Low Literacy Is A Prevalent Problem Among Adults - 1494 Words

Reading is a skill often taken for granted by many in today’s modern society; however, low literacy is a prevalent problem among adults in the United States with potentially devastating consequences. According to Literacy INC., â€Å"a study conducted in late April 2015 by the US Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, 32 million adults in the United States can’t read above a fifth-grade level, and 19% of high school graduates can’t read† (About Us - Literacy Inc., n.d.). That means that nearly 7.6% of American adults can’t read as well as your average fifth grader. Statistically that means that out of almost every 25 people you meet 2 of them cannot read. As bad as this problem is nationally, Chicago is much worse where literacy rates are far below the norm. Literacy Chicago states that Chicago has a Literacy rate of only 53% (Cho, 2012). This data is especially alarming. Think and consider that nearly half of Chicagoâ€⠄¢s population cannot read proficiently. Although some people are completely illiterate, meaning that they completely lack the ability to both read and write, most are simply functionally illiterate. Functional illiteracy as stated by Daniel Lattier is defined by the UNESCO and he sums it up as the following, â€Å"The UNESCO definition implies that a functionally literate person possesses a literacy level that equips him or her to flourish in society. A functionally illiterate person, on the other hand, may be able to perform very basic readingShow MoreRelatedChildhood Obesity And Its Effect On The Health Of Human Beings Essay1354 Words   |  6 Pages(Freedman, 2007). Studies have shown that those who suffer from the condition at this early age are at higher risk of becoming obese at the adult age. The deeper cause of obesity is attributed to some factors like calories consumed and calories exhausted. The increase in this condition is due to the increase of consumption of energy-dense food that is high in fat but low in vitamins. Another stimulating factor of obesity is due to the decrease in physical exercise because of varying areas of occupationRead MoreEssay On Health Equity770 Words   |  4 Pagesattitudes and experience, before, during, and after pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). PRAMS is used to identify groups of women and infants at high risk for health problems. High-risk health problems include high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, which are unfortunately prevalent in Black women. Data from PRAMS found that Black non-Hispanic mothers were 20% less likely than mothers of other races and ethnicities to place infants on their backs to sleep (Centers for DiseaseRead MoreSentinel City Essay1179 Words   |  5 PagesChurch, Health Clinic, Department of Transportation, and School District. Population Health Scavenger Hunt There are many community services offered throughout the city that can assist different types populations such as, children, adults, elderly, homeless, and low-income families. Children and adolescence have access to Parks and Recreation, which consists of parks, facilities, and programs that provide entertainment and education. Some programs provided include: swimming lessons, nutrition courseRead MoreHispanic Culture s Influence On Health Patterns And Behaviors Exhibited By The Community Essay988 Words   |  4 Pagespriority problem was identified from this information which included national benchmarks as well as the interpretation of primary data from key informants and the windshield survey. Supported with a rationale, the top priority problems were ranked according to Muecke’s (1984) priority table. Based on analysis utilizing Muecke’s (1984) priority table, the communication and education subsystems ranked highest in priority scoring. Education was scored as a twelve indicating a priority health problem occurringRead MorePakistan s Education System Of Pakistan1392 Words   |  6 Pagesunderstood. (Lynd, D., 2007) The literacy rates of Pakistan s youth are extremely low compared to that of other countries, with only 53%, of females ages 15 to 24 years being considered literate. In comparison, over three quarters or 77% of the boys in the same age group are considered literate. (Lynd, D., 2007) The percentage of literate adults, over the age of 15, in Pakistan is also much lower than other countries in the surrounding region, with only half of the country s adult population being consideredRead MoreHiv / Aids : A Global Health System1606 Words   |  7 Pagessystem Rita K. Asiedu Rutgers University Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS is a pandemic problem affecting global health. At the end of 2015, 36.7 million people were living with HIV/AIDS globally. The rate of incidence is more prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa with almost 1 in every 24 adults living with HIV/AIDS. In the united states, HIV/AIDS is a diversified health problem affecting all sexes, ages and races and involving the transmission of multiple risk behavior. However, withRead MoreEssay on LGBTQ Youth: The Endless Strife1362 Words   |  6 PagesRudy Estrada and Rob Woronoff wrote of the following statement made by an adolescent during the 2002 Regional Listening Forum for LGBTQ youth: I realized that being gay is not my problem. It’s their problem. I see it as a social disease. I try not to get involved in negative communities. But I do try to teach them. I’d rather teach them than ignore them. Otherwise, the ignorance will continue and nothing will ever be done about it. (380) Ignorance is the root of nearly all tribulations surroundingRead MoreThe Constitution Act Of 18671683 Words   |  7 Pageson the upper Canadian model. Furthermore, the failure of European settlers to coexist with the Aboriginal populations led to several attempts at civilizing the indigenous people; in other words, the federal government attempted to solve the Indian problem by assuming complete dominance over the Aboriginal populations of Canada. Having said that, the Canadian government’s harsh, prejudiced and paternalistic view of the indigenous people began a cycle of social, physical and spiritual destruction inRead MoreThe Common Core Places On Standardized Testing1634 Words   |  7 Pageshigh school drop-outs have a higher poverty rate. With unqualified teachers becoming more prevalent and the latest implementation of Common Core standards, several poor children are failing high school, or choosing not to go to college. In 2013 alone only â€Å"5 percent of college graduates were poor† which shows that furthering one’s education remains the best way out of poverty (Mather and Jarosz 12). The problem stands that various children in poverty don’t see this as a way out, as their parents didn’tRead MoreIndia s Population Is Not Illegal1226 Words   |  5 Pagesillegal. Due to stigma and discrimination because of the re-criminalization of adult consensual same sex sexual conduct, men who have sex with other men are at higher risk of not being informed about the risk and spread of HIV. Outreach workers and organizations who try to help educate these men are constantly harrassed and/or arrested. Transgender individuals also exhibit more higher risk behaviors and have lower rates of literacy; th erefore, majority of them do not bother to try and educate themselves

Juvenile Justice System in California - 1815 Words

Shawn Straughter Professor McClain English 28/ Research Paper May 27, 2013 Does the Time Fit the Crime? This is a call to action, how much do we actually know about the California Juvenile Justice system? Have we given up on today’s youth? There are more than 2,500 juvenile offender’s states wide that have been sentenced to life in prison or life without parole. They are sent to adult court in which they were convicted for their crimes. This is costing California tax payers 2.5 million dollars a year to house each offender, and approximately 252,000 a year per youth in the CYA (Krinsky, Pierce, Woodford,p1;Kita,p1). How does this affect their psychological development? Of the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Which relies heavily on mass incarceration of teen offenders, is badly broken? The violence and abuse within youth facilities is bad enough, but these institutions also fail to rehabilitate the youth within them. (Mendel, p.1) Adding reinforcement that something must be done immediately to save our youth; leaving us to wo nder how these effects will ultimately shape their lives for the better or the worst. There is a sense of hopelessness and despair that illuminates over these juveniles. Are the sentences handed down in these cases justified? Has justice being served in these cases? Supports of juvenile reform has provided data and research that back their claims that black youth are being sentence to much long terms than any of other race. The Human Rights Watch organization conducted research in California and found that there is discrimination when sentencing black youth offenders: † The states application of the law is also unjust. Eighty-five percent of youth sentenced to life without parole are people of color, with 75 percent of all cases in California being African American or Hispanic youth. African American youth are sentenced to life without parole at a rate that is 18.3 times the rate for whites. Hispanic youth in California are sentenced to life without parole at a rate that is five times the rate of white youth in the state California has the worst recordShow MoreRelatedThe U.S. Census reported that 1.6 million individuals under the age of 18 were arrested in 2010, a700 Words   |  3 Pagesof 18 were arrested in 2010, a substantial increase from previous years (OJJDP, 2012; US Census Bureau, 2012). Of those individuals detained, over nine percent were convicted as juveniles and entered into a juvenile detention facility (Risler, 2009). Approximately 500,000 children are currently in the foster care system, while almost 300,000 have medical pr oblems, have neurological impairs, and developmental delays (Earls, 2013). In addition, they were all exposed to some degree of critical abuseRead MoreJuvenile Justice System Essay1694 Words   |  7 PagesThe juvenile justice system is a foundation in society that is granted certain powers and responsibilities. It faces several different tasks, among the most important is maintaining order and preserving constitutional rights. When a juvenile is arrested and charged with committing a crime there are many different factors that will come in to play during the course of his arrest, trial, conviction, sentencing, and rehabilitation process. This paper examines the Juvenile Justice System’s court processRead MoreJuvenile Justice System1739 Words   |  7 PagesThe juvenile justice system is a foundation in society that is granted certain powers and responsibilities. It faces several different tasks, among the most important is maintaining order and preserving constitutional rights. When a juvenile is arrested and charged with committing a crime there are many different factors that will come in to play during the course of his arrest, trial, conviction, sentencing, and rehabilitation process. This paper examines the Juvenile Justice System’s court processRead MoreBook Review for: No Matter How Loud I Shout, by Edward Humes Essay879 Words   |  4 Pageslife of juvenile court. New York, NY: Simon amp; Schuster Paperbacks. Edward Humes is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, non-fiction, and true crime writer. Of his twelve books, five involve the criminal justice system. In this work, Humes takes on the sizeable task of examining the complicated juvenile justice system, chronicling the stories of several juvenile offenders and juvenile justice officials, and how they navigate the confusing and often arbitrary laws of the California juvenile justiceRead MoreThe Impact Of Truant Behaviors In Schools1132 Words   |  5 Pagesare most impacted by SB 1317, are parents and other stakeholders such as, schools, juvenile justice system and law enforcement. SB 1317, states that the families of truant youth are now being held responsible when a child is chronically truant (California Legislative Information , 2009). Furthermore, to help reduce youth delinquency, drug use and other criminal activities which involve the juvenile justice system, schools are required to maintain efficient records of attendance ( U.S. DepartmentRead MoreThe Juvenile Justice Process Essay1293 Words   |  6 PagesThe Juvenile Justice Process: A Breakdown of the System Dana R Kirkland Strayer University Abstract Although based on the adult criminal justice system, the juvenile justice process works differently. Juveniles can end up in court by way of arrest, truancy or for curfew violations or running away. A youth may also be referred to the juvenile court system by school officials or a parent or guardian for being continuously disobedient. The juvenile justice process involves several different stepsRead MoreJuvenile Justice System And The Juvenile Court System1742 Words   |  7 PagesThe juvenile justice system varies from the adult justice system in many ways. For more than a century, the states have believed that the juvenile justice system was a means to ensuring public safety, by establishing and implementing a system that responds to children as they are maturing into adulthood. Today’s youths, however, are increasingly committing more serious crimes that in turn are raising the public’s criticism concerning the modern juvenile justice system. There are those who ar e inRead MoreJuvenile Crime and Justice1126 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Juvenile Crime Justice Introduction Are crime rates for juveniles in the United States on the rise or are they falling? What kinds of crimes are juveniles typically arrested for? Are all the laws and policies with reference to juvenile justice seen as truly fair? Should a juvenile be locked up for life without the possibility of parole? What has the U.S. Supreme Court ruled as to locking juveniles up for life without the possibility of parole? These and other issues will be discussed inRead MorePositive Effects Of Juvenile Offenders1434 Words   |  6 Pageshigher recidivism rates than youth who remain in communities, both due to suspended opportunities for education and a disruption in the process that normally allows many youth to Age-out of crime. Detention: The holding of youth, upon arrest, in a juvenile detention facility for two main purposes: to ensure the youth appears for all court hearings and to protect the community from future offending. Secure Residential Facilities: Sometimes also referred to as training schools, residential confinementRead MoreCalifornia Prison System Essay910 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ M7A1 Case Study 3: California Prison System AB 109 and AB 117 were introduced to ease the pressure of the federal and state budget through saving costs on the penitentiary system. In this regard, the reduction of the prison population and the transfer of a part of the prison population to county jails was one of the main provisions of AB 109 but AB 117 actually discharges provisions of AB 109. Such a paradoxical situation is the result of scarce financial

Japan and Capitalism Free Essays

string(31) " was barbaric and out of date\." Japan: Capitalism and the Economic Miracle The global triumph of capitalism was the most important historical issue of the nineteenth century. It was the triumph of a kind of society that believed in the fact that economic development was based on competitive private enterprise and the success of buying as much as possible from the market. It was considered that an economy resting on the solid foundations of the middle class, would not only create a world of properly distributed wealth, but also it would educate people, develop reasoning and increase human opportunity. We will write a custom essay sample on Japan and Capitalism or any similar topic only for you Order Now Summarizing, a world of continuous and rapid material and moral development. The few obstacles that remained in the path of this development would rapidly be solved or overcome. The history of this period is characterized by a massive breakthrough in the global economy of industrial capitalism. Certain regions of the world beyond capitalism were put under pressure by the capitalist countries who tried to gain insight in their economies by opening new markets, these regions were forced to choose between a determined resistance towards capitalism in accordance to their traditions and ways of life or a modernization process which would bring different cultural changes. Given this logic, Japan was during the mid-nineteenth century under pressure from the foreign powers and the crisis of their system based on the Shoguns. This situation led to Japan, to carry out a complete transformation process (economic, political and social) known as the Meiji Restoration, which marked the starting point of modern Japanese society. The introduction of the United States in the Pacific finally brought Japan to the center of Western attempts to â€Å"open† their markets. Direct resistance was impossible, the weak attempts to organize had already be shown. The simple diplomatic concessions were no more than a temporary expedient. Already in 1853-1854, Commodore Perry, from the United States Navy had forced them to open certain ports through the regular method of naval threatening. In 1862 the British, bombed the city of Kagoshima with complete impunity in retaliation for the murder of an Englishman by the Japanese. The presence of Western forces was, at this point, a legitimate fact of the everyday Japanese life. Finally in 1868 the Meiji Restoration was proclaimed, the Restoration based itself on the transfer of state power from the Shogun to the Emperor. This started a political, economic and social process that, after ten years of turmoil and provincial agrarian revolts led to the modernization of the state and national unity. Due to these facts the Meiji Restoration is considered the starting point of modern Japanese society. To carry out the task of â€Å"modernization† economic resources were anxiously needed in order to master the noble’s resistance, to suppress revolts and upheavals of provincial farmers, to compensate land owners, to protect, to promote the industry and to install  state manufacturing complexes. It was also important to modernize and equalize the state, the military and the bureaucratic system. Due to the limited development of industrial capital, the new government was forced to seek financial resources within the land, based on property taxes. But, in order to adapt to the changing needs of the state, these charges became tax money. These financial arrangements, established by the government of the restoration were the starting point of the land reforms. As for the early development of capitalism, the Japanese case marked clear differences with respect to what Western Europe had already experienced. In the West the state centralized manufacturing were disappearing during the bourgeois revolution, while in Japan state factories developed across the country, based on the steel market. Cloth factories and their machinery were quickly upgraded through a process known as industrial revolution â€Å"from above†, which is based on the help of the state to upgrade the existing industry. The number of state factories kept rising and peaked in the decade of the 1870-1880. After the 1880s, these companies protected by the government were then exposed to public auction and were then bought by the capitalists monopoly, some of these industries grew as rich as Mitsui or Mitsubishi, who maintained close contact with the state. The Japanese revolution, allowed the development of commercial activity and usurer capital of the old type, in order to avoid the abolishment of the feudal relations of land property, and to assure the freedom and autonomy of the independent peasantry and small craftsmen. Although the classic capitalistic revolution involved the change from commercial capital to industrial capital, the Japanese revolution followed another path. In Japan the industrial revolution as well as the transformation of commercial capital into industrial capital came about under the monopoly of the rich capitalists, which showed the main difference from that of Western European capitalism. It is clear that this particular structure was determined by the agricultural and the feudal systems of land property, which ensured the survival and multiplication of feudal relations of production within the Japanese agriculture. Revolutionary activists recognized that in order to carry out their purpose of saving the country, they required a process of systematic Westernization. By 1868 many had had contact with foreigners, some had even traveled abroad, people then began to recognize that conservation involved transformation. The driving force that moved Japan towards this transformation was its pursuit to become more Western. It looked like the West clearly had the secret of success and therefore Japan had to imitate it at all costs. Taking a set of values nd institutions of another society and implementing it into the Japanese society was a surprising, traumatic, and problematic attempt. However this attempt could not be done in a superficial and poorly controlled way, especially in a society which was profoundly different from the West. Many began with a strong passion for the West and anything that came from across them. For some people, the renovation seemed to imply the abandonment of all that was Ja panese, as they considered that all the past was barbaric and out of date. You read "Japan and Capitalism" in category "Essay examples" The proposals reached even to the renewal of the Japanese race, considered genetically inferior, and was began to be improved through interbreeding with the Western â€Å"superior race†, these suggestions were based on Western theories of racism and social Darwinism, they really found support at the higher and wealthy Japanese classes. Certain styles of life, such as clothing or food, were less adopted than the technological or architectural styles and ideas from the West. Westernization here raised a major dilemma, unlike what had happened prior with the adoption of Chinese elements by the Japanese. Since â€Å"all the Western† was not as simple and as coherent, it was a whole complex of institutions and ideas which in many cases were opposite to the traditional Japanese culture. In practice, the Japanese chose the British model, which naturally served as guide towards the development of the railroad, the telegraph, textiles, and many other methods of business. France inspired the legal reform and set the basis for the military reform. Universities based themselves on the German and American examples, as well as primary education, agricultural innovations and mailing systems. In 1875-1876 over five hundred foreign workers were employed, this number rose to three thousand by the 1890s. However choosing between the different political and ideological aspects was not that easy. Japan was politically against the liberal bourgeois systems of Britain and France. Liberalism was naturally opposed to the absolutist state, which was adopted in Japan after the Restoration. In turn, Westernization also was based on the adoptions of ideas, including Christianity which the Japanese people did not relate to. After some time, a strong systemic reaction against Westernization and the liberal model began to rise within the country. This reaction manifested itself in the constitution of 1889, mostly because of a neotraditionalist reaction which virtually invented the Shinto, a new religion based on the worship of the emperor. At this time the combination of selective neotraditionalism and modernization kept rising and was creating and giving shape to the new system. However, there was tension between those who believed that Westernization meant a complete revolution and those who believed that it was the key to economic progress. Beyond these internal contradictions, Japan carried out an incredible process of modernization that made it a formidable modern power, setting them apart from the rest of the Asian countries. At this time it was hard to imagine that, after half a century, Japan would be a great power capable of defeating their European counterparts in an armed confrontation. After the Restoration, the Meiji government had the task of fulfilling two main goals. On the one hand, they had to decide on whether or not to strengthen the army, in other words, to develop a military that allowed Japan to face the West. This decision marked the beginning of a disaster, as it is an important aspect to explain the origin of the conflicts that led to Japan to participate in the Second World War. The second goal of the Meiji policy dealt with economic development. The decisions taken in this field would undoubtedly be the most successful and enduring aspects of the Revolution. The war left Japan with major problems: over ten million unemployed, many demobilized former combatants, widespread destruction of homes and industrial plants, rising inflation, etc. Material losses were estimated to be at over a quarter of the national wealth. However, not all consequences were adverse. Unemployment meant that there was a lot of â€Å"labor† ready to use, the war had also raised the level of technology and production capacity of heavy industry in the field of iron, steel, machinery and chemicals. In addition to making use of these advantages, Japan had the United States behind their back. At first, the American aid was aimed towards achieving national self-sufficiency, taking measures to stop inflation (the Dodge plan 1949), coupled with substantial injections of capital and advanced technology. Another important event that had a direct impact on the Japanese movement towards capitalism was the Korean War. This war led the U. S. to invest twenty-three billion dollars in military spending. The occupation forces ordered every closed arm factory in Japan to be put into service, in full production, representing a major incentive for the Japanese production. In turn, the United States  boosted the Japanese trade, especially in Southeast Asia, where treaties were signed ordering Japan to provide different articles and services to countries that had previously been occupied. None of this would have been possible without a regeneration of the Japanese industry itself. From 1946, Japan started to create a series of economic, financial and banking institutions in order to stimulate economic recovery. The Council of Economic Stimulation was created with the mission of coordinating production and economic growth, and the Reconstruction Bank which had to channel capital to certain industries to achieve the stimulation. Following this, in 1948, the Economic Stabilization Board was formed, aiming to rise production levels, the following year the Ministry of International Trade and Industry was established. These institutions, along with the contribution from the United States, had laid the foundation on which the splendid building of Japanese economic development would later be later erected. Several factors contributed to this along with a consistent policy of official support. The world’s economy had entered a period of expansion, the Japanese industry enjoyed good relations between companies, facilitating the movement of employees to different industries and to higher productivity jobs, making it to be the key to further economic development. Other factors were; the United States transfer of technology to Japan, social changes such as land reform and the development of trade unions, which contributed to the improvement of the distribution of income and an expansion of the domestic market. With these stimuli the Japanese industry quickly recovered and was then beginning to expand. In the 1960s, the Japanese economy was dominated by a relatively small number of large-scale manufacturing firms such as Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Fuji and Sumtono, every one of which had at least seventy different affiliates. Besides these groups there were several companies that offered relatively new products such as electronics and automobiles. Including many of what today are worldwide firms such as Hitachi, Toyota, or Nissan. Because of the control from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), they all enjoyed certain protection against foreign competition, while at the same time they were competing for a position in the domestic market, in order to avoid national monopolies. Another feature at this time was the development of products that needed advanced technology and heavy capital investment; this included industries such as steel and petrochemicals, consumer goods, cameras, televisions, boats, motorcycles and of course, cars. Japan was then becoming one of the largest producers of boats, cameras, televisions and cars in the world. In 1970, just over 30% of exports went to the United States, about 15% to Western Europe and more than 15% to Southeast Asia, where the main buyers were Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore. As 1973 finished the oil crisis began, resulting in the worldwide economic changes that ended the Japanese phase of exceptionally rapid economic growth. As a country dependent on oil, Japan experienced a huge increase in their import bills and a general rise on their prices. Rising oil prices had their biggest impact on high users of energy such as the steel industry and petrochemical industries which were once the center of the â€Å"Japanese economic miracle†. On the other hand, the global recession caused a fall in foreign demand for products such as boats, machinery and tools. When these changes began to take place, politicians from the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry decided to reorient the industry: moving away from the manufacturing of products that heavily relied on imported raw materials and focusing (especially through technological innovations) on the new technologies that reflected higher and newer principles. This category included the automotive industry, by 1980 Japan produced more cars than the United States, the computer industry also suffered a major development. Balance between trade imports and exports in Japan had a surplus for twenty years, which allowed substantial capital outflows in the long run. After some years and because of this Japan became one of the major creditor countries in the world. By the late 1987, Japanese investment abroad had reached a profit of twenty-three billion dollars. United States was the country where most of the investments were made, six hundred Japanese factories were based on American soil, about a hundred of which were electronics, automobiles or any other kind of technological machinery. The Meiji Restoration marked the beginning of modern Japanese society, introducing a process of modernization in a western manner. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the global triumph of capitalism, and the ideas and beliefs that seemed to legitimize it, were moving certain regions of the world (apart from the west) towards this new set of ideas. Resistance to outside pressure did never occur, and modernization presented itself as the only means towards conservation and tradition. For a hundred years, the conflict on whether to live by an Asian fashion or by modern Western fashion was a constant theme of Japanese society. The first move towards modernization took place during the Meiji Revolution: Westernization was the driving force for the transformation of Japan, since the West had the key to success and therefore, the rest had to imitate them. Almost every event that took place since 1945, seemed to strengthen the trend towards modern Parliamentary Democracy; the government bureaucratic structure, trade unions, the education system, etc. Everything had its origin in European and American culture and was imitated later on by other countries. Same happened in all aspects of daily life: buses and trains, offices and factories, television, newspaper, clothing, even food. On the other hand, I need to say that the code of ethics is still largely Confucian. Nor should we ignore religion as a link with tradition because, after the war, there has been a considerable rise of new religious movements, most of whom claim to have traditional backgrounds. These phenomena are not something â€Å"modern†, and certainly not Western. However, it may now make sense not to identify the Japanese as â€Å"Asians†. Much of the Japanese culture and tradition traces its origins to cultures outside of Japan, but these different habits had been so completely assimilated over time that had become in fact Japanese. It is in this sense why Japan cannot completely be defined as having an Asian identity; neither can it be framed within the set of traits defined by the West. Japan must be understood as a society with their own characteristics which constitute a nation economically and culturally unique. Bibliography: Gerlach, Michael L.. Alliance capitalism the social organization of Japanese business. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992. Print. Marshall, Byron K.. Capitalism and nationalism in prewar Japan; the ideology of the business elite, 1868-1941. Stanford, Calif. : Stanford University Press, 1967. Print. Sakakibara, Eisuke. Beyond capitalism: the Japanese model of market economics. Lanham, MD: University Press Of America, 1993. Print. â€Å"Shinto (religion) — Britannica Online Encyclopedia. † Encyclopedia – Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 28 March. 2011. http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/540856/Shinto. Tavares, Maria da Conceicao, Ernani Teixeira Filho, y Leonardo Burlamaqui. Japon: un caso ejemplar de capitalismo organizado. Santiago de Chile: CEPAL, Comision Economica rica Latina y el Caribe, 1993. Print. Meiji Restoration (Japanese history) — Britannica Online Encyclopedia. † Encyclopedia – Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 1 Apr. 2011. http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/373305/Meiji-Restoration. â€Å"Meiji Restoration/Revolution in Japan. San Jose State University – Powering Silicon Valley. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. http://www. sjsu. edu/faculty/watkins/meiji. htm. ——————————————– [ 2 ]. â€Å"Meiji Restoration/Revolution in Japan. † San Jose State University – Powering Silicon Valley. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. . [ 3 ]. Tavares, Maria da Conceicao, Ernani Te ixeira Filho, y Leonardo Burlamaqui. Japon: un caso ejemplar de capitalismo organizado. Santiago de Chile: CEPAL, Comision Economica rica Latina y el Caribe, 1993. Print. [ 4 ]. Gerlach, Michael L.. Alliance capitalism the social organization of Japanese business. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992. Print. [ 5 ]. Marshall, Byron K.. Capitalism and nationalism in prewar Japan; the ideology of the business elite, 1868-1941. Stanford, Calif. : Stanford University Press, 1967. Print. [ 6 ]. Marshall, Byron K.. Capitalism and nationalism in prewar Japan; the ideology of the business elite, 1868-1941. Stanford, Calif. : Stanford University Press, 1967. Print. [ 7 ]. Tavares, Maria da Conceicao, Ernani Teixeira Filho, y Leonardo Burlamaqui. Japon: un caso ejemplar de capitalismo organizado. Santiago de Chile: CEPAL, Comision Economica rica Latina y el Caribe, 1993. Print. [ 8 ]. â€Å"Shinto (religion) — Britannica Online Encyclopedia. † Encyclopedia – Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 28 March. 2011. . [ 9 ]. Sakakibara, Eisuke. Beyond capitalism: the Japanese model of market economics. Lanham, MD: University Press Of America, 1993. Print. [ 10 ]. â€Å"Meiji Restoration (Japanese history) — Britannica Online Encyclopedia. † Encyclopedia – Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 1 Apr. 2011. How to cite Japan and Capitalism, Essay examples

Crucial Conversations free essay sample

They studied successful communicators over a period of 25 years and concluded that what typically set them apart from the rest of the pack was their ability to deal with crucial conversations. They possess a skill-set that is easy to learn and allows them to face any situation with nearly anybody–no matter power, position, or authority Chapter Summaries Chapter 1: What’s a Crucial Conversation? And Who Cares? A crucial conversation is a discussion between two or more people where stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. When we face crucial conversations, we can do one of three things: We can avoid them, we can face them and handle them poorly, or we can face them and handle them well. Ironically, the more crucial the conversation, the less likely we are to handle it well. We often hold things inside by going silent until we can take it no longer—and then we drop a bomb. In short, we move between silence and violence—we either don’t handle the conversation, or don’t handle it well. We may not become physically violent, but we do attack others’ ideas and feelings. When we fail a crucial conversation, every aspect of our lives can be affected—from our careers, to our communities, to our relationships, to our personal health. Chapter 2: Mastering Crucial Conversations: The Power of Dialogue Dialogue is the free flow of meaning between two or more people. At the center of dialogue lies a Pool of Shared Meaning. It contains the ideas, theories, feelings, thoughts, and opinions that are openly shared. The more information we have in the pool, the better prepared we are to make decisions and get results. Anything less than total candor shrinks the shared pool, saps motivation, and dumbs down decisions. Taking time to fill the pool leads to faster and more effective results than the game-playing that inevitably follows silence and violence strategies. Dialogue takes time. The alternative takes longer. Chapter 3: Start with Heart: How to Stay Focused on What You Really Want In order to break away from silence and violence, we have to change our behavior. This calls first for a change in heart. Our first change in heart comes from realizing that as much fun as it would be to fix other people, we need to work on ourselves first. We need to examine our personal role in any problem we encounter. Our next change in heart comes with a change in motive. As we find ourselves forgetting our original goal of candidly and honestly adding meaning to the pool and instead striving to look good, win, or achieve some other unhealthy objective, we need to ask ourselves, â€Å"What do I really want? † Also, while it’s true that sometimes we are caught in a genuine dilemma with only two bad options, most of the time we do have healthy alternatives. When it comes to crucial conversations, â€Å"and† thinking makes a great deal of sense. Replacing â€Å"either/or† thinking with â€Å"and† thinking provides a way to reduce the ill effects of adrenaline. By asking ourselves the â€Å"and† question, we force our brains to move to higher-level, more complex thinking. Chapter 4: Learn to Look: How to Notice When Safety Is at Risk When a conversation turns crucial, we either miss or misinterpret the early warning signs. The sooner we notice we’re not in dialogue, the quicker we can get back to dialogue, and the lower the cost. As you pull out of the content of a conversation and learn to look for the conditions of dialogue, pay attention to early warning signs. Learn to look for when a conversation becomes crucial, for signs of silence and violence, and for your own style under stress. A large part of this is watching your actions and emotions, as well as the actions and emotions of the other person. Paying attention to both the content of the discussion and how people are acting and feeling is no easy task. But it’s an essential part of dialogue. Chapter 5: Make It Safe: How to Make It Safe to Talk about Almost Anything When things go wrong in crucial conversations, we assume the content of our message is the problem, so we begin to water it down or avoid it altogether. But, as long as your intent is pure and you learn how to make it safe for others, you can talk to almost anyone about almost anything. The key is to make the other person feel safe. To do this, there are two things the person needs to know. First, they need to know that you care about their best interests and goals. This is called mutual purpose. Second, they need to know that you care about them. This is called mutual respect. When people believe both of these things, they relax and can absorb what you’re saying; they feel safe. The instant they don’t believe them (and it can happen instantaneously – even with those we have long and loving relationships with), safety breaks down and silence or violence follows. To restore safety in the face of silence or violence, you must restore mutual purpose and respect. Chapter 6: Master My Stories: How to Stay in Dialogue When You’re Angry, Scared, or Hurt When we become upset, our most common reaction is to defend ourselves and place the blame on someone else. As convenient as it is to blame others for pushing our buttons and causing us to become upset, it’s not exactly true. The key to how we feel lies in the stories we tell. These stories consist of our guess as to why people do what they do. As we become emotional, our story seems to be â€Å"What is the worst and most hurtful way I can take this? † This negative spin escalates our emotions and causes us to do the worst when it matters the most. To break away from your volatile emotions, you must rethink the conclusions you drew and the judgments you made. That requires you to tell the rest of the story. New (more accurate and complete) stories create new feelings and support new and healthier actions. Better still, new stories often encourage you to return to dialogue. Chapter 7: STATE My Path: How to Speak Persuasively, Not Abrasively To speak your mind completely in a way that allows room for dialogue, you must express your views in ways that maintain safety, and you have to find a way to be both confident and humble. You have to know how to speak without offending and how to be persuasive without being abrasive. The five skills contained in this chapter help us do just that – to confidently state our opinions and humbly and sincerely invite others to do the same. The five skills that help us share our tough messages can be easily remembered with the acronym STATE. It stands for: Share your facts Tell your story Ask for others’ paths Talk tentatively Encourage testing Chapter 8: Explore Others’ Paths: How to Listen When Others Blow Up or Clam Up As we see others moving to silence or violence–sharing mostly stories or very little at all–it helps us stay in dialogue if we can encourage them to share their entire Path to Action, or the explanation of how emotions, thoughts, and experiences lead to our actions. We have to find a way to move others back to their facts. We typically join them at the end of their Path to Action. They show us their feelings and share their stories, but we may not know what they actually observed. We know what they think, but we don’t know what we or others may have done. When others go to silence or violence, actively explore their path. Exploring helps others move away from harsh feelings and knee-jerk reactions and toward the root causes of those feelings and reactions. It also helps curb our own defensive response. Rather than ask, â€Å"What’s the worst and most personal way I can take this? † (leading to defensiveness), we should ask, â€Å"Why would a reasonable, rational, and decent person think or feel this way? † (leading to curiosity). It’s hard to feel defensive and curious at the same time. Finally, it takes us to the only place where the feelings can be resolved: The source (the facts and story behind the emotions). Chapter 9: Move to Action: How to Turn Crucial Conversations into Action and Results The ultimate goal of dialogue is not just to create a healthy climate or even a clear understanding between parties. While both are helpful outcomes, both fall short of the real purpose: To get unstuck by taking the appropriate action. If you don’t take action, all the healthy talk in the world is for nothing and will eventually lead to disappointment and hard feelings. Always agree on when and how follow-up will occur. It could be a simple e-mail confirming action by a certain date. It could be a full report in a team meeting. It could be just one report upon completion, or it could be progress checks along the way. Regardless of the method or frequency, follow-up is critical in creating action. There is no accountability if there is not an opportunity to account for action. Document your work. Effective teams and healthy relationships are supported by records of the important decisions made after difficult dialogues, and the assignments agreed upon. Good teams revisit these documents to follow up on both the decisions and the commitments. When someone fails to keep a commitment, candidly and directly discuss the issue with him or her. As you do so, everyone benefits in two ways. First, you increase the motivation and ability of the individual to do better. Second, you develop a culture of integrity in the team or relationship—letting everyone know that keeping commitments is an important value. Chapter 10: Putting It All Together: Tools for Preparing and Learning This chapter helps with the daunting task of making dialogue tools and skills memorable and useable. If we first learn to recognize when safety is at risk and a conversation becomes crucial and that we need to take steps to Make It Safe for everyone to contribute his or her meaning, we can begin to see where to apply the skills we’ve learned. Using these tools and reminders will get us started in mastering the skills that help us improve our crucial conversations. Chapter 11: Yeah, But: Advice for Tough Cases Many people think the skills in this book don’t apply to the situations they care about most, but in truth, the dialogue skills discussed apply to just about any problem you can imagine. However, since some situations are more difficult than others, the authors chose seventeen tough cases and share solutions to each problem. Chapter 12: Change Your Life: How to Turn Ideas into Habits In this chapter, the authors discuss several factors that affect the success of a crucial conversation as well as four principles for turning ideas into action. First, master the content. Learn to recognize what works and why, and how to break away from scripts, or pre-bundled phrases used in common conversations. Instead generate new scripts of your own. Second, master the skills. Understanding a concept isn’t enough. While it’s helpful, even necessary to talk the talk, you also have to be able to walk the talk. You have to be able to say the right words with the right tone and nonverbal actions. Third, enhance your motive. You must want to change. You have to move from a passive sense that it would be a good idea to change, to an active desire to seek opportunities. Ability without motive lies dormant and untapped. Fourth, watch for cues. To overcome surprise emotion, and scripts, you must recognize the call to action. This is usually people’s biggest obstacle to change. If a problem doesn’t cue your new skills, you’ll return to your old habits without even realizing you missed a chance to try something new.

A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings A Tale For Children

Compare Decision Making Process Vs Consumer Buying Process Coursework

Compare Decision Making Process Vs Consumer Buying Process Coursework Compare Decision Making Process Vs Consumer Buying Process – Coursework Example The decision making process that a consumer goes through before making a purchase as opposed to the actual purchase is the contrast between the decision making vs. consumer buying process. In marketing parlance, there are the processes of decision making and consumer buying that reinforces and complements each other. The decision making process typically involves the stages ranging from identifying the need, searching for information, evaluating alternatives and finally taking the decision. A successful marketer would recognize the importance of each step of the decision making process as concentrating only on the final step i.e., the decision making might be a case of too late for the products that the customer would have evaluated but not purchased.There are several models of consumer decision making that include the rational or the economic model, the psychological model and the consumer behavior model. The rational model has come in for criticism lately due to the fact that the c oncept of consumers making rational choices has been questioned by the experts. On the other hand, the psychological models that take into account the cognitive aspect as well as the whims and fancies of the buyer is considered more appropriate.The consumer buying process is the outcome of the decision making process and is the last stage of the decision making process. As such, it can be said that the actual buying is the outcome of a complex process that takes into account several factors, both external and internal. Thus, when we contrast the decision making process with that of the consumer buying process, we are making a distinction of the inputs and the outputs to take an analogy from technology.

Colonialism in Southeast Asia and the Austral and Pacific Realms Essay

Colonialism in Southeast Asia and the Austral and Pacific Realms - Essay Example However, though the Philippines became subjected to another power, they still maintained some of their native belief systems. Colonization of the Philippine realm was due to its potential in commercial success with other countries. During the 18th century, the Spanish population was significantly less but soon the population started expanding. Intermarriage of the Spanish and the Philippines led to the growth of a very strong community that became the most powerful politically and economically (McCoy, 2001). A consequent growth of the Spanish community in Philippine later took over the Philippine realm. Spanish colonization of the Philippine realm did not face confrontation by indigenous states supported by aristocracies, bureaucracies, or religious organization contrast to other European colonizers elsewhere in Southeast Asia. In addition, the Spanish rule over the Philippines defined the modern state of the Philippines in matters concerning the social, religious, and ideological underpinnings. The Spanish rule over the Philippines had less impact to them economically. However, there was a considerable impact on the people politically and religiously. To have full control of the Philippine realm, the Spaniards gradually abolished hereditary nobility and dignity, limited power to Philippine chiefs, encouraged slavery and subsequently secured themselves high aristocratic positions in the state. Since Philippine had a history of economical flourish, the Spaniards took this as an opportunity to excel, expand, and uplift their country’s economic status (Lockard, 2006). They used water to transport silver, gold, and other materials of exchange to Europe where it graced the lives of the European elite. Philippine consequently turned to a regional trading area in Southeast Asia. The key reason that enabled the Spaniards to colonize Philippine was the close relationship the state had with the church. Spain being a Christian realm wanted to convert

History. Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History. Questions - Essay Example During this period, the baby boom stimulated migration to suburbs (Rusty, 2010 p 4). Growth of suburbs led to numerous developments witnessed across the country. As a result of the suburbs, there emerged the need for automobiles. Thus, the government constructed new roads. The population of the United States increased significantly from 1946. The need to provide for the high population made the government come up with policies that enabled people to access basic needs such as healthcare, education, and provisions for social security. The various developments that happened in the United States after the war can be attributed to the baby boom (Rusty, 2010 p 12). Q2. Eisenhower caution and inactivity can be regarded as a wise prudence in the exercise of power. He reacted cautiously towards the beginning of the civil rights movement and sent troops who enforced court orders. His domestic policies used to be conservative, while the foreign policies appeared to be cautious. He is credited for avoiding military involvement in Vietnam and pressuring Britain, France and Israel to resolve the Suez crisis. Eisenhower sought an end the cold war by seeking negotiations and refusing to get involved in the Hungarian revolt. America become more prosperous during the era of Eisenhower, as science and technology advanced significantly. Women had the opportunity to join the workforce and get white collar jobs (Thomas, 2005 p 20). Q3. The Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb in 1949. This led to public anxiety as the Americans feared the Russia’s superiority. The US government started investigating who had revealed the US atomic secrets to the Russians (Fried, 1991 p 32). As a result, the red hunting came to being; high profile individuals such as Rosenberg faced persecution. Senator Joseph McCarthy recruited communist hunter Roy Cohn, a prosecutor. McCarthy visited his opponents and campaigned against them; he accused his critics as traitors. He formed a red-hunting c orporation known as AWARE Inc, which prosecuted communists. During his tenure, anticommunist agencies questioned teachers; those suspected of communism lost their jobs. Children took loyalty oaths and pledged not to overthrow the government. This way, he forced many Americans to have a skeptical look at secret subversives (Fried, 1991 p 37). Q4. The invasion of Vietnam by France shortly after the Second World War can be termed as the major cause of the Vietnam War. The French occupied the country, leading to an imbalance of the Vietnamese cultural lifestyle. The communists took advantage of the disruption of a peaceful Vietnamese life. Communist countries such as Russia wanted to exercise their political ideologies on small and weak countries that had been destabilized by the French. After World War II, communist countries wanted to gain control over nations that seemed weak and politically unstable. As a result, the Vietnam War came into being (Thomas, 2005 p 22). The cold war and the differences between the capitalist and the communists also resulted to the cold war. America was opposed to communist ideals of the Soviet Union. Russia and China had supplied arms to the government of North Vietnam. The arms included war materials such as machine guns, rifles, artillery, war boats, and ammunitions. America wanted to slow the growth of communism in the Middle East. The United States joined the war following a call to protect South Vietnam from invasion by North

Response Paper Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Response Paper - Article Example war forced her and her mother to live a desperate life; in a refugee camp in Pakistan and later in a foreign land Chicago, Illinois- America a place where everything was new and different from what they were used to. Thirdly, the war took away Farah’s personal friends and more so her family members. Her dad and other siblings had perished in the war. Her cousins, uncles’, aunts and even her grandmother were no longer alive. The only member of family she was left with was her mother. Farah had to live the rest of her life wishing that the war never erupted. She felt broken after being separated from her family and the only thing left was endless dreams and vivid imaginations of how the life would have been with her father and her brothers and sisters. Life in America was far much different from the life Farah and her mother had in Kabul- Afghanistan. In spite of their peace and safety, a good house and good foods, Farah and her mother still struggled to adapt to the American lifestyle. Everything had suddenly become new and they had to learn from scratch and through the hard way. This was a bit challenging since Farah and her mother spoke very little English. The issue of language difference was quite a challenge to Farah and her mother and in different situations Alyce a friend Farah had met while in the camp regularly chipped in to help them out. Alyce had readily helped Farah and her mother navigate through the medical system before she was sent to Germany (Ahmedi & Ansary, 2005). Of course, in Kabul there never used to be carnival rides. At first Farah thought that the other girls were screaming out of fear of falling from the ride. She without hesitation found herself screaming out loudly when the machine emitted sparks whic h was a part of the entire carnival ride game (Ahmedi & Ansary, 2005). Her mother on the other hand spent a lot of time in the house following her illness. She was really depressed and she had not met any new friends in Illinois. This

Compositional Analysis of Images

Compositional Analysis of Images DRAWING ON KRESS AND VAN LEEUWENS CONCEPTS OF THE GIVEN AND THE NEW IN READING IMAGES: THE GRAMMAR OF VISUAL DESIGN (1996), PERFORM A COMPO ­SITIONAL ANALYSIS OF ANY TWO OF THE GIVEN IMAGES. An Image is a tangible or visual representation of a person, a place or a thing. All images carry a meaning which can be understood differently by different people in different situations. Composition is the way in which something is put together or arranged or the combination of parts or elements that make up something. Malcolm Barnard in Approaches to Understanding Visual Culture (2001) suggests that we concentrate on the looking and analysis of images by focusing on elements of visual culture that are said to be intrinsic or internal to the work; elements such as shape, line, colour, texture, and layout or composition. (Barnard, 2001, p.168). An image can be analysed through its composition and drawing on Kress and Van Leeuwens concepts of the Given and the New a compositional analysis of two images will be performed in this essay. Kress and Leeuwen argue that the left of an image is assumed to be The Given and the right to be The New meaning that the left is something which is already known and the right is the key information which is not yet known or agreed upon and thus creating the salience. Speaking of salience, before we analyse the images it is important to know the three principles of composition. INFORMATION VALUE: The value of an element depends on its placement as different zones of an image have different values attached to it. SALIENCE: The most eye catching element of the image can be realized by factors as placement, size, contrast, colour, sharpness, etc. FRAMING: The dividing lines created by elements or actual frame lines disconnect or connect elements of the image representing if they belong or not to one another. (Kress and Leeuwen, 1996, p.177). They argue that this theory can also be applied to magazines, newspapers, advertisements and diagrams. Magazines and newspapers tend to have pictures and articles on a left/right axis. The structure of sentences also work with the theory. Other theorists like Ron Needham and Freud had diverse views of the Left and Right of an image with left being bad and right being good and left being sinful and right being righteous respectively. When analysing the below image of   The Creation of Eve by Lorenzo Maitani we see that God is placed on the left who was there already and is thus considered as Given while the woman Eve the new creation is on the right regarded as the New. The placement of Eve in the image is not exactly in the right one can argue as majority of her body is placed in the centre of the image. Michelangelo, on the other hand, in his famous painting The Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, placed God on the right. (Kress and Leeuwen, 1996, p.181). The theory did not hold much weight as now it was man who was the Given and God as the New. Furthermore, considering the diverse views God being on the left makes him bad and sinful with man being good and righteous The above image by Lester Beall Rural Electric Programme 1937 can also be analysed as the Given and the New by understanding that the house on the left is Given and the bulb on the right is New. The image is targeted at the rural or countryside location where light was not common at that period of time making the bulb which has the words LIGHT printed on it something new which has never been there before, thus implying that the house can now have light, if you see the sentence structure (the house can now have light) Kress and Leeuwens theory seem to be working. But if one reversed the sides then the bulb will be the Given which is available to the house making the house New. The house will be regarded as new because it has got the light in it. The theory of Kress and Leeuwen did not live up to the expectations once more. Every person looking at an image would have a different interpretation of the image depending on the time, culture, situation and environment, the concept cannot be taken as wrong or right as every viewer has his own ability of thinking and can portray any meaning of a given image according to his choice. Analysing images through a theory means analysing images through the same lens which will certainly take away the true meaning of the image. Kress and Leeuwen admitted that their theory does not work for every image which has been proved by analysing the above two images. Before concluding this essay your attention would be needed on the point that when making am image the maker has a message that he wants the people to know or draw attention to and if the viewer interprets it differently the viewer would not know if has got the right message which was intended unless and until he asks the maker or studies what the exact message was. Theories cannot be depended upon while interpreti ng images as every viewer has his own way of encoding messages, I would like to close with a quote (Stuart Hall, 1997, p.9): It is worth emphasising that there is no single or correct  answer to the question, What does this image mean? or  What is this ad saying? Since there is no law which can  guarantee that things will have one, true meaning, or that  meanings wont change over time, work in this area is bound  to be interpretative a debate between, not who is right  and who is wrong, but between equally plausible, though  sometimes competing and contesting, meanings and  interpretations.!   Bibliography Kress, G Leeuwen, V (1996) Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design, Routledge. Barnard, M (2001) Approaches to Understanding Visual Culture, Palgrave Macmillan. Hall, S (1997) Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, SAGE.

Investments Essay -- essays papers

Investments INVESTMENT JOURNAL I started doing my research in the Microsoft Network using the Custom Search feature in the Stock Screener. Since I was looking for a conservative stock to start with, the first restriction I put was that the stock be a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. I also wanted a Large-Cap company so I put the Market Cap to be above 5 billion dollars. Another restriction I added was that its P/E ratio be the lowest possible and that the EPS Year to Year be above 13%. After running the search I got 20 matches. The top three were Exxon, SBC Communications and American Express. After researching them a bit more I decided that Exxon would be a good option because it was a solid company that had a pretty stable history. After analyzing its fundamentals and taking into account the rising prices of gasoline, I decided Exxon would be a good long-term investment. I bought 115 shares of Exxon at $43.36! The second stock I am looking for is a value stock. I want to get a good solid company and buy it for a bargain. The research I did in the Stock Screener was based on the value strategy we learned in class. In the Stock Screener I entered the following restrictions: 1) Market Cap * $500,000,000 2) Return on Equity * Industry Average Return on Equity 3) Return on Assets * ROA 5 year Average 4) Price/Book Value * 1 5) P/E current * P/E current (Industry) 6) Debt to Equity Ratio * 1 7) Previous Day Closing Price near 52 week low I got 10 results and researched each individual company using the research wizard. The company that I liked the most was Loews because it seemed like a good company with strong fundamentals. The company primarily deals with insurance through publicly traded subsidiaries. Other holdings include tobacco, hotels(US and Canada) and watchmaker Boluva. Even though it has the characteristics of a value company its growth potential and estimates are very impressive. I bought 120 shares of Loews at $53.01. Now that I had value in my portfolio I decided to look for a good growth stock that had a positive momentum recently outperforming the market. I still am not sure I want to invest in a technology stock because of their volatility and risk. I used a similar screen to the O'Shaughnessy Growth screen. The screen was almost identical but with a couple of minor alterations. I d... ...ommendation I read in Business Week. It was recommended as a good technology stock that dealt with both equipment and medicine. The company is called Stryker’s Corp. and it basically makes surgical products such as drills, saws, rasps and mixers. Orthopedic implants (including artificial joints, spinal rods, screws, and bone cement) account for nearly 60% of sales. The fundamentals of the stock are very good and the technical analysis indicates it has been heavily oversold. The only negative I found in the stock analysis is that its P/E is higher than the industries and that the PEG is high also. Still I believe the company is going to do well in the near future because it has new products coming out and good numbers are expected. I bought 300 shares of SYK at $55.00. The next transaction I made was one that was very different from my other transactions. I based my transaction on a clearstation.com e-mail report that was sent to me recommending that I short NVDA. I went directly to the stockcharts.com and analyzed its chart. I decided to short the stock based on the information the chart provided (it was heavily overbought). I short-selled 100 shares of NVDA at $84.64.