Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Things Fall Apart (Janie essays

Things Fall Apart (Janie articles Janie saw her life like an extraordinary tree in leaf with the things endured, things appreciated, things done and fixed. Day break and fate was in the branches. For the duration of the life of Zora Neale Hurston, she has achieved all that a lady in her time could accomplish. She has been a top of the line creator, and she has set a motivation for ladies of any age today. From the 1930s to the 1960s, she distributed seven books, many short stories, magazine articles, and plays and was known as an exceptional folklorist and writer just as being the most productive dark lady in America. She survived a period of neediness and unpleasant occasions for individuals of color yet she didnt see anything amiss with being dark. She felt that her darkness was uncommon to the point that others could profit just from being around her. Her works were viewed as proclamations of womanhood and shared positive parts of dark life. In her most popular story, Their Eyes Where Watching God, she delineates Janie Crawford, a 40+ year elderly person who discloses to her life to her companion Phoebe Watson. In Their Eyes Where Watching God, Janie is attempting to disco ver love however she doesn't have the foggiest idea about the right places to search for adoration. Her initial two endeavors at affection, one that was constrained and the other that was not equivalent toward the beginning, yet at last third chance will be the one appeal as she love. Zora Neale Hurston life fills a lot of need in the story and by perusing Their Eyes Where Watching God, the peruser won't just appreciate the tale of a lady life from the opposite side of the skyline yet in addition some close to home data about the creator. (Their Eyes Were Watching God, University of Illinois Press, 1937) In my report I will clarify why Zora Neale Hurston is a motivation and fills in as a model for Janie and discussion on the numerous similitudes and challenges between Janie Crawford and Zora Neale Hurston in Their Eyes Where Watching God. Before Zora Neale Hurston began to compose, she was conceived on a little homestead in Eatonvil... <!

Saturday, August 22, 2020

The poem Ithaca Essay Example For Students

The sonnet Ithaca Essay There are more than 6 billion individuals in this world. They are generally unique and in this way all decide to live their lives in various manners. There are a few people who consistently flourish to accomplish more. They generally need to accomplish more, hear more, see more, though a few people have a couple of particular objectives and once those are accomplished gotten flawlessly content with their lives and where they are. There are numerous different ways individuals accept they should live their lives and that is the means by which they live them. The creator, Constantine Cavafy builds up a specific thought of how people should carry on with their life in the sonnet Ithaca. He accepts that people should intend to achieve the greatest measure of objectives in their lives so they won't have any second thoughts and can gain from the excursion they take to achieve these objectives, since that is the most significant part. They primary concerns from this is individuals ought to have numerous objectives for the duration of their lives, they ought to be resolved and not let things impede achieving their objectives and much more critically, that they ought to gain from the excursion. In the sonnet the creator builds up the possibility that Individuals ought to have numerous points for the duration of their lives and furthermore make the most of their lives. The writer expresses that as the voyager sets out on his excursion, he should trust that it is a long one, loaded with experience and disclosure. The goal of this excursion is Ithaca, a Greek island, which was the goal of a legendary warrior named Odysseus who was put on the map in Homers sonnets. Ithaca is an illustration to the goal of the excursion of life; in this manner the creator is expressing that an individual should trust their life is long and loaded with experience and disclosure. Thought people lives they should make the most of whatever number open doors as could be allowed to have the option to get a definitive encounter. At numerous a late spring first light to enter with what appreciation, what satisfaction - , communicates that an individual ought not be unreasonable for the euphoric minutes throughout everyday life, regardless of whether the delight is only for a brief period or long. This concentrate alludes to the upbeat minutes: ports seen just because; to stop at Phoenician exchanging focuses, and to purchase great product, mother of pearl and coral, golden and black, and erotic scents of each sort, sexy fragrances as sumptuously as could reasonably be expected;

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Just a Yellow Lemon Tree

Just a Yellow Lemon Tree… just kidding about the rap. More like a 118-line poem. (below) So when I signed on to be a blogger, I made a small promise to myself that I will never go one month without blogging. It has come pretty close a couple of times, but alas, Ive broken that promise by two days. :( OK I know you guys are all sick of the whole Im hosed! talk, so Ill skip that. (please refer to back entries of any of the bloggers if you are curious on a more in-depth treatment of the topic) Since Ive been gone, Ive -Helped run MITs first Model United Nations (MUN) conference for high schoolers. -Ordered my Brass Rat! -Went to a college MUN conference (at Hah-vahd). (I was Fiji, by the way oh and Ahmed went too!) -Started ESPs SAT Preparation Programs by administering a Diagnostic Exam. This is my third semester directing the program! o___o -Graded 450 SAT answer sheets MANUALLY (no Scantron :( ), read 450 essays, entered them into the computer, and generated class schedule. (with the help of our SAT Prep teachers!) -Conducted SAT Prep sessions (they run on Sundays and this Sunday will be the 4th class (out of 7) in the program!) directing the program for so long had made me start to use the program as a yardstick to measure how far into the semester I amwow, this semester passed so fast its like crazy. -Got tired of working in a biology lab, so went completely in the other direction and is taking on an Anthropology UROP. We are drafting submissions to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review program, which measures the progress of human rights in indigenous populations in countries around the world. -Applied to some exciting summer opportunities! -Went on a retreat with iHouse. (and welcomed our newest (22nd) member to the House! :D) Met Yo-Yo Ma. (via the Burchard Scholars Program. Paul did too! so maybe well blog about it sometime :) ). Oh, and this was at the Silk Road Ensemble Concert this last Sunday at Boston Symphony Hall. -Taught and volunteered for Spark! (Spark is another program that ESP runs its a mini-version of Splash that I parenthetically mentioned here although in the entry it was the Stanford Splash, not MIT Splash but you get the idea). -Suffered through one round of midterms (and pulled one all-nighter for 7.05 (thats biochem) promptly collapsed afterwards) -Is trying to decide whether 66 units or 54 units sounds more reasonable. -Watched Diarios de Motocicleta for Spanish class and wowsuch a good movie. (btw, I spend at least one hour every night preparing for 21F.704! (Spanish IV). Who says Spanish is easy? -____-) Whats coming up? -Going to The Hague, Netherlands next Saturday for World MUN! -I need to film the iHouse i3 video tonight, being Housing Chair. Need to dominate the classes that Im in now(spent too much time on extracurriculars so farhaha) Many of the things I mentioned Ill go into more detail in future blogs (like for MUN Im going to do a big post that combines the conference we ran, the Harvard conference, and the conference in Holland together). Stay tuned and Im trying to be less busy! =p Okay, these are the things I actually wanted to blog about: 1. Amino Acid Tag! Seen this going around on Facebook? :) (or versions with Pokemon, Korean characters, Hong Kong characters, Taiwan internet comic characters, Mr. Happyetc. etc. (my favorite is the Sanrio one thats going around, haha)) Because Im sad and have no one to tag, I decided to tag my best friends, the amino acids that Im learning about in 7.05 (Biochemistry Keri and Jess are also in that class). I pulled an all-nighter studying for the first test that we had, and started writing things down at the delirium of 6:12 in the morning, when Michaelis-Menton, isoelectric point, chymotrypsin, Lineweaver-Burk plot (all words that spell check doesnt recognize) are all jumbled in my mind. After coming home from the exam and taking a long nap, I produced (click on the image!) 2. Random Daily Life 3. Since EA 2012, RA 2012, EA 2013, heres something to listen to while you wait. :) ps. The Korean version and the Chinese version of the same song. Haha okay before you bash me on thistheres a story to this song. So even though I was born in the United States, Ive never actually lived here (my parents took me to Taiwan when I was still a toddler). I transferred to an international school in the middle of elementary school, and my parents were really worried that my English was not up to par during that time. Thus, they took me to America in the summer of 1997 and I spent most of the summer in Las Vegas (where my moms relatives are). That was also the summer when I went to Disneyland for my first (and only) time. Soon the drive to Anaheim, I was in the backseat with my Black Cassette Walkman (probably as thick as of 5 or 6 iPhones put together now but my most prized possession at the time I actually used it all the way till middle school, when it flat out wouldnt function anymore and cassettes were getting hard to find), a cassette of 60s-70s Oldies songs (they were and still are my parents favorites), a Carpenters cassette, and some random mix tape of the top pop hits in 96. Now thinking back, one of my clearest memories was that there were at least two songs I couldnt stop rewinding and replaying. One was Carpenters Top of the World (optimism starts young, you see =p), and the other was, of course, Lemon Tree. Whats most remarkable is that after that one summer, I literally never heard this song again till 2009, when a few weeks ago I heard this playing on the background of an advertisement that I happened to come across on Youtube. I immediately recognized the melody but had completely forgotten the name or even the lyrics! (then, of course, I turned to my trustworthy midomi.com =p) And alas, I couldnt stop playing this song for like the next three days . Its funny how these blasts from the past find you sometimes. I know it is stressful and many of you have been waiting months on end for this closure, but I wish you all the best. Stay happy! :) I wonder how, I wonder why, yesterday you told me about the blue blue sky :D

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The Punishment of Malvolio Essay - 1237 Words

In Shakespeare’s play, Twelfth Night, the characters endure the fruits of their foolishness at the end of the play, but Malvolio endures a greater suffering and greater embarrassment than the rest of the characters. This is not simply by chance or whimsy: but this is Shakespeare’s stratification of the vices that a person may take upon him or herself. With this stratification, Shakespeare allocates Malvolio’s vices of pride, usurping the social order, and dour temperament as the worst of character flaws, and that is why Malvolio receives the harshest punishment. Before examining the punishment that Malvolio endures, it is necessary to examine his flaws and offenses. His arrival in the play is with criticism of Feste, and that initial†¦show more content†¦Malvolio is treading the ground of criminal offense against a lord, who is also the cousin of his Lady. Beyond the offense upon the higher strata of society, Malvolio is also demonstrating his dour tempe rament in this scene which is also problematic. The importance of mirth and joviality is affirmed throughout the play, and for some characters, their greatest virtue is the ability to enjoy and be passionate for life. Malvolio stands in opposition to this with his protests and derision, and in the play he is the only character that takes offense to other characters enjoying their lives. The hostile environment he creates is important to note because it gives the other characters an impetus to deal with his troublesome personality in order to enjoy their own pleasures and pursuits. The last encounter where Malvolio extends his grievances is the second encounter with Sir Toby. Their encounter takes place after Malvolio’s pride is incensed by the false note of Olivia, so his actions go even further in displaying his own ego and lack of regard for his superiors. Not only does he instruct Sir Toby and Maria to, â€Å"go hang yourselves,† (III.iv.120) but he also claims that he is no longer of their, â€Å"element† (III.iv.121). The implication is that he has ascended beyond Sir Toby and Maria, but that is merely the delusion of his ego. In this scene heShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s The Seven Deadly Sins 1731 Words   |  7 Pagesincludes Malvolio’s severe punishment, which captivates audiences by pervisity; watching an arrogant character struggle in this farce situation satisfies any loathing audiences might experience. Malvolio s character maintains strict puritan boundaries. His punishment has diverse interpretations depending on culture; religions such as protestant Catholics may have been appalled at Malvolio being shunned for what they consider to be a respectful attitude. The name Malvolio is translated to the definitionRead MoreTwelfth Night - Character Study : Malvolio1218 Words   |  5 PagesCharacter study: Malovlio: Did he deserve the punishment that he received? The character Malvolio (meaning literally quot;I mean ill will) is immediately affected by the implications of his name. His personage is implied directly to be one of negative and somewhat disagreeable nature, which is continued and supported throughout the play, leading to his downfall and mockery which both initially seem to be thoroughly deserved, due to his numerous defects of personality. The first evidenceRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Twelfth Night Essay examples1337 Words   |  6 Pagesbelieves her to be Cesario. In addition, Shakespeare has created an equally confusing sub-plot involving Olivias servant Malvolio and the other members of Olivias household. The main plot and subplot are linked as they both examine the manifestations of love. The sub-plot involves the members of Olivias household playing a trick on Malvolio due to his treatment of them earlier in the play. It has long been debated whether Malvolios treatment was justified by hisRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night1507 Words   |  7 Pagesfeatures are considered. By exploring the role of Malvolio within the play, it is evident of the subversive role he plays. Malvolio‘s character is introduced as one who feels he is able to obtain the hand of Olivia, who in the context of the play is only a steward let alone nobility, the social ambition is subversive for him to try and alter an establish social order of the court. Maria says that sometimes he is a kind of puritan, which aligns Malvolio with the religious group despised for its oppositionRead MoreMarriage and Twelfth Night1541 Words   |  7 Pagescharacter. Malvolio is also a character who is thought by many to be without a ‘happy ending’. Malvolio is portrayed throughout the play as a much disliked character. Maria describes him as ‘the devil a puritan that he is’, many of a Shakespearean theatre audience would have found it amusing to hear Puritans treated badly, particularly as Puritans were against theatres and entertainment, so they would have been widely disliked as reflected in the extreme word ‘devil’. When Malvolio gets trickedRead MoreBrilliant Folly: the Role of Feste1120 Words   |  5 Pagesopposite. Though sometimes the characters do not realize his hidden messages, the reader can instantly comprehend Feste s figurative language, which is evident in every scene in which the fool appears. Whether he is singing to Orsino, arguing with Malvolio, or playing around with Viola, Feste always manages to sneak in a few symbolic foretokens before his exit. His keen eye and fast wit help him to actively partake in the portrayal of the story, however, the fool is merely present to express thatRead MoreEssay on Disguises and Mistaken Identity in Twelfth Night1372 Words   |  6 Pagescan be suggested that certain elements of Twelfth Night are not interpreted to be purely comedic; Shakespeare has incorporated serious and controversial subjects such as the idea of genuine love, the patriarchy of the time and the cruel gulling of Malvolio. Therefore, disguise and mistaken identity are not solely for the purpose of comedy and it could be inferred that it even borders on the genre of tragedy. Throughout Twelfth Night, disguise and mistaken identity works as a catalyst for confusionRead MoreShakespeare s Twelfth Night, And Marlowe s The Tragical History Of Doctor Faustus1585 Words   |  7 PagesThese characteristics are not represented directly but can be gathered through the characters’ actions and speeches (Gardner 2-6). Although Mak steals from the shepherds, the shepherds’ mild punishment reflects the act of doing good deeds. The shepherds’ ability to prescribe Mak with such a lenient punishment for a crime most individuals would be hung for, once again paints the picture of the gentle characteristics found within the Trinity, thus paving the way for the reward of being present for theRead MoreClass And Social Structures During The Medieval Period993 Words   |  4 Pagesdressing up for her, singing for her, and complimenting her, he is tricked into kissing her rear-end, showing the failure of courtly love in the merchant class. However, Nicholas is able to woo Alisoun by grabbing her and although he receives a painful punishment for tricking Absolon, he is ultimately the most successful male of the story. In this tale, Chaucer not only satirizes courtly love, but illustrates the aristocracy’s disconnect from the peasant and merchant classes, and illustrates how outdatedRead M oreWilliam Shakespeare s Midsummer Night s Dream1618 Words   |  7 Pageslove was seemingly brought on by herself. However, these players find their happiness in the end. The same does not go for Malvolio, not for his beginning or his end Malvolio initially seem to be a minor character, there simply to play a shrewd and uptight servant. But he becomes more interesting as the play progressing, and his humiliation turns from amusing to tragic. Malvolio does not place himself in romantic torture, but is placed by the trickery of others. He is tricked with a love letter written

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Discuss one explanation of Personality Development and evaluate its conclusion Free Essays

For this assignment I am going to discuss Freud’s perspective of personality development. Freud used psychoanalytic theories that are based around the emotional development of the personality, whereas Erikson’s psychosocial theory focuses more on the role of social factors in development. Personality development can be broken down into three strands within Freud’s theory: the personality structure, defence mechanisms and psychosexual development. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss one explanation of Personality Development and evaluate its conclusion or any similar topic only for you Order Now Personality can be defined as ‘ the distinctive and characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour that define an individual’s personal style, and influence his or her interactions with the environment’. (Atkinson et al, 1992) Freud developed his theories by psychoanalysing adults, mostly middle-aged women and individuals with personality problems. He used various methods to study his patients, such as, dream analysis; which are interpretations of individual’s dreams as they are a â€Å"window on the unconscious† (Davenport, 1988), free association; where the person is given a word or a phrase and encouraged to say the first thing that enters their head and ‘slips of the tongue’; which is when a person says something in error but these can subconsciously reflect what they really mean. Freud suggests that adult personality is derived from the interaction between the desires for pleasure and how early desires were gratified. He believed that all human behaviour is controlled by drives, which he relates to human instincts. Freud insisted that there are two forces feeding our instinctual urges with energy; the Libido and the Death Instinct; the Libido being a sexual energy and the Death Instinct being more of an aggressive energy. According to Freud, the adult human mind is made up of three different parts and levels of awareness; the unconscious mind, which he named the ‘Id’; the preconscious mind, which he named the ‘Superego’, and the conscious mind, which he named the ‘Ego’. The Id is at the centre of a person’s very being. It is the initial part of a human’s personality structure, which exists, right from birth and can be described as the most primitive instinct. This part of the personality craves satisfaction and pleasure; therefore it has been coined ‘the pleasure principle’. The Ego is known as the second part of the personality structure. This is the part of our personality that keeps us in touch with reality. Its aim is to protect us and it helps us to perform tasks safely; therefore-coined ‘the reality principle’. The Ego controls both other parts of the personality, the Id and the Superego, which help keep our lives in balance. The last part of the personality structure is the Superego. This is the part that moulds our morals and conscience. It helps prevent us from doing things, which we have learnt and know to be morally wrong; therefore this part has been coined ‘the morality principle’. The ego ideal exists as part of the superego. Rather than telling us what we should not do, the ego ideal tells us what is good and what we should do and be like. If the person has a strong superego they are more likely to have stronger morals than a person with a weak superego. Because the Id and the Superego are always conflicting against one another, the Ego needs to have strategies to reduce anxiety. This helps push problems away and in a way pretending the problems don’t exist, a form of denial, these are known as defence mechanisms. Another defence mechanism is repression; this is where the Id’s impulses are blocked from reaching the conscious mind. There are a number of other defence mechanisms, including projection; where unacceptable desires or characteristics are projected on to someone else, and displacement; this refers to the transfer of repressed desires or impulses onto a substitute person or object. (Mike Cardwell, 2000) Freud’s contributions with his theories on defence mechanisms are still being practiced today and are experienced as valid and useful. According to Freud we acquire our personalities in several stages, known as psychosexual development. Freud thought that different parts of our bodies become particularly sensitive as we grow through these different stages; he called these areas erogenous zones. (Davenport, 1988) As children grow up and are experiencing the stages of psychosexual development, different parts of their bodies become more sensitive, first the mouth, then the anus, then the phallus, and finally the genitals. The libido seeks pleasure through these erogenous zones. The five different stages of psychosexual development are labelled as: The Oral Stage – this is the first year of a baby’s life where the baby gains pleasure from sucking and biting. The Id exists here right from birth. The Anal Stage – this is around the age of one to about three years where the pleasure derives from retaining and expelling faeces. At this stage the Ego begins to develop. The Phallic Stage – this is around three until six years where the sensitivity is placed around the genitals. This is the where the Oedipal Complex or the Electra Complex unfolds. It is during this stage the Superego starts to develop. The Latency Period – this is around seven until twelve years where the body seems to have no sensitised area. A child will be more interested in interacting with other people but are not strongly attracted to others. The Genital Stage – this is around the age of 14 to 17 years. The child becomes more aware of the opposite gender and a sexual awareness is developed. The Oedipal Conflict that occurs in the Phallic Stage involves the child experiencing feelings of desire for the opposite-sex parent. The child experiences a fear that the same sex parent will find out and punish them for this, resulting in feelings of envy and the development of ‘castration anxiety’. Whilst all this is happening to the child subconsciously, they start to become more like the same sex parent adopting their characteristics to conquer the Oedipal Conflict, (known as the ‘Electra Complex’ in girls). This is known as ‘Identification’. His ideas on psychosexual development are known to be quite controversial, as they seem to be overly obsessed with sexuality. Freud developed the theory that sex was a major motivational force at a time of great sexual repression. This could have caused sex to be something that was repressed in many minds (Beryard Hayes, 1994). Freud alleges emotional disturbances that occur in adult life could be to do with poor psychosexual development. He believes that a person could be fixated at an early pleasure seeking stage of the development. This is caused if the child experiences severe problems or excessive gratification at any of the stages. The adult may display regression whereby their behaviour could become less mature and similar to behaviour displayed at the stage, which they are fixated. Freud places great importance on the roles of regression and fixation in determining personality. Freud’s theories have not been without criticism, they have mostly been criticised for being unscientific. His research support seems to be rather weak as the case studies he carried out mainly consisted of adults, mostly middle-aged women, from the same culture, so the results may be biased. The only child Freud studied was Little Hans, a five-year-old boy, who suffered from a phobia. Freud’s ‘evidence’ for his explanation of how children’s personalities grow does not come from experiments or any scientifically acceptable means of data collection. It doesn’t even come from observing ‘normal’ children. It comes from the dreams and spoken memory of a relatively small number of people who mostly lived in Vienna, who had some personality ‘problems’. (Davenport, 1988) Another method Freud used to analysis people was hypnosis. This was another widely criticised method, as even Freud admitted himself can be suggestive. However, despite many criticisms Freud remains known for having the most influential impact in modern psychology, especially in the areas of abnormal behaviour and psychotherapy. Today his ideas are used in everything from childcare, education, literary criticism, and psychiatry. He founded the psychoanalytic movement, which today many Neo-Freudians still actively use, although the emphasis of it is different. How to cite Discuss one explanation of Personality Development and evaluate its conclusion, Papers

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Final Exam free essay sample

If a firm in a purely competitive industry is confronted with an equilibrium price of $5, its marginal revenue: A. will be greater than $5 B. will also be $5 C. will be less than $5 D. may be either greater or less than $5 2) A firm that is motivated by self interest should: A. always use large amounts of cheap inputs and small amounts of expensive inputs in producing its output B. hire each input so the productivity of each is equal at the margin C. always use large amounts of the most productive inputs and small amounts of the least productive inputs in producing its output employ the combination of resources that will produce the profit-maximizing output at the minimum cost 3) If price is above the equilibrium level, competition among sellers to reduce the resulting: A. shortage will increase quantity demanded and decrease quantity supplied B. surplus will increase quantity demanded and decrease quantity supplied C. c. a special account used instead of a trial balance. d. used for accounts that have both a debit and credit balance. 6. Which of the following correctly identifies normal balances of accounts? a. AssetsDebit LiabilitiesCredit Stockholders EquityCredit RevenuesDebit ExpensesCredit b. AssetsDebit LiabilitiesCredit Stockholders EquityCredit RevenuesCredit ExpensesCredit c. AssetsCredit LiabilitiesDebit Stockholders EquityDebit RevenuesCredit ExpensesDebit d. AssetsDebit LiabilitiesCredit Stockholders EquityCredit RevenuesCredit ExpensesDebit 7. Which of the following statements is true? a. Debits increase assets and increase liabilities. b. Credits decrease assets and decrease liabilities. c. Credits decrease assets and increase liabilities. . Debits decrease liabilities and decrease assets. 8. The revenue recognition principle dictates that revenue should be recognized in the accounting records a. when cash is received. b. when it is earned. c. at the end of the month. d. in the period that income taxes are paid. 9. Under accrual-basis accounting a. cash must be received before revenue is recognized. b. net income is calculated by matching cash outflows against cash inflows. c. events that change a companys financial statements are recognized in the period they occur rather than in the period in which cash is paid or eceived. d. the ledger accounts must be adjusted to reflect a cash basis of accounting before financial statements are prepared under generally accepted accounting principles 10. Expenses incurred but not yet paid or recorded are called a. prepaid expenses. b. accrued expenses. c. interim expenses. d. unearned expenses. 11. Accumulated Depreciation is a. an expense account. b. a stockholders equity account. c. a liability account. d. a contra asset account. 12. Sue Smiley has performed $500 of CPA services for a client but has not billed the client as of the end of the accounting period. What adjusting entry must Sue make? a. Debit Cash and credit Unearned Revenue b. Debit Accounts Receivable and credit Unearned Revenue c. Debit Accounts Receivable and credit Service Revenue d. Debit Unearned Revenue and credit Service Revenue 13. After the adjusting entries are journalized and posted to the accounts in the general ledger, the balance of each account should agree with the balance shown on the a. adjusted trial balance. b. post-closing trial balance. c. the general journal. d. adjustments columns of the worksheet. 14. The net income (or loss) for the period . is found by computing the difference between the income statement credit column and the balance sheet credit column on the worksheet. b. cannot be found on the worksheet. c. is found by computing the difference between the income statement columns of the worksheet. d. is found by computing the difference between the trial balance totals and the adjusted trial balance totals. 15. The income statement and balance s heet columns of Pine Companys worksheet reflects the following totals: Income Statement Balance Sheet Dr. Cr. Dr. Cr. Totals$58,000$48,000$34,000$44,000 The net income (or loss) for the period is a. $48,000 income. b. $10,000 income. c. $10,000 loss. d. not determinable. 16. Earnings per share is a. net income divided by the number of common shares outstanding. b. the market price of the stock divided by the number of shares outstanding. c. gross profit divided by the number of common shares outstanding d. reported on the balance sheet. 17. All of the following are measures of profitability except a. working capital. b. profit margin. c. return on common stockholders’ equity. d. return on assets. 18. The principle that requires circumstances and events that make a difference to financial statement users be reported is the a. cost principle. b. full disclosure principle. c. matching principle. d. revenue recognition principle. 19. Companies that are subject to, but fail to comply with, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 a. may do so legally by obtaining an exemption. b. will be automatically dissolved. c. may be subject to fines and officer imprisonment. d. may be forced to sell their foreign subsidiaries. 20. An example of poor internal control is a. The accountant should not have physical custody of the asset nor access to it. b. The custodian of an asset should not maintain or have access to the accounting records. c. One person should be responsible for handling related transactions. d. A salesperson makes the sale, and a different person ships the goods 21. Having one person post entries to accounts receivable subsidiary ledger and a different person post to the Accounts Receivable Control account in the general ledger is an example of a. inadequate internal control. b. duplication of effort. c. external verification. d. segregation of duties. 22. Walker Clothing Store had a balance in the Accounts Receivable account of $780,000 at the beginning of the year and a balance of $820,000 at the end of the year. Net credit sales during the year amounted to $8,000,000. The average collection period of the receivables in terms of days was a. 30 days. b. 365 days. c. 10 days. d. 37 days. 23. Ratios are used as tools in financial analysis a. instead of horizontal and vertical analyses. b. because they may provide information that is not apparent from inspection of the individual components of the ratio. c. because even single ratios by themselves are quite meaningful. . because they are prescribed by GAAP. 24. The information provided in the notes that accompany financial statements is required because of the a. cost principle. b. full disclosure principle. c. matching principle. d. revenue recognition principle. 25. Which of the following is a true statement about closing the books of a corporation? a. Expenses are closed to the Expens e Summary account. b. Only revenues are closed to the Income Summary account. c. Revenues and expenses are closed to the Income Summary account. d. Revenues, expenses, and the dividends account are closed to the Income Summary account.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Best Automotive Business Pract essays

Best Automotive Business Pract essays Survival of the Fittest in the Present Automotive Market How Slow and Steady Can Win the Race The automobile manufacturing trade presents an interesting and important microcosm of American business as a whole. The general public opinion is that American manufacturing in general is faltering-that decreases in worker productivity and product quality, stiff competition from foreign concerns, increasing domestic labor costs, a diminishing loyalty among consumers for U.S. made products, and other factors are causing a subtle shift in our entire economy. Americans just dont build the best products, or so says the current school of thought, and the future of the U.S. economy lies not in manufacturing, but service sectors. To the casual observer, nowhere is this opinion more valid than in the American automotive industry. It is common knowledge that domestic carmakers are struggling, and have been for decades. Buick Motor Division, and the General Motors conglomerate of which it is a part, once enjoyed unparalleled prestige and rosy prospects for the future. Then, competition and other outside forces reshaped the landscape of the U.S. auto market. Buick and other domestic car companies foundered for over three decades. A few American companies went out of business altogether during this tumultuous time, including Studebaker, American Motors and Eagle. Even more recently, the Oldsmobile and Plymouth divisions of General Motors and Chrysler, respectively, were dismantled by corporate edicts within months of their centennial celebrations. Many industry pundits now predict that General Motors Buick division will be next. However, Buick is implementing business strategies that could not only save the division, but enable it to thrive in the coming years. Presently, the centenarian company has a unique opportunity to grow in a stagnant segment, by continuing its tradition of quiet innovation, m aintaining ties with its core custome...

Friday, March 6, 2020

Erving Goffman - Biography and Works

Erving Goffman - Biography and Works Erving Goffman (1922-1982) was a major Canadian-American sociologist who played a significant role in the development of modern American sociology. He is considered by some to be the most influential sociologist of the 20th century, thanks to his many significant and lasting contributions to the field.  He is widely known and celebrated as a major figure in the development of  symbolic interaction theory  and for developing the dramaturgical perspective. His most widely read works include  The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life  and  Stigma: Notes the Management of Spoiled Identity. Major Contributions Goffman is credited for making significant contributions to the field of sociology. He is considered a pioneer of micro-sociology, or the close examination of the social interactions that compose everyday life. Through this type of work, Goffman presented evidence and theory for the social construction of the self as it is presented to and managed for others, created the concept of framing and the perspective of frame analysis, and set the foundation for the study of impression management. In addition, through his study of social interaction, Goffman made a lasting mark on how sociologists understand and study stigma and how it affects the lives of people who experience it. His studies also laid the groundwork for the study of strategic interaction within game theory and laid the foundation for the method and subfield of conversation analysis. Based on his study of mental institutions, Goffman created the concept and framework for studying total institutions and the process of resocialization that takes place within them. Early Life and Education Erving Goffman was born June 11, 1922, in Alberta, Canada. His parents, Max and Anne Goffman, were Ukrainian Jews and had emigrated to Canada prior to his birth. After his parents moved to Manitoba, Goffman attended St. Johns Technical High School in Winnipeg and in 1939 he began his university studies in chemistry at the University of Manitoba. Goffman would later switch to studying sociology at the University of Toronto and completed his B.A. in 1945. Following that, Goffman enrolled at the University of Chicago for graduate school and completed a Ph.D. in sociology in 1953. Trained in the tradition of the Chicago School of Sociology, Goffman conducted ethnographic research  and studied symbolic interaction theory. Among his major influences were Herbert Blumer, Talcott Parsons, Georg Simmel, Sigmund Freud, and Émile  Durkheim. His first major study, for his doctoral dissertation, was an account of everyday social interaction and rituals on Unset, an island among the Shetland Islands chain in Scotland (Communication Conduct in an Island Community, 1953). Goffman married Angelica Choate in 1952 and a year later the couple had a son, Thomas. Sadly, Angelica committed suicide in 1964 after suffering from mental illness. Career and Later Life Following the completion of his Ph.D. and his marriage, Goffman took a job at the National Institute for Mental Health in Bethesda, MD. There, he conducted participant observation research for what would be his second book,  Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates, published in 1961. He described how this process of institutionalization socializes people into the role of a good patient (i.e. someone dull, harmless and inconspicuous), which in turn reinforces the notion that severe mental illness is a chronic state. Goffmans first book, published in 1956, and arguably his most widely taught and famous work, is titled  The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Drawing on his research in the Shetland Islands, it is in this book that Goffman laid out his dramaturgical approach to studying the minutiae of everyday face-to-face interaction. He used the imagery of the theater to portray the importance of human and social action. All actions, he argued, are social performances that aim to give and maintain certain desired impressions of oneself to others. In social interactions, humans are actors on a stage playing a performance for an audience. The only time that individuals can be themselves and get rid of their role or identity in society is backstage where no audience is present. Goffman took a faculty position in the department of sociology at the University of California-Berkeley in 1958. In 1962 he was promoted to full professor. A few years later, in 1968, he was appointed the Benjamin Franklin Chair in Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. Frame Analysis: An Essay on the Organization of Experience  is another of Goffman’s well-known books, published in 1974. Frame analysis is the study of the organization of social experiences and so with his book, Goffman wrote about how conceptual frames structure an individual’s perception of society. He used the concept of a picture frame to illustrate this concept. The frame, he described, represents structure and is used to hold together an individual’s context of what they are experiencing in their life, represented by a picture. In 1981 Goffman married Gillian Sankoff, a sociolinguist. Together the two had a daughter, Alice, who was born in 1982. Sadly, Goffman died of stomach cancer that same year. Today, Alice Goffman is a notable sociologist in her own right. Awards and Honors Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1969)Guggenheim Fellowship (1977-78)Cooley-Mead Award for Distinguished Scholarship, Second on Social Psychology, American Sociological Association (1979)73rd President of the American Sociological Association (1981-82)Mead Award, Society for the Study of Social Problems (1983)6th most cited author in humanities and social sciences in 2007 Other Major Publications Encounters: Two Studies in the Sociology of Interaction (1961)Behavior in Public Places (1963)Interaction Ritual (1967)Gender Advertisements (1976)Forms of Talk (1981)

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Ethics and the Hiroshima Bomb Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics and the Hiroshima Bomb - Essay Example Blackburn in Being Good (2001) would have us believe that there are times that we put aside our moral beliefs in order to accomplish something we believe in. There is the thought that we create a moral environment around us that affects everything we do. He feels that ethics are not futile or irrelevant but may be a hopeless pursuit. Only we can decide what is ethical as it is we that must live with the result (Blackburn, 2001). Was the bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki ethical? This paper will attempt to support the belief of the writer which is no, it was not ethical. The loss of so many innocent lives and the long-term pain of the incident was too much for any reason. We must quickly define our belief here, just before we tell the story. Gradualist ethics is defined by going along with the policy even when we believe it is wrong. This happens a lot with those that work in the government and in other industries. The belief that we have to make a decision because that is what is expected as part of the gradualist’s beliefs and they are willing to do what is expected. The deontological ethic is one where the belief is that one must consider the basic duties and rights of individuals or groups and act in accordance. That decision is made on moral obligation as it is seen by the person making the decision and moral rules are applied. Using others as a means to your own desire to wrong thing to do. In the deontological point of view, it is difficult to support the idea that ethics works differently for the State than for the individual. This writer believes that everyone must do the right thing understated rules whether it is the State or an indi vidual. If this writer believed that the true reason for dropping the bomb was to save lives on both sides, then the decision would be that it was an ethical decision.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

English literature paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English literature paper - Essay Example â€Å"A prudent leader, however, will be able to anticipate problems long before they actually arise, using virtà ¹ to forestall what would otherwise be great difficulties† (Kemerling). Machiavelli describes a business principle here which I would utilize as a leader of an organization in the future in order to select among the best alternatives. Machiavelli through virtue is describing the business function known as forecasting. Forecasting involves planning for the future by predicting future outcomes and choosing the best possible option. Virtue is going to provide lots of positive outcomes. By creating a clear understandable path the followers receive adequate instructions on how to proceed. Another quality of leadership describe by Machiavelli is the need for the leader to acquire a good reputation while doing whatever wrong see necessary in the circumstance (Kemerling). According to Machiavelli a good leader must be able to make touch decision and always stand by them. For example in the future as a corporate leader I might have to make some tough decisions, I might be the person responsible for firing 3000 employees. If that is the best business decision that will bring the greater benefit for the company I have to stand by my action and show confidence in front of others when discussing this business move that affected the lives of so many people. Another important principle of management mentioned by Machiavelli is that the ruler will need the assistance of advisors. This principle can be converted in the 21st century as the need to work in team settings. In our society a good leader recognizes he / she can not do the work alone and participation of others is necessary. In our times a good leader also seeks the advice of experts in certain situations to gather better information before making a decision. For example when working on a project a l eader may seek advice from an outside consultant in order

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Pharmacy is a health profession

Pharmacy is a health profession Chapter 1 The word is derived from the Greek word pharmakon meaning drug or medicine and has been used since the 15th and 17th centuries 1. Pharmacy is a health profession that combines the health sciences with the chemical sciences. It ensures the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs. Pharmacy practice includes modern services that are related to health care: clinical services, providing drug information and reviewing medications for safety and efficacy purposes 1. 1.1.1 The various disciplines of Pharmacy Pharmacy can be divided into three major disciplines: a) Pharmaceutics b) Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy c) Pharmacy Practice Pharmacology is often considered to be a fourth discipline but is not specific to pharmacy, even though it is essential. The boundaries between the different disciplines and other sciences like biochemistry are not clear cut. Hence, research work from the various disciplines is often done concurrently 2. 1 The Hormone Shop LLC. The History of Pharmaceutical Compunding. [home page on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2010 Oct 10]. Available from: http://www.thehormoneshop.com/historyofcompoundingpharmacy.htm 2 Dayanada Sagar College of Pharmacy, Bangalore, India. History of Pharmacy. [home page on the Internet]. 2008 [cited 2010 Oct 10]. Available from: http://www.dscpharmacy.org/pharmacy.php 1.1.2 The Pharmacist and Community Pharmacy Pharmacists are skilled and highly-trained health care professionals who ensure optimal health outcomes for their patients. In the community pharmacy, the pharmacist has various roles and these include amongst others (Azzopardi, 2010): a) the procurement of medications that are suitable for human consumption b) ensuring the appropriate conditions for the storage of medicines c) ensuring the appropriate and safe disposal of expired medicines d) dispensing of medications that are either on a prescription, or pharmacist-recommended or asked for directly by the patient e) point-of-care testing f) offering general medical advice without the need of a prior appointment. The practice of community pharmacy varies between countries. Nevertheless, the basic functions and responsibilities are the same. A community pharmacist builds a special relationship with the clients, especially the regular ones. Hence, communication skills are of major importance. The pharmacist finds him / herself comforting and hearing out the patient when necessary, and is expected to be understanding and also a good listener. 1.2 History of Pharmacy The first pharmacies, apothecaries as they were formerly known, were founded in the Middle Ages in Baghdad. The first one was founded in the year 754 AD by Muslim pharmacists during the Islamic Golden Age 2. During the 11th century, community pharmacies were established in southern France and southern Italy. In 1240, Emperor Frederick II issued a decree the medical profession was to be separated from the pharmacy profession. Pharmacy practice was to be supervised so that drugs of a suitable quality would be prepared and produced (Azzopardi, 2010). The history of pharmacy can be classified into three stages: a) compounding and dispensing b) clinical pharmacy c) pharmaceutical care. Originally, the pharmacists had to prepare and dispense medicines so they had to excel at compounding. The community pharmacist was therefore highly esteemed because the preparation of medicines was greatly valued in society. In fact, at that time, the pharmacists and other professionals such as lawyers, medical doctors and parish priests were the leaders in the community. As time passed, newly discovered drugs became more dangerous and potent so they started being prepared by manufacturing companies. The pharmacists role was only to dispense these drugs (Al-Shaqha, Zairi, 2001). 2 Dayanada Sagar College of Pharmacy, Bangalore, India. History of Pharmacy. [home page on the Internet]. 2008 [cited 2010 Oct 10]. Available from: http://www.dscpharmacy.org/pharmacy.php Pharmacists moved to clinical practice about 25 years ago. The original concept of clinical pharmacy services was based on the fact that pharmacists ought to use their professional knowledge to ensure the appropriate and safe use of drugs in patients. As a result, several pharmacists nowadays work in hospitals, nursing homes and some ambulatory clinics. Problems remained within the drug-use-system despite the advances made in clinical pharmacy and documenting and recognising these problems has led to the concept of pharmaceutical care becoming the new basis for pharmacy practice (Al-Shaqha, Zairi, 2001). 1.2.1 History of pharmacy in Malta 1.2.1.1 History of pharmacy in Malta from the late 15th century until the arrival of the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in 1530 Before 1500, the pharmacists in Malta were almost all Sicilian. In the early 15th century, pharmacists were employed either by the Universita or by the Hospital of Santo Spirito. Mastru Salvatore Passa is the first documented pharmacist in Malta who practised in Mdina and the Hospital of Santo Spirito in Rabat from 1450 to 1475. The medicines prescribed in those days were mainly herbal. During this period, Passa often travelled to Sicily due to his work, presumably to import medicinal herbs as many herbs did not form part of the local flora (Borg, 1998). 1.2.1.2 Pharmacy under the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem The Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem arrived in Malta on the 26th October, 1530 and they applied their knowledge of pharmacy to the practice in Malta. A Holy Infirmary in Birgu was built and the Greek pharmacist, Giacomo Gualterio, who had accompanied the Order to Malta was the apothecary (Borg, 1998). Grand Master Nicholas Cottoner established the School of Anatomy and Surgery at the Holy Infirmary in 1676. It is very probable that a Pharmacy course was established in the school (Borg, 1998). Under the Knights, the practice of pharmacy in Malta changed gradually, but continuously, occurring in a similar way to that in Europe. However, extemporaneous preparations remained the same from the times of Mastru Salvatore Passa because the enlargement of the pharmaceutical industry still had to occur (Borg, 1998). 1.2.1.3 Pharmacy under the French and British colonies The French arrived in Malta in 1798. There were no more than 32 pharmacies under their dominion, each one having an average clientele of 3,000 patients. No changes were made to the laws governing the practice of pharmacy under the French. Hence, the daily activities of the pharmacists were identical to those of under the Knights. The laws established by the Knights of the Order of St. John remained in force until 1900. In their stay in Malta, which lasted for about one hundred years, the British left their mark on the pharmacy profession. The use of the English language, the names of pharmacies pertaining to Britain or England and the consulting room in the pharmacy are all such examples (Borg, 1998). 1.2.1.4 Pharmacy in the 20th century The Medical and Kindred Professions Ordinance of the Laws of Malta, governs pharmacy laws. This was enacted in 1900 as the laws governing the profession at that time had become outdated and needed restructuring. A legislation that allowed pharmacists to dispense certain medicaments without a prescription was enacted in October 1955 and on the 12th October 1955, a list of these substances was published in the Malta Government Gazette (Borg, 1998). The Malta Chamber of Pharmacists was founded in 1900 in order to protect the common interests of the pharmacists and also to maintain the professions dignity. Hence, the professions standards were raised by enabling the profession to keep abreast of the changes that were occurring internationally (Borg, 1998). In April 1961, an Extraordinary General Meeting was held by the Chamber to discuss the issue of forming a Trade Union that would represent pharmacists; all 33 pharmacists present agreed that this was necessary. One of the Unions objectives, among others, was to improve the conditions under which the profession was exercised and to promote the interests of pharmacists. The Pharmacy Board was set up in 1968 and this was the greatest achievement of the Chamber and Union. The Union worked very closely with the Chamber and in 1979 they formed one association, i.e. the Chamber of Pharmacists Trade Union. This association worked very hard and it affected the current state of the profession and also the legislation governing the practice of pharmacy (Borg, 1998). In 1984, after several meetings with the Chamber, it was finally decided that new pharmacies ought to be owned by pharmacists and that before granting new permits, the population ratio has to be taken into consideration (Borg, 1998). Patients could get their free medications from the Central Hospital Dispensary and Government Dispensaries throughout the first fifty years of the 20th century. The latter could be found in most villages around Malta. In 1954, the Central Hospital at Floriana was turned into the Headquarters of The Malta Police Force as by the late 1940s, St. Lukes Hospital became Maltas General Hospital. Hence, the Out-Patient Dispensary of St. Lukes Hospital became the Central Government Dispensary (Borg, 1998). Pharmamed, the first local pharmaceutical enterprise, was founded in 1974. This gave rise to several job opportunities in the industrial field, besides enhancing Maltas image abroad. In 1995, as a result of strong and consistent negotiations and representations by the Maltese Chamber of Pharmacists, there was the appointment of the first director of the Government Pharmaceutical Services (GPS). This was part of the reform of the GPS and the career progression of pharmacists in Government service. It was concluded in 1998 in agreement with the Ministry of Health on the full implementation of the GPS reform. 1.2.1.5 Pharmacy in the 21st century In June 2007, Mater Dei Hospital replaced St. Lukes Hospital as the national hospital of Malta. The last of the personnel migrated to Mater Dei by November of that year. Hence, the main Government Dispensary was moved to Mater Dei as well 3. In 2008, the much awaited and debated Scheme of the Pharmacy of Your Choice (POYC) was introduced. This Scheme enables the people to have an easier and more comfortable access to the medicaments that are given for free by the Government. 3 Mater Dei Hospital Malta. [homepage on the Internet]. 2009 [cited 2010 Oct 23]. Available from: http://malta.cc/health-care/mater-dei-hospital-malta/ Thus the service that was previously provided for by the village Health Centre Dispensaries was transferred to the community pharmacies. The patients chose the pharmacy of their choice. The initial stages of the POYC Scheme do not envisage any changes in the reimbursement system. Therefore, patients who are entitled to take free medication will continue to do so; there is no co-payment (Grima IC). Until January 2011, the POYC Scheme had spread to 96 Maltese community pharmacies and to 17 community pharmacies in Gozo. Following the introduction of the Scheme, the village Health Centre Dispensaries where the Scheme was initiated, were closed down after sufficient time had elapsed. Over the past few years, the number of local pharmaceutical manufacturing companies has dramatically increased. So has the number of locally licensed pharmaceutical wholesalers who import medications from EU countries. There are more pharmaceutical products registered with the local Medicines Authority. This has had a positive impact on both the private and public pharmaceutical sectors due to the availability of more different therapeutic classes of medicines and more medicines that fall within the same therapeutic class (Grima IC). Recently, the number of generic medicinals in the private sector has also increased considerably. Nowadays, a pharmacist can substitute a branded prescribed medicinal with a generic product that is cheaper for the patient (Bugeja, 2007). Accession into the European Union in May 2004 had a great impact on the medicines in Malta, especially with regards to their availability. Some medicines that were previously available were not registered due to the high registration costs. Hence, EU accession improved the quality of medicines. On the other hand, it had a negative impact on their availability and affordability (Bugeja, 2008). The prices of medicines in Malta increased considerably after EU accession in 2004. In fact, according to studies carried out, the Maltese are paying about 40% more than the average price for medicinal products in the European Union 4. In July 2010, the Parliamentary Secretary, Chris Said, announced reductions in prices of 62 medicines. Some of these reductions were to be implemented immediately whereas with others, when stocks were sold out. Many medicines in Malta are overpriced when compared to other EU countries, so this was a step in the right direction 5,6. 1.3 Pharmaceutical Care In 1990, Hepler and Strand looked at the responsibilities of the pharmacist and at pharmacy services in a new way. They applied the term pharmaceutical care and over the years pharmacists have endeavoured to develop pharmaceutical care practices (Foppe, Schulz 2006). According to Hepler and Strand (1990): 4 Maltastar. The price of medicines in Malta under European Commission scrutiny. [homepage on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2010 Oct 27]. Available from: http://www.maltastar.com/pages/rl/ms10dart.asp?a=11804 5 Xuereb M. Makers cut prices of 62 medicines. Times of Malta [serial on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2010 Oct 27]. Available from: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100703/local/makers-cut-prices-of-62-medicines 6 Vella Matthew. Medicine importers agree to cuts in prices of up to 67%. MaltaToday [serial on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2010 Oct 27]. Available from: http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/medicines/medicine-importers-agree-to-cuts-in-prices-of-up-to-6 Pharmaceutical care is the responsible provision of drug therapy for the purpose of achieving definite outcomes that improve a patients quality of life. These outcomes are (1) cure of a disease, (2) elimination or reduction of a patients symptomatology, (3) arresting or slowing of a disease process, or (4) preventing a disease or symptomatology. In their definition of pharmaceutical care, Hepler and Strand looked at the patients quality of life (Strand et al, 1991). Pharmaceutical care involves a pharmacist cooperating with the patient and members of other health care professions 7. This interprofessional relationship allows the implementation, design and monitoring of a therapeutic plan that will have specific therapeutic outcomes for the patient to benefit from (Ford, Jones, 1995). Pharmacists are the last health care professionals to come in contact with the patients. They thus have a major role in educating them regarding drug use. For this reason, pharmacists must be adequately trained and have excellent communication skills in order to provide this service in an effective manner (Alkhawajah, 1992). Pharmaceutical care can therefore be seen as the component of pharmacy practice that has to be performed by a competent pharmacist who must be committed, honest, accountable and loyal to the patient (Strand et al, 1991). 1.4 The Health Care System in Malta Maltas health care system is divided into the public / national health care system and the private health care system in which pharmaceutical services are provided for by 211 pharmacies that are distributed around Malta and Gozo. The public / national health system is based on a model that is founded on the principles of Equity, Solidarity and Justice. 7 American Pharmacists Association. Principles of practice for pharmaceutical care. [homepage on the Internet]. 2005 [cited 2010 Oct 12]. Available from: https://www.caremark.com/portal/assset/Principles_of_Practice_for_Pharmaceutical_Care.pdf 1.4.1 The Public Health Care System The Maltese Government consists of different Ministries, one of these being the Ministry of Health, Elderly and Community Care. This deals with the healthcare needs of the people and ensures that adequate services are provided for 8. The main goals of the Government for the public health services include 9: The concern of the patient, which is a constant issue The provision of health care and its management The value for money The sustainability of public health care. The Maltese Medicines Authority controls and ensures the quality, safety and efficacy of the pharmaceuticals that are available locally. It also authorizes the medicines that are to be placed on the local market. The Government Health Procurement Services (GHPS) is responsible for the purchasing, storage and distribution of all the pharmaceuticals that are required by the Government Health Services (GHS) in Malta. This entity operates with the funds that are allocated annually by the Government. Procurement of pharmaceuticals is done via tendering procedures that are regulated by the Public Service (Procurement) and Public Contracts regulations. 8 Government of Malta. The health care system in Malta. [homepage on the Internet]. No date [cited 2010 Oct 25]. Available from: The Government of Malta, Web site: http://www.sahha.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=156 9 Integrated health information system phase 2. [homepage on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2010 Oct 24]. Available from: The Government of Malta, The Malta Information Technology Agency Web site: https://www.mita.gov.mt/TenderFile.aspx?tfid=727 1.4.1.1 Primary Health Care The Government delivers primary health care via the Health Centres that are distributed around various villages in Malta and Gozo. These centres were set up in 1980 in order to provide free health care services 9. Besides providing the free services of general practitioners, these centres also provide a vast range of other services, including: Specialist clinics eg: gynaecological clinics and diabetes clinics Laboratory diagnostic facilities Radiology. Many people choose to have the services of private general practitioners and / or specialists who work in the primary health care sector. In the private scenario, their services are against payment. 1.4.1.2 Secondary and Tertiary Health Care These are provided for by public and private hospitals, found in different locations in Malta. The main public hospital is Mater Dei Hospital and it provides a wide range of services, including transplant surgery, open heart surgery, emergency care and diagnostic services. Sir Paul Boffa Hospital, another public hospital, has an oncology and dermatology unit. Mount Carmel Hospital is the islands public psychiatric hospital. There are a number of private hospitals in Malta, amongst which is Saint James Capua Hospital. 9 Integrated health information system phase 2. [homepage on the Internet]. 2010 [cited 2010 Oct 24]. Available from: The Government of Malta, The Malta Information Technology Agency Web site: https://www.mita.gov.mt/TenderFile.aspx?tfid=727 1.5 Free health services provided by the government The Government provides free health services; free at the point of delivery, as these are directly funded from general taxation. In Malta, the boundary between the private and public sectors can be seen from two different aspects: medical and pharmaceutical (Wismayer, 2010). 1.5.1 The Medical Aspect The healthcare is available to ALL Maltese citizens, irrespective of the social and financial background of the patient. Anybody can turn up at a Health Centre or public hospital and be given the necessary treatment. Hence, up to a certain extent there is a holistic attitude as no distinction is made between citizens and whoever requires a healthcare service is provided with what is needed (Wismayer, 2010). The seams start to show up when the services available in the public health system are not accessible. That sector of society who can afford to pay, will therefore have to seek the services from the private sector. A case in point is the long waiting lists for certain required procedures at Mater Dei Hospital. 1.5.2 The Pharmaceutical Aspect One of the major tools to achieve good healthcare is to provide good pharmaceutical care. From this aspect, there is a clearer distinction between the private and public sectors. The Government offers free medications to a number of people who fall under different categories: The Schedule II Patients (Pink Card Holders) These cards are issued from the Department of Social Security. They are accompanied by a pink form which bears the name of the pink card holder. The total household income is assessed and the entitlement is based on this. Each household has one pink form that lists all members. However, every member of the household has his / her pink card. The pink form and pink card entitle their holders to free medication that is listed on the Government Formulary. Diabetics also have a pink card issued in their name. There are several faults in the administration of this system, as there does not seem to be a distinction between the strata of society, as is the case with some affluent people who are also in possession of a pink card. Also, no distinction is made between hospital in-patients and out-patients; there is only one formulary for all. 10. The Schedule V Patients (Yellow Card Holders) If a person suffers from a medical condition that is listed under the fifth schedule of the Social Security Act, then he / she can benefit from this free service, irrespective of the financial position. Examples of these conditions include: Respiratory conditions Cardiovascular diseases Malignant diseases Schizophrenia Liver diseases CNS diseases 10. 10 Ministry for Health, the Elderly and Community Care. Free medicinals. [homepage on the Internet]. No date [cited 2010 Oct 12]. Available from: The Government of Malta, Web site: http://www.sahha.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=8 When a patient is diagnosed with such a condition, he / she is referred to a Consultant by the General Practitioner. The Consultant applies for a Schedule V Card for the patient listing the required medications. Subsequently, the patient is issued with the Card from the Almoner Section at St. Lukes Hospital. People who possess a yellow card are only entitled to take the medications that are listed on the card for free. The list must be amended if the treatment is changed. The Government Hospital In-Patients Any patient resident in the Government Hospitals is entitled to free medication. To date, there is only one Government formulary for all public hospitals. It would make more sense if each hospital had its own formulary due to the specialisation of the hospitals that varies accordingly. These formularies ought to be put together by the doctors who work at the hospitals and by the pharmacists who know what medications are available and which are best suited for the patients. Other people entitled to free medicines include amongst others: Members of certain religious orders Inmates of charitable institutions Refuse collection employees Prisoners People who are injured on duty Members of the Police Forces below the grade of Sub Inspector AFM personnel 11. 11 Ministry for Health, the Elderly and Community Care. Free medicinals. [homepage on the Internet]. No date [cited 2010 Oct 12]. Available from: The Government of Malta, Web site: http://www.sahha.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=172 1.6 The Pharmacy of Your Choice Scheme The Pharmacy of your choice Scheme (POYC) falls under the umbrella of the Health Division in Malta. The latter is under the portfolio of the Ministry of Health, the Elderly and Community Care. POYC is under the direct responsibility of the Permanent Secretary of Health. The Scheme started in 2008 after several years of discussions and debates. It enables the people to have an easier and more comfortable access to the medicaments that they are entitled to take for free from the Government. The Scheme started in 2008 with an estimate budget of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬460,000 and the actual expenditure for that year amounted to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬366,000. In 2009, the estimate budget was of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬400,000 and that for 2010 was of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.5 million. The 2011 budget allocated à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 million to the Scheme apart from the additional à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬400,000 which had to be injected to strengthen the electronic system. The POYC pilot study started in December 2007 in two pharmacies in the Ghargur area. About 550 patients were registered in these pharmacies. Mgarr was next (one community pharmacy having approximately 600 patients), followed by Mellieha (three pharmacies having approximately 1500 pateints) in January 2008 and Naxxar in February 2008 ( Sant Fournier, 2008). Most community pharmacies enrolled in the POYC when the Scheme was introduced in their villages. For example, in the Mosta area, which includes Naxxar, St. Pauls Bay, Xemxija, Gharghur, Mgarr, Mellieha and Mosta, only one out of the 24 community pharmacies did not join in the Scheme due to lack of space (Zahra, 2007). With the introduction of the POYC Scheme, the village Health Centre Dispensaries were closed down after sufficient time had elapsed to allow for a seamless transition. 1.6.1 Advantages associated with the POYC Scheme The main scope of the POYC Scheme was to reduce the long queues at the Health Centre Government Dispensaries. Also, patients are monitored better by the community pharmacists who ensure that the medicines are taken in the correct way as more patient advice is given on a one-to-one basis when compared to the previous system (Zahra, 2007). Pharmacy practice in the community has always focussed on the establishment of an excellent patient-pharmacist relationship (Sant Fournier, 2007). This advice is lacking in the public sector as the patients are given the medicines they require with haste, due to the large number of people waiting to collect their medications. Dosage regimen advice is usually the only advice given. Many people used to turn to their community pharmacists anyway to seek advice and to solve any queries they may have had. With this Scheme, there is also a decrease in wastage because patients are not given the medicines if these are not required, despite the fact that they are entitled to them. Sant Fournier, the President of the Malta Chamber of Pharmacists, claimed that most patients have become more educated and as a result acknowledge the fact that medicines are not to be taken as a for granted privilege but must be used rationally (Borg, Bonello, 2009). The patients find it easier to confide in their habitual pharmacist rather than talk to someone who they do not know. 1.6.2 Problems associated with The POYC Scheme According to Mario Debono, the then General Retailers Trade Union (GRTU) Pharmacy and Health Division President, this system has been a success even though it would improve if more money is allocated by the Government and if it receives more attention (Borg, Bonello, 2009). As with any other recently introduced systems, there are flaws. Nevertheless, several efforts are being made to sort them out. The main problem that is associated with the POYC Scheme is the large number of medicines that are out of stock. This is causing unnecessary stress on the pharmacists and patients. The latter have to go to a Government Health Centre Dispensary that is still open or to Mater Dei Out-Patients Pharmacy to get the medications that are not available from the Scheme. However, this out of stock problem is not the fault of the POYC Department but it has got to do with the purchasing system of the Government. In October 2009, Debono stated that a possible reason why such a large number of medicines is out of stock is that some suppliers have not been paid for their services. Shortages of certain medicines abroad could also lead to decreased stock levels (Borg, Bonello, 2009). The Government did not organise any educational campaigns for the general public regarding the implementation of the POYC Scheme, even though it was advised to do so (Sant Fournier, 2009). Hence, pharmacists were faced with several problems, including sometimes, heated arguments with their patients. It was recommended to have the campaign based on the one used for the introduction of the Euro in Malta, the Malta Euro Changeover Campaign. In October 2009. Reginald Fava, the then President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, made new proposals to upgrade the POYC system which were estimated to cut at least a third of present consumption and abuse. He described the current POYC system as being obscene because according to him medicines were being collected even when they were not required by the patients. Fava suggested that patients ought to pay for the medicines they require and will be reimbursed by the Government at a later stage. With this proposed system, the patients would also have the option to go for more advanced or more expensive medications as compared to their entitlement, and will only have to pay the difference in price. Hence, with this proposal, the POYC Scheme would be allowing superior medicines to be taken for free. It would also make the Scheme more sustainable as it would reduce the out of stock problem, be more cost-effective for the Government, reduce wastage and abuse. Th e Government would thus be saving on costs and would be in a better position to widen the National Formulary with more recent and advanced medications (Borg, 2009). At the moment, this is not possible due to financial constraints. The POYC Scheme affected the daily running of the community pharmacies. Due to the increased work load, some pharmacy owners had to employ further staff. The owners had to purchase a computer and a printer for labels to be issued with every dispensed prescription. They also had to apply for internet service at the pharmacy. Also, some pharmacies had to make the necessary arrangements to increase shelving space to accommodate the weekly delivery of medicines from the POYC Department. Some pharmacies even needed to install another air-conditioning unit. Admittedly, the Government subsidized these expenses to a maximum capital expenditure of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬6,990 (Lm 3,000). After the Memorandum of Understanding was signed, negotiations were held and the amount was capped at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬9,000. According to an article on the The Malta Business Weekly that was published in November 2009, only the pharmacists who own the pharmacy are happy with this new system. The employed pharmacists have had their work load doubled, if not trebled. Hence, they do not give their patients the service that they used to give before the implementation of the Scheme (Attard, 2009). 1.6.3 The Memorandum of Understanding The very first document on the POYC Scheme was submitted to the Government by the Malta Chamber of Pharmacis

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Summarise the historic use of management of woodlands

Here I want to focus on the part of Stopover which I fell in Love with first: Brashness Wood. â€Å"Brashness Wood is km east of Oxford City, centered at Grid Reference SEPSIS'S. It is on the south-western lower slopes of Stopover Hill and Is within Stopover Country Park. Stopover Hill is In the geographical area known as the Mid-vale Ridge or Upper Thames Basin and Is In the Stopover Conservation Target Area (TAVERN, I know from my work as Chair of the â€Å"Friends of Magdalene Wood†, that the site Is managed by the Oxford City Council.The â€Å"Parks-Team† is managing the park with a team of volunteers, who are trained in copping and pillaring and they support the various â€Å"Friends† groups all over Oxford. In a document that classifies â€Å"Brashness Wood† as a â€Å"Site of Special Scientific Interest SSI) notified under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981† the management of the wood is described as followed: â€Å"Brashne ss Wood has a well defined copied-with-standards structure and Is one of the few English woods which is still actively managed by this traditional method.The greater part of the wood Is an ancient remnant of Stopover Forest with a documented history dating back to the thirteenth century. The wood Lies on poorly drained Simmering clays but Elliott limestone occurs close to the south western boundary and the presence of lime-loving plants suggests that it outcrops elsewhere in the DOD. The flora is exceptionally rich for a wood of this size with 221 recorded vascular plant species including 46 which are characteristic of ancient woodland(2). The woodland has all four layers well developed: Canopy: Oak (mature, in abundance), Field Maple (widespread), Aspen, Wild Cherry. Small amounts of: Silver Birch, Beech, Rowan and Yew. Ash is confined to newer parts of the wood (Open Brashness, recent origin derived from an open common). Shrub layer: Hazel (dominant), Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Midland Hawthorn, Crab Apple, Held Maple, Dogwood, Ash, Holly and Elm suckers (all In abundance). Smaller amounts of Guilder Rose, Wayfaring and Spindle (Southern part).Field layer: â€Å"Rich and varied, the composition of which Is dependent on the stage of copping. Bramble dominates Buttercup (Rancorous auricles), Repine (Sedum telephone), Nettle Leaved Bellflower (Campanile treacheries), Spurge Laurel (Daphne laurel), Blackcurrant (Rib's Ingram), Wood Meadow-grass (Pop memorials) and Bearded Couch (Olympus Canines) occur. In recently cleared areas plants such as Henbane (Housecoats Niger) and Deadly Nightshade (Troop Belladonna) may flourish for a short time. (3)† We also mind a network of sinuous rides (intersections and two ponds).Ground: Stopover Wildlife – a local wildlife group which has studied Stopover since 1999 and has profound knowledge about the ancient woodland – has identified over 100 Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) as well as a huge variety of lich ens(4). â€Å"The vegetation of Stopover has been studied by botanists for the past three hundred years and some of Britain's earliest scientific collections were made here. The sheltered open swards, sandy banks, scrub woodland, wet flushes and stream banks of Stopover Hill are of outstanding entomological interest.A substantial number of rare species occur here, particularly among the Dippier (true flies) and Calculate (bees, wasps and ants). The recorded total of 174 Calculate species is one of the highest in Britain and although many of these have not been seen in recent years, the area is still an important one. Stopover Hill is also of local importance for breeding and wintering birds. â€Å"(5) One of the pioneers who developed a substantial management plan was David Steel, who spent a long time in the woods studying it.His publication â€Å"Stopover – The Natural History of a Royal Forest† which was published by himself at Brashness Farm n 1984 is a rich sour ce of information about this beautiful woodland. He says about Brashness Wood, that â€Å"an active copping policy [which he developed] has given the wood the whole range of underworld age-classes. The extensive system of rides, provided because the wood is a public amenity, results in many flowery margins which are both attractive and of high nature conservation value. (6)† â€Å"Stopover Wildlife† refer a lot to the work of David Steel and have continued his great work.I conducted an interview with Ivan Wright (Co-founder of the group and one of the rustles) about their substantial management plan, which goes way beyond what is taking place at the moment. I learned from that interview that modern ways of copping often destroy rare species and habitats since it has to be done in haste and for economic reasons, rather than forestallment reasons. Groups like â€Å"Stopover Wildlife† are invaluable for professional managing teams, since they can provide their uniq ue knowledge to help preserve as many species in our woodlands as possible.Brashness Wood is managed on a regular basis by the Oxford parks team, following a management plan for the site. The abundant Hazel is copied frequently, the trees are managed, Brambles are cleared away – all done while bearing in mind that the main goal here is the conservation of the semi-natural space where possible. Management history: â€Å"The ancient woodlands in and around Stopover Hill have been as Brashness Wood has a documented history going back to the sass's. (7)† Elisabeth I granted Brashness College management of their 80 acre copied in 1570.This woodland became known as Brashness Wood and had been let on a series of 21 -year leases until 1935. There is no record of copping rotation for this period. The wood as then sold to the Citizens of Oxford (Oxford City Council). â€Å"Current and past indications demonstrate the poor quality of the underworld at Brashness Wood (Fuller and Steel, 1990). Between 1920 and 1973 copping was very sporadic, and included a significant period of about 40 years in which virtually no copping was carried out (peers comma. D. Steel). Hazel was occasionally copied by gypsies around 1940.By the sass the copied had become derelict, but a new rotational regime was introduced by David Steel; the then manager of the SSI and responsible for achieving SSI status for the reserve in 1986. 8)† Current situation: We find the following habitats in Brashness Wood Copied stands with Oak standards Areas of permanent non-intervention Ancient boundary banks Veteran trees Fallen and standing dead wood Species-rich rides Bridleways Streams Ponds Brashness Wood measures 27. Aha in total including a piece of woodland to the southeast, known as Open Brashness.As mentioned above, Brashness Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI). â€Å"The woodland type is a Biodiversity Action Plan (ABA) priority habitat referred to as ‘Lowland mixed broadleaved woodland'. The National Vegetation Classification (Iredell, 1991) for Brashness Wood is WWW woodland (Ash, Field Maple, Dog Mercury). Ancient semi-natural woodlands have been in existence since at least 1600. (9)† Copping was resumed at Brashness Wood in 1973, with approximately half a hectare cut yearly, depending on manpower.In 2000 the absent Deer came back into the woodland so that it became necessary to fence the newly copied areas to prevent the Deer from browsing the new growth. Most fences have been removed now. The various rides have been mowed twice a year (Spring & Autumn) and there had been some wood chipping and burning of ember by the City Council. In 2008/9 the service was severely reduced! â€Å"The Oxford City Council ‘efficiency review of 2008/9 resulted in the Countryside Service being disbanded in January 2010 and the post of Senior Ranger being terminated. 10)†. The services would now only include mowing, path maintenance an d special requests by Stopover Wildlife. I know from talking to the Parks-Team Oxford, that a group of volunteers has been formed under the guidance of one of the rangers, to carry out copping and other management tasks all over Oxford. Stopover Wildlife themselves eave started a substantial management plan and carried out most of the copping and conservation work themselves. They claim that they do the work of 5 employees on a voluntary basis (personal comment Ivan Wright, 8/11/13).They developed a Rota Brashness Wood is poor, taking about 18 years to reach ‘Optimum' stage The slow re-growth is mostly due to the shallow clay soil, which is mildly acidic and low in nutrients. The current emphasis for copping is on the enhancement of habitat quality for wildlife diversity [†¦ ]. (11)† Stopover Wildlife even started experimenting tit high copping to prevent the deer from browsing and to meet the needs of invertebrates that are dependent on old copied stools.They start ed the experiment in Winter 2008/2009, designating one area, where Hazel was cut at 1. 2 meters that should not be browsed by deer at all. This experiment in re-growth has not been as successful as the group was hoping, since a significant number of rods died down. This has also been discussed with the forestry commission (personal comment Ivan Wright, 8/11/13). As a control they also copied an area in the traditional way ground level) to be eaten by the deer. And in a third area, the group cut at 0. meters which â€Å"may get eaten, and this is being monitored. If, as we suspect, Brashness is mostly populated with Mutant Deer, we might get away with a fairly low copied height, which would be more desirable for the benefit of woodland flora. 4† Ivan told me in the interview that the medium copied produced shoots which were mainly left alone by the deer. He showed me a lovely night-vision photograph of a Mutant Deer browsing on the stool. The experimental area is still under m onitoring.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Suicide Essay

Suicide has always been an objective of primary interest and main concern to people of different cultures and historical periods. Suicide as a phenomenon has been discussed and described In literature, philosophy, and sociology. There are various definitions of suicide that have been proposed by the writers and researchers, such as the Intentional act of killing oneself, the act of terminating life, and the act of deliberate self-destruction. Some difficulties arise when we try to explain seclude specifically because the nature of suicide is very complex, and it is hard to justify suicidal behavior or distinguish it from other behavior.For example, a person, who knows that smoking leads to the serious health risks but deliberately engages in this activity and dies consequently, has not committed suicide. On the other hand, if a mentally ill individual arranges the circumstances for his or her deaths (by cutting veins, Jumping off buildings, etc. ), we can say that this person has com mitted suicide. In America, suicide rates are going up rapidly since 1999. But in our modern society, if a person commits suicide, it does not mean that that this person is bad and fragile. All of us experience problems during some periods of our lives.But the mall point Is that some people know how to handle these problems and some of them are getting lost because they see no light In the end of the tunnel and eventually give up. Thus, people normally commit suicide to end up agonizing emotional pain. These people are unable to see other options of solving their problems: they feel very isolated and distressed. The factors that contribute to stress or trauma and cause suicide are: financial situation, working environment, school, death of a loved one, loss of Job, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, etc.Philosophical revelation about suicide sakes us back to the time of Socrates, including Plato and Aristotle. In his Laws, Plato declared that suicide is outrageous and people, wh o committed suicide, should be buried in unidentified graves. However, according to Plato, suicide under some circumstances can be excused: when person's mind Is morally degraded; when suicide Is done by Judicial order; when the self-killing results from shame of participating In disgustingly unfair procedures.In contrast, the Stoics thought that suicide may be reasonable If the quality of life Is not available to an Individual and one's life is lacking the desired advantages. The philosopher Seneca claimed that an intelligent person â€Å"lives as long as he ought, not as long as he can. † (R. Frey, 1978) Suicide is forbidden by almost all religions and is viewed as a severe sin. Church has demanded that since suicide involves self-killing, then the person who destroys his or her life is sinning in the same way as if this person killed another individual.Life is given by God and it is sacred, therefore, the Christians are against suicide and euthanasia. Suicide violates God' s privilege in determining when people shall die. The nineteenth century carried new developments that have formed theoretical Hough about suicide topic. It was viewed as the predictable response of a suffering person who was Ignored by society. Also, It was the time of recognition of psychiatry as a telephone that could treat depression, hysteria and other disorders accountable for seclude.And finally, In the work of sociologist Druthers, suicide was described as a social disease producing extensive isolation. The sociologists had explained suicide analysis various causes, such as climate, season, and religion. Thus, he concluded that suicide rate is greater in the warmer months in all countries. He also masticates that suicide is greater in Protestant countries compared to Catholic countries. In general, Druthers viewed suicide as a social fact and considered social reasons, such as lack of connections between people and less integration in family constitution.Druthers developed t he four classifications of suicide: * Egoistic suicide. The factors responsible for it are depression and disappointment. He concludes that the people who strongly attached to their families or some other type of groups are less likely to come across these issues. * Altruistic suicide occurs when attachment is too great and the person is forced to commit self- ailing. Druthers provides examples of old and ill people or women who want to die after the death of their loved ones. Anomic suicide results from breakdown of standards and values, when a degree of regulation is too low. This can happen either during economic depression or quick economic expansion. * Fatalistic suicide occurs when regulation is too strong. The people are blocked by harsh discipline and they see no possible ways to improve their lives. Many of the modern sociological theories have been originated based on a Druthers idea of social integration. However, some of them have created new approaches in the study of s uicide.Thus Breed (1963) interviewed the families of people who committed suicide and introduced into sociology a research method, which provided sociologists with true situations of suicide. Are there any rational circumstances under which suicide can be morally Justified? The moral position on this question holds that it is wrong because people life is sacred. Although this theory is related to the religious version, it is also can be found in the work of Ronald Drink (R. Drink, 1993). Based on this view, individual life is valuable; and suicide violets our obligation to honor our lives.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Biography of Jim Jones, Peoples Temple Cult Leader

Jim Jones (May 13, 1931–November 18, 1978), the leader of the Peoples Temple cult, was both charismatic and disturbed. Jones had a vision for a better world and established the Peoples Temple to help make that happen. Unfortunately, his unstable personality eventually overcame him and he became responsible for the deaths of more than 900 people, most of whom committed revolutionary suicide or were murdered at the Jonestown compound in Guyana. Fast Facts: Jim Jones Known For: Cult leader responsible for the suicide and murder of more than 900 peopleAlso Known As: James Warren Jones, FatherBorn: May 13, 1931 in Crete, IndianaParents: James Thurman Jones, Lynetta PutnamDied: November 18, 1978  in Jonestown,  GuyanaEducation: Butler UniversitySpouse: Marceline Baldwin JonesChildren: Lew, Suzanne, Stephanie, Agnes, Suzanne, Tim, Stephan Gandhi; several children out of wedlockNotable Quote: Id like to choose my own kind of death, for a change. Im tired of being tormented to hell. Tired of it. Early Years Jim Jones was born in the small town of Crete, Indiana, on May 13, 1931. Since his father James had been injured in World War I and was unable to work, Jims mother Lynetta supported the family. Neighbors considered the family a little odd. Childhood playmates remember Jim holding mock church services in his home, many of which were funeral services for dead animals. Some questioned where he kept finding so many dead animals and believed he had killed some himself. Marriage and Family While working in a hospital as a teenager, Jones met Marceline Baldwin. The two were married in June 1949. Despite an extremely difficult marriage, Marceline stayed with Jones until the end. Jones and Marceline had one child together and adopted several children of various ethnicities. Jones was proud of his rainbow family and urged others to adopt interracially. As an adult, Jim Jones wanted to make the world a better place. At first, Jones tried to be a student pastor at an already established church, but he quickly quarreled with the churchs leadership. Jones, who strongly opposed segregation, wanted to integrate the church, which was not a popular idea at that time. Healing Rituals Jones soon began preaching specifically to African-Americans, whom he most wanted to help. He often used healing rituals to attract new followers. These highly staged events claimed to heal peoples illnesses—anything from eye problems to heart disease. Within two years, Jones had enough followers to start his own church. By selling imported monkeys as pets to people door to door, Jones had saved enough money to open his own church in Indianapolis. The Origins of the Peoples Temple Founded in 1956 by Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple started in Indianapolis, Indiana as a racially integrated church that focused on helping people in need. At a time when most churches were segregated, the Peoples Temple offered a very different, utopian view of what society could become. Jones was the leader of the church. He was a charismatic man who demanded loyalty and preached of sacrifice. His vision was socialist in nature. He believed that American capitalism caused an unhealthy balance in the world, where the rich had too much money and the poor worked hard to receive too little. Through the Peoples Temple, Jones preached activism. Although just a small church, the Peoples Temple established soup kitchens and homes for the elderly and mentally ill. It also helped people find jobs. Move to California As the Peoples Temple grew increasingly successful, scrutiny of Jones and his practices grew as well. When an investigation into his healing rituals was about to begin, Jones decided it was time to move. In 1966, Jones moved the Peoples Temple to Redwood Valley, California, a small town just north of Ukiah in the northern part of the state. Jones picked Redwood Valley in particular because he had read an article that listed it as one of the top places least likely to be hit during a nuclear attack. Plus, California seemed much more open to accepting an integrated church than Indiana had been. About 65 families followed Jones from Indiana to California. Once established in Redwood Valley, Jones expanded into the San Francisco Bay Area. The Peoples Temple once again established homes for the elderly and the mentally ill. It also helped addicts and foster children. The work done by the Peoples Temple was praised in newspapers and by local politicians. People trusted Jim Jones and believed he had a clear view of what needed to be changed in the United States. Yet, many did not know that Jones was a much more complex man; a man who was more unbalanced than anyone ever suspected. Drugs, Power, and Paranoia From the outside, Jim Jones and his Peoples Temple looked like an amazing success; the reality, however, was quite different. In fact, the church was transforming into a cult centered around Jim Jones. After the move to California, Jones changed the tenor of the Peoples Temple from religious to political, with a strong communist bent. Members at the top of the churchs hierarchy had pledged not only their devotion to Jones  but had also pledged over all of their material possessions and money. Some members even signed over custody of their children to him. Jones quickly became infatuated with power, requiring his followers to call him either Father or Dad. Later, Jones began to describe himself as Christ and then, in the last few years, claimed that he was himself God. Jones also took large quantities of drugs, both amphetamines and barbiturates. At first, it might have been to help him stay up longer so that he could get more good works done. Soon, however, the drugs caused major mood swings, his health deteriorated, and it increased his paranoia. No longer was Jones just worried about nuclear attacks. He soon believed that the entire government—especially the CIA and FBI—was after him. In part to escape from this perceived government threat and to escape from an exposà © article about to be published, Jones decided to move the Peoples Temple to Guyana in South America. The Jonestown Settlement and Suicide Once Jones had convinced many of the Peoples Temple members to move to what was supposed to be a utopian commune in the jungles of Guyana, Joness control over his members became extreme. It was apparent to many that there was no escape from Joness control; this control was leveraged, in part, by his use of mind-altering drugs to manage his followers. According to The New York Times, he had stockpiled and was administering Quaaludes, Demerol, Valium, morphine and 11,000 doses of Thorazine, a drug used to calm people with extreme mental problems. The living conditions were horrible, the work hours were long, and Jones had changed for the worse. When rumors of the conditions at the Jonestown compound reached relatives back home, concerned family members put pressure on the government to take action. When Rep. Leo Ryan of California took a trip to Guyana to visit Jonestown, the trip ignited Joness own fears of a government conspiracy that was out to get him. To Jones, greatly addled by drugs and his paranoia, Ryans visit meant Joness own doom. Jones launched an attack against Ryan and his entourage and in so doing used that to influence all his followers to commit revolutionary suicide. Ryan and four others were killed in the attack. Death While most of his followers (including children) died from being forced at gunpoint to drink cyanide-laced grape punch, Jim Jones died on the same day (November 18, 1978) of a gunshot wound to the head. It is still unclear whether or not it was self-inflicted. Legacy Jones and the Peoples Temple have been the subject of many books, articles, documentaries, songs, poems, and movies about the events in Jonestown, Guyana. The event also gave rise to the expression drinking the Kool-Aid, meaning believing in a flawed and potentially dangerous idea; this phrase derives from the deaths of so many Peoples Temple members after drinking poison-laced punch or Kool-Aid. Sources Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. â€Å"Jim Jones.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 14 Nov. 2018.â€Å"Jones Commune Found Stocked With Drugs to Control the Mind.†Ã‚  The New York Times, 29 Dec. 1978.â€Å"The Culture of Jim Jones: An Analysis of Reactions to the Jonestown Tragedy.†Ã‚  Alternative Considerations of Jonestown Peoples Temple.