Shangrila Hotel Singapore Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Shangrila Hotel Singapore - Assignment Example   Luxurious hotels were only visited by designated group of people in a given class. Shangrila Hotel has evolved into the most viable and profitable hotel in Singapore due to the presence of major changes in the hotel management. Shangrila Hotel has provided services available to people in all classes irrespective of income levels. In 2009, Shangrila Hotel acquired several hotels in Malasyia a step that made the organization increase the number of customers. In addition, the hotel management owned 80% of the hotel in Puteri Harbour, Johor a strategy that allowed Shangrila Hotel to increase its share stakes by 20% (Yeap 2013). Secondly, Shangrila Hotel had a significant change with her managerial roles. According to Tracy (2008), the hotel industry is undergoing rapid change in management through hiring technologically advanced and socially responsible managers. In an effort to cope with the global competition, Shangrila Hotel hired new managers who were proficient and competent in the hotel industry. In addition, the organization hired managers in charge of finance, marketing, and human resources in order to ensure accountability of all employees and company revenues. Customers are the source of profit for an industry, which means their environment should be well viewed at carefully to avoid certain incidences, which might be of risk to them. In the present environment, hotel customers seek humble and human places where people have respect for visitors irrespective of backgrounds. (Kotler and Armstrong 2011). The hotel has practiced a strong corporate culture and personnel that ensured visitors from all corners of the earth receive quality treatment irrespective of culture, race, or denomination. Holding a strong corporate cultural responsibility has increased Shangrila Hotel competence through contributing to the high achievement. Shangrila Hotel is ranked among the top hotels in Hong Kong for quality hospitality. Moroever, the hotel has undetaken employees training programs to educate them about corporate culture and how to maintain loyalty towards customers. Relevant changes and trends in the macroenvironment  (PESTEL Analysis) Organizations undergo significant changes and trends in the macroenvironment that assist in wining the competitive advantage. The following changes have taken place in Shangrila Hotel macroenvironment. Political The hotel has changed from the older strategies and adapted the newly acceptable methods in line with Singapore constitution. In addition, Shangrila Hotel has many tributary hotels aroung the globe and the management ensures every hotel operates accoring to the country’s political requirements. Economical Shangrila Hotel has changed its economic climate has changed into a more economic methods of operations. The company has a group of economic experts who provide the necessary information on the expected risks in the economic world. The hotle managment has resulted into a new

Distributed Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Distributed Systems - Essay Example It comprises of a stub and skeleton each at the client and server side respectively, wherein the stub is an object implementing the same interface as that of the remote object. The stub implementation is not the real one, which means it acts as a proxy. In fact, a Stub is a client side object but maintains a reference to the actual server side object. The reference maintained by the stub is the virtual reference which is through network connections for which the relevant resources are provided by the RMI runtime environment which is responsible for establishing socket connections with the other end. The request of the client sent through the network connections, are received by the server side Skeleton, which performs the opposite operation as done by the Stub (unmarshalling) and services the request which again is de-serialized by the stub. 6) The relevant data required to perform the method invocation will also be sent along the request in a network representable format. The transportable format is known as marshaling. RMI implements marshaling through serialization feature of the java language. Both the ends are in java Serialization. 1) The major drawback it holds is that, RMI only works where both server and client side programs are implemented in the same language that is JAVA. It wont support the implementation in any other language. CORBA is an abbreviation... RMI implements marshaling through serialization feature of the java language. Both the ends are in java Serialization. 7) It mainly supports object-by-value. 8) It relies on naming service for the distribution of stubs over the network which is analogous to the telephone directory, where it associates a unique name to the object, given by us. Disadvantages 1) The major drawback it holds is that, RMI only works where both server and client side programs are implemented in the same language that is JAVA. It wont support the implementation in any other language. 2) Since it implements RPC style, the client is blocked till the procedure returns. This style of communication is synchronous by nature. 3) Java call semantics are changed so that thread identity is not maintained. 4) An high end application can become slow if the implementation involves RMI. 5) There are limited development tools. 6) Clients need access to the latest stubs as more and more functionalities are incorporated. CORBA CORBA is an abbreviation for Common Object Request Architecture. It is a specification for developing distributed application which is object oriented and language independent. CORBA provides interoperability between various platforms. Since the choice of a Operation System is not going to make any difference. The heart of CORBA application is a piece of software infrastructure ORB (Object Request Broker). ORB provides a communication bus for applications to interact with each other. It's a piece of software infrastructure given by vendors where from jdk1.2 onwards the java API for CORBA is known as JavaIDL. CORBA allows us to invoke remote operations as if they are local methods. This is possible due to the existence of a proxy which we call as stub in the CORBA

An Intensive Care Unit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

An Intensive Care Unit - Assignment Example Mr X was being cared for in the intensive care unit (ICU) of an urban hospital. One week after admission, the ICU nurse-in-charge of Mr X’s care noticed respiratory distress and fever of unknown origin. The nurse reported it to the attending physician and to the intensive care specialists. The intensive care specialists ordered a new CT scan to re-evaluate the status of the brain, the occipital skull base fracture, the post-operative cervical spine, the condition of the lungs, the abdomen for a possible source of infection and a pelvis examination locating the sacral fracture and the right hip. Mr X was chosen as the case study subject primarily because of the alarming incidence of motorcycle accident worldwide caught the interest of the author and wanted to delineate the multisystem effect of a motorcycle accident to the individual. Clarke, Ward, Bartle and Truman (2004) stated that motorcyclists are at the highest risk for accidents due to poor safety record and the estimate d killed and serious injury rate in the UK per million vehicle kilometers is twice than a pedal cyclist and 16 times than car drivers and passengers (p. 6). Introduction to the Intensive Care Unit An intensive care unit (ICU) refers to a hospital area that uses state-of-the-art technology and aggressive therapy both in invasive and noninvasive monitoring of critically-ill and high-risk patients (Varon and Acosta, 2010, p. 1). Continuous monitoring is necessary and physiological factors affecting the health status of the patient must be reported promptly and on a continuous basis to the attending physician in order to adjust and meet the patient’s health needs. Patients older than 50 years old who suffered from cervical fracture have a 26% mortality rate (Browner, Jupiter, Levine, Trafton, 2003, p. 868). Critical care is offered for patients in the intensive care units in providing advanced life support through modern technology.

The Psychology of Groups Essay Example for Free

The Psychology of Groups Essay In life, people have groups that they use to compare themselves to. These groups, or reference groups, serve as benchmarks that we can compare our lives to. College students in particular have a large array of these groups because their lives are at a point where they are being shaped the most. College students are on the cusp of careers, families, and they are shaping who they want to be in the future. Parents make an excellent reference group for college students because they generally have well established careers and families. Kids grow up modeling their behavior after their parents, so it is natural that they would use their parents as a reference group throughout their lives. Parents are important reference groups because the person referencing them has close emotional ties with them, and are a benchmark for success at home, and in careers. Coworkers are another important reference group as well. Coworkers are often times people well established in careers, and can serve as a good benchmark for success at work. We can use coworkers to compare how we are doing in our field of work in regard to doing the work, getting promotions, and balancing work and home life. I think the most important reference group that college students have are other college students. College is a competitive place, since the people with the highest grades get the best rank in each class. Referencing your peers is a good way to judge your progress in college, and can make you more competitive in college and later in life. In conclusion, the most important reference groups that a college student can have are parents, coworkers, and other college students. These groups serve as benchmarks for making progress in our lives, can make us more competitive, and show us how we can make ourselves better.

Pet Therapy for Pain and Anxiety Management

Pet Therapy for Pain and Anxiety Management Pain and Anxiety Management in Hospice care patients through Pet Therapy Arlena Davis Pet therapy is a form of treatment used in hospitals, nursing homes and educational institutions. It involves guided dealings between a trained animal, an individual and the animal trainer. Pet therapy offers patients the opportunity to improve their life through human-animal relations. The practice problem is to determine the effectiveness of using animals to aid humans cope better with health matters. For this proposal, the focus will be to determine the effectiveness of pet therapy in the treatment of hospice patients. Background and Significance The focus of this research proposal will be on Hospice care; planned care to provide medical services, spiritual and emotional support to individuals who are in the advanced stages of illness. It centers on comfort and abundance of life rather than cure. Hunters and gatherers first used the pet therapy and the initial report was done in late 18th century at the York Retreat in Britain headed by William Tuke. Domesticated pets, marine creatures and farm animals are the most used. Several benefits are associated with pet therapy, lower blood pressure and reduced depression. A major problem of pet therapy is although scientists present the relationship between humans and companion animals as favorable, there is need for investigational studies to determine its effectiveness. In using pet therapy, it is important that the rights of the people affected as those of their animal companions be respected. The patient can choose the pet of his choice to improve their health. The pets used are service animals and must be allowed to accompany a disabled person wherever they go. However, caution should be taken to avoid pets with a temperament as they tend to be a nuisance. Elderly people and people suffering from chronic illnesses are the most affected. Pet therapy has its complications and can be costly. Failure of this therapy can result in a painful and intolerable death for a patient in a short period. Pet therapy gives hospice patients and their families some hope of a quality life. If this program fails, the family members of the patient might suffer from depression. It might also instill fear and uncertainty to patients undergoing pet therapy. Pet therapy can be costly because it entails hiring a certified and well-trained pet. In addition, hospice patients may need to be in a health facility. Review of Literature The research proposal discusses the different studies conducted concerning pet therapy by various authors. It includes both theoretical reviews of data previously recorded and empirical studies in different places with patients of different age groups. The different study designs applied by the authors include; systematic review of the evidence, Quasi-experimental investigations, review of qualitative studies, survey questionnaires, randomized control trial and pre-post quasi-experimental design. According to Stem (2011), pet therapy treatment enables patients in a hospice get short time relief from pain, stress and anxiety. He however did not have an in-depth analysis due to lack of quality research data. The review was conducted on the comments 31of professionals who used Animal Assisted therapy (AAT) for mental health care. Animal Assisted Therapy was beneficial (O’Callaghan, 2008). The method provided qualitative, and the interpretation could have been biased. A convenience sample of 58 residents living in a facility was studied to determine the changes in the use of medication. A Decline in pain Medication use (Lust, Ryan-Haddad, Coover, Snell, 2007). AAT helped in rehabilitating schizophrenic patients (Kovà ¡cs, Kis, Rà ³zsa, Rà ³zsa, 2004). The findings were made after surveying the independent living skills of seven schizophrenic patients at a hospice. In a different approach, pre-post quasi-experimental design was used on hospitalized patients with the aim of finding out the effects on not only their mood but also the cost incurred. Pet therapy improved mood in hospitalized patients and was cost effective (Coakley Mahoney, 2009). The patients in hospice care also include children. In this research proposal, a review of the effectiveness of pet therapy on them is also done. AAT has benefits for the children in pain. The group having AAT had a significant loss in pain level relative to the control group (Braun, Stangler, Narveson, Pettingell, 2009). Survey questionnaires also serve as an excellent source of conducting research. In one such instance used to investigate the effectiveness of pet therapy, Companion animals reduced anxiety (Peacock, Chur-Hansen, Winefield, 2012). The conclusion was made after reviewing the responses of a sample of 70 hospitalized patients. Persons with neurological conditions also get assistance through pet therapy to help improve their functioning. In one of the prospective studies, the researchers focused on the improvement in walking distance covered and the speed of the patient as well. Walking with a dog improved patient ambulation and patients responded positively to the experience (Rita, Brienne Joseph, 2007) However, the positive findings of using pet therapy do not reflect the opinions of all the researchers. Anxiety inventory did not decrease significantly but was low after Animal Assisted Therapy (Ekeberg Braastad, 2011). Also according to Bercovitz, Sengupta, Jones, Harris-kojetin, (2011), there are no differences in demographics, health, functional status between patients discharged from hospice or those who got complementary and alternative therapies CAT. They made this conclusion by reviewing the outcomes of complementary and alternative therapies. The different research methods applied by the researchers had their shortcomings. The most common being; lack of randomness in sample selection, biased interpretations due to use of either qualitative or quantitative information, the lack of evidence of the cause and effect and a limited sample size. The findings of some researcher proved quite unreliable, as they did not do follow-ups on their subjects. It is crucial to know how Animal Assisted Therapy works and which animals are best suited for this treatment. Research Problem Introducing a pet into the life of a patient has been proven to distract the patient from pain, anxiety and reduces hypertension. Furthermore, it helps patients regain control of their social and communication skills (unity point, n.d.). The caregivers use this option to provide palliative care; care aimed at reducing pain, suffering and discomfort in order to provide them with a better chance at living (1800hospice, n.d.). Control of pain and anxiety is the main aim of hospice care. The option is considered when one is no longer aggressive in treating illness and is ready to accept death. A caregiver’s responsibility is to offer the best therapy possible. The patients find it easier to interact with the animals than with family members (Hospice of North Central Ohio, 2014). Study Purpose Studies have indicated that the presence of a pet in the facility help relieve patients’ pain and gives the staff morale to continue providing care to the patients. The act of petting has an automatic and subconscious relaxing and calming effect (Methodist Health, 2014). Furthermore, the use of pets can help bridge the communication gap between the patient, the doctor and family (Matuszek, 2010). Theoretical Framework and Conceptual Definitions The theory of comfort asserts that comfort exists in three main forms; relief, ease and transcendence. When the comfort needs of the patient are met, he experiences comfort in the form of getting relief (March McCormack,2009). Ease facilitates the comfort of a patient through contentment by arraying any fears and anxiety from the patient. Transcendence facilitates the patient achieve a level of comfort by rising above any challenges during or after treatment. The theory posits that patient comfort occurs in four contexts; physical, psycho-spiritual, socio-cultural and environmental (Kolcaba DiMarco, 2005). It emphasizes that patients are individuals, families, institutions and even communities that need healthcare services. The environment encompasses any aspects of the patient, family or institution that nurses may manipulate in order to provide comfort to patients. Rationale The theory is a good fit for the study since it informs the need for nurses and patient’s relatives to pursue available methodologies to mitigate pain and patient discomforts. The theory fosters courage and spirit of enthusiasm and positivity and reminds nurses not to give up (Lasiuk Ferguson, 2005). The independent variable is pet therapy to reduce pain while the dependent variable is end of life patient management. The independent and dependent variables are linked to the concepts since the choice of appropriate therapies is ideal to effective patient management especially in the end of life processes. In order to attain desirable relief for the patient, the nursing personnel formulates proper nursing care plans and continuously evaluates comfort levels of the patient to determine the need for change (Melnyk Overholt, 2010). The nurse may use objective or subjective measures to evaluate the levels of comfort for the patient. Objective assessments involve, making observations of the patient and the healing process. Subjective measures include seeking the patient’s comments. Hypothesis Hospice care patients and their families will chose pet therapy as a feasible treatment option when end of life conversations are being debated at the time of diagnosis. Design and Rationale The research design will be in the form of a cross-sectional survey of pain and anxiety management in hospice care through pet therapy. It will be used to determine the success of this treatment and to predict its usefulness in future. The rationale of using the cross-sectional approach is because this proposal will focus on one variable; the effectiveness of pet therapy for hospice care using data collected in different institutions during the same period. Population and Sample The appropriate population for this proposal is the patients under hospice care. The sample will be chosen randomly which will include patients in hospitals, nursing homes and those in hospice care institution. Since the number of patients is large, the sample size for this study will be 60 patients involving people of different ages and suffering from different illnesses. Human Subjects Protection In conducting this study, the ethical practice of human subject protection will be adhered to. The research will be based on objectivity and the data collected from the patients will only be used for the research. The relevant authorities of such as family and institution directors will be consulted for permission. Operational Definition The independent variable for this research proposal is the use of pet therapy to reduce pain and anxiety in hospice patients. Pet therapy is a program, which involves creating a relationship between a patient and animal to help improve their health condition. The dependent variable is the end of life patient management this is provided through hospice care to patients who are in the late years of their life. Measurement Discussion In determining the success of use of pet therapy in managing pain and anxiety among hospice patients, both qualitative and quantitative measurements will be done. The key factors to be considered will be the amount of time spent with the pet, the blood pressure of individuals before and after pet therapy. The state of depression shall also be monitored as well as the amount of intake of pain relievers. Summary Pet therapy for hospice care patients has proven very helpful remedy during the end of life stage. The animals provide companionship and sense calmness in the patient’s life. In depth, research should be done to determine the animals that best suit the treatment and to establish how the treatment occurs. For this proposal, the focus will be to determine the effectiveness of pet therapy in the treatment of hospice patients. References 1800hospice. (n.d.). Hospice Terms | 1-800-HOSPICE.1800hospice.com. Retrieved 17 July 2014, from http://www.1800hospice.com/understanding-homecare/hospice-terms/ Bercovitz, A., Sengupta, M., Jones, A., Harris-kojetin, L. D. (2011). Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Hospice The National Home and Hospice Care Survey : United States , 2007. National Health Statistics Reports, 33, 1-20. Braun, C., Stangler, T., Narveson, J., Pettingell, S. (2009). Animal-assisted therapy as a pain relief intervention for children. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 15(2), 105-109. Coakley, A. B., Mahoney, E. K. (2009). Creating a therapeutic and healing environment with a pet therapy program. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 15(3), 141-146. Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Hospice: The National Home and Hospice Care Survey: United States, 2007. US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, 2011. Cummings, K. (n.d.). End of Life and Hospice Care | Taking Charge of Your Health Wellbeing.Taking Charge of Your Health Wellbeing. Retrieved 17 July 2014, from http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/conditions/end-life-and-hospice-care DArcy, Y. (2011). Paws to provide comfort, relieve pain.Nursing2014,41(4), 6768. DogsDoingGood. (2013). Therapy vs. Service Dog.Dogs Doing Good | Helping families. Training dogs. Changing lives.. Retrieved 17 July 2014, from http://dogsdoinggood.com/web/therapy-vs-service-dog/ Ekeberg O., B. B., Braastad, I. P. and B. O. (2011). Animal-Assisted Therapy with Farm Animals for Persons with Psychiatric Disorders: Effects on Anxiety and Depression, a Randomized Controlled Trial. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 27(1), 50-64. Harrington SE. Smith, (2009). The role of chemotherapy of the end of life. Hospice of North Central Ohio. (2014). Complementary Therapies.Hospiceofnorthcentralohio.org. Retrieved 17 July 2014, from http://www.hospiceofnorthcentralohio.org/care-services/hospice-care/complementary-therapies Kolcaba, K. DiMarco, M. (2005). Comfort theory and its application topediatric nursing. Pediatric Nursing, 31(3): 187-194 Kolcaba, K. (2006). Comfort theory:A unifying framework to enhance the practice environment. Journal of Nursing Administration, 36(11): 538-544. Kovà ¡cs, Z., Bulucz, J., Kis, R., Simon, L. (2006). An exploratory study of the effect of animal-assisted therapy on nonverbal communication in three schizophrenic patients. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People Animals. Kovà ¡cs, Z., Kis, R., Rà ³zsa, S., Rà ³zsa, L. (2004). Animal-assisted therapy for middle-aged schizophrenic patients living in a social institution. A pilot study. Clinical rehabilitation, 18(5), 483-486. Lasiuk, G. Ferguson, L. (2005). From practice to midrangetheory and back again.Advances in Nursing Science, 28(2): 127-136. Lehigh Happening. (2013). Pet Therapy â€Å"Photos with Santa’s Jingle Dogs† at Cedarbook.Lehigh Happening. Retrieved 17 July 2014, from http://lehigh.happeningmag.com/pet-therapy-santas-jingle-dogs Lust, E., Ryan-Haddad, A., Coover, K., Snell, J. (2007). Measuring clinical outcomes of animal-assisted therapy: impact on resident medication usage. The Consultant pharmacist: the journal of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. March, A. McCormack,D. (2009). Nursing theory-directed healthcare: Modifying Kolcabas Comfort Theory as an institution-wide approach. Holistic Nursing Practice, 23(2): 75-80. Matuszek, S. (2010). Animal-facilitated therapy in various patient populations: systematic literature review. Holistic Nursing Practice,24(4), 187203. McEwen, M. Wills, E. (2011). Theoretical basis for nursing. (3rd ed). Philadelphia. Oxford university press. Melnyk, B. Overholt, E. (2010). Evidence-based practice in nursing healthcare: A guide to best practice (2nd ed). New York. Sage publications. MethodistHealth. (2014). Pet Therapy at Methodist Hospice Bring Patients Joy.Methodisthealth.org. Retrieved 17 July 2014, from http://www.methodisthealth.org/news-and-events/news/2014/pet-therapy-at-methodist-hospice-bring-patients-joy.dot Myers, J. (2012). PAWSitive bedside outcomes: The value of animal-assisted therapy. Med Surg Matters, 21(5), 1. OCallaghan, D. M. (2008). Exploratory study of animal assisted therapy interventions used by mental health professionals (Doctoral dissertation, University of North Texas). Peacock, J., Chur-Hansen, A., Winefield, H. (2012). Mental Health Implications of Human Attachment to Companion Animals. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(3), 292-303. Rita K Bode Brienne R Costa Ctrs Joseph B Frey, B. (2007). The impact of animal-assisted therapy on patient ambulation: A feasibility study. American Journal of Recreation Therapy, 6(3), 7-19. Selby, A., Smith-Osborne, A. (2013). A systematic review of effectiveness of complementary and adjunct therapies and interventions involving equines. Health Psychology, 32(4), 418. Snyder, M., Lindquist, R. (2006). Complementary/alternative therapies in nursing. New York: Springer Pub. Co. Sobo, E. J., Eng, B., Kassity-Krich, N. (2006). Canine visitation (pet) therapy: pilot data on decreases in child pain perception. Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic NursesÊ ¼ Association Stern, C. (2011). Canines Utilised For Therapeutic Purposes In The Physical And Social Health Of Older People In Long Term Care (Doctoral dissertation, Faculty of Health Sciences and the Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide). Taylor, M. A. (2012). Pet therapy / canine visitors bring cheer to hospice patients. The Commercial Appeal (2007-Current) Tsai, C.-C., Friedmann, E., Thomas, S. A. (2010). The Effect of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Stress Responses in Hospitalized Children. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People Animals. U.S. Department of justice: Civil Rights Division (2010) Service animals Urbanski, B. L., Lazenby, M. (2012). Distress Among Hospitalized Pediatric Cancer Patients Modified By Pet-Therapy Intervention to Improve Quality of Life. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing. Van Hyfte, G. J., Kozak, L. E., Lepore, M. (2013). A survey of the use of complementary and alternative medicine in Illinois Hospice and Palliative Care Organizations.American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 1049909113500378. VNA hospice volunteers complete training. (2013). The Evening Sun Wenger NS, Verpa PM, (2010) Ethical issues in patients-physician communication about therapy for cancer professional responsibility of the ecologist

Should Baseball Ban the DH? :: essays research papers

Should Baseball Ban the DH?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The designated hitter rule has positively influenced Major League Baseball since the American League adopted it in 1973. Not only should it be upheld in the American League, but should also be adopted in the National League. The DH rule allows a designated hitter to bat for pitchers in the batting order.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the biggest reasons that the DH should be used is that pitchers can’t hit. Who would you rather see, Manny Ramirez, who had a batting average of .327 last season, or Randy Johnson, who only batted .127. The majority of baseball fans would rather see a batter that can hit the ball instead of a pitcher swinging and missing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The commissioner is in favor of abolishing the DH, but there is one problem. â€Å"The problem is that the all-mighty players’ union loves the DH because it creates an extra roster spot and enables good hitters to hang on for several years after their prime.† If the players want the DH rule then we should keep it. Why get rid of something that the players don’t want to get rid of. Japan and the National League are the only two places not using the DH.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another reason to keep the DH is that it does allow good hitters to keep playing baseball. Without the DH position, the careers of many great players would have been cut short. Hall-of-famer Eddie Murray and future hall-of-famers Harold Baines and Paul Molitor finished their careers as designated hitters. Eddie Murray and Paul Molitor were able to reach 3,000 hit plateau thanks to the DH rule, and as a result fans were able to watch them in action for years after they otherwise would have had to retire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It’s almost certain that the Seattle Mariners’ Edgar Martinez, who is 40 and still hitting .331 this past season, would no longer be playing in the Major Leagues if the designated hitter rule did not exist. According to a 2002 Sports Illustrated article, â€Å"This man is an athlete, as pure a hitter as they come, and he still contributes to his team.† It is unfair to players like Martinez to abolish the DH rule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Critics say that it takes away from the way the game is supposed to be played. The rule, actually brings out the pureness of the game. It lets the hitters concentrate on hitting and the pitchers on pitching.

What Impact did Social and Economic change have upon Germany, 1870 – 1914?

The unification of Germany in 1871 acted as a catalyst for industry that enabled a period of rapid growth and change. This growth in industry changed Germany forever socially and economically and it was this change that was to make Germany a great nation, even rivalling Britain itself by 1890. As soon as the Reich was established in 1871, the German economy took off. Germany possessed huge mineral wealth and this was manipulated to build an incredibly strong economy. Germany possessed areas such as Alsace-Lorraine that contained Europe's largest source of iron ore that was essential to its growing steel industries. In fact Germany was totally independent due to the abundance of all resources that were necessary for an industry at the time. Germany was developing industrially at an incredibly rapid rate and this is shown through its outputs (fig. 1). However it was not until later that Germany began to found colonies that showed exactly how powerful it had become. Another resource Germany possessed was manpower and plenty of it (fig. 2). In 1870 Germany's total population was around forty one million, already nine million more than Britain. This total however increased yet further and by 1890 Germany had an even larger population of forty nine million. This huge population provided an incredibly large labour force that could be drawn from as industry continued to grow. The industrialists themselves became very wealthy as industrialisation took hold of Germany. Labour was cheap and so were the raw materials lending to ever increasing profits that rivalled the wealth of the Junkers. Unlike the Junkers however the industrialists did not have any political power and this was what caused future problems. In 1875 there were eight German cartels however as the industrial expansion began to slow and times became ever harder the numbers began to increase. In 1885 Germany boasted ninety such cartels and two hundred and ten just five years later! These cartels began to exercise enormous influence over the development of the Reich and they began to make demands for things such as protective tariffs and later for naval and colonial development. This is where the industrialists began to taste power and the cartels enabled politically minded individuals a chance to have an influence over Germany's ruling and development however minor. This was all the power someone from the middle class could possess due to Germany's static class system. Germany was a conservative state and so naturally change was frowned upon. What remained of Germany's past during the industrialisation was that of the Junkers political monopoly. Bismarck himself was a Junker and one of his main political aims was to maintain the superiority of this upper class. The Junkers also continued to obtain great wealth due to their hold over agriculture. Without the food stuffs that the Junkers provided, Germany would not have been able to grow in the manner that it had. As well as industrialisation, urbanisation was taking place at the same time as Germany's population was moving from rural areas to cities in search of employment. These people that came in search of work became known as the working class, an entirely new level of German society. It was the industrialists however who actively attempted to draw people from the countryside into the cities. Drawing such large numbers into the cities however created problems such as over crowding which in turn created even more problems such as chronic disease epidemics. As more and more people were drawn to the cities the working class itself grew and as it grew so did it's political influence. People within the class began to think of ways to improve their lives and began asking for better conditions such as better accommodation and wages. If managed badly the working class could easily revolt and cause untold problems for the government so the authorities began to pay ever more attention to the growing voice of the working class. Both regional and religious differences were perpetuated within the new German State meaning Germany at this time was not totally unified. Each region had its differences. These differences were normally minor in nature however some were greater than others were such as language or religion. The southern areas of Germany were Catholic and the Protestant members refused to totally collaborate with them. This led to political and social arguments that could not easily be resolved. The authorities had to watch how tensions rose and fell between both sides so as to avert any possible serious problems that may have arisen. At this time industrialists began to make demands for expansion within the navy and the founding of colonies. This would create even more trade because of a captive market that only German industry would be involved in. By obtaining naval contracts and supplying the colonies themselves a company could make a lot of profit. However at this time, countries such as Britain and France had taken all the colonies of worth. The only way Germany would gain such useful assets would be to take them by force from their custodians. This action could easily lead to war however and so called for a more aggressive foreign policy that in the future would contribute to Germany's involvement in world war one. In conclusion the social and economic changes had a massive effect on Germany. Germany began to change into a whole new place and towards the end of the period it also began to develop it's own identity. Although some problems arose none were too serious as to stop Germany becoming a great nation. The leadership Bismarck supplied enabled Germany to pass through troubled times with ease and differences began to become less of an issue as time went on. However it is ironic that while Bismarck suspected Catholics and Socialists of trying to destroy Germany, it was to be the demands of the industrialists and financiers that led to the downfall of his conservative system.