Entrepreneurship and new business ventures Essay

Entrepreneurship and new business ventures - Essay Example Andrew Bengry-Howell from the University of Bath, stated that the people he interviewed at 4 of the largest music festivals were there to escape their daily routines (Tickle, 2011). These people view these festivals as havens where they could experience that sense of release. Some people said that they deliberately left their cellphones at home and tried to drift aimlessly inside the festival and disappear. The music festival kit will targeted towards these consumers who frequently spend 2-4 days at music festivals, depending on the length of the festival, and require materials for overnight stays. The attendance at these music festivals can give us an idea of the target market. Below is a list of the biggest festivals around the globe and their attendance numbers (MTV Contributer , 2013). It is important to note the attendance figures as it gives us an idea of the potential market size: These numbers show that the size of the target market is relatively large. What is interesting to note is that these festivals comprise of a sizable chunk of foreign participants. The SZSW festival held in Austin comprised of registrants from 64 foreign countries (SXSW, 2013). So it is worthwhile to note the global hubs of music festivals since the participants of the music festivals do not restrict themselves to their localities. They regularly visit other cities and even countries hunting for the best and biggest music festivals to attend and hence are a part of the potential market. In Australia, attendance at such festivals went up by 0.6% since ticket prices fell by 0.7%. Revenue from this sector averaged around $1.3 billion, which shows the growth potential of this market (AlNewstead, 2012). Contemporary music was the biggest drawcard and hence contributed $539.2 million in revenue which is 41.3% of the total share. Ticket sales from this sector amounted to 5.9 million tickets. Australia is considered to be the strongest market in the world right now for music

The Process of Writing and Editing Papers Research Proposal

The Process of Writing and Editing Papers - Research Proposal Example Information should be focused and it should be written down from your own reasoning power so that you can be able to make a point from which you will develop your thesis statement. A thesis statement will show that your essay has a purpose as it is usually the main idea that you will convey in your writing. It should be clear, focused and more in line with the topic of the essay. When writing the main body of the essay, define the keywords by describing what they are, compare the words and also give relevant examples. You should also describe the causes of the facts and explain why the causes have led to effects. Use evidence to support the facts that you have written down and the evidence can be from statistics or recent research. For you to be able to develop a professional paper, research your essay topic from different sources and this can be from the internet or from textbooks that contain relevant information. You can also get more ideas by interviewing your classmates as this will give you more ideas from their point of view. After writing your paper, make sure you revise the essay for its content and organization to ensure that ideas are flowing and that they are relevant to the main subject topic. Edit and proofread your work to eliminate grammar and spelling mistakes. When going through your work, concentrate on making it clear and make sure that it signals the relationship of the different parts in the essay. The process of editing papers ensures that your essay is effective. Editing an essay is the final step that is required in paper writing. Analyze your sentences to make sure that they clear, concise and that they contain active and strong verbs. Each word that you have used in your essay should suit the purpose of writing.  

Relationship between Introversion and Depression

Relationship between Introversion and Depression The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. As a psychological disorder, depression affects more than 350 million people all over the world. Studies reveal that some people are more prone to depression, including those with introverted personalities. Characterizing an Introvert Introverted people are energized by the inner workings of their minds. They thrive on their own thoughts and ideas. Although they can be social and talkative in the company of close friends, introverts are generally quiet, especially in the presence of strangers or when they are in large groups. Introverts are observant and learn from what they see. It takes longer for them to make decisions because they are trying to process all the information within themselves. Unlike extroverts, who tend to be invigorated by other people, an introverts energy is generally drained by socializing; thus, their preference to spend time alone in order to recharge. This natural interest in solitude is one of the most common traits of introverted individuals. Often, it is seen as part of the behavior that makes them prone to depression. An introvert characteristically avoids social interaction and prefers to spend time alone or in the company of a few people. This, however, is not a negative trait indicative of antisocial behavior. Simply put, it is a personality trait typified by introspection. Many times, introversion is considered the same as shyness, but the two are not necessarily associated; a shy person may be either introverted or extroverted. The Health Risks of Introversion Being an introvert often leads to a better understanding of the world. Unfortunately, introversion is not without its negative points. Award-winning mental health journalist and author John McManamy wrote that introverted behavior may lead to isolation and depression. As an introvert diagnosed with bipolar disorder, McManamy knows the topic very well. The tendency of introverts to isolate themselves makes them more susceptible to emotional health issues. Introverts often feel that people perceive them as odd or weird, and inability to speak up about their physical health problems may lead to a poor state of health or failure to get access to the best standard of care. Research indicates that introverted people have weaker immune systems than their extroverted counterparts. The Relationship between Introversion and Depression It is normal for anyone to have either an extroverted or introverted personality. Extroverted individuals may have lots of friends and be more action-oriented, while introverts prefer solitude and contemplation. This is not a sign of a personality disorder. However, studies confirm that introverts are at higher risk for depression. A study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that the population of those with depression is 74 percent introverts. Another study suggested that introverts have lower psychological well-being and are more likely to engage in self-harming behavior. The same conclusions were published in an article in Current Psychiatry Reports, citing Dr. Janowskys scientific research on the persistence of depressive symptoms due to increased introversion. As a matter of fact, the American Psychiatric Association added introverted personality disorder   to their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) more than 30 years ago. For decades, the World Health Organization has also been including introverted personality in its manual, the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-9 CM). Overcoming Depression as an Introvert The studies associating introversion with depression do not mean that other personality types cannot develop the condition. Depression is a condition that you should not be ashamed of. You cannot be blamed for being depressed, just as you would not blame people for having other medical issues. If you are an introvert, there is nothing wrong with you. Your penchant for isolation may, however, trigger a depressive condition. Its true that depression is manageable, but your introverted tendencies can make it difficult to reach out for help because you prefer to stay in your head. Keep in mind that you cannot just will yourself out of depression. It is not something that disappears on its own. Depression requires treatment. You dont need to suffer in silence. If you believe that your introverted behavior has become a gateway to depression, you can rise above the gloom. Recognize your need for professional care and seek out the right-fit therapist independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services in Pinehurst, NC. Counseling can help you adjust better when your introverted personality is prone to depression. Call now to request an appointment.

Planet Comparison- Uranus and Neptune :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Planet Comparison Report Uranus:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uranus was discovered in 1781 by Sir William Herschel. He at first wanted to name the planet Sidus Georgium which is latin for George’s star after the king of England. Another astronomer Johann Bode advised Herschel against it and suggested instead that he use a name from Greco-Roman mythology like all other planets. So Uranus was given its name which is the father of Saturn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uranus is one of the Jovian planets and like the others it has a short rotation period. Uranus’s day is 17.2 hours. Its revolution around the sun however is slightly more than 84 years. It is the seventh planet from the sun at a distance of 1.78 billion miles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uranus is about 4 times the diameter of earth at 46,700km. Its mass is 15 times that of earth at 8.68*10 kg. The axial tilt of this planet is one of the most unusual things about it. It is tilted 98 degrees which classifies it as being in retrograde rotation. Uranus is also unique because it has the most inclined magnetic field. The surface magnetic field is 74 percent that of the earth. The surface gravity on Uranus is 8.87 m/s ².   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The atmosphere of Uranus is thick with a lot of hydrogen, helium, and methane. It has a very low density, the mean density is 1271 kg/m ³. Uranus lacks any really significant internal heat source and it mean surface temperature is 58 ° K.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To date Uranus has been found to have 21 satellites four of which have yet to be named and 11 rings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  News Articles: From: Regulatory Intelligence Data. Title: Release 99-47 Huge Spring Storms Rouse Uranus From Winter Hibernation Date: 03/29/99   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NASA’s Hubble Space telescope showed that for the first time seasonal changes on Uranus. From: ScienceNOW Title: New moon for Uranus Date: 05/19/99   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A new moon was discovered for Uranus that had previously been overlooked for 13 years. As of 1999 this discovery brought the total of Uranus’s satellites to 18. Neptune:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Neptune was discovered through a discrepancy in Uranus’s orbit. Uranus’s orbit was not moving how astronomers predicted it would. They could not find an elliptical orbit that fit Uranus’s trajectory. They therefore assumed that there had to be another planet that’s gravitational pull was effecting Uranus. Johann Galle was the first to find Neptune in 1846, even though many before him had mathematically predicted where this new planet would be. The planet was named Neptune and two astronomers who had predicted mathematically where it would be are credited with finding it not Galle. Planet Comparison- Uranus and Neptune :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Planet Comparison Report Uranus:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uranus was discovered in 1781 by Sir William Herschel. He at first wanted to name the planet Sidus Georgium which is latin for George’s star after the king of England. Another astronomer Johann Bode advised Herschel against it and suggested instead that he use a name from Greco-Roman mythology like all other planets. So Uranus was given its name which is the father of Saturn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uranus is one of the Jovian planets and like the others it has a short rotation period. Uranus’s day is 17.2 hours. Its revolution around the sun however is slightly more than 84 years. It is the seventh planet from the sun at a distance of 1.78 billion miles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uranus is about 4 times the diameter of earth at 46,700km. Its mass is 15 times that of earth at 8.68*10 kg. The axial tilt of this planet is one of the most unusual things about it. It is tilted 98 degrees which classifies it as being in retrograde rotation. Uranus is also unique because it has the most inclined magnetic field. The surface magnetic field is 74 percent that of the earth. The surface gravity on Uranus is 8.87 m/s ².   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The atmosphere of Uranus is thick with a lot of hydrogen, helium, and methane. It has a very low density, the mean density is 1271 kg/m ³. Uranus lacks any really significant internal heat source and it mean surface temperature is 58 ° K.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To date Uranus has been found to have 21 satellites four of which have yet to be named and 11 rings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  News Articles: From: Regulatory Intelligence Data. Title: Release 99-47 Huge Spring Storms Rouse Uranus From Winter Hibernation Date: 03/29/99   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NASA’s Hubble Space telescope showed that for the first time seasonal changes on Uranus. From: ScienceNOW Title: New moon for Uranus Date: 05/19/99   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A new moon was discovered for Uranus that had previously been overlooked for 13 years. As of 1999 this discovery brought the total of Uranus’s satellites to 18. Neptune:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Neptune was discovered through a discrepancy in Uranus’s orbit. Uranus’s orbit was not moving how astronomers predicted it would. They could not find an elliptical orbit that fit Uranus’s trajectory. They therefore assumed that there had to be another planet that’s gravitational pull was effecting Uranus. Johann Galle was the first to find Neptune in 1846, even though many before him had mathematically predicted where this new planet would be. The planet was named Neptune and two astronomers who had predicted mathematically where it would be are credited with finding it not Galle.

Managing Stress and a Balance Lifestyle within the Profession of Nursing

The power to make a difference was the strategy campaign utilized by a recruitment organization to promote awareness and spark of interest in nursing careers among youth. Research demonstrates today’s youth enter nursing for the same reason nurses in the past have chosen nursing: which is to help people or make a difference in people’s lives (Bevill). Presently, nursing practice is considerably the largest healthcare profession globally. Private homes, schools, long term care facility, hospitals, community facilities, industry, physician's offices, military and civil service arenas is the range of   work settings that the said medical profession   may be administered. Nurses act in alliance with social workers, physicians, nurse practitioners, physical therapists and other health professionals in providing care delivery. In functioning as front line members of the health care delivery team, patient advocacy is one of most significant responsibility bestowed upon nurses. Acting as care provider is the profession's chief duty along with other challenging roles which comprises of being patient educator, researcher and counselor. This profession includes providing emotional and physical care, comfort, health monitoring of patients, health education and crisis intervention, tasks directed by physicians, discharge planning, and empowering patients toward healthy behavior. Though highly honored and considered prized associates of the medical team, crises among nurses are tremendously increasing. Health problems, physical and emotional stress, sexual harassment and staffing shortages are the major reasons that concern nurse retention. The profession’s work conditions contribute mainly to shortage. â€Å"Nurses eat their young† is the famous lines in a 1976 movie classic and the vilest statement coming from new nurses. It is called horizontal hostility, which is aggressive behavior such as bullying, verbal abuse, and violence directed at co-workers who are on the same power level. And it is born out of a sense of powerlessness (Bartholomew). It is the most frequent issue among newly graduates given that many have observed that older or senior nurses tend to become unhelpful, unaccommodating, and fault-finding in terms of their dealings with new nurses. They are seemingly called the â€Å"workplace bullies†, they take pleasure in looking at new nurses muddle up with performing their assigned tasks instead of helping their work buddies and acting as caring and supportive mentor. According to a Peter D. Hart Research Associates study (April 2001), the top reason why nurses leave patient care, besides retirement, is to see a job that is less stressful and less physically demanding (56%).When asked what the biggest problem with nursing is, respondents who were in active nursing practice cited understaffing (39%) and the stress and physical demands of the job (Aiken 12). Restructuring programs done by most hospitals only brought further burden to nurses since it affected workload, roles and authority. These programs include cutting back of auxiliary staffs which suggested that nurses do the lifting and turning of patients and getting more patients to care for means increase in mistakes and stress.   These are the working conditions that cause anxiety and stress to nurses. Exposure to risks such as physical stress and health problems like back pain and chronic fatigue due to obese patients that were lifted by the nurses which supposedly be the duty of auxiliary staffs. Nurses work overtime, research shows high divorce rate among health care professionals. They work more than 16 hours sometimes double shift instead of 8-12 hours normal work schedule. This includes going to work on holidays when their entire family is at home while they look after patients. Another example of occupational hazard among nurses is sexual harassment. Nurses are the targets of sexual assaults may it be offensive jokes, unwanted winks, and touching. Tension among nurses happens since they have to maintain a wall between self-protection and professional responsibility. Nurses came to feel that they would meet a wall of physician resistance to their own care goals unless they subtly manipulated the physicians, whose fragile egos seemed to require that significant care be all their idea. Gordon argues that nurses even developed their own obfuscatory language to ensure that they were not perceived as â€Å"diagnosing,† â€Å"treating† or â€Å"curing† patients, which could mean encroaching on â€Å"medical† turf. Poor communication between the professions is common, and bad relations with physicians are a major factor in nurse burnout (Gordon). This kind of incidence in the workplace brings dilemma and stress to nurses. Most nurses try to behave professionally by still remaining courteous to physicians and reluctant to speak up. In relation to nurse behavior, according to American Nurses Association survey found that 55 percent of nurses disheartened by their experience in the profession would not recommend a nursing career to their children and friends. And one study has shown that if a hospital's nurses are unhappy, chances are that their patients are unhappy as well (Aiken 20). According to researchers, nurses who are the target of bullying are prone to developing psychological side effects including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression or insomnia, all of which can lead to poor work performance. In the report, Health Care at the Crossroads: Strategies for Addressing the Evolving Nursing Crisis, the Joint Commission suggests facilities that find bullying and intimidation to be a problem should adopt a zero-tolerance policy to enforce proper behavior in the workplace. The report also calls for the hospital to be held accountable for educational initiatives so all staff members understand what is considered inappropriate behavior (Sounart). Works Cited Aiken, Linda. â€Å"Health Care at the Crossroads: Strategies for Addressing the Evolving Nursing Crisis.† JointCommission. 23 February 2007. Joint Commission on Accreditation of   Healthcare Organizations. 2 May 2008. ; http://www.jointcommission.org/NR/rdonlyres/5C138711-ED76-4D6F-909F-B06E0309F36D/0/health_care_at_the_crossroads.pdf;. Bartholomew, Kathleen. â€Å"Why Nurses Eat Their Young†¦ A look at nurse-to-nurse hostility and why it occurs.† RealityRN. 4 March 2008. New Nurses Real Conversation. 2 May 2008. http://www.realityrn.com/more-articles/power-authority/why-nurses-eat-their-young%E2%80%A6/542/. Bevill, Billy. â€Å"Nursing: The Power to Make a Difference Campaign.† NC.   1 March 2001. NC Center for Nursing. 2 May 2008. ; http://www.ga.unc.edu/NCCN/recruitmentandretention/youth/resourcescampaign.htm;. Gordon, Suzanne. â€Å"Nursing Against the Odds: How Health Care Cost-Cutting, Media Stereotypes, and Medical Hubris Undermine Nursing and Patient Care.† Nursing Advocacy. 19 July 2005. Cornell University Press. 2 May 2008. ;http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/media/books/nursing_against_odds.html;. Sounart, Amanda. â€Å"Many Nurses Report Abusive Treatment at Work.† Travel Nursing. 2008. AMN Healthcare, Inc. 2 May 2008. ;http://www.travelnursing.com/News.aspx?ArticleID=17746;. ; ;

Parkinsons term paper Essay

Parkinson’s disease is characterized as a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system which is understood to persist and continually worsen over time. It is the second most common neurological disorder. Parkinson’s disease affects approximately one million people within the United States. This disorder progresses slowly and is unique in the sense that Parkinson’s disease can be caused by genetics among other things. Parkinson’s disease is well known for its characteristic tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with speech in the patients it affects. Parkinson’s disease is caused by diminishment of the substantia nigra in the tegmentum which controls motor functions within the body. This disease is classified as a basil ganglionic disorder which causes a breakdown of dopamineric neurons in the substancia nigra, located in the midbrain. The substancia nigra is composed of neuromelanin which pigments the substancia nigra and gives it its darker cha racteristic. The neuromelanin also connects to the motor cortex which is responsible for one’s motor control and balance. The chemical dopamine is created in the substantia nigra. The basil ganglia receives inputs from the motor cortex, the association cortex, and the substancia nigra. The basil ganglia then sends messages to the motor cortex by way of the thalamus. With Parkinson’s disease, the nigral neurons are damaged, which causes the neuromelanin to be free to move into the adjacent tissue where it is phagocytosed and moved away by macrophages. This degenerative process not only destroys the process of creating dopamine, but it also causes the pigmentation of the substancia nigra to change and become lighter in appearance. The lack of dopamine-related input from the substantia nigra negatively changes the equilibrium of the output from the basil ganglia to the motor cortex. This alteration in the equilibrium then causes the symptoms related to Parkinson’s disease. The d irect cause of Parkinson’s disease remains a medical mystery, but many factors can participate in determining whether one is susceptible to developing Parkinson’s disease in  the future. The exposure to specific toxins in the environment and various environmental factors has the possibility of playing a role in those who were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Another possible cause of Parkinson’s disease is the role of one’s genetics. It is found that certain mutations can give rise to Parkinson’s disease, although this is uncommon. The brains of patients with Parkinson’s disease change as the disease progresses. Lewy bodies are microscopic markers that characterize the presence of Parkinson’s disease within a patient. They are abnormal microscopic protein deposits that form in the brain and play a role in disrupting the brain’s normal functions. This disruption causes deterioration. Lewy bodies contain A-synuclein which is a protein that cells cannot break down. Early indicators of Parkinson’s disease include tremors or shaking which can reside in one’s finger, thumb, hand, lip, or chin, though shaking is normal after extensive physical activity, injury, or may be due to medications. If one’s handwriting begins to appear smaller over a short period of time, it could be a warning sign of Parkinson’s although one should not base their self-diagnosis upon handwriting, for handwriting can change as one advances in age, but this happens over time and not suddenly. A loss of smell in specific foods can be an indicator, but a loss of smell can also be related to the possession of the common cold or the flu. Another early sign may be sudden movements while sleeping such as falling out of the bed or kicking and punching. It is important to understand that people on occasion may experience difficulty sleeping. Chronic stiffness can be a sign, but this symptom can also be caused by an injury or arthritis. If one is experiencing constipation on a daily basis, this can be considered a sign of Parkinson’s disease, although a lack of fiber in one’s diet or medications can determine the moving of one’s bowels. Having recently possessed a soft o r low voice is an indicator unless one has a chest cold or other virus. If one has the appearance of a masked face, a blank stare that persists, or undergoes a long duration of time without the action of blinking, these may be precursors to having Parkinson’s disease. Feeling dizzy or fainting can be signs of low blood pressure and may be connected to Parkinson’s disease along with the inability to stand up straight. There are many Parkinson’s-related symptoms that are known today. The most obvious of symptoms is a resting tremor. A shaking, or tremor, normally starts in one’s  limb, and it is often located on a hand or fingers. This resting tremor usually stops when the patient is voluntarily moving the limb affected by the tremor. A â€Å"pill-rolling† tremor is common and is characterized by one rolling one’s thumb and forefinger. These tremors can be noticed when the limb is even at a relaxed state. Due to the tremors and inability to control certain motor functions, writing can become difficult for patient s with Parkinson’s disease. It is noted that when writing, those effected with Parkinson’s disease posses handwriting that is characteristically small. Bradykinesia, or a slowing of movement, can be present. Parkinson’s disease has the ability to cause one to move slower which can make simple every-day tasks a challenge. With bradykinesia, one’s steps may become smaller in distance when being mobile, and one’s feet may begin to drag when walking. Excessive muscle tone or hypertonia may be prevalent in patients with Parkinson’s disease and will manifest itself as stiffness or rigidness which causes pain and a loss in one’s range of motion. Parkinson’s disease patients may experience posture impairment and balance, for a patient’s posture can become stooped, and balance can be lost. Patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease may experience a loss in their autonomic functions which include and are not limited to smiling, swinging one’s arms while walking, and blinking. This loss in autonomic function caused a select number of patients to stop using their hands while speaki ng in normal conversations. Speech changes can affect those living with Parkinson’s disease. One may speak out of rhythm in such a way that it may sound soft, quick, hesitant, monotone or slurred. Diagnosing Parkinson’s disease is not a simple process, for a test for Parkinson’s disease does not yet exist. In order to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a neurologist must first obtain a detailed medical history of the patient being diagnosed, a review of the patient’s signs and symptoms, a physical examination, and a neurological examination. Tests to exclude other conditions may be ordered to ensure proper diagnosis of the disorder. Once a patient has undergone sufficient testing and examining, the doctor may prescribe the patient the medication carbidopa-levodopa, which is a Parkinson’s disease medicine. If the patient improves considerably while on the medication, this often confirms a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.  There exists a wide-range of treatments for patients that suffer from Parkinson’s disease from drug treatments to surgical treatments. The pharmacologic approach for those with Parkinson’s disease aims to increase the lack of dopamine in the patient’s basil ganglia. L-dopa or Levodopa is a drug that can cross the blood-brain barrier. The brain can convert this drug to dopamine. Carbidopa can also be prescribed to patients afflicted with Parkinson’s disease. Carbidopa is a decarboxylase inhibitor and, when taken with levodopa, can aid levodopa from converting to dopamine outside of the brain. The combination of medications allows for more levodopa to reach the brain which ultimately increases the brain’s supply of dopamine. These two medications decrease the side effects which are caused by an increased amount of dopamine outside of the brain. They reduce the supply of â€Å"free† dopamine from residing outside of the brain. An excess of dopamine outside of the brain could result in low blood pressure, vomiting, and nausea. Other medications include dopamine agonists which directly stimulate nerve receptors inside of the brain which are usually stimulated by dopamine. In contrast to the medication levodopa, dopamine agonists do not convert into dopamine but rather behave like dopamine. Dopamine agonists are utilized in patients that are in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease and may be added to a treatment plan along with levodopa in the later stages of Parkinson’s disease. It may also be added when levodopa alone cannot sufficiently manage the patient’s symptoms or when the patient has severe motor fluctuations. Side effects associated with levodopa-carbidopa include dizziness upon rising, confusion, nausea, movement disorders, and hallucinations. Side effects commonly associated with dopamine agonists are vomiting, nausea, and orthostatic hypotension. Surgical treatment options are available for those who suffer from Parkinson’s. These surgical treatments are intended to control symptoms related to Parkinson’s disease patients who do not positively respond to medications. One of the surgical treatments crea tes a lesion in specific portions of the thalamus within the midbrain which become overactive in Parkinson’s disease. A reversible procedure that can be used on patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease is deep brain stimulation, or DBS. With this procedure, electrodes are implanted into exact locations. These locations are treated then with pulses of electrical currents. Why deep brain stimulation works is unknown. Medical  experts believe that the current could be activating, affecting, or inhibiting synaptic transmission onto neurons in the vicinity of the electrodes. The future prospects for a cure for Parkinson’s disease are promising, for the medical community has begun to identify the genetic causes linked to Parkinson’s disease. This allows the medical community to expand animal models of Parkinson’s disease. These will be highly useful in the process of understanding the pathogenesis of the disease and will be useful in further testing the neuroprotective therapies which can potentially aid in the fight against the progression of Parkinson’s disease. A different potential approach in the future would be to engage in the replacement of lost neurons via transplantation, which would be highly difficult and tedious. Overall, Parkinson’s disease is well on the way to being better understood and through this und erstanding scientists will be able to directly identify the source of this disease and eventually find a method that directly cures this disease. References Etiology. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved March 13,2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/etiology Welcome to the Purdue OWL. (n.d.). Purdue OWL: APA Formatting and Style Guide. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01 Parkinson’s: Symptoms & Types. (n.d.). WebMD. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/parkinsons-disease/guide/parkinsons-symptons-types Parkinson’s disease. (n.d.). Complications. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/basics/complications/con-20028488 Parkinson’s Disease. (n.d.). Parkinson’s Disease. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from http:// courses.washington.edu/conj/bess/parkinsons.html Nisipeanu, P. (n.d.). Parkinson’s Disease: Diagnosis and Clinical Management. Adverse Effects of Dopamine Agonists. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nih.gov/books/NBK27800/ Levodopa Medicines for Parkinsonâ€⠄¢s Disease. (n.d.). WebMD. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from http:// www.wbmd.com/parkinsons-disease/levodopa-medications-for-parkinsons-disease Dopamine Agonists for Parkinson’s Disease. (n.d.). WebMD. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from

Casablanca - A Classic Film essays

Casablanca - A Classic Film essays Many times when we say or think of any word, automatically we relate to an image. Casablanca, for example, principally is associated with the place where U.S. presidents live. However, others like me think it is a great classic movie that was made during the Second World War in 1942. Casablanca is a black and white film that along the years has won the taste of the public. This has been made possible thanks to good music, excellent actors and an unpredictable story. While watching the movie Casablanca, I really enjoyed the different types of music. The music was nice because it shows all kinds of languages and sounds. For example, in one of the flashback scenes in Paris, Rick and Ilsa dance to Rhythm of Perfidia by the Mexican composer Alberto Domà ­nguez. Also another scene from the movie, which was characterized by music and that definitely impressed me, was when Laszlo begins singing followed by many people, La Marsellesa, the French national anthem, even before the occupation of the country. This singing was significant at Ricks Caf Amricain because it was louder than the Germans, who were singing Die Wacht am Rhein, which was considered a patriotic anthem during Nazi Germany. Undoubtedly music represents much more than a sound. The song As Time Goes By witnessed the love between Rick and Ilsa. For them this song always brings fond memories and we can see it, when Ilsa is sitting adjacent to Sams piano quietly enjoying this song. Casablanca is not only admired for its music, but also for excellent actors, who transmit their characters situations very well. I love the acting of Rick because at all times he shows an incredible personality. Hes intimidating, but also respectable. However, this also shows as he faces his loneliness when smoking a cigarette, plays a game of chess unopposed and is always taking sips from his glass of wine. Despite this, Rick is a hero thanks to unforgettabl...

Utilitarianism on extra marital sex Essays

Utilitarianism on extra marital sex Essays Utilitarianism on extra marital sex Paper Utilitarianism on extra marital sex Paper Essay Topic: Utilitarianism The negative association with sex outside of marriage arises due to the many consequences it could have; such as the broken trust that follows due to the violation of the vows taken inferno of God. With infidelity that has been committed by the women brings uncertainty on who the father is of any offspring this is frowned upon as men do not want to spend money and time on children that are not theirs. Also sex outside of marriage can also spread disease to the innocent which could cause physical and emotional pain. Utilitarianism only asks whether sexual behavior will cause harm or give pleasure: if, on balance, it produces more pleasure than harm, then its good. This isnt an excuse for wholesale rape and promiscuity; you have to think of your own pleasure, but also your partners and everybody else who would be affected. This is known as the harm principle and it rules out rape, adultery in most cases and other harmful, coercive or deceitful sexual behaviors. Jeremy Bantams writings on the law of marriage are firmly based on the principle of utility, the greatest happiness principle, which asserts that all human actions are motivated by a wish to avoid pain and gain pleasure. Beneath placed sexual love, which he described as physical sire, in the category of self-regarding motives for human behavior, along with pecuniary interest, love of power, and self preservation. Therefore in the course of drafting a utilitarian law of marriage Beneath set out an explanation of the pleasures and pains of sexual love. His discussions led him far beyond the confines of legal marriage and into the realm of what would today be described as gender relations. These might be homosexual, heterosexual, monogamous or otherwise, within or outside of marriage. Bantams views on sex and the principle of utility are dad particularly clear when he writes about wives, prostitutes and mistresses, and it was in this context that Beneath made his radical suggestion for short-term marriages. Utilitarianism is seen as a liberal approach to sexual ethics and those who are liberal beings would believe this to be the best approach for them However it is still difficult in practice to measure if the pleasure outweighs the pain and who directly gets hurt. The utilitarian approach is too liberal and allows for the slippery slope effect to take place where anything could in affect be Justified by stating that he greatest happiness is being maximized. A Christian approach to extra marital sex such as natural law will have a more rigid and stricter approach. The majority of churches today follow biblical principles, encouraging marriage as the right environment for sex. The Roman Catholic Church gives clear teaching on this: every genital act must be within the framework of marriage. If people do not follow this then they do not reach their full potential and reach demimondaine. Sex outside of marriage is forbidden. This allows people to make clear decisions when considering pinion this is the best approach as since the sexual revolution of the sasss, Britain has witnessed increased numbers of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Fixed moral and religious rules would have prevented these problems. Utilitarianism is not an appropriate approach to extra marital sex as it is too liberal and can allow the potential for abuse. Sex is a sacred activity which should take place in the commitment of marriage; during a marriage ceremony, Anglicans vow with my body I thee worship.

Adults across America Essay Example for Free

Adults across America Essay ? Although this type of outrageous behavior may upset many people, it is accepted widely and enjoyed by millions of teenagers and adults across America. People in America have become desensitized to sex and violence by having organizations such as the WWF making it appear â€Å"O.K.† on television. Although it is immoral and not yet accepted by society, pornography is rampant in America, with strip clubs and porn shops situated in the same areas as family shopping centers. Violence can be seen everywhere, especially in the evening news. Wrestling takes the two biggest topics of American society, and turns them into a two hour show. Americans accept this and are willing to watch or pay to see the action. Although many wrestling fans such as myself view the show and see it as pure entertainment, there are many more people who believe what they see. Sadly, these type of people make up a large portion of wrestling fans. Because of this, many nations see Americans as â€Å"ignorant† and â€Å"shallow.† Critics claim that wrestling is a â€Å"Cultural Phenomenon† which embodies all of the negative aspects of American culture. People who are willing to watch a man rolling around in feces or someone falling twenty feet from a cage into a wooden table instead of doing something that could be potentially productive does not say much for American society. Opponents of professional wrestling may also say that the direction and values of American culture are quickly deteriorating, in part, due to a cultural phenomenon such as professional wrestling. As long as Americans demand instant gratification and the quick fixes of raunchy entertainment, phenomena such as wrestling will be around to act as mindless distractions from the real world. The critics of wrestling have not stopped its tremendous success across the world. Wrestling can be seen as a form of entertainment, just as movies and sports represent the same kind of enjoyment to viewers. Wrestling is not the cause of society’s deterioration, as it is meant to please viewers across America. One form of entertainment is not going to cause American society to crumble. Wrestling used to represent â€Å"good guy vs. bad guy.† Times have changed, and now, everyone cheers for wrestlers such as â€Å"The Rock† and â€Å"Stone Cold Steve Austin† who portray qualities that the fans appreciate. The Rock is extremely popular, due to his â€Å"coolness factor.† Everytime he gets on the microphone, he promises to â€Å"Lay The Smackdown on Someone’s Candyass† and things of that nature. He always praises the fan’s, and considers himself the â€Å"People’s Champion.† Because of his popularity, it doesn’t matter if he wrestles a â€Å"good guy† or a â€Å"bad guy.† Fans like someone they can cheer, but would not cheer someone who appears corny, like a â€Å"superhero† type character. Professional wrestling never has any repeats, and always keeps a fresh, new storyline. That may be the biggest reason why people keep tuning in to this phenomenon. When it comes down to watching either a rerun of â€Å"Ally McBeal† or a live â€Å"WWF Raw,† many people would choose to watch something new, such as â€Å"WWF Raw.† American society is constantly evolving, and over time, all people need to accept the changes that it goes through, whether positive or negative. Pioch, Nicolas. â€Å"Realism.† January 1, 1996. http://www.oir.ucf.edu/wm/paint/glo/realism/  (December 16, 1999)  Roberts, J.M. The Penguin History of the World. London, England : Helicon Publishing, 1992.  Ross, Cilla. June, 1999. â€Å"Greek Democracy in Practice.† http://www.oir.ucf.edu   (December 18, 1999) Adults across America. (2017, Aug 21).

Six Global Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Six Global Issues - Essay Example The absolute sovereignty exemplary is not state centric but nation centric, for the real size of the state remains to be a domestic problem. The mix of public and private scopes, and between domestic and international trade, stay determined with more justice and efficiency when they get determined at national level, without interference from outside. As a dynamic model, absolute sovereignty generates stronger relationships between nations and their own peoples – whatsoever form that picks. The model terminates top and down globalization, organizational infringements of sovereignty and foreign military interventions (Romaine, 2002). For states to withstand, they must re - engross with their only true population: domestic citizens. The United States, United Kingdom, France with other European nations preach about â€Å"freedom,† but candid freedom begins, as â€Å"freedom from coercion, foreign pressure, or occupations, whether political, financial or military. Only with â€Å"freedom from† interference from foreign forces can a nation involve in â€Å"freedom to† develop independent political forms, based on political culture and local conditions (Smith, 2005). (2) Effects of transnational organized crime on state sovereignty The new situation of organized crime enables people to differentiate certain facts, which imply considerable challenges to the governance of sovereign states. However, it should be remembered that transnational organized crimes remain not colossal, but rather a diversified, compound and multidimensional phenomenon where partnership between groups is more common than confrontation. It has different displays in specific countries and stays perceived differently throughout space and time. It does not function homogeneously nor does it have a perpetual degree of impact on people, state agencies and non governmental bodies throughout the world (Albanese, 2003). The first impact of organized crime relates to sovereign ty, an old concept that continues to dominate the domain of relations between different states. States stay separated by borders, which not only apportion each state physically but also mark different legal systems, politics, cultures and levels of economic development (U.N, 2004). Eroded against this remain the criminal organizations which, as a result of their transnational and illegal nature, ignore the sovereignty of the victim states and have no reverence for borders as much as their illegal businesses. Their plans for development are not apprehensive with the idea of state jurisdiction but on the tide of trustworthy goods and people who provide earnings. If they think of state borders, this stands always in terms of either their specific markets with prospects for illegal earnings and specific criminal law systems of differing levels of risks, or the confusing of the trails of illegal activities through the international partition of work (Dougan, 2007). (3) Regulation of immi gration Migration refers to the relocation of people from one state to another legally or illegally for a long of lifetime duration. Since human beings have wandered in search of food and better living standards, they have migrated from place to place around the world. However, global migration is a relatively new development.it is only in early 20th century that the system of nation-states, visas and passports developed to regulate the movement of citizens across borders (Somerville, 2007). Global migration is the

Biology with citation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biology with citation - Essay Example However, when oxygen is present in a very less quantity inside the muscle cells, they temporarily convert pyruvate into a substance called lactate, which allows glucose breakdown for energy. This is also called as anaerobic energy production and as a result lactic acid is accumulated inside the muscle cells. Well, I was gasping because, I needed more oxygen to supply to my body cells for aerobic respiration and my legs were shaking because of a freight hormone, adrenaline – it is released when one feels some kind of fear, for example, examination fear in this case. In addition, the lactic acid accumulation increases the acidity of the muscle cells and disrupts other metabolites, and the muscle strains occur. 2.Deltoid is a three-headed muscle that caps the shoulder. The three heads are anterior, lateral and posterior heads. The anterior head is attached to the humerus, the lateral originates on the collarbone and the posterior head originates on the scapula. The deltoid muscle is a mover and a stabilizer, as it lifts the arm up and it also helps press the end of the upper arm bone into the shoulder socket. Since it has got three heads, the muscle can easily extend and flex the arm. 3. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a poisonous chemical found mostly within the liver, ovaries, intestines and skin. This chemical is found in Fugu – a puffer fish. The fish is really tasty but it may contain poisonous parts if sold by unlicensed vendors and unskilled preparation of puffer fish. TTX chemical is heat stable and its poisonous nature is not neutralized even after cooking fish. TTX binds to and blocks Sodium channels found on tissues such as nerves and muscles. The blockage of sodium entry through these ion channels makes these tissues non-functional. If a person consumes such toxins, the severity of the symptoms depends on the amount of TTX consumed. Since there is no antitoxin available against TTX, the treatment is largely supportive by

Warfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Warfare - Essay Example This kind of warfare more closely resembles the kind of decentralised wars from the earlier periods of human history (Thornton, 2007). The 4GW system indicates that the nation state structure has had to relinquish its monopoly on well defined combat forces as the nature of conflict often forces them to return to modes of conflict displayed in pre-modern times. The warfare displayed in the 21st century clearly demonstrates the presence and eventual dominance of the non-state actors in theatres of war. Often conflict is characterised as violent struggle between at least one non-state actor and other state actors. This is far more similar to pre-modern times such as the slave uprising against the Roman Republic under Spartacus. Certain elements of the 4GW make it far more different than other modes of conflict and are described in detail below. In general terms the conflicts in the 4GW system are complex and based on long term commitment to violence (Hammes, 2006). As an example, the Se cond World War which claimed the greatest number of lives on the planet continued for a mere six years while conflicts in the 4GW regime can continue for a decade or more such as the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the US campaign in Iraq and Afghanistan etc. Moreover the use of terrorism as a tactic of such prolonged campaigns is a defining feature of 4GW conflicts. Terrorism can be seen continuing even after the expected end of conflicts in the 4GW period and this in turn often sparks the conflict again (Schmid & Jongman, 1988). The presence of terrorist activities makes such conflicts and their ends rather unpredictable. As an example, the rebellion of the Tamils in Sri Lanka continued for decades without respite and the interlaced periods of cease fire between the Tamils and the Sri Lankan military were often disrupted by acts of terrorism that reactivated the state of war. In order to support the activities required to engage in 4GW, it is necessary to use a decentralised pre sence on the part of the engaged parties. This is often achieved using non-national or trans-national bases that are highly decentralised (Hoffman, 2006). As is often the case in such circumstances, the leadership of the violent non state actor lies in another state while the actual conflict proceeds in another state. The presence and adept handling of communication equipment has enabled the relaying of information over large distances and in such situations with reliability. This ensures that the central leadership can operate from foreign theatres of operation in order to avoid danger near the battlefield. The evolution of recent wars has made this precept of 4GW all the stronger (Juergensmeyer, 2000). More often than not the central leadership is composed of multiple nationalities, ethnic and racial identities working together to achieve common objectives. This enables the leadership to be split up into multiple locations which makes it harder for enemy combatants to close down o nto the central leadership and disassemble it (Rodin, 2006). The leadership is often small in size unlike the conventional tactics employed in nation state armies. The leadership is highly varied as mentioned before and so a network of communication must exist in order to manage the theatre of conflict. One important

Consumers as Victims of Fashion Manipulation Essay

Consumers as Victims of Fashion Manipulation - Essay Example Fashion is a word that everyone admires and all want to be fashionable to be accepted in the egoistic society in which life prospers today. Everything from the color of the handkerchief to the perfume used is a criterion to measure the position of the person in the society. It is more or less a pseudo-prestige donor that the people rush behind it even if their pockets and wallets do not permit. They are compelled to do so by many factors around. To be precise, they are manipulated to consume certain standard of products in the society so as to make others approve them. It is basic human nature to have an urge for praise and admiration and the manipulating factors are well versed with this fact. It is, therefore, a necessity to study the situation and suggest possible solutions for the situation. The study presented here is based on the topic and the method used is secondary literature analysis. Websites like google.com and wikipedia.org are used for the collection of various data. Th e concepts introduced are supported by the examples of various advertisements shown on media. Fashion is a relative concept. Being fashionable is also the same. Fashion has changed from time to time. It is more or less prestige that rules the industry more than anything else. Fashion and being fashionable can be seen as the second side of the coin. The other side is that of consumption. Every fashionable being is expected to spend as much as possible to gain the best possible fashionable attire or accessory.

Multi scale modeling of complex neuronal networks Essay

Multi scale modeling of complex neuronal networks - Essay Example For the numerical simulation, MATLAB was used, with the simulation being discretized in time with a step size of one quarter of the frequency for a progressive visualization of the pattern, (606). The results of this simulation indicate that the induced activity of the sparsely distributed cholinergic neurons within the dorsal striatum leads to the identification of surrounding n-cells. The single-pulse activation induces abrupt spread and declining of spikes. The model used reveals characteristic pattern formations respective to the morphological structure of the activated cells. The figure basically shows the spatial pattern formation within the dorsal striatum of rats as a result of the cortical activation of cholinergic neurons. The distribution of active neurons is indicated by color pink while the distribution of inactive neurons is shown by color grey. The pink coloring is an indicator of the initial activation of the sparsely distributed cholinergic neurons. This can be shown by Fig 2a. On the other hand, the grey coloring indicates the ongoing inactivation process throughout the structure. This can be indicated by Fig 2d. Therefore, this figure presents the induced a ctivity in the dorsal striatum of a art as a result of cortical activation of cholinergic neurons,

Warfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Warfare - Essay Example This kind of warfare more closely resembles the kind of decentralised wars from the earlier periods of human history (Thornton, 2007). The 4GW system indicates that the nation state structure has had to relinquish its monopoly on well defined combat forces as the nature of conflict often forces them to return to modes of conflict displayed in pre-modern times. The warfare displayed in the 21st century clearly demonstrates the presence and eventual dominance of the non-state actors in theatres of war. Often conflict is characterised as violent struggle between at least one non-state actor and other state actors. This is far more similar to pre-modern times such as the slave uprising against the Roman Republic under Spartacus. Certain elements of the 4GW make it far more different than other modes of conflict and are described in detail below. In general terms the conflicts in the 4GW system are complex and based on long term commitment to violence (Hammes, 2006). As an example, the Se cond World War which claimed the greatest number of lives on the planet continued for a mere six years while conflicts in the 4GW regime can continue for a decade or more such as the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the US campaign in Iraq and Afghanistan etc. Moreover the use of terrorism as a tactic of such prolonged campaigns is a defining feature of 4GW conflicts. Terrorism can be seen continuing even after the expected end of conflicts in the 4GW period and this in turn often sparks the conflict again (Schmid & Jongman, 1988). The presence of terrorist activities makes such conflicts and their ends rather unpredictable. As an example, the rebellion of the Tamils in Sri Lanka continued for decades without respite and the interlaced periods of cease fire between the Tamils and the Sri Lankan military were often disrupted by acts of terrorism that reactivated the state of war. In order to support the activities required to engage in 4GW, it is necessary to use a decentralised pre sence on the part of the engaged parties. This is often achieved using non-national or trans-national bases that are highly decentralised (Hoffman, 2006). As is often the case in such circumstances, the leadership of the violent non state actor lies in another state while the actual conflict proceeds in another state. The presence and adept handling of communication equipment has enabled the relaying of information over large distances and in such situations with reliability. This ensures that the central leadership can operate from foreign theatres of operation in order to avoid danger near the battlefield. The evolution of recent wars has made this precept of 4GW all the stronger (Juergensmeyer, 2000). More often than not the central leadership is composed of multiple nationalities, ethnic and racial identities working together to achieve common objectives. This enables the leadership to be split up into multiple locations which makes it harder for enemy combatants to close down o nto the central leadership and disassemble it (Rodin, 2006). The leadership is often small in size unlike the conventional tactics employed in nation state armies. The leadership is highly varied as mentioned before and so a network of communication must exist in order to manage the theatre of conflict. One important

Multi scale modeling of complex neuronal networks Essay

Multi scale modeling of complex neuronal networks - Essay Example For the numerical simulation, MATLAB was used, with the simulation being discretized in time with a step size of one quarter of the frequency for a progressive visualization of the pattern, (606). The results of this simulation indicate that the induced activity of the sparsely distributed cholinergic neurons within the dorsal striatum leads to the identification of surrounding n-cells. The single-pulse activation induces abrupt spread and declining of spikes. The model used reveals characteristic pattern formations respective to the morphological structure of the activated cells. The figure basically shows the spatial pattern formation within the dorsal striatum of rats as a result of the cortical activation of cholinergic neurons. The distribution of active neurons is indicated by color pink while the distribution of inactive neurons is shown by color grey. The pink coloring is an indicator of the initial activation of the sparsely distributed cholinergic neurons. This can be shown by Fig 2a. On the other hand, the grey coloring indicates the ongoing inactivation process throughout the structure. This can be indicated by Fig 2d. Therefore, this figure presents the induced a ctivity in the dorsal striatum of a art as a result of cortical activation of cholinergic neurons,

Life in Plymouth Colony Essay Example for Free

Life in Plymouth Colony Essay The book of John Demos on â€Å"A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony† explores on the concept of the family life in the context of the Plymouth Colony. In particular, it tends to describe the ways of life of the people in the Plymouth Colony specifically the aspect of family, which is the smallest unit of the society. Through this book review, one will be able to determine the true accounts of the social life and customs of the people in the Plymouth Colony. Basically, the book is dedicated into furthering the importance of the smallest and most intimates of all group environments- the family. This concept has been usually left out by experts and historians alike wherein their interest is focused on the larger units of social actions. This includes the region, the class, the party, the ethnic as well as the religious group. Most of the time, the unit of family is left with the behavioral science which includes the anthropology, sociology and psychology. In order to examine the behavior of the Plymouth Colony in a family setting, the author has to descend on the local level which is considered as almost personal history. As such, one has to know average people in the everyday routine of their lives, in order to begin to understand their behavior in a family setting. In this way, the author was able to successfully present a picture of the family in the Plymouth Colony rather than any single instance thereof. Different aspects of the family setting of the Plymouth Colony have been discussed in the book. The author started with providing a historical survey on the Plymouth Colony. Among the various aspects of family setting mentioned in the book are physical setting, the structure of the household and the themes of individual development. More specifically, the physically setting deals with the elements of housing, furnishing and clothing. On the structure of household, it consists of the husbands and wives, membership, parents and children and, masters and servants. Lastly, the themes of individual development involve the infancy and childhood, coming of age as well as late years. With the examination on the different aspects of the Plymouth Colony’s family setting, the author has come to realized that the family life in Plymouth was not at all unique. This is because of the evident similarities of the colony with other American colonies. More specifically, the similarity between the Plymouth Colony and other American colonies reside in the embrace of the term â€Å"Puritanism†. As such, it can be claimed that the family is, after all, an extremely fundamental and durable institution: it often provides a kind of common denominator, or baseline, for a whole culture whose various parts may differ substantially in other respects. Plymouth Colony has been known as the Old Colony and sometimes, the New Colony. It has been said that this colony is founded by the â€Å"Pilgrims† in 1620. In particular, the â€Å"Pligrims† are defined as the group of religious people which consists of adults as well as family groupings. They were English separatists from New England. They were famous on their sailing away from Europe to New America during the early 17th century in order to search for a home where they could freely practice their Puritan style of religion and live according to their own laws. Orginally, the â€Å"Pilgrims’ are English Puritans who broke away from the Church of England because they felt that it had not completed the work of the Reformation. Because of this, they committed themselves to a life based on the Bible. Most of the members of the â€Å"Pilgrims† are the poorly educated people, farmers and people without political and social standing. (â€Å"Chapter 2: The English Transplantations – People/Term†, 2007) Consequently, the arrival of the â€Å"Pilgrims† in the New World is illustrated by the following lines below: â€Å"Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element. † (Demos, 1971) During their stay in North America, the â€Å"Pilgrims† manifested their views on Puritanism, especially on the way they deal with one another. Through these dealings, it is found out that the repression on the Puritans was not as strongly directed against sexuality as against the expression of hostile and aggressive impulses. Moreover, this evident on the prevalent modes of family life as well as child-rearing. More specifically, the book shows that even from the very start, the family of the Plymouth Colony was nuclear. This family characteristic has been unchanged even from the beginning of their settlement. Specifically, the family consists of one couple and their own children formed the core of each household with the addition in some cases of an aged grandparent or â€Å"servant†. And during these times, the life in the households was much less segmented. However, despite this physical arrangement, the roles and responsibilities of the members of the family are almost the same as today. In this colony, there is a much tighter line of authority between the parent and the child. And the range of functions performed by the family includes material, psychological, social, and otherwise. Above all, the system of family life revolves around the fulfillment of certain basic needs as well as universal needs. These need comprise of the food, shelter and sexual release. Furthermore, the family in the Plymouth Colony setting is likened to different things and institutions. Particularly, the family is described as a â€Å"business†, â€Å"school†, â€Å"vocational institute†, the â€Å"church†, â€Å"house of correction† and as a â€Å"welfare institution†. As a business, the family is the central agency of economic production and exchange. As a school, the parents and the masters are obliged to attend to the educational needs of the children. As a vocational institute, there is a need to apply the knowledge and skills on the larger economic system. As a church, there is an obligation for â€Å"family worship†. Lastly, on the welfare institution, the family usually provides welfare services such as the presence of the hospital or even orphanage. Indeed, the findings on the book of John Demos create awareness on the true nature of the people from the Plymouth Colony. Moreover, it contributes to the strengthening on the American culture and history. In fact, it serves as one of the foundations of the family life of the American people. Undoubtedly, there is only little difference between the family of the Plymouth Colony and the modern-day American family. As such, the study of the ways and customs of the family on the Plymouth Colony proves the resemblance of families between the ancient colonies and the modern societies. Works Cited Demos, John. A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony. New York: Oxford University Press, 1971. Chapter 2: The English Transplantations – People/Term. 2 July 2007. http://www. cvhs. com/CVHS%20Inet/academics/history/apus/ch2. html.

Innocent Smoothies Customer Relationship

Innocent Smoothies Customer Relationship Although the smoothies market in the UK enjoyed a period of exceptionally strong growth of more than 150% between 2005 and 2007, this has now been stalled by the impact of the recent economic recession and consumers switching their loyalty to alternative, cheaper pure fruit drinks. As well as suffering from unfavourable economic conditions, smoothie manufactures have failed to convince UK consumers that the drinks are not full of calories and are not bad for their teeth, despite strong contradictory evidence from the British Nutrition Foundation (2008). The result of all of this is that the smoothies market declined by some 36% between 2007 and 2009 (Mintel Report Sales Brochure, 2010). The smoothie market is now showing signs of a fragile recovery and Mintel forecasts that improved economic conditions, together with the increased penetration of the childrens market, will see the smoothies sector returning to growth soon (Mintel Report Sales Brochure, 2010). 1.2 Background to Innocent From its founding vision of Europes favourite little juice company, Innocent has now moved on its goal to being the earths favourite little food company by 2030. This new vision encompasses food and not just drink and demonstrates how Innocent is moving in parallel with its customers desire for a whole range of fresh and natural foodstuffs (Innocent Drinks Annual Report, 2007). The brand leader in the smoothie market, Innocent, has largely been responsible for fuelling the growth in the market and despite the general market downturn, it still commands an 80% market share. However, Innocents market share has been boosted, not just by its own performance, but also by the decision taken by PepsiCo to remove its PJs smoothie brand in early 2009 (Mintel, 2010). 2.0 The Principles and Practice of Customer Relationship Management This CRM approach to business focuses on the retention of customers and the building of relationships with those customers. The concept of customer retention, as a lower cost option than a constant cycle of customer acquisition and loss, is a discipline that organisations have understood for many years (Rosenberg and Czepiel, 1984). However, some researchers have suggested there is a lack of evidence to support the quantifiable, financial benefits of customer retention (Dowling and Uncles, 1997). The notion of both retaining customers and enhancing customer relationships, in order to make them more durable and thus more profitable, has also been advocated by academics for some years (Berry, 1983). However, the idea of customer satisfaction as a function of relationship enhancement did not gain favour amongst theorists until the early 1990s (Crosby et al., 1990; Perrien and Ricard, 1995). The term customer relationship management (CRM) to describe an all embracing customer management system was not used until the mid-1990s in the information technology industry and was later described by Ryals and Payne (p.3, 2001) as information-enabled relationship marketing. The interchangeable nature of the terms customer relationship management and relationship marketing is now generally accepted (Zablah et al, p. 116, 2003). The successful implementation of CRM practises in the grocery retail sector has been well evidenced in the case of Tesco, which is the UKs leading supermarket chain. Its clubcard customer loyalty programme was first launched in 1995 and now has over seven million members (Tesco website, 2010). The scheme delivers a range of benefits to customers who shop both at Tescos stores and at its online supermarket and it also provides valuable market intelligence on shoppers purchasing habits, which feeds back into Tescos marketing planning process (Tesco website, 2010). This enables Tesco to deliver highly targeted and personalised communications via direct marketing which serves to further enhance the relationship with its customer base. A criticism frequently levelled at customer loyalty schemes is that they are not proven to foster loyalty nor do they deliver incremental sales and profits for an organisation (Dowling and Uncles, 1997). Tesco, however, has produced ample evidence that its loyalty scheme does indeed deliver on all of these counts (Humby et al, 2007). 3.0 Innocent drinks Customer Relationship Management Strategy Innocent has largely adopted a traditional approach to its marketing relying heavily on above-the-line promotion to build equity in its brand, which has been successful, as evidenced by its huge market share. Innocent has, however, dabbled in relationship marketing techniques in the past in order to attempt to increase the loyalty of its customers and encourage them to engage with the brand more. For an example, in August 2003, Innocent created Fruitstock, which was positioned as a free festival for nice people, the nice people in this case being Innocents customers. The event included live music and food stalls (Sahlman, 2004, p.8). Innocent spent nearly one third of its annual marketing budget on the first Fruitstock and repeated the event a year later when it attracted over 80,000 people (Sahlman, 2004, p.8) Commenting on the first Fruitstock, Richard Reed, Innocent co-founder, said, This event cost about  £200,000 to put on. At this point, I cant prove that it was a good investment. From a hard numbers perspective, maybe wed have been better off hiring new salespeople. But we are doing things that are hard to quantify. From a hard numbers perspective, why waste time on labels? There are important secondary benefits to things like Fruitstock: We had customers in the VIP area having a great day with their families. Employees could come with their family and friends. Its not just about advertising-it helps with recruiting, PR, and other areas. (Sahlman, 2004, p.8) Fruitstock has since been abandoned with Innocents CRM strategy now focussed on its website and associated newsletter which is sent to over 120,000 customers. However, Marketing Director at Innocent, Charlotte Rawlins, admits Were perhaps not as sophisticated in database management as wed like to be but  we do realise the value of direct contact and are going to make our newsletters more personalised (Turner, 2008). Innocents only structured current CRM strategy is based on its family, which is basically an informal club for customers. The benefits of membership seem to be limited to the entitlement to receive a monthly electronic newsletter and the promise of invitations to special events (Innocent website, 2010). 4.0 The Marketing Audit A marketing audit is a formal and structured review of an organisations existing marketing activities and market environment. The diagram below shows the role of the marketing audit in the overall marketing process. Objectives Marketing Audit Analysis Feedback Planning Implementation Control Feedback Evaluation 4.2 PESTEL Analysis A PESTEL analysis is deployed to enable an organisation to examine the external macro-environment that it operates in, as follows (Gillespie, 2007). (P)olitical This refers to government policy in terms of the degree of intervention there is, if any, in the marketplace. In 2004 the Food Standards Agency in the UK positioned itself to tackle the obesity problem by stating that there was going to be a focus on convincing consumers to seek out healthier food options. It also demanded that the food and drinks industry supported it in this stance (Food Standards Agency, 2004). The Agency did, however, concede that the industry had already made some progress in offering consumers healthier options but urged retailers in the sector to see this as part of their corporate social responsibility and not just as a marketing strategy to gain more business. Government efforts to promote healthier eating through an increased intake of fruit and vegetables with its 5-a-day campaign has created an awareness level of 74% amongst consumers with 58% claiming that they have taken action as a direct result (Food Standards Agency, 2008). (E)conomic This includes such factors as interest rates, taxation changes, economic status and growth prospects, inflation and exchange rates. Interest rates continue to be at an all time low with correspondingly lower mortgage payments for most homeowners. However, unemployment, and the threat of unemployment, in both the private and public sectors, has reduced consumer confidence resulting in a curtailment of spending on higher priced, so called luxury items. (S)ocial This covers changes in social trends that can impact on consumer demand. The age profile of the UK population is getting older. Currently 37.9% of the UK population is aged 45 or more. By 2031 this is forecast to grow to 45.7% (Office for National Statistics, 2010). There is a definite cultural shift towards healthier eating in the UK. It is unlikely that we will ever put health before taste, but brands that manage to combine great taste with practicality as well as a positive health proposition, are in an ideal position to win full marks from the consumer'(Quick, p. 3, 2008) (T)echnological This examines how new technologies create new products and new processes. The ubiquitous internet and the rapid onward march of mobile electronic communications devices will increasingly influence the way consumers interact with, and buy, branded products. (E)nvironmental Environmental factors include the weather and climate change and how these may impact on the marketplace. Global warming and climate change are impacting on the UK. With a generally warmer climate in prospect for the future the soft drinks market (including smoothies) may stand to benefit from environmental conditions. (L)egal This covers the legal environment and framework within which the organisation and its competitors operate. There are no current legal issues that may impact on the market. 4.4 Porters Five Forces Porters Five Forces model allows an organisation to examine how its micro market operates (Porter, p.49, 1980) The Threat of New Entrants includes such issues as capital requirements; brand identity and reputation; access to distribution; expected response from existing market players. Innocent enjoys an 80% share of the UK Smoothies market so it is vulnerable to threats from new entrants. However, the newest entrant into the market and number two in terms of share, Tropicana, has made little headway despite the equity in its brand gained through its fruit juice products and despite a heavyweight promotional spend (Mintel, 2010). The Bargaining Power of Suppliers suppliers of everything from raw materials to expertise can exert pressure on a business in different ways. For example they could charge premium prices for a unique, high quality or difficult to obtain ingredient or service. Innocent sources its raw materials from thousands of farms all over the world so is not particularly vulnerable to the bargaining power of its suppliers. In fact the bargaining power tends to lie with Innocent itself. The Bargaining Power of Buyers this refers to the ability of customers to put pressure on a business to reduce its current prices and to not increase prices. This pressure can manifest itself in different ways such as consumers switching allegiance to other brands based on price sensitivity. Smoothies are sold at a premium price in the fruit juices market. The market for smoothies is very price sensitive particularly during difficult economic times when consumers are liable to seek out lower priced alternatives such as pure fruit drinks. The Threat of Substitute Products this threat relates to the propensity of consumers to switch, not necessarily just to direct competitors but also to substitute products. Substitute products, in the form of supermarket own labels, pose a significant threat to established brands in the smoothie marketplace. The leading brands, such as Innocent, are suffering from consumers switching to own label smoothie and fruit juice products, in the shorter term, due mainly to price considerations. The extent of this switch is evidenced by the fact that the large supermarkets now dominate the fruit juice drinks market with their own brands (Keynote, 2010). The growth of supermarket own label brands is having a big impact on the sale of manufacturer branded, fast-moving, consumer goods (Veloutsou et al., 2004). Supermarket own label brands are no longer just the lower quality and lower priced alternatives to manufacturer brands that they once were as, since the late 1990s, they have been offering a genuine quality option for consumers (Burt, 2000). Rivalry among Existing Businesses in the Marketplace this covers such factors as overall growth in the market sector; product differences; brand identity and reputation; the nature and diversity of competing businesses. Although the smoothies market in the UK enjoyed a period of exceptionally strong growth between 2005 and 2007, this has now been stalled by the impact of the recent economic recession and consumers switching their loyalty to alternative, cheaper pure fruit drinks (Mintel, 2010). Also, smoothies manufactures have failed to convince UK consumers that the drinks are not full of calories and are not bad for their teeth despite strong contradictory evidence from the British Nutrition Foundation (2008). 4.5 Changes in Consumer Behaviour The emergence of global brands, such as Coca-Cola and Apple, and the continuing globalisation of world markets, together with the introduction of new technologies, such as the internet, have all enabled consumers worldwide to interact more easily with the organisations from which they buy their products and services (Doole and Lowe, 2008). This, in turn, has fragmented many consumer markets and made them far more competitive than previously. Organisations have to increasingly recognise that the consumer is king in modern business and if they fail to satisfy those customers, organisations are unlikely to generate improved sales revenues and profits (Blackwell et al, p.10, 2001) Consumer behaviour patterns in the grocery retailing markets have evolved over the last twenty years and are continuing to change. For example, in the last few years government campaigns promoting healthy eating, such as the 5-a-day campaign, mean that consumers are more educated about the benefits of healthy options in their diet and are, consequently, increasingly demanding healthy food from their retailers. A quote taken from a report by Business Insights re-enforces this viewpoint: 80.6% of respondents agreed that over the next 5 years consumers will increase their uptake of functional health products, but will also continue to indulge. (Kemsley, 2006) 5.0 Proposals for Improving CRM 5.1 Intelligence gathering It has been seen that an integral part of effective CRM is customer satisfaction, which can ultimately lead to customer loyalty. However, for an organisation to truly be able to identify and satisfy the specific needs of its customers, it has to adopt one of the basic principles of market orientation namely, customer intelligence gathering (Kohli and Jaworski, 1990; Ruekert, 1992). The type of intelligence gathered should focus on customer feedback that gives the organisation insight into its market position vis-à  -vis its competitors (Ruekert, 1992). The dissemination of the intelligence throughout the organisation is as important as the gathering process (Kohli and Jaworski, 1990). Apart from its family club here is little evidence to suggest that Innocent is operating an effective customer intelligence gathering system so it needs to consider this as part of its overall CRM programme. Innocent should conduct regular focus groups and surveys of its customers and potential customers to constantly monitor customer expectations, in terms of product quality and performance. 5.2 Helping Customers to Adopt a Healthier Lifestyle The PESTEL analysis has shown that the political and social environments are very much pro healthy eating and drinking habits and, consequently, are conducive to the growth of the smoothie market. Also, the Porters Five Forces analysis has demonstrated that consumers are not convinced about the health benefits of smoothies. In addition changing consumer behaviour patterns mean that consumers are now more educated about the benefits of consuming healthy products than ever before. At present, 100% pure fruit juices and smoothies count as only one portion in terms of the criteria laid down for 5-a-day, regardless of how much of either product is consumed (Ruxton, 2008). This is in spite of the fact that research has shown that that pure fruit and vegetable juices, such as those contained in smoothies, offer comparable health benefits to those of whole fruits and vegetables, (Ruxton et al., 2006). The Porters Five Forces analysis has also shown that consumers are generally not convinced of the health benefits of smoothies. So there is an opportunity for Innocent to help its customers better understand the health benefits of smoothies and, at the same time, lobby for their support in recognising the true value of smoothies in a 5-a-day regime. If customers could be persuaded to pledge their support through, for example, signing an online petition in favour of the proper recognition of the value of each portion of smoothies then this would not only galvanise support for the case for smoothies but also raise customers awareness levels of the health benefits of smoothies. Additionally it would serve to increase customer engagement with the innocent brand. This, together with the inclusion of general healthy lifestyle advice within the Innocent family newsletter, would all work in favour of customer satisfaction with the brand and could all positively influence loyalty. 5.3 Promoting Loyalty through Customer Segmentation Changing consumer behaviour has been shown to have fragmented markets and intensified competition and the smoothies market is not immune to this trend. This is further evidenced by the Porters Five Forces analysis, which indicates that the smoothies market is facing intense competition from substitute products, in the shape of lower priced, pure fruit juices and supermarket own brand smoothies. In times of intense competition, customer loyalty programmes are often introduced in order to improve customer retention rates through the provision of rewards for customers or certain segments of customers (Bolton and Ockenfels, 2000). Although loyalty programmes have their critics research has shown that they can increase brand loyalty and profit (Caminal and Matutes 1990; Kim et al., 2001). The PESTEL analysis has also revealed that the UK population profile is forecast to shift increasingly to the over 45s. Innocent currently has little resonance with this market (Mintel, 2010) and consequently needs to engage with existing and potential customers in this age group. By targeting this market, Innocent will be able to grow its market share outside of its traditional core audience, which is the market segment in which there is the most intense competition. Innocent should, therefore, consider developing a smoothie drink especially for the over 45s, which would have a formula made up of ingredients that have specific health benefits for this particular audience. Research has shown that the over 45s are increasingly conscious of their health needs and are seeking out the so called magic foods which include berries, almonds, and ginger (Starling, 2010). Innocent could easily manufacture a smoothie for this market containing such ingredients, which are natural and would not compromise its commitment to using 100% natural ingredients. Innocent could then also segment its CRM programme by specifically addressing these customers in its direct marketing activity and it could create a special family of over 45s within its existing overall customer family. By producing a separate newsletter for this audience, with unique and relevant content and incentives, Innocent could, for the first time, start to build relationships with the over 45 age group. 6.0 Summary and Conclusions The smoothies market experienced dramatic growth up until 2007 when the impact of the worldwide economic recession brought the market to a halt. Innocent has retained its market share and continues to be the dominant player albeit in a market that has suffered from declining sales for the last three years. Innocent has achieved its dominance primarily through heavyweight promotional support for its brand. However, this strategy alone is no longer enough to sustain the business in a changed world of fragmented and globalised markets where consumers demand more from their brands. The marketplace is well set to work in Innocents favour, however, with the UK government being committed to improving the health of the nation and consumers themselves having become more educated about the benefits of a healthier lifestyle. Nonetheless, consumer scepticism about just how healthy smoothies really are is currently restricting growth of the market. Also, the ongoing tough economic situation is ca using some consumers to switch from the premium priced, manufacturer- branded drinks to more affordable supermarket own brands and to other products, such as pure fruit juice drinks, which consumers perceive as having similar health benefits. So there is a big task ahead for the Innocent brand inasmuch as it needs to persuade its customers of the true health benefits of its products. There is a precedent for the implementation of an effective CRM programme in the grocery retail sector in the shape of Tescos Clubcard. For Innocent, it is proposed that a much expanded CRM programme could help alleviate the negative effects of the current market conditions that are working against its growth objectives. These health giving benefits are probably the most important attribute that smoothies possess and Innocent, as market leader, needs to demonstrate its leadership qualities by engaging in more meaningful relationships with its customers and persuading them of the healthy nature of its products and campaigning with them for a greater recognition of this factor in the political environment. It is also important for Innocent to broaden its product appeal and establish meaningful and durable relationships with a market sector it h as failed to penetrate to date, namely the over 45s age group. Underpinning any successful CRM initiative is the gathering of customer intelligence. Innocent needs to invest in this area by conducting more research with its customers using tools such as paper based and online surveys and focus groups, in order to truly understand trends in the marketplace, the nature of its customers buying behaviour and, most importantly, how its customers relate to the Innocent brand. Only by doing this can Innocent construct and implement a CRM programme that will have resonance with its customers, and potential customers, and will, consequently, deliver an opportunity for deeper, more meaningful and mutually beneficial customer relationships.

Reefer Madness Essay -- essays research papers

I. Introduction and Overview   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is something very interesting about a book with a cover promising lurid tales of sex, drugs, and cheap labor. The persona of Eric Schlosser's subject and the effective marketing behind it are very verbose in nature. Here in this book, Eric Schlosser is keeping with the long tradition of the so called, â€Å"yellow† journalism, in wresting the black market, from the back alleys of public consciousness and putting it on display in the storefront of the eye of everyone. In the painfully, yet enjoyable essays, Eric Schlosser takes us on many numerous excursions through the war on marijuana, the lives of immigrant farm workers, and the very dirty sex industry in the United States. He paints a very graphic image of hypocrisy in the policies of the U.S. government by examining the power of the economy of the underground and the misuse of government resources in legislating morality to its public. . II. Major Issues In each of the authors essays in this book, is the truth of the smut and other things of the American ideal. You could say it is a liitle bit Weber's Protestant Ethic meets Larry Flynt. In each scenario, whether through agricultural facility and personal liberties, in the case of marijuana criminalization; immigrants in search of a better life, in the case of stigmatized farm workers; or punishing a successful businessman because of his lack of morals, Eric Schlosser returns to the unpleasant image of America as a bundle of hypocrisies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On one level, each scenario is of an American archetype of success. For a country that prides itself on its immigrant history, hard-work ethic, and financial success stories, it seems strange to make these folks look like the villains. This is what Eric Schlosser is getting at: that these people would be heroes if the American ideal were anything more than a myth. Forgotten in that ideal, rationalized somehow, is the fact that our national heritage also includes a strong grounding in Puritanical morality somewhat. This is perhaps one of the most dissatisfying aspects of Schlosser's book, that the exploration of our moral grounding is never explored all that deeply, even though it is criticized. However, it is indisputable that the author, Schlosser, feels that the American ideal has a dangerous and powerful hold on the public co... ...ese topics, or is he attempting to establish himself as a liberal?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps, ironically, Schlosser's book is attractive for the same reasons that its subjects are, it is a type of book you do not want to be caught reading. In the United States, especially in the patriotic surge following the 2001 terrorist attacks, it is unfashionable to question nationalistic conventions. If teenagers are drawn to marijuana because their parents forbid it and married men are lured by the pornography stands because it is immoral, is it also possible that disenchanted citizens are tempted by a book that portrays its government and policies as laced with duplicity? We may never know.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Table Of Contents I. Introduction and Overview II. Major Issues In The Book III. Conclusion â€Å"Reefer Madness† overview

Interview With an Elderly Person Essay -- social issues, illness, depr

Aging and being old was dominated by negative characteristics and conditions such as illness, depression, and isolation for a long time (Eibach, Mock, & Courtney, 2010). At first glance the terms â€Å"success† and â€Å"aging† seem to be in conflict to each other. When asking people about aging, their answers have many facets that are also found in psychological definitions: successful aging is seen as health, maturity and personal growth, self-acceptance, happiness, generativity, coping, and acceptance of age-related limitations. In the psychological sense successful aging is also often seen as the absence of age-associated characteristics (Strawbridge, Wallhagen, & Cohen, 2002). It seems that successful aging means is not aging. Methods I interviewed my 92 year old neighbor who, I believe, presents a case of successful aging. As far as I can tell, she has not experienced many limitations due to age. She is spirited, active, and bright. Other neighbors tell me that she has been somewhat physically restrained in the recent past, and she has been using a walker more frequently, but she seems to be fine with that. She grew up in Germany, a country that is very close to the United States in regards to how people view aging. According to McConatha, Schnell, Volkwein, Riley, and Leach (2003), Germans, compared to US Americans, view aging a somewhat more negatively. They are often more pessimistic about the likelihood of finding contentment in old age and generally do not expect to feel good when they are older. To my surprise, my aunts views about aging were very positive. The Interview Questions The following interview was held on the 1st of March 2014 over the phone. I asked my aunt a few questions and gave her the reason... ...velopment. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. McConatha, J. T., Schnell, F., Volkwein, K., Riley, L., & Leach, E. (2003). Attitudes toward aging: a comparative analysis of young adults from the United States and Germany. International Journal Of Aging & Human Development, 57(3), 203–215. Ong, A. D., Bergeman, C. S., Bisconti, T. L., & Wallace, K. A. (2006). Psychological resilience, positive emotions, and successful adaptation to stress in later life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(4), 730. Quoidbach, J., Gilbert, D. T., & Wilson, T. D. (2013). The end of history illusion. Science, 339(6115), 96–98. Rowe, J. W., & Kahn, R. L. (1997). Successful aging. The Gerontologist, 37(4), 433–40. Strawbridge, W. J., Wallhagen, M. I., & Cohen, R. D. (2002). Successful aging and well-being: Self-rated compared with Rowe and Kahn. The Gerontologist, 42(6), 727–33.

Fate in Homer’s Iliad Essay

Talking about fate as about the only force that determines the human actions means to refer to a term that vexes and limits the human condition. The fate is given by the reaction of gods, but it is placed above people and gods. The gods participate to the human existence to help or to oppress them. The success doesn’t depend on the individual value, but on the support provided by Immortals, without any justification. Zeus is presented as the incarnation of a supreme force, but with an arbitrary will, whose manifestations can’t be predicted or avoided. The good and bad are related to criteria that have nothing to do with virtue or justice. The two Homeric poems Iliad and Odyssey are perfect mirrors of the Greek culture. For centuries they have fed the Greek spirit and remained models imitated by the art works and the everyday ones. Ulysses and Achilles, who dominate throw their extraordinary personality, are models of the Greek hero, Ulysses being presented as an Apollonian hero and Achilles as a Dionysian hero. The fate is present in Iliad as an answer to the existence and role of man, being responsible for his actions and decisions. It also determines the life of Gods, although they don’t have a destiny and they can not be judged for the consequences of their acts, as they are immortals. â€Å"But once they reached the springs for the fourth time,  Then Father Zeus held out his sacred golden scales:   In them he placed two fates of death that lays men low –  One for Achilles, one for Hector breaker of horses –  And gripping the beam mid-haft the Father raised it high  And down went Hector’s day of doom, dragging him down  To the strong House of Death.†Ã‚  (Homer. The Iliad. Richmond Lattimore, translator. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (1951) 22. 248-54) The Homeric epics are inspired by a series of mythical and historical events, known all around the world. Iliad narrates. In the Book 1, Thetis, the mother of Achilles, tells him: â€Å"Doomed to a short life, you have so little time. / and not only short, now, but filled with heartbreak too, / more than all other men alive – doomed twice over†   (Homer. The Iliad. Richmond Lattimore, translator. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (1951), 1. 496-98). The Trojan War was a military conflict from antiquity, between the city of Troy and Achaeans. According to Greek mythology, the war started because Paris, the prince of Troy kidnapped Elena, Menelaus’ wife, the king of Sparta. This conflict is one of the most important events in the cycle of Greek myths, including the great Antique epic poems, Iliad and Odyssey, both written by Homer. The sky and the Earth are united by Zeus throw rain (Zeus ombrios, hyetios, ikma, ios), wind (Zeus urios, euanemos), thunder (Zeus astrapaios, bronton, keraunos), signs and oracles that transmit to the immortals from Erath the messages sent by the heavenly gods. The immortality, which is a precise boundary between humans and gods, in the eyes of Greeks, it represents an essential feature of Divine. In Homeric epics, especially in the Iliad, it is presented a merge between the world of gods and the world of humans. Each divinity acquired its own physiognomy, characterized by specific attributes. The relations between gods and humans, as they have been presented by Homer, raise numerous issues regarding the influence of Gods on the life on Earth, even on the psychology of heroes. Homer hates the war but recognizes its power. Achilles does not come out in the battlefield until Patroclus, his most beloved friend, was killed. In that moment of blind rage, Achilles has fulfilled fault, refusing Hector to pass throw the usual rituals, to reach on the land of Hades. In fact, from the beginning to the end, it can be noticed the power of fate. Paris kidnaps Elena, all the Trojans are affected by his act, but none of them try to send her back to Menelaus and all approve the beginning of the war. â€Å"Sing, goddess, the rage of Achilles the son of Peleus, The destructive rage that sent countless ills on the Achaeans†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Iliad, Book 1) Being presumptuous, Agamemnon insists to take Briseis, a slave taken from the temple of Apollo, despite the heavy words and threats of Achilles. Regarding Achilles, it was not about fault, but about a prediction, as he was meant to choose: either he wouldn’t have known the greatness of conquering such a fortress and his name wouldn’t have survived   in time, either he wouldn’t gone to Troy and would have died of natural death. Achilles, obviously refused the anonymity and died, but not before struggling with the god of a river, who was mad because of the various crimes committed by the hero in its waters. He managed to escape from this challenge, as he was helped by gods. The fate is also present in Athena’s words, when she addresses to Achilles:  Yes!   We will save your life – this time too –  Master, mighty Achilles!   But the day of death  Already hovers near, and we are not to blame But a great god is and the strong force of fate. (19 . 483-86)  The men’s destiny is responsible for his death, and not the other men.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The son of a great man, the mother who gave me life a deathless goddess.   But even for me, I tell you, death and the strong force of fate are waiting.  There will come a dawn or sunset or high noon when a man will take my life in battle too  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ flinging a spear perhaps or whipping a deadly arrow off his bow.   â€Å" (Homer. The Iliad. Richmond Lattimore, translator. Chicago: University of Chicago Press (1951) , 21. 122-28)†, said Achilles when he referred to his own fate. It is not about a clear hierarchy of the cosmic powers, as the Gods and fate are often perceived by the characters as being the same. A personified Fate or Fury answers to unclear questions about the human nature and inexplicable events. Iliad has a consistent subject, based on Achilles wrath. In the center of conflict, shines the absolute hero, the ruthless winner, violent and courageous, but also the sacrificed hero, who will spread death around him. The name of Achilles is uttered by all soldiers, and Peleus, the father of Achilles, is desired and regretted by all. Achilles wanted to die in the war, but by an irony, he is killed by one of the most sympathetic of the heroes of Homer, a war novice- Paris, the shame and curse of Trojans.