The Right to Die Essay example -- essays research papers fc

The Right to Die The word Euthanasia originated from the Greek language: eu means "good" and thanatos means "death". Euthanasia (Greek, "good death") is the practice of killing a person or animal, in a painless or minimally painful way, for merciful reasons, usually to end their suffering. However, some people define euthanasia to include both voluntary and involuntary termination of life (Humphy 12). Like so many moral/ethical/religious terms, "euthanasia" has many meanings. Euthanasia, in the strict sense, involves actively causing death. This is, in some cases, legal like in the Netherlands, but in few other countries. Euthanasia, in a wider sense, includes assisting someone to commit suicide, in particular physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Allowing death -- e.g. by not providing life support or vital medication-- is not considered euthanasia if it is the patient's wish (Robinson). It is sometimes called passive euthanasia in cases where the patient is unabl e to make decisions about treatment. â€Å"Living Wills† and â€Å"Do Not Resuscitate† orders are legal instruments that make a patient's treatment decisions known ahead of time; allowing a patient to die based on such decisions is never considered euthanasia. Terminal sedation is a combination of medically inducing a deep sleep and stopping other treatment, with the exception of medication for symptom control (such as analgesia). It is considered to be euthanasia by some, but under current law and medical practice it is considered a form of palliative care (Humphry 14). Advocates of euthanasia generally insist that euthanasia should be voluntary, requiring informed consent, and that it should only be used in cases of terminal illness that cause unbearable suffering, or an eventual, complete loss of awareness. Its opponents challenge it on several ethical grounds, including a slippery slope argument that it is the first step towards compulsory euthanasia (Leon 22). Voluntary euthanasia is the truest and fullest form of euthanasia wherein the individual requests euthanasia - either during illness or before, if complete incapacitation is expected (a coma would be an example). Euthanasia in these cases differs from suicide by existing only within the context of the amelioration of suffering in the process of death. Volition must be informed and free (i.e. not under duress fr... ...ssional leaders announced that they were drafting a bill that would order the reinsertion of Schiavo's feeding tube and allow a federal court to review the case. If passed, President Bush plans to sign it (Stacy). Works Cited Capek, Stella M., Elaine Fox, and Jeffrey J. Kamakahi. Come Lovely and Soothing Death: The Right to Die Movement in the United States. New York: Twayne, n.d. End of Life Choices: Compassion, Dignity, and Control. 2004. End-of-Life Choices/Compassion In Dying: Compassion & Choices . . Euthanasia. Ed. Lisa Yount. San Diego: Greenhaven P, Inc., 2002. Humphry, Derek. Eugene: Hemlock Society, 1991. Lipper, Tamara. Between Life and Death: Behind the unprecedented showdown over one woman's fate.. 2005. Newsweek. . Robinson, B.A.. Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide. 02 Sept. 2004. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. . Stacy, Mitch. Schiavo Kin Wants Feeding Tube Reinserted. 20 Mar. 2005. MSNBC Wire Services, The Associated Press. . The Ethics of Euthanasia. Ed. Daniel A. Leone. San Diego: Greenhaven P, Inc., 1999. Wickett, Ann, and Derek Humphry . The Right To Die: Understanding Euthanasia. New York: Harper and Row, 1986.

Free Essays - Language and Dialect in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Language and Dialect in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain's use of language and dialect in the book "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" helped him to bring about the overall feel that he conveyed throughout the book, allowing him to show Huck Finn's attitudes and beliefs concerning the nature of education, slavery, and family values. When the story begins, Huck is seen as a young boy who is not very educated nor wishes to be. He does not seem to care very much for the attention that is given to him by the Widow Douglas, who had taken him in for her son, and her sister, Miss Watson. Huck's moral values were not only the product of his ignorance, but there is relation seen between Huck's attitude and the attitude of his father when Huck is confronted by him. Huck's father is disgusted at the way that Huck seems to be becoming more and more civilized. He states "...they say you can read and write. You think you're better'n your father, now, don't you, because he can't?" Perhaps this statement shows disgust in Huck through not following the moral values of his father, or perhaps this is just merely jealousy on his father's part. Huck's father warns Huck about going to school any more, yet Huck goes anyway, showing great willpower in the character of Huck in that he was gaining an education that he never really wanted in the first place, but soon came to realize that it was something actually useful, and in the fact that he was disobeying his father's orders. Huck's feelings about slavery are shown when he helps Jim, Miss Watson's slave, to escape. Huck's constant statement that "Jim talks like he is white inside" shows that Huck was unique amongst the society in which he lived in the fact that he saw beneath the color of a person's skin and saw the person that was truly there. Jim seems to be the only person that Huck can trust other than Tom Saywer, Huck's best friend. Huck Finn felt that slavery was a cruel injustice because he had gotten to know Jim and found out that there was more to him than just being a slave. Huck had found that Jim was a human being just like himself.

Coca Cola: Another Advertising Hit

When you think of Coca Cola what comes to your mind? It wouldn’t be surprising if you thought first of Coke ads. In the history of advertising perhaps no other company has had such a strong and continuous impact on society through advertising. Not only have Coke’s ads been successful at selling its soft drinks, but decade after decade Coca Cola’s ads and campaigns have influenced our very culture by making their way into the hearts and minds of the consumers. A Brief Ad History In the 1920s Coca Cola shifted its advertising strategy, focusing for the first time on creating brand loyalty.It began advertising the soft drink as fun and refreshing. Coke’s 1929 campaign slogan was: The Pause that Refreshes. To this day, that slogan remains number two on Advertising Age’s top 100 slogans of all the time. How about those famous Coca Cola Santa Clause print ads? Most people probably have seen an example of such. What most people don’t realize is that our modern-day vision of Santa as a jolly old man with a white beard in a red suit and hat is to some extent a result of those Coke ads that began emerging in popular magazines in 1931.Before that, the world’s image of Santa was fragmented, with physical portrayals of the legendary holiday visitor ranging from a pixie to a leprechaun to even a frightening gnome. But Coca Cola’s long-running series of ads solidified what was becoming a common U. S. image, making our beloved Santa Clause recognizable around the world. Those Coca Cola campaigns were probably a little before your time. but what about Coca Cola’s 1971 â€Å"Hilltop† campaign. Perhaps you remember its lyrics, â€Å"I’d like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony.I’d like to buy the world a Coke, and keept it company. † The song was sung by a choir of young people from all over the world, perched high on a hilltop, each holding an iconic hourglass-shaped bottle of C oke. Within months, Coca Cola and its bottlers received more than a hundred thousand letters about the ad. The ad actually received requests at radio stations; so many in fact, that a version of the song was released as a pop-music single. The jingle’s tagline, â€Å"It’s the real thing,† served as the foundation for Coke ads for years. Still too long ago for you?Maybe you have heard of Coke’s ad showing a bruised and battered Mean Joe Green tossing his shirt to a young fan after the boy shares his Coke with the pro football player. The ad appears consistently at the top of â€Å"Best Super Bowl Ads† lists. Or how about â€Å"Coke is it? † â€Å"Can’t beat the feeling? † certainly you would remember the jingle made famous in the 1990s, â€Å"Always Coca Cola†. And who doesn’t make some associate between the sweet, dark, bubbly beverage and polar bear? Innovative animation technology put those lovable creatures in only a handful of ads, but they are forever etched in the memories of consumers everywhere.These are only some highlights of Coca Cola’s long advertising history, stretching back to the company’s origin in 1886. With so many hits and such a huge impact on consumers, it’s hard to imagine that the beverage giant ever gets into an advertising rut. But as the new millennium began to unfold, many considered that Coke had lost its advertising sizzle. The company was struggling to create ads that resonated with younger folks while at the same time appealing to older consumers. And the company’s ads were routinely out-pointed by those of rival Pepsi. Coca Cola needed some new advertising fizz.Back to the Bowl Where does a company turn when it wants to make a big ad splash? For Coca Cola, it’s thoughts turned to the marquee of all advertising events – the Super Bowl. The company had certainly had success with the ad venue before. But scoring big with a Super Bowl ad isn’t guaranteed. In fact, many cynics view the ad venue as a waste of money. One team of researchers found that average brand recall one week after the 2008 Super Bowl was an unimpressive 7%. Recall for specific commercials and the brand represented therein was even worse at only 4%.That doesn’t speak very highly for a 30 second ad that costs $ 2. 7 million to air. And perhaps even more to produce. The Super Bowl has its share of critics who think it is far too costly for a single event, regardless of how many people tune-in. But for all the misses, there have been plenty of hits. In 1999, Hotjobs. com blew half of its $ 4 million advertising budget for the year on a single 30-second spot. The result? Traffic on its web site immediately shot up 120%, choking its network and server system. Monster. com saw similar results that same year.And hundreds of advertisers throughout the Super Bowl’s history have been very satisfied with the results of t heir ads. For its 2008 campaign debut, Coca Cola was confident that the Super Bowl was just right for its broad target market. It assigned Wieden + Kennedy the task of crafting a 60-second commercial. Hal Curtis, one of the top creative directors for the agency, took charge of the project. Two years before, Mr. Curtis had come up with an idea for an ad while working on a different campaign. He thought the idea was perfect for Coke. By now, you’ve probably seen the ad.Titled â€Å"It’s mine†, the spot is set at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, a parade famous for its blimp-sized balloons marched through the Central Park area on long tethers. The Coke ad focuses on two particular characters, Stewie Griffin from Fox network’s comedy television show Family Guy and the classic cartoon character Underdog. Both balloons sidle up to a huge Coke balloon. The two characters begin fighting over the coke, bouncing around in a kind of slow-motio n ballet against the New York skyline, bumping up against buildings.As the scuffle progresses above the streets, moving higher and higher, New Yorkers look on from hot dog stands, cabs, and even inside buildings. At the story’s climactic moment, a giant balloon depicting the cartoon character Charlie Brown emerges from nowhere, swooping and claiming a giant Coke, leaving Stewie and Underdog empty-handed. The spot cost Coca Cola $ 2. 3 million to make and more than double that to air. It was also the most difficult ad that Mr. Curtis had ever produced. For starters, he encountered mounds of red tape in negotiating the rights to use the well-known cartoon characters in the ad.Choreographic and shooting footages of giant balloons in one of the world’s biggest cities brought its own set of challenges. At one point, bad weather forced the project indoors and all the way across the country to the Paramount Studios on the West Coast. The post-shoot animation was considered ye t a third shoot for the ad. It all added up to four months of production and postproduction. When asked about the challenge of simultaneously reaching consumers of all ages with an advertisement, Mr. Curtis responded, â€Å"A good story appeals to everyone.And a story that is well told appeals to young and old. Certainly, there are times where we want to skew a message younger, but for this spot that wasn’t part of thinking. † Pio Schunker, Coca Cola’s head of creative excellence, added, â€Å"We are at our best when we speak to universal values that appeal to everyone rather than try and skew it to specific segments. † According to Mr. Schunker, the universal value referred to here was that â€Å"Good really wins in the end†, a point that he thought was made strongly with the contrast of Charlie Brown over a character like Stewie.In fact, Curtis originally pitched the ad with an ending that had the Coke bottle getting punctured on a flagpole and n either balloon getting it. But Coca Cola wanted something that was emotionally more positive, something that expressed optimism. â€Å"I felt it was such a downer of an ending to have these characters chase the Coke and not get it,† stated Mr. Schunker. It was Curtis’s 12 year old son, Will, who gave him the idea for what became the ending when he said, â€Å"Why can’t another balloon get it? † For Hal Curtis, the next logical step was Charlie Brown.Everyone was happy with the end result. Both Coca Cola and Wieden + Kennedy felt that the ad communicated the desired message perfectly while bringing out the kind of warm emotions that had emanated from Coca Cola ads for decades. The hunches of these ad veterans proved correct. The day after the game, Coke’s balloon ad had 350 blog posts, while Pepsi’s ads had only 250. A week after that, the â€Å"It’s Mine† ad was the most talked about ad online. SuperBowl-Ads. com had it rated a s the top ad of the dozens that aired on the 2008 gridiron matchup.And later in the year, the spot won a Silver Lion at the Cannes Lions festival, the most prestigious award event in the industry. There is no doubt that the â€Å"It’s Mine† ad achieved more buzz and more size than Coca Cola’s ads in recent history. But that’s only a first step to advertising success. In the end, the only result that really matters is whether or not the ad has the intended effect on consumers. Although the impact of Coca Cola’s â€Å"it’s Mine† ad or its history of other outstanding ads on actual beverage sales may never be known, one broader conclusion is clear.Every year, Interbrand publishes the premier ranking of global brands based on monetary value. And every year since Interbrand began publishing the list in 2001, Coca Cola has held the top spot. At $ 65 billion, Coca Cola is the world’s most valuable brand. Thus, it’s pretty easy to make the connection between Coca Cola’s brand value and more than 100 years of stellar advertising. Questions for Discussions 1. Consider Coca Cola’s advertising throughout its history. Identify as many commonalities as possible for its various ads and campaigns. (For a list of Coca Cola slogans over the years, check out http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Coca-Cola_slogans) 2. Analyze the â€Å"It’s Mine† ad based on the process of creating an advertising message. 3. Discuss issues of selecting advertising media for the â€Å"It’s Mine† ad. How might this process differ from that of other Coca Cola’s campaigns? From another campaigns for other companies? 4. Based on the information given in this case, how might Coca Cola measure the effectiveness of the â€Å"It’s Mine† ad? What else might Coca Cola want to measure? ———————– Coca Cola: Another Advertising Hit Famous c artoon: Underdog Stewie Griffin from Family Guy Charlie Brown

Differences between Spearman and Gardner Essay

Edward Spearman’s name is almost synonymous with general intelligence, or â€Å"g† for short. He invented the first form of factor analysis, and proposed a two-factor theory of intelligence. He had sort of a math formula that said every activity involves a general factor plus a specific factor. (G + S). From these theories, he said that people who do well on intelligence tests also do well on a variety of intellectual tasks. â€Å"Vocabulary and mathematical and spatial abilities†. (Wilderdom, 2003). So for example of â€Å"g†, Spearman would theorize that people who score well on a verbal test have a lot of intelligence, but they are affected by their abilities to perform verbal tasks. In laments terms, if you scored well on a verbal test, you studied and have the brain capacity to understand and comprehend the material. Howard Gardner on the other hand has a different point of view on intelligence. Instead of one main intelligence to focus on, he has seven. â€Å"Verbal, Mathematical, Musical, Spatial, Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, and intrapersonal functioning’s† (Wilderdom, 2003). While these are all forms of intelligence, they function separately he argues. Gardner goes a different route than Spearman basing he theories on biological facts. â€Å"Premise 1: If it can be found that certain brain parts can distinctively map with certain cognitive functioning, then that cognitive functioning can be isolated as one candidate of multiple intelligences. Premise 2: Now it has been found that certain brain parts do distinctively map with certain cognitive functioning, as evidenced by certain brain damage leading to loss of certain cognitive function† (Washington U, 2002). These theories give a basis for multiple intelligences. Biologically, Gardner determines that the brain is the major player in the equation. For example; if a person was physically  handicapped, he determined that the particular part of the person brain that controlled motor functions was damaged. The differences between the two psychologist’s theories are basically the same, but explained differently. Spearman’s theories are narrow focusing on one general type of intelligence, G and reaction time. Gardner’s theories are essentially the same but broader focusing on multiple intelligences. Point here is that Gardner doesn’t believe that one intelligence can be sufficient to determine intelligence. As for overall use of these theories, Spearman’s theory has more evidence that it works compared to Gardner’s theory. The proof conquers that there is a connection between someone’s IQ and simple everyday tasks. The only place where Spearman’s theory is suspect is that it doesn’t account for all people. Example; if you gave a poor child an intelligence test, they would probably score poorly thus be deemed to have a below average intelligence. However, the child probably knows how to do basic math to survive and get by, consequently, it can’t take into account different talents that certain individuals have. Gardner also has the same critiques with his theory. A lot of people don’t prefer this method because it is too excessive and has too many components to gauge and measure. His theory has a very casual explanation, but due to the variety of different components to the theory, it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cause and effect of a situation, and since no one has accurately figured out the complexities and diagramed an accurate depiction of the brain, I would have to call the theory hypothetical. References Spearman â€Å"g†, (2003). Retrieved on June 26th 2004, from, http://www.wilderdom.com/personality/L1-5KeyPlayers.html. Han S. Palik, One intelligence or many? (2002). Retrieved on June 25th 2004, from http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/paik.html.

International Business - Value and Supply Chains Essay

International Business - Value and Supply Chains - Essay Example This exemplifies the concept of value chain. The concept of value chain was introduced and popularized by Michael Porter in his bestseller, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance (Value Chain 2005). In this book which was published in 1985, he clearly describes what value chain is. He has identified a set of interrelated activities common to a wide range of firms. Value chain is "a high-level model of how businesses receive raw materials as input, add value to the raw materials through various processes, and sell finished products to customers (What is value chain 2005)." This is possible, since Michael Porter, as stated above, has already devised a way to classify the activities of a firm in its operation. Value chain therefore, categorizes the "value-adding activities of an organization (Value Chain 2005)." Michael Porter classified business activities as either primary or support activities. Primary activities include: inbound logistics, production, outbound logistics, sales and marketing, maintenance. Meanwhile administrative infrastructure management, human resources management, R&D, and procurement comprise the support activities. ... Primary activities involves those activitieswhich starts as the procurement of raw materials from suppliers to bringing them to customer. Inbound logistics involve the "receiving, warehousing, and inventory control" of the company's input. Meanwhile, operations comprise the value adding activities which transforms the raw materials into the final output. Outbound logistics are the activities which are necessary to bring the finished product to customers like storage, order fulfilment, warehousing, etc. Marketing and sales are the company's effort to attract buyers to purchase the products (The Value Chain 2004). Maintenance and ehancement of products' value through customer support and repair services. All these activities in the value chain are designed to add value that the customer derived from the company's products or services. Figure 1. Primary Activities of the Value Chain The main goal of support activities is to facilitate the primary activities. Procurement is essentially the purchasing of raw materials and other inputs utilized in value adding activities. On the other hand, technology and development, process automation and other technologies which are used to simplify and aid in the company's production. Human resource management involves the process of recruitment, development, motivation, and compensation of employees working for the business. Firm infrastructure is comprised of activities such as finance, legal quality, management, etc (The Value Chain 2004). This paper will look at the value chain of Dell Incorporated. It will focus on the trends currently happening in the global market and how these changes may influence the value chain of the business entity. Dell Incorporated and its

Management Accounting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Accounting - Research Paper Example Management accounting is not a specific system of accounts, but could be any form of accounting which enables a business to be conducted more effectively and efficiently. Management accounting in the words of Robert S. Kaplan, is a system that collects, classifies, summaries, analyses and reports information that will assist managers in their decision making and control activities. Accounting may be defined as â€Å"the art of recording, classifying, and summarizing ... transactions and events and interpreting the results thereof†. Two types of accounting are usually taking place in organizations; financial accounting and management accounting. Financial accounting and managerial accounting are entirely different things even though some people perceive both as same thing. Financial accounting is a reporting method to stakeholders outside the organization whereas management accounting is a reporting method intended for the stakeholders inside the organization. In other words, management accounting helps managers inside the organization to take sound decisions. Management accounting is a multifaceted entity and therefore it undergoes various processes like data collection, analysis, interpretations, implementations of decisions etc. Management accounting can be considered as an extension to cost accounting since it uses many of the data used for cost accou nting. â€Å"From a management accounting point of view the primary purpose of management is to make decisions that may be classified as marketing, production, and financial† (Management Accounting and Decision-Making, n.d, p.24). Unlike cost accounting, management accounting is usually done through unregulated channels since it is intended for the internal use alone. Various sources of data such as accounting system, production and sales department, business process etc can affect management accounting. Sources of data for management accounting and how these data are used to make management decisions Accounts department, Production department, sales department and the business process are the major data sources for management accounting. Accounts department is the most important source of data for management accounting. In fact the top managers taking critical decisions about the future business strategies of an organization based on the feedbacks they receive from the accou nts department. Accounts department is the only entity in an organization which knows the current financial strength of an organization. They are the ones who hand the debts and credits of the organization. Moreover, they are the ones which estimate the profits and losses of an organization during a particular period. Accounts department also identifies the underperforming areas of the organization. All these information will help the top managers in taking sound decisions and guiding the organization towards prosperity. Only the production department knows the volume of raw materials, labor and time required for the completion of a particular job and therefore the accounts department should consult with production department before making any estimation about the probable cost an organization may spend for the completion of a particular work. Some jobs may appear simple in its nature; however, the complications involved in the actual production of such jobs are better known only to the production people. On the other hand, some other jobs would be easier for the production department even if it appears to be complicated. Since the accounts departments may not have the technical know-hows about the various mechanisms or methods used in the production of a particular product, costing of a job without consultation with the production department will always generate problems to the organization. The accounts department may quote more or less price for a particular job if they fail to seek the advices of the production de

Aids and hiv Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aids and hiv - Essay Example HIV infection occurs by the person to person transfer of semen, blood vaginal discharge, pre-semen or breast milk. Major sources of disease transmission are unsafe sex, used needles, breast milk and transmission from mother to baby at birth (Weiss, 1993) (Douek et. al., 2009). Governments and pharmaceutical companies around the world are taking measures to fight against HIV infection. We will specifically emphasize on the role of government & pharmaceutical companies in African countries towards prevention and eradication of HIV/AIDS from masses. Heavy health budgets, quality of life and growth of economy are few of many factors that push governments around the world to invest and legislate to fight against spread of HIV infection. Corporate responsibility, social welfare and philanthropic programs are some of the incentives that drive pharmaceutical companies to push for comprehensive AIDS prevention agenda. Government & pharmaceutical companies use legislation, research grants, dru g control, awareness campaigns and enforcement strategies as tools to counter the spread of AIDS. Pharmaceutical companies and government agencies in developed world are very efficient at promoting the understanding of drug use that leads to HIV infection. Research is being done into how social behaviors promote drug-use that eventually helps in spreading AIDS due to bodily fluid transfer (Williams et. al., 2000). African countries on the other hand generally lack pro-active approach in terms of educating masses regarding the spread of HIV infection. While there are success stories in Africa that include â€Å"The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria†, â€Å"The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief† (PEPFAR), Senegal and Uganda governmental initiatives to fight AIDS, there are also problems faced in countering the spread of AIDS. These problems include Prevalent corruption in governmental regulatory bodies Lack of political will in most of African leadership Social taboos and norms Lack of institutions and infrastructure Pharmaceutical companies trying to gain profits rather than penetration in African market With lesser amount of money and resources put into fight against AIDS due to factors stated above, a general lack of awareness prevails in most Africa nations. South African health minister, an ardent proponent of alternative medicine therapy for AIDS has been able to convince his followers into avoiding anti-retroviral drugs (an accepted primary source of AIDS treatment). Instead people lacking awareness regarding the treatment of the disease were lured to the false claims of using improved diet, or cheap generic vitamin pills as a simple and relatively inexpensive way to marginally delay the need to start HIV medication. A detailed study by Ben Goldacre, published in his book in 2009, reads out the following lines â€Å"†¦ Alternative therapists like to suggest that their treatments and ideas have not been sufficiently researched. †¦ research had indeed been done, with results that were far from promising.† (Goldacre, 2009, pp.187 – 188) Among the success stories, driven by governmental steps to eradicate the causes of HIV infection, the most noteworthy are the steps taken by Senegal and Uganda governments (UNAIDS, 1999). These include Problems regarding AIDS infection were recognized at promptly. Adequate funding was provided to fight HIV/AIDS. Difficult political decisions were taken to cater for