The Lorax Reaction Paper

The Lorax A. Summary Theodore â€Å"Ted† Wiggins, an idealistic 12-year-old boy, lives in â€Å"Thneedville†, a walled city that, aside from the citizens, is completely artificial: everything is made of plastic, metal, or synthetics. Ted sets out to find a  real  tree for his friend Audrey. His energetic grandmother suggests he speak with the Once-ler about this, and he discovers that their city has been closed off from the outside world, which is a contaminated and empty wasteland. The Once-ler agrees to tell Ted about the trees if he listens to his story over multiple visits.Ted agrees, even after the mayor of Thneedville, Aloysius O'Hare, who is also the greedy proprietor of a bottled  oxygen  company, confronts the boy and pressures him to stay in town. Over the course of the movie, Ted, with the encouragement of his grandmother, continues to sneak out of O'Hare's sight and learns more of the history of the trees. Over the visits, the Once-ler recounts the s tory of how he departed his family to make his fortune. In a lush Truffula Tree forest, he met the Lorax.He is a grumpy yet charming orange creature who served as guardian of the land. At first, the Once-ler had a plan to chop down the trees. Eventually, he promised not to chop another tree down. The young businessman's Thneed invention soon became a major success and the Once-ler's family arrived to participate in the business. Keeping his promise at first, the Once-ler continued Thneed production by harvesting the tufts themselves in a sustainable manner. Unfortunately, his greedy and lazy relatives convinced him to resume logging as a more efficient gathering method.Breaking his promise, the Once-ler's  deforestation  spiraled into a mass overproduction. Flush with wealth, the Once-lerrationalized his short sighted needs into arrogant self-righteousness and the helpless protests of the Lorax could not stop him. The Once-ler polluted the sky, river and landscape, until finally the last Truffula Tree fell outside, and the Once-lerrealized what he had done while making the region uninhabitable with his business's pollution.With that, the Once-ler was left ruined and abandoned by his own family and became a  recluse  with the creation and solation of Ted's town that came under young Mr. O'Hare's control, giving him the plan to sell fresh air with the absence of trees. Eventually, the Lorax sends the animals away before departing himself into the sky, leaving a stonecut word: â€Å"Unless†. At the end of the story, the Once-ler understands the meaning behind the Lorax's last message, and gives Ted a gift of the last Truffula seed in hopes of planting it to regrow the forest. Ted's desire to impress Audrey is now a personal mission to remind his town of the importance of nature.O'Hare, determined not to have trees undercut his business, takes heavy-handed steps such as covering Audrey's nature paintings, closing off the door that Ted uses to see th e Once-ler and forcibly searching Ted's room for the seed. Ted enlists his family and Audrey to help plant the seed, which has begun to germinate after coming into contact with water. O'Hare and his employees pursue the  dissidents  until they manage to elude him and reach the town center. Unfortunately, their attempt to plant the seed is interrupted by O'Hare who rallies the population to stop them.To convince them otherwise, Ted takes an  earthmover  and rams down a section of the city wall to reveal the environmental destruction outside. Horrified at the sight and inspired by Ted's conviction, the crowd defies O'Hare with his own henchmen expelling him from the town. The seed is planted, and Audrey kisses Ted on the cheek. Time passes and the land is starting to recover; the trees are regrowing, the animals are returning, and the redeemed Once-ler is happily reunited with the Lorax. B. SettingThe story took place in â€Å"Thneedville†, a walled city that, aside fro m the citizens, is completely artificial: everything is made of plastic, metal, or synthetics. The setting is a polluted town where trees don't grow and fresh air is sold in jars. C. Characters Ted- a young boy who is out to win the heart of his pretty neighbor Audrey. He has a caring and innocent nature, and he is moved by the story the Once-ler tells. He is also a resourceful and determined kid, so he continues to fight for the chance to see a real tree, even when he is threatened by the greedy businessman O'Hare.Audrey- an artistic girl who wants nothing more than to see a real tree. When she conveys her dream to Ted, he determines to make sure her dream comes true. Grammy Norma- Ted's grandmother tells Ted to go outside the town and speak with the Once-ler and learn about what happened to the trees. Once-ler–started out as a musically talented and good-natured guy. But, when he refuses to heed the warnings of the Lorax, the Once-ler makes a decision that leads him down a dark and greedy road full of regret. The Lorax- a grumpy but charming orange creature who speaks for the trees.Although he sounds quite gruff, he has a lot of love packed into his little body. He even finds a way to have compassion for the Once-ler, who refuses to heed the Lorax's warnings. Mr. Aloysius O’Hare- the mayor of Thneedville and head of the â€Å"O'Hare Air† company  who doesn’t want the trees to come back because they would ruin his business, which is selling bottled air. D. Problem / Conflict The conflict of the story is the Lorax, who clearly symbolizes Mother Nature’s response to our own abuse of the environment.The Lorax literally speaks for both the trees and the animals of the land. He repeatedly warns Once-ler of the damage he is doing just like Mother Nature warns us when we damage the environment. The Bar-ba-loots are the first among the native animals to get pushed out by the destruction done by Once-ler. The other animals flee as a result of the pollution, and each are clearly presented by the Lorax as a warning to Once-ler, just as Mother nature presents us with the warnings of red tides, ozone pollution, and increasing numbers of endangered species. E.Resolution The boy obviously symbolizes the story’s solution to the problem created by the Once-lers of our world. The story opens with the curious boy who asks questions and is willing to pay the price to learn the answers. He represents the hope of the next generation. He listens to the Once-ler’s entire story showing how much he cares about the knowledge that Once-ler can give him. When Once-ler finishes the story, he willingly accepts the challenge of repairing the land of the Truffula as is seen when he raises his hands to catch the last Truffula seed.Seuss demonstrates his belief that today’s children truly are the solution to our own environmental issues by allowing that boy to be the spark that helps Once-ler figure out the puzzli ng message left by the Lorax. When he sees the potential represented by the boy, he willingly offers both resources and advice to make the boy’s challenge possible. F. Moral Lesson The  movie has a strong environmental theme. In today’s â€Å"disposable â€Å"generation the value of things is greatly diminished. Children grow up with abundance of â€Å"stuff† and food and quickly learn that â€Å"it’s easier to buy a new one that to fix the old one. The movie stresses the importance of valuing things and the negative aspects of wasting. It is about the power of one person to change the world and make a difference. It takes the audience in and makes the audience think about what the future might look like as we continue on the path of environmental destruction.The movie asks the audience to dream bigger and to reach for the impossible. A young boy living in a polluted town visits a strange reclusive man called the Once-ler â€Å"on the far end of tow n where the Grickle-grass grows†¦ n the Street of the Lifted Lorax†, who never appears in full onscreen; only his limbs are shown. The boy pays the Once-ler fifteen cents, a nail, and the shell of a great-great-great grandfather snail to explain why the area is in such a run-down state. The Once-ler explains to the boy (shown in  flashback) that he arrived in a beautiful, pristine valley containing happy, playful fauna that spent their days romping around blissfully among â€Å"Truffula trees†. The Once-ler proceeded to cut down the Truffula trees to gather raw material to knit â€Å"Thneeds,† a comically versatile invention of his, â€Å"which everyone needs†.Thneeds can be used as a shirt, a sock, a glove, a hat, a carpet, a pillow, a sheet, or a curtain. By cutting down the tree, however, he summoned the titular Lorax, who was â€Å"shortish and oldish and brownish and mossy †¦ with a voice that was sharpish and bossy†, to appear from the stump of a Truffula tree. He â€Å"speaks for the trees, for the trees have no tongues† and warned the Once-ler of the consequences of cutting down the truffula trees, but the Once-ler ignored him, instead calling his relatives to come and work in his factory.Soon the once beautiful area became choked with pollution and the Lorax sent away the fauna to find more hospitable habitats. Confronted by the Lorax, the Once-ler declared his intention to keep â€Å"biggering† his operations, but at that very moment, they â€Å"heard the tree fall. The very last Truffula tree of them all. † Without raw materials, his factory shut down; without the factory, his relatives left. Then the Lorax, silently, with one â€Å"very sad, sad backward glance†, lifted himself by the seat of his pants and flew away through the clouds.The Once-ler lingered on in his crumbling residence, living in seclusion and remorse, while pondering over a message the Lorax left behind: a s tone slab etched with the word â€Å"Unless†. In the present, the Once-ler says that he now realizes that the Lorax means that  unless  someone cares, the situation will not improve. The Once-ler then gives the boy the last Truffula seed and tells him to plant it, saying that â€Å"Truffula Trees are what everyone needs† and hoping that, if the boy grows a whole forest of the trees, â€Å"the Lorax, and all of his friends may come back. â€Å"

Pros and Cons of the Compulsory Military Service

Military Service is a course to create a fit and capable citizen with strong characters. For that reason we see that the majority of world countries obligate the young people to attend of the military service. Should men compulsory attend the military service? Are there any advantages or disadvantages of it? Supporters say that the military service is a very practical course through which young people would attend to learn a wide range of skills physically, morally an even psychologically.Parents at home can not offer their children all the principles that are needed for them to face the tough life bravely, wisely and steadily. But military service can offer a wide variety of programs through certain strategies developed by specialists to attain these noble goals. Contrary to that, the army requires individuals to fit into its pattern, or otherwise draftees become an object of ridicule among the others. Many sensitive young men are forced to be obedient and those who are not submissi ve to the strict rules are treated in a very brutal way. Read more about Pros and Cons Of ReligionIt may affect badly their psyches and cause unforeseen harmful results. Therefore, from a psychological point of view, conscription may beget more evil than good. The other argument against conscription is that it is, in fact, unnecessary in the modern world- we have less and less wars, and the real forces are well-trained, small troops consisting of people whose whole life is fighting, not skinny, hunchbacked teenagers suffering from asthma.What is more, nowadays the real strength of a country depends rather on well-qualified experts, able to operate complicated missiles than on the manpower. All in all, the military service should be optional, not compulsory, and everyone should be granted freedom of choice and not being forced to something against his plans, nature or individual character and world-view.

Are Video Games Good For Children Children And Young People Essay

Are Video Games Good For Children Children And Young People Essay For that matter, are video games good for adults. Has anyone ever seen the effects of prolonged exposure to video games and the effects it has on someones family or the community? As a father, I have dealt with negative effects of video games first hand. There have been numerous studies and debates on the subject of video games and the effects, whether positive or negative, they have on children. Video games are not good for children because of the negative effects to a child’s behavior and overall health. Violent tendencies Children that play violent orientated video games have displayed violent tendencies toward others. There have been numerous studies and research conducted, on violent video games played by children, which suggest that children â€Å"may become more aggressive after playing† (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010) those types of games and the conclusion behind this reasoning, are three traits of the personality, which are â€Å"high neuroticism† , â€Å"disagreeableness†, and â€Å"low levels of conscientiousness† (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010). Playing violent orientated video games cause children to act and think aggressively (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010). These conditions may cause children to commit violent acts or behavior. Violent Behavior In addition to increased aggression, â€Å"children who play violent video games are associated with increased violent behavior† (Souccar, 2012). Because of this behavior, there have been multiple despicable acts such as the Virginia Tech shootings where a gunman killed over thirty people in 2007(Lee, Finley, 2011). In 1999, another devastating act in Columbine, Colorado, â€Å"two teenage gunmen† entered a school with weapons, killed twelve students and a teacher, before taking their own lives (Belanger, Wagner, 2011). â€Å"Eric Harris and Dylan Kiebold were frequent players† and program contributors to a violent video game called â €Å"Doom† (Lee, Finley, 2011). Children or teens, that do not commit violent acts, may still display pathologic behavior. Pathologic Behavior Children that play video games exhibit pathologic behavior. There are many warning signs of pathologic behavior, such as â€Å"lying about or hiding how much time is spent playing or disobeying parental limits; losing interest in sports and hobbies; choosing the game over time with friends; and continuing to play despite plummeting grades†(Wagner, 2008). This is a very touchy subject in my household. My thirteen year old step-son has exhibited pathologic behavior because of video games. When the neighbor’s kids come to ask him to play outside, he refuses and has continued playing his games. His grades at school have suffered because he does not concentrate on doing his homework and worries more about playing video games. He has told a few lies, thrown tantrums, kicked walls and our washing machine, and is constantly disres pectful to his siblings, my wife and myself. My step-son has also exhibits signs of video game addiction. Video Game Addictions Children with video game addictions, if left untreated, could have disastrous effects as adults. There are millions of people all over the world who love to play video games, either on game systems or online social media, but that love for the video games turns into tragedy for those with video game addictions. According to Lee and Finley (2011), a couple in Korea went to a local establishment to feed their video game addiction, only to return home over five hours later to find their four month old baby girl dead because she was left alone. Also according to Lee and Finley (2011), parents in Reno, Nevada were arrested â€Å"after their obsession with video games caused them to neglect to feed their two young children†.

Policy Paper(Financial Aid and Affordability of Higher Education) Research Paper

Policy (Financial Aid and Affordability of Higher Education) - Research Paper Example Million students around the world who have desire to learn and gain higher education leave their dreams because of the factor of affordability. As at times they have to face a situation where they have no option but to quit studies because their financial standings does not allow them to pursue their degrees, however in order to ameliorate and come out from this catastrophic situations some students rely on loan and grants that are available for them in the shape of public, private and other sectors. Meanwhile the main reasons behind this affordability issue is because of continuous inflation in tuition fees, and also the poor economic conditions of the country which one way or other is directly or indirectly responsible for increasing the cost of running for institutions. As a consequence families, students, taxpayers, lawmakers (and institutions itself) all are affected. Since many American understands the value of degree (higher education) and the possible fruits and outcomes that are likely to come if one is successful in attaining or achieving the degree, or in other words they have clear understandings that higher education is prerequisite for employment these days and is necessary in so many different regards (AASCU, 2011). However in pursuing the degree often students at times have to face a situation where they have to leave or quit a degree because of affordability, some go for financial aid in order to come out from this situation as they believe this is a solution, while others are lost in translation and this financial aid systems and procedures turns out to be a nightmare for them. Moreover Heller & Marin (2002) highlighted very important phenomenon in this regard, they believe that since financial aid is awarded considering merit, competence and ability rather than considering need therefore, majority of students who are not very much blessed with extra ordinary talent or they have some lacking in terms of potential are persistently avoided. As a result their dreams and desires of going into a college is completely wiped off because they cannot afford tuition fees and are not able to acquire financial aid because of merit (Heller & Marin, 2002). Meanwhile this paper is an attempt to explore and highlight the issues and concerns related to affordability factor in order to achieve higher education, furthermore possible remedies and solutions will also be engrave in this paper pertaining the context of ambiance of higher education. Moreover American Association of States Colleges and Universities (AASCU) public policy agenda will also be explored in this paper as this has mainly to deal with ensuring the goals of higher education are met in perpetuity. Similarly role of Federal government and AASCU in terms of ensuring higher education considering the affordability factor will also be scrutinized and the role of Ohio State (Ohio Board of Regents) in making ways and successfully achieving goals and initiating new plans in this regard will also be the part of this paper. HISTORY: Initially higher education institutions in the United States were only focusing on providing services to elites and to those who were willing to join the Christian religious groups (clergy) (Thelin, 2004). However this perception of people has undergone a change because of the continuous evolution in purpose of higher educat

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Marketing plan - Essay Example The Nokia Company and products focus on providing an up-to-date and affordable mobile experience to people globally. With the rapidly increasing smart phone market, this company faces a challenge to accomplish better quality, superior and innovative mobile devices in a highly dynamic market. According to the Q1 Interim Report on Nokia, "Net sales for the devices and services got decreased 25% quarter-on-quarter to EUR 2.9 billion†. Also, the volume for the mobile phones decreased 30% quarter-on-quarter to 55.8 million units, which is higher than the estimated value by mobile phones". Hence, observing just the beginning quarter of 2013, it can be analyzed that Nokia, the once top seller in the mobile market has fallen badly. The factor responsible for this downfall is the poor and inert marketing strategy of the company. The company and its leaders failed to understand that the mobile market is one of the fastest growing in the world and when it had the largest share in the mark et, the company stopped innovation. Moreover, the company somehow managed to overlook the competition from Apple and Samsung and when the rivals were introducing astounding new products, Nokia continued doing what it was doing and did not introduce something as fresh as the others. The current issue in hand for the company is in the booming smart phone business. The strategy of market flooding has no clear picture and confusion exists. The company needs to comprehend and address the problem to deal with Nokia Lumia phones marketing and implement a smart plan to extend this line of products. The distribution of Nokia phones is done globally at outlets which are Nokia concept stores as well as multi-brand stores. It is significant to note that Nokia has stayed on the top as the largest global vendor of mobile phones from 1998 to 2012(BBC News, 2012). During recent years, Nokia has been a successful seller of low and medium end mobile phones. However, at the moment the smart phone is t he leading and commonly used mobile device and the company could not keep pace with that technology. The decline has been stunning. The stock traded at over $40 per share in 2007. It has now fallen to under $2 (Ogg, 2012). It once had a market share of over 30% and now it has less than 4% (Calkins, 2013). The market share fell as a consequence of the speedy use of touch screen smart phones from competitor companies. Since that downfall, Nokia tried to recover through the Microsoft partnership in 2011, changing the operating system of the its' smart phones from Symbian to Windows but sales of the Nokia smart phones dived extensively (Dediu, 2013). Nokia launched its first full fledge touch screen smart phone Nokia 5800 followed by N97 in 2009. The phones did not compete well in the smart phone market. The latest range of Nokia products are the phones from the Nokia Lumia series. On the market currently, are the Lumia 925, the  Lumia 920, the  Lumia 820, the  Lumia 720, the  L umia 620  and the  Lumia 520 and the  Lumia 1020. The dominant company is on its road to failure because of major competition by Samsung, Blackberry and Apple. Even though it has so many products from the Lumia series, Nokia is still facing major competition from principally the iPhone and devices running on Android. Users still have not seen anything as remarkable from Nokia as the Samsung Galaxy S3 or the iPhone 5. The iPhone has taken over the market due to its

Ethos pathos and logos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethos pathos and logos - Essay Example been consuming healthy foods for a long time since my very early childhood so that the audience knows that what I am saying is not just theory but a reflection on my personal life experiences. To establish pathos in the presentation, I would try to make emotional connection with the audience by enriching my speech with gestures that reinforce my ideas, by randomly asking the audience easy questions to keep them engaged with me, including funny pictures wherever possible in the presentation not only to entertain the audience, but also to give them a break now and then, and by sharing with them some experiences of my mom’s friends who have suffered great losses in life because of consuming unhealthy foods. To establish logos in the presentation, I would organize the slides in a way that my speech reflects smoothly point after point as I make it. I shall suggest certain eatables and drinks that can be made available in the cafeteria within the school’s budget so that everybody knows that what I am proposing is practicable and thus not to be taken

JUDICIAL ACTIVISM BY EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE Essay

JUDICIAL ACTIVISM BY EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE - Essay Example In case of ambiguities in the text of the Treaties, ECJ has to employ its creative talents so as to accomplish an acceptable elucidation and application of Community law. ECJ has filled in the gaps and removed the imprecision in the provinces of Community law thereby removing the barrier of restricted jurisdiction and is able to develop its authority and role. The main aim of this research essay will be analysing in detail the activist strategy of the ECJ which appears to have initiated some courageous and bold efforts to establish a constitutional cornerstone for the EU2. â€Å"What is Judicial Activism?† Judicial activism connotes to the keenness of the courts to establish public policy if a State, and its political institutions is reluctant to do the same or may not in a position to execute the same. In real parlance, it can be called as the shifting of judicial decision making privileges from the administrative and legislative process to the courts. It is a well known fact that judicial activism at ECJ refers the political consequences of the policy preferences employed by the Court in its elucidation or interpretation role. Judicial activism may compel a court to function as legislators, or it can be referred as ‘judicialisation of politics3’. There is a need for judicial activism in EU as the language of the Treaty is not supportive and so the Courts require to establish some cannons so as to fill in a â€Å"procedural hole.† Language and Interpretation of EU Law It is to be observed that EC law cannot be comprehended without recognising its multilingual personality into account. While applying or interpreting Community laws, the peril of swerving meanings between various versions and the equal legitimacy of all language versions of community provisions. As there are about 23 working and authentic languages employed in the EU institutions, there is enormous strain on the EU’s translating services. Further, it is to be obs erved that daily application and interpretation of Community regulations actually occurs in various and different tribunals and courts of the Member States. ECJ employed teleological approach in cases where intellectual property is involved even when its relevance contravenes the precise and explicit factual meaning of clearly expressed words as it held in the case Davidoff & Cie SA v Gofkid Ltd4. General Activism As early as in 1963, in Van Gend en Loos5 case, it was held by ECJ that cannons of the Treaty could have a direct impact. Thus, the direct effect offers an individual citizen right to sue national government in their own national courts for not willing to implement the treaty6. In this case, the Court viewed that the Treaty is not an agreement and it more than that which establishes mutual responsibilities between the Contracting States, besides, the Community establishes a new legal setup of international law for the advantage of which the States have restricted their aut onomous authority, despite within the restricted grounds. In the above case, ECJ created the doctrine of direct effect thereby restricting national courts from proclaiming the illogicalness of Community law. In Foto-Frost7 case, ECJ viewed that national courts do not have authority to invalidate the community law even though it is having such authority. In Costa v ENEL8, it was held by ECJ that EC law has primacy over the national laws. In this case, ECJ supremacy doctrine was established ,which connote that State transfers of legal authority were irrevocable and imposes a long -lasting restriction on sovereign

Art review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Art review - Essay Example It is thinly framed, and the present are some sawing that underline the titles. The mere fact of the photo having all these characteristics indicates a Mexican touch and that chili are mostly found in the country. The painting shows a glossary view on chill. It is incorporated with flags of different countries in the world showing growth of chilies in those respective countries. The countries being shown are U.S.A, Kenya, Russia, China, Italy, France, Turkey, India, Vietnam, and Germany. Indicating the various countries and their names would be an indication that chilies are present in those countries could also say that the artist tried to show the origin of chilies. There he also indicated the different forms of chilies in the different countries. The art fascinates many chili eaters. Personally, I think the art is fabulous and is worth it anytime. It is simple and clearly puts the message out. This is an elegant piece of work by Olivero

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Week 12 - reflection paper - Essay Example Another lesson I learnt is the need of engaging all the stakeholders of an organization into the management of its affairs. This is because it is important to collaborate in order to ensure that the policies of the organization are met. These stakeholders are the investors, the employees, partners of the organization, and regular clients of the organization. Due to this, I managed to acquire skills that gave me the capability to open a decorative company. For instance, my role in the formation of the company was to conduct market research, and identify the various needs of customers in relation to decorating their homes. In the formation of this company, I realized the need of consultations with my fellow investors for purposes of developing a policy that would effectively address the needs of the customers that I interviewed. On this basis therefore, I would give myself grade A. This is because I managed to apply the lessons I learnt from class, by forming a

Criminal Investigation Wk 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal Investigation Wk 3 - Essay Example The application of the forensic DNA Technology has revolutionized investigation of all violent crimes due to its ability to exonerate the convicted offender or convict perpetrator (Abichandani, 2004). The homicidal and sexual assault cases, the use of DNA evidences have formed a powerful tool towards fighting these criminal activities. However, for these criminal cases there is a need to reevaluate both the biological and physical evidences for proper identification of the criminal particularly using the newly identified criminal investigation mechanisms. The most common DNA samples are often analyzed from the saliva, hair, skin tissues, blood, and semen that are often recovered from the crime scenes (Abichandani, 2004). They elements often help in investigating violent crimes including sexual assault and cold murders. The analysis of these element or samples is quite reliable  to  use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that has the capacity to magnify exceedingly small quantities of the DNA samples (Ashcroft, Daniels, and Hart, 2002). The significance of DNA results is that they can lead the investigation to the profile of a known suspect or victim that often matches the profile of DNA that were collected from the crime scene. Notably, if the DNA analysis report does not much the profile of the suspect, then the suspect or victim is excluded or exonerated from the case (Hess and Orthmann, 2010). In such cases, both the physical and biological evidences need reevaluation so that the precise information about the victim or the sus pect is extracted from the scene of the crime. The physical evidences often require deep criminalistics that require professional and scientific recognition, identification, collection, individualization, and interpretation of physical, criminal evidences. Application of physical evidences in crime investigation often needs the application of the natural science (Abichandani, 2004). The underlying concept in the evaluation of

Self Esteem Essay Example for Free

Self Esteem Essay The term self-esteem comes from a Greek word meaning reverence for self. The self part of self-esteem pertains to the values, beliefs and attitudes that we hold about ourselves. The esteem part of self-esteem describes the value and worth that one gives oneself. Simplistically self-esteem is the acceptance of ourselves for who and what we are at any given time in our lives. It is very important because it affects how you think, act and even how you relate to other people. It allows you to live life to your potential. There are two sides of self esteem; Low self esteem and high self esteem. What is low self esteem? Low self esteem means poor confidence and that also causes negative thoughts which mean that you are likely to give up easily rather than face challenges. In addition, it has a direct bearing on your happiness and wellbeing. Low self esteem comes from a poor self image. Yourself image is based on how you see yourself. Do you think you are a good, reliable, hardworking, honest or friendly person? Do you like what you see when you look in the mirror or do you believe others look better and dress better than you? Low self esteem feeds your negative thinking and causes you to believe the criticism others make of you. Do you take what others say and not speak up? This can cause you to lose confidence so it is vital to end negative thoughts if you want to build your self esteem. On the other hand, high self esteem is the opposite of low self esteem. If you have a high level of self esteem you will be confident, happy, highly motivated and have the right attitude to succeed. Therefore, when we are happy about ourselves, not caring about what people say about us, we live a happier life, a healthier one, a more successful one Best of all, we live in peak performance. Happier lifestyle comes from within, it enables happy and relaxed cells, and it controls stress. Happy cells lead to a prolonged life expectancy which means extended period to lead an even happier life! What a great attribute if you can only come to terms with who you are, regardless of whatever any person says about you. Remember life is too short to live by other people? s opinions and reflections. It is said that, â€Å"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. †

Effect of Pay for Performance Model on Healthcare

Effect of Pay for Performance Model on Healthcare Priscilla Hernandez As the federal agency responsible for the Medicare program, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services needed to ensure that beneficiaries received the highest quality care. The implementation of the pay for performance programs by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services may have the source for improvement of the care delivered to Medicare patients. In 2006, a Health Law Review article defined pay for performance as â€Å"a reimbursement method under which some physicians and hospitals are paid more than others for the same services because they have been deemed to deliver better quality care and their patients appear to have better outcomes† (Mayes 17-22). 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Throughout the last ten years, Congress has enacted legislation such as the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 and the Affordable Care Act of 2010, as a means of moving away from this fee-for-service model to a pay for reporting model and eventually to a pay for performance model (Frequently Asked Questions 8). The journey to ensure improved patient care began with the creation of the pay for reporting programs. The pay for reporting programs included the Hospital Quality Alliance, the Reporting Hospital Quality Data for Acute Payment Update later known as the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program and the Reporting Physician Quality Reporting System. The pay for performance programs included the Hospital Value Based Purchasing program, the Physician Value Modifier and the Accountable Care Organizations. The following paragraph will give a brief history of the transition of the pay for reporting program to the pay for performance program. In 2005, as a result of the Modernization Act of 2003, hospitals voluntarily submitted data on ten quality measures to avoid a 0.4 percentage points reduction in their annual payment update for fiscal years 2005, 2006 and 2007 (Hospital Quality Initiative 3). The quality measures focused on four conditions or diseases that were among the most common, most expensive to treat and most serious conditions for Medicare beneficiaries. These conditions were acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, pneumonia, and surgical care improvement (Hospital Quality Initiative 4). Between 2004 and 2007, the measures increased from ten to thirty-six. The signing of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 brought six additional measures and hospitals who did not voluntarily report were at risk of a 2.0 percentage point reduction to their annual payment update for fiscal y ear 2009. The 2009 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services paper, â€Å"Roadmap for Implementing Value-driven Health Care in the Traditional Medicare Fee-for-Service Program†, notes that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed moving from a pay-for-reporting program to a pay-for-performance program as part of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (14). The start of this pay for performance program, which was best known as the Hospital Value Based Purchasing program would change the future and the practice of medicine in hospitals and other healthcare facilities for many years to come. This program drove the most change in care provided to Medicare patients. According to CMS.gov: On April, 29, 2011, the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services issued the final rule establishing the Hospital Value Based Purchasing program†¦This program, which was established by the Affordable Care Act, [would] implement pay-for-performance†¦The final rule adopt[ed] performance measures, drawn from the measure set that hospitals have been reporting under the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting program. During his presentation at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality on September 14, 2009, Michael T. Rapp, MD, JD, FACEP, Director, Quality Measurement, and Health Assessment Group, listed the supporters for the Hospital Value Based Purchasing program. Supporters included the Institute of Medicine, private health plans, and employer coalitions. When the Institute of Medicine released their â€Å"To Err is Human and Crossing the Quality of Chasm Report† they called for â€Å"raising standards and expectations for improvements in safety through the actions of oversight organizations, professional groups, and group purchasers of health care† (6). The support for the Hospital Value Based Purchasing program could be seen as early as November 1999 in the IOM report, â€Å"One way this can happen is by purchasers and consumers requesting and using information to direct their business to the best organizations and providers in a community† (19). For many years, th e need for standardization of care was needed and no other program but the Hospital Value Based Purchasing program could have brought that change. The quality of care given by providers would now be an open book and this would surely drive significant change. The supporters felt the program would bring change but there were also those opposing the Hospital Value Based Purchasing program. Opposition for the program came from hospitals, state hospital associations, and physician associations. Those with oppositions felt the program would pose significant operational challenges due to the number of measures being reported. Smaller hospitals would have the most challenges due to hiring additional work force to perform the chart abstraction required to report on the measures. Some measures would also require changes in processes that often take financial resources. To summarize the 2008 Modern Healthcare article, many healthcare groups felt the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was heading in the right direction by implementing the Value Based Purchasing Program but felt such a program should not be used to reduce Medicare spending (Lubell 1). The healthcare groups felt the program would lose credibility among providers since it was o nly a short-term fix to reduce Medicare spending (Lubell 2). The first year of payment with the Hospital Value Based Purchasing program would be fiscal year 2013. With this program, hospitals would need to show improvement over the baseline during the performance period. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services established that the baseline period would come from measures previously reported to the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program for discharges from July 1, 2009 – March 31, 2010 and the performance period would be July 1, 2011 – March 31, 2012. The initial measures included twelve of the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program measures. Since these were the original pay for reporting measures, many hospitals had already been working on improving their performance. The use of previously reported measures also helped many facilities know where they needed to improve. The results of patient satisfaction surveys would also be part of the program. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services required hospital s to survey patients with a survey know as the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. The initial measures were all measures that focused on processes. These included providing discharge instructions to patients, controlling a patient’s glucose after having heart surgery and ordering venous thromboembolism prophylaxis to surgical patients. Although patients would have better outcomes, such as less pulmonary embolisms and less infections with these measures, the use of process of care based measures would only show improvement in changes made to processes. The process measures that showed the most improvement over the baseline included Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Received Within 90 minutes of Hospital Arrival and Postoperative Urinary Catheter Removal on Post Operative Day 1 or 2. The Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention measure improved by 1.9% from 93.44% to 95.34% showing the percentage of heart attack patients who had the blocked vessel causing the heart attack to be opened up with in 90 minutes of arriving to the hospital. The urinary catheter improved from 92.86% to 95.79% for an overall improvement of 2.93%. Surgical patients often need a urinary catheter after surgery. If left in place for too long patients can develop an infection. This indicator measured the percentage of patients who had their urinary catheter removed with in first or second day after they had surgery. These two measures are some of the few process measures that made a difference in the care and outcome of patients. The Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention measure improved the chances of survival for heart attack patients and the urinary catheter measure helped prevent infections. Patients who survived a heart attack as a result of the care they received at a hospital are surely to tell others of their experience. Word of mouth is the most common source of recommendation for a product, restaurant, or even hospital. The New York Times reiterates this in an October 2013 article by stating, â€Å"While private and public payers are making important progress on performance measures and outcomes-based reimbursement, patients still rely largely on the recommendations of loved ones and friends about the quality of care provided by individual doctors, hospitals and other providers†(Blando 2). Although this may be true, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services still created the Hospital Compare website. The website would provide consumers information on how hospitals compared to other hospitals on each of the process of care measures. The website could be compared to the Consumer Reports website in that prior to making a major purchase consumers can research information on the quality of the product they plan on purchasing. This website would enable the consumer to make an informed decisio n regarding their healthcare. It also opened up a world of transparency for hospitals and consumers. Quality data on hospitals had never been shared with their competitors or their patients. Hospitals changed many processes in order to improve their performance of the measures that were displayed on the Hospital Compare website. Can it be determined if there has been improvement in the care provided or is it still to early to tell? In an attempt to answer this question, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services contracted with the Rand Corporation to evaluate the effects of the Hospital Value Based Purchasing program. In 2014, the Rand Corporation released their research report entitled â€Å"Measuring Success in Health Care Value-Based Purchasing Programs†. Their research found only â€Å"49 studies that examined the effect of P4P on process and intermediate outcome measures† (xxi). The RAND article states, â€Å"Any identified effects were relatively small† (xxii). When compared to the initial baseline period, the process of care measures have shown improvement during the performance periods. This journey has been painful for so many facilities. Many of which were not prepared for how quickly the pay for performance program would become reality. Although this program has increased the amount of work for facilities, many have worked diligently to ensure the changes needed to processes to improve patient care were implemented. Improvement in care will only be seen with the implementation of outcomes based measures. As stated above, more heart attack patients have survived. Fewer infections from urinary catheters being taken out in a timely manner will most likely be seen. In the future, the outcome measures should be better predictors of the effects of the pay for performance program. Examples of outcomes based indicators includes measuring readmissions back to hospitals, measuring infections and measuring mortality of patients for the four common conditions mentioned in the previous paragraphs. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services only recently implemented these outcomes measures. As with the process of care measures, until additional years of data are available their effect cannot be determined. At this time with the limited data available, it is s till too early to tell if the Hospital Value Based Purchasing program has made an impact on the care provided to Medicare beneficiaries.

The Journey From Education To Unemployment

The Journey From Education To Unemployment EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The jobs-skills mismatch in the country has been in existence since 1965. It was observed by experts following an imbalance of manpower training and manpower need (Bernardino, 1965, pp 3-4) and a great number of unemployed with college degrees (Limcaco, 1965, p. 8). It was reiterated in the 1970 report of the PresidentiaCommission to Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE) that found a mismatch between students college courses and the training required by the world of work (Santamaria, 1979). The prevalent mismatch between the educational system and the employment sector is a continuing concern in the country. The conduct of the National Manpower Summit and National Human Resource Conference in 2006 and 2007 respectively, which were spearheaded by DOLE and attended by various stakeholders, identified the gaps between supply of the labor workforce and market demand. These yielded several recommendations. Through personal interviews with the top management of various stakeholders such as DOLE, ECOP, TESDA, PMAP and other companies and employers, the team was able to gather comparative data to reinforce the presence of the mismatch. The facts are supported by figures in the websites. The study recognizes that the aggregate supply of graduates is greater than the market demand thereby resulting to unemployment or underemployment. This is where the mismatch occurs. The study identified three levels of mismatch: 1) on the number of graduates vs. the number of jobs available; 2) on the quality of graduates vs. industry expectations; and 3) on the skills acquired vs. skills required. The jobs-skills mismatch is greatly influenced by the macro environmental factors, namely; social, political, economic and technological. Included among the Social factors are high population growth and an increasing incidence of poverty. This high population growth cancels out the effect of economic growth particularly the creation of jobs to absorb the excess labor supply. As regards political factors, there is no central organization that brings all the stakeholders (Employers, Employees, Sector groups, NGOs etc.) under one umbrella to make sure that all the stakeholders work together. Also, there is a lack of government program to inform the potential workforce on the requirements of the market (i.e. what courses to take, what skills are needed, etc.). On economic factors, higher levels of sustained economic growth is needed to reduce the unemployment and underemployment rate. And finally, technological factors, educational institutions should acquire modern advanced technology t o match the requirements of the rapidly changing and the emerging industries. This paper proposes short and long term possible solutions to address the mismatch. Some of these recommendations are the conduct of National conference involving employer groups such as ECOP and PCCI as well as captains of industries to draw up one united and uniform comprehensive plan; creation of Human Resource Development; Partnership between education institutions and industries; and creation of National Curriculum Research Institute that will constantly study and review current curricula, develop and recommend revisions among others. In the evaluation of the education institutions and the industries, there is a significant mismatch between what the institutions produce and what the market demands. The jobs-skills mismatch is a major contributing factor in the unemployment rate in the country. Hence, addressing mismatch could remarkably decrease unemployment rate. More active participation and stricter intervention of the government is needed to address the mismatch problem in the country. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY This study seeks to: Examine the system of supply and demand of the labor workforce in the country; Identify the causes and effects of the jobs-skills mismatch; and Come up with recommendations in filing the gap between the supply and demand. SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY The scope of this study is limited to the mismatch in the Philippines job market. It focuses on the mismatch between the number of graduates in each course and the number of vacancies in each industry in the country. For the purpose of this study, let us clearly define that the skill acquired is the vocational course or college while the skill required is the job vacancy. METHODOLOGY The sources of information of the study are composed of two methods the primary and the secondary method. For the primary method, the team conducted interviews with the different key personalities of various stakeholders, i.e. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and Peoples Marketing Association of the Philippines (PMAP). The team used the same set of questions to test if the interviews will yield similar findings. For the secondary method, the team used company manuals, statistics and data gathered from the internet and other studies previously conducted by different individuals and groups on jobs-skills mismatch. DETAILED REPORT INTRODUCTION The jobs-skills mismatch in the country has been in existence since 1965. It was observed by experts following an imbalance of manpower training and manpower need (Bernardino, 1965, pp 3-4) and a great number of unemployed with college degrees (Limcaco, 1965, p. 8). It was reiterated in the 1970 report of the PresidentiaCommission to Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE) that found a mismatch between students college courses and the training required by the world of work (Santamaria, 1979). The conduct of the National Manpower Summit in 2006 and 2007 initiated by DOLE identified the gaps and made several recommendations. Government restructuring or the creation of a single government agency to address employment concerns is one of the common solutions recommended by various employment stakeholders. It is supported by the study of TESDA in their papers Skills development and recognition in Asia and the Pacific. An HRD Central Agency will be established to develop policies and programs for the establishment of a strong HRD sector in the government. According to the paper of Andrew Gonzales entitled Higher Education, Brain Drain and Overseas employment in the Philippines-Toward a differetiated set of solution, the Philippine case of mismatch between the manpower needs of the country and the output of the higher education system is an example of interlocking conflicts. Data show concrete indication of the gap between our educational system and the employment sectors. In 2010 alone, only 82% of the new graduates are new hires, 18.5% of the college graduates are among the unemployed and as of 2010, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) identified 54, 417 job vacancies. One of the notable causes of mismatch is the lack of infomration by families and individuals in the labor market requirements. Because of this, institutions may have provided the graduates the skills that are not necessarily required by the market. MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS EMPLOYERS CONFEDERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (ECOP) The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) is the single voice for the entire business community in the country on important national issues related to employment, industrial relations, labor issues and related social policies. ECOP was born on September 10, 1975. Before ECOP, the business sector and employers in the country were represented by two major business organizations, namely: the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CCP); and the Philippine Chamber of Industries (PCI). The creation of ECOP made tripartism a reality, with the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) representing a labor sector, and the Department of Labor and Employment and the other agencies as the state instrumentality. On May 1, 1978, the government through Presidential Letter of Instruction (LOI) 688 recognized ECOP as the single voice of employers, to be consulted by the government, together with labor, in the promulgation of a scheme which would promote and sustain an adequacy machinery for cooperation between labor and management at approapriate levels of the enterprise. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT (DOLE) The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) started as a small bureau in 1908. It became a department on December 8, 1933 with the passage of Act 4121. The DOLE is the national government agency mandated to formulate and implement policies and programs, and serve as the policy-advisory arm of the Executive Branch in the field of labor and employment. It consists of the Office of the Secretary, 7 bureaus, 6 services, 16 regional offices, 12 attached agencies and 38 overseas offices with a full manpower complement of 9,806. It operates on a current budget of Php 6.618 B and ranks 14th out of 21 departments. The vision and mission are consistent with the Platform and Policy Pronouncements on Labor and Employment of President Benigno S. Aquino IIIs administration, herein referred to as the 22-Point Labor and Employment Agenda, the DOLE is the lead agency mandated to develop the competencies and competitiveness of Filipino workers, to deliver employment facilitation services for full and decent employment, and to promote industrial peace based on social justice. It serves more than 38.51 million workers comprising the countrys labor force , including the 3.62 million temporary migrants working in about 215 destinations worldwide . The DOLE clients include trade unions, workers organizations and employers and/or employers groups (i.e., ECOP, chambers of commerce and industries, TUCP, FFW, etc). There are 123 existing Tripartite Industrial Peace Councils or TIPCs (13 regional, 44 provincial, and 66 city/municipal) and 128 existing Industry Tripartite Councils (46 regional, 48 provincial and 34 city/municipal) serving as mechanisms for social dialogue in addressing labor and employment issues. The DOLE also maintains linkages with non-government organizations (NGOs), government agencies, the academe, partner international organizations (e.g., ILO, IOM, IMO, UNDP, UNICEF), and with the international community, particularly the host countries where our OFWs are based. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DepEd) Education in the Philippines has undergone several stages of development from the pre-Spanish times to the present. In meeting the needs of the society, education serves as focus of emphases/priorities of the leadership at certain periods/epochs in our national struggle as a race. The DepEd was transformed from the former Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) to the Department of Education (DepEd) and redefining the role of field offices (regional offices, division offices, district offices and schools). RA 9155 provides the overall framework for (i) school head empowerment by strengthening their leadership roles and (ii) school-based management within the context of transparency and local accountability. The goal of basic education is to provide the school age population and young adults with skills, knowledge, and values to become caring, self-reliant, productive and patriotic citizens. COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION (CHED) The CHED was created on May 18, 1994 as an attached agency to the Office of the President for administrative purposes. The creation of CHED was part of a broad agenda of reforms on the countrys education system outlined by the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) in 1992. Part of the reforms was the trifocalization of the education sector into three governing bodies. The CHED for tertiary and graduate education, the DepEd for basic education and the TESDA for technical-vocational and middle level education. TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA) The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) was established through the enactment of Republic Act No. 7796 otherwise known as the Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994, which was signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos on August 25, 1994. This Act aims to encourage the full participation of and mobilize the industry, labor, local government units and technical-vocational institutions in the skills development of the countrys human resources. The merging of the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education (BTVE) of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), and The Apprenticeship Program of the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) of the DOLE gave birth to TESDA. The fusion of the above offices was one of the key recommendations of the 1991 Report of the Congressional Commission on Education, which undertook a national review of the state of Philippine education and manpower development. It was meant to reduce overlapping in skills development activities initiated by various public and private sector agencies, and to provide national directions for the countrys technical-vocational education and training (TVET) system. Hence, a major thrust of TESDA is the formulation of a comprehensive development plan for middle-level manpower based on the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan. This plan shall provide for a reformed industry-based training program that includes apprenticeship, dual training system and other similar schemes. TESDA is mandated to: Integrate, coordinate and monitor skills development programs; Restructure efforts to promote and develop middle-level manpower; Approve skills standards and tests; Develop an accreditation system for institutions involved in middle-level manpower development; Fund programs and projects for technical education and skills development; and Assist trainers training programs. At the same time, TESDA is expected to: Devolve training functions to local governments; Reform the apprenticeship program; Involve industry/employers in skills training; Formulate a skills development plan; Develop and administer training incentives; Organize skills competitions; and Manage skills development funds. Overall, TESDA formulates manpower and skills plans, sets appropriate skills standards and tests, coordinates and monitors manpower policies and programs, and provides policy directions and guidelines for resource allocation for the TVET institutions in both the private and public sectors. Today, TESDA has evolved into an organization that is responsive, effective and efficient in delivering myriad services to its clients. To accomplish its multi-pronged mission, the TESDA Board has been formulating strategies and programs geared towards yielding the highest impact on manpower development in various areas, industry sectors and institutions. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (PMAP) PMAP is strictly profesional, non-stock, not for profit organization of over 1,800 member companies and individual management executives engaged or interested in Human Resource Management and IR works. UNIVERSAL ACCESS OF COMPETITIVENESS AND TRADE (UACT) U-ACT is a private sector-led, non-stock, non-profit, advocacy and research think-tank, affiliated with the PCCI primarily focused on issues relating to trade policy making, trade negotiations and agreements, economic, sectoral and human resource competitiveness. U-ACT is the driver of private sector in the conduct of trade policy and economic competitiveness activities by, analyzing trade policies and agreements, championing institutional reforms, and developing strategic interventions for economic, industry, and economic reforms and adjustment measures. Through established linkages with industry, government and the academe, U-ACT is able to provide the policy and operational support to bring forth measures that enhances the competitiveness of local production networks resulting to economic reforms that will enable global market access of Philippine goods and services. It also provides the structure to develop information and monitoring systems and capacity-building for trade negotiations, making private sector a better-informed group and take advantage of opportunities from trade liberalization. U-ACT is an independent think tank providing proactive, credible, balanced economic and trade competitiveness advocacy, research and training services to Philippine private sector. PHILIPPINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRIES (PCCI) The Chamber movement in the Philippines has been in a constant state of evolution for over a century. One can say that the eminent position now being enjoyed by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) in the business community traces its raison d etre from a history interwoven into our nations own history of economic, political and social upheavals. The roots of the Chamber Movement can be traced to the 1890s with the formation of the Camara de Comercio de Filipinas. This organization was composed mainly of Spanish companies such as the Compania General de Tobacco de Filipinas, the Fabrica de Cervesa San Miguel and Elizalde Y Cia, among others. This was followed by the creation of the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CCP) in 1903, shortly after the countrys turnover to the United States. The rise of industries in the 1950s created the need for several industry groups to organize an association that would represent their interests and concerns amid the changing panorama of the economy. Thus, the Philippine Chamber of Industry (PCI) was formed. In July 1978, the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CCP) and the Philippine Chamber of Industry (PCI) merged to give birth to a single, unified private sector organization called the PHILIPPINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (PCCI). That same year, by virtue of Letter of Instruction no. 780, then President Ferdinand E. Marcos recognized the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry as the sole official representative and voice of the entire private business community. MACRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS Social Factors attributing to mismatch High population growth and increasing incidence of poverty are some of the main factors for the mismatch in job market. The problem is aggravated when the rate of economic growth is less than the rate of population growth. High population growth led to repeated pregnancy which lowers the women participation in labor force. Higher number of children in a family with low-income level makes it difficult for the family to send all the children for higher education. Less dense populated provinces dont have good schools which results in less skilled workforce. Political Factors attributing to mismatch There is no central organization which brings all the stakeholders (Employers, Employees, Sector groups, NGOs etc.) under one umbrella and makes sure that all the stakeholders work together, are heard and have ownership. Also, there is a lack of government program to inform the potential workforce on the requirements of the market (i.e. what courses to take, what skills are needed, etc.) Labor code and existing work-related laws have not been reassessed and reviewed to adapt to the changing times. Government spending on Education is increasing (Annexure-Chart1) but major portion (approx 89%) of that goes to the maintenance of DepEd, wages etc. There is only small portion left for the improvement of infrastructure of existing schools or opening new schools. Economic Factors attributing to mismatch According to ECOP, the reduction of chronic unemployment and under- employment is not possible without higher levels of sustained growth. For families with low-income it is very difficult to send their children to attend costly courses. Further, low income individuals consider the duration of course as a major factor in the decision making as he cant afford to spend couple of years without any income. To ensure quality of learning, the quality of teaching must be met. Due to low salary, teachers of high quality choose to work abroad for higher salary. With low-quality of teachers one cannot produce quality workforce with proper skill set. Chronic unemployment and jobless growth also add to the problem of mismatch. Source: ECOP Problem of shrinking/stagnant formal sector and expanding informal sector must be addressed in order to tackle the mismatch problem. Source: ECOP Technological Factors attributing to mismatch In a fast changing world where technology and required skill-sets are changing very rapidly, it is very difficult for the schools and training institutes to match the requirement of the employers because they do not possess the modern advanced technology and the cost to invest in new technology infrastructure. Also sometimes the improvement in technology or processes in an organization led to reduction in the workforce. SUPPLY The Educational Institutes: To effectively fulfill the current and future needs of the economy, human resources must be competitive and must possess updated skills. Qualified skilled human resources must be available at the right place, at right time and at the right quantity and quality to meet the changing demands of the economy. Major Supply issues in Philippines are: Jobsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ skills mismatch English, Communication and Information Technology (IT) Skills Gap Brain drain Over supply of Nurses Supply of Skilled Workers Supply of Professionals Deparment of labour and empolyment had publised below Statistics vide its publication Labour Market monitor: For period 3rd Quarter of 2010, the cumulative total of professionals registered with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) stood at 3,090,120. The top professions consisted of the following: By specific occupation, the top ten occupations in terms of the average number of registered applicants consisted of the following, accounting for more than three fourths (38.7%) of the total registrants during the reference period: DEMAND The Employers: Major Demand issues are: Retaining the best talents Medical tourism to generate employment for nurses Positioning The Philippines as a Creative Hub As shown in the table below are the average numbers of occupational vacancy available with the percentage share: The GAP between Demand and Supply: According to DOLE, the following are the in demand and hard to fill occupations in key employment generators from 2010 to 2015: INDUSTRY IN-DEMAND HARD-TO-FILL 1. AGRIBUSINESS Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, Economist, Aqua-culturist, coconut farmer, entomologist (plant), farmer (fruit, vegetable and root crops Feed Processor and Food Technician, Fishery technologist 2. CYBER SERVICES 3. HEALTH AND WELLNESS Nurse, Horologist, Optician, Optometrist Doctor, Physical Therapist, Pharmacist, Medical Technologist, Laboratory Technician 4. HOTEL AND RESTAURANT TOURISM Front Office Agent / Attendant, Baker /Food server /Waiter/Other House keeping Cook 5. MINING Geologist, Mining Engineer, Geodetic Engineer, Metallurgical Engineer 6. CONSTRUCTION Fabricator/Pipe Fitter/Welder Engineer (Civil, Electrical, Design) 7. BANKING AND FINANCE Operations Manager/Teller Accounting Clerks, Book Keepers, Auditors 8. MANUFACTURING Electrical, Technicians, Food technologist, Machine Operators, Sewers Chemist, Electrical engineer, Industrial engineer, IT specialist, machinist, Mechanical engineers, Mechanical Technicians, Chemical engineer 9. OWNERSHIP DWELLINGS AND REAL STATE Building Manager, Construction Manager, Construction worker, foreman, Mason, welder, real estate agents/brokers, Marketer Civil engineer, Mechanical engineer, Surveyor, Architect 10. TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS Checker, Maintenance mechanics, Stewards Gantry operator, Ground engineer, Heavy equipment operator, Long haul driver, operator, Pilot, Transport and Logistics Machinery, operator, aircraft mechanic and other related skills. Broadly, the DOLE survey defined hardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fill occupations as job vacancies for which an establishment has encountered difficulties in managing the recruitment process. Reasons may include no applicants, applicants lack of experience, skill or license, preference for working abroad, seeking higher salary or problem with location and other reasons. The inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupations refer to active occupations/job vacancies posted/advertised recurrently by and across industries/establishments. DEMAND versus SUPPLY: 1. Agriculture and Fishery Sector Inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupations with limited supply of certified workers are horticulturists and fisherman. 2. Cyber services Shortages of supply are seen in animators (clean up artists, 3D animators, multimedia artist among others) .This scenario on animators is attributed to the continuous flight of workers to overseas (Singapore, Australia, US etc.) 3. Health and Wellness Nurses are shifting careers to become call centers agents because of the difficulty in finding jobs abroad, particularly in the United States, which has recently imposed visa restrictions. The United States will be more open to nurses because of its new law on expanded insurance coverage, which will drive the health care industry to create job opportunities for health workers like nurses. 4. Mining The mining industry is currently showing potential for job opportunities. This sector requires intervention, particularly in the academic and technical areas. This is evident as hardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fill occupations for the sector is mostly professional. These include geologist, mining engineer, geodetic engineer, and metallurgical engineer. 5. Construction The sectors inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupations include fabricator, pipe fitter and welder. These welders are Shielded Metal Arc Welder (SMAW), Gas Metal Arc Welder (GMAW) and Gas Tungsten Arc Welder/TIG Welder (GTAW). However, very limited supply is seen in Submerged Arc Welder (SAW), Gas Oxyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Acetylene Welder, and Flux Cored Arc Welder. 6. Banking and Finance Under the sector of Health, Social and other Community Services is Banking and Finance. This sector listed inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand and hardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fill occupations from the professional group. Among the inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupations are operations manager and tellers which are graduates of Banking and Finance or Business Management courses. Hardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fill occupations include accounting clerks, bookkeepers, cashier, auditor, accountant, credit card analyst, finance analyst/specialist and risk management officer/manager. 7. Manufacturing The manufacturing sector includes critical skills such as machine operators, lathe operators, bench workers/fitters, technicians, machinists, sewers, and tailors among others. Machine Operator (Press worker) also an inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupation has no available manpower supply. 8. Dwellings and Real Estate The sector identified building manager, construction manager, construction worker, foreman, mason, welder and real estate agents/broker as inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupations. Professional occupations such as civil engineer, mechanical engineer, surveyor and architect are among the hardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ to fill occupations for the sector. 9. Transport and Logistics The transport and logistics sectors which cut across construction and mining industries identified checker, maintenance mechanics and stewardess as inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ demand occupations. Maintenance mechanics with occupational title such as automotive senior technician, automotive air-conditioning technician, automotive electrician, and automotive LPGà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fuel technician among others have very limited supply of 21 certified workers. 10. Wholesale and Retail Trade The wholesale and retail trade industry continues to thrive in the country as general economic outlook improves and consumer spending rises. As more wholesale and retail enterprises are established, more job opportunities are provided. Problem arising due to mismatch Skill mismatch makes labor market inefficient and imperfect. Job hiring and seeking become expensive. Many vacancies and job openings remain opened. This results in increased unemployment and also hampers the growth of business and the economy of the country. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS CONCLUSIONS In the evaluation of the education institutions and the industries, there is a significant mismatch between what the institutions produce and what the market demands. The jobs-skills mismatch is a major contributing factor in the unemployment rate in the country. Hence, addressing mismatch could remarkably decrease unemployment rate. One of the causes of the mismatch is the lack of coordination between educational institutions and industry leaders. As a result, institutions produce more graduates that are not needed in the market. The setting up of a department that would link the education institutions to the industry could be a big step in addressing the mismatch. However, mismatch does not only happen when the labor workforce acquire skills that are not required by the market. Mismatch also occurs in the quality of skills that the graduates acquired vis a vis the demand of the industries. Graduates dont usually possess other skills that industries require interpersonal, communication, and leadership. More active participation and stricter intervention of the government is needed to address the mismatch problem in the country. The intention is simply to make the equation EDUCATION = EMPLOYMENT works. RECOMMENDATIONS After a careful review and analysis of available data, the team came up with the following recommendations: Short Term: In the short term, separate existing initiatives done in the area of addressing the mismatch by public as well as private entities can be consolidated with government taking the lead by way of bringing together various agencies like the Department of Education (DEPED), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Labor in Industry (DOLE), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to spearhead a national conference involving employer groups such as ECOP and PCCI as well as captains of industries to draw up one united and uniform comprehensive plan. Long term: 1) A Department of Human Resource Development shall be established. This department will ensure linkage between the education and labor sectors. It shall formulate, among others, an employment plan which will serve as a guide for the education sector on what skills to produce to match the skills required by the industries. 2) Establishment of a central accreditation or re

Japan vs. China Essay -- Economy Geography Papers Asia

Japan vs. China The region known as East Asia has long been in area of conflict, where often times one power, or group of powers has dominated the people, politics, and economy in a very authoritarian fashion. At first it was the Chinese Imperial system which dominated East Asia, as the strongest and most wealthy Asian power during the pre-colonial period. Japan was in a state of isolation, and the other countries of the region were dependent on China for many things. However, with the coming of the colonial powers from Europe and North America, China’s regional power was all but destroyed (4). During that time period, Japan began a process of rapid industrialization and modernization in order to counteract western colonialism and prevent the Western powers from taking over Japan like they did with China (5). Since then, Japan has been a competitor with China for regional dominance and hegemony. From a historical perspective, both China and Japan have occupied the place of regional hegemon, albeit at different times. China was the regional power in the pre-colonial era, often times exercising its influence over its smaller neighbors. This dominance was in large part because of the sheer size of China, in addition to the power of ancient China under the Emperors. The Great Wall of China was a testament to the ancient strength of China during the pre-colonial period (4). However, once the colonial period began, the power of China was destroyed by the Western powers. During this time period and immediately afterwards, China was a weak nation, often times on the brink of civil war and societal collapse (2). The result of this weakness was the rise of warlord-ism and the destruction of unified China. The GMD (Nationalists)... ...tors all give Japan the advantage; however China is not far behind Japan in the contest. With the largest population in the world and the world’s largest standing army, China is still a force to be reckoned with, albeit not as important as Japan seems to be. Although the future is very uncertain (given China’s unstable political system and what effects the economic growth will have upon it) it can be said that for the coming few years, Japan will continue to be on top of China. How long that lasts is impossible to determine, but given the current set of circumstances, China will surpass Japan in the future as regional hegemon. Works Cited 1. Lecture Notes/ in class discussion 2. Mao’s China and After By Maurice Meisner 3. Japan from Tokugawa to the Present by Andrew Gordon 4. in class video on pre-colonial China. 5. in class video on Japan’s modernization Japan vs. China Essay -- Economy Geography Papers Asia Japan vs. China The region known as East Asia has long been in area of conflict, where often times one power, or group of powers has dominated the people, politics, and economy in a very authoritarian fashion. At first it was the Chinese Imperial system which dominated East Asia, as the strongest and most wealthy Asian power during the pre-colonial period. Japan was in a state of isolation, and the other countries of the region were dependent on China for many things. However, with the coming of the colonial powers from Europe and North America, China’s regional power was all but destroyed (4). During that time period, Japan began a process of rapid industrialization and modernization in order to counteract western colonialism and prevent the Western powers from taking over Japan like they did with China (5). Since then, Japan has been a competitor with China for regional dominance and hegemony. From a historical perspective, both China and Japan have occupied the place of regional hegemon, albeit at different times. China was the regional power in the pre-colonial era, often times exercising its influence over its smaller neighbors. This dominance was in large part because of the sheer size of China, in addition to the power of ancient China under the Emperors. The Great Wall of China was a testament to the ancient strength of China during the pre-colonial period (4). However, once the colonial period began, the power of China was destroyed by the Western powers. During this time period and immediately afterwards, China was a weak nation, often times on the brink of civil war and societal collapse (2). The result of this weakness was the rise of warlord-ism and the destruction of unified China. The GMD (Nationalists)... ...tors all give Japan the advantage; however China is not far behind Japan in the contest. With the largest population in the world and the world’s largest standing army, China is still a force to be reckoned with, albeit not as important as Japan seems to be. Although the future is very uncertain (given China’s unstable political system and what effects the economic growth will have upon it) it can be said that for the coming few years, Japan will continue to be on top of China. How long that lasts is impossible to determine, but given the current set of circumstances, China will surpass Japan in the future as regional hegemon. Works Cited 1. Lecture Notes/ in class discussion 2. Mao’s China and After By Maurice Meisner 3. Japan from Tokugawa to the Present by Andrew Gordon 4. in class video on pre-colonial China. 5. in class video on Japan’s modernization

Knowledge of Good in Platos The Republic Essay -- Philosophy Religio

An Intellectual Knowledge of Good in Plato’s Republic Socrates might be a wise philosopher but one of his ideas strikes me as particularly naive. In the allegory of the cave, he tells Glaucon that "in the world of knowledge the idea of good appears last of all, and is seen only with an effort [Â ·] and that this is the power upon which he [the intellectual] would act rationally" (517b-c). In other words, he seems to be implying that knowledge of goodness is a sufficient condition for being good. A person who has seen what goodness is will henceforth act in a way that is good. Is this belief justified? For instance, we sometimes do things that we know are not good but we do them nonetheless and feel guilty after that. If, as such cases imply, knowledge of goodness is not a sufficient condition for being good, then Plato's dream of a utopia ruled by philosopher-kings could well be a nightmare. The philosophers who are supposed to have attained the "idea of good" (and are thus privileged to hold the citizens together "by persuasion and ne cessity" [519e]) might turn out to be dictators. What is this idea of good which Socrates is talking about? According to him, it is the "universal author of all things beautiful and right" and the "source of reason and truth in the intellectual" (517c). But it does not make any sense to me that a mere idea alone can produce great achievements with attributes like beauty, justice, reason and truth. Could it be that my interpretation of Socrates' "idea of good" as a mere idea is mistaken? Perhaps what Socrates means is more than just an intellectual idea of good. Perhaps what he means when he says that one sees the idea of good is that one experiences goodness itself directly. In that case, se... ... he really has no solid evidence to back him up. If there is no evidence to show that the capacity for goodness is innate in human beings and that people who have seen what goodness is will want to be good, then there is also no justification for the belief that attaining the idea of good is sufficient for being good. Basically, Plato's vision of utopia lies on the fundamental premise that the philosopher who has seen the light will "either in public or private life" fix his eye on this light (517c). In other words, he believes that the philosopher who has attained the idea of good will necessarily become good. But there is no justification for such a belief (at least not in the allegory) and hence, his idea is not obviously sound. Work Cited Plato. Republic. Trans. Benjamin Jowett. 8 Jan. 2001. .

Essay --

There are three regulatory agencies in the United States that manage GE crops: the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) through its Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) Division; The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA). APHIS-BRS protects agriculture and the environment by evaluating genetically-engineered (GE) products that present a potential plant pest risk and supervises field testing. The EPA has responsibility for GE plants that raise pest management or pesticide issues protects the environment and food safety of GE plants that contain pesticidal proteins (the Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin [Bt]), and FDA assures that food and feed derived from GE plants is safe. The processes that each agency has developed for regulatory review vary according to each agency’s mandate and the intended use of the product (Goldner, Thr o & Radin, 2004). To consider deregulation of a plant product, APHIS-BRS requires submission of data to demonstrate that release of a GE plant into the environment will not present a plant pest risk. The FDA evaluates data on the characteristic components of the food or feed in the form in which the product will be eaten to ensure that new products are safe as the foods that are currently on the market. The other essential economic barrier identified by all participants is overseas regulation. Most of the specialty products have export markets, and the lack of regulatory standardization around the world generates incredible costs, inefficiencies, and worries (Goldner, Thro & Radin, 2004). During the Clinton administration, the top scientists at the FDA included Susan Sech... ...uce exclusive materials or materials with quality traits that set them apart from their competitors and bring a higher price. Good weather, competition, and shifting consumption patterns are beyond the control of the farmer but the quality of plants and seeds and the quality of products are where biotechnology can make a difference (Goldner, Thro & Radin, 2004). References Unknown (June/ July 2001), Continuing the Green Revolution: The corporate assault on the security of the global food supply, Volume 13, Number 4, Retrieved November 22, 2013 and available at: http://www.mit.edu/~thistle/v13/4/food.html Goldner W.R., Thro A.M. & Radin J. W. (November 8-9 2004) Public Research & Regulatory Review of Specialty (Small-Market) Biotechnology-Derived Crops, 2, P. 2 Retrieved November 22, 2013 and available at: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/biotech/pdfs/small_mkt.pdf

A Person Who Made an Impact on My Life

Dominique Eley 11/1/12 Ms. Conway It was late July, the summer of 2006 to be exact. I was in Chicago spending the summer with my father at his new house. My mother called my dad and me and said I was going to be a big sister. I was only in the 6th grade, but I knew I was going to have to be more responsible and mature. I did not know whether I was going to have a little sister or brother. I was so excited I couldn’t wait to get back home to see my new sibling. I was finally older than someone in my family and could actually be the boss of them.When I found out it was a boy I was so excited, I had so many dreams and a planned out future for him as soon as I laid my eyes on him. He was so tiny with dark brown skin, silky black hair, brown eyes, and dimples. His name was DeBron Samuel Eley. As he grew older I noticed that he had an old man personality and was very wise. He was becoming a mini me, he did everything I did and followed me everywhere I went. I realized that I needed to change my behavior and the things I did because I knew that he wanted to be just like me, and I did not want him to grow up and make bad decisions like I did.I treated my little brother like my son; anytime I bought myself something I would buy him something as well. This little boy really made me turn all my negatives into positives and get more active into school and be a better person. I was on the basketball team in the fall and during the spring I was on the baseball team. DeBron had become my pride; I was more motivated in school and made the honor roll all four quarters in middle school, because I knew that my hard work would inspire him. Fall 2012 he started Kindergarten.The first thing he said when he walked into his class was â€Å"I’m going to be the star student like my big sister. † I knew he would make me proud due to all the dedication and hard work I put into him and myself just for him to grow to be a better person than I am. Every day he would come home with stars and 100’s on his homework and classwork, right along with a good phone call home and a story about how he helped someone in class today. He had a high self-esteem level and didn’t let his pride get in the way of anything.His first year of kindergarten was my senior year of high school, so we both were graduating in June 2012. This little boy made an impact on my life because I would hate to lose another one of my brothers to the streets. He made me look at life from a different perspective and I got to see the brighter side of more things. When I moved away to start my college life he automatically wanted to come to college and that’s what my future goals are for him. Not a lot of people plan to go to college in first grade Someday when I have a son; I’m going to raise him the same way I did my little brother.

The Destructors and Lord of the Flies

The Destructor and the Lord of the Flies Being a successful leader doesn't mean that you have to be aggressive and to use the power of authority. Both, in the destructor story and Lord of the Flies novel we could find some similarities in the way how the young children managed to be leaders and to achieve what they wanted. In the Lord of the Flies we can find two characters of two young children that used to be leader. In one side we had Ralph whose aim was how to escape from the island and in the other side we had Jack whose grief was how to secure food.Ralph was very calm and well educated boy but he had one problem hat he couldn't managed to have under control Jack. This might be because of lack of knowledge since he was too young. Ralph ideas of taking care about the fire was brilliant, this is because if we have a list of equipment's that we need to survive in such places in the first place should be a mirror or light that would reflect the light , so that would be a chance for them to be identified from a long distance.Jack character was too aggressive and he wanted to be a leader and to take things under control, but the problem was that he didn't see any long term solution besides securing food. He was not cooperative with the others and wanted to control situation using his power which in most of cases doesn't work and this was shown as well since he started to get control in his tribe, some of them lost their lives. In the end of the film we can conclude that Ralph idea that he gave when he took leadership was realized.Soldiers wouldn't saw them, if there were not any fire on the field. In the Destructor story we can find some other characters of young children. In one side we had Blackleg who was appointed as a leader of a gang with voting but since he didn't have any new ideas he didn't manage to keep the leadership. When T comes and he gave his idea he immediately keep leading and he achieved to realize his goal by managing the team by delegating d uties to each of them in order to make them all involved.Finally we could say that having a good ideas and being creative and being able to manage and implement in proper way this is how usually works in many cases but you need to have an experience and to be able to keep things under control. In Jacks case he proved that being a leader and using authority and power doesn't really work and possibilities to fail are more than to win. Shaped. The Destructor and Lord of the Flies By Shipped

Pieces of April

Pieces of April Opening scene: Acoustic steel guitar sound track Close up of April in bed= implies not ready to get up â€Å"This is your big day we don't want to miss this opportunity' Bobby drags April from the bed, shoves her in the shower â€Å"No Bobby' Bobby starts making the food while April sits on the toilet saying â€Å"I'm coming† Costume- black eyeliner -black nail polish -tattoos -black boyfriend April is a rebellious person needs someone to help her (in life) egg- Bobby Meeting the family: No music No Joy in bed â€Å"JOY JOY' Tracking shot of father looking through the house for ‘disrupting' his family frantically looking for Joy both on and daughter Join in search Joy is found in the dark alone in the car (passenger seat) Miss en scene â€Å"everyone get ready' Joy is controlling.Starting to prepare Thanks Giving dinner: Bobby in control-stirring, reading packets (close up on Bobby's hands) April seems incompetent -drops turkey, can't cut onions, stuf fs whole celery in turkey â€Å"They're probably not even going to come† Cross cut to family â€Å"If not now when† mom) â€Å"What makes her think she can cook all of a sudden † (Beth) â€Å"April is the problem† (Beth) Everyone questions Joy about how she is feeling- we realize she is not well (two shots) Bobby shows all the stuff he brought: â€Å"Be careful they're worth more than you are† â€Å"how much did they cost† â€Å"They weren't cheap†¦. Accents†¦. † Mimi got yourself a deal† April throws them in the bin-still hurt by past experiences, broken relationship with her mother Food as a motif: April is cooking Thanks giving dinner Joy asks her mother â€Å"did you eat† as a greeting Family stops to buy a lot of donuts- Implies they will be hungry because April cant cook. They don't deserve decorations† (April) April rips up the place card when she writes ‘Mom' replacing it with ‘Joy show ing that he does not see Joy as her mom April is made to seem helpless- Bobby gets her up and ready -Bobby starts cooking – Bobby has organized the decorations -when April discovers the oven doesn't work the first thing she does is call out the window for Bobby-making mashed potatoes with uncooked potatoes April goes door to door in her apartment block looking for help (later this is an example of her resourcefulness â€Å"Some new piercing, some new ugly tattoos, we can experience the disaster that is her life and go home† Glimpse of hope/change â€Å"apparently this guy Bobby reminds her of me† the girls got problems†- implies that a young middle class girl has an easy life† When April reveals her mother's impending death the neighbors change the POP â€Å"one last chance to be with the people you love† â€Å"you don't get along do you† High angle shots of April Cooking the turkey: You haven't been back Believe it she prefers it that way I'm the first pancake† Discussing about what she is cooking stuffing from a box and cranberry sauce from a can enforces the idea that April cant cool (helpless) but also implies she was not cared for her by her mother We onto want to be early' Joy -choosing a different route to make the trip Worth' the time Group shot of April in between the neighbors in their kitchen as they rook and discuss their ‘nothing special' menu when April discusses her menu, she makes it seem too simple- really nothing special showing the contrast between the intent of making a special ‘last' family meal and not pitting much thought into it. â€Å"Have you done it before? † â€Å"Then it's not nothing† Being taught how to make cranberry sauce implies April has not had this type of experience with her own mother Aprils perseverance in trying to find an oven to chock her turkey shows her change in thought about having a successful ‘last meal'- this is also reinforced when they continue to have thanks giving when her family don't turn up Photo motif happy memories: â€Å"Since when was she in the picture? -taking a Christmas photo, fake smiles, ling delay, everyone there but April When Joy gets the family to stop and pretends she wants to talk to them about preparing for her death but instead mocks how bad she expects Aprils cooking to be â€Å"how each of you in your own way is going to handle(pause) discarding your uneaten DOD† -shows her need to manipulate/control her family Irony- Joy thinks April is a screw up but at the same time we see her eating Junk food, smoking dope and alluding to a very sexually promiscuous past. Neighbor Wayne talks about the care you need to take with cooking a turkey (he's annoying) while April is trying to take care with what she's cooking- she mocks him tick tock showing her meaner side (like her mother? Memories: 3 shot- Joy leans on Tommy's shoulders showing her closeness with her son Motif-> photogra phs (album)- Joy insists on slowing her mother the photos (that Timmy took) f her surgery (breast removal) â€Å"this is my favorite† (without breasts) Series of close ups: April putting food in oven putting up table setting table decorating the apartment black staircase shows she does expect her family to turn up â€Å"That you stop† -contrast between Joys look of illness and Beet's look of hurt at her mother's words- you feel sympathy for them both â€Å"Who are you?†¦ My daughter is kind†¦ † Dotted â€Å"not anymore† Joy â€Å"then I don't know you† Dotted Reflection â€Å"I am so critical† â€Å"why am I so hard (on Beth)† -Joy reflects on her relationship with her children â€Å"I can only think of one vivid beautiful memory'- turns out that all her good memories of April are really about Beth That makes Joy angry/panic forcing them to stop their Journey â€Å"Petulance, shoplifting, fire in the kitchen, flicking matc hes at Beth, using a lighter to trim Tommy's hair, the drugs. â€Å"no wonder I have cancer she's the cancer I cant have another bad experience Vive had too many bad experiences†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Insight into Aprils criminal past when she tries to break into Wane's apartment with a crow bar â€Å"Bad girl† (Wayne) When she discovers he has stolen a leg she attacks him uniform a bad girl a very bad girl† No I'm not† (sitting alone on the steps (high angle)) The meaning of Thanks Giving â€Å"the first year on their own was hard†¦ Really really hard† -implying this was true for herself as well â€Å"This one day where everyone seemed to know they needed each other†¦ They knew for certain they couldn't do it on their own. â€Å"- implying that this is true for April on this day.Retrieving the turkey salt n pepper shakers implies she wants to put the past behind her Have a fake turkey leg to replace the missing one implies that everything can be fixed Contrast- April excitedly descends the stairwell to meet her family â€Å"They're ere†¦. They're here† April sadly ascends the stairwell after seeing they have left (destroying her decorations as she goes) Resolution when Joy witnesses a woman leaving her young girl (abandoning her) in the bathroom (with her knickers still around her ankles) she realizes that she has been abandoning April all her life -she is at fault â€Å"Mom, mom† (echoes of the past) Freeze frame (still shots) of everyone having thanks giving together- no dialogue (nothing needs to be said) final family photo (with Bobby)= one last happy memory implying only happy memory before time ran out (sound of the camera sound)