Filipino film essays

Filipino film essays The film was great! Good selections of characters. The story line was terrific, you could even say its really happening here in our country, Philippines. The way the director put it together, the sequences, the climax and all that is just sure to capture the eyes of the audiences. The role-play was also one thing I know and I can say for a fact that they fit every single character in the film. Even Jericho Rosales! This is the very first time I saw him act naturally, I mean of all the role he had been thru its all over acting but this time he did well I can say. Angelica? Wow! I knew it from the very first time I saw her from her previous exposures she can be hot as of what she did in this marvelous act. She blew away all her audiences with her new arrive, at least I am! Damn how I wish I were Jericho! I mean only in the film okay. Hes not that of a matinee idol for me. As of the others they all did well, I mean they surely made every move of the main cast very easy. When youre doi ng a project like that with Johnny Delgado and Cherry Pie Picache that must be something right? You know what I mean. What more can I say, this film had really captured my inner soul for it is really something. For now a day you cant really get values and all that from just any film. You see this masterpiece of Laurice guillen really has so many values and ideas to share with the audiences. Looking now in this lifetime people just go busting peoples life coz their full of negative emotions. Our youth had just gone wild with out even knowing who is it they really need to look up to. As I have observed, this film shows that a human being just go back to whom they should really give praise, serve and obey when their so desperate enough to get what they want. Without even looking how hard our Lord suffers from the sins he didnt even commit. And so what do people do if their long so wishes aren ...

Eastman Kodak Essays

Eastman Kodak Essays Eastman Kodak Essay Eastman Kodak Essay Through this slogan formulated by its founder George Eastman, Eastman Kodak Company revolutionized and set off as the pioneer in modern imaging. From its initial introduction of the dry glass plate process technology and machine, Kodak has further introduced novel technologies in imaging, which throughout the years, redefined societys life styles. Through its basic principles of low-cost mass production, extensive advertising, focus on customers and international distribution, Kodak has become one of the worlds most recognized brands with its products becoming the markets beacon for the photographic industry for more than a century now. With the emergence of competition and antitrust concerns, Kodak has evolved, through diversification strategies, into an enormous company catering to pharmaceutical, health care, electrical, computer and chemical products among others. The company, as a consequence, moved away from its core competencies, was unable to compete with its rivals competently and has suffered from heavy losses. As his first move to answer this predicament, newly appointed chief executive officer George MC Fisher has cut down costs and debts through divestiture of non-imaging related business segments. At present, Kodak is engaged primarily in developing, manufacturing and marketing traditional silver-halide photoimaging products, services and solutions for consumers, professionals, healthcare providers, the entertainment industry and other commercial customers. In its continuing thrust to foster long-term growth, development and success, Eastman Kodak Company is now faced with the dilemma to sustain in the mature and slow-growing silver-halide business. In addition, the company is contending with a legion of competitors to achieve and sustain a dominant position in the emerging digital imaging business, which at the moment poses encouraging and promising opportunities. Technological Environment. The influx of technological advancements into the photographic marketplace has presented the industry with a unique set of challenges and possibilities. Technological discoveries and enhancements may foster, or even hasten, the growth of the traditional silver-halide market. The Advanced Photo System (APS), for example, a product of technological advancement currently being developed by nig industry players may bring silver-halide-based products into a higher level. In addition, with the onset of digital technology, the industry is faced with chance to expand its business through venturing more into digital imaging which is currently putting forth enticing opportunities. On the downside, considering the electronic nature of the products offered in line with digital imaging (eg. Scanners, printers, etc.), entry of potential competitors, particularly from the electronics group who may have equally competent resources and capabilities, is at a height. As a result, the structure of the industry may be altered. Socio-Cultural Environment. With societys increasing awareness over environmental preservation, possible hindrance in the growth of the players in the industry is present, The film marketed by these companies, as an example, are currently packaged in plastic non-biodegradable tube cases. As a response to environmental concerns and grievances, repackaging using nature-friendly materials may be ensued. This also holds true with single-use cameras (SUCs) which is primarily composed of plastic non-biodegradable materials. Here, companies may either reduce its margin or impose higher prices over its products in repackaging its products to be environmental-friendly brought by a possible increase in its production cost. The markets culture may also impede the entry of global industry players. As an example, with Japans resistance to Western influence and its societys higher preference over locally made products, foreign industry players would most likely have difficulty in penetrating in this geographical segment. In addition, with the fact ascertained that photographic products are usually used in instances of special occasions (eg. weddings, birthdays, holidays, fiestas, etc.), regularity of celebration of these occasions would deeply affect the demand of the products. Economic Environment. The global scale of the photographic market presents some threats to its core business. Sales in its geographical segments would generally differ according to a countrys economic state. Sluggish economy or economies under recession would decrease sales as a result of delayed spending on leisure goods?. In addition to the state of the economy, tariff and foreign trade laws may render leisure good spending in lull brought by higher prices as a result of the duties imposed on the goods. Tourism economy, as a whole, has a direct effect on the industry. As the number of tourists increase, usage of photographic materials would most likely increase demand. Legal or Political Environment. Legal influences may hamper the growth of some players in the industry. Antitrust laws, for example, may limit expansion of industry players through its provisions. On the brighter side, however, this may protect the position of a company in the market. This holds true in the case of Kodak and Polaroid in the late 1980s when Kodak engaged into marketing instant cameras. Foreign laws, in addition, in its move to protect local firms, may thwart the entry of global producers in its market. Furthermore, patent and proprietary rights laws would deter firms to expand, venture, and produce patented products. Threat of New Entrants. With great barriers, the threat of new entrants in the industry is at a low level. This is brought about by the sizeable investment required in procuring manufacturing equipments for a potential entrant. Furthermore, marketing costs are also high for these entrants for it to be able to topple down existing players or even penetrate the market. This is in view of the current industry players, which if characterized, are established and successfully positioned in the market obtaining brand loyalty. Also, with the length of these companies operations in mind, they have been riding down the experience curve; as a result, economies of scale and cost advantage have already been achieved. In addition, prospecting players must introduce into the market differentiated products that are more enhanced than that offered by existing players, which would require it to spend a substantial amount in research and development projects. However, with the emerging digital imaging in view, the risk posed by potential industry entrants may be shifted from a low level to a moderate one. This is in view, as stated in the earlier part, of the electronic nature of some products offered by the digital imaging technology which has the possibility of attracting electronic companies who may possess capabilities and competencies that could equal or even exceed that of the current industry players. Rivalry Among Established Competitors. Firms under the photographic industry operate in an oligopolistic environment were few of the member firms share dominance such as Eastman Kodak, Agfa and Fuji Films. Competition among these firms is at a fierce level given the fact of its slow-growth particularly in the traditional silver-halide photography. Here, with demand conditions at a moderate level of progress, firms closely compete to capture and increase market share through price wars. Exit barriers within the industry is at a high level as well contributing to the intense rivalry among industry players. Bargaining Power of Buyers. The influence set forth by the buyers in the industry is at a moderate degree. Though products offered by the firms in the industry have attained brand loyalty, cost advantage and economies of scale and has a lesser threat of substitute products (further discussions to be made in the later part), still, firms are forced by buyers to bargain for lower prices by the quantity of their purchase?. In addition, with price wars evident among industry players, buyers take advantage on playing off with these firms to obtain cheaper costs or even present a threat of providing for a lesser shelf space. Bargaining Power of Suppliers. The pressure exerted by the suppliers over the firms in the industry is at a low degree. Silver, for example, a major raw material in the industry is widely available. It is evidenced with the fact that in the past years, no direct relationship can be established that price of the commodity has been affected by fluctuations in the availability and price of raw materials. In fact, the photographic industry consumes about one-fourth of the global demand for silver. Furthermore, with the high level of availability of packaging materials, in this case plastic tubes and canisters, and boxes, bargaining power of suppliers is at a lesser scale. Threat of Substitute Products. With high switching cost to substitute products, in this case video cameras, a low extent of threat is shown. Aside from the cost factor, accessibility of outputs and simplicity of operation ensure the industry of low level of preference toward substitutes. Here, pictures can easily be obtained and seen without the use of any other devices, unlike videotapes which requires videocassette players for it to be viewed. In addition, cameras are more preferred than video recorders or cameras with the fact that video recorders are more complex in operation as compared with cameras. As a part of a hyperactive competitive environment, Eastman Kodak must be able to efficiently and effectively strategize in order for it to be able to sustain its position in all areas of the market, existing and emerging alike. However, the success of the companys adopted strategy would depend upon the reaction of its competitors; thus, it is imperative that in its strategies, competitors competitive profile must be given proper consideration. Kodak is faced with a legion of competitors; among which, Polaroid, Agfa, Fuji and Konica pose as the major rivals of the company. Polaroid. Between the latter mentioned competitor, Polaroid shows the lesser degree of competition with the fact that Kodak is unable to directly compete in the instant photo imaging business as a result of a previously ruled antitrust lawsuit. As a result, competition between the two companies would be on attracting and capturing the markets preference between instant photography and traditional silver-halide imaging. Agfa. Agfa, known as the Kodak of Europe for its typically the same business strategy, enjoys dominance over the European market. As the second largest chemical manufacturing company, the company offers its products (particularly in its developing equipment and imaging business) at a lower price compared to that of its competitors through the concept of vertical integration a strategy previously enjoyed by Kodak until the time it has divested of its chemical manufacturing business, Eastman Chemicals, in 1993?. Its current move to increase market share in the US market through its advertisement campaign of free film rolls clearly shows the seriousness of the company to compete with Kodak. In addition, with its less-priced products at hand, the company demonstrates a greater degree of competition for Kodak. Fuji Photo Film Company. Among its competitors, Fuji presents to be the closest rival of Kodak. With its product offerings at the same nature with that of Kodak, the degree of their rivalry may also be evidenced by the continued battle of lawsuits. The fierce competition between these firms stem from Fujis offering of low-priced films which stirred and reduced Kodaks market share by 10%. Also, Fujis strong foothold in the Japanese market which hampered Kodaks position and made the latter felt in an unfair situation contributed to the perceived battle. Recently, in its move to topple over Kodak, Fuji moved for an establishment of a US division focusing solely on digital imaging. Through this move, the company will be able to market products which it has already offered in its Japanese market. Furthermore, it has proposals of hooking-up with computer companies for its products to be integrated in computer systems. These, among others, present a more pronounced competition for Kodak. Other Competitors. Aside from the earlier discussed companies, Konica is another competitor of Kodak in the imaging business. It has been said that together with Agfa and Fuji, Konica was able to decrease Kodaks market share in the traditional imaging and photofinishing business. Though at a lesser degree, private label films also compete with Kodak. Other competitors of Kodak are camera manufacturers such as Canon, Minolta, and Olympus. With the dawn of digital imaging, electronic and computer companies agitates competition to be stiffer.

The Advantage of Knowing the Business Environment Research Paper

The Advantage of Knowing the Business Environment - Research Paper Example As the discussion highlights  information technology has been the driving force of economic development, while reformist asserts that government contributes to changes in the environment through their monetary and fiscal policy. Government legislates regulation that the companies are mandated to follow such as labor codes, and health and sanitation; hence, the firms’ movement is restricted. Moreover, they are subjected to international and local policies that may alter their business strategies. Although globalization has been associated with the trends in technological innovation, it also signifies the penetration of an international firm to local markets. Business sectors that aim to expand their market size are governed by the political, economic, and social norms.This paper stresses that the view of Keynesian on the role of government is significant in studying the market. Government shapes the operation of a globalized firm. However, with the integration of the internet , global marketers have reached their prospect consumers where no boundaries are set. An example of a global firm is KFC, an American fast-food sector that successfully integrates the Chinese market.  Marketing research is the strategy used by firms to gather relevant information as their basis in devising a marketing plan. The purpose of marketing research is to gain competitive advantage and reduce uncertainty. Competitive Advantage Marketing research aims to study the environment of a particular area. The environment contains factors that can affect the business operation. In studying the local market, STEP analysis is employed. STEP stands for social, technological, economic, and political factors that are relevant in determining the success of a company. Social factors refer to the demographics (e.g. age, gender, and education), class, values, and etc. To effectively capture the target market of KFC, they must research on the lifestyle, values, and other social attributes necessary in formulating a marketing strategy. The target markets of KFC are younger generation, since they are opened for foreign influence compared to older people. Moreover, technology is utilized in selling products and services. For an instance, KFC must determine the number of households with online access and their pattern of using the internet to become their basis of choosing a medium for adverts. On the one hand, the economic and p olitical factors are relevant in shaping the marketing strategy of a firm. They are concerned with the macro and micro economics that may affect the stability of a company. Thus, the information gathered are compiled and studied to construct a comprehensive plan in winning the market. Gould (2008, p.4) suggests another method of ensuring the company’s success is through SWOT analysis. This analysis is centered on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the external and internal environment of firms. The company enables to know their weaknesses and devise a ‘defensive’ strategy to counteract the ‘offensive’ strategy of the competitors. Thus, if the competitors strike, the company

Deregulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Deregulation - Essay Example aeronautics board (CAB) regulated all airline services for flights without the states (but not within) controlling the fares, travel times and even routes. They attempted to control prices by lowering the short distance travels and raising those of a long distance. They were also obligated to ensure that the airlines got fairly good returns. The period of 40 years within which air transport was regulated saw a steady growth in the industry, in terms of people travelling, employees and even returns. However, the rigidity of the system was opposed by the consumers who were exploited as well as some airlines. The major reasons for deregulation were to offer room for competition and to increase the desirability of the system. After much deliberation and slowly, the deregulation campaign won by slowly and gradually stripping CAB of its powers until it was later dissolved. The whole campaign relied on competition to equalize prices, ensure effectiveness and offer efficiency. After some period of time, it was argued that the deregulation act was unconstitutional. The U.S court appealed that the employee rights were severed by the act and in a bid to ensure that there were no job losses due to deregulation, the employee protection program was instituted. It later was involved in making of guidelines to ensure that the same did not take

A Mythical Roadmap of the Movie Cars Essay Example for Free

A Mythical Roadmap of the Movie Cars Essay The first stage of separation is the call to adventure. Followed by the refusal of the call and the crossing of a threshold. Call to Adventure: In most situations, this call becomes the subject of the story or the plot of the movie. For Lightning, he thinks his call to adventure comes over the Public Announcement System when the tie-breaking race in California is announced. While this may be the obvious choice, but I don’t think that it is. We need to look at Lightning as the potential hero and observes how he grows over the course of the journey. He doesn’t grow in skill as a driver. He ran his first race at the beginning of the movie a lot better than the race at the end. The call to adventure is not always the destination, but the road leading to the destination. The adventure is in the hero’s growth. The growth that Lightning experiences is in his ability to have and appreciate friends. As cheesy as it sounds, the call to adventure for this movie is the call to find friendship. Refusal of the Call: The refusal of the call happened during the first race when Lightning refused the help and friendship around him. Let’s admit it, Lightning was a jerk. He alienated the people who tried to help him. Three different crew chiefs quit on him during the one season he’s been racing. His arrogance at the end of the first race was so bad his entire crew quit on him. Another example of Lightnings Refusal was his initial refusal to pave the road he destroyed in Radiator Springs. It was through his paving the road that he learned the lessons of the journey. Crossing the Threshold: The symbolism of the thresholds in the movie are found in the highways that Mack and Lightning re traveling. The â€Å"Mother Road† on Route 66 is significantly more important as it is on the Mother Road that we meet the Threshold Guardian, embodied by the Sheriff. As Lightning is frantically trying to find the interstate and Mack, he speeds pas a sleepy Sheriff’s speed trap. The local sheriff begins to follow him with sirens going. Instead of stopping, Lightening goes through a chain of events throug h the forgotten town of Radiator Spring destroying the main road and other property and landing himself in jail, or the impound. This leads to the initiation phase, which can be summarized by the road of trials, the meeting with the goddess, and apotheosis. Road of Trials: The neat part of the Road of Trials step in Cars is that they are somewhat associated with an actual road, in this case, Route 66 or the Mother Road. As Lightning began to face his trails during the movie, he began by failing them. Lighting’s failure in his encounter with the threshold guardian, the Sheriff, resulted in the destruction of the road. When Doc challenged Lightning to a race, Lightning again failed due to his arrogance and lack of experience racing on dirt. The turning point on his road of trials came in the pasture where he and Mater, the local tow truck, were tipping tractors. Lightning successfully tipped all of the tractors by revving his engine. He was also successful in escaping from Frank the Combine. There, Lightning’s luck changed and he was able to fix the road, learn to race on dirt and redeem himself from his earlier failures. The Meeting with the Goddess: I had a couple of options in picking the goddess who Lightning would meet. Since Lightning is a male, I began looking at the female characters. Had the hero been a woman, I would have included the male characters in my search. One important part of identifying the Gods and Goddesses is to not get hung up on their gender but on how the character fills the role. I first went to Sally Carrera, a 2002 Porsche Carrera, as a possibility for the goddess, but I needed to remember not to confuse the romantic interest with the goddess. The goddess that Lightning has to meet needs to be associated with a trial or test that he had to pass in order to continue on his journey. The character that I identified as the goddess, was not a main character, she didn’t even have any speaking lines. The goddess was Bessie. Bessie is the name given to the road paving machine that Lightning had to drag at a snails pace to fix the road. I chose Bessie because she was the symbolic and literal obstacle that was keeping Lightning in town. To leave town, Bessie would have to be on the other end of the road with smooth pavement behind her. Lightning challenged Bessie’s role as his captor when he tried to speed up the process of fixing the road by quickly laying down the asphalt that he later had to scrape up. When Lightning was put in his place, humbled, and respectful of Bessie’s role as the goddess, he could begin to accomplish the task before him. Apotheosis: The step of apotheosis or becoming the father or god began when Lightning discovered that Doc was a retired race car. Discovering Doc’s Piston Cups and watching Doc race helped Lightning to realize that he could learn something from Doc and he quickly regretted not listening to the advice Doc previously offered. The true point of apotheosis comes during the final race when Lighting takes things learned from his time in Radiator Springs and used it to position himself for the win. This includes driving backwards using rear view mirrors and driving on the dirt infield during a spin-out that helped him take the lead. Even though he did not win the race, or the cup, as Doc had, it was Lightning’s to give up. He became the race car that Doc would be proud to know. The third and final stage of Lightning’s journey is the return, characterized by a refusal to return, the crossing of another threshold, the mastery of two worlds, and the freedom to live. The next three step follow each other in very rapid succession. The refusal came when Mack and the rest of the media came to bring Lightning back to the â€Å"real† world. Lightning didn’t want to go. He had fallen for the temptress, Sally, and was ready to abandon his journey. Luckily for him, Sally told him it was okay to go and he left, returning to the world he left behind. The magic flight out of the fantastical world in this story had been combined with the crossing of the return threshold. Mack the truck carries Lightning out of Radiator Springs and onto California. The events surrounding this is discussed a little more when we talk about crossing the return threshold. During Lightning’s stay in Radiator Springs, he became more attached to the people there. It is easy to imagine that he would give up the California race if that meant he could stay with Sally and the residents of the town. The sweet ambrosia of friendship he tasted there was more powerful that the desire to have the Piston Cup. As demonstrated in the movie, there were three aspects to this rescue from without. First is how the media was notified by Doc of Lightning’s location. Second, is Mack with the media entourage barreling into town to take Lightning away. And third, Harv the agent reminds Lighting about the Race, Dinoco, and his rival Chick Hicks. Doc, Mack, Harv, and the media each helped to rescue Lightning. Reluctantly, he allows himself to be rescued and backs into Mack’s trailer for the magic flight to California. The Crossing of the Return Threshold: In the step of crossing the return threshold, we see the return of the Sheriff in his role as the threshold guardian. He and Sally stopped Lightning from leaving by siphoning his gas tank on his first night in the impound. Later, the Sheriff almost had to go after him before Sally and Lightning went on their ride to the Wheel Well. After Lightning finishes paving the road, and thus completing his road of trials, the Sheriff changes his demeanor and is ready to give Lightning a police escort to help Lightning get to the race on time. In the Sheriff’s role as the threshold guardian, he has released Lightning from â€Å"captivity† and it is now Lightning’s â€Å"refusal to return† that is keeping him there. Lightning crosses the return threshold as he takes his magical flight in Mack’s trailer. One part of crossing the return threshold is that the fantastical world, or the world forgotten, becomes forgotten again. Lightning had become a catalyst of life and energy culminating with everyone in Radiator Springs cruising under the neon lights. When Lightning had left town, Doc finally got what he originally wanted. After a tongue lashing from Sally, Doc quietly sat there as everyone left him alone. He sat there thinking about what he had done as the neon lights turned off, one by one. The world forgotten returned to its anonymity as Doc sat on the darkened road, under the traffic light’s flashing yellow signal. Perhaps the saddest moment in the movie. Master of the Two Worlds: The second to last step in the journey is when the hero becomes the master of the two worlds. This is done by finding the ultimate boon and sharing it with those around him. Since the Ultimate boon in the gift of friendship, it is shared in two situations. First, Lightning shares his friendship to the residents of Radiator Springs when he becomes the customer of all of their stores. They share their friendship back when they show up to be his pit crew. Most notably is Doc acting as the crew chief. Lightning did not show his friendship to Doc in the same manner as he did to the others until he helped King across the finish line. Another large sharing of friendship is where he arranges for Mater to take a helicopter ride over Radiator Springs. Freedom to Live: The Freedom to live is shown primarily in the epilogue after the race. Lightning has merged his two worlds together and can now freely live in the racing world but still be with his friends, especially Sally. Lightning literally puts Radiator Springs back on the map when he moves his racing headquarters to the small town. Also, Lightning becomes a new man, or car, as shown by his new paint job, inspired by the classic 1957 Chevy. In many ways, I have found this journey to be similar to that of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh begins his journey at home as the restless king. He soon meets his helper Enkidu and the two of them go off on their adventure to the forest to defeat Humbaba. Enkidu dies. This prompts the grief stricken Gilgamesh to cross the Threshold of Adventure to seek the answer to immortality. While in the underworld/other world Gilgamesh passes many tests before he meets Utnapishtim and his wife who help him find the magical flower of everlasting life. But Gilgamesh loses the magic plant in his Peak Experience to the trickster snake who steals immortality for itself. So Gilgamesh returns home with the boon, the understanding that immortality is reserved for the gods and that he is human. He will experience death and he realizes that he must live his life and enjoy it. So he writes down his tale to spread the word to his people. As a result, Gilgamesh’s journey comes full circle just as Lightning McQueen’s had in the movie. For this reason, I have concluded that all heroes must use the phases of the journey mentioned in this paper. Though the sequence of the steps may change, they are almost always taken.

Cultural and Racial Inequality in Hemingways Indian Camp Essay

Cultural and Racial Inequality in Hemingway's Indian Camp Hemingway's "Indian Camp" concerns Nick Adams' journey into the unknown to ultimately experience and witness the full cycle of birth and death. Although Nick's experience is a major theme in the story, cultural inequality also is an issue that adds to the the story's narrative range. Throughout this short story, there are many examples of racial domination between Nick's family and the Indians. Dr. Adams' and Uncle George's racist behavior toward the Native Americans are based on the history of competition between Caucasians and America's indigenous peoples. "Indian Camp" begins at the shore where Nick, his father, and Uncle George are picked up by Indians in rowboats. When Nick and the men get into the rowboat, the Indians row them to the Indian Camp, with no help from the doctor or Uncle George. This evidence is the first example of cultural domination in the story. Once across the lake, Uncle George gives the Indians cigars. Uncle George's action could be a gift or a congratulatory gesture for the baby about to be b...

Healthcare Technology Essay

In such a short period of time we have seen the healthcare industry go from paper tracking to technological tracking. We continue to see healthcare care drastically each year. The article I am reviewing is an article put out by Forbes in the beginning of 2013. Even though we have seen the many transformations when it comes to technology and healthcare, this article touches on five, which I will talk about more here shortly. It is an amazing idea that potentially five years from now that we could be totally paperless in the healthcare world. Four years ago the IT departments of healthcare had a mere $343 million invested considering the potential of what was to come (Forbes, Lee 2013). Since then venture capitalists have tripled their investments into the health care IT and sunk $955 million (Forbes, Lee 2013). The article expresses that the federal government is even going to be sinking some major money into hospitals and medical offices to digitize health care. It all comes to a ver y good point mentioned in the article. â€Å"All of these VCs are now starting to put money into the space. And as we start getting some big wins, we’re going to see this accelerate,† said Aza Raskin, cofounder of Massive Health — a startup developing a mobile app to encourage healthier eating and other health-related tools — in an interview with Fast Company. â€Å"The smartest minds of our generation shouldn’t be working on getting us more addicted to Facebook or Twitter; they should be working on helping us get — and stay — healthy† (Forbes, Lee 2013). What would people think when they are told that a machine helped their doctor figure out their diagnosis and the best possible treatment for them? Most will think it is absolute craziness, right? Funny that is brought up because researchers with the IBM corporation are currently developing a state of the art computer system that will take a doctors data and come up with the best possible outcome of a diagnosis would be for the patient. They are calling this major technological advancement Watson, and known to the medical field as Dr. Watson (Forbes, Lee 2013). This machine will be able to not only help assess the projected diagnosis of a patient, but also to keep tabs on a patients history, and allow the doctors to keep up with the latest and greatest abilities to treat patients. How often have we all been at work and have had to deal with someone that spoke a language we were unable to understand or speak for that matter? In the medical field it is  hard to track down one person i n a hospital that can speak Cantonese, Russian, German, Japanese, or many other languages that are less frequented in our day to day lives. Well, welcome Omnifluent Health! This product was developed by the Science Applications International Corporation, or the SAIC, to help with translation process in the healthcare field (Forbes, Lee 2013). This is a huge step considering doctors could just whip out there cell phones and ask a question into the microphone and get a quick translation. We would be able to break the language barrier between patients and healthcare workers. We have so many social media sites on the web now a days. Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, G Plus, and many others. That is how we stay connected to friends and family. Now physicians have a â€Å"physicians only† media site that will allow them to contact one another in regards to taking better care of their patients. It is called Doximity (Forbes, Lee 2013). The funding for the project is at $27 million currently (Forbes, Lee 2013). I hate to have to sit in an ER for hours on end in the middle of the night to be seen for a rapid asthma onset, or with a child running a high fever and vomiting just to be told that there are over the counter remedies available at the 24 hour big box retail giant less than 10 miles away. It would be nice to be able to pop into a chat, or call where I can talk to a healthcare professional about what is going on and have a response without having to get out of a comforting place, like home, and sit for hours in a cold ER waiting room. There is now a system that gives patients the opportunity to have a medical consultation via phone or online. It is a startup company out of New York City called Sherpaa (Forbes, Le e 2013). If you were to type in â€Å"diet apps† in your Google Play Store tons of apps would pop up that are there to help you count calories, track weight loss, track exercise time and calories burned, and so on and so forth. One that the article talks about it Fitbit. It is a pedometer that tracks the sleeping patterns and activities of a person (Forbes, Lee 2013). Another one it talks about is Lark. Lark is a silent alarm clock and sleep monitor that tracks and analyzes the quality of sleep a person gets over time (Forbes, Lee 2013). In this day of technological advances there is no surprise at the countless ones that are in place in regards to the health care industry. With the amount of change from paper charting to digitized charting methods, egg timers on when med  pass is compared to computer pop ups, from easy access to patients meds to secured sign in procedures to acquire the meds, and from sitting in a waiting room for countless hours on end to picking up your phone and making a quick call is all proof that it has been time for a change in medical technology for a long time now. We are entering a new time for health care and to some, it is the era of Health 2.0 (Forbes, Lee 2013) References Lee, Ellen (2013). 5 Ways Technology Is Transforming Health Care. http://www.forbes.com/sites/bmoharrisbank/2013/01/24/5-ways-technology-is-transforming-health-care/

Hearthfullness: Suffering Essay

We are compelled as Christians to persevere in life whenever we face a situation that will make us suffer; this is because Christ commanded us to do so. In the bible perseverance is among the values that Christians must have and practice all the time. Jesus Christ set a good example when He was on this earth regarding suffering as a Christian. Today so many Christians go through so many trials and suffering but the result is that they are always complaining. This is contrary to what our Lord showed us on this earth. Jesus suffering was predicted by the prophet Isaiah in his earlier days and in Isaiah 53:3 he says ‘He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ’ The nature of human beings is that we are always weak and tend to want to avoid suffering if we can. This however is not practical in a Christian life because just like Christ we cannot avoid suffering. We tend to run away from all the situations surrounding suffering and forget that what was predicted about Christ by Isaiah, the prophet really came to pass later as is written in the book of mark 14:1-9. In this passage Jesus was about to be taken for crucifixion and despite of this he continues t perform His miracles and healings. In this particular passage Jesus rebukes the Pharisees that whatever the poor woman did by pouring the Alabaster oil on his head was to be remembered during the spread of the gospel after he has gone to heaven (Mark 14:8,9) Thomas Keating in his book Foundation for centering prayer and the Christian contemplative life admonishes the Christians to always be ready to suffer just like Jesus did. He draws us to the sufferings Christ went through in his road to crucifixion. He says that this did not only affect a few people but the whole humanity. He says that since it’s a universal issue we all must carry a message of humanity for the most profound kind, remembering to pray and avoid being carried away by anger, grief and retaliatory emotions. We are all one body in Christ and we need to unite and persevere whenever there is suffering. The example Christ gave when he underwent the trials and sufferings before his death on the cross should be very practical in a Christian life. Egan in his book John on the Cross reminds us that we should take our sufferings just as Jesus Christ persevered in is way to Crucifixion. References: Keating, T. (2007) Foundation for centering prayer and the Christian contemplative life, New York: Continuum. Laird, M. (2006) Into the silent land: A guide to the Christian practice of contemplation, Oxford University Press. The bible: New International Version

The Reality Of Huckleberry Finn Essays - English-language Films

The Reality Of Huckleberry Finn Essays - English-language Films The Reality Of Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry Finn is a book that contains elements of romantic and realistic fiction; even though it contains both these elements, it is a book on realistic fiction, and that is how it was written to be. Mark Twain used historical facts and data to make this story realistic, it used situations that would normally happen in the time the novel takes place in. Huckleberry Finn's father is a vagrant and a despicable person; his actions are written to how a man of that characteristic would act. Two more characters in this novel also act accordingly; the Duke and the Dauphin. A couple of crooks and frauds who are ill at heart and produce no good at all. A kind man Jim, a black slave at the beginning of this novel, goes through much and many people go through much for him. Of these characters I have just mentioned, Jim is the only considerate one, and the Duke and the Dauphin and Huckleberry Finn's father are evil. Huckleberry Finn has no strong feelings for his father except that of resentment. His father abandoned him when he was a child and come backs to town once in a while. His father would beat Huck many times usually because he was drunk. This is not unusual for someone drunk to do if that person is a beater. I used to be scared of him all the time, he tanned me so much. (Twain, p. 25) Besides him beating Huck, his father has put fear into Huck, which is sad, but is realistic. Besides beating Huck, he also scolded him for trying to get an education; he though Huck was trying to become smarter than his father, and he wouldn't have that. You're educated, too, they say can read and write. You think you're better'n your father, now, don't you, because he can't? I'll take it out of you. (Twain, pg. 26) Not only is Huck's father mean and petty, he is also greedy. 'I've been in town two days, and I hain't heard nothing but about you bein' rich. I heard about it away down the river, too. That's why I come. You git me that money to-morrow I want it.'(Twain, pg. 27) But Huck's father isn't the only greedy character in this play, there are two men that pose as the Duke and the Dauphin (who are obviously not really who they claim to be). These were two men that were frauds, they would scam people out of their money and move along to the next town as swiftly as possible. Occasionally they were, caught, which is quite realistic. 'Well, I'd been selling an article to take the tartar off the teeth and it does take it off, too, and generly the enamel along with it but I stayed about one night longer than I ought to, and was just in the act of sliding out when I ran across you on the trail this side of town, and you told me they were coming, and begged me to help you to get off. So I told you I was expecting trouble myself, and would scatter out with you.' One example of how these men are nobody but a couple of petty thieves. ' Well, I'd ben a-running' a little temperance revival thar 'bout a week, and was the pet of the women folks, big and little, f or I was makin' it mighty warm for the rummies, I tell you, and takin' as much as five or six dollars a night ten cents a head, children and niggers free and business a-growin' all the time, when somehow or another a little report got around last night that I had a way of puttin' in my time with a private jug on the sly.' (Twain, pg. 161) A very noble person does not get the respect he deserved Jim that is. Jim was a very brave, strong, courageous man, and the only person that truly recognizes him is Huck. There is one scene where Huck is questioned about a runaway slave. Most people would have given Jim away really quickly, but Huck's friendship with Jim, and that

The Science of Curing Grey Hair

The Science of Curing Grey Hair The current cures for gray hair range from the truly promising to being downright snake oil in nature. The products and procedures that are for real are based on real science and recent research on the causes of gray hair. So recent, that as of this writing any real solutions for reversing gray hair are still pending, however, they are definitely in the works to manifest for the consumer during the next few years. What Causes Grey Hair Each individual hair follicle has pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. As the hair strand is being formed, the melanocytes cells inject pigment (melanin) into cells containing keratin, the protein structures that makes up our hair follicles, skin, and nails. Throughout our lifetime, our melanocytes continue to inject pigment into our hairs keratin, giving it color, however, after a certain amount of years of producing, our melanocytes go on strike so to speak and stop making as much melanin which causes grey hair, or make no melanin at all which causes white hair. When you ask a scientist why this happens, the common answer given us is usually genetics, that our genes regulate the predestined exhaustion of the pigmentation potential of each individual hair follicle. However, there is a more in-depth explanation about what happens when our hair turns gray or white, and understanding the science behind that is leading to innovations that will change the inevitability of having to put up with a loss of hair color. Stem Cell Research: Reversing Grey Hair In 2005, Harvard scientists were the first to propose that a failure of melanocyte stem cells to maintain the production of melanocytes caused the graying of hair. They were correct, and other scientists have expanded on their research. The simplified definition of a stem cell is a cell whose job is to make more cells. Stem cells repair and build our bodies. As explained above in this article, two different types of cell production occur when our bodies produce a non-grey strand of hair. The melanocytes stem ​cells produce the hair color, and other stem cells produce the hair follicle. Scientists have researched this coordinated production between the two different stem cell types, and have discovered a signaling protein called Wnt. Think of Wnt as a type of work foreman that oversees the production of hair and tells each different stem cell type how fast to work. Wnt has everything to do with why our hair turns gray. When our melanocytes stem cells do not have enough Wnt protein, they do not get the signal to produce hair color. Professor Mayumi and a team of researchers at the New York University Medical Center have successfully restored hair color in mice by manipulating the Wnt signaling proteins. Mayumi is confident that the research will lead to solutions of melanocyte related issues both serious and cosmetic in humans, including skin diseases such as melanoma, and of course gray hair. Researchers at the Tokyo University of Science, have also experimented with stem cells in attempts to regrow hair and restore color. The researchers injected a bald and otherwise colorless mouse with stem cells from live hair follicles and were able to grow dark tufts of hair on the injection site. The research is intended to lead to solutions for both baldness and gray hair in humans. LOreal Research: Preventing Grey Hair Doctor Bruno Bernard is the head of hair biology at LOreal in Paris. LOreal, a company known for hair and beauty products, is currently supporting research into innovative methods of preventing hair from turning gray. Bernard and his team have been studying the melanocyte stem cells found in our skin that are responsible for making skin the pigment that it is. The researchers wanted to know why our skin doesnt turn gray with age but our hair does. They discovered an enzyme called TRP-2 that is present in our skin stem cells but is missing in our hair follicle stem cells. They observed that TRP-2 helped protect the melanocyte stem cells in skin from damage, and so helped those stem cells to last longer and function better. The TRP-2 enzyme provided an advantage to our skin cells that the cells involved with hair production do not have. LOreal intends to innovate a topical treatment, such as a shampoo for hair, that will replicate the effect of the TRP-2 enzyme and give the melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles the same advantage that skin stem cells have, thereby preventing and delaying gray hair from happening in the first place. The End of Grey Hair The majority of all people, over three-quarters of the population, will have some gray hair by the age of fifty. Surprisingly, one in ten people over the age of sixty still have no gray hair. For those of us who just dont want the look, hair dye to cover the gray has always been the only option, if you exclude hats. Viable alternatives may be on the horizon.

"Financing, Valuation, and Rating Agencies" Coursework

"Financing, Valuation, and Rating Agencies" - Coursework Example Equity financing involves the sale of ownership right to interested partners. The money raised through equity financing is much higher than any other form of funding and is not limited or regulated (Williams, 2012). Investors can pump in money that the convenience store can overcome startup hurdles and grow in a very short period. The money contributed by investors is not returnable; thus the store will run till it breaks even so as to start the cash recovery. Shareholders bring along valuable skills and information to the convenience store. It is easier to achieve a target when different people are working towards the goal than when alone (Chandra, 2010). There are high expectations of success and responsibility as compared to debt financing. Capital raised from debt financing is limited and returnable. Expectations are low for debt financing as compared to equity funding, and collateral may limit finance required. Convenience stores are excellent avenues for revenue generation. Capital required is high as the risk of running it also stands high. With equity financing, enough money can be raised to steer off high growth and develop a consumer-oriented

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut - Essay Example Dwayne is a wealthy man, a well-known and respected man in his community, who happens to suffer from a chemical imbalance that causes him to become progressively insane. Trout however, is a very poor man who works in the aluminum industry and writes novels and essays in his spare time. Trout was never recognized as an author before coming to Midland City; his stories were only published in pornographic magazines. The narrator slowly involves himself in the story and reveals himself as the creator of Trout and all that Trout knows. In the story, the narrator brings Trout and Dwayne together through an arts festival in Midland City. While the two men have never met, their first and only meeting changes their lives forever after. Dwayne progressing insanity come to a head when he meets Trout and demands the secret of life; Trout in a moment of panic gives Dwayne his book called Now It Can Be Told and says that his book holds the secrets. The book is a science fiction books that tells a story of the Creator of the Universe who decides to experiment by putting one human on earth and everyone else is a robot put there to stir the human up in any way possible. Taking it as the true secret of life, Dwayne goes on a violent rampage, beating eleven people, including Trout for being, what he thinks, are robots. The narrator tells the readers that Trout turns his life around after the experience with Dwayne and becomes an expert in mental health and a champion for ridding the world of negative ideas. Trout becomes a respected and loved author and member of society. Dwayne ends up on Skid Row after his rampage; the tables were turned for these two characters. The narrator believes he is born again through Trouts experiences. Vonnegut uses the fictional element of satire to depict the self-destruction of humans throughout Breakfast of Champions. The characters are miserable in their lives, regardless