Voices And Visions Essays (203 words) - Harlem Renaissance

Voices And Visions The biographical film of Langston Hughes is both informative and entertaining. It approaches Hughes's life with insightful observations from the people that personally knew him. The film goes into detail on his family background and early life before his poetic success, and continues through his life in Harlem, his literary achievements, and legacy. The film has interesting facts that were unknown to me previous to my viewing. For example, the historical relatives described in the biography gave more insight on the motivation of Hughes to make an impact in the culture or history of African-Americans. Other than insight, the movie was entertaining because of the creative structure of the film's format. The combination of jazz and blues music, actual pictures and film footage, recitations of Hughes poetry, and images of the Harlem Renaissance make a profound impact when attempting to understand the life Langston Hughes came from and lived, as well as feeling the emotion in his literary works. Hughes's achievements are extraordinary and his life was remarkable. His ability to overcome obstacles such as the lack of family and financial support are admirable. He stands as a role model for a younger generation of writers. Movies and Cinema Essays

The Commonly Confused Words Prescribe and Proscribe

The Commonly Confused Words Prescribe and Proscribe The words prescribe and proscribe  are similar in pronunciation and can be easily confused, but are almost opposite in meaning. Definitions The verb prescribe means to recommend, establish, or lay down as a rule. Similarly, prescribe means to authorize a medical prescription. The verb proscribe means to ban, forbid, or condemn. Examples When doctors prescribe medicine for a child, they take the childs size and weight into account and adjust the dose accordingly.He read her temperature as 98.8. Very, very slight, he told her. I prescribe sleep.(John Updike, Married Life)Each year as many as two million Americans suffer from antibiotic-resistant illnesses, and 23,000 die as a result. Clearly, we need to get doctors to  prescribe  antibiotics more selectively. But how can this be done?(Craig R. Fox et al., How to Stop Overprescribing Antibiotics. The New York Times, March 25, 2016)Many localities have passed ordinances that proscribe the use of leaf blowers.The First Amendment generally prevents government from  proscribing  speech, or even expressive conduct, because of disapproval of the ideas expressed.(Earl E. Pollock,  The Supreme Court and American Democracy, 2009) Usage Notes Prescribe is a much commoner word and means either issue a medical prescription or recommend with authority, as in the doctor prescribed antibiotics. Proscribe, on the other hand, is a formal word meaning condemn or forbid, as in gambling was strictly proscribed by the authorities.(Maurice Waite, ed., Oxford Thesaurus of English, 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 2009)These are almost direct opposites, and ought not to be confused. To prescribe is to define a remedy, to ordain, to decree. To proscribe is to prohibit, to forbid, to ban. When the Food and Drug Administration proscribed Laetrile, it meant that no doctor could lawfully prescribe it.(James J. Kilpatrick, The Writers Art. Andrews McMeel, 1984) Practice (a) It is illegal to pay doctors to _____ certain medicines to their patients.(b) Chinas laws severely _____ public demonstrations. Answers to Practice Exercises: Prescribe and Proscribe (a) It is illegal to pay doctors to prescribe certain medicines to their patients.(b) Chinas laws severely proscribe public demonstrations. Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words

Performance appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Performance appraisal - Essay Example It was asserted that â€Å"among nursing leadership, the nurse manager role has been identified as critical in the provision of high-performing, effective and efficient care in the patient care delivery setting† (Chase, 2010, p. 2). In this regard, the current discourse hereby aims to discuss the role of the contemporary nurse manager in the provision of performance appraisal within one’s particular work context. As such, one has worked in the capacity of a staff nurse in the medical ward for last 10 years and one has been evaluated for the performance of duties and responsibilities on a regular basis. The paper would hereby present, in addition to the perceived role of the nurse manager in performance appraisal, the kind of performance appraisal system that is currently being implemented in one’s health care setting; the benefits and drawbacks of the system; as well as proposed ways to improve the performance appraisal system to benefit the nurses and the organi zation, as a whole. Perceived Roles of Staff Nurse and Nurse Managers in Health Care Setting The role and responsibilities of staff nurses in the medical ward are diverse and requires vast competencies in the application of theoretical frameworks in nursing care. The ability of nurse managers to undertake the required performance evaluation would necessitate comprehensive understanding of these key responsibilities as standards within which the assessment would be based. The standard key responsibilities of staff nurses in medical wards are shown in Table 1, below: Table 1: Key Responsibilities of Staff Nurses in Medical Wards Source: UPMC Beacon Hospital, 2012 Performance management is defined as â€Å"the process of assessing and addressing the difference between required performance and actual performance in the workplace† (Shaw & Blewett, 2013, p. 4). In one’s capacity as staff nurse, performance evaluation was noted to have been regularly conducted, as prescribed by the health institution, once a year. In conjunction with the roles and responsibilities of the nurse manager is the competency in six categories, as presented by the American Hospital Association (AHA), to wit: â€Å"management of clinical nursing practice and patient care delivery; management of human, fiscal, and other resources; development of personnel; compliance with regulatory and professional standards; strategic planning; and fostering interdisciplinary, collaborative relationships within a unit(s) or area(s) of responsibility and the institution as a whole† (AHA, 1992; cited in Chase, 2010, p. 6). The performance appraisal or evaluation falls within the management of human resources where nurse managers are expected to closely assess the ability of nursing staff in undertaking their respective tasks in the delivery of health care. Thus, with the clearly identified key responsibilities, performance evaluation is accurately undertaken by nurse managers following th e characteristics and principles for an effective approach (Drach-Zahavy & Dagan, 2002; Contino, 2004; Hudson, 2006). Characteristics and Principles for an Effective Performance Appraisal Approach Shaw & Blewett (2013) have identified principles to adhere to ensure that an effective performance appraisal system is undertaken within the health care environment. The following principles were explicitly noted: (1) it should be regular and timely; (2) the orientation or main objective is for improvement of performance; (3) conformity to

American Music History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

American Music History - Essay Example The drummer and the male dancer compete against each other by increasing the tempo and making the rhythm more intricate, progressively. Rumba is not really the name of a single dance, rather a genre of dances originating in Cuba. The two to four beat rhythm, which is common to all Cuban dances, is called the Clave rhythm, as it is played by two sticks called claves. The tempo changes but never gets too fast as the couple sway from side to side suggestively, holding each other at approximately arm’s length. Initially danced to African music, the songs for the Rumba gradually converted into Spanish. The Rumba has strayed into contemporary Flamenco, Blues and even Rock music and is continually evolving thanks to newer, experimental artists. Popularized in the USA by the sensational Carmen Miranda, the Samba has its origins in Brazil and Africa. Bossa Nova emerged in protest to the commercialization of Samba in the 1960s. It is called jazz samba as it blends jazz music with the upbeat rhythms of the samba seamlessly. It was more intimate and lacked the flamboyance of Samba. The song ‘Desafinado’ introduced the term Bossa Nova. Musicians like Miles Davis and Pat Metheny draw great inspiration from the Bossa Nova tradition. Salsa, literally meaning sauce, originated in Cuba, and by the end of the 1970s became a major component of   almost all vernacular fields. It is quintessentially Cuban music, long held a substyle, and although it originally was defined by upbeat, spirited Cuban music, it slowly developed a Latin tinge to it, although retaining that Cuban flavour as well. Today, we define salsa generally as Latin-African music, and what was once dance band music, albeit music incorporating varied rhythms, complex instrumentations and sounds, usage of flutes and violins, under various Puerto Rican and South American influences, and with the inclusion of jazz, has now grown to be a highly sophisticated style of music capable of being molded into

Hermeneutical Circle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hermeneutical Circle - Essay Example The 'meaning' may be open-ended, but the particular text that is being considered is a close-ended circle because of the self-referentiality of individual parts and whole (Jasper, 2004). Christianity is based upon a number of tenets, including the idea, at least within the Protestant faiths, that the Bible is in fact an "organic whole" rather than a series of contrasting individual texts that have been gathered together over quite a long period of time. Yet on another note, the only way for a Christian to understand many parts of the Bible is to refer to other parts of the Bible for understanding. This is the self-referentiality of the Bible that can be seen as a part of the hermeneutical circle. A central example is the 'nature of God' which has concerned Christians for more then 1900 years. The various manners in which God reveals Himself within the Bible, particularly in reference to the contrast between the Old and New Testaments, might seem to be contradictory. The same God who asks for the first-born to be killed and demands that one of his faithful kill his own son to prove his faith is also the same God who reveals that love, mercy and forgiveness are the central aspects of his nature in the New Testament (Goldsworthy, 2007). It is the closed circle of self-referentiality that is found within the Bible is the answer to that question. Various parts of the Bible, in revealing the nature of God, refer to one another. One cannot understand the God of the New Testament without reference to the Old Testament and visa-versa. One version of the circle of hermeneutics, as expressed by evangelical theology, suggests that it is not merely "word studies" that should be involved in interpretation but rather "Word study" (Goldsworthy, 2007). This is the Word of Jesus Christ which is regarded as being the central focus and prism through which the rest of the Bible, and in fact "all of reality" can be discovered and understood (Goldsworthy, 2007). The gospel of Jesus Christ is the central fulcrum around which the rest of the Bible revolves according to this kind of hermeneutics. Of course this essentially counters the non-hierarchical structure of self-referentiality that exists within the traditional hermeneutical circle. In traditional hermeneutics all parts relate to the whole and the whole relates to all the parts in equal measure. Within a Christian theology that includes hermeneutics the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the focusing structure that involves comprehension. Jesus "communicates" (Brown, 2007) with people through the closed circle of the Bible, and enables them to navigate through the often complex and seemingly contradictory passages that it offers. The hermeneutical circle may appear to be complex, but in fact it is quite simple when seen in terms of revelation. As Brown (2007) suggests, "reading scripture is learning to discern a communicative act initiated by God". That "communicative act" needs to be understood within the context of all the other acts of communication that are contained within the Bible, but for the Christian at least, it is the word of Jesus Christ that offers a complete explanation for how that communication has occurred and what God is intending to mean. To conclude, the hermeneutical circle is one of the largest dilemmas within all philosophy in general and within theology in particular. The self-referentiali

Black Representation in Postbellum Era Art

Black Representation in Postbellum Era Art Heroes in art and imagery in post-bellum 19th century America Following the abolition of slavery in 1865, it took a substantial amount of time for the representation of African-American people in American art to establish itself beyond the grotesque and the caricatured. Before slavery and the plantations were outlawed due to the civil war, American representation of blacks were shown as cartoon caricatures; as generic, racial stereotypes with no individuality of their own. This is demonstrated by a number of artworks prevalent at the time. Blackness was either relegated to the sidelines of the paintings, sculpture and engravings, or else excluded completely from the image. And although the outlawing of slavery was done in order to generate equality and liberty across the United States, racism was still prevalent, and it would also take some time before the actual identity of blackness in the United States managed to transcend that of an oppressed, racial stereotype, and began to take on and represent a history and a culture of its own, instead of merely providing the negative for the representation of whiteness. A great many critics argue that this breakthrough was made ironically by a sculpture made and funded by white people, in the Shaws Memorial by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Despite Saint-Gaudens obvious inclinations towards racial stereotyping in words (his memoirs justify this statement), thanks to a number of coincidences, his artistic credibility, and the amount of time he was given to produce this sculpture, he managed to represent blackness not as caricatured, but as a disparate but unified whole. But some critics of the Shaw Memorial still uphold the belief that it is inherently racist. In the following essay, I will look briefly at the history of black representation in the art of post-bellum America, than engage in a closer analysis of the Shaw Memorial, in order to see exactly what is being represented and how. Monumental sculpture in particular had a great history in providing people with allusions to the real, held as less of an illusion than the representations made in other arts, such as painting. The representation of Apollo in the famous sculpture had provided people with a benchmark for human aesthetic beauty for thousands of years, and sculpture seemed conducive to the production and the replication of this ideal human form. This has serious implications for the evolution of how Black American slaves in postbellum America were represented. Kirk Savage suggests that: â€Å"Sculptures relation to the human body had always been more direct and intimate than paintings: the sculptors main task was not to create illusions on a flat surface but to reproduce three-dimensional bodies in real space.†[1] Additionally, because of the importance by which public sculpture was held at the time, as a monument dedicated to, rather than imposed upon the community, the development of a realisti c representation of the African American body in the art of the time is not to be underestimated. Savage goes on to say: â€Å"The sculpture of antiquity thus became an authenticating document of a normative white body, a race of white men.†[2] The fair representation of blackness in sculpture was therefore central to the cause of representing blackness as equal in America. However, it would still be some time before the representation of the hero would be anything but white. This white hero occurred on both sides of the slavery divide, as those from the South would paint a picture of the generous, selfless plantation owner, whereas those from the North would paint an equally white picture of figures fighting for the liberty of black slaves. From the Journal of Popular Culture: â€Å"In the postbellum reminiscences, a slaveholders chivalric spirit was manifested through feats of selfless generosity.†[3] Also, representations of the South didnt differ: â€Å"refusing to concede an exclusive grant of heroic title to the friends and relatives of slaveholders, those who had gloried in the 1865 Union victory demanded an equal chance to create their own champions of popular culture. In the manner of their southern counterparts, they sought to rescue from oblivion the true history of an unpretending, liberty-loving and Christian people.†[4] So, despite the liberal intentions of the North, their representations of blacks were still stuck in a post-plantation world: the blacks were to be represented as symbols of otherness – of cartoon caricatures, and only there to represent their emancipation by the heroes of white culture that had freed them. Sculpture is also a particularly difficult medium with which to represent skin colour, because the tone of the skin cannot directly be represented: â€Å"Since sculpture was understood then to be monochromatic, sculptors could not represent skin color directly.†[5] How then, was skin colour represented in the medium? In John Rogers Slave Auction (1859) blackness is represented as a series of facial features. He is identified by his position in front of the stand, but also by his curly hair and his full lips. By representing the Negro as defiant, with arms crossed, â€Å"the work attracted the attention of some local abolitionist newspapers and acquired a limited public reputation.†[6] However, the problem was still unresolved: of how to represent an image of blacks in sculpture that wasnt patronising, denigrating or clichà ©d, which still represented the identity of blackness in what was essentially a monochromatic medium. Savage continues: â€Å"artists after the Civ il War faced the great challenge of representing a society recently emancipated from slavery, that brought to the task various assumptions and images that had been deeply ingrained by the system of slavery and by the long campaign to abolish it.†[7] Blackness was, in effect, so heavily linking to its white-established origins of slavery, that it was a seemingly impossible task to represent it in any other way, never mind to represent blackness in a heroic light. Due to the uniform way in which blackness was represented, it was impossible to reconcile the image of a black hero with this symbol of the homogenised masses, either there to be emancipated, or else enslaved by the dominant white society that controlled politics, society and the power mechanisms of postbellum America. If blacks were represented at all, they would be seen as stereotypes of a series of white-defined black assumptions concerning black facial imagery. Fryd suggests that: â€Å"It is possible that because of the continuous threat of disunion from slavery, both northerners and southerners felt that they needed to banish blacks from the artworks.†[8] Because of the knotty subject matter concerning black autonomy, it took a while before blacks could be represented as heroic even in the slightest. This representation is epitomised by the painting Cornwallis Sues for Cessation of Hostilities under the Flag of Truce (1857). In it, a black man is seen hiding in the far r ight corner of the painting, his face obscured by a hat, wedged behind two white officials. The dark background, coupled with his dark clothing and dark face disguises his presence in the picture. He is also seen with an earring, curly black hair and thick lips; a typically stereotypical representation of blackness. Fryd suggests that: â€Å"The figure is barely visible given the prominence of the three central figures, and the importance of Washington in this ceremonial painting celebrating the generals astute ploy to force the British surrender.†[9] So, the image of the hero is used here to grab the attention and, while the other white people rally round and bask in the nobility and the light of Washington, the black man is confined to the far right of the page, looking somewhat sheepish, and ostracised from the composition by his colour and his position in the painting. So, postbellum art, in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, was still primarily concerned with representing blackness as something passive; something to which things had to be done, whether this thing was emancipation or else slavery. The development of Shaws Memorial, and the numerous copies that Saint-Gaudens later made in an attempt to perfect his masterpiece, in many ways marks a turning point in the development of an autonomous series of black characters, noted for their individuality, as well as their allegiance to a particular racial and socio-economic group. However, the presence of Shaw, and the titling of the monument (the Shaw Memorial dictates that Shaw is the most important character), as well as his composition, leads us into thinking about the following question: Is the Shaw Memorial a sophisticated representation of blackness in post-bellum art, or is it simply a similar propagation of the racist values of whiteness held previously? Of course, it is impossible to divorce the Shaw Memorial entirely from perceiving the African Americans as an oppressed group because, historically, they were. Savage argues that: â€Å"The Shaw Memorial introduced the element of black recognition into the more conventional worship of white heroism.†[10] Indeed, the depiction of heroism is intrinsic to the understanding of this piece: although the African-Americans are seen as a group of people, they are also, thanks to the meticulous and painstaking sculptural perfectionism of Saint-Gaudens, seen as individuals, as Saint-Gaudens used models found on the streets of New York to develop a realistic depiction of a great variety of black people. However, Saint-Gaudens choice of developing and individuating the black soldiers at the bottom of the piece was also due to economics and artistic integrity, more than actually consciously trying to represent blackness: he says in his memoirs that â€Å"through my extreme interest in it and its opportunity, [I] incre ased the conception until the rider grew almost to a statue in the ground and the Negroes assumed far more importance than I had originally intended.†[11] The prejudices of the sculptor was also clear, and releases all manner of underlying problems with the authenticity behind how blackness is represented in the piece: â€Å"It is fascinating that this exploration of black diversity came from the hands of a white man who shared the common racial prejudices of the white elite. In his memoirs, Saint-Gaudens writes quite disparagingly about his black models, who are brought into the story merely as comic relief. They come odd as foolish, deceptive, and superstitious, though Saint-Gaudens is careful to say that he likes them for their imaginative, though simple, minds.†[12] Indeed, Saint-Gaudens textual representation of Negroes was as fraught in stereotype as the average member of the white elite, but somehow, due to the nature of his artistic perfectionism, as well as the conditions for producing a statue with the singular intention of promoting racial awareness, he managed to transcend these barriers of personal prejudice and made something that helps not simply to represent blackness as a patronising simulacrum of white values, but represents blacks as they are, in a way that is not patronising or denigrating. It is also fair to assume that the economic conditions of the artwork surpassed the actual intentions of the master sculptor, which was, at least according to early drafts, simply to represent Shaw as a great leader, without any direct or detailed representation of blackness. But, as time passed, Saint-Gaudens became more interested in representing blackness: â€Å"Deciding instead to represent the soldiers as distinct individuals, he became fascinated with the material reality of their own diversity. He wanted the defy military uniformity, on the one hand, and racial caricature on the other; both in their own ways were strategies of standardization. For the sculptor, blackness did not become a leveling trait but a field in which to create a rich interplay of internal differences.†[13] It was this rich interplay that served to develop the heroic quality of blackness in art in 19th century American art. As the statue stands, the individuation of blacks serves to treat them as heroes, albeit heroes of a group, rather than a singular hero held in noble esteem. The white officer, however, is still glorified over and above the black soldiers that march underneath. Despite his lowly position in the ranks of the army, he is glorified simply because of his position leading the â€Å"despised race†. This is a problematic issue: â€Å"racial difference [of making Shaw representative of a group of black soldiers] made this idea of representation problematic at best. Could Shaw, a high-born white man, represent a regiment of black troops?†[14] Thus, the position of Shaw as hero, towering above the distinct blacks, renders the usage of the standard equestrian imagery slightly uncomfortable. However, Saint-Gaudens also uses rhythm in a sense to convey that Shaw does not dominate the black soldiers, but leads them instead. Shaw holds a sword that is angled in rhythm to the marching soldiers. The horse is strained, but Shaw holds it back, and the whole image is composed to generate both diversity, and homogeneity. In the representation of blackness, for instance: â€Å"we see the drummer boy juxtaposed with the sergeant behind him, the youngest member of the group with the oldest, smooth skin with beard, short stature with height; but if we read into depth, other more subtle contrasts emerge too, of facial hair, cheekbone, nose and eye shape. [] In this way the overall impression of uniformity – of identically clad soldiers marching perfectly in step, rhyming each others body movements – is changed and enriched by a kind of contrapuntal rhythm of diversity.†[15] In postbellum art, the concern was primarily with establishing the autonomous and individuated identity of a previously oppressed group of people, while maintaining the traditional structures of the depiction of the hero, with respective notions of beauty, leadership and nobility, that proved to be a problematic mix to endeavour to achieve. Thus, the South turned to the plantation owners for their heroes – the chivalric and generous heroes, displaying their generosity towards the blacks, and treating their assumed inferiority with compassion and grace. Similarly, in the North, the contemporary hero of postbellum art was the white emancipator of the blacks, fighting for the freedom of this oppressed race of people. The result was that the hero didnt particularly change race, and that common perceptions of human aesthetic beauty, a notion that went back to Greek times, remained largely the same. However, despite taking on the traditional format of the equestrian hero statue, the Shaw Memorial assists in combining these two glaringly contrasting issues, by depicting both the individuality and the homogeneity of the black cause, as well as preserving the image of the white hero – Saint-Gaudens does this using subtle techniques of composition, by combining rhythm, and by representing a great swathe of meticulously studied, and strikingly different black faces, that ultimately combine to produce â€Å"interplay† in racial profiling. Savage comments that: â€Å"In this monument Saint-Gaudens was able to elevate the white hero without demoting the black troops.†[16] and it is testament to his genius that, despite his personal prejudices, he managed to fully articulate and display through the medium of monumental art, the autonomy, yet the solidarity of an entire race of people, within the context of the traditional white hero monument. Bibliography Berlin, I., Slaves Without Masters, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1974 Burchard, P., One Gallant Rush, St. Martins Press, New York, 1965 Deburg, W. L. V., The Battleground of Historical Memory: Creating Alternative Culture Heroes in Postbellum America, from Journal of Popular Culture, vol. 20, pp. 49 62 Dryfhout, J. H., The Work Of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, University Press of New England, London, 1982 Fryd, V. G., Art and Empire: The Poltics of Ethnicity in the United States Capitol, 1815-1860, Yale University Press, London, 1992 Saint-Gaudens, A., Reminiscences, Vol 1., Century Co, New York: 1913 Savage, K., Standing Soldiers, Kneeling Slaves: Race, War, and Monument in Nineteenth-Century America, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1997 Appendix: Images referred to the text: The Slave Auction (1859) by John Rogers Cornwallis Sues for Cessation of Hostilities under the Flag Of Truce (1957) by Constantino Brumidi Robert Gould Shaw Memorial (1897) by Augustus Saint-Gaudens 9 Footnotes [1]Savage, K., Standing Soldiers, Kneeling Slaves: Race, War and Monument in Nineteenth-Century America, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1997, p. 8 [2]Ibid. [3]Deburg, W. L. V., The Battleground of Historical Memory: Creating Alternative Culture Heroes in Postbellum America, from Journal of Popular Culture, Vol. 20, p 51 [4]Ibid. p. 53 [5]Savage, K., 1997, p. 17 [6]Ibid., p. 17 [7]Ibid. p. 21 [8]Fryd, V. G., Art and Empire: The Politics of Ethnicity in the United States Capitol, 1815-1860, Yale University Press, London, 1992, p. 208 [9]Ibid. p. 207 [10]Savage, K., Standing Soldiers, Kneeling Slaves: Race, War and Monument in Nineteenth-Century America, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1997, p. 197 [11]Saint-Gaudens, A., Reminiscences Vol. 1., Century Co., New York: 1913, p. 333 [12]Savage, K., Standing Soldiers, Kneeling Slaves: Race, War and Monument in Nineteenth-Century America, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1997, p. 201 [13]Ibid. [14]Ibid. p. 196 [15]Ibid. p. 201 [16]Savage, K., Standing Soldiers, Kneeling Slaves: Race, War, and Monument in Nineteenth-Century America, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1997, p. 204

Rat Race :: essays research papers

Ah, â€Å"the rat race†. A term used so often to describe the frantic way of living people are in to gain success. It’s also something our economy thrives off of. You wouldn’t think so, but it’s true. That’s why I chose it to be my essay topic. It’s that need to get to work in the morning to spend yet another day kissing butt and working like a dog so maybe just maybe you’ll be able to have enough money to live on. Until of course you’re on your way home and see the cutest little thing in the store window and that little voice in your head says, â€Å"oh darling it’s simply perfect, you’ve just got to have it†. That voice gets everyone into trouble doesn’t it? The picture on the cover of this report describes â€Å"the rat race† perfectly. Our world is a never-ending cycle of earning and spending. (I’m sorry if I offend the smart ones who actually SAVE money). Our economy prospers from stupid spending. Eighty-dollar jeans here, one hundred and fifty dollar sneakers there. Things that were thought of as luxuries before have now become necessities. Cell phone, beepers, these are now things people need rather than would like to have. Economic status is now based superficially. â€Å"Oh look they have a Rolex and a suit and a cell phone, they must be rich†! In case no one noticed, everyone and there mother has a cell phone these day whether they can afford it or not, the suit is probably a cheap knock of some famous designer and the â€Å"Rolex† is probably one of those â€Å"ten dollar ten dollar† deals. But since people look at us by what we have more than anything else, we feel the need to buy more things. So we earn money to buy things we don’t need just so we have the appearance of being well off. That’s everyone’s goal these days, to be well of. But you know what it’s good that people are this dumb. Know why? Our economy wouldn’t be able to live without it. In the picture, you see the rats(a.k.a. us) running through a maze (a.k.a. Life) you see the sign saying â€Å"Happiness is just around the corner†. No matter where the rats are happiness is just around the corner. But to get to â€Å"happiness† what has to be done? Well first you’ve got to work harder.

A Manifesto on Been the Senior Prefect of Your School Essay

Give unto me that wisdom that is constantly around Thy throne, and cast me not out from among Thy children. For I am Thy servant, and the son of Thy hand-maiden, a weak creature of a short existence, and too weak in understanding, in right, and in the law. Send it down from Thy high heaven and from the throne of Thy glory that it may abide with me and labor with me, that I may know and do the things that are pleasing unto Thee. For Thy wisdom knoweth and understandeth all things, and let it lead me in my works and protect me in its glory, and my labors will be acceptable unto Thee. When I was yet in my youth I sought wisdom without fear in my prayer. I prayed for it in the temple, and will seek it to my end. My heart rejoiceth over it as when the young grapes ripen. Thou art my Father, my God, and my Shepherd, who helpest me. Thy hand created and prepared me; teach me that I may learn Thy com-mandments; open my eyes that I may behold the wonders of Thy law. Remember, Lord, Thy covenant, and teach me what to say and think. Instruct me and so shall I live. Lord, show me Thy ways, lead me in Thy truth, and teach me. I am Thy servant, teach me that I may un-derstand Thy evidence. Console me again with Thy help and let the happy spirit sustain me. Thou lover of life, Thy immortal spirit is in all things. Teach me to work in a manner that is well pleasing unto Thee, for Thou art my God. Let Thy good spirit lead me in pleasant paths. With Thee is the living fountain and in Thy light we see the light. Let my goings be established, and let no unrighteousness rule over me. Teach me wholesome manners and enlighten me, for I believe Thy com-mandments. Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art the God who helps me, and I wait daily before Thee. Let Thy countenance shine upon Thy servant and teach me to know Thy justice. Let me behold Thy glory, for Thou, Lord, art my light, and Thou wilt turn my darkness into day. Wilt Thou join Thyself with me in eternity, and trust me in right-eousness and in judgment, in grace and mercy, yea, wilt Thou join me in faith that I may know Thee, the Lord. Lord, let my complaints come before Thee. Instruct me according to Thy word. Let my prayers come before Thee, rescue me according to Thy word. Show me Thy ways, oh, Lord, that I may walk in Thy truth. Keep my heart in singleness that I may fear Thy name. I will remember Thy name from childhood, therefore, all people will thank Thee forever and ever. Amen.

5 of the Best Cities to Find a Job in Right Now

5 of the Best Cities to Find a Job in Right Now According to experts, the economy that began to slide in 2007 hit a low in 2009 is rebounding. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported job openings nationwide now exceed the peak experienced before the recession. In fact, in June 2015, 5.2 million job opportunities were available. While the the nation as a whole is on this upswing, some cities  are ahead of the pack. That’s useful news- learning where jobs are plentiful may be useful when looking for employment.Criteria Used to Determine RecoverySix years after the official end of the recession, economic indicators show that while the nation as a whole is recovering, some cities have not kept pace. Conversely, others are experiencing a robust economy with a healthy job market. Parameters including  a lower unemployment rate since 2009, along with increased wages and an overall growth in jobs, gives some cities a better economic standing than others.Cities With the Highest Job GrowthWhile the best cities to get a job are sp read across the country, certain regions have shown growth as a whole. Four of the top cities are in Texas, three are in North Carolina and one each is in Florida, California, Utah, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Looking at some of these cities over the period 2009 to 2012 provides a glimpse into their favorable economic picture.Texas CitiesUnemployment in Midland decreased by 35.71 percent since 2009, and average home values increased by 21.67 percent. Disposable income grew by 13.84 percent. Jobs here  are centered in the oil industry.Odessa showed a 43.4 percent decrease in unemployment along with a median home value increase of 5.87 percent, and median income here grew by 20.39 percent. Jobs in Odessa are found in mining, construction and retail services. San Angelo had a 35.48 drop in unemployment with a corresponding 11.45 percent rise in income. The medium home value here increased by 20.92 percent. Employment in San Angelo is linked to trade and transportation, health care,   jobs in education, and business service jobs. Overall, the Air Force base and schools are the top employers.Fargo, North DakotaUnemployment in this northern tier state fell by 34.48 percent, and median income grew by 18.71 percent. Median home values grew by 13.30 percent from 2009 to 2012. Top industries here include health care, education, transportation, manufacturing, and food processing. Two large employers include the state university and health care jobs with Sanford Health.Chattanooga, TennesseeThe city of Chattanooga has seen a 29.89 percent decrease in unemployment since 2009. Household income has jumped by 13.54 percent while the cost of housing has jumped by 14.04 percent. Retail sales have grown during the years 2009 to 2012.While recovery is happening in cities and towns across the country, a robust location may be a deciding factor if you’re searching for a thriving town in which to plant to your roots. Depending on your situation and ability to move, look ing at job growth from this perspective might  help you narrow (or change!) your desired industry and consider a life in a new town.Using TheJobNetwork to find your next job lets you put in criteria limiting or widening your search. Entering your qualifications, job sector and geographic location makes it possible to target the job you want in an area where jobs are plentiful. This job search platform does the rest and alerts you by email when jobs become available. Doing research into the top employers in an area and the job outlook may help you find what you need.

Business management and Change summary

Business management and Change summary 9.1HSC Topic 1: Business management changeThe nature of managementThe importance of effective managementDefinitionsManagement - The traditional definition of management is: The process of co-ordinating a business's resources to achieve the goals of the organisation.-The more contemporary definition of management views management as the process of working with through people to achieve business goals in a changing environment. Efficient effective use of resources is crucial to this.Effectiveness - Measures the degree to which a goal has been achieved.Efficiency - Weighs the resources needed to achieve the goal against what was actually achieved. (Cost Vs benefits)Management hierarchy-There are three levels of management, top management, middle management supervisory management. Level of responsibility increases from supervisory to top management but the level of technical skill decreases as it goes from supervisory to top management.Top management-Responsible for direction succes s of the business's activities, the long-term strategic plans needed to meet objectives.English: Business center at State University of Ma...-In some businesses key members of management regularly attend board meetings to outline the activities direction of the business under their control. Although directors are not directly responsible for the day-to-day management of the business, they usually have extensive business backgrounds.Middle management-Responsible for interpreting carrying out policies throughout the firm, as well as the successful operation of certain divisions or departments.-Responsible for administering the budgets, formulating departmental policies plans that are consistent with the firm's overall policies plans.-Responsible for appointing the bulk of the new employees needed by the organisation.Supervisory management-Supervisory management forms the link between top management the workers in an enterprise by channelling information between them.-Supervisor y managers are responsible for seeing that jobs are done properly. They are therefore chosen for both their ability to motivate their workers ...

1000 words APA format Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

1000 words APA format - Article Example The authors utilize this particular case as a means of drawing attention to an industrially developed society that exhibits a larger than average overall life expectancy as a means of focusing upon the aforementioned determinants of COPD. Accordingly, the forthcoming analysis will serve as a brief review and synthesis of the main findings that this particular article was able to exhibit and the overall inference that can be drawn based upon these findings in terms of proposed future research and a greater understanding of COPD as it relates to individuals beyond the age of 65. Firstly, the article presents the broader understanding that COPD is oftentimes represented an old age as a direct result of environmental hazards and/4 prior activities such as smoking which might have contributed to the prevalence of this particular disease as old age is experienced. Within this particular dynamic, the article encourages healthcare professionals to be keenly aware of the fact that COPD, although having very similar symptoms and effects upon the individual who suffers from it regardless of age, has distinctly different impacts upon individuals that are over the age of 65 and potentially experience other health complications and issues alongside this. Yet, rather than providing a mere definition of COPD, symptoms, and its potential treatments, the article establishes a research methodology that will assess stakeholders and more effectively understanding and defining COPD in terms of future treatments. Accordingly, a cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2007 to January 2008; during this period, 406 primary family caregivers of COPD patients were recruited as a means of answering a questionnaire. Essentially, this study sought to categorize, classify, and ultimately understand the differentials in approach that caregivers had towards individual suffering from COPD based

Nursing Assessment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nursing Assessment - Coursework Example Firstly, the patient should be asked about the details of the shortness of breath by defining the symptoms as well as finding how long the patient has been in that condition. Some of the main variables to identify in the symptoms include onset time, location, severity, duration, radiation and quality. Secondly, there would be the establishment of the history of symptom obtained through talking to the patient about the frequency of short breath. This may uncover the pattern in the symptom presentation and may help determine any respiratory problem if the patient reports regular physical exertion. Thirdly, there will be discussion on pre-existing patient's condition in order to obtain a comprehensive medical history about the patient. Any information on hospitalizations of the patient enhances determination of factors that can result or contribute to breathing difficulties. At this point, the medications should be discussed since some drugs may result side effects, including the shortn ess of breath. The other questions will involve the eating habits. For coughing, the patient should be asked the frequency of coughing and the duration of coughing. The information on the blood or mucus and the color can necessitate getting of some information. The patient will then be asked how the obesity condition affects the life quality like disrupted routines (Beaman, 2011). Physical examination may involve first determining the BMI and examining the body clearly. Secondly, the lungs must be examined. This involved determination of the body weight, temperature and the body mass index (BMI) that entails measuring the height in order to enhance the determination of the effects of weight of the health condition. Also, this would involve listening to lungs and heart beat using stethoscope. Checking of the signs of blood backing up in the neck veins may facilitate determination of cor pulmonale disorder of the heart. Then there should be a full cardiac examination that involves lis tening to the six sections of the heart with the diaphragm and the bell of the stethoscope. This may reveal underlying cardiac condition like murmur which results from incompetent heart valve. Thereafter, the respiratory rate of the patient must be measured to enhance quantification of the shortness of breath. The normal respiratory rate for an adult ranges from 12-18 breaths per minute and the extent of deviation from the normal rate indicates the severity of the patient’s breathing condition (Utian, 2004). Pressing the abdomen enhances determination of abdominal palpation. The lips and fingers must be assessed for cyanosis while fingers must be checked for any clubbing. Physical examination might be a little painful, especially the abdominal palpation. Prioritized health history and physical assessment enhances diagnosis, and must be performed on a regular basis as they may reveal risk factors that suggest increased risk. The physical risks will enhance assessment of severi ty of conditions such as the inability of completing full sentences without having to take a breath (Beaman, 2011). A prioritized history and assessment of the heart enhances the exclusion of heart diseases associated or, which may result into a similar situation. Based on the assessments above, two interventions that I would prioritize include heart and lung interventions; heart failure and pulmonary hypertension for the