50 Topics for Impromptu Student Speeches

50 Topics for Impromptu Student Speeches For the many people who break out in a sweat at the very idea of speaking in front of an audience, the prospect of speaking on an unknown topic with little to no preparation is likely terrifying. But you dont have to be afraid of impromptu speeches. As it turns out, the secret even to off-the-cuff speeches is preparation. Impromptu Speech Tips Decide on your topicCome up with three supportive statements related to your topicPrepare a strong conclusion Use this list of impromptu speech topics to practice making a quick speech outline in your head. For each of the topics below, just think of three main points youd like to make. For example, if your speech topic is Your least favorite chores, you could quickly come up with three statements: I dont know anybody who likes to fold laundry, so the first task on my list of unhappy chores is folding laundry.Taking out the trash is another chore that most people dread, and Im no different.The worst chore in the entire household has to be cleaning the toilet. If you go into your speech with these statements in your head, you can spend the rest of your time thinking up supporting statements as you speak. When youve identified your three main points, think of a great finishing statement. If you end with a great closer, youll really impress your audience. Start Practicing With This List My three favorite animals.What you would find in my closet. Make something up.What youd find under my bed.The best letter of the alphabet.Why your mom/dad is special.A day that stands out.The best surprise ever.I lost it!If I had a million dollars to give away.If cats/dogs ruled the world.A trip to remember.My favorite day of the year.If I could only eat three foods forever.If I could design a school.Why books are important.Three surprising facts about me.How to impress your parents.How to plan a party.A job Id love to have.A day in my life.If I could have dinner with anyone.If I could travel through time.My favorite book.An important lesson Ive learned.What Ive learned from cartoons.The smartest cartoon character.Three things Id change if I ruled the world.Why sports are important.The worst chores at home.Why I deserve an allowance.If I were in charge of school lunches.If I had invented school.The best theme park rides.Whom do you admire most?What is your favorite animal?How to achi eve your dreams. Why you need a baby brother.How to annoy an older sister.How to save money.Three things that scare me.Great things about snow days.Things you can make out of snow.How to spend a rainy day.How to walk a dog.Great things about the ocean.Things Ill never eat.How to be a slacker.Why I like my town.The best parts of a parade.Interesting things you see in the sky.Things to remember when youre camping.An experience with a bully.

Angels and Demons Book Review

Angels and Demons Book Review When Dan Brown published his fourth  novel, The Da Vinci Code, in 2003, it was an instant bestseller. It boasted a fascinating protagonist, a Harvard professor of religious iconography named Robert Langdon, and compelling conspiracy theories. Brown, it seemed, had come out of nowhere. But the bestseller actually had precursors, including Angels and Demons,  the first book in the  Robert Langdon series. Published in 2000 by Simon Schuster, the 713-page turner  takes place chronologically before The Da Vinci Code, although it doesnt really matter which you read first. Both books revolve around  conspiracies within the Catholic church, but most of the action in Angels and Demons takes place in Rome and the Vatican.  As of 2018, Brown has written three more books in the  Robert Langdon saga, The Lost Symbol (2009), Inferno (2013), and Origin (2017). All but The Lost Symbol and Origin have been made into films starring Tom Hanks. Plot The book opens with the murder of a physicist working for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland. An ambigram representing the word  Illuminati, referring to a centuries-old secret society,  has been branded onto the victims chest. In addition, the director of CERN soon learns that a canister filled with a type of matter that has the destructive power equal to a nuclear bomb has been stolen from CERN and  hidden somewhere in Vatican City. The director calls in  Robert Langdon, an expert on archaic religious symbolism, to help unravel the various clues and find the canister. Themes What follows is a fast-paced thriller focused on Langdons attempts to discover who is pulling the strings within the Illuminati  and how far their influence goes. Its major themes are religion versus science, skepticism versus faith, and the hold that powerful people and institutions have over the people they supposedly serve. Positive Reviews Angels and Demons  is an intriguing thriller for the way in which it mixes religious and historical elements with a sense of foreboding. It introduced the general public to an ages-old secret society, and was a unique entry into the world of conspiracy theory mysteries.  While the book may not be  great literature  per se, it is great entertainment. Publishers Weekly had this to say:   Well plotted and explosively paced.  Crammed with Vatican intrigue and hi-tech drama, Brown’s tale is laced with twists and shocks that keep the reader wired right up until the final revelation. Packing the novel with sinister figures worthy of a Medici, Brown sets an explosive pace through a Michelin-perfect Rome. Negative Reviews The book received its share of criticism, mainly for its historical inaccuracies presented as fact, a criticism that would carry over into The Da Vinci Code, which played even more fast and loose with history and religion. Some Catholics took offense at Angels and Demons, and with its subsequent sequels, stating that the book is nothing but a smear campaign of their beliefs. Conversely,  the books emphasis on secret societies, alternative interpretations of history, and conspiracy theories might strike pragmatic readers as more of a fantasy than a fact-based thriller. Finally, Dan Brown doesnt hold back as far as violence is concerned. Some readers might object to   or find disturbing the graphic nature of Browns writing. Still,  Angels and Demons has sold millions of copies worldwide, and remains a popular read  with lovers of conspiracy-laced thrillers.

Data analysis2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Data analysis2 - Essay Example It came to be known that dropouts can happen mainly on account of two issues. Someone gets burdened with personal workload like getting married or becoming pregnant as was the case for Assia and Meriem. Another prominent reason for dropout was the mismatch of expectation. Anna found the course curriculum comprised of historical research in the field of childhood whereas she wanted to learn more about dealing with children. Marwan’s interest in electronics and creativity prompted him to go for a course in multimedia, but soon turned into boredom as he was not satisfied by the course. Smain had found his interest in English and registered for a course which turned out to be relating to British history. This disappointed him to quit studies and concentrate on his family business. The essence of the analysis reveals important feedback for the authorities monitoring education in the country. All the students interviewed are enrolled in the famous London Metropolitan University. Those who had to shoulder family responsibilities like marriage and bearing a child were found to be interested in completing the journey of acquiring knowledge sometime in future. One of the noticeable finding from the analysis has been the fact that most of the dropouts occurred because the corresponding students did not find the subjects to be as interesting and enriching as they had perceived before enrolling themselves. This made them to break in the midst of the course. But they also had a tacit desire to make up for it sometime in future by enrolling at a better place and complete the journey. In some cases, the student found earning money to be more challenging and thus decided to take care of the family business. This leads to an important conclusion. Universities and education al institutes need to review the course curriculum so that it remains updated and contemporary. A course should be designed with the view of enriching a student with practical

Equality and inequality in the American society in 1830s -1840s Essay

Equality and inequality in the American society in 1830s -1840s - Essay Example During this period, inequality was manifested socially, economically, and politically. Socially, different groups of American had unequal access to wealth, power, resources, and prestige (Atack, and Passell 67). Based on your gender, race, ethnicity, age, religion, and nationality, American society accorded favor to some groups. For instance, blacks and the minority groups were subjected to slavery and workmanship. They served the upper tiers Americans under exploitation and hardship. Besides, in the labor market, American employers practiced nepotism and wage discrimination especially to the minority groups including women, blacks and Hispanics. Inequality was further practiced in political and elective sectors. The minorities especially blacks had limited participation in electoral and democratic process of the United States. They were not allowed to actively take part in the electoral process, thus denying them their rights and freedoms. On the other hand, during this period, there was income inequality in the United States. Income and resources were unevenly distributed in the society with only 1% of the top social class owning more than 78% of the limited resources and wealth (Atack, and Passell 67). Changes in the labor market Until mid-nineteenth century, American economy was agriculturally dominated. The agrarian revolution period was characterized with low wages, wage discrimination, lack of labor unions, and force labor. However, after the moving from agricultural to industrial, the marker of the united states undergone transformation. The labor market moved from ‘force labor’ to ‘free labor’. These reforms in the labor market were pioneered by the social l egislation of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Although labor organizations and the changes in the labor market were harshly received by the employers who had strong exploitative philosophy, the reforms were very beneficial to the working forces. As a result of the reforms, exploitation, low-wage, poor working conditions, lack of workmanship protection and compensation regime ended (Altonji and David 45). Besides, work place discrimination and inequality cases were negligent. The powers of the unions were reinforced, which in turn increased the collective bargaining power of workers and increased their rights, protection, and freedom. These reforms also reduced the wage disparity based on gender, race, color, age, or nationality. However, the transformation of the labor force from manufacturing to services led to a decline in industrial productivity. Massive immigration to the U.S in 1820s-1850s In the first half of the 19th Century, United States reported an influx in the number o f immigrants especially after the Civil War. Being beginning of industrial revolution, these immigrants were of great economic benefit to the United States as the immigrants worked long-hours at a relatively low wage rate. From 1820 to 1850, approximately 23 million people migrated to the United States for a various reasons. Some came as laborers, other came to seek refuge, and others came to serve as indentured servants while a small fraction of them came to attain higher education. As a common phenomenon in human migration, the ‘pull’ and ‘push’ factors are practically behind these increased cases of immigration to the United States. The ‘push’ factors which forced the immigrants to desert their original homes included famine, poverty, wars, military drafts, crippling taxes, and unemployment

Petrophysics Essay Example for Free

Petrophysics Essay Abstract The South Tapti gas field, located in the Arabian Sea off the western coast of India, has been on production for the last three years. Drill Stem Tests (DST) conducted in five zones in the first appraisal well showed high sand production in all the tests at drawdowns as low as 20 psi. Due to the unconsolidated nature of the reservoir sand, it was decided to gravel pack all future wells. Initially, the High Rate Water Pack (HRWP) technique was used on 13 completions including some stack and selective completions. Due to a change in the drilling fluid to an oil based mud (OBM) system and the higher damage associated with the it, it was later decided to switch the gravel packing technique to ‘Frac and Pack’. This involved creation of a small frac to bypass the near wellbore damage using a gel-based fluid, followed by gravel placement using the HRWP. The Frac Pack technique was tried on 10 completions. Extensive production and pressure data collected on the above completions show that the ‘Frac Pack’ technique has led to a decrease in the mechanical skin by almost 70 %. More importantly, it has also been responsible for decreasing the Rate Dependent Skin Coefficient, D, by 50 %, which has a greater impact on the well productivity since these wells are produced at average rates of 25 MMSCFD. This paper describes the gravel packing techniques used in the South Tapti gas field, their evolution and the results achieved. Inroduction The South Tapti field, located off the Western coast of India, is represented by a series of alternating sand and shale sequences. The upper reservoir intervals are dominated by tidal-bar and channel sands deposited in a deltaic environment while the lower sands represent incised valley deposits consisting largely of alluvial/fluvial channels, tidal bars and tidal creeks. The exploratory wells drilled in the field indicated strong sand production tendencies due to the unconsolidated nature of the reservoir rock. This was corroborated by extensive testing of the first development well when all the five zones tested produced sand even under extremely low pressure drawdown conditions. The completion policy for the field focused on preventing sand ingress while minimizing the near well-bore damage inherent in any sand control application. The early development wells were gravel packed using the high rate water pack (HRWP) technique. These initial completions were highly successful in preventing sand production but also induced significant damage in the process. The problem was accentuated when the drilling mud system was changed to an oil base system in an attempt to offset recurrent drilling problems arising out of unconsolidated sandstone and presence of reactive clays. This called for a change in completion philosophy in order to ensure that the wells retain high productivity with effective sand control. Geologic and Reservoir Characterization The South Tapti field is localized by a broad SW-NE trending, doubly plunging anticline. The field has up to 13 different Oligo-Miocene gas bearing sands, separated by shales. The reservoir sands were deposited in both incised valley and deltaic settings. Reservoir sands within incised valleys consist of alluvial/fluvial channels, tide-influenced channels and tidal bars. The channel sands typically are the cleaner sands with excellent porosity permeability and up to 20 m thick, whereas the tide-influenced channels and tidal bars are shalier, with more modest porosity and permeability. CLAY MINERALS 1. Abstract: Tapti Basin in Surat Depression, Bombay Offshore is characterized by entirely siliciclastic succession. The cores and cutting samples, and wireline logs provide important information about the stratigraphy, basin fill, mineralogy, source and reservoir rock characteristics. Well under study is located in South Tapti sub-basin and contains gas-bearing sandstone within Mahim Formation of Late Oligocene age. The cuttings and cores have been megascopically examined and with the aid of electrical log data, the litholog of the well is prepared. The study involves XRD and major element analysis of selected samples. The XRD and digital log data from Natural Gamma Sepctrometry (NGS) log indicate that montmorillonite is the major clay mineral present in the upper part of the succession, whereas kaolinite present in the lower part (1868 m MD to 2427 m MD). Kaolinite is apparently formed by early stages of burial diagenesis, whereas montmorillonite is a weathering product of the Deccan Basalt. Interpretative lithology from the well log response shows that reservoir sandstones have developed within the depth interval of 1865m TVD to 1945 m TVD within dominantly shale lithology. Reservoir sandstones are semiconsolidated, medium to coarse grained and moderately well sorted. Quartz is the dominant detrital component in all the sandstones. Pay sands are quartz arenite whereas non-pay sands are quartz wacke with varying amount of clay matrix. Kaolinite in the reservoir section reduces the permeability of quartz wacke, but enhancing porosity in microlevel. Carbonate, siderite and iron oxide are main cementing material. Major element data showing that clastic sediments were delivered to the basin possibly by the Proto Tapti river but they may be having dual source of origin. The discriminant functions of Meyer and Nederlof, 1984 has indicated that the studied formations do not have source rock potential. Key words: Tapti Basin, Bombay Offshore, hydrocarbons, provenance and clay minerals. quartz wacke, but enhancing porosity in microlevel. Carbonate, siderite and iron oxide are main cementing material. Major element data showing that clastic sediments were delivered to the basin possibly by the Proto Tapti river but they may be having dual source of origin. The discriminant functions of Meyer and Nederlof, 1984 has indicated that the studied formations do not have source rock potential.

Physics of the Golf Drive Essay -- physics sport sports golf

This paper examines the physics involved in driving a golf ball off the tee. The objective of a drive is to achieve the greatest distance while leaving the golf ball in the middle of the fairway. Several factors will be considered in achieving the longest, and most accurate drive. The factors include calculating the velocity of the golf ball after the club and ball collide, the mass of the club head, launch angle, the shape of the club face, and finding the optimal golf ball. Intuition tells us that the larger the velocity of the club head at impact with the golf ball, the larger the velocity of the golf ball after the impact. To calculate the velocity of the golf ball we need to consider the relationship between the velocity of the club head to the velocity of the golf ball. If the collision between club head and ball were elastic we would be able to use Conservation of Mechanical Energy and Conservation of Momentum to determine final velocities of club head and ball after collision, but the golf ball undergoes some deformation at time of impact, thus some energy is lost. A simple test of bouncing a golf ball on a solid surface shows that the golf ball does not return to it's initial height. The elasticity of a ball (e) is equal to the proportion of the velocity before collision to the velocity after collision. If the collision was elastic, e = 1. If the collision was perfectly inelastic, e = 0. The value of e is between 0.70 and 0.80. In order for there to be a collision the initial velocity of the club head must be greater than the initial velocity of the golf ball. Also for there to be separation, the final velocity of the golf ball must be greater than the final velocity of the club head. Thus the eq... ...ar Application to Golf.† The Physics of Sports. By Angelo Armenti, Jr. New York: AIP Press, 1992. 71-76. 2 Daish, C. B. The Physics of Ball Games. London: English Universities Press, 1972. 3 Kim, Kevin. Shut Up and Play. 23 Nov. 2002 . 4 MacDonald, William M., and Stephen Hanzely. â€Å"The Physics of the Drive in Golf.† American Journal of Physics 59.3 (1991): â€Å"213-218†. 5 Penner, A. Raymond. â€Å"The Physics of Golf: The Convex Face of a Driver.† American Journal of Physics 69.10 (2001): â€Å"1073-1081†. 6 - - -. â€Å"The Physics of Golf: The Optimum Loft of a Driver.† American Journal of Physics 69.5 (2001): â€Å"563-568†. 7 Serway, Raymond A., Robert J. Beichner, and John W. Jewett, Jr. Physics for Scientists and Engineers. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders College Publishing, 2000.

Monopoly versus perfect markets Essay

This paper investigates the two extremes of market structures. A monopoly firm, and a firm which operates in a perfectly competitive market. We will compare features, similarities, differences, advantages and disadvantages. The monopoly firm I have chosen is Thames Water. This company is an accurate example, as it’s the sole supplier of the industry. The firm, is the industry. Thames Water supply water through peoples taps in and around London. Fyffe is my chosen firm in a perfectly competitive market. I think this is a good example. It sells bananas to supermarkets and food suppliers, who resell on to customers. The next two paragraphs explain the features of perfect competition, then a monopoly. â€Å"The theory of perfect competition illustrates an extreme form of capitalism. † (Sloman, 2007:113) There are many suppliers, who all only supply and produce a small fraction of the total output, of the whole industry. None of the firms have any power over the market. (Mankiw, 2001) Barriers to entry do not exist. Therefore firms can enter and leave the market freely. Apart from the money and time it takes to set up the business, there are no other obstacles. Both producers and consumers have perfect knowledge of the market. Therefore they both know prices which should be paid, quality which should be met, availability of the product. Market opportunities for expansion, and entry opportunities in the industry as a whole. The price Fyffe must charge for their bananas will depend upon the demand and supply of the whole market, not just Fyffe personal demand. Hence they have no power over prices. They must follow the market forces. (Sloman, 2007)Established firms in the banana industry have no advantage over firms who have newly entered the market. (Parkin, Powell, Matthews)â€Å"This means they can sell all the products they can produce at the market price, but none at a price which is higher. † (Sloman, 2007:114) If Fyffe raise their selling price above p1, their demand will drop to 0, because if Fyffe raise the price of their bananas, consumers will just buy from another firm selling at the current market price. Illustrated in diagram 2. (Beardshaw, 2001) All firms operating in the banana industry sell a homogenous product, all the firms in the industry sell an identical banana. The theory states there is not a great need for advertising or branding. (McConnell, 2008) I would agree with this statement in the context of bananas. Advertising is not needed as people will not look for a specific brand of banana. They all taste the same. However I think a firm in a market selling shampoos and conditioners would need a certain amount of branding and advertising so people choose their product and gain customer loyalty. In the shampoo industry products are not as homogenous. A pure monopoly owns 100% of the industry. Thames water have a great deal of power, and are price makers, thus they set the price to how much they want to charge. If the consumer cannot, or doesn’t want to pay the price, they have to go without the tap water. In the short run both perfect competition and monopolies can make economic profits, losses and supernormal profits. Only monopolies can manage to sustain super normal profits in the long run. â€Å"Persistant economic profits are called monopoly profits. † (Dobson, 2005:99) Monopolies can sustain supernormal profits and remain safe and unaffected by competition due to barriers to entry. Supply to the industry does not increase with new entrants. (Hunt, 1990). There are many types of barriers to entry. Thames water is known as a natural monopoly, meaning there are barriers to entry due to large economies of scale. (Sloman, 2007) Capital equipment is so expensive and large scale that only one sole supplier could manage to make a profit in the water industry. However Thames Water incurred low marginal costs once they are set up. â€Å"If average cost falls as output increases over the entire range of market demand its a natural monopoly. † (Dobson, 2006:100) â€Å"Each would have a very high average cost at a low output. † (Begg, 2005:134) Correspondingly Thames Water gain barriers to entry through lower costs. This is an artificial barrier. The firm is experienced in their field. Has good knowledge of their market, and will be able to gain the best rates of interest on finance, the best suppliers at the lowest costs, and lean methods of production. Other firms would struggle to compete. If a firm decided to set up and compete with Thames Water, and failed by going out of business there would be huge sunk costs. This occurs when high amounts are spent on capital expenditure, which cannot be used on another business venture. (Sloman, 2007) This is an example of exit costs. It would be a huge loss to the firm, and would discourage firms from entering the market. Thames water also have patents copywrite and licensing. The next two paragraphs explain the effect on demand for perfect competition, then a monopoly. For Fyffe the price charged for the bananas is equal to marginal revenue. Average revenue and demand are also equal to price. If average cost dips below average revenue the firm will earn supernormal profits. If demand is above where marginal costs and marginal revenue meet the firms will be making normal profit. See diagram 2. Normal profits cover opportunity costs of the owners money and time. If Fyffe set output below equilibrium marginal cost would exceed marginal revenue and profit would be lowered. If Fyffe raised output above equilibrium marginal costs would exceed marginal revenue and profits would also be lowered. See graph 1. (Dobson, 2005:99) The demand curve is elastic for the banana industry, but not perfectly elastic. Hence why it slopes downwards in diagram 1. If there is a rise in price for bananas, consumers will spend less on the product, and Fyffe will entail a fall in revenue. In contrast if the price of bananas drop, consumers will buy more of the product, and providing the firm is covering their costs they will receive an increase in revenue, because bananas can be relatively easily substituted by another cheaper fruit. Furthermore bananas will sell for a cheaper price when they are in season, due to a larger supply to the market in this period. Fyffe is perfectly elastic which is why their demand curve is horizontal. See graph 2. The firms prices are not affected by their output and their decisions do not affect the industry. (Ison, 2007) Firms must produce at equilibrium to maximise profits, which is where the market supply, meets the market demand, as illustrated in diagram 1. Short run â€Å"assumes the number of firms in the industry does not increase, as there is not enough time. † (Sloman 2007:114) When a firm produces quantity and price, where marginal costs, and average costs meet they are breaking even. See diagram 2. (Begg, 2005) Consumers are charged a price which is equal to what it costs the firm to produce the extra unit. See diagram 2. If the demand curve for bananas increases short term, the demand curve will shift to the right. See diagram 3. This results in a higher equilibrium and a higher selling price. As selling price has increased farmers will raise their output by increasing their variable costs such as labour and materials. This will result in a larger profit and profits are maximised. As illustrated in diagram 4. In contrast if the demand for bananas was to decrease, this would cause a shift to the left in the demand curve. See diagram 5. This results in a lower equilibrium for the industry, and a fall in the selling price. Consequently all firms in the industry including Fyffe would reduce output, by decreasing variable factors and the firm would suffer economic losses. As illustrated in diagram 6. (Dobson, 2005) If Fyffe or Thames Water are not covering their average total costs in the short run, they should carry on trading, but if they are not covering their short run average variable costs, it would be cheaper to temporarily close down. The theory is known as the short run supply decision. (Ison, 2007) In the long run any firm should close down if it is not covering its total average costs as it is loss making. Called the long run supply decision. (Begg, 2003) When demand increases and selling prices rise in the long term, existing firms are making supernormal profits. Several new firms will enter the market. The supply curve will shift to the right, and supply will increase, which will lower market price. As more new industries join firms reduce their output until they are making a normal profit again. Output of the whole industry will be larger now that more firms are in the market, and there is no incentive for firms to enter, or leave the market as breakeven profits are being made. Referred to as the entry or exit price. When there is a decrease in demand, prices will fall, and firms will reduce output to minimise losses. Eventually due to losses some firms will leave the market which lessens supply and the supply curve will shift to the left. This raises prices due to restricted output, and farmers will start to make normal profits again. So there are less firms and less output in the industry. (Dobson, 2005) In the long run there are no fixed costs in any industry, as firms can change their plant size or machinery. Resulting in a long run supply curve which is flatter than the short run. (Begg, 2003) If all firms operating in the industry restricted supply together increasing demand and prices, new firms would enter the market which would increase supply and lower prices. (Begg, 2005) Thames water are price inelastic, and have a low income elasticity of demand, because there are no close substitutes for their product, and water is a essential item. However they are not perfectly inelastic, as a rise in price will still amount to a small drop in quantity demanded. This means Thames water’s revenue will increase with a rise in price, and decrease with a fall in price. A profit maximising level of output is where marginal revenue is equal to marginal cost but rising up to the demand curve to obtain price. See diagram 9 (Sloman, 2007) The demand curve in diagram 9 represents the value of Thames water to customers, and the marginal curve shows the costs Thames water must pay. The marginal revenue curve must lie below the downward sloping demand curve as marginal revenue is less than price. The further the distance between the demand curve on the right hand side and the marginal revenue on the left the more inelastic the demand, see diagram 9. (Dobson, 2005) ) A firm cannot produce to the right of marginal revenue as this part of the diagram is inelastic. In order for the monopolist to sell a larger amount, the price must be lowered on all previous units, so to prevent this the monopolist may restrict output to keep a larger revenue. Creating scarcity and raising the equilibrium price. (Begg, 2005) â€Å"The excess of price over marginal costs shows the monopolies power† (Dobson, 2005:102) The power to raise prices by selling a smaller amount of output. Diagrams 8, 9, and 10 show long run economic profits, normal profits and losses. Thames water will then check weather the profit maximising level of output covers their total costs in the long run and variable costs in the short run. (Begg, 2003) Thames water is not a contestable market due to the fact it’s a natural monopoly, and has very high barriers to entry. This means they can charge high prices and make supernormal profits, without the threat of competition and new entrants. (Sloman, 2007) Thames water may want to behave ethically when setting prices. If they choose too high a price which people cannot afford this could lead to poverty, but if they charge too low a price this could lead to a wastage of water. Monopolies often use price discrimination when setting prices. Although Thames water do not. Perfect competition cannot use this method. Particular consumers are charged a higher price for an identical service so the monopoly can earn higher profits. (Ison, 2007) Revenue is not lost from previously sold units when price is reduced. More output can be sold ands firms can catch some of their consumer surpluses. See diagram 12. â€Å"Surpluses are the difference between actual price paid and what consumers will have been willing to pay. † â€Å"So the business is treating the demand curve as the marginal revenue curve† (Ison, 2007:138) Only works when consumers cannot buy the product for a cheaper price and sell on to others. (Begg, 2005) A firm operating in perfect competition will achieve allocative efficiency. This exists when price is equal to marginal costs. â€Å" Society is better off when resources are allocated to maximise the total surplus in the market. † (Dobson, 2005:91) Productive efficiency will also be achieved, meaning Fyffe will produce and sell their output for the lowest price they can in the long run giving consumers the best possible value for money. â€Å"Price equals minimum average total cost. † (Dobson, 2005:92) This is good for consumers and society as consumers get the best possible value for money. (Sloman, 2007) Perfectly competitive markets are critised for having a lack of variety, unable to fully satisfy consumers wants and needs. Furthermore the long term entry and exit of firms can be a waste of certain resources such as empty buildings. This is called competitive forces in action. (Dobson, 2005) Monopoly’s are in a position to give us a lower price if they decide to, due to economies of scale. The marginal cost curve is lower than the supply curve in their graph which means the firm can supply more output at a lower production cost. Supernormal profits can fund research and development which will improve the quality of the product. Therefore the monopoly can innovate and introduce new products. (Ison, 2007) However some firms may not do this as they do not need to fight to stay in the industry, with no competition around. (Mankiw, 2001) Joseph Schumpeter said in theory monopolies have more ability and incentive to innovate which can make them better for society. If you imagine a whole industry was taken over by a monopolist, they could eliminate competition and charge very high prices, by reducing output level to which raises price. Supernormal profits represent a redistribution of income from consumer to producer which can be critised on equity grounds† (Ison, 2007:137) Monopoly firms have been known to â€Å"engage in dirty tricks to protect themselves from competition. † They do not produce an output which minimises average costs. Making them productively efficient. â€Å"Perfect competition is rare due to larger companies expanding, gaining economies of scale and market power. Resulting in other firms being forced of the business. So if economies of scale did not exist any industry could have perfect competition. † (Dobson, 2006:94) Monopolies are also rare, and both are extremes of market structures. Most firms lie somewhere between the two. I think the two firms I picked are a fair comparism. They are both from a mixed economy. Thames water will have regulating agencies monitoring them. There are only 3 legal monopolies in Britain Thames Water included. In the past there was a significant amount of monopolies which were government owned. When Margaret Thatcher came into power she privitised these firms as she believed competition would lead to greater efficiency and lower prices which would benefit society as a whole. I agree with her decision and I think after researching, perfect competition appears to be the better option for consumers. Monopolys benefit society in certain situations such as retained profits ploughed back into research and development for medical reasons, and natural monopolies who could not survive in a perfectly competitive industry. Monoplies and perfect competition are becoming more rare as time goes on and who knows what will happen in the future.

Future Trends in Health Care Essay

Personal face-to-face communication is and will continue to be the foundation of the patient- physician relationship. Electronic communication between caregivers and patient through telephones web-sites and e-mail are forcing medical staff and physicians to rethink the way they provide care to the patients, the accessibility to on-line health and wellness information. Home monitoring systems, personal health records, and on-line support groups is making it possible for society to take charge of their health (Center for Practice Improvement and Innovation, 2008). This paper will look at electronic forms of communication; new and old be used externally as a delivery source of conveying patient specific information, the impact of distance delivery on health care, the use of electronic systems to transfer records, and the impact of said systems today and a projected five years in the future. Physician practices, for nearly a century, have relied on the telephone to communicate to communi cate with patients. The telephone have been used to relay lab results, handle consumers renewing prescriptions, scheduling patients for their appointments, and reminding patients of future appointments. In addition to medical personnel use, the telephone is used to communicate to other departments or facilities, unit to unit communication, and insurance companies. The telephone can be also used as a clinical tool. With patient who are chronically ill and have established a relation ship with the physician, the telephone can serve as a office visit (Center for Practice Improvement and Innovation, 2008). With advancement in technology, as the number of patients and physicians acquiring the means to electronically communicate increases, the willingness and desire to apply the provisions to ambulatory care ahs gathered momentum. Caring for patients electronically increases productivity, practice efficiency, and lowers operating costs. On-line communication can produce these results through reduced administrative costs, fewer telephone calls, and growth by attraction of new clients. Compared to phone calls, e-mail transcripts are less distractive and can be performed relatively  inexpe nsive; they are self documenting and can be done at the leisure of the physician. On-line communication allows the patient to read and reread to gain a better understanding of directives. The use of internet communication results in patient retention and patient satisfaction (Center for Practice Improvement and Innovation, 2008). The safest way to communicate on-line is by using a secured messaging system. HIPAA regulates that all health care organizations protect all patient health information, especially health information being transcribed electronically. A secured site for medical information is to protect unauthorized users from access. The most common protection for electronic information is installing an encryption system (Center for Practice Improvement and Innovation, 2008). The Impact of Delivery on Health Care Information technology tools incorporated in medical practice results not only in service availability and improved quality but also in transformation of the care delivery model. Health care systems in the modern sense, relies on the concepts of patient continuity of services, shared care, and empowerment. These fulfillments can be made possible by establishing safe electronic contact between patients and physician. The use of telemedicine applications improves the process of exchanging information between medical professionals representing different areas of medicine and referential levels. Telecommunication progress and computer science leads to transformation in other domains. Information technology opens the window for assuring appropriate healthcare quality within reasonable cost (Duplaga, 2004). The Use of Information Technology As consumers demand more opportunities to use the internet. The internet is transforming the consumers as they interact with the health care system. Telemedicine for remote patient monitoring of patient health is increasing in use by doctors and health care providers. The internet is also transforming health care through electronic medical records. Records stored electronically boosts survival rates ad improves coordination by allowing facilities and medical providers access to share medical information with ease. An electronic medical record is the heart of any computerized information system in health care. In absence of this, modern technologies such as decision support systems cannot be integrated into the clinical  workflow. Current Electronic medical records systems are delivering safe, high quality health care. Medical vision and need for use is why telemedicine was created. Telemedicine cover a wide range of capabilities. Telemedicine can be defined as the delivery of image s, data and sound enabling medical practitioners that diagnose and provide options in medical care at a distance. The transmission of this medical data can be accomplished through other technology systems such as the telephone, web using interactive video, computer or fax. Real time applications and store and forward are two types of telemedicine systems delivery. With real time systems, participants are using the system at the time of care delivery. Such as two doctors discussing methods of treatment or delivering treatment. Specialized software such as exam cameras and other imaging devices can make the atmosphere of both participants being in the same room. A store and forward system does not require that. Using this system allows medical personal to gather needs resources such as, Patient medical history, images, and other pertinent data. One can then recommend treatment at a later date or time. Physicians may use these systems to train and learn as they can provide real life, real time experiences (Masys, 2010). Information technologies have the ability to affect distribution and the types of jobs in the health care Industry. In a background of a growing body of knowledge in the realm of health sciences, recent models of decision making by clinical practitioners, relying mainly upon their memory and personal experience, will be inadequate for effective health care delivery in the twenty-first-century. In the health care industry, information activity is intense. From the point of view in business, two kinds of action are performed: medical procedures to support therapy, disease prevention, diagnosis, and the communication, acquisition and storage of information. Information technologies have launched a social trend and will continue to have a huge impact on the health care industry. The ring bearer of this trend is the internet. The internet brings access to interpersonal communication and information on a large scale to millions of people world wide. In 2001 roughly 54 % of Americans were using the internet and the adoption rate from new comers with this technology is about two million per month (Masys, 2010). Most American children are both using a computer and accessing the internet in their homes or at school. E-mail lists,  disease-related chat rooms, offshore pharmacies, internet telemedicine services, and hundreds of alternative and conventional medical websites are the panicle of a world with personal choices. Evidence suggests that for internet users with acute illness, making doctor appointments has changed from first to last resort, a trend that is strengthened by the decision of services in environment of manage care (Masys, 2010). In conclusion, it can be very difficult to predict how medical practices will use electronic communication in the years to come. Just implementing a system is not going to have a great impact on the quality of care delivered. The systems have to be exceptional design and can be used effectively for it to impact the quality of care. However, one can rest assure that the role of communication will grow significantly More patients are demanding that physicians communicate with them electronically and physicians are recognizing that this media can be a key tool in managing the demands facing their practices, thus adding fuel to the trend. Reference:. Center for Practice Improvement and Innovation. (2008). Communicating with Patients Electronically. Retrieved November 27, 2010 from http://www.acponline.org/running_practice/technology/comm_electronic.pdf Duplaga, M. (2004). The Impact of Information Technology on Quality of Healthcare Services .Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Retrieved November 28, 2010 from http://www.springerlink.com/content/mlc0atymr41lllq3/ Masys, D. (2010). Effects Of Current And Future Information Technologies On The Health Care Workforce. Health Affairs. Retrieved November 25, 2010 from http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/21/5/33

Events Leading Up to the American Revolution essays

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Adrienne Clarkson Biography

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