carbonic drinks when you are thirsty. Go for fruit juices, low-fat milk, diet soda. Is there anything better than plain water to quench your thirst? These days, nutrition information of the food served (and ingredients used) is displayed in the menu card. You could always resort to the ‘make to order’ option that certain fast food outlets offer, where you could restrict the use of ingredients that are not healthy. As dessert does not play an important role in the fast food meal menu, you can keep yourself away from delicious and tempting sugary dishes. Usually, fast food is higher in soya, fat, sugar, oil, fried meat, salt, cheese, mayonnaise and obviously calories. The greatest disadvantage of fast food is the adverse effect that it has on one’s health. It is a fact that fast food is more unhealthy than home-cooked meals, as it contains higher amounts of unwanted nutrients like salt, fat and various types of additives (artificial chemicals). It may contain harmful bacteria too. Frying destroys most of the essential nutrients from the food. Very small amounts of vegetables and fruits are normally present in fast food. Moreover, ‘serving larger portions’ when most people don’t need extra portions has led to several health problems. We require a small amount of salt to maintain the health of the cells and tissues. Fast food being rich in salt, adversely affects the heart health and the overall health of an individual. Such type of food is an important contributor to obesity in the American population. Obesity is on the rise, and a direct link is being cited between fast food and obesity in children. Given the sedentary lifestyle that we lead today, the excess fats and calories that we take in with fast food is not used up completely. The result is that these accumulate in our body as fat deposits that cause complications like cardiovascular diseases and other related diseases of the  heart. With obesity come other problems like high blood pressure and diseases of the joints. It is like a chain reaction set off by fast food and carried forward by our unhealthy lifestyle. In fact, a recent study has shown that people who live within walking distance of a fast food restaurant are at 13% higher risk of suffering from strokes than those who live a considerable distance away. The greater the number of people at a meal in a fast food restaurant, the larger is the bill. Eating at fast food outlets is economical only for a single person. Going out to a fast food eating joint with family once in a while won’t matter much. However, frequent visits to such restaurants with one’s family can become quite an expensive affair, besides being unhealthy. Fast foods joints are also being seen as a factor that is making a number of families spend less and less time together. Family meal time is something that is considered as an opportunity for all the members to come together and share their experiences. However, the fast food centre is quickly eating into this quality time. This is especially true about youngsters for whom a fast food centre is a good place to hang out with friends and peers. Fast food is an invention of the modern times. Ready-made food being served fast and right in front of us is like a blessing after a hard day’s work. However, like everything, it has its own pros and cons. Citing a few points about the advantages of fast food does not mean that I am denying its drawbacks. It is a fact that high amounts of fats and salt in fast food are raising concerns about their adverse effect on health. However, by making some smart choices while placing the order and also resorting to an active lifestyle, we can definitely minimize the drawbacks of fast food.