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Riley B. King

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Riley B. King

Riley B. King who is famously known as B.B. King was born on September 16th 1925. He was born in Mississippi Delta from a humble background as his parents were sharecropping. At the tender age of just five years, his parents divorced and moved with his mother to downtown Mississippi. Life became hard for them by the time King was turning seven he was doing house chores mostly done by adults. At the age of 9, another tragedy struck, his mother died and he thus had to go live with his father (Academy of Achievement). His mother had been his source of inspiration and with her gone she felt broken. In search for another source of inspiration, King turned to church, Church of God in Church where he got solace. It is while attending the church that he begun being inspired to do music. He had seen the Church’s praise and worship team and he though music would be something he would do.

King had the desire to start creating gospel music and his preacher noted. At age 12, the preacher begun teaching him how to play a guitar that he had acquired from his employer. He would sing in spiritual groups of his church including Elkhorn Singers and the Saint John’s Gospel Singers (Academy of Achievement). He began singing in street corners while playing guitar in a bid to raise money that would help him survive. This humble beginning marked an important phase in life as it became a stepping-stone to which he would begin his successful music career. King has had such a huge impact in the music industry especially in the blues genre. The music that he made gained both acceptance and recognition in major parts of the world and several other singers accredited King’s music as being part of their inspiration including Frank Sinatra and Nat Cole.

His music is of his own class. His trademark was trilling the vibrato that he had developed. He had been able to develop this piece while duplicating the sound of a steel slide. Soon, doors begun opening for King. With the help of Sonny Boy William, he began singing in radio commercials and he was also a disc jockey. He would later on play in small club and by the mid-1960s he was playing in large events. His B.B king originated from a name he had given himself from singing blues “the blues boy from Beale Street” (Dunchin, pg 34). King is the world’s most prominence blue guitarist. He was one blue musician who was able to incorporate other genres of music to his style. He fused pop, waltz, funk, pop and soul to his blues. In one interview that B.B King did, he stated that he was Afraid of doing Blues because he thought people would look down on it especially African Americans as this was not the genre that they were used to.

King’s hard work was unmatched. He had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes but had vowed that the diabetes would not slow his music career down and he did continue with his world tours and shows. Before his death there were several shows that had still been lined. King being successful in his music career his personal life was full of misfortunes as he lost loved ones, fellow close musicians, lovers and aquittance. King got married twice in his life but in both instances the married failed. The failures to thee marriage has at some point been accredited to King’s 250 performances in a year (Richardon, pg. 282-307. These personal tragic loses however did not make him weak but pointed out some of these moments motivated him to writing music. He fathered 15 children during his career and while alive he never disputed they were his children but was supportive enough to even pay for their school.

One of his most notable works that he did was “The Thrill is Gone”. The song was recorded in June 1969 for his album “Completely Well”. The song was originally written by Rick Darnell and Roy Hawkins but was popularized by King’s interpretation. The song has been said to so electrifying and amazingly intense. Although King was known as a well-adjusted person, for this song it was different, he conveyed a sense of jealousy and paranoia. The song was about moving on from a relationship that had ended on a bad note. King had recorded this song so many times but he was not satisfied with the results not until his producer Bill Szymczyk suggested that he could add strings. This addition made the song better and it was this recording that gave king first million-selling record (Herzhaft, pg, 454).

The song became a hit immediately after its release in December 1969. It ranked number three in the R&B chart and in the Billboard Top 100 it was at number 15. “Thrill is Gone” was said to be one of King’s signature songs. His recording earned him a Grammy Award for the category Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in the year 1970 and in 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame Award. The song was also listed by Rolling stone as one of the most memorable songs.

In conclusion, B.B King clearly left a huge impact on blues that is being felt even five years after his death. By the time of his death he had 75 albums. His achievement was so impeccable that he received 18 Grammy Awards, and Presidential Medal of Freedom. King Died in2015 at the age of 89 a man proud of the man he had become. He was just a boy from Beale Street and had dared to dream becoming the greatest R&B musician.

Works Cited

“B.B. King.” Academy of Achievement, 17 Aug. 2019, achievement.org/achiever/b-b-king/.

Danchin, Sebastian. Blues Boy: The Life and Music of BB King. Univ. Press of Mississippi, 1998

Herzhaft, Gerard. “Thrill Is Gone (The)”. Encyclopedia of the Blues. Fayetteville, Arkansas: University of Arkansas Press. (1992): 454.

Richardson, Jerry. “BB King. Analysis of the Artist’s Evolving Guitar Technique.” Write Me A Few of Your Lines. A Blues Reader (1999): 282-307.

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Role of Governments in Assuring that Developing Countries Obtain a Fair and Adequate Share of the Benefits of International G

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Role of Governments in Assuring that Developing Countries Obtain a Fair and Adequate Share of the Benefits of International Grade

Developing countries have often been overlooked in terms of having a decisive role in international trade and benefits associated with the process. It is obvious that such policies have an effect on trade volume between the developing countries. The movement of goods and services from the domestic to the local market necessitates the participation of the government to ensure protection of both the good sad services. The international trade sector has seen many governments in the developing countries experience artificial obstacles and challenges against free trade between them and other countries. The difficulties and obstacles in the international trade are the import duties together with tariffs imposed on the flow of goods and services, which enter the international market. Other issues are quantitative restrictions in terms of the amount permitted to enter the market, industrial safety, health, safety, and certificates of origin. Systems characterization because of administrative imposition has resulted to commodities becoming expensive. In most instances, the products are produced locally and sold expensively in the local market. Other barriers to trade in the international market for instance are the quota system, which determine the quantity to be imported. Presumably using such a system the importer mostly has to acquire a license before any government is given permission to export any commodity to o another country.

There is a need for developing countries governments embracing policies to ensure an increase of rates of economic growth to protect the international markets or the import substitution policy. It is obvious that domestic savings are inadequate thereby an adoption of aid such as foreign loan from foreign countries to developing countries has been implemented to achieve growth in the international market (Abbott, 234). Any system that is implemented has to serve two main purposes which are the ability to encourage more imports and limited financial resources. Conversely, the economic policy, which depended on import substitution, has failed to attain growth, therefore, necessitating the need for replacement of policies that promote exports. The adoption of such a policy is essential in terms of eradicating the segregation and discrimination in international trade and non-application system protection. Developing countries governments have to establish an integrated financial system and implement prudent economic policies (Reinhart, 250).

Developing countries effectiveness can be enhanced with better coordination among the various governments. The coordination exercise need to begin from the identification interests stage to positions and stands formulation. There is a need for smaller groups in the informal Group of Developing Countries associated with the WTO based on certain issues as well as interests (Narlikar, 267). The formation of such a group is helpful in encouraging full transparency and communication with the other developing countries who are a member of an informal group. At the same time, there might be sharing of the burden in specific areas and information exchange, which will curb efforts duplication and ensure proper utilization of scarce resources. There is a need for coordination, linkages besides networking among the various developing countries governments to ensure active participation in relation to the challenges in the international trade, which involves burden-sharing arrangements among them. Government efforts of developing countries have to be coordinated with those of multilateral central assistance strategies. Such policies and procedures will lead to exports increase to GDP in relation to comparison of economic growth rates. Countries, which have applied the policy’s economy, have achieved economic growth because of the openness’s of the entire process (Abbott, 345). Perhaps the latest trend towards globalization has contributed to the attainment of such policies transparency.

The global level, which is the international trade, has to embrace openness and investment as the main factors to ensure economic growth. It is obvious that the trade barriers often results to a reduction of goods prices trade exchange volume between the developing countries, which has increased consumers goods prices. The aspect has often been a barrier for such countries to take full advantage of trade exchange benefits between them. Despite this, many developing countries often place many barriers and obstacles among themselves for varied reasons such as inefficient companies, which are local producers producer competing with the commodities from other countries associate with high efficiency( Narlikar,345). Such a scenario puts pressure on governments of developing countries to protect goods produced locally from foreign competition.

Developing countries need to endeavor to embrace changes in the process of negotiation in the internal trade to bring greater transparency and extensive participation for them during the process. Various governments from such countries need to come together ad discuss proposals by international trade market and persuade other countries to take into consideration their views to encourage a healthy trade. At the same time, there is a need for wider participation in discussion of barriers and obstacles experienced by developing countries in the international market. Although, there can be challenges negotiating in large groups balance has to work out to embrace efficiency and complete direct participation by developing countries in the negotiating process. Developing countries may deliberate on this issue and make specific proposals for an improved method of negotiations in the WTO (Reinhart, 310). The international trade agreements have a profound impact on developing countries’ economies hence imperative for them not to remain indifferent, but actively take part in negotiations as well as other activities in the forum and ensure they are efficient in the decision-making process.

Conclusion

The developing countries seem to be in a very weak position in terms of negotiations in the international trade market. The weakness has been manifested in different ways, such as them getting less equal treatment in different areas. Developing countries have made noteworthy concessions to developed countries without any benefit with important provisions touching on special and differential treatment not properly implemented. These WTO agreements have manifested larger propositions for the financial system of the country. There is a need for developing countries governments to play a key role in the internal trade process because of its significant effect on the production process. Developing countries need to exhibit political determination and not allow other countries to push them around during WTO forum. At the same time, they need to be resolute and make usage of the forum serve their interests and reduce impacts on them. The countries have to confident, identify their negotiating strengths, and apply them effectively. The biggest negotiator strength in a multilateral negotiation is based on enjoying of full support of their countries in relation to the stance taken by them. Developing countries have to enhance and strengthen their machinery of decision-making and change their negotiation strategy to prepare them comprehensively in the WTO negotiations. Conversely, they need to fight for a total change in terms WTO negotiating process.

Works Cited

Abbott, Philip C. Developing Countries and International Grain Trade. , 1976. Print.

Narlikar, Amrita. International Trade and Developing Countries: Bargaining and Coalitions in the Gatt and Wto. London: Routledge, 2003. Print.

Reinhart, Carmen M. Devaluation, Relative Prices, and International Trade: Evidence from Developing Countries. Washington, D.C.: International Monetary Fund, 1994. Print.

Trends in Developing Countries: Economic Growth, International Development Finance, and International Trade. Washington: World Bank, 1968. Print.

Room Movie Erickson’s Theory

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Room Movie: Erickson’s Theory

Room is a movie that teaches us a few things on psychology. The plot of the movie revolves around a mother and son that are confined in a space for years. The two are in a claustrophobic shack which is located in a suburban backyard. The woman who is Ma and his five-year-old son Jack were imprisoned by a man who had constructed a shack so that the two stayed there locked up like his personal possession. Jack is so profound of the movie characters including Dora the Explorer and Bob from Bob the Builder and although the characters are actually not real, he believes that they actually are real. One can pick up his naivety as he narrates the book because he has never been outside the room. This paper uses Erickson’s theory of psychosocial development to analyze the movie.

Erickson’s theory of psychosocial development is among the most discussed theory when it comes to child development. He argued that during child development, a personality had to be established in the early life of their child and this personality would be established in their whole life. He also argued that the conflicts that we encountered in our lives during development were not all unconscious rather, most were conscious because of the development process. His argument on the child development was based on the fact that a child’s development was contributed by social relations. His theory had eight stages of development that concentrated on series of development and the conflict occurring through the lifespan (Sokol, pg. 14). The crisis that occur in each stage, one ought to be resolved as it helps one get psychological strengths. The eight stages are; trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame, initiative vs. guilt, industry vs. inferiority, identity vs. role confusion, intimacy vs isolation, generativity vs. stagnation and integrity vs. despair.

Trust vs. mistrust begins from birth to around the age of 12 as infants begin to realize if adults can be trusted. If a child is able to meet their basic needs of survival, then they know that they can trust the adult. In the movie Room, this stage is completely evident as we see Jack completely in love with her mother. He is angle to identify his mother’s true love and knows that the mother would do anything to protect him. For most infants if the feel they are being treated cruelly then they may decide not to trust the adult in their life.

We can also see the autonomy vs. shame from the movie as we see Jack developing a preference on certain cartoon characters that he feels he can interact with and also feel that they are his friends. This stage begins when a child is 1-3 yeas as children begin to learn how they can interact with the environment and begins to develop preferences on certain elements such as toys and food. Her favorite characters are Dora and Bob (Hunt). At this stage, a child often tries to create independence and this stage is often referred to as the “me do it” stage. In the movie we can see Ma letting Jack be independent and be his own person. If a child is denied the opportunity to be their own person and make their own decision a sense of doubt and shame may develop in them. This at a later stage in life may contribute to self-esteem issues. When Ma is able to escape from his captor, we see Jack able to catch up in the outside world pretty easily because her mother had established confidence in him.

The next stage in Erickson psychosocial stages of development is the Initiative vs. Guilt and occurs in children around the age 3-6 years. During this stage the children can be able to initiate activities and assert a control over their world by social interactions such as play. Ma plays with her child from time to time including doing exercises. During play time Jack appears to be a very happy girl. Her mother also engages her in her cooking for example breaking the egg and cleaning the dishes after they are done. She is however not in a position to interact with other school going children because she is locked up.

From the movie, the eight stages of Erickson theory only go until the third stage because Jack is five in the movie. Despite this we are able to witness child’s development even in a situation that is quite traumatic. It is evident that a mother’s or guardian love is important in helping a child grow. A child’s understanding of a traumatic situation at a young age is also completely different, with reassurance from the parents that they are okay then they believe that they are okay. The only attachment that Jack has in his life is his mother and the objects around him. One way that people deal with seclusion is creating imaginary friends. Jack has an imagination with inanimate objects that surround him including wardrobe, chairs and skylight and tries to make sense of them (Klickstein).

In conclusion, Jack’s development can be seen throughout the movie The movie looks into the life of a child who does not really seem to understand the meaning of trauma as the mother as shielded him. This portrays the understanding that most children tend to have had the trust they put on their parents for most children they knew that with a parent who loves and care for them is around, then they have nothing to worry about as everything will be okay. Age is an important factor in how we react to adversity. Jack who is 5 does not understand the situation he is. The doctor actually recommends Ma for being able to escape while Jack was only plastic and thus becomes easier to recover from the trauma.

Works Cited

Hunt, Nate. “‘Room’ Is an Excellent Study of Human Psychology.” Calvin University Chimes, https://calvinchimes.org/2015/12/13/room-is-an-excellent-study-of-human-psychology/.

Klickstein, Mathew. “What Room Teaches Us About the Psychology of Fandom.” Wired, Conde Nast, 3 June 2017, https://www.wired.com/2016/02/room-fandom-psychology/.

Sokol, Justin T. “Identity development throughout the lifetime: An examination of Eriksonian theory.” Graduate journal of counseling psychology 1.2 (2009): 14.

Sales in marketing. The most appropriate customer retention strategy that Omnico Inc should adopt.

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Sales in marketing. The most appropriate customer retention strategy that Omnico Inc should adopt.

Introduction

In contemporary times, marketing is among the foundational disciplines of effectual management. Marketing is vital in all facets of a company, and customers form the rationale as to why the companies exist. Indeed, marketing efforts, including innovative services such as promotion as well as distribution usually account for approximately 50% of the product’s price. Based on the eminence of marketing, it entails deliberate exchange relationship whereby both sides ought to be willing parties. These parties should be able to communicate effectively with each other through diverse mechanisms (Brodie 381).

Therefore, in the contemporary highly competitive business environment, companies require to precisely understand their clientele. This would be particularly in regard to which customers are the most beneficial, and the most appropriate way to retain them. Studies reveal that it costs a company ten times more in generating new customers than it would cost in maintain the existing one. In the event that a company has a small customer base, losing a small number of customers would cripple the company. Alternatively, if the company has a broad customer base, a diminutive increase in the customer retention rate ought to dramatically increase the company’s profits. This paper posits to investigate the most appropriate customer retention strategy that Omnico Inc should adopt.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In regard to Omnico Inc, the company is depicted as one that has enjoyed substantial success in the industry to an extent that it has lost track of its customer retention ratings. It is evident from the case study that the company requires to improve on customer retention. This is seen from the different opinions expressed by Buddy and Laura in regard to the strategy that Omnico should implement.

Summary of the Facts. In regard to the market research report, Omnico Inc had neglected its relationship with its customers. This is evident in that, the market report depicted Omnico’s customer retention ratings as below the industry’s average. This type of a scenario materializes if, the customers do not usually have alternative suppliers, or in the event that the rival supplies were equally poor in services and quality. It may also be caused by rapid market growth to the extent that the company takes customer satisfaction for granted. A company may loose a hundred customers per week, but acquire another one thousand customers in the same duration, and thus evaluate its sales as acceptable. This kind of a company operates on a leaky bucket theory of business (Brodie 389).

Q. 2 A company such as Omnico may believe that an adequate number of customers will always be available to replace those who leave. Omnico requires understanding that customer retention is essential to all companies since the cost of gaining a new customer surpasses the cost of preserving a relationship with an existing customer. For many companies, customer profitability may be skewed in such a manner that dropping the major profitable customers causes serious effects. For instance, in the banking industry, a bank’s the top 30% percent of customers, when rated by profitability, may constitute 100% to 150% of the entire customer profitability. This would mean that, the bottom 70% of customers may offer no profitability or, even destroy 50% of the bank’s profitability (Meindl 105).

Over and above saving the profitable customers, retention programs facilitate companies in collecting pertinent data concerning their customers. This data may be utilized to understand the target market as well as in communicating with customers. The data may also be utilized in customizing future interactions with customers. Retention programs may be a comparatively inexpensive approach of making the company’s clientele feel special, boost their purchases as well as recommend prospects (Brodie 389).

Analysis. The perspective illustrated above meets through diverse channels such as customer relationship management (CRM). This kind of information presents the company with critical competitive differentiation in order to gain market share and minimize operational costs as the company retains its customers. On the other hand, the universally accepted rationale of CRM is to facilitate a business to serve its clientele in a better way. This is through the introduction of dependable processes and interaction with customers. It is a methodology employed to learn more concerning customers’ requirements and behavior in order to develop concrete relationships with them (Meindl 162).

In the perspective of Mr. Buddy, Omnico requires to appreciate the significance of relationship selling. This perspective is informed by his follow-up strategy whereby he maintains personal relationships with his customers by playing golf with them. However, according to Laura, Omnico requires more that just the buddy-buddy relationship strategy of Mr. Buddy. With this in mind, it is important to bring the two divergent opinions into the perspective of contemporary marketing strategies. This is because both parties have similar underlying intentions, which are to improve the company’s customer base and hence increase the profitability of Omnico. In the opinion of this paper, the company requires to strike a balance between the follow-up, buddy-buddy strategy, employed by Mr. Buddy and the strategies suggested by Laura.

Although marketing is based on relationships, Relationship Marketing (RM) is considered as a new phenomenon in the marketing arena. The dawn of mass marketing as well as mass production obscured the concept of RM for a long time. Vicious competition, erosion of brand loyalty, dirty price war amongst competitors and heightened customers’ expectations have been helpful for the recent prominence of RM. conversely, RM as a marketing technique that still unclear to numerous practitioners. Accordingly the general rationale of relationship marketing is to facilitate as well as maintain durable customer relationships. This leads to modification of focal points as well as adjustments in regard to the marketing management process. The common objectives of all customer retention strategies are enduring distinctive relationships with customers, which would be replicated by competitors and hence present sustainable competitive advantages. One particular notion regarding relationship marketing is that, it is the expansion of basic transaction marketing or simple seller-buyer-relationship. However, relationship marketing supersedes the transaction marketing theory, although several scholars consider relationship marketing as the reverse of transaction marketing (Brodie 390).

Transactional marketing emphasizes on focuses on distinct, point of sale transactions. The focus in this strategy is on capitalizing on the volume and efficiency of individual sales instead of developing relationships with the client. This is the perspective of Laura in the case study. The transactional marketing methodology is based on the four conventional elements in marketing, usually known as the four P’s. The four P’s are product, pricing, promotion and placement. Product in this case represents generating a commodity that meets the needs of the customer. Pricing refers to the establishment of a commodity price that would be profitable even as it attracts customers. Placement refers to the establishment of an effective distribution chain for the commodity. Promotion refers to the creation of a visible product profile that makes it attractive to customers (Taylor 62).

It is appropriate to draw a comparison between some available customer retention strategies in order to draw an appropriate balance between Mr. Buddy and Laura’s perceptions. This is in regard to the most suitable customer retention strategy that Omnico should employ. ,

A comparison between the two concepts is presented in the table below:

Comparison between relationship marketing and transaction marketing and some implications

The strategy continuum

Relationship marketing

Transaction marketing

Time perspective.

Focuses on the long-term. Focuses on the short-term.

Dominating marketing function. Interactive marketing that is supported by activities of the marketing mix. Marketing mix.

Price elasticity.

Customers are usually less price sensitive. Customers are usually more price sensitive.

Dominating quality dimension.

Quality of interactions. The functional quality dimensions develop in significance and may become dominating. Quality of output. The technical quality dimension is usually dominating.

Measurement of customer Satisfaction. Managing the clientele base. Utilizes a direct approach. Monitoring the market share. Utilizes an indirect approach.

Customer information

Systems.

Customer feedback systems are real-time. Utilizes ad hoc customer satisfaction surveys.

Interdependency amongst

operations, personnel and

Marketing. Interface of considerable strategic importance.

Interface of no or limited strategic significance.

Role of internal marketing. Internal marketing of considerable strategic significance to success. Internal marketing of no or limited significance to success.

(Meindl 201).

RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION

Building on these postulations, Omnico must emphasize increasingly on retaining the existing clientele than attracting new ones. With time Omnico will realize that relationship marketing is the appropriate approach for the 21st century. However every business has its distinct characteristics. Therefore, drawing on the comparison between relationship marketing and transaction marketing, Omnico requires to exploit the strong points in each methodology as befits its characteristics. This approach would provide the key in establishing the success of enterprises in the contemporary highly competitive business environment.

Works Cited

Coviello, Brodie. “Contemporary marketing: Developing a Classification Scheme”, Marketing Management, 9. 4 (2009). 381-93. Print.

Meindl, M. Supply Chain Management, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2007. Print.

Taylor, R. Operations Management: Quality & Competitiveness in an International Environment, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. Print.

Should we revoke drivers licenses for students who drop out of school or earn low grades

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Should we revoke driver’s licenses for students who drop out of school or earn low grades?

The country is currently facing a number of situations that determine the growth and sustainability of the economy. One of the issues that have played a significant role in influencing the rate of development is the increase in college dropouts. Education is essential for the success of any economy. The 2008 recession affected the dynamics of the job market due to the loss of a vast number of jobs. The living standards of the entire country dropped making families cut down on their annual expenses. These statistics alone display the economic situation Americans are experiencing to date. The cost of living continues to rise which in turn, places pressure on authorities to turn the situation around. One of the ways that this can happen is by encouraging more high school students to acquire a college education (Elliot, Andrew and Dweck, p. 251).

College is a significant aspect of any individual’s life. The college experience plays a vital role in teen’s ideologies, growth, confidence, maturity, friendships and most of all career choices. This is therefore an opportunity that all children should have the privilege of experiencing. Another essential issue regarding the outcome of college is the extra edge a student’s has over their peers when they enter the job market. Having a college degree is an ideal choice in that it displays responsibility, knowledge and drive when looking for employment. A college degree gives a student higher chances of getting a white collar job as opposed to a minimum wage job. This as a result exposes an individual to better living standards such as a better welfare, secure living conditions and a reliable healthcare plan.

A look at the results of a having a college education showcase the merits that come with the trade. This comes with a big sacrifies in terms of time, finance and hard work. Most high school graduates choose to take the shorter route by getting a job in an alternative place that does not require a college education. Some of them turn out to be considerably successful owing to their determination and street smart qualities. The majority however become part of the population who live on minimum wage and highly depend on the government for welfare.

The government intends to reduce these statistics by forcing high school students to take on a college education. This has proved to be unsuccessful in that students who remain in school end up with low grades. The low grades are not ideal for the student in that they risk failing their courses and not graduating with the rest of their classmates. One of the proposed solutions is revoking of drivers licenses from students who choose to forego college or earn low grades while in college (Newman and Newman, p. 314).

The driver’s license is an essential accomplishment in the life of a teenager. Students live for this time so that they can gain their first form of independence. Owning a license allows a teenager to take on more responsibilities that improve their status in their social circle. Having a license is thus vital for the reputation of any teenager. Taking away their license privileges takes all these opportunities away making them vulnerable to the loss of their freedom. As a student who places high emphasis on the vitality of a college degree, I am in support of this proposed law. The law proves to be controversial due to the challenges people face when attempting to get a college education. It also seeks to infringe on the rights and privileges of students in that it creates an imbalance that can be compared to segregation (Elliot, Andrew and Dweck, p. 231).

The reason that I am in support of the suggested law is that educating the society is one of the main solutions for eradicating the high rates of poverty, unemployment, insecurity and inequality that the country continues to face. When a child misbehaves, a parent is inclined to change their environment so as to change their reaction or approach to a certain situation. This as a result gives rise to a different consequence that should be positive to the life of the child in the end. A close look at the stated advantages of owning a drivers license displays the significance of the item to a teenager. Taking away the drivers license, through drastic will force a considerable number of students to work towards meeting these requirements so as to have access to this independence. This measure is thus the only form of action that can improve the way students perceive school and the advantages that they get. Despite my support of this notion, the government should take responsibility by financing a majority of the college expenses so as to cater for less fortunate families. This will take away the excuse of the lack of financial capabilities that parents present as a barrier to higher education (Newman and Newman, p.189).

In conclusion, it is difficult to imagine the infringement of the rights of an individual. This however applies in some special circumstances when the end result brings forth positive to the community as a whole. I am thus in support of the proposed law making me an advocate for the future success of the country.

Works cited

Elliot, Andrew J, and Carol S. Dweck. Handbook of Competence and Motivation. New York: Guilford Press, 2007. Print.

Newman, Barbara M, and Philip R. Newman. Development Through Life: A Psychosocial Approach. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.

Critical Book Review of Web of Smoke

Critical Book Review of Web of Smoke

This paper entails a book review of Webs of Smoke by Kathryn Meyer and Terry Parssinen. The book contains a fascinating history concerning the international drug trade during the first half of the 20th century. The history follows various stories of American gangsters and narcs, Japanese spies, warlords of China, and fortune soldiers whose livelihoods depend on opium. The books shows clearly the way the world was linked by drugs with the drug supply and markets spreading across nations both in the West and in the East. It is clear that the drug trade was centered in China.

China was the world’s largest market for narcotics before the fall of 1949. This could provide a clue on why China has been too strict whenever it comes to drug trafficking or abuse. Various personalities that are extraordinary are depicted through the authors’ stories. It is very shocking that such drug trade was facilitated by key personalities in both Chinese government and other key global figures as depicted in this review. The scandal crossed all the way from the United States, Europe, to Asian countries, especially China. Such aspects are so unique and fascinating in showing how the market for drugs had unveiled throughout East Asia with respect to the East Asian history.

This book contains over 300 pages that provides all historical information concerning drug trafficking and the drug market before the 1950s. The author states clearly that campaigns against opium were popular among many officials as well as intellectuals during the time. In contract to this popularity among officials and intellectuals, the campaign was hardly popular among the peasants. Peasants found it possible to have better lives through the cultivation of poppies. Such a case is the basis of the book but can still apply in the present world of drugs trafficking and market. Only some aspects have changed such the laws against such drugs and markets, the markets, and the motives of engaging into the business. This implies that the book is applicable in the world of drug abuse today. The authors intended to show the way different interests as well as interest groups clashed with each other in the modern drugs history. Such groups and interests are taken into consideration irrespective of races, nationalities, social interests, economic aspects, or political drives. It is evident in the book that every actor depicted in the history had some similarities in terms of programs or beliefs. Only a few people seemed to corporate with international bodies in an effort to curb or demolish the international narcotics trafficking. The book is adequately clear on the processes both the war against the drug trafficking and the barriers to the respective efforts. The book is also clear on who held the drug trafficking and kept it going. Co-operations were also involved in the smuggling. Liaisons and various associations of drug trafficking kept the trade alive.

The book is very detailed to provide the reader with everything that happened to facilitate the drug trafficking and the entire system alive for such a long time. The subject matter is however hardly human since it involves a class of various commodities. In some cases, the authors give the reader a nuance picture of the various groups that acted on the two sides of the law at the time. These contradicting cases are seen to have been happening concurrently. They authors are able to sketch out vividly the individuals or organizations that populated global drugs market. These were warlords, Nouveaux riches, Merchants, Bureaucrats, solders, and spies with Americans forming the majority of the most involved individuals. The only problem with depicting such groups or individuals is the authors’ abilities to reveal the actual identities of the key actors. Conversely, such parties or matrix provides the reader with a full sense of the way various kinds of people got involved in this type of illegal trade. Such a clue also shows how it was difficult to prevent the growth of such commerce as time went by.

A major setback in the book is the amount of repetition of various issues. The actors seem to float at some point thereby continually requiring re-introduction. To the readers, it becomes rather difficult to follow since the chapters are not historically sequential. Instead, the chapters overlap freely. The books employs complex strands, which are drawn together to show the various dimensions of this illegal trade. Individual personalities are taken to be crucial but not all cases depict individual personalities. Again, only the large companies and the key national figures could be identified. While many organizations could have participated, only large companies are depicted. One of the most prominent companies identified is the European manufacturers. The book seems to concentrate on the most important events but like any other aspects of historical information, minor participants are not vividly identified and the role each played. This is perhaps acceptable in writing since extreme details could destroy the real flow of the book. This argument could be strengthened by the sense that the historical events indicated in the book are already complex and hardly arranged in a chronological manner. Some key personalities seem to be generalized to other key individuals representing top countries and the world at large. The case of personalities like Delevinge, the English statesman shows how key individuals with the similar racial origins were highly involved in the drug trade.

The book however shows some of the most vital events that contributed to the growth of the drug trafficking business. Events like both the World War I and the World War II contributed a lot to the growth of this drug business. Many factors associated with the two great wars accelerated the growth of drugs market but the book is hardly capable of addressing all of them. Another major event contributing to the growth of the drug business and market is the 1929 Depression. The contribution of this great economic depression is also explained in the book in terms of the way it contributed or affected the drug trade around the world. The book also shows that the power of capitalism was a major aspect and contributor of the drug trade. Again, national governments had their unique roles to play to either promote the business or curb the problem. The contribution of the government could have been varied since different countries today employ different laws and policies to solve the drug trade problem. The authors try to bring out a story about the drug business that has been extended to the world of business today but their story is created during a time when there were great shifts in political climates. Such political climates also acted as a catalyst to the market growth. As far as political climates and national governments were concerned, the authors portray a mixture of opinions and intentions. While some of the national governments were working hard to stop the harmful world business, other nations were reluctant in stopping the drug trade business due to both economic and social reasons. While the book does not show these disparities clearly, the key players are adequately tackled in the book.

Generally, the book is great since it gives the reader a broad perspective of the drug business as it happened during the first half of the 20th century. Readers are able to understand about the various players and their contribution towards the growth of the global drugs business or towards the end of the business. Major events such as the World War I, World War II, and the Great Depression of 1929 are clearly explained and how they are linked to the drug trade. The only thing that seems to confuse the reader is the book title, which appear to depict a history of the global drug trade while in real sense the book concentrates mainly on the drug business in East Asia, with a few cases of links drawn to European manufacturers and the Americans. Areas like South East Asia, Latin America, and Africa among other regions are shallowly explained or are not explained at all. The real picture of the global history on drug trade is not fully brought out but the book is good enough to show the key players, who could have had great influence on the international drug trade in today’s world.

Works Cited

Meyer, Kathryn and Terry Parssinen. Webs of Smoke: Smugglers, Warlords, Spies, and the History of the International Drug Trade. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002. Print.

Critical Regionalism

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Critical Regionalism

Introduction

In an era where free movement of information, products and services has increased tremendously, the society is increasingly experiencing incidences of homogeneity. More than ever, the global population is assuming a common culture that is characterized by a high level of uniformity. Although this is in most instances considered to be western culture, it is notable that local cultural aspects are also being incorporated in the global culture. Just like other aspects of culture, it can not be disputed that architecture has equally experienced increased homogeneity. Emergent research argues that although internationalization of culture is an indication of societal advancement, it can also have detrimental effects on local culture. In this respect, it is particularly feared that internationalization undermines creativity and innovation as local efforts are integrated in to designs that are then accorded a global orientation.

The current trend has culminated in a conflict between internationalization and regional artists who argue that their efforts are increasingly undermined by the former. Increasingly, preservation of local and regional architecture and culture in general is becoming tricky. Preservation and conservation of local culture and architectural designs is requiring complex efforts in order to attain optimal results. It is against this background that this paper provides an explicit review of the concept of critical regionalism form Kenneth Frampton’s point of view. In order to enhance a harmonic consideration, the essay is classified in different phases that exhaustively review particularistic aspects of this conception, the contribution of Jorn Utzon to the subject under review, practical examples with respect to how culture has been unified in the modern cities, the response of critical universalism to future technology and several other concerns that are related in different ways to the concept of critical regionalism.

According to Butler and Spivak (2007), critical regionalism refers to the concentrated efforts or attempts that seek to synthesize or mainstream the rooted aspects of a given region such as physical attributes and cultural characteristics with the relevant technology being employed in development at that given time. The main aim of the efforts is to counter the inherent lack of identity and placelessness by putting in consideration the unique aspects that are found within the context or environment of the given building. Besides being mindful of the local environmental aspects, the ultimate architecture also incorporates the universal aspects that characterize the contemporary mobile society. In the long run, the final architecture can be considered to be sustainable and unique in different ways. This is fundamental in preserving the local culture, encouraging creativity and innovation and at he same time enhancing societal advancement. The notion of sustainability is integral to this conception as the final piece of architecture needs to be both functional and aesthetic n nature.

Critical regionalism is a concept that has been accorded increased attention since historical times. The term was initially coined by Liane Lefaivre and Alexander Tzonis. It was later analyzed and accorded new meanings by Kenneth Frampton in the preceding years. In his Towards a Critical Regionalism, Frampton provides an explicit analysis and review of different methodologies that can be employed in embracing modernity without compromising the role of the local knowledge. He also cites a host of modern construction practices that compromise the ability of the developers to incorporate important cultural aspects in constructions. His main argument revolves around the contention that as much as assuming modern values and attributes is imperative for enhancing competitiveness within the global sphere, equal attention also needs to be accorded to diverse features that are found in the environment that the building would be located.

Several authors of whom Powell (2007) is represented contend that internationalization has increasingly contributed to the erosion of critical traditional values, culture and attributes. Almost all aspects of the global population are undergoing a significant transition and more emphasis is being placed on homogenous cultures. In his review, Ricoeur (1965) contends that the current trend towards modernization can be implicated for disregarding the role of old civilizations in development. He argues that critical regionalization provides a credible alternative that can be employed in resolving the emergent challenges. The fact that the concept recognizes the importance of continuous evolution makes it instrumental in sustainable decision making as past lessons are used in determining the nature of future decisions and moves. The activities that are proposed by this conception tend to be flexible and can be employed in redefining the current decisions in order to adopt timely interventions that would reverse the current destructive trend.

In his critical review of culture and civilization, Frampton (1983) indicates that the current state of architecture and building is essentially conditioned by the building industry. This has led to the development of building restrictions and regulations that determine not only the design but also the citing of the buildings that are set up in different areas. The fact that the respective building codes and regulations are standardized and replicated in different areas undermines the ability of mainstreaming vital cultural concerns during construction of buildings. Contravention of the set restrictions and regulations often exposes the given developer to stringent measures that impact negatively on their welfare. This has led to the increase in high rise buildings that in most instances assume a similar design. At this point, it can be argued that this has played a leading role in suppressing cultural expression as well as creativity and innovation. In his research, Jameson (1983) cites that the current developments in this regard are laying undue emphasis on the concept of utility as opposed to different aspects whose interplay culminates in a sustainable construction practices.

The concept of critical regionalization according to Powell (2007) seeks to counter this trend by ensuring that as much as certain building codes are strictly adhered to, room is also provided for creativity, innovation and incorporation of critical cultural aspects. In essence, modernization is placed within the traditional concept and vice versa.

In current times, arts are increasingly employed in enhancing creativity and innovation. Artists use this medium to express their diverse cultural aspects to the entire world. It is also a viable way through which culture is preserved by the respective society and used for educational purposes in future. The fact that innovation and creativity is slowly but progressively being undermined through the gravitation of arts is also worrying. In this regard, it is argued that entertainment and manufacturing of commodities are providing avenues through which the society is increasingly developing a hybrid global culture. Specific techniques, methodologies and standards of constructing buildings provide limited room for inculcation of vital cultural aspects in the same. This is where critical regionalism comes in handy in a bit to counter the scenario. In this regard, the concept initiates and maintains an acceptable level of resistance that contravenes the set standards and procedures. This according to Frampton (1983) has been critical in putting brakes on the avant-garde pendulum. Respective efforts are geared towards a noble cause of preserving certain ideals that characterize the present day culture.

As indicated earlier, Frampton (1983) postulates that the current arrierre-garde holding position is likely to culminate in incidences of resistance and a persistent identity giving culture that is characterized by universal techniques. Seemingly, it is defined by the enlightenment progress myth that does not advocate for a return to vernacular forms. Critical regionalism at this point is defined as a bridge whose central position demands that the future architecture must pass over it in order to attain optimal results. Essentially, it is argued that position of critical regionalism demands that both universal civilization and world culture accord it utmost attention. This recognition is characterized by deconstruction of alien forms that have been forcefully or intentionally acquired by the global society and limitation of the economy that entirely depend son technological production.

A classic example of such a situation has been cited by Frampton to constitute Jorn Utzon’s Bagsvaerd Church that was built in 1976 and is located in Copenhagen. This is an exemplary illustration of the concepts of world culture and universal civilization. The construction of the exterior part was basically based on the universal technique. This is built using concrete blocks and concrete wall panels that are pre-cast. These are set up in a repetitive manner that creates an impression of a grid. Notably, this building code is found across the globe and it constitutes one of the important regulations that are set forth by the industry. Thus it can be considered a universal attribute that is in line with the global expectations with regards to building and construction.

INCLUDEPICTURE “http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Bagsv2.JPG/220px-Bagsv2.JPG” * MERGEFORMATINET

Interior Design of Jorn Utzon’s Bagsvaerd Church

However, the interior part can be considered to express the world culture or secular culture that is typical to Copenhagen. One dominant feature of the interior pertains to the concrete vault that is not economic in nature and is not common on a universal scale. The inherent manipulation of light is only typical to sacred places found in the region. As mentioned afore, this is not an implication of western culture; rather it can only be likened to Chinese pagoda roof that is a representation of world culture.

Also worth acknowledging with regard to the concept of critical regionalism is the mainstreaming of the regional peculiarities in the construction process. In this respect, Lovine (2004) asserts that buildings need to put in consideration the environmental features and attributes of the locales within which they are situated. Generally, modernization puts lays particular emphasis on economizing the available space and in most instances, it is forced to get rid of certain aspects such as topography. The elimination of such aspects is a clear indication that certain techniques are employed during construction. Notably, other important aspects such as climate have also been controlled by human techniques during construction. In his research, Norberg-Schulz (1980) asserts that these aspects are important as they represent certain cultural aspects of the developer. Critical regionalism counters this by assuming the principle of building the site that incorporates diverse environmental aspects that are also a reflection of the cultural aspects of the given population.

A classical illustration of the importance of preferring tectonic over scenographic features is exemplified by the Aalto’s SSynatsalo Town hall that was constructed in 1952. In this, a tactile surface is successfully employed in enhancing the legibility of the architecture. The brick steps that line the exterior and lead to the chambers of the council create a harmonic impression that arguably affirms the feet as it meets each tread. The inside of the chambers are then made up of wood that presents a different feeling and reading altogether.

Generally, Slessor (2004) contends that designers that put in consideration regional criticism need to incorporate aspects of a physical as well as localized sense of place. Respective elements that can be effectively employed in attaining this included orientation, topography, lighting characteristics, micro climatic conditions and vegetation. Further, probabilities for natural ventilation, natural lighting and shading for cooling purposes are equally important. The benefits that accrue from this are not only economic in nature but they also place the building within the physical environmental surroundings and enhance the general harmony of the two. The inherent sense of interaction with the natural surroundings is an indication of environmental sensitivity that is critical in the twenty first century. Of great importance would be the employment of local materials for construction that not only cuts down economic costs but also enhances the performance of the given building.

Also worth mentioning with regard to critical regionalism is the ability of the designer to clearly interpret the passage of time using the building. According to Foucault (1986), a building that provides clear ways of recording and understanding the passage of time is a clear expression of the period that it was constructed. This is important as it enables the society to understand it in light of historical revolution. The respective recording methods can also offer a basement upon which future construction can be devised as well as understood. In particular, attitudes regarding durability, permanence, change and decay that are related to recording are a vital expression of the sensibility of the region.

Further, Butler and Spivak (2007) indicate that emphasis on the importance of human interaction during construction is also an important aspect of regional criticism. In this regard, the given design needs to consider the organization as well as structure of the family that would reside therein. In certain communities, concerns expand beyond the domestic sphere and incorporate the dimensions of the community within which the family is situated as well as the economic and political structures that characterize the region. Issues pertaining to power, the ability of the design to either express invitation or exclusion is also accorded utmost attention during this time. Other concepts include democracy, hierarchy and bureaucracy. These need to be clearly defined as they are critical in the understanding of the places and spaces that buildings present.

Also equally important to critical regionalism is a clear understanding of human dignity and organization within the building. Emergent aspects such as leisure time need to be put in consideration during the construction process. In this regard, Jameson (1983) indicates that the twenty first century tendencies lay particular importance on the separation of spaces employed in production and consumption. These differences have been identified to have diverse impacts on the holistic functioning of the society. Relative concerns also involve the responsibility of individuals within vast business environments, the compartmentalization and separation of activities in the course of the process of production and the role of machines in the production process are important architectural concerns that need to be interpreted effectively.

Arguably, all the above concepts interlink and interrelate with each other to culminate to culminate in a suitable environment that is supportive of the activities of the post industrial society. Questions revolving around mass production and participation of individuals in the entire process need to be addressed accordingly. Human dignity needs to be upheld to attain optimal production that is fundamental for successful operation. At this juncture, it can be ascertained that critical regionalism is an all inclusive concept that generally seeks to enhance sustainable development with respect to architecture and construction.

In his research, Davey (2001) ascertains that the concept of regulation of building codes across the globe has led to unification of designs. Most cities adapt their design from the grid structure. The buildings contained therein tend to be of a similar design that is influenced by the set and standardized regulations. For instance, commercial buildings that are mostly found within the central business districts of cities such as New York and London tend to be of a similar design. This differs from those employed for constructing buildings in residential areas. Again, these tend to adopt a distinct design hat is stipulated by the technical expertise in the industry. The fact that developing economies are also increasingly adopting this trend has various implications on future construction and architecture in general.

According to Slessor (2000), the replication of these designs in developing countries can be attributed to the concept of westernization that is perceived to be more ideal than the cultural aspect. This is likely to have detrimental effects on the cultural welfare of the societies in general. In particular, this would probably be unified and would compromise the concept of diversity n the long run. Also worth mentioning are the current trends that tend to consider local and regional designs to be global in nature. Basically, this is contributed to by changes in perceptions that tend to accord certain cultural designs more importance and preference than others.

At this point, it can be contended that future architecture is compounded by various complexities that need to be effectively addressed by relevant institutions, persons and authorities. Certainly, creativity, innovation and cultural diversity are increasingly being compromised by internationalization of building codes. The loss of diversity is likely to have devastating effects on the wellbeing of the society as it would negatively impact on the ability of the given society to cushion itself against destructive environmental effects. Several factors have been put forth by relative studies in a bit to address this glaring shortcoming.

Powell (2007) maintains that the concept of sustainability needs to be revisited and made a mainstream factor during construction and architectural design. In this respect, it is suggested that practical measures need to be undertaken to significantly reduce energy consumption of buildings. Statistical evidence shows that the amount of energy consumed by the buildings is equal to those employed in the industrial sector. This can be attained if natural resources found in the given environment are employed in construction of buildings found therein. This implies that the architectural designs that are employed in such areas need to be localized.

Capitalization on the topography and other natural features found in the given environment also need to be assumed in order to reduce the resources employed in construction. Powell (2007) indicates that the current trend is leading to unification of architectural designs that undermines diversity. Environmental aesthetics is also being compromised by the internationalization of architectural designs. Techno-scientific-cum-economic agendas have inherent problems that could be difficult to resolve in future. Therefore, viable alternatives that reflect distinctive cultural aspects of a community need to be explored.

Conclusion

From the preceding analysis, it is certain that critical regionalism is an all inclusive concept that is based on the principle of sustainability. It is made up of various concepts that are imperative for sustainable development. It not only appreciates the importance of modernization in architectural design and building construction but also ensures that relative decisions are informed by important lessons learnt in the past. Traditional cultural aspects are integrated in architectural designs and construction that is driven by critical regionalism. The current trends have raised various concerns with regard to architectural designs and building codes being employed on a global scale. As it has been prescribed by this study, practical intervention measures need to be undertaken in order to counter the current scenario. The concepts of sustainability and inclusion of physical features like topography need to influence the development of modern architectural designs. This will not only save resources but will enhance diversity that is critical in cushioning the society against various threats.

ReferencesButler, J. & Spivak, G. (2007). Who Sings the Nation-State?: Language, Politics, Belonging. USA: Seagull Books.

Davey, P. (2001). Regionalism: Time to Review and renew. Architectural Review, 210, 34-5.Foucault, M. (1986). Of Other Spaces. Diacritics, 16 (1), p.23.Frampton, K. (1983). Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance. Washington: Bay Press.Jameson, F. (1983). Postmodernism and Consumer Society: The Anti-Aesthetic. Washington: Bay Press.

Lovine, J. (2004). Building a Bad Reputation: Sloppy American Construction. New York Times, Aug. 8, pp. 4-5.

Norberg-Schulz, C. (1980) .Where is Modern Architecture Going? Tokyo: A.D.A. EDITA.

Powell, D. (2007). Critical Regionalism: Connecting Politics and Culture in the American Landscape. USA: University of North Carolina Press.Ricoeur, P. (1965). Universal Civilization and National Cultures: History and Truth. Evanston: Northwestern University Press.

Slessor, C. (2000). Concrete Regionalism. New York: Thames and Hudson.

Critical regulatory issue in health care, a case of ambulatory surgical centers in America

Critical regulatory issue in health care, a case of ambulatory surgical centers in America

According to (Lindsey Dunn, 2009) of Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs), the nature of law issues facing surgical centers in America evolves around out patient and non members , doctors ownership of the centers and issues regarding the qualification of and safety of the nurses required. Robert Mosher explains this further by noting that the doctors’ ownership of the surgical centers poses a major issue in eradicating the retirees and ushering in new board members as major retirees are the owners of these centers. Associated with this is the problem of interpreting what the law requires in terms of coming with the acceptable market price in the buying and selling of the centers as away of changing ownership. Patients requiring surgical services are also hit by another problem of determining what goes to the doctors as a cover for their finances for the services offered. The rules have the advantage of stipulating the rights and the directions for the services, and the doctor’s monetary interests in the whole gamut of treatment process.

As put forward by (People to people Health Foundation, 2010) It is a requirement that should be put in writing by the surgery centers to inform the patients of any monetary interests by the doctors as a result of using the centre a few days before the patients goes in for the surgery, the contrary is that adhering to these rules has posed a problem. Amber MC and Graw Walsh, 2008 explains that among the nurse requirements on the other hand, is a prerequisite that all ASCs makes sure that all doctor ownership is a third of all the revenues generated by both surgeries done in the specified ASCs as well as those performed outside the said centers which is attributed to fair distribution of wages to both the doctors and other ASCs officers. In determining members fees the surgical centers are faced with another problem in the law about the interpretation of what is to be contained and exempted from the fees. Walsh further argues that Surgical centers from surgery procedures in most cases get so much revenue coming from people known to their previous clients and with it comes more monies from insurance firms who lack the knowledge of the best fair rates even though the patients suffer from higher monetary obligations in the long run, which in the end results to exploitation of the patient by the centers and the insurance firms. Some ASCs on the other hand ignores the collection of their fees from the client know patients as well as from the insurance firms as a result of being paid huge sums even without the said fee.

Laws on issues of surgical centers as noted by Wachler & Associates, healthcare attorneys in America for many years have not been fully dealt with, especially laws relating to out of the members fees, doctors’ ownership as well as the issue of safe nurse requirements which have not been covered well as per the expectation. This has therefore resulted into the following; ASCs in most case lack the know how to understand the agreements put forth in regard with what the fair value is in the market so as facilitate the selling and buying of the members ownership which is usually brought about by market uncertainty .As a result, it is a necessity for ASCs to agree that selling and buying of new stocks should be practiced from day to day and not wait until things are not going right in the market in order to facilitate the sales or equally not whenever the market is doing pretty well. It is also important for ASCs to have a list of all the doctors’ owners and make sure the copies of this is easily accessible to all the representatives of patients and the patients themselves as a way to promote accountability. They should also as matter of fact ensure that the list can be understood by all the stakeholders that may need to understand it. ASCs also should make sure that they adhere to all safe nurse requirements in order to avoid legal cases that could be brought forward against them and to ensure equitability and availability of funds. The idea that centers lack ways to enable them to know to what extent to waiver the doctors’ owners and what guidelines to follow in order to be consistent in their application as well as lacking the direction on what their patient clientele is billed is seen as a legal issue facing ASCs.

INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.turnitin.com/images/spacer.gif” * MERGEFORMATINET INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.turnitin.com/images/spacer.gif” * MERGEFORMATINET Functions of law on issues relating to surgical centers as supported by (H. J. Peter & S.M William, 2003) include the following; Firstly, it facilitates the coming up with regulations that will guide ASCs on how to come up with the best market rate INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.turnitin.com/images/spacer.gif” * MERGEFORMATINET thus providing a mutual satisfaction to all the stakeholders in healthcare surgical centers. Secondly, the law enables the establishment of what guidelines to follow in order to be consistent in their application in terms of waiver values, come up with laws governing the adherence to safe harbor requirements therefore making centers to comply with the requirements, make sure they do not face bribery violation or anything coming with such vice. This will help surgical centers in the world and mostly in America to come up with the rules that should be followed when it comes to exemptions. It will also help in solving the problems of misunderstanding and lastly it assists ASCs to analyze state law on issues such as what the what fair competition, anti bribery, claims that should not be paid involves and ways on how to go about any of the problems arising from the issues above.

In recommending for effective functioning of the surgical centers, the law regarding all their health operations should be clearly defined and adhered to with proper mechanisms put in place by the judicial system and all stakeholders involved in provision of healthcare to ensure that they are applied effectively and to the later

References

Lindsey Dunn, 2009: ASCREVIEW: Practical Business, Legal and Clinical Guidance for Ambulatory Surgical Centers as extracted from HYPERLINK “http://www.beckersasc.com/news-analysis-asc/antikickback-legal-regulatory/top-lawyers-discuss-current-critical-legal-issues-facing-surgery-centers.html” http://www.beckersasc.com/news-analysis-asc/antikickback-legal-regulatory/top-lawyers-discuss-current-critical-legal-issues-facing-surgery-centers.html as it appeared on 7 May 2010.

Sage and Hammer, “A Copernican View of Health Care Antitrust”; and W.M.Sage, D.A. Hyman, and W. Greenberg, “Why Competition Law Matters to Health Care Quality,” HealthAffairs (Mar/Apr 2003): 31–44.

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CRITICAL REVIEW LONG-TERM COACHING PROGRAMS

CRITICAL REVIEW: LONG-TERM COACHING PROGRAMS

Valentine (2003, p.7) observes that it takes more than ten years for an athlete to reach elite levels. Unfortunately, coaches still rely on the ‘peaking by the Friday’ approach to get immediate results. The long-term approach according to Valentine (2003, p.8) is divided into several levels. Each of these levels is discussed in the next few chapters. The processes and the outcomes of the long-term coaching are then critically reviewed.

The fundamental stage

During this stage, the potential athletes are introduced to motor skills that are necessary for long-term, sport-specific development. McWhorter, Wallman, and Alpert (2003) emphasizes that these skills should be imparted using structured and fun-filled activities. For future athletes, this is the time to develop agility, balance, coordination and speed. Mcwhorter, Wallman, and Alpert (2003) further observe that during this stage, periodization is not important as the athletes are only required to learn the ethics of sports and develop their physical capacities and fundamental movement skills. According to Mcwhorter, Wallman, and Alpert (2003) two critical events occur during this stage: window of accelerated adaptation to speed and critical period of speed development.

The learning to train stage

During this stage, the participants learn specialized sports skills. According to the () at this stage the window of accelerated adaptation to motor coordination occurs and coaches use the concept of single periodization to enable the participants achieve their full potential. However, some sports such as swimming and tennis may require double periodization. At this point coaches may incorporate medicine balls, Swiss balls and body-weight exercises to enhance the strength of the athletes.

The training to train stage

During this stage, the participants build their aerobic strength as well as enhance their sports-specific skills. Optimal aerobic trainability occurs after the onset of Peak Height Velocity but the timing of aerobic training largely depends on the maturity of the participants. A major focus of any coach during this stage is to utilize the 60% training and 40% competition ratio to build the technical skills of the participants while exposing them to physical and mental challenges of the game. The learning to train and training to train stages are very fundamental in ensuring athletes reach optimal performance levels. If the athletes do not achieve appropriate training during the two stages, they fail to achieve their full potential. In addition, coaching at these two stages ensures the participants do not plateau during later stages of their careers.

The training to compete stage

During this stage the ratio of competition to competition-specific training changes from 60: 40 to 50:50. Exposing participants to competitive conditions and fitness programs, model training, recovery programs and technical development in great part helps the coaches to capitalize on the strengths while addressing the weaknesses of the participants. During this stage, multiple periodization as well as individualization of physical training approach is applied to enhance position-specific skills of the participants.

The training to win stage

At this point, participants have achieved optimum physical, technical, tactical, and mental capacities. The objective of this stage is to maximize their fitness preparation. This stage is characterized by a change in ratio of competition to competition-specific training from 60:40 to 75: 25. It is also worth noting that during this stage, participants engage in competitive sports and so prophylactic training becomes necessary in order to address the problem of physical and mental burnouts. In addition, at this stage the participants adopt the practice of exercising as a lifestyle and ensure self-monitoring. During the final stage which is also known as the retention stage, athletes retire from active athletics. Long term programs have been hailed, as they prepare the participants over a long period of time. Coaches are also able to help potential athletes to develop motor skills while they are still young enough. Although long term coaching programs have been him hailed as effective in developing capable athletes, they have been criticized due to a number of reasons. Each of these reasons is detailed below.

High volume training

Long term coaching emphasizes on high volume of training. Unfortunately, according to Lang and Light (2010, p.390) high volume of training has been found to have no impact on events lasting between 20 seconds and 5 minutes. A good example can be found in the swimmer pathway, a program that has been developed to grow talent in the United Kingdom. The program has been modeled after the LTAD model. Just like the LTAD model, the program emphasizes on the high-volume and low-intensity workloads during the training to train stage. The program has been criticized because during this stage, high volume of activities may lead to over-use injuries as well physical and mental burnout. High volume of exercises can also lead to drop out of participants who are dissatisfied with the training process. Another aspect of the long-term coaching programs is its dependence on training frequencies and volumes at every stage of exercising. This aspect is likely to write off potential participants who do not commit to the recommended training loads. As a matter of fact this is one of the main reasons as to why some have coaches have vehemently criticized the Swimmer Pathway.

Regulations

The LTAD model has also been criticized as it is difficult to harmonize with the existing regulation. The conflict is related to the qualifying age of different events. For instance, there has been a clash between the Amateur swimming Associations and the Swimmer Pathway. On one hand, the young Swimming Association regulations insists that technique work should placed before endurance training while Swimmer Pathway, which was developed after the LTAD model, insists on the contrary. In addition, the ASA encourages young athletes to engage in competitive activities prematurely. For instance, girls as young as 10 year old are permitted to engage in competitive activities while at this age they should be developing sport-specific skills. As Bayli (p.4) observed encouraging young athletes to engage in competitions at an early age is likely to affect their athletic abilities later in life. However, the move by ASA is unavoidable given that it is hard to implement all the provisions of the LTAD model.

Monitoring and evaluation

Using the LTAD model is also problematic in the sense that it is hard to evaluate the participants. Implementation of the model becomes especially hard in a culture where winning at an early age are emphasized on. In Lang and Lights’ views de-emphasizing on the age-group makes the LTAD model even harder to implement (2010, p.390). Land and Lights’ views are well captured in the article titled, Interpreting implementing the long-term athlete development model: English swimming coaches’ views on the Swimming LTAD in practice, where they argue that long-term coaching entails a methodical approach. It is this approach that coaches find hard to follow. Instead, coaches largely depend on their past experiences and personal interpretations and this one of the biggest challenges facing long-term coaching. Other writers have too criticized the long-term coaching approach. Their views are analyzed in the next chapters.

Is long-term coaching based on empirical evidence?

A number of writers have indicated that long term athlete development is based on physiological perspective. This is what () suggested in the article titled, the long-term athlete development model: physiological evidence and application. In the article, Ford, Croix, Lloyd, Meyers, Moosavi, Oliver, Till and Williams point out that the assessment of the participants is carried out using several biological measurements. The first measurement is anatomy. During the stages of transition from childhood to adulthood, people go through different stages of physical development. These stages are marked by changes in body height and endocrine levels. These anatomical changes according to () have a huge impact on the performance of the athletes. The second measurement is neurological levels. Neurological functions have a great impact on the physical competence, control of the fine and gross motor abilities, and skill acquisition. Long-term coaches rely on peak periods to maximize development opportunities. In addition, they take advantage of periods of brain maturation to enhance motor performance. The third measurement is muscle acquisition. According to the experts the process of muscle acquisition is not linear and coaches assess the suitability of participants based on the muscle mass that they have.

HYPERLINK “http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640414.2010.536849” http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640414.2010.536849

HYPERLINK “http://www.sportsscientists.com/2013/02/long-term-athlete-development.html” http://www.sportsscientists.com/2013/02/long-term-athlete-development.html

HYPERLINK “http://www.academia.edu/347661/Interpreting_and_Implementing_the_Long_Term_Athlete_Development_Model_English_Swimming_Coaches_Views_on_the_Swimming_LTAD_in_Practice” http://www.academia.edu/347661/Interpreting_and_Implementing_the_Long_Term_Athlete_Development_Model_English_Swimming_Coaches_Views_on_the_Swimming_LTAD_in_Practice

HYPERLINK “http://www.nsca-lift.org/ContentTemplates/PublicationArticleDetail.aspx?id=2147485991” www.nsca-lift.org/ContentTemplates/PublicationArticleDetail.aspx?id=2147485991

HYPERLINK “http://www.sportni.net/NR/rdonlyres/991FF96E-C6DB-4700-A900-F4DF2732E81A/0/ParticipantDevelopmentinSport.pdf” www.sportni.net/NR/rdonlyres/991FF96E-C6DB-4700-A900-F4DF2732E81A/0/ParticipantDevelopmentinSport.pdf

Reference List

Lang, M. & Light, R. (2010). ‘Interpreting implementing the long-term athlete development model: English swimming coaches’ views on the Swimming LTAD in practice.’ International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 5(3), 389-395

Mcwhorter, W., Wallman, H., & Alpert, P. (2003). ‘The Obese child: Motivation as a tool for exercise.’ Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 17, 11-17

Valentine, J. (2003). ‘Don’t children get all the exercise they need from playing?’ Wellspring, 14(1), 6-8

Critical Review of A guide to preaching and leading worship by Wilimon

Wilimon, W. H. A guide to preaching and leading worship. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008. Print

Critical Review

a) Summary Primary Areas of Concern

The main areas of concern to be highlighted for discussion in the following discussion for Wilimon’s book critical review include the introduction, planning of the service as contained in chapter One and worship pattern proposed in chapter Two. The reason why these areas are a concern in the worship literature is because the modern church has undergone considerable metamorphosis and the generalized approach to worship and preaching may not be as effective as it used to be a while ago. It is perhaps important to realize the implications of the social changes that the modern human community is experiencing at a rate not witnessed before, which calls for a well propagated theological approach of issues concerning the church (Mosser & Willimon, 126). The author’s introduction highlights the changed times in roles of the minister to such an extent that there is a gap that has emerged in the effective delivery of the ministerial duties. Planning of the worship entails a number of worship and sermon attributes that the minister needs to give attention to, but a closer look at the authors’ work reveal some areas that need better input. Alternatively the author proposes certain approaches that he deems fit for the modern church to make the appropriate realignment in terms of worship and preaching. These two are the main areas of concern that this review shall be focused on as contained in the work of Wilimon (2008).

b) Interaction and Dialog with these concerns from Personal Experience

The author introduces the book by lamenting on the increased number of roles played by the modern day religious leaders as the main cause of incompetence among them. As far as vocational duties are concerned, it is however incorrect to give such an opinion since modern clergy has the benefit of theological training that assists them to approach nearly all social and religious issues competitively in a number of approaches. While it is normal for burnout to affect human delivery of expected duties, a wide spectrum of roles does not necessarily present enough explanation to vocational training cited by the author at his introduction (Willimon, ix).

Despite the fact that preaching and worship have been emphasized by the author as the main parts of the Christian service, the ministry faced with the many challenges as mention in the opening remark contradict this position. It follows that the ministry in the modern church requires a more balanced theological approach to deal with the spiritual, social and psychological needs of the flock. Although the mention of the importance of worship and preaching might be for purposes of developing a clear scope for the book, it does not come out well since there are contradictions on the roles of the modern church minister which certainly and evidently go beyond preaching and worshiping.

In Chapter One, planning and preparation of the service day is highlighted in various perspectives by the author. However, emphasis of worship preparation in the initial part of the chapter is contradicted by the explanation of the author’s understanding of the celebration of the Holy Communion. A mention of the sitting arrangement as a weakness of worship during sharing is perhaps laughable since the Holy Communion is not necessarily a physical union of the congregation in every aspect. Providing guidelines for innovation of worship for rituals observed during worship is does not augur well with the sections of the liberal church with the same impact that it does among the conservative Christians. It would probably be better to consider highlighting both sections of the congregation in terms of receptivity to change in dealing with church rituals.

Another particular area of concern in the explanation of worship by the author involves common weaknesses during worship. Inadequacy in terms of exposure to scripture during worship as well as congregation participation in worship needs better approach than that offered by the author. While scripture exposure needs a thorough attitude particularly in terms of biblical topics, it is important for the church to realize that the scope of the church service must be within reasonable time to keep spiritual nourishment as balanced as possible. According to Rex (98) the quality of the sermon and reading matters most to spiritual growth than quantity. With regard to the author’s opinion, it is impractical for the minister to read the entire bible for the congregation during the limited time offered by the service and handle other areas of the service with the appropriate attention. It implies that the only approach to correct this is through a proper congregation network to complement the scripture sharing during the service. The question of inadequacy of scripture sharing should not arise but rather how the service assists the congregation to read the bible outside the service as a day to day activity.

Chapter Two proposes some form of a pattern for adoption during service, which conspicuously highlights the service of the word and the service of the Last Supper as the main areas of concentration. Contrary to this pattern, it is obvious that the theological practice of a standard service should include at least four main areas of worship for following in the worship pattern. Reading the word of God should perhaps be the initial item, followed by the sharing in form of sermon, offering of gifts and finally the Lord’s Table. McKim (52) reckons that there is no need of long sermons infiltrated with excessive rhetoric that does not contribute to spiritual growth like the bible teaches. In view of the pattern given by the author giving two main pattern areas is not only criticizable but also incorrect.

c) Critical Assessment:

Doubts

It is doubtful that the approach given by the author in terms of service preparation and the proposed pattern of worship can make contributions to eliminate the evident gap in modern church ministry. Creating a link between the author’s opening remarks and the delivered text on the worship and sermon preparedness as well as the proposed pattern of service for their demonstration is only remotely possible. To clear this doubt, it is perhaps important that the author considered the circumstances surrounding the complexity of the church within each of the highlighted areas of worship and sermon delivery.

Questions

Certain questions remain unsolved after a critical peruse of the author’s work among which include what the church minister can do to factor in the increased demand of church assistance. The author does not give the explanation of how the various sections of the church perceive the changes that are evidently imminent in the delivery of church worship and preaching (Campbell and Cannon, 11). Alternatively, questions remain as to whether the highlighted pattern is enough for the pastor to adequately include all the theological elements of worship during church serve. The crowded list of roles of the church minister is not articulated in the proposed order of service and the way in which the church can reach out to more followers amid tighter schedule.

Effect on Personal Understanding

Willimon does not deliver on the main issues of traditional tenets of the church in terms of dealing with changes affecting the church. This text contradicts the teachings of the church on grounds such as the significance of the Eucharist as a purely spiritual event that ought to be jealously guarded by the church. While the author is keen to note the physical attributes of the sharing involved during the celebration of the Lords Table, he is not practical within the confinement of the modern church challenges. Among the obvious understanding that the church goers have in this age, the sharing of the communion emerges from the common conversion of the bread into the body of the Lord by the minister taking the position of Christ. It is not necessarily in the physical drinking and eating of the blood and body of the Lord as happens in the sitting arrangement, the number of cups and plates. It is a purely spiritual encounter that brings the entire church across the world together regardless of sitting positions as argued by the author.

Personal Reflection

I reckon that although the author identifies some important areas of the Christian worship, he clearly misses on several opportunities where he could have delivered immense contribution on the changing nature of the church. Inclusion of the huge responsibility of the church minister at the beginning of the author’s work is perhaps a point that could have been developed throughout the text to include the most important gaps that the modern minister needs to bridge. However, the author completely moves off this rare opportunity and engages worship and preaching for a totally different agenda, coming out of the topic on several occasions such as the manner in which the Holy Communion should be served. I hold the opinion that the link between worship and preaching could have been used throughout the text to develop the contributions that the minister of the modern day church ought to approach vocational service amid the glaring challenges. Theology offers a chance for the church minister to provide objective leadership and rise to the occasion in cases where decisions are required in defining conservative and liberal input in order of service which does not appear to be illustrated in the book.

References

Campbell, W. H. & Cannon, J. S. (1893) Lectures on pastoral theology. New York, NY: Charles Scribner

McKim, D. (2001) The Westminster handbook to reformed theology. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press

Mosser, D. N. & Willimon, W. H. (2007) The stewardship companion: lectionary resources for preaching. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press

Rex, R. (2003) The theology of John Fisher. Cambridge University Press

Willimon, W. H. (2008) A guide to preaching and leading worship. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press