Conserving Soil Quality On Farms In Hawaii Research Paper

Conserving Soil Quality On Farms In Hawaii - Research Paper Example By the time measurable damage to the soil quality has occurred, crop yield may already be irrecoverably failing (Stocking, 2003). This relationship can even hold true in areas that with volcanically-enriched soil such as the tropical islands of the state of Hawai'i. To understand soil conservation for farming in Hawai'i, the first step is to understand the background of soil quality conservation, with a focus on the issues specific to the tropical islands. Only then can workable solutions be found and analyzed for suitability to the specific situation found on the Hawai'ian islands. A clear definition of soil quality is necessary for a conservation project to be undertaken. Unless soil quality is clearly and definitively described, it is impossible for researchers to design tests and measurements to study the current state of the soil quality. However, soil quality has proven a very difficult concept to define, especially as soil quality has so many different parameters in many diffe rent spheres of scientific study. Defining soil quality as a term is not the same as defining other widespread environmental terminology such as air quality or water quality. This is due to the fact that air quality or water quality are not based on the usage of the material or its relationship relative to a â€Å"natural† state, but merely on the lack of specific pollutants or on the levels of such pollutants (Sojka & Upchurch, 1999). Since pure soil cannot exist by definition, and clean soil varies dependent on location, pollutants within soil can be limited only to specific non-natural products, such as industrial wastes or household chemicals (Cowan & Talaro, 2006). Soil quality, on the other hand, is determined by the soil's ability to support certain usage and by healthy levels of bacterial, animal, and plant life (Sojka & Upchurch,1999). Measuring soil quality in tropical regions, on the other hand, is simplified because of the reduction in the number of related variab les. Many attributes of topsoil quality in tropical regions of the world, including Hawai'i, are quantitative and measurable. Assuming those conditions to be true, soil quality can then be measured using a fertility capability soil classification system (Sanchez, Palm, and Buol, 2003). Other single-attribute measurements of soil quality are such concerns as soil compactability or erodibility based on location or use, but the fertility classification most affects the ability of the soil to support intensive crop farming, which is the concern of this review (Parr et al., 1992). The fertility capability classification systems are not without their faults, but they provides a starting point for measuring the success of a given conservation program by providing a quantitative standard. A measurement that makes use of this system would be comparable to future measurements under the same system, allowing a researcher to compare numerically the success of the method under study (Sanchez, Pa lm, & Buol, 2003). Soil systems in tropical regions tend to be extremely dynamic, changing rapidly over short periods of time. Within these systems, soil quality may vary widely from location to location even between patches of soil in the same forest (Parr et al., 1992; Stocking, 2003). In such a dynamic system, nutrients rarely have time to accumulate in the tropical

Marketing Challenges of Walker and Company Essay

Marketing Challenges of Walker and Company - Essay Example In addition, the company has scattered its business to the publication of several topics, which cost lots of time and money. Moreover, the multiplicity of topics was not productive; rather, it was putting the profit margin into grave jeopardy. Efforts, being made in the wrong direction due to inadequate strategic plan, kept the company away from turning into a multinational brand even it had been working in multiple disciplines. The new president called an urgent meeting of the board of directors and decided to cut short the expenses for keeping the ball of the publishing business rolling. It was also announced at the meeting that the list of topics being published through its platform must be shortened in order to broaden the concentration of limited material for the extension of the business ventures. Though it helped the company come out of problems, yet the destination appeared to be far from the present state of affairs. As a consultant of the company, it is my obligation to point out the weak areas of the company as well as indicate the aspects that could generate profit for the company, so that it could come out of financial embarrassments on the one hand, and could make sound progress with the passage of time on the other. The purpose of the present study includes the exploration of various business avenues and internal operational methodology in order to run the business affairs of the company on smooth track. I have worked on Ramsey’s profit plan for children book line, on the basis of financial measures including trend analysis, annual sales growth, profit percentage, average unit sales, return-on-assets, ROI and operating expenses in order to escape low-profit volume for the future years to come. I also intend to present some suggestions regarding the topics that are most important in market point of view. In addition, I strongly recommend the sorting out of the profit and loss volume o f every material, so that the most profitable items could be focused upon.

Exploring Legal Professional And Ethical Issues In Bathing Nursing Essay

Exploring Legal Professional And Ethical Issues In Bathing Nursing Essay Introduction In this assignment I will be exploring the legal, professional and ethical issues involved in bed bathing a patient/client in a hospital setting. I will be reflecting on a personal experience, experience during a seven week placement on a diabetic ward. I have decided to use a reflective cycle which is an adaptation from Gibbs (1988) model.This reflection has provided a systematic approach to my learning and to my nursing practice. Within this essay I intend to discuss approaches to assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating care. Heron (1977) refers to the process of reflecting as a conscious use of the self. Once one becomes consciously aware of their actions, it is easer to recognise the reason for doing them in the first instance. The first stage of this process is to acknowledge our actions by reflecting we reveal to our selves how we act, such actions are spontaneous and without forethought attention. To maintain my clients autonomy I am unable to disclose any client information, accordingly I have given my client the name Mrs Jones this is to protect and respect my clients confidentiality as stated by the NMC Code of Professional Conduct. Gibbs model of reflection (1988)DescriptionDuring any clients admission stage an assessment on the clients skin care regime is made, this takes into account the clients personal preferences, the level of function the client may have to provide self-care and the amount of assistance required to promote optimal hygiene procedures in the form of bed baths, in respect of encouraging independence. The reason why we bed bath clients is to promote personal hygiene and to give them a sense of well-being it also maintain intact skin i.e. prevention of pressure sours. Bed bathing allows the caregivers to monitor changes in the clients skin condition. (Staff Nurse, during placement)It was approximately 07:45 Friday morning of mid June, three weeks into my placement. After handover I was given the task of bed bathing a female client. Mrs Jones, what I learned about Mrs Jones in handover was very brief. She was admitted to hospital as she was suffering shortness of breath, she had been suffering from Parkinsons disease for ten years, she also had a catheter instituted, she had very little control of the lower half of her body, her right shoulder was dislocated and she was MRSA+. Mrs Jones took part in a trial drug many years ago this was to help her control her Parkinsons disease coming off the drug became impossible and as a result Mr Jones is reliant on this drug, this drug was referred to as apple morphine on the ward. The basic bed bathing equipment I required was one bath towel, one hand towel, several disposable swipes, clean bed linen, (2 x sheets) laundry bags, (in this case red bags as the client is MRSA+) a slide sheet, small yellow bag for clinical waste, pad and incontinence sheet, bowl of warm water and a set of pyjamas and or gown all provided by the hospital. The client had acquired her own personal toiletries before admission this consisted of a bar of soap, shower gel, talcum powder, perfume, two flannels, (one for the upper part of the torso and the other for the lower half) moisturiser, a comb, dentures pot, tooth brush and tooth past. In addition to this the client required saline solution, disposable wipes, new dressing cut to size and tape and a yellow clinical waste bag for the disposal of old dressings. Myself and Claire the Auxiliary Nurse who I was paired with to work alongside put on our protective disposable gloves and red aprons on after collection the supplies from the linen room. I greeted Mrs Jones and introduced myself and Claire. Morning Mrs Jones, how are you this morning? She replied Oh, hello, I could be better I continued my name is Sharon (as this was easier for people to pronounce, after consulting Sister) Im a student nurse and Im going to be looking after you today, and Im Claire, and Im also going to be looking after you today too. I continued can we help you to get ready for breakfast? Yes please, Replied Mrs Jones. Before we began we asked if Mrs Jones if she had any objections to either me or Claire giving her a bed bath, as she looked apprehensive, she replied that this would be fine. We also asked if she had any pain and how her night was, she stated that she was in pain quite a bit but that it was normal for her at this time in the morning. She also stated t hat her night was awful, as patients in the next bay kept her awake most of the night. Myself and Claire consulted the staff nurse about Mrs Jones pain, the staff nurse spoke to Mrs Jones about her medication and said that it was not due until 8:30 and so we were asked to continue as long as the Mrs Jones was happy for us to do so. Mrs Jones replied if that was the case there was nothing she could do other than for me and Claire to continue. We explained the procedure to Mrs Jones and gain her consent she allowed us to obtain any necessary toiletries from her draws whilst I did this Claire prepared a bowl of warm water. I removed Mrs Joness personal belongings from the table and placed them in the draws for safe keeping. I wipe over the table with an alcohol wipe to sanitize the surface and place on there the necessary items we would need to give Mrs Jones a bed bath. We draw the curtains closed to maintain Mrs Joness privacy and dignity at all times. Before we began I asked Mrs Jones if she would like to use a bed pan before we continued any further. She informed us that it was probably too late and she felt she had already made a mess. We reassured her that everything was alright and we would help to get her cleaned up as quickly as possible. Mrs Jones apologised a number of time and started to get upset. We again tried to reassure her again and clam her down, we in forced the reason that we were there and that was to help her in any way to see that she is alright. She agreed with us and asked us to continue. We raised the bed to the appropriate height to avoid putting undue strain on our backs, whilst I did this Claire emptied Mr Jones Catheter and placed the bag on the bed. We decided to place a sliding sheet under the client to assist us in rolling the client. I took the liberty of explaining the procedure to Mr Jones as we carried out the task. I asked if it was possible for her to roll on her right side as I was aware the Mrs Jones right shoulder was dislocated, she insisted that this was fine as it had been seen by the doctors and nothing could be done about it and insisted that she had rolled on it sever times before. We assisted Mrs Jones in removing her night gown, we freed her left arm first then her over her head and then gently freeing her right arm avoiding injuring her arm any further, to maintain Mrs Jones dignity we placed a large bath towel over her covering her private areas. I helped Mrs Jones to bend her left leg and asked her to hold on to the cot side with her left h and. I placed my right hand on the left side of Mrs Joness waist and my arm across her left leg to provide added support. I placed my left hand on her left upper back. Claire had prepared the slide sheet, clean linen sheet and an incontinence sheet to go under her. On the instruction ready steady (then the manoeuvre intended, in this case it was) roll, we all assisted in rolling. Claire placed one of her hands on Mrs Joness back to provide added support and prevent her from rolling back. Claire folded the old linen in to its self, to as far as it would go until it reached Mrs Jones. Claire placed the clean slide sheet, linen sheet and incontinence sheet already folded in preparation under the old linen sheet. On Claire say so we rolled Mrs Jones on to her back, Claire were rolling you over a slight bump now, ready steady roll. To roll Mrs Jones on to her other side me and Claire switched roles and this time Mrs Jones was holding on to right side of the cot side but with her left han d. I removed the old linen and placed it inside the red linen bags. I took the liberty of cleaning Mrs Jones with her permission. I used a damp disposable wipe which Clair handed over to me and wiped away from the genital area, I placed the soiled wipe on the soiled incontinence sheet I continued doing this until the are was clean, once this was clean I washed the area with soap and water. I folded the soiled incontinence sheet into its self and disposed of it in the yellow clinical waste bag. I took this opportunity to wash Mr Joness back, neck and the backs of her legs with soap and water, I then wash off the soap and dried. I straightened out the clean slide sheet, linen sheet and the incontinence sheet and then Mrs Jones lied on her back. After a few minute, I placed the hand towel over the clients chest and with her permission began to wash her face at the clients request I used water only on the face. I used separate wipes for each eye to prevent any cross contamination and a separate wipe for the rest of the face and then dried. Whilst I was doing this Claire began to wash Mrs Joness hands with soup and water after gaining permission to do so, Claire continued down the arms and rinsed off, whilst I dried the hands and arms Claire continued to wash the clients chest. Claire removed the dressing from around the tube of the catheter and disposed of it and her gloves in the clinical waste bag, she then went to wash her hands. When Claire retuned she had a fresh pair of gloves on she began to cleanse the skin from the tube outwards and then dried the area, she decided not to reapply another dressing as she felt it was not required but did tape down the tube to Mrs Joness stomach to prevent it from dislodging. Claire car ried on washing and rinsing Mrs Jones (Underarms, stomach, waste, genital area, (working outward to prevent infection) legs and feet) and I dried following Claire as she washed. The water that we used was kept clean at all times, as the used deposable wipes were not re-entered into the bowl. Whilst carrying out the bed bath myself and Claire assessed the Mrs Joness skin condition for any sours or broken skin. We applied talc to those areas Mrs Jones requested and then helped her to dress. We put the right arm in the nightgown first as this was her bad arm then subsequently her neck and left arm, there was no need to lower the nightgown much as this was a hospital nightgown with an open lower half, we then placed a linen sheet and blanket over her to keep her warm at Mrs Joness request. We raised the head of the bed to a seated position so that Mrs Jones was sitting upright. As I attended to Mrs Joness oral hygiene Claire combed Mr Jones hear to her particular style. I then started t o tidy and clean the area and Claire began to document and update the care plan. Once I had cleaned and sanitised the table I replace Mrs Joness belonging on the table and placed the table close to her so everything she may need was of reach. FeelingsIn reflection to the incident at the time I felt as though everything went fine, but as I have had the opportunity to reflect on my experience in much more depth and detail I in writing this essay I felt as though I took the lead but only because I was given the opportunity to do so. Claire was fairly new to working as an Auxiliary Nurse and was somewhat inexperienced as this was the only ward she had worked on she had more knowledge of the ward setting and the type of conditions people are admitted with on the ward. I was quite confident in assisting in a bed bath of a client as I have worked in providing personal care to all type of client for a good few years now and believe that my experience as a Health Care Assistance helped me immensely. My uncertainty was of the clients abilities and reactions to what we were actually doing it, thats when I decided to talk to the client and guild her through what we were doing. The thoughts in my head at the time were that the client may not have experience the type of bed bath that we were performing and may have not been something she was used to. I felt calm but a little apprehensive due to this but could find the words at the time to ask her if this was the way her carers would normally perform a bed bath. It is important to remain professional at all times and make sure the client didnt feel too uncomfortable. I remember feeling somewhat responsible for the client as I was looking after her. I believe I acted in the best interest of my client and have acted in such a manner set out by the NMC Code of Professional Conduct. I felt that it would have been better for the staff nurse on duty to explain to the client in much more depth, why it was not possible to administer the drugs at the time of the clients request rather than just to say its not the right time and the drug round starts at 8:30. Although my client had told me the truth about her dislocated shoulder had been seen by the doctors and that it was safe to manoeuvre on as long as it was comfortable it was my responsibility to seek professional advice because of my uncertainty at the time. If for any reason had this not have been the truth there may have been serious repercussions. I dont think I would have known what to do if her condition had worsened due to the manoeuvre. The steps forward build on the steps backwards or sideways. They are also the steps necessary for self-reflecting from this statement emphasised by Tschudin (1999) I able to understand that confidence in the self is quite an important quality to be have in order to acknowledge setbacks and mistakes, your should be able to learn from them and even see them as part of the overall picture. EvaluationI have grater knowledge of such issues that can arise if set guideline, policies and procedures are not followed. There are very few bad points that had taken place during this reflective experience. I believe it is important to involve the client in decision making which I failed to illustrate wherever possible this was when we redressed the client after bed bathing without involving the client and allowing the client to choose. We all have a professional responsibility to provide care to all patients/clients to the highest possible standards of care that will not be compromised by infections standard set out by the NMC Code of Professional Conduct. I acknowledged limitations set out by the NMC Code of Professional Conduct, in that my knowledge and experience of the drugs on the ward was very limited and therefore I acquired help from a qualified member of staff. You must behave in a way that upholds the reputation of the professions outlined by the NMC Code of Professional Conduct this was maintain throughout the whole experience as I never spoke over the client nor did I ignore the client I showed the client up most respect. I was able to build a level of trust with theMy experience of working as a Health Care Assistance for and agency has enabled me to perform better in such conditions. By planning and discussing with the care team during handover and then with the patient about what our intentions are, what we are going to do and why, I was able to identify and minimise risks to the client. Seeing the way in which others behave or make mistakes allowed me to reflect on the point of view of others and to learn form them help me build on my knowledge. AnalysisI chose this experience as it is a procedure that I am quite confident with performing. Thiroux (1995) created his own set of principles of ethics, which can be applied to any situation. 1) The value of life, 2) Goodness or rightness, 3) Justice or fairness, 4) truth telling or honesty and 5) individual freedom. Ethical acts are executed in every day life even if we acknowledge it or not, the way we greet colleagues and clients even in the way in which we say good morning. Tschudin (1999) p175. As a training professional we are accountable for our actions and therefore must be able to backup any decision making with evidence I could see from my clients facial expressions that she was uncomfortable and was experiencing some sort of upset, during which in actual fact she was in a fair amount of pain. ConclusionI felt that the approach I took was in the right way and with the right intentions set out by the NMC Code of Professional Conduct. My reflective experience was very basic I felt and did not allow for much discussion, although a lot of the experience was preparation, planning and assessing which prevented the experience to go bad in anyway. I feel that as I am a first year nursing student I am very limited in what I can do and because of this little opportunity is given to me to experience other than what I have preformed as a Health Care Assistant. I felt that myself and the Auxiliary Nurse worked well together and were able to share the responsibility equally. Overall I found reflection on my experience interesting as it allowed me to look at legal, ethical and professional issues surrounding nursing practice. Action PlanIf a situation like this was to arise again I think I would like to try to take out more time to talk to the client about how they are feeling, at time I felt like I was prying too much as I felt like I was doing most of the talking. I also feel that it is important for me to work along side more experienced members of staff or qualified member of staff to be able to learn more whilst on my placements. Although I experienced in providing personal care to client I am not too familiar with ward setting. I do not think I have learnt an awful lot on the practical side of my experience but by reflecting on my experience in this assignment has allowed me to understand professional, legal and ethical issues of providing care and the dilemmas surrounding health care professionals. In the future I would not always go on the clients say so and seek professional advice and not just take the patient word. BibliographyBartter. K, (2001) Ethical Issues in Advanced Nursing Practice. London: Reed Elsevier Plc GroupBurnard. P, Chapman. C, (2004) Professional and Ethical Issues in Nursing. 3rd Edition. London: Elsevier LimitedGlasper. A, Grandis. S, Jackson. P, and Long. G, (2003) Foundation Studies for Nurses: using Enquiry Based Learning. New York: Palgrave MacmillamThe NMC Code of Professional Conduct Standards for Conduct, Performance and Ethics. Standards 07-04. London: Nursing Midwifery CouncilTschudin. V, (1999) Nurses Matter: Reclaiming Our Professional Identity. London:Macmillan

Compare and Contrast the two poems, London and Composed Upon Westminste

Compare and Contrast the two poems, London and Composed Upon Westminster Bridge Both of the poets write about London in their poems. There is one big difference between the form and the structure ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’ is written in the form of a sonnet where as the ‘London’ poem is just a four verse poem, each verse having four lines. Comparing the poems with one another I first picked up that they are equally written from first person perspectives which helps to express that these are the writer’s real thoughts and feelings of the great city. Blake doesn’t concentrate on the general scene: Like the buildings or the natural landscapes, He sees beyond all this and he thinks of the people who live there. He explains how everyone is sad and hopelessly depressed, he points out the prostitutes have no other means of earning money than to sell themselves and how the soldiers have to put their lives on the line whenever the king decides. He makes it interesting as he uses a lot of repetition in each stanza to emphasize his views, ‘‘in every cry of every man...

Marginalized Populations

April 14,2010 Communication for Marginalized Populations By: Nae Robinson Axia College of University of Phoenix HCA 230 Communication Skills for the Health Car Professional In this assignment we had to pick the best scenario for the four scenario that was given. I chose scenario 1, about an elderly woman who went to see the doctor for a examination her name is Mrs. Elson. She had a 24-year old medical assistant name Rosie who has been working in primary care practice for six months. While examining Mrs. Elson she weigh her, and took her blood pressure, at the same time she notice that Mrs. Elson was hard of hearing and show signs of stress and anxiety and seem confused about her results. We had three choices to choose from to see how the assistant would handle it and I chose choice 2 which states: â€Å" Mrs. Elson, your blood pressure is somewhat above normal–but normal can mean different numbers for different people. † â€Å" And what does that mean for me? † Mrs. Elson asks. Rosie says, â€Å" The doctor will have so much more information to share with you as to whether you have a problem and how to resolve it if you do. † I will be sure to document your question in the chart so he can address it with you. Accounting to the feedback for my choice, it is important that the technician keep the elderly patient in a positive mood, and diffuse extra anxiety above that which naturally occurs in a setting such as this. It is okay to share the blood pressure numbers; it is also possible to just say– â€Å"it is a little elevated. It is not the province of the medical technician to make personal commentary as to the reasons for this elevation. Essentially although she is a caregiver, she is not the primary caregiver, and does not have the expertise to make pronouncements or decisions for the patient. In scenario 3, you had a 39-year old woman from Venezuela who name is Ramona. She is an illegal alien with a green card pending and had been in the Un ited States for 17-years. This patient can speak English but do not speak it well so she have her 10-year old daughter interprets for her who’s name is Patricia. Jane, is the medical assistant who come in the examining room to discuss the problem with Ramona. The best choice for this situation is choice 1 which states: Hello, my name is Jane, Dr. Haven assistant, I am here to get you ready to see the doctor. How are you Ramona? And who is this beautiful child with you? Ramona responds, â€Å" This is my daughter, Patricia. † If I do not understand everything that you or the doctor says, Patricia can always help us out and interpret for me. â€Å" Good†, says Jane. â€Å" That what we need. † So what seems to be the problem. The feedback for the choice I pick states: Jane made Ramona and Patricia comfortable through friendly dialogue and by acknowledging Patricia. Now Ramona will be able to converse much more easily with the doctor, and Patricia will likely contribute valuable information. Last but not least scenario 4, we have a situation about the emergency room and how busy they can be. And if a situation is not of life or death people must sign in and wait to be call. We have a patient who walk in the emergency room name Marty, who eyes are red-rimmed and his breathing is rapid and shallow. He appears mussed, and not too clean. He moves erratically to the registration counter, where Maura is waiting to sign in patients. Now let’s see how she handle this situation with Marty. Out of the three choices number 2 is the best choice on how Maura handle the situation and it states: â€Å" Sir, you look in distress. † May I help you? I need help, said Marty. â€Å" What seems to be the problem? † Asks Maura. â€Å" Well, Marty says, I’m a farmer; I know it is allergy season, but I took my Asthma medicine and still can’t breathe! Please help me. According to the feedback for the choice I made; Maura, concern about the patient’s health, rather than his physical appearance, by identifying that Marty was in serious respiratory distress. By recognizing that he deserved as much or more care than other patients in the room, Maura correctly fulfilled her role as administrative staff. Good job Maura!!! I feel that this lesson from the simulatio n activity is to help handle different situations that may come up when you are a caregiver and work in the population. It also show how to handle ourselves and communicate with our patient’s on their level so they can understand us better.

Student Educational Loan Fund, Inc.

A Minnesota Student Loan Program www. selfloan. org Table of Contents About the Program Eligibility How to Apply Loan Size Loan Example Costs to the Borrower Loan Repayment Loan Servicer 1 1 3 4 5 5 6 9 This document can be made available in an alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling (651) 642-0567. March 2008 About the Program The Student Educational Loan Fund, or SELF Loan, can help you pay for your education beyond high school. The program is administered by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and can be used only for educational purposes. It is a loan, not a scholarship, so it must be repaid. Eligibility An eligible student must: †¢ be enrolled in an eligible school in Minnesota or be a Minnesota resident enrolled in an eligible school in another state or U. S. territory; a list of eligible institutions is available at www. selfloan. rg; †¢ be enrolled at least half time in a program leading to a certificate, associate, baccalaureate, graduate or education degree; †¢ be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by the school; †¢ not be in default of any student educational loan at the current or previous school; †¢ not be currently delinquent in payment of interest or principal on an outstanding loan from the SELF Program, or on any other federal, state, private or institutional student loan program; and †¢ have a credit-worthy co-signer. SELF Loan 1 Co-signer: You must have a credit-worthy co-signer who is either a U. S. itizen or a permanent resident, and who resides in the United States. The co-signer is responsible for making loan payments (interest, principal and other charges) if you fail to make payments. The co-signer is relieved of this responsibility only in the event of death or total and permanent disability of the borrower. A credit-worthy co-signer is one who has no account balances discharged through bankruptcy; no garnishments, attachments, foreclosure, repossession or suit; no more than $300 combined total in unsatisfied credit or unsatisfied payment obligations; or no more than five percent of credit bureau balances past due. The co-signer must be at least 24 years old or 18 years old if a sibling (i. e. , a brother or sister). 2 SELF Loan How to Apply Following are the steps to apply for a SELF Loan: †¢ Meet with a financial aid administrator at your college to discuss your eligibility for a SELF Loan. The financial aid office will use one of four application procedures (online SELF application, the TeleSELF electronic application, paper application or the combination paper/electronic application). The financial aid office can direct you to the appropriate application. The Office of Higher Education determines your eligibility and reviews the credit worthiness of your co-signer. If either the borrower or the co-signer are ineligible, they will be notified. †¢ The approved loan is scheduled for disbursement. On the date of disbursement, you and your co-signer are sent copies of the loan disclosure, which describes the specific terms of the loan and the scheduled disbursement date(s). †¢ Eit her a check is mailed to the school, or funds are electronically transmitted to the school, whichever the school prefers. Funds are disbursed by academic term. You should allow four weeks for the processing of the application and the disbursement of the funds. SELF Loan 3 Loan Size The financial aid administrator at the eligible school will determine the amount you can borrow. The loan amount cannot exceed the total cost of attendance, as defined by the institution, minus other financial aid that the student will receive. The minimum amount is $500. Maximum Loan Amounts The maximum loan is $7,500 for undergraduate levels and $9,000 for graduate levels provided that: †¢ The loan amount shall not exceed the cost of attendance less all other financial aid. You may borrow more than once during an academic year as long as you have not exceeded the grade-level borrowing limits, your request is for at least $500 and adequate time remains to process the application. Cumulative Borrowing Limits The cumulative SELF Loan debt shall not exceed the following grade level limits: $ 7,500 Grade Level 1 $15,000 Grade Level 2 $22,500 Grade Level 3 $30,0 00 Grade Level 4 $37,500 Grade Level 5 $55,500 Grade Levels 6 to 9 (includes all undergraduate and graduate debt) Grade level is determined by the school based on the number of credits earned. SELF Loan Loan Example Here is an example of how a SELF Loan can help you offset the total cost of attendance. Cost of attendance Less available financial aid Federal grants State grants Institutional assistance Private assistance Total Aid Total student obligation Maximum SELF Loan amount (based on grade level) $1,500 0 500 500 – $2,500 $7,500 $7,500 $10,000 Costs to the Borrower You must pay interest and principal on the loan. There are no guarantee, origination or processing fees charged. Interest Rate: The interest charged to you may change every quarter. The current SELF interest rate is available at www. selfloan. org. Borrowers pay an interest rate comprised of a percentage (the â€Å"margin†) that is added to the variable interest rate of the source of money (the â€Å"index†). As the index or margin increases or decreases over time, the interest charged will increase or decrease. The index rate is tied to the three-month London Interbank Offered Rates (LIBOR). SELF Loan 5 Loan Repayment Payment of Interest: You must pay interest quarterly while in school. This is called the â€Å"in-school period† Interest payments will start . approximately 90 days from the disbursement of the loan. During the first 12 months after graduation or if enrollment drops below half time, the borrower will be converted to a monthly interest repayment schedule. This 12-month period is called the â€Å"transition period† . Repayment of Principal and Interest: The period in which monthly principal and interest are paid is called the â€Å"repayment period† Near the end of . he 12-month transition period, you can choose between two repayment plans as long as a required repayment period has not started: †¢ The Standard Plan requires the monthly payment of principal and interest starting on the 13th month after graduation or when enrollment drops below half time. †¢ The Extended Interest Plan provides two additional years of monthly interest-only payments. Monthly payment of principal and interest with this plan begins on the 37th month after graduation or termination of study. While the Extended Interest Plan extends the transition period, it shortens the repayment period by the same two years. For SELF Loans from phases starting with SELF IV, if the aggregate principal balances of all SELF Loans is less than $18,750, the maximum repayment period will be 10 years from the end of the â€Å"in-school† status. For SELF Loans from phases starting with SELF IV, if the aggregate principal balances of all SELF Loans is $18,750 or greater, the maximum repayment period will be 15 years from the end of the â€Å"in-school† status. All SELF IV Loans will enter repayment no later than seven years after the first disbursement date on the loan. 6 SELF Loan Additional Loan Repayment Information: †¢ There are no deferment categories in the SELF Program. †¢ SELF Loans cannot be included in federal consolidation programs. Eligibility for repayment of SELF Loans under any student loan repayment program, such as a military program or AmeriCorps, is based on the criteria established by those programs for repayment of non-federal student loans. †¢ A borrower may move back and forth between the in-school and transition periods, but once a transition period has been exhausted and the repayment period entered, the borrower may NOT leave the repayment period. The total amount borrowed will determine the borrower’s monthly payment; however, the minimum monthly payment of principal and interest is $50. †¢ There is no penalty for prepaying SELF Loans. Transferring Schools: If you transfer to another school or pursue a higher degree at another institution, you must: †¢ enroll before the 12- to 36-month transition period elapses, †¢ enroll in a school that is a member of the SELF Program, and †¢ have time remaining before the seven-year mandatory repayment starts. If the school is not a member of the SELF Program, you will no longer be considered to be in the â€Å"in-school† status. SELF Loan 7 SELF Loan Repayment Examples Amount Borrowed Annual percentage rate during principal repayment period Interest rate applied to principal balance Quarterly interest payments while enrolled Monthly interest payments during transition period Monthly payments of principal and interest $7,500 $7,500 7. 00% 8. 00% 7. 00% 8. 00% $131. 25 $150. 00 $43. 75 $50. 00 108 payments of $93. 80 108 payments of $97. 64 The interest rate varies throughout the life of the loan and may increase or decrease. The example illustrates the repayment schedule for a $7,500 SELF Loan at two different interest rates and assumes that the stated rates do not change. It also assumes that payments of principal and interest will be made over a nine-year term, following interest-only payments during a four-year in-school period and for one year after school. 8 SELF Loan Loan Servicer A Servicer schedules and disburses your loan, sends bills, and keeps track of your loan payments and your current loan status. The Servicer for the SELF Program is Firstmark Services. Contact Firstmark Services for questions about your bill, payments or to make address or enrollment changes: Firstmark Services P. O. Box 25410 Woodbury, MN 55125-0410 Tel: (651) 265-7666 (888) 295-0713 toll free Visit www. firstmarkservices. com to check the status of pending applications and disbursements along with your payment and balance information. Minnesota Office of Higher Education SELF Loan is a program of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, a state agency providing students with a range of financial aid programs and information to help them gain access to postsecondary education. The agency manages the Minnesota State Grant program, which is a needbased grant program for eligible students who submit the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). The agency also oversees tuition reciprocity programs, Minnesota’s 529 college savings program, institutional licensing, a college awareness program for youth and serves as the state’s clearinghouse for data on postsecondary enrollment, financial aid, finance and trends. SELF Loan 9 Minnesota Office of Higher Education 1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350 Saint Paul, MN 55108-5227 Tel: 651. 642. 0567 or 800. 657. 3866 TTY Relay: 800. 627. 3529 Fax: 651. 642. 0570 E-mail: [email  protected] state. mn. us www. selfloan. org www. ohe. state. mn. us  ©2008 Minnesota Office of Higher Education Printed on recycled paper.

Free Essays on The Catholic Church

The Catholic Church during the Middle Ages played an all encompassing role over the lives of the people and the government. As the Dark Ages came to a close the ideas of the Renaissance started to take hold, and the church's power gradually began to wain. The monarchies of Europe also began to grow replacing the church's power. Monarchies, at the close of the Middle Ages and the dawn of the Renaissance, did not so much seek the guidance of the church as much as it sought their approval. However, the Church during the Age of Discovery was still a major influence. The discovery of the New World and its previously unknown inhabitants presented new problems in the Catholic Church in the late 14th and early 15th century. When Spain's rulers and emissaries decided to physically conquer and populate the New World, and not just trade with it, the transplantation of Christian institutions followed. The church established contact with the New World, and made it a goal to establish the Catholic doctrines among the native population there. The Catholic Church and the Spanish monarch, however, looked upon the native population in the New World as souls to be saved. They did not consider or treat the Indians as equals. The implanting of Christianity in the New World, and the treatment of the native population by the missionaries and christian conquerors was detrimental to New World. Through men such as Cortez and Las Casas accounts of the conversions have been recorded. One of the reasons for this was the alliance of the Catholic Church with the Spanish monarchy. The status of the Indians was disregarded as the Christian conquers and missionaries who wanted to convert them subjected them to violence and reduced them to a laboring population. The Indians, however did not always respond in a negative way to the work of the church. The Catholic Church arrived in the New World immediately after Christopher Columbus laid claim to it for Spain. Aft... Free Essays on The Catholic Church Free Essays on The Catholic Church The Catholic Church during the Middle Ages played an all encompassing role over the lives of the people and the government. As the Dark Ages came to a close the ideas of the Renaissance started to take hold, and the church's power gradually began to wain. The monarchies of Europe also began to grow replacing the church's power. Monarchies, at the close of the Middle Ages and the dawn of the Renaissance, did not so much seek the guidance of the church as much as it sought their approval. However, the Church during the Age of Discovery was still a major influence. The discovery of the New World and its previously unknown inhabitants presented new problems in the Catholic Church in the late 14th and early 15th century. When Spain's rulers and emissaries decided to physically conquer and populate the New World, and not just trade with it, the transplantation of Christian institutions followed. The church established contact with the New World, and made it a goal to establish the Catholic doctrines among the native population there. The Catholic Church and the Spanish monarch, however, looked upon the native population in the New World as souls to be saved. They did not consider or treat the Indians as equals. The implanting of Christianity in the New World, and the treatment of the native population by the missionaries and christian conquerors was detrimental to New World. Through men such as Cortez and Las Casas accounts of the conversions have been recorded. One of the reasons for this was the alliance of the Catholic Church with the Spanish monarchy. The status of the Indians was disregarded as the Christian conquers and missionaries who wanted to convert them subjected them to violence and reduced them to a laboring population. The Indians, however did not always respond in a negative way to the work of the church. The Catholic Church arrived in the New World immediately after Christopher Columbus laid claim to it for Spain. Aft...

The means of Civil Rights groups of receiving equality. essays

The means of Civil Rights groups of receiving equality. essays The strive for equality is the main goal for non-violent and militant civil rights organizations but through different means of receiving so. The main non-violent desegregation non-violent groups were CORE, SNCC, SCLC, and NAACP. The top militant civil rights groups were the Black Panthers and the Nation of Islam, also known as the Black Muslims. Both non-violent and militant civil rights groups wanted to be considered equal and receive the same rights as everyone else. Racism reigned supreme in the south when several civil rights groups began to defend their believed rights. Several racist groups took attacks against these civil rights organizers and injured and even killed many members. Both non-violent and militant groups knew that the had to rise above and overcome these racist groups as soon as possible. Though all striving for equality, these civil rights organizations had different intentions in doing so. Organizations such as CORE and SNCC went for the desegregation of schools and public facilities. They would do so in a non-violent manner and belief. Through being calm and non-violent the goal was to provoke anger, rage, and violence from their enemies. As a resul of violent actions shown against calm, peaceful nonviolent protesters throughout the media this would cause many people to become appalled at the actions. The public would not be able to ignore the violence against these innocent people. Some of this violence came about by sit-ins. This was used at several lunch counters. The members would sit at the counters and just wait to be served. Many would be refused service and even be harassed and/or hurt for peacefully sitting at a counter. Other methods used were marches and freedom rides. Members would ride buses through southern towns hoping to be jailed and cause more violence. These tactics took time though. Time and much patience were required to achieve results. The militant civil rights organizations...

Beauty Standards in Heian Japan, 794 - 1185 CE

Beauty Standards in Heian Japan, 794 - 1185 CE Different cultures have varied standards of female beauty. Some societies prefer women with stretched lower lips, or facial tattoos, or brass rings around their elongated necks. In Heian-era Japan, a beautiful woman had to have incredibly long hair, layer after layer of silk robes, and an intriguing make-up routine. Heian Era Hair The women of the imperial court in Heian Japan grew their hair as long as possible. They wore it straight down their backs, a shining sheet of black tresses (called kurokami). This fashion began as a reaction against imported Chinese fashions, which were much shorter and included ponytails or buns. The record-holder among Heian hair-growers, according to tradition, was a woman with hair 7 meters (23 feet) long! Beautiful Faces and Makeup The typical Heian beauty was required to have a pouty mouth, narrow eyes, a thin nose, and round apple-cheeks. Women used a heavy rice powder to paint their faces and necks white. They also drew bright red rose-bud lips on over their natural lip-lines. In a fashion that looks very odd to modern sensibilities, Japanese aristocratic women of this era shaved off their eyebrows. Then, they painted on misty new eyebrows high on their foreheads, almost at the hair-line. They achieved this effect by dipping their thumbs into black powder  and then smudging them onto their foreheads. This is known as butterfly eyebrows. Another feature that seems unattractive now was the fashion for blackened teeth. Because they used to whiten their skin, natural teeth ended up looking yellow in comparison. Therefore, Heian women painted their teeth black. Blackened teeth were supposed to be more attractive than yellow ones, and they also matched the womens black hair. Piles of Silk The final aspect of a Heian-era beautys preparations consisted of piling on the silk robes. This style of dress is called ni-hito, or twelve layers, but some upper-class women wore as many as forty layers of unlined silk. The layer closest to the skin was usually white, sometimes red. This garment was an ankle-length robe called the kosode; it was only visible at the neckline. Next was the nagabakama, a split skirt that tied at the waist and resembled a pair of red pants. Formal nagabakama could include a train more than a foot long. The first layer that was readily visible was the hitoe, a plain-colored robe. Over that, women layered between 10 and 40 beautifully patterned uchigi (robes), many of which were adorned with brocade or painted nature scenes. The top layer was called the uwagi, and it was made of the smoothest, finest silk. It often had elaborate decorations woven or painted into it. One final piece of silk completed the outfit for the highest ranks or for the most formal occasions; a sort of apron worn at the rear called a mo. It must have taken hours for these noble women to get ready to be seen in court each day. Pity their attendants, who did their own simplified version of the same routine first, and then helped their ladies with all of the necessary preparations of a Heian-era Japanese beauty. Source: Source on silks: Sara M. Harvey, The Juni-hito of Heian Japan.

Did the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics set new standards for CSR Essay

Did the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics set new standards for CSR - Essay Example The Olympic movement is more than a sport† (Babiak and Wolfe 2006, p.216). Olympics has a colossal history of antiquity, that dates back to ancient times. It had evolved for the betterment of mankind. The recent summer Olympics and Paralympics were held at London in 2012. Instead of throwing light upon the overview of this event, we widen our gaze and look into the political, economical and social features associated with it, thus leading to application of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) during the Olympics. The breadth of our study is not going to cease here, as it will broaden and culminate with a deeper understanding of CSR involved in London 2012 Olympics. In this content, let us analyze, whether or not, 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics paved a way to set new standards for CSR and to up to what extent. What is CSR? CSR is a corporate social responsibility in a three dimensional way, consisting of social, economic and environmental elements. There is no universal d efinition for CSR, as it depends upon various factors that vary from country to country. It can be defined as the ethical business practice, which is in conformity with law and also, with the needs of people and environment. Social responsibility in business has been considered since the beginning of business concepts. CSR is always associated with the word sustainability, but both are different. â€Å"Sustainability is part  of a good CSR plan, however, when you strive to be sustainable, it is not only in the environmental sense of word, but in a much more holistic way† (Pilarinos 2012).  CSR is an inevitable priority for long standing as well as emerging business organizations as they have to take care of crucial â€Å"Three Ps† namely people, profits and planet. It also becomes part of an organization’s marketing strategy. â€Å"93% of consumers globally expect firms to display. CSR is going beyond the minimum standards required by law to operate respons ibly by changing the business practices and lending support to address social and environmental issues.† (Mermod and Idowu 2013, p.3-4). But where does sports events like Olympics connects with CSR. In order to conduct massive events like Olympics, a private sponsor becomes an indispensable need. Here corporations come to play getting into the lime light, thus they can build local partnerships and create brand awareness. Sports and CSR Sports have power to unite the world and it can instill optimism, promoting healthy lifestyle and a sense of feeling contented. CSR plans are used by companies to sell their brand value. Almost every company could have CSR plans, as part of their strategies in its external environment. (Paetzold 2010). Sports and business corporations when working as a single unit can provide a strong impetus for positive changes in economic, social and environmental areas. CSR and sports organizations can work hand in hand, complementing each other. Business or ganizations have found that they can promote their product and services by exposing those things as well as the organizations’ logos through advertising boards, pamphlets and importantly by organizing events associated with sports. (Stoldt, Dittmore and Branvold 2011). CSR and London Olympics The remarkable thing to note in London Olympics is their commitment to being environmental friendly. This was achieved with the cooperation of corporations. â€Å"The most recent London Olympic games in 2012 was the first Olympic games to measure its carbon footprint over the

My Quest for Self Actualization Personal Statement

My Quest for Self Actualization - Personal Statement Example One other important thing about my personality is that I am a very social person. I think that it is impossible to pursue a successful and meaningful search for self-actualization without engaging in sincere social service and communication. If it were not for society, every person would reduce to nothing but a grave. So it has always been my endeavor to be socially active and relevant, wherever I am and whatever I am doing. Surprisingly, I find sports to be the most suitable avenue for individual achievement in a societal context. My panache for sports has certainly contributed to my innate sense of fair play and ambition. Perhaps that is why the people who know me find me very outgoing and cordial.  I am committed to pursuing my search for self-actualization, achievement and social relevance with a mindset that is quintessentially optimist and positive. I believe that if I am daring in my academic and career choices, doors will open up where earlier were walls.  

Sysco BI Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sysco BI - Case Study Example At Sysco, the main problem that might arise after the implementation of business intelligence is that the information that is provided is too small of what is actually required by the firm in order to function. Moreover at many times, the user may not at all be requiring the past data as the market is volatile and is subjected to frequent changes. The obstacle can be that Sysco will require more number of users for implementation and there are huge license fees for the set up of the software. Moreover the other difficulty that it will face is that a number of the companies already have small scale intelligence application and Sysco had decentralized IT structure which if the companies try to uninstall would be very time consuming and costly. It will therefore muddle the already existing commercial setting. Why did Sysco decide initially to address only two questions with its new BI software rather than use it as a more general analysis tool? Why did Business Objects recommend this approach? What are the tradeoffs? Answer: Initially only two questions were taken into consideration as both the questions were quite predictive and forward looking. It is also to be noted that one question deals with the products that is to be delivered to the customer and the other question deals with the customers. The answer provided to the question covers all the important aspects like competitors, customer satisfaction, customer services, customer profile that is the key to success for any firm. Moreover it is felt that initially during the implementation phase the company should focus only on the software, users and the training on answering the questions. The answer to the question was good enough to serve the customer in the better way and also it proved how good ‘Business Object’ can be at delivering the best product to Sysco. The various capabilities of Business Intelligence are Dashboards, Extraction, Data mining, Ad hoc querying and reporting,

Impact of the world bank and UNCTAD on developing countries Essay

Impact of the world bank and UNCTAD on developing countries - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) is a trade development agreement and the world’s apex financial institutions like World Bank have highly conjectured on the welfare dynamics of the developing nations. In the exorbitant milieu of a complex business process and developing globalization, economic inequality can be said to be one of the primal parameters in the measurement of the growth and the developmental judgment of several economies of the world. Capitalism, colonialism, an influx of capital spread and concentration of wealth has generated prosperity among several territories of the world and has given rise to the developed and rich nations. In the trading pattern also the developed countries have been seizing a mammoth amount of wealth with the dominance over the less developed and developing nations and have brought the mechanism of the trading pattern in their own hands with the dictating behavior of the wealth in their own hand and the drawing of the valuable resources for production and economic development in their own territorial entity. The less developed and the developing nations of the world have been highly lacking in resources and lacking in wealth accumulation with the dominance of the developed and rich nations in their favor. The lack of resources, as well as the lack in the wealth accumulation of these countries, have made these countries plunge into the realms of a vicious circle of poverty and have lead to the utter misfortune of these countries. Thus there has been the requirement of various international financial institutions to try and develop the economic deterioration of these countries and impart these countries towards the trajectory of sustainable growth. UNCTAD’s motive was directed towards a stylized development mission. At that juncture, the world has been changed drastically and the critical division of the East-West was making the very lit tle significant change after the collapse of the Berlin Wall. The axis of the North-South was a reality of the world with the North being depicted as the developed nations and the south being that of the developing as well as the developing nations. The trajectory of the development on the angle of North-South division was becoming the prime concern regarding the division of the developing as well as the developed nations. At this critical juncture, there was a high emergence of a developmental strategy which would be throwing the developing nations towards a domain where they will be receiving a high sigh of relief. The creation of UNCTAD was basically conjectured on the agenda of promoting development and advancement to the un-developed as well as the under-developed and newly independent countries as well as the newly industrialized countries (NICs). The main purpose of its establishment was focused on the economic integration of these economies into the world economy through the method of a balanced approach. It was the time when UNCTAD was developed, the world was at the summit of the East-West conflict and the south has been emerging as an economic clustering of poor countries vis-a-vis the northern countries which are the rich countries.

Otto von Bismarck as a statesman Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Otto von Bismarck as a statesman - Term Paper Example In 1838, he resigned from his job because of boredom. In 1847, he got married to Johanna von Puttkamer; this was a turning point in his life because of the enormous support he received from Puttkamer. During the same period he embraced Christian tradition of the Lutheranism and began his service in the Prussian legislature; in 1847, he was elected into the Prussian parliament. In his tenure in the parliament, he opposed the liberal movement and campaigned for the unification of Germany under the support of Prussia. He also protected the rights of the Junkers (his elite social class). He served as a Prussian minister in the German government at Frankfurt between 1851 and 1859. He also served as an ambassador to Paris in 1862 and to St. Petersburg between 1859 and 1862. In both services he acquired more insight and experience that would partially establish his subsequent policies (The Questia.com 1).it is up to today debated whether Bismarck had a master plan to expand the north German confederation of 1866 to include the remaining independent German states into one country or maybe he just wanted to expand the power of the kingdom of Prussia .many reaction to Danish and other neighboring country provided foci for German unity Bismarck was an opportunist and good diplomat than a master planner. Political discontent and democratic liberalism were spreading through the parliaments and streets of Europe and people like Bismarck staunchly opposed to democratic liberalism were staunchly opposed to democratic liberalism were to work very hard to stay afloat. Bismarck did it by being pragmatist instead of idealist. He opposed any concession to the liberals and expressed contempt for the king’s willingness to bargain with revolutionaries. He was the best into taking advantage of his opportunities and leading them in the right way always. He was the main factor in unification of Germany. Otto von Bismarck was a very conservative political leader Germany has ever ha d. Wars with Austria and France He was appointed as a premier in 1862 by William I in order to securely adopt the Prussian program for the king’s army; the program was overwhelmingly rejected in the parliament. Bismarck’s main purpose was to drive out Austria from the German Confederation. He provoked the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 by accusing Austria of violation of the Gastein treaty. Austria was defeated and Germany reorganized into the North German Confederation under the Prussian leadership; Austria was not included. He also provoked the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) and he was able to obtain Lorraine and Alsace from France (The Questia.com 1). Alignments and Alliances Bismarck had full control of the domestic and foreign affairs. For the consolidation of the empire, he aimed at gaining the friendship of Austria, maintain British friendship by avoiding colonial or naval rivalry and isolate France through diplomacy. Thus, in 1872, he created the Three Emperorâ⠂¬â„¢s League (Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Germany). A rift in the Russo-German relations led to a Dual Alliance with Austria and the Dual Alliance became a Triple Alliance when Italy joined in 1882. The Reinsurance Treaty of 1887 revived Germany relationship with Russia (The Questia.com 1) how strong the nationalism. Bismarck knew very well that the alliances that war could accomplish his goals. How Bismarck dealt with Austria shows his commitment to maintaining boundaries based on political and

Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes Band Assignment

Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes Band - Assignment Example The song also received a positive welcome in the commercial arena. Following the good commercial reception, the song won a Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Rock Song title. Generally, the song explores the aspects of general life. What we see in the song is like-themed with some other songs in the album such as Blue Orchid. Though the song addresses some issues which the singer feels, it raises a feeling of self-worth and even more, a call to fight for one's rights. In analyzing this song, I will basically focus on the approaches aforementioned, that is; life in general and fight for freedom. Besides that, I will also analyze the video, musical as well as the lyrical structure of the song. To start with, the video is red themed. The video starts with a unique work by the producer. It then progresses to a kaleidoscopic view with three colors which are black, red and white. At some points in the video, there are scenes of skeletons holding shields which reflects the lyrics of the song that seven armies would not hold him back. The two Whites change roles with their instruments in harmony with the beats of the song. Still, in the video, there is an elephant citing which captures an association of the song with the title of the album. Back to the musical and lyrical analysis, the song starts with what sounds like bass, however, what sounds like the ass is actually a guitar to which an octave effect has been added that makes it sound like a bass. There is then the introduction of the drums’ this mixture of instruments, where all the instruments were used in the former years of the 1950s makes the music unique in its own. The song has three main stanzas. Each stanza s eems to be a continuation of the story in the former stanza; this gives the song a smooth flow from the start to its end. Every stanza has its own major idea but all in all, they sum up to form a masterpiece of a song.

Otto von Bismarck as a statesman Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Otto von Bismarck as a statesman - Term Paper Example In 1838, he resigned from his job because of boredom. In 1847, he got married to Johanna von Puttkamer; this was a turning point in his life because of the enormous support he received from Puttkamer. During the same period he embraced Christian tradition of the Lutheranism and began his service in the Prussian legislature; in 1847, he was elected into the Prussian parliament. In his tenure in the parliament, he opposed the liberal movement and campaigned for the unification of Germany under the support of Prussia. He also protected the rights of the Junkers (his elite social class). He served as a Prussian minister in the German government at Frankfurt between 1851 and 1859. He also served as an ambassador to Paris in 1862 and to St. Petersburg between 1859 and 1862. In both services he acquired more insight and experience that would partially establish his subsequent policies (The Questia.com 1).it is up to today debated whether Bismarck had a master plan to expand the north German confederation of 1866 to include the remaining independent German states into one country or maybe he just wanted to expand the power of the kingdom of Prussia .many reaction to Danish and other neighboring country provided foci for German unity Bismarck was an opportunist and good diplomat than a master planner. Political discontent and democratic liberalism were spreading through the parliaments and streets of Europe and people like Bismarck staunchly opposed to democratic liberalism were staunchly opposed to democratic liberalism were to work very hard to stay afloat. Bismarck did it by being pragmatist instead of idealist. He opposed any concession to the liberals and expressed contempt for the king’s willingness to bargain with revolutionaries. He was the best into taking advantage of his opportunities and leading them in the right way always. He was the main factor in unification of Germany. Otto von Bismarck was a very conservative political leader Germany has ever ha d. Wars with Austria and France He was appointed as a premier in 1862 by William I in order to securely adopt the Prussian program for the king’s army; the program was overwhelmingly rejected in the parliament. Bismarck’s main purpose was to drive out Austria from the German Confederation. He provoked the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 by accusing Austria of violation of the Gastein treaty. Austria was defeated and Germany reorganized into the North German Confederation under the Prussian leadership; Austria was not included. He also provoked the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) and he was able to obtain Lorraine and Alsace from France (The Questia.com 1). Alignments and Alliances Bismarck had full control of the domestic and foreign affairs. For the consolidation of the empire, he aimed at gaining the friendship of Austria, maintain British friendship by avoiding colonial or naval rivalry and isolate France through diplomacy. Thus, in 1872, he created the Three Emperorâ⠂¬â„¢s League (Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Germany). A rift in the Russo-German relations led to a Dual Alliance with Austria and the Dual Alliance became a Triple Alliance when Italy joined in 1882. The Reinsurance Treaty of 1887 revived Germany relationship with Russia (The Questia.com 1) how strong the nationalism. Bismarck knew very well that the alliances that war could accomplish his goals. How Bismarck dealt with Austria shows his commitment to maintaining boundaries based on political and

A Perspective on the Influence of College Clubs Essay Example for Free

A Perspective on the Influence of College Clubs Essay College clubs have been a part of university life since the very first fraternities and sororities were created. If the student so chooses, he or she can make college an experience to remember by joining a club. They range from things like journalism and math to sports such as soccer or lacrosse. People who join these clubs tend to have a background in the topic or at the very least, an interest in learning about it. There is a club for everything you can think of, and if there isn’t, it is not that hard to start one. Clubs in college, although similar to those in high school, are quite different in the types of people and the variety of cultures brought together by the sheer size and caliber of a college. The importance and benefits of college clubs cannot be numbered, not just for the students but also for the community. Though there are myriad benefits to joining a college club, some have brought up possible problems with joining or being able to join clubs. Academically speaking, college clubs have interfered with a student’s productivity, particularly in the areas of homework and studying. This leads into the economic issues with college clubs; students sometimes have trouble being able to pay fees to join clubs that they would like to join and therefore can be deprived of the experience simply because of financial issues. Finally the social perspective: some sociologists have been led to the conclusion that college clubs have, in several cases, caused social problems for students because of the connections people unknowingly make between a club name or topic and a preconceived notion about what it may concern. These arguments, while valid, do not outweigh the benefits derived from joining clubs. Joining a club during your freshman year of college is a great way to meet people who have similar interests. Finding friends in college can be difficult. College clubs can help change that because they bring together people from different cultures and backgrounds and create a common ground where they can discuss their ideas about a certain topic in a safe environment without having to worry about being ridiculed. College clubs are a way for people to establish their own socioeconomic status, or SES, within the campus and dictate their values. Depending on the clubs available, people join the ones that will most suit them and create a reputation just by the clubs they join. The various options come with various consequences and outcomes during and after college. Marybeth Walpole, an Assistant Professor at Rowan University, has discovered that the clubs one joins have been proven to shape the way one progresses through college, and, in some cases, completely alter the way one views the world after college. John Foubert and Lauren Grainger explored the psychological development of students in their freshman year and those in their senior year and the differences between the two. They found that students who get involved during their freshman year show more development over the course of the four year period and are more likely to continue to join clubs and find ways to involve themselves on campus. Clubs have a very influential and positive impact on both the students that participate in them and the campus, or community, where they take place. Research on college clubs has been tested and revealed several interesting facts about the correlation between academic performance and being part of a club. In general, taking part in a club has little to no effect on doing well academically in school. This generalization, taken from the statistical analysis of a collection of survey responses conducted by Myrnell L. Martin, a graduate of Missouri West, is applied with the knowledge that most clubs are non-academic and instead support extra-curricular activity. Many believe that clubs can interfere with homework and study time in a student’s life. This can be true if the student is unorganized and is unable to manage a schedule. With this in mind, a club can therefore act as a tool to help the student manage time more wisely. For most college students, participation in a club allows the student to have a basis on which he or she can create a schedule and arrange their daily lives. Homework and studying should not take a backseat to clubs but certainly does not have to as long as the students takes into account the amount of work that must be done both for the club and outside of the club. This concept, of successful time management, learned by the student because of joining a club in college, can then be applied outside of college in the working world. Joining a club can quite possibly cost a lot, depending, of course, on the club. Clubs whose fees are higher generally have smaller group and a much more developed program. Most clubs only require a few dollars out of pocket, perhaps twenty-five dollars at most, at the very beginning for small purchases here and there. Those clubs that don’t require any fees are usually the most populated and will have a greater chance of bringing people from very diverse backgrounds together. Although clubs may charge fees, many clubs will have payment options or even sponsorships from various third parties. This is truly beneficial for students who are stretched to the limit financially, especially at expensive universities. Paying for club participation is usually a sign of quality, and leads to an enriched environment in which the student can take more away from the experience. When clubs charge a fee, it means they have either activities planned for the club or possibly some food and paraphernalia throughout the year. While having to pay for a club does not sound like the most exciting thing in the world for college students, it will most likely to lead to a more rewarding experience and more enjoyment from that club. College clubs have their place on campus, and are often widely recognized as important contributors to the campus as a whole. In special cases, clubs have developed into organizations that play a major part in the goings-on on campus. These include student governing organizations and the like which have developed because students take an interest in government and ruling ideals which help these students later on in life because they learn about the democratic process in a hands-on environment, as well as leadership skills that can be applied across the board. Clubs have a history of improving campus life and involving students in societal projects to better the community. Edward Hartshorne conducted research in this field and discovered that college is the ideal place for continuous club organizations and their universal impact on the campus. He reasons that each student’s impact spans for an approximate seven year â€Å"generation,† where there are the three years ahead of the student as a freshman and then the three years behind the student as a senior. This provides for a perpetuation of ideas through normal contact which results in a link that can span for as long as the club or organization decides to continue. This continuation of clubs and ideas transforms into a sort of â€Å"college culture†, described by Hartshorne as the upholding of certain social â€Å"norms†, which were established long before each generation arrived and will continue to endure after that generation departs. I, myself, am currently involved in Cal Poly Club Lacrosse as well as Formula SAE, and feel I am better for it. It allows me to escape from the academic side of college and do physical exercise in a manner that suits me. I love playing lacrosse and though I find it hard to make the time commitment I have always been able to push myself to make time in my schedule for everything I need to get done. Club lacrosse helps me to organize myself because it creates a time pressure situation where I must manage my time wisely and complete the homework necessary before I plan time for myself. Although I have had less time to do the things I want to do, such as hang out with friends, I still am able to do these activities, just in moderation. However, I accomplish more because I strive to do better so that I don’t have to stress out over the small things. Lacrosse has also been an outlet for me to find new friends on campus which I can rely on because I know that lacrosse is important for them as well. Formula SAE allows me to utilize what I’ve learned in school and apply it to real life situations by designing a racecar to compete against other schools. I have learned a lot from both the club experience and the other members of the club. This club also allows me to spend time with other engineers who are interested in cars. Clubs have definitely made a difference in my life at Cal Poly and I’m that they can do the same for all college freshmen.

Transportation System Reliability and Safety

Transportation System Reliability and Safety Abstract In this report, the basic of transport systems framework are talked about which cover three noteworthy methods of transportation specifically road, water and air transportation. In each of the area, a short touch in the historical backdrop of these transportations modes is talked about. The different reasons for accidents are discussed in detailed with data, graphs etc. from various sources. Some of the reasons for road accidents that are highlighted in this report are mainly due to Road rage, Aged driving, Driving after alcohol Consumption and not attentive during driving. The different reasons are compared and various counter measures to avoid these cases are given. In addition different approaches to fabricate more secure streets and different procedures to avoid street accidents are specified. Introduction Transportation system is one of the vital everyday services utilized by a huge number of individuals to achieve their destinations. This is utilized by all classes of individuals in the general public running from President, Prime Minister to basic man. Any deviation in the wellbeing of such system can prompt to cataclysmic outcomes. In the past, numerous high scale and prominent mischance occurred in land, water and air. Consistently number of mishaps around the world keeps on increasing yearly. Consequently, it wont not be wrong to state that transportation system is a standout amongst the most essential examination zones in the field of wellbeing and unwavering quality and needs a great amount of attention. A single accident can take hundreds of life, so one might say that a principal consideration is expected to make the transportation system as solid as could be expected under the circumstances. It has been noted that there are over 1.6 million fatal accidents worldwide involving car accidents alone. In developed countries like United States of America, Australia, United Kingdom deaths due to road accidents are one of the leading causes of annual death rate. Even in developing countries the story is same. To minimize death rates due to these reasons, a great amount of funds, resources are released and programs are also conducted to enlighten people. History of Transportation Systems Road Transportation Transportation systems were at first created to satisfy the human hunger for voyaging faster and to cover large distances. In olden days, people used foot wears, snowshoes to travel long distance. In the early days of transportation time, animals were used as a essential vehicles. The innovation of the spoke-wheel incredibly expanded the effectiveness of transportation system and requirement for roadways were created. Early roadways were produced using block and stones. Yet, it wasnt until the modern insurgency in the eighteenth century that new methods were produced. With the assistance of Macadam, roads were built. The innovation that had the best effect on current transportation system came as steam engine in the eighteenth century. Steam engines were initially utilized in railway system, as well as in vehicles and steamboats. People could travel more noteworthy separations than any time in recent memory with the assistance of this new development. Diesel trains were created to further upgrade the abilities of the railway system. The creation of IC engines in the early twentieth century reformed the car part and developmental changes in the car outlines have prompted to the vehicles that are seen on the streets nowadays. Presently there are more than twenty three million vehicles in Canada alone with nine hundred thousand kilometer of roads. Water Transportation Paddles and sails speak to the two early advances in water travel, expanding both ships speed and dependability. With paddles, boats could be paddled against the current, also move regardless of the possibility that confronting ominous winds. With sails, boats could outfit the huge vitality of the wind to travel long separations. A standout amongst the most critical early revelations was the lateen sail, a triangular sail that could change over side winds into forward constrain. The lateen sail permitted boats to cruise against the wind, or tack. It was the real sail innovation utilized via nautical individuals in old circumstances. The stern rudder, which permitted more noteworthy control of boats, supplanted the side controlling paddle in the eighth century in China and in the twelfth century in Scandinavia. Incredible advances were made in navigation that permitted boats to dare to ocean and securely return. Early oceangoing boats for the most part remained nearby to shore, however primitive astrolabes had been produced to help decide latitude. Therefore, seafarers could decide their position in water. The astrolabe was prevailing by the octant, and in eighteenth century the sextant was designed. The sextant remained the most exact gadget to gauge scope until the twentieth century. To decide course when deceivability was poor, the Chinese utilized a lodestone spoon turning on a bronze plate as an early compass. By the twelfth century the attractive compass was being utilized as a route help. With the expanding ocean investigation of the world that started in the mid 1400s, the specialty of mapmaking bloomed. With precise maps, pioneers could discover their direction when their area was checked against known historic points. The most essential innovative advancement for inland water transportation was the development of the canal lock. The lock interfaces extends of trench worked at various rises. In spite of the fact that a basic waterway bolt was utilized by the Chinese, the most broad utilization of secures was discovered Holland, where usable locks were operation. As the herald of todays two-gated lock, the pound bolt permitted boats to enter one end of a trench and, after water was included or expelled, to exit at the flip side at an alternate water level. Air Transportation I.C engine has a significant effect on air transportation. The first aero plane was flown by Wright brothers in the year 1903. As time passed the development of jet engine allowed even greater speed and distances making it possible to travel round the globe in less time. Commercial air transportation began in 1914,first scheduling was done across Tampa bay and Florida. Since then there has been a lot of changes by bringing the world closer together. Present scenario 3.1 Road Accidents Accidents involving automobiles make headlines every day all over the world. Over 1.5 million deaths were related to accidents. And as mentioned earlier, automobile accidents related deaths are only second to AIDS in terms of causes of untimely death for men between the ages of 15 and 44. There are many causes that contribute to the high number of fatalities. Major causes are explored further and their potential solutions are carefully examined in this report. 3.1.1 Attention and Awareness One of the other major causes of automobile accidents includes lack of attention and awareness by the drivers. Using phones while driving is one of the main reasons for accidents. In 2003, it was determined that cell phone use alone may have been responsible for more than 2.5kdeaths and 330,000 injuries in U.S alone. It was also responsible for 1.5 million instances of property damage. Motorists who use cell phones while driving are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to lead to death. New results, published in July 2005, suggest that banning hand-held phone use wont necessarily improve safety if drivers simply switch to hands-free phones. The study found that injury crash risk didnt vary with type of phone. In California, a study was conducted on the relationship between cell phone usage and driving at the same time. It was determined that cell-phone use was linked to accidents involving 611 drivers during the first six months of 2002. A study from the United Kingdom revealed that talking on any cell phone while driving is so mentally distracting that it is as dangerous, as driving when slightly over the legal blood-alcohol limit. By mid 2004, American bodies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were rightly starting to challenge the wisdom of approving the use even of hands-free cell phones while driving. The world-renowned Transport Research Laboratory was commissioned to perform a study after a survey revealed that 40% of drivers in Britain, use a cell phone while driving. Even though most of those drivers realized that using a cell phone is distracting, they did not think it to be as dangerous as drinking and driving. Another study was carried out over three months, after which a panel of volunteers was tested on a sophisticated driving simulator. The level of driving impairment was tested for the three relevant driving situations: talking on a hand-held cell phone, talking on a hands-free phone, and driving when slightly over the legal blood-alcohol limit. The result was that the drivers reaction times were thirty percent worse when they were talking on cell phones than when they were borderline intoxicated. Compared to normal driving conditions, drivers talking on the hand-held phone were fifty percent impaired. Two of the most visible problems that resulted from this impairment were an inability to maintain a constant speed and an inability to remain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead. Drivers in the study later admitted that they had actually found it easier to drive while intoxicated (just over the legal limit) than when using a cell phone, whether it was hand-held or hands-free. Drivers using cell phones also missed many more road signs than did the drunk drivers. It was also demonstrated from the study that hand-held cell phones proved to be even more distracting than hands-free units. Steps taken to prevent this Even though there are many studies which dispute the effects of cell phone usage and accidents. Lawmakers all over the world are being convinced that there exist a connection and have, therefore, legislated laws banning the use of hand held phones while driving. Cellular telephone use is rapidly expanding worldwide and is increasingly being used by all age groups for personal communications, while business use continues unabated. Some new cellular telephone users will place calls while driving, which may lead to greater exposure to cellular telephone-related distractions in the driving population, all else being equal. Driver inattention to the driving task, the key safety-relevant outcome of driver distraction, has been implicated in many traffic crashes. The distraction may be reduced if drivers are aware of the hazards and use their cellular telephones carefully while on the road. Distraction potential can also be reduced by ergonomically sound cellular telephone designs and new Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies that may be capable of compensating for driver distraction by alerting drivers when traffic conflicts or hazards are present. The safety benefits of cellular telephones are well recognized as users frequently make calls to report disabled vehicles, accidents, hazardous road conditions, medical emergencies, and crimes in progress. However, the safety benefits are not without drawbacks. For example, some emergency response networks have reported in excess of one hundred 911 calls for the same incident, making the networks unavailable for reporting other emergencies. Furthermore, traffic safety itself may be degraded somewhat if more drivers are distracted while making such calls in hazardous driving situations, e.g., slowed or stop-and-go traffic, and rubbernecking. Elderly drivers in general find it more difficult to perform concurrent tasks and process information quickly. A cellular telephone, if used while driving, may aggravate age-related problems by introducing a distracting, concurrent task. In addition, elderly drivers will often find it more challenging to operate cellular telephones that tend toward small displays and controls designed to specifications drawn from a younger population. Laws limiting the use of cellular telephones while driving have been enacted in a number of countries throughout the world. Laws specifically prohibit careless or inattentive driving. While attempts have been made to enact laws limiting the use of cellular telephones while driving in some States in the U.S., none thus far has been successful. In Washington state however, the motor vehicle was amended to specifically permit use of approved headphones by motorists using hands-free, wireless communications systems, which may be viewed as promoting the use of hands-free cellular telephones and prohibiting the use of hand held or other unapproved systems. States are encouraged to actively enforce their reckless and inattentive driving laws and states without inattentive driving laws should consider enacting such provisions. When law enforcement police officers see reckless or inattentive driving that is associated with the use of cellular telephones, it ought to be noted in the officers report or on the citation. Similarly, when a crash occurs, it should be noted on the police crash report whether a cellular telephone was in use during or prior to the crash. This information could be useful in allowing states to assess the magnitude and nature of the problem of cellular telephone use by drivers. Legislative proposals that have been introduced in the States have focused primarily on prohibiting the use of cellular telephones that require drivers to use their hands to operate or hold the phone. These proposals generally allow the use of hands-free models. The outcome of any restrictions or limitations, however, may not be as clear-cut as initially believed. For example, these legislative initiatives seem to be based on the assumption that hands-free cellular telephones phones are acceptable while driving, but hand-held phones are not. Properly implemented, hands-free designs should reduce the distractions associated with dialing, holding, reaching for, or picking up a dropped handset and allow the driver to keep both hands on the wheel. However, hands-free phones do nothing to mitigate the distraction potential of cellular telephone conversation. Proposed legislation that prohibits only the use of hand held cellular telephones may, in fact, promote cellular telephone use (e.g., drivers may use their phone more frequently and for a longer duration) among limited users and non-users by suggesting that hands free use is safe. This could potentially increase exposure to any safety hazards that may exist. Thus, the outcome of legislation specifying hands free only usage, may be an increase in cellular telephone related crashes to the extent that conversation itself is a causal factor in crashes. Considering the inconclusive nature of empirical evidence reviewed on the magnitude of the cellular telephone-related highway safety problem, existing legislative initiatives may thus be inappropriate on technical grounds alone for now. For this reason, it is important to add to any legislation adequate data collection system to monitor the impact of the legislation on relevant crashes. An effort should be also be made to examine the cost-benefit tradeoffs of legislative actions related to cellular telephone use while driving. Potential costs of unrestricted cellular telephone use may include those associated with distraction-induced crashes and degraded driving performance. Benefits of unrestricted cellular telephone use include more efficient use of commuting time, emergency service notification capability, and the conveniences attendant to closer communications with family, friends and business. 3.1.2 Alcohol consumption and Driving It became evident soon after the introduction of motor vehicles that drivers under the influence of alcohol increases the risk of crashing, and laws prohibiting alcohol-impaired driving. Enforcement of laws by authorities was the primary approach to accidents prevention, but it proved difficult to prove roadside evaluations of drivers fitness to drive. During the 1940s, highway patrol police officers identified alcohol involvement in only three percent of traffic collisions whereas epidemiological studies using breath and blood measurement of alcohol levels showed much greater alcohol involvement. The evidence that alcohol was causally involved in a significant proportion of crashes led to the enactment of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits for driving. The first such law was passed in 1939 with the limit set at 0.15% BAC. Although the laws subsequently passed throughout the United States lowered the limit to 0.10% or 0.08%, scientific studies of alcohol effects on driving skil ls demonstrate that impairment also occurs at even lower BACs. Empirical data suggests that the degree of impairment produced by alcohol may be modified by other variables. During the time of the study in 1962, women drivers drove far less frequently and for shorter distances than male drivers, hence possibly making them more susceptible to alcohol effects on driving. Analysis of the studys data relied primarily on uni-variate statistical methods, which could not discriminate the effects of age, gender, and drinking practices from the effects of other variables. In the same study, a gender and alcohol interaction did not occur until the BACs reached a level of 0.08% and above. At those levels, women were more frequently accident-involved than men. Laboratory studies of the responses by men and women to alcohol, however, provided inconclusive results. Most experiments had given men and women the same alcohol dosage but since the body fat and total body water of men and women differ greatly even when they are the same age, height and weight, women reach a higher BAC than men for the same alcohol amount. Many early studies failed to take this into account, but more recent studies have used comparable BACs rather than equivalent doses. Even though most early studies failed to find significant difference between male and female subjects, more reliable evidence exists for an interaction between alcohol and drinking practices. The Grand Rapids study reported that the likelihood of involvement in a collision for drivers at the same BAC was greatest for the drivers with the lowest daily alcohol consumption. A study done in 1974 supported this finding with a comparison of extremely heavy drinkers and moderate drinkers. They reported that heavy drinkers were less impaired than moderate drinkers at equal BACs on several psychomotor tasks. Also, a mean ethanol clearance rate of 0.020% per hour for the heavy drinkers, in comparison to a rate of 0.017% per hour for the moderate drinkers, showed a physiological difference between the heavy and moderate drinkers. Steps taken to prevent this One of the major tools used to reduce the number of fatalities involving DWI is a law called the 0.08 BAC Law. As of August 2000, 19 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have enacted .08 per se laws in the United States. These laws make it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08 percent. The early evidence has demonstrated that 0.08 leads to a reduction in alcohol-related fatalities, especially when implemented in concert with a strong publicity campaign and highly visible enforcement. A real-life example of the effectiveness of 0.08 BAC law is found in Illinois where the number of drivers with positive BACs (BAC>0.08) in fatal crashes decreased 13.7 percent in Illinois after implementation of the 0.08 law. This is a statistically significant reduction, and included drivers at both low and high BACs. The researchers estimated that the 0.08 law saved 47 lives in Illinois in 1998. The 13.7% reduction in Illinois is higher than typically has been found in other studies of the effects of 0.08 laws. There is a minimal cost associated in the implementation. Also, only a small increase in arrests, but not enough to overburden the courts. It can be accommodated with existing law as same rules of enforcement apply, for example probable cause law to stop a driver. It also succeeds in sending a message to the public that the State is getting tougher on impaired driving and therefore potential benefits far outweigh any costs 3.1.3 Aged Driving Fragility increases with age. Elderly drivers and passengers are more likely to be killed than younger drivers in crashes of similar severity. In addition, as a person ages, specific functions related to driving skills may decline; including vision, hearing, reaction time, and cognitive and motor abilities. While many elderly persons are able to compensate because of years of driving experience and safe behaviors, the aging process affects people in different ways and on different timetables; and thats why some elderly people experience a decline in their driving skills. Though motorists over the age of 70 drive far less frequently than other age groups, they already account for an outsize proportion of fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The death rate per mile traveled for drivers over 85 is four times that of the 30-60 aged group. The only group more dangerous than senior citizens is teen-agers. Senior drivers have special trouble judging s peed and distances, which causes an inordinate number of rear-end and left-hand-turn accidents. 3.1.4 Road Rage Its defined as an incident in which an impatient motorist or passenger intentionally injures or kills another motorist, passenger or pedestrian; attempts or threatens to injure or kill another motorist, passenger or pedestrian. Road rage is uncontrolled anger that results in violence or threatened violence on the road; it is criminal behavior. 3.1.5 Improving the Vehicle and Driving Environment Safety experts are working to enhance the safety of vehicles for elderly drivers. For example, automobiles are being adapted to make driving easier, including the use of features like wide-angle mirrors and increasing the readability of the instrument panel. Force-limiting airbags and seatbelts are in development. The driving environment can also be modified. The Federal Highway Administration has developed a handbook for state officials on road design and management that improves the safety of the driving environment for elderly persons and all other road users. The lettering, brightness and contrast, size, and location of traffic signs can be changed to improve visibility. And finally, traffic and road design can enhance driver safety by including left-turn lanes, protected turn signals, and traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps. 3.1.6 Environmental Factors The driving environment impacts the safety of co-passengers when they drive. Signs and road markings may be difficult to see at night; small lettering may be difficult to read even during the day; and large intersections with multiple access roads can be complex and confusing. Furthermore, the vehicles that elderly persons use may also impede safe driving. Some drivers tend to drive elderly vehicles, which may lack modern safety features. In newer vehicles, instrument panels with many features may be confusing to the elderly drivers. Airbags and seatbelts may require fine-tuning so that they are less likely to break elderly persons more fragile bones. Seatbelts are especially important for elderly persons because of their increased risk of death in crashes. Driver refresher courses for elderly adults are available. The AARP Driver Safety Program serves more than 700,000 drivers each year. In addition, keeping fit and healthy also affects driving ability. Persons aged 75 or elderly with poor health and disability status (HDS) drive less often than persons with excellent HDS, and report more problems when they do drive. Certain medications can interfere with driving skills, especially for persons taking multiple medications, or combining medications with alc ohol. Steps taken to prevent this Currently, licensing laws vary dramatically from country to country and province to province. At least 20 states have special provisions, such as vision or writing tests, which 65 and 70-year old drivers must complete before renewing their licenses. Some states have confidential procedures that allow friends, family or medical professionals to report seniors they think shouldnt be driving. Other states are considering graduated licensing laws for seniors, similar to ones for teen-agers in some states. In Connecticut, for example, drivers aged 65 or elderly can be on a two-year or six-year renewal cycle, and they usually have to appear in person. In New Jersey, a recent Senate bill plans to devote funds to create senior citizen safe-driving health centers that would offer hospital-based medical and diagnostic services to improve the driving capability of elderly people. They will also assess the need for a seniors car to be modified by adjusting brakes, mirrors or steering. The bill is also going to allow for auto-insurance premium reductions for elderly drivers who complete a safe-driving program. In Hawaii, new legislation introduced in February would require all residents 75 or elderly to take a driving test when renewing their licenses. In Washington, a 2004 bill that required medical certification for drivers 75 and elderly was introduced, but failed to make it out of committee. 3.2 Designing better roads One of the best ways to reduce the number of fatalities due to any road accident is to design better and safer roads. Two fundamental goals have been devised in the strategic plan for design of safer roads: to prevent vehicles from leaving the roadway, and second, to minimize the impact on the traveler if the vehicle does depart the roadway. A number of possible countermeasures are available to reduce roadway departure crashes, which represent 59 percent of all fatalities. Countermeasures to prevent vehicles from leaving the roadway include adequate signing and pavement markings, rumble strips to alert the driver to drifting off the roadway, skid-resistant pavements, and improvements to roadway geometrics. Good visual cues are necessary to assure that the driver can maneuver through ever-changing roadway conditions. Thus it is important that signs and markings are maintained, are provided at the proper location to guide the driver, and are supplying accurate information. FHWA currently is advancing rulemaking on sign retro-reflectivity standards for traffic control devices as part of the agencys ongoing effort to provide consistent, definable standards that improve the visibility of signs. Another countermeasure to prevent travelers from leaving the roadway, rumble strips, was identified as one of FHWAs priority, market-ready (ready-to-use) technologies and innovations. Rumble strips are designed to alert a drowsy driver drifting off the roadway by producing an audible sound and physical vibration. Rumble strips, already widely accepted for roadway shoulder applications, now are being applied and evaluated as centerline treatments as well. A recent report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety noted that centerline rumble strips reduced crashes at treated sites by 14%. Rumble stripes are a combination of pavement markings and rumbles strips, with the markings applied on top of the rumble strips. Rumble stripes enhance visibility as the vertical face of the rumble strip provides a raised texture that enhances the retro-reflectivity performance of the striping material. Once a vehicle leaves the roadway, the goal of the highway engineer is to minimize harm to the traveler. This goal can be met by assuring that the roadside can be traversed safely, by shielding or eliminating roadside objects, or by preventing collisions with opposing traffic. Intersections represent the second strategic focus area to address the fatality-reduction challenge. Intersection crashes represented more than 20 % of all fatalities and half of the injuries in 2002. Two countermeasures are high on the priority, market-ready innovations and ready-to-use technologies: red light running cameras and roundabouts. Red light running cameras offer the opportunity to address driver behavioral issues as part of an overall engineering approach for improving the operation of intersections. A red light running camera program requires extensive outreach with the public to assure acceptance of the technology and its application. Roundabouts can reduce the number of conflict points at problem intersections, and in rural locations can be particularly effective in reducing the severity of crashes. Pedestrians are affected by highway projects during construction, particularly in urban areas, and they can be affected negatively for the long term if projects are not designed to address pedestrian movements as part of the overall design objectives. Pedestrian safety requires a three-pronged approach: Making drivers aware of the presence of pedestrians (i.e. encouraging them to make a habit of pedestrian awareness, driving safely around pedestrian areas, and yielding to pedestrians) Encouraging engineers and planners to accommodate pedestrian mobility and safety when designing roadways and other transportation facilities. Educating pedestrians about safe behavior, the meanings of the pedestrian signs and signals, and actions that will improve their own safety; To target the first and third critical areas, a campaign was developed called the Pedestrian Safety Campaign Planner, a ready-made toolkit of outreach materials that States and communities can customize and use locally. The purpose of the campaign is to sensitize drivers to the presence of pedestrians and to educate pedestrians about minimizing risks to their safety. The Pedestrian Safety Campaign Planner includes materials designed for use in television, radio, cinema, and print advertising. Some of the materials included in the toolkit are available in both English and Spanish. States and local communities are responsible for implementing the campaign through local television and radio stations and print media. To target the second critical area, a number of initiatives are underway. One is an evaluation of various pedestrian safety engineering and intelligent transportation systems countermeasures in three cities (Miami, Las Vegas, and San Francisco) that will be ongoing for the next several years. Another is the development of PedSafe, a software tool that assists engineers and other interested parties in selecting appropriate pedestrian safety engineering countermeasures for specific sites based on criteria unique to each site. Road safety audits (RSA) offer an opportunity to provide an independent assessment of a projects safety at any stage of its life: planning, design, construction, or post construct