Notes On The Aids Epidemic - 1955 Words

Rosy Acosta Mr. Gehring 2nd Period AM History II Honors Unlocking Indiscreet Darkness: The AIDS Epidemic in the U.S HIV originated in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo around 1920, when HIV crossed species from chimpanzees to humans. HIV stands for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, if you are infected with HIV, your body will try to fight the infection with special molecules called â€Å"antibodies.† Being HIV-positive is not the same as having AIDS, stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: Acquired means you can get infected with it; Immune Deficiency means a weakness in the body’s system that fights diseases; Syndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease. You don’t just â€Å"get† AIDS, you may be infected†¦show more content†¦This marked the first official reporting of what came to be known as the AIDS epidemic. On the following day, June 6th, 1981, the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times reported on the MMWR. The San Francisco Chronicle covered the story, and within days doctors from all across the US flooded CD C with reports of similar cases. In addition, CDC also received reports of a rare and weirdly aggressive cancer called Kaposi’s Sarcoma, in a group of gay men in New York and California. On June 8th, CDC developed a Task Force on Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections (KSOI) to identify risk factors and establish a case definition for national surveillance. On July 3rd, there were about 41 cases of Kaposi’s Sarcoma allegedly affecting gay men in New York and California, by the end of the year there was a total of 270 reported cases of severe immune deficiency in gay men, and about 121 of those men died. http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/ss/slideshow-aids-retrospective AIDS first started affecting relatively healthy young gay men in the U.S in 1981. 1982, San Francisco, working closely with the Shanti Project and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, established the â€Å"San Francisco Model of Care† which emphasizes home and community based services. In January, the first American AIDS clinic was developed in San Francisco. That same month, the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the

Domestic Violence And The Legal Ramifications Of The...

ABSTRACT: Domestic violence essentially affects everyone. It is not merely a personal or private problem within families. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (US Department of Justice), a woman is beaten every 15 seconds somewhere in the United States. Additionally, the Surgeon General s report also reveals that one in five women victimized by their spouses or ex-spouses say that they had been victimized over and over again by the same person. These selected statistics easily demonstrate that domestic violence in the United States is a serious and grave social concern. This paper explores the many facets of this social ill,†¦show more content†¦Introduction Domestic violence in the United States is a serious and grave social concern. Alarmingly, the rate at which this very intimate violence occurs is increasing. The recent events concerning the criminal trial of former football star O.J. Simpson have shed light upon domestic violence as a national and social ill. The fate Nicole Brown Simpson endured is identical to that of thousands of women who are caught within the vicious cycle of abuse and pay the ultimate price of death as a result. Domestic violence essentially affects everyone. It is not merely a personal or private problem within families. With this idea in mind, just how horrifying are the facts about domestic violence? According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (US Department of Justice), a woman is beaten every 15 seconds somewhere in the United States. The FBI reports that domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between 15 and 44 in the United States - more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. Furthermore, the US Surgeon General recounts that battered women are more likely to suffer miscarriages and to give birth to babies with low birth weights. The Surgeon General s report also reveals that one in five women victimized by their

Pacific Brands Case Study free essay sample

This step change was driven by a number of internal and external factors. These included falling profit and share price, increasing costs and the pressure of the worsening Global financial crisis. Added to this was the need to stay competitive in a market that has significantly shifted to cheaper imports. (TCF Review 2008, pp. 9-10) Pacific Brands restructure and the sale/discontinuation of unprofitable brands generated a focus towards core brands and the implementation of a profitable, streamlined structure that would guarantee the most cost efficient model. The disadvantage of such an aggressive restructure was the immediate media backlash and ensuing reputation damage caused by the outrage of employees, politicians and general public. 1. Problem identification 1. 1 Cost reduction As in all developed markets the Textile, Clothing and Footwear industry that Pacific Brands encompassed had been impacted by the dramatic rise in imports. Compounding this was the growing consumer demand for cheaper product, a rising Australian dollar, and the Global Financial Crisis further adding pressure on an already falling share price. We will write a custom essay sample on Pacific Brands Case Study or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For the achievement of future success and reversal of falling share prices, Pacific Brands needed to implement a programme of cost reduction initiatives and a focus towards their core profitability. 1. 2 Structural Reorganisation The most integral part to achieving the decrease in costs was the â€Å"off-shoring† of manufacturing to Low Cost Countries. Over 2000 jobs were made redundant whilst another 940 employees were transferred through the sales of underperforming non core brands. (Pacific Brands FY2010 presentation, p. 12-17) 1. 3 Ethics and social responsibility At a time of wide sweeping redundancies and plant closures the move to increase executive remuneration packages by up to 170% was seen as unethical by the community and media commentators. Inside the closures no provisions were made for the $15million dollars of Commonwealth subsidies received for retraining and re-tooling throughout 2007/08. 2. Problem analysis 2. 1 Cost Reduction With falling share prices ($3. 20 July2007 to $0. 10 Feb 2009) (ASX share data 2007-2012) and diminishing profits Pacific Brands was under pressure to propel the organisation in a new direction. After the removal of the previous CEO, Paul Moore, direction was given for Sue Morphet to undertake a comprehensive review of the Pacific Brands Business to ensure its ongoing sustainability. This identified that manufacturing in Australia was no longer a sustainable option for Pacific Brands. The Australian Textile industry had seen an increase in imports from 28% in 1980 to 91% in 2006. (TCF Review 2008, p. 9) This trend and increasing labour costs in Australian manufacturing formed the Organisational Strategy for Pacific Brands. The labour component, being generally low skill tasks, allowed for off-shoring of manufacturing to low cost countries to be the key to the turnaround of profit growth. It also identified the need to delete all non-performing product lines and sell assets where possible. This would see an increase in profitability but a decline in overall sales performance. 2. 2 Structural Reorganisation The decision to restructure the organisation was brought about to stop Pacific Brands larger problem of declining returns. In an obvious risk environment, the direction to close all 11 factories and cull around 3000 employees would be seen as a satisficing decision. The direction followed previous examples of successes with off-shoring models, such as Blundstone. (K. Barlow, ABC Radio, 2007, 17 January) The short term benefits of implementing radical cost reduction were approximately $50million year on year. The long term damage to the Pacific Brand reputation due to the reaction of consumers and employees was underestimated. With Social media more prevalent than ever, brand reputations built over 100 years were decimated within minutes as calls to boycott product and services went global. Even a brand as strong as Coca Cola understands the importance of protecting your brand. As Coca Cola CEO, Muhtar Kent stated It has taken us 125 years to build this brand to what it is today, but it can be destroyed in 125 seconds. (Muhtar Kent, www. thecoca-colacompany. com/leadershipviews, 2011) Redundant employees used payouts to form a new company, BNB Group Australia. Utilising ex-Pacific Brand assets, BNB markets their products online in direct opposition to the Pacific Brands to retain Australian manufactured products at a competitive price. 2. 3 Ethics and social responsibility Salary increases to the Pacific Brands senior executives, especially Sue Morphet’s, also damaged the Pacific Brands reputation. The media portrayal became the focus rather than facts that the increase was part of her promotion from Divisional GM to the CEO position and not part of a bonus structure. Communicating that the previous CEO remuneration was almost half was lost in the noise around the job losses and factory closures. This was shown with ACTU president, Sharan Burrow, quoted as saying â€Å"Its obscene, Corporate Australia, it would seem, has lost its moral compass. † (theage. com. au, Feb 27, 2009) As a corporate entity the lack of concern for employee and public perception over profits definitely showed the individualistic needs, in essence ‘running roughshod over other individuals to achieve one’s objectives’. Recommendations While time has showed that radical action taken was unsuccessful, as Pacific Brands is currently in a vulnerable takeover position (M. Janda, ABC news, January 10, 2012), there were more efficient methods to achieve long term results. The initial focus on core brands was by far the most risk adverse, with solid cost reductions and focussed spend an improved return would be achieved. A more tactful approach to offshore manufacturing would have been to step change a dual supply model. This would incorporate development of centres of excellence in Australia where Ramp;D would be at the forefront, while economics of scale could be gained from offshore. This would give short term gain cost savings and long term development opportunities. While a head count reduction would be necessary, it would be more palatable than the closure of all sites.

Oedipus Rex By Sophocles Essays (381 words) - Operas,

Oedipus Rex By Sophocles In "Oedipus the King," Sophocles concocts one of the most famous and intricate characters of Greek drama. A tragic hero, Oedipus' desire for self-discovery and understanding inevitably leads to his tragic downfall. In the end, it can be seen that Oedipus' tragic flaw is his own determination and persistence. Oedipus is a leader. He thrives on power and thirsts for control. It is interesting to note, however, that Oedipus does not abuse his power. Rather, Oedipus strives to better Thebes at all costs...including the cost of his own power. From the opening of the drama, Oedipus' determination is quite obvious. As king, he promises his subjects that he will rid Thebes of all pestilence and famine. This promise is backed by Oedipus' well-known victory over the Sphinx, and his people believe instantly that their king will solve all their troubles. The people of Thebes trust Oedipus because they recognize his persistence. Aside from his outward determination, many other qualities can be seen in Oedipus. One quality of particular interest is Oedipus' morality and fairness. When taking a broad view of the play's actions, one can see that Oedipus does all he can to achieve a fair state. He pursues the "murderer" with full force in an honorable attempt to seek justice. Oedipus' morality becomes even more apparent towards the end of the play when he decides to follow through with the punishment of the murderer, even though he must leave his kingdom and his home. Oedipus, though an honorable character, is guilty. His extraordinarily complex guilt can be seen on two levels: on the level of the Gods, and on the level of the law. Oedipus has clearly broken laws and taboos through his unwholesome behavior. More importantly, however, Oedipus has offended the Gods. He has attempted to alter the most important and immutable constant of Greek philosophy: fate. By avoiding fate early in life through feeble means (leaving his parents), Oedipus angers the Gods, and eventually pays for his wrongdoing through his own punishment. Though Oedipus is guilty, his self-banishment relieves his guilt and redeems his character. Throughout the drama, Oedipus relentlessly strives to discover two seemingly polar entities: the murderer of Laius, and his own true identity. In the end of his tragic downward spiral of truth, however, Oedipus discovers their equality. Oedipus' own seemingly beneficial characteristic of determination inevitably causes his tragic fall from dignity and grace.