Blue Cross Essay

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a  well established family  of health benefits companies providing health services for 100 million Americans. Blue Cross insured approximately 12,300 active groups as of October 1, 2005. The groups had a total of 47,000 enrolled subscribers and 92,000 members. This contrasts with 13,800 groups as of January 1, 2003, with 58,000 subscribers and 115,000 total members. Nationwide, more than 96% of hospitals and 91% of professional providers contract with Blue Cross company — more than any other insurer.Blue Cross offers a variety of insurance products to all segments of the population, including large employer groups, small business and individuals. The Blues currently serve 85% of Fortune 100 companies and 76% of Fortune 500 companies. Moreover, the Blues have enrolled more than half of all U. S. federal workers, retirees and their families, making the Federal Employee Program the largest single health plan group in the world. Th e Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies enroll in the Federal Employee Program (FEP) — the largest privately underwritten health insurance contract in the world — more than 5. million federal government employees, dependents and retirees. Blue Cross company established the appropriate operating mode according to the special needs of the local community, brings high-quality, affordable health care services to the American public, including low-income people, the elderly and urban residents. The applications will involve patients, doctors, businesses, medical education and research institutions and government decision-making bodies, and many departments.

The Native American Struggle

The Native American Struggle The way of life for the Native Americans changed greatly when the settlers arrived but they fought strongly to hold onto their sacred beliefs. No amount of influence or interference from the Europeans could change what the American Indians believed in. The natives fought long and hard to try to preserve their heritage and their lifestyles. While they are still given a small portion of land to live on, the plight of the Native American people has been going on since the settlers first set foot upon this land and continues to this day. Largest TribesAlthough they are all considered Native Americas or American Indians, there are over 550 different tribes in the United States. According to Time For Kids (2008), â€Å"Nearly 1 out of every 100 people in the U. S. is a Native American. Most live in areas west of the Mississippi. Native Americans belong to 561 tribes. The Cherokee tribe of Oklahoma is the largest. † (para. 1). The five largest tribes are; 1. Cherokee 308,000 2. Navajo 219,000 3. Chippewa 104,000 4. Sioux 103,000 5. Choctaw 82,000 Figure 1. The above shows the top five largest American Indian tribes in the Untied States.As one can see, the populations are large, yet still the American Indians do not have enough land to sustain their tribes and heritage. Note: From Time For Kids (2008). The Cherokee tribe or rather Cherokee Nation is the largest tribe, often referred to as the most advanced tribe among the American Indians. As stated on Cherokee Nation (2009), â€Å"Since earliest contact with European explorers in the 1500’s, the Cherokee Nation has been identified as one of the most advanced among Native American tribes. Cherokee culture thrived for thousands of years in the southeastern United States before European contact.After contact, Cherokee society and culture continued to develop, progressing with acquisitions from European settlers. Soon, we had shaped a bicultural government and a society that mat ched the most ‘civilized’ of the time† (para. 1). The Navajo Nation, most known for their language, is the second largest Native American tribe, located mostly in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. The language of the Navajo people was often considered a mystical language. According to Navajo Nation (2005), â€Å" Visitors from around the world are intrigued and mystified when they hear the Navajo language – so, too, were the enemy during World War II.Unknown to many, the Navajo language was used to create a secret code to battle the Japanese. Navajo men were selected to create codes and serve on the front line to overcome and deceive those on the other side of the battlefield. Today, these men are recognized as the famous Navajo Code Talkers, who exemplify the unequaled bravery and patriotism of the Navajo people† (para. 2). During World War II the Navajo men who used that secret code were known as Wind Talkers. The third largest tribe in the United Sta tes and probably the least known, are the Chippewa Indians.In Access Genealogy (2009), â€Å"One of the largest tribes North of Mexico, whose range was formerly along both shores of Lake Huron and Superior, extending across Minnesota Turtle Mountains, North Dakota. Although strong in numbers and occupying an extensive territory, the Chippewa were never prominent in history, owing to their remoteness from the frontier during the period of the colonial wars† (para. 1). The last two tribes in the top five are the Sioux Indians and the Choctaw Indians. The Sioux people were among the most powerful within the Native American tribes.The Sioux was also home to one of the most popular Indian chiefs, Sioux Chief Sitting Bull. The Choctaw Indians are located mostly in Oklahoma. According to Choctaw (2008), â€Å"The Choctaws were one of the largest and most advanced tribes in all of North America† (para. 1). Early Life Before the arrival of the settlers, Native Americans lived a peaceful life, hunting and living off the land. The were dependant on the resources of the land. The plains Indians in the west were around for many centuries before the settlers arrived. Most American Indians are a deep spiritual people.According to _ (2003), â€Å"The natural environment helped to shape the people's thinking and cultures as they viewed the world and the Universe in a native perspective of a physical and metaphysical reality† (para. 2). Believing in the deep powers of the land, the plains Indians were very loyal to the environment. As stated on _ (2003), â€Å"The natural environment of the Great West provided life to American Indians. It also took life! People learned that working together, and hunting together, was extremely important! Living alone on the plains meant certain death.It was a hard life, taught by Nature†(para. 3). They survived by depends and respecting the land, and together as a people. Oftentimes the men of the tribes would leave for days at time to hunt and gather food, leaving the women to farm and care for the children and elders of the tribe. The Settlers Life for the Native Americans change dramatically once the settlers landed. At first Indians greeted the settlers in Jamestown with hostility just based on the treatment they received from the Spanish, but soon after they started sharing their food.According to The Library of Congress (2003), â€Å"At first, Powhatan, leader of a confederation of tribes around the Chesapeake Bay, hoped to absorb the newcomers through hospitality and his offerings of food. As the colonists searched for instant wealth, they neglected planting corn and other work necessary to make their colony self-sufficient. They therefore grew more and more dependent on the Indians for food† (para. 1). With Captain John Smith leading the settlers in Jamestown, trade relations did not always work with the Indians.The Library of Congress (2003) states, â€Å"Unfortunately for the Indians, Smith believed that the English should treat Indians as the Spanish had: to compel them to ‘drudgery, work, and slavery,’ so English colonists could live ‘like Soldiers upon the fruit of their labor. ’ Thus, when his negotiations with Indians for food occasionally failed, Smith took what he wanted by force† (para. 2). After the Native Americans knew the English settlers were here to stay, they began to attack. Powhatan was disappointed that the settlers were not as friendly and forthcoming as the Indians were.As stated in The Library of Congress (2003), â€Å"He knew that the English â€Å"invade my people, possess my country. † Indians thus began attacking settlers, killing their livestock, and burning such crops as they planted. All the while, Powhatan claimed he simply could not control the young men who were committing these acts without his knowledge or permission† (para. 3). Soon the settlers began fighting the American In dians, forcing them of their land and more west. Once the Indians started moving west, the English and French settlers laid stake to the land. Present DayEven today the tribes struggle to maintain their heritage. They remain a highly spiritual people. Most tribes however are plagued by poverty, high rates of teen suicide, and alcoholism. Under constant scrutiny for their beliefs and religious practices, up until 1978 the were forced to either convert to Christianity or be jailed (Wikipedia 2009). Even still, as recent as 1993 the Peyote Indians were denied certain parts of their religious practices. According to Wikipedia (2009), â€Å"However, despite the passing of the Freedom of Religion Act in 1973, several practices of Native American religion were still being stifled.For example, the Peyote Indians named their tribe after the peyote cactus, which is central to their religious practices. The peyote cactus was banned by the government, however, due to its powerful hallucinogeni c effects, and thus was still outlawed to be used by the Native Americans. It was not until the Native American Free Exercise of Religion Act of 1993 was passed that the Peyote Indians could lawfully use the peyote cactus in their religious celebrations† (para. 25). Figure 2. The pie chart illustrates the top five Native American tribes that had families living in poverty in 1989. Note: From U. S.Bureau of the Census (1990). Even in recent memory the amount of Native American families that lived in poverty was very high. Native American families that live in poverty rates among the higher than any other American ethnic group in the nation. Still today, most Native American Indians face discrimination on a daily basis. According to About. com (2009), â€Å"In the U. S. , Native Americans are a â€Å"minority† racial group, and as such, they continue to face discrimination. In fact, prior to the civil rights laws, once could find three separate drinking fountains labeled â€Å"Whites,† â€Å"Colored† and â€Å"Indian† in certain states.Movie theaters were similarly split into three separate sections† (para. 3). Even though most of the land that the Native American occupies is federally protected, the American Indians have a constant struggle with the government to protect their rights as a people. About. com (2009) states, â€Å"they continue to fight to protect their rights and religious freedoms, both of which have repeatedly been threatened over the years through denial of access to religious sites, prohibitions on the use or possession of sacred objects, and restrictions on their ability to worship through ceremonial and traditional means† (para. ). In summary, even though the Native American Indians way of life has changed drastically, their beliefs and lifestyle remain the same. The European settlers made a large impact on the American Indians but it was the they that helped the early settlers truly settle in to the new land and survive the harsh weather conditions of their first few years on the new continent. Native American Indians are of strong will and deep beliefs, they still fight for their rights as a people.Even in this new century of technological advances, the Native American Indians work hard every day, from their small Indian Reservations that they call home, to preserve their heritage and their way of life.References About. com (2009). Native American Indian History and the Native American's Ongoing Fight. Retrieved February 17, 2009, from http://racerelations. about. com/od/thehierarchyofrace/a/nativeamericans. htm Access Genealogy (2009). Chippewa Indian History. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from http://www. accessgenealogy. com/native/tribes/chippewa/chippewahist. tm Cherokee Nation (2009). A Brief History of the Cherokee Nation . Retrieved January Day, 2009, from http://www. cherokee. org/Culture/57/Page/default. aspx Choctaw Indians (2008). On the Genealogical Choctaw Trail. Retrieved February 14, 2009, from http://www. choctaw. org/History/Genealogy/Genealogy. html Navajo Nation (2005). Navajo Nation History. Retrieved January 2009, from http://www. navajo. org/history. htm The Library of Congress (2003). Virginia's Early Relations with Native Americans. Retrieved February 17, 2009, from http://memory. loc. ov/learn/features/timeline/colonial/indians/indians. html Time For Kids (2008). Top 5 Largest Native American Tribes. Retrieved February 6,2009,from http://www. timeforkids. com/TFK/teachers/wr/article/0,27972,96120,00. html U. S. Bureau of the Census (1990). Characteristics of American Indians by Tribe and Language. Retrieved February 7, 2009, from http://www. census. gov/population/socdemo/race/indian/ailang2. txt Wikipedia (2009). Americanization (of Native Americans). Retrieved February 15, 2009, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Americanization_(of_Native_Americans)

Oppressive Qualities of Society

The Oppressive Qualities of Society Society’s oppressive nature greatly affects the lives of the people within it, and the expectations society sets for its citizens drive people to strive for acceptance from their peers. In â€Å"A Respectable Woman,† Mrs. Baroda, a young wife, who tries diligently to welcome her husband’s friend Gouvernail into their society, becomes enthralled with him, facing temptation that would be viewed with trepidation.Similarly, in â€Å"A Shameful Affair,† Mildred, a repressed young woman, enticed by a farmhand, faces temptation and forced to fight her personal desires because of society’s restriction based on class hierarchy. In â€Å"The Kiss,† a woman sets aside her personal desire for the image she believes society desires the most in a marriage. In her short stories, Kate Chopin illustrates contrasting imagery and intense and tempting diction to convey that society dictates people’s decisions because pe ople worry about their portrayal in society and are forced to concede their personal desires.Society’s expectations tend to reflect an ideal role, and because of this expectation society’s restrictions bind people because of their fear of an unjust portrayal in it. Society expects women to act as loving and caring mothers devoted to their children while their husband. For example, â€Å"A Respectable Woman,† when Mrs. Baroda welcomes her husband’s friend Gouvernail, she â€Å"imposed her society upon him . . . she persistently sought to penetrate the reserve in which he had unconsciously enveloped himself† (213).Chopin’s use of intense diction such as â€Å"imposed† which denotes a forcibly placed restriction, and â€Å"persistently† which denotes a tenacious behavior despite of initial opposition, suggests society’s strict expectation for woman to gracefully welcome others in their society by imposing those expected ide als on other people. Mrs. Borada’s diligence in welcoming Gouvernail becomes an infatuation when she becomes entranced by his stoic behavior towards her. The heavily stressed importance society places on material objects transferred to the expectations women believe they should strive to.For example, Nathalie coerces Brantain to become her fiance despite her desire for another, because he â€Å"was enormously rich; and she liked . . . the entourage which wealth could give her† (225). Chopin’s use of intense diction such as â€Å"enormous,† which has a denotation of grand, suggests the importance of material objects in society. She reveals how the desire for material objects taints the view of marriage, because of how the status that accompanies them is easily accepted in this materialistic society. These expectations that society sets forth tend to dictate the decisions of women.People’s choices depend on what is acceptable because individuals rema in more concerned with the image they portray to society than their personal desires. For example, when Gouvernail goes outside to bring Mrs. Baroda a sweater, she feels drawn to him, but â€Å"the stronger the impulse grew to bring herself near him the further . . . did she draw away† (215). Chopin’s use of passionate diction such as â€Å"impulse,† which contains a denotation of a strong urge, conveys the inner conflict that arises when a woman’s personal desire clashes with what she believes is right according to society.In contrast, when Mildred is fishing with the farmhand, â€Å"his brown hand came down upon Mildred’s white one,† (165). Chopin illustrates the differences between Mildred and the farmhand, with Mildred’s â€Å"white one† conveying that she is pure and innocent, while the farmhand’s remains roughened and tanned by the labor he is forced to perform due to his role in society. Furthermore, Mildredâ€⠄¢s withdrawal from something she clearly desires shows how she is forced to choose her image in society over he own desires. Women in society must ignore their impulses because harsh and unfair consequences await them if they do not conform.Lastly, despite the suppression of women’s desires, they are still forced to face consequences for their tempting thoughts. For example, after the farmhand kissed Mildred she realizes that â€Å"the secret must remain her own, a hateful burden to bear alone† (166). Chopin’s use of harsh diction such as â€Å"hateful† and â€Å"burden† conveys society’s negative view on personal desires such as Mildred’s attraction to the â€Å"Offender,† or the farmhand, while â€Å"alone† portrays a tone of alienation to suggest the idea that if she were to pursue her desires, then society would scorn her.Even when people try to ignore their desires in lieu of an image they fight to portray to socie ty, they are still left to suffer. For instance, when Nathalie is married, she expects to receive the wealth and position in society because of her convenient marriage while also having what she truly desires out of society’s view, yet she learns that â€Å"a person can’t have everything in this world† (227). Chopin’s figure of speech, that people can’t have everything, conveys the idea that loss will exist no matter a person’s decision because they cannot have â€Å"everything,† and will be forced to choose between their desires and those of society.No matter how hard a person tries to escape the ridicule of society they still face the pain of loss and suffering because of suppressed desires. Fitting in is a controversial topic within society. No matter the change in era or the region people occupy, the desire to be deemed acceptable lives strong within everybody. In Chopin’s short stories she illustrates contrasting imagery a nd intense and tempting diction to suggest that society’s strict expectations influence the decisions of women because they are more worried about how they are portrayed to society then complying with their desires.

Sisters of the Screen film Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sisters of the Screen film - Movie Review Example Evidently, the film brought together personal reflections, legal issues as well as gender related challenges that defined the participation of women in film making in Africa. From the diverse range of stories in the film, it becomes easy to understand the challenges that African women face when practicing film making. A film is a useful tool for viewers who need to gain familiarity with such challenges. The film revealed both production/ distribution challenges, gender based obstacles as well as other issues that film makers face as they try to strike a balance between the feminine roles and their career. From the details provided in the film, it becomes evident that women are willing to explore the film making limits that African men in the industry have not explored. From the personal stories, the different filmmakers tell the audience becomes more aware of the salient frustrations that women in Africa face when they chose film-making as a career. Notably, the film exposes the entry of African women into film making and the progress they have registered in the past years. However, the film also reveals how the lack of resources has proved to be a challenge in the production and distribution of films in Africa. Moreover, the film served to reveal laws as well as the statutes that serve as barriers for successful film making in Africa. Without a doubt, the film that brought togethe r the voices of numerous film makers who are women from Africa is an effective tool in revealing the challenges they face in film making.

Friedman and Hayek's neo-liberal political economy Research Paper

Friedman and Hayek's neo-liberal political economy - Research Paper Example If the delivery of mail is a technical monopoly, no one else will be able to succeed in competition with the government. If it is not, there is no reason why the government should be engaged in it. The only way to find out is to leave other people free to enter. (Friedman 1982, p. 29) He therefore disapproves of the idea of the government monopolizing many fields where the private sectors would be able to participate in. Where there is an involvement by the government, because it is necessary, then it should be a legal monopoly, whereby the private sector is prohibited by the law to participate. Hayek Friedrich von Hayek and The neo-liberal political theory Hayek, while continuing with Adam Smith’s liberal traditions, comes to define the concept of minimal state. The most vital contributions include the radical opposition to social justice system which in his opinion disguises the defending of the middle class’ corporate interest. It promotes the complete removal of eco nomic and public social intervention. The idea of the minimal state was just a means of breaking away from middle class’ power which was known to be controlling the democratic processes with an intention of using the public treasury to redistribute wealth. Hayek’s views on neo-political economy as presented in the constitution of liberty (Hayek 1960) and advocates for elimination of ruling, privatization, elimination of housing, fighting of unemployment through the limitation of the number of programs, , reduction of the total social security expenditures, subsidies and rent control and lastly to remove the power of the trade unions. Redistribution cannot be ensured by the state to serve social justice system. Its function is to provide the legal means that... This paper illustrates both Hayek and Milton Friedman defend neo-liberal economy on grounds that it is rational and an inherently free way that people may relate to one another, by removing undue obstacles that the state often imposes on the exchange of goods and services. Neoliberal political economic theory therefore goes beyond identification of the market as a mere place for production of goods and services but as a place that is tangential top the interaction of people. This conception of market economy issues being closely intertwined with socio-moral issues and social relations have equally been raised by the classical liberal theorist. Robins, for instance, stresses the value of inherent morality that underlies ensuring free exchange in the market. He asserts that the ultimate value of liberal political economy is liberty, and not just the market or private ownership. Liberty is very important to the society, in order that every member of the society may be in a position to o ptimize his or her social contribution. When the government gets too much into controlling the private individuals, their optimal contributions will be greatly minimized by the systematic obstacles that the state put in place, such as limitation as to quotas, quantity of exports, price fixing and so on. Such erosion of liberty in the manner an individual deals with one’s products in the market would be a great disincentive to the spirit of enthusiasm, which sustains production.

Design Process Technical Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Design Process Technical - Research Paper Example Other features comprise of applications that manage the phones music and other apps. This paper focuses on the technical analysis of the smart watch device, specifically the Apple watch. The CEO, Tim Cook introduced Apple watch device at the Apples Sept. 2014 special event keynote. This was done alongside the introduction of the new iPhones, that is, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The product’s user-friendly interface and sleek design ensures it conforms to the companys other widespread Apple consumer products (Johnson, 2015). The Apple Watch was specifically designed to work with the iPhone 5 devices or that of a later version. The watch mandates the presence of the iPhone for it to work well since it has limited functionalities when it is placed far off from the phone. The Apple Watch consists of integrated inventions and technological advancements placed on the software and hardware of the device (Johnson, 2015). The smart watch has a simple user interface (UI) design that enables the end user to easily interact with it using sound, sight and touch. Apart from the anticipated utilities incorporated in this device such as messaging, picking calls, finding directions, keeping appointments and playing music, the device has additional high functionality that facilitates processing payments. Moreover, the smart watch has the ability for monitoring the human heart rate and in other particular cases, it can be programmed to open or unlock electronic doors. It apparently serves the need of keeping time, which it is incredibly accurate at, besides doubling up as an attractive fashion accessory that possesses lots of customizable apps (Johnson, 2015). On the right side of the smart watch device, that is, if an end user is viewing the watch’s face, there exists a knob which the Apple tech team refers to as the Digital Crown. Its main function on the Apple Watch is to function as an input device that lets the end-user perform various

Avon Calls on Foreign Markets Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Avon Calls on Foreign Markets - Case Study Example 62). Avon’s marketing orientations For the US market, Avon has resorted to door to door selling via saleswomen who have been marketing the products via the word of mouth and establishing personal contacts with the customers and tapping a huge customer base. Globally Avon had resorted to country specific marketing, such as naming some of its products in the local language, when taking over a local company with a goodwill Avon kept certain names unchanged. For Asian regions, as customers tend to but products which are foreign, Avon kept their foreign names and prints instructions in the local language. It has also gone forward with the Hello Tomorrow campaign to signify a brand which is looking towards the future and also associated with breast cancer awareness (Daniels, Radebaugh, Sullivan, 2010, pp 622-624). Avon’s foreign operations The predicted growth for the company in the U.S. was low, since it had no new place to spread within the country to create a market for co smetics, toiletries and fragrances. The number of companies manufacturing these kinds of products in the US being large, Avon was facing considerable amount of competition. So Avon decided to expand its operations to other potential countries where it could register growth through increased sales. Also Avon’s lady representatives were the ones who sold Avon products, tapped customers and registered orders. This was cost saving for the company as this system required smaller number of employees and helped Avon to maintain low prices, a good image and a constant customer base. In the late 90’s, when US women started working in multinational companies fulltime, Avon found it difficult to get saleswomen. When the US market dried up, Avon found new ground in countries like Brazil and Philippines, where the women are usually do not leave their home. There was sufficient number of saleswomen available to reach out to the desolate areas to sell Avon products. (Daniels, Radebau gh, Sullivan, 2010, pp 621,622) Socioeconomic and demographic changes affecting Avon Socioeconomic changes involve the way society views a product. Demographic changes include aging customers. Both of these may affect the demand. From the socioeconomic point of view, a new type of conditioner may become important, whereas aging customers may want different age specific products according to their wants and needs. Accordingly Avon will have to come out with variants of the products and introduce new ones where necessary to maintain their customer base (Klepacki, 2005, pp 55, 56). Recession, a boom for Avon Every company and industry is affected by a recession as so many international aspects are related. The fields where Avon may feel the pinch are sales, suppliers and employees. Surprisingly when the recession hit in 2008 and the world felt the crisis deepening, the company recruited many saleswomen and men for their sales jobs. This happened because the recession led to massive lay offs, which in turn meant that more people were now available to do Avon’s door-to-door selling. Avon also took in male representatives, so as to allow men to be secure with a job, although it was traditionally reserved only for women (Daniels, Radebaugh, Sullivan, 2010, pp 622; Pauline, 2009). Avon’s Competitive Advantage Avon has a major competitive advantage over its competitors. It has an unparallel reputation in the beauty products market. Its main competition area had been the direct sales area,

CompTac Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CompTac - Essay Example Green should have been honest to begin with and never laundered the money from his employer into his personal checking. When the accounts are audited, these transactions will reflect on the company’s statements. The company can file criminal charges against Green, as well as terminate Green’s employment with the company......4.) Yes, Green committed a crime. Green committed hacking crimes, as well as a white collar crime known as employee theft. Even though Green returned the money the next week and no one noticed the discrepancy in the accounting books. These transactions to and from his personal checking account would still reflect in the CompTac records. These transactions can still be linked to Green. Green is guilty of laundering ten thousand dollars from his employer’s business checking into his personal checking. Then Green laundered the money back to the accounts at CompTac in an attempt to be honest. However, Green should have been honest to begin with a nd never laundered the money from his employer into his personal checking. When the accounts are audited, these transactions will reflect on the company’s statements. The company can file criminal charges against Green, as well as terminate Green’s employment with the company. 5.) I would implement a rating system of some sorts. I would continue to market the game to older teens, and adults. These kinds of games are suitable for older teens. The parents of younger teens, and children might agree with me that if their children were a little older then the game would be suitable for their child to play. However, because the game is not marketed to just older teens, and adults some younger teens, and children are beginning to discover the game, and are beginning to reflect the actions taken by the characters in the game. This is what has so many educators, parents, and other public committees outraged, that because of the violence the younger teens, and children are begin ning to become more aggressive. This is not something that happens to older teens, and adults when they play games like this.  

AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE (ATM) Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE (ATM) - Term Paper Example Haag Cummings and Rea(2004) state that Automated teller machines are electronic telecommunications device that enables the clients seeking the transactions of a financial institution to perform financial transactions (Cummings et al., 2004). It achieves this without the need for human cashier, clerk or bank teller. According to Anand (2006), ATM is a banking terminal capable of linking customers with 24 hours deposit and withdrawal services for the clients at any time (Anand, 2006). The ATMs or cash dispenser devices are installed in the bank halls and spread across the city or specific locations for convenience of the customer. They mechanically accept deposits; give withdrawals, transfer funds between varied accounts and issue bills. Over the past years, many people have tried to claim that they are the investor of the ATM; others believe that Luther George Simjian is documented to be an inventor due to his idea that came first. Some believe it was Don Wetzel, some other people say the inventor is John Shepherd-Barron. In the late 1930’s, Luther George Simian tried to build an ATM but it was not a successful version of ATM. The author did not register related patents; initially designed with the idea of creating a hole in the wall. It was allowing customers to make financial transitions without going to the bank. However according to BBC London (27 June 2007), on the topic Enfield’s cash gift to the world indicated that the first of these that decided to roll out the technology was the Barclays bank. It is located in Enfield town towards the northern part of London,in the United Kingdom on 27 June 1967. The machine was the first in the world. English comedy actor Reg was the first person who made use of the ATM (BBC, 2007). The art of linking the different ATM devices to a central computer is a common occurrence at the moment. The idea came into reality when the world wide web and the internet were rolled out. Banks keep databases of

Antebellum families and women generally(base on the book I list in Essay

Antebellum families and women generally(base on the book I list in details) - Essay Example He notes that the Celias defense questioned the role of the white man as the protector of women within southern society, analyzing the concept of male honor, a key factor of the Souths social system. It highlighted the plight of young female slaves who were sexually manipulated. The case had a major significance in that it created boundaries of slavery in Missouri. Celias story generally portrays a political and legal system that condoned rape and sexual abuse of female slaves in Antebellum families. In the 1800s, slavery became an ingrained economic and legal institution (Williamson and Cain, 1). In Antebellum families, owning slaves was prestigious, a measure of wealth. Bales notes that slaves cost around $40,000 in Antebellum at the time. Robert Newson viewed his slaves as a perfect reward for the years he had spent laboring (McLaurin, 8). Slaves were used and abused by their master, and Newton’s relations with Celia were no different. Newton raped his new slave on their trip home, an indication that he hoped to use her as a sexual tool following his wife’s death (McLaurin 18). Newton employed her as the house cook, a possible cover up of his sexual relations with Celia. She was exposed to continuous sexual exploitation by her master (McLaurin 22) who considered sexual relations with her his privilege (McLaurin 28-29). He granted her favors due to their sexual relationship. She owned her own cabin very close to the family house - a very rare occurrence in Antebe llum America. She bore two children, believed to be fathered by Newton. Slaves were regarded as insignificant. They were powerless and defenseless. Gordon-Reed (p.50) highlights the paradoxical role of sexual relations between masters and slaves, despite the stigma attached to slaves. When George, a fellow slave fell in love with Celia, he was so frustrated that he could not protect Celia from the man who owned them both (McLaurin 25). Slaves were their owners’ property. George and Celia were

SPA Management Business Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

SPA Management Business Plan - Term Paper Example Location and Floor Plan 24 5.5. Equipment 25 5.6. Inventory 25 5.7. Technology 26 5.8. Customer service 26 6. Personal Financial Statement 26 6.1. Personal Financial Statement 27 6.2. Start-up Expenses and Capitalisation 27 6.3. Financial Objectives 28 6.4. Balance sheet forecast 29 6.5. The profit and loss forecast 30 6.6. Expected cash flow 31 6.7. Break Even analysis 32 Reference 33 Bibliography 35 2. Executive Summary SoulConcord aims to be the premier spa salon in Los Angeles, California. The company is determined to offer a unique combination of offered services and products to offer the customers a luxury experience. The company would carry out intensive marketing and promotional activities to quickly gain market share. SoulConcord would provide customers with a relaxing, rejuvenating atmosphere where the products and services can satisfy all their mind and body requirements. The business would be set up with a management team including Myriam Maier, Yves-Jerome Ludwigs and Gi an Matteo Mannering. At the first year, the company may face certain difficulties. However, in the coming years, it is determined to make a huge success. 3. The Business 3.1. Business Description In the contemporary society, spa is turning out as part of day to day life. One can notice, spa is mushrooming at a faster rate even in the suburbs and thus the spa industry is growing at a healthy rate throughout the world. As the concept of spa is quite new, often people misunderstood it with other non-spa businesses like beauty salons, massage services offered in hotels and clinics. Therefore, the misconcept of people regarding spa can be minimised with help of a clear cut definition. Spa can be defined as â€Å"a business offering spa treatments based on authentic water-based therapies which are practices by qualified personnel in a professional and relaxing environment (Cohen & Bodeker, 2008, p.55). It is quite hard to find out origin of spa industry but as per the experts, use of min eral springs and thermal mud was part of the first civilization development on the Earth. With time, the concept of different forms of baths got attached with religious ceremonies, hygiene and beauty. Among the ancient spa baths, those of the Roman Empire were the most famous ones. These social baths were part of the culture and a mean of hygiene. In Roman culture, large hydrotherapy and garrisons were built near to hot springs. These places were used by the soldiers to heel their battle wounds. However, the prevailing spa industry has its origin in Europe during 18th – 19th century when people started using water therapy for rheumatic and respiration disorders. At that time spas were specifically made in mountain towns so that the visitors can enjoy spectacular views along with fresh air and water treatments. The modern spas are also based on hydrotherapy principles that use thermal pools, different types of massage and mud bath for therapeutic use (Williams, 2006, p.4-5). T he concept of therapeutic use of mineral water was well known to the Native American. The spa industry was commercialised in 1790 when Saratoga Hot Spring in Wyoming was opened for commercial use. Another major development in the spa industry was International Spa Association (ISPA) founded in 1991. The goal of this association is to develop networking among international professional spa associations, educate them, formulate policies & standards, provide required resources and build coalition throughout the world. Figure 1: Ten Elements of Spa

Charismatic Leader Essay Example for Free

Charismatic Leader Essay This type of leadership holds a lot of power. In both productive and counterproductive respects. The rhetoric employed to effectively carry out charismatic leadership acts as a double edged sword. While it is true that a message delivered in a charismatic manner inspires the followers to implement it with a lot of fervor, but in this same zest, there are a lot of important issues that are overlooked and lots of questions ignored. This entails problems when the charisma delivers its desired results, but they still leave a sour taste in the mouth. In my professional career, I have not encountered charismatic leadership neither in the top echelons of power nor in the middle management slots. However, most of us have been affected, and even wowed, by the charismatic skills of Barack Obama, while running for the US Presidency in 2008. Inspirational rhetoric, exceptional oratory skills and narcissistic excellence were expertly deployed towards millions of people. Perhaps in our lifetimes, it has proven to be a living, breathing example of pure, unadulterated charisma. It was a need of the time and a result of the disillusionment with the last 8 years. But, the cynicism that perhaps was put in the back seat during this process, made a comeback in the last two years, where more and more people have grown disillusioned by the lack of actual, and perceived, objectives being achieved. The overhyped expectations that are, in effect, created by charismatic leadership, eventually end up hampering its own effects, even though the results achieved might be significant. In the spirit of double edged swords, narcissism fits the bill perfectly. Excessive traits of this personality type have officially been diagnosed as a psychological disorder, whereas a good mix of those same qualities supposedly makes a great leader. From my personal experience, there has been a lot more interaction with unproductive narcissists, as compared to the productive ones. Charismatic leadership is an outward focusing theory, but since being confident and thoughtful requires a thorough understanding of one’s own self, unless it is coupled innately with authenticity, there would continue to be major loopholes in its implementation. As is the case with most leadership theories, the situational context of the company or market matter deeply. Charismatic leadership is the need of the hour during turbulent times and thus ends up being encouraged and nurtured. However, during mature and stable market times, charisma tends to be counter-productive and pointless. Also, since narcissistic leaders tend to believe undoubtedly in their vision, not taking into account the ideas put forward by others, it can become self-destructive for companies. This leadership theory, more than others, needs to be deployed with a lot of care and consideration.

Alien (1979) and Prometheus (2012) Comparison

Alien (1979) and Prometheus (2012) Comparison Introduction In this essay I will compare the visual effects of two movies an older movie and It ´s prequel. As a fan of sci-fi movies, for this writing I decided to compare Alien (1979) and its prequel Prometheus (2012). The Prometheus movie was nominated for an Academy award for visual effects in 2013 whereas Alien won an Academy award for visual effects in 1980. Many scenes in this first movie were so good that they had appeared in Prometheus too. Even the trailer consists of the same scenes. Moreover the plot of the both movies in general is about crew on a space towing vessel. They end up on a distant moon then the crew realize that they are not alone on the spaceship when an alien stowaway is on the board. 1. Alien 1979 Director: Ridley Scott Visual effects supervisor: Brian Johnson What worked best on visual effects for this movie are mostly modellers and prop makers. Models of the ship were very detailed and huge, for example the largest one Nostromo was 17 feet long. The team couldn ´t use the cutting edge technology of motion control to capture the seventeen-foot model of Nostromo   because the budget did not allow the time for shooting stop-motion. This led the special effects team to develop a camera that moved slowly on a drive mechanism. Furthermore, shots of Nostromos were mostly close ups. Interior sets of a spaceship were all connected and real so actors felt like they are in a real place. For the xenomorph they created a suit and found a slander tall man who wore it. He had to attend thaichi lessons because of the moves. The head of the xenomorph had mechanical parts and was made out of car parts, silicone and jelly for spit. The designer of the xenomorph and its previous stages ( facehugger and   chestburster ) and ship was H. R. Giger. There are only a few shots of the alien in the movie because Ridley wanted to create fear in a viewer, many times using dark places so viewer would not know where the alien is and what to expect. These are the most famous scenes: chestbuster scene A chest which was fake was used for John Hurts character Kane for the scene. It appeared as if Hurts neck was connected to the fake chest when He was underneath the table. The director tried to make the scene very much authentic and one of the steps was to use real organs which were bought from a butcher shop and were stuffed in the fake chest cavity. Another idea was to use hoses to help pump and spray the blood as the creature would explode from the chest. The actors were not told about all the actions that would take place and they definitely did not expect to be sprayed with blood as the alien creature arose. facehugger scene The Facehugger as seen in the opened egg are bits of cow innards and probably other animals. The tail of the Facehugger is an intestine and a blast of air is being pumped through it. The Facehugger dissection scene involved raw oysters in a plastic mold of the creature. Revelation of Ash scene In the scene where Ash is revealed to be a robot and has his head knocked off,   they   created a puppet of the Ashs torso and upper body which was operated from underneath by a small puppeteer.   The following scene of the surviving crew interacting with Ashs remains used both his actor, kneeling under the table with his head coming up through a hole cut in its top, and an animatronic head, made using a face cast of   Ash ´s actor. Unfortunately, the whipped latex made the head shrank as it was drying and therefore, the final item bore little resemblance to the real Holm. Ash ´s inner workings and fluids were made of   milk, caviar, pasta and glass marbles. Personally I didnt notice that the fake head is smaller than the actor ´s and I think that this shot was made really realistic. 2. Prometheus 2012 Director: Ridley Scott Visual effects supervisor: Richard Stammers Ridley created many elements and shots similar to ones in the Alien movie such as space suits, similar ship design, kept the original look of alien ship, the space jockey, similar interior of the ship, basic elements like hypersleep chamber, medical scanner, strong female leading role, breakfast scene, in alien the on-board ship computer is called mother and in promeheus they call it maam. There is also a humanoid robot on the board. Environment A lot of the final environment work is a combination of real photography and 3d set extensions. Real aerial plates are pictures of Iceland and Wadi Rum. Ridley wanted the amazing landscape feel believable. They analyzed the area using Google Maps and DEM satellite maps which give displacements, they put that into Maya and combined all that information and built up a rough 20 mile landscape. The pinnacles on the ground were taken from real rock in Iceland. They scanned and textured the shot and from that created CG variations. They used a program to randomly scatter them across the landscape based on manually painted intensity maps.   NASA helped with recreation of the environment by providing photos of ice being expulsed into the atmosphere of Saturns moon Enceladus and information about the potential look of different exo-planets. For the sandstorm in the movie they used Flowline to simulate natural looking pluming dust, then their own volumetric tool for visualizing and Renderman rendering.   In comparison in the original Alien the ship was covered in darkness and a storm with zero visibility. The set was created from motorcycle parts and matte paintings. Pretty much all of the sets in Prometheus were built practically and also modelled in 3D. And that includes the weird caverns and chambers on the moon, as well as the interiors of the ship Prometheus. Concept artists firstly built up sets in 3D so they would know right off the bat that it was achievable. Surgery scene I think this scene is somehow an recreation of the chestbuster scene from Alien but this time it is even more disturbing than the one from alien because Dr. Shaw finds out that she is infected and pregnant and has no choice but to perform a C-section on herself using the MedPod. The Med Pod was built and function in real life to make this scene looks realistic. Actress was filming this scene for 4 days then creature was added in post-production. They had to cover her belly with tracking markers as they had to matchmove as closely as possible to make the effect work in physical space. Conclusion In general, I really like both movies the making of them but also the plot. I highly appreciate that Ridley Scott in Prometheus stuck with creating real scene sets and did not just leave everything on post-production. The real sets added the feeling of realism into the movie also the fact that they cooperated with NASA in the effort of creating realistic environment.   Regarding to the Alien movie I really like the ideas that they came up with such as   camera on mechanism to create slow motion footage, using of real animal viscera to make creatures look real and disgusting and I highly admire the work of one of my favourite artist   H. R. Giger   in creating designs for the movie. I think I would be able to achieve some shots in the Alien but also in the Prometheus. In the Alien movie there are many shots in which mechanical parts had to be   included for instance   like in chestbuster   scene they had to create a pump for exploding of the chest so these kind of shots would be hard for me to achieve if I had to create them using the same technique but I would be able to create a model of the Nostromo and also the facehugger model .   Prometheus also used real size models but there was also SGI included. In order to SGI I think I would be able to create an eviroment like 3D set extensions ( create ground extension and 3d pinnacles and texture them). After all I think that both of these movies are made   really good, they have the same scary, mysterious feeling , the same visual look and   creative ideas were included not to mention the amazing plot. Bibliography Seymour, M. (2012). Prometheus: rebuilding hallowed vfx space. [online] fxguide. Available at: https://www.fxguide.com/featured/prometheus-rebuilding-hallowed-vfx-space/ [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017]. Anders, C. (2012). Cite a Website Cite This For Me. [online] Io9.gizmodo.com. Available at: http://io9.gizmodo.com/5917639/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-design-of-prometheus [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017]. Watkins, A. (2014). Behind-the-Scenes: Making of the Chestburster scene from Alien. [online] Cinemablography. Available at: http://www.cinemablography.org/blog/behind-the-scenes-making-of-the-chestburster-scene-from-alien [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].   Ash. [online] avp.wikia. Available at: http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/Ash [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017]. Jacob, J. (2016). The Making of Alien Documentary. [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaHjNWzn73k [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].

Behind The Big Screen Amc Entertainment Marketing Essay

Behind The Big Screen Amc Entertainment Marketing Essay Most companies tend to use technology in order to make improvements and excel in order to gain profit. A lot of places also function completely through technological means. IT is great to use as an advantage as long as everything is kept up to date, and meets the companys needs. It assists with budgeting and operating performance, as well as creates new opportunities with products and services. Without technology, it is hard to keep up with the modern times as most things are now happening electronically. One such company that makes great use of it is AMC Entertainment, which is a very popular movie provider. AMC provides entertainment to the masses through show times at its multiple theatres throughout the US and Canada. Constant work is put into making sure that the best products and services are being offered to customers everywhere. All chains of command work in making sure that everything provided is the most optimal in order to beat all competitors. In order to stay ahead, it is important to analyze strengths and weaknesses, and to acknowledge threats and the opportunities that may lie ahead. Information technology has a certain level of impact on strategy as well, and since it plays a big role with AMC, it therein plays a major role with strategy. AMC has been working hard since the beginning, making sure to constantly advance and stay ahead of competitors. With a rich history of advanced technology from AMC Entertainment, American Multi-Cinema (AMC) has been an industry leader in entertainment. From the first suburban multiplex theatre to the first megaplex theatre, AMC has continued its long tradition of guest service and innovation through products and services that make the entertainment experience more satisfying for millions of guests year in and year out. AMC has over 299 theatres with 4,528 screens in 30 states including the District of Columbia, and four countries outside the United States. Their headquarters are based in Kansas City, Missouri, where it first started in the 1920s. Currently, AMC employs 16,800 employees, in which 800 are employed full-time and 16,000 are employed part-time. AMC recorded revenues of $2,265.5 million dollars during the financial year which ended in April 2, 2009 or FY 2009; there was decrease of 2.9% over FY2008. (Datamonitor 2010) AMC is listed on the FORTUNE 1000 as one of the largest companies in Kansas City. AMC offers guests who arrive for morning screenings the opportunity to see any first-run movie before noon as well as special ticket prices on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays even on holidays. AMC also started the industrys first Guest Loyalty program. This program offers a free membership and rewards customers every time customers go to a movie at any AMC theaters. Another program AMC provides is their Silence is Golden program. This is a proactive national program aimed at providing a distraction-free entertainment environment for all AMC customers inside the auditorium. AMCs Guest First program empowers employees to use the companys philosophy to service customers and to take care of all the customers the best they can. In 2002, AMC introduced the first National Gift Card program, providing a new and exciting way to enjoy the diverse selection of specialty films at many locations across the country, 365 days a year. Although AMC has merged with businesses and other major companies, such as MovieTickets.com and Loews Theatres, it still has many competitors. Among these competitors are the Regal Entertainment Group, Cineplex, National Amusements, and Cinemark Holdings, Inc. Regal Entertainment Group is the number one leader in domestic motion picture exhibition, making AMC come behind (Regal Entertainment Group, 2010). Regal has 6,745 screens in 546 theatres, offering more screens per theatre than the average. They stay ahead by continuing to acquire other theatre groups, which in turn puts more theatres in the states making it possible to increase revenue. Cinemark Holdings Inc is third in the industry and has placed theatres in different countries as well as the U.S, which provides it with one advantage. Cinemark has 423 theatres and 4,884 screens in Latin American and the U.S. (Cinemark, 2010). This includes theatres in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, and even locations in Taiwan. Cin eplex is a small competitor with AMC as it is a formation of two popular theatres in Canada, its home base, and merged with Loews, which AMC acquired in 2006. Also among AMCs competitors is National Amusements Inc, which is included among the top ten successful theatre companies. Although it is smaller, National is the parent company of both Viacom and CBS Corporation, which have great profit considering these companies include Paramount Communications, MTV Networks, Blockbuster Video, among others (Answers Corporation, 2010). In order to stay ahead and venture forth, it is important for AMC to have great leadership. AMC is a company with 16,800 employees, not including those in higher level employment, and AMC works off of a hierarchical structure (AMC Entertainment, 2010). A hierarchy consists of a group of individuals in charge, and then has those underneath at varying levels. Each level is responsible for handling those duties that are designated to them for the position they are in. AMC has employees in corporate, management, and also as associates in the theatres. With so many theatres throughout the US, it is important to hire management and associates that are able to handle the performance of each, although major responsibility is still directed towards corporate. AMC provides each level of employment with the ability to have appropriate degree of control in order to efficiently run each location. It provides employees with bonuses based on performance, as well as great benefits offering incentives to increasing customer satisfaction, therefore increasing sales. Employees are diverse in background, as well as skills, in order to provide innovation contributing to the success of AMC theatres. Each associate is important in maintaining the day to day tasks associated with operating every facility. The hierarchical structure is further presented by the fact that there is a Board of Directors, CEO, the management the theatre managers go through to get to the corporate headquarters, theatre managers themselves, and then the associates at the theatres as well. It is important that each level contributes to the functioning and success of AMC Entertainment. In order to make sure that AMC is prosperous, it is important to analyze strengths and weaknesses so as to see what should be worked on or pushed further. SWOT analysis is defined as a tool that identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization. Specifically, SWOT is a basic, straightforward model that assesses what an organization can and cannot do as well as its potential opportunities and threats. The method of a SWOT analysis is to take the information from an environmental analysis and separate it into internal strengths and weaknesses, and external issues, opportunities and threats. Once this is completed, a SWOT analysis determines what may assist the firm in accomplishing its objectives, and what obstacles must be overcome or minimized to achieve desired results. (www.Dictionary.com). This past year, AMC has capitalized from their strengths by opening 33 theatres with 476 new screens and have acquired 118 theatres with 1,395 screens. AMC also made a $665 million dollar major investment in improving its theatres from 2005 through 2009. As of April 2009, AMC has operated or held interests in 307 theatres with 4,612 screens, out of which 13 theatres are located outside the US (Datamonitor, 2010). From this, AMC theaters capabilities have enabled them to reach a broader customer base, which have contribute to its revenues. AMC recently purchase the bulk of the Kerasotes theatres creating a theatrical experience that spans over 200 years of business between them. Combining their joint experiences and their matching geographic will allow AMC to maintain the reputation for excellence in guest service that is an integral part of the companys culture. With the AMC experience, you will enjoy new value pricing programs, even more concession choices and cutting edge technolog y that will enhance your movie experience. A weakness that continues to hamper AMC is its lack of exploring international countries such as Canada, the UK, France, and China, leaving AMC to depend on the US market for most of its revenues. By relying on this, it has left AMC with a high debt that burden combined with operating and net losses will make it difficult to meet the increasing interest expenses. Growth in movie industry continues to grow every day. Recently, AMC has seen the opportunity to team up with RealD. RealD is a 3-Dimensional (3D) feature that enables AMC theatres to enhance the customer satisfaction and provide customers with a 3D film experience. Entering into a partnership with RealD, adds 1,500 RealD 3D screens to its theatres throughout the US and Canada. AMC also signed an agreement with Sony Electronics to put install 4K digital cinema projection systems across all its theatres. This upgrade allows AMC theatres to project digital cinema and allows all AMC theatres to serve its customers better. AMC was cited for being non compliant with the ADA, (American Disabilities Act). The Disabilities Act was passed to make accommodations for individuals with disabilities and that new construction or alterations made to commercial facilities conform to accessibility guidelines unless structurally impracticable for new construction or technically infeasible for alterations (Datamonitor 2010). Any further non-compliance issues from the ADA that AMC would face will result in additional expenses to the company which will negatively impact its brand image and operating results. Companies have business models in order to help make decisions that will benefit stakeholders (Applegate, Austin, Soule, 2009). It is important to analyze strategy and capabilities used to accomplish it. Since IT is used with many businesses, it is important to look at the impact it has on both. AMC Entertainment primarily uses technology in order to maintain business. It is important to stay ahead in order to provide great customer satisfaction so customers do not choose other competitors. If AMC kept its technology the same, then customers would be less likely to see movies at AMC theatres, especially with the increasing costs of attending. Why go to a theatre that provides mediocre service and limited concessions? It is important for AMC to include IT in business strategy, in order to maintain revenue and popularity. AMC uses technology primarily in order to advance as it is needed for theatres to remain functioning. Part of strategy, besides acquiring other smaller theatres for new locations, is staying up to date with what wants to be experienced by movie goers. With advancements in technology, the human population has become accustomed to flashes and bright lights, expecting every movie to contain both. Computer animated movies and the very recently popular 3D movies, have created a great importance on image enhancement and sound quality. AMCs core strategy is high in that it aims to increase revenue through updates, new software, and investment put into digital projector systems. The older 35 mm film no longer provides the same excitement as it once did. Along with a clean environment and better concessions, AMC has made sure to create a better viewing experience through precise color and bigger images. Digital projector systems provide color as being more natural in that each mirror is used to depict one pixel moving back and forth reflecting primary colors (Whatis.com, 2005). As mentioned previously, AMC is working with Sony and IMAX to implement these systems into all theatres. Loews is a subsidiary of Sony, and AMC acquired Loews in 2006, having Sony and AMC work together in order to improve technology, especially with sound. Sony is known for its manufacturing of electronics, such as audio and video, and also the information technology it offers. Since it is a leading provider of these products and services it is obvious that the cost is high, it is also apparent, that with this especially, AMC Entertainment is not wary when taking a risk and spending a great deal of money, i.e. $665 million dollars, in order to make improvements. These risks of investment are taken in order to stay competitive and increase revenue, which it has done from $400 million in 1991 to $2.4 billion in 2008 (AMC, 2010). AMC also spends the money in order to merge with different companies o r own part of some, such as MovieTickets.com and Fandango. MovieTickets.com and Fandango were partly acquired in order to increase the customer experience to a satisfactory level. The process of seeing what movies were available and purchasing tickets for those movies became easy and convenient. No longer would customers have to wait in extraordinarily long lines, now they can quickly buy tickets in the convenience of home. This is what is focused on when working on the core capabilities. The process became easier for customers and it was more efficient, and saved time. In this the core capabilities were low as there was a cost to buying a part of these companies, so cost was not necessarily reduced, risk and uncertainty were high, and this was a business opportunity that did end up becoming successful. In viewing the IT impact map below, we see that core capabilities are low and strategy is high. AMC Entertainment merges with companies in order to be innovative and receive and implement ideas from different sources in order to improve proce sses. Cost is noted but when determining the growth that can come from spending, risks are taken. Focus is put on efficiency and rising revenue in order to stay up to date with technology. Money is spent on software and updates, as well as the Digital Manager, in order to maintain a functioning system and stay ahead. Most companies tend to use technology in order to make improvements and excel in order to gain profit. A lot of places also function completely through technological means. IT is great to use as an advantage as long as everything is kept up to date and meets the companys needs. It assists with budgeting and operating performance as well as creating new opportunities with products and services. Without technology, it is hard to keep up with the modern times as most things are now happening electronically. As stated before, AMC is listed on the FORTUNE 1000 largest companies in Kansas City. AMC has provided entertainment to people through show times at its multiple theatres throughout the US and Canada with over 299 theatres with 4,528 screens in 30 states including the District of Columbia. They also have theatres in four countries outside the United States. Their headquarters are based in Kansas City, Missouri, which was first started in the 1920s. Constant work is put into making sure that the best products and services are being offered to customers everywhere. IN 2009, AMC purchase the bulk of the Kerasotes theatres which between them have a combined 200 years of experience. Combining their joint experiences and their matching geographic allows AMC to maintain the reputation for excellence in guest service which is an integral part of the companys culture. All chains of command work in making sure that everything provided is the most optimal in order to beat all competitors. In order to stay ahead, AMC has put into action many new programs that will enhance any one s movie experience. Information technology has a certain level of impact on strategy as well, and since it plays a big role with AMC, it therein plays a major role with strategy. AMC has been working hard since the beginning by making sure to constantly advance and stay ahead of their competitors.

The Human Genome Project: The Future of Medicine :: Argumentative Persuasive Papers

The Human Genome Project: The Future of Medicine In the last half century, medicine has been rapidly progressing, finding cures for many diseases, developing new surgical techniques, developing vaccines, and generally improving the overall health and life expectancy of the average person. Instead of living to their forties, it is commonplace for people to live to seventy five and beyond. Medical research is constantly searching for ways to make people healthier and to keep them that way. New cancer and AIDS research comprises a huge portion of modern day medicine. However, the discoveries and breakthroughs that such projects have produced have been few and far between. According to many, we are no closer to finding an actual cure for either ailment than we were ten years ago. However, all is not lost. There is a way in which we can begin to regain some of the medical stride which we have lost. The way to do this is not by scouring the rainforests to try to make exotic drugs, nor is it new chemotherapy techniques or radiation treatm ents. This new way is based in our cells themselves, in understanding how we work, and knowing what our biological determinants are. To understand how our immune system fights disease, we must first understand what causes it. We must know our predisposition to certain kinds of ailments. We must know our genes. Knowing our genes is the fundamental concept behind the most exciting scientific endeavor of the past decade, the Human Genome Project. This project’s goal is to complete a comprehensive map of the human genome by the year 2003, one which illustrates the precise locations of every single gene in all twenty-three pairs of human chromosomes, along with the functions of these genes. The term gene is defined as being "one of many discrete units of hereditary information located on the chromosomes and consisting of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)." (Campbell, G-9) All these units put together comprise the genome. Many ailments that we suffer from are products of flawed genes. Cystic Fibrosis is the result of one such flaw. In 1989, biologists isolated the gene which causes this incurable ailment, and we have progressed very far in our search for a cure. Other ailments whose genetic causes have been isolated include breast cancer (Waldholz, B6), Alzheimer’s (OMIM Entry 104311), Tay Sachs (JUF News, 45), and Huntington’s (Brownlee, 580), as well as Diabetes (Maugh, 8), and many, many more.

Marijuana Vs Tobacco Essay -- Compare Contrast Smoking Weed Cigarettes

Marijuana Vs Tobacco Nowadays there is a big dilemma to whether legalize marijuana or not and whether marijuana is really a lot more dangerous than tobacco. There are big differences between the two of them, but there is, without any doubt, one that has a lot more negative effects on the human body and the human brain than the other. Due to research we can compare them and conclude which one is worse. Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). Cannabis is a term that refers to marijuana and other drugs made from the same plant. Other forms of cannabis include hashish, and hash oil. All forms of cannabis are mind-altering drugs (Zimmer and Morgan 1). The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Short-term effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination, increased heart rate, and anxiety (Zimmer and Morgan 1-2). Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint) or in a pipe or â€Å"bong†. Marijuana has also appeared in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, sometimes in combination with another dru... .... Works Cited Edell, Dean. â€Å"Comparing cannabis with tobacco†. 22 September 2003. BMJ Volume 327, pp 635-6. Howard, Geese. â€Å"Cigarrettes vs Marijuana.† Digg 23 September 2006 Legalization of Marijuana. 10 February 2008. Tashkin, Donald, Francis Young and Louis Gagnon. Marijuana less harmful to lungs than Cigarrettes. Medical Post. 6 September 1994. What is Tobacco? Health Promotion Services, Vaden Health Center, Stanford University. February 2004. Zimmer, Lynn and John P. Morgan. Marijuana myths & Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence. August 1997.

Challenges of Leadership Essay

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE CHALLENGES OF LEADERSHIP? Being a leader is in itself a challenge. The challenges of leadership are really of three kinds: external, coming from people and situations; internal, stemming from within the leader himself; and those arising from the nature of the leadership role. EXTERNAL CHALLENGES It’s almost impossible to imagine a situation where a leader doesn’t have to cope with external challenges. In an organization, such issues as lack of funding and other resources, opposition from forces in the community, and interpersonal problems within the organization often rear their heads. Social, economic, and political forces in the larger world can affect the organization as well. To some extent, the measure of any leader is how well he can deal with the constant succession of crises and minor annoyances that threaten the mission of his group. If he is able to solve problems, take advantage of opportunities, and resolve conflict with an air of calm and a minimum of fuss, most of the external issues are hardly noticeable to anyone else. If the leader doesn’t handle external challenges well, the organization probably won’t, either. We’ve all seen examples of this, in organizations where everyone, from the director to the custodian, has a const antly worried look, and news is passed in whispers. When people feel that leaders are stressed or unsure, they themselves become stressed or unsure as well, and the emphasis of the group moves from its mission to the current worrisome situation. The work of the group suffers. INTERNAL CHALLENGES While leadership presents to each of us the opportunity to demonstrate the best of what we are, it also exposes our limitations. In many cases, good leaders have to overcome those limitations in order to transmit and follow their vision. Fear, lack of confidence, insecurity, impatience, intolerance (all can act as barriers to leadership. At the same time, acknowledging and overcoming them can turn a mediocre leader into a great one. It’s often very difficult for people, especially those who see themselves as leaders, to admit that they might have personality traits or personal characteristics that interfere with their ability to reach their goals. Part of good leadership is learning to accept the reality of those traits, and working to  change them so they don’t get in the way. Sometimes, what seems to be an advantage may present a challenge as well. A leader who’s extremely decisive may alienate followers by never consulting them, or by consistently ignoring their advice. A leader who’s terrific at developing relationships with others in the organization may be unable to tell someone when she’s not doing her job. Some characteristics can be double-edged swords, positive in some circumstances and negative in others. The real challenge is in knowing the difference, and adapting your behavior accordingly. CHALLENGES ARISING FROM LEADERSHIP ITSELF Real leadership makes great demands on people. As a leader, you are responsible for your group’s vision and mission, for upholding a standard, often for being the group’s representative to the rest of the world and its protector as well. These responsibilities might be shared, but in most organizations, one person takes the largest part of the burden. In addition to its responsibilities, leadership brings such challenges as motivating people – often without seeming to do so – and keeping them from stagnating when they’re doing well. Leaders also have to motivate themselves, and not just to seem, but actually to be, enthusiastic about what they’re doing. They have to be aware of serving their group and its members and all that that entails. In other words, they have to be leaders all the time. WHEN ARE THE CHALLENGES OF LEADERSHIP MOST OBVIOUS? One obvious – and correct – answer to this question is â€Å"all the time,† but in fact some times are more likely than others. Leadership is usually the most difficult when the situation is changing or unstable. When a grass roots group is doing well – gathering allies, getting its message across, attracting funding – no one much notices what the director does; but when something unexpected happens, she’s expected to take care of it, often in a very public way. Some particular times when challenges may arise: * When something new is about to start. When you’re beginning a new intervention, trying something different in a program that’s been running for a while, stepping up to another stage in your initiative, or hiring a new leader, no one is quite sure what’s going to happen. Systems and  relationships can break down, and it’s often a matter of leadership as to whether the new situation is successful or not. * When something is about to end. Often at the end of a school year, a particular project or initiative, a training period – anytime when something is coming to an end and things are, by definition, about to change – times get difficult. That may be because of a big push to get finished, or because it’s tough to tell what’s coming next, or because a close-knit group is splitting up. Whatever the reason, it often takes leadership skills to make sure that the project ends successfully, and everyone moves on to the next phase, wh atever that is. * When times are tough. If there’s not enough funding, or an organization or group is being publicly criticized, for instance, its leader usually has to try to solve the problem in some way: find money, reduce expenses, defuse the attacks. Leaders are tested when times are difficult. * During transitions. There are many ways in which a group can be in transition. It may go – because of a grant or because of other circumstances – from a loosely organized, grass roots collective to a much more formally structured organization. It might grow quickly†¦even too quickly. It might be losing some key people, or changing leaders. One of the most difficult tasks a leader faces is trying to keep a group stable through a period of change. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SPECIFIC CHALLENGES THAT MANY LEADERS FACE, AND HOW to COPE WITH THEM? EXTERNAL CHALLENGES The world surprises us at every turn, throwing up barriers where the way seems clear, and revealing broad highways where there seemed to be only brick walls. Both kinds of surprises – sometimes the positive more than the negative – present opportunities for exercising leadership, with all the challenges they entail. Some common situations that call for leaders to use their resources include: * Public criticism, especially uninformed criticism, of your group or mission. * Flare-ups of others’ interpersonal issues, either within the group or outside it. * Crises, which could be tied to finances, program, politics, public relations (scandals), legal concerns (lawsuits), even spiritual issues (loss of enthusiasm, low morale). * Disasters. These are different from crises, in that, in a crisis, something important (usually negative, but not always) seems to be  happening, and you’re trying to control the situation. In a disaster, the worst has already happened, and you’re trying to deal with that in some way. * Opposition and/or hostility from powerful forces (business groups, local government, an influential organization, etc.) * A financial or political windfall. Sometimes an unexpected benefit can be harder to handle than a calamity. * Collaboration with another group or organization may call upon a leader to define clearly the boundaries within which he can operate, and to balance the needs of his own group with those of the collaborative initiative as a whole. HOW TO COPE WITH EXTERNAL CHALLENGES Be proactive. Regardless of the situation, it’s important for leaders to do something. Waiting is occasionally the right strategy, but even when it is, it makes a group nervous to see its leader apparently not exercising some control. Be creative. Try to think â€Å"outside the box,† i.e. in unexpected but effective ways. If disaster has struck (you’ve just lost a major source of funding, perhaps ), how can you turn what looks like the end of the world into a new beginning? Can you change the way the organization operates to deal with the loss? Can you use the fact that you’re about to lose services to gain community and political support? Is this an opportunity to diversify your funding? Can you expand your horizons and your reach through collaboration? Don’t just look at the obvious, but consider a situation from all perspectives, and search for unusual ways to make things work. An important piece of information, one that’s often quoted in community work, but which can’t be overstated: the Chinese character for â€Å"crisis† combines the characters for â€Å"danger† and â€Å"opportunity.† Face conflict squarely. This doesn’t mean come out fighting, but rather identify and acknowledge the conflict, and work to resolve it. This is true both for conflict within your group, and conflict between the group and others outside it. Far too many people, leaders included, act as if conflict doesn’t exist, because they find it difficult or frightening to deal with. As a result, it only grows worse, and by the time it erupts, it may be nearly impossible to resolve. If  it’s faced early, nearly any conflict can be resolved in a way that is beneficial for everyone involved. It’s a function of leadership to have the courage to name the conflict and work on it. Always look for common ground. If there’s opposition to what you’re doing, it may only be to one specific part of it, or may be based on misunderstanding. There are few groups or individuals who don’t have some common interests. If you can find those, you may have a basis for solving problems and making it possible for people to work together. Retain your objectivity. If you’re mediating a conflict within the organization, don’t take sides, even if you think you know one side is right. That will come out if you mediate objectively and well.If you’re faced with detractors or opposition, don’t automatically assume they’re villains. What are their concerns, and why do they disagree with what you’re doing? Don’t get sucked into a fight unless there’s really no alternative. Even rabid opposition can often be overcome through a combination of respect, political pressure, and creative problem solving. When you do feel you have to fight, pick your battles carefully. Make sure you have the resources – money, political and other allies, volunteer help, whatever you need – to sustain conflict. Battles can advance your cause, or they can kill your initiative once and for all. Don’t get into a fight you have no chance to win. Look for opportunities to collaborate. This is important both within and outside your group or organization. Within the group, involve as many people as possible in decisions, and make sure they have control over what they do. The more they own their jobs and the organization, the more enthusiastic they’ll be, the more effective the organization will be, and the more effective you’ll be as a leader. Outside the organization, try to forge ties with other organizations and groups. Let them know what you’re doing, get and give support, and work with them to the extent you can. Make common cause with other groups that have similar interests. In numbers, there is strength, and you’ll be stronger as an alliance of groups than any one of you could be individually. INTERNAL CHALLENGES Leaders are human. That’s hardly news, but it means that they come with all the same problems and failings as everyone else. One of the greatest challenges of leadership is facing your own personal issues, and making sure they don’t prevent you from exercising leadership. Acknowledging the attitudes and tendencies that get in your way, and working to overcome them, is absolutely necessary if you’re to become an effective leader. Among the most common personal traits that good leaders have to overcome or keep in check are: * Insecurity. Many people feel, at least some of the time, that they’re not up to the tasks they face. They may even believe that they’re fooling people with their air of competence, when they know they’re really not very capable at all. Insecurity of that sort keeps them from being proactive, from following their vision, from feeling like leaders. It can be crippling to both a leader and her group or organization. * Defensiveness. Also born of insecurity, defensiveness shows up most often as an inability to take criticism (other people might catch on to the fact that you’re as incompetent as you know you are), and continuing hostility to anyone, even an ally, who voices it. Defensiveness often also includes a stubborn resistance to change ideas, plans, or assumptions, even if they’ve been shown to be ineffective. * Lack of decisiveness. Sometimes it’s hard to make a decision. You never know till later – and sometimes not even then – whether you made the right decision. Maybe if you had a few more facts†¦ The reality is that leaders are called on to make decisions all the time, often with very little time to consider them. It is important to have as much information as possible, but at some point, you just have to make the decision and live with it. Some decisions are reversible, and some are not, but in either case, it’s important to learn to make a decision when necessary and understand that living with the consequences is part of being a leader * Inability to be direct when there’s a problem. Many people want so badly to be liked, or are so afraid of hurting others, that they find it difficult to say anything negative. They may be reluctant to tell someone he’s not doing his job adequately, for instance, or to address an interpersonal problem. Unfortunately, by letting these things go, they only make them worse, which makes them still harder to address. It’s essential to learn when firmness is necessary, and to learn how to exercise it. *  Inability to be objective. Neither looking at situations through rose-colored glasses nor being always on the edge of hysteria is conducive to effective leadership. Just as objectivity is important in dealing with external issues, it’s important to monitor your own objectivity in general. There’s a difference between being an optimistic individual and being unable to see disaster looming because it’s too painful to contemplate. By the same token, seeing the possible negatives in an apparently positive situation is not the same as being paralyzed by the assumption that calamity lurks around every corner. The inability to accurately identify the positive and negative in any situation and react appropriately can create serious problems. * Impatience – with others and with situations. It may seem, given the importance of decisiveness and firmness, that patience is not a virtue a leader needs. In fact, it is perhaps the most important trait to develop. Situations do not resolve themselves instantly, and anyone who’s ever been involved in an organization knows that Rule #1 is that everything takes longer than you think it will. People in unfamiliar situations need a while to orient themselves. Leaders who are impatient may make rash decisions, may alienate staff members or volunteers or allies, and can often make situations worse rather than better. It’s hard to be patient, but it’s worth the effort. In addition to character traits that can get in a leader’s way, there are the effects of health and personal crises. COPING WITH INTERNAL CHALLENGES Listen. Listen to people’s responses to your ideas, plans, and opinions. Listen more than you talk. Listen to a broad range of people, not just to those who agree with you. Probe to find out why they think or feel the way they do. Assume that everyone has something important to say. If you hear the same things from a number of different and diverse sources, you should at least consider the possibility that they’re accurate. If they’re about things you do that you can change, you might give it a try. Ask for 360-degree feedback†¦and use it. This is feedback (people’s views of you) from everyone around you – staff, volunteers, Board, participants, people from other organizations or groups  yours works with – anyone you work with in any way. As with listening, if you hear the same thing from a lot of different sources, it’s probably true. Act on it. All the feedback in the world won’t do you any good unless you do something with it. Look at what’s going on around you. Are you the center of controversy and chaos? Or do calm and good feeling seem to reside wherever you do? The chances are that the answer lies somewhere in between these extremes, but it probably should be closer to the calm and good feeling side. Even if you’re involved in a battle with the forces of evil, you can foster calm in yourself and those you work with. At the same time, your group could be on top of the world, and you and your colleagues could still be climbing the walls if that’s the kind of atmosphere you create. Reach out for help in facing internal challenges. Most of us find it difficult to change entirely on our own. A psychotherapist, a good friend, a perceptive colleague, or a trusted clergyman might be able to help you gain perspective on issues that you find hard to face. Many people find meditation or some form of self-discovery helpful in understanding themselves and in getting through change. Don’t feel you have to do it all on your own. CHALLENGES STEMMING FROM THE NATURE OF THE LEADERSHIP ROLE A leadership position brings with it unique demands. Leaders can be looked on as authority figures, as saviors, as fixers of things that are broken, as spiritual guides, as mentors, as models, as inspirers, as teachers†¦in short, they may be seen however others choose to see them. This in itself carries a set of challenges, in addition to those posed by what all leaders indeed have to do in order to keep things going. Some of the issues that leaders have to cope with specifically because they’re leaders are: * Keeping an eye on, and communicating, the vision. As the guardian of a group’s vision, it’s up to the leader to remind everyone of what that vision is, to keep it in mind in everything the group or organization does, to protect it from funders or others who would try to change it†¦and to make sure It does change, if necessary, with changes in circumstances, the needs of the target population, or the available information. That means not being  d istracted from the bigger picture by day-to-day issues (even as those issues are addressed and resolved). It also means not substituting another, lesser goal (getting enough funding to start a specific program, for instance) that may be contrary to the true vision of the organization. * Keeping the everyday under control while you continue to pursue the vision. You can’t maintain the vision without making sure that there’s paper in the printer, that you understand the legal implications of an action you plan to take, that people know what they’re supposed to be doing on a given day, that there’s enough cash in the bank to meet payroll, and that there’s someone there to answer the phone, to pay the bills, and to look for funding. These aren’t necessarily all things a leader has to do herself (although there are certainly organizations where that’s what happens), but she’s responsible for making sure they get done, and that things run smoothly. No matter how transformative she is, no leader can accomplish much if the infrastructure do esn’t work. * Setting an example. If you want others in the group to show mutual respect, to work hard, to embrace the vision and mission of the organization, to include everyone in their thinking and decisions, you have to start by doing those things yourself, and behaving in the ways you want others to behave. A leader who yells at people, consults no one, and assumes his word is law will intentionally or unintentionally train everyone else in the group to be the same way. A leader who acts collaboratively and inclusively will create an organization that functions similarly. * Maintaining effectiveness over time. One of the hardest lessons of leadership is that you’re never done. No matter how well things go, no matter how successful your group or organization or initiative is – unless it’s aimed at accomplishing a very specific, time-limited goal – you have to keep at it forever. Even if you get a bill passed or manage to get money for your cause included in the state budget, you have to work to maintain your gains. If you’re running a community intervention, you have to recruit participants, refine your methods, do community outreach, raise funds†¦indefinitely. Maintaining effectiveness is a matter both of monitoring what you do and working to improve it, and of keeping up enthusiasm for the work within the group. It’s part of the leader’s role to maintain his own enthusiasm and drive, and to communicate and transfer them to others. * Avoiding burnout. This is a challenge not  only for leaders, because a burned out leader can affect the workings of a whole organization. Leader burnout is a product of being overwhelmed by the workload, the frustrations, the stress, and the time demands of the position, multiplied by the number of years spent in it. It can reach a point where the leader no longer cares about the vision, the work of the group, or anything but when he can go home. By that point, the rest of the group is likely to be struggling, feeling rudderless and uncertain. It’s crucial that leaders learn to recognize the signs of burnout and – depending on where they are in their lives and a number of other factors – either find ways to renew their commitment or leave. Perhaps even more threatening than burnout is â€Å"burn-down† – the loss of passion and intensity that can come with familiarity and long service. You may still care about what you’re doing, but the en thusiasm just isn’t there anymore. In many ways, this condition may be even harder to deal with than burnout. At least if you’re burned out, it’s obvious: if you’re burned down, especially if it’s happened over a long period, neither you nor others may have realized it. * Finding support. Cliches often become cliches because they’re true. It is lonely at the top, largely because a good leader tries to make things go smoothly enough that others aren’t aware of the amount of work she’s doing. The leader may have no one to share her concerns with, and may have to find her own satisfaction, because others don’t recognize the amount and nature of her contribution. The buck may stop with her, but where then does she unburden herself? As mentioned earlier, leaders are human. They need support and comfort as much as anyone else, and it’s important that they find it. COPING WITH CHALLENGES STEMMING FROM THE NATURE OF THE LEADERSHIP ROLE So how can you continue to be a leader and also continue to be a functioning human being? There are things you can do to retain both your sanity and your competency. Create mechanisms to revisit your vision. Hold occasional meetings and at-least-yearly retreats to discuss vision and renew commitment. These will serve both to review the vision to see if it still resonates (and to rework it if necessary), and to renew your and others’ purpose and pursuit of it. They’ll help to remind you of why you’re doing this in the first place, give you an opportunity to work on group solidarity, and – ideally – leave you feeling refreshed and ready to carry  on. Share the burden. Surround yourself with good people who share your vision. If you can find others who are competent and committed to whom you can delegate some of the tasks of leadership, it will both remove pressure from you, and make your group stronger. One of the greatest mistakes a leader can make is to be threatened by others’ abilities. In fact, sharing responsibility with capable people makes all of you more effective, and strengthens your leadership. Having competent people to depend on also means that you can develop systems and know they’ll work. Organizational maintenance becomes much easier, and you have more time to devote to the actual pursuit of your vision. Find an individual or group with whom you can discuss the realities of leadership. In many communities, some heads of organizations meet on a regular basis to talk about the difficulties and rewards of their situations with others who truly understand. Some such arrangement can be a valuable hedge against burnout, and can also help you gain insight into how you function as a leader. It can introduce you to alternative ways of doing things, as well as giving you a chance to vent, and to realize you’re not alone. Make sure you have personal time. The founder and director of a prominent think tank once went seven years without a day off – including Sundays. That’s 2,557 straight days of work. (That includes two leap year days, for those of you doing the math.) Even if that doesn’t cause burnout, it’s not good for your creativity or your understanding of the world. Everything becomes work or related to work: the world holds no other reality, and leadership becomes all you do. In order to maintain perspective and to keep yourself fresh, you need to take time away from being a leader, and away from your organization or initiative. It’s important to have an activity that gets you away from your daily concerns, and to take days off from time to time. Some people meditate every day, others play music regularly, others participate in sports or fitness activities. Your getaway doesn’t have to be an everyday thing, but it should be something you love and look forward to, and it should be frequent and regular. It may be as simple as taking a walk with your kids for an hour every evening – whatever it is that relaxes your mind and feeds your soul.  Rather than detracting from your effectiveness, your time off will increase it. Depending upon how you approach it, leadership can be a hard and lonely road, or an exciting and collaborative trip to a new place. The more, and more useful, strategies you can find to cope with its challenges, the better leader you’ll be.