How to Wake Up Feeling Motivated

How to Wake Up Feeling Motivated Weve all been there. The alarm goes off in the morning and we groggily feel around the nightstand in search of the alarms snooze button to snag a few more minutes of those precious Zzs. However, repeatedly hitting that snooze button isnt always the best way to start the day. In fact, research has shown that some of the most successful people in the world have found a secret that has helped them achieve greatness. What is it? A great morning routine. Thats right, what you do in the morning can set the tone for the rest of your day. Check out these tips for building an effective morning routine - one that you may actually stick with! 1. Prepare the Night Before Believe it or not, when it comes to tips on how to wake up, the best morning routine will actually depend on what you do the night before. Before you crawl under the covers and get cozy, take the time to review your day and plan out your morning. Write down any details of ongoing projects or problems that may be troubling you that could affect your ability to get a good nights sleep. Writing down your worries can help you relax, knowing that you can tackle them another time. You can also take the time to write down a list of things you know you have to do the next day, which can drive your productivity both in the morning and throughout the rest of the day, too. Figure out what you need to take with you to school or work, or wherever youre going the next day, and pack up your bag or prepare your lunch so you can grab and go. Lay out your clothes so you know what to put on to leave the house. All these steps will ease your mind at night and make your morning smooth and simple. 2.  Get a Good Nights Sleep How to wake up feeling refreshed and developing an effective morning routine is reliant on you being well rested and ready to go. Research has shown that for many adults, getting 7-8 hours of sleep is ideal, though everyone differs. Find out what your sweet spot is and aim to log that many hours of shut eye each and every night. Make sure your room is quiet; use a noise canceling machine, white noise app on your phone, or even just a fan to block out the noises around your home. Make sure there arent any bright lights that could affect your ability to sleep, either. Our bodies are biologically programmed to sleep when its dark out; if your room isnt dark enough, you might consider getting room darkening drapes or wearing an eye mask so your body can rest better. 3. Dont Hit the Snooze Button Many of us hit that snooze button until the last possible second and then race through getting ready as fast as possible. However, waking up when the alarm goes off the first time can actually be a great way to get your body up and running. There are alarms that fly or roll away when they go off, requiring you to get up out of bed to turn them off. Once youre up, stay up! Your body wont really benefit from capturing a few more minutes of rest. 4. How to Wake up Early Set your alarm for earlier in the morning than you might normally set it. This way, you give yourself time to get ready for the day, and you can fit in the activity that you plan on doing. Not giving yourself enough time to accomplish your morning goals, make and eat breakfast, and complete your entire routine is a recipe for disaster. Not to mention that rushing to get out the door is only going to give you a stressful start to your day. So, be sure to get up early enough to fit in everything you want to do, with time to spare. You might even be able to sneak in an extra cup of coffee (after youve had some water to hydrate)! 5. Set an Agenda with an Activity for the Morning Have a plan for what you want to do in the morning, and stick to it. Whether your goal is to get up and read an article or book for educational or inspirational purposes, check your email to see what youre facing for the day, do some chores, exercise, or even play a game, having an objective to complete is a great way to get your body and mind motivated. Tackle that crossword in the newspaper, cook up a healthy and gourmet breakfast, or engage in a creative or physical activity to rev your internal engines and get ready for the day. Get out and run a mile, bike to get your morning smoothie, or take your dog for an extra long walk. No matter what physical activity you choose, this can be a great way to get your blood flowing and heart pumping, energizing you for the day. Plus, exercise is a healthy part of your daily routine in general, improving your quality of life in many ways, from strength and agility to mental clarity. 6. Hydrate When You Wake Youve just gone approximately eight hours without eating or drinking, so your body could use a pick me up. Dont rush for that cup of coffee just yet, though. Many experts suggest that you might try drinking some water to jump start your metabolism first. Starting with water in the morning will even help you make progress in getting your daily servings of H20, so you stay hydrated all day long. 7. Take Time to Meditate and Reflect Many people find that taking 10-15 minutes in the morning to meditate and reflect helps them start the day peacefully. Relaxing, letting the worries of the day go, and focusing on the positives in your life can help you feel uplifted and inspired to take on even the most challenging day. 8. Call a Loved One Starting your morning by connecting with a beloved family member or best friend can be a great way to energize yourself and set a positive tone for the day. It can help you connect with friends and family who live far away (check your time zones, though!) and remind you of what youre thankful for in life.

Nietzsches Concept of the Will to Power

Nietzsche's Concept of the Will to Power The â€Å"will to power† is a central concept in the philosophy of 19th-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. It is best understood as an irrational force, found in all individuals, that can be channeled toward different ends. Nietzsche explored the idea of the will to power throughout his career, categorizing it at various points as a psychological, biological, or metaphysical principle. For this reason, the will to power is also one of Nietzsches most misunderstood ideas. Origins of the Idea In his early twenties, Nietzsche read The World as Will and Representation by Arthur Schopenhauer and fell under its spell. Schopenhauer offered a deeply pessimistic vision of life, and at the heart of it was his idea that a blind, ceaselessly striving, irrational force he called â€Å"Will† constituted the dynamic essence of the world. This cosmic Will manifests or expresses itself through each individual in the form of the sexual drive and the â€Å"will to life† that can be seen throughout nature. It is the source of much misery since it is essentially insatiable. The best thing one can do to reduce one’s suffering is to find ways to calm it. This is one of the functions of art. In his first book, The Birth of Tragedy, Nietzsche posits what he calls a â€Å"Dionysian† impulse as the source of Greek tragedy. Like Schopenhauer’s Will, it is an irrational force that surges up from dark origins, and it expresses itself in wild drunken frenzies, sexual abandon, and festivals of cruelty. His later notion of the will to power is significantly different, but it retains something of this idea of a deep, pre-rational, unconscious force that can be harnessed and transformed in order to create something beautiful. The Will to Power as a Psychological Principle In early works like Human, All Too Human and Daybreak, Nietzsche devotes much of his attention to psychology. He doesn’t talk explicitly about a â€Å"will to power,† but time and again he explains aspects of human behavior in terms of a desire for domination or mastery over others, oneself, or the environment. In The Gay Science he begins to be more explicit, and in Thus Spoke Zarathustra he begins to use the expression â€Å"will to power.† People unacquainted with Nietzsche’s writings may be inclined to interpret the idea of the will to power rather crudely. But Nietzsche is not thinking only or even primarily of the motivations behind people like Napoleon or Hitler who expressly seek military and political power. In fact, he typically applies the theory quite subtly. For instance, Aphorism 13 of The Gay Science is entitled â€Å"The Theory of the Sense of Power.† Here Nietzsche argues that we exercise power over other people both by benefiting them and by hurting them. When we hurt them we make them feel our power in a crude way- and also a dangerous way, since they may seek to revenge themselves. Making someone indebted to us is usually a preferable way to feel a sense of our power; we also thereby extend our power, since those we benefit see the advantage of being on our side. Nietzsche, in fact, argues that causing pain is generally less pleasant than showing kindness and even suggests that cruelty, because it is the inferior option, is a sign that one lacks power. Nietzsche’s Value Judgments The will to power as Nietzsche conceives of it is neither good nor bad. It is a basic drive found in everyone, but one that expresses itself in many different ways. The philosopher and the scientist direct their will to power into a will to truth. Artists channel it into a will to create. Businessmen satisfy it through becoming rich. In On the Genealogy of Morals, Nietzsche contrasts â€Å"master morality† and â€Å"slave morality,† but traces both back to the will to power. Creating tables of values, imposing them on people, and judging the world according to them, is one noteworthy expression of the will to power. And this idea underlies Nietzsche attempt to understand and evaluate moral systems. The strong, healthy, masterly types confidently impose their values on the world directly. The weak, by contrast, seek to impose their values in a more cunning, roundabout way, by making the strong feel guilty about their health, strength, egotism, and pride. So while the will to power in itself is neither good nor bad, Nietzsche very clearly prefers some ways in which it expresses itself to others. He doesn’t advocate the pursuit of power. Rather, he praises the sublimation of the will to power into creative activity. Roughly speaking, he praises those expressions of it he views as creative, beautiful, and life-affirming, and he criticizes expressions of the will to power that he sees as ugly or born of weakness. One particular form of the will to power that Nietzsche devotes much attention to is what he calls â€Å"self-overcoming.† Here the will to power is harnessed and directed toward self-mastery and self-transformation, guided by the principle that â€Å"your real self lies not deep within you but high above you.† Charles Darwin.   Historical Picture Archive/Getty Images Nietzsche and Darwin In the 1880s Nietzsche read and seems to have been influenced by several German theorists who criticized Darwin’s account of how evolution occurs. In several places he contrasts the will to power with the â€Å"will to survive,† which he seems to think is the basis of Darwinism. In fact, though, Darwin does not posit a will to survive. Rather, he explains how species evolve due to natural selection in the struggle to survive. The Will to Power as a Biological Principle At times Nietzsche seems to posit the will to power as more than just a principle that yields insight into the deep psychological motivations of human beings. For instance, in Thus Spoke Zarathustra he has Zarathustra say: â€Å"Wherever I found a living thing, I found there the will to power.† Here the will to power is applied to the biological realm. And in a fairly straightforward sense, one might understand a simple event such as a big fish eating a little fish as a form of the will to power; the big fish demonstrates mastery of its environment by assimilating part of the environment into itself. The Will to Power as a Metaphysical Principle Nietzsche contemplated writing a book entitled â€Å"The Will to Power† but never published a book under this name. After his death, however, his sister Elizabeth published a collection of his unpublished notes, organized and edited by herself, entitled The Will to Power. Some sections of this book make it clear that Nietzsche took seriously the idea that the will to power might be a fundamental principle operating throughout the cosmos. Section 1067, the last section of the book, sums up Nietzsche’s way of thinking about the world as â€Å"a monster of energy, without beginning, without end...my Dionysian world of the eternally self-creating, the eternally self-destroying†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It concludes: â€Å"Do you want a name for this world? A solution for all its riddles?  A light for you, too, you best-concealed, strongest, most intrepid, most midnightly men?––This world is the will to power––and nothing besides!  And you yourselves are also this will to power––and nothing besides!†

Organisation and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organisation and Management - Essay Example Now the imperative point to understand here is the fact that learning can not only be at the highest level, rather the knowledge management can even take place at the middle cadre and the special trainings help at doing their best as far as the lower level management is concerned. An organization which can learn can understand what are its responsibilities with regards to the society, the environment, its stakeholders and customers, its functions and different processes which have to be looked down up at with a legal and ethical perspective. This means that the organization emancipates its working methodologies in line with its already set values and moral principles. Moreover, it knows what are its obligations and compulsions towards all the above-mentioned. The organization is always willing and eager to learn from its mistakes, ready to bring in newer and fresh processes within its folds and always encouraging its stakeholders and employees to invest more money and time, respectively. Managing an organization is also an important function which comes under the learning principles. It has case studies and best case scenarios to look up to whenever there is a problem or trouble at hand and it knows who the right person is to contact whenever there is some discrepancy within the system. Add to that the organization tries to keep its contacts, no matter in which capacity they are, at a maximal point and always keeps on increasing so as to become a socially active player within the relevant industry. The management aspect also stems from the fact that its knowledge base is intact and knows what is required of it. This knowledge base has the role of continuously improving the systems and working methodologies. It also has the best available middle management employees who know the technical basis of running the organization and whose potential can largely benefit the sound workings of the company. Thus it is very

Dutchtown High School Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Dutchtown High School - Research Paper Example There are a number of classes that are offered at Dutchtown middle school even though all the students are encouraged to take the entire four major lessons, which are science social studies, math, and English. The school also provides an opportunity to get into an in-state university. The schools motto is to provide an environment of excellence where all students can become lifelong learners and productive citizens. In addition, the school also offers courses in United States history, studio art 2d-design, biology, computer science, art history, calculus Ab & Bc, chemistry, English language and composition , politics, studio art drawing, US government, English literature, world history, European history and physics. The state of Louisiana has an enrollment of 703,309 students while the attendance rate for the year 2010-2011 was 94.8% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). However, the in-school suspension rate for the year 2010-2011 was 9.6% while the percentage of classes taught by highly qual ified teachers for the same year was 88.8%. The expenditure per student was $10,622. The state ranked in a grade of 91.8 in 2010, which is a 2 star ranking and 93.3 in 2011, which is a grade C ranking (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). ... n.  However, the area where the school is located is vulnerable to hurricanes and the tropical systems since the area is lowly elevated, and has a close location to the coast of southeast Louisiana. The town lies 23 feet above the sea level, which is slightly lower than most areas of United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Geismar in turn is located in Louisiana, a state found in the US, which is found in the southern region. The state of Louisiana is among the most extensive and populous states of the United States. This has contributed greatly in shaping the demographics patterns of Ducthtown High School in that the school boasts of a large population of students and teachers. The average ratio of students to teacher is 25:1, which is actually a moderate ratio. The capitals of Louisiana are found in Baton Rouge whereas the largest city in that state is New Orleans. One interesting political fact is that the state of New Orleans is the only state in the US whereby the three are political subdivisions known as parishes. Dutchtown High School is located in Ascension Parish. These parishes are the equivalents of counties in many other US states (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Ethnically, the state of Louisiana’s urban environments is a multi-cultural environment and multi-lingual surroundings. The states heritage is by far shaped and influenced by the admixture of 18th century,  Native American, African,  and Spanish cultures. Cultures and ethnicity are considered exceptional in the US statistics, which have also played a major role in shaping the schools ethnicity and cultural heritage. This multi cultures were contributed largely by the colonial history of this state whereby the French and the Spanish colonized it way before the British took over colonizing America.

Overcoming Resistance to Change Essay Example for Free

Overcoming Resistance to Change Essay Overcoming Resistance Resistance is a normal and a perfectly natural reaction to change. Each person has their own amount they can take, but the reasons behind why employees resist in the first place may be surprising. According to these experts, the fear of moving into an unknown future state creates anxiety and stress, even if the current state is painful (Eroke, 2013). A complete understanding of the unique ways that resistance can be apparent is still needed because resistance to change has been acknowledged as an organizational difficulty for many years. If and when employees react to change in different ways, and if discrepancies in response result in different outcomes, identification of those expressions of resistance is a necessary step in the growth and execution of valuable change management strategies. After summarizing internal and external factors contributing to resistance to change, we will look at an example of this, identify the cause and develop a plan to overcome resistance. Internal and External Factors Contributing to Resistance to Change While internal and external factors certainly add to change responses, individuals can react more negatively to change than do others, regardless of the type of change. Individuals oppose beginning and completing self changing efforts, even when change is enviable or necessary. The interactions of these factors suggest inconsistency in individual behaviors, such that indefinite situations are most likely to bring to mind articulated perceptions, beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes. W hile global personality tests are probably not helpful in answering specific questions; an evaluation of outcome dispositions may capitulate greater projecting capability. There is little proof that points to individual disparities inclination to resist change. Conflict is stirred up by a variety of factors that include the environment, personalities; prejudices, appearances, etc. However, the inquiry of which individuals take action in what way, to which change situations, has not been sufficiently answered. The materializations of â€Å"resistance responses† within people and situations must be comprehended to allow management the opportunity to decide which plan can efficiently lessen resistance and if diverse strategies increase or decrease responses. An objective in the study of resistance is to identify individual responses to assist in forecasting probable variables. The more acquainted you are with your staff, the easier it will be to identify, assess, monitor, maintain, and execute change when needed. Example of Resistance to Change Based on Internal and External Factors At times employees felt they were being required to do more with less, or do more for the same pay which when this is the case, there is a huge resistance. Very rarely do you find good people that will go above and beyond for someone else or their company. In the restaurant business there are always tasks that need attention. There was a saying at one job â€Å"if you have time to lean, you have time to clean†. It is not all about serving food to guests and getting tipped for it. When someone does not show up for their shift, then that persons responsibilities are divided out amongst everyone. And when one of them is being asked to do side work that is not theirs, while getting paid such a low wage, there is not a positive reaction to say the least. As a waitress or server at most places, you only make 2-3 dollars an hour so when restaurant is slow and they do not make enough money to barely earn over minim um wage, it is extremely challenging to motivate them into doing manual labor for that amount of pay. Specifically, the most recent restaurant I managed, I relied heavily on the breakfast buffet and maintaining it during business hours as well as when we were closed. This buffet was important because most of the VIP rewards members only came for breakfast and their impression of the appearance, temperatures, and quality are being evaluated to possibly be turned in on comment card to corporate. Once this survey is completed online, these scores are then developed into a daily, monthly, and annual report that rates us on each department separately. A bad score decreases the points as a whole, makes the entire team look bad to corporate, and bad reviews can be seen by anyone, which can keep business from coming in and that will drop revenue. For some reason, we were not capable of securing this position longer than a few weeks which then it was being taken care of by any of the staff or management if they had a minute to help stock or clean it. This obviously is not going to be consistent for guests, appears disorganized or short staffed, and is a dangerous health hazard if someone is not taking temps every thirty minutes. Every single time someone did not show up to set up buffet, the staff and management jumped in to help, but it was like pulling teeth to get anyone to step in and do this job. Out of pure self interest each one of them would voice their opinion about how they do not make enough to do someone else’s job and it was not their job or they did not sign up for this. Resistance is an inevitable response to any major change. Individuals naturally rush to defend the status quo if they feel their security or status is threatened (Bolognese, 2002). I understand it is not their faults that it kept getting abandoned, but I also know how to be reasonable and work as a team. Most people are uncomfortable with change and will resist without giving much thought. Aside from self interest, Baack (2012) says, â€Å"differing assessments of the need for change occur whenemployees do not view a change as necessary, because managers and employees do not see eye to eye on the nature of the issue. Th ose with a low tolerance for change also tend to be resistant. It was challenging for everyone involved because most of them did not understand the nature or reason behind just doing what is asked of you regardless of how it may or may not affect you. The few that had been there many years were the first to help, but also the first to resist. They were all for customer service, pride in their company, and covering for someone as long as they were getting the credit. There were only a couple of employees who were willing to help, go out of their way, without expecting anything in return and those are the ones that were rewarded. Cause of Resistance Resistance will come in many dissimilar shapes and sizes, depending on your precise need. The cause for resistance can come from a variety of reasons, but the main cause behind this particular resistance was this position was not paid enough for the responsibilities that came with the position. Also, the labor involved was far more extensive than any other position in that department. Perhaps some other another reason may be because the buffet person was the low man on the totem pole, all by his lonesome, and getting stiffed by his or her own coworkers. This position was separated as far as opening and closing duties and had many items that contributed to the set up and break down which were placed in other parts of restaurant. The buffet person was usually not the person that â€Å"fit in† and almost always within a short period of time, they would request to be moved or they would find a different company to work for. Planned Approach for Overcoming Resistance Costs of training, risky score-cards, high turnover, unhappy guests and employees are enough of a reason to act on changing the way things have been failing. Upper management can determine who would be the best at changing this situation and making it a positive one that they can lead. Someone has to stand up and be responsible for holding people and themselves accountable and for this change to take place. Address the issue, acknowledge the conflict to employees and thank them for taking on extra work, but also engage with them in brainstorming to see if they may have something creative or valuable to assist in conquering the resistance. Once a new reasonable rate of pay has been distinguished, then a new set of responsibilities can be developed and split with the kitchen. There needs to be some way to mingle the two departments, which are separated by a line, so that this position is â€Å"included† with everyone else. Also, provide gift cards or free meals for adapting to c hange and moving forward during process. Set a goal for ninety days out to reevaluate, make transitions or changes and explain how the pieces fit together as a whole. Additional areas of resistance may surface so it is vital to recognize probable resistance points, as your development execution progresses. No matter which approach is used, managers should remember that change is often an unsettling process (Baack, 2012). Obtaining the preferred information to improve employees understanding of the organizations need for change is also one of the most significant steps in flourishing resistance management. A serious contemplation concerning the customization of your resistance management activities is relied upon the size of the change and the characteristics of the organization. When resistance has resulted in productivity loss and exhausted time and resources, it can be intimidating for the staff to rely solely on reactive procedures. Once the new changes have been implemented, closely maintained

Behavior Modification Methods in School Essay -- Positive Interdepende

Education in the United States is a continuous source of controversy. How should the generations be taught? This is an extremely important and in depth issue that has many levels. Each level has its own disagreements. One particular level of education that has been researched is whether or not behavioral methods are effective enough to be used in the classroom to improve academic performance. As can be seen in the data included here, there are many forms of positive reinforcement contingencies that can be presented in the classroom. These may include social rewards, like acceptance and encouragement from peers, tangible rewards, like the token economy, or internally motivating rewards, like having a sense of self-efficacy and feeling confident and proud of a particular accomplishment. The studies included here investigate cooperative learning strategies and how behavioral methods relate to academic performance that way, the use of rewards for good or improved performance, and then f inally how the removal of a punishing aspect of the classroom environment, like a teacher’s criticism can possibly improve academic performance. Cooperative learning is one process that includes behavioral methods. A reward structure is included in cooperative learning technology. Rewards can include grades, teacher approval, or physical rewards. In order for a reward structure to be effective, the rewards must be presented to the student quickly after the desired behavior has occurred. What makes this type of reward structure particular to cooperative learning styles is that rewards are given based on how well a group has learned something as a whole. Each person in the group gets rewarded if and only if each individual person has learned the material sufficiently. A second facet of cooperative learning includes positive goal interdependence and positive reward interdependence (Mesch, Johnson, & Johnson, 1987). Positive goal interdependence is when students perceive that they can achieve their goals if and only if the other students with whom they are cooperatively linked achieve their goals. Whereas, positive reward interdependence exists when each member of a cooperative learning group receives the same reward for successfully completing a joint task (Mesch, Johnson, & Johnson, 1987). Mesch, Johnson, and Johnson (1987) state that on the positive goal interdependence ... ...76). Controlling personal rewards: Professional teachers’ differential   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  use of feedback and the effects of feedback on the student’s motivation to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  perform. Journal of Educational Psychology, 69(4), 419-427. Harris, A. M., & Covington, M. V. (1993). The role of cooperative reward   interdependency in success and failure. Journal of Experimental Education, 61(2), 151-168. Leventhal, G. S., & Whiteside, H. D. (1973). Equity and the use of reward to elicit high performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 25(1), 75-83. Lew, M., Mesch, D., Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. (1986). Positive interdependence,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Academic and collaborative-skills group contingencies, and isolated students.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American Educational Research Journal, 23(3), 476-488. Mesch, D., Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. (1987). Impact of positive interdependence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and academic group contingencies on achievement. The Journal of Social   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Psychology, 128(3), 345-352. Rickard, H. C., Clements, C. B., & Willis, J. W. (1970). Effects of contingent   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and noncontingent token reinforcement upon classroom performance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Psychological Reports, 27(3), 903-908.

Deception Point Page 57

â€Å"Where†¦ are we?† Rachel managed, the simple act of trying to speak bringing on a crashing headache. The man massaging her replied, â€Å"You're on the medical deck of a Los Angeles class-â€Å" â€Å"On deck!† someone called out. Rachel sensed a sudden commotion all around her, and she tried to sit up. One of the men in blue helped, propping her up, and pulling the blankets up around her. Rachel rubbed her eyes and saw someone striding into the room. The newcomer was a powerful African-American man. Handsome and authoritative. His uniform was khaki. â€Å"At ease,† he declared, moving toward Rachel, stopping over her and gazing down at her with strong black eyes. â€Å"Harold Brown,† he said, his voice deep and commanding. â€Å"Captain of the U.S.S. Charlotte. And you are?† U.S.S. Charlotte, Rachel thought. The name seemed vaguely familiar. â€Å"Sexton†¦,† she replied. â€Å"I'm Rachel Sexton.† The man looked puzzled. He stepped closer, studying her more carefully. â€Å"I'll be damned. So you are.† Rachel felt lost. He knows me? Rachel was certain she did not recognize the man, although as her eyes dropped from his face to the patch on his chest, she saw the familiar emblem of an eagle clutching an anchor surrounded by the words U.S. NAVY. It now registered why she knew the name Charlotte. â€Å"Welcome aboard, Ms. Sexton,† the captain said. â€Å"You've gisted a number of this ship's recon reports. I know who you are.† â€Å"But what are you doing in these waters?† she stammered. His face hardened somewhat. â€Å"Frankly, Ms. Sexton, I was about to ask you the same question.† Tolland sat up slowly now, opening his mouth to speak. Rachel silenced him with a firm shake of her head. Not here. Not now. She had no doubt the first thing Tolland and Corky would want to talk about was the meteorite and the attack, but this was certainly not a topic to discuss in front of a Navy submarine crew. In the world of intelligence, regardless of crisis, CLEARANCE remained king; the meteorite situation remained highly classified. â€Å"I need to speak to NRO director William Pickering,† she told the captain. â€Å"In private, and immediately.† The captain arched his eyebrows, apparently unaccustomed to taking orders on his own ship. â€Å"I have classified information I need to share.† The captain studied her a long moment. â€Å"Let's get your body temperature back, and then I'll put you in contact with the NRO director.† â€Å"It's urgent, sir. I-† Rachel stopped short. Her eyes had just seen a clock on the wall over the pharmaceutical closet. 19:51 HOURS. Rachel blinked, staring. â€Å"Is†¦ is that clock right?† â€Å"You're on a navy vessel, ma'am. Our clocks are accurate.† â€Å"And is that†¦ Eastern time?† â€Å"7:51 P.M. Eastern Standard. We're out of Norfolk.† My God! she thought, stunned. It's only 7:51 P.M.? Rachel had the impression hours had passed since she passed out. It was not even past eight o'clock? The President has not yet gone public about the meteorite! I still have time to stop him! She immediately slid down off the bed, wrapping the blanket around her. Her legs felt shaky. â€Å"I need to speak to the President right away.† The captain looked confused. â€Å"The president of what?† â€Å"Of the United States!† â€Å"I thought you wanted William Pickering.† â€Å"I don't have time. I need the President.† The captain did not move, his huge frame blocking her way. â€Å"My understanding is that the President is about to give a very important live press conference. I doubt he's taking personal phone calls.† Rachel stood as straight as she could on her wobbly legs and fixed her eyes on the captain. â€Å"Sir, you do not have the clearance for me to explain the situation, but the President is about to make a terrible mistake. I have information he desperately needs to hear. Now. You need to trust me.† The captain stared at her a long moment. Frowning, he checked the clock again. â€Å"Nine minutes? I can't get you a secure connection to the White House in that short a time. All I could offer is a radiophone. Unsecured. And we'd have to go to antenna depth, which will take a few-â€Å" â€Å"Do it! Now!† 67 The White House telephone switchboard was located on the lower level of the East Wing. Three switchboard operators were always on duty. At the moment, only two were seated at the controls. The third operator was at a full sprint toward the Briefing Room. In her hand, she carried a cordless phone. She'd tried to patch the call through to the Oval Office, but the President was already en route to the press conference. She'd tried to call his aides on their cellulars, but before televised briefings, all cellular phones in and around the Briefing Room were turned off so as not to interrupt the proceedings. Running a cordless phone directly to the President at a time like this seemed questionable at best, and yet when the White House's NRO liaison called claiming she had emergency information that the President must get before going live, the operator had little doubt she needed to jump. The question now was whether she would get there in time. In a small medical office onboard the U.S.S. Charlotte, Rachel Sexton clutched a phone receiver to her ear and waited to talk to the President. Tolland and Corky sat nearby, still looking shaken. Corky had five stitches and a deep bruise on his cheekbone. All three of them had been helped into Thinsulate thermal underwear, heavy navy flight suits, oversized wool socks, and deck boots. With a hot cup of stale coffee in her hand, Rachel was starting to feel almost human again. â€Å"What's the holdup?† Tolland pressed. â€Å"It's seven fifty-six!† Rachel could not imagine. She had successfully reached one of the White House operators, explained who she was and that this was an emergency. The operator seemed sympathetic, had placed Rachel on hold, and was now, supposedly, making it her top priority to patch Rachel through to the President. Four minutes, Rachel thought. Hurry up! Closing her eyes, Rachel tried to gather her thoughts. It had been one hell of a day. I'm on a nuclear submarine, she said to herself, knowing she was damned lucky to be anywhere at all. According to the submarine captain, the Charlotte had been on a routine patrol in the Bering Sea two days ago and had picked up anomalous underwater sounds coming from the Milne Ice Shelf-drilling, jet noise, lots of encrypted radio traffic. They had been redirected and told to lie quietly and listen. An hour or so ago, they'd heard an explosion in the ice shelf and moved in to check it out. That was when they heard Rachel's SOS call. â€Å"Three minutes left!† Tolland sounded anxious now as he monitored the clock. Rachel was definitely getting nervous now. What was taking so long? Why hadn't the President taken her call? If Zach Herney went public with the data as it stood- Rachel forced the thought from her mind and shook the receiver. Pick up! As the White House operator dashed toward the stage entrance of the Briefing Room, she was met with a gathering throng of staff members. Everyone here was talking excitedly, making final preparations. She could see the President twenty yards away waiting at the entrance. The makeup people were still primping. â€Å"Coming through!† the operator said, trying to get through the crowd. â€Å"Call for the President. Excuse me. Coming through!† â€Å"Live in two minutes!† a media coordinator called out. Clutching the phone, the operator shoved her way toward the President. â€Å"Call for the President!† she panted. â€Å"Coming through!† A towering roadblock stepped into her path. Marjorie Tench. The senior adviser's long face grimaced down in disapproval. â€Å"What's going on?†

Botulism Is A Rare Gastrointestinal Infection Biology Essay

Botulism is a rare GI infection, it is a serious status caused by toxins from bacteriums called Clostridium Botulinum. Clostridium Botulinum are a species of anaerobiotic, Gram-positive, rod shaped bacteriums in the household Clostridiaceae that produces proteins with features neurotoxicity. The botulinus toxin is a powerful neurolysin that impairs nerve map, including those of the stop, taking to palsy. It is the etiologic agent of botulism in worlds, wild poultry, Equus caballuss and cowss. There are seven subtypes of these bacteriums, each bring forthing a different Botulinum Toxin. The being and its spores are widely distributed in nature. They can be found in dirt, deposits of watercourses and lakes, and in the enteric piece of lands of fish and mammals. Clostridium botulinus interferes with the presynaptic release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter found at neuromuscular junctions, autonomic ganglia, parasympathetic effecter junctions, and at many other sites in the CNS. Acetylcholine enables musculus contraction hence without it musculuss will non contract. The stop enables take a breathing hence without acetylcholine the infected animate being will decease of respiratory failure and asphyxia. Clinical characteristics include abdominal hurting, emesis, acute palsy, blurred vision, and double vision. There are eight types of botulism. They are: A, B, CI ± , CI? , D, E, F, and G. Out of the eight merely three of them are associated with human disease. They are A, B, E and F. A, and B are foodborne related potent strains. It was foremost recorded in Europe in 1735 and it was suspected of being associated with a German sausage, hence being named after the Latin word for sausage, â€Å" botulus † . Several states produced botulism toxins in the WWII as a possible bacteriological arm. They were said to hold trial sprayed over a subdivision of Canadian wilderness killing all animate beings within 6 hours but they were ne'er used in combat. The bacterium itself is non toxic when ingested and are normally consumed on fruits, veggies and seafood. The German doctor and poet Justinus Kerner foremost developed the thought of a possible curative usage of botulinus toxin. In 1870, another German doctor, Muller, coined the name botulism. In 1895, Professor Emile Van Ermengem, of Belgium, was the first to insulate the bacteria. In 1928, Dr Herman Sommer, at the University of California, was the first to insulate in purified signifier the toxin type A ( BoNT-A ) as a stable acid precipitate. Dr Edward J Schan tz succeeded in sublimating BoNT-A in crystalline form-cultured C blotulinum and isolated the toxin in 1946. In the 1950 ‘s, Dr Burgen ‘s ASV group discovered that blotulinum toxins blocks neuromuscular transmittal in 1949. Dr Vermon Brooks discovered that when BoNT-A is injected into a overactive musculus, it blocks the release of acetycholine from motor nervus terminations. Dr Alan B Scott, of Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute used BoNT-A in monkey experiments in 1973, and in 1980 he used if for the first clip in worlds to handle squint. The incubation period of botulism is 12-80 hours. It can be obtained through inspiration of toxin, ingestion of toxin or C botulinus spores, and taint of a tissue with toxin or C botulinus spores. Signs and symptoms have six presentations. The central marks include afebrile ( holding no febrility ) ; symmetrical neurological manisfestations ; normal mental position, though may look lethargic and have trouble with communicating ; normal to decelerate bosom rate without presence of hypotension ; and normal centripetal nervus map, other than vision. The early presentations include: cranial abnormalcies, weariness and dizziness, dual and bleary vision, and trouble get downing nutrient. The ulterior presentation include ; falling palsy, trouble traveling eyes and mild pupillary dilation, lingua failing, lessening joke physiological reaction, indistinct address, symmetrical falling progressive muscular failing particularly on weaponries and legs, utmost failing on postural cervix musculuss and occasional oral cavity external respiration, and irregularity. Ingestional presentation include: dry oral cavity and dysarthria, and sickness and emesis. Inhalational presentation include: mucous secretion in pharynx, and serous nasal discharge, salivation. Last the infant presentation include: inability to suck and get down, irregularity, weakened voice and floppy cervix. There are five chief sorts of botulism. They are foodborne botulism, wound botulism, infant botulism, adult enteric toxemia of pregnancy botulism, and iatrogenic botulism. Even though botulism bacteriums are common in nature, they can be killed by O. Thereof, the bacteriums signifier spores that protect them from the O. Once on an oxygen-free environment the spores activate. The most common manner to acquire botulism is from improperly canned nutrient. When the can is sealed it creates an oxygen-free environment suitable for the bacterium. If heated decently the spores dies but if non heated decently, the spores activate and the can is filled with toxin, botulismotoxin. Since botulismotoxin is a protein it can be denatured by heat, nevertheless canned nutrient is largely eaten cold botulism occurs. Affected persons have trouble swallowing or speech production, dry oral cavity, facial failing on both sides of the face, blurred or dual vision, saging palpebras, problem external respira tion, sickness, purging and abdominal spasms, and palsy. Babies usually obtain botulism from honey in a assortment of ways. When roll uping nectar from flowers, bees collect botulism spores and blend them into the honey. Most grownups can eat these spores without trouble since the bacteriums within the organic structure robust the immune system which eliminates the spores. Since babies still do non hold these bacterial defense mechanisms the spores come to life when they reach the intestine oxygen-free environment. While inside of the babe they produce toxin. This typically occurs between the ages of 2 and 6 months. Complications arise usually within 18 to 36 hours after the toxin enters the babe ‘s organic structure. Signs and symptoms include: irregularity, floppy motions due to muscle failing and problem commanding caput, weak call, crossness, salivating, saging palpebras, fatigue, trouble suction or eating, and palsy. Wound botulism is the consequence of lesions contaminated with C botulinus spores. It develops traumatic hurt that involves soil taint among injection drug users ( those who use black-tar diacetylmorphine ) and after a cesarean bringing. The lesion may look benign. The involved tissues which are traumatized and devitalized provide a perfect anaerobiotic medium for the C botulinus spores to shoot into vegetive beings and produce neurolysins. The symptoms normally appear 4 to 18 hours after an hurt occurs and are similar to food-borne botulism although GI symptoms may be absent. They include: trouble get downing or speech production, facial failing on both sides of the face, blurred or dual vision, saging palpebras, problem external respiration, and palsy. Adult enteric toxemia of pregnancy ( big enteric colonisation ) botulism is a really rare sort of botulism that occurs among grownups by the same path as infant botulism. The exact prevalence of AITB is unknown. To day of the month, about 20 instances have been reported. The disease affects grownups and older kids. Features include unknown beginning of toxin, presence of toxin in stool, and unnatural GI pathology ( e.g. , Billroth surgery, Crohn ‘s disease, and peptic ulcer disease ) or antimicrobic drug usage. Last, iatrogenic botulism can happen from inadvertent overdose of botulinus toxin. It has been noted really seldom after medical usage or abuse of the botulinus toxin. Injectable toxins are used to handle a scope of spastic and autonomic muscular upsets. These toxins are purified and extremely diluted. Toxin type A ( Botox ) is used in highly infinitesimal doses for the intervention of facial furrows and blepharospasm ( an unnatural contraction or vellication of the palpebra ) , cervical dystonia squint ( an chronic painful neurological upset characterized by loss of control over one or more parts of the organic structure ) , glabellar lines ( are the perpendicular lines on the human face and are seeable when a individual scowl ) , and primary alar hyperidrosis ( inordinate perspiration ) . Toxin type B ( Myobloc, Neurobloc ) is used to handle cervical dystonia. The diagnosing of this infection can be slippery because symptoms mimic those presented by other diseases. Sepsis ( whole organic structure redness ) is the most common initial diagnosing for infant botulism. Lab trials are used for unequivocal diagnosing. Analysis of blood, stool or puke for grounds of the toxin may assist in the verification of the infection. Treatment includes the usage of drugs, respiratory support, surgery, and stomachic lavage. Adults with botulism are treated with an antitoxin. The antitoxin is effectual against toxins types A, B and E and inactivates merely the toxin that is unattached to steel terminations. For babies, BIG ( botulism immune globulin ) is available neutralizing A, B, C, D, and E before they can even adhere to nervousnesss. Infant intervention normally involves respiratory support and tubing eating for hebdomads even months. Physical therapy is initiated one time the babe can take a breath unaided. A inhalator is frequently required to assist grownup patients breathe, and a tracheotomy may besides be necessary. Surgery may be necessary to clean an septic lesion and take the beginning of the bacteriums. Antimicrobial therapy may be necessary. In stomachic lavage, psychotherapeutic agents or clysters are used. Vaccines against botulism do non be nevertheless scientist have successfully vaccinated mice and ducks against type C and D, which may assist in the creative activity for human inoculation. The toxin can non be seen, smelled or tasted so the wisest thing to make is to fling any nutrient that seems spoiled without savoring it.

The Homestead Steel Strike of 1892

The Homestead Steel Strike of 1892 The Homestead Strike, a work stoppage  at Carnegie Steels plant at Homestead, Pennsylvania, turned into one of the most violent episodes in the American labor struggles of the late 1800s. A planned occupation of the plant turned into a bloody battle when hundreds of men from the Pinkerton Detective Agency exchanged gunfire with workers and townspeople along the banks of the Monongahela River. In a surprising twist, strikers captured a number of Pinkertons when the strikebreakers were forced to surrender. The battle on July 6, 1892 ended with a truce, and the release of prisoners. But the state militia arrived a week later to settle things in favor of the company. And two weeks later an anarchist outraged by the behavior of Henry Clay Frick, the vehemently anti-labor manager of Carnegie Steel, tried to assassinate Frick in his office. Though shot twice, Frick survived. Other labor organizations had rallied to the defense of the union at Homestead, the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers. And for a time public opinion seemed to side with the workers. But the attempted assassination of Frick, and the involvement of a known anarchist, was used to discredit the labor movement. In the end, the management of Carnegie Steel won. Background of the Homestead Plant Labor Problems In 1883 Andrew Carnegie  bought the Homestead Works, a steel plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh on the Monongahela River. The plant, which had been focused on producing steel rails for railroads, was changed and modernized under Carnegies ownership to produce steel plate, which could be used for production of armored ships. Carnegie,  known for uncanny business foresight, had become one of the richest men in America, surpassing the wealth of earlier millionaires such as John Jacob Astor and Cornelius Vanderbilt. Under Carnegies direction, the Homestead plant kept expanding, and the town of Homestead, which had about 2,000 residents in 1880, when the plant first opened, grew to a population of about 12,000 in 1892. About 4,000 workers were employed at the steel plant. The union representing workers at the Homestead plant, the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, had signed a contract with Carnegies company in 1889. The contract was set to expire on July 1, 1892. Carnegie, and especially his business partner Henry Clay Frick, wanted to break the union. There has always been considerable  dispute about how much Carnegie knew of the ruthless tactics Frick planned to employ. At the time of the 1892 strike, Carnegie was at a luxurious estate he owned in Scotland. But it seems, based on letters the men exchanged, that Carnegie was fully aware of Fricks tactics. The Beginning of the Homestead Strike In 1891 Carnegie began to think about reducing wages at the Homestead plant, and when his company held meetings with the Amalgamated union in the spring of 1892 the company informed the union that it would be cutting wages at the plant. Carnegie also wrote a letter, before he left for Scotland in April 1892, which indicated that he intended to make Homestead a non-union plant. In late May, Henry Clay Frick instructed the company negotiators to inform the union that wages were being reduced. The union would not accept the proposal, which the company said was non-negotiable. In late June 1892, Frick had public notices posted in  the town of Homestead informing union members that since the union had rejected the companys offer, the company would have nothing to do with the union. And to further provoke the union, Frick began construction of what was being called Fort Frick. Tall fences were constructed around the plant, topped with barbed wire. The intent of the barricades and barbed wire was obvious: Frick intended to lock out the union and bring in scabs, non-union workers. The Pinkertons Attempted to Invade Homestead On the night of July 5, 1892, approximately 300 Pinkerton agents arrived in western Pennsylvania by train and boarded two barges which had been stocked with hundreds of pistols and rifles as well as uniforms. The barges were towed on  the Monongahela River to Homestead, where Frick assumed the Pinkertons  could land undetected in the middle of the night. Lookouts saw the barges coming and alerted the workers in Homestead, who raced to the riverbank. When the Pinkertons tried to land at dawn, hundreds of townspeople, some of them armed with weapons dating back to the Civil War, were waiting. It was never determined who fired the first shot, but a gun battle broke out. Men were killed and wounded on both sides, and the Pinkertons were pinned down on the barges, with no escape possible. Throughout the day of July 6, 1892, townspeople of Homestead tried to attack the barges, even pumping oil into the river in an attempt to set fires atop the water. Finally, late in the afternoon, some of the union leaders convinced the townspeople to let the Pinkertons surrender. As the Pinkertons left the barges to walk to a local opera house, where they would be held until the local sheriff could come and arrest them, townspeople threw bricks at them. Some Pinkertons were beaten. The sheriff arrived that night and removed the Pinkertons, though none of them were arrested or indicted for murder, as the townspeople had demanded. Newspapers had been covering the crisis for weeks, but the news of the violence created a sensation when it moved quickly across the telegraph wires. Newspaper editions were rushed out with startling accounts of the confrontation. The New York Evening World published a special extra edition with the headline: AT WAR: Pinkertons and Workers Fight at Homestead. Six steelworkers had been killed in the fighting, and would be buried in the following days. As the people in Homestead held funerals, Henry Clay Frick, in a newspaper interview, announced that he would have no dealings with the union. Henry Clay Frick Was Shot A month later, Henry Clay Frick was in his office in Pittsburgh and a young man came to see him, claiming to represent an agency that could supply replacement workers. The visitor to Frick was actually a Russian anarchist, Alexander Berkman, who had been living in New York City and who had no connection to the union. Berkman forced his way into Fricks office and shot him twice, nearly killing him. Frick survived the assassination attempt, but the incident was used to discredit the union and the American labor movement in general. The incident became a milestone in U.S. labor history, along with the Haymarket Riot and the 1894 Pullman Strike. Carnegie Succeeded in Keeping the Union Out of His Plants The Pennsylvania militia (similar to todays National Guard) took over the Homestead Plant and non-union strikebreakers were brought in to work. Eventually, with the union broken, many of the original workers returned to the plant. Leaders of the union were prosecuted, but juries in western Pennsylvania failed to convict them. While the violence had been happening in western Pennsylvania, Andrew Carnegie had been off in Scotland, avoiding the press at his estate. Carnegie would later claim that he had little to do with the violence at Homestead, but his claims were met with skepticism, and his reputation as a fair employer and philanthropist was greatly tarnished. And Carnegie did succeed in keeping unions out of his plants.

Osmium Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements

Osmium Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements Osmium is an extremely heavy silver-blue metal with atomic number 76 and element symbol Os. While most elements arent know for the way they smell, osmium emits a characteristic unpleasant smell. The element and its compounds are highly toxic. Here is a collection of osmium element facts, including its atomic data, chemical and physical properties, uses, and sources. Osmium  Basic Facts Atomic Number: 76 Symbol: Os Atomic Weight: 190.23 Discovery: Smithson Tennant 1803 (England), discovered osmium in residue remaining when crude platinum was dissolved in aqua regia Electron Configuration: [Xe] 4f14 5d6 6s2 Word Origin: from the Greek word osme, a smell or odor Isotopes: There are seven naturally-occurring isotopes of osmium: Os-184, Os-186, Os-187, Os-188, Os-189, Os-190, and Os-192. Six additional manmade isotopes are known. Properties: Osmium has a melting point of 3045 /- 30  °C, boiling point of 5027 /- 100 °C, specific gravity of 22.57, with a valence usually 3, 4, 6, or 8, but sometimes 0, 1, 2, 5, 7. It is a lustrous blue-white metal. It is very hard and remains brittle even at high temperatures. Osmium has the lowest vapor pressure and highest melting point of the platinum group metals. Although solid osmium is unaffected by air at room temperature, the powder will give off osmium tetroxide, a strong oxidizer, highly toxic, with a characteristic odor (hence the metals name). Osmium is slightly more dense than iridium, so osmium is often credited as being the heaviest element (calculated density ~ 22.61). The calculated density for iridium, based on its space lattice, is 22.65, though the element hasnt been measured as heavier than osmium. Uses: Osmium tetroxide can be used to stain fatty tissue for microscope slides and to detect fingerprints. Osmium is used to add hardness to alloys. It is also used for fountain pen tips, instrument pivots, and electrical contacts. Sources: Osmium is found in iridomine and platinum-bearing sands, such as those found in the Americas and Urals. Osmium may also be found in nickel-bearing ores with other platinum metals. Although the metal is difficult to make, the power can be sintered in hydrogen at 2000 °C. Element Classification: Transition Metal Osmium Physical Data Density (g/cc): 22.57 Melting Point (K): 3327 Boiling Point (K): 5300 Appearance: blue-white, lustrous, hard metal Atomic Radius (pm): 135 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 8.43 Covalent Radius (pm): 126 Ionic Radius: 69 (6e) 88 (4e) Specific Heat (20 °C J/g mol): 0.131 Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 31.7 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 738 Pauling Negativity Number: 2.2 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 819.8 Oxidation States: 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 0, -2 Lattice Structure: Hexagonal Lattice Constant (Ã…): 2.740 Lattice C/A Ratio: 1.579 Return to the Periodic Table Sources Arblaster, J. W. (1989). Densities of osmium and iridium: recalculations based upon a review of the latest crystallographic data (PDF). Platinum Metals Review. 33 (1): 14–16.Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Osmium. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 352.Haynes, William M., ed. (2011). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (92nd ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 978-1439855119.

How best to improve competition in the banking market Essay

How best to improve competition in the banking market - Essay Example This is simply because an increase in competition in the banking industry leads to a decrease in the bank’s soundness. Increased competition among banks will most likely lead to availability of a larger quantity of credit hence increased market power is needed to increase the bank’s incentives thus a higher quality of the pool of applicants. An increased completion in the banking sector has a direct effect on the growth potential and the market structure of other sectors of the economy. This therefore calls for a regulated completion and application of best ways in enhancing this competition. This paper will focus on these best ways of improving competition in the banking market. Discussion The best ways of improving competition in the banking industry is by carrying out structural reforms in the financial sector. This reforms can be carried out with the aim of restructuring distressed banks and also cleaning up non-performing assets in order to restore the viability an d profitability of these banks. This structural reforms would include privatization as well as both fiscal and monetary operations. The competitive conditions in the industry can be increased by removal of restrictions regarding foreign and domestic market entries and also privatization of state-owned banks which leads to increased number of commercial banks operating in the extremely concentrated and inefficient markets. (Beck & Fuchs, 2004) Privatization of the state-owned banks increases competition and efficiency in the banking industry since it leads to an increase in both foreign and domestic participation in the sector. According to a study by Beck, Cull and Jerome (2005), privatized banks performed worse than those banks that are privately owned before privatization but improved significantly after them being privatized. It also increases bank and financial performance significantly after divesture. Therefore, the restructuring of reforms in the banking sector leads to an in crease in the establishment of more banks hence increase in healthy competition. This is promoted by the fact that relaxation of regulations in the sector allows more banks to enter in to the market without any of the set restriction being disabled. (Beck, Cull and Jerome, 2005) Loosening of the entry barriers in to the industry can increase competition in the sector without affecting stability. This can be done by reducing the switching costs, which can be one in many ways. Switching costs are those incurred by consumers when they switch from one financial institution to another. These switching costs can be reduced by taking measure to ensure that consumers have adequate education and information in financial literacy in regard to alternative financial institutions. This will ensure that the consumers have the ability to compare various price offers by different institutions hence promoting willingness for the consumers to switch form one institution to another thus more a competi tive market. (Bikker & Haaf, 2002) These switching costs can also be reduced by developing a switching pack and making the switching steps easier hence reducing the switching burden. This can be done through a self-regulatory code between banks to help customers switch easily hence increase in competition as banks strive to keep their customers. Developing a common financial information sharing platform i.e. modifying the regulations to ensure privacy is maintained and allowing the customer form credit earning