The Old Soldiers Home Essay examples -- Military

The Old Soldiers’ Home â€Å"They freely risked life and limb to protect the nation, and it seems but simple justice for the nation to care for them when unable to care for themselves† (Guide Publishing 1) was a shared opinion of many by the end of the Civil War. After these men have put their life on the line for the nation, any train of thought opposite of this would be absurd. Injury from the war is expected, but unfortunately, some of the blows these vets received were too harsh to bounce back from. Over 100,000 men from the Union Army would not be able to return to civilian employment, due to injuries or disabilities received in the line of duty. The United States would not let these war vets and their hard work and dedication go unnoticed, unrewarded, or unappreciated and action was taken as soon as possible. To care for these disabled veterans, â€Å"on March 3, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law an act of congress establishing the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiersà ¢â‚¬  (Burns 1). With the signing of this act of congress, the idea of Soldiers’ homes had officially been mapped out and put into full effect. The Old Soldiers’ Home, now known as The VA Medical Center, was established to ensure that war vets were taken care of, out of respect for their loyalty to the nation. It was inevitable that there were veterans all over the United States who indeed needed government assistance, which is why more than one branch of the Soldiers’ Homes was established, making sure that as many of these war vets were taken care of as possible. The Central Branch, which is located in Dayton, OH, the Eastern Branch near Augusta, Maine, the North-Western Branch near Milwaukee, and the Southern Branch near Fortress Monroe, Virgin... ..., happy, and giving them another chance to live is the truest and most noteworthy accomplishment for the founders of the Old Soldiers’ Home. The Old Soldiers’ Home was established to ensure that war vets were taken care of, out of respect for their loyalty and its goal was reached. Thanks to this home in Dayton, OH and others, no soldier will go unnoticed. Works Cited Burns, Carolyn. Soldiers’ Home of Dayton, Ohio. Web. 16 Aug. 2009 http://www.carolynjburns.com/soldiers United States Department of Affairs. Dayton VA Medical Center, Ohio. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. http://www.dayton.va.gov The Guide Publishing Company. Guide to the National Soldiers’ Home for Visitors and Citizens: With Sketches of Dayton. Dayton, OH: The Guide Publishing Company, 1891. Print. Earnshaw, William. History of the National Home for Disabled Soldiers. 1875. Print.

Globalization process Essay

Due to the emergence of globalization process, many changes are taking place within the mainstream business activity. As the organizations becoming to more and more globalized, the need to have a uniform set of international standards is strongly felt. This argument is based on the fact that since organizations are becoming global and have to face the different legal as well as cultural environments therefore in a bid to reduce the bottlenecks for the international firms as well as creating a uniform set of accounting rules and regulations, it is critical that a convergence shall be made to the international accounting standards so that a uniformity can be achieved. The experience of EU and Canada has been successful so as those of other countries who are making a transition to the international accounting standards. This experience is also considered as a strong signal for the US to adapt to the new standards because it is connected with the global world. The complexities of the international trade have led much international business to remove the conflict between the different standards in place and as such the effort from the US is one of the attempts to converge to the International standards to achieve the desired results. However, it is also critical to note that many argue that such transition will be costly for the American firms because an earlier transition to Sarbanes Oxley has been a costly proposition for the many companies and most of them may be reluctant to adapt to the new standards. The costs, however, may be relatively high but the added benefits which US firms may enjoy after this convergence may greatly outweigh the benefits. The uniformity of the standards will allow international firms, especially to be more flexible and support the initiatives taken by the Security and Exchange Commission to make a phased transition to the adaptation of the IFRS. The process of this convergence can be difficult to assess as it is a phased process however, given the fact that more than 85 countries have adapted the IFRS itself indicate that more and more countries are now willing to adapt to the international standards in order to facilitate the businesses to adapt a uniform set of standards. Such large scale adaptation of the standards however, also creates cultural as well language problems as the correct and accurate interpretation of the standards itself is an issue to deal with. Language and culture therefore are two of the potential impediments which can restrict the true applicability of the standards even if the standards are fully implemented and adapted by the countries. If we assess the globalization of accounting standards with special reference to US, we will also come to know that few of the international firms in US have already adopted the standards for their foreign subsidiaries and as such this process may not be as complicated to them as they may perceive it. However, what is also critical to note that those firms which have only the domestic presence within the US market may find it difficult to cope with the increasing costs as well as adapting to the new standards? This will not only require investment into improving the skill level of the employees as well as would require additional funds to implement the new system.

Ecological Evaluation of Environmental Problems Essay

Biodiversity refers to the abundance of life forms (bio means life, diversity means variety or assortment). This includes different animals, plants and micro-organisms. The ecosystem where these living organisms belong, as well as their genetic make-up, is also part of biodiversity. Wide biodiversity is advantageous to species development as there will be various interactions going on among the different species. Among the most bio-diverse ecosystems are rainforests and aquatic ecosystems. Both land and water species can be found in these habitats. The existence, however, of these ecosystems are becoming endangered as a lot of human activities negatively impact these ecosystems. Forest destruction has been an existing issue for the longest time. Pollution – air and water – is also one of the most common problems different ecosystems and the environment itself are facing. Human activities also cause global warming which is not healthy for all living creatures. These things that people do to our environment can definitely be prevented and avoided. We can start by stopping the use of substances with chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which were identified as harmful to the ozone layer. This simple deed can help decrease the effects of global warming to the environment. Local governments should also enforce strict laws against forest destruction. Environmentalists can also start a campaign on reforestation to help rebuild destroyed forests and natural habitats. Maintaining biodiversity is important in human sustainability. Each life form is beneficial to one another. Plants are the producers in the food chain. Some primary and secondary consumers are also taken by humans as food, which is our main source of energy. Continuous destruction of the ecosystems leads to the decrease in these food sources. Thus, preserving the ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity should be seriously considered by everyone. Acid deposition starts with the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Burning of these fuels produces nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide which are considered air pollutants. Volcanic eruptions can also emit these pollutants. When the nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides get released to the atmosphere, chemical transformation happens and sulfuric and nitric acid compounds are produced. These compounds make the air acidic. Eventually, these acidic compounds fall to the surface of the Earth – the process called â€Å"acid deposition†. Deposition can happen in wet or dry form. Wet deposition occurs when the nitric acid and sulfuric acid compounds are transported with rain, fog, or snow. When these compounds are carried as fine particles by the wind, it is called dry deposition. Acid deposition cause severe damages to the ecosystem. Fish species found in lakes affected by acid deposition tend to disappear. Other aquatic resources in lakes and rivers tend to either disappear or die which creates an imbalance to aquatic ecosystems. Acidification also changes phytoplankton composition. Likewise, acid deposition also affects forests by killing a lot of trees due to the acidic compounds settling onto these life forms. This is evident in most forests where there are copper and nickel refineries nearby. This environmental problem can also trigger asthma and some bronchial infections to humans. The effect may not be seen immediately and may take years before it can be realized. In order for us to minimize the cases of acid deposition is to have a global initiative of reducing emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which cause air pollution. Educating the entire world population of this phenomenon can be a good start. Factories and industrial plants burning fossil fuels should try to research and find other earth-friendly alternatives to those harmful chemicals. Cultural eutrophication is the accelerated aging of aquatic ecosystems, especially lakes, through man-made activities. Eutrophication is the natural process of aging of lakes which is characterized by an increase in the growth of algae and aquatic weeds. Eutrophication rate is determined by how fast the lake gets sediments and nutrients from the watershed, and this naturally occurs over a long period of time. However, if the lake is located in an urbanized area or developed region, eutrophication speeds as there is definitely higher number of sediments and nutrients getting into the lake. This is when natural eutrophication becomes cultural eutrophication. The increased sediments and nutrients, which are mainly phosphorous, usually come from road sand, oil, lawn fertilizers, gas, salt and organic matter being transported to the lake through stormwater or groundwater. Inefficient septic systems can also cause cultural eutrophication. This environmental phenomenon can be prevented through continuous monitoring of the local government. Environmental officials should identify the cause of the cultural eutrophication and determine where the increased sediments are coming from. Once this is identified, measures to prevent these nutrients and sediments from getting into the lake could be placed and enforced. Global warming, from the term itself, is the continuous increase in the temperature of our planet. Global warming is mainly caused by increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone and methane forms a gaseous blanket around the Earth. This blanket traps the heat which is responsible for making the Earth warm; else our planet’s temperature would be well over 60 degrees colder. Global warming becomes an environmental issue because the gaseous blanket is getting thicker and thicker over the years which make the Earth’s temperature extra hot. The increase in greenhouse gases which causes global warming is due to burning of fossil fuels, agricultural byproducts, industrial processes, waste disposal and treatment among others. By the year 2100, Earth’s temperature will rise by 3 °C to 5 °C and sea levels will rise by 25 meters, at least, because of global warming. This would mean an increase in the occurrence of heat waves, floods, tornadoes and drought. Agricultural yields will be low due to these extreme weather conditions. Diseases will also spread easily. Global warming is already a known issue. The only thing that we have to do is to make significant changes in the way we do things like the use of fuels contributing to the increase of greenhouse gases. Little things can help curtail the effects of global warming such as changing filament light bulbs to fluorescent bulbs, making sure the refrigerator and freezer doors are always shut properly, and other measures of conserving electricity. This will not only help save the Earth from global warming, it will also help you save money due to less electricity consumption. Electricity is the most common form of energy people use daily. Currently, electricity is being generated mainly by burning fossil fuels. We all know from the above discussions that fossil fuel combustion creates air pollutants that contribute to acid deposition and global warming – in short, environmental destruction. If this way of using energy continuous, we would be in danger of losing a healthy planet to live in a hundred years. Another danger of this is not having enough fossil fuels to use in the future as this is not a renewable source of energy. Fossil fuels such as coal and oil can be depleted because there can only be as much of them in our planet. In order for us to prevent global environmental destruction, we should all try to use sustainable energy in order for us to have reserves in the future. Examples of sustainable energy are renewable sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and wave power among others. Power plants and electric companies should slowly convert their electricity generating processes to one of these in order to lessen the waste pollutants of fuel combustion. Big companies may also want to initiate a study if its facilities and offices would run on self-built solar power. Other than the big savings, it will definitely help in reducing the number of fossil fuel electricity consumers.

Food Truck

Jennifer Collins Ent 1000 3-20-2013 Industry Paper Food Truck vs. Organic Trucks The street food trend has been a growing industry nationwide. According to American City Business Journal of Orlando, Fl. , â€Å"more than 3,000 street vendors made $1. 3 billion in revenue in 2010, a 12. 7% jump from the revenue from the prior year. The average startup cost of a food truck is only about $5,000-50,000 and the yearly profit potential can be anywhere from $100-250,000 per year. The list of costs for startup include fuel, maintenance, business permits, equipment, supplies, insurance, marketing and is still minimal in contrast to the fees required for a stand-alone cafe spot in a busy business area. This is good news. Organic food trucks have almost no competitive market compared to the food trucks that provide fan fair (unhealthy) fast foods. The mobility of this business provides a wider profit gross than a stand-alone brick and mortar business and the flexibility to drive wherever the c ustomers are can be a competitive advantage.I wanted to start an Organic Food truck business first rather than open a small restaurant for a few simple reasons. Startup costs are considerably less, and profit margins can be more. During my research of looking up for sale ads, I found that a used truck right now can be as low as $15,000 or a new one at $30-50,000. According to Forbes. com, I can move towards my market selling in more populated areas, whereas, â€Å"Purchasing a small cafe in my local area with twenty seats, around 2,000 square feet in size can cost upwards of $175- 300,000,† and then I am stuck in the same community for years.The basic food truck concept started way back in 1961 when New York began to regulate vendors selling food from push carts. Mobilecuisine. com- the History of American Food Truck article says, â€Å"Horse drawn chuck wagons started in 1866, sausage vendors sold quick hot foods to students at their dorms at Yale, Harvard and Princeton in 1974 and the first Taco truck in 2008 was regulated to sell food in a highly populated in Los Angeles, California. † The National Restaurant Association said, â€Å"The category tops $630 million in nationwide revenue in 2011. But when first introduced, a regular food truck selling the typical burger, taco or BBQ made about a third of that ten years ago. Currently there is no confirmed market spot for the vegetarian or organic food truck but this area is undefined. In the Western part of the U. S. , vendors who sold Asian, BBQ, or fair food sell the most products compared to the healthy foods that may be sold on a vegetarian or organic cart, yet there is a rise and a need lately in the health food industry with people trying to lose weight and eat better.Working in a health food kitchen for the past two years, I have realized how consumers have few choices in this area of eating out. Having the convenience of a healthy food truck alternative parked in â€Å"your area† is a perfect idea. Certain health risks and disease are on the rise and people love the idea now of having a gluten-free, soy or dairy-free, vegan or locally grown food choice in their own back yard where they can feel good about what they eat. Someone is looking out for them. According to Wikipedia. rg 2013, locally here in downtown Tampa; Mayor Bob Buckhorn organized a monthly food truck rally drawing thousands of coinsures. Saint Pete followed suit in 2011. â€Å"The biggest buyers of foods from mobile vendors are adults age 25-34 spending an average of $44 per month. † In Theresa Ehrlichs online article, she also ads, â€Å"major market area analysis shows that 55% of trucks park at a street corner, other venues or events such as rally’s are 18%, construction work sites 15% and shopping malls contribute to 12% of locations served. Right now, the phenomenon is gained so much buzz, that it’s difficult to accurately track the national sales. Yet as should be a ssumed with any business the first year, there are political, environmental, social-cultural, technological and competitive threats. Upon further analysis of my industry (Industry code #722211 mobile ready to eat pay first food service), and my industries trade associations (mymfva. org. Mobile Food Vendor Association MFVA or The NAC National Association of Concessionaires at naconline. org. , they outline a more extensive overview of the PESTC for further forecasting. POLITICAL: Some of my industries opportunities say that you will not have to purchase a separate kitchen to cook food in, as all the cooking can be done on the truck. There are rumors though, that these laws may change in the near future. Many truck owners may see parking tickets an s apart of an overhead cost. Parking at a free event saves cost of such fees. Permits to operate in the city are often affordable and I already possess a National Food Management License that is required by the state.I’m personally not ready to open a food truck but a few years from now when I am, permits and standards may change. ENVIRONMENTAL: Recently the economic state has plummeted and consumers are watching there money. They may not be able to afford eating out at ritzy cafes. A food truck offers unique food concepts at a more affordable price. Currently 70% of Americans are too busy to cook at home so they eat outside. On the other hand, if food truck owners do not keep up with trends and good locations in local areas to sell, consumers may not be aware of new foods.They would have to keep up with social media and marketing to promote themselves properly. Some vendors say they are using Twitter and Facebook to let customers know which location they will be serving next. SOCIO-CULTURAL: In my own experience with eating from a food truck, I see street vendors as fun and find the process is much like a â€Å"foodie groupie† in the game of searching out the locations where they may be this week. It b ecomes a fun weekend hobby. In the past Trucks were called â€Å"roach coaches. † I suspect that this stereotype deters some people from trying out a food truck.Owners must work extra hard to gain a positive reputation. TECHNILOGICAL: Technology is always changing and the prices increase for such equipment that may be needed to keep up with the times and customer demands. A food truck only has enough room for so much food, storage and equipment which is made to travel as simple as possible. Basic kitchen equipment based off of a standard menu is only required yet there may not be room for high tech registers or credit machines. Most food trucks use â€Å"Square†, with their mobile phone to process credit card payments.You won’t waste time counting cash or change for the customers and it works out just as quickly as any other process. COMPETITIVE: A competitive threat the local community might include a copy cat food truck that would force a new truck to step up his game, but as far as the threats of the environment in a competitive nature, I don’t see a lot. On contrary, the niche of having healthy food services is that it’s probably in no league of high competition with an actual restaurant. Because it’s mobile, this provides a direct link to the customer and find the most profitable areas to work in.If one area isn’t great, they can simply move on. Strengths within the food truck industry of â€Å"ready to eat foods†, I include lower overhead, creative menu options that can be changed, high brand recognition and lower start up costs that would also be affordable to maintain. Opportunities, I feel, are based on the individual business owners’ future goals. Moving into a tourist town where there are few trucks and less competition, offering something unique or replacing a truck spot that has just closed could bring more customers.Rising food costs or lack of expertise in financing or managing could pose as a Weakness. Rising gas prices, traveling expenses and county changes or restrictions could also become a Threat in the food truck business. On a better note, trends right now in the street food vendor industry are growing in our local area and are all the rage in western states. It is a competitive yet fun concept. In my personal opinion, the opportunities out weight the threats in this field so I look forward in learning more and producing a creative aspect to the ideas I already have in place.With the reputation that this concept first started with compared to the revenue its generated in the past recent years, the potential seems profitable enough and worthwhile. Food trucks have been around since 1866 selling ground chuck burgers and sausages but the vegan, vegetarian, organic trend has not been around too long making the potential gross profit almost unknown. I think this concept is a good thing to risk moving forward with. I see it as a win! BIBLIOGRAPHY â€Å"The co st of starting a food truck. † Forbes. com. Web. 27, September. 2012. Investopedia. Anjail, Fluker. Orlando Commisary Forms Association for Food trucks.Orlando American City Business Journal. Web. 14, March. 2012. Myrick, Richard. The history of American Food Trucks. Mobile Cuisine magazine. Take the Cannoli Productions L. L. C. MCM 2010-2013. Web. 2, July, 2010. Theresa, Ehrlich. Best Customers: Demographics of Customer Demand. 2008. Web. SBCC. net Pon, Jackie. 5 Things you should know About Starting Your Own Food Truck. Pbs. org. 2013 WNET. org. Web. 15, October. 2010. Myrick, Richard. Running a Food Truck for Dummies. Dummies. com. 2013 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Web. Wikipedia. com. Food trucks in Tampa. 14 February 2013. Web.

Research Paradigms, Knowledge and Practice Essay

Research Paradigms, Knowledge and Practice - Essay Example 5). This essay identifies and critically discusses the research paradigms to be the most relevant to the development of nursing knowledge: positivism/empiricism and phenomenology/interpretivism. Nursing has progressed as a unique discipline through the application of theories from other academic fields and the advancement of clinical research. The discipline of nursing focuses on the personal circumstances of individual patients. In essence, this suggests that research to enhance the clinical practice of nursing should focus on environmental factors and individual attributes that are not open to plain quantitative approach. Nursing has formulated research paradigms to address these challenging issues. The discipline of nursing revealed that there is a need to expand the foundation of nursing knowledge, and research is the best way to accomplish such goal. Focus of the Discipline of Nursing The discipline of nursing gradually grew from established theories, intuition, religious belief s, apprenticeship, philanthropic intentions, and traditional women’s role, as well as diverse impact of feminism, economics, politics, technology, and medicine (Shaw, 1993). Florence Nightingale, the first practitioner of nursing, described nursing as a field of study that has social relevance and structured concepts different from the field of medicine. However, M.E. Roger’s (1970 as cited in Shaw, 1993, p. 1651) more recent holistic perspective of individuals have become an important foundation in developing theory by characterizing nursing as ‘an art and a science’ and by creating a concrete starting point for testing theories. Donaldson and Crowley (1978), in their seminal work, identify a discipline as â€Å"a unique perspective, a distinct way of viewing all phenomena, which ultimately defines the limits and nature of its inquiry† (as cited in Rich, 2010, p. 26). Nursing practitioners have long tried to identify, investigate, understand, and e xplain the concepts fundamental to the discipline of nursing—nursing, environment, health, and person. Issues defining the limits for nursing research and practice involve (Shaw, 1993, p. 1651): (a) laws and principles governing life processes and well-being of humans, (b) influences of the environment on human behavior, (c) processes whereby nursing positively affects health, and (d) families and communities as a focus of nursing practice. Several researchers found out an agreement on the frequent topics and similarities fundamental to nursing research and inquiry. Development of knowledge in a discipline could progress from a number of scientific and philosophic worldviews. The focus of nursing as a discipline has developed most significantly over the recent decades. Several concepts have been determined as fundamental to the discipline of nursing. A case in point is the often mentioned tetralogy, namely, ‘person, environment, nursing, and health’ (Polifroni & Welch, 1999, p. 20). Although recognition of these concepts helps simplify the focus of nursing, there is still the importance of social relevance and apparent interrelatedness to define the discipline that makes up nursing (Keele, 2010). Unrelated concepts do not create the scientific or philosophic questions that encourage inquiry. The discipline of n

The Civil War in Syria Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Civil War in Syria - Coursework Example The current issue or trend to write about is the revolution in Syria that would help bring peace and reduces the mass casualties of innocent citizens due to increased civil war. The audience for my commentary includes but not limited to the course instructor, the students, peer counselors, the institution management team and other nations involved in the civil war at large. 1. Through revolution, a country like Somalia in East Africa has stabilized its government with a reduction in the number of al-Qaeda. Therefore, the revolution in Syria is no exception to a possibility. 2. Syria is one of the most oil productive nation worldwide and with the existence of civil war, it cannot be able to enjoy its absolute and comparative advantages of the other countries in oil production. 3. The political instability of a nation leads to poor economic performance, lack of democracy, the high number of refugees and increased number of civil war that rise number of casualties hence the need for the revolution in Syria. 4. A country in war can be described as a fallen country as people are divided, however, the revolution will help to unite people together. This can be summarized as, â€Å"together we are united, divided we fall.† 5. There is need to have effective rules and regulations governing people and this can only be possible via revolution where the amendment can be made. However, with existence of civil war, this cannot be achievable hence the need for revolution

Correlation between Self-Esteem and Memory Research Proposal

Correlation between Self-Esteem and Memory - Research Proposal Example The study employed standardized measures constituting a Rosenberg Self-Esteem questionnaire given to participants to be completed in class; followed by a series of fifteen words read aloud to them and to be written down on a sheet of paper shortly afterward to test their memory. This experiment used a within-subject design where the researcher tested the participants independently and analyzed their results in SPSS, running a Pearson Correlation Test to find any correlation. Several specific studies have highlighted many cases that demonstrate how memories affect self-esteem both positively and negatively. Psychologists have long been studying "Self-esteem" as an independent concept in cognitive-behavioral therapy, mistaking it as something characteristic of maladjustment in one's social environment. It was until only recently that Social Scientists like Rubenstein (1999) defined self-esteem as the "belief" that one is capable of making competent and appropriate decisions about his life. (p. 76) This belief, Rubenstein explains, is based on how we evaluate our actions where such evaluation is, in turn, driven by concepts such as memory and self-concept. Healthy self-esteem is achieved when people are able to validate their actions positively. (p. 76) Constituting one of the four components of self-concept, Carpenito-Moyet (2007) state that self-esteem has many types and kinds depending on several factors that are driven by experiences and memory (p. 563). Psychologists have discovered that self-esteem fluctuates as life events range from positive to negative incidents, where negative life events predict lower self-esteem (e.g., Lakey, Tardiff, & Drew, 1994). Sternberg and Mio, discussing autobiographical memory; which is the memory of an individual's history, state that experiences in the life of an individual are constructive, wherein one does not recall exactly what happened but one's own construction or reconstruction of what happened. (p. 237) Which brings us to the concept of what one "believes" to be true about himself. These investigations about autobiographical memory show that memories affect self-esteem especially when the individual has a distorted recall. There are several studies highlighting many cases that demonstrate how memories affect self-esteem both positively and negatively. One such study is that of Uttl, Ohta and Siegenthaler's (2006) introduction and study of the so-called "self-defining memories". Their study showed that, in the case of mother-daughter bonding, daughters that were narrated more positive birth narratives showed higher self-esteem and those, with more frequently told and descriptive stories were closer to their mothers than those who weren't told any positive birth narratives. Uttl, Ohta and Siegenthaler found support from a similar research on SDMs conducted by Cohen and Conway. Their studies led them to the finding that these memories have links to personality styles. For instance, there was the case that reported the way students at the end of their third year of college have described and evaluated a significant life experience from the preceding 3 years and how these correlated with their personality,