Senior Americans - Living Past 90 in the U.S.A.

Senior Americans - Living Past 90 in the U.S.A. Americas population of persons aged 90-and-older has almost tripled since 1980, reaching 1.9 million in 2010 and will continue to increase to more than 7.6 million over the next 40 years, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau. If you think government benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare are financially strained now, just wait. In August 2011, the Centers for Disease Control reported that Americans are now living longer and dying less than ever before. As a result, people 90 and over now make up 4.7% of all people 65 and older, as compared with only 2.8% in 1980. By 2050, projects the Census Bureau, the 90 and over share will reach 10 percent. Traditionally, the cutoff age for what is considered the oldest old has been age 85, said Census Bureau demographer Wan He in a press release, but increasingly people are living longer and the older population itself is getting older. Given its rapid growth, the 90-and-older population merits a closer look. The Threat to Social Security A closer look to say the least. The great threat to the long-term survival of Social Security - the Baby Boomers drew their very first Social Security check on February 12, 2008. Over the next 20 years, more than 10,000 Americans a day will become eligible for Social Security benefits. Millions of these Boomers will retire, begin collecting monthly social security checks and go on Medicare. For decades before the Baby Boomers, about 2.5 million babies a year were born in the United States. Starting in 1946, that figure jumped to 3.4 million. New births peaked from 1957 to 1961 with 4.3 million births a year. It was that spurt that produced the 76 million Baby Boomers. In December 2011, the Census Bureau reported that the Baby Boomers had become the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. The inconvenient and unavoidable truth is that the longer Americans live, the faster the Social Security system runs out of money. That sad day, unless Congress changes the way Social Security works, is now estimated to come in 2042. The minimum age to begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits is 62. Medicare coverage, which covers about 80 percent of basic healthcare, begins automatically at age 65. Persons who wait until age 67 to apply for Social Security currently receive about 30 percent higher benefits than those who retire at 62. It pays to wait. 90 Not Necessarily the New 60 According to findings in the Census American Community Survey report, 90 in the United States: 2006-2008, living well into ones 90s may not necessarily be a decade at the beach.A majority of people 90 and over live alone or in nursing homes and reported having at least one physical or mental disability. In keeping with long-standing trends, more women than men are living into their 90s, but tend to have higher rates of widowhood, poverty, and disability than women in their eighties. Older Americans chances of requiring nursing home care also increase rapidly with advancing age. While only about 1% of people in their upper 60s and 3% in their upper 70s live in nursing homes, the proportion jumps to about 20% for those in their lower 90s, more than 30% for people in their upper 90s, and nearly 40% for persons 100 and over. Sadly, old age and disability still go hand-in-hand. According to census data, 98.2% of all people in their 90s who lived in a nursing home had a disability and 80.8% of people in their 90s who did not live in a nursing home also had one or more disabilities. Overall, the proportion of people age 90 to 94 having disabilities is more than 13 percentage points higher than that of 85- to 89-year-olds. The most common types of disabilities reported to the Census Bureau included difficulty doing errands alone and performing general mobility-related activities like walking or climbing stairs. Money Over 90? During 2006-2008, the inflation-adjusted median income of people 90 and over was $14,760, almost half (47.9%) of which came from Social Security. Income from retirement pension plans accounted for another 18.3% of income for persons in their 90s. Overall, 92.3% of people 90 and older received Social Security benefit income. In 2206-2008, 14.5% of people 90 and older reported living in poverty, compared to only 9.6% of people 65-89 years old. Almost all (99.5%) of all people 90 and older had health insurance coverage, mainly Medicare. Far More Surviving Women Over 90 than Men According to 90 in the United States: 2006-2008, women surviving into their 90s outnumber men by a ratio of almost three to one. For every 100 women between ages 90 to 94, there were only 38 men. For every 100 women ages 95 to 99, the number of men dropped to 26, and for every 100 women 100 and older, only 24 men. In 2006-2008, half of men 90 and older lived in a household with family members and/or unrelated individuals, less than one-third lived alone, and about 15 percent were in an institutionalized living arrangement such as a nursing home. In contrast, less than one-third of women in this age group lived in a household with family members and/or unrelated individuals, four in 10 lived alone, and another 25% were in institutionalized living arrangements.

Using the Spanish Verb Jugar

Using the Spanish Verb Jugar Jugar is usually the equivalent of the English verb to play and is used in much the same way. Using Jugar With Games The most noticeable difference is that in standard Spanish the preposition a is used after jugar when jugar is used to refer to the playing of a specified game: Me gustarà ­a saber si en Belice juegan al fà ºtbol. (I would like to know if they play soccer in Belize.)Aprendemos a jugar al ajedrez. (We are learning to play chess.)Los estudiantes jugaron a la bolsa y no ganaron nada. (The students played the market and didnt earn anything.)El actor jugà ³ a la ruleta rusa con una pistola totalmente cargada. (The actor played Russian roulette with a fully loaded pistol.) In parts of Latin America, however, the a can be omitted when referring to athletic contests. The absence of the a is a regional variation and shouldnt be imitated in most areas. Jugar isnt used to refer to the playing of a musical instrument. For that, use tocar. Using Jugar With Con When followed by the preposition con, jugar sometimes carries a meaning similar to to manipulate or to play around with. The phrase sometimes suggests that someone isnt treating something (or someone) with due respect or diligence: Los chicos de cuatro aà ±os juegan con las palabras e inventan palabras e historias disparatadas. (Four-year-old children play with words and invent words and silly stories.)Jugaste con mis sentimientos, como juega el viento con la hoja. (You manipulated my feelings, like the wind toys with a leaf.)No voy a jugar con mi salud cuando lo que quiero es mejorarla. (Im not going to trifle with my health when what I want to do is make it better.)Chvez dijo que los banqueros privados jugaron con el dinero del pueblo. (Chvez said the private bankers gambled with the peoples money.) Standing by itself, jugar usually means simply to play: Jugaban todo el dà ­a. (They played all day.) The phrase jugar limpio is used to mean to play clean, that is, playing fairly, by the rules or otherwise in a commendable manner. The opposite, to play dirty, is jugar sucio. Using Jugar Reflexively In the reflexive form, if it doesnt mean to play together, jugarse usually suggests gambling or taking risks: Facebook y Twitter se juegan por lo ms popular. (Facebook and Twitter are competing to be the most popular.)Me juguà © la vida porque tenà ­a que triunfar. (I bet my life because I had to win.)Ellos se juegan mucho ms que nosotros. (Theyre risking a lot more than we are.) Remember that jugar is conjugated irregularly.

Some like it hot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Some like it hot - Essay Example The whole story is about two musicians a saxophone player and a double bass player from a jazz band in Chicago. They witness the Valentine's Day Massacre and later come to learn that they are the only witnesses. The gangsters perpetrating the murders unfortunately see them at the murder scene and start looking for the Joe and Jerry. On noting that their lives are in danger due to the gangsters’ increased search, they flee the state. The only way they can get out of town safely is by joining a female band and disguising themselves as women so that both the women and gangsters would not spot them. The female band’s vocalist is Sweet Sue while the manager was Bienstock. They disguised themselves and changed their names to Daphne (Jerry) and Josephine (Joe). To blend in, Joe and Jerry imitated what other women from the band are doing. Through this they learn how to walk on heels and talk like women. At first, they find it hard to adapt to the new situation but later on lear n more of women stuff through their recently made friend, Sugar Kane. Additionally, both musicians had a crush on Kane. Once in Miami, Joe and Jerry change their ways of life and are ready for commitments unlike when they were womanizers back in Chicago. They also go through a lot while disguised as women such as the Osgood case, who was an infertile millionaire looking for a woman to stop his impotence. Osgood lures Kane and Jerry to be his wives but later dismisses them and the story ends after Osgood decides to marry Daphne (Jerry). The film was 122 minutes long and has been nominated for several awards in the movie industry. II. Body: As compared to the type of movies that are produced today, the writer and producer of ‘Some like It Hot’ emerged to be one of the best off all times. He divided the movie into three main acts and each preview needed the characters to expose different traits. These three acts include one before Joe and Jerry left Chicago, the other when they booked the train to Miami and finally the act where they were in Miami looking for true and sensitive love. A. Act 1: it begins while Joe and Jerry are musicians in Chicago. Jerry played double base for the bad while Joe was a saxophone player. They were known to be womanizers irrespective of their low paying jobs. On the contrary, the act also introduces cruel criminals who execute the Valentine’s Day massacre. This provides a ‘gangster feeling’ to the audience which creates suspense whether the two musicians will be caught or not. They are also the reason as to why act two comes to place. They start looking for their only two witnesses, Joe and Jerry who decide to run away for their lives. Joe and Jerry bring the trait of cross-dressing where they have to dress as women so as to blend in into an all female band led by Kane. B. Act 2: Here, the two musicians prepare to leave for Miami by boarding a train with the female group they have joined. At first, th e act brings out the funniest part of the film where they try walking in high heels. This also brings the cross dressing which is their only way to survive. While disguised, they become part of the ‘woman life’ and get to know some secrets through Susan. They also have access to private conversations of other band members who are not aware of the disguise. Susan tells them a brief story of her love life. She claims that

POP Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

POP Education - Assignment Example He gives me the way forward in each and every problem that I encounter. Problem Amongst the ten children, there is an eight year old boy who has a hearing problem. At first I had not known about his condition but continued assessment on him made me realize it. The boy struggles to talk; he cannot pronounce most words in the right way. When spoken to, he does not respond and seems not to notice that someone is talking to him. He always asks me to repeat the things that I say to him, and when I call his name away from him, he searches around trying to figure out where the voice came from. He rarely participates in the class and is always dull and withdrawn to himself. I asked his parents about his condition, and they said they were aware of it, and they wanted me to assist them in helping the little boy. Data According to health researchers, hearing loss in children can be caused a condition called otitis media. This is the inflammation of the child’s middle ear normally due to building up of fluid. This disease is diagnosed frequently in conjunction with children with hearing impairments (Hockfield 68). It is not permanent, and the hearing losses caused by it are mild, though if it occurs repeatedly, it can cause severe damage to the eardrum and the hearing nerves and hence leading to permanent hearing loss. Congenital causes are also a factor to hearing loss. Here, the child suffers from the problem from birth. It can be hereditary or be caused by a condition during child birth. Genetic factors are said to contribute to more than 50% of hearing problems caused by congenital factors. A parent carrying the dominant gene for loss of hearing passes it to the child. The probability of the child getting the condition from the parents is higher if the dominant gene is present in both parents. Some genetic syndromes have hearing loss as one of their characteristics (Canalis and Lambert 108). These syndromes include Down, Usher, Treacher Collins, Crouzon and Alpo rt syndrome. Some congenital causes in which the child does not inherit from parents include harmful chemicals taken by the mother during pregnancy, illnesses and prenatal infections. There are also acquired factors which lead to hearing loss of a child. These occur in a child’s life after birth due to ailment, injury or other conditions. The conditions causing hearing loss through acquired causes include injury of the head, measles, meningitis, ear infections, chicken pox, influenza and mumps among others. In August 2008, a research carried out by the Better Hearing Institute found out that, children with hearing problems are not the given adequate attention and help they ought to have. This is due to parents being so busy doing other things while viewing the problem as a less serious one. The study blamed the government on dwelling so much on elections and politics, paying less attention to these children who need help. It argued that children need to hear both in and outsi de the classroom so that they may develop in their language, their social and their emotional well-being (Jack Snowman 93). According to the research, many educators and health observers usually underestimate the effects of hearing impairment. Parents, on the other hand, do not detect the problem in their children early enough, and when they do, they do not take immediate action so as to minimize it. Others are given the wrong information on how to deal with the problem of hearing

Human Indifference Essay Example for Free

Human Indifference Essay In the article â€Å"Americans are shopping while Iraq burns†, Bob Herbert implies that Americans are deeply absorbed in their own interests and are therefore apathetic to developments in Iraq, and by extension the developments in any other place where the United States is at war like in Afghanistan. On the contrary, renowned photojournalist James Natchwey is of the opinion that Americans would like to be informed of what really is happening so that they can act responsively. This must have been his conviction before embarking on his mission to film footage for the documentary â€Å"War Photographer†. A number of credible sources underline this apathetic stance adapted by many Americans regarding the suffering that emanates from wars waged by their nation in their name. This research paper aims to identify both their stances in detail with the aim of establishing which perspective is closer to the truth. It also pays a tribute to James Natchwey’s exemplary journalism. The State of the American Society Bob Herbert creates a reference for his argument on Thanksgiving Day here in the U. S. Shopping malls opened at midnight as Americans gleefully spend on the celebration. In the meantime, over 200 civilians had been killed by car bombs in the Iraqi city of Sadr. This is just one incident: a majority of Americans go about their business oblivious of the suffering Iraqi civilians endure on a daily basis or the fatalities American troops encounter at the battlefields. If indeed they were conscious of the repercussions of the war, we would be up in protest opposing these wars whose benefits to the American society cannot be ascertained. The apathy demonstrated by Americans may originate from the fact that very few Americans are concerned with the nation’s foreign policy. As Ole R. Holsti points out, there is â€Å"absence of sustained public attention to international issues† (Holsti 2004, 285). This is demonstrated in the circumstances that led to the invasion of Iraq: the Bush administration alleged without sufficient proof that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (Smith 2005) and connected the Baghdad regime with the Al-Qaeda terrorist network, and the American public was ready to believe these charges in the pretext that Iraq really was a threat to national security (Holsti 2004). Media in the U. S. as made it hard for Americans to know what to believe in or what to value. There is insufficient coverage of the destructiveness of the war as media executives strive to make profits in an overly commercialized industry. The importance of news is diluted as news is â€Å"stripped of its credibility and the audience will have no ability to differentiate between the values of news and other forms of entertainment† (Dadge Schechter 2006, 103). As Bob Herbert points out, most Americans have no personal stake in the Iraqi war and are consequently indifferent to its outcomes. A short survey reveals that very few citizens would be willing to join the military, no wonder most go about their business bearing indifference to the effects of the war on Iraqi civilians whose lives are shattered by war (Gott 2002) and U. S marines who die in the line of duty. The suggestion by Representative Charles Rangel that the Draft be reinstated implies that American politicians would be reluctant to approve of war if the possibility of their constituents being called into active service was real. With these facts out in the open, Herbert’s position is obviously more credible. Media apathy, domestic lack of interest in foreign policy and general disinterest have all contributed to the absence of a collective sacrifice and sharing of the burden of responsibility on the war. This is supported by the other sources cited in this paper. Public Opinion and American Foreign Policy is a comprehensive text describing in detail American foreign policy since September 11th. Why War: The Cultural Logic of Iraq, the Gulf War, and Suez is a thought-provoking text which pushes a reader beyond the periphery of conventional sociological thought. David Dadge and Danny Schechter’s book exposes the ease with which the American public is in most case willing to acknowledge intelligence reports without the desire to validate the background information. War Photographer James Natchwey demonstrates true heroism as he delves deep into some of the most dangerous and desolate spots on earth to bring pictures of what really goes on here to viewers. His work captivates audiences and instills empathy by relaying the destruction and heartbreak occasioned by conflict. He is an embodiment of courage, professional dedication and humanitarianism.

The History of Writing :: Literature Language Essays

The History of Writing Language existed long before writing, emerging probably simultaneously with sapience, abstract thought and the Genus Homo. In my opinion, the signature event that separated the emergence of palaeohumans from their anthropoid progenitors was not tool-making but a rudimentary oral communication that replaced the hoots and gestures still used by lower primates. The transfer of more complex information, ideas and concepts from one individual to another, or to a group, was the single most advantageous evolutionary adaptation for species preservation. As long ago as 25,000-30,000 years BP, humans were painting pictures on cave walls. Whether these pictures were telling a "story" or represented some type of "spirit house" or ritual exercise is not known. The advent of a writing system, however, seems to coincide with the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to more permanent agrarian encampments when it became necessary to count ones property, whether it be parcels of land, animals or measures of grain or to transfer that property to another individual or another settlement. We see the first evidence for this with incised "counting tokens" about 9,000 years ago in the neolithic fertile crescent. Around 4100-3800 BCE, the tokens began to be symbols that could be impressed or inscribed in clay to represent a record of land, grain or cattle and a written language was beginning to develop. One of the earliest examples was found in the excavations of Uruk in Mesopotamia at a level representing the time of the crystallization of the Sumerian culture.

The “Now” Wedding Final Project

Running Head: WOW Wedding Final Project The â€Å"NOW† Wedding Final Project by A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements of MGMT505 Project Management Fundamentals November 2008 The â€Å"NOW† Wedding Lauren and Conner announced on December 31st that they were going to be married on January 21st. Conner had been notified that he was being deployed with the National Guard on January 30th. Lauren and Conner wanted to have a week for a honeymoon before the deployment. Lauren wanted to have a spectacular wedding and accomplish everything that needed to be accomplished so that everyone could attend and everything would be perfect.There was a tremendous amount of planning, organizing and tasks that needed to be accomplished for the â€Å"NOW† wedding to take place on time, in budget and for it to be perfectly memorable for everyone, especially Lauren and Conner. For Lauren to have the wedding that she dreamed of there were numerous tasks that needed to be accomplished immediately. The first task that needed to be accomplished was to secure the church and reception hall, until the address of the wedding is determined and secured the invitations could not be sent out.The invitations needed to be sent out a week before the couple decided to have the wedding to make sure that everyone could be there, however that was not an option. Dresses had to be made and altered as well as securing the wedding decorations, caterer and wedding party members. The major constraint the wedding couple faced was the time constraint, trying to pull all of the elements together in order to create the perfect wedding would have been difficult at best. The critical path is very tight and there could be no room for mistakes, misunderstandings, or delays.The resources required for this project were mainly people and money. The more people helping to bring all the elements together, the quicker everything could get done. The financial resources, controlled by the brides father, were necessary to move up the processing time especially where the brides dress was concerned. Figure 1. 1 utilizes a Gantt Chart to show the timeframe of the project to include sequencing of sub tasks: Fig 1. 1 [pic] The costs associated with the project are as follows: [pic] This risks for the budget are the following items:Maid of Honor Travel$1000. 00 Airfrieght 20. 00 Seamstress 240. 00 Invitation Incentive 20. 00 Invitations Help 40. 00 Possible Budget Overruns$1320. 00 The following fishbone diagram details all the current risks for the project: [pic] The method of tracking the progress of the â€Å"NOW† Wedding will be the Stop Light Chart, it is a very simple method of tracking what has been completed and what has yet to be started. Following is the Stop Light Chart which would be used at the beginning of the project: [pic] The â€Å"NOW† Wedding Case Study QuestionsPart A [pic] Creating the wedding schedule as outlined in the text it sh ows that the planning for the wedding should have occurred at least a month before it did. We would reduce the time it takes of the mother of the bride to put together the guest list by utilizing all available resources (manning) having all attendants present to create the list and a comprehensive address list (thereby minimizing the risk of one person having all this information). Invitations must be ordered on the 2nd of January with the guest list completed on the 1st.While the invitations are at print, the dresses would be designed on the 3rd with the materials being ordered immediately. The creation of a work flow chart would list out all of the tasks that must be completed assigning individual tasks to individual members of the wedding party. The budget needs to be set immediately and using the budget form above the wedding party has created the master list of objectives and goals. Utilizing the stop light will keep the project on track with constant updates as to the progress on each item.The Maid of Honor needs to be brought in immediately to participate in the planning and execution and to have measurements taken on sight to avoid the risk of the dresses not being made correctly. Part B There would be no conflict caused by the Chairman of the Vestry Committee not reducing the notice period from 14 to 7 days and I would not have recommended using the extra funds to reduce the notice period as the requirement for 14 days notice has been met by depositing the funds to secure the room on the 1st of January. Since the Wedding is scheduled for the 21st of January, there is no need to reduce the notice period.If the project were started on January 1, the Mother getting the flu would not have impacted the guest list completion as it would have been completed by January 2. Since this is the first stage of the entire project, the suggestions would have been made that the mother, bride and all of the attendants get together the night of the 1st and make a comple te list. It is not until this list is completed that any plans can be made including ordering the invitations, cakes, catering, etc†¦ Since the invitations would have been ordered on the 2nd of January, the Bride would have had an xtra few days in the delivery of the invitations. The extra day for print would be compensated for by reducing the addressing phase and rather than asking for paid part-time help, there would be another get together on the night of the 9th to get all of the invitations addressed thereby reducing the number of days down to one. When the material and lace were lost in transit then the recommendation would be to have the Bride cancel the order, receive the funds back from the lost order and take all bridesmaids and Maid of Honor to a local bridal store and purchase dresses.With a three day shipping time on dresses there would still be time to have fittings and alterations done. The lace can be replaced locally and fitted while waiting for the dresses to be delivered. ———————– Gantt Chart Invitations Guest List Budget Maid of Honor Location Dresses Well Defined Budget Responsible Party Complete list created Created ASAP Ordered Promptly Addressed & Mailed Design Pattern Ordered & Delivered Secure in Advance Address for Invitations Travel Arrangements Long Distance Dress

Mystery Shopper Next

For our marketing Research project we were required to carry out extensive research on the topic of mystery shopping. This project required us to construct a mystery shopping programme of a service business. The service business that was chosen was Next, a renowned retailer for fashion and homeware. The project will outline the objectives of the research and the mystery shopping programme.It will also examine the results of the programme and suggest possible recommendations. Methodology The primary objective of the report was to find out the public’s perception of Next. In order to attain this information, we decided it was best to initiate a mystery shopper programme. This programme involved hand-picking ten individuals, based on age, sex, and location, to act as consumers in Next. Each individual was to enter the chosen store and to return honest feedback on their experience, through the use of a questionnaire.The drafted questionnaire examined areas such as store layout, st aff, and ambience. The objective of this was to access direct knowledge of consumers opinions in areas that were outlined in the questionnaire and mystery shopper briefing. In order to eliminate bias, each selected individual was briefed on understanding the questionnaire and what aspects of the shop were to be examined. The chosen method provided us with objective feedback which was essential in the completion of the report. Findings In this section of the report we will show our findings of each store that was visited.Altogether there were seven stores visited. (Sligo, Enniskillen, Letterkenny, Athlone, Castlebar, Limerick and the store in the Jervis shopping centre in Dublin). These are our findings: Sligo The Sligo store is located in the quayside shopping centre in Sligo town. The store was visited on four occasions. On each occasion the store was clean and tidy on the inside and out. On every visit the changing rooms were tidy. The outside of the shop was attractive and inviti ng towards customers, with posters advertising a sale and an entrancing and eye catching clothes display in the window.The store is completely wheelchair accessible. No one was greeted as they entered the store, on one visit members of staff were standing around talking amongst themselves, and only one person thought that there was a welcoming atmosphere in the store as it was warm and there was calming music being played. Three out of four people were pleased with the temperature within the shop with one person thinking the air conditioning was turned up too high. The clothes on display were easy to reach for three out of four of the customers, with the same amount finding that all sizes were on display.Only on two of the visits were the staff wearing the correct uniform, such as name badges. On just two out of the four visits the staff asked if assistance was needed and only one customer said that eye contact was made with them and that they were polite. At the till there was an a verage of 1-4 till kiosks open with less than five people in each queue. On all four visits it did not take long to get served and all of the customers were thanked for shopping at the store, but found that the exit signs were not clearly illuminated.All four people said that they would recommend the Sligo store to others. The overall opinions of the store varied. One out of the four customers said that it was perfect. Out of the other three, more helpful staff, a new layout, lower shelves and a bigger store were mentioned. Enniskillen The Next store in Enniskillen is located in the Erneside shopping centre in Enniskillen. This store was visited on only one occasion. On this occasion the entrance and the outside of the store were clean and tidy. The inside was also tidy.It was attractive on the eye and the changing rooms were spotless. The outside of the shop looked attractive and inviting due to the black and white theme on the outside of the shop which ‘Next’ is renow ned for. The store is wheelchair accessible. The customer was not greeted by any member of staff on entrance to the store and thought the atmosphere was not welcoming as it was dark inside the store. The customer thought that the temperature in the store was comfortable. They were not asked however by any member of staff if they needed assistance.The customer found that some of the rails in the store were too high but all sizes were stocked and that the staff were helpful when asked about the sizes, but not all members of staff were wearing a name badge. At the checkout four checkouts were open and there was less than five people in the queue, and did not have to wait long to get served. The customer was thanked for shopping at the store and found that the exit signs were clearly visible. This customer said that they would recommend this store to others and that the staff were quite friendly but could have been more helpful.They’re overall opinion was that the store could be bigger with more or better lighting conditions. Letterkenny The Letterkenny store is located in Letterkenny Retail Park. This store was visited on one occasion. On this occasion the outside of the premises was not clean and tidy and did not look attractive and inviting to customers as it looked dirty. The store is wheelchair accessible. On entering the store the customer was not greeted by a member of staff and the atmosphere was not welcoming as the music in the store was very faint and couldn’t be heard clearly.Other than that the inside of the store was clean, tidy and attractive. The temperature in the shop was fine also. No member of staff asked the customer if they needed assistance. The customer was not able to reach some of the clothes as they were hung too high. Not all the sizes were displayed and stocked but the staff did check to see if they had the size in the store room. The changing room was tidy and uncluttered. When the customer got to the till four tills wer e in operation, there were more than five people in the queue and it took six minutes for them to get served.The staff at the checkout were described as friendly and thanked the customer for shopping in the store. The exit signs were clearly illuminated. The customer said their overall experience of shopping in the store was disappointing but acceptable. The customer also said that they would not recommend this store to others because not all sizes were stocked and the atmosphere in the shop and the customer service was poor, and suggested having more staff on the floor. Athlone The ‘Next’ store in Athlone is located in the Athlone Town shopping centre, just off the M6 motorway.This store was visited once only. The entrance to the store was clean and tidy and the outside of the store was attractive and inviting to customers. The store is wheelchair accessible. When the customer entered the store they were not greeted by anyone. The atmosphere within the shop was not wel coming as there was no music being played in the store, but the temperature was acceptable. The inside of the store was attractive, but the changing rooms were not tidy and unsatisfactory. The clothes were easy to view and reach but not all sizes were displayed.No member of staff asked if the customer needed assistance, but they were polite and helpful when getting a bigger size for the customer. All staff were wearing full uniform including name badges. When the customer got to the checkout there were four tills in operation and did not take long to get served. They were not thanked for shopping at the store but said the checkout staff were friendly and the exit signs were clear and illuminated. The customer said that they would recommend this store to others as they had a good overall experience in the store but feel that more staff are needed.Castlebar The Castlebar store is located in Lannagh Road Retail Park which is a five minute walk from the main street in Castlebar. The ent rance to the store was not up to standard as it was not clean and tidy, although the front of the shop was. The store is wheelchair accessible. When the customer entered the store they were greeted by a member of staff, and due to this made the atmosphere of the store feel welcoming. The inside of the store itself was clean and attractive and the temperature of the store was fine. A member of staff offered assistance, with a smile and good eye contact was made.All staff were wearing the correct uniform with their name badges. All of the sizes were displayed on the rails and they were easily accessible. The changing room was clean and tidy. At the till only a limited number of tills were in operation with less than five people in the queue and it took around three minutes to get served. The customer was thanked for shopping at the store and the exits were clearly marked and illuminated. This customer would recommend this store to others due to the friendly and welcoming atmosphere, b ut suggests better parking facilities. LimerickThe Limerick store is located in the Crescent shopping centre in Limerick which is situated two miles outside of Limerick city centre. The entrance to the shop was not clean and tidy and was blocked by a stand, this did not make the store look attractive and inviting to customers, although it was bright and lit up, the stand spoilt it. The store is wheelchair accessible. The customer was not greeted by a member of staff on entering the store and the atmosphere was not very welcoming. Also the store did not have a modern feel to it, which ‘Next’ would have a reputation for being.The store was not clean or tidy either. The temperature in the store was not sufficient as the customer found it very stuffy. One of the good points about this store was that a member of staff did ask if the customer needed assistance but did not smile or make eye contact while doing so. The staff were wearing the correct uniform including name badge s. The clothes were easily reachable on the rails but not all sizes were displayed or stocked and staff were not helpful when asked for another size. The changing room was clean and tidy.At the checkout there were 1-3 checkouts in operation with more than five people in the queue. It took ten minutes to get served, and the checkout staff did not speak. The customer was not thanked for shopping at the store but the exit signs were clear and illuminated. This customer would not recommend this store others due to not being felt welcomed or comfortable in the store and believes that the store should be renovated. Dublin There are many next stores in Dublin but the one that was visited was the one located in the Jervis shopping centre in Dublin city centre.This store was visited on one occasion. The entrance to the store was not clean and tidy but the outside of the store looked attractive and inviting due to the window display of the stores clothing. The store is wheelchair accessible. On entering the store the customer was not greeted by a member of staff, but the atmosphere was welcoming and the temperature in the store was nice and warm. The inside of the store was clean, tidy and attractive. The customer was not asked by any member of staff if they needed assistance. The clothes were easy to view and reach, and all sizes were displayed.The changing room was clean, tidy and uncluttered. At the till there were between 1-3 checkouts open, there was less than five people in the queue, it did not take long to get served. The staff were not neatly dressed and wearing their name badges but they were polite and made good eye contact with the customer and thanked the customer for shopping at the store. The exit signs were not clearly illuminated in this store. The customer would recommend this to others as the staff were very friendly. But said that they should be better dressed. RecommendationsIn this part of the report we outline the recommendations that we would mak e to Next based on our findings from the mystery shopping exercise. These are our recommendations: Firstly we believe that they should retrain right across the board. From shop assistants right up to managers. There should be a strict set of rules implemented into this training and an exam must be passed by all employees. The employees will then get a certificate to say that they have completed this. The managers would have to complete a more advanced course, dealing with all the topics the employees have to with a few added extras.During this training the following must be covered. Employees 1. Customers must be greeted when they walk in the door to make them feel welcomed. 2. Staff must ask customers if they need assistance within thirty seconds of them being on the premises. 3. When speaking to customers, speak politely and mannerly and eye contact must be made. 4. Correct uniform must be worn at all times. Especially a name badge. 5. Staff must make sure that the changing rooms are clean and clutter free at all times. 6. Make sure all sizes are on display. 7.If there is a substantial queue at the till, get another staff member to open another till. 8. Always thank the customer for shopping at the store. Managers 1. Make sure the outside of the premises is kept clean. 2. Delegate different employees to particular jobs. And make sure everybody knows what there job is. 3. Make sure that the music in the shop is on, clear and loud enough so the customers can hear it but not so loud that it is deafening. 4. Keep on top of the uniform issue as this was one of the weak areas of the mystery shopping survey.Secondly we believe that you should have a review of all your stores and try and complete any work that needs to be done. Such as a new layout or renovation. For example. The store in Limerick was described as not very modern. Next is well known for having a fashionable range of clothing and if the shop does not reflect this image then customers will not come in to the store. Another example would be a lot of rails have been described as too high. You could combat this by making them lower or having a hook that customers would use to reach the clothing. Finally we would recommend that you should look at your staffing policy.On a number of visits to your stores it has pointed out that if there was more staff then it would have been a better shopping experience. Even one more extra staff member per store would make a huge difference. Conclusion Overall, the project was a huge success. The implementation of the Questionnaire gave us valuable opinions which were vital in being able to recommend changes for the service. The physical aspect of the mystery shopper enabled us to gather first hand, unbiased information which would have been very difficult to receive, had another method of research been chosen. Appendices:

Apartheid in South Africa essays

Apartheid in South Africa essays Apartheid- defined as the South African term for apartness and a political platform combined of anti-communism ideals and racial segregation. Although the Apartheid laws were abolished, racial conflicts are still present and occurrent in South African society with racial equality still not achieved. South African was colonised by English and Dutch explorers in the 17th century. English domination of the Dutch resulted in the Dutch establishing their own colonies and the discovery of diamonds in these new colonies in 1900 triggered English invasion, and later the Boer War. Throughout the early 1900s, racial groups began to emerge in the continent, with the two European groups of the English and Dutch, a small Asian group of Indian ancestry, a sizeable group of mixed races Coloureds and a majority group of native Africans. The European groups shared power until the Dutch (Afrikaner) National Party gained majority in the 1948 elections. Apartheid laws were introduced to cement control over the economic and social system in South Africa and to maintain white domination while implementing racial separation. It is felt by many that the National Party felt threatened by the large population of native Africans and wanted to apply policies to control their movements. With the introduction of Apartheid laws, the Australian National Congress (ANC), formed in 1912 as the first nationalist organisation in Africa, became more vocal in their demands and more committed to their methods of equality. South African governments did not follow the growing trend to legislate for racial equality, instead establishing over 2000 regulations dealing with the actions of Africans. These regulations were not only racially unjust, but took away many of the basic human rights that should have been held by the native population. Prior to the introduction of Apartheid, races were segregated in towns, black trade were unions outlawed, c...

How to Become a Cyber-Investigator

How to Become a Cyber-Investigator Cybercrime is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the country, and the need for computer forensics is growing right along with it. Knowledgeable computer professionals who are interested in becoming cybercrime investigators and earning a computer forensics certification have several certification and training problems from which to choose. Some are available only to law enforcement officers, while some are suitable for computer professionals new to the cybercrime field. Computer Forensics Certification Programs FBI Cyber Investigator Certification: The FBI offers a CICP certification to law enforcement first responders. Designed to reduce errors by strengthening the investigative skills specific to cybercrime, this course  increases first responders technical knowledge. The 6 hour course is available online to all federal, state and local first responders.McAfee Institute Certified Cyber Intelligence Professional: The McAfee Institutes CCIP 50-hour online and self-study class covers how to identify persons of interest, conduct timely cyber investigations and prosecute cybercriminals. Classes cover cyber investigations, mobile and digital forensics, e-commerce fraud, hacking, intelligence gathering, and legal fundamentals. This certification was developed in conjunction with the Dept. of Homeland Securitys National Cyber-Security Workforce Framework. Prerequisites: Education requirements and experience in investigations, IT, fraud, law enforcement, forensics, and other topics are listed at the website. EnCE  Certified Examiner Program: The EnCase Certified Examiner Program offers certifications for cybersecurity professionals who want to advance in their specialized fields and who have mastered Guidance Softwares computer forensics software. The certification is recognized by law enforcement agencies and corporate professionals. Prerequisites: 64 hours of authorized computer forensic training (online or classroom) or 12 months work in computer forensics.GIAC Certified Forensics Analyst: The GCFA certification deals directly with incident  scenarios, computer security and forensic investigations of networks. This is useful not only for law enforcement but for corporate incident response teams as well. There are no prerequisites for the certification, but the candidate should have a strong working knowledge of the topic before taking the 3-hour proctored exam. Topics covered in the exam are listed on the website.Q/FE Qualified Forensics Expert: Not so much a traditional certifica tion as a Cyber Security Certificate of Mastery, this Qualified Forensics Expert training from Virginia-based Security University delivers an in-depth training class with an exam and certificate at the end. The materials included prepare participants to find the cause of attack, compile evidence and handle corporate repercussions. Prerequisite: Knowledge of TCPIP protocols. IACIS  CFCE: If you are an active law enforcement officer, the International Associate of Computer Investigative Specialists offers Certified Forensic Computer Examiner. Candidates must be familiar with the IACIS core competencies required for the course, which are listed on the website. The course is intense and takes place in two phases- the peer review phase and the certification phase- over a period of weeks or months.ISFCE  Certified Computer Examiner: Youll get a full dose of the technical side of data recovery and handling, but this certification stresses the importance of following sound evidence handling and storage procedures and following sound examination procedures. Self-study materials are available on the International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners website. The CCE is earned exclusively through online courses.

Childhood Obesity in the United States Research Paper - 2

Childhood Obesity in the United States - Research Paper Example Here, the whole research entailed 8,500 children under the age of four years. The outcomes were alarming in that, almost 18 percent of the children were diagnosed with obesity. Due to this high number of affected children, Hubbard, the author affirms that it forced the researchers to inquire the cause of this veering phenomenon. It became known that a number of household routines gear up a predicator of the obesity in the United States. It follows that these household routines are viewed as easy to initiate in that its accomplishment does not actually entail a cost. For instance, families that have established good or considerable routines family meals, this has proved to be positive to children since it results in improved academic results in children, risk of using drugs and alcohol, attention as well as overall wellbeing.Luck of family eating together, proper sleep just to mention but a few has constituted to the issue of increased obesity in children in the US, this is according to the above article.Hubbard affirms that teens should be made to follow a certain healthy schedule, for instance, they should b made to not when to go to sleep. Secondly, he reminds the parents that children under the age of two years should be denied the chance of watching television, and those above the age of two should watch television but in not more than two hours. It is difficult to understand its co-relation with obesity, the truth is that this author followed the direction by the American Academic of Pediatrics.