In Cold Blood – Creativev Writing

I was standing in one of New York's vast parks, last nights cold apparent from the white frost that lightly covered the normally green grass. My next victim stood ahead of me, silhouetted by the low, early morning, autumn sun. I made sure that I traced his steps, placing my shoes in the imprints made by his in the grass. This meant that I didn't leave my own footprints and that I also did not crunch the frozen dew on the grass, making my approach that little bit more stealthy. I was yards from him when I reached inside my black Armani raincoat, my hand grasping the gun, placed inside the holster wrapped around my shoulder, the harsh coldness of its metal handle not felt through my black leather gloves. I quickly withdrew the weapon and, with practised ease, took a fix on my target. He was much smaller than me, although most people were, and I could see the wisps of his clouded breath, fogged by the early morning chill, rising up above him. I had to aim slightly downwards to get a fix on the base of his skull. This point would kill the man instantly. I didn't realise until I slowly released it, but I had been holding my breath. I applied minimal pressure to the small piece of metal that would start the chain reaction soon to follow. The ‘phut' of the bullet leaving the barrel of the gun was hardly heard, quietened by the silencer screwed into the end of the device. Only the birds seemed to pick up on this sound as they all flocked from their morning resting grounds of a large oak tree nearby. The bullet hit the man at the point where the neck and skull met and his body and, although only momentarily, went taut; almost as if he had been expecting such a thing. His body then swiftly slumped to the ground, his life draining quickly from the new orifice in the back of his head. Blood oozed from the fresh, smoking wound and left deep, crimson stains on the ground, the white frost a great contrast to it. A bee busied itself amongst the wild flowers beside me, its monotonous drone, a testament to the normality of the day. Ahead of it, birds dodged between the trees, almost chasing each other in some game that only winged creatures could play. Above me, an aeroplane, carrying it's passengers to a paradise destination no doubt, carried on regardless. How could the day take no note to the act of violence that had been perpetrated; how could this vicious act not taint the air itself? Funny as it may seem, after delivering death upon this man, I myself considered life. As I stood in the beauty of the park, the many different colours of the leaves as they died and fell from the tree staining on my mind, I wondered, for what reason was I placed upon this Earth? What was the point of life? Was it cyclical? Is there such a thing as reincarnation? Would this dead man get his second chance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. would I? Maybe I would be given the opportunity to seek my redemption, to ask for the forgiveness that I hardly deserved, to repent my past indiscretions. If I could, would that not mean that I would spend my life paying for the awful things done in my past lives? Repaying the debt to society that I have amassed in a different time? The answer was no! I would repent my sins in this life, not having another chance, just now. I always had the feeling that my past would catch up and haunt me. I was, however, totally oblivious to just how close this time was. So what was this past that would catch up with me? I'm not going to blame my childhood for the life I now led. I grew up in Brooklyn, a poor black boy in the heart of the gang run ghetto. My mother died when I was very young, and the only memory I have, the only reason I knew that she existed, was that life was once good. After she died, my father grew distant, telling me that I was too much of a resemblance of my mother. I was an only child so had no brothers or sisters to turn to for help. Soon after this time, when I was about 7, my father would invite his ‘friends' around, they would give him things, beer, money, anything that he wanted at the time, and he would give theme. I was abused mentally, physically and sexually and my father sat back and let it occur while he gained everything and I lost my innocence and my childhood. He sold me as a possession, rented me to anyone willing to pay. This happened many times over the years- too many to count, too many to remember, too many that I could remember- until I finally ran away. I turned to killing to support myself, not because I was forced to or because of the things that had happened to me, but because I chose to. The first person I ever killed was the first man that ever laid his filthy hands on me. I can remember that day like it only happened seconds ago, I made sure that I remembered it. He was walking home, it was late at night and I seem to always remember the smell of him. Even now, to this day, the smell of whisky turns me sick. I will save you the details of exactly what I did to him but when they found him in the morning, they needed to use his dental records to discover his identity. I was only seventeen years old. I almost love that night, remember that I enjoyed that moment so much, drew it out for almost two hours, torturing and humiliating him, before finally putting him out of his misery. But why did I put him out of his misery? Did he show me the same compassion? It was, I realised, because I was ashamed of myself, what I had done to a human being. I was twenty-two when I received the news of my fathers death and had made a relatively good life for myself. Despite all the things he had done to me, I cried when I was told. To this day I'm still unaware of the reason I cried. Maybe it was relief or maybe it was grief of losing my father. But back to now, this time, back to the park where another cadaver lay, felled by my hands. I was not killing nowadays for me, but for others. They would pay me to kill their tormentors. Many people would say that I was nothing more than a ‘hired killer', but I saw myself as so much more. I would only except cases where I was killing a true fiend, although people would never know this. On the exterior, I was a successful stockbroker, rich in life, rich in money. However it was my shady interior that nobody knew about. The money I won in the stock market was used to supply my weapons. I made a killing in the stocks and through this, made a killing on the streets. I left the serene park behind me, walking at a quick enough pace to distance myself from it and yet slow enough to make it seem I was not. People walked by me on the streets and, when I reached the mail office, were happily holding doors open for me and wishing me a ‘nice day'. If only they knew of the horror I had just committed. In the mail office, I had my own personal mail box, owned by myself and under the name â€Å"Block and Wood enterprises†. This meant that I could receive information on future ‘hits' without getting my own name or address involved. There was one letter in my box, I removed it, placed it in my pocket and left. My apartment building was not harsh or an eyesore to the skyline of New York. In fact, it seemed to make it better. It was a very tall structure, with large glass windows and a sprawling lobby which was decorated with white marble and gold-look metal. Each floor housed its own apartment. I owned the apartment on the top floor, the penthouse. It had sweeping views of the whole of New York City and possibly the best view of the Statue of Liberty in the whole of Manhattan. My keys slipped into the lock and turned with the ease I expected. I threw the door open and the comforting smell of ‘home' greeted me. I placed my keys onto the small table in my hall, closed the door, hung up my raincoat and started towards the luxurious bathroom. The large living room stretched out ahead of me, my expensive furniture seemingly glowing due to the light in there. It was well lit due to many factors. Firstly I was so high up that hardly any other building could block the light, secondly, the sprawling glass windows spread around the apartment let in much light, often too much and so I had blinds installed to occasionally block the sun. I stopped suddenly, somehow aware of a presence in the apartment. My gun was swiftly out of the holster and, like I had many times before in other peoples houses, was stalking around, jumping around corners, hoping to catch the crook who was here. After a thorough search of my premises, I found nothing out of place, nothing stolen and no one in any of the rooms. I put it down to the recent hit I had performed and it was just the jitters or the ‘high' I got from killing. I made my way back toward the bathroom and noticed that the front door was still open. Had I closed it when I walked in? I was sure I had. I then remembered the letter in my coat pocket. It must have been my imagination playing tricks on myself. I closed the door, grabbed the letter from my coat pocket, settled into my reclining leather chair and began to read. â€Å"Dear Mr Johnson† it read. People were always formal even though they knew they were writing to a killer. The letter went on to describe the man I was to kill, the manner in which they would like me to do it (I never did do any personal requests) and the time and place. People always seemed to assume that I was uneducated or dim because they always told me every detail, as if I wouldn't research the hit myself. I decided to take this one on as the man to be killed was nothing short of scum. He had raped the woman asking for his death and had beaten her and stolen from her on many occasions. To make matters worse, it was her own uncle. I called the woman, from an untraceable safe cell phone, to tell her I would do the hit, not letting her say anything and hanging up as soon as I had finished. I finally had the chance to take a well deserved shower. It was a Sunday and I would not be working today. While in the shower, I thought of the new target I was to kill. Normally I didn't take on a hit so quickly yet this man was too vile to keep on this Earth any longer. I would squash this cockroach in 3 days time. A smile crept across my face as I thought of eradicating another life that shouldn't have been started at all. I slept that night, a dream filled slumber. My head was filled with memories, old and new, and some, I realise now, were thoughts of events that had not yet happened. Thoughts that would lead to my demise. It was mere hours before the job was to be done. I had followed the target for the past 2 days. His name was Attis Jones and he was, it seemed, a recluse. He lived in an old lighthouse that he had converted himself. His wife had left him many years before due to his alcoholism and his children had severed all contact with him soon after this. He drunk even more severely following this and even turned to drugs, a healthy lifestyle he was still continuing to this day. He was now only forty yet seemed much older. His white hair seemed that it hadn't seen a pair of scissors in many years as it was down to his shoulders. It was thinning on the top of his head and seemed to abandoning him, just like everyone else in his life. I was in my car driving towards the coastline where his lighthouse was situated. I had already found a way around his poor security. The chain link fence was easily climbed and although he had a security camera pointing at the drive way to the lighthouse, it was simple to avoid. In any case, I was a careful man and so parked quite a distance from the lighthouse and walked the final mile or so. I had my trusty 9mm silenced baretta in its holster around my shoulder where it was always kept. However, today I brought my colt revolver also, just because it was a secluded area and I hardly ever had the pleasure of hearing the gunshot well. It was beginning to get dark by the time I had reached the lighthouse and there was a light rain starting to fall. As I approached the tall structure, a rather stereotypical lighthouse with its red and white patterned stripes going down its shaft, I noticed that the grounds were littered with many skeletons of cars that had been left to rust. The grounds themselves, surrounding the lighthouse seemed to be in a state of disrepair, weeds choking the last of the wild flowers growing around. I also noticed, for only the second time, a small jetty. It was secluded around the back of the structure and was very neglected. This time, however, the jetty had changed for now there was a boat at it. A figure stood hunched on the deck, pouring diesel into the engine's fuel hatch. The rain, now heavier, fell on its bare skull, onto the white hair that plastered its face and shoulders, onto its black coat and black leather boots. He must have sensed me approaching for he looked up, a smile slowly spreading across his face. He was, I guessed, about 6 feet tall, with long, white, tapering fingers and pale, elongated features. In the dusk, his eyes were a deep, dark blue, bordering on black and his almost lipless mouth seemed to start just where his nostrils ended. It was, of course, Attis Jones. Diesel spilled onto the deck of the boat as he had momentary lapse in concentration. I wondered why he was smiling and it was only when I noticed the handgun in his other hand that a smile spread across mine. â€Å"Clever boy†, I shouted â€Å"Have you been expecting me? † â€Å"We all have†, was the only reply. The gun in his right hand was quickly raised an aimed at my head. I was faster however as my gun was up and releasing a bullet before he realised. It tore through his right arm, shattering it, sending the gun to the watery depths below. â€Å"You are going to die tonight, sinner†, called Attis â€Å"Your mistaken, it is you who will die, I have nothing to answer for. God did not send demons to kill the firstborn in Egypt, he sent angels. I am an angel, sent by God to clear up the mistake he made by allowing you to be born. † I was happy with this reply and was seconds from releasing another bullet, this time toward his chest when he mouthed 4 simple words to me, â€Å"Good bye, Mr Jones†. It was then that something hard struck the back of my head, leaving me sprawled across the floor. A brown shoe stamped down hard on my fingers, causing me to release the gun from my grip. It was kicked away from me and a huge weight seemed to press down on me. There were knees in my back and my face was being pushed into the mud. The water and mud burned my eyes and the weight on my back was restricting my breathing. I fought hard and managed to throw the being from my back. I quickly remembered the colt tucked into my sock. It was out and shooting my assailant before he could say, or do, anything about it. Again I was struck from behind, only this time, it was more than one person. I was thrown to the ground again and kicked and punched repeatedly. I lost the grip of the gun in my hand and this one, like the first, was kicked from my reach. I tried in vain to fight back but was overpowered by the many people around me. I was held to the floor by my captors and then Attis Jones was standing over me. Despite his right arm being splintered by the bullet from my barreta, he was standing over me with relative ease, the pain not very visible on his face. What was, however, visible on his face was the malicious look. I wondered why these people were doing this, for what reason they were holding me to the floor. â€Å"I said you would die sinner†, Attis scolded, â€Å"Just as my son and their brother died at your hands, so you shall die at ours! † With that, he knelt on my chest, placing all his weight on top of my lungs. This constricted my breathing but the cold hand around my neck restricted it further. I was staring up into the eyes of hell. All of the malignant thoughts that Attis Jones could muster were being forced to the front of his mind. I could almost see them through his eyes. Attis's grip shifted so that his thumb was pressing hard, trying to crush my Adam's apple. I was trying to free my hands but they were held tightly to the ground by Attis' Sons. I tried in vain to kick my legs but again, restrained by someone. The pressure in my head was increasing as my windpipe was constricted. My ears were filled with the roaring in my head and the laboured, spit-flecked breaths of the man who was killing me, I felt a burning pain behind my eyes, a numbness spreading from my finger. I desperately tried to free myself, but I was losing the battle, the feeling in my body. My vision was blurring and my lungs burning as the last of my life was choked from me. The only sound, apart from the steady rhythmic beat of the rain, was me, gurgling the last of my air out. Everything became dark and the last thing I remember hearing was â€Å"Take ‘im inside, we'll chop ‘im up and feed ‘im to the sharks! † Now, looking back on my life, I realised how what I had done was right. If you believed that what I did was wrong, that killing those awful people was a bad thing, your deeply mistaken. I killed those people because they were delivering pain onto others, what I did was stop them from hurting them, or any other, ever again. Attis Jones had set me up so that he could take revenge upon me for killing his son. Had I researched deeper into his background, I would have found that the web of lies I was fed were given to me in the hope that I would be led straight into the trap. It worked. I now know that his son was a certain Joshua Jones. I had killed him many years before. He was a personal call. There was no money when I killed him. There were no people who specifically asked me to kill him. I did it because I wanted to. He was grooming small children, taking them from the streets and teaching them how to become prostitutes. He was using them to gratify his own pleasure, acting like nothing more than a common pimp. For this reason I had to kill him. His family was totally oblivious to what he had done and I think that they may have reconsidered taking my life had they found out his true past. So this was my past catching up with me, it never actually haunted me, just left me for dead. There was no afterlife, no Heaven, no Hell. There was in fact, nothing. Just a black void that I seemed t float around in, left to contemplate my life and the things I had done. The hurt I had caused, the pain visited upon the innocent bystanders of the families of my victims. I also thought of the good I had done, killing all those people, taking their lives so that they could no longer harm anyone else And as I did, I realised that I wouldn't change a thing, if given a second chance at the same life, I would do it all the same as I had, doing everything the way had intended to do. I looked back and saw myself as sort of makeshift hero. Saving the common folk and helping their lives to be lived better. Maybe they would find out of my secret past and declare me a hero, or maybe call me a murderer, tell everyone that what I had done was a terrible thing. In any case, I knew that I had done right and did not care what people thought. The only part of my life that I truly hated, the one thing that stuck in my mind as the thing I would change, would be the manner in which I died. But there was nothing I could do about that now, I could only watch it over and over again, in my minds eye.

The role of a family in the society Essay

How Society Functions? A society is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations such as social status, roles and social networks. It allows its members to achieve needs or wishes they could not fulfil alone. Members of a society may be from different ethnic groups and cultures. What Are the Major Functions of a Family? Major functions of a family are: To ensure that children are satisfactorily socialised into the norms and values of society. To provide economic support for other family members. To satisfy our emotional needs for love and security. To provide us with a sense of place and position in our society Functions of the Nuclear Family? Long considered the idea and norm, this consists of two parents and one or more children as opposed to multi-generational families which include grandparents. The parents provide financial support for their children and the family as a whole depends on one another for emotional support. Work is divided among members of the household according to their abilities. In general they follow society’s rules as well as their family rules. Strong bonds usually develop and provide offspring with the ability to perform well in society when they leave home. The functions of the nuclear family in a traditional sense have been changing within the past 20 years as people divorce and remarry. What Is the Conflict Theory? The family conflict theory basically is where the family unit struggles for power. It is also how family members deal with adversity and change. Most of the time it is prestige and money on the basis for the most intense competitions. Name Different Types of Families? There are many different types of families. The country in which a person lives, and the cultures in this country, will determine the type of family unit that exists. For example, an American family unit is significantly different from that of a Chinese family unit. Among Americans, the type of family units will vary as well. For example, a Christian based family unit is going to be different from a Muslim family unit. Variables that may change the type of family unit also include racial, financial, educational, and other variables. Different Types of Families? The different kinds of families include nuclear families, adoptive or foster families, never married families, same sex parent families, blended families and cross-generational families. A family is a group of individuals affiliated by consanguinity, kinship, or co-residence Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Family? A main advantage of the nuclear family is that a couple has ultimate privacy. Nuclear families incur less stress and trouble when moving into a new home. There is a specific sense of freedom that gives a nuclear family the ability to live life as they wish. It is also easier to avoid stress. A disadvantage is that children are left to take care of themselves. Another disadvantage is that the feeling of safety and security is lacking. There is also not much of a support system. Disadvantages of Single Parent Families? Single parent families are families where there is only one parent to care for the children. This situation could be due to divorce, death, or abandonment. This type of family situation is not ideal and has many disadvantages compared to a traditional family. Parents in these situations often spend less time with their children, causing behaviour issues, health issues, and problems in school. Financial burdens within this type of family are also all too common. Different Types of Societies and Their Major Characteristics Bir yanÄ ±t bÄ ±rakÄ ±n To begin with, society is groups of people who live in a certain domain and  behave according to existing culture and morality. Culture and morality differ in terms of different parts of a society and different types of societies as well. The types have already been shaped by anthropologists and sociologists in history but there is not one certain classification. Even though almost every type is determined, there are six types of society that are accepted by the sociologists. The classification starts with hunter-gatherer society and finishes with post-industrial society and in between there is the process of development of human beings as a society. First four types, historically, are known as preindustrial societies in terms of social structure, cultural accumulation and the level of their technologies, the last two types were shaped after the industrial revolution. 1. Foraging Societies When human beings did not know how to dominate land and domesticate the animals, they had to live together, share work, use fresh water carefully and also migrate gregariously if anything went wrong, for example, if rivers dried up or they run out of animals. Usually men were hunters and women were gatherers in those societies and this caused matriarchy because men were always in danger during hunting and generally hunter members returned home -cave- with limited numbers. Labour in hunting and gathering societies was divided equally among the members because they were so small and mobile. There was not any political organization compared to understanding of today ´s diplomacy but their decision making body included every person who live in the society and equality conducted it. Certainly some foraging societies have their own tribal leaders but even the leader could not decide anything about tribe, everything in those societies was decided by all members. Their technologies were almost nothing in comparison with today but they could do what they needed, hunting big and small animals and using their hides in order to make cloths and gathering plants. Somehow they learned cultivation and they did not need to relocate anymore and they were divided into two parts as animal domesticators and plant cultivators. Both of them started to live in a certain domain. 2. Pastoral Societies In this type of societies, approximately 12,000 years ago, people lived in a certain place and started to pasture animals for transportation and permanent food. Those types of societies still exist in Somalia, Ethiopia and North Africa countries where horticulture and manufacturing are not possible (Samatar, 1989: 35), hunter-gatherer society did domesticate animals because they realized that using animals ´ wool, milk, and fertility was more beneficial than hunting and wasting them. Consequently, not only trade had started, but also non-survival class had aroused such as the spiritual leaders, healers, traders, craftspeople. This new formation held society together in a certain domain and nomadic did not migrate so far, circulate around the pasture –primitive version of urban- and also difference of people came out for the first time; the nomadic and settled people. These are the first forms of people who live in rural and urban areas. Moreover, as they had to domesticate a nimals and use them, people need some tools and they invented what they needed. By this means technology developed rapidly. Trade improved easily and differences between nomadic and settled people grew up, consequently concept of social inequality started to appear compared to hunter-gatherer societies. 3. Horticultural Societies Similar to pastoral societies, horticultural societies first appeared 10,000 to 12,000 years ago but these societies cultivated vegetables, fruits and plants. Depletion of the land’s resources or dwindling water supplies, for instance, forced the people to leave. Since, they were mobile and small like hunter-gatherer societies; there was not a non-survival class and not trade as well. Division of labour continued, social structures did not develop and because of this, horticultural societies did not differ from foraging societies. They could not develop because agricultural materials invented about 8,000 years ago and they could not relocate rivers and water sources, their plants dried up. It is easily realized that why development of technology is so important and how it affects to shape societies , at the same time in the other parts of the world, people could invent and develop what they needed but for agriculture, technology was not enough. 4. Agricultural Societies What cause horticultural societies to extinguish, were the late agricultural inventions around the 8,000’s. With the new inventions, food supplies increased and people settled together. Population grew up rapidly, villages came up and farmers, land owners and also warriors who protect farms in exchange for food against enemies aroused firstly. In these societies, social inequality solidly showed itself. A rigid caste system developed; slavery and ownership started to be too different concepts in those lives. Caste system developed the differentiation between the elite and agricultural labourers including slaves. Lands started to be so important, especially from ninth to fifteenth centuries, after the understanding of feudalism developed, every small land owners saw themselves as kings and owners of people who live for them as well. Concept of social classes spread through the Europe and not only land owners, but also religious leaders did not have to try to survive because workers had to give them everything that they had. Art, literature and philosophy were in religious leaders ´ hands because of this, time of feudalism is known as the dark ages. Due to existing monarchy, owners set up their own rules in their lands and each lord led the society with different rules and all of them depended on the King. This stratification prevented slaves from rebellion, workers were sweated and classes and inequalities in Europe continued until the industrial revolution. 5. Industrial Societies With usage of the steam power, human beings started to use machines and advanced technologies to produce and distribute goods and services. Industrial revolution process began in Britain and then spread through Europe and to the rest of the world, industrial societies started to develop. The growth of technologies led to advances in farming techniques, so slavery lost its significance, economy developed quickly and understanding of social charity and governments’ aids grew up. Feudal social classes removed but then societies divided into two parts as workers and non-workers. Karl Marx explained that non-workers are composing capitalist class and they hold all money and also set up rules. Considering this explanation, it is easily understood that non-workers are the same with non-survivors like lords and religious leaders in preindustrial societies. Thus, the industrial revolution brought only the slavery extinction and there is only worker class. Learning from previous mistakes rulers gave more opportunities for social mobility and also gave more rights than they gave to the slaves. With changes in social inequalities people started to want their rights and freedom as citizens and then kingdoms and autocracy lost their power on citizens. Democracy seemed more beneficial and necessary with French and American Revolutions, nationality became more important and so, citizens won their rights and classes existed as just economic differences. Politically everyone seemed equal but, of course, inequalities between money owners and sellers of their own labours to survive, unstoppably increased. Villages lost their significance and towns became places where occupation opportunities were supplied. 6. Post-industrial Societies The countries that the industrial revolution began, -Britain, France, the USA and Japan- now became the post industrial countries. These countries are users of advance technologies like developed computers, satellites, microchips . In short, those societies are affected by the technologies at first hand. In comparison with horticultural societies it can be easily understood that how technology is important to shape and characterize a society. Since they are trailblazers of technologies, they are now holding all world ´s economy in their hands. There is not rural and urban areas difference as well as people who are economically at the top and middle. According to common view, in those societies, there is neither social inequality nor classification. People won their own freedom by working hard, if there are any differences or discrimination, this is caused by capitalist and global world, not the governments ´ mistakes. That is, rather than being driven by the factory production of goods, society is being shaped by the human mind, aided by computer technology. Although factories will always exist, the key to wealth and power seems to lie in the ability to generate,  store, manipulate, and sell information. Sociologists speculate about the characteristics of post-industrial society in the near future. They predict increased levels of education and training, consumerism, availability of goods, and social mobility. While they hope for a decline in inequality as technical skills and â€Å"know-how† begins to determine class rather than the ownership of property, sociologists are also concerned about potential social divisions based on those who have appropriate education and those who do not. Sociologists believe society will become more concerned with the welfare of all members of society. They hope post-industrial society will be less characterized by social conflict, as everyone works together to solve society’s problems through science. (Andersen & Taylor, 2006: 118) To conclude, in history, there have been very different societies in terms of their level of development, levels of inequality, political organizations and cultural factors but only those six types explain easily which stages we passed. Moreover, in today ´s world almost all types of societies exist but each of them approaches through post-industrial society even if they are not. From this research paper, it is proved that how technology is important in shaping and characterizing society among the economy, social inequalities and classes.

Bacchae by Euripides

The first lines of the selected passage translates as that of a chorus, meaning that the passage is intended for a more elegant effect as that of a regular speech delivery. The language of the line is highly descriptive, as it connotes elegance and respect: â€Å"Fair-maidened River Dirke, queen of waters, daughter of Achelous, you who bathed the infant child of god- when Zeus the father pulled him, from undying fire, into his thigh, did you not hear the cry of Zeus? † (Woodruff, 520).The metaphorical and personification use of language is exemplified in the association of the River Dirke personified as a female figure that possess an ability to turn mortals into Gods. Greek mythology naturally perpetuates an understanding of the different relationships between the Gods and man. The next lines reveal a commanding tone toward the subject, as it directs the character Dithryrambus: â€Å"Go, twice-born Dithyrambus, into my male womb. I now reveal you, with your Bacchic name, to Thebes† (Woodruff, 520).The description of the character is twice-born in the context of the story where the God Dionysus is born from the relationship between Zeus the thunder-god and Semele. Zeus, being an all-powerful God, cannot take any mortal form and thus appeared as a lightning bolt which killed Semele but Zeus managed to rescue his unborn son by stitching the baby into his thigh. The next line continues: â€Å"But now, blessed Dirke, you cast me out when I bring wreaths and feasting to your shore. Why do you reject me? Why do you run from me?A time will come-I swear by all the joy that you may squeeze from Dionysus grapes-a time when you will pay attention to the Thunderer (Woodruff, 535). The speaker addresses the river Dirke, as that of a personified woman with tones of confusion and spite, mixed with anger. The speaker is inquiring to the nature of his rejection even though his place is highly regarded in the context of his father. The next passage further utilize s a highly-descriptive tone not only to present a sense of imagery but also to imply to the reader the emotive impact of the characters: â€Å"Do you see this, son of Zeus, Dionysus?Those who speak for you are bound by force. Come down from Olympus waving your gold faced wand and put down the insults of this deadly man. † (Woodruff, 564). The character implies a urging tone toward the God, to punish those who refuse to honor his name. The last lines imply a tone of praise and revernce, as the descriptive mood from the prior passages is further repeated. Also the continuity of the use of metaphorical words is prevalent in the passage as it attempts to describe Dionysius characteristic in all of its majesty. â€Å"You are the blessed place, Pieria.You are honored by the god of joyful cries. He comes to set you dancing in his worship. He will cross swift flowing rivers with his Maenads whirling in their dance-the River Axion and Lydias, father of waters, who gives happiness and wealth to men from the most beautiful flow of water† (Woodruff, 575). This line provides an introductory theme toward the succession of the plot, which Dionysius attempts to regain his name. The passage implies an indirect build-up of tension for the remainder of the story that acts as a leeway in building up revenge.Dionysius, filled with anger and spite toward the people who had refused to honor him, prepares himself for revenge. The passage presents a reaffirmation toward the preceding actions and the identification of the glorious stature of Dionysius as a son of Zeus. Arising from prior events wherein the God did not achieve much reverence, the passages now imply his all-encompassing glory, both his good-natured side (provision of happiness and ecstacsy) and his negative characteristics (Bacchic frenzy). Work Cited Euripedes. The Bacchae. (trans. ) Paul Woodruff. Indianapolis, Ind. Hackett Pub. Co. 1998

Code of Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Code of Ethics - Essay Example Neither the physician nor the nurse examined this form as it also contained a medical power of attorney for healthcare. In addition, Mr. E was responsible for the decisions he made. On following the Texas State Law regarding the medical power of attorney, Mr. B was still not allowed to make decisions for Mr. E, unless he was unable to formulate decisions for himself. â€Å"The desire of a qualified patient supersedes the effect of a directive.†Ã‚   (â€Å"Health and safety code†, 1991) Mr. H., Mr. E’s nephew, would also never been approached to give consent regarding Mr. E’s health since Mr. E had not handed permission to his nephew to get involved with his medical condition. In simple words, Mr. H had not been accordance a go on matters pertaining Mr. E’s medical records and treatment plan and hence approaching him was illegal. This violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This policy clearly indicates that an indiv idual’s medical information should not be shared or discussed with other individuals not involved in the management of the patient when he or she had not given any consent. By so, Mr. E’s privacy rights were violated by the nurses and physicians and hence the matter was reported to the facility ethical officer. In problem could have been avoided easily by the nurses and physicians by simply asking Mr. E if they would speak to his nephew concerning his medical information. ... In provision two of The American Nurses Association, state â€Å"the nurses first commitment is to the patient.† Nursing World (2009) supports either of the above mentioned possibilities, for instance, in Mr. E’s case; decision to be taken was for the interest of the patient. The deciding factors in cases like this entirely should involve the patient’s interests. Nursing autonomy states that nurses’ decisions should be based on what is ethical and moral. The latter decision would not be a choice in such a circumstance. Legally, the nurse should have shared liability in any negative outcome Mr. E experienced as a result of his intubation. In this situation, permission was obtained from Mr. H, a non-qualified individual and hence Mr. E’s privacy was violated and in addition, forced to succumb to procedure he never consented in written. It is always good to remember that patient’s could at all times have the final words pertaining procedures and accorded treatment. â€Å"The principal of autonomy upholds respect for decision making capacity of patients.† (Beauchamp & Childress, 1994). As a strict patient advocate, the nurse should at least have explained to Mr. E that placement of the ventilator could have been for a short while till when his pneumonia improves, then from there removed. If Mr. E. could still have refused intubation, then the nurse could have supported Mr. E’s rights for refusing the procedure. The Texas Standards of Nursing Practice clearly states that the nurse’s responsibility is to â€Å"collaborate with the client, members of the healthcare team, and, when appropriate, the client’s significant other(s) in the interest of the client’s healthcare.† (â€Å"Texas

Entrepreneur profile brief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Entrepreneur profile brief - Essay Example In addition to working towards economic development, this entrepreneur seems to be also very conscious of the environment and with this in mind; he has helped the people of Ranquitte to develop respect towards the environment and to attempt to restore it as much as possible to its pristine state. Durant, while conducting his activities in Haiti also went there as a missionary in an attempt to evangelize as he helped the community get back to its feet. As the head of the mission program in Ranquitte, Durant worked closely with the local people of the community, not only helping them gain materially through the coffee program, but also spiritually through teaching them of the goodness of God. His ability to take on multiple roles in an attempt to improve the lives of the community is highly commendable because it allowed him to help its people get a well-rounded growth (George Fox University, 2009). The story of Tom Durant is highly inspirational because it allows an individual to get a glimpse at the manner in which, despite the massive secularization as well as the high rates of poverty that plague the world, there are still individuals within it who are willing to help others overcome these problems. Durant’s story is one that is full of hope for the people of Haiti and the rest of the world because it shows them that no matter what the odds are in their life, they can still manage to overcome them and become successful. Through his helping the people of Ranquitte to gain self-sufficiency through the marketing and sale of their coffee, Durant, through his entrepreneurship skills, has made it possible for this product to be recognized for the good qualities that it has. Moreover, Durant states that it is because of his involvement in Haiti that he has gained further spiritual growth because the mission program that he initiated has worked beyond his wildest dreams; imp roving the lives of the

The effect of price elasticity in the decision of consumers in Saudi Dissertation

The effect of price elasticity in the decision of consumers in Saudi Arabia to acquire Toyota SUVs - Dissertation Example The paper tells that price elasticity is an important element when introducing products in a competitive market. As quoted from the book Principles of Economics by Alfred Marshall, â€Å"the elasticity (or receptiveness) of demand in a market is significant according as the amount demanded increases much or little for a given fall in price, and diminishes much or little for a given rise in price". Parkin, Powell, and Matthews noted that the following affect the elasticity of price for a certain commodity: availability of substitute goods; percentage of income; necessity; duration; brand loyalty; and who pays. Farris, P., et al. postulated that company decision makers have to understand price elasticity to boost pricing strategies. Own, cross, and residual elasticity appear to exhibit subtle differences but further examination shows significant pragmatic implications. A study conducted by Engage Research explored on the relationship between elasticity and pricing strategy. Results ba sed on the sales data showed significant difference between categories when equated with elasticity. The study indicated that the following product categories exhibited high elasticity: products with several brands; competitive market share among brands; insignificant trace of brand differentiation; and high price visibility. Studies that focus on consumer reaction to price elasticity are rarely made available to the public. Most marketing firms, which conduct such studies, are barred from disclosing relevant results without the permission of their client. Hence several literatures have founded their assumptions based on prevailing theories that explain consumer behavior when price spikes occur. Some companies also consider aspects other than price. Brand loyalty and product reliability are important elements that push manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to move prices despite the potential consumer backlash. In the automotive industry, for instance, car dealers offer improve payment schemes to compensate for the price movement. Objective The main objective of the study is to show the effect of price elasticity in the

Argue the US should increase its use of natural gas Essay

Argue the US should increase its use of natural gas - Essay Example This will critically compare both the pros and cons of this form of fuel and the benefits of its use in the United States (Knittel 3). The choice of gas to use in our industries is no longer guided by the desires of an individual but the cost and availability of the said fuel. With major economies relying on fossil fuel for different functions including industrial and home use, the current reserves are being depleted at an alarming rate. Natural gas is currently one of the cheapest and safest gases around the world with the United States sitting on a huge reserve of the gas which is currently unexploited. The lack of interest on natural gas and its resultant lack of exploitation can be attributed to the negative misconceptions that have been generated towards this gas (Ratner 7). Natural gas is colorless and odorless and produce high amount of energy when combusted with no significant emissions that negatively harm the environment. It is one of the most abundant gases in the United S tates but is rarely exploited due to the countries over reliance on fossil fuel. It contains high concentration of hydrocarbons including methane, ethane and propane, which are currently generated from fossil fuel at a much higher cost on the environment and economy. As a country that is much preoccupied with fossil fuel, switching to natural gas can only be achieved through informed education approaches that provide the benefits of this source of gas as compared to the current source. This topic will be insightful in guiding the country’s energy policy makers in making a significant policy shift from fossil fuel to natural gas. A number of misconceptions also exist about natural gas as compared to fossil fuels that act to confuse the citizens as further. This topic seeks to handle these misconceptions by providing an argumentative approach on why the country must adopt natural gas as opposed to the current use of fossil fuel (Knittel 3). Natural gas is cleaner as compared to fossil fuels thus making it the current fuel preferred by utility companies in the United States. With the current emphasis on the need to reduce emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the need for the adoption of a much cleaner gas makes natural gas the gas of choice. In addition, fossil fuels such as petroleum and gasoline, when combusted produces less energy as compared to natural gas but has higher amount of greenhouse effect as compared to natural gas. The increase in international lobbying for the adoption of safe and clean fuel supports the role of natural gas in the reduction of climate change, which occurs due to an increase in greenhouse gas emission from industries (Verrastro & Branch 5). However, natural gas has a finite nature that makes it unreliable source of energy to drive the massive industries in the United States and mitigate the impacts of global warming. Those who belong to this school of thought argue that despite the fact that natural gas is much cleaner as compared to fossil fuels, it is not as clean to enable it contribute significantly in the fight against climate change. Decreasing the prevalence of climate change cannot effectively be done using natural gas, as the opponents would want us to believe. This is farther from the truth, as the fight against climate change cannot be won through one major initiative but through well-calculated policies, which significantly

Consultancy Report for Portsmouth Leather Company Essay

Consultancy Report for Portsmouth Leather Company - Essay Example Consultancy Report for Portsmouth Leather Company Portsmouth Leather is one of the renowned names when it comes to selling trendy and high fashion executive briefcase and travel case. The company portray strong financial outlook as during the last financial year the profit of the company increased by 10% to an impressive  £ 1,800,000. Following its marketing strategy of exploring new market, the company participated in the Frankfurt International Trade Fair. Eastern express, after being impressed by the quality of the company’s commodities in the fair, approached with an offer. The following report identifies the problems which the company is likely to face and the corresponding solutions to such problems. Portsmouth Leather needs to have additional finances in order to be capable of producing additional briefcases and travel cases. As per the cash-flow forecasted by the management, the company requires  £ 495,000 to finance the tender. The company has not incorporated, in the forecasted cash flow, the finance charges on the financing. Another problem that the company is likely to face is the fact that it does not have the additional production capacity to cater the tender. The company currently produces 2,000 units per month, but in order to acquire the tender, the company will be required to produce an additional 2,200 units per month for three months. The company needs to negotiate the overtime with the workforce. In addition, the company needs to bargain the cost of raw material with the supplier in order to increase its contribution margin.... The company needs to negotiate the overtime with the workforce. In addition, the company needs to bargain the cost of raw material with the supplier in order to increase its contribution margin. Negotiating the price of the tender is also significant. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND THEIR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Solution 1 In order to finance the project, the company needs to acquire short term running finance facility from a bank or any other financial institution. Since the project is of a short term nature, obtaining a short terms running finance facility would be much beneficial rather than acquiring a long term facility. The plus point in acquiring a short term financing facility is that the company would be required to pay mark-up at a lower rate as compared to that if a long term facility would have been acquired. The company can also raise finance through issuance of shares in the market. The advantage of raising shares in the public market is that the company will avoid the finance charge, which it would have paid on the financing facility. Issuance of capital significantly improves the gearing of the company and strengths its equity. The disadvantage of raising finances through issuance of share capital is that it takes comparatively longer time for the existing and prospective share holder to subscribe to the shares and transfer their money to the company. Moreover, the statutory requirement regarding the floating of shares in the stock market is far more intricate as compared to the procedure involved in the sanctioning of a financing facility. Solution 2 The company’s current production capacity will not allow it to produce additional units unless it somehow increase its production capacity or shift its resources towards manufacturing items

Recommendations on the matter of enhanced interrogation and the War on Case Study

Recommendations on the matter of enhanced interrogation and the War on Terror - Case Study Example Issues The ethical issue that faces the intelligence community is the fact that torture is condemned by the human rights groups; so many people are viewing it as unethical. The advocating of human rights globally is known to be spearheaded by the United States of America; hence, when it is using torture as a method of interrogation, it means going against their principles. If enhanced interrogation is used on a level that is humane and safe, then the ethical dilemma encountered by interrogators will be easier to handle. The ethical theory of utilitarianism stipulates that the consequences of an action are justifiable morally if they result in more good than harm (Mill 2007). If one considers enhanced interrogation in a case where the suffering of a detainee results in saving the lives of thousands of people, then the ethical issue no longer presents itself. It is important to note that most terrorists are followers of Islam; hence they view giving information as betraying their faith , making them impermeable by ordinary interrogation methods. This makes it hard for the intelligence community to follow regulations set by the United Nations on how uninformed combatants should are being treated. For instance subjecting them to physical harm is prohibited (Angelovicova, 2009). The issue is raising constitutional matters. The first one is based on international law while the second is resting on the laws enacted in the United States of America and regulating how military personnel are being treated in the battlefield. According to Article 5 of the Geneva Convention, a detainee’s status is determined by a tribunal whether he or she is an unlawful combatant according to the laws and regulation of the country (Linnan 2008). However, before the tribunal determines the fate of the detainee, the country should be treating and referring to him as a prisoner of war. My recommendation dealing with this issue is that detainee should be subjected to enhanced interrogati on since they are termed as unlawful combatants by tribunals, military courts, and civilian courts in the United States of America (Angelovicova 2009). Moreover, a huge percentage of detainees are people known to have carried out terror attacks on the American soil and in other countries, thus rendering them unlawful combatants. This situation has a wide range of stakeholders. First and foremost, each and every country around the world is a stakeholder in this issue since they are all affected by terrorism. The intelligence community is also a stakeholder since they are tasked with getting information that will help protect thousands from terrorism. The intelligence community wants to be allowed to use enhanced interrogation in order to yield positive results. Options An alternative option that the intelligence community has is to ensure that terrorist suspects are offered deals that are acceptable according to Islamic standards. This is where green cards, good education for family members, good healthcare among others are offered to detainees as part of their plea bargains. However, this should be done carefully to ensure the detainee has been completely turned and posses no terror threat whatsoever. Another option is to ensure that terror threats are dealt with precision in order to ensure that te

Music Therapy in obstertic patient Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Music Therapy in obstertic patient - Essay Example ncluded in the review they must have investigated the effect of music, involved adult hospital patients and used a randomized controlled trial design. These studies must also have used outcome measures such as anxiety, satisfaction, pain, mood and vital signs. Identified studies were critically appraised, and then categorized according to whether music was evaluated during normal care delivery or during invasive and unpleasant procedures. When appropriate, studies were combined in a meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 29 studies were identified that fulfilled the inclusion criteria, of which 10 were subsequently excluded following critical appraisal. Music played via headphones reduces anxiety of patients during normal care deliver, but it has no impact on the anxiety of patients undergoing procedures such as bronchoscopy, sigmoidoscopy or surgery with a spinal anaesthetic. Music produces a small reduction in respiratory rate during normal care delivery, but appears to have little eff ect on other vital sign parameters. It has no impact on the vital signs of patients undergoing procedures. Although the evidence is limited, music also appears improve the mood and tolerance of patients. CONCLUSION: This review demonstrates the effectiveness of music for the reduction of anxiety during normal care deliver. Given the inexpensive nature of this intervention, and the lack of adverse events, it is recommended as an adjunct to normal care practices. This review also highlights the need for further research into many aspect of this intervention. The control of labor pain and prevention of suffering are major concerns of clinicians and their clients. Nonpharmacologic approaches toward these goals are consistent with midwifery management and the choices of many women. We undertook a literature search of scientific articles cataloged in CINAHL, PUBMED, the Cochrane Library, and AMED databases relating to the effectiveness of 13 non-pharmacologic methods used to relieve pain and

Guideline for Article Review Essay Example for Free

Guideline for Article Review Essay 1. Full Bibliographic Reference State the full bibliographic reference for the article you are reviewing (authors, title, journal name, volume, issue, year, page numbers, etc. ) Important: this is not the bibliography listed at the end of the article, rather the citation of the article itself! Grading: -3 if missing 2. Introduction: Objectives, Article Domain, Audience, Journal and Conceptual/Emprical Classification Note: For the on-line reviews done in some class sections, this category may be broken up into several separate subcategories. For the written review, please discuss all of these subcategories together as follows. Paragraph 1: State the objectives (goals or purpose) of the article. What is the articles domain (topic area)? Paragraph 2: †¢ Audience: State the articles intended audience. At what level is it written, and what general background should the reader have; what general background materials should the reader be familiar with to understand the article? †¢ Appropriate Journal? : Why is the journal appropriate (or inappropriate) for this article? (Check the mission statement or purpose of the journal itself from its cover or its Web site. ) Paragraph 3: State whether the article is conceptual or empirical, and why you believe it is conceptual or empirical. Empirical articles and conceptual articles have a similar objective: to substantiate an argument proposed by the author. While a conceptual article supports such an argument based on logical and persuasive reasoning, an empirical article offers empirical evidence to support the argument. Empirical articles offer substantial, detailed evidence which the authors analyze using statistical methods. Empirical articles must include hypotheses (or propositions), detailed research results, and (statistical) analyses of this empirical evidence. Empirical research includes experiments, surveys, questionnaires, field studies, etc, and to limited degree, case studies. Conceptual articles may refer to such empirical evidence, but do not provide the detailed analysis of that evidence. Of course, both types of articles can use real life examples to back up their points. Just because an article provides examples, does not necessarily mean that it is empirical. (The lesson to take home is not to consider a conceptual article to be an empirical one just because it provides some summarized or some unanalyzed data. ) Grading: Objectives: great 3; ok 2; poor 1 Grading: Audience/Journal Appropriateness: great 3; ok 2; poor 1 Grading: Conceptual vs. empirical: great 2; ok/poor 1 3. Very Brief Summary Prev Page For our article reviews, we do not want you to spend much space summarizing the article. Instead we are more interested in your analysis of the article. Thus, in this section, summarize the article only very briefly (2-3 paragraphs). If possible, use the IS research paradigm as the format of your summary, but remaining very brief: †¢ Paragraph 1: what is the problem or opportunity being addressed †¢ Paragraph 2: which solution is proposed (the solution could be a new model or a theory that explains the problem) †¢ Paragraph 3: what evidence is put forth that this solution is appropriate (If this is an empirical article, be sure to briefly describe what kind of empirical study was done as part of the evidence) Grading: great 4; ok 2; poor 1 4. Results. Very briefly summarize the important points (observations, conclusions, findings) and take home messages in the article. Please do not repeat lists of items in the articles just summarize the essence of these if you feel they are necessary to include. Grading: great 8; ok 5; poor 2 5. Class Readings 1. Does this article directly cite any of the class readings, i. e. , does any class reading appear explicitly in its bibliography or reference section? If not, state this explicitly. If so, clearly describe how the authors use the cited article. How does the article you are reviewing relate to and/or build upon the class article it cites? If this article does not cite any class readings then just state this. (If you do not state this explicitly, you will not receive credit for this section. ) Do not discuss any other readings, such as other readings on the same topic or by the same author. Save any discussions of similar articles for your synthesis section below. 2. Do any of the class readings cite your article (besides the textbook)? If so, clearly describe how. If no class readings cite your article, then write in your review No class readings cite this article. (If you do not state this explicitly, you will not receive credit for this section. ) Be sure to add all references you cite to the bibliography. Grading: great 4; ok 2; poor 1 {If none, then score 4 by default if this has been stated explicitly. } 6. Contributions An article makes a contribution by adding to the knowledge of researchers in a research field. An article can make a contribution to the research field in many ways. Does it provide a new way to look at a problem? Does it bring together or synthesize several concepts (or frameworks, models, etc. ) together in an insightful way that has not been done before? Does it provide new solutions? Does it provide new results? Does it identify new issues? Does it provide a comprehensive survey or review of a domain? Does it provide new insights? Also, is it salient (relevant and current) to a particular scientific issue or managerial problem? Are the issues addressed introduced in a way that their relevance to practice is evident? Would answers to the questions raised in the article likely to be useful to researchers and managers? Note: Do not discuss the contributions of the technologies the article describes, but rather the contributions of the article itself! The articles contributions should be original. To the best of your knowledge, are they? Are the articles take-home messages new? Describe each contribution clearly in a separate paragraph or bullet point. Discuss why the contribution is important. Alternatively, if you believe the article makes no contributions, explain why clearly. Grading: great 8; ok 5; poor 2 7. Foundation Good research often is built upon theories and frameworks that other researchers have developed. Sometimes articles will be substantially based upon this prior work, and refer back to it in some detail. (Not all research articles will do this. ) Which theoretical foundations does this article and research build on, if any? In what ways? Include references/citations of the foundation work. (You can determine this in part from the works the article Prev Page cites. ) Note, however, that most works cited are not core foundational work, but rather just support certain aspects of the article. Similarly, do not confuse a general discussion of related topics as foundational work. If the article does not build upon key pieces of prior research, then write in your review This article does not build upon any foundation research. (If you do not state this explicitly, you will not receive credit for this section. ) Grading: great 4; ok 3; poor -1 {If none, then score 4 by default if this has been stated explicitly} 8. Synthesis with Class Materials The synthesis section should be at least one full page. Synthesis means analyzing a particular topic by comparing and contrasting it with, and thinking about it from the viewpoint of, the class materials from across the semester. These materials include the articles, models, frameworks, guidelines and other concepts weve covered. (Of course, only certain materials will be relevant for any given article. ) Note: You have to do this synthesis! You need to relate this article to other things we have studied, so by definition you will not find this analysis in the article itself! Discuss the articles research ideas and results in terms of any relevant materials covered in class or which you have found in the readings. You can also check the concepts in the to know link on the quick links portion of the course Web site. Cite these readings explicitly, including their source in the bibliography and a bibliographic marker in the text (e. g. , [Turoff et al. , 1999]). You also could analyze the approach the author took to the articles analysis and discussion. Discuss the articles approach and results in terms of one or more of the frameworks, etc. , from the text or readings, or any you find elsewhere. For example, if the authors discuss any type of information system, you could use Alters WCA analysis to examine how they approached that information system. Try to do this for all the models and frameworks, etc., which apply to your article. As part of this analysis, reference other articles youve read, when appropriate. Compare the approach, results and contribution with all articles about similar topics or with a similar approach. For example, if your article develops a new framework, compare it with Bandyopadyhahs Prev Page framework criteria (and vice versa whoever does Bandyopadyhahs article could test his criteria on frameworks from the other readings). Include any articles you cite in the bibliography and use bibliographic markers in the text. For all of these, do your synthesis comparison in as much depth as you can! Grading: four items up to 20 points total (12 points plus 8 points extra credit) for each item: great 5 ok 2; poor 1 Great: discussed deeply and relating the article in detail with the synthesized models and frameworks. OK: the synthesized information is only discussed in general 9. Analysis Note: Many people assume this category is the same as General Critique. It is not. General Critique is a different category from this, and follows below. What has changed since the article was written? How do its lessons, ideas and theories still apply? To what extent has its issues been resolved? Grading: great 4; ok 2; poor 1 Additional Analysis Optionally, try applying the articles models, frameworks and guidelines, etc. yourself. Do you find them useful? In addition, you may optionally add your own additional analysis in a separate subsection. (Do not repeat the authors analysis in the paper you could summarize this as part of the results section. ) Grading: this section is extra credit only: great 8; ok 5; poor 2 10. General Critique In this section you should state your opinions of how well (or poorly) the authors did their research and presented the research results in the article. Your critique can contain both positive and negative comments. Justify and explain in detail each of your critique points in a separate paragraph of at least 4-5 sentences. The following are suggestions only: †¢ Does it build upon the appropriate foundation (i. e. , upon appropriate Prev Page prior research)? †¢ Did the authors choose the correct approach, and then execute it properly? †¢ How confident are you in the articles results, and why? †¢ Are its ideas really new, or do the authors simply repackage old ideas and perhaps give them a new name? †¢ Do the authors discuss everything they promise in the articles introduction and outline? †¢ What are the articles shortcomings (faults) and limitations (boundaries)? Did it discuss all of the important aspects and issues in its domain (topic area)? †¢ In what way should the article have made a contribution, but then did not? †¢ Do the authors make appropriate comparisons to similar events, cases or occurrences? †¢ How complete and thorough a job did the authors do? Do the authors include an adequate discussion, analysis and conclusions? Did they justify everything adequately? Did they provide enough background information for the intended audience to understand it? For you to understand it? †¢ Were there adequate and appropriate examples and illustrations? For full credit, ask yourself these questions when justifying your critique points: †¢ why/why not? †¢ how? †¢ what distinguishes the differences/different approaches, and in what ways? Grading: four items up to 16 points total (10 points plus 6 points extra credit) for each item: great 4; ok 2; poor 1 11c. Further Critique of a Conceptual Article *** only for conceptual articles {adapted from guidelines from Dr. Dan Robey, Georgia State University} A critique of a conceptual article examines the logic of the arguments made by the authors. Both strengths and weaknesses should be identified in a critique. Explain and justify each of your critique points in at least 3-4 sentences. Give examples whenever possible. To the best of your abilities, discuss each of the following categories in a separate paragraph: 1. LOGICAL CONSISTENCY: Do any parts of the article or research contradict or invalidate other parts? If so, have the authors acknowledged and explained this adequately? 2. COHERENCE: Does the article make sense? Did the authors approach this article (and this research) sensibly? Does the article develop Prev Page  an argument that follows a coherent line of reasoning? Are the boundaries of the argument reasonably well defined? Does the argument anticipate most, if not all, rival arguments? Does the article flow in a logical sequence? Do later parts build logically upon earlier parts? 3. SUBSTANCE: Does the article provide an argument or a line of reasoning that offers insight into important issues, or does it merely summarize previous studies in a shallow way that does not reflect depth of analysis? Does the article provide ways (a model, framework, guidelines, etc. ) to guide future thinking about the issue(s) the author is addressing? 4. FOCUS: Is there a clear audience that the authors address? Was the article written at the appropriate level for this audience? Grading: for each: great 3 ok 2; poor 1 11e. Further Critique of an Empirical Article *** only for empirical articles {adapted from guidelines from Dr. Dan Robey, Georgia State University} A critique of an empirical article examines the strength of the empirical evidence supporting the authors argument. Both strengths and weaknesses should be identified in a critique. Explain and justify each of your critique points in at least 3-4 sentences. To the best of your abilities, discuss each of the following categories in a separate paragraph: 1. CLARITY: Is the articles purpose and argument clear? Do the researchers clearly develop a major research question, proposition, or hypothesis that is to be evaluated in the empirical study and discussed in this article? If the study is exploratory (preliminary), is sufficient justification for an exploratory strategy given? 2. THEORETICAL GROUNDING: Is the researchers argument grounded in more basic theory? Is it clear whether the structure of the empirical study (i. e. , what they do) was derived from theory, or just made up? In theory-building articles, is the need for new theory adequately established? 3. DESIGN OF RESEARCH INVESTIGATION: Is it clear exactly how the empirical study was carried out? Is the design of the research approach (field study, experiments, questionnaires, etc. both contents and how they will be used) adequate to address the common threats to internal and external validity? Have appropriate controls been established, and is the selection of research sites justified? Are the hypotheses and experiments, Prev Page etc. , significant? 4. MEASUREMENT: Empirical studies can have quantitative measurements (i. e., numeric results) and qualitative or subjective measurements. Are the measures used adequately described (i. e. , what is measured in the study and how)? Are data on the reliability and validity of these measures reported? Does the article feel anecdotal or solidly supported with evidence? For example, in case or field studies, are the results well documented? Is it clear who the subjects were, and with whom interviews were carried out? Were important results cross-checked, i. e. , determined across a range of subjects or just gotten from one or two subjects? 5. ANALYSIS: Is the analysis of empirical data conducted properly? Do the data conform to the requirements of any statistical tests used? Are qualitative data adequately described and presented? 6. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: In discussing the results of the empirical study, do the authors remain true to the actual findings of the study? Are the claims made in the conclusion of the article actually supported by the empirical data? If the study is exploratory, do the authors offer research questions or hypotheses for future research? 7. BIASES: Do the biases of the authors affect the design of the research or the interpretation of the results? Are the authors aware of potential biases and the affect on the study? Grading: for each: great 2 ok/poor 1 12. Issues (listed by the author) What open questions or issues has the author stated remain unresolved? Discuss each in a separate paragraph of 5-10 sentences. Each issues paragraph should take the following format: †¢ what is the issue? †¢ why do you believe this is an important issue? †¢ in what way is it unresolved †¢ suggestions for resolving it if you give your own suggestions (instead of or in addition to the authors, then precede each with I would propose If it has been resolved since the article was written, then state how it was resolved. Note: If you have any critiques in this section, they most likely belong in the General Critique section instead. Grading: 3 items up to 9 points total (6 points plus 3 points extra Prev Page credit) for each item: great 3; ok 2; poor 1 13. Issues (in your opinion) List several open questions or issues which remain unresolved in your opinion? For example, what possible future research questions could arise from this article? Discuss each in a separate paragraph of 5-10 sentences. Each issues paragraph should take the following format: †¢ what is the issue? †¢ why do you believe this is an important issue? †¢ in what way is it unresolved †¢ suggestions for resolving it Note: If you have any critiques in this section, they most likely belong in the General Critique section instead. Grading: 4 items up to 12 points total (6 points plus 6 points extra credit) for each item: great 3; ok 2; poor 1 14. Impact To determine how much impact this article has had, do a citation analysis. Discuss what this citation analysis shows, and why; dont just list the citations! (See the Citation Analysis Guidelines (.doc) and Handout (. pdf) posted on the course Web site. ) If the article has no citations, then write in your review I found no citations in the Science Citation Index, the Social Sciences Citation Index or on the Internet. Then clearly explain why you believe there were no citations at all. If you found citations in some indexes or on the Internet but not the others, then explain this as well. Include your citation lists in an appendix to your review (see below for details). Grading impact discussion: great 3; ok 2; poor 1 15. Questions List three insightful questions of your own, arising from this article. Do Prev Page not ask definitions, but rather questions that really make one think. Grading: 3 questions, up to 6 points total for each question: great/ok 2; poor 1 16. Annotated Bibliography For every item you have cited in your report, you need a full reference and an annotation explaining it. This includes references to any class materials, as well as the three additional citations utilized in sections 6-14. 1. List the full bibliographic references (authors, title, journal name, volume, issue, year, page numbers, etc. ) for anything you have cited in your review. IMPORTANT: This is NOT the bibliography listed at the end of the article. It is the bibliographic references for any readings you yourself referred to inside your review. 2. Write 2-4 sentences describing the article. 3. Write 2-3 sentences describing why you cited it. Also, be sure that you have included a bibliographic marker to each (such as [Bieber Smith, 2001]) in the text of your review. Grading: -5 if missing references; -3 if you mention the authors explicitly in your text and put the references in this bibliography section, but forget to explicitly place citation markers in your text. 17. Citation Analysis Appendix There is a separate page on the course Web site describing citation analysis. This appendix will have three sections: †¢ the citations you found in the Science Citation Index †¢ the citations you found in the Social Sciences Citation Index †¢ the citations you found through a thorough Web search on the Internet If the article has no citations for any of these three, then write in that section I found no citations in the [Science Citation Index or the Social Sciences Citation Index or on the Internet]. Note, if your article has more than 20 citations, you only need to include a selection of them: †¢ State how many citations each index has and the Web search found †¢ List Prev Page 1-2 citations for each year in which the article has been cited. Try to include citations from several different journals spread over your selection ? Include a citation analysis to see who has cited it and how.

Substance abuse Essay Example for Free

Substance abuse Essay Substance abuse is the manner in which the use of a specific drug is used that is outside the specified usage. For instance drug abuse, drug addiction and chemical dependency all point to the same i. e. abuse. Hence the use of drugs or chemicals outside the specifications prescribed by the doctor or the norms followed in society is all a definition for substance abuse. When someone uses drugs or chemicals in a manner that is not prescribed by the doctor, then, there are symptoms that mostly follow the use. They mostly vary depending on the substance used. The common types of a person who has an abuse on any substance are:†¢ There is significant impairment or distress in the person that will always show in a period of about 12 months; †¢ There is physical hazard to the user where for instance the person is supposed to operate machines; †¢ There is also failure to be able to perform specific tasks like at school or at work hence poor output that is one cannot fully concentrate. †¢ The person might also become an enemy to the law hence display oneself in a conduct that is not impressive to the society; †¢ Lack of control to the emotions or cannot be one who keeps good relationship with close family or friend; †¢ Alcohol causes sedation and relief of anxiety when used in high consumptions there is slurred speech, ataxia, impaired judgment, and disinherited behavior. The person in picture here being an actress in the SHERRYBABY has been portrayed as being a nuisance to the public and also to the workmates. This seen so because she has been in prison due to the use of heroin. In specific acts in her movie, she tries to also show the steps that any addict of any illegal substance might be able to follow. For instance in one of the movies she follows the track where an addict does i.e. her ability is totally shuttered when she portrays where she drops of a hat, she makes Sherry Swanson turn from sexual to vulnerable, violent to passive, indifferent to invested, self-assured to insecure. Through it all, she is endearing enough to win over even the most ignorant viewers the kind who shields their eyes when in real-life Sherry’s pass them on the street. Chronic alcohol consumption profoundly affects the function of several vital organs, particularly the liver and the nervous, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems. Ethanol has direct toxicity. In addition, since it is a very weak drug that requires concentrations, thousands of times higher than other misused drugs (e. g. , cocaine, opiates, and amphetamines) to produce its intoxicating effects, it is often consumed in quantities large enough to qualify it as a food. Consumption of large amounts of alcohol increases the mortality rate of any consumer, though light to moderate drinkers have a chance of having between changing the habit or also increasing the chances too (Linda A.Mooney, David Knox, Caroline Schacht, 2005). Deaths linked to alcohol use are caused by the cancerous diseases, liver failure suicidal wishes and accidents when driving and the use of machines. In most cases, the drunken take this alcohol with an aim of forgetting their problems, some take alcohol to raise their sexual urge and ability to work. However, according to research, excessive abuse of alcohol does not help one to forget his or her own problems. This is a fact that most drug abuse victims do not have an idea about. In the Sherry Baby movie, this is clearly brought about when Sherry Swanson turn from sexual to vulnerable, violent to passive, indifferent to invested, self-assured to insecure. There are so many effects of the use of illegal substances but the following are the effects that are encountered by the user. They are: 1. Tolerance and physical dependence -The consumption of alcohol in high doses over a long period results in tolerance and in physical and psychological dependence. That is, the victim is not in a position to make independent decisions or handle a situation on his own. 2. Neurotoxicity- Consumption of large amounts of alcohol over extended periods (usually years) can also lead to neurological deficits. That is, some body functions will not take place normally. 3. Cardiovascular System: Alcohol alters the cardiovascular system in many ways. Heavy alcohol consumption of long duration is associated with a dilated cardiomyopathy with ventricular hypertrophy and fibrosis. 4. Blood: Alcohol indirectly affects hematopoiesis through metabolic and nutritional effects and may also directly inhibit the proliferation of all cellular elements in bone marrow. The most common hematological disorder seen in chronic drinkers is mild anemia resulting from alcohol-related folic acid deficiency. 5. Endocrine System and Electrolyte Balance: Chronic alcohol use has important effects on the endocrine system and on mineral and fluid and electrolyte balance. 6. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Chronic maternal alcohol abuse during pregnancy is associated with important teratogenic effects on the offspring. Therefore, pregnant mothers are not allowed to consume this substance. 7. Immune System: Alcoholics have a higher than normal rate of infection and are especially prone to respiratory infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. This is the reason why most of the cough during cold seasons. 8. Increased Risk of Cancer: Chronic alcohol use increases the risk for cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and liver. Reference Thomson Wadsworth (2006) Understanding Social Problems; Wadsworth Publishing. Page 161-186.

Process of Job Evaluation and Determining Pay

Process of Job Evaluation and Determining Pay Motivation is the process by which the behaviour of an individual is influenced by others, through their power to offer or withhold satisfaction of the individuals needs and goals. (BPP Learning Media, 2010) Motivation theories are divided into two different viewpoints. See content and process theories of motivation in (Appendix 1). Content theories emphasis what motivations are, whereas process theories emphasise the real process of motivation. On the other hand reward is something that employees achieve during their work. It can be financial when the company pays for their performance and it can be non-financial which in this case means that the company rewards employees by promotion, achievement and praise. Maslow puts forward a theory that there are five levels of human needs which employees need to have fulfilled at work (Mullins, 2005). See (Appendix 2). Maslow mentions in his theory that managers following this theory deflect their attentiveness to offering complementary pleasing relationships, more attractive work, and more opportunities for self-fulfillment. On the other hand, Herzberg in his theory suggests that there are two basic needs of individuals such as hygiene factors (environmental factors) and motivation factors. See (Appendix 3). Managers following Herzbergs theory reject money as a motivator and pay attention to supplying more job enhancements. According to McGregors theory, managers may follow two different theories which is theory X and theory Y. Pursuant to theory X, the average employee dislikes work and will avoid it whether he/she knows what to do or not, that is why employers suggest Theory Y which leads them to do excellent job and managers offer opportunities to have a job done. However, McClelland focuses interest on providing employees with the capability to persuade their needs for success, power, and relationship. Companies use both positive amplification and negative amplification to motivate employees. Managers may use positive motivation techniques to persuade employees to create good quality job. Some managers may use negative motivation techniques to encourage employees and stop them from bad manners. However, companies reward their employees with both touchable products, as well as admire. Mangers may reward their employees by providing weekly or monthly bonus or free lunches, many managers reward their top employees by praising them. For example: Tesco uses two motivation theories Maslows and Herzbergs, see both hierarchies in (Appendix 4). Tesco uses Maslows theory because it suggests the company if they achieve one level then it motivates them to achieve the next one. Also Tesco aims to motivate its staff both by paying interest to hygiene factors and by enabling satisfiers. For example, Tesco motivates its staff by good communication, by giving responsibility and involving employees in decision making. Tesco allows the staffs to be part of the talks on pay rises. This shows credit of the work that staff does and rewards them. In Tesco, they reward staff for their works because it keeps motivating them at work and will carry on applying different motivation theories at work. Monetary reward uses by Tesco in a way of getting employees to welcome the complete value of their benefits package. Tesco also follows pension system and this usually includes pension assistance that the employer creates on the employees behalf and being process in payroll department. They also reward employees by giving them extra benefits such as car insurance and private medical insurance, by special offers and discounts. See Tescos reward system in (Appendix 5). Evaluate the process of job evaluation and other factors determining pay The Process of Job Evaluation: Job evaluation is a systematic process for defining the relative worth or size of jobs within an organisation in order to establish internal relativities. It provides the basis for designing an equitable grade and pay structure, grading jobs in the structure and managing job and pay relativities.(Armstrong, 2006) Job evaluation is really an extensive process and it must follow in a systematic approach. At the beginning of this process management must make clear to its employees the reason of this program and importance of it. After that a group has been fixed where all the knowledgeable HR specialists and employees are included. In the next step organisation chooses the job from each department that they are going to evaluate. Then the selected job is investigated in detail by the committee. Next, the committee chooses a method for the job evaluation. There are two methods that can be followed to evaluate a job and these are: Analytical points rating, factor comparison, proprietary brands; and Non-analytical job ranking, job classification, paired comparisons. The other factors determining pay: The pay, which is an award for work, can be influenced by various factors and it creates some difference between the roles and the organisations. Those factors are as follows: Size of the organisation, Seniority, Skills and experience, Industry sector, Profitability of the organisation, Employee performance. See (Appendix 6) for more detail. The effectiveness of reward systems in different contexts Bratton and Gold (2003) define a reward system as The mix of extrinsic and intrinsic rewards provided by the employer. It also consists of the integrated policies, processes, practices and administrative procedures for implementing the system within the framework of the human resources (HR) strategy and the total organisational system. There are two types of rewards: Extrinsic rewards which are tangible rewards that employee receives for their good performance, such as bonuses, salary raise, gifts, promotion, compensation and commissions. Intrinsic rewards are inclined to give personal satisfaction to an employee, such as information, feedback, recognition, trust and relationship. Employee bonus systems are positive strategies and they can provide actual motivation. Moreover to monetary thoughts; bonus systems take into account factors such as attendance, customer service, quality, group and individual performance. Also bonuses increase employees motivation and output. It improves employees morale and increases their self-esteem. However, a carefully planned bonus scheme can improve retention which helps to preserve the best employees. Salary raise is the other types of reward system and it is one of the most significant motivators for the employee, also it is the key motivation behind an employees performance. Promotion is one of the most important types of reward system, where an organisation rewards an employee by moving them from their position to a higher position. Promotion improves employees morale and job satisfaction. However, improved performance is an effectiveness of reward system; it helps the employee to perform better at work in order to get extra reward from the organisation. At the same time employees also put their efforts, skills and knowledge which help them to learn something new. However, reward system also boosts profit, where a company has good opportunity to make profit because employee works honestly and carefully. It also helps to bring positive psychological contract between employees and the organisation; it creates a better working environment and helps organisation to keep gifted, potential employees with them. Examine the methods organisations use to monitor employee performance. There are some methods that are used by Tesco to monitor their employees performance. Tesco uses observation and feedback to monitor their employees performance. In this system Tesco hires someone to monitor the performance of the employee, after that this person provides straightforward feedback. By observing and providing feedback Tesco can give the accurate shape to the employees of what is expected from them. Tesco also uses performance standards and it is one of the employee performances monitoring system where performance has been compared with the criterion and where employee needs to accomplish this criterion. In this system performance must be realistic, measurable and expressed in terms of time, quality, cost, quantity, effect, or manner of performance. Performance evaluation is another method that used by Tesco to determine the actual job performance of an employee against chosen performance standards. In Tesco employees are interviewed to talk about their performance to identify strengths and weaknesses, and to create a plan how to improve weaknesses and increase strengths. Tesco also uses a method known as 360-degree appraisal (Business Case Studies, 2013). In this method all Tescos stakeholders evaluate an employees performance and give them feedback. For example, a manager of one department gets feedback from their manager from HR department and their team. Conclusion: The conclusion of this report shows that employees motivation and reward are very important. There are many types of theories of motivation such as Maslows, Herzbergs, McClellands and McGregors theories. Each theory has a slightly different view of leaders and employees motivation. Motivation is managers action to influence employees behaviour at work, so that perform as required in order to achieve organisational goals. Reward management can be view as a type of management practice where employees are rewarded for their performance. Rewards can be tangible and intangible benefits for the employee as part of employment relationship. Employees consider the reward as a return in exchange of their performance being appreciated by their employer.

The Computer Geek :: Definition Computer Geek Essays

The Computer Geek What defines a true computer geek? People have several different views on what a computer geek actually consists of. It is important to notice how society places certain people into this category automatically without even knowing much about them. Growing up with all sorts of television shows, most of the time there would be a nerdy character. That is how I believe my definition for a computer geek formed. Like all ideas in life, there was some kind of influence that shaped it. When I think computer geek, I see a tall, lanky, eyeglass wearing guy. Not to be sexist, but I do not really think of a computer geek as a girl. Considering the fact that computers are advanced technology, it is only natural for computer geeks to be smart. They know all there is to know about computers, along with all the equipment that comes with it. For example, a broken printer or web camera would not threaten a computer geek. Also, not only do they know about computers, but usually know a lot about math or science. As I mentioned before, television shows, like Saved by the Bell had characters like Samuel â€Å"Screech† Powers. To me, he is the ultimate computer geek. His character was clumsy and sometimes lacked common sense. Screech would walk into walls, knock things over, and tends to have a â€Å"big mouth†. If you needed to tell someone a secret, your best choice would not be Screech. He never cared about fashion, so stylish clothes were insignifican t to him. Media created this kind of image in many television shows for their characters. Another thing that comes to my mind when I think about the profile of a computer geek is that they tend to be very introverted. Usually they keep to themselves and of course they â€Å"play† on their computers. The one thing that I think is really cool about the stereotypical computer geek is that they are real people. Cool meaning, unnatural of a stereotype. Most of the time stereotypes have a bad connotation. They do not try to be someone they are not. In other words they are not fake by not trying to impress anyone. Maybe they don’t have the greatest social skills. The Computer Geek :: Definition Computer Geek Essays The Computer Geek What defines a true computer geek? People have several different views on what a computer geek actually consists of. It is important to notice how society places certain people into this category automatically without even knowing much about them. Growing up with all sorts of television shows, most of the time there would be a nerdy character. That is how I believe my definition for a computer geek formed. Like all ideas in life, there was some kind of influence that shaped it. When I think computer geek, I see a tall, lanky, eyeglass wearing guy. Not to be sexist, but I do not really think of a computer geek as a girl. Considering the fact that computers are advanced technology, it is only natural for computer geeks to be smart. They know all there is to know about computers, along with all the equipment that comes with it. For example, a broken printer or web camera would not threaten a computer geek. Also, not only do they know about computers, but usually know a lot about math or science. As I mentioned before, television shows, like Saved by the Bell had characters like Samuel â€Å"Screech† Powers. To me, he is the ultimate computer geek. His character was clumsy and sometimes lacked common sense. Screech would walk into walls, knock things over, and tends to have a â€Å"big mouth†. If you needed to tell someone a secret, your best choice would not be Screech. He never cared about fashion, so stylish clothes were insignifican t to him. Media created this kind of image in many television shows for their characters. Another thing that comes to my mind when I think about the profile of a computer geek is that they tend to be very introverted. Usually they keep to themselves and of course they â€Å"play† on their computers. The one thing that I think is really cool about the stereotypical computer geek is that they are real people. Cool meaning, unnatural of a stereotype. Most of the time stereotypes have a bad connotation. They do not try to be someone they are not. In other words they are not fake by not trying to impress anyone. Maybe they don’t have the greatest social skills.

John Locke On Property Essay example -- Empiricists, Empiricism

In the Second Treatise of Government by John Locke, he writes about the right to private property. In the chapter which is titled â€Å"Of Property† he tells how the right to private property originated, the role it plays in the state of nature, the limitations that are set on the rights of private property, the role the invention of money played in property rights and the role property rights play after the establishment of government.. In this chapter Locke makes significant points about private property. In this paper I will summarize his analysis of the right to private property, and I will give my opinion on some of the points Locke makes in his book. According to Locke, the right to private property originated when God gave the world to men. Locke makes the argument that when God created the world for man, he gave man reason to make use of the world to the best advantage of life, and convenience. What he means by that is, that God made this world for man, and when he made it he gave man the right to use what is in this world to his benefit. Locke explains that every man has property in his own person, and that nobody has any right to that property but that person. The author states that â€Å"whatsoever then he removes out of the state of nature hath provided, and left it in, he hath mixed his labour with, and joined to it something that is his own, and thereby makes it his property (Locke pg. 19)†. What Locke means by that statement is that once a person removes something o...