Arguments against Gay Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Arguments against Gay Marriage - Essay Example It is naturally ordered towards procreation and bringing up a family. On the contrary, gay marriages are inherently sterile unions. For partners to have children, they must circumvent natural means through costly alternatives or employ surrogates. With the partners belonging to the same sex, the union ignores a child’s best interests by denying it the presence of a father or mother (Boswell 11). Gay marriages defeat the government’s purpose of benefiting marriages (Moore et al 6). Governments depend on stable families for the social health of the society they govern. One of the reasons they bestow benefits to marriages is that by their pure nature, marriages are recognized as the key institutions responsible for creating and raising society. A faltering family falters society. Opposite sex marriages raise children in a natural and morally acceptable atmosphere, providing both parents’ affection (Moore et al 14). Gay marriages lack such conditions. Their primary purpose is the personal pleasure of two individuals in a sterile union and is, therefore, not entitled to the protection most States extend to opposite-sex marriages (Moore et al 15).  Ã‚  

Visitor Attraction Management on London Eye UK Essay - 1

Visitor Attraction Management on London Eye UK - Essay Example This essay discusses the origin of the London eye and its birth, and the millions of people, both citizens and tourists that it attracts. Its features and major activities that are inclusive including the recent developments and innovations are discussed. The opportunity section covers a wide range of those opportunities that the management has grabbed and made a fortune out of them. Secondly, the foreseen opportunities like the 2012 London Olympics are also discussed, as well as survey on external environment and how to outwit the rival competitor. The challenges are inclusive of what the attraction has faced since its birth and the future hindrances that may occur as its operations continue. Moreover, the paper discusses the competitive advantage and the factors that would lead to the attraction attaining and sustaining its competitive advantage. Recommendations are given on the issues that need to be evaluated to maintain the stability of the attraction. Marketing strategies like cost leadership and product differentiation are explained. Effective management is also explained in a way that would help the attraction to improve its employee’s performance and at the same time meeting the customer’s needs. The tourist classification is reviewed hence providing management with options on how to continue attracting a good number of visitors. Mainly the role of management in this attraction business is explained through a committed management team and motivated staff, which contribute to success.

Starbucks Is The Leading Retailer And Roaster Marketing Essay

Starbucks Is The Leading Retailer And Roaster Marketing Essay My assignment strives to outline the marketing strategic approaches to be undertaken for the next year by the Starbucks is the leading retailer and roaster for brand specialty coffee in the world. It has over7,500 stores located worldwide. As Starbucks continues to expand, it will encounter all sorts of new product markets, with new and demanding customers for unique and appealing products. Entering this new market, Starbucks will face many challenges to compete and to retain brand recognition of its primary products, yet increases awareness of its new product line. Situational analysis Company As Mathew Carmean and his fellows (Sewer, Andy,January 26, 2004 p.70) tell us: Starbucks is the leading retailer for roaster and brand specialty coffee in the world. It has over 7,500 stores, which are located in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and the MiddleEast. Besides high quality coffee drinks, Starbucks sells bottled coffee drinks, such as Frappuccino andStarbucks DoubleShot. [ibis]Starbucks revenue is growing by 20% a year and is opening approximately three stores every day.Starbucks is capable of managing its successful operations by having steady market growth. It achievedthis by financing through their cash flow instead of franchising, selling stock or increasing their financialleverage). Its strategy to success is blanket an area completely. This approach is to cuts down ondelivery and management costs, shortens customer lines at individual stores, and increases foot traffic forall the stores in an area, that gives Starbucks a competitive advantage. Customer At first only professionals and educators went to Starbucks, but now it attracts a much wider demographic of customersincluding people of different ethnic backgrounds and ages. Today, Starbucks has the striking number of 25million visitors in its stores each week. This success is due to the combination of high quality drinksand friendly environment with good music, comfortable chairs, and good services. This creates theStarbucks experience which customers can relate to that lead to brand loyalty. In addition, Starbucksneeds to deal with customers cultural preferences in all its worldwide locations to maintain customers loyalty. Competitors To ensure further market growth and be competitive, Starbucks is developing new products for non-coffee drinkers. Starbucks provides its current customers and attracts new customers not only with quality products but also with varieties flavors that customers desire. Starbucks two largest competitors are Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme, both are national chains. These companies use aggressive price-cutting, up to 20%, for their drinks. Other competitors are small local coffeehouses, and other coffee brands like Tullys and Petes Coffee. Their direct competitors for the new product line are Orange Julius, Jamba Juice, fast food chains such as McDonalds and Burger King, and other small coffee alternative providers. Complementors Starbucks has teamed up with Bank One to offer the Starbucks Card Duetto Visa. This is a stored-value card and traditional credit card. Starbucks has also introduced a T-Mobile Hotspot service which allows the Starbucks customer to have access to wireless internet for a fee.  Offering more services like the Visa card, wireless internet and customized CD will add more value to the Starbucks experience and help draw more customers to Starbucks which will lead to higher revenues. Managerial Problem Starbucks strategic goal is to increase market share of the non-coffee drinker; they have begun byintroducing an extension of a product line targeted to this segment. To ensure market growth, Starbuckshas repositioned one of its current products, the Frappuccino line, this product has been extended toinclude 3 new flavors; Double Chocolate Chip Crà ¨me, Vanilla Bean Crà ¨me, and Strawberries Crà ¨me,introduced throughout the summer months. Faced with the challenge of entering a new competitivemarket Starbucks must compete to retain brand recognition of its primary products, yet increaseawareness of its new product line by expanding the retail stores in the international markets. SWOT analysis  will help emphasize exactly what Starbucks is doing right or wrong. It will provide us an insight on what the company is good at, and in what areas Starbucks could use assistance. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) are described below: Starbucks SWOT Analysis Strengths It is a global coffee brand built upon a reputation for fine products and services. It has almost 17,000 stores in 49 countries.   The organization has strong ethical values, commitment to the environment, and community activists. Weaknesses The organization has a strong presence in the United States of America with more than three quarters of its cafes located in the domestic market. In order to reduce business risk, expansion is needed. Starbucks has a reputation for new product development and creativity. However, they remain vulnerable to the possibility that their innovation may falter over time, and product acceptance will come to a halt eventually slowing growth. Opportunities The company has the opportunity to expand its global operations. New markets for coffee such as India and the Pacific Rim nations are beginning to emerge. Co-branding with other manufacturers of food and drink, and brand franchising to manufacturers of other goods and services both have potential. Threats Starbucks success has led to the market entry of many competitors and copycat brands that could pose potential threats. How they combat these threats will determine their future. Starbucks is exposed to rises in the cost of coffee and dairy products. Starbucks is a large company with a competitive advantage that is shrinking because of its huge success. This is because Starbucks model has been copied successfully by its competitors and this poses a serious threat to the company. If Starbucks cannot retain its differentiator strategy, it is doomed to fall out of popularity, as it would end up being a store that is selling nothing more than a cup of coffee.   With majority of its stores concentrated in United States, Starbucks is also limiting its growth and exposing itself to risk. Any negative changes in the domestic market could severely hurt Starbucks viability as a firm. If Starbucks can retain its strengths and build on opportunities, while suppressing weaknesses and extinguishing threats, it will be able to grow throughout the world market. The SWOT analysis also gives a starting point for a discussion on what Starbucks can do to reduce its weaknesses. Due to its large size, Starbucks sets trends for the industry that can be backed up by the volume of their delivery. Exactly how long Starbucks can dominate the market depends on Starbucks itself. Starbucks has a large number of stores for coffee outlets, all of which are owned outright by the corporation and no franchisees. Minimal revenue requirements have been placed on each store, and those that fall short are closed. The company closed down over 600 stores that fell short of its revenue requirements (Fiscal 2008 Annual Report). The large number of stores is a huge asset or a liability, depending on how one assesses the situation. If there is a strong economy and people have disposable income, then there is a benefit on having so many stores to generate revenues. On the other hand, during economic downturns, the vast number of stores will become a huge financial liabi lity. By consistently enforcing revenue requirements for each store, Starbucks will able to maintain or increase its same store sales, and while at the same reducing one of the weaknesses of being so large. The company has managed to maintain the competitive advantage because it has offered conveniences and an atmosphere customers can enjoy. As long as Starbucks fulfills its customers wants and needs, Starbucks will continue to be a leading force in the market. Starbucks should continue to create more value at its stores. Starbucks has created a perception that it is focused not just on profits, but also on societal agendas. The companys stores have become a medium for people and communities to come together and promote a better place to live in an environmentally conscious society. Starbucks found a niche market where it identified what makes its customers happy, and has delivered it to them. Continuing to accomplish this will allow Starbucks to maintain its competitive advantage for years to come. Marketing Vision and Mission statement of Starbucks Mission Statement of Starbucks To inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. Vision of Starbucks   Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow. Marketing Objectives of Starbucks To create a Starbucks experience that makes people come for the coffee, stay for the ambience and environment, and return for the connection. To build an image separate from smaller coffee chains. To clearly communicate the values and commitments of the Starbucks business to their customers, instead of only growth plans publicized in the media. Marketing strategies Implemented by Starbucks Growth Strategy This well-known marketing tool was first published in the Harvard Business Review (1957) in an article called Strategies for Diversification. It is used by marketers who have objectives for growth. Ansoffs matrix offers strategic choices to achieve the objectives. There are four main categories for selection. Ansoffs Product/Market Matrix Market Penetration With this approach, Starbucks will try to sell more of the same product to the same customers at a competitive price. Here itwilladvertise, introduce a loyalty scheme, launch special promotions, to encourage more people within the existing market to choose its products, or to use more of it. By working toward this goal, Starbucks wants to open new stores in both new andexisting markets, expand their product development process, and cater to customersneeds to eventually improve their financial position and dominate market share. Market Development With this approach, Starbucks will target new markets or new areas of the market. It will try to sell more of the sameproducts to different people. However,we will target different geographical markets at home, use different sales channels, such as online or direct sales if weare currently selling through the trade, target different groups of people, perhaps different age groups, genders or demographic profiles from our normal customers. Product Development With this approach, we will sell more things to the same people with new products. Here we will extend our products by producing different variants, or packaging existing products in new ways. Starbucks can apply the following product development strategy Fresh and rich brewed Italian espresso Offers pastries and other appetizing confections Sells coffee-related accessories (mugs, coffee makers, cups, espresso, etc.) Expanded sales into supermarkets of whole bean coffee Introduction the widely popular drink, Frappuccino, to the public Strives for satisfied customers and a welcoming environment Works to have highest standards of excellence in way of business Offers newspapers and other reading material, popular music, and Internetaccess Ansoffs matrix is one of the most well know frameworks for deciding upon strategies for growth. CompetitiveStrategy Porter five forces Generic strategies were used initially in the early 1980s, and seem to be even more popular today. They outline the three main strategic options open to organization that wish to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Each of the three options are considered within the context of two aspects of the competitive environment: Sources of competitive advantage   are the products differentiated in any way, or are they the lowest cost producer in an industry?  Competitive scope of the market   does the company target a wide market, or does it focus on a very narrow, niche market? Michael Porters Analysis of Starbucks Michael Porter, a Harvard Professor introduces his ideology of the Five Forces model that shapes the competition in the industry.    Each force is interrelated and therefore leads into the other to show the elements directly involved in the further success or ultimate success of the firm.   Ã‚   Starbucks Coffee Company, throughout its existence since 1971, with its great management team, innovative style of thinking and strong will to succeed in compliance with its mission and vision statements has and continues to overcome its barriers by recognizing such strategic planning as those included in Porters five forces model. The model includes such components as Barriers to Entry, Supplier and Buyer Power, Threat of Substitutions, and most importantly the Industry Competitors. Starbucks throughout its existence has addressed each and every one of Porters forces with a positive edge that has greatly contributed to the success of the company. Starbucks took manyrisks and spent capital that it really did not have.    To build a corporation based on intuition and a trip to Italy has undoubtedly paid off in the long run which is evident throughout the year that Starbucks has been in operation.    Howard Schultz, CEO and founder of the company, has stuck to his conviction not to sacrifice long-term integrity and values for short-term profit.    He knew if he played his cards right and stuck to his guns it would only be a matter of time that Starbucks would become the world largest coffee industry in the world.    He wanted the company to become and international outlet for coffee consumers which not only included men and woman but also addresses the needs and wants of those of all ages and nationalities, children, students and any other category of people that have and interest in Starbucks diverse product line. With constant dedication to the companys vision and mission statement and believing in the value of market share and name recognition and how critical they are to the success. (http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Michael-Porters-Analysis-Starbucks/33231) Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning Segmentation One dimension of segmentation will be demographics (age and household status). Starbucks have to selected married couples age 23 50 with children to be our primary target market. According to the research, it is found that these households spend more than other households on non-alcoholic beverages away from home. The Company will evaluate each segment based upon potential business success. Opportunities will depend upon factors such as: the potential growth of the segment the state of competitive rivalry within the segment how much profit the segment will deliver how big the segment is how the segment fits with the current direction of the company and its vision. Starbucks does not have any special segments or we can say that it is not focusing on a specifically group rather than company is focusing on the people who want to relax themselves by a taking a cup of coffee and company is providing them the environment that the customers want. Targeting As the Starbucks is extremely careful ineach step of coffee making, it is trying to maintain a long-standing relationship with its customers and similarly they do not have any real competition threats.Starbucks is will target office workers, with middle to high incomes, who have a desire topurchase premium products.While evaluating the consumer market the conclusion is that the ideal consumers economic profile will beUpper Middle Class, Privileged Class, While the age demographics will be Students and Youngsters, Professionals, Families, and Mature Consumers. Gender and Ethnic or Religious Background is researched to have minimal or no effecton the choices concerning coffee. Positioning Positioning is undoubtedly one of the simplest and most useful tools to marketers. After segmenting a market and then targeting a consumer, you would proceed to position a product within that market. Remember this important point. Positioning is all about perception. As perception differs from person to person, so do the results of the positioning map e.g what you perceive as quality, value for money, etc., and is different to my perception. However, there will be similarities. This is the main strength of this tool. Marketers decide upon a competitive position which enables them to distinguish their own products from the offerings of their competition (hence the term  positioning strategy). Store Ambience Goal: To make customers want to linger Social Appeal-Offer a sense of community, a place where peoplecan come together. Physical layout Seating areas to encourage lounging Appear upscale yet inviting Aromas Smoking is banned in all stores Employees are asked to refrain from wearing perfumes orcolognes, and prepared foods are kept covered socustomers would only smell coffee aromas. Sounds Play soothing CDs that are also for sale Often offer live music Customer Service The company sees a direct link between customer satisfaction andcustomer loyalty. The company believes that employee satisfaction leads to customersatisfaction (Moon). MARKETING MIX Product Starbucks should try to position themselves as a premium product in the coffee industry in Asia bycreating a high standard, introducing innovative products and providing excellent service.They should open new retail stores in the downtown area and also try to maintain the quality control of the coffee beans throughout Asia.  Consumers can enjoy theexperience; they encounter at Starbucks, and now for those who seek a high quality non-coffee drink canenjoy the same experience. By introducing these new summer drinks, Starbucks will enjoy an entirelynew segment to market its products in Asia. When looking at the sales revenues for the summer drinks it isimportant to consider that some of the existing customers will inevitably cross over and begin consumingthe new drinks. In the end, the expansion of the product line is a wise decision because of the ease ofadoption to Starbucks reputation for quality as well as the low cost of implementation. Price Price and quality determines the value of the product. Therefore, Starbucks have to base their price strategy on the competition of quality.It alwaystries to deliver the high value promised to the consumers. They have to buy the quality beans,give effective and efficient training to staffs, and moreover, make an atmosphere to enjoycoffee. These all justify theirpricing and show how price supported their positioning. Place Distribution channels links the organizations product or service to its consumers; andin a producer-consumer (direct supply) channel, as in the case of Starbucks, maintaining apersonnel relationship with the customers is significant (BrassingtonPettitt, 2000). However, from a distribution point of view Starbucks has an advantage by sticking on to itswinning store location formula for its new stores (refer case study). Starbucks always selectedhighly visible locations and opened stores as clusters. As demandwill grow, as these store clustersmake them able to manage the increased traffic and to keep their competitive position.In thesame way, they can take care about the services provided in the stores. Starbucks invested heavily in training their staffs and did innovativetactics to manage their human capital. Thus they differentiated themselves in the market byconstantly providing higher quality services Promotion One advantage that may set Starbucks apart is the having a solid online marketing program. It should hire qualified online marketing managers to oversee its websites functions and appeal so that consumers to patronize the site will see all the humanitarian work Starbucks is doing and use it as a competitive edge to retain customers and curb product substitution. A search engine optimization campaign should be launched to ensure that anyone searching for terms related to the services Starbucks offers finds the Starbucks website and spends a significant amount of time there. Blogs and forums discussing the humanitarian work of the company may be added to increase consumer awareness of the companys activities. Artworks can be designed to boasteach citys personality, and it is used on traveler mugs and T-shirts, recruitlocal ambassadors from new partners and from customers to promote their brand.The Company is not using advertising but they can use those funds for acquiring key locations and establish a national dominance before others about specialty coffee bars. Relationship Marketing Starbucks Relationship Marketing activities can be done in two common ways like internally and externally. For example, internally, relationships are enhanced by introducing a cooperative and goal oriented organizational structure with effective control systems, retaining competent management, employing effective operational processes and international expansion strategies. Employees are   referred to as partners with both part and full time staff treated equally by offering both stock options and full medical coverage. Externally, Starbucks core strategy should be centered on building lasting customer relationships through trust and commitment with its stakeholders (Refer case study). After analyzing the information about what media the target audience prefers, we should come up with the following: newspapers, internet, outdoor, magazines and radio. Two certain types of magazines are mostly used. Those are womens interest and news and entertainment weeklies. Some of the specific vehicles for magazines will be Better Homes and Garden, People and National Geographic. As for newspapers, it should be locally distributed carriers that run the Parade supplement. The internet usage varied across a wide variety of content. Therefore, a key word association will be the most local choice to select their certain interests as well as the name Starbucks itself. Radio is also another that will have to change as far as format is concerned. This will vary depending on the market the radio is in. They do share common listening times. These times are from 10am to 3pm, Monday through Friday, and 3pm to 7pm on the weekends. Outdoor being another selection of media to reach our target audience it is a way of being in the community as they transit from one place to another. The location of this will be selected based upon spot market rating for the most showings in the specific areas. FUTURE PROMOTION AND EXPANSION PLANS: Starbuckswill be launching more branches all over Asia after developing an evenfirmer hold on the local western markets. The expansion will be planned for the nextyear that is 2011. The next targets should be India, Srilanka, Pakistan, and in cities of China.For that purpose again the launch will not be very extravagant, but the alreadyestablished repute in the metropolitan of western and the attachment of TV programsand stars will do the required marketing. Ads will be published in the leadingnewspapers and some bill board advertising should also be done. But overall it will below key marketing activity.Allocated budgetshould be kept in mind while launching the product in the Asia. Conclusion As stated earlier, Starbucks historically positioned itself as an upscale brand. Due to the economic downturn and increased competition from large quick-service restaurant chains and specialty retailers, the company sees its profits being eroded. The company introduced new products that would appeal to price-skittish customers and implemented techniques that would standardize its stores and reduce costs. The new strategy carries with it its own risks. Since Starbucks enjoyed such a rapid growth in its business, the company can expands its stores anywhere in the globe where there is a more profitability. It means that Starbucks stores are as readily available as McDonalds and as such the Starbucks experience the company asserts it provides, might be seen as no different than the experience of McDonalds. As in the case of appealing to mass market with bottomless coffee, Starbuckss core customer might move to other stores where they perceive the experience is still being provided. If Starbucks continues to increase its storeswhile measuring and implementing of its various cost cutting initiatives, Starbucks is likely to see increased profitability. The company is also introducing 100 new stores in US, and 200 new stores in International markets, which might positively affect the company provided they are successful. Aggressive adoption of no-frills products to bring in new customers could also affect Starbuckss profitability. Until now, any increase in commodity prices are more or less offset by companys high prices, but a no-frills products would put downward pressure on companys profitability, and possibly even damage Starbucks image as an upscale brand. Biblograhy 1) Mathew Carmean, Julie Anstett, Julia Toochette, Joel Ennis, Joey Eaton, Trang P. Huynh ,: 2003 The Starbucks: The Non-Coffee Treat 2) KatieTewell, Bethany Odom, Kelly Snider, December 12, 2006, Starbucks Marketing Plan 3)www.Marketingteacher.com 4)http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Michael-Porters-Analysis-Starbucks/33231

Tibet :: essays research papers

The purpose of this term paper is to study a religion I am not familiar with. The religion can not be a from the USA. This narrows the options for my term paper. The paper must inform on historical parts of the religion. It also needs to present two problems the religion is going through.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tibetan Buddhism is the religion I chose for my term paper topic. The religion has always spurred my interest me. The simplicity of the Tibetan monk’s life is amazing. They have no need for material possessions. They live off of what the earth offers them. I find that hard to understand, but very interesting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  China took over Tibet in 1959. Tibet was closed to outside visitors. The Tibetan Buddhist were severely brutalized. Their religion was repressed due to the communist regime that had taken over their home. This is one of the problems I will be discussing in my term paper.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gender and identity are an issue that I plan on covering in my term paper. I am very curious to see what the gender roles are in this religion. They could be the same as what I am used to in the US, or they may be very different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most difficult part of this term paper for me will be finding the information I want to write about. I want to find information on gender and identity but I am not sure if it will be what I am looking for. It will also be difficult to be non bias. I was raised in a Christian home and I will find it hard to understand the Tibetan Buddhists.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Christianity is the religion I am most familiar with. I went to a private Christian school in elementary school. We went to church every morning at that school to learn about the bible. I also went three times a week with my grandparents to a Southern 2 Baptist Church. Later in life I became the youth minister for the same church I attended as a child. I had no choice in the religion I belonged to. It was given to me. It was almost forced upon me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dialogue Decalogue is very important in this type of term paper. There can be no bias. The reader does not want my opinion on Tibetan Buddhism. They want me to stick to the facts. Though the one part of this I find difficult is the part where I have to understand the religion completely.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Final Paper: â€Å"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down† By: Anne Fadiman Meghan Maloney 26 April 2013 To understand the struggles that the Hmong people face living in America it is important to understand where they come from and what they have gone through. The majority of the Hmong people originate from the mountainous country of Laos. The mountains created isolation from the neighboring cultures and cultivated a clan identity. They were part of a society where everyone worked together and lived off the land. They also practiced oral tradition since they could not read or write any language.Unfortunately, in the 1960’s Laos became the battlefield for the Vietnam War. The land was destroyed and the Hmong were forced to move or fight. Many evacuated while many were trained and armed by the U. S. as a secret guerrilla army. During this time of war, the Hmong lost all self-sufficiency, and became dependent on the U. S. for food as well as survival. An exodus of Hmong from Laos to Thailand was the death of many. The Hmong were hunted and forced to leave everything behind. The clan identity was left behind as well for it was everyman for himself. Those that were lucky enough to make it to Thailand were faced with assimilation.The Hmong saw assimilation as an insult and a threat to their culture. In order to resist oppression, the Hmong took the United State’s promise of land and government support, and moved to America. Still resisting assimilation in the U. S. , the Hmong were faced with culture shock. One of the biggest differences between Hmong culture and American culture is the practice of medicine. Anne Fadiman in â€Å"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down† tells this clash as the story of Lia Lee and her American doctors. Lia Lee is a Hmong child that was born in the U. S. n July 19, 1982, after her parents, Foua and Nao Kao Lee, moved to America. She was delivered at a hospital in Merced, California they way Americans th ink is normal-on a metal table, scissors to snip the placenta, washing the baby with soap, and putting the baby in a heated box. Normal childbirth for the Hmong would be the mother pulling the baby out herself in silence on the dirt floor of their hut and then burying the placenta under the house. The Hmong believe that when you die your soul will come back to get your placenta. When Lia was three months old, her sister, Yer, slammed the front door in her face.Moments later Lia’s eyes rolled up, her arms flailed over her head, and she fainted. Lia’s parents believe that the noise of the door had been so frightening that her soul fled her body and became lost. The resulting symptoms are recognized as Quag Dab Peg, â€Å"The spirit catches you and you fall down†. Having Quag Dab Peg gives the person the power to perceive things others cannot see, and is a prerequisite for the journey into the realm of the unseen. Quag Dab Peg is considered an honor and blessing in Hmong culture. It allows the person the opportunity of becoming a txiv neeb, or spirit healer.It also confers an enormous amount of social status in the community because the txiv neeb is seen as a person of high moral character since the spirit chose them. In Hmong culture, saving face is of high importance. Foua and Nao Kao Lee brought Lia to Merced Community Medical Center (MCMC) after she had 20 of what Americans call seizures. At times, the Lees believed that Lia’s epilepsy wasn’t as much of a medical problem as a gift. The Hmong believed in shamanistic animism, which asserts that malevolent spirits are constantly seeking human souls, especially those of vulnerable or unloved children.Their hope was that if the spirits decided to keep hold of Lia, that long-term she would become a tvix neeb, and if she did not become a tvix neeb, then their hope was that the sickness would be short-term. The American doctors in MCMC view the Hmong as problematic patients and were not empathetic with the traditional Hmong lifestyles. Because there are no interpreters, communication is always an issue, they bring lots of family members with them as well as animals, and they make loud noises. When Foua and Nao Kao arrived at MCMC Lia had stopped seizing and was coughing.The doctors were forced to as they put it â€Å"practice veterinary medicine† since they couldn’t talk with the Lees, and treated Lia for her cough. They diagnosed Lia with early bronchiopneumonia because she exhibited those symptoms. The doctors had no way of knowing that the bronchial congestion was caused by aspiration of saliva or vomit during her seizure without trying to communicate with the Lees. The doctors put a pen and paper in front of the Lees and had them scribble on it. The doctors assumed the Lees would be able to buy and administer the medications that the paper described in detail.In reality the Lees had no idea what they just signed and walked out. This same situ ation happened a few more times until one time the Lees brought Lia in when she was still seizing and Dr. Dan Murphy was on shift. Dr. Murphy had some knowledge of the Hmong and could certainly diagnose her with epilepsy. In Hmong-English dictionaries Quad Dab Peg translates to epilepsy. Lees parents and the American doctors both knew what disease she had but to different cultures it meant different things. As stated above, in Hmong culture it was a privilege and was caused by Lia losing her soul.In American culture, we believe epilepsy is caused by a sporadic malfunction of the brain due to a head injury, tumor, infection, etc. We view it as a disease and that it needs to be taken care of by giving the person anticonvulsant drugs since there is no cure. This is just what Dr. Murphy did. Lia was discharged with specific instructions on what medications to take, how much of each, and what time of day they were to be taken. Considering Hmong don’t have the same time keeping sys tem as Americans, can’t read, don’t know how to measure medicine, and don’t believe in all this medication, Lia did not receive any medication.The Lees believed a txiv neeb could help Lia, so they had one come over and sacrificed a cow for her. It did not help and the American doctors continued to see Lia not getting better when her parents kept bringing her to MCMC. The American doctors thought that because Lia had no levels of medication in her blood her parents were guilty of child abuse. If they would have seen how much the Lees loved and cared for Lia at home they would have known this was not the case. Instead, they got the government involved and took Lia from the Lees and sent her to a foster home.The Lees welcomed Lia home after a year apart and lots of work with a social worker, Jeanine, whom was very interested in the Hmong and helped with administering the seizure medications. Hmong have many customs and folkways that are contradicted by those of the American mainstream and medical communities; for example, upon Lia’s arrival home her parents sacrificed a cow to propitiate ancestors and cure her illness. They performed traditional Hmong medial practices like coin rubbing, pinching Lia, gave her an herb necklace, and tried changing Lia’s name so that the spirit would leave her body and not be able to find her.On Nov. 25, 1986 not long after being home, Lia had another seizure episode. After ten minutes had passed, Foua and Nao Kao got in touch with their nephew who could speak enough English to get an ambulance. By calling for an ambulance Lia was given more attention upon arrival in the emergency room, but it delayed her treatment. Lia continued to seize for two hours and was barely breathing. A twenty-minute bout of status elipticus is considered life threatening. Lia was transferred to Fresno Intensive Care Unit for Pediatrics.Foua and Nao Kao thought that Lia was being transferred because the doctor at MCMC was going on vacation, but in fact it was because Fresno had a pediatric unit. At Fresno Lia was diagnosed with septic shock, the result of a bacterial invasion of the circulatory system that triggers the failure of one organ after another starting with the lungs and then moving to the brain. She also developed a condition in which her blood cannot clot. Lia’s EEG was flat. She had no brain activity left. The doctors decided to discontinue the anticonvulsants because she was dead to them.The doctors explained that her seizure medicines lowered her immune system responses, which allowed a bacterium to take over and stop brain activity. Foua and Nao Kao were somewhat right; the doctors were giving too much medicine and not enough neeb. It is most likely though that if the Lees were still in Laos, Lia would have died before she was out of her infancy, from a prolonged bout of untreated status epilepticus. Foua and Nao Kao finally got permission to bring their daughter home as they had been insisting the whole time. Lia went home on Dec. , 1986 as a quadriplegic, spastic, incontinent, incapable of purposeful movement, and in a persistent vegetative state. To Lia’s parents she went home as their little princess that they loved with all their heart. At home, Lia’s parents adored her and never left her side. They fed her teas from powdered roots and herbs, made several pig sacrifices, and bathed and dressed her multiple times a day. Because of the quality care Lia was receiving, she was stable and her medical check-ups decreased. Lia did not die but did not recover.Examination of this unfortunate story of a clash of two cultures has led to the discovery of what can be done to facilitate cooperation between cultures. Dr. Arthur Kleinman from Harvard Medical School designed a series of eight questions to elicit a patient’s explanatory model and enable the understanding of other cultures. The questions include: â€Å"What do you call the proble m? Why do you think it started when it did? What kind of treatment do you think the patient should receive? What do you fear most about the sickness?If the doctors at MCMC had taken the time to find a translator and sit down with the Lees to ask these questions, Lia might not be in a vegetative state. Other suggestions that could have aided in cooperation between the doctors and patients are female doctors for female patients, involvement of the patient’s families in all decisions, the use of interpreters who are both bilingual and bicultural, and the practice of conjoint treatment. The doctor using Western allopathic medicine can cure the disease but the indigenous healer heals the illness. This strategy promotes trust between the cultures.One person’s worldviews should not dominate another’s because they feel it is right. We need to realize our view of reality is only a view, not reality itself. In the U. S. , the medical community rarely has ways to communica te with people of cultures so radically different from mainstream American culture; even a good translator will find it difficult interpreting concepts between the two different cultures' world-concepts. Doctors need to be able to transcend culture and practice cultural responsiveness where they listen to patients and respond to them both as members of their cultures and as un-stereotyped individuals.A whole doctor-whole-patient approach is imperative: Ask not what disease the person has but rather what person the disease has. I am glad to hear that we have been moving in this direction as an American culture since 1995. Medicine in the U. S has been teaching students to separate emotions from the patient; dissociation is part of the job. In the last decade, efforts have been made to correct this way of thinking, and realize you are treating another human being not a universifiable body. Classes incorporating culture studies are being required as part of medical school and undergrad uate school curriculum as well.

Canned Tuna

As a result of numerous consumer complaints of dizziness and nausea, Promofoods requested that eight million cans of tuna be returned for testing last year. Promofoods concluded that the cans did not, after all, contain chemicals that posed a health risk. This conclusion is based on the fact that the chemists from Promofoods tested samples of the recalled cans and found that, of the eight chemicals most commonly blamed for causing symptoms of dizziness and nausea, five were not found in any of the tested cans. The chemists did find that the three remaining suspected chemicals are naturally found in all other kinds of canned foods. The argument is based on consumer complaints of nausea and dizziness after consumption of canned tuna. But chemists have tested some samples of canned tuna and have reported that they are free from any chemical which can pose a health risk. In response to the complain of the customers, some eight million cans of tuna has been sent and tested by the chemists of Promofoods. The chemists reported that the canned tuna are free from the five out of the eight chemicals which can cause symptoms of dizziness and nausea. And the other three cannot be blamed because they are naturally found in all types of canned food. But the results of the test do not provide strong evidence to proof that the canned tuna is free from chemicals which can pose health risk. The chemists have reported that the three chemicals found in canned tuna are found in other canned food also. So, they are harmless. But we should remember that chemicals in contact with different substances behave differently. So, the three chemicals might become harmful when they come in contact with tuna. So, the chemists must have tested how these chemicals behave when they are present in canned tuna. Again, a substance might be harmless when it is present in small amount. But the same substance might be harmful when it is present in large amount. So, while testing the chemists should have determined the percentage of these chemicals in canned tuna. The test reports are being based on the tests done on the eight million samples but not on those which actually caused the customers to complain. The consumed cans should have been brought and tested in order to proof with stronger evidence the safety in consumption of canned tuna. Again, the chemists have concentrated only on the eight chemicals which can cause dizziness and nausea. But there are chemicals too which can cause these effects in the consumers. Therefore, the chemists should not totally ignore the presence of other chemicals. In short, we see that the tests conducted by Promofoods have failed to provide sufficiently strong evidence that can proof that the canned tuna was not responsible for causing dizziness and nausea among the consumers. It should have performed more detailed analysis of the consumed cans and reported the results with stronger evidence and precision.

Hamza Debut Albums and Skateboard Essay

Hamza Debut Albums and Skateboard Essay Hamza: Debut Albums and Skateboard Essay October 28, 2013 Advanced 1 Reading/Writing Skateboarding The are a lot of sports in this world. Every human being goes to what is better for him, what he like the most. Today in this essay, I’m going to write about one of my favorite sports, and one the most useful ones. It’s skateboarding. Skateboarding can be useful in many cases, spatially if you walk a lot or you always be late for work and you need to get to your location as fast as you could Before you start with the process we need to know where can we buy a good skateboard and which skateboard can be good for the person who’s going to use it. The best and nearest place to college you can get a good skateboard from is at the University Dr street in Tempe, I don’t know the place’s name but you can find it easily near K market. When you find it, and get inside, and start looking for a skateboard to buy. Ask the guys who’re working there. They have so much experience and can tell you what’s the best skateboard for you, but remember to tell them that you’re a rookie and why’re you buying it. After you get a skateboard don’t leave the shop until you buy safety gear, like a helmet. remember, safety first. Secondly, after you buy a skateboard, you need to find a good place to train. Usually skateboard training can be good in many places, like : a garage, parking places, empty yards with a brick floor and more like those empty places with good floors Finally, the most important things that will help you learn fast and good skateboarding are so many. The easiest but not the fastest way is experience. Try riding your skateboard as much as you can, even if you don’t know how to ride it at first, try to. Because you will learn how to by time. The