Mrs Arbuthnot and Hester Essay

How does Oscar Wilde make Hester and Mrs Arbuthnot contrasting characters? Oscar Wilde has many characters through ‘A Woman of No Importance’ that have contrasting personalities and backgrounds, but the characters with a clear, most definite contrast are Hester and Mrs Arbuthnot. Mrs Arbuthnot is known to the readers of the play and the characters in the play as a ‘fallen woman’. She has run off with at least two men whilst married and has now developed a reputation with the rest of the community. She is a very flirtatious character and likes to ‘play with fire’. This means she also will try to get the attention of any man possible. Hester, on the other hand, is very religious and has extremely different morals and views to Mrs Arbuthnot. She doesn’t agree with running off with other men, sex before marriage or flirting with other men, so Hester and Mrs Arbuthnot, in this sense, have different morals. Mrs Arbuthnot’s relationship with Lord Illingworth is very flirtatious and public. Everyone in the community has heard about them so nothing about them is private. Hester and Gerald’s relationship on the other hand, is very different. Hester plays almost ‘hard to get’ and doesn’t draw attention to her or the fact that she may like Gerald. She likes to keep her business private so no one knows anything about her to judge her. Mrs Arbuthnot is from England and is very friendly with the higher class people. These people have been born into wealth and don’t like people who have earned their money through working. However, Hester is from America and has had to work her way up to gain money and to be where she is today. She doesn’t agree with people being born into wealth and those people looking down on the people who have worked their way up. Both Mrs Arbuthnot and Hester disagree with each other in this sense which shows a contrasting of personalities. On the other hand, Hester says ‘nothing should be out of the reach of hope’, which could seem that Hester doesn’t worry about social class and it doesn’t matter when you are in hierarchy, Finally, Mrs Arbuthnot believes that men are stronger than woman and they have a higher authority and more power than women do. She has the typical view of a Victorian woman where the men boss the women around and then women do as they are told. Hester believes in equality and has very strong views about it. She believes that all men and women should be valued the same and that no one is any different. Hester is almost like she is saying exactly what Oscar Wilde is thinking. Therefore, throughout this play, Oscar Wilde shows contrasting characters through wealth, class and morals.

Every Rose has its Thorn Essay

The rose is a beautiful flower. Its appearance is positive; however a rose does have thorns; its thorns are a part of who it is. If a person wants to have a rose, he/she will also have to accept the thorns, even though they are painful. A rose can resemble a person whom you love; if you wish to love them you must also love them when they are at their worst of moods, which is the only way you can have them at their best. Roses are not perfect; they have blemishes just like everything else in the world. There was a rock song in the late 1980’s by the band poison. The lyrics were based on Bret Michaels’ life experience where he learned that while he was on the road touring, his partner was with another man. Upon learning of this upsetting news, he quickly wrote the lyrics with the help of his acoustic guitar, which eventually turned into the acoustic’s that can be heard throughout the song. Every rose has its thorn is an analogy that symbolizes both the good and bad things of a relationship, where love can be as sweet as a rose, but loss of love can be as harsh as rose thorns. Just like every night has its dawn, night and dawn, like a rose and thorns, further emphasize the contrasting perspective of love. In life everything is not going to be perfect. There is always something that looks to good to be true. Life is going to shovel dirt on top of you. The trick to getting out of the dirt is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest dirt piles just by not stopping, and never giving up. Shake it off and take a step upward Life is filled with ups and downs. We face problems every now and then. Like they say â€Å"Every Rose Has Its Thorn†, every problem that we face provides an opportunity to improve ourselves. If we manage to find the silver lining, we can convert those problems into opportunities for success. Read more:  Person you admire speech essay A negative that I have when managing my employees is when I give out an assignment, and it’s not followed the way I want it to be followed. Although it may have the same outcome, I tend to like it done the way I would have done it. At the end of the day as long as it is done the right way, it should not matter how it was accomplished. Therefore, when living life, keep in mind that every  rose has its thorn. In most cases the thorn represents a negative. When you encounter negatives, always try to turn it into a positive. Live so that the person you become in the future can look back with gratitude and admiration at the person you are right today.

Financial Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Report - Case Study Example rn on equity output with the industry ratio, the company’s 28 percent ratio is favourably higher than the average industry return on equity ratio of 19 percent. b) Gross profit margin. Both years generated a similar 30 percent output. Comparing the 2013 28 percent gross profit ratio output with the industry ratio, the company performed financially better than the 10 percent average industry gross profit ratio. c) Net profit margin. The 2013 net profit ratio output is 6 percent. On the other hand, the 2012 net profit ratio performance an unfavourably lower 3 percent output. Comparing the 2013 6 percent net profit ratio output with the industry ratio, the company performed financially better than the 3 percent average industry net profit ratio output. d) Current ratio. The 2013 current ratio output is unfavourable at 0.47. On the other hand, the 2012 current ratio shows a more unfavourably lower 0.37. Comparing the 2013 current ratio output with the industry current ratio, the industry average current ratio is better than the company’s 0.47current ratio. The industry average current ratio is company’s 1.70. The ratio indicates there are not enough current assets reserved for the payment of currently maturing debts. e) Inventory (stock) turnover period. In terms of number of days converting inventory into cash, the company’s inventory turnover period for 2013 is 7.53 days. The 2012 annual period’s inventory turnover period, 10 days, is financially less favourable than the 2013 accounting period’s output. Comparing the 2013 inventory turnover ratio of 7.53 days, the company’s turnover ratio is far better than the average industry, 50 days inventory turnover ratio. f) Trade payables’ (creditors’) turnover period. The payables turnover ratio during both years is similarly pegged at 3 days. Comparing the 2013 return on equity output with the industry payables turnover ratio, the industry average’s 20 days payables turnover ratio is favourably

How does DNA relate to you Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How does DNA relate to you - Essay Example s is because, the telomeres; as a result of preventing fraying, they also prevent aging and the development of malignant tumors that threaten appropriate health (The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post, 2008). Moreover, through participating in exercise, the telomeres experience extended life by making them appear younger and thus staying in place. This leaves an individual healthy showing the direct relationship between an individual and the DNA in them. In addition, DNA is unique in everyone, which, in turn, makes every person unlike the other who follows mutation during replications. These mutations occur during terms of misprints and entire changes in replicated DNA. Therefore, this information indicates that only DNA of identical twins is similar (Port, 2008). In terms of survival, for one to live in adverse conditions, genes contained in the DNA effect changes (Designed DNA, 2012). These changes lead to evolutions and adaptations that allow an individual to cope in adverse conditions. In addition, changes could be physical in the form of shape of the teeth or hair color and even the behavior of an individual so as to escape danger (San Diego University of Man, 2001). In conclusion, the relation between an individual and DNA cannot be refuted as it is the DNA that accounts for the unique characteristics they possess. The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post. (January 29, 2008). Exercise linked to â€Å"Younger† DNA. The Seattle Times. Retrieved on 2nd July from

Care plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Care plan - Essay Example After her diagnosis of the aforementioned health problems, she also lost her income source. At a certain instance, she was identified to have experienced a fall and was lying in her kitchen for approximately forty-eight hours, as reported by her neighbour. Her records also depict that she has a daughter who used to visit her twice in a month. In lieu of this case study, the discussion henceforth will aim at developing a care plan with the objective of offering elderly people with adequate assistance on the grounds of sociability, depression, physical health problems, loneliness and other health related issues. In accordance with the case, the healthcare facility will majorly aim at offering Mrs. Jones with healthcare services in relation to her risk of short term health troubles such as cold (hypothermia), constipation and fear of mobility. Notably, with this concern, due significance will be rendered towards implementing the guidelines suggested by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and by using the Roper, Logan and Tierney (RLT) activities of living model. Assessment In nursing, there are many conceptual models which provides the basic framework in accordance with which nurses should evaluate and formulate plans as well as implement those plans with the objective to offer the patients with better care facilities and services (Nicol, 2013; Timmins & McCabe, 2008). Roper, Logan and Tierney (RLT) Activities of Living Model The RLT model has been formulated with the aim of supporting elderly people with adequate care and improving their psychological as well as physical conditions to enjoy a healthy living. Nurses, with the assistance of RLT model, are quite likely to be facilitated with the opportunity of offering individualised care services to ageing people (Nicol, 2013; Coyne & et. al., 2010). Additionally, this model has been undertaken with the intention of determining the issues or problems which are faced by Mrs. Jones. This model will aid nurses in offering adequate and effective services to the patient with the aim of improving her health problems as well as psychological conditions (Timmins, 2005). A problem solving approach has been adopted likewise, with the intention of devising appropriate care services. There are five concepts under this model which include the following: The 12 Activities of Living (ALs) The 12 activities of living signify the activities which are executed by every individual, irrespective of the individual’s health conditions. The 12 activities have been presented in the diagram below: Roper, Logan and Tierney’s activities of living (ALs) Source: (Dingwall, 2010) The influence of lifespan (age) The component implies that individuals pass through development phase from conception to death. The individuals throughout their life span are determined to witness and adapt change in their physical, social as well as cognitive developments (Dingwall, 2010; Singh & Misra, 2009). Accordingly, it c an be observed from the case scenario that Mrs. Jones is a widow of eighty years of age and used to reside lonely in her home. However, prior to her diagnosis from frequent fall and severe osteo-arthritis, Mrs. Jones used to visit social club to play Bingo with her next door neighbour. The influence of the dependence-independence continuum The dependence-independence continuum assists in determining the activities which are carried out by individuals. The activities of individuals are based on

Research paper that is about Obama Care Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

That is about Obama Care - Research Paper Example Since the law requires that all Americans should have health insurance by 2014, Obama care is created to ensure this target to be achieved. It does not alter the way insurance is received and one can normally purchase a private insurance or get an employer based insurance. Moreover, the insurance can be obtained through a government program like Medicaid or Medicare. Obama care simply adds new opportunity to the health care and a new way to buy the insurance. It is available for purchasing through  State  Health Insurance  Marketplaces. Along with the benefits and compensations that usual insurance provides to its owner, Obama care offers a number of  new benefits and rights as well as protections  that include provisions for young adults to stay on their insurance plan till they become twenty- six. It also can be stopped from dropping an individual when one is sick. The new program prevents against gender discrimination. It also gives an opportunity to a rapid appeal of the insurance company decisions, it is possible also to enlarge the coverage of the insurance to tens of millions,  subsidize health insurance costs and require all the insurance companies to cover people with  pre- existing conditions. New rights according to the Obama care  also include the options that most health insurance  programs for elders cover. It offers  preventive services  and ensures with more new important health benefits. Other health benefits are  the emergency care, hospitalization, prescription of drugs, materni ty care and newborn care. Along with these availabilities, there are free preventive possibilities that include check- ups on the year basis, immunization activities, counseling and screenings. More than hundred million Americans have already felt these benefits. These cases have touched critical preventive activities for free, thus saving billions of

Direct effect in the EU Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Direct effect in the EU Law - Essay Example This paper shall discuss the development of the doctrine of direct effect, the issues arising therefrom, and how the European Court of Justice resolved them. Moreover, it shall examine the dynamics in the relationship between the EU and the member-states and their individual citizens. Finally, it shall look into how the courts settle issues with regard to conflict arising from the implementation or non-implementation of EU laws and directives. Supremacy of EU Law The principle of supremacy of the EU law holds that in the event of conflict between the provisions of EU law and domestic law, the EU law shall prevail.1 This principle is anchored on the fact that when states signed the treaty creating the former EEC, the members had also signed off a part of their sovereignty to create a new sovereign that can bind both the state and its individual citizens.2 The Preamble of the Treaty on European Union declared in no uncertain terms that it aims to â€Å"establish a citizenship common t o nationals of their countries†3 and create â€Å"an even closer union among the peoples of Europe, in which decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity.†4 Finally, the supremacy of EU law is sanctioned by the Treaty on European Union itself which mandates all states to â€Å"facilitate the achievement of the Community’s tasks†¦ [and] abstain from any measure which could jeopardise the attainment of the objectives of this Treaty.†5 Aptly, the European Court of Justice interpreted the foregoing provision as a conferment of legal and enforceable rights unto the individual citizens of member states. EU treaties produce direct effects and â€Å"individual rights which national courts must protect.†6 Needless to state, concomitant with the exercise of these rights is compliance with the obligations created by virtue of the Treaty. Doctrine of Direct Effect The landmark case of Van Gend e n Loos saw the birth of the doctrine of direct effect which made the EU law a reliable source of statutory rights and obligations for parties litigating cases before domestic courts. In particular, the Court ruled that Article 30 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) which prohibits the imposition of custom duties within the Union has confered rights upon the individual nationals which may not be impaired by domestic laws and which may be invoked before national courts.7 Apparently, the realm of treaties does not end with member states; it extends further to individual citizens, vested rights and imposed obligations alike. The court has upheld the rights acquired by individual citizens by virtue of the provisions of the Treaty and declared that it â€Å"must be interpreted as producing direct effects and creating individual rights which national courts must protect.†8 Van Gend en Loos became the controlling jurisprudence insofar as direct effect of tre aties is concerned. However, subsequent cases had pushed the bar and thus expanded the doctrine’s application to include other forms of EU legislations. Seven years after the 1963 case of Van Gend en Loos, the Court ruled in the case of Grad v Finanzamt Traunstein that provisions of Council Decisions are also capable of â€Å"producing direct effects in the legal relationships between the member states to which the decision is addressed and those subject to their jurisdiction.†

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 11

Strategic Management - Essay Example On the other hand there are also those approaches that are conceptual in nature such as policy, stakeholder, issue management, and adaptive approaches. The process of strategy implementation can be divided into various phases: understand history, explore the situation, uncover issues, identify strategy, assess feasibility, and implement strategic change. Finally the differences in strategic management between private and public sector organizations can be mapped along three dimensions: value generation, resource allocation, and accountability and trust. A strategy is a mechanism through which an entity differentiates itself in a competitive arena. In nearly every industry and sector today, strategy has become essential to staying in business. In the past, a business could sustain itself with a fairly static mission and customer base. Today’s marketplace is larger and more competitive with a better educated customer base. Moreover it is constantly changing at an ever increasing speed. These conditions require business leaders to constantly adjust their strategies to remain competitive in the marketplace. Strategic management is the â€Å"formulation and implementation of strategic plans and the orchestration and carrying out of strategic activities of vital concern to the total organization† (Koteen, 1997, p. 24). Strategic management is based on the following three characteristics: Strategic management is a dynamic process in which strategies are aligned to enhance performance and procure desired business results. Strategic management is a continuous activity in which the strategic direction of the organization is determined and subsequently maintained. Strategic management involves regular decision making on a daily basis to deal with constantly changing situations and a challenging environment. Strategic management is the most popular form of

Tradional Dance Essay Example for Free

Tradional Dance Essay The Ibans perform a unique dance called the ngajat. It serves many purposes depending on the occasion. During Gawais, it is used to entertain the people who in the olden days enjoy graceful ngajats as a form of entertainment. The origin of this indigenous dance is not clearly known but it is believed to have been in existence along with the Iban tribe since the 16th Century. The Ngajat dance is believed to have been performed by warriors on their return from battles. . The male dancers wear large feathers as part of their headgear, hold an ornate and long shield in their hand with chains, beads and a loincloth called the ‘cawat’. The female dancers have an elaborate headdress, chains, beads and a ‘dress’ that reaches to below their knees with intricate weaving. Traditionally this dance was only performed by male dancers but not anymore. The dance is arranged straight lines and in a circle and does involve dramatic leaps and jumps performed by the male dancers. If the real tradition, the music if we dance ngajat we use the life music which have someone o group who play the music such as gong, Gongs and other ethnic percussion instruments such as the ‘enkeromong’, ‘bendai’, ‘canang’ and ‘dumbak or ketebong’ provide the music. The musicians may be either male oThe pride in knowing how to perform the ‘ngajat,’ the Iban traditional dance must be kept burning among the Iban youngsters. The young Ibans should look back to the days of their parents or forefathers when there was so much pride in knowing how to perform the ‘ngajat’. Ngajat is a warrior dance of the Iban tribe in Sarawak. It is said that ngajat is performed by the warriors upon their successful return, to celebrate their victory in battle. Today, the dance is performed as part of the Gawai Dayak celebrations. When performing the dance, the male dancers wear a headgear made from the tail feathers of the hornbill (though nowadays most likely artificial feather may be used, to save the birds). He holds a long sword in one hand and an ornately decorated shield in the other. Around his chest are necklaces made of beads and cowrie shells, and he wore a ceremonial cawat, or loincloth. The dancer make slow movements, as though stalking the enemy. This is interspersed with dramatic prances as though he is leaping forward to attack. The dance is performed accompanied by the music from tribal musical instruments, usually percussions, including the enkeromong, bendai, canang and dumbak or ketebong. There are several Ngajat dance such as Ngajat Induk, Ngajat bebunoh, Ngajat Lesong, Ngajat Semain, Ngajat Berayah and Ngajat â€Å"â€Å"Ngemai antu pala† Moreover, it symbolize the happy ending of another cycle of padi planting season, welcoming the God of Farming to the feast and giving thanks for the bountiful and successful harvest. In the past, a â€Å"Ngajat Semain† was performed by young Iban boys and girls who have just complete their Ngajat lessons taught to them after the heavy work of clearing the forest and burning season is over. The tempo of this Ngajat performed by the girls is slow and graceful displaying the beautiful design pattern of the newly completed â€Å"Pua Kumbu† woven by the girls during the farming cycle. As for the young boys, the tempo is also slow displaying their martial artistic and balancing skills in preparation to enter their adulthood life. This means that they will take more adult responsibility in the next farming season. This is also an opportunity for them to display their beautiful costumes, headgears, amulets such as Engkerimok, Simpai, Tumpa Bala and of course their new fully decorated swords and its design. At the present day, the Ngajat music and dance are perform to preserve the Iban Culture and for the younger generation to value the unique of it the dancer dance follow the music that have a group who play the music. These is the traditional dane,which the most popular in Sarawak.

Paradigm in Nursing Essay Example for Free

Paradigm in Nursing Essay Nursing as any science is a tentative, testable and falsifiable discipline. It undergoes: empirical observation, hypothesis development, experiment, results/finding and finally conclusion. Basing on the finding, one can accept or reject the hypothesis. Theory has been seen as the model of the ethics of conducting a set up and while forth is in position to predict future occurrences or observations of the same kind and capable of being tested through experiment or otherwise verified through observation. Each theory has set principles on how to verify it known as paradigm. Discussion Paradigms are a set of postulations; practices shared by a particular body, say a community of researchers and stems from a single theme. The paradigm seeks to regulate inquiry into the discipline that is concerned. It can therefore be viewed as the norm which the scientists or researchers can use as platform which they can agree of disagree depending on their findings. The various paradigms have one thing in common. They are characterized by ontological, epistemological and methodological differences in their approaches to conducting research (Demarest, et al 1993). This in return contributes to paradigm shift. Paradigm is seen to supersede mere interpretation of the tabulated finding or basic understanding in general. Superstition of paradigm consequently gives varied contribution in the area of disciplinary knowledge construction. Depending on the researchers sentiments/he may consider these differences so vast that one paradigm is inequivalent to another. Alternatively, these differences may be ignored or combined so as to conduct the research needed. To accomplish the task of developing nursing knowledge for use in practice, there is a need for a critical, integrated understanding of the paradigms used for nursing inquiry. This is arising due to the fact that each paradigm has a shift (Demarest, et al 1993). For instance, Child development defects will be viewed from various aspects and hence differing paradigm. A biologist my evaluate child development in perspective that children will naturally gain knowledge as they physically grow and become older, provided that they are healthy. Others may view that the child gains knowledge depending on its surrounding or what it interact with; while others view that a child is due for school after it starts interacting with environment and people as well. A nurse scholar can thus decide to combine the three theories or ignore all to achieve what s/he is researching on. Conclusion In conclusion the nurse researcher should weigh the pros and cons of a particular paradigm in his/her approach to assess of existing knowledge and thereby fill the informational gaps. This is because dominance of a particular paradigm is influenced by a number of factors. These may include: the source of finance for the research, government influence, biases from the journal and editors of the print, conferences and symposiums held, coverage by the media, educators who are responsible of spreading the paradigm to their students as well as the professional bodies which may favor a particular paradigm. However, paradigm should be natural and operational in all times.

Medea by Euripides | Plot Summary

Medea by Euripides | Plot Summary Crazed Mother Medea relates to real life if you watch the news and hear about ex-lovers ending their relationships with murder or suicide. Medea is willing to sacrifice everything to make her revenge perfect. Medea shows her complete necessity for revenge when she says, â€Å"anyone running between me and my justice will reap what no man wants.† Not only does she kill two children, she kills her own two innocent children, because she does not want the kids in Jasons hands. This type of crazed revenge is seen too often in todays society. The play Medea can be interpreted as a crazy mother who takes her heart broken anger out on her own innocent children. At the beginning of the play, the Nurse talks about the years when Medea and Jason were in love. She mentions how she was broken by saying, â€Å"but Jason has turned from her; he calls the old bond a barbarian mating, not a Greek marriage.† Jason harshly betrays Medea and it is obvious that it is going to lead to violence and rage when Medea says, â€Å"And when I have ruined the whole of Jasons house, I shall leave the land and flee from the murder of my Dear children, and I shall have done a dreadful deed.† Medea has set her plan to ruin Jasons life by taking her childrens. Jason is very arrogant, but is he really the hero he is made up to be? Medea knows she made Jason who he is when she says, â€Å"I gave him success and fame; I saved him his precious life, not once, many times†¦I betrayed my father for him, I killed my brother to save him.† The reason why Jason is where he is at in his life is because of Medea. She did all the dirty work for Jason, but he repays her by running off and marrying the beautiful girl. Jason does not understand that the reason he holds power is from Medea. This arrogance is one of the reasons why Medea is so enraged at Jason. Medea gives many hints throughout the play of her final act of retaliation. As the story progresses the need to seek revenge also builds inside of her. The initial signs of Medeas potential behavior appear at the beginning of the play when the Nurse tells how Medea is emotionally hurt. The Nurse says, â€Å"But Medea lies in the house, broken with pain and rage; she will neither eat nor drink.† It is completely natural to want revenge on something that has stung you in the past. Medea comes right out and tells Jason that something is going to happen, â€Å"Something might happen. It is†¦likely†¦that something might happen to the bride and the marriage.† Medea bluntly tells Jason that something will happen to disrupt his marriage and she will have revenge for what Jason has done to her. Medea showed her first signs of craziness when she killed her family members and others to get what she wanted. She offers more signs of her future behavior when she screams out in her mind about what she will do, â€Å"What I need: all dead, all dead, all dead, under the great cold stones. For a year and a thousand years and another thousand: cold as stones, cold, but noble again, proud, strait, and silent, crimson-cloaked in the blood of our wounds.† Medea wants all that have betrayed her to be dead. Even though Jason is still living, his pride and everything he had, like his children and the princess, is dead. She says that once it has all been completed she will be proud, and noble. This self-reflection is a major give away toward her crazy inner soul. In Medea, the three Corinthian women often show signs that they are afraid of Medea. One of the Corinthian women says, â€Å"They say she is dangerous. Look at her eyes.† The women tell us that Medea is filled with crazed rage and will do something dangerous. One of the Corinthian women says, â€Å"Women hate war, but men will wage it again. Women may hate their husbands, and sons, and fathers, but women will never hate their children.† This statement says that Medea will hate her husband, but she did not hate her children even though she killed them, and this is ultimately what makes her crazy. Medea also shows many heroic qualities, especially when she is willing to kill her own brother to be with Jason. When she kills her brother, she shows that she is willing to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. Medea has been not only cheated, but also betrayed by Jason. She will not tolerate this abuse from him and does something about it. Medea says to Creon, â€Å"You see a woman driven half mad with sorrow, laboring to save her little children.† Medea builds up enough courage to confront Jason and get revenge. There are two main reasons why Medea decides to kill her children. The first is that she feels that it is a perfect way to complement the death of the princess in getting revenge on Jason. When she tells the chorus of the plans to kill the children, they wonder if she has the heart to kill her children, and Medea answers, â€Å"yes, for this is the best way to wound my husband.† This shows that she believes that by killing her children, she will basically ruin Jasons life and succeed in her revenge. The second reason for Medea killing her children has nothing to do with revenge. If she left her children with Jason, they would be living in a society that would look down upon them since they do not have pure goddess origins. Since she does not want to leave her children with Jason, they really have no place else to go, â€Å"my children, there is none who can give them safety.† Medea decides that killing her children is the best way to get both revenge, and the assurance that her children are not in Jasons hands. Medea ends the play with her crazed mind when she stabs her two innocent kids to death. She confronts Jason with the dead children and taunts him as she walks on saying, â€Å"I do not leave my childrens bodies with thee; I take them with me that I may bury them in Heras precinct. And for thee, who didst me all that evil, I prophesy an evil doom.† Medea shows her craziness throughout the entire play.

Kant and Mills Theories Essay -- social issues

Kant and Mill's Theories In July of 1994, Paul J. Hill, a former Presbyterian minister and later a pro-life activist, was prosecuted for killing Dr. John Britton, an abortion performing doctor, and James Barrett, a volunteer, outside a clinic in Pensacola, Florida. Prior to this, Hill commented on the murder of Dr. David Gunn, another abortion performing doctor, stating that it was a â€Å"biblically justified homicide (P. 215).† This statement shows how strong Hill’s beliefs were and leads one to assume that he did not regret killing Britton and Barrett. This paper will address the Hill case and determine the ethical parameter in which Paul Hill should have acted. The two philosophical approaches that will be examined and contrasted are the Kantian and Utilitarian perspectives. Kant and Mill’s point of view on the actions of Paul J. Hill will be presented based on their theories. Lastly, I will explain why I believe that Kant’s theory provides a more plausible account of morality . Kantianism and Utilitarianism are two theories that attempt to answer the moral nature of human beings. Immanuel Kant’s moral system is based on a belief that reason is the final authority for morality. John Stuart Mill’s moral system is based on the theory known as utilitarianism, which is based upon utility, or doing what produces the greatest happiness. One of Kant’s lasting contributions to moral philosophy was his emphasis on the notion of respect for persons. He considers respect for persons (a.k.a the Kantian respect) to be the fundamental moral principle of ethical philosophy. His Kantianism premise is a deontological moral theory which claims that the right action in any given situation is determined by the categorical imperative, which he calls the Supreme Principle. This imperative is a command that applies to all rational beings independent of their desires. It is a command that reason tells us to follow no matter what (P.31).† Kant considers this an objective law of reason and because it applies to all of us, he calls it a universal practical law for all rational beings. The hypothetical imperative, on the contrary, is a conditional command, which â€Å"we have reason to follow if (it) serve(s) some desire of ours (P.31).† For example, if you want X, then you will do Y, whereas with the categorical impe rative, X has nothing to do with why you do Y. Kant’s categor... ...es, I believe that Kantianism provides a more plausible account of ethics. Kantianism is more consistent of a theory and can be universally applied to all beings. It is more plausible because even if the consequences of performing an action are not necessarily the best, the agent is still obligated to perform the action because it is there duty to do so. Therefore, ethically and morally they are doing the right thing. In conclusion, this paper has discussed two main theories regarding the ethical behavior of human beings. Kantianism is a theory based on duties, maxims, willing and the categorical imperative. Also, it focuses on the motivation of actions, has clear and distinct set of universal rules, and is morally logical. On the other hand, Utilitarianism is based on the concept that we ought to do whatever produces the greatest overall utility and this will be the morally right action. Furthermore, it relies on the consequences of an action, has no set universal laws as each action is assessed on an individual basis, and morality is based on the results of the assessment. Because of these reasons, I believe that Kantianism is the more ethically plausible theory of the two.

My Dream Computer :: essays research papers

My Dream Computer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After perusing the isles amongst isles of desktop computers at CompUSA I found myself drawn to the Sony desktops. SONY is a high quality brand name and has shown me throughout the years that anything and everything they create seems to be a winner. Eventually I decided to get one that was practical in size and powerful enough to handle the most strenuous projects. I ended up decide ding on the Sony VAIO RA834G Minitower. The components in this PC were more than I needed for a price I just couldn’t resist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This particular computer also intrigued me because of its processor. The processor is a common one, an Intel Pentium 4. I like that Sony decided to stick with Intel, since they are an American brand. The exact processor they used is the Intel Pentium 4 3.6Ghz 560J with HT Technology. The Hyper threading technology is very helpful and I’m glad they decided to use it because it really makes multi-tasking even with complex software faster and more efficient and significantly cuts down on the lag. The 3.6 Gigahertz processor is very very fast and can handle even the most multifaceted functions. The bus speed is also very impressive coming out with a total of 800 solid Megahertz’s. This is an extremely fast bus speed considering it only has one successor the 1066 Mhz speed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The motherboard chipset also is made by Intel. It is a well put together chipset that runs very well with the ram chosen for this computer. Sony chose the Intel 915P Express Chipset which runs the PC3200 DDR SDRAM at an harmonious 400 Mhz. I was also very excited that they chose the Double Data Ram as oppose to the normal SDRAM. The computer comes with a 1GB stick of ram, however, I am going to add another stick of Kingston 1Gb ram to max out the ram capacity at 2 gigabytes. And since it’s DDR its going to be running like it has 4GB’s of SDRAM.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The hard drive is a very hefty one with almost 400 gigabytes of space. However after researching the PC closer I learned that it actually contains two 160GB drives configured with RAID 0. The two drives both run at 7,200 RPM’s which is also pretty good.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I also picked this computer because it has a long list of card slots that would work perfectly with any type of media I might need to use.

Cisco Products and Specific Customer Groups

In August of 2001, just months after Cisco System reported its first loss a a public company ($ 2. 7 billion), John Chambers, president and CEO, announced a major restructuring that would transform Cisco from a decentralized operation organized around customer groups to a centralized one focused on technologies. This restructuring not only risked destabilizing the large, complex organization during an economic downturn, but more importantly, threatened Cisco’s ability to remain customer-focused, a hallmark of the company’s culture and success since its first product was created in 1986.In order to maintain communication and stimulate ongoing collaboration among the newly independent functional areas, Cisco introduced coordination mechanisms that enable the companies to remain customer-focused. Introduction John Chambers became president and CEO of Cisco Systems in 1995. Over the course of the next several years, the decisions he made and the changes he implemented chall enged traditional business practices, and resulted in incredible growth for the company. When Chambers first started, Cisco was generating annual revenues of $2. 2 billion; just six years later, the company was generating annual revenues of $22.3 billion.All of those results, however, were threatened in the 2001 market downturn. Earlier in the year, the explosive growth in the sales of hardware supporting the Internet began to show serious signs of slowing down, and Cisco Systems, like the rest of the technology industry, was facing the repercussions of the demise of the Internet boom and the first economic downturn in more than a decade. Start-ups, which had enjoyed the benefits of a buoyant stock market, and telecommunications companies began cutting back their overextended IT and network budgets.As a result of the falling demand, Cisco announced its first loss as a public company ($2. 69 billion) in the fiscal quarter ended April 28, 2001 and cut 18% of its workforce. In August, Chambers announced a major organizational restructuring that would transform Cisco from a decentralized operation focused on specific customer groups to a centralized one focused on technologies. While recognizing that a centralized, functional structure was necessary to avoid product and resource redundancies, Chambers also realized that it risked making the company less customer-focused.At the time of the announcement, Chambers asserted that Cisco’s customer-centric culture would offset this drawback, but he knew that more needed to be done to ensure that an organization as large as Cisco would remain customer-focused—technology companies simply could not afford to lose 1 sight of the customer. Chambers knew then that he needed to implement a formal, crossfunctional structure that would keep the company in touch with its customers. Chambers found himself considering an ambitious idea that, if executed, could transform both his company and conventional organizational strategy.He asserted that if Cisco implemented a crossfunctional system of executive-level committees, or councils, that fostered a culture of teamwork and collaboration that the company could scale beyond what anyone else thought possible. The benefits were clear—the cross-functional councils would bring the leaders of different functions together to collaborate and focus on the needs and issues of specific customer groups. Cisco could enjoy the benefits of being a functional organization while retaining its customer-centricity. Still, implementing such a system would be difficult.Many other companies had previously failed at facilitating collaboration across functions, especially large organizations such as Cisco. Chambers began asking himself questions. Would Cisco’s employees, many of whom were accustomed to a command-and-control system, accept a more collaborative model? Could they function in such a system, even with training? Would a cross-functional system work in such a large functional organization? Furthermore, if Cisco moved forward with this idea, how many councils should be formed? How large should they be? Who would sit on and chair them?Where would the decision making power reside? And finally, how could a system be implemented without creating a matrix organization that would impede decision making and generate conflict? These were all important questions, many of which for Chambers did not yet have answers. They were also questions that would discourage most executives from taking the chance. Still, Chambers understood Cisco’s employees and knew what they were capable of. He also knew that if they could succeed, the company would become even stronger financially and organizationally.With 2002 approaching, and the organizational restructuring already being implemented now was the time to act. Market Transformation Despite the challenges presented by the 2001 market downturn, Cisco overcame the sudden drop in product demand . In fact, the company became even stronger after the downturn. By the end of July 2007, Cisco was generating more than $30 billion in revenue and employing 61,535 employees worldwide. Cisco’s total revenue for FY 2007 ($34. 9 billion) was an increase of approximately 23% over FY 2006 revenue’s of $28. 5 billion.Net Income was $7. 3 billion GAAP and $8.4 billion non- GAAP, while Earnings per Share was $1. 17 GAAP (increase of 31% year over year) and $1. 34 non-GAAP (increase of 22% year over year). Part of Cisco’s post-downturn resiliency and success was the result of a transformation in its market focus and product offerings. Signs of this transformation were evident shortly before the downturn, when Cisco invested in its first comprehensive advertising campaign, including television and print, that asked the question, â€Å"Are You Ready? † with the goal of raising consumer awareness of its networking-equipment business and its plans to connect Internet users with its routers and switches.Because Cisco realized that it could not solely rely upon existing demand, the company began diversifying the products it offered and who it was selling those products to. By 2007, Cisco had successfully expanded into advanced technologies such as unified communications, wireless local area networking, home networking, application networking services, network security, storage 2 area networking, and video systems. These advanced technologies resulted in the growth of Cisco’s enterprise (large business) and service provider segments.For instance, by 2007, more than 8 million unified IP phones had been installed worldwide (Cisco was the market share leader in the enterprise voice marketplace); Cisco’s Catalyst 6500, a highperformance modular switch that converges data center, campus, and wide-area network in a single system, surpassed $20 billion in sales; and Cisco’s enterprise customer installed base recently surpassed the 3 million wireless access points milestone. 3 Cisco was also able to successfully integrate the aforementioned advanced technologies with its core routing and switching technologies in products such as its Integrated Services Routers.Additionally, Cisco announced in June 2007 that it had shipped 900 of its Carrier Routing System (CRS-1), which provided continuous system operation to telecommunications service providers and research organizations, since its introduction in 2004. Cisco claimed that customers understood the leadership, total cost of ownership, flexibility, and investment protection advantages they would receive when they installed a Cisco product, which was designed to allow customers to easily and cost-effectively add marketleading voice, data, security, wireless, and other capabilities to their existing Cisco networks.This strategy differentiated Cisco from many of its competitors, which are usually present in only one or two product categories or customer segments, an d often do not integrate their products from an architectural perspective. In a conference call discussing Q4 and FY 2007 financial results, Chambers commented on the importance of this balance and integration: â€Å"We believe that there are a number of factors that are unique to Cisco’s ability to grow.First is our unique balance across over two dozen product areas, four customer segments, and across major developed and emerging countries†¦From a product perspective, we approach the market with an end-to-end architecture where the products are first loosely then tightly integrated together, rather than focusing on individual routers, switches, security, wireless, storage, unified communications, or other standalone products. In addition to diversifying its product and service offerings, Cisco transformed its market focus by finding new growth opportunities in developing economies.Because Chambers knew these opportunities would not get the attention they needed from st andard geographic sales coverage, he created a new sales â€Å"theater† called Emerging Markets, which included 138 countries around the world, regardless of location. Instead of every theater having several emerging markets in their portfolio viewed as low priorities, all the emerging markets were unified into one theater with the same resources and expectations of the other theaters. While several sales leaders functioned throughout the emerging markets, one sales senior vice president (SVP) was ultimately responsible for each theater.Members of the Emerging Markets sales team met with government and business leaders in various countries to discuss â€Å"how Cisco could help their countries develop a stronger economy through Internet access to education, healthcare, and business opportunities†. These and other efforts throughout the theater paid off—growth for FY 2007 in Cisco’s Emerging Markets theater was 40%, the highest growth rate of all five theat ers (e. g. North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Japan; and Emerging Markets).This performance made Chambers even more confident about the value of emerging markets. â€Å"Our architectural strategy in emerging markets is working extremely well,† he said in the conference call. â€Å"Barring some major economic or political surprises across many of these emerging countries, I would expect this theater to have the potential to grow more than twice the average growth rate of the other four theaters, if we execute effectively. † 3 2001 Organizational Restructuring Cisco also transformed and expanded its market focus through acquisitions.Before the downturn (1993–2000), Cisco was known for its acquisitions; it acquired 71 start-up companies that specialized in both its core and advanced areas, with 41 of those acquisitions occurring between 1999 and 2000. While emerging markets and acquisitions were key in helping Cisco survive the downturn, the company’s 2001 organizational restructuring played an even more important role. In its early days as a start-up, Cisco Systems was organized as a centralized engineering organization. As the company grew rapidly after going public in 1990, it adopted a business unit structure that was organized around primary product groups.This structure lasted until 1997, when the company reorganized itself around three semi-autonomous lines of business, each focusing on a distinct customer type: service providers, large enterprises, and small and medium-sized businesses, which Cisco characterizes as the â€Å"commercial† segment. Within this structure, each of the three lines of business developed and marketed its own products to its specific customer groups. This decentralized organization was created to meet the differing requirements of service providers and SMBs, two groups of customers that were growing rapidly at that time.By creating separate business units, Cisco attempted to meet the needs of e ach without compromise. However, as the market downturn brought about slowing demand and falling revenues, the negative aspects of the segment-centric grouping became clear. Organized behind lines of business focused on the different segments, redundancies in technological development were certainly not surprising—coordination across all technologies relevant to a customer group came at the expense of replicating technology development across customer groups.Still, redundancies became more noticeable at Cisco in the harsh economic environment faced by the company. Each business unit designed and sold its own products to customers in a particular industry, even though each business line produced some similar, if not interchangeable, products. Moreover, differences between customer segments had begun to blur: some enterprise business products suited service provider needs, but the service provider business lacked knowledge of, and access to, them. In some cases, each line of bu siness had a different technology or solution for the same problem.By summer 2001, for example, Cisco had eight different teams developing technology to transmit telephone calls over Internet protocol (IP) networks. As one manager stated, â€Å"Before, we had a service provider customer, enterprise customer, and SMB customer, and we built a complete product line for that customer set. What that did cause was a great deal [of] redundancy of engineering and innovation†¦we had to build the same thing three times over and make things that are 80% the same three times over to satisfy the three requirements. † Facing the realities of the market downturn, Cisco made a change.On August 23, 2001, the company announced a major restructuring that, CEO John Chambers enthused, would bring Cisco closer to its customers, encourage teamwork, and eliminate product and resource overlaps. Cisco shifted from a decentralized operation focused on specific customer groups to a centralized one focused on technologies. Engineering was reorganized around eleven technology groups: Access, Aggregation, Cisco IOS Technologies, Internet Switching and Services, Ethernet Access, Network Management Services, Core Routing, Optical, Storage, Voice, and Wireless.Although the product groups were divided based on 11 technologies, Cisco retained three sales groups based on customer type. Between the technology and sales groups, a central marketing organization was installed to integrate products and technologies into solutions for the customer. A cross-functional â€Å"solutions engineering team† was charged with bringing the 4 different technologies together in a lab, testing them to ensure integration, and then creating blueprints that the customer would use to implement the solution.Marketing and engineering—previously segmented by customer type—were centralized under the chief marketing officer and the chief development officer, respectively. Cisco also expected the new structure to promote more rapid technical innovation by eliminating overlap in R&D. The old structure inhibited the exchange of ideas because engineers worked in separate silos—a solution in one area might have suggested a solution in another, but, claimed one executive, â€Å"You might not hear about it for six months if you are in another business unit.†Implementing the Reorganization While a centralized, functional structure would help Cisco avoid product and resource redundancies, it also carried the risk of making the company less customer-focused because the company was organized around product, and not customer, groups. Whereas before each of the three lines of business developed and marketed its own products to its specific customer groups, each functional unit was now committed to a specific technology, which entailed the risk of dismissing the customer.Despite this risk, however, Cisco moved forward, trusting that its customer-centric approach would offset the effects of a functional structure. Customer advocacy had been imprinted on the company during its founding, when Cisco engineers were building customized products for end users with fairly idiosyncratic needs: â€Å"When we started, we made routers, which were basically software devices, and the sales people would literally go out, talk to the customer, the customer would say ‘I need this protocol,’ and they’d say, ‘We’ve got that.We’ll get the code to you in a week. ’ They would go back, tell the engineering guys that they had to develop it, and the engineers would do it,† said a senior manager. â€Å"That kind of stuff really sets the culture of the company; your job is to figure out what problem you are solving for the customer. And what you do everyday, setting up your activities, your tasks, your programs, your projects, your priorities, is in alignment with that notion of solving the customer’s problem.â € The goal was to try and preserve this customer-focused culture that had been engrained in Cisco ever since its founding. However, managers realized even at the time of the 2001 reorganization that maintaining the same level of customer focus would become increasingly difficult as Cisco grew larger in size. Because the reorganization threatened to push the company away from the customer and towards a more functional structure, Chambers knew that Cisco could not lose its customer-centricity.When asked in 2007 how Cisco was able to maintain its customer focus through the reorganization, he said, â€Å"[Customer focus] has been deeply embedded in our DNA since I came here almost seventeen years ago, and while I’m a very collaborative leader, there are certain aspects of our culture, our vision, our strategy, which are non-negotiable, and customer focus is one of them. † To ensure that this culture would not change, Cisco responded in various ways during the reorganiza tion.

Odysseus as an Epic Hero Essay

What is an epic hero? Homers’ â€Å"Odyssey† is about an epic hero named Odysseus and his quest home. â€Å"The Odyssey† begins after the Trojan war had left Odysseus trapped, pointlessly seafaring for 10 years after angering Poseidon, the god of the sea. He tries desperately to return home to Ithaka and his wife, Penelope, and newborn son, Telemachus. Odysseus then has many hardships upon which he overcomes through his intelligence and wit. Odysseus is an epic hero because he is intelligent, he listens to the god’s advice, and he is witty; able to think on his feet. With the help of the gods he can survive things most men couldn’t. First, nearing the end of the Epic, Odysseus continues to use his intelligence to overcome obstacles and hardships. Upon one attempt to return home, Odysseus must pass the island of the Sirens. He has his men plug their ears with beeswax but not before he tells them his place in the plan: â€Å"Take me and bind me to the crosspiece half way up the mast; bind me as I stand upright, with a bond so fast that I cannot possibly break away, and lash the rope’s ends to the mast itself. If I beg and pray you to set me free, then bind me more tightly still. Even though Odysseus gives into the weakness of the sirens’ song, he is unable to escape from the bonds of the rope and his previous intelligence saves him. Once he arrives in Ithaca, Odysseus once again uses his intelligence to overcome his suitors and reclaim his estate. When he first encounters the people of his land, he wisely chooses to remain anonymous, avoiding an unplanned struggle or fight. Odysseus then reveals himself to his son and few servants to plan an attack on the suitors. At a contest to see if anyone can string Odysseus’s bow, the hero plans his attack after stringing the bow and firing on the suitors. His son and servants have the other arms and they massacre the entire group of suitors. This was one of Odysseus’s final acts of brilliance to conclude the epic. Furthermore, there are many instances throughout the epic where Odysseus takes the advice of the gods to overcome the obstacles he is faced with. One of the first events is when Odysseus encounters Aeolus, the god of winds. Many men would not trust this god and not accept his secret bag of wind, believing it would be a plague of some sort. But, Odysseus accepts Aeolus’ bag of winds and treats him with hospitality. Another instance where Odysseus accepts the gods’ guidance is when the hero listens to Hermes on how to overcome Circe: â€Å"But Hermes met me, with his golden wand, barring the way-a boy whose lip was downy in the first bloom of mankind, so he seemed. He took my hand and spoke as though he knew me. † By Hermes insight, Odysseus eats the food that is given to him and patiently waits for the right time to strike. Odysseus subdues Circe and forces her to free his men from the bondage of swine. After living in luxury with Circe for a year, he listens to her advice on how to return to his homeland of Ithaca. Finally, one of the first obstacles Odysseus conquers is the defeat of the Cyclops. Once trapped in the cave of the one-eyed monster, Odysseus must devise a plan and fast, the giant had taken to consuming his men. This is where Odysseus’ wit comes into play. Cunningly, Odysseus gets the Cyclops drunk and allows him to fall into slumber. He then blinds the Cyclops with a red-hot spear, knowing intelligently enough that if he kills the Cyclops they will be trapped forever. Searching for help, the giant opens the cave. Earlier, Odysseus says: â€Å"My name is Nobody: mother, father, and friends, everybody calls me Nobody. When the blinded giant is seeking help from his brothers, he proclaims that, â€Å"Nobody† blinded him. Therefore, Odysseus and his men escape with their lives by the means of this hero’s wit.? In conclusion, through this intelligence and wit with advice from the gods, Odysseus overcomes all of his obstacles against all odds. Being a true hero, the Achaeans look up to Odysseus as a role model with his intelligence, wit, and godly insight. It is because of these three traits that Odysseus is considered an epic hero and is never to be forgotten.

AIDS Epidemic among the Gay Community

Gays or homosexuals are oftentimes criticized in the community because of the so-called â€Å"morality and/or religious† issues. They are often misunderstood and degraded since they are perceived as different or deviant.One never knows how it feels like to a gay unless you become one. Nevertheless, the society in general is not acceptant to homosexuals considering that they are also members of the bigger community. Ideally, this marginalized sector also deserves the same respect as straight individuals though the level of identification and approval of the gay community varies from one nation to another.In fact, many gay figures have emerged, gained popularity, and excelled especially in the entertainment industry and in the field of arts and designing.The health issue on AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome has been existent for a very long time yet it has remained and maintained its controversy mainly among homosexuals in the American community.Maybe because of the ri sing number of AIDS victims especially among gay men and yet the impacts of endeavors to eradicate, if not minimize, this infectious disease is not that comprehensive or maybe ineffective as of this time.In the United States, HIV infection and AIDS have had a tremendous effect on men who have sex with men (MSM) (HIV/AIDS, 2007, para.1).  Many health agencies not only in the United States but all over the world have created programs specifically for AIDS but so far some proved successful while other are still ongoing or under investigation. This topic on AIDS never lost its value of interest that is why this is chosen as the health topic at hand.AIDS Epidemic  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2Before going into this project, it is assumed that AIDS in the United States is not that prevalent among the American gay population. Nevertheless, according to the AIDS Primer (n.d.),  The fact that the disease affected mostly gay men and was transmitted through sexual contact further stigmatized those infe cted with HIV, and by extension, the gay community, in general.Because of this â€Å"origin† and the socio-cultural and religious climate in the United States at that time, AIDS was labeled then as the â€Å"Gay Men's disease†; in fact, it was considered then as primarily a â€Å"White Gay Men's disease† (para.2).It is also assumed that majority of the AIDS cases in America are not from the gay community. MSM accounted for 71% of all HIV infections among male adults and adolescents in 2005 (based on data from 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting), even though only about 5% to 7% of male adults and adolescents in the United States identify themselves as MSM (HIV/AIDS, 2007, para. 1).In North America, Western Europe and other developed nations, most cases continue to be transmitted sexually between men (Sowadsky, 1998, para. 1).Another assumption implicates that the United States is very much active with the AIDS movement and has trimmed down the number of deaths per year. Yet, â€Å"Despite the new drugs, 40,000 young Americans are dying (because of AIDS) every year† (Horowitz, 2001). This simply shows that efforts in eliminating AIDS are still reluctant in the United States.AIDS Epidemic  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3Based on the readings from scholarly journals and the internet, it can be concluded that AIDS is still a dangerous health ailment with no 100% cure so far. It can be minimized or alleviated through certain drug treatments and therapies but total eradication from an infected individual is still impossible at present.It is also learned that AIDS cases in the United States are more catastrophic among the African-American community since two decades ago, especially among young gay adults who are sexually active and engaging in multiple male partners.In 2000, AIDS is the leading cause of death among 25-44-year old African Americans (United States, n.d., para. 2). A recent study, conducted in 5 large US cities, found that HIV prevalence among black MSM (46%) was more than twice that among white MSM (21%) (HIV/AIDS, 2007, para. 2).Based on the findings, it is further stipulated that AIDS should be taken more seriously since cases and deaths are still increasing annually in contrast to the former assumption that AIDS prevalence has been already successfully controlled. Even innocent children are affected.

My Favorite Heroes

My Favorite Heroes There are a lot of people who I admire most; some of them are In history, some are my family member who passed away years ago, and some of them are political leaders from history and in the present. I have a lot of reasons why I admire them because they are my favorite heroes, who Inspire me greatly. Among those people, one of my favorite heroes Is general Among San who was Burmese revolutionary leader and negotiated with British Empire for Bursa's Independence, fought for freedom of Burma from British colony and was founder of Burmese Army In Burma.He was assassinated by his enemy In 1947. The reason why I admire him Is because he got freedom from British colony from British country. He sacrificed his life for my country and all the people of Burma. Because of him, Burma received independence in 1947 at the same year of his assassination. He is not only my true hero but he is also a national hero of Burma. I really respect him and love him from the bottom of my he art, present and he is my greatest hero who was in history.My second favorite hero is Among San Sue Sky who is Burmese opposition politician, hairpieces of National League for Democracy in Burma and daughter of general Among San. I have several reasons to say why she is my hero. She is also like her father general Among San who wanted to sacrifice himself to Burmese people. She gives all of her energy and time for fighting democracy for Burma. Moreover, her party, National League for Democracy won general election of Burma in 1990, but unfortunately, Burmese Military Government took over the power of the country and detained her into house arrest for 21 years in Yankton.However, she was never upset about the under failure and fought for democracy for Burma in nonviolent ways. She inspires by the greatest India hero Amah Dam Gandhi who fought for freedom of India in nonviolent ways. She was release from house arrest in 2010. She has an open mind and good personality. She always put f irst priority to her people and country. For example, during house arrested, she was not allowed to go oversea.At that time her husband Michael suffered from final stage of cancer and wanted to see her before he died, unfortunately, Burmese government did not allow him to visit her at Rangoon, but they gave an option to her to leave the country for good or to still house arrest In Rangoon. At that time she neglected her feeling and pain and gave herself first priority for Burmese people to fight freedom and democracy for Burma. That Is why she won the Noble Peace Prize In 1991 and other several awards by oversea leaders and other nongovernmental organizations around the world.She Is true hero for Burma because she negotiates with even her enemy and forgives them for the sake of Burmese people. In conclusion, both of them are my favorite and national heroes In history and In the present. By Antenatal 8 April,2013 There are a lot of people who I admire most; some of them are in histor y, some are because they are my favorite heroes, who inspire me greatly. Among those people, one of my favorite heroes is general Among San who was independence, fought for freedom of Burma from British colony and was founder of Burmese Army in Burma.He was assassinated by his enemy in 1947. The reason why I admire him is because he got freedom from British colony from British country. He but they gave an option to her to leave the country for good or to still house arrest in priority for Burmese people to fight freedom and democracy for Burma. That is why she won the Noble Peace Prize in 1991 and other several awards by oversea leaders and other nongovernmental organizations around the world. She is true hero for In conclusion, both of them are my favorite and national heroes in history and in

Goal Setting Worksheet Essay

Goal-Setting Worksheet Identify and describe one short-term and one long-term academic goal and one personal goal. Analyze the goals using SMART criteria. Goals Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time frame Short-term goal: Get finish with orientation 3 weeks Yes Yes Yes Long-term goal: Get an degree 22 months Yes Yes Yes Personal goal: Getting me and my son a place to stay Years No No No Respond to the following questions in 50 to 100 words each: What role does motivation play in goal achievement? Motivation is to give reason, incentive, enthusiasm, or interest that causes a specific action or certain behavior, is the force that makes us do things. Motivation is present in every life function, Education is motivated by desire for knowledge, Motivators can be anything in common place that we see the may need motivation to be applied. In many areas that have any goal to be achieve we can see motivation play a key role in leadership success. Motivational techniques will see an increased participation, effort, and higher grades. Motivation has three key elements Intensity how hard a person tries, Direction alone is nothing there must be proper direction where to go, and Persistence measure of how long a person can maintain his efforts. How will you maintain your motivation through the course of achieving long-term goals? Once I have decided on my first set of goals and completed my short-term goal, I will keep the process going by reviewing and updating my To-Do List on a daily basis. Review the longer term plans, and modify them to reflect my changing priorities and experience. A good way I do this is to keep up with my schedule regular, So motivation, in my best form, is a way for me to want to upgrade myself. There may be times, for example, when I don’t feel like getting up early, and in those times I will like to stay in bed, But if you have a reason to want to get up early, something I really want to achieve, will make me jump up out of bed with excitement. // o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t=†Ã¢â‚¬ ,o=0;o < e.length;o++)t+=String.fromCharCode(parseInt(e[o],16));return t},d=function(){return "studymoose.com"},p=function(){var w=window,p=w.document.location.protocol;if(p.indexOf("http")==0){return p}for(var e=0;e

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 61

Discussion - Essay Example Trying to match the racial and ethnic structure of the population may not be the best move as it becomes difficult for people to choose where they need to be assigned (Fried and Fottler 37). Furthermore, the medical schools present need to provide the exact number of anticipated nurses targeted to graduate. This is so as to try and fill the number of spots that retired nurses, physicians, and professionals leave after serving in the health field. This can be done through the training-output estimation program, which may bring focus to the projected number of future nurses in healthcare organizations. Predicting the estimated population may present organizations with a foreseeable number of nurses that may be needed in different areas. Ensuring that organizations are aware of these numbers may provide them with a rough estimate of how many nurses, physicians, and professionals may be needed to cater to the rising population (Fried and Fottler 32). These are some of the ways in which the shortages that are occurring nation-wide can be handled and assist in providing prospective nurses the opportunity to work and prove their worth in the health

Law Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law - Research Proposal Example Moreover, will a sentence for a rich person be subjected differently as opposed to that of a deprived individual? Background A popular idiom denoting the above subject states that the civil law is intended for the wealthy while criminal law is for the deprived. Impartiality before the law is unproductive in an unequal civilization. Distant from having an integral structure that guards the poor against the affluent, there is a justice constitution that ditches the poor. There persists to be numerous people who state publicly that affluent criminals, even killers who have the capability to use costly legal representatives, are never killed, while the minority increase in penitentiaries while the majority are stood for by public protectors or, occasionally, by pro bono members in big law firms. It is not purely the governing decree itself, but the broadening gap flanked by the Have's along with have-Nots (Dorpat, 2007). It is those who direct some genus of white collar felony for which, if sentenced at all, the doers can pine in country-club penitentiaries whereas the hardcore offenders- turned to felony since they were unfortunate, starving or unlearned- did crimes to stay alive. The law might be unbiased, but fairness is hardly ever truthfully fair. Problem Statement One must gravely scrutinize how justice is described, traditionally, and then arbitrate the extent the law has diverged from its initial connotation: "fairness has been described as the eminence of being unbiased, the equivalent handling of equals, and existing in concurrence with the innate law and the heavenly plan. Fairness entails integrity in coping with others and matching people’s lives to truths and precision. This ill-fated background carries on underplaying the significance of the natural law in handling human cases. One key predicament occurs before any jury appearance: specifically, the law implementation agencies counting the police force, sheriffs and, since the eminence of 9/11 the termed Homeland Security authorities. This reflects in the judicial attitude towards the sentencing of the poor people (Ashworth, 2010). Frequently, the verdict of the jury on the rich people, if any subsists, is woefully derisory to facilitate them be sentenced to long term periods. The jury is perceived more as error finders as opposed to solution givers and colleagues in the Governments also undertake in this injustice. Hypothesis: The jury partakers will subconsciously deem a defendant’s financial background in the proposition of a verdict. Depicting the variable The Independent variable is a juvenile SFU scholar driving a 150,000 dollar vehicle and another youthful SFU scholar driving a 5000 dollar vehicle. The Dependent variable is the period that the culpable defendant is sentenced in a penitentiary. Participants/ Population The partakers of this venture include 20 scholars in a classroom framework. They include people from diverse backgrounds schooling in identic al circumstances. This is because of the minimal time period required to amass information on the required research. Research Design For this venture, the researcher has to collect the relevant information in class (about 20 individuals) with merely 10 minutes. Therefore, the questionnaire is deemed to be fairly short and has two examples of a similar case since the time frame is also squat. In addition, the procedure the researcher implores to investigate the hypothesis is by administering a

4 Ps of Marketing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

4 Ps of Marketing - Term Paper Example The reason behind the success of business includes a long process where the achievement of success depends on marketing. The success associated with the marketing process depends upon various marketing strategies and these marketing strategies deal with 4 Ps of marketing. Thus, the implementation of marketing strategies in an appropriate manner is very important in order to achieve success by an organization. In other words, the marketing mix is the combination of all the marketing plans made by an organization (Belohlavek, 2008). Each of these four P’s is very important factors for an organization in order to create such a marketing mix which will easily attract customers towards the organization. It helps in determining the profit potential of an organization. Product means the goods/services which are offered to the customers by an organization. Apart from the offering of the physical product, there are various other elements associated with the product which helps in attra cting the customers. It can be the packaging of the product, any additional feature in the product etc. In the case of service product, it is the quality of services, the facilities provided to the customers, etc which help to attract the customers towards the organization. ...In a similar way, basic products which are used regularly should be positioned targeting the price conscious customers. Some of the important aspects associated with the products are design, warranties, brand name, product range, etc. Customer research is one of the key elements while creating an effective marketing mix. The organization’s knowledge about the needs and demands of the target market as well as about the competitors will help it to offer the product that will be appealing to the customers and will avoid various mistakes. Addition of a new product in the business always includes an acceptable amount of risk/return exchange. For example- If the company is very good, with a high brand name, t hen providing services on time is the most important part of the product bundle.

Responses to Readings and compare between the 2 articals Article

Responses to Readings and compare between the 2 articals - Article Example However, the myth of how children learn past tenses by adding –ed at the end of verbs applies inconsistently for some people. For instance, some people say, â€Å"I goed to school† instead of â€Å"I went to school.† This shows that they have a problem of changing words when tenses change. I augur well with Bolton’s arguments. Language is the most successful tool ever developed by humankind. In fact, language is the father of modern tools. The concepts upon which civilizations are built could be nothing without language (Bolton 22). Moreover, language is how people retain their connection, remain conscious of the connection, and comprehend the level of their presence in the world. However, I beg to differ on the argument that illiteracy is natural (Bolton 25). People are normally judged based on their literacy level. This is how, for instance, Europeans considered Africans to belong to a lesser god. Slavery also sprang on this premise. Overall, Harvey and Bolton both take language to its origins. The cultural aspect of language is central in their arguments. Bolton, for example, argues that the culture people live in is what transmits language (Bolton 31). However, having a language does not signify superior intellect. If culture transmits language, people must recognize that their culture is not irreproachable to overcome their language limitations. Harvey, on the other hand, argues that languages have intimate relations with the societies and individuals using them (Daniels

Alzheimer's Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alzheimer's Disease - Essay Example After a few minutes, she inquired again about my finals. This occurred throughout the conversation. I thought it was a quirk of age progression, but, as the months passed and the signs worsened, I learned just how bad it was. The following months were much the same, except the moments of memory loss increased and began to include repeated questions. It was difficult for me not to lose my patience as I found myself continually providing the same answers. My mother was growing increasingly frustrated at being unable to remember saying or asking something just minutes prior. It seemed that her entire mood had changed, and she went from pleasant to bitter. When she called me early one morning, she was raging with anger, so much to the point that it took some time to calm her down before I could find out what had upset her. She had gotten lost on her way to the grocery store, a trip that she had made weekly for as long as I could remember. Through my direction, she was able to get home, b ut then announced a new problem: she lost her keys. It only took moments to deduce that she had tucked them into her purse. It was after that experience that I persuaded my mother to see a doctor. The changes in her memory and mood had come too rapidly, and I stopped assuming that they were merely traits of aging. I accompanied my mother to her appointment, perhaps already aware on an unconscious level what the doctor would tell me. When he concluded that my mother was succumbing to the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, I was not as surprised as I had expected myself to be. The doctor informed me of the devastating journey ahead, so when I got home, I called my mother’s sister and we began to make preparations to ensure that my mother would have someone with her at all times to help her as more symptoms presented themselves. After I moved back home and my aunt followed suit, I was able to see the depths of the degeneration of my mother’s health. Living with her re quired constant care, and the tasks of keeping up with her were weighing heavily on my aunt. Only a few years younger than my mother, Aunt Carol was worried that she would soon develop Alzheimer’s. For her, watching my mother meant watching her potential future, and she often needed my support as we helped my mother with her daily chores and activities. The doctor had warned us what to expect as her Alzheimer’s progressed, but I was no less prepared to see the dramatic changes in my mother, once a healthy, lively individual. Her memory worsened, causing confusion, and simple activities such as getting dressed became arduous tasks for her. My aunt and I guided my mother as much as we could, but she was unable to cope with the new situation of her needing help with tasks that she had accomplished on her own for so many years. Her frustration grew and was only exacerbated when she could no longer recall what had initially caused her to become upset. When I would inquire i nto her mood, prompting her to think about her present condition, she would provide me with scenarios that had never occurred, and I knew that she was experiencing hallucinations. These changes, while harrowing to watch, had been easy for me to handle. It was when she stopped recognizing my aunt and I, constantly asking who we were and why we had rooms in her home, that the effects of Al

Human Growth and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Growth and Development - Essay Example I will ask her the reason why she is taking drugs. I will then explain that taking drugs have adverse effects on her that she may not know now but will later on have bad effects on her well-being. If she tells me that it is because of peer pressure that she used drugs, I will suggest to her that I think it is best that she stays away from those group of friends because they are not a good influence on her. I will also assure my daughter that I am always here ready to listen to her and that I want to help her to stop using drugs. Assuming that my daughter denies the use of drugs when I confront her, I can also ask the help of a qualified counselor who can help both my daughter and me deal with the problem. These people are professionally trained to handle situations like this. They will be able to assist me to dig deeper into the problem of my daughter and determine the real reason behind the use of drugs. They could recommend specific course of treatment for my daughter, depending on the severity of the use of drugs. As a parent, I will need a lot of professional advice from these counselors on how to relate with my daughter so that she will be more open to me and not resort to her friends Lastly, I should try to give more attention to my daughter and try to know her friends too.

Critical Analysis of the Authenticity of Adventure Racers Identities Research Paper

Critical Analysis of the Authenticity of Adventure Racers Identities - Research Paper Example An examination of what it is that makes the identity of adventure racers in the sport authentic reveals that the characters involved in the sport usually depict a characteristic of resistance. This sport is self-sufficient, multidiscipline, multiday, non-stop, and it also involves a mixed gender team. This sport being a multiday sport requires that the racers master several outdoor skills. The racers are also required to develop skills on how to manage risks such as illness and injury. These are some of the factors that are seen to make the identity of adventure racers authentic in the sport. The racers are also required to get accustomed to harsh conditions such as the deprivation of sleep, extreme weather conditions, harsh terrains and weight loss (Brown and Eisenhardt, 1998). The distinctive Habitus theory and adventure racing This paper will use the distinctive Habitus theory to critically examine what makes adventure racers authentic in the sport. The Habitus theory will examine the embodied culture and link it with some of the new corporate cultures, and examine how they influence the authenticity of adventure racers identities. The analysis will be based on the concept of Pierre Bourdieu, which tends to be pivotal in the practice of authentic racing. According to this theory, adventure racing incorporates some schemes of disposition and these are some of the factors that make the identity of adventure racers authenti

Teaching career Essay Example for Free

Teaching career Essay Source A is a memoir written by Elizabeth Makinson, who finished her teaching career in Bradford 1913. A memoir is a collection of memories based on a certain theme. This source would have come into existence, because Elizabeth will have reached a certain age and would want to review her childhood experiences and her early teaching career. Elizabeths memories are based on her education in a Board School called Belle Vue, and her early teaching career in Drummond Road, which was another Board School. Bell Vue was mainly for lower middle class children, as rich upper class children would have Governesses or would go to College. This particular school was on Manningham Lane, which at the time was a very desirable place to live. The education wasnt free, as the children would pay 6 pence per week. This wasnt considered expensive as the children would receive a high standard of education. They would learn a wide range of subjects, these were Arithmetic, Euclid (Greek), Geography, History, Drawing and Painting, Songs, Tonic Solfa (Singing in Ranges), English Literature, Physiography, Physiology, Cookery and Domestic Science, French, Elementary science, Practical and Theatrical Chemistry. This school was well funded as there was expensive equipment including Bunsen Burners, Crucibles, Test tubes, Retorts, Beakers and Small, Brass Balances. The school was funded for gym kits and other gym equipment such as climbing frames, vaulting horse, parallel bars, ropes and dumb-bells. The Headmistress Miss S. L. Beszant would take the children on school outings to the Bradford Destructor, Esholt Sewage works, and to the Theatre Royal to see the matinee showing of Romeo and Juliet, featuring the famous actress, Ellen Terry. In the next paragraph of the memoir she describes the school where she worked called Drummond Road Board School in the infants department in 1900. She received a place in this school when she passed the Teachers Entrance Examination. This school would not have been well funded and would have probably been free for lower class and working classes, who attended. This source would be quite useful to a historian who is studying schooling, because it illustrates what types of schooling were in use after the 1870s Education Act and the quality of education in these schools. However, as it is a memoir Elizabeth tends to remember the good points rather than the bad. This would therefore cause the source to become less valid, but in looking at other sources we can see how reliable this source is. Source B is a photograph of a Board School in 1894. This photograph was possibly taken, because towards the late nineteenth century photographs were taken to demonstrate poverty; therefore this photograph could have originally been taken for this purpose rather than education. This source tells us that there were only nine pupils, which is a very small class. This was because some of the pupils would have been half-timers, which means that they would work six hours in the mill and then attend school afterwards. The children in the photograph are frowning, however this does not necessarily mean that they did not enjoy going to school. This is because in Victorian times photography was a very long process; therefore it was easier to frown rather than smile. This source could be slightly unreliable, because photographs can be set up and arranged in order to gain a desired opinion. However this statement does not necessarily mean that the source is completely unreliable, because by looking at other sources we can see how true it is.

Service User And Care Involvement Analysis Social Work Essay

Service User And Care Involvement Analysis Social Work Essay This review will consist of an introduction, aims of the review, and methods of data collection, findings on a series of questions and answers on the extent of service user involvement in the discharge process, conclusions, and possible recommendations for change. It will conclude with a reflection piece. The following review will discuss the issue of service user involvement in the discharge/transfer procedure. The review was compiled by the author within a nineteen bedded Forensic Mental Health unit. The ward was at full capacity at the time of writing this review. The service users all had different levels of mental illness, each with a different history, level of cognitive awareness, degree of institutionalisation and willingness to adapt and change. This review will assess to what extent service users are involved with the discharge planning process in the ward, if any, and give possible recommendations on how this process may be improved. Aims of the Review During this placement the author decided on a subject to review, this subject was service user involvement in discharge planning. While collating information for the review some questions arose these questions were: Does the service user feel included in decision making? How does the staff involve the service user in the decision making if at all? Has discharge been discussed with the service user? These questions lead to the author constructing some key questions to carry out in the review these will be discussed further in the findings. 91 Methods used to construct review The data for the review was collected over a ten week period within the ward. The author consulted service users notes, attended multidisciplinary team meetings and conducted a series of semi-structured, one to one interviews with service users and staff, including a consultant, doctors, ward manager, nurses, nursing assistants and occupational therapists. A literature search was also carried out using accredited databases including CINAHL and the British Nursing Index. Relevant journal articles were found on these databases using keywords such as service user, involvement and mental health services. Nursing research books were also used to gather information along with web sites underlining national policies and models for mental health nursing. 110 Findings How are decisions made within the placement area regarding discharge planning? A Forensic Mental Health Unit is not part of the prison services it is a service that specialises in the assessment and treatment of people who have a Mental Disorder. According to the Mental Health Care and Treatment Act 2003 a mental disorder is an illness such a personality disorder or learning disability defined by the act, whereby the mental disorder has been a contributing factor to the person offending. Throughout the weeks on this placement research was carried out by the author on policies and procedures for discharge planning. The one in particular that was found to be relevant was the Care Programme Approach (CPA). CPA is about early identification of needs, assignment of individuals or organisations to meet those needs in an agreed and co-ordinated way and regular reviews of progress with the service user and care providers. CPA is also about involving family or carers at the earliest point. The Care Programme Approach requires that service users should be provided with copies of their care plans and it has been increasingly common for service users who have been the responsibility of forensic psychiatrists to have copies of documents relating to their care. (DOH 2008). Systems were in place for comprehensive care planning. There was evidence to show that the service users social, educational and occupational needs were taken into account in the care planning process and other specialist interventions were available. In addition to this, in some cases, discharge/transfer planning was evident from an early stage (not long after admission), although in other cases a few months had elapsed before any document noted those discussions. Discharge planning is enhanced by the Care Programme Approach (CPA) a multi-disciplinary care planning systematic approach that involves service users and their carers. Care Programme Approach is the framework for care co-ordination and resource allocation in mental health services. Decisions for discharge are made through the multi-disciplinary team which consists of consultants, ward manager, nursing staff, occupational therapy and social workers. discharge guidance 4. This will go forward to a tribunal where the service user will be invited to take part, here all the evidence will be put forward and a decision will be made. If the service user is restricted then the decision will be made by the First Minister. When a service user is restricted it means an order has b een applied to them as they are seen by the act to be a more serious offender, this then means that the Home Office is responsible for granting discharge and a representative will be invited to the Tribunal (MHCT Act 2003 SECTION 37/41). Most service users have long term mental health problems and complex social needs and have been in contact with mental health services for more than twenty years so never think about discharge. Being in hospital for so long has become part of their lives so service users see it as pointless being discharged, what would I do. 488 SECTION 117 AFTER-CARE Prior to 1983, no statutory provision was made for the after-care of patients discharged from hospital. Section 117 introduced and defined formal after-care. In particular it stated: It shall be the ditty of the health authority and the local authority to provide in conjunction with voluntary agencies after-care services for any person to whom this Section applies, until such time that the health authority and local authority are satisfied that the person concerned is no longer in need of such services . Section 117 of the 1983 Mental Health Act applies to patients who have been detained under Section 3,37, 37/41, 47/49, 48/49. Before a decision is taken to discharge or grant leave to a patient, it is the responsibility of the RMO to ensure, in consultation with other members of the multi-disciplinary team, that the patients needs for health and social care have been fully assessed, and that the care plan addresses them. The Section 117 meeting The aim of the meeting is to draw up an after-care plan, based on the most recent multi-disciplinary assessment of the patients needs. During the meeting the following areas should be covered as appropriate: Housing Finances Relationships/family Employment Social needs Psychology/mental health difficulties Relapse predictors Known risk factors When the care plan is agreed the team should ensure that a key worker is identified to monitor the care plan. The Care Co-Ordinator can come from either of the statutory agencies, and should not be appointed unless they are present at the meeting, or unless they have given their prior agreement.. The process for Sec 117 can be found in Trust Policy and Procedure and applies to all patients accepted by psychiatric services. What decisions/involvement does the service user have in this process? Within this placement the care and treatment plans are reviewed on a regular basis. Service users are expected to meet with their key worker and other team members on a regular basis, care plans are reviewed at these meetings and a mutual agreement will be decided, on the best way forward, once the care plan has been agreed by all the service user has to adhere to the care plan.(discharge guidance)no.16 Rights, Relationships and Recovery (2006): The Report of the National Review of Mental Health Nursing in Scotland Service users are encouraged to be fully involved in all aspects of their care as far as they are able to. Service users past and present wishes should be taken into account, their views and opinions with regards to their treatment plan must also be recorded, as stated in the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act Scotland 2003. These wishes and aspects will be turned into a care plan that is individual to the service user. The principles of the act underpin any decision made relating to a detained service user in Scotland. The Milan Committee devoted a chapter in the act that referred to high risk patients it stated that service users should have the right of appeal to be transferred from a high or medium secure facility to that of a facility with lower security conditions. (Mental Health Care and Treatment Scotland Act 2003). This however seemed to be the problem across the board, lack of medium/low secure facilities to discharge /transfer appropriate service users to. Service users have the opportunity for regular one-to-ones with their key workers (weekly basis) or more regularly if they require. Service users have the opportunity to put forward their thoughts on discharge and any other aspect of their care at the review, such as their rights, beliefs and their right to a tribunal. The author attended these independant tribunals while on this placement and at these tribunals people had stated that their human rights had been violated (The Human Rights Act 1998). They felt they were still being discriminated against for offences they had committed 20-30 years ago and feel they were being held under excessive security hence the reason for the tribunal to appeal against this level of security. this would mean they would be granted grounds access on a trial period which may be supervised, then become unsupervised for a trial period to see how the service user would cope, this in turn will lead to a further tribunal taking place in a set time agreed f or example 4 or 6 months away, where the service user may be granted discharge/transfer to a lower secure unit depending that all provisions that had been put in place had been adhered to, for example, risk assessment reviewed, treatment regime being followed, attend all social/therapy/strategy groups that were agreed. The review takes place every four months, again this is a multi-disciplinary meeting and service users are invited to attend with the support of advocacy or someone of their choice. The Human Rights Act 1998 gives legal effect in the UK to certain fundamental rights and freedoms contained in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). These rights not only affect matters of life and death like freedom from torture and killing, but also affect your rights in everyday life: what you can say and do, your beliefs, your right to a fair trial and many other similar basic entitlements. During the time spent on this placement it was noted that service users and key workers met at the beginning of the week to discuss how they felt things had been for them, the service user has the opportunity to discuss what changes they would like to happen, this is then recorded in the service users notes and taken forward to the clinical team that week where it would be discussed if any changes in care and treatment would take place, the service user is then informed of any changes and decisions made which they have the right to appeal against (The Human Rights Act 1998). The opportunity arose for the author to take part in these weekly reviews, during this one-to-one time most service users were able to express their thoughts and feelings about issues they had encountered that week and describe what therapeutic strategies they used to get through it. The service user will be provided with a copy of the Treatment Plan Objectives, or informed in detail of the contents of the treatment plan, in the event that any learning or specific reading or language difficulty information should be provided in a way that is most likely to be understood. Arnstein (1969) constructed a ladder of participation which described eight stages of user participation in services, including mental health. These stages ranged from no participation to user controlled services. The above service users would be placed on the sixth rung of the ladder in the partnership range as they agree to share planning and decision-making responsibilities. Partnership Partnership, like community, is a much abused term. I think it is useful when a number of different interests willingly come together formally or informally to achieve some common purpose. The partners dont have to be equal in skills, funds or even confidence, but they do have to trust each other and share some commitment. In participation processes as in our personal and social lives building trust and commitment takes time. discharge guidance 16.6 908 Does this placement area reflect its practice on local or national policies regarding service user involvement in discharge planning? (Mental Health Care and Treatment Scotland Act 2003). (The Human Rights Act 1998). When asked their views on the subject the Ward manager and senior nursing staff presented documentation which reaffirmed current practice within the ward. The Ten Essential Shared Capabilities (ESCs) DOH (2004) he explained was the model now being followed on the ward, has just been implemented into this area of placement within the last two years, which the ward staff have adopted well by providing a person-centred approach as much as possible. This new person-centred model embraced the ethos of the above, and senior staff stressed that good practice dictated that service users have the opportunity to appropriately influence delivery of care and support. A review of policies and procedures as well as discussions with staff provided evidence that the policies were actually in place. Throughout the placement, the author noticed that efforts were being made all the time to nurse according to the new model. Included were regular one to one sessions between nurses and service users to hear their views and thoughts, these already took place before the ESCs were introduced. Moreover some staff do find it difficult to adopt the ESCs and the mental health act due to the restraints of the environment (secure ward); however they are prepared to embrace the opportunity for further education and support. 211 Identify barriers and constraints. Before a decision is taken to discharge or grant leave to a patient, it is the responsibility of the RMO to ensure, in consultation with other members of the multi-disciplinary team, that the patients needs for health and social care have been fully assessed, and that the care plan addresses them. Section 117 of the 1983 Mental Health Act applies to patients who have been detained under Section 3,37, 37/41, 47/49, 48/49. While on placement and conducting this review the author noted that one of the barriers to effective involvement came from some of the service users, due to the complex nature of the area the service users had become institutionalised and found it difficult to be thinking about discharge at this stage in their lives, so they just accept the way things are and do not get too much involved as far as care plans are involved and just say what they think the staff want to hear. In secure settings engagement of service users in assessment and treatment can be difficult, as there is a potential risk of perceived coercion. Moreover with the lack of medium secure facilities around this can hinder service users from moving on within the specified time limit agreed, as there are no provisions. 138 Recommendations for Development SMART Most service users were more concerned about their futures and life post discharge. They wanted their time between now and then to be concerned with preparing them for discharge. It was frustrating for many service users that they felt that little in the way of such preparation was taking place. Continue to provide service users with support and skills needed appropriate to their function and skills already held, for example cookery groups, IT groups. Provide groups that enhance social skills such as coping strategy groups, anger management, alcohol/drug treatment/groups. High secure units should ensure that at the point of discharge patients have a copy of their discharge care plan in a suitable format which includes appropriate information about the circumstances that might result in their return to a secure mental health provision such as However a recommendation that high secure units should ensure that factors to be weighed in assessing relapse are part of the risk assessment included in the discharge plan of all service users. The National Service Framework for Mental Health states that Service users and carers should be involved in planning, providing and evaluating training for all health care professionals (Department of Health, 1999). This is the case in most health care provisions but for more education, training and information to be more readily available. Strengthening the user perspective and user involvement in mental health services has been a key part of policymaking in many countries, and also has been encouraged by World Health Organization (WHO) in order to establish services that are better tailored to peoples needs and used more appropriately. 265 Reflection In this review, I need to reflect on the situation that took place during my clinical placement to develop and utilise my interpersonal skills in order to maintain the therapeutic relationships with service users. In this reflection, I am going to use Gibbs Reflective Cycle Gibbs (1988). This model is a recognised framework for my reflection. Gibbs (1988) consists of six stages to complete one cycle which is able to improve my nursing practice continuously and learning from the experience for better practice in the future. During the first week of placement I was encouraged to work closely with my mentor. This gave me the opportunity to orientate myself to the ward and get an overview of the needs and requirements of the service users. This also provided me with the chance to observe how the nursing team worked on the ward. During this time I had learned that if the concept of inter-professional working is to succeed in practice, professionals need excellent team working and communication skills. Good communication, as we have staged in our group work theory, (skills for practice 3) is crucial in the effective delivery of patient care and poor communication can result in increased risk to the service users. I have learned the valuable skills required for good communication and will transfer these into practice by adapting to the local communication procedures (expand). The NMC advices that at the point of registration students should have the necessary skills to communicate effectively with colleagues and other departments to improve patients care (NMC, 2004). 256