Bradley Nowell

Wesley Smith Bradley Nowell Bradley James Nowell was a musician who served as lead singer and guitarist of the reggae/punk band Sublime. He died at the age of 28 from a heroin overdose. Raised in Long Beach, California, Nowell developed an interest in music at a young age. His father took him on a trip to the Virgin Islands during his childhood, which exposed him to reggae and dancehall music. Nowell played in various bands until forming the group Sublime with bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh.Bradley Nowell was born and raised in the Belmont Shore neighborhood of Long Beach, California to Jim and Nancy Nowell, with his sister, Kellie. As a child, he enjoyed surfing and sailing and often participated in boat races. As Nowell grew, he became a difficult child and was often hyperactive and disruptive with his buddy Clayton Arbuckle. His mother recalled that he was â€Å"very emotional, very sensitive, very artistic, but he was needy†¦ He was always testing just to see wha t he could get away with†. Nowell's rebellious behavior increased when he was ten years old caused by his parents’ divorce.His mother was awarded custody of Nowell, but found him too difficult to control on her own and he subsequently moved in with his father full-time at age twelve. At the age of thirteen, he began playing guitar and started his first band Hogan's Heroes with Eric Wilson, who would later become the bassist of Sublime. Nowell and Wilson met in sixth grade and lived across the street from each other; during this time, Nowell was described as a â€Å"gifted kid with many friends†. At first, Wilson did not share Nowell's interest in reggae music.Nowell attended the University of California, Santa Cruz before transferring to Cal State Long Beach to study finance. However, he dropped out one semester shy of earning a degree, stating in 1995 â€Å"I have all the hard classes left†¦ I doubt I'll ever go back†. According to â€Å"Westwood On e Interview† on disc three of the Sublime box set, Nowell got together with bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh, and began performing in small shows at house parties and barbecues in 1988. The band was often forced to leave the parties they performed at due to excessive noise, which would result in neighbors calling the police.Sublime gained a reputation for their rowdy behavior and eventually became one of the most popular bands in Southern California. Despite their success, music venues were skeptical of the band's eclectic musical fusion and many refused to book the band. In response, Nowell and Wilson created their own music label, Skunk Records, and told venues that they were â€Å"Skunk Records recording artists†, which helped the band seem more accomplished and subsequently book more shows. The band produced and distributed Sublime's early recordings on the label. The band's demo tapes were later sold at shows and local record stores.While on tour in the mi d-1990s, Nowell met Troy Dendekker, and they started dating. In September 1994, Troy became pregnant. In June 1995, Dendekker gave birth to a son, Jakob James Nowell. A week before Nowell died, the couple married in a Hawaiian-themed ceremony in Las Vegas. Seven days after Nowell's marriage to Troy Dendekker on May 18, 1996 Sublime embarked on a five-day tour through Northern California, with a European and an East Coast tour to follow. On the morning of May 25, at the Ocean View Motel in San Francisco, drummer Bud Gaugh woke up to find Nowell lying half-way across a bed, with his knees and feet on the floor.At first, Gaugh assumed he had been too intoxicated to get into bed; however, further inspection allowed him to notice a green film around his mouth, and it became apparent that he had overdosed on heroin. Gaugh called for paramedics, but Nowell had died several hours earlier, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Nowell was cremated and his ashes were spread over his favorite s urfing spot in Surfside, California. A headstone was placed at Westminster Memorial in Westminster, California in his memory.

Influences of the Forrester Effect and the Bullwhip Effect

A supply chain management is the broad concept which includes the management of the entire supply chain from the supplier of raw materials through the manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer to the end consumer. However, certain dynamics exist among firms in the supply chain thereby causing inaccuracies and volatility of orders from the retailer to the primary suppliers and that these cause for operations, say, readjustments further upstream in the supply chain. The Forrester effect and the bullwhip effect influence the supply chain directly or indirectly through the components in the supply chain like manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, and customers in many ways. Bullwhip effect, also known as Forrester effect occurs when the demand order changes in the supply chain are amplified as they moved up the supply chain. It is termed as bullwhip effect because of the large magnitude of disturbances in the chain caused by a small disturbance at one end of the chain.Thus, in a typical supply chain for a consumer product, with less sales variation, there seem to be a pronounced variability in the retailers' orders to the wholesalers. Considerably, four major causes of the bullwhip effect have been identified. These are: 1. Demand forecast updating: this is the readjustment of demand forecasts by upstream managers as a result of future product demand signal. Forecasting is usually based on the order history from a company's immediate customers.Traditionally,every company in a supply chain usually prepares product forecasting for its production scheduling, capacity planning, inventory control and material requirement planning. It is contended that the signal from demand forecasting is a major contributor to the bullwhip effect. For example, if a manager uses, say, exponential smoothing (future forecast is always updated as demand increases) the order sent to the supplier reflects the amount needed to replenish the stocks to meet the requirements for future demands and safety stocks which might be considered necessary. 2. Order batching: Companies place orders with upstream organisations in a supply chain, using some inventory monitoring or control. As demand comes in, inventory is depleted but the company may not immediately place an order with the supplier. It often batches or accumulates demands before issuing an order. Sometimes the supplier cannot handle frequent order processing because of the substantial time and cost involved so instead of ordering frequently, companies may order weekly or fortnightly. This leads to two forms of order batching; periodic and pushing ordering. Many manufacturers place purchase orders with suppliers when they run their materials requirement planning (MRP) systems monthly; resulting in monthly ordering with suppliers. This is a periodic ordering. As an illustration, for a company that places orders once a month from its suppliers, the supplier faces a highly erratic stream of orders. Demands go up at one time during the month, followed by no demands for the rest of the month. This periodic ordering amplifies distortions and disruptions and contributes to the bullwhip effect. A similar effect becomes prevalent in push ordering phenomenon.Here, a company experiences regular surge in demand. As a result, customers ‘push' orders on the company periodically. Although the periodic surges in demand by some customers would be insignificant suppose all ordering are not made at the same time, however, it does not happen that way. The orders are more likely to overlap and cause the bullwhip effect to be felt most. 3. Price Fluctuations: Because of attractive offers like ‘buy one get one free'(BOGOF),price and quantity discounts, rebates and so on usually provided by manufacturers to distributors in the grocery industry, items are bought in advance of what is actually needed. This is referred to as ‘forward-buying' which is known to account for about $75bn to $100bn of inventory in the grocery industry in the United States. The result is that customers buy in bigger quantities that do not reflect their immediate needs with the view to stock for future use.Thus,these special price schemes, lead to speculative buying which is considered as costly to the supply chain. For example, Kotler reports that trade deals and consumer promotion constitute 47% and 28% of distributors and manufacturers respectively of their total promotion budgets. Considering a situation when a product's price is pegged low through the price schemes, more would be bought by the customer than actually needed. As the price returns to normal, the customer stops buying in order to use up its inventory. This triggers an irregular buying pattern of the customer which does not reflect its consumption pattern, and the variation of the buying quantities is much bigger than the variation of the consumption rate leading to the bullwhip effect or Forrester effect. Such a practice was called â€Å"the dumbest marketing ploy ever†. 4. Rationing and short gaming: rationing usually becomes the norm when demands exceed supply. Manufacturers allocate the amount in proportion to the amount ordered. During rationing customers exaggerate their real needs when they order for fear that the orders might be in short supply.Customers' overreaction in anticipation of shortages results when organisations and individuals make sound, rational economic decisions and ‘game' the potential rationing. The effect of this gaming is that little information is given to the supplier on the product's real demand by the customers' orders. The gaming practice is very common. Increases in orders are made not because of an increase in consumption but due to anticipation. Actually, the bullwhip or the Forrester effect is not just an economic error. Its influence on a company's supply chain management could be felt as well in a positive way. Thus, these four major causes of bullwhip effect somewhat influence or affect the supply chain management in number of ways: – Conflict between supply chain players. This is brought about as a result of no coordination amongst individual demand forecasts based on each supply chain player's sales history or strategy. – Large demand and supply fluctuations result in the need for high inventories to prevent stock outs. Because of the fluctuations in the supply chain, companies try to keep more stock than needed in order to avoid stock out and its attendant problems like loss of profit, customers and market share in some situations. – There is poor customer service as all demand might not be met. Customers are upset when their demands are not met especially from the suppliers they seem to rely on .This is as a result of the bullwhip effect. – Production scheduling and capacity planning becomes difficult due to large order swings. Because of the large distortions in demand due to bullwhip effect, capacity planning-the task of setting effective capacity of the operation in order that it can stand any demands placed on it-and production scheduling which is a detailed timetable in planning showing at what time or date jobs should start and when they should end to ensure that customers demand is met, are largely affected. This is known to usually affect several other performance indicators like costs, say due to under-utilization of capacity; revenues, working capital due to building up finished goods inventory prior to demand; quality by hiring temporary staff; speed could also be enhanced by surplus provision; dependability of supply will also be affected due to any unexpected disruptions; and flexibility will also be enhanced due to surplus capacity. – Extra plant expansion to meet peak demand. Another influence on the supply chain brought about by the Forrester effect or the bullwhip effect is to look for an additional plant capacity or expansion to cater for demand either as a result of low stock or increased demand which were distorted as the bullwhip effect struck. The implication is it can lead to large distortions and high costs. – High costs for corrections-large unexpected orders or supply problems necessitate expedited shipments and overtime. This might also affect the planning of the company's transport and logistics in terms of additional handling and administrative costs though there will be some benefits, the supply chain is affected. – Other influences are the following: collaboration, direct sales, smaller order batches or more frequent re-supply, unexpected shortages in inventory, price fluctuation, demand behaviour, stock market trading, information-sharing and profit variation. Notwithstanding these,there are some possible ways and means to minimise or reduce the bullwhip effect. The various initiatives for possible solution to the bullwhip effect are based on the underlying coordination mechanism. These mechanisms are namely, information sharing,;by this demand information at a downstream site is relayed upstream in time for processing; channel alignment, this is the coordination of pricing, transportation, inventory planning, and ownership between the upstream and downstream sites in a supply chain; and operational efficiency, are the activities that are pursued to improve performance like reduced costs and lead-time. In the light of these three mechanisms, some of the critical areas that can be looked at to reduce the impact of variability on the supply chain include aligning incentives to overall supply chain performance objectives; developing trust and contractual agreements between supply chain partners; approach such as delayed differentiation, designing for commonality; direct sales, vendor managed inventory, continuous replenishment; multi-echelon inventory control policies; lead time reduction through operational efficiency and design; lot size reduction using efficient transportation and distribution systems; price stabilization and uniform pricing. First and foremost understanding the causes of the bullwhip effect can help managers to find strategies to combat or curb it. Companies must make concerted efforts through various means available in their supply chain management in order to deal with these inconsistencies.

The House of Lords no longer has a useful role. To what extent do you Essay

The House of Lords no longer has a useful role. To what extent do you agree - Essay Example Critically, it is knowledgeable that the House of Lords was the sovereign lawmaker in the English Monarch. However, the introduction of political bodies and the House of Commons has been wading off the chamber’s roles. For example, the House of Commons adapted the chamber’s role of implementing laws. At that point, the upper house was to amend bills passed by the members of the lower house. This indicates that the upper house was a recipient to lower house thus it would lack control over Great Britain’s political platform holding to the that the role of constitutional implementation belonged to a different chamber (Great Britain, 2007, p. 55). Arguably, this step rendered the House of Lords’ roles ineffective as the political platform would draw much attention among the population, and its roles would be of utmost effect to the UK society. The continued development of the country’s political platform threatens to wade off the existence of House of Lords since the lower house, under the leadership of the Prime Minister continuously implements regulations that limit the capacity at which the chamber can pose any influences. Initially, the House of Lords comprised of over 680 members in the lords spiritual and lords temporal categories (Great Britain, 2012, p. 70). This number currently stands at 92 after the House of Commons implemented a commission to regulate the upper house’s membership. Presumably, the reduced number translates to reducing roles as the political bodies have implemented other government offices to overtake those roles (Russell, 2013, p. 31). For example, the upper house was the official court of appeal until the formation of the Supreme Court in 2009. The upper house acted as the chamber of implementing the final judgement. This role limited the effect of democracy as the society’s view was not represented rather than that of the

LexisNexis Legal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LexisNexis Legal - Research Paper Example By definition, a statement of limitation refers to the enactment that exists in the legal system of common law, which puts a limit on the maximum time, that a person may seek legal proceedings after an event occurs that warrants the start of the legal proceedings. There are reasons why the statements of limitation are put in place. Among them, is that evidence may be corrupted if so much time passes by before the legal proceedings begins or are started. The section that follows in this report summarizes the statutes of limitations for the different states in which the bulk of the clients do business. The State of Michigan Personal Injury The statute of limitation against the cause of action on the grounds of personal injury can best be understood through the case laws covered in the state of Michigan. Personal injury actions must be within the first three years from the time the injury happened. If this is not pursued in time, the case may be invalid from thence onwards. The time pro vide for the limitation of action based on â€Å"injuries to a person or to property,† applies generally, to acts of negligence, financial loss claims, and the recovery of payments from third parties because of the personal injury. In addition, it applies due to the denial of a person’s civil rights given by the state, or by the federal government law, the invasion of privacy, and many more. When there is, an action for recovering of the damages incurred to the property and to the person, this three-year period of limitation applies. This is regardless of whether recovery of compensation for the damages experienced is sought in assumpsit or in tort, if the circumstances come up from a negligent action that constitutes a breach of express or implied contract. An action for injury to a person or to property has to be brought inside three years and not six years, so long as it is not a breach of an express promise 29 M.L.P. 2d STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS  § 18. Breach of Con tract The statute of limitation on the cause of a breach of contract legal proceedings is six years in the state of Michigan. This is the amount of time limitation applied to contract actions. Under this statute of limitation, a claim that is based an express provision provided by a contract between two or more parties, rather than one implied by law, has to be subjected to the limitations period of six years applied to all contract actions. On the other hand, the breach of an obligation, which the law implies on the part of one of the parties to a contract, which is owed to the other, falls under a tort, and is subject to the statute of limitations for torts, which has a limit period of three years. However, this statement of limitation does not cover fraudulent misrepresentations to the existence of a contract 29 M.L.P. 2d STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS  § 22. The case of Case v. Goren, 43 Mich. App. 673, 204 N.W.2d 767 (1972), is the perfect example of how this works. Conversion A caus e of action for a conversion accrues on, and limitations start to run on or after, the day of the conversion. The time limitation period for conversions is three years. This happens when authority is wrongfully acquired by a person over the other person’s personal property. Wisconsin State Personal Injury In the state of Wisconsin, actions to recover the damages that result from the injuries to

GLOBAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

GLOBAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT - Assignment Example During financialization, capitalism is often affected by the dominance of the financial sector over the productive sector(Krippner, 2011, p. 9). The essay critically analyzes some of the themes covered by Erturk et al. (2008) and their relevance to contemporary business and economy. According to (Ismail, et al., 2008, p. 239) there is no outline for a single market culture thesis. Instead, the issues discussed revolve around a variety of themes that touch on the market culture of society and politics. One of the market culture themes that have been identified covers a shift in interest among economical agents, from the inequality to difference; from the market economy of resource distribution in the economy of cultural recognition and identity. Economic actors are less concerned with issues related to the economic equality and are constantly shifting their attention to cultural differences. The dimensions of inequality in the economy have been focused on less, relative to the cultural considerations and differences that have turned to be a major problem. On a standard sociological account, the relation between economics and economies has been interpreted to be quite weak. The reason behind this prerogative ideology is that the economics provide highly abstract market models that are based on behavior and governing assumptions that have no world equivalences in reality. Along similar lines, the academic economics do not have a great deal of importance for businesses, even though it has a recognizable significance for states(Budd & Harris, 2004, p. 74). On the other hand, (Callon, 2004, p. 242)views the economy as a set of reliable technical practices rather than a bad science. He also visualizes the economy as a technology that creates phenomena and allows participation in shaping whatever it describes. The interest in the economy should be based less on the set of accurate representations of the

Discuss the value of Information Technology and Management Information Research Paper

Discuss the value of Information Technology and Management Information Technology to you and your chosen profession (mine is Acc - Research Paper Example Nonetheless, management information systems are tools, which a manager uses to collect information about different aspects of the company, including sales and personnel, among others, and analyze it (Moghaddam, et al 2012). On the other hand, Accounting is an important aspect in all companies. Unlike IT and MIS, Accounting has been in existence for the longest time. This mainly addresses the financial state of a company. It involves bookkeeping, which involves bank statements, company ledgers, and the overall tracking of finances in the company, including money in, money out, and business assets. Today, there is a high level of interaction between different disciplines. Similarly, the fields of accounting, IT, and MIS show a high level of interaction, as the field of accounting adopts the skills and knowledge of IT and MIS in its processes. Nonetheless, the nature of IT and MIS make them to be applicable in diverse disciplines (Moghaddam, et al 2012). This paper therefore, will focus on the value of information technology and management information systems in the field of accounting. The field of accounting today has become dependent on information technology and management information systems, as it adopts various elements in these, to enhance the efficiency of its processes. In information technology, there are a myriad of new integration approaches, as well as effective methods of managing data. Therefore, use of information technology translates into increased efficiency in data retrieval and storage, and overall management of data in accounting. Therefore, this aspect of information technology is valuable in accounting, since it makes the different procedures and processes in accounting to be simple, and leads to an increased and focused use of computed information in the field. Therefore, with regard to efficiency in accounting, information technology has played the major role in achieving this. Nonetheless, with the advancements in information technology , it is expected that the field of accounting will as well adopt the new techniques in information technology, and therefore, increase its efficiency (Moghaddam et al 2012). Information technology has also led to the transformation of the field of accounting into a paperless phenomenon. Today, there is no more use of papers and pencil. Information technology highly adopts different equipment, which have also been adopted in accounting. For instance, there is the use of computers, faxes, and scanners, among other IT equipment in information technology. Most of these IT equipment are affordable, thus available in the accounting section of most companies. Nonetheless, these have resulted in increased efficiency in accounting procedures (Bahador, Haider & Saman, 2012). As observed, information technology utilizes various software. These software can also be adopted in most accounting processes. For instance, accountants use the program referred to as â€Å"spreadsheet† today to h elp in reporting and calculations in the field. Apart from the spreadsheet program, there are many more software, which are accustomed to accounting, and help in accounting procedures. Nonetheless, these are affordable and easy to use. These different software makes the work of accountants easier. Therefore, accountants use these to pay different types of bills in the company, recording all the transactions they have made, and use them in financial reporting, as well. Additionally, the use of these IT programs ensures

Saudi women and the achievement equation Research Proposal

Saudi women and the achievement equation - Research Proposal Example King Abdullah is the ruler of the state (CIA, The World Factbook). It is a Middle Eastern country. The governance of Saudi Arabia is according to the Islamic Law (Saudi Arabia: Country Specific Information, 2008). The country is regarded to a great extent by other Middle Eastern countries and has strong ties with these states. Its total population is 28,146,656 (CIA, The World Factbook). Women as a major part of the population should be dealt equally as men. They are nearly half of the whole population of Saudi Arabia. The rights of women and their status, everything is described in the light of Islamic rules and principles. They are required to get permission of their husband or any other male authority of the family in order to leave Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia: Country Specific Information, 2008). Without allowance, they are not allowed to leave their houses. Husbands are regarded as the owners of the women but it is only for their security. Fatany has informed that wrong perceptions are kept about women in Saudi Arabia by European society that the women of Saudi Arabia are treated mercilessly in Arabian society and are also deprived of their due rights (Fatany 2004). The women of Saudi Arabia are not treated mercilessly. If they make use of veil, they use it because they have their own intention towards its usage. They make use of veil on their own will and Islam that is their religion asks them to take veil as a religious obligation (Saidi 2000). As Islamic rules are followed in Saudi Arabia, therefore a woman is given the right of inheritance in his father’s, husband’s or son’s property (Saidi 2000). A man usually gains double of a woman’s share because men are considered as the authority of Arabian society and they also have the responsibility of household. The women are not asked to carry the burden of household. If they are interested to share the burden of household, they are not stopped. They are allowed

The delivery of adult social care is going through a period of Essay

The delivery of adult social care is going through a period of profound challengechallenge and change. Give a critique of the so - Essay Example The 2010 report of the Department of Health has assured additional funding of ?2 billion by 2014/15 but there had been programmes which funds were discontinued and without any clear direction as the Department seem to grapple with opposing demands as well as criticisms and evaluation outcomes. This paper will try to identify and evaluate relevant provisions of current adult social community care, critically analyse the current adult social care policy agenda and its impact on social work provisions, and critique the social care policy agenda and how it will impact on future social work provision with a focus on an adult with learning disability. It will also incorporate in the discussion the theories of normalisation, biological, social model/neo-liberal, social valorisation and person centred approach, medical model and social models. Discussion Government Initiatives The most recent effort of the government about social care is to address empowerment of communities and individuals to address local challenges. Adult social care policy applies the â€Å"putting people first† (PPF) approach that helps individuals become more independent, and in control of their own lives through their choices. This is called â€Å"self-directed support† where individuals choose their options for home care, hiring personal assistant, or use Adult Social Care (East Sussex County Council, 2010, P 1). High quality services are geared towards making people healthy and in-control of the kind of support they are provided. The Department of Health promotes in the system freedom with the aim to strengthen communities and individuals as autonomy replaces dependency. Another value promoted is fairness addressing the question â€Å"how do we pay for care?† (Department of Health, p 4). The government vies for clear, comprehensive and modern framework that considers both carers and adults who need support. The third value promoted is responsibility where Communities are e ncouraged to become innovative in creating networks of support for individuals. As the Department of Health suggested, â€Å"Care must again be about reinforcing personal and community resilience, reciprocity and responsibility, to prevent and postpone dependency and promote greater independence and choice,† (p 5). The main goals of PPF are: introduce self-directed support prevent problems through early intervention ensure availability of the different types if support for everyone help people use support networks (East Sussex County Council, 2010) . For social care workers, assessment and eligibility criteria may remain the same but changes may be in the care services and solutions that individuals may chose. Social workers involved in the process may include those working in Adult Social Care, voluntary or independent sector, or personal assistants. Carers are provided more involvement in decision-making through assessment of needs as well as planning for support. This will help the team or group involved in the importance of each contribution as well as understand the support the carer or social worker may need. The support plan involves an action plan that includes the list of things to do, by whom and a time table. The team of professionals will then have their roles defined. Additional funding for the future provides a cushion for policy-making and the implementation of improvement as well as redesigning of services to gain

The novel prepare you for the Ending Essay Example for Free

The novel prepare you for the Ending Essay This is a lot like Hemmingways style of writing. It is written in a sort of a list. In the first chapter, before Lennie and George appear, the descriptions of the environment are lazy and languid. This is used to calm you and make you picture the environment as a natural environment, which it is. But all of a sudden, when Lennie and George appear in the chapter, all the sentences go short. The lazy languid sentences that were being used before are now short and sharp sentences. The vowels are also shorter than before. This is repeated as well in the setting before Lennie kills Curlys wife. Nothing changes when he starts stroking her hair but as soon as she says, Look out, now, youll muss it. The sentence structure changes yet again. This is because when she says that quote, she is nervous. It is the first sign that she is nervous Therefore the environment is disturbed so all the sentences that were long, are now short and sharp. Plot-Development In this paragraph I am going to be talking about how certain events work up to prepare you for the ending of the novel. One of the main obvious examples of plot-development, is a cycle of animals that Lennie slowly works through. First, Lennie starts off with a mouse, Uh-uh. Jus a dead mouse, George. I didnt kill it. Honest! I found it, I found it dead. This is what Lennie says to George when George finds a dead mouse which Lennie is stroking with his thumb. Later in the novel, in the barn, Lennie kills a puppy, He was so little, said Lennie. I was jus playin'. This is what Lennie says to Curlys wife, coincidently, just before she dies. Going by what he said, I dont believe that Lennie killed it purposely because he sounds sincere. Finally, this is what Lennie says to George when he sees him at the Salinas River. I done another bad thing. I think that Lennie knows what he has done is wrong but not what is going to happen to him. Curlys wife is also another example of the plot developing which leads to the ending. Her interest in Lennie starts off as a simple interest but because Lennie seems really interested in her, she becomes more interested. Also I think that Curlys wifes view of Lennie crushing Curlys hand was a sign of him protecting/defending her. This makes her interest in him develop some more. This leads to her going to see him in the barn in chapter five when the other ranch workers are playing horseshoes. But it ends in disaster, she lets her feelings out and says he can stroke her hair, but he doesnt let go and so she starts screaming. Lennie then grabs her head and starts shaking her around. Therefore, breaks her neck. This is the event simplified but I have explained it in more detail in a different paragraph. George, as the play goes along, gets increasingly involved with the community (the ranch workers). He does this by socialising with them and plays games with them. Equally, Lennie becomes increasingly out of control. I think that Lennie starts to lose control because George pays less attention to his needs. This shows that everything George does affects Lennies actions. Which is another example that they rely on one another. Linguistic Devices I am going to be discussing how the use of metaphors and images prepare you for the ending of the novel. Foreshadowing is used in a number of ways: Candy and his dog are both a good example of symbolism used in the novel. Candy and his dog foreshadow the end of the novel in many different ways. Firstly, they are both totally reliant on each other. This is the same in the case of Lennie and George. They are totally reliant on each other. George needs Lennie for company and, obviously, Lennie needs George because Lennie is not able to perform any function that requires any kind of skill. Secondly, Candys dog gets shot because hes no good to anyone The idea to shoot Candys dog was Kennys (Carlsons). He says that it is no good to him or anyone. Shooting it would just be putting it out of its misery Thirdly, Lennie is absent when the dog is shot. This is significant because Lennie is also going to get shot. Curlys wife is also not present at the time but at this stage this is not relevant. I think that the absence of Lennie is used to show that Lennie has never actually experienced the murder of something or someone by anyone else. Therefore making him think that he is safe. Fourthly, Candy doesnt shoot his dog. Candy views this decision as a mistake and wishes that he would of shot the dog instead of Kenny (Carlson). This is the only thing that distinguishes candy dog and Lennie George. Solitaire and other card games are mentioned in the novel. These are used to foreshadow the ending of the novel. Solitaire is a one-player game, which symbolises loneliness. I think that the men play solitaire because it represents their isolated lives. The first mention of the game is in chapter two when George is talking to candy. He sits down by a table, so does George. Georges interest in the game is on and off. But later in the novel when he plays it, Lennie is always somewhere else, doing something different. Also, because George plays this game, it shows that he is going to be alone in the end of the novel because only people that play solitaire in the novel are alone or going to be alone i. e. Candy Curlys wife is a symbol of the dream The idea of her is something that the men want like for example at the brothel. But the reality of her scares the men because they all feel a certain attraction towards her. This makes them fear and hate her because she has some power over them. They treat her as if she is an alien she is the only woman on the ranch. This makes the men treat her as if she is not meant to be there so as a result, they ignore her. However, when she dies, the dream dies. This shows that she was a symbol of life and the only means of escape. But her dream was to become a movie star and be free. As we know, the only way of escaping off the ranch is through death. This ten leads to the death, so her dreams lead her to death. This then leads to the death of Lennie because George also wants to be free, from Lennie. Lennie is compared to a bear throughout the novel, for example: Lennie dabbled his big paw This is the kind of action that a bear, or any other large creature, would perform. The reason why Lennie is compared to a bear is because of the fact that the features of a bear are identical to Lennie. They are both aggressive. An example of this is later seen in the novel. They are both also strong, dangerous, slow, lumbering, stupid, clumsy, they are also a victim of their own strength (Lennie kills the mouse, puppy and Curlys wife without realising he is doing so at the time). The idea of Lennie being hunted at the beginning and the end causes the death of Lennie in the end because Lennie is a comparison to a bear because he is a victim of his own strength and impulses, just like a bear. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.

I had a dream about you Essay Example for Free

I had a dream about you Essay The beginning of the poem is about a dream reflecting the beginning of a relationship, or more specifically, your relationship. In your dream it seems you had a lot of fun, throwing oranges at your boyfriend, and all the kisses. In the next dream, you’re progressing in the relationship, and things get a bit more serious and realistic. In the last dream he seems to be getting annoyed with you, even though you’re the same. You stay a static character and he isn’t, in the dreams. Seeing that dreams are a reflection of real life, he begins to become annoyed with you as he grows sicker, and things become serious. In the next dream you could see he was growing sicker, and that he was going to die. With hints like, the sky was red, the sand was red, and the bird-crows- were watching him. You also explained how you could hear his heart beat, and you could hear him breathing. When a person is sick and is very close to death, hearing signs that they are still alive it the most comforting thing you could hear. You also talk about his ribs being delineated like a junkyard dogs, and the hospital, which implies illness, I think aids or Cancer. When you stop talking about the dreams, we are where you were in the relationship at that time, seriousness, and that you needed to stay by his side. When he was on the bridge it just showed that he need you to take care of him, you both needed to be saved. Seeing as both of you couldn’t save yourselves it was a chore to save each other. He asked about if you would love him even more when he was dead, there was a certainty, no hypothetical, which made it scarier. That is why you felt the need to fatten him up, because he knew he was going to die, you wanted to stop the inevitable. When you said you wanted to fat him up, it made me think of chemotherapy which to some degree drains your health, and aids, which does the same.

Eriksons Eight Stages Of Psychosocial Development Psychology Essay

Eriksons Eight Stages Of Psychosocial Development Psychology Essay It is obvious that human undergo lots of changes such as biological, cognitive, psychological and in behaviour since the time of conception till they attain their complete adult age. These changes are said to be under any of the influences like nature, nurture, environment, and social. We also know that based on these aspects, numbers of psychologist such as B. F Skinner, Sigmund Freud, Albert Bandura, Jean Pieget Carl Rogers and Erik Erikson have proposed many theories pertaining to human development. One of the main among them was, Erik Erikson, possibly the best known of Sigmund Freuds many followers, who have proposed psychosocial theory. In his theory, he strongly believed that psychosocial principle is genetically inevitable in shaping human development.   His theory indirectly reveals that our personality traits come in opposites; we think of ourselves as optimistic or pessimistic, independent or dependent, emotional or unemotional, adventurous or cautious, leader or follower, aggressive or passive. Many of these are inborn temperament traits, but other characteristics, such as feeling either competent or inferior, appear to be learned, based on the challenges (mind: psychological, and physical), and support due to social ( relationships) we receive in growing up. Moreover, it says It is human to have a long childhood; it is civilized to have an even longer childhood. Long childhood makes  a technical and mental virtuoso out of man, but it also leaves a life-long residue of emotional immaturity in him, (Erik Homburger Erikson (1902-1994)). Similarly a child goes through many changes and confronts with many developmental challenges that they have to overcome those challenges on the road from infancy to adulthood. There is a never ending struggle to make sense out of this complex process. And there is no end to theories trying to explain it. Thus, this essay looks at Eriksons psychological theories of development that comprises of five stages of development, and its implications and benefits of understanding the theory in following paragraphs. This essay also talks about the crises that must be resolved in every stage that we attain in the process of development. Eriksons eight stages of psychosocial development Erik Erikson believed that childhood is very important in personality development. He developed a theory of psychosocial development that covers an entire life. Get through his initial five stages and we will be an adult. Each stage is a challenge or crisis that must be resolved before going to another stage. His theory of psychosocial development is considered as one of the best-known theories of personality in psychology. Much like Sigmund Freud, Erikson believed that personality develops in a series of stages. Unlike Freuds theory of psychosexual stages, Eriksons theory describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan. One of the main elements of Eriksons psychosocial stage theory is the development of ego identity. Ego identity is the conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction. According to Erikson, our ego identity is constantly changing due to new experience and information we acquire in our daily interactions with others. In addition to ego identity, Erikson also believed that a sense of competence also motivates behaviours and actions. Each stage in Eriksons theory is concerned with becoming competent in an area of life. If the stage is handled well, the person will feel a sense of mastery. If the stage is managed poorly, the person will emerge with a sense of inadequacy. Various terms are used to describe Eriksons model, for example Eriksons bio psychosocial or bio-psycho-social theory (bio refers to biological, which in this context means life); Eriksons human development cycle or life cycle, and variations of these. All refer to the same eight stages psychosocial theory, it being Eriksons most distinct work and remarkable model. All of the stages in Eriksons epigenetic theory are implicitly present at birth but unfold according to both an innate scheme and ones up-bringing in a family that expresses the values of a culture. Each stage builds on the preceding stages, and paves the way for subsequent stages. Each stage is characterized by a psychosocial crisis, which is based on physiological development, but also on demands put on the individual by parents and/or society. Ideally, the crisis in each stage should be resolved by the ego in that stage, in order for development to proceed correctly. The outcome of one stage is not permanent, but can be altered by later experiences. Everyone has a mixture of the traits attained at each stage, but personality development is considered successful if the individual has more of the good traits than the bad traits. Those eight stages of development are as follow: Trust vs. Mistrust Eriksons first psychosocial conflict is trust versus mistrust. This stage begins at birth and continues until about one year of age. The central issue that infants resolve in this stage is Can I trust others? Erikson, in his theory explains that infants learn to trust other people if their needs are satisfied by their caregivers. If a caregiver is irresponsible to the infants needs and they go un-met, then instead of developing trustworthiness, the infant will develop mistrust n his or her mind. In this stage, infants will also start realizing that they are state of dependent o independent to caregivers who respond to their need. That is how they begin to distinguish self from others. For example, many researchers have found that two to three month old infants do begin to distinguish themselves from their caretakers However, by resolving this crisis at this the infant will develop a healthy balance between trust and mistrust that is if only they are fed and cared for and not over-indulged or over-protected. For instance, being cruelty to them will destroy trust and lead to development of mistrust which results in incensement of a persons resistance to risk-exposure and exploration. On the other hand infants who grow up to trust are more able to hope and have faith that every things will be fine and develop a sense of challenge in his or her mind. Therefore, it is important to development to have a successful resolution of this stage because it lays the foundation for each additional stage. If a stage is not resolved correctly, later stages may remain unresolved as well. Parents are primarily responsible for satisfying this stage of development in their child. It is imperative parents are attentive to their infants needs so trust can be developed. Autonomy vs. shame and doubt The second stage is anatomy verses shame and doubt. This occurs from about eighteen months of age to around three years old. In this stage most critical issue they confront is that their intermediate state, not sure about whether they can do things on their own or do they need someone to assist them. Erikson says that this is the point at which the child can develop a certain amount of independence/autonomy, or otherwise end up in doubt and shame or always as dependent. Autonomy (self-reliance) is independence of thought, and a basic confidence to think and act ones own. Shame and Doubt refers to reduction in self-expression and developing ones own ideas, opinions and sense of self.   It is at this stage that the child needs support from parents so that repeated failures and ridicule are not the only experiences encountered.   So, the parents need to encourage the child to becoming more independent whilst at the same time protecting the child so that constant failure is avoided. They must try not to do everything for the child but if the child fails at a particular task they must not criticize the child for failures and accidents.   For example, toilet training is a said to be significant part of this crisis where parental reactions, encouragement and patience play an impor tant role in shaping the young childs experience and successful progression through this period. When children in this stage are encouraged and supported in their increased independence, they become more confident and secure in their own ability to survive in the world.   If children are criticized, overly controlled, or not given the opportunity to assert themselves, they begin to feel inadequate in their ability to survive, and may then become overly dependent upon others, lack self-esteem, and feel a sense of shame or doubt in their own abilities. If one was to achieve autonomy then they would have a feeling of confidence, but if those that dont achieve autonomy doubt their own abilities and have a sense of inadequacy. Therefore, the importance of parental reaction should have concerns in all aspects of toddler exploration and discovery while small children struggle to find their feet almost literally as little people in their own right. Imitative vs. Guilt Imitative vs. Guilt is the third stage of psychosocial development. It is around three to six years of age when this role must be established. The main role is to establish purpose and its achieve through exploration and play (Cherry, 2011). That means, children begin to affirm their power over the world through interactions between people and play and by asserting over their environment through different challenges. Initiative is the capability to devise actions or projects, and a confidence and belief that it is okay to do so, even with a risk of failure or making mistakes. That is how their idea of initiative develops positively. On the other hand if the child is not given chance to play and explore or stoped taking any kind of initiative, they understand their actions as a point if embarrassment and results in developing guild in them. Thus, guilt refers the feeling that it is wrong or inappropriate to instigate something of ones own design. Guilt results from being admonished or believing that something is wrong or likely to attract disapproval. Suppressing adventure and experimentation, or preventing young children doing things for themselves because of time, mess or a bit of risk will inhibit the development of confidence to initiate, replacing it instead with an unhelpful fear of being wrong or unapproved. The fear of being admonished or accused of being stupid becomes a part of the personality. If I dont initiate or stick my neck out Ill be safe... Therefore, it is duty of parents and caregivers to solve this crises, and challenge to get the balance right between giving young children enough space and encouragement so as to foster a sense of purpose and confidence, but to protect against danger. Industry vs. Inferiority In the Eriksons theory of psychosocial development, industry verses inferiority is the fourth stage. This takes place around the age of six to eleven years old. In this stage a person will be asking them self How can I be good?(Cherry, 2011). In this stage they try to master with their new and complex skills in accomplishing their task because they do increasingly complicated tasks. Erikson described this stage as a sort of entrance to life, and is a crucial aspect of school years experience. A child who experiences the satisfaction of achievement of anything positive will move towards successful negotiation of this crisis stage. However if a child who experiences failure at school tasks and work, or worse still who is denied the opportunity to discover and develop their own capabilities and strengths and unique potential, quite naturally is prone to feeling inferior and useless and develop very low self-stem in them. To solve this crisis, parents, teachers or caregiver should let them engage with others through social interaction and using tools or technology. Therefore, their supports in approving of what children are doing results in Childs believe in themselves. If reinforcement to the positive aspects lacks then they will believe that they are inferior to everyone and they dont matter. Identity vs. Identity confusion Identity vs. Identity confusion is the fifth stage where one is supposed to achieve their identity from the ages of twelve to eighteen. Before this stage, a person was exploring and discovering their independence and sense of self. But in this stage they develop a sense of self and personal identity. Erikson believe that here the child has to learn the roles he will occupy as an adult. It is during this stage that the adolescent will re-examine his identity and try to find out exactly who he is.   During this stage the body image of the adolescent changes and success in this stage will lead to the virtue of  fidelity. Their exploring of possibilities and beginning to form own identity develops a sense of direction in life. If all goes well, then a person will have a strong sense of self and independent and in control of the situation. However, if there is a lack of reinforcement, then the person will be insecure and will be confused about them in the future. The sense of who they are gets hindered, then it will result in a sense of confusion about them and their role in the world and that is how they cant adapt and establish in the society. Therefore, in order to solve this problem positive reinforcement from parents, teachers, school, society and friends is vital. Intimacy vs. Isolation From the age of nineteen to forty one will in the stage of intimacy vs. isolation. Intimacy means the process of achieving relationships with family and marital or mating partner. He explained this stage also in terms of sexual mutuality the giving and receiving of physical and emotional connection, support, love, comfort, trust, and all the other elements that we would typically associate with healthy adult relationships conducive to mating and child-rearing. We explore relationships leading toward longer term commitments with someone other than a family member.   Successful completion can lead to comfortable relationships and a sense of commitment, safety, and care within a relationship.   Isolation conversely means being and feeling excluded from the usual life experiences of dating and mating and mutually loving relationships. This logically is characterised by feelings of loneliness, alienation, social withdrawal or non-participation. Avoiding intimacy, fearing commitment and relationships can lead to isolation, loneliness, and sometimes depression. Thus to be successful in this stage, it is highly important that we achieve our identity. Developing close, intimate friendships are important to person so that we will have strong relationship. If not, its failure will lead to isolation and the lack of relationship. Generatively vs. Stagnation Generatively vs. Stagnation is the seventh stage in Eriksons psychosocial development. It occurs from forty years old to sixty-five years old. And this stage struck with the question how to contribute to the world? Here, adult strive to nurture things that they want their children to do the things that will help the world or something that they will be remembered by. For example, during middle adulthood, we establish our careers, settle down within a relationship, begin our own families and develop a sense of being a part of the bigger picture.   We give back to society through raising our children, being productive at work, and becoming involved in community activities and organizations.   On the other side, if person fail in finding a way to contribute to the society or by failing to achieve these objectives, we become stagnant and feel unproductive. This will result in individuals feeling disconnected or uninvolved with their society. Ego integrity vs. Despair This is the final stage in Eriksons developmental theory of psychosocial. Their age limit is from sixty five years till death. As we grow older and become senior citizens, we tend to slow down our productivity, and explore life as a retired person.   It is during this time that we contemplate our accomplishments and are able to develop integrity if we see ourselves as leading a successful life. But Erik Erikson also believed if we see our lives as unproductive, feel guilt about our pasts, or feel that we did not accomplish our life goals, we become dissatisfied with life and develop despair, often leading to depression and hopelessness. So to overcome that despair, it is important to positively pass those above mentioned stages starting since infant. Importance of Eriksons theory in understanding human development Eriksons model of psychosocial development is a very significant, highly regarded and meaningful concept. He was a psychoanalyst and also a humanitarian. So his theory is useful far beyond psychoanalysis its useful for any application involving personal awareness and development of oneself or others. Life is a series of lessons and challenges which help us to grow, and here his wonderful theory helps to tell us why. The theory is helpful for child development and adults too as it highlight important issues in particular stage and suggest the solution for that crises in pursuit of better development. Moreover, his eight stages theory is said to be a tremendously powerful model: it is very accessible and obviously relevant to modern life, from several different perspectives, for understanding and explaining how personality and behaviour develops in people. In addition, Eriksons theory is useful for teaching, parenting, self-awareness, managing and coaching, dealing with conflict, and generally for understanding self and others. Thus, we can conclude that his work is as relevant today as when he first outlined his original theory, in fact given the modern pressures on society, family and relationships and the quest for personal development and fulfilment his ideas are probably more relevant now than ever. Is it the crises that must be resolved in each stage a catastrophe? In each stage, Erikson believed people experience a conflict that serves as a turning point in development. From his point of view, these conflicts are centred on either developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality. During these times, the potential for personal growth is high, but so is the potential for failure. We have found that in his stage, each stage involves a crisis of two opposing emotional forces where Erikson termed these opposing forces as contrary dispositions. Each crisis stage relates to a corresponding life stage and its inherent challenges. Successfully passing through each crisis involves maintaining balance  between the two opposing dispositions that represent each crisis. For example a healthy balance at crisis stage, stage one, Trust v Mistrust, might be described as experiencing and growing through the crisis Trust(of people, life and ones future development) and also experiencing and growing a suitable capacity for Mistrust where appropriate, so as not to be hopelessly unrealistic or gullible, nor to be mistrustful of everything. Or experiencing and growing through stage two (Autonomy v Shame Doubt) to be essentially Autonomous (to be ones own person and not a mindless or quivering follower) but to have sufficient capacity for Shame and Doubt, so as to be free-thinking and independent, while also being ethical and considerate and responsible, etc. Erikson called these successful balanced outcomes Basic Virtues or Basic Strengths. He identified one particular word to represent the fundamental strength gained at each stage. What the child acquires at a given stage is a certain  ratio  between the positive and negative, which if the balance is toward the positive, will help him to meet later crises with a better chance for unimpaired total developmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Erikson) A well-balanced positive experience during each stage develops a corresponding  basic virtue-a helpful personality development, each of which enables a range of other related emotional and psychological strengths. For example passing successfully through the Industry versus Inferiority crisis produces the basic psychosocial virtue of competence, and related strengths such as method, skills, techniques, ability to work with processes and collaborations, etc). Where passage through a crisis stage is less successful then to a varying extent the personality acquires an unhelpful emotional or psychological tendency. Person passing  unsuccessfully  through a psychosocial crisis stage they develop a tendency towards one or other of the opposing forces, which then becomes a behavioural tendency, or even a mental problem which corresponds to one of the two opposite extremes of the crisis concerned. So, it is true that these crises are not really a catastrophe; rather, it is a turning point of increased vulnerability and enhanced potential where human can develop well unless and until it is not satisfactorily resolved. Conclusion Eriksons stages of psychological development were complex, but simple. It is something everyone will go through and experiences will always be different. Surprisingly, previous stages are highly influential to the proceeding stage. While Eriksons model emphasises the sequential significance of the eight character-forming crisis stages, the concept also asserts that humans continue to change and develop throughout their lives, and that personality is not exclusively formed during early childhood years. It is certainly a view that greatly assists encouraging oneself and others to see the future as an opportunity for positive change and development, instead of looking back with blame and regret. The better that people come through each crisis, the better they will tend to deal with what lies ahead, but this is not to say that all is lost and never to be recovered if a person has had a negative experience during any particular crisis stage. Lessons can be revisited successfully when they recur, if we recognise and welcome them. Finally I should say that he was keen to improve the way children and young people are taught and nurtured, and it would be appropriate for his ideas to be more widely known and used in day-to-day life as it is very powerful for self-awareness and improvement, and for teaching and helping others.

Essay --

The novel, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, is written by Rebecca Skloot. This novel provides a real story regarding research using human tissue without patient’s consent. It gives the background of Henrietta Lacks and the achievements HeLa cells established to point out how fallacious it is for doctors to take the cells without asking. Through the unique pattern and devices, Skloot expresses her sympathy for the right of consent of medical research. This novel illustrates Skloot’s footsteps that uncover the truth behind Henrietta Lacks, whose cells are â€Å"immortal†, which launched a medical revolution. Skloot introduces her obsession with Henrietta Lacks by saying â€Å"I’ve spent years staring at that photo, wondering [†¦] growing in laboratories now than there ever were in her body† [Skloot 2]. As one of the chapters quotes, â€Å"Henrietta Lacks was born Loretta Pleasant in Roanoke, Virginia, on August 1, 1920.† [Skloot 18]. She went to Johns Hopkins Hospital claiming that she has a knot inside her womb, but the doctors did not take any action. After her son Joe was born, she goes to the hospital and starts radium treatment. The doctors start taking the cervical cancerous tissue without Henrietta’s knowledge, and surprisingly, the cells do not die in the culture dish as normal cells did. George Gey , the doctor that starts to send the â€Å"immortal† cells to his colle agues for the purpose of researching, creates the first immortalized human cell line that help save a large number of people’s lives. After the Lackses realize that Henrietta’s cells have been sold without their consent, they did not start taking actions because of their lack of knowledge. Skloot begins to be involved into the Lacks family members’ lives, especially Henriett... ...use HeLa cells. As a result, Skloot draws vivid pictures for the detailed description to express her compassion toward the family. Skloot creates the correct atmosphere to make the reader feel sympathy for the Lackses throughout this novel. For this novel’s validity, she incorporates different types of statistics, including newspaper articles, personal journal, documents, etc. as shown in the following passage, â€Å"the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects, [†¦] govern most tissue research† [Skloot 317]. Skloot also interviews Henrietta’s relatives, Johns Hopkins Hospital’s doctors, and other people that have knowledge of Henrietta Lacks that are necessary to write this novel. As the reader slowly reads through this novel, they would feel the sympathy. Therefore, this novel composes passion that Skloot wants to merge into the scientific world and reality.

Gay Parenting Essay -- Expository Adoption Gay Adopting Essays

Gay Parenting Steve Lofton and his partner, Roger Croteau live in fear each day of having their foster-son, Bert, taken away from them and placed with another family. Steve and Roger can not adopt Bert, who is 10 years old, because a Florida law banning gays from adopting prohibits it. Bert, along with four other children, has been in the care of Steve and Roger since he was an infant. If he is taken away from them, he will lose the only family he has ever known. Since June 1977, Florida has denied gays and lesbians from adopting children on the basis of morality and the supposed danger to the children (â€Å"Suit†). At that time there was press that gays were molesting and corrupting children. People today continue to believe this is true. Many other states ban gay adoptions on similar grounds. Some states, like Florida and Mississippi, have made this a formal law. Many people, especially family-values advocates, have negative and hostile views toward gays and lesbians. We can see that â€Å"homophobia is all around us† (Benkov 187). It is so pervasive that it is even institutionalized and made into laws. Although the gay movement has made some strides in making homosexuality more accepted in this country, there are still laws in the books that promote heterosexism, intolerance and discrimination. Laws that deny gays and lesbians the right to adopt children are unfair because they discriminate against homosexuals and deprive many children of suitable parents and potentially stable homes. Steve Lofton and his partner can not adopt their foster children because although they see themselves as a family, they are not considered one by the State of Florida. Many traditional-family advocates agree that a family cons... ...4-15. â€Å"Focus on the Family Gives Facts on Homosexual Adoptions.† LifeSite Daily News. 11 Nov. 2002 . Gay and Lesbian Family Values. 30 Nov.2002 . Let Him Stay. 23 Nov. 2002 . Ryan, Scott D. â€Å"Examining Social Workers’ Placement Recommendations of Children With Gay and Lesbian Adoptive Parents.† Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services. 81 (2000): 517-27. Seita, John R. â€Å"In Our Best Interest: Three Necessary Shifts for Child Welfare Workers and Children.† Child Welfare: Journal of Policy, Practice, and Program. LXXIX (2000): 77-91. â€Å"Suit in Florida Challenges Anti-Gay Adoption Ban Run Date: 8/16/01.† 11 Nov. 2002 .

During those times when I have lost hope Essay

I cannot imagine life without Christina. In fact, I cannot remember a time in my life when she was not there with me or for me. More than best friends, we are like sisters. We shop together and we talk about everything and anything. And just like sisters, we too have our own fair share of misunderstandings and arguments but in the end, it is our bond of friendship that makes us kiss and make up. Christina was not my best friend when I was younger. In fact, we did not like each other. She was the type who was always hanging around with the cooler girls in school while I was the one who was always hanging around with the guys. So she was the princess and I was the tomboy. We could hardly look at each other because our crowds were of two completely different worlds. But an unfortunate event happened that made us talk to each other. You see, Christina and I were neighbors. And on that fateful rainy spring day, I got locked out of my house while my parents were out of town for a conference. I had to knock on the door of Christina’s house and her family let me stay until my parents got home. It was then that we realized that we were not really that different from each other. We liked the same movies and the same kind of music. From then on, we started hanging out in school and after school. Christina is a very optimistic person, the complete opposite of how I am. I always see the worse in things while she always saw the sunshine after the rain. During the lowest times of my life, she was there to cheer me up and always reminded me that there is no problem big enough that cannot be solved. She always told me that the problems that come my way are just challenges in life that I must overcome to become a stronger and more mature person. During those times when I have lost hope, her hug or simple pat on the shoulder would make everything alright because she makes me feel that I do not have to go through life alone. It is from Christina that I have learned that there is something good in every person and in every thing. I must admit that I am a very judgmental person but Christina has influenced me to be more open minded about how I perceive the people I meet and the things that I encounter. She would constantly tell me the cliche don’t judge a book by its cover and I would just laugh her off. But then she would remind me of the circumstances on how we started becoming friends. And she’s right that by her appearance alone, I will choose not to be friends with her. But she is also correct that since I took time to get to know her, I learned that her appearance alone does not define her entire being. Now, I am very careful with how I interact with people and that before I dismiss them and not want anything to do with them, I try to talk to them first and get to know a little bit of them to see if we have things in common. Another good thing that I have learned from Christina is how to take a break from school and all the other stressful extra-curricular activities that I have. I come from a very demanding family when it comes to school and my parents do not realize how much pressure they put on me to do well in school. So there are times when I would be awake for days, trying to prepare for an exam or a paper and would miss out on parties and shopping with friends. Christina taught me the importance of balance in life. For one, she is the type of student who can go to a party every weekend and yet still manage to get those A’s in school. She constantly reminds me that rest is important and that there is no use in studying all the time if I would be too tired or weary to take the exams. I have learned that there is a time for everything and that balance is essential to keep myself sane. But by far, the most important thing that Christina has taught me is how to love myself. My insecurities are like little battles for me everyday. When my boyfriend broke up with me for a girl who looked like a supermodel, all my insecurities started to envelope me. I started hating and doubting myself. There came a point when I found nothing good about myself and started wasting my life away. But Christina was there to pick me up and to shake some sense into my head. She, with some other friends, talked to me through some sort of intervention and told me all the good things that they see in me. They pounded in my head that unless and until I start seeing the good in myself, I will never be able to offer what I have to other people; and that if I didn’t believe in myself, then other people will start losing their faith in me as well. It was not easy to bounce back into the life I used to have: the more focused and idealistic me. But I am grateful that Christina was with me every step of the way, helping me collect the pieces of my life and putting them back together, as if completing a puzzle. Differences brought me and Christina together as friends. And it is differences that continue to bind us. I no longer consider Christina as my best friend but as my sister, someone that has shaped my life and continues to shape my life for the better. I just wish that someday I can give back to her everything that she has done for me as my way of saying how grateful I am that she is a part of my life.

Dominant Ideology in the United States Essay

Dominant ideology is the prevalent culture, values, traditions, beliefs, practices, and such in a particular group. Within the structure of society, dominant ideology stands for what majority of the people who make up society uphold as their philosophies, values, beliefs, thoughts, principles, etc. (Dominant Ideology Thesis, 1998) Dominant ideology represents what the people stand for. Moreover, it is not only represented in the observable actions, behavior, and way of thinking of people within a group or society, but is also evident in the material or tangible culture existing within their societal circle. For instance, the dominant ideology of society may be interpreted and expressed through literature, music, movies, theater, television programs, sport events, and such. The dominant ideology of the United States leans toward the concept of humanism, such that the nation upholds rationality, morality, and the condition of human life as basis for philosophies, values, or belief systems. (Edwords, 1989) Specifically, the dominant ideology of the United States endorses democracy and liberalism, as well as corporate power and capitalism (Bayes, 2005). Although democracy and liberalism when compared with corporate power and capitalism may be conflicting in several aspects, it still proves to establish what the United States stands for as a nation. The argument of democracy and liberalism as a dominant ideology is the inability of the nation to accomplish it fully (Baves, 2005). Still, inequality exists, and so does prejudice, bias, unfairness and such. However, it does not mean that the non-accomplishment of the dominant ideology makes it invalid for such label. The nation might uphold the values and beliefs of democracy and liberalism, and corporate power and capitalism, at the same time while failing to accomplish what it means for the nation. The dominant ideologies aforementioned in previous discussions are represented in American literature, music, movies, theater, television programs, and even sports events. The theme of these products of culture always contains hints of democracy, liberalism, corporate power, and capitalism. For instance, the major themes of American literature and theater are the strong advocacy for democracy and liberalism. â€Å"The Crucible† and â€Å"Death of a Salesman† by Arthur Miller, â€Å"Uncle Tom’s Cabin† by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and such plays and novels are American classic literature that criticizes repression, injustice, and discrimination. Tales of the history of American Indians are also strong forces that build upon the advocacy of American literature and theater for democracy and liberalism. (Major Themes in American Literature, 2008) Themes of American music, movies, and television programs represent liberalism, and in some aspects, corporate power and capitalism. Liberalism is applied in American music, movies, and television programs because themes or plots could be anything. American artists are more open-minded when it comes to art and expression in properties of media such as music, movies, and television that themes go a long way from conservatism, to rationalism, humanism, to classical, historical, and such. Themes always vary according to artistic interest and inclinations that sets the liberalism as a dominant ideology. Exhibiting corporate power and capitalism may be observed from the setting of movies, such that most movies, music, and television shows represent in one way or another, the concept of the American dream – which when analyzed deeply represents utopia which symbolizes power and perfection. Sports events also represent the dominant ideology of corporate power and capitalism. Famous American sports such as basketball, American football, and baseball, represent the dominant ideologies of the country. Sports events are capitalistic in nature, such that almost every aspect of it boils down to business. Americans patronize sporting events, as it is highly advertised to the public. Majority of Americans attend these sporting events, then comes the opportunity for business institutions to make profit from it, by selling tickets, food, props, and such. I believe it is capitalistic in nature because of the strong business context of sporting events. References Bayes, J. (2005). â€Å"Democratic Dreams in the United States in the Age of Empire: A Feminist Perspective from the North† Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii. Retrieved October 15, 2008, from All Academic Incorporated. Website: http://www. allacademic. com/meta/p70048_index. html Dominant Ideology Thesis. (1998). Retrieved October 15, 2008, from Highbeam Research, Inc. Website: http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1O88-dominantideologythesis. html Edwords, F. (1989). What is Humanism? Retrieved October 15, 2008, from the American Humanist Association. Website: http://www. jcn. com/humanism. html Major Themes in American Literature. (2008). Retrieved October 15, 2008, from JHSSAAC. Website: http://school. jhssac. org/Faculty/HrgaI/documents/Summaryofthe5Themes. pdf

The Master of Zen

In â€Å"The mystery of Zen† the character is bewildered by the Zen master’s strange connection between him and the bow and arrow. Brought to light by this story, we experience the incredible connection between a sport, a man, and how the he uses his instinct to bring them together. Zen is a type of meditation intended to create a total togetherness with the body and mind. As part of this togetherness, the bow and arrow would be considered an extension to the body as made one with the mind. This technique involves the communication with both abiotic and biotic mass to create peace or balance with ones surroundings. As an action is performed the master delves into a trance as he immediately responds to his environment in a fluid manner. The same view that is made to build this connection can also be used in other sports to reach excellence. Boxing is a sport that can be used as an example of the influence Zen can play on a not so peaceful sport. As in life, the most important fight you can win is the battle to resist mental defeat; this sport becomes a way of life. There are a few mental disciplines or practices the mind must follow to achieve success in and out of the ring. In order to gain a hold on one’s own style of boxing, there must first be effort that results in a good physical core and stamina. This means one needs to dedicate time and effort to build strength before one enters the ring. One’s goal is to have achieved an athletic physique and mentally satisfying accomplishment that one aims for. However, the greater underlying achievement is the subconsciously built benefit which is time management. Creating a working system that one eventually follows almost as second nature. This first step to becoming a boxer is essentially the layout for any future endeavors. Although the tasks might be different, the key ingredient to having a successful anything is consistency. This step brought me closer to reality. It helped me accept the fact that success is determined by how hard one is willing to work at something to be good at it. I found out starting up that boxing helped build a good work ethic, and gave me energy to open up time in my day to build a solid schedule for work, play, and school. The leading cause to this improvement was my hunger for building a foundation for a sport I was interested in. The second step I had to go through was learning combinations. This meant training my hands to move with my weight so I wouldn’t lose balance through the combination. Variations of light to heavy punches with timed duck and weaves meant I would need to go against my naturally unbalance motion to create a fluid and balanced form to stay on track. Prior to this training my body would prepare itself to go through at most a minute of intense motions I believed was exceptional. However, these new movements were far more complicated and went on for five or so minutes. My body would naturally cringe from having to duck from right to left as I had only taught my body to move from left to right. My answer to the issue was taking very deep breaths during my pick and weaves to decrease tension and slow my heart rate down. After two weeks of intense training I had noticed my breathing intervals were further apart. I would take a deep breath by grasping as much energy as I could and then let it all go. I also noticed that I was more focused and alert at work and school. Boxing helped me be more patient and calm while making decisions to accomplish objectives throughout the day. The answer wasn’t as simple as attacking the objective. A plan would have to be made and I would have to following through with it in order to win. This suited well for me because I learned to treat the obstacle somewhat like a match, as I would plan possibilities and measure the cost of taking one versus the other. Maybe I got into boxing in the first place because I knew it might clear my mind at work. Majority of the time, I had the responsibility to make executive decisions. Sometimes I would be answering two phone calls while dealing with customers and making arrangements for shipments all at the same time. To say the least, being patient and making a plan worked best. I would take a break from boxing from time to time and still use the patience I learned from it to make the best decisions at work. After sparing a dozen matches and a dedicated routine, I began to look at my surroundings differently. The average boxer has a particular style that he constantly works on to reach the peak of perfection. Some might have slightly different variations of the way they work but they are all essentially just cycles. My reaction time was fast and I was in good shape the only thing I was missing was intuition. When pushed to the brink in later rounds I would use the connection with my surroundings to change tactics. In business and school there is the ninety nine percent which is the effort you make to do well and there is that one percent that is intuition. The feeling that the decision made was the right one. It’s like that no worries type of feeling one gets after making a risky ecision, almost like a humble form of over confidence. The measurement of cost and benefit and then there’s that last nudge that tells you to make it happen. It’s fluent, as though you are one with that shipment that predictions say is too much for the margin. Knowing that when your body finally ducks under that over hand right, your own uppercut will connect with devastating force. Going thr ough these experiences helped me understand how to use the benefits of intuition on a deeper level. The practices and fundamentals of boxing transcend to what makes a hard working person. Adversity that needs to be overcome is answered with consistent practice of this sport. Many of the obstacles that one would run into in the business world and at school are confronted in different forms. The simple ground work of boxing is a universal map of how someone can approach and prepare for future endeavors. The connection that is strung tight with body and mind is important for attempting to accomplish anything. Relying on the self to make decisions sometimes without the resources necessary to make logical decisions requires this self-understanding and togetherness that can only be utilized by expressing the self.

Jane Austen: Emma

â€Å"I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like† How does this comment by Jane Austen fit with your reading of her presentation of Emma? Today, we can interpret this remark as the recognition of a problem that was to be successfully overcome, instead of looking at it as an accurate prediction. Readers like the author's niece, Fanny Knight, who could â€Å"not bear Emma herself† have been in the minority. Most readers, myself included, have liked Emma Woodhouse and the novel that bears her name. It is an intricate, complex and perfectly achieved work that takes an apparently trivial matter – â€Å"3 or 4 Families in a Country Village†, in Austen's famous phrase – and makes it captivating, involved and rich with meaning. During this essay I intend to outline what Jane Austen means by â€Å"heroine†, and explain how Emma fits this title. I shall explore why Austen feels her character will not be liked, and yet what defies these intentions and regardless encourages the generally felt affection towards Emma. Jane Austen nurtures many issues during her novel, I need to examine them, and decide on their relevance to the characters position. Jane Austen's use of ‘heroine' in her comment outlines who the chief character of the story is, in this book we immediately discover its Emma Woodhouse. The book is justly named Emma, as the whole thing is Emma. There is only one short scene where Emma herself is not on stage; and that one scene is Knightley's conversation about her with Mrs Weston, proving she has a very dominant role. As readers we would usually expect the heroine of the story to be the most courageous, clever or perhaps even the most blasphemous. They usually have an attribute that sets them apart from everyone else. In this book though, Emma is mainly a figure of fun. We see the gradual humiliation of self-conceit through a long succession of disasters – serious in effect, but written comically throughout. The disasters occur through Emma's absurdities, her snobberies, her intrinsic honesty and her misdirected mischievous conduct. The reader feels affection for the character not because of her charms , but in defiance of her defects as she develops this rogue image. Her features allow her to take rank not with the ‘sympathetic' heroines, but as the culminating figure of English high comedy. The word ‘heroine' can also be used to describe someone much admired for their bravery. In my view, this ironically can also be applied to interpret Jane Austen's comment, and even Emma herself. Perhaps she doesn't demonstrate bravery of a courageous format, but she does show brave recognition of her faults, which could be employed to give her the title of a ‘heroine' in her own way. Jane Austen creates a wonderfully flawed heroine. Had Emma been perfect, her situation would have been of no interest to anyone; her flaws are what interest both reader and critic. The basic movement of Emma is from delusion to self-recognition, from illusion to reality. In the beginning she is loveable enough, but has much to learn. It takes supreme courage on Austen's behalf to portray a girl, meant to win and keep the reader's fancy, with the characteristics frankly ascribed to Emma Woodhouse. During the time period of both Austen and Emma the world was a male-dominated place, to centre the attention of the story on a woman was a daring move, but Jane Austen wanted to do something different. The narration opens by telling us all about the privileged heroine, â€Å"handsome rich and clever,† personally giving me the image of an insufferable young lady.We are allowed to know that she is pretty; not formally, but casually, from the words of a partial friend; â€Å"Such an eye! – the true hazel eye – and so brilliant! – regular features, open countenance, with a complexion – ah, what a bloom of full health and such a pretty height and size; such a firm and upright figure.† But, before we are allowed to see her personal beauty, we are made to see some of the destined troubl ing qualities. In her wish to be useful she is patronizing and a little conceited; her self-sufficiency early appears along with the irony of her willingness to have a hand in the future of others, despite having little knowledge or experience of her own to do it judiciously. Jane Austen's ironic voice throughout the book provides humour and logical thinking. Irony is defined as an absurd contradiction or paradox, a form of humour where someone says the opposite of what is obviously true. The ironic actions of Emma Woodhouse show one of her faults, for example her ‘matchmaking'. â€Å"It was foolish, it was wrong to take so active a part in bringing any two people together. It was adventuring too far, assuming too much, making light of what ought to be serious, a trick of what ought to be simple. She was quite concerned and ashamed, and resolved to do such things no more.† There is a special element of irony in this statement. Even as Austen has Emma relinquish the strategies of matchmaking, Austen condemns her heroine to continue thinking social relationships over and over again, repeating her misreading of sexual relations throughout the book. This is to emphasis the dislike we should be feeling towards Emma. Her complacent manner should evoke a feeling of frustration, instead, in my opinion, we see the funny side, predicting the outcome of Emma's actions, and knowing it's destined to go disastrously wrong. Emma's exclusive attention to marriage plots of her own devising is consistent with her inability to enter into a relation of equality with other women. Her obsession with arranging marriages distorts the relationship with her good friend Harriet Smith, and blinds her from other relational possibilities. The connection with Mrs Weston was never based on equality, she is grateful to her governess/friend for her guidance and education, the relationship is lacking in true parity. The great attraction of Harriet, beyond her blonde beauty and easily swayed temper, was that â€Å"everything† could be done for her. Emma's failure to bond with Jane Fairfax (her exact equal in age, abilities and sense) could also to a certain extent be due to her preoccupation with the marriage plot. Friendship between women is necessarily difficult in this period where the aim is to accomplish a husband. Rivalry for a husband of authority and worthiness is visible. Mrs Elton's marriage puts her into competition with all other women in her society and gives her precedence even over Emma Woodhouse; this makes her liable to judgement: â€Å"She did not really like her. She would not be in a hurry to find fault, but she suspected that there was no elegance; – ease, but not elegance. – She was almost sure that for a young woman, a stranger, a bride, there was too much ease. Her person was rather good; her face not unpretty; but neither feature, nor air, nor voice, nor manner, were elegant. Emma thought at least it would turn out so.† Emma values herself highly enough to make many judgements during the book, another flaw, as usually they are incorrect, and only get Emma into more difficulty. Her judgements are formed on the bases of social status and backhand gossip, instead of individual qualities and personality. It emphasises her pretentiousness and a lack of understanding. The limitation and narrowness of the Highbury world shows the limitation of class society. The class divisions are apparent throughout, and highly relevant to the attitude and treatment one will receive. Different ranks are distinguished by degrees of prestige, and one is judged to be worthy or not from the possessions they own. A real example of Emma's incorrect and unjustified assessment of a person is of Robert Martin. Her cutting remarks show qualities of vanity, ignorance and meanness; â€Å"He is plain, undoubtedly – remarkably plain: – but that is nothing compared with his entire want of gentility. I had no right to expect much; but I had no idea that he could be so very clownish, so totally without air. I had imagined him, I confess, a degree or two nearer gentility† As far as Emma is concerned the class is wrong for her young friend, nothing else needs to come into consideration, he is already not good enough. Her attitude is patronising, and should make us think poorly of her, but instead we tolerate her interfering, and enjoy the product of it. Her abusing of Miss Bates with her cruel remark reveals a different side to the Emma, undoubtedly a nastier side. Yet Emma's rudeness strangely expresses energy and excitement. The unexpected outburst causes the reader to wake up and take note. We don't hate her for her comment; instead we share her guilt, and secretly admire her for this more mischievous person. Emma Woodhouse indisputably casts a real attraction over most of her readers, but how and why? The plot of the book has been described by some as â€Å"uneventful† and â€Å"nothing profound†. One critic stated, â€Å"there is no story whatever, and the heroine is no better than other people; but the characters are all so true to life, and the style so piquant, that it does not require the adventitious aids of mystery and adventure† Despite these comments, to look at Emma's strengths is firstly a way of understanding her desirability. She is a very loving character, exposed through her faithfulness and kindness towards her father, and the attention she gives to the poor. She has a love of children, which becomes clear with the intense adoration shown towards her nieces and nephews, qualities that only strengthen her appeal. Interestingly enough, Emma could also be seen as a role model for women readers. She stubbornly demonstrates a resistant figure to the woman stereotype of the time, unusually showing a more masculine behaviour, or as we may see it, a more modern behaviour. Her squabbles and quick-witted retorts towards Mr Knightly show her intelligence, but also her unconcerned approach towards playing the typical 18th century woman; Mr Knightley: I leave you to your own reactions Emma: Can you trust me with such flatters? Her constant strength and vitality are alluring, and bring energy to the book. Emma's an imaginist â€Å"on fire with speculation and foresight†, giving her a playful, fun appearance, another beneficial quality. Lastly, Emma is bright girl, meaning we don't question her intelligence when things go wrong, just her naivety. She was never deceived about her sexual feelings during the book, and never deceived herself into feeling emotions that weren't there like Harriet seemed to. This emphasised her maturity, and made me, as the reader, value her actions and opinions more then, for example, Harriet's. In the book Emma seems to get everything and everyone wrong, yet her vulnerability is strangely attractive, and is one reason for my approval of her. The much irony directed at her is setting her up to be judged, irony in itself, as she is usually the one doing the judging. What she often thinks of other people is commonly true for her, and therefore classes her on the same level as everyone else. She is the heroine of the book, and proves so with conviction and success. However, to be a disliked heroine is mistaken. Because the book is told from her view constantly, allowing us to understand the character, and sympathise with her wrongdoings instead of judging her for them. Despite foreseeing when something is going to go wrong, we assume it will all turn out okay in the end, and predict there can only be a happy conclusion. Her officiousness and capacity for deluding herself only bulk out the story to make it more exhilarating, while also making Emma a fully rounded character, one which most readers cannot deny, like very much indeed.

Analysis of a Media Source’s Coverage on a Research

The Wall Street Journal published an article regarding a recent psychopharmacology study on depression done by Dr. Hunter that investigated whether pre-medication brain activity corresponded with treatment outcome. In addition, the article discusses the interesting results garnered from the placebo group v. medicated group analysis. While the news piece does a fair job in representing the study’s findings, the author does delve into extrapolations not statistically supported in the actual study. Fifty-one adults who were diagnosed with major depression were used in the study, and this was accurately reported by the news article (Wang, 2006). Hunter et al. investigated whether there were significant differences in â€Å"demographic characteristics, illness history, baseline illness severity, [and] final response[s],† and finding none, pooled the subjects for analysis (2006, p. 1427). This does give the Journal, who must condense the findings for the public, good reason to fail in reporting this. The study is experimental in nature, also using double-blind and randomized assignment to help rid the results of confounding variable input. All of the subjects were given a placebo anti-depressant for a one-week lead-in; after this, half of the individuals were continued on the placebo while the others were given one of two anti-depressants. Electroencephalograph (EEG) readings were taken at the time of enrollment, after the lead-in period, and several times later (over an eight week period). The Wall Street Journal condenses this explanation down, and while the article abandons the jargon of an experimenter, it does give the impression of an experimental method being followed. When the news article explains how the researchers defined their variables they leave out valuable information. The author states that patients with certain brain-patterns â€Å"ended up responding better to antidepressant treatment[s],† but fails to mention how this was evaluated (Wang, 2006, p. 1). A Hamilton depression scale was given to judge improvement, giving reliability to the study’s findings. However, the news piece does accurately report that EEG was also used, in an attempt to find a decrease in prefrontal lobe activity. This study uses a control group, those maintained on the placebo, and compares their EEGs to those of the medicated group, but the main focus of the research was the search for experimental evidence supporting that the commonly used one-week lead-in can predict treatment outcome via brain imaging. The Wall Street Journal article focuses on only a facet of the study, and one that the researcher’s claim to have nonsignificant support for. Wang states that, â€Å"patients who developed this brain-pattern change ended up responding better †¦ than patients who didn’t,† which is misleading to an audience that has not read the actual research (2006, p. 1). While Hunter et al. do find that their EEG scans were a good indicator of treatment success, they also caution that: Although the placebo and medication group analyses yielded different brain regional predictors of outcomes, because of the absence of statistical group interaction we cannot conclude that changes in †¦ [the differing brain regions] †¦ differentially predicted outcomes (2006, p. 430). The news article wrongly insinuates that the study provided evidence for a brain-pattern that is linked to a good treatment outcome in depression. It is certainly true that this study offered outcomes that encourage research in this direction, and that the author also seems to believe that the EEG-pattern found is â€Å"a good indicator† for success, but after reading the actual experiment, Wang seems to have inflated the actual findings. Having critiqued the insinuations of the news piece, the extrapolations made by the author do have some merit. The researchers discovered that both the medicated and the placebo groups had a similar variance â€Å"predicted by the neurophysiological changes occurring during the placebo lead-in phase† (Hunter et al. , 2006, p. 1429). They offered some possible causal factors such as â€Å"pharmacotherapeutic alliance and pretreatment expectations,† these results seem to demonstrate a placebo-treatment effect, which offers even more reason to further investigate how a patient’s treatment induction affects his/her progress (Hunter et al. , 2006, p. 1429). Though not mentioned or referenced in the Wall Street Journal item, the ethical issues surrounding this experiment are noted by Hunter et al. Providing individuals suffering from major depression placebos for eight weeks is risky, using a double-blind procedure makes it even more dangerous. While the IRB board of UCLA did require a 15-25 minute counseling session during each patient’s visit, this is a massive step down from the psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic support offered at the recruitment area (a psychiatric outpatient hospital) (Hunter et al. 2006). Conversely though, this ethical â€Å"patch† does raise an interesting question for further research, lightly touched on by the study’s authors; if this psychotherapy (however minute) was responsible for a pre-treatment neurophysiological shift, and the shifts that were indicatory of better treatment outcomes could be identified, research could be done to more effectively meld psychotherapy and medic al psychiatry. It is understandable why media reports often leave out details of a research study, often the conclusions and discussion by the author/s of the study are of more interest to the public. However, when a media piece merely latches onto a nonsignificant observation or a suggestion for future research found in the study, the true findings of the experiment are overshadowed by the speculation of the piece’s author. When a media source offers information about a study, it is vital to maintain a skeptical and critical mindset towards the findings until they are corroborated by the primary source. It is important to look for information that supports the generalizability of the study’s findings. In the piece presented above, it is worth noting that the study was done on depressed individuals, other psychopathologies may not have any correlation to the results or conclusions provided. The media also commonly jumps from correlation to causation, whether directly or implicitly. While scientific information is the goal of research, sensitization by the media will usually occur to some degree.