Personal Statement :: College Admissions Essays

Personal Statement Two weeks had already passed and I began to realize the strike would most likely continue on into the next week as well. I was anxious for the only strike in the ninety-year history of UPS to be over. The first week was almost a novelty, a rather large social event with my fellow workers. As the days passed and the second week came to a close, the novelty had worn off. My fellow Teamster members and I had stood on the picket line for two weeks now, eagerly awaiting word of a contract agreement between the union and the company. As the television cameras rolled on an early Thursday morning in the summer of 1997, a local Dallas news reporter asked me what I thought about the word of a contract agreement, which had been reached just a few hours earlier. I replied with what I felt was the proper and correct response at the time, â€Å"If it is true, then I am very excited about it and I can’t wait to get back to work†. We often did not know what to believe on the picket line, even when it came from the media, who were usually better informed than we were. It was hard to rely on information received from the company or the union, as it usually turned out to be only marginally truthful. I often wondered about the real purpose of the strike, knowing what both sides were claiming, but questioning what was fact and what was propaganda. One thing I knew beyond doubt was that I never wanted to be placed in this situation again. By the time that word of a final agreement reached us, I had already made up my mind that I would never again be involved in another UPS strike as a labor worker. The only way I ever want to be involved in another labor strike is in the role of a lawyer, with an integral part in the contract negotiations. The one good thing that did come out of the strike was my own decision of what I wanted to do with my future. While watching the evening news every night of the strike, looking for any new developments, I became captivated with negotiations between the Teamster and UPS lawyers.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 29

Someone was trying to make her drink out of a glass. Elena's sense of smell was so acute that she could taste what was in the glass already – Black Magic wine. And she didn't want that! No! She spat it out. They couldn't make her drink. â€Å"Mon enfant, it is for your own good. Now, drink it.† Elena turned her head away. She felt the darkness and the hurricane rushing up to take her. Yes. That was better. Why wouldn't they leave her alone? In the very deepest trenches of communication, a little boy was with her in the dark. She remembered him, but not his name. She held out her arms and he came into them and it seemed that his chains were lighter than they had been†¦when? Before. That was all she could remember. Are you all right? she whispered to the child. Down here, deep in the heart of communion, a whisper was a shout. Don't cry. No tears, he begged her, but the words reminded her of something she couldn't bear to think of, and she put her fingers to his lips, gently silencing him. Too loud, a voice from Outside came rumbling in. â€Å"So, mon enfant, you have decided to become un vampire encore une fois.† Is that what is happening? she whispered to the child. Am I dying again? To become a vampire? I don't know! the child cried. I don't know anything. He's angry. I'm afraid. Sage won't hurt you, she promised. He's already a vampire, and your friend. Not Sage†¦ Then who are you afraid of? If you die again, I'll be wrapped in chains all over. The child showed her a pitiable picture of himself covered by coil after coil of heavy chains. In his mouth, gagging him. Pinning his arms to his sides and his legs to the ball. Moreover, the chains were spiked so that everywhere they dug into the child's soft flesh, blood flowed. Who would do such a thing? Elena cried. I'll make him wish he'd never been born. Tell me who's going to do this! The child's face was sad and perplexed. I will, he said sadly. He will. He/I. Damon. Because we'll have killed you. But if it's not his fault†¦ We have to. We have to. But maybe I'll die, the doctor says†¦ There was a definite lilt of hope in the last sentence. It decided Elena. If Damon was not thinking clearly, then maybe she wasn't thinking clearly, she reasoned out slowly. Maybe†¦maybe she should do what Sage wanted. And Dr. Meggar. She could discern his voice as if through a thick fog. † – sake, you've been working all night. Give someone else a chance.† Yes†¦all night. Elena had not wanted to wake up again, and she had a powerful will. â€Å"Maybe switch sides?† someone – a girl – a young girl – was suggesting. Little in voice, but strong-willed, too. Bonnie. â€Å"Elena†¦It's Meredith. Can you feel me holding your hand?† A pause, then very much louder, excitedly, â€Å"Hey, she squeezed my hand! Did you see? Sage, tell Damon to get in here quick.† Drifting†¦ â€Å"†¦drink a little more, Elena? I know, I know, you're sick of it. But drink un peu for my sake, will you?† Drifting†¦ â€Å"Trs bon, mon enfant! Maintenant, what about a little milk? Damon believes you can stay human if you drink some milk.† Elena had two thoughts about this. One was that if she drank any more of anything, she might explode. Another was that she wasn't going to make any foolish promises. She tried to speak but it came out in a thread of a whisper. â€Å"Tell Damon – I won't come up unless he lets the little boy free.† â€Å"Who? What little boy?† â€Å"Elena, sweetie, all the little boys on this estate are free.† Meredith: â€Å"Why not let her tell him?† Dr. Meggar: â€Å"Elena, Damon is right here on the couch. You've both been very sick, but you're going to be fine. Here, Elena, we can move the examination table so you can talk to him. There, it's done.† Elena tried to open her eyes, but everything was ferociously bright. She took a breath and tried again. Still much too bright. And she didn't know how to dim her vision anymore. She spoke with her eyes shut to the presence she felt in front of her: I can't leave him alone again. Especially if you're going to load him with chains and gag him. Elena, Damon said shakily, I haven't led a good life. But I haven't kept slaves before, I swear. Ask anyone. And I wouldn't do that to a child. You have, and I know his name. And I know that all he's made of is gentleness, and kindness, and good nature†¦and fear. The low rumble of Sage's voice, â€Å"†¦agitating her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the slightly louder murmur of Damon's: â€Å"I know she's off her head, but I'd still like to know the name of this little boy I'm supposed to have done this to. How does that agitate her?† More rumbling, then: â€Å"But can't I just ask her? At least I can clear my name of these charges.† Then, out loud: â€Å"Elena? Can you tell me what child I'm supposed to have tortured like this?† She was so tired. But she answered aloud, whispering, â€Å"His name is Damon, of course.† And Meredith's own exhausted whisper, â€Å"Oh, my God. She was willing to die for a metaphor.†

Poetry Analysis- A Litany In The Time Of Plague Essay

Context Nashe is most famous as a pamphleteer. an odd career that now would see him working for some Chinese restaurant or another. In Elizabethan times a pamphleteer was a bit more prominent as pamphlets were one of the most effective ways to spread ideas or news across the country. Nashe’s pamphlets were apparently pretty controversial in theme and his poetry also caused a bit of a stir, see if you can work out why!: And make me happie, stealing by degrees. First bare hir legs, then creepe up to her knees †¦ â€Å"Unhappyie me,† quoth she, â€Å"and wilt not stand? Com, let me rubb and chafe it with my hand!† Do you really need to know this? No, but has it made you smile? No? Well, on with the relevant stuff then! So, we’ve established he was a naughty boy and in no way deserving of salvation, now let’s talk about the Black Death. It was a plague that swept around Europe for hundreds of years and is estimated to have killed 200 million people. At the time people were particularly put out by it because they had no idea what was causing it and there was seemingly no cure and people from all reaches of life were effected equally: Queen Elizabeth I was really scared of the plague and devised various quarantine measures to protect herself. You can imagine how an unexplained fatal disease killing everyone around you would make you a little terrified for your own life, feeling like the sword of Damocles is hanging over you head and making you seriously contemplate what happens next. Themes The big one here is obviously mortality, but it closely associated with salvations and therefore religious faith could be considered here too. Content Right, it’s six stanzas and it’ll take forever to do if I go through in too much detail so you’re going to have to be satisfied with an overview. Let’s start with the title. The word litany is now quite commonly used, but at the time was derived from and focused on a service in a church. We can take a litany to be a series of prayers or the whole service, which aims to convey a message to a congregation listening to the priest or preacher delivering it. The first stanza gives us an overview of what’s on Nashe’s mind; he’s a bit fixated on what he sees as the certainty of his approaching death. He mentions how much fun and joy there is in the world, but sees them as being overshadowed and made to seem inconsequential by the shadow of death (‘Death proves them [our joys] all but toys’) and our mortality. He tells us that ‘none from his darts can fly’ indicating the inevitability of death; we all know we’ll die, but he seems to be implying that none can escape from death from the plague as he says ‘I am sick, I must die’ as one inevitably leads to the other. The following four stanzas effectively say the same thing: no one is safe from the plague and nothing will protect you. He starts off by addressing the wealthy and assures them ‘Gold cannot buy your health’. He’s a little bit wrong here as wealth probably would ensure a bit of distance from the plague and the wealthy wouldn’t live in the crowded, filthy and rat infested confines of the cities, so would probably be less likely. However, this is besides the point, he’s telling them their money won’t keep them safe. Stanza 3 next addresses the beautiful and warns them that ‘wrinkles will devour’ them and their looks and that even beautiful Queens have died young. He uses a classical allusion in Helen (the face that launched a thousand ships†¦ because she was so pretty the Greeks went to rescue her from her Trojan captors) as well to convey the idea of beauties dying young and thus telling the young that even they are not safe from the plague. Strength and intelligence (‘wit’) are the next two subjects. Even the most powerful will eventually ‘feed’ for the worms, or rotting in the grave, again demonstrated with a classical allusion, this time to Hector (the Trojan hero). The intelligent are unable to argue their way out of their fate as ‘Hell’s executioner’, or the plague, has ‘no ears’ for them to appeal to. So basically he’s saying that everyone is screwed and there is nothing you can do to avoid the plague. That should give you an impression of people felt at the time; this plague was almost like a sign of judgement day as they didn’t know what caused it, it punished everyone equally and it a particularly unpleasant way to die. But hang on! There is one way we can be saved†¦ unfortunately it still requires us to die. Our only salvation is in heaven and Nashe is telling us to embrace our death, but make sure we have lived our lives in a way that will mean we can ‘mount†¦ unto the sky’ and head off to heaven. Lovely†¦ Hmm†¦ Language and techniques Hundreds of things to talk about, so don’t feel confined to the few examples I’ve chosen to zoom in on. First of all I’d analyse the language used to describe the plague. We are told that ‘none’ can escape its ‘darts’ making our death seem like a certainty; it travels ‘full swift by’ as if it is an unstoppable wind; and once we’re sick, we die confirming that once affected there is no hope. These associations suggest that humanity has no chance of survival against this mysterious and unexplained disease. Then we have the really disturbing imagery about how people die. There is certainly no glory in death as we might believe as ‘wrinkles devour’ beauty or consumed and distort it, while the strong are reduced to pathetic  weaknesses as ‘worms feed’ upon their flesh with them unable to fight back. These images both have a literal association with the plague as huge blisters often formed on victims making them quite repulsive, while victims were reduced to extremely frail conditions thanks to fever and sickness (also suggested by the fact the strong ‘stoop to the grave’, almost unable to stand). However, these images are meant to shock us and make us scared of the disease and for our mortality. I’d also mention how fatalistic the poet is. The plague did not effect everyone and yet we have an almost apocalyptic expression of the certainty of death that recurs throughout the poem again and again and again. Each stanza repeats the final two lines that link sickness absolutely with death and then beg for divine mercy, but we also get a unique element of the certainty of demise in each stanza: 1st – ‘None from his darts can fly’ – no one can escape from death/the plague. 2nd – ‘All things to end are made’ – everything dies! 3rd – ‘wrinkles will devour’ – no uncertainty about decay. 4th – ‘Swords may not fight with fate’ – you cannot fight fate, death is inevitable. 5th – the first two lines†¦ less convincing here – intelligence certain to be overcome by the bitterness of death. Then you’ve got that last stanza and the last line of each stanza. ‘Lord, have mercy on us!’ is a desperate plea to a higher power to make things better the next place they go, a plea for salvation and against being damned to hell. The whole of this stanza seems to indicate the importance of faith as we’re told ‘To welcome destiny’ presumably by being morally good to please the lord, and that earth is just ‘a player’s stage’ meaning that it is sort of a rehearsal or an audition for the real deal of life in either heaven ‘our heritage’ or hell. Structure Well, the first thing to say is that this is a litany. It is set out as a prayer and deliberately sounds like one of those religious fables telling us how to live our lives – ultimately with God and faith at the centre. We get the opening stanza setting the scene for the devastating impact of the  plague as if it is actually destroying the whole world, as if it is beckoning judgement day. The middle stanzas show us things that people rely on while on earth, but proves how useless these things are against death/the plague. Finally, we are given the message about how we can defeat this certain death†¦ by dying as good Christians and going to heaven. I’ve already mentioned it above, but you could also discuss why the last two lines repeat in each stanza. Yes, it makes it like a prayer, but also it emphasises the certainty of death and the poet cannot escape this preoccupation with the end being nigh! Tone Pretty sombre as at every turn this guy wants to remind us and himself that he is certain to die†¦ and in a pretty gruesome and debilitating way. However, there is also an element on preaching here as he is trying to tell us what we have to do – be good and die horrible, but live on in heaven.

Launch of a New Energy Drink

1.Possible outcomes of the launch Launching a new energy shot product presents a moral dilemma. Most energy shots are aimed at teenagers and young adults, and this target audience is known to put more trust into the ‘street cred’ of the product, rather than medical and government advise, so there is an opportunity for carving some share of the market, especially if we deliberately exploit the ‘rebel’ aspect of our product. On the other hand, given the ongoing media hype, there is also a chance of attracting negative publicity and becoming a scapegoat for the regulators. Eventually, this can result in long-term reputational damage and substantial (and unpredictable) litigation costs. We could, however, turn the situation to our advantage by launching a drink that will be based on a different stimulator than the notorious mix of caffeine and guarana – as long as it is technologically viable. Such drink would comply with the Food Safety Authority’s caffeine concentration standards and could be classified as a formulated caffeine beverage. We could then market it as a healthier alternative to the popular energy shots, so that it appeals both to the target audience and the general public. 2.Legal aspects The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (FSC) mandates that a formulated caffeine beverage must contain 145 to 320 milligrams of caffeine per litre1 (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009). Popular energy shots do not comply with this requirement: for instance, a 2-ounce Demon Energy Shot contains 200 mg of caffeine, i.e. 3333 milligrams of caffeine per litre (Energy Fiend, 2009). The trick here is that the producers label their drinks as dietary supplements which are exempt from the FSC requirements. However, it is not entirely unlikely that a legal clampdown on energy shots will follow: in Australia, the government of New South Wales aims to ban non-compliant energy drinks (AAP, 2009); back in New Zealand, retailers are pressed to restrict the sale of energy shots (Voxy News Engine, 2009). Moreover, according to an industry insider, the Food Standards Authority is currently working on a new standard for food-type substances sold as dietary supplements that is likely to tackle energy shots (Science Media Centre, 2009). It is thus important to think one step ahead and concentrate on developing an compliant energy shot. 3.Public Opinion In order to gauge the public opinion of the energy shots, I consider the opinions of medical professionals, food industry regulators and people from the street. A recent press release by the Science Media Centre provides the professional medics’ opinion on the impact of energy shots (Science Media Centre, 2009). The professional opinions vary from neutral to cautious to strongly negative. Dr David Jardine, Clinical Director of the Canterbury District Health Board, observes that he knows â€Å"of no bad effects [of caffeine] in children and pregnant women† and confirms that â€Å"humans seem to be able to deal with caffeine very well† (ibid). Dr Elaine Rush, Professor at Auckland University of Technology, is â€Å"very concerned about the sale of caffeine in large doses† and claims that â€Å"there are more problems than benefits associated with consuming caffeine† (ibid). However, she doesn’t launch any invectives at energy shots. Dr Jim McVeagh, a GP, â€Å"had to deal with a number of cases of teenagers having psychotic episodes following multiple cans of energy drinks† and claims that energy shots are â€Å"not a benign pick-me-up [but] a stimulant drug, pure and simple† (ibid). However, it is not clear if the ‘psychotic episodes’ of some teenagers that ‘followed multiple cans of energy drinks’ should be entirely attributed to caffeine. NZFSA Authority Director Geoff Allen admits that â€Å"new regulation to restrict sale or supply of these high caffeine energy drinks is not necessarily the whole or the best answer†. He also stresses that the energy shots that have been inspected by his office â€Å"have a caffeine advisory statement of some form, even though they're not required to† (ibid). To summarize, most medics agree that there is no clear evidence of harmful effect of caffeine onto healthy individuals. The regulator agrees that maximum recommended usage information should be provided by the producers of dietary supplements, but this requirement is already met by energy shot producers. To gauge the sentiment of the target audience of the drinks (males aged 14-25), I questioned five anonymous respondents in the streets of Auckland on 29 – 31 October 2009. The general sentiment is that of indifference. One of the respondents, who turned out to be a bartender in a night club, expressively claimed that he â€Å"doesn’t give a f**k† about the impact of caffeine as long as energy shots help him meet his professional and personal commitments. 4.Personal reflection In my personal opinion, there is nothing unethical about launching a new energy shot. The producers make it clear that energy shots are not designed for regular and frequent consumption: they aim to give a boost of energy when it is essential (e.g. when you are late with submitting a course essay), maybe at a cost of a period poor well-being after the effect of the shot wears off. The producers also make it clear that persons with poor caffeine metabolism or other health issues should consult a doctor before consuming a drink. Nippert & Gray (2009) make the case of a woman who suffered a heart attack as a consequence of regular consumption of 10 to 14 cans of Red Bull a day to shoot invectives at energy drinks. However, this case hardly supports their cause: even regular consumption of 10 to 14 blocks of chocolate can eventually send one to the intensive therapy ward. I am totally convinced that it is not the substance that should be controlled, but rather the urge to abuse it. As for the children, it is their parent’s responsibility to control that they do not take in unhealthy doses of potentially harmful substances, be it aspirin, alcohol, or energy shots.

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

Imagine - Essay Example This empowers the patient as he or she can now have a greater latitude in taking care of himself or herself because preventing disease is more affordable than treatment. The latter often disenfranchises the have nots and makes health care unjust as social epidemiology suggests that the distribution of disease, impairment and general health care issues are more concentrated in the lower strata of society where people in lower classes have higher rates of mortality and disability. While we agree that this should not be the case, concrete action has to be made to make heath care equitable and universal. And central to this effort of making health care more equitable and universal are nurses whose roles became more demanding now as the new landscape demands more health at lesser cost. This does not mean that nurses should adopt a defeatist attitude and sulk in petty grievance that the nursing profession is already overworked with health care institutions swelling with patients while nurs e ratio are not commensurate. Nurse in fact has to adopt a proactive mindset, to assume greater responsibility in finding ways to provide health care with less. In the long run, these new developments could be good for the patients as it is targeted at preventive care than treatment. But for the time being, nurses have to assume the responsibility of health care backlog as health care becomes more universal. Given these new demands on the profession of nursing of doing more with less, the nurse should be given greater autonomy in the dispensation of his or her duty to optimize his or her capacity to provide care and not be bogged down by unwanted bureaucracy. Nurses should be trusted for their role to be expanded in patient care and to be given more independence in the day to day patient care because just like doctors, they too care for the patients and is bound by an ethical oath of which they have to follow. Just like doctors, nurses also adhere to strict professional code that in cludes beneficence which directs nurses not to inflict any harm to the patient and to be just in providing care based on the patient’s need and not on other consideration. The reiteration of this ethical guidelines of which every nurse is bound to adhere should rest the doubt of anyone who suspects that nurses cannot provide adequate patient care when given more autonomy. In practice, the opposite could be true that could nurses could be more effective both from clinical and personnel management perspective. . This is now necessary because nurses cannot just rely on how things were usually done considering that the present health care is less than the ideal which is now becoming typical in most health care institutions in America because of the lack of budget, qualified personnel, equipment and supplies. This is important to stress because most nursing students today will become nurses in the future and we have to realize now that we should not accept this less than ideal sit uation in nursing. Nurses should not give in to the problems of deteriorating nursing institutions which is now becoming prevalent and acceptable today. We have to be proactive as early as now while we are still learning the ropes of nursing because it will shape our attitude when we become

Management Accounting Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management Accounting Models - Essay Example The present research has identified that business finance is the term used to denote the funding activities for the efficient conduct of business activities. Therefore, business finance is helpful in many ways. Firstly, it helps to procure enough flow of funding required in business. Secondly, it is important for maintaining and enhancing better management system by supplying the required amount of capital. Lastly, it is the foremost factor for obtaining the adequate amount of profitability. The prime objective of a business is to generate profit by investing in projects. In order to fulfill the primary financial objectives, the decision makers of a company plan their financial activities. The planning of financial activities is known as budgeting and it is very vital for the smooth functioning of financial operations. A proper financial budgeting makes the entire operation efficient and effective. Budgeting plays a crucial role in the decision making the process for a company. Oberl in states that â€Å"budgets are the link between plans and actions. They translate strategic plans into the financial resources necessary to implement the plan†. Companies prepare many types of budgets like capital budgets, sales budgets, production budgets, cash budgets, inventory budgets etc for planning their operational activities. In fact, the budgets help the organizations to achieve the organizational and financial target on behalf of all the departments.

Notions of genetic discrimination,genetic determinism,and a Term Paper

Notions of genetic discrimination,genetic determinism,and a utilitarian comparison - Term Paper Example Portrayals of scientific fact in the mainstream media are, to most scientists, for the most part inaccurate descriptions of legitimate research methods.One aspect of scientific research that the media commonly misrepresents is that related to genetic research. For instance, a study may be published associating on average a specific gene with a certain quantifiable behavior. The media, upon receiving word of this research, will change the wording of the story in order to sensationalize and sell the story as newsworthy, often relying on words like â€Å"cause†. Over time, the public has started to perceive â€Å"genes† as the causal determinants of our actions, our lives, and our decisions. This view, called â€Å"genetic determinism†, lies at the root of many fears about the specter of â€Å"genetic discrimination†, which many believe is on the horizon for developed countries where genome maps are becoming increasingly cheap. Nevertheless, it is not clear w hether genetic discrimination will grow to become the problem many are forecasting. From an ethical perspective, the problem of genetic discrimination may not lie solely in the act of discriminating against an individual based on his or her genome; rather, the problem may lie in people’s fears about a genetic bias, which may cause some not to seek a diagnosis. Utilitarianism is the ethical theory that the moral content of an act (or rule) consists solely of the degree to which it maximizes happiness (or utility) in the greatest number of people. In other words, the good toward which all of our actions ought to pursue, under the utilitarian theory, is happiness, pleasure, or preference-satisfaction. Accordingly, if by ending the life of one person we save the life of twenty persons, then that act is not only allowable but also preferred under the utilitarian theory. Utilitarianism does have intuitive appeal insofar as any living being will seek to maximize its pleasure and min imize its pain. This moral theory acknowledges this fact and places happiness as the good toward which we evaluate all actions as either moral or immoral. The Utilitarian Argument against Discrimination Under a utilitarian framework, the argument against discrimination in any context follows from the assumption that society will be better off, or enriched, by the contributions of as many people as possible. Thus, if people were to be discriminated against in some fashion, their contributions to society (and ideas on how to make society better) would be lost without an audience. Therefore, as the argument goes, it is wrong to discriminate against people without looking at their character or actions. Utilitarians believe that policies like affirmative action, which are aimed at producing an equal society, are good in that they produce the most happiness for the highest number of people, primarily for the reason given above. However, if this equality lowered the overall good of society , utilitarians would immediately change their mind with respect to the equality-building measures. Likewise, in the case of genetic discrimination, utilitarians usually adopt legislation and other measures to counter the effects of discriminatory practices; nevertheless, if it were to be proven that equality-building attempts (such as banning mandatory genetic testing for new employees) hurt society, utilitarians would be obligated to change their opinions with respect to that situation. The Nature of Genetic Discrimination Genetic discrimination relates to making decisions because of genetic information when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoffs, training, fringe benefits, or any other term or condition of employment (EEOC, 2010). Employers cannot utilize genetic informati