The Moral Principles of Premarital Sex free essay sample

Having strong parental influence can also strongly affect the outcomes of adolescence and causal sex. Additionally, marriage can be vulnerable to the actions of premarital sex, which can lead to disruption or divorce. Casual sex is a way people use one another as mere objects and to satisfy one’s sexual desires leading to a loss of commitment. Casual sex is defined as having more of a focus on physical satisfaction then emotional and lacking a sense of commitment. It can also be an agreement with a stranger or other partners that lasts for a long period of time (â€Å"Casual Sex,† 2011). The average age of the first sexual encounter is at 17. 7 years according to Hyde (2005). The first sexual experience is extremely meaningful and sexual expression can be molded based on experience. Traditional thinking of sex has become rare, less favored and not socially accepted. Attitudes in society have changed, making sex more popular and less condemned (Martin, 2003). We will write a custom essay sample on The Moral Principles of Premarital Sex or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Guilt and anger are often side effects of casual sex, along with a loss of commitment for long term relationships, marriage often being disrupted, leading to the conclusion premarital sex is not appropriate in any means and should not be practiced. American adults who said casual sex was wrong as concluded to 75% or the population in 1969. In the 1980’s, 33-37% of American adults said premarital sex was wrong decreasing by about 40%. These changes in the American society have occurred because of the replacement of conservative generations from the early 20th century to a more liberal generation later the century. The fluctuations of opinion are also due to the age and cultural changes of each generation, altering the views of people at the same time (Harding amp; Jencks, 2003). The traditional teachings of Christianity were no longer consistent with the people’s belief in America by this time and it is possible the relationship between these beliefs and religious views changed over time (Petersen amp; Donnenwerth, 1997). This common acceptance of   premarital sex that is occurring still has the underlying issue of whether it is, in fact, ethically moral to participate in casual sex and the effects among women and men. Do Men’s and Women’s Effects Differ? According to Else-Quest, Hyde, and DeLamater, men are more likely to have casual sex to obtain physical satisfaction while women are more likely to do it for intimacy and to enhance the relationship (2005). Men and women may experience sexual activity differently because of the differences in their scripts, which are learned strategies about sex. Men’s sexuality tends to not be subjected to relationship factors resulting in a difference in experience by both genders. Some argue that these sexual experiences are important for person’s sexual scripts to develop because it allows them to organize the order of sexual acts and learn the appropriate responses and behaviors. But these scripts that are argued as allowing casual sex to continue, do not always produce positive outcomes. Over time, guilt can arise as a result of a miserable experience and could grow into sexual dysfunction with long-term effects. It is more likely for women in this society to develop guilt because of seeing casual sex equaling love. But again it has been shown that guilt, tension, lack or respect, and embarrassment follows the action of casual sex (â€Å"Premarital sex,: 2002-2012). Hence, even if there may be a motivation for casual sex because of developing one’s script or fulfilling a man’s physical satisfaction and a women’s intimacy in a relationship, there are the same emotional effects and negative outcomes that result from taking part in premarital sex.An action that was morally right would not have egative emotional and psychological consequences, which would conclude casual sex was not intended to be done before marriage. There is also another consequence for participating in casual sex such as disturbance in later marriage. Sexual scripts can be written prior to marriage, providing knowledge about their own abilities, leading to a stable marriage because they may be able to make more informed choices concerning marriage. It is also very likely for someone to misunderstand physica l intimacy with emotional potential, leading to disruption in marriage and make worse marital choices (Kahn, London, 1991). How is Marriage Effected? In today’s society, adolescents have a positive opinion about cohabitation before marriage. The view of marriage as an institution has faded and cohabitation has taken a new part of this culture (Martin, Specter, Martin, amp; Martin, 2003). It has often been questioned whether or not premarital sexual activity causes marriages to be disrupted. According to Teachman, Premarital sex and cohabitation has not been found to be connected to marital disruption if limited to a woman’s husband (2003). But Kahn and London refute this.

The NYS Prison System

The NYS Prison System Free Online Research Papers The New York State prison system till this day continues to be one of the most popular prison systems in our country. New York State’s prison system consists of many different prisons and departments located all around the state of New York. New York State prisons have a lot of history throughout the years. The current commissioner of the correctional facilities that governs the prison system is Brian Fischer. Some notable prisons in the New York prison system are Sing Sing and Attica. Overview The New York prison system is one of the most known prison systems in the United States. It is currently the fourth largest prison system in the United States. According to the NYS Department of Correctional Services, the New York adult prison system currently houses and habilitates 62,500 inmates this number is good considering a drop of 9,000 inmates in the last eight years. The correctional service in New York employs over 31,300 employees including over 23,000 uniformed correctional officers in their system. New York currently has over 69 correctional facilities in the state. There are over 17 maximum security facilities, 37 medium security facilities, 13 minimum security facilities, 3 minimum security camp facilities and 1 drug treatment campus facility. The State of New York offers programs for their inmates stationed at various prisons. They offer such jobs as correctional industries, working on such jobs as manufacturing within the prison. These jobs include license plate sh ops, upholstery shops and printing plants. Other programs that NYS prisons offer are education programs in academics and vocational, guidance and counseling, substance abuse treatment services, temporary release programs and transitional service programs. (docs.state.ny.us/docs.html) Departmental Mission The New York State Correctional System has many visions, goals, values and policies that apply to all of their prison and correctional facilities. The mission statement for the NYS Correctional Services is â€Å"Enhance public safety by providing appropriate treatment services, in safe and secure facilities, that address the needs of all inmates so they can return to their communities better prepared to lead successful and crime-free lives.†(docs.state.ny.us/docs.html) The main vision in which the correctional facilities in NYS go by is â€Å"enhance public safety by having incarcerated persons return home less likely to revert to criminal behavior.†(docs.state.ny.us/docs.html) The NYS Department of Correctional Services has many goals that it sets out to accomplish in operating its facilities. They want to â€Å"Create and maintain an atmosphere where both inmates and staff feel secure. Develop and implement positive individualized treatment plans for each inmate. Tea ch inmates the need for discipline and respect, and the importance of a mature understanding of a work ethic. Assist staff by providing the training and tools needed to perform their duties while enhancing their skills. Offer career development opportunities for all staff.† (docs.state.ny.us/docs.html) The NYS Department of Correctional Services also has values that they want to operate by like â€Å"Operate with ethical behavior. Recognize the value of each person. Protect human dignity. Offer leadership and support to all. Offer respect and structure at all times.† (docs.state.ny.us/docs.html) Certain policies that the Department of Correctional Services follows in NYS are â€Å"Offer opportunities for inmates to improve all their skills, and to receive individual treatment services, based on their ability and willingness to participate. Provide appropriate medical and psychiatric services necessary to those requiring such treatment so each inmate can maximize his/he r own rehabilitation. Enhance positive relationships by providing opportunities for interaction between inmates and their families. Establish a structured environment that fosters respect through disciplined learning.† (docs.state.ny.us/docs.html) Brief History The New York adult prison system has a lot of history behind it. The creation of the adult prison system in NYS dates all the way back to 1797 when Newgate Prison opened in Greenwich Village, 17 years later Auburn state prison was built being the second prison built. In 1825 Sing Sing was built on the Hudson River, just north of New York City and following this the creation of Clinton prison was formed. More and more prisons were built around New York due to the problem of crime and overcrowding. With these issues came into play the change of architecture of bigger prisons. Many new improvements followed thereafter. â€Å"The major improvements in the construction of prisons were the introduction of escape-proof cells and unbreakable toilets and wash basins. This escalating process of constructing ever more secure prisons reached its pinnacle in 1931, when the most secure, escape-proof prison ever built opened in the little upstate village of Attica, New York. With such dedication poured into its construction, Attica was, at the time, the most expensive prison ever built. Construction had begun in 1929 and continued into the early years of the Depression. Over one hundred years had passed since inmates from Auburn had gone to work to build Sing Sing. In the spring of 1930, the scene was repeated; inmates from Auburn were transported to Attica to assist in construction.† (correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/state/html/nyprisons2.html) In the later years prisons in NYS began to offer many programs to their inmates. â€Å"Effective January 1, 1971, the states complex of adult correctional facilities was reorganized as the Department of Correctional Services. Nine months later, the most severe prison riot in American history broke out at Attica Correctional Facility. A searching reexamination of correctional practices resulted in a heightened emphasis on educational and other rehabilitative programs including work release.† (correctionhistory.org/html/museum/docsroom/docsmuseum.html) Training for Prison Officers in NYS The first basic training for officers in NYS occurred in the 1930s on maximum security prison sites. â€Å"In 1936, the Department opened the Central Guard School for newly recruited officers at Wallkill Prison. Wartime restrictions and manpower shortages ended Guard School operations in 1942. It was not until 1965 that centralized recruit training was resumed, this time on the grounds of Matteawan State Hospital (now Fishkill Correctional Facility) in Beacon. The Beacon Academy offered a three-week training program for correction officers. In 1973, the DOCS leased the Mater Christi Seminary from the Diocese of Albany and established its current Training Academy there. The property was purchased by New York State in 1987.† (correctionhistory.org/html/museum/docsroom/docsmuseum.html) Currently the academy annually gives out two million hours of professional training in lecture training and on hands training. (correctionhistory.org/html/museum/docsroom/docsmuseum.html) Reaction I believe that the New York State prison system is a very complex system. From articles and research done throughout the writing of my paper I have found out that New York State prisons have always had a problem with overcrowding in their prisons. They have also been faced with problems of budgeting because of the issue of overcrowding. I think that New York State although being a fairly large state and having a fairly high crime rate should look into ways into making their prison systems more of a learning experience to their inmates. So far I think that they are doing a fairly good job in having resources available to their inmates. I think that that is the most important thing in the prison system especially in New York with their overcrowding. I think that the price of having an inmate be released into the world and then recidivate making them go through the whole process of being tried with the courts and then housing them in prison for another sentence, is more costly in my opi nion than having programs for them to learn and counseling to make them a better individual to be released into the world again. New York in my opinion does a god job but you could always do better. References CORRECTIONS MUSEUM. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2009, from correctionhistory.org/html/museum/docsroom/docsmuseum.html Evolution of NYs Prison System Part 2. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2009, from correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/state/html/nyprisons2.html NYS Department of Correctional Services. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2009, from docs.state.ny.us/docs.html New York State Department of Correctional Services Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Department_of_Correctional_Services Seiter, R. P. (2007). Corrections: An Introduction (2nd Edition). Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall. Research Papers on The NYS Prison SystemCapital PunishmentNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceOpen Architechture a white paperThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPETSTEL analysis of IndiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesTwilight of the UAWArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Project Managment Office System

Free Essays on An Influential Personevent

An influential Personevent It seemed like it would make her die, just speaking it. So I didn’t tell anyone, not even my best friends. At school I would slip into a fantastical dreamland, nobody there knew that I should be troubled, pensive. I put on my best front and paraded around the school halls with some sort of smile plastered on my face. At lunchtime I’d stare at my food thinking that my friends should know. I thought of a million different ways to tell them. Each time that I came close to telling them, I would think about their potential reactions. There would be the normal lunchtime banter going on, complaints about the ranch dressing, and I would blurt out, "Hey guys, my mom has breast cancer." The whole cafeteria would turn silent and the plastic forks would drop from their hands, making a sad little clinking noise. Then I would stare at my food mentally kicking myself for having opened my mouth. I chose to say nothing. I remember very clearly the day that I went to go sit with her whil e she got her chemotherapy. I only did this once because it was too hard for me. I walked down an overly-lit sterile hallway trailing behind my dad. When we reached her room I wished that I could just keep walking, pretend I hadn’t seen her. I went in and sat down. Her shirt was partially unbuttoned so that the IV could be inserted into the porto-cath surgically implanted under her collarbone. She was hooked up to three different kinds of poisons, and one normal IV. There were some knitting things spread across her lap and the ever present bag of lemon drops was faithfully at her side. Her head was laid back in the chair, she was tired. She and my dad tried to involve me in some nice chit-chat, I met and shook hands with the doctors and nurses, "It’s nice to meet you Dr. McCoy." Yeah right. They complimented her on what a beautiful daughter she had. I blushed, smiled politely then excused myself to the bathroom. I wiped away my for... Free Essays on An Influential Personevent Free Essays on An Influential Personevent An influential Personevent It seemed like it would make her die, just speaking it. So I didn’t tell anyone, not even my best friends. At school I would slip into a fantastical dreamland, nobody there knew that I should be troubled, pensive. I put on my best front and paraded around the school halls with some sort of smile plastered on my face. At lunchtime I’d stare at my food thinking that my friends should know. I thought of a million different ways to tell them. Each time that I came close to telling them, I would think about their potential reactions. There would be the normal lunchtime banter going on, complaints about the ranch dressing, and I would blurt out, "Hey guys, my mom has breast cancer." The whole cafeteria would turn silent and the plastic forks would drop from their hands, making a sad little clinking noise. Then I would stare at my food mentally kicking myself for having opened my mouth. I chose to say nothing. I remember very clearly the day that I went to go sit with her whil e she got her chemotherapy. I only did this once because it was too hard for me. I walked down an overly-lit sterile hallway trailing behind my dad. When we reached her room I wished that I could just keep walking, pretend I hadn’t seen her. I went in and sat down. Her shirt was partially unbuttoned so that the IV could be inserted into the porto-cath surgically implanted under her collarbone. She was hooked up to three different kinds of poisons, and one normal IV. There were some knitting things spread across her lap and the ever present bag of lemon drops was faithfully at her side. Her head was laid back in the chair, she was tired. She and my dad tried to involve me in some nice chit-chat, I met and shook hands with the doctors and nurses, "It’s nice to meet you Dr. McCoy." Yeah right. They complimented her on what a beautiful daughter she had. I blushed, smiled politely then excused myself to the bathroom. I wiped away my for...

What you need to know about medical student mentors

What you need to know about medical student mentors No matter what field you’re in, mentorship is one of the most important factors in your early career. A study of private sector mentorship shows that mentorship (having junior employees develop a professional relationship with more senior employees) is a crucial way to develop employees and build leadership skills. And when you’re in a highly specialized, high-pressure field like medicine, that mentorship becomes even more valuable. What does a mentor do?Med school will teach you what you need to know about the science and practice of medicine. It teaches you the theory, the ins and outs, the blood and guts. That part doesn’t change, whether you have a mentor or not. What a medical mentor does is offer you the practical side of that knowledge- someone who’s been where you are now, showing you what it’s like to put your education into everyday use.A mentor can help you with those transitional steps between med school and full-fledged practice, talkin g you through applying for jobs, preparing for residency interviews, dealing with the stress of the job, dealing with setbacks in med school and out in the field, and helping you find your specialty. A mentor may be a cheerleader- but more importantly, he or she is someone who has your professional interests at heart and wants to help you build a successful medical career. That may involve some tough talk or recommendations that aren’t easy, but are necessary.Why you need a mentorNo one transitions from school to career without loads of questions. What do I do next? Am I doing this too early/too late? What if I fail a class? What is it going to be like once I graduate? And sure, you can probably cobble that information together from the Internet. But don’t discount the benefits that come from a face-to-face (or voice-to-voice) relationship with someone who already has that knowledge. School can feel isolating, especially as you start to make Big Deal career decisions, so having a go-to relationship where you can ask questions and get honest real-world feedback is extremely helpful.As you make choices about your future career, you want to make sure you’re making informed ones. Having a source of feedback and help can prevent you from making those decisions in a vacuum and then coming to regret them later. Having someone to say, â€Å"Look, here are some hard lessons I learned when I chose to become an internist,† is a major asset if you’re thinking about going down that path, as well.How to get startedIf you’re a med student, you can always try to match to a doctor in your field of interest to act as a mentor. But don’t discount other health professionals who can provide that essential perspective. For example, nurses are in the trenches with doctors and are responsible for providing much of the direct patient care. They can provide precious insight into what it’s like to work with patients, what you can e xpect to see every day, and how to do basic and essential procedures. They also work closely with physicians and very likely have a solid perspective on what makes a good doctor vs. a not-great doctor. If you’re looking for guidance on the practical aspects of the job, you want it from someone who does it (and does it well) day in and day out, regardless of the degree that person has.If you want someone to help you with some of the more administrative aspects of being a doctor (like passing exams, the application process, interviews), then you’ll want someone who’s been there- a physician or an administrator. Keep in mind that you’re not limited to just one mentor throughout your career; you can get super-valuable help from different people on different career aspects.Your mentor can be someone you shadow in the workplace, but don’t feel confined to that box or to your own residency program, if you’ve already started one. Your mentor could b e someone you consult on the phone or via email/chat/FaceTime/your preferred digital platform.If you’re interested in finding a mentor and role model, there’s no time like med school to get that started. That’s not to say that you can’t find one later when you’re already settled in a residency or other job and a great mentoring opportunity presents itself. But like just about all career planning, it’s best to start as early as you can. Things aren’t going to get any easier as you prepare to graduate, and this special kind of networking is best done when you have time to develop a relationship with your mentor.How to find the right mentorLike any kind of networking, the place to start is thinking about who you know already. You can ask your faculty advisor if they know anyone who might be a good fit for the kind of mentor you need. There’s also good old online research, if you’re looking for a very specific type of mentor . And if you’re feeling truly stuck on how to get the mentor-mentee process underway, the American College of Physicians (ACP) has a mentor matchmaking database that you can register to use.Know what you want in a mentor. Do you want someone with a particular research interest? Someone with specific technical expertise? Do you want to know what the everyday life is like for a thoracic surgeon? Before you start reaching out, know what you want to get out of the relationship.Make sure you’re asking the right questions. Think of it like an interview for your mentor (though obviously, be respectful of their authority in the field and the time they’re taking to speak with you). But in the course of conversation (or in email), feel free to ask them questions like how they chose their specialty, what brought them to medicine, what their own goals were when they were in your position, and what their biggest professional challenges have been. Come up with a list of quest ions in advance before you talk to your potential mentor.Keep an open mind. You may find that a potential mentor is great at talking you through exam prep, but not great at helping you find job openings. Or she can offer brilliant insight on research, but not necessarily the day-to-day questions you have. There’s no reason you can’t build relationships with different mentors for different parts of your career- and again, don’t forget to consider people who might be nurses, administrators, or other non-physicians who could bring different perspectives to your career.Once you’ve found the mentor (or mentors) of your professional dreams, make sure you take care to keep the relationship going- even after you’re no longer a student/newbie. You never know when those professional connections will come in handy. And then the day may come when you find yourself ready to take on a mentee of your own.

The language of health informatic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The language of health informatic - Essay Example Consequently, nurses and other practitioners serve patients based on the use of evidence based care, which goes a long way to improve the quality of health care given to patients. Indeed, almost every other department utilizes the data stored in the system in one way or the other. This is because of the integrating nature in which the system has been created. Due to the integration, the system is not useful only to the departments directly health service like pharmacy, nursing, physiologist, radiology, laboratory and specialist care. Rather, non-health service departments like accounts, security and customer relations also use the system. As far as the non-health service providers are concerned, they use the data to have a fairer understanding of patients under the care of the hospital and how their entry and movements from the hospital are proceeding. For example, the accounts department needs to have basic data on medications received and general service rendered so as to use the electronic billing section of the system (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). The database has been made in such a way that it has been sub-divided among various departments. This way, all departments within the system has its own miniature system that is together networked to a centralized system. Within the miniature or decentralized systems, language is used as and how it suits the department. There is basically variation of language on the system. However, when it comes to the centralized system, there is a summative section that has been produced in clear cut and ordinary language easy for transversal interpretation. The way and manner in which the present system has been arranged, making the system run on both decentralized format and a centralized format makes the access to data very unique. Basically, everyone on the network can have access to data from every

Common Agricultural Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Common Agricultural Policy - Essay Example Since then, the CAP has now changed dramatically after three successive reforms, the last one taking place in 2003 and being progressively implemented. According to the Common Agricultural Policy, with regard to developing countries the EU is committed to the principle of special and differential treatment. It appeals to all developed and the wealthiest developing countries to provide significant trade preferences to developing countries and it pleads for making these trade preferences more stable and more predictable. On domestic support, the EU is prepared to accommodate concerns of developing countries on food security, rural development and rural poverty by adjusting the "green box"(Harrison et al, 1995). In this paper, we would be discussing the effect of Common Agricultural Policy on developing countries to arrive at a conclusion whether CAP helps or harms the developing countries. When the EU was formed in 1958, two important conditions already existed. Firstly, all the countries that established the EU or joined it before 2004 had already been protecting their farmers. Secondly, these countries had signed the GATT that asked to combine agricultural protection with supply management (Polaski, 2006). The EU simply harmonized and integrated the existing farm policies of its member countries, so that one common policy was created instead of a patchwork of national policies. In doing so, it adopted a number of guiding principles. The first one was that of a unified market. Within the EU, the borders were opened. Farm products could freely move from one country to another. It was only at the outer border that import tariffs were imposed to protect EU farmers against cheap imports from the world market. The second principle was that of communitarian preference. This closely resembles the principle of food sovereignty that ECOWAS farmers and policy makers are discussing today. It meant that farm products that were consumed in the EU and that could reasonably efficiently be produced in the EU itself should come from the EU rather than from the world market. The external tariffs should be sufficiently high to ensure this. The third principle was that of parity and productivity. Parity meant that farm incomes should be equal to those in other sectors. This should partly be achieved by price support, but prices should not be too high, for affordable food prices for consumers were also important. Therefore, the produ ctivity of agriculture should be stimulated so that farmers would be able to produce at lower cost. The fourth principle was that of financial solidarity. All costs of the common agricultural policy were financed out of a communal treasury, which in turn was filled with funds originating from import tariffs and some other government revenues. From a developing country point of view, the impact of the reformed CAP on agricultural markets has become more complex. Even though the "new CAP" still has some unwanted effects, they are less direct and more difficult to assess (Herok & Lotze, 2000). The traditional image of a "fortress Europe" that is closed to developing countries' exports, while the EU dumps considerable

Retailing and Wholesaling MBA (Masters Level) Essay

Retailing and Wholesaling MBA (Masters Level) - Essay Example Value-added resellers normally have a disadvantage in cost structure compared to channel members that compete mainly on the basis of price or convenience, such as discount stores or mail-order firms. This means that the value-added reseller in a diverse multiple channel context must either (1) charge a higher price than other channel members based on the provision of valued services or (2) live with a relatively small gross margin (Dunne and Lusch 2007). Professor Leo Aspinwall advanced the depot theory to explain some of the reasons for the changes that have occurred in the physical handling and storing of goods, the growth of manufacturers' wholesale branches, and the changing position of general-line wholesaling. The depot theory of distribution states that goods tend to move toward the point of final consumption at a rate established by the ultimate consumer. The theory views depots as places that move rather than store goods -- that get goods to retailers at the lowest handling and transportation costs (Dunne and Lusch 2007). Accordingly, a steady flow of goods is envisaged from production to final consumption. The intermediaries facilitating the flow are in essence depots that perform a largely service function on the basis of costs of services performed, and so tend to eliminate merchandising profits. For example, backward integration of retail food chains and cost-plus wholesalers illustrate the performance of the depot func tion and the elimination of merchandising costs (Dunne and Lusch 2007). If the retailer links with independent channel members in one or several of its multiple channels (e.g., it uses independent sales representatives), the same basic challenges faced by the manufacturer in utilizing multiple channels could be faced by the retailer as well. Intrabrand or intratype competition could be heightened in the territories served by the retailer's multiple channels, prices and margins could be reduced, conflicts and alienation could arise, and support and control could wane (at least in the independent channels) (Dunne and Lusch 2007). The functions of retailers in the channel have been to assemble merchandise, maintain an inventory, price, promote, advertise, sell, and account for the merchandise, again as a service to the manufacturer and the ultimate consumer. Further, retailers have also provided a place for consumers to shop and find other services that might assist them in obtaining or using the available goods. The channel systems that have developed and, granted, have been improved over the years, have been built on some very basic beliefs about consumers, their needs and wants, and what they are willing to accept from channel members. It is these basic marketplace assumptions that are being challenged by direct and database marketers (Dunne and Lusch 2007). As was discussed earlier, technology and communication allow consumers to learn about and demand increasingly differentiated and even personalized products. As this occurs, the traditional economies of scale that have accrued to those manufacturers and retailers with extensive facilities and large sales volumes are no longer important in the marketplace. Smaller companies, using technology and direct and database marketing approaches, can compete not only effectively, but in many cases more efficiently than can large companies. As technology expands and sales-driven inventorying become