Existentialism in the Stranger and the Metamorphosis Essay

â€Å"We are thrown into existence first without a predetermined nature and only later do we construct our nature or essence through our actions. †(Existentialism)This quote is present through the main characters of The Stranger, Blade Runner, and The Metamorphosis in each of these works the characters create their own nature. These works are similar several ways; in all three the men create their own nature by the free choices they make. Through these choices they also create their own values. The characters values and meanings of life are where these works differ. Initially, in The Metamorphosis, Gregor’s life seems to have meaning, through providing for his family, until he changes into a bug and determines for himself that his life really has no meaning. This is very unlike The Stranger because Meursault, throughout the entire work, lives his life as if there is no meaning to life and he dies knowing this. Finally Deckard, at the beginning of his life, seems to have lived his life with no meaning or values, until he encounters Roy and Rachael who change his perspective. Throughout these works these men make makes choices that determine who they are and what their about, but ultimately every one of them knows their subsequent mortality. It is clearly understood through Meursault’s narration that life to him is meaningless. The choices he makes and things he says are without thought or meaning. They are usually in the spur of the moment of what will please him. For example the novel starts by Meursault telling the audience â€Å"Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: â€Å"Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours. † That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday†(The Stranger). Meursault treats his mother’s death with the same demeanor with which he will later treat the death of the Arab. Both of these events are usually different in the types of emotions they reveal, but Meursault shows no emotion at all. He just goes through the day to day motions of life. Through his narration and the tone of the novel the reader is clearly able to determine Meursault lives with no emotion or essence. He accepts who he is and his mortality. In the end he accepts a punishment that is not worthy of the crime. He knows even if he doesn’t get executed he will die anyway whether its ten years from now or fifty. Clearly The Stranger questions the reader whether humans really have a meaning for life since in the end everyone will die and be forgotten. It seems that Camus meant to get the point across that in life there is no predetermined nature people create it through their choices. Meursault chooses to live his life with little or no meaning. Unlike Marie who falls in love with Meursault and chooses to support him even though he didn’t care if they got married. Like Marie in The Stranger Gregor, who is the main character, in The Metamorphosis has a mean and value to his life. Gregor supports his family because his father failed and never went back to work. Gregor had it all good job, money, and ability. He chose to support his family and allow them to live a nice life while he worked and traveled with little time for himself. Gregor doesn’t like his job, but he chooses to stay because it offers good money and he will pay of debt. All of these choices are Gregor’s they are what he based his life off of. When he changes into a bug his mentality is altered. He begins to realize that all that he did for his family eventually is forgotten and soon he is forgotten about too. Kafka relates this to the human race and its inevitable end. When humans die in the beginning they are remembered, but slowly people forget, or lose interest, until eventually that person is totally forgotten about and life goes on. This previous statement is clearly seen in the novel when the family moves and decides that is time to marry off their daughter. They never mention anything about the loss of their son. In Blade Runner the main character Deckard destroys replicants. He does his job and usually never questions the reasons why he destroys the human-like robots. The director seems to try to get across the point early that Deckard lives a meaningless life. He does whatever he wants whenever he wants. At first it seems like he lives a life much like Meursault, but later it becomes clear that he is trying to find a meaning for life. When talking to Roy, Deckard realizes that in life everyone is going to die and that everything that person did would be forgotten and lost. At the same time Roy explains the value of life, the choices, love, and things humans can experience. Blade Runner tries to get across to the viewer that they are who they want to be and that in the end the choices and things they’ve seen will be forgotten and meaningless. In all three works the slogan â€Å"Existence precedes Essence† (Existentialism) is present. Each one of the main characters makes their choices which determine their nature. Every one of the characters at some point realizes that they all share a common trait with the rest of the human race and that is death. They also know that in the end they will be forgotten about and eventually everyone will move on with their lives as if they never existed. These works differ in the way each character goes about their lives. Meursault believes there is no meaning to life so he lives his life on the fly. He does whatever pleases him. Gregor begins with a life he has chosen for himself only to realize that eventually all that he has done will be forgotten and lost. Finally Deckard begins with no meaning and tries to determine a meaning through replicants. He realizes that the choices in his life are what makes his life meaningful. Throughout these works Existentialism was present. The characters offered a glimpse of the reason for existence. Whether it was for providing for a family or killing replicants each one of the character in the end determined that life was only the choices that they make. Ultimately they all learned that everything they did and chose to do was meaningless when they were dead and there is no way to avoid it.

Critical Summary of Conflicts as Property Essay

Introduction The article I will be critically summarizing is â€Å"Conflict as Property†. It is an influential article written by the criminologist Nils Christie in the late 1970s. Throughout the entire article Christie argues â€Å"criminology to some extent has amplified a process where conflicts have been taken away from the parties directly involved and thereby have either disappeared or become other peoples property†1 This statement is what I have found to be Christies thesis in which all of his points refer back to. Christies Argument Throughout the article Christie reflects on why he believes the conflict between two parties, the victim and defendant has been â€Å"stolen† by the authorities, the state, and by professionals. Christie said that not only does the victim loose his or her say in the proceedings but is relatively thrown out of the case in which it becomes between one party and the state. He found this unsatisfying and argued that it should be given back to the initial parties involved, the victim, the defendant and the neighborhood. He says when a conflict is created that we are less capable to take on the situation and are more likely to hand it off to some one else. This is where there is a lineup of professionals willing to take the conflict from us and we are just as willing to give it away. Christie explains his notion of â€Å"conflict as property† as not referring to material compensation but rather to the ownership of the conflict itself. He then recognizes the effects of victim losing the â€Å"property† initially and puts forth a method as a remedy for this process. He proposes a new court model for dealing with conflicts in which the court is victim centered and lay-oriented. My Opinion For most of the part I agree with what Christie has to say. I believe that throughout a proceeding it should be of most importance that the victim’s situation is to be heard whether it is relevant to the law or not. Instead of letting the state or professionals take over and say what they think has the most relevance to a case the court should hear the entire story from the victims point of view. This would show the courts to what affect this act by the offender has caused in the victims life. Also they should hear out what the victim seems fit as a fair punishment or payment in forms of restitution whether it is labour or monetary to go along with the judges sentence. I think that by having the initial parties involved instead of being pushed to the side, society will be more concerned to make sure that everyone is given a fair, equal, and consistent resolution to a conflict. It would ensure that the neighborhood and state have the same set of shared values and goals that the y are working towards to support social order. Most offenders after committing crimes do not want to see the victims or their families that they affected. It is an emotional encounter in the courtroom where the offender can show his remorse and the victim(s) can show pity I think that the two types of segmentation that are observed in our highly industrialized societies are the most important factors in why we don’t have the ability to deal with conflict. The segmentation in space is how we go through our daily lives and not recognizing any of the people we see as who they are but by what they do. Secondly we segregate people based on their physical attributes such as race, gender, and sex. This segregation has many consequences on society as a whole. The most influential consequence that we experience is depersonalization as Christie said. Not having this person-to-person relationship is detrimental, especially when conflicts arise seeing as how we can’t deal with them between the parties involved. We need professionals to step in and take the roles from us, which results in us being cast aside. Conclusion â€Å"Except for execution, castration or incarceration for life, no measure has a proven minimum of efficiency compared to any other measures†2 instead of continuing with the traditional way of a legal proceeding we need to change  things. People need to be able to interact face to face and have a more personal interaction. Conflicts must be given back to the initial parties and not â€Å"stolen† by these other powers. Is it not what somebody deserves? To have a case in which they are heard. Bibliography Nils Christie, â€Å"Conflict as Property† (1977) 17:4 The British Journal of Criminology Pg. 1-15

The Benefits of Strategic Information Systems Coursework

The Benefits of Strategic Information Systems - Coursework Example Many business organizations exist which have acquired information systems but are unable to deploy these systems in a strategic manner in order to achieve a competitive advantage in their areas of operation, these failures often result from a misalignment of the strategic objectives of the company’s information systems with the strategic objectives of the business as a whole (Fortune & Peters, 2005) (Heeks, 2002). There are a number of possible reasons for such a misalignment some of the commonly cited reasons for such a misalignment include differing personalities and outlooks of the IT people and the business managers, separate budgets for IT departments which are unrelated to the budgets for the other departments and lack of oversight and effective management of the IT departments and an absence of accountability for business results (Heeks, 2002). These problems are often caused by a misplaced belief in the power of technology to help an organization in achieving its strategic aims, in reality; the mere presence of high tech equipment is of no use until it is utilized in a proper manner. According to a recent study on the link between information technology and productivity, advancements in information technology were not the primary cause of the improvements in technology which have occurred since the mid 1990’s rather it was the changes in business processes brought on by the use of information technology that enabled these gains in productivity (Ward & Peppard, 2002).In order to have an effective information system, managers need to make clear that the computational technology is not important in itself, it is rather a tool for realizing the strategic business aims of the company (Ward & Peppard, 2002).

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 315

Assignment Example The company has accomplished and executed the four factors of corporate social responsibility through taking part in a cause-marketing case such as Project (RED). By donating their revenue for a life-saving operations, the business organization is presented in a good light. The company also generates its turnover in a legal and ethical manner, which forms its sustainable business development. I am of the opinion that corporations, which are socially involved, achieve better financial results, since they concentrate on worldwide social issues and regard this as a possibility to bring more business for the company. 2) Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR, generally being defines as a business concern of the welfare or wellbeing of the society, and run their business activities and operations in lawful and legally accepted manner to generate profit for the company. The four components of corporate social responsibility are Economic responsibilities by being profitable to the company, Legal responsibilities by obeying the law or playing by the rule, Ethical responsibilities by being ethical in carrying business and Philanthropic responsibilities by being a good corporate citizen and also by improving the quality and standard of living of the community and society. Economic performance is important as the foundation of the other three responsibilities, because if it does not achieve good performance, the other three responsibilities will be questionable. CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility and is defined by how much a business organization is concerned about the prosperity of the society. Corporations which implement social responsibility run their affairs in a lawfully abiding way in order to turn a profit. There are four factors of corporate social responsibility. The first one is the economic responsibility to generate revenue for the company. The second is the responsibility to obey the law and act according to

Team creativity Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Team creativity - Article Example Emotional intelligence of the team members plays a vital role in enhancing cognitive and affective trust. Cognitive trust may build up between the team members based on the reliability and competence of his/her peers. Professional behaviour increases the cognitive trust between the team members. Affective trust is based on emotional bonds resulting from interpersonal care and concern for each other. Self-awareness about own emotions may help the team members to manage other’s emotions. Team members’ trust is based on individuals’ confidence upon the actions of the team members. All team members will assess the actions of other members based on its benefits and consequences. Knowledge and skill about one’s function is critical to creativity. High cognitive trust teams have members with strong functional as well as interpersonal capabilities. These capabilities can create a feeling that the team can jointly make decisions, take risks and share ideas without fear of criticism. In short, collaborative culture is a strong predictor of creativity (Barczak et al, p.332-345) The primary objective of this study was to explore backgrounds of team creativity, namely, team emotional intelligence and team trust. It also investigates the relationships between team emotional intelligence and team trust to increase creativity. Emotional intelligence promotes team trust. Trust, in turn, fosters a collaborative culture which enhances the creativity of the team. Cognitive trust moderates the relationship between collaborative culture and team creativity. This study was conducted using a survey of 82 student teams at a large university in the northeast United States. Some of the variables used for this study were trust, collaborative trust, cognitive trust, affective trust, creativity, control of own emotions, aware of own emotions, aware of others’ emotions, control of others’ emotions etc. The findings of this study are suitable only to

The Professional Studies 2 Task Research excercise Essay

The Professional Studies 2 Task Research excercise - Essay Example Michael Gurian, author of The Minds of Boys. Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life, and founder of the Gurian Institute has concluded, after 20 years of research (Gurian 2005, p. 9), that there is a "crisis that many boys experience in our educational culture today" (Gurian 2005, p..9). Gurian's scientific research shows that boys learn differently than girls in five significant ways. They learn through sensory-tactile experiences, by attaching learning to physical movement, by chunking or attacking one task at a time, by organizing information into groups, lists or sub-groups, and by exercising their need to physically move between tasks (Gurian 2005, p. 48). I intend to address one of the gender-based differences through an action research proposal which asks the question: Can Art be effectively incorporated into cross-curricular foundation subjects as outlined by the National Strategy, to increase oral communication and literacy skills in boys. Gurian's research indicates that "girls have, in general, stronger neural connectors in their temporal lobes than boys do; these stronger connectors appear to facilitate more sensorially detailed memory storage and better listening, especially for tones of voice. Boys in general pick up less of what is aurally going on around them, especially when it is said in words, and need more sensory-tactile experience than girls in order for their brains to light up with learning." (Gurian 2005, p.48). Boys should be offered the option of communicating through art and oral communication first. Once they have formulated their thoughts, through art and talk, they can commit their well-formulated ideas to paper. "For boys, the arts provide a vehicle for making meaning visible, allowing them to "see" the story as it unfolds. Through the arts, boys can express and explore emotion in a safe context. Both of these factors have been found to increase boys' understanding and enjoyment of the texts the y read." (Ontario Education 2004, p.22). We aren't asking boys to replace writing skills with oral and visual communication. We see them struggle with formulating abstract thought. Because all thinking moves from concrete to the abstract, from the visible to the invisible, we're allowing our boys a more boy-friendly way of putting things down on paper. I choose action research as the preferred method for attaining information because its methods are ideally suited to classroom investigation and it allows for continued Action Research 3 professional development, not only throughout the research period, but also in a continuous manner thereafter. Cohen and Manion describe it as "an on-the-spot procedure designed to deal with a concrete problem located in an immediate situation. This means that ideally, the step-by-step process is constantly monitored over varying periods of time and by a variety of mechanisms (questionnaires, diaries, interviews and case studies, for example) so that the ensuing feedback may be translated into modifications, adjustments, directional changes, redefinitions, as necessary, so as to bring about lasting benefit to the ongoing process itself rather than to some future occasion" (Cohen and Manion 1994, p.

David Suzuki, The Big Picture- the enviormentalist dilemma Essay

David Suzuki, The Big Picture- the enviormentalist dilemma - Essay Example He talks of the different aspects of this problem and the possible defense mechanisms that the planet may have in order to combat the encroachments of technology. For Suzuki, it is also important that one understands the importance of mankind’s position on the planet. The fact that man is one of the many species that exist on this planet is significant for Suzuki. There are several new theories that Suzuki puts forth including the idea that it is necessary for the ecological to be quantified in the economic sense of the term. This would then put a certain amount of pressure on people to create a world where the ecology is valued in terms that are familiar to the current market economy. This then makes us aware of the importance of creating a world where the ecology is not a dispensable commodity but something that provides us with an understanding of man’s relation to his environment and other creatures who have equal rights over the resources of the earth. Suzukiâ€⠄¢s main argument is that the ecology needs to be given his due and integrated with the scientific endeavors of man and in the economic framework of the world, without which there would be no sustainable growth in the world in any sector. One of the main arguments that Suzuki makes throughout his career is that mankind needs to come to terms with the fact that it exists on the earth and would not be able to survive without the earth being a place that can sustain them. The disconnect that man reveals when it comes to the earth can be seen from the fact that dirt is always regarded as something that is undesirable. However, this dislike for dirt is oblivious to the fact that whatever grows on the earth takes root in dirt and can be seen to draw its nourishment from the very dirt that is regarded with such contempt by man (Mast). This then reveals an attempt on the part of Suzuki to look at the tiny things in one’s life that indicate the attitudes that one holds towards the env ironment. Such attitudes then create a situation where the ecology is undervalued and not given its proper due. Its life-sustaining quality is then obfuscated and not given due importance. Despite man’s advancement in terms of science and technology, there is still a lot that needs to be done in terms of the conservation of the environment. The conservation of the ecology is a must for the sustained development since the resources necessary for development ultimately comes from the environment itself. This can be seen from this statement that is made by Suzuki in The Big Picture- †¦all of these things that so dominate our headlines and our lives- all of these things are merely social constructs created by humans. Ultimately they still depend on something else: the continued existence of a stable and healthy planet to provide us with the basics of life. Without a healthy planet to cleanse our wastes and provide us with resources, we will wither. Unless we can find a way t o live in balance with the natural systems that sustain us, our species will ultimately reach a dead end (3). The ideas that are expressed in this passage are important as they do not suggest that development of the kind that is fuelled by technological advances is insignificant. What it does suggest, however, is that there needs to be an awareness of the environmental impact that certain programs of development have. According to Suzuki, one must not devalue science and its effects on mankind. However, one must

Microcredit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Microcredit - Essay Example From the research paper of Agnes Loteta Dimandja, the economical status of Africa and the status of the women of the region and the present situation of the country in context of the human rights of the women can be concisely understood. Statistics from IMF, World Bank and other institute revealed that the poorest person on the earth lives in the Sub-Saharan Africa and probably she is a woman. As per the current situation of the Africa, where the basic human right are being violated, women are denied their dignity. It has been observed that the women in these societies came to be some of the first victims of the ongoing situation of violence and this is because of their internal wars. Women in these nations are found to beg for peace as peace is something that should exist as the necessary condition for development. This picture depicts the dominated position of the African women (Dimandja, 2004). Niara Sudarkasa has conducted a study regarding the status of the women in the indigenous African Society. As per her view, in the African Societies the female and the male have been time and again described as the complementary and separate. Usually it has been seen that, whenever any writer compare female and male in Africa, in most of the occasions, they certify men with a higher status and to be in a better situation and the women are portrayed as a saddle in home and domesticity (Sudarkasa, 1986). Wail S. Hassan has discussed about the â€Å"Man & Masculinity† in his article â€Å"Gender (and) Imperialism†. In his article, he had added the view of Judith Butler, who argued that gender assumed normative masculinity which has balanced against the femininity interpreted as deviation. This normative masculinity declares itself in colonial dissertation. During that time, as per the Frantz Fanon and Cornel, the racial discourse has symbolized the

Music And Social Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Music And Social Identity - Essay Example It is a reflection of the different beliefs of the people and projects ideas and images which ultimately form what is called the social identity by which people identify themselves amongst their peers. Social identity means the characteristic attributes of a person that belong to a certain group. The process of social identification is one through which we express or relate to along with other people. Like for example taking Christians and Muslims groups we find that in each member of the Christian group they would be sharing basic commonalities while being different to the Muslim group. There are many types of social identities like ethnic, religious, political, personal and stigmatized etc. Shepherd, Horn, and Laing (2003) discuss that music has been a part of every society. It is present in each and every culture around the globe although the form varies from region to region and changes with time. As it can be traced back for as far as we can go hence the scientists are of view t hat it has existed for around 50,000 years. The roots of music sprung somewhere in Africa. From there onwards it has always been a very important inherent part of the human beings as it exists even today and has progressed a lot. How music cultivates depends upon a specific culture of a region, the social aspects the economic background and the technological advancements. The type and form that the music evolves into is dependent on the response from the people of that region, their beliefs and preferences.

O Father, Where Art Thou Essay Example for Free

O Father, Where Art Thou Essay The article, â€Å"O Father, Where Art Thou? † which was written by Joshua Alston and published in Newsweek last May, basically explained that the notion that most black fathers are irresponsible parents is not entirely true. According to the author, while statistics show that there is an alarming rate of black children living in homes without a father—50 percent, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all black fathers are the same. In fact, Alston wrote that there are a number of black fathers who are responsible parents and who have been supportive and caring for their children even in the most unstable and volatile situations. This, according to the author, is greatly illustrated in Tal-Nehsi Coates’ memoir, â€Å"A Beautiful Struggle,† in which he depicted how his black father, Paul, was a source of stability in security in a community where violence is rampant. Moreover, Alston claimed that the image of black fathers were significantly tainted by songs and shows such as â€Å"Papa Was A Rolling Stone† and â€Å"The Maury Show,† which both portrayed, in a way, that black men are bad fathers and, as a result, gave rise to the negative views towards them. On the other hand, the problem with most black fathers, according to the author, is that they think they equate being a successful parent to making a lot of money or being a breadwinner. Therefore, if black fathers aren’t able to substantially provide for their families, they opt to leave home instead of having their pride hurt. Based on the article, this is what people like Coates are trying to change. According to him, black fathers shouldn’t be made to feel like failures just because they aren’t living to the role of breadwinner. Coates also claimed that being a father also entails love, leadership, and teaching his children values and lessons in life. In his memoir, Coates wrote that he was raised well by his father, which also enabled him to develop his critical thinking. In short, according to the author, in order to reduce the number of black fathers who are absent in their homes, people should view them in a different light and look at the other aspects of their lives instead of just focusing on their inability to provide for their families.

The effects of aids on society

The effects of aids on society Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, today am privileged to have this precious moment with you to discuss about the epidemic that has threatened to wipe away the youthful generation of African Americans. By the nature of ethnicity, the black community in United States is having a heavy burden due to the effects of the disease. Statistical results shows that by the end of 2007, nearly half (46%) of the infected were members of the black community. In the year 2006, the blacks accounted about 45 % of the new infections in fifty states as well as District of Columbia. It is very sad to find out that up to now many members of the black community are still losing their lives in a disease that can be easily controlled. It is estimated that 230,000 blacks in U.S. have lost their lives as a result of AIDS. These deaths represent a 40% of all the deaths. Statistics also show that about one million people live with the virus in America today with half of them coming from the black community. To you members of the panel do you believe on the statistical reports that indicate African American citizens contributing to 40% of HIV AIDS epidemic deaths? As a racial group, the blacks represent only 13% of the countrys total population. Estimations indicate that black males are exposed to the risk of being infected with I person in every six likely to be infected with the virus. For females, 1 out of every 30 of them is highly exposed than white males. Washington D.C has the countrys highest HIV prevalence with  ¾ of its infected population coming from the black community. Ladies and gentlemen, reports from the National HIV/AIDS Strategy African American makes up the biggest part of the HIV cases across many infected groups. These groups include heterosexuals, homosexuals, women, infants and drug users. Before we embark in the journey of fighting the epidemic in the community, we need to ask ourselves why members of the black community are disproportionately infected by the virus and how do they view the disease. According to you members of the panel, what do you think is the reason behind this disproportionate infection of blacks? I would also like you the members of the panel to figure out question that demands our attention is to try and figure out strategies being taken to mitigate the number of cases being highlighted in clinics and other health institutions across the country. As facilitators what do you think are the necessary strategies needed to be undertaken to control the spread? First and foremost, I would like to begin the discussion by looking at the first cases of the disease among the blacks. The epidemic first came into the public limelight in early 1980s. At first, the epidemic affected mainly the gay male population and drug users who used intravenous methods to inject drugs into their bodies. In the year 1983, the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) came out with the evidence of the first two cases of HIV in women. The two ladies acquired the virus through sexual intercourse with a drug user who used intravenous method to inject the drugs into his body. One of the ladies was of a Latin origin while her counterpart was a black. Since then, the disease started spreading at a high rate among the members of the black community. Women especially, were affected and five years later, the blacks accounted for 50 percent of all the AIDS cases in America. Im afraid to say that currently, sixty percent of women infected with the virus come from the black community (http://www.avert.org/hiv-african-americans.htm). Earlier on, a bigger problem was the reflection of the epidemic by the American media as a disease typical to white gay men. The blacks were provided with few reasons to believe that the disease could also affect them, despite the large portion of the early cases in bisexual and gay community coming from the black men. From the outset, black American heterosexual children and adults were mainly infected by white heterosexuals. From your perspective, do you blacks are at a higher risk than the whites? Im delighted to inform you that the first group to confront the epidemic through the enlightenment of the members of the black community was the San Franciscan Gay community or Black and White Men Together (BWMT). This movement was significant not only for counting Reggie Williams as one of its followers, but also gave rise to an AIDS organization. I personally would like to salute Williams as one of the first gay black activist who worked for many years to deal with deaths and enlightened homosexual members of the black community. Do you think Williams contribution to addressing the disease had significant impacts on the fight against the disease? The lobby became successful and ultimately led to provision of first ever donation by CDC to prevent the spread of the disease among the black gay community in the year 1998. The concern of the AIDS epidemic among the blacks in 1980s and 1990s was also raised by various highly influential members of the community who were infected with the disease or lost a friend or family members through the diseased. My salutation also goes to Max Robinson, the first black American news anchor. Max openly admitted that he was positive just before he died in 1988. Later on Arthur Ashe died of the same ailment in 1993 with rapper Eazy-E beaming another victim in 1995. May be the most influential AIDS victim of black origin who is still alive today is the basket ball player Ervin Johnson. He admitted that he was positive in 199. His assertion that any one can contract the disease showed a significant understanding that the AIDS epidemic was not just a disease typical to gays. Other individuals who have contributed in raising the profile in the black community include Jesse Jackson who became another famous black man to join other well known blacks in addressing the epidemic. The main risk factor among the blacks is sexual transmission. Having unprotected sex is the major likely cause of the disease. 43 % of the blacks living with the disease got the virus through male to male sexual intercourse. A research conducted showed that national HIV/AIDS policy showed that half of the black gay males and bisexuals in five well known cities in United States of America being HIV positive. A major study undertaken in 21 cities concluded that almost 1/3 of the black MSM had the AIDS virus. Among this category, the youth are mainly affected. In 2006, many black people in America who had sex with other men were infected with the disease. Also, the disease among this group has increased rapidly. Since 2001 and 2006, yearly HIV diagnoses among the African American MSM aged 13 and 24 went up by 93 % compared to twelve percent among the blacks of all ages. How many of you members of the panel agree with me that sexual intercourse is the leading cause of high rate of spread of the epidemic among the blacks? Many theories have been however proposed regarding the vulnerability of the young black men to the disease through the activities of homosexuality, but none is actually decisive. One theory is the high prevalence of the disease among the many of the members of the community. The risk is enhanced in young men who partner with their older male counterparts since older MSM appear to have had a lot of sexual exposure and increasing the risk of contracting the disease. Young African American MSM is also less likely to be informed about their status. This translates into less likelihood for them to take the necessary steps to stop the transmission of the disease. However, other studies have shown that young black take part in risky affairs to a greater degree than young Latin or White males. Also, black women are mainly disproportionately exposed to the disease, with the likely transmission means being heterosexual sexual practices. Eighty five percent of the black women living with HIV virus were exposed to the virus by through this means and make up nearly 50 % of the countrys female population with the disease. Back men living with the virus makes up 22% and were infected through heterosexual means. More than 2/3 of infected men were exposed in this manner to the disease (.http://www.avert.org/hiv-african-americans.htm). There are a lot of economic as well as social factors that come as a result of high levels of sexual HIV infections in the black community. However, higher phases of STDs in this group are also shaped by economic and social factors hence facilitating sexual transmission of the virus. The black Americans have eight times the number the level of Chlamydia, and eighteen times the level of gonorrhea compared to Whites. An evaluation by United States Centre for Disease and Prevention (CDC) discovered that nearly half (48%) of black females and about forty percent of African American men got infected by genital herpes in the country compared to 21% of females and 11.5%of men generally. Can anyone of you tell me the possible ways of reducing poverty in our society? Drug use is one of the most likely causes of AIDS epidemic among the members of the black community. In the year 2008, use of drugs was found to contribute a significant portion of all AIDS diagnoses among the blacks. Many black men and women living with the disease were infected through drug injection compared to those of any other race or ethnic group. Blacks injecting drugs have a likelihood of acquiring the in a higher rate and do not live longer after the diagnosis. Poverty also is another main factor that leads to infection of the virus among the black Americans. Poverty forces youths to drop out of school, stopping them from getting good jobs and good employment. Poverty also makes youths to lose a sense of value or self worth and attracted to illegal or socially ill habits that can expose them to the disease. Poverty symptoms also influence sexual patterns that enhance the spread of the disease. There is therefore need to pay a lot of attention to both economic and social perspectives in which the disease thrive. One person who has initiated such an idea is the current president Barack Obama. The president in his presidential crusade literature promised to tackle the poverty scourge where the victims of the disease proliferate. It is a fact that about  ¼ of the black American families lives in deplorable conditions, with a higher poverty rate for both single male headed and female headed homes making up to 30 and 40 percent respectively. A focus group that involved the blacks living in North Carolina showed that there is a connection between participants social environment and sexual connections within the community. These factors also included institutional stigmatization that lead to lack of employment possibilities and lack of capacity to obtain mortgage, lack of recreation and high imprisonment rates. Has any one of you experienced any form of stigma in the work place? The common believe among the blacks is that the government is not doing its mandate to address the need of protecting them from the epidemic. By estimation, half of the CDC budget is aimed at fighting the spread of the disease among the blacks. It is debated that directing the whole CDCs budget to the epidemic in the black community is not enough. What needs to be improved therefore is the size of the budget itself. For the financial year 2009, $ 1.6 billion was required to prevent the spread of the virus. This reflected a far excess budget than $753 million allocated for the year 2008 (.http://www.avert.org/hiv-african-americans.htm). Finally, ladies and gentle men, I would like to conclude my speech by saying that any sustained and effective attempt to tackle AIDS in United States of America should have positive results for the African American citizens as they make up such a large percentage of the overall infections. The CDCs consideration of and study of entrenched social aspects, like poverty which are the main contributors to the current HIV infection rates, is positive stride and should be seen in all concrete acts taken to alter the trend of HIV infection in the African American community.

Hollywoods Life Saver Essay -- Entertainment Movies Papers

Hollywood's Life Saver For years Hollywood has been the land of stars and cinema; a place where dreams are made, and all of life seems perfect. However, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood has often masked some of Hollywood's biggest stars' alcoholism and drug problems. The string of never ending parties, and the increasing amount of drugs that are being used on club circuits, frequented by many of Hollywood's elite, became all too familiar for two of Hollywood's young rising stars, Drew Barrymore and the late River Phoenix. Drew Barrymore began drinking at the age of nine, and by the age of thirteen, was in the ASAP Family Treatment Center with an alcohol and cocaine addiction, which she eventually overcame. River Phoenix wasn't so lucky. Phoenix's drug use is not as well chronicled, but is rumored to date back to when he was fifteen years old on the set of "Stand by Me." What is known is that at 1:51 a.m. on October 31, 1993, River Phoenix was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. One begins to wonder how one Hollywood star was able to turn her drug problems around, while another eventually lost his life because of drugs. The answer lies in the fact that Drew Barrymore went to a rehabilitation clinic and received help with her problems while River Phoenix did not. Rehabilitation changes people's lives and even saves some. Rehabilitation clinics, like the ASAP Family Treatment Center Drew Barrymore was a patient in, provide a means of intervention into the life of a person who is addicted to drugs. According to the ASAP Family Treatment Center: This service provides a way to break through the denial of the chemically dependent person and their family. Often families are un... ...drug abuse. Drew is quoted in her autobiographical book about her drug addiction and recovery, Little Girl Lost, as saying "What I have to do is live, not one day at a time, not one hour at a time, but one minute at a time. I have to work my program. If I don't, I won't last. I'll be dragged down. I have to work it whether I need to or notÉthat's what it means to be an alcoholic or an addict. Recovery is an ongoing, lifelong process. Still, mine is a happy ending" (Barrymore, 302). Yes, Drew Barrymore's story does have a happy ending, but River Phoenix' does not. Both Drew and River gave in to the pressures of drug abuse, and both had family histories in drug abuse. Yet, because of Drew Barrymore's friend's and mother's intervention into her drug abuse she was able to receive rehabilitation, and she is still here with us today, taking it one minute at a time. Hollywood's Life Saver Essay -- Entertainment Movies Papers Hollywood's Life Saver For years Hollywood has been the land of stars and cinema; a place where dreams are made, and all of life seems perfect. However, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood has often masked some of Hollywood's biggest stars' alcoholism and drug problems. The string of never ending parties, and the increasing amount of drugs that are being used on club circuits, frequented by many of Hollywood's elite, became all too familiar for two of Hollywood's young rising stars, Drew Barrymore and the late River Phoenix. Drew Barrymore began drinking at the age of nine, and by the age of thirteen, was in the ASAP Family Treatment Center with an alcohol and cocaine addiction, which she eventually overcame. River Phoenix wasn't so lucky. Phoenix's drug use is not as well chronicled, but is rumored to date back to when he was fifteen years old on the set of "Stand by Me." What is known is that at 1:51 a.m. on October 31, 1993, River Phoenix was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. One begins to wonder how one Hollywood star was able to turn her drug problems around, while another eventually lost his life because of drugs. The answer lies in the fact that Drew Barrymore went to a rehabilitation clinic and received help with her problems while River Phoenix did not. Rehabilitation changes people's lives and even saves some. Rehabilitation clinics, like the ASAP Family Treatment Center Drew Barrymore was a patient in, provide a means of intervention into the life of a person who is addicted to drugs. According to the ASAP Family Treatment Center: This service provides a way to break through the denial of the chemically dependent person and their family. Often families are un... ...drug abuse. Drew is quoted in her autobiographical book about her drug addiction and recovery, Little Girl Lost, as saying "What I have to do is live, not one day at a time, not one hour at a time, but one minute at a time. I have to work my program. If I don't, I won't last. I'll be dragged down. I have to work it whether I need to or notÉthat's what it means to be an alcoholic or an addict. Recovery is an ongoing, lifelong process. Still, mine is a happy ending" (Barrymore, 302). Yes, Drew Barrymore's story does have a happy ending, but River Phoenix' does not. Both Drew and River gave in to the pressures of drug abuse, and both had family histories in drug abuse. Yet, because of Drew Barrymore's friend's and mother's intervention into her drug abuse she was able to receive rehabilitation, and she is still here with us today, taking it one minute at a time.

Realism in British Soap Opera Essay -- essays papers

Realism in British Soap Opera Using a media text as a key example, evaluate selected techniques of fictional production which contribute to a sense of realism consistent with genre or format used. Many have defined the term realism but these definitions by Watt and Williams can be easily applied to my choice of media text, which is the British soap opera. Fiske writes that Watt and Williams â€Å"†¦.tend to define it by its content. Watt traces its origins to the rise of the novel in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.† And Williams â€Å"†¦whose historical perspective covers the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, lists three main characteristics of realism in drama: he finds that it has a contemporary setting, that it concerns itself with secular action †¦ and that it is â€Å"socially extended†. ( Television Culture, John Fiske, Routledge, 1997, P.21 – 22) To expand on Williams’ three characteristics, the contemporary setting means that the drama should be set in the present day or at least modern times that the present audience are likely to have lived in. When the drama â€Å"concerns itself with secular action† this means that the events that take place within the drama are about people and described in human terms. The term â€Å"socially extended† means that the events in the drama revolve around the lives of ordinary people and not kings or social leaders. Williams definition can be seen to relate to the working class and their experience of subordination in industrial society. These are three of the generic characteristics found in the British soap opera. Coronation Street is one of Britain’s most successful soap operas where all of these characteristics can be seen clearly. The contemporary setting can be seen through the iconography used such as the modern cars, the clothes and issues that are discussed in the programme such as general elections. In soap opera this contemporary setting goes further than just modern day, they like to appear as if to be on the same day as the audience watching. This is achieved by covering the general elections as mentioned and characters making reference to the weekend in a Friday episode. The â€Å"Secular Action† in Coronation Street is clear as the narrative is character driven and the events are always seen from the characters point of view. â€Å"Secular Actionâ€Å" is particularly prevalent in Corona... ... record 29 million people watched an episode of Coronation Street in which Alan Bradley – who had been beating his wife Rita – was run over by a tram. After he had been â€Å"killed off† Mark Eden, who played Alan, was hit over the head with an umbrella in a shop. Viewers have also been known to send wreaths to television companies after characters have â€Å"died.†Ã¢â‚¬ ( Alex Duval Smith, Guardian, Education, Nov1 1994) In conclusion, the techniques used to contribute to sense of realism in the British soap opera include the three characteristics that Williams outlines. These are the use of a contemporary setting, the soap must concern itself with secular action and the soap should be socially extended. Other techniques that soap opera makers employ are the use of naturalism in the sets and characters, the time paralleling real time, the coverage of everyday issues as well as the big issues which actually happen very rarely but are very real. However the programme makers occasionally fail in their attempts to portray the real with the omission of gay characters and the closeness of all the residents of their particular area, which in real life is virtually non-existent.

Perfect :: Short Stories Baseball Papers

Perfect The rays of summer linger in a moist breeze of fall that gently sweeps through a ballpark made from cement dreams of Grecian fondness. The ballpark of 35,000 is filled with the chant, "Perfect." It’s early in the break of the wildcard race and a crucial period in professional baseball. For the surfacing hero of this afternoon pastime, it is a moment to see life in a different focus. It is a moment when a harmonious pulse dictates the thought, which, in turn initiates a perfect action in a particular frame in time, or what athletes call the zone. A.J. Martinez is a hero who, though young, is infinitely defined by the heroes of a time long before him. In the announcers booth high above home plate, the voices of hometown color commentator’s Ken Costa and Larry Lazzo invade the ballpark accompanying the excitement, which is felt by the chant echoing throughout the stands. "Ladies and gentlemen welcome back to the game! I’m Ken Costa along with my partner Larry Lazzo. We are witnessing an amazing display of athletic excellence today by a young man named A.J. Martinez! Martinez has been perfect for eight and 2/3 innings of work so far, and will attempt to close this game out by retiring one more batter in the top half of the ninth, as New Mexico leads the game one to nothing! You have to ask yourself, what a pitcher must be thinking, when in a crucial situation like this, don’t you think so Larry?" "You sure do Ken! In a situation like this I am almost certain that Martinez isn’t worried about anything else, but getting one more out! The one out that will capitalize this valiant effort which could very easily become part of baseball history!" The home plate umpire throws Martinez a fresh white baseball. As Martinez catches the baseball, he is met with a roar of cheers from the fans, which rise to their feet and with out-stretched arms repeatedly bow down in praise of their ace pitcher. "Indeed Larry by witnessing this historical effort, it can truly be said that Martinez has shown this sold-out home crowd what the definition of poise means, with an astonishing twelve strikeouts and a total of twenty-six batters retired," Ken shouts while trying to out duel the ear piercing cheers of the crowd. "What is even more amazing then that Ken, is the fact that Martinez has only been in the league for a total of three weeks, since being called up from the Conquistador’s farm system," Larry adds.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

This paper compares two works – that of Jack London’s `To Build A Fire` and Robert Frost’s ‘An Old Man`s Winter Night. ’ Obviously common to the two literary works is the winter backdrop from which the story progresses. The two authors employ the winter season and use it to help move the story and create memorable images. For instance in Robert Frost’s `An Old Man`s Winter Night,’ the author creates a cozy image of an old man who is able to keep the household fires burning.In fact readers find it especially warm as the Frost describes the man and the elements inside his home as almost contrasting to the one outside it. There is frost gathering outside the home as contrasting the lamp that tilt near his hand. There is a warm glow that one feels as he reads these lines. The poem speaks of this old man who has lived his life and now muses and relaxes in the comfort of his home. A reader can best get hold of this poem by establishing where the person is and what he is doing there.Right off the start, we find that the author’s feelings are an expository progression of an old man and his â€Å"creaking room† that creaks just like him. From the elements described by the author, the reader is presented with a house that has barrels all around him but he seems to be in control of these things. In fact, he is described as â€Å"having scared the cellar under him. † This does not happen just once because we read that the author pens as scaring it â€Å"once again. † Yet, that is not the only thing which the old man is in control of.He also clomps off and â€Å"scared the outer night. † The old man is completely in control of his environment even if he is old, for the author writes that in â€Å"clomping off†, he also is able to scare the outer night, which by now must be completely dark since the poem begins with a description that â€Å"all out of doors are looking darkly in† on him. The sounds are also known well to the old man as the author states that these are familiar sounds including the roar of the trees as well as the crack of the branches.Cracking of branches already connote strangers or unfamiliar people and possibly wild animals, yet the old man is not afraid of that at all. He is just seated there, contemplating on simple, mundane things that comfort him and give him the warm glow despite the fierce winter outside his house. It can be quite a puzzle for readers because an old man ought to be afraid of being alone in such a time of the year. Yet, he is perfectly comfortable, tending to his home and being satisfied that he is happy in whatever time of the day it was.Even if it was very cold outside, he is able to sleep comfortably. He does not mind the icicles along the wall nor the snow upon his roof. The house is old and may not even be fit for any man to live in, much more an old man, for the log that makes it up moves and shifts with a jol t or any movement. The picture of an old man in his own house, keeping the house warm on a cold winter night may be inconceivable to any sane person because of the dangers that are linked to this. But this old man is able to do it on his own, without any help from anyone.Meanwhile, Jack London’s ‘To Build a Fire’ tells the story of a man and his dog as they travel through the Klondike region in Canada. They are returning to the camp where they envision to have a warm meal but they took the longer route to the camp since the man had to check if there were logs from Yukon. But the winter in Yukon was so strong with frigid temperatures. The author writes that this kind of winter â€Å"was not merely colder than fifty below zero; it was colder than sixty below, than seventy below. It was seventy-five below zero. † Thus, this was going to be a long and arduous journey back to the camp.Unlike Frost’s old man in winter who had a cozy and warm place inside his home despite the harsh winter, the man in â€Å"To Build a Fire† had to think ahead so that he could avoid pools of freezing cold water hidden under the thin ice. These were hazardous spots along the way and the man had to order his dog to test the area since the weather was too harsh for the man to make it back to the camp. Along the way, we read how the man struggled to keep warm and to go back to the camp. It was a difficult way to travel and even his dog knew that it was not wise to travel in that condition at all.We read this man who lacks the wisdom not to travel in that kind of weather as compared to the old man, this man was not aware of how to respond to his environment. He had not mastered nature at all. This was so unlike the old man who remained unperturbed. The man with the dog acted desperately amidst the winter. He was not sure that he would make it through. The two authors made use of the winter in different ways. Frost made winter the character’s a lly, because the old man was able to sleep despite the cold winter.But London uses winter as the adversary of the man with the dog. They fight off nature and the dangers that lurk in every step they take. Readers become engrossed with the plight of the man. Readers are almost sure that the man cannot make it because he does not even have control of his legs and fingers and arms as he walks, flailing them in desperation. While the old man in the poem is in complete control of his surroundings, feeling cozy and warm all over, the other man no longer is in control of anything, not even his own dog.His dog senses the danger from his master’s voice and does not beckon to his calls and commands. There would be a completely different story if the element of the winter season was changed to the weather in the tropics. The old man would probably feel warm and go for a walk outside, where it might be hazardous as he is alone with no one to help him in time of need. The man with the dog would simply breeze through the journey back to the camp, finding his friends and family waiting eagerly for him. It would be a fast and easy journey.But Jack London wanted to illustrate how a desperate man responds in times of crisis. Readers get the exact feeling that the author wants to send out to his readers because for a second, one goes back to the text at the end when the author pens, â€Å"Then the man drowsed off into what seemed to him the most comfortable and satisfying sleep he had ever known. † How very contrasting the sleep of the old man in Frost’s poem when we read, â€Å"Once in the stove, disturbed him and he shifted, And eased his heavy breathing, but still slept. †

Air India 5

2012 Flying Too Low: Air India 2009 & Beyond External Environment Analysis Group 10 Strategy analysis begins with an analysis of the forces that shape the competition in the industry in which a company is based. An important factor of the analysis is External environment analysis. The essential purpose of this analysis is to identify the opportunities and threats in the organization operating environment that will affect how it pursues its mission. Analysis the industry environment requires an assessment of the competitive structure of the company’s industry. It also requires analysis of the nature, stage, dynamics and history of the industry. Here, while analyzing the external environment of Air India according to the information presented in the case, we will concentrate on Porter Five Forces Model, PEST Analysis of the Air India, opportunity and threats to Air India. Finally, we will quantify all our analysis factors to come to a conclusion. Porter’s 5 forces model: Porter's five forces analysis is a framework for industry analysis and business strategy development formed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979. It draws upon industrial organization (IO) economics to derive five forces that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a market. Attractiveness in this context refers to the overall industry profitability. An â€Å"unattractive† industry is one in which the combination of these five forces acts to drive down overall profitability. Three of Porter's five forces refer to competition from external sources. The remainders are internal threats. Porter referred to these forces as the micro environment, to contrast it with the more general term macro environment. They consist of those forces close to a company that affect its ability to serve its customers and make a profit. A clear example of this is the airline industry. As an industry, profitability is low and yet individual companies, by applying unique business models, have been able to make a return in excess of the industry average. We will see how these five factors are working for Air India. I. Rivalry among existing competitors: 1. Competition in domestic and international routes * On domestic front, private airlines like Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines * On international front, major competition was from companies like Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airlines, Qatar Airlines and new entrants like JA 2. Better performance by competitors 3. Rapid increase in market share of competitors 4. Poaching of employees by competitors II. Threat of new entrants: 1. Possibility of liberalization of Aviation Industry will weaken the entry barriers and thereby will lead to increase in number of new entrants 2. Business was very lucrative to attract new entrants 3. Consistent and rapid growth of demand for airlines offering scope for profitable business and low cost carriers 4. Examples GoAIR, IndigoAir, Paramount Airways, SpiceJet III. Threat from substitution: Road and rail services posing a major threat by offering cheaper, reliable, convenient services. Travel. In case of higher Air ticket fares, Air India could lose potential customers to Rival airlines and Indian Railways. The possibility of loss of market share to Indian railways further increases by the fact that over a period of time the rail ticket fares have marginally varied compared to significant variation in air ticket fares. IV. Bargaining power of suppliers: 1. Slow nature of aircraft sales, because the high value order placed by the industry can take several years to be delivered. 2. Labour unions are suppliers who have significant power. The performance and flexibility of the entire industry depends heavily on labour unions. 3. Aviation fuel is a commodity and its prices are decided by market forces and existing geopolitical factors such as OPEC. At times, oil producing nations at the behest of OPEC manipulate oil production target in order to keep the prices of crude to suit their profit intentions. High cost of fuel accounts for about 35% of the total cost and increasing cost is a threat to the company’s profits. 4. Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) is a major cost component for the Airlines in India. It is about 40% of the operating cost of the domestic carriers V. Bargaining power of buyers: The bargaining power of buyers refers to the amount of pressure customers can place on a business, thus, affecting its prices, volume and profit potential. Various airlines are competing for the same customer, which also results in strengthening the buyer power. Hence, the bargaining power of customers in the airline industry is very high since they are price sensitive and search for the best deals available. Customers are price sensitive. Many new players who are Low Cost Carriers attract these travelers by offering them low fares and those that are convenience oriented by providing them with frequent flights. While choosing which airline to fly with, customers enjoy switching costs through frequent flyer programs created by some airlines. PEST Analysis: PEST analysis stands for â€Å"Political, Economic, Social, and Technological analysis† and describes a framework of macro-environmental factors used in the environmental scanning component of strategic management. Some analysts added Legal and Environmental and rearranged the mnemonic to PESTLE. It is a part of the external analysis when conducting a strategic analysis and gives an overview of the different macro environmental factors that the company has to take into consideration. It is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. * Political factors are how and to what degree a government intervenes in the industry or firm. Specifically, political factors include areas such as tax policy, labour law, environmental law, trade restrictions, tariffs, government policies and political stability. Economic factors include economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and the inflation rate. These factors have major impacts on how businesses operate and make decisions. * Social factors include the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety. Trends in social factors affect the demand for a company's products and how that company operates. * Technological factors include technological aspects such as R;D activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. They can determine barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence outsourcing decisions. Furthermore, technological shifts can affect costs, quality, and lead to innovation. In case of Air India, the analysis of external environment is as follows: Having done the required analysis, now let us quantify the opportunity and threats. 1| Poor control over decision making| T| 2| Drop in oil prices*| O| 3| heavy control and interference of government| O| 4| worsening service image| T| 5| Labour union| T| 6| inclination of society towards low cost travel| T| | global recession| T| 8| significant air traffic growth over a period of time| O| 9| restriction on FDI in Indian aviation industry| O| 10| Mergers among competitors| T| 11| possibility of opening of aviation market and privatization| T| 12| interest burden of new aircraft orders| T| 13| company's image perceived as public carrier| T| 14| near monopoly among Indian players in international routes| O| 15| over capaci ty of industry| T| 16| poaching of pilots from competitors| T| 17| declining debt equity ratio| T| 18| changes in ground handling policy| T| 19| agency problem| T| Here ‘T’ indicates Threat and ‘O’ indicates Opportunity Assigning the weightage to the important factors, in the sense of their importance in analyzing external environment and using rating scale of 1 to 5 where 3 indicates average favorableness of the external environment, we get- As the quantified average of all the external environment factors is coming slightly below average, we conclude that, the current external environment is not favorable to Air India but, it can work on its decision making process and improvement of service image as an immediate measure.

Mitochondrial Myopathy Disorder Health And Social Care Essay

A â€Å" vitamin D † bottle of O is now in the house for good due to the frequence of the chest & A ; back musculus cramp. triggers can be â€Å" obvious † eg allergic reaction ( pollens, grasses, cats and Canis familiariss ) ; weather ; dramatic alterations in temperature ( eg: can non travel shopping in the country that some shops maintain at â€Å" icebox temperatures † . Occasionally I can acquire off with it if I merely need milk – I can keep my breath long plenty to acquire that, but I have to travel every bit rapidly as I can or the musculuss can spasm. However, the latter is still far better to â€Å" run the gantlet † for than what I have to â€Å" travel through † if I inhale the cold air ) . If I do hold to travel out into the cold during the winter months ( normally merely to travel to Doctors ) I must guarantee that I am adequately clothed, do certain that I am have oning my ski-goggles ( to maintain the cold air off from the ocu lus country, so that the oculus musculuss do n't spasm ) , and that I can take a breath â€Å" through † something ( like a warm scarf – I have a manner that where I can put the scarf merely a small higher at the forepart, and no-one realises what is truly â€Å" taking topographic point † ) ; A SUDDEN MOVEMENT OF ANY NATURE â€Å" AT THE WRONG MOMENT † , OR SIMPLY BEING UNABLE TO MOVE, BE IT EVER SO SLIGHTLY AT LEAST EVERY 15 MINUTES, REGARDLESS OF THE TIME OF DAY. The conditions or the trouble in being able to â€Å" writhe † or â€Å" shuffle † or travel the weaponries and custodies are the major factors doing the really painful â€Å" bad cramp † .BOTH VOLUNTARY AND INVOLUNTARY MUSCLES ARE AFFECTED BY THE MITOCHONDRIAL DISORDERTHE VOCAL CHORD MUSCLES HAVE DEGENERATED TO THE POINT WHERE THEY NO LONGER Work ALL THE TIME. ANY ATTEMPT AT SPEACH IMMEDIATELY BRINGS ON ACUTE PAIN AND CHRONIC SPASMS IN THE THROAT AND NECK WHEN THE VOCAL C HORDS BECOME PAINFUL AND THROBBING WHEN STRAINING TO SPEAK.Changeless INFLAMATION IS IN THE VOCAL CHORD / THROAT AREA.I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY DR. WOOD NOT TO SPEAK BECAUSE OF THE NOW CONSTANT Menace OF MAJOR INFECTION, BUT THIS HAS PROVEN TO BE IMPRACTICAL, AND I HAVE LEARNED TO MANAGE THIS TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME.WHEN NECESSARY, I USE A LAPTOP FOR ALL SPEECH/VOCAL COMMUNICATION NOW. I ALSO MAKE WHAT NOISE I CAN BY CLAPPING MY HANDS OR THIGHS [ I try non to stomp my pess as that gives the incorrect feeling ] , DEPENDING ON CIRCUMSTANCES AND SITUATION TO GAIN THE ATTENTION OF THE 2ND/3RD PARTY REQUIRED IF THE MATTER IS IMPORTANT.I AM NOT STUPID OR DEAF, AND MY â€Å" MENTAL FACULTIES † ARE FULLY COMPREHENSIVE. PLEASE SPEAK NORMALLY.Muscle â€Å" Problem † – Diagnosis by Dr Katekar:There are at least ( 2 ) neurological upsets, 2 muscular upsets and mitochondrial upset [ non genetic/hereditary ] . The Mitochondrial Disorder has caused Muscle Atrophy and Weakness resulted in an instability in the musculus fluids ( but NOT Dystrophin, although non good this fluid is produced sufficiently to Govern OUT Muscular Dystrophy ) , with Acute/Chronic Pain. There are 3 types of hurting, necessitating 3 types of medicines for â€Å" alleviation of kinds † ; and Chronic Muscle Spasm in BOTH the Voluntary and Involuntary Muscular Systems eg: Voluntary Muscles: legs, weaponries, bole of organic structure, stop and upper trunk [ this can do major jobs take a breathing and there is oxygen kept in the place for this intent, guaranting O impregnation is at an acceptable degree despite dramatic deceleration of heart/pulse. Requests for the Blood Trials to Confirm this for entry to DVA have been refused on the evidences that my life would be at great hazard, as my heart/pulse beads to around 50bpm and blood force per unit area drops at best, to approx 60 over 70 [ mean [ normal ] blood forc e per unit area for me is 70 over 90 ; eyes ( doing blurred and/or dual vision to impermanent sightlessness of unpredictable clip frame. If unable to talk at these times, I use deaf/blind sign language ) . It is non unusual for an oculus musculus to spasm, doing said oculus to be â€Å" immobilised † for the continuance of the cramp, and the other to travel usually. It has been known for both eyes to spasm at the same clip. This is farther complicated at present by fast turning Cataracts, which are scheduled for remotion whilst I am â€Å" In Remission † ; pharynx ( trouble swallowing, and â€Å" little stairss † often halt medicine go throughing into the tummy, particularly if merely 1 tablet is being taken ) . The pharynx is besides â€Å" unfastened † from vocal preparation in my teens and early 20s and it is non uncommon for the vocal chords to acquire inflamed or infected. This is minimised by regular â€Å" intervention † of a one-fourth a le mon followed by sipped Dry Ginger Ale ; vocal chords have degenerated doing them to be strained, annoyed and inflamed. I sip Dry Ginger Ale to ease this, but the menace of major infection is now a invariable, and I have been advised by Dr Wood non to talk or whisper at all. I use a laptop computing machine for all speech/vocal communicating now ; jaw musculuss cramps make eating hard, although non impossible, and I tend to maintain to soups, soft nutrients and fluids at these times. Involuntary Muscles: tummy, vesica merely. The vesica is now dystrophic and I â€Å" maintain a mental oculus on my unstable consumption and what is â€Å" passed † . If I feel that there is an instability, and fluid is being retained, I so use catheters to guarantee that the vesica is being wholly emptied to cut down infection and take the Lasix until it is one time once more â€Å" under control † ( if infection is indicated so I start a class of anti-biotics instantly – this has proven to be greatly good, maintaining the infection mild and minimal ) . Another Fluid Chart has been kept from Mid January, 2009 to supervise that all is one time once more as it should be, and whether catheters are being used. Please make non waver to bespeak a transcript of the Chart if required ; diaphragm merely ; big intestine ( when the musculuss spasm, it is hard to make more than a â€Å" little † gesture. As there has been an escalated frequence in this, and it takes an norm of 7 yearss before the intestine starts to empty anything like â€Å" to the full † , suppositories are traveling to be trialled to see if they can give equal alleviation and cut down the hazard of any â€Å" nasties † developing ; little intestine ; pes musculuss ; facial musculuss ; neck musculuss ( jobs can be caused in the cervical spinal column as a consequence of this, every bit good as terrible concerns. Migraines are non uncommon and hurting or blaze related ) ; etc. The lone â€Å" musculus † that appears to be working at its best, without â€Å" bugs † is the bosom, despite all the musculuss around it traveling into chronic cramps, although this happening does decelerate it down. To day of the month, all trials are clear despite the low blood force per unit area ( and I am making my best to guarantee that it stays that manner ) . MY PHARMACY IS TORONTO AMCAL PHARMACY For any questions the REFERRING PHARMACIST is SAM ZOGHBI FOR RELIEF and / or aid DURING PERIODS OF MUSCLE SPASMS ( these can be of short ( if treated rapidly ) or prolonged continuance. There is no â€Å" put † clip frame here – it can travel on for hebdomads, necessitating the pickings of medicines for an drawn-out period of clip, including the IM Injections, although these are merely used when perfectly necessary. Oral medicine merely is preferred ) : TRAMAL 50mg ARE GEL CAPSULES and are SLOWER TO RELEASE into the system. This medicine is the lone analgesic able to be used because of my Opiate Allergy, and so merely for every bit short a period of clip as possible. If the stop muscles spasm, unwritten medicine takes excessively long – I am unable to inhale, as the musculuss maintain fastening around the lungs/diaphragm. For the cramp ‘ it ‘s unwritten BUSCOPAN and VALIUM ( 10 to 40 milligram ) . I self inject into the thigh musculuss DIAZAPAM ( 2mls to 12mls ie 1- 4 phials ) when it â€Å" hurts large clip † . Quick Relief. The 6 phials are merely used if bulk of all musculuss are in cramp, and particularly the stop to throat musculuss and similar up the back. This â€Å" event † is Rare. It feels like I ‘ve got a large broad set of steel around my organic structure and that it is being continually tightened. The hurting does n't assist. Oxygen is besides indispensable when the musculuss are at this pont.FOR MEDICAL PROCEDURES [ USUALLY IN THEATRE ] and MRIs REQUIRING MUSCLE SPASM FREE IMMOBILITY FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES:No â€Å" pre-medication † prior any GENERAL OR LOCAL ANAESTHETICWITH THE EXCEP TION OF:30mls MEDAZOLAN to be injected IV prior.MRIs require a General Anaesthetic.CT Scans, ULTRASOUNDS and NUCLEAR SCANS require VALIUM [ DIAZAPAM ] IM Injections [ ego administered ] and Buscopan, the latter depending on the process and clip frame required 30 proceedingss prior Scans so to guarantee musculuss are spasm free and to help by leting me to put level for a minimum clip. 30mls IV Valiumor Medazolan is required for drawn-out processs and this needs to be â€Å" topped up † with 10mls every 30 proceedingss [ please refer to Medical Records at John Hunter Hospital when I had to hold a Nuclear Scan ] . POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER ( PTSD ) – Primary and secondary, has been diagnosed. This is being treated by Dr Kim John Street, Swansea. Allergies: ALL OPIATES, including: Morphine ; CODEINE ; PETHADINE ; and ALL RELATED MEDICATIONS AND INJECTIONS ; ALL PLASTERS except HYPAFIX by BSN medical As it is non often used or stocked, I guarantee that I carry some all the clip – you will happen I ever have some with me, and kept in a bluish vinyl, 2 zippered â€Å" billfold † with my medicines and injection rubs. Any lesion will necessitate some kind of dressing before the aerated plaster is put on ( for obvious grounds ) I do do up some into â€Å" set AIDSs † , used chiefly when I need any injections or blood trials. DO NOT USE MICROPORE OR ANY OTHER PLASTER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. GAUZE BANDAGES ARE OK IF THE HYPAFIX IS UNSUITABLE. Plastic SKIN, OR OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS, INCLUDING â€Å" LIQUID BANDAIDS † MAXILON, TOTAL INTOLERANCE = must be given STEMETIL BARIUM, INFLAMATION OF ALL â€Å" DIGESTIVE TRACT †WHEAT ; RYE ; KIBBLE & A ; OTHER â€Å" DRY † GRASSES/GRAINS AND GLUTEN including family â€Å" Lawn Grass † ;DUST & A ; MOULDSCATS, DOGS HORSES & A ; COWS ;WATTLE & A ; POLLENSKNOWN REACTIONS TO ALLERGIES:â€Å" MEDICATIONS † & amp ; â€Å" WATTLE † & amp ; â€Å" POLLENS † = ACUTE SWELLING INTERNALLY, WITH ITCHING ; POSSIBLE FULL MUSCLE COLLAPSE, INCLUDING = CHRONIC NAUSEA ; VOMITING ; DIFFICULTY BREATHING ; THROAT CONGENSTION â€Å" Plasters † = RED RASH DEVELOPING INTO A FORM OF WELT, EXTREMELY ITCHY and OFTEN LOOKING LIKE A BAD SCALD, WHICH EVENTUALLY BLISTERS – Time FRAME CAN VARY DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES. Grasss, Cats, Dogs, Horses and Cows: â€Å" Swelling AND EXCESSIVE WATERING OF EYES † â€Å" WELTS † and â€Å" CHRONIC Itch † , AT ALL PHYSICAL CONTACT POINTS List of Previous Operationss and Anaesthetics & A ; /or Hospitalisation, including twelvemonth and Hospital Year Operation & A ; /or Hospitalisation and Details 2009 Cataract Right Eye Removed by Dr David Manning at Hunter Valley Private Hospita cubic decimeter 2009 Larynx Infection – Kurri Kurri District Hospital 2009 Larynx Infection – Maitland District Hospital 2009 Lumbar Spine Traction and Larynx Infection – Lingard Private Hospital 2009 Larynx Infection – Belmont Hospital 2009 Larynx Infection – Belmont Hospital 2009 Cataract Left Eye Removed by Dr R Griffits at Toronto Private Hospital Chronic Chest Pain, Muscle Pain and referral to and monitoring by Pain Clinic [ John Hunter Hospital so transferred to Rehab at Toronto Private Hospital ] Possible Spinal Fracture – Lumbar ( subsequently diagnosed Lumbar Spine status aggravated and T8 wedged and stress break by T7 and T9 ) [ Lingard Private Hospital ] Multiple Cyst Removals ( assorted topographic points on Scalp ) [ Newcastle Mater Hospital medazolan used ] Multiple Cyst Removals ( both Breasts ) and Nipple Reconstruction ( RightBreast ) [ Belmont Hospital medazolan used ]Left Shoulder Rotator Cuff Surgery for break [ Hunter Valley Private Hospital ] 1991/1992 Probes of Muscle Disorder and admittance for possible spinal harm as a consequence of backwards autumn in the wheelchair [ Prince Henry Hospital – Records should now be held at Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick ] 26 Cysts removed from Head and Full Body [ Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick ] Multiple Haemorrhoids removed [ Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick ]Muscle Biopsy – Deltoid Muscle Left Arm [ Orange Private Hospital ]Colonoscopy – non completed due to Chronic Muscle Spasm of the Bowel [ Dubbo Clinic ] Spinal Manipulation [ Dubbo Base Hospital ] Hysterectomy – Womb Merely [ Crown Street Womens Hospital – Records are now at Royal Womens Hospital, Sydney ] 1981 – 1973 D & A ; C ‘s every 3 – 5 months ( about 11 surgeries that are remembered ) [ Gosford District Hospital and Crown Street Womens Hospital ] 1977 Reconstruction of Bridge of Nose due to poisoning of Sinuses [ Royal North Shore Hospital ] Very Large Tumour Removal from cervix ( approx 18cm x 9cm ) [ Royal North Shore Hospital ] Appendectomy [ Gosford District Hospital ] Removal 4 Molars [ Wyong Hospital ] Hernia in Groin – fix to exceed of leg by Plastic Surgeon [ Brisbane Hospital ]Full Reversal Blood Transfusion – â€Å" Rhesus Baby † [ Unscreened Blood had Hepatitus B Strain, but Liver Functions [ closely monitored ] show no indicants, and are normal ] . Please bespeak a transcript of the Last Blood Test for Your Records & A ; General Information [ Crown Street Womens Hospital – Records now at RoyalWomens Hospital, Sydney ]Pregnancies: 4 ten Miscarriages so Daughter Born 09/01/1952 [ Crown Street Womens Hospital – Records now held at Royal Womens Hospital, Sydney ] ; 1 ten Miscarriage so Son Born 03/02/77 ; [ Crown Street Womens Hospital – Records now held at Royal Womens Hospital, Sydney ]GENERAL INFORMATIONI usually have really low blood force per unit area: it is non unusual for it to be 60/70, and after general anesthetics, it has been known to be in the high 40s-low 50s over 60-70. My pulsation is besides â€Å" slow † : seldom greater than 60 per minute, and it is non unusual for it to be in the low 50s. It has been known to be in the high 40s for considerable periods of clip.The above rates are non a consequence of musculus cramps, although they can lend to said degrees.Both my low blood force per unit area and decelerate pulsation have been apparent for every bit long as I can remember [ my female parent besides has changeless low blood force per unit area ] . If I feel that there is an at hand job with blood O soaking up, I have some O and albuterol instantly, and remain on it until my coloring material has returned â€Å" to normal † and my pulsation has increased to above 60. Although non a frequent happening, it has occurred frequently plenty for me to hold this â€Å" a criterion operating process † when I feel that my pulsation has dropped a small excessively low and my skin coloring material changed – albeit merely little. There has been considerable concern during the last 12 months about these degrees and I have learned a manner of intensifying them, but it is a difficult subject to keep, and when stressed or dying, I merely ca n't look to pull off to â€Å" draw it up † I DO Not hold asthma and a bosom status has non been diagnosed, although regular ECGs are ever done anterior any â€Å" medical processs † , and when it is felt to be necessary to guarantee that the musculuss have caused no harm or other â€Å" bugs † , particularly as chest musculus cramp is â€Å" common † . I ‘ve had several ECGs of late – all indicate a really slow bosom rate, but no-one has expressed concern at this [ pulsation is averaging 54 at present ]I am besides intolerant of onion and Allium sativum as a consequence of the degenerated sphincter musculuss at the tummy [ this does non include â€Å" spring onions † or â€Å" peppers † – there has been no reaction to them to day of the month.Dry Ginger Ale sooths and helps the vocal chords, although it is accepted that the â€Å" harm † [ devolution ] will non be able to be â€Å" improved † .Thank you for your clip and apprehension of these recent alterati ons, and your forbearance. Update: 5th July, 2010 I am Dr Mannings patient for my eyes. Both have had cataract surgery and the 3.8mm+ ocular nervousnesss are damaged from the mitochondrial upset over 10 old ages ago. The Guide Dog Association has come back on board with retraining and reassurance with some Cane Work, which has helped my morale vastly. For low vision and blind periods. Professor Ghabrial had me in grip for two hebdomads in Lingard Hospital which was successful. It eased the hurting well from all the shrinkage and wedged vertebra that took topographic point while being out of remittal for some 10 uneven old ages. I had a autumn that once more made the spinal column Mobile and I have had a physical therapist gently rub my dorsum for some hebdomads, and this seems to hold helped. I have been advised to acquire an elastic surgical girdle when present chest â€Å" issues † have been resolved. I am now, gratefully, in full remittal, so hold legs do travel once more i?S – good carefully planned travels er walks. I am really careful non to exaggerate it and do them â€Å" want to give up and set down me on my proverbial butt † ! I was thrilled to happen that I was able to March in Sydney on Anzac Day in 2009 [ my late hubby, Bear, was one of the last smattering of Combat Field Engineers/Tunnel Rats to go forth Vietnam ] and so walked from Hyde Park to the â€Å" bottom terminal † of Wentworth Street without any jobs, and after holding â€Å" a drink † [ dry ginger ale ] with some of â€Å" the Mates † and a friend, went on to walk the short distance to Central ] . I had no jobs with my legs making any of this and neither were there jobs the undermentioned twenty-four hours, bespeaking the strengthening of the Remission â€Å" Stage † . It has got even better since so. I have no jobs walking to and from my place [ three blocks up the ridge above Toronto High School ] to Toronto shopping Centre, although I do non transport my purchases, but use a â€Å" shopping streetcar † General wellness is first-class. The Voluntary musculuss appear to hold stabilised peculiarly good [ the best since the late 1980s ] , the involuntary are prolonging and changeless in their present status = non great, but could be worse. The sphincter muscles work the least, the saddle sore vesica has shrivelled to virtually nil, the liver map is great as at the last blood trial, The vesica can non do up its head so I keep the catheters handy, and the intestine does its ain thing although it has been decided that if I am non happy with â€Å" my motions † for three yearss and there is no alteration on the 4th, I have been advised by Dr Sharon to utilize clyster to guarantee â€Å" the build-up † from the musculuss non desiring to let go of and remain spasmed, does non do jobs further down the path. No processs can be done internally, as, for illustration, with the small cameras attached to whatever, as the musculuss will spasm around them, and any tools being used every bit good, and has been deemed unsafe and perchance life threatening, depending on where. The Blood Gases blood trial still has to be done for DVA to pay for the O that I need and use and have been paying for for old ages, but non been done to day of the month because my blood force per unit area and bosom rate are excessively low and at least 14 physicians to day of the month hold denied me the pickings of the blood for the trial because they deem it to be life endangering. Without it – I continue to pay for all that is required to hold the O in the place and the â€Å" gas bottle in usage † . No worries the monthly $ 110 has become a portion of my general budget now – one gets used to holding to pay for these things. Dr Katekar has wanted me on specific minerals and vitamins to feed the musculuss and maintain the fluid degrees every bit high as possible – prescribed medicine – those originally put frontward are now covered by DVA and â€Å" the needed DVA test period of 3 months † will get down early January. They can so be appr oved for lasting prescription and with the status now being accepted, farther addendums can now be put frontward. I have found the Blackmores Magnesium to be an â€Å" indispensable † [ although I have found that the Thompsons Organic is better, it is besides harder to acquire ] . I am prone to fluid keeping as a consequence of the medicines that I am on, but this is now virtually under control and I am able to maintain such keeping to a minimal thanks to the Lasix fluid tablets as required. I merely take them when I feel the demand Internet Explorer I bloat with the fluid or experience the fluid is non being passed as it should and observe whether or non the vesica â€Å" issues † require the usage of catheters.I am unable to put level – period! My spinal and musculus conditions combined [ including wedged vertebrae ] , have made this impossible [ and yes, now being in remittal, I do seek, but to day of the month, pay a immense monetary value for it within a twosome proceedingss = chronic hurting and musculus cramps, worsening the already â€Å" shrunk spinal column † symptoms ] . To put level I need to be good medicated with anti-spasmodics including IM Injections, which I ever carry with me should the musculuss go into an unexpected cra mp. I have an electric bed at place with allows me to kip in a â€Å" zigzag † manner, taking every bit much emphasis off the back musculuss as possible. Yes, it is a important consideration with respects the grip, although non unsurmountable. With my voluntary musculuss bit by bit beef uping, it is a great feeling for me and has decidedly given me greater quality of life, being able to travel around independent of Jade – my wheelchair. The lone cloud on my skyline, as such, is my ability to talk and recent ache, uncomfortableness and rubing 24/7 and intermittent crisp hurting [ day-to-day ] in both my chests – really different from that which is caused by any of my musculuss in the yesteryear. The â€Å" little musculuss that create a span † between the vocal chords and the pharynx have atrophied and broken, making trouble to talk, although frustrating, does non trouble oneself me, being the 2nd clip unit of ammunition that I have â€Å" been here † and I have Sheeba [ my laptop ] to help me now, where in the past, I had My Bear [ late hubby ] who came with me to construe the sign language that I had to make, or guarantee that he was at that place to compose for me should my manus musculuss â€Å" give out † . Dr Sharon has advised me non to talk at all because of the chronic hurting induced by the annoyance, exasperation and redness that is created in the pharynx in that part, so that the infections are kept minimum. I need the same antibiotics if the vesica gets infected, and can non, because of my medicine allergic reactions, â€Å" have my organic structure acquire excessively used to taking them † in instance of â€Å" unsusceptibility â⠂¬  . That said, I have managed the hurting and uncomfortableness to be able to talk most of the clip, and there are distinguishable indexs when I need to halt and fall back to the laptop, and it now happens merely on occasion. WHEN THE LARYNX IS SWOLLEN, AS IT IS AT PRESENT I CAN SPEAK. IT ‘S A BIT ROUGH FIRST Thing IN THE MORNING BUT EXERCISES GET IT â€Å" UP AND RUNNING † Oklahoma AND I HAVE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH THE PAIN.IF THE SWELLING BECOMES TOO GREAT, THE LARYNX BLOCKS THE THROAT, CHOKING ME AND REQUIRING HOT DRINKS AND OXYGEN. THE BLOOD GASES DROP DURING THE BLOCKAGE – Acerate leaf SENSATIONS DOWN TO THE BREASTS AND AT THE SAME LEVEL IN THE ARMS.The custodies and pess are still a changeless job with spasms/cramps, hurting, pins and acerate leafs and all activities tire them, including keyboards, although I can work on them the longest. Thank goodness I have been an Executive Secretary in the yesteryear and that has stood beside me now. When the hands/fi ngers get weary, I have to take a interruption, although these are now going less frequent. I can non utilize my present brailler – the keys are excessively difficult for my fingers to press, but Vision Australia are traveling to interchange it for me for one with an easier keyboard, which will be great. Yes, I am larning Braille. My status includes periods of entire sightlessness and I have no purpose of halting my life because of it in the yesteryear, nowadays or hereafter. A TTY phone has besides been set up in the sofa room for me to do my phone calls. I call a Relay Officer to whom I type who I want to name, they dial the figure and on the â€Å" travel in front † I start typing what I want to state and they relay it to the individual I am naming. When she has finished what I have typed, she says â€Å" travel in front † and the individual I have called speaks straight to me, on their â€Å" travel in front † I so respond and so the conversation axial rotations on. It is non linking every bit easy as it should at nowadays, so it ‘s usage is minimum at present. Electronic mails have come to my deliverance until we can acquire the TTY â€Å" sorted out † . At this point in clip, I have put it awayaˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦Nice!Having a high hurting tolerance does non do the appraisal of my conditions an easy thing for me.

Explain Strategies Used in Health and Social Care Environments to Overcome Barriers to Effective Communication Essay

P4 â€Å"Explain strategies used in health and social care environments to overcome barriers to effective communication† Effective communication is part of the core skills required by all health and social care practitioners to ensure that they are effective at meeting the needs of the people who use the services. In order to develop effective communication skills, practitioners need to be aware of and implement the use of communication theories. A wide range of communication theories exist to support effective communication between practitioners and people who use the services within health and social care environments. Language – If the person’s first language isn’t English this can cause a huge barrier, especially if the person doesn’t know a word of English. To overcome this barrier, it might be advisable for carers to apply for an advocate or translator to help this person feel more comfortable in the care setting. Speech difficulties or aphasia – Aphasia is where a person is physically unable to speak; this may be due to a recent stroke or some mental impairment. In this case, it is important to use some other form of communication other than verbal communication. Graphic or specialist forms of communication can be used to understand what the person’s needs are. Confidence issues – Someone who is very shy may not feel comfortable to verbally communicate their needs; in this case, a carer would need to ensure the person had some other way of communicating e.g. Paper and pen to graphically communicate their needs. It is important for all clients to feel comfortable around carers, so they can communicate their needs effectively. Disabilities – (physical, learning, mental); a person with a learning difficulty, depending on how severe, may find it hard to communicate non-verbally or graphically, therefore might find it easier to verbally communicate. A physical disability may prevent someone actually accessing the services they need, let alone the care they need; in this case, carers need to help those clients as much as possible. This could be done by a carer going into the person’s home; it could also be done by social workers providing Meals-on-wheels services to those who are house-bound. Speech communities – This is where people have a specific way of talking to people of the same age; this can cause a barrier because a person may use language that a carer may not understand. This can also include medical terminology or jargon; if a doctor uses a lot of technical terms when describing a disease or illness to a patient, the patient is likely to not understand what is happening, so it is important for the doctor to use language that the patient understands. Timing – A carer must choose the right time to go and communicate with a service user as they may not be ready to receive important information or they may not be in right frame of mind. This would cause a barrier because they won’t be able to correctly process the information. To overcome this barrier, the carer must ask the service user when would be the best time to talk. Environmental issues – To communicate effectively with a service user, the environment must be right. Having noise, temperature too high or too low, incorrect lighting or other people in the room can cause barriers to communication. To overcome this barrier you will need to make sure there is no background noise so that the service user is not distracted. Making sure the temperature is not too high or too low can cause barriers to communication as an unsuitable room temperature can make the service user feel uncomfortable. When giving information to a service user, make sure there is no one else in the room as this could make the service user feel uncomfortable. Sensory deprivation – When working in the health and social care sector, it is likely that you’ll come across service users who have a visual or hearing impairment, to overcome this barrier you must make sure you know alternative methods of communication for example; Sign language, otherwise it would be near impossible to communicate to the service user if he/she is deaf and you can’t sign. You could also make sure service user has hearing aid turned on.

Private Equity Funds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Private Equity Funds - Essay Example These types of funds have huge difference from the other investment funds from the perspective of the business strategy used for seeking control over the businesses where they have invested (Cumming, 2009). These types of funds are also different in their structure because they are generally close-ended and have finite life time. The private equity funds have fixed number of shares. Private Equity Firms Nowadays, the leveraged buyout investment companies are referred to as the private equity organizations (Stowell, 2010; 2012). These types of firms are different from the venture capital firms which invest in emerging and young companies and as a result are not able to seek the majority control (Cumming and Johan, 2013). The emergence of private equity firms arose from the leveraged buyouts. The leveraged buyouts started during the 1980’s (Kaplan and Stromberg, 2009). The leveraged buyouts had increased rapidly in this decade and gradually the leveraged buyout companies became dominant corporate organizations. The private equity firms have been defined as the decentralized organizations with relatively fewer numbers of employees and investment professionals. Big private equity firms are larger in size but smaller than the firms where they make the investments. The funds raised by these private equity firms are known as the private equity funds. ... The limited partners are the institutional investors like, the public and corporate pension funds, insurance companies or other wealthy investors. Now the question arises whether the private equity companies are the limited partners or the general partners. These firms act as the general partners of the fund. It is compulsory that the general partners provide at least one percent of the total amount of capital. However, some general partners invest even higher. These private equity funds have definite or fixed lifetime that ranges from 10 to 13 years. The private equity firm has a time period of five years, for investing the total capital to be funded to the companies and then, an additional time period of another five to eight years, for returning the total capital amount to the investors. After providing the capital amount, the limited partners do not have much to say about how the general partners would be deploying the investment funds, till the basic contents of the actual fund agreement are followed by these general partners. The basic contents of the fund agreement include restraints on the amount of fund capital that can be invested in one particular company, types of securities where the fund can be invested and restraints on the debt amount. The general partner i.e. the private equity firm, are generally compensated in three different ways. Firstly, these general partners incur a management fee as a percentage of the total capital committed followed by a percentage of the total capital employed, after the investment amount is realized. Secondly, these firms also incur one portion of the profit out of the fund which is known as the ‘carried interest’. The carried interest equals to 20 percent