School funding and resources Essay

These issues have not started today but have been in existence for a long time. One of the major issues is inequity and inadequacy. There is a funding difference between the tax wealthy district schools and the poor school districts that have tax capacity that is limited. This to some extent affects the education quality due to low financial resources (Crawford, 2006). Secondly there is the issue of political ideology. Politics affect the funding in schools greatly. Politics affect the budgeting that takes place in schools. The schools have limited authority on imposing extra taxes for educational purposes unless they gain full support of the legislature. Level of funding is dependent on the resources available for these resources to be fully utilized the legislature must be in full support. Another major issue facing funding in schools is the social influence. The influence that comes from the surrounding environment of the schools matter a lot to how the resources are utilized and how funding takes place. If there is negative social influence then the issue of funding becomes very difficult. Positive social influence is important both in urban and suburban areas (Bartolomeo, 2004). The problem of inequity and inadequacy can be addressed by ensuring that all schools receive funding depending on their size and location. It can also be solved by ensuring that the schools with little resources get extra funds. The strengths of these solutions are such as it will upgrade schools that are at low levels. However the weakness is that it is difficult to give some schools more funds than others and call that equity (Crawford, 2006). To solve the problem of political ideology the schools should be allowed to tax some extra fee when necessary for school funds. Also the legislature should not be playing a role on determining the amount to be taxed. The strength of this solution is that the schools will have a chance to make funding decisions better while the weakness it has is that it could lead to poor budgeting. The solution to negative social influence is ensuring that the surrounding individuals are not too involved in school funding matters. Also ensuring that the school is not affected by external factors when it comes to funding could help. The strength of these solutions is that funding will be easier. Its weakness is that schools could loose on some other aspects it gains from social influence (Bartolomeo, 2004). References Bartolomeo, C. (2004). The funding divide. American Teacher, 6-7. Crawford, C. (2006). The Critical Issue of Financing Schools. the Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 22-26.

Music and Dance Essay

Filipinos are known as great musicians worldwide. This is seen in their dedication and intense love for music. Early Filipinos already developed their own music through their endemic songs and instruments. The Magellan expedition in 1521, witnessed among the Cebuanos instruments of timbale, and cymbal and other forms of drums. The most popular music instrument found in the country is the kudyapi a metal stringed instrument shaped like a boat, Tingguian nose flute called kalalen, the Muslim xylophone called kulintang. Negritos of Bataan and Zambales have the musical instrument called ban, the Visayans had a guitar looking which they called gangsa and the toltogan, a bamboo drum. Aside from instruments, our ancestors also expressed themselves through their songs with dance like; tagumpay, Tagalog sog of victory, Mang-ay-uweng, an Igorot’s labor song, Kinnallogong which is an Ilocano dance of a man facing a woman, tudub a harvest song together with dandansuy, balitaw the two popular song and dance in Agusan, Other Philippine ethnic dances are the following; Bonog- Cordillera dance portraying hunting, Salisid- Cordillera courtship dance, Palok- cordillera tribal dance, Idudu- Cordillera tribal dance which is a common among Itneg or Tinguian society, Lumagen- Kalinga traditional thanksgiving dance, Bendayan- Benguet dance commemorating the arrival of the headhunters and Binaylan- Agusan ritual dance which originated from the Bagobo tribe. Dressing and Ornamentation The ancient Filipinos have their own attire and their own fashion. The men in the barangay society wore the kanggan, described as a black or blue collarless, short-sleeve jacket. They also wore a bahag a strip of cloth wrapped around their heads was also used which is called putong. They also had jewels such as pendant, gold necklaces, gold teeth, gold armlets that were called kalombigas and gold anklets filled with agates, carnelian and other gems. The women had their own way of dressing themselves same as the men. They wore wide-sleeve jacket called baro or camisa, in their lower part they wore a skirt, a piece of colored cloth, which they called as tapis or saya by the Tagalog and Patadyong by the Visayans. Women wore jewelry consisted of gold necklace,  gold bracelets, large gold earrings and gold rings and teeth. In Visayans, the most tattooed Filipinos settled; they developed a social representation through body marks of various designs representing animals, flowers and geometric representations. There were two reasons: first, to enhance their physical body beauty, and second, for men to show their war records, the more enemy a warrior killed in the battle, the more tattoo was inched in his body. The women were less tattooed than men. When the Spaniards came to Visayas and upon seeing such people they called pintados r painted people, they called the island as Las Islas Pintados or Island of Painted People. A Cat Disease A disease that causes chronic gastrological disorders, IBD, is envisioned in a spectrum of severities. Cats can vomit heavily, and suffer from continuous diarrhea. Reasons for the disease are yet unknown. Bacterial infections, gastrological irritation, lack of vitamins are often quoted as factors contributing to the development of the disease. Veterinarians, treating IBD in cats, usually prescribe medicine and advice on the dietary management as well as make surgical choices. If untreated, IBD, can be fatal for cats. Research – conducted mostly by pet owners – shows that a cat’s diet can be critical. Further research will include inspection of several vaccines. So far, grain-free, raw meat diet has already proved to be largely beneficial. The Meteor Show The much advertised meteor show this summer was a memory ot behold. The air was crisp and cool. I did not even feel a hint of a breeze  on my skin as I lie on my back in the darkness. The warm temperature of the water against the cooler air created a drifting airy fog that whispered over the lake. Darkness enveloped the sky as only a slight curve of the moon shone in the night; consequently, this made the perfect stage for the breathtaking view of twinkling stars. In the still of the night many galaxies glittered from the depths of the sky as I felt hypnotically drawn into the mesmorizing show above me. Broad irregular bands of light from the Milky Way stretched across the sky while the big and little dipper shined brightly. As predicted, the meteor show began with various sized meteors cascading to the earth’s atmosphere about every fifteen to thirty seconds. Shots of light, followed by orange and white mist, describes the presence of the meteors. The panoramic view made it possible to witness several meteors at a time while marveling at each one. An event like this may only happen once in a lifetime, so I will cherish this moment and it will remain as one of my fondest memories. My First Time In The Emergency Room I went to the Emergency Room for the first time when I was thirteen years old. It all came about when I was skateboarding in front of my grandma’s house and I tried to do a trick. I almost pulled it of, but I messed it up in the end and headed to the ground with my hands down. My right wrist was twisted the wrong way in the air when I landed hard on the ground, it just broke it. At first it did not hurt at all, but when I looked down at my warped and twisted wrist , all of a sudden excruciating pain rushed through my wrist and I came unglued. Rolling around on the ground yelling and cussing in pain, my parents saw what happened and came running to my aid. My dad started moving it around saying, â€Å"it’s not broken,† as my mom was saying over and over again we need to go to the emergency room to get the real diiagnosis. After about fifteen minutes of yelling and screaming, I finally got up and held my wrist as I walked to the car. The whole way to the ER the pain got worse and worse. Later I foound out the  increase in pain was due to massive swelling against the broken bone. I had to sit in the waiting room for almost and hour which seemed loke forever. After waiting impatiently, I finally got into the doctor’s office where I got an X-Ray and found out my wrist was truley broken.

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Nineteen

The drive to Butlersbridge was everything Jack remembered. The trees, the birds, the precise shade of green as the wind ruffled the grass†¦These were the sights and sounds of his childhood. Nothing had changed. It ought to have been comforting. It wasn't. When he opened his eyes that morning, Grace had already slipped from the bed and made her way back to her own room. He was disappointed, of course; he'd been awakened by his own love and desire for her, and wanted nothing more than to gather her back into his arms. But he had understood. Life was not as free for a woman as for a man, even a woman of independent means. Grace had her reputation to consider. Thomas and Amelia would never say a word against her, but Jack did not know Lord Crowland well enough to guess what he might do if Grace were caught in his bed. And as for the dowager†¦ Well, it went without saying that she'd happily destroy Grace now, if given the chance. The traveling party – minus the dowager, to everyone's relief – met up in the inn's dining room for breakfast. Jack knew he'd been unable to keep his heart from his eyes when he saw Grace enter the room. Would it always be this way, he wondered. Would he see her and feel this indescribable, overwhelming rush of feeling? It wasn't even desire. It was far more than that. It was love. Love. With a capital L and swirly script and hearts and flowers and whatever else the angels – and yes, all those annoying little cupids – wished to use for embellishment. Love. It could be nothing else. He saw Grace and he felt joy. Not just his joy, but everyone's. The stranger seated behind him. The acquaintance across the room. He saw it all. He felt it all. It was amazing. Humbling. Grace looked at him, and he was a better man. And she thought he would allow anyone to keep them apart. It would not happen. He would not let it happen. Throughout breakfast she did not precisely avoid him – there were far too many shared glances and secret smiles for that. But she had been careful not to seek him out, and indeed, he'd not had an opportunity to speak with her even once. He probably wouldn't have been able to do so even if Grace was not so inclined to be circumspect; Amelia slipped her hand in Grace's right after breakfast and did not let go. Safety in numbers, Jack decided. The two ladies were stuck in the coach all day with the dowager. He would have been blindly reaching for a hand if forced to endure the same. The three gentlemen rode on horseback, taking advantage of the fine weather. Lord Crowland decided to take a seat in the carriage after their first stop to water the horses, but thirty minutes later he was staggering back out, declaring the ride far less exhausting than the dowager. â€Å"You would abandon your daughter to the dowager's venom?† Jack asked mildly. Crowland did not even try to make excuses. â€Å"I did not say I was proud of myself.† â€Å"The Outer Hebrides,† Thomas said, trotting by. â€Å"I'm telling you, Audley, it's the key to your happiness. The Outer Hebrides.† â€Å"The Outer Hebrides?† Crowland echoed, looking from man to man for explanation. â€Å"Almost as far as the Orkneys,† Thomas said cheerfully. â€Å"And much more fun to say.† â€Å"Have you holdings there?† Crowland asked. â€Å"Not yet,† Thomas replied. He looked over at Jack. â€Å"Perhaps you can restore a nunnery. Something with insurmountable walls.† Jack found himself enjoying the mental picture. â€Å"How have you lived with her for so long?† he asked. Thomas shook his head. â€Å"I have no idea.† They were talking as if it were already decided, Jack realized. They were talking as if he had already been named the duke. And Thomas did not seem to mind. If anything, he appeared to be looking forward to his imminent dispossession. Jack looked back at the carriage. Grace had insisted that she could not marry him if he was the duke. And yet, he could not imagine doing it without her. He was unprepared for the duties that came with the title. Astoundingly so. But she knew what to do, didn't she? She'd lived at Belgrave for five years. She had to know how the place was run. She knew the name of every last servant, and as far as he could tell, their birthdays, too. She was kind. She was gracious. She was innately fair, of impeccable judgment, and far more intelligent than he. He could not imagine a more perfect duchess. But he did not want to be the duke. He truly didn't. He'd gone over it in his mind countless times, reminding himself of all of the reasons why he'd make a very bad Duke of Wyndham, but had he ever actually come out and said it plainly? He did not want to be the duke. He looked over at Thomas, who was looking up at the sun, shading his eyes with his hand. â€Å"It must be past noon,† Lord Crowland said. â€Å"Shall we stop for lunch?† Jack shrugged. It did not matter to him. â€Å"For the sake of the ladies,† Crowland said. As one, they turned and looked over their shoulders toward the carriage. Jack thought he saw Crowland cringe. â€Å"It's not pretty in there,† he said in a low voice. Jack quirked a brow. â€Å"The dowager,† Crowland said, shuddering. â€Å"Amelia begged me to let her ride after we watered the horses.† â€Å"That would be too cruel to Grace,† Jack said. â€Å"That's what I told Amelia.† â€Å"As you were fleeing the carriage,† Thomas murmured, smiling just a little. Crowland cocked his head. â€Å"I would never claim otherwise.† â€Å"And I would never chastise you for it.† Jack listened to the exchange with little interest. By his estimation, they were about halfway to Butlersbridge, and it was growing increasingly difficult to find humor in the inane. â€Å"There is a clearing a mile or so ahead,† he said. â€Å"I've stopped there before. It's suitable for a picnic.† The two other men nodded their agreement, and about five minutes later they'd found the spot. Jack dismounted and went immediately to the carriage. A groom was helping the ladies down, but as Grace would be the last to alight, it was easy enough for him to position himself so he might take her hand when she emerged. â€Å"Mr. Audley,† Grace said. She was nothing but polite, but her eyes shone with a secret warmth. â€Å"Miss Eversleigh.† He looked down at her mouth. The corners were moving slightly†¦very slightly. She wanted to smile. He could see it. He could feel it. â€Å"I will eat in the carriage,† the dowager announced sharply. â€Å"Only heathens eat on the ground.† Jack tapped his chest and grinned. â€Å"Proud to be a heathen.† He quirked his head toward Grace. â€Å"And you?† â€Å"Very proud.† The dowager marched once around the perimeter of the field – to stretch her legs, she said – and then disappeared back inside the carriage. â€Å"That must have been very difficult for her,† Jack commented, watching her go. Grace had been examining the contents of a picnic basket, but at that she looked up. â€Å"Difficult?† â€Å"There is no one to harass in the carriage,† he explained. â€Å"I think she feels that we have all ganged up upon her.† â€Å"We have.† Grace looked conflicted. â€Å"Yes, but – â€Å" Oh†¦ no. He was not going to listen to her make excuses for the dowager. â€Å"Don't tell me that you harbor any sympathy toward her.† â€Å"No.† Grace shook her head. â€Å"I wouldn't say that, but – â€Å" â€Å"You are far too softhearted.† At that she smiled. Sheepishly. â€Å"Perhaps.† Once the blankets were laid out, Jack maneuvered them so they were seated a bit apart from the others. It was not very difficult – or very obvious – to do so; Amelia had sat down next to her father, who appeared to be delivering some sort of lecture, and Thomas had wandered off, probably in search of a tree that needed watering. â€Å"Is this the road you traveled when you went to school in Dublin?† Grace asked, reaching for a slice of bread and cheese. â€Å"Yes.† He'd tried to keep the tightness out of his voice, but he must not have succeeded, because when he looked at her, she was regarding him in that unsettling way of hers. â€Å"Why don't you want to go home?† she asked. It was on the tip of his tongue to say that her imagination was too active, or, since he really ought to be reverting to form, something clever and grandiose, involving sunshine, twittering birds, and milk of human kindness. Statements like that had got him out of far more delicate situations than this. But he hadn't the energy just now, nor the will. And, anyway, Grace knew better. She knew him better. He could be his usual flip and funny self, and most of the time – he hoped – she would love him for it. But not when he was trying to hide the truth. Or hide from the truth. â€Å"It's complicated,† he said, because at least that wasn't a lie. She nodded and turned to her lunch. He waited for another question, but none were forthcoming. So he picked up an apple. He looked over. She was cutting into a slice of roast chicken, her eyes on her utensils. He opened his mouth to speak, then decided not to, then brought the apple to his mouth. Then didn't bite into it. â€Å"It's been over five years,† he blurted out. She looked up. â€Å"Since you've been home?† He nodded. â€Å"That's a long time.† â€Å"Very long.† â€Å"Too long?† His fingers tightened around the apple. â€Å"No.† She took a few bites of her meal, then looked up. â€Å"Would you like me to slice that apple for you?† He handed it over, mostly because he'd forgotten he was holding it. â€Å"I had a cousin, you know.† Bloody hell, where had that come from? He hadn't meant to say anything about Arthur. He'd spent the last five years trying not to think about him, trying to make sure that Arthur's was not the last face he saw before he fell asleep at night. â€Å"I thought you'd said you had three cousins,† Grace said. She wasn't looking at him; she gave every sign of giving her complete focus to the apple and knife in her hands. â€Å"Only two now.† She looked up, her eyes large with sympathy. â€Å"I am sorry.† â€Å"Arthur died in France.† The words sounded rusty. He realized it had been a long time since he'd said Arthur's name aloud. Five years, probably. â€Å"With you?† Grace asked softly. He nodded. She looked down at the apple slices, now neatly arranged on a plate. She didn't seem to know what to do with them. â€Å"You're not going to say that it wasn't my fault?† he said, and he hated the sound of his voice. It was hollow, and pained, and sarcastic, and desperate, and he couldn't believe what he'd just said. â€Å"I wasn't there,† she said. His eyes flew to her face. â€Å"I can't imagine how it would have been your fault, but I wasn't there.† She reached across the food and laid her hand briefly atop his. â€Å"I'm sorry. Were you close?† He nodded, turning away and pretending to look at the trees. â€Å"Not so much when we were young. But after we left for school†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering how to explain just what Arthur had done for him. â€Å"†¦we found much more in common.† Her fingers tightened around his, and then she let go. â€Å"It is difficult to lose someone you love.† He looked back at her once he was satisfied that his eyes would remain dry. â€Å"When you lost your parents†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It was horrible,† she answered. Her lips moved at the corners, but not into a smile. It was one of those flashes of movement – a tiny, little rush of emotion, escaping almost without notice. â€Å"I didn't think I should die,† Grace said softly, â€Å"but I did not know how I would live.† â€Å"I wish†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But he didn't know what he wished. That he could have been there for her? What good would he have been? Five years ago he'd been broken, too. â€Å"The dowager saved me,† she said. She smiled wryly. â€Å"Isn't that funny?† His brows rose. â€Å"Oh, come now. The dowager does nothing out of the goodness of her heart.† â€Å"I did not say why she did it, just that she did. I should have been forced to marry my cousin if she had not taken me in.† He took her hand and brought it to his lips. â€Å"I am glad you did not.† â€Å"So am I,† she said, without any trace of tenderness. â€Å"He is awful.† Jack chuckled. â€Å"And here I'd hoped you were relieved to have waited for me.† She gave him an arch look and withdrew her hand. â€Å"You have not met my cousin.† He finally took one of the apple pieces and bit into it. â€Å"We have an overabundance of odious relations, you and I.† Her lips twisted in thought, and then her body twisted so that she could look back toward the carriage. â€Å"I should go to her,† she said. â€Å"No, you shouldn't,† Jack said firmly. Grace sighed. She did not want to feel sorry for the dowager, not after what the dowager had said to her the night before. But her conversation with Jack had brought back memories†¦and reminded her just how very much she was indebted to her. She turned back to Jack. â€Å"She is all alone.† â€Å"She deserves to be alone.† He said this with great conviction, and more than a touch of surprise, as if he could not believe the matter might be under discussion. â€Å"No one deserves to be alone.† â€Å"Do you really believe that?† She didn't, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬ I want to believe it.† He looked at her dubiously. Grace started to rise. She looked this way and that, making sure no one could hear, and said, â€Å"You should not have been kissing my hand where people can see, anyway.† She stood then, stepping quickly away, before he had a chance to make a reply. â€Å"Have you finished your lunch?† Amelia called out as she passed. Grace nodded. â€Å"Yes. I am going to the carriage to see if the dowager needs anything.† Amelia looked at her as if she'd gone mad. Grace gave a little shrug. â€Å"Everybody deserves a second chance.† She thought about that, then added, mostly to herself, â€Å"That, I really do believe.† She marched over to the carriage. It was too high for her to climb up herself, and the grooms were nowhere in sight, so she called out, â€Å"Your grace! Your grace!† There was no reply, so she said, a little louder, â€Å"Ma'am!† The dowager's irate visage appeared in the open doorway. â€Å"What do you want?† Grace reminded herself that she had not spent a lifetime of Sunday mornings in church for nothing. â€Å"I wished to inquire if you needed anything, your grace.† â€Å"Why?† Good heavens, she was suspicious. â€Å"Because I am a nice person,† Grace said, somewhat impatiently. And then she crossed her arms, waiting to see what the dowager said to that. The dowager stared down at her for several moments, then said, â€Å"It is my experience that nice people don't need to advertise themselves as such.† Grace wanted to inquire what sort of experience the dowager had with nice people, since it was her own experience that most nice people fled the dowager's presence. But that seemed catty. She took a breath. She did not have to do this. She did not have to help the dowager in any way. She was her own woman now, and she did not need to worry over her security. But she was, as she had noted, a nice person. And she was determined to remain a nice person, regardless of her improved circumstances. She had waited upon the dowager for the last five years because she'd had to, not because she wanted to. And now†¦ Well, she still didn't want to. But she'd do it. Whatever the dowager's motives five years ago, she had saved Grace from a lifetime of unhappiness. And for that, she could spend an hour attending to the dowager. But more than that, she could choose to spend an hour attending to her. It was amazing what a difference that made. â€Å"Ma'am?† Grace said. That was all. Just ma'am. She'd said enough. It was up to the dowager now. â€Å"Oh, very well,† she said irritably. â€Å"If you feel you must.† Grace kept her face utterly serene as she allowed Lord Crowland (who had caught the latter half of the conversation and told Grace she was mad) to help her up. She took her prescribed seat – facing backward, as far from the dowager as possible – and folded her hands neatly in her lap. She did not know how long they would be sitting here; the others had not seemed quite ready to quit their lunch. The dowager was looking out the window; Grace kept her eyes on her hands. Every now and then she'd steal a glance up, and every time, the dowager was still turned away, her posture hard and stiff, her lips pinched tight. And then – perhaps the fifth time Grace looked up – the dowager was staring straight at her. â€Å"You disappoint me,† she said, her voice low – not quite hiss, but something close to it. Grace held her silence. She held everything, it seemed – her posture, her breath. She did not know what to say, except that she would not apologize. Not for having the audacity to reach out for happiness. â€Å"You were not supposed to leave.† â€Å"I was but a servant, ma'am.† â€Å"You were not supposed to leave,† the dowager said again, but this time something within her seemed to shake. Not quite her body, and not quite her voice. Her heart, Grace realized with a shock. Her heart was shaking. â€Å"He is not what I expected,† the dowager said. Grace blinked, trying to follow. â€Å"Mr. Audley?† â€Å"Cavendish,† the dowager said sharply. â€Å"You did not know that he existed,† Grace said, as gently as she was able. â€Å"How could you have expected anything?† The dowager did not answer. Not that question, anyway. â€Å"Do you know why I took you into my home?† she asked instead. â€Å"No,† Grace said softly. The dowager's lips pressed together for a moment before she said, â€Å"It was not right. A person should not be alone in this world.† â€Å"No,† Grace said again. And she believed it, with her whole heart. â€Å"It was for the both of us. I took a terrible thing and turned it into good. For both of us.† Her eyes narrowed, boring into Grace's. â€Å"You were not supposed to leave.† And then – good heavens, Grace could not believe she was saying it, but: â€Å"I will come visit you, should you wish.† The dowager swallowed, and she looked straight ahead when she said, â€Å"That would be acceptable.† Grace was saved from further reply by the arrival of Amelia, who informed them that they would depart momentarily. And indeed, she'd had barely enough time to settle into her seat when the carriage wheels creaked into motion, and they began to roll forward. No one spoke. It was better that way. Several hours later, Grace opened her eyes. Amelia was staring at her. â€Å"You fell asleep,† she said quietly, then put her finger to her lips as she motioned to the dowager, who had also dozed off. Grace covered a yawn, then asked, â€Å"How much longer do you think we have until we get there?† â€Å"I don't know.† Amelia gave a little shrug. â€Å"Perhaps an hour? Two?† She sighed then, and leaned back. She looked tired, Grace thought. They were all tired. And scared. â€Å"What will you do?† Grace asked, before she had the chance to think better of it. Amelia did not open her eyes. â€Å"I don't know.† It was not much of an answer, but then again, it hadn't been a fair question. â€Å"Do you know what the funniest part of it is?† Amelia asked quite suddenly. Grace shook her head, then remembered that Amelia's eyes were still closed and said, â€Å"No.† â€Å"I keep thinking to myself, ‘This isn't fair. I should have a choice. I should not have to be traded and bartered like some sort of commodity.' But then I think, ‘How is this any different? I was given to Wyndham years ago. I never made a complaint.'† â€Å"You were just a baby,† Grace said. Still, Amelia did not open her eyes, and when she spoke, her voice was quiet and full of recrimination. â€Å"I have had many years to lodge a complaint.† â€Å"Amelia – â€Å" â€Å"I have no one to blame but myself.† â€Å"That's not true.† Amelia finally opened her eyes. One of them, at least. â€Å"You're just saying that.† â€Å"No, I'm not. I would,† Grace admitted, because it was true. â€Å"But as it happens, I am telling the truth. It isn't your fault. It's not anyone's fault, really.† She took a breath. Let it out. â€Å"I wish it were. It would be so much easier that way.† â€Å"To have someone to blame?† â€Å"Yes.† And then Amelia whispered, â€Å"I don't want to marry him.† â€Å"Thomas?† Grace asked. Amelia had spent so long as his fiancee, and they did not seem to have any great affection for one another. Amelia looked at her curiously. â€Å"No. Mr. Audley.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"You sound so shocked.† â€Å"No, of course not,† Grace said hurriedly. What was she to say to Amelia – that she was so desperately in love with him herself that she could not imagine anyone not wanting him? â€Å"It's just that he's so handsome,† she improvised. Amelia gave a little shrug. â€Å"I suppose.† She supposed? Hadn't she ever seen him smile? But then Amelia said, â€Å"Don't you find him a little too charming?† â€Å"No.† Grace immediately looked down at her hands, because her no had come out in not at all the tone of voice she'd intended. And indeed, Amelia must have heard it, too, because her next words were – â€Å"Grace Eversleigh, do you fancy Mr. Audley?† Grace stammered and stumbled, and managed a rather croaky, â€Å"I – † before Amelia cut in with – â€Å"You do.† â€Å"It does not signify,† Grace said, because what was she supposed to say? To Amelia, who might or might not be engaged to marry him. â€Å"Of course it signifies. Does he fancy you?† Grace wanted to melt into the seat. â€Å"No,† Amelia said, sounding highly amused. â€Å"Don't answer. I can see from your face that he does. Well. I certainly shall not marry him now.† Grace swallowed. Her throat tasted bitter. â€Å"You should not refuse him on my account.† â€Å"What did you just say?† â€Å"I can't marry him if he's the duke.† â€Å"Why not?† Grace tried to smile, because really, it was sweet of Amelia to ignore the difference in their positions. But she could not quite manage it. â€Å"If he is the duke, he will need to marry someone suitable. Of your rank.† â€Å"Oh, don't be silly,† Amelia scoffed. â€Å"It's not as if you grew up in an orphanage.† â€Å"There will be scandal enough. He must not add to it with a sensational marriage.† â€Å"An actress would be sensational. You will merely be a week's worth of gossip.† It would be more than that, but Grace saw no point in arguing further. But then Amelia said – â€Å"I do not know Mr. Audley's mind, or his intentions, but if he is prepared to dare everything for love, then you should be, too.† Grace looked at her. How was it that Amelia suddenly looked so very wise? When had that happened? When had she stopped being Elizabeth's little sister and become†¦herself? Amelia reached out and squeezed her hand. â€Å"Be a woman of courage, Grace.† She smiled then, murmuring something to herself as she turned and looked out the window. Grace stared straight ahead, thinking†¦wondering†¦was Amelia right? Or was it just that she had never faced hardship? It was easy to talk about being courageous when one had never come face-to-face with desperation. What would happen if a woman of her background married a duke? Thomas's mother had not been an aristocrat, but when she married his father, he was only third in line to inherit, and no one had expected her to become a duchess. By all accounts, she had been dreadfully unhappy. Miserable, even. But Thomas's parents had not loved each other. They had not even liked each other, from what Grace had heard. But she loved Jack. And he loved her. Still, it would all be so much simpler if he turned out not to be the legitimate son of John Cavendish. And then, out of nowhere, Amelia whispered, â€Å"We could blame the dowager.† As Grace turned to her in confusion, Amelia clarified, â€Å"For this. You said it would be easier if we had someone to blame.† Grace looked over at the dowager, who was seated across from Amelia. She was snoring softly, and her head was perched at what had to be an uncomfortable angle. It was remarkable, but even in repose her mouth was pinched and unpleasant. â€Å"It's certainly more her fault than anyone else's,† Amelia added, but Grace noted that she tossed a nervous glance at the dowager as she spoke. Grace nodded, murmuring, â€Å"I cannot disagree with that.† Amelia stared off into space for several seconds, and then, just when Grace was convinced that she did not plan to respond, she said, â€Å"It didn't make me feel any better.† â€Å"Blaming the dowager?† â€Å"Yes.† Amelia's shoulders slumped a bit. â€Å"It's still horrible. The whole thing.† â€Å"Dreadful,† Grace agreed. Amelia turned and looked at her directly. â€Å"Sodding bad.† Grace gasped. â€Å"Amelia!† Amelia's face wrinkled in thought. â€Å"Did I use that correctly?† â€Å"I wouldn't know.† â€Å"Oh, come now, don't tell me you haven't thought something just as unladylike.† â€Å"I wouldn't say it.† The look Amelia gave her was as clear as a dare. â€Å"But you thought it.† Grace felt her lips twitch. â€Å"It's a damned shame.† â€Å"A bloody inconvenience, if you ask me,† Amelia responded, fast enough so Grace knew she'd been saving that one. â€Å"I have an advantage, you know,† Grace said archly. â€Å"Oh, really?† â€Å"Indeed. I am privy to the servants' talk.† â€Å"Oh, come now, you won't be convincing me that the housemaids at Belgrave talk like the fishmonger.† â€Å"No, but sometimes the footmen do.† â€Å"In front of you?† â€Å"Not on purpose,† Grace admitted, â€Å"but it happens.† â€Å"Very well.† Amelia turned to her with quirked lips and humor in her eyes. â€Å"Do your worst.† Grace thought for a moment and then, after darting a quick glance across the carriage to make sure that the dowager was still asleep, she leaned forward and whispered in Amelia's ear. When she was through, Amelia drew back and stared at her, blinking three times before saying, â€Å"I'm not sure I know what that means.† Grace frowned. â€Å"I don't think I do, either.† â€Å"It sounds bad, though.† â€Å"Sodding bad,† Grace said with a smile, and she patted Amelia's hand. Amelia sighed. â€Å"A damned shame.† â€Å"We're repeating ourselves,† Grace pointed out. â€Å"I know,† Amelia said, with a fair bit of feeling. â€Å"But whose fault is it? Not ours. We've been far too sheltered.† â€Å"Now that,† Grace announced with flair, â€Å"really is a damned shame.† â€Å"A bloody inconvenience, if you ask me.† â€Å"What the devil are the two of you talking about?† Grace gulped, and she stole a glance at Amelia, who was staring at the now quite awake dowager with a similar look of horror. â€Å"Well?† the dowager demanded. â€Å"Nothing,† Grace chirped. The dowager regarded her with a most unpleasant expression, then turned her icy attentions to Amelia. â€Å"And you, Lady Amelia. Where is your breeding?† And then Amelia – oh, dear heavens – she shrugged her shoulders and said, â€Å"Damned if I know.† Grace tried to hold still, but her shock positively burst out of her, and she rather feared she spat upon the dowager. Which did seem ironic, that the first time she did such a thing, it should be accidental. â€Å"You are disgusting,† the dowager hissed. â€Å"I cannot believe I considered forgiving you.† â€Å"Stop picking on Grace,† Amelia said. With surprising force. Grace turned to Amelia in surprise. The dowager, however, was furious. â€Å"I beg your pardon.† â€Å"I said, stop picking on Grace.† â€Å"And who do you think you are, to order me about?† As Grace watched Amelia, she would have sworn she changed right before her very eyes. Gone was the unsure girl, in her place was: â€Å"The future Duchess of Wyndham, or so I'm told.† Grace's lips parted in shock. And admiration. â€Å"Because really,† Amelia added disdainfully, â€Å"if I'm not, what the devil am I doing here, halfway across Ireland?† Grace's eyes darted from Amelia to the dowager and back. And then back again. And then – Well, suffice it to say, it was a monstrously long moment of silence. â€Å"Do not speak again,† the dowager finally said. â€Å"I cannot tolerate the sound of your voices.† And indeed, they all remained silent for the rest of the journey. Even the dowager.

Business Law Individual coursework Scenario 2 Essay

Business Law Individual coursework Scenario 2 - Essay Example The purpose of damages is to compensate the aggrieved party for its loss and put it in a financial position in which it would have been had the contract been performed. While awarding damages, the courts make sure that the damage or loss is not too remote. The defendants are held liable only for the loss that is attributable to their breach and for all the results of their actions. In Hadley v Baxendale,1the defendant contracted to take the plaintiff’s mill shaft to London. It was to be used as a pattern to make a new one. The defendant was unable to deliver the shaft on time due to his own fault. The plaintiff claimed damages for the loss of profits that would have been earned if the shaft was delivered on time. It was held that the loss was too remote as the plaintiff never indicated that there would be a loss of profit in case of a delay and so the defendant was not liable. In this case, the court made a very important distinction between usual damage and non-usual damage. Usual damage is the one which can be reasonably expected by anyone from the circumstances. Non-usual damage is one that arises due to circumstances that are unknown to the defendant and he is unable to anticipate the loss. In Victoria Laundry (Windsor) Ltd v Newman Industries Ltd2, the defendant had to deliver a boiler to the plaintiff and the delivery was five months late. Not having enough laundry capacity, the plaintiff lost a lucrative contract. The plaintiff sued for lost profits. It was held that the defendant was only liable for ordinary losses and not for the extraordinary ones as he did not have the knowledge of the extraordinary circumstances. The given facts indicate that Fred usually availed George’s services. This means that George could only have anticipated the loss of usual opportunities for Fred. There is no indication that Fred specifically brought the extraordinary circumstances to the knowledge of George. He did not have the

Art Blog Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Art Blog - Assignment Example The psychology of the postmodern world is the continual state of change as we live in its idealist manufactured dream, built by developers† (Cullen). The poster in the exhibit reflected this statement through a number of fascinating ways. The first way in which it reflected this statement was through its graphically perfected nature, the art of the poster defined by edges that were uneven, but perfect, text that was bold, but rendered through the use of a typographically rendered font. This work was developed through the use of technology that separated the user from the medium, a brush or a knife not the connection between the artist and the medium, but the printing tools performing as the artist commanded to render what the tools were already capable of performing. The work feels manufactured, which is directly juxtaposed with the theme which expresses the freedom of the surfer. The surfer represents the extension of youth, the ‘Endless’ not only about time in a year, but about time in a life. Looking at the poster is reminiscent of the dream of the wave as it endlessly crashes against the sand, the heat of the sun as it beats out the color of the day until the ocean is a part of every moment of a day that will never end. The feel of heat, the grit of the sand, and the idea of following the waves is expressed through color and silhouette within the graphically rendered poster. Not only is the theme expressed, but the post-modern world in which technology and youth crashes into nature and defies it, is expressed. The work is an expression of a new world as it was emerging in the most socially volatile time in American history. The film that the poster was made to express was released in 1966 in the middle of a revolution that changed culture towards a more youth oriented aesthetic, even as it changed race relations, gender relations, and the relationship that the American people had with their government. Chasing the elusive dream, the next wave and a summer that never ended was emblematic of the new American dreams of freedom. Seeing this poster in the midst of the exhibit created a feeling of hope in which that dream of freedom could be discovered. See Pacific Standard Time at the LACMA which opened on October 1, 2011. (The images for the blog are easy to find, but I don’t know what parameters your professor gave you for copyrights, so I cannot help you with this. Since you didn’t submit the information until yesterday, my time to try and comply with this has been limited) Cullen Lauren. Interview with John Van Hammersveld on Pacific Standard Time. Examiner.com 30 September 2011. Web. 2 November 2011. Blog 2 Big Black Sun: The Loss of the Master Narrative within a Collective of Artists Minds The Geffen Contemporary at the MOCA is hosting an exhibition entitled â€Å"Under the Black Sun: California Art 1974-1981†. Paul Schimmel in his article on the exhibition website page quotes critic Arthur C. Danto as he discussed the idea of pluralism as â€Å"the implication that there was no longer any historical direction. That meant there was no longer a vector to art history and no longer a basis in truth for the effort to spot the historically next thing† (Schimmel). In looking at the works within the exhibit, the division of artistic direction is clearly evident and the works speak and reveal a wide variety of ideas from which

A Learning Sequence which covers LS content in Implications of Essay

A Learning Sequence which covers LS content in Implications of National Identity of Chinese - Essay Example handy as it states that knowledge acquisition can be directly interconnected to observing others within the context of experiences, outside media influences as well as social interactions. Most of these approaches rely on the practice of guided finding where the tutor avoids using the most undeviating instruction and endeavours to lead the scholar through queries and actions to determine, deliberate, appreciate, and express the new acquaintance. Therefore, the planning of teaching the above-mentioned topic adopts the constructivist learning theory (Tucker, 2005, p. 89). This study will centre on The Chinese Foundation Secondary School students who are studying form 5 of their junior form course. During their junior form studies, the students should acquire the prerequisite related knowledge of â€Å"identity† from integrated humanities. According to the liberal studies Curriculum and Assessment Guide (C & A Guide EDB of 2007), the relevant learning experience (from P1 to S3) of the concept of identity are: The students need to be well equipped with the basic knowledge concerning the issue about Chinese Nationalism. The students should identify themselves with their national symbols and the court systems. Thus, national identity to them should be seen as the repository of the most cherished and sometimes even extravagant or demented, aspirations (Prazniak, 1996, p. 89).   This module is expected to cover (4-6 lessons of 40 minutes each) together with pre-lesson preparation by students as well as homework if necessary. Therefore, this issue is closely related to two modules of the NSS Liberal Studies curriculum as follows: Upon the completion of the designated task, students are expected to have broadened their take and general understanding on matters pertaining to nationality, patriotism, cultural heritage, and open mindedness. Their overall approach to matters of problem solution cooperation as well as judgment pertaining to matters of justice is expected to

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Define the Unique Selling Proposition ( USP) for Nordstrom. Describe a USP for each keyroduct and create an Executive Summary - Assignment Example Nordstrom promises that the customer will not only get a product of high quality but also will get the best service from the product and from their staff (Nordstrom). Nordstrom has Jackets that they it calls â€Å"Jacket of all Trades†. The branding of the Jackets is the first unique aspect of the clothing. Secondly the branding proposes that the jackets they sell are for all occasions and third is that the jackets are of high quality at affordable prices and thus gives the customers value for their money and this also has the potential to attract new customers (Nordstrom). Nordstrom has a variety of key products and these include clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, Jewelry, beauty accessories and house ware. The USP for these products is embedded in the overall companies USP of quality and service. All the products are of high quality and give the customers the service they are intended to give besides the exceptional service that the customers are given at the shops. For example their shops have personal stylists assigned to customers shopping for clothing and this shows how much they care about their customers (Nordstrom). Nordstrom, Inc. is America’s leading fashion specialty retailers. It was founded in 1901 as a shoe shop in Seattle, currently Nordstrom manage 225 stores in 30 states, including 117 full-line stores, 104 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques, one treasure &bond store and one clearance store (Nordstrom 2). Nordstrom is also available online at  Nordstrom.com  selling on the internet and through its catalogs. Furthermore, the Company operates in the online private sale marketplace through its subsidiary HauteLook. Nordstrom, Inc.s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN. Its mission is to provide the best possible customer service, selection, quality and value and this has made it attract a huge customer base (Nordstrom). The

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Film studies - Case Study Example Q2: The past time is the key actor in the movie, even when it was the high time to live right now. The main character Yuddi made a girl to fall in love with him by referring to time, promised to remember that moment, but left her. Furthermore, he said to Tide that he wanted to both live fast and catch the moment. In general, it seems like the key motif of this movie is impossibility to live the life to the full, when you realize that you do not know who your real parents are. This secret broke the normal life of Yuddi and caused his young and fast death. Q3: Even though Ge Lan enjoyed her life in laugh and happiness, the revealed secret of her origin made her restless. She simply could not be patient in her heart and call her foster family ‘parents’. Nevertheless, in the end of her search she found her mother who lied in her face that she had not given birth to her. However, final scene showed the reason of this rejection. Probably, her birth mother realized that she was incapable to provide Ge Lan with everything she needed. She wanted her to stay happy, and Mambo Girl will never know that. Q4: With the development of film plot, the main character Ah Jong appears as an intelligent man, who had no intend to kill people just for fun. Thus, the more Detective Lee knew about him, the less he wanted to chase him in order to arrest. On the contrary, he became his close friend, because he respected Jong’s code and ethics. It corresponded with his own attitude to cruelty of crime bosses and friendship. Consequently, he decided to kill the person who had killed his friend. He also knew for sure, that police would not provide punishment he

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A Taste of Honey Essay Example for Free

A Taste of Honey Essay In a normal mother-daughter relationship a mothers part is to provide love and affection all the time. A mother should provide this love and affection even more when the daughter is feeling depressed and down in the dumps. A normal mother should care for her daughter when she is ill and nurse her back to full health. She should give her daughter advice when problems come up and her get through the problem by helping to come up with a solution. A mother should guide her daughter through life and prepare her for its challenges. A mother should learn from her mistakes and ensure that her daughter doesnt make the same mistakes. A mother should provide stability for her daughter. She should do this by giving her a good home in one place, by providing food and doing things like washing clothes for her. A mother should ensure that her daughter gets a good standard of education. She should encourage her daughter in everything she does and push her so that she achieves it to the highest standard. A mother should teach her daughter the differences between right and wrong so that it will give her a chance to build up her own set of principles in life. The most important thing a mother should do is give her daughter unconditional love and sacrifice her pleasure for the sake of her child. The daughters part in a normal mother-daughter relationship is to have respect for her mother and to not do things like calling her by her first name. A daughter should not take her mother for granted and should help her with the housework as much as possible. A daughter should take care of her mother when she is ill. At the start of the play Helen and Jo have just moved into a new flat. Immediately we see that Jo has a lack of respect for her mother, Helen. I know this because Jo calls her by her by her first name. JO: Can I have that chair, Helen? We see that Helen doesnt care about Jos well being and whether shes hurt or not. I know this because Jo wants to put a scarf around an unshaded light bulb and Helen just sits by and watches her burn her hand. JO: Can I have that chair, Helen? (Jo takes chair from Helen, stands on it and wraps her scarf round light bulb burning herself in the process) There are many examples of Helen not caring including the time when Jo wants to turn on the gas stove but she is afraid she will cause a gas explosion. Helen doesnt come and help her like a normal mother would but just gives her a stupid piece of advice. JO: Which knob do I turn? HELEN: Turn them all. Youre bound to find the right one in the end. In the play we also see that Helen is not teaching Jo the basic rights and wrongs of life. For example when Jo tells Helen that she has stolen some bulbs she doesnt tell her off like any normal mother would but she condones it. HELEN: Where did you get those bulbs? JO: the Park. The gardener had just planted about two hundred. I didnt think hed miss half a dozen. HELEN: Thats the way to do things. Helen doesnt care what Jo does with her life and whether she gets proper education or not. For example when Jo tells Helen she is going to leave school, Helen just tells her to do what she likes. HELEN: its your life. Ruin it your own way. A normal mother would have tried to persuade her daughter to finish school and get good qualifications. When Helen recognises Jos talent as an artist she just gives her daughter a backhanded compliment, whereas a normal mother would praise her and push her to go to art school. HELEN: I didnt know I had such a talented daughter. Look at that, its good isnt it? JO: Im not just talented. Im geniused HELEN: I think Ill hang this on the wall somewhere. Now where will it be least noticeable The above quote gives me the impression that Helen maybe wants to encourage her but doesnt know how to. Helen has provided no stability in Jos life. Jo was always moving houses and schools. JO: Too many schools and too many different places. This was because Helen was always running away from one of her fancy men. JO: Why did we have to come here anyway? We were all right at the other place. HELEN: I was fed up with the other place JO: You mean you were running away from somebody Helen is a bad influence on Jo and does not act appropriately in front of her. When Peter arrives she allows him to make sexual advances towards her and doesnt really do anything to stop it. PETER: Arent you wearing your girdle? HELEN: Now Peter PETER: Whoops! HELEN: Well you certainly liberate something in me and it definitely aint maternal instincts. A normal mother would do this sort of thing in private without the presence of her daughter. Another example of Helen being a bad influence on Jo is when she encourages Jo to drink. When Jo refuses Helen almost tries to force it down her. HELEN: have some of this if youre cold JO: You know I dont like it HELEN: have you tried it? JO: No HELEN: Then get it down you A normal mother wouldnt force her 15-year-old daughter to drink. Helen doesnt sacrifice her pleasure for Jo. For example she always throws Jo out of bed, every time one of her fancy men comes. JO: You should have asked him to stay. It wouldnt be the first time Ive been thrown out of bed to make room for one of your A normal mother would go somewhere else. Another example of this is when Helen decides to go to Blackpool with Peter for the weekend. She just leaves Jo to fend for herself with only a quid to live on. HELEN: Can you give us a quid, Peter? Id better leave her some money. We might decide to make a weekend of it and she cant just live on grass and fresh air. Jo is very insecure and is afraid of the dark. JO: Im not frightened of the darkness outside. Its the darkness inside houses I dont like This is probably because Helen left her alone a lot of times since she was a child. Jo is very possessive about her mother. JO: You leave me alone. And leave my mother alone too. This also shows she is insecure. As I said at the start of the essay about Jo not having any respect for Helen, Helen also doesnt have any respect for her daughter as she calls her names like a whore. HELEN: You know what theyve been calling you round here? A silly little whore Jo craves her mothers love and affection throughout the play and for most of the time she doesnt get it. Helen directs her love and affection to her fancy men and not to Jo, leaving her jealous. HELEN: Cant bear to see me being affectionate with anybody JO: Youve certainly never been affectionate with me. You have seen in the above examples about how Helen is not a good mother but Jo is not completely innocent. There are examples of Jo often trying to spite her mother deliberately and annoying her. One example is when she makes her mothers coffee as weak as she can, as she knows she likes it strong. PETER: What sort of coffee is this anyway? It an hardly squeeze itself through the spout HELEN: She always does that. Makes it as weak as she can as she knows I like it strong Between Helen and Jo there are sometimes fleeting moments of affection shared. An example of Helen caring is when Jo tells her mother that she is getting married at her age. Helen tells Jo that she should learn from her mistakes and not ruin her life by getting married. HELEN: Oh Jo, youre only a kid. Why dont you learn from my mistakes? It takes half your life to learn from your own. This is one of the few moments in the play where Helen is acting like a proper mother and giving the advice that she should give. When Helen and Jo are having this conversation they are at the point of having a heart to heart when they suddenly start having the normal banter that they do. This has happened often in the play and it gives me the impression that they cant communicate with each other properly and cant talk about their feelings openly. Throughout the play Helen often refers to Jo as she as if there is a third person in the room. Helen most often does this when she is frustrated with Jo. At a point in the play when Helen is arguing with Jo and is really fed up with her, she says HELEN: Youre asking for a bloody good hiding, lady. Just be careful. Oh shed drive you out of your mind A normal mother would talk to her daughter directly. Helen and Jo often have conversations a normal mother and daughter wouldnt talk about. They talk about things like sex. For example JO: He was thin, weak-chinned, with a funny turned up nose. HELEN: It wasnt the nose I was interested in. When Helen and Jo are in the same room together the atmosphere is always fraught and the pair are always making sarcastic comments to each other. For example HELEN: Do I look all right? Pass me my fur. Oh my fur, do you like it? JO I bet somebodys missing their cat. Helen has never given a second thought to Jo. As soon as a better offer comes along she would take off and leave Jo alone. This comes true when she gets married to Peter as she just leaves to go to live with Peter leaving Jo with no money and no support. Jo is all alone. In the time that Helen is away Jo becomes pregnant. The boy is gone and she needs someone to look after her properly. She finds that someone when she meets Geoff. He is a homosexual boy and he looks after Jo throughout most of her pregnancy. In other words he became a mother figure to Jo. He did all the things Helen should have done like the cooking, cleaning and teaching her things about the pregnancy. When Helen comes back she gets rid of Geoff. So as always a really good thing in Jos life has been short-lived and she is right back to where she started. Helen comes back because Peter has chucked her out. She has nowhere to go. This gives me the impression that Helen only sees Jo as a convenience. In conclusion this assignment proves that Helen and Jo have an abnormal mother-daughter relationship. There is a lack of respect between the pair and they cant communicate properly. They cant express their feelings towards each other even though deep down they do love each other. The assignment proves that that Helen is not a good mother and doesnt know any parenting skills. It also proves that Jo is a neglected daughter who craves her mothers love and affection. Having said that, Helen is not a completely bad mother and has given her daughter worthwhile advice sometimes and Jo has done some bad things to her mother sometimes. The title of the play is A TASTE OF HONEY and it means a little bit of sweetness in life. In the play Helen and Jo have A TASTE OF HONEY in their life. Helen got it from Peter. Jo got it from the boy and Geoff. It was short-lived and they ended up right back to where they started. I thought that A TASTE OF HONEY an interesting play and was quite sad reading about a daughter who was rejected for most of her life and a mother who didnt know how to be a good parent.

Sony Corporation marketing plan

Sony Corporation marketing plan Sony Corporation founded in Japan, revolutionized the consumer electronics field. The Sony became familiar throughout the world for innovative products as the transistor radio, the Trinitron television, the Walkman cassette player, and the compact disk (CD). The company also joined in other diversified industries such as entertainment, battery manufacture, life insurance, and sports equipment. By the end of the twentieth century it cooperated with the Peoples Republic of China to produce television sets. Sony had become a major player on the international market. Sony is a global manufacturer of audio, video, communications and information technology products for consumer and professional markets. Sony Corporation is no.1 in its industry, with 60 years of integrity and high quality behind its well-recognized brand name. Recently, however, it has sustained serious damage to its product quality, customer service, and reputation for honesty and integrity that need to be addressed if Sony is to retain its supremacy. This strategic plan details the companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, proposing an approach for leveraging them to recoup the companys good standing, as well as its bottom. Sony has achieved a standing in the electronics industry rivaled by none. It has nearly universal brand recognition, and that brand stands for quality, innovation, integrity, and service. Sonys consistent efforts to keep its finger on the pulse of innovation have made it the pioneer in many electronics discoveries, such as the first Japanese tape recorder and the first Japanese radio, as well as the compact disk. Sony has a large base of customers who for a long time have refused to buy any other brand but Sony when it came to electronics. Sony Corporation has a unique culture which is firmly rooted. The research and development section of Sony differs greatly from other companies with its great flexibility, Sony; is a traditional Japanese company in many ways. There is life-time employment, with strong norms and values which in turn create strategies through their actions. Sony delivers thrilling digital entertainment experiences by capitalizing on the synergy between its electronics business, content creation capabilities and movie, music, mobile and computer games interests. As a world leader in high definition, Sony already offers an exciting range of broadcast and consumer HD products, as well as content assets that are driving the industry towards HD digitalization. Marketing Plan of Sony Corporation Marketing plan of Sony consists of the following framework: Purpose and Mission Situational Analysis Marketing Strategy and Objectives Additional Consideration This marketing plan is aimed at highlighting one of the product line extensions of Sony Corporation. It mainly focuses on the internal and external environment of Sony Corporation. Apart from that this plan include the marketing strategies, brand promotion strategies, marketing mix involved and various initiatives which Sony Corporation took. SWOT analysis one of the major content which is included in this marketing plan. Purpose and Mission The main purpose of this marketing plan is to analyze various aspects of product-line extension by Sony Corporation. Here the chosen product-line extension is Sony-Bravia. The mission of this plan is to find out whether Sony-Bravia has met Sony-Corporations expectations before launching this product in the market. Sony-Corporation is one of the worlds leading digital entertainment brands, offering an outstanding portfolio of exciting multimedia content. Sonys mission is to commit to develop a wide range of innovative products and multimedia services that challenge the way consumers access and enjoy digital entertainment. By ensuring synergy between businesses within the organization, Sony is constantly striving to create exciting new worlds of entertainment that can be experienced on a variety of different products. Sony focuses on strengthening its all-important electronics business and maintain market leadership in high profile areas such as televisions, digital imaging, home video equipment and portable audio. To achieve this, Sony is pursuing three corporate initiatives: The Customer Viewpoint Initiative emphasizes the importance to staff of viewing Sony, its products and services from a customer perspective. The Technology Nr. 1 Initiative focuses on reinforcing Sonys cutting-edge technologies in the areas targeted for maximum investment of resources, including televisions, home video equipment, digital imaging equipment and Walkman The Genba Initiative aims at strengthening frontline operations (genba in Japanese) such as design locations, manufacturing facilities and sales offices. 2. Situation Analysis In developing BRAVIA, Sony brought together its most advanced design, manufacturing and sales capabilities. Sony incorporated newly developed Sony Panels and other technologies for outstanding image quality and devised a high impact advertising programme. BRAVIA currently holds the worldwide No. 1 position for LCD TVs. Sony aimed to communicate a simple message that the colour you see on these screens is like.no.other. This was the message given by Sony Corporation while launching Sony-Bravia. BRAVIA, an acronym for Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture, was first introduced in the United States with Sonys flat-panel LCD HDTV line in late 2005. Internal environment of Sony Corporation In order to utilize limited resources, Sony promotes product designs that conserve materials by measures such as resources recycling and use of recycled materials. Sony manages the chemicals we use in products and at sites in a reliable manner which is based on precautionary approach. Sony is taking steps to protect biodiversity at its sites through site greening activities and initiatives aimed at helping to restore areas outside its sites to their natural state. In manufacturing and non-manufacturing sites worldwide, Sony carries out consistent environmental activities based on policies such as Sony Groups environmental mid-range targets. Sony strives to provide environmentally conscious products through measures such as conducting product environmental assessments. Sony strongly believes in the importance of informing stakeholders that include customers about our environmental philosophy and initiatives. Furthermore, employees of each group company receive environmental training and other self development programs to help raise employee awareness on the environment. The greatest asset of Sony is of its human capital, especially its engineers which make up the RD department. Their constant innovation is crucial for a consumer electronic firm which specializes in audio-visual equipment and the higher profit margin, which comes from being the leader of the pact. External Environment of Sony Corporation Competition: Sony was the inefficient in manufacturing structures which decrease Sonys quality that badly affects their reputation and caused a decline in product competitiveness. Market: Sony was insufficient in responding to the shift of market demand and losing of its competitive advantages. Technology: To bring miniaturization to its product, Sony ensures that technologists, engineers, and marketers have a shared understanding of customer needs and of technological possibilities in order to become more customer-orientated with the aim to increase competitive advantage, as well as create more value added activities. Thus, we can see that keeping in mind the following above mentioned environmental aspects; they can launch a product in the market. Sony Corporation has to keep in mind the challenges faced by them in the past and the mistakes made in the past which has affected their reputation. They have under gone a serious plan for their future. Marketing Strategies Marketing strategies used by Sony Corporation is very effective that it has created value in consumers mind to the product offered by them. Sony has targeted its product-line BRAVIA in the urban areas, in big cities like New Delhi, Pune, Mumbai etc. In most of all this places, Sony has more than four different distributors like Sony world and also they have Sony service centers. For the customers in urban areas the supply seems to be satisfactory, though the rural areas are left out. Sonys Marketing Mix consists of: Product Price Promotion Place Product: Product is a tangible thing which is used to satisfy a particular want. Sony Corporation launched a product called Sony-BRAVIA. BRAVIA is a Sony brand used to market its high-definition LCD televisions, projection TVs and front projectors, along with its home cinema range under the sub-brand BRAVIA Theatre. The BRAVIA name is an acronym of Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture. In providing a wide range of products and services with high quality, Sony has by far influenced most of the its customers perception favorably towards its products Price: Pricing decisions are almost always made in consultation with marketing management. Price is the only marketing mix variable that can be altered quickly. Price variables such as dealer price, retail price, discounts, allowances, credit terms etc. influence the development of marketing strategy, as price is a major factor that influences the assessment of value obtained by customers. Customers directly relate price to quality, particularly in case of products that are ego intensive of technology based. Sony being a company which emphasizes product quality, it tends to sell its products with price range from moderately-high to high-prices, depending on the use and the targeted customers. Even though the prices imposed by Sony seems to be fair with consideration of the quality of the products and services offered , the only problem is that, Sony has priced its products too expensively for a middle or lower class customer to afford to buy those products. Apart from that Sony has targeted its market mainly to urban customers who can afford such expensive products. Sony has to create also some of low end products with low prices which can be affordable to low income users. Skimming Strategy Sony Corporation has developed a price Skimming Strategy, since the product has enough differentiation to justify a high price and desire quick cash and have minimal desires for significant market penetration and control. Promotion: Sony has promoted its BRAVIA brand through wide advertising campaigns which includes many of its portfolio stars, starting off with Taylor Swift, showing off the Cyber-shot DSC-TX7. Each ad featured a Sony-affiliated celebrity to pitch its electronic products, such as its 3-D television and its e-reader. Sony spent nearly $5 billion on their global ad campaigns. The launch of BRAVIA was different in different countries like in India advertisement featured thousands of square anthropomorphic pixels. A Kathakali dancers green face turns into pixels which run away from him. He finds his face later in a Sony BRAVIA television Pull Strategy Sony Corporation has adopted a The PULL STRATEGY to have direct interface with the end user of the offering. Sony has minimized the use of channels of distribution is during the first stages of promotion and a major commitment to advertisement has been under taken. The objective is to pull the prospects into the various channel outlets creating a demand the channels cannot ignore. Place: Sony has targeted its markets in the urban areas, in big cities like New Delhi, Pune, Mumbai etc. In most of all this places, Sony has more than four different distributors like Sony world and also they have Sony service centers. Addition Consideration Based on the above mentioned information, a critical SWOT analysis can be made with the help of available information. SWOT analysis helps an organization to understand their strengths and weaknesses and also to have an idea about what the opportunities available to them outside and what are the likely threats they can face in future. Strength Large market share: Sony has the ability to be successful in several different markets. They have made an impact in the video game market, the PC market, and especially the television market and there are still numerous others. Providing end-to-end solutions in todays highly developing world: Sony is the only company which is delivering complete, end-to-end solutions for todays HD World. Sony provides tools for our customers to create, edit, store, share and enjoy High Definition content. Sony Pictures and Sony Computer Entertainment create movies and games that maximize the full power and potential of HD while independent film makers and programme producers are encouraged to realize their unique creative vision in full Sony HD. Cutting-edge technologies: Sony has adopted cutting-edge technologies to produce their products with distinctive feature. Innovations: Sony has always been a leader in technology, creating markets by looking for new markets where bigger, well-established companies are not a threat. One of Sonys greatest strengths is their ability to produce innovative, quality products. Flexibility: The research and development section of Sony differs greatly from other companies with its great flexibility, Sony; in its essence is still a traditional Japanese company in many ways. There is a planned direction for Sony, their actual product development through launching is emergent with great flexibility. Weakness Inefficient manufacturing structures: Sony was inefficient in manufacturing structures which decreased Sonys quality that badly affects their reputation and caused a decline in product competitiveness. Loosing competitive edges: The failure of Sony in effectively implements Kaizen or sustain an effective manufacturing structure to ensure that they have high quality products had damage their strong brand name and reputation which caused them to lose their product competitiveness and competitive advantages in the market. Insufficient in responding external markets: Sony was insufficient in responding to the shift of market demand and losing of its competitive advantages. Sony was incapable of fulfilling the increasing market demands which increased the stake for Sony as there are other strong competitors such as Microsoft and Nintendo to have a head start in gaining market share and enjoy first mover advantages. Opportunities Green-lighting asset sales: Sony has been green-lighting asset sales to free up cash so they can rebuild the company around a tighter core of businesses. The managing of value strategy which is concerned with maximizing long-term cash-generating of an organization by disposal of assets to get more funds and reinvest back into different business units such as RD, production and others can help Sony to strengthen its core competencies. Resources-based and positioning: Sony are implementing emergent strategies from both inside out Resources Based View and outside in Positioning view or so called Market Based View to secure its current position. An integrated approach of the resources-based and positioning view can maximize the capabilities of organization and sustaining more competitive advantages. Miniaturization Sony implement to boost its core competence is miniaturization. To bring miniaturization to its product, Sony ensures that technologists, engineers, and marketers have a shared understanding of customer needs and of technological possibilities in order to become more customer-orientated with the aim to increase competitive advantage, as well as create more value added activities. Strength of Innovation: Sony can utilize their innovative ideas to gain more and more opportunities present in the environment. Threats Competition: A common threat facing any company in sales is competition. Sonys BRAVIA is a innovation in LCDs. Apart from this Sony has innovated many products and models of the same product. Moreover Sonys price range is some what higher and if the same product is available in the market with slightly less feature, customers are likely to change their decision. However, competitors like Samsung and others are also playing an important role in the market. Failures in the past. Sony was the inefficient manufacturing structures which decrease Sonys quality that badly affects their reputation and caused a decline in product competitiveness. Moreover, Sony was insufficient in responding to the shift of market demand and losing of its competitive advantages. The failures in the past are likely to repeat in future and customers are likely to have a bad impression in their mind which is likely to be a threat for Sony. Failure to implement Kaizen effectively : The failure of Sony in effectively implementing Kaizen or sustain an effective manufacturing structure to ensure that they have high quality products had damaged their strong brand name and reputation which caused them to lose their product competitiveness and competitive advantages in the market. It can be a threat for Sony in future. Conclusion Sony must learn from their mistake and implement more effective and efficient strategies if they want to get out from this current unfavorable situation. Sony has the potential to innovate into a company with international operations as well as culture since it was one of the first Japanese companies to set up a main branch in the United States. With strategy and luck, Sony could become a great firm as it was and will be. INDIVIDUAL CRITICAL REFLECTION Sony Corporation is one of the largest manufacturers of electronic items. Sony is a global manufacturer of audio, video, communications and information technology products for consumer and professional markets. Sony Corporation is no.1 in its industry, with 60 years of integrity and high quality behind its well-recognized brand name. In providing a wide range of products and services with high quality, Sony has by far influenced most of its customers perception favorably towards its products. From time the company was created till now, the quality of the products that Sony offers is improving each year, although there are some occurrence of defects like that of defect on laptop batteries which were sold and got exploded and caught fire in Japan has caused the company a great loss as it had to recall a million of those defected batters, and also this issue degraded the companys reputation. But the overall products offered by Sony to my opinion will still be of best quality. In some of the products Sony has created deviations but still Sony has succeeded in offering value to customers to the last extent. Sources which shows that Sony Corporation has offered value to the customers: Sony has improved its technologies in such a way that it has produced high quality products with goods features which has created a good impression in the minds of customers. Sony has adopted various other strategies like it has more than four different distributors like Sony world and also they have Sony service centers. So, whenever customers find any problem with the product, service centers are nearby and the customers are offered services as and when they need. This creates value to the customers. Sony strives to provide environmentally conscious products through measures such as conducting product environmental assessments. This will help Sony to deliver product which are environmental friendly, which creates value to the customers, since customers are happy to use products which are harmless to them. The Customer Viewpoint Initiative emphasizes the importance to staff of viewing Sony, its products and services from a customer perspective. Sony has given greater importance to its customers by delivering high definition products with cutting-edge technologies. Sonys mission is to commit to develop a wide range of innovative products and multimedia services that challenge the way consumers access and enjoy digital entertainment. Suggestion to improve the value offered to the customers by Sony Even though, Sony has improved a lot in delivering its products as per the customers needs. Still it can improve in many ways to satisfy its customers. There are lot of area where it has to concentrate. Following the suggestions: Currently Sony Corporation has targeted only the cream of the market i.e. they have delivered products only to the high class people of the society. More or less the middle class and the lower class people cannot afford to by Sonys products because of the cost. So, Sony can offer value to a large group of people by launching a product which is capable of delivering the same satisfaction with less cost. Sony can have strategic alliances or some other strategy, so that they can learn the domestic market and can deliver high value to its consumers as per there needs and preferences. Sony can employ Domestic employees who have a better idea of what is happening in the society and as per the ideas generated by them, products can be produced. It will deliver high value to the customer. Sony must put on effort on its RD, which should be capable of applying the lasted and highly improved technologies with minimal cost. Efficient use of available resources should be ensured. Thus, applying above mentioned suggestions, Sony Corporation can surely deliver high value products to its customers. Sony usually adopted ad campaigns to promote its products in the market. It has created a direct relationship with the end consumers. So, we can say that Sony Corporation has applied Pull Strategy which have direct interface with the end user of the offering. Sony has minimized the use of channels of distribution is during the first stages of promotion and a major commitment to advertisement has been under taken. Role of Advertisement in creating value to the customers The effect of advertisement plays an important role in the promotion of a product. Sony has spent nearly one million in its ad campaign all around the world. The ad campaigns were different in different countries as per the culture of the country. In India advertisement featured thousands of square anthropomorphic pixels. A Kathakali dancers green face turns into pixels which run away from him. He finds his face later in a Sony BRAVIA television Advertisement is one of the best media which offers value to customers because while looking at the advertisement people are visualizing the same in there mind and have the tendency to buy and use it after having a brief idea about its features and pricing. Sonys Marketing Mix consists of: Product Price Promotion Place Product: Product is a tangible thing which is used to satisfy a particular want. Sony Corporation launched a product called Sony-BRAVIA. BRAVIA is a Sony brand used to market its high-definition LCD televisions, projection TVs and front projectors, along with its home cinema range under the sub-brand BRAVIA Theatre. The BRAVIA name is an acronym of Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture. In providing a wide range of products and services with high quality, Sony has by far influenced most of the its customers perception favorably towards its products Price: Pricing decisions are almost always made in consultation with marketing management. Price is the only marketing mix variable that can be altered quickly. Price variables such as dealer price, retail price, discounts, allowances, credit terms etc. influence the development of marketing strategy, as price is a major factor that influences the assessment of value obtained by customers. Customers directly relate price to quality, particularly in case of products that are ego intensive of technology based. Sony being a company which emphasizes product quality, it tends to sell its products with price range from moderately-high to high-prices, depending on the use and the targeted customers. Even though the prices imposed by Sony seems to be fair with consideration of the quality of the products and services offered , the only problem is that, Sony has priced its products too expensively for a middle or lower class customer to afford to buy those products. Apart from that Sony has targeted its market mainly to urban customers who can afford such expensive products. Sony has to create also some of low end products with low prices which can be affordable to low income users. Skimming Strategy Sony Corporation has developed a price Skimming Strategy, since the product has enough differentiation to justify a high price and desire quick cash and have minimal desires for significant market penetration and control. Promotion: Sony has promoted its BRAVIA brand through wide advertising campaigns which includes many of its portfolio stars, starting off with Taylor Swift, showing off the Cyber-shot DSC-TX7. Each ad featured a Sony-affiliated celebrity to pitch its electronic products, such as its 3-D television and its e-reader. Sony spent nearly $5 billion on their global ad campaigns. The launch of BRAVIA was different in different countries like in India advertisement featured thousands of square anthropomorphic pixels. A Kathakali dancers green face turns into pixels which run away from him. He finds his face later in a Sony BRAVIA television Pull Strategy Sony Corporation has adopted a The PULL STRATEGY to have direct interface with the end user of the offering. Sony has minimized the use of channels of distribution is during the first stages of promotion and a major commitment to advertisement has been under taken. The objective is to pull the prospects into the various channel outlets creating a demand the channels cannot ignore. Place: Sony has targeted its markets in the urban areas, in big cities like New Delhi, Pune, Mumbai etc. In most of all this places, Sony has more than four different distributors like Sony world and also they have Sony service centers. Above mentioned is the marketing mix of Sony Corporation. Marketing mix plays an important role in achieving the organizations goals and objectives. Marketing mix of a company determines the future way of companys growth. Change must be made in the marketing mix as per the changes in customers needs and expectations and the economic growth. Marketing research is very important for the survival of a company. By doing marketing research a company can easily find out what is happening in the market and what are the changes which it should make in the organizations value delivering process. The Marketing Plan is a highly detailed, heavily researched and, hopefully, well written report that many inside and possibly outside the organization will evaluate. It is an essential document for both large corporate marketing departments and for startup companies. Essentially the Marketing Plan: forces the marketing personnel to look internally in order to fully understand the results of past marketing decisions. forces the marketing personnel to look externally in order to fully understand the market in which they operate. sets future goals and provides direction for future marketing efforts that everyone within the organization should understand and support. is a key component in obtaining funding to pursue new initiatives. The Marketing Plan is generally undertaken for one of the following reasons: Needed as part of the yearly planning process within the marketing functional area. Needed for a specialized strategy to introduce something new, such as new product planning, entering new markets, or trying a new strategy to fix an existing problem. Is a component within an overall business plan, such as a new business proposal to the financial community? In this project Following components are used: Purpose and Mission Situational Analysis Marketing Strategy and Objectives Additional Consideration Prior knowledge with regard to the learning outcomes If the market is very attractive and enterprise is one of the strongest in the industry you then the organization should invest best resources in support of their offering. If the market is very attractive and the enterprise is one of the weaker ones in the industry then it must concentrate on strengthening the enterprise, using their offering as a stepping stone toward this objective. If the market is not especially attractive, but the enterprise is one of the strongest in the industry then an effective marketing and sales effort for their offering will be good for generating near term profits. If the market is not especially attractive and the enterprise is one of the weaker ones in the industry then the organization should promote their offering only if it supports a more profitable part of your business or if it absorbs some of the overhead costs of a more profitable segment. Otherwise, the organization should determine the most cost effective way to divest the enterprise of this offering Comments on the learning process undergone While undergoing learning process, I was able to apply various concepts which were taught in the classrooms to the practical situations which Sony has under went in their way of doing business. I could analyze the importance of various factors which were directly related to the success of the business like the appropriate mix of marketing components called product, price, promotion and place. I could relate various marketing concept which were studied in the text books like pull and push strategy and pricing strategies like price skimming and price penetration. I could understand the market mix in dept and it was a great experience to find out what happens when there is a slight change in the marketing mix of an organization. I could understand the strategies which Sony has followed from time to time in order to sustain and gain competitive advantage. I could understand how organizations take strategic decisions in the long run and what were the effects if the strategic decisions does not work well

Comparison Of International Healthcare System Health And Social Care Essay

Comparison Of International Healthcare System Health And Social Care Essay This research paper deals with comparison between health care systems of United States and India. I chose these two countries because of my familiarity with health care system in India and interest in the U.S health care system. While U.S. and India have few things in common, there are a lot of differences. The health care systems in these two countries are an ideal example of fundamental difference in health care system of an industrialized country and a developing country as well as two different approaches to health care. I will elaborate components of health care system, performance of health care system , health care expenditures, how government in involved, health care coverage and insurance system and a little about administration and payment system. Introduction: The health care system in United States can be categorized as public-private health care system while India has a universal health care system. In US, Health care facilities are largely owned and operated by the private sector. Health insurance is primarily provided by the private sector, with the exception of programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, SCHIP (Childrens Health Insurance Program) and VA (Veterans Health Administration). Universal health care system is built around the principle of providing universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision. Over the past few years, Indian health care system is in transition. With the growth of Indian economy, more and more money is pumped into nations health care system. This infusion of money has resulted in substantial gains in health care including increased life expectancy, reduced infant mortality and the eradication of several diseases; although these gains have been uneven across subpopulations. A comparison between health care system of US and India can shed light on the challenges that are common to both and also highlight the unique challenges each faces. What is Health Care System? Health care system is made up of individuals and organizations that are involved in the delivery of health care to target population. Health care system can also be defined as the organization of people, institutions and resources to deliver health care services to meet the health needs of target populations. Components of Health Care System The health care system is made up of three interrelated components; providers, institutions and clients. People who deliver health care services the professionals and practitioners are health care providers. Health care providers are the ones that serve the clients and provide them treatments. The systematic arrangements for delivering health care-the public and private agencies that organize, plan, regulate, finance and coordinate services are the institutions or organizations of the health care system. The institutional component includes hospitals, clinics and home-health agencies; the insurance companies and programs that pay for services like Blue Cross and Blue Shield, managed-care plans such as health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs); and entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid. People in need of health care services are health care consumers or clients. Clients receive care from the healthcare provider. They also either pay the payers such as insurance companies who then pay the provider- or they pay the provider directly, or they have their bills paid on their behalf by the government. Providers receive payment from the payers. Payers are those who finance the healthcare. Payers can include the family of the client, the clients themselves, the insurance companies, or the government. Performance of health care system Performance of health care system can be measured by examining which system performs better and its ability to distribute health care to the population. While comparing health care systems of US and India, I am not going to take into account the vast difference in resources available to each country; instead I will focus on the relative measure of total resources available and resources allocated to health care. We will use traditional measure of infant mortality, life expectancy and cancer survivability rate of the target population to compare health care systems of US and India. Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year. This number can be used as measure of health of target population. Life expectancy in US is 78.3 years. Life expectancy in India is 64.7 years. Infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births. This number is used as an indicator of the level of health care access and awareness in a country. The infant mortality rate of the world is 49.4 according to the United Nations and 42.09 according to the CIA World Fact book. Infant mortality rate in US is 6.3. Infant mortality rate in India is 55. Cancer survival rate is the percentage of people who survive a certain type of cancer for a specific amount of time, usually measured for five years. This number is good indicator of richness of health care system. In US, cancer screening tests like mammograms, Pap smear, PSA screening and colonoscopy are used more frequently. US have plenty of diagnostic equipments like Enhanced imaging equipments like LIFE (Lung Imaging Fluorescence Endoscopy), MRI machines and CT scanners. Abundance of these machines results in early screenings for cancer which in turn help in early treatment of cancer. Cancer survival rate in US is 63% in men and 66% in men Cancer survival rate in India is 30%. Health care expenditure U.S. spends more money on health care than any other nation in the world. In 2008, U.S. spent 16.2% of GDP on health care. This is around $2.3 trillion or $7681 per capita, of these 46% is financed by government. Healthcare is one of Indias largest sectors in terms of revenue and employment and the sector is expanding rapidly. But it is nowhere near US health care sector in terms of size. During the 1990s, Indian health care grew at annual rate of 16%. Currently, the total value of the sector is more than $34 billion. This is around $34 per capita, or roughly 6% of GDP (private expenditure of 5.0% and public expenditure of 0.9%), of these 19% is financed by government. Naturally, the overall standard of health care available to the majority of population is poor. The problems of care surrounding childbirth and maternal health, malnutrition in children, all kinds of infectious diseases and infestations are rampant mostly among rural and urban poor who constitute the majority of the population. Government Involvement in health care In the U.S., direct government funds health care through Medicare, Medicaid that covers senior citizens over 65, poor and disabled, nursing home care and women with low income and State Childrens Health Insurance Program which covers children in families below 200% of poverty level. The federal government also runs the Veterans Administration, which provides medical care to veterans, their families and survivors. Some 59% of U.S. residents have employer health care coverage although this figure is decreasing Workers contribution varies widely in this coverage. People who are self employed or unemployed have to purchase their own insurance. U.S. federal and state governments is more and more involved in U.S. health care spending regardless of large private business. In 2004, governments spent 45% of the $2.2 trillion spent on medical care in 2004. The U.S. government spends more on health care than on Social Security and national defense combined. Beyond direct spending, the U.S. government is also involved in health care through regulation. For example, the 1973 HMO Act provides for HMO by giving grants and loans. The health care system in India is characterized by multiple systems of medicine, mixed ownership patterns and different kinds of delivery structures. Public sector ownership is divided between central and state governments, municipal and Panchayat local governments. Public health facilities include teaching hospitals, secondary level hospitals, first-level referral hospitals (CHCs or rural hospitals), dispensaries; primary health centers (PHCs), sub-centers and health posts. Also included are public facilities for selected occupational groups like organized work force (ESI), defense, government employees, (CGHS), railways, post and telegraph and mines among others. Health care in India is universal health care system run by the constituent states and territories of India. The private sector is the dominant sector in India. In India, already 80% of the curative care is being sought by people from the private sector. Hospitals are run by government, charitable trusts and private organizations. The government hospitals in rural areas are called Primary Health Center. These provide basic health care. If there are patients such as snake bite or heart attack, such patients are given basic drug treatment and then sent to a hospital nearby. Hospitals are located in major cities. Along with modern system of medicine, traditional and indigenous medicinal systems like Ayurvedic and Homeopathy systems are in practice throughout the country. Indian health care system is run by the state governments. Government hospitals provide preliminary treatment at the expense of taxpayers. Primary care is focused on immunization, malnutrition prevention, pre and postnatal care and treatment of common ailments. Necessary drugs are offered for free in government hospitals. In these hospitals, charges for basic in-hospital check-up and treatment are much less compared to the private sector. But the private sector also is not expensive when compared to western countries. The cost for these subsidies comes from central and state governments. But government hospitals are not financed enough and have less staff. Since they do not face competition, government hospitals do not maintain basic standards of treatment. Because of these factors, many people are either forced to or prefer to visit private medical practitioners. The majority of the Indian population is unable to access high quality healthcare provided by private entities as a result of high costs. Many are now looking towards insurance companies for providing alternative financing options so that they too can afford better quality healthcare. 75% of expenditure on healthcare in India is still being met by out-of-pocket consumers. Only 10% of the Indian population today has health insurance coverage. The opportunity remains huge for insurance providers entering into the Indian healthcare market since Health insurance has a way of increasing accessibility to quality healthcare delivery for private healthcare providers for whom high cost remains a barrier. Health Care Coverage and Access About 16% of US population is uninsured. Also, about 24% of the U.S. population was under-insured and have insurance that barely covers their medical needs. This leaves them unprepared for major medical expenses. According to some studies, about 40% of U.S. citizens do not have sufficient health insurance to cover their health needs. 59% of U.S. citizens have health insurance related to employment, 27% have government-provided health-insurance while nearly 9% purchase health insurance directly (there is some overlap in these figures). Medical debt is the one of the major cause of bankruptcy in the United States. Thus, the cost of health care not the availability of resources is major impedance to health care access in US. The US federal government does not offer universal health care to all its citizens. But there are some publicly funded health care programs to help elderly, disabled, poor and children. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act or EMTALA ensures public access to emergency services. The EMTALA law forces emergency health care providers to stabilize an emergency health crisis and cannot withhold treatment for lack of evidence of insurance coverage or other evidence of the ability to pay. But person receiving health care under EMTALA still has to pay the hospital. Hospital can pursue any defaulter for the cost of emergency services they provided. When it comes to healthcare, there are two faces of India: a country that provides high-quality medical care to middle-class Indians and medical tourists and a country whose residents have limited or no access to quality health care. Today only 25% of the Indian population has access to Western (allopathic) medicine, which is practiced mainly in urban areas, where two-thirds of Indias hospitals and health centers are located. Many of the rural poor must rely on alternative forms of treatment, such as Ayurvedic and Homeopathy. A widespread lack of health insurance compounds the healthcare challenges India is facing. Although some form of health protection is provided by government and major private employers, health insurance schemes available to the Indian public are generally basic and inaccessible to most people. Only 11% of the population has any form of health insurance coverage. For the small percentage of Indians who do have some insurance, the main providers are all government run insurance companies. Only 1% of the population was covered by private health insurance in 2004-05. Because so little insurance is available to the population of India, out-of-pocket payments for medical care amounted to 98.4% of total health expenditures by households, as of the most recent (2001-02) census. Without insurance, the poor must resort to taking on debt or selling assets to meet the costs of health care. It is estimated that 20 million people in India fall below the poverty line each year because of indebtedness due to healthcare needs. Availability of health care resources There is a greater availability of health care equipments and facilities for tests such as mammograms and PAP smears (for women), PSA screenings (for men) and colonoscopies in US. Consequently, the use of these tests is more frequent in the U.S. for example, 86 percent of U.S. women ages 40 to 69 have had a mammogram. The U.S. also is endowed with many MRI machines and CT scanners per capita. Higher levels of screening and equipment helps in early detection and treatment of diseases like cancer. While no such statistics is available for India, low cancer survivability rate can be attributed to scarcity of diagnostic facilities in India. In the United States, access to health care is primarily determined by whether a person can pay for the treatment, by the availability of services in the area and by willingness of the provider to deliver service at the price set by the insurer. Wait time Waiting time determines how fast a patient is able to get medical attention. Waiting time illustrates efficiency of health care system. In US, the average wait time was 17 days for an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. One of my friend had to wait 27 days to see a female surgeon. In India, according to one survey, waiting time is a chronic problem affecting hospitals run by Indian government. 44% patients wait in the hospital for more than two weeks before seeing doctor for preliminary diagnosis. They cannot start treatment before knowing cause of their illness. Although this is not the case in private hospitals. In some government hospitals, patient has to wait for couple of weeks for X-ray or USG exams. Waiting time for surgery could stretch up to 2 months. In India, it is not mandatory to reach a government hospital in times of emergency. You can go to your physicians private hospital or a multi-facility hospital run by a panel of doctors. Also you have an easy access to your Primary care physician in case you need to talk to him. This does not happen in U.S. You have to communicate with the nursing staff before talking to your physician. India faces a huge need gap in terms of availability of number of hospital beds per 1000 population. India stands just a little over 0.7 hospital beds per 1000 population whereas U.S. has 2.5 beds per 1000 population. Administrative overheads Administration accounts for 31% of health care spending in the United States. Some of that money goes to doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. Private insurance in US has administrative overhead of about 12%, Medicare has administrative overhead of about 4% while Medicaid has administrative overhead of about 7%. United States have a program to provide prescription drugs to the poor but it is limited. The introduction of Medicare Part D in US has extended partial coverage for drugs to Medicare recipients. Most important difference between health care systems of US and India is the much higher cost of prescription drugs in the United States. It is very expensive to get a treatment in United States as compared to India. For instance: cost of normal delivery in Indian private hospitals is approximately Rs 6,000 ($120). It is free of charge in government hospitals for everyone. Caesarean section costs about Rs 20,000 ($400) inclusive of anesthesia charges and drug expense but you pay everything out of pocket. In U.S. cost of normal delivery is approximately $20,000. Insurance plan covers most of the cost but depending on the plan, patients usually receive separate bills for anesthesiology and other expenses. U.S. disallows Medicare or Medicaid from negotiating drug prices. Therefore, they cannot buy medicines in bulk and lower prices. In US, the cost of malpractice lawsuits is 0.46% of health care spending which comes to $16 per person each year for the total cost of settlements, legal fees, and insurance. The total cost of defending and settling malpractice lawsuits in the U.S. in 2001 was approximately $6.5 billion, or 0.46% of total health spending. According to some, defensive medicine consumes up to 9% of American healthcare expenses. India has fewer doctors per capita than the United States. US have 2.3 doctors per 1,000 people in 2005 while India has 0.6 doctors per 1000 people. Physicians are paid fee for service. Now multi-facility clinics have a panel of doctors who work as hospital employees. There are a number of additional costs that are significantly higher in the U.S. Government orders on keeping the records of insured people which results in greater administrative effort. Higher marketing costs by insurance companies and health care providers contribute to higher health care costs. Conclusion Overall health care system in India and U.S has their own drawback and benefits. U.S. health care system is better in terms of cost coverage and quality health care but it is more expensive than that in India and lack of universal care affect the poor people in U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed on 23rd March, 2010 mandates universal coverage for all. This will certainly benefit the poor. So, by expanding resources and making health care more affordable and accessible to many Americans through premium tax credits, individual mandates, the expansion of Medicaid, new employer benefits and responsibilities, and state-based Exchanges, the United States has taken a step in the right direction.   Health care reform will absolutely grant many millions of Americans with what we feel is a basic human right: access to health care.