Monday, September 30, 2019

Frederick Douglass and Richard Wright Essay

There are many similarities and differences between the two intellectual authors, some of these are deep within, some stand out. The main focus is not only to understand the differences and similarities of the two, but also the qualities and characteristics of these writers consist of. Each author displays qualities that illustrate their identity. It is important that we, as readers, understand the authors’ inspiring and intellectual words that portray who they are on the outside and the inside. I believe the authors show similarity and difference to each other in many ways. Family, desire to learn, and the way they portray people, are some of these ways. Both Douglass and Wright have the uncontrollable urge to learn; with their experiences, it made it difficult for them to succeed. There are many examples of this struggle. One example would be when Mrs. Auld had to stop teaching little Frederick how to read and write. As he reflects, â€Å"The most interesting feature of my life here was learning to read and write, under somewhat marked disadvantages† (Douglass 458). This shows how Frederick really loved reading; he had a huge passion for it. When Mrs. Auld had to refrain from teaching Frederick, it put matters into his own hands. He struggles everyday just to get reading and writing lessons. He eventually has to pay a â€Å"tuition fee† to the young white children in his neighborhood for a lesson. This event made times tough for Frederick. Giving up belongings is the only thing he could do to cure his urge. It is sad because the reason Mrs. Auld had to refrain from teaching Richard was because of her husband. He didn’t approve of slaves to learn. Slavery in general plays an important role in Frederick’s life; one reason is because it was against the law for slaves to read. This made it real hard for Frederick to learn how to read and write, he would be forced to receive his education secretively. If Frederick’s learning were to ever be discovered by the public, punishment would take place and maybe result in death. Although reading wasn’t against the law for Richard, he still had to give away money and steal food to succeed like Frederick. They both had that powerful urge and they would do whatever it took to fulfill their passions. Both Frederick and Richard had to live on their own moral principles for them to succeed in life because they basically just had themselves to engage in reading and writing; they were forced to learn everything on their own. Douglass and Wright’s family had a huge impact on them because they held them back from learning, tearing apart their sense of identity. â€Å"Mrs. Auld was an apt woman, and the advice of her husband and her own experiences soon demonstrated to her entire satisfactory that education and slavery are incompatible with each other† (Douglass 461). This made it hard for Frederick because he had no one to go to for learning. It is important to remember that for Frederick learning was not just a privilege, it was a passion. A passion is a powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred or anger. Taking away reading and writing from Frederick and Richard is like taking away food from starving children. Frederick’s family has an enormous impact on him because they steal this passion away from Frederick. Although Mrs. Auld stopped teaching Frederick, he still stated that she was caring, kind, and warm-hearted person. It took courage for her to teach him, but it also took courage for Frederick to still strive for his goals even if it was against the law. Unlike Frederick, Richard didn’t have a person like Mrs. Auld to teach him to read and write; all he has is himself. On a positive note, Richard did eventually get to attend school, which didn’t come till later on in Frederick’s behalf. Richard’s grandm other hindered his ability to learn because she thought that reading novels was a sin and that the only reading he should have been doing was in the bible. As crazy as this may be, it was true that Richard’s grandmother thought this way. Like Frederick, Richard’s motivation to fulfill his passion was being chopped into pieces, like your favorite piece of cake on a Sunday morning at church. Richard’s life in the city up north made it very difficult for him to afford anything. Without a family, Richard had to jump from job to job and steal from local places, such as the movie theatre, just to make a few bucks. It is hard to believe that somebody who stole food, was dirt poor, and could barely receive a healthy education would ever become such a great writer. Langston Hughes once said â€Å"Hold fast to your dreams† I believe Frederick and Richard both held fast to their dreams. These examples help to reflect on how both Frederick and Richard’s family held them both back from reading, tearing apart who they are at the same time. Forcing them to be someone they are not. The portrayal of people and events in both books is colored by the author’s feelings. â€Å"My life as a Negro in America had led me to feel that the problem of human unity was more important than bread, more important than physical living itself; for I felt that without a common bond uniting men†¦ there could be no living worthy of being called human† (Wright 260). These deep, vast, and profound words show how Richard Wright felt about racism and the people involved in it. He often wondered why people are who they are. This led him into states of confusion and mixed feelings about white people, and even black people. An example would be when Douglass states the differences of Mrs. Auld and him, he being a slave, her being a slave owner, really displayed how he felt about the incompatibility with education and slavery. As he reflects, â€Å"My feelings were not the result of any marked cruelty in the treatment I received; they sprung from the consideration of my b eing a slave at all. It was slavery-not the mere incidents-that I hated† (Douglass 463).He obviously wasn’t fond of the belief; it showed how he colored her with his feelings and thoughts. Frederick also felt that Mrs. Auld was wonderful, but controlled by society. Society said that slaves couldn’t get an education; sadly, Mrs. Auld had to accept and tolerate the misunderstood beliefs society had. Another example of Richard’s portrayal of people which is colored by his feelings is when Richard portrays the characters Olin and Pease not just as evil people, but as characters in a drama. This exhibits Richard’s deep feelings and thoughts of racist people. Both Richard and Frederick had an atypical outlook on the world; they colored people and events differently than most others would color. I believe the authors show similarity and differences in one another in many ways. As I stated before three of these ways are: Family, desire for learning, and the way they portray people. Each author contains certain qualities which only few people have. Their views, feelings, and thoughts are comparable and contrastable, not one or the other. Overall these writers are wonderful and inspiring, they learned by experience and â€Å"[held] fast to [their] dreams.†

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Universal Healthcare

Universal Health Care The issue of health care is a widely debated issue in the United States today. The United States spends more on health care than any other country in the world, but there are 48. 6 million people that do not have health insurance. The United States also has one of the lowest life expectancies in the industrialized world, and 45,000 people die every year due to a lack of health care. The United States Congress passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010 to try to correct some of these problems. Unfortunately, conservatives and Liberals cannot agree on the subject of health care (Kleinstuber).The health care system should be changed so that universal health care is enacted in the United States. With universal health care, citizens of the United States will become healthier, therefore, people have better opportunity to obtain human capital. Also, the benefits outweigh the detriments in the case for universal health care with some small changes with how it works. The imp lementation of universal health care would benefit the United States’ economy and society’s welfare. Thousands of US citizens suffer every day from a lack of health care.This has become a serious problem in the US, and it needs to be changed. There are over 45 million people who are uninsured in the US (Ireland). Of these 45 million uninsured people, about 9. 4 percent of them are children under age 18 (Todd and Sommers). Many of these uninsured people did not have the same opportunity to obtain human capital as others did, therefore, they are stuck in the lower class without employer-sponsored health care. With universal health care enacted in the US, these healthier people would have better chance at obtaining human capital.In effect, children grow up healthier, and they have better attendance at school and have a better chance to become successful in the future. Universal health care will lead to a more prosperous, opportunistic society. Universal health care has mo re benefits than it does detriments. Described by Jae Ireland in her article â€Å"Pros and Cons of Free Universal Health Care,† the pros of universal health care are extended care, reducing medical costs, and the proof of the success of universal health care (Ireland).The cons of universal health care are raised taxes, competition between doctors and hospitals would disappear, and there will be longer wait times at health care offices and emergency rooms. Of course, with universal health care, every citizen in the US will have free health coverage. This will result in a healthier and happier citizens. A disadvantage of the enactment of universal health care in the raising of taxes. This increasing of taxes could be eased by the decreasing of some other taxes. Although this is true, the cost of medical costs will go down without privatized health care.With the medical costs decreasing, the amount the US spends on health care per person would decrease from how much they pay fo r Medicaid and Medicare. A disadvantage of universal health care is the potential loss of competition between doctors and hospitals (Ireland). This does not have to happen though. The government could still pay doctors based on their skills and how important they are to society and the medical community. Also, make sure that patients can choose their own doctors so that doctors can still compete for patients.This ensures that doctors and hospitals still have good incentive to do adequate work for patients. Another benefit of universal health care is the proof of the success of universal health care with other countries such as France, Italy, and Spain. These countries show that it universal health care can work with many benefits. These countries are able to provide universal health care with a much smaller percentage of their GDP than the US is currently using. Also, many countries with universal health care prove its success with longer life expectancies than the United States.A d rawback of universal health care is that patients are put on waiting lists for appointments since there will be many more patients (Ireland). On the other hand, this may be able to be changed. Policies that make sure patients with more extreme reasons for the need of medical attention get treated before patients with less serious reasons for medical attention. With some of the changes to the harms of universal health care, the implementation of universal health care in the United States would be undoubtedly beneficial.In essence, universal health care can be very beneficial to the United States in multiple ways. With universal health care, citizens of the United States will have a better chance to attain human capital, and they will have a better chance to be successful. Also, with some minor changes to the universal health care system, the benefits outweigh the detriments. The implementation of universal health in the United States would create a better society and improve the well -being of their citizens.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Leadership and managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership and managment - Essay Example They integrate tasks, structure, technology, resources, and people into a productive configuration. Managers plan, organize, direct and control. In the end, however, they achieve goals through the efforts of other people. They have to influence the behavior of other people in order to get things done. This requires leadership, and, managers have to be leaders as well. At St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Philippines, leadership is governed by the Board of Trustees. It is in the light that this essay is written to analyze the company in terms of its leadership, vision and mission, strengths and weaknesses, and the underlying factors which assist the company in achieving their goals. St. Lukes Medical Center (SLMC) is located in the Philippines and has provided high-quality healthcare for over a century. Founded in 1903, its mission is to provide outstanding out-patient care. Today it is the foremost and most admired hospital in the Philippines and an acknowledged leader in Asia. (SLMC About Us 2009 par. 1) †St. Lukes delivers on its mission of healing by gathering under one roof the finest medical expertise, the most sophisticated medical technology and facilities, and a deep-rooted culture of compassion. It supports this mission with research and continuing education for those who serve. The total dedication to quality and caring of the St. Lukes family is what distinguishes the hospital as a center of healthcare excellence in Asia. The 650-bed hospital is home to nine Institutes, 13 Departments, and 19 centers. These centers of excellence bring to the Philippines the latest medical advances and treatment modalities. Over 1,700 hospital-affiliated medical consultants see out-patients in more than 450 private clinics. SLMC is the undisputed leader in virtually all medical specialties, including cardiovascular medicine, neurology and neurosurgery, cancer, ophthalmology, and digestive and liver diseases. It is the first choice of medical

Friday, September 27, 2019

Jim Crow Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jim Crow - Research Paper Example The Jim Crow was characterized by tough anti-black polices or laws (Packard 2003, 222). Under the Jim crow, people of color especially African Americans were seen as people who belonged to the lower or second class in society. The Jim Crow rallied for implementation of anti-black policies because many theologians and Christians preached that the white people were children of God. They taught that God cursed people of color especially black men to be servants, and due to this, God endorsed racial biasness (Boskin 1976). In addition, craniologists and social thinkers argued that the culture of the black people was inferior and that they were intellectually inferior to the white people. Those politicians who were against social integration believed that the black culture could not mix with the white culture as this could lead to mongrelization of the white race which they perceived to be superior than any other race (Klarman 2006, 211). The media propagated racial segregation in their articles where they referred to black people as darkies, coons, and niggers. Their messages in the articles spread anti-black information and stereotypes. For instance, in schools, white children saw black children as inferior and worthless. Under the Jim Crow, all social institutions such as schools and churches reinforced oppression of the people of color particularly African Americans (Parish 2008, 93-95). The Jim Crow norms worked in combination with the Jim Crow policies. The Jim Crow norms were responsible for black exclusion from significant facilities such as jobs, transport, and schools. The 13th and 15th amendment of the US constitution had given black people same rights and legal protection as white people (Stetson 2011, 188). However, when Rutherford was elected the US president, border and southern States started restricting the freedoms and rights of black people. Even the highest institution in the land, the Supreme Court, reinforced racial segregation with the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Compact Cars Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Compact Cars - Research Paper Example Corolla comes with more standard safety features, including six airbags, front-seat active head restraints and antilock brakes. Electronic stability control is optional. The new Toyota Corolla's good crash test scores earn it a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Reviewers praise the Toyota Corolla's safety record and excellent reputation for reliability. Fuel economy is outstanding with EPA ratings of 26-27 mpg city and 35 mpg highway, and real-life averages very close to those figures. The larger 2.4-liter four-cylinder in the XRS model gets 22 mpg city, 30 mpg highway in either manual or automatic. Corolla, LE, XLE and S trims come with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine standard, producing 132 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque. The XRS model ($18,760) dishes up a more beefy 158 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. Corolla and S trims are available with either a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual. LE and XLE versions are only available with the four-speed automatic, while the XRS can be had with the five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission. Toyota played it too safe in the styling department; Driverside says that "the 2009 Corolla is blessed with styling derived from its big brother, the Camry .The driver and passenger seats sit up higher than you might expect, and the vantage delivers exceptional visibility. Also, the steering, while adjustable, seems to jut from the dash, giving it a golf cart feel. Exterior options like a spoiler and 16-inch aluminium wheels do much to add character to the car. Surprisingly spacious inside, the Corolla offers plenty of head and legroom up front, with enough room inside for people over the six-foot mark. The backseat doesn't skimp on space either, though taller people may wish to stick to calling shotgun. The seats are comfortable in either cloth or leather trim, and build quality is impressive for a vehicle at this price". Interesting features: The most deluxe of all the Corolla trims, the XRS model comes loaded with a more powerful engine, leather interior, power windows and locks and a six-speaker sound system for $18,760. A six-disc CD changer

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Corporatocracy Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Corporatocracy - Personal Statement Example The wealthy elite have the capacity to bribe government officials because of their financial clout; thus, they are able to rule the society. This to me is a system that does not benefit the currently struggling American family. As a Pakistani national who belongs to one of the influential political families in the country, being politically victimized in the late 1990s by the government provided the impetus for one’s decision to delve into the Foreign Service career. One decided to live in New York for the past two years to pursue higher education. I have witnessed western politics during this span of time and had the opportunity to compare Western politics and the ruling corporatocracy. The greed and tyranny of corporatocracy pushes the economy further down because it only benefits corporate executives and politicians. Their very existence is driven by selfish interests and therefore failed to consider social responsibility and utilitarianism. If corporations are not able to achieve the profit that they want because of legal impediments, their preferred option is to give unlimited campaign donations to politicians who can push for legislations that will benefit their companies. Hopefully, a career in Foreign Service will be my stepping stone towards the achievement of both personal and professional goals of trying to educate and convince people in corporations and governments, as well as the general public, that corporatocracy is not the answer to the economic and financial woes of the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example Phil Kotler defines â€Å"Atmospherics† as â€Å"the effort to design buying environments to produce specific emotional effects in the buyer that enhance his or her purchase probability.† The majority of the American public is unaware that they are spending more or less time in stores, moving slower or faster through the aisles, and purchasing items that have no concrete value to them because their unconscious is being told to make decisions contrary to that which they desire. Atmospherics create an illusion that stores try to sustain throughout the consumer’s shopping experience. In â€Å"Marketing of the Mind†, the authors argue that people visit a mall solely for its disorientating effect; they call it a â€Å"vacation from the senses, much like drinking alcohol.† (Walsh, Brown. â€Å"Media Literacy for the Unconscious Mind†. The Journal of New Media & Culture. Winter 2002, Vol.1, No.1). Storeowners attempt to influence consumers by creating an innovative store layout. Victor Gruen is accredited with conceiving an ideal environment for a shopping mall. Departmental stores, which were the main impetus to go to malls, are placed at opposite ends of the interior walkway – the logic being that consumers must pass all of the smaller shops when traversing between them. Along with climatic control, a lack of clocks, and centrally controlled lighting, the consumer loses all sense of direction, time of day and duration of his or her stay; the consumer’s eye literally becomes glazed over, and he or she loses the ability to make economically realistic decisions. Parking is often located underneath the store’s premises, so consumers cannot determine where in the store they are making their entrance, which adds to their disorientation. The shopping environment is thus transformed from a relatively neutral place to one that harbors numerous stimuli that urge

Monday, September 23, 2019

Google and Microsoft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Google and Microsoft - Essay Example   Microsoft was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Microsoft is a leader in operating systems and Microsoft windows is its star product. Furthermore, office application such as Microsoft Office is also one of the key products of Microsoft. Microsoft develops licenses and supports various software products and services for computing devices all over the world. Leading products include PC operating systems that primarily include Windows 7. Microsoft also provides online solutions to its customers through Bing and MSN portals. Microsoft recently acquired ‘Skype’ and serves as one of its major product. Microsoft is also present in the entertainment industry through its product named Xbox 360. Organizational Culture Google Inc has a normal hierarchical structure and important decisions are taken by the upper management. Dissent and difference of opinion is encouraged and decisions are made in front of everybody. Google encourages its workers to fol low their instincts so that they can come up with creative ideas that help in innovation and product development. Although, Google is not lead by a charismatic leader such as Bill Gates, the vision of the company is well defined and the employees strive towards accomplishing the goals that are given to them. Microsoft strives to make the workplace as comfortable for the employees as they can. Microsoft has a clearly defined vision and the employees stick to the vision and mission of the overall organization. Microsoft is lead by a charismatic leader in the form of Bill Gates. Bill Gates knows that in order to move forward, he can leave no man behind. In order to ensure this, he has a clear vision not only in his mind but he also makes certain to pass it on to his employees. He sets clear standards about his expectation from the employees which is pursued passionately by the employees. By saying inspiring expressions like, every house and business must run on Microsoft software, or a computer on every desktop, he provides an unambiguous picture to his employees of exactly what is expected of them. This helps clear misconceptions and misunderstandings and provides refreshing clarity to employees. He has set a standard for them, they can easily envision it and therefore achieving it becomes easier (Grist, 2007) Google has always introduced new and innovative products. Employees are encouraged to provide Creative and innovative ideas. The concept of search engine, videos sharing, advertisements on blogs etc. are all examples of the innovations Google has introduced over the years. Ratio Analysis: Microsoft also has an impeccable track record in introducing innovative products and services. Microsoft Windows and Office are examples of introducing innovative products in the market that match the customer’s needs and demands. Google Inc. has a better current ratio of 4.2 times as compared to the current ratio of Microsoft. Hence, Google’s ability to rep ay its short term obligations is better than Microsoft’s (Brigham & Houston, 2012). However, Microsoft earns a far better return on its assets and equity than Google. The higher current ratio indicates that Google has excess short term assets available and hence is better positioned to withstand a recession. Microsoft has been more profitable than Google as indicated by the higher return on assets and return on equity figure of Microsoft. Microsoft earned 41% return on the total equity as compared to the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Information security risk assessment and mitigation strategies develop Thesis Proposal

Information security risk assessment and mitigation strategies development - Thesis Proposal Example Therefore, it is relevant to any company to develop security risk assessment and mitigation strategy to save data from potential external risk. In order to facilitate the process security risk assessment and mitigation strategies with regards to information security, it is relevant to work out a mechanism of dealing with the potential hazard of data steal from any company. On the basis of modern studies, it is relevant to develop a holistic strategy to data security provision that would be based on the principles applicable for any company. This research is focused on considering strategic steps of security management taken in case potential information hazards may occur. The research question is the following: â€Å"How is it possible for any organization to improve and apply effective information security risk assessment and mitigation strategies†. Moreover, it is further on suggested how to work out security risk assessment process. Therefore, a practical aspect of security management is correlated with recent theoretical findings presented in contemporary researches and studies. This research has been mainly developed for the needs of the organizations requiring improvement of information security risk assessment and mitigation strategies. This research is relevant from practical point of view. Though it is based on recent researches and findings in the field of information security, it brings in an innovative vision about the role of information security and strategies directed on dealing with it.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Free

Free will vs. Determinism Essay Free Will versus Determinism Right now I am writing this paper, for philosophy class, and it is due tomorrow. The question is, from the time I was born, was it pre-determined that I was going to write this paper? Since the beginning of religion, people have argued whether or not everything we do is pre-determined. The belief that every action a person makes has been pre-determined is called determinism. On the other side of this belief is the belief of free will. Free will is the belief that a person chooses what happens to them through their own actions. In the argument of free will versus determinism, there are three positions that can be taken for this argument. The positions that can be taken are hard determinism, libertarianism, and soft determinism. Hard determinism is the belief that everything in the universe is determined by casual laws, or is pre-determined. Libertarianism is the belief that there are some actions in which a person causes the outcome or in other words, the belief that people choose what happens to them. And finally, there is soft determinism. Soft determinism is the belief that there are certain things in life that are pre-determined and there are some things in life that a person chooses to happen through their actions. I believe that soft determinism is true because there really are certain things in life that are pre-determined, but there are also things that people have control over. Every day, a person makes hundreds if not thousands of choices; choices that will lead to actions, which will lead to an outcome of any given situation. I believe that for certain things in life, people decide what happens to them based on their actions or choices. But just as I believe that people make their own choices, I also believe that there are certain things in life that are pre-determined. I believe that free will and determinism go hand at hand though. There are certain things in life that a person has no control over. For example, when a person is born, they cannot choose what family they can be related to. A person cannot choose what their face is going to look like, or the color of their skin, or even something like their name. All of these qualities of a person are all pre-determined before birth. A person does not have free will to choose these qualities while in the mother’s womb. Just as there are these things that cannot be chosen, there are many things that a person can choose to be a part of their life that is not pre-determined. For instance, a person can choose who their friends are, what color they like, what food they like, and even things like hobbies that they enjoy doing. In my opinion, free will and determinism work along with each other. I believe that both determinism and free will are true. In my opinion, they work with each other. I believe that since we can’t choose what environment we grow up in, it effects how we make our choices. In other words, our culture has a strong effect on our own personal decision making. In fact, our free will decision making is formed from our past experiences. There are some philosophers who don’t agree with soft determinism. A man by the name of Baron d’Holbach is a strong believer of hard determinism. d’Holbach believes that what we call free will is simply just a modification of the physical brain. We necessarily seek to enhance/ensure our own existence. As natural beings, we are wholly subject to laws of nature. In this sense, forces independent of us create desires/drives in us that determine what we do. What he means by this is that is that we only believe that we have free will. And that the choices that we make are already pre-determined based on the environment we live in. Another philosopher by the name of William James believes in libertarianism. According to James, there is always some ‘loose play’ among parts of the universe, multiple possibilities for how things can be. Whatever does actually happen happens because of chance, not out of necessity or natural laws. In other words, he believes that either everything is determined, or everything is up to chance. I disagree with both of these views. I believe that there is a mixture of both determinism and libertarianism. I disagree with Baron d’Holbach because I believe that free will does in fact exist. For me, it makes sense that free will is true. There are certain things that need to have free will in order to exist. The best example of this is regret. Regret comes when a person makes a choice. If free will does not exist, than people don’t necessarily make choices, and without choices being made, than regret cannot exist. There needs to be free will for certain things in life to exist. I also disagree with William James. I believe that it is foolish to believe in the â€Å"all or none† principle. James believes that either there is all just pure determinism, or all free will, not both. It is impossible for there to be free will for everything. For example, people cannot choose what they are going to look like. People also cannot choose who their family is or what their birth name is. But, I also believe the same to be true with pure determinism. I believe that it is nonsense to believe that a person doesn’t choose their friends, what they take interest in, or what sort of events happen to them throughout the course of their life. I do believe that there are certain things that are pre-determined, but it doesn’t make sense to believe that everything is pre-determined. Every single day, people make decisions that will affect what will happen to them. There are things in a person’s life that happen by choice, and there are also things that happen that people have no control over. I believe that soft determinism is true because there really are certain things in life that are pre-determined, but there are also things that people have control over. It cannot lean one way or the other because there needs to be both. I believe that these two work hand at hand in order to form out what happens to a person throughout their life. Bibliography 1. TheologySummary History of World Religions. On Morality, Free Will God. Philosophy: Free Will vs. Determinism: WSM Explains Limited Freedom / Determinism in Necessarily Connected Universe. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. .

Friday, September 20, 2019

Asthma Case Study Essay

Asthma Case Study Essay This essay is written as a case study referring to a patient from my practice area. As I will be reflecting on my practice in relation to the case study, use will be made of first person writing where appropriate. Hamill (1999) supports the use of first person writing in academic essays such as case studies and suggests it develops self-awareness, reflection, analysis and critique. As this essay is focused on a specific patient from my practice area it is important to consider issues of confidentiality. Therefore, throughout neither my practice area nor the patient name will be identified. However to be able to discuss key issues in relation to the patient I will refer to their age, gender and lifestyle, and use a false name to aid the flow of writing. Introduction Asthma affects 5.2 million people in the UK: 1.1 million children and 4.1 million adults according to Asthma UK in their 2004 report. However, depending which report one reads, this number can almost double to 10.1 million (Masoli et al 2003). This wide variation of prevalence maybe explained by the different studies and reports used to gather the data and differing inclusion criteria used. There is nevertheless agreement on the fact that the numbers of cases of asthma are increasing. Asthma UK (2004) reports a 400,000 increase in the number of adults with asthma in the UK between 2001 and 2004. The rising patterns of asthma prevalence however are not explained by current knowledge of causes of asthma, but are paralleled by increases in other allergic conditions such as eczema and rhinitis (Masoli et al 2003). There is currently no agreed definition of the disease. Widely documented in the literature however, is the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (1992) definition who describe it as, a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways causing widespread but variable airflow obstruction†¦Obstruction is often reversible, either spontaneously or with treatment. The severity of the condition varies significantly (Rees and Kanabar 2000) from mild intermittent asthma, to a distressing disabling condition which results in time off work or school, disturbed sleep, restriction of social and leisure activities and anxiety (Hyland 1998). The main aim of asthma management is to control symptoms, minimise asthma exacerbations and optimise quality of life (Scullion 2005). As a student of the Acute Care Pathway Degree, one of the specific learning outcomes for my pathway is to be able to manage programmes of care for patients with chronic diseases (St Martins College 2006). Hyland (1998) states that the Advanced Nurse Practitioner has become a major provider of asthma care in the UK. Watkins, Edwards and Gastrell (2003) agree, and suggest that currently the management of long-term conditions, including asthma, are a core component of a Advanced Nurse Practitioners work. Therefore it is crucial that I have an understanding of this condition and be able to review patients effectively (Wiggins 1999) using evidence based guidelines, and to have the confidence to provide advice on the management of their condition. I aim to improve my understanding and asthma management skills through critically reviewing key issues of patient care as a case study. The key issues I intend to focus on relating to a specific patient are: Treatment of Asthma in the Emergency Department Patient education Patient concordance Initially this essay will examine my current practice in relation to asthma management through reflecting on my present level of knowledge and understanding, discussing the level of care I can provide for patients with asthma at the moment. I then intend to give a brief outline of the patient chosen for this study, explaining the reasons for that choice and the rationale behind the key issues highlighted for discussion. A critical review of the key issues will follow using up to date evidence based literature and considering relevant policies. The conclusion will summarise the main points, reflect on what I have learned from this module and consider ongoing learning requirements in relation to asthma management. Reflection on current practice At the time of writing I have so far completed 16 hours in practise, Therefore my first few days in practice were spent adjusting to this new and very different area of nursing. Nevertheless I have had the opportunity to observe my mentor assessing patients with asthma and recently have become more involved in the review of these patients, with supervision. Prior to starting the course I did feel I had some understanding of the disease process of asthma from working in the Emergency Department, albeit very fundamental, and some basic knowledge of the management. Some of this understanding comes from personal experience but also through my previous experience working in dermatology. Often patients presenting with atopic eczema would also be asthmatic, there is a well known link between these conditions (Hyland 1998). Some of the advice given in eczema management, for example allergen avoidance, will also be relevant in asthma management (Rees and Kanabar 2000). Using Benners (1984) novice to expert model I would classify myself at present as an advanced beginner. This is someone who has a marginally acceptable performance with some background experience but who still requires supervision. I feel this accurately describes my current ability in practice in relation to asthma management. With supervision I am able to undertake an assessment using a template for guidance, check medication usage, check symptoms and carry out peak flow assessment. However I still find the array of inhalers confusing and dont feel confident in interpreting the information gleaned during assessment into planned care within the time constraints of the clinic. When I have the time to reflect on the information and review the guidelines away from the patient I feel more confident. I need however to be able to make the transition from an advanced beginner to a competent practitioner, increasing my level of proficiency to no longer requiring supervision but being aware of my own limitations. I feel with more experience in practice and by working through this case study I should be able to achieve this. Rationale for choice of patient and key issues Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper (2001) suggest that choosing an event or incident to reflect upon or analyse is concerned with anything that happens to us that we want to write about for some reason. It is the significance of the experience within our daily lives which helps us choose one experience over another. Having decided to focus on asthma as the topic for my case study, when I looked back at the patients I had seen with asthma, it was the above episode of care which held the most significance for me. Pharmacological management The aims of the pharmacological management of asthma are to control symptoms, prevent exacerbations and achieve the best possible lung function while minimising side-effects and long-term sequelae (Scullion 2005). National clinical guidelines developed in 2003 by the British Thoracic Society (BTS) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) were produced in collaboration with, amongst others, Asthma UK and the Royal College of Physicians of London, and have more recently been updated in 2005. They are widely accepted as the Gold Standard of evidence-based asthma care for health care professionals working in the UK (Levy and Pearce 2004). Patient education and concordance The issues of education and concordance will be discussed together as they are inextricably interlinked. It is difficult for the health professional to achieve concordance with the patient without providing education about their disease and its management (Levy and Pearce 2004). It is estimated that one quarter of asthma patients in the UK have a compliance rate of 30% or less (Das Gupta and Guest 2003). The term compliance in health care has become less fashionable recently due to it implying that a patient is perhaps ineffectual and hasnt followed the health professionals instructions (Hyland 1998). Whereas in reality the reasons for non-compliance are complex (Holgate and Douglass 2006) and not necessarily the fault of the patient, for example, not being shown how to use their inhaler device properly (Carter et al 2005). Nevertheless non-compliance is thought to contribute to between 18% and 48% of asthma deaths (Asthma UK 2003). Concordance is the term used to describe a negotiat ed agreement between health professional and patient with regard to the management of their condition (BTS/SIGN 2005). However even when concordance seems to have been achieved a patient still may not adhere to the agreed plan of care for many reasons (Weller and Booker 2006). Ensuring patients are well informed about how their medication works has been shown to improve adherence and control (Boulet 1998). They need to be aware of the risks of taking and of not taking their medication (Levy and Pearce 2004). The latter is of particular concern in asthma in that persistent inflammation of the airways may lead to irreversible obstruction (Rees and Kanabar 2000). Written personalised asthma action plans have been shown to improve outcomes of care (BTS/SIGN 2005). They reinforce verbal education and set out for patients what to do if their symptoms worsen (Roberts 2002). Conclusion Asthma is a frequently seen chronic condition in the Emergency Department and one that Advanced Nurse Practitioners are expected to be involved in the management of (Hampson 2002). Therefore as am Acute Care Pathway Degree Student, I need to develop my knowledge and skills in this condition to enable me to provide a high standard of evidence-based care for patients. Throughout this essay I have endeavoured to demonstrate my understanding of asthma especially in relation to the pharmacological management and issues of education and concordance. These issues have been discussed and have shown to be interrelated; without achieving concordance, adherence to prescribed medication cannot be achieved and without patient education concordance cannot be realised. Although I have been unable to discuss all aspects of asthma management due to word limit constraints, my understanding of asthma medications and the use of the stepwise guidelines has increased significantly to the point where I now feel more confident in practice. More recently when seeing patients with asthma I have been able to visualise which step they are on which has helped me to decide whether they are on the correct medication in relation to the severity of their disease. Reviewing the issues of concordance and education has made me realise how important these aspects of management are; however the time needed to address these issues in practice often doesnt correlate to the time allowed for appointments. To enable me to become a competent practitioner in asthma management I need to consolidate the increased knowledge I have gained from writing this essay with more experience in practice. I need to increase my knowledge in areas not discussed in this essay, such as non-pharmacological management through self-directed study and perhaps consider further education through an accredited asthma diploma course, on completion of my degree course.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Insensitive Listening Exemplified in an Episode of Two and a Half Men E

During the last segment of Two and a Half Men’s, â€Å"Love isn’t Blind, Love’s Retarded† episode there are clear examples of pre-occupational thought, ambushing, and insensitive listening. The person who demonstrates pre-occupational thought is also the airhead of the bunch who has a difficult time listening to anything anybody tells her. For this reason, she’s also the person who used the ambushing technique against Allan when he was trying to have a conversation with her. Unfortunately, for Charlie he was a prime target for insensitive listening even though his girlfriend wasn’t even trying to be so cold to his feelings. Charlie has been seeing Kandi off and on throughout the entire season until meeting another woman by the name of Mia whom he actually falls in love with instead of just using for his sexual desires. Not realizing that she has been replaced Kandi comes over to visit Charlie. With Mia being in the house Charlie convinces his brother, Allan to distract Kandi which he does in order to help the situation. Allen winds up falling for Kandi which permits Charlie to continue his relationship with Mia. After two months of dating Charlie and Mia are finally ready for consummation their mature relationship. Just as everything seems to be going right, everything ends up go wrong whenever Charlie comes close to the coveted carnal deed. Allan and Kandi are sitting on the couch inside Charlie’s living room having an adult conversation after Allan’s son, Jake, goes to sleep. Even though it would appear that Kandi is intently listening to what Allan has to say it soon becomes clear that all that’s on her mind is having sex. For instance, after Allan gives up attempting to get through her uneducated brain he says, â€Å"I’ll ... ...What’s the BIG deal?† Shocked Charlie says, â€Å"What’s the big deal? This is the part of the relationship I’m GOOD at!† Realizing she has just made him feel upset she attempts to brush it off and move onto a moment that could potentially change the mood. This illustration shows that sometimes without even trying you can become an insensitive listener by only picking up the superficial content of a conversation. As Two and a Half Men’s episode â€Å"Love isn’t Blind, Love’s Retarded† adduces even in a short ten minute time frame pre-occupational thought, ambushing, and insensitive listening happen far more frequently than any speaker would hope. Fortunately, there are ways in which to avoid using such actions or listening skills and one of those is simply by learning about them. The next time it’s my turn to listen thoughtfully I’m going to try my best, what about you?

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay -- Health

Many women that become pregnant are unaware of the consequences of drinking alcohol during pregnancy and the damaging effects it has on the fetus. When a woman who is pregnant drinks alcohol, the baby is also drinking alcohol. Furthermore, the amount of alcohol that is consumed by the mother is the same amount the baby receives through the mother's placenta. Many doctors advise that it is okay for the mother to have an occasional drink, however, some women cannot stop at one drink, and they continue to drink in excess throughout their pregnancy. Still, even moderate consumption of alcohol is not wise, because it is still unknown how much alcohol the fetus is able to tolerate without potential harm. Consequently, a fetus that has been exposed to alcohol while in the mother's womb has a high probability of being born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Women that want to become pregnant or are pregnant need to be educated on the effects that alcohol can have on the fetus and the devastating result of having a child born with FAS. Fetal alcohol syndrome was first discovered and treated in the late 1960's in France and a few years later in the United States. This syndrome results from the toxic effect of alcohol and its chemical factors on the developing fetus and brain (Christensen 1). According to many physicians and researchers, FAS is one of the leading causes of birth defects and developmental disabilities, along with Down syndrome and spina bifida in the U.S. Moreover, FAS is said to be the number one cause of nonhereditary mental retardation (Christensen 1). Out of each 10,000 children born in the U.S., between 3 and 30 suffer from FAS. The overwhelming effects of this condition can easily be prevented if the mothe... ...s work, but exactly how it happens is still under investigation. The research continues on the nutritional, hormonal and cellular events regulating fetal development to help guide early interventions in children with FAS. Education on FAS should come from the woman's doctor or a mandatory motherhood class, which could be provided at the physician's office, teaching the importance of taking care of the baby's health during pregnancy. If a woman chooses not to take her baby's welfare into consideration while she is pregnant, this should be considered gross negligence and should incur high penalties. The consequences of knowingly hurting the fetus could result in being imprisoned for a specific amount of time, rehabilitation if warranted, and or community service at a county facility that houses people who have mental and or physical problems that stem from FAS.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Dynamic Change and Collaborative Learning Environments :: Education, Leadership and Organizational Theory

Dynamic Change and Collaborative Learning Environments The continuous transformation in educational organization requires investigation of how the organization can be equipped to collaboratively handle constant changes and still improve. Leadership and organizational theory provide the support into looking at how an organization functions and how change happens within that organization. Educational organizations are always trying to catch up; hence, a system of improvement is necessary for teachers to have direct access to in-house experts to learn. (W. W. Burke, 2008) identifies an educational environment as an â€Å"open system† because it depends on a constant connection with the environment. The literature offers many distinctions about the â€Å"what† of change, such as planned or unplanned; however, there is a lack of information about the â€Å"why† and â€Å"how† of implementing change. Burke (2008) refers to the â€Å"what† part of change as content and the â€Å"how† as the process. As stated by Burke (2008), â€Å"†¦management consulting tends to focus on the content- on what needs to be changed. The process of how to bring about the change is either ignored or left to others, especially the client, to implement† (p. 165). Dufour and Eaker (1998), report that trying to change beliefs and habits will be complex and difficult to achieve. They state, â€Å"†¦if a change initiative is to be sustained, the elements of that change must be embedded with in the culture of the school† (p. 133). As stated by Fullan (2008), â€Å"Systems can learn on a continuous basis. The synergistic result of the previous five secrets in action is tantamount to a system that learns from itself† (p 14). Performance and outcomes will always change so the system will have to learn from itself in order to move forward with changes for continual success. In addition, Bandura (1997) supports the idea of a system learning from itself when he s ays that people can and do control their own motivation and thought process using observation and self-assessment to change their behaviors and attain goals. Peer observation is one way the system (the school) can learn from itself. The Professional Learning Community as a whole is the stakeholder. Administrators, teachers, staff, and students all hold a piece to the success of a community of learners that look to increase their knowledge capacity by learning from each other.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Oceanview Marine Company Engagement Letter

LILTS BERGER & ASSOCIATES 4-1 Certified Public AccountantsCW 11/23/2012 Ocean City, Florida 33140 October 30, 2012 Mr. Donald Phillips, President Oceanvien Marine Company 36 Clearwater Lake Road Ocean City, Florida 33140 Dear Mr. Phillips: This letter is to confirm our understanding of the terms of our engagement as the auditors of Oceanview Marine Company for the year ended December 31, 2012. We will audit the company’s balance sheet for December 31, 2012, and the related statements of income, retained earnings, and cash flows for the year then ended.The purpose of our audit is to form an opinion as to whether these statements are fairly presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. We will review the company’s federal and state income tax returns for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012. In addition, we will be available to consult with you concerning the tax effects of any transactions or changes in company policies.Our audit opinion will be based on our examination, made on a test basis, of your records, documents, assets, and equities. We will not examine all transactions, assets, or equities in detail, and the examination should not be relied on to detect all errors, fraud, or illegal acts that may have taken place. Notwithstanding, should we discover material misstatements resulting from error, fraud, or illegal acts during our audit, they will be disclosed to you. Please note that management of the company has the primary 4-2CW 11/23/2012 responsibility for maintaining adequate accounting records, for the safeguarding of assets, and for the preparation of accurate financial statements. If, for any reason, we are unable to complete the audit or are unable to form or have not formed an opinion, we may decline to express an opinion or decline to issue a report as a result of the engagement. The timing of our services is scheduled for performance and completion as follows: Begin field workDecember 15, 2012 Completion of fieldworkMarch 15, 2013Delivery of management letterMarch 22, 2013 Delivery of audit reportMarch 29, 2013 Delivery of tax returnsMarch 29, 2013 It is agreed that your staff will provide assistance with the preparation of data and by providing documents and records as needed. Our fees will be based on our standard hourly rates. Invoices will be submitted periodically as the work progresses and are payable upon presentation. Should we find any conditions that could significantly affect our initial estimated total fees of $21,000, we will notify you immediately.If the above terms are acceptable, and the services outlined are in accordance with the company’s requirements, please sign the copy of this letter in the space provided and return it to us. 4-3 CW 11/23/2012 Yours very truly, Per: Charles Ward Charles Ward, CPA Partner The services set out in the foregoing letter are in accordance with our requirements. The terms set out are acceptable to us and are hereby agreed to. Per: Donald Phillips Donald Phillips, President Oceanview Marine Company November 10, 2012

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Is Math a Science Essay

Upon arriving at this topic, I had previously been asked a simple opinionated question, is math is a science, an art, or a philosophy. I thought to myself, well of course all three. Mathematics is for the most part (at least what people see) is a science; adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, differentiating, integrating, etc. These are all very well defined operations which, for the most part, have very algorithmic solution methods. The art comes in the proofs. Typically, when formulating a proof you’re not given anywhere to start and so, just like in art, practice makes perfect. Also, when writing theorems this process is completely in reverse and the amount of creativity required is staggering. Just try drawing a conclusion from a set of fragmented, typically unrelated information (this doesn’t even have to be math related). The philosophy comes from concepts of infinity and most of set theory. A lot of early mathematics (after the Dark Age) were, for the most part, philosophers. They were fascinated by how something so simple as mathematics could model something so abstract and complicated as nature, and yet could itself become as abstract as to not be visualize-able by humans (infinite, dimensions greater than 3, etc.) So it is all three, although rarely is it simultaneously all three. One of these usually dominates while working with math at any one time. But there have been points in history where all three of coincided and it is some of the most mind-boggling and beautiful work you’ll ever see. But it had got me thinking after taking this course that is math really a science, an art, or a philosophy, though for more thought out reasons. Having an art background and studying art history front and back, I came to the idea that mathematics and art go hand in hand. (And now knowing this, I have a stronger connection as to why math would be considered an art compared to a chemical engineer who would be more likely to lean towards a more scientifical view of mathematics). Math and art have quite a long, historical relationship. The ancient Egyptians and the ancient Greeks knew about the golden ration, regarded and an aesthetically pleasing ratio, and incorporated it into the design of monuments including the Great Pyramid, the Parthenon, and the Colosseum. There are many examples of artists who have been inspired by mathematics and have studied mathematics as a means of complementing their works. The Greek sculptor Polykleitos prescribed a series of mathematical proportions for carving the ideal male nude. Renaissance painters turned to mathematics and many, including Piero della Francesca, became accomplished mathematicians themselves. Even look at Galileo Galilei, he wrote that the universe is written in the language of mathematics, and that its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures. On the other hand, mathematicians have sought to interpret and analyze art through the lens of geometry and rationality. All of this made me realize that this all had to do with algorithms. Algorithms had to fit into the mathematical relation with art which then got me to the concept of algorithmic art. Algorithmic art, also known as algorithm art, is visual art explicitly generated by an algorithm. It is a subset of generative art, and is practically always executed by a computer. If executed by a computer, it is also classed as computer-generated art; typically, this is usually categorized as digital art. Fractal art and equation art are both subsets of algorithmic art. For a work of art to be considered algorithmic art, its creation must include a process based on an algorithm devised by the artist. Here, an algorithm is simply a detailed recipe for the design and possibly execution of an artwork, which may include computer code, functions, expressions, or other input which ultimately determines the form the art will take. This input may be mathematical, computational, or generative in nature. Inasmuch as algorithms tend to be deterministic, meaning that their repeated execution would always result in the production of identical artworks, some external factor is usually introduced. This can either be a random number generator of some sort, or an external body of data (which, I found, can range from recorded heartbeats to frames of a movie.) Some artists also work with organically based gestural input which is then modified by an algorithm. By this definition, algorithmic art is not to be confused with graphical methods such as generating a fractal out of a fractal program; it is necessarily concerned with the human factor (one’s own algorithm, and not one that is pre-set in a package). The artist must be concerned with the most appropriate expression for their idea, just as a painter would be most concerned with the best application of colors. By this definition, defaulting to something like a fractal generator (and using it for all or most of your creations) would in essence be letting the computer dictate the form of the final work, and not truly be a creative art. The artist’s self-made algorithms are an integral part of the authorship, as well as being a medium through which their ideas are conveyed. Though, after delving into the fact that math is and can be very well classified as an art, I do strongly agree that math is a science because I think that math can be considered a science if you look at it from the right perspective. Let’s say you have a hypothesis (imagine you are Fermat or Pythagoras). How would you prove that you were right? You would do an experiment (the proof) and arrive at a conclusion. This is the scientific method, and it does fit how mathematics is done. Sometimes it takes a while to do enough experiments to prove your theory. For one, I still cannot think of mathematics as entirely a science; the two are fundamentally different in a very important aspect: in science we have to look at reality and then give explanations, usually enlisting the aid of mathematics as a coherent language in which to frame our explanations, but mathematics is done in many other situations beyond science. Pure mathematicians are sometimes proud to claim how useless their discoveries are. In science we experiment. We go into the â€Å"real world,† observe phenomena, go back to the drawing table, and try to explain these phenomena. Then we go back out to the world, see if we can predict a new phenomenon before it happens (when we can do that we usually say that we have discovered â€Å"a fundamental law of nature†), and either smugly rest for the day, or crawl back to the drawing table, slightly disappointed if our hypothesis did not work as we intended. This, in general, is what we call the â€Å"scientific method.† Mathematics is different. Though I do agree that mathematics is becoming an experimental discipline, particularly with the recent introduction of powerful calculating machines, it does not rely on these experiments in order to claim â€Å"Eureka! I have discovered a new truth!† Mathematics requires proof, and it’s very picky about what it considers proof to be. For a scientist, ten experiments with consistent results might constitute proof, â€Å"within experimental error.† For a mathematician, a googolplex of successful experiments is not enough proof. Instead, we rely on logic, and this thing we call â€Å"common sense,† fundamental logical rules we believe no one will dispute, very basic rules. Mathematics is very often inspired by nature, but it is a purely intellectual pursuit. It is just a bunch of ideas in our heads, like philosophy. Unlike most of philosophy, there is some â€Å"glue† to it all, some fundamental unity, something we call logic, reason, order. Pure abstract reasoning. That’s why I sometimes like to say that mathematics is applied philosophy. Philosophy under the influence of very specific rules. Then there’s the aesthetics of it. The capacity of mathematics to be an art. This is one of my favorite interpretations. The sheer simplistic beauty, the awe one can feel when one reads an entire proof and understands every aspect of it, when a surprising truth is found by unsurprising means; this is a very personal experience, I think. You really have to feel it in the flesh to understand it. That flash of understanding when a complex problem has been solved. That simple marvel of seeing many unrelated ideas congregates under a single roof o f logic and order. This is what spurs the most romantic of mathematicians to keep on trying to prove that ancient conjecture. Personally, as it turns out, I do not think that anyone will really know what math really is. There may be a myriad of ways of how math can be classified, whether it is an art, a science or a philosophy. There will always be opinions for and against each concept. But as for me, my heart solely believes that math can be absolutely any of the three concepts above. I feel that maybe there are many ignorant people who do not care enough to be open minded to the fact that mathematics may in fact be all three. Who knows, I may have an opinion that can be completely inaccurate, but it wouldn’t be an opinion if it could be proved wrong.

Technology Is Being Used Increasingly in the

Argumentative Essay Writing Tips Find your topic – From abortion to human trafficking, the sky is the limit when it comes to finding a heated topic to present an argument about. Think about your stance – Are you going to be for or against human trafficking? Logically, most people would be against human trafficking but either way you will need to be confident and comfortable in whatever stance you take. Additionally, you will need to be able to substantiate the facts and cleverly fuse them with your stance in order to arrive at a solid argumentative essay. This will require that you think about your stance on the issue essay writers world reviews.Think long and hard in order to better be able to discern where you are trying to take the topic argumentatively. Do your homework – There have undoubtedly been others who have argued for or against the topic that you chose who may have done it years prior to you even thinking about it. Take time out to research how your predecessors argued their stance. This is not to say that you should mirror that stance, but it might give you a heads up and/or better tips on what direction you should be moving towards when it comes to the ebb and the flow of the argument.Know your opposition – Every argumentative topic has a pro side and an opposing side. The best possible strategy that you can employ when writing the article is to know your opponent’s stance on the issue. When you know how your opponent will think or what rebuttal he or she will try to use, then you will have an upper hand on how to out debate them. Knowing your opponent is essential in counter-attacking when it comes to your argumentative essay. Get the facts – What good is an argumentative essay if there are no facts? The bottom line is that you need facts in order to support your argument on your controversial topic.No one wants to look like an amateur, and in order to avoid doing such you will need to have cognitive and verifiable facts that will back up your argument completely. Without these facts your risk looking both unprofessional and unprepared. Pick a topic that you are passionate about – When there is no passion in an argumentative essay then there is nothing to capture the attention of the reader. In order to convey your argument it is imperative for you to be passionate about any topic that you pick. If you do not believe in it then no one else will either. Steps in writing your Essay INTRODUCTION 1.Paraphrase the question 2. State your position [totally/strongly/somewhat + agree/disagree] BODY 3. Write topic sentences for each body paragraph Sequencing word + topic + point The main reason why I believe teachers are necessary is because they are essential for disciplining and motivating students CONCLUSION 4. Summarise main points 5. Give your final opinion or recommendation/ restate your position A Sample of Argumentative Essay Technology is being used increasingly in the classr oom and some people believe that educators will become redundant. I somewhat disagree that teachers will be replaced by machines.The main reason why I think that teachers are essential is because they encourage and discipline students. Many people find it difficult to be interested in learning new things. Therefore educators are needed to make classes more interesting and stimulate students’ desires for learning. Also, in the case of young people, teachers often need to force students to learn through the use of punishments. Another reason why teachers are needed is because they can teach young people important skills and values. This is because educators serve as role models to their students and teach them how to appropriately interact with their peers.Therefore, if people only learn using machines they will lose the opportunity to learn important social skills and values. However, studying over the internet certainly offers a lot of convenience. First, we are able to study in the comfort of our own homes, without the need to commute to school. Second, we can choose to study at any time we like even in the middle of the night. In summary, I somewhat disagree that machines can replace teachers. This is because teachers can encourage students to learn and teach them how to interact with other people. Although, computers do offer the ability for people to learn anywhere at any time.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Differentiate between fraud and abuse Essay

Fraud is any and all means a person uses to gain an unfair advantage over another person. In most cases, to be considered fraudulent, an act must involve: – A false statement (oral or in writing)  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ About a material fact – Knowledge that the statement was false when it was uttered (which implies an intent to deceive) – A victim relies on the statement – And suffers injury or loss as a result Abuse is to wrongly or improperly; misuse. – abuse alcohol – abuse privilege – abuse drugs – abuse authority Compare and contrast Sutherland’s theory of differential association with Cressey’s final hypothesis. What does Cressey mean by â€Å"non-shareable†? Cressey however, took his own studies in a different direction from Sutherland’s research. He was intrigued by embezzlers, whom he called â€Å"trust violators†. He was especially interested in the circumstances that led them to be overcome by temptation. Upon completion of his research, he developed what still remains as the classic model for the occupational offender. His research was published in â€Å"Other People’s Money: As Study in the Social Psychology of Embezzlement.† Non-shareable is a issue of concern which the individual directed affected believe that he cannot share with another person due to shame or guilt. Describe at least four proactive audit tests that could help detect a shell company scheme. †¢ Maintain and regularly update an approved vendor list †¢ Independently verify all vendors before payment †¢ Identifying shell company invoices – Lack of detail on the fraudulent invoice – Invoice that lacks detailed descriptions of the items billed – Mailing address may be an indicator of fraud – Consecutively numbered invoices over a period of time – Reviewing payables and sorting payments by vendor and invoice number †¢ Testing for shell company schemes – Investigate budget overruns and departments that regularly exceed their budget – Conduct horizontal analysis of expenses – Investigate unexplained increases in â€Å"soft† accounts – Investigate unexplained increases in quantity of items purchased †¢ Testing for shell company schemes – Monitor trends in average unit price – Investigate goods and services that would not normally be purchased – Compare vendor addresses to employee addresses – Run reports of average turnaround time for invoices to look for unusual payment patterns †¢ Verifying whether a shell company exists – Use the phone book to verify the vendor – Contact others in the industry – Conduct a site visit of the vendor †¢ Identifying the employee behind a shell company – Conduct a public records search of the company’s registration – Be alert for related names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, and other identities. – Match vendor checks with payroll checks. – Conduct surveillance of mail drops to see who picks up the checks. Describe the five principal categories of check tampering schemes. Detail the methods used by perpetrators to affix a signature to the check. Check tampering is unique among fraudulent disbursements because it is the one group Of schemes in which the perpetrator physically prepares the fraudulent check. In most fraudulent disbursement schemes, the culprit generates a payment to himself by submitting some false document to the victim company such as an invoice or a timecard. The false document represents a claim for payment and causes the victim company to issues a check that the perpetrator then converts. These frauds essentially amount to trickery; the perpetrator fools the company into handing over its money. Check tampering schemes are fundamentally different. In these frauds the perpetrator takes physical control of a check and makes it payable to himself through one Of several methods. Check tampering schemes depend on factors such as access to the Companies check book, access to bank statements, and the ability to forge signatures or Alter other information on the face of the check. There are five principal methods used To commit check tampering: 1. Forged maker schemes 2. Forged endorsement schemes 3. Altered payee schemes 4. Concealed check schemes 5. Authorized maker schemes What internal controls can be implemented to minimize the ability to perpetrate a ghost employee scheme? Mandatory copies of employment picture I D’s and forms and a second level of inspection of them. An employment picture stapled into employment file. Quarterly justification of employment files against payroll w/ a physical inspection of any new employees file. A second level of sign off on all the need for all new employees. For example, if your company has a janitorial staff. in order to hire a new janitor, require copies of the usual I9 ID’s, be included into personal file. Have a signoff sheet for two levels of hiring authorization with clear printed and signed names, justifying the new employee. Have a picture of the new employee attached to the file (a good practice for all employment circumstances, anyway). A quarterly comparing of payroll to new employees. make sure payroll has to get the new documentation signoff sheet and sign it themselves after verifying the two previous sigs., prior to actually placing any new employee on the payroll. And that signoff sheet is then sent to an office manager†¦ who has to quarterly check against the new employee files New employee files are kept separate, until 90 days (or whatever your temp. time is) If employee is terminated prior to end of quarter, file is still held separate from other terminations until manager does quarterly check. I’ve been through a number of these, including one who hired a ghost and gave him the same name as a company vice president, just to confuse things more. Also watch out for time sheets being turned in after employee is not actually working there, but hasn’t been terminated on paper yet.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Baroque and Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Baroque and Architecture - Essay Example Wren’s first baroque design for this cathedral was rejected and considered as not practical and too foreign. The crowning dome was taken from that design and since three centuries the dome of the cathedral has been a major attraction in the city. The dome was designed by Wren not only to express the foreign architecture influence on his work but also to uncover the love he had for mathematics. Wren is known as the best architecture for his designs of buildings. He was also known as a leading mathematician and through his combination, he mastered in the shapes and arches of domes. He applied several theories through which he created historic monuments and recorded history’s best used mathematical sciences in architecture. The St Paul’s cathedral was known as the world’s first cathedral with a triple-dome. It was also the first cathedral which was completed in the lifetime of the architect. Wren had designed the cathedral so originally and furnished it with true British furniture that it was hard to believe how easily he did it. He adopted the characteristics of the baroque architecture which consisted of repeated styles and techniques used in buildings and structures. He was an aesthete and the love for art led him to design beautiful churches. As he was also an engineer, he designed and built structures that were acoustically pleasing. St Paul’s Cathedral marked the beginning of the shaky baroque architecture in England. This architecture was further elaborated in the 18th century.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

BUS499-MoD 4 (SLP) The Learning and Growth Perspective Essay

BUS499-MoD 4 (SLP) The Learning and Growth Perspective - Essay Example ll the social responsibility of the organization and will help the organization to build up a strong image among competitors (Lawrie and Cobbold, 2004). Improving the current work processes will positively affect the performance of employees and managers and improves the overall productivity of the organization. It will also reduce the possibility of mishap and confusion regarding the work assigned. . Standardization of processes will minimize the possibility of mistake and will ultimately result in cost and time effectiveness (Lipe and Salterio, 2000). This will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of whole staff as it will provide new ways towards the problem solving of employees. It will also increase customer loyalty and satisfaction. It will help the organization to stay update and competitive in the market (Northcott and Smith, 2011). The culture defines the organization; building of strong organizational culture will create a satisfactory working environment for employees and will work as motivational factor for employees to meet organization’s goals (Palladium, 2011). It will increase the overall performance of employees as motivation works as a driver to effectiveness of employee performance. It may include fringe benefits, appraisal, allowances etc (Tapinos, Dyson, and Meadows, 2011). This objective will increase the performance of employees and will make them efficient enough to better understand customer’s need and problem and will also allow them to cater the need in an effective manner (Tohidi, Jafari, and Afshar, 2010). Develop techniques to measure employee performance and activities such as undertaking monthly performance assessment activity which will provide the organization an insight to the performance of employees (Tseng, 2010). Learning and growth prospective of balanced score card has given the organization a platform to enhance its performance, with focus on employees and organizational culture it has provided the

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Lack of Parental Involvement at a Local Elementary School Negatively Essay

Lack of Parental Involvement at a Local Elementary School Negatively Affects the Academic Success of the Students - Essay Example This paper also investigates the reasons as to why some parents don’t get fully involved, as it has been observed that not all parents participate actively in the education process of their children. The ways through which schools and teachers can have parents get involved actively in educating their kids at home is also closely examined in this paper. Outline Lack of parental involvement at a local elementary school negatively affects the academic success of the students Chapter I: Introduction Chapter one examines the background of the proposal topic (Lack of Parental Involvement in Education and how it affects children and their academic success) by bringing out the statement of the problem. The purpose of the study and research questions has also been stated. In chapter two the secondary information relating to parental involvement in their children’s academic process has been examined and related to the performance of the child. This has been based on the previous studies carried on the topic. Problem Statement As observed by Bryan (2005) it is very likely for student to perform below their potential if parents are not actively involved in their academic progress. However, despite this problem parents as seen still not to be fully involved in their children school activities. As revealed by Wanat (1992), this problem is mainly as a result of lack of time or expertise in the side of the parent. Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the extent in which the involvement of parents in academic process has been lacking and the impact it has caused in the achievement of the children. Chapter II: Study of the Problem Description of the study area This... This paper stresses that it is evident that parents’ involvement in their children education is very vital for the children academic success. It is therefore true that lack of parental involvement would lead to poor performance of their children in school. The findings of this study are expected to examine how good performance of children in school depends to a large extend on parental involvement in children education. It is expected to suggest ways of enhancing parental participation in educating their kids. Therefore, given that data collection tool is a questionnaire to teachers, the research will seek data from the audience best placed to give the best feedback on children and what is required of their parents to improve academic performance. This report makes a conclusion that suggestions likely to be collected from teachers are: calling for parents meetings in school more often, making parents aware that their children good performance depends on their involvement, encouraging parents to assist and supervise their kids when doing their home work as well as encouraging parents to have in place a good study, play and family time home program for their children when not in school. The author of the paper declares that the decision to use schools from one zone in this study could limit the generalization of the findings to other schools but could be useful for illustrations and basis for more research. This is because the study will be carried out under constrain of time and therefore the data sample may not be distributed to many schools but will only be concentrated in ten schools which are close together.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Students with Intellectual Disabilities Coursework

Students with Intellectual Disabilities - Coursework Example Students with intellectual disabilities face the dilemma of high-stakes testing. Some students with intellectual disabilities are expected to complete such tests although the tests are beyond their capabilities. The expectations set by professionals are too high as students with intellectual disabilities are expected to learn from the same curriculum as those without disabilities. In some institutions, they are seen as the cause of school failure to attain federally mandated goals of sufficient yearly progress. Even though learning the core curriculum is essential for students with intellectual disabilities, there are several disadvantages of setting the standards too high. Students with intellectual disabilities face the challenge of self-determination during their transition from childhood to adulthood. There is a difficulty of understanding the concept of self-determination in the transition process. They receive little assistance from parents and teachers in using their self-dete rmination skills. In the end, they are not sufficiently prepared to face the IEP team and participate in meetings. In addition, teachers face some barriers in teaching self-determination. Firstly, based on traditional special education instruction models, teachers assume that students with intellectual disabilities cannot comprehend the decisions made during transition and IEP meetings. Secondly, the program design for the individual needs of students is not compatible with the expectations set by IDEA and NCLB.

Monday, September 9, 2019

Analysis of the attempted merger of AT&T and T- Mobile Research Paper

Analysis of the attempted merger of AT&T and T- Mobile - Research Paper Example Both the organizations contended that the proposed merger lacks the capability to affect the wireless service competition. They stated that other wireless service providers can easily replace the competition lost because of merger and the merger would dwarf the effects of anti-competition. AT&T hoped to buy T-mobile from Deutsche Telecom with the deal amounting to 39 billion dollars. With the effect of the deal AT&T became the largest mobile phone service provider in United States as the deal came with more than 33 million subscribers. If the deal would have been accepted AT&T would have enjoyed a market share of 43% widening the gap with the competitors further (Communications Workers of America, 2011). Research questions Whether the attempted merger between AT&T and T-mobile good or not. Literature Review and Analysis Some researchers posed the thought that the merger would contribute to enhance the market power. The wireless market as well as the post paid market is highly concent rated at the national level using the brink of guidelines of Horizontal Merger. The concentration falls in the range where DOJ and FTC conclude. The guidelines provide that concentration and market shares are measured on revenue basis. The revenues are attributable to the facilities based carriers in the wireless market. Using Herfindahl-Hirschman index they showed that the approach will contribute to enhance market power. It was found that T-mobile continued to be the significant competitor within the market structure (The New York Times. 2011). The other competitors did not have the capability to deal with the slack that resulted from the elimination of T-mobile from the framework of competition. The efficiency claims of AT&T were overstated and the efficiencies resulted from the merger was not good enough to overcome the effects of anti-competition. It was also found that the merger was likely to increase the competitive disadvantages for the other players in the market (Besen, K letter, Moresi, Salop and Woodbury, 2012). The costs got higher while the quality standard got reduced. The effect was also felt on roaming services by limiting the access of the players on leading edge handsets. The competitive significance of the players would have suffered and would have led to recreation of wireless duopoly. The prices of wireless services fell and reversion to effective duopoly would reverse the gains from wireless competition. The merging companies were not offering differentiated products at different local prices on the basis of local conditions of competition. Therefore it was necessary to evaluate the competitive effects of national market as well as the separate conditions in different local markets (The Centre of Media Justice, 2012). If concerns are found at the national level then it would not be possible for the concerns to take care of the localized markets. At one time the Guidelines of merger stated that only small antitrust markets would be analyz ed but the approach is ignored by antitrust agencies policies. If the deal would have really taken place the consumers would have been harmed by two waves. The current customers of T-mobile will now have to opt for AT&T’s expensive phones and data plans rather than the value priced smart phones and cheap data plans. The main aim of AT&T in the merger was to create a

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Is racism and anti-semitism still a problem in the United States Assignment

Is racism and anti-semitism still a problem in the United States - Assignment Example The root causes of racism and anti-Semitism are derived from the ideology of the white man’s burden that continues to be the hallmark of white supremacy. In addition, one cannot diminish the fact that America was founded upon the idea of â€Å"melting pot.† Racism and anti-Semitism are prevalent in American society due to enactment of affirmative action, ethnic profiling post September 11, and the vague existence of the KKK, Racism and anti-Semitism still exist in American society due to the fact that affirmative action legislatures were enacted to give minorities an opportunity for employment. Anti-affirmative action enables minorities to be embedded in the work and schools so society does not discriminate against them. Majority of the executives in the American Society are dominated by male executives. Racism is also founded due to the economic status of some minorities. Many Americans feel as if they would be unemployed as minorities will continue to take their curre nt posts. According to CNN, in 2004 the percentage of Americans living under the poverty level was 12.5%. Without these laws, companies and schools can easily discriminate to Racism and anti-Semitism no doubt continue to still exist in American society after the attacks in September 11 that has lead to unfair racial profiling. After the attacks in September 11, Muslims and Jews have became a target group for racial and ethnic profiling. Many US citizen Muslims were detained, deported or sent to Guantanamo Bay for felonies and crimes that they never committed. According to ADL, a survey conducted â€Å"revealed that while 44% of foreign-born Hispanics hold hardcore anti-Semitic beliefs, 20% of Hispanic Americans born in the U.S. fall into the same category.† Furthermore, the government itself continues to propagate against the Muslims and created barriers for the general public to learn more about Islam. Racism and anti-Semitism undoubtedly are still part of American society a s they are depicted through the existence of the KKK. The KKK was an organization that was initiated after the civil war to embed fear, blackmail into minorities. Many joined the KKK as a push to solidify the concept of white supremacy along with showing their patriotism. Although the existence of KKK is vague, the organization continues to impact American society. According to Spartacus Educational, â€Å"On 17th May, 2000, the FBI announced that the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing had been carried out by the Ku Klux Klan splinter group, the Cahaba Boys.† Undoubtedly, racism will continue to haunt the American society for decades to come and impact the future generations of America. The American generation must continue to fight racism in many ways and accept the diversity that America was founded upon. Ignorance and self-hatred must be abolished in order to understand the beauty of diversity As young generation grows older, it is vital that they stop history from re peating itself by propagating against anti-Semitism and racism. Works Cited Anti-Semitism on the Rise in America -- ADL Survey on Anti-Semitic Attitudes Reveals 17 Percent of Americans Hold "Hardcore"

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Term paper. book; churchill, Hitler, and the Unnecessary War Paper

. book; churchill, Hitler, and the Unnecessary War - Term Paper Example In his book the Gathering Storm, Sir Winston Churchill draws on the various failures of the Allies in the aftermath of the First World War that allowed events to lead to the Second World War. Sir Winston lays the blame of these failures at the doors of the United States of America, by its refusal to take an active role in the League of Nations, which prevented the allies being more forceful in resisting Hitler and his expansion plans prior to the start of the Second World War. Churchill, Hitler, and the Unnecessary War is Pat Buchanan’s riposte to this charge of Sir Winston Churchill. Pat Buchanan argues that the real culprit is Britain and Sir Winston Churchill, and their blunders that led to the Second World War. He buttresses this argument citing examples that start with the British decision to go to war with Germany in the event of an attack on France by Germany in 1906; abetting the Treaty of Versailles, whose terms were so denigrating to the Germans that it became possible for Hitler to rise to power; Winston Churchill’s role in the acceptance of American pressure to isolate Japan, leading to her entry into the war; sanctions against Italy in 1935 that led to Italy becoming a partner of Germany; the unasked for war guarantee to Poland in the case of an attack by Germany; and the blindness of Sir Winston Churchill to the actual ambitions of Stalin and Russia.

Friday, September 6, 2019

The Watergate Scandal and Its Aftermath Essay Example for Free

The Watergate Scandal and Its Aftermath Essay On January 21, 1969, Richard Milhous Nixon was inaugurated as the 37th President of the United States and re-elected in January 3, 1973. On August 8, 1974, Nixon became the first US President to resign after impeachment proceedings were initiated against him over what has become known as â€Å"The Watergate Scandal.† (Watergate Chronology) The term Watergate has become synonymous with political cover-up, lies, crime skullduggery and scandal in the United States and worldwide.   The fact that a simple botched burglary opened a prodigious can of worms makes it all the more mind-boggling. As people began to realize that they were in the midst of a conspiracy that reached all the way to the top, they began to wonder just how deep, and how widespread, the rot went. Nixon himself has denied any complicity in the matter, until evidence that this was not so become too compelling to ignore, hence the subsequent impeachment articles and resignation. However, his motivations, aside from the mandatory â€Å"for the good of the nation†, was never satisfactorily explained. Regardless of the why, the effect of Watergate on the political status of Nixon is unexpected. It, of course, killed his Presidency, and although successor President Gerald Ford extended him a full pardon and he did not go to jail, many believed that he embodied the essence of all that was wrong in American politics of that era. Watergate colors any good he may have done during his term of office. However, he was far from quietly fading into the good night. After his resignation and pardon, Nixon proceeded to quietly regain respectability in the eye of the American public.   By the time of his death, he had managed to author nine books and served as adviser to US Presidents Bush Senior and Reagan. Whenever he spoke about American foreign policy before a crowd, people listened because he had made it his business to travel and get a political feel of the various countries he toured and the mindset of the political leaders he visited. In fact, his last book, Beyond Peace, was a less than flattering summation of American foreign policy that was timely in the face of the political crises such as in Bosnia and Korea after the Cold War. (Stacks, 1994) Nixon failed in the midst of his success, and succeeded in the midst of his failure. Ruthless in his pursuit and determined in his endeavors, he managed to rise above the ashes of the Watergate Scandal that destroyed the careers of at least 30 of the most prominent men of his time and died in 1997 regarded by many as an elderly statesman. What of the country he had, as many people still firmly believe, betrayed to further his own interests and control? What has his abuse of power done to affect American policy? The Watergate incident succeeded in opening an Aegean stables of graft and corruption, throwing into sharp relief the special interest groups that had bought their way into favor and prompted a US President to stake all.   The cleansing tide of public opinion and media criticism enabled the disheveled American government to rally around and expose the core of the problem. But the aftermath was more complicated than what was anticipated. People started to lose confidence in their political leaders, seeing them as untrustworthy and vulnerable to large corporations with deep pockets. Conspiracy theories cropped up that seemed increasingly probable, and suspicion of the â€Å"men in black† such as the FBI, CIA etc., agencies that served the will of people in power and not the American people increased. This may have been due to the fact of the FBI’s involvement in the attempted cover-up. (Watergate) The belt was tightening around campaign finance, and at first the measures were stringent. Campaign contributions could neither be from questionable sources nor more than $1,000.00. A federal commission on elections was formed to watch over the general election between Ford and Jimmy Carter. However, these measures could not last with clever politicians and court interpretations of the law backing the claim that campaign contributions were covered under the First Amendment. (Jackson, 1999) Soon, the amount of contributions from special interest groups and large corporations to both the Democratic and Republican parties reached epic proportions, undreamed off during Nixon’s time. Tighter media vigilance also succeeded in promoting transparency and accountability among the politicians. However, the unfailing skepticism of the spoken and written word became an integral part of this vigilance, lending material for many a stand-up comedy act that nevertheless undermine the efforts of politicians and statesmen to effect positive and progressive change in American policies, never mind if they be honest and morally upright. The media coverage of the Watergate hearings became the focal point of interest for at least 85% of the population at any given time in the initial proceedings, at one time dominating airtime with 13 hours of coverage in the six days following the first hearing on July 24, 1974. (Garay) While this kept people informed of what was happening, a change in the American psyche also resulted. The people post-Watergate lost their confidence in their elected officials and had adopted a passive, if not overtly hostile, attitude towards the whole process. This has filtered down to later generations and now less than 50% of the voting population actually bothers to vote. The general opinion is that all politicians and people in power are liars, or are not telling the whole truth, in pursuit of their own advancement and self-interests. This belief has translated into an overzealous, almost paranoid, eye for political corruption. Ethics committees and procedures, independent counsel law, public integrity sections and other such agencies are devoted solely to having a weather eye cocked for the smallest misstep. What was once acceptable political give-and-take, such as free football tickets, is looked at askance as a symptom of much bigger largesse. (Jackson, 1999) This has not stopped any chicanery, however. There are many ways around a committee, and around the law, if one has enough resources to pull it off. Many use this vigilance to discredit a rival or to gain favor in the public eye, most probably while doing the same thing or something else equally or more unethical or even illegal. The important thing is, from a political point of view, is not to get caught, as Nixon so very openly was. All this reform, disclosure and transparency has given way to two very significant results: One, those in politics bent on serving their own interests has become very good at fooling the watch dogs down paths that they want to expose while covering their own tracks; and two, those who have the nation’s interest at heart has an uphill climb in gaining the trust and confidence of the people. And what of the media? Many forget that the media is also a special interest group, but instead of currying favor from politicians to get special treatment by giving campaign contributions and other donations, the media uses politics and politicians to exploit whatever the issue of the moment is and sell. While many are legitimate publications with reliable sources or well-formed opinions, the great influence they have on public opinion are not always used judiciously. Their motivation is to sell. The bigger the scandal, the better, never mind if it is not always in the public interest to know all. Bad news sells better than good news, and many times the public focuses only on who’s doing what to whom rather than what good some have been doing, or trying to do. In the case of Watergate, media fed on the thirst of the public to know, but failed to provide a complete picture of what actually happened that 30 years down the line has provided to some extent. The damage has been done, the people no longer trust government, and are ready to believe the worst without giving benefit to doubt. What was most interesting to those who analyze the raison d’etre of the scandal was that it seemed almost pointless, as Nixon at the time was at the top of his form, having just been re-elected with a landslide victory, and popular with the nation. Many asked what could be his reason for wanting to bug the offices of the Democratic Party’s National Committee, housed then at the plush Watergate Hotel. Political spying and sabotage seemed to be the most obvious reason, as FBI investigators established in 1972, and it appeared reasonable what with the coming elections. However, the popularity he had gathered with his delivery of the â€Å"Silent Majority† speech on the Vietnam War seemed to make these efforts superfluous. (Watergate.info) To this day there has been no satisfactory answer as to the why as many closely involved with the scandal have died, and have taken the mystery with them. What is not a mystery today is the ripple-effect of Watergate on American politics and policy, and the establishment of Richard Nixon as a public figure. Political bashing and mud-slinging has become the order of the day, and the media has run true to form in exploiting the dollar value of a good scandal. Campaign financing has become big business, reaching astronomic levels, with the added bonus of being legitimate, thanks to slick interpretation and manipulation of the law by clever legal counsels. Political ingenuity has plotted an indictment-free zone so that money can talk in government policy. And despite skepticism, the American public relies heavily on the media to form their opinion regarding whom and what to believe, especially since Watergate when there were no holds barred as to what the media could put out.   People believe that the printed and televised words is inviolate, but more often than not the voices of the ones who have truly pure motives get drowned out with all the noise the ones with the deep pockets make. And where is Nixon in all this, that focus of Watergate? He lives on in the memory of the Americans as the President who authored the mother of all scandals (and was unfortunate enough to get caught) and the man who afterwards stood back up and brushed himself off to exert his influence in the political arena in spite of it. As he reportedly put to Russian Vice President Alexander Rutskoi following Rutskoi’s release from prison after his failed takeover against Boris Yeltsin, â€Å"that, for some, there can be life after hell.† (Stacks, 1994) References Watergate Chronology Washington Post retrieved December 28, 2006 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/onpolitics/watergate/chronology.htm Watergate: The Scandal That Brought Down Richard Nixon Watergate.info retrieved December 28, 2006 from   http://www.watergate.info/ Garay, R. WATERGATE   The Museum of Broadcast Communications retrieved December 28, 2006 from http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/W/htmlW/watergate/watergate.htm Jackson, B. 1999. A Watergate Legacy: More Public Skepticism, Ambivalence All Politics: CNN Time retrieved December 28, 2006 from http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/gen/resources/watergate/watergate.jackson/index.alt.html Stacks, J. 1994. Victory in Defeat All Politics: CNN Time retrieved December 28, 2006 from http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/gen/resources/watergate/watergate.stacks/index.alt.html Watergate Case Closed retrieved December 28, 2006 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/crime/caseclosed/watergate.shtml