Drug Addiction and Service Training Program Essay

The National Service Training Program (NSTP) Law, RA 9163, also known as â€Å"An Act Establishing the National Service Training Program for tertiary level students, has three program components; Reserve Officer’s Training Corps [ROTC], Civic Welfare Training Service [CWTS], and Literacy Training Service [LTS] – aiming to enhance civic consciousness and defense preparedness in the youth and developing the ethics of service and patriotism. Under the NSTP-MAPUA Office, which supervises the implementations of CWTS and ROTC, governed by R.A. 9163 of 2001, are MAPUA-CWTS and MAPUA-ROTC Offices. These two independent offices provide students a grading system, and different activities that endows students with theoretical and practical knowledge and experiences that are needed for community services. After finishing LTS/CWTS, graduates become part of National Service Reserved Corps; after finishing ROTC, graduates will be a part of Citizen Armed Forces. A human is a rational being, born free but are responsible for his own action, has his own identity for who he is, intrinsically a social being, and sexual in nature with uniqueness of expression – these are the characteristics of a person. Values are integrated in a person’s physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, social economic and political aspects. By understanding the character and the definition of a person, maximizing these characteristics are crucial to be able to create a positive result in realizing his competence and ability. There are many opportunities that await each person, but blind enough to notice it. A person himself is best qualified in changing and directing his life for he’s always been given an alternative whether to do or not to do an act, and is accompanied by responsibility. Understanding Filipino values are very important in realizing how Filipinos behave and act, for these values serve as a basis on which every individual’s s trength in facing the challenges of life should be directed. The positive side of the Filipino values should be put in use and disregard the negative ones to be able to bring out the best in the Filipino society in general and the individual in particular. Each Filipino I blessed inherently by a set of values – value of respect for life, concern for the family and the future generations, value of truth, of justice, of equality, of promotion of the common good, and of concern for the environment. These values are in need to be awakened in order to serve as a vehicle and reinforcement towards our goal of realizing social change and progress. A group is defined as a collection of individuals with different personalities acting and interacting with one another in the process of living. Within a group, a leader or a set of leaders is/are appointed; the one who guides his members and possess certain qualities on effective leadership. John C. Maxwell‟s book entitled â€Å"21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader† helps people recogn ize, develop and refine the personal characteristics needed to be a truly effective leader that people would want to follow. For every group, decisions are made. There are different kinds of decision-making, for instance, having only one person to decide or having a majority vote. Difficulties are also encountered but there are some conflict resolutions and styles used to solve the problem. National security is the protection to preserve the nation’s physical integrity and territory. National security has an objective of defending the territorial integrity of the state and the freedom to determine one’s own government while, human security aims the safety and survival of people, shorthand for the same is freedom from fear of physical violence. It responds to ordinary people’s needs in dealing with sources of threats. Disaster is a phenomenon brought about by either natural or man-made hazards that causes great damage and suffering – for instance, in life and property. The community, composed of its people in a state or country, takes extra-ordinary measures on how to survive when everything we take for granted is gone, when structures we depend on have failed. Disaster preparedness is an activity which complies with the preventive measures, ensuring that the community is in a state of readiness to contain the effects of a forecasted disastrous event in order to minimize loss of life, injury, and damage to property. Disaster management is a planned step taken to minimize the effects of a disaster. DRUG – any substance that brings physical, psychological, emotional and behavioral changes when used. There are many consequences when people use drugs; their behavior changes leading them to do bad things to others and their selves, and all sorts of health problems. Every classification of drug abusers – from experimenters, occasional, regular users to drug dependent people, corresponds to certain counter measures, depending on the degree of drug abuse. The Republic Act 9165, known as the Comprehensive Drugs Act of 2002, is the one that deals on cases which involve the use of drugs.

Memoirs

Anne Frank is the best known of these two people, far more than Romeo Dallaire. Her struggle for survival and her eventual plight of death in a concentration camp have awed the world for the last sixty years. Just a young girl who had the rest of her life to look forward to and her youthful plans for that life that were snuffed short by a war machine and the hatred of a man she would never see, Adolph Hitler. Hitler’s madness and his intricate hatred for followers of the Jewish faith subsequently brought a halt to millions of lives of people that had never seen him, known him or would have ever harmed him. His fanatical crusade for the â€Å"Arian† race to populate the world and do an ethnic cleansing of any other race, creed or religion created one of the most horrendous and infamous atrocities in world history, the Holocaust. Everyone who has ever read Diary of a Young Girl could not help but be moved by Anne Frank’s courage and optimism during her enforced hiding with her family and the other residents in that attic as she tried to maintain hope in the ominous face of an adverse society that had invaded her native country. It is truly amazing how she managed to maintain her sanity and her outlook on life through such a horrific ordeal. Just fifteen years old with very little experience at life, she seemed to possess a profound ability to see things as they â€Å"really were† and not as she or the others would have wished them to be. Yet, it did not seem to quell her belief that there was good in people and that only a few were responsible for the misery that is often imposed upon others simply because of another’s beliefs or policies. It has to make one wonder if it were not partly because it was a more innocent time in the world when children were not constantly besieged by violence, crime or prejudice. Though probably one of the world’s most famous victims of prejudice, Anne Frank maintained that innocence through her whole life. She was a child caught in a nightmare not of her own making and she along with millions of others suffered because of that nightmare. Romeo Dallaire was a military man that by choice involved him in these types of matters. A Canadian Major General, Dallaire, headed a small United Nations peacekeeping force, UNAMIR, in Rwanda, Africa. Horrible atrocities became evident to him and he set out to appeal for help in these murders that were so ethnic in nature. It involved a conflict that the ruling regime, the Hutu, had begun mass massacres of the Tutsis, a different sect within the country. It was totally classified as ethnic in policy. When Dallaire faxed for advice in 1994, his fax was treated with little or no attention. The United Nations refused to acknowledge it as genocide and would not allow Dallaire to do anything beyond the regular rules that his small military unit was allowed to pursue. Dallaire had to sit back helplessly and watch this atrocity go unchecked. Unlike Anne Frank, he was not a personal victim but he was just as helpless in changing the effect of what was happening. In his writings later, Shake Hands With The Devil, Dallaire expounded on the ineffectualness of Genocide Committees, such as the UN had, when it was doubtful if a particular action within a country can be termed as ethnic genocide. Time has proven constantly that other countries or even the United Nations in these more modern times are extremely hesitant to act despite sometimes often insurmountable proof that ethnic cleansing is occurring and it should be stopped immediately. So what similarities would be between Anne Frank and Romeo Dallaire? They both wrote important works on the results and after effects of ethnic cleansing and genocidal war. Anne Frank’s viewpoint came from an innocent bystander. Her only crime? She was a Jew. She had led a quiet gentle life within a loving family structure and she was only aware of the persecution of the Jewish population by what was happening around her. Once in seclusion, her writings intensified as she grew more and more aware of the plight of other people and of her childhood friends and their families either frantically trying to escape or captured by the Nazis and sent to the concentration camps where most of them never returned. Her diary, which she referred to as â€Å"Kitty†, was begun before she and her family were forced into hiding. It shows all the normal qualities of a young girl her age. Her young hopes and dreams and the beginnings of puberty. Her delightful and expectant views of what life would be like when she was grown were the strongest proof of her innocence. She was a friendly, astute and open person and those qualities did stand her in good stead while she remained in hiding for two years. She managed to maintain a very mature calm while some of the older adults around her were literally â€Å"falling to pieces.† She seemed to rise above the petty squabbles and accusations that formed when so many people are crammed into such close quarters for so long. She tried not to dwell on the lack of food, fresh air, or miserable living conditions that she existed in but instead took a very philosophical point of view of what was happening around her and to her. Her incredible courage has inspired people constantly through the years since her untimely death and the publication of her diary. She very clearly knew the difference between right and wrong. Through her diary, she made a world wake up to how quickly one group can impose its values on another and if the imposed group refused those values, then violence and mass death could erupt from it. To quote the old phrase â€Å"Out of the mouths of babes†, whether trite or not, in this instance, a child taught an adult world what was wrong with prejudice, stupidity and the aggressiveness of war. Romeo Dallaire’s own writings have been a good source for endless purposes as far as a teaching and informative guide to how not to miss the very clear signs of ethnic war. Because Dallaire’s hands were tied in the military sense and the United Nations’ refusal to act upon his advice from the situation that eventually escalated into a full scale war. Dallaire is often quoted by writers on war and genocide because his graphic description of how the massacring of the Tutsis people in Rwanda should have been clear warning signs of what was going to happen. It is one thing to set of councils against genocide but to refuse to act upon situations that fall under the jurisdiction of these councils is almost as heinous as the very acts of war themselves. In an odd comparison, Anne Frank and Romeo Dallaire were exactly alike as they were both witnesses to these atrocities and they were both completely helpless to do anything to stop them outside of writing about them. It is perhaps some comfort that through both of their written observations, we, as a world, are better able to see the fallacy in these types of confrontations and hopefully in the future, take more steps to insure that they never happen again. Works Cited/ References: 1.How to Prevent Genocide: A Guide for Policymakers, Scholars, and the Concerned Citizen by John G. Heindenrich, Praeger Publishing, 2001 2. The Door of Opportunity: Creating a Permanent Peacekeeping Force:   Journal Article by Lionel Rosenblatt, Larry Thompson, World Policy Journal, Vol. 15, 1998 3. Understanding Anne Frank’s the Diary of A Young Girl, A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents by Hedda   Rosner Kopf, Greenwood Press, 1998 4. Anne Frank: The Biography: Magazine Article by Martyn Bedford; New Statesman, Vol. 129, April 2, 1999

Lab vectors and statics Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Vectors and statics - Lab Report Example While addition of scalar quantities of the same nature such as mass, volume, temperature and speed is much simpler, addition of vector quantities poses some challenges since in their addition both direction and magnitude has to be taken into consideration. Addition of vectors is a critical exercise in classical physics since it is a unit of physics that deals with mostly moving objects. Motion is an effect of a resultant or net force applied on the body; that is a vector quantity. To find the net effect (force), all the forces acting on the body must be summed both in direction and magnitude. There are also vector quantities that do not involve force. According to Newton’s first law of motion, a body moving in a straight line with constant velocity has zero net force applied to it. Such bodies do not accelerate and Newton’s static laws, which includes vector addition, applies to such bodies. In this experiment, a force table was used to set up the three forces. On the first pulley, a 50g weight was placed on the pan, and the angle was set at an angle of 30degrees and on the second pulley a mass of 100g was placed on the pan, and the pulley set at 130 degrees from a standard predefined axis. The weight and angle of the third pulley were determined and recorded such that the ring at the center of the force table was balanced at the center. Errors on the measurement of third pulley was identified and recorded by adding multiples 1g of mass until the ring was off the center. The error on the measurement of the angle was also determined by carefully moving the pulley in one-degree angle increment; first to the right until the force table was off balance, then again to the left. An accurate diagram of a balanced force table was drawn to scale and used for the demonstration of the algebraic vector addition. Data analysis. The results of the measurement of the third force is shown in the attached data sheet. A scale

Advance taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Advance taxation - Essay Example If Watson considers a change in the payment of tax, the company will need to comply with the rules governing the calculation of tax for a period of more than 12 months. In the case of a period of 17 months, the tax computation will be apportioned into two chargeable accounting periods i.e. a period of 12 months and the other of 5 months. In this case, the trading income will be apportioned based on the time. Capital allowances will however be calculated separately for each of the chargeable accounting period (CAP) Moreover, property income will also be apportioned based on time. Non trade interest on the other hand will be considered in the period of accrual in case there are no details to assist in apportionment. Non chargeable gains will be computed for in the period of the gain while gift aid will be considered in the period in which they are paid. The company will not be entitled to repayment in the first three years since the company has not incurred losses. In the fourth yea, the company will carry forward their entitlement for the non recovered claims plus interest to subsequent years. The relief will therefore be realized in the year 2014 and after. In conclusion, companies must ensure that they compute their tax liability or make their tax claims as per the tax regulations to avoid unnecessary penalties and to ensure that they operate as per tax

Loyality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Loyality - Essay Example Most of us often go through life oblivious of what goes on in other states enjoying the bliss of life. We depend on the media to give us a picture of what life is like, despite the fact that in most cases it often fails to depict the real picture. We make so many assumptions without even the least bit of information that can easily help us base our judgments. Racism and economic inequality is a reality that has been in the society for years, despite the fact that most people fail to acknowledge it. All it takes is a simple look around us to finally see the reality of what exists. Most people base their judgments on what they hear and rarely ever do so based on their experience. In her essay, she talks about the â€Å"white trash† she comes across in Mexico. In spite of the fact that she was an American herself, she felt like she was better than them simply because they acted differently than her. She tries to call the reader’s attention to things so inherent that they have become imperceptible to us, such as our assumptions on race. She states â€Å"In the United States, it is very easy for me to forget that the people around me are my people. It is easy, with all our divisions, to think of myself as an outsider in my own country.† (Biss, 93). Although in her country she could easily separate herself from others and act like she was better than others, while in Mexico she finally got to see herself from other people’s perspective. She used to pride herself in the fact that she was better simply because she was a well refined woman from a good background with good education. The US has always been regarded as a land that holds better promises which is why most immigrants are so quick to try and sneak in hoping to find a better life than what they have left behind. To most people’s surprise, life is not any better

Judaism and Shabbat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Judaism and Shabbat - Essay Example In additional, they often believe that these laws and commandments were given to Moses both in written and in Oral Torah forms. However, a religious community, the Karaites movement, has historically challenged the notion that Moseswas given these laws and commandments in two forms (Herring 15). They have ever held that the laws and commandment given to Moses were only in a single form, that is, in written form but not in Oral Torah. The Karaites movement flourished during the medieval period and still has several followers in the contemporary world who have maintained that Moses was only given written Torah laws and commandments (Bank 22). Judaism has enjoyed historical continuity of over three thousand years; basically, three thousand eight hundred years since its foundation by Abraham. This makes it among the oldest monotheistic religions of the world that has survived until into the contemporary world (Miller 24). The Israelites or the Hebrew was already being referred to as Jews in the early books of Tanakh (Herring 24). The late books of Tanakh including the Book of Ester the name Jews were placed by the title the Children of Israel. The texts of Judaism, its tradition, and values had a strong influence on the subsequent Abrahamic religions that included Christianity, Baha’i Faith, and Islamic. ... By the year 2010, the entire world Jewish community was approximated to be roughly 0.2 percent or 13.4 million of the entire world’s population (Grishaver 71). Israel harbors around forty-two percent of the entire Jewish population. The same number is found in both United States and Canada with the majority of the remaining population found in Europe. Because of time and different understanding of concepts with a community, Judaism did split into movements. These movements rose due to different ideologies that might have cropped among the leaders of Judaism. The major Judaism movements of the world include Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and the Orthodox Judaism. The latter movement includes sub-movements including the Modern Orthodox and Hareidi Judaism (Prager 77). There were believers who stark to the ideals of the conventional Judaism; thus, retaining the larger percentage of its teachings, beliefs, and laws. This group remained to the part of Judaism that was called Conservative movement believers who believed that the traditional and laws of Judaism should have only faced a slight changes to suit the time. The other movement that split out of the traditional Judaism was the Reform or Liberal, or the Progressive Movements. These sections of believers have the feeling that it is upon an individual believer to make a choice of the traditions and laws to follow (Herring 51). Therefore, the main course of the division may be pegged on the approach and concern to changes that should be enforced on the Jewish laws. However, Orthodox Judaism until to date maintains that the Jewish laws and Torah laws have defined origin, and are eternal and should never be changed; thus,

The Bicycle sharing system in Los Angeles Essay

The Bicycle sharing system in Los Angeles - Essay Example Los Angeles should consider adopting the Bicycle Sharing System for 3 predominant reasons: pollution, traffic as well as public health issues . Los Angeles is one of the most populated cities in the world and the development in technology has allowed more people to enter Los Angeles. Thus, the region is overcrowded with a lot of people. Ostensibly, Los Angeles’ population keeps growing every year and might soon reach appalling and uncontrollable figures. Due to its huge population composed of affluent individuals, usage of personal vehicles creates the serious problems in pollution. Driving personal vehicle does not only impact negatively on the environments, but also leads to noise pollution thus hampering individuals’ ability to hear. A journal by Kenneth A. Small and Camilla Kazimi, mentions, â€Å"The costs of air pollution, noise, and other environmental damage are not precisely measurable †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The vehicles consume diesel, and the substances from burning diesel will make elements that would contribute to form acid rain. Snags such as air contamination or acid rain are fatal, and it takes a long time for the environment to recover from these pollutions . As the population keeps snowballing, the number of cars on the street would briskly increase. This means that these cars will make more components of acid rain, which will harm human the society in the near future. Thus, the adoption of the Bicycle Sharing System will bring the result of reduction in air pollution in the future.

New York City Zoning Regulations Vs The Death and Life of American Assignment

New York City Zoning Regulations Vs The Death and Life of American Great Cities - Assignment Example The New York City Zoning Regulations provides rules and guidelines for shaping the city. If compared to architecture and planning, zoning has a short history in it being a means of organizing how land is used. Zoning puts into place the use and size of buildings, the location of the buildings and to a greater extent the diverse neighborhoods’ density of the city. In line with the city’s tax, ability to budget and property condemnation, zoning is an important tool for undertaking planning policy. New York City is known to be a pioneer regarding zoning from the time the first nation’s comprehensive zoning was enacted in 1916. Considering the New York City zoning regulations, we can gauge that, some of these regulations reflect what Jane Jacobs is talking about in her book while some regulations do not reflect her ideas as we are going to discuss them. In her book, Jacobs praised density and concentration as opposed to dispersal and decentralization. Jacobs announces that housing activist Catherine Bauer has derived a perfect term meant for attacking regional planners for example Lewis Mumford. Decentrists proposed decentralizing big cities like New York. They wanted to squeeze them, disorient their enterprises, and dislocate their populations into smaller and separated cities. Decentrists felt that urban streets are bad environment for humans; hence, they recommended building houses away from the street. However, they suggested building houses inward in the direction of sheltered greens. These ideas took over mainstream thinking until Jacobs shoved them away in her book. Jacobs understood the meaning that density gives critical mass. Density means good services, good stores, restaurants and cafes. It also means safety in thatthere is life in the street and round the clock activity. NYC zoning regulations reflect this idea by allowing centralization in its policy. This has greatly improved safety in the city nowadays not only because of security by the police department in fighting crime strategically but because there are always people in the streets whether its day time or night time. This idea is one of Jacob’s brilliant contributions. As she writes, â€Å"There must be sufficiently dense concentration of people, for whateve4r purposes they may be there. This includes dense concentration in the case of people who are there because of residence†. Within this concept that is critic lays several others as we continue. Greenwich Villag e was another of Jacob’s important urban lab, the denser but mainly low-rise, working-class neighborhood. As a small-town girl, she took her lessons with respect to proper urban behavior as shown by her neighbors. Like Bernie Jaffe, who owned the candy store and who guides small children traversing the street; Joe Cornacchia, who owned corner deli and kept her keys in case of visitors and emergencies; the locksmith Mr. Lacey, the one who bawled the son of Jacob for running into traffic then he reported him to his dad. Jacobs respected and celebrated working class households plus their conservative, old-world although socially attentive morals. Ethnic neighborhoods emptied out into the suburbs, either voluntarily or coercively under urban renewal. However, Jacobs for saw tragedy in their departure, she admired their territoriality and their commerce enterprises which were frequently held in contempt to be too parochial and insignificant by intellectuals and the government offi cials. Divisively

Research in Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Research in Practice - Essay Example Individuals can access knowledge which helps in communication and reflection. Research in practice also leads to development of new information about devising processes and procedures that may make great contributions in theatre and also assist other theatre artists, pedagogues and scholars. Art is not only regarded as a means of communication but also of processing, gathering and identifying new knowledge (Beauchamp, 2010 p 3). This concept has led to the development of a new method of research where by the issues faced in theatre and artistic practice are investigated using methods that have been developed in the boundaries of the practice itself. This has made art to develop into a point of departure and it is no longer regarded as an object of research only. Development of theatre research in practice has led to a growing interest in tacit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is identified as knowledge of an artist which can be seen in skills and unformulated knowledge that emerge from the work of an artist. Research in practice is especially applied in arts practice in academic settings and it entails a wide category of research activities. Research in practice is carried out with the aim of achieving an arts related output, a research process which is entirely framed as an artistic practice or an arts project as an element of a research process drawing on various methods of research (Arlander, 2009 p 15). Research may usually begin or end in a form of arts practice. It may also draw on various art practices as a part of the process of research or may even be integrated as a whole into the changing forms and outputs of an art project. Practices of art incorporate various creative methodologies that may be used in different disciplines of research projects as methodological innovations therefore coming up with new information and providing new perspectives on the available knowledge. Research in practice will also make use of a different kind of knowledge practice th erefore improving the creativity of artists and other individuals in art practices. Research in practice enables individuals to understand processes, functions and roles that various practices play in the field of art. An understanding of the cultural, political as well as philosophical practices will enable individuals to explore art through practice. Practicing art is an important way through which individuals can understand art and other forms of cultural practices in different countries. The process of making art plays a huge role in generating new ideas and perspectives that will enable in understanding of a wide range of cultural and social phenomena which involves community, narrative, identity, space, transformation, time as well as testimony. Research in practice therefore privileges action as an important aspect of learning and developing new knowledge. In theatre, research in practice usually involves various artist researchers who explore, test and also spread different creative methodologies in different contexts. This makes it possible to explore how different interventions relate with each other. Research in practice can therefore be said to be a creative intervention of understanding the world. Artistic research has various effects on individuals as it may change their views and perspectives regarding important aspects about art. Research in practice is identified as a term that was developed to describe knowledge production that originates from the concerns of different artists. Artistic research

Slapstick Comedy and Silent Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Slapstick Comedy and Silent Films - Essay Example Besides, enactment, the films also displayed certain captions which informed the audience about the theme of the film. The speedy actions enhanced the humor in the film. The actors who portrayed various characters were mostly shabbily or unconventionally dressed. Their funny attire supplemented by their clown like actions aroused laughter among the audiences. Thus the slapstick comedies consisted of absurd situations and vigorous actions, which had a comic tone and were performed by those actors who were highly energetic and good stuntmen. We find a detailed account on the comparative study of slapstick comedy and Commedia dell'arte in the book of David Madden, namely, -Harlequin's stick, Charlie's cane: a comparative study of commedia dell'arte and silent slapstick comedy. In his book, he gives the discrimination between the two art forms. Commedia dell'arte was performed directly in front of the audience, whereas the slapstick comedy was presented in an indirect form that is it was projected on the screen. The commedia plays were mostly for three hours whereas slapstick comedies were comparatively briefer. In commedia the actors were donned in masks and there was continuous verbal dexterity, slapstick noise, music and color, while the silent movies were devoid of sound and color as the films were Black and White. The commedia was not video graphed whereas the slapstick was video graphed and projected on the screen. (Harlequin's Stick, Charlie's Cane - David Madden, 1968) Actors like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd were considered the milestones in the world of silent cinema. Their powerful performances spell bounded... The researcher of this essay focuses mostly on presenting and discussing the slapstick comedies, that is a device in which, the characters have exaggerated and speedy physical activities backed up by accurate timing. They do this mainly to make people understand what kind of character they are portraying in that film. More emphasis is given on speed of actions and facial expressions. For example, the researcher states that in slapstick comedies we find scenes like a person slipping on the peel of banana skin, somebody hitting a person with frying pan, a person hitting his head against a suddenly opened door, etc. The central character enacts certain scene, which seems to be normal initially but suddenly the situation becomes chaotic, with all the characters running helter-skelter creating confusion. And it is during this time that the actor has to show presence of mind and has to take some action, which will make the audience laugh and also he has to do something brilliant to come ou t of that chaotic situation. The actor performs all sorts of actions like leaping, running, tumbling down etc. And for all these purposes he uses props like buckets, shovel, ladder, sea-saw, sticks, roller skates etc., which generates comedy. The researcher then presents a study on the silent films actors of early 20th century, such as Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, who were considered the milestones in the world of silent cinema and used the slapstick comedy in their films in a creative way that made their art memorable.

Negotiation with chinese Essay Example for Free

Negotiation with chinese Essay We wish to express sincere appreciation to Professor Shia Yun Chiang for his assistance in the preparation of this manuscript. In addition, special thanks to Yama (Yuehai shoe material Ltd) who’s familiarity with the needs and ideas of these team and was helpful during the early programming phase of this research. INTRODUCTION Continental Design is a company where excellence and customer satisfactory are priority. After ten years of being in business, continental now seeks to enter the Chinese market. On Thursday, June 13th 2013, some members were selected to visit the potential customers of our new shoe-soles designs to introduce and negotiate our terms. These members include Mr. Emmanuel Mlay (Financial Officer), Mr. Robin Sharma(Managing Director), Mr. Cliff Osoo (Contracting Officer), Ms. Bella Chan (General Overseer), Ms. Sandra O. K (Sales Manager). Upon arrival, we were taken in and around the factory to experience their works and then to the meeting room. In this report, we explain further our observation and findings in negotiating with the typical Chinese. This report emphasizes mainly on the observations which includes specifications, mode of conduct, styles and techniques also elaborating on how they work together as individualist or collectivism. Again the language used, what they felt at ease to say, their communication skills, relationships with clients, were also under study. However their reasoning and way of thinking was somehow fascinating and very interesting which this report enlightens ideally and strategically. A brief but very informative research was done to know our potential customers before reaching out to them. The one talked about in this report is â€Å"Yuehai shoes material†, a very renowned shoesole company in China. In the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words: people, product and profits. Unless youve got a good team, you cant do much with the other two. 1 1 By: Lee Iacocca 1 Chapter 1 THE CONTINENTAL DESIGN Continental design provides differentiated products that accelerate innovations in the global design market. With ten years of experience and commitment, Continental design has grown to be one of the strongest competitors in the field of designing. This company has also spent those ten years in developing its communication and negotiation skills. Its management capabilities have enabled it to technically handle the challenges and efficiently provide products that are best in the market. As Victor Papanek once said â€Å"Design is the conscious effort to impose a meaningful order. † Continental design was founded by a team of five engineers with one primary goal of working hard helping all small and big shoes companies to succeed through professionally enhanced designs. Today, Continental design is a full-service independent company with about 10 percent of the world market share. Our services cover the whole of Africa, South and North America, Middle East and few countries in Asia. Recently we have initiated our first staple toward China market. 2 BUYERS COMPANY PROFILE Yuehai Shoes Materials Yuehai shoe material has more than 20 years of manufacturing experience and large number of qualified senior employees who are devoted to settling problems and confronting challenges. It has adopted advanced equipment from Taiwan and main land China. The production technology is matured and reliable; at the same time it uses the original material that makes its products to be famous by their high qualities. Its domestic market ranges from Guangzhou and Dongguan where there is a stiff competition that helps them to develop new and up-to date designs that meet the market demands. It then covered the whole of China before capturing Europe and America as the first target in external market. Most recently, it has expanded its external market to Middle East and Africa as a whole, where it has entered into more than 10 different countries. Shoes are human daily life necessities. Shoes industries will never perish as long as human being still exists. With the use of imagination this company is committed to continue to develop shoe industries as part of making the life of entire society in the world better off. Address: No. 39 beicun road, huangqi, nanhai district, foshan city, Guangdong province, China. Tel: 8675785938525 Fax: 867578592981 Email: [emailprotected] net Yuehaixe. com. cn 3 Chapter 2 NEGOTIATION PREPARATION In negotiation there are few things that have to be put in place before the negotiating team or person set off for the negotiation. The factors that are mostly considered before negotiation are: ? Length of contract This is the period that the contract will take before it’s renewed again. The seller always concentrate in this factor because it affect the profit the company will make and for how long. Mostly its 1 to 3 years. This factor is important because it also influence the price to be offered to the buyer. ? Volume to be ordered After a seller has agreed on the length of contract then the next thing to talk about is the Volume that will be bought. When few goods are bought, there is a high possibility that the price will be higher unlike when a large quantity is bought; therefore these first two factors influence the price of the item. ? Price The third factor to talk about after length of contract and volume is price at which the good will be sold. In every company, there is a price offered depending on the quantity to be bought, quality and other things needed for production. The larger the quantity, the lower the price will be and vice versa. 4 ? Payment Terms and Services. The most important thing for a company going for a negotiation is; length of contract, volume and price and other things like payment terms and services comes up later. The last two remaining factors are considered to make sure that the items agreed before is taken into account in a proper manner. Payment terms are important because even if you have a long contract with large volume but payment is not done in time, you will have to lose something. Services are offered to the buyer to make sure he/she is satisfied with the goods bought. 5 SELLER’S WISH LIST. Here we made our wish list before we went to the meeting. We had decided our lowest price and the contract length. Below you can see the result of our company board meeting before going to negotiate with Chinese company ITEM2 Length of contract Volume Price Payment terms Services WEIGHT 40% 25% 20% 10% 5% RANGE 2-1 Years 500-100units/month $200-$150 10-15days 5/5-8/5 In the following table you can see that we agreed to have at least 1 year contract with Chinese company. As they are old and experience company, we believe that it won’t be any problem even if we have 2 years long contract. In terms of volume we were ready to deliver any amount till up to 500 per months. Price was the main concern of our meeting. We know that they will try to spend more time on the price negotiating and knowing we have many competitors in the market, we needed to come up with a very good price range. We also had an agreement on payment terms which should meet within the short period. Lastly, we agreed to offer them a good customer service. 2 Professor Shia Yun Chiang Power point presentation-Estimating wish list ,Power point presentation slide no. 9 10 6 THE AGREEMENT ZONE In every negotiation, there are two possible outcomes. The parties can either reach an agreement or not. The first situation is where the seller and the buyer don’t reach an agreement at all, either, due to the buyer or seller not agreeing with the offer given. The second situation is where the two parties (Buyer and Seller) reach an agreement and signs a contract for the business to take place immediately. For the two parties to reach an agreement, they will have to consider their Consequence of No Agreement (CNA). CNA will either make the two parties to agree or disagree. BUYER’S WISH LIST ITEM3 Price Services Payment terms Length of contract Volume WEIGHT 45% 25% 20% 5% 5% RANGE $100-$150 8/5-5/5 Cash transfer 3-1Years 50-100units/month After a lengthy discussion with the buyer, following were the outcomes of negotiation; OUTCOME ITEM Price Length of Contract Volume Payment Terms Services DETAILS $150/Design 1 Year 100 Units/month Cash Transfer in 2 days 10 Days training Professor Shia Yun Chiang Power point presentation-Estimating wish list ,Power point presentation slide no. 9 10 7 Chapter 3 OBSERVATION VALUES AND THINKING IN NEGOTIATION. When going for a negotiation one has to learn the buyer’s values in thinking. These values differ from one country or one region to the other and it can cause a misunderstanding between the two parties. According to the research we did about Chinese negotiation, we found out that Chinese are more relationship oriented than Africans and even other nations. As soon as we entered into the Chinese office for the negotiation, they offered us Water. This proves that they are more relationship oriented; they use this to build a rapport between their clients even before negotiation. Another thing that the company we were negotiating with did is that, they invited us for supper. In these acts we can see how Chinese people are mostly towards relationship with their clients unlike other European countries or America and even Africa. Before us reaching a conclusion, the Chinese people asked a lot of personal questions even in the middle of our negotiation. Some of the questions they asked were; When will you go back to your country? Do you like china? Is your country very hot than china? These personal questions that are not related to business are a clear picture of Chinese values and thinking in a negotiation. â€Å"As a general rule, it’s always safer to adopt a formal posture and move to an informal stance, if the situation warrants it, than to assume an informal style too quickly†4 4 As Jeswald W. Salacuse- (Ivey Business journal) 8 . During our research, we were also able to notice some of the things that are not common in African countries and even other continents. The first thing that they did is to welcome us in a very encouraging manner that made us feel at home, and with such hospitality, we were able to do the negotiation having been convinced that Chinese are good business people. This kind of hospitality that Chinese people give to their clients make them win in the businesses they negotiate in because the other party will feel so cared for that they can trust the offers given. Another thing we noticed in the research is the way they asked us whether someone has introduced us to the company or we looked it up in the internet. At the beginning I didn’t see the reason why they should be concerned with how we got to know about the company, but after we finished the meeting I had to ask and what they told us is, in Chinese (Intermediary/ middleman). This is one of the things that make us to realize how important Chinese value relationship in the business arena. The other behavior that we observed in the process of visiting and doing the negotiation is that, immediately we arrived at the factory, we were received and taken around the factory to see how they do their production and even explaining every step of production line. This really made us feel honored and we started to see them as transparent and responsible people, something that needed in business so much. â€Å"Chinese negotiating style is people oriented and permeated with such Confucians notion as guanxi, renqing, face, family age, harmony, hierarchy, li (etiquette)†5. 5 As said by Tong Fang –Chinese Business Negotiating Styles 9 CIRCULAR REASONING TALKING In our haste to market our designs for shoe soles. We came across various ways in which Chinese carry out their business negotiation. While most of the companies we approached exhibited the sequential kind of talking, the Chinese demonstrated the circular type. Interestingly, as we tried to obtain information and answer their questions regarding our products, we realized that Chinese, when not interested in your product would rather beat about the bush than going straight to the point. This is mostly demonstrated in the time of negotiating prices. This makes it hard to determine their stance in terms of buying the product. It is almost impossible at that moment to determine the level of consequence of no agreement on the buyer’s side. As much as you try explaining and convincing Chinese buyers who are less interested in a product, you will end up just like before. It is hard for them to say â€Å"no† point blank. This I believe is because of the long courting and relationship they build up with their business partners before negotiating. For instance, in one of our interviews, the interviewee mentioned after our refusal to take lunch with him that it is the culture of Chinese people to dine with their potential business partners irrespective of their interests. He explained that not only does this emphasize politeness; it also creates room for next or future cooperation. That is why in almost every meeting with a Chinese business man, you are served tea or water even before the talking starts. As pleasing as this might sound, it is also the reason behind the average Chinese would want to beat about the bush when not interested in the product for sale. Relationship and friendship are commonly used to obtain a better price and more concessions. 10 Herbig and Martin (1998), Stark, Fam, Waller and Tian (2005), and Zhu et al. (2007) all found that the Chinese do not rush into the negotiation, but rather, spend a lot of time in getting to know their counterparts as much as possible, even including personal information in order to build guanxi and trust from the beginning. Another finding is that they would want to end the meeting peacefully and friendly just as it had started without having to ruin the relationship or hurt anyone’s feelings, yet they have to decide whether or not to purchase the product. According to Faure (1999), the Chinese focus more on relationship building during this stage, as they need to know their counterparts for any business deal to occur. This negotiation practice might cause conflict with Westerners, as Westerners prefer to start negotiations straight away after basic greetings and introductions. Rule how to be successful in dealing with Chinese: â€Å"Be fair, reasonable and diplomatic: â€Å"If your Chinese counterpart believes that you are being unreasonable, they may not openly say so, but your negotiations are likely to stall and go nowhere. If you disagree with your counterpart, don’t simply reject their position out of hand, but carefully explain your reasoning†. 6 6 â€Å"Forbes† by Jack Perkowski (Negotiating in China; 10 rules for Success 11 QUESTIONING INTERRUPTING We’ve had several encounters with many customers throughout the years, but what makes the Chinese customers outstanding is their mode of questioning. Unlike our African customers, they tend to interrupt and chip in their questions whiles you are talking. In some cultures, this might seem rude and impolite but this is not so for Chinese. They are very cooperative, assertive and defensive. This encourages and makes the one talking feel he’s being listened to. This normally generates positive feedback. During one of the interviews conducted, it came to our realization that, the typical or traditional Chinese interrupts more than the Chinese who has been open to Western culture. Customers who deal with Westerners or Africans have adjusted to some of their negotiation skill. This we believe will go a long way to influence most Chinese business partners. Their character or attitude of seeking and asking questions is different from other people in the sense that Chinese exhibits a character of â€Å"Xenophobia which is a distrust of all things foreign to one’s own culture. Xenophile is a lust to obtain all things new and or foreign. The Chinese have become inclined to distrust anything and everyone from foreign lands due to their history of violent revolutions and government seizures and changes. On the other hand, they have also seen the new technologies and high standard of living in the West, and many Chinese struggle with these mixed feelings as they pursue business opportunities with foreigners and seek to acquire western technologies â€Å"(Pye, 1992) 12 COLLECTIVISM Under collectivism, the means of production are owned and controlled by the state or the people as a whole. Also, it describes any outlook or philosophy that stresses the interactivity between people. It is often consider as opposite of individualism. There are two basic types of collectivism: horizontal and vertical. In the horizontal type, members are considered to be as equal as possible, and share resources and responsibilities. The vertical include a social hierarchy that society member work to maintain, and people submit to those above them in the hierarchy. Collectivism in China When Mao Ze Dong came into power; he strengthens the collectivism by eliminating landowners and individualists, sending nearly everyone to work in collectivist communities. Therefore, China has been more collectivist than individualist in both ancient and modern history. Many research states that, there are many leaders in China today who believe that the days of collectivism in China will soon be gone. There are several reasons for this. First is that the â€Å"one-child-policy,† especially in the cities, it gives us many younger citizens who have been raised to believe that they hold a special place in the world. This kind of upbringing leads to individualism over collectivism. In business point, there are still many examples of collectivist thinking. For example, When we(foreigner) and Chinese, began to work together, mainly the Chinese look towards the team as 13 the reason for the company success, but on the other hand, the foreigner(us) were trying to identify individual high performers. That’s one of the different between Chinese and foreign culture. Collectivism between our culture (as a foreigner) and Chinese Collectivism is a cultural pattern found especially in East Asia, Latin America, and Africa. But nowadays societies are not purely individualist or collectivist, but some of them are the mixture of the two. Western and Northern Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are individualist. Conclusion Although there are few countries fully apply in collectivism, like North Korea, most of the countries are applying the mixture of collectivism and individualism. Those countries practicing collectivism mainly have a low GDP level, because it affects trade with the other countries. 14 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPECIFICATION OF TIME AND PRICE. The important aspects when we negotiate with Chinese: Patience is the most important qualification for successful negotiations with the Chinese. Negotiations in China often take time because of different departments within one organization tend to be involved in negotiation processes and decision-making within the Chinese bureaucracy often takes time. By Confucianism, Chinese will not rush into any serious meetings with someone whom they do not know; trust and a certain feeling of closeness. Here is the example of Chinese negotate style we found. It prove that, to negotiate a favourite price with Chinese, obviously we need time. 1. Don’t expose too much of your interest in a product you want to buy even though you’re really drawn to it. It is better to act like that it does not matter to you and you don’t have to have it. Sometimes the sales person would tell you if he or she can judge from your facial expression that you really want that item. 2. In the first time you will never get the exact item for the price. Usually the sales person would try to seduce you by offering an unfavorable price. For example, for a necklace placed at $100, if you ask the sales person for discount, perhaps for the first time she would give you a discount like $90. Don’t take it. Just think that it is too high and walk away. Sometimes the sales person would shout at your back and offer much more favorable discounts. 15 3. The second negotiation is to reach a middle point. Try to get 45-60% discount of the original price. If it is impossible, try to get somewhere around 70-85%. Try to negotiate in a friendly way. If the agreement cannot be reached, walk away again. 4. The final negotiation will be the last attempt. Be firm and try to get 40% off. Some might finally give you 40% off, while some can’t due to different price strategies involved and store renting fees, staff cost, etc. To compare with our culture(as a foreigner), in our country, all the goods had set their fixed selling price, and most of the company usually have their own rule for market selling, therefore the vacuum for price negotiate will be less. 16 LANGUAGE BARRIER Our group members come from Nepal, Ghana, Tanzania, and Hong Kong. We speak different languages. English is our second language. We often face with language barrier within and outside the group. . Language barrier often is a big problem. If this was an outsourcing job or transcription work, language would probably have a major role, as both require clear understanding of the accents, practice of speaking in a fluent way. Cause of language barrier: 1. Emails written communication we should be able to clearly understand written instructions and reply with clear and also follow rules in a polite way. Sometimes we often wrote a business mail in a friendly tone, instead we should write in a formal way. 2. Phone Calls While working with an outsourcing partner, providing a phone number for emergencies may seem to be a good idea. However if this phone number happens to be attended by a non-English speaking person, it will serve nothing but a source of irritation. So we can think of giving the mobile number of a representative who can speak with clear and patience even if the resolution is not attained on the call in itself. 17 Useful method between different language. Pictogram and simple image are useful method as icon or sign for almost every place. It means they are efficient to give information to people without any words. They have high possibility to support the communication between two people without spoken language. Conclusion We need to use English to communicate with each other, when we were going to Nanhai to take the video, sometimes we need to use Chinese to communicate with the local Chinese people. When people from different countries speak in different languages, we often face difficulties an understanding each other. We cannot express our meaning in a proper way. During our research, when we took the train, there was problem in translating Chinese characters. So it is quite hard for us to find the way to the shoe factory. In addition, the English level of a local Chinese are mainly still in low level, some of them even cannot understand what we are asking. I think it is what we are called language barriers. 18 Chapter 4 TIPS TO NEGOTIATE WITH CHINESE The intensive research negotiation we conducted at Yuehai Shoes Materials factory widened up our knowledge about Chinese negotiation. We believe through this report you have acquired some usefully tips on how to strategically negotiate with Chinese. Upon what you have learned here are our recommendations for you to conquer any negotiation: ? Be prepared†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Make sure you are well prepared. ? Understand the cultural differences†¦. Get to know the other culture. ? Don’t be afraid of negotiation†¦ if you can talk you can negotiate. ? Show some emotions (share some burden)†¦remember, people value them. ? Be on time.. time is money. ? Be careful†¦ use appropriate language. ? Be in control†¦ don’t allow other things to distract your focus. ? Give some room for the other party (compromise whenever necessary). ? Show some vivid example†¦ a picture is worth a thousand words. 19 CONCLUSION â€Å"Deal is always better that no deal. †7 As hard as negotiation may seem to be, its outcomes are almost always worth the endurance. In different cultures where there are different goals, different point of views, different interests, different values and beliefs, different needs and different decision making styles; it takes a considerably huge amount of effort for sellers and buyers to reach the agreement zone. Both parties must be willing to give up part of their wish or lower their requirements which do not happen easily. With better understanding of both cultures of the parties involved, the negotiation will yield more significance solutions. One should keep in mind that negotiation is the cornerstone of any successfully business in the world. Despite the difficulties involved in the strategic negotiation, lets us follow the words of one of our great fathers who once said, â€Å"Let’s never negotiate out of fear, but lets us never fear to negotiate. †8 7 Professor Shia Yun Chiang class PowerPoint presentation 8a.

Ebola Virus: Structure, Pathogenesis and Treatment

Ebola Virus: Structure, Pathogenesis and Treatment Named after the river valley in Zaire, now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it was first recognized, Ebola began its publicity in the spotlight of an epidemic. It is one of two members of RNA viruses called Filoviridae. Filoviridae were first discovered 9 years before the initial outbreak of Ebola, in 1967, in workers who were exposed to blood from African green monkeys imported from Uganda that had the Marburg virus [6]. The family Filoviridae constitutes, together with the families Paramyxoviridae and Rhabdoviridae, the order Mononegavirales. Within the family there is a single genus, filovirus, and a separation into two sero-/genotypes, Marburg and Ebola [6]. Filoviruses are classified as Biological Level 4agents [5] based on their high mortality rate, person-to-person transmission, potential for aerosol infectivity, and absence of vaccines and chemotherapy [6]. There are five identified subtypes of the Ebola virus. Four of the five have caused disease in humans: Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Ivory Coast and Ebola-Bundibugyo. The fifth, Ebola-Reston, has caused disease only in primates [2]. In 1976, the first subtype of Ebola was discovered, Ebola-Zaire. A local was admitted to a hospital in Zaire with a fever. The nurse assumed he had malaria and gave him a quinine shot. When the patient went home he died and a traditional African funeral was organized. In preparation, the woman from his family removed the blood from his body with their bare hands; most of the women died shortly after [4]. Meanwhile, the nurses at the hospital reused the needle for the quinine injection without sterilizing it, spreading the virus to everyone who came in contact with it. A doctor was called in to show how to sterilize their needles, purify their water, and give tips on how to bury the bodies that were now piling up. Quarantine followed after an autopsy was performed on a corpse and was held until every person who had contracted the virus had died [4]. Ebola-Zaire spread through the hospitals through reused needles and dead bodies, claiming an average 82.6% fatality rate from 1976 to 2003 [5]. The Zaire strain claims the most outbreaks and highest fatality rate of any strain of Ebola virus, although, it is not the only strain to take lives. As the Ebola-Zaire strain was being discovered the Ebola-Sudan strain also emerged. The first case appeared in a worker exposed at a cotton factory. The second case caused the death of a nightclub owner when he was introduced to an unsterilized needle [4]. Scientists were able to isolate these events, but a reemergence in the same location cased a smaller epidemic to occur just 3 years later in 1979. It rested at an overall 53.76% fatality rate spanning from 1976 to 2003 [5]. Ebola-Reston caused disease in a group of Macaques; some of the people exposed to the virus developed antibodies and none became ill [1]. The Ebola-Ivory Coast strain has only one known case of infection, that of a scientist dissecting a wild chimpanzee in 1994. The scientist fully recovered from the strain. Given the low infection rate, Ebola virus natural habitat s to this day remain unknown [2]. Structure Seen through an electron micrograph, the Ebola virus appears as long rods, 800-1000 nanometers in length. The filamentous structure is often found in a distinguishing U-shape arrangement, but is pleomorphic; meaning it can take on many shapes. Other shapes include branched, circular, or a 6 shape. The outer envelope of the virion is covered in small spikes, made of virally encoded glycoproteins [12]. These spikes are 7nm long, spaced 10nm apart, and allow the virus to attach itself to host cells. Ebola virus is an enveloped negative-sense RNA virus which is associated with zoonotic infections in humans [8]. Its genome consists of a single-stranded molecule of non-segmented, negative-sense RNA. The RNA is noninfectious, not polyadenylated, and complementary to polyadenylated viral subgenomic RNA species [6]. Gene signals are distinct by transcriptional start signals at their 3à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² (3à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²-CUNCNUNUAAUU-5à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²) and the termination signals at their 5à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² (3à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²-UAAUUCUUUUU-5à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²) end [6]. The RNA is enclosed by a capsid known as the nucleocapsid. The nucleocapsid is formed by viral proteins, primarily VP24 and VP35. The space between the outer viral envelope and the nucleocapsid is known as the matrix space. Several viral proteins are located in the matrix space. Although little is known about the molecular mechanics of filoviruses, scientists focus on the mechanics of viral proteins as they are thought to function p rimarily as immune antagonists. Viral protein 24 (VP24), functions primarily to inhibit a signaling pathway known as JAK-STAT. The JAK-STAT pathway is a secondary method of transmitting information from chemical signals outside the cell, through the cellular membrane and into the cell. By inhibiting this signaling pathway, several cellular activities are disrupted including transcription. Studies have identified several regions within VP24 that are important for nucleocapsid formation [8]. As part of the bodys first line of defense against viral infections, interferons, which are released by lymphocytes during a non-specific immune response, disrupt a viruss ability to replicate. Viral protein 35 (VP35) is thought to play a central role in the synthesis of viral RNA, serving as an interferon antagonist [12]. The degree of interferon antagonist production is said to determine the pathogenicity of the virus and may account for the varying degrees of virulence among different strains of the Ebola virus [12]. Additionally, VP35 is critical for viral replication, suppression of RNA silencing, and nucleocapsid formation [8]. The viral protein 30 (VP30) is known to act as a transcription activator. Studies have suggested that VP30 halts the host cell transcription complex at its start site allowing the Ebola virus transcription to begin [13]. A nonstructural glycoprotein has only been discovered with viruses of the Ebola type. This protein, designated sGP, shares ~ 300 N-terminal amino acids with glycoprotein, but has a different C terminus (~70 amino acids) containing many charged residues as well as conserved cysteines [6]. Ebola virus glycoproteins, specifically the envelope-glycoprotein and the secretory-glycoprotein, play critical roles in the pathogenesis of the virus. The envelope-glycoprotein is responsible for receptor binding and fusion of the virus with host cells. Because Ebola is an enveloped virus, cleavage activation of membrane glycoproteins is essential for fusion between the viral envelope and the host cell membrane. This fusion allows the virus entry into host cells. The secretory-glycoprotein is secreted from infected cells [12]. Glycoproteins can also produce cytotoxicity by inducing cell rounding and detachment of cell surface integrins [9]. Specific cells targeted by Ebola virus differ depending on the strain of virus. Studies have shown glycoproteins of Zaire Ebola virus induced pathogenic changes in endothelial cells in both human and primate cells, where Reston Ebola virus glycoproteins induced similar effects in the primate cells but not in the human cells [12]. Endothelial cell dysfunction is thought to explain hemorrhagic characteristic of filovirus infections [12]. Often the proteins target the endothelial cells lining the blood vessel wall, which eventually leads to internal bleeding. Replication Replication of RNA viruses differ from that of DNA viruses in several ways. One important difference is that replication occurs in the cytoplasm of the host cell, and not in the nucleus. The virion then releases an enzyme into the cytoplasm, known as RNA-dependent RNA transcriptase, to begin transcription of positive-RNA. This positive strand of RNA then acts as the template for viral protein translation [7]. The virus proceeds to integrate itself into the DNA of the host cell allowing the viral RNA to become part of the host cells genetic material. The virus (at this point called a prophage) now can replicate every time the host cell replicates. Ebola virus replicates via both lysogenic and lytic phases. The lysogenic cycle is a process in which the virus enters the host cell but doesnt immediately destroy it. The virus enters through endocytosis in which the entire encapsidated virion is engulfed and released into the cytoplasm of the cell. After some time, the prophage is excised from the chromosome and the cell reenters the lytic phase, where the host cell lyses and newly assembled virions are released. At this point, symptoms of viral infection become evident [13]. Pathogenesis and Manifestation The Ebola causes the disease Ebola hemorrhagic fever. Within the first week of contracting the virus, mild headaches occur. The headaches intensify and flu-like symptoms, backache and chills are present. Fever, diarrhea, fatigue, and nausea then set in. Vomiting may occur within the first two weeks. By the end of two weeks, coughing and vomiting of blood occurs. Late symptoms arise. Blood purges from the mouth and rectum; eyes, ears, and nose follow. The eyes begin to inflame and the genitals swell. Rash overtakes the body, often containing blood. Seizures, coma, and delirium ensue. Death commonly comes from shock rather than blood loss [10]. Hemorrhaging is generally found macroscopically in most organ systems in human death scenarios. Focal necrosis in the liver, lymphatic organs, kidneys, testes, and ovaries are observed under a microscope. Incubation of the virus ranges from 2 to 21 days depending on the strain; the subtype Zaire is 4 to 16 days [6]. Treatment There is no known cure or standard treatment for Ebola hemorrhagic fever. Antivirals generally given to fight similar viral infections do not work well against the Ebola virus. Those who are infected can only receive supportive treatment for their symptoms until their body is able to fight off the virus. Most importantly, the patients blood volume and electrolytes are maintained to prevent the patient from going into shock. Fever, blood pressure, and oxygen levels are also monitored. The best option is to prevent infection through early diagnosis and isolation when outbreaks occur. Although cases are rare, vaccines can be a vital tool. Filoviruses can be harvested from wild monkeys in possibly infected areas to process for future vaccines. Epidemiology and Avoidance Since the natural reservoirs are unknown, prevention is merely suggestion. Wearing protective equipment such as gloves, masks, goggles, gowns, and practicing sterilization is recommended when in contact with the virus. When traveling to epidemic areas, its important to wear such equipment, and learn of possible symptoms as a preventive measure. The goal is to avoid contact with blood or secretions of any patient, as person-to-person contact is the main route of infection in human outbreaks. Premise concludes an infected animal is the primary determinant for contracting Ebola virus. Transmission can occur from direct contact with blood and/or secretions prevalent when caring for the infected [3]. History of the virus shows that nosocomial transmission provides high outbreak potential when sterilization is not practiced consistently. In lab setting, research suggests Ebola has the ability of spreading through airborne particles, but this type has not been documented among humans in a real-world setting [2]. In the case of a diagnosis, several infectious diseases need to be considered before making a proper diagnosis of filovirus. Detection can be done in the lab by measuring the host-specific immunological response to the infection, or by detecting viral antigens and genomic RNA in the infected host [6]. Conclusion The Ebola virus poses significant threat to humans and animals. Although the incidence of outbreak is low, the infection is very serious and often fatal. So far, Ebola has been confined and isolated but there is always a risk of it spreading rapidly to the rest of the world. Without effective treatment and prevention the threat is enhanced. More extensive knowledge is needed to understand how the virus spreads and its development, specifically Ebolas natural reservoir. Therefore, while traveling the world, people should be aware of the threats from the Ebola virus in order to avoid infection, and hopefully scientists will do their best to develop a treatment and vaccination. McDonalds in Beijing: Localization of Americana McDonalds in Beijing: Localization of Americana Summary: According to me the Author talks about the recent changes in the Chinese society and the new tendency to adopt the foreign culture influences and transform them into local institution which was restricted by the Chinese political system during the Maoist era. The important points made in the article are as follows: Acceptance of foreign culture influences. Beijing customers are the active partners in the process of localisation. Representation of McDonalds as Americana and the promise of modernisation. People patronize McDonalds to experience a moment of equality. Making experience at McDonalds restaurants exotic, American, and to a certain extent, modern. Genuineness of McDonalds food that is being identical to its American counterpart. Attraction to McDonalds by its American style rather then its food. McDonalds interpretation of its food as a foreign form of xianbing. The culture of fast food attracting the Beijing consumers. A way to take part in transnational cultural system. At McDonalds, eating environment is considered as romantic and comfortable. McDonalds experience is treated as a chance to explore American culture and give their young one a special treat. McDonalds representation as a symbol of American Culture has led them to accept new patterns of behaviour. Willingness to accept the exotic culture and social behaviour in general. McDonalds treated as a place to gain status. Efforts made to adapt Chinese cultural settings. McDonalds as a place to hang out McDonalds creating a family atmosphere for Beijing customers. Personal interaction with customers. Beijing customers want their children to learn American culture. Finally the author concludes saying, McDonalds has transformed into middle class family establishment, where people can enjoy their leisure time and experience a Chinese version of American culture. Critical Review I think that the article is relevant in todays world and the localization process mentioned by the author in the article. For any multinational company it is necessary that they try to adopt the home countrys culture i.e. tries to bring the home culture in their goods and services. As said by Mingsheng Li, a senior lecturer in the Department of Communication, Journalism and Marketing at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand, the degree of localization largely determines the degree to which a business succeeds or fails in a given country. The more the company works toward localization, the more likely it will be successful. It is necessary to understand ones culture and traditions and respect their tastes. But what is localization? To attract the target market, a product is made linguistically and it is culturally appropriate. When a company plans for global expansion, it is involved in the process of communication with local customers. Therefore it is necessary for the company to get familiar with local culture, study different customs, and make proper adjustments to their strategies according to the varied response of customers. The best example would be McDonalds in India. Majority of people in India are vegetarian. So McDonalds introduced range of vegetarian food in their outlet with the added flavor of American culture in it. McDonalds also priced their product according to the income of common people in India. Indian consumers were aware f the fast food culture, but the fast food in India was unhealthy and unhygienic. Introduction of McDonalds in India brought about the change in the fast food culture of India. The burgers were priced at Rs 20 which was affordable for an average middle class family. If McDonalds did not adopted localization strategy in China i.e. if they did not adopted the Chinese culture and traditions and the consumers taste, it was a failed project and the people of china would have banned it just like the French company Carrefour, hypermarket chain with more than 100 stores in major cities in China. The company had donated a large sum of money to the Dalai Lama. Calling for a boycott against French goods, Chinese nationals also called for a boycott against tourist travel to France. (Mingsheng Li, a senior lecturer in the Department of Communication, Journalism and Marketing at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand). According to the article presented by the author it talks about the recent changes in the Chinese society and the new tendency to adopt the foreign culture influences and transform them into local institution which was restricted by the Chinese political system during the Maoist era. I strongly agree with the article and its process of localization strategy. The brand name of McDonalds was already there in the minds of Beijing customers. And before the McDonalds entered the Chinese market, the people of Beijing were fond of the American style and its culture. They were keen to learn the American or the Western culture. And when McDonalds entered the Chinese market on 23rd of April 1992, it served more than 40000 customers on the first day. This shows that the Beijing consumers were waiting for such kind of change in China, where they can experience the American or the Western culture. McDonalds has always been a fast food restaurant. The fast food in China was expensive and unhealthy. As mentioned in the article, in the eyes of the Beijing customers McDonalds represents Americana and the promise of modernisation. People also patronize McDonalds to experience the moment of equality. But McDonalds mad sure that they follow Chinese culture and Tradition and also keep up with the taste of the consumers to be successful in Chinese market. Some of the strategy adopted by McDonalds to attract the customer is Online chats Madden, Normandy; Wentz, Laurel. Advertising Age, 7/31/2006. For its its growth strategy in mainland China, McDonalds has created a live online chat series with the popular portal Sina and Askme.com.cn, a website launched by McDonalds in the mainland. Consumers can interact with leading sports, entertainment and business figures. The first one-hour episode Aug. 1 in Beijing will feature Houston Rockets basketball star and Shanghai, China, native Yao Ming, who signed a multiyear global partnership deal with McDonalds in 2004. The online initiative has no target age group, The program aims to provide consumer-focused education and encourage active, balanced lifestyles, but also be seen as an effort to ward off potential concerns about the nutritional content of fast food in general in China. Opens drive-through in China Madden, Normandy, Wentz, Laurel, Advertising Age, 00018899, 1/30/2006. Chinas rapid transformation into a car culture had led McDonalds to open drive thru in China. Drive-through sites, which account for a large proportion of McDonalds sales in the U.S., reflect Chinas rapid transformation into a car culture. With almost 6 million automobile sales last year, China has surpassed Japan and is now second only to the U.S. in annual car sales in the year 2006. This kind of strategy is a sign of bringing the American culture in China. But they are keeping in mind about the culture and traditions of China.

Trends in Housekeeping Departments in Hospitality

Trends in Housekeeping Departments in Hospitality AN ESSSAY ON THE 5 TRENDS IN THE HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY CHAPTER 1 THE HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT 1.1 ABOUT HOUSEKEEPING The first thing that comes to our mind when we talk about the word housekeeping is cleanliness. Every time we enter a five star hotel, the reason why it still looks new and the same every time is because of the Housekeeping department. These Housekeepers work day in and day out in shifts to maintain the standards of the hotel. The aesthetic appeal helps the guest to form a first impression about the hotel. To run a successful hotel, the Housekeeping department plays a crucial role. Even when the hotel’s service is not up to the standards a clean environment or more specifically a clean room could bring back guests again. Even though the Housekeeping is not a revenue generating department, the executive housekeepers need to carefully plan the budget, so that the housekeeping department does not swallow huge funds that could be a potential harm for the hotels future. The complementary kept in each room needs to be carefully monitored always. CHAPTER 2 TRENDS IN THE HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT 2.1 KEEPING UP WITH THE CHANGES Running a successful Housekeeping department is not an easy task. The Executive Housekeeper needs to be very flexible and spontaneous in dealing with guests. With so many websites coming up, which has eased the process of making reservations. The user is given the chance to compare the tariffs and then choose what suits him the best. However, the user also has the opportunity to read reviews of guests who have already experienced the hospitality. The hotel needs to maintain their standards always. With increased market competition even small mistakes could lose guests. Since the appearance and cleanliness is the first thing guest’s talk about, the Housekeeping department need to be on their toes. CHAPTER 3 3. NEW TECHNIQUES FOR STAFF MANAGEMENT 3.1 EFFECTIVE STAFF MANAGEMENT In any hotel, managing staff is the biggest task faced by the employer. When it comes to the Housekeeping department it involves hard labor with long working hours. It is not easy to motivate the employees as it is monotonous and tiring. The management should always take the necessary steps to reduce the high employee turnover. Since the Housekeeping department is in charge of the hotel regarding the rooms and the public areas, there has to be complete co-ordination with the other departments so that the work flow is smooth and fast. 3.2 OVERCOMING THE LANGUAGE BARRIER Most hotels employ staff who cannot speak English. It is a common phenomenon in most hotels around the world. The staff would be professionals at their work but when it comes to communication, their skill would be lacking because of the lack of education. The staff would be very experienced and very skillful though. Since the Housekeepers are in direct contact with the hotel guests, communication is a key aspect. When the guest and a hotel staff find it tough to communicate, it slows things. Communication is also required to co-ordinate with the other departments so that work flow is smooth. At the end of the day, effective communication is the key to success. 3.3 NEW COMMUNICATIVE TECHNIQUES FOLLOWED Many hotels have come up with interesting techniques of communication. This helps the staff to learn quickly and also grasp things easily. Since the staff are trained in these terms, they start relating to it and slowly learn. a. COLOUR CODING Hotels nowadays, are using colour coding’s to differentiate between the various chemicals and wiping products used to clean different areas. The staff can co-relate the colour to the specific wiping product. b. NUMBERING The other option used by hotels is where certain common problems are pre-numbered. This way the staff just need to see which problem comes under what number and they could work with ease. Other training facilities are also available. 3.4 THE BENEFITS The work flow in the hotel becomes easier. Leads to effective Housekeeping planning. The staff get to learn things fast. CHAPTER 4 4. LIGHTING IN HOTELS Lighting plays a very crucial role in any hotel. It actually has the power to make a place look beautiful if it is done to perfection. Hotel’s need to be lit up always whether guests are coming or not as long as they are open. The lighting companies have come a long way, from the time of halogen bulbs to today’s LED strips. When we talk about lighting, they consider it as an investment for the hotel. The lighting can sometimes even hide the mistakes done by the Housekeeping department or vice versa. Hotel’s concentrate a lot on the lighting. 4.1 DIFFERENT KINDS OF LIGHTING The lighting in hotels has seen a lot of changes in the past few years. The LED strips have taken the lime light of lighting. Even though they are expensive, hotels have understood that their benefits far outweigh the costs. However, with further improvisation hotels have come up with this new idea of using ‘ceiling motion sensor lighting’. They in turn help in reducing the costs of the hotel even more. a. PIE DIAGRAM SHOWING THE ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION BY HOTELS 4.2 CEILING MOTION SENSOR LIGHTING a) About ceiling sensor motion lighting Various statistics have proven that lighting takes up 30 percent of the energy in hotels. However LED lighting have helped in reducing the energy consumption in a large level, ceiling motion sensor lighting have helped hotels to save energy even further. However these sensors reduce the life of the lights marginally but significantly increase the longevity of the lamps. These motion sensors work either through infrared signals or ultrasonic waves. They work according to motion or difference in the body temperature. 4.3 THE ADVANTAGES These sensors help in reducing the energy consumed in less used areas. The Housekeeping staff need not switch off the lights when they are done as they automatically work. The light would appropriately fall only on the areas where the guest needs. It has proven been that the life of the bulb increases. Reduces the operational cost of the hotel. 4.4 LIMITATIONS The life of the bulb is reduced marginally because they turn on and off regularly. 4.5 USER’S Many hotels feel that this motion sensor has helped them in a huge way because it helps in saving energy in areas which aren’t in use that often. Especially in very large hotels where the public areas are not used. The savings in light energy help hotels to increase their earnings in net income by 2 percent. And in a country like the United States, where hotels is the third largest industry these trends help the hotels in a huge way. CHAPTER 5 5. THE CHANGES IN MINIBAR Tiny fridges found in hotel rooms stocked up with alcoholic beverages, canned juices and aerated drinks are called as minibars. They can be found in almost every hotel. It used to be a luxury but as time went by almost all hotels started having minibars in their rooms. No one knows why the products found in the room are very expensive. However most of the time they are outdated or spoilt. In almost every property the minibars are managed by the Housekeepers because they go to the room on a daily basis and also avoids fights between the FB and Housekeeping department. There would be a lot of theft by staff and they would blame each other. In order to avoid this many hotels have come up with new ideas to overcome this problem. 5.1 MINIBARS GOING EXTINCT Lately, many hotels all over the world have slowly stopped providing guests with minibars in the room. These minibars proved to be costly and managing them was very exhaustive. Many guests do not use the minibar facilities as they are priced very high. 5.2 NEW TRENDS IN MINIBAR Many hotels nowadays have come up with new ideas that reduce the cost of maintaining the minibars. These new trends proved to be useful as they also increased the revenue of the hotel. 5.3 THE CONCEPT OF FEED THE FRIDGE A famous five star hotel chain in Orlando has come up with this unique concept called â€Å"FEED THE FRIDGE†. In this program the hotel has completely stopped filling up the minibars with goodies and beverages. Instead the hotel asks the guests what he/she would prefer before their arrival. This new initiative by the hotel was very different compared to other hotels as it also reduced the burden on the Housekeeping department. The hotel also offers the guest with various packages, where the guests can pre order during reservation. This way the guest can choose what they want and use. â€Å"A Sparkling wine package†, which would include champagne with a choice of cheese and crackers. â€Å"Night at the movies†, this includes beer, water or wine with popcorn and a chocolate bar. â€Å"Energizer†, this package come with three energy drinks for the guest and costs $15. â€Å"Card shark†, comes with a pack of cards and a six pack beer. This costs the guest $18. 5.4 USER’S VIEW According to the hotel’s executive Mr. Menelik Tefera, this program proved to be very useful. It cut down the hotel’s cost by $500.00 on a monthly basis. This also helped the hotel in avoiding fights between different departments. He feels this initiative by the hotel has also improved the revenue of in room dining. CHAPTER-6 6. ROOM CLEANING EQUIPMENTS 6.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEAN ROOMS Rooms are a major source of revenue for hotels. They in fact are the hotel’s majority source of income. Even if a hotel has clean rooms it can attract a lot of guests and repeat guest. It need not be part of a very big chain of hotels too. People travelling all over the world are looking for rooms at standard prices and hygienic rooms. Clean and hygienic rooms play a crucial role in the guest’s experience at a hotel. It is important that the hotel takes utmost importance for this aspect. Negative remarks through word of mouth can bring down a hotel. 6.2 CLEANING EQUIPMENTS Over the years there have been improvements for the housekeeping department that made cleaning of rooms faster and easier. With the increase in demand for rooms, the need to clean the room quickly and sell is very crucial. Since there are many hotels, the need to maintain good guest relations is very important. Many companies have come out with equipment’s that has made maintenance and cleaning easy for the housekeepers. One such company called DUPLEX SOLUTIONS. 6.3 DUPLEX SOLUTIONS This company came up with a unique technology that cleans rooms quickly using dry steam at very high temperatures. These equipment’s are specialized to clean specific areas. Even though cleaning is a very time consuming job, this equipment reduces the time to clean a room. a. KEY FEATURES It is very fast and efficient. Cleans the surface at very high temperatures using microfiber technology. It also dries the floor very quickly and does not involve any chemicals. Room cleaning is done at 155 degree Celsius and 94 percent dry steam and deodorizing. This helps the hotel to equip itself for any huge outbreaks. These equipment’s are used for outdoor cleaning as well. b. AREA OF USE Upholstery of chairs and sofas. Mattresses and beds. Curtains and drapes. Spills and bed bugs on carpets. Hard floors. Bathroom can be cleaned in 4 minutes. CHAPTER 7 7. LAUNDRY DEPARTMENT 7.1 ABOUT LAUNDRY One of the major divisions under the Housekeeping department is the laundry service. Different hotels follow various methods of processing their laundry. Laundry includes both the guest’s clothes and the hotel’s linen. The maintenance of laundry is very crucial for hotels. It involves huge costs and hotels need to make sure that these costs don’t exceed the hotels budget. 7.2 TRENDS IN LAUNDRY The laundry department has been seeing various changes over the years. Most hotels either choose in house laundry or it is outsourced to other cleaners. According to the hotel’s budget whichever method is adopted. Other than this, big hotels need to have a proper count of their linen. They need to make sure that loss or theft is minimized. Other problems in hotels is maintaining these linen sheets. Due to the use of chemicals and detergents, the linen lose their look and texture. This would in turn cause huge operational costs for the hotel. A few trends adopted in hotels are: 1. Advanced washing techniques (Green Practices). 2. Hotel linen tracking system. 7.3 ADVANCED WASHING TECHNIQUES a. XEROS BEAD CLEANING (ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY PRACTICE) This company specializes in making washing machines which help hotels to clean linen in a very eco-friendly manner. They have come up with a unique technology through which the linen are washed through polymer technology. Even though water is the primary resource used for cleaning, this technology enhances the water used and helps in reducing the amount of water used compared to the regular washing machines. b. THE BENEFITS It helps in reducing the costs for hotels. The amount of water used is very less compared to regular machines. Increases the life of linens which is the primary problems faced by hotels. A very new and innovative technique for washing the linen. C. LIMITATIONS The hotels needs to have an in house washing facility. Hence this facility can be used in huge hotels who have the money to invest. d. COMPARISON BETWEEN CONVENTIONAL AND XEROS CLEANING 7.4 HOTEL LINEN TRACKING SYSTEM Hotels need to make sure that the linen are properly managed. If not the hotel would incur high operational costs which would pull down the net profit. Many large scale hotels need to keep a proper tracking management system. This would help them in the long run. a. KEY TONE’S USE of RFID Among the various companies, key tone came up with the unique use of RFID. This technology helps the hotel to track down the linen. It shows a detailed description of where the linen is being dispatched. This way the Housekeeper can keep track of his linen. Bad linen management is the major problem is small scale hotels. This technology helps the hotel to come out of this problem. b. THE BENEFITS The hotel can keep track of their stock of linen. Reducing the cost of laundry because they know exactly the number of clean linen available. It leads to successful Housekeeping planning and puts less pressure on the Housekeepers. This technology generates various reports like ‘linen inventory report’, ‘linen discard report’, ‘shrinkage report’ and many more. c. LIMITATIONS The use of this technology would be high for hotels because individual sheets needs to be marked. CHAPTER 8 8. SUMMARY In this essay I have tried covering the various aspects of the Housekeeping department namely, overcoming the language barrier, innovative machines for cleaning rooms and maintaining the linen, the transition of lighting and new approaches adopted by hotels. All the topics I have chosen are encompassing around better planning for Housekeeping operations for example, innovative equipment’s available for cleaning rooms and maintaining linens, improving guest amenities supplies by starting innovative programs and finally improving guest expectation by employing and training staff in an innovative way and providing the guests with the best lighting.

From Spiritual Leader to English Milk Maid: Colonialism and Maasai Women :: Essays Papers

From Spiritual Leader to English Milk Maid: Colonialism and Maasai Women Before Western imposition of the nation "state," Maasai men and women maintained overlapping positions of power and social prestige among varying age groups. For centuries, "there was no clear, gendered distinction between the "domestic" and the "public/political" domains, or among social, economic and political activities" (36). Yet with the new colonial "parameters of male Maasai power" beget from Western social systems, the Maasai embraced "new modes of control and authority, becoming something that might be called "patriarchal" "(16). In this new pastoralist system, ethnic variances were disregarded, capitalistic profit drove foreign-native relations and Maasai women lost the place of honor and authority within Maasai conceptions of being Maasai. Prior to colonial contact, married women were significantly more influential than commonly supposed. In terms of wealth and economy, married women kept a sizeable crop of her own cattle with exclusive rights to milk and byproducts of her herd and "maintained links with neighboring agricultural groups, trading surplus milk, hides, smallstock and even donkeys for the needed grain and food stuffs" (30). Women traditionally "traveled to markets and trading settlements", visited "friends and relatives at neighboring homesteads" (27) and were free to take lovers prior to and after marriage, so long as traditional household duties were not neglected (31). Moreover, women were able to lobby judicial proceedings and mediate relationships between Maasai and God, thus expressing "moral authority" and power (33). However, beginning in 1890, Western colonialism reshaped the Maasai's perception of who they should be. Though the German colonialism was "uneven" and "limited," it weakened the Maasai through disease, and established the practice of "state rule" (37). Conforming the Maasai "to colonial, and then national, agendas of progress", the "assertion and expansion of state power" reordered Maasai lives and livelihoods to suit Western needs (275). Subsequent British rule in the 1900s "expanded" on state authority with tribal relocations and new heads of households, enforcing "neat alignments of ethnic identity with territorial identity" on a mobile and nomadic people. Frustrated Westerners created a "political hierarchy of Africans" to ruled through co-optation (61) and instituted colonial taxes upon the men, disrupting cattle ownership among men and women (69). Even in the 1960s, continuing "a potentially lucrative source of state revenue", foreign organizations spent millions of dollars on the development of Maasai "productivity", yet the programs held no cultural sensitivity and flopped.

Phyllis Wheatley :: essays research papers

Televangelists like Jimmy Swaggert and Jim and Tammy Fay Bakker promise the Christian faith to millions everyday. For the right price, anybody can have something- a.k.a. Christianity, God, and faith- in their lives. On these shows, there is no need to have believed in religion before, as long as there is a need for it now. Religious telecasts asking for money in exchange for faith attract nearly five million people each year. Fifty-five percent of these people are elderly woman; Thirty-five percent are from the desperation pool, the poorest and neediest members of society; The remaining ten percent are those who might be classified as upper-middle class, who want spiritual justification for their greed. Most of us know that the religion professed on these telecasts is not about trusting in God or having a deep belief in his teachings, ideas that aggregate Christianity in society. Instead, the old, the poor, and the rich are buying something to have as their own when they have nothing else, whether it be in the material, social, or emotional sense. So-called faith gives them possession, yet places responsibility in the hands of a higher force. And in that, they are hoping to find freedom in knowing that their lives are less empty and without direction. It may seem that we can hardly relate the televangelist audience of the 20th Century to poetic views on Christianity of the 18th Century, but surprisingly, there lies many similarities between the two.. Both Anne Bradstreet and Phyllis Wheatley appeal to Christianity after their own personal tragedies. These women, like the many viewers who watch Church-TV everyday, have lost everything and are left with nothing. In an attempt to fill the void in their lives, left by Bradstreet’s burnt house and Wheatley’s treatment as a slave, they turn to the Christian faith that at times seems as empty as the faith that can be commercialized and sold by dramatists on television. In analyzing "Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House" and "On Being Brought from Africa to America," I will consider Christian faith as means of coping with nothingness, rather than a pious way of life. While making references to Anne Bradstreet’s similar development of faith, I will contend that Phyllis Wheatley’s Christianity seen is sought out for her own purposes in times of feeling nullity rather than a confident belief or trust in God and the acceptance of God’s will. Phyllis Wheatley’s first appeals to Christianity emerge as she is transported on a slave ship from West Africa to Boston in July 1761, which begins the poem under analysis.