Privacy and Business Obligations in the Age of Global Terrorism Assignment

Privacy and Business Obligations in the Age of Global Terrorism - Assignment Example Privacy and Business Obligations in the Age of Global Terrorism They [businesses] deal with an enlightened population who understand the dangers posed by a surveillance-state on their privacy. The fact that businesses are now manufacturing products with enhanced security features only echoes the consumers’ unwillingness to accept unwarranted access to their electronic communications, to which they [businesses] are obliged to follow in accordance to the laws in place or risk losing their businesses altogether. While it is easy to understand the government’s unquenchable desire to collect and store as much information as possible about every individual, more so of suspicious characters the world over with minimal obstacles, the desire does not make such approaches Constitutional, legal, or wise; and the pervasive surveillance and collection of data around the world, including those in power such as Angela Markel, over the past few years demonstrates drifts off-course from reasonable lines by the intelligence community. The claim of public good does not make the total disregard of the rule of law any lesser offence, and such demands must be accompanied with lawful search warrants which respects constitutional imperatives if access is to be granted. Q. 2 When considering that technology enables terrorists to formulate complex plots to kill innocents, do private corporations have any legitimate ground on which to make it more difficult for government agencies like the NSA to gather information pertinent to thwarting those attacks?

Hospitals and Long-Term Care Facilities Essay Example for Free

Hospitals and Long-Term Care Facilities Essay Abstract Hospitals can be set up as nonprofit or for-profit facilities. The differences between the nonprofit and for profit hospitals will be discussed. Hospitals have experienced different trends in the last thirty years. This paper will identify at least three major trends that have occurred within the hospital sector. Three examples that describe and differentiate the roles of hospitals and nursing homes are providing long-term care. The conclusion of this paper will be a brief critiquing of the current state of long-term care policy in the United States. Hospitals and Long-Term Care Facilities The differences between nonprofit and for-profit hospitals: A characteristic as stated by Williams and Torrens (2008) of nonprofit hospitals is that these hospitals do not function under the realm of regular corporate law but under a special provision of the corporate law in each state. It is also noted that nonprofit hospitals also function under special federal and state tax provisions because of recognition of their community service function. Other characteristics of nonprofit hospitals are they do not have owners and their governing body is a community based board that has complete authority over operations. Nonprofit hospitals, in general, are not required to pay most of the taxes at federal, state and local levels. Under section 501C (3) of the federal tax code, the non-profits are exempt. Due to this exemption status donations made by individuals are tax deductible. Nonprofit entities are not only expected to care for the destitute and poor but they are also expected to provi de a variety of services to the community (Williams Torrens, 2008). Now that the characteristics of the non-profit have been outlined the for-profit entities make-up will be discussed. For profit entities, unlike nonprofit ones, have owners. The owners are issued stocks and these stocks reflect the owner’s equity position. â€Å"For- profit  entities, including hospitals, may be publicly or privately held† (Williams Torrens, 2008, p. 186). Stocks for entities for-profit that are publicly held are made available for anyone to purchase. Publicly held for-profit entities are plagued with various accountability and regulation rules that are supervised by the Securities and Exchange Commission at both federal and state level. Williams and Torrens (2008) state that privately held for-profit entities issue stock but the difference in public versus private issuing of stock is that the private for-profit stock is not available for purchase by the general public. For-profit hospitals, in the past, have been owned by the physicians who work in them but due to the astronomical costs of such expenditures as: building, maintaining and operating a hospital in today’s market the trend of physician owned for-profit hospitals is almost extinct. The majority of for-profit hospitals in the United States are part of a large multihospital chain. The multi chains of hospitals as stated by Williams Torrens (2008) are publicly traded. For-profit hospitals do not serve only the community but they are also expected to operate at a profit so that the equity investors receive a return on their capital (Williams Torrens, 2008). Three major trends that have occurred within the hospital sector. One of three major trends that have occurred within the hospital sector is the increase in specialty hospitals. The specialty hospitals focus on such areas as cancer and heart disease as well as profitable fields like orthopedic surgery. The specialty hospitals as stated by Williams Torrens (2008) show an increase of being owned partially by the physicians who practice in them. Some would make the argument that the specialty hospitals provide the best care while others see these hospitals as entities that â€Å"siphon off insured and relatively healthier patients leaving the less profitable and more complicated cases to community general ho spitals† (Williams Torrens, 2008, p. 194). Concerns raised by the physicians’ ownership of the specialty hospitals include but not limited to are that the financial incentives will affect the treatment decisions (i.e. diagnostic services) and also that the physicians will treat the less complicated but yet more profitable health care cases and leave the biggest burden of caring for the less fortunate, financially challenged and uninsured individuals to the community and public hospitals (Williams Torrens, 2008) Another trend that has occurred within the hospital sector  is in the field of technology. â€Å"Technology has shaped the physical and operational structures of hospitals, has affected the lives of patients and families, and has provided a delivery vehicle for physicians in clinical practice† (Williams Torrens, 2008, p. 195). It is technological research that allows for the services hospitals provide for example anesthesia and antisepsis laid the ground work for surgical care and imaging technology h as impacted effective intervention for individuals seeking care in a hospital atmosphere. Technology has affected a vast array of individuals: obstetric patients, those in need of pediatric care and terminally ill patients just to name a few. Advanced technology has led to development â€Å"increased specialization, clinical practices, expansion of specialized services, new medical and surgical specialties, and treatments for many diseases for which little curative or other care could be provided† (Williams Torrens, 2008, p. 195). While continued advance technology leads toward continuous improved health care it also brings along with it problems, especially for the hospitals. The hospitals are immensely gratified by the increased technology and its application to improve overall general health but along with the benefits comes complications. Hospitals are expected to provide the most up to date technology but at the most effective pricing to please their customers, patients and physicians. This presents a major challenge to hospitals (Williams Torrens, 2008) Academic medical centers are another trend that has occurred within the hospital sector. Academic medical centers are composed of medical schools and their primary teaching hospitals. The â€Å"academic medical centers provide tertiary, secondary, and primary care but have a principal focus on biomedical research, teaching of medical residents and medical students, and often an array of other professional training, research, and services activities† (Williams Torrens, 2008, p. 196). Unlike other hospitals, the academic medical center does not have top priorities of financial efficiency and customer satisfaction. Great demands are placed on these facilities by physicians and researchers to provide the latest technology and staffing for the assurance of teaching and clinical investigation. According to Williams and Torrens (2008) the long-term strengths and successes of our health care systems depends largely on the success of the academic medical centers to achieve their mission. Three examples that describe and differentiate the roles of hospitals and nursing  homes in providing long term care. The nursing home facility is for patients who need extended care because they are very sick or unable to function without continued nursing and supportive services in a formal health care facility. These patients are sick and/or are in need of assistance but they are not ill enough that they require the intense treatment and care offered at a hospital. According to Will iams and Torrens (2008) about forty-seven percent of all nursing home facility care is paid for by Medicaid and residents and their families pay approximately one-third of the cost for the facility services. In recent years the length of time one stays at a nursing home has greatly decreased. Even with the decrease in stay there is still a fifty percent chance of an individual in his/her lifetime having to spend some time in a nursing facility. Both of these previous mentioned trends is reflective of the nursing facilities moving toward becoming more technologically sophisticated as well as being able to function as more of a short term temporary residence for patients in between the hospital and going home (Williams Torrens, 2008). Hospitals are designed to take care of the more acute problems and emergencies. Hospitals provide a wide array of outpatient services. The outpatient services range from â€Å"rehabilitation to mental health counseling to outpatient surgery† (Williams Torrens, 2008, p. 205). Unlike the nursing home facility the primary source of payment for hospital stay and services is Medicare and private insurance and very little payment comes from individuals. The current state of long-term care policy in the United States. Medicare provides financing for medical care for nearly all elderly Americans and others with certain disabilities but this does not hold true for long-term care. The majority of individuals needing long term must depend on family and friends and sometimes the community they live in. There is a lot of work to be done in the United States as it relates to the financing of long term care for every needy individual (Williams Torrens, 2008). There is no clear and precise policy in the United States for long-term care but there are different provisions within Medicare and Medicaid that provide for long-term services for some (not all) individuals in need of it. While the financing of long-term care has been and continues to be a challenge for the United States there have been strives in the care coordination of long-term patients. The care coordination that has emerged through the years for long  term care patients appears to be relatively effective. â€Å"Quality is enhanced when information is communicated among all the professionals caring for a person, and efficiencies are achieved when duplication of services is avoided† (Williams Torrens, 2008, p. 211). Case management, which is a process that encompasses the following: case identification, assessment, care planning, service arrangement, monitoring and reassessment enables one professional individual to work with the family to coordinate and obtain all of the services that the long term care patient may need. Case management has proven to have one of the most positive effects of improving long-term care (Williams Torrens, 2008). References Williams, S. J., Torrens, P. R. (Eds.). (2008). Introduction to health services: 2010 custom edition (7th ed.). New York: Cengage Delmar Learning.

Hippy Movement :: essays research papers

Hippy Movement Through out history the world has seen some generations that have made an impact more than all of its predecessors. The decade from1960 to 1970 was definitely one of those eras. The people didn't follow the teachings of its elders, but rejected them for an alternative culture which was their very own(Harris 14). Made up of the younger population of the time this new culture was such a radical society that they were given their own name which is still used today. They came to be called the Hippies. The Hippie movement started in San Francisco, California and spread across the United States, through Canada, and into parts of Europe (World Book). But it had its greatest influence in America. During the 1960's a radical group called the Hippies shocked America with their alternative lifestyle and radical beliefs. Hippies came from many different places and had many different backgrounds. All Hippies were young, from the ages of 15 to 25 (Worldbook). They left their families and did it for many different reasons. Some rejected their parents' ideas, some just wanted to get away, and others simply were outcasts, who could only fit in with the Hippie population. "Under 25 became a magical age, and young people all over the world were united by this bond" (Harris 15). This bond was of Non-conformity and it was the "Creed of the Young" (Harris 15). Most Hippies came from wealthy middle class families. Some people said that they were spoiled and wasting their lives away. But to Hippies themselves this was a way of life and no one was going to get in the way of their dreams and ambitions. Hippies flocked to a certain area of San Francisco on the corner of Haight Street and Ashbury Street, where the world got their first view of this unique group. This place came to be known as the Haight Ashbury District. There were tours of the district and it was said that the tour "was the only foreign tour within the continental limits of the United States" (Stern 147). The Hippies were so different that the conservative middle class could not relate to them and saw them as aliens. The Haight Ashbury district lies in the very center of San Francisco. In the years of 1965 and 1966 the Hippies took over the Haight Ashbury district(Cavan 49). There they lived and spread their

Beneficial Wasps against Destructive Flies

An article appearing on the ScienceDaily website entitled â€Å"Olives may be rescued by Helpful Wasp† reported the findings of the research headed by Victoria Yokoyama concerning the effects of releasing a small brown wasp known as Psyttalia cf. concolor into olive fruit fly infested groves in California. California is the leading producer of the olive fruit but olive fruit flies prove to be a major problem with the potential to destroy annual olive crop. ScienceDaily (2009) reported that the olive fruit fly was first discovered in 1998 but has now come to infest the whole state especially where olives are grown.P. cf. concolor would be able to help minimize the damage caused by the olive fruit fly by attacking its maggots thereby prohibiting their growth and decreasing their numbers. Olive fruit flies damage the production of olive fruits as its young feed voraciously on the fruit of the olive tree as it ripens. The P. cf. concolor would help to solve this damage caused by t he olive fruit flies by laying its eggs inside the flies’ maggots. ScienceDaily (2009) reported that when the wasp’s eggs hatch, the young wasp would feed on the maggot â€Å"from the inside out.† However, ScienceDaily (2009) reported that â€Å"scientists are continuing to carefully evaluate the wasp’s effectiveness in thwarting the olive fruit fly† but stated that â€Å"the wasp is harmless to people, pets and plants. † ScienceDaily (2009) also reported that the wasp is more effective than some of the parasitoids in combating the olive fruit fly. In 2008, Yokoyama et al. reported that the P. cf. concolor rate of parasitism to the olive fruit fly was at 24. 2 percent. The report by Yokoyama et al. (2008) also showed that the P. cf.concolor would, given the choice, prefer to attack olive fruit flies than the walnut husk fly implying that the wasp would attack the olive fruit fly maggots more often when there was no other choice thereby incre asing its effectiveness against the invasive pest. Yokoyama et al. (2008) reported that the P. cf. concolor was imported from Guatemala and were used in laboratory and field tests to determine its ability to control the olive fruit fly and was found to be highly adaptable under the same climate and weather conditions where its hosts thrive.They also reported that the wasps did not attack the seedhead fly—a beneficial fruit fly. Furthermore, Yokoyama et al. (2008) held that P. cf. concolor â€Å"shows great promise as a biological control agent for olive fruit fly and establishment of the parasitoid in olives will help protect the production of canned olives and olive oil in California that is valued at $68 million annually. † The ScienceDaily article presented two insects: a beneficial wasp and the destructive olive fruit fly.While it reported that the olive fruit fly causes destruction, particularly on olive crops, it reported a more likely solution to the problem. Th e article did not present the olive fruit as overly dangerous, however damaging, yet presented the P. cf. concolor as beneficial, without any serious adverse effects to the environment and to human population. Furthermore, the article presented its report based on scientific research and based its conclusions on the report of the researchers concerning P.cf. concolor as biological control for the olive fruit flies. Works Cited ScienceDaily. â€Å"Olives may be rescued by helpful wasp. † 7 March 2009. ScienceDaily. 23 March 2009. Yokoyama, Victoria, Rendon, Pedro A. , and Sivinski, John. â€Å"Psyttalia cf. concolor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) for biological control of olive fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) in California. † Environmental Entomology Vol. 37, n

Powerlessness in “Of Mice And Men” Essay

â€Å"Of Mice and Men† , written in 1937, is set in America during the Great Depression and tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced ranch workers who move from place to place in search of jobs. All of the characters in Of Mice and Men are most definitely not powerless. Curly’s wife has control over the other ranchers despite being a female, Lennie though unintelligent has power through his physical strength and George, who although has Lennie to take care of can make his own decisions and live independently. First and foremost, Curly’s wife is not powerless because she has supreme authority over the ranchers. Although she is a female, all Curly’s wife has to do is complain to Curly about one of the ranchers and they’re canned, â€Å"†¦Curly maybe ain’t gonna like his wife out in the barn†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Subsequently, Curly’s wife has authority over Crooks because he is a negro. She could not only get him canned, but killed, â€Å"I could get you strung up in a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.† Curly’s wife is certainly not powerless in Of Mice and Men. Furthermore, Lennie is not helpless because of his physical strength. Despite him not being the smartest tool in the shed by a long shot, Lennie still has power over the other ranchers because of his massive strength. â€Å"The next minute Curly was flopping like a fish on a line, and his fist was lost in Lennie’s big hand.† Moreover, because of his strength he can â€Å"buck barley† exceptionally well, meaning that without too much trouble he and George are able to find jobs, â€Å"Maybe he ain’t bright, but I never seen such a worker.† Lennie is absolutely not debilitated in Of Mice and Men. Penultimately, George is not disempowered because he can make his own decisions and be independent. Without a doubt George is affected by having to take care of Lennie, but he also could live fine on his own, â€Å"†¦if I was alone I could live so easy.† Additionally, although Lennie is a burden in many ways he also empowers George because he is stupid. George can tell Lennie to do whatever he likes, and Lennie will do it, â€Å"I turns to Lennie  and says, ‘Jump in.’ An’ he jumps.† George is unmistakably not impotent in Of Mice and Men. Conclusively, not all characters in Of Mice and Men are powerless. Curly’s wife has unquestionable power over the ranchers, Lennie has power through his supreme strength and George has power through Lennie and his own ability to survive. How can anyone say that all the characters in Of Mice and Men are powerless?

Negotiation Analysis

Negotiation Analysis Introduction The term negotiation refers to a dialogue between two or more parties or people. It is aimed to reach an understanding, gain advantage in the result of dialogue, produce an agreement upon courses of action, resolve a certain issue and bargain for an individual or group. Negotiations always aim at compromise. Negotiation usually happens in businesses, non-profit organizations, legal proceedings, among nations and even in personal situations like marriage, divorce and parenting (Sparks, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Negotiation Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Because of the growing trends in business and globalization, negotiation is usually used in the market places. Teams can effectively come to a conclusion to break down a negotiation. Partners must practice listening, writing and roles as team members (Sparks, 2003).Most of business and organizations are forced to merge and sell their businesses when they want to change their services or when they are faced with problems in the organization. This paper will discuss the negotiation of ATT and T-Mobile and the United States government who want to block the merger between the two mobile carriers. ATT and Mobile U.S. Mobile Carriers Case The merger of ATT and T-mobile started on March 20, 2011 and on 31st August the same year the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice in USA resolved to block the merger and it filed a lawsuit in federal court. AT T came up with the idea to buy T-Mobile for $39 billion from Deutsche Telekom (Weaver, 2011). ATT is the largest mobile company in the United Sates that has 33.7 million subscribers and if the deal were to succeed, ATT would have a 43% market share of mobile phones. On March 20, 2011, Deutsche Telecom accepted the stock and cash purchase that was offered by ATT for T-Mobile USA (Kent, 2010). After introduction of iPhone in 2007, T-mobile USA lost most of the rewarding customers and it dropped to 78.3% of subscribers in 2010 compared to 85% in 2006. T-Mobile had to come up with comparison with other mobile supporters like Verizon Wireless and ATT Mobility and it found that network upgrades and spectrum purchase were risky with the drop of customers and this led Deutsche Telecom to come up with the idea to sell. The merge must pass through a regulatory review whereby the two parties expected it to take 12 months and the deal requires an approval by the Department of Justice and Federal Communication Commission in US. Hearing on the acquisition of T-Mobile USA by ATT was held in May by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights. During this hearing, senators raised questions to the companies CEOs about the effects of the merger and competition issues. The two companies denied the right that they were competitors (Kent, 2010).Advertising Looking for term paper on business communication? Le t's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The suit that was filed by the DOJ in the District of Colombia was to have the court stop the merger of ATT with T-Mobile. It claimed that the combination of the two companies would lead to a situation where customers of mobile wireless telecommunications services would face higher prices, there would be less product variety and innovation and the services offered would be poor due to reduction in incentives to invest than would be without the merger. The suit argued that the market of T-Mobile strategy had been to be the challenger brand hence it would bring new innovations and new prices to the market place (Leo 2001). According to Andrade (2001), the proposed merger of ATT with T-Mobile will improve the future for wireless consumers that will help the young people to have internet connections. The combination would also shape the future for wireless consumers. With the wide creation of device s and an increase in adoption rates of wireless service, the merger would lead to many arguments. The representatives of the companies argue that it will be an advantage to merge the two mobile supporters. This is because they are convinced that combining ATT and T-Mobile’s mutually compatible networks will deliver numerous benefits to consumers especially for the Latino communities (Andrade, 2001). This is because the resources, skills and experiences of the workers will be merged to have one common mobile carrier that ensures quality services and prompt responses to customer care. Merging the two networks will help the combined company to deliver the world’s best-advanced wireless services to all communities in America. This will enable people to have access to a wide variety of distance learning, telemedicine and applications of e-commerce (Andrade, 2001).It will create new opportunities of mobile broadband for Latinos who were underserved with the service. The merg ing will benefit the citizens so matter where they live. Because large numbers of Latinos live a mobile life style, including many migrant workers, they must accept a transaction that would increase the ability of Latinos to keep in touch with their employers, schools, and family. The merger will add value and increase personal and professional opportunities for Americans. They will be able to have so many chances to enjoy their lives and take part in e-learning hence improving the living status of the citizens (Andrade, 2001). It is argued that the merger would create many high quality jobs and provide access to new economic opportunities to the citizens. ATT had announced to come up with 5,000 job opportunities to the jobless in the society and no job losses to the people who will be working in the wireless call centre when the merge will be approved. There were some people and organizations who criticized the merge with the argument that the merger will reduce employment (Andrade , 2001).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Negotiation Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The promise of the merging the two companies and the expansion of wireless networks that support Latinos’ increasingly mobile lifestyle, the expansion of job opportunity, and ATT’s performance in managing the job impacts of past mergers, has proven that the merger deserves support from Americans and the community as a whole (Andrade, 2001). Public comments seem to be against the merger, but ATT has been skillful to come up with support from all corners of the technology world. Microsoft, Qualcomm and Facebook joined with the technology giants to offer support t ATT and T-Mobile merger (Kent, 2011).The combination of the country’s second- and fourth-largest wireless carriers would lead to violation of the antitrust law and lessen competition in the market place (Tom, Sara and Jeff, 2011). A rejecti on of the merge by regulators would leave ATT liable to pay Deutsche Telekom $3 billion in cash, to give T-Mobile USA wireless spectrum, and to reduce charges for calls into ATT’s network, a package valued at as much as $7 billion, Deutsche Telekom place (Tom et al, 2011). The acquisition would lead to ATT displacing Verizon Wireless that belongs to Verizon Communities Inc and Vodafone Group PLC as the number one U.S wireless carrier. ATT and Verizon would control most of the profits in the market place (Tom et al, 2011). The ATT T-Mobile merger would be a major achievement for ATT and it would make the mobile carrier the largest provider in the United States. According to Leo (2001), ATT has effectively neutralized T-Mobile as a competitor, especially since T-Mobiles current owner, Deutsche Telekom AG, has indicated that it did not plan to make any more investments in T-Mobile. ATT enjoys many of the benefits of the merger like reduced number of competitors with paying bill ion for the acquisition. If the merger between ATT and T-Mobile is successful, Verizon will not have a rest.The deal would allow Verizon to maintain its spectrum advantage and negotiation leverage it currently enjoys. However, if the ATT T-Mobile deal goes through, regulators likely will not approve consolidation. If the ATT/T-Mobile merger is approved by the Department of Justice and the FCC, they will review their combined network assets. (The Department of Justice sued to prevent the merger in August, so the merger may not go through or ATT and T-Mobile may have to negotiate a settlement that involves the sale of some network assets to other wireless providers like Sprint or MetroPCS (David and James,2006).Advertising Looking for term paper on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More ATT and T-Mobile moved to dismiss the complaints, arguing that Sprint and Cellular South failed to adequately show the merger would cause them antitrust injury. Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle said the majority of the claims would actually be dismissed, but let a few of Sprint and Cellular Souths complaints stand. According to Leo (2011), ATT will not just walk away from the merger because if the merger does not occur ATT has to pay a breakup fee of $ 3 billion in cash and make other allowances to Deutsche Telekom worth other $3 billion hence it will pay a break up cost of $6 billion. Such a breakup would strengthen one of its main competitors in communication. ATT will not surrender unless they see that the case is hopeless. ATT will have to pose a challenge to the governments case. The major idea of the case is the concentration of the carrier in the market (Tom et al, 2011). Without T-Mobile, the market would have no effective check on price increases or technological stagnation by ATT and Verizon. Frankens section on consumer prices concludes that Sprint places very little pressure on the prices of ATT and Verizon, because it charges only marginally less than they do. The elimination of the lowest cost national wireless option likely explains why so many T-Mobile customers are opposed to this deal (Leo, 2011). According to Tom et al, (2011) ATT submitted new economic models to the FCC and it stated that the merger would lead a reduction of price and increase the services in the metropolitan markets. These models gave more detailed support for the arguments that the merger will reduce strains on the company’s wireless network, lower costs and increase quality of services provided since the resources and personnel will be merged. It will also increase the number of expatriates in the communication sector. The merge of ATT and T-Mobile would lead to tens of millions of consumers all across the United States facing higher prices, there will be few choices and lower quality products for mobile wireless services. Consumers across the country even those who live in the rural areas and those who have lower incomes will benefit from the competition amount the wireless carriers. The FCC cannot reject or accept the merger proposal but it has to be involved in the negotiation process because it helps in the regulation of wireless spectrum and since ATT and T-Mobile have their license from FCC, it must approve the transfer of those licenses (Tim, 2002). Communication has to be used as a link to have effective negotiations. Communication workers of America (CWA) reported that the merger would create new job opportunities and they had to support the deal.The ATT/T-Mobile merger will save, and create more U.S. jobs than when T-Mobile is alone in the market. On the other hand, some of the people including Sprit Nextel argue that if the two companies merge there will be reduced competition in the cell phone industry, it will raise cost of the service s provided, there will be few choices of handsets, the quality of the services will be poor and less innovative(Tom et al, 2011). The Justice Department will look for any violation of antitrust law. FCC has to evaluate whether the issue is in the public interest it will also take into account whether the deal will encourage competition and use of new services and whether it increase the prices or harm consumers through anti-competitive behavior in the markets. If FCC sees that the merger is the best for the interest of the consumers, it would reject the merge and then ATT would not be able to make a transfer the T-Mobile license and use of that spectrum and ATT would appeal any decision by FCC. The U.S. government does not have the power to approve or disapprove of a merger. Companies are free to merge if they like, but for mergers and acquisitions of a certain size, they are required to notify the government of the transaction. This requirement was established under the Hart-Scott- Rodino Act, which mandates that companies involved in the merger should provide the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice with information about the merger before it occurs (Tim, 2002). If the merger occurs without divestitures, T-Mobile and ATT are going to do away with some cell sites. The eliminating of these types of expensive redundancies was a large part of the merger with ATT. Sprint’s and Cellular South’s complaints provide realistic support for the allegation that ATT already has a significant market power as a purchaser of mobile wireless devices, and that the acquisition of T-Mobile would threaten them with harm. Sprint alleges that the proposed transaction would add T-Mobile’s 34 million customers to ATT’s 95 million customers, leaving the merged entity with 129 million customers that is an increase (David and James, 2006). Sprint alleges that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has found that while larger carriers can negotiate handset exclusivity agreements, smaller carriers such as Sprint cannot. Sprint cites Apple’s iPhone as an example. ATT was the exclusive provider of the iconic iPhone from 2007 until early 2011, when Apple gave Verizon a time to-market advantage most likely because Verizon had the largest subscriber base in the United States. The merger will provide T-Mobile management workers a voice in the work place It will be neutral and allows workers to make their own decisions about whether or not to join a union. T-Mobile will actively intervene in this process through such practices as requiring workers to attend anti-union meetings, pressuring workers to report on any union contacts, and taking photos of workers accepting union literature. After the merger, T-Mobile’s workers will be able to make their own decision without fear or management interference (David and James, 2006). Phases of a Negotiation Process According to Juan (2001), there are four phases of nega tion process namely; pre-negotiation, Conceptualization, Settling the Details and Follow-up and these will be discussed. Pre-Negotiation This is the phase whereby the partners determine whether there is a good reason to conduct the negotiation. The parties come up with the specifics that they want to negotiate about, and then establish an agenda before they commence the talks. It is in this phase that the identification of the people who will take part in the talks is done considering their authority and responsibility in the talk. It is essential to collect the information of the interested parties, their companies, and the individual interests. This is a critical process as it aids in the formulation of the goals and objectives that are to be achieved. It is also in this phase where time, location and date for the process of negotiation are determined. This can be done though faxes, phone calls and e-mails. The two parties have already passed this phase. Conceptualization This is the second phase of the negotiation process. Here, the basis of the negotiation is created with the use of the issues at hand. Discussions are held to have a common understanding of the basic concepts of agreement sought. Definition of goals and objectives of the parties is done though establishment of compatibility. Both parties have to be satisfied with the agreement reached and if not terms of partnership have to be reframed until they are in agreement. In the case of ATT and T-Mobile case, the two carriers have already reached a consensus for the agreement and the problem is not the government that has filled a case to block the merger. Settling the Details This is the final stage of the agreement. External specialists are involved to complete the details of the business enterprise and risks that are to be taken. The possible problems that may occur are discussed and possible solutions are formulated. Details relating to production, task responsibility, management and authority are discussed. The last part of the agreement is left for the legal experts. These individuals critically scrutinize the document and come up with final draft that clearly states the rules, regulations and obligations of each party to the contract that legally binds them. In the case of ATT and T-Mobile, they are in the phase of settling details where the government is giving the possible risks of the merge, the problems and how it will affect the state negatively. The government is claiming that, services will be poor after the merge. Follow-up The two parties have not reached this phase that is the final phase in negotiation process. There will be no follow-ups because the negotiations and contract between the two parties has not been resolved. Government officials were involved in the process and there are those who supported and those who opposed the merger idea. The attorneys general of Arkansas, Utah, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakot a, West Virginia, and Wyoming wrote a joint letter of support to the FCC on July 27. In addition, on September 16, the attorneys general of California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington sent their letter opposing the merger. Months earlier, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman made an announcement that his office was to take a thorough review of TTs acquisition of T-Mobile and come up with an analysis of the effects anticompetitive effects of merger on businesses and consumers (German, 2010). Steps in Negotiation Process The negotiation process has to involve many steps for them to come up with a partnership. According to Calum (2010), there are five styles of negotiation namely, compete, accommodate, avoid, compromise and collaborate. These styles will be discussed to see the styles that are applicable for the ATT and T-Mobile case. Compete (I win You lose) This is where the negotiators follow their own needs even if it means the others s uffer. The negotiators are focused on their shorter terms gains, they use powers, personality, market share, economic threats, brand strength. In the case of ATT and T-Mobile, the parties can negotiate with the government with the argument that ATT is facing economic problems and cannot meet the market demand. The parties can use this style of negotiation because they need immediate compliance Calum (2010). Accommodate (I Lose You Win) This is the style whereby relationship is everything. The negotiation aims at giving people what they want. In the case of T-Mobile and ATT versus the United States Government, they would conduct a negotiation process that will benefit the citizens because most of the citizens are for the idea of the merge so that there can be improved services. So in this case the government will lose and the mobile carriers (ATT and T-Mobile) will win the case and embark to merge their services (Calum, 2010). Avoid (I Lose You Lose) This is also referred to as pas sive aggressive negotiation whereby the parties do not want conflict. This can be used when the value of investing time to get a negotiation outweighs the benefit or when the case is trivial to both parties. Because the two parties do not want to lose, then they should not apply this style in their negotiation process. If this style is used it will lead to a loss because ATT owes T-Mobile a check for $3 billion and reduced charges for dialing into ATTs network as part of a package that’s worth somewhere around $7 billion (Calum, 2010). Compromise (I Lose / Win Some You Lose / Win Some) This style involves splitting the difference that results to half way to both parties. This is where both parties win and lose. In the case of ATT and T-Mobile if this style is used it will not have good results because the resources will not be merged fully (Calum, 2010). The US government should look at a situation whereby each party will win and lose a situation so that the best services ca n be provided to the citizens. Collaborate (I Win You Win) It is also called win-win style whereby negotiation make sure that both parties have their needs met. The two mobile carriers can use this style to come up with a situation where neither of the party will lose. They can negotiate and make some adjustments and the partnership can make a contract to provide high quality services after the merger. In this case, it means that the government will win for the services and the mobile carriers will win to merge. This should be a negotiation in which both parties feel positive about the situation when the negotiation is concluded. This helps to maintain a positive working relationship afterwards. If the styles are used appropriately, the negotiation process will be successful Conclusion Every negotiation starts with a process followed by a strategy because without either, then it would be just a disagreement with any kind of resolution to the issue. Making sure that you get what you set out for is important but does not necessarily mean that the other person has to lose in the negotiation so making sure to go through the process and then coming up with a strategy ensures that all parties come out with a win-win rather than a win-lose negotiation. Quality of Service for ATT Will Improve because of a reduction in the number of dropped calls, less network congestion and an increased speed of connections due to added spectrum from T-Mobile, increased cell tower density and broader network infrastructure. In the long term, a post-merger ATT will be better able to retain and increase jobs because it will be in a more significant position to expand and extend its business than either ATT or T-Mobile could as separate carriers. References Andrade, J. (2011) ATT/T-Mobile Combination Is A Good Deal for America And For Latinos. Fiercereason. Web. Calum, C. (2010) Negotiation Conflict Styles. Web. David, L. James, S. (2006) 3D Negotiation. Harvard: Harvard Business Schoo l Press. German, K. (2010) States weigh in on ATT-T-Mobile merger. CNET. Web. Kent. G. (2011) On Call: Civil rights groups line up behind ATT-T-Mobile merger. CNET. Web. Leo W. (2011) ATT/T-Mobile Merger: Lets Call It What It Is, Part II. Web. Sparks, B. (2003) The Dynamics of Effective Negotiation (second edition). Houston, Texas: Gulf Publishing Co. Tim C. (2002) Regulators may approve ATT merger with T-Mobile after all. Web. Tom, M., Sara, S. Jeff, K. (2011) T-Mobile Antitrust Challenge Leaves ATT With Little Recourse on Takeover. Web. Weaver, P. (2011) Deutsche Telekom keeps it US Options Open. Telecoms.com. Web.

Marketing mix of a beer company

Marketing mix of a beer company Content PageIntroduction 2Task11.0 The marketing mix on the Black Sheep Brewery 21.1 Product 21.2 Promotion 4s are common law and Islamic law. These legal systems concern the pricing of products, import/ export limitations, types of advertising and product safety. For an example, In United States, every state has its own laws. The Black Sheep Brewery should be aware of the laws where they are marketing.3c EconomicPaliwoda suggests that "Macro-environment is created when trade and transactions take place across, rather than within, national frontiers; but it is important to note that there may well be greater economic environmental differences between different parts of the same country than between countries belonging to the same geographical region." in his book, "International Marketing". This means a single country may have different economic level. For an example, in some rural part of China is suffering from poverty, whereas in some parts of China, such as Hong Kong is to be con sidered as one of the richest cities in East Asia. Other factors to be aware of are, currencies used, where some countries may have weak currencies due to inflation or recession, also the kind if payment, some countries such as Columbia may pay by coffee beans. Secondly, the general economy, which can be determine by the average income of the public.3d PoliticalPolitics is a very important factor, it can either bring trading partners together or tear them apart. Government policies and attitudes towards imports are different around the globe. Some may set up trade barriers such as high tariffs, high import tax, in order to protect their own brands/ economy, or due to some tensions between countries. On the other hand, some may lower the import restrictions by setting up trade agreements between countries to minimise trade tariffs in bilateral trade exchanges, or to create job opportunities for their public. The Black Sheep Brewery should also be aware of the stability of the host co untry's regimes, also the level of government control of company assets.3e TechnologicalThis factor concerns the technological level of a country, such as the existing facilities and infrastructure; some countries may be more "high tech" than the others. Also the labour skills and training, some countries may have highly skilled labours, some may not. There may be a huge cost of new technology; also some government policies such as green issues may limit the use of some technologies.3f CompetitorsSince The Black Sheep Brewery is not the only company around the globe that supply beer there are various alternatives for consumers to choose from. Competitors such as Budweiser and Stella may have taken at least 90% of the consumers in some countries. Marketers should consider whether it is worthwhile to enter such countries.In marketing audit, SWOT analysis suggests that companies should minimise their weaknesses/ threats, and turn them into companies' strengths/ opportunities. When ente ring new country markets, there are weaknesses/ threats exist within and outside the company. These are the lacking of time, lacking of internal/ external knowledge and risks of competitors. By using methods of entry such as acquisition or merger can often minimise the weaknesses/ threats and turn them into possible strengths/ opportunities within and outside the company.

3 Cases of Repetitive Punctuation

3 Cases of Repetitive Punctuation 3 Cases of Repetitive Punctuation 3 Cases of Repetitive Punctuation By Mark Nichol In each of the sentences below, the number of commas is excessive, which can obscure comprehension because the reader is distracted from effortlessly recognizing the syntactical structure of the statement. Discussion and a revision follows each example. 1. The next step is to escalate the issue to the executive management, including the CEO, and, through appropriate channels, the board of directors. When repetition of commas or other punctuation marks within a sentence is overbearing, recast the sentence or, as shown here, change punctuation marks to reduce the number of identical occurrences: â€Å"The next step is to escalate the issue to the executive management (including the CEO) and, through appropriate channels, the board of directors.† 2. They will need to exercise their own judgment when considering whether a lower threshold is appropriate for a portion, or all, of their customers, which, again, may lead to inconsistent practices across the industry. If a word or phrase signals an abrupt or unexpected shift in a sentence, a dash is likely a more appropriate substitute when too many commas burden a sentence: â€Å"They will need to exercise their own judgment when considering whether a lower threshold is appropriate for a portion, or all, of their customers- which, again, may lead to inconsistent practices across the industry.† 3. The entrance of nontraditional competitors, such as fintech, or financial technology, companies into the financial services industry, is driving this recent evolution. The primary parenthesis in this sentence is misidentified: The phrase â€Å"or financial technology† is inserted into the parenthetical phrase â€Å"such as fintech companies,† which expands on the main clause â€Å"The entrance of nontraditional competitors into the financial services industry is driving this recent evolution.† The parenthesis should therefore end at companies, not industry: â€Å"The entrance of nontraditional competitors, such as fintech, or financial technology, companies, into the financial services industry is driving this recent evolution.† However, the proximity of punctuation here is oppressive, and punctuation isn’t always required when additional information is inserted into a sentence; the statement is equally intelligible as punctuated here: â€Å"The entrance of nontraditional competitors such as fintech, or financial technology, companies into the financial services industry is driving this recent evolution.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Avoid Beginning a Sentence with â€Å"With†50 Nautical Terms in General UsePreposition Mistakes #3: Two Idioms

Epidemiology and communicable disease Assignment

Epidemiology and communicable disease - Assignment Example For example, individuals who have higher income are likely to access better health services while those with low income are likely not to access health services. This puts those poor person to develop diseases and do not go for treatment, thus making some communicable diseases to spread in the society (Marmot et al., 2012). Communicable disease chain is a circuit of events that starts from a disease-causing urgent to reach an individual ultimately and causes infection. The chain entails the following components: infectious agent, a reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry and susceptible host. For an individual to become infected the entire chain must be intact. However, breaking just one component of the chain of infection makes the infectious disease difficult to spread (Aginam, 2002). There are steps that a nurse can take to break the chain of infection and stop the disease from spreading. For example ensuring that, all children are fully immunized against some diseases like measles and flu among others since this will break the chain from the source. Proper hand washing before handling food, this breaks the chain on mode of transmission and prevents the spread (Brachman,

Money management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Money management - Essay Example I have therefore decided to consider one of two options – a life insurance investment and a personally managed fund. Life insurance option If I invest the $500,000 with a life insurance company then I may be able to earn a stable income each year with adjustments for inflation. Based on discussions with my insurance company, Table 1 in Appendix 1 reflects the amount that I would receive if I invest in an insurance policy that makes adjustments for inflation and pays my estate the balance of my policy at death. The table shows an initial investment of $500,000 and indicates that over a 20 year period and assuming a 3.5% rate of interest and an inflation rate of 3%, I would be able to have an inflation adjusted income of $15,000 in year 1 continuing to $26,302 payment in year 20. This policy continues as long as I am alive. The balance on the account at year 20 suggests that there will be sufficient funds for me to earn an income many years after year 20 if I am still alive. The principal amount only starts declining in year 12 suggesting that I will be paid out of interest earned on the investment up year 11, after which payments will start affecting my principal. My total receipt up to year 20 would be $403,045.62 with a balance on the account of $443,861.55. This indicates a net gain of $346,907.17 (($403,045.62 + $443,861.55) – $500,000). Table 3 in Appendix 1 shows the relevant returns. Personally Managed Funds In the event that I choose to manage the funds personally then I would be able to make earnings at rates between 3 to 7 per cent. This fund would consist of a mixture of government bonds (at least 60%) and stocks. I would use the income generated from the fund in the first year – year 1 as a basis to determine my future income if I am to maintain the same standard of living. I therefore allow for an inflation rate of 3% as with the life insurance option. Table 2 in Appendix 1 provides information on this fund. An average rate of r eturn of 5% annually is assumed. The information indicates that after the first payment of $17,500 subsequent payments will require selling investments and therefore reducing the principal initially invested if I am to maintain the same standard of living year after year. Comparison of both options In comparing both options the life insurance fund has a lot to recommend it. It is secure, simple, provides good returns, safe, and has no sales or administrative charges (immediateannuities.com). i. The life insurance offer provides a stable income for the rest of the pensioner’s life and in some cases beneficiaries can receive the balance after death. The income streams from the personally managed fund are not likely to be as stable, even though this is assumed in Table 2. ii. The pensioner can relax and does not have to watch the market and report on interest and dividends as in the case of the personally managed funds. iii. Returns on life insurance funds are normally higher th an those on government bonds. The reason is that a portion of the principal is normally paid with the interest earned. However, the personally managed fund is a mixture of bonds and stocks. iv. The principal is normally safe in the case of the life insurance

QUESTIONS 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

QUESTIONS 2 - Assignment Example 2. Such a leader has to use the charismatic leadership style, which is a style of transformational leadership. In this style, the leader will inspire the team members and motivate them to move in the required direction without the use of power or command. For example, a company introduces a new organizational culture where certain dressing codes and behaviors have to be observed. The leader would best inspire others by being an example in observing such dressing or behavioral codes, while the others will be motivated and inspired to follow them. 3. The first approach would be to audit all processes involved from ordering material from suppliers, delivery and logistic processes to reviewing all lead times. Additional machinery or workforce may be added where the review points to such problems. Streamlining processes would ensure supplies are done well in advance, delivery of all necessary equipment and material completed where necessary before starting the project, and eradicating any lead time that may surface from these processes. Logistical processes in most cases may lead to delays. Next would be to review the conditions of the workforce and machinery with a view of establishing any weaknesses, and with a view of adding more workers or machinery where necessary. After all the review of processes, next would be to ensure manpower and equipment are utilized at an optimum level to maximize their utility in the project and cut the time required for delivery of such project. The graph above portrays the trends in demographic and revenue changes based on patients below and above 65 years of age who are under Medicare. The revenue in thousands portrays a drastic decrease in the Medicare revenue based on a rapidly increasing number of patients above 65 years. Patients in this category as the chart shows are rapidly increasing compared to those less than 65 years who as the graph portrays have a gradual

Report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Report - Coursework Example Medium sized businesses like XX chemical that wants to diversify into foreign markets and start their business activity there, need to invest huge amount of capital in foreign markets. These types of businesses are the main target customers of leading investment banks across the world (Ritter, 2003, p.278). Medium sized companies generally target the emerging markets for foreign direct investment. They prefer issuing rights for raising fund as rights issue is one of the most efficient to raise fund. Investment banks are recognized for expertise in this service. Rights issue refers to corporate invitation by the companies to the existing shareholders of the companies to buy more shares of the companies. The companies offer shareholders to purchase the new shares at a discounted market price than the current market price of the share of the company. Investment banks provide this service to the businesses like XX chemical and it is called underwriting service of investment banks (Chemma nur & Fulghieri, 1994, p.57). Underwriters are those who issue new share as initial public offering or secondary public offering of companies that need additional fund for strategic business activity. Banks disclosed the purpose of issuing rights and the shareholders analyze the potentiality of proposed investment plan or business activity by the company and decide to invest in the form of purchasing issued rights of the companies through investment banks. Investment banks provide opportunity to the shareholders of the companies to increase their financial exposure as he shareholders can purchase companies new shares at discounted price. The bank acts as financial agent between shareholders and company and providing financial benefits to both for some percentage of underwriting fees on the total share issued. The investment banks conduct necessary legal and regulatory activities for issuing right of the company on behalf of the company gets paid by the companies only but not from th e shareholders for this financial service. The shareholders are allowed to trade issued shares after completion of initial or secondary public offering. Then the investment banks do not intervention on the traded shares of the company. Rights Investment banks prefer to provide underwriting services to the private limited companies than public limited companies. This means they prefer initial public offering than secondary equity offering of public limited companies. Rights issue is also carried out by self offering by the companies. Public limited companies issue rights in the form of public offering as rights are issued to the general public. Existing shareholders or the new potential investors can buy public offering from a public limited company. But a private limited company can issue rights in the form of issuing more shares to only the existing shareholders of the firm. From companies’ view point raising finance is through rights issue or equity issue is more preferable and also financial beneficial than debt issue. Risk retiring back to the raised capital is less in equity issue whereas the company is liable for paying the debt or credited amount to the creditors (NYU, 2012, p.68). Therefore, XX companies should raise finance in its need of finance through rights issue but not through lending from banks or other financial insinuations. Therefore, investment banks are more and more concentrating on this

Your Site Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Your Site - Assignment Example Thus, a website should be user-friendly and connect with the user. It should be able to attract the customer and retain him. A website is only effective if it is able to achieve this task. The Wireframe of ABC Limited is an important component of the website design. This is the basic visual guideline of the website around which the information, pictures and other graphics are placed within the website (Kerr and Keats, 2009). When placing information and other elements on the website, it is important to consider the target customer and their way of interacting with the website. Research on this topic reveals that the average customer has a way in which he processes information on a website. This depends on his eye movement when he opens a website. A typical eye movement begins from the top left, moves to the center and then scans the right and left side of the website. This shows that the top left is the first interaction that the customer has visually with the website. It is here that most companies place their logo in order to identify the website to the customer. This will also be the position of the logo for ABC Company. The next place that the customer interacts with is the center of the website. This information will also be used strategically by ABC Limited. It will be here that ABC Limited would project its special offers that will be intended to lure the customers. This layout is quite similar to other websites of the same genre. This is an important consideration since most professional websites are built on nearly the same wireframe. These standard designs are built to reassure the customer that the website is professional and to make navigation easier. Most customers are used to the same layout and they expect others to carry the same layout. Totally unique wireframes confuse the customers and they tend to escape the website earlier (K elly, 2007). On the left side of the web page, a vertical text menu would appear. This

Terry v. Ohio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Terry v. Ohio - Essay Example The purpose for the check is also a significant factor in distinguishing between a stop and an arrest. If the purpose of the check was to ensure the safety of oneself and others around due to suspicion of presence of a weapon, then the check is considered a stop. The check would be considered an arrest if main purpose was only to determine the presence of a weapon where there is no evidence of harm being caused. The manner also plays an important role. If the check is limited to a pat down of outer clothing wherein the intrusion is minimal, then it is treated as a stop. If the check is not just limited to a pat down and involves a full body search or similar wherein there is significant intrusion, then it would be considered an arrest (Worrall & Hemmens, 2005). If a person is investigates in a public place then it is more likely a frisk even though it is not limited to it and other factors need to be considered. If a person is taken to a private place away from the initial location, then it constitutes an

Your Site Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Your Site - Assignment Example Thus, a website should be user-friendly and connect with the user. It should be able to attract the customer and retain him. A website is only effective if it is able to achieve this task. The Wireframe of ABC Limited is an important component of the website design. This is the basic visual guideline of the website around which the information, pictures and other graphics are placed within the website (Kerr and Keats, 2009). When placing information and other elements on the website, it is important to consider the target customer and their way of interacting with the website. Research on this topic reveals that the average customer has a way in which he processes information on a website. This depends on his eye movement when he opens a website. A typical eye movement begins from the top left, moves to the center and then scans the right and left side of the website. This shows that the top left is the first interaction that the customer has visually with the website. It is here that most companies place their logo in order to identify the website to the customer. This will also be the position of the logo for ABC Company. The next place that the customer interacts with is the center of the website. This information will also be used strategically by ABC Limited. It will be here that ABC Limited would project its special offers that will be intended to lure the customers. This layout is quite similar to other websites of the same genre. This is an important consideration since most professional websites are built on nearly the same wireframe. These standard designs are built to reassure the customer that the website is professional and to make navigation easier. Most customers are used to the same layout and they expect others to carry the same layout. Totally unique wireframes confuse the customers and they tend to escape the website earlier (K elly, 2007). On the left side of the web page, a vertical text menu would appear. This

Article writing about corrlational stuies Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing about corrlational stuies - Article Example Patrowski. Substantially, the researcher bases on general assumptions regarding ESL students and thus, tries to establish its validity. Apprehensions regarding learners who use minority language are deemed to be limited in their studies due to the perceived language barrier. The problem therefore is that they are oftentimes stuck in furthering ESL courses instead of attaining an elevated comprehensive learning experience. They become in essence improperly restricted in their apposite learning process. The 271 students were selected as they were part of the ESL program at CUNY. Primarily, the researcher chose them for their inclusion in the program. Another important aspect was the availability of their records to the researcher as they are within the same academic institution. The information collected by the researcher includes their entrance exam scores which integrated their aptitude in math, reading and composition. It also incorporates their ‘persistence’ which involves how they perform academically together with their diligence in pursuing tertiary education. The subjects were chosen perceptibly for their significance in what the author is trying to establish. He also recognizes that its relevance may be fragmentary as it is only focused in one university but he still maintain that it is of import in terms of the issue the research is trying to attain. In particular this is also because of the variance that is palpable in today’s ‘ethnolinguistically diverse institutions.’ Students’ success were measured by (1) their CPA or their cumulative grade point averages through a grading system based in the usual â€Å"4 point† system wherein O=F and 4=A and (2) based on six criterion. Referred to as â€Å"SCS rating† this composed of; completing their courses on development, a 2.0 GPA or higher, finishing their freshman papers, gaining the required 6 units Core Curriculum, a minimum 50 credits and a 70% attempted

Helping the Environment Essay Example for Free

Helping the Environment Essay Trees are very important to humans. As part of the environment, we must. More and more trees are being cut to sustain the needs for products such as paper. Making small ways to help the environment is important to make a difference. As a hypothesis, I presume that preventing the use of paper towels and napkins that are made from trees can help the environment. The use of cloth as napkins paper instead of those made of paper at homes, restaurants and other places have significant contributions to the demand of paper products. Paper towels and napkins are disposable products made of paper. It serves the same general purposes as conventional towels, such as drying hands, wiping windows and dusting. However, cloth and rugs and ordinary towels can serve the same purpose. It is also more durable. It will wiser to use cloth instead of paper napkins since it is cheaper to use because cloth can be washed and used again. . If you replace the majority of paper towels and napkins with cloth rags or cloth napkins, the savings to the environment are tangible. The average cost of paper towels is about anywhere from 1. 00 to 2. 25 per roll depending on the brand. The demand for paper products such as napkins has a huge impact on the amount of trees being cut. According to the Law of Supply and Demand, as the demand increases the corresponding supply must be produced. It implies that, as the demand for paper towels and napkins increases, more trees are more likely to be cut down in order to address. I would say I use at least 4 roles of paper towels a week with approx. 100 sheets a roll and its 2 ply sheets which is just a stronger type of paper towel. In order to contribute something to the environment, one should avoid using paper products like paper towels and napkins. Instead of disposable napkins, use a handkerchief. A campaign for not using such products can also have significant effects on the number of trees to be cut. In conclusion, even in small things we can contribute big changes to help the problems in the environment. We should all be aware of the consequences of our daily consumption. REFERENCES: Tsien, Tsuen-Hsuin, Paper and Printing, vol. 5 part 1 of Needham, Joseph Science and Civilization in China:. Cambridge University Press, 1986.

The Issues of Abortion and Gay Marriage Essay -- Abortion Political Ga

The Issues of Abortion and Gay Marriage The issues of abortion and gay marriage rights were issues that were fought over constantly by Liberals and Conservatives in the last elections. Both parties had different ways of looking at these problems, hence they both had different ideas as to how we could solve these problems. The Conservatives tended to take a more traditional stance, whereas the Liberals were set on pursuing the problem with new age solutions. The issue of gay marriage is a rather new controversy that has only become disputed in the last decade. In a changing world gay marriage is now a huge issue that must be dealt with. The gay community believes that the 14th amendment permits gay marriage, but the law heeds to reflect this. Whereas the anti-same-sex marriage advocates are working to amend the constitution to make same sex marriage illegal. Because of the rising numbers in people who believe strongly on either side of this conflict, this has now become a national issue. Before the recent elections gay marriage was a states issue. Now that Bush is elected, he plans to make gay marriage illegal nationwide, and ban all gay unions. The other huge issue, which was brought up frequently during the race for the presidential election, was that of abortion. Abortion has always been a very controversial issue between people of different moral and religious beliefs. Because some religions consider abortion as the same thing as murdering a person, and some believe that it is ok because the fetus is not yet born, this issue has been very tough to come to a compromise. Before the most recent election occurred, abortion was a states issue. But now that Bush has been elected abortion will now become ... ...y as Burke shows when he states, â€Å"As the ends of such a partnership (social contract) cannot be obtained in many generations, it becomes a partnership not only between those who are living, but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born†(Reflections on the Revolution in France 150). This quote actually literally points out that the right of life that is included in the social contract apply to everybody including the unborn. We have now seen the different ideologies towards current issues here in America, broken down by both past and present liberalists and conservatives. Though both sometimes tend to overlap on certain political principles, both philosophies derive from very different backgrounds and ideals. As time progresses, both ideologies will continue to evolve, at different paces mind you, and on different tangents.

How the Media Affects the Self Esteem and Body Image of Young Girls Ess

The misconception of what is beautiful can be detrimental to young girls. In a television industry attempt to sell goods, they are depicted as sexy. Creating a need for parents to intervene and present a more realistic and normal view of physical beauty. Today, TV presents sexually based images crafted to appeal to young girls. Unfortunately, they are led to believe that their value is only skin deep, causing flawed expectations, illusions, and wrong information about the truth of the physical body in the real world. In an attempt to look the part some have fallen victim to eating disorders, while others have exchanged childhood innocence for an Adult view of what is sexy. When girls are disheartened over their inability to look like some media idol or doll, then it is time to pay attention and ask why. Psychologist Levine and Kilbourne, emphasize a need to stay more connected, and finding out why children feel they have to compete with the images of people they see in the media (So Sexy So Soon 27). The idea of looking sexy may be fine for adults, but the notion of sexy little girls is somehow disturbing. TV is setting the agenda and succeeding as it paints the perfect girl, as tall, skinny, tan, pretty, and rich. TV commercials sell sexy because sexy sells, and is now targeting younger audiences. A preteen viewing a Bratz Dolls commercial will be prompted to visit their web site, where she will be greeted with attractive dolls dressed in sexy outfits. The dolls portray an image of teenage girls with large attractive eyes, lush glossy lips, and dressed in the latest fashion. Psychologists Lamb and Brown make the following observation â€Å"Dressing for fashion a’la Barbie or Lil’ Bratz dolls and dressing for physical ... ...ldren is the objective. All commerce works on supply and demand if consumers continue to buy into selling sexy to kids, then these negative outcomes will continue. Works Cited Crow, Scott J. et al. "Increased mortality in bulimia nervosa and other eating disorders." American Journal of Psychiatry. 166. 12. (2009): 1342+. General OneFile. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. Hibberd, James "Tuned-in kids get turned on earlier; study links adult-aimed TV to sex at younger age." Hollywood Reporter 409.35 (2009): 6+. General OneFile. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. Lamb, Sharon, Lyn Mikel Brown. Packaging Girlhood. â€Å"Rescuing Our Daughters From Marketers’ Schemes.† New York. St Martin’s Press, 2006: 303. Print. Levine, Diane E, Jean Kilbourne. So Sexy So Soon. Ballantine Books, 2009: 209. Print. "Did You Know That?" Skipping Stones. May-Aug. 2009: 29. General OneFile. Web. 4 Nov. 2010.

Handle information in health and social care setting Essay

Outcome 1 Understand the need for secure handling of information in health and social care Identify the legislation that relates to the recording, storage and sharing of information in health and social care The Data Protection Act 1998 covers anything relating to a person, medical records, social service records, credit information, local authority information. There are eight enforceable principles: Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully Adequate, relevant and not excessive Accurate Not kept for longer than necessary Process in accordance with the data subject rights Not transferred to countries without adequate protection The Data protection Act also allows people to see information recorded about them through the Freedom of Information Act 2000, therefore people are allowed to see their social care files, this is important to know when entering information in people’s notes. The ICO Information Commissioner’s Office is responsible for upholding information rights in the public interest. Explain why it is important to have secure systems for recording and storing information in a health and social care setting Information on Care homes and in house information is valuable and critical to the business of the home. This information must be stored and processed therefore it is essential that Information Security is maintained. The purpose of information security is to preserve: Confidentiality data is only access by those with the right to see them. Integrity information can be relied upon to be accurate and process correctly. Availability information can be accessed when needed. Insecure information can lead to violation of an individual’s human civil  rights that may results in neglect/or physical, sexual, emotional or financial harm. Manual system of recording information has to secure so they are usually kept in a locked cabinet and may be in a secure room. Outcome 2 Know how to access support for handling information Describe how to access guidance, information and advice about handling information The first place to look for guidance and advice is the supervisor with regards to information in the work place. If you require information about a person, then that person’s care plan would be ideal. Information about legislation to ensure that you are complying with the law, them the Information Commissioner’s Office is the place to contact. Explain what actions to be taken when there are concerns over the recording, storing or sharing of information If there is a concern relating to people’s records, the concern should be directed to the manager who is in the position to deal with the concern. For taking a concern further that has not being resolved, the concern needs to be : Put in writing Be clear about dates, times and the exact nature of the concern Identify the steps that have already been taken and the response Involve trade union or professional organisation for support The steps for resolving concerns: Discuss with line manager Record the concerns and take it to a more senior manager Take it to director or chief executive Take it to the inspectorate You are protected from unfair dismissal by an employer through the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 if your concern relates to the employer. Outcome 3 Be able to handle information in accordance with agreed ways of working Keep records that are up to date, complete, accurate and legible Records should provide objective, accurate, current, comprehensive and concise information concerning the condition and care of the client. The records kept should reflect an accurate and up to date picture of somebody’s situation. Records are kept to: Provide a full assessment of the client’s  needs Provide record of any problems and the actions taken Provide evidence of care required Provide a baseline record against which improvement or deterioration may be judged Records should le after be made as soon as possible after the event providing current information on the care and condition of the person. Follow agreed ways of working for: Recording information Good recording of information supports good practice in a number of ways. Supports effective partnership with users and carers, provides documented evidence and account of the department involvement with an individual, support risk assessment and risk management plans. The principles for recording:- Service users and carers are helped to understand the purpose and contents of their case record and are invited to contribute to it. Case records will be kept in accordance with Department of health guidance and legal requirements. Storing information A care plan contains valuable information about a person in care and this information has to be stored. All documents are stored according to legal, organisational and ethical standards. Some information can be stored and displayed openly, i.e. menus can be stored in a kitchen. Documents, such as care plans, medication sheets, and employee files need to be stored in locked cupboards in locked rooms to deny access to those who have no right to the information. Sharing information  the home has a general duty in common law to safeguard the sensitive information they hold of individual’s. The home should have a clear policy on the Data Protection Act which staff should adhere to. It is important that staff should pay particular attention to ensuring consent to share information is clearly recorded on file. Where it has been necessary to  share information without consent then the justification should be recorded and authorised by the line manager. There are different reasons for sharing personal information without consent:- Court or tribunal orders A person’s best interest Risk to health Police request Public interest Protection to others Partner agencies providing support. It is important that you know the policies of the care organisation with regards to confidentiality and the disclosure of information in your workplace. The basic rule is that all information is confidential and cannot be shared with anyone without the consent of the person.

Dharma Punx: A Book Review

The book â€Å"Dharma Punx† was written by Noah Levine, the son of bestselling author and Buddhist teacher Stephen Levine. As a writer, he uses a natural, conversational and empathic voice to narrate his story in order to reach out to others who have gone through the same ordeal as he did.This book, which was written in a very thorough narrative serves more or less as his autobiography, focusing primarily on what would probably the most turbulent moments of this life when drifted from one â€Å"movement† to another, from punk rock to drugs and alcohol which nearly sent his life crashing down to the point of self-destruction or suicide which he attempted several times, hence the title of the first chapter is â€Å"Suicide Solution† (Levine, 2003, p. 1).The starting point of Levine's story was at the detention facility where he was confined and at the time, he was going through withdrawal symptoms as the adverse effects of drugs and alcohol were being flushed out o f his system. It was at this point that he would begin to retell his tale on how he got into that situation. Born in 1971, his parents hailed from the â€Å"hippies† generation of the 1960's where they revolted against the establishment at the height of the Vietnam War and one of their mantras was â€Å"Make Love, Not War!† as well as the overflowing freedom of expression of their generation that also indulged in free drugs and sexual promiscuity as well, thereby making the term â€Å"psychedelic† an understatement for their generation that turned to drugs as a way to escape a harsh, brutal and cynical reality they wanted to repudiate. They were trying to create their own brand of utopia but somehow, this would not be perfect as well, and this would be reflected in Levine's own family.In his childhood years in the late 1970s and early '80s, Levine loved to skateboard but partly out of curiosity and influence, he got hooked into punk rock and often watched punk-r ock concerts as well as looking the part of a punk rocker by the time he was in his teens. Punk rock was to his generation what the psychadelic â€Å"hippie† movement was to his parents. Levine said that the situation of his generation made them turn to this fad – like him, the youth of his generation had to cope with problems like broken homes, irresponsible parents who were either alcoholic or drug dependents; there was no responsible adult who could guide them.His parents had divorced by then and he would spend time with each of them, shuttling between their homes in California and New Mexico. Both his parents remarried but his mother's second marriage was fraught with trouble and the irony of that was she met her second husband in a meditation retreat while his father was able to move on and remarry a woman whom he truly loved and gave him a happier marriage (Levine, 2003, p. 5). However, without his â€Å"enlightened† father around to guide him, the younger Levine was susceptible to the temptations of the materialistic world.By the time he was six years old, he already began smoking marijuana and was also trying out other banned substances as well like cocaine. This also came hand in hand in partaking of alcohol which would stay with him for most of his youth. He was so addicted into drugs and alcohol that by the time he was in high school, he had become very violent, often getting into trouble ranging from brawls to vandalism that he was arrested several times for such behavior, something he appeared to have welcomed, owing to his punk rock influence, his own way of defying authority.He eventually dropped out of school and lived like a vagrant, often stealing to support his habit (Levine, 2003, pp. 21-24). In his recent detention in 1988, the point where he was at his very low that his road to â€Å"enlightenment† would begin. When his father visited him, he was the one who had set him on the path by encouraging him to try med itation (Levine, 2003, pp. 3-4). At first, Levine regarded Buddhist teachings as â€Å"bullshit† but the moment he made an effort to try it, he underwent a profound transformation.He began the 12-step program and started attending meditation sessions. He was eventually released and he started on a new path in life. Over the next few years, Levine worked hard on his spiritual growth, even practicing celibacy and taking a pilgrimage to the Far East in search of enlightenment and even meeting and learning from the Dalai Lama himself! He would eventually finish his studies by getting a college degree but he did not stop there.He went further and obtained a graduate degree in counseling psychology as well. He followed in his father's footsteps by also becoming a Buddhist teacher and of all the places where he would like to teach, he chose to be at the very same detention facility where he used to be remanded. Although he is a totally reformed and transformed individual, there is o ne thing from Levine's past that he has not repudiated, his passion for punk rock. He still listens to punk rock, and still acts, looks and dresses the part.He still sports tattoos but the difference now is that his tattoos are Buddhist-inspired such as the lotus flower and Sanskrit inscriptions, making Levine a look-alike of Hollywood actor Vin Diesel famous for his role as agent â€Å"XXX† where he would also sport tattoos. One of the things Levine discovered about Buddhism is that it is very open-minded into tolerating anything that would compliment it. Buddhist teachings, particularly the Zen school of thought, say that if an individual can be one with that particular subject, that is also Buddhism.Levine himself will attest that punk rock, contrary to what conservative thinkers may think, is not anathema to society at all. This is, of course, looking at it from a Buddhist perspective. Other people tend to view punk rock as wild, violent and to a certain extent, destructi ve. As Levine would also admit, he turned to punk rock as a way of defying the status quo of his generation, much like his parents were part of the â€Å"hippie† movement as an expression of defiance of the status quo of their own generation as well (Levine, 2003, p.34). The nice thing about Buddhism is that it has a way of channeling the excess energy away from the destructive path. If there was one other thing that Levine learned from his enlightenment, it is that death is not the answer to his problems when he was attempting to commit suicide. For most people, to take one's life is the way of the loser, notwithstanding the â€Å"samurai† concept of suicide where they would take their own lives to erase the stigma of the shame. It does not apply here and this can be interpreted in several ways.From the Hindu/Buddhist perspective, there is the concept of â€Å"karma† and reincarnation where one's conduct in the present life would have an influence on what will become of them in the next. While these beliefs recognize death (as a natural occurrence), it does not encourage people to commit suicide. Based on â€Å"karma,† the one who commits suicide might find himself or herself reincarnated in a much lower life form because of this and surely, no one would like to be reborn as an animal or a microscopic organism!In most beliefs, death is not the end, but rather the beginning of the next phase, provided it would be allowed to take its natural course. Committing suicide would disrupt the grand design for the individual in the universe. One notable aspect of Buddhist Dharma is the direction one's path will be, depending on the choices made. Levine's somewhat troubled past serve as the basis of his writings and teachings. â€Å"We all sort of have a different doorway to dharma or spiritual practice. Suffering is a doorway.For me it was the suffering of addiction, violence and crime which opened me at a young age, 17 years old. I was inc arcerated, looking at the rest of my life in prison and thought, ‘Maybe I will try dad's hippie meditation bullshit. ‘ Suffering opened me to the possibility of trying meditation. † (Levine, 2003, p. 246) All in all, â€Å"Dharma Punx† is not only an autobiography, it is a spiritual journey of one individual who has endured probably the worst life can throw at him, send him on the wrong direction but through corrective â€Å"enlightenment,† was able to bounce back and become spiritually whole again.And if the spirit is â€Å"whole,† the physical body will follow as well. Noah Levine went through hell and came out of it intact. If this were to be applied in international relations, one thing Buddhism can teach is violence and hatred is not the answer to the problems in the world. Buddhist teachings teach compassion and empathy and if nations would like to establish close relations with one another, they have to begin by establishing a spiritual connection which is first done by â€Å"letting go† of one's self.Buddhism teaches that the reason why there is so much suffering in this world is due to worldly desires. In international relations, the struggle for power often puts nations at odds with one another and this often leads to wars. Buddhism teaches the opposite, in letting go of these desires and to empathize. In doing do, not only are friendly relations established, but one's own interests will be met by others and one need not worry about it anymore.Finally, â€Å"Dharma Punx† is a very enlightening book which is highly recommended to anyone, not necessarily to those who went through the same ordeal as the author went. The author had been there and had done that yet he would not encourage anyone to go through it. Nevertheless, the book is very helpful for anyone who needs to be steered to the right direction of real happiness which is something no worldly goods can provide.

Basic Argument for Fatalism

Metaphysics The â€Å"Basic† Argument for Theological Fatalism Fatalism Fatalism is the view that everything that happens in entirely unavoidable. Since everything that happens is unavoidable, none of our actions are genuinely up to us and we powerless to do anything other than what we actually do. Here is Richard Taylor on what the fatalist believes [â€Å"Fate† from Metaphysics, 4th Ed (Pearson, 1991)]: â€Å"A fatalist is someone who believes that whatever happens is and always was unavoidable.He thinks it is not up to him what will happen a thousand years hence, next year, tomorrow, or the very next moment. † (52) â€Å"A fatalist thinks of the future in the way we all think of the past, for everyone is a fatalist as he looks back on things. † (52) We all think of the past â€Å"as something settled and fixed, to be taken for what it is. We are never in the least tempted to try to modify it. It is not in the least up to us what happened last year, yes terday, or even a moment ago, any more than are the motions of the heaves or the political developments in Tibet. We say of past things that they are no longer within our power. The fatalist says they never were. † (52-53) Theological Fatalism According to the main versions of Western Monotheism (e. g. traditional Christianity), God is omniscient. To be omniscient is to have (in some important sense) unlimited knowledge. It’s hard to say what this amounts to, but let’s use the following definition (since it’s common) x is omniscient = for x knows every true proposition and x does not believe any false propositions.Many people think that omniscience is incompatible with human freedom, because it implies the doctrine of theological fatalism. Theological fatalism is the view that all human actions are unavoidable (and we are powerless to do anything other than what we actually do) because God has exhaustive foreknowledge of all future human actions. Here is a n important statement of the argument for theological fatalism from Augustine (On Free Choice of the Will, Book III) I very much wonder how God can have foreknowledge of everything in the future, and yet we do not sin by necessity.It would be an irreligious and completely insane attack on God’s foreknowledge to say that something could happen otherwise than as God foreknew †¦ Since God foreknew that [Adam] was going to sin, his sin necessarily had to happen. How, then, is the will free when such inescapable necessity is found in it? Surely this is the problem †¦ How is it that these two propositions are not contradictory and inconsistent: (1) God has foreknowledge of everything in the future; and (2) We sin by the will, not by necessity? For, you say, if God foreknows that someone is going to sin, then it is necessary that he sin.But if it is necessary, the will has no choice about whether to sin; there is an inescapable and fixed necessity. And so you fear that thi s argument forces us into one of two positions: either we draw the heretical conclusion that God does not foreknow everything in the future; or, if we cannot accept this conclusion, we must admit that sin happens by necessity and not by will. The Basic Argument for Theological Fatalism Where S stands for any person whatsoever and A stands for any action, Augustine’s argument can be stated as: 1. For any person, S, and an action, A, that S performs, God knew in advance that S will do A. 2.If God knows in advance that S will do A, then it necessary that S will do A. 3. Therefore, it is necessary that S will do A. 4. If it is necessary that S will do A, then S is not free to refrain from performing A. 5. If S is not free to refrain from performing A, then S does not freely perform A. 6. Therefore, no person ever acts freely. Evaluating the argument Premise 2 is ambiguous †¢P2a: Necessarily, If God knows in advance that S will perform A, then S will perform A (De Dicto) â₠¬ ¢P2b: If God knows in advance that S will perform A, then necessarily S will perform A (De Re) P2a is true but the resulting argument is invalidP2a is true. It says that the proposition â€Å"if God knows in advance that S will perform A, then S will perform A† is necessarily true and this just means that it is impossible for God to know in advance that, for example, I will raise my arm at some time and I fail to raise my arm at that time. We can put this by saying that God’s knowing in advance that I will raise my arm at some time logically entails that I will raise my arm at that time. P2a is a way of expressing this truth. The resulting argument is invalid. Using P2a as the key premise, the argument is: 1.Necessarily, if God knows in advance that S will perform A, then S will perform A. 2. God knows in advance that S will perform A. 3. Therefore, necessarily, S will perform A. But this argument is invalid (the conclusion doesn’t follow from the premises). W e can show this by means of a counterexample (an argument of the same form with true premises and a false conclusion). The form of this argument is: 1. Necessarily, If p, then p. 2. P 3. Therefore, necessarily q. To see that the argument is invalid, use the following substitutions: p = K. Sharpe weighs over 200lbs, q = K. Sharpe weighs over 199lbs. . Necessarily, If K. Sharpe weighs over 200lbs, then K. Sharpe weighs over 199lbs. 2. K. Sharpe weighs over 200lbs 3. Therefore, necessarily K. Sharpe weighs over 199lbs. The premises of this argument are true but the conclusion is obviously false (I could go on a diet and successfully lose some weight). I weigh over 199lbs but not essentially. I could weigh less than 199lbs and, in fact, I did weigh less than 199lbs at one point. All that follows from the first two premises is that, in fact, I in fact weight more than 199lbs. It doesn’t follow that it is impossible for me to weigh less than 199lbs.Just in case you are not convince d, here is a second counterexample (Plantinga’s) 1. Necessarily, if I know that George Clooney is a bachelor, then George Clooney is a bachelor. 2. I know that George Clooney is a bachelor. 3. Therefore, it is necessarily true that George Clooney is a bachelor Again, the premises are true but the conclusion is false. George Clooney is a bachelor but he is not essentially a bachelor. He could get married, he just chooses not to. All that follows from the first two premises is that George Clooney is in fact a bachelor (not that he is essentially a bachelor).P2b renders the argument valid but it is obviously false 1. If God knows in advance that S will perform A, then necessarily S will perform A. 2. God knows in advance that S will perform A. 3. Therefore, necessarily S will perform A. This argument is valid (it’s just modus ponens) and so if the premises were true then conclusion would be true as well. But P2b is false. Given the de re reading of P2b, it says that whate ver propositions God knows are necessarily true or, to put the point in terms of properties, if God knows that some object has a property then the object has that property essentially.Taken in this way, P2b is obviously false (nor does it follow from omniscience). Since the basic argument has to rely on either P2a or P2b, the argument is either invalid or relies on a false premise. Either way it’s unsound. Here is a way of thinking about this criticism of the argument. From the fact that God knows that Paul will mow his yard on July 7, 2015 it follows that, on July 7 2015, Paul mows his yard and that he does not refrain from mowing his yard on that day.But, it does not follow that it is metaphysically impossible for Paul to refrain from mowing his yard that day (that Paul does not refrain from mowing and it is impossible that Paul refrain from mowing are two very different things). All that follows from the fact that God knows in advance that Paul will mow is that Paul will n ot exercise his power to refrain not that he lacks the power the power to refrain. The basic argument for theological fatalism needs the later inference, but that inference is not a good one. Thus, the basic argument fails.