Lions Club Essay Example

Lions Club Essay Lions Clubs International (LCI) is aâ secularâ serviceâ organization with more than 45,500 clubs and in excess of 1,368,683 individuals in 205 nations around the globe established by Melvin Jonesâ in 1917. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States, the association means to address the issues of networks on a neighborhood and worldwide scale. History Lions Clubs International, an assistance enrollment association of 1,368,683 individuals around the world, was established in the United States on June 7, 1917, by Melvin Jones, a Chicago businessman. Jones asked, with respect to his partners, What if these men who are fruitful due to their drive, knowledge and aspiration, were to given their abilities something to do improving their networks? Jones individual code, You cannot get much of anywhere until you begin accomplishing something for another person, helps numerous Lions to remember the significance of network administration. The Lions adage is â€Å"We Serve. † Focal Lions Club programs incorporate sight preservation, hearing and discourse conservation,â diabetes mindfulness, youth outreach, worldwide relations, natural issues, and different projects. Reason The expressed motivations behind Lions Clubs International are: To organize,â charter and direct assistance clubs to be known as Lions clubs. To Coordinateâ the exercises and normalize the organization of Lions clubs. To Createâ and encourage a feeling of comprehension among the people groups of the world. To promoteâ the standards of good government and great citizenship. To Takeâ an dynamic enthusiasm for the city, social, social and good government assistance of the network. To Uniteâ the clubs in the obligations of kinship, great partnership and common comprehension. We will compose a custom article test on Lions Club explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom paper test on Lions Club explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom paper test on Lions Club explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer To Provideâ a gathering for the open conversation of all issues of open intrigue; gave, nonetheless, thatâ partisanâ politics andâ sectarian religion will not be bantered by club individuals. To Encourageâ service-disapproved of individuals to serve their locale without individual money related prize, and to support proficiency and advance high moral gauges in business, industry, callings, open works and private undertakings. Altruistic work Much of the focal point of Lions Clubs International work as a help club association is to fund-raise for admirable motivation. All supports raised by Lions Clubs from the overall population are utilized for beneficent purposes, and authoritative expenses are kept carefully discrete and paid for by individuals. A portion of the cash raised for a club’s good cause account goes toward ventures that advantage the nearby network of an individual club. Administration ventures Lions Clubs design and take part in a wide assortment of administration extends that meet the universal objectives of Lions Clubs International just as the requirements of their neighborhood networks. Models incorporate gifts toâ hospices,â or network battles such as Message in a jug, a United Kingdomâ initiative which puts a plastic container with basic clinical data inside the coolers of defenseless individuals. Cash is additionally raised for global purposes. A portion of this is given in response to occasions, for example, theâ 2004 Indian Ocean quake. Other cash is utilized to help universal battles, composed by the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), uch as Sight First and Lions World Sight Day, which was propelled in 1998 to cause world media to notice the predicament of sight misfortune in the third world. Lions take on a wide range of different pledge drives to subsidize these activities. For instance, the Dublin, Virginia Lions Club have two swap meets a year, and sell their well known Lion Dog, a new arranged variety of aâ corn hound. Lions center around work for the visually impaired and outwardly disabled started when Helen Kellerâ addressed t he International Convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, on 30 June 1925 and charged Lions to be Knights of the Blind. Lions likewise have a solid promise to network hearing-andâ cancer-screening ventures. In Perth, Western Australia, they have led hearing screening for more than 30 years and gave seed subsidizing to the Lions Ear and Hearing Institute set up September 9, 2001, a focal point of greatness in the analysis, the executives, and research of ear and hearing issue. In Perth, Lions have additionally been instrumental in the foundation of the Lions Eye Institute. In Brisbane, Queensland, the Lions Medical Research Foundation gives financing to various analysts. Ian Frazers starting work, prompting the advancement of a HPV vaccineâ for theâ human papillomavirusâ which could lead toâ cervical malignant growth, was supported by the Lions Medical Research Foundation. Lions Clubs International has upheld crafted by the United Nationsâ since that associations beginning in 1945, when it was one of theâ non-administrative organizationsâ invited to aid the drafting of the United Nations Charter in San Francisco, California. [pic] Lions Club Bridge, an image for International Friendship and Cooperation (area: Aachen-Lichtenbusch, German-Belgian Border) Lions Clubs International Foundation Lions Clubs International Foundation is â€Å"Lions helping Lions serve the world†. Gifts give subsidizing as awards to monetarily help Lions areas with huge scope philanthropic activities that are excessively broad and exorbitant for Lions to back all alone. The Foundation helps Lions in having a more noteworthy effect in their neighborhood networks, just as around the globe. Through LCIF, Lions ease agony and enduring and carry mending and want to individuals around the world. Significant activities of the establishment incorporate the accompanying: †¢ Sight First projects †¢ Childhood Blindness Project †¢ Lions Eye Health Program (LEHP, articulated jump) †¢ River Blindness/Trachoma †¢ Sight First China Action †¢ Sight for Kids †¢ Other sight programs †¢ Core 4 Preschool †¢ Vision Screening †¢ Disability programs †¢ Lions World Services for the Blind †¢ Diabetes Prevention/Treatment †¢ Habitat for Humanity Partnership †¢ Lions Affordable Hearing Aid Project †¢ Low Vision †¢ Special Olympics Opening Eyes †¢ Leo clubs †¢ Lions journey Sight First After embracing the greatest everâ collaborativeâ disease annihilation programâ called the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseasesâ launched on 30 January 2012 in London, the association has actualized Sight First program by which it expects to destroy visual impairment due toâ trachoma, one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases. It has designated over US$11 million of every 10 nations for eye medical procedures, clinical preparing, dispersion of Zithromax and tetracycline, andâ sanitary administrations. It has likewise reported US$6. 9 million subsidizing to help the Government of China for he same reason. Participation Membership is by greeting, however people are once in a while dismissed, and participation at gatherings is energized on a month to month orâ fortnightlyâ basis. Due to theâ hierarchicalâ nature of Lions Clubs International, individuals have the chance to progress from a nearby club to an office at the zone, various area, and universal leve ls. In 1986 the constitution of Lions Clubs International was altered to take into consideration ladies to become individuals. [16] Since then numerous clubs have conceded ladies, yet someâ all-male clubsâ still exist. In 2003, 8 out of 17 individuals at the Lions Club in Worcester, England, surrendered when a lady joined the club. [17] Despite this mishap the club is presently prospering with 19 individuals, 7 of whom are ladies. Womens enrollment numbers keep on developing all through the affiliation. Spread of Lionism [pic] International Lions Club Hong Kong The association got global on 12 March 1920, when the principal club in Canada was built up in Windsor, Ontario. Lions Clubs have since spread over the globe and have a present participation program of 1,368,683 individuals around the world. Recorded beneath are the dates of passage for certain nations and districts. †¢ 1917 United States of America †¢ 1920 Canada †¢ 1926-1949 China (under the then ROC government) Later restored in Taiwan 1958 when the ROC government moved to Taiwan. †¢ 1926 China (Tianjin) †¢ 1927 Mexico (Nuevo Laredo) †¢ 1927 Cuba (Havana) †¢ 1935 Panama (Colon) †¢ 1947 Australia †¢ 1948 France †¢ 1948 Pakistan †¢ 1948 Sweden †¢ 1949 Philippines †¢ 1950 United Kingdom and Ireland †¢ 1950 Finland and Denmark †¢ 1951 Germany †¢ 1951 Iceland †¢ 1952 Brazil and Lebanon †¢ 1954 Argentina 1955 Hong Kong and Macau †¢ 1956 India †¢ 1957 South Africa †¢ 1958 Singapore †¢ 1958 Taiwan ROC †¢ 1959 Malaysia †¢ 1960 Israel †¢ 1960 Peru †¢ 1962 Lebanon District 351 †¢ 1963 Turkey on 4 January with La w 3512 marked by President Camel Gruel †¢ 1969 Indonesia †¢ 1989 Poland †¢ 1990 Romania †¢ 1992 Bulgaria †¢ 2002 Peoples Republic of China (Guangdong and Shenzhen, contracted on May 14, are the primary universal assistance clubs to be conceded authorization by the administration of the PRC to work inâ mainland China) Extensions of the Lions family Notwithstanding grown-up Lions Clubs, the Lions family incorporates Lioness Clubs, Leo Clubs, and Campus Lions Clubs and Lion Cubs. These divisions are significant standard

Faculty of Economics and Business Science Essay

Presentation †How the American Low-Cost Airline Industry Looks Like? In the post World War II the national government intensely managed period, business air goes in the US. Accordingly, the country was dependent on a couple of driving aircraft organizations. Rivalry was allowed distinctly inside individual states. California and Texas were the main two expresses that had both the topographical and segment favorable position to make air travel alluring. Since 1938, the U.S. Congress officially controlled air transportation through the Civil Aeronautics Act. This Act made a board to control the section and exit of air bearers, to direct admissions, and to control mergers. These new discoveries prompted the deregulation of the aircraft business in 1978. Deregulation was commenced on the possibility that an unregulated market would inexact a consummately serious industry, one that had various transporters, no noteworthy economies of scale, and no huge obstructions to passage. Therefore, numerous new participants attempted to set up on the carrier showcase, albeit a large portion of them get bankrupt because of the savage rivalry on costs which made an overall revenue too low to even think about staying in the game. In addition, budgetary emergencies in 1983 and 1990 made some minimal effort carriers depart the market. For instance, more than 200 carriers prevented working from 1983 to 1988. Notwithstanding, hardly any noteworthy aircrafts were conceived around then: Spirit Airlines (1964) and Southwest Airlines (1967), Sun Country Airlines (1982). The generally extraordinary failure cost bearers incorporate Allegiant Air (1997), Frontier Airlines (1994), JetBlue (1999) and Virgin America (2004). In 2006 the minimal effort bearers have a piece of the overall industry of 30% in the Unites States, contrasted with 7% in 1990. One reason for such a heightening increment could be a bringing voyaging request up in the US: absolute number of travelers in 2012 arrived at 800 million! We accept that such a huge piece of the pie ought to be comprehended as a different industry. We might want to break down the earth of the US minimal effort aircraft industry by applying following devices: PESTEL examination, Porter’s five powers system and Strategic Groupsâ analysis. The Macro-Environment We will begin with the examination of the biggest layer of the business condition. So as to research the large scale condition we will apply PESTEL examination to comprehend to which degree the accompanying six principle factors affect the entire business. Political Factor String of fear mongering: The carrier business has never truly recouped from the result of the 9/11 assaults. This circumstance prompts increasingly intrusive security strategies at the air terminals and clients disappointment even before taking a flight. September 11, 2001 has put a drawn out shadow all in all aircraft industry prompting altogether higher working expenses. The aircraft business is exceptionally managed by the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, fundamentally in territories of flight tasks, support and other wellbeing and specialized issues. Stricter guidelines on airplane security support, for example, are setting new weights on administrators of more seasoned airplane. Normal airplane working age in the business is 11 years. The 1978 Airline Deregulation Act halfway moved power over air make a trip from the political to the market circle. The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), which had recently controlled section, exit, and the valuing of carrier administrations, mergers, and shopper issues, was eliminated under the CAB Sunset Act and terminated authoritatively on December 31, 1984. The financial advancement of air travel was a piece of a progression of â€Å"deregulation† moves dependent on the developing acknowledgment that a politically controlled economy served no proceeding with open intrigue. U.S. deregulation has been a piece of a more noteworthy worldwide aircraft advancement pattern. Monetary Factor This monetary piece of the aircrafts business has previously battling the aircrafts to fight with declining traveler traffic, rivalry from minimal effort transporters, high avionics fuel costs, work requests, and taking off support and working expenses. Every one of these components have made the carriers to get in insolvencies since they can no longer bear to run their tasks gainfully. Fuel is the aircraft industry’s second largestâ expense, surpassed uniquely by work. The major U.S. aircrafts spend more than $10 billion every year on fuel, which is around 10 percent of absolute working costs. Thus, expanded eco-friendliness has been a top industry need for a long time. Noteworthy changes showed up in the US economy somewhere in the range of 1983 and 1988; the aircraft business encountered a huge flood of liquidations, mergers, and acquisitions. More than 200 bearers left the market, leaving nine carriers (United, American, Continental, TWA, US Air, Pan Am, Delta, Northwest, and Eastern) to share 92 percent of household income. In spite of introductory desires, deregulation really prompted a diminishing in rivalry. Airlines’ benefit is intently attached to monetary development and exchange. During the main portion of the 1990s, the industry experienced world downturn as well as the Gulf War additionally discouraged travel. In 1991 the quantity of global travelers dropped just because. The monetary challenges were exacerbated via carriers over-requesting airplane in the blast long stretches of the late 1980s, driving too huge abundance limit in the market. Mergers and acquisitions are believed to be one of the most significant patterns in the ease carrier industry. Numerous transporters put forth attempts to buy little local airplane working organizations or even fuel providers of the nearby level. This prompts lower working expenses and will result even into higher ticket costs later on. The desire for the US economy for the following years is that the development rate will increment for 1.6% to 2.4%. Developing economy implies an expansion in purchasing intensity of the clients. Therefore, the making a trip request is relied upon to increment later on also. Social Factor The profile of the travelers has changed with all the more monetarily travelers and less business class travelers. Presently with more data and internet based life the clients have exclusive requirements in the low cost division of the tickets on the grounds that the normal guidelines of the administrations have expanded. In any event, requiring little to no effort travelers hope to have clean seats, grinning team, no postponements and so forth. Additionally, clients are prepared to grumble if the administration doesn't live up to their desires. Mechanical Factor In spite of the fact that the carrier business utilizes innovation widely in its activities, they are constrained to the airplane and the tasks of theâ airlines barring the ticketing and the dissemination viewpoints. This has incited numerous specialists to approach the aircrafts to utilize the advances in innovation for the front office and the client confronting capacities also. At the end of the day, the mechanical changes must be adjusted to incorporate portable advances similarly as ticketing, dissemination, and client support. Innovation media presently is essential, for their advancement and for the clients that can purchase their tickets in a protected and a quicly way. A model is that Southwest Airlines utilizes the innovation widely and the 75% of its benefits the organization increases because of the online deals. Such innovations as cell phone applications, landing pages, online reservations and others are a bit much just to be effective in the market †they are a totally a  ¨must haveâ ¨ for the carrier to try and begin to make deals. Natural Factor The social obligation activities are getting increasingly articulated in the airilines business. As shoppers and activists turn a basic eye towards the carriers and their corporate social obligation. Numerous individuals don't connect commotion with contamination. In any case, in the most recent decades the commotion created by planes has gotten one of the aircrafts greatest natural difficulties, the one the organizations have burned through billions of dollars to address. Key to their commotion decrease endeavors has been the turn of events and presentation of new innovation throughout the years. The carriers have actualized a reusing system to decrease the measure of strong waste they send to landfills. These are the most hall: aluminum can reusing by flight, more prominent utilization of metal utensils and earthenware dishes, paper reusing of aircraft workplaces. Legitimate Factor The quantity of claims against aircrafts from the two clients just as laborers has gone up. At the end of the day, the controllers are being stricter with the carriers, which imply that they are presently progressively their methodologies, and completing their techniques simply after they are persuaded that they are not disregarding any laws. For the carriers business the clients are the need beacuase they know thath having a plane mishap will have lawful issues and can annihilate an entire airiline. The lawful framework got narrow minded of deferrals, wellbeing issues, and different perspectives has just served to expand the feelings of dread among the carriers as every single move of theirs is being checked. In the limitations on mergers the U.S. Division of Justice endorses a specific number of aircraft mergers, yet in addition hinders various them since they dread a pattern towards imposing business model which would mean less rivalry and could prompt higher ticket costs. Carriers at that point some of the time document in claims to shield their proposed merger and will in general succeed. Open Skies Agreement was marked in 2008, the aim of this U.S. what's more, EU aeronautics settlement was to permit more prominent access to U.S. advertises by non-U.S. bearers. This implies a more prominent serious weight for U.S. aircrafts. End from the PESTEL investigation: Key drivers from the large scale condition incorporate political, monetary and lawful components. So as to examine the following layer of the earth †enterprises and segments †we will utilize Porter’s five powers system. This apparatus was develope

Guide to Value-Based Pricing

Guide to Value-Based Pricing Determining a price for your product or a service is among the most important business decisions you need to make. Without the right price, you can make or break a business. It can impact your sales figures, your profit margins and your ability to pay the bills, among other things.While there are different ways of optimizing your pricing strategy, this guide will explore one of your options: value-based pricing. © Shutterstock | Rawpixel.comWe’ll explain what value-based pricing means and the benefits, as well as the downsides to using this strategy. We’ll then provide you a simple four-step guide to determining a value-based price for your product or service.WHAT IS VALUE-BASED PRICING?Value-based pricing means determining the price of a product or a service based on the benefits it provides for the consumer. You are essentially attaching a price to your product or service based on what the consumers think the product is worth.When you are using value-based pricing you are trying to reach equilibrium where you are maximizing your revenue, yet charging the customers an amount, which they are also willing to pay.As an example, value-based pricing is different from cost-plus pricing. Cost-plus pricing determines the price of a product or service based on the costs of making it. Therefore, if a sock costs $3 to make â€" including labor, materials and so on â€" and the company wants a 50% p rofit, the price it charges would be $4.5.On the other hand, value-based pricing would focus on determining what value consumers put on the product and therefore would be willing to pay. It might be that the socks are sold in harsh conditions and they are extra good at keeping your feet warm. This could mean the consumer would pay $8 for the socks.The above example highlights the situations where value-based pricing is most commonly used. It works the best when the company offers something unique or high-value features for the customer. A company offering an almost indistinguishable product or service from its competitors, such as basic socks, is unlikely to benefit from value-based pricing. For common and largely available products, the value customers attach to the product is likely low.Furthermore, value-based pricing is often used in service industry, where the product or service doesn’t require many tangible costs. For example, copy writing or image editing are services, whic h generally use value-based pricing. These don’t have many running costs, like materials, and the results are typically based on the valuation of the customer.[slideshare id=57791372doc=slidesharewhatisvaluebasedpricing-160202165411w=640h=330]THE PROS AND CONS OF VALUE-BASED PRICING MODELLike any pricing strategy, value-based pricing has its pros and cons. Before you decide to use the model for your business, it’s essential to consider how the benefits and downsides relate to your business.The benefitsDue to value-based pricing’s focus on customer research and understanding, the pricing model is a valuable method for understanding and serving your customers better. In order to determine the price, you’ll need to survey customers and improve your understanding of the things they are looking for with the product or service. This enhanced understanding won’t just help you determine the price; it’ll also help you provide better service.In addition, your extensive research ca n help develop better quality products or services. You’ll be required to research your competition and analyze their pricing strategies and the value customers put on those products or services. This can help understand what aspects in the product or service matter the most. You can use this information to improve your product or service focusing on the things that provide the most value for your customer and therefore, help you increase the price.Overall, you need to understand the demand and the value of the product or service on offer in more detail, which can eventually lead to improvements in profit margins. In many cases, a product’s value to the customer is higher when the product has a positive and beneficial impact on the customer. With a high-quality service like this, the demand can further drive up the price. If your business only focuses on the costs of production or the hourly rate of creating the service, it might be missing revenue. The true value of the product can be much higher than the hourly labor costs, if the impact of the product for the customer is high.Furthermore, since you are developing high-quality focus, with the emphasis on the qualities the customer is actually looking for, the overall costs of creating the product or service can go down. You’re not focusing on aspects customers don’t like or don’t value and you can enhance your abilities regarding the features they are looking for. This can help develop and train employees; a process, which can in time drive down the production or servicing costs.Furthermore, listen to the tips from Chris Lema on value based pricing. The downsidesPerhaps the major issue with value-based pricing is how difficult it can be to get it right. The model requires more time and resources than some of the other pricing models, where you can calculate the figure from existing numbers. Figuring out the value of your product will force you to research your product, your customer-base and your m arket. Unlike with cost-plus pricing, you can’t view production costs and just determine profit margins, but you have to understand the worth of your product and service to your customer.In addition, value-based pricing is not a precise method. You’re going to have to tweak your figures, which might add some pressure on your business’ finances. Testing out the different prices can also be difficult when you are handling customer relations, as you can’t change your pricing model dramatically without it impacting your existing partnerships.Since the model won’t provide 100% accuracy, you’ll need to regularly assess and adjust the pricing, even after you’ve found the ‘sweet spot’. The value customers place on your product or service can change, forcing you to look ahead to stay on top of trends on the market.STEPS TO DETERMINE A VALUE-BASED PRICEAs mentioned above, value-based pricing is a pricing method that requires meticulous research. Therefore, the process can se em a little daunting. But you can determine value-based pricing for your products or services by following these four steps.Step 1: Do your research on your product and serviceThe first step is about conducting research on your product and service. You need to examine the different elements of your business, what it takes to get each of them done and the unique value each element provides to the customer.Start examining your product or service by answering the following questions:What are the different elements you are offering? Each product and service consists of different elements. For example, accounting software might include the actual physical software, a cloud-based service, servicing for later and the installation.Do you offer these elements separately or are they always included in the final product? You might choose to offer different types of packages, such as only the software or the software and installation together.What materials and other such costs might be include d in the price? It’s naturally always a good idea to consider certain costs your product or service entails, even though you are using the value-based pricing as a model.What is the typical timeline for delivering the different elements? Examine how quickly you are able to deliver the service or product from the moment the customer orders it. You should consider the fastest delivery, as well as delivery for times when you have plenty of other projects on-going.What are the different elements and qualities you are offering, which your competitors aren’t? Explore your competitors’ products as well and outline the ways your service differs from theirs.When you are answering the above questions, keep in mind any previous work you’ve done. For example, in terms of determining timelines for delivery, you can base your schedule on the previous work you’ve done.Good places to start researching your competition include industry analyst reports from analyst firms like Gartner and Al exa. You should also visit the company’s website, blog and social media platform and see what they are doing there in terms of product or service value.After you’ve done your research, you can estimate prices for each element. You can use previous pricing strategies and information based on competition. For example, you might have previously charged $200 for a company brand design, but your research might indicate your competitors are charging anything between $100 and $600. Keep tab of these different price alternatives for later.Step 2: Identify and analyze your customersYour second step involves the identification and analysis of your customer. You must understand who your potential customer is, in order to fully appreciate what they are looking for and how much they are willing to pay for it. The step is essentially about understanding what you can offer to these customers in terms of value.First, you need to understand what the target group looks like for your business. You ’ll want to develop buyer personas, which are buyer profiles, for your product or service, as it allows you to better understand the value the customers are looking for and the prices they are able and willing to pay.You can see how you should identify buying personas from the below box:Corporate buyersPrivate buyersWhat is the size of the company? Small business, start-up, large corporation and so on.What groups are you targeting? Families, students, women, men and so on.Who in the company are you selling to? The buyer might be the human resources department, the accounting department, the CEO and so on.Gain more insights into creating and analyzing buyer persona from the following webinar. The buyer profiling doesn’t mean your business has a single target group. For example, if you are selling your product or service to corporations, you might well have to work with a number of different profiles. The key is just to identify the most common groups to make it easier to understa nd what the person is looking for.Once you’ve identified the buyer, you need to analyze their behavior in terms of buying the product or service. You want to focus on two key aspects:What are the elements of this product or service the buyer profile values the most?What is the realistic price range the buyer profile is willing to pay? For example, a student’s realistic buying power is lower than a corporate buyer’s ability to pay for products.The best way to find answers to the above questions is by surveying your target market. You can use online survey sites such as SurveyGizmo or SurveyMonkey and share your quiz on social media and the forums your target market is on. If you are attracting corporate clients, you can even send them these questionnaires directly.In the surveys, you should focus on two aspects mentioned above:In terms of value: Find out what are the elements the customer feels add quality to a product or service. You can even present them with options like “ Would you appreciate the speed of delivery over help with installation?”In terms of price: Ask directly what sort of price the customer would be willing to pay for the product or service. Focus on both the price point when the customer would no longer buy the product or service, as well as the price point in which they would consider paying, but might think it’s expensive. In addition to the actual price, compare also different payment mechanisms. For example, would the customer rather pay per month, per project, per use, etc.?Step 3: Combine and evaluate the different dataBy now, you should have collected price data on:What you used to charge for the product or service (if applicable)What competitors charge for their similar product or serviceWhat customers are willing to pay for your proposed product or serviceYou should input this data on Excel and create charts to see what type of patterns emerge. You might notice there’s a price point after which customer interest drops a nd find the sweet spot for what customers are willing to pay and which is a little below what competitors are charging.If you are selling to a number of different buyer groups, you’ll most likely notice wide variety in prices. You shouldn’t be afraid of using value-based pricing as a method of creating different pricing layers. Not only would you offer slightly different products to different buyers (remember that some might be only interested in certain elements), but you’d also find the product or service you offer provides different value to different customers.Step 4: Test and review your priceFinally, you need to remember that value-based pricing is just a concept. As we’ve mentioned before, you will likely see shifts in the value customers attach to the service as their needs change. The value is also affected by what the market has to offer, not to mention how your experience and expertise is likely only going to increase as time goes by.Therefore, the final step is a bout testing and reviewing your price. As you implement your new pricing method, you need to keep an eye on what it does to your sales. Furthermore, if you are just starting out and the business doesn’t seem to pick up, it’s worth considering that your value proposition might be wrong.Consider conducting more customer surveys or simply offering the product for a discount price to see if the sales pick up. If you are still not generating enough sales, you need to look beyond price and see whether there’s something wrong with the product or service, or your business model.In addition, if you are constantly busy and you have to say no to clients, you might want to consider adjusting the price upwards. It seems customers are enjoying your product or service and you might be able to generate a bit more profit with what you offer.Overall, don’t think value-based pricing is just a one-off process. You should regularly keep an eye on your prices and test what the market and the cust omers are saying about the value of your product or service.Learn more about how your company can transition from cost-based pricing to value-based pricing in the following slides.[slideshare id=15105178doc=organizationaltransformationtovalue-basedpricing-acasestudywithardexamericas-121109141900-phpapp01w=640h=330]CONCLUSIONConsidering that a simple 1% price increase can boost your profits by 11% on average, finding the right price for your products is crucial. Value-based pricing is a great strategy for products and services that offer that extra bit of something. When you aren’t just providing a generic service and when customers attach their own value to the product or service, this strategy works exceptionally well.Nonetheless, it is a time-consuming strategy and you need to research your product and the customer carefully. You must be aware of the things your potential customer is looking for and at what price would the customer turn his or her back on you.

How Global Capitalism Works

Global capitalism is the fourth and current epoch of capitalism. What distinguishes it from earlier epochs of mercantile capitalism, classical capitalism, and national-corporate capitalism is that the system, which was previously administered by and within nations, now transcends nations, and thus is transnational, or global, in scope. In its global form, all aspects of the system, including production, accumulation, class relations, and governance, have been disembedded from the nation and reorganized in a globally integrated way that increases the freedom and flexibility with which corporations and financial institutions operate. In his book Latin America and Global Capitalism, sociologist William I. Robinson explains that today’s global capitalist economy is the result of â€Å"...worldwide market liberalization and the construction of a new legal and regulatory superstructure for the global economy... and the internal restructuring and global integration of each national economy. The combination of the two is intended to create a ‘liberal world order,’ an open global economy, and a global policy regime that breaks down all national barriers to the free movement of transnational capital between borders and the free operation of capital within borders in the search for new productive outlets for excess accumulated capital.† Characteristics of Global Capitalism The process of  globalizing the economy began in the mid-twentieth century. Today, global capitalism is defined by the following five characteristics. The production of goods is global in nature.  Corporations can now disperse the production process around the world, so that components of products may be produced in a variety of places, final assembly done in another, none of which may be the country in which the business is incorporated. In fact, global corporations, like Apple, Walmart, and Nike, for example, act as mega-buyers of goods from globally dispersed suppliers, instead of as producers of goods.The relationship between capital and labor is global in scope, highly flexible, and thus very different from epochs past. Because corporations are no longer limited to producing within their home countries, they now, whether directly or indirectly through contractors, employ people around the world in all aspects of production and distribution. In this context, labor is flexible in that a corporation can draw from an entire globe’s worth of workers, and can relocate production to areas where labor is cheaper or more highl y skilled, should it wish to.The financial system and circuits of accumulation operate on a global level. Wealth held and traded by corporations and individuals is scattered around the world in a variety of places, which has made taxing wealth very difficult. Individuals and corporations from all over the world now invest in businesses, financial instruments like stocks or mortgages, and real estate, among other things, wherever they please, giving them great influence in communities far and wide.There is now a transnational class of capitalists (owners of the means of production and high level financiers and investors) whose shared interests shape the policies and practices of global production, trade, and finance. Relations of power are now global in scope, and while it is still relevant and important to consider how relations of power exist and effect social life within nations and local communities, it is deeply important to understand how power operates on a global scale,  an d how it filters down through national, state, and local governments to impact the everyday lives of people all over the world.The policies of global production, trade, and finance are created and administered by a variety of institutions that, together, compose a transnational state. The epoch of global capitalism has ushered in a new global system of governance and authority that impacts what happens within nations and communities around the world. The core institutions of the transnational state are the United Nations, the  World Trade Organization, the Group of 20, the World Economic Forum, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. Together, these organizations make and enforce the rules of global capitalism. They set an agenda for global production and trade that nations are expected to fall in line with if they want to participate in the system. Because it has freed corporations from national constraints in highly developed nations  like labor laws, environmental regulations, corporate taxes on accumulated wealth, and import and export tariffs, this new phase of capitalism has fostered unprecedented levels of wealth accumulation and has expanded the power and influence that corporations hold in society. Corporate and financial executives, as members of the transnational capitalist class, now influence policy decisions that filter down to all the world’s nations and local communities.

C209 - 2527 Words

------------------------------------------------- Task 2: Theories of Leadership Assessment Code: C200 Student Name: Robert Merrifield Student ID: Date: 4/15/2016 Student Mentor Name: Carol Kamen-Kannel Table of Contents Reflection on Seven Habits Profile 3 Personal Leadership Strengths 4 Personal Leadership Weaknesses 5 Recommendation for Personal Leadership 6 S.M.A.R.T Goals 6 Specific Actions 7 References 8 Reflection on Seven Habits Profile – A After completing the Seven Habits profile, I reviewed my results from the completed profile form. The profile was pretty true to form in how I look at life whether it be, business, or life goals and my end vision for how I would like things to turn out. I scored rather highly in all†¦show more content†¦Its about developing the habit of listening carefully and really understanding the other person BEFORE giving your thoughts†. Stephen Covey (1989) My second lowest habit score was, â€Å"Think win-win†, which also makes since as this habit that focuses on finding solutions that benefit not just yourself, but makes a solution for you and others. In life we are taught a win or lose situation is always it, but as in capitalism, that also gets a bad rap, but is similar in this habit as it focus on not just taking your slice of the pie, but rather growing the pie for everyone, which is a win/win for all. In looking at my seven habits profile I would consider myself a Transactional Leader and would scribe to the Transactional Leadership theory. I thrive on structure in an organization and in my life. As a Manager and competitive runner who is always planning to a set plan or program, I thrive on structure and perform well when a program has a well defined â€Å"rewards-penalty system†, and with groups who know their jobs well. According to Pamela Spahr, â€Å"A transactional leader is someone who values order and structure. They are likely to command military operations, manage large corporations, or lead international projects that require rules and regulations to complete objectives on time or move people and supplies in an organized way. Transactional leaders are not a good fit forShow MoreRelatedBolingbrook High School Staff Directory 2014 20153189 Words   |  13 Pages3493 Room Email Address adlingtonma@vvsd.org B144 B101 D200 E124 agustssonvs@vvsd.org albanomm@vvsd.org Albrightda@vvsd.org allenjs@vvsd.org allenmr@vvsd.org D238 A204A Cafà © D311 C106 D311 B111 alonsom@vvsd.org C118 C100 C209 D201 A119C D237 G107 E126 C102 D311 B144 C209 G107 D222B Cafe E126 D238 D301 C122 E126 C122 B211 B246 D238 C122 Cafà © B201 E126 C208A C208A babiczpm@vvsd.org altenburgrp@vvsd.org antoniosc@vvsd.org araizac@vvsd.org armisteada@vvsd.org arochop@vvsd.org baincr@vvsd.org balichht@vvsdRead MoreFm11 Ch 11 Mini Case2240 Words   |  9 Pagesdiscuss the results. Here we use an Excel Data Table to find NPV different unit sales, holding other thing constant. For example, after inputting the values for WACC in cells B205:B209 and the formula =C105 for NPV in cell C204, select the range B204:C209. Then choose from the menu Data, Table, and enter D31 (which is the input for WACC) as the Column input. This produces the sensitivity analysis for WACC as shown below. We summarize the data tables, arranged by sensitivity, and graphed the most sensitiveRead MoreEssay about J.P. Morgan Chase4778 Words   |  20 PagesPreziosi, and Damon Swaner. J.P. Morgan Chase Co.: The Credit Card Segment of the Financial Service Industry. Strategic Management, an Integrated Approach. Hill, Charles W.L., and Gareth R. Jones. Boston, Ma: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. C209-210. Dologite, Dorothy G., Marc E. Gartenfeld, Steven Preziosi, and Damon Swaner. J.P. Morgan Chase Co.: The Credit Card Segment of the Financial Service Industry. Strategic Management, an Integrated Approach. Hill, Charles W.L., and

The day I went to the Department of Motor Vehicles Free Essays

When I decided to go to the United States, my friends were really envious of me. They called the United States ‘Dream Land’, and so did I. Yes, I came here to make my dreams come true. We will write a custom essay sample on The day I went to the Department of Motor Vehicles or any similar topic only for you Order Now I was so excited. When I boarded the airplane, my heart was beating faster and faster. And when I got off in the San Francisco International Airport, everything looked different from my country. Everything was beautiful. I admired the buildings, the people, I even thought that the sky here was so beautiful that home could not compare. Back home I hated it when it rains but here I thought of rainy days as romantic. The wind here was as cool as strawberry ice cream. I just loved everything in this ‘Dream Land’.   This was paradise to me, where I thought everyone is an angel. Little did I know that this illusion would soon be over, and this is the story of how my ‘Dream Land’ crumbled before my very eyes. Everything started when I decided I needed a car. Back home, I never felt the inconvenience of not having a car. I could go almost everywhere by foot and if I had to go somewhere far the bus can be relied on. However, ‘Dream land’ is huge; I could not go to market without a car. Everything was far from my place and the buses never came on time, so I spend hours on the road to get to where I need to go. That’s why I decided to buy a car. My parents however did not understand my situation. My father thought I envied friends who have cars, but eventually he agreed and said that if I can get a license he will buy me a car. My teacher gave me driver’s hand book to study and wrote a letter for the DMV to explain that I am an international student and that I needed assistance to get my driver’s license. During that time I was as student in the English as a Second Language center at Sac State. My English was not good. I had difficulty expressing myself in English. I could understand what they are saying but I could not give a reply since it was so hard for me to say what I am thinking. That’s why my teacher wanted the DMV officer to read her letter. When I went to DMV, I had to wait an hour and half until my number was called even if I had a reservation. An hour and a half was really a long time to wait, but that was still okay with me. My frustration started right after that. I went to the window which has my number on the screen. There was old white lady. She looked very blunt and never smiled. I said, â€Å"Hi, um,, I   want to take a test for the driver’s license.† But, she did not understand what I said. She repeatedly said â€Å"Excuse me, what? What?† I was losing my confidence. Americans would never understand, how scary it is for a foreigner when they say ‘What?’ in a condescending if not antagonizing way. Any way, when she finally understood me, I showed her my documents, including my   passport, I-20 and the letter that my teacher wrote. The blunt old white lady said to me. ‘No, you can not take a test because you do not have social security number.’ I politely explained to her that I could not understand because international students can not get social security number, and some of my friends took test just a day before, but she said ‘why are you talking about your friends? I do not care about them. The problem is that you do not have social security number.’ I felt that she was annoyed and did not want to listen to my poor English. So, finally I asked her to read the letter. However, she did not read it and said ‘Sac State is not my government.’ I was speechless with amazement, and I could not accept what she said. When I tried to say something, she said ‘why are you still here? If you can not follow American law, go back to your country.’ She was really rude. And the experience was   so frustrating for me. That was the day I realized that this place is not the ‘Dream Land’ I thought it to be. The angel has turned into a scary antagonizing monster, whom I hate. As I walked to the bus stop I could not stop my tears from falling and soon I was crying so hard. It was a very painful experience for me. I was so humiliated by the way the rude white lady who does not know what is legal. I hated her. I hated myself for not being able to express my thoughts in English. And I hated this ‘Dream land’ where they do not give social security number to international students, and want to us pay ten times expensive tuition fee than that paid by their citizens. That was the day I understood what racism means. I am an Asian who could not speak English well, so the white lady did not listen to me. I thought to myself, this not ‘Dream land’ after all, the old lady at the DMV made me realize just that and she did it in a really painful manner. I went to the mall to meet my friend and tell this story because if I did not tell this story that day, I think I would have died.   We sat at the food court, and spoke in Korean. I felt so relieved that I could speak in my mother tongue and be understood by my friend. Suddenly, an old white man came to us. He asked us, ‘What language are you guys talking with?’ We said, ‘Korean’. We thought he was interested in listening to another language. However, it was another illusion. He explained that we have to speak only in English in the ‘Dream land.’ We were so offended by what he said but what offended us more and made us very angry were his last words to us. He said ‘Go to the restroom and wash your mouths.’ I could not believe he was insulting us because we did not speak in English. From that day, ‘Dream land’ is not dream land to me any more. And I realize how wrong I was to think that this is ‘Dream Land†. There is no dream land and no angels. It was really a sad experience for me to be treated unfairly because of my race and poor English. From then on, I studied English very hard until I could speak very well. Nowadays, when I see people who can not speak English well at the mall or on the road, I try my best to help them and I am always careful not to say anything that would ruin their confidence because I do not want to break their dreams like the old white lady did to me. If they still think this is ‘Dream Land’ I do not want to ruin it for them.       How to cite The day I went to the Department of Motor Vehicles, Essay examples

Psychoactive Drugs Essay Example

Psychoactive Drugs Essay Psychoactive Drugs are chemical substances that alter behavior, mood, perception, or mental functioning. Through the consumption of substances many cultures have found ways to alter consciousness. Psychoactive substances apply their effects by transforming biochemical or physiological processes in the brain. The message system of nerve cells, or neurons, relies on both electrical and chemical transmission. Neurons rarely touch each other; there is a microscopic gap between one neuron and the next, called the synapse. When a neuron fires, it releases chemicals called neurotransmitters into the synapse. Psychoactive drugs act by altering neurotransmitter function, they bind to the site of the firing neuron and inhibit this process so the neurotransmitters remain in the synapse, where they extend and increase the normal effect. The drugs can be separated into six key pharmacological classes based on their desired behavioral or psychological effect: alcohol, sedative-hypnotics, hallucinogens, narcotic analgesics, stimulant-euphoriants, and psychotropic drugs. The most used psychoactive substance is alcohol, which is also the only psychoactive drug legally available without a prescription in most countries. Enjoyable relaxation is often the ideal effect from alcohol consumption, but intoxication weakens judgment and motor performance, as well as brings on a feeling of exhilaration, and exaltation followed by sleep. Alcohol is a stimulant at first but after more is consumed it becomes a depressant. Alcohol is addictive. Continual use of alcohol can lead to disease known as alcoholism. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychoactive Drugs specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Psychoactive Drugs specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Psychoactive Drugs specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Alcoholism can be classified as a chronic illness, psycho, somatic, or psychosomatic. It manifests itself as disorder of behavior. When consumed continually, alcohol consumption can be extremely harmful to the liver and brain cells, as well as physiologically addicting, generating hazardous withdrawal symptoms. It is possible to overdose from alcohol. Alcohol increases danger when taken with other types of drugs. Sedative-hypnotics, such as diazepam, amytat or barbiturates, more commonly known as the brand ‘Valium’, are all types of brain depressants. To assist people in sleeping, doctors often prescribe sedative-hypnotics. They can also be prescribed to calm people without causing sleep, because some may contain anti-anxiety agents. Sedative-Hypnotics are also used illegally to create relaxation, tranquility and euphoria. Overdoses of such drugs can prove to be fatal; they may also be physiologically addicting and may produce life threatening withdrawal symptoms. Barbiturates are extremely dangerous if injected and highly addictive. If they are taken to help a person sleep for a few nights in a row then after the person stops taking them it will have become impossible to sleep without them. Barbiturates create tolerance. The withdraw symptoms can be very painful to the user. A person who is withdrawn from barbiturates craves for them, they feel discomfort, and cannot sleep. In some situations withdrawal can cause major epileptic seizures, which makes it possible to die from barbiturate withdrawal. Barbiturates should only be used under doctor supervision. They aren’t pleasant or enjoyable since they lack euphoric content and the social lubrication that is produced by alcohol consumption. They create a dark, blank oblivion, because of this they are usually taken by people who hate him or herself or life. Hallucinogens or psychedelic drugs as they are sometimes referred to, or more commonly known as marijuana (which is a very weak hallucinogen), LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide), mescaline, or PCP’s (Phencyclidine), have little medical use. These drugs are taken illegally to alter perception and thinking patterns. Hallucinogens all have the same risks that a person faces when choosing to take a form of hallucinogen. Those risks are increased heart rate and blood pressure, sleeplessness and tremors, lack of muscular coordination, sparse, mangled and incoherent speech, as well as convulsions, comas, and heart and lung failure, decreased awareness of touch and pain that can result in self- inflected wounds. People who take these drugs are also faced who psychological effects such as a sense of distance and estrangement, depression, anxiety, and paranoia, violent behavior, confusion, suspicion, and loss of control, plus flashbacks, and behavior similar to schizophrenic psychosis, in addition to catatonic syndrome which is when a user becomes mute, lethargic, disoriented or makes meaningless repetitive movements. When taken in low quantities, marijuana, which is scientifically known as cannabis, becomes a depressant drug, which slows down the body’s systems. In the early 19th century the use of ‘dope’ spread to Europe from the Middle East and China, and by the middle of the century onto America. In 1937, cannabis was made illegal to possess and sell in the U. S. it has still being used as a popular recreational substance by some people. However, in some places it is still legal to smoke marijuana for medical purposes, because it suppresses nausea caused by chemotherapy, and possibly reduces eye pressure in severe cases of glaucoma. Pupils may become dilated, heart rate and blood pressure may increase, or a sense of well-being and relaxation all can occur, there are many more side effects that may transpire if LSD is taken. Morphine is the most effective painkiller. Morphine is what is left in the unripe seedpods of the opium poppy after the milky juice has been extracted. Morphine doesn’t diminish pain but changes the way a person perceives it, because of this morphine has become one of the most valuable drugs in medicine. Morphine is addictive and it creates a tolerance so that a person who takes morphine needs to take more every time to reach the same relief. This drug can cause death because it depresses the function in the brain that controls breathing and so a person taking high doses of morphine can go into respiratory arrest. Codeine is an alkaloid drug that is derived from opium. Codeine is often prescribed as an analgesic, cough suppressant or a hypnotic, because it has effects similar to morphine. Heroin is the most dangerous and expensive narcotic analgesic. The greatest risk from injection of heroin is death from overdose. In one year in the US 1% of all heroin addicts will die despite having a high tolerance for heroin in their system. Tolerance to heroin can change from day to day; studies are being done to see if it is because of change of environment. Heroin gives the user a much more euphoric experience than any other opiate, but has fewer side effects. There are several different forms of heroin. Pharmaceutical heroin was illegally available in the 1960’s as a white powder this form was obtained from pharmacy and hospital thefts, or in ‘Jacks’ a 10mg tablet made specifically for injection. Today the most seen form of pharmaceutical heroin is dry amp, which is injectable and can be bought in 10mg, 60mg, and 100mg. This drug is often referred to as the ‘holy grail for opiate users’. Far eastern heroin came to America after laws changed and heroin became illegal. It became very hard for addicts to get heroin so they turned to the black market where the Chinese met the demand for heroin. This type of heroin came in two different brands: Pink Elephant and Tiger Rice Brand. Amphetamine is structurally related to ephedrine and adrenaline. Amphetamine is a cheap and synthetic alternate to ephedra. It is commonly used to dilate the small bronchial sacs in lungs. These drugs are prescribed for depression, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, travel-sickness, night-blindness, and obesity, narcolepsy, impotency, hyperactivity in children, and boredom in seniors. When used amphetamines release excitatory neurotransmitters, dopamine, and noradrenaline, from where it is stored in the central nervous system. Amphetamines can be sniffed, swallowed, snorted or injected. It induces exhilarating feelings of power, strength; energy, self-assertion, focus, and enhanced motion, the need to sleep and eat disappear. When the dopamine is released, it induces a sense of euphoria, which unlike cocaine, can last for many hours. Since the body does not readily break down amphetamines, feelings are intensified. After the euphoria ends, then the user feels intense depression and fatigue. Speed is one form of amphetamine that is commonly linked with violent and anti-social behavior. When used in small doses and infrequently it has relatively no harmful effect on the body, but when used heavily in chronic doses it can lead violent behavior, depressive disorders and â€Å"meth bugs†. Speed is a cocaine-induced formication and has a strain on the cardiovascular system which causes increased behavioral disintegration and outright â€Å"amphetamine psychosis†. A common drug that is mainly associated with the rave and nightclub scene is Ecstasy, it is actually called MDMA. Ecstasy or ‘E’ is a psychedelic amphetamine, which produces strong feelings of comfort, empathy, and connection to others. It is often bought in tablets and taken orally but can also be crushed into a powder and snorted. Sometimes ‘E’ is used in therapy to get the patient to open up since the therapist will no longer seem like a doctor but more like a loved one. Methamphetamine is very addictive and creates tolerance. When used, they create a feeling of extreme elation, wakefulness, alertness, enhanced self-confidence, aggression, talkativeness, loss of appetite, increased initiative, and an increase in physical activities, which is followed by prolonged depression and fatigue. When bought on the street it is an odorless white or off-white bitter powder, or else in pills, capsules, or large crystals. It is frequently snorted, but can be swallowed, smoked or injected. When it is smoked the effects can be prolonged for up to twenty-four hours. When it is smoked in it’s base form methamphetamines are generally called snot because of the resemblance between the drug and the mucus from a nose. Withdrawal creates severe cravings, deep depression, fatigue, apathy, paranoia, and psychosis. A form of Methamphetamine is Ice or Crystal Meth, which is crystallized methamphetamine hydrochloride, is a powerful stimulant. The clear, crystallized chunks dissolve in water and breaks down to smaller particles. This drug induces a profound sense of euphoria in users by blocking the reuptake in the brain and stimulating the release of dopamine and noradrenaline in the central nervous system. It is frequently labeled the ‘Power Drug’. Cocaine came into common use after a German doctor issued it to Bavarian Soldiers in 1883. Cocaine is a naturally derived central nervous system stimulant that is extracted and refined from the coca plant, which is grown primarily in the Andean region of South America. It is a whitish powder, which is bitter and numbing to taste. It is often snorted but can also be injected or swallowed. Since it burns instead of vaporizing it cannot be smoked but a derivative was produced called crack, which is used for smoking. Removing a hydrochloride from cocaine makes crack. Both cocaine and crack are highly addictive and creates tolerance. Cocaine and crack use during pregnancy can cause major problems including birth defects and stillbirths. Cocaine or crack can be passed to the baby through breastfeeding. Psychoactive drugs are both helpful and harmful and by categorizing them it is possible to tell which part of the brain they stimulate. The search for euphoria is not that abnormal. Our bodies hold us back and it is human nature to want to get around this. Naturally some people are drawn in by the appeal of drugs. These wishes are not naive and they are not essentially evil. Perhaps before attempting to experiment with drugs it is important to first understand them. Drugs do not give us any new sensations; they only intensify existing sensations by manipulating pre-existing brain structures.

Collaborative Drug Therapy Management essays

Collaborative Drug Therapy Management essays It involves the relationship shared between Pharmacist and Physician towards managing the drug therapy. Collaborative drug therapy management is practiced whenever pharmacists work with physicians and other health professionals to solve patient and medication-related problems or make decisions regarding drug prescribing, monitoring and drug regimen adjustments. (Fuller, 1995; 15:15-47) Under the course of CDTM, pharmacists along with physician share mutual responsibility for the treatment and recovery of the patient. CDTM can be categorized into following activities i.e. commencing, modification, observing drug therapy, ordering and conducting lab test, assessment of response to therapy, awareness and counseling of patients, and administering medication. CDTM encourages the participation and contribution of the pharmacists towards patient welfare. It is a measure that guarantees checks on the credibility of the physician and pharmacist. The role of the general pharmacist has further refined, pharmacist no longer share the sole responsibility of drug distributor, rather now the present pharmacist is capable of offering services to the patient for deciding their dosage, remedial action on basis of test reports. However it has to be ascertained that physician and pharmacist share a perfect understanding regarding their roles and limitations, both at parallel should be respectful towards the responsibilities of either sides. Physicians task of diagnosis should be separated from the Pharmacists task of monitoring the treatment and modify it accordingly. A formally written agreement between physician and pharmacist is requisite. Such an agreement should well define the role and responsibilities to be handled by the individual profession. Such an agreement should absolutely restrict the role of physicians for supervising and diagnosis, and should make pharmacist responsible fo ...

Government Healthcare Pros and Cons

Government Healthcare Pros and Cons Government healthcare refers to government funding of healthcare services via direct payments to doctors, hospitals and other providers. In U.S. government healthcare, doctors, hospitals and other medical professionals are not employed by the government. Instead, they provide medical and health services, as normal, and are reimbursed by the government, just as insurance companies reimburse them for services. An example of a successful U.S. government healthcare program is Medicare, established in 1965 to provide health insurance for people aged 65 and over, or who meet other criteria such as disability. The U.S. is the only industrialized country in the world, democratic or non-democratic, without universal healthcare for all citizens provided by government-funded coverage. 50 Million Uninsured Americans in 2009 In mid-2009, Congress is working to reform U.S. healthcare insurance coverage which presently leaves more than 50 million men, women and children uninsured and without access to adequate medical and health services. All healthcare coverage, except for some low-income children and those covered by Medicare, is now provided only by insurance companies and other private-sector corporations. Private company insurers, though, have proven quite ineffective at controlling costs, and actively work to exclude healthcare coverage whenever feasible. Explains Ezra Klein at the Washington Post: The private insurance market is a mess. Its supposed to cover the sick and instead competes to insure the well. It employs platoons of adjusters whose sole job is to get out of paying for needed health care services that members thought were covered. In fact, multi-million bonuses are awarded annually to top healthcare executives as incentive to deny coverage to policy holders. As a result, in the United States today: Over a third of families living below the poverty line are uninsured. Hispanic Americans are more than twice as likely to be uninsured as white Americans while 21% of black Americans have no health insurance.More than 9 million children lack health insurance in America.Eighteen thousand people die each year because they are uninsured. Slate.com reported in 2007: The current system is increasingly inaccessible to many poor and lower-middle-class people... those lucky enough to have coverage are paying steadily more and/or receiving steadily fewer benefits. Latest Developments In mid-2009, several coalitions of Congressional Democrats are heatedly crafting competing healthcare insurance reform legislation. Republicans have generally not offered substantive healthcare reform legislation in 2009. President Obama has voiced support for universal healthcare coverage for all Americans which would be provided by selecting among various coverage options, including an option for government-funded healthcare (aka a public plan option or public option). However, the President has stayed safely on the political sidelines, thus far, forcing Congressional clashes, confusion, and setbacks in delivering on his campaign promise to make available a new national health plan to all Americans. Healthcare Packages Under Consideration Most Democrats in Congress support universal healthcare coverage for all Americans which offers various options for insurance providers, and includes a low-cost, government-funded healthcare option. Under the multi-option scenario, Americans satisfied with their present insurance can opt to keep their coverage. Americans dissatisfied, or without coverage, can opt for government-funded coverage. Republicans complain that the free-market competition offered by a lower-cost public-sector plan would cause private-sector insurance companies to cut their services, lose customers, would inhibit profitability, or go entirely out of business. Many progressive liberals and other Democrats believe strongly that the only fair, just U.S. healthcare delivery system would be a single payer system, such as Medicare, in which only low-cost government-funded healthcare coverage is provided to all Americans on an equal basis. Americans Favor Public Plan Option Per the Huffington Post about a June 2009 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll: ... 76 percent of respondents said it was either extremely or quite important to give people a choice of both a public plan administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health insurance. Likewise, a New York Times/CBS News poll found that The national telephone survey, which was conducted from June 12 to 16, found that 72 percent of those questioned supported a government-administered insurance plan - something like Medicare for those under 65 - that would compete for customers with private insurers. Twenty percent said they were opposed. Background Democrat Harry Truman was the first U.S. President to urge Congress to legislate government healthcare coverage for all Americans. Per Healthcare Reform in America by Michael Kronenfield, President Franklin Roosevelt intended for Social Security to also incorporate healthcare coverage for seniors, but shied away for fear of alienating the American Medical Association. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Medicare program, which is a single payer, government healthcare plan. After signing the bill, President Johnson issued the first Medicare card to former President Harry Truman. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed his wife, well-versed attorney, Hillary Clinton, to head a commission charged with forging a massive reform of U.S. healthcare. After major political missteps by the Clintons and an effective, fear-mongering campaign by Republicans, the Clinton healthcare reform package was dead by Fall 1994. The Clinton administration never tried again to overhaul healthcare, and Republican President George Bush was ideologically opposed to all forms of government-funded social services. Healthcare reform was a top campaign issue among 2008 Democratic presidential candidates. Presidential candidate Barack Obama promised that he will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress. See the entirety at Obama Campaign Promises: Health Care.    Pros of Government Healthcare Iconic American consumer advocate  Ralph Nader sums up the positives of government-funded healthcare  from the patients perspective: Free choice of doctor and hospital;No bills, no co-pays, no deductibles;No exclusions for  pre-existing conditions; you are insured from the day you are born;No bankruptcies due to  medical bills;No deaths due to lack of health insurance;Cheaper. Simpler. More affordable;Everybody in. Nobody out;Save taxpayers billions a year in bloated corporate administrative and executive compensation costs. Other important positives of government-funded healthcare include: 47 millions Americans lacked  healthcare insurance  coverage as of the 2008 presidential campaign season. Soaring unemployment since then have caused the the ranks of the uninsured to swell past 50 million in mid-2009.Mercifully, government-funded healthcare would provide access to  medical services  for all uninsured. And lower costs of government healthcare will cause insurance coverage to be significantly more accessible to millions of individuals and businesses.Doctors and other medical professionals can focus  on patient care, and no longer need to spend hundreds of wasted hours annually dealing with insurance companies.Patients, too, under government healthcare would never need to fritter inordinate amounts of frustrating time haggling with insurance companies. Cons of Government Healthcare Conservatives and libertarians oppose U.S. government healthcare mainly because they dont believe that its a proper role of government to provide social services to private citizens. Instead, conservatives believe that  healthcare coverage  should continue to be provided solely by private-sector for-profit insurance corporations or possibly by non-profit entities. In 2009, a handful of Congressional Republicans have suggested that perhaps the uninsured could obtain limited medical services via a  voucher system and tax credits for low-income families. Conservatives also contend that lower-cost government healthcare would impose too great of a  competitive advantage  against for-profit insurers. The  Wall Street Journal argues: In reality, equal competition between a public plan and private plans would be impossible. The public plan would inexorably crowd out private plans, leading to a single-payer system. From the patients perspective, negatives of government-funded healthcare could include: A decrease in flexibility for patients to freely choose from among the vast cornucopia of drugs,  treatment options, and surgical procedures offered today by higher-priced doctors and hospitals.Existing patient confidentiality standards, which would likely be diluted by centralized government info that would necessarily be maintained.Less potential doctors may opt to enter the medical profession due to decreased opportunities for highly compensated positions. Less doctors coupled with skyrocketing demand for doctors could lead to a shortage of medical professionals, and to longer waiting periods for appointments. Where It Stands As of late June 2009, the struggle to shape healthcare reform has only begun. The final form of successful healthcare reform legislation is anyones guess. The American Medical Association, which represents 29% of U.S. doctors, opposes any government insurance plan mainly because doctors  reimbursement rates  will be less than those from most private sector plans. Not all doctors oppose government-funded healthcare, though. Political Leaders on  Healthcare Reform On June 18, 2009, Speaker of the House  Nancy Pelosi told the press I have every confidence that we will have a public option coming out of the  House of Representatives  - that will be one that is actuarially sound, administratively self-sufficient, one that contributes as to competition, does not eliminate competition. Senate Finance Committee Chair  Max Baucus, a centrist Democrat, admitted to the press: I think a bill that passes the Senate will have some version of a public option. Moderate Blue Dog Democrats of the House say the public plan should occur only as a fallback, triggered if private insurers arent doing a good enough job on access and costs, per  Rob Kall at OpEd News. In contrast, Republican strategist and Bush advisor  Karl Rove recently penned a harshly dire  Wall Street Journal op-ed in which he warned that ... the public option is just phony. Its a bait-and-switch tactic... Defeating the public option should be a top priority for the GOP this year. Otherwise, our nation will be changed in damaging ways almost impossible to reverse. The  New York Times wisely summed up the debate  in a June 21, 2009 editorial: The debate is really over whether to open the door a crack for a new public plan to compete with the private plans. Most Democrats see this as an important element in any  health care reform, and so do we.

On the basis of the facts as contained in this summary, in your view Essay

On the basis of the facts as contained in this summary, in your view does Palestine meet the criteria for statehood at public in - Essay Example The case of Palestine’s inability to attain statehood in the eye of international law so far is touted to be due to political reasons rather than legally justified reasons. In the light of this scenario and the BBC News report iii, this paper examines whether Palestine meets the criteria for statehood at public international law. The Montevideo Convention’s article of statehood is a restatement or codification of ideas prevalent at the time of its inception iv. Emergence of a State Vattel defines state as a â€Å"political body, or society of men, united together†v for â€Å"promotion of their mutual safety and advantage† viwith the use of â€Å"their common force† viiwhich Wheaton adds to his definition saying that members of any political society subjecting themselves by voluntary obedience to a leadership gave rise to emergence of a sovereign state in the past. Power to control was key to emergence of a state. According to Lorimerviii, a putative state that deserves statehood should be recognized as such by other states and in turn it should have the power and the will to recognize others. Lorimer’s idea of mutual recognition proposed in 1883 has been followed by many states. The modern thinking therefore suggests that legal existence of a state depends upon its ability to control a land and its population. This view came to be well know by the early 20th century which Hall, a publicist described as â€Å"the marks of an independent State are , that the community constituting it is permanently established for a political end, that it possesses a defined territory, and that it is independent of external control†ix. The publicist emphasized on territory and permanent control over the territory. Thus, he dismissed â€Å"a fugacious†x people as not qualified to be a state. Thus Montevideo’s ideas of a state draw heavily from the Hall’s ideas of a state. These aspects of declaratory model of a state held recognition merely as an acknowledgement of an existing state opposed to a constitutive model which held recognition as an essential requirement to make a state.xi Recognition As stated elsewhere, recognition is central to statehood. Thus, an entity aspiring to become a state must be recognized as such by those who are already regarded as states. If an entity must function as a state, it must enjoy acceptance of other states. Yet, some entities manage to function as states with skeleton contacts with other states. Rhodesia functioned as a state on its own from 1965 to 1980 which major states did not approve of holding that it was in violation of international standards. It has been argued that if an entity is endowed with all the attributes of a state, it is still a state even if the rest of the world or other states refuse to accept the entity as a state.xii Treatment of recognition as a precondition for statehood has been still evolving as James Crawford has observed th at recognition is not strictly a

Their bottoms are the wrong shape The theory of established outsider Essay

Their bottoms are the wrong shape The theory of established outsider relations and female jockeys - Essay Example The argument that women riders are â€Å"outsiders† within the racing figuration is derived from Elias’ theory of established and outsider relations and the method chosen for the study is a s series of eight semi-structured interviews with female jockeys who are already established in their careers. The article starts with a quotation from a female jockey who professes to hate being referred to as a â€Å"female jockey† and this highlights the tension that exists in the minds of many professional women who find themselves a focus of extra attention just because their gender is different from the large majority of participants in a certain field. The historical and cultural dominance of masculinity in sport generally encourages this tendency and racing is quite typical in this respect. Citing Cassidy (2002) and Grimes and Ray (1995) the authors demonstrate that vertical gender segregation is a feature of employment in the sport of racing, with women occupying the majority of low status roles, such as groom, while the higher status roles are generally occupied by men. The existence of male-only trainers is cited as another example of the systematic exclusion of women from prestigious roles, with the direct consequence that women obtain fewer mounts than their male counterparts. After this anecdotal introduction there is a discussion of theoretical concepts such as social habitus, insider and outsider, group disgrace and group charisma. The term â€Å"habitus† is drawn again from Elias, rather than Bourdieu, and defined as â€Å"second nature† (Van Krieken, 1998, p. 47) or â€Å"the level of personality characteristics which individuals share in common with fellow members of their group† (Mennell, 1992, p. 30). The authors emphasise a collective view of habitus, in terms of the way a whole society develops over time, again following Elias, rather than the more personal, psychogenic approach of Bourdieu, although both psych ogenic and sociogenic aspects in habitus are recognised as important. The concept of power is discussed in terms of its relational and processual role, as a constant factor in all human relationships. Here again, the collective aspects are highlighted, and the authors cite the example of group power relations between an estate and a village in the work of Elias and Scotson (1964/1994). The terms â€Å"insider† and â€Å"outsider† describe not just the physical location of these two groups, but the differences that they perceive in their own role, and the power relationship that exists between the two. The power differences in the Elias and Scotson study was internalised by both groups, so that the insider villagers developed a positive â€Å"group charisma† image while the outsider estate inhabitants internalised a largely negative we-image. This is accepted by Velija and Flynn as a valid model which can be applied to other types of interdependent groups in a fi guration, including contexts such as gender relations. A number of studies are cited to demonstrate the outsider groups tend to identify with the insider group rather than with each other and that acceptance of inferior status was generally accepted by the outsider group. The work of Ernst (2003) shows that in sport women can be categorised as outsiders and that they generally have less confidence than men, and are judged both differently and more severely. These patterns are deep seated, and even when organisational change is introduced such as in the merger of women’s and men’s cricket organisations in England and Wales, the established power relations and self-images remain (Velija and Malcolm, 2009). Jockey figuration is examined in detail, starting with the history of women’

Changes to Religious Conversion

Changes to Religious Conversion How have the ideas of conversion changed over time? Remember to write what conversion is n (this is for me) Conversion has been affected overtime due to many avenues that I will be discussing through this essay. ‘The Conversion of Europe’ is concerned about the conversion of the mass which differs from modern conversions such a Samson Staniforth. I will be illustrating how conversion has changed overtime due to factors such as culture, technology and time which has also changed the meaning of conversion. The conversion of Europe started in the sixth century, ‘A religion which had grown up in the Mediterranian world of the Roman Empire was diffused among the outsiders whom the Romans referred to as the Barbarians’ (this is a quote but I want it to be a sentence imbedded and leave it red please). The conversion of Barbarian Europe had sufficed a much wider change, a change larger than just a change of belief but cultural change, declaring Christianity was just the beginning. The conversion followed with the Roman and Mediterranean way of life, adopting their value, habits and customs. Fletcher illustrated that during the 5th century, Christianity was seen as more than a religion, and it was seen as a way of life hence impacted all aspects such as authority, law, government, economy, as well as social aspects such as art, food and agriculture. The ideas of conversion had been implemented in all parts of living and had also been what governs law unlike religion today which i s perceived as a social personal matter. The Gregorian mission is an example of the conversion process which took part in Kent and other part of eastern England by Pope Gregory I since 601 mentioned by Fletcher. Paulinus, a member of the Gregorian mission who had been sent around by Pope Gregory I to convert people in Northumbria. This was a success as ‘’the royal family had been converted and an archbishopric found at Canter-bury’’, this was illustrates the impact of the Gregorian mission had through preaching Christianity. Modern day conversion narrative such as George Whitfield focuses on a spiritual impact which hones one from evil to a place of grace. Furthermore; Whitfield largely focused on his bad deeds; ‘’I took pleasure in lewd conversion’’ is an example of Whitefield’s sinful past, many who have come across Whitefield’s narrative have assumed that his sins were enhanced to make his conversion seem more dr amatic. There’s a couple of factors which Augustine and the early church conversion. Augustine’s conversion had influenced many modern conversion narratives as he had been a unique experience which had been written in a chronological sense. Pg 17. Hindmash suggested ‘’Augustine’s narrative n the confessions is indebted to the Neoplatonic pattern of the ascent of the soul’’. Augustine’s quest was to achieve union with the God from whom all beauty, truth, and goodness derives, and his crisis of conversion was the crisis of philosopher who could see the nature of the good life in ascetic self-denial and contemplation, but who had not the moral power to achieve it (please can you reword the bit in red its from a book and keep it red please). Augustine’s conversion took place in the early years if 397-8CE, his conversion states his transition from his sinful youth to becoming more virtuous. Quote; ‘I heard a voice from the nearby house chantingrepeating over and over ag ain â€Å"Pick up and read, pick up and read.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, this suggests that Augustine picked up the Bible die to the children chanting and started reading. However, many sceptics may disagree perhaps view this as unrealistic, several people would have investigated out of the window hence why it may be perceived as being exaggerated. Furthermore; many would not assume a child to be one of authority figure hence why the authenticity of Augustine’s conversion is questioned. Conversion in the countryside The ideas of conversion had changed overtime for due to many factors, one of which had been where the conversion of Christianity was taking place. The Bishop’s method of conversion in the Countryside was to target landed elites, who held great influence locally pg 40 ‘’to take firm and if necessary coercive action to make peasantry Christian’’, Fletcher is perhaps indicating that the ideas of conversion had been attain in an oppressive state rather than a choice; this had taken pace in places such as Constantinople, Italy, Africa and many more. Furthermore; it is evident that the ideas of conversion were not only changed overtime but they were different within communities of the same time. The countryside is an example of hierarchical control, although not all bishops had carried out the same approach; Martin, the bishop of Tours is one who had taken matters in his own hands and ‘’choos[e] to take direct and personal actions’†™. Paganism had started to become less common overtime which changed people’s idea of God and created a more spiritual way of converting, this can be seen in the Baptism of Edwin from Bed’s narrative; according to this Edwin felt as though – evidence (the conversion of Europe)- this was seen by Edwin who said which was seen in Bede’s narrative: ‘’be-fore he set out on campaign he promised that if God grant him victory he would renounce the worship of idols and serve Christ’’; due to the success of his campaign he sent his daughter to be baptized. Baptism is a symbol of being reborn as a Christian, it is an important ceremony which conveys a lot of spirituality. Paganism is a reason why Our understanding and interpretation of conversion had changed overtime due to culture and society –evidence Physiological advancement – the meaning of conversion changed overtime there were more imitations of Augustine’s conversion which demonstrated that what it meant to be Christian during the medieval roman times to what it was in the later centuries have changed Sampson Staniforth Evangelical Conversion – Staniforth similarly to Augustine began by describing the pain that sufficed for him before his conversion which was illustrated: ‘but to continue crying and wresting with God, till He had no mercy on me. How long I was in that agony I cannot tell’. Evidently from this, we can perhaps assume from the description that life before conversion had been agonising, this is specifically demonstrated when he mentions; ‘but to continue crying and wresting with God’. Staniforth’s goes on to explain the significance of the conversion to his life as it was a defining moment. The prolonged wait for a sign from God. Hindmash mentions how conversions such as Stantiforth’s have 5 concepts which the story is focussed on: ‘autobiography, narrative, identity, conversion and gospel’. It is evident that modern te ‘p Sixteenth and seventeenth century The ideas of conversion have changed overtime which has been demonstrated through the narrative. Hindmash goes on further to speak about the Catholic’s understanding of conversion according to Puritans Thomas Goodwin and Philip Nye. They believed; ‘’England was ‘half reformed’ and they wanted to see a purer church’’pg 33. An example of the rise of conversion narrative which changed the ideas of conversion overtime is ‘spiritual brotherhood’; ‘’ preached the word of God in the same spirit and felt themselves to be members of a brotherhood’’, they ‘’ became a centre of reforming activity, teaching, and training that eventually sent many of them throughout the rest of England and even to the Netherlands and to the New World’’ (can you please rephrase this so it is not a quote and leave it red please). The puritans were described by Richard Baxter as: ‘’affection ate practical English writers’’; this illustrates the power of narrative and frame it was written in; they ‘’fostered spiritual autobiography in part by their stress upon religious experience’’.

Chevy Volt Essay

Closing Case: Planning for the Chevy Volt 1. What does the Chevy Volt case tell you about the nature of strategic decision making at a large complex organization like GM? From the Chevy Volt case, we can see that GM is a large complex organization and has a lot of processes to make any decision in changing their strategic plan. Moreover, they sticked to the past failure that they had experienced. Therefore, they moved too slow and missed the opportunity to change or adapt themselves to the external trend or a better opportunity. 2. What trends in the external environment favored the pursuit of the Chevy Volt project? Gas price was increasing sharply because of growing demand in developed countries including China and India Global Warming become a significant concern so people trend to use the car which produce less Carbon Dioxide. The cost of Manufacturing lithium ion batteries was falling and new technology make them more powerful Demand for fuel efficient car like Prius (Toyota) that utilize new battery technology 3. What impediments to pursuing this project do you think existed within GM? GM already spent a huge investment in developing fuel cells Many decision makers in GM didn’t want to suddenly switch gears and focus on lithium ion batteries instead Technology in a large lithium ion battery production was difficult Failure in the past was the experience that GM still remembered and was afraid to invest in new project 4. The plan for the Chevy Volt seems to be based partly on the assumption that oil prices would remain high and yet in late 2008, oil prices collapsed in the wake of a sharp global economic slowdown a. What does this tell you about the nature of strategic plans? The nature of strategic plan is effective to the current situation but when the external environment or trend change, strategic plan should be changed and adapt to the external factor as well. b. What do falling oil prices mean for the potential success of the Chevy Volt? If the gas price fall, the Chevy Volt which use lithium battery might not be sold as much as when the gas price is high. c. Do you think oil prices will remain low? No, I think oil price will keep increasing because people in every country consume more energy which use oil to produce energy while the world has limitation of resources including oil. Therefore, when demand is greater than supply, the price will be impossible or difficult to decrease. 5. What will it take for the Chevy Volt to be a successful car? In light of your analysis, how risky do you think this venture is for GM? What are the costs of failure? What are the costs of not pursuing the project? The external factors which let the Chevy Volt to be a successful car is increasing gas price, trend of global warming, falling cost of lithium ion battery manufacturing and higher demand for fuel efficient car. However, if GM invests in the Chevy Volt project, the risk surely occurs if the project isn’t successful as expected. For example; they move slower than their competitors or the competitors can offer the better benefit or performance to the customer perception and preference. While the cost which occurs when GM doesn’t pursue this project will be the opportunity cost that they will miss the opportunity to overcome their competitors as well as being the leading of new venture car.

How Hurricanes Form in the Sahara Desert

In the United States, the eastern and Gulf coasts are in danger of being slammed by hurricanes from June through November because the waters in the North Atlantic Ocean are typically at their warmest while the Sahara is at its hottest during the same time period. A hurricane is a complex weather system that can be simply explained as a funnel of warm, wet air. It is a non-frontal system whose air has a distinct circular flow. One starts forming  for the United States when hot air over the Sahara is released into the North Atlantic. The Sahara The Sahara, whose land mass is almost that of the continental United States, is the largest â€Å"hot† desert in the world. It is also the second largest desert overall and covers 10 percent of the African continent. (Antarctica is the largest desert in the world and is classified as a â€Å"cold† desert.) In the Sahara, the day-night-day temperatures can swing 30 degrees in a few hours. Great swirling winds over the Sahara carry sand  over the Mediterranean, bringing storms into England, and drop sand on the beaches of eastern Florida.   The Sahara-Hurricane Connection The temperatures of the land mass of western North Africa grows  hot, and the air over this area rises to create the African easterly jet. A column of hot air swirls upward three miles and spreads as it races to the continents  west coast, where it dips toward the ocean. The air picks up moisture from the warm water  and continues its race westward. The flow of the ocean and the spin of Earth combined with the dry winds of the desert and the warm, moist air off the Atlantic horse latitudes make this desert-born weather grow. As a  weather system travels across the Atlantic, it spins and flies over the water and can grow in intensity as it picks up moisture, especially when it arrives in the area of Central America and the warm Eastern Pacific waters. Tropical Storms vs. Hurricanes When wind speeds in the weather system are less than 39 miles per hour, it is classified as a tropical depression. At 39 to 73 miles per hour, it is a tropical storm, if its winds are rotating. This is the point where the World Meteorological Association gives the storm a name, on a predetermined schedule that refreshes names every six years, alternating male and female names in alphabetical order. Next up the storm intensity scale after tropical storms are hurricanes.  The lowest category of hurricanes happens at 74 miles per hour, category 1. Sometimes tropical storms and hurricanes spend their life out over the open ocean, never reaching landfall. When they do hit  land, tropical storms and hurricanes can do great damage through spawning thunderstorms that cause flooding and tornadoes.  When a hurricane  was big enough to cause a lot of damage, then the name is retired and a new name replaces it on the list. Contributed by Associate Writer Sharon Tomlinson