International Law vs. the American Constitution essays

International Law vs. the American Constitution essays International Law vs. the American Constitution This article examines the implications of three recent cases. These are: The traditional American view and it ¡s Modern Rival The argument of American founders was not a sentimental plea for  ¡participation ¡; the declaration speaks of consent to the  ¡just powers of government ¡ not to its every particular actions. The point of emphasizing constraints of law and legislative consent is that government remains at some level of unavoidable coercion, one submits to lawful government, understanding that everyone else will be bound to the same law. Americans were ready to recognize that law required force to make it effective. Only 5 years after the end of the Revolutionary War they adopted a new constitution precisely to assure a more reliable force to American Government. The argument for the new Constitution as suppose to the article of confederation was that reliable common policies required a common government with it ¡s own army, it ¡s own source of revenue, and it ¡s own powers to make and enforce laws. The way they saw this was since the world as a whole had no legislature this view might seem to leave no place for any international law. That was not quite the view of the founders. The Constitution provided that the treaties adopted by the United States along with federal statutes would be the  ¡supreme law of the land ¡ but it also stipulated that congress should have the power to define and punish the offenses against the laws of the nations. When James Madison served as the Secretary of State under President Jefferson he thought it would be worthwhile to publish a formal inquiry on the law of nations. The founding generations and its successors saw that some sort of interna ...

Hindenburg Disaster

Hindenburg Disaster The suddenness of the disaster was shocking. At 7:25 p.m. on May 6, 1937, while the Hindenburg was attempting to land at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey, a flame appeared on the outer cover of the rear of the Hindenburg. Within 34 seconds, the entire airship was consumed by fire. Take-off On May 3, 1937, the captain of the Hindenburg (on this trip, Max Pruss) ordered the zeppelin out of its shed at the airship station in Frankfurt, Germany. As was usual, when all was ready, the captain shouted, Schiff hoch! (Up ship!) and the ground crew released the handling lines and gave the giant airship a push upward. This trip was the first of the 1937 season for passenger service between Europe and the United States and it wasnt as popular as the 1936 season. In 1936, the Hindenburg had completed ten successful trips (1,002 passengers) and was so popular that they had to turn away customers. On this trip, the first of the 1937 season, the airship was only half full, carrying 36 passengers despite it being equipped to carry 72. For their $400 ticket ($720 round trip), the passengers could relax in the large, luxurious common spaces and enjoy fine food.  They could play, sing, or  listen to the baby grand piano on board or just sit and write postcards. With 61 crew members on board, the passengers were well accommodated. The luxury of the Hindenburg was a marvel in air travel. Considering that passengers were not taken across the Atlantic in heavier-than-air crafts (airplanes) until 1939, the novelty as well as the luxury of traveling in the Hindenburg was astonishing. The smoothness of the ride took many of the Hindenburgs passengers by surprise. Louis Lochner, a newspaperman, described the trip: You feel as though you were carried in the arms of angels.1 There are other stories of passengers waking up after several hours aloft questioning the crew as to when the ship was to take off.2 On most trips across the Atlantic, the Hindenburg maintained an altitude of approximately 650 feet and cruised around 78 mph; however, on this trip, the Hindenburg encountered strong head winds that slowed it down, pushing back the Hindenburgs arrival time from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 6, 1937. The Storm A storm was brewing over the Lakehurst Naval Air Station (New Jersey) on the afternoon of May 6, 1937. After Captain Pruss had taken the Hindenburg over Manhattan, with a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, the airship was nearly over Lakehurst when they received a weather report that stated winds were up to 25 knots. In a lighter-than-air ship, winds could be dangerous; thus, both Captain Pruss and Commander Charles Rosendahl, the officer in charge of the air station, agreed that the Hindenburg should wait for the weather to improve. The Hindenburg then headed southward, then northward, in a continuing circle while it waited for better weather. Family, friends, and newspapermen waited at Lakehurst for the Hindenburg to land. Most had been there since the early morning hours when the airship was first scheduled to land. At 5 p.m., Commander Rosendahl gave the order to sound Zero Hour - a loud siren beckoning the 92 navy and 139 civilian ground crew personnel from the nearby town of Lakehurst. The ground crew were to help the airship land by hanging on to mooring lines. At 6 p.m. it began to really rain and soon after began to clear. At 6:12 p.m., Commander Rosendahl informed Captain Pruss: Conditions now considered suitable for landing.3 The Hindenburg had traveled perhaps a little too far and was still not at Lakehurst at 7:10 p.m. when Commander Rosendahl sent another message: Conditions definitely improved recommend earliest possible landing.4 Arrival Not long after Commander Rosendahls last message, the  Hindenburg  appeared over Lakehurst. The  Hindenburg  made a pass over the airfield before coming in for landing. Circling over the airfield, Captain Pruss tried to slow down the  Hindenburg  and to lower its altitude. Perhaps worried about the weather, Captain Pruss made a sharp left turn as the airship approached the mooring mast. Since the  Hindenburg  was a little tail heavy, 1,320 pounds (600 kg) of ballast water was dropped (often, unwary onlookers who had ventured too close to an approaching airship would get drenched from ballast water). Since the stern was still heavy, the  Hindenburg  dropped another 1,100 pounds (500 kg) of ballast water and this time did drench some of the onlookers. At 7:21 p.m., the  Hindenburg  was still about 1,000 feet away from the mooring mast and approximately 300 feet in the air. Most of the passengers stood by the windows to watch the onlookers grow larger as the airship decreased its altitude and to wave at their family and friends. The five officers on board (two were just observers) were all in the control gondola. Other crewmen were in the tail fin to release mooring lines and to drop the rear landing wheel. A Flame At 7:25 p.m., witnesses saw a small, mushroom-shaped flame rise from the top of the tail section of the  Hindenburg, just in front of the tail fin. The crewmen in the tail of the airship said they heard a detonation which sounded like the burner on a gas stove turn on.5   Within seconds, the fire engulfed the tail and spread quickly forward.  The mid-section was completely in flames even before the tail of the  Hindenburg  hit the ground. It took only 34 seconds for the entire airship to be consumed by flames. The passengers and crew had only seconds to react. Some jumped out of the windows, some fell. Since the  Hindenburg  was still 300 feet (roughly equal to 30 stories) in the air when it caught fire, many of these passengers did not survive the fall. Other passengers got wedged inside the ship by moving furniture and fallen passengers. Other passengers and crew jumped from the ship once it neared the ground. Even others were rescued from the burning bulk after it had hit the ground. The ground crew, which had been there to assist the craft in mooring, became a rescue crew. The injured were taken to the airfields infirmary; the dead were taken to the press room, the impromptu morgue. The Radio Broadcast On the scene, radio broadcaster Herbert Morrison captured his emotion-filled, first-hand experience as he watched the  Hindenburg  burst into flames. (His radio broadcast  was taped and then played to a shocked world the following day.) Aftermath Considering the quickness of the catastrophe, it is amazing that only 35 of the 97 men and women on board, plus one member of the ground crew, died in the  Hindenburg  disaster. This tragedy - seen by so many via photographs, news-reels, and radio - effectively ended commercial passenger service in rigid,  lighter-than-air crafts. Though it was assumed at the time that the fire was caused by a hydrogen gas leak ignited by a spark of static electricity, the cause of the disaster is still controversial. Notes 1. Rick Archbold,  Hindenburg: An Illustrated History  (Toronto: Warner/Madison Press Book, 1994) 162.2. Archbold,  Hindenburg  162.3. Archbold,  Hindenburg  178.4. Archbold,  Hindenburg  178.5. Archbold,  Hindenburg  181.

Management Consulting in the UK Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Management Consulting in the UK - Research Paper Example    Today, the industry is more worth than 9 billion pounds and hires more than 80,000 consultants. The industry extends a wide range of firms, most of which undertake pure management consulting work, of which are part of larger firms that also undertake IT and change programmes and from training individuals and team to provide expert advice in specialized fields (Bushko 45). Essential to the success of the whole consulting industry is their capabilities to deliver high-quality services that enable create sustainable value to organizations. To this end, the MCA has a Code of Practice to which all MCA members pledge. The MCA also encourages the positive contribution made by the industry to the economy and the wider society through the annual MCA Awards (Buono 45). As its clients look for integrated solutions to their IT requirements and management, many consultancy firms are entering into treaties with software suppliers, telecoms or communications firms in order for them to provide a broader range of quality services and outspread their global reach. At the same time, the consultant/client relationship is changing. Boundaries are distorting. Consultants can become part of the client organization for some time, and may as well sometimes share the profits as well as the risks of a scheme or project (Bushko 34). Consultancy firms that have in history compete d are now more or less working together on client projects and there will be continuing union within and outside the industry as firms co-operate and join in order to offer better services to their clients (Buono 59).   

Job Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Job Application - Essay Example I am working on this dissertation under the supervision of Professor Michel Hockx. I, respectfully submit this application letter, as I have strong enthusiasm, commitment and experience in teaching and research which fully qualifies me to meet the needs of your program. My dissertation deals with the discursive formation of the utopian discourse in late imperial China. I aim at revealing the interrelationship between literature, translation, politics and print culture that help the utopian imagination in new fiction fit into the utopian discourse. Then, I argue that the utopian discourse is formed by a number of elements, namely the position of authors, the function of new fiction, and the politics of translation and the modes of production in newspapers and journals. At the end I conclude the utopian discourse is a significant example for revealing the diffusion of universalism in the course of searching Chinese modernity. The interdisciplinary method of research is related to my ac ademic background. My research interests cover twentieth century Chinese literature, Chinese print and media culture, sinophone literature, modernity, cultural production and theories of ideology with focus on fiction, print and media culture. I am interested in examining fiction as a product of literary production and pay special attention to how form, content and meaning are constituted in historical context. I have examined madness writing in post-Mao’s fiction, in order to demonstrate suppressed memories of the Chinese Cultural Revolution rendered as symptoms of madness and disguised in pathological structures. My interest in print and media culture starts from my undergraduate study. I have discussed Taiwanese picture books textual characteristics towards poems, which integrates illustrated pictures to the aesthetic features of the texts. At present I am working on the links between the Chinese public sphere and the narrative of the concept of nation. I discuss the imagi nation of future China written in late-Qing utopian novels is a dynamic object hinging on the performativity of language in the concept of nation mentioned by different journals and newspapers. In the near future, I plan to discuss productive bodies in Chinese vernacular journals and to explore the position of Hong Kong literature in the sphere of sinophone writings. I have been fortunate to get the opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant in the Hong Kong Baptist University and the Open University of Hong Kong. This two year teaching experience qualifies me to teach a wide range of courses, including Chinese History and Literature, Classical Chinese Poetry and Contemporary Chinese Literature. My philosophy is student-centered teaching. I received positive teaching evaluations highlighting my teaching methods and passion for helping students to learn. Moreover, I am qualified to develop courses on "Globalizing Chinese Literature: Sinophone Literature" and "Western and Chinese Dr eams: Utopian literature in comparative perspective". I have also presented papers at academic conferences and at the University of Heidelberg, the National Taiwan University and the University of Tokyo. These research experiences broadened my academic horizons and scholarly

Purani Jeans Aur Guitar Essay Example for Free

Purani Jeans Aur Guitar Essay â€Å"Purani Jeans aur guitar†¦Ã¢â‚¬  a jingle which most of the college going students might never forget. Somewhere in the song a stanza comes which states – â€Å"maangne paise udhaar†. This is a very common incidence happening in college life and the best part is that one gets to have as many resources as she/he requires. But the point is do we actually NEED to ask for the â€Å"Udhaar†? Lot many instances have been found wherein because of this â€Å" udhaar† lot many feuds(Big or Small) has happened between best of the friends. So do we actually want to have â€Å"udhaar† or get rid of this and still continue to enjoy the beautiful and happening ‘College Life’? (This may not seem 100% doable but â€Å"try maarne mein kya jaata hai!!†) So what is the Solution? Very simple – Put the right money in the right pocket in the right quantity in the right time, that’s it! This can be achieved by using the world famous – â€Å"Art of Investment† Investment has its own Oxford Dictionary meaning – ‘the action or process of investing money for profit’. The question is how do we practice this art of investment and make the action work for us. In simple terms – how do we invest, where do we invest and when do we invest? Let’s look out for answers to these questions: a) Where do we Invest? Answer Avenues for investments have seen a drastic change from yester years till date. Now we have simple formula – â€Å"zarurat jaisi, salaah waisi†. You name your objective of investment and we have a solution available as per your requirements. One may go ahead and invest in a plethora of avenues as per requirement viz. i) Traditional Debt instruments – Bank FDs, Post Office Schemes etc. ii) Tradable Debt instruments – Bonds Debentures iii) Direct Equities iv) Mutual Funds v) Gold vi) Real estate etc. As per one’s capability, knowledge, resources, risk time may choose one or more avenues of investments among these. Mutual Funds provide a one-stop solution in all categories. b) How to Invest? Answer – Investment mechanism and procedures have also evolved with time. Now one may invest in most of the avenues in not only a physical mode – filling of application, giving cheque etc. but can also invest electronically viz. using Mobile phone, SMS, online, call centre etc. All that is required is to comply certain regulatory requirements and that’s it. You have enough invest lump sum; you do not have enough invest systematically in small chunks. c) When do we Invest? Answer – Most difficult but again very simple too. A great learner has said – â€Å"You have two options – either time the market or spend time in the market. It is always easier and better to spend time in the market rather than timing the market!!† So, it is always advisable that one invests regularly and systematically rather than trying to capture the highs and the lows. Whenever you think of investment don’t wait but invest – lot many avenues are already available for various needs and timing. Also it has proven record that invest early always yield s better results. â€Å"Papa kehte hain bada naam karega, beta hamara aisa kaam karega† Starting investments at the early ages viz. when in college when you start receiving pocket money definitely adds up a bigger amount to your future life and helps to achieve ones goals and aspirations. Your parents would also feel PROUD.

Politics of Muscle :: essays research papers

â€Å"The Politics of Muscle† by Gloria Steinem is an essay arguing the difference in strength between men and women. Steinem starts her essay by stating how she grew up in a generation where women didn’t participate in a lot, if any, sport activities. She goes on to say that she believes this is the reason why women of her generation believe that it’s not what the female body does, but how it looks. Steinem feels that women always seemed to be owned in some degree as the means of reproduction. She believes that women are made to feel ashamed of their strength and that â€Å"only when women rebel against patriarchal standards does female muscle become more accepted.† (pg 372)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that Steinem’s intended audience is primarily for all women. I feel she wrote this because she feels strongly about how the power of women is viewed versus the power of how men are viewed. I think her primary purpose is to speak to women and to get them to realize how much of an impact increasing our physical strength could have on our everyday lives. Steinem wants to let it be known that women are not objects and that having muscles and strength can in fact be feminine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I agree with the author that society does view women as the weaker sex. I also believe that it is true that some of the more athletic woman today are not always viewed as being as beautiful as the skinny models in the magazines. However, I don’t agree with her thoughts regarding women being possessions and how she thinks women’s bodies are symbols of men’s status. That could very well be true in other cultures, as she does state in her essay that there are many cultural differences. But for myself, growing up in the environment that I did, that is not something that I had ever really heard about or was witness to.

Anthem vs. Hunger Games Essay

In today’s society, a lot of people tend to take for granted what they have. Every once and a while, something drastic will ensue them, and that’s when they finally grasp what’s been right in front of them the whole time. In many different societies, for example the societies in The Hunger Games, and Anthem, the individuals that are living there are forced to listen to the ruler, or rulers, do not have an opinion in some of the choices that are made for them, and are also forced to accept the rule of selflessness. Based on the themes of the Power of Knowledge, the Image of Self, and the Consequences of Free Will, the novella, Anthem, and the film, The Hunger Games express similarities and differences regarding the dangers of a Totalitarian government and its effect on its citizens in order to teach the reader to be blessed that they have a democracy and that the individuals of the United States have it really easy compared to other countries, and even societies i n books or movies. The Power of Knowledge is the result of having or not having knowledge. Being knowledgeable is not just one quality, but is many and a process of learning, experiencing, knowing and understanding. In the book Anthem Equality 7-2521states, â€Å"But we must never speak of the times before the Great Rebirth, else we are sentenced to three years in the Palace of Corrective Detention† (Rand 19). This quote from Anthem is an important example of the Power of Knowledge because what Equality is saying is that every person in his town has the knowledge of what happened before the Great Rebirth, they just choose not to bring it up because they are petrified of what their punishments will be. However, an example of the Power of Knowledge from The Hunger Games is when Katniss recognizes the weakness of Seneca Crane, which is not having a winner of this year’s game, and uses that to her best advantage to force Seneca to let both her and Peeta win. This is important because if Katniss had not realized that doing so was his weakness, she and Peeta would have both had to kill themselves because they  did not want to live without each other. In conclusion to these two different pieces of evidence, they are also able to be compared by noticing the facts that if both these characters did not take into account the opinions or beliefs of others, there would never be a way to be different, or a way out. Image of self is the way one views his or herself, the ability to know our own flaws, strengths, bad habits and limits. When life starts to get rigid, most people lose hope in themselves because they feel as if they are not sturdy enough to stand anymore. In a lot of books, or even movies, this is a major problem that most characters face. In this case, from Anthem, the teachers always pointed out the flaws in Equality 7-2521, â€Å"There is evil in your bones, Equality 7-2521, for your body has grown beyond the bodies of your brothers† (18). This quote would be essential to the topic of Image of Self, because Equality already knew that he had all these â€Å"different† qualities, and knew that he was diverse from his brothers, yet he tried to remain the same by ignoring them. However in The Hunger Games, Katniss only sees the flaws that are in her, and chooses to ignore the compliments that everyone is saying to her. When life puts individuals in the situation that Katniss and Peeta are in in the film, it is important to deposit all the negatives away and to only focus on the positives, no matter how hard they may be to see. This is a contrast between the novella and the film because in Anthem Equality knows that he is different, but just ignores the fact that he can do nothing about it, but in The Hunger Games, Katniss does not let anyone try to make her better because she believes she will never be right, or in a way better than the other characters. Although the quotes are contrasting, the similarity in them is the fact that Equality and Katniss both know they are different than the rest, yet overcome them in some sort of way. The last theme being focused on is Consequences of Free Will. Consequences of Free Will means a person innate ability to make decisions with his or herself. I n a dictatorship, or the governments in Anthem and The Hunger Games, individuals are owned by the group, and they also have no right to lead his or her own life. This is known as collectivism. In today’s society,  making decisions for someone’s own good is very hard because everyone is trying to impress others. For example, in Anthem Equality states â€Å"It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see† (17). The importance of this quote to the Consequences of Free will is that Equality is not able to express his own way of living because it is illegal to express his own being. In The Hunger Games, something that readers would learn regarding the Consequences of Free Will would be the idea that the tributes did not really know who to trust, and when, because they did not know when that person would turn against them. Similarly, these two pieces of information would go to together by both dealing with the idea of being able to show a person’s own true colors. In addition to them being similar, they would differentiate by the thought of trust, and expression. In Anthem, we as readers are seeing the idea of expression, but in The Hunger Games, we are watching how others are putting their trust into some, and how they are also putting up walls to others. Although these two societies are supposed to be completely different from the one that exists today, in some ways they could be seen as having the same â€Å"controlling† effect on the citizens. In our government, citizens have numerous more rights than other countries can even think of having, yet all of us choose to all try to be the same. Why is that? Why do individuals all strive to have the same hair, or wear the same clothes? Everyone should embrace our right to be dissimilar, and show the world that each and every one of us are not afraid to be ourselves, because there is no punishment that will be rewarded to us in long run.

Retail Sector in Uk

THE UK RETAIL SECTOR Retailing is one of the major economic sectors of United Kingdom, with retail sales of ? 221 billion, employing around 3 million people and operating over 300,000 shops. Within the sector there is a scale polarisation at both the business and the store level. The leading retailers are huge, multinational businesses which dominate the sector. They operate a range of stores from major hypermarkets and supercentres through to small convenience stores. Retailing is also significant it its social dimension as well.Whilst economically retailing bridges production and consumption, in social terms it effects most of the population every day. It is the rare person who does not go shopping, or indeed has not worked in retailing or been involved in it in some way. For some, retailers offer their major social intercourse of the day or week and act as a social network, setting or centre. The quality of UK retailing and its locations thus has both an economic and a social bear ing on the perceptions of the country.COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS 1. 1 Political Structure and Trends The activities of retailers and thus shoppers are affected by the political structure and trends in a number of ways. It would be wrong, however, to see this as a direct relationship derived through a body of legislation specifically targeted at retailing or shopping. Instead, trends in retailing and shopping are more dependent on a number of national debates and initiatives that have been developed recently by various levels in the political process.The main direct effect that politicians have on retailing and shopping is through their exercise of power over location through the levers of the land-use planning system. Whilst land-use planning is a local authority activity, national government can intervene to provide directions and guidance on the assessment of development opportunities and proposals. Whilst land-use planning towards retailing in the 1980s allowed decentralised activity, since the early 1990s there has been a growing consensus on the tightening of restrictions on off-centre and green field evelopment. Thus it has become much harder to obtain planning permission for developments away from existing town centres and newer forms of retailing such as factory outlet centres and regional shopping centres have become harder to accommodate. This consensus has emerged through a general concern with the health of town centres and a desire to see town centres as vital and viable parts of the urban structure, fulfilling traditional nodal activities, including providing a focus for shopping.Whilst land-use planning affects the location of retailing, other instruments of government can affect the operations of the business, although as we note there is no overall retail trading legislation. Instead, shoppers are affected by a battery of public policy which attempts variously to regulate competition, safeguard consumer interests and to regulate trading conditions. Recent changes in this arena have seen an easing of restrictions on trading hours for example but a strengthening of powers over retail selling and employment practices. Concerns over public health have led to tighter regulation on food stores.In essence the approach could be summed up as ensuring that retailers do their jobs properly and that there is as much a level playing field as possible. Again there is no reason to suspect that this will change, though the scale of the legislation will change as globalisation continues in this market. Big retailers will be created on a pan-European level and will be subjected to standard operating conditions across for example Europe, which safeguard consumer interests. The European dimension obviously has another political aspect as well, most notably in terms of the Euro.Whilst decisions about the Euro are beyond this report, retailers as a key service sector, will have to deal with its introduction (or not). For some this is already antici pated through their acceptance of Euros in the UK, their Irish and continental European experiences and in their forward planning of technological (eg POS) investment. Smaller retailers in particular however may be less prepared for any positive decision. Overall there will be costs in implementation, as well as potential trading disruption depending on timing of introduction. 1. 2 Economic Structures and TrendsTo a considerable extent, the economic structures and trends driver for change operates at such a macro-level of the economy that it is very hard to consider it in any detail. The general economic position of the country will condition to a great extent the outcomes retailers experience from the shopping activity. Thus the volume and value of retail sales is of importance in this arena, but it is hard to be certain of magnitudes looking forward. Political policy can have an impact by its promotion of certain sectors and locations in the economy, in pursuit for example of grea ter social inclusion and a fairer distribution of wealth.However alternative policies could equally be considered. The economic structure also has an affect on the retail landscape through the encouragement or otherwise of the construction of landscapes for consumption. Businesses have to be willing to invest in the built environment and to feel comfortable that such investments will make a return. Probably the only safe assumption to be made is that the broad economic structures will remain in place and that in the future Britain will be economically approximately ranked similarly to where it is now in the world.Taking this assumption, then it would seem that we can expect many of the trends we have seen in recent years to continue. Thus, there would seem to be scope for further growth in retail sales, if we take a broad definition of retailing. There will be developers wishing to invest in the UK in commercial property, but much of this development may take the form of redevelopme nt or enhancement of existing locations. The exceptions to this might be purpose built new facilities in areas of identified deprivation, though the exact form of these facilities will be open to question.The economic structure has an impact on retailers and retail structure. British retailing is dominated by large corporate chains, many of which are head-quartered outside the country. Whilst there is in a sense a requirement to improve local knowledge to meet consumer needs, large retailers have demonstrated that computing power can be used to understand markets. Knowledge management becomes a key element in the future economy. There does not seem therefore to be any particular reason why current trends towards bigger and foreign retailers (eg.Wal-Mart) dominating more of the market should not continue, although they will probably structure some of their activities on a national (ie. local) basis. There will be opportunities for local and new retailers, but overall the market struc ture is likely to remain dominated by such big and increasingly global players. The interaction of the political will and the economic situation of the country and locations and individuals within the country will be important in determining the affluence of otherwise of the population, and thus the attractiveness of sites for retailers.This personal disposable income is critical to the future of locations, though it is tempered by the aspirations and lifestyle choices, and the costs of these eg. monthly rental of satellite television reduces out-of-home shopping. Most recently there has been announced major investment in the country’s infrastructure, funded in part by increased tax and NI revenues. This could affect perceptions of affluence and personal disposable income for years to come. More worryingly perhaps is the possible pensions timebomb which is currently being exposed through the switch out of final-salary schemes.Continuing concerns over mortgage payments based u pon endowment policies and the high level of credit in the economy reinforce these worries. Socio-Cultural and Lifestyle Aspirations Changing socio-cultural and lifestyle considerations have fuelled much of the change in shopping and retailing in recent years. Attitudes and beliefs as well as wants and needs have been transformed. They continue to develop and further change can be expected. In particular, attitudes to work and leisure are worth identifying separately as they are potentially so important.Modern consumers are a mass of contradictions, many of which are inexplicable on any rational basis. Some travel miles by car, damaging the environment, to refill a plastic bottle which costs virtually nothing, or to place bottles in a bottlebank located on a superstore car park. Branded products with a conspicuous logo are purchased in preference to identical generic products selling at a vastly reduced price. People pay 50% more for a 30% smaller microwaveable pot of baked beans ra ther than have to open a tin and heat the product ‘normally’.Ready-washed salads or chopped vegetables in their millions are purchased to ‘save time’ or to cover up for lost culinary ‘skills’. Understanding and predicting change in this arena is therefore a little difficult. What can be said is that there is a tension in this aspect of shopping. On the one hand consumers have ever broader experiences and expectations that have been increased by their exposure to new events, horizons, ways of doing things etc. So holiday experiences are brought back and combined with UK products and behaviours. Things that are seen in TV programmes become available in local stores.On the other hand, the very nature of the global experience, particularly through leisure products such as TV and cinema, tends to reduce things to the lowest common denominator – Pringles, Coke, Gap, Nike – and it is no coincidence that the majority of exemplars are Amer ican. This differentiation/similarity paradox will also emerge in other ways, and in particular in terms of the attitudes and belief statements of individuals and the way they translate these into shopping actions. Single-issue causes are fundamentally important now and look set to remain a force.Attitudes to corporate or government activities may lead to both small-scale individual behaviour changes but possibly to more aggregate corporate behaviour changing movements. The ‘battle’ over GM foods and the rapid development of organic food sales are examples of the start of this rather than the end. Consumers and businesses will spend a lot of time in the future working out their positions on issues and changing behaviours appropriately. However, the number of individual positions by their very nature will outnumber choices available.This points to a continuing fragmentation of much of consumer demand, but overlain by certain common themes. For retailers, identifying thes e themes early will be critically important and reacting quickly will be vital. The issue of mobility is complicated. It is clear that people’s understanding of mobility has been transformed in a number of directions. The overall perception of mobility has extended significantly. This extension is both in terms of the mental view of locations and travel and a dramatic extension of what may be possible and also a willingness and ability to actually travel.The location of holidays and the influence this has on price perception and product purchase is one example of this. The willingness to travel longer distances to shop on a regular or an irregular (shopping centres) basis is another. It is also the case that as we are spending more time ‘on the move’, our needs in consumption terms have changed. We need to be able to consume as we go (food, music, information etc) and retailers have changed locations, products and shop formats to adjust to this. 1. 4 Demographic Structures and TrendsShopping and retailing are obviously heavily dependent on people, both as an industry, but also as the basic consuming unit. Changes in the population structure and the location of this population, as well as the make-up of the households in which people live, are fundamentally important to retailers and to understanding the shopping future. For example, population growth in specific locations or of age-groups of people encourage or discourage retailers to construct the retail environment differently.The ‘baby-boomers’ or ‘Generation X’ concepts have their reality in the shopping behaviour each group carries out and the demand for experiences and products they exhibit. Similarly, the growth of children as consumers and acknowledgement of the spending power of the â€Å"tweenies† represent new foci for retailers and service providers. Similarly, the breakdown of the nuclear family and the rise of single person households changed t he consumption landscape, both in non-food because of the absolute number of households, but also in food due to pack size issues and so on.More but smaller households will have an effect on the type of products and services purchased and the shopping trips undertaken. In short, understanding likely future demographic structures and trends provides a good base from which to examine future shopping, and because of the nature of population dynamics provides us with a solid foundation of understanding. New births notwithstanding, we have good estimates of population demography for the next twenty years.Population estimates for the UK suggest that there will be in the next twenty years an extra 4 million people in the country on the current base of 58 million. It is forecast that current trends will continue leading to a substantially older composition of the population than at present. There will be significant growth in the 45+ age groups, many of whom will be young in body and mind a nd will be able to finance their consumption (a group of time rich/cash rich). There is within this also an increase in the 75+ age group which will present significant issues for the delivery of shopping opportunities.The ageing of the population will present an opportunity to target older consumers, but it would seem to be likely that the differences within this group will be as great as differences between the 45+ age group and other groups. The ageing of the population has another dimension of interest to retailing. Retailing is a traditional user of young people and the workforce in retailing has been seen as being more youthful and transient than many other sectors. With a decline in the youth cohort and a large increase in older consumers, retailers are going to have to question their hiring policies.Some retailers have been aware of this for some time, but it is going to become a wider phenomenon. Older consumers are going to want to be served by older well-informed staff an d retailers are going to have to draw on this older workforce in order to keep their stores staffed in the first place. Willingness to work and the expectations of work for these groups may be much changed in the future. 1. 5 Product and Process Innovation Of all the drivers of change, the one that is most obviously in the news with respect to shopping and retailing is that of product, or more particularly, process innovation.The rapid development of the digital revolution, linked on occasions to the development of electronic commerce has caught the imagination of many, but perhaps blinded them to some of the pitfalls. Despite the fall from grace of the B2C Internet, most large retailers have a web site and are seriously exploring the opportunities or dangers of this new channel. The implications of this wave of experimentation for home delivery and for the very nature of retail organisations needs to be considered.In short, is the Internet the new way of shopping and retailing, whi ch will eventually conquer all, or is it a small additional channel of limited impact? Whilst it is crucial to consider the possible implication in this area, it is important to emphasise (unlike perhaps the UK Foresight process) that retail futures are not all technologically based or driven. Product innovation is almost impossible to predict due to the rapid development and innovation of technology and other components. There are some possible ‘straws in the wind’ associated with developments in miniaturisation, communications and digitisation.Books, videos, films and music may all be transformed by product changes associated with new mechanisms for making, storing and communicating such material. Beyond that however it is almost impossible to predict what new products will be around and futile to attempt to predict in any detail what we will be buying. Process innovation is however another matter. The process of shopping has for well over a century been composed of m ultiple channels, but process innovation in the form of e-retailing is challenging the balance amongst these channels, chiefly because the nature of the medium has changed.In addition, the current implementation of e-retailing has the scope to change the nature and cost structures of retail activities. The â€Å"traditional† model – in which the customer via self service undertakes most of the shopping tasks (and bears the costs) -changes with many tasks and the associated costs transferred to the retailer. The retail business economics of e-retailing differ from those of store based retailing. Predicting the extent of Internet or e-retailing take-off is foolhardy given the breadth of experimentation and the pace of change. It is however worth reflecting on the use to which the new format is being put.It would appear that e-retailing is being used in three different ways at least for shopping. First, there are sites and opportunities that are essentially price driven. The focus is on getting the cheapest price for the product. Secondly however some sites are being used to provide a form of service delivery. In this case, products are sought because they are special, unique, different or distinctive or because they are hard to find and thus a broad data source is needed. In short, the Internet can allow the breadth of retailing to be consulted more quickly than might otherwise be the case.It is possible to identify a third type of use, namely the time-saver, when basic components of shopping (provisioning? ) are routinised into some form of home delivery service. These three illustrations are themselves further (and this time ‘virtual’) examples of the categorisation of shopping behaviour outlined earlier. With the exception of downloadable digitised products such as video and music, most products purchased remotely will require some form of home delivery system. Shopping in the real world, with the exception of mail order places the onus for this aspect primarily on the consumer.However, Internet retailing separates these activities and thus reinforces the distinction between purchasing and obtaining. In order to obtain virtual purchased goods, home delivery points will probably be needed and solutions will need to be found to the problems of delivery timings, people absent deliveries and the like (though other solutions are possible focusing on local stores/distribution points). It is also the case that one of the conventionally perceived benefits of Internet retailing, namely the removal of many car journeys, might be obviated by the expansion of local home (or workplace) delivery services.In terms of process, the emergence of the Internet has also had effects ‘behind the scenes’. 1. 6 Environmental Changes and Trends The UK is a congested set of islands, although this can be overstated by those living in the South East of England. As such the environmental aspects of shopping and retailing are p articularly important given that the sector is a large user of land and the consumers are travellers to and from locations. Retailing of course is not only about consumers moving products, as shops are the commercial end of an entire supply chain.The way in which land is used for retailing and the retail supply chain have not remained static and there is good reason to presume that this will continue. Similarly the design and architecture of retail locations is not static and plays a considerable role in both the construction of the ‘feel’ of the retail location and experience and also, in environmental terms, its efficiency and effectiveness. Retailing uses land and locations for its physical activities. Consumers tend to travel to the store or shop components of this system.Space use by retailers has changed dramatically with broad trends towards the polarisation of shop size. In the main this has not led to any particular problems over space although many retailers h ave sought the prime locations. However some problems have been felt in secondary locations as concentration and competition effects have washed through the system. All the pressures being identified thus far suggest that there is not going to be a dramatic increase in space needs but rather that it is the quality of the space that will be most important. Current estimates of retail space, from CB Hillier Parker, suggests a stock of over 1. billion square feet of gross shop floorspace, which translates into 524 million square feet of net floorspace. Of the total gross floorspace 17. 7% is in â€Å"managed† retail environments (town and out-of-town shopping centres and retail warehouses), compared to 13. 5% in 1990 and 8% in 1980. Longer term however, it might be that existing space may be more problematical leading to either wholesale transformation or re-use as something else. Retail Sector Structure Size and Scope of Retail Sectors As has already been indicated, the definit ion of retailing has become more problematic.The horizontal and vertical blurring of activities and boundaries means that putting precise dimensions on the sector as a whole, and any component sub-sectors, is more difficult than before. Many examples of the issues abound, but we could for example contrast the coffee shop in the local Tesco, to the purchase of take-away sandwiches at Pret-a-Manager and the purchase of sushi for lunch at Sainsbury. Are they all retailing? Similarly Tesco sell pre-packaged insurance at the store but the same ‘product’ is available via the telephone and from banks and brokers. Where do we draw the line for retail sales?Even Delia Smith’s cookery programmes on the BBC could conceivably be seen as a retail activity, given the direct correlation between transmission and product purchase. The boundaries of retailing are highly blurred and volatile and government conceptualisations and statistics focused on product are not necessarily the most appropriate or helpful. There has been growth in product purchase, though of course in most cases the products themselves have not been static. New products have been introduced and dramatically changed categories, as computers replace typewriters and sunglasses, watches and fashion jewellery are sold by clothing chains.In non-food we can point to new products such as CDs and mobile phones, and in food ready meals would be a simple example. Furthermore in most product categories the range and choice available has expanded Organisational Structure and Competition As major retailers have grown in scale, so they have expanded their activities into new domains. With emerging scale has come a greater degree of knowledge and power in the channel. The pace of growth of retailers has been greater than for many manufacturers. Allied to operational changes such as the development of retailer brands and the better knowledge of consumer atterns and trends, retailers have reconstructed the traditional supply chain. In essence a dominant retail organisational type has emerged, characterised by strong vertical power which has been used to control, administer and command supply chains. Major retailers have also been involved in the use of horizontal power through their construction and reconstruction of the retail landscape. Where retailing locates and the form it takes has been transformed by the activities of major retailers and developers. Decentralisation is a key theme in this, and ‘waves’ of off-centre or out-of-town development have been identified.In most cases, these developments represent retail formats (eg. the food superstore and non-food retail warehouse) that can not readily be accommodated in existing centres. Such new locations tap into consumer needs, but have an impact on existing retailers and customers not able to travel to them. Moreover, they are in virtually all cases operated by major retailers and thus reinforce the competitive imba lance amongst organisational types. International Opportunities and Threats British retailers have had a chequered history in terms of international operations.At the same time, Britain is an open market and retailers who wish to enter the market can in most cases do exactly as they wish. The exceptions to this are those formats eg. Supercentres, which are constrained by land-use planning on the grounds of space use and various dimensions of impact. Essentially though the UK is a retail supermarket with the best bits of many retailing cultures. This open market is illustrated by the growing presence of many non-indigenous retailers in British retailing. This presence has been generated both by organic growth and by takeover.It encompasses most, if not all, retail sectors and formats. An increasing proportion of UK retail sales is therefore being captured by non-UK businesses operating here. This inward investment is a threat to the main ‘British’ retailers in competitiv e terms. Whilst international activity is risky, the retailers coming here are entering in many places a cosmopolitan market and one used to purchasing non-local products or travelling abroad. As such it seems not to matter to consumers where a retailer is from or who owns whom. If however competitive action combined with technological change eans that more imports are then generated and managerial head office positions, including research and development, are located outside the country, then these should be issues of concern for the country. For retailers entering this market, they have to adapt to a different (generally higher) cost structure and this can create difficulties for their positioning and performance. It is not likely that the pressure from overseas retailers will subside. Britain is a large market with a relatively small number of major cities and centres.For retailers looking for organic growth and being town or shopping centre-located, entry is relatively easy. Mor e problematic is the entry for free-standing or off-centre stores, where sites may not be as available. More likely however is entry via take-over. Given most major UK retailers are publicly quoted, such an entry is available at any time at the ‘right’ price. Whilst it is true to note that British retailers have not been overwhelmingly successful when they have internationalised, there is emerging evidence that some leading UK retailers are now seeing success.In a number of sectors, leading retailers have expanded across the globe, but particularly into Europe and Asia. Some of this expansion is due to opportunities to buy companies at reduced prices, and some is due to knowledge gained as international sourcing has expanded. Retailers such as Kingfisher, Tesco, and WH Smith are well known international retailers and have imported some of their experiences abroad back into their UK formats. Other smaller chains have also internationalised capitalising on niche strengths (eg Signet, Courts, Body Shop, Lush, Carphone Warehouse, Game, Thomas Pink).

Biography of General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Biography of General Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969) was a decorated war hero, having participated in two World Wars, holding many titles. After retiring from active duty, he entered politics and served as president of the United States from 1953–1961. Fast Facts: Dwight D. Eisenhower Known For: General of the Army in World War II, U.S. President from 1953–1961Born: October 14, 1890 in Denison, TexasParents: David Jacob and Ida Stover EisenhowerDied: March 28, 1969 in Gettysburg, PennsylvaniaEducation: Abilene High School, West Point Naval Academy (1911–1915), Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (1925–1926)Spouse: Marie Mamie Geneva Doud (m. July 1, 1916)Children: Doud Dwight (1917–1921) and John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower (1922–2013) Early Life Dwight David Eisenhower was the third son of David Jacob and Ida Stover Eisenhower. Moving to Abilene, Kansas in 1892, Eisenhower spent his childhood in the town and later attended Abilene High School. Graduating in 1909, he worked locally for two years to aid in paying his older brothers college tuition. In 1911, Eisenhower took and passed the admission exam for the U.S. Naval Academy but was turned down due to being too old. Turning to West Point, he succeeded in gaining an appointment with the aid of Senator Joseph L. Bristow. Though his parents were pacifists, they supported his choice as it would give him a good education. West Point Though born David Dwight, Eisenhower had gone by his middle name for most of his life. Arriving at West Point in 1911, he officially changed his name to Dwight David. A member of a star-studded class that would ultimately produce 59 generals, including Omar Bradley, Eisenhower was a solid student and graduated 61st in a class of 164. While at the academy, he also proved a gifted athlete until having his career cut short by a knee injury. Completing his education, Eisenhower graduated in 1915 and was assigned to the infantry. Eisenhower married Marie Mamie Geneva Doud on July 1, 1916. They had two sons, Doud Dwight (1917–1921), who died of scarlet fever as a child, and the historian and ambassador John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower (1922–2013).   World War I Moving through postings in Texas and Georgia, Eisenhower showed skills as an administrator and trainer. With the American entry into World War I in April 1917, he was retained in the United States and assigned to the new tank corps. Posted to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Eisenhower spent the war training tank crews for service on the Western Front. Though he reached the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel, he reverted to the rank of captain following the wars end in 1918. Ordered to Fort Meade, Maryland, Eisenhower continued to work in armor and conversed on the topic with Captain George S. Patton. Interwar Years In 1922, with the rank of major, Eisenhower was assigned to the Panama Canal Zone to serve as executive officer to Brigadier General Fox Connor. Recognizing his XOs abilities, Connor took a personal interest in Eisenhowers military education and devised an advanced course of study. In 1925, he assisted Eisenhower in securing admission to the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Graduating first in his class a year later, Eisenhower was posted as a battalion commander at Fort Benning, Georgia. After a short assignment with the American Battle Monuments Commission, under General John J. Pershing, he returned to Washington, D.C. as executive officer to Assistant Secretary of War General George Mosely. Known as an excellent staff officer, Eisenhower was selected as an aide by U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur. When MacArthurs term ended in 1935, Eisenhower followed his superior to the Philippines to serve as a military advisor to the Filipino government. Promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1936, Eisenhower began to clash with MacArthur on military and philosophical topics. Opening a rift that would last the remainder of their lives, the arguments led Eisenhower to return to Washington in 1939 and take a series of staff positions. In June 1941, he became chief of staff to 3rd Army commander Lieutenant General Walter Krueger and was promoted to brigadier general that September. World War II Begins With the U.S. entry into World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Eisenhower was assigned to the General Staff in Washington where he devised war plans for defeating Germany and Japan. Becoming Chief of the War Plans Division, he was soon elevated to Assistant Chief of Staff overseeing the Operations Division under Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall. Though he had never led large formations in the field, Eisenhower soon impressed Marshall with his organizational and leadership skills. As a result, Marshall appointed him commander of the European Theater of Operations (ETOUSA) on June 24, 1942. This was soon followed by a promotion to lieutenant general. North Africa Based in London, Eisenhower soon was also made Supreme Allied Commander of the North African Theater of Operations (NATOUSA). In this role, he oversaw the Operation Torch landings in North Africa that November. As Allied troops drove Axis forces into Tunisia, Eisenhowers mandate was expanded east to include General Sir Bernard Montgomerys British 8th Army which had advanced west from Egypt. Promoted to general on February 11, 1943, he led the Tunisian Campaign to successful a conclusion that May. Remaining in the Mediterranean, Eisenhowers command was redesignated the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. Crossing to Sicily, he directed the invasion of the island in July 1943 before planning for landings in Italy. Return to Britain After landing in Italy in September 1943, Eisenhower guided the initial stages of the advance up the peninsula. In December, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was unwilling to allow Marshall to leave Washington, directed that Eisenhower be made Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) which would place him in charge of the planned landings in France. Confirmed in this role in February 1944, Eisenhower oversaw operational control of Allied forces through SHAEF and administrative control of U.S. forces through ETOUSA. Headquartered in London, Eisenhowers post required extensive diplomatic and political skill as he endeavored to coordinate Allied efforts. Having gained experience in coping with challenging personalities while serving under MacArthur and commanding Patton and Montgomery in the Mediterranean, he was well-suited to dealing with difficult Allied leaders like Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle. Western Europe After extensive planning, Eisenhower moved forward with the invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord) on June 6, 1944. Successful, his forces broke out of the beachhead  in July and began driving across France. Though he clashed with Churchill over strategy, such as the British-opposed Operation Dragoon landings in Southern France, Eisenhower worked to balance Allied initiatives and approved Montgomerys Operation Market-Garden in September. Pushing east in December, Eisenhowers biggest crisis of the campaign came with the opening of the Battle of the Bulge on Dec. 16. With German forces breaking through the Allied lines, Eisenhower quickly worked to seal the breach and contain the enemy advance. Over the next month, Allied troops halted the enemy and drove them back to their original lines with heavy losses. During the fighting, Eisenhower was promoted to General of the Army. Leading the final drives into Germany, Eisenhower coordinated with his Soviet counterpart, Marshal Georgy Zhukov and, at times, directly with Premier Joseph Stalin. Aware that Berlin would fall in the Soviet occupation zone after the war, Eisenhower halted Allied troops at the Elbe River rather than suffer heavy losses taking an  objective that would be lost after the end of fighting. With the surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, Eisenhower was named Military Governor of the U.S. Occupation Zone. As governor, he worked to document Nazi atrocities, deal with food shortages, and aid refugees. Later Career Returning to the United States that fall, Eisenhower was greeted as a hero. Made Chief of Staff on Nov. 19, he replaced Marshall and remained in this post until Feb. 6, 1948. A key responsibility during his tenure was overseeing the rapid downsizing of the Army after the war. Departing in 1948, Eisenhower became president of Columbia University. While there, he worked to expand his political and economic knowledge, as well as wrote his memoir Crusade in Europe. In 1950, Eisenhower was recalled to be the Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Serving until May 31, 1952, he retired from active duty and returned to Columbia. Entering politics, Eisenhower ran for president that fall with Richard Nixon as his running mate. Winning in a landslide, he defeated Adlai Stevenson. A moderate Republican, Eisenhowers eight years in the White House were marked by the end of the Korean War, efforts to contain Communism, construction of the instate highway system, nuclear deterrence, founding of NASA, and economic prosperity. Leaving office in 1961, Eisenhower retired to his farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He lived in Gettysburg with his wife, Mamie (m. 1916) until his death from heart failure on March 28, 1969. Following funeral services in Washington, Eisenhower was buried in Abilene, Kansas at the Eisenhower Presidential Library.

5 Signs You Might Get Fired

5 Signs You Might Get Fired Sometimes we get so comfortable in day-to-day work life that we  forget jobs today come with much less security. Rather than becoming complacent, keep yourself attuned and on the lookout for the following red flags so you can fix the problem and save your job- or at least prepare for the worst by looking for a new one. SEE ALSO:  10 Signs It’s Time to Quit Your Job1. You’re out of the loopWhether it’s the most recent report on company profits or just the details of the next co-worker happy hour, if you find yourself not getting as much or the same quality intel as your colleagues, that might be a sign you’re being phased out. Particularly watch for your managers or bosses changing the subject from company matters when you enter the conversation.2. Your workload is lesseningAre some of your projects getting passed along to newer hires or to people down the ladder? Do you find yourself getting tasked with duties you’ve not done in months or years? When your responsibilities start to shrink, that’s a good sign your position will, too.3. Management is changingEvery time a company shakes up its structure, chances are a few jobs will be lost. Be vigilant at times of restructuring and rebranding to make sure you’re being considered for the newer outlook.4. You’ve made mistakesEven one mistake- if big enough- can cost you your job. But if you haven’t done anything drastic like fraud or passing company secrets to competitors, it’s still possible that you’re making small mistakes and might be considered a liability. The best solution here is to always own your errors and take immediate, proactive steps to minimize the damage. The rest is up to your boss.5. They sent you on vacationForced furloughs or compulsory vacations are one way your bosses can get you out of the office if they’re thinking about firing you and need to prepare a case- or sometimes just to see how vital your role ac tually is. If your boss asks you to take vacation, that might be a good time to have an honest and upfront conversation about where you stand. Better to know the truth; then you can spend your holiday looking for another job!

HITECH Legislation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HITECH Legislation - Research Paper Example nimum requirements for transmitting EHRs as well as auditing and storage of health care records in enhancing efficiency of healthcare systems (Murray et al., 2011). The 2011 study on the use of EHR in respiratory care revealed that the use of Bridge Tech’s Medical Connectivity Solution streams data directly to the EHR interface staging for fast and reliable patient care (Hanlon, 2011). In this regard, the meaningful use of EHR devices facilitates the acquisition and utilization of EHRs in healthcare delivery in organizations. The adoption and implementation of EHRs in respiratory care impacts positively to healthcare service delivery provided in hospitals. The use of Bridge Tech’s plug and play Connectivity Solution acquires data and sends it directly to the clinical validation application thereby facilitating point of care verification of data and signing off by the practitioner. The availability of various kinds of EHR devices stimulates fast and reliable bedside patient care delivery of services. EHR devices with in-built calculations facilitate lung protective strategy calculation, weaning assessment, documentation and record progress in spontaneous breathing trials (SBT). The availability of diverse workflow specific modules addressing various needs in respiratory care such as MediLinks improves health care delivery (Hanlon, 2011). Other positive impacts of using EHRs in hospitals include improved portability of medical information relating to patients as well as efficient delivery of health care services. EHR systems reduce medical errors in relation to the manual keyboarding and transcription of patients’ medical data. Similarly, the use of computerized practitioner order entry (CPOE) as an aspect of health information technology also reduces medical errors on dosage and use of drugs. They also encourage significant savings on cost due to the installation of wireless devices and new software rather than the costly wired interface devices,