Profile Essay

Mike Koran L. Lykken 1021 Composition 03/09/13 Mike Koran (left) and Doug King (right) â€Å"I’m Doug. And I’m a survivor. † â€Å"I love to have fun! It is in my blood. † Doug speaks this way as if to show signs of life enjoyment behind scarred mental anguish. This is a man who was diagnosed dead in the back of an ambulance and fell into a coma. Doug is not lying when he says he likes to have fun because he is a man suffering from a severe brain injury due to his passion for fun and the thrill of excitement. He was young and doing want any young boy likes to do with a four-wheeler and that his go fast.Laura Stone, writer for dontjudgeme. com, writes; â€Å"Speaking of those toys†¦ While speeding on his quad (ATV) sans helmet, he smacked into a partially hidden tree stump and flew up in the air an estimated 80 to 120 feet, coming straight down on his head. As he lay there convulsing, the ambulance made its way through the bracken to him. He died in t he back of it as they raced back to the hospital, but was able to be brought back to life. He fell into a coma and stayed there for twelve days. † Doug is still looking forward these days and has a recent change in his life.Doug King is a part of Brevard County down here in FL. He lives in Melbourne which is the city next to Palm Bay and his area holds most of the shopping. It is similar to popular Minnesota twin cities shopping spots Maplewood mall/ Rosedale mall combined with a Robert or lake street. Doug believes in honesty, hard work, and perseverance because he is such an interesting character that when you first meet him, you see that he is so outgoing, that it doesn’t even make sense to ask any questions. He has a tremendous background full of life but he also suffered a lot of tragedy.He now is a `†hoarder†, for many reasons, but one in particular is due to a brain injury he suffered which resulted in permanent disability. We will go further into thi s tragedy and its detail because this man had died, for 12 days to be exact, and that lead him to hoarding. He does this as an action of hoarding to establish a memory bank full of material or trash that symbolizes a certain memory. This has worked as a tool for Doug and he tends to need the items to remind him of certain things in the past.Doug reminded me of Forrest Gump by the way he was continuously bringing up life stories and they were similar to the way the movie had such a personal and dramatic story line about one man’s life. Doug is open about his father committing suicide, about his death experience, his hole in his neck from; ripping a feeding tube out after he awoke from his coma. When you first get to know Doug this could all be said with in the first 10 minutes of meeting him because of his outburst of outgoing personality.He explains his tragic four wheel incident by saying â€Å"I can’t remember anything from before my coma but I read stories and I wa s shown pictures. I was in a coma for 12 days after dying in the back of an ambulance. I was brought back to life, stayed in the coma, woke up and freaked out. † He told the story with such poise that you knew he had told this story plenty of times. He explained how his brain damage crippled everything in his life. I started to get the feeling that Doug enjoyed sharing his story so much that he must have had accolades that he talks about. I was just on hoarders the T. V. show! † he answers to me. I am in disbelief! I ignorantly (but necessarily) search Google for him as we are talking. It turns out that Doug King was on an episode of Hoarders. â€Å"Doug is one of those rare people whom soap operas love to put in their stories: his traumatic brain injury was so great; all memories before that tragic day were wiped clean. This was when his hoarding began. † Laura Stone wrote in this article on a critique magazine company running under the domain of heydontjudgeme. com. There you are thinking to yourself why doesn’t this seem odd? It’s my life and I am comfortable with it but even the show had me staying in a nice hotel for the time they were shooting the episode because they didn’t want me to feel any urges to try and get more stuff while they were gone. I need things to keep my brain working right and when I don’t have them I go and get them wherever I can. † Doug says. â€Å"I like to make people laugh when I do something I call common comedy which I define as the old fashioned jokes that we all heard as a kid.I’ll ask a question like (Have you ever got caught jacking off in the closet? ) and the person or people will say no and that’s when I tell them (Good hiding spot aint it!? )†Doug laughs and says that this is what he calls â€Å"common comedy. † Doug is as innocent they come because he is like a child in an adult body and he tries his best every day to keep positive. Doug d oes not have many accomplishments in life but he proceeds to fight his condition and it’s a blessing that the show helped him out.Doug feels the need to keep this mindset going in his life but friends and family are scared that he will not be able to keep it up over time without the proper help. They are concerned for him and they know he is a special person with unfortunate events. Doug is taking it one day at a time. â€Å"I am trying to get into fire fighter class since I did the show. They firefighters of Brevard County inspired me during filming because they showed up and showed they cared. They were interested in seeing the show and its process and they knew I had lived here a long time.They were concerned on how I was living because I didn’t have electricity or water and I was open to many dangers among me. I found ways to live like this and they were shocked because I have the disability. I told them I am a HHH hoarder. I am an honest honorable hoarder. I hono r the smallest piece of item I have even if it is trash. I don’t have much and what I do have I keep. † Doug may not be the best citizen that this country offers but he is just as important as anyone else. His profile can inspire people to either help someone they know or just others in need of this condition that haunts so many people.The world and the people in it can help individuals like this simply by caring enough to help. Doug was fortunate to find a solution to his problems and not everyone will be able to be on hoarders. After the show Doug found that he had new opportunities. His house looks great compared to the way he had it and it is something he enjoys now. He has found new ways to turn his hoarding habits into healthy environment tasks such as cleaning. He has been working on finding new tools to fight against helps him feel connected to memory.These are as simple as organizing, collecting, and formatting his personal belongings in order for his OCD over memory retention. I met Doug after the show and he is a fixture around the area. â€Å"With the power fully restored, he’s now living in his house and working with an organizer to keep his house clean. His sister Amy takes him to his regular therapy sessions, and they’re growing closer again. Doug is the kind of guy who just deserves a break, and I hope these good things coming his way keep on coming. What a sweetheart of a guy.To learn more about traumatic brain injury and the resources available (medical and legal), go to www. braininjury. com† Laura also wraps up her piece with this statement. Dougs Office: http://www. aetv. com/hoarders/pictures/season-6-17213370/#Doug-office-before http://www. aetv. com/hoarders/photos/season-6/doug-living-room-before. JPG http://www. aetv. com/hoarders/photos/season-6/Doug-living-room-after. JPG CITING: www. AETV. com/hoarders LAURA STONE @ http://heydontjudgeme. com/2012/09/18/hoarders-6-2-doug-ruth/ Profile Essay Mike Koran L. Lykken 1021 Composition 03/09/13 Mike Koran (left) and Doug King (right) â€Å"I’m Doug. And I’m a survivor. † â€Å"I love to have fun! It is in my blood. † Doug speaks this way as if to show signs of life enjoyment behind scarred mental anguish. This is a man who was diagnosed dead in the back of an ambulance and fell into a coma. Doug is not lying when he says he likes to have fun because he is a man suffering from a severe brain injury due to his passion for fun and the thrill of excitement. He was young and doing want any young boy likes to do with a four-wheeler and that his go fast.Laura Stone, writer for dontjudgeme. com, writes; â€Å"Speaking of those toys†¦ While speeding on his quad (ATV) sans helmet, he smacked into a partially hidden tree stump and flew up in the air an estimated 80 to 120 feet, coming straight down on his head. As he lay there convulsing, the ambulance made its way through the bracken to him. He died in t he back of it as they raced back to the hospital, but was able to be brought back to life. He fell into a coma and stayed there for twelve days. † Doug is still looking forward these days and has a recent change in his life.Doug King is a part of Brevard County down here in FL. He lives in Melbourne which is the city next to Palm Bay and his area holds most of the shopping. It is similar to popular Minnesota twin cities shopping spots Maplewood mall/ Rosedale mall combined with a Robert or lake street. Doug believes in honesty, hard work, and perseverance because he is such an interesting character that when you first meet him, you see that he is so outgoing, that it doesn’t even make sense to ask any questions. He has a tremendous background full of life but he also suffered a lot of tragedy.He now is a `†hoarder†, for many reasons, but one in particular is due to a brain injury he suffered which resulted in permanent disability. We will go further into thi s tragedy and its detail because this man had died, for 12 days to be exact, and that lead him to hoarding. He does this as an action of hoarding to establish a memory bank full of material or trash that symbolizes a certain memory. This has worked as a tool for Doug and he tends to need the items to remind him of certain things in the past.Doug reminded me of Forrest Gump by the way he was continuously bringing up life stories and they were similar to the way the movie had such a personal and dramatic story line about one man’s life. Doug is open about his father committing suicide, about his death experience, his hole in his neck from; ripping a feeding tube out after he awoke from his coma. When you first get to know Doug this could all be said with in the first 10 minutes of meeting him because of his outburst of outgoing personality.He explains his tragic four wheel incident by saying â€Å"I can’t remember anything from before my coma but I read stories and I wa s shown pictures. I was in a coma for 12 days after dying in the back of an ambulance. I was brought back to life, stayed in the coma, woke up and freaked out. † He told the story with such poise that you knew he had told this story plenty of times. He explained how his brain damage crippled everything in his life. I started to get the feeling that Doug enjoyed sharing his story so much that he must have had accolades that he talks about. I was just on hoarders the T. V. show! † he answers to me. I am in disbelief! I ignorantly (but necessarily) search Google for him as we are talking. It turns out that Doug King was on an episode of Hoarders. â€Å"Doug is one of those rare people whom soap operas love to put in their stories: his traumatic brain injury was so great; all memories before that tragic day were wiped clean. This was when his hoarding began. † Laura Stone wrote in this article on a critique magazine company running under the domain of heydontjudgeme. com. There you are thinking to yourself why doesn’t this seem odd? It’s my life and I am comfortable with it but even the show had me staying in a nice hotel for the time they were shooting the episode because they didn’t want me to feel any urges to try and get more stuff while they were gone. I need things to keep my brain working right and when I don’t have them I go and get them wherever I can. † Doug says. â€Å"I like to make people laugh when I do something I call common comedy which I define as the old fashioned jokes that we all heard as a kid.I’ll ask a question like (Have you ever got caught jacking off in the closet? ) and the person or people will say no and that’s when I tell them (Good hiding spot aint it!? )†Doug laughs and says that this is what he calls â€Å"common comedy. † Doug is as innocent they come because he is like a child in an adult body and he tries his best every day to keep positive. Doug d oes not have many accomplishments in life but he proceeds to fight his condition and it’s a blessing that the show helped him out.Doug feels the need to keep this mindset going in his life but friends and family are scared that he will not be able to keep it up over time without the proper help. They are concerned for him and they know he is a special person with unfortunate events. Doug is taking it one day at a time. â€Å"I am trying to get into fire fighter class since I did the show. They firefighters of Brevard County inspired me during filming because they showed up and showed they cared. They were interested in seeing the show and its process and they knew I had lived here a long time.They were concerned on how I was living because I didn’t have electricity or water and I was open to many dangers among me. I found ways to live like this and they were shocked because I have the disability. I told them I am a HHH hoarder. I am an honest honorable hoarder. I hono r the smallest piece of item I have even if it is trash. I don’t have much and what I do have I keep. † Doug may not be the best citizen that this country offers but he is just as important as anyone else. His profile can inspire people to either help someone they know or just others in need of this condition that haunts so many people.The world and the people in it can help individuals like this simply by caring enough to help. Doug was fortunate to find a solution to his problems and not everyone will be able to be on hoarders. After the show Doug found that he had new opportunities. His house looks great compared to the way he had it and it is something he enjoys now. He has found new ways to turn his hoarding habits into healthy environment tasks such as cleaning. He has been working on finding new tools to fight against helps him feel connected to memory.These are as simple as organizing, collecting, and formatting his personal belongings in order for his OCD over memory retention. I met Doug after the show and he is a fixture around the area. â€Å"With the power fully restored, he’s now living in his house and working with an organizer to keep his house clean. His sister Amy takes him to his regular therapy sessions, and they’re growing closer again. Doug is the kind of guy who just deserves a break, and I hope these good things coming his way keep on coming. What a sweetheart of a guy.To learn more about traumatic brain injury and the resources available (medical and legal), go to www. braininjury. com† Laura also wraps up her piece with this statement. Dougs Office: http://www. aetv. com/hoarders/pictures/season-6-17213370/#Doug-office-before http://www. aetv. com/hoarders/photos/season-6/doug-living-room-before. JPG http://www. aetv. com/hoarders/photos/season-6/Doug-living-room-after. JPG CITING: www. AETV. com/hoarders LAURA STONE @ http://heydontjudgeme. com/2012/09/18/hoarders-6-2-doug-ruth/

The Debate

Catrin, a schoolgirl, 15 years of age enters. â€Å"My mind just gives me a headache! Why cant life just be simple, with no worries, yeah, I'm talking to you up there. You know what I'm saying! Why cant you give me some thanks once in a while. I'm still alive, I think I deserve some gratification for that, don't you think? It's really hard work living with that evil brother of mine and putting up with mum's winging, but I'm sure you know that, because your always watching over me, apparently. Don't you get bored up there watching everyone all day? (Sits down to think) I wonder what it's like up there, you know, in heaven? I don't suppose I'll ever go there anyway, because I'm a naughty girl, really. My mum has said it so many times that I'm starting to believe it! Mind you I'm not as naughty as my brother, my naughtiness is just fun and harmless, but I'm sure that my brother has malice in his naughtiness! He plays his shooting games on the computer as if he were actually enjoying blowing somebody's brains out! Sick, really sick, I always annoy him by chanting, â€Å"You're a mental psychopathic murderer!† And then his eyes glow a fierce red and my legs start to quiver and my brain hurts because its ashamed of the mistake it has just done. My mum seems to always stop the fighting just before it gets going; she has this talent, after all that's what parents are for! (Gets up and puts her hand on her head, moving position every now and then) Oh, why does life have to be so unfair! Why can't I win the lottery or become famous? I would absolutely love to be the next Faith Hill or the next Madonna, but there's no hope I suppose, after all I'm hopeless! I can't sing to save my life! I'm useless, let's face it brain. I'm thinking whether to sit (and be a swot) and work or sit and be a couch potato and watch telly all night? Such a hard decision, isn't it brain. What shall I do? My conscience says ‘Cats, sit and write with pride your English homework!' While the devil inside me says ‘Cats man, live life to the full, chill and relax in front of the box!' My head hurts and it feels as if its been torn in two, oh! ‘Chill', ‘Work!' ‘Chill', ‘Work!' Oh god, help! Ok, let's try a different approach. What would mum want me to do? She would definitely want me to do my homework; she always says how important my education is, just because she wasted hers as a child. My answer to her is that you learn from your mistakes, and so if I make a mistake and waste my education, then I'll learn! Clever isn't it! Well-done brain! (Sits with legs crossed, leaning back on the chair) I wonder if other people sit and debate their lives with themselves like I do. Maybe I'm the only one, I could be famous and I don't know it! Imagine the headlines ‘Girl debates with her own brain!' Wow, what a thought! What was I thinking of before going off on some wild tangent? Ah, yes I remember, am I to do my homework or go and watch telly, I still haven't decided! I know, I'll try another different approach, what would Grandma want me to do? Definitely, without a doubt she would want me to do my homework. That's two against one, now! Ok, what would my friends want me to do? They would say go and watch the telly, much more educational in their view. Now it's all-square again, mum and grandma against my friends and me! Oh, why cant life just be simple! I know I'll just go to bed!

Career Management And Professional Development Education Essay

Upon taking my university class I literally had no thought as to what I wanted to make. I knew I wanted to work in the Finance industry but that was about it. By taking Accountancy and Financial Management it meant that I could get down to larn all the accomplishments required for work in the Finance industry while non specializing myself so much that I would be limited by occupation chances at Graduation. While my chief fortes may still lie in either fiscal or direction accounting, Appendix 1[ 1 ]shows the many other possible paths that I could take. Many of the companies that fall under these classs will be based in London particularly those affecting investing markets, nevertheless there are plentifulness of possibilities to work non merely across the U.K but besides the remainder of the universe. Equally good as looking at Graduate occupations, one other measure frontward is to go a hired comptroller. Again from looking at Appendix 1 within the UK there are seven cardinal hired bureaus. However fall ining one of these will hold to happen after I have started my calling in order to cognize which one to fall in. For illustration if I wanted a calling in revenue enhancement I would take the CIOT over CIMA. After sourcing the occupations that my making leads me to make, it ‘s now a simple instance of combating the 300,000 other alumnuss each twelvemonth for precisely the same occupation. One manner to give me a contending opportunity at the occupation is by acquiring noticed and as a consequence I will necessitate to convey a whole scope of accomplishments and competences to the tabular array to demo why I should acquire the occupation. Like most people I am able to offer accomplishments such as Communication & A ; Literacy be it written, ocular or unwritten, an application of numeracy due to the fact that I am an comptroller and as a consequence have to utilize Numberss on a twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours footing, and an application of IT skills due to the fact that in this changing universe the demand to be able to utilize a computing machine is going more and more evident. The accomplishments that I need to pull people ‘s attending to are the 1s that ca n't be rather so good taught and have to be developed through experience in the workplace. These include Self Management such as the ability to demur duty for what I do, to be able to self motivate myself on my undertakings guaranting that they are completed by the needed deadline, and to be ready to accept unfavorable judgment and feedback on the work that I have done so as to better it to its best possible potency. Furthermore I need to be able to speak about teamwork, non merely â€Å" we did a undertaking one time at university in a group † but to be able to demo existent squad participant accomplishments. At a basic degree these would include a regard for fellow co-workers, to accept their determinations but besides offer a degree of negation and persuading, every bit good as doing certain that I contribute to treatments and meetings, but so at a more advanced degree to be able to work out what portion people play in a squad and maximize their accomplishments and traits for illustration devising certain that the thoughts individual negotiations with the encourager and compromiser so as develop the best result from an thought. In add-on to these, I besides need to hold concern and client consciousness of the industry I am in. When traveling to a occupation interview this will include background research into the company, but it will besides necessitate an apprehension of the cardinal constructs that make a concern win including hazard and wages every bit good as invention. This consciousness so has to be compiled with good communicating accomplishments so as to describe back to the terminal users be in internal directors or the external client. The consequences of my in category Myers Briggs appraisal[ 2 ]had me as an Introverted, Sensing, Thinking and Judging single. This suggests that I am a difficult working single with a clear sence of what is right and incorrect. I would be given to hold with this peculiarly as I do non cover excessively good with â€Å" Grey countries † of a state of affairs. The trial besides shows me to be a dedicated person who I believe I am and is something that I have to offer to graduate employers. Although the truth of these trials is something to be argued it does propose that an ideal occupation for me would be something based in finance. The consequence of the trial besides shows that some work in developing the extrovert side of me every bit good as measuring jobs on the footing of thoughts instead than merely facts will assist me to go a more rounded person. Before traveling onto happening the right occupation for me, I besides needed to look at what motivates me, in other words what do I necessitate my ideal occupation to offer in order to acquire me out of bed in the forenoon. The consequences of my Career Drivers Profile study[ 3 ]shows me to be motivated most by the demand of occupation security which with issues shortly to be faced such as acquiring a mortgage I would be inclined to hold with. My other drivers included position and stuff wagess. While I would hold with these to some extent I would state it is more a instance of desiring to be recognised for making a good occupation and besides holding the fiscal wages for inputting my difficult work.So What Is The Right Job For Me?Upon finishing my arrangement, one thing that is a certainty is that I do n't desire to go an history, despite this nevertheless a calling in finance in peculiar respects to the money markets is one that I feel suited to. My grounds for this are drawn from a personal involvement in Stocks & A ; Shares every bit good as executing good in the related faculties at university. After traveling to legion alumnus carnivals I have started using for Investment Banking and Asset Management occupations, due to the nature of the occupation nevertheless, most of these are based in London. As a consequence should I be successful in an application it would intend re-locating down to London and get downing an wholly new portion of my life, one which I would be excited to make, but besides a small apprehensive at the same clip. In footings of what I can offer my perspective employer, I am traveling to hold to travel beyond what everyone else can offer due to the fact I am taking about a sidestep in my pick of calling versus those who have graduated with a banking and finance grade. Hopefully my passion and thrust for the investing country of finance should come across and holding personal experience in the purchasing and merchandising of portions and bonds through a agent should at least give me some caputs up on the competition. If I should acquire a face to confront interview at any establishment nevertheless it will be of import for me to see which competences are being assessed during my interview and do certain I have a â€Å" bank † of illustrations that I can pull from and accommodate in order to reply on inquiries affecting teamwork, personal challenges and personal victory to call but a few. It will besides be of import to make some research into the company and attempt and bead that into my replies in order to demo that I have taken the clip to larn about the company.Got to Get Myself Connected!Arguably one of the most of import regulations in concern is that it ‘s non what you know but who you know. Unfortunately upon graduation I am traveling to be one of the many who knows a batch about my specific topics but with small practical experience and really few contacts within the industry. As a consequence something has to be done now in order to seek and derive as large an advantage as possible. In my first twelvemonth I signed up as a pupil member of CIMA, during the past few old ages at that place have been many chances to travel to societal events and web with people yet I have non bothered traveling to them. This twelvemonth may be a good thought to travel and web and at least acquire myself on the radio detection and ranging. The 2nd thing I have done is to put up a LinkedIn history. While many people argue they are of small usage I believe they may be a uti le tool for maintaining path of the legion people I will run into in the hereafter and it besides shows position employers the few people in the industry that I presently know. Fortunately as a consequence of my placement twelvemonth I now have contacts crossing from Cornwall right up to Glasgow. Dependent upon if and what professional organic structure I decide to fall in, they may besides be a great beginning of contacts. Equally good as the pupil chances listed above, by being an existent member of the professional organic structures I will be able to web with those presently practising in the industry instead than merely guest talkers and these people in bend may be able to set me in touch with other contacts to foster aid help my calling. Further to this, I believe that the University may be able to assist with my networking through the Alumni service. This will assist me maintain in contact with both my class mates from this twelvemonth, my friends who did n't travel on work arrangement who have now graduated, every bit good as many other utile contacts who are presently working in, or holding the same issues as me seeking to interrupt into the investing profession. One other set of contacts that may turn out to be really utile is the enlisting bureaus, peculiarly those who specialise in Finance such as Hayes or Sewell Moorhouse who last twelvemonth managed to acquire 100 % of all university arrangement pupils who came to them into employment. Equally good as assisting me to acquire a occupation if my alumnus applications are unsuccessful they will be able to supply arrows on my CV and covering letters, but more significantly they will be a contact for life. For illustration if 10 old ages down the line I want a wholly different alteration of calling so these people will be here to rede where to travel.Making the Jump – Career Management PlanMany of my marks here will be based around my action programs as a consequence of my work placement study.[ 4 ]However my calling way as a consequence of the placement twelvemonth leads me off from the thought of going an comptroller. My first mark was to go on developing my fiscal accomplishments. At the clip of my study this would hold been my accounting accomplishments nevertheless upon contemplation and make up one's minding that I no longer desire to be an accountant these accomplishments must be transferred over to other fiscal countries such as the investing country of finance I am interested it. Fortunately my university class gives me the flexibleness to make this as the concluding twelvemonth incorporates both accounting faculties but besides faculties covered by the Banking and Finance pupils which are straight related to the calling way that I now want. Despite the addition in work burden and the sheer trouble of some of the capable affair, I am still hopeful that I will be able to walk off with a 2:1 grade at graduation. My secondary mark was to go on the development of both my personal and professional accomplishments. Unfortunately due to no longer being on arrangement I am non in a place to be developing these accomplishments through a work based environment. However due to the sum of alumnus applications that I am finishing I believe that they at least give me the chance to develop my communicating accomplishments through the completion of online applications, covering letters and telephone interviews. Hopefully I will be able to pattern face to confront communicating accomplishments via interviews if I am lucky plenty to be shortlisted for any of these applications. My concluding mark was to develop a calling program for after university. It was apparent at the clip that Accounting may non hold been the ideal occupation for me hence the alumnus application made to HMRC, unluckily that application was rejected after the on-line numerical and verbal trials. Since so nevertheless I have applied for legion other vacancies all focused around the investing banking country of finance with large companies such as Fidelity but so besides looking at investing reding services such as Oliver Wyman. It was my idea that while I am now certain which country of finance I want to work in, I should n't be binding myself down with one specialized occupation country. The other idea I had in assisting to develop my calling was to transport on at university in the signifier of station alumnus survey. However I shortly ruled this option out due to the cost but besides that I believe now is the clip to acquire into industry and to get down determining my calling. Further to this by non transporting on in graduate student survey I still have the option to finish all of my professional makings through whichever company I work for and so subsequently on down the line if I think that I would wish to travel back into instruction, the graduate student option is ever available for me.

Virtues a successful ruler has according to Machiavelli Essay

Virtues a successful ruler has according to Machiavelli - Essay Example The World Wars clearly illustrate the lengths that have been taken in a attempt to acquire power and fame. However, other social setting have been able to peaceful elect their leaders successful without any strife. A question is then raised on the different scenarios that lead to peace or war among the people. Philosophers went a step further to study the reasons behind the behavior of people leading them to act in a certain way and the mindset involved. Some of them focused on the politics of the people and especially their leaders who determined the political environment of their citizens. Machiavelli was one such individual who drew some conclusions on qualities that led to a successful ruler. We shall discuss his theories at a critical angle and justify his conclusions. Machiavelli was born at a time when the political situation of his time was filled with devious acts of tyranny and dictatorship. The leaders of his time including the Pope took over power by means of force and tr eachery without the slightest hint of apology to the people involved. The citizens took second place in their fight for supremacy and their welfare, including the prosperity of their countries was a dismissal subject. These events lead Machiavelli to look back at past leadership regimes and the impact of their rule on society. He gives an example of Cesare Borgia and states, ‘‘Cesare Borgia was accounted cruel; nevertheless, this cruelty of his reformed Romagna, brought it unity, and restored order and obedience†¦.’’1. It is clear from the quote that the philosopher was only trying to be reasonable in his approach to the situation at hand. He justified the means to the ultimate end as was core understanding of politics. As a politician himself, Machiavelli decided to resign from public office and write guidelines on successful qualities of leaders as he saw fit at the time. He begins by outlining that a ruler must possess the qualities of virtu and For tuna. By way of virtu, one is able to control the status of his leadership and assert himself among his people. This was not the traditional virtuous way of leading, but an unconventional stand in which one uses any means possible to establish their rule. Such means are at times violent and harmful to the people but they sometimes arrived at the desired results as was initially intended. Andrew in his book writes, ‘As such, when he talks about â€Å"virtue,† he tends to mean, not moral goodness or Christian piety, but skill required to keep control of one’s kingdom.’2 He goes ahead to explain that the functionality of the two factors go hand in hand with each other thus one has to be able to prepare for future outcomes by influencing their result. This involves adapting to the changes that may occur in the course of pursuit of power for the sake of being relevant. Those who are resistant to change could find themselves in ruin if caution is not taken. Such as the seasons of time change, so do our circumstances in life and we should be prepared to manage the results of those changes in society. In times of peace, one should build for themselves vessels of protection incase a turmoil develops. We cannot always rely on our luck to be in power but take an active role in ensuring our prolonged stay. The other notion of Machiavelli insists that leaders should separate their innate morality from their actions in

Business Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Business Plan - Assignment Example It is projected that the company can be able to fulfil its predetermined business targets by following the aforementioned aspects at large. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction and Background of the Venture and Management Team 4 Background of the Venture 5 Management Team 5 Main Objective of the Proposed Business Plan 6 Marketing Section – Including Market Research & the Marketing Mix 7 Market Research 7 Marketing Mix 9 Competition 13 Operations Section - Including Manufacturing & Physical Distribution 15 Manufacturing 15 Physical Distribution 19 Financial Section 22 Source of Finance 22 Financial Goals 22 Income Statement 23 24 Projected Profit & Loss 25 Break-Even Analysis 25 Implementation Time Table 26 Conclusion 27 References 29 Introduction and Background of the Venture and Management Team A business plan is often regarded as a crucial step for an entrepreneur intending to inaugurate a new business venture or expand the existing business unit at a newly loc ated marketplace. It essentially plays the role of a guide to the various operations of the organisation within the marketplace (Tiffany & Peterson, 2011). In order to demonstrate a viable business structure, the business plan reflects a clear depiction of the business including its offerings, sales and marketing strategies, information of management groups and their roles along with making a prediction of the financial forecast for succeeding few years that the organisation will take into concern (Analoui & Karami, 2003). Moreover, in order to demonstrate the viability of the overall business design, it is also important for the organisation to identify the specific market for the products and services, find out the competitive advantages as well as to evaluate the cost and profit margins of the business (GRANT finder Ltd., n.d.). With regard to the notion of business plan, the primary objective of this study is to prepare an effective business plan for XYZ Company concerning the p ractice of manufacturing and marketing of electronic dash duster product especially for the car care and aftermarket accessories segment in Australia. Background of the Venture XYZ Company intends to commence its business operations as a small competitive car care product manufacturer in Australia. The company would aim to perform a competitive role in the Australian car care product market through rendering a range of innovative and creative products to the customers. Moreover, the company would also like to build a respected position through its exceptional marketing and promotional campaigns which further would enable the company to execute its activities efficiently in the respective industry. The business processes of the company will be highly focused on manufacturing innovative car care products which would offer substantial benefits for the customers. Moreover, the manufacturing process of XYZ would be focused on providing adequate facilities to its ultimate customers in ter ms of maintaining their cars in an efficient manner. Management Team XYZ aims to establish itself as a pioneer in the field of innovative product offerings in the Australian car care aftermarket industry. The company will be incorporated with the aid of a well-built management team with a feasible number of staff in its different

Video games addiction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Video games addiction - Assignment Example A timid youngster can abruptly got gregarious; an uninvolved kid can get forceful. (Neils & P.shauvan, 2009) Youngsters, who regularly feel weak in their every day lives, all of a sudden can summon armed forces, drive (and accident) autos, and wreak devastation on a virtual world with no genuine outcomes. This is enticing! Also when that kid or young lady is discovering it a test in "this present reality" to make companions, PC and feature amusements offer an approach to interface with others in their "virtual world," without the pain of eye to eye collaborations. Feature amusement and Internet habit are not real Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV groupings, despite the fact that the American Medical Association is looking into exploration keeping in mind the end goal to figure out if they ought to be incorporated in the following redesign of the manual in 2010. Numerous mental wellbeing experts feel that feature amusements are like betting as an addictive methodology. By a few assessments, upwards of 10 percent of gamers show addictive conduct Parents have to take up the challenge and try helping the youngsters, as it’s the case with any other form of addiction, there may be imperviousness to change and withdrawal side effects. It will undertake your part to help your tyke discover hobbies and exercises to supplant feature diversions. Furthermore it may require outside help, for example, a specialist or medicine program, if there are underlying issues that prompted the diversion fixation in any case. At the same time feature amusement habit could be dealt with, and your youngsters require your assistance. (Neils & Shauvan, 2009). Feature amusement dependence has turned into a real issue in our social order. Numerous youngsters and adolescents play an over the top measure of hours of feature diversions as shown in figure

Employee Training and Development at Abbott Case Study

Employee Training and Development at Abbott - Case Study Example Abbott has received numerous local, national and international distinctions for its commitment to workplace excellence. Abbott has been named one of the best places to work in the world. It has received many awards for its unique performance and its concern and care for its workforce safety, growth and development and success and excellence. The present study covers some of the important areas in employee training and development that have made it a distinct company. Strategic training is directly linked with the business strategy of a company. It begins with identifying the business strategy. Then strategic training and development initiatives that support the strategy are selected and these are translated into concrete training and development activities. The final step involves identifying measures or metrics. These metrics are used to determine if training helped contribute to goals related to business strategy. (Noe. 2008) As Raymond Noe rightly points out, the company's mission, vision, values and goals help to determine the strategy. The mission is the company's reason for existing. The vision is the picture of what company does in the future and what it wants to achieve. Values are what the company stands for. SWOT analysis really helps a company to identify its strengths and weakness and an analysis of its operating environment to identify opportunities and threats. It studies closely the internal and external factors that affect its performance. This analysis goes a long way in formulating the business strategy. The company has to consider its competition. It will decide how the company will compete with others in the market. There are three main points to consider when planning the strategy for competing. They are: 1) where to compete 2) How to compete 3) With what will it compete Abbott has a clear business strategy with its clear mission and vision statements and thorough SWOT analysis.- Once the business strategy is clear then strategic training and development initiatives that support the Strategy are identified. Strategic training and development initiatives are learning-related actions that a company should take to help it achieve its business strategy. (Noe, 2008) These initiatives are based on the business environment, an understanding of the company's goals and resources and insight regarding potential training and development options. These provide the company a road map to guide specific training and development activities. One of the initiatives in strategic training is to diversifying the learning portfolio by using new technology, facilitating informal learning, and providing more personalized learning opportunities. Expanding who are trained is another major initiative in strategic training. It includes customers, suppliers and employees. It also aims at providing training for non-managerial employees. Accelerating the Pace of Employee learning is another major strategic training initiative. It helps in quickly identifying needs and providing a high-quality learning solution, reducing the time to develop training programs and

Teaching ESL Adults Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teaching ESL Adults - Essay Example However, good times are not always why people seek overseas settlement (Yen, 2012). According to the United States 2010 Population Census, of the 26.4 million immigrants in the United States, almost 80% are adults (Yen, 2012). English as a Second Language (ESL), as a result, has turned into the fastest growing and developing segment in government financed adult education program. A majority of the adult ESL students do not have much education in their home country, and hence, lack proper study skills vital for academic success and accomplishment. They tend to face great financial distress, as well as family responsibilities, which oftentimes avert them from focusing on their education, as well. Educating them can be a vital challenge for both the curriculum developer and the teacher (Yen, 2012). Therefore, a proper lesson plan should be devised, which seeks to incorporate all adult ESL students in the classroom. The title of the lesson will be "Finding a Job: An Introduction to Apply ing for Entry Level Positions". The plan will incorporate 15 adult students of varying ages, origins and language proficiency who are concerned in discovering what it takes to find employment. The course will run for two-hours, twice a week for eight weeks. The three main goals of the lesson plan will include enabling to listen actively, speak so others can understand and also enable adult ESL learners to read with understanding. In Colorado state, the capability of listening and understand English incorporates goals, which mainly revolve around survival and personal safety (Fullan & Stiegelbauer, 2008). A case of a survival skill at an indispensable stage is understanding when a person asks for your name. Also, in Colorado, understanding someone can be positively influenced by education. Not being understood is annoying for a non-native English speaker. An easy goal is the ability to inquire the price of an item in the market especially a crowded one (Starr, 2013). A higher goal is the ability to hold a discussion with your child's teacher at school, or to give details about a book adequately, which a librarian can assist in locating the title. Understanding and interpreting the written English language is also vital. The skill to understand and interpret road signs or pick a meal from a menu is a recessed skill, while a high-level skill is the capacity to select suitable classes from a college course catalog (Starr, 2013). This talent permits the adult language learner to feel more contented and happy in a language, which is not his or her own. Many adult ESL learners find this the most natural place to begin their English language acquirement. Benchmark standards of the adult ESL students with regards to Colorado state standards include: All ESLs have to take state educational achievement tests in language arts, apart from ESLs who have been in the United States for less than one year. If available from the state, ESLs students can seat for these language a rts tests in their native languages so as to understand how the vocabularies are used in language. Adult ESLs students who have been in United States for three successive years should be tested in language arts/reading using an examination written in English, even though on a case-by-case basis, this phase can be prolonged up to five years. Adult ESLs students as a group should meet annual targets of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). States, districts, and

Should same sex marriage remain legal in the United Kingdom Research Paper

Should same sex marriage remain legal in the United Kingdom - Research Paper Example The research will be conducted using online materials and books on Gender and Sexuality. In 2010, Wales and England were moving towards legalization of same sex marriages. Scotland was given control over its marriages but in Northern Ireland, there were no plans for such legislations. Full recognition of gays, lesbian and bisexuals same sex couples in UK began in the 1960s where same sex sexual behaviour was decriminalized. In 2005, same sex couples were able to enter into civil partnerships. Civil partnerships are indistinguishable from opposite sex marriage in terms of rights. This means that they grant the same privileges, obligations, and rights to the couples. Lee (2010, pp, 18) supported this view. According to Piercceson (2014, pp, 22-25) in 2009 public support had risen to 61%. Politicians were debating on changing the definition of marriage to allow all couples to marry. In 2011, the media reported that the government would allow gay church marriage. In 2013, there was a bill to legalise same sex marriage in England and Wales and in July 2013 the House of Lords approved the Marriage (Same sex Couples) Act. Couples of the same sex were able to register and marry and this resulted in England and Wales recognising same sex marriages. Same sex marriages should remain legal in United Kingdom to avoid violation of human rights. The United Nations of Human rights states that all rights are inherent to all human beings regardless of nationality, gender and religious views etc .Every human being has the same right to do as they please as long as it does not cause harm to another person. Same sex marriages are a matter of civil and equal rights and the decision to remain married should remain with the two individuals in the union. Most people are usually not comfortable with same sex relationships however; the dignity of such couples should be respected. Therefore, the law should remain to avoid a severe violation of

Alignment of Academic standards with ELL Proficiency standards Essay

Alignment of Academic standards with ELL Proficiency standards - Essay Example The state and federal government have provided money to aid in the education of students with disabilities (Arizona Department of Education, 2008). President Bush in 2000 proposed what is famously known as â€Å"No Child is Left Behind,† which needed all students to meet or attain set strict standards. The federal policy stated in the no child is left behind that ELL students be included in State assessments and measure or assess the language proficiency of students with reliable, valid assessments in areas reading and writings skills and oral language. In addition, the educators were to consider comprehension, reading, writing, listening and speaking skills of students. These assessments were to help students gain academic achievements as required by States. The main objectives of these assessments were to be designed to assess academic English. Under the no child is left behind act, it was stated that all students had the ability to reach their minimum competency level as long as the teachers were committed to their work. According to Arizona Department of Education (2008), in most cases standards are defined they are applied as a sieve and expectations are lined on the individual. In public education sector there is the notion that intelligence can be taught in that if the student fails to meet the requirements, the teacher or school is blamed for dismal performance of the student. The state and federal government want to attain standards at all cost but in real sense do not. Arizona department of education states that the main objective is to ensure that high school graduates in the country have rough knowledge and skills they require for a career or college. The converse of this objective should be that those students who do not have skills and knowledge for a career or college would not graduate high school. For instance, if there two tests for certain things and the two tests

Can We Talk Essay Example for Free

Can We Talk Essay The article Can We Talk? Researcher Talks About the Role of Communication in Happy Marriages gives us results as related to couples in marriages. In todays society, many couples are too busy to stop, sit down, and have a meaningful conversation with their significant others. Terri Orbach, research scientist at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, has studied 373 married couples for more than 20 years. We will examine the findings and explore some of the roles of communication in happy marriages. After reading the text and the required article, I became more aware of what self-disclosure is and how it can affect relationships. Self-disclosure is defined as sharing aspects of yourself with other people. This can be a form of showing your true colors. Sharing areas of yourself that may have been misconceived, showing interest in others, and being more involved are ways that you can open up and form close bonds. In marriages, you assume that couples are already in-the-know about their mate. But this sometimes can be a part of a learning process in the relationship. I can relate to the article because I often find myself at a loss for words. I have been in a few relationships that were on different types of levels; professional, informal and social. Within each of these relationships, there were limited sharing on my part. I would agree that self-disclosure is important in a relationship because it allows you to recognize issues and feelings, and also can help you learn something about self that was unknown. Effective communication promotes a sense of trust, that holds marriages together. Orbach states that by using her 10-minute rule, couples have a good starting point to reconnect with each other. Just 10 minutes to talk about the interests of your mate, areas of conflict, or even about the job made many marriages happier. Because men and women express themselves differently, gender does have a role in communication in relationships. Many believe that some behaviors are masculine and others are feminine. It is often discouraged for men to cry, they are taught to be strong and heroic, while women are allowed to show emotions openly.

Greater happiness for a greater number Essay Example for Free

Greater happiness for a greater number Essay 1. Major strengths and weaknesses of this goal. a.   Major Strengths I think that the definition of happiness presented in the lecture is simple and elegant.   In addition, I think that the very attempt to address the issue of happiness is necessary and should really form the basis of psychology. b.   Major Weaknesses While I agree that psychology should have happiness as the optimal mental state from which to address patient’s mental health issues, I think there are some weaknesses in the approach to determine how to get clients—or people in general, to understand exactly what constitutes happiness. 2. Major personal insights gained After reviewing the lecture materials and much thought, I found it interesting that the approach to happiness is limited only to â€Å"physical† considerationswhen it is evident that people who have all the physical comforts and advantages are not the most happy. 3. Personal and professional application (if any) of some of the content. a. Personal application of some of the content While I consider myself a happy person, I think it is primarily from the standpoint of being fortunate to have met my physical needs (positive environment, life experiences, status, possessions). However, I’m becoming more aware that these things do not exclusively determine happiness. b. Professional application of some of the content    I am concerned that while all the approaches fail by analogy to define man as an animal, they still call him one. Man isn’t simply an animal. Why?   Animals lack the ability to have, express and satisfy these needs (e.g., an animal can’t compose a symphony, or create art).   Also, animals do not kill or create problems for other animals for reasons of envy, hate or jealousy—only human beings do.   I intend to consider the content, but to research and possibly assist to develop new ideas about how to assist individuals address their needs by first understanding that they are already complete human beings—no matter their circumstances, who simply seek various ways to express themselves. Until we understand this we can’t help society. 4. React to major areas of interest After some thought about Freud and Maslow’s approaches I began to feel that the flaws in these two approaches permeate all approaches to a â€Å"model† of happiness. All major approaches are devoid of spirituality, or the idea that man is more than an animal with physical needs. I feel that man is a spiritual being that is fulfilling or expressing himself, through his body, based on higher-level needs. I feel that this approach keeps individuals unhappy.   Why?   We perpetuate the myth that only through obtaining physical things, or outside circumstances can we achieve happiness.   I want to make positive psychology the cornerstone of my clinical approach, and use coaching models compatible with an area I feel needs more exploration: how to impact people suffering from pain, to increase their happiness potential regardless of their â€Å"physical† (social, economic, etc.) circumstances.

Loan Application for Water Desalination Plant

Loan Application for Water Desalination Plant Kelly Crossen Committee: The World Bank Country: Japan on behalf of Yemen Total Amount: US$50,000,000 Type of Loan: IBRD 1. Total Amount of Loan: US$50,000,000 2. Proposed Project- The purpose of this loan is for the constructing of a water desalination plant in the coastal city of Mokha, 54 miles west of the water scarce city of Taiz. At full capacity the plant would be able to pump a total of 100,000 cubic meters of water per day, more than enough to meet the daily needs of Taiz city, which they estimated to be 55,000 meter. Located along the Mokha coastline, the plant would be connected to a pipeline running from Mokha to Taiz and then later to Ibb and Sanaa cities, serving all small towns and villages located along the way. The Japanese government is presenting this loan to the World Bank to strengthen the economy through increase production of Yemen nature resources, such as the coffee, corn, and wheat coming from the Haraz Mountain, which would reduce the dependency on the yearly humanitarian aid received from the UN and other foreign countries. Today, Yemen receives nearly 200 million in foreign aid per year. In addition, the lack of clean water had increase the spread of water-borne disease on a scale not seen in decades. Cholera, diarrhea and dengue fever have spread at shocking rates in rural areas where access to clean water is limited. 3. Background According to Yemen Water and Environment Minister, Abdulsalam Razzaz Yemen suffers with the most water shortages in the Arab region. He pointed to Yemens increasing population growth rates and limited rainfall for the exacerbation of the country water crisis, noting that at its current state Yemen would soon be unable to sustain its supplies. Today about 25 million Yemenis which is around 70% of the population, struggle daily to find or buy enough clean water to drink or grow food. As a result 14.7 million Yemenis currently depend on humanitarian aid. A senior expert at Yemens water and environment ministry states ordinary Yemenis now pay more than 30 % of their income just to get water in their houses. Prices have more than tripled since March, reaching 10,000 Yemen rials ($47) for a four cubic meter tank of water. According to a report by the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP), Yemen is withdrawing almost 169 % of its renewable water resources, meaning that it is using water far faster than it can replenish its supplies. According to the reports conducted by the UNDP the gap between the countrys demand for and supply of water has widened to 1.4 billion cubic meter per year as a result of one of the highest population growth rates in the world and peoples extensive use of water. Only a tiny proportion of Yemeni household are connected to the municipal supply. The state run municipal company only supplies some household in the city while 70% of Yemeni lives in rural area. In the capital of Sanaa only 40% of houses are connected. The pipe network is old and an estimated 60% of water is lost through leaks. 4. Rationale- Without this loan, the water crisis in Yemen has the potential to cause great destruction to the nation. Access to clean water and sanitation is one of the most cost-effective development interventions and critical for reducing poverty which is one of the World Bank decisive goal. With clean water readily available, women no longer have to spend hours every day collecting water, agricultural production can increase, the cost of services and goods could go down and the reduction of water-borne diseases. Studies have shown with proper management, not only would construction of the plant help fill the ever widening gap in the citys dwindling water supply, but that it would also be able to provide consumers with high purity water at cheaper rates than consumers were currently spending. The project will be managed by the Ministry of Planning and the International Cooperation Secretariat. The timeline for the project will be 5 years from planning to implementation. There will be quarterly report made to the World Bank on all phases of the project. The project will be broken down in four phases. The first phase will be the project planning in which a project scope will be put in writing. Next will be project execution where resources are tasks and teams are formed with responsible. Next will be project performance and control where project managers will compare project status and progress to actual plan. Finally, project close after all tasks are completed and the project is up and running. 5. Allocation- US$100 million for construction of the pipeline leading from Mokhta to Sanaa US$150 million for construction of the desalination plant. US$50 million for construction of pipe network to the rural communities. US$25 million each will come from Japan and EU; UNDP will provide US $200 million and IDA will provide US$50 million.   6. Environmental Impact This project will have a positive impact to the environment by helping to reduce climate change in the region. The increase water supply will aid in the increase of the natural resources and the reduction of humanitarian aid to the country. 7. Credibility Japan became a member of the World Bank in 1952; the World Bank has provided more than 30 loans totaling US$850 million to the country, which all were paid back on time. The last loan taken by Japan was issued in 1966 by the 1970s they transition from borrower to now a source of finance. Japan became the second-largest shareholder of the World Bank in 1984, gaining a greater voice as one of the most important partners. Over the last forty years, approximately US$150 billion of World Bank bonds have been sold to Japanese institutional and individual investors. Japan holds an 8.90% voting shares in the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. 8. Co-Financing Government of Japan.US$25 mil EU.. US$25 mil UNDP. US$200 mil IDA.. US$50 mil 9. Maturity The terms are as follows:Amount: $50,000.00 from IDAGrace Period : 3-5 years Fixed RateInterest Rate: 1.15% Maturity : 5 years

A True Revolution :: essays research papers

A True Revolution â€Å"We the people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Does not that sound like a novel idea! Instead of hearing, â€Å"I, the king,† you now have a document that states that you count. It says that you have choices; you no longer have to listen to this person that gets every little thing that he wants handed to him on a shiny silver platter. He does not even have to obey his own laws and decrees. He gets to do what he wants to do when he wants to do it. It was definitely time for a change. â€Å"We the people,† Such a great beginning for a document that will state the freedoms of a new nation, freshly freed from the bonds that kept them from doing what they wanted to do and trade with whomever they please. This document was a sign that we the people were finally free to live without England breathing down our necks. The government was now beginning to become democratic instead of a monarchy. The people would be able to vote for the person that they thought would do a good job. They would not have to deal with a king that would be replaced with the king’s son when he died. The common man would now be heard, not ignored and mistreated. His vote counted as something now; he was no longer a peasant that did not count. He could now even vote for the President! His vote would now influence who would say that he liked a law and could accept it, or say that he did not like that law and veto it! What power! Anyone could see that America was beginning to change, but not for the worse! The revolution that was illustrated by the words, â€Å"We the people,† was now in full effect. People now had voices and rights that they did not own when they were under the rule of the monarchy. They were no longer peons and peasants! They were now thought of as people, not just objects that were in the king’s way of getting what he wanted.

Sleep Deprivation and Reduction, Sleep Disorders, and the Drugs used to

It is important for everyone to get enough sleep, but many people often ignore it. If people do not get enough sleep they may experience sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can have negative effects. When people do not get enough sleep or less, they may feel crabby and unable to function as well as they usually do the next day. Balancing work and parenting as a single parent in today’s society is tough. Juggling children, work, taking care of home, and cart the children to extracurricular activities are a lot for one’s plate. As single parent I had my share of sleepless nights as well, mostly when either my children fall sick or when I work extra shift at work. The last time I remember when I had a sleepless night was when both of these factors together came to hunt me. I agreed to work extra hours at the hospital because the night shift secretary was unable to come into work. Although I had worked a 12 hour shift, I still had enough energy to work at less five more h ours that I had agreed too. At the end of my shift I was ready for a hot shower and my warm bed to rest. My daughter came down with a fever that night. She was vomiting, and could not keep any fluids down. My daughter was restless and was only able to sleep an hour at a time. I wasn’t really able to sleep at all because I was constantly checking her temperature. Each time she vomited or even tossed and fussed in her sleep I was up with her. Of course when the sun had risen I immediately took my daughter to the doctor. That morning I wasn’t myself at all; I was impatient, irritable, and moodiness with everything. I rushed my boys out of the bathroom and to get dressed. I also did weird things like put my daughter’s shoes on the wrong foot and put her cup inside my ... ...ebMD, 2005-2010). There are many treatments and drug remedies for sleeplessness, but it is important to know that what works for one may not work for another. Some prescription medications like Lunesta, Rozerem, Sonata, or Ambien can be the best sleeplessness cure for a person (Sleep Remedies, 2010). Another option of drug remedies is cold medications that can often have benefit of functioning as a sleeping medication (Sleep Remedies, 2010). Sleep is essential for a person’s health and wellbeing. Without enough of rest, the body does not get the energy that it needs to function. Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders can have negative effect on a person emotionally. A person not getting enough sleep their brain is not fully equipped problem-solving and decision-making. People suffering for sleep disorders should seek medical attention to help reduce sleepiness. Sleep Deprivation and Reduction, Sleep Disorders, and the Drugs used to It is important for everyone to get enough sleep, but many people often ignore it. If people do not get enough sleep they may experience sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can have negative effects. When people do not get enough sleep or less, they may feel crabby and unable to function as well as they usually do the next day. Balancing work and parenting as a single parent in today’s society is tough. Juggling children, work, taking care of home, and cart the children to extracurricular activities are a lot for one’s plate. As single parent I had my share of sleepless nights as well, mostly when either my children fall sick or when I work extra shift at work. The last time I remember when I had a sleepless night was when both of these factors together came to hunt me. I agreed to work extra hours at the hospital because the night shift secretary was unable to come into work. Although I had worked a 12 hour shift, I still had enough energy to work at less five more h ours that I had agreed too. At the end of my shift I was ready for a hot shower and my warm bed to rest. My daughter came down with a fever that night. She was vomiting, and could not keep any fluids down. My daughter was restless and was only able to sleep an hour at a time. I wasn’t really able to sleep at all because I was constantly checking her temperature. Each time she vomited or even tossed and fussed in her sleep I was up with her. Of course when the sun had risen I immediately took my daughter to the doctor. That morning I wasn’t myself at all; I was impatient, irritable, and moodiness with everything. I rushed my boys out of the bathroom and to get dressed. I also did weird things like put my daughter’s shoes on the wrong foot and put her cup inside my ... ...ebMD, 2005-2010). There are many treatments and drug remedies for sleeplessness, but it is important to know that what works for one may not work for another. Some prescription medications like Lunesta, Rozerem, Sonata, or Ambien can be the best sleeplessness cure for a person (Sleep Remedies, 2010). Another option of drug remedies is cold medications that can often have benefit of functioning as a sleeping medication (Sleep Remedies, 2010). Sleep is essential for a person’s health and wellbeing. Without enough of rest, the body does not get the energy that it needs to function. Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders can have negative effect on a person emotionally. A person not getting enough sleep their brain is not fully equipped problem-solving and decision-making. People suffering for sleep disorders should seek medical attention to help reduce sleepiness.

The Fruitless Search Exposed in Camus’ The Plague Essay -- Camus Plagu

The Fruitless Search Exposed in Camus’ The Plague Amid the feverish horror of rampant sickness and death, The Plague is a parable of human remoteness and the struggle to share existence. In studying the relationships which Camus sets forth, the relationship between man and lover, mother and son, healer and diseased, it can be seen that the only relationship Camus describes is that between the exiled, and the kingdom for which he searches with tortured longing. "Thus the first thing that plague brought to our town was exile."(p.71). The first exile Camus writes is the physical exile of a diseased town from the world, and consequently, the exile of the town's people from the kingdom of everyday. The particular torture of this exile is memory; once expelled from a kingdom, the kingdom ceases to exist, living on only as "a memory that serves no purpose... ha[s] a savor only of regret."(p.73). Thus the townspeople are haunted by memories of their distant loved ones and their interrupted lives, creating islands of their own exile- an exile intensified by years of monotonous selfish habit. "The truth is that everyone is bored, and devotes himself to cultivating habits."(p.4). The pea-counter is the ultimate representation of this exile; he is completely removed from the reality of man, measuring his life in the perpetual repetition of an absurd activity. Through the character of Rambert, Camus defines plague as precisely this selfish exile of hab it, this doing "...the same thing over and over and over again..."(p.161). Exile is further compounded by the desperation with which many of the characters fling themselves into the quest of trying to regain their personal remembered kingdoms. Rambert the visiting journalist is the ... ...he reader that Rieux is Camus' hero. It is precisely this sense of "common decency" which sets him apart, renders him uncommon in a town of men exiled from eachother by selfishness. Rieux is not searching for anything, he is merely doing what has to be done to fight the plague. His will to see man healed has freed him from his own search, and thus from exile; no longer in exile, Rieux has found eternal kingdom. For Camus tells us there is no kingdom but present humanity, though we spend lifetimes searching in isolation for assurance in a future or a past. And there is no exile except that which the selfish man imposes on himself. It is by giving up the fruitless search for the non-existent that man can ultimately free himself from exile, and gain the eternal kingdom of present. Works Cited Camus, Albert. The Plague. New York: Vintage International, 1995.

Art Over Life Essay

An ode is a form of lyric poetry where the poet reveals his personality. He shares his thoughts, feelings and opinions as we see through his eyes. Keats’s odes were very majestic and full of imagination. The two poems Ode to a Nightingale and Ode on a Grecian Urn are very similar in their structure and message. Keats was tired of the mortal world and could only see the negative things in his life and so he looked for an escape. It wasn’t only his own pain that depressed him, it was the pain of his brother who was dying and we can see evidence of this in this quote; â€Å"The weariness, the fever, the fret. Here, where men sit and hear each other groan. Where palsy shakes a few last grey hairs. † Both Ode to a Nightingale and Ode to a Grecian Urn have similarities in them. In Ode to a Nightingale and Ode the speaker opens with a declaration of his own heartache. He feels as if he is numb and â€Å"as though of hemlock I had drunk,† he then addresses a nightingale he hears singing somewhere in the forest. He says in this opening stanza that he is not envious of the nightingale because it is so happy. Keats appreciated nature and saw it in some ways superior to humans. In â€Å"Ode To A Grecian Urn† Keats imagine what the people on the urn were doing when the picture on the urn was painted. He reflects on the idea of a thing of beauty living on past his lifetime and he rejoices in the fact that the urn will never change. As you can see in both poems Keats’s glee is based on the fact that both the Nightingales song and the people on the Urn will never change and they will live on past his lifetime. This is the same for Keats’s poems; all the beauty within them live on past Keats’s lifetime and generation. Both poems convey immortality one through a living thing and one through a still object. We can almost sense that Keats uses beauty in his poems to escape the harsh life of the mortal world and he sees beauty in things that are not human. This is the case in both of the poems. Beauty is almost compensation for life and Keats fully appreciates beauty and escapes through writing about beauty. He realises then at the end of the Ode to a Nightingale poem that escaping to the nightingale’s world is not as good as the mortal world. He bases this decision on the fact that in the mortal you experience both the good and bad intensely but this is better than no intense feeling at all. There is also a complicated ending in â€Å"Ode To A Grecian Urn† in the part he says â€Å"Beauty is truth, truth beauty, – and that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know†.

Health and social care Unit 4 P2 Essay

The development of individuals can be affected by a number of life factors which include genetic, biological, environmental, socio economic and lifestyle factors. All these life factors have a large variety of influences which will affect individuals and how they develop through the life stages. The first life factor is the genetics of an individual, a genetic influence which could affect the development of someone could be the predisposition to a particular disease such as Down syndrome. This particular disease is a chromosomal disorder and a genetic condition that typically causes some level of learning disability and a characteristic difference in physical features. These typical difficulties which are involved with this disorder affect the everyday life of the individual. With this disorder causing some level of learning disability, this will affect the way the child develops as a young person in regards to their education. This particular condition leads to much impairment in both the cognitive ability of the individual and also the physical growth too. Individuals with Down syndrome can have many different abnormalities which can affect their general health and bodily function. People with the condition have increased risk of gaining respiratory and hearing problems and epilepsy. With all these increased risks being involved with this condition, it shows in many ways how the condition can affect how individuals develop throughout their life. Their childhood will be difficult due to the teaching they will have, this will therefore affect their adulthood as they won’t have the same life knowledge as other adults. Their adolescence will be different and more difficult for them as they won’t have the same life as a teenager would in regards to developing the relationship side of life and beginning to explore their body in ways young adults do as changes begin. The long term outlook for an individual with Down syndrome is seen unlikely to be long. This particular condition is seen to slow the individual down and the health problems along with the condition jeopardize their life. This therefore affects the  development through the older adulthood life stage as they may not get to this age to experience this. The next life factor is biological influences that can affect the overall development of an individual as they go through all their life stages. Foetal alcohol syndrome is a biologic condition which can affect the development of a person from the minute they are conceived within the womb. This particular syndrome is a pattern of mental and physical defects that can develop a fetus in association with high levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. This particular condition can stunt the fetal growth or their weight which therefore affects the development of a child into adulthood as they have a stunt of growth. The consumption of alcohol whilst pregnant can damage neurons and the brain structures of the fetus. This therefore affects how the infant develops once born and can reduce the time it takes for the child to learn how to walk and talk. Fetal alcohol syndrome can create a collection of primary cognitive and functional disabilities, some of these including poor memory, attention deficits and impulsive behaviour. These disabilities can affect the childhood development as the schooling of the individual can become increasingly difficult and take longer, and as a result of trouble with learning at a young age it can affect the way the development throughout the other life stages occurs. As well as the disabilities that can occur above, there are secondary disabilities which can affect the development of a person. Examples of these are mental health problems and drug and alcohol addiction which can affect the development of adulthood as you don’t get to experience having a family and relationships as drug and alcohol addiction will affect the way you live and also your bodily functions which may decrease the chances of having a family. The appearance of you may also affect your older adulthood as the misuse of alcohol and drugs during your life can make you look older than you and also the long term illnesses may affect your chances of living longer. Access to employment and income is a potential influence of an environmental factor which can affect the development of people. Individuals who do not have enough income to look after themselves let alone their children still  insist on having children. This however is a downfall in today’s society as it leaves an increased possibility for difficulty in family life. No employment leads to no income in a family home, this can affect the way an infant is brought up in regards to being looked after and being fed. It may also lead to infants being put in care as parents can’t look after them properly and ably which already leaves room for the development of the child to be decreased due to them not having the care from their own parents at a young age. No employment or income can also affect childhood as this is the start of education, with no income families can’t afford to send their child to school and pay for their lunches or their essentials they may need for educational purposes. With no income it can also affect the way the child is treated at school, they may become a bullied individual as they may not have what other children may have. Adults who live a life with no employment and income can result in depression; this then leads to poor mental health and low self esteem which is the belief that you are inferior to others. Depression and stress can cause a poor diet and also for individuals not to take care of themselves like they should which will result in a lower expectancy of life for older adulthood. Another life factor is socio economic which could include the education of people. Individuals with few or no qualifications which they should have attained at childhood and adolescence from going to school and higher education are more likely to be unemployed or employed in low paid work. It is said that the education of individuals at childhood depends on the family they grow up in. As families with higher incomes than average usually get better paid jobs than those who live in families with low incomes. It also depends on the encouragement you get as a child and adolescence to whether you do well in education. Peer pressure is also a tough thing to overcome at adolescence which can interfere with the grades you attain within education. Those who don’t get the qualifications they want usually find adulthood to be difficult as they don’t have the income they would like for them to have a nice house and big family. This links in with no income or employment and again results in the likelihood of older adulthood to be lower in life expectancy due to not being able to afford a healthy lifestyle due to the failing of not attaining the qualifications within education. Lastly is the lifestyle of an individual which can affect the development of them throughout their life stages. A particular lifestyle influence could be nutrition and dietary choices individuals all make. Many people may choose to eat a diet that includes unhealthy fatty, salty or sugary foods. Other people may eat unhealthy foods because of convenience and cost. People with low income will find it harder to travel to supermarkets and stock up on cheaper food. Low income may also push people to choose an unhealthy diet because it can be harder and more expensive to choose a healthy one. This however will cause problems for individuals in the long run. If families have a poor income and therefore don’t choose a healthy diet for their families it results in children having poor diets which can affect the growth development of them as individuals. But also affect the brain and how it functions which can affect the child’s education. Other families might choose to give their children what they need in regards to nutrition and dietary choices, but not themselves which can cause people becoming obese and therefore affecting their lifestyle and development. If people become obese they usually become lazy and therefore don’t keep healthy and fit, this can affect the lifestyle of older adulthood as unfit and unhealthy elderly people can result in younger life expectancy as illnesses might take over elderly individuals. Overall it is clearly seen that there are many life factors that can influence the development of individuals and also the life expectancy of these individuals also. This is why it is important to have healthy lifestyles and to do the best you can throughout life to get the best out of it.

Implications of War on Terrorism on Public Relations Essay

The present Iraq War and War on terrorism have brought new dilemmas for the governments and businesses. How can the companies and government involve themselves in creating a society that is free of discrimination and respect personal freedoms. Even more important is how to avoid the pitfalls that turn out to be a public relations nightmare. One example of such an incident was when British Airways asked an employee to remove the cross she was wearing. British News paper published the news with the headline â€Å"British Airways allows Muslim headscarves, but not Christian symbols†. The woman at the center of the debate decide to sue the airline and the British Airways had to retract its notice after the public relations debacle that only brought it worldwide bad press. Former foreign Secretary, Jack Straw caused another furor by asking the Muslim women wearing veils, visiting his constituency surgery to remove their veils. In the present charged atmosphere, the simple request was seen as another attack on Muslim culture and British Muslims already feeling themselves cornered and persecuted made sure that the topic became a controversial subject. After all, Jack Straw is no Ayatollah Khomeini who has already told Iranian women to wear ‘hijab’ (dress similar to that of catholic nuns) but not cover their faces with veils. The ensuing debate caused high tempers both among traditional Muslims as an attack on personal freedoms at one end and from the mainstream British on banning the veil in public. Jack Straw finally issued a statement that his request was merely a suggestion to visiting constituency members and he did not insist on removal of veil. The war on terrorism and 7/7 tubes bombing has created a special need to sooth the fears of law abiding British Muslims who have just about as much to do with the bombings as any other citizen or the Brazilian shot in the aftermath of 7/7 tube bombing [Thompson et al, 2006]. The law enforcement institutions also have to ensure that the war-on-terrorism does not destroy the good public relations they have so laboriously built with all communities. The present world politics has necessitated a more sensitive handling of religious issues. Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and other religious minorities appear to have become incredibly sensitive and an important research issue is to survey how businesses varying from multi-national corporations to high street shops and industrial concerns have prepared themselves to avoid public relations disasters like British Airways ban on wearing religious symbols at work. Political parties and public figures and celebrities also need to prepare for being ethnically sensitive and religiously neutral. As a part of my 10 week research study I am proposing to survey the importance of religious symbols for our multi cultural society, investigate how the celebrities, public figures and industrial and business sector has prepared itself for the sensitivity of the present times. It would also be of interest to see if totally secular operating practices are acceptable and practical in a multi religious, multi cultural environment. The research is expected to prepare guidelines for various stakeholders to avoid public relation failures and unnecessary problems which result from over enthusiasm in this sensitive area. Bibliography 1. The Mail, (2006, Oct 16), Airline bans woman from wearing cross, [Online] Retrieved from Internet on 25 February 2007, cited in http://card. wordpress. com/2006/10/16/airline-bans-woman-from-wearing-cross/ 2. Guardian Unlimited, (2006, Oct. 05), Straw asks Muslim women to remove veil, [Online] Retrieved from Internet on 25 February 2007, cited in http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1888546,00.html#article_continue

Cultures and Practices Not Allowed in the Philippines Essay

Euthanasia Euthanasia is the legal term for a medically assisted mercy killing; however in most countries, euthanasia is illegal. The first form of euthanasia is the voluntary decision of a patient. This is when a patient asks a doctor to terminate the patient’s life if and when the patient suffers too much, the patient has no hope of recovery, the patient has no hope for a decent quality of life, or the patient wishes to relieve the financial or psychological burden on the patient’s family. The other form of euthanasia is an involuntary decision by friends or family of the patient to end the patient’s life. This is sometimes referred to as euthanasia without consent from the patient. Euthanasia is unethical. It is immoral. Even though a death of a person is given consent by himself, it is still murder, assisted suicide, or mercy killing, which is against the will of God. Abortion Abortion, though allowed in some other countries, is illegal in the Philippines. Under the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, any person who shall intentionally cause an abortion shall suffer reclusion temporal, prision mayor, or prision correccional. The only time abortion is legal is when the pregnancy of the expectant mother is beyond saving like in the case of fetal death, fetal deformity caused sickness while in womb, pregnancy post high risk to mother’s life. In all other circumstances, there is no exception. Abortion is more illegal in the eyes of God, because it is a mortal sin. Divorce Divorce, under the Family Code, is not allowed in the Philippines. Christianity is the largest religion in the Philippines, being that the Christian religion is strongly against divorce. The reason is the influence of Christianity in the Philippine culture. Under its teachings, only death can separate what God has put together. So even if under the eyes of the law, the marital bonds have been validly severed, the Catholic Church will still not honor said decree. Couple this with the fact that there is a stigma attached to broken marriages. Said stigma often develops feelings of insecurities and in some cases, rebellion on the part of the concerned parties. Polygamy Polygamy is the status or institution of simultaneous marriage of more than one woman to one man, or of several women to several men. The two forms are polygyny and polyandry. In ordinary use, the term is restricted to polygyny, where one man is simultaneously married to more than one woman. Catholic tradition has consistently interpreted Christ’s teaching as absolutely forbidding polygamy, and the prohibition was defined by the Council of Trent, pronouncing that it is unlawful for Christians to have several wives at the same time, and that it is forbidden the divine law. Marriage is a covenant between two people. In the Philippines, polygamy is not allowed because of the Christian influence in the Philippine culture. The only exception is when you are a Muslim living in the Philippines. Same sex Marriage Same sex Marriage is not allowed in the Philippines. Two people of the same gender having a relationship is somehow socially accepted nowadays. But when they are to be married, it is unethical. Even though there are some instances that these marriages occur, the couple could not include seeking legal protection and benefits that flow from marriage. Marriage is defined as a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life.

Social Problems

What is a social problem? A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable. Everyone would agree about some social problems, such as murders and DWI traffic deaths. Other social problems may be viewed as such by certain groups of people. Teenagers who play loud music in a public park obviously do not view it as a problem, but some other people may consider it an undesirable social condition. Some nonsmokers view smoking as an undesirable social condition that should be banned or restricted in public buildings. Every newspaper is filled with stories about undesirable social conditions. Examples include crime, violence, drug abuse, and environmental problems. Such social problems can be found at the local, state, national and international levels. You will be focusing in the Public Policy Analyst on social problems in your own community. Specific community locations Your own community consists of†¦ your school and your school district; your village, town or city; your county. The four examples of social problems above could possibly exist in all of these communities. For example, there could be a problem of increased stealing within your school or throughout the school district. Likewise, local police agencies—village, town, city and county—maintain statistics on crimes such as thefts within their jurisdiction. When you describe the social problem in step 1, you must specify the geographical setting. Some examples include Lehman High School, the Bronx High School District, the Bronx, New York City, or New York State. As mentioned before, PPA will be used only for local and state social problems. Social Problems of the Philippines Includes: OWADAYS, PHILIPPINES HAVE LOTS OF SOCIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. SOME OF THESE ARE THE FF. -UNEMPLOYMENT -POVERTY Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. [1] Absolute poverty or destitution refers to the one who lacks basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1. 7 billion people are estimated to live in absolute poverty today. Relative poverty refers to lacking a usual or socially acceptable level of resources or income as compared with others within a society or country. [1] For most of history poverty had been mostly accepted as inevitable as traditional modes of production were insufficient to give an entire population a comfortable standard of living. [1][2] After the industrial revolution, mass production in factories made wealth increasingly more inexpensive and accessible. Of more importance is the modernization of agriculture, such as fertilizers, in order to provide enough yield to feed the population. 3] The supply of basic needs can be restricted by constraints on government services such as corruption, debt and loan conditionalities and by the brain drain of health care and educational professionals. Strategies of increasing income to make basic needs more affordable typically include welfare, accommodating business regulations and providing financial services. Today, poverty reduction is a maj or goal and issue for many international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank. -POLLUTION -STREET CHILDREN ILLITERACY Some of the Social Issues which is a part of Social Problems in the Philippines are: alling Income The Philippine GDP per capita shrank to US$990 in 2000 from US$1,129 in 1997 while the GNP per capita contracted to US$1,033 from US$1,197. This was a result of the Asian financial crisis, which caught up with the Philippines in 1998. After expanding 5. 2 percent in 1997, the country's GDP backpedaled by 0. 5 percent in 1998. It grew by only 3. 4 percent in 1999 and 4 percent in 2000. With a high population growth rate of 2. percent annually, economic growth in 1999 and 2000 did little to improve the real per capita income of Filipinos. Peso Drops 14 Times vs. US Dollar According to Senator Ralph Recto, the country's per capita income has barely grown in the past 21 years. He said that the per capita income of P12,913 in 2001 is only P318 higher t han P12,595 in 1980. â€Å"In today's pesos, the P318 increase in 21 years amounts to nothing at all. † he said. Senator Recto also noted that the value of the peso has depreciated by as much as 1,373 percent against the dollar since 1960. The Poor and the Rich In its 2000 survey of family income and expenditure, the NSO said that the average income of the population's 10th decile, representing the richest 10 percent of the Filipinos, was 14 times higher than the average earnings of the first decile, representing the poorest 10 percent. Each decile was representing about 8 million Filipinos. Poverty Threshold: P13,916 While the per capita income declined between 1997 and 2000, prices of consumer goods and services increased by almost 20 percent during the three-year period or over six percent annually. The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) was forced to raise by 23 percent the national per capita poverty threshold to P13,916 in 2000 from P11,319 in 1997. Unequal Regional Development The Asian Development Bank (ADB) reported that Metro Manila's per capita gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in 2000 was more than twice that of the national average and more than five times that of Bicol region. Data from the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) showed that 11 of the country's 16 regions had a poverty incidence of over 30 percent as of 2000. The five other regions with lower poverty levels are all located in Luzon. The NSCB placed the poverty incidence in the country (the proportion of families with per capita incomes below the poverty threshold) at 28. 4 percent in 2000, up from 28. 1 percent in 1997. In terms of population, poverty incidence was estimated at 34 percent in 2000, also up from 33 percent in 1997. The NSCB data showed that in 2000, the National Capital Region or Metro Manila had the lowest poverty incidence of 5. 7 percent among families. It was followed by four other regions in Luzon, with Region 3 (Central Luzon) registering a poverty incidence of 17 percent; Region 4 (Southern Tagalog), 20. percent; Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), 24. 8 percent; and Region 1 (Ilocos), 29. 6 percent. Two regions in Luzon – Region 5 (Bicol), the southernmost region in Luzon, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) – had a poverty incidence of over 30 percent. About 49 percent of families in Bicol were suffering from poverty while 31. 1 percent of families in CAR were also in the same category. All regions in the Visayas had over 30 percent of poverty incidence. Region 6 (Western Visayas) had a poverty incidence of 37. 8 percent; Region 7 (Central Visayas), 32. percent; and Region 8 (Western Visayas), 37. 8 percent. All regions in Mindanao also had over 30 percent of poverty incidence. Region 9 (Western Mindanao) had a poverty incidence of 38. 3 percent; Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), 32. 9 percent; Region 11 (Southern Mindanao), 31. 5 percent; Region 12 (Central Mindanao), 48. 4 percent; Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), 57 percent; and Caraga, 42. 9 percent. 32 Million Poor Filipinos With the adjustment on poverty threshold, the number of Filipinos considered poor or affected by poverty incidence swell to 30 million or 39. percent of the population in 2000 from 36. 8 percent in 1997. According to the Commission on Population (Popcom), the figure could have further climbed to 32 million or 40 percent of the population in 2002. In terms of number of families, poverty incidence affected 33. 7 percent of all Filipino families in 2000 from only 31. 8 percent in 1997. 5. 1 Million Poor Families The NSO reported that in 2000, poverty incidence affected 19. 9 percent of families in urban areas and 46. 9 percent in rural areas. Real number of poor families climbed to 5. 1 million, 1. 5 million of them in urban areas and 3. million in rural areas. Some 2. 5 million families were living in subsistence level, meaning their income was not enough to buy their basic food requirements. Poor and Near Poor, 58 Percent In its 2001 report, the World Bank said 12. 7 percent of Filipinos were â€Å"poor†, a term it assigned to those who lived on less than US$1 a day while 45. 9 percent were â€Å"near poor† or those who lived on less than US$2 a day. A 2002 survey conducted by the local poll group Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that 58 percent of its 1,200 respondents had considered themselves poor. The survey, conducted on March 4 to 23, 2002, also disclosed that 52 percent of the respondents believed that their quality of life had deteriorated over the past 12 months while only 15 percent said otherwise. Only 80 Percent Had Access to Safe Water Access to safe drinking water dropped to 80 percent among Filipino families in 2002 from 81. 4 percent in 1999, according to the Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO). In real figure, however, the number of families with access to safe drinking water climbed by 6. 2 percent to 12. 46 million in 2002 from 11. 999 million in 1999 largely because of the 8 percent population growth during the three-year period. 86. 1 Percent Had Toilets The Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 2002 showed that the percentage of Filipino families with access to sanitary toilet improved to 86. 1 percent in 2002 from 85. 8 percent in 1999. In real number , this translates to 13. 713 million families with sanitary toilet in 2002, up from 12. 662 million families three years earlier. 79 Percent Had Electricity The Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 2002 showed that around 12. 581 million families or 79 percent of the total had electricity in 2002, up from only 10. 809 million or 73. 3 percent of all families in 1999. 72 Percent Had Strong Houses The Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 2002 showed that 11. 497 million Filipino families or 72. 2 percent of the total had their roofs made of strong materials and 9. 888 million had their outer walls made of strong materials. 7 Percent Owned House and Lot The Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 2002 showed that 10. 593 million Filipino families or 66. 5 percent of the total had their own house and lot in 2002, with only 546,000 of them or 5. 1 percent using the government's finance program to purchase their house and lot. Some 3. 425 million families or 21. 5 percent of the to tal had lands other than residence in 2002 while 376,000 families acquired lands through the government's Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Ibon: Poverty Affects 87. 5 Percent Ibon Foundation Inc. , a research think-tank that was accused by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as leftist, reported that poverty incidence actually affected 13. 4 million Filipino families or 87. 5 percent of all families in the country. The independent research agency based its computation on data from the National Wage Commission. Ibon said that the daily cost of living for a family of six was P530 in Metro Manila and P435 in the whole country, as of April 2002. 16 Percent Experiences Hunger A survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) in March 2001 showed that 16. 1 percent of its respondents had experienced hunger at least once in the last three months. About 6 percent of the households surveyed also claimed that they were experiencing hunger often or always. 20 to 34 Percent of Filipinos Undernourished About 20 to 34 percent of 74. 2 million Filipinos in the period 1998 to 2000 was undernourished, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in its report entitled â€Å"The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2002. The situation in the Philippines was worse that those in Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam where only 5 to 19 percent of the population was undernourished. Only less than 2. 5 percent of population in Malaysia was undernourished while there was no record of similar problem in Singapore and Thailand. Only Cambodia, with 35 percent or more of its population being undernourished, was worse off than the Philippines. The FAO reported that there are some 840 million undernourished people in the world today while the World Bank said about 1. billion people lived on less than US$1 per day. Some 25,000 people reportedly die of hunger and poverty each day. Measured annually, around six million children under the age of five are dying of hunger. 6 of 10 Policemen are Poor A study concuted by the UP Variates and the CORPS Foundation in July 2002 showed that 32 percent of Metro Manila policemen claimed that their monthly income they took home were below the poverty threshold of P8,877 a month while nearly 90 percent admitted they had debts to government and private lending institutions. Nearly 50 percent had no bank savings. 1. 391 Million Families with Working Children Child labor remains a problem in the country. As of 2002, there were 1. 391 million families or 12. 8 percent of the total that had working children aged from five years old to 17 years old. 4 Million Children, Working So critical was the poverty incidence in the country that many Filipino children had to find work in 2001. According to the NSO, 4 million out of the total 25 million Filipino children were working during the survey period from October 1, 2000 to September 30, 2001. Most of these working children were male, aged 10 to 17 years old, unskilled and unpaid. They worked as farmers, fishermen, hunters, vendors, and factory workers. Some 221,000 children did heavy physical work; 1. 1 million faced physical hazards; 942,000 suffered injuries at work; and 754,000 had work-related illnesses. These figures were consistent with the findings of an international institution. According to the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef), some four million Filipino children were forced to work as of 2002 because their parents could not find jobs. Around 67 percent of these children were working in the agricultural sector and had to stop going to school. About 50 percent of the children were feeding their respective families. 15 Million Children, Malnourished A 2002 study conducted by the Philippine Congress showed that about 15. 6 million or more than 60 percent of the 25 million Filipino children (below 18 years old) were malnourished. In a separate study conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), three out of 10 Filipino pre-schoolers were found malnourished or underweight in 2001. In actual numbers, there were 3. million malnourished pre-school children. RP Imported 24 Million Bags of Rice The Philippines, which remains largely rural and agricultural, has become the world's fourth largest importer of rice, after Indonesia, Nigeria and Iran. Citing a report of the US Department of Agriculture, Representative Satur Ocampo said the country imported about 1. 18 million tons metric tons of rice in 2001 and a total of 1. 2 million metric tons (24 million 50-kilogram bags) of rice in 2002. 1. 5 Million Street Children The Philippines has one of the world's largest populations of street children. A 1996 report of the non-government movement End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (ECPAT) showed that the Philippines had 1. 5 million children living or working in the street of 65 cities. Metro Manila alone had at least 75,000 street children. ECPAT claimed that many children in the street were working as pickpockets and beggars and that around 60,000 children were either sexually exploited or driven to prostitution. According to the Dangerous Drugs Board, 325,000 children were using illegal substance, particularly rugby. About 100 million children in the world were said to be living in the street as of 1994. . 8 Million Illiterate Filipinos According to the Functional Literacy Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) conducted in 2001, about 2. 8 million Filipinos could not read and write while 7. 4 million others are functionally illiterate. Functional illiteracy refers to the inability of a person to use his skills in reading, writing and counting to improve his life. 10. 8 M illion Unemployed, Underemployed The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that as of April 2002, there were 4. 866 million unemployed Filipinos accounting for 13. percent of the total labor force estimated at 35. 052 million workers. About 5. 922 million others or 19. 6 percent of the labor force were also underemployed, meaning they had no regular sources of income. 26 Percent of College Graduates Unemployed A study commissioned by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) in 2002 showed that 26. 2 percent of college graduates aged 24 years old and below were unemployed. In comparison, only 13. 6 percent of high school graduates and 9. 1 percent of elementary dropouts were unemployed during the same period. Workers, Only 30. 6 Percent of Population Measured against the whole population (80 million), those who were working at least 40 hours a week estimated at 24. 264 million workers comprised only 30. 5 percent of all people in the Philippines as of April 2002. 40 Percent of Voters Unaware of Rights In June 2002, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), an independent Catholic organization, announced that almost 40 percent of their respondents composed of Filipino voters were unaware of their voting rights. Prices Up by 6 Percent According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), prices of goods and services moved up by over 6 percent in 2001. In particular, prices of fuel, light and water increased by an average of 11. 5 percent, year-on-year in 2001. Rice in the Philippines reportedly costs three times as much as it does in Thailand. Price of Medicine, Three Times as Much Prices of eight common drugs in the country were three times as much as they were in India, according to the Department of Health (DoH). For example, a 20-milligram tablet of Adalat Retard or Nifedine 20 that cost over P34 in the Philippines in 2001 was only priced at about P5. 4 in India in the same year. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has accused local pharmaceutical firms belonging to the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) of dictating prices of medicine in the country. 5 Million Housing Backlog According to the National Housing Authority (NHA), some 5 million Filipino families were in need of permanent houses in the whole country. 3. 4 Million Squatters In its 2002 study, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has cited the need to improve the lives of some 3. 4 million Filipinos living in the slums of Metro Manila. ,521 Disabled Filipinos, Driving As of October 2002, the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP) disclosed that some 3,521 disabled Filipinos have licenses to drive vehicles. The number of disabled driver included 2,550 partially blind, 56 with impaired hearing and speech, 777 with impaired lower limbs and 138 with impaired upper limbs. Philippine Justice System According to the Supreme Court, about 45 percent of Philippine courts – regional trial courts, municipal courts, and municipal circuit trial courts – had no judges as of September 2002. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice said there was a 22 percent vacancy in positions of prosecutors in the whole country. Just how the courts administered justice with such a wide vacancy in positions of judges and prosecutors paints a picture of disillusionment among victims waiting impatiently for justice. The vacancy in these positions usually means delay in the implementation of justice, which in turn discourages people from actually filing cases in courts. 88 Signatures for Housing Permit As of 2001, it took 88 signatures to get an approval to build a house in the Philippines. President Arroyo ordered that the number of signatures be trimmed to 45. P35 Billion Lost to Project Anomalies The chairman of the Committee on Appropriations at the lower chamber of Congress said the Philippine government lost P21 billion to graft and corruption stemming from scheming contracts entered into by senators and congressmen in 2001. The amount excluded money lost to corruption involving projects executed by other government officials. Meanwhile, Senator Edgardo Angara said that around P35 billion is lost to graft and corruption in government infrastructure projects annually. Such anomalies come in the form of rigged public bidding, substandard work and cost padding. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer) P21 Billion Lost to Procurement Process The Philippine government has been losing some P21 billion to corrupt officials involved in the procurement process, the none-government organization Procurement Watch Inc. (PWI) reported. At the same time, a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that 15 percent of the cost of all government contracts is lost to corruption. P104 Billion Pork Barrel Aside from legislating laws, Filipinos senators and congressmen have made it their responsibility to distribute development projects in their respective districts. Each one of the 24 senators receives some P200 million in development funds annually while each one of about 218 congressmen receives P100 million in annual appropriations. In total, all these development funds for legislators, collectively known as procurement budget or pork barrel, amount to P104 billion annually. According to House appropriations committee chairman Rolando Andaya Jr. , ome P21 billion or nearly 20 percent of this amount is pocketed by some legislators, other government officials and contractors each year. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer) RP, Fourth Most Corrupt in Asia In its 2002 survey, the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC), which asked 1,000 foreign businessmen in 12 Asian countries, has ranked the Philippines as the fourth most corrupt country in Asia closely behind I ndonesia, India and Vietnam. The Philippines received a score of 8. 0 in the survey, on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 the best possible score for a country with no corruption. PERC said Singapore was the least corrupt in the region, with a score of 0. 9. In a separate survey also in 2002, Transparency International (TI) ranked the Philippines 77th among 102 countries in terms of fighting graft and corruption. The Philippines got a score of 2. 6 in corruption perception index, with 10 the highest possible score for the country that has no corruption. Finland was ranked number 1, with a score of 9. 7. Bangladesh was at the bottom of the list, with a score of 1. 2. P85 billion Ill-Gotten Wealth Recovered In its claim as of 2002, the Presidential Commission on Good Government said that it has recovered a total of P85 billion in ill-gotten wealth since it was created in 1986. 2. 8 Million Income Tax Payers While there were 15 million salaried workers in the country in 2000, only 2. 8 million actually paid income taxes. According to Senator Ralph Recto, of the total individual income tax returns filed in 2000, 1. 953 million were by salaried workers (1. 350 million of whom were government employees) and only 536,000 by businessmen and non-salaried professionals (like doctors and lawyers). In real amount, ordinary workers paid some P63. 8 billion while non-salaried individuals, mostly businessmen and professionals, contributed only P7. 3 billion for a total of P81. 8 billion in individual income taxes. The senator disclosed that about 56. 2 percent of salaried and non-salaried workers in the country failed to settle their individual income taxes in 2000. Over the past 11 years, leakage from the individual income tax amounted to P608 billion. This was on top of the P610 billion that were lost to leakage in the value added tax (VAT) scheme. US$205 Billion Tax Evasion A study conducted by the research unit of US bank Morgan Stanley said that the Philippine government lost some US$205 billion in potential revenues from 1965 to 2001. The figure was computed based on the estimated annual tax leakage of US$7. 6 billion or P380 billion. It was higher than the government's estimate. According to the Department of Finance (DoF), some P242 billion (US$4. 65 billion) in potential government revenues is lost to tax evaders yearly. In its 1998 study, the Department of Finance said some P69. 85 billion was lost because of leakage in the value-added tax, P59. 3 billion in corporate income tax, P98. 95 billion in personal income tax, P2. 56 billion in excise tax, P6. 4 billion in documentary stamp tax, P1. 18 billion in interest withholding tax on bank deposits, P2. 33 billion in fringe benefits tax, P1. 5 billion in gross receipts tax, and P370 million in insurance tax. P187 Billion Tax Incentives to Corporations The government dangled some P187. 2 billion tax incentives to the largest foreign and local companies in the country in 2001. These incentives came in the form of income tax holidays and duty-free importation of raw materials from other countries. Companies, which benefited from such tax incentives were those registered at Board of Investments (BOI), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and other investment promotion agencies. P147 Billion Budget Shortage The country's fiscal deficit reached P147. 03 billion (US$2. 95 billion) or 4. 1 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) estimated at P3. 6 trillion (US$72 billion) in 2001. While the government spent P710. 8 billion, its total revenues amounted to only P563. 73 billion. Public sector funding requirement (PSFR) reached P189 billion. Debt servicing or payments to interests of domestic and foreign borrowings reached P27. billion. To augment its budget requirements in 2001, the government sourced 87 percent of its total financing from domestic funds and 13 percent from foreign loans and aid. The government relied heavily on fixed-rate Treasury bonds as it issued P208. 42 billion worth of these short-term fixed-income securities. The situation was worse in 20002. The gov ernment said the budget deficit would climb to P223 billion or 5. 6 percent of the GDP by the end of the year. The original target was only 4 percent. P781 Billion Government Budget According to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the government has a total budget of P780. billion for 2002. Budget deficit is expected to reach at least P150 billion in 2002. Of the 2002 budget, some P233. 9 billion or 30 percent is to be poured into social services; P204. 2 billion or 26 percent to debt interest payments; P158. 9 billion or 21 percent to economic services; P136. 1 billion or 18 percent to general services; and P41. 5 billion or 5 percent to defense. Among government agencies, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) had the largest share of the pie at P103 billion while the Department of National Defense (DND) got P60. billion. US$53. 4 Billion Foreign Debt The Central Bank said that as of March 2002, total foreign debt of the Philippines amounted to US$53. 4 billion. Public debt was placed at P2. 62 trillion as of June 2002. US$45 Billion in Infrastructure Needs According to the World Bank, the Philippines would need some US$35 billion to US$45 billion in fresh investments from the private sector to improve its infrastructures (roads, bridges, railways, telecommunication facilities, etc. ) over the next ten years. Two People's Revolts Fourteen years after the historic â€Å"People Power Revolution† that ousted the Marcos dictatorial rule in 1986, two people's revolts rocked Metro Manila in the first half of 2001. This was followed by several attempts to repeat the ugly May 1 mob rebellion staged by supporters of deposed President Joseph Estrada. In the absence of a legal framework governing people's revolts, political stability became harder to establish. Foreign Affairs Secretary and former Senator Blas Ople called for a â€Å"sober† examination of the people power phenomenon and warned that a fresh call to stage another revolution would threaten the country's political stability. In a Senate resolution, Senator Blas Ople urged the chamber to assess the merits of â€Å"people power† as an instrument of political change and its constitutional implications. Episode of Turbulence Even President Arroyo, who was a beneficiary of the January 2001 people's revolt, appealed for an end to what she called an episode of turbulence and threats. â€Å"In a living democracy, no group has the right to hold policy-making hostage by threatening to overthrow the executive on every issue of policy disagreement,† she said. 34 Percent Says Democracy Works The Filipino people were also dismayed. In a national survey conducted by the University of the Philippines (UP) Center for Leadership, Citizenry and Democracy in November 2001, only one of three Filipino respondents or 34 percent claimed they were satisfied with the way democracy works in the country. In contrast, about 42 percent of the respondents said otherwise. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer) Violent Elections A manifestation of poor peace and order situation in the Philippines is the death of at least 87 people in the barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) elections in July 2002. The police said another 45 individuals were injured in 183 violent confrontations among candidates and their henchmen. Ironically, the police described the situation as generally peaceful because fewer people died this year, compared with previous barangay elections. On July 15, the Filipino people elected 41,945 barangay chairmen, a similar number of youth leaders and 293,615 barangay council members. 25,000 Armed Rebels There are two major insurgency movements in the Philippines, namely: the communist insurgency and the Muslim separatist movement. According to military estimates, there were 25,000 armed rebels as of the first quarter of 2002. These included 11,930 communist guerillas, 12,500 active members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and hundreds more belonging to Muslim extremist Abu Sayyaf, Abu Sufia and Pentagon groups. 347 Clashes with the Reds The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) recorded 347 armed confrontations with the communist guerillas, resulting in the death of 189 rebels and 120 government soldiers in 2001. Moro Leader in Prison In November 2001, former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari who signed a peace pact with the government in 1996 broke the agreement and led another armed struggle along with his loyal supporters. He was facing sedition charges at a prison camp in Laguna province. Muslim Extremists The Abu Sayyaf (Bearers of the Sword) is a Muslim extremist group that was fighting for an independent Islamic state in Mindanao. Since 1994, it has burned a Christian town, beheaded a number of innocent civilians, abducted foreigners and planted bombs in crowded areas. The AFP claimed that it was able to reduce the Abu Sayyaf force from 4,000 in 1994 to 600 in June 2001 and to 60 in May 2002. In April 2000, the group took 21 hostages, mostly European tourists from the Sipadan Island in Sabah, Malaysia and brought them to Sulu province in Mindanao. The hostages were freed four months later upon payment of US$20 million ransom by the Libyan government. On May 27, 2001, the Abu Sayyaf abducted an American couple along with another American and 17 Filipinos from a beach resort in Palawan province. The group had beheaded the other American but freed the Filipino hostages. Some 1,000 American troops went to Mindanao to coordinate, advise and train Filipino soldiers in the rescue mission of the American couple. On June 7, 2002, American hostage Martin Burnham and Filipino nurse who was also taken by the group were killed during an encounter between the Muslim extremists and the pursuing Filipino troops in Zamboanga del Norte province. Gracia Burnham was wounded but survived. Camp Abu Bakar Falls The former Estrada administration declared an ugly all-out war against Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in the year 2000. While the government was able to siege Camp Abu Bakar, the main camp of the MILF, the war resulted in numerous bombings in the south and Metro Manila. There were also summary executions of Filipino Christians in Mindanao. On May 7, 2002, the Arroyo government and the MILF signed an interim peace agreement in Putrajaya, Malaysia. While the agreement called for the government's rehabilitation and development of areas devastated by the war in 2000, it did not call for the laying down of arms by the Muslim dissidents. Cost of War: P100 Billion The World Bank said the recurring armed conflict between government soldiers and Muslim fighters would cost southwestern Mindanao over P100 billion in the next 10 years in terms of lost or stagnant investments. 2 Million Unlicensed Guns Around 2 million unlicensed guns were circulating in the Philippines on top of the 775,000 legally registered firearms. The figures were disclosed during the â€Å"Regional Seminar on Implementing the UN Program of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons† which was held in Quezon City in July 2002. A statement issued during the seminar also claimed that the 2 million unlicensed firearms and light weapons, including pistols, rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers and shoulder-fired missiles, were responsible for the death of four million people in 46 major conflicts in the country in the 1990s. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the national police to intensify the campaign against loose firearms. Reports said there are about 328,329 loose firearms nationwide. In 2002, the national police confiscated 7,633 loose firearms. The Department of Interior and Local Government said that of the 12,000 firearms used in crimes in 2002, more than 10,000 of which were unlicensed. 37,254 Index Crimes Some 37,254 index crimes were reported to the police in the year 2000 alone. The police claimed to have solved 32,445 or 87 percent of these cases. Index crimes refer to crimes committed against lives and properties. P1. 25 Billion Ransom The Citizens Action Against Crime, a non-government organization, claimed that around 2,100 people, many of them Filipino-Chinese businessmen, have become victims of kidnap-for-ransom gangs in the Philippines and paid ransom amounting to about P1. 25 billion from 1993 to 2002. The group added that in 2002 alone, kidnap victims paid a total ransom amounting to P211 million. News reports said kidnap-for-ransom syndicates victimized over 240 individuals, including 20 foreigners in 2001. In the first half of 2002, another 80 individuals, including 30 foreigners, became victims of kidnapping. While Manila-based publications tagged the Philippines as the world's kidnap capital, the Philippine National Police (PNP) quickly denied this, claiming that Colombia owns the title. 1,877 Cars Stolen The Philippine National Police (PNP) documented a total of 1,877 car theft cases in 2000. Police data showed that a total of 2,219 vehicles were reported stolen in Metro Manila in 2002. This meant that six cars were stolen in the metropolis each day and 185 cars each month in 2002. 8 Rape Victims Per Day Some 3,145 cases of rape were reported in the country in 2001. This translates to 8 cases of rape each day and one rape incident in every three hours during the year. The figure only covers rape incidents reported to the police. There were also 5,735 murder cases and 4,079 homicide incidents reported in the country in 2001 alone. 5,185 Sex Crimes Against Children According to the Social Welfare and Development, there were a total of 5,185 sex crimes committed against children in the Philippines in 2000, and 3,980 cases in 2001. Sex crimes refer to rape, incest, and acts of lasciviousness. 143 Escapees The Bureau of Jail Management reported that 143 prisoners escaped from their cells in 2000. Of these fugitives, 89 were recaptured. 25,000 Inmates The Bureau of Corrections said that in 2002, it was holding 25,002 inmates, 16,134 of whom are at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP), which has a holding capacity of only 8,700. 314 Political Prisoners As of December 2002, the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa was hosting 314 political prisoners. 239 Dismissed Cops in 2002 In the campaign against erring policemen, the national police reported that it dismissed from the service 239 commissioned and non-commissioned officers who were among the 4,447 policemen who were charged administratively for various offenses in 2002. The national police is encouraging the public to report crimes or ask for police assistance in case of emergency by sending a short messaging service (SMS) or text message to 2920. P300 Billion Illegal Drug Industry According to Interior and Local Government Secretary Joey Lina, the crime syndicates produce and trade P300-billion worth of illegal drugs in the country annually. The Dangerous Drugs Board also disclosed that some 1. 8 million Filipinos are hooked on illegal drugs while 1. 6 million others are casual users. 1. 8 Million Drug Users According to the International Narcotics Control Board, the use of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu has become â€Å"the most popular drug of abuse† in the Philippines. The Anti-Narcotics Group of the Philippine National Police disclosed that around 1. 8 million of the 80 million Filipinos were regular drug users. The agency also disclosed that about 70 percent of marijuana supply in the world might be coming from the Cordillera region in northern Luzon. It claimed that marijuana fields have been found among the 300,000 hectares of Cordillera farmlands in the past. In 1999, the police conducted 7,956 raids and arrested 11,004 individuals on drug-related cases. 55,000 Mail Order Brides to US According to women's group Gabriela, about 55,000 Filipino women have entered the United States as mail order brides as of 1997. Another 20,000 mail order brides went to Australia. 15 Women Beaten Daily As of 2002, militant women's group Gabriela said at least 15 women and six children are beaten up daily. In 2001, Gabriela recorded 5,668 cases of wife battering and 2,274 cases of maltreatment of children. Two-Thirds of Young Workers Had Premarital Sex A survey conducted by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) in 2002 showed that 30 percent of the country's young workforce claimed to be sexually active, with 10 percent of the single male respondents claiming to have casual sex. The study titled â€Å"Issues Affecting Young Filipino Workers† also showed that 37 percent of young males have had sex with more than one partner – usually with prostitutes – prior to marriage while two-thirds of married female and male workers said they had premarital sex with the people they eventually married. In a separate report, a study conducted by the University of the Philippines Population Institute in the year 2000 showed that 23 percent of 16. 5 million Filipinos aged between 15 and 24 have engaged in premarital sex. According to the TUCP, about 6. 5 million Filipino workers were belonging to the 15 to 24 year age group as of 2002. 400,000 Prostitutes Despite the fact that prostitution is illegal in the country, women's group Gabriela said that around 400,000 Filipinos were working as prostitutes as of 1998. 100,000 Child Prostitutes According to the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), about 60,000 to 100,000 Filipino children were working as prostitutes as of 1997. Prostitution was present in 37 provinces then. The major child prostitution dens were found in Manila, Angeles City, Puerto Galera, Davao City and Cebu City. The Philippines has reportedly become a favorite destination of pedophiles from the US, Australia and Europe. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has documented 8,335 cases of child abuse from 1991 to 1996. 400,000 Abortions A study released by the University of the Philippines Population Institute in February 2003 said that there were 400,000 cases of abortion in the country each year, despite the fact that abortion is illegal here. Vagina Economy While hundreds of surviving Filipino women are still demanding justice from the Japanese government for their travails in the hands of Japanese troops who held them as sex slaves during World War 2, thousands of young Filipino women are ironically asking the Philippine government to ease the rules in the deployment of entertainers to Japan. One government agency that tried to screen the recruitment of young Filipino women as entertainers in Japan eventually found itself in deep controversy. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the country's main agency tasked to uplift standards of non-degree and non-formal skills training of Filipino workers, was under fire for allegedly delaying the issuance of certification to some 20,000 young Filipino women to work as entertainers or â€Å"overseas performing artists† in Japan in 2002. The Philippine Association of Recruitment Agencies Deploying Artists (PARADA), the association of recruitment agencies deploying young Filipino women as entertainers in Japan accused TESDA director general Dante Liban of deliberately delaying the issuance of the so-called Artist Record Books (ARB) to 20,000 prospective overseas performing artists in 2002. Applicants need an ARB to get a visa from the Japanese embassy. PARADA alleged that a group of people in TESDA were demanding P25,000 for an ARB from applicants who do not want to undergo testing. Without irregularity, the ARB is supposed to cost only P300. Because of the alleged irregularity in TESDA, PARADA claimed that 20,000 Filipino women lost the opportunity of earning US$800 a month in Japan. Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showed that deployment of Filipino entertainers to Japan slowed to 50,000 persons in 2002 from 70,000 in 2001. But a group of Filipinos said that the single biggest controversy was not the delay in the issuance of ARBs to young Filipino women but the deployment of thousands of them to work as prostitutes or sex workers in other countries. Labor Undersecretary Lucila Lazo even went to the extent of calling it as â€Å"vagina economy†. There are around 180,000 Filipino entertainers in Japan sending US$200 million each year. Many of these women were vulnerable to abuse and some driven to prostitution by the Japanese Yakuza gang. According to the Movement for Responsible Enterprise (MORE), a civic group of concerned Filipinos, the Philippine government provided cover to save Japan from the embarrassment of hosting Filipino prostitutes. â€Å"The government made them appear like performing artists, sent to Japan as entertainers,† it added. Filipino entertainers were eventually called â€Å"Japayuki†, which was an original concoction made by Japanese media referring to young girls working as prostitutes. The Philippine government allows the deployment of Filipino women as young as 18 years old. The civic group also called on religious and militant groups to join the campaign against the continued deployment of Filipino entertainers abroad. â€Å"Let us all destroy this national disgrace. Stop the trafficking of women. Our national honor is priceless. We must defend it at all cost, at all times,† it said. P8 Billion Annual Gambling Revenues Gambling is a major social problem in the country. Not even the ouster of President Joseph Estrada from Malacanang Palace, on charges of receiving â€Å"jueteng† money from syndicates, could abate the problem. Jueteng is said to be a P40-billion business in the Philippines, annually. While declaring â€Å"jueteng† as illegal, the government promotes other forms of gambling such as casino operations, lottery and recently text games. In May 2002 alone, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), the government agency tasked to collect gambling revenues, reported an income of P1. 81 billion. For the whole of 2000, Pagcor reported a net income of P8 billion, the second largest amount earned by any Philippine company in that year. Text Gambling No one seems to be bothered by the growing trend of text gambling in the Philippines. Due to the popularity of short messaging service (SMS) or text messaging in the country, broadcast stations and telecommunication companies have connived to endorse the now hugely popular text games. Here, the participants, mostly television viewers or radio listeners, put their bet in the form of a text message worth P10 each for the chance to win large prizes. Although less pronounced as a form of gambling, text gambling is no different than other number games like lottery, jai alai or jueteng. Companies Lose P3. 5 Billion to Counterfeiting According to the Brand Protection Association (BPA), a group of 15 multinational companies based in the country, their member companies lost P3. 5 billion to makers and distributors of fake brand products in the first three quarters of 2002 alone. As a result, the government also lost P1. 3 billion in potential revenues. The BPA also disclosed that the government confiscated fake goods amounting to P2. 4 billion in the first nine months of 2002 alone, up from P800 million in the whole of 1998. The BPA said that the counterfeiting and piracy problem is not limited to CD's, VCDs and computer softwares but also affects top brands of garments, bags, wallets, medicines, liquified petroleum gas (LPGs), batteries, lamps, bulbs and switches, brandy, vodka, cigarettes, soaps and shampoo, laser printer toner and ink cartridges, sofa beds, hacksaws, toys and electronic goods. About 86 makers of product lines are said to be affected by counterfeits, which are boldly sold at formal distribution channels like shopping malls, department stores and supermarkets. â€Å"Not because these companies are in on it, but because they are also fooled,† Mr. Wallace clarified. The BPA said that the fake drugs and smuggled medicines comprise 30 percent of total products in the pharmaceutical sector. The lighting sector is burdened by a 5 to 15 percent penetration of fake products while about 63 percent of softwares sold in the country is considered pirated. Most of the fake products sold in the country, the BPA added, come from China. P1. 1 billion Smuggled Fuel A study conducted by the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center (AIM-PC) suggested that some P1. 1 billion worth of diesel fuel were smuggled into the country between 1999 and 2001. Some 300,000 liters or 2,000 barrels of diesel are reportedly smuggled and sold in the country each day. The policy think tank blamed several owners of barges and tankers/trucks; ship captains and seamen; past and present officials of oil firms; owners of depots and storehouses; and importers and owners of import terminals as responsible for the smuggling. The culprits reportedly got help from officials and employees of the Bureau of Customs, the Philippine Navy and the Coast Guard. Alcohol, Most Abused Drug Liquor is said to be the most abused substance in the Philippines and the world. While there remains to be a concrete study on the effects of alcoholism, many index crimes such as homicides, physical injuries and sex-related offenses are often associated with alcohol. Adding to these are the numerous accidents caused by drunk driving. Many Filipino families were also ruined by alcoholism, with young children exposed to the evils of their drunken fathers. Sadly, the government does not do anything about it. San Miguel Corp. , a beverage conglomerate that is the top seller of beer and gin, is also the country's largest corporation. In 1998 alone, the company sold 327. 6 million bottles of beer. 1. 25 Billion Liters of Beer In 1995, Filipinos consumed 146,000 bottles of wine, making them the top wine drinkers in Asia. A more shocking report is that Filipinos consumed 1. 25 billion liters or 3. 9 billion bottles of beer in 1998 alone. In the year 2001, beverages comprised nearly 2. 3 percent of the average Filipino's expenditures. A 1994 survey conducted by the University of the Philippines showed that almost 5. 3 million or 60 per cent of Filipino youths were drinking alcoholic beverages. Of the total, 4. 2 million were males and 1. 1 million, females. A conclusion was that there were more alcoholic drinkers than smokers among Filipino youths, who were starting to drink alcohol at the age of 16 or 17 years old. 21. 6 Percent of Students Smoke A global youth tobacco survey (GYTS) in the Philippines showed that as many as 21. 6 percent of Filipino students were smoking cigarettes. The percentage was 32. 6 percent among male students and 12. 9 percent among female students. Some students believed that smoking would win them more friends and make them look cool. Tobacco comprised 2. 4 percent of the average Filipino's expenditures in 2001. 6,100 Tons of Garbage Daily According to the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the metropolis produces some 6,100 tons of garbage daily. In 2001, the total volume of recyclable materials that ended up in junkshops and recycling plants reached 120,162 metric tons. The Cost of Air Pollution The World Bank has reported that air pollution in the Philippines results in a yearly loss of US$1. 5 billion in medical treatment, lost wages, low productivity and deaths that severely impact the Filipinos' quality of life. The World Bank report also said that air pollution results in 2,000 deaths each year and causes US$1. 5 billion in lost wages, medical treatment in the four metropolis of Baguio, Manila, Cebu and Davao The World Bank also said that the country needs US$500 million (P25 billion) to implement the Clean Air Act of 1999 over the next 10 years. In its Philippines Environment Monitor 2002, the World Bank said the government spends US$400 million in health cost as a result of air pollution in four urban centers alone, namely: Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao and Baguio where about a quarter of the population lives. Such a health cost is said to be 0. 6 percent of the country's gross national product. The World Bank cited a 2001 survey showing that more than 72 percent of Metro Manila's residents were alarmed by air pollution and 73 percent said they were not aware that the government was doing anything to address it. The World Bank said air pollutants such as ozone and nitrogen oxides continue to spread. In its study, the World Bank said fine particle emissions result in about 2,000 premature deaths and 9,000 cases of chronic bronchitis in the country's four largest urban areas annually. These emissions of pollutants were largely blamed on public buses, jeepneys, utility vehicles, trucks and motorcycles that continue to emit visible smoke despite the government's anti-smoke belching campaign. As of 2001, there were 3. 9 million land vehicles in the country. 2 Million Filipinos Exposed to Tuberculosis A World Bank report in 2002 said that around 22 million Filipinos were exposed to tuberculosis. Nearly 740 Filipinos are afflicted with tuberculosis, while 68 die of the disease each day. The report added that Filipinos spend a total of P160 billion to cure the disease each year. 578 AIDS Cases The Department of Health has recorded 1,761 HIV-positive cases and 578 AIDS cases from January 1984 to Sept ember 2002. Most of these cases involved persons aged 20 to 39 years old. However, the US Central Intelligence Agency said that there were about 28,000 Filipinos infected with HIV or AIDS and that 1,200 of died in 1999 alone. P30 Trillion for Reforestation In January 2003, a study by the Green Tropics International (GTI) claimed that the Philippines would need P30 trillion to reforest country's denuded mountains in over 85 years. 2. 7 Trips by Metro Manilans Each Day Studies made by the Traffic and Engineering Center (TEC) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) showed that as of 2002, Metro Manilans were making an average of 2. trips individually and 12 million trips collectively each day. Before this, a study by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 1999 showed that the Philippines was losing some P140 billion annually to traffic congestion. It said the national economy was directly losing P40 billion in the forms of gasoline and diesel fuel, man-hours, electricity, salaries of traffic aides and increased expenses for mobile phon es. Indirectly, the country was losing P100 billion in the forms of lost business opportunities, depreciated value of real property and increased cause of health care due to air pollution. Cost of Traffic Problem: US$3. 6 Billion The San Francisco-based Filipinas Magazine reported that traffic congestion costs the Philippine economy some US$3. 6 billion annually. Citing a government study, the magazine said the traffic problem, particularly in Metro Manila, results in a US$1 billion loss to wasted gasoline and electricity, man-hours and hiring of traffic aides; and US$2. 6 billion to missed business opportunities, reduced sales and investment disincentives. The study added that total loss would exceed US$36 billion in ten years. It noted that the average speed of a vehicle has slowed to 12. 6 kilometers per hour today from 18 kilometers per hour ten years ago. Get-Rich-Quick Schemes If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. This was how the corporate watchdog Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) described the usual promise made by pseudo-investment firms in luring the public to invest substantial amount in their get-rich-quick schemes. The SEC warned that pseudo-investment firms that are not registered with the government office have already duped many investors, including foreigners and Filipino-Americans. Some victims, who have placed investments ranging from P10,000 to P50 million, were not able to recover their money and its supposed interest. The SEC has already issued cease-and-desist orders (CDOs) on the operations of several pseudo-investment firms that have been in operation without licenses. According to the corporate watchdog, some of these firms act as lending investors, investment firms, and financial companies that issue securities to the public. The companies promote their services by telephone calls, mails or personal visits and usually offer investors huge interest on every investment placed, without explaining the risks involved. They also require immediate investments. The pseudo-investment firms give promise that a minimum investment of P10,000 to P100,000 would earn a monthly interest of 15 percent. Among the promotional gimmicks of these pseudo-investments firms are seminars that use the lines â€Å"You can become a millionaire in three years† and â€Å"You can turn your financial dreams into reality†. Investors usually discover that they have been duped only when the checks issued to them bounced. Pyramiding Scam As of January 2003, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the government corporate watchdog said that investment firms engaged in the so-called pyramiding operation have duped at least 2 million Filipinos of as much as P70 billion. World's 4th Most Accident-Prone Country According to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Philippines was the fourth most accident prone country in the world. The two institutions arrived at this conclusion after finding out that some 5,809,986 Filipinos were killed or injured as a result of disasters or man-made calamities over a ten-year period (1992-2001). Ahead of the Philippines in the accident list were China, India and Iran. On a separate report, the Philippine National Red Cross said 31,835 Filipinos were killed and 94,369,462 others were affected by natural disasters and calamities in a span of 20 years. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer) Shallow Knowledge of History Congressman Edmund Reyes of Marinduque province quoted an NFO-Trends survey showing that Filipino youth had a â€Å"very shallow appreciation† of the country's history and cultural heritage. The survey showed that only 37 percent of the 1,420 respondents aged 7 to 21 years old, were able to sing the National Anthem and only 28 percent could recite â€Å"Panatang Makabayan†. When asked to name Filipino heroes, the respondents could only name up to two heroes. A Day's Labor For A Burger In 2001, the minimum daily wage in Metro Manila remained at P250, the highest among the country's 16 regions. An office worker in Makati, who was hired on a contractual basis by a job placement agency, did not receive P250 by the end of a working day. After tax, social security and other deductions were made on top of the share deductions by the agency, the office worker went home with only P200. However, he had to calculate his transportation and meal allowance that amounted to over P100. In other words, what was left in his pocket by the end of the day was less than P100. To treat himself after a hard day's work, he decided to stop by a popular fastfood restaurant. He ordered a big burger, a large can of cola and French fries. He was billed P100. Before sleeping at night, he remembered that he had to buy a new pair of shoes. He reached for his pocket and found it empty. Yet, he considered himself lucky because he was unmarried and was living with his parents who were giving him free breakfast every morning. He was lucky because he had no wife to support and no children to send to school. He was lucky because he was healthy and did not have to buy medicine. Social Problems Social Problems