Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Gun Violence and Control - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 906 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/03/19 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Gun Control Essay Gun Violence Essay Did you like this example? Guns are a part of everyday life in America to an extent that many people outside the United States find hard to understand. According to the Pew Research Center, estimates of the number of guns in the United States range up to 310 million†which represents about one firearm for each person in the country (Allen 1-80). Gun regulation should be higher and background checks should be more in depth. Having a gun could be for multiple reason but shouldnt be use for violent acts. Gun control plays a major part in the youth today and many youths are dying for guns and youth killing youths. If gun supporters want gun violence to stop, they must stop trying to destroy the gun culture. There are more than 250 million guns in public circulation in the U.S. They cannot be wished away. Even if the U.S. government banned gun ownership and stopped all gun manufacturing and importation, it would still need to confiscate all those weapons. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Gun Violence and Control" essay for you Create order Doing so would require wholesale violations of Fourth Amendment rights. The probability of getting rid of guns in America, therefore, is practically zero (Kohn 20-30). Guns are supposed to be used for protection and police should be the only ones who can have access to them. More guns do not necessarily mean more homicides. More gun laws do not necessarily mean less gun crime (Doherty 32-41). If you can get the community to listen and enforce these rules, then you can bring the gun violence down in the community. Once you start to change yours then others can change also. This simple pointthat America is awash with more guns than ever before, yet we are killing each other with guns less than ever beforeundermines the narrative that there is a straightforward, causal relationship between increased gun prevalence and gun homicide (Doherty 32-41). Gun control advocates frequently mention the comparatively high amount of homicides committed with firearms and now as fact people want to help stricken up the gun control laws. The gun debate may not be entirely over, but shooters have an increasingly strong edge. Certainly, they should be aware of the foolishness going on in places such as San Francisco, and they might even consider a boycott of Pizza Hut, if thats how they want to make their point. But more important than that, they should be actively engaged in promoting a better understanding of why violence occurs. They should be seeking out programs that reduce it, leading the way in this good fight. That is how they can really win the gun debate (Kohn 20-30). Gun laws is a major discussion in the USA, with firearms used for a recreational purpose and for individual security. Gun rights proponents acknowledge the usage of firearms for self-protection and to discourage violent crimes as an understanding of why more gun can decrease crime. Many Americans not only believe in the right to carry concealed weapons, they believe more people carrying them would make the nation safer. A Gallup poll released in October 2015 found that 56 percent of those surveyed agreed that wider use of concealed carry would improve public safety(Allen 1-80). Gun rights proponents say felons are more likely not to adapt to firearm laws, which it will make it harder for law-abiding citizens to access guns. The gun prohibition lobbyit really is about banning the private ownership of firearms regardless what they say for public consumptiongets cover from a national media that even has adopted their deceptive vocabulary. No longer is this anti-rights lobby identified as a gun control movement, but routinely is labeled gun safety or gun reform by the press (Gottilieb 16-17). There is a strong knowledge and good result about gun violence which is within societies that have higher levels of gun control and gun violence. Gun violence is a constant trying to stop it and make it better is a solution for the community and society to fix. To truly tackle the gun violence epidemic, lawmakers must go further after the guns themselves. Our polling also found that 54 percent of Americans want to see fewer guns in circulation, and 61 percent believe that guns should be harder to get (Volsky and Glaze A.15). To keep the gun violence in control if a person would want to get a gun or a gun permit there should a consecutive amount of class that should be taken. At least 22 states have pending bills to allow guns in schools and colleges. In Texas and other states, licensed gun owners can bring concealed handguns into classrooms, dorms and other parts of public university campuses. Oklahoma passed a law in 2015 allowing certain teachers and staff at K-12 schools to carry handguns in school if they undergo a training program (Hong N.P). People should also have a general reason on why they should be able to carry or permit a gun. Each state should have the same gun laws instead of each state making their own laws of guns. According to the Pew survey, gun ownership rates are roughly equal in other areas of the country. The South has 36 percent gun owners, the Midwest has 32 percent, and the West has 31 percent (Allen 1-80). Gun laws shouldnt change they should just be more dynamic and make guns much harder to get. Gun safety is a major impact to every community and if changes are going to be brought up it starts with the community first.

Monday, December 23, 2019

Assisted Suicide, Morally Wrong or Your Right - 2852 Words

Assisted Suicide, Morally Wrong or Your Right? Is assisted suicide your right as a human; is it moral or ethical? First we must look at what is assisted suicide. Assisted suicide is a common term that most people know of, suicide that is facilitated by another person. (Dictionary.com) However, there are three terms that are sometimes used interchangeable when discussing assisted suicide; physician assisted suicide, assisted suicide and euthanasia. Physician assisted suicide is when a physician intentionally gives the patient the method of suicide, such as pills. Assisted suicide involves a layperson or a non-physician who is equipping the patient with the means to kill themselves. Euthanasia is when the person is directly killed by†¦show more content†¦How will a course of treatment affect the quality of happiness or misery in each person’s life? Traditional utilitarian justifications against killing do not seem to apply to voluntary euthanasia. Peter Singer stated that â€Å"The classical utilitarian objection does not apply to killing that takes place only with the genuine consent of the person killed. That people are killed under these conditions would have no tendency to spread fear or insecurity, since we have no cause to be fearful of being killed with our own genuine consent. If we do not wish to be killed, we simply do not consent. In fact, the argument from fear points in favor of voluntary euthanasia, for if voluntary euthanasia is not permitted we may, with good cause, be fearful that our deaths will be unnecessarily drawn out and distressing. In the Netherlands, a nationwide study commissioned by the government found that Many patients want an assurance that their doctor will assist them to die should suffering become unbearable. Often, having received this assurance, no persistent request for euthanasia eventuated. The availability of euthanasia brought comfort without euthanasia having to be provided.† (Taking Life: Humans) To truly evaluate assisted suicide form a utilitarian perspective, we must consider the argument that, what if suddenly there becomes a cure for the patient’s disease? Just because this is a possible outcome, does not negate the viability of euthanasia. John Stuart Mill stated thatShow MoreRelatedThe Legal And Ethical Issues Involving Physician Assisted Suicide1134 Words   |  5 Pageswith Dignity Act a constitutional right for a competent, terminally ill patient. Under what conditions is physician assisted suicide morally acceptable, is the question at hand and did these states make the right decision on such a slippery slope debate. This paper will go on to explain one side of this very touchy debate, it will also consider objections from the other side, and ultimately defend the position physician assisted suicide is wrong not only morally but also, ethically. My argumentRead MoreThe Thoughts Of Assisted Suicide1582 Words   |  7 PagesThe thoughts of assisted suicide are very mixed. Some people believe that it is a great way to put terminally-ill patients out of the their pain and suffering. They see it as a way for a person to die with dignity after suffering from a painful disease. Others think it is beyond morally wrong for a doctor to intentionally end a patient’s life. They feel that a doctor should not have unnecessary deaths riding, on their shoulders the rest of their career. Assisted suicide goes way beyond the beliefsRead MoreExplanation Of Physician Assisted Suicide1262 Words   |  6 PagesPhysician assisted suicide has been legal in Oregon since November 1997. Over 750 people have taken advantage of this law since it was passed. Many people think there is something wrong with such this and it should be outlawed. I will argue that there is no moral basis for the outlaw of such a practice. Explanation of physician assisted suicide Physician assisted suicide occurs when an ill patient consults a doctor and decides that they would like to end their life. Typically, the patient is prescribedRead More Dr. Harold Glucksberg vs. The State of Washington Essays980 Words   |  4 Pagesrational reason to commit suicide. In the 1994 case of Glucksberg v. Washington (Otherwise acknowledged as Compassion In Dying v. The State Of Washington), Harold Glucksberg, alongside the right-to-die organization Compassion In Dying, filed a suit in opposition to the state of Washington for three fatally ill patients he treated. Dr. Glucksberg and Compassion in Dying set their case saying that the ban against doctor-assisted suicide was violating the right patients right of due process and placedRead MoreThe Debate Over Physician Assisted Suicide951 Words   |  4 Pagestoday’s society, suicide, and more controversially, physician assisted suicide, is a hotly debated topic amongst both every day citizens and members of the medical community. The controversial nature of the subject opens up the conversation to scrutinizing the ethics involved. Who can draw the line between morality and immorality on such a delicate subject, between lessening the suffering of a loved one and murder? Is there a moral dissimilarity between letting someone die under your care and killingRead MoreAssisted Suicide Essay1507 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Assisted Suicide (Euthanasia) There probably isn’t one person that can say that they haven’t watched somebody they love in some way suffer from and ultimately die from some sort of unfortunate disease. Assisted suicide is a very controversial topic in the United States. Physician assisted suicide is defined as suicide committed by a terminally ill person with help from another person. This subject causes many controversies of ethical and moral issues. Some of these issues are that it violatesRead MoreThe Rights Of Physician Assisted Suicide1347 Words   |  6 PagesThe Right to Die By: Antony Makhlouf Antony Makhlouf PHR 102-006 Contemporary Moral Issues Final Paper The Right to Die Physician-assisted suicide, also known as euthanasia, has been a hot topic as of late. If you do not know what this is, physician-assisted suicide is the taking of ones life. This usually occurs when a patient is in a irreversible state, and must live through a tube. With multiple cases occurring in the past, current and the more to occur the in the future, this looksRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide : The Canadian Euthanasia Debate1689 Words   |  7 Pages Physician Assisted Suicide: The Canadian Euthanasia Debate Imagine laying in bed; your eyes are open and you cannot move. Your brain is working but cannot tell your body how to function. We as a society have a right and a moral obligation to legalize physician-assisted suicide. The legalizing euthanasia grants terminally ill patients; the right to die without withdrawing from life support. Also giving the right for patients to die on their own terms. Euthanasia is a publically supposed issue thatRead MoreAssisted Suicide Should Be Legal2030 Words   |  9 Pagesarguing is whether or not assisted suicide should be legalized. In order for people to truly argue and decide whether assisted suicide should be legal they must know the definition. Many people mix up the definition of assisted suicide with euthanasia. There are both arguments for assisted suicide and against it. When arguing for and against assisted suicide the big argument seems to be whether it is morally right or morally wrong. The question of whether assisted suicide should be l egal questionRead MoreDying with Dignity960 Words   |  4 Pageshumane and helpful, other people argue that euthanasia is morally wrong, and inhumane. Euthanasia should be legalize in the United States because it gives an alternative for people who suffer every day due to a terminal illness, but it should be the last resort a patient should take. People who are against euthanasia claim that it is unethical and morally wrong to take someone’s life away. According to the article â€Å"Active Euthanasia Is Never Morally Justified,† euthanasia is a nice word that replaces

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Night Creature Hunter’s Moon Chapter 27 Free Essays

string(37) " new advances in medicine every day\." A sudden thought made me stiffen and push away from Damien’s embrace. Anything just might be possible much sooner than I’d thought. â€Å"You didn’t use a condom,† I said. We will write a custom essay sample on Night Creature: Hunter’s Moon Chapter 27 or any similar topic only for you Order Now He didn’t so much as blink. He didn’t curse or cry or run or exhibit any of the other typically male reactions to such a statement. â€Å"I know.† â€Å"You†¦ know?† I sat up. â€Å"What the hell is that supposed to mean? You could have gotten me pregnant, stud boy.† â€Å"No.† He sighed. â€Å"I couldn’t. I mean I can’t. I won’t.† Now he cursed, then ran his fingers through his hair and got out of bed. â€Å"I’m sorry. This probably isn’t the best time to tell you, but I can’t get you pregnant.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"They tell me it’s medically impossible.† I wanted to ask, Who told you? When? Have you seen a specialist? What exactly is the problem? But the way he held his shoulders, as if he expected questions and didn’t want to answer them, made me hesi-tate. I didn’t like to talk about the scars on my back. Maybe Damien didn’t care to discuss the scars within himself. I could respect that. â€Å"Well, there goes my white picket fence dream,† I quipped. It had been a stupid dream anyway. Damien’s eyes narrowed; his head tilted. He was too damned perceptive. Before he could question me, I blurted, â€Å"Why did you use a condom in the first place?† â€Å"Pregnancy isn’t the only concern.† Well, duh. Now I cursed. â€Å"You don’t have to worry about me,† he said quickly. â€Å"I’m clean. I swear.† â€Å"Me, too,† I whispered. Silence settled between us. Clinical conversations appeared to be a great mood killer. Fancy that. â€Å"Leigh?† â€Å"Mmm?† â€Å"I love you.† I could only stare at him for several ticks of the clock. â€Å"You†¦ you can’t love me. You just met me.† He smiled sadly. â€Å"I’ve been waiting my whole life for you.† â€Å"That’s nuts.† â€Å"I know.† â€Å"You’re blinded by great sex.† â€Å"No, Leigh, I’m blinded by you.† I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing at all. Damien sat down on the bed and ran a palm over the shorn ends of my hair. â€Å"I always knew that when I met the woman for me, I’d look at her once and think, ‘Here she is.’ I was right.† â€Å"You know nothing about me.† â€Å"You’re wrong. I know you’re brave and strong, loyal.† â€Å"You make me sound like a Labrador retriever.† He ignored my mutterings. â€Å"You’re sexy and sweet, caring. Beautiful, and a little bit sad. I wish you’d trust me with what makes you sigh when you think no one’s listening.† Did I do that? Probably. I wished I could trust him, too. But if I told him my secrets, I’d have to kill him. Ha-ha. â€Å"You’ve got secrets of your own, Damien.† â€Å"Yeah, I do.† â€Å"Are you going to trust me with them?† â€Å"I can’t.† We were in the same boat. Figures. I took his hand. Ran my thumb over his silver ring, remembered what Jessie had said about the power eater. How could I ask him if he was a werewolf? It wasn’t like asking him if he was married, divorced, or currently single. He didn’t feel like a werewolf. I know that sounds odd. But werewolves have evil hearts. They don’t start out that way, of course. They start out like you and me. When they’re bitten, the virus changes them, both physically and mentally. Sure they seem like people, but inside there’s a demon panting to get out. I’d researched this, countless times during long nights when I shouldn’t sleep. Demons lived – everywhere. How could Damien love me if his heart was full of hate? He couldn’t. But I’d recognized love in his eyes. I’d seen the expression once before. An expression I’d never thought to see again. I wished I could tell him I loved him, too, but I couldn’t. Not until my old life was dead. He put his fingers over my lips, shook his head. â€Å"How about that shower?† he asked. My mouth curved. I kissed his hand, then took it in my own and led him to the water. I left Damien asleep on the bed. We’d made love in the shower. He had scratches on both his shoulders and an imprint of my teeth on his neck. I guess I couldn’t sneer at Jessie and Will anymore. I managed to make it to my apartment and change out of my dirty clothes before Will pulled up in a Jeep. I squeezed into the backseat. â€Å"Not taking the official Crow Valley cruiser?† I asked. Will shook his head. â€Å"Cora wouldn’t appreciate a cop car in front of her place. All the neighbors would wonder what she did this time.† This time? I looked forward to meeting Cora Kopway more with every passing moment. â€Å"So what were you up to while we were gone?† Jessie asked. â€Å"Sleeping.† She glanced over her shoulder, winked. â€Å"Us, too.† I couldn’t help but smile. It had been a long, long time since I’d had a girlfriend. Jessie and I would probably never have met or become close in my other life. That would have been a big loss. I liked her more than I would ever say. â€Å"How’s the shoulder?† I asked. â€Å"I’ll live.† â€Å"Sore?† â€Å"Yeah. But at least it’s not my gun hand.† Trust Jessie to worry about the important things in life. She turned so her back was to the window, wincing a bit at the movement. â€Å"I talked to Elwood.† Uh-oh. â€Å"He checked with all his cronies. Talked to the gas sta-tion attendants, real estate agents, anyone who might have noticed a new guy in town. No one’s seen Hector.† I frowned. That was weird. â€Å"Which doesn’t mean you’re crazy,† Jessie hastened to assure me. â€Å"It just means he’s keeping a low profile.† For the first time in a long time I didn’t feel crazy. I felt†¦ good. I kept thinking: What if? What if I killed Hector? What if Damien really loved me? What if I loved him? He couldn’t give me children. Or so he said. But there were new advances in medicine every day. You read "Night Creature: Hunter’s Moon Chapter 27" in category "Essay examples" What if he could be cured? Then everything I’d ever wanted could come true. â€Å"Leigh?† I focused on Jessie. She appeared concerned. â€Å"You wanna stay with me here?† â€Å"I’m sorry. Did you say something?† She rolled her eyes. â€Å"Get your head out of the bedroom and listen. Even if the white wolf isn’t Hector, we still have to find and kill it.† â€Å"I’m in complete agreement.† â€Å"And if it isn’t him, we’ll just keep hunting until we find the right white wolf. Wherever it is, however long we have to search.† â€Å"OK.† She faced the front, shaking her head. â€Å"And she says I’m gaga.† Her words would have made me angry once. Now I just wanted to laugh. We reached Cora’s house. The tiny log cabin set between towering evergreens made me think of Hansel and Gretel. I hoped she wasn’t a witch. The door opened before we even knocked. Cora Kop-way looked like no witch I’d ever known. As if I’d known any. She was tall, willowy, with long, flowing black hair that held only a trace of silver. Her face possessed a beauty that defied age. She’d seen many things – some good, some bad, some in between – and all of them had marked her. She wore a blindingly white T-shirt, tucked into a long colorful skirt. Each finger sported a ring. Silver sparkled around two of her toes. Three earrings hung from one ear, two from the other, and bracelets jangled about her slim wrists. She didn’t smile, just stared at us with solemn, dark eyes. Then she turned and disappeared into her home, leaving the door open behind her. â€Å"I thought she was old,† Jessie whispered. â€Å"She is,† Will whispered back. â€Å"My people age well, unlike yours.† Jessie kicked him in the ankle, then followed him inside. The cabin was a museum. Indian art graced the walls, stocked the shelves and the tables. I was unfamiliar with the artists, but most of the paintings and the sculptures were of animals – bear, moose, birds, coyotes, and, of course, wolves. On one shelf I caught a glimpse of a kachina doll, which I knew wasn’t Ojibwe. I assumed Cora’s collection represented all the North American tribes. I’d love to go through everything, but we didn’t have the time. Candles burned here and there. Something smoldered in a pottery bowl. The room smelled of fresh-cut grass and, at the same time, new snow on a crisp winter night. How could that be? She motioned for us to take seats on furniture that re-fleeted the colors of the earth and the sky at sunset. Mahogany, sand, azure, burnt orange – the room both eased and energized. Cora sat in a straight-backed chair on the opposite side of an oak coffee table, its only adornment a smoking salmon-shaded bowl. Now that I was closer I observed a tiny flame in the center with what appeared to be grass all around it. A definite fire hazard. She continued to peer at us with that same solemn expression. I had a feeling she could see into my head and discern my thoughts. I tried like hell to make them pure. But the more I tried, the more impure they became. What did I expect after the way I’d spent my afternoon? â€Å"I hear you know all about woo-woo?† Jessie blurted. Will’s sigh was long-suffering. â€Å"Jess,† he admonished. â€Å"Don’t speak until spoken to.† She stared down her nose at him. â€Å"You have got to be kidding me.† He narrowed his eyes. Amazingly, she sat back on the couch, crossed her arms over her chest, placed one knee over the other, and shut up. â€Å"I’m sorry, n’okomiss. She doesn’t understand.† Cora acknowledged the apology with an infinitesimal nod. Her earrings swayed and tangled in her long black hair. The room became silent again. â€Å"You have been marked,† she murmured, turning her gaze on me. I started and my scar began to ache. It had been blissfully silent since morning. â€Å"Marked by the demon. You are his. He has come for you.† Jessie cast me a quick, worried glance. I couldn’t do anything but peer into Cora’s eyes. How could she know? â€Å"You never said she was a psychic, Slick.† â€Å"I am what I am,† Cora intoned, still staring at me. â€Å"You would do well to listen.† â€Å"I’d be happy to,† Jessie said, â€Å"if you told us anything fresh and new. She’s marked by the demon; he’s coming. We got that already.† â€Å"William, your woman needs to learn silence.† â€Å"Good luck,† he muttered. Cora reached into the pocket of her skirt, then made a flicking motion toward the bowl at the center of the table. The flame shot nearly to the ceiling. Jessie started coughing. When she finished, she opened her mouth, but no sound came out. â€Å"Uh-oh,† Will said. Cora just smiled. Jessie grabbed at her own throat, shook her head, pantomimed, badly. â€Å"Your voice will be returned when you leave my house. Until then, be still or I will make you.† Jessie froze, then sat back on the couch and took Will’s hand. His fingers tightened on hers. â€Å"What is it you wish to know?† Cora asked. â€Å"Have you heard the Legend of the Power Eater?† â€Å"Of course. The Weendigo that becomes so much more.† â€Å"What else?† She shrugged. â€Å"The power eater craves power. He can never have enough. He is the ultimate shape-shifter.† â€Å"What, exactly, does that mean?† I asked. â€Å"The more power the Weendigo eats, the greater his abilities. He can shift to any form, any time, any where.† â€Å"That is so not good,† I muttered. Will motioned me to silence. â€Å"You mean the power eater can become something other than a wolf?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"In the daytime?† â€Å"Most certainly.† Jessie, Will, and I exchanged glances. That explained how I’d seen the white wolf in the daylight. A thought occurred to me. â€Å"Could a power eater change the color of his fur?† Cora tilted her head and considered. â€Å"I have not heard of this, but I don’t see why he could not.† In other words, our two killer wolves could really be one. â€Å"Can you explain, n’okomiss, how the man becomes the beast?† â€Å"He is cursed by the great mystery.† â€Å"Is there any other way?† â€Å"Possibly.† She stood and moved – or rather flowed; her gait was too smooth to be called mere movement – to the bookcase, where she removed a huge tome. Will leaped to his feet and hurried over, taking the book from her hands and carrying it to the table. No title graced the cover, which appeared to be real leather. When she opened to the middle, the pages crackled with age. â€Å"If a man wished to become a Weendigo he would eat the flesh of his enemy.† I frowned. Petite blond women were Hector’s enemy? Suddenly it hit me. His mother. She had been blond; she had left him. He had never forgiven her. â€Å"Then what?† I asked, my voice hoarse. â€Å"Then he would call on the powers of darkness to transform him into a beast.† â€Å"How do you call the powers of darkness?† â€Å"There are many ways, but the most common is the five-pointed star.† I sat up straighten â€Å"A pentagram?† â€Å"Yes.† Jessie glanced at me with wide eyes. â€Å"What about a pentagram?† â€Å"The one who wishes to become would draw the star on his body. Somewhere vital.† As if by magic I saw Hector’s chest, the black shiny pentagram stark over his heart. â€Å"And then?† I whispered. â€Å"Then he calls on the evil ones to make him Weendigo.† â€Å"The Evil Ones?† Will broke in. â€Å"Matchi-auwishuk?† â€Å"Perhaps. There are many evil ones in this world and the next.† â€Å"And the evil ones,† I pressed. â€Å"They would make him Weendigo? Just like that?† â€Å"If he offered them a sacrifice.† â€Å"What kind of sacrifice?† I asked, but I already knew. Hector had become a Weendigo by promising to kill my family. How to cite Night Creature: Hunter’s Moon Chapter 27, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

The Whole Town’s Sleeping free essay sample

The Whole Town’s Sleeping which is written by Ray Bradbury and The Landlady written by Roald Dahl have many similarities when compared. The Whole Town’s Sleeping is set in Illinois, inside a small isolated town. We are introduced to Francine and Lavinia who find a dead body floating inside the ravine, suspected to be another victim of the ‘Lonely One’ – an unknown serial killer who murders women. Meanwhile The Landlady is set in the town of Barth where we meet Billy Weaver. He has just arrived into the town at late night and is â€Å"caught† by a Bed and Breakfast sign on a window. He decides to enter and we later find out that the owner who is an old women has an iniquitous intent. In The Whole Town’s Sleeping we meet the main protagonist who is Lavinia at her home where she is at the comfort of safety. We will write a custom essay sample on The Whole Town’s Sleeping or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She is an old resident of the area compared to Billy who is new. Lavinia Nebbs is fully aware of the danger because while she was walking along the Ravine she noticed â€Å"coming down towards her was a man† and â€Å"he carried a long club in his hand. † This indicates the fact that Lavinia is extremely weary and knowing of the risk. This technique that Ray Bradbury used was Anti Climaxing – creating tension to a high point but it was a false alarm. However she is portrayed as a naive character and willingly chooses to be completely ignorant and resist the harsh reality, trying to focus on something else – something a child is likely to do as she says â€Å"We’ve got to forget this† when insisting to continue on and go to the theatre. It is this naivety of Lavinia that places her is such adversity towards the end. Furthermore when it was the end of the movie we see Lavinia as a reckless and fearless character who is now brave and willing to face what everyone is scared of because she is reluctant to believe that she may be The Lonely one’s next victim. Also she is covering up her weaknesses, acting independent and like a man. This is shown when she says â€Å"If I’m the next victim, let me be the next victim. † Another example of her naivety is also shown at the drug store where Francine says to Lavinia â€Å"That man asking for you. You’re next! † Nevertheless Lavinia dismisses the issue by saying â€Å"It was just a man. † Expanding on this quote said by Lavinia it gives the perception that she is a feminist and the way she says it indicates she is trying to say ‘I’m not weak. ’ Another thing I have noticed in The Whole Town’s Sleeping is that the women are presented as weak and fragile – unable to protect themselves. Slowly Lavinia’s inner fear overwhelms her until she is extremely scared and we – the reader see the rest of the story unfold from Lavinia. â€Å"She heard a man’s voice singing far away among the tress† shows the paranoia within Lavinia’s mind as she has now been hit with the reality and is exposed. Just like the dress that she is wearing which is unprotected and shows the vulnerability as Ray Bradbury writes â€Å"The heat pulsed under your dress and along your legs with a stealthy sense of invasion† she is open to the ‘elements’. Lavinia now becomes very cautious and suddenly become a lot more mature once she walks on the ravine, which gives a sense to the reader that she grows up along with the story as it develops. Ray Bradbury in the beginning on the story describes Lavinia â€Å"as cool as mint cool ice cream† suggesting that it is possible for her to ‘melt’ and for the fresh smell of mint to fade and die out this is where it occurs. On the other hand in Roald Dahl’s The Landlady the main protagonist who is Billy Weaver has just arrived into the town of Bath and has been recommended to stay in The Bell and Dragon however he was compelled to a peculiar Bed and Breakfast sign outside a home and as he rang the doorbell, unusually the door opened immediately. The owner was an old women who acted extremely strange and to some circumstances creepy, however this was completely oblivious to Billy. Billy Weaver is portrayed by Roald Dahl as having almost no common sense and someone who goes along with anything, without raising a finger. He doesn’t act like his age but more mature and professional. We see this when Roald Dahl in the omnipotent point of view describes Billy â€Å"Walked briskly down the street. He was trying to do everything briskly these days. Briskness, he had decided, was the one common characteristic of all successful businessmen. † Showing that he was being/doing things whom he isn’t. In addition Roald also states the fact that â€Å"He was wearing a new navy blue overcoat† which could symbolise that he has hidden all of his youth underneath his coat and is wearing a mature and professional personality/characteristic. Like in The Whole Town’s Sleeping Lavinia’s naivety caused her to become the victim Billy’s obliviousness on what The Landlady is doing causes him to become her next victim. When Billy goes down to sign the guestbook he recognises the names however doesn’t remember where from and The Landlady keeps on diverting the conversation. Further on when Billy says to The Landlady â€Å"I suppose he left fairly recently† when talking about Mr Mulholland, The Landlady replies â€Å"Left? But my dear boy, he never left. He’s still here. Mr Temple is also here. † From that Billy should have been weary and begin to think again about staying however he did not raise any question but instead acted like a puppet, on strings controlled by The Landlady. Some harrowing things that The Landlady said were when talking about Mr Temple such as â€Å"There wasn’t a single blemish on his body† and â€Å"His skin was just like a baby’s† should have raised alarm bells and made him more reluctant to stay with her. But he just continues to drink his tea which strangely tastes like bitter almonds hinting that she had put cyanide within his tea, however Billy underestimates her due to her being an old women. This fact links in with The Whole Town’s Sleeping because Billy does not suspect anything about The Landlady simply because she is an old women – tying with the ‘women are weak’ portrayal in The Whole Town’s Sleeping. In conclusion Ray Bradbury’s The Whole Town’s Sleeping had Lavinia thinking she was as if ‘immune’ to the threat and danger of The Lonely One where Women are characterised as unable to take care of themselves and it can be said that due to her trying to be independent (as a man) caused her to be The Lonely One’s next target. While in Roald Dahl’s The Landlady Billy Weaver is portrayed as the young and innocent throughout the story and despite his maturity you could see through his decision making that they were still not mature. Also it is due to him being so oblivious he was an easy target despite the threat being right in front of him. Overall it was both Lavinia’s and Billy’s will and desire to become independent that caused them to become victims.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Doing physical exercises is a better way to keep health Essays

Doing physical exercises is a better way to keep health A wholesome body is a prerequisite for our life and work. A wide variety of ways can we adopt to improve our health like eating wholesome food, doing physical exercise, sleeping well, release stress etc. If I had only one choice, I would definitely choose exercise. There are several reasons for me to make the choice. Firstly, in comparison with changing eating habit, doing physical exercise is more easily for people to persist and could achieve an effect in short time. As I known, myriads of people especially women cant resist the temptation of their favorite food even after they had dinner. Changing womens eating habit is really challenging. While doing exercise is different, because every woman wants to keep a good shape, doing exercise could consume redundant energy gained from diet. Besides, there are many forms of exercise when could adopt, from the simplest one like walking to other forms like swimming, dancing etc. For people with busying work, they can just walk to home or workplace as a means of exercise; for people with spare time, they can go to the stadium to swim or play balls. As long as they could persist, they can see their body weight are just under their control only in one week. Additionally, regular exercise has been recognized as an effective method to prevent chronic disease like diabetes etc. in this day and age, peoples health was endangered by chronic disease. As scientists claimed, most chronic disease is caused by unhealthy lifestyle including lack of exercise. If people can do physical exercise at least thirty minutes per day, they are less likely to suffer from chronic disease when they are fifties. Further, doing physical exercises also provide a great opportunity to have fun and release pressure. It has been proposed by scientists that doing exercise can excite our central nervous system and cheer people up. I definitely agree with this viewpoint. Every time I was unhappy, I like to will climb mountains alone or with friends, because when I was climbing mountains, all I though is just how to climb to the top; at that time all my troubles are totally forgotten. When I climb to the summit, the happiness has outweighs all the troubles. Its really a best way for workpeople release unhappy mood. Overall, I believe doing exercise plays a critical role in keeping people fit. People should take actions immediately.

Monday, November 25, 2019

98 Election Vocabulary Terms

98 Election Vocabulary Terms Every November has an Election Day, set by statute as the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November. This day is provided for the  general elections  of  federal  public officials. General elections of state and local public officials are   included on this first Tuesday after November 1. To talk about the importance of any federal, state, and local elections, students will need to understand the key terms or vocabulary as part of their  civics instruction.   The  Social Studies Frameworks for College, Career, and Civic Life  (C3s) outline  the requirements teachers must follow to prepare students to participate in a productive constitutional democracy:​ ....[student] civic engagement requires knowledge of the history, principles, and foundations of our American democracy, and the ability to participate in civic and democratic processes. People demonstrate civic engagement when they address public problems individually and collaboratively and when they maintain, strengthen, and improve communities and societies. Thus, civics is, in part, the study of how people participate in governing society (31). Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor  echoed the responsibility that teachers have to prepare students for their role as citizens. She has stated: â€Å"Knowledge about our system of government, our rights and responsibilities as citizens, is not passed down through the gene pool. Each generation must be taught and we have work to do!† To understand any upcoming election, high school students should become familiar with the vocabulary of the electoral process. Teachers should be aware that some language is also cross-disciplinary. For example, personal appearance can refer to a persons wardrobe and demeanor, but in the context of an election, it means an event that a candidate attends in person.   Teachers can use an analogy to objects students know to teach some of the vocabulary  needed for informed citizenship.   For example, the teacher may write on the board, â€Å"The candidate stands by his record.† Students may then say what they think the term means. The teacher can then discuss with the students the nature of a  candidates record  (something written down or what a person says). This will help students understand how the context of the word record  is more specific in an election: record: a list showing a candidates or elected officials voting history (often in relation to a specific issue) Once they understand the meaning of the word, students may then decide to research a candidates record on websites such as Ontheissues.org. Vocabulary Software Program One way to help students become familiar with this election year vocabulary is to have them use the digital platform Quizlet. This free software gives teachers and students a variety of modes: specialized learning mode, flashcards, randomly generated tests, and collaboration tools to study words. Teachers can create, copy, and modify vocabulary lists to suit the needs of their students; not all words need to be included. The entire list of the 98 words below isavailable on QUIZLETfor teachers and students. 98 Vocabulary Terms for the Election Season: Absentee ballot: a mailable paper ballot that is used by voters who will not be able to vote on Election Day (like military personnel stationed overseas). The absentee ballots are mailed before election day and counted on election day. Abstain: to refuse to exercise the right to vote. Acceptance speech: speech delivered by a candidate when accepting a political party’s nomination for the national presidential election. Absolute majority: a total of more than 50% of the votes cast. Alternative energy:  a source of energy other than fossil fuels, e.g. wind, solar Amendment: a  change to the U.S. Constitution or the constitution of a state. Voters must approve any changes to a constitution. Bipartisan: support that is given by members of the two major political parties (i.e.: the Democrats and the Republicans).   Blanket primary: a primary election in which the names of all the candidates for all the parties are on one ballot. Ballot: either in paper form or electronic, the way voters to show their vote preferences or a list of candidates. (ballot box: the  box used to hold ballots to be counted). Campaign: the process of gathering public support for a candidate. Campaign ad:  advertising in support of (or against) a candidate. Campaign finance:  money political candidates use for their campaigns. Campaign mailing:  flyers, letters, postcards, etc., mailed to citizens to promote a candidate. Campaign website:  Internet website devoted to getting an individual elected. Campaign season: a period of time that candidates work to inform the public and gain support before the election. Candidate: the person running for elected office. Cast:  to vote for a candidate or issue Caucus: meetings where political party leaders and supporters choose candidates through discussion and consensus. Center: representing  those beliefs that are in the middle between conservative and liberal ideals. Citizen: A person who is a legal member of a nation, country, or other organized, self-governing political community, such as any of the fifty U.S. states. Chief Executive:  Presidential role involving overseeing the Executive Branch of the government Closed primary: a primary election in which only those voters who have registered as belonging to a particular political party can vote. Coalition:  a group of political stakeholders that are working together. Commander-In-Chief:  Presidents role as being the leader of the military Congressional district: an area within a state from which a member of the House of Representatives is elected. There are 435 Congressional districts. Conservative:  have a belief or political leaning that favors individuals and businesses- not the government- to find solutions for society’s problems. Constituency:  the voters in a district that a legislator represents Contributor/donor: a person or organization that donates money to a candidate’s campaign for office. Consensus:  a majority agreement or opinion. Convention:  a meeting where a political party chooses its presidential candidate. Delegates:  the people who have been chosen to represent each state at a political party’s convention. Democracy:  a form of government in which people hold power, either by voting for measures directly or by voting for representatives who vote for them. Electorate:  all persons having the right to vote. Election Day: the Tuesday after the first Monday in November;   2016 Election will be held November 8th. Electoral College: each state has a group of people called electors who cast the actual votes for president. This group of 538 people  is chosen by the voters to elect the President of the United States.  When people vote for a presidential candidate, they are voting to decide for which candidate the electors in their state will vote.  electors: people elected by the voters in a presidential election as members of the electoral college Endorsement:  the support or approval for a candidate by a prominent individual. Exit poll: an informal poll taken as people leave the voting booth. Exit polls are used to predict the winners before the polls close. Federal system: a  form of government in which power is divided among a central government and state and local governments. Front-runner:  a front-runner is a political candidate who looks as though he/she is winning G.O.P.: the nickname used for the Republican Party and stands for the Grand Old Party. Inauguration Day: the day a new president and vice president are sworn into office (January 20). Incumbent: a  person who already holds an office who is running for reelection independent voter:  A person who chooses to register to vote with no party affiliation. The decision to register as an independent voter does not register a voter with any third party although these third parties are often referred to as independent parties. Initiative:  a  proposed law that voters can place on the ballot in some states. If the initiative is passed, it will become a law or constitutional amendment. Issues: topics on which citizens feel strongly;  common examples are immigration, access to health care, finding energy sources, and how to provide quality education. Leadership qualities:  personality traits that inspire confidence include honesty, good communication skills, trustworthiness, commitment, intelligence Left: another word for liberal political views. Liberal: political leaning that favors  the governments role in solving society’s problems and a belief that government should take action for creating solutions. Libertarian:  a person who belongs to the Libertarian political party. Majority party: the political party that is represented by more than 50% of the members in the Senate or the House of Representatives. Majority rule: A principle of democracy that the greater number of citizens in any political unit should select officials and determine policies. Majority rule is one of the most important principles of democracy but is not always practiced in societies that value consensus.   Media: news organizations that deliver information through television, radio, newspaper, or the Internet.   Midterm election: a general election that does not occur during a presidential election year. In a midterm election, some members of the US Senate, members of the House of Representatives, and many state and local positions are elected. Minority party: the political party that is represented by less than 50% of the members in the Senate or the House of Representatives.   Minority rights: the principle of a constitutional democracy that government elected by a majority must respect the basic right of minorities. National convention:  National Party meeting where candidates are selected and the platform is created. Natural-born citizen:  citizenship requirements for running for President. Negative ads:  political advertisements that attack the candidates opponent, often trying to destroy the opponents character. Nominee: the candidate a political party chooses or nominates, to run in the national election. Nonpartisan: free from party affiliation or bias. Opinion polls: surveys that ask members of the public how they feel about different issues. Partisan: relating to a particular political party;  biased in support of a side; favoring one side of an issue. Personal appearance: an event that a candidate attends in person. Platform: A political partys formal statement of basic principles, stands on major issues, and objectives Policy: position the government takes on what role the government should have in solving the issues facing our country. Political symbols: The Republican Party is symbolized as an elephant. The Democratic Party is symbolized as a donkey. Political Action Committee (PAC): an organization that is formed by an individual or special interest group to raise money for political campaigns. Political machines:  an organization linked to a political party that often controlled local government Political parties: organized groups of people who share similar beliefs about how the government should be run and how the issues facing our country should be solved. Poll:  sample of opinions taken from a random group of people; used to show where citizens stand on issues and/or candidates. Polling place:  a place where voters go to cast their votes in an election. Pollster:  someone who conducts surveys of public opinion. Popular vote: a  tally of all the votes citizens have cast in the presidential election. Precinct:  a district of a city or town marked out for administrative purposes -usually 1000 persons. Press secretary: a person who deals with the media for the candidate Presumptive nominee:  the candidate who is assured of his or her partys nomination, but has not yet been formally nominated Presidential ticket: the joint listing of the presidential and vice presidential candidates on the same ballot as required by the Twelfth Amendment. Primary election: an election in which people vote for the presidential candidate they want to represent their political party in the national election.   Primary season: the months during which states hold primary elections. Public interest group:  an organization that seeks a collective good that will not selectively and materially benefit the members of the group. Record: information about how a politician has voted on bills and statements made about issues while serving in office. Recount: counting the votes again if there is some disagreement about the election process Referendum:  Ã‚  a proposed piece of legislation (a law) that people can directly vote on. (also called a ballot measure, initiative or proposition)  Ã‚  Referendums approved by the voters become law.   Representative:  a member of the House of Representatives, also called a congressman or congresswoman Republic:  Ã‚  A country that has a government in which power is held by the people who elect representatives to manage the government for them.   Right: another word for conservative political views. Running mate: a candidate who is running for office with another candidate on the same ticket. (Example: president and vice president). succession:  a word that refers to the sequence of who will become President after an election or in an emergency. suffrage:  the right, privilege, or act of voting. Swing voters: voters who do not have a commitment to a particular political party. Taxes: money paid by citizens to fund the government and public services. Third party: any political party other than the two major parties (Republican and Democratic).   Town Hall meeting:  discussion in which people in the community voice opinions, ask questions and hear responses from candidates running for office. Two-party system: political party system with two major political parties. Voting age: The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that people have the right to vote when they turn 18. Voting Rights Act: An act passed in 1965 that protected the right to vote for all U.S. citizens. It forced the states to obey the U.S. Constitution. It made it clear that the right to vote could not be denied because of a person’s color or race. Vice President:  the office that also serves as the President of the Senate. Ward:  a district into which a city or town is divided for the purpose of administration and elections.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Discuss a portion of the clip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discuss a portion of the clip - Essay Example Firstly, the film producer relies on music to place the film in its immediate context. Application of Nazi anthem illustrates the political era depicted by the films plot. The filmmaker intends to illustrate life in the midst of wars and political revolutions. Thus, the clip applies music to illustrate the thin boundary that exists within emotions. The clip illustrates romance that flourished in the midst of war and anguish. Despite the immediate political situation, the characters purposed to maintain their romantic relationships. La Marseillaise is the French national anthem and it stands out as a symbol of love and harmony throughout the film. Finally, the film uses sound tracks or music to enhance interest among its audience. The use of popular music such as the French national anthem makes the audience associate themselves with the film, hence increasing their interest. Both pieces of music illustrate different points of view among the film’s

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Marbury v. Madison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marbury v. Madison - Essay Example In the confusion of changing from the Adams administration to the Jefferson administration Marbury’s commission was not delivered. Madison, following Jefferson’s orders, did not deliver the commission but withheld it from Marbury because he was a Federalist. The commission was signed by Adams and all was in order except the commission was not delivered. Marbury was denied his commission and prevented from becoming a Justice of the Peace in Washington. At the time of the Jefferson administrations refusal to deliver the commission to Marbury the Supreme Court had been appointed but was a relatively weak institution. John Marshall (a Federalist and cousin to Jefferson) was the Chief Justice and was appointed by Adams during his administration. Although Jefferson was Marshall’s cousin, both disagreed greatly when it came to politics. Jefferson was a Democratic Republican while Marshall was a Federalist. So, it was assumed that when Marbury brought his case to the Supreme Court he would receive a ruling that, influenced by a Federalist, would benefit him. William Marbury did bring his case directly to the Supreme Court and requested a ruling that included a Writ of Mandamus which forces a government official to follow through with official duties and, in this case, deliver the commission. Marshall was in a tough predicament as he needed to deliver a fair ruling but knew that the Supreme Court had little power. Jefferson could have possibly ignored a ruling that did not benefit his administration further degrading the power of the Supreme Court. Marshall was tasked with answering three questions (from Supreme Court Cases: The Dynamic Court): With these questions in mind Marshall deliberated with the court and then delivered the unanimous ruling of the Court. The ruling was given on February 24th of 1803. The ruling concluded that Jefferson and Madison were wrong in denying Marbury the commission as Marbury had a right to the job as

Monday, November 18, 2019

UPS Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

UPS - Case Study Example The last part of the paper will sum up the main points discussed and recommendations will be given with regards to the measures that can be taken in order to effectively deal with the problems discussed. Description of the organization and problem identification United Parcel Service was founded in 1907 in USA and it specifically dealt with delivering an assortment of parcels and goods sent through its office to different clients. It started from humble beginnings where all packages were delivered by foot, street bicycle as well as street car. However, the company re-engineered itself to become a state-of-the-art delivery service when it introduced its first delivery car, a Model T Ford in 1913. The organization witnessed positive developments and went through different stages until 1980 which saw the passage of the passage of Motor Career Act which deregulated the whole trucking industry. The organization even introduced air services as it sought to diversify its activities to counter competition which was intensifying as a result of the deregulation exercise of this industry. However, increased competition as a result of deregulation compelled the organization to allocate large amounts of capital to modernize its data processing department. The deregulation of the freight industry also posed immense challenges to UPS given that the emerging entrants utilized low cost services such as the Federal Express Corporation. As such, it has been observed that data processing operated with poor equipment and the service provided was poor given that it fell beyond the competition that existed in technological and programming capabilities. Up until 1981, the department of information faced unprecedented challenges of technologically more advanced competition from Federal Express and RPS. It was realized that in order for UPS to remain the dominant carrier package delivery service, it had to join the competitors in the age of computer technology. Whilst UPS had the most extensive ground network, it had apparently been left in core areas such as technological innovations which included scanning, radio-dispatched pickups, package tracking, and data-acquisition devices. Despite the mission which was meant to â€Å"to provide management with the information it needs to meet the company’s goals in a responsive manner and at a reasonable cost,† the company fell short of achieving this goal given that it had limited numbers of employees with the requisite skills to execute the information requirements of the company. The main problem facing UPS is that it has to implement changes in order to meet the marketing and technological challenges that have been co mpounded by the deregulation exercise in this industry. It is facing a dilemma particularly in making decisions to hire or recruit talent from within the company or hire experienced people in information systems from outside. The problem with locating talent within the company is that most of the employees have experience in hub and package centers and have less experience in the new dispensation of information and communication technology. On the other hand, the problem related to hiring people from outside is related to re-orienting them to fit in the culture of the organization, training them, matching their expectations and helping them grow to meet the expectations of the organization. Stakeholder analysis The main players in this particular case are the employees who are responsible for executing all the tasks within the organization. Any change to the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Theory

Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Theory In the past decade of increased globalization and diversity, business across borders has increased. Although cross border business faces a lot of challenges not only from the political and socio economic paradigm but also from culture (Porter, 1990). National culture has gained importance, as it is significant in managing global operations. Multinational business strategy research has long acknowledged the importance of national cultural characteristics as determinants of management behavior (Cheng, 1989; Rosenweig and Singh, 1991). So now, what is culture? It is true that no two human would know the same things but they often have great deal of knowledge in common. This common knowledge or collective memory to a large extent make people work together, communicate and live together. This forms communities and if shared among enough people in a country, its characteristics are called national culture. The common knowledge constitutes one of the elements which make national culture uni que (The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 2nd edition, revised and updated, by E. D. Hirsch, Jr., and James Trefil, is reviewed). There are a lot of theories that attempt to explain culture like the ones proposed by Fons Trompenaar, 1993; Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck, 1961, Edward T.Hall but Geert Hofstedes Cultures consequences has been remarkably influential and his work has provided the foundation for many studies on, intercultural relations (Hart, 1999), cross-cultural management control systems design (Harrison McKin- non, 1999), international business research (Chandy Williams, 1994), and psychology (Baskerville, 2003; Oyserman, Coon, Kem- melmeier, 2002; Schimmack, Oishi, Diener, 2005; Triandis, 2004), most often seeking to determine how differences on cultural dimensions (i.e., power distance, individualism, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity) impacted work related values and behavior. (National Culture, Leadership and Citizenship: Implications for Cross-cultural Management, p 78) According to Geert Hofstede the culture is defined as collective programming of mind and explains that it lies between human nature on one side and individual personality on the other (Hofstede, 1991). Hofstedes cultural framework has been applied in a wide variety of contexts and his work has gained great support and is of prime importance to many researchers in various disciplines. As stated by Baskerville, Cultures Consequences demonstrates an average of 94 citations per annum in the last 18 years. Part of this level of usage appears to reflect efforts of researchers unaware of debates concerning the legitimacy of Hofstedes dimensions (R.F.Baskerville, 2003). So huge is the acceptance of hofstedes work. Geert Hofstede an expert of studies in culture from Netherland developed a cross- culture model. The five dimensions of culture are defined as follows Power Distance: the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) expect and accept that power is distributed unequally (Hofstede, 1991: 28; Hofstede Peterson, 2000: 401). Uncertainty Avoidance: intolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity (Hofstede, 1991: 113; Hofstede Peterson, 2000: 401). Individualism versus Collectivism: the extent to which individuals are integrated into groups (Hofstede, 1991: 51; Hofstede Peterson, 2000: 401). Masculinity versus Femininity assertiveness and competitiveness versus modesty and caring (Hofstede, 1991: 82-3, 1998b; Hofstede Peterson, 2000: 401) (McSweeney, 2002) Hofstede defined culture as a Collective programming of mind, his concept of culture promotes an image of the individual as merely a passive carrier of a predetermined cultural template (Ailon, 2007; Ailon -Souday Kunda, 2003). As much as Hofstedes work has been universally accepted as I was researching I came across a number of critics for his work (e.g Galit Ailon (2008); R.F.Baskerville (2003); McSweeney (2002)). It was then it dawned on me the validity of the theory that even I had used in my graduate dissertation like an unquestionably acceptable principle. As G.Ailon (2008) stated it is not he (Hofstede), the individual, who is of interest here; instead,the discursive practices that governed his text that predominated and ran through him (Foucault, 1972: 139)that are of interest. So here I am going to critically evaluate his theory within a certain degree of my personal understanding of it although heavily relying on the articles of McSweeney and Galit ailon. A significant aspect of national culture research of Hofstede is the transparency with which he related the cultural dimensions with other studies of country or national differences for the purposes of making international comparisons. Each of the dimensions of index was compared to seven other national measurements: GNP, latitude, economic growth, population size and growth, population density and organization size. So the socio economic data used by him does describe cultural dimension rather the historical origins of nations. (R.F.Baskerville, 2003). His study comes to show that a nations attributes are culturally influenced. And most of the critiques have remarkably questioned the simplest of facts that many have failed to think. As Mikael Sondergaard puts it , most of the debate on hofstedes work has been on the following aspects of his study: surveys are inappropriate instruments to measure culture unit of analysis of nations is not the best unit suited for studying culture One company cannot provide information about the entire nations culture IBM data is old and obsolete Four dimensions cant tell the whole story (http://geert-hofstede.international-business-center.com/Sondergaard.shtml). I am going to be discussing the above mentioned in detail now, though Hofstedes work has entailed substantial contribution in the field of cultural studies there are some pertinent issues that leaves doubt on the validity of the typology produced by him. It is not possible for national culture to be uniform, there is considerable diversity. An assumption of a homogeneous culture can only be made by assuming that culture is coherent, pure, stable, and nothing external like other cultures and non cultural factors influence a national culture.(McSweeney, Forthcoming) Which is hard to believe in reality because when a number of cultures and subcultures co-exist it is impossible for it remain independent and completely uninfluenced by the other. Otherwise we have to consider cultures as being tough enough to withstand any attempts to change them. Some of the issues are discussed in the due course. The surveys were the backbone of the study. The surveys were carried out on 40 IBM subsidiaries around the world between 1964 and 1973 and used about 117000 questionnaires. Most of the researchers state that a survey is not an appropriate instrument for accurately determining and measuring cultural disparity. This is especially apparent when the variable being measured is a value which culturally sensitive and subjective (Schwartz, 1999). Two surveys were carried out and results are a combination of responses from both the surveys. A closer examination revealed that not all questionnaires were used and that the average number per country was small and sometimes evens a minuscule. In only six countries () the number of respondents were more than 1000 and in Pakistan was only 70 The narrowness of the Hofstede surveyed research population radically compounds the scale problem (McSweeney, 2002). This leads to a doubt in the statistical integrity of the results obtained from the survey. A s Schwartzs (1992) puts it that one cannot derive the normative ideals of a culture from the average of individual responses (p. 51). The PD (Power distance) index was based on three questions in the IBM questionnaire. The first question was a five point scale , and it asked how frequently in their experience employees were afraid of expressing disagreement with their managers and second and third questions asked about their preferred leadership style (autocratic, persuasive, consultative, and democratic) and the style that closely matched their boss. G.Ailon (2008) states that in each stage of the research process an attempt of neutralization is visible. This begins with the standardized uniform questionnaire that has been used worldwide. In effect, how- ever, uniformity was, meant ot direct respondents in the paths determined by a Western, managerially oriented research team. The questionnaire coerced a western axis of comparison on non-western cultures. It had a egalatarian portrayal of western culture and ignored racial and colonial inequalities and defined racial power distance under uncertainity avoidance. Th is fact, enabled a country like South Africa due to apartheid to be represented in the sample by white respondents only whether partial in terms of population sample, questionnaire content, or both, it constituted a political act that, however unwittingly, neutralized racism and colonialism by excluding them from measurement.Hofstede also tried to neutralize certain aspects of the dimension by universalisation, stating that Hierarchial inequality is something we inevitably find, the essence of organsation and so the choices given on the questionnaire was already based on the notion of its universal inevitability thereby trapping the respondent in an invisible way to positively answer the neutrality and inevitability of the managerial power.(G.Ailon, 2008).Though they had choices , and their answers did vary, these were again manipulated and labeled in such a way that hofstede tried to expropriate the meaning of the answers from his respondents, claiming, in so many words, that anyth ing they said proves his point-using their voices to turn his hypotheses into axioms (G.Ailon, 2008). The large power distance in France and Belgium (which were exceptions in Nordic, Anglo, Germany) he attributed to the cultural inheritance of Roman empire, likewise the small power distance in Pakistan he attributes to their Islamic religious background and belief that all are equal in the eyes of god. He used such exemptions to justify his claim that small PD countries are economically developed, large PD countries are less developed or developing.(Ailon.G, 2002). It emphasizes that those from small power-distance cultures are likely to accept responsibility, while those from large power-distance cultures are likely to be more disciplined (Triandis, 1993) The Uncertainty Avoidance (UA) index was based on three questions again and they were related to the frequency of nervousness and tension at work, the second was How long do you think you will continue working for this company? Please indicate the extent to which you personally agree or disagree . . . [that] company rules should not be bro- ken- even when the employee thinks it is in the companys best interest (Hofstede, 1980:76 -77, 405, 408 409). Hofstedes book states those in weak uncertainty-avoidance cultures may be very high in basic innovations, while those in strong uncertainty-avoidance cultures may triumph in precision manufacturing. (Triandis, 1993) Though Hofstede admits that better indicators could have been developed in ascertaining the UA, because it wasnt a familiar concept when they developed the IBM questionnaires, he very strongly and emphatically links a high UA to a number of socio-psychological tendencies. (G.Ailon, 2008) low UA, for example, is suggested to result from advanced modernization; older democracies; dense populations in poor countries and sparse populations in wealthy countries; tolerant religions that stress relativity; historical events marked by less legislation and more settlement of disputes by negotiation and/or conflict, as opposed to mere inheritance of developed systems of legislation; low mean age of population leaders; and smaller organizations (1980: 185). The suggested consequences of low UA include slower economic growth after World War II, weaker nationalism, less aggressiveness versus other nations, looser societies, stronger feelings of citizen competence, a casuistic approach to legal is sues, a stronger accent on lay competences as expressed by having more nurses per doctor, more religious tolerance, pragmatic or introvert meditative religions, rel- ativism, empiricism rather than theoricism in social sciences, more ambitious employees, managers who are more involved in strategy issues, and so forth (1980: 186-187). He is just forcing people to envision a world where everything is interconnected through simple logic (G.Ailon, 2002). At a point Hofstede states people from lower UAI cultures will tend to do better in cross-cultural contacts (1980: 398), I doubt this as it is something that is related to individuals personal communication skills and doesnt matter if he were from a country with a low UA index. Hofstede justifies the power of managers with a western background that they have a low UA and Small PD and so they are most suited for strategic and cross cultural management. So is that only the western managers have this skill which they imbibed from culture a nd their counterparts around the world lack this vital skill. (G.Ailon, 2008) The Individualism (IDV) index was based on work goal questions in which the respondents were asked to rate the importance of a variety of statements, in which high IDV were attributed to giving importance to doing a job leaving out personal and leisure time and, low IDV were attributed to having good physical skills and training opportunities at work. These tried to assess a person independence from organization and second to assess what the individual expected from the organization. (G.Ailon, 2008) As McSweeney put it power distance and individualism and collectivism were statistically identified by him only in nationally averaged data. At the level of individuals, they had near- zero inter-correlations (Bond, 2002; Schwartz, 1994) for those dimensions and thus no explanatory power at that level. Hofstede states that those from high-collectivism cultures may show employee commitment, while members of organizations from high-individualism cultures can profit from management mobility . Hofstedes book states that those from cultures high in femininity may be able to provide personal services, custom-made products, and be especially successful in biochemistry, while those in masculine cultures may excel in mass production, efficiency, heavy industry, and bulk chemistry; The masculinity index like the IDV was also based on work goal question and it attempted to measure the extent to which respondents endorsed ego goals (related to earnings and advancement) and social goals (related to cordial relations at work place and a friendly atmosphere). This index is based on the universal dissection relating to sexual character and goals, in which men are more assertive and tough and women are more nurturing and Tender. He states that the distribution of labor is affected by the goals of the organization. This according to me is true but he also goes to say that business organizations have goals of achievement which relates to the masculine index and it is not surprising they are run by men and their climate is set by men, which I as a girl would detest. Not just from a point of defending my own sex but from the common world examples, A study organized by the Finnish Business and Policy stated, Companies managed by women are on average ten per cent more profitable than those with a man as CEO. The study was conducted on atleast 14000 limited liability finish companies in 2003. (http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Study+companies+managed+by+women+more+profitable+than+those+run+by+men/1135230562325). Even in a country like US which has a fairly good masculinity index of 62, You have companies form the fortune 500 like yahoo, pepsico, New York Times and Kraft foods that are run by women ceos so it doesnt necessarily mean one has to be a man to be the big boss. Though national culture is not theorized as the only culture or a totality of cultures, within a nation, but by definition it culturally distinguishes the members of one nation from another. (McSweeney, 2002). Hofstede says that each country has a unique culture. I would slightly differ from that opinion, because that sort of unique cuture may be attributed to the cultural heritage and aspects like performing arts that may vary from country to country uniquely but on the basis of individual attitude and behavior it seems a little irrelevant. If you take India for example, it is culturally diverse and it does have numerous subcultures but the attitude and behaviors differ so widely even inside a subculture. Hofstede states that National culture is said to be carried by all individuals in a nation (1980a: 38) or a central tendency (1991: 253). The IBM survey responses within each country were characterized by radical differences. This now leaves doubt on his assumptions of national culture as being same in all individuals in a nation. He assumed that the average tendency of the IBM employees responses as the national representative. There seems to be no valid reason to prove it due to the complete ignorance on the background of those interviewed, who mostly well educated, middle class The samples for his study was exclusively from a single company called IBM. A study fixated on only one company cannot possibly provide information on the entire cultural system of a country (Graves 1986, 14-15; Olie 1995, 135; SÃ ¸ndergaard 1994, 449). The responses were also from only the marketing and sales executives of the company for which Hofstede claimed they shared the same organizational culture as that of all the other employees of IBM. The cultures carried by each respondent are effectively assumed to be three exclusively non-interacting and durable cultures: the organizational, an occupational, and the national. He assumes there is only one IBM culture and not cultures, which, as it were, possesses all employees and every occupation has a common worldwide occupational culture (McSweeney, 2002). Furthermore, McSweeney also evidences Hofstedes blind assumption that every individual in the company had the same organizational and occupational culture regardless of the commi tment and loyalty each individual had to his organization and also the duration of service by the employee to the organization which are all factors that lead to the bond that an employee creates overtime with the organization he works for. Though after a few years Hofstede did acknowledge that there is a variety of distinct cultures within and between units of the same organization and also redefined his statement on organizational culture so his assumption made in the first study wouldnt be invalidated (McSweeney, 2002). It is not known if the factors he redefined are supposed to be self evident. Regarding occupational culture, as McSweeney puts it, Hofstede assumes that members of a single occupation around the world share the same occupational culture. Clarification regarding his acknowledgement of cultural heterogeneity in organizations is needed i.e. it lacks clarity. Another instance where we might raise a brow is authenticity of replies by the questionnaire respondents, thou gh the answers were confidential, the respondents prior knowledge of the end purpose of the survey might have influenced their answers so as to improve theirs or their divisions position (McSweeney, 2002). Yet hofstedes reliance on his supposition that the answers are immune to respondents gaming and were the pure outcomes of unconscious pre-programmed values (1980a,1991; Hofstede Peterson, 2000). Another aspect is the comprehensiveness of the questionnaire to elicit all the necessary inputs to assess a culture. As McSweeney stated in any circumstance the IBM subsidiary had many nationally atypical characteristics. When initially IBM had centralized control and its US ownership during a period in which foreign direct investment was comparatively new. In instances where working for high technology was rare in third world countries like Bangladesh and India than in an industrialized nation like United states. What happens when countries are integrated, for instance the integration of Hongkong into the Peoples Republic of China (McSweeney, 2002).Does the national characterization change? Does the attitude and behavior of people at work place change immediately? Do we immediately consider a nation with a larger sample to portray the national culture of two countries? Political influences and social institutions, law are the non cultural feature that influence culture in a large way and that Hofstede excludes and denies having a link with national culture. For example, Christmas was once illegal in England, during 1647, during which singing Christmas carols could end a person in prison for almost six months but it was later reinstated in 1660. Dont you think this must have has an obvious effect on the culture (mental programming) that children born and raised in that 22 year period developed. Though this is dated way before the study was undertaken I have quoted it as an example to say there might have been other consequences that might have likely influenced any cultural feature. Hofstede might acknowledge these as exceptions but they have to considered when drawing conclusions about a nations culture. Has Hofstede really identified all the primary cultural level dimensions? Many others like Schwartz have tried to identify some national cultures using different questionnaires and have produce very different descriptions. In fact Schwartz(1994) found seven cultural level dimensions which indeed was acknowledged by Hofstede as simply not being identified because questions related to those dimensions /descriptions were not asked in his survey. Hofstede gave a bipolarity to each of his dimensions for example the individualism and collectivism , but as Triandis (1994) puts it , the two can coexist and are simply emphasized more or less depending on the situation. But Hofstedes dimensions do not consider such co-existence and blindly ignores such important cultural qualities.(McSweeney forthcoming) Another obvious flaw I found on the credibility of his typology is his addition of the fifth dimension: Confucian Dynamism (1991) or long versus short-term orientation'(1999). He extracted this from a Chinese Values Survey (CVS) by the Chinese culture connection group which identified hofstedes fourth dimension (Uncertainty avoidance) as irrelevant to their population and downgraded it to a non universal dimension.(Bond,1988;lowe Oswick,1996).As stated by Mcsweeney(2002) from the wide literature of culture , it is still essentially a thing to be grasped and cannot be described by dimensions and units. Another consideration advanced by researchers is if Hofstedes model reflects the present day (Roberts and Boyacigiller, 1984; Sondergaard, 1994). Hofstede (1980a, 1991) assumes that cultural values are stable over time. But is his work out of date after thirty years? Hofstede claims to have identified entire nations culture and not that which is specific to workplaces (McSweeney, 2002) and Producers of scientific knowledge, it seems, not only misrepresent the Rest (the primary emphasis of postcolonial writing; e.g., Said, 1978) but also misrepresent the West. (G.Ailon, 2008) There is no denial that Hofstedes work has given substantive findings. His findings do tap some of underlying significance of nations culture. However interpreting them and using it to deal with other nations requires a certain degree of caution. Hopefully, these findings eventually lead to a valid measure that captures the richness of the various cultural dimensions and can be deployed at an individual level. Given the diversity of the world marketplace, it is essential for marketers have a proper measure of culture in order to understand consumer behavior. (Blodgett et al, 2008) As McSweeney puts it Hofstedes research can legitimately be called a cross-national opinion comparison only from the point that data from organizations in different countries were compared Culture is conceptualized as a force, as a determinant, but descriptions of it are based on analysis answers to fixed-choice questions.(McSweeney, forthcoming), which I think were manipulative enough (even if it wasnt in certain cases, they were justified by researcher to correlate with his findings) to extract the desired answers of the researcher. It was argued that what Hofstede identified is not national culture, but an averaging of situational specific opinions from which dimensions or aspects of national culture are unjustifiably inferred. Hofstedes claim to have empirically measured national culture differences relies on crucial but unwarranted assumptions. (Mc Sweeney, forthcoming). Hofstede has given bipolarity to each dimensions for example his masculinity and Femininity any culture will present a number of contrary adages (All good things come to those who wait and time and tide wait for none as a part of its repertoire (Mcsweeney, 2002) Hofstede miserably failed to identify that theses bipolarities could co-exist in any situation. Hofstedes replies to McSweeney were evasive and non-adhering to the main aspect of the critique. As G.Ailon (2008) put is If one accepts the framework, it basically follows that one must also accept the logic of the critique. Generalizations about national culture are no good. Him identifying a nations culture with the responses from a very small sample in each country (compared to the countrys population except for those 6 countries with more than 1000 respondents), and also using the questionnaires that werent created purely for research purpose is a very visible flaw. He tried to expropriate the meaning of the answers from his respondents, claiming, in so many words, that anything they said proves his point and used their voices to turn his hypotheses into axioms (G.Ailon, 2008) The analysis throws light on the dominance of western theories, regardless of intentions, it reinforces a certain set of values of managers, Westerners, Europeans while at the same time devaluing the Rest. Though he tried to compensate and praise the east by adding his fifth dimension. I would say Hofstede tried to provide like a Single Magical formula (Elman Service, 1968:409) and easily valued culture using statistics and scientific stamps and Xs and Ys. Just so that this would allow research to be completed more quickly and easily through employment of his prefabricated depictions of causal national culture. This actually in my view devalues culture that has a myriad of ethos. His employment of very unusually sophisticated statistical techniques in the late 1970s probably were a reason for his models legitimacy (Oyserman et al. 2002a, for an overview) To conclude, from what I infer from all the readings, more research is needed to give a tough measure of culture and also identify the shifting cultural maps which is greatly influenced by, and influences, globalization and technology, however this is difficult to achieve and may have temporal value due to the dynamic nature of culture. References: McSweeney, Brendan. (2002) Hofstedes Model of National Cultural Differences and Their Consequences: A Triumph of Faith a Failure of Analysis. Human Relations. 55, no. 1: 89-118. Ailon, Galit. (2008) Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Cultures Consequences in a Value Test of Its Own Design. Academy of Management Review. 33, no. 4: 885-904. 3. Blodgett,Jeffrey, Aysen Bakir, and Gregory Rose. 2008. A Test of the Validity of Hofstedes Cultural Framework. Journal of Consumer Marketing. 25, no. 6: 339-349 Baskerville, Rachel. (2003) Hofstede Never Studied Culture. Accounting, Organizations Society. 28, no. 1: 1-14. Testa, Mark. (2009) National Culture, Leadership and Citizenship: Implications for Cross-cultural Management. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28(1): 78-85. Jones, M. (2007) Hofstede Culturally questionable?. Oxford Business Economics Conference. Oxford, UK, 24-26. Triandis, H. (1993) Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. Geert Hofstede. , 38(1), 132-134. In my opinion Mikael SÃ ¸ndergaard on Cultural differences by Mikael SÃ ¸ndergaard.Available: http://geert-hofstede.international-business-center.com/Sondergaard.shtml, (Accessed:2009, December 27) McSweeney, Brendan. (Forthcoming) Dynamic Diversity: Variety and Variation Within Countries , 1-25.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Discontinuity in Self-Reliance and When I Consider How My Light Is Spen

Discontinuity in Self-Reliance and When I Consider How My Light Is Spent  Ã‚        Ã‚   Ralph Waldo Emerson emphatically proclaims in "Self-Reliance" that "the highest merit we ascribe to Moses, Plato, and Milton is that they set naught at traditions but spoke†¦what they thought" (515). Emerson declares that Milton’s greatness is attributed not to conformity but rather to originality. Milton’s break with consistent expectations is epitomized in his use of a Petrarchan sonnet in the poem "When I Consider How My Light Is Spent." Nonconformity and discontinuity in a man’s approach to life are the doctrines espoused by Emerson in his work "Self-Reliance," and Milton embodies an Emersonian outlook while inwardly searching for personal truth in his sonnet. The lack of formal structure in the works of the two authors enhances rather than inhibits the reader’s grasp of the literature. Although both Emerson and Milton employ a discontinuous literary style in their respective works, Emerson revels in his lack of continuity to further prom ulgate his ideology of nonconformity and inconsistency while Milton’s use of discontinuity is procured in an attempt to understand his place before God. The foundation for comparing the two works will be based on the following definition of discontinuity: any literary approach that deviates from standard structural form. The absence of formal structure in Emerson’s "Self-Reliance" has been derided by some critics as an "insuperable handicap" to an appropriate understanding of the work (Warren 200). A thorough examination of the work, however, evokes two fundamental claims: Emerson provides a basis for some semblance of structure, and complete continuity is antithetical to the fundamentals of Emerson’s "Se... ..." The American Tradition in Literature. Eighth Edition. Ed. George Perkins. New York. McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994. Milton, John. "When I Consider How My Light Is Spent." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Sixth Edition. M.H.Abrams et al. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1996. Nicolson, Marjorie Hope. John Milton: A Reader’s Guide to His Poetry. New York: Octagon Books, 1983. Packer, B.L. "Emerson’s Fall: A New Interpretation of the Major Essays." 19th Century Literary Criticism 38 (1993): 200-208. Robinson, David M. "Grace and Work: Emerson’s Essays in Theological Perspective." 19th Century Literary Criticism 38 (1993): 223-230. Warren, Joyce W. "Transcendentalism and the Self: Ralph Waldo Emerson." 19th CenturyLiterary Criticism 38 (1993): 208-213. Wilson, A.N. The Life of John Milton. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983.      

Monday, November 11, 2019

Heart Failure Case Study Essay

Your client, Mr. Black, is a 72-year-old man who called his TeleNurse Line from home and, based on the symptoms he described, was advised to go directly to the Emergency Department at his local hospital. His admitting diagnosis is exacerbation of heart failure (HF). His Ht is: 5’9†, Wt. 235 lbs. He states that his usual weight is about 220. Upon admission, his symptoms are: extreme shortness of breath; unable to tolerate lying flat; heavy, aching feeling in his chest; respirations labored @ 32/min.; radial pulse 108 and regular; BP 150/78; color dusky and O2 Sat is 82% on room air; slight diaphoresis; peripheral edema is 3+ pitting, ankle to knee bilaterally and sacral edema is also present. Bilateral BS present with coarse crackles in both lower lobes. He appears frightened and anxious; he states, â€Å"This is the worst it has ever been – please don’t leave me alone.† Past Medical/Social History: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), hypertension, cor pulmonale, emphysema-moderate stage. He smoked 2 packs per day for 35 years, and quit 5 years ago. Hospitalized 3 times previously for HF; the most recent hospitalization was 6 months ago. He is a retired insurance salesperson; married and lives with his wife in a condominium. Sedentary life-style; plays golf occasionally. He skipped his diuretics over the weekend because he was golfing. 1. Which stage of the NYHA classification system and the ACC/AHA staging system would Mr. B’s symptoms best fit within? Why? I think his NYHA classification would be Class II. He has Coronary Artery disease and ordinary activity causes fatigue for him Mr. B’s ACC/AHA stage is Stage D. He has been hospitalized 3 times previously for HF. 2.Discuss the differences between right and left heart failure, consider the   pathophysiology, physiological progression, and signs and symptoms. Left Sided: -The most common -Results from left ventricular dysfunction. This prevents normal forward blood flow causing blood to back up into the left atrium and pulmonary veins. Increased pulmonary pressure causes fluid leakage from pulmonary capillary bed into the interstitial and then the alveoli -Manifests as pulmonary congestion and edema Right Sided: -occurs when right ventricle fails to contract effectively. -Causes a backup of blood into the right atrium and venous circulation. -Venous congestion in the systemic circulation results in jugular venous distention, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, vascular congestion of the GI tract, and peripheral edema -May also result from an acute condition such as right ventricular infarction or pulmonary embolism -Core Pulmonale can also cause right sided HF -Its primary cause is Left sided HF. Left sided HF results in pulmonary congestion and increased pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs. Eventually chronic pulmonary hypertension results in right sided hypertrophy and HF 3. Mr. Black’s orders include: a bedside chest x-ray, ECG, echocardiogram, and the following labs: Troponin I, CK-MB, CBC with differential, BNP, Digoxin level, Electrolytes, Mg++, ABG’s, BUN and creatinine. What is the rationale for performing each of these diagnostics tests? How will the findings/information obtained from the tests be useful in managing Mr. Black’s care? Bedside chest x-ray: ECG Troponin I: present in MIs CK-MB: CBC: BNP: High in patients with HF Digoxin: Electrolytes Mg ABG BUN Creatinine: Mr. Black is stabilized and transferred to the Cardiac Telemetry unit with the following orders: Oxygen at 2-4 liters per nasal cannula to keep O2 Sat > 90% Complete bed rest with HOB elevated 60-90 degrees, legs dependent Saline Lock IVFurosemide (Lasix) 80 mg I.V. push Stat I&OFurosemide (Lasix) 80 mg I.V. push every 8 hr. Daily weight Albuterol Inhaler 2 puffs twice per day Pulse oximetry – continuousK-Dur 10 mg. p.o. daily Foley catheterASA 81 mg p.o. daily TelemetryMetoprolol 100 mg p.o. twice daily Diet: 2 Gm Na Lisinopril 10 mg p.o. daily Fluid restriction of 1000 mL/dayHCTZ 50 mg p.o. daily Code status: Full codeDigoxin 0.25 mg p.o. daily; Hold for HR < 60 bpm Lovenox 60mg SQ every 12 hrsDucosate sodium 100 mg p.o. daily 4. Discuss the rationale for each of the orders above Patients with HF typically have oxygenation problems Furosemide is a loop diuretic Daily Weight- water retention Pulse ox- monitor O2 Foley Catheter: monitor output and on bed rest K Dur: ASA Metoprolol: beta blocker that treats high BP Lisinopril: ACE inhibitor for HTN Lovenox: Prevents and treats clots Fluid Restriction: Excess fluid strains the heart Digoxin: Treats rhythmic problems Ducosate: Stool Softener 5. Identify 3 priority nursing diagnoses to include in the nursing care plan for Mr. Black. Excess fluid volume Decreased cardiac output Impaired gas exchange 6. What changes/assessment findings would alert the nurse that Mr. Black’s condition is worsening? Fatigue and dyspnea continue to worsen, weight continues to increase, edema and chest pain worsens, pleural effusion and dysrhythmias begin to develop, hepatomegaly, and renal failure begins to occur Mr. Black responds well to the treatment plan and his acute symptoms resolve within 3 days. His weight returns to 220 lbs. and he is able to perform his ADL’s with minimal SOB and able to sleep comfortably with 2 pillows. Discharge plans are finalized. 7. Which state of the NYHA Classification system and the ACC/AHA staging system Would Mr. Black’s symptoms now fit? NYHA- Class II ACCF/AHA- Stage C 8. Select 2 discharge topics (your choice) to focus on. Discuss what should be included in the discharge teaching plan for Mr. B. (and his wife) for each topic. Activity and rest: exercise training can improve symptoms of HF, however Mr. B needs to understand that he will need lots of rest during and after exercise and that he shouldn’t overexert himself. Teach Mr. B’s wife to monitor his exercise and encourage him to take breaks when needed Drug therapy: Teach Mr. B and his wife the expected action of all his medication and how to recognize drug toxicity. Also teach him and his wife how to take a pulse rate and what range the pulse rate should be in. Teach them the symptoms of hypokalemia and hyperkalemia if diuretics are order. Self BP monitoring may also be appropriate in Mr. B’s situation. Heart Failure New York Heart Association Classification American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines Treatment Recommendations Stage A. People at high risk of developing heart failure (HF) but without structural heart disease or symptoms of HF -Treat hypertension, lipid disorders, diabetes. -Encourage patient to stop smoking and to exercise regularly. -Discourage use of alcohol, illicit drugs. -ACE inhibitor if indicated Class I. Patients with cardiac disease without limitations of physical activity. Ordinary physical activity doesn’t cause undue fatigue, palpitations, dyspnea, or anginal pain. Stage B. People who have structural heart disease but no symptoms of HF. -All stage A therapies -ACE inhibitor unless contraindicated -Beta-blocker unless contraindicated Class II. Patients with cardiac disease who have slight limitations of physical activity. They’re comfortable at rest. Ordinary physical activity results in fatigue, palpitations, dyspnea, or anginal pain. Class III. Patients with cardiac disease who have marked limitation of physical activity. They’re comfortable at rest. Less than ordinary physical activity causes fatigue, palpitations, dyspnea, or anginal pain. Stage C. People who have structural heart disease with current or prior  symptoms of heart failure. -All stage A & B therapies -Sodium-restricted diet -Diuretics -Digoxin -Avoid or withdraw antiarrhythmic agents, most calcium channel blockers, and nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs. -Consider aldosterone antagonists, angiotensin receptor blockers, hydralazine, and nitrates. Class IV. Patients with cardiac disease who can’t carry out any physical activity without discomfort. Symptoms of cardiac insufficiency or of the anginal syndrome may be present even at rest. Any physical activity increases discomfort. Stage D. People with refractory heart failure that requires specialized interventions. -All therapies for A, B, and C -Mechanical assist device, such as biventricular pacemaker or left ventricular assist device -Continuous inotropic therapy -Hospice care Caboral, M. & Mitchell J. (2003). New guidelines for heart failure focus on prevention. The Nurse   Practitioner, 28, 22. Evaluation of Edema Four-point scale 1+ to 4+: 1+ – pitting barely detectable 4+ – pitting persistent and deep (1† or 2.54 cm.)