Sea-Cucumbers :: Personal Narrative Writing

Sea-Cucumbers I have always found sea-cucumbers to be strange. If you have ever been snorkeling, you may or may not have noticed these elongated vegetables on the sea floor. I suppose I shouldn’t call them vegetables though, because they are slightly more ‘cognizant’ than garden-variety greenery. Instead I have dubbed them ocean-turds, because honestly, they do look the great defecation of a marine mammoth. They are also well-shaped, perfectly cylindrical turds at that! I am rambling again. Forgive me. In eighth grade, my parents and I took a trip to Japan. My dad is a baseball scout, and instead of flying over solo to give the Kyoto Carps the once-over, he decided to make the scout into a family vacation. I was skeptical. I don’t like seafood, and here we are, going to a country that eats raw fish and that names its baseball teams after blunt-nosed marine life. The city itself seemed a bouleversement of day and night. Humanity’s great invention, the lightbulb, mocked with overwhelming voltage, density, and quantity nature’s celestial fireballs. Bulbs, the imitators, the pupils of fusion, now ridiculed night with flashes from across the spectrum. As we drove into Tokyo, I couldn’t believe that its citizens were able to sleep at night, what with such lambent pollution. But I was eager to walk the streets, to run into the shops that beckoned to me with signs for Sony and with gadgetry that inhabited the display windows. The hotel room had paper walls! As an American used to a room’s noiseless seclusion, I liked the idea that here, rooms were not meant to be space with a relentless fixation on privacy. I promptly made my mark. Restless after the long plane flight, I was bouncing off the walls when I literally poked an extremity through one. You can image my surprise at discovering such fragility. I am in the holy land of ninjas and samurai, and I have just punched my way through a wall. Awesome! I felt like ‘the kid’ from â€Å"Karate Kid.† All that was missing was the exotic, ruminative twang and non-western modality of Asian music. Of course, my ninjas-and-gadgets glorification of the place was, alas, not meant to be. My fun and games had to be extinguished; a foot had to be put down and that foot was Japan’s ooey-gooey cuisine. My dad was interested in one of the Carp’s players, and as was customary, the team’s owner felt a strong sense of duty to take us out for a traditional Japanese dinner, so that the two of them could discuss arrangements for the trade.

Ethics Game Simulation †Essay Essay

The ethics simulation game is designed to teach us how to make ethical decisions especially when the company is facing challenging times. Making ethical decisions is not an easy task when ones decision will possibly have a great impact on each of the company’s stakeholder, whether they are shareholders or customers, in different ways. In this simulation, the company in focus is G-BioSport which specializes in sports nutrition and supplements sells. This company has so many great core values but the one that really stood out for me was the Customer Focus one, which says that â€Å"We keep our customers in mind during all our actions†. As I went through this simulation as the Quality Manager of G-BioSport, I kept this core value and the standards designed in company’s Code of Ethics as listed in the Quality Management Internal vs. External Standards, in the forefront of my decision making. The first decision that had to be made was about a product already on the ma rket that was contaminated; however, it only put a small percentage of users at a low risk. The question at hand is whether to warn and what information to provide to consumers about the contaminant? Should we publish information broadly about increased risk for specific groups, offer to replace tainted products or refund purchase price? Before making these decisions one had to go through four different lenses and steps of the critical decision making process. These lenses included the Rights and Responsibility lens, the Results lens, the Relationship lens, and the Reputation lens. After narrowing the possibilities down to two solutions using the Rights and Responsibilities Lens, the choice was made to disseminate information about on increased risk and allow consumers to make informed choices. Since this particular product complied with FDA standards, I did not see any reason to recall the product from the market. I also examined how this decision would impact each stakeholder of the company from the shareholders, company Chief Executive to the customers. As I indicated  in my memo to Carson Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, urging him to consider how each of us would like to b e treated in a similar situation and to allow our consumers to make informed choice. By providing information that allowed them to make informed choices, G-Bio Sport had fulfilled its duties and treated all consumers equally, and valued their autonomy. While there might be negative publicity risks involved by disclosing about product containment and can impact company’s bottom line, I believe that our duty to our customers must come first in this situation to continue maintaining public’s trust in our products. G-BioSport knew that giving out this information will not affect the majority of consumers, but we believe the need to be sensitive to those who will be affected, was very important. On a scale of 0 to 5, from low to high risk, my decision rated a 1 and decision quality was rated as â€Å"best†. This decision represented very low risk. Once the product had been sold to consumers, there is no way to entirely eliminate the possibility of a lawsuit. The goal at this point is to reduce the risk. Giving consumers information upon which to base informed choices about continued use of the product reduces both the risk of a lawsuit and the risk of adverse publicity. The second case addressed is whether to sell a product that does not meet U.S. safety requirements in a foreign market that has lower safety restrictions. Due to the recent FDA Regulations Changes, our products affected by the GBS-F contaminant no longer meet official standards which meant that we might need to recall these products in the U.S. However, based on Paul Marconi’s international Market Analysis, we might have an opportunity to expand our sales in overseas. It turns out, standards for food and drug product vary widely from country to country in ways that provide some opportunities as well as challenges. In many places, the products can still be sold legally and safely. I decided distribution of our product at overseas as a viable option rather than disposal. Given the extremely low level of risk for the vast majority of users, I suggested exploring other countries where the standards will allow us to sell these products legally and in a safe manner. As long as we disclose all the possible risks to our international customers, they can make an informed decision based on that. The focus of this decision making process w as guaranteeing basic liberties for the consumers. By using Relationships Lens and Reputation Lens, I decided to honor other countries’ rights to set  safety standards for their own citizens and sell the product where foreign regulations permit. On a scale of 0 to 5, from low to high risk, my decision rated a 1 and decision quality was rated as â€Å"best†. It represented very low risk for the company. Doing business entails risk. So long as the company sells the product at all, there is some risk of liability, even with a product that meets internal and external safety standards. Although an increasing number of countries have products liability laws to protect citizens, the rest of the world is still far less rigid than the U.S. Providing a warning label would likely reduce one’s risk of liability without increasing costs or reducing potential sales significantly. This decision making process through the simulation was very helpful for me. From evaluating the level of impact on the stakeholders to using different lenses and being clear of my role in the process taught me how to make ethical decisions. As Operations Manager for a non profit, I can use this process when I am making decisions about health and sa fety standards for our child care facilities and all the other aspects of my job.

HIV and AIDS The Epidemic Essay example - 1640 Words

HIV and AIDS have affected millions of people throughout the world. Since 1981, there have been 25 million deaths due to AIDS involving men, women, and children. Presently there are 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS around the world and two million die each year from AIDS related illnesses. The Center for Disease Control estimates that one-third of the one million Americans living with HIV are not aware that they have it. The earliest known case of HIV was in 1959. It was discovered in a blood sample from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Looking further into the genetics of this blood sample researchers suggested that it had originated from a virus going back to the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. In 1999,†¦show more content†¦Primary HIV infection is the first stage and only lasts for a few weeks. Flu-like illnesses may be present during this stage. The second stage is known as clinically asymptomatic stage and typically lasts for an average of ten years. Although major symptoms might not exist during this stage, the HIV-positive person may experience swollen glands. Symptomatic HIV infection is the third stage. As the immune system continues to fail, symptoms surface and become miniscule at first then later leading to more prevalent symptoms. This third stage is generally caused by illnesses, involving cancers and infections, which the immune system would normally fight off but is not able to because the immune system is too weak. Finally, AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, develops and is the final stage of HIV. A person is diagnosed with AIDS when they show the symptom called an opportunistic infection. This is when infections take advantage of the weakened immune system. HIV leads into life threatening AIDS and causes the infected individual to feel escalating amounts of pain such as neurotic pain, tremendous headaches, gastrointestinal pain, chest pain, and even emotional pain such as depression. Th is pain can be intense enough to cease the individual from living a productively normal life. HIV and AIDS can strike anyone at any point in their life and should be taken seriously. Contracting HIV does not depend on where you live, your race, or your sexual preference; it hasShow MoreRelatedThe Epidemic Of Hiv And Aids1535 Words   |  7 Pagespopulation include providing access to health care, HIV testing and syringe services programs. The Office of HIV Planning in Philadelphia focuses on the needs of the population, conducts community outreaches and educational sessions. As previously stated, 32 state Medicaid programs reimburse for routine HIV screening of adults aged 15-65 years, regardless of risk. This policy allows for individuals to more likely participate in this screening process. HIV testing can be done through health care professionalsRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Hiv / Aids1306 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the most known and feared viruses in the world today is HIV/AI DS. To fully understand on why HIV/AIDS is so deadly, we need to first understand and breakdown on what this virus exactly is. HIV is an acronym that stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Human means that only humans can be infected by this virus. Immunodeficiency means that this virus attacks and weakens your immune system to the point where your immune system can no longer protect your body. Virus means that it can onlyRead MoreThe Hiv / Aids Epidemic1650 Words   |  7 PagesThe HIV/AIDS epidemic poses a major concern for global health. There are approximately 36.7 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide (WHO, 2017). Due to the increased phenomenon of global migration and movement we see a proportion of individuals who are HIV positive migrating. In Canada alone, over 300,000 new immigrants were welcomed into the country in 2016 (CIC; Globe And Mail, 2016). As a result we can infer that certain proportion out of all immigration applicants into Canada were HIV positiveRead MoreThe Hiv / Aids Epidemic1848 Words   |  8 Pagesreduce its high rates of HIV/AIDS prevalence in the face of low socioeconomic development and declining Gross National Income (GNI) per capita because its existing NGO-based system for HIV/AIDS prevention was scaled up through international technical and financial assistance. The two leading NGOs in this effort, Haitian Gro up for the Study of Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections (GHESKIO) and Partners in Health (PIH), were created at the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s, butRead MoreThe Hiv / Aids Epidemic1072 Words   |  5 Pagesagainst HIV/AIDS (Country and Lending Groups, n.d.). They have one of the highest prevalence rates of HIV/AIDS in the world at 19.1%, and the incidence of new cases is increasing steadily (Milan, 2014; CIA, n.d.). To combat this growing problem President Jacob Zuma launched the largest HIV Counseling and Testing campaign in the world in April 2010 (â€Å"Global AIDS†, 2012). In the same year, the country also achieved a significant reduction in the price of antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) (â€Å"Global AIDS†, 2012)Read MoreThe Hiv / Aids Epidemic2082 Words   |  9 Pages The United States has been fixated on its mission to abolish the sex industry since the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. George W. Bush and Congr ess created the United States Leadership against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 with the intention of funding beneficial programs furthering the research and accessibility of HIV/AIDS treatment. (Middleberg, 2006). The beneficiaries of this funding must show their opposition towards prostitution and sex trafficking in orderRead MoreThe Hiv / Aids Epidemic3453 Words   |  14 PagesGlobally, there is good news. In 2011 the World Health Organization (WHO) claimed that the HIV/AIDs epidemic was declining in their â€Å"Global HIV/AIDS Response† progress report (Progress Report 2011). Each continent and region, however, showed different changes in their rates of HIV/AIDS (Progress Report 2011). In North America, and specifically in the United States, the incidence of HIV has been constant for the past several years (Progress Report 2011). Despite the stability of this disease,Read MoreThe Epidemic Of Hiv / Aids2413 Words   |  10 Pagesworld issues. In 198 0, news papers, highlighted the onset of an epidemic, one that would create fear, isolation, bias and discrimination. The HIV virus took the public by disbelief, one of the main tribulations with HIV disease was that there was no concrete evidence that determined its transmission. Many Semantic variations such as gay mans disease created biases and discrimination toward this population (CITE). The onset of HIV/AIDS virus also created a devastating impact on healthcare professionalsRead MoreHiv / Aids Epidemic : A Huge Epidemic1314 Words   |  6 PagesHIV/Aids Epidemic HIV/AIDs is a huge epidemic still plaguing society today. The lack of knowledge and technical advances has caused an increasing number of cases. It has made its way around the world since the 1940s, causing countries to join together in the fight against AIDs. With all the campaigning that has been done the numbers of cases continue to rise. Countries have separated the disease into three patterns to make it easier to distinguish the effects that AIDs has on different regions ofRead MoreShould The Hiv / Aids Epidemic?918 Words   |  4 PagesShould the HIV/AIDs epidemic in Africa be described as a feminist issue? With higher transmission rates concentrated among African women, and the vast majority of new mother-child transmissions occurring within African countries, HIV seemingly fits into the scope of feminist concerns. As described in Oppong and Kalipeni’s contribution to Kalipeni, et.al.’s HIV AIDS in African: Beyond Epidemiology, the consistent classifying of th e HIV/AIDS epidemic as being the direct result of distinct African