Parable of the soils Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Parable of the soils - Research Paper Example The apostles questioned Jesus why He talks in parables, upon which, Jesus explained that there is deeper meaning in parables, and that it is the apostles’ duty to look for its meaning and understand. Jesus gave them the privilege to understand what he says while the people gathered around him do not. At this point, it would seem Jesus put a line between his apostles and unbelievers because it is not yet their time to know the mystery of God. The parables add up to the knowledge of believers but will not do any good to those who do not believe in God. The unbelievers although they see and hear still do not appreciate and do not accept Jesus so they do not receive any blessing from God. In the parable, Jesus explained to his disciples that the seeds are the Words of God. The seeds that fell on the streets are the Words of God sown on the hearts of people who quickly forgot about them when they were tempted by the devil, and thereupon cannot be saved. The other seeds are sown to the hearts of people who gladly received the words of God, but it stayed on their hearts only for a short time. Soon enough, the seedlings withered and died when they faced trials in life and eventually lost their faith in God. The other seeds that fell on the grass are the people who listened to the Words of God, but later on forgot about it because they fell on the traps of riches and pleasures of life and because of these they forgot their covenant with God. Taken in the context today, the four soils mentioned in the parable refer to the kind of soil of our heart. The first soil is the wayside heart hardened by meaningless day to day problems that even the Word of God cannot penetrate. In this scenario, we see hatred, war, drugs, recklessness and social problems that have no time for religion. The second soil is those hearts deadened by perverse and indifferent attitude. Third, we have a soil that has been hardened by constant

Railroads and the American Expansion into the West Essay Example for Free

Railroads and the American Expansion into the West Essay The transcontinental railroad construction began on the West Coast in 1863. The Chinese comprised a major part of the work force that built the Central Pacific railroad eastward, over the high Sierras, and across the deserts of the West — to Promontory, Utah, where on May 1869, it linked up with the Union Pacific whose workers, of Irish, Scottish, German and Italian descent, started in Omaha, Nebraska. The railroad reduced the cross-country trip, from Boston to San Francisco, from six months to one week. When the rails from the opposite sides were almost a the point of meeting, the whole country listened in for news of Promontory. And then a cannon faced over the Pacific and one over the Atlantic went off simultaneously flashing a signal across the United States. Crowds cheered. There was a frenzy of celebration. It was an enormous event for the country. The famous Golden Spike ceremony on May 10, 1869 at Promontory, Utah, commemorated the completion of Americas first transcontinental railroad. The event marked the uniting of the country that had only recently fought the Civil War, and therefore had most special significance. The transcontinental nation became a reality (Williams 4) During the nineteenth century in America, the railroad represented civilization moving into the wilderness. As early as 1835 the U. S Senate discussed surveying the west to build a Transcontinental railroad. However, railroad technology had not yet developed strong enough motive power to cross the mountainous west. That great feat was left to the next generation of railroaders. During the 1840’s the phrase â€Å"Manifest Destiny† was coined to explain the growth of the United States. It was argued that the country had a right, a God-given destiny, to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans and to govern all the land in between. However, the nation’s fulfillment of its Manifest Destiny or expansion had to wait until after the Civil War. In the meantime, the railroads increased the population of the United States east of the Mississippi and created a bustling economy with its rapid transporting of goods to and from the larger east-coast cities. Following the Civil War, the railroads made it possible for expansion into the Trans-Mississippi West to the Pacific Ocean. People in the area were assured there was a way to get their products to market, and to receive information and manufactured goods to make their work and lives easier. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the railroads merged vast territories into one nation by creating dependable economic, social and communications unity. The railroads linked California with states in the east, even as they helped the interior regions become quickly populated. Towns sprang up along the track around water and coaling stations for the locomotives. Many times, the men who laid the tracks purchased property and settled down on farms. Prospectors for gold, silver, iron and oil continued to push west to dig mines, pan streams and drill fields in Colorado, Montana, Nevada, and California. At the same time, growing cities back in the east needed more workers for heavy industries, textile mills, machine shops and garment factories and the need was met by migrating Blacks, French Canadians, and a new surge of immigrants from throughout Europe. The first Transcontinental Railroad has been called the engineering marvel of the 19th century, it opened new economies in the American west, while consuming vast quantities of its natural resources; it birthed one way of life on the Great Plains, and destroyed another. In the process of relentless American expansion into the West, the Indian tribes were largely seen as obstacles. For their part, the Indians regarded the white settlers began streaming across the plains toward gold in California and then nearby Colorado, Indians as a new force of nature — mostly a dangerous one. The white travelers spread smallpox and typhoid. The Indians faced it increasingly difficult to find game. Elk and buffalo, antelope was becoming more difficult to pursue because the people who came on the trains were also after them, either for food or sport. Even by the time Pacific Railroad construction began, starvation and disease had already wracked the Cheyenne, the Sioux and the Arapaho. Over the decades, the Indian tribes was severely affected by the encroachment of white settlers and the imposition of federal policies. The United States adopted a policy of relocating tribes farther west or isolating them on reservations. As many see it now, the federal Indian policy was characterized by one primary goal: pushing aside Indian tribes to facilitate the exploitation of the Wests bountiful natural resources. The U. S. Government began to make treaties with the Plains Indians during the 1850s to 1871. Treaties remained as the legal means to snatch Indian homelands away from them, though they created Indian reservations throughout the West. However, federal Indian policy during the period from 1870 through 1900 shifted the focus from creating reservations to gradually assimilating the Indians into the regular population. While the railroads were a symbol of the relentless march of progress, this progress exacted a heavy toll on many traditional peoples and their centuries-old cultures which were alien to its ways. Reference: Williams, John Hoyt. A Great Shining Road: The Epic Story of the Transcontinental Railroad. Lincoln : University of Nebraska Press. 1988.

Essay on Appearance versus Reality in The Handmaids Tale

Appearance versus Reality in The Handmaids Tale Imagery is an effective element used by writers. It allows readers to be one with the story and to better comprehend the actions and thoughts conveyed by the author. In Margaret Atwood's The Handmaids Tale, actions and images of Offred and other individuals parallel with the theme of appearance versus reality. These images such as food and nature are reoccurring to further stress the theme. The gustatory and olfactory images of food and perfume, as well as the kinesthetic and visual imagery of cutting flowers and sexual intercourse juxtapose the discontentment of Offred's life as a handmaid. Food is a symbol of fulfillment. As the novel opens, we are quickly associated with it as Rita asks Offred to pick up things from the grocery store. "Fresh eggs, ... cheese, ... steak, ... and peas;" with this image, the reader visualizes the food, as well as smells and tastes it (15). With this vivid boisterous image of food, it appears that Offred and the handmaids are nourished and fulfilled with not only nutrition, but in life as well because food is a symbol of life. But in actuality, Offred is not fulfilled with her life because of the lack of freedom she has, and the remaining handmaids fell the same way. The food that they embellish is not as rich as Atwood's gustatory and olfactory images make them out to be. The handmaids' diets are controlled, especially those of expecting mothers, by other individuals. The olfactory image of "lemon oil, heavy cloth, fading daffodils, the leftover smells of cooking, ... and of Serena Joy's perfume: Lily of the Valley," introduc e a new element of reality into the n... ... is an image of appearance versus reality. Serena Joy "grips [Offred's] hands as if it is she, not" Offred, is having intercourse with the Commander (121). On a larger scale, it appears that the utopia is satisfying, but in reality, it is only a fantasy, and amplified vision of sadness. The gustatory and olfactory images of food and perfume, as well as the kinesthetic and visual imagery of cutting flowers and sexual intercourse contrast with the unhappiness of Offred's life as a handmaid in Atwood's novel The Handmaids Tale. Atwood's use of imagery parallel with her use of the theme appearance versus reality. Though all the images of flowers, food, and sex seem to suggest happiness among the inhabitants of the utopia, in reality, they are underlying symbols of the dystopia they represent. Essay on Appearance versus Reality in The Handmaids Tale Appearance versus Reality in The Handmaids Tale Imagery is an effective element used by writers. It allows readers to be one with the story and to better comprehend the actions and thoughts conveyed by the author. In Margaret Atwood's The Handmaids Tale, actions and images of Offred and other individuals parallel with the theme of appearance versus reality. These images such as food and nature are reoccurring to further stress the theme. The gustatory and olfactory images of food and perfume, as well as the kinesthetic and visual imagery of cutting flowers and sexual intercourse juxtapose the discontentment of Offred's life as a handmaid. Food is a symbol of fulfillment. As the novel opens, we are quickly associated with it as Rita asks Offred to pick up things from the grocery store. "Fresh eggs, ... cheese, ... steak, ... and peas;" with this image, the reader visualizes the food, as well as smells and tastes it (15). With this vivid boisterous image of food, it appears that Offred and the handmaids are nourished and fulfilled with not only nutrition, but in life as well because food is a symbol of life. But in actuality, Offred is not fulfilled with her life because of the lack of freedom she has, and the remaining handmaids fell the same way. The food that they embellish is not as rich as Atwood's gustatory and olfactory images make them out to be. The handmaids' diets are controlled, especially those of expecting mothers, by other individuals. The olfactory image of "lemon oil, heavy cloth, fading daffodils, the leftover smells of cooking, ... and of Serena Joy's perfume: Lily of the Valley," introduc e a new element of reality into the n... ... is an image of appearance versus reality. Serena Joy "grips [Offred's] hands as if it is she, not" Offred, is having intercourse with the Commander (121). On a larger scale, it appears that the utopia is satisfying, but in reality, it is only a fantasy, and amplified vision of sadness. The gustatory and olfactory images of food and perfume, as well as the kinesthetic and visual imagery of cutting flowers and sexual intercourse contrast with the unhappiness of Offred's life as a handmaid in Atwood's novel The Handmaids Tale. Atwood's use of imagery parallel with her use of the theme appearance versus reality. Though all the images of flowers, food, and sex seem to suggest happiness among the inhabitants of the utopia, in reality, they are underlying symbols of the dystopia they represent.

Decision Making Problem

For Problems 1-3 below, submit a non-technical consulting report (approximately ? a page for each problem) accompanying by a technical appendix. The report should highlight your findings (e. g. business implications) and be prepared as if to be presented to an audience that has little knowledge of quantitative models. The technical appendix should include a formulation of a linear model, as we did in class (decisions, objective, constraints), and standard printouts of the spreadsheet model with an optimal solution (see Instructions for Standard Printouts below). Problem 1: Perfume (30 marks)Rylon Corporation manufactures Brute and Chanelle perfumes. Raw material costs $3 per pound. Processing a pound of raw material takes one hour of laboratory time, and yields 3 ounces of Regular Brute and 4 ounces of Regular Chanelle perfume. Regular Brute can be sold for $7/ounce and Regular Chanelle can be sold for $6/ounce. Rylon has the option of further processing Regular Brute perfume to prod uce Luxury Brute perfume, selling for $18/ounce. Each ounce of Regular Brute processed requires additional 3 hours of laboratory time and yields one ounce of Luxury Brute at a cost of $4.They can also process Regular Chanelle into Luxury Chanelle. Processing an ounce of Regular Chanelle requires 2 additional hours of lab time and yields one ounce of Luxury Chanelle, again at a cost $4. Luxury Chanelle sells for $14/ounce. Rylon has 4000 pounds of raw material on hand, and 6000 hours of lab time available. How can they maximize their profit? SKOLKOVO FT MBA Problem 2: Production & advertisement (35 marks) Your firm makes fluorescent paint pigments in four plants and ships them to four distributors (abbreviated â€Å"D1† through â€Å"D4†), as follows: Plant Northeast Southeast NorthwestSouthwest Unit Shipping Cost To D2 D3 Capacity Unit Cost Impurities D1 1000 $ 12. 40 12 $ 1. 20 $ 1. 75 $ 2. 35 1250 $ 11. 55 15 $ 1. 95 $ 1. 35 $ 1. 75 950 $ 10. 85 18 $ 2. 45 $ 1. 50 $ 2. 10 1200 $ 12. 05 12 $ 2. 75 $ 2. 25 $ 2. 00 D4 $ 2. 85 $ 2. 15 $ 1. 95 $ 1. 45 The distributors' demand for the pigments is as follows: D1 15. 0 Max Impurities 700 Base Demand Advertising Sensitivity 0. 05 D2 15. 0 600 0. 1 D3 14. 0 550 0. 05 D4 15. 5 675 0. 125 For example, distributor D1 will accept up to 700 units of pigment, plus 0. 05 units for every dollar you spend on national advertising.Advertising is not separated by distributor: a single expenditure affects all distributors simultaneously. Thus, if you spend $100 on advertising, D1's demand will be 700 + (0. 05)(100) = 705 units, D2's demand will be 600 + (0. 1)(100) = 610 units, D3's demand will be 555 units, and D4's demand will be 687. 5 units. â€Å"Max impurities† indicates the maximum average impurity level allowed for shipments to each distributor. For instance, the shipments from the four plants to D1, when mixed together, should have an average impurity level of at most 15. . You have at most $59,000 to spend on production, shipping and advertising, and all the distributors pay you $28. 50 per unit. How can you maximize your profits? Note: this problem combines blending, transportation, and elements of the â€Å"pickles† problem. 1) 2) Formulate a linear model. Give clear definitions to your decision variables. Set up a spreadsheet model. Use Solver to find the optimal solution. SKOLKOVO FT MBA Problem 3: Kingston Manufacturing (35 marks) Kingston Manufacturing produces heads for engines used in the manufacture of trucks.The production line is highly complex and measures 500 meters in length. Two types of engine heads are produced on the line: the P-Head and the H-Head. The P-Head is used in heavy duty trucks and the H-head is used in smaller trucks. Because only one type of head can be produced at a time, the line is either set up to manufacture the P-Head or the H-Head, but not both. Changeovers from producing one type to the other are made on weekends and cost $500. The line has capacity to produce the PHead at 100 units per week and the H-Head at 80 units per week.Kingston Manufacturing has just shut down for the week and the line has been producing the PHead. The manager wants to plan production and changeovers for the next eight weeks. Currently Buckeye has an inventory of 125 P-Heads and 143 H-Heads. Inventory carrying costs are charged at an annual rate of 19. 5% of the value of inventory. The production cost for the P-Head is $225 and for the H-Head is $310. The objective in developing a production schedule is to minimize the sum of production cost, inventory carrying cost and changeover costs.Kingston Manufacturing has received the following requirements schedule from its customer (an engine assembler) for the next nine weeks. Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Product Demand P-Head H-Head 55 38 55 38 44 30 0 0 45 48 45 48 36 58 35 57 35 58 Safety stock requirements are such that week-ending inventory must provide for at least 80% of next week’s demand. You should prepare a production and changeover schedule report for the Kingston Manufacturing management to minimize total costs for the next eight weeks. (Hint: To model the changeover costs, you may introduce a binary decision 1, if there is a changeover in week = 1, †¦ 8. Let a binary variable represent a decision whether to produce Pheads ( = 1) or H-heads ( = 0) in week , = 1, †¦ 8. Then you need the constraints which say that if you change the production in week from P-heads to H-heads or H-heads to P-heads, must be 1: ? ? 1 and ? 1 ? .) Instructions for Standard Printouts Throughout the course, I will ask for â€Å"standard printouts† of your Excel models.The standard printouts for a model consist of two things. The first is a printout of the model as a set of values, the way it usually appears on the screen. To get this printout, you perform the following steps: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Go to Print/Page Setup. Click on the Sheet tab. If there is no â€Å"X† in the box next to â€Å"Gridlines† and â€Å"Row and Column Headings†, click there so that one appears. Click OK Click on the printer icon in the toolbar, or choose Print†¦ from the file menu to print the spreadsheet. If possible, you should try to make each spreadsheet printout fit on a single page.Under the Print/Settings select â€Å"landscape† orientation, and â€Å"fit sheet on one page† before you print. The second printout should be as a set of formulas. It should show the formulas in your spreadsheet; for optimization models (which will be most of our spreadsheets), it should also clearly indicate the target cell, the changing cells, and all constraints. Also indicate whether you are minimizing or maximizing the target cell. To get this printout, follow these steps: †¢ †¢ †¢ Type control-tilde (hold down â€Å"ctrl† and type the key marked ` ~) Adjust the column widths so that you can see all the formulas.Print out the spreadsheet, using the same procedure as above. To indicate the target cell, minimization or maximization, changing cells, and constraints, you may make handwritten notations on this second printout. Alternately, you may make notations using text and graphics on the spreadsheet itself. Excel will let you draw arrows right on your spreadsheet. Points will be deducted if you fail to follow these guidelines. Common errors are forgetting the row and column headings, or not clearly indicating the changing cells, target cell, or constraints. To go back to the values view, type control-tilde

“Art for Heart’s Sake” by Reuben Lucius Essay

â€Å"Art for Heart’s Sake† is a short story written by Reuben Lucius â€Å"Rube† Goldberg, an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor, who lived between 1883 and 1970. He is best known as a cartoonist and a founding member of America’s National Cartoonists Society. Collins P. Ellsworth is a wealthy 76-year-old businessman who is being treated for a form of compulsive buying disorder, otherwise known as oniomania: His uncontrollable buying habits—he can hardly suppress the urge to purchase businesses and property such as grocery stores and railroads—have precipitated a host of mental and physical problems. Dr. Caswell, his doctor, convinces him to try art therapy sessions with Frank Swain, a young art student. As the treatment progresses, Ellsworth turns his interest to painting and to the operations of art galleries. He then paints an amateurish picture, which he exhibits at the Lathrop Gallery. A letter soon arrives, revealing that the First Prize of the Lathrop Show has been awarded to none other than Ellsworth; it turns out that the old businessman has recently purchased the Lathrop Gallery. Written in a combination of third-person narrative and direct speech, the story brings Ellsworth and his experiment with art therapy into focus, reaching its climax when the old man, almost improbably, decides to exhibit his third-rate painting at the Lathrop Gallery (â€Å"He was going to exhibit it . . . !†). The story may be divided into five sections, each of which recounts a different stage of Ellsworth’s progress: from his background as a compulsive property buyer, to Dr. Caswell’s treatment suggestion, to the art therapy sessions with Frank Swain, to the Lathrop exhibition, and finally, to the startling revelation of Ellsworth’s purchase of the gallery. [Possible section titles: Enter a Cranky Property Addict, Cajoled into Rehab, Art is Medicine, Practice Doesn’t Always Make Perfect, A Relapse.] The story is told in a humorous and, to an extent, ironic tone. We would be hard-pressed to deny the situational humor of a snappy and petulant, albeit very wealthy, 76-year-old in a hospital-like establishment. The epithets â€Å"a loud, raucous splash on the wall† and â€Å"a god-awful smudge,† along with the metaphor â€Å"gob of salad dressing,† are teasingly said in reference to Ellsworth’s weak painting skills. His personified dislike of the pineapple juice prescribed by Dr. Caswell (â€Å". . . old pineapple juice comes back.†) is likewise worth a smile. By using zeugma (â€Å"All his purchases of recent years had to be liquidated at a great sacrifice both to his health and his pocketbook.†), Goldberg forges a link of irony between Ellsworth’s health and his money: the more money the old man spends on compulsive property purchases, the more his condition deteriorates. The ultimate irony, however, is that a treatment designed to alleviate Ellsworth’s oniomania serves only to aggravate it. The character of Collins P. Ellsworth is portrayed, mostly indirectly, as crabby, materialistic, and petulant. From the very first lines, we can hear him retorting with the informal nope and brandishing dated colloquial pejoratives (e.g., bosh, rot, poppycock). The simile â€Å"like a child playing with his picture book† brings out Ellsworth’s childishness, while his impatience is highlighted by his frequent use of the interjection umph. Vain and impatient, he â€Å"snaps† and â€Å"grunts with satisfaction† at his feeble attempts at painting. His belief that money—as opposed to talent—can buy one anything may not be the best philosophy to live by, for it is money and his uncontrollable urges to spend it that have undermined Ellsworth’s health. Dr. Caswell is driven by professionalism (â€Å". . . with his usual professional calm . . .†), logic (â€Å"He had done some constructive thinking . . . .†), and compassion, alway s acting with Ellsworth’s best interests at heart. The fact that he recommends Frank Swain as tutor to the often intolerable Ellsworth, thereby helping Swain pay his tuition, also speaks positively of Dr. Caswell. Frank Swain is similarly patient and attentive, which is evident, for example, when he brings the grumpy old man watercolors and oils, or when he politely (â€Å"Not bad, sir.†) comments on Ellsworth’s risible picture, although there is no certain way of establishing whether the remark was or was not used somewhat sarcastically. The character of Koppel, the male nurse, does nothing but fetch pineapple juice and therefore plays only a subsidiary role in the story—perhaps that of helping fuel Ellsworth’s grumpiness and of functioning as a sort of human prop in the final â€Å"surprise† scene of the story. As noted above, apart from largely neural vocabulary, the story features a number of dated informal words (as above, e.g., bosh, rot, poppycock), phrases (by gum), and colloquialisms (kinda), which all serve the purpose of portraying Ellsworth as an old, grumpy, and childish man. Vocabulary pertaining to painting—such as water-colors, oils, picture book, gallery, exhibit, and numerous others—helps establish the setting and reinforces the image of Ellsworth as a grown-up baby â€Å"[fooling] around with chalk and crayons.† At the syntactic level, brisk, simple sentences account for the majority of the sentences found in the story. If not too simple, the syntax, on the whole, is rather uncomplicated, with a significant number of elliptical (â€Å"Not bad.† â€Å"Fine.†) and exclamatory (â€Å"Nope!† â€Å"Bosh!† â€Å"Umph!†) sentences. Such sentences, in conjunction with the straightforward syntax, strengthen the impression of Ellsworth’s awkwardness. Through repetition (â€Å"See, see . . .†) and aposiopesis (â€Å"But, but—well, now . . . .†), Goldberg imitates the way many people would react in moments of overwhelming surprise. This story is interesting in that it portrays a complex man—old, rich, petulant like a child, and in a precarious state of mental and physical health. As we watch his ostensible passion for art develop, we may find ourselves inspired by his progress and, not infrequently, even amused by his caustic remarks. But when we learn about his regression at the end of the story, we are bound for disappointment—we begin to view Ellsworth as a childish and materialistic person not worthy of our sympathy. Is he such a man? That is precisely why this story is so interesting: While humorous and ironic on the surface, it poses the deep question of whether Ellsworth is really in control of himself when he decides to purchase the Lathrop Gallery, or whether he is a victim of a mentall illness none of us would ever wish on our worst enemies. Should we be amused at his regression, or should we pity him?

buy custom The Political Parties essay

buy custom The Political Parties essay The American health market like the normal commodity market has changed its focus from providing quality services to maximizing the quantity of services provided to maximize profits, which they have succeeded in, but at the expense of the peoples welfare. There is a significant difference in the quality health care provided by salaried doctors and that provided by doctors who were paid per service, with the salaried doctors exhibiting better quality service delivery. These incentives have also caused many doctors to turn their backs on patients who cannot afford their services, which beats the purpose of being a doctor. The quality of healthcare in the United States relative to that of other countries has been a major issue. A free market approach to healthcare much like the market for other commodities has been argued by one political advocacy to result in low quality healthcare as doctors compromise the quality of healthcare in favor of quantity and has been found to result in higher mortality rates (Hoffman, 2003). The cost of healthcare in the United States relative to its economy is the highest in the world. There is need for a fiscal policy that will bring the costs of healthcare under control and ensure universal coverage of health care in America in the long run. The inconsistent coverage in health care has been a major concern. For example, a 2009 Harvard study found that there were more than 44800 deaths in the United States every year cause by lack of health insurance. It was also found that there were thousands of others who died annually due to lack of medical care. The following essay covers the current health care condition in America and the stance of political parties in regards to the same and to reforms. Health reform has been discussed and debated by political parties in the United States for a long time with every party having a different opinion from the other and sometimes from the public. All Americans agree that there is need for health reform in America but few are willing to pay for it. There also seems to be a lack of consensus on the best approach with approximately 40 percent being democrats, 30 percent being republicans and 30 percent being independent (Birn, 2003). The main difference in the stance taken by the political parties is whether to improve the quality of health care by giving the public control over health care, an approach advocated for by the republicans or to provide universal coverage and allow for government intervention, the democratic approach. While majority of Americans think that health care reforms should be addressed now, they cannot seem to decide on the timing. In light of other urgent matters such as the economic condition of the country the majority of the democrats think that the health care reform issue should be tackled immediately, while the majority of republicans think that at the moment health care reform is not affordable (Wainess, 1999). When it comes to the question of raising money to cater for health care reform, the democrats favor government based funding. They support the ideology of increasing taxes for the wealthiest and also on unhealthy health practices such as smoking. The republicans on the other hand recommend that Americans be charged with the responsibility of funding this reform. The Republican stance Therepublicans unlike the Democrats believe in giving the power to make decisions to the people rather than to the government. When it comes to health reform therefore their focus is on the patient and his needs and wants rather than the government. Their main goal is the provision of better quality health care at lower costs. They disagree with the democrats goal of offering increased access without lowering costs. Republicans claim to have a bill that is workable and that will cover all Americans without costing the tax payer any money. This bill, the Empowering Patients First Act which they proposed as a replacement for the amendment of the Senate bill was rejected by the Senate Finance Committee. Their reasons were that this bill would not reduce the number of people without insurance cover and was feared to actually reduce health insurance coverage since it would do away with mandated coverage rules that are in operation in some States. The insurance companies would than benefit from more government funds by coming up with new insurance subsidies. The republicans however, maintained their stand since they beleve that charging the public with this responsibility is bound to increase doctors accountability and to increase competition therefore reducing costs. For a long time the republicans have been against government control in the health sector and advocate for private medicine practice as opposed to socialized medicine. The republicans objectives in advocating for less government involvement include encouraging the promotion of health and the prevention of diseases, protection of the citizens from restructuring effort that would result in rationing or complicated health care, create a cooperative environment among the health providers, the patients, the stakeholders and payers in the health care system and eliminating government interference between the health care providers and their patients (Williamson, 1994). Their stance basically is one of increasing the patients control, their accessibility and affordability of health care. They also disagree with the democrats policy of increasing taxes for whichever class and government subsidies instead of lowering costs. They advocate for patients empowerment and reducing government intervention therefore curbing the bureaucracy that comes with the involvement of the government. Their argument against the involvement of the government is the lack of progress so far in light of their intervention. Their goal is to improve the quality and coverage of health insurance at lower costs. In their view, health care provider and American citizens, not the government is key to real health reform. They believe that Americans have the right to an affordable health care plan which meets their needs. Therefore it is imperative that insurances be made more affordable by lowering premiums, and more secure. They also advocate for the employees choice to own coverage apart from the one offered by the employer or one linked to the job. The patients, not the insurance companies need to have the upper hand and the insurance companies need to strive to keep patients business as opposed to the patients striving to keep their insurance covers. Republicans are concerned about the inequalities exhibited in the current tax system. In the current tax system the high income employees enjoy better health tax benefits compared to other Americans who cannot afford a health care plan. Part of their goal is to ensure all Americans receive equal tax benefits, whatever the means of their insurance. Tax reform is another strategy that would reduce health care costs significantly. Inefficiencies in healthcare have been partly perpetuated by a lack of clarity in regards to health insurance costs and the bearer of these costs in employment. Health insurance provided by providers is currently exempted from tax and it has been argued that taxing employer based health insurance would increase the tax revenue significantly. The Economist, in November 2009 estimated the increase in tax revenue in the event that employer based health insurance was taxed to be 215 billion dollars. Tax payers are more likely to change the system or their behavior that will impact on demand for health care services. Besides ensuring individuals are in control of their health care, Republicans are committed to helping lower cost, improving quality of care as well as helping Americans adopt a healthier life and a culture of wellness. They also advocate for preventive measures such as vaccines and improved nutrition. An example is strategy suggested in aiding medical cost reduction is measures towards lowering obesity. Preventing overweight and obesity issues prevents a large number of diseases related to these conditions whose treatment is rather costly such as heart disease, cancer among others. Therefore lowering obesity is bound to significantly reduce healthcare costs. They also advocate for less smoking and consumption of alcohol (Willimson, 1994). This is bound to lower the demand for health care services and therefore lower its prices. They also advocate for equal treatment of mental health care with physical health care. Access to health care should not only be limited to those seeking physical health care but also to those seeking mental healthcare. One of the strategies that the republicans advocate for that is bound to lower costs is increasing competition. This can be achieved by providing the citizens with perfect information concerning health care so that they make informed decisions about health care and health providers. This should increase competition and consequently lower costs. The republicans believe in the betterment of medical research especially by funding it. This would be accomplished by using comparative effective research among other tools. This would ensure that there is a body that is charged with the specific task of ensuring that the medical and healthcare field was at its best at all times. It would also be responsible for carrying out regulatory measures to ensure the healthcare system was based on quality service provision rather than quantity. Incentives presently being used by the health care system have been criticized as aiding in increasing health care costs. One of their major problems with current incentives is that doctors get paid for the number of services provided rather than receiving a constant salary. While this is aimed at encouraging them to provide more health services it could also cause them to compromise on quality services in bid to maximize the quantity of health care provided and in turn increase profits. Fully insured patients also contribute to the high health care costs since they have no incentive to consider minimal costs when choosing among alternative treatment methods. This has the effect of increased premiums by the insurance companies to all. The republicans stress the importance of appreciating the health providers who do a good job and rewarding them. They should be paid for the quality of work they provide and not by the number or tests run or the cases they treat. The use of technology can be used to improve record keeping by making it digital therefore easy to store and to access. Technology is devoid of human error therefore making it more reliable. It encourages low costs, more efficient record keeping and more accurate treatment. Recently a lot of funds have been directed towards improper payments that amount to medicare fraud. These crimes are highly lucrative for the perpetrators and are often difficult to trace. However, seeing as the amount of money that is lost to these fraudulent cases amounts to 60 billion dollars every year, there is need to address this issue and adapt measures to apprehend the perpetrators while preventing the likelihood of their successful perpetration. Thorough auditing needs to be done and more transparency and accountability measures implemented if these monies are to be saved (Cook, 2007). These fraudulent practices besides costing the government a lot of money, may lead to lawsuits directed at the doctors often. Lawsuits often have the effect of increasing insurance rates and consequently increasing the costs of health care. The Democrats stance The democrats most consistent advocacy for years has been increasing health care coverage in the United States by advocating for access of health care to everyone. They have fought for the public to have some basic assurance and security in health care. A research study in Health Affairs found that 50 percent of personal bankruptcies were a result of medical bills, a finding that indicated the inconsistency in health care coverage in the United States. Over the years a couple of the presidents of the United States have taken measures towards the achievement of this goal, and most recently President Obama increased health care coverage to include four million children who do not have insurance cover. Therefore it advocates for public funded systems which have been found to result in high quality healthcare. This group has also criticized the quality of managed care and that of health maintenance organizations. The shortage of doctors and nurses in the United States is another issue of concern for the democrats. A shortage of medical practitioners means healthcare services will become scarcer and therefore increase in cost. With an average of 2 to 3 doctors for every a thousand people, the doctors are swamped as it is. A deterioration of this statistic would mean less accessibility to quality medical care in addition to increased health care costs. They therefore advocate for the training of more doctors and nurses since the more they are the more likely the public security in health care since it means more doctors are available per a particular number of people (Cook, 2007). Another measure that the democrats have advocated for is the bill passed concerning insurance coverage for persons with pre existing conditions. In the near future, uninsured adults who lack insurance on the basis of pre existing conditions will be able to acquire insurance coverage via a new program. Buy custom The Political Parties essay

How to Teach the Present Perfect Continuous

How to Teach the Present Perfect Continuous The present perfect continuous form is often confused with the present perfect. Indeed, there are many instances in which the present perfect continuous can be used as well as the present perfect. For example: Ive worked here for twenty years. OR Ive been working here for twenty years.Ive played tennis for twelve years. OR Ive been playing tennis for twelve years. The main emphasis in the present perfect continuous is on expressing how long the current activity has been happening. Its best to stress that the present perfect continuous form is used for shorter periods of time to express how long that particular action has been taking place. Ive been writing for thirty minutes.Shes been studying since two oclock. In this manner, youll help students understand that the present perfect continuous is used to express the length of a current action. Compare this to cumulative length for which we tend to use the present perfect, although the present perfect continuous can be used. Introducing the Present Perfect Continuous Start by Speaking about the Length of Current Actions Introduce the present perfect continuous by asking students how long theyve been studying in the current class on that day. Extend this to other activities. Its a good idea to use a magazine with photos and ask questions about how long the person in the photo has been doing a particular activity. Length of Current Activity Heres an interesting photo. Whats the person doing? How long has the person been doing XYZ?What about this one? He looks like hes getting ready for a party. I wonder if you can tell me how long hes been getting ready for the party. Result of Activity Another important use of the present perfect continuous is to explain what has been happening that has caused a present result. Stating results and asking questions are effective in teaching this use of the form. His hands are dirty! What has he been doing?Youre all wet! What have you been doing?Hes tired. Has he been studying for a long time? Practicing the Present Perfect Continuous Explaining the Present Perfect Continuous on the Board Use a timeline to illustrate the two principal uses of the present perfect continuous. With such a long string of helping verbs, the present perfect continuous can be a bit confusing. Make sure that students understand the construction by providing a structural chart like the one below: Subject have been verb(ing) objectsHe has been working for three hours.We havent been studying for long. Repeat for the negative and interrogative forms as well. Make sure students understand that the verb have is conjugated. Point out that questions are formed with How long ... for the length of an activity, and What have you ... for explanations of current results. How long have you been sitting there?.What have you been eating? Comprehension Activities Its a good idea to compare and contrast both the present perfect and present perfect continuous when first teaching this tense. At this point in their studies, students should be able to handle working with two related tenses. Use lessons that focus on the differences to help them distinguish usage. Quizzes testing present perfect or perfect continuous use also help students become familiar with the two tenses. Present perfect and continuous dialogues can also help with practicing the differences. Also, make sure to review non-continuous or stative verbs with students. Challenges With the Present Perfect Continuous The main challenge students will face with the present perfect continuous is understanding that this form is used to focus on shorter lengths of time. I find its a good idea to use a common verb such as teach to illustrate the difference. For example: Ive taught English for many years. Today, Ive been teaching for two hours. Finally, students may still have difficulties with the use of for and since as time expressions with this tense.