Health Oganization Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Health Oganization Case study - Essay Example United Healthcare is committed to providing quality care and to its continuous improvement. In the last five years, UnitedHealth Group has invested approximately $3 billion dollars in research and development (R & D), technology and business processes enhancement (UnitedHealthcare, 2014). With this huge investment, the Group is confident it is going to be able to serve its customers satisfactorily over the next decade and beyond. The organization recognizes that the healthcare needs of Americans are changing fast and becoming more complex. The complexity partly stems from the emergence and spread of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes. Over the years, the average American has continued to grow more affluence. Unfortunately, with affluence comes risky lifestyles like eating a lot of junk food and overreliance on the automobile such that a person rarely gets to exercise by walking or cycling to work. The above stated investments, coupled with the Group’s strategic plan, put UHG in a solid position to satisfy the medical needs of Americans. Key elements of the strategic plan include network growth, staffing, resource management and customer satisfaction. We now take a more elaboratelook at each of these. As of June 2011, United Health Group (UHG) had partnered with 650,000 doctors and other healthcare providers, over 5,000 hospitals, some 80,000 dentists and 65,000 pharmacies across the United States (Hilton , 2011). UHG’s network strategy is to expand this network in coming years. The strategy is informed that it is cheaper to partner with existing organizations and professionals as opposed to establishing new ones from scratch and hiring and retaining health workers. In addition, the network strategy affords UHG to reach more Americans that it could single-handedly. In fact, the Group attributes its ability to serve some 70 million Americans annually to its network of partners. In order to attract

Illustrations of the text Essay Example for Free

Illustrations of the text Essay An impressive opening, a marvellous ending, an indifferent middle. Does this twentieth century comment represent to you a fair summary of Dr. Faustus? Support your views by detailed illustrations of the text. The narrative patterns of Dr. Faustus can be said to take on a loose, three-part structure, in which the first part involves the serious business of Faustus conjuring the devil, the middle involves trivial entertainment and the final section, in which the play reaches an intense poetic conclusion. It is arguable that compared to the high drama and passion evident at the beginning and end, the middle of the play has little to offer. However, despite the fact that in Faustus, Marlowe intended to portray the tragic downfall of a great man, he also included the apparently frivolous middle scenes for a specific purpose. The play opens with Faustus alone in his study, contemplating the direction in which he should take his future studies. This first speech is energetic and his words are those of a young man. As Faustus continues to reveal his dissatisfaction with the limits of human knowledge, rejecting each of the various scholarly disciplines available to him, the audience begin to become suspicious of his intentions. When Faustus proclaims that a greater subject fitteth [his] wit, and that the next step in his education must be necromancy, our worst fears are confirmed. It is important to note that whilst the modern audience may be only slightly shocked by this revelation, to Marlowes contemporaries it would have been horrifying in the extreme. In Elizabethan times, religion permeated all aspects of life, and the majority of people were devout Christians; such and explicit display of blasphemy would have been unheard of! The dramatic tension increases as the scene progresses, and Faustus arrogant proposal to try [his] brains to gain a deity confirms our opinion of him as a dangerous over-reacher. The entrance of the good and evil angels signals an opportunity for theatrical spectacle, which again helps maintain the tension of this impressive, dramatic opening scene. Faustus is seemingly unaware of these two characters (which perhaps suggests that they are rather states of mind than physical beings) but continues to rhapsodise on the varied ways he will use his power. Marlowe uses poetic language, and Faustus speech is more like a love song than a soliloquy: Ill have them ransack the ocean for orient pearl and search all corners of the new found world for pleasant fruits and princely delicacies. At this point, we are disturbed by Faustus behaviour; it is as though he is making extravagant promises to a beloved rather than seeking these things for himself. Faustus is eager to confer with his fellow scholars Valdes and Cornelius, who can be seen to represent the traditional tempters from earlier morality plays. Valdes astonishes the audience even further by promising that their satanic powers will canonise them. This implied holiness could not be further from the truth of their intentions. The first scene ends with Faustus feverishly impatient to conjure that very night. His last four words are dramatic and fearsome in the recklessness: this night Ill conjure, therefore I die. The contemporary audience, who would have believed in the immortal soul, would have been aware of the terrifying fact that if he were to die in the process of conjuring, he would spend an eternity in hell. Soon after, we meet Faustus again. The scene is pitch black and he has prepared a circle in which to conjure, and some kind of sacrifice. Marlowe uses atmospheric language such as the gloomy shadow of the earth and her pitchy breath, to evoke the tension and drama. This would have been particularly important for the Elizabethan audience who had to rely on their imaginations during the performance, rather than special effects. Faustus invocation is in Latin, which sounds powerful and sonorous. He uses a frightening mixture of the orthodox and the demonic, for example sprinkling the holy water whilst conjuring. All this convinces us that he is engaged in an extremely perilous undertaking. Some time later, once Faustus has conjured Mephastophilis, he must sign a contract which states that Satan can have his soul in exchange for 24 good years. From this point onwards tension mounts and actions follow in rapid succession until the end of the scene. Faustus must sign in blood, yet when he tries to do so it congeals, forcing Mephastophilis to go and fetch a chafer of hot coal to melt it again. This episode contributed greatly to the dramatic tension of the scene. The congealing of the blood is part literal, but part metaphorical in the sense that it is Faustus own body recoiling from the deed he is about to commit. The simple bringing of the coals in the smoking dish is also quite dramatic. The sight and smell of the flames remind the audience (and should remind Faustus) of the fact that the contract will result in his damnation in hell. The episode ends with Faustus proclamation consummatum est once he has signed. This startling blasphemy echoes Christs final words on the cross and Faustus is ironically identified with him. It is arguable that the impressive opening of the play and the dramatic scenes which follow soon after are balanced and complimented by its equally intense ending. Faustus encounters the old man when his 24 years are almost over, which signals that there is hope for his salvation, even at this late stage. It is important that the audience can still relate to Faustus and fell that he is able to make conscious decisions about his fate, all be they the wrong ones. Whilst we continue to be thus engaged with Faustus, every move he makes in this scene creates high tension and greatly enhances the dramatic quality. About half way through the scene, we witness Mephastophilis providing a desperate Faustus with a dagger to kill himself (suicide being an offence to heaven and an appropriate means of getting to hell). Although the old man talks him out of it, the audience is still wracked with suspense, particularly whilst witnessing Faustus ponder feverishly as hell strives with grace for conquest in [his] breast. However, Faustus soon reverts to his former, cowardly self when Mephastophilis threatens to tear his flesh. He instructs sweet Mephastophilis to punish the old man instead, ignoring his conviction that my faith, vile hell, shall triumph over thee. Following this episode, Faustus asks for Helen of Troy as his paramour, and speaks to her, where he advised the scholars strictly not to. We feel that Faustus must realise he has made a fatal choice -he knows that the image he sees before him is a spirit- and watch in compelling revulsion as he kisses the devil. The speech he makes is a rhapsodic love poem, which is stunning when we consider the harsh theatrical contrast between Faustus words (e. g. O, thou art fairer than the evening air clad in the beauty of a thousand stars) and the sight of the old mans flesh being torn to pieces on stage. Even more horrifying is the way in which the brilliant scholar uses the language of love poetry to damn himself, and yet the lyrical beauty of the verse remains. When he says her lips suck forth my soul, Faustus is not only using a rapturous metaphor: it is actually happening! By now, the tragedy is inevitable; Faustus has rejected all hope of salvation, and the audience wait for his impending doom with trepidation. The final scene, in which we witness Faustus death is both memorable and moving. His solitude at the end of the play compliments his solitude at the beginning, and the fact that he struggles alone maintains the dramatic tension right up until he is taken to hell. Marlowe purposefully ends the play with Faustus soliloquy, to vocalise his inner thought and emotional condition. His terror, frantic hopes and despair are all enhanced by the soliloquy, which gains dramatic power by its graphic, physical nature. In his fervour, Faustus actually tries to leap up to [his] God, but fails to do so because some infernal force pulls him down. It is a very tragic scene, particularly as Faustus in his desperation tries to conjure and command the earth to gape open but realises that o no, it will not harbour me. There is a poignant contrast between the disillusioned scholar we see here and the successful conjurer of the previous scenes. When the clock strikes to signal his final half hour, Faustus bargains frantically with God to let him live for a hundred, or even a thousand years in hell but still be saved. Upon the arrival of the devils he is seized by fear and panic, willing his soul to be changed into little water drops and imploring God to look not so fierce in him. His final desperate plea Ill burn my books is deeply moving considering the futile nature of the gesture. Whilst the tension of the final scenes is obvious, without some of the light-hearted episodes which precede it, much of the dramatic quality would be lost. For this reason, Marlowe includes a number of comic scenes to relieve some of the suspense during the middle section of the play. As well as providing entertainment and an opportunity for spectacle (for example, the slapstick comedy of the Pope scene, and the grotesque rhetoric of the seven deadly sins) these scenes also have several important points to make. A good example of this happens fairly early on in the play, where Wagner procures one of Faustus books and persuades the flea-ridden clown to become his servant. Marlowe is making the point that whilst these two characters may be banal and frivolous, they are just as capable of conjuring as Faustus! Wagner apparently has just as much success without selling his soul for the privilege. They also draw our attention to the contract which Faustus is about to make. When Wagner says that the clown would give his soul to the devil for a shoulder of mutton, though it were blood raw, we note that Faustus proposed contract amounts to something of similar value (i. e. it will gain him nothing). In this scene, conjuring is de-based so that even the illiterate clown is taught how to use black magic. This contrast with Faustus great learning demonstrates how little intellect really is needed for such pursuits. We soon witness a scene between another two comic characters, Robin the ostler, and his companion, Rafe. Robin has stolen one of Faustus books and wishes to use it to gain sexual experience. Whilst this amuses the audience, we are also reminded to reflect on the unfolding tragedy. Whilst the ostlers may be venturing in too deep, they are innocents and their desires amount to little more than a few silly capers. When we compare this to Faustus feverish necessity to push the boundaries of human knowledge we become aware of just how dangerous the situation is. As Faustus begins to age, he too appears to become aware of the consequences of his actions. The amusing trick he plays on the horse-courser in scene ten plunges him into a despondant mood, forcing him to reflect upon his fate. He is now using his powers on even lower forms of entertainment than he did by making a mockery of the Pope in scene seven. He realises that he has done nothing special and is yet but a man, which is enforced by the horse-coursers callous assumption that he is a horse doctor. In Elizabethan times, such a profession would not have been highly respected, and Faustus is outraged that this is how he is being perceived. In conclusion, I would say that although the main dramatic events of the play occur either at the beginning or at the end, the middle scenes also have value and interest. Whilst Marlowes main intention for the comic scenes was to provide amusement for the audience and some respite from the tension of the main plot, they also contribute significantly to some of the main themes of the play by comparing Faustus behaviour to that of his contemporaries, and thus drawing our attention to the gravity of his actions.

Application Software :: essays research papers fc

Application Software   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Computer systems contain both hard and software. Hardware is any tangible item in a computer system, like the system unit, keyboard, or printer. Software, or a computer program, is the set of instruction that direct the computer to perform a task. Software falls into one of two categories: system software and application software. System software controls the operation of the computer hardware; whereas, application software enables a user to perform tasks. Three major types of application software on the market today for personal computers are word processors, electronic spreadsheets, and database management systems (Little and Benson 10-42). A word processing program allows a user to efficiently and economically create professional looking documents such as memoranda, letters, reports, and resumes. With a word processor, one can easily revise a document. To improve the accuracy of one's writing, word processors can check the spelling and the grammar in a document. They also provide a thesaurus to enable a user to add variety and precision to his or her writing. Many word processing programs also provide desktop publishing features to create brochures, advertisements, and newsletters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An electronic spreadsheet enables a user to organize data in a fashion similar to a paper spreadsheet. The difference is the user does not have to perform calculations manually; electronic spreadsheets can be instructed to perform any computation desired. The contents of an electronic spreadsheet can be easily modified by the user. Once the data is modified, all calculations in the spreadsheet are recomputed automatically. Many electronic spreadsheet packages also enable a user to graph the data in his or her spreadsheet (Wakefield 98-110).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A database management system (DBMS) is a software program that allows a user to efficiently store a large amount of data in a centralized location. Data is one of the most valuable resources to any organization. For this reason, user desire data be organized and readily accessible in a variety of formats. With aDBMS, a user can then easily store data, retrieve data, modify data, analyze data, and create a variety of reports from the data(Aldrin 25-37). Many organizations today have all three of these types of application

Republic of Slovakia an economic overview

Ukraine, in the north by Poland and the Czech Republic, in the south by Hungary and in the west by Austria. Slovakia has the reform the advantage of a strategic position between the border of the EX. and the former Soviet Union source: SARIS (2012) According to Trading Economics (2014)9, the main trade partners of Slovakia are Euro members, Germany, Czech Republic, France, Poland, Russia and Hungary. However, even as member of European Union, Slovakia remain very interested in active relations with Eastern neigh boors.Indeed, according to a research led by Alexander Du Elba (2009)10, Slovakia s favorable to an active partnership with the Eastern countries, especially Russ Asia. Indeed, in the text, we learn that â€Å"excepted for Russia and Ukraine, all other Eastern neighbors s 0 far do not play an important role in Slovakia foreign policies and/or are not yet being considered by Slovakia political establishment as weighty actors in terms of their relevancy for the projection of n ational interests of Slovakia within the post-Soviet Eastern Europe†.This is particularly relevant for Ukraine, since â€Å"Ukrainian approach to the EX. that might result in the signing of the Association Agreement, including a deep and comprehensive free-trade agreement, is expected to boost the economic development of Eastern Slovakia and contribute to the lowering of regional did asperities in Slovakia†. More about those regional disparities will be said further in this chapter. Mr.. Dulled concludes by saying that the extension of the EX. zone to the East I s a great opportunity for Slovakia, which may become a turntable between the East and the West Of EX..Indeed, â€Å"The 9 TRADING ECONOMICS, in http://BMW. Tragicomedies. Com/Slovakia/ balance-of-trade consulted 04. 25. 2014 DULLED A. (2009), Slovakian policy towards Russia and Eastern neighbors, 10 priority of Slovakia diplomacy should be the promotion of the membership of I TTS eastern partners in WTFO which is the precondition for further liberalizing of foreign trade with t he EX.†. Regional economic disparities As we will see, automotive occupies an important place among the country's strategic industries beside representing 17% of total GAP.Currently are operating the Volkswagen plants in Deviants Novas Eves (northern Brasilia), in Martin (major city, south-east of Salina), an in Choices ; the AS Peugeot-Citroen plant in Tirana (50 km from Brasilia) and the Aka plant in Salina (Slovakia Northwest). Source: Rheostat On one hand, we have the wealthiest regions (darker blue): the regions of Brasilia and Tirana concentrate the biggest car manufactures in the country and they border Austria and the Czech Republic, two countries that also produce lots of cars or car parts, thus create Eng a synergy with the western and north-western regions of Slovakia.Surprisingly enough, the region n of Salina is not much wealthier than the southern ones, although it hosts two car manufactures: on big in Salina (Aka), and one smaller in Martin (Volkswagen). On the other hand, there is Proves that shares borders with Ukraine and Poll ND, two countries that still are a little behind compared to Slovakia. Plus it mainly hosts agricultural a activities and, in a lesser extent, food-processing and textile industries 1. Those types of industries do not usually greatly encourage development.However, we should look at these figures differently: it's not almost all region s that are behind; it's Brasilia that's far ahead. Indeed, Brasilia always received the greatest part of foreign direct investments, then name Salina and the third position is more or less a tie between Tirana and 11 SARIS, The proves Region (201 2, PA) Trending. But, as we can observe hereunder, the share of FED that the other regions race vied still is negligible: they rarely received more than 15%.One of the reason behind that is that the Brasilia region concentrates Salvo ski's most populated municipalities. Ind eed, only 0. 76% of all the municipalities (there are 3 334 in t total) have more than 10 000 inhabitants 2. It is thus understandable that industries' development I not homogeneous and is concentrated around main cities. Undersecretaries The main natural resources of Slovakia are brown coal and lignite with small q annuities of iron ore, copper and manganese ore as well.

Basics Of Pharmaceuticals

Aside from the requisites of drug manufacturing, a drug company must also have the knowledge on the legal aspect of the pharmaceutical business. A company must be able to know what agencies of the government he has to seek advice from before it undergoes the manufacturing process in order to have a good start.Relative to this, the company needs to know which regulates the safety and efficacy of the drugs to be manufactured and which agency protects the rights of the manufacturer and the consumers against illicit drugs.This paper will discuss the basic responsibilities of the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Agency including the approval process of manufacturing a generic drug copy. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is generally responsible for ensuring the safety and efficacy of all drugs for human and veterinary use.FDA’s 1mission statement specifically states that the administration â€Å"is res ponsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. † This will then give us the idea why FDA need to regulate drugs, and that is to ensure that they are safe and effective. The administration is also held responsible for ensuring that the drugs have information that is honest and accurate for the general public to use.The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) (Drug Enforcement Administration for the United States) is primarily responsible for the enforcement of the Controlled Substances Laws and Regulations. In the United States, DEA is under the wing of the Department of Justice, where it serves as an arm of the justice against the 2those organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illi cit traffic in the United States. The DEA’s drugs of concern include: Cocaine, marijuana, heroin, inhalants, LSD, Ecstasy, Steroids, Oxycontin and Methamphetamine.The following list of specific responsibilities is adopted by this writer from the DEA’s official website: >Investigation and preparation for the prosecution of major violators of controlled substance laws operating at interstate and international levels. >Investigation and preparation for prosecution of criminals and drug gangs who perpetrate violence in our communities and terrorize citizens through fear and intimidation. >Management of a national drug intelligence program in cooperation with federal, state, local, and foreign officials to collect, analyze, and disseminate strategic and operational drug intelligence information.>Seizure and forfeiture of assets derived from, traceable to, or intended to be used for illicit drug trafficking. >Enforcement of the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act as they pertain to the manufacture, distribution, and dispensing of legally produced controlled substances. >Coordination and cooperation with federal, state and local law enforcement officials on mutual drug enforcement efforts and enhancement of such efforts through exploitation of potential interstate and international investigations beyond local or limited federal jurisdictions and resources.>Coordination and cooperation with federal, state, and local agencies, and with foreign governments, in programs designed to reduce the availability of illicit abuse-type drugs on the United States market through nonenforcement methods such as crop eradication, crop substitution, and training of foreign officials. >Responsibility, under the policy guidance of the Secretary of State and U. S. Ambassadors, for all programs associated with drug law enforcement counterparts in foreign countries.>Liaison with the United Nations, Interpol, and other organizations on matters relating to international drug control programs. DEA’S PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS Drug Enforcement Agency also updates its programs and operations according to the demand of technology and the development of new methods of illicit drug operations. Recent report published in the KT4 Online alerted the public on the emergence of illegal websites that are bringing prescription drugs out into the market (KT4 Online, August 24, 2007).The DEA reported that such websites are able to market their products using just credit cards as payment modes. The agency now referred the so-called â€Å"rogue pharmacies† to the congress for the legislation of a more formidable law for such illegal and dangerous activities, which are regulated because such companies do not meet the standards set by the United States. Even medicinal or herbal plants that are not yet studied or regulated under the law is also under the responsibility of the DEA to study and made research relative to its danger in the human health.In Utah, a native plant called salvia divinorium, has been put into attention by the Hill Air Force Base which according to initial findings can cause hallucinations. In the report published in the Salt Lake Tribune, â€Å"magic mint† as its street name, is ingested or inhaled usually by the members of the military and the people inside the base (Salt Lake Tribune, August 20, 2007). The herbal plant is still legal as it is still under research by the DEA. Experts also say that the plant that grows in the wilds of Utah can cause lung irritation when its dried leaves are inhaled.LAWS AND POLICIES GOVERNING GENERIC DRUGS The regulations pertaining to generics drugs are under the responsibility of the Food and Drug Administration. Under the law, pharmaceutical companies or drug manufacturers have all the right to apply for a generic copy of their branded drugs. It can also be that a manufacturer seeks for a license from the brand name company to make a generic copy of the branded product . A generic copy of the drug is called â€Å"authorized generics† because the branded product manufacturer had given the authority to the manufacturer of the generic drug copy.However, these generic copied have to undergo the legal process that is regulated by the FDA. It is the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, commonly referred to as the Waxman-Hatch Act, which is being used as a legal basis for FDA for regulating generic drug copies. â€Å"Since the law was enacted over 23 years ago, the number of generic manufacturers and number of generic drug products on the market have expanded exponentially† (Coster, John M. 2007). The law allows a generic drug that is a generic copy of the pioneer drug to be approved by FDA to be marketed by the same company.This is even without the submission of the usual New Drug Application (NDA) that is submitted in full when a branded product is being applied for marketing. The NDA is usually a time-consuming and expensive clinical trials required to be done by the drug manufacturer in order to comply with the safety and efficacy standards required of them. With the Waxman-Hatch Act, NDA is being replaced with the submission of Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) provided that the generic copy has demonstrated the fact that it is bioequivalent to the pioneer drug (J.Coster, The Pharmacist, Vol. 32, No. 6, 2007). This process allows the generic copy to be approved for marketing the easier and faster way because it does not to prove its safety and effectiveness through trials since the pioneer drug had already proven such. For the ANDA of the generic drug to be approved, its pioneer drug must have the four required certifications: (1) that no patent is listed for the pioneer drug; (2) that the patent has expired; (3) the date on which the patent will expire; or (4) that the patent is invalid or not infringed.Such information is listed in the FDA’s Orange Book, a reference for t he pharmacists in determining the interchangeability of the drugs. Just recently, the Waxman-Hatch Act has been replaced with 3McCain-Schumer Act, after its authors Senators John McCain and Charles E. Schumer. The main feature of the new act is the changing of the 180-day exclusivity term of the first generic drug copy to only the 30-day term. Exclusivity, in the old law is granted for the manufacturer of the generic drug to market the product exclusively within 180 days that is for the manufacturer who first secured the FDA’s approval of the generic copy.With the new law, exclusivity term is shortened for the purpose of further price reduction of the generic drugs as competition is encouraged after the 30-day term. It is estimated, according to Schumer’s study that the new law will enable consumers to save 60% of their usual expense when buying branded drugs and that will give consumers a total of $71 billion savings in 10 years (Bash, Dana, CNN Online, May 01, 2001). Schumer cited Claritin, a prescription allergy drug as example which costs an average of $63.65 while its generic equivalent will only cost $25. 46. Generally, the new law is of great help for the Americans in terms of their medical expenditures. CONCLUSION By looking into the basic responsibilities and functions of the FDA and DEA, we were able to have an idea of the basic legal aspect of drug manufacturing and marketing. Also by having an overview of the laws governing generic copy manufacturing, we were able to have the basic knowledge of how the approval process rolls.In general we can conclude that the legal process of drug manufacturing and marketing is really a long and expensive process for the companies especially for the branded or patented drugs. However with the Schumer-McCain Act, the process is shortened and had benefited especially the consumers for enabling the cheaper version of their branded medicine to be marketed. REFERENCES 1FDAs Mission Statement. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://www. fda. gov/opacom/morechoices/mission. html 2DEA Mission Statement. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://www.usdoj. gov/dea/agency/mission. htm 3Senate Passes Ground-Breaking Schumer-McCain Generic Drug Bill (Press Release). July 31, 2002. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://schumer. senate. gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/press_releases/PR01124. html Bash, Dana. McCain, Schumer introduce generic drug bill. CNN Online. May 01, 2001. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://archives. cnn. com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/05/01/senate. genericdrugs/index. html Coster, John M. The Waxman-Hatch Generic Drug Law: 23 Years Later. The Pharmacist. June 19, 2007. Vol. 32 No. 6Griffith, Christopher, et. al. (2002). View from Washington: Senate approves changes in generic-drug approval. Leydig, Voit Mayer, Ltd. Report. October 2002. Volume 3 Issue 4 Colonel bans use of ‘magic mint' herb. Salt Lake Tribune. August 20, 2007. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http: //www. sltrib. com/News/ci_6668009 Federal Authorities Warn Against Online Rogue Pharmacies. KT4 Online. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://www. ktiv. com/News/index. php? ID=16295 What FDA Regulates. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://www. fda. gov/comments/regs. html

The Joy of Education

The Joy of Education Free Online Research Papers Imagine it. The sounds of your family and friends cheering you on as you walk across the field to receive your diploma. The thought of a better future for you and your parents crosses your mind likes speeding vehicles on a highway. My journey on this road to success was here, all the late nights and studying finally paid off. The reason I attended college was not a question anymore. My parents, especially my beloved granny, told me stories of when they were younger how it was so hard for them to complete high school nevertheless college. How they wanted to achieve their goals but couldn’t because of babies and unwanted jobs. The way of having the money to pay for an education was their hope for me because they didn’t have that. They dreamed and prayed of this day for me to rise up and take lead. I am their role model, the strive I have they want. The lifestyle am living, they adored. My reason for attended college is not only for me but for the ones I love. The passion of helping people and making a difference in others lives is my ambition. I want to be proud of a job that I loved and not one that just pay the bills. There are numerous reasons one could enrolled in college but mine stands clear. I want my family and friends to be proud of me. I want the excitement and hope for a better future that my parents didn’t have. All the struggles I have been through allow me to be stronger and work harder. My goals are set and I’m chasing after them. I have the opinion to be a better person with a better life. I am the next generation of hope and proud to my family and it feels great. So by enrolling in college, it helps me get to that place I want to be, that place where my kids can be free, that places were I hear sounds of my family and friends cheering. Research Papers on The Joy of EducationThe Hockey GamePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyHip-Hop is ArtComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationBringing Democracy to Africa19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayStandardized Testing

Programmer essays

Programmer essays Specialization in a couple of programming languages is a good career choice. Software developers have a wide variety of specialties to choose from. The various specialties can be categorized by; programming language, operating systems, government, business, non-profit, open source (which is very popular right now), and commercial, etc. Most developers learn more than one specialty. Developers must keep current with the trends in order to protect against their skills becoming obsolete. If a developer knows the trends, then they will be able to make the decision to abandon a specialty for a new one. A developer must have a strategy for increasing his skills in his specialty by constantly learning more. There are many potential lucrative specialties, so there is more than one right specialty. In order to choose a specialty a developer must know if the programming language will be around for a while. If I specialize in a relatively unpopular programming language that only a small number of companies use, then my list of potential employers would be very limited. If I chose an unpopular programming language it would then be more difficult for me to find work, and would also limit my choices of where I would want to live. On the other hand, if the supply and demand for these types of programmers is in my favor, I could ask for a higher salary. When I have graduated I will look for an entry level-programming job somewhere. To a large extent, this first job will determine my specialty because I will learn the field that the company specializes in. For example, if I went to work for a bank as an assembly programmer (they usually make less money than other programmers do), then my specialty would become assembly programming. My experience at my first programming job may or may not determine what my specialty will be in the future, although it may play a big part. I always will have the o ...

7th Grade Math Course of Study

7th Grade Math Course of Study The following list provides you with the basic 7th grade math  concepts that should be attained by the end of the school year. Mastery of the concepts at the previous grade is assumed. A standard seventh grade course of study includes numbers, measurements, geometry, algebra, and probability. Heres a breakdown of the specific topics. Numbers Give factors, multiples, integer amounts and square roots for numbers.Compare and order decimals, fractions and integers.Add and subtract integers.Be able to perform multi-step word problems for all of the above operations.Add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions and convert between fractions, decimals and percents.Explain and justify a variety of procedures for the above related concepts in problem solving. Measurements Use measurement terms appropriately, be able to measure a variety of items at home and at school.Be able to solve more complex problems with measurement estimations an problems using a variety of formulas.Estimate and calculate areas for trapezoids, parallelograms, triangles, prisms circles using the correct formulas.Estimate and calculate volumes for prisms, sketch prisms (rectangular) given the volumes. Geometry Hypothesize, sketch, identify, sort, classify, construct, measure, and apply a variety of geometric shapes and figures and problems.Sketch and construct a variety of shapes given the dimensions.Create and solve a variety of geometric problems.Analyze and identify shapes that have been rotated, reflected, translated and describe those that are congruent.Determine if shapes/figures will tile a plane (tessellate).Analyze different types of tiling patterns. Algebra/Patterning Extend, analyze and justify the explanations for patterns and their rules and a more complex levelBe able to write algebraic equations/expressions and write statements to understand simple formulas.Evaluate a variety of simple linear algebraic expressions at a beginning level 1 variable and first-degree.Be able to solve and simplify algebraic equations with the 4 operations.Substitute natural numbers for variables when solving algebraic equations. Probability Design surveys, collect and organize more complex data and identify and explain patterns and trends in data.Construct a variety of graphs and label them appropriately and state the difference between selecting one graph over another.Defend your choices of graphs.Make more accurate predictions based on data.Understand the importance of statistics on decision making and provide real life scenarios.Describe collected data in terms of mean, median and the mode and be able to analyze any bias.Make inferences, predictions and evaluations based on interpretations of data collection results.Be able to predict possible outcomes based on background information.Apply the rules of probability to games of chance and sports. Course Topics for All Grades Pre-K Kdg. Gr. 1 Gr. 2 Gr. 3 Gr. 4 Gr. 5 Gr. 6 Gr. 7 Gr. 8 Gr. 9 Gr. 10 Gr.11 Gr. 12

Billing and Coding for Health Services Research Paper

Billing and Coding for Health Services - Research Paper Example The interaction is described as the revenue cycle management, which is noted to take a varying amount of time to complete. Medical healthcare providers are observed to contract the healthcare services rendered with a variety of insurance companies. However, the interaction commences after the patient is treated by a physician. There is a trend towards the outsourcing of billing and coding services through the Group purchasing organizations (Reese, 2014). This has been noted to lead to significant reductions in cost. However, there is a growing need to make the billing process clearer to the patients. The codes that are defined in the diagnosis procedures are employed by the insurance companies in the examination of the medical necessity and the coverage. After the determination of the medical procedures and diagnosis, the medical biller is demanded to communicate the claim to the insurance company. Usually, medical healthcare providers utilize electronic transmission, such as electronic data interchange, to communicate the claim to the payer directly. It is integral to note that the insurance company defines the payer; thus, the insurance companies use medical claim adjusters or medical claims examiners to process the claims that are submitted. In the case of great dollar amount claims, the insurance companies examine the claim and value the validity for the eligibility of the payment via rubrics defining patient eligibility, the healthcare service provider’s credentials and the medical necessity of the claim. The approved applications are refunded for an agreed percentage that is negotiated between the insurance companies and the healthcare service providers. However, the failed claims must be communicated to the provider using an Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA). There is a difference between the rejected and denied claims; however, there is a common mistake of

Support or against individual's rights to affordable health care Essay

Support or against individual's rights to affordable health care - Essay Example Under the study of ethics in philosophy, utilitarianism evaluates the concept of right and wrong in reference to pleasure (Sandel, 15, 2007). According to this theory, actions that enhance pleasure in human life are right. Therefore, this principle implicates that correctness relies purely on pleasurable acts. This theory advocates for pleasurable acts within society. Happiness in society reflects directly as correctness (Sandel, 17, 2007). This theory also asserts that error associates to the deeds that reverse happiness. Wrong therefore constitutes that acts that deprive humans of happiness. According to this theory, happiness has an ultimate objective of pleasure (Sandel, 15, 2007). It amounts to utmost satisfaction of the general society. Therefore, pain is entirely absent in this atmosphere. Such a society exemplifies the concept of right amongst the people. This is because right attaches proportionally to happiness. Societies upholding unhappiness exemplify a pronounced level o f wrong. Utilitarianism is a morality theory that manifests intense emphasis on mental pleasures (Sandel, 18, 2007). According to this theory, psychological or mental pleasures have more permanence than bodily pleasures. In most circumstances, the mental pleasures induce happiness and satisfaction to the body. Each individual should have access to affordable healthcare. ... In the utilitarianism principle, pleasure ought to prevail from an individual’s level to the societal level. This is an indication that humans within society ought to uphold pleasure for themselves as well as for others. Therefore, they ought to manifest utmost consideration of the interests of others (Sandel, 18, 2007). Policy implementers should therefore consider the interests of every member of society. Upon provision of affordable healthcare to every member of society, utmost pleasure would be attained. This would definitely uphold a sense of right in the society’s morality. Current trends in public medical services exemplify a sense of wrong in society. This is due to the deprived pleasure amongst the incapacitated individuals. Due to their dismal income levels, they do not access ideal healthcare. This is an evident feature of wrong in the morality of society. Individuals have been deprived of pleasure, happiness and satisfaction. Therefore, it is a rightful mora lity to provide access to affordable health care to every person in society. Libertarianism Libertarianism is an additional theory in philosophical ethics and morality. It has a different perspective from the Utilitarianism theory. Scholars under this theory criticize the role of government regulations in the economy (Sandel, 49, 2007). They advocate for free markets within society. This amounts to a society exercising utmost liberty. Individuals have the capacity to suit their needs with their assets. Therefore, possession of any holding would grant an individual to pursue his or her personal objective. Despite of the freedom, individuals ought to observe protection of other people’s rights (Sandel, 49, 2007). This implicates that the society ought to uphold

Worldviews and Its Formation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Worldviews and Its Formation - Research Paper Example One of the areas of contention is religion and the belief in God. In the world, there are thousands of distinct religions, each purporting to follow a certain faith. However, all these religions can be grouped into seven major categories, which include all the dominant worldviews. These worldviews include Monotheism, Deism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Existentialism, Pantheism and New Consciousness. This paper will thus discuss all the major worldviews, and compare and contrast them with a Christian Biblical worldview. Worldview and its formation Generally, a worldview is a group of presuppositions that people hold concerning the basic setup or makeup of the world. Specifically, it is an explanation of the divergent views of the people concerning the makeup of the world. People try to apply these views in their day-to-day existence. Some authors go further to suppose that a worldview is a model of the world that is used to guide the various assumptions of a set of people (Futrell, 2006). H owever, not all presuppositions of the people consist of a worldview, as the assumptions have to pass certain tests. The first test is rationality, in which case people should not be asked to believe contradictory events. The second test is that there should be enough evidence to support the theory, mostly from the things that are observable. Another test is that of reality, as it should be able to provide a comprehensive explanation of the way things are. This explanation should be satisfying to those who believe in it. Lastly, the worldview should be in a position to provide a purpose for life. People should not borrow elements from other worldviews to explain their purpose on earth (Solomon, 2001). A worldview is formed by joining certain components together, which serve as self-evident. Infants have no worldview, and the perception of life for everyone takes shape as the he grows and develop. The surrounding environment shapes most of the components of individual worldviews (Sir e, 2009). This environment starts to take charge at an early age, when the infant is under the care of the parent. Parents are the one who shape the first perception of the infants (Futrell, 2006). As the children grow, they develop their unique worldview based on the four fundamental components. The first component is the belief that something exist. This is because the experiences of the people have causes and effects that must be in existence. The second component is the belief that all people have absolutes, which serves as a reference point for their existence. Some people take God as their reference point, while others take love or power (Solomon, 2001). Another component for the formation of a worldview is the belief that two contradictory statements cannot both be right. In this regard, the basic law of logic applies as only one worldview can reflect the reality of life. For a worldview to be formed, it must thus have a unique belief from the others. The last fundamental com ponent in the formation of a worldview is the belief that all people exercise faith. Everyone in the world must assume at one point that certain things or events happen without absolute proof. One of the common beliefs in many worldviews is that a personal God exist (Solomon, 2001). Comparison and contrast of the seven worldviews with a Christian biblical worldview Monotheism The Monotheistic worldview is based on the people’s belief that there is only one God. This personal God has a distinctive personality and not just a divine power. In addition, there is a belief that humankind is a special creation of God in His own image. God manifests Himself though revelation and the truth about Him is beyond all rational

JFK's Influence on the Civil Rights Movement Essay

JFK's Influence on the Civil Rights Movement - Essay Example The movement was more or less non-violent in nature. The civil rights movement of the people of America was a success as the protest was resultant into changes in attitude of the people of America mainly the upper class towards the African-Americans. From a broader perspective not all who stressed for racial fairness between 1954 and 1968 did so in the expectation of endorsingpeaceful social change. A noteworthyshare of the civil rights drive was, however, dedicated to the idea of diplomatic challenges, rather than bloodstainedconfrontation or attack, to change racist establishments. Historian does believe that USA President John F. Kennedy was a significant character associated with the civil rights movement in the USA. The paper is critically analyzing the role played by USA president John F. Kennedy during the 1960s civil rights movement in the USA. The thesis associated with this paper is: Is John F Kennedy is the most influential president of the USA in terms of implementation o f Civil Rights and other policy implementation. John F Kennedy was considered as one of the key player in the successful implementation of civil rights movement in the USA.As a matter of fact his role in the civil rights movement of 1960s was considered as of his greatest legacies. His speech during 1963 while framing the civil rights as both legitimate and moral authoritative force helped to a great extent to form the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and made him an icon of the movement. During 1960, there was a President election scheduled to be held in the USA and candidates for that post John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. The movement was so intense that neither of them was able to ignore that. John F. Kennedy was the winner of that election and his sympathy for civil rights leader Martin Luther King when he was in jail was a great step taken by him which created an image of his

Theater perform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theater perform - Essay Example Additionally, considering that the play has a Gothic theme, the aspect of humor and its incorporation in the play make it increasingly spectacular. The execution of the play was remarkable. One of the key indicators of the execution is the stage and lighting used by the director. The lighting was not only appropriate for the play, but rather it also soothed to the audience. A properly lit play is crucial. Most plays are unrealistically dark. However, the play, aired at the Barnum Hall in Santa Monica High school hall on October 23, 2014, was lit realistically, having bright lights for scenes played during the day and dark illumination of the night. Stage effects have a crucial impact on the effect the play or any form of art has on the audience (Banham 45). Stage lighting is one of the key considerations in any of theater arts. The sound effects are another approach used by the director that also made the play spectacular. Primarily, with the main theme being occult in nature, the use of loud sounds with frightening effects on the audience was necessary. Characters such as Ruth were some of the most influential in relation to the sound effects used for the play. These areas made the play appreciable to the audience. Shaky lighting and loud sound effects with a ghostly background characterized occult themes. Besides occultism, other themes presented by the playwright and director included revenge, which was well executed in the play. As well, the costumes used in the play were well selected. With the play set in the early 19th  century, the costumes were designed in an old-fashioned manner. The use of costumes also had an impact on the audiences overall perception and hence the costume selection is necessary for any play (Pavis, Shantz & Carlson 92). The directors and the playwright adequately covered this area. Anger and other similar themes were also represented adequately using

United States vs Burke case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

United States vs Burke case - Essay Example While walking a foot patrol, PO Charles Brown and his partner, PO Schroeder are approached by a woman, named Peppermint Patty, who tells them that her boyfriend, Linus Van Pelt, just beat her up and threatened to kill her.She then tells the police that he has drugs and guns in the apartment. The police asked her where her boyfriend was and she told them, "He's home, come with me." Patty takes the officers to a building three blocks away and brings them to an apartment. The police officers knock on the door and another woman answer the door. The police ask if Linus is home and the woman says that he just went to the store to get a pack of cigarettes. The police ask if they can come in and the woman says yes. While they are in, Patty tells the police officers that the woman is Linus's sister. Lucy. PO Brown asks Lucy if Linus keeps drugs and guns in the house. Lucy says, "I never saw any guns or drugs." PO Schroeder says, "So if I looked around I wouldn't find anything illegal here" Lu cy tells him that would be true. The police officers then remove the cushions from the couch and find two .38 caliber revolvers. They open a hallway closet and find three bags of cocaine hidden under some sheets and towels. Linus returns home and he and his sister are arrested. The defendants make a motion to suppress the evidence recovered from the apartment. Discuss the search and seizure issues involved and decide the motion. In United States v Burke (1963, DC Mass) 215 F Supp 508, affd (CA1 Mass) 328 F2d 399, cert den 379 US 849, 13 L Ed 2d 52, 85 S Ct 91, reh den 380 US 927, 13 L Ed 2d 815, 85 S Ct 902, a prosecution for mail robbery and conspiracy to rob the mails, it was held that the consent of the accused's landlady did not justify the warrantless search of the accused's apartment. The evidence disclosed that in response to persistent ringing of the doorbell of the accused's apartment, the landlady opened her door, advised the officers that the accused was not at home, and offered to let the officers inspect his room. The evidence further disclosed that the officers searched the room, ascertained that the accused was not present, and observed a postal uniform jacket, but left the room without seizing it. The court held that the search was illegal since the officers had neither a search warrant nor probable cause to arrest the accused. Denying the accused's motion to suppress various items of evidenc e, however, the court stated that since the officers at the time of the search already knew that the accused had recently acquired a letter carrier's uniform, no new evidence was discovered during this illegal search, so that the "fruit of the poison tree" doctrine had no application to the search. In United States v Paroutian (1962, CA2 NY) 299 F2d 486, the warrantless search of the accused's apartment was held to be invalid, and a subsequent seizure of narcotics and a letter based upon information discovered in the search, were held to be inadmissible against the accused, where the only authority the officers had for conducting the search was the apparent consent of the agent of the owner of the apartment building. The evidence disclosed that the agent accompanied the officers while they conducted the search, and that the accused was not in the residence at the time. Noting that it was unclear whether the accused had paid the rent for the month in which the search was conducted, the court stated that at the time of the search there was no indication that the accused did not intend to return to the apartment. Noting that the landlord made no efforts to evict the accused until several weeks after the search, the court stated that the accused was legitimately on the premises and was entitled to invoke the right of privacy guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment. Here, neither Peppermint Patty nor Lucy had the authority (at least on these facts) to allow the police into Linus' apartment to search the premises. Any evidence found as a result of the illegal search in the apartment must be suppressed.

Theater perform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theater perform - Essay Example Additionally, considering that the play has a Gothic theme, the aspect of humor and its incorporation in the play make it increasingly spectacular. The execution of the play was remarkable. One of the key indicators of the execution is the stage and lighting used by the director. The lighting was not only appropriate for the play, but rather it also soothed to the audience. A properly lit play is crucial. Most plays are unrealistically dark. However, the play, aired at the Barnum Hall in Santa Monica High school hall on October 23, 2014, was lit realistically, having bright lights for scenes played during the day and dark illumination of the night. Stage effects have a crucial impact on the effect the play or any form of art has on the audience (Banham 45). Stage lighting is one of the key considerations in any of theater arts. The sound effects are another approach used by the director that also made the play spectacular. Primarily, with the main theme being occult in nature, the use of loud sounds with frightening effects on the audience was necessary. Characters such as Ruth were some of the most influential in relation to the sound effects used for the play. These areas made the play appreciable to the audience. Shaky lighting and loud sound effects with a ghostly background characterized occult themes. Besides occultism, other themes presented by the playwright and director included revenge, which was well executed in the play. As well, the costumes used in the play were well selected. With the play set in the early 19th  century, the costumes were designed in an old-fashioned manner. The use of costumes also had an impact on the audiences overall perception and hence the costume selection is necessary for any play (Pavis, Shantz & Carlson 92). The directors and the playwright adequately covered this area. Anger and other similar themes were also represented adequately using

Discuss the findings of the OFGEM report with regards to the UK energy Assignment

Discuss the findings of the OFGEM report with regards to the UK energy market; and discuss if more competition between the big six UK energy firms may benefit UK consumers - Assignment Example as proposed a number of reforms that should be employed in order to make the market more transparent, functional, and effective and consumer oriented in nature. The main objective for this essay is to study the report prepared and published by the OFGEM about the United Kingdom energy sector and analyze the proposals and reforms suggested by the same. This would be done by evaluating the economic aspects of this sector like the market structure, the price and demand elasticity, the present condition of the sector, the entry barriers and common strategies, the areas of the sector that need immediate interference and change and the propose reforms as suggested by the OFGEM. The UK energy sector is an intensely concentrated market in which the Big Six energy suppliers control the way the market functions. Also, the pricing strategies of one of these companies tend to affect that of the other companies in a direct and significant manner. The consumer groups for this market have been identified to have low involvement and low level of trust since the influence of the customers have become restrained due to the less number of options available to them. The low degree of consumer engagement has stemmed from a number of factors like the intrinsic nature of the energy products, the long periods required for switching suppliers, the excessive influence of the energy suppliers on the market and the lack of proper government interference and regulations for monitoring and supporting the interests of the consumer groups. These factors are identified to be hazardous for the future sustainability and health of the market structure because a significant lack of comp etition among the enmities in the market, a lack of interest and engagement of the consumers and excessive control of a handful of energy suppliers are noted in this sector. Other data given in Appendices 1-5 are suggestive of the above identified factors and features of this sector. The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index

Psychopathology Paper Essay Example for Free

Psychopathology Paper Essay Over the  years,  scientists and mental health professionals have made great strides in the treatment of psychological disorders. For example, advances in psychopharmacology have led to the development of drugs that relieve severe symptoms of mental illness. Clinical psychology  is dedicated to the study, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illnesses and other emotional or behavioral disorders. More psychologists work in this field than in any other branch of psychology. In hospitals, community clinics, schools, and in private practice, they use interviews and tests to diagnose depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses. People with these psychological disorders often suffer terribly. They experience disturbing symptoms that make it difficult for them to work, relate to others, and cope with the demands of everyday life.    Clinical psychologists usually cannot prescribe drugs, but they often work in collaboration with a patient’s physician. Drug treatment is often combined with psychotherapy, a form of intervention that relies primarily on verbal communication to treat emotional or behavioral problems. Over the years, psychologists have developed many different forms of psychotherapy. Some forms, such as psychoanalysis, focus on resolving internal, unconscious conflicts stemming from childhood and past experiences. Other forms, such as cognitive and behavioral therapies, focus more on the person’s current level of functioning and try to help the individual change distressing thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.    The field  of  counseling psychology is closely related to clinical psychology. Counseling psychologists may treat mental disorders, but they more commonly treat people with less-severe adjustment problems related to marriage, family, school, or career. Many other types of professionals care for and treat people with psychological disorders, including psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers, and psychiatric nurses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As a psychiatric health nurse we works closely with other disciplines to arrive at the most appropriate plan of care for the client and the family. The physician’s responsibility is to make a medical diagnosis when there is sufficient support to determine that a psychiatric problem is present. The taxonomy used to make the medical diagnosis is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, commonly called the DSM-III-R of the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM-III-R uses a biopsychosocial perspective but is considered atheoretical, so that it can be readily accepted and used by all who diagnose the psychiatric client. The nurse assists the process by sharing important information about the client from the nursing history, mental status assessment, and daily observations. A working knowledge of the DSM-III-R is important in maximizing the team effort to help the client. Knowledge of the criteria will help the nurse for deciding on a particular medical diagnosis found in the DSM III-R may help the nurse in making a clinical condition about a nursing diagnosis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The DSM-III-R is a multiaxial system. The diagnostic criteria are inclusive for each diagnosis and allow room for individual differences within a pattern of behavior by including phrases such as â€Å"at least one of the following† or ‘for at least 6 months†. Five axes constitute the format for a complete psychiatric diagnosis. A five digit coding system is used for the first three axes. Axis I comprises the major mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar illness, and substance abuse disorders. A disorder of this nature is usually the main reason the client is seeking help. On the other hand, Axis II comprises the personality disorders and developmental disorders such as paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. This axis separates the patterns of lifestyle and coping that have developed from childhood from the more acute manifestation of behavior in the major mental disorders. Axis III indicates the related physical disorders and conditions that may be influencing the client’s response to the psychiatric problems such fro example, asthma, gastric ulcer, or diabetes. Axis IV indicates the severity of the psychosocial stressors over the past year such as anticipated retirement, natural disaster and change in residence with loss of contact with friends. The Axis V represents the global assessment functioning (GAF) both currently and over the preceding year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So how does Axis I differ from Axis II? Now let’s try to compare and contrast their similarities as well as their differences. Under Class A Axis II are the personality disorders; paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder. Personality is vital to defining who we are as individuals. It involves a unique blend of traits—including attitudes, thoughts, behaviors, and moods—as well as how we express these traits in our contacts with other people and the world around us. Some characteristics of an individual’s personality are inherited, and some are shaped by life events and experiences. A personality disorder can develop if certain personality traits become too rigid and inflexible. People with personality disorders have long-standing patterns of thinking and acting that differ from what society considers usual or normal. The inflexibility of their personality can cause great distress, and can interfere with many areas of life, including social and work functioning. People with personality disorders generally also have poor coping skills and difficulty forming healthy relationships. Unlike people with anxiety disorders, who know they have a problem but are unable to control it, people with personality disorders generally are not aware that they have a problem and do not believe they have anything to control. Because they do not believe they have a disorder, people with personality disorders often do not seek treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A paranoid personality disorder applies to a person who displays pervasive and long-standing suspiciousness. This suspicious pattern affects perceptual, cognitive, affective and behavioral functions in specific ways. In person’s with paranoid personalities, perception is extremely acute, intense and narrowly focused in search of clues or the real meaning behind other’s behavior or life events in general. In a cognitive side, the great perceptual distortion is present in paranoid personality. Cognitive disturbances may range from transient ideas of reference, in which a person believe others are giving them special attention or gossiping about them unlike Manic disorder the client is easy going and friendly. The paranoid person’s affective domain reflects a lack of basic trust, extreme suspiciousness, vigilant mistrust, guardedness and hostility. Typically, paranoid person assume a callous, unsympathetic approach to others in an effort to purge themselves of any tendencies to experience humor or affectionate and tender feelings.   For the most part, they remain coldly reserved and on the periphery of events, seldom mixing smoothly with people in social situation, remaining withdrawn, distant and secretive instead.   Rarely do they seem relaxed and unguarded. Unlike with Axis I manic bipolar disorder, Manic clients are self-satisfied, confident and aggressive and feel on top of the world and in control of their destinies, paranoid patient are reserved type while manic is transparent, the manic clients remarks are very similar to free associations, disorganized and incoherent. Manic client is full of ambitious schemes and exaggerations while a paranoid person often engages in verbal interchanges designed to test others honesty. The content of their verbalization usually reflects themes of blame, deceit, control, persecution and self-aggrandizement. Similarities of manic and paranoid personality disorder are that they appear hypervigilant, mobilized and prepared for attack.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Socially detached, shy and introverted persons may be described as having schizoid personality disorder while Schizophrenia is psychotic disorder characterized by disturbances in thought, perception, affect, behavior and communication lasting longer than 6 months. Schizoid refers to persons exhibiting perceptual, cognitive, affective and behavioral patterns that fall within the healthier end of the schizophrenic spectrum. This personality disorder differs from schizotypal personality disorder in that the latter’s symptomatology more closely resembles schizophrenia. In contrast to both schizotypals and schizophrenics, schizoid personalities do not demonstrate odd or eccentric perceptual, cognitive and behavioral patterns.   Persons with schizoid personalities exhibit a distorted pattern of perception, characterized by a reduced ability to attend, select, differentiate and discriminate adequately between and among interpersonal and social sensory inputs while the perception of Depressive disorder clients may be distorted too because of their intense affective states. They perceive the world as strange and unnatural. For instance, a client with deep guilt feelings may interpret the sound of wind in the trees as reproaching voices (illusion) the severely depressed client may less frequently experience hallucinations. Auditory hallucination may be present such as a client may hear voices blaming her or telling her that she is worthless. Illusion and hallucination do not occur in Schizoid personality disorder. They are able to recognize reality despite their faulty interpersonal or social perception. Schizotypal personality disorder is one of a group of conditions called eccentric personality disorders. People with these disorders often appear odd or peculiar. They might display unusual thinking patterns, behaviors, or appearances. People with schizotypal personality disorder might have odd beliefs or superstitions. These individuals are unable to form close relationships and tend to distort reality. In this respect, schizotypal personality disorder can seem like a mild form of schizophrenia—a serious brain disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others. In rare cases, people with schizotypal personality disorder can eventually develop schizophrenia. Additional traits of people with this disorder include the following; dressing, speaking, or acting in an odd or peculiar way, being suspicious and paranoid, being uncomfortable or anxious in social situations because of their distrust of others, having few friends and being extremely uncomfortable with intimacy, tending to misinterpret reality or to have distorted perceptions (for example, mistaking noises for voices), having odd beliefs or magical thinking (for example, being overly superstitious or thinking of themselves as psychic), Being preoccupied with fantasy and daydreaming, tending to be stiff and awkward when relating to others, coming across as emotionally distant, aloof, or cold. Hallucination, and illusion may not be present in schizotypal personality disorder but it is always present in Schizophrenia. There is lack deterioration of functioning in schizopherenia while their no huge deterioration is schizotypal personality, they are also in touch with reality and they are aware of their eccentricities and their deterioration is occurring within a time frame while Schizophrenia is usually diagnosed in people  aged 17-35 years, delusions, false personal beliefs held with conviction in spite of reason or evidence to the contrary, not explained by  that persons cultural context  is present. Their is hallucinations,  perceptions (can be  sound, sight, touch, smell, or taste) that occur in the absence of an actual external stimulus  (Auditory hallucinations, those of voice or other sounds,  are the most common type of hallucinations  in schizophrenia, disorganized, thoughts and behaviors, disorganized speech, catatonic behavior are also manifested. Literature Cited: Million, Theodore Davis Roger. (1996). Disorders of Personality: DSM IV and Beyond. Published by Wiley. Kaplan, Harold, M.D Saddock, Benjamin, M.D. (1990). Modern Synopsis of Psychiatry. Maryland USA. The Williams and Wilkins Company Introduction to Personality Disorder. Capella University. Retrieved March 11, 2008 from http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/center_index.php?id=8 Personality Disorder. MayoClinic.com. Retrieved March 11, 2008 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/personality-disorders/DS00562/DSECTION=2 Schizophrenia. PSY web. Retrieved March 11, 2008 from http://psyweb.com/Mdisord/jsp/schid.jsp About Clinical Psychology. American Psychological Association. Retrieved March 13,2008 from http://www.apa.org/divisions/div12/aboutcp.html

Strategic business management

Strategic business management Introduction: Strategic business management has its roots in the thinking of the workforce; strategic thinking can no longer become a textual presence of words in the notebooks. The training programs and the meeting conducted at the sense of urgency do not mean that a company is on the right path. In the competitive era the stability of the market is doubted. Even though experts and analysts say the market is recovering from the slow down, the psychological impact that has changed the attitude of people had to be recovered, and it will take time on the long run. In this research of study certain tools and business strategies are used that exemplifies the impact that change bring in and how the company needs to manage the change. Resistance to chance would occur in the initial stages. The source of information that is used in this assignment. Comprises secondary data s by means of white papers, journals, magazines and case studies of the company were also used. The analysis part of this assignment includes the interpretation of psychological attitudes that exists when a change is implemented. And when a company decides to grow itself strategically impacts would be demographics and all the functional areas of the management such as production, operations, finance, human resource, marketing etc But all the outcomes of the results purely rely on the workforce and their attitude. The nature of the research is descriptive as the assignment examines the existing affairs of the company. And it also includes the Expost Facto method in sourcing of the datas. COMPANIES TAKEN IN TO CONSIDERATION FOR THE ASSIGNMENT: In this assignment as per the instructions laid down, as a must I have taken in to account the strategies and the process of International Business Machines one of the pioneers in information technology and computer hardware. And for the optional choice of opting the other company o have taken HONDA The power of Dreams, the reason I chose was personal and I always have a craze on the engine and the models of Honda. At the other end, Honda is known for its expansion and diversification in the recent past as they also pioneer in Intellectual Property Rights in getting the patent rights for their designs of engines. As this assignment needs a wide discussion on the change management I opted for Honda that has a strong workforce. TASK I SOURCES OF CHANGE AND ITS IMPACT CHANGE IS THE ONLY THING THAT CANNOT BE CHANGED without change it will be boredom for human beings and also for other living things. Liberalization, privatization and globalization all these have enhanced the frequency of occurrence of change. Competition exists everywhere smart people are defined by the way they adopt to change. Since the cultural impact plays a role in managing the change, traditional philosophy in the flow of communication in the management also defines the future. Information technology has created resistance to change, especially for the tradional and the baby boomers. As these generations of workforce stick on to the routine work and resist change. Not to blame them but its the responsibility for the management to sort out such things without dissatisfying. SOURCES OF CHANGE IN AN ORGANIZATION: PEST AND ITS ROLE ON CHANGE: Most of us would wonder the relation between a change and the PEST. _ SHAPE * MERGEFORMAT ____ POLITICAL: Legislative norms to be abided by the companies on the run might create a change in any of the management process. For example, few of the acts that had come in to enforcement like Paternity act and more had to be implemented by the human resource department. But the intentional movement and implications that are laid down by the ruling party should be abided by a company. This involves sudden change in the norms and the standard operating procedures followed by a company. But when again another party comes to ruling in the next 5 years another set of implications will be laid down at this time when a company is undergoing expansion it will face lot of resistance at this juncture. SOCIO CULTURAL: The employment opportunity that prevails in the current scenario is the worst of all times. The impact of the slowdown has thrown its roots psychologically in the mindset of the people and thus it has an impact on the productivity too. And the socio cultural patterns might also reflect on this as companies like Honda, IBM have a diversified workforce problems might arise when downsizing is done. The life style choices of the employees coming from various origins might also be reason to accept or refuse a change when a company diversifies its portfolio. And the cultural fit of new hires is also a subset that falls under this. TECHNOLOGICAL: Technological boom has helped the companies to automate work up to a great extent and the impact of the emerging technologies might have the urge to bring about a change in the organization. Internet intranet, remote and Tele Commuting has helped the workforce to balance their work and life. In order to beat the rivals and compete with them the Research and Development department has the key role and its is more or less dependent on the information technology. Change might also be viewed especially in this area. The transfer of technology when a company is in an expansion mode might also cause change and bring about problems. ECONOMICAL When a company is undergoing change either it is in an expansion mode the existing business cycle stage has its part for sure. Companies like HONDA, IBM are in the matured stage and so these factors contribute to the decisions that they take to opt for diversification. Pink slips and the unemployment rates along with the inflation and the growth rate have gone down. The U.S mortgage loan i.e., the sub prime crises has also hit the other markets and this is because of the reason the impact of globalization. The Labour costs and the availability of the manpower vs. the vacancies are also to be considered as these might force to bring about a change in an organization. TASK II INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES AND ITS CHANGE (STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT) International Business Machines pioneering in hardware, software and also in IT service this baby was born in the year 1896. Herman Hollerith being the founder he maintains about 398,455 employees globally. With enormous diversifications across the world it has one if the best strategic team that opens its ears across the changes form time to time. Recession is said to occur recently, but IBM had learnt on how to cope up the changes that occurs due to recession. In the late 1986, IBM faced a recession this is sadi to be one of the worst time the company had faced but to be http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1075217,00.html http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1075217,00. (date:21-12-09, time: 3.35p.m) IBM The recession in 1986: In 1986, the IBM has slum down its market capability. Since 1981, the sales have slipped about 35% to 29%. It has sales around 3 million in personal computer in the year 1981. The market has continuously slipped in the year of 1986. The profit has comes down as 4% and the sales also move slowly. The market share ranges as 133% to 125% in a week. 9,370 computers are launched for the customer during the period of 1986. But it is inefficient to transport the computers to other branches. The customer should not wait till the computer reach to them. Only Loyal customer may wait for that. The IBM has decreased the retail sales during this period and they sales to the NYNEY, the New York based company. The recession was followed by the launch of nearly 9370 computers in the market. In this case the value chain got struck as the lead time to reach the customers got delayed. The primary stream of the value chain was good still the secondary chain including the retailers, dealers was having some problem. This might be because of the mass production that the company was in to. This led to dissatisfaction among the new customers as the word of mouth turned bad and at the other end the loyal customers might also get dissatisfied. And this led to a decision of destructing the sales that IBM was handing over to retail sales. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1075217,00.html (date:22-12-09, time: 5.15p.m) The EXIM norms that were laid down at south Korea and Japan led to imports at low tariffs and the logistics returns were not goods the other end the rivals were opting for smart thinking with the emergence of laptops and mini computers the rivals were capturing the market share and at the end of the day IBM was forced to push down the selling of computers. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-158239452.html (date:23-12-09, time: 3.45p.m) DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS: In the case of IBM the fame that it had in its own origin was relatively high. It is very usual that the local market and the perceptions among the retailers and the customers would be positive. And at the other end, the corporate social responsibility that IBM has served to the origin would also serve as a catalyst for further prospects in the same region. And when it comes to the products competitive strength even though the value chain of IBM has proved to be poor, the product fitness is said to be quiet good an even it could be considered as a competitive edge. INFERENCE: The marketing strategies of IBM solely rely on the 4Ps Product, Price, Promotion, and Place. Hence, the inference from the analysis is that the competitors for IBM is more and even in the period of 1987, besides the decline they have grabbed lot of eco friendly awards for ensuring the hazardous wastes to be low. And to the surprise, IBM made it to a percentage of 96% which none of them scored. And the recent initiative that IBM had made in the name of GO GREEN IBM, in which when a project head shouts GO Green all the employees under his belt switches off the monitor they by reducing the green house gas content to the maximum. Coming to the market growth IBM is making ways to expand its market to a greater extent in the presence of competitors the strategies should be focusing on converting the strength at ease by making use of the opportunities. And also the intelligence team and the Research and development team should keep itself updated right starting from the job cuts and the cos t cutting impacts and its relation with the consumer behavior. IBM goes Green Business Week,29/12/09,06.00.p.m IBM IN THE EXPANSION MODE: The strategic team consisting of around 6-8 people in the IBM strategic department devised a growth strategy for expanding its services in all directions. At this juncture the management was much more concerned about ensuring the following things: Setting up a new R D plant in the areas to be diversified. The workforce at these places might consist of experts and also few people with a diversified mixture. The expansion should ensure that the resources by all means should be utilized effectively and efficiently. No room for psychological deviations should exist at the time of expansion. Headhunting a competent workforce candidates from the rivals at the area where the company is expanding After considering the golden rules IBM decided to sketch the road map for calking out the expansion. At the time of expansion IBM was concerned about achieving the growth by means of hike in sales, profits, assets and also the stake holder satisfaction by enhancing the value of returns. Cost cutting at the same of expansion was also a challenge that was hiding behind. Implementation of Total quality Management tools such as 6 sigma, 5S were the areas where IBM ensured perfection. For this a team of quality circles were also appointed and expenses over the Training and development were turning high but they were continuing it expecting Return on Investment through Proper Reinforcement that as possible only when IBM provides a conducive climate for working. This task was then focused towards the Human Resource Department. Several research and surveys were conducted to measure the existing working climate at IBM plants and necessary changes were also made to ensure the reinforcement is witnessed VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL GROWTH PLANS OF IBM Soon after the plans got devised IBM started working at full phase, it was concentrating on enhancing the value chain in the secondary stream especially in the distributors and suppliers (retailers)and at the recent statistics IBM has gone for serving the customers at the door step. The use if SAP by means if ERP made the suppliers and the retailers to get connected directly. ERP VERTICAL GROWTH OF IBM: The need of Enterprise Resource planning across the service points was very high. IBM understood this and soon it acted on the opportunity. The extent of interaction went to such a level where the suppliers could place an order from the desktop of their service point to the production plant. This growth base was not easy as the implementation of ERP brought about psychological barriers. ERP implementation and Change Management: Both the backward and the forward integration was possible was IBM on the use of ERP. Still, resistance to change occurred at IBM and the company was pushed to the process of managing change. IBM CHANGE MANGEMENT STRATEGY THE LEWINS 3 STEP MODEL: IBM was in the process of managing the resistance to change that raised in the diversification of the plants as well as the implementation of ERP. UNFREEZING: IBM mad the communication transparent and so it also conveyed the plans for the growth in the individual career growth plan and devised ways to unfreeze the change. MOVEMENT: IBM ensured that the new state will reach soon and it also happened as per the devised plan. REFREEZING: IBM ensured the HR practice and the climate after their companies expansion at different areas did not affect the emotional quotient of the employees. Counseling and work life policies were also designed and certain fringe benefits also were provided Horizontal Growth: IBM also moved through the phase of horizontal growth and the acquisitions with the other companies like TOKYO OKHLOA and KOGYO CO LTD turned to be one of the successful strategic alliances by means of working through low consumption of solar energy. Diversification @ IBM: IBM devised new product lines and perfect products with the help of research and development dept .The diversification was a combination of both concentric as well as conglomerate. As the first involved in enhancing the production process with marketing strategies through the sales force and the later involved the merger in to the solar business industry. The new products at IBM after the year 1986 and the recent collaboration with LENOVO has also paved way for the emergence of laptops and other devices. IBM now is trying to capture the market where it has been lagging earlier the restructuring process at IBM under the guidance of CEO Louis U. Gerstner who rearranged the brand and the logos and also incorporated the GO GREEN. TASK III An international company and pioneer in manufacturing of engines. Equal competitor for the German automobile companies when no one dreamt of it this company right now stands as a leader in the automobile industry. The company surprised the customers and delighted them by selling its product CIVIC HYBRID. Yes of course its HONDA THE POWER OF DREAMS. These dreams were made true when a simple mechanic named Soichiro Honda founded the company in the year 1940 at Japan. Incepting with a normal 50 cc bike Honda has now emerged as the core competitor for the rivals. http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Honda-Passenger-Car-Industry/206913 http://www.1stgencivic.org/(date: 23-12-09, time: 5.45p.m) THE DOWNFALL OF HONDA: When we are asked to comment about HONDA we would say its leading company in the automobile industry, but the fact is like any other company Honda also faced a downturn and this was said to happen when the company failed to invest actual funds in to Research and development at the right time. This paved advantage to its competitors like Toyota and Nissan. As Honda was keen in designing the engine it failed to take in to account the customer perceptions and taste of the customers in other countries. Later, the company decided to opt for a strategic alliance to enhance the productivity and to capture the market share in the other countries other than its origin. When Hondas strategic alliance team was analyzing on which of the action to select it went for a mutual beneficial consortium with DONGFEN a Chinese company as this resulting in capturing of markets with cost cutting in the process that minimized waste of time and resource at certain levels. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/6259440/Hondas-UK-plant-is- leading-the-car-industrys-revival.html(date:24-12-09, time: 6.21p.m) OTHER ALLIANCES: Honda did not stop with a mutual consortium it also decided to take along step of opting for a Joint Venture with Siel Siddhartha and it produced nearly 38,849 and nearly 15.5 million engines and this decision turned to be one of the most important moves that actually leveraged the financial risk of Honda. Honda also opted for a joint venture with siel followed by a value chain partnership which actually has now made Honda to be one of the pioneers in automobile manufacturing with one of the best in class total quality management and it has now captured the customers and had made them to be at the top of ladder of loyalty. Thus these strategic alliances with the other companies by means of value chain partnerships and joint ventures followed by a mutual consortium. The following were the pros that Honda acquired because of the strategic alliance. Research and development team got stronger and the company was able to make focus on a specific target of customers that also paved way to a decline in the risk that is to be bared individually rather it turned to be mutual risk and profit sharing decision. Thus by holding hands through strategic alliance Honda was able to strengthen its base and acquire more of the market. http://www.myautoupdater.com/a29182-world-class-honda-car-parts-sold.cfm(date:24 -12-09, time: 5.35p.m) TASK IV ASSESSMENT OF RISK INVOLVED IN RUNNING A NBFC BUSINESS Risk is there everywhere, with out proper assessment of risk even a traditional company would collapse in a short span of time. Risk management has been given more importance in the field of non banking financial corporation. The recent slow down that has rooted out from the sub prime crises has made all the industry to rethink of its strategies in opening and sustaining in the existing market. The initial investments that is required to run the business is relatively high. Some of the risk factors are discussed below: The nature of the financial product might not be very attractive as the rivals will be more in number. Finding out the small gap in this segment would be the challenge. The negative of financing would be the competition that the company would face form the banking industry as customers are more aware of the shortcomings in this regard. In the team of marketing the attrition rate has witnessed to be very high amidst the financial crises. The fancy incentives are not stable and so the income and the job security are also not constant. The marketing department would sell of the loans to the consumers but the problem rises when the collection team keeps on insisting the customers to repay the amount when fails leads to loss in the concern. The present rates that is prescribed by the government of u,k to run a business related to non banking financial industry is quiet tough to maintain. And moreover the issues of the corporate governance and the disclosure of the financial statements are the issues. The policies are now made stringent rather it was lenient those days that led to the recession. The task of processing the loan for a new commercial vehicle becomes an important risk factor as the appraisal of the customer and his pay back ability could fail at any time and more over the loss incurred in case of the customer failing to repay the amount is relatively high than in that of refinancing. RECOMMENDATIONS: The recommendations that I would put forward in this issue would be to follow the risk management and assessment tools usage and also the use of porters competitive strategy would be an optimal solution for the NBFC business. Cost Leadership: The NBFC is a service oriented sector and so the cost would be much more on the interest rates and the IRR value that the company would yield on the long run. The implications that are laid down by the government should be followed strictly. And also the mortgage loans would have an impact. Differentiation: In order to differentiate the products the NBFC industry is all complicated with lot of products and the mode reaching the customers and converting them in to a loyal customer by offering special loans based on the track records would be the solution on this function. Cost Focus: Nothing much on the cost focus is needed provided the interest rates are low. The above strategies would find out an optimal solution for the business to run successfully. Sekaran Uma, Strategic Management, published by Tata Mc Graw Hill, 2005(date: 23-12-09, time: 6.14p.m) BIBLIOGRALPHY: Mcshane L. Steven VonGlinow Ann Mary Sharma R. Radha, Organizational Behaviour, Published by Tata McGraw Hill, 2006 (date: 22-12-09) Robbins Stephen P, Organisational Behaviour, 12th Edition, published by Prentice Hall Pvt. Ltd, 2000(date: 22-12-09) Sekaran Uma, Strategic Management, published by Tata Mc Graw Hill, 2005(date: 23-12-09) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1075217,00.html#ixzz0aFfXIqNW (date:21-12-09, time) http://www.1stgencivic.org/(date:21-12-09) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1075217,00.html (date:22-12-09) http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-158239452.html (date:23-12-09) http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Honda-Passenger-Car-Industry/206913 http://www.1stgencivic.org/(date:23-12-09) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/6259440/Hondas-UK-plant-is- leading-the-car-industrys-revival.html(date:24-12-09) http://www.carazoo.com/article/2908200801/Hondas-NewPlayers-in-the-Indian-Car-Industry(date:24-12-09) http://www.myautoupdater.com/a29182-world-class-honda-car-parts-sold.cfm(date:24-12-09) http://www.sme-blog.net/sme_blog/mediumsized_companies/(date:24-12-09) http://rd.kpmg.co.uk/mediareleases/19475.htm(date:24-12-09) http://www.pr-inside.com/financial-services-firm-edward-jones-sells-r1542966.htm(date:25-12-09)

Thomas Hardy and Censorship of His Works Essay -- Biography Biographie

Thomas Hardy and Censorship of His Works During the Victorian Era, writing served as an outlet to influence a changing society. Because the family and domestic life were integral parts of that society, much time was spent at home reading. These Victorian readers had been strongly affected by the political, economic, social, and religious changes that had been taking place. They rebelled against the growth that was taking place, blaming their problems on religious doubt, Darwin and the rise of science, class conflict, poverty, and industrialization. In addition, Victorian Puritanism spoke out against sex, the emancipation of women, and strong individualism in women, believing that they would lead to the end of strong moral standards in the family and in society as a whole. As a result of all of these controversies, people developed a tremendous fear of change and criticized any idea or work that threatened their sense of stability (Chapman 35-50.). Thomas Hardy and other creative artists of his time thus faced a highly criti cal audience and often were forced to censor some of their more liberal ideas. Thomas Hardy as a writer had been greatly influenced in his youth by some of the more liberal thinkers of the time such as John Stuart Mill and Darwin. He even claimed at one time that he believed he was one of the first to read On the Origin of Species. In his novels, Hardy incorporated many of these themes in order to portray a real world. Darwin's challenge led Hardy to lose faith in Christianity, and this lack of faith gives his novels their tragic, bleak element. However, because novels in the nineteenth century were serially published in installments in magazines, Hardy, particularly at the end of his career, found it d... ...ss, received negative reviews. He even wrote an added preface to the novel in July of 1892 (when the first one-volume edition was published) in order to comment on the critical reception of the work. After encountering similar difficulties with the publication of Jude the Obscure and after working with four different publishers over a ten-year period, Hardy ceased writing novels and focused his efforts on writing poetry where he could more fully express his ideas without restrictions. Bibliography and Works Cited Chapman, Raymond. The Victorian Debate: English Literature and Society, 1832-1901. New York: Basic Books, Inc., Publishers, 1968. Millgate, Michael. Thomas Hardy: A Biography. New York: Random House, 1982. Orel, Harold, ed. Thomas Hardy's Personal Writings: Prefaces, Literary Opinions, Reminiscences. Kansas: University of Kansas Press, 1966.

Listening Task Study

Listening Task Study Listening and note taking †¢Listen carefully each time. †¢Make notes of what you hear. Better to have too many notes than not enough. †¢Be sure to take down quotes or language used in the text. †¢Have a shorthand system that is meaningful to you. †¢Use arrows to show linked ideas. Answering questions †¢Use the amount of marks appointed to the question as a guide to how much information is required. 1 mark = 1 piece of information. †¢If in doubt about what to include in the answer, put it all in. †¢Use the language of the text as often as you can.Do not simplify the meaning or understanding of the text in your response. †¢Do not use your general knowledge. You must interpret the meaning from the text, not from how you understand the world should work. †¢Always interpret the meaning intended within context of the text. †¢Every answer should reference the text, preferably with direct quote or by using the langua ge of the text. †¢Make sure you hear the word correctly and write it as you hear it. Language features to look out for in listening tasks Anecdotes Analogy Metaphor Simile Sound devices Exaggeration Sarcasm Humour IronyStatistics and Cultural references or intertextuality TermMeaningExample – provided where helpful Context – clarifies the meaning of something, either through historical information or by providing further detail before and / or after itThe conditions /circumstance relevant to an event, fact, e. g. time/place etc Conversational speech – characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation Dialect – form of a language spoken in a particular geographical area or by members of a particular social class or occupational group, distinguished by its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciationCockney is a dialect of English not to be confused with ‘accent’ which is pronunciation common to a certain language dialect Diction â€⠀œ the choice and use of words in speech or writing Digression – an act or instance of changing from a main subject in speech to another unconnected subject Everyday/familiar/modern references – to mention something that the audience will recognise (can be an object or a common phrase) to create rapport / humour (when done out of context can increase the humour) Fillers / hedges (natural speech marker) – sounds or words that are spoken to fill up gaps in utterancescommon filler sounds are â€Å"uh† â€Å"er† and â€Å"um† Idiolect – a person’s individual speech habits. Idiom – a group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual wordsâ€Å"She let the cat out of the bag† or â€Å"He was caught red-handed. † Impact – the power of making a strong, immediate impression Interrupt – to stop a person while s/he is saying or doing something, especially by saying something o neself Intonation – the sound pattern of phrases and sentences produced by pitch variation in the voice Lexis – the full vocabulary of a language, or of a group, individual, field of studytyre, oil, engine, car etc Non-verbal signs – the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless messagese. g. hrough gesture; body language or posture; facial expression and eye contact; or even object communication such as clothing, hairstyles etc Pace/timing – the process or art of regulating actions or remarks in relation to others to produce the best effect Rapport – Relationship, usually a harmonious one, established between a speaker and their audience Register (formal/informal etc) – Level of formality in speech with others; register depends on the situation, location, topic discussed, and other factors Rhetorical device – a technique that a speaker (or author) uses to evoke an emotional response in the audiencee. g. hyperbol e – I was so hungry, I could have eaten an elephant Spontaneous speech – unprepared speech, in opposition to prepared speech where utterances contain well-formed sentences close to those that can be found in written documents Tag questiona question added to a declarative sentence, usually at the end, to engage the listener, verify that something has been understood, or confirm that an action has occurredCommon tags include won't you? wasn't it? don't you? haven't you? okay? and right? Transcript – a written copy of a discussion or speech