American Popular Culture

What is popular American culture? Popular culture is a way of life. It’s a lifestyle of a group of people. The elements of everyday life consist of popular culture. These are the artifacts, institutions, and sorts of a general knowledge of a society, the common knowledge and practices of a specific group at a specific time. Popular culture reflects and influences people’s way of life because it is related to a precise time and place. It is temporary, and new phases take over from former favorites like singers, musicians, artists, media authors. But popular culture is all over the world nowadays. It is almost everything that surrounds us in our society today. It slowly builds up and becomes habits on what we do as we see. Some patterns in my pop culture inventory include photography, films, magazines and cell phones. I simply love photography with the fact that I have many photographer friends. Their photos inspire me in many different ways, such as the outlook to life in an image, the insight of a person through a glimpse of a shadow and such. Films complete me in today’s pop culture. It makes me realize more about life then pop culture itself. Magazines show me the kind of entertainment and celebrities we are surrounded by. It also shows how popularity comes first in today’s society, for almost about everyone. And cell phones are something not many people can survive without in today’s world. It’s the fastest source of communication. The values in which are being communicated by the items listed in my inventory are relevant to society. Photography can change a person’s view on life. Its actions that take place, through different angles, shows you a different look on life, by just looking at one photograph. You do need to let yourself away from the world and get in touch with the picture itself, that is how I see it. Films, movies, shows is the one category that I do follow up in today’s pop culture. Not necessarily all genres of films. I love action, drama, romance and just perfectly made fairytales. I have always believed that movies have an enormous influence in our society and life. The meaning and main plots of each and every movie mean something, weather it may be stupid or a life lesson, there are so many different minded people in the world today that each and every meaning counts. Films are very convenient in today’s society I believe. Magazines, though, may not be fully true about the popular celebrities today, but it definitely shows a lot with its images. The writings may be false, but it certainly shows us the image and lets us decide on our own. It’s a big pleasure to see and decide for yourself. Cell phones are today’s highest communication factor. There are new kinds of cell phones out every other month. The technology is on 24/7 producing newer brands of cell phones and upgrading the old ones. There are people that live off their cell phone, that they cannot take a step out of the house without their cell phone. It’s a responsibility for them. American pop culture does not leave much of an impact on my personal decision making. Because of the fact that I don’t listen to pop culture when it comes to my personal decisions. I have my own values about everything in my life. I don’t let the pop culture decide for me because I believe pop culture is all surrounded by materialism and popularity. I come to believe and realize that today’s pop culture can be the result of most of today’s bad behavior in many aspects of people’s lives. My values come within my culture and from the way that I have been raised. Pop culture has never had an impact on my own personal decision making because I have been very aware of the influence of the pop culture for many years. While popular American culture is our daily cost, we as individuals always have a choice in how much we choose to participate. Most of the time as I make decisions, I do take into consideration of what is going on today, but never let it lead me to an influence to follow in its steps. The patterns in my pop culture inventory teach me something in my life. It influences me to the right roads. It also makes me see realize what I am being surrounded by today. As for my personal decision making, I do what I want to do, when I want to do and who I want to do it with, but never what the media presents.

Mr. Price

Place your cursor on the area where you wish to enter Information. The box will turn black; begin typing. Title: Content Area: Publisher: Hardware Required: courseware Functions: check all that apply by â€Å"left† mouse clicking In the square. Drill and practice Simulation Instructional gaming Problem solving Tutorial Other Many characteristics should be considered when selecting courseware for use in one's classroom or lab, but the following should be considered essential qualities for ny instructional product on the computer.If courseware does not meet these criteria, It should not be considered for purchase. For each item, check (left mouse click), all that are appropriate for the courseware under review. l. Instructional Design and Pedagogical Soundness Teaching strategy appropriate for student level and based on best-known methods. Presentation on screen contains nothing that misleads or confuses students. Readability and difficulty at an appropriate level for students w ho will use it Comments to students not abusive or insulting Graphics fulfill important purpose (motivation, information) and are not distracting to learners.Criteria specific to drill and practice functions High degree of control over presentation rate (unless the method is timed review). Appropriate feedback for correct answers (none, if timed; not elaborate or time- consuming) Feedback more reinforcing for correct than for incorrect responses. Criteria specific to tutorials High degree of interactivity (not just reading information). High degree of user control (forward and backward movement, branching upon request). omprehensive teaching sequence so Instruction Is self-contained and stand-alone.Adequate answer-judging capabilities for student-constructed answers to questions Criteria specific to simulations Appropriate degree of fidelity (accurate depiction of system being modeled) Good documentation available on how program works. Criteria specific to instructional games: Low q uotient of violence or combat-type activities 1 OF2 Amount 0T pnyslcal aexterlty requlrea approprlate to students Content No grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors on screen. and current No racial, ethnic, or gender stereotypes. no wlll use It. II.All content accurate Sensitive treatment of moral and/or social issues (e. g. , perspectives on war or capital punishment) Ill. User Flexibility User normally has some control of movement within the program (e. g. , can go from screen to screen at desired rate; can read text at desired rate; can exit program when desired). Can turn off sound, if desired ‘V. Technical Soundness Program loads consistently, without error. Program does not break, no matter what the student enters. the screen says it should do. Decision Recommended for purchase Not recommended Comments: Program does what

What Is ‘Creativity’ and How Can It Be Assessed?

Creativity refers to intuitive solutions that are of genuine value. A characteristic seen as most desirable, linked to problem solving and expertise (Garnham and Oakhill,1994). Additionally, Weisberg(1993) believed intended originality is involved with creative thinking. Despite its difficulty to define, creativity has been studied in diverse disciplines, often in conjunction with intelligence testing. According to Mooney(1963), the study of creativity arises from 4 perspectives; creative people, creative processes, products of creativity and creative places.The psychometric approach attempts to predict creative achievement and identify the products of creativity. Several established tests have been administered to creative people, to explain differences between intelligence, as measured by IQ and creativity tests. Guilford(1956) derived a hypothesis regarding this difference, differentiating between convergent and divergent thinking. Convergent thinking seeks to find the correct ans wer to specific problems, a strategy for solving most well-defined problems.Conversely, divergent thinking requires flexibility and originality, leading to many possible solutions which aid solving ill-defined problems. Guilford identified the process of divergent thinking as important for creativity, since involving indirect and productive thinking. However, research has indicated only slight correlation between performance on divergent thinking tasks and other measures of creativity.Additionally, its mixes creativity with intelligence or originality therefore is difficult to establish. The autobiographic and biographic approaches focus on the products of creativity. Unlike above, assumptions that intelligence and creativity correlate are ignored, as they are based on observation. Wallas(1926) proposed a four stage account of creative insights. Beginning with; perception, preparatory work on a problem; incubation, internalisation of problem into the unconscious mind.Followed by the most crucial stage, inspiration, the solution begins to appear in conscious awareness, in the form of flash of insight. Intimation occurs, feelings of the solution about to emerge; sensitivity is crucial in order to avoid distraction. Finally, verification is when the solution is applied and elaborated, ensuring the problem is solved. Wallas considered creativity to be a legacy of the evolutionary process, allowing humans to adapt to rapidly changing environments. What Is ‘Creativity’ and How Can It Be Assessed? Creativity refers to intuitive solutions that are of genuine value. A characteristic seen as most desirable, linked to problem solving and expertise (Garnham and Oakhill,1994). Additionally, Weisberg(1993) believed intended originality is involved with creative thinking. Despite its difficulty to define, creativity has been studied in diverse disciplines, often in conjunction with intelligence testing. According to Mooney(1963), the study of creativity arises from 4 perspectives; creative people, creative processes, products of creativity and creative places.The psychometric approach attempts to predict creative achievement and identify the products of creativity. Several established tests have been administered to creative people, to explain differences between intelligence, as measured by IQ and creativity tests. Guilford(1956) derived a hypothesis regarding this difference, differentiating between convergent and divergent thinking. Convergent thinking seeks to find the correct ans wer to specific problems, a strategy for solving most well-defined problems.Conversely, divergent thinking requires flexibility and originality, leading to many possible solutions which aid solving ill-defined problems. Guilford identified the process of divergent thinking as important for creativity, since involving indirect and productive thinking. However, research has indicated only slight correlation between performance on divergent thinking tasks and other measures of creativity.Additionally, its mixes creativity with intelligence or originality therefore is difficult to establish. The autobiographic and biographic approaches focus on the products of creativity. Unlike above, assumptions that intelligence and creativity correlate are ignored, as they are based on observation. Wallas(1926) proposed a four stage account of creative insights. Beginning with; perception, preparatory work on a problem; incubation, internalisation of problem into the unconscious mind.Followed by the most crucial stage, inspiration, the solution begins to appear in conscious awareness, in the form of flash of insight. Intimation occurs, feelings of the solution about to emerge; sensitivity is crucial in order to avoid distraction. Finally, verification is when the solution is applied and elaborated, ensuring the problem is solved. Wallas considered creativity to be a legacy of the evolutionary process, allowing humans to adapt to rapidly changing environments.

Research paper summary Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Summary - Research Paper Example The unstable alpha chains develop insoluble inclusions that occur within the bone marrow thus reducing the chances of development and survival of red blood cells. Therefore, the results of this research would assist to determine whether or not patients suffering from beta-Thalassemia could be assisted health wise by oxygenating their Red Blood Cells. Patients of one Thalassemic Unit from the selected hospital of the study were engaged in this research. The patients were persons attending regular transfusion units; all the patients involved in the study were persons attending Chelation therapies. However, those that were experiencing certain challenges associated with respiratory of cardiac problems were not involved in the study. The consent of all the patients involved in the study was sought before engaging them in the experiment. The data gathered was analyzed statistically. The Wilcoxon’s test was applied to analyze the collected data. This was specifically performed on paired data coupled with the application of Repeated Measures of Analysis of Covariance by using the SPSS 13.0 version. The analysis also involved the evaluation of Normality of Distribution for the continuous variables. Appropriate performance of linear regression was also involved in the data analysis process. The results findings of the study indicated that tissue oxygen saturation increased significantly after the Red Blood Cells transfusion as compared to the baseline, which was at 88% while against 90%. The consumption of oxygen among patients with beta Thalassemic conditions did not exhibit any significant change after the transfusion. The repeated measures of ANCOVA also indicated that increasing hemoglobin through transfusion of Red Blood Cells facilitates the increase of saturated tissue oxygen. These findings are related to the conclusion

Suppliers involvement in new product development Essay

Suppliers involvement in new product development - Essay Example There are a number of reasons that informed the selection of qualitative research method. Most of these are directly linked to the strengths of qualitative research as identified in literature. One such reason is the fact that qualitative research ensures the collection of in-depth data, allowing that the problem or issue understand is better understood (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2003). What is more, the qualitative research ensures that data collected are based on participants’ personal categorisation of meaning (Kasim, Alexander & Hudson, 2010). This way, the interpretation of findings is always directly linked to the subjective involved in the study rather than making speculative conclusions. With the proposed study, using a qualitative research method will ensure that stakeholders who are directly involved in the research problem which include suppliers and project managers are the ones whose meaning and ideas count in the data that will be collected. A research of this nature interplays with both the use of available knowledge, as well as the creation of new set of knowledge. It is on this basis that the research philosophy is defined as the researcher’s perception of the way knowledge is constructed (Cooper, 2008). From a philosophical framework, three major research philosophies can be identified which are positivism, realism, and interpretivism. Of these, the researcher proposes to use the interpretivism research philosophy. To use interpretivism, the researcher takes a philosophical position that knowledge is a complex phenomenon which cannot be generalised in a value-free and detached manner (Diriwà ¤chter & Valsiner, 2006). As a result of this, the researcher engages in a series of complex exploration of the given topic by applying critical interpretations to data collected until a conclusion is gradually established. Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2003) saw a very direct relation between interpretivism and qualita tive research

Making Projects Successful Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Making Projects Successful - Essay Example Additionally, the growth of a business demands that the essential transformations to business processes such as acquisitions and mergers, novel service as well as product lines, new branches, regulatory requirements, and latest IT systems should be determined and maintained more quickly. Thus, the IT decision-makers have to recognize and present the entire applicable information in a reliable format. They have to incorporate the complete information on the IT landscape (EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2004) & (Dodaro, 1998). In case of too long IT planning there is need to establish an exercise in number-crunching, as well shallow in its concern of the influence to the planning, forcing economical assessments that dont attain preferred outcomes. However, this could be done via a high-quality IT planning procedure. Additionally, for the business reliable decision-making it is essential to describe methodology, framework, or process. The IT planning for a business consists of the entire of the operations and activities that hold up dependable decision-making. To formulate quality decisions, the procedure should establish the correct questions and supply the information that is able to up hold the decision-making (EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2004) & (Dodaro, 1998). In scenario of IT planning metrics is a way of quantifying the individuality of things like that products and processes. Additionally, the metrics describes what is to be calculated, how it is calculated, the unit of assessment as well as the source of the data. However, a metrics has to incorporate the similar knowledge regarding IT planning to a number of controls data, for example, corporate historical data or benchmark. Additionally, the intelligent collection of data from a well-planned and continuing IT metrics plan will facilitate management to recognize which of their actions are performing well as well as

Weekly questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Weekly questions - Assignment Example Wilson notes that individuals do what is required of them and are well-mannered and identify incidences where the requirement for confirmation is best for the community. One of the primary attributes of societies that Wilson identifies is society members share collective principles, and it appears as if regulations are a form of the collective principles for the advancement of the society (Wilson 37-40). According to Wilson (42), both law and morals purpose to dictate people’s behavior. While the law involves sanctions for disobedience, morality involves incentives, both positive and negative. Homer’s society has no rationality of wickedness or guilt, and personal internal control is absent. Instead, people in the society are controlled and guided by social rules. However, this may be confusing since an individual may not know what to think of it (Wilson 45). This is because if they are not guided by conscience, but social rules, how did people developed the need to appease other people and collaborate within the society. On the other hand, Plato sees the people as controlled by internal conscience that attempts to achieve harmony within every individual (Wilson 53-5). In Omelas, the child suffered in place of the whole community, and thereafter everyone went on with their business and activities in a paradise with no sin or guilt. All this was done in order to keep the boy in the basement away from the public. Everyone who had interacted with the boy only kicked his food, and he could not apprehend what was going on (Wilson 63-68). Notably, the city is in peace, and everyone is in pleasure simply because the boy is suffering and kept away. To make matters worse, the people know that the boy is there, and they are okay with it. In this case, everyone in the city chooses pleasure over morality. Though it has been decades since his death, Freud set a center stage for continued research. This is because even up to today, some of his theories are

On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense - Essay Example Here he discusses the implication of language to our acquisition of knowledge. The second part deals with the dual nature of man, i.e. the rational and the intuitive. He establishes that neither rational nor intuitive man is ever successful in their pursuit of knowledge due to our illusion of truth. Therefore, Nietzsche concludes that all we can claim to know are interpretations of truth and not truth itself. Analysis In the first part of his work, Nietzsche asserts that: â€Å"The pride connected with knowing and sensing lies like a blinding fog over the eyes and senses of men, thus deceiving them concerning the value of existence† (Nietzsche 451-452). Here, it seems that Nietzsche is trying to reject any empirical sense of gaining knowledge. For example, I know that I am sitting on a wooden chair because I can see the chair, feel the texture of the wood, touch it, and even smell the aroma of it. But Nietzsche argues that we only perceive the surface of things, and our  "senses nowhere lead to the truth" (Nietzsche 452). This is what Nietzsche meant by using the analogy of our senses being like a â€Å"blinding fog over the eyes† and thus deceiving us on our knowledge about things. But how do we know what is true from what is false? What is truth as opposed to lies? Here, Nietzsche introduces the concept of man as a social being who creates peace among society and forms a general consensus in the process of doing so. He once more establishes his point by saying that â€Å"this peace treaty brings in its wake something which appears to be the first step toward acquiring that puzzling truth drive† (Nietzsche 452). Furthermore, he argues that â€Å"a uniformly valid and binding designation is invented for things, and this legislation of language likewise establishes the first laws of truth. For the contrast between truth and lie arises here for the first time† (Nietzsche 452-453). In other words, Nietzsche establishes his foundati on of truth as opposed to lies. Since the development of language, all its representations are, according to Nietzsche, lies. Language is a form of self-deception, which humans have created to convince themselves that the unreal is real. Indeed, Nietzsche asks, â€Å"Is language the adequate expression of all realities?† (Nietzsche 453). The emphasis here is the one to one correspondence of an object to that of its spoken word. For example, when I a rainbow, the first thing that I associate with it is color. Almost anyone would understand me if associate the word â€Å"color† to the object â€Å"rainbow†. However, consider the following scenario: what if you were never exposed to color? Since you were born into this world, you were kept inside a house that had only shades of gray. In short, what if the world you consider as real is all in black and white? Now consider that this person saw a â€Å"rainbow† outside his window for the first time, would he as sociate the term â€Å"color† with it? Would he even know what â€Å"color† means? This is the point that Nietzsche wants us to understand regarding language. I quote, â€Å"It is this way with all of us concerning language: we believe that we know something about the things themselves when we speak of trees, colors, snow, and flowers; and yet we possess nothing but metaphors for things - metaphors which correspond in no way to the original entities† (Nietzsche 454). Thus, Nietzsche concludes that â€Å"the genesis of language does not proceed logically in any case, and all the material within and with

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Strategic Management - Essay Example Some of the local brands are also considered by the company that includes Aguila, Castle, Snow, Victoria Bitter, Miller Lite, and Tyskie. The company has been successful in creating its position in both the emerging as well as developed markets across the globe (Overview, 2012). The present study has been considered to make an environmental analysis of SABMiller. Environmental analysis involves identification of the environmental factors that can affect a company, and hence their nature and impact on the level of success of the company. Depending on such factors, if identified, a company would be able to consider measures accordingly such that any negative impact may be prevented. SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis, application of Porter’s Five Forces are some of ways through which environmental analysis of a business can be done (Business Environment Analysis, n.d.) and these will be applied in the present study to have an understanding on SABMiller company. Position of SABMiller : SABMiller is older than the state of South Africa itself and has faced several challenges in determining the position that it currently holds. There were several business restrictions that SAB had to fight by ruling over the production of beer along with acquisitioning competitor companies and enhancing the facilities of production and distribution. The large brewing companies accounted for 17 percent of the market in the early period of the 1990s. However, by the year 2009, these companies have started accounting for around 45 percent of the market that reflects on the increasing competition. SABMiller has thus since 2010 considered strategizing more focusing in the impacts of the environmental factors (Johnson, 2010, pp.643-644). SABMiller’s operations in the present day may be represented through the following chart: Figure 1: Summary Scope of SABMiller Operation Today (Moulaeifar, 2009, p.2). SWOT Analysis: SABMiller: SWOT analysis is a technique that enables an underst anding on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a business organization thereby allowing the business to consider measures accordingly for the benefits and success of the company. However, this technique makes the strategic planning of the business highly formal (Jacob, 2009, p.9). From the case study and other readings, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the company could be learnt. The strengths of the company are reflected through its operations that are spread across the globe, and taking advantages of locations like India, China, Vietnam, and African markets. The worldwide knowledge of the company is good in terms of entering new markets creating its presence. The market dominance of the company being the second largest brewer too adds to its strengths. In terms of value addition, cost leadership, economies of scale and efficient distribution, the company has a competitive advantage over other brewers. Also the company has a strong presenc e in the US (Johnson, 2010; Moulaeifar, 2009, p.5). The company’s weaknesses include lack of assets in Western Europe that limits the company’s operations in the region. Moreover SABMiller does not have any assets in the markets where there could be major growth for the company. Thirdly, the income level of individuals largely determines the level of

Breast Cancer Essay Example for Free

Breast Cancer Essay In regard to its origin, dynamics and consequences breast cancer can be considered to be the second leading cause of cancer death among US and European women (Smith-Bindman et al, 2003).   Every year over 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, and though statistical data remains constant, the issue gets significant psychological and public resonance (Jemal et al, 2004). The overall lifetime risk for American women constitutes 1:8, which essentially means that out of eight females born today, one will receive a breast cancer diagnosis during her lifetime (Ogden, 2004).    Mortality rates are highest among older African American women (American Cancer Society, 2001).   Simultaneously, statistics reveals that diseased woman’s life expectancy decreases by nineteen years. Although medical scientists and practitioners debate on the methods regarding disease treatment and how to diminish the number of breast cancer cases, many public health analysts indicate about an education exigency of young people.   Despite the fact that the younger generations are not aware of the importance of detecting breast cancer early, with the help of teens getting involved and teaching others about breast cancer, more lives will be saved. The educational program developed for young people to prevent, forecast and diminish consequences of breast cancer involves several important aspects.   Primarily, audience should know the essence of the disease, in particular its nature, various risk factors associated with it and methods of its prevention.   Younger generation should be informed about how breast cancer or its first signs could be detected, what constitutes post-diagnosis procedure and treatments of the disease.    However, from the critical point of view, the main objective of such programs is to prevent the appearance of the disease and decrease to the minimum lethal consequences.   This primary concern and emphasis are stipulated with the conditions under which if breast cancer is detected on its early stages, patients have from 78% to 92% survival rate (Ogden, 2004:10). Breast cancer is considered to be a group of undifferentiated cells reproducing under extremely rapid rate in the area of the breast in women.   The earliest changes usually appear in the epithelial cells of the terminal end buds of the breast milk system, where new cancer cells form tumors.   If cancer cell are active, the tumor increases at significant rate and may result in metastasis. Being a complex process in which cells are separated from their initial tumors and supplied trough blood and lymph systems to other organs, metastasis spreads the cancer throughout the body.   According to generally accepted medical practice, if size of a lump does not exceed one centimeter, it is indicated as benign (Hart, 1999), however, in every case adequate medical consultation should be provided. Medical specialists distinguish risk factors for breast cancer that individual can change and those that cannot be affected (Barton, 2005).   Constant risk factors are considered to be being a woman, getting older, having a family history as well as previous breast cancer history, having radiation therapy to the chest area, being Caucasian, getting periods young, usually before 12 years old, having late menopause, never having children and having genetic mutation that increases individual’s risk. There were several studies conducted regarding genetic mutation for breast cancer, and it was disclosed that 3%-10% of breast cancers are related to changes in either gene BRCA1 or the gene BRCA2 (Ogden, 2004).   Simultaneously, younger audience should be taught that along with so called uncontrolled risk factors, there are several factors that can be affected by individual’s behavior. Thus, taking hormone replacement therapy, birth control pills, not breastfeeding, moderate and heavy alcohol drinking, being overweight and not exercising can actually being qualified as risk factors for breast cancer, though not as much important as gender, age and family history (Barton, 2005:28). However, factors mentioned above can be controlled by every woman in order to reduce chances of developing a breast malignancy.   From the practical point of view, cancer risk factors are based on probabilities, therefore proper screening and early detection remain to be the most adequate methods in reducing the mortality associated with breast cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the education process, the main thing that should be emphasized is that the effectiveness of treatment is directly related to the stage on which a breast cancer is detected (Barton, 2005; Ogden, 2004).   The common medical practice indicates that regular mammography screening allows decreasing the mortality of breast cancer by 30% (Hart, 1999:144), which means that every woman should get a yearly mammogram starting from age 40 or even earlier.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the mammography screening, the x-ray picture sometimes detects various substances in the breast, essence, character and nature of which is not recognizable and thus, it may provoke unnecessary worrying of both patient and health professional (Barton , 2005).   Young woman are recommended to have a compulsory clinical breast exam done by a health professional.   In addition, during clinical breast exam everywoman has an opportunity to learn how to conduct self-examination for lumps and shape of the breast. One should not underestimate the value of clinical breast exams or self-examination because 15% of tumors are felt but cannot be detected by regular mammographic screening (Fletcher et al, 2003:1674).   Although a lump in the breast is the most common way women discover a breast cancer, younger women should understand that any changes in a breast require further medical consultation and investigation.   Among the clinical tests that are conducted in modern oncological clinics, some women are a chance to know if they have a chance of getting the disease by simply tracing back cases of breast cancer throughout   the history of relatives. Contemporary oncologists consider the following signs to be those that require immediate attention from health specialist: Thickening or density in the breast or underarm; Ulcerated or inverted nipple; Puckered or dimple skin; Redness or swelling of the breast; A lump near the breast, including the underarm, collarbone and neck (Ogden, 2004:20-22). If these abnormalities have been detected, and it should be specifically emphasized during the education program, individual should get immediate consultation (physical exam) from a health professional, get a mammogram and possibly an ultrasound, and visit a breast surgeon for examination if needed.   Contemporary medicine possesses various treatment techniques for breast cancer, in particular, radiotherapy, toxic chemotherapy combinations, hormonal treatments and prophylactic mastectomies are used to treat early lesions. 20-year follow-up data from the NSABP B-06 trial (Mirshahidi, 2004:25) have confirmed that radiation therapy clearly decreases the rate of locoregional recurrence in patients who undergo lumpectomy. Usually, radiation treatment is given after, rather than before, chemotherapy (Mirshahidi, 2005:24). Newer radiation techniques include partial breast irradiation, partial breast irradiation and brachytherapy, and interstitial brachytherapy. These techniques are under investigation and, at this point, may be used in the context of a clinical trial (Giap, 2004). Another effective treatment of the disease, adjuvant treatment, is defined as the use of systemic therapy for microscopic metastatic disease after surgical resection of the primary tumor. Chemotherapy and antiestrogen therapy are the two major forms of adjuvant treatment, and patients may be given one or both. A meta-analysis conducted by the Early Breast Cancer Trialists Collaborative Group (Mirshahidi, 2004: 25) showed the benefit of adjuvant therapy in premenopausal and postmenopausal women and in women with node-negative and node-positive disease. Breast cancer can affect almost every individual, however there are certain risk factors according to which one woman has more chances for breast cancer diagnosis.   From the statistical point of view, the lifetime risk of any woman getting the disease is about 1:8, however the lifetime risk of dying from breast cancer is lower than 1:28 (Ogden, 2004). General education about the disease, possible risk factors and various screening and detection methods allow women to notice the disease or its signs before giving it a chance to spread.   Simultaneously, education and enhanced awareness of younger generation regarding a breast cancer reveals new opportunities in preventing the disease, its consequences and diminishing lethal cases. References American Cancer Society. (2001). Cancer facts and figures, 2001 (Publication No. 5008.96).   Ã‚  Ã‚   Atlanta: American Cancer Society Hamid R. Mirshahidi, MD Jame Abraham, MD. (2004). Managing early breast    cancer.  Postgraduate Medicine.  Minneapolis: Oct. 116(4), 23-27 Joy Ogden (2004). Understanding Breast Cancer, Wiley, 2004 Diane Hart. (1999).  Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Plastic Surgical Nursing.  Pitman:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fall.19(3): 137-145 Wylie Burke (2005). â€Å"Taking Family History Seriously†, Annals of Internal Medicine.    Philadelphia: 143(5):388-390 Huan B Giap (2004). â€Å"Accelerated breast brachytherapy: an effective and convenient alternative   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   for selected patients with early-stage breast cancer.† Women’s Oncology Review. Boca   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Raton: 4(4):251-261 Mary B. Barton, MD (2005) â€Å"Breast cancer screening.†Ã‚  Postgraduate Medicine.  Minneapolis:   Ã‚   Aug 118(2):  27-35 Fletcher S.W, Elmore J.G. (2003). â€Å"Clinical practice. Mammographic screening for breast   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   cancer.† New England Journal of Medicine; 348(17):1672-80 Smith-Bindman R., Chu P.W, Miglioretti D.L., et al. (2003). â€Å"Comparison of screening mammography in the United States and the United Kingdom.† JAMA; 290(16):2129-37 Jemal A, Clegg LX, Ward E, et al.( 2004). Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer,    1975-2001, with a special feature regarding survival. Cancer; 101(1):3-27

Essay On Goa And Its Tourist Attractions

Essay On Goa And Its Tourist Attractions INTRODUCTION: ABOUT GOA Goa is popularly known as the Pearl of the orient and tourist paradise. It is located in Indias coastal belt on the western called the Konkan coast. It has an alarming scenic beauty. The architectural work done Goan Temples, Churches and old houses has brought great laurels to Goa. Some of these characteristics make Goa to be occupied by tourists. It is the most preferred option by the people who are planning their holidays. Goa as compared to other states is not greatly populated but compared in terms of tourists it is the most populated place in India. Apart from attracting tourists from all over India, it also attracts tourists of foreign background. During the months of November, December and January Goa is heavily crowded. The real essence of Goa lies in its rich history, unique culture and the original natural beauty. Peaceful Goan lifestyle and adventure sports also draw the attention of the travelers within and outside India. All kinds of tourists are expected to visit Goa. REASONS WHY TOURISTS VISIT GOA Beaches There are more than 36 beaches in Goa, each one is known for its own distinctiveness. North Goa beaches are most popular amongst the tourists while South Goa beaches are now gaining popularity because of its peacefulness. Sun Tourist visit Goa for loads of vitamin D which they have while having sun bath and also have drinks for complete relaxation from stress. They also visit Goa for relaxation for body. Massage Tourist visit Goan beaches for massage centers. Not just that, but to get some immunity and treat body with pure minerals. Natural views Goan view can be best viewed while travelling on the bike. The Sandy beaches, coconut trees waterfalls truly add flavor to the goan natural view. Lush green fields, majestic forests train track, long roads and cool breeze make up for the perfect natural view. Architecture Culture Goa is also famous for its heritage and its architecture. In goa you will find traditional mixture of Portuguese and goa. This offers a unique feature to witness a pure blend of Portuguese and goan culture in architecture of villas, forts houses and churches. Water Sports Tourist are offered water sports like surfing, para sailing waterscooter etc. these water sports add up towards attracting tourists to Goa Sea food Sea foods like Mackrels, Tiger prawns, King Fish, have separate delicacies in the hearts of tourists.. Party Destination The young are attracted towards Goa as it is a party destination. Many parties are organized during Christmas new years and its a tourist hotspot to celebrate these eves in goa. These parties usually go up for couple of days. Liberal Female tourist visit Goa as they find it to be most liberal compared to other places in India. In Goa you can feel free to dress up. Economical Goa is affordable for everyone. Thats the reason why tourist find it most attractive as compared to other places in India. Fairs and festivals Goa is famous for its carnival attracting tourist to goa during this time. Casinos People visit Goa for Casinos. People who enjoy gambling with chilled drinks and music find Goa to be a perfect place. The Main Attractions Beaches Goan coastline spread over 125 kms and is the home of over 50 picturisque and beautiful beaches. These beaches attracts tourist from all round the globe. Candolim Beach, Baga Beach, Sinquerim Beach, Bambolim Beach, Arambol Beach, Vagator Beach, Benaulim Beach, Palolem Beach, Agonda Beach, Mobor and Cavelossim beaches are famous and an increasing number of tourists visit these beaches every year. Calangute Beach Queen of Goa beaches, Colva Beach- Pride of Salcete Dona Paula, Miramar(Gaspar Dias)- A lovely golden beach and Anjuna beach are some of the famous beaches in Goa. Scenic beauty Goa has number of other scenic options. One such attraction is Waterfall. Goa lies between Sahyadri hills and Arabian Sea. Goa is full of beautiful springs, lakes, and waterfalls. While traveling to these places one gets to see the natural beauty of Goa. Dudhsagar Water Falls, Kesarval Springs, Mayem Lake, Arvalem Waterfall, Kuskem Waterfall are some of the famous water falls in Goa. Churches Goa is well known for its Churches. Churches in goa well known for its architecture. During the Portuguese regime there were many churches built and now have become world heritage site. Royal Chapel of St Anthony, Church of The Carmelites, Church of St.Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, Basilica of Bom Jesus, Chapel of St.Catherine, Reis Magos Church, Church of Our Lady of Rosary in Goa Se Cathedral, to name few of them. Temple In olden times when Portuguese invaded Goa. In every village of Goa there was a temple and a lord to worship for each village. These temples still exist giving each village a distinct feature to differentiate. For example, Mangeshi Temple of Mangeshi village. Goan temple architecture is a mixture of Portuguese and Maratha style like Mandapa of Goa temples. Mangeshi Temple, Sri Kamakshi Temple, Sri Vithal Temple, Sri Shantadurga Temple in Kavlem are some of the famous temples in Goa. Mosque Jama Masjid and Safa Masjid at Ponda are the famous mosques in Goa. Wild life centuries Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife, Sanctuary,Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Mollem National Park, Bondla wild life Forest, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, are some of the famous wild life centuries. Monuments Forts   Chapora Fort, Fort Aguada, Teracol Fort, Reis Magos Fort, Mormugao Fort, Rachol Fort, Naroa Fort, Corjuem Fort,Cabo De Rama Fort in Goa Other attractions There are plantations like Savoi Plantation, Sahakari Spice Farm, Tropical Spice Plantation, Pascol Spice Village which attracts tourist. There are caves and other natural beauties of Goa that attracts whole lot of domestic and foreign tourist. Tourist also visit the heritage homes like Sarah Fernandes. In Goa adventure sports attracts a number of tourists. Its one of the few places in India known to have adventure sports facilities.People also visit Goa for medical purpose also Impact of tourism in Goa It helps in the preservation of National Heritage and Environment. Helps in developing Infrastructure. It helps in creating job opportunities and in the development of economy. Most of the rich and famous metropolises are investing in Goa which has pushed up land prices and has created overcrowding. Garbage is one of the problem in Goa and there is no proper infrastructure to deal with it. Tourist places are piled up with garbage because of the increased number of tourist in Goa. As a result Goa is facing a major problem of solid waste management. Most of the tourist prefers to visit places in the North which has resulted in the exceeding carrying capacity. Goas tourism belt is getting overcrowded. Overexploitation of beaches due to the tourism related activities. Suggestions: Provide Information Centre to the inbound tourists Promote Real Goa and not the commercialized version of Goa The protection of the environment can be achieved by proper planning and management of various spatial entities viz. Water resources, land, settlements, forests etc. in the most effective manner. Strengthen the basic infrastructure at beaches, temples, churches, monuments and other tourist spots, including parking and changing rooms/toilets and proper illumination from safety and security point of view, besides regular and timely disposal of garbage generated by hotels, shacks and others Scope to develop ecotourism along the Ghats, hills and wildlife sanctuaries, and adventure tourism Encourage agro-eco-tourism Souvenirs and mementos prepared by village artisans and craftsmen, offer tremendous scope for branding the local products, help the rural economy to grow There are overcrowded beaches in north Goa like Calangute beach, Baga beach, Candolim beach, Anjuna beach but there are more beautiful beaches down south so can focus to arrange tours and travels for the less crowded beaches for example Keri Beach, Velsao Beach, Palolem beach, Majorda beach, Senabatim beach, Uttrda Beach and so on. Tour guides should properly be trained to accompany tourist to the places of special significance. Should be trained to explain significance of religious places also inform them about religious services which are being offered there.

Uganda and Australia Economic Comparison

Uganda and Australia Economic Comparison Miranda Cogdell Audra Harris INTRODUCTION This essay will reflect a comparison between the poor nation of Uganda and the wealthy nation of Australia. Differences between a poor nation and wealthy one both depend on on the same factors which include: Infrastructure, exports, imports, education, GDP, population, and etc. These factors is what basically makes or breaks a country. Aspects like nutrition and health depend on these factors because it’s what makes available resources and funds to be able to afford the necessary equipment and supplies to sustain a healthy nation. What makes a nation wealthy doesn’t solely depend on the money aspect, but the benefits of being provided opportunity to allow a country to grow and have economic stability. Throughout this essay I will describes current events that Uganda is facing compared to Australia whose information provided is more general. The difference is significant because of lack of opportunity that Uganda has been provided. GDP Gross Domestic Product of a country depends on several things. All of which can be at different levels within the country. GDP depends on education status, exports, imports, infrastructure, government spending, and investment. According to the World Bank source, Uganda’s GDP in 2012 was 19.88 billion USD. Australia’s GDP is 1.521 trillion USD according to the World Bank. It is quite clear to see the difference between these two countries GDPs. Australia is more advanced than Uganda in many aspects. Uganda is labeled one of the poorest countries because it hasn’t been able to come above the poverty line. In order to make money there must be money that has to be spent. There isn’t much income within the country of Uganda, so the steps that this country takes to try to create stability are very careful steps. INFRASTRUCTURE Infrastructure can be a road, building, or substantial physical supplies that help in the improvement and advancement of a society, community, or country. Uganda is quite a poor nation and several years ago a program was established to produce a number of roads to better the transportation in Uganda communities. One of their biggest problems were the lack of access to transportation to improve the agricultural aspect of Uganda. ‘..the lack of access roads in many rural communities made it extremely difficult for farmers to market their produce. This limited farmers’ productivity, contributed to their apathy about technical innovations, and burdened traders in rural areas with high transaction costs. Farmers received lower prices as a result. In addition, farmers lacked reliable, up to-date information on market prices, and were largely unaware of potentially profitable market opportunities.† (Uganda: Community Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Programme, pg. 6) The above statement states the problems that those in Uganda were having. For a country to have a better GDP, problems like this should be fixed. Uganda’s infrastructure is low and needs to be improved. Electricity is also beginning to become a sufficient problem within Uganda. The school systems are starting to struggle more. Students in primary and secondary schools need the necessary technology to advance their educ ation, but that will not happen without an electrical resource. Programs such a the Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Program is one of the first to show improvements, which can lead to the opening of other infrastructure programs that help build the country. It’s just one of the many steps to improve the country’s GDP and put them on a higher scale in the world. Australia is a well rounded country whose GDP is not lacking in any sense. They are in a place where they are able to produce roads and buildings to further their prospering country. They are currently going through a tax loss and they now make list three times out of the year of infrastructure priorities that should take place. EXPORTS AND IMPORTS Uganda is one of the poorest countries because of its economic instability, but the past years have consisted of statistics that shows the growth of the country due to the help of it’s natural resources. Since Uganda is rich in agriculture, so they mainly focus their exports on crops and such. Their main exports consist of coffee, tea, cotton, and tobacco. Their imports is what really shows the struggle the nation faces. They import things such as equipment, medical supplies, and transportation. Becoming a wealthy nation isn’t the easiest thing to do, but right now the best growth that Uganda will see is through it’s exports. Agriculture is their best chance at gaining somewhat of a fair economic stability compared to other countries. Australia has surprisingly shown up and down battles when it comes to exports and imports. Australia has similar top trading partners for exports and imports which would include: Japan, United States, Republic of Korea, China, India, and etc. Australia’s best exports have been beginning to decline in the past three years. Commodities such as coal, aluminum, and copper have all declined in the past years. It hasn’t reached a point where the country has to worry, but investigating the situation may be helpful. There could many possibilities on why countries Australia normally trades with aren’t wanting the usual amount of commodities. Other countries could be facing financial problems of their own or have found a cheaper price from a different country. Exports and imports are very important parts in balancing the equation in calculating the GDP of a country. When variables begin to be adjusted, in this case, the variables are being adjusted in a negative slope. EDUCATION Education is seen as one of the most important aspects of developing a wealthy nation. In recent articles there has been many debates on what is really holding back an advancement in education in Uganda. Sean Coughlan, a BBC News correspondent, recently published an article about why exactly Uganda isn’t experiencing any improvements in education. The answers seem to be clear and it is because of the lack of teachers and infrastructure in Uganda. Many teachers are still waiting to receive their payment for the previous month. Money is a serious problem in the school system. There isn’t enough money to fund the teachers. Coughlan suggest that since many of the teachers in Uganda have to find multiple jobs to pay their bills they don’t put all of their focus on the children and the schools. This is when it becomes even more of a problem. Promoting Equality in African Schools (PEAS) is a program that helps sustain and improve the quality and standard of schools in A frica. PEAS came up with a solution that may help with some of the financial problems. The parents are required to pay a small fee to schools. This will allow future income to fund the teachers, but this isn’t the last of the schooling problems. Infrastructure has become an issue. There is a great lack of electricity that Uganda is available to, and the schools need computers and textbooks. Compared to other well functioning countries, not having new technology in schools is out of the question. If infrastructure improves, then that could be the breakthrough that schools need to provide a better education for the students. Australian educational system is very diverse and growing rapidly. Compared to any other stables country, Australia has a number of primary and secondary schools, song with universities that are government funded. They do not lack any funds within their school systems, but that doesn’t mean that students are always focused and have the best test scores. Recently, there have been studies that have shown that Australian teenage students are showing fallen math and reading scores compared to ten years prior. These students are provided with new computers and other new technology advancement to encourage the students, but it doesn’t seem to be having the effect that was hoped for. This proves that new technology will not give the necessary encouragement students in wealthy nations need to be successful and driven. POPULATION Uganda was making great strides in decreasing poverty within the country, but the increase in population is making it hard to continue on that path. The increase in population is only making things quite difficult on rural areas. This just means that there are going to be more people who fall beneath the poverty line. Population increase can cause more harm than good in poor countries. It starts to affect the health and nutrition of the people and only adds to already many problems. Many are farmers in these rural areas and they aren’t able to have access to the things they need to establish regular income. These farmers typically live in the remote rural areas where there are not sufficient and able roads. These farmers are also oblivious to new technology that would increase their crops and keep the pest away. Currently, Australia is going through a boom in their population due to a lag in previous generations. Research shows that the impact the population has an area depends on their practices and daily intake. Although, Australia is able to provide double the exports and imports which would be enough for their country , but also any country outside of theirs. But there is debate on rather or not the population should increase abundantly. People are assuming that if the population begins to increase, then everyone will have to start to cut back on their intake of items. CONCLUSION Parts of Uganda are starting to develop at a sufficient pace, but there are other problems in different areas that are causing setbacks for the developing parts. While researching the two countries I could tell by the GDP which country would be considered the poor one and which the wealthy. Uganda main struggling points is education and infrastructure. They have the natural resources to strive in agricultural, but their rural areas are not witnessing the same economic growth because they are in remote parts of the country. Both farmers and students cannot be helped until the roads and newer technology is introduced to them. My personal belief is that these people should be removed from these areas and brought to more developing parts of the country. As population increases it becomes a greater problem because now there are more people in these remote areas who are not getting the proper care and resources they need. I believe to be a wealthy nation one must be awarded the opportunity to be wealthy. I find it odd that countries like Australia could thrive, but Uganda is not. I’m not saying that Uganda will never thrive, but why aren’t they at the same level as Australia. Why are there still remote parts of Uganda that people are a part of. I believe countries are giving opportunities to become better and Uganda was not one of them along with other poor nations. How come our ways aren’t moving towards the poor nations and trying to help improve them. Many wealthy nations have the resources and funding to help poor nations rise and stand on their own feet. Uganda being rich in agriculture could be a benefit to other countries. They export to great countries, but those exports could double if farmers in remote parts weren’t so isolated and so uninvolved in the economic growth and decisions of more developing parts. I have yet to find any real true answer to why these coun tries are so different in mass ways. Yes, it’s clear that with no resources there is nothing to come from, but resources can be shared and provided in great demand from other wealthy countries. Something should be done outside the poor nations to fix the economic problems. Poverty shouldn’t come in such large numbers. One country shouldn’t worry about not having clean fresh water while the other could care less because they see it as it will always be there. Something must be done. Citations African Development Bank Building today, a better Africa tomorrow. African Development Bank Building today, a better Africa tomorrow. 25 Mar. 2014 http://www.afdb.org/>. Australias trade in goods and services Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and  Trade. Australias trade in goods and services Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 18 Feb. 2014. http://dfat.gov.au/publications/tgs/index.html. Beder, Sharon. The Nature of Sustainable Development. 2nd ed. Scribe, Newham, 1996, pp. 159-61. Coughlan, Sean. Tackling Ugandas lack of school places. BBC News. 08 Jan. 2014. 21 Feb. 2014.  http://www.bbc.com/news/business-25304848. Economy Watch Follow The Money. Uganda Trade, Import, Export. 02 Mar. 2014 http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/uganda/export-import.html. Home Rural Poverty Portal. Rural Poverty Portal. 22 Feb. 2014 http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/uganda. Infrastructure Priority List Submissions. Infrastructure Priority List Submissions. 15 Feb. 2014  http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/priority_list/submissions.aspx.

King Lear :: essays research papers

King Lear: topic #2, revision. Matt Diggs III "Lear: Be your tears wet? Yes faith, I pray weep not. If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me; for your sisters Have (as I do remember) done me wrong. You have some cause, they have not. Cordelia: No cause, no cause." In Shakespeare's King Lear the character Cordelia is disowned and denied dowry because she is unable to bring herself to flatter her father. This honesty is taken as insult by Lear in the opening act of the play, and he renounces the princess in a fit of rage. Yet when his other, more "glib and oily (I.i. 224)" daughters have ruined him, it is faithful Cordelia who comforts him. While she has the greatest reason to act against Lear, she claims she has "No cause,(IV,iv,74)" to do so. What is it within Cordelia's soul that manifests good in the face of evil? What qualities make her the play's most virtuous character? Because she is not actually present during the majority of the play, it is difficult to obtain an accurate psychological picture of Cordelia. BUT HER WORDS AND ACTIONS, HOWEVER SPARSE, DEFINE CORDELIA AS HONEST, SELFLESS AND COURAGEOUS. It is these qualities that display Cordelia's clear comprehension of the duties implicit in the father-daughter a nd king-subject bond. Part of Cordelia's moral integrity lies in her bluntness, and while Lear's daughter does seem tactless in her first appearance, saying, "Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth. I love your Majesty According to my bond, no more nor less, (I.i.91-93)" it is this honesty that contrast her to her sisters. In Lear, the long diatribes of compliment often belong to the most vile of characters, but not so with Cordelia. Her love is boundless, but not expressible through flattery. Though she makes little effort to elucidate her simple words, her bond is substantial, having been "Begot, bred and loved,(I,i,96)" by her father. Cordelia speaks in her explanation of performing her duties as she sees "right fit.(I,i,97)" Acting with such perfect purpose defines the princess as possibly the only absolutely righteous character in the play. But apart from merely confronting the possibility of losing her fortunes, she accepts her king's decision with silence. She knows the consequences of her actions, yet does not stray from her ethical duties. Cordelia's reverence for Lear does not blur her comprehension of his folly. King Lear :: essays research papers King Lear: topic #2, revision. Matt Diggs III "Lear: Be your tears wet? Yes faith, I pray weep not. If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me; for your sisters Have (as I do remember) done me wrong. You have some cause, they have not. Cordelia: No cause, no cause." In Shakespeare's King Lear the character Cordelia is disowned and denied dowry because she is unable to bring herself to flatter her father. This honesty is taken as insult by Lear in the opening act of the play, and he renounces the princess in a fit of rage. Yet when his other, more "glib and oily (I.i. 224)" daughters have ruined him, it is faithful Cordelia who comforts him. While she has the greatest reason to act against Lear, she claims she has "No cause,(IV,iv,74)" to do so. What is it within Cordelia's soul that manifests good in the face of evil? What qualities make her the play's most virtuous character? Because she is not actually present during the majority of the play, it is difficult to obtain an accurate psychological picture of Cordelia. BUT HER WORDS AND ACTIONS, HOWEVER SPARSE, DEFINE CORDELIA AS HONEST, SELFLESS AND COURAGEOUS. It is these qualities that display Cordelia's clear comprehension of the duties implicit in the father-daughter a nd king-subject bond. Part of Cordelia's moral integrity lies in her bluntness, and while Lear's daughter does seem tactless in her first appearance, saying, "Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth. I love your Majesty According to my bond, no more nor less, (I.i.91-93)" it is this honesty that contrast her to her sisters. In Lear, the long diatribes of compliment often belong to the most vile of characters, but not so with Cordelia. Her love is boundless, but not expressible through flattery. Though she makes little effort to elucidate her simple words, her bond is substantial, having been "Begot, bred and loved,(I,i,96)" by her father. Cordelia speaks in her explanation of performing her duties as she sees "right fit.(I,i,97)" Acting with such perfect purpose defines the princess as possibly the only absolutely righteous character in the play. But apart from merely confronting the possibility of losing her fortunes, she accepts her king's decision with silence. She knows the consequences of her actions, yet does not stray from her ethical duties. Cordelia's reverence for Lear does not blur her comprehension of his folly.

Free Essays - Comparing Young Goodman Brown and Soldier’s Home :: comparison compare contrast essays

Young Goodman Brown:   Going Home    My home is my haven and the place that I feel the safest and most comfortable at. It is where many good memories and feelings arise and I am able to be myself with no false pretenses. It is my â€Å"Home Sweet Home† yet the stories â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and â€Å"Soldier’s Home,† by Ernest Hemingway show a different attitude about home going and the effects it has on the main characters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Hawthorne’s story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Goodman Brown ventures on a journey into the forest and refuses the temptations of the devil. Unfortunately though, throughout the night, Brown finds out more than he ever wanted to know about how his fellow Puritan townsmen, including his wife, have betrayed their faith by giving into their dark desires. In utter despair, Goodman Brown returns at dawn to his Salem village â€Å"staring around him like a bewildered man.† (Hawthorne, pg.275) He doesn’t believe it is the same place as it was the night before and he no longer feels at home. Whether his experiences were real or not, his faith is gone and he feels as though he is the only pure one. He suffers tremendous guilt and discomfort and trusts no one. His excessive pride is evident when he takes a child away from a blessing given by Goody Cloyse, his former catechism teacher, as if he were taking the child â⠂¬Å"from the fiend himself.† (Hawthorne, pg.276) His distrust and resentment towards his townsmen is apparent when he sees his wife, Faith. She is overwhelmed with joy to see him arrive home yet he looked â€Å"sternly and sadly into her face and passed on without a greeting.† (Hawthorne, pg.276) All that he learned in the night was too much for him, and it changed a devoted husband with bright hopes and a wife whom he loved, to a tired, beaten, questioning and almost faithless man.       Harold Krebs in Hemingway’s â€Å"Soldier’s Home,† returns from World War I to a society that he no longer feels a part of and receives no welcome for his heroic deeds. He resents being home which is largely due to the fact, that during the war he led a very simple lifestyle and upon returning home is thrust back into a complicated domestic life.   He tries to seek refuge by withdrawing from society and engages himself in individual activities.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 11

Simon hadn't had a lot to give me, but just like every other time I'd gotten an energy fix recently, I had the dream. It played out the same as always, starting with the dishes, going all the way up to when my dream-self looked into the living room to smile at the little girl. After a few more moments, my dream-self returned to her dishes. Silently, I screamed at her to look back. I couldn't get enough of the girl. I wanted to drink her in. I could have watched her forever, taking in those long-lashed eyes and wispy curls. Then, as though she could hear me, my dream-self glanced back into the other room. The girl was gone. My dream-self jerked her hands out of the water, just in time to hear a thump and a crash. The sound of crying followed, and then I woke up. It was late morning, and my energy was gone. That honestly didn't surprise me anymore. Coupled with that loss, however, was a new sensation. I felt cold, chilled to the bone. My skin also felt wet, like I'd been submerged in water. When I ran my fingers over my arm, it was perfectly dry. Nonetheless, I put on the heaviest sweater I could find, and eventually the chill abated. Work was busy and not particularly eventful until the end, when Maddie casually reminded me about us hanging out afterward. I nearly walked into a display when she said that. In my haste yesterday, I'd gone ahead and made plans with both Maddie and Seth for after work. I had a tendency to do that kind of thing when I was stressed. I felt so popular. And, as I often did in this kind of situation, I solved it by combining both of my mistakes into one solution. â€Å"Maddie wanted to hang out tonight,† I told Seth. â€Å"I think she's lonely. Mind if I bring her in for the babysitting thing?† â€Å"Sure,† he said, not looking up from his laptop. â€Å"Seth wanted help babysitting tonight,† I told Maddie. â€Å"Do you mind if we sort of make that our evening activity?† Maddie gave the proposition a bit more thought than Seth had. She didn't look upset so much as puzzled. â€Å"I haven't really been around many kids. It's not that I don't like them†¦just that it's always kind of weird.† â€Å"His nieces are great,† I assured her. â€Å"You'll be a convert.† I felt a little bad about strong-arming her into the Mortensen family adventure. She stayed silent for most of the ride up, keeping her thoughts to herself. Seth's family lived up north of the city, in Lake Forest Park. Their house looked exactly like the other ones on the street, but I suspected it was a necessary sacrifice in order to accommodate two adults and five girls. â€Å"Oh my God,† said Maddie when we stepped inside the house. All five Mortensen daughters were there. They ranged in age from four to fourteen, all sharing their mother's blond hair and blue eyes. We seemed to have walked into the middle of an argument. â€Å"Maybe†¦this wasn't such a good idea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I looked around the room. Seth had gotten there earlier, and Terry and Andrea had already left to do their shopping. Fourteen-year-old Brandy tried to make her voice heard over that of Kendall, who was nine and the twins McKenna and Morgan who were six. Only four-year-old Kayla, sitting on the couch beside her uncle, listened quietly. I couldn't even tell what the others were fighting about. â€Å"It can spin webs!† cried Kendall. â€Å"No, it can't. That's just its name.† Brandy looked weary. The others weren't paying attention to her. â€Å"The horn would slice the webs!† cried McKenna. Morgan backed her by making a chopping motion with her hand. â€Å"Not if the monkey trapped it first,† retorted Kendall. â€Å"The unicorn can run fast. The monkey couldn't catch it.† â€Å"Then it's a coward!† Kendall looked triumphant. â€Å"It loses automatically if it doesn't show up for the fight.† Both twins appeared stumped by this bit of logic. â€Å"This is a stupid argument,† said Brandy. â€Å"Unicorns aren't real.† The other three girls turned on her and started shouting their protests. â€Å"HEY!† I yelled over the cacophony. Everyone fell silent and looked at me. I don't think the girls had noticed my arrival. â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"A debate over who would win if a unicorn got in a fight with a spider monkey,† said Seth. Beside me, Maddie made a strange noise that sounded suspiciously like a squelched laugh. â€Å"It's been compelling and well thought out,† added Seth, his voice deadpan. Brandy groaned. â€Å"Unicorns aren't real.† â€Å"Spider monkeys aren't real!† McKenna shot back. â€Å"Yes, they are,† said Brandy. â€Å"This is all pointless.† Kendall glared at her. â€Å"It's hypocritical.† â€Å"Hypothetical,† I corrected. â€Å"Don't worry,† Seth told Maddie and me. â€Å"It's downright civil compared to the mermaid-centaur debate.† â€Å"Guys,† I said. â€Å"This is Maddie.† I ticked off the girls' names for her, one by one. â€Å"Hi,† said Maddie nervously. She eyed each girl, then looked at Seth uncertainly. She'd been acting differently around him since the auction, and I made a mental note to harass him about their date. â€Å"This might have been a bad idea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He smiled one of those sweet smiles that could make anyone feel better. She smiled back, relaxing a little. â€Å"Nope. We need all the help we can get around here.† He rose, scooping up Kayla as he rose. â€Å"What I actually need is a distraction while everyone under age nine gets put to bed.† The twins cried out in dismay. I glanced at Brandy and Kendall. â€Å"Sounds easy enough.† â€Å"Don't speak so soon,† warned Brandy. Kendall was already in motion. She tore out of the room and returned with a long cardboard box that she nearly shoved into my face. â€Å"Look what Grandma sent me.† It was a Monopoly game. â€Å"The Industrial Revolution edition?† I asked dumbfounded. â€Å"It's about the only edition they hadn't made yet,† remarked Seth. â€Å"I think they're kind of grasping at straws.† â€Å"You got that for Christmas?† I asked. â€Å"You wanted it for Christmas?† â€Å"I want to be a real estate mongrel when I grow up,† she explained. â€Å"Mogul,† I corrected. â€Å"And I thought you wanted to be a pirate?† She gave me a pitying look. â€Å"They don't have very good health insurance.† I pointed to the box. â€Å"But why the Industrial Revolution? Wouldn't you have rather had, I don't know, the Barbie edition? Or the Sephora edition?† I kind of wanted that last one for myself. â€Å"The Industrial Revolution was an important period in Western Civilization. The developments in production and manufacturing forever changed the face of our culture and socioeconomic status.† She paused. â€Å"You wanna play?† â€Å"Is one of the pieces a spinning jenny?† asked Maddie. Seth laughed. â€Å"Actually, it is.† â€Å"I'm in,† she said. Kayla, who was in Seth's arms, appeared on the verge of falling asleep then and there. Her cuddly form reminded me of the dream girl, and my heart lurched. Suddenly, Monopoly held little appeal. I walked over to Seth. â€Å"Tell you what. You play, and I'll take bedtime duty.† â€Å"You sure?† â€Å"Positive.† He passed her off, and she wrapped her little arms around my neck. With the twins in tow, I left the others to set up the game. Maddie looked distinctly uncomfortable at being abandoned, but I knew she'd do fine. Sometimes being forced to socialize was the best way to learn. The twins were surprisingly easy to put to bed, probably because they slept in the same room. Going to bed wasn't such a big deal when you had a sister to whisper to and giggle with. I supervised the brushing of teeth and putting on of pajamas, then closed them in with warnings that I'd check back. Still balancing Kayla on one hip, I carried her to the room she shared with Kendall. Kayla almost never said anything, so I wasn't particularly surprised when she didn't protest having a pink nightgown pulled over her head and being tucked under the covers. I sat on the edge of her bed and handed her a stuffed unicorn I'd found on the floor. She wrapped it in her arms. â€Å"I think it could take the spider monkey,† I told her. Kayla said nothing but just watched me with those huge blue eyes. They were filled with such trust and sweetness – just like my daughter in the dream. How amazing would it be to do this every night? To tuck someone in and kiss her forehead, then wake up with her each morning? Suddenly, fearing I might cry in front of a four-year-old, I started to rise. To my complete astonishment, she held out her hand and touched my arm. â€Å"Georgina.† Her voice was small and soprano and sweet. I sat back down. â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"Don't leave,† she said. â€Å"Oh, honey. I have to. You need to sleep.† â€Å"Monsters will come.† â€Å"What monsters?† â€Å"The bad ones.† â€Å"Ah. I see. Are they under your bed?† I was pretty sure that's where most monsters lived. Aside from the ones I played poker with and bought Secret Santa presents for. She shook her head and pointed up at the ceiling. â€Å"They live there. In space.† â€Å"Are they aliens?† As much as I hated the thought of her being afraid to go to bed, I was rather enchanted to be having a conversation with her for the first time ever. She was as articulate as all the other girls – not that I should have been surprised by that. â€Å"No. They're monsters. They swoop in the air and go in people's dreams.† I caught on to her reluctance to sleep now. â€Å"Have you been having nightmares?† â€Å"No. But the monsters are there. I feel them.† Something about her words and the serious set of her face sent a chill down my spine. â€Å"You want me to stay until you fall asleep? Will that keep them away?† â€Å"Maybe,† she said. She touched my arm again. â€Å"You're magic.† I wondered then if Kayla might be a psychic in the making, like Erik or Dante. The way she spoke implied more than a childhood belief in magic. There was almost an authority there. She'd be worth keeping an eye on, but I wouldn't pursue anything now. I certainly wasn't going to start quizzing her about auras. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"I'll stay.† I lay down beside her, and she studied me in silence. I began humming an old song, which made her smile and close her eyes. When I finished, she opened her eyes again. â€Å"What are the words?† â€Å"Eh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That was hard to answer. It was a song from my mortal life, one that had been composed in an ancient Cyprian dialect no one spoke anymore. My husband used to sing it to me. Knowing I couldn't reproduce the rhymes or any sort of good translation on the spot, I simply sang it to her in the original language. The syllables, familiar yet strange, came awkwardly to my lips. When I finished, Kayla didn't say anything or move. I waited a couple more minutes and slowly got out of the bed. She continued sleeping. Turning off the light, I left the room and returned to the Monopoly players. Seth smiled at my approach and made room for me beside him on the floor. â€Å"Luddites burn your mill. Pay five-hundred dollars.† Brandy grimaced at her Chance card. â€Å"Weak.† â€Å"That's not as much as I had to pay when the Factory Acts cut my child labor force a couple turns ago,† Maddie pointed out. As I'd hoped, she seemed perfectly at ease now. Kendall rolled the dice and moved her miniature pewter Oliver Twist book ahead three spaces. â€Å"I wish I had a job, so I could save capitalism for my investments.† â€Å"Capital,† the rest of us said in unison. Kendall glanced up at me. â€Å"I could work at your bookstore. Under the table.† â€Å"Like stacking books under the table?† asked Brandy. Kendall ignored her. â€Å"Don't you need extra help?† I ruffled her hair. â€Å"Not until you're of age, I'm afraid.† Maddie moved her pewter spinning jenny. â€Å"Yeah, haven't you learned anything from this game? You'd get us shut down. Georgina doesn't need that kind of paperwork.† â€Å"How's your manager job?† asked Brandy. â€Å"Is it harder?† â€Å"Mostly it's†¦different.† Kendall brightened. â€Å"I could have your old job.† â€Å"Sorry. No vacancy. Maddie took my place.† Kendall sighed. Seth landed on a silk mill no one had purchased yet and began rustling up money. â€Å"The girls go to bed okay?† â€Å"Yeah†¦Kayla had a hard time, though. She was worried about nightmares.† He looked up in surprise. â€Å"She told you that? She, like, spoke?† â€Å"Yeah, we had a whole discourse. Laughed, cried, shared our hopes and fears. I think she has an oratorical career ahead of her.† â€Å"What's ‘oratorical' mean?† asked Kendall. â€Å"It refers to speaking in public,† Maddie explained. â€Å"Giving speeches. Talking in front of others.† â€Å"Oh. Uncle Seth doesn't have an oratorical career.† We all laughed. â€Å"No,† agreed Maddie. â€Å"He doesn't. I certainly don't either.† Seth high-fived her. â€Å"Introverts unite.† Brandy picked up another Chance card and groaned. â€Å"Cholera outbreak! Not again!† When the night finally ended and Seth's brother and sister-in-law came home, I was happy to learn that Maddie had had a really good time. â€Å"Kids aren't so bad as long as they're brainiac Mortensen offspring. Terry and Andrea were nice too. Good genes in that group.† â€Å"Yup,† I agreed. Maddie definitely needed more socialization, I decided. She was cheerful and upbeat, her eyes sparkling and excited. This had been a good night. I dropped her off at Doug's and drove back to my apartment. The parking gods weren't with me tonight, and I ended up about five blocks away. As I walked, I passed a newspaper dispenser for the Seattle Times. I usually read the headlines at the store but hadn't today. I paused in front of it, one article catching my eye. It was a weird story about a local man who'd turned delusional. He'd had a dream that if he swam across Puget Sound, it would bring wealth and security to his struggling family. Sadly, he hadn't made it very far before drowning in the freezing waters. The ironic part was that although some might consider the feat suicidal, his massive life insurance policy was going to pay out. His family would get their wealth and security after all. Staring blankly at the paper, I thought about the poor man succumbing and disappearing under the dark waves. I suddenly flashed back to this morning, and it was like I could feel the cold, wet sensation all over again. For half a second, I couldn't breathe. It was as though my lungs were filling with water, suffocating me. I shuddered and absentmindedly ran my hands over my arms, the d? ¦j? ¤ vu nearly overpowering me. Water. Water everywhere. Cold. Black. Smothering†¦ I shivered and finally made myself start walking again, needing to find someplace warm.

What if anything was surprising about the post-war economic recovery of Europe

In the immediate period after V. E Day there was a realization by all sides of the conflict that the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919 had itself been one of the main catalysts to the Second World War. This meant that a new approach would need to be taken to reconstruct Europe and it would need to do so with a broader view of Europe as a whole. The Second World War inflicted appalling loses on resources, infrastructure, and, above all human lives. The war cost anything up to fifty million lives and displaced millions more. However although conditions were anything but propitious for economic growth a dramatic transformation took place over the next â€Å"30 glorious years†. Both Eastern and Western Europe†s economies were massively distorted by the demands of war; normal production ground to a halt and trade decreased further weakening Europe†s position in the world economy. The subsequent result of the unprecedented destruction was starvation and inflation together with a legacy of conflict that left Europeans mentally and emotionally exhausted. The fact that the war was the first to be directly targeted at civilians, both through ethnic genocide and warfare in urban areas (most destructively from the air), meant that economics would need to be at the core of any peacetime solutions. There were three elements to the economic impact that affected Europe, and the measures that were introduced to solve these crises paved the way for the turn-around that Europe experienced between the late 1940†³s and early 1970†³s. The first factor was the disruption to Europe†s productive assets, a rise in military production had exhausted capital stocks and many factories were themselves destroyed by the conflict. Industrial capitals such as transport and communication infrastructures were also debilitated. The second effect was of Capital loss, the colonial powers had been forced to dispose of foreign assets and had simultaneously accumulated huge debts. A drop in domestic consumption and investment also left their economies depleted. Thirdly European states (especially France and Britain) were under the obligations of the Lend-Lease agreements which sponsors like the U. S. A and other lending states had supplied to boost their war effort. Despite these extreme difficulties rehabilitation followed surprisingly quickly. In the west in particular there was rapid reconstruction and recovery, meaning the first phase of economic development lasted no more than ten years. In the east, where the scale of devastation and loss of life had been far greater, the process needed to go beyond mere rebuilding and the imposition of Soviet communist control meant that transformation would take significantly longer. The ‘super-boom† that began in post-war Europe can therefore be seen as somewhat of an economic miracle, with many of it†s features being the only positive repercussions of the war. In the west priority was given to rebuilding the infrastructure rather than to satisfying consumption needs (except food). At the same time the economic methods of John Maynard Keynes were being used to squeeze out inflation through financial controls, higher taxes and currency reform. Since controlling inflation added to unemployment and shortages in essential products, new social services were introduced to minimise these negative affects on the population, who after all were still recovering from the hardships of war. The Welfare States that were created also helped in getting the economies moving quickly. The other crucial benefit that the western states had over the communist east was the financial help they received from the U. S. A through Marshal Aid. Between 1947 and 1952 $23 billion was made available to Europe, this hard currency enabled Western economies to ensure their recovery by buying the goods they needed to reconstruct and modernise. So, while in 1946 West European production was only 8% of the world†s total, by 1950 it accounted for almost 20%. In the east, where the starting situation was far worse than in the west due to ferociously destructive battles and Nazi depredations, reconstruction was unimportant compared to the more immediate concerns of feeding and housing the vastly displaced population. In fact in the USSR more people died after the war had finished of starvation, than had during the actual conflict. The period was also witnessing huge social and political changes with Stalin consolidating his firm grip on power, the effect this had on the East†s economic recovery was negative compared to that of the West. Land was distributed to the poor and most industrial property was nationalised. However most importantly there was no support given to Eastern Block states by the U. S. A as Marshal himself distrusted Stalin and thought that he was planning to seize more of Europe. However, Stalin was only utilising the satellite states to help rebuild the soviet economy, yet these factors ensured there was no ‘boom† in the east for at least a decade. In the west when reconstruction was achieved growth was barely interrupted for the next thirty years until the oil crisis of 1973. The technological advances and new production methods during this period were another of the positive after effects of the war. New consumer goods such as televisions were the visible side of the booming economies and by the 1960†³s Western Europe was once again the largest trading block in the world with Gross Domestic Products up to eight times that of the first half of the century. All this was achieved without massive inflation because productivity rose enormously and capacity was fully used. However, to economic historians this economic revival can be seen as surprising and somewhat unexplainable. Technical factors played a part, with new sources of energy, more modern communications, new styles of management and new production practices all helping to streamline the economies. Most of these were derived from the war or the more advanced America, who†s economy was unscathed by war. Another factor was the more ‘hands on† approach taken by western governments in managing their economies. In this way they were able to stimulate a ‘mixed economy† which had elements of private finance and nationalised industries. Keynes ideal was to have no sector of the economy that did not have a government presence. He saw that the mistake of forgetting economics at Versailles led to the boom and bust that enabled nationalism to influence Europe. One other reason for these changes was to attempt to catch up the more advanced economies, most notably the U. S. A. The high levels of capital investment and the move of resources from agricultural to more productive sectors all benefited this goal. The actual stimulus to employment and trade that reconstruction created also kick-started the boom. Social elements also affected the economies of Western states. The ‘baby-boom† of the war years produced a younger and better-educated work force, who also reflected the impact of the new welfare provisions that had been constructed. As demographics changed the population was also modernised in other ways. Urbanisation began at a greater level to compliment the new industries that were developing. Also women, who had entered the work place during the war, meant that the work force was diversifying as well as specialising. Family structures were therefore changing, with the ‘nuclear family† being more mobile and functional. All of these factors helped ensure that the population was becoming more affluent and adapted to the new economy. This population was also becoming more at ease with buying consumer products as the burdens of the thirties and forties gave way to a more positive looking future. More money was also being spent in new industries such as tourism and leisure. This new wealth also meant that class structures were being eroded as a new economically independent middle class emerged. The West was also experiencing political stability, better labour relations and, by utilising the new attitudes in economy management, ensuring low unemployment. These factors all contributed vastly to the boom. Externally the protection that Western Europe was experiencing from the U. S. A helped growth. The Bretton Woods system that ensured exchange rate stability across the Atlantic until the 1960†³s was one part of this. Perhaps none of these factors can explain the surge in economic growth on their own. It was probably a fact that so many things came right at the same time and that the mistakes that had been made after the First World War were heeded. By 1970 the Western European economies had transformed beyond recognition, not only in size but also in organisation and geographical terms. One negative effect of this was the greater divergence from Eastern Europe that the new society exacerbated. It is easy to ask why this ‘economic miracle† was so surprising as the scale of destruction the Second World War wrought was so huge. However this was not the first time that Europe had needed to rebuild itself and governments had come to realise that they should forsake economics at their own peril.

Bad Writing Assignment(Intentional)

An Indiana supermarket has started the next trend in do-it-yourself grocery shopping – allowing customers not only to check themselves out. But also to let themselves in. On Thanksgiving night in Goshen, the locking mechanism on its front door was not checked by someone at the store. That resulted in a dozen customers entering the store and trying to shop despite a complete absence of store employees. Normally open 24 hours a day, the doors of the store were shut at 6 p. m. on Thanksgiving evening. Store manager, Sheila Donley, said. It seems the locks on the front doors must have failed, and instead of actually sleeping off their turkey dinners or getting an early head start on Black Friday, some loyal Kroger customers decided to pick up a few extra items. † Since the locking mechanism had failed the doors were not easy to slide open, Donley said, that may have deterred others who came earlier in the evening. About 10:15 p. m. , though, one customer decided the store lo oked open. And pulled the sliding front doors apart just as several other shoppers arrived. When I arrived at the store I could see a little space between the doors, because all the lights were on inside, I just assumed the automatic opener had stopped working but I could still shop,† said, Goshen resident, Bill Terrell. â€Å"I looked for an employee to alert, I found no one and decided just to buy what I needed. † Several other late-night shoppers gathered items and went to the self-checkout lanes, seemingly oblivious to the utter lack of employees. They realized something was wrong after seeing all registers closed, Terrell said. At some point, police were called.Puzzled by the situation, a call came from a customer or a neighbor concerned about the sudden activity. Police spokeswoman, Christy Samms said, â€Å"There were definitely no signs of forced entry at all and apparently no one stole any items from the business. † She said it appeared the door’s locking mechanism had not completely engaged. At this point in time, Donley, called in by police, secured all of the entrances and sent the confused customers on their way – each with a voucher for $20 worth of Kroger-brand items on a upcoming future visit.The customers, taking it in stride, left without incident, Terrell said. â€Å"As foolish as we probably were to be out on Thanksgiving night, I guess it’s hard to complain about free food on our next trip,† he said. 1a. Original: Donley, called in by police†¦. 1b. Revision: At this point in time, Donley, called in by police†¦ (Concise Wording) 2a. Original: â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry and apparently†¦. 2b. Revision: â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry at all and apparently†¦ (Unnecessary Filler) 3a.Original: †¦and apparently no one stole from the business. † 3b. Revision: †¦and apparently no one stole any items from the business. † (Unnecessary Filler) 4a. Original: â€Å"It seems the locks on the front doors failed†¦ 4b. Revision: â€Å"It seems the locks on the front doors must have stopped working†¦ (Concise wording) 5a. Original: â€Å"I could see a little space between the doors†¦ 5b. Revision: â€Å"When I arrived at the store I could see a little space between the doors†¦ (Long Lead Ins) 6a. The doors were not easy to slide open,†¦. 6b.Since the locking mechanism had failed the doors were not easy to slide open,.. (Long Lead Ins) 7a. †¦and instead of sleeping off†¦. 7b. †¦and instead of actually sleeping off†¦ (Needless Adverb) 8a. †¦brand items on a future visit. 8b. †¦brand items on a upcoming future visit. (Redundant Words) 9a. â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry†¦ 9b. â€Å"There were definitely no signs of forced entry†¦ (Needless Adverb) 10a. †¦or getting an early start on Black Friday†¦ 10b. †¦or getting an early head start on Black Friday†¦ (Redundant Words)

Research Methods in Health and Social Care

Research Methods in Health and Social Care Critical review of quantitative research Majid,S. Foo,S. Luyt,B. Ahang,X. Theng,YL. Chang,YK. Mokhtar,IA. (2011) Adopting and evidence-based practice in clinical decision making: nurses’ perceptions, knowledge , and barriers. Journal of the Medical Library Association 99(3) PP229-236. This essay will be a critical review on the study conducted by Majid et al (2011). The article which is titled ‘Adopting evidence-based practice in clinical decision making: Nurses’ perceptions, knowledge, and barriers’.Investigates the attitudes of Singaporean nurses regarding; evidence based practise. The researchers wanted to identify how the nurses informed were about evidence base practice. They also wanted to identify how the nurses researched literature. Evidence based practise is about good practice and improving the quality of care, this is achieved through a combination of evidence and professional expertise, integrated into clinical practice (Baker, 2012). The study reveals that the majority of nurses working in public hospitals in Singapore have positive attitudes towards evidence based practice.Literature review A literature review is a complete study and understanding of research literature that researchers examine prior or during their research study (Aveyard, 2010). Majid, et al. (2011) looked at a wide range of literature within their research, it is imperative for researchers to look at numerous research related to their research topic to gain an insight on how they conducted their study and the conclusion that was identified from the study (Aveyard, 2010). Literature reviews should have a sufficient amount of studies considered.Majid, et al. (2011) looked at a total of twenty two studies, by reading a sufficient amount of studies this ensures that the researcher does not get a misleading picture of the topic (Aveyard,2012). The sources used within the literature were relatively old; these old sources may not be relevant to current times. Literature reviewed should not be more than five years old as attitudes and beliefs change frequently meaning the studies could not be relevant to current attitudes and beliefs (Godshall, 2010). Majid, et al. 2011) found from their literature search that the general view on evidence based practice was positive. This could question whether Majid, et al. (2011) conducted a systematic review of the literature as there was no mention of any research which found that nurses found a negative view on evidence based practice (Houser,2008). The studies mentioned in the literature at were not conducted within the southeast of Asia therefore Majid, et al. (2011) wanted to investigate attitudes towards evidence based practice from the southeast of Asia.This gives justification for the study as there have only been studies conducted in North America, Europe and other developed western countries. Majid, et al. (2011) wanted to compare the result from their study with the previous studies. Majid, et al. (2011) also discovered that most of the literature that was reviewed shared the same findings on barriers to evidence based practice. The healthcare professionals claimed that lack of time was the barrier to acception, adoption and implementation of evidence based practice. Majid, et al. 2011) in addition recognised that only a few studies that they researched had explored the literature searching skills of nurses Literature reviews should be systematically y reviewed to ensure that the research reviews are reliable (Graziano and Raulin, 2007). Majid, et al. (2011) did not state whether the studies that were looked at were systematically or peer reviewed. Approach and Methodology The study was a primary study however did look at survey instrument used by other previous evidence based practise studies. Majid, et al. (2011) used a quantitative method of research.Quantitative research methods require finding a variable for concepts, operationalising them in the study and measuring them (Grix, 2010). Majid, et al. (2011) study did this by using a survey questionnaire as a means of collecting data. The questions were compiled by a team comprising information studies faculty at the Nanyang Technological University and nursing representatives from the National University hospital. Making the questionnaire unbiased towards the researchers. Marczyk, et al. (2005) states that it is important for all research to not be biased towards the researchers.Quantitative research methods are objective as it uses measurements and analysis of statistical data to answer the study question. The researchers’ opinions do not affect the outcome of the study, ensuring that the study is unbiased. Another advantage is quantitative research uses numbers and statistics which is understood universally (Houser,2008). The researchers have clearly described how they implemented their research in the methods section; the study is easily replicable as it uses a survey questionnaire to collect data.However the research study would have been better if they used qualitative methods to find out the nurse’s perceptions, knowledge and barriers towards evidence based practice in clinical decision making. Majid, et al. (2011) could have interviewed some of the participants to get detailed descriptions of how they feel about evidence based practice in clinical decision making. This would allow the researches to get an in-depth understanding making the study more valid (Saris and Gallhofer, 2007).Quantitative research is best used for quantifying relationships between variables (Hopkins, 2008). The objective of the study was not to identify relationships between variables instead was to explore the attitudes, awareness and knowledge towards evidence based practice. Some could argue that making this study more suitable for a qualitative study. Quantitative research study should have a hypothesis (Maryann, 2010). Majid, et al. (2011), did not state a hypothesis for their study neither did they define a prediction of what they think was going to be the outcome of the research.Sample The samples used for the research conducted by Majid, et al. (2011) were registered nurses in 2 public hospitals in Singapore. The researchers made 2,100 copies of the questionnaires to be completed, however 1,486 were completed. The response rate was 70% ,for quantitative research a large sample size is essential to ensure that the study is statistically accurate (Houser, 2008). The fact that not all of the questionnaires were completed means that the study cannot be fully generalised as some people did not respond.Also some staff was on annual, medical or maternity leave therefore could not participate again making the study not generalised and potentially biased. Majid, et al. (2011) used two different hospital sites to collect data from; this is a good approach as the views on Evidence based practice may be different in the two hospitals, therefore allowing for a comparison of the hospital views. However this could be a negative as only two public hospitals in Singapore were used, therefore making the study hard to generalise to other hospitals in Southeast Asia.All research must follow ethical guidelines. Researchers must ensure that their research ensures confidentiality, anonymity, legality and professionalism (Grix, 2011). Majid, et al. (2011) had ethical approval from the Domain Specific Review Board, appointed by the National Healthcare Group. The researchers did not have consent forms for the participants; however the participants were made aware that by completing the questionnaire they were giving their consent. The nursing managers were briefed and asked to hand the questionnaires out.There is no evidence that the participants were given a briefing from the nursing managers maybe it could have been more ethical if Majid, et al. (2011) briefed the nurses themselves before asking them t o complete the questionnaire. As the questionnaire was self administered the respondents may not have got the reassurance or debriefing needed ( Nosek, et al. 2002). Data collection Data collection must be appropriate, reliable and valid (Houser, 2008). Majit, et al. (2011) used a survey questionnaire. A 5-point liket scale was used in the questionnaires for collecting the nurse’s perceptions on evidence based practice.The advantages of using a likert scale are that the questions are easy to construct, furthermore the likert scale allows for easy comparison of the participants responses. The disadvantage of using a likert scale is the total score of an individual’s response does not have a clear meaning as a total score can be fixed by a variety of answer patterns (Kothari, 2004). Survey questionnaires require the participants to answer questions presented to them. The questionnaire was self administered, which allows for anonymity and less control from the researcher (Mitchell and Jolley, 2012).The first set of questions were demographic questions which as education, job title and length of experience. Majid, et al. (2011) used the results from the demographic information collected to identify a relationship between the demographic information and the ability to undertake evidence based practice activities and other related activities. Another advantage of the survey questionnaires are that a large sample group was targeted within a small space of time. The surveys were collected within a2-week period. Maybe if they waited 3-weeks they might have had a greater response rate.Lastly survey questionnaires are easily replicable as the questions are standardised therefore making them a good method of research (Mitchell and Jolley, 2012). The disadvantages of using survey questionnaires for data collection includes respondents of are usually unreliable as the participants may not have time to complete the survey. Majid, et al. (2011) had a response ra te of 70%. In addition research is also prone to the Hawthorne effect as the participants know that they are being tested, they may not answer the questions on the questionnaire truthfully (Waltz et al, 2010).This may mean the study To assess the nurses’ ability to search databases a hypothetical top was presented to the nurses, with 5 possible search statements and were asked to choose the most appropriate search statement. The validity of this method of measuring their ability to search a database could be questioned. Results The results are presented in table form making the data easy to analyse Majid, et al. (2011) seemed to make assumptions about the beliefs and attitudes towards evidence based practice. The result percentages are too close together.The results from the questions asked about beliefs and attitudes towards evidence based practice showed that 64. 3% of the nurses either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement that they preferred using traditional methods than new patient care approaches. Majid, et al. (2011) failed to account for the 35. 7% of respondents who didn’t disagree or strongly disagree. Majid, et al. (2011) found that 52. 8% of the nurses disagreed with the statement that they do not like people questioning their clinical practices that are based on established methods.From this Majid et al concluded that the nurses were open to adopt new health care approaches. Majid, et al. (2011) again did not take into account the 47. 9% of respondents who did not disagree. Majid, et al. (2011) used a statistical test to investigate possible relationships between the ability to undertake evidence based practice activities and other related variables. Their findings were a weak relationship was found between the ability of nurses to implement evidence based practice and their length of experience.Nurses who had higher qualifications were likely to have better abilities to undertake different evidence based practice tasks . Lastly nurses who attended evidence based practice training were likely to feel more competent in their abilities to implement evidence based practice. Majid, et al. (2011) was able to determine these results using data collected from the questionnaires. . This supports the finding s of the other literature which was mentioned in the literature reviews. Reliability and validity All research studies should have a high reliability and validity.Reliability is the ability to consistently measure what is being measured. Godshall (2010, p. 36) writes that ‘Validity is the ability to measure what is supposed to or is intended to be measured’. To ensure that the content of the questionnaire was valid Majid, et al. (2011) had the questionnaire reviewed by a team of experts. Majid, et al. (2011) used a large sample size of 1,486 making the study reliable as a large number size is important in ensuring that the research is reliable. However the responses from the questionnaire c ould not be truthful therefore making the study results unreliable.The results showed that 64% of the nurses expressed a positive attitude towards evidence based practice. 64% is not a large enough percentage to conclude the study.. Majid, et al. (2011) assessed the reliability and content validity of their questions using Cronbach alpha. Questionnaires in general have a low validity as the questions do not explore the topic in depth or detail. Majid et al, 2011 conducted a pilot study to test the survey questions. The feedback received showed that the participants wanted the language and the format of the questions changed.By conducting a pilot study this ensures that the study is reliable and valid. Conclusion and clinical implications The conclusions made from Majid et al, (2011) study were that nurses had a positive attitude towards evidence based practice. However they found adopting evidence based practice difficult due to barriers which effect adaptation of evidence based pra ctice. Majid, et al . (2011) suggest that hospital management arrange evidence based practice training and providing time off from work to learn and put into practice new techniques.To summarise the study was a conducted well, the study is easily replicable, although to further the study Majid, et al. (2011) should have considered using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods. Majid,et al. (2011) could have interviewed the nurses to get a further insight into the nurses attitudes and beliefs. Reference List Aveyard. H, 2010, Doing a Literature review in health and social care. A practical guide. 2nd ed, New York: Open university press. Baker. 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