Contomporary issue in accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Contomporary issue in accounting - Essay Example Therefore, the existence of the manager-stockholder conflict is undeniable and there are legal as well as business methods of resolving such conflicts. The range of conflicts may be as simple as the corporate social responsibility of the firm to as complex as ethical issues that come up when the management seeks to defraud or cheat its shareholders outright. An understand of such issues becomes important for all students of management, finance, and even sociology since many corporations of the world have budgets which exceed the budgets of sovereign nations in the world today. To better understand these issues, real world examples from companies such as Enron, Apple Inc. and GE would be necessary. Of these, the case of Enron stands as a prime example of what disasters can result when the management gives itself and the results it wants to have priority over the shareholders and stakeholders of the company. Enron had a problem of vision as described by Welch (2005). Enron was created in 1985 when Kenneth Lay’s small company named Houston Natural Gas was merged with the parent company of Nebraskan-Northern Natural Gas named InterNorth. The new entity was named Enron and before this merger, both firms were dealing with the distribution of oil as well as electric energy. They were also involved with the construction, expansion and the maintenance of power plants, pipelines and other similar energy related infrastructure (Thomas, 2002). Under the new company, Kenneth Lay became the Chief Executive Officer and his vision of the company was quite different from what the shareholders might have wanted at the time. This is because Lay wanted to expand the company rapidly into new markets while creating new markets from scratch as well. Of course a successful vision of the CEO would have meant increased value for the shareholders as the stock price would have been maximized and success of the company would have meant job

Upholding rights of Deaf and Mute Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Upholding rights of Deaf and Mute - Essay Example Up to the early 70s, deaf and mute children had to suffer from the lack of government efforts to extend to the deaf and mute community adequate opportunity to get the same level of education that the hearing is receiving.That meant more than one million children could not attend regular school and were forced to attend special schools that were not sanctioned by the government. That meant school fees went way above what they can afford, curriculum did not match what is required by government, and there was no way on how policies may be questioned. Since many of these families weren’t earning enough to send children to a special private school, they were left with no choice but to keep their children at home with no education. By mid the 70s, the congress finally became aware of this unfulfilled need. A series of laws were passed that were to provide the deaf and mute equal opportunity as the hearing. Different laws were enacted that covered the right that the deaf and mute sho uld have been enjoying in the first place. The following policies were set in place (Lane, 1996): †¢ Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Public Law 94-142 (the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act) require that every deaf and mute child be given the same opportunity as the hearing to attend regular public schools with all their needs being met †¢ The Public Law 94-142 was amended in 1986 by Public Law 99-457 to provide greater detail on ensuring that deaf and mute children enjoy the same privileges and opportunities as the hearing Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was put in place in 1990 to encompass all the laws and policies that pertain to upholding of the rights of the deaf and mute Despite these efforts, there remain a lot of disparities between what the law is promising and what is actually being provided by public schools. In 1992, the Department of Education started a nationwide review on how public schools are meeting the requirement of the law when it comes to the deaf and mute and hard of hearing. Part of the objective of the review was also to identify the root of the problem on why many deaf and mute and hard of hearing still end up uneducated despite the law’s assurance that they are to be accommodated by public schools (Karchmer, 2003). The Department of Education learned that th e biggest problem of the deaf and mute children that prevents them from getting the same opportunities as the hearing children is communication. Many of the public schools already accommodate deaf and mute children but are not providing these children with the same communication tools that are appropriate for their needs. The deaf and mute communication needs are highly specialised and, when unfulfilled, could be isolating. Worse, the absence of communication tool for the deaf and mute are making them perform poorly in school. It is affecting their ability to learn and develop their skills side by side other children. The deaf and mute and hard of hearing are also finding it difficult to develop relationships with their hearing classmate (Karchmer, 2003). More than one study has already testified that the transmission of knowledge outside of the classroom is critical in the growth of child and in the development of a child’s skills and abilities (Armstrong, 1994; Crossley, 20 00; Curry; 1983; Mills 1959). When there is not enough socialization and interaction outside of the school, confidence and self-esteem also don’t develop enough to give them the willingness to pursue careers that the hearing is able to pursue (Marjoribanks, 200). The Department of Education also discovered that many public schools are not interpreting that laws correctly that are leading to many deaf and mute children being rejected by many public schools. Public schools are imposing the same requirement from the deaf and mute

Automotive Industry: General Motors

Automotive Industry: General Motors General motors Introduction Since, from the industrial revolution the automotive industry has been playing an important role in the growth of economies throughout the world. In the 21st century, greater challenges were face by the industry. During this time, the industry undergoes fundamental changes. GM is one of the largest automotive corporations operating in over 70 countries with a presence in more than 200 countries, they have more than 260 major subsidiaries, and they have 395,000 employees working with them in worldwide that translate in to global opportunities that span the planet. On 1908, General motors was founded since then 1931 it has been the global automotive sales leader. Its founder was William c. Durant, James whiting promoted his automobile in 1904. In the present time, GM is having its manufacturing operations in 32 countries and their vehicles are selling in more than 190 countries. General Motors, is also involved in telecommunication, Aerospace, financial and insurance service, Defence, locomotives, automotive systems and Heavy Duty Automotive Transmissions. Here are some of the popular brands of GM such as Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, HUMMER, Opel and some more. The vision of Generals Motors is to be the world leader in transportation products and related services. In addition, to earn customers enthusiasm through continuous improvement driven by integrity, teamwork and the innovation of GM people. The General Motors company officially became general motors corporation on October 13, 1916. During the Second World War, for helping the allies to victory GM manufacture trucks, tanks, aircrafts and a variety of other military supplies. GM became a dominant force, in the post-war period, a position it would maintain for decades. The post -second war was the golden period for the GM, with a variety of innovations that continually boosted sales. During the 1950s, Chevrolet and Pontiac introduces V8 engine. The CHEV small block V8, it has become one of the longest-lived engine designs in automotive history. By the year 2015, GM is deciding to launch near about nine Hybrid models for sale in the U.S. The Automobile industry has to cope with many unpredictable changes over the next coming years and they can only survived by appropriate strategic planning and implementing them in most suitable way. Analysing the micro economic factors in GM General Motor is an American multinational corporation and is one of the worlds largest automobile companies. According to the NADA, GM total revenue in 2006 was 207.349 billion and in 2008, 182.347 billion and currently employs 284,000 people and their average sales per dealership is 31.9 billion. Key macroeconomic factors that affect GM and the automobile industry are as following Gross domestic products (GDP), Automobile manufacturers policies and prices, Weather peaks Recessions, and Telecommunications and technology Gross domestic product Thegross domestic product(GDP) orgross domestic income(GDI) is a basic measure of a countrys overall economic output. It is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year. The automobile manufacturing industry is one of the largest industries within the U.S., and is a vital engine for the U.S. economy contributing greatly to employment and productivity. Reports indicate that motor vehicle production represents over 5 % of the U.S. private sector GDP.The U.S. is the worlds largest producer and consumer of motor vehicles with production reaching 12.2 million units in 2002.The U.S. automotive industry continues to experience on-going organizational and technological change, and have taken steps to increase its global presence by expanding global alliances and seeking greater collaboration with other U.S. automakers. The Big Three U.S. automakers makeup approximately 76 % of U.S. passenger vehicle production, while Japanese automakers, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Isuzu represents 18 %, and European automakers, BMW and Mercedes (division of Daimler-Chrysler) make up nearly 2 %. If they stay off the job to the end of the month, then automotive output, instead of adding 0.1% to third quarter GDP, will subtract 0.2%. If automakers stick to their previously planned reduction in assemblies for the fourth quarter, that quarters GDP will be reduced by 0.5% (at an annual rate). If the UAW stays out through the first week of October, that drag becomes 0.8%. If theyre out for all of October, that drag becomes 1.7%. If UAW members at Ford and Chrysler also walk out and stay out through all of October, fourth quarter GDP would probably shrink. (Economists currently project GDP to grow 2.2% in the current quarter and 1.9% in the fourth, according to a survey by WSJ.com.) According to a Reuters report over 3-thousand U.S. car dealerships could fail this fall and into 2009. All this because of weak sales and customers unable to get the credit they need. However, on a local level one car dealer says things are different. Gross domestic product includes all goods and services produced by either citizen-supplied or foreign-supplied resources employed within the country. The automobile manufacturing industry is one of the largest industries within the U.S. and is a vital engine for the U.S. economy contributing greatly to employment and productivity. Reports indicate that motor vehicle production represents over 5% of the U.S. private sector GDP. Automotive dealerships like GM are required to make profits in order to support their operations. Automobile manufacturers policies and prices The policies and pricing strategy help automobile dealers to create the operating environment for their business. From the 2008 to 2010 we have seen a lot of fluctuation in policies and price due to global financial downturn. The crises have mostly affected the American automobile manufacturing industry. Energy crises from 2003 have lead to the higher price for the automotive fuels discouraging customers to buy sport utility vehicle (SUV) and pickup trucks, which have low fuel economy. As SUV and pickup trucks was the main focus of big American automobile companies like General Motors which have few fuel efficient models to offer to customs due to which sales began to slide and with the beginning of 2008 situation had turned critical as thecredit crunchplaced pressure on the prices ofraw materials. Most of the American turned to Japanese car more fuel-efficient creating competition and prices war making huge loss for the GM. GMs most of the production line had SUVs and large pickup truck which were more profitable than smaller cars, they would have 15% to 20% profit margin on SUVs and pickup trucks , compared to 3% or less on small fuel efficient cars. Gasoline price rose above $4 per gallon in 2008 most of the Americans stop buying big vehicles that collapse the sales and profitability of the GM.Robert Samuelsonhas advocated a more consistent energy policy, arguing, Wild swings between low and high fuel prices have crippled the U.S. industry by erratically shifting buyer preferences to and from SUVs. In 2008, financial crisis was playing its role stock prices were fallowing down and people were less interested in buying new cars, GM shares fell below 1946 levels creating a panic situation for all the major car manufactures. There was a ray of hope when oil prices fall to $33.87 per barrel on December 19, 2008, but that could help them recover as financial crisis continues even after that. The graph below is showing gasoline prices from January/ 03/ 2003 to November/03/ 2008. We can see how it was steadily going upwards from Jan 2008 when it was $ 28 per barrel until it reached $135 per barrel on July 2008 then going steeply down to$33.87 per barrel on December 2008. Oil prices has a invertible effect on the car sales if oil price is cheaper then sales of big cars will go up and if oil gets expensive sales of cars goes down, though there are also other factors responsible for that but oil prices is definitely one of the major factor. Polices Pension and Health Care Issues A report issued on behalf of the GM stated that an average cost of per car would increase by $1200 per vehicle because of their aging work forces, increase number of retirees and old age benefits and healthcare. This will indirectly affect the sales and prices of the vehicles. Currency Exchange Rates Exchange rate highly affects the automobile industry as many automobile suppliers are from china or any other country. GM have complained to Automotive Trade Policy Council that exchange market intervention by Japanese monetary authorities has frequently prevented market forces from appreciating the yen and thus make difficult for GM to compete against Imports from Japan. Fuel Economy and Emission Standards U.S government has develop higher fuel economy standards and emission standard for carbon dioxide and other green house gases that has highly effected the GM as it mostly produces SUV and other light trucks as it needs to change the design and to introduces new technology which is more clean and reliable. Broader Issues of Automotive Trade Policy As most of the foreign government has trade restrictions and polices that prevent the GM to enter in those country effecting its growth and expansition.GM with the help of the U.S government they are being trying to be active in WTO aimed in removing trade restrictions and policies. Such countries are Brazil, India, Indonesia and the Philippines as they have discriminatory policies so that they are able to promote domestic vehicle and develop national automotive development strategies. Weather peaks The highest selling seasons for automobile dealers are spring and summer. During the spring and summer, the optimism index rises 141% from the downfall incurred during the fall and winter months Recessions From the begin of the 2008 automobile industry was hit hard by the credit crunch specifically U.S market. There was a panic situation people were losing jobs, stocks were going down and customers would not prefer to buy cars on credit or loans even if would buy car that would be more of fuel efficient rather than the GM pickup trucks. According to the John Fleming, president and chief executive of Ford Europe Sales are going down and markets are softening. Means that they are not able to control the market and they cannot predict where it will lead them. SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE GENERAL MOTOR SWOT analysis will help to analysis market positioning and identifying the internal and external factors that are favourable and unfavourable for the GM to achieving its objective. Strengths Large market share The market share of GM in the US is plummeting, rather than shrink; it has expected that global car industry will grow radically in the end. Sales growth is expected to come from Middle East, Russia, China and India. While in US and Europe, manufacturing is currently strong. After what happen with the GM, China gave them a good market. The year of 2009 was very successful in China for GM. Plant and equipment The GM has its plants almost all over the world; some of them are US, China, India, Russia, Europe and so many. The US plant was the one of the largest vehicle seller in the world until 2008. They adapt change according to the market and situation, they uses some latest technologies to give the people what they want. One of the technologies that they are using now days for their plants is 3D laser scanning, it can commonly seen in construction sites, GM use it to reduce the development plant layout and design. 3D laser helps them to scan the whole facility, from the roof trusses down to the plant floor. It gives us a complete 3D image, which can be viewed by the automakers throughout the world. According to Bill Campbell, they have scanned an average of 2million ft.2 per facility. The most recent projects was in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. They also believes that using of layout data derived from 3D scanning reduced travel cost and less time wasted. Innovative According to the BCG- business week 2008 survey, GM was ranked in top 20 Innovations Company in the world. Onstar satellite technology, was developed in 1996 it have 3 million subscribers and is standard on all GM vehicles. This is the technology, which helps us while in emergency and theft. Weakness Behind on Alternative Energy Movement This is GMs one of the biggest weakness. Because, in the market GM was one-step behind from the competition of alternative energy/hybrid vehicles. This create many problems for GM, includes loss of market share and the companies profit was affected by this also. Organisational structure In GM, there was a lack of information between employees from top to bottom, and this was one of the causes of falling behind of the alternative energy movement. There was a communication problem between the employees and employer. Stagnant profitability As we know GM is struggling now a days to get back in to the position where the GM was. The ROE has significantly decreased over the recent years it is now 10% and the margin of the company is 1.5%. This is also one of the falling point of GM , because the shareholders was thinking about their shares so they were not pleased with this situation. US market dependent GM became too dependent on US market. This was one of the causes of the failure. GM has been ignoring the competition in 1960s GM controlled half of the North American vehicle market and the latest figure shows its only now 19%. Poor credit The US auto industry is in a big slump. GM bank account is shrinking by $1 billion a month. The issue is can general motor will be their where it was. Since from 1992, the market share has fallen from 34% that year to 19%. The company wasted around $2 billion on an investment of Fiat and many billions on the Delphi. The management also wrecked GMAC its car loan subsidiary, by lending money to people who could not pay it back. Opportunity Globally expanding GM is the strong company with high quality production and has a range of new exciting products, which they can represent internationally. They need to inflate into the new markets and expand internationally. Many new countries have started free trade policies GM needs to explore these countries such as India and china, as its been assumed that within coming years Asia will be the biggest market for the car industries. Along the way, they need to continue to focus on there on home market. Available Governmental support GM has an immense support from the government. U.S government has supportive and encouraging polices for the American companies .GM can use government policies support to promote its growth outside the American continent. Development of the new models GM had worlds one of the first RD centre .They have scientific skills and expertise to develop new technological vehicle which are more fuel efficient and uses green technology. It is necessary for them to develop hybrid cars to protect them from enormous competition from japans car industry .the new government regulations tough and against high consumption cars which is the expertise of GM so they need to change the table round and change weakness into opportunity. They have the resources as well as technical skills all they need is the motivation and ability to do it. Threats Competition from foreign markets The slow death of GM, in the 1970 it had nearly 60% of automobile market and foreign share was only 10% that time in the US. Now the foreign brands dominate the GM market in the US and the GM shares little more than 20%. Reasons for GMs decline: GM major cost disadvantages was their production sites, which were in the U.S making their labour costly, then there competitor. Then strike threat came from sites around the country. They were threatened walkouts at plants in Parma, OH; Mansfield, OH; Grand Rapids, MI; Kansas City, KS; Flint MI and Arlington. Due to which they agreed to the demands of United Auto Workers (UAW) union that lead to increase in costs leaving GM to suffer higher loses.0 Financial slowdown From the year 2003 it has been a difficult times for GM firstly increased prices of the oil made it difficult for them to increase their sale and it decrease their profit margin, and years after they were hit by recession in 2008 that tumbled there whole industrial structure. The reason they were not able to cope up with the recession was there high cost of operation and over expansion that lead to disintegration leaving higher losses than ever. Secondly, high competition from japans companies made it difficult for the GM survival. GM and organisational development Organisational development is a soft methodology intended for use in complex situations to provide intervention strategy for the change management. GM has developed organisational strategy so that they have the ability to deal with organisational problems, cultural diversity, stability and political bargaining. Methodology for the OD was to develop unified system for the employees. However, one of the reasons it was introduce as employees of GM are quite inflexible and they could not cope with such pressure from the change. Change is never easy, especially in a vast, global organization like GM, which has been struggling with a change agenda for years and they have to change as shares are going down as last year it weathered an 18% dip in its U.S. market. GM finally understands that keeping its leadership position in the worldwide auto business demands deep-seated change. GM wants to develop the change management so that they are able to- Create a care work place in professional practice environment that promotes a high quality service, equality of opportunity, and political and public accountability. Making best use of money, people and other resources for and with the users of services to achieve the agreed objectives; Supporting best qualities direct and public services; Given clear messages to everybody about everything we do GM needs to diagnose the issue by theOrganisational Design Wheel that they are able to build momentum for change. Organisational tool gives us insight that for any organisational success its focus should be Mission and vision, which need to be align with organisation, process, people and direction setting and it should be backed up by the its organisational structure ,strategy,leadership,processes,culture and performances. This is the kind of the structure, which GM needs to develops but to reach here they need to go through a lot change management. For the development of the OD and change management, GM needs to Connect OD initiatives to strategic business models and Use the action research process to diagnose opportunities for improving the organisation. Define critical success factors and target specific interventions for hard-hitting, bottom-line OD. Articulate their role as an internal OD consultant. Leave with practical tools and advice that are immediately applicable to the companys OD initiatives. Organisational Analysis and Design The design of an organisation can affect everything as for the GM has gone through over expansion creating disintegration in controlling the organisation effectively. They will need to change the structure from the top to bottom so that they are able to develop proper workflow that will lead to ultimate success at the bottom line. GM needs to develop a change management program that targets GM employees that will help them to learn the dynamics, processes, and challenges inherent in analysing and designing an organisation to achieve business results. These applications of a systematic approach for guiding an organisational design effort, from problem identification, and planning the transformation, will ensure these efforts are align with the organisations mission and values. Organisational Culture and Change In todays worlds, Organisations today experience change in faster cycles than ever before. This is due to the mergers and acquisitions, turnaround situations, and organisational restructuring place pressure on strategy and performance. General motor has over expanded through merger and acquisition making them difficult to restructure their organisation. If they want to be able to deliver positive business results they need to competent internal change agents and access them, test their reliability. During the change management employees are most affected by it so GM needs to change in most appropriate way so that they are able to adopt it. According to the Bennis in his early work Organizational Development: nature, origins prospects defines OD as: a response to change, a complex educational strategy intended to change the beliefs, attitudes, values and structure of organizations so that they can better adapt to new technologies, markets and challenges. According to the change, curve employees go through five stages shock and denial, anger, depression and detachment, dialogue and bargaining and acceptances. Shock and denial- when organisation implements change management in the company employees at first avoid and as well, as get confused with it. Anger with the new regulation and rules make employees frustrated and irritated against the change, which for any organisation is difficult, and they need to overcome from it very quickly. Depression and dialogue are interrelated stage, which lead to the acceptances. Acceptances is when employees are able to understand and explore new system how is it more efficient and beneficial for employees and organisation. Best Practices in Succession Management Succession management is a critical determinant of marketplace longevity for organisations. To develop best practices that will help to sustain competitive edge. For the GM employees and HR managers have to develop skills of succession management such as- Select options for assessing the core talent pool, and identifying and supporting high potentials Set up and execute effective succession planning review meetings Integrate succession management within the broader human resource system Utilise techniques for knowledge transfer of critical intellectual property Implement new models for both technical and management succession planning Drill down into succession management beyond the top management layer Design and Implement Leadership Development Systems When it comes to developing the leaders within an organisation, the stakes are high and the potential payoff is enormous. How to create a rationale for developing leaders in the organisation Identifying the leadership capabilities required in the near future, and assess talent gaps Determine the most efficient and effective means of developing the talent to meet the organisations needs Incorporate action learning into leadership development initiatives Understand how to create a system that aligns the organisational leadership programs with elements of strategy, culture, and business initiatives Model for Change Management There are numerous well-organized models that can help in change management in the organisation and for the GM will be The McKinsey 7S Framework. Some of the approaches have been around for many years. For example, many organizations undertake strategic planning. The implementation of strategic planning, when done in a systematic, cyclical and explicit approach, is strategic management. Strategic management is also one model for ensuring the success of change efforts. The McKinsey 7S Framework There are many models for the analysis of the organisations position and its objects some of them will analysis internal factors, others will analysis external ones, some of them combines these perspectives, and others look for congruence between various aspects of the organization. At the end it comes down to which factors that will affect the organisation. Tom Peters and Robert Waterman developed the McKinsey 7S framework in the early 1980s while working at the McKinsey Company consulting firm, the basic premise of the model is that there are seven internal aspects of an organization that need to be aligned if it is to be successful. The 7S model has a ability to be used in variety of situations where an alignment perspective is useful. It will help the company to develop better strategic planning process. It is used to analysis four basic things- Improve the performance of a company. Examine the likely effects of future changes within a company. Align departments and processes during a merger or acquisition. Determine how best to implement a proposed strategy. The McKinsey 7S model involves seven either interdependent factors, which are categorized as hard, or soft elements: Hard elements are easier to identify and it directly influences management. These processes are strategy statements; organization charts and reporting lines; and formal processes and IT systems. On the other hand, soft elements are much more difficult to describe, as they are less tangible and more influenced by culture of the organisation. However, these soft elements are as important as the hard elements if the organization is going to be successful. Figure 1 below the model is representing in a way that change in one element will create a change in other .in this way it shows how these are linked other. If these new model is added in the GM organisational structure it will give them the stability they need to regain their number one marketing position. Each element represent an organisational structure and it is very important to understand how it will affect the organisation as a whole. Strategy:the plan devised to maintain and build competitive advantage over the competition. Structure:the way the organization is structured and who reports to whom. Systems:the daily activities and procedures that staff members engage in to get the job done. Shared Values:called super ordinate goals when the model was first developed, these are the core values of the company that are evidenced in the corporate culture and the general work ethic. Style:the style of leadership adopted. Staff:the employees and their general capabilities. Skills:the actual skills and competencies of the employees working for the company. This model will help and analysis GM performances. The model is based on the theory that, for an organization to perform well, these seven elements need to be aligned and mutually reinforcing. So, the model can be used to help identify what needs to be realigned to improve performance, or to maintain alignment (and performance) during other types of change. Whatever the type of change restructuring, new processes, organizational merger, new systems, change of leadership, and so on the model can be used to understand how the organizational elements are interrelated, and so ensure that the wider impact of changes made in one area is taken into consideration. You can use the 7S model to help analyze the current situation (Point A), a proposed future situation (Point B) and to identify gaps and inconsistencies between them. Its then a question of adjusting and tuning the elements of the 7S model to ensure that your organization works effectively and well once you reach the desired endpoint. Sounds simple? Well, of course not: Changing your organization probably will not be simple at all! Whole books and methodologies are dedicated to analyzing organizational strategy, improving performance and managing change. The 7S model is a good framework to help you ask the right questions but it wont give you all the answers. For that youll need to bring together the right knowledge, skills and experience. When it comes to asking the right questions, weve developed a Mind Tools checklist and a matrix to keep track of how the seven elements align with each other. Supplement these with your own questions, based on your organizations specific circumstances and accumulated wisdom.

Effects of Smoking While Pregnant :: smoking while pregnant

During a pregnancy there are many choices to be made and smoking should not be one of them. Smoking while pregnant can cause major effects before the birth of the child and also in the child’s future. Here are a few effects before the actual birth of the child: 1) Cigarettes contains a large number of chemicals that harm unborn babies. 2) Smoking raises the levels of carbon monoxide in your bloodstream. This gives less oxygen for baby. 3) Nicotine tightens the blood vessels, meaning the oxygen is passed over less effectively to the baby 4) Miscarriage or stillborn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome triples if the mother has smoked during pregnancy. â€Å"It is estimated that twenty-five percent of expectant mothers in the U.S. smoke throughout their pregnancies. According to a report from the Surgeon General, twenty percent of low birth weight births, either percent of preterm deliveries and five percent of all perinatal could be prevented by eliminating smoking during pregnancy.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only can smoking cause considerable damage to the unborn baby, but it could affect the baby later in life. Smoking increases the chances of the baby having birth defects. For example, the child might develop severe brain damage. The baby also might be considerably light in weight. All these outcomes are extremely negative and can cause guilt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another thing that should be taken into consideration is secondhand smoke. Even though the smoking is not being done firsthand, there is still a big risk. Side effects of secondhand smoke are ear infections, colds, and damage to the lungs. And even though it is not definite that complications during pregnancy might not occur, the chance of putting a child at risk for the sake of smoking a cigarette should not be taken.

Catcher in the Rye Psychological Analysis Essay

J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye portrays Holden Caulfield, a New York City teenager in the 1950’s, as a manic-depressive. Some critics of Salinger’s novel assert that Holden is too whiney and annoying as a character. What these critics fail to realize is that Holden’s actions throughout the novel perfectly exemplify that of a depressed teenager. Manic depression, compulsive lying, and immaturity throughout the novel characterize Holden. Holden’s depression finds its roots with the death of his brother, Allie. Holden is expelled from numerous schools due to his poor academics brought on by his depression. The manner that Holden sees himself and how he sees others leads him to be expelled from school. According to Michael Martin’s book titled Teen Depression, â€Å"depressed teenagers can struggle with depression for month or years. â€Å"It is a mental disorder which†¦ includes†¦ feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, guilt, problems with concentration† (Teen Depression). Throughout the novel, Holden exhibits these symptoms quite frequently. In fact, Holden makes his depression clear when he expresses how, â€Å"packing depressed me a little,† (51, Catcher). Holden expresses these feelings when he packs his bags after being notified that he is expelled. Holden leaves school and heads for New York City, where he finds himself to be more lonely and depressed than ever. When alone, Holden laments that â€Å"what I really felt like doing was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out of the window. † (104, Catcher). Too ashamed to return home, knowing his mother will be upset and his father will be angry with him, Holden turns to thoughts of suicide. He also adds that â€Å"I wasn’t feeling sleepy or anything, but I was feeling sort of lousy. Depressed and all, I almost wished I was dead,† (90, Catcher). Critics tend to describe Holden as being just an angst riddled teenager, whose perspective of the world around him is warped. While these critics may view these attributes as annoying, they actually serve to provide an emotional depth onset by Holden’s depression. For example, Negativity and hopelessness is often a symptom of depression, so when Holden narrates, â€Å"I’m pretty sure he yelled â€Å"Good luck! † at me. I hope not. I hope to hell not. I’d never yell â€Å"Good luck! † at anybody. It sounds terrible, when you think about it. (78, Catcher) Salinger is simply channeling the thoughts of a depressed teenager. Depression is a disease which causes the victim to enter this pessimistic state of mind, so naturally outside observers may be irked by Holden’s actions. However, this excerpt clearly illustrates the warped mindset of a depressed teen. Depressed teenagers tend to believe that their situation is entirely hopeless, and cannot possibly be rectified. The utter hopelessness which accompanies depression is not a rare phenomenon and is perhaps the most troubling aspect of the disease. Holden’s actions in the novel could easily be attributed to these symptoms. According to Teen Depression, depressed teenagers tend to look for relief in sex, drugs, or alcohol abuse. In the short time frame of the novel, Holden sought out 2 out of the 3 aforementioned items. These actions could be attributed to his desire to seek out a temporary form of relief in his life. Drinking allows Holden to escape from his heavy, pessimistic mentality. While Holden was with the prostitute, he was able to rid himself of his overwhelming isolation. Eric Lomazoff summarizes Holden’s situation best when he says that Holden was simply â€Å"trying to make the best of his life, though ultimately loosing that battle† (Lomazoff). Holden Caulfield is not a bad person, as so many critics make him out to be. In fact, Lomazoff goes as far to say that Holden is â€Å"a good guy stuck in a bad world†. The main reason why The Catcher in the Rye is so revered is because Salinger is able to embody the perspective of a troubled teenager so seamlessly. Holden’s depression is perhaps the most critical component of Salinger’s story. It is clear that upon closer examination, one would discover that Holden is not just a troubled teenager, but a clinically depressed one.

A good man is hard to find

Even before the story unfolds there is simple irony that in Just the title of A Good Man Is Hard To Find, where a nice family vacation turns Into a disastrous murder. When I first began reading, I never thought that the story would have such an ending. The mood of the story went from normal to sad fairly quickly. There was an example of foreshadowing at the beginning of the story when the grandma dressed up nicely so f there was an accident anyone seeing her in death will know that she was a lady.The grandma seems to believe that her morals for life are correct and her thoughts and beliefs are superior to that of anyone else's. She could see everyone's flaws except her own. I don't think the grandmother Is a good person, with her uppity attitude, and constant ridicule of her son, and how she made the statement † Oh look at the cute little picnicking shows how she's really oblivious of the world beyond her own mind. The grandmas perception of good is obviously of her own morals as she stated That Red Sam had been a good man for letting someone cheat him out of his money.Obviously getting cheated out of your money is not a good thing. There is situational Irony in the story because as the grandma talks about not going to Florida because there Is a misfit, nobody pays attention to her, even dismissing what she was saying and them not listening to her put them on deaths path. The grandmother warns that The Misfit is on the loose, but the family chooses to head towards Florida anyway. The way the situation happened not listening to her and listening to her brought about their demise.Another example of irony is that even though the grandmother said she would never take her family to a place where a Misfit is running a lose she ends up leading them to the Misfit anyway. While driving the grandma becoming nostalgic from seeing a dirt road and thinks about an old plantation and wanting to see It again lies about the house have trapped doors making the children beg to see it. At this point in the story the grandma leads the family into their death because she didn't mentioned that she made a mistake about the plantation that she remember was in Tennessee and they were in Georgia.After remembering her feet Jumps scaring the cat that she wasn't supposed to bring on the trip to Jump onto Bailey causing him to spin, thus leading Into the fated accident. There was another example of situational Irony because the help that the family received after the accident happens to be the Misfit the grandma originally warned bout, but they just happen to be in Georgia and were supposed to be in Florida.I think the Grandma knew she was going to die because as the Misfit lead her son and his family away she called the Misfit a good man† and that he wouldn't shoot a lady. She begged for her life and did not care to try and save her son or grandchildren. She Just kept claiming to the misfit that he was â€Å"a good man†, even though he stated which is why he went around killing people in order to fulfill his life. He knew what he was doing was wrong but he killed the grandma anyway. A Good Man Is Hard To Find The story is about a family from Georgia who is on a trip to Tennessee.   In the midst of the journey, the grandmother mentions an old plantation which her grandchildren wanted to see.   Despite Bailey's hesitation, the family proceeds based on the grandmother's instructions.However, on their way to the said plantation, the grandmother suddenly remembers that the plantation she was talking about was in Tennessee and not in Georgia, where they were.   The family meets in an accident which damages their car.They see a passing vehicle on the road and call for help. The people riding it, unfortunately, are The Misfit and his companions who just recently escaped from prison.   In the end, The Misfit ordered his companions to kill the entire family, except the grandmother who he killed himself.The themes of this story are grace and redemption.   In the beginning of the story, the distinction is simple.   The grandmother represents the good, while the Misfit represents the bad.à ‚   However, in actuality, both characters have a negative side (â€Å"Interpretations,† n.d.).Their negative side was reflected by their selfishness and their fixation with it. The Misfit was preoccupied with his penchant for killing, while the grandmother was absorbed with her efforts to save herself (â€Å"Interpretations,† n.d.)The grandmother was immersed with her own concerns until her encounter with The Misfit.   Her transformation to goodness only started when she was in danger (â€Å"Interpretations,† n.d.).   She began to pray, and succumbed to faith in the face of death.   At that point, she reached her moment of grace before she died (â€Å"Interpretations,† n.d.).On the other hand, The Misfit addresses his desire for grace when he answers grandmother’s question—whether Jesus can raise the dead.   When she reached out to him and declared him as one of his children, the grandmother gave him an opportunity for redemption.   Thus, the story conveys that everyone has a chance for grace and redemption.ReferencesInterpretations of â€Å"A Good Man is Hard To Find.† Retrieved February 15, 2008, from http://astro.armstrong.edu/~archerki/essay/interpretations.html