The Death Penalty Should Be Legal Essay - 2884 Words

Throughout the United States an argumentative topic is the death penalty - should it be legalized across the 50 states or be declared unconstitutional? Some believe the death penalty is a better option for those who deserve the highest form of punishment available. However, others argue capital punishment is a waste of resources and should be brought to an end. Therefore, while many believe the death penalty should be legalized throughout the United States because it offers a higher form of punishment, others believe the death penalty should be repealed because it causes unnecessary deaths. Many believe the death penalty has recently been discovered; although, it originated in the B.C. era. For example, the earliest forms of government had introduced the death penalty for those who had committed large offences. One researcher writes, â€Å"Death Penalty laws can be traced back as far as the 18th century B.C. when the Code of King Hammurabi established death as the penalty for 25 di fferent crimes† (â€Å"Capital Punishment Timeline†). He claims the death penalty started before anyone would have thought; it had been used during the B.C. era. Hammurabi used this as the highest punishment for the most offensive crimes one could commit. Hammurabi had first developed the idea of an â€Å"eye for an eye,† meaning if one commits a horrific crime then the same horrific crime shall be done to him. Although it began in B.C. era, criminal punishment is still used today. Some of the mostShow MoreRelatedThe Death Penalty Should Not Be Legal1261 Words   |  6 PagesThe Death Penalty Should Not Be Legal The death penalty should not be legal because of two major reasonings. These reasons are, the death penalty takes the lives of many innocent people, and it also costs too much. The death penalty should not be legal because innocent people are wrongly convicted and killed. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, it puts innocent lives at risk. At least 4.1% of all defendants sentenced to death in the United States in the modern era are innocent (DeathRead MoreThe Death Penalty Should Be Legal1457 Words   |  6 PagesThe death penalty can be traced all the way to biblical times when people were executed for many reasons such as: for not believing in their god(s), choosing to interact in sexual conduct while unmarried, stealing, murder, etc. The methods of execution back in those times were to either: stone, hang, slay, crucify, and burn not only the offender who committed the crime, but if he or she had a family, the entire family was executed with them as a warning to the people of their tribe or city to notRead MoreShould The Death Penalty Be Legal?985 Words   |  4 PagesBen Goble Mr. Newman English Comp. November 4, 2015 Should the Death Penalty be Legal? The death penalty, also called capital punishment, has been a topic of debate among the public for many years, gaining very little ground in changing the legality of it one way or the other. The topic is very controversial because many people feel that it is wrong to take the life of another person. On the other hand a very comparable number of people push for the legality of capital punishment for condemningRead MoreThe Death Penalty Should Not Be Legal1004 Words   |  5 Pagesabolish death penalty† (Bosman). In thirty-one states, federal government and military legal system, the death penalty is lawful. Even the Supreme Court has been changed direction of capital punishment. One day, it could be a legal and illegal by the Supreme Court. Most of European countries ban the death penalty except Belarus that if a criminal involve international terrorism, murdered, inhumane crime and the criminal receives death penalty. Nowadays, banned the death penalty becomeRead MoreDeath Penalty Should Be Legal943 Words   |  4 PagesDo you think that death penalty will give justice for the innocent lives? The death penalty continues to be an issue of controversy in the whole world because people have different beliefs for giving justice to the innocents. For some people, they want it legal because death penalty will give justice for the innocent victims and a form of vengeance to the criminals. On the flipside, other people don’t agree with it because a lot of innocents are putting into death. These people believe that it isRead MoreThe Death Penalty Should Not Be Legal1573 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many legal issues that come along with the death penalty. Ratified on December 15, 1791, The United States Bill of Rights states in its eight amendment, â€Å"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.† (8th Amendment to the Constitutio n). The Supreme Court stated during the 1958 case of Trop v. Dulles, that the 8th amendment must draw its meaning from the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturingRead MoreThe Death Penalty Should Be Legal1555 Words   |  7 Pageshave on a person? The death penalty, or capital punishment, is one of the most debated topics in America. It has been used for centuries, but many claim it to be barbaric, and want the practice to end all together. The death penalty should only be used in cases where there is absolute evidence that the criminal is guilty, because life in prison can be an alternative, there are many flaws in the justice system, and it can be a cruel and unusual punishment. The death penalty is legal in 32 states, theRead MoreThe Death Penalty Should Be Legal1554 Words   |  7 Pagesreceive the death penalty. Some say it is what they deserve, while others say that it is a â€Å"cruel and unusual†punishment. States, such as New Jersey, have already banned the penalty, but some states are still pending on whether to have the penalty or to follow New Jersey’s path . If you were to go and ask people why they are against the death penalty, they would say it is because it goes against morality, constitutionality, and the irrevocable mistakes of putting the wrong person to death. WhenRead MoreThe Death Penalty Should Not Be Legal1553 Words   |  7 Pagescalled problems with our system of justice is the death penalty. Capital punishment in this country seems to have its pros and cons. There are more issues and complications with being sentenced to death, while the positives are minuscule. The death penalty should not be allowed in the United States, and there are many reasons for this argument. The death penalty has caused controversy in the country since it became popular. 31 states use the death penalty and is also used by the military. Its use isRead MoreShould The Death Penalty Be Legal?1638 Words   |  7 PagesShould the death penalty be legal or be abolished? Laws and regulations vary from nation to nation. Attitudes towards the capitalism, as well, vary from person to person. The death penalty, it seems, has become more debatable topic than ever. Although some people think capital punishment, just like death penalty, is a inhuman act which against human s rights for life and it is too cruel to give the criminals another chance to live a new life. I suppose capital punishment is still an effective

Family Is An Important Influence On A Child s Life

In the past, children were raised on the streets or lived in orphanages. However, time has changed and today children get raised by their single-parents, stepparents, grandparents, or another parental figure. All this is now possible due to the procedure of adoption, which has become an important aspect worldwide. Adoption allows the children who have no parents feel the benefits of parental care. Family makes an important influence on a child’s life. Children depend on parents to protect, support, and give them guidance in life. Adoption agencies help children feel that love and connection by finding them a place to call home. In order to adopt a child, adults go through an adoption process. This process takes time†¦show more content†¦are eager to take them in. For example, they ask agencies to take the child when they have a little or no resources to survive or just live in a poor country. The birthparents give their children up for adoption because they believe life in America will offer a new hope. However, some adoption agencies offer programs for children to visit their birth country. In her newspaper, â€Å"Adopted children Learn About Heritages through Trips† (2015). Beth Benrendt claims that adopted children should have the chance to visit their birth country, to gain an educational and meaningful experience. Benrendt develops her argument by using the following families who have been in this situation, in order to convince the reader’s that allowing the child to visit their birth country is beneficial. Her purpose is to inform readers that heritage can be learned and interpreted through trips. She suggests arranging a tour and allowing the child to visit their birth country, will make them learn tradition and first-hand exposure to that lifestyle. Allowing a child to visit the country they were born is necessary because learn about their background. Some agencies take in children in need of help from another country. T hey offer a program called, â€Å"Orphan Hosting.† It is categorized within a child’s own country. This program gives people a time to meet and see the awaiting adoption kids. Some even inspire families to consider children they had not considered

The Crystal Shard 12. The Gift Free Essays

string(24) " feeling for the other\." Wulfgar sat high up on the northern face of Bruenor’s Climb, his eyes trained on the expanse of the rocky valley below, intently seeking any movement that might indicate the dwarf’s return. The barbarian came to this spot often to be alone with his thoughts and the mourn of the wind. Directly before him, across the dwarven vale, were Kelvin’s Cairn and the northern section of Lac Dinneshere. We will write a custom essay sample on The Crystal Shard 12. The Gift or any similar topic only for you Order Now Between them lay the flat stretch of ground known as Icewind Pass that led to the northeast and the open plain. And, for the barbarian, the pass that led to his homeland. Bruenor had explained that he would be gone for a few days, and at first Wulfgar was happy for the relief from the dwarf’s constant grumbling and criticism. But he found his relief short-lived. â€Å"Worried for him, are you?† came a voice behind him. He didn’t have to turn to know that it was Catti-brie. He left the question unanswered, figuring that she had asked it rhetorically anyway and would not believe him if he denied it. â€Å"He’ll be back,† Catti-brie said with a shrug in her voice. â€Å"Bruenor’s as hard as mountain stone, and there is nothing on the tundra that can stop him.† Now the young barbarian did turn to consider the girl. Long ago, when a comfortable level of trust had been reached between Bruenor and Wulfgar, the dwarf had introduced the young barbarian to his â€Å"daughter,† a human girl the barbarian’s own age. She was an outwardly calm girl, but packed with an inner fire and spirit that Wulfgar had been unaccustomed to in a woman. Barbarian girls were raised to keep their thoughts and opinions, unimportant by the standards of men, to themselves. Like her mentor, Catti-brie said exactly what was on her mind and left little doubt as to how she felt about a situation. The verbal sparring between her and Wulfgar was nearly constant and often heated, but still, Wulfgar was glad to have a companion his own age, someone who didn’t look down at him from a pedestal of experience. Catti-brie had helped him through the difficult first year of his indenture, treating him with respect (although she rarely agreed with him) when he had none for himself. Wulfgar even had the feeling that she had something indirectly to do with Bruenor’s decision to take Wulfgar under his tutorship. She was his own age, but in many ways Catti-brie seemed much older, with a solid inner sense of reality that kept her temperament on an even level. In other ways, however, such as the skipping spring in her step, Catti-brie would forever be a child. This unusual balance of spirit and calm, of serenity and unbridled joy, intrigued Wulfgar and kept him off-balance whenever he spoke with the girl. Of course, there were other emotions that put Wulfgar at a disadvantage when he was with Catti-brie. Undeniably, she was beautiful, with thick waves of rich, auburn hair rolling down over her shoulders and the darkest blue, penetrating eyes that would make any suitor blush under their knowing scrutiny. Still, there was something beyond any physical attraction that interested Wulfgar. Catti-brie was beyond his experience, a young woman who did not fit the role as it had been defined to him on the tundra. He wasn’t sure if he liked this independence or not. But he found himself unable to deny the attraction that he felt for her. â€Å"You come up here often, do you not?† Catti-brie asked. â€Å"What is it you look for?† Wulfgar shrugged, not fully knowing the answer himself. â€Å"Your home?† â€Å"That, and other things that a woman would not understand.† Catti-brie smiled away the unintentional insult. â€Å"Tell me, then,† she pressed, hints of sarcasm edging her tone. â€Å"Maybe my ignorance will bring a new perspective to these problems.† She hopped down the rock to circle the barbarian and take a seat on the ledge beside him. Wulfgar marveled at her graceful movements. Like the polarity of her curious emotional blend, Catti-brie also proved an enigma physically. She was tall and slender, delicate by all appearances, but growing into womanhood in the caverns of the dwarves, she was accustomed to hard and heavy work. â€Å"Of adventures and an unfulfilled vow,† Wulfgar said mysteriously, perhaps to impress the young girl, but moreso to reinforce his own opinion about what a woman should and should not care about. â€Å"A vow you mean to fulfill,† Catti-brie reasoned, â€Å"as soon as you’re given the chance.† Wulfgar nodded solemnly. â€Å"It is my heritage, a burden passed on to me when my father was killed. The day will come†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He let his voice trail away, and he looked back longingly to the emptiness of the open tundra beyond Kelvin’s Cairn. Catti-brie shook her head, the auburn locks bouncing across her shoulders. She saw beyond Wulfgar’s mysterious facade enough to understand that he meant to undertake a very dangerous, probably suicidal, mission in the name of honor. â€Å"What drives you, I cannot tell. Luck to you on your adventure, but if you’re taking it for no better reason than you have named, you’re wasting your life.† â€Å"What could a woman know of honor?† Wulfgar shot back angrily. But Catti-brie was not intimidated and did not back down. â€Å"What indeed?† she echoed. â€Å"Do you think that you hold it all in your oversized hands for no better reason than what you hold in your pants?† Wulfgar blushed a deep red and turned away, unable to come to terms with such nerve in a woman. â€Å"Besides,† Catti-brie continued, â€Å"you can say what you want about why you have come up here this day. I know that you’re worried about Bruenor, and I’ll hear no denying.† â€Å"You know only what you desire to know!† â€Å"You are a lot like him,† Catti-brie said abruptly, shifting the subject and disregarding Wulfgar’s comments. â€Å"More akin to the dwarf than you’d ever admit!† She laughed. â€Å"Both stubborn, both proud, and neither about to admit an honest feeling for the other. You read "The Crystal Shard 12. The Gift" in category "Essay examples" Have it your own way, then, Wulfgar of Icewind Dale. To me you can lie, but to yourself†¦there’s a different tale!† She hopped from her perch and skipped down the rocks toward the dwarven caverns. Wulfgar watched her go, admiring the sway of her slender hips and the graceful dance of her step, despite the anger that he felt. He didn’t stop to think of why he was so mad at Catti-brie. He knew that if he did, he would find, as usual, that he was angry because her observations hit the mark. * * * Drizzt Do’Urden kept a stoic vigil over his unconscious friend for two long days. Worried as he was about Bruenor and curious about the wondrous warhammer, the drow remained a respectful distance from the secret forge. Finally, as morning dawned on the third day, Bruenor stirred and stretched. Drizzt silently padded away, moving down the path he knew the dwarf would take. Finding an appropriate clearing, he hastily set up a small campsite. The sunlight came to Bruenor as only a blur at first, and it took him several minutes to reorient himself to his surroundings. Then his returning vision focused on the shining glory of the warhammer. Quickly, he glanced around him, looking for signs of the fallen dust. He found none, and his anticipation heightened. He was trembling once again as he lifted the magnificent weapon, turning it over in his hands, feeling its perfect balance and incredible strength. Bruenor’s breath flew away when he saw the symbols of the three gods on the mithril, diamond dust magically fused into their deeply etched lines. Entranced by the apparent perfection of his work, Bruenor understood the emptiness his father had spoken of. He knew that he would never duplicate this level of his craft, and he wondered if, knowing this, he would ever be able to lift his smithy hammer again. Trying to sort through his mixed emotions, the dwarf put the silver mallet and chisel back into their golden coffer and replaced the scroll in its tube, though the parchment was blank again and the magical runes would never reappear. He realized that he hadn’t eaten in several days, and his strength hadn’t fully recovered from the drain of the magic. He collected as many things as he could carry, hoisted the huge warhammer over his shoulder, and trudged off toward his home. The sweet scent of roasting coney greeted him as he came upon Drizzt Do’Urden’s camp. â€Å"So, yer back from yer travels,† he called in greeting to his friend. Drizzt locked his eyes onto the dwarf’s, not wanting to give away his overwhelming curiosity for the warhammer. â€Å"At your request, good dwarf,† he said, bowing low. â€Å"Surely you had enough people looking for me to expect that I’d return.† Bruenor conceded the point, though for the present he only offered absently, â€Å"I needed ye,† as an explanation. A more pressing need had come over him at the sight of the cooking meat. Drizzt smiled knowingly. He had already eaten and had caught and cooked this coney especially for Bruenor. â€Å"Join me?† he asked. Before he had even finished the offer, Bruenor was eagerly reaching for the rabbit. He stopped suddenly, though, and turned a suspicious eye upon the drow. â€Å"How long have ye been in?† the dwarf asked nervously. â€Å"Just arrived this morning,† Drizzt lied, respecting the privacy of the dwarf’s special ceremony. Bruenor smirked at the answer and tore into the coney as Drizzt set another on the spit. The drow waited until Bruenor was engrossed with his meal, then quickly snatched up the warhammer. By the time Bruenor could react, Drizzt had already lifted the weapon. â€Å"Too big for a dwarf,† Drizzt remarked casually. â€Å"And too heavy for my slender arms.† He looked at Bruenor, who stood with his forearms crossed and his foot stamping impatiently. â€Å"For who then?† â€Å"Ye’ve a talent for puttin’ yer nose where it don’t belong, elf,† the dwarf answered gruffly. Drizzt laughed in response. â€Å"The boy, Wulfgar?† he asked in mock disbelief. He knew well that the dwarf harbored strong feelings for the young barbarian, though he also realized that Bruenor would never openly admit it. â€Å"A fine weapon to be giving a barbarian. Did you craft it yourself?† Despite his chiding, Drizzt was truly awe-stricken by Bruenor’s workmanship. Though the hammer was far too heavy for him to wield, he could clearly feel its incredible balance. â€Å"Just an old hammer; that’s all,† Bruenor mumbled. â€Å"The boy lost ‘is club; I couldn’t well turn ‘im loose in this wild place without a weapon!† â€Å"And its name?† â€Å"Aegis-fang,† Bruenor replied without thinking, the name flowing from him before he even had time to consider it. He didn’t remember the incident, but the dwarf had determined the name of the weapon when he had enchanted it as part of the magical intonations of the ceremony. â€Å"I understand,† Drizzt said, handing the hammer back to Bruenor. â€Å"An old hammer, but good enough for the boy. Mithril, adamantite, and diamond will simply have to do.† â€Å"Aw, shut yer mouth,† snapped Bruenor, his face flushed red with embarrassment. Drizzt bowed low in apology. â€Å"Why did you request my presence, friend?† the drow asked, changing the subject. Bruenor cleared his throat. â€Å"The boy,† he grumbled softly. Drizzt saw the uncomfortable lump well in Bruenor’s throat and buried his next taunt before he spoke it. â€Å"He comes free afore winter,† continued Bruenor, â€Å"an’ he’s not rightly trained. Stronger than any man I’ve ever seen and moves with the grace of a fleeing deer, but he’s green to the ways o’ battle.† â€Å"You want me to train him?† Drizzt asked incredulously. â€Å"Well, I can’t do it!† Bruenor snapped suddenly. â€Å"He’s seven foot and wouldn’t be takin’ well to the low cuts of a dwarf!† The drow eyed his frustrated companion curiously. Like everyone else who was close to Bruenor, he knew that a bond had grown between the dwarf and the young barbarian, but he hadn’t guessed just how deep it ran. â€Å"I didn’t take ‘im under me eye for five years just to let him get cut down by a stinkin’ tundra yeti!† Bruenor blurted, impatient with the drow’s hesitance, and nervous that his friend had guessed more than he should. â€Å"Will ye do it, then?† Drizzt smiled again, but there was no teasing in it this time. He remembered his own battle with tundra yetis nearly five years before. Bruenor had saved his life that day, and it hadn’t been the first and wouldn’t be the last time that he had fallen into the dwarf’s debt. â€Å"The gods know that I owe you more than that, my friend. Of course I’ll train him.† Bruenor grunted and grabbed the next coney. * * * The ring of Wulfgar’s pounding echoed through the dwarven halls. Angered by the revelations he had been forced to see in his discussion with Catti-brie, he had returned to his work with fervor. â€Å"Stop yer hammerin’, boy,† came a gruff voice behind him. Wulfgar spun on his heel. He had been so engrossed in his work that he hadn’t heard Bruenor enter. An involuntary smile of relief widened across his face. But he caught the show of weakness quickly and repainted a stern mask. Bruenor regarded the young barbarian’s great height and girth and the scraggly beginnings of a blond beard upon the golden skin of his face. â€Å"I can’t rightly be callin’ ye ‘boy’ anymore,† the dwarf conceded. â€Å"You have the right to call me whatever you wish,† retorted Wulfgar. â€Å"I am your slave.† â€Å"Ye’ve a spirit as wild as the tundra,† Bruenor said, smiling. â€Å"Ye’ve ne’er been, nor will ye ever be, a slave to any dwarf or man!† Wulfgar was caught off guard by the dwarf’s uncharacteristic compliment. He tried to reply but could find no words. â€Å"Never have I seen ye as a slave, boy,† Bruenor continued. â€Å"Ye served me to pay for the crimes of yer people, and I taught ye much in return. Now put yer hammer away.† He paused for a moment to consider Wulfgar’s fine workmanship. â€Å"Yer a good smith, with a good feel for the stone, but ye don’t belong in a dwarf’s cave. It’s time ye felt the sun on yer face again.† â€Å"Freedom?† Wulfgar whispered. â€Å"Get the notion outa yer head!† Bruenor snapped. He pointed a stubby finger at the barbarian and growled threateningly. â€Å"Yer mine ’til the last days of fall, don’t ye forget that!† Wulfgar had to bite his lip to stem a laugh. As always, the dwarf’s awkward combination of compassion and borderline rage had confused him and kept him off balance. It no longer came as a shock, though. Four years at Bruenor’s side had taught him to expect – and disregard – the sudden outbursts of gruffness. â€Å"Finish up whatever ye got here to do,† Bruenor instructed. â€Å"I take ye out to meet yer teacher tomorrow morning, and, by yer vow, ye’ll heed to him as ye would to me!† Wulfgar grimaced at the thought of servitude to yet another, but he had accepted his indenture to Bruenor unconditionally for a period of five years and a day, and he would not dishonor himself by going back on his oath. He nodded his consent. â€Å"I won’t be seein’ much more o’ ye,† Bruenor continued, â€Å"so I’ll have yer oath now that ye’ll never again raise a weapon against the people o’ Ten-Towns.† Wulfgar set himself firmly. â€Å"That you may not have,† he replied boldly. â€Å"When I have fulfilled the terms you set before me, I shall leave here a man of free will!† â€Å"Fair enough,† Bruenor conceded. Wulfgar’s stubborn pride actually enhancing the dwarf’s respect for him. He paused for a moment to look over the proud young warrior and found himself pleased at his own part in Wulfgar’s growth. â€Å"Ye broke that stinkin’ pole o’ yers on me head,† Bruenor began tentatively. He cleared his throat. This final order of business made the tough dwarf uncomfortable. He wasn’t quite sure of how he could get through it without appearing sentimental and foolish. â€Å"Winter’ll be fast upon ye after yer term to me is ended. I can’t rightly send ye out into the wild without a weapon.† He reached back into the hallway quickly and grabbed the warhammer. â€Å"Aegis-fang,† he said gruffly as he tossed it to Wulfgar. â€Å"I’ll place no bonds on yer will, but I’ll have yer oath, for me own good conscience, that ye’ll never raise this weapon against the people o’ Ten-Towns!† As soon as his hands closed around the adamantite handle, Wulfgar sensed the worth of the magical warhammer. The diamond-filled runes caught the glow of the forge and sent a myriad of reflections dancing about the room. The barbarians of Wulfgar’s tribe had always prided themselves on the fine weapons they kept, even measuring the worth of a man by the quality of his spear or sword, but Wulfgar had never seen anything to match the exquisite detail and sheer strength of Aegis-fang. It balanced so well in his huge hands and its height and weight fit him so perfectly that he felt as if he had been born to wield this weapon. He told himself at once that he would pray for many nights to the gods of fate for delivering this prize unto him. Certainly they deserved his thanks. As did Bruenor. â€Å"You have my word,† Wulfgar stammered, so overcome by the magnificent gift that he could hardly speak. He steadied himself so that he could say more, but by the time he was able to pull his gaze from the magnificent hammer, Bruenor was gone. The dwarf stomped through the long corridors toward his private chambers, mumbling curses at his weakness, and hoping that none of his kin came upon him. With a cautious look around, he wiped the moisture from his gray eyes. How to cite The Crystal Shard 12. The Gift, Essay examples

Movie Pollock free essay sample

Unit 4 Assignment â€Å"Pollock† Alison Williams The movie â€Å"Pollock† staring Ed Harris as Jackson Pollock is a story of how art was affected by an artist. The movie follows the latter years of Pollock’s life as he rises to fame as a painter but also watches him struggle with life. American artist Jackson Pollock was an alcoholic, manic-depressant and often an uncontrollable, angry and insecure man. However, through one woman and when he painted, he found a sense of freedom and peace, a release from his anger and sadness. Out of tragedy he helped create a movement in Abstract Expressionism. This essay will focus on how this movie showed his last years as an artist, the art and movement he created, it’s tragic end and what as a student I have learned from this. The movie starts with Pollock living with his brother in New York City. He is drinking too much and takes no responsibility for what his is doing. We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Pollock or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page You sense there is something broken within his family throughout the movie. Maybe jealousy of his family because of his abilities, there was a sense of Pollock wanting to be accepted and loved by those close to him, but them finding it hard to do so with his actions. During this time he meets Lee Krasner, another abstract artist played by Marcia Gay Harden. Standing by him during times of need and often taking care of she ended up becoming Pollock’s lover, wife, and biggest supporter. Knowing of Pollock’s alcohol abuse, anger and unpredictable behavior, she puts aside her own needs and aspirations. She recognized his talent and brilliance as an artist and wanted to see him succeed, forfeiting her own career. She also suffers the brunt of his cruelty, self-absorption, his infidelities, and his alcoholic rages. However, she balanced his erratic nature by being a strong supporter at his side. To get him away from the drinking, insecurity, and the stress of city life, they move to the Hamptons where nature and sobriety help Pollock achieve a breakthrough in style. Living in the Hamptons away from the city, Pollock takes in the nature around him, begins to garden and has long walks on the beach. With a clear head free of alcohol and stress he begins to paint in an abstract way that he began with, but changes the way he paints by moving the canvas to the floor so that he can walk around the canvas and become one with the art that he was creating. As he does this, the movie shows that by accident with paint spilling onto the floor he see how the dripping of the paint created a newer abstract. This began the change in his style that broke the art critics in 1947. The `drip and splash style for which he is best known emerged. With his canvas already on the floor, instead of using the traditional easel he poured and dripped his paint from a can or brush sometimes instead of using brushes he manipulated it with sticks, trowels or knives. When asked about his style of painting he said â€Å"Sometimes I use a brush but often prefer using a stick. Sometimes I pour the paint straight out of the can. I like to use a dripping, fluid paint. A method of painting is a natural growth out of a need. I want to express my feelings rather than illustrate them. (Demange) You can see in the movie that he creates with his subconscious and inner emotions, dancing around the canvas flinging paint and creating beautiful pieces that are first resemble spatters, but as you look closely and watch him work, it forms a beautiful motif. This technique raises his art to the top but begins a tragic decline of a young artist. These paintings made Pollock immediately famous, and got him a feature article in Life magazine. After two years of sobriety, Pollock begins a decline that in the end spiraled out of control. In 1956 Lee Krasner finally leaves him for a to Europe. The movie made me wonder why she put up with so much from Pollock for as long as she did. After she left, Pollock, with his mistress, Ruth Kligman by his side and her friend Judith Metzger, they watch as Pollock drinks himself to near unconsciousness and drives them all into a ravine. Pollock’s life ends sadly, almost hard to watch. Judith also dies with Ruth surviving. At this time, Pollock had already stopped painting in 1955, the year before his death at age 44. This movie tells about a famous artist who helped redefine modern art in the United States. Pollock invented a new kind of painting that changed the way the world looked at art. Until the twentieth century, most paintings were representational-artists represented their subjects in a way that was realistic and recognizable. However, during the first half of the twentieth century, artists like Jackson Pollock started to explore other methods of representation. When he first began painting, Jackson Pollock painted representational objects such as people and animals. However, as we see in the movie â€Å"Pollock† he helped to create a whole new art movement called Abstract Expressionism-an abstract image is one where the subject is not represented realistically. Instead, the artist uses color and shapes to suggest the most general qualities of the subject. Expressionism is a kind of art that expresses feelings and thoughts. Abstract Expressionism is art that shows emotions and ideas through non-representational forms. Demange) Watching the life of Pollock on film was in parts painful to watch. He was such a talented artist and to self-destruct they way he did with such astonishing talent was sad. As a student learning about modern art, I am glad that I chose to watch the movie â€Å"Pollock†. I learned that there is more to just brushing paint onto a canvas. The movie showed how in Pollock’s life, there was and inner bei ng that came out on canvas and that this can’t be taught to someone. You can see in the movie that Pollock did not plan the way he wanted his paintings to look. He painted by following his immediate thoughts and emotions at the time instead of planning or sketching it out first or having a subject to view. Pollock combined careful movement with exact color and line produce beautiful works. Though his paintings appear accidental, they required careful control and thought. I especially liked how he wasn’t afraid to take a painting and touch it up, change it. He wasn’t afraid of ruining something that he didn’t feel was complete. I also learned how love would prevail all. Lee Krasner was an inspiration to me during this film. She stood by someone who she believed in and the potential in Pollock. To put her career ambition on hold to support someone who in some sense didn’t want it was true strength. This movie showing the last years as an artist life, his rise and fall, the art and movement he helped create, it’s tragic end is something as a student have new found appreciate for learning about. References Demange, D. (n. d. ). Biography: jackson pollock. Retrieved on August 7, 2011 from http://www. manythings. org/voa/people/Jackson_Pollock. html Harris, E (Director). (2000). Pollock [Web]. Available from http://movies. netflix. com/WiMovie/Pollock/60003760? trkid=2431210

Modernism

Free Essays on Overcoat By Gogol

A Revolution through Literature Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol’s The Overcoat is a humanitarian and mystical short story about the dreary life of a low class man. Akaky Akakievich is a forlorn copying clerk in a stuffy government office. He is wholly devoted to his routine and monotonous copying, so much so that the continuous mocking and ridicule in the office do not keep him away from his work. Akaky orders a new overcoat after saving and making other privations. He lavishes attention on it, selects the color and the fabric out of love and longing, and waits desperately for its completion, only to have it stolen off his back the first day he wears it. This literal level of the story is full of images and symbols which have a latent meaning that Gogol is trying to communicate. In The Overcoat he contrasts meekness and humility of the normal man with rudeness of the so called ‘important personage’. He gives a satirical narration of the Russian bureaucracy, and criticizes and protests against the cat egorization of each person by rank and the behaviors set for each rank. Akaky himself is really an excuse for the writer to describe in some detail the bureaucracy itself, which means that the background and setting are not implied but may be as important to the significance of the story as Akaky is himself. He is the little man crushed by the economic and political injustice. The focus of this story, apart from Akaky, is his new overcoat. The overcoats in this story signify rank. The rich have marten and silks on their coats to show their rank while the poor make do with other materials. Akaky’s old coat is referred to as the dressing gown by the other clerks who make fun of him. He is looked down upon, ignored and mistreated. But when he gets his new coat the same staff congratulates him and accepts him. They act as if he has been promoted and the new overcoat signifies this rise in stature. New doors open up for him and he is invit... Free Essays on Overcoat By Gogol Free Essays on Overcoat By Gogol A Revolution through Literature Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol’s The Overcoat is a humanitarian and mystical short story about the dreary life of a low class man. Akaky Akakievich is a forlorn copying clerk in a stuffy government office. He is wholly devoted to his routine and monotonous copying, so much so that the continuous mocking and ridicule in the office do not keep him away from his work. Akaky orders a new overcoat after saving and making other privations. He lavishes attention on it, selects the color and the fabric out of love and longing, and waits desperately for its completion, only to have it stolen off his back the first day he wears it. This literal level of the story is full of images and symbols which have a latent meaning that Gogol is trying to communicate. In The Overcoat he contrasts meekness and humility of the normal man with rudeness of the so called ‘important personage’. He gives a satirical narration of the Russian bureaucracy, and criticizes and protests against the cat egorization of each person by rank and the behaviors set for each rank. Akaky himself is really an excuse for the writer to describe in some detail the bureaucracy itself, which means that the background and setting are not implied but may be as important to the significance of the story as Akaky is himself. He is the little man crushed by the economic and political injustice. The focus of this story, apart from Akaky, is his new overcoat. The overcoats in this story signify rank. The rich have marten and silks on their coats to show their rank while the poor make do with other materials. Akaky’s old coat is referred to as the dressing gown by the other clerks who make fun of him. He is looked down upon, ignored and mistreated. But when he gets his new coat the same staff congratulates him and accepts him. They act as if he has been promoted and the new overcoat signifies this rise in stature. New doors open up for him and he is invit...

Fence discrimination defence(not sure which one) Essay

Fence discrimination defence(not sure which one) - Essay Example The fences we put up are getting bigger, more inhuman and harder to overcome. It is the argument of this paper that these fences should not be allowed to exist, that we should not fence people in, whether the context is moral, social or cultural. Dr. Christina Kochemidova , in her article The Culture of the Fence: Artifacts and Meanings, brings up the various contexts a fence can be looked at. A fence can be used in many ways; as a bar, or barrier, to prevent ingress or to prevent escape. Alternatively it can be used as simply a marker, to demarcate a boundary. More often, fences are used as a division and increasingly as a means of control. These sorts of fences are invisible; they exist as rules, laws, and attitudes. This is also noted by Naomi Klein in her article Don' Fence Us In. There are numerous examples of this; racism, privatization and property rights are the most prevalent. These create barriers that are incredibly difficult to overcome. Man may have originally have used the fence to demarcate, but over the centuries it has evolved into more; a protective barrier, in one way, to keep the "other" out. The other can be anyone we perceive as a threat, or conversely anyone we wish to control. The fence as a control measure is frightening. This avatar is especially clear in the case of racism Racism is universal. Whether it manifests itself as the oppression and slavery of blacks in the United States, or as hatred of Pakistanis and Muslims in Norway, or the conflict between Hindus and Muslims in India and Pakistan, the common factor is the segregation and separation of two peoples based on the belief of the inherent superiority of one over the other. In fact, the word "apartheid" was created from the Afrikaans word for "separate"; the whole concept of a fence lies in that word. Racism has been responsible for some of the most horrible atrocities ever committed; the Holocaust, the slavery of blacks. In the United States, prior to the Civil War, Blacks were not even allowed the right to be citizens of the country; they were not even given the right to be considered human. Segregation in the south of the country took the form of separate facilities for everything including transport and housing. Even when they were finally recognized under the Constitution, they were still e ducated separately under the guise of "separate but equal" schools under the law. This sort of segregation is a fence. It separates and empowers one group, and suppresses another as is evidenced by the example given above. Denying an ethnic group the status of "human" is one of the most horrific fences that can be put up. This status was used to control the blacks and keep them "in their place". Denied education, proper housing, denied their very independence, the blacks were successfully controlled by these fences that kept them exactly where they were wanted. Education became an extremely important way to break out of these barriers. However, as noted by Hansman et al, education itself is prone to racist overtones. They remark that in many multicultural institutions, the structure of the work is planned around the majority culture, thereby leading to the ineffectual training of minority groups. Institutional factors therefore have a role in maintaining racial prejudice. Another

Summarization for 7 chapter of the weather makers Essay

Summarization for 7 chapter of the weather makers - Essay Example By going on to detail the level of environmental destruction, the footprint of human development, and the means whereby otherwise pristine regions have been reduced to little more than a wasteland, the author fully grips the reader’s imagination and attention with regards to the poignancy of the issues at hand. Likewise, Chapter 10, entitled â€Å"Peril at the Poles† focuses upon the key importance that the earth’s polar climates have with relation to nearly every other known and observable weather pattern that climatologists track. Moreover, rather than merely relating the direct effect that a warming arctic region portends for other world weather patterns and the overall sea rise that such temperature increase necessitates, the author spends a great deal of time discussing how the delicate balance of life within the ecosystems are being intimately affected by the temperature changes. Examples of the close interconnected nature of krill, seal, polar bear, pengui ns, and caribou are all discussed as the author lays out the case for how temperature change bears the threat of acting as a veritable wrecking beam for an otherwise complex and interdependent ecosystem. Chapter 11, entitled â€Å"The Great Stumpy Reef?†, details the means by which human action has and continues to have a profound effect on the development, loss, and evolution of the coral reefs that dot the globe. As the author points out, the destruction of the coral reefs cannot be understood within the same context as the destruction of the ice shelves that have been discussed earlier; rather, human activity, pollutants, and other factors mean that the nature and extant species represented within the coral reef are necessarily changed. In this way, human actions and pollutants can encourage one species to shift the balance and develop a primacy for food and resources that necessarily puts another species at the brink of destruction within the region or worse yet, extincti on. Chapter 12, entitled, â€Å"A Warning from the Golden Toad† takes the level of analysis down even further into the realm of the individual species that is affected by the changing nature of the planet’s weather conditions. Such is very much the case of the Golden Toad which became extinct due to the fact that its eggs were no longer suitable for survival within the changing climate. This is a powerful example as extinction due to climate change is a topic that had not been of particular notice within the field of science or evolutionarily biology before this occurrence. However, due to the existence and subsequent disappearance of the Golden Toad, meteorologists and biologists alike have reason to be alarmed. If definitive proof therefore exists that as a direct result of climate change it can be determined that a species has now left earth’s ecosystem, it is likely that such is an example of merely the tip of the iceberg. Due to the rapidly decreasing numbe r of species left on earth, this issue is cause for alarm. Chapter 13, entitled â€Å"Liquid Gold: Changes in Rainfall†, discusses the fact that there is a direct relationship to the increase in global temperature and the overall increase in rainfall. Although it may seem that rainfall increase is a good thing in a planet that more and more frequently suffers from desertification, the fact of the matter that the author seeks to acquaint the reader with is that this

Effective Team and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Effective Team and Management - Essay Example Many people have different perceptions about the value that teams bring to an organization. Some people think that teams are a waste of time and other resources and thus organizations need to focus on individual output as is opposed to group performance. They point out certain weaknesses of teams such as laxity by some members and lack of individual responsibility when mistakes do arise. Teams also overshadow talent and other stand to gain where they did not sow. However, there is strong evidence that teams and teamwork is the best way to go for organizations that are seeking success. For teams to realize productivity there needs to be certain principles in place which have to be observed by all team members. Building a team spirit is a huge task and requires that managers acquire better skills of interpersonal management as well as interpersonal communication. Various theories have been fronted to help understand teams or groups and group dynamics. This paper takes a reflective appr oach to the modules we studied and tries to link it with the learning outcomes that were expected at the end of the session. Theories and other concepts learnt will be utilized in this critical reflection and discussion (Senior & Swailes, 2007, pp.138-153). Reflection from group exercises in weeks one to three Reflection is important in the course of my study (Illes, 2003, pp.209-215). Groups at work places are very important additives to any organization’s success story. I realized that there must be clear objectives as to why teams are formed in work places in the first place. This is because previously I had a notion that teams are simply about numbers. But I realized that teams should not be formed on the basis of filling up positions and coming up with large groups of people who have no objective of being together in such workplace settings. Many organizations end up promoting teams in workplaces for the purpose of boasting and propagate a total quality environment at wo rk. This is a very wrong idea. Teams within a workplace have been a very powerful tool in many successful organizations. The benefits of having teams at work are many and include the provision of motivation to employees who are members; they enhance job coordination (Sonnentag, 1999); they give an improved problem solving environment; and assist in better decision-making process, among others. However, I realized that there is a price to pay for having this good performance (Stajkovic & Luthans, 1997, pp.1122–1149). As noticed, making decisions within a team takes a longer period than if one was to do it as an individual. This could be attributed to the fact that all members need to be consulted and consensus reached before a final decision could be acted upon. The process taken for teams to mature is also very long and slower. Teams have been known to evolve and mature into formidable groups that could carry out work effectively and this could not happen as fast as I thought . The other idea that I realized was the fact that teams needed long periods of training and comprehensive training for that matter in order for them to mature. Despite these shortcomings, I noticed that teams have major benefits mentioned above, which do outweigh these problems and frustrations faced by managers in many situations (Senior & Swailes, 2007, pp.138-153). Belbin Team Roles Theory has posed a good model for many managers struggling with teams in their organizations. The model has various fundamental concepts that are based on roles. I realized that

Cost Effectiveness of Dialysis for ESRD Patients

Cost Effectiveness of Dialysis for ESRD Patients From 2002-2009 diabetic nephropathies represented 41% of all end-stage renal (ESRD) patients in St. Lucia, which is significantly higher when compared with global distribution. Renal replacement therapy for ESRD is resource intensive, consuming a significant part of the health budget. Financial pressures on the health system continue to increase in the face of the global financial crisis, yet cost-effectiveness studies of ESRD treatment options are not only scarce but nonexistent in the Eastern Caribbean. A retrospective approach to data collection was used and a Markov model of cost, quality of life and survival will be developed to compare hemodialysis and pharmaceutical management of ESRD among diabetics. Micro-costing was used to assess the cost of hemodialysis for ESRD over the 8 year period. While preliminary findings have not identified whether or not hemodialysis for diabetic nephropathy is cost-effective the economic burden of hemodialysis for diabetic nephropathy was signif icant: EC$6.9 million, in St. Lucia for the 8 year period. Pre-emptive procedures need to be considered for the treatment of diabetes to delay onset or progression of ESRD. From a medical as well as fiscal perspective, prevention is the most cost-effective intervention. The health system in St. Lucia needs to focus attention on effective prevention strategies as the mean age among diabetic ESRD patients is 56 years (2.3SD). This age group is representative of a significant part of the countrys labour force and, if left unchecked, could have serious implications for economic development. Introduction End-stage renal disease (ESRD) and its precursor, chronic kidney disease (CKD), are globally emerging as a significant public health problem, with increasing morbidity and mortality as well as economic implications for healthcare (Szucsa et al., 2004). The World Health Organizations 2002 estimate indicated that globally CKD contributes to over 850,000 deaths and over 15 million disability-adjusted life years, with epidemic rise of ESRD in multiple regions in the world (WHO, 2003). The report also predicted that by 2010 more than 2 million people would require maintenance dialysis worldwide, and global estimates indicate that approximately 30% of patients with ESRD suffer as a consequence of diabetic nephropathy (Zelmer, 2007). The economic pressures of ESRD treatment on the collective health system are well documented. Haller, et al. (2011) identifies it as resource intensive, requiring substantial amounts of finite healthcare funds to treat a small percentage of the population. In 2005 alone, care for ESRD patients in Canada represented 1.2% of all healthcare expenditure, despite a 0.092% incidence of the disease (Zelmer, 2007). In St. Lucia, chronic renal insufficiency as a result of diabetes, hypertension, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, and sickle cell disease are the main reasons for starting dialysis treatment in patients with kidney function failure. This is similar to the findings of Perovià ¡ and Jankovià ¡ (2009). In addition to being a chronic disease with significant morbidity impact, ESRD also involves high-cost treatment options (Zelmer, 2007), which are often limited in developing countries such as St. Lucia. Yet cost-effectiveness studies of the modalities of treatment are few and limited, especially in developing countries (Haller, 2011). Previous research has been conducted to identify the economic impact of the estimated health-care costs for ESRD, as well as the cost-effectiveness of various alternatives for renal replacement therapies; however, similar studies have not been replicated in the Eastern Caribbean. The findings are especially relevant to the health system in St. Lucia, as the incidence of diabetes continues to increase in the Caribbean Region (Henry, 2004). Additionally, the recent decision to expand the dialysis service to two new facilities without understanding the scope and magnitude of the total economic burden of ESRD could prove to be challenging. Cost-effectiveness is the fastest growing field in health research and it embodies a form of full economic evaluation that looks at cost and consequence of health programmes or treatment (Muennig, 2008). Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of intervention programmes as a valuable tool employed by decision-makers can be used to appraise as well as possibly improve how the health system operates. Its application allows policy makers to identify which interventions provide the highest value for money and assist in helping to select interventions and programmes that maximize health for the available resources. Health economists are able to purchase the most health under a fixed budget, prioritizing services within the health sector. CEA therefore requires information to indicate the extent to which current and potential interventions are effective for improving population health, and which resources are required to implement the interventions, i.e., costs (Muennig, 2008). Referring to Palmers 2005 definition that states cost-effectiveness studies compare costs with clinical outcomes measured in natural units, like life expectancy or years of diseases avoided, Glassock (2010) noted that the totality of costs may not necessarily be captured. The inclusion of cost means that the design of the study will incorporate cost-unit analysis as a tool to examine the economic impact of dialysis for ESRD patients with diabetes and cost effectiveness to determine the quality adjusted life year (QALYs) or health related quality of life (HRQoL) for that population. The main outcome measure will focus on costs per quality-adjusted life years ($/QALYs), similar to a study conducted in Austria (Haller et al., 2011). Glassock (2010) notes that community willingness-to-pay is the threshold value used to determine cost effectiveness. He goes on to note that these values vary globally, and are estimated at  £30,000/QALY in the United Kingdom, 40,000/QALY in Europe, Aus $5 0,000/QALY in Australia, and US $90,000/QALY in the United States (Glassock, 2010). In the absence of a national threshold value, one can be established using GDP as an objective economic benchmark, (Eichler, et al., 2004). Cost will be viewed from the perspective of direct spending on health care for dialysis, coupled with the indirect costs of productivity losses due to premature death and short- and long-term disability. The impact of mortality costs as the sum of the discounted present value of current and future productivity losses from premature deaths will be measured from an incident-based human capital approach, drawing from a similar study conducted in Canada in 2000 (Zelmer, 2007). Muennig (2008) posits that because it is often difficult to account for all cost, and the time and resource constraints associated with micro-costing, certain assumptions related to costs are often made during cost-effectiveness analysis. This paper serves to examine the cost-effectiveness of hemodialysis among type 2 diabetics in St. Lucia over an 8 year period (2002-2008). Employing the use of CEA, it aims at comparing the cost and effects or outcomes (cost-effectiveness) of hemodialysis for diabetic nephropathy using the comparator of doing nothing, which in this case is the pharmaceutical management of patients with diabetic nephropathy to delay progression of ESRD. The findings will also help to inform those making policy decisions, and may be useful in establishing a set of priorities for further research, prevention programs, and in the planning of alternative treatments to help alleviate that burden. Perspective of the Study Cost effectiveness of dialysis for ESRD patients with diabetes in St. Lucia will be analyzed from a government perspective. This requires conducting cost analysis that measures the recurring direct and indirect cost of providing the service. In the region, specifically in the country under study, health care organizations rarely know the cost of the service provided and rarely employ the tools needed to assess that cost on a regular basis. In a globally operating economic society, economic trends have made it imperative for both profit and non-profit organizations that provide services, including government agencies, to assess the cost of clinical services provided. Finance for health is not infinite and with substantial budget cuts in the health service industry, there is increasing pressure for health care facilities to become more accountable and efficient with the funds allocated to health care (Basch, 1999). Health economics recognises the need for health services to be provided in a manner that is not only efficient but sustainable. Measuring, understanding and documenting the cost of services makes it easier to improve cost-efficiency of these services; it also highlights the funding needs of the sector and by extension, the government. It also provides an opportunity to establish fees for clients that are based on realistic site costs. Previous studies on cost-effectiveness of treatment options for ESRD have compared different modalities of dialysis or transplantation (Haller et al.; Gonzalez-Perez et al., 2005, Yang et al., 2001). Treatment modalities for ESRD patients in St. Lucia are either hemodialysis or pharmaceutical management. The analysis of hemodialysis versus pharmaceutical management to delay ESRD progression hinges on the fact that the current capacity of the Renal Unit in St. Lucia cannot provide dialysis for all ESRD patients. In an interview dated December 14, 2010 with the head of the Nephrology Unit, Victoria Hospital, Saint Lucia, it was indicated that while dialysis is offered, the increasing ESRD population means that patients are placed on a waiting list if they are not able to commence treatment due to unavailability of space (Olivert Dupree, 2010). If a patients prognosis requires immediate dialysis, he is treated at the private facility and the government absorbs that cost. But it is quit e clear that hemodialysis, like pharmaceutical management, is not the optimal treatment option for ESRD; rather, the optimal protocol is transplantation. The health system in St. Lucia is mandated by its objectives to improve the health of the population and consequently needs to ensure that its limited resources are not devoted to expensive interventions with small effects on population health, while at the same time low cost interventions with potentially greater benefits are not fully implemented (Ministry of Health, Human Services, Family Affairs and Gender Relations, 2000). Methods Data Sources The study population comprises of ESRD patients with diabetic nephropathy. Patients were considered depending on whether they received hemodialysis or whether their diabetes was being pharmaceutically managed to delay ESRD progression. Data was collected retrospectively and the study population was selected from the only public Renal Unit which forms part of the general hospital, Victoria Hospital. While there is another Renal Unit in St. Lucia that offers dialysis, it is a part of the private hospital, which did not wish to participate in this study. Of the 111 patients on dialysis, 45 were due to diabetic nephropathy and 19 were actively receiving dialysis at the time the study was being conducted. The nephrologists identified 12 ESRD patients who were not receiving dialysis but were being managed pharmaceutically. All diabetics who are or have been on dialysis with end-stage renal disease for the period 2002-2009 and were receiving dialysis due to diabetic nephropathy were included in the study. Persons were excluded from this study if they were on dialysis prior to being diagnosed with diabetes. The comparator group differed from the hemodialysis group only in the form of treatment that they are receiving, and consisted of all patients with ESRD due to diabetic nephropathy who are not receiving dialysis but whose diabetes is aggressively managed with medication to delay ESRD progression. Other variables were considered in the study and a standard questionnaire was administered to the study population to obtain data on the socio-economic status of individuals. A pool of eight persons from those who were on dialysis for reasons other than diabetic nephropathy served as a pilot test group for the socio-demographic questionnaire. This group was similar to the study population in terms of gender, education, socio-economic status and geographic location (Table 1). Content analysis was used to evaluate the information obtained from the socio-demographic questionnaire. All study participants received a letter concerning anonymity and confidentiality and informed consent was obtained prior to participation. Ethical approval was obtained from the IRB at St. Georges University and the ethics committee of the Ministry of Health in St. Lucia. A literature review conducted relied upon peer-reviewed economic evaluations of dialysis treatment modalities among diabetic patients. Ebscohost and PubMed were searched using the keywords cost-effectiveness, dialysis, end-stage renal disease, and diabetic nephropathy and was limited to articles published in the last 12 years (2000-2011). Some articles, if they were published outside of the selected timeframe, were accepted based on the strength and relevance of their findings. Articles were included if they had the keywords in the subject headings as well as focusing on Renal Replacement Therapy/economics, Renal Dialysis/economics, Hemodialysis Units, or Kidney Failure. If they included the term peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis they were also selected. Exclusion criteria comprised of non-English articles and those that did not compare treatment options. A total of 379 articles were identified but 31 were selected as being relevant. Models Used Chronic conditions such as ESRD require continuous treatment and as a consequence, the cost-effectiveness of treatment options over a period of time for a cohort of patients employs the use of the Markov model to investigate long term costs and outcomes. The Markov model developed for this study describes the process of care noting that patients began their progression through the model in either of two states, hospital hemodialysis or pharmaceutical management of type 2 diabetes to delay ESRD progression, with death signifying the end of the cycle. Data on health care costs, transition to other health states and quality of life were inputted into the Markov model. Data was obtained from the Renal Unit at the Victoria Hospital, the public health facility. Data on quality of life was obtained using the 15D, a multidimensional, standardised generic instrument to measure quality or health-related quality of life (Sintonen, 2001). The 15D was used since it combines the advantages of a profile and single index score measure that describes the health status by assessing 15 dimensions. The mean score value for each dimension was used to determine the health related quality of life in the study population. The use of the 15D to measure quality of life outcome was reported in terms of QALYs, a measure of the burden of disease that included the quality and quantity of life lived against a monetary value, medical treatment or intervention. The mean score value for each dimension measured by the 15D was used to determine the health-related quality of life of the study population using the scale provided by Sintonen (2001). The findings were standardized against the burden of disease markers identified by the WHO. Costs and Analysis Cost-effectiveness, examined from a governmental perspective, used the clinical records of the Division of Nephrology patient registration and billing systems at the Victoria Hospital coupled with information from published studies on survival and quality of life among diabetic nephropathy patients. The model used included the direct health service costs associated with the treatment options, and an annual cost per patient was calculated for each health state in the model. Direct healthcare costs associated with dialysis use included costing regular dialysis sessions, complications of the dialysis, such as clotting of the fistula or hypotension episodes, laboratory tests and services required as a consequence of dialysis and medication use as a result of treatment. Assumptions were made on the regularity of direct healthcare cost associated with dialysis, such as that involving laboratory testing and blood transfusions. Micro-costing, collecting data on staffing, consumables, capital , and overheads were used to determine the cost of one session of hemodialysis (Table 2). Structured interviews were used to obtain details regarding staff time allocated to dialysis activities, as well as the regularity of other services used as a result of the treatment options. Capital items were identified as the building space allotted to the Unit for treatment, and equipment such as the dialysis machines and air conditioner unit. Costs have been reported in Eastern Caribbean Dollars (EC) presented at the 2008 level and an equivalent annual cost calculated using a 3 percent discount rate over the predicted life span. Muennig (2008) argues that a governmental perspective can include some aspects of transportantion costs. Evidence from the Minstry of Communication and Works and the Transport Board implies that there is no nationally agreed-upon policy for transport costs. There are variations across St. Lucia in terms of mileage costing; therefore for the purposes of our analysis, transport costs are excluded. The study reviewed costs over an 8 year period (2002-2009). This time frame was partly determined by the availability of the data two years after the programme was initiated and the assumptions made with reference to the analysis were tabulated (Table 3). Incremental costs per QALY gained will be calculated by using the estimates of costs and QALYs for each of the two modalities obtained from the model, and the findings were presented as incremental costs per QALY ($/QALY). The threshold value used to determine cost effectiveness of the intervention was established based on the recommendations of the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, and CHOICE, which uses gross domestic product (GDP) as an indicator to determine cost-effectiveness. They established that an intervention was highly cost-effective if cost per QALY was less than GDP per capita, it was cost-effective if it was between 1 and 3 times the GDP per capita but was not cost-effective if it was more than 3 times GDP per c apita (WHO, 2011). A one-way sensitivity analysis will be used to investigate variability in the data, varying the discount rate from 3% to 5%, then age weights and finally, the disability weights. A final sensitivity analysis of mortality rates will be conducted since the assumption was that the mortality rates for hemodialysis were the same as those of pharmaceutical management of ESRD diabetics. Based on that assumption it becomes important to identify whether any one of these factors, discounted rates, age weights, and disability weights independently affected the data. Multiple linear regressions will be used to identify how the variables and assumptions affected dialysis lifetime. Preliminary Findings Demographic Characteristics The socio-demographic characteristics of the study population are presented in Table 4. According to the modalities compared the mean ages were 52 years (SD 10.06) for hemodialysis patients and 42 years (10.34SD) for patients who were being pharmaceutically managed. Briefly 62% of the patients were male (Figure 1), 40% had completed only primary level education and 20% had received no formal education. Married patients made up 46.7% of the study group and 26.7% were currently employed; but of these patients 80% of them received some form of family support or National Insurance Corporation (NIC) compensation. There was little variation between the groups (hemodialysis and pharmaceutically managed) in terms of employment and education. ESRD, as a consequence of diabetic nephropathy, represents 41% of all patients who have received hemodialysis for the period 2002-2009 (Figure 2). The end of that 8 year period mortality rate among that population is 53% with the average age of death at 57 years and average dialysis lifetime of 3 years. Costs A list of the parameters used to determine cost is presented in Table 2 and total yearly cost for the period is presented in Table 3. The total cost of dialysis for diabetic nephropathy was EC$6.9 million. From a governmental perspective, in 2009 the total cost of dialysis for diabetic nephropathy patients with ESRD totalled EC $1,002,597.23, accounting for approximately 2.27% of all healthcare expenditure for 0.01% of the population. Secondary and tertiary care services accounted for 59% of the total health budget for 2001-2002, 60% for 2002 -2003 and 64% for 2003-2004. Primary care services accounted for 22% in 2001-2002, 22% 2002-2003 and 18% for 2003-2004 (Figure 3). Discussion This is the first study of its kind in the region. It is able to serve as a precursor to further research and therefore is poised to help guide policies on how cost-effectiveness studies are done in the region. Additionally, there will be future application to decision-making in healthcare. While the absence of other studies that compared the treatment modalities used in this study serves as a limitation to this paper, it remains the only viable comparator that was available to the researcher, and being the first of its kind allows it to inform the existing research. The preliminary findings of this paper have significant implications for health and the operations of the dialysis unit. The literature from other studies (Haller et al, 2011; Zelmer, 2007) indicates that the average lifetime on dialysis is 7-10 years, with survial rates lower among senior adults, aged older than 65 years. The inverse seems to be suggested by the preliminary findings, with an average lifetime of 3 years in patients less than 57 years. The deviation may be attributable to younger persons being less compliant with regular dialysis sessions and the strict dietary and lifestlye adjustments that dialysis requires. Further research would need to be conducted to validate these findings. The economic burden of ESRD for diabetic nephropathy is significant: EC$6.9 million, in St. Lucia for the 8 year period (Table 2). While the focus of this study is on the cost-effectiveness of dialysis, the data identified that health services accounted for most of the observed costs. The governmental perspective of the research restricts the papers ability to adequately address the diabetic nephropathy related morbidity and premature mortality among the study population and the substantial burden that it places on society. The early indicators suggest a need for the effectiveness of the programme to be examined against its objectives and how its outcomes compare with other units within the region or the privately operated unit in St. Lucia. In 2006 Government health expenditure per person per year was EC$499.50 (Ministry of Health, Human Services, Family Affairs and Gender Relations, St. Lucia). Yet for that corresponding period, government spending for dialysis per person per year was EC$48,597.81 (Figure 5), for 0.0014% of the population. St. Lucias GDP for that period is estimated as $6,037.00 PPP (EC$16,299.90) and total expenditure on health is estimated as 6.3% of GPD (Table 5). While cost-effectiveness has not been conclusively established, using the threshold value of GDP as an economic estimate to determine cost-effectiveness, a cost-effective programme is one that is between 1 and 3 times the GDP per capita (WHO, 2011). The National Strategic Health Plan 2006-2011 (2006) posits that the Ministry of Healths actions have not been consistent with its declaration of a commitment to Primary Health Care (PHC) as part of its strategy for National Health development. Health spending continues to increase in the areas of secondary and tertiary care and less of the health budget is spent on primary care. The expansion of hemodialysis to meet the growing ESRD population, and an increased incidence of diabetic nephropathy in St. Lucia has implications for the findings of this study. It is important that focus is directed at primary and secondary interventions aimed at reducing cost of diabetic care and consequently complications from diabetes, such as diabetic nephropathy. Primary interventions are the most cost-effective and as such health promotions to reduce risk of developing diabetes, a risk factor for ESRD, needs to become part of the mandate of the Ministry of Health. A policy on chronic diseases develop ed within the primary healthcare plan that currently exists would help guide that focus. The study was limited by the accuracy and quality of the data, which Basch (1999) argues is a recurring problem in developing countries. There are limitations and difficulties in any attempt to calculate the mean cost of a dialysis session, especially in public facilities where cost is subsidized, as every facet of care and cost associated with the session must be taken into consideration. Consequently, assumptions were made on cost for direct and indirect services related to treatment options compared in this study. Assumptions are justified as this is a non-funded research with time constraints and a need to reduce cost drivers. The study was also limited in its perspective as it could not present on national costs from a societal perspective such as the patients ability to work or opportunity costs. Costs from the private facility could not be used as they did not wish to participate in this study. The inability to capture their costs is relevant as they are used by the government to provide dialysis for ESRD patients whose prognosis prevents them from being placed on a waiting list; this cost is incurred by the government. A patient who commenced dialysis at the private facility and transferred to the Renal Unit at the government facility is not distinguished in the patient register. The strength of the research lies in the use of triangulation to gather and analyse data to ascertain their common conclusion, effectiveness based on costs, and QALYs. Decrop (1999) concurs that one of the main ways to avoid the contentious issue of validity and reliability is the use of triangulation. Triangulation involves the use of multiple data sources in the investigation of a research question for justification or clarification, which in this case involved utilizing primary and secondary data, as well as information from the attending physician. Denzin (1978) also claims that triangulation limits personal and methodological bias as well as enhances the studys generalizability. The use of the Markov model is an inherent strength of the study. Gonzalez-Perez, et al. (2005) argue that the models ability to prognosticate relative effectiveness and cost overtime makes it appropriate for modelling chronic treatment options such as Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT). Cost-effectiveness to determine QALYs as well as the use of a standardized instrument to measure QALY also strengthens the findings of the research. The 15D is recognised as generally being a small measurement burden to both respondents and researchers. As an evaluation tool it is highly reliable due to its repeatability of measurements with minimized random error. The results generated are valid because of the degree of confidence that researchers can place in the inferences that are drawn from the scores. Sintonen (2001) posits that as an instrument to measure cost-effectiveness, it is particularly suitable for calculating quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). While the majority of cost-effectiveness analysis of treatment modalities for diabetic nephropathy focuses on the disease at its latent or progressed stage, Glassock (2010) noted that a study by Gearde et al. (2008) identified that early detection of diabetic nephropathy and intensive pharmaceutical interventions are not only cost effective but significantly reduces the risk of ESRD among type 2 diabetics. These findings are replicated in two studies by Keane and Lyle (2003) and Szucs, et al. (2004) who found that Losartan reduced the incidence of ESRD among diabetics. They went on to argue that proteinuria, which is the single most powerful predictor of CKD in type 2 diabetes, is a simple and inexpensive screening test, and early detection can lead to the early administration of drugs that have been proven to reduce ESRD incidence. Mann, et al. (2010) argue caution against population based screening for CKD, and advocate that screening, as a secondary intervention, should focus on at-risk populations. Their study concluded that targeted screening of people with diabetes is associated with an acceptable cost per QALY in publicly funded healthcare systems. Such an approach can be adopted in the health system in St. Lucia. Cost-effectiveness analysis is able to provide valuable insight to prioritizing within healthcare and so the findings of this research will be able to provide evidence to support efficiency in the use of limited resources. Policy-makers would be able to use these findings to review the decision to expand the number of hemodialysis centres in St. Lucia. Further research to identify more cost-effective treatment options would be the first step to improving efficiency of resource allocation. The preliminary findings have not identified whether or not hemodialysis for diabetic nephropathy is cost-effective. The domination of hemodialysis as a treatment modality for ESRD, despite the plethora of studies that have identified it as the least cost-effective of RRTs (Haller, et al., 2011; Just, et al., 2008, Kontodimopoulos Niakas, 2008), provides the health sector with the evidence needed to revise treatment protocols and an opportunity to improve cost-effectiveness of ESRD treatment. This can be achieved by reducing the use of hemodialysis and introducing as an alternative peritoneal dialysis, which has been cited as being the most effective of dialysis options. Just, et al. (2008) caution that the economics of dialysis in the developing world, where labour may be cheaper than the importation of equipment and solutions, may lead to the perception that peritoneal dialysis is more expensive than hemodialysis. They go on to note that this is not conclusive as there is a dearth in economic evaluations in developing countries to substantiate that view. As an alternative, a well developed CKD Care Program is able to significantly reduce the probability of developing ESRD among at risk populations, as well as significantly lower healthcare costs among ESRD patients (Wei et al., 2010). There is a need to expand the services offered by the Renal Unit as well as its coverage to help achieve that end. Conclusion of Preliminary Findings Despite a declared commitment to Primary Health Care (PHC) as a strategy for National Health development, the Ministry of Healths actions have not been consistent with its declaration. Secondary and tertiary care service is posing a great financial burden on the health system, as purported by the preliminary findings of this paper. Evident in the resource allocations for health in St. Lucia, Primary Care Services are allocated a decreasing or stagnant proportion of the health budget, considered against a decreasing allocation of total public expenditure to health. A sustainable health system needs to maximize the use of health resources, creating a more efficient health system that is capable of providing quality health services in a cost-effective manner in order to maximize population coverage. Primary health care needs to become the thrust used to promote efficiency in health as it is recognized as the most cost-effective of interventions. References Basch, P. (1999). Textbook of International Health

The Role of Technology in Automobile Safety :: exploratoty essay research paper

Safety in automobiles always seems to be a large concern for both car manufacturers and buyers alike. While airbags and anti-lock breaks have become a common, yet useful commodity, the increasing role that technology is playing in the development of cars truly shows its potential with these in-the-works safety features. Night Vision Night Vision is a system that uses infrared cameras to help drivers see much farther distances at night while driving. Many different companies are each working on different designs of night vision, but they all have similar ideas. There are several mirrors with little cameras in them placed throughout the car. There is a lightsensing element inside the mirror which is also heat sensitive. Warmer objects, such as people or animals, appear white, while cooler objects, like buildings or trees, appear as various shades of gray or black. The mirrors are also programmed to automatically darken to reduce the glare of oncoming cars. On a clear night, some systems have been able to detect objects more than 1500 feet away which is almost four times as far as a driver can normally see. The only problem with the program is that it isn't as reliable during precipitation. The images aren't as detailed as they normally are. Collision Radar Researchers from Intelligent Vehicle Initiative, a partnershipd between the U.S. Department of Transportation and automobile industries are making advances on systems which, if successful, can tell you if you're about to run off the road or hit another car. The system is a pretty complicated construction of lasers which are set all over the vehicle. Since there are always blindspots, the idea is that the lasers compare the path of your car to the paths and speeds of the vehicles around you. If something is your car's path, collision radar systems can warn you and calculate the distance you have to stop. A camera is even programmed to look for painted lines on the road to determind if you are off center or drifting into another lane. Some advanced systems will even be able to detect lines when snow is covering the ground.

Sqc – Statistical Quality Control

Statistical quality control (SQC) The application of statistical techniques to measure and evaluate the quality of a product, service, or process. Two basic categories: I. Statistical process control (SPC): – the application of statistical techniques to determine whether a process is functioning as desired II. Acceptance Sampling: – the application of statistical techniques to determine whether a population of items should be accepted or rejected based on inspection of a sample of those items. Quality Measurement: Attributes vs Variables Attributes:Characteristics that are measured as either â€Å"acceptable† or â€Å"not acceptable†, thus have only discrete, binary, or integer values. Variables: Characteristics that are measured on a continuous scale. Statistical Process Control (SPC) Methods Statistical process control (SPC) monitors specified quality characteristics of a product or service so as: To detect whether the process has changed in a way that w ill affect product quality and To measure the current quality of products or services. Control is maintained through the use of control charts. The charts have upper and lower ontrol limits and the process is in control if sample measurements are between the limits. Control Charts for Attributes P Charts – measures proportion defective. C Charts – measures the number of defects/unit. Control Charts for Variables X bar and R charts are used together – control a process by ensuring that the sample average and range remain within limits for both. Basic Procedure 1. An upper control limit (UCL) and a lower control limit (LCL) are set for the process. 2. A random sample of the product or service is taken, and the specified quality characteristic is measured. . If the average of the sample of the quality characteristic is higher than the upper control limit or lower than the lower control limit, the process is considered to be â€Å"out of control†. CONTROL CHA RTS FOR ATTRIBUTES p-Charts for Proportion Defective p-chart: a statistical control chart that plots movement in the sample proportion defective (p) over time Procedure: 1. take a random sample and inspect each item 2. determine the sample proportion defective by dividing the number of defective items by the sample size 3. lot the sample proportion defective on the control chart and compare with UCL and LCL to determine if process is out of control The underlying statistical sampling distribution is the binomial distribution, but can be approximated by the normal distribution with: mean = u = np (Note – add the bars above the means used in all the equations in this section) standard deviation of p: sigmap = square root of (p(1 -p ) / n) where p = historical population proportion defective and n = sample size Control Limits: UCL = u + z sigmap LCL = u – z sigma p is the number of standard deviations from the mean. It is set based how certain you wish to be that when a l imit is exceeded it is due to a change in the process proportion defective rather than due to sample variability. For example: If z = 1 if p has not changed you will still exceed the limits in 32% of the samples (68% confident that mean has changed if the limits are exceeded. z = 2 – limits will be exceeded in 4. 5 (95. 5 % confidence that mean has changed) z = 3 – limits will be exceeded in . 03 (99. % confidence) c-Charts for Number of Defects Per Unit c-chart: a statistical control chart that plots movement in the number of defects per unit. Procedure: 1. randomly select one item and count the number of defects in that item 2. plot the number of defects on a control chart 3. compare with UCL and LCL to determine if process is out of control The underlying sampling distribution is the Poisson distribution, but can be approximated by the normal distribution with: mean = c standard deviation = square root of c here c is the historical average number of defects/unit Con trol Limits: UCL = c + z c LCL = c – z c Control Charts for Variables Two charts are used together: R-chart (â€Å"range chart†) and X barchart (â€Å"average chart†) Both the process variability (measured by the R-chart) and the process average (measured by the X bar chart) must be in control before the process can be said to be in control. Process variability must be in control before the X bar chart can be developed because a measure of process variability is required to determine the -chart control limits.R-Chart for Process Variability: UCLR = D4(R) LCLR = D3(R) where is the average of past R values, and D3 and D4 are constants based on the sample size -Chart for Process Average: UCLR = X bar + A2(R) LCL = X bar – A2(R) where X bar is the average of several past values, and A2 is a constant based on the sample size Other Types of Attribute-Sampling Plans Double-Sampling Plan: Specifies two sample sizes (n1 and n2) and two acceptance levels (c1 and c2 ) 1. f the first sample passes (actual defects c1), the lot is accepted 2. if the first sample fails and actual defects > c2, the lot is rejected 3. if first sample fails but c1 < actual defects c2, the second sample is taken and judged on the combined number of defectives found. Sequential-Sampling Plan: Each time an item is inspected, a decision is made whether to accept the lot, reject it, or continue sampling. Acceptance Sampling Goal: To accept or reject a batch of items.Frequently used to test incoming materials from suppliers or other parts of the organization prior to entry into the production process. Used to determine whether to accept or reject a batch of products. Measures number of defects in a sample. Based on the number of defects in the sample the batch is either accepted or rejected. An acceptance level c is specified. If the number of defects in the sample is c the atch is accepted, otherwise it is rejected and subjected to 100% inspection. Sqc – Statistical Quality Control Statistical quality control (SQC) The application of statistical techniques to measure and evaluate the quality of a product, service, or process. Two basic categories: I. Statistical process control (SPC): – the application of statistical techniques to determine whether a process is functioning as desired II. Acceptance Sampling: – the application of statistical techniques to determine whether a population of items should be accepted or rejected based on inspection of a sample of those items. Quality Measurement: Attributes vs Variables Attributes:Characteristics that are measured as either â€Å"acceptable† or â€Å"not acceptable†, thus have only discrete, binary, or integer values. Variables: Characteristics that are measured on a continuous scale. Statistical Process Control (SPC) Methods Statistical process control (SPC) monitors specified quality characteristics of a product or service so as: To detect whether the process has changed in a way that w ill affect product quality and To measure the current quality of products or services. Control is maintained through the use of control charts. The charts have upper and lower ontrol limits and the process is in control if sample measurements are between the limits. Control Charts for Attributes P Charts – measures proportion defective. C Charts – measures the number of defects/unit. Control Charts for Variables X bar and R charts are used together – control a process by ensuring that the sample average and range remain within limits for both. Basic Procedure 1. An upper control limit (UCL) and a lower control limit (LCL) are set for the process. 2. A random sample of the product or service is taken, and the specified quality characteristic is measured. . If the average of the sample of the quality characteristic is higher than the upper control limit or lower than the lower control limit, the process is considered to be â€Å"out of control†. CONTROL CHA RTS FOR ATTRIBUTES p-Charts for Proportion Defective p-chart: a statistical control chart that plots movement in the sample proportion defective (p) over time Procedure: 1. take a random sample and inspect each item 2. determine the sample proportion defective by dividing the number of defective items by the sample size 3. lot the sample proportion defective on the control chart and compare with UCL and LCL to determine if process is out of control The underlying statistical sampling distribution is the binomial distribution, but can be approximated by the normal distribution with: mean = u = np (Note – add the bars above the means used in all the equations in this section) standard deviation of p: sigmap = square root of (p(1 -p ) / n) where p = historical population proportion defective and n = sample size Control Limits: UCL = u + z sigmap LCL = u – z sigma p is the number of standard deviations from the mean. It is set based how certain you wish to be that when a l imit is exceeded it is due to a change in the process proportion defective rather than due to sample variability. For example: If z = 1 if p has not changed you will still exceed the limits in 32% of the samples (68% confident that mean has changed if the limits are exceeded. z = 2 – limits will be exceeded in 4. 5 (95. 5 % confidence that mean has changed) z = 3 – limits will be exceeded in . 03 (99. % confidence) c-Charts for Number of Defects Per Unit c-chart: a statistical control chart that plots movement in the number of defects per unit. Procedure: 1. randomly select one item and count the number of defects in that item 2. plot the number of defects on a control chart 3. compare with UCL and LCL to determine if process is out of control The underlying sampling distribution is the Poisson distribution, but can be approximated by the normal distribution with: mean = c standard deviation = square root of c here c is the historical average number of defects/unit Con trol Limits: UCL = c + z c LCL = c – z c Control Charts for Variables Two charts are used together: R-chart (â€Å"range chart†) and X barchart (â€Å"average chart†) Both the process variability (measured by the R-chart) and the process average (measured by the X bar chart) must be in control before the process can be said to be in control. Process variability must be in control before the X bar chart can be developed because a measure of process variability is required to determine the -chart control limits.R-Chart for Process Variability: UCLR = D4(R) LCLR = D3(R) where is the average of past R values, and D3 and D4 are constants based on the sample size -Chart for Process Average: UCLR = X bar + A2(R) LCL = X bar – A2(R) where X bar is the average of several past values, and A2 is a constant based on the sample size Other Types of Attribute-Sampling Plans Double-Sampling Plan: Specifies two sample sizes (n1 and n2) and two acceptance levels (c1 and c2 ) 1. f the first sample passes (actual defects c1), the lot is accepted 2. if the first sample fails and actual defects > c2, the lot is rejected 3. if first sample fails but c1 < actual defects c2, the second sample is taken and judged on the combined number of defectives found. Sequential-Sampling Plan: Each time an item is inspected, a decision is made whether to accept the lot, reject it, or continue sampling. Acceptance Sampling Goal: To accept or reject a batch of items.Frequently used to test incoming materials from suppliers or other parts of the organization prior to entry into the production process. Used to determine whether to accept or reject a batch of products. Measures number of defects in a sample. Based on the number of defects in the sample the batch is either accepted or rejected. An acceptance level c is specified. If the number of defects in the sample is c the atch is accepted, otherwise it is rejected and subjected to 100% inspection.

Essay on Belief and Trans Verb

Essay on Belief and Trans Verb Essay on Belief and Trans Verb bolster: TRANS VERB to encourage or lend support to. Syn: block, undermine Her words bolstered me in those dark times. bountiful: ADJ liberal in giving; generous. Ant: niggardly, stingy Matt's bountiful compliments to his teachers on a daily basis made him a favorite on the team disclose: TRANS VERB to make known; reveal Ant: conceal, hide, suppress The reporter was unwilling to disclose the name of her source. dogmatic: ADJ asserting beliefs and opinions as though they were proven facts. Matt's dogmatic speech, although opinion-based, was very convincing enterprising: ADJ bold, energetic, and full of initiative. Ant: lazy, unenterprising, unimaginative As a result of her enterprising attitude, Mary was chosen by her teachers as Student of the Month. illuminate: TRANS VERB to make clear or understandable; clarify; explain. Ant: confuse, darken, obscure The footnotes help to illuminate the text. to give knowledge to; enlighten Will you illuminate us as to your intentions? integrity: NOUN a strong sense of honesty and morality; firmness of moral and ethical character. Ant: dishonesty He showed great integrity when he refused to lie for his employer. muster: TRANS VERB to gather up or call forth (often followed by up). He mustered up all his strength and pushed the truck over. pivotal: ADJ critically important or crucial; on which something is contingent It is pivotal to your academic success to stay on top of your homework assignments.

The eNotes Blog Eight Million Stories Humans of New YorkProject

Eight Million Stories Humans of New YorkProject â€Å"There are eight million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them.†    From The Naked City In 2010, Brandon Stanton lost his job as a trader in Chicago.   Despite his mothers objections, Stanton moved to New York City to pursue the latest thing with which he had become borderline-obsessed:   photography. At first, Stanton was only snapping pictures of the citys residents. His original goal was simply to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers and plot their photos on a map.   But after a few months, Stanton began adding captions and commentary to the photographs.  Ã‚   Taken together, the photographer explains,   these portraits and captions became the subject of a vibrant blog, which over the past two years has gained a large daily following. With nearly one million collective followers on Facebook and Tumblr, HONY now provides a worldwide audience with glimpses into the lives of strangers in New York City. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald called New York City the wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world.   Some eighty-eight years later, it still holds all that mystery and beauty, and through his lens and careful attention, Stanton helps develop those stories in colorful resolution. The following are just a few of my favorite images and stories. Follow Humans of New York here. I found these two in Central Park. After I took their photo, I began to ask Dad some questions, but ended up getting some perfectly valid, yet generic responses: What was your happiest moment? When my daughters were born. What’s the  proudest you’ve been of your daughter? I’m always proud. What was the saddest moment of your life? I’d rather not say. After a few more attempts, I resigned myself to the fact that the man wasn’t going to reveal any details about his life. His reserve was perfectly understandable, but I left a bit downtrodden. Because I loved the photo and was hoping to pair it with a great caption. When I got home, there was an email in my inbox: Dear Brandon, I saw you in Central Park this evening with my daughter (red head). You asked me about my happiest day I told you when my daughters were born (I meant it). You asked me what the saddest day in my life was i told you I’d rather not answer. Well, it was Aug 12, 2006 on that day, my wife and I lost our first baby she was 36 weeks pregnant (his name was Peter). It was horrible. But now we have 2 beautiful little girls, so Im grateful. The reason I was unable to provide a specific answer to questions about my happiest day or what makes me proud about my girls because everything does. Thank you. I’m an artist. I paint murals. What would you say to a young artist? Fuck the rules. This man was cruising through Central Park, while his dog jogged out in front of him. â€Å"They keep trying to give us tickets, said the man, â€Å"So I taught him a trick. Watch this. He shouted: â€Å"Police! And the dog jumped up on the scooter. She does her thing, I do my thing. We interact in between. We’ve been married 30 years, and that’s how we like it. The girl on the right told me she wanted to be a veterinarian. Then, almost as an afterthought, she threw in- â€Å"Also, the President of America. Charmed by her extremely ambitious postscript, I chuckled a bit.What are you laughing at? said Dad. What are you reading? Rimbaud. He’s a 19th Century French poet that turned romanticism on its head. Before him, poets tended to associate nature with order and harmony, and extended that to man. He was the first to really describe nature and man as chaotic and unpredictable. He was especially good at expressing teenage angst. OK, I’ll give you 60 seconds to find a passage that demonstrates what you just said. Here’s what he chose: The wolf howled under the leaves / And spit out the prettiest feathers / Of his meal of fowl: / Like him I consume myself. (Hey, is it just me or does this girl remind you of a Robert Crumb drawing too) She agreed to a photograph, but seemed a bit uneasy about the whole â€Å"being interviewed by a stranger thing. I really liked the photo, so I kept trying questions, hoping to strike on one she felt comfortable answering- but no luck. Eventually she said: â€Å"This feels like a really bad date. If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be? Stay away from large groups of people. What’s your favorite thing about your dad? He works really hard outside. But after that, he still rides bikes with me. You know the scariest drug I ever did? What’s that? Sobriety. I tried that shit, and suddenly I realized that my girlfriend was insane and all my friends were assholes.