How does Hobbes’ views on our senses influence his overall theory Essay

It is no coincidence that the first part of Thomas Hobbes’ The Leviathan begins with a discussion of the senses—his views on how the human faculties of sight, smell, taste, hearing and feeling form the basis of his theories on humanity and society. Hobbes presents a departure from most of the prevalent beliefs on perception during his time. Thomas Hobbes lived during the 16th to 17th Century, where most of Europe has already undergone the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a rebirth of the culture in Europe, primarily through the re-discovery of the Classical Greek and Roman traditions. Hence, most of the philosophical scholarship during that time centered on the works of the great Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Plato. Hobbes departs from both philosphers in his view on the senses. Plato believed that the world we can perceive through our senses is a fallacy. Our senses cannot be trusted and being â€Å"base† or low faculties–they should be discarded in favor of the faculty of the mind, which would lead to the â€Å"world of ideas. † The world of ideas is the truth and everything else is irrelevant. Notice the schism between the idea and the senses according to Plato. Aristotle, like most students, countered his teacher Plato in his work, Poetics. He believes that the sensory world is the means by which one can achieve the truth. The world of ideas is not some far off place in the mind, but intertwined with the senses. Thomas Hobbes presents something quite revolutionary. He departs from the ideas of Aristotle that truth or knowledge is achieved through the senses. Hobbes has a more scientific approach—the faculties of the sense are merely absorbers of input from an external â€Å"object (10, I. 1). To sense is basically to manufacture a â€Å"fancy (10, I. 1)† or knowledge from the stimulus presented by the object. Thus, the act of sensing is not true at all. Hobbes also deviates from Plato’s idea that the senses are completely detached from the truth or knowledge. Hobbes believes that while the act of sensing or perception creates a manufactured thought, the production of thought is still impossible without the senses. That said, this creates a problem: it seems that the world as perceived by humans is inherently relative and false. The universal truth of Plato and Socrates do not exist in Hobbes world view; even the production of knowledge through the sense yields results subject to the whims or desires of an individual. Hobbes’ theories in The Leviathan basically present structures that serve to create some semblance of order and a notion of truth from the artificial and shifting world that humans perceive. The Commonwealth and the concept of the social contract serve as anchors keeping humanity afloat in the chaotic sea of the sensory world and the passionate self being in constant flux. Hobbes creates the image of a whale—a leviathan—swimming in a chaotic sea as a metaphor for the Commonwealth amidst the turmoil of human desire and perception (7, I). How does the theory of recollection relate to two other concepts in Plato’s dialogues? The theory of recollection in Menos is a very important concept as a basis for Plato’s (and Socrates’) other concepts. This is primarily due to the nature of recollection according to Plato—recollection is equated to gaining knowledge. In fact, to Plato and his teacher, there is no such thing as gaining knowledge. An individual already knows everything he needs to know, coming from a divine source that has given that knowledge to an individual even before birth: â€Å"Socrates: But if he did not acquire the knowledge in this life, then he must have had and learned it at some other time? Menos: Clearly he must. Socrates: Which must have been the time when he was not a man? (22)† The concept of recollection then becomes the basis for one of the most important ideas that Plato presents—that knowledge comes from an outside source that is divine in nature (14). Since all knowledge has been with us prior to our birth, then it stands to reason that it comes from the divine, because it has existed before us. Knowledge being divine also implicates the existence of an immortal soul, which serves as the container of knowledge before it takes a mortal form. Recollection also relates to the concept of self-examination as the purpose of man. Self-examination is the only means of an individual to achieve the divine gift of knowledge and virtue. Again, this is based on Plato’s assumption that one does not learn, but rather remembers. Self-examination is therefore the highest form of gaining knowledge, since it is an attempt to reach the divine gift within. The main tool to be used in this case is rationality or reason. One must always question one’s self to achieve the divine. This concept is a very important one because it places a primacy on reason. While the presence of the divine is still very dominant in Plato’s ideas, the use of reasoning to reach the ultimate good within would make reason an important aspect of later ideas in Western philosophy. Thinkers like Immanuel Kant and even Thomas Hobbes would take the primacy of reason and further place it at the center of Western thought. So much so that at some point, the concept of the divine will be dealt away with and only reason remains. Whose philosphy is better justified: Plato’s or Hobbes’? With both philosphers being part of the Western tradition, is comes as no surprise that the primacy of reason is apparent with both Plato and Hobbes. While Plato’s ideas have influenced almost all his contemporaries in the Western world, Hobbes presents more justified arguments regarding political and social theory than Plato. Plato’s arguments have two major weaknesses. First, Plato makes a big mistake by creating a so-called â€Å"world of ideas,† and immediately labelling it as the ultimate good. While the call for self-examination to achieve a sense of enlightenment prides reason and the intellect, the implied mysticism of an almost unreachable other world of truth detached from reality lacks proofs. How can one prove that ther is indeed a world of ideas, if man cannot perceive it? Worse, how does one know that it is truly good? Plato presents no basis for an axis of morality, but resorts to the simple dichotomy of intellect good, body (sensory faculties) bad. Hobbes starts his premise on more solid argumentative grounds because he takes the divine aside and argues on objective grounds. He would not do away with the divine completely, but reserves concepts related to God for the discussion on the Commonwealth itself. The entire introduction—where important concepts are introduced—remains free of mysticism and theology. Only rationality is employed here. The foundations of Hobbes’ premises begin with an immediate examination of presupposed notions the senses, then the imagination, then speech, etc. Everytime Hobbes introduces a new concept, that new concept is well grounded based on arguments prior. The dialectic mode of arumentation by Plato through Socrates and various individuals often easily fall into assumptions and generalizations. For example, in Plato’s Menos, Socrates uses a dialogue with a boy regarding geometry to prove one of the foundations of his arguments—the illlusion of learning masks recollection (15-20). As stated previously in the second question, recollection would lead to more complex arguments regarding man’s purpose and the nature of knowledge and truth. But is the use of the boy â€Å"recollecting† knowledge well-proven? Socrates offers no other examples of an individual knowing something immediately just through queries to help that individual recollect knowledge that is already there. Also, there is no examination of the role that questions play in the remembering of knowledge. How sure is Socrates that his questions indirectly â€Å"teach† an individual knowledge, rather than just guiding an individual to remember knowledge? Hobbes, in his exploration of memory in â€Å"Of Imagination,† posits that memory â€Å"is decayed sense (11, I. 2). He argues this position well because he not only leaves the mystical divine aside, but also because his arguments for the imagination is based on his objective examination of the senses (from which imagination is derived). The logical inferences are more straightforward in Hobbes The Leviathan. Explain Hobbes’ thinking on the Commonwealth The Commonwealth is a stabilizing structure based on natural laws, and more importantly, on contracts. Based on the chapter â€Å"Of Man† in The Leviathan, there is a fluidity that exists within an individual. An individual is inherently chaotic. The generation of knowledge and the ability of human beings to perceive the world cause this inherent chaos. Individuals are driven by varied desires, and their perception of the world is influenced by the said desires. Therefore, conflicts would erupt between individuals with conflicting desires. Thomas Hobbes accepts the inevitable nature of desires. The Commonwealth is a means to establish order among individuals despite them having many and often conflicting desires. While Hobbes draws influence from the Classical thinkers like Plato and Aristotle, particularly with his concepts on natural law (111, II. 7) which are very similar (but still divergent) to Plato’s view on virtues, Hobbes introduction of the contract is his important contribution to Western social thought. Hobbes establishes a view on morality based on desires, which, as mentioned earlier, is fluid and chaotic. Desires are subject to the whims of every individual. Anything an individual desires is good; anythi ng he does not desire is bad: â€Å"For every man is desirous of what is good for him, and shuns what is evil (7, I. 1)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This duality is the cause of conflicts, even war. But because of several desires common to all individuals and instituted by the divine, which Hobbes names as Natural Laws (86, I. 14), some desires are quelled so that common desires like Peace, Liberty and Justice can be achieved. Furthermore, other desires that conflict among individuals can be curbed by one individual giving up part of his rights for another individual. If both parties agree to this, again stability is achieved. When many individuals agree to create such contracts so that these same individuals can enjoy their common desires by giving up some of their other desires, the Commonwealth is achieved.

What is the Gospel?

The gospel means â€Å"good news†. But good news of what? The key Old Testament word with reference to the gospel is the verb â€Å"basar† which generally means â€Å"proclaiming good news†. The good news may be news of the death of an enemy or the birth of a son. In the New Testament words with reference to the gospel denote â€Å"good tidings† or technically it is a term for â€Å"news of victory†. Most people understood the gospel as about giving hope and salvation to sinful sinners through the work of grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. This paper will discuss the content of the gospel, the fallacies in the presentation of the gospel and the fallacies in stating the content of the gospel. II. The Gospel The message of the gospel is the heart of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and of His church. Jesus is not only the author and messenger of the gospel but that in fact, He is the subject of it. Paul, after Christ ascension to heaven aggressively preached the gospel. Although Paul does not provide a single complete detailed statement of the tenets of the gospel, nevertheless there are many New Testament passages that when put together indicate what it includes. In Romans 1:3-4 he speaks of the gospel â€Å"concerning God’s Son who was descended from David and resurrected from the dead†. In I Corinthians 15, Paul stated that he delivered a message â€Å"that Christ died for our sins†¦that he was buried and raised on the third day. † Other New Testament passages clearly indicates that Paul viewed the gospel as centering upon Jesus Christ and what God has done through Him that resulted in the salvation of man. To summarize, the essential elements of the gospel are the divine Sonship of Jesus Christ, his humanity, his death in the cross for man’s sins, his burial, resurrection and future coming. II. Fallacies in the Presentation of the Gospel A. The Fallacy that the Gospel primarily concerns Other than sin The good news or the gospel concerns itself with the solution of man’s basic problem: sin. However, a person may not sense that he needed this good news unless he is aware of the presence of sin in his own life. More often than not, he only feels the lack of peace or joy in his life or the overwhelming problems that confronted him, which are symptoms of his condition of being alienated from God as a result of sin. Unfortunately, some presentations of the gospel may focus on these three areas. But man does not need the gospel just so he can be happy or have peace or find solutions to his problems, he needed it in order to be forgiven of his sin. B. The Fallacy That There Are Different Gospels for Different Age-Groups It is wrong to advocate to the idea that the gospel is not the same for all people. That is, there is a separate gospel for the children, young people, adults, unchurched people or those who go to church. The truth is, there is only one gospel for all, though its ways of explaining may not be the same for all age groups, nevertheless the content should be the same. C. The Fallacy that the Truth is in Other than the Word of God Obviously, this means that truth can be found not only in the word of God. Experience, archeology or fulfilled prophecy may be pointed out as other sources of truth. However, though these three may be a valuable source of denying or confirming truth, it does not create infallible truth. Only the word of God provides absolute truth and all reasoning should be based on it. D. The Fallacy that cleverness will convict In presenting the gospel others may falsely rely on one’s own cleverness of presentation in order to convict a person regarding the truth of the gospel. However, well prepared and well presented gospel presentation does not guarantee salvation or understanding of truth for the Bible clearly states that conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is only the Holy Spirit who can bring successful conviction to acknowledge the truth whether or not a man chooses to believe it. E. The Fallacy that charm will assure results The Bible clearly warned that as bearers of good news, a person should see to it that he does not offend anyone with regards to his manner of dressing, speech or culture especially in view of the fact that the message of the gospel in itself is already an offense or stumbling block for most people ( Gal. :11). But even if man takes this warning to heart, his charming disposition still does not guarantee that the gospel will be accepted. F. The Fallacy that Procedures produce Conversions There is no argument that procedures do produce results such as the hypnotizing effect of music, the intoxicating effect of setting and the moving effect of stories. However, these results cannot be appropriately equated to resulting to conversions. What is important in the presentation of the gospel message is that whether the people were given words that they can believe in and not only to give them something to do. III. Fallacies in Stating the Content of the Gospel A. The Fallacy of adding baptism Some may wrongfully think that in order to be saved one should be baptized. However, baptism is not part of the gospel for if it is then work is added to the gospel of grace. The beliefs that baptism is required for salvation are usually taken from the following verses: . Mark 16:16. Bible Scholars debated on the original ending of the gospel of Mark so in this basis it is unwise to make verses 9-20 as an absolute guideline. But just in case these verses are originally part of the gospel of Mark, it is more safer to assume that Christ may have referred here to the baptism of the Spirit for it is most likely that these words were spoken at the same time that He was talking in Acts 1:5 about the baptizing ministry of the Holy Spirit. 2. Acts 2:38. Baptism regenerationists hold on to the belief that this verse means that both repentance and baptism leads to salvation. However, it must be understood that in Bible times the act of baptism is a public sign of one’ sincere conversion may it be to Judaism, Christianity or other sects. Therefore, this verse clearly shows that Peter told the people to repent and to follow the tradition of baptism as a proof of one’s sincerity of conversion, so that no one will doubt it. On the other hand, this verse can be also interpreted to mean that baptism follows as a result of the forgiveness of sin and not in order to be forgiven of sin. 3. Acts 22:16. This verse may be analyzed by connecting a particular participle to its imperative like the participle (a) â€Å"arise† (which is a participle, arising) with (b) â€Å"be baptized† (an imperative); and (c) â€Å"wash away your sin† (imperative) with (d) â€Å"calling on the name of the Lord† (participle). To make baptism a requirement of salvation, it would require connecting (b) and (c) which could then be read as â€Å"be baptized and wash away your sins†. But this is not to be so, for as shown, both imperatives are in fact connected to each of their own participle, therefore, it means â€Å"to arise from baptism† and to â€Å"call upon the name of the Lord to wash away your sins†. Calling on the name of the Lord would then necessitate forgiveness of sin and not baptism. B. The Fallacy of misunderstanding Repentance In Christianity, to acquire salvation means to repent. Repentance means one should not only be sorrowful about specific sins being committed and stop doing it ( as most understood about repentance ) but it must involve a change of mind about Jesus Christ and trust (have faith ) and acknowledge Him as savior. C. The Fallacy of making surrender of life a part of the gospel Many Bible scholars argue that in order to be saved one should surrender one’s life or make a commitment to the Lordship of Christ. Arthur Pink further stressed that it is a lie of the devil to think that one is saved unless he makes Christ Lord of his life. However, the Bible provided many examples of person who were saved but do not show any commitment such as Lot and the believers of Ephesus. Lot was declared in the new testament as a righteous man even though his life does not show as such. The believers in Ephesus were still regarded as born again even though it took them two years after accepting Christ to burn their magic arts and forsake their superstitious practices. The Lordship problem lies in the failure to â€Å"distinguish salvation from discipleship and makes requirement for discipleship prerequisites for salvation†. Christ in his discourse with the Samaritan woman does not ask her to put her sinful life in order for her to be saved nor does He lecture on her the changes that is expected of her in case she believed but that He simply inform her that she needed to know who He is and ask for His gift of eternal life. It may look so easy to be saved just by believing, but in a much closer introspection , it is not so, for it is hard to believe in someone that is only known through the Bible much more stake one’s own eternal destiny based on that knowledge. II. Conclusion A. The gospel is the good news of man’s forgiveness from sins through faith in the complete work of grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is therefore of necessity that man hear and understand this message. However, as with other works of man, the presentation of the gospel and stating its content may be flawed with fallacies. In the fallacy of presentation, it includes the fallacy that the Gospel primarily concerns other than sin, the fallacy that there are different gospels for different Age-Groups ,the fallacy that the Truth is in Other than the Word of God ,the fallacy that cleverness will convict ,the fallacy that charm will assure results, the fallacy that procedures produce conversions. In the fallacy of stating its content, it includes the fallacy of adding baptism, the fallacy of misunderstanding repentance, the fallacy of making surrender of life a part of the gospel.

Explanation of the Multistep Synthesis of Benzilic Acid Essay

The synthesis of several complex organic compounds follows a multistep synthesis. â€Å"Multistep synthesis† refers to the procedure in which the product of one reaction serves as the starting material in the subsequent reaction. The multistep synthesis of benzilic acid begins with a conversion benzaldehyde to benzoin through a condensation reaction. The benzoin then oxidizes into benzil, which undergoes rearrangement to give benzilic acid. Benzoin Synthesis * When two benzaldehyde molecules condense in the presence of thiamine, it leads to the formation of a molecule of benzoin. The thiamine behaves as a coenzyme catalyst. This step of the reaction involves the addition of ethanol and sodium hydroxide into an aqueous solution of thiamine hydrochloride and creating a reaction with pure benzaldehyde. When you heat this mixture to a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius for about 90 minutes and then cool it in an ice bath, the benzoin crystallizes out. Recrystallization of these crystals from hot ethanol yields pure benzoin as a colorless powder. Benzil Synthesis * Benzoin undergoes oxidation in the presence of a mild oxidizing agent such as nitric acid to produce the alpha diketone known as benzil. When you heat benzoin with concentrated nitric acid using a reflux condenser, evolution of reddish brown nitrogen dioxide occurs and then stops. When you add cold water to the cooled reaction mixture, benzil precipitates out as a yellow solid. You can then recrystallize this substance from hot ethanol. 1. Benzilic Acid Synthesis * When you reflux a solution of benzil in ethyl alcohol with potassium hydroxide for 15 minutes and then cool it, it forms the carboxylate salt potassium benzilate. When you dissolve this salt in hot water in an Erlenmeyer flask and add hydrochloric acid to bring the pH down to 2, the salt becomes acidified to yield benzilic acid. Precautions * During the conversion of benzaldehyde to benzoin, you must maintain temperatures below 65 degrees Celsius to obtain benzoin. Take care when refluxing benzoin with nitric acid; the nitrogen dioxide fumes are extremely toxic and can cause lung damage. During the conversion of benzoin to benzil, some benzoin may remain unoxidized. Prevent this scenario by creating a reaction of an ethanolic solution of the benzil with 10 percent sodium hydroxide solution; if benzoin is present, a purple color develops.

Write a descriptive account of your experience of caring for a patient Essay

Write a descriptive account of your experience of caring for a patient with a variety of needs - Essay Example Every morning I would find him lying on his bed, crying, or talking to himself or to his dead brother. It was obvious that he was in emotional pain. I would greet him with a smile and try to engage him to a few minutes of discussion. I felt that I was comforting him from his thoughts. At the same time, I was actively trying to assess his mood, his flow of thoughts and detect any changes that I had to report to the attending physician. Afterwards I had to give him the medications and make sure that he would take them. Mr. D had a Foley catheter installed, so that he didn’t have to get out of bed often. It was dangerous for him to get up unassisted, because he could fall, due to orthostatic hypotension. I always checked the catheter to make sure it was in the proper position, avoiding urine retention. Then I would check his temperature, pulse and ask about symptoms such as pain or discomfort at the lower abdomen, to make sure that he did not have a urinary tract infection (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network 2006). I would also check the intravenous line, observing for signs of thrombophlebitis or skin inflammation at the catheter site. Afterwards, I would assist him to step on the scales, as I kept a constant watch over his weight, both for nutritional and fluid overload reasons. He would always ask me to help him move around the room, and sometimes it was obvious that he was in pain, mainly due to his severe hip osteoarthritis. He would ask me to hold him as he was standing at the window and stared at the view. At those moments, I couldn’t help thinking how lonely he was and how much pain he must have been experiencing, both emotional and somatic. I would then help him sit and eat the breakfast, as I was carefully and tactfully checking his room for dangerous items that he might use to hurt himself. I would come back one more time at noon, to check on him and help him eat lunch. I had to make sure that he would eat

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Current space system - Essay Example This is to imply that it has a geostationary orbit (Chesley 202-211). In the provision of remote sensing imagery, satellites provide the greatest deal and through their unique sensing characteristics they are able to provide detailed imagery formation. Additionally, this adds to the fact that the rotation of the earth from west to east causes the satellite swath to shift position, and be able to cover a new area with each consecutive pass. The complete coverage of the earth imagery is made possible by the rotation of the earth and the orbiting of the satellite. The technology that swaths use is that which relates to the crystal video receiver that was used in the enhancement of World War II. With this form of technology, the satellite swath is well thought-out to have been the foremost to use a high tech automated system of processing data, and be able to handle hundreds of radar pulses per second. However, the swath and the size of the scene both depend on the type of sensor used by the satellite (Chesley

OLAUDAH EQUIANOS INTERESTING NARRATIVE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

OLAUDAH EQUIANOS INTERESTING NARRATIVE - Essay Example Who likes to remember those days of despicable inhumanity; but your words are a reminder of the days when humanity was non-existent. At best the two legged creatures may be called homo sapiens but not humans, because they were totally devoid of humaneness—the slaves because of the misery, self pity and contemptuous life they led; the masters because of the insolence, avarice and brutality they bore. Your pardoning mind astonishes me when you absolve those brutal masters, attributing all their unimaginable brutality to the customary ways of slave-trade. I just cannot afford to forget and forgive those afflictions; but when you say that, I too feel like agreeing with you: â€Å"had the pursuits of those men been different, they might have been as generous, as tender-hearted and just, as they are unfeeling, rapacious and cruel†. Those benumbed hearts perpetrated the pestilence of slavery, tainting God’s original designs for equality and independence. Yes it was the avarice of the planters and the slave traders that debauched them to the indescribable cruelties and inhumanity they practiced. It is true as you said, they were NOT ‘born worse than other men—No; it is the fatality of this mistaken avarice, that it corrupts the milk of human kindness and turns it into gall’. How many times have we reproached our fate, and wished we had never been born, and we called on death to relieve us from the dreaded horrors! How much we wished to be born in a place ‘Where slaves are free, and men oppress no more’. Times when we were being sold from lord to lord; from misery to greater misery; bound with chains, mangled and torn! How often have we called out to our old Pagan gods to send thunder and lightning and destroy those cruel masters who meted out contempt and cruelty to us, as if we were lesser than animals? Who taught us that trials and tribulations were God’s ways of imparting wisdom, resignation and strength to our minds? Who

Oil Production In Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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CULTURAL DIMENSIONS IN ADVERTISING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Walt Disney Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Walt Disney Company - Research Paper Example The fact that Walt Disney had already gained popularity during this period benefitted the government of United States in projecting a favorable American image for the world. Walt Disney, during the period of World War, produced propaganda content for every area of the U.S government. Walt Disney was used as a means of promoting the brand image of U.S.A in every conceivable way. The company’s films were used to enhance the morale of the American supporters as well as to train the fighters. The animated content used in Disney’s films was used to achieve this purpose. According to an estimate, approximately 90% of the company’s workers were engaged in this propaganda business, directly or indirectly (Andrew 2009). Furthermore, it is estimated that the company produced more than 68 hours worth of expensive war-related films during the period (Andrew 2009). Apart from promoting the U.S and its allies in its own movies, the company was also requested to animate certain content that was developed by a Colonel of the U.S Army. Films produced under this banner include â€Å"Prelude to War† and â€Å"America goes to War† (Watts 1997). However, this is not the first time that the company was used as a tool for propaganda. In World War 1 also the company was used to promote American interest. For instance, an animated film, whose content was designed by a Colonel, was used to train the workers in U.S Army (Andrew 2009). It was believed that these animated filmstrips were a more effective tool than mere lectures or live demonstrations, simply because it engaged the audience (armed workers) more effectively (Watts 1997). Also it has been argued that these animations were used to create settings that were otherwise difficult to achieve with the camera. One of the most critical components of Disney’s success was perhaps the incorporation of humor in its film content (Gabler 2006). Furthermore, the company’s artists are accredite d with the art of capturing customer’s imagination and producing content that enabled effective learning. Because of the fact that the company was able to fabricate the factual, lackluster information into a more entertaining and color manner, Disney benefitted from enhanced viewers attention who not only involved their minds but also their hearts into the movies. The company itself admitted that it had produced movies containing half truths and anti-Nazi element. The propaganda conducted by Disney can perhaps be divided into three main categories of propaganda for the Navy, Air Force as well as specifically targeted propaganda content in its cartoons (Uelmen 1991). As far as the propaganda content for Navy was concerned, the company produced content whose primary purpose was to teach various tactics to sailors through the movies. As far as the content for the Treasury department were concerned, the company was asked to promote the payment of income taxes by the U.S nationals . This was promoted through the cartoon Donald Duck, where the lead character demonstrates the contribution of income taxes to the war effort in the book named â€Å"The New Spirit† which was considered a significant part of the American heritage (Uelmen 1991). The film of this book received enormous media attention which yet again demonstrated the yields to Disney of promoting nationalist interests. This film also

Evidence Based Practice (EBP) and nursing research Paper

Evidence Based Practice (EBP) and nursing - Research Paper Example The role of the nurse in evidence-based practice is to use research findings to conduct decision-making that will effectively guide their actions, practices and interactions with their patients (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011). Nurses are required to have specific actions that are not just clinically appropriate but cost effective, so that they can be professionally accountable to their patients through quality improvements and positive healthcare transformations. These initiatives encompasses patient-centered practice adoption, model advancement and theory development, education and curricular rearrangement, scientific rendezvous in new research areas, as well as engagement in local and nationwide research network that seeks to enhance nursing practices (Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, 2014). In order to avoid the mounting cost of healthcare, nurses are now expected to be part of the cost-controlling practices and they are expected to document and apply social pertine nt and effective practices (Riba, 2008). Most institutions and health organizations apply a combination of models depending on their clinical setting and type of patient care required. They all observe the patient population, interventions, comparison, and outcome (PICO) format which entails synthesis and evaluation of targeted multiple-interventions (Dontje, 2007). There is the Patient Safety Research Coordinating model, which comprises a combination of concepts acquired from scientific information regarding knowledge transfer, to social marketing skills, to organizational innovation combined with behavioral and social transformations (Centre for Health Services Research, 2006). There are also models that focus on execution of nursing research into clinical practices, and they include Stetler model, the Magnet Recognition Program developed by American Nurses Credentialing Center, Baby-Friendly Hospital Certification model,

Preventing accidents to children Essay Example for Free

Preventing accidents to children Essay One of the hazards in the nursery is wires. To minimize the risk of children tripping over wires, wires should be tidied away out of the areas where the children are to prevent them from tripping up over them. Also, cable management systems such as cord covers could be used to cover the wires which make it less likely that the children could trip over them. The Healthy Working Lives website advises to ‘try to place equipment to avoid cables crossing pedestrian routes and use cable guards to cover cables where required’ (Healthy Working Lives, 2013). Slips/ Trips and fall is another hazard in a nursery and to minimise it so that service users are not at risk you can make sure that such hazards are put onto a side where it is not in the way of children. For e.g. if toys are in the walkway then tidy them away to a side. The Safety and Health website says that to prevent slips trips and falls you should ‘clean up spills immediately. If a spill can’t be cleaned up right away, place â€Å"wet floor† warning signs for workers. Keeps walkways and hallways free of debris, clutter and obstacles. Keep filing cabinets and desk drawers shut when not in use. Cover cables or cords in walkways. Replace burnt-out light bulbs promptly. Consider installing abrasive floor mats or replacing worn flooring. Encourage workers to wear comfortable, properly fitted shoes’. (Safety and Health, 2016) Another hazard in a nursery Weather/ Room temperature. To minimise the risk of children professionals and other in the setting suffering from hyper/hypothermia the nursery should ensure that the setting is suitable for service users to be in. This can be done by nursery staff making sure that the setting has an appropriate temperature for e.g. if its cold outside then they should ensure that the nursery is nice and warm for the service users’ and others who work or maybe visiting the nursery. If the temperature outside is too hot then The Nursery World advises to ‘avoid physical activities on very hot days to minimise the risks of heat stress, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.’ (Nursery World, 2015) Hazardous substances – cleaning products, beach etc. is one of the major hazards in a nursery as the harms and severity are very critical. In order to minimise the risk of this hazard substances and cleaning products should be placed out of children’s reach or placed in a locked cleaning cupboard. The Health and Safety Executive website advises to ‘Use good work techniques that avoid or minimise contact with harmful substances and minimise leaks and spills. Store cleaning products safely.’ (The Health and Safety Executive, No Date) In a nursery Doors/ stairs is also another hazard. In order to ensure that no service users are harmed by this hazard and the risk of potentially being harmed to be reduced the nursery should place some control measure to prevent them and they could be things such as door-slam stoppers or jammer. The Safe Kid website advises to fit hinges with protection strips ‘these devices cover the hinge where the door is joined to the wall. They are a long strip of plastic, easily fitted, that bend with the door when it opens, preventing children from slotting their fingers in.’ (Safe Kids, 2015) Open windows can be hazardous for service users as well as other people in the setting. The risk can also be very severe for this the nursery should try to minimise the risk of children being harmed. This can be done by placing some barriers such as gates around the window so children can jump out, this can also help safeguarding as no intruders will be able to enter. The Baby Centre website advises to ‘fit locks to prevent your child from opening them from the bottom. Fix low windows so that they don\t open more than 12.5cm.’ (Baby Centre, 2017) Faulty electrical equipment’s are another hazard in a nursery. This hazards has an overall rating of 12 but it can severely affect service users, professionals and others in the setting. In order to minimise this risk all electrical equipment’s should be regularly tested, any electric’s that are broken or can be hazardous to people should be disposed of or put out of use. This is supported by The Nursery World website that says ‘All electrical and gas equipment to be maintained and subject to annual inspections. The service histories of appliances should be recorded in a log book.’ (Nursery World, 2017) Medication or drugs lying around in the nursery is another hazard. To minimise professionals should keep an eye on service users to ensure that they don’t do anything that could place them in harm. This can be done by professionals making sure that the setting is safe for the children. Any medication that are in the premises should be authorised by the nursery nurse or it should be a prescribed by doctors. These medication should be kept by professionals and given to service users as prescribed. The Kids Health website advises to ‘Store all medicines, prescription and non-prescription, out of sight and out of reach of children, preferably in a locked cabinet. Even items that seem harmless, such as mouthwash, can be extremely dangerous if ingested in large quantities by children. Just because cabinets are up high doesn\t mean kids can\t get their hands on what\s in them, they\ll climb up (using the toilet and countertops) to get to items in the medicine cabinet.’ ( The kids Health, 2017) Climbing frames/ broken toys can also be hazard in a nursery as service users can be harmed during playtime or when doing activities. To minimise this risk the nursery should make sure that all their equipment’s have a risk assessment done, make sure that the toys in the nursery aren’t harmful to the children, broken toys can be a hazard as service users may fall of them and gets hurt or it may drop on them depending on what toy it is. When children are playing on the climbing frames a professional should keep an eye on them or help them on this activity as they may fall from it and get injured. Toys with sharp edges should be avoided and the nursery should have age-appropriate toys. The safe Kids website says that ‘Useful points to consider include what to look for when buying toys, understanding safety marks and labelling, ensure that the right safety checks have been carried out, and considerations when giving and receiving used toys.’ (Safe Kids, 2011) Another potential hazard in a nursery is the event of a fire. If the nursery have control measures in place then the likelihood of a fire can be reduced. Control measure could be equipment’s that may cause a fire being checked and tested regularly, cookers and gas check should also be up to date and recorded on a logbook. The Kids Health website supports this by saying that making sure all electrical appliances are tested, making sure that wires are in good condition and sockets are safe to use. Fire alarms, fire doors etc. should be installed in the case of a fire and the Safety website says that the three P’s are recommended, they are: †¢ ‘PREPARE – Reduce the risk of fires by eliminating hazards. †¢ PRACTICE – Practice a fire evacuation plan and general fire safety practices. †¢ PREVENT – The Unthinkable’

Enter Golden Gator Essay Example for Free

Enter Golden Gator Essay One evening, zoo officials and animal experts alike captured a 3-foot alligator at the Presidios Mountain Lake. With the help of an expert alligator trapper, they were able to snare the 2-year old alligator by rod, reel, and hook. However, it did elude them a lot of times over. Many wondered how he even got to the lake on the first place. Some assumed that someone may have left him there, or was able to seek refuge and survive by eating fish, frogs, tadpoles, and insects. The little alligator found a new home at the San Francisco zoo, according to the zoos general curator, David Robinett. He added that the gator will be quarantined for 30 days. Furthermore, mice will be added on his diet during that said time period. The presence of the gator at the Bay area, especially on the mountain lake, aroused the curiosity of the people. It seems that gators tend to be more adaptive to colder conditions as opposed to their tropical cousins, the crocodiles. In a Name the Gator contest sponsored by the San Francisco Examiner

Good Qualities A Leader Must Possess

Good Qualities A Leader Must Possess Every people have many points of view and statement to justify a person which is the person is a successful person. So, the people are looking for the qualities and achievement of the successful person for identified how successful they are. From here, we are known that the successful person must have the qualities and achievement so that the people will call them as successful people. In addition, what are actually meaning of qualities and achievement? Qualities is meaning that the characteristic and act of behaviour of an individual. Qualities also refer to disposition of a person. There are many type of qualities was having on an individual such as mature, excellent ability, stable personality, working hard and so on. Different people have different of qualities; some of the people are having good qualities and some of the people having bad qualities too. For the successful person, it should have well of qualities and use their qualities in the right ways. In my view and my statement, I feel that a successful person should have many good of qualities. The good of qualities for the successful person that I feel that such as, good presentation of skills, kindness, politeness, generosity of spirit, humbleness and uniqueness of personality. Firstly, we talk about good presentation of skills, good presentation of skill is mean that an individual can express themselves and performing by well and people can understand easily. An individ ual can use good presentation of skills in many-sided such as business presentation, school presentation, giving speech and entertainment performance. Due to having this quality the people will being attract from an individualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performance and an individual easily to express and presented to the others. Secondly, kindness, kindness is refers to kind it also mean that a personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s acting and treating the others by familiar behaviour and always concern the others. An individual having kindness of qualities, that individual will be treasured by others. Besides that, kindness people will also care about the other and will not do something that will hurt and harm to the others as this kind of people will concern and take cares about the peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s feelings and heartfelt wishes. Thirdly, politeness, meaning of politeness is best expressed as the practical of good manner or ritual. Put it simple, politeness was also meaning that an individual always respect to the eldership and greet people when faced them. Politeness was very common in our surrounding, whatever we talk, we meet others, we go somewhere and we see someone, we will be politeness as we are inherited our culture from our parents. Different culture has different way how to greet people or talk to others. Fourthly, we are going to talk about generosity of spirit. Generosity of spirit is mean that an individual was willingness to give of share something to needy people or others, it also mean that an individual share and give something to someone based on his or her ability and without asking any remuneration. Usually this kind of people are rich people as they are helping the poor and needy people by giving them money or conduct a charity to support them. Next, the fifth quality is humbleness. Humb leness is refer to meekness, it mean an attitude of modesty and lack of pride or proud. The humbleness people will not act pride and will not be blow up when the others was praise them or achieved something. A humble person is often not worried about who is best or better. A humbleness person has a realistic evaluation of her own qualities and realizes there are many people with the same qualities. The last quality is uniqueness of personality. Uniqueness of personality was mean that an individual has the personality that the majority of people does not have and uniqueness of personality also mean an individual always doing and thinking something different between the others. So, this kind of people can think and act something new and creative. Besides that, the person who was having this type of quality will always make others not too easy to understanding about him or her. However, a successful person was not only has these type of good qualities, it also need some achievement to make people feel and justified that was a successful person itself. So, what achievement an individual had as I feel that he or she is a successful person? In my view and my statement, I feel that a successful person should had achieved such as organized and support charity to the poor and needy people, has a happiness family, gain a lot of people recognized and appreciated, has a lot of money and gain many award. So, what is organized and support charity to the poor and needy people? Organized and support charity to the poor and needy people is mean that an individual organize a charity such as donate a lot of money to the charity institution, hospital and school. Next, has a happiness family, this is mean that an individual able to let his or her family members especially father and mother have a good and comfortable shelter and bring to them a good living condition such as always by them sides to accompany them, always take care the family members and let them enjoy glory and wealthy living. Gain a lot of people recognized and appreciated, this is meaning that a person getting much of the people recognized, appreciated, love and respect as that people has a lot of talent such as talented entertaining, talented in business, talented in performing and so on. Most of these kinds of people were entertainer, singer, minister and so on. Other achievement are has a lot of money, a successful people should has a lot of money. This is because they can use the money to do some mean full things such as conduct a charity and establish a charity institution, this is linked to the organized and support charity to the poor and needy people. The last achievement is gain many award, in my view, a successful person should get many award so that I am calling him or her is a successful person. For example of the award is Grammy award, Guinness World Records award, Billbo ard award and so on. These awards were well known in the world, a person was being called as a successful person as they get these awards. One of a good example of that qualities and achievement would I feel justified in calling an individual successful is Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson is a good presentation of skills, kindness, and politeness, generosity of spirit, humbleness and uniqueness of personality person. As we knew, Michael Jackson is a well-known entertainer, he has a lot of talented such as in singing, dancing and performing. Why I feel that Michael Jackson is a successful person? This is because he has the qualities that I mentioned. For good presentation of skills, Michael Jackson has good presentation of skills, as he has had performed his concert all around the world and he always brought his message into his song and sing for us. Besides that, he expressed his feel and message by performing his concert and he also has had wrote his autobiography into a book and share to others. Next, Michael Jackson also has the qualities of generosity of spirit; he likes to help the people who are needy, poor and si ck person. From the previous news, we were knew that Michael Jackson was the most contribution to the charity in the world for all time as he is the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s largest personal donation on behalf of individuals. Other quality of Michael Jackson he has is humbleness. Michael Jackson is a humbleness person, he always be modest and do not be proud full as many people was praise and recognized him. Last quality does Michael Jackson has is uniqueness of personality, Michael Jackson is a person who is special and different between the other people. This is because whatever his dress up, his belief and his talent is different between the other entertainers. Michael Jackson had achieved many things that in family, in wealth, in music, been recognized by many people, in charity and many more. For the family, Michael Jackson was brought to his family a lot of things such as shelter, good living condition, luxury and happiness. He loved his family member and he always respect his elder parent especially his mother and his father. Therefore, he was achieved a happiness family. Next, Michael Jackson also achieved gain a lot of money; he was earned much of money by his world tour concert and selling his albums. Besides that, he also purchased the Neverland ranch from golf course entrepreneur William Bone in 1988 for a sum variously reported to be 16.5 dollars to 30 million dollars. From this, we are knew that Michael Jackson was has a lot of money. The other achievement that Michael Jackson achieved is gain a lot of people recognized and appreciated. Michael Jackson has been recognized by many people such as well-known entertainer, artist, sin ger, fans and so on. The people who are like him and love him was also appreciated him, the fans was bought his album and Michael Jackson was also achieved the most bigger selling albums in the world for all time as much of the people or fans are bought his albums. Apart from this, Michael Jackson also organized and support charity to the poor and needy people. He was established many centre such as hospital, charity centre and so on. Michael Jackson had earned the profit from his concert and donated all the profit to the charity centre and hospital. Michael Jackson also listed in the 2000 book of Guinness World Records for his support more charities than any other entertainer or personality. From here, we were knew that Michael Jackson was achieved organized and support charity to the poor and needy people. The last achievement that Michael Jackson had achieved is gain many award. There are many awards that Michael Jackson was gained such as Guinness Book of World Records for 13 ti mes, Grammy Awards for 19 times, Golden Globe award, American Music Award for 22 times, Billboard Awards for 40 times, World Music Award for 12 times, MTV Awards 13 times and many more. So, Michael Jackson is a successful person that I was called, it is because he is adopts my idea qualities and achievement that I felt. In conclusion, an individual wants to be a successful person, it must be with some qualities that can achieve to succeed and also needs some achievement to proof to the others as the others will calling him or her as a successful person. 3.0 Conclusion In this assignment, I had learned how to be a good and efficient leader by training and practise some characteristics that could be a leader. So, in order to be a good and efficient leader, it should have some certain qualities and characteristic. Then, the member will listen to you and respect you as long as you are a good and efficient leader. Besides that, I also get many information and details about how to be a good and efficient leader and some example of character that related to the topic. So, based on my research, I found many of good and efficient leaders, I will learn from them and practise like them. Apart from this, for this assignment, I also learned how to become a successful person. To become a successful person, it needs some qualities and achievement to become it. So, based on my ideas qualities and achievement, one of a character is been put in my assignment as an example to explain it. So, after this I will learn from that character and always training the good qualities in order to become a successful person.

Capital Punishment Essay: Incidental Issues :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Incidental Issues and Capital Punishment      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This essay gives consideration to some of the incidental issues in the death penalty debate: cost, relative suffering, brutalization, and others.    Many nondecisive issues are associated with capital punishment. Some believe that the monetary cost of appealing a capital sentence is excessive (1). Yet most comparisons of the cost of life imprisonment with the cost of life imprisonment with the cost of execution, apart from their dubious relevance, are flawed at least by the implied assumption that life prisoners will generate no judicial costs during their imprisonment. At any rate, the actual monetary costs are trumped by the importance of doing justice.    Others insist that a person sentenced to death suffers more than his victim suffered, and that this (excess) suffering is undue according to the lex talionis (rule of retaliation) (2). We cannot know whether the murderer on death row suffers more than his victim suffered; however, unlike the murderer, the victim deserved none of the suffering inflicted. Further, the limitations of the lex talionis were meant to restrain private vengeance, not the social retribution that has taken its place. Punishment-- regardless of the motivation-- is not intended to revenge, offset, or compensate for the victim's suffering, or to measured by it. Punishment is to vindicate the law and the social order undermined by the crime. This is why a kidnapper's penal confinement is not limited to the period for which he imprisoned his victim; nor is a burglar's confinement meant merely to offset the suffering or the harm he caused his victim; nor is it meant only to offset the advantage he gained (3).    Another argument heard at least since Beccaria (4) is that, by killing a murderer, we encourage, endorse, or legitimize unlawful killing. Yet, although all punishments are meant to be unpleasant, it is seldom argued that they legitimize the unlawful imposition of identical unpleasantness. Imprisonment is not thought to legitimize kidnapping; neither are fines thought to legitimize robbery. The difference between murder and execution, or between kidnapping and imprisonment, is that the first is unlawful and undeserved, the second a lawful and deserved punishment for an unlawful act. The physical similarities of the punishment to the crime are irrelevant. The relevant difference is not physical, but social (5).    We threaten punishments in order to deter crime. We impose them not only to make the threats credible but also as retribution (justice) for the crimes that were not deterred.

A Consumers Buying Behaviour Essay examples -- Consumer Business Mark

A Consumer's Buying Behavior A consumer's buyer behavior is influenced by four major factors; cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors. These factors cause consumers to develop product and brand preferences. Although many of these factors cannot be directly controlled by marketers, understanding of their impact is essential as marketing mix strategies can be developed to appeal to the preferences of the target market. When purchasing any product, a consumer goes through a decision process. This process consists of up to five stages; problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision and post purchase behavior. The length of this decision process will vary, ranging from a shorter routine response behavior, to limited problem solving and a more comprehensive extensive problem solving. A consumer may not act in isolation in the purchase, but rather may be influenced by any of several people in various roles. The number of people involved in the buying decision increases with the level of involvement and complexity of the buying decision behavior. Consumers buyer behavior and the resulting purchase decision is strongly influenced by cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristics. An understanding of the influence of these factors is essential for marketers in order to develop suitable marketing mixes to appeal to the target customer. CULTURAL factors include a consumers culture, subculture and social c...

Other Minds? :: Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Other Minds? Bertrand Russell expressed his belief on knowing other minds, in an article based primarily around the notion of ‘analogy’, meaning similar to or likeness of. His belief is that, "We are convinced that other people have thoughts and feelings that are qualitatively fairly similar to our own. We are not content to think that we know only the space-time structure of our friends’ minds, or their capacity for initiating causal chains that end in sensations of our own" (Russell 89). Russell speaks of the inner awareness, such as being able to observe the occurrences of such things as remembering, feeling pleasure and feeling pain from within our own minds’. This would then allow us to presume that other beings that have these abilities would then be that of having minds. The term ‘analogy’ is very vague in nature, but when used in this context, we assume that the behavior of other people is in many ways analogous in reference to causes. These causes being behavior directed from sensation or thought. It is apparent and observable that people or beings other then I behave in ways in which we behave when placed in different situations. For example sadness or the nature of anger or happiness can be seen in others. Others then can and do react to different causes similar to the way in which I do as well. Another consideration is that of shared experience. Russell uses the example of two friends having a conversation in which memoirs are explored. These two individuals have shared experiences together. They eventually discover that each other’s memories aid each other in recalling information forgotten with time. (Russell 89) It can factually be said that beings in which can think, therefore have a mind, thus have causes for behavior. "As it is clear to me that the causal laws governing my behavior have to do with ‘thoughts’, it is natural to infer that the same is true of the analogous behavior of my friends" (Russell 89). Thus the aspect of inference is now the main concern when relating to analogy. Can we infer that other beings have thoughts and feelings to result such causes, as that in which is observable? Russell explains this notion with the example of mother and her thoughts. "We find ourselves believing in them when we first begin to reflect; the thought that Mother may be angry or pleased is one which rises in early infancy" (Russell 90).

Analysis of “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin Essay

The short story â€Å"The Story of an Hour† was written by Kate Chopin and first appeared in 1984. It tells about the ‘one hour’ brief story of the main protagonist, Louise Mallard, and her reaction upon hearing the news of her husband’s death by a car accident. And because she had a heart problem, her sister Josephine and her husband’s friend Richards decided to break to her the news as gently as possible. Not long after the supposedly bad news was revealed, Brently, Louise’s husband, suddenly comes home alive disproving the former, causing death to her by heart attack. Majority of the story’s progression revolve around Louise’s reaction upon hearing the news about her husband’s death (Brian, 2001). The scenes where Louise isolate herself in her room and savor her new-found freedom add up to the hanging idea of the real reason behind her death. It seems that the author actually give two possible emotional state to answer the underlying question of Louise’s joyful death: one is that she has become too overwhelmed to see her husband alive in contrary to the news about his involvement in a recent car accident and the other one is that she is saddened by the realization of the freedom that she thought she will have after hearing her husband’s loss is completely taken away from her again. Contrasting Representations Suprisingly, the short-story is written in complete contrasts of the main theme. First of these contrasting representations within the story is Louise’s reaction upon hearing the news. The news about her husband’s death should bring her agony and tears but instead; she sits calmly â€Å"facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. † Here we see a strange approach to the situation with the word â€Å"comfortable† being used to modify the chair near the window. Louise, a new widow herself, must not see the chair as â€Å"comfortable† as it seems just right after hearing the unbearable news of her husband’s death. Added to this, the scene outside the window also symbolizes something in contrast to the story’s progression. The spring day from the view outside her window shows a contrasting image to the situation she has. The spring is a symbol of â€Å"rebirth† or â€Å"new life† thus the spring prognosticates Louise’s new life after Brently’s death. Another interesting symbol in the story is the description of the view laid upon Louise’s eyes as she sits near the window: â€Å"The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves† (Brian, 2001). For the readers, the description made by Louise about the view she was seeing clouds what her true emotions were at that moment. It seemed that as she isolated herself in a room, she completely disregarded the news of her husband’s death. These representations had become tricky in contrasting the main theme the story supposes to have or tell. Kate Chopin’s idea of a Joyful Death: Appearance versus Conflict What the readers may discover in reading this story is the possibility that there is an ironic truth behind the death of the main protagonist’s beloved. In the main setting of the story where Louis sits in a comfortable chair, she mouth over the words we never expect to read or hear from her. She seems to be happy rather than being sad about Brently’s loss with what the story emphasizes on her shouting â€Å"free, free, free! † The freedom she pertains here signifies of her having the will to live a life all by herself, after her husband is gone. As she plays a youthful characteristic of a woman, it is a well played proof that she was indeed after the freedom, of doing what she want to do and make decisions for herself. With this fact, the story seems to have a conflict of its own: conflict between the ideas of appearance and reality. From the moment that the story emphasizes about Louise having her â€Å"freedom† at last, it could suggest the notion to the reader(s) that she is not saddened by the news. Unlike what she had shown in the central point of the story, Louise somehow is expected to grieve by the people around her, all having the idea that her marriage with Brently was a happy one. This is what her sister Josephine completely understood with her reaction as she misinterprets Louise’s behavior and thinking. She hysterically calls out her sister in the room, believing that Louise is heart-broken but in reality, Louise is more lightened up by the news. The doctors’ judgment about Louise’s death also deals with this conflict. For them, it seemed that Louise died after realizing that her husband is alive. This appearance of Louise’s happiness is more illustrated when they predicted that due to heart attack â€Å"of joy that kills† (Brians, 2001). Never did they think of the reality that she died because of another reason. That she dies because she was heart-broken to recognize the truth that she will not be able to gain her freedom as what she expected earlier. Role of Woman versus Man Another conflict in the story accentuates the role of woman versus man in the society. It is illustrated in the story that Louise is a submissive wife to Brently. But there is an internal struggle within her that tells that she was not happily married at all. As what Louise thinks, â€Å"What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being† justifies more to the idea that she, indeed, had loved Brently but more were the times she feel not. Maybe for Brently, Louise appeared to be happy with their relationship or he thinks and assumes that she is. Apparently, Louise wanted more the freedom she had felt for in that short while. After finding out the truth that she was not yet totally free, she had thought that only by death that she would took possession of it at last. There in death she would find peace and liberty. Ironically, Louise took the realization that her husband was alive and chose to die in able to attain the freedom she longed for. Character Analysis Chopin made her characters compliment along with the theme of the story. The main character, Louise plays a youthful wife who tends to have her freedom despite her marriage with Brently. Her youth marked up the end of her life and this irony of life, of choosing liberty by death, seemed to be one of the uncertain situations in the matter of choosing life over death. Brently, although his character is not discussed further on in the story, seemed to be playing a role of a husband who wants her wife under his control. Louise would never want liberation if he was a good man to her. His characteristic gives a deeper impact in the story, making Louise choose to die with freedom rather than living with him in a life full of despair. Josephine, Louise’s sister, was recognized here as a doting sister who takes care of her and all the matters that has a connection with her. Josephine, together with Richards, had taken care of gently telling to her the â€Å"death† of her husband Brently. She half-concealed the truth, in order for Louise to accept it without suffering her heart problem. Richards, Louise’s friend, is the one who brought the news to the house, he is responsible for assuring Brently’s death. As he rushes to tell the news to his friend, there is a suggestive truth that he was worried about what his friend’s reaction would be after hearing the news. If he had not rushed over to deliver the news, there is a possibility that Brently could arrive first in the house and justify that his name in the news is a big mistake, preventing Louise’s death and would have lived more. Apart from Brently, Richards is also responsible for the protagonist’s death. The story gives us the impression that not every death could bring grief to someone. It could be, in another way, a joyful event. Chopin had also brought about the issues of women and their role in the society. The story, written in the nineteenth-century, showed how women years back had no rights to be at their own will. Women then were still under the prying eyes of the society and men dominate over them. Chopin tackles a lot of moral issue within the story. Her story suggests that it would still be better if women of her own time maintain their roles in the society. In the nineteenth-century, men are expected to be superior over women and not the other way around, not what Louise wanted to be. Her insights within the story inspires us with the vision of what harmonious relationships are ought to be and the wide complexity in bearing the contrasting truth between appearance and reality. References: Brians, Paul. et al. Reading about the World. (Vol. 2) 3rd Edition. Texas: Harcourt Brace College, 2001.

PacSun Store Analysis Essay

Customer ProfileThe current customer of the Junior girls department of the PacSun are young women who are driven by surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and other associated actives and lifestyle. The typical customer wardrobe is consists of everyday casual apparel that is versatile enough for excessive movement and wear. Customer Demographics:†¢Female†¢14-18 yrs old†¢middle class†¢ high school education†¢have average 2 siblings†¢parents both work, have college degrees†¢outdoor active lifestyle†¢interest in surf, skateboarding, and/or snowboarding†¢personality is free spirited, spontaneous, social, and sport orientedIn regards to the statistics of the buyer profile compared to the actual product consumer profile is influenced by outside factors. An average of 45% of the customers where young girls with a female parental that purchased items, 35% of the customers were young women in groups of 2 or more, while 15% of those groups all purchased individual items. There was an average of 15% of customers who where young women by themselves, 2% of the remaining profile were parents (mainly women) who where purchasing for someone else, then another 2% where male parental’s purchasing for someone else, and the last 1% was young women with a mate. Within the department’s customer profile, there is an average of 65% of girls that were sizes 3-7 and/or S/M; and the remaining 35% where either above or below the average size range. Department AnalysisI. Department Environment-The environment of the department is very energetic and free spirited. All the employee’s were friendly and conservative toward each customer. It was about four o’clock p.m. when I visited the PacSun location. There were an estimated eight female customers in this department. The sales associates working the floor were eager to help each customer with there individual needs. When entering the store it takes an average of three seconds before being welcomed to the store. II. Merchandise Appearance-The merchandise in this department was all put in  it’s designated section. The merchandise on the floor racks was organized by related items and style preference. The items on the walls were grouped in sections of tops, pants, and jackets that looked best with each other. The clearance section was clean and organized by sizes, and all the merchandise was in the correct size section. The displays were organized with coinciding outfits, a few pairs of jeans and tee-shirts, folded next to each other with a couple bags/ backpacks; the display flows well with the product layout in the department. III. Merchandise Classification-The Classifying of the products was very versatile with the other products. All of the merchandise stock is focused on surf and skate brands of clothing. The majority of the stock is in tee-shirts, sweatshirts, and jeans. This department classification of products is focused more on large assortment of merchandise within a small variety of classifications. This merchandise scheme works well with this store because it allows each customer to personalize the individual items in to outfits of their own style preference. Data SummaryI. Compare and contrast: After reviewing the primary and secondary data, to get a better understanding of the PacSuntarget market and realistic profitability goals, it seem to be within a match able range of the comparison of experiencing the same demographics. In the field study conducted there seems to be a low amount of consumers shopping, but when added to an average amount of customers per day it is appropriate. At this particular location farther inland from the coast, the store has more foot traffic because of the decrease of competition in other surf/skate store near the coast. The income data compared to the guesstimate of income, based on purchasing amounts spent, does not match up. It seems that people were spending more money then bring in. When looking over the work force statistics, it seems that more parents are working and allow children to buy more products for the missed time together, allowing for huge indulges in money spent shopping. I feel that the customer is a teenager with working parents and most shop is done on own. The customer is give fixed amounts to spend and pre-though  periods through out the year. The consumer is likely to be working a small part-time job and spends paycheck on personal wants and entertainment. The loyal PacSun customers like to create their own activities related style through items at the store. There clothing chooses are selected more through durability and versatility, then innovative trends. The customer is entertainment seeking and dedicate. It is more like that the customers of PacSun are returning customers then new ones, once image is established by consumer, they tend to continue on the same path. II. Modification MixAs a buyer for PacSun it would be advisable to really study the store surroundings because even though the seasons are changing, it is likely that customers will purchase tank tops andshort-sleeve shirts year round. The need for jackets is usually slim, but a wide range of sweatshirt and sweaters is a necessity because the San Diego area does get windy during the end of the year. Being a buyer for specific classification of customers is defiantly easier when in a usually predicable climate, like San Diego. Knowing the trendy colors for each season is more necessary then knowing the trendy cut shirt cuts, because the PacSun consumer wants to be able to wear the item for season after season, not just for a few months. The most important thing to remember, as a buyer, is to buy the products for the customer not the corporation. Meaning to always fulfill the customers needs before selling products for corporate popularity and profitability. If logical, I would widen the size range of the clothing to open up the target market to teenagers in the plus size range. This will increase the foot traffic in the store. Other then the sizing, the store have the right products and styles in it that lives up to the PacSun reputation. If it were possible to reach a different customer segmentation, while maintaining the current the merchandise is stores, it would have to be to add another section for Pre-teenagers, ages 10 to 14 years old, there are many younger customers that are already set in there type of clothing classification of style related to there activities, like surfing and skate boarding. This would consist of extending the sizes and styles to Boy and Girl sizes and styles, but using the same consistency of brands. This would create a whole new foot traffic and profitability for PacSun stores. Bibliography –www.pacsun.com, copyright 2007-www.hoovers.com, copyright 2007-onsight analysis. date January 23, 2007

Break Free Product Life Cycle

Most firms build their marketing strategies around the concept of the product life cycle–the idea that after introduction, products inevitably follow a course of growth, maturity, and decline. It doesn't have to be that way, says Harvard Business School marketing professor Youngme Moon. By positioning their products in unexpected ways, companies can change how customers mentally categorize them. In doing so, they can shift products lodged in the maturity phase back–and catapult new products forward–into the growth phase. The author describes three positioning strategies that marketers use to shift consumers' thinking. Reverse positioning strips away â€Å"sacred† product attributes while adding new ones (JetBlue, for example, withheld the expected first-class seating and in-flight meals on its planes while offering surprising perks like leather seats and extra legroom). Breakaway positioning associates the product with a radically different category (Swatch chose not to associate itself with fine jewelry and instead entered the fashion accessory category). And stealth positioning acclimates leery consumers to a new offering by cloaking the product's true nature (Sony positioned its less-than-perfect household robot as a quirky pet). Clayton Christensen described how new, simple technologies can upend a market. In an analogous way, these positioning strategies can exploit the vulnerability of established categories to new positioning. A company can use these techniques to go on the offensive and transform a category by demolishing its traditional boundaries. Companies that disrupt a category through positioning create a lucrative place to ply their wares–and can leave category incumbents scrambling.

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 8~9

Chapter 8 October 4, 1864 As a human, I'd thought it was my mother's death that had shaped the men Damon and I would become. I'd called myself a half-orphan in the initial days after she died, locking myself away in my room, feeling as though my life had ended at the young age of ten. Father believed grieving was weak and unmanly, so Damon had been the one to comfort me. He'd go riding with me, let me join the older boys in their games, and beat up the Giffin brothers when they made fun of me for crying about Mother during a baseball game. Damon had always been the strong one, my protector. But I was wrong. It is my own death that has shaped me. Now the tables have turned. I am the strong one, and I have been trying to be Damon's protector. But while I have always been grateful to Damon, he despises me and blames me for what he has become. I had forced him to feed from Alice, a bartender at the local tavern, which had completed his transformation. But does that make me a villain? I think not, especially as the act had saved his life. Finally, I see Damon the way Father had seen him: too imperious, too willful, too quick to make up his mind, and too slow to change it. And as I had also realized earlier this evening as I stood just outside the dim glare of the gas lamp, the body of the dead nurse at my feet: I am alone. A full orphan. Just as Katherine had presented herself when she came to Mystic Falls and stayed in our guesthouse. So that's how vampires do it, then. They exploit vulnerability, get humans to trust them, and then, when all the emotions are firmly in place, they attack. So that is what I will do. I know not how or who my next victim will be, but I know, more than ever, that the only person I can look out for and protect is myself. Damon is on his own, and so am I. I heard Damon steal through the city, moving at vampire speed down the streets and alleys. At one point, he paused, whispering Katherines name over and over again, like a mantra or a prayer. Then, nothing Was he dead? Had he drowned himself? Or was he simply too far away for me to hear him? Either way, the result was the same. I was alone–Id lost my only connection to the man Id once been: Stefan Salvatore, the dutiful son, the lover of poetry, the man who stood up for what was right. I wondered if that meant that Stefan Salvatore, with no one to remember him, was really, truly dead, leaving me to be anyone. I could move to a different city every year, see the whole world. I could assume as many identities as Id like. I could be a Union soldier. I could be an Italian businessman. I could even be Damon. The sun plunged past the horizon like a cannonball falling to earth, dipping the city into darkness. I turned from one gaslit street to the next, the soles of my boots rasping over the gravelly cobblestones. A loose newspaper blew toward me. I stomped on the broadsheet, examining an etched photo of a girl with long, dark hair and pale eyes. She looked vaguely familiar. I wondered if she was a relative of one of the Mystic Falls girls. Or perhaps a nameless cousin whod attended barbecues at Veritas. But then I saw the headline:BRUTAL MURDER ABOARD THE ATLANTIC EXPRESS. Lavinia. Of course. Id already forgotten her. I reached down and crumpled the paper, hurling it as far as I could into the Mississippi. The surface of the water was muddy and turbulent, dappled with moonlight. I couldnt see my reflection–couldnt see anything but an abyss of blackness as deep and dark as my new future. Could I go for eternity, feeding, killing, forgetting, then repeating the cycle? Yes. Every instinct and impulse I had screamedyes. The triumph of closing in on my prey, touching my canines to the paper-thin skin that covered their necks, hearing their hearts slow to a dull thud and feeling a body go limp in my arms. Hunting and feeding made me feel alive, whole; they gave me a purpose in the world. It was, after all, the natural order of things. Animals killed weaker animals. Humans killed animals. I killed humans. Every species had their foe. I shuddered to think what monster was powerful enough to hunt me. The salty breeze wafting from the water was laced with the odor of unwashed bodies and rotting food–a far cry from the aroma across town, where scents of floral perfume and talcum powder hung heavy in the air of the wide streets. Here shadows hugged every corner, whispers rose and fell with the flowing of the river, and drunken hiccups pierced the air. It was dark, here. Dangerous. I quite liked it. I turned a corner, following my nose like a bloodhound on the trail of a doe. I flexed my arms, ready for a hunt–a gin-soaked drunk, a soldier, a lady out after dark. The victim didnt matter. I turned again, and the iron-scent of blood came closer. The smell was sweet and smoky. I focused on it, on the anticipation of sinking my fangs into a neck, of wondering whose blood Id be drinking, whose life Id be stealing. I continued to walk, picking up my pace as I traced the scent to an anonymous back street lined with an apothecary, a general store, and a tailor. The street was a replica of our own Main Street back in Mystic Falls. But while wed only had one, New Orleans must have had dozens, if not hundreds, of these corridors of commerce. The rusty smell of iron was stronger now. I followed twists and turns, my hunger building, burning, searing my very skin until finally, finally I came to a squat, peach-colored building. But when I saw the painted sign above the door, I stopped short. Sausages in their casings hung in the buildings grimy window; slabs of cured meat dangled from the ceiling like a grotesque childs mobile; carved ribs were nestled in ice beneath a counter, and in the far back, whole carcasses were strung up, draining blood into large vats. This was a butcher shop? I sighed in frustration but my hunger forced me to push the door open anyway. The iron chain snapped easily, as if it were no sturdier than thread. Once inside, I gazed at the bloodied carcasses, momentarily mesmerized by the blood falling into the vats, one drip at a time. Over the sound of the raining blood, I heard the slightestping, no louder than the twitch of a mouses whiskers. Then came the light shuffle of toes passing over concrete. I reared back, my eyes darting from corner to corner. Mice scuttled beneath the floorboards, and someones watch ticked in the building next door. All else was quiet. But the air around me suddenly felt thicker, and the ceiling lower somehow, and I became acutely aware that there was no back exit in this room of death. â€Å"Who goes there?† I called into the darkness, whirling around, my fangs bared. And then came movement. Fangs, eyes, the thud of footsteps closed in around me from all corners. A low, guttural growl echoed off the bloodstained walls of the shop, and I realized with a sickening jolt that I was surrounded by vampires who looked all too ready to pounce. Chapter 9 I crouched low, my fangs elongated. The heady scent of blood permeated every corner of the room, making my head spin. It was impossible to know where to attack first. The vampires growled again, and I emitted a low snarl in response. The circle closed in tighter around me. There were three of them, and I was caught, like a fish in a net, a deer surrounded by wolves. â€Å"What do you think youre doing?† one of the vampires asked. He looked to be in his mid-twenties and had a scar that ran the length of his face, from his left eye to the corner of his lip. â€Å"Im one of you,† I said, standing at my full height, fangs on display. â€Å"Oh, hes one of us!† an older vampire said in a sing-songy voice. He wore glasses and a tweed vest over a white-collared shirt. But for the fangs and red-rimmed eyes, he could have been an accountant or a friend of my fathers. I kept my face impassive. â€Å"I have no ill business with you, brothers.† â€Å"We are not your brothers,† said another with tawny hair. He looked not a day over fifteen. His face was smooth, but his green eyes were hard. The older one stepped forward, poking his bony finger against my chest as if it were a wooden stake. â€Å"So, brother, nice evening to dine or die. What do you think?† The young vampire kneeled next to me, gazing into my eyes. â€Å"Looks like hell do both tonight. Lucky boy,† he said, ruffling my hair. I tried to kick him, but my foot simply flopped harmlessly against air. â€Å"No, no, no.† While the scarred vampire watched wordlessly, the boy grabbed my arms and wrenched them so sharply and abruptly behind my back that I gasped. â€Å"Dont be disrespectful. Were your elders. And youve already done quite enough disrespecting already, if Miss Mollys house is any indication.† He drawled her name as if he were a benign, genteel Southern gentleman. Only the steel grip on my limbs betrayed that he wasnt anything of the sort. â€Å"I didnt do anything,† I said, kicking again. If I were to die, then Id die in a fight. â€Å"Are you sure?† he asked, looking down at me in disgust. I attempted to twist away, but still I couldnt budge. The elder vampire chuckled. â€Å"Cant control his urges. Impulsive, this one. Lets give him a taste of his own medicine.† With a flourish, he released me from his grasp, pushing me forward with strength Id never before felt. I hit the plaster wall with a crash and fell on my shoulder, my head cracking against the wooden floorboards. I cowered beneath my attackers, the realization sinking in that if I were to survive this encounter, it would not be by might. â€Å"I didnt mean to do anything. Im sorry,† I said, my voice breaking on the word. â€Å"Do you mean it?† the young vampire asked, a glint in his eye. The sound of wood breaking assaulted my ears. I flinched. Would one vampire stake another? This was not a question I wanted answered the hard way. â€Å"Yes. Yes! I didnt mean to come in here. I didnt know anyone was here. I only just arrived in New Orleans,† I said, scrambling for an excuse. â€Å"Silence!† he commanded, advancing toward me, a jagged piece of wood in his hand. I pressed my spine into the damaged wall. So this is how it would end. With me dying on a makeshift stake, killed by my own kind. Two hands crushed my arms, while another two pinned my ankles together so forcefully that it felt as though I were stuck under boulders. I closed my eyes. An image of Father lying prone on his study floor swam to the forefront of my mind, and I shook my head in agony, remembering his sweating, terrified face. Of course, Id been trying to save him, but he hadnt known that. If he was watching, as an angel or a demon or a mere specter condemned to haunt the world, hed be thrilled to see this scene unfold. I squeezed my eyes tighter, trying to evoke some other memory to the fore of my mind, one that would take me to another place, another time. But all I could think of were my victims, of the moment when my fangs sliced into their skin, their plaintive wails descending into silence, the blood dripping down my fangs and onto my chin. Soon, all the blood Id taken would be released, seeping out of my own body and back into the Earth, as I was left to die, for real this time, forever, on this wooden floor. â€Å"Enough!† A female voice sliced through the montage in my mind. Immediately, the vampires let go of my hands and feet. My eyes sprang open, and I saw a woman gliding through a narrow wooden door in the back. Her long blond hair descended in a single plait down her back, and she wore mens black pants and suspenders. She was tall, though slight as a child, and all the other vampires shrank away from her in fear. â€Å"You,† she said, kneeling next to me. â€Å"Who are you?† Her amber eyes gazed into mine. They were clear and curious, but there was something about them–the darkness of the pupils, perhaps–that seemed ancient and knowing, which stood in sharp contrast to her rosy-cheeked, unlined face. â€Å"Stefan Salvatore,† I answered her. â€Å"Stefan Salvatore,† she repeated in a perfect Italian accent. Although teasing, her voice didnt seem unkind. She ran a finger gently along my jaw, then placed her palm against my chest and she pressed me against the wall, hard. The suddenness of the movement stunned me, but as I sat, pinned and helpless, she brought her other wrist to her mouth, using her fang to puncture the vein. She dragged her wrist along her teeth, creating a small stream of blood. â€Å"Drink,† she commanded, bringing her wrist to my lips. I did as I was told, managing to get a few drops of the liquid down my throat before she yanked her hand away. â€Å"Thats enough. That should fix your wounds at any rate.† â€Å"He and his brother have been wreaking havoc all over town,† the large vampire said, his makeshift stake pointed at me like a rifle. â€Å"Just me,† I said quickly. â€Å"My brother had no part in it.† Damon would never survive the wrath of these demons. Not in his weakened state. The blond vampire wrinkled her nose as she leaned even closer toward me. â€Å"Youre what, a week old?† she asked, leaning back on her heels. â€Å"Almost two weeks,† I said defiantly, lifting my chin. She nodded, a hint of a smile on her lips, and stood, surveying the shop. The plaster wall was partially caved in, and blood smeared the floor and speckled the walls, as though a child had stood in the center of the room and twirled around with a wet paintbrush. She tsked, and the three male vampires simultaneously took a step back. I shivered. â€Å"Percy, come here, and bring that knife,† she said. With a sigh, the youngest vampire produced a long carving knife from behind his back. â€Å"He wasnt following the rules,† he said petulantly, reminding me of the Giffin boys back home. They were both bullies, always ready to kick a kid in the schoolyard and then turn around and tell a teacher they had nothing to do with it. She took the knife and stared at it, running the pad of her index finger over the gleaming blade. Then she held it back out to Percy. He hesitated a moment, but finally stepped forward to take it. Just then the girls canines elongated and her eyes flushed bloodred. With a growl, she stabbed Percy right in the chest. He fell to his knees, doubled over in silent agony. â€Å"You hunt this vampire for making a scene in town,† she seethed, stabbing the knife in farther, â€Å"and yet you attempt to destroy him in this public space, in this shop? Youre just as foolish as he is.† The young vampire staggered to his feet. Blood streamed down the front of his shirt, as though hed spilled coffee on himself. He grimaced as he pulled the knife out with a sucking sound. â€Å"Im sorry,† he gasped. â€Å"Thank you.† The woman held her wrist toward Percys mouth. Despite her youthful look and apparently violent temper, she also had a mothering quality that the other vampires seemed to accept, as if her stabbings were as normal to them as a light swat would be to a high-spirited child. She turned toward me. â€Å"Im sorry for your troubles, Stefan. Now, can I help you be on your way?† she asked. I looked around wildly. Id thought no further ahead than escaping this room. â€Å"I â€Å" â€Å". . . dont have anywhere to go,† she said with a sigh, finishing my thought. She glanced toward the other vampires, who were now huddled in the corner of the room, heads bent in conversation. â€Å"Ill just be going,† I said, struggling to my feet. My leg was fine, but my arms shook, and my breath came erratically. With local vampires watching my every move, where would I go? How would I feed? â€Å"Nonsense, youre coming with us,† she said, turning on her heel and walking out the door. She pointed to the young vampire and the one who wore glasses. â€Å"Percy and Hugo, stay and clean this place up.† I had to practically run to keep up with her and the tall, scarred vampire whod watched my torture. â€Å"Youll need someone to show you around,† she explained, pausing only slightly. â€Å"This is Buxton,† she said, grabbing the elbow of the vampire with the long scar. We walked down street after street until we neared a church with a tall spire. â€Å"Were here,† she said, turning sharply to enter a wrought-iron gate. Her boots echoed against a slate path that led to the rear of a house. She opened the door, and a musty scent greeted me. Buxton immediately walked through the parlor and up a set of stairs, leaving me and the young female vampire alone in the darkness. â€Å"Welcome home,† she said, spreading her hands wide. â€Å"There are plenty of spare rooms upstairs. Find one that suits you.† â€Å"Thank you.† As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I took in my surroundings. Black velvet curtains fastened with golden rope blocked every window. Dust motes floated in the air, and gilt-framed paintings covered the walls. The furniture was threadbare, and I could just make out two sweeping staircases with what looked like oriental runners and, in the next room, a piano. Though at one point this must have been a grand house, now the soiled walls were cracked and peeling, and cobwebs draped over the gold-and-crystal chandelier above us. â€Å"Always enter through the back. Never draw back the curtains. Dont ever bring anyone here. Do you understand, Stefan?† She looked at me pointedly. â€Å"Yes,† I said, running a finger along the marble fireplace, cutting a path in the inch-thick dust. â€Å"Then I think you will like it here,† she said. I turned to face her, nodding in agreement. My panic had subsided, and my arms no longer trembled. â€Å"Im Lexi,† she said, holding out her hand, allowing me to raise it to my lips and kiss it. â€Å"I have a feeling that you and I will be friends for a long time.†