The Media and Joseph McCarthy Essay Example For Students

The Media and Joseph McCarthy Essay Joseph Raymond McCarthy, was born in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, Nov.14, 1908, and died an alcoholic on May 2, 1957. McCarthy was best known for his attacks on alleged Communism especially in the Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower administrations. The extreme accusations by McCarthy and his followers lead to the phrase McCarthyism. This phrase is used in reference to the sensational and highly publicized personal attacks, usually based on unsubstantiated charges, as a means of discrediting people thought to be subversive.'(Grolier, 1996)Before February of 1950 Joseph McCarthy was not a good legislator. He gained the attention of the United States by stating that the State Department was riddled with card-carrying members of the Communist Party.'(Rovere, 1959, p.128) McCarthy was very clever in the way he worked the media and was skilled in the art of public speaking. He used these abilities to latch on to the publics fears with communism in the eastern world. McCarthy bombarded the opposition with accusations and avoided giving proof; with these tactics McCarthy was able to gain many followers, especially Republicans. With the support of many Republicans, McCarthy accused the administrations of Roosevelt and Truman with twenty years of treason.'(Grolier, 1996)McCarthy was reelected in 1952 and immediately began directing accusations toward the Eisenhower administration from a new post as head of the Senates Government Operations Committee and its permanent investigations subcommittee. McCarthy was eventually discredited by lack of evidence in his claims of Communist in the U.S. army, through the nationally televised Army-McCarthy hearings in 1954. On December 2, 1954 the Senate voted to condemn him for conduct contrary to Senatorial traditions. The final vote was 67-22. After this any influence of Joseph McCarthy was insignificant. McCarthy was politically dead. (Ewald, 1984, p.381)It is my intention to show that it was the media who was responsible for McCar thyism and the turmoil it caused as well as the eventual destruction of Joseph McCarthys political career in 1954. We will write a custom essay on The Media and Joseph McCarthy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now McCarthy began his manipulation of the press by way of a speech given at the Lincoln Day dinner of the Ohio County Womens Republican Club at the McClure Hotel in Wheeling, West Virginia on February 9, 1950. McCarthy later denied having said what he was quoted to have said in the speech. Apparently there was only one reporter present for the speech in Wheeling, so its his word against McCarthys. The statement quoted in the speech published in the Wheeling Intelligence in the story by Frank Desmond, read as follows,While I cannot take the time to name all of the men in the State Department who have been named as members of the Communist party and members of a spy ring, I have here in my hand a list of 205 that were known to the Secretary of the State as being members of the Communist party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department. (Bayley, 1981, p.17)This story is what is responsible for starting McCarthyism. Later McCarthy said the number h e gave in his speech was not 205 but 57. The fact is that Desmond had a written copy of the speech before McCarthy gave it, but he could have changed the number to 57 when he actually presented the speech. Regardless, the number 57 would have been just as shocking as 205. There are many ways that the media could have handled this speech, one being asking to see the list. If he had, things may have been different, for as McCarthy said himself what he held in his hand was the Byrnes letter, not a list.'(Bayley, 1981, p.24) If Desmond had reported that McCarthy was holding a letter, not a list, the newspapers would have handled the story much differently. A letter from one person to another, which suggests unfit employees, would have made much less news than the illusion of an actual list of names. The lack of proof was one of many ways the press mishandled information over the next few weeks. In general the press poor practice would be carried out for the next five years. I have here in my hand was a phrase that became more popular than a famous toothpaste slogan,'(Belfrage, 1973, p.117) McCarthy used this phrase countless times to refer to documents he would pull from his briefcase to support his accusations. The legitimacy of the accusations was never debated or questioned by reporters. The Byrness letter that McCarthy pulled out on February 9, 1950 was one of these unchecked documents. The content of the letter gives us insight into McCarthys ability to manipulate the facts, and allow the media to spread his word. .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2 , .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2 .postImageUrl , .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2 , .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2:hover , .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2:visited , .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2:active { border:0!important; } .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2:active , .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2 .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u27cf7e64e3e57f5d298e66c0e7d152a2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Mental Illness EssayMcCarthy took his famous number of 205 from a letter from Secretary of State James F. Byrnes to Representative Adolf Sabath of Illinois. It is very strange and unheard of in this day and age that McCarthy was allowed to make such an accusation without the press confirming its source. The letter basically said that 4,000 employees of the state had been transferred, and of those 3,000 had been subjected to preliminary examination, from which a recommendation against permanent employment had been made in 284 cases; 79 of these people had been refused government service. (Rovere, 1959, p.125)Without any further information McCarthy assumed that 205 of the 2 84 whose employment had not been recommended were actually employed, and that the reason that they were not recommended in the first place was because they were communists. (Bayley, 1981, p.20) The letter never mentioned that the 205 people were hired, or that any of them were Communists. No journalist ever asked any questions before printing the story. By not doing this they can be held responsible for creating a stage for a madman to mislead the American public. McCarthys rise to national prominence coincided with the explosive growth of television in the United States.'(Bayley, 1981, p.176) He knew about media and he knew he could use this new medium of television to promote his image, and his cause. Television was just as easily manipulated by McCarthy as the newspapers were, and McCarthy successfully put himself into the living rooms of the American public. What McCarthy didnt realize, and what would eventually lead to his downfall, was that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that live television conferences cannot be edited or fixed. It was this form of media that would lead to McCarthys downfall. Throughout the administration of Harry Truman, McCarthy accused the president of being sympathetic to Communism. It may very well have been the atmosphere left by the claims that led Truman and the Democratic Party to defeat in 1952, and the subsequent victory of Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Republicans. McCarthy was elected head of the Senates Government Operations Committee in 1952, but this was not enough for the ambitious Senator. He wanted to replace Eisenhower as the head of the Republican Party, and he attempted to use the same tactics against Eisenhower that he used to dethrone Truman. It was this political decision that set the stage for McCarthys fall from grace. McCarthy openly attacked Eisenhower in early 1954 with hopes of leading the Republican Party. One of his most famous slogans against him was the who promoted Peress? campaign. Irving Peress was a former dentist who had been drafted and commissioned in October 1952 and promoted to major a year later under the automatic provisions law. (Bayley, 1981, p.187) A month after his promotion someone in the army found out that Peress had refused to answer questions about his political beliefs, and he was ordered to be discharged within 90 days. All of this happened during the Eisenhower administration, and nothing had been proven about the actual beliefs of Peress but McCarthy used this incident and others like it to accuse Eisenhower of being sympathetic to the Communist cause. (Ewald, 1984, p.189)It was this Peress incident, however, that prompted Eisenhower to make a statement to denounce McCarthy. Everyone was prepared for Eisenhower to bash McCarthy, including McCarthy himself. McCarthy w as so sure of the content of Eisenhowers speech that he responded to it on television shortly after, without even knowing what Eisenhower actually said. McCarthys response speech included claims that the Army had been protecting, covering up, and honorably discharging known Communists; he bashed Peress, and he bashed Eisenhower claiming that they were all protecting Communists. (Bayley, 1981, p.188-189) What McCarthy didnt know is what hurt him, apparently Eisenhowers statement had been altered, and when it was delivered it didnt even mention McCarthy. James Reston described the actual statement of Eisenhower as a note on the principals that should govern the relations between the legislature and the executive under the US Constitution. (Bayley, 1981, p.188) Willard Edwards of the Chicago Tribune said that, the American people had seen a kick in the groin, and they would not forget it. To Willard Edwards, this was the day that McCarthy died. (Ewald, 1984, p. 242) McCarthy had lost the respect of the American public, and the respect of many journalist, reporters, and television stations. The television stations would indirectly be responsible for delivering one of the final blows to McCarthy. .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea , .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea .postImageUrl , .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea , .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea:hover , .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea:visited , .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea:active { border:0!important; } .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea:active , .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0d4034f2c3e25a69ff7ba65eac3efcea:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Good effects and bad effects leading sentence: EssayShortly after this incident, in a public speech the Republican Party was described as divided against itself, half McCarthy and half Eisenhower.'(Ewald, 1984, p.246) McCarthy before this incident had always been given free air time from the networks (NBC and CBS) to respond to any type of comment spoken against him. This time however, NBC and CBS rejected his demands. Instead, as they were obligated to allow someone to reply, vice- president Nixon gave a response. McCarthy threatened to take the decision of the networks to the FCC, but other networks, newspapers and radio stations seemed to think that the law would favor the networks, and fully supported them in their decision. The movement of the press to stand up to Joseph McCarthy was sudden and as devastating. The only free air time he was given came from the Mutual Broadcasting System, but not until four days after the speech against him. In this time period McCarthy had amounted two more formidable critics to answer. One was Senator Ralph Flanders, a Vermont Republican who rose in the Senate on March 9 to accuse McCarthy of deserting the Republican Party and to ridicule his hunt for Communists.'(Bayley, 1981, p.192) The other was the one that ruined McCarthy, ironically by way of the television media that had helped his five-year career so much. His name was Edward R. Murrow. Televisions most respected man Edward R. Murrow presented a McCarthy documentary on his popular show See it Now, which provided, through skillful film editing, a devastating critique of McCarthy and his methods.'(Bayley, 1981, p.192) The show produced clips of McCarthy speaking his half-truths, and distortions and then followed them with Murrows explanations of McCarthys logic, and descriptions of how the facts were manipulated. At the end of the show Murrow did an editorial in which he said that McCarthys primary achievement had been to confuse the public about the internal and external threats of Communism.'(Bayley, 1981, p.193)McCarthy finally did make a reply on Murrows program See it Now nearly a month later on April 6, 1954. He never really replied to Murrow. Rather, he attacked him with more wild accusations and this time the public was not listening. Through the collective stand that the press took against McCarthy concerning the NBC/CBS decision, Flanders denouncement of McC arthy, and finally Murrows documentary; the media, which was responsible for the creation and the spreading of McCarthyism, had delivered the final nail in the coffin. The nationally televised Army-McCarty trials were just the playing out of the inevitable. The nation got to see McCarthy at his worst, trying to justify some of the horrific accusations that he made against the United States Senate. Eventually the Senate adopted a resolution to condemn McCarthy by a vote of 67-22. The only support for McCarthy was from parts of the nation where McCarthys activities had been given the least coverage in newspaper, and from the only part of the country that did not have access to live television coverage of the damaging Army-McCarthy trials. (Bayley, 1981, p.212) The medias power of influence on his career is shown here again; however in this instance it ruined him. In conclusion it is obvious that the media was responsible for the birth and the death of McCarthyism. The negligence of the reporters early in McCarthys career (notably Frank Desmond, who covered McCarthys speech at the McClure Hotel in Wheeling) gave life to a man who should have been exposed as a fake. The next five years of chaos taught the press about fact checking, and the need to ask responsible questions before a story should be printed Bibliography Bayley, Edwin R. (1981) Joe McCarthy and the Press. Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press. Belfrage, Cedric. (1973)The American Inquisition 1945-1965: A Profile of the McCarthy Era. New York: Thunders Mouth Press. Ewald, William Bragg.(1984)Who Killed Joe McCarthy?. New York: Simon and Schuster. Manchester, William. (1976) A Slight Case of McCarthyism. Controversy and other Essays in Journalism. Boston-Toronto: Little, Brown and Company. Rovere, Richard H. (1959) Senator Joe McCarthy. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company. The 1996 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Danbury: Grolier 1996.

Ancient Law Codes essays

Ancient Law Codes essays Laws have been around for many centuries. A law is known to be a set of official rules and regulations, which are generally found in constitutions, legislation, judicial opinions and that is applied and enforced amongst all members of society. The nature and functions of law have varied throughout history. Laws develop as society evolves. Historically, the simplest societies were tribal. The members of the tribe were bonded together originally by the understanding and worship of the same gods. Even in the absence of courts and legislature there was lawa combination of custom, morality, religion and magic. There are three predominant Ancient law codes that are known by many people. These codes are: The Code of Hammurabi, The 10 Commandments and the Old Testament and The Book of the Dead. The earliest known codification of law is the Code of Hammurabi. It has been around for about 4000 years. The Code of Hammurabi was known to be the mist earliest record of codification. This code was known as an Eye for an Eye. This meant that the more severe the crime was the harsher the punishment was. The Code of Hammurabi was an attempt to bring order to Babylonian society. The laws and punishment were very direct and plain. The punishments seem harsh to us today, but they were no better or worse to other societies. Our modern laws are more open to interpretation and the punishments seem to be less harsh and fairer. The Code of Hammurabi contained no laws that had to do with religion. The law offered protection to all classes of Babylonian society. It seeked to protect the weak and the poor, including women, children and slaves against the injustice at the hands of the rich and poor. The code was particularly humane for the time in which it was announced. The 10 Commandments or the Law of Moses were written about 300 years after Hammurabi. Many people figured that since these were laws given by God down to ...

Cross Cultural Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cross Cultural Managment - Essay Example Globalization has led to progressive diversification where the organizations are filled with diverse workforce belonging to different culture and countries (Dong and Liu 1352-1706). The impact of the cultural diversity is unclear and not unidirectional. The impact of diversified cultural workforce on the team productivity can be rewarding only if the organizational culture and climate is positive and congenial. Culture is an important element which acts as an external source of deep influence on the employee behavior. The impact of culture on an individual creates a change within the organization itself. Members of the organization are coping with uncertainty and ambiguity collectively and individually based on the strategies and attitudes that have a deep influence on the culture. Culture is a collective programming of mind which distinguishes one category of people from another. The type of cultural values and importance given to these values varies from one culture to another and is deeply influenced by the historical, current socio political and ecological context. The cultural values play an important role in shaping the organizational customs and practices that in turn help in shaping the organizational culture. ... For example, the management in Volvo imparts training workshops to the employees regarding their technical skills and soft skills which are also known as â€Å"People Skills†. This workshop lays emphasis on enhancing the non technical skills, which can help in the achievement of the objectives in unification. Presently, the multinational corporations are spreading their business units across the globe for the expansion of activities and achieving economies of scale. The cultural gaps and distance between the host and home country have a significant impact on the selection process, training, development and performance management systems. Companies find the cross cultural networks to be rewarding and equally challenging. The cross cultural management is found to be equally challenging because of the potential rising conflicts which pose as barriers for the development of strategies. Moreover, multinational corporations hire employees from a diverse workforce who all wish to ach ieve the organizational goals in unification. With employees belonging to another culture training is imparted to them with a unique training curriculum that covers all the aspects required for achievement of the organizational objectives. The cross cultural management usually depends upon variables like the ethnicity and culture variations among the employees and thus a systematic approach is required for categorization of various organizational groups, teams and individual levels. Cross cultural management focuses on the difference between the diverse groups and signifies a nineteenth century anthropological perspective of the culture (Fontaine 125-135). Knowledge management approach which lays emphasis on the fact that knowledge is the most valuable asset and methods on how the management can

Plagiarism Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Plagiarism - Article Example Unlike a few years ago, lecturers are today implementing more stringent measures to discourage students from indulging in plagiarism. They making efforts to sensitize students on the dangers associated with plagiarism and the repercussions one risks facing if found plagiarizing. As a result of this, many students in my other classes are vigilant and abide by the rules of plagiarism (Gilmore 73). There are a number of indicators that confirm this assertion. For instance, most lectures insist that students turn in their assignments through Turnitin. The Turnitin system detects any form of plagiarism in a paper and rejects papers that have high percentages of plagiarism. The fact that most students do well in class assignment is an implication that they avoid plagiarism because it is only those assignments forwarded through Turnitin that are marked (Gilmore 73). Despite the fact that stern measures are being implemented to discourage plagiarism amongst students, there are some students who still engage in this act. Such students ought to be punished accordingly because they are undermining the quality of education that has gone down considerably in the past few years. First of all, students who still plagiarize their work in spite of the widespread campaign against the malice should not be awarded marks for their plagiarized assignments. This is because they do not deserve the marks. Culprits should not be left at that. Their cases should be forwarded to the school’s disciplinary committee for further disciplinary actions. They should perhaps be suspended from school for some time (Gilmore 97). The punishment should be universal for students who plagiarize content above fifty percent of the entire assignment. However, percentages below 50% can be treated fairly and perhaps be awarded zero marks but their perpetrators should be exempted from suspension. There have been concerns of whether

Marijuana for Recreational Use Essay Example for Free

Marijuana for Recreational Use Essay Abstract What is a Weed? A plant whose virtues have yet to be discovered. – Ralph Waldo Emerson. Weed the People: From Founding Fiber to Forbidden Fruit. It is the author’s intent to explain why marijuana should be legalized and no longer considered deviant behavior. This paper will show that the United States of America is moving, ever so slowly, in this direction. First with allowing the use of medical marijuana in 14 states and many other states are reducing the severity of punishment for possession of marijuana and now two states have passed laws allowing marijuana to legally consume for recreational purposes. Marijuana has been a controversial issue on our society for many years. Although there have been many negative claims regarding its effects on the human body people are learning the truths. Although due to many years of stereotyping people who smoke pot some would rather believe the untruths. There is a skewed perception of what a pot smoker looks like. Such as how they are portrayed in the movie, Reefer Madness. Pot smokers were automatically considered addicts that eventually turned to criminal activities or they took part in some sort of deviant behavior. It was after this movie that Regan began a â€Å"War on Drugs† in 1960’s which may have helped to brand pot smokers as delinquents or deviants. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028346/ Although we make think so, using marijuana for medicinal purposes is not new. The United States began understanding the benefits of the medical properties in marijuana in the 1800’s. Later there were many papers written by physicians on how marijuana can be used to alleviate a number of medical disorders, ailments such as pain relief, glaucoma and nausea to name a few. It is also a strong appetite stimulant. Recently this has been proven most beneficial for people who have diseases that suppress the appetite such as cancer or AIDS helping them to sustain their appetite and strength. (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5441#f2 Accessed on June 5, 2010). Currently it is thought that probably the most significant impact that the legalization of marijuana is that it would re-introduce the use of hemp into our society. This would be very beneficial to our economy. Hemp fibers are impressively strong, making the crop useful in the production of textile based products. This makes it ideal for the manufacturing of products like paper, fabric, and rope. It can also be used as a dietary supplement and has more protein than soy. Because of the higher yield per acre and the shorter growing cycle for Hemp, it is considered to be superior to cotton. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, one acre of marijuana can produce four times as much paper and can be harvested quicker than an acre of trees. (http://cannabisnews.com/news/14/thread14829.shtml Accessed on June 5, 2010). Another very important benefit of hemp is that it has the ability to produced large amounts of cellulose. It has been recently discovered that the compound cellulose can be converted into a biofuel called cellulostic ethanol. This type of biofuel is able to power anything that gasoline currently does. This type of biofuel is typically produced by means of â€Å"energy crops†, primarily from corn or cotton. An energy crop is a plant grown as a low-cost and low-maintenance harvest used to make biofuels. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_crops) Hemp still reigns champion over cotton once again as it can be reproduced more often and it yields more than four times the amount of cellulose than from corn. A judge recently stated that the current marijuana laws are progressing much like those right before prohibition ended. The laws became more focused on taking down large operations, king pins and the like. It is estimated that the use of marijuana will be legalized in five years time. (http://www.wmur.com/news/national/Pot-advocates-hope-to-rise-from-prohibition/-/9857926/17619956/-/13figx9/-/index.html?absolute=true) As more and more states follow others, like Washington and Colorado and make marijuana legal for recreational use it will no longer be seen as deviant behavior. Well, no more than alcohol or smoking cigarettes. I have known many alcoholics in my lifetime but I have not known very many pot heads. I am not saying I don’t know people who smoke pot. I do, and they use it for recreational purposes and as a sleep aid. Smoking marijuana really is no different than consuming alcohol. There was a time when it was the â€Å"norm† for a man to go home after a long day at work and have a â€Å"high ball† or two. Some would rather go home after a long day at work and relax with a joint. Legalized marijuana should be treated the same as legal alcohol. Only those above a certain age will be able to purchase or use it and it will only be sold in licensed establishments. My question to society would be, do you want users consuming marijuana that has been grown illegally? Smuggled into the United States or would you rather they purchase their marijuana from licensed establishments that are regulated and contribute taxes to their community? REFERENCES http://cannabisnews.com/news/14/thread14829.shtml Accessed on June 5, 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_crops http://www.wmur.com/news/national/Pot-advocates-hope-to-rise-from-prohibition/-/9857926/17619956/-/13figx9/-/index.html?absolute=true http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5441#f2 Accessed on June 5, 2010

Logistic and Transport Management to Reduce Health-care Cost

Logistic and Transport Management to Reduce Health-care Cost CHAPTER 1 1.0: Introduction The Health Care Sector in Mauritius provides medical solution and services to the general population in Mauritius. The Health sector budget is more than 10 Billion rupees annually excluding capital expenditure projects for infrastructural works such as construction of Hospitals and other health institutions. The overall health in Mauritius is a cause of great concern today, both for the government and for the public. Fundamental changes are needed in the health sector in an attempt to improve the quality of life. As such, one of the main sector where it deserves many changes is the logistic sector which encompasses the flow of information, the supply chain management, the procurement sections and the transport management. Logistics, a poorly understood and often un-appeared process, accounts for a sizeable portion of a hospitals operating budget. Studies have shown that 30% to 46% of the hospital expenses are invested in various logistical activities and that almost half of the costs associated with supply chain processes could be eliminated through the use of best practices. Today medical costs have escalated heavily and has become the number one issue in health care for the past decades. Government, as well as private companies are working hard to find solutions so as to reduce health care cost. New technologies are currently being developed so as to ease the services as well as to reduce cost taking into consideration of efficiency and effectiveness. Methods of delivering health care cost are profoundly being changed. Medical information by way of web-enabled technology is quickly replacing the more traditional ways people seek advice and information. Today quality management of patient care and managing logistic to reduce health care cost are integral cost reduction tools that are currently being studied in most health service program. 1.1: Problem statement Although logistic and transportation system is smoothly running to palliate the whole movement in the healthcare sector, there is still room for improvement which can also contribute to reduce heavy cost and contributing to save money, i.e. public fund. In fact the Transport Section situated at the Vagrant Depot at Grand Riviere North West Port Louis caters for all the movement of goods, people and services throughout the whole country. The service level of this system is difficult to measure as a whole but can be concluded as to be enough good but still need improvement as there are many loopholes which needs to be considered and corrective measures taken in order to achieve a better quality service. Many attempts have been made to improve the service quality of the existing transportation system and with the help of Internal Control remarks and National Audit report, many remedial actions have been taken but still the Ministry is facing a big challenge to fully satisfy all stakeholders in the health sector and improve the health services. From experience and observation made, it is concluded that customers and other stakeholders of the transport system, also need changes and as individual, should add their contribution so as to improve continually. It is therefore obvious that users of transport section need to be continually monitored so as to enhance the service level and hence to determine customer needs and bring customer satisfaction. 1.2: Study Aims The aims of studying management of logistic is to consider that part of Supply Chain Management that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective, forward, and reverse flow and storage of goods, services, and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption (up to patients) in order to meet customers requirements as well as to reduce cost in the long run. It needs to see how the Logistic and supply Chain Management can contribute to improve the logistic and distribution system in the Ministry of Health and Quality of life. Today many companies are managing their logistic system by the help of information system thus keeping database of the daily activities, the planning and the action taken so as to facilitate the workload and not only satisfy their customers but also to delight them. Objectives of the study To identify along the distribution channel where there have been poor planning and control. To identify the method that can be used to reduce cost and save public money. To assess whether these studies can contribute in the implementation of the strategies for reducing cost in the health sector. To identify those factors that will bring changes in the whole system. To formulate recommendations and strategies so as to improve the system. 1.3: Vision and Mission of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life 1.3.1: Vision The vision of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life is to build a healthy nation through the delivery of compassionate, quality and cost-effective services to the population. 1.3.2: Mission Statement Enhance the health status of the population; Improve the quality of health care delivery with a view to increasing patientssatisfaction; Enhance social equity through the provision of a wider range of health services to the whole population; Ensure that the health sector is consolidated and that the health services remain accessible to every citizen. This can be implemented with the help of the Logistic and Supply Chain Management so that the movement of medical and pharmaceutical products, medical staffs and patients are transported at the right time and right place without causing any deficiency and break in the supply chain. 1.4: Outline of the study Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter provides an overall description of the Logistic and Supply Chain Management, more precisely in the Transport Section, at the Ministry thus exposing the aims and objectives of the study. Chapter 2: Literature Review This chapter reviews the definition, the literature of theories, the concept, the history, the interrelation between transportation and logistic, the routing planning, the implied transport cost and the implementation of the Supply Chain Management among others. It describes about various theories and concepts that has been applied in various context to the logistic and transportation system for improvement in the service level. Chapter 3: Methodology This chapter gives guidance to this dissertation. In fact the methodology explain various variables used through questionnaires and perceptions from people and other users in the Supply Chain at the Ministry of Health and Quality of life to reach a conclusions and make recommendations. Chapter 4: Results and Discussion This chapter looks at the overall results obtained in the survey made (questionnaires) and helps in making analysis of the results thus exposing them diagrammatically through graphs and charts. Chapter 5: Conclusions and recommendations This chapter concludes the study made and sets recommendations in the system that will lead to changes which will help to reducing cost as well as improving the system in terms of Quality. Chapter 2 Part 1 Literature review 2.0:0 Definition of Logistic TheOxford English Dictionarydefines logistics as the branch ofmilitary sciencehaving to do with procuring, maintaining and transportingmateriel, personnel and facilities. Another dictionary definition is the time-related positioning of resources. Logistics is commonly seen as a branch ofengineeringthat creates people systems rather than machine systems. When we talk in terms of HRM logistics means giving inputs i,e recruiting manpowers which ultimately works for the final consumer or to deliver services. There is, realistically, no ‘true name or definition that should be pedantically applied, because product differs, companies differs and system differs. â€Å"Logistics is a diverse and dynamic function that has to be flexible and has to change according to the various constraints and demands imposed upon it and with respect to the environment in which it works. And therefore these terms are used interchangeably, in literature and in the business world. (logistic and distribution management Alan Rushton) 2.1:0 OVERVIEW OF LOGISTICS 2.1.1: Definitions Council of Logistics Management (1991) defined that logistics is â€Å"part of the supply chain process that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services, and related information between the point of manufacture and the point of consumption in order to meet customers requirements†. Johnson and Woods definition (cited in Tilanus, 1997) uses â€Å"five important key terms†, which are logistics, inbound logistics, materials management, physical distribution, and supply-chain management, to interpret. Logistics describes the entire process of materials and products moving into, through, and out of firm. Inbound logistics covers the movement of material received from suppliers. Materials management describes the movement of materials and components within a firm. Physical distribution refers to the movement of goods outward from the end of the assembly line to the customer. Finally, supply-chain management is somewhat larger than logistics, and it links logistics more directly with the users total communications network and with the firms engineering staff. The commonality of the recent definitions is that logistics is a process of moving and handling goods and materials, from the beginning to the end of the production, sale process and waste disposal, to satisfy customers and add business competitiveness. It is ‘the process of anticipating customer needs and wants; acquiring the capital, materials, people, technologies, and information necessary to meet those needs and wants; optimising the goods- or service-producing network to fulfil customer requests; and utilizing the netw ork to fulfil customer requests in a timely way (Tilanus, 1997). Simply to say, ‘logistics iscustomer-oriented operation management. Logisticsis the management of the flow ofgoods,informationand other resources in arepair cyclebetween the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet the requirements of customers. Logistics involves the integration of information,transportation,inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and occasionallysecurity. Logistics is a channel of thesupply chainwhich adds the value of time and place utility. Today the complexity of production logistics can be modelled, analyzed, visualized and optimized by plant simulation software. 2.2:0 History and Advancement of Logistics Logistics was initially a military activity concerned with getting soldiers and munitions to the  battlefront in time for flight, but it is now seen as an integral part of the modern production  process. The main background of its development is that the recession of America in the  1950s caused the industrial to place importance on goods circulations. It was initially developed in the context of military activities in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and it launched from the military logistics of World War II. The probable origin of the term is the Greek logistikos , meaning ‘skilled in calculating. (BTRE, 2001) Military definitions typically incorporate the supply, movement and quartering of troops in a set. And now, a number of researches were taken and made logistics applications from military. 2.3.0: INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS Without well developed transportation systems, logistics could not bring its advantages into good transport system in logistics activities could provide better logistics efficiency, reduce operation cost, and promote service quality. The improvement of transportation systems needs the effort from both public and private sectors. A well-operated logistics system could increase both the competitiveness of the government and enterprises. 2.4.0: Transportation Costsas a Characteristics in Logistics Transport system is the most important economic activity among the components of business logistics systems. Around one third to two thirds of the expenses of enterprises logistics costs are spent on transportation. According to the investigation of National Council of Physical Proceedings of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, Vol. 5, pp. 1657 1672, 2005 Cost related to Transportation of goods does not only includes fuel cost but include the followings: Overhead cost Maintenance cost Drivers and loaders / helpers salaries Depreciation cost Management cost Fuel cost Transport costs have significant impacts on any organization, be it a public body, i.e. a government institution or a private firms. In may organization, transportation cost are influenced by the ways users are managing and utilizing. These represents the cost of moving a passenger or a good from one place to its destination, including all associated cost involved within the activities. These rates are often visible as transport service providers should be aware of the all information to secure the transaction. 2.4.1: Factors that affect transportation cost The most important factors that affect transportation cost are thus:- Geography This factor is mainly concerned with distance and accessibility. Distance is commonly the most basic condition affecting transport costs. It can be expressed in terms of length, time, economic costs or the amount of energy used. It varies greatly according to the type of transportation mode involved and the efficiency of specific transport routes. Type of product. Many products require packaging, special handling, are bulky or perishable. As such, in the case of health sector, it involves moving medical items, pharmaceutical products, patients, medical staff, medical services etc Economies of scale. Another condition affecting transport costs is related to economies of scale or the possibilities to transportation of goods in larger quantities so as to lower the cost. As far passengers are concerned, it should involved merging of trips within the same route. Energy Transport activities are in fact large consumers of energy, especially fuel and oil. Consideration has to be given to minimise trips and hence minimising fuel consumption. Mode. Different modes are characterized by different transport costs. Reduction in cost is also due to different mode of transport. For example one cannot transport a small box of 25 kg in a lorry of 5 tons. This could well be transported in a small van or a car which will use less fuel. 2.5.0: Deficiencies that Drive Up Logistics Operations Costs Logistics, a poorly understood and often unappreciated process, accounts for a sizeable portion of a hospitals operating budget. Studies have shown that 30% to 46% of hospital expenses are invested in various logistical activities and that almost half of the costs associated with supply chain processes could be eliminated through the use of best practices. In hospitals, logistics cover not just support services such as purchasing, stores and the pharmacy, but also health care services such as patient care units and operating rooms. Many activities that could be carried out by support personnel are often on the list of duties performed by health care personnel. The result is that the internal supply chain within a hospital is often highly fragmented. Logistics is a complex process. The people involved vary with the type of products in questions: for example, stores manage medical and non-medical supplies, the pharmacy looks after pharmaceutical products; and food services manages the procurement and processing of food products. 2.6.0: Materials and Methods in transportation and logistics The literature on accounting in health care industry covers a number of themes. Many researches have been carried out and many titles and articles have been provided regarding how to reduce the escalating medical costs and improve quality management in transportation and logistics. Some have been successful, while others have shown failures. Procurement, storage, mobilization, distribution and other aspects of providing material assistance to the health sector, and the handling of those supplies, require a good organizational structure to ensure the efficient management and utilization of resources that in emergency situations, tend to be limited. This structure is provided by logistics, the strategy of achieving practical objectives promptly and methodically while making the most effective use of available resources. 2.6.1: The two basic premises: 1. Supply logistics cannot be unprepared at the time of an emergency. Organizations of health institutions must see it as a cornerstone of emergency planning and preparedness efforts. Employing resources appropriately, and being able to secure those that are not at hand, depends on first identifying their availability and location, as well as the sources for obtaining them. All those activities demanded by logistical deployment during an emergency the mechanisms for standardizing the various processes and all the necessary documents for recording information and controlling, monitoring and following up on the flow of supplies must be prepared, understood, and tested in advance. 2. The various stages in the flow of supplies, from their point of origin to the moment they reach their recipients whether they be the organizations managing the emergency or the actual beneficiaries of the assistance are a chain made up of very close links. This is called the chain supply. How any one of these links is managed invariably affects the others. Supply management must therefore be the focus of an integral approach that looks at all the links in the sequence and never loses sight of their interdependence. This is known as supply chain logistics. Some of these procedures reflect the standards of international organizations involved in disaster response. Many others, however, are the distillation of concrete experiences by those in the field. Information in PAHO/WHOs Scientific Publication Medical Supply Management after Natural Disasters 2.7.0: Supply chain management (SCM) SCMis the management of a network of interconnectedbusinessesinvolved in the ultimate provision ofproductand servicepackages required by end customers (Harland, 1996). Supply chain management spans all movement and storage ofraw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption (supply chain). Definition of Supply Chain Management (SCM) provided by the APICS Dictionary: It defines SCM as the design, planning, execution, control, and monitoring of supply chain activities with the objective of creating net value, building a competitive infrastructure, leveraging worldwide logistics, synchronizing supply with demand and measuring performance globally. Supply chain management is the systemic, strategic coordination of the traditional business functions and the tactics across these business functions within a particular company and across businesses within the supply chain, for the purposes of improving the long-term performance of the individual companies and the supply chain as a whole (Mentzer et al. , 2001 ). A customer focused definition is given by Hines (2004:p76): Supply chain strategies require a total systems view of the linkages in the chain that work together efficiently to create customer satisfaction at the end point of delivery to the consumer. As a consequence costs must be lowered throughout the chain by driving out unnecessary costs and focusing attention on adding value. Throughput efficiency must be increased, bottlenecks removed and performance measurement must focus on total systems efficiency and equitable reward distribution to those in the supply chain adding value. The supply chain system must be responsive to customer requirements. Global supply chain forum:- Supply Chain Management is the integration of key business processes across the supply chain for the purpose of creating value for customers and stakeholders (Lambert, 2008). According to theCouncil of Supply Chain Management Professionals(CSCMP), â€Å"S upply Chain Management encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing , procurement , conversion, and logistics management.† It includes the important components of monitoring and collaboration withall partners in the chain. They can besuppliers,agents, service providers, andcustomers, users and other stakeholders in the chain. In fact, supply chain management integrates both supply and demandmanagement within and across companies. Accordingly to the same Council (CSCMP), self-organizing network of businesses that cooperate to provide product and service offerings has been called theâ€Å"Extended Enterprise†. â€Å"A supply chain, as opposed to supply chain management, is a set of organizations directly linked of the upstream and downstream flows of products, services, finances, and information from a source to a customer. Managing a supply chain is supply chain management† (Mentzer et al. , 2001). Supply chain management softwareincludes tools used to execute supply chain transactions, manage supplier relationships and control associated business processes. Supply chain event management (abbreviated as SCEM) is a consideration of all possible events and factors that can disrupt a supply chain. With SCEM possible scenarios can be created and solutions devised. 2.8.0: Transport Management System (TMS) TMS are one of the systems managing thesupply chain. They belong to a sub-group called Supply chain execution (SCE). TMS, has become a critical part of any (SCE) Supply Chain Execution and Collaboration System in which real time exchange of information with other SCE modules has become mission critical. Transportation Management Systems manage three key processes of transportation management: 2.8.1: Planning and Decision Making in Transportation and Logistics TMS will define the most efficient transport schemes according to given parameters, which have a lower or higher importance according to the user policy: transport cost, shorter lead-time, fewer stops possible to insure quality, flows regrouping coefficient†¦ 2.8.2: Transport follow-up TMS will allow following any physical or administrative operation regarding transportation: traceability of transport event by event (shipping from A, arrival at B, customs clearance†¦), editing of reception, custom clearance, invoicing and booking documents, sending of transport alerts (delay, accident, non-forecast stops†¦) 2.8.3: Measurement of the Transport Management System TMS have or need to have a Logistics KPI reporting function for transport. Various functions of a TMS: Planning and optimizing of terrestrial transport rounds Transportation mode and carrier selection Management of air and maritime transport Real time vehicles tracking Service quality control Vehicle Load and Route optimization Transport costs and scheme simulation Shipment batching of orders Cost control, KPI reporting and statistics Typical KPIs include but not limited to: % of On Time Pick Up or Delivery Performance relative to requested Cost Per Metric mile; km; Weight; Cube; Pallet 2.8.4: Route Planning and Optimization Reduce Distribution Costs Fleet Miles Daily routes are created using powerful algorithms and street-level routing, in conjunction with your business constraints Increase Resource Utilization-Make better use of existing resources by delivering more and driving less. The answer to increasing volume is not always to put more vehicles on the road, but to make smart, efficient Make Sound Business Decisions -Understand how delivery costs affect the profitability of each customer by knowing the actual cost per stop Set Driver Standards Creating route plans and gathering actual information allows you to set performance standards and expectations-which can result in less overtime and better driver performance Decrease Routing Time Let your routers spend less time configuring routes and more time assessing what-if scenarios to produce better, more efficient routes. Contingency Planning Prepare for holiday or seasonal spikes and other what if scenarios Reports Driver manifests, maps, directions, resource utilization, customer delivery cost, actual versus projected by route and by stop, planned route summaries and many more reports to help consistently in evaluating a system. 2.8.5: Load Optimisation A Quick Load Design which should be also accurate for many Route Types Each route requires different loading system. In fact different types of equipment are used at different loading and unloading bays depending on the routing system. Multiple Loading Strategies These are different types of techniques used for operating at the loading and unloading bays. It could be in terms of software or some working methods used by machine operators so as to increase the output of work by minimising physical efforts. Building Load in advance a common techniques applied by many warehouses is to pre-build or to prepare the load in advance and store them in some identified location and which will be useful and same time in a Pre-Build Orders Load orders to be picked, built and pre-staged throughout the day, all while continuing to have them allocated to the correct route and truck during the final loading pass Load Design to Reduce Product Breakage Most breakage occurs within the first 10 minutes of a route due to poor packing. Reports Final load sheet, driver check-out, load validation and pick sheets provide you with all of the detailed information required. 2.9.0: Supply chain management must address the following problems 2.9.1: Distribution Strategy Definition of strategy â€Å" A strategy is a pattern of major objectives, purposes or goals and essential policies or plans for achieving those goals, stated in such a way as to define what business the company is in or is to be in and the king of company it is or is to be .† (Drucker, 1961) 2.9.2: The distribution strategy The business environment is unpredictable and complex to anticipate and forecast effectively. As such strategies have to be developed so as to meet the need of everybody in the supply chain. These include patterns of actions that should be planned and intended in the management of the transport so as to handle the distribution channel in a more appropriate way. This strategy can also be developed in the supply chain management whereby it will raise a question of centralising or decentralising the warehousing and delivery. This strategy will of course reduce the day to day transport arrangement problem. 2.9.3: Trade-Offs in Logistical Activities: There are many activities in logistic system andTrade-offs may increase the total cost if only one of the activities is optimized. For example, a full loaded lorry distributing stores is more economical on a cost than less than the lorry load capacity (e.g. half lorry load). The full lorry load of a product will reduce transportation costs and will therefore decrease the inventory holding costs which may in turn decrease total logistics costs. It is therefore imperative to take a systems approach when planning logistical activities. These trade-offs are key to developing the most efficient and effective Logistics and SCM strategy. 2.9.4: Distribution Network Configuration: number, location and network missions of suppliers, production facilities, distribution centers, warehouses, cross-docks and customers. 2.9.5: Tiering of Suppliers Organisations have for many years sought to reduce their supplier base as they seek to implement a lean supply regime. Segmenting the chosen supply base into tiers gives a measure of priority in the management of the supply chain. The first tier is reserved for the immediate and direct suppliers of assemblies / manufacturers etc, whereas the second and third tier suppliers are reserved for component suppliers who supply the first tier suppliers, thus removing them from direct involvement with the manufacturer. Therefore tiering is important in the direction and management of the supply chain as the first tier supplier is responsible for ensuring that there has been a movement in the supply chain and also is receiving from his direct supplier. Information: Integration of processes through the supply chain to share valuable information, including demand signals, forecasts, inventory, transportation, potential collaboration, etc. Inventory Management: Quantity and location of inventory, including raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP) and finished goods. Cash-Flow: Arranging the payment terms and methodologies for exchanging funds across entities within the supply chain. Holding a huge amount of inventory mean huge capital tide up and therefore involving large amount of money and also increasing the holding cost. A good management in logistic and supply chain will undeniably give rise to a good cash flow and managing fund equitably. Several models have been proposed for understanding the activities required to manage material movements across organizational and functional boundaries.One model is the SCM Model proposed by the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF). Supply chain activities can be grouped into strategic, tactical, and operational levels. Importance of Supply Chain Management Organizations increasingly find that they must rely on effective supply chains, or networks, to compete in the global market and networked economy. In Peter Druckers (1998) new management paradigms, this concept of business relationships extends beyond traditional enterprise boundaries and seeks to organize entire business processes throughout a value chain of multiple companies . During the past decades, globalization, outsourcing and information technology have enabled many organizations, such as Dell and Hewlett Packard , to successfully operate solid collaborative supply networks in which each specialized business partner focuses on only a few key strategic activities (Scott, 1993). This inter-organizational supply network can be acknowledged as a new form of organization. However, with the complicated interactions among the players, the network structure fits neither market nor hierarchy categories (Powell, 1990). It is not clear what kind of performance impacts different supply network structures could have on firms, and little is known about the coordination conditions and trade-offs that may exist among the players. From a systems perspective, a complex network structure can be decomposed into individual component firms (Zhang and Dilts, 2004). Traditionally, companies in a supply network concentrate on the inputs and outputs of the processes, with little concern for th

Wireless Networks

Chapter 3 Mobile Radio Propagation: Large-Scale Path Loss 1. (a) Explain the advantages and disadvantages of the 2-ray ground reflection model in the analysis of path loss. (b) What insight does the 2-ray model provide about large-scale path loss that was disregarded when cellular systems used very large cells? 2 . In a 2-ray ground reflected model, assume that must be kept below 6. 261 radians for phase cancellation reasons. Assuming a receiver height of 2 m, and given a requirement that be less than 50 , what are the minimum allowable values for the T-R separation distance and the height of the transmitter antenna?The carrier frequency is 900 MHz. 3. In the 2-ray path loss model with ? derive an appropriate expression far the location of the signal nulls at the receiver. 4 . Compare the received power for the exact expressions for the 2-ray ground reflection model. Assume the height of the transmitter is 40 m and the height of the receiver is 3m. The frequency is 1800 MHz, and unit y gain antennas are used. Plot the received. 5. Referring to Figure P3. 3, compute d = d1, the first Fresnel zone distance between transmitter and receiver for a 2-ray ground reflected propagation path, in terms of and X.This is the distance at which path loss begins to transition from d to d behavior. Assume 6 . If the received power at a reference distance d0 = I km is equal to 1 microwatt, find the received powers at distances of 2 km, 5 kin, 10 km, and 20 km from the same transmitter for the following path loss models: (a) Free space; (b) n = 3; (c) n = 4; (d) 2-ray ground reflection using the exact expression; (e) extended Hata model. Assume f=1800 MHz, ht = 40m, hr = 3m, Gt=Gr=0dB. Plot each of these models on the same graph over the range of 1 km to 20km. 7 .Assume the received power at a reference distance d0 = 1 km is equal to 1 microwatt, and f=1800 MHz, ht = 40m, hr = 3m, Gt=Gr=0dB. Compute, compare, and plot the exact 2-ray ground reflection model with the approximate ex pression. At what T-R separations do the models agree and disagree? What are the ramifications of using the approximate expression instead of the exact expression in cellular system design? 8 . A transmitter provides 15W to an antenna having 12 dB gain. The receiver antenna has a gain of 3 dB and the receiver bandwidth is 30 kHz.If the receiver system noise figure is 8 dB and the carrier frequency is 1800 MHz, find the maximum T-R separation that will ensure that a SNR of 20 dB is provided for 95% of the time. Assume n = 4, dB, and d0 = 1 km. 9. Assume a SNR of 25 dB is desired at the receiver. If a 900 MHz cellular transmitter has an EIRP of 100 W, and the AMPS receiver uses a 0 dB gain antenna and has a 10 dB noise figure, find the percentage of time that the desired SNR is achieved at a distance of 10 km from the transmitter. Assume n=4, dB, and d0 = 1 km.

Case Study of Architect Lenny Oh

Introduction Lenny Oh was born in 1979 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His parents are the Straits Peranakan from Melacca and recently travel to Kuala Lumpur before given birth to Lenny. His full childhood was really joyful, he and household are rather frequently visit his grandparents and relation inMelacca. Due to this ground, Lenny has influence by the ThePasss Peranakan Melaka architecturesince he was immature. The long and narrow shop-house with a centre courtyard and air-well is the most important characteristics in Melaka house and was brought him influence when he grew up to be an designer. Lenny received his preparation in Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia. He so joined Arkitek Maju Bina Sdn Bhd after returning to Malaysia in 2003. He involved in legion residential and commercial undertakings as a design designer and undertaking designer. Lenny have 10 old ages working experience at Arkitect Maju Bina Sdn Bhd since twelvemonth 2003. After that, he successfully becomes as a professional enrollment member of Professional architect/Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia ( LAM ) . Then, he establishes CL+O Architects Sdn. Bhd in 2013 together with Ar. Chiam Chin Yong and Ar. Martin Lee Wee Hong and continues to pattern architecture under this new entity. Besides, he has besides been involved in two residential undertakings which have been received Singapore’s BCA Green Mark Awards and the Malayan Green edifice Index Certification. Besides that, Ar. Lenny had besides been involved in legion of residential and commercial development undertakings during his new architecture journey. The edifice that I choose among his art piece to make the analysis is theGrand Villas Bungalowwhich located at Tropicana Indah. Grand Villas is a modern and modern-day residential lodging which suit nowadays modern life manner every bit good to suit a turning three-generation household under one roof. Tropicana Indah is a fast development and up market enclave that is located in the bosom of Petaling Jaya, Tropicana. It surrounded by Tropicana Golf & A ; Country Resort and Seri Selangor Public Golf Resort and these golf classs bring the green exuberant scenery and nature to the Tropicana Indah. Architectural theory Architectural theory is the first factor that I wish to analyze on Grand Villas Bungalow. This cottage has a distinctively modern and modern-day facade which influence byModernism and Minimalism theory. It gives a sense ofOpenness,Minimalism,Elation,Transparency of infiniteandEasy motion in infinite. First, it shows a reallystrong linearsignifierthat takes on a modern design. The additive and horizontal elements are one of the characteristics harmonizing to Walter Gropius modern theory. ( ) This is seemingly shown in the facade lift of Grand Villa Bungalow. The elements as good without ornament and simple stuffs represent a sense of indispensable quality. Besides, it besides possesses the combination of modern-day tropical design. Furthermore, thesimple geometryis evidently reflected on Grand Villa facade. ( ) Minimalistic design is overtones of utmost simpleness and formal cleanliness. Harmonizing to minimal art theory, the design elements should convey the message of simpleness. Pure, simple motivation of denouncement is clearly shown in Grand Villa. ( ) Besides, the thought is without ornaments. However, that all parts and joinery inside informations are considered as reduced to a phase where no 1 can take anything farther to better the design. Theprimary coloring materialis used to accomplish the simpleness. ( ) Following, three of the 5 point architecture theory of Le Cobusier can be seen from the program of Grand Villa. Harmonizing tothe pilotistheory, the back uping reinforced concrete construction had given us the pilotis that steadfastly driven into the land. However, this had been changed and the alteration can be seen in through Grand Villa cottage. From the program, it shows that the pilotis is exposing at the front portion of the edifice, which is at the Entrance on the land degree and the balcony on the first degree of the edifice. Now, this is served for the aesthetic intents for the olympian forepart facade of Grand Villa. Second, harmonizing to the 5 point theory of Le Cobusier, the house should be erected on an independent model, supplying an unfastened program and free facades. However, theunfastened programtheory had been adapted yet remain partly which reflected on the Grand Villa program. In Grand Villa, the large open-concept dry kitchen, life and dining country are most agreeable. The unfastened program means entire freedom in infinites. ( ) It open out to a generous outdoor terrace which provides an overlooks to the infinity-edged lap pool and landscaped garden. Therefore, the moisture kitchen and laundry country separated from it. Theroof top gardenis besides one of the important point of Le Cobusier theory which shows in Grand Villa cottage every bit good. There no more sloping roofs which can non be put to utilize, in contrast, the possibility of puting a gardens on the roof is to counter the effects of enlargement. This pattern is clearly shown in the Grand Villa. Due to the modern evolvement of life style, the excess component of roof top sofa had been promoted to unite with the roof top garden. In add-on, it shows theexact circulationon the program. The running of a place consists of precise maps in a regular order. The regular order of these maps constitutes a phenomenon of circulation. An exact, economic rapid circulation is the key to modern-day architecture. The precise maps of place life require assorted countries whose minimal content can be rather exactly determined. These maps can be diagrammed along a uninterrupted line so the interplay of the necessary countries and their propinquities can be clearly discerned. The facades aresuppliers of visible radiation. The Minimalism province that the considerations for ‘essences’ are light, infinite and human status. This aid simplifies populating infinite to uncover the indispensable quality of edifices and conveys simpleness in attitudes toward life. They require a flow of light which in the daylight can be admitted as there are legion gaps and crystalline elements such as glass in the Grand Villa. This enhances the motion of natural visible radiation in edifices reveals simple and clean infinites. The elation is stressing the fluidness of natural visible radiation throughout the infinites in the Villa. Climate Following, clime is one of the analysis factors every bit good. First, the orientation of the spacial agreement is shown on the Grand Villa program. ( ) All the chief infinites such as life country, dining country, music room and the out-of-door infinites such as out-of-door terrace, deck, pool and verdure landscape are confronting east orientation. ( ) This is because there is a Casa Indah Condominium located east side which helps to test the direct forenoon sunshine. Besides, this is usage to catch the dawn scenery from the chief infinites and the out-of-door relaxation infinites. Furthermore,utilize of natural sunshineis to stress on the usage ofinactive design. Besides, it is besides to heighten the elation within the edifice. The Villa provides assorted big gaps and glass placed confronting east whereas the little gaps and Windowss placed confronting west. This is because there is Casa Indah Condominiums located south east side which helps to test the direct forenoon sunshine. After afternoon, the east portion of the edifice with big opening Windowss will be avoid from direct flushing sunshine yet still holding daylight admit into the edifice. During eventide, the out-of-door infinites can good use without direct eventide blazes. Additionally, the intent is besides to catch the forenoon sunshine which is better for human wellness alternatively of flushing sunshine. Furthermore, theusage of perpendicular shadingcan be clearly seen from the east lift of Grand Villa. The usage of perpendicular louvres is serve as an sunshade to partly test off the sunshine of the 2 chief infinites with excess high ceiling with full and big glass which confronting east way. The shading is good utilised as testing in order to accomplish the thermic comfort of the two chief infinites with big country of glass. Then, the user can bask the daytime within the infinite at a more comfy degree. In add-on, the ceiling tallness of the edifice besides helps better the airing. The Grand Villa possesses the high ceiling between 3.2 m to 4 m. The proviso of thesehigh ceilings and tall infiniteswithin encourage good airing. Theroofof Grand Villa is alone in form. The pitched roof with a larger gap is confronting east and the smaller gap confronting West. The intent is to let more natural visible radiation enter the roof top sofa during forenoon and appropriate degree of twenty-four hours visible radiation during eventide. Next, the back portion of Villa is environing by the river and flora. Thenature contextenhances the Villa from the dorsum which gives a nature background to the Villa. This is really emphasis the calm environment from the dorsum of the Villa every bit good. Personal Cultural Background Influences Last but non least, the personal cultural background influences besides one of the analysis factors.Cultural beliefis one of influence in his design calling. In the spacial planning of Grand Villa, the chief infinites of the Villa are confronting east orientation. In Chinese Feng Shui belief that East orientation is the best as it brings good fortune, wellness and wealth. It besides the orientation which the Sun rise typify a trade name new twenty-four hours with a good start. Besides, the transparence of infinite is besides stressing on the east orientation. In add-on, his design is influence byChinese traditional spatialcharacteristic every bit good. The spatial in Grand Villa shows the layering in infinite which stressing the privacy in spacial agreement from outer to inner. This is clearly reflected from the traditional Chinese brooding spacial layout. The following 1 is the influence on thelocation of the music infinitein the Villa. Ar. Lenny is a music lover as he plays assorted sort of music instruments. He loved to play piano and listen music with his household at place since immature until today. This shows that he is from a music background household every bit good shows that he serves music in a really particular place in his life. This is reflected his taught in his design calling. The arrangement of the music room in the Villa was located at the most interior portion of the edifice which confronting the nature elements such as river and flora. The combination of music with the serene, peace and natural environment is the considerable thought in his design. This may be the best interaction between both music and nature. Theâ€Å"Peranakan† architectureis besides one of his influences. Ar. Lenny is Melacca â€Å"Peranakan† descend. He has influence by the The Straits Peranakan Melaka architecture of the long and narrow shop-house with a centre courtyard and air-well in the Melaka house. The Centre dual volume courtyard is one of the important elements. Therefore, he modifies the thought and applies it into the dining country locate at the Centre which gives a dual volumetric sense of infinite which reflect partly from the Centre courtyard. The alteration is to accommodate the local neoteric modern life manner. Base on the above analysis, Ar. Lenny emphasize in good utilizing natural lighting in his design.

Caterpillar Mitsubishi Case Study Essays

Caterpillar Mitsubishi Case Study Essays Caterpillar Mitsubishi Case Study Paper Caterpillar Mitsubishi Case Study Paper Essay Topic: Marketing The case is about the strategies applied by George Schaefer, CEO of Caterpillar, after 1985. In 1982, Caterpillar faced with its greatest crisis because of demand fall. Its sales dropped by almost 50% between 1982 and 1984. Komatsu, the Japanese competitor, fully exploited the situation by adding new lines in U.S.A and announcing the establishment of new manufacturing operations in the U.S.A. and England. On the other hand, Caterpillar closed six plants, laid off approximately 24,000 people between 1981 and 1984. Therefore, Schaefer was taking over a very challenging task by becoming the CEO of Caterpillar in 1985. Till the time of Schaefer, Caterpillars organization structure was hierarchy dominated and the managers were not customer-oriented enough to stay strong in a competitive environment. Hence, immediately after taking the charge, Schaefer set in motion a series of strategic and organizational changes that he hoped would firmly reestablish Cats strong competitive position and rebuild its sound financial condition. The rest of this essay highlights those strategic decisions and actions under separate headings. Business Strategy Conference The purpose was to force managers to step back from the frenetic cost cutting and focus on plans to ensure long-term viability. A debate was whether to diversify or focus on core business. The result was because of slow growth opportunities on the core business market, they decided to develop additional, related products and services. The outcome of BSC was the Ten Initiatives list. This list provided a blueprint for the new directions and activities Schaefer would implement over the next few years. From Manufacturing to Outsourcing One big move was the transition from manufacturing to outsourcing. Manufacturing was once a competitive advantage for Cat but after the 1982 crisis it has been seen that it has now became a liability, because the plants were simply too costly and too inflexible. A new policy of shopping the world led to and increase in outsourcing. While decreasing the manufacturing capacity, Schaefer started the Plant with a Future (PWAF) program to make Cat the industrys lowest-cost, high-quality producer. PWAF achieved in two aspects and failed in other two aspects. The program was able to achieve manufacturing space by 28% through plant closings and achieved savings by simpler manufacturing processes. However, the 15%-20% cost cutting goal by 1990 was seen to be delayed by one year, in 1987 (the achieved cost cutting rate was 7% then). In 1988, the company stopped reporting specific cost reductions, claiming they dont work in a period of rapid production increases. The forth phase of the program which was the development of fully integrated engineering, logistics and factory operations, shortly called paperless factory. In 1986, it is postponed indefinitely due to the lack of integration software. Also, in 1988, management estimated that the cost of PWAF might be 50% more than it was first foreseen. This meant that PWAF could never earn an appropriate return. The New Approach to Markets * Cat adopted a flexible pricing approach to counter Komatsus price challenges. In addition, managers began to focus on percent of industrys sales as the primary performance measure. * The Caterpillar World Trading Corporation was formed to access particularly to closed markets. * The company developed a more flexible approach to ownership and control where it led market access. In 1985, it signed a licensing agreement selling technology to the Chinese to help them develop a national construction equipment business. In 1989, its products were being produced under license by independent manufacturers all around the world. * New product introductions to offset slow market growth. * Marketing leverage: A strategy of outsourcing products to sell through Cats existing distribution network. The backhoe loader production success story, given in the case is very interesting in the sense that the team responsible from the new product development achieved the project by violating several company practices. Also they have outsourced some of the components, even though the counterparts of those components were available from Cat, mainly because of cost reasons. Cats components were high quality designed for top-end, heavy equipment while a backhoe loaders requirements were lower hence the outsourced parts were cost wise more advantageous. The agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to transfer worldwide design responsibility to Japan was a big step for Caterpillar. The purpose of the Cats management in that deal was to penetrate to Japan market. Besides this main target, learning the Japan way of production was seen as an asset in that deal. The New Organizational Environment Schaefer saw that the root of many problems of Cat was its functionally dominated and hierarchically structured organization. He said that We dont need perfectionwhat we need is the best decision with minimum study and input. The key success factors Schaefer tried to put forward were empowerment and delegation, which was not aligned with the classical way of Cats management. Hypotheses; 1. As presented by Jeffrey R.Williams in his Renewable Advantage book, Schaefer tried to force the company to be a scale orchestrator in its environment. A successful organization has to be dynamic and continually evolving through gradual realignment with its changing environment. 2. Although not clearly said this case presents two types of management style; one manager like Schaefer, who is looking for innovation and trying to find new approaches for the future of the company, while the other is more conservative, hesitant to make changes and not open to new decisions and actions. It can be said that the future will be the managers like Schaefer, who are willing to change both themselves and the company according to their environment. Emotional attachment to the business will lead to failure. Historical Prospective on Business Development Caterpillar Introduction Caterpillar can trace its roots back to the late 1800s when Daniel Best and Benjamin Holt were both working on engine powered agricultural equipment. In April of 1925 the Best and Holt companies merged to form what was then known as the Caterpillar Tractor Co. Caterpillar Inc, headquartered is in Peoria, Illinois and is the world leading manufacturers of heavy construction, earth moving and materials-handling machinery. For more than 50 years Caterpillar dominated their market segment through huge capital investments in the year 1950 1980. It establishment in 1925 means a long history of the company. Indeed, the company experienced different conditions throughout the history. The historical review will highlight major developments of the company in the past. Major Periods of Historical Development 1900 1925: Pre-establishment period 1925 1980: Growth era !980 1985: Crisis period 1985 1990: Turnaround and come back 1990 1999: Continued transformation 2000: New challenges 1900 1925 Pre-establishment Period The heavy construction equipment industry has the root in the agriculture, as tractors were used to plough the cultivating land. From there, the earth moving equipment and vehicle was developed. Invention and technological developments led to the birth of Caterpillar in 1925. 1925 1980 The period can be considered as the most successful period of the company. The period can be further divided into; pre-war (before 1936), during the war (1936 1945) and post-war (1945 1980). The pre-war sales growth can be counted in relation to developments and growth in the agriculture sector and mining sector. The demand for the companys product was exploding during the war, as the military used Caterpillars bulldozers. The demand was tremendously increased when the ruined Europe was reconstructed after the war. The growth of the company was therefore associating with the market development. The company began manufacturing in other countries and set up subsidiaries in the major markets. Thus, the company became a multinational company. The company could position itself in the market as a premium quality products manufacturer. The company held major market shares. The company was gaining high margin as its price is high. The competitors were Komatsu, John Deere and CNH Global. The competitors increased competition through various manners, especially by improving the quality and reducing the price. The company was in fact successful, despite the increasingly threatening situation of competition. In 1931, the company created a separate engine sales group to market diesel engines to other original equipment manufacturer. This group was replaced in 1953 with a sales and marketing division to better serve the needs of a broad range of engine customers. Then in 1963, Caterpillar and Mitsubishi heavy Industries Ltd formed one of the joint ventures in Japan to include U.S. ownership. Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd started production in 1965 in a new facility at Sagamihara, 28 miles southwest of Tokyo. In 1987 it was renamed Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd to reflect an expansion of the original agreement. 1980 1985 Up until 1973 Caterpillar witness little competitive pressures. This enables them to possess a dominant attitude where they began raising prices for their equipment annually, almost 10%, not expanding their product line. Caterpillars corporate environment was the essence of their problems that hindered their position in the external marketplace. Since the organization was hierarchically structured it bred parochialism and risk aversion. Komatsu, a leading Japanese competitor, began gaining valuable market share away from Caterpillar. Caterpillar also witnessed a major set back in 1982 when the energy boom ended, a major recession kick in and unfavorable currency exchange. Though CAT saw their highest sales and profits in that year, the demand for heavy equipment dropped. CAT also was enduring a long UAW strike that demanded 90% higher wages than their competitor Komatsu. Ultimately CAT suffered heavy losses in the next three years to follow with sales dropping below 50%. Komatsu took advantage of the situation and began major marketing and manufacturing efforts in the US. Komatsu ended up doubling their market share to 25%. Caterpillar was forced to react. They began closing plants which amounted to 15% of its total manufacturing space and began to reduce headcount. Inventories were cut in half and the company ultimately reported $428 million dollar loss in 1984. The company responded to the situation by formulating appropriate strategies. The strategies fall basically in the category of turnaround strategies. 1985 1990 Mr George Schaefer was the first CEO after the 1980s crisis. He was a congenial manager who encourage CAT executive to openly admit the companys past mistakes and implemented the turnaround strategy. He outlines a series of initiatives designed to bring the company out of the hole. Caterpillar was to cut annual costs by 225, or $2 billion, by the end of 1986. In 1986 the company officially recognized that it was much more than just a manufacturer of tractors, and they changed their name from Caterpillar Tractor Company to just Caterpillar Incorporated. Along with this change and the reestablishment of the organization as a world leader and profitable growing company, they changed their trademark Block C logo, for a newer, more modern look. * Global outsourcing * Boarder product line * Labor relations * Employee involvement (ESP) Launched a daring factory-wide plant modernization program termed Plant with a Future, or PWAF. Initial forecasts estimated capital expenditures of $1 billion, which was revised to $1.8 billion, spread between 1986 to1992. The objective was to shift from traditional mass manufacturing to forms of advanced, flexible production through the use of just-in-time inventory techniques and sophisticated factory automation, resulting in estimated savings on manufacturing costs of 20% by late 1992. This would result in about $1.5 billion a year in savings. The long-standing functional arrangement of people and machine on the factory floor was to be dismantled. Instead, all manufacturing work was to be arranged in product and sub-product dedicated cells or modules. Looking back at Schaefers five year-long tenure, the turnover strategy and efforts were effective and successful. Caterpillar had reemerged as a global competitive company, lean, flexible and technology advanced. Caterpillars world market share rebounded up by 7 percent (from 43 percent to 50 percent), while increased the revenues by 66 percent. The success was greatly credited to the good leadership by Schaefer and his adoption of consensual approach. Though the company was in good standing in 1989, Schaefer still had a number of issues to deal with in order to ensure long term growth. 1990 1999 Donald V Fites, born on a farm in Tippecanoe, Indiana, was appointed as CEO in 1990 succeeding George Schaefer. Transformation was continued as the situation was not yet fully recovered because the stock price was lagged behind the earning. During the first two years of Mr. Schaefers retirement, the company actually lost money $2.4 billion in 1992. The reasons behind this situation were an industry-wide downturn in its domestic and international market and the increase in dollar value. Fitess leadership style was totally different from previous CEO, George Schaefer, he expects people to challenge him forcefully, his focus was more aggressive and towards customer orientation. His strategic approaches were towards reorganization, downsizing through cutting thousands of management and production jobs, expansion of worldwide computer network and diversification. Under Fitess leadership, sales had increased by approximately 85% between 1991 and 1997, with annual net income moving from a negative $404 million to a positive $1,665 million during the same period. CATs stock price reflected these financial results, showing an increase of nearly 300% from December 1992 to December 1997. Caterpillars record sales revenue came to an end in 1998-1999, as the industry sliding into a recession. Revenues and profits declining as a result of a strong dollar coupled weak demand for CAT products. The overall sales in 1999 fells by 6% and profit fell 37% below $1 billion and the return on equity fell to 17.9%. Overall, this period was not an absolutely successful period. The situation was also unstable. External shocks came and impact more frequently upon the company than previous period. The company was however more responsive to the changing situations. The company could therefore defend its position in the market. 2000 Glen Barton The year of 2000 and later was very critical to the company, as the company faced many unfavorable situations, such as downturn in the U.S. construction market and despite the rising demand in Asia and Latin America. The new CEO Glen Barton realized that he needed to ensure the future of Caterpillar in the long run and therefore embarked in the following growth strategies: * He believed that the downturn of the US market could be eliminated by an upturn in the international market. * He increased sales of Caterpillars equipment to the developing nations such as Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. By doing this he created new markets for the company. * He made non truck engines incase of a decline in the truck engines. Such diversification enabled the company to produce engines even the truck engine part offset. * Under the leadership of Barton, Caterpillar started to sell mobile power modules. * Caterpillar started to rent business equipment. Barton made efforts to make dealers diversify into rentals. As successful as it is the rental distribution segment of the fastest growing segment. * He also used joint ventures to expand into new markets, and he was very successful. He formed joint ventures with Daimler Chrysler and started to produce medium duty engines. He also started to manufacture fuel systems. Those fuel systems were designed to increase efficiency of diesel engines and thereby reduce diesel emissions. Conclusion The historical analysis of the companys changes and development reveals the changing environment and the need of strategic approach. The slow reaction by the company in early days before 1980 (crisis) shook the position of the company in the industry. Aggressive approach was therefore necessary in such rapid changing environment.

Childhood Obesity Crisis

Childhood Obesity Crisis Free Online Research Papers Today, America is in a serious situation. The economic crisis occurs everywhere and it affects people in every corner of the world. However, there is no crisis in the past that we didnt confront and survived, either the Black Death pandemic in the 12th century or the Great Depression in the 20s. We always find methods or cures to heal ourselves. We always have hope for the future, because we trust in ourselves and especially in our children who are our future. Theyre young, fresh and healthy, so that they can lead us and the country to a secure future. Unfortunately, reality looks different. The children of America are getting bigger and bigger (Lyons, 1A, 16). Obesity is a serious problem which the numbers show: Already 15.5% of Americas children are overweight, which is three times as much as twenty years ago (Lyons, 1A, 17). Getting teased in school can have negative effects on their psyche. Furthermore, obesity follows the children in their adulthood where plenty of health risks will occur. Theyll suffer from health disorders, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer (Dibez). In 2002 a health survey showed that 64% of the American adults are overweight or obese (Lyons, 1A, 17). The reason why obesity is so dangerous is because it affects our health, which causes more people to depend on health care. This leads us to the question: How are our children able to lead our countrys future if theyre obese and depend on health care? America needs to wake up and fight against it. If Americas children continue to be obese, it will have tremendous effects for the future of our country. In the end, we need to know how and why it became such a harmful problem in our society, so that we can find solutions and fight against our closest enemy – obesity. One major reason why children are obese is the unhealthy food they eat at home and in school. In todays society both mother and father work. There is less time to cook and prepare healthy food for the whole family. An easy way to have dinner after work is to buy fast food. Parents and their children get cheap, tasty and convenient food within minutes. Unfortunately, fast food is high in calories and fat which causes obesity. Norcen Held, a mother, says, â€Å"You drive down the street and its so much easier in this hectic world we live in to grab a taco or burger and bag of fries, milkshakes.† (Lyons, 1A, 17). Children are always surrounded by fast food, even in schools. Now a days schools resemble food courts, like in shopping malls. For the children, it is a normal thing to have fast food for lunch. For example, a school in California offers pizza, nachos, a cookie and a soda for a lunch meal. All in all, the meal consists of 1116 calories and 51 grams of fat which is more than half of a 2000 calorie diet (Severson, A14). In addition to what children eat is what children drink. Most children drink at least one soft drink a day which contains 150 calories each and one out of five children drink more than four 12 oz cans a day (Simon, 9A). In fact, children are eating fast food and drinking soda almost every day, at any time. In addition, the fast food serving sizes have increased in the past 50 years. In the 1950s a single hamburger was 3.9 oz, a soft drink 7 oz and a portion fries were 2.4 oz. Now a days, a hamburger is 8.2 oz, a soft drink 42 oz and a portion fries is 7.1 oz (Lyons, 16 A). The growing portions are the dot on the â€Å"i†. Another reason our children are getting fatter is the lack of exercises they get. One reason is the huge influence of todays media. In todays society almost every family owns a TV and a computer, whether rich or poor. After school, children spend most of their time watching TV, sitting in front of the computer or playing video games. That is why it is quite normal today for a child to eat in front of the TV (Lyons, 1 A, 17). Americas children between 8 and 18 years watch more than three hours TV a day (Severson, A14). In addition, a survey, asking parents from the Bay Area, found out that 50% of the children sit in front of the computer at least an hour and that 25% play video games an hour or more (Lyons, 1A, 17). Mike Burita, a health expert says, â€Å"When kids were once shooting baskets after school, theyre shooting bad guys in video games† (Lyons 1A, 17). The time in front of the media has become so normal that children, especially of low-income families, dont play a l ot outside anymore, or participate in a sports team (May). The reasons are that the parents do not trust their dangerous neighborhoods and that they cant pay the required sport equipment or fees (May). The last hope where children can get a certain amount of exercises is school. However, the truth looks different. Schools have cut back Physical Education (P.E) classes, because of a lack of money (Lyons, 1A, 17). A big percentage of elementary school children are getting only 15 minutes of coordinated activity during one week (May). Once a year fifth, seventh and ninth graders take a physical fitness test where their strength, aerobics and body fat are measured. In 2003 77% of the children did not pass the test (May). These results are so tremendous that we have to wake up and do something to prevent and fight childhood obesity. Parents play an important role fighting childhood obesity, because they are responsible for their children. However, obesity cant be healed in a couple weeks or months. It is a process which takes time, effort and a great determination. Rome wasnt built in one day. Parents have to be role models for their children. A few things that parents can do in a daily routine can help children prevent gaining weight and feeling better. The first thing parents can do is offering their children a variety of healthy nutritious food. This includes fruits, vegetables and whole grains (Knowles). At the same time parents should reduce the consuming of processed food, fast food, candies and soft drinks (Eisenberg and Williams). Furthermore, parents should make up regular family dinners with the whole family eating at the same time and they should encourage their children to eat slowly. This prevents eating too fast which gives a certain time to digest their food and to feel full (Eisenberg and Willia ms). Another thing parents can do is to get their children out of the house and to be active. Parents should reduce the time in front of the TV and computer and let their children play outside (Knowles). Easy activities can be bicycling and walking (Eisenberg and Williams). Also they can sign up their children for a sports team like soccer and basketball and motivate them to take P.E classes in school (Lyons, 17A). Parents should be role models for their children and teach them to eat healthy and exercise regularly. On the other hand, schools have the duty to fight against obesity. School is a place where children learn how to write, read and calculate. Unfortunately, children arent given the opportunity to learn about the importance in life, which is to be healthy and stay healthy in the future. This is why schools should teach children the importance of health. Children shouldnt only learn about math and physics, but also about how to live and eat healthy. Therefore, schools should introduce so called â€Å"lunch classes†, where children learn to cook together and enjoy their meal afterwards (Severson, arc2). This is a good way to teach them the value of a self-cooked meal which they wont forget when they grow up. Also schools can offer gardening classes where children learn how to grow organic and healthy food, such as vegetables and fruits (Severson, arc2). This also includes what schools offer their children to eat. They should change their unhealthy menu into a healthy menu. In p articular, it means to ban fast food, sweets, snacks and soft drinks from the vending machines in school (Watson). Instead they should offer them apples as snacks and juice to drink or beef jerky instead of chips (Watson). My personal opinion is that schools should offer more sport activities. That means to offer a variety of after school activities and upgrade the importance of P.E classes which arent really challenging at the moment. An former High school student, Rachel Willis said, â€Å"I did P.E when I was a freshman, and the only thing they made us do was run a mile. Other than that, it was like free time† (May). If schools would do these changes it will help the children losing weight and it will give them good opportunities for a healthy future. Another important role plays the government. With the supreme power of the government obesity can be fight and reduced in the long term. With various laws the government can help to prevent children from getting fatter and fatter. The government should put pressure on the fast food industry by opening peoples eyes that they eat unhealthy food. A law which makes fast food restaurants show the nutrition facts of their food would be one solution (Lyons, 17A). Furthermore, the government should put labels on fast food which will warn the consumer about an unhealthy product (Lyons, 17A). Moreover, the government should reduce fast food advertising on TV which attracts children. Instead, it could advertise healthy eating and encourage people to do exercises (Lyons, 17A). In addition, the government should demand extra taxes on fast food and use the money for physical activity programs that fight against obesity (Lyons, 17A). Those programs and organizations that fight against obesity ar e important. The government should award these programs with financial grants (Choice). In schools the government should make a law that forbids selling soft drinks to children (Severson, A14). With more encouragement of the government, Americas children could have a better life now and in the future. It seems that our future is in danger, because a majority of Americas residents, either young or old, are overweight or obese. This is why we have to wake up and take action. Some people might think that obesity is an individual problem. Why should they do something against it, even if they arent overweight. However, this is the wrong attitude, because even if it doesnt seem like, obesity affects everybody in America, especially our countrys future. If more people are getting obese, more people will depend on health care. As a result, more money is needed to finance peoples health care which is nearly impossible if the majority of Americas adults are obese. When you are obese it is more difficult to make money and earn a living. The worst case scenario is that we will fall in an economic crisis with millions of sick people. Yet, it is not to late to do something. If we all pull together on one string, we can fight and beat the obesity crisis. Therefore, we all must take action, beca use only if we are a unit force we can succeed. Parents, schools and the government are in the duty to do something against our enemy – obesity. Like the three musketeers used to say, â€Å"One for all, all for one.† Work Cited – MLA â€Å"How can governments fight childhood obesity?† choicefoodforkids. 9 May. 2007. Choice. . Dibez, Soline Cause and Solution to Obesity. Cause and Solution to Obesity. 11 Aug. 2005. EzineArticles.com. 15 May 2009 . Knowles, Steve â€Å"As a Parent – What Can You Do?† Theyesword. Clark, Amy â€Å"One Schools Fight Against Obesity.† Cbsnews. 27 Jan. 2007. CBS News. Watson, Aleta â€Å"School Food Under Attack.† San Jose Mercury News. XX XXX. 2004 Watson, Aleta â€Å"Moms Mission On School Food.† San Jose Mercury News. XX XXX. 200X Lyons, Julie â€Å"An Alarm Over Kids Weight.† San Jose Mercury News. 7 Mar. 2004 Eisenberg, Ron and Williams, Virgil â€Å"Preventing Childhood Obesity Should Be A Family Project.† San Mateo County Times. 14 Nov. 2005 Severson, Kim and May, Meridith â€Å"Growing Up to Fat.† The Chronicle. 12 May. 2002 Severson, Kim â€Å"Food joins academic menu in Berkeley school district.† SF Chronicle. 29 Aug. 2004. (article 2 = arc2) Research Papers on Childhood Obesity CrisisThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductGenetic EngineeringInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraTwilight of the UAWNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceHip-Hop is Art