State Farm Advertising Analysis

Today, advertising is as much a part of our lives as breathing. Whether we’re driving, listening to the radio, or watching T. V we are constantly being bombarded by thousands of companies telling us why we should buy their products or services. Some advertisements prove to be effective, while others can be easily dismissed. One very popular industry in advertisement is auto insurance. Every year companies like Geico, State Farm, and All State invest millions of dollars, hoping to convince audiences that their service is better than their competitors.Because auto insurance is a requirement for every single individual who owns a vehicle it is a very competitive market where various ad campaigns can be found. State Farm stands out amongst these companies with their creative incorporation's of Aristotle's rhetorical techniques to capture their audience and deliver their message of reliable service. Among the many ad campaigns created by the company one of the most memorable is the ir â€Å"magic jingle† campaign. The commercials feature customers in various inconvenient scenarios where an insurance agent may be needed.The customers then proceed to sing the â€Å"magic jingle† (like a good neighbor State Farm is there†¦) and an insurance agent will magically appear to help resolve their issue, along with other ridiculous requests. While the granting of these ridiculous requests make the ads humorous; therefore, memorable, they emphasize what the company feels is their advantage over their competitors: immediate and excellent service. In one of these commercials, two young men are sitting in their car in what appears to be the middle of nowhere, eating burgers when they are suddenly attacked by a herd of buffalo.In desperation, the passenger asks his friend to do the jingle and after doing so an agent appears in the car and proceeds to say: â€Å"like a good neighbor State Farm is there†¦In my office! † Immediately the three men a re zapped into the man’s office and there are sighs of relief. The ad is directed towards young men, a clever move, because young men are often the ones who find themselves in desperate situations while driving. The immediate response from singing the jingle which made the agent appear followed by his immediate action to lead the young men to safety emphasizes State Farm’s motto of immediate and excellent service.The humor used in delivering this message introduces the use of pathos, or emotion, which help in making it memorable. Pathos is also reinforced with the sighs of relief released by the young men; emphasizing the fact that with State Farm’s reliability you can count on being stress free. The concept of ethos, or image is also present in the commercial with the professional attire on the agent as well as the professional setting when they are zapped into his office. The well put together, professional setting, with employees to match increases the compan y's credibility.While the scenario is unlikely and there are clear fictional aspects to the commercial, the use of pathos in the humor and relief makes it very memorable and the point is very clearly put across: if you ever find yourself in a desperate situation, you can count on your State Farm agent to get it resolved. Another â€Å"magic jingle† commercial that helps emphasize the company’s great service features a young woman, along with two of her friends who finds the side of her car completely scratched. Unlike the instance with the buffalo, the woman remains completely calm and recites the magic jingle.An agent suddenly appears and once her friends see that reciting the jingle can make anything appear, they too recite it and make the perfect man appear on top of the car. As in the previous example, the commercial emphasizes State Farm’s reliability. This time however, there is no desperation because the young woman is so certain that her agent will get t hings resolved. Just like the previous commercial, the ad uses pathos to convince their audience, assuring them that State Farm will allow them to be stress free.The granting of the friends wishes for the perfect man helps to reinforce the aspect of great service because it represents the company’s ability to go above and beyond for their customers. Again, pathos is presented through humor, making the ad memorable and reinforcing the company’s point: when you have State Farm there is no need for desperation because they have you covered. Ethos is also once again reinforced through the agent's professional attire, creating an ethical image for the company. The next memorable ad in the campaign takes a different twist, because rather than promoting auto insurance, it promotes home insurance.In this scenario, a group of young men are sitting at home when a baseball suddenly breaks through the homeowner’s window. As his friends begin to freak out, the homeowner main tains the same relaxed attitude as the female from the previous example and recites the magic jingle. Seeing his friends in shock as an agent magically appears he encourages them to recite the jingle and make a request, which they follow by asking for a sandwich, a pretty girl, and a hot tub. Once again, pathos is used with the ridiculous requests show the company’s willingness to go above and beyond for their customers.The owner’s relaxed attitude show’s that State Farm customers are at ease because they know they can trust their agent to get things done. This ad also helps to show that the company has various types of insurance to offer and that they are all as reliable as their auto insurance. Overall, State Farm’s magic jingle campaign is successful because not only do its use of humor and repetitive use of the jingle make it memorable, but they also find clever ways to remind viewers of the company’s reliability.This successfully incorporates the use of pathos, making it easy to convince viewers that if they join the company they will feel just as relaxed as the people in their commercial. They also touch upon ethos with the presentation of their agents who are always in professional attire. This reminds viewers that despite the goofy nature of their advertisements they are still a serious and professional company. The campaign also successfully incorporates the various services the company has to offer and the fact that they are just as reliable and professional as the auto insurance.

A Study on How Informatics Affect the Clinical Nursing Practice

Computers have played an important role in every profession including nursing. Information technology is widely used by different hospitals worldwide to strengthen the quality that was given to the patients. Hence, nursing informatics has emerged in the past and continues to boom and being used by the medical practitioners nowadays.Nursing Informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science and information science to manage and communicate data, information and knowledge in nursing practice.It facilitates the integration of data, information and knowledge to support patients, nurses and other providers in their decision making in all roles and settings. This support is accomplished through the use of information structures, information processes and information technology. (ANA, 2001, p. 17)It is anticipated that majority of nurses who will enter the profession will be computer literate by the year 2010. In addition, it is also anticipated that every health c are setting will employ at least one Nurse Informatics specialist and will implement some type of a Clinical Information System.It is designed to support clinical nursing practice. It requires not only an understanding of professional nursing but also technology that is the application of science to function electronically.[1] Nursing practice has evolved and changed radically. It has become an integral part of the Electronic Health Record. Computer systems with nursing and patient care data, nursing care plans were integrated into one interdisciplinary patient health record in the Electronic Health Record.Continued advancement of information and technology and its application to the nursing practice plays an important role and greatly affect each nurse especially those registered nurses who are more experienced, that is why this term paper seeks to present and discuss the role of informatics in clinical nursing practice. More specifically, it answers the following:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What are the nursing tasks and responsibilities that will apply to the use of computer technology that will contribute to good clinical governance?2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How can the nurses further involve themselves both in the use of technology and decision making process in regards to the evaluation and selection of applications in the computer software and hardware?3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What are the strategies that can be used to bridge the age and digital experience gap between participating nurses and the influx of the next generation new graduates that apply to informatics application?This particular topic needs a great deal of general description method. In the process, it can also be helped with the use of review of some studies that is related to the impact of nursing informatics to clinical nursing.I. BodyThe application of Nursing Informatics provides great benefits not only to the patients but to the nurses themselves as well. The health care team especially nurse s makes use of Electronic Health Record (HER) in documenting the case of the patient. It is a secure, real time point of care, patient-centric information resource for clinicians.The EHR can include dental and other records concerning a patient. It represents the portions of a patient’s medical record that are stored in a computer system as well the functional benefits derived from having an electronic health record. (HIMSS Analytics, INC, 2007) (Gartee, 2007)One advantage of an electronic health record is that it can be simultaneously available to everyone who needs to use it. Secondly is that, electronic records necessitate the collection of structured data. The nurse can systematically collect data that can be transformed into information for decision making and can also be used to examine what practices, treatments, and procedures are associated with the best outcomes.The nursing responsibility that will apply to the use of informatics is mainly the nursing documentation. Because it encompasses most of the nursing tasks which includes observation, plan of care which is also known as nursing care plan that has to be documented. Each and every procedure and intervention may it be dependent or independent nursing intervention has to be documented in a proper way.The strategies that can be used by nurses to involve themselves in informatics is based in the result of the study which was published in 2005 that examined the readiness of nurses in the United States for a shift to evidence based practice.There are several issues that has to be addressed to involve nurses to participate in the use of technology in delivering quality health care to their patients. These issues are the following: (1) lack of access to research findings; (2) lack of ability to mine the information from the bibliographic databases; (3) lack of time; and (4) lack of the value in research.The first issue according to Diane Pravikoff, the presence of rich and appropriate resources f or use in gathering the evidence is one of the most important factors in incorporating EBP into practice.Based on the issues that was given, the strategies that can be used to involve nurses in informatics is mainly participation to researches and breakthroughs that is given by accredited organization to foster the scarcity of nurses who are not aware to the rapidly increasing discoveries and breakthroughs in the field of nursing.Secondly is in the participation of nurses to seminars. In addition, it will also be a great help if the nursing professionals will involve themselves in the continuing education to further enhance their knowledge in improving the quality of care of the patients.Moreover, it will have a great outcome if all nurses will be trained on how to use the information technology and study the applications that are needed in using and accessing the electronic health record of the patient. Lastly, it is more important that this knowledge gained from experiences, resea rches and seminars and education must be put into practice and be mastered to provide the optimum health of the patients.As previously discussed, to bridge the age and digital experience gap between participating nurses and the influx of the next generation new graduates that apply to informatics application, all nurses should participate in a training in information and technology and involve themselves in continuing education especially in the field of nursing informatics to address the anticipated outcome of the American Nurses Association which is by year 2010, majority of nurses should be computer literate.Nurses should participate to formal trainings and pursue the course either through a traditional type of degree such as a Masters or via a Certificate program.[1] Kathleen A. McCormick, Essentials of Nursing Informatics (International edition 2006), 4 A Study on How Informatics Affect the Clinical Nursing Practice Computers have played an important role in every profession including nursing. Information technology is widely used by different hospitals worldwide to strengthen the quality that was given to the patients. Hence, nursing informatics has emerged in the past and continues to boom and being used by the medical practitioners nowadays.Nursing Informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science and information science to manage and communicate data, information and knowledge in nursing practice. It facilitates the integration of data, information and knowledge to support patients, nurses and other providers in their decision making in all roles and settings.This support is accomplished through the use of information structures, information processes and information technology. (ANA, 2001, p. 17)It is anticipated that majority of nurses who will enter the profession will be computer literate by the year 2010. In addition, it is also anticipated that every health c are setting will employ at least one Nurse Informatics specialist and will implement some type of a Clinical Information System.It is designed to support clinical nursing practice. It requires not only an understanding of professional nursing but also technology that is the application of science to function electronically. [1]Nursing practice has evolved and changed radically. It has become an integral part of the Electronic Health Record. Computer systems with nursing and patient care data, nursing care plans were integrated into one interdisciplinary patient health record in the Electronic Health Record.Continued advancement of information and technology and its application to the nursing practice plays an important role and greatly affect each nurse especially those registered nurses who are more experienced, that is why this term paper seeks to present and discuss the role of informatics in clinical nursing practice. More specifically, it answers the following:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What are the nursing tasks and responsibilities that will apply to the use of computer technology that will contribute to good clinical governance?2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How can the nurses further involve themselves both in the use of technology and decision making process in regards to the evaluation and selection of applications in the computer software and hardware?3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What are the strategies that can be used to bridge the age and digital experience gap between participating nurses and the influx of the next generation new graduates that apply to informatics application?This particular topic needs a great deal of general description method. In the process, it can also be helped with the use of review of some studies that is related to the impact of nursing informatics to clinical nursing.I. BodyThe application of Nursing Informatics provides great benefits not only to the patients but to the nurses themselves as well. The health care team especially nurse s makes use of Electronic Health Record (HER) in documenting the case of the patient. It is a secure, real time point of care, patient-centric information resource for clinicians. The EHR can include dental and other records concerning a patient. It represents the portions of a patient’s medical record that are stored in a computer system as well the functional benefits derived from having an electronic health record. (HIMSS Analytics, INC, 2007) (Gartee, 2007)One advantage of an electronic health record is that it can be simultaneously available to everyone who needs to use it. Secondly is that, electronic records necessitate the collection of structured data. The nurse can systematically collect data that can be transformed into information for decision making and can also be used to examine what practices, treatments, and procedures are associated with the best outcomes.The nursing responsibility that will apply to the use of informatics is mainly the nursing documentation . Because it encompasses most of the nursing tasks which includes observation, plan of care which is also known as nursing care plan that has to be documented. Each and every procedure and intervention may it be dependent or independent nursing intervention has to be documented in a proper way.The strategies that can be used by nurses to involve themselves in informatics is based in the result of the study which was published in 2005 that examined the readiness of nurses in the United States for a shift to evidence based practice.There are several issues that has to be addressed to involve nurses to participate in the use of technology in delivering quality health care to their patients. These issues are the following: (1) lack of access to research findings; (2) lack of ability to mine the information from the bibliographic databases; (3) lack of time; and (4) lack of the value in research.The first issue according to Diane Pravikoff, the presence of rich and appropriate resources for use in gathering the evidence is one of the most important factors in incorporating EBP into practice.Based on the issues that was given, the strategies that can be used to involve nurses in informatics is mainly participation to researches and breakthroughs that is given by accredited organization to foster the scarcity of nurses who are not aware to the rapidly increasing discoveries and breakthroughs in the field of nursing.Secondly is in the participation of nurses to seminars. In addition, it will also be a great help if the nursing professionals will involve themselves in the continuing education to further enhance their knowledge in improving the quality of care of the patients.Moreover, it will have a great outcome if all nurses will be trained on how to use the information technology and study the applications that are needed in using and accessing the electronic health record of the patient. Lastly, it is more important that this knowledge gained from experiences, rese arches and seminars and education must be put into practice and be mastered to provide the optimum health of the patients.As previously discussed, to bridge the age and digital experience gap between participating nurses and the influx of the next generation new graduates that apply to informatics application, all nurses should participate in a training in information and technology and involve themselves in continuing education especially in the field of nursing informatics to address the anticipated outcome of the American Nurses Association which is by year 2010, majority of nurses should be computer literate.Nurses should participate to formal trainings and pursue the course either through a traditional type of degree such as a Masters or via a Certificate program.Information relevant to clinical decision making continues to expand, and its relevance will only increase as the electronic health record becomes a standard part of practice. The examples of information technology sup port for Evidenced Based Practice are internet resources, and software applications for EBP.   When it comes to EBP, internet is one of the most valuable sources of information.Different organization especially the US government provides several website that can be accessed to update the medical professions in expanding their knowledge regarding informatics. Internet can be accessed in different modes. It can be provided through a wireless broadband, mobiles used as a modem for internet connection and some makes use of dial up connection.Whether access is in mobile or not, the internet is increasingly an important adjunct to safe practice. The number of practical tools available on the internet increases each year which may result into information overload, unless the user knows how to retrieve and structure available tools. Basic and advanced internet skills are needed to adapt to a frequently changing internet environment and to retrieve the wealth of internet information applic able to clinical practice in an efficient manner.According to the University of California at Berkeley’s Library (2007), there are five internet steps strategy for effective internet searches: (1) Analyze your topic to decide where to begin; (2) pick the right search engine; (3) learn as you go and vary approach as what you have learned; (4) don’t bug down in a search strategy that does not work; and (5) return to any of the previous strategies with the insights and the information gained and repeat the process.The software application for EBP is supplied by the Electronic Health Record. The EHR has many components that incorporate EBP at the bedside, including Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) and Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE).This is of great importance because is always updated in terms of knowledge and applied reasoning by a CDSS. The clinical tasks performed by the decision support are the following: alerts and reminders, diagnostic assistance, t herapy plans, medication orders and information retrieval. As a result, the appropriateness of data regarding this updates is validated because of their responsibilities.II.  Ã‚   ConclusionPatient safety continues to be a well-documented priority for healthcare organizations. This is the reason why many research was made and is continuously being done to improve the delivery of optimum health care to the clients. Nursing informatics greatly affects the nurses especially the old nurses who were not able to catch up with the advancement of technology.But in the long run, many of them wants to improve their knowledge and be part of the rapid immersion of information technology in the field of nursing to provide benefits both in the patient and nurses such as more accurate data and zero errors in drug administration, accessibility and easy view of the patients record by the health care team at the same time when needed.BibliographyAmerican Nurses Association (ANA). (2001). Scopes and Standards of Nursing Practice for Nursing Informatics. Washington, DC: American Nurses PublishingGartee, R. (2007). Electronic Health Records: Understanding and Using Computerized Medical Records. Upper Saddle Rivers, NJ: Prentice HallHIMSS Analytics, INC. (2007). Definitions. Retrieved January 27, 2008, from HIMSS Analytics: http://www.himssanalytics.org/docs/Definitions-By-Term.pdfMcCormick, K. A. . Essentials of Nursing Informatics. International edition 2006.[1]  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kathleen A. McCormick, Essentials of Nursing Informatics (International edition 2006), 4

Getting financing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Getting financing - Essay Example The inadequacy of working capital has prevented many companies from exploiting potential market opportunities that are available to them. This paper tends to explore the scope of raising finance for my business ‘JBR Watches’ located in Los Angeles. Obviously, it is difficult for an entrepreneur to meet all capital requirements for business expansion all by oneself. Hence, for opening a showroom in Los Angeles, I should seek various sources of financing. At this juncture, it is important to identify significant tactics that an entrepreneur can initiate. The most notable factor that denies a firm’s access to financial sources is its negative market stature. This bad situation can be changed if the company deals with large contracts because they offer comparatively higher profit. At the same time, majority contract terms insist that the supplier must provide 30 to 60 days for the client to pay his invoices (Burstnet). So as to meet these credit requirements of the cu stomers effectively and to earn more profit from large business contracts, it is advisable for the JBR Watches to try for venture capital. Venture capital is an option for small companies that possess innovative business plans but have no adequate operating finance (venture capital). Generally, venture capitalists would not be willing to invest their money in risky ventures; hence, the JBR must formulate effective business designs in order to convince the capital provider about the potentiality of its business. Even though, venture capital is offered for a short period of time, JBR can make returns within this period and repay the amount before the maturity of the stipulated period. Similarly, my company may seek assistance from angel investors. An angel investor maybe a wealthy individual or group of individuals who wish to invest in pre-venture capital companies with the objective of uplifting certain communities (Angel Investors). In the case of JBR, the management can highlight the growth requirement of employees’ community; and it may assist the firm to get financial assistance from angel investors. So as to find a potential angel investor, JBR can employ the internet tools like Google search engine. According to Carbajo (2011) bank is another potential financial source for every business. However, it is observed that the banks do not provide loans and other credit facilities to small companies unless the companies possess substantial assets and all other financial records. Although JBR Watches is a notable concern in the industry, its decreased growth rate would not satisfy the banks’ credit criteria. In the opinion of Yates, banks provide credit facilities to small companies also if the business owners personally guarantee the credit repayment. This type of fund raising is a very risky practice for small companies if the business does not realize anticipated profit and the owner is unable to repay the loan amount. Therefore, JBR must be ve ry careful while applying this tool. Use of credit card is another method that can effectively contribute to the working capital requirements of JBR Watches. Credit cards assist the card holders to make purchases or obtain cash advances and pay them later. Business owners must note that credits cards are very expensive source of funding even if it has reasonably low interest rates. As in the case of bank lines of credit, the business owner personally guarantees the debt repayment while employing this technique also. Therefore, this

Emergency Managment Response Planning to a Portable Nuclear Device in Research Paper - 1

Emergency Managment Response Planning to a Portable Nuclear Device in a Major Hospital - Research Paper Example 230; The Manhattan Engineer District, 2004); recent studies and researches have identified patterns of tumor or development, and other health conditions, among atomic bomb survivors and their offsprings (Mabuchi, et al., 1994; Preston, et al., 2004; Pierce & Preston, 2000). With this knowledge, the threat of nuclear incidences has increased with the rise of technology, and in the advent of terrorism with the purpose of causing mass destruction. This paper will discuss the impact of nuclear-related incidences to the healthcare sector to identify what factors are needed to be considered in the management planning of health care institutions as they respond to these emergent situations, especially immediately (e.g., first 6 to 24 hours) after the blast. The effects of nuclear incidences to health, and the relative roles of the authorities (e.g., government, and private sectors) to control these and provide efficient health interventions will be tackled. Likewise, a discussion about suitcase nukes, what it is, how it came to be, and the truth behind its existence, will also be given particular attention. All kinds of bombs have the same negative effect, only in different intensities. They cause damage to the environment, structures, and the health of those who are exposed to the blast, its debris, and everything that was designed to come with it (e.g., chemicals, viruses, radiation, etc.). However, nuclear bombs have destructive effects a hundred or thousand times dangerous than the other bombs or explosive materials that cause concerns to authorities. Nevertheless, nuclear-related incidences are not only brought about by bombing; nuclear accidents such as the Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl Disasters, two of the worst nuclear-related accidents in history, as well as the exposure of some to nuclear radiation due to work, or living conditions, are also identified causes of nuclear radiation and blast exposure

MBA - Creating new knowledge in the workplace Assignment

MBA - Creating new knowledge in the workplace - Assignment Example Knowledge is treated as spatial model of research which is emergent and holistic (Keegan, 2009, pp. 237-239). It has however been argued that emotions play a major role in commercial qualitative research. This paper focuses on the aspect of qualitative commercial research on the emergence and role of emotion in judgment and decision making in workplace to help in creating sense in commercial practice. Discussion Commercial qualitative research is understood as social construction which is depended on historical and cultural context; it is creative processes of interpretation and iterative learning. Qualitative commercial research is a set of research techniques that are applied in commercial and social sciences. In these cases data is obtained from relatively small group of respondents and it is normally not analyzed with inferential statistics which makes it different from quantitative research. The major role of qualitative commercial research is to assist in decision making; it ac ts as consultancy in the commercial setting unlike the academic research that has the primary role of enhancing knowledge. Commercial qualitative research strength is based on creativity, ability to make connections, analytical proficiency, listening, reflections and being innovative (Keegan, 2009, p. 241). Modern scientific advancements have questioned the perception and thinking about the functions and how knowledge is created. According to Jenlink (2009, pp. 74-78) a practitioner leader has to work from range of inquiry methods to explore, create and transform social relations and knowledge within the political, economic and cultural divides of education and society. The essence of scholar practitioner in the mirror of theory is sense of being critical. This entails ensuring that knowledge, values and beliefs are framed within a consideration of implications for creating knowledge and transforming practice contrary to viewing society as collection of people, organizations, job ro les, information and emphasis within complexity thinking on relationships between things. From this point of view culture is dynamic and keeps on changing. Knowledge is recognized as socially constituted, historically embedded by approaches to disciplinary inquiry and epistemological curiosity (Jenlink, 2009, p. 23). A new concept of emergence has come out in the discipline of qualitative research. Some academics have however disagreed with the concept of emergence; this concept describes how patterns arise from local level interactions. It is difficult to understand the patterns or predict them from the behavior of lower level interactions or in a linear way. Emergence focuses on the present moment as the only point of experience and influence even though our experience incorporates the past and the future. According to Jenlink (2009, pp. 198-212), the process perspective takes a prospective view in which future is continuously created in the present on the pretext of the present r econstruction of the past. The idea of emergence is viewed as normal within the context of commercial qualitative research. The study of relationships between individuals, brands, services and their surroundings forms part of commercial qualitative research. Creation of knowledge entails legitimization of research which keeps on evolving. However

Venus Compared Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Venus Compared - Term Paper Example The ancient Greeks used it as a means of worship, honoring their gods and goddesses with as perfect representations as they could create. Inheriting that tradition from the Greeks, the Romans developed an artistic approach that would both honor their gods and commemorate cultural and individual achievements. It was here that the figure of Venus first came to life only to be subsumed by the Middle Ages and reborn in the light of the Renaissance which has itself been reflected in later periods. Even as the figure of the goddess herself remains relatively similar in terms of subject matter and context, depictions of Venus from the ancient period through the Renaissance and into the more modern age demonstrate vastly different approaches to the concept of female perfection. Such differences are easy to see when comparing the ancient Capitoline Venus (second century BC) with the famous Renaissance painting of her in Botticelli's painting "Birth of Venus" (1485) and the Botero's contempora ry statue of her in the form of the "Broadgate Venus" (1989). The Capitoline Venus is a marble statue created during the Roman era, probably during the 2nd century BC. The statue presents a very lifelike woman as she shyly prepares to step into a bath. She folds into herself a little bit, which is different from many of the other statues of the time which stood boldly nude and upright. Most of her weight is carried on one foot with her hips and shoulders twisted a bit in a counterpose position. Her shoulders curve in toward her chest and her upper body seems to hover over her lower body, as if she is attempting to protect it from prying eyes. This impression is heightened by her arms which fold inward with an obvious attempt at covering her breasts and pubic area even though she doesn't actually touch her body. Her pose suggests modesty and chastity, both characteristics she protects (Guerber, 1990). However, she is not the vision of perfection one might imagine. â€Å"Her modesty in covering her breasts with her hand only serves to emphasize them, while her head turns shyly to one side. However, the beauty of her body is impaired by the too large head weighed down by the hair and the common facial features† (Morton, 1990, p. 366). The beauty of her body suggests her divine nature as something worthy of worship while her pose, particularly as compared to other statues of the time, suggests her function; however, the not-so-perfect head may also be a reflection of the Roman's understanding that their gods and goddesses were not perfect. They had their own flaws, petty jealousies, and other weaknesses. The way this statue is made thus reflects the cultural beliefs in which it was made. Goddesses might be divine and have a degree of perfection well beyond the ability of normal women, but they still had their modesty, they still moved like mortal women, and they still had their own small flaws that got in the way. The period between the fall of Rome and the rise of the Renaissance saw very little art celebrating goddesses of any kind, so it isn't until the Renaissance that Venus was able to reemerge into the art world. When she did, she did so in a big way. Understood broadly as the goddess of love, Venus was reborn in statues and paintings throughout Italy with perhaps one of the most famous portrayals performed by Botticelli. While she had appeared in other works before him, Boticelli made a splash with his â€Å"Birth of Venus† (1485). In this image, Venus is again portrayed in the nude as she had been in ancient art, which was breaking the rules of the time as only divinities (Jesus, Mary, and the saints) were accepted when depicted nude. He did draw a line, though, in determining

Principles and Policy by Baumol and Blinder Term Paper

Principles and Policy by Baumol and Blinder - Term Paper Example The evidence is clear as penalties that imposed on high-risk borrowers of up to 2% of the mortgage amount have been diminished or eliminated. Evidently, Americans have witnessed the lowest rates in recent decades due to the fact that homeowners are in scurry to refinance. However, 25% of these homeowners cannot refinance since their mortgage exceeded the value of the home. Since the last crash, Fannie and Freddie were both under the control of the Federal government, a move that had to be conducted in order for the American economy to be stabilized. Currently, the program has not worked up to its potential as only 894,000 borrowers have conducted refinancing in their mortgages through agency. Although many factors affect the outcome, it is clear that Fannie and Freddie Mac are hindrance towards the market as they continue to enact hefty fees and conditions to their customers. It relates to macroeconomics due to the fact that housing bubble continues to grow out of hand. The housing m arket has been in such a turmoil that individuals can start owning homes for $50,000. This act is beneficial because it can lower the interest rates and allow people to pay their mortgages, which can increase the price of homes. Moreover, critics continue to question the effectiveness of the program as it strives to boost the economy since cash flow of borrowers will be induced by investors who possess these bad mortgages. Conducive research indicates that housing market directly impacts the American economy. Real estate economics dictate the economic strategies that are used in the market. The housing economic discusses the business and structural modifications that can potentially ruin the industry. In essence, there is no market equilibrium as the demand for houses has been high even though supply has diminished. This is mainly because of the low price that has continued to haunt the economy. BBC Newt Gingrich, Republican president, has defended the fact that he was never bribed by Fannie Mac. Gingrich was reacting to a report that he earned up to $1.8 million as the consultant from the leading mortgage lender. The former congressman continues to defend the fact that he never lobbied for Freddie Mac. Gingrich has been on the focal point since the elections have been heated up as he is the leader in the Republican polls. Since Freddie Mac is funded by the government, owns and continues to ensure half of US mortgages. This is critical to economics because Freddie Mac is already under strict scope of the government as it continues to struggle. If the accusations are indeed true, then both Freddie Mac and Gingrich can be in huge trouble considering the fact both are huge names in the industry. Gingrich insists that he was hired "strategic advice over a long period of time" to Freddie Mac, although he could not specify exactly how much he was paid. Yet, with the market on the verge of going chaotic, Gingrich is under the microscope for his actions. As mentioned above, Freddie Mac is still imposing high fees to its customers, something that Gingrich should acknowledge and address in his presidential debate. It will be interesting to see whether Gingrich’s reputation increases or decreases in polls. PBS Recently, a couple decided to buy a house which was worth only $1.

Final reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Final reflection - Essay Example Through the various lessons that we have undertaken in class, especially those focusing on the images and viewer meaning, have all contributed to my ability to visually communicate successfully. Not only have I had the opportunity to improve my visual communication skills, I have also learnt the various factors that lead to poor visual communication, perception and meaning of what we see are the major factors. Visually, I can analyse anything that I see from different perspectives and later make a conclusion. Earlier, I used to make conclusions without going through the analysing process. Subsequently, I made numerous mistakes in most of my decisions. However, being a visually literate person, I make decisions without any fear or worry of making mistakes. Thus, I am more confident, surer and more decisive when am making my decisions from visual communication. Art is emotional and sentimental, as I have come to realize from the various classes that we have taken. The purpose of art is diverse and has a broad meaning. Not only is art a form of entertainment, it is also a form of communication that artists use to convey different messages to the audience. Artists use art to communicate on different social issues and problems generally affecting the society. Art influences our thinking and reasoning about life. Personally, I perceive art as a method in which artists use to educate people on important issues affecting the society. Moreover, I have come to realize that art takes many forms, not just the cultural art or art by a certain group of people. Media is a form of art in the post modernism era. However, there is a rift in the reasoning behind the modern and post modernism forms of art. While postmodern art holds that all stances are unstable and insincere, and therefore irony, parody, and humour, by critique or revision prevails, the modern art thinks otherwise. As such, many events happening around us incorporate the use of art, especially in advertising and explaining consumer behaviour and character. For an advert to be captivating, it should be creative and attractive. Beauty is attractive and captures the attention of the people. Through this understanding, businesses provide beautiful commodities to people especially those that capture their attention for the purpose of ma king a sale. Thus, even in the modern world, the art is still alive, only that this time, its application falls in different categories than in the past. Throughout the class, I came to realize several things that I was not aware about in the past. Although initially they appeared obvious, the reality in them did not occur to me until after taking the class. It was during the topic on â€Å"the experience of looking† that I experienced a break-through moment in my artistic abilities as well as visual communication. The different concepts learned in the class were a form of revelation that I did not have in the past. Positivism as I realized assumes that me aning exists out in the world, independent of our feelings, attitudes, or beliefs about them. Positivism holds that only the scientific knowledge is genuine knowledge, while other views are simply some forms of suspicion. Moreover, the empirical truths of experience of loo

Norton Lilly International Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Norton Lilly International - Case Study Example However, the growth in the company was not without consequences given that such growth had not been well entrenched in the company's culture as asserted by (Burton and Gamble 369). Consequently, operational efficiency did not match the agency's growth path leading to losses in 2006. Following the loss in 2006, the agency hired James Burton to double as the Chief Operations Officer and Chief Finance Officer given his professional qualifications as a Certified Public Accountant who had been consulted by various organisation that sort to achieve growth (Burton and Gamble 368). The agency's mission is to restore operational efficiency thereby helping to increase its profitability. The company sort to achieve this mission by pursuing growth which would see it double its size (Burton and Gamble 368). In addition, the agency had an objective of ensuring smooth transition as it was at the verge of being passed over to the next generation of in the family (Burton and Gamble 368). Basically, t he company wanted to have a turnaround strategy which would ensure both operational efficiency and profitability. Crafting of the strategy In first stage of the endeavour to bring about efficiency at the agency required development of a strategy. The strategy was based on ensuring the company achieves sustainable competitive advantage and could be based on five different perspectives that include; Dominant Industry Economic Features, Five Forces Analysis, Competitive Analysis, SWOT and PESTEL and Financial. Generic strategies may also form the basis for crafting a business strategy. A business can rely on a combination of perspectives or all of them. Based on the dominant industry perspective economic features, Burton first role in developing the strategy was to assess the business to identify the areas that could help the company get a strong foundation for execution (Burton and Gamble 370). Under this approach, core business areas are assessed and addressed given that they support other parts of the company. This is also in congruent with the competitive advantage approach which calls for one to assess the strengths and maximize on them to ensure achieve the mission set out. The crafting of the strategy execution was also based on PESTEL analysis which postulates that a strategy must assess the social perceptions of the people involved (Goodstein and Burke 5). Consequently, Burton understood that he was bringing change among a group of people who were equally competent and therefore he had to introduce ideas hat could be easily accepted and therefore he chose an incremental approach. The other components of PESTEL require the political, environmental, technological, economic and legal macro-environment within which a business is conducted given that they may affect its growth. In the strategy crafting, Burton noted that he could only achieve change through a gradual process as this would give the executive the confidence that such change will be bring tangib le benefits to the company. Moreover, Burton believed that gradual and logical business growth would help the company identify new ways of doing things. Executive Strategy After crafting a growth strategy, it has to be implemented to bring about sustainable positive change to the company. In such efforts, the company follows a series of activities which begins with organizational building, strategic leadership and resource allocation. The execution also involves addressing the organizational culture, evaluating and recognizing achievements and management of the operating systems of the company (Grudy 10). The first weakness addressed in the executive strategy

European Court on Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Court on Human Rights - Essay Example The Human Rights Watch (HRW), a global NGO, noted this weakness in implementation of human rights laws. "The development of norms has not been matched by effective means for their implementation." (Hicks, 2007) Implementation is further blocked by the current thinking that protection worldwide, and the threat to human rights continues to grow." (Hicks, 2007) Amnesty International also believes that today, "human rights are not only a promise unfulfilled, they are a promise betrayed." Amnesty International was referring specifically to attempts by various States to justify or conceal their violations of the absolute ban on torture, to the tragedy of Darfur, the failure to stop extreme and widespread violence against women, and the failure to pursue the people's economic, political and social rights (as embodied in the modest UN Millenium Development Goals). In the face of such serious challenges, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for UN Member States to rise and assume the role of human rights defenders. Not the US, since HRW believes that the US has compromised itself by human rights violations in its campaign against terrorism and in the war in Iraq (for instance, secret prison camps and ill-treatment and torture of prisoners). Also not Russia or China, since as HRW pointed out, the two countries are themselves major human rights violators, especially the rights of political dissenters. The Human Rights Watch urged the European Union to assume the role since it is "the world's leading collection of democracies, founded on a ECHR 4 commitment to human rights and the rule of law." At the same time HRW chided the EU, stating that "due in part to structural problems and in part to a lack of political will, the European Union's underperformance on human rights has left a gaping leadership hole." (Roth, 2007) EU: Waffling on Human Rights Issues The EU has made undeniable progress in setting up a European human rights system. Its Charter of Fundamental Rights, adopted in 2002, has defined the comprehensive civil, political, economic and social rights of all European citizens and residents, covering the following concerns: dignity, freedoms, equality, solidarity, citizens rights and justice. (Europa) "Human rights, democracy and the rule of law are core values of the European Union. Embedded in its founding treaty, they have been reinforced by the adoption of a Charter of Fundamental Rights. Respect for human rights is a prerequisite for countries seeking to join the Union and a precondition for countries who have concluded trade and other agreements with it." (European Parliament) The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is empowered to hear cases filed by individuals who believe that their rights were violated

Essays for Social Networks Essay Example for Free

Essays for Social Networks Essay Through her Amigas: Fifteen Candles novel, author Veronica Chambers demonstrates a picture of perfect unity that enables a group of friends to achieve otherwise insurmountable feats. Such exhilarating togetherness urges the involved parties Gaz, Alicia Cruz, Jamie, and Carmen to selflessly work towards ensuring that their colleague Sarita succeeds in her endeavors. It happens that Cruz encounters Sarita while the former is undergoing her internship. On learning that Sarita is about to celebrate her quincenera the customary fifteenth-birthday coming-of-age party, Cruz willingly offers to help her newfound friend. Consequently, Cruz mobilizes her three friends to assist in organizing Sarita’s party. Through the novel, Chambers explores Cruz impeccable networking skills coupled with her , as well as her three friends’ – utter unselfishness as the four work to make Sarita’s quincenera a vibrant success. For instance, Cruz is depicted to be a very experienced networking agent owing to the speed and precision with which she mobilizes her 3 friends to assist in executing Sarita’s party. To illustrate, after learning of Sarita’s upcoming quincenera, Cruz sets out to inform and persuade her friends to join in this cause. Soon, three friends are working hand-in-hand with both Cruz and Sarita to make the party a resounding success. Through this acts, the four friends demonstrate commendable unselfishness. This is because, although Sarita is relatively new to them, the 4 individuals wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to her cause. Cruz is the most notable unselfish individual because she momentarily sets aside her preoccupation with a just-begun prestigious internship program to give her undivided attention to Sarita’s party. In conclusion, from Chamber’s novel, the selfless nature and commendable unity that Cruz and her 3 friends demonstrate is evident. Thanks to Cruz’s excellent networking skills, the quartet quickly gangs up to aid Sarita in her party preparations. The Secret River by Kate Grenville A man’s undying determination for independence Through her The Secret River novel, author Kate Grenville describes the character called William Thornhill as depicting an endless quest to achieve autonomy. This autonomy is best explained by Thornhill’s desire to be free from poverty that has haunted him all his entire life. For example, a close examination of this character’s troubled life shows that he has endured extreme hardships. To illustrate, Thornhill has been rendered a petty thief due to the poverty that surrounds him. The man has to provide for himself as well as his family despite the shockingly little income that he manages to salvage. He thus engages in acts of petty theft so as to make ends meet. For this socially unacceptable behavior, Thornhill is apprehended, tried, and handed a life sentence that is soon reduced to the requirement that the convict spends his remaining days in Australia’s New South Wales region. Once in Australia, Thornhill demonstrates his true and noble intentions away from the troubles back in London. For example, the convict tries as much as possible to avoid engaging in any type of confrontations with the native Black residents in his new home. In addition, Thornhill strives to acquire and own land that would enable him exercises self-determination besides acquiring other possessions. Through such actions, Thornhill demonstrates that he desires to lead a quiet and peaceful life free from unnecessary troubles. Further, the character has a keen desire to be free from the yoke of poverty that formerly detained him. Grenville thus explores the character’s true identity and inherent peaceful nature. In conclusion, through The Secret River novel, Grenville traces Thornhill’s life history, showing that the character is intrinsically a peaceful and honest individual. For instance, the author shows that extreme circumstances have made Thornhill a dishonest person. Consequently, after being brought to Australia free from London’s hardships, Thornhill demonstrates love for peace and a desire to exercise self-determination. Argumentative essay: Money can break people According to an age-old saying ‘money makes humans mad’. This is especially true if persons allow their insatiable desire for money and associated riches to cloud their reasoning capacities. Consequently, such persons become captive to the allure of money and the associated perils. To name just one negative consequence of this habit, an uncontrolled desire to have more money can make one lose sight of more important things in life such as one’s family. The consequences that result from an inhibited pursuit of money and wealth are usually very disastrous. For example, one may have their marriage or even an entire family disintegrating beyond repair in case the central figure takes to a ridiculous search for money. Examining the very rationale behind one’s pursuit of money shows that an unbridled search for wealth can have consequences that amount to the metaphorical breaking of the person who depicts such a habit. To illustrate, it is obvious that one looks for money so as to acquire life’s necessities, thus making life enjoyable. Further, since no man is an island, every person desires to have pleasant company. Such wholesome companionship is mostly attained in a family setup. The concept of someone losing the very family which, coupled with wealth, would make their lives complete as they search for money thus constitutes a metaphorical breaking of someone. It is thus accurate to say that money breaks people. In conclusion, the ‘money breaks people’ statement takes shape when someone loses their family due to their insatiable greed fore more riches. This is because, the persons have lost one of the most important entities that can help actualize their enjoyment in the so-acquired riches.

Reflective presentation of the risk assessment conducted in ealing christian centre

Reflective presentation of the risk assessment conducted in ealing christian centre Introduction Under the permission of the head pastor of Ealing Christian Centre, Northfield, London, I was granted the permission to do my practical placement with the church in December 2008. I was directed to the staff in charge of the churchs health and safety whose induction given to me in December 2008 and willingness to supervise me in my forty hour practical project scheduled to start on 11th January 2009 was beneficial to me. Since the church building and it surrounding environment are places where people often meet to fellowship, it is very important to ensure the safety of these places such as the Church, the Church halls, churchyards and ground are safe for worshipers and staff to use. If these places are ignored of assessing their risk of usage they can cause serious pain and suffering to people which may often disrupt the peaceful running of the church and its activities. Risk assessment by definition is suggested to be a progressive stage in risk management process, which determine s measurable characteristic value of hazards in relation to definite situation and the identification of the threat. And in this practical reflective presentation, I will base the health and safety risk assessment I conducted in Ealing Christian Centre on the Systems put in place for safer place of worship as briefed by my supervisor at induction, and the Daily Time log on my observations. Systems Put In Place for Safer Place of Worship Security of the Church Building Ealing Christian Centre as I learned from my induction day, is a big building used as place of worship for both able and disabled adults, young people and children of various age groups. The boundaries of the church premises are clearly defined with concert walls and good wooden fencing. The door ways are protected such that they do not give cover to intruders. When not in use, all the entrances and windows are securely locked. There is no easy access from points such as lower adjacent structures, compounds, walls or pipes to the roof and has an intruder alarm installed there. I also learned that their musical instruments, computers and private files are securely protected from thieves. Vehicle access to the church grounds as I learned was controlled only on Sundays and any other major event in the church. There is a gate that is locked to prevent access when the parking spaces are full. Theft and Damage There are storerooms for securing valuable items such as audio, visual and musical instruments when they are not in use. The church has offices which are also locked when not in use but all staff and members are advised to safeguard their personal belongings in the church. Cash is counted in a secure room out of sight, removed from the premises overnight and holdings are kept in the minimum, stored in safe installed for small valuable items. The offering how ever is not adequately protected from theft since the offering basket allows every hand to reach the collected money at its base. Items that could be used as missiles to commit damage are removed from around the building, and refuse stored safely away in metal containers from vulnerable areas. Management and Practice The church has no specific annual budget for crime and vandalism prevention measures separate from any general repair funds. Even though staffs have suggested people should report acts of vandalism immediately on recovery, most people do not. However damages are quickly repaired to discourage further similar acts while criminal acts reported automatically to the police if known. Details of the nature, time, place and cost of theft or vandalism are to be recorded in logbooks but mostly it is not done. Advice has been sort from the Police Crime Prevention Office, Fire Prevention Office, the Insurer and the Security Industry so; there is detailed procedure for recording and investigating fires. The community through the police and Church watch scheme are involved in the in safeguarding the church building. But for security reasons there is no procedure put in place for the police and fire service to contact the church key holders in the occurrence of incidents in the building. Other Established Methods There is a proper procedure for keys control and an established procedure for locking up the church. When the building is being locked after activities, the stewards are to inspect the kitchen, toilet, and store rooms to make sure no one is hiding in the building. I learned that the locks of the church are periodically checked to avoid duplication of the keys. Visitors who come to the building are urged to use a particular door that has been signed, but there is no means to monitor the arrival and departure of visitors during church service times and so visitors sometimes wander into the unauthorized areas such as childrens classrooms and office area. There is no arrangement set in place for surveillance during outside opening times except during special events such as youth programmes. This, I find suggest inadequate patrols and checks from the church officials. However, there is an external security lightening system provided to light up the premises during the evenings. Natural s urveillance from the area around the building provides a beef-up security for the premises. There is a caretaker living on the site, whose house is readily accessible. When contractors are working in the building, extra security fitting safety and fire precautions are taken by Christians known by the church. The parties involved meet on the site to identify hazards and correct methods of necessary to handle them during work on site. Most of the people who work alone in the building are the people working in the Prayer Centre and enough provision has been made for their personal safety in the building. During organised childrens events, a register of the children in the building are kept while child protection policies are enforced. Children in the building especially on Sunday services are protected from members of the public who access the building to look for someone or join worshipers. I further learned that all internal fire doors are fitted with self closing devices and labeled to be kept closed with adequate training to relevant people in locating escape routes. The fire escape routes and exits are sometimes obstructed by staff and so memos are often sent to all staff as reminders to keep them clear of obstructions. The floors surfaces are free from tripping and slipping risks and emergency exit doors are free to open from inside the building without using keys. The emergency lighting systems are installed in correct working order and tested weekly. My Observation from (11/01/2009-19/04/2009) I was welcome and introduced to the stewards group for the mornings safety briefings. I went with the supervisor to check the fire exit by the pulpit. On our way I observed that there were some parked chairs obstructing the exit. She notified one of the leaders to see to the removal of the obstruction. I came to help with the arrangement of the seats for the congregation, where I learned how to arrange the seats in their safety locks. A lady asked the supervisor not to use the chairs safety locks in the areas where the elderly people sit because they were not comfortable with the restriction of the chair to one place. The supervisor then explained to her the importance of the safety lock in time of emergency. She told her that it was a standard requirement by the health and safety rules and the purpose was to prevent the chair becoming hazards in case of evacuating the building on emergency. Commitment and response by some stewards to duty, fire alarm testing time and drill was an is sue. I understood that the expected number of stewards for Sunday service was twenty-one; but an average of nine seems to be dedicated to take fire drill by 09:30. Most of them arrive after worship had begun. The possible problem I observed was that most of them miss team briefing and go on the floor without team discussions and so might not be able to react according to team plan in time of emergency. This made me to learn how important team briefing is. Parental control of children before children were separated for safety keeping during service was also an issue since some parents leave their children aged between three to five years to wander dangerously around the information area of the auditorium near where the reserved chairs are parked. The heights at which these chairs are parked in the information area are of much concern. I found that they are parked over the required number of twelve making them unstable and could easily fall over a child who may playfully stray into th e store or an adult who may go there to pick a chair since there is no door at the entrance. In comparism to other churches I had visited, the reserved chair store house was securely locked. From this I learned that children should not be left on their own before they are separated to safety. After the service the stewards checked all the exits and locked them. I visited the non-English speaking evening service. I discussed with my supervisor how safe it was for those who could not read English to escape in times of emergency? She explained to me that safety signs included pictures illustrating the written instructions which could help people who could not read English writings to follow the instruction in case of emergency. I also observed at a point that two groups (the singing team and the Bible college students) have separate meetings on same day. There was no security at the door to question the purpose of all those who came through the door. The safety of staffs children waiting for their parent was of another concern. In the closed reception I saw some children sitting alone in the dimly lit quiet office. Those who entered into the building rand the door bell from outside the reception door and called their names and they were opened from inside the office without any identity check. This suggests that anybody could follow a genuine person coming into the building through the same door into the reception which could easily be opened from inside when access is gained into the reception. In the main auditorium was also another issue of concern on cables of cleaning equipment running across the auditorium floor without any warning signs. Here also, I saw member of staff children playing in a dimly lit isolated area while their parent was busily cleaning out their sight. The storage of chemicals used for cleaning has been provided with a lock but chemicals is left unlocked to easy access to any one including children who may stray into the cupboard. I discussed the issue with my supervisor form which I learned that there is a problem of supportive agreement and commitment among the stewards and some staff concerning health and safety on the floor, which makes the supervisors work very difficult in area of house-keeping, security of staff, worshipers and children. There were times when fire alarm was scheduled to be tested but was not done for the thought and feeling of the discomfort in interrupting church service. I discussed the emergency lighting system with the supervisor and I was shown how they light automatically from a standby barberry power in the event of power cut. The head steward was not in by the time worship started so the fire alarm was not tested. I had a chat with one of the choristers about how safe she felt when on stage; she said lead wires running across the state during worship time made her feel unsafe. From foyer, I observed that door security was of another concern. Once worshipers enter the building they move around without being monitored. I took some time to observe how some worshipers move around in the foyer. I saw a worshiper squeezing himself through a door to the foyer. My curiosity was aroused to find out the safety of the area to which that door led to. I went through the exit leading to the balcony from th e foyer and went through the door and headed to the staircase. I realised that the area was quite and secluded and emergency doors there. The place could be a safe hiding place for anyone with the thought of doing harm in the building. I found two children on the stairs that were vulnerable and could easily be victimised in this secluded area since the attacker could easily escape through the emergency exit out the building. I also observed a woman with mental health issues entering the church and I prompted the attention of an steward and my supervisor. The supervisor said sometimes they come there regularly and when they sit at the main auditorium they employ a steward to sit with them. After service, I observed the lady with the mental health issues walking among children unsupervised in the foyer with children running around. No steward seemed to be trying to control the children from running around. I asked my supervisor if the stewards had any role to play in controlling child ren from running around. My supervisor took me the door of the stewards briefing room and showed me the notice pasted there that. Part of their responsibility after church was to see to it that children are not running around. But to my surprise some of the stewards did not even know what was on the notice pasted there. The supervisor sent two stewards out to control the children from running around. But, the stewards went into the main auditorium and sublimed amongst the crowd. On the day of water baptism, I went round the foyer to see if there was any way to the balcony. The doors were safely locked. In both male and the female changing room, the baptized were given support safely to dry them self and change clothes. I observed some level of risks with the worshipers being baptised by immersion in water and the baptizers in the auditorium. Only one person baptised 25 people, some of them who might be almost twice the height and weight of the baptizer. This could strain his ribs an d back. Some stewards left leaving the remaining work load of locking up for the committed few. I realised that there was the need for Church workers to be aware of their skill, commitments and knowledge of their work and to work as thought they are working for Christ (John 9:4). Conclusion From this practical attachment, I learned the importance of risk assessments in the church environment. I have also learned that despite all the safety measures the church had put in place for the worshipers and staffs to be safe in the building, personal disagreements among some staff and various voluntary workers of the various church departments to implementation of safety measures play major contributing factors that create hazardous circumstances for both children and adult in the Church. This has made me to understand how the effectiveness of good team work in the church environment can affect the health, safety and the security of people in the church.

Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome: Physiology and Features

Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome: Physiology and Features Discuss the inheritance, molecular and biochemical defects underlying the clinical features associated with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. The Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is a rare heritable disorder of inborn error metabolism of purine which was examined in 1964 by Lesch and Nyhan. They investigated the two brothers with hyperuricemia and neurobehavioral problems and suggested that this disorder involves motor impairment and self-injurious behaviors (Lesch, M and Nyhan, W. L., 1964). The popularity of Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is about 1 in 380000 individuals and this disorder presents solely in male. (Seegmiller, J. E., et al, 1967). It is passed on since the X-linked recessive trait causes genetic mutation followed by the exertion of an enzyme called hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT). In the metabolic condition, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is recognized by purine overproduction (Nyhan, W. L, et al, 1967) which contributes to increased level of uric acid significantly. The clinical features associate with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome are briefly outlined and the inheritance, molecular and biochemical defects underlying the clinical features are also discussed. Figure 1. The clinical features associated with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. This disorder leads to neurobehavioral syndrome involving motor dysfunction, cognitive impairment and self-injurious behaviors (Mumues, 2015).    The clinical characteristics of Lesch-Nyhan syndrome are defined by motor defection leading to neurological operation, cognitive and behavioral impairment, and also overproduction of uric acid or hyperuricemia (van der Zee et al., 1968). Moreover, neurological disturbance is majorly performed as hypotonia and developmental delay which are obviously expressed by three to six months. The children are interrupted in sitting and walking or require a wheelchair in severe condition. Additionally, the twitch of facial muscles and limbs can be observed in elder children. During the first ages, the extrapyramidal difficulties such as dystonia and choreoathetosis or the pyramidal difficulties like spasticity and hyperreflexia become noticeable (Jinnah and Friedmann, 2001). Furthermore, cognitive dysfunction and behavioral impairment occurring between two to three years old can lead to moderate or serious mental hindrance. Also, the continuous self-injurious behaviors such as biting the fingers or lips and hitting the head or limbs are the most distinctive behavioral symptom in patients (Nyhan, W. L, et al, 1968). Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is also characterized by overproduction of uric acid and this induces the decomposition of uric acid crystals in kidneys, ureters or bladder and the gouty arthritis can be developed later in the disorder (Page et al, 1987). Figure 2. The inheritance detects of Lesch- Nyhan syndrome. This X-linked recessive syndrome is solely for the male and the chance taken from the sons and daughters with either affected father and unaffected mother or unaffected father and carrier mother are showed (IFFA, 2016). Firstly, the Lesch- Nyhan syndrome is inherited in an X-linked recessive characteristic since the mutation of HPRT gene is positioned on the X chromosome and this disorder is described to the male only (Hoefnagel et al, 1965). More importantly, the X-linked inheritance determined that the X-linked character cannot be transferred from the father to the son. In this syndrome, the Lyon hypothesis can be adopted to demonstrate the mothers are heterozygous and the mosaics involve two cell cultures where one is entirely normal and another one is fully faulty (Migeon et al, 1968) . An investigation is examined that the fibroblasts developing in the cell populations from the skin were duplicated (Migeon, B. R, et al, 1968) and HGPRT deficiency in the negative duplication can be observed through radioautographical method. Furthermore, the halt of the X chromosome is not described as a random activity because HGPRT in the erythrocytes or leukocytes of obliged heterozygotes for this situation i s distinct with the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency where the transportation of enzyme in heterozygotes is around 50%. It is indicated that the enzyme action in the erythrocytes of the mothers with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome are normal. Also, the blood-relative family in two kinds of G6PD and HGPRT (Nyhan, W. L.et al, 1970) are separating so this shows that females were heterozygous to G6PD. The reason why the males have more frequent chance to suffer from this X linked recessive syndrome than the females is because the males contain only one X chromosome and one changed copy of the gene is enough to lead to this syndrome and it is uncommon that females possess two changed copies of the gene Vogel (1977). It is examined that the father of a male patient is not the carrier of the mutated gene and also do not suffer from the syndrome. The chance taken from the siblings rely upon the carrier condition of the mother. Carrier women contain a 50% chance of passing on the HPRT1 variation in each gestation. The sons who receive that variation will be influenced and the daughters who obtain the variation are served as carriers. Hence, it can be concluded that a carrier mother has a one-fourth chance of getting an affected son, one-fourth chance of getting a carrier daughter and half chance of getting a normal son or daughter (Genetic Home Reference, 2007). Figure 3. Purine metabolism with de novo synthesis and salvage synthesis. The de novo purine synthesis is mobilized by the enzyme, PRPP amidotransferase, and the salvage pathway by hypoxanthine phosphorybosyltransferase (HPRT) and adenine phosphorybosyltransferase (APRT). HPRT catalyzes the salvage synthesis of inosine monophosphate, IMP, and guanosine monophosphate, GMP, from hypoxanthine and guanine particularly by using PRPP as a co-substrate. The HPRT deficiency leads to decomposition of hypoxanthine and guanine which are transformed into uric acid by xanthine oxidase. Purine overproduction, increase level of PRPP and decrease level of IMP and GMP are the results (Torres R J and Puig J G, 2007). Secondly, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome contributes to the molecular defects due to the mutation of HPRT1 gene which encrypts hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase. This enzyme is used to recycle purines and is responsible for transferring hypoxanthine and guanine back into DNA synthesis which establish the cells to possess enough supply of building blocks and assemble DNA and RNA (Sweetman, L and Nyhan, W. L. 1972). The deficiency of HPRT map to chromosome Xq26-q27.2 and is likely to cause heterogenous mutations (Greene, M. L, et al, 1970). Also, it induces the increased level of purine nucleotides by purine salvage pathway. It leads to decomposition of uric acid because of the broken down but unrecycled purines and occurrence of excessive PRPP, resulting in the neurological and behavioral problems of Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (Kelley, W. N, 1968). The de novo pathway is initiated with the active form of ribose from ribose-5-phosphate to 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) and this synthesis discharges AMP. PRPP gives rise to the first nucleotide called inosine monophosphate (IMP) by an enzyme PRPP amidotransferase which serves as the rate-limiting step. Besides, IMP uses as a forerunner of AMP and GMP synthesis and the route of pathway is modulated by the higher level of particular nucleotide (Fox, I. H and Kelley, W. N, 1971). There are two main transferase enzymes involving in the purines salvage pathway. HPRT is responsible for catalyzing the hypoxanthine to inosine monophosphate (IMP) and guanine to guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and another one is adenosine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) which assembles adenine to AMP through transferring the 5-phosphoribosyl group from 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) (Keebaugh et al., 2007). The AMP, GMP, IMP are all catabolized to uric acid and particular mononucleotides is started with the transformation to the phosphate free nucleoside via cytosolic 5-nucleotidases. After that, the nitrogen is eliminated from adenosine to produce inosine with an enzyme, adenosine deaminase (ADA). The ribose is discarded from the nucleotides by purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) and create hypoxanthine, xanthine and guanine (Rubin, C. S.et al, 1969). The nitrogen is then eliminated from guanine through guanine deaminase and xanthine is produced. Eventually, hypoxanthine and xanthine are converted to the final product of purine catabolism called uric acid by xanthine oxidase (Kelley, W. N, et al, 1970). It can be concluded that HGPRT deficiency leads to higher level of PRPP because of its rate limiting function and decreased level of GMP and IMP, resulting in increased de novo purine synthesis and degradation of purines to contribute to the higher level of uric acid called hyperuricemia and cause Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (Rosenbloom, F. M, et al, 1968). Thirdly, the biochemical defects can be determined by the purine metabolism of the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome and the metabolism can indicate the rate of uric acid synthesizing from 14C-labeled glycine (Sweetman, L. 1968). Also, the deficiency of HPRT contributes to the excessive purine synthesis and this enzyme acts as a regulating role in purine metabolism. The specific activity of the uric acid can be examined by the isolation and purification from urine. In the children with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome it is observed that accelerated specific activity in the uric acid obtain 20 times higher glycine concentration salvaged in uric acid than the control individuals (Nyhan, W. L.et al, 1968). Thus, it leads to the higher level of purine overproduction in patients. Besides, the rate of de novo synthesis of purine using fibroblasts grown in cell culture can be demonstrated (Seegmiller, J. E., et al, 1967). There is a significant relationship between asperity of disorder and recycle of hypoxanthine or guanine. The expressions of intracellular purines are normal within the fibroblasts with deficient HGPRT but purine depletion is apparent since the increased purine metabolites are discharged from cells. In addition, the normal purines were probable to cause a compensative increase in purine synthesis due to notable rising in purinosomes. Moreover, the purine de novo overproduction showing in this syndrome is an unsuccessful feedback regulation. The first step of the purine pathway is catalyzed by phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate amidotmnsfemse and is dependent to feedback inhibition by adenine and guanine. 2-ethylamino-l,3,4-thiadiazole was used for the examination and the observation showed that uricogenic agent significantly increases the rate of purine synthesis in normal conditions but in the patients the rates of purine synthesis increase more intensely by this agent (Nyhan, W. L.et al, 1968). Furthermore, the existence of xanthinuria in patients with inborn deficiency of xanthine oxidase expresses the abnormalities in the central nervous system. In the cerebrospinal fluid (Sweetman, L. 1968) the xanthine levels are equivalent to the controls and the hypoxanthine level in patients with the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome were greater than the controls by four times. Hence, Hypoxanthine and guanine recycling and the de novo pur ine synthesis are demonstrated to determine the biochemical abnormality of Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. In conclusion, by the discussion of the inheritance, molecular and biochemical defects that determining the clinical trait correlated with the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, it is demonstrated that this X-linked recessive disorder is exclusive for males and is induced from the mutation of HGPRT gene which contributes to the overproduction of uric acid by purine salvage pathway and causes neurobehavioral problems of affected individuals (Rosenbloom, F. M.et al, 1968). For the future perspectives, although there is no treatment to cure this disorder, effective medications can be adopted to alleviate the symptoms such as managing the uric acid levels by allopurinol and reducing behavioral problems by taking diazepam or haloperidol appropriately (Genetics Home Reference, 2007). (Word count: 1639) References: Fox, I. H and Kelley, W. N. 1971. Ann. Intern. Med. 74:424-33  Genetics Home Reference, 2007. Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. Retrieved on 24/5/2007. Greene, M. L and Boyle, J. A, 1970. Science 167:887- 89 Hoefnagel, D, et al, 1965. Hereditary choreoathetosis, self-mutilation and hyperuricemia in young males. New Eng. J. Med. 273: 130-135, 1965. IFFA, 2016. Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome on emaze. [digital image] Retrieved from: https://www.emaze.com/@ACFTIZWL/Lesch-Nyhan-Syndrome Jinnah, H. A and Friedmann, T. 2001. Lesch-Nyhan disease and its variants.In: Scriver, C. R.; Beaudet, A. L.; Sly, W. S.; Valle, D. (eds.): The Metabolic Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease. Vol. II. (8th ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill (pub.) P. 2537. Kelley, W. N, 1968. Fed. Proc. 27: 1047-52 Keebaugh, A. C and Sullivan, R. T, 2007. NISC Comparative Sequencing Program, Thomas, J. W. Gene duplication and inactivation in the HPRT gene family. Genomics 89: 134-142. Kelley, W. N, et al, 1970. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 21 5 :512-16 Lesch, M and Nyhan, W. L, 1964. Am. J. Med. 36:561-70 Mumues, 2015. Mental retardation. [digital image] Retrieved from: https://www.slideshare.net/mumues/mental-retardation-44326087 Migeon, B. R, et al, 1968. X-linked hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase deficiency: heterozygote has two clonal populations. Science 160: 425-427. Nyhan, W. L, 1967. Pediat. 67 :257-63 Nyhan, W. L, et al, 1968. Metabolism 17 :846-53 Nyhan, W. L, et al, 1970. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 65:214-18 Page, T, et al, 1987. Syndrome of mild mental retardation, spastic gait, and skeletal malformations in a family with partial deficiency of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase. Pediatrics 79: 713-717 Rubin, C. S, et al, 1969. J. Lab. Cfin. Med. 74:732-41 Rosenbloom, F. M, et al, 1968. Bioi. Chern. 243 : 1 166-73 Seegmiller, J. E, et al, 1967. Science 155: 1 682-84 Sweetman, L. 1968. Fed. Proc. 27 : 1 055-59 Sweetman, L and Nyhan, W. L. 1972. Arch. Intern. Med. 130:214-20 Torres R J and Puig J G, 2007. Hypoxanthaine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) deficiency: Lesch- Nyhan Syndrome. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2, 1. [digital image] Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesch%E2%80%93Nyhan_syndrome#/media/File:HPRT_metabolism.jpg Vogel, F, 1977. A probable sex difference in some mutation rates. (Editorial) Am. J. Hum. Genet. 29: 312-319.   Ã‚  

Greed of the Pardoner in Chaucers Canterbury Tales :: Pardoners Tale Essays

Canterbury Tales - The Greed of the Pardoner Throughout literature, relationships can often be found between the author of a story and the story that he writes.   In Geoffrey Chaucer's frame story, Canterbury Tales, many of the characters make this idea evident with the tales that they tell.   A distinct relationship can be made between the character of the Pardoner and the tale that he tells. Through the Prologue to the Pardoner's tale, the character of the Pardoner is revealed.   Although the Pardoner displays many important traits, the most prevalent is his greed.   Throughout the prologue, the Pardoner displays his greed and even admits that the only thing he cares about is money: "I preach nothing except for gain" ("Pardoner's Tale", Line 105).   This avarice is seen strongly in the Pardoner's tale as well.   In the Pardoner's tale, three friends begin a journey in order to murder Death. On their journey, though, an old man leads them to a great deal of treasure.   At this point, all three of the friends in the tale display a greed similar to the Pardoner's.   The three friends decide that someone should bring bread and wine for a celebration.   As the youngest of the friends leaves to go buy wine, the other two greedily plot to kill him so they can split the treasure only two ways.   Even the youngest decides to "put it in his mind to buy poison / Wit h which he might kill his two companions" (383, 384).   The greed, which is evident in the character of the Pardoner, is also clearly seen in the tale. Another trait that is displayed by the Pardoner and a character in his tale is hypocrisy.  Ã‚   Although the Pardoner is extremely greedy, he continues to try and teach that "Avarice is the root of all evil" (6).   The characters in his tale display great hypocrisy as well.   As the tale begins, the friends all act very trustworthy and faithful towards all of their friends.   They nobly make a decision to risk their lives while trying to slay their friend's murderer.   As they talk about their challenge, they pledge "to live and die each of them for the other, / As if he were his own blood brother" (241-242).   At the end of the tale, the "brothers" begin to reveal their true nature.   They all turn on each other in an attempt to steal the treasure for themselves.

King Lear :: essays research papers

King Lear Essay Shakespeare has written dozens of plays and in each one he has included some of the most complex characters ever put on stage. Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth are just a few examples of these great characters that will always remain in our memories. However, standing beside the complex main characters in plays such as King Lear and Hamlet, there are secondary characters of equal, if not greater complexity. In King Lear, secondary characters such as Edmund, Edgar, and Cordelia are directly responsible many of the extreme changes that occur during the play and it is their complexity as human characters that allows them to do this. The many antagonists that have appeared in Shakespeare’s plays have always been fairly rounded and complex. However, Edmund is one of the most complex villains in any of Shakespeare’s plays. For one thing, Edmund chose to become a villain because the world sees him as being worthless, not only because he is not in line for the title of Earl of Gloucester, but also because he is a bastard. Most villains in Shakespeare’s plays are villains from the beginning to the end. Edmund sees himself as an equal to his brother Edgar and wishes that his father also understand this. By plotting against the livelihood against his own father and brother, Edgar not only wishes to gain the wealth and title that come with the Earl of Gloucester, but he also seeks respect. Shakespeare has given Edmund a method behind his madness. As the play progresses, Edmund sees the kingdom collapsing and instead of helping to put in back together, as Cordelia, Edgar, and Kent are doing, he tries to consolidate power into his own hands. After Cornwall dies, he takes command of the armies and defeats the French invading army. He has illicit affairs with Regan and Goneril, who are married. The result of these affairs causes the two sisters to become overwhelming jealous, and in the end, we find out that Regan poisoned Goneril in order to have Edmund to herself. If Edmund had not been killed in the end, he would have taken power and ruled the kingdom. However, Edgar does kill him after realizing that it was he who caused the death of his father. We see the greatest complexity in Edgar before he dies before when he proclaims â€Å"The wheel comes full circle; L am here. King Lear :: essays research papers King Lear Essay Shakespeare has written dozens of plays and in each one he has included some of the most complex characters ever put on stage. Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth are just a few examples of these great characters that will always remain in our memories. However, standing beside the complex main characters in plays such as King Lear and Hamlet, there are secondary characters of equal, if not greater complexity. In King Lear, secondary characters such as Edmund, Edgar, and Cordelia are directly responsible many of the extreme changes that occur during the play and it is their complexity as human characters that allows them to do this. The many antagonists that have appeared in Shakespeare’s plays have always been fairly rounded and complex. However, Edmund is one of the most complex villains in any of Shakespeare’s plays. For one thing, Edmund chose to become a villain because the world sees him as being worthless, not only because he is not in line for the title of Earl of Gloucester, but also because he is a bastard. Most villains in Shakespeare’s plays are villains from the beginning to the end. Edmund sees himself as an equal to his brother Edgar and wishes that his father also understand this. By plotting against the livelihood against his own father and brother, Edgar not only wishes to gain the wealth and title that come with the Earl of Gloucester, but he also seeks respect. Shakespeare has given Edmund a method behind his madness. As the play progresses, Edmund sees the kingdom collapsing and instead of helping to put in back together, as Cordelia, Edgar, and Kent are doing, he tries to consolidate power into his own hands. After Cornwall dies, he takes command of the armies and defeats the French invading army. He has illicit affairs with Regan and Goneril, who are married. The result of these affairs causes the two sisters to become overwhelming jealous, and in the end, we find out that Regan poisoned Goneril in order to have Edmund to herself. If Edmund had not been killed in the end, he would have taken power and ruled the kingdom. However, Edgar does kill him after realizing that it was he who caused the death of his father. We see the greatest complexity in Edgar before he dies before when he proclaims â€Å"The wheel comes full circle; L am here.

Henry Ford :: essays research papers

Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863 and died on April 7, 1947. Henry Ford was the son of William Ford, who had emigrated from Ireland in 1847 and settled on a farm in Dearborn, Michigan. Henry disliked farm life and had a natural aptitude for machinery. When he was 15 he went to Detroit and trained as a machinist. Henry Ford began to experiment with a horseless carriage in 1890 and completed his first car, the quadricycle, in about 1896. During the following years he tried unsuccessfully to get it into production. In 1903 he launched the Ford Motor Company with a capital of $100,000 of which $28,000 was in cash. By the time he had formulated his ideal of production: " The way to make automobiles is to make one automobile like another automobile, to make them all alike.He achieved spectacular success with the Model T Ford, introduced in 1809 and eventually produced in 1903 on the moving assembly line. Henry Ford was a major figure in the world's automobile industry for the next 15 years. His production methods were intensively studied and he also startled the world instituting (1914) the then high wage scale of $5 a day. Ford thus became a figure of legend, the native genius that could work miracles. He had considerable mechanical ability but his conclusions were reached intuitively rather than logically. He ran as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1918 and was narrowly defeated. In 1936 he and his son Edsel established the Ford Foundation, to which they bequeathed much of the company's stock.Henry Ford became a victim of his own success in that he clung to the Model T too long, refusing to recognize that its popularity was fading, and consequently lost first place in the automobile industry to General Motors in 1926. He had turned the presidency of the Ford Motor Company over to Edsel in 1919 but never gave Edsel effective authority. Edsel struggled vainly against this situation, and the frustrations of his position undoubtedly contributed to his death at the age of 50. Edsel's oldest son was released from the navy and made an executive vice-president.

Autobiography of a Classroom Essay

I am a very big classroom in a well-known public school. I cater to needs of the kindergarten class of the school, accommodating I think about eighty five children, a big number isn’t it? I understand that I am the best looking room in the school as, the very small children study here. I am very attractively decorated so that the little ones like to come here every day. The room that is me – is decorated with beautiful coloured pictures. The walls are a blend of some colours I do not know the names of. The furniture that is placed in the length and breadth of the room consists of small round tables to seat four children on each table, and the chairs are also tiny. That is not all, all the furniture is a mixture of many colours. When the children come inside the class they almost fight to sit on certain chairs. That makes me understand that they like the colours and fight for their favourite colours to sit on. At the top two ends of the length of the classroom there are two bigger tables and full size chairs for the teachers to sit. Since there are so many children there are two teachers while in other classes there is only one each. I am a treat for everyone to see. My pleasure knows no bounds when everyone who comes inside the class, admires me, appreciates my get up and the colours that don me. I have the twin advantage of being the most beautiful room in the school and also having the cutest of children coming to spend their time with me. Thus, my life is full of beauty, colour, noise and laughter and at times of course also crying and howling of the children. At times some new entrants to the school come to me with their mothers and, cry as if they had come to the slaughter house to be butchered. At such moments even by heart cries for the little ones and I wonder why man makes these little children come to study if they do not want to. I of course do not know how important studies are for human children, I only feel sad seeing the children cry. My life is full of a very busy schedule though very interesting. The routine of my daily life is so busy that, I do not get any relief for quite long hours. In the morning as early as 6 a. m. wo sweepers come open the lock of my room or rather me, and off they start working on me. They sweep my floor, squab it, dust each and every piece of the furniture in me. Thus, I get alerted as soon the room is unlocked. It is not even 8 a. m. when the little brats start pouring inside my body’s doors. At times they enter with so much noise that my whole body feels the rattle of it all. Their movements are so loud that now, I cannot even think of any rest. School bags get flung, tiffin boxes are strewn all about, water bottles are kept just anywhere and there is a lot of commotion all over. Soon the maid enters the room and keeps everything in order and my appearance at once improves and I look tidy and well kept. For these small ones the school hours are just three from, 8 a. m. to 11 a. m. These three hours is my duty time, and just is the time when I also get the day’s entertainment. Being a classroom for the Kindergarten children I get a great chance of hearing conversations between the teachers and the parents. Since this is the first time their children have entered school, parents devote a lot of time to talking about the school and its standards. At times I find that some parents are just too critical and, inspite of getting all the best in this school they always seem to be unhappy and dissatisfied with something or the other in the school. Such parents keep lecturing about things missing in the classroom, the school or even in the playground. When I hear such complaints, my heart sinks and I wonder if they will allow or not allow their children to come to me any more,. For such conversations I have understood that, these days parents pamper the children too much, and it seems that they can never yes, never be satisfied. I am quite surprised to see the vast difference in opinions. While on the one hand I, and also many parents think that I am very beautiful, well kept, and decorated, others of the same clan are always complaining of many defects in my appearance. This gives me a feeling of depression and I do wonder if I can do anything in the matter. After some thinking bouts, I realize that, I can do nothing to satisfy these unhappy parents. I am just here in the hands of the school authorities and stand here as and how they keep me. My working hours are just six, from 6 a. m. when sweepers enter to say 12 noon when I am locked after all children go. After my duty hours I just relax but also feel lonely. No matter what is said about me, I am thoroughly enjoying my life in the cute company of little children. Their company makes me also feel young though now I am quite old. Every summer vacation I am painted afresh, my furniture is painted, and, I am ready to welcome my little friends, new and old with a new look, new enthusiasm and renewed vigour. I pray that my life is forever allowed to remain so interesting and so relaxed. I just love all the children and teachers who come here to me, to work and play in the restricted area within my four walls.