Labor Union Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Labor Union Relations - Essay Example One should believe that labor unions would not come into existence if the two-tier wage systems are kept at a safe distance from the shores of the organization. This is a classic case of understanding the employees’ perspectives where the main emphasis is on setting things right and thus making all the employees feel well with the operational policies and standard wage structures. However this hardly happens and the end result leads up to a good amount of problems for the two tiers, and in essence the employees and labors themselves who feel the pinch in the best of times. More than anything else, it is the resilience of the organization which is not easily digested by the labor unions which are against the dictum of having two-tier wage systems in place. This is something that does not go down well with the people at large within the aegis of an organization that has seriously adopted the incorporation of two tiers within its wage systems. The element of fairness or the lack thereof creeps into the equation for all the right reasons. The labor unions usually fight for the sake of having a wage system which is based on fairness and does not have any problems for all and sundry.

How Assumptions Influence Our Behavior Essay Example for Free

How Assumptions Influence Our Behavior Essay Assumption analysis describes the activity adults engage in to bring to awareness beliefs, values, cultural practices, and social structures regulating behavior and to assess their impact on daily activities. Assumptions may be paradigmatic, prescriptive, or causal (Brookfield 1995). Assumptions structure our way of seeing reality, govern our behavior, and describe how relationships should be ordered. Assumption analysis as a first step in the critical reflection process makes explicit our taken-for-granted notions of reality. Contextual awareness is achieved when adult learners come to realize that their assumptions are socially and personally created in a specific historical and cultural context. Imaginative speculation provides an opportunity for adults to challenge prevailing ways of knowing and acting by imagining alternative ways of thinking about phenomena (Cranton 1996). The outcome of assumption analysis, contextual awareness, and imaginative speculation is reflective skepticism-the questioning of any universal truth claims or unexamined patterns of interaction. Former president Ronald Reagan simply assumed that everyone he encountered would like him; this belief was part of the fabric of his personality. The results were intriguing, in that even his enemies were attracted to him socially. His arch-nemesis in Congress, Democratic leader Thomas Tip ONeil, commented that while he hated Reagans policies, on the personal level, I find it impossible to dislike the guy. At the other extreme, premature cognitive commitments too often work against us. A childhood friend, whom I considered brilliant when we were kids, in his mid-forties confessed to me that he had lived beneath his potential for much of his life. In sixth grade, he explained, his teacher belittled his work in such a way that it left him convinced he was incapable of academic learning. That conviction, which he carried throughout his teenage years and into adulthood, caused him to avoid challenging courses in junior high and high school, to stay away from college, and to settle for a job that didnt tap his capabilities well. Only now was he beginning to revisit that assumption, and to realize just how greatly it had restricted his choices (Smith 2004). Becoming fully aware of our default assumptions can take work, reflection and determination, and the help of a counselor or trusted friend can be invaluable in the process. Yet the task is typically not Herculean either. If our negative expectations spring from a traumatic past experience, to be sure, the task of uncovering repressed memories may be painful, and may require special help. This is the extreme case, though. References Brookfield, S. (1995) Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass, Cranton, P, (1996) Professional Development as Transformative Learning: New Perspectives for Teachers of Adults. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. Smith, Blaine M (2004) Reshaping Assumptions That Shape Our Life: Damascus, MD

Nursing Essays Weaning Patient Ventilation

Nursing Essays Weaning Patient Ventilation Weaning Patient Ventilation Introduction The indications of mechanical ventilation are many. The main idea is patients are put to artificial ventilation to satisfy their bodies demand for oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide, since they cannot do this by themselves. Mechanical ventilation may be noninvasive through nasal or face masks or invasive through a tracheotomy tube. The time spent on mechanical ventilation varies. It may be few hours as in cases of heart failure or obstructive airway disease. It may be for longer time as in cases of head injury or premature babies. Other patients may stay on artificial ventilation for unknown time as those in comas or with neurological condition where there is paralysis of the respiratory muscles. Being an aided respiration, so weaning and returning to the normal way of respiration has to be tried. However, the question remains when to wean and how to wean (Pruitt, 2006). When to wean a patient from a ventilator Frutos-Vivar and Esteban (2003) suggested an evidence-based weaning protocol on three steps. In step 1, on treatment follow up and daily assessment, when the patient’s condition improves, there are certain criteria to look for to start the process of weaning. These criteria are A) PO2/FIO2 (fraction of inspired oxygen) is 150-300. B) When positive end expiratory pressure is equal to or less than 5 cm/H2O and C) patient is awake with stable cardiovascular condition. D) Body temperature is less than 38 degrees C and hemoglobin is at 10 g/dl or more. You can get expert help with your essays right now. Find out more The second step is to give the patient a trial of short period for 30 minutes of spontaneous respiration using either a T-tube or a pressure support ventilation of 7cm/H2O. The criteria for trial success are both objective and subjective. Objective criteria are A) gas exchange criteria of SaO2 greater than 90 percent or PaO2 greater than 60 percent with Fio2 less than 0.4-0.5 and increase in PCO2 less than 10 mm Hg or decrease in pH less than 0.1. B) Heart rate should be less than 140 a minute or increased by less than 20 percent from baseline with systolic blood pressure higher than 80-160 mm Hg or change less than 20 percent from baseline. Subjective signs include no extra work of respiratory or accessory respiratory muscles and absent signs of distress as agitation and increased sweating. If the trial succeeds, in other words the patient shows good tolerance to spontaneous respiration, the attending staff can wean the patient. If, on the other hand, the patient shows poor tolerance, the trial is to be repeated every 24 hours until good tolerance occurs, this is known as gradual weaning (Frutos-Vivar and Esteban, 2003). How to wean a patient from mechanical ventilation Weaning can be either gradual as discussed earlier or rapid. Rapid weaning is indicated in cases with no pulmonary or neurological disorders that mandate mechanical weaning. This is best illustrated in cases of postoperative indication as advised by the anesthetic consultant (Pruitt, 2006). Pruitt, 2006 suggested a 12-point protocol for rapid weaning. First, the ventilator settings are those ordered by the anesthetic consultant, 2) get arterial blood gases every 20 minutes, and always compare the results with readings of pulse oximetry and end tidal CO2 values. 3) The patient observation sheet should include A- level of consciousness, B- temperature, and hemoglobin level. C- Gas exchange criteria and respiratory rate. All values discussed before apply for the timing of rapid weaning with slight variations among medical centers. 4) Decrease intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV) rate by two breaths/minute when the patient is awake and alert, responding appropriately, and assisting the ventilator. The patient SpO2 is greater than 92%, ETCO2 (end tidal CO2) is less than 40 mm Hg, and hemodynamic values are acceptable. Acceptable hemodynamic values are heart rate less than 120 a minute with no serious arrhythmias. 5) Blood pressure is greater than 100 mm Hg systolic. In open-heart surgery, cardiac index, greater than two liters/minute/m2 without intraaortic balloon pump therapy, and chest tube drainage less than 100 ml/hour. If the patient is stable 15 to 30 minutes after the IMV rate is changed, continue decreasing the IMV rate by two breaths a minute every 15 to 30 minutes. Continue as long as the patient’s SpO2 stays above 92%, his ETCO2 is less than 40 mm Hg, and hemodynamic values are acceptable. Stop when the IMV rate equals two breaths a minute. 6) adjust the FIO2 to 0.4 in increments of 0.05 to 0.1 as long as the patient’s SpO2 is above 92%. 7) If the patient is receiving positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of more than five cm H2O, decrease PEEP by five cm H2O every 30 minutes until PEEP is equal to five cm H2O, as long as the patient SpO2 is above 92%. Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers 8) Get an arterial blood gas analysis as needed and report the anesthesia consultant if the patient SpO2 falls below 92% or ETCO2 rises above 40 mm Hg or if he shows any signs of agitation or distress. 9) Discontinue weaning if the patient cannot maintain acceptable hemodynamic, neurological, or respiratory parameters. Return to previous ventilator settings and notify the anesthetist. 10) When the IMV rate equals two breaths a minute, get an arterial blood gas analysis, and correlate the results with the patient’s SpO2 and ETCO2 values. Get pulmonary function tests; the patient’s tidal volume should be greater than 5 cc/kg, spontaneous respiratory rate between 8 and 30 breaths/minute, vital capacity greater than 15 cc/kg, minute ventilation less than 10 liters/minute, and maximal inspiratory pressure less than -20 cm H2O. If readiness to wean criteria, haemodynamic, and lung mechanics criteria are met, place the patient on a T-tube at the current FIO2 and perform a spontaneous breathing trial. 11) Get an arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis if the patient tolerates the spontaneous breathing trial for 30 minutes (as evidenced by the patient ability to stay on the T-piece with acceptable neurological, hemodynamic, and respiratory parameters). 12) If the ABG results are in the acceptable criteria range, the patient will be extubated. Place the patient on supplemental oxygen at 5 to 6 liters/minute via nasal cannula (passive ventilation) to keep his Spo2 over 92%. References Pruitt, B. (2006). Weaning patients from mechanical ventilation. Nursing, 36 (9), 36-41. Frutos-Vivar, F. and Esteban, A (2003). When to wean from a ventilator: An evidence-based strategy. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 70 (5), 389-400.

Using Computers in My Work :: Exploratory Essays

Using Computers in My Work What comes to mind when you hear the word computer? When I realized what profession that I wanted to go into I didn’t realized just how much computers will affect me. I decided around the age of sixteen or seventeen that I wanted to become an executive protection specialist, also known as a bodyguard. I never really gave it much thought about it. After putting some thought into it I discovered that computers in general, especially laptops, will play an important part in a bodyguard’s daily day to day business in the near future. But there are some disadvantages of using laptop computer also. There are many advantages for using a laptop. One, you can make out a detailed itinerary anywhere that your client may take you, let it be on an airplane or in a limo. Second, with the small size, the laptops that are on today’s market, they can almost go anywhere and everywhere that you could possible imagine! With an Internet connection, at your hotel, you would have instant connection readily available to the World Wide Web without having to monkey around with a conventional computer desktop that would consist of having to haul around the big tower, monitor, and speakers. This could be an important asset being able to check out what going around different parts of the county or even in a specific part of the world if your client is heading that way. You then could be notified about any potential trouble spots. Another example could be if you’re away with your client for a long period of time, you could use the laptop and Internet capability to keep in touch wit h family and friends. Since there are so many computer manufacturers out on the market these days this causes the price of the laptops to go down and the quality to go up. Even having the same capacity of the desktop computers. Nevertheless, with all the great thing about laptop computers, there is a negative aspects as well.

New Hampshire and Deforestation

Nick Gagliardi Jay Knower Composition December 2, 2011 New Hampshire and Deforestation Many people today see New Hampshire as a woods infested state with so much beautiful nature and an incredible amount plants, lakes, and wild life. Most people who live here think there is so much forests that when deforestation occurs, they believe it doesn’t pose a threat or make a dent. The Granite State has been a victim of deforestation for many years and it has believed to be getting worse every year but to a larger group, it has been actually getting better.Could it be turning into a problem today or a bigger problem in the future? Is deforestation becoming a problem for New Hampshire? New Hampshire, with 78. 4% forest cover, is currently the second most forested state in the country with Maine being the first. However, the forest cover has been steadily declining since the 1980s. â€Å"This loss is about 17,500 acres per year, mostly due to land development† and â€Å"Every da y, the average person in the USA will consume about 4. 5 pounds of wood, that's a little over a third of a two-by-four.Over the course of a year, that adds up to a 16-18†³ tree, a hundred feet tall† (Forest Service). Each year, the nation plants more than 5 new trees for each American. Wood is a renewable resource. As long as forests are not converted by development, harvesting trees does not result in an increase of carbon in the atmosphere. Today there are certain foundations and things to do to prevent deforestation. Although we need wood to cut down for certain things, we plant three trees for every tree we cut down.This is called the 3 to 1 Ratio by Society Protecting New Hampshire Forest’s. About one hundred years ago the White Mountains didn’t look so well according to the many photographs taken of the mountain sides stripped of all the trees of what was once a virgin forest. The forest wasn’t looking so well with the â€Å"streams choked with silt from eroding hillsides, and ash from forest fires falling on nearby towns† (Govatski 2009). Factory owners had to deal with the floods after too much rain and then the droughts in the summer. Hotel wners weren’t getting any customers from the looks of things and complaints and by the twentieth century, â€Å"a growing consensus between widely diverse interests was building that something had to be done in  the White Mountains† (Govatski 2009). With still much interest in the eastern mountains, a Congressional action engaged at the turn of the last century to put off forest preserves in the massive areas of public domain land in the West. Still a lot of people form the East pursued ways to create such Forests. It mostly just focused on the southern Appalachians and the White Mountains.After a lot of failed presentations, many New England and Eastern organizations worked together to obtain an act introduced by Congressman John W. Weeks of Massachusetts. The Weeks Act was passed on Feb. 15th of 1911, signed by President Taft, which authorized â€Å"Federal purchase of forest lands at the head of navigable streams. The Act also provided for cooperation in fire control between federal and state authorities† (Govatski 2009). The Weeks Act was believed to have put in action when the â€Å"textile mills and rivers were starting to get polluted† (Pruyn).In an interview with Michele Pruyn at PSU, she noted that because of this water pollution and loss of tourists really woke a lot of New Hampshire people and the State and Federal Government. â€Å"This Weeks Act allowed the Federal and State Government to control all deforestation in NH† (Pruyn). Now that they were in charge of the forests, private land owners and factory owners were not allowed to cut wherever they wanted to or cut as many trees as they wanted. The Government had to look it over and enforce the 3 to 1 ratio rule and ban cutting near rivers and lakes beca use of water pollution.By cutting trees near water, debris could then easily get into the water and the air would then get smoggy from the cutting of the trees. Now people are only aloud to clear dead or only trees that are in polluted forests and after they would plant three trees for every tree they cut. Some say the Weeks Act saved the forests of New Hampshire. The law established a National Forest Reservation Commision to determine what lands would be purchased. It seized 9 million dollars for every 5 million acres of forest land in the Appalachians and another million for the White Mountains. By 1918 land purchase in New Hampshire culminated in the formation of the White Mountain National Forest. These were â€Å"the lands that nobody wanted† but the Weeks Law saved† (PSU). Since then New Hampshire has had a one hundred percent growth rate. Today people are concerned about what they call the â€Å"Northern Pass† and what will it do o the land what’s g oing to happen. You see many stickers on the bumpers of cars everywhere and sign in yards of all people who are against it but there are also a lot of people who believe that it will help very much.In support, people would have access to 1,200 megawatts of cheap, low-carbon, reusable hydro power which is equivalent to the Seabrook Nuclear Power Station. It would have a â€Å"New high-voltage transmission and converter capacity adding needed robustness to the North American power grid† (NNEV). Also, it will be a new source of property taxes in economically-challenged areas of NH. The Northern Pass is believed that it bring a â€Å"10 percent reduction in CO2 2018† (NNEV). Many land owners of New Hampshire are opposed to the situation relating the Northern Pass.Citizens of NH believe that it will bring a â€Å"Negative environmental impact of the towers, right-of-way, and construction† (NNEV). Also, there aren’t many people who want a big space of cleared l and near their homes with power lines and have to look at that every day. Some say that the visual impact will discourage tourism which is the regions number 1 industry. It is also believed that it will bring â€Å"Negative health effects from the electro-magnetic radiation on people living nearby and on the wildlife† NNEV).There are certainly many opinions on this ordeal and for some people you won’t ever be able to change their minds and that’s something they will always live with. The Northern Pass brings a negative effect on people regarding deforestation in NH and gives some people a positive effect to people who don’t think deforestation is a problem in NH. I think New Hampshire has so many people that want to cherish the forests here forever and never let it die and there are so many groups out there who are fighting for the land just like in the war only this is for trees and no guns are included.There is a â€Å"Conservation Alliance that contri butes $25,000 to help protect 400+ acres on Mount Monadnock† (Forest Society). It ended up being successful. Also, The Forest Society in New Hampshire is also trying to preserve 404 acres in Jaffrey and Marlborough that have old beautiful hiking trails and precious wildlife. These efforts will also protect the mountain view of Monadnock that you can see across the region. â€Å"Mount Monadnock is one of the most hiked mountains in the Western Hemisphere† (Forest Society). On your way driving to Plymouth, NH, you can see a large cloud of smoke coming from what looks like a factory.That place is called the Bridgewater Power Company and they are known for using â€Å"biomass for energy and using renewable resource with healthy transportation which is huge† (Pruyn). This place was probably started to be heard of in 1987 when it began commercial operations. â€Å"Power was constructed and brought into service in 11 months for less than $1400 per installed kilowattâ⠂¬  (BPP 2011). The plant uses biomass fuel in the form of wood chips. This fuel supply originates as low value forestry waste from the regional logging industry being a renewable resource.The smoke that comes out of the top of the power plant isn’t anything to worry about either. It is just water vapor going into the air. â€Å"The trees you burn are equal to the trees you plant and no carbon dioxide will go into the air if you do that† (Pruyn). I think this is a great way to conserve the forest in New Hampshire and gives people a warm feeling that people are making large efforts to preserve the forest. As a lot of people think that the large number (17,500) of acres that is deforested each year is a scary number, many others believe it to be getting better each year instead of worse.There are always positive and negative thinking towards changes in our state like the Northern Pass. It might make some people not very happy but I may be a good change for us. I believe that with all of the organizations and the Weeks Act, New Hampshire forests will be here for a very long time if we take care of it properly and it won’t be much of a problem for us. Work Cited BBP â€Å"Bridgewater Power Plant – New Hampshire, USA. † PSEG We Make Things Work for You. 2011. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://www. pseg. com/family/holdings/global/plants/bridgewater. jsp Boesch, Nate. The Next Best Time to Plant a Tree: Deforestation in NH. † Conservation New Hampshire. June 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://conservationnh. org/land/the-next-best-time-to-plant-a-tree-deforestation-in-nh/ â€Å"Forest Society : Press Releases. † Forest Society: Welcome. 2004-2011. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://www. forestsociety. org/ Govatski, David. â€Å"Weeks Act. † Home Page. White Mountain History, 2009. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. http://whitemountainhistory. org/Weeks_Act. html NNEV. â€Å"Top 5 Reasons to Support or Oppose Proposed a Northern Passa Transmiss ion Line | Facebook. † Northern New England Villages, 1 Feb. 011. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://www. facebook. com/notes/northern-new-england-villages/top-5-reasons-to-support-or-oppose-proposed-northern-pass-transmission-line/133708956696756 State, Plymouth. â€Å"Weeks Act Centennial 2011. † Plymouth State University. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://www. plymouth. edu/center-for-rural-partnerships/weeks-act/ Service, Forest. â€Å"Frequently Asked Questions. † US Forest Service – Caring for the Land and Serving People. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://www. fs. fed. us/r9/forests/white_mountain/conservationed/faqs. html Interview: Michele Pruyn. Plymouth State Environmentalist

Profane Language in Music and MTVs Essay

We often hear from parents how difficult it is to raise children with good values. Although family plays a crucial role, environment still plays the dominant role in affecting a child’s attitude and perception. Included in this environment, and perhaps the most influential, is media. Specifically, as television becomes part of every home, people have become accustomed to watching television programs, and letting children watch on their own, without parental guidance. In this case, it is possible for children to learn from TV and imitate what they see and hear from it, thus making it more difficult for parents to identify sources and explanation for their children’s attitude. While it is the responsibility of parents to monitor their children’s behavior, media should likewise assume its role in censoring television shows that incorporate the use of profane or foul language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the government agency under the Congress in the United States responsible for regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. As such, it is also responsible to ensure that laws regarding television program requirements are being applied. For instance, in 1990, Congress enacted the Children’s Television Act (CTA) in order to increase the amount of educational and informational programming available on television. This act requires each broadcast television station to serve the educational and informational needs of children through its programming activities. Moreover, it also limits the amount of time devoted to commercial matter during children’s programs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Given that such rules on children’s programming exist, we may cite instances when the FCC may have been too lax in its campaign to serve the educational and informational needs of children, or to censor television programs in general. For instance, we may cite the phenomenal hit that music videos have among teenagers and even children under the age of thirteen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Two elements of profanity are embedded in music videos: first, the music itself, and second, the video used to interpret the music. In music, we see a direct misuse of the language while in videos, there is the indirect misuse of the language through gestures that convey violence, sex, and other taboo themes. Suffice to mention, we may include the video as part of non-verbal language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The history of American music accounts for a number of songs being banned from radio stations or states due to their obscene, profane, or racist lyrics. Among the songs included Jethro Tull’s â€Å"Locomotive Breath† which was pulled off by record executives for its lyric that said, â€Å"and the all time winner has got him by the balls.† Another one is John Lennon’s song, â€Å"Woman is the Nigger of the World† which was banned by radio stations for its racist context. Then, there was also John Denver’s hit song â€Å"Rocky Mountain High,† which suggested drug abuse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sometime in 1985, there were also moves to ban the MTV station from the local cable in Emporia, Virginia, and also in Hartford Connecticut for fear that it induced a â€Å"temporary state of insanity† (Bridgberg 1985) over patients in the Institute of Living Hospital. Hospital spokesperson Robert Fagan added that MTV is â€Å"too inciting† (Fagan 1985) and â€Å"can potentially cause hallucinations† (Mark 2003). Moreover, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence forbid playing of â€Å"Danny Boy† and other secular songs during funeral masses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although this history of banning songs and the MTV station aroused protests from music fans in general—those who believe that music should not be censored for it mirrors the souls of the artists—a lot of banning should still be done specially these days since many artists today are producing music with either direct or subliminal contexts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the phenomenal hit of music videos and rap and hip hop music come music artists like Akon, T-Pain, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, etc. who impart subliminal messages resulting in profanity in their music. For instance, Akon’s song, I Wanna Love You which has another version that alters the word â€Å"love† with the f-word, simply presents obscenity that should be censored for young listeners and viewers of the video. Another example is T-Pain’s I’m in Love with a Stripper, which talks about one man’s feelings for a stripper. Sexual undertones such as   â€Å"Teddy bend her ass down is bout to see this sexy girl in my bed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  are included in the song.    In addition, there is also Snoop Dogg’s Drop it Like it’s Hot, which suggests violence and killing with a â€Å"hot† gun. Unlike other songs, however, which do not contain a good message, the song is in narrative form, ending with a message to gangsters regarding being caught and paying the price of killing, as suggested in the line, â€Å"You’re family’s crying, now you on the news.† Also another artist that uses profane language is Eminem. In most of his music, Eminem utters the word â€Å"fuck† a lot of times, and introduces violence, although just like Snoop Dogg in Drop it Like it’s Hot, Eminem generally imparts message regarding the consequences of violence and doing bad things.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It follows that when these songs appear as music videos, they feature sexy women in lingeries or bikinis, either dancing or lying in bed. As children listen to the songs on TV, they consciously and subconsciously absorb these languages and the images incorporated in the songs. This could be the reason why a lot of Americans are fond of using the f-word nowadays because we hear it almost everywhere, specially from media sources such as the television.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though the modern generation has learned to accept this kind of music and the present market promotes it, there should still be a limitation as to the amount of profane language contained in a song. Basically, it is the duty of the government to ban these songs to protect the innocence of children. However, every artist should also remember to bear the responsibility of incorporating good message into their songs instead of the negative themes mentioned such as sex and violence. The rampant use of these two themes should be limited to a certain degree if we want to pursue peace and maintain society’s decency.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also, most often, the victims of artists who abuse their power to self-expression are women. In a lot of MTVs, women are portrayed as sex objects or sex interests of the artist. From this, we can judge that the purpose is truly devastating. Therefore, the Church, schools, feminists, and parents should work hand-in-hand and protest against the proliferation of this kind of music and MTVs before it corrupts the minds of our children. Works Cited Music Sponsorship in the U.S.A. John Mark Ministries. Last updated 13 December 2007. 17 December 2007 . Children’s Television Rules. Federal Communications Commission. 22 May 2003. 17 December 2007 . FCC Chairman Reed Hundt Encourages Parents and Activists to Watch, Critique, and Report on New Kids’ TV Shows. In FC News. Washington: Federal Communications Commission. 4 September 1997. 17 December 2007 .

Through the Storm Essays - Storm, Winter Storm, Greenville

Through the Storm Essays - Storm, Winter Storm, Greenville Through the Storm There has not been another day like January 28, 2009, in Greenville, North Carolina. The town experienced a storm that covered Greenville with more than ten inches of snow. I was not prepared to encounter a difficult situation in which my life would be at risk due to my inexperience with driving in the snow. I took my chances and drove myself to school knowing that every weatherman was informing every driver to seek refuge and stay home during the storm. Needless to say, a great lesson was learned that day because I then understood that I need to take precautions when dealing with a hazardous situation rather than putting my life and the lives of others at risk. It all started at the beginning of the spring semester when I used to attend Chowan University, located in a small town called Murfreesboro around seventy miles away from my hometown, Greenville. Every Monday through Thursday, I drove an hour and a half to get to my classes and then rushed back home at the end of the day, hoping to be back before sunset. The driving conditions were not bad, but being in the car for so long eventually bothers anyone. It was going to be a regular day until early that morning, the weatherman announced: There is an approach of an unexpected storm where there is a non-estimated percentage of snow that will be accumulated throughout the day. So be prepared! The news did not strike me as important since I was rushing to get ready and start my day at school. I knew that I could not miss a day of class due the importance of presenting a project that I had been working on for about two weeks. I drove about fifty miles and there were huge amounts of snow already accumulated in the road. Just before arriving to school, I received a call from my advisor telling me to stay home because classes were cancelled due the storm. I was so disappointed with myself, the weather, and the school because all I had left to do was to turn back around through a gas station and head back to Greenville. While driving, I realized that the road was covered with black ice which made my car slip in the road several times. Just when I started to slow down, a tree branch fell just few feet ahead of me so I pressed the breaks and I lost control of the car and flipped twice into a ditch. I was dazed and confused from what had just happened, but I was okay. The car was still standing. I got out of the car and I realized what had just occurred. I took a moment to think about everything that had happened to me and I praised the Lord for His protection since it could have been far worse. Now it is clearer to me about taking extra precautions when there is hazard of driving through a snow storm.

Definition and Examples of Lowercase Letters in English

Definition and Examples of Lowercase Letters in English In the printed alphabet  and orthography, the term lowercase  (sometimes spelled as two words) refers to small letters (a,b,c . . .) as distinguished from capital letters (A,B,C . . . ). Also known as  minuscule  (from Latin  minusculus, rather small). The writing system of English (as in most Western languages) uses a dual alphabet or  bicameral scriptthat is, a combination of lowercase and uppercase letters. By convention, lowercase is generally used for the letters in all words except for the initial letter in  proper nouns  and in words that begin sentences. (For exceptions, see Names With Unusual Capitalization, below.) Origin and Evolution of Lowercase Letters Originally, lower case letters stood by themselves. Their forms derived from the penned Carolingian minuscule. The upper and lower case letters received their present form in the Renaissance. The serifs of the capitals, or upper case letters, were adapted to those of the lower case alphabet. The capitals are based on an incised or chiseled letter; the lower case characters are based on a pen-written calligraphic form. Now the two kinds of letters appear together. (Jan Tschichold, Treasury of Alphabets and Lettering. Norton, 1995)Upper and lower case? The term comes from the position of the loose metal or wooden letters laid in front of the traditional compositors hands before they were used to form a word- the commonly used ones on an accessible lower level, the capitals above them, waiting their turn. Even with this distinction, the compositor would still have to mind their ps and qs, so alike were they when each letter was dismantled from a block of type and then tossed back into t he compartments of a tray. (Simon Garfield, True to Type: How We Fell in Love With Our Letters. The Observer, October 17, 2010) Names With Unusual Capitalization Several coinages provide a new look to English spelling, especially with names. We have never seen anything before quite like the use of a lower-case initial for a brand-name, as in iPod, iPhone, iSense and eBay, or airline companies such as easyJet and jetBlue, and it is not yet clear how to handle them, especially when we want one of these words to begin a sentence. There are precedents for introducing a capital in the middle of a word (as in such names as McDonalds and chemical substances such as CaSi, calcium silicate), but brand names have hugely increased its everyday visibility, as seen in AltaVista, AskJeeves, PlayStation, YouTube and MasterCard. (David Crystal, Spell It Out. Picador, 2012)Brand names or names of companies that are spelled with a lowercase initial letter followed by a capital letter (eBay, iPod iPhone, etc.) need not be capitalized at the beginning of a sentence or heading, though some editors may prefer to reword. This departure from Chicagos former usage re cognizes not only the preferred usage of the owners of most such names but also the fact that such spellings are already capitalized (if on the second letter). Company or product names with additional, internal capitals (sometimes called midcaps) should likewise be left unchanged. (​The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed.The University of Chicago Press, 2010)  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Xerox or xerox? The dropping of the capital letter of the trademark is one piece of certain evidence that the trademark has indeed become generic...The OED [Oxford English Dictionary] lists XEROX both as capitalized, and in lower case, as well as a trademark and generic term: a proprietary name for photocopiers . . . also used loosely to denote any photocopy (20: 676). This definition points out clearly that xerox, either capitalized or in lower case, is used throughout the population as both a proper adjective and as a noun. (Shawn M. Clankie, Brand Name Use in Creative Writing: Genericide or Language Right? in Perspectives on Plagiarism and Intellectual Property in a Postmodern World, ed. Lise Buranen and Alice M. Roy. SUNY Press, 1999)A good rule to follow is that most trademarks are adjectives, not nouns or verbs. Use trademarks as modifiers as in Kleenex tissues or Xerox copiers. Similarly, trademarks are not verbsyou can copy on a Xerox machine, but you cannot xerox anything.(Jill B. Treadwell , Public Relations Writing. Sage, 2005) Pronunciation: lo-er-KAS Alternate Spellings: lower case, lower-case

HN2200 Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HN2200 Assignment 3 - Essay Example As the newly appointed HR manager, I believe that it is my duty to look after our employee’s needs and benefits. I had the chance to have a glance at the employees individual profiles and I noticed that, the employees are mostly young, responsible, dedicated and decent college graduates who are in their first of second job. They are witty and they have the knack to work well with others. They are courageous, and I can see in them that if they are properly taken cared of, they would become assets to the company. There is also a mix of both Qataris and expatriate employees in the workforce. Some of them are married with young children, but most of them are still single and are very responsible and dedicated to their work during their work time. Dedicated as they are to their respective areas of responsibilities, they also value their free time away from work and lead very active lives outside of work. They are involved in many different recreational and sporting activities. Standard health benefits package which includes varying degree of health coverage, and a few fringe benefits. The health benefit would cover about 80% of the cost of medical insurance for employees and their dependents, depending on the age and marital status of the workforce, or a choice between HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) and a PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). The HMO dental coverage is to be included as health benefit and would follow a similar 80-20 pattern. Vision coverage is also to be added. Vision coverage includes free annual eye examination plus a yearly allowance for new glasses or contact lenses. Long-term disability is a standard health benefit to protect income for ongoing family needs in the event of a catastrophe. Since no benefit plan would satisfy all the workers, we should strive for flexibility. For example, the older employees would want to care about the hospital confinement or may opt for greater flexibility in choosing their own doctors,

American Political Parties Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Political Parties - Research Paper Example Northern anti-slavery modernizers and activists founded the Republican Party in 1854 .The party became prominent in 1860 when Abraham Lincoln was elected into office and made use of the party’s machinery to facilitate winning of the American Civil War. Consequently, on the eve of the 3rd Party System that is from 1854 to 1896 the party controlled national politics as well as the 4th Party System (1896-1932).At present, GOP is in support of an American conservative policy, having more foundations in social conservatism, fiscal conservatism and economic liberalism (Noel,2014). The Democratic Party on the other hand is another main political party in America and happens to be the oldest party worldwide. It has been fighting head on with the Republican Party since 1854.Starting 1912; the Democratic Party has effectively situated itself as the liberal party tackling domestic issues. Much of the Democratic Party’s agenda has been shaped by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s economic philosophy which has had a strong influence on contemporary American liberalism from 1932.The White House was under the control of New Deal coalition of Roosevelt, until 1968, the exception being only the period from 1953-1961which was under Eisenhower. Generally, liberals have been center-left, supporting social progressivism, social justice, the welfare state and a mixed economy (Schaffner, 2012). The 2004 US presidential election was conducted onTuesday, 2nd November and incumbent President George W. Bush of Republican Party defeated his Democratic Party rival, John Kerry-a Massachusetts junior senator by then. Republican Party nominated Bush together with the then Vice President Dick Cheney. The dominant theme through the entire electioneering period was foreign policy especially the War on Terrorism spearheaded by Bush as well as the consequences of 2003 Iraq invasion. The Republican presidential nominee was John McCain for 2008 presidential nominee after obtaining 1191 delegates

Legal and Ethical Issues in the Workplace Essay

Legal and Ethical Issues in the Workplace - Essay Example Such an environment guarantees success of the goal. Leaders of an organization are expected to lead higher standards of morality in a workplace. It has been observed that companies that observe ethical decisions show more productivity by employee and turnover ratio is very low. It has also been observed that companies who observe ethical decisions just because they have to be complied to are usually hostile environments and human resources seldom wish to retain in such companies (â€Å"Ethics in the Workplace Training Helps Employees Understand their Personal Obligations  » Workplace Answers†, n.d.). In order to protect the moral standards of a work place and to ensure that people are happy to work together, laws are put in place. These laws comprise of explaining a code of conduct and some ethical policies. Consequences of violation of these laws are also elaborated in these laws. This check and balance ensures that people know their rights and decide to work in a way that will not put them into serious legal complications. The consumers benefit from an ethical environment as well. They become loyal customers of the brand when they realize that the company keeps its integrity intact by displaying a good sense of responsibility (â€Å"Ethics in the Workplace Training Helps Employees Understand their Personal Obligations  » Workplace Answers†, n.d.). Alcohol and drug usage is a concern at work places as its usage is synonymous to an irresponsible attitude. A serious attitude is required at workplace. It has been observed that people who use drugs or alcohol tend to take more leaves from office and hence are not regular employees. Another study reveals that the productivity declines with the usage of alcohol or drugs. It is estimated that people who use it are ten to sixty percent less likely to perform well as compared to people who do not indulge in it. It is also known that drug abuse and excessive alcohol usage calls for frequent accidents ( Raskin, 1993, p. 45-81). This may result in legal complications. Employees feel being accused if they are asked to get themselves checked at workplace. They find it a breach in their privacy and do not accept the test as socially important. They also feel being controlled. There is a need to make them understand that this measure is taken as a safety precaution majorly. They should be discouraged from discriminating people. They should be trained to encourage the impacted colleagues to stop its usage when coming to work and to lead a healthy life by controlling the abuse. Employees are usually monitored at work places by using cameras or even key loggers on their systems. Employers feel that they are gaining knowledge about their business this way. They think it will help them maintain this knowledge. It is suggested in research that the monitoring should be transparent and people should be made accountable to maintain knowledge effectively and not be secretly monitoring it. It has been estimated that a company that has 500 employees that spend time on internet for half an hour a day, the loss the company bears is approximately one million dollars (Yerby, 2013, p. 45-48). On the other hand labor unions claim that electronic monitoring induces stress in the work place and makes the organization use it in negative ways against the employers too. They use emails for communication

Southwest Airlines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Southwest Airlines - Research Paper Example This airline particularly targeted the bottom-of-the-pyramid market segment by offering no-frills services that resulted in reduced fares. It was claimed to be one of the most low cost carriers as it offered high frequency and short hauls matched with point-to-point service and reasonable fares (Inkpen 5). Unlike its competitors, Southwest did not believe in the hub-and-spoke system as it resulted in congestion and a lot of time wasted in the process of waiting for customers to arrive from other airports. In the words of the company’s Annual report, the company was poised to manage well in good times so as to sustain during bad times (Inkpen 1). Even though the company enjoys a high volume of passenger traffic and high turnover, it has met with various challenges. The most important challenge was the increasing efficiency of legacy carriers in the U.S along with large mergers such as those between Delta and Northwest that was leading to industry consolidation (Inkpen 1). Such consolidations were a threat to companies such as Southwest since the consolidated companies had access to lower operating costs (owing in part due to joint resources) as well as higher prices of tickets which is something Southwest did not focus on. This is reflected in the fact that, according to the financial statements, Southwest possesses the lowest â€Å"average revenue passenger miles† per passenger and has the highest operating margin in the industry (Inkpen 3). However, since passenger yield is high (reflecting high volume of passengers), Southwest has managed to rack up profits in years when others have faced losses. The company also possesses the lowest costs (including unit costs, labor costs and number of employees per aircraft) which add to its source of competitive advantage. However, the company’s ability to offer low fares at low costs has been challenged by smaller airlines such as JetBlue and Allegiant. Furthermore, the acquisition of Air Tran was a big challenge as it would require downsizing, acquiring new fleet as well as moving into non-U.S destinations. One of the major issues faced by the company was the attempts by its competitors to prevent the company from flourishing. Time and again various airlines that were Texas based tried to tilt law in their favor; however, the company succeeded in its legal proceedings. In line with further attempts to outdo its competitors, Southwest offered unmatched low fares such as $59 compared to $310 offered by its competitors (Inkpen 4). Although this was a good thing in one way, it was difficult to position these fares as regular and not introductory fares in the minds of customers. Positioning the brand through such low prices was, therefore, the ultimate challenge. Another issue faced by the company as that of growing and expanding its operations. There was some resistance by employees to this idea which could result in losing markets to rivals. Furthermore, entry into the northeast region did pose threat to the company’s operations due to congestion on airport and high turnaround times at airports. The company might consider using â€Å"drive through airport† models that reduce the number of lanes that the aircraft must pass through. Perhaps the most pressing issue is the Air Tran deal which requires merger of two airlines with different mindsets and operations. There was a difference in the type of fleets used along with Air

Waitrose Business to Business analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Waitrose Business to Business analysis - Essay Example This has been achieved through transparency in the governance system through its constitution. This enables the company to remain competitive in the industry. All partners have a share in profits and in making all management decision for the firm. Though the company has fully appreciated the role of e-commerce, it has been experiencing a number of challenges recently. For instance, users confirmed that they did not like the redesigned website as it was unfriendly to the users. The pages of the website loaded slowly and that the product list was unavailable sometimes leading to frustrations (Charlton, 2011). To deal with this, the management announced that it will deal with all issues as presented by customers concerning the website on listing and speed. Conyan, M & Richard F., 2012. "John Lewis Partnership." A guide to employee ownership. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 05 May 2015]. Savvas, A., 2006. Waitrose rolls out new supply chain platform. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 05 May

Key Principles of Corporate Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Key Principles of Corporate Governance - Essay Example The role of corporate governance has, therefore, become increasingly vital to the strategic management of the organization and projection of its aims and objectives in the eyes of the public and other stakeholders. Corporate governance can be broadly defined as the creation of business environment within and outside the organization that would effectively meet the challenges of the time and improve and improvise the productivity of the performance outcome. The lack of effective controls vis-Ã  -vis malpractices in accounts and auditing, security of confidential information, corrupt practices in the higher hierarchy of management, disparity in rules and regulation etc. have become crucial risks factors that have resulted in huge economic loss for its shareholders as well adversely affecting its credibility in the market. Hence, in the fast changing environment of globalization, business compulsions have become more stringent in their nature and factors like accountability, responsibility and reliability have become important pre-requisites for business to create a credible environment for their trade and investment. ‘Corporate governance framework should recognize the rights of stakeholders established by law or through mutual agreement..’ (Du Plessis, 2005, p.36). The key principles of corporate governance are described and ranked in order of importance as under: ‘Corporate disclosure to stakeholders is the principal means by which companies can become transparent’ (Solomon, 2007, p143). Thus, Corporate Governance promotes effective control measures to safeguard the interest of all its stakeholders, investors and business partners. Under the codes of corporate governance, the disclosure mainly relates to the policy of the company to disclose relevant information about its budgets, annual financial statements

Southwest Airlines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Southwest Airlines - Research Paper Example This airline particularly targeted the bottom-of-the-pyramid market segment by offering no-frills services that resulted in reduced fares. It was claimed to be one of the most low cost carriers as it offered high frequency and short hauls matched with point-to-point service and reasonable fares (Inkpen 5). Unlike its competitors, Southwest did not believe in the hub-and-spoke system as it resulted in congestion and a lot of time wasted in the process of waiting for customers to arrive from other airports. In the words of the company’s Annual report, the company was poised to manage well in good times so as to sustain during bad times (Inkpen 1). Even though the company enjoys a high volume of passenger traffic and high turnover, it has met with various challenges. The most important challenge was the increasing efficiency of legacy carriers in the U.S along with large mergers such as those between Delta and Northwest that was leading to industry consolidation (Inkpen 1). Such consolidations were a threat to companies such as Southwest since the consolidated companies had access to lower operating costs (owing in part due to joint resources) as well as higher prices of tickets which is something Southwest did not focus on. This is reflected in the fact that, according to the financial statements, Southwest possesses the lowest â€Å"average revenue passenger miles† per passenger and has the highest operating margin in the industry (Inkpen 3). However, since passenger yield is high (reflecting high volume of passengers), Southwest has managed to rack up profits in years when others have faced losses. The company also possesses the lowest costs (including unit costs, labor costs and number of employees per aircraft) which add to its source of competitive advantage. However, the company’s ability to offer low fares at low costs has been challenged by smaller airlines such as JetBlue and Allegiant. Furthermore, the acquisition of Air Tran was a big challenge as it would require downsizing, acquiring new fleet as well as moving into non-U.S destinations. One of the major issues faced by the company was the attempts by its competitors to prevent the company from flourishing. Time and again various airlines that were Texas based tried to tilt law in their favor; however, the company succeeded in its legal proceedings. In line with further attempts to outdo its competitors, Southwest offered unmatched low fares such as $59 compared to $310 offered by its competitors (Inkpen 4). Although this was a good thing in one way, it was difficult to position these fares as regular and not introductory fares in the minds of customers. Positioning the brand through such low prices was, therefore, the ultimate challenge. Another issue faced by the company as that of growing and expanding its operations. There was some resistance by employees to this idea which could result in losing markets to rivals. Furthermore, entry into the northeast region did pose threat to the company’s operations due to congestion on airport and high turnaround times at airports. The company might consider using â€Å"drive through airport† models that reduce the number of lanes that the aircraft must pass through. Perhaps the most pressing issue is the Air Tran deal which requires merger of two airlines with different mindsets and operations. There was a difference in the type of fleets used along with Air

Key Principles of Corporate Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Key Principles of Corporate Governance - Essay Example The role of corporate governance has, therefore, become increasingly vital to the strategic management of the organization and projection of its aims and objectives in the eyes of the public and other stakeholders. Corporate governance can be broadly defined as the creation of business environment within and outside the organization that would effectively meet the challenges of the time and improve and improvise the productivity of the performance outcome. The lack of effective controls vis-Ã  -vis malpractices in accounts and auditing, security of confidential information, corrupt practices in the higher hierarchy of management, disparity in rules and regulation etc. have become crucial risks factors that have resulted in huge economic loss for its shareholders as well adversely affecting its credibility in the market. Hence, in the fast changing environment of globalization, business compulsions have become more stringent in their nature and factors like accountability, responsibility and reliability have become important pre-requisites for business to create a credible environment for their trade and investment. ‘Corporate governance framework should recognize the rights of stakeholders established by law or through mutual agreement..’ (Du Plessis, 2005, p.36). The key principles of corporate governance are described and ranked in order of importance as under: ‘Corporate disclosure to stakeholders is the principal means by which companies can become transparent’ (Solomon, 2007, p143). Thus, Corporate Governance promotes effective control measures to safeguard the interest of all its stakeholders, investors and business partners. Under the codes of corporate governance, the disclosure mainly relates to the policy of the company to disclose relevant information about its budgets, annual financial statements

Efficiency tests Essay Example for Free

Efficiency tests Essay Day of the week test The day of the week efficiency test is the investigation of a particular stock market to see whether it reveals day of the week effect in volatility of returns, that is, whether stock returns in that particular stock market follow a certain pattern which is associated with what day of the week it is. Investing in the stock market is a wonderful way to make money, but it has a risk attached to it in the form of uncertainty. Stock market returns do not operate independently of the economic, political and technological environment of a country. In fact the stock market of a country is completely driven by the aforementioned environmental stimuli. However the relationship is indirect. Changes in these environmental stimuli do not directly affect the stock market. What they do directly affect is the investor mindset. The investor mindset in turn directly affects whether the stock market returns are likely to be good or bad. A bleak economic prospect for example will make the average investor wary of investing in assets. As a result he/she will stay away from investing in the stock market and as everyone, unsettled by the bleak economic prospect, follows suit, share prices, due to lack of demand, will drop drastically and, as returns hit the bottom, it will not make sense any more to invest in the stock market. In this manner, the stock market can behave very erratically as it is held hostage by hundreds of environmental stimuli the behavior of which few can predict to a certainly. This is why the day of the week test is important, because by applying it, the stock market investor can predict whether stock market returns on a particular day will be high or low. He can tweak his investment pattern accordingly. The stock market is highly volatile and it has been explained above what accounts for this volatility. As mentioned before, this volatility gives rise to substantial risks which give the investor second thoughts about investing in the stock market. However, this means that if the element of risk were to be eliminated to some extent, then that would make the stock market the original Aladin’s lamp as far as making money is concerned. Therefore every investor is always looking for ways to eliminate risk. The way the investor tries to eliminate risk to some extent, or to minimize it, is to find a way to predict what the return of a particular stock is likely to be at a certain point of time. That is why we, as the investors, use the day of the week. If we are investing in the US equity market for example, then we apply the test to find out whether the market has a presence of the day of the week effect in it. If so, we invest only on those days on which the return of the stock we are investing in is likely to be high. In other words, we use the day of the week test to maximize the returns and minimize the risks of our portfolio. The question as to whether we benefit from this test has already been answered. We most certainly do as otherwise we wouldn’t be able to predict how the market is going to behave on certain days and as a result our investment decisions would be very risky indeed. So we do benefit from applying the day of the week test. But how do we benefit from it? We benefit from it because the day of the week test allows us to detect whether there is an element of seasonality in stock returns of our portfolio. As soon as we have detected seasonality, that is, returns are high or low depending what time period it is, we have immediately minimized the investment risk. An equity market for example which boasts the presence of the day of the week effect in it will tell us that returns on Mondays will be significantly lower than they are on other days of the week. Under the circumstances, the decision as when to buy stock and when to sell is not so difficult any more. In the aforementioned equity market, we should obviously stay away from making any stock purchases on any other day than Monday because the day of the week test that we have applied to the market tells us that prices will be lowest on Mondays. Therefore, to minimize expenses, we should buy stock on Mondays. By the same reasoning, when the time comes to unload the portfolio, we should obviously do the selling on any day of the week other than Monday, because in the six days other than Monday, prices will be higher, which translate into higher returns for us investors. So clearly the benefits from applying the day of the week test are substantial. They all center around the ability of the day of the week test to introduce an element of regularity into the midst of what on first sight seems unconquerable chaos. This test tells us there is a day of the week regularity functioning in the equity market and that if we invest accordingly, we shall have maximized our returns and minimized the associated risks. End of month test This is a test that seeks to establish the presence of a calendar anomaly in the behavior of stock market returns whereby returns are higher over a time period beginning with the last trading day of the current month and continuing over the first five days of the next month. The importance of this test is in taking advantage of the fact that stock returns are not completely volatile, that they do have a certain pattern hidden deep under the apparently wildly fluctuating numbers. This directly contradicts the efficient market hypothesis which states that any information, whether public and private, that is available to the investors, has already been taken into account in stock pricing, therefore no single investor is in a position to take advantage of the market. According to the efficient market hypothesis, risk is the same for all investors. However it has been recently discovered that there is a end-of-month or turn-of-the-month effect when stock returns are shown to be consistently higher on the last trading day of a month and over the first five days of the following month. This probably happens because during this time period the general level of liquidity goes up as a result of settling liabilities so that the investor has more cash with which to play around in the stock market. As has been mentioned before, the performance of the stock market is a direct function of the general mindset of the investing public. If the investing public are in a good mood, then the market will perform well. If they are in a bad mood, the market will perform badly. These mood swings on the part of the general investor are a direct function of the macroeconomic news items which they are exposed to though the different media. Therefore the timing of the release of these macroeconomic news items is an important factor in determining how the stock market will perform afterwards. Usually these news items are released during the first few days of a particular month. Stock market returns have been shown to maintain an upbeat trend as time approaches the scheduled release of macroeconomic news. That is why end-of-month testing is important because it shows the existence of calendar anomalies in stock returns brought about by scheduled release of macroeconomic news items. That is also the reason why we use this test. By using this test, we can detect the presence of calendar anomalies in the stock in which we are investing and take advantage of it to make capital gains. By using this test, we prove that the efficient market hypothesis is by no means the last word in the world of finance, that the risk inherent in investing in a particular stock is by no means the same and a test that gives us the ability to predict risk is a worthwhile exercise by any standards. As can be seen from above, we can benefit from the day of the month effect. The benefit to be gained from this test is inarguable inasmuch as we have the ability to minimize systematic risk inherent in any investment decision. According to the risk-return relationship, the risk in investing in a particular stock has two components. One is the unsystematic risk and the other is the systematic risk. Investors do not worry about the unsystematic part as it can be eliminated by means of diversification. Investors put their money in a wide variety of financial instruments so that even if one company is performing not so well thus dragging down its share performance as well, there are other companies in which the same investor holds shares and which is performing well thus canceling the negative effect of the under-performing company. It is highly improbable that all the companies will be underperforming at the same time. What is more probable is that one will outperform the other thus eliminating the unsystematic risk. However it is well nigh impossible to eliminate or to even reduce the systematic risk which affects entire market to the same extent so that no amount of diversification will cushion the effect of a high systematic risk. However that is according to the traditional finance theory. According to the new theory whereby there is a end of the month effect in every stock market, systematic risk is definitely lower in the last trading day of the month and in the first few days of the next month. So the benefit we get from this test is that we can predict a little better how the systematic risk is likely to be at what point in time in the month. Moving average As has been mentioned before, stock prices can fluctuate significantly over a certain period of time. If these prices are charted on a graph, then the trend line will zigzag substantially, making it difficult for us to evaluate whether a particular stock is underperforming or otherwise. Moving average is a technical analysis tool which allows us to smooth out these fluctuations, so that there is a consistent trend line which can serve as benchmark for the evaluation of stock performance. Moving average is a very important technical analysis tool. Inasmuch as it enables us to impose order upon chaos by creating a consistent trend of the performance of a particular stock, its importance can hardly be overemphasized. If the returns of a particular stock were to be presented in the form of a scatter plot, then on first sight it would appear as white noise. It would be impossible to make head or tail of this extremely chaotic scatter plot. However if one were to apply the moving average technical analysis tool, the widely scattered points would give in to a rising or declining trend line which could then indicate whether a particular stock is performing below that trend line or above. In this respect, moving average is a very important indicator of stock market returns. Before we make any investment decisions in respect of the stock market, it is obviously important for us to find out which stocks are performing above expectations and which stocks are performing below. Moving average allows us to make that determination and that is why we use this tool. The problem that every stock market investor faces is that the returns on the face of it seem to be impossible to predict. Charted on a scatter plot, as mentioned before, the returns are all over the place. That would not be the case however once we apply the moving average tool to these returns. Once the moving average technical analysis has been applied, it would appear that the returns conform to a predictably progressing trend line. And that is why we use the moving average technical analysis, to introduce an element of predictability into an area which would otherwise seem impossible to predict in any way. We certainly benefit from using the moving average analysis as it allows us to determine whether a stock at a particular point of time is performing below the trend line or above. This would enable us to determine when to buy and sell. When to buy and sell is the toughest decision that a stock market investor faces. Obviously an investor would like to buy a stock when the price is at its lowest and would like to sell when the price at its highest. But how does an investor know when the price has bottomed out so that he should buy and when it has topped out so that she should sell? These points the investor must determine and the benefit of using the moving average technical analysis lies in the fact that it allows the investor to determine those points. An additional benefit of the moving average analysis is that it can be calculated both short-term and long-term. A short term moving average can be defined as a 15-day moving average while a long-term moving average can be defined as a 50-day moving average. Thus there are two trend lines and when the short-term trend line moves below the long-term, the stock is on a downward momentum and it is time to sell. Conversely, when the short-term trend line is passing above the long-term, the stock is on an upward momentum and it is time to buy. In this way the moving average technical analysis allows the investor to decide when to buy and when to sell a particular stock. Correlation Correlation allows us to test whether there is any relationship between two variables and if there is a relationship, whether the relationship is positive or it is negative. For example, a correlation of +1 indicates a positive relationship exists between two variables. A correlation of -1 indicates that the relationship between two variables is negative. When the relationship is positive, it indicates that the two variables move in the same direction and when the relationship is negative, it indicates that the two variables move in opposite directions. Correlation is an important indicator of the future behavior of a particular variable in relation to another variable. It allows us to determine what other variables affect the performance of the variable of interest and to what extent. Once we have correlation figures quantifying the relationship between the variable of interest and other variables, we can predict how the variable of interest will change when the other related variables change. Inasmuch as correlation allows us to reduce uncertainty by enabling us to enhance predictability, it is an important indicator. We use it for example when we are trying to decide whether or not to invest in a particular stock market. As has been mentioned before, the performance of a stock market is affected by a wide variety of factors. The most prominent environmental stimuli are the economic, sociological, political and technological changes taking place both nationally and internationally. It is important to know therefore to what extent these stimuli affect the performance of a particular stock market. Correlation allows us to determine that extent. By applying correlation, we can find out how a certain change in the economy is likely to affect the stock market performance of that country. We come to know about these changes in the form of microeconomic news items which can be categorized based on their content. If we already have the correlation figures for these categories of news items, then as soon as they are announced, we can reasonably expect to be able to apply the correlation statistics to assess how the news items are likely to affect the performance of the stock market we are interested in. This reduces risk to a substantial extent. Risk reduction is the most important consideration in the mind of an investor. For this reason, we use the correlation statistic. We do benefit from the use of correlation inasmuch as it gives us a window into the future regarding the performance of particular stock market. An example of a benefit would be an US investor considering investing in one of the Arab stock markets. In assessing whether it would be a good idea or not to go ahead with the investment, the investor would find use of correlation of immense value. The investor would have to collect a great deal of knowledge connected to the economic, sociological, political and technological scenarios of the Arab country and determine by means of correlation how the different environmental factors are correlated to the portfolio performance in that stock market. Once that is done, he or she would be in a position to foresee how the different changes in the Arab country would affect the performance of the stock market in that country. This would enable the investor to buy and sell at the right time. As has been mentioned before, there are also international forces at work which will affect stock market performance in the Arab country. In this respect, what the investor can do is to run correlation tests between the Arab stock market and the US stock market to see how the two markets are related. In this respect, the two markets would be two variables which the correlation test will examine to find out whether any relationship exists between the two variables and if so, if the relationship is positive or whether it is negative. If the relationship is a positive one, then whenever the US market is performing well, the Arab market can also be expected to perform well and vice versa. Clearly this is of immense value to the investor as it allows him to pick the time as to when he should invest in the Arab stock market. That is the benefit. Descriptive Statistics So far the discussion has focused on predicting the future performance of the stock market. Now it’s time to focus on assessing the current performance of the stock market. That is what the descriptive statistics are for. Descriptive statistics such as the mean and the standard deviation and the normal distribution help us evaluate the existing performance of a particular stock market. Descriptive statistics are very important because they quantify the performance of the stock market. The most widely used descriptive statistic is the mean. We can calculate the mean stock return by calculating the average of several stock returns from past time periods. This tells us the return we are likely to get if we invest in that stock. However the mean does not take into account the risk that comes associated with investing in stock. As has been mentioned before, the stock market is a wonderful way to make money but every rose has it thorn and that thorn in this case is the risk. Stock returns are affected by so many variables both internal and external to the company that it is impossible to take into account all of them. This is where risk springs from. Because there are so many forces at work playing sixes and sevens with stock market returns, wild fluctuations are a necessary evil for the stock market investor. However even here, descriptive statistics can help by introducing order into chaos. The descriptive statistic in question is the standard deviation. Because stock returns fluctuate extensively, they are scarcely at the mean. Sometimes they are above the mean and sometimes they are below. Standard deviation tells us the percentage of returns which will deviate from the mean to a certain extent. Most stock returns conform to the normal distribution, that is, most of the returns are clustered around the mean return. 66% of the observations fall within one standard deviation away from the mean. 95% of the observations fall within two standard deviations away from the mean. And 99% of the observations fall within three standard deviations away from the mean. Inasmuch as stock market returns, given a sufficiently large sample size, follow the normal distribution, descriptive statistics are very important as they enable the formation of the normal distribution. This facilitates investment decisions. Descriptive statistics also come into play when determining the risk-return relationship. Risk is a prime consideration in any investor’s mindset. Investment in the stock market is meaningless unless a way can be found to minimize the influence of risk. To complicate matters further, there are two categories of risk: systematic risk and unsystematic risk. There is hardly anything the investor can do about the systematic risk. It affects all the stocks present to an equal extent. An example of a systematic risk is when there is a sudden political eruption. The political turmoil will have a negative effect in all areas of the business sector. Therefore even if the investor is holding a portfolio of stocks, it will be of little avail. The other element of risk however, the unsystematic risk, is more manageable. It means not putting all eggs in one basket. Managing a portfolio of stocks is key to eliminating or reducing unsystematic risk. An investor who has invested in a portfolio of stocks will reap more than an investor who has invested in only one stock. This is for the simple reason that external environmental stimuli do not hit all industries of the business sector to the same extent. If there is a technological change for example, some industries will benefit more and some less. Therefore the wise investor will invest in those industries which benefit more as a result of the technological change. Alongside the technological change, there will be other changes, economic or political or sociological, which will have a negative impact on some of the industries. As a result the stock returns in those industries will take a nosedive. However an investor who is maintaining a portfolio of a wide variety of stocks will not be hit adversely as he will have stocks in that portfolio of his which were immune to the economic or political or sociological change in question. In this manner the unsystematic part of the risk has been eliminated. The stocks present in a portfolio will be negatively correlated. That is, if one stock goes down in terms of returns, then another will go up. Thus the investor is well protected. However he is by no means protected from the systematic risk which no amount of diversification can eliminate. However all is not lost because descriptive statistics are there to help the investor. He already knows from the central limit theorem that most stock returns conform to the normal distribution. Once that is known, the investor can make an accurate prediction as to where the stock returns are likely to fall. This substantially reduces systematic risk. As mentioned before, there are some exceptions in terms of stock market returns which do not strictly follow the normal distribution pattern. These returns follow a different probability distribution. The use of kurtosis and skewness can help to identify that particular category of probability distribution. Determining which probability distribution a particular stock market conforms to, in which the use of descriptive statistics is key, is vital for picking the optimum portfolio. An investor would obviously want to invest in only those stocks the returns of which stick most closely to the mean. What the investor can do is to collect the percentage returns of a stock for a number of time periods and calculate the mean and standard deviation of these percentages to find out whether that stock shows a high volatility or a low volatility. The intelligent investor will obviously want to pick those stocks which have low volatility because their returns will be more predictable. So what descriptive statistics are very good at making sense of historical information to the immense benefit to the investor. As has been discussed so far, the historical returns examined without the benefit of descriptive statistics will not generate a lot of information. To the naked eye, stock returns on a historical basis reveal no pattern. There is no discernible trend. Viewed through the lens of descriptive statistics however, stock market returns suddenly become very orderly and systematic. Now the investor knows which stocks to embrace and which stocks to keep away from. Now the investor knows what the optimum portfolio will be which will take into account both systematic risk and unsystematic risk and generate the highest returns.

Treatment Intervention for Paranoid Schizophrenia Case Study

Treatment Intervention for Paranoid Schizophrenia Case Study Jack Dwight (not his real name), aged 26 was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in October 2004. In August 2004 Jack’s best friend was killed by a group of youths who were terrorising their neighbourhood. Before the diagnosis Jack’s family was concerned about his constant complaints of headache and tummy ache. He suffered from a severe lack of appetite. He lost a lot of weight in a short time – from 120 to 108 kg in just two months. Jack no longer paid attention to his personal hygiene – his body odour was unbearable. Around September 2004 Jack developed an uncontrollable fear that he was going to be run over by a vehicle. He would not be persuaded to venture into the street, even going to his favourite store to get cigarettes for himself. He became extremely anti-social, keeping to himself in his locked bedroom most of the time. His family could not cope with his anger outbursts, which sometimes became violent. Thus it was that in October Jack was diag nosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Jack’s behaviour proved that Pinker (1997) is right when he states that sometimes, when thrust into a new and highly stressful situation, people suffer acute paranoia. For six weeks Jack was admitted to a psychiatric hospital where a team of specialists worked with him. It was on the 14th December 2004 that Jack was sent back home, and I became a part of his home staff of care providers. The medical staff prescribed pain killers – Paracetamol or Codeine for his headache, and antacids like Gaviscon for the tummy. It was agreed that care givers should try to redirect him whenever possible when he complained about head or tummy aches. It was suggested that since Jack enjoyed tea, he should first be offered calming tea when he complained of pain. He was also given Multi vitamins and Risperdal to take in the morning and evening. Jack is now happy to ask for a cup of Camomile tea whenever he has a headache. He understands that if his headache persists, he is allowed to take pain killers. He enjoys receiving positive feedback when he does not ask for painkillers all the time. He has even suggested that I serve him a cup of Camomile tea once every h our because he has realized that this controls his headaches. He has not made this request to my colleague who takes care of him when I am off duty. Instead, he gets the usual headache during this care giver’s shift. At this point one wonders whether this is similar to what Sorensen, Paul, and Mariotto (1988) refer to when they say â€Å"in some cases the paranoia diminishes for psychological reasons rather than because of the drug’s action.† I argue this because Jack’s headaches seem to surface when he is taken care of by some, and not other care givers. To this effect Smith (2003) is of the opinion that the outcome of therapy â€Å"may be determined by the ‘chemistry’ or fit between the therapist and the client than the specific modality being employed.† (p.61) In order to improve his appetite, Jack’s nutritionist suggested that Jack should be involved in the planning of a healthy menu. His opinion was to be sought and he was encouraged to plan his meals, choosing from a wide range of foods in the refrigerator. Care givers were advised to invite him to participate in the cooking and preparation of his meals, if he so wished. That plan worked very well because he felt a sense of ownership and was very proud to be serving his care givers the food that he himself has prepared. He started to enjoy meals that he had planned himself. This also made him to take an interest in reading the labels on all food packages, and he was proud to tell staff about the nutritional value of foodstuffs. The advantages of Jack’s involvement in the kitchen were enormous. Apart from improving his appetite, Jack also took an interest in going grocery shopping – something he had previously refused to do. He realized that he had to bathe and dress in clean clothes before going shopping. So his state of personal hygiene improved. He enjoyed watching his reflection in the mirror before going out. We now turn the trips to the grocery store into special excursions. I have noticed that even his need for a cup of Camomile tea disappears when we prepare to go shopping. It is not uncommon for him to compile the shopping list before going out. Jack recently invited his case manager to join us for shopping because he wanted to show her how well he was managing the shopping exercise. Before Jack’s friend was killed, they both worked as shop assistants in the local supermarket. During his illness Jack did not want to see any of his former work mates. He believed that they had plotted against his friend, and that they would do the same against him. This behaviour is in line with what Smith (2003) says, â€Å"paranoid persons have a highly developed aptitude for fabricating stories – making connections is like seeing shapes in clouds.† (p.39) In January 2005 the case manager helped Jack to sign up for membership at the local Clubhouse where care providers accompany him to attend meetings at least three times a week. Jack has met and talked to other individuals who have had a similar illness to his. The counselling they receive at the Clubhouse has helped Jack to want to renew his membership of his former workplace’s bowling club. From March 2005 Jack has been accepting invitations from former work mates to go bowling with them. The local Clubhouse operates on a slightly psychoanalytical manner in the sense that it serves all of Smith’s (2003) purposes in one integrated package. At the Clubhouse psychological problems are addressed in a comprehensive interdisciplinary method. Clients are given vocational training so that they can attain some basic skills of concentration and reasoning that would enable them to fit in the job world again. In May 2005 Jack was invited, through the help of the case manager, by his former employer to work some shifts. At the moment his job is in the cafeteria section where he works three hours for four days in a week. He cleans tables and makes sure the dining area is generally clean. Jack seems to enjoy going to work. His job coach, a qualified rehabilitation specialist reports that Jack is an asset at work, the cafeteria manager is pleased and speaks highly of Jack. At the Clubhouse clients also receive training in handling their finances. Jack is now capable of balancing his bank balance. He draws a budget, based on what he earns from his employer and his weekly allowance. He compares prices and chooses which hairdresser, restaurant, super market, etc. to visit. Qualified physiotherapists are available to advise clients on the best ways to relax. They teach clients how to breathe, exercise muscles, or meditate when feeling anxious. The Clubhouse staff also organises evening social events during most weekends. Clients are invited to bring friends and / or family along. Jack was reluctant to attend these social events at first, but as soon as he started going out with his ex colleagues, he felt comfortable to attend the Clubhouse events as well. He has recently made friends with a few clients of his age group, and they love to dance and sing. I have lately experienced some difficulty in getting Jack to stop dancing when it is time to go home. The nutritionist has suggested that his high energy levels may be caused by some refreshments that are served during the evening of festivities. The care givers have been advised to encourage Jack to take sugar free drinks. It seems that Jack’s progress causes him to lack the insight to appreciate the full extent of his illness. Pennington et. al. (2003) state that sometimes positive symptoms of schizophrenia distort a person’s ability to perceive his or her own condition. Jack realizes that he has missed out on fun activities, so he might be trying to make up for lost time. It is therefore difficult for him to understand the need to control his excitement levels. Although a lot of progress is made in Jack’s health one cannot quantify the success. Smith (2003) contends that â€Å"in order to measure psychological change, one must possess an instrument to do the measuring. The psychological test used must be both valid and reliable. A valid test is one that is adequately underwritten by empirical evidence and able to produce consistent results.† (p.61). It is unfortunate that care providers in Jack’s case do not always compile comprehensive reports about our shifts’ proceedings. There is no standard instrument of assessment that can produce measurable results. Reports compiled at the end of a shift may be subjective. With regards to symptoms, for example one care giver might conclude that a particular action points to worse illness while another might not think so. It is also a subjective matter whether a symptom is or not present because what one might regard as a symptom, another might not. The therapeutic modality may be effective, but if it is applied inappropriately outcomes may be unreliable. It is also disheartening that the care providers do not maintain their positions for long. During the six months that I have been taking care of Jack, three care providers have left. Jack needs stability and consistency in order to regain his sense of trust and confidence in people. I have noted that he becomes very sad when a staff member leaves. He takes it very personally, becomes moody for some time and blames himself when a care provider resigns. I have also noted that not all family members take part in discussions or attend meetings organised by the medical staff to help Jack, so there is an information gap which slows down progress. One afternoon during the Easter weekend Jack went out with his older brother who lives with the family, in the same house as Jack. They left home around 7pm and did not come home until the early hours of the next morning. They had been to a pub, and Jack argued with some people there. Jack spent the rest of the weekend in a bad mood – using foul language and banging doors. Time out did not really help. Jack later confessed to me that he was disappointed with himself, for having lost his temper and nearly ‘getting himself killed’. Had Jack’s brother attended all family therapy meetings, had he taken the time to find out what needs to be considered when Jack enjoys a night out, Jack would not have had a relapse. Care givers often feel inadequate when confronted by unrea sonable family members. When one interrogates the motives behind bullying relatives or irresponsible actions like Jack brother’s, one cannot but agree with theories like Bentall’s (2003) when he asserts that there are many people who suffer from undiagnosed forms of psychoses. Who, if not a psychotic person would expose his / her paranoid brother to a pub full of night revellers? Such questions are bound to remain unanswered for some time because the approach to schizophrenia itself is in need of improvement, so that it does not just assume that there is a distinct line between what is considered mental illness and mental health. A lot of ground has been covered in the study of paranoid schizophrenia, but a lot more still has to be covered. Studies examining the diagnosis of schizophrenia are not very reliable and consistent. The fact that it was Jack who showed remorse, and not his brother after the incident at the pub proves this assertion. Assessment is also another area that needs extensive research. The anti-psychiatry movement also finds fault with the diagnostic approach to schizophrenia. Bentall (2003) explains how proponents in this field argue for their case – stating that to classify specific thoughts and behaviours as an illness allows social control of people that society finds undesirable but who have committed no crime. Jack had committed no crime, but his loss made him to behave in a manner that is not so acceptable by society. An assessment of Jack’s condition at this point in time might also pose a challenge to psychologists. One care provider who ‘gets on well’ wi th Jack might assess him as stable, yet another might not. The challenge continues. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bentall, P.P. (2003) Madness Explained: Psychosis and Human Nature. London:  Penguin. Pinker, S. (1997) How The Mind Works. London: Penguin. Smith, D.L. (2003) Psychoanalysis in Focus. London: Sage Publications. JOURNALS: Sorensen, D.J. ; Paul, G.L. ; Mariotto, M.J. (1988) Inconsistences in paranoid functioning, premorbid adjustment and chronicity: Questions of diagnostic criteria. Schizophrenia Bulletin Vol. 25 (4) pp.570-575.

Victorian Writing :: essays research papers

How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! -- Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips. As my eyes fixated on my creation, lightning flashed among the clouds and was followed by drumming thunder. Rain started to pound down on the roof above me, like stones falling from the sky, the sound becoming progressively deafening by the minute. The surrounding trees howled terrifyingly, swaying from side to side, with the immense winds almost uprooting them. Debris, pushed up by the winds, crashed through the house’s windows. Glass flew apart with piercing sounds, flying towards me, and with swift strokes, they sliced the flesh on my face. Blood oozed out of the cuts profusely and my face became gory with red. The weather became more ferocious and the chilly winds blew through the wrecked windows, down my spine. The teeth in my mouth started chattering from the chills and fear. The going-on outside the house was overwhelming, numbing my senses and movement. â€Å"Oh Lord!† I said. â€Å"What have I done wrong?† Lightning unrelentingly flashed and thunder still roared after. This time, it was even more earsplitting. I have incurred God’s wrath, our environment and surroundings are his domain, expressing his fury. I continued to look up at the sky above, questioning God. Every remark thrown at him caused the storm to intensify. Nevertheless, I did not hold back as the potent emotions within me spurred me let it all out. Suddenly, there was a strident crash behind me, which could be heard among all the noises outside the house. I turned my head and the floor was covered in broken porcelain chips. My ancestral urn had fallen onto the floor. The floral velvet carpet that once lay colourful and vibrate, was now stained with fine gray ash and the blood dripping off my scared face. Persistent chilling winds blew through the window, and the ash flew with the gust and the room immediately became hazy.

Legislation and Prostitution: Do They Coincide? :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

'Legislation and Prostitution: Do They Coincide? Throughout research the question: 'What exactly is the definition of pornography?,' has been asked several times. This is the answer to this very common question, "according to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1973), pornography is 'Written, graphic, or other forms of communication intended to excite lascivious feelings.'" Pornography being such a broad topic as it is has been reduced and in this reading the basis of pornography, will be centered around, Legislation in part with Prostitution. Prostitution. What comes to mind when one hears this word? Cheap, degrading, trashy, offensive,...any other adjectives come to mind? What about accepted? Shocking as it may seem, but research has shown that in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, prostitution was accepted. Prostitution is defined as "a socially identifiable group of women (who) earn their living principally or exclusively from the commerce of their bodies." There were certain rules however, a prostitute was not allowed to be with good men and could not be near the church. Prostitution became institutionalized by the Fifteenth Century and if a prostitute lived on a public street she was punished. Their punishment for their first offense was only a fine, but by their third offense they had to pay a fine and were also punished by "running the town, beating, and banishment from the town." These were the laws and if disobeyed, that was the punishment. At the time this book, Bad Girls and Dirty Pictures, was written there were no laws against pornographic material in any form. In fact, 'The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution' states that, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. This right is either absolute or it does not exist." Anywhere in the First Amendment was there any violation of what pornography stands for? There was not any laws that prove the violation of pornography. These are laws against things that are considered obscene or too explicit. If there were no laws, movies would not be rated and magazines of any sort, would be available anywhere and to all age groups. Some