Digitalis Toxicity Report

The accounts of digitalis toxicity due to overdose in 1985 specify 1,015 cases including 584 patients that are below 6 years old and 56 patients aging 6-17 years old. The greater part of these documented toxicity cases (83%) come about without the purpose of overdosing (Kwon, 2006). The prevalence of digitalis toxicity had a rising trend for some time until it was acknowledged in the early 1990’s that reduction in toxicity cases was observed. Among the studies that concluded the decreased cases of digitalis toxicity was the research conducted by Haynes et al.In there study, it was noted that the cases of digitalis toxicity in United States and United Kingdom manifested a decreasing trend in the past two decades. Hospitalizations in relation to digitalis toxicity were notably reduced in United States whereas in United Kingdom the cases of ambulatory digitalis toxicity also lessened. The decreased incidence of digitalis toxicity in the U. S. is correlated to the diminished admin istration of this drug. The dilemma due to digitalis toxicity has significantly reduced in the two above mentioned countries (Haynes, et al, 2008).Though incidence of digitalis toxicity is turning to the decreasing side it is no reason to disregard the threats of toxicity that consumers of this substance are exposed to. Digitalis is drug extracted from the leaves of the plant called Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea). The utilization of foxglove as a medicinal plant already exists for centuries. But the popularity of this plant was not that intense until an English botanist and physician named William Withering in the 1700’s pioneered the establishing of digitalis as a cardiac drug.This doctor conducted a detailed study of digitalis. Withering was also responsible for the determination of the most effective preparation of the drug as well as the correct dosages for various heart ailments. This English physician was also responsible for the setting up the standards of when to abort the therapy using digitalis because of its toxic effects (NetIndustries, 2008). The mode of action of digitoxin involves the inhibition of the Na-K ATPase in myocytes to increase heart muscles contractility.The drug attach to the binding sites situated in the extra cytoplasm of the sodium- and potassium-activated adenosine triphosphate (Na-K ATPase) pump preventing the active transfer of Na and K across the cell membranes. The resulting high concentrations of sodium and calcium as well as the low amounts of potassium in the intracellular part of the muscle cell promotes the fourth stage myocardial action potential creating a decreased conduction velocity and amplification of ectopic activity.The end result boost in the contractility of heart muscles due to the action of digitalis is beneficial to various heart ailments (Kwon, 2006). This is utilized as a drug therapy for heart problems. This substance is specifically indicated in cases of persistent systolic heart failure symptoms despite the administration of diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), and beta blocker; and, cases of congestive heart failure with atrial fibrillation.The objective of the therapy using digitoxin ranges from 0.5 to 1. 0 ng/mL. The administration of digitoxin is contraindicated in patients that are receiving primary therapy for acute decompensated heart failure stabilization and during cases of sinus or atrioventricular (AV) except for cases of prior pacemaker treatment applied (Kwon, 2006). Medicine administered within the range of its therapeutic dose rarely produce toxicity. The established daily therapeutic dose of digitoxin varies from 0. 0005 mg/kg (for young infants) to 0. 75 mg/kg (for mature individuals).This drug in tablet preparations has the estimated absorption of 70-80% and a bioavailability of 95%. In oral administrations (per os / PO), the action onset of digitoxin transpires after 30-120 minutes whereas in intravenous route action onset to occur requires onl y 5-30 minutes. The threshold of the effect of this drug after oral and intravenous routes is 2-6 hrs and 5-30 minutes respectively. An estimate of 60-80% of the digitoxin intake is excreted by the kidney without structure and properties change(Kwon, 2006). The lethal dose of this drug varies with the age of the patients.Doses above 10 mg per individual even in healthy adults will cause death but doses lower than 5 mg infrequently produces problems such as toxicity. In children, the intake of doses above 0. 3 mg/kg or 4 mg per individual often causes fatality (Kwon, 2006). The population which is highly at risked with the development of digitoxin toxicity are the infants and the old people. The threats of digitalis toxicity include intake of medicines like digitoxin and digoxin; and, digitalis interaction with other drugs like verapamil, amiodarone, and quinidine.Having below normal levels of potassium in the body such as the patients medicated with potassium losing diuretics is als o at risk of the toxic effects of digitalis. People with kidney damage and having little amounts of magnesium are also prone to digitalis toxicity. Caution should be observed in administering digitalis as well as other medicines to patients with kidney damage because the capacity of the body to excrete any drug taken is also diminished along with the kidney problem. Thus, the drug has the tendency to accumulate in the kidney and increasing the possibility of toxicity (â€Å"Digitalis Toxicity†).Occurrence of digitalis toxicity can be due to two mechanisms: the above therapeutic amounts of digitalis in the patient’s body, and the lowering of the patient’s digitalis tolerance. The toxicity can be caused by either or both of the mechanisms. The toxicity of this drug can happen with one exposure to the drug as well as the gradual toxicity. Some patients suffer the effects of digitalis toxicity despite the normal blood levels of this drug because of the existence of other digitalis toxicity risk factors (â€Å"Digitalis Toxicity†).Other disease and metabolic conditions that serve as risk factors of the toxic effects of this drug are: hypoxemia, hypothyroidism, and alkalosis (Kwon, 2006). The mortality rates due to digitalis toxicity vary with the details of the population. The direct consequence of cardiac toxicity in digitalis toxicity result to 3-21% mortality rate. Male individuals are more prone to this drug’s toxicity compared to the females. The young and old people have increased risks to digitalis toxicity than the other age brackets.Ingestion of digitalis medicines of their grandparents is the primary cause of toxicity among children (Kwon, 2006). The symptoms of toxicity due to digitalis include strange changes in vision like color perception problems, blurring of vision, having visual blind spots, and having visual bright light spots; nausea; vomiting; pulse irregularities; appetite loss; palpitations; confusion; genera l swelling; lower urine volume; lowered consciousness; and, breathing difficulty during lying down (â€Å"Digitalis Toxicity†).The treatment regimen for digitalis toxicities comprise of specific, symptomatic, and supportive therapy phases. The supportive therapy phase for this toxicity case consists of electrolyte imbalance correction, dehydration treatment using IV fluids, and oxygen support equipped with ventilation. It is frequently prescribed by medical practitioners to supplement potassium in cases wherein the patient has potassium levels lower than 4 mmol/L.The recommendation of diuresis induction is not approved due to the tendency to aggravate the electrolyte imbalances and the renal excretion of the drug is not enhanced by this process (Kwon, 2006). The specific therapy phase involves the administration of digoxin-specific Fab antibody fragments that are noted to be of significant success in treating severe acute digitalis toxicity. This drug is sort of the antidote for digitalis toxicities as well as other complications in relation to digitalis.Immediate administration of digoxin-specific Fab antibody is recommended upon deducing digitalis toxicity. The prompt treatment digoxin immune fab will decrease the morbidity and mortality rates of digitalis toxicities. To contradict arrhythmias that might occur in digitalis toxicity treatment with phynetoin is advised (Kwon, 2006). The recommended method for gastrointestinal cleansing is the utilization of multiple-dose activated charcoal (1gram/kilogram weight of patient/day). Administration of ipecac syrup to induce emesis is contraindicated due to the activation of the vagal tones.Other possible methodologies of eliminating the toxic amounts of digitalis in a patient’s body are gastric lavage, whole-bowel irrigations, and steroid binding resins like colestipol and cholestyramine. These three aforementioned therapeutic regimens though have constraints like the vagal effects and the lack of sub stantial data to support their efficacy in these toxicity cases (Kwon, 2006). Even if the incidence of digitalis toxicity cases have plunged the vigilance regarding this condition should not stop.The drug prescriptions of digitalis for heart problems should be ensured by the medical practitioners to be under the therapeutic dosages. The availability of this drug to children should also be eliminated to prevent the accidental ingestion of this drug. Since digitalis in an important cardiac drug various researches has been conducted involving this medicinal substance. The medical industry should not stop there though; further studies can still be done to improve the value of digitalis as a therapeutic agent without compromising the patient’s safety.

Explore the Construction of Identiy in Hamlet and Beowulf Essay

â€Å"’Identity has been increasingly used to refer to the social and historical make-up of a person, personality as a construct. Sometimes such identities are conceived narrowly psychological, individualist terms, as the cumulative result of personal experience and family history† This is seen particularly in Beowulf where all men are referred to as their fathers’ sons’. Family history was massively important in those times and men well often well respected because of the heroic things their ancestors had done. Warriors also felt the need to reach the same level of notoriety. This is shown when we are first introduced to Beowulf. We are told about his father before even knowing his name: â€Å"In his day, my father was a famous man a noble warrior-lord named Ecgtheow† Similarly in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, purely through learning of Hamlet’s lineage we discover he is the son of the king and this plays an important part of his identity and the events throughout the play. In most novels, plays and poems, the identity of the protagonist changes the more we get to know the character; the more that happens the more we think we know what they are like. This is the same for real life, when we first meet people we are often uncertain about their identity and personality, we usually learn more about them through their actions and associations. This is true for Beowulf; because it is set in the third person we learn about him through what he does and what he says. A text being in third person can also be useful; the narrator can offer definite and universal truths about the character which can be especially useful as it is almost impossible for a writer to create a character that will be interpreted the same way by every person that reads it. Characters are read in different ways throughout the generations and from culture to culture. It could therefore be argued that identity is not created through the author but by the readers. Hamlet, being a play, has many long soliloquies where he reveals his inner thoughts to the audience in first person. In soliloquies the character usually asks a rhetorical question and then answers it; this allows the audience to understand the character’s emotions and motives, something especially important in Hamlet where some of his actions would be considered very unconventional or deranged. This helps us to empathise with Hamlet and engage ourselves in the plot. â€Å"O that this too  too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d His canon ’gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable† This is the beginning of Hamlet’s first soliloquy when he learns of his father’s death and his mother’s betrayal by marrying Claudius less than two months after his father’s death. He contemplates suicide to escape what he describes as a ‘weary stale, flat and unprofitable’ world and wishes it was not a sin against God. Not only does this soliloquy reveal his true feelings about his mother and Claudius, it shows us that he is religious which accounts for his delay in murdering the new King even under his dead father’s orders. The thoughts of other characters, not only the protagonist are important as they help to keep the play timeless. In Hamlet, murder is nothing abnormal, almost expected whereas now it is a very serious offence for anyone, including the monarchy. Not only that, but seeing a ghost is not normal behaviour for a 21st century reader, without the other characters seeing the ghost we would be unable to distinguish between reality and Hamlet’s madness. Horatio talks to the ghost like it is a real thing: â€Å"Horatio: Stay, speak, speak, I charge thee speak.† It can be concluded that identity is how the characters act within the times in which they live in. Identity is therefore impossible to create without the concept of time and the context that the text was written in. Texts are sometimes altered to appeal more to certain audiences from different times and locations such as: â€Å"Hormone Imbalance’s Ophelia (1979), in which Ophelia is a lesbian and runs off with a woman servant to join a guerrilla commune; Curtis’s obscenely funny The skinhead Hamlet (1982) and Jean Bett’s Ophelia thinks harder (1993), in which the heroine acts assertively while the hero dithers.† This goes against the thesis that states identity is created by experience and implies that identity is subject to time, location and the audience it is written for. It could also be argued that each of these different variations of Hamlet have created a completely different identity in each text. Someone’s identity is not fixed; it changes over time as the character develops and often through self discovery or even (In the case of Hamlet) an identity crisis due to conflicted values and internal and external pressures. The shift in opinions and ideas of the character constructs a more complicated identity that is more difficult to label. Throughout the whole text, Beowulf has the same ambitions and desires; to be a legendary warrior. Hamlet on the other hand discovers his morality and desires as he goes a long. This makes Hamlet’s identity much less solid and more complex. He is not a normal character in the sense that he goes against social norms; his unorthodox approach to life and the truth means he is isolated and becomes a threat to those around him, specifically the new King. In the beginning of the play, Hamlet seems to have lost his identity; he has lost his father (like Beowulf lineage was of great importance, especially being part of the monarchy), his status as heir to the throne is in jeopardy as Fortinbras plans to attack and his uncle is now his step father. Beowulf establishes his identity as a warrior and a hero by recounting his successful endeavours: â€Å"They had seen me bolstered in the blood of enemies  when I battled and bound five beasts,  raided a troll-nest and in the night sea  slaughtered sea-brutes. I have suffered extremes  and avenged the Geats (their enemies brought it upon themselves, I devastated them).† Beowulf is a warrior more by reputation than what he actually does throughout the duration of the text. Although he defeats Grendel fairly quickly after being introduced to us, and after that Grendel’s mother, fifty years pass without much detail of Beowulf’s triumphs. The form of both texts has an impact on the identity of both Beowulf and Hamlet as individuals but also society as a whole in the two texts. Beowulf is an epic poem which are traditionally used to recount heroic acts and important events in history. This gives the text an authentic feel as well as reflecting the culture of the times in which Beowulf lived in; most stories were shared by word of mouth, often by song or poetry and not often documented. Men craved the notoriety and were willing to die in battle do  achieve it. The unusualness of an epic poem also reflects complete difference of the world we live in where we not only have no warrior culture, people generally don’t die for fame and monsters don’t exist. Hamlet being a play is much more than just the text and was written to be performed instead of just read. Hamlet’s – and every other character’s – identity is created not only through his choices and the things he says but how he says them and facial expressions/movement. For example Hamlet’s ‘madness’ can be seen much easier through exaggerated actions than it can be through stage directions or obvious comments from other actors. Personality traits such as thoughtfulness, arrogance, insecurity and Claudius’ guilt can also be seen more clearly when performed on stage. Another complication of Hamlet being on stage is that every actor will play the part differently. Not only will age and clothing affect perceptions of identity, the way in which scenes are acted out will also change the character. One way of creating a complex identity is through giving the character a fatal flaw. This is most prominent in Hamlet; his fatal flaw is his indecisiveness to act on his father’s orders. Every event in the play leading to Hamlet’s death and including every other death except that of his father’s was down to his inability to make a decision to kill Claudius and act on it. Not only does his hesitation to kill Claudius in prayer expose his fatal flaw but if he had gone ahead with the act then he could have been seen as evil and his identity would have changed dramatically, this adds to the argument that it is the plot and events in the text that construct the character’s identity. Language also has an effect on emphasising certain aspects of a characters identity. For example the clown – clown is not necessarily the same as a clown in the 21st century, in Shakespearean times a clown was not a very important member of society – in Hamlet creates a contrast and almost acts to remind us of Hamlet’s social status and power. The clown also adds an element of humour to the scene which breaks up the tension and acts to emphasise Hamlet’s melancholic nature. â€Å"HAMLET: Here’s another. Why may not that be the skull of a lawyer? Where be his quiddities now, his quillets, his cases, his tenures, and his tricks? Why does he suffer this  mad knave now to knock him about the sconce with a dirty shovel, and will not tell him of his action of battery? Hum! This fellow might be in’s time a great buyer of land, with his statutes, his recognizances, his fines, his double vouchers, his recoveries. Is this the fine of his fines, and the recovery of his recoveries, to have his fine pate full of fine dirt? Will his vouchers vouch him no more of his purchases, and double ones too, than the length and breadth of a pair of indentures? The very conveyances of his lands will scarcely lie in this box, and must th’inheritor himself have no more, ha?† Contrasting language by using words together in this soliloquy such as ‘shovel’ and ‘dirt’ with ‘recognizances’ and ‘conveyances’ demonstate his conflicting identity. The ‘Ha?’ at the end also acts as a rhetorical question which marks a change on his views of wealth, power and death. In conclusion, although identity of a character has many contributing factors, the protagonists in both texts would have no identity at all without experiences that shaped their personality and traits throughout the text. Although language and form have an effect on identity, it is the plot that has the most impact on the character.

Window Display

As the target audience is young, modern people this combination of minimalism and fashion will help reach nearby affluent consumers as well as the ones who are Just curiously passing by. As the first point of contact before a consumer enters into a retail space, window displays continue to give consumers essential information. They can communicate what is contained within the retail space, offer information about certain products and sales and, perhaps most importantly, set expectations about the experience that the consumer will have within the store's walls.This store window ells a captivating brand story in 10 seconds, showing the essential pieces of the brand: t-shirts, denim, ascetic shirts and modern, one-of-a-kind accessories. This window decoration is simple and does not attack to customer with plenty of bright colors and chaotic forms in order to stay relevant. Main task of this store window Is to in a simple and aesthetic way show potential customer what this brand is about , avoiding provoking props and flashy decorations that are distracting from center piece – apparel and accessories.Furniture that are included in this window display re clothing rack and neon light object as a reference to newest spring/summer 2014 trends. Neon stand lamp illuminates the clothing In dark hours of the day In order to keep this store window interactive at any time of the day. Another design element that underlines the simplicity of this set-up Is dark Cheap Monday sign, light colors of the retail space and minimalist hangers creating a pleasant contrast.Layout and diagonal lines In this composition that create attention and movement and symmetry between clothing rack and apparel that Is giving calm effect are the SST visible parameters In this window display. Clothing Is hanging In focal point – just below eye level, so the customer Is Instantly focused on the apparel. To secure proportions between elements shoes are placed In the front of the rack and a lso underneath the clothing creating two lines.As Cheap Monday mostly uses simple and plain colors as white, black and blue the window display consists of the same color line resembling the company. Ceiling and sides are white, floor Is light grey and the main light element Is neon lamp, besides the built-Len store light objects that does to Include In this display. Individuality and design are qualities that Cheap Monday wants to highlight. Window Display By kidders colors and chaotic forms in order to stay relevant.Main task of this store window is to trends. Neon stand lamp illuminates the clothing in dark hours of the day in order to that underlines the simplicity of this set-up is dark Cheap Monday sign, light colors of Layout and diagonal lines in this composition that create attention and movement and symmetry between clothing rack and apparel that is giving calm effect are the SST visible parameters in this window display.Clothing is hanging in focal point – just belo w eye level, so the customer is instantly focused on the apparel. To secure proportions between elements shoes are placed in the front of the rack and also color line resembling the company. Ceiling and sides are white, floor is light grey and the main light element is neon lamp, besides the built-in store light objects that does not include in this display. Individuality and design are qualities that Cheap Monday wants to highlight.

The musculoskeletal System - A Case Study - Short Answers Essay

The musculoskeletal System - A Case Study - Short Answers - Essay Example The wounds can be open or closed. Open wounds are common because the shaft of the tibia is just below the skin and subcutaneous tissue and is not covered with much soft tissue. Most of the tibial shaft fractures are associated with fibular fractures too. In Julia, the fracture occurred due to high speed accident. The fibula was however not involved and the wound was closed. The main sources of pain in Julia are the site of fracture, skin and subcutaneous tissue and the muscles surrounding the tibia. Fracture induces significant amount of inflammation and release of inflammatory mediators with cause pain, swelling, warmth and redness. During fracture, hematoma may be formed which can also cause pain (Rosenberg, 2007). Inflammatory cells, phagocytes and fibroblasts have a major role in the healing process of the fracture. Fracture causes formation of hematoma and a blood clot gets formed between the broken fragments of the fracture. After the initial few days following fracture, blood vessels grow within the clot. These blood vessels allow accumulation of phagocytes to the area which help in the removal of dead tissue. The blood vessels also cause pouring in of fibroblasts which multiply in the walls of the blood vessels and produce collagen fibres. These fibres replace the blood clot. The fibroblasts also lay down bone matrix or calcium hydroxyapatite which helps in the transformation of collagen to bone (Rosenberg, 2007). Factors which promote wound healing in Julia are immobilization, good nutrition, young age and absence of infection (Rosenberg, 2007; Konowalchuk, 2005 and Norvell, 2009). Immobilization is very essential to promote fracture healing. This is because, any movement of the fragments of the fracture hinder the process of healing. Movement disturbs the formation of clot and invasion of blood vessels within the clot. Decrease in the formation of blood vessels prevents invasion of fibroblasts essential for deposition of collagen and bone

Philosophy assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy assignment - Essay Example In his writing, Allegory of the Cave, found in The Republic, Plato referred to mimics as artificial replicas of certain real things. Next, based on discussion, explain how Plato might respond to this problem, and explain how this rebuttal nevertheless leads to the second problem of the so-called â€Å"participation problem† in respect to the Theory of the forms. From the discussion above, Plato would have concurred with the theory of form by insisting that whatever people see on earth are unreal and there exists a perfect world. Plato would have emphasized that forms on earth and the perfect world do have a connection since they mimic each other (Nigel 46). 2. (a.) Explain Aristotle’s view of the form/ matter relationship. How does this differ from Plato’s theory of the forms and Plato’s view of the mind body relationship? Aristotle rejected Plato’s theory of Forms and introduced his empirical approach that first emphasized on observation and second on reasoning. In being a student at Plato’s academy and having critically analyzed the Theory of forms, Aristotle provides a detailed argument. Aristotle’s theory more so asserts the superiority of universals to particulars. In relation to Plato that argues that particulars for example beauty exists only because they contribute or participate in the given universal form of Beauty. In accordance to Aristotle, universal concepts of let’s say beauty derive from various instances of beauty in the world (Nigel 67). He argues that the conception of beauty could only be arrived at by observing particular instances of the given beauty plus the universal quality of beauty got no existence beyond that conception that people build from the given particular instances. He more so emphasizes on the need of observing details of this world. He adds that particulars come first followed by universals. Next, explain what implications this view has for the possibility of immortali ty (Life after death). Finally, explain how we come to know forms in Aristotle’s sense of â€Å"forms,† according to Aristotle. How does this involve both the senses and reason? Aristotle defined the given soul as an animating form of a given living body. Hence, from his thinking, the soul cannot exist then separate from a body. Aristotle defines the soul as the animating form of a living body. Aristotle arguments moreso revolves around this concept. Furthermore, Aristotle admits that most of a given soul’s affection, for instance desire, anger, and perception, entirely depend on a given body plus are inconceivable (Nigel 89). Aristotle in his argument leaves open for more to think about the soul’s thinking being independent of a given body, and adds that the soul could be separated from the body. 3. Based on the reading from Nichomachean Ethics in Pojman and class discussion, explain Aristotle’s view that â€Å"ethics† are defined in terms of what produces â€Å"happiness.† What does happiness mean for Aristotle, in relation to human nature in all of its dimensions? Aristotle states that humans can arrive at a given moral virtue primarily via practice and people get limited moral values just by studying texts. He considers moral virtues not quite essentially different compared to other forms of excellence. The view totally makes sense especially when considering the moral virtue that is not essentially that different from other excellence forms. He more so emph

(not specified) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(not specified) - Essay Example He obviously suffers from intellectual pretensions and a false sense of superiority, considering himself to be â€Å"a unique figure† (Joyce, 5) among ordinary people. His delusions of adventurism and revolutionary socialism are belied by the dreary routine of his life. Except for the saving grace of his feeling for music, nothing relieves the emptiness of his days – he even â€Å"reads his evening paper for dessert†! (Joyce 6). The uncarpeted rooms and blank walls of his house, the gloomy landscape from his window, and the abandoned distillery all highlight the emptiness of his life. One of the most ‘painful’ characteristics of Mr. Duffy’s personality is obviously his attempt to insulate himself from emotion by avoiding any personal contact with people. He lives â€Å"as far as possible from the city of which he was a citizen,† (Joyce, 3). Joyce’s statement that â€Å"He had neither companions nor friends, church nor creed† (p.4), is indisputable proof of the barrenness of Mr. Duffy’s emotional life. He lets nothing, not even the death of his father, disrupt the tedious tenor of his routine. One cannot but suspect that his criticism of â€Å"an obtuse middle class, (Joyce, 5) is only an excuse to justify his inaction on all fronts and limit his contact with people. Mr. Duffy’s relationship with Emily Sinico gives him the opportunity to break out of his emotional cocoon. He is willing to share his pseudo-intellectual life with her, and basks in her admiration of his mental pretensions. However, it is beyond his nature to open himself up to her offer of love. He fears to allow the emotionalizing of his mental life proceed to the logical conclusion of the sharing of physical love. He refuses to move from the sterile pseudo-intellectual plane to the passionate level of emotion. His selfishness permits him to use Emily only in the role he has assigned to her- that of â€Å"his

Assignment 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Assignment 6 - Essay Example We look to interpret that change in behavior and form an analysis based on our reading. For so many years that humans have evolved, they have become masters in reading their fellow beings behavior (Norman, 2004). We definitely need to take people’s feelings seriously especially as a producer or designer. A producer must keep in mind his consumers when producing something. If the product is well designed and everything works as expected from the product, then there will be a positive response coming out of consumers. They might add it as part of their daily, weekly or monthly purchase depending upon its usage and durability. On the other hand, if a product turns out to be undesirable or not what it promised, then there is a high possibility that the consumers might take out their frustration on it. It is very easy to blame the product if it does not meet out the requirement so the designer must consider people’s feeling before putting his heart and soul solely on the pro duct (Norman, 2004). Norman is of the opinion that machines in the future will need social interaction and a network of communication to get the job done. He is of course not kidding and why would he if he thinks that machines can perform faster and better with interaction among themselves. If they could be programmed to coordinate like human beings, then I think machines can do a better job simply because they do not fatigue out. They can continuously work for longer hours without any rest. To be honest, they do not even need lunch and tea breaks. It is a very good idea to make them work independently, without humans operating them. More and more machines and robots are being deployed to work in organizations, and it would be so much easier if these robots are made to communicate without a helping hand from us. Robots are now being used in dangerous jobs like fire fighting and in military for war purposes. Apart from this they are also used for house cleaning, delivering letters an d washing cars. Their role is expanding and to make way for them we need to program them with emotions. We need to make them wary of what basic emotions like pain are. We would not want to see them bumping to cars or people every now and then if we want to introduce them freely in this world. When they know what pain is they will automatically look to avoid smashing into things for their and our sake. I totally agree with Norman when he says that we could slowly distribute or install emotions in them. It is going to be a step by step process; for example, in the initial stage they could be taught what fear, satisfaction after achieving a certain goal, consistency in maintaining their work and obedience to their owners. Emotional interaction with robots will also give us an opportunity to know them better. We could penetrate if they are happy with their work or not, making progress or having difficulties. Then we could treat them according to their mood. We could also know what motiv ates them and reward them to work better and faster. There is so much room for improvement and with the pace science is making progress I believe one day robots will be a household name. The sooner we plan the better it is (Norman, 2004) 2. Witthower has been exemplary in his work on the iPod and the iPod’s implications. It looks like he has not missed a single point on the subject. It’s not only detailed, but it is also one of the most organized books to read. The book

Research Paper on Stereotypes Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Stereotypes - Research Paper Example One understanding of stereotypes is that they emerge to exploit differences between competing groups. Stereotyping downplays similar characteristics and magnifies differences. One sees this occur among African-Americans, whose identity clearly goes more in-depth than racial background, as they are more American than African. However, American society consistently splits itself on lines of black vs. white. Another theory of stereotypes relies on psychological research and claims that for human beings it is too difficult to process all the nuances of individuality so stereotypes function to help cognitively organize groups of people. By assigning characteristics to large groups, it aids humans in simplifying, organizing, and predicting the society they function. As a result, there is decreased need to process new information that would distinguish people by individual traits. Sociologist Charles Hurst believes that, â€Å"†¦stereotypes (are) the lack of personal, concrete familia rity that individuals have with persons in other racial or ethnic groups. (Hurst 6).† In these regards, it’s clear that lack of familiarity encourages the lumping together of unknown individuals. Whatever the theory, it’s clear that stereotypes present a problem for society as they inhibit integration and function in large part to maintain a social caste system where upward mobility faces resistance. One can just view the cases of the maquilos workers on the Mexico – Florida border and the gender stereotypes they endured when attempting to receive fair and equitable wages and positions. Stereotypes are in direct opposition to our right as human beings to the pursuit of happiness and personal betterment. While stereotypes exist for a variety of reasons, it’s clear that there are a number of stereotypes that have emerged that are regularly believed by large groups of the general public. One of the major areas of stereotyping occurs in the area of gend er. In these regards, men are presented as needing to be concerned with sports and ‘manly pursuits. Oftentimes, there are stereotypes presented of woman, such as blondes as being outgoing and fun loving, while girls who read having a prudish edge. One comes to witness a great degree of gender stereotypes in phrases such as ‘you should never hit a girl’. As within such statements there is the belief that men should be weak and men physically strong. Another area of stereotyping occurs in terms of race. Race constitutes one of the major areas where stereotyping occurs. For instance, Mexicans are depicted as lazy, while Asians are depicted as being studious and career driven. Still more stereotyping occurs in regards to religion. If one speaks to individuals very familiar with sects of Christianity, for instance, they will oftentimes report that Baptists have different attitudes than Catholics or Lutherans. In addition, there are a wide variety of stereotypes regardi ng practitioners of Judaism, with these individuals being thought of as thrifty or intellectual. Finally, stereotyping also occurs in regards to people’s sexual preferences. In regards to sexual preference, gay individuals are oftentimes depicted as speaking with a lisp or doing fantastical or ‘fabulous’ things. They are also believed to wear specific types

The Beat Generation and the Sixties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Beat Generation and the Sixties - Essay Example They were a postwar generation, and the war had made them weary and long to escape. They turned to inner examination in the form of literature, to drugs and in some cases to crime. It was this emotion and the desire to escape from the bounds of life and society that paved the way for the cultural revolution of the 1960s. The 1960s were a decade of social and cultural change, commonly known for indulgence and excess, as well as the disregard for many of social norms of the time. Two different impulses drove the youth of the sixties, the spiritual and the desire for revolution. Both of these impulses can be tied back to the Beat Generation. The term Beat was first used by writer Herbert Huncke who picked it up in Chicago. In that context, beat was used to describe the condition of travelers who had been travelling for a long time. However, it was the phrase â€Å"I guess you might say we’re a Beat Generation† made by Jack Kerouac and quoted by writer John Holmes that make the term popular . Members of the Beat Generation were far from the stereotypical American, and as such, they challenged the perceptions of those around them. They were considered to be interested in the extremes of life, too independent and intent to be taken seriously by their elders or society around them . Television and magazines depicted the Beats as rebels , and to many extents they were. Although there was no universal politic for the Beat Generation, it could generally be considered a worn down culture, rubbed raw from repeated use and abuse and tired of the rigidly of society around them. Many used drugs as a means of escaping the confines of society and those that broke laws showed little to no guilt about doing so . The Beat Generation had either fought or witnessed the Second World War, and years of fighting, hardship and loss had led to many angry at the cost of victory and tired of the violence of war . These two factors combined in the sixties to produce a generatio n that saw war as a waste of lives and was tired of the oppressive nature of government. The Vietnam War had been in operation since 1955 however, it was early in the sixties that the war became especially prevalent. In addition, the Bay of Pigs, a failed attempt at overthrowing the Cuban government occurred in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred in 1962. All of these events considerably grew the antiwar sentiment among the population resulting in a change from the non active Beat Generation, that did not get politically involved, to the anti-war protests of the hippie era. The same can be seen in regards to the environment. The desire to defend the environment was prominent among many members of the Beat Generation, yet other members of the generation had no interest in it . In addition, some of those interested in environmental conservation did not wish to identify with the Beat Generation label. This desire to protect the environment grew from the Beat Generation, inspirin g a save the environment movement within the sixties. Thus, while both the Beat Generation and those from the sixties had many of the same values, these grew from a more theoretical base within the Beats to something that was applied actively through protests and movements. The American Dream, prosperity and security appeared readily available in the 1950s, but not so for the Beat

Central Venous Cather technique in small children Research Paper

Central Venous Cather technique in small children - Research Paper Example In our retrospective cohort paper we theorize a systematic approach aimed at identifying the most suitable vein performing a pre procedural scan of all the possible site for vein cannulation and thereafter choosing the most appropriate in term of size and other factors such as collapsibility during respiratory cycle or anatomical anomalies. This systematic approach allowed identifying the brachiocephalic vein as the more suitable for central line placement, and along with in plane approach we were able to be successful in 100% of cases without complication. As published by The Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children’s publications in 2007, the central venous catheter is usually inserted into a neck vein to gain access to the right atrium. It is required to gain an ease of access for taking regular blood samples, for administration of medicines in patients undergoing chemotherapy or for giving total parenteral nutrition. It may also be required for administration of anesthetics, peri operative management or long term management of chronic illness. It is also indicated for measurement of central venous pressure. The success of this procedure depends upon a number of factors including the general condition of the child as described by Grebenik (Grebenik 2004). These include an experienced hand performing the procedure, the site of insertion of cannula, the presence of vascular anomaly, clotting problems or any previous cannulation procedure performed in the past. Because of these all factors, an ultrasound guided technique of central venous catheterization is rapidly becoming a preferable procedure for a central line placement in infants, neonates and children. Ultrasound guided technique has an advantage over the blind procedure for gaining the safest venous access and ensuring a flawless approach. There are certain risk factors associated with this procedure like the risk of infection or thrombosis, which may lead to various complications

International order from 1945 to 1969 Essay Example for Free

International order from 1945 to 1969 Essay Introduction By the end of Second World War in September 1945, world had seen human tragedies and devastation of civilizations on an unprecedented scale. The enormity of disaster had brought complete social, economic and political chaos in the countries involved in the war, requiring long term restoration and rebuilding projects (Cottam and Woodby, 1998). The victorious countries, with the only exception of USA, fared hardly better than the defeated Axis nations. The creation of UNO in 1945 to restore peace and order in the world brought a sense of general relief in world and people felt that after 6 years of intense violence stability and tranquility were returning back. However, almost as the War ended sharp ideological and strategic differences emerged between the two new superpowers, USSR and USA that pushed the world from World War to Cold War. The countries that fought against Axis powers during war years were now polarized against each other in communist and democratic factions pursuing political and strategic agendas against each other. The US led democratic world was wary of the dangers of totalitarian society under the communist rule, as marked in the Stalin’s USSR (Robbins, 1988). As the dangers of communism became manifest, USA realized that its status of a true world-power required it to take effective actions and develop long term plans in promoting the ideals of democracy justice , and liberty that had shaped the free world since past two centuries. The rift between these two opposing factions assumed serious proportions in the Berlin Crisis, Korean War, Cuban missile crisis, Czechoslovakian invasion of USSR and finally Vietnam war; events that defined the period ranging from 1945 to 1969. The Strategic Condition after 1945 The strategic affairs of world saw a revolutionary changeover with the atomic strike on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Laver, 2005). Previous to the atomic age, the strategic considerations generally involved three dimensions of land, sea and air forces. However the post war strategic planning defined defense just in two dimensional terms, where air, land and sea forces were categorized as conventional system and atomic weapons, including atom bombs and atomic missiles constituted the nuclear dimension of the strategy (Laver, 2005). As Laver (2005,) points out, under the new strategic system, the approaches were apparently limited to mere identification of the more appropriate strategy between conventional and nuclear. The real strategic situation however did not unfold itself as simply as it was made to be sound on paper. There were a broad range of issues in creating an optimum strategy and policy in the deployment and use of nuclear weapons within the new international framework that required a total departure from previously established norms and tactics. According to Laver (2005) some of the major issues affecting the new strategic policies were 1. Development of new technology to effectively implement the nuclear option. 2. New defense equipments that meet the nuclear requirements. 3. Mobilizing resources for effectively equipping the armed forces with a perfect combination of conventional and nuclear weapons. 4. Evaluation and measurement of economic, political and social fallouts of nuclear strategies throughout the world. These issues occupied the US foreign and strategic completely, especially in the wake of nuclear buildup in the USSR that created a possible threat of global nuclear catastrophe between the two superpowers. The first American nuclear strategy was forwarded in 1950 that proposed that national defense strategy should be build around the concept of containment. The core of the policy was simple- halting communism through combined conventional and nuclear strength of USA. In 1953, the policy of containment was replaced by policy of deterrence where nuclear option superseded the conventional strategy. However this policy was exposed as inefficient by Henry Kissinger who argued that US lacked sufficient conventional force to check communist expansion throughout the world and that implementing nuclear option towards this end would be catastrophic for the world. The end result, as put forward by Kissinger, would be US inaction and inability to counter the growth of communism (Kissinger, 1957). Kenney recognized the utility of this idea and he established the predominance of conventional strategy over the mindless destructive potentiality of nuclear option. The Vietnam War of 1960s offered US to test its conventional strategy and the incomplete success and the delayed results brought realization that the conventional strategies required further investment of resources and technology in the way of establishing democratic ideals and principles in the world. Cold War is referred to the period from 1945 to 1990 where the strategic conflict and conflicting ideologies of US and USSR that had enveloped world under a continuous shadow of war. The terror of mutual nuclear holocaust was the only factor that prevented both countries from fledging an all out war. Cold War originated due to different political, economic and strategic standings of both USA and USSR after the end of Second World War that created a hostile world environment (Dobson and Marsh, 2001). Three reasons have been put forward to explain the origin of the Cold War. US had emerged as a colossal economic power after the War but it failed to help USSR in building up it war ravaged economy and society, whereas Western Europe received massive funding and help from the US. The second reason was contrasting economic policies and world view of USA and USSR that pitted USA’s democratic and individual ideals against totalitarian and centrally planned philosophy of Soviet Russia. The third major reason was clash of geo-political interest and ambitions of the two superpowers. Driven by the mutual misperceptions and fear of each other’s intentions, ambitions and power, USA and Soviet Russia acted in ways to ostracize each other from their exclusive zones. In 1947 Marshall Plan of USA, that aimed to provide financial assistance in preventing an immanent collapse of Europe, sought to keep USSR out of the entire project. USSR, growing deeply suspicious of USA’s expansionist policies reacted by closing Western access to Berlin, creating first major crisis of the Cold War in 1948. Events unfolded dramatically with US led forces providing airlift to Berlin through 1948 and 1949, USSR responding by closing Western’s access to most of eastern European nations and creation of NATO in 1949 (Dobson and Marsh, 2001). These events firmly sequestrated the two sides and sealed any possible chances of reconciliation. With the outbreak of Korean war in 1950 and USSR’s expansionist policies in South East Asia, USA prepared itself for an all out diplomatic, ideological and if required armed intervention to combat its sworn enemy. The Cold War essentially transformed into a battle of showdown with both the countries trying to outmatch other by trade embargos, increasing efforts of polarization, espionage and technological race to develop greater horde of nuclear weapon and space research. The second major crisis of the Cold War was precipitated in the form of Cuba missile crisis. US intelligence information reported deployment of USSR’s nuclear missile in Cuba with range and payload to strike major US cities and places of strategic importance. There was intense pressure on the then President Kennedy to respond to crisis by military intervention in Cuba. However this step involved risks that the crisis may evolve into a full fledged nuclear war between USA and USSR. Restrain from Kennedy and right diplomatic measures helped to avert a major nuclear disaster. The final episode marking the international order from 1945 to 1969 was civil war in Vietnam in 1965 and the US intervention that led to more than 50, 000 US casualties and international embarrassment for US policymakers. Reference Cottam, M. L, Woodby, S. (1988). The Changing Agenda: World Politics since 1945. Westview Press: Boulder Dobson, A. P. and Marsh, S. (2001). U. S. Foreign Policy since 1945. Routledge: London. Henry Kissinger, Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy New York: Harper, 1957, Laver, H. S. (2005). Preemption and the Evolution of Americas Strategic Defense: Parameters. Volume: 35. Issue: 2. Robbins, K. (1988). The World since 1945: A Concise History. Contributors: Oxford University Press: Oxford.

Complete alignment of purposes Essay Example for Free

Complete alignment of purposes Essay Functionalism is the complete alignment of purposes of different sectors of society. This encompasses the inter-dependence of different social attributes to make the society survive (McClelland 1). In terms of schooling in the US, educational institutions serve as the primary educating sector for the population. The main function of schooling is to promote the total knowledge build up of younger individuals so that they may be able to contribute good effects not only to their respective lives but to function as an element for the whole society. More importantly, schooling functions to disseminate what is supposed to be the norms and roles of each individual. In the classroom, the main approach to realize the functional contribution of schools is by using instructors. The teachers have a delegated format of teaching which exposes the students to day to day â€Å"functional† tasks such as participating in discussions, taking examinations and interacting with each other to fulfill a certain goal say for example in completing a group project. Basically, the main advantage of having a functionalist perspective is that each member works for the survival of the system. Although there may be a generic principle in making the mindsets of individuals aware of the natural goal, they can be divided into segments according to their capabilities and possible contributions. In such a way, a functionalist perspective starts to regard the importance of each small parts arriving at a single union of goals for the whole system. However, there are also disadvantages in using the philosophy of functionalism. For one, functionalism reduces the possibility for improvement. Social change may be too difficult to achieve if all of the parts of the system have already accepted their roles and became highly attached to them. The society may then become too static and might face a great dilemma if ever it wants to drastically change itself for the better. Works Cited McClelland, Kent. Functionalism. Grinell. 2000. 29 Jan 2008 http://web. grinnell. edu/courses/soc/s00/soc111-01/IntroTheories/Functionalism. html.

Moral Hazard Adverse Selection And Asymmetric Information Finance Essay

Moral Hazard Adverse Selection And Asymmetric Information Finance Essay There are many people who have an extra money and want to credit this money to make gains by investing this money, at the other side, there are many people need money to use it in many aspects of life e.g. students need money to pay for their education, home buyer need money, business financial investors also need money and so on, for all of these needed financial intermediary to play an important rule to link between investors and borrowers. There are many risk may happens if there is no intermediate between lender and borrower, information asymmetry one of these risk and in this case information between seller and buyer are different, so it leads to two issues adverse selection and moral hazard. Adverse selection is happened when the one of parties know information more than the other parties, or if the one of parties know information that the other parties not have. Moral hazard is the situation which if the two parties make an agreement about something and one of these parties no t obligate with the agreement terms. All these issues help to explain why banking institutions and other financial intermediaries exist. So, lets go to talk about financial intermediaries and how it can help individuals to deposits and loans by using the easiest way without high level of risk. Also, in we will talk in the following about the terms Information asymmetry, Adverse Selection and Moral Hazard. Financial Intermediaries: Financial intermediary is institutions that take money from investor and depositors and give this money to the borrowers as loans, the main aim from these institutions to link between the depositors whom are seeking for credit and borrowers whom are seeking loans from financial institutions. There are many forms of financial institutions like investing banks, life insurance companies, saving loans associations, building and loan associations, commercial banks, credit unions and investment companies. (Investor Directory) Using financial intermediaries in investing give the investors many advantages, let us to talk about the two main advantages, first, making investing through financial intermediaries could reduce the risk of these investments, because directly the investor not have a large base to give his loans, so in this case there is bad diversify, therefore the investor will face a high risk, but by using financial institutions as middleman to invest money we find that the diversify is good, because these institutions have a big base from lenders and borrowers and it invest in a different business which dont have a relation between it. In this case we have a good diversify, so the risk will decreased more than if we investing directly. Second, also financial intermediaries help to give savers the liquidity, liquidity is the ability to convert assets into money (cash) quickly. For example if an individual saver lent someone (borrower) money to but house or asset, and in an argent case he needs hi s money, in this case there is a house now not money, so it is very difficult to convert this asset to cash quickly, it takes a lot of time to do that. But with financial intermediaries could help the saver by giving him the money that he need by provide him the liquidity very quickly than individual, if the financial intermediary doesnt have liquidity at that moment, it can obtain help from the government or another financial institution. (Ingrimayne) The economic business is depend on that all individuals whom owned an economic relationships have a perfect knowledge, also may have similar predictions about the future prospects. But in real, the both parties of each relationship suffer from incomplete information, sometimes they suffer from information asymmetry situation which means the probability of happening the future actions is randomly. the situation that have a different information between the both parties leads to conflict in interests of both parties who have the relationship, therefore this leads to uncertainty which represents in moral hazard and adverse selection. (M. A. Al-Garny) Asymmetric Information Information asymmetry means the situation where there is information which knows to some parties but not to all parties. Asymmetric information can lead to different in the cost between internal and external finance, e.g. seller is know an information on the subject of the quality of assets will be disinclined to agree the conditions offered by buyer who has less information about that asset, this may cause market break down, or may be also cause buying the asset in low price, but if all buyers and sellers have complete information, the situation here will be different. (WSU) Also information asymmetry makes market turn into inefficient, because information is not available to the entire market participant, thus they cant make a good decisions for their businesses. (Investor Words) There are two issues that caused by Information asymmetry, adverse selection and moral hazard. We will talk about these two Issues at the following: First: Adverse Selection Adverse Selection, negative selection or anti-selection is a term which simply means a situation where the buyer and seller have different information about the some aspects of product quality. (Wikipedia) For example in the firms managers and other insides may know more information (about the current position of the firm and the future prospects of the firm) than the outsider investors, in this case the outer information may differ than the inside information, therefore the solution for this problem in this situation is by issuing financial reports to insure the information transferred perfectly from inside firm to the outside investors to help them to make good decisions. (Money Instructor) George Akerlofs in his paper The Market for Lemons located two answers for adverse selection problem, signaling and screening. Michael Spence proposed the suggestion of signaling to solve the information asymmetry problem. In this situation, it is potential for people to indicate their style, therefore credibly transferring information to the other party. Joseph E. Stieglitz the first one who put the screening theory. In this way the under informed party can make the other party to know their information. Sometimes the sellers may know information better than the buyers, like peoples who sale used car, life insurance transactions, real estate agents, realtors, mortgage brokers and loan originators, and stockbrokers. And sometimes the buyers may know information better than the sellers, like the man who sale old art pieces with no previous expert evaluation or health insurance customers of a range of risk levels. (Wikipedia) Second: Moral Hazard The concept of moral hazard comes from insurance industry. Moral hazard is an idea saying that the person will take risk if he has an incentive to do that, therefore the person will ignore some morality aspects of his selection. Instead, he will do what will increase his profits. Anyone knows the tradeoff between return and risk, if he takes risk there may be consequences. The indifference comes when the risk comes without consequences. Also we can define moral hazard as if someone or party that has insurance cover may be further ready to take risks than the other who does not, e.g. if there is a person who has a car and his car is insured against stealing may be more not careful about dropping the probability of stealing than other would has been without such insurance. This point exactly tells us why insurance companies need to overtake (the amount of an appeal driven by the insurer person) majority claims, and decrease premiums rapidly as overtaking growing. It is also why insurer is extremely cautious about the assessment of what he insures and why he is not lawfully necessary to give more than the actual cost of what he cover. Moral hazard also is able to occur at the outer of insurance. Banks and financial institutions over and over again include embedded state guarantees (not official or lawfully obligatory guarantees, other than a common prospect which they are too significant to be unsuccessful). This creates a motivation used for the administration to take larger risks as they will profit from gambles that work, other than the state will give for individuals so as to do not. (Money Terms) Conclusion: I conclude that the financial intermediaries are able to change the risk of assets for cause that they know how to locate an answer for a market breakdown and defeat an information asymmetry problem that come up in credit markets for the reason that borrowers be acquainted with superior concerning their plan than lenders do. Also the financial intermediaries exist to help in solving many issues as we said in this paper. It plays the middleman rule in linked between the borrower who need to finance in his business and lender who want to investing and gain profits taking into account the important rule of this institutions by save the lender from asymmetric information, adverse selection and moral hazard. Because the main issue from its foundation is to collect information about borrowers and this job not easy. This issue is very costly for individuals (small lenders) but when there is financial intermediaries can help the lender to insure where he can invest his money without risks if he gives his money to wrong person, by providing him full information about good borrowers, at the same time this job here doesnt cost a lot because the big size of consumers that they connected with market. On the other hand, there are also still some risks when we deal with financial intermediaries. But with some regulation and other instruction it will be decreased to minimum limit.

Classification Of Computers :: Computer PC Desktop Technology

Classifications of Computers According to the U.S. Census "Forty-four million households, or 42 percent, had at least one member who used the Internet at home in 2000" (Home Computers 2). Today, no doubt, even more family members in the United States use computers. Most people are aware of the desktop computers which can be found in the home and in the workplace. What are the different types of computers and what are their purposes? Computers can be classified into three different categories of home computers, portable computers, and business computers including workstations and super computers. First, what is a computer? "While the term computer can apply to virtually any device that has a microprocessor in it, most people think of a computer as a device that receives input from the user through a mouse or keyboard, processes it in some fashion and displays the result on a screen" (What are the Different p. 1). Home computers are being used by children, teenagers, and adults. The PC or personal computer is designed to be used by one person. The term, Mac, is a PC, but most people link computers with Windows software such as Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows XP. A PC is actually a desktop that is designed to be used in one set location. "Most desktops offer more power, storage, and versatility for less than their portable brethren" (What Are p. 3). Many desktop computers are used at home and at work. Various types of software have been designed to meet individual needs of the computer user. The use of home computers or PCs can be for various purposes such as education, w ork at home, personal communication through e-mail, to gain knowledge about different topics, to find recipes, and even to play games. The second classification of computers is portable computers. This type of classification includes lap tops and palm tops. The personal digital assistant or PDA was designed to help people stay organized. This was expanded upon and now PDA's offer a variety of services. PDA's are "easy to use and capable of sharing information with your PC. It's supposed to be an extension of the PC, not a replacement" with many different types of services (How PDAs Work p. 1). Many PDA's are even capable of connecting with the Internet and act as global positioning devices. Other portable computers are now available. Another portable computer is the palmtop.

The Health Care Crisis Essay -- Medical Insurance essays research pape

The cost of insurance has increased dramatically over the past decade, far surpassing the general rate of inflation in most years. Between 1989 and 1996, the average amount an employee had to contribute for family coverage jumped from $935 to $1778. In 1990, American companies spent $177 billion on health benefits for workers and their dependents; that number rose to $252 billion by 1996, or more than double the rate of inflation. Among the cost drivers: an aging population – the number of senior citizens who need health benefits is increasing dramatically every year; medical technology advances – which decreased the death rate; new drugs – expensive and effective, which make us live longer; and of course the increase of fear in medical litigations among doctors. Increase in usage will surely increase the cost of health care. On average, between the ages of 45 and 65, a person’s usage of health care triples. Eighty year-olds use nine times more health car e services than 45 year-olds. By the year 2030, the number of people over 65 is expected to double. The cost for medical services have increased as well. Since 1980, medical cost have risen 281%. The number of organ transplants has doubled in the past 15 years, and all transplants cost over $100,000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From my point of view, I think that increase in medical litigations is one of the most important factor of health care crisis. Americans spend far more per person on the costs of litigation than any other country in the world. The excess of the litigation system are an important contributor to â€Å"defensive medicine† – the costly use of medical treatments by a doctor for the purpose of avoiding litigation. As multimillion-dollar jury awards have become more commonplace in recent years, these problems have reached crisis proportions. Insurance premiums for malpractice are increasing at a rapid rate, particularly in states that have not taken steps to make their legal systems function more predictably and effectively. Doctors are facing much higher costs of insurance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because the litigation system does not accurately judge whether an error was committed in the course of medical care, physicians adjust their behavior to avoid being sued. A recent survey of physicians revealed that one-third shied away from going into a particular specialty because they feared it would subject them to greater liability exp... ...undable health credit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am in favor of the plan Universal Health Care Vouchers (UHCV). It is paid for by a dedicated Value-Added tax of 8%-10%. All insurers would be required to offer a specified health care plan to everyone, with payments adjusted for the risk level of each patient, so that coverage for sicker patients will be reimbursed at a higher rate. Individuals could choose any health care plan they desire, paying for the basic plan with their UHCV, and for any extra services they desire from their own pocket. Over time, this will replace Medicare, as older Americans will simply keep their current voucher plan when they turn 65, and it would replace Medicaid immediately. It would also end the problem of poor people seeking primary care in emergency rooms, by allowing them to have coverage for regular primary care in a doctor's office. Employers would no longer have to provide insurance coverage, reducing the cost of employment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am willing to pay higher taxes to solve the health care crisis because I would rather pay a few percent of my salary and have a much better health care insurance for my family than paying $150-$300 every time I go visit the doctor.

Struggles within the Younger family in the play A Raisin in the Sun Ess

Struggles within the Younger family in the play A Raisin in the Sun A Raisin In The Sun Rolling in the Dust â€Å"Oh- so now it’s life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life- now it’s money. I guess the world really do change†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (74). This quote reveals the economic struggles within the Younger family in the play A Raisin in the Sun. Throughout the play, Mama’s views are at odds with Walter’s views. For Walter, who feels enslaved in his job and life, money is the truest freedom. To him, money seems to be the answer to everything. Money, he believes, allows people to live comfortable and carefree lives. It also seems to him that money defines a man by measuring his success and ability to provide for his family. As for Mama, anything is more valuable than material wealth. The lack of money in the Younger family inhibited the growth of success. It is not easy for people to rise whose qualities are thwarted by poverty, exactly what happened with the Younger’s. To the characters in the play, lack of money is the root of all evil. Success is absent from the Younger family due to the lack of money. It comes from dreams that have been fulfilled, but for the Younger’s, it was impossible to fulfill any dreams without money. Walter had a dream of investing money in a liquor store to raise the standard of living for his family. Even if he wasn’t successful, he would always know that he tried his best, which would give him the pride and joy of not giving up again. Unfortunately, the family had no money that he could use for investing. â€Å"Yeah. You see, this little liquor store we got in mind cost seventy-five thousand and we figured the initial investment on the place be ‘bout thirty thousand, see. T... ... friends to some financial issues. Another time when I was affected by lack of money was on my golden birthday. I was turning 5 and I had never been to India before. All I wanted to do for my birthday was go to India and see what it was like. It would’ve been like a dream come true to go. Unfortunately, my family did not have enough money at that time for all 10 of my family members to go, so I spent the birthday at home. In summary, success is not reached without the aid of money. In A Raisin in the Sun, no one was able to accomplish his or her dreams because their family lacked one thing, money. For that reason, the Younger family’s growth of success was inhibited. It is hard for people to succeed whose qualities are let down by poverty. Now days, thousands and thousands of people cannot complete their dreams for one simple reason- they have no money.

For a Better Way of Living

The economic article A Better Way’s main thesis is that productivity has paved the way for a better living in today’s world. The article starts off with a general but historical background of how production was in the earlier years and lays down the path of productivity which led to its positive effects in the present. It further points out how a closed-mind towards productivity is actually detrimental for future advancement. This paper will both discuss the key points of the article and my reaction to the same.The general map and cycle of productivity is this: human beings used to do everything by themselves. The entire body of a person is used from the physical to the mental. There was need for muscle power and agility to be able to work. Then came the inventions that rapidly took over the work that humans used to do. It is at this point that human workers are displaced and had to look for other jobs to do. This general map and cycle is best exemplified in the agraria n sector wherein farmers used to everything in the farm from tilling the soil to planting the crops to harvesting.And yet with the invention of machineries, tools, irrigation, and even the appearance of scientifically altered and advanced seeds, farmers had no place in the farm. And so they had to leave the farms for the city to work in factories and the industrial sector. At this point, another cycle begins. Assembly lines in factories are replaced by machines that can do the job better, faster and more efficiently. There was more output for a shorter span of time when machines are used. Once again, the worker is displaced. Productivity is one cycle that is very much disliked by the average worker.It is the kind of change that is not readily acceptable as its short term effects are negative for the ordinary man. It seems that with the proliferation and rapid emergence of different kinds of technologies, it seems that there is no more need for a human being in the workforce. Industr ies are no longer satisfied with the physical skills of a person. There is a clamor for the mental capacity of a worker. Anything related to muscle power is no longer enough since there are many machines and even robots that can do the job.Of course, the initial capital output or investment on such advancements are really expensive, compared to just hiring someone to do the job. And yet in the long run, the investment pays off. The article defends productivity in the sense that productivity actually creates more jobs for the workforce. It says that although the initial effect is that workers are displaced, these workers can actually shift to other industries where their talents are needed and will be more helpful.It further provides that there is a hierarchy of talents that productivity can never replace such as imagination and creativity. Although it is a valid point that machines can never be creative or imaginative, it cannot be discounted that creativity and imagination is only available to a limited number of jobs such as the music, literary, and film industry. This then comes to my mind: productivity involves the manual aspect of the workforce. When technology takes over the manual skills of industries, the only thing needed is mental skills.And these mental skills often require a certain amount of schooling and education. Going back to farmers who may not have been able to go to school, or the city children who could not afford to go to college, where will they be found when all the blue-collar jobs are taken over by robots? What will happen when labor becomes immobile? Surely, the idea of more for less will be applauded by business owners and traders and economists. But where will this leave the average Joe? I am not against the arguments of the article.In fact I do admit that productivity definitely has its advantages. For example, although the email has made communications easier, there are still those things that cannot be sent over the internet suc h as bulky packages. For this, manual labor is still needed. And yet it is easier and faster to receive packages nowadays since there are trucks and airplanes that could bring them to you, instead of a messenger on foot. Life is indeed much better, even if this imaginary messenger of mine had lost his job.I also admit that it is people who are responsible for all these advancements. It is the brightness of the human mind and human nature’s need for progress that brought about all these. And yet I ask, when will the world say, I am satisfied? Living standards may be better now but isn’t anyone afraid that there will come a time that machines will rule our world and people will just be subordinate to them? It may seem like a ridiculous idea but in our day and age where robots are invented as housemaids, it doesn’t sound so crazy after all.The unmeasured payoffs of productivity seem so enticing at first look. But there will come a time when displaced workers have n o more industries to go to; when even college graduates cannot find a job because technology does it for them. The question will be: now what? Imagination and creativity can only go so far. When the productivity cycle suddenly stops, when labor can no longer exercise its mobility, when inventions start inventing, it will probably only be mothers who will have a full-time job. After all, technology can never replace the touch and love of a mother.

The Law of Immigration

The 1990s have brought the largest influx of immigrants into labor force of the United States of any decade in this nation's history. A panel of social science scholars concluded their assessment of U. S. society with the observation that â€Å"America's biggest import is people† and determined that â€Å"at a time when attention is directed to the general decline in American exceptionalism, American immigration continues to flow at a rate unknown elsewhere in the world† [Oxford Analytica 1986, 20]. Unlike earlier mass immigration periods to the United States the present day wave of immigration to the U. S. how â€Å"no sign of imminent decline† [Bouvier 1991, 18]. â€Å"In today's world setting, international migration is a discretionary action that is regulated by the specific actions of the governments of individual nation-states. † There is no international obligation for any nation to allow others to enter or to work, in fact, most nations do not admit immigrants Mass immigration has played a significant role in the economic history of the United States, nevertheless the harsh fact is that what may be necessary and beneficial at one time, may not be so at another. The demand for labor is being affected by restructuring forces stemming from the nature and pace of technological change; from the stiff international competition the United States that now confronts for the first time in its history; from major shifts in consumer spending away from goods toward services; In the national defense expenditures brought about by the end of the Cold War in the early 1990's†. (vernon m. briggs,jr. and stephen moore. pg 35. ) In looking toward the future the twenty occupations projected to grow the fastest in the 1990s, half are related to the growing computer and health fields. The shift to a service based economy is leading to an upgrading of the skills and education required by the labor force. On the other hand the occupations that require minimal skills and education have declined and are presently forecasted to continue to do so. Immigration can be useful in the short run as a means of providing qualified workers where shortages of qualified domestic workers exist. But, the long-term objective should be that these jobs should go to citizens and resident aliens. The 1990 Census revealed that the percentage of foreign-born adults (25 ears and over) who had less than a ninth grade education was 25 percent (compared to only 10 percent for native-born adults) and whereas 23 percent of native-born adults did not have a high school diploma, 42 percent of foreign-born adults did not. Immigration, therefore, is a major contributor to the nation's adult illiteracy problem. On the other hand, both foreign-born adults and native-born adults had the same percentage of persons who had a bachelor's degree or higher (20. percent and 20. 4 percent, respectively), but with regard to those who had graduate degrees, foreign-born adults had a considerably igher percentage than did the native-born, 3. 8 percent versus 2. 4 percent. ( )† It is at both ends of the U. S. labor force that immigration has its greatest impact at the bottom and at the top of the economic ladder. â€Å"The overall unemployment rate of foreign-born workers in 1994 was 9. 2 percent, while the comparable national unemployment rate at the time was 6. 5 percent. The unemployment rate for foreign-born workers with less than a ninth grade education in 1994 was 13 percent; for those with some high school but no diploma, it was 15. 2 percent. The comparable rates for native-born workers were 13. 5 percent and 29. 9 percent. † Consequently, the greatest labor market impact of immigration is in the sector of the labor market that is already having the greatest difficulty finding employment. â€Å"The 1990 Census also disclosed that 79. 1 percent of the foreign-born population (five years old and over) speak a language other than English (compared to 7. 8 percent of the native-born) and that 47. percent of the foreign-born (five years and over) reported that they do not speak English very well. ( )† The ability to speak English n an increasingly service-oriented economy has been definitively linked to the ability to advance in the U. S. labor market of the post-1965 era [Chiswick 1992, 15]. Considering the factors aforementioned â€Å"the incidence of poverty among families of the foreign-born population in 1990 was 50 percent higher than that of native-born families or that 25 percent of the families with a foreign-born householder who entered the country since 1980 were living in poverty in 1990 ( ). â€Å"Nor is it surprising to find that immigrant families make greater use of welfare than do native-born families† [Borjas and Trejo Even when legitimate labor shortages exist, immigration should never be allowed to dampen the two types of market pressures: those needed to encourage citizen workers to invest in preparing for vocations that are expanding and those needed to ensure that governmental bodies provide the human-resource-development programs needed to prepare citizens for the new type of jobs that are emerging. † ( pg. 44 ). We may need to reconsider † an immigration policy that annually encourages or tolerates the mass entry of immigrants with only minimal regard to their human capital attributes or places dditional remedial burdens on an already underfunded and inadequate education and training system. It is not only the actual effects of increased competition for jobs and social services that are important, collectively we must consider the opportunity costs as well when considering immigration and its effect on our economy. â€Å"(Pg,48) The phrase â€Å"a melting nation of immigrants† is popularly used to describe the people who settled the United States. Historian Oscar Handlin added to this statement by stating that â€Å"once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that the immigrants were American history† [Handlin 1951, 3]. † The benefits of immigration, however are manifold. Immigrants are highly entrepreneurial. Their rate of business start-ups and self employment tend to be higher than that of United States born citizens. Immigrants contribute to the global competitiveness of US corporations, particularly in high technology industries. Perhaps the most important benefit is that immigrants come to the United States with critically needed talents, energies that serve as an engine for economic progress. â€Å"(pg 78). Economist Ellen Seghal of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics did a study examining welfare usage in 1984 of several major federal programs of immigrants who entered the United States before 1982. She found that â€Å"the share of foreign born collecting public assistance including unemployment compensation, Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and AFDC was 12. 8 percent. The percentage for US born was 13. 9 percent. † (pg 93). A study by the City of New York's Office of City Planning found that the public assistance rate was 7. 7 percent for immigrants and 13. percent for the population as a whole. Hispanic immigrants are alleged to be especially heavy users of welfare services, but the research does not verify this stereotype. A study done by the Urban Institute found the â€Å"annual welfare benefits averaged $575 per California household, as opposed to $251, per Mexican immigrant Do immigrants compete with American workers for jobs? â€Å"There are almost always economic losers under such competitions, even though the society as a whole is almost always left wealthier. The pressure of competition is one of the engines of conomic growth under a capitalist economy. â€Å"(pg98). † When immigrants come to the United States, they immediately raise the demand for US goods and services (Greenwood and McDowell 1986). † â€Å"They shop for food in US grocery stores; they move into apartments or homes, as producers' immigrants fill jobs, but as consumers they create jobs†(pg106). Several studies have documented that the immigrants who come to the United States tend to be more skilled, more highly educated and â€Å"generally more economically successful than the average citizens in their home countries†. Among Iranians who came to the United States in 1979, 57 percent were professional, technical, or managerial workers. In Iran , only 6 percent of all the workforce falls into those high skill categories. In that same year, 68 percent of the immigrants from India fell into these high skilled categories compared to less than 5 percent among the entire Indian workforce. Finally, 15 percent of the 6,000 Haitians who entered the United States in 1979 through normal immigration channels were professionals, administrators, or managers compared to 1 percent for the Haitian workforce (Gibney 1990,372. † The hildren of immigrants also tend to reach exceptionally high levels of achievement as adults, in earnings and professional skills. â€Å"Economist Barry Chiswick has calculated that throughout this century, the children of immigrants have had earnings that are on the average 10 percent above those of comparably educated US born children (cited in McConnell 1988, 101 ). † Americans are split on an issue that will likely remain on the forefront for some time to come. The subtle nuances interwoven within the issue of immigration are facets that require answers more akin to shades of gray than black and white.

19th Century Horror Stories Essay

In this essay we will look at the Characteristics of 19th Century Horror Stories, commenting on: the structure of the story; the characterisation; the themes included in the story; the setting and the writer’s technique. I will be looking into two texts in detail: â€Å"The Monkey’s Paw† by William Wymark Jacobs; and â€Å"The Signalman† by Charles Dickens, whilst making references to â€Å"Captain Rogers† – also by William Wymark Jacobs, and â€Å"The Engineer’s Thumb† by Sherlock Holmes. During the Victorian period, the industrial revolution was in full flow, and the gothic styles of writing used in the stories of this period were extremely popular – featuring in many magazines of the time. Horror stories became almost an obsession for many people, who were drawn in by the unique styles of the writers such as Dickens, Poe, and Wilkie Collins. They were cheap, and widely available, with many of them being published in magazines. The availability of them meant that the obsession continued, as the people of that time were always able to obtain a new story. One of the stories, â€Å"The Signalman† by Dickens, is a fine example of the horror stories of that day: It begins by setting a gloomy scene, with the Signalman situated in a ‘deep cutting’, his figure ‘foreshortened and shadowed’. Using description such as this, the author can immediately let the reader understand the mood of the story – in this case, dark and depressing. This technique is also used in â€Å"Captain Rogers†, with the words ‘feeble’, ’painful’, and ‘forced’ being used in the first paragraph. The ‘deep cutting’ in which the story is set, is later described as a ‘dungeon’, and at the end of the cutting was the entrance to a black tunnel, in which there was a ‘barbarous, depressing, and forbidding air’ – setting a negative semantic field around the piece. The Signalman himself is described as a ‘dark sallow’ man, living in as ‘solitary and dismal a place’ that the narrator ever saw. Indeed, the narrator comments that it was ‘as if I had left the natural world’. Indeed, the opening to the story gives the reader a glimpse of the signalman’s loneliness, and a sense of foreboding towards the trench in which he was posted. Loneliness and foreboding are two major characteristics of 19th Century horror. Horror stories from this period often have a supernatural theme. In â€Å"The Signalman†, ghostly ‘spectres’ haunt the unfortunate rail-way worker – and shortly after they appear, a terrible accident occurs. Accumulation is a major factor in horror stories, and â€Å"The Signalman† used this to great effect. The appearances of the spectres become more frequent, making the reader wonder what is going to take place at the climax. The spectre returns, and the signalman describes to the narrator that: ‘what troubles me so dreadfully is the question: What does the spectre mean?’ This leaves the reader to ponder what may happen next in the story, even though they may have no idea. It leaves the reader feel to be scared by whatever their imagination may come up with, meaning the writer does not have to reveal the plot just yet – but can keep the reader guessing. This is a common feature in 19th Century horror, and is used in â€Å"Captain Rogers† and â€Å"The Engineer’s Thumb† The narrator also describes how he could see the ‘mental torture’ and ‘pain of mind’ of the signalman, suggesting that the events with the spectre have left his state of mind in tatters. In 19th Century horror stories, characters were often driven mad by the events unfolding in the book At the end of the book, the plot unravels, and all becomes clear. The narrator is shocked to hear of the death of the signalman, who is hit by a train. He then learns that the spectre which had been haunting the signalman was the driver, shouting at him to clear the way. The ending of the book is  short, with just a little dialogue after we learn of the death of the signalman, which is common in horror stories of this era. This style of ending is similar to that in â€Å"Captain Rogers†, in which there is a death, and a sudden ending to the story. This is also the case in â€Å"The Engineer’s Thumb†, when Holmes realises that the printing press has been destroyed, and the criminals are many miles away. Another famous tale from this period is â€Å"The Monkey’s Paw† by W.W.Jacobs. It epitomises the horror genre of this time, with suspense, mystery, death, and a super-natural theme all included in the plot. The story begins with a good use of contrast. ‘The night was cold and wet’, but inside Laburnam Villa, a ‘fire burned brightly’, as a father and son are playing a game of chess whilst an old lady sat by the fire, ‘knitting placidly’. Contrast is also used at the beginning of â€Å"Captain Rogers†, when ‘a bright fire afforded a pleasant change to the chill October air outside’. Description of the setting is included in the father’s dialogue: ‘Of all the beastly, slushy, out-of-the-way places to live in, this is the worst’. At this point, a guest knocks on the door and is invited into the house. He tells the family a tales of ‘strange scenes’ and ‘doughty deeds’, a good use of repetition, and finally arrives on the subject of a monkey’s paw, which ‘had a spell put on it by an old fakir’. Again, another reference to super-natural subjects. The Paw will grant three separate men each three wishes, but when asked about this, the visitor’s face ‘whitened’ – a method commonly used in 19th Century horror to show fear. Later, the family urge the visitor (a sergeant in the army) to let them have ownership of the paw. The sergeant is reluctant to hand it over, instead suggesting to ‘let it burn’ in the fire. This leaves the reader wondering what could be so bad about the paw, which the sergeant wants to let burn in the fire. As with â€Å"The Signalman†, â€Å"Captain Rogers†, and â€Å"The Engineer’s Thumb† , it is left to the readers’ imaginations what the plot may be surrounding the story, confirming that it is a common characteristic of 19th Century Horror. A technique also used in this particular story, was the use of words such as ‘unusual’, ‘depressing’ and ‘horrible’ to set a negative and gloomy semantic field around it, which alerts the reader to the mood of the story. Nearly every 19th Century Horror story used this method of writing, including â€Å"The Signalman† and â€Å"Captain Rogers†. These stories also use the technique of repetition to put across the meaning of a phrase or piece of dialogue more strongly. In â€Å"The Monkey’s Paw†, a character called Herbert is sitting alone by the fire, when he sees a face ‘so horrible and so simian that he gazed at it in amazement’, in the flames. The repetition of the word ‘so’ makes the adjective following it, much stronger. In â€Å"The Monkey’s Paw†, and often in other horror novels, a short relief from the tension will be given. In â€Å"The Monkey’s Paw†, directly after the scene in which Herbert has seen the ‘vivid’ faces in the fire, there is a short scene portraying events at the breakfast table the following morning. The monkey’s paw, the object of all their wonder, fear, and excitement the night before, is ‘pitched on the sideboard with a carelessness which betokened no great belief in its virtues’. The family laugh the tale of the sergeant off, making a mockery of the ‘power’ of the paw. Often, horror stories of this period will add scenes such as this to enable the use of features such as irony, which is used in abundance in this scene, for example when Mrs. White asks: ‘How could two hundred pounds hurt you?†. Immediately after, Herbert replies: ‘Might drop on his head from the sky.’ All this is ironic, as Herbert is eventually killed by some machinery at his workforce – and the family are given two hundred pounds in compensation, after Herbert used the paw to wish for ‘two hundred pounds’. The reader thinks the story has reached its climax, when the family are informed of the death of Herbert. However – there is one last twist in the plot. Some 19th Century Horror Stories added a twist, and it proved very popular. A week after the death of Herbert, his mother and father eventually, after much arguing, decide to use the paw one last time – to  bring Herbert back to life. A ‘loud knock resounded through the house’, and his mother rushes to the door to open it for Herbert. Just when the reader thinks the mutilated body is going to be let into the house, his father realises his mistake – and wishes his son away. The door is opened, but Herbert is gone. The eventual anti-climax to this twist is also used often in 19th Century Horror Stories. A twist was also included in â€Å"Captain Rogers†, where Rogers murders his friend, Gunn. To conclude, many different styles and techniques were used to create a Horror Story in this time, but they all had the same effect, which was to create a dark and negative semantic field– which makes the story more scary and thrilling for the reader. Writers such as Dickens, Poe, Collins, Jacobs, and Doyle included vivid descriptions of setting and character to aid their writing, and add to the semantic field.

Journal on “Beneath the Shadows of the Freeway”

The main point of the author in the poem, Beneath the Shadows of the Freeway, is that a woman, even if she’s married to a man, should still be able to support herself and not be solely dependent on her husband. In addition, the author pointed out in the poem that as a woman grows old she should learn basic skills in life that would allow her to survive. To illustrate her points in the poem, the author used two characters, grandma, who is an independent woman, and her granddaughter, who is a woman still learning how to become independent.In other words, the grandmother represents the past as she is experienced and does not rely on anyone else to survive while her granddaughter represents the future as she is still learning to be self-supporting. In the poem, the author portrayed how grandma lived her life after she left her husband who almost tried to kill her. The grandmother was depicted as a woman with various skills such as planting geranium and, as stated in the poem, bein g able to â€Å"trust what she builds with her own hands.† In addition, the author also showed the granddaughter’s admiration for her grandmother and her survival skills. This was shown in the last lines of the poem wherein the granddaughter said that someday she too will be able to learn how to plant geraniums and build things with her own hands. In short, the granddaughter believed that she must acquire the skills of her grandmother so that she won’t be solely dependent on her man and would learn to stand up on her own two feet.The author was very convincing in emphasizing her points throughout the poem as she used situations that are happening in the real world. She used the grandmother as a symbol of an independent woman who young girls should emulate, which is shown in the granddaughter’s desire to become like her grandma when she grows old. I basically agree with the author that a woman should learn how to be independent even if she is married as th is will greatly help her in situations wherein her husband is not present.