Hh Holmes

H. H. Holmes A. Introduction: On May 16, 1861 Herman Webster Mudgett was born. His home town was Gilmanton, New Hampshire and he soon would become the notorious Dr. H. H. Holmes, Americas’ first Serial Killer. He was a small white male born into a devout Methodist family. Holmes’ mother Theodate Page Price forced strict religious studies while his father, Levi Horton Mudgett handed out the harsh, strong discipline. Holmes had one brother and sister. B. Intelligence, Social achievement, social adjustment in school: Holmes was thought to be unusually intelligent at an early age.With his great ambition and drive he excelled in school. He attended Gilmanton Acade3my High School, University of Vermont for one year, and in 1882 attending University of Michigan Medical School and graduates from medical school in 1884. It is his time spent at University of Michigan that he develops his lust for blood and becoming immune from death and dismemberment. This is also where he develo ps and masters the art of scamming and because of this he changes his name to Dr. H. H. Holmes in 1886 to elude former acquaintances from coming forth with accusations of fraud or death.C. Family structure and environment: Holmes was the son of Levi Horton Mudgett and Theodate Page Price and had a very privileged childhood. The environment of the household was that of any family of this era, the 1800’s. They raised their children to be good people, never lie, work hard, pray for everything good and bad, and always show respect. Holmes had a brother and sister but there is no information on them which makes it difficult to explain birth order. D. Emotional adjustment in the family: Herman Webster Mudgett (Dr. H. H.Holmes) was raised in a very privileged home but under strict and very structured circumstances. His relationship with his family was typical of any young boy. He had respect for his family and says that he â€Å"was well trained by loving and religious parents†. E. Social/emotional adjustment outside the family: H. H. Holmes did have friends and acquaintances but was very specific about who he would allow to be close. His deceptions started at the age of eight but all were just childish lies that seemed like the simple acts of a young boy.He was disciplined for them but they seemed to be harmless in nature and out of boredom. He befriended his first true friend in college. This friend was a classmate form Canada who he describes as â€Å"one of the very few intimate friends I have ever allowed myself. † Holmes did marry in 1878 to Clara Lovering, then in 1887 married Myrta Belking who he had a daughter with and his last wife Georgina Yoke in 1894. He managed to be married to all three without any of them knowing and handled a few mistresses in between. F. Employment history, adjustment, work habits:During a school vacation Holmes takes a job as a book agent which turns out to be a fraud and was paid no money at all. He them after graduation he takes numerous jobs in numerous states serving as drug store clerk, asylum attendant, teacher, and doctor to name a few. He opened a practice in Mooers Forks, NY and stayed for one year doing â€Å"good and conscientious work† with lots of gratitude but little money as a physician. He seemed to get either bored with a job or just did not make the amount of money he required so he kept his options open moving from state to state to make money however he could.G. Personality style/characteristics: Throughout Holmes’ life he seemed to be more and more unsettled. He could not stay in one place for long and his relationships were short but there was always someone there whether it be one of his wives, an employee, or a mistress. He was extroverted in the sense that he could hold regular relationships with women and made friends but did not keep them around for long and did not allow too many people to get close at one time. H. Demeanor, appearance and groomin g: Holmes was always very well groomed and had a very sophisticated appearance.Coming from a very privileged, hard working, religious family he kept himself very clean. He was very charming and very attractive so he had no problems with he ladies. He always wore a hat and tie and came across as a well like, trusted businessman. I. Pathological behavior characteristics: H. H. Holmes’ pathological problems started at the age of eight with him starting to lie. His lies and scams grew along with his age and by the age of 25 he changed his name to H. H. Holmes to elude accusations from those he lied to and scammed.He continued to con and manipulate using his trusting looks and medical degree swindling thousands of dollars from insurance companies by taking cadavers from medical school, taking insurance policies out on them and telling the insurance that he was a family member to collect the money. Holmes was such a pathological liar and has given so many accounts about the number of people he has killed that to this day the true number is unknown. He always needed stimulation and a proneness to boredom, and was conning and very manipulative. He had numerous wives and had promiscuous sexual behavior by having several mistresses.J. Geographic Profiling: Holmes was considered to be a geographically transient serial killer. He moved from state to state killing in almost each one. He would move through the states because this was his way to elude capture or being suspected of the crimes he committed. After he changed his name in 1886 he settled in Chicago for a while and found a drugstore he worked at that was owned by a husband and wife. The husband owner passed away mysteriously and after the wife signed over the store to Holmes she mysteriously disappeared. H. H. hen built a hotel eventually called the â€Å"Castle† across the street from the store that he turned into his killing chambers. The entire second floor was dedicated and designed with rooms th at he put people into and killed. Even though he traveled he always killed close to home or where he worked. The patrons of this hotel would check into the hotel but would never check out. He had full access to victims that came to him of their own free will out of trust. This type of victim search is called the trapper method, and once they arrived he had full control over them and did not let them leave this is called the ambusher attack method.The Castle (H. H. Holmes Hotel) K. Psychological Profiling: Offender Typologies: As an organized offender he was very much in control of what he did to his victims. His crimes were planned out and he was a highly competent individual. The murders that took place at the â€Å"Castle†, for instance each room was designed specifically to kill the individuals he placed inside. He had gas lines placed into some of the rooms with controls in his room, which was on the third floor, so he could turn the gas on and through a peep hole in the wall of the room watch the victim being gassed to death and plead for their lives.Holmes was known to be very good looking, very charming, and geographically and occupationally mobile which allowed him more opportunity to continue to scam and murder. L. Psychological Profiling: C/S Typologies: Being in control of how he killed his victims is a characteristic of an organized offender. None of his killings were sexually motivated which would also make him a comfort-oriented serial killer, someone who kills specifically for personal gain. None of his crime scenes were chaotic and not only would Holmes plan out how his victim would expire but he also planned out very carefully how this victim would be disposed of.M. Psychological Profiling: Offense Characteristics: H. H. was completely fascinated with death and the human body. He was also very driven by money and used this drive to kill to obtain it. As a comfort-oriented serial killer he would con his victims into giving him their mone y, property, or business then kill them after his profit. The conning of his victims would become his M. O. and his signature would be the way he dismembered and incinerated his victims. Holmes did not take trophies from his victims and the souvenirs he would take from the victim would be their money.He would not keep or take any personal items from the at all. Most of the murders took place in Chicago at the â€Å"Castle† during the world’s fair in 1893. It started in May of 1893 and ended in October of 1983 and it is estimated that over 20 million people visited the world’s fair from all over the world. As they left their homes to visit Chicago not knowing where to stay their family members did not know their whereabouts either. This made them an easy target because they would not be missed. These people would rent rooms at his hotel and some would stay and leave and others would never be heard from again.He would not need to stage the scene of the crime becau se no one knew they were there at his hotel. After killing them he would dump them into a chute that lead to the basement where he would dismember them, skin them clean, and sell their skeletons to medical schools for money. Some of them he would make up to $200 a skeleton which in those times was a fortune. Because acid vats, and a crematorium disguised as a glass blowing furnace were Holmes’ favorite way to dispose of his victims the identification of those bones at the scene was very difficult.The medical examiner could not identify whether they were animal or human bones because the bone fragments were so small. The bones, hair, and teeth found at the scene of where the three children (Alice, Nellie, and Howard Pitezel) he murdered were identifiable by the medical examiner and did lead to Holmes being charged for those with that evidence. There are only a few crime scene photos found: N. Victimology: It is truly unknown as to how many people Holmes has killed. There are a t least 50 missing people from the world’s fair that were eventually traced back to Holmes and the â€Å"Castle. He was not particular about the age or the race of his victims although quite a few of them were female assuming that he used his good looks and charm to earn their trust, con and kill them. All of his mistresses were killed but oddly all of his legitimate wives lived out their lives in full. In 1890 Julia Connor with her daughter Pearl answered a newspaper add to work for Holmes. Julia became his mistress and when she found out she was pregnant she confronted Holmes and demanded marriage. He agreed on the condition that he perform an abortion which she agreed to.Julia and her daughter pearl were never heard from again. In 1892 yet another employee and mistress of Holmes, Emiline Cigard, was asked to go into the volt to retrieve papers and was locked in and suffocated to death. Two women that were easy targets, did not have family close, and needed work. Then Benj amin Pitezel came along to work for Holmes. Benjamin had a wife, Carrie, and five children. He could not hold down a job for long and was an alcoholic. He needed the job that Holmes provided to take care of his family.Pitezel was Holmes’ right hand man and was more that aware of his scams. Holmes’ and Pitezel thought up a life insurance scam that required Pitezel to take out a life insurance policy and then he would disappear and be classified as dead so his wife could collect on it. He told Carrie all about it and she begged him not to do it. After the policy was taken out Ben Pitezel was dead. Holmes made his death look like suicide by the use of chloroform. At that time there was nothing to find the chloroform so there was no proof.Three of his children, Alice, Nellie, and Howard, met Holmes to identify the body and traveled with him, the children were never seen again. Obviously from the murders at the castle not all of the victims were acquaintances. The common th eme with all of the victims is that they were all easy targets. Some were not in their own cities and not close to family, some were women alone and needy, some were emotionally unstable, and they were all killed for money. O. Motive: The question why is always asked when these types of crimes are committed. In H. H. Holmes case the motive was financial gain.The criminology theory that best describes Holmes is the choice theory. He used at fee will a rational, intelligent decision to commit the acts of fraud and murder to dispose of his victims the way he did to continue his fantasies of working on cadavers. P. Conclusion: Holmes’ one mistake is not paying a fellow inmate that was in on the Pitezel insurance scheme the $500 he owed him from when Holmes was briefly incarcerated for fraud. The inmate, Hedgepeth, read in the paper that Pitezel had been killed and immediately told the warden who advised the insurance company.The insurance company contacted Pinkerton Detective Age ncy and the case began. Holmes was found and arrested by the Pinkerton Detectives on November 17, 1894 in Boston. He was then taken to Moyamensing Prison in Philadelphia and tried for conspiracy to defraud the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company. Holmes pleads guilty and insists that Ben Pitezel committed suicide and made numerous conflicting statements as to where the Pitezel children were located. Soon suspicion grew that Holmes had killed the children which were later found dead and buried.After this was discovered detectives searched Holmes’ hotel only to find the basement where he dismembered and burned his victims. Once this information got out amongst the public that Holmes was a murderer he quickly became sensationalized. His case was the case of the century and he was then known at H. H. Homes Americas First Serial Killer. After all of the press the castle was burned to the ground with no reason or no ideas as to who torched it to the ground. While Holmes was inca rcerated he wanted to be remembered as being innocent so he wrote his own autobiography called â€Å"Holmes’ Own Story. His trial started on September 23rd, 1895 and was found guilty some months later by a jury of first degree murder and sentenced to death. Holmes would be hanged on May 7, 1896 only nine days short of his 35th birthday. For fear that his brain might go to medicine men for study he requested he be buried in concrete so no one could dig him up, and he was buried in concrete. To date there is no concrete evidence as to how many people Holmes did actually murder. Profiling Presentation H. H. Holmes Americas First Serial Killer By Traci McCann

Design And Construction Fundamentals Of Earth Engineering Essay

Abstraction: This paper focuses on Earth dikes, one of the oldest dike in the universe. Forming service reservoir for domestic H2O supply and irrigation intent, Earth dams comprise the most legion category. The design and building of Earth dikes is complex because of the nature of the changing foundation conditions and the different belongingss of the stuffs available for the building of the embankment. Careful choice of site and types of stuffs used in the building every bit good as a site probe are critical. Last but non least, an apprehension of the possible failure of Earth dikes is of import in the design and building procedure of the Earth dikes.1. IntroductionEarth dikes, besides called Earthen or Earth-filled dikes are by and large built in or near drainage line which has assortment of intents including domestic H2O supplies, agricultural irrigation, H2O for landscape betterment and others. One advantage of the Earth dike is that it can accommodate to a weak foundation provid ed proper consideration is given to the foundation and design of the Earth dikes. However, failure of any of import portion of the Earth dikes such as ooze, structural and foundation will take to the prostration of the whole dike.Types of Earth DamsConstructed as a simple homogeneous embankment of good compacted Earth, Earth dikes are classified as Homogenous Earth Dams, Zoned Earth Dams and Diaphragm Dams. A brief treatment of the types of dike is as follow: Homogeneous Earth Dam is a sort of common Earth dikes which consist of two chief constituents ; the imperviable to semi-pervious construction and the toe filter and the drain. The intent of the filter and the drain is to supply a done manner for ooze to go out the dike construction without doing eroding. This type of dike is normally built on an imperviable foundation such as solid stone or clay. The following type of Earth dike is Diaphragm Dam. A stop dike, can be used when there is no imperviable bed below the dike and alteration of the dike can be made to accommodate at an imperviable bed. Besides, this type of dike is limited to a tallness of 8.0m in order to maintain ooze forces at a safe degree. Last type of Earth Dam is Zoned Dam. A Zoned Dam is known to be the most efficient usage of dirt as each stuff is used to its greatest potency. The incline protection protects the shoulder from eroding and beckon action, the nucleus retains the H2O and the shoulders stabilize the nucleus. Last, Figure 1 shows the 3 types of Earth dikes. Figure 1. Cross subdivision of Homogenous Earth dike, Zoned Earth Dam and Diaphragm Dams ( Stone, 2003 ) .2. Design OF EARTH DAMEarth dike is built for the intent of hive awaying H2O and is made of compacted Earth. It is normally more convenient when concrete is expensive and timber beginning is scarce.2.1 FoundationA site probe should be conducted anterior to building so as to look into the nature of the foundation. By cognizing the existent foundation status at site, the Earth dike can so be designed harmonizing to it. A dike foundation is said to be equal if it is capable of supplying a stable support for the embankment under all status of impregnation and burden and that it supply adequate opposition to seepage to avoid inordinate loss of H2O ( Bureau of Reclamation 1987 ) . Harmonizing to Bureau of Reclamation ( 1987 ) , dam foundation can be by and large classified into three types viz. foundation of stone, foundation of farinaceous stuff and foundation of powdered stuff. These foundations may necessitate to be treated to stabilise any failing every bit good as to cut down ooze. For case, farinaceous, pervious foundations present no troubles in the affair of colony or stableness whereas a powdered, weak foundation is capable to colony or supplanting normally present no job in ooze. Rock foundation on the other manus must be checked for erosive escape and inordinate uplift force per unit area. If such conditions exist, grouting to the foundation must be considered.2.2 DirtEarth dike is normally built with clay, sand and crushed rock and hence is besides known as Earth make full dike. The type of dirt used in the building of an Earth dike must be suited to let for optimal compression every bit good to cut down ooze. Soil permeableness is one of of import standards to be considered in dam design, seepage-confinement units, drainage and other structural elements ( Goldin, AL & A ; Rasskazov, LN 1992 ) . Higher frictional opposition and greater permeableness in farinaceous dirts is the ground for its greater stableness as compared to cohesive dirts. Greater permeableness permits rapid dissipation of pore H2O force per unit areas ensuing from compressive forces.2.3 EmbankmentIn finding the tallness of the embankment, it is necessary to apportion for a colony between 5 to 10 per centum. This is to forestall its tallness from going lower than the wasteweir tallness ( Figure 2 ) since colony is ineluctable despite holding a good compression due to the fact that air and H2O are being forced out of the nothingnesss by the weight of the dike, therefore doing consolidation ( Shaw, R & A ; Smout, I 2009 ) . During compression, equal attempt should be applied throughout the dike to forestall differential colony. The minimal compression attempt should non be less than 95 % of the Standard Maximum Dry Density ( Department of Primary Industries and Water 2008 ) . The stableness of the embankment depends mostly on its ability to defy shear emphasis which comes from internally applied tonss such as the weight of the dirt and the embankment inclines, and externally applied tonss such as reservoir and Earthquake tonss. As mentioned earlier, steeper inclines can be adopted for farinaceous dirts since they are more stable. In contrast, a gentler incline needs to be applied for homogeneous stuff with low permeableness. Figure 2. Cross subdivision of an Earth dike2.4 SpillwaySpillway plays an of import function in Earth dike since it allows inordinate H2O to flux without dominating the dike wall. There are two types of wasteweir viz. the cut wasteweir ( Figure 3 ) and natural wasteweir. Figure 3. The place of a cut wasteweir In order to cut down H2O speed and later minimise eroding, a soft incline for wasteweir must be provided. However, for steep incline, loose rocks or geotextile can be provided to cut down eroding. Apart from that, equal capacity for the wasteweir must be provided to forestall dominating and to enable the wasteweir to efficaciously manage run-off.3. Construction ON EARTH DAMS3.1 DeprivingOrganic dirt and flora must be removed from the country that will be covered by the dam base. The removed organic dirt are stockpiled and used on the downstream incline of the fill.3.2 Key trenchKey trench which is besides known as cutoff trench is excavated below the base of the fill to a lower limit of three pess deep for dike with 10 to 12 pess height. The cardinal trench is included in the dike design to procure the dike to the base stuff and to forestall ooze under the fill.3.3 Diversion tunnelDiversion channels are excavated before the dike can be constructed. This tunnel is frequently lined with concrete. The tunnel is built around the dike building country at one side of the vale. In the drill holes, explosive stuffs are placed and blaring will takes topographic point. The dirt or broke n stone is so removed. The stairss are repeated until the tunnel is completed. Figure 4. Constructing a recreation channel ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hydro.com.au/handson/students/images/damb1.gif ) In Figure 5, after the dike building is completed, the recreation channel is closed o let the lake to get down make fulling. Figure 5. Closing of recreation tunnel ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hydro.com.au/handson/students/images/damb4.gif )3.4 CofferdamIn summer, the building on deviating the river starts when the river degrees are low. At the upstream of the upstream of the chief dike building country, little dike which is besides called as caisson are built. It is built utilizing Earth-moving equipment. The caisson will move as a barrier to the river and the H2O will flux to the recreation tunnels. The 2nd caisson will be built downstream of the chief dike building country. At this country, the caisson will forestall the river flow to flux back into the building country. Figure 6. Cofferdams act as barriers to the river ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hydro.com.au/handson/students/images/damb2.gif )3.5 Foundation GroutingGrouting consists of lines or a line of holes which are drilled into the dike foundation. The two types of foundation grouting are drape and consolidation grouting.3.6 Curtain groutingCurtain grouting consists of a individual row of urarthritis holes which are drilled and grouted in sequence by bagger proving to the base of the permeable stone or to a deepness that acceptable hydraulic gradients are achieved ( Fell et al 2005 ) . Based on Figure 7, primary holes are drilled foremost. The last hole spacing will usually be 1.5m or 4m, but besides may be every bit close as 0.5m ( Fell et al 2005 ) . This attack allows control over the efficiency of the drape grouting. Figure 7. Curtain and consolidation grouting ( Fell et al, 2005 ) Figure 8. Grouting downstage with bagger ( WRC, 1981 )3.7 Fill buildingEarth dike is normally constructed from imperviable stuff which is clay or clay-based stuff. The building stuffs, taken from the environing country have to be placed and compacted horizontally in the fill. Dry dirts are normally added with wet and compression equipment such as a sheepsfoot bagger is used to obtain the proper compression. The building started by make fulling the cutoff trench with well-compacted stuff and six inch beds is added until the maximal tallness is obtained. The top of the dike at the centre of the draw is normally built 10 per cent higher than the design to let colony of the fill. Based on Figure 9, a riparian pipe is placed through the underside of the fill and a frost-free valve is placed on the riparian pipe. This pipe and valve system map is to let H2O to be released downstream to other H2O storage installations during H2O deficits. Figure 9. Elevation position of dike ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/ $ department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex4613 )4. POTENTIAL FAILURES OF EARTH DAMSPotential failures of dikes have ever been great importance and much attending has been given to safety rating and research due to their black effects. Harmonizing to Fell, MacGregor, Stapledon and Bell ( 2005 ) , 79 % of Earth dikes with less than 30m high suffer more failures than higher dike. This may reflect better design, monitoring and surveillance of larger dike. Potential failures of Earth dike can be grouped into three classs: Fluid mechanicss failure, ooze failure and structural failures. A detail treatment of the types of possible failure of Earth dike is as follow:4.1 Fluid mechanicss FailureFluid mechanicss failure occurs by the surface eroding of the dike by H2O. Fluid mechanicss failure is due to several grounds. One of fluid mechanicss failure is dominating of dikes. Dominating failure occurs when the d egree of the reservoir exceeds the capacity of the dike. Harmonizing to Fell, MacGregor, Stapledon and Bell ( 2005 ) , over-topping is one of the chief causes of failure in Earth dikes. Overtopping may besides be caused by deficient freeboard provided. Figure 10 shows the overtopping of Earth dike. Following, eroding of upstream face ( Figure 11 ) due to uninterrupted wave action caused eroding of the dike. However, this can be avoided if the surface is protected by rock rip-rap and filter. The following ground is due to eroding of downstream incline by rain H2O. Although the downstream face of the embankment is non affected by reservoir H2O, it may acquire eroded by heavy rain fluxing down the face of the dike, doing the formation of gullies and eventually prostration of the whole dike. An Example of failure of Earth dikes due to dominating is South Fork Dam which is built across Conemaugh River, Pennsylvania. The intent of the dike was to provide H2O to a navigable canal from Johnstown to Pittsburg. The dike was about 2.5m high and during a heavy rainstorm on 30th May 1889, big sum of dust was washed into the reservoir and blocked the wasteweir. Finally the dike was overtopped and failed by eroding let go ofing a inundation moving ridge about 1.2m high. Figure 10. Overtopping of dike ensuing in washout ( Bassell, 1999 ) . Figure 11. Erosion of upstream face by moving ridges interrupting on the surface ( Bassell, 1999 ) .4.2 Seepage failureSeepage failure is besides known as piping failure. Seepage failures are by and large caused by pervious foundation, escape through embankments, conduit escape and shedding. All dikes have seepage as the impounded H2O seeks way of least opposition through the dike construction and its foundation. If the surface ooze intersects the upstream face of the dike, eroding may happen which will take to possible failure of the dike. Typical method used to command the measure of ooze is rock fills installed at the downstream toe or gravel covers to cross the line of ooze before it reaches downstream toe as shown in Figure12. Figure 12. Seepage through a dike or embankment with stone toe or crushed rock cover. ( Stone, 2003 )4.3 Structural FailureStructural failure includes failure of the upstream, downstream inclines of the Earth dike, foundation every bit good as checking distortion and colony ( Figure 13 ) of the dike construction that may take to dominating or seepage failure. Slides in embankment occur when the inclines are excessively steep ( Figure 14 ) for the shear strength of the embankment stuff to defy the emphasiss imposed. Failure of this type normally cause by defective design and building. As for foundation failure, it occurs because of inordinate pore H2O force per unit area which reduces the strength of the dirt which it may non be able to defy the shear emphasiss induced by the embankment. Furthermore, harm caused by tunneling animate beings lead to structural failure. This causes seepage H2O to flux out rapidly, transporting all right stuffs along which accordingly leads to shrieking failure within the construction of the dike and eventually take to a complete prostration of the dike. Figure 13. Excessive colony of dike and foundation ( Bassell, 1999 ) . Figure 14. Downstream face excessively steep unable to be resisted by dirt shear strength ( Bassell, 1999 ) .5. DecisionEarth dike, besides known as Earth filled dike, is built for the intent of hive awaying H2O. It can be classified into three different types which vary in their designs. A site probe must be conducted prior to plan and building to find the appropriate design that suits the foundation of the dike. The type of dirt used in the building of the Earth dike must let for optimal compression. The stableness of the dirt will so act upon the incline design of the embankment. During building, flora and organic dirt will be removed from the dam country. Water will be diverted to let for building. In add-on, grouting is besides done to assist better the foundation. When planing and building an Earth dike, it is besides critical to see possible dike failures so as to take considerations to forestall it.

American Association of Retired Persons

American Association of Retired Persons is the largest organization representing the interests of retired persons in the country. With the number of retired persons increasing in the United States, AARP has been in the forefront to influence public policies that serve the interest of this population segment especially on important issues like health, housing, and others.Apart from serving the current senile generation, AARP has also carried out intensive lobbying campaigns on issues that will impact the future generations. The main aim of the organization is to create positive social change and enhance the quality of life for the aged. The group uses different strategies but most important has been its advertising campaign, research reports from its Policy Institute, and many others.The group has been most influential in shaping of public health care policies and its policy influence clearly indicates that it advocates for pluralism. AARP has been providing the best services for the aged and it will continue to influence public policies in the future.Background of the organizationAccording to Charles (1996) American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) was founded in 1958 by Dr. Ethel Percy. Initially, it started as the National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA) which had been established in 1947 with the aim of promoting healthy aging philosophies and to provide health insurance for teachers.   It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization which mainly comprise of individuals from 50 years and above (Charles, 1996).AARP.org (2009b) shows that currently the organization has more than 40 million members and its offices are spread in all 50 states and also in District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S Virgin Islands. Membership status has also changed and it no longer requires individual to be retired to be eligible but only to have reached the age of 50 years. AARP is the largest membership organization for individuals above the age of 50.   It h as been leading a major revolution to change the perception of life after 50.Major policy goalsFor the last half century, AARP has been in the forefront in creating positive social change not only to its members but to the whole society as well.   The mission of the organization is to enhance the quality of life for all the aged, leading positive changes in the society, and delivery of quality services and value to its members mainly through provision of timely information, advocacy, and services to members.AARP.org (2009b) asserts that the organization strongly believe in the working principles of collective purpose, collective voice, and the power of collective purchasing. These are important principles that guide the organization in all its work. This can exemplified by its Divided We Fall campaign launched in 2007 to influence health care policies.AARP has worked tirelessly in order to fulfill its vision of creating a society in which everyone ages with a lot of dignity and pu rpose and also help aging individuals to fulfill their dreams and goals in life.   The organization speaks in one voice and has a common motto of â€Å"To serve, not be served† (AARP.org, 2009b).

Cerebravascular Disorder of Stroke Research Paper

Cerebravascular Disorder of Stroke - Research Paper Example As the report stresses  Stroke is defined as per the World Health Organization to be a clinical syndrome consisting of â€Å"rapidly developing clinical signs of focal (at times global) disturbance of cerebral function, lasting for more than 24 hours leading to death with no apparent cause other than that of vascular origin†. There are two primary forms of stroke which are ischemic and hemorrhagic.  In an ischemic stroke the blood vessel gets blocked generally by a blood clot that results in a region of the brain to be deprived in oxygen and cause it to stop functioning. Ischemic strokes have resulted for 80% of all the known cases of strokes. A hemorrhagic stroke takes place if a blood vessel which carries oxygen and other nutrients to the brain bursts causing blood to spill into the brain. A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is a form of stroke attack which symptoms and signs get resolve within 24 hours.This discussion highlights that  Stroke attack leads to mainly limi tations in the functionalities of its victim. These can be in the form of motor skills, cognitive deformities, sensory skills as well as emotional issues. Motor skill can include the inability of the stroke victim to move from one place to another.  The memory and sensory levels of the victim are also impaired. These victims need continuous support and care from the people. The stroke victims face problems with their physical and cognitive and sensory skills.

Human Involvement in Hazardous Evolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Involvement in Hazardous Evolution - Essay Example Number of species that evolved resistance to a minimum of one insecticide had gone beyond 500 by the year 1990. It takes on an average 10 years for a species to develop resistance to a particular drug (1786, 7 September 2001, Science's Compass). The evolution is caused by the change in traits of an insect that were susceptible to a particular insecticide. As a natural adaptation to the drug by genetic variation in its offspring, it supports the survival of that particular species. It appears as a genetic directional change to overcome the lethal influence of the drug. Thus evolution triggered by excessive human activities gives way to undesirable and more resistant type of insects that would put forth a new challenge that is much more difficult to overcome. I believe human activities need to have controlled commercialisation to reduce the speed of such evolution.

Live Electronic Music An analysis and documentry of the last century Essay

Live Electronic Music An analysis and documentry of the last century - Essay Example The last century or so has seen rapid developments in sound technologies where as the last 50 years have been particularly instrumental in changing the pith and substance of how music is viewed and perceived in popular culture and this has led to a rapid change in how music is â€Å"packaged† and â€Å"consumed†.This is particularly true for live electronic music where as the developments in electronic technologies over the last 50 years have dramatically changed it itself .Unlike the 19th century electronic music today is both live and recorded.However early influences saw most of electronic music experienced as live performance. ( Pinch and Bijsterveld 2004). The current electronic music scene is based on individual performances through technologically mediated devices, such as a personal stereo or a personal computer that enables the downloading of MP3 files over the Internet. ( Pinch and Bijsterveld 2004)The recent years in particular have seen that there has been an increase in the inflow of electronic instruments like Theremin, Hammond Organ, the electric guitar, the synthesizer, and the digital sampler. The paper also explores how teechnologies such as the phonograph, tape-recorder, and compact disk have enabled ‘electronic sound’ to be produced, controlled, and manipulated without interference from musicians. ( Pinch and Bijsterveld 2004) ... ( Pinch and Bijsterveld 2004)The question remains though how such changes can be viewed in the context of music audiences and for the science and technology studies.Thus the paper has addressed in the context of live and recorded music based on the new technologies and music and how the use of new instruments, such as new varieties of electric guitars and violas; new means of manipulating and controlling sound through microphones, reverberation units, mixing consoles, and new forms of networking software and audiophilia holds for the future of electronic live music. ( Pinch and Bijsterveld 2004)This essay question explores the development of Electronic Music over the past many decades and how the post modern era has moulded it to its styles and tastes based upon aesthetic and political motivation, as well as focus upon particular composers. (Griffiths, P. 1995). Whilst remaining primarily historical some example works will be analysed in detail. However the focus will inevitably be u pon how the past two decades have changed the face of music and this will entail a discussion how the younger crowd of musicians is bringing innovative styles and aesthetics into the spot light. (Griffiths, P. 1995).The most important thing to review here is that all these developments have reflected the changing technology of the times. (Griffiths, P. 1995).The 1980's saw the advent of the MIDI instruments and software which made the control of sophisticated instruments very easy and made the production of music out of the studios much cheaper. (Schwartz, S. 1993.).This further allowed the reintegration of Acoustic sounds to allow for the reintegration of Acoustic sounds through carefully sampled computer based musical instruments. (Schwartz, S. 1993.).This is particularly true

Measuring Economic Health Memo Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Measuring Economic Health Memo - Research Paper Example In general, markets go through boom-bust cycles about every twenty years (Mead, 1992). Knowing how GDP is doing now helps to predict if were in a boom or a bust, which is important to the business cycle. However, GDPs value as an economic indicator, and therefore a predictor of the business cycle, is coming under attack now. Roubini, for example, points out that, â€Å"The best advice I can give you is to realize that there is an unavoidable amount of uncertainty in the economy. This is even more true of firms and their financial statements. So what do we do? My choice is to get out of this game altogether, but not everyone has this option---a firm, for example, has to forge ahead the best it can. The first thing you should know is that theres a lot of uncertainty out there, and no amount of commercial forecasting is going to change that†. Roubini is saying that GDP isnt ever for certain: It can be determined one year then the same year can be revised a whole percentage point later! Its hard to predict things like wars or terrorist attacks. In fact, GDP is very easy to â€Å"game† (Ritholtz, 2010). â€Å"[Y]ou simply under-report inflation, and GDP appears to be better than it is†. Since inflation depends on counting the value of a good last year, and doing so across many goods to make sure that its not just one or two goods that grew in price for other reasons, theres a lot of subjectivity and uncertainty in making it. GDP is also not as helpful as it could be because it positively counts negative externalities (Ritholtz, 2010). That means that pollution, which is a bad thing, is counted as a good thing because it makes people spend money to go to the doctor or buy new houses to move. â€Å"If you buy a car, the GDP goes up. If you cut a tree, the GDP goes up. But if you preserve the tree, the GDP does not grow. Now you have to decide whether you need the tree or the GDP† (Sharma,

Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Industry - Essay Example Smarthand is a company that manufactures smart hand products that are mainly for university professors who engage in teaching practices in large lecture rooms. The product manufactured by the company is a multifunctional remote controlling glove that is bundled with a computer software. The software functions in such a way that it allows the person using it to give instructions using touch screen by the use of hand gestures and commands using figures. The smart hand product has a lot of promise to its users. The product promises the users to make controls to the screen of the computer at a far distance with the use of a Wi-Fi environment. Unlike other means of computer operating equipment such as clicker or mouse, the smart hand product offers several instructions that are customized in a more convenient manner. In summary, it can be said that smart hand product takes a total control of the university lecturer class in his or her palm. The company’s mission statement is to enable users to control computer and give customized instructions in the palm of the hand. SmartHand LCC will strive to accomplish the mission by focusing on four main objectives: provide users better experience in manipulating virtual space, improving convenience of use, developing new software features based on customization, and changing the way of teaching in a smart classroom. The product idea is based on designs from students from School of Information Studies and further improved by the management team at SmartHand LLC. The inventors designed the intelligence glove in order to develop a technology to manipulate objects in a virtual space. After consideration of the executive team from SmartHand LLC, the features of the glove is decided to focus more on educational use so that the product can be bundled with other teaching station technology to improve professors teaching experience. SmartHand is a multi-functional intelligence glove that allows using figure commands and hand gestures

Long-range planning is nowdays seen as an academic exercise Essay

Long-range planning is nowdays seen as an academic exercise - Essay Example It must be understood that planning is done to achieve certain goals. Long term goals can specify where the organization would like to be a few years in the future. Goals are stated as the intention of the organization that are specific, measurable, cover key result areas, challenging, and should have defined time periods. For individuals and workers at a given company, the goals may be linked to rewards (Welch, 2005). At the same time, planning specifies the means for achieving the organization’s goals (Daft, 2000). However today’s businesses operate in a highly volatile environment and managers are concentrating more and more on short term results. The statement given at World Economic Forum correctly suggests that ‘Long-range planning is nowadays seen as an academic exercise’ and this is fast becoming a widely accepted truth. Nevertheless in the interest of business as a going concern, the validity of the statement and legitimacy of long range planning needs to be re-evaluated. This paper focuses on discussing the merits and demerits of long range planning and aims to answer if it still is a necessary exercise or merely an academic exercise which can be ignored if other functions of management continue to perform at or better than expected levels. Before such an analysis is undertaken, it is important to know why the focus on the short term results is so predominant. Long term planning is getting more difficult and focus is shifting from it due to basic reason of increased volatility in the worldwide corporate as well as business environment. On top of that, the present financial community including stock/company analysts and mutual fund managers often evaluate the performance of many securities based on short term results. This means that a company presenting strong short term results can have its stock be given better performance reviews by peers. For individuals within the company, rewards such as bonuses, promotions and the like could

Modern America Matrix Essay Example for Free

Modern America Matrix Essay After John F Kennedys death, on December 6, 1963. Theodore White wrote an essay for Life magazine in which he compared Kennedys life to the legend of Camelot. Theodore White wrote that this was a time with a â€Å"magic moment in  American history when gallant men danced with beautiful women, when great deeds were done, when artists, writers, and poets met at the White House. There will never be another Camelot again†. Moss, G.D., Thomas, E.A. (2013). Moving on: The American people since 1945 (5th ed. ). Boston, MA: Pearson. Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe was a movie star sex symbol in the 1950’s Marilyn served as a role model for women. The fashion of the day was not about comfort but to be very sexy and femininity conforms to the prevailing sexual stereotype. Moss, G.D., Thomas, E.A. (2013). Moving on: The American people since 1945 (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Tariff Reductions August 1993, Congress approved a new round of tariff reductions on manufactured goods covered under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The tariff on manufacturing good had been affect since World War II. In 1993 congress reduced the tariff to help the country’s economic recovery. In 1994, Clinton followed these victories by reducing trade barriers with major Pacific Rim nations. Moss, G.D., Thomas, E.A. (2013). Moving on: The American people since 1945 (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Peace Corps In 1961, the Kennedy administration launched the Peace corps. This was established to help Latin America and other third world countries. The Peace Corps was formed because of the cold war concerns in third world countries and from a desire to give idealistic young Americans an opportunity for public service. Over the next two years, about 7,500 Peace Corps volunteers were sent to forty-four nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Most of them worked as teachers; others found jobs in health care, agricultural reform, and community development Moss, G.D., Thomas, E.A. (2013). Moving on: The American people since 1945 (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Alliance for Progress In the 1960’s the Kennedy  administration developed a multifaceted assistance program called the Alianza para progreso. The Alliance for progress was established to blunt the appeal of Castroism and foreclose Soviet opportunities in Latin America. Over the  life of the program, billions of dollars in loans and grants from both public and private sources were fed into the Alliance for Progress. Moss, G.D., Thomas, E.A. (2013). Moving on: The American people since 1945 (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Amendment to Controlled Substances Act: Hydrocodone

Amendment to Controlled Substances Act: Hydrocodone H.R. 1285: To Amend the Controlled Substances Act to Make Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone a Schedule II Drug Jill Garreth Abstract This paper describes H.R. 1285, a bill proposed to amend the Controlled Substances Act to make any substance containing hydrocodone a Schedule II drug. It explores the historical, sociocultural, ethical, economic and the political/legislative environment in which the bill was introduced. Some of the difficulties encountered include the bill being referred to the House Committee of Judiciary and the House Committee of Energy and Commerce (H.R. 1285-113th Congress: To Amend the Controlled Substances Act to Make Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone A Schedule II Drug, 2013). Since being referred to both committees, there has been no further action taken on this bill by Congress (H.R. 1285-113th Congress: To Amend the Controlled Substances Act to Make Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone A Schedule II Drug, 2013). Stakeholders in the passage of this bill include physicians, pharmacists, advanced practice nurses, patients and long term care (LTC) facilities. The likelihood that H.R. 1285 will pass is very small due to the fact that the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) recently made a ruling that changed hydrocodone to a schedule II drug (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2014). Because of the DEA’s actions, it seems unnecessary to push forward with H.R. 1285. Keywords: hydrocodone, schedule II drugs, controlled substances, DEA H.R. 1285: To Amend the Controlled Substances Act to Make Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone a Schedule II Drug Introduction H. R. 1285 is a bill introduced March 20, 2013 to amend the Controlled Substances Act to make any substance containing hydrocodone a Schedule II drug (H.R. 1285-113th Congress: To Amend the Controlled Substances Act to Make Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone A Schedule II Drug, 2013). H.R. 1285 â€Å"amends the Controlled Substances Act to remove dihydrocodeinone (hydrocodone) from classification as a schedule III controlled substance. Directs the Attorney General to immediately allow manufacturers and distributors to store hydrocodone compound products in accordance with the physical security requirements for schedule III, IV, and V controlled substances for three years beginning on the date enactment of this Act. Requires the Comptroller General to submit a report on the reclassification of hydrocodone products under this Act, including: (1) an assessment of the degree to which the reclassification of such products under this Act impacts the ability of patients with legitimate m edical needs, particularly those in rural areas and nursing home facilities, to access adequate pain management; and (2) recommendations necessary to address any issues relating to patient access to adequate pain management† (H.R. 1285-113th Congress: To Amend the Controlled Substances Act to Make Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone A Schedule II Drug, 2013). H.R. 1285 is a piece of legislation that could directly affect the prescriptive authority of an advanced practice nurse (DEA Issues Info, 2012). Some states only allow an advanced practice nurse the authority to write prescriptions for drugs rated Schedule III and below and because of that, H.R. 1285 has the potential to affect advanced practice nurses in at least nine states (DEA Issues Info, 2012). Environment Historical Title 21 of the United States Code Controlled Substances Act classifies drugs based on three criteria (U.S. Code: Title 21-Food and Drugs, 2012). The criteria used to determine the schedule of the drug is the potential for abuse of the drug, whether the drug has an acceptable medical purpose and the type of dependence the drug may perpetuate (U.S. Code: Title 21-Food and Drugs, 2012). Between 2004 and 2009 products containing hydrocodone had an increase in demand of approximately 125% (Drug-Related Hospital Emergency Room Visits, 2011). Florida Congressman Vern Buchanan introduced this bill to help combat the growing prescription drug epidemic in his home state of Florida and wants to make hydrocodone combination products more difficult to obtain and prescribe (Congressman Vern Buchanan representing Florida, 2014). Sociocultural There are more than just health concerns that have brought this issue to forefront. There have been many studies done that show a direct link to drug abuse and crime. According to the Bureau of Justice, 30% of offenders in state detention facilities stated that they would likely commit crimes in order to get money for drugs (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2004). In Florida, at least 7 people die daily from prescription drug overdoses (Congressman Vern Buchanan representing Florida, 2014) and at least 75 people die daily nationwide (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2014). Crime and drug overdoses are just a few of the sociocultural considerations that caused Congressman Buchanan to introduce H.R. 1285. Ethical One ethical implication that pushes H.R. 1285 to the forefront of legislation is that because hydrocodone is a prescription medication, prescribers have an ethical responsibility to assist in combatting the misuse and abuse of this drug (Hamburg, 2014). H.R. 1285 is not designed to make it more difficult for patients with a legitimate need to obtain the medication but it is designed to assist the providers in making better educated decisions when prescribing medications that have such a high potential for abuse (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2014). Economic Economic factors that have made this issue important is not necessarily related to the cost of the drug but the cost of the effects of abuse of the drug. â€Å"Prescription opioid abuse costs were about $55.7 billion in 2007. Of this amount, 46% was attributable to workplace costs (e.g., lost productivity), 45% to healthcare costs (e.g., abuse treatment), and 9% to criminal justice costs† (Centers for Disease Control, 2014). In 2010 there were 49 million uninsured people in the United States (US Census Bureau, 2011). Rising healthcare costs and uninsured people need to be a consideration when legislators review H.R. 1285. Political/Legislative H.R. 1285 has been assigned to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Judiciary (H.R. 1285-113th Congress: To Amend the Controlled Substances Act to Make Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone A Schedule II Drug, 2013). The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has the responsibility of reviewing the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) ability to establish the effectiveness and safety of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in the United States (Longest Jr., 2010). The House Committee on Judiciary has jurisdiction over revision to existing codes so it has an important role regarding amending the existing drug scheduling (United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, 2014). Despite the fact that both committees have a Republican majority, there has still been no movement on this bill. Difficulties Encountered H.R. 1285 was introduced on March 20, 2013 by Florida Republican Representative Vern Buchanan (H.R. 1285-113th Congress: To Amend the Controlled Substances Act to Make Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone A Schedule II Drug, 2013). This bill has 54 co-sponsors of which 32 are Republican and 22 are Democrat (H.R. 1285-113th Congress: To Amend the Controlled Substances Act to Make Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone a Schedule II Drug, 2013). H.R. 1285 has been referred to the House Committee of Judiciary and the House Committee of Energy and Commerce and the committee chair makes the determination on whether the bill moves forward (H.R. 1285-113th Congress: To Amend the Controlled Substances Act to Make Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone A Schedule II Drug, 2013). One difficulty noted in regards to H.R. 1285 is the fact that there has been no action taken since its introduction to Congress. There is no optimistic timeline to predict if H.R. 1285 is going to be passed. Speaking pess imistically, H.R. 1285 will not pass at all. As of October 6, 2014 a Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) ruling took effect that is essentially in the same spirit as H.R. 1285 (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2014). This ruling reschedules hydrocodone from a schedule III drug to a schedule II drug (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2014). Since the DEA has already changed the schedule of hydrocodone and it has already been implemented, there is no need for further movement of H.R. 1285. Stakeholders in the passage of H.R. 1285 include physicians, pharmacists, advanced practice nurses, long term care (LTC) facilities and patients. LTC facilities have been especially vocal on this topic due to the fact they believe that any further regulation or change in the scheduling of certain narcotics will have a negative effect on patients in their facilities and the ease in which these patients will have access to them (Garrison Mitty, 2010). Nurses who work in these types of facil ities are encouraging others to join professional organizations and write to their legislators to make their voices heard (Garrison Mitty, 2010). Effects Some positive effects of H.R. 1285 are increased awareness for prescribers of the dangers of opioid dependence related to hydrocodone and a decrease in â€Å"doctor shopping† related to the tighter regulation and monitoring of hydrocodone (Phillips, 2013). Negatives of H.R. 1285 include increased difficulty for patients in LTC facilities to access physicians and obtain prescriptions needed to adequately address their pain needs (Garrison Mitty, 2010). Because of the tighter prescriber restrictions related to refills and the types of prescriptions accepted, those who reside in LTC facilities could have to wait longer to receive refills on much needed pain medication (Garrison Mitty, 2010). International The U.K. has similar problems to the U.S. when it comes to prescription drug abuse (Weisburg et al., 2014). The U.K. has the Health Act of 2006 which created Accountable Officers that track and audit the prescriptions written (Weisburg et al., 2014). The U.K. also has trialed a real-time monitoring system to be able to monitor irregular prescribing practices for certain drugs (Weisburg et al., 2014). Although it was only a trial of a computerized system, it showed great promise in assisting real-time monitoring of prescriptions written. Change to the Bill As with anything, there are always improvements that could be made. One way to refine H.R. 1285 is to implement mandatory education for prescribers. Requiring education in areas of opioid pain management, pain management alternatives and safe prescribing practices is one way that could improve policy outcomes (Weisburg et al., 2014). Another improvement that could be made is by establishing a universal standard to pain management and the dispensing of medication because by using a universal standard, improved outcomes can be expected (Gourlay et al., 2005). Another way to improve H.R. 1285 would be to include a plan to implement a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2014). Many states already have a PDMP in place but it only monitors statewide activity (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2014). In order for a PDMP to be effective, it would need to be nationwide and offer up to date information (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2014). Conclusions H.R. 1285 is a bill introduced to Congress to change the schedule of hydrocodone from a schedule III to a schedule II drug. Congressman Vern Buchanan introduced this bill because of the growing drug epidemic he witnessed in his home state of Florida (Congressman Vern Buchanan representing Florida, 2014). He describes seeing more pain management clinics that dispense prescriptions for drugs than McDonald’s restaurants (Congressman Vern Buchanan representing Florida, 2014). Although H.R. 1285 was referred to two separate committees, the likelihood that the bill will be passed is very slim. There has been no further action taken on the bill by either committee. Prescribers, patients and LTC facilities have a stake in whether or not H.R. 1285 passes. All have concerns regarding difficulty in prescribing medication to those who truly need it and maintaining access for the patients who are living in a LTC facilities. Due to the recent ruling of the DEA that changed hydrocodone conta ining products from a schedule III drug to a schedule II drug, it seems unnecessary for H.R. 1285 to move forward (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2014). References Bureau of Justice Statistics 2004 Bureau of Justice StatisticsBureau of Justice Statistics (2004). Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved October 6, 2014, from http://www.bjs.gov 201410091059041289595843 Centers for Disease Control 2014 Prescription Drug Overdose in the United States: Fact SheetCenters for Disease Control (2014, July 3). Prescription Drug Overdose in the United States: Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov 20141009115559483260035 Congressman Vern Buchanan representing Florida 2014 Congressman Vern Buchanan representing FloridaCongressman Vern Buchanan representing Florida (2014). Congressman Vern Buchanan representing Florida. Retrieved from http://www.buchanan.house.gov 201410091015471184166312 DEA Issues Info 2012 American Association of Nurse PractitionersDEA Issues Info (2012, June). American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Retrieved from http://www.aanp.org 20141008133918138817310 Drug Enforcement Administration 2014 Schedules of Controlled Substances: Rescheduling of hydrocodone combination products from Schedule III to Schedule IIDrug Enforcement Administration (2014, August 22). Schedules of Controlled Substances: Rescheduling of hydrocodone combination products from Schedule III to Schedule II. Retrieved October 7, 2014, from http://federalregister.gov/a/2014-19922 20141009113706118370533 Drug-Related Hospital Emergency Room Visits 2011 National Institue of Drug AbuseDrug-Related Hospital Emergency Room Visits (2011). National Institute of Drug Abuse. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.drugabuse.gov 20141008130227593245745 Garrison K Mitty E 2010 Pain management and the U.S. Department of Justice.Garrison, K., Mitty, E. (2010). Pain management and the U.S. Department of Justice. Geriatric Nursing, 31(3), 214-219. 20141009140312276748895 Gourlay D Heit H Almahrezi A 2005 Universal precautions in pain medicine: A rational approach to the treatment of chronic pain.Gourlay, D., Heit, H., Almahrezi, A. (2005). Universal precautions in pain medicine: A rational approach to the treatment of chronic pain. American Academy of Pain Medicine, 6(2), 107-112. 201410091514541512988925 Hamburg M A 20140403 FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg statement on prescription opioid abuseHamburg, M. A. (2014, April 3). FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg statement on prescription opioid abuse. Retrieved October 7, 2014, from http://www.fda.gov 20141009112410159525513 HR 1285-113th Congress: To Amend the Controlled Substances Act to Make Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone A Schedule II Drug 2013H.R. 1285-113th Congress: To Amend the Controlled Substances Act to Make Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone A Schedule II Drug (2013). Retrieved from http://www.govtrack.us 20141008132123465403199 Longest B B 2010 Health policymaking in the United StatesLongest Jr., B. B. (2010). Health policymaking in the United States (5th ed.). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press. 201410091217191092675209 Phillips J 2013 Prescription drug abuse: problem, policies and implications.Phillips, J. (2013). Prescription drug abuse: problem, policies and implications. Nursing Outlook, 61, 78-84. 201410091423161519538522 United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee 2014 United States House of Representatives Judiciary CommitteeUnited States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee (2014). United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. Retrieved from http://www.judiciary.house.gov 201410091227131141156554 US Census Bureau 2011 Overview of Uninsured in the United States: A study of the 2011 current population surveyUS Census Bureau (2011, September). Overview of Uninsured in the United States: A study of the 2011 current population survey. Retrieved October 8, 2014, from http://hhs.gov 201410091201171076915503 US Code: Title 21-Food and Drugs 2012 Legal Information InstituteU.S. Code: Title 21-Food and Drugs (2012, January 14). Legal Information Institute. Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu 20141008143645967177272 Weisburg D Becker W Fiellin D Stannard C 2014 Prescription opioid misuse in the United States and the United Kingdom: Cautionary lessons.Weisburg, D., Becker, W., Fiellin, D., Stannard, C. (2014). Prescription opioid misuse in the United States and the United Kingdom: Cautionary lessons. International Journal of Drug Policy, 20141009144237381562709

Ryanair airline

Ryanair airline 1.INTRODUCTION Ryanair is an Irish airline competing in European low cost short haul airline industry. They are one of the key players within this market with the jersey of cost leadership and a vision of flying at the cheapest rates to any of their destination. ‘if you find it cheaper elsewhere, we will give you a refund-Micheal OLeary, They are perhaps the most profitable. This report undertakes a detailed strategic analysis of Ryanair against the backdrop of an evolving global airline sector impacted considerably by the financial and economic markets crisis. It looks at Ryanairs current strategy and who and how of the management of that strategy. It identifies how the business functions impacts on the carriers customer relations and leaderships with regard to being a cost leader. It also attempts to give a brief evaluation of Ryanairs financial structure as well as an environmental analysis of the European airline short haul industry and how this affects Ryanair. 2. STRATEGIC POSITION. This is shown using tools like: PESTLE analysis for the macroenvorit, Porters five forces for the industry structure Resources and capabilities. Opportunities and threats of the SWOT analysis developed by Albert Humphrey for the analysis of Ryanairs external factors 2.1PESTLE Analysis Quite a number of these factors can be discussed but has been written in this paper in an order of priority. PESTLE Factors Comments Political EU directives prohibit direct subsidies by governments to their airlines as they work to establish a level-playing field among the regions airlines (Charalambous, 2009). This approach was driven by political developments, as various countries were willing to have a level-playing field across the European Union, not only in the airline sector but also in other various and relevant sectors in their countries. Economic The global airline sector is currently experiencing downfall in passenger travel and have seen falling revenues and also compounded by passengers making bookings at the last minutes for their travel and falling ticket values (Walters, 2009). For the consumer, the economic downturn has impacted the spending of individuals and families, and this has reflected in the lower airline travel being done by consumers (Blake, 2009). Socio-cultural Consumers attitudes towards travel has changed largely in recent times as the high cost of travel compared to other modes of transportation has made consumers more observant and aware not only of other transport alternatives but results in consumers demanding lower cost of travel from airlines. (Flanagan, 2008). This trend was aggravated by the financial and economic downturn which has made consumers manage their finances more closely given the uncertainties that the environment holds. Consumers will be expected to continue to pursue this trend as poorer economic outlook continues in the near future. But, a significant improvement in the confidence in the markets will lead consumers back to utilising airline travel again. Technological There have been technological developments in the airlines sector particularly those relating to improved fuel efficiencies of airlines (Harvey, 2008). In as much as they may be considerably costly at the time of investing or replacing, they are expected to generate substantial cost improvements that would be worth it These improvements, though beneficial would not be considered priorities in the current environment where considerable numbers of airlines are struggling to meet their passenger forecasts and revenue targets, and are posting large losses in their financial results. Legal The directives mentioned in the political factor will be implemented in this factor in specific countries across the European Union to ensure that it is strictly adhered to by each of the members Environmental These issues have been a key focus for the global airline sector in recent years as there has been increased demand for airlines to do their share in lowering the impact of the use of airplanes on the environment and the carbon footprint (Harvey, 2008). Ryanair has been one of the targeted airlines basically because of the large number of flights that it makes every day. This is due to their business model which calls for having their planes in the air for most of the time. This can be in contrast to the goals of environmental awareness for Ryanair to minimise the impact of the carbon footprint on the environment. In as much as environmental issues are important in the airline sector, this may take a back seat as other stakeholders will focus on more pressing issues including the viability of the airlines. This analysis showed that there are a number of developments impacting the airline industry globally and also some others affecting the European airline industry specifically. 2.2INDUSTRY STRUCTURE The Michael Porters Five Forces of competition will be used to analyse the European short haul airline industry. This analysis shows as well the changing influences in the sector with the key developments leading to actions for each factor that were deemed unthinkable only a few months ago. Five Forces Comments Entry Barriers The major barriers to entry include the large capital and relationships across the global airline sector to develop the network plan (Ionides, 2008). I could argue that the entry barriers actually just became even stronger with the poor performance of the sector due to the economic climate and the challenging periods that the players in the sector are facing. Buyer Power The key buyers are the individual consumers and also the travel agencies. Across these groups of buyers, the power would seem to have increased relative to previous situations. The key reason for this is the decreased demand from these groups of buyers (McCartney, 2009A; McCartney, 2009B). Based on this, the buyer power has increased, as much lower prices will be in demand versus previous years. Supplier Power Supplier power has decreased relative to the influence of the other factors. For example, airlines have been willing to reduce the work force considerably as a result of the falling passenger figures. Nevertheless, research has shown that the airlines which work closely with its workers (e.g. Lufthansa) perform better versus its competitors which have a relatively adversarial approach to the management of its work force (e.g. British Airways) and thus have an advantage (Creedy, 2009A). It is interesting to that in this time of hardship for various stakeholders in the global airline sector, it seems that different parties are working closely with each other for the sake of survival Threat of Substitutes There is an increased threat of substitutes. These come from (1) alternative modes of transportation, and (2) alternative activities resulting in lower airline travel. The alternative modes of transportation can only affect destinations where alternative modes of transportation exist and also where it does not become too stressful or inconvenient for the traveller e.g, between the UK and continental Europe. Across these region, alternatives modes of transportation exist, and travel time is not too excessive to make it unacceptable (Anselmo, 2008A). The alternative activities that result in lower demand for airline travel include people and families deciding to travel to destinations that do not require air travel. In the UK, a large number of families have opted to stay within the UK instead of travelling to continental Europe for holidays and weekends (Dick, 2009). Industry Rivalry The industry is expected to continue to see increased rivalry as the competitors try to capture the increasingly limited number of passengers. (Betts, 2008). Rivalry is driven by the decreased demand for travel which led some airlines to lower prices and now compete almost directly with the low-cost carriers such as Ryanair. The competitive position is seen to be high and will continue to do so as the players have put in their investments for the planes and infrastructure and would not manage these differently in order to drive returns. 2.3 Value networks and business partners As for the value chain of Ryanair, their relationships with suppliers provide it with the merit to deliver its low-cost strategy. Key suppliers include amongst others: its work force delivering the services to its customers: working intentionally within the guidelines of Ryanair to deliver its low-cost model to the consumers. the airports in which Ryanair operates in: the government airports work closely with Ryanair in ensuring an agreement that benefits both Ryanair and also the local community where Ryanair lands in. the supplier of its airplanes and other equipment : the supplier of its airplanes and equipment work with Ryanair to customise their fleet for Ryanair to provide their basic low-cost service model to travellers. 3.RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES 3.1Strategic capabilities Their major capability is their ability to manage their low-cost business model and continue to operate within the parameters set by this model (Wallace, 2009).. Within the context of decreased demand for travel by consumers, its low-cost model has positioned the business extremely well. Ryanair has an advantage over other airlines which are only now adapting to a lower-cost model to match the requirements of the sector due to customers demand and what they are willing to pay for. As part of the low-cost business model, Ryanair relies on a strong, talented and efficient work force that delivers the services promised to customers within the cost model of Ryanair. This is an area that cannot allow for copying the low-cost model of Ryanair, particularly as personnel cost is significant in the airline sector together with fuel cost. 3.2 Key success factors The critical success factors for Ryanair have been their: ability to deliver their low-cost business model, capability to work with and coordinate closely with their suppliers through their talented work force ability to remain consistent to their stated business model and strategy. external recognitions In delivering this model, Ryanair maintained their approach even in the face of rising fuel costs (Ryanair, 2009). The recent year has shown how Ryanair manages their business with their consumers. They manage their cost base well amidst looking for alternative revenue sources to be able to generate additional revenues to offset increased costs from the impact of the oil prices. In working with their suppliers, Ryanair showed that the way to excel in the sector is to ensure that suppliers are also reaping the benefits of doing business with Ryanair (Wallace, 2009). There is a two-way relationship. Whether the current environment remains or the outlook becomes more favourable, Ryanair is positioned to capture the large part of the consumer demand for air travel to their destinations The success of Ryanair can also be seen from external recognitions. In December 2008, Ryanair was included in the list of Britains Most Admired Companies (BMAC), the first time it had been included in the list (Management Today, 2008).Over the past years, Ryanairs CEO, Michael OLeary, has been included in the list of the 30 Most Respected CEOs of Barrons, a global list of CEOs noted for â€Å"doing outstanding jobs of keeping their companies out of trouble and on course through conservative financial management, a strong focus on the customer and relentless innovation† (Barrons, 2009). 4. IMPLICATIONS OF STRATEGIC POSITIONING Dennis Foster (2006) stated in his lecture on Managing Strategic Change thatchange is a ‘people based process. This means that both staff and customers will have implications on Ryanairs strategic positioning and any changes they make to it.As supported in the leadership section of the report there is a good workingatmosphere and relationship between OLeary and his employees. Cavendish (2006) argues that ‘Ryanairs revenues last year apparently included almost two million flights that were booked by passengers who never showed up. While this is good for Ryanair from a financial point of view, it does not reflect good will on them from a customer relations aspect and could affect their position and strategy.Ryanairs recent trouble profit wise certainly would have had implications ontheir strategic positioning as they would have had to re-evaluate their strategy. The following table indicates the themes across the relevant strength and weaknesses derived from their core competencies factors in looking out for Ryan airs resources and capabilities SWOT Factors Comments Strengths Ryanairs business model is their major strength. In the current environment where travellers are searching for the lowest cost alternative to travel, Ryanair continues to provide customers with airline travel as an alternative that is worth considering (Moorcroft, 2009). Quite unusually, the current economic crisis has also helped Ryanair increase their market share in the sector as customers have moved to lower-cost airlines to manage their various costs of travel and this has helped fuel the continued growth of Ryanair despite the crisis, and has also helped position Ryanair to continue to see strategic growth initiatives in the sector (Brothers, 2008; Creedy, 2009B). Ryanair has developed strong relationships with various stakeholders. They are aware of the importance of working with their stakeholders to deliver the necessary services to consumers (McDonald, 2007). This is a key strength of Ryanair. Weaknesses Ryanair is largely a European airline even though it has the largest number of flights internationally among the worlds global airlines (Done, 2009). Thus, its revenues are undiversified in terms of regions, and thus any impact on the European airline market has a significant impact on the performance considerably and much more relative to other airlines which have geographically diverse revenue sources. The above strength and weaknesses showed that there are a considerable number of opportunities available for Ryanair. However; this would have to be carefully looked into given the significance of existing threats in the sector. 5. STRATEGIC CHOICE In an industry where news of poor performances has been seen largely on the front page of newspapers since the start of the financial and economic markets crisis, the performance of Ryanair has been a tremendous positive news to the industry as it has faced the challenges brought on by the crisis. Ryanair continues to benefit from the crisis as the consumers switch to lower cost travel alternatives (Milmo, 2008). However, the lower revenues generated and the falling number of passengers has still impacted the business as Ryanair announced losses for the first time since 1997, and expect that there may be further challenges in the near future (Bhargava, 2008). In a recent announcement of results, â€Å"Ryanair, Europes largest low fare airlines today, announced a Q3 loss of EUR102m, (compared to a profit of EUR35m in last years Q3), as average fares fell by 9% to EUR34, fuel costs rose by 71% to EUR328m, revenues rose by 6% to EUR604.5m, as traffic grew 13% to 14m, as more consumers switch to Ryanairs low fares from high fare competitors† (RNS, 2009). Ryanairs strong position in the industry has allowed it to pursue inorganic activities despite the financial and economic markets crisis and even in the face of a challenging environment for the airline industry. While most of the players in this sector will likely pursue the lowering of costs to managing its operations, Ryanair continues to surprise analysts and investors alike. Ryanair continues to pursue its interest in Aer Lingus. A key reason for the interest of Ryanair in Aer Lingus is that it owns a substantial part(29%) of the airline and is concerned about the poor performance of the airline and the impact it has on the value of Ryanairs shareholdings (Hancock, 2008). In as much as these opportunities exist for Ryanair. The global airline industry is currently facing a large number of threats that may be hindrances to achieving these opportunities. Some of which are the fluctuating US$ exchange rate and the fuel prices. These threats have prevented airlines from realising a stable stream of earnings in recent periods with a considerable amount of time being spent on management, with some pursuing to hedge, the changing value of the US$ and also the volatile oil and fuel prices (Anselmo, 2008B).Another threat is the continued recession seen in the major economies which is still playing an impact on the reduced travel of airline passengers with substitutes for air travel seeing increased volumes. 6. STRATEGIC DECISION AND RECOMMENDED STRATEGY Goingforward, Ryanair can continue to be positioned as a niche cost leader in the global airline sector by pursuing the opportunities that currently exist and also addressing the weaknesses that exist within the firm. By so doing, Ryanair will be able to capture the demand from consumers of low-cost travel and also position it to weather any further difficulties in the market that may be limited only to specific regions in which Ryanair operates in. For low-cost carriers in particular, a key threat is the potential move of full-service airlines into the business model of carriers such as Ryanair and easy Jet given the demand of passengers for lower-cost travel (Furlonger, 2009). This will only increase the competition in the sector overall and, in particular, in the low-cost segment of the market. Ryanairs Innovativeness has ensured its sustainability and will carry them forward into the future. To recommend any major changes would be to predict how the airline industry will change which ultimately cannot be foreseen. However, the following decisions can be considered the advent of new routes will bring more customers, from both departure points. a subtle shift in their strategy could be appropriate. For example offering drinks vouchers onboard for the customers next flight might entice more people back CRITICAL REFLECTION If there is anything i gained on this course. It is the fact that it not clear cut, but contains a number of complementary and opposing schools of thought. In the paper above, i will like to reflect particularly on the limitation of most of the theories i learnt. Although, they are seen as the bedrock of strategic planning. Not much emphasis is laid on the leadership, culture, power and politics in the process of strategy formulation in developing and evaluating organizational strategies. As seen in the strategic audit of Ryanair using at least 6models of strategic theories and i can count how many times the power and politics were mentioned in as much as Michael OLeary was mentioned. The emphasis in strategic planning models is more on the environment , profits and losses ,customers, competitors and growth. Even though SP involves all business functions in an organisation, i can say that it is done from the top. As a matter of fact, most decisions made are from the top. I wonder why there is then little emphasis on the power and politics within Ryanair. Should the present CEO be replaced, what will the future hold for this company. This will happen eventually as retirement will come some day. I wonder what the power play is like in this organisation. I know the destinations that the carrier flies to, I know the strengths and weaknesses, i also have a clear idea of its competitors, customers, and suppliers. But there was no model allowing me to spend time looking into politics in Ryanair, What if the strategic recommendations i made will be affected by politics within the organisation, maybe based on the personal interest of key members on the board of ryanair. The present CEO wasnt even looked into with such details but for his fame in the face of the media, maybe there was nothing that focuses on him. In the nearest future, businesses will be all about people and there will be great pressure on models like PESTLE, SWOT, and the likes. The 7s framework by Mckinsey could be an alternative or better still a key tool at that time because it focuses on the people and their processes. A critical insight into people in an organisation will give room for the study of the politics and power play within a well structured organisation.

Tibetan Medicine Essay -- Tibet Treatment History Illness Papers

Tibetan Medicine Tibetan medicine, developed over the course of over one thousand years in the isolated mountainous terrain of Tibet and preserved despite China’s decimation of Tibetan customs, views healing in a much different way than Western physicians. Tibetan medicine emphasizes science, faith, perception, spirituality, karma, and philosophy, whereas Western medicine is based almost entirely on science. In the West, religion and spirituality are believed to have absolutely nothing to do with healing and medical practice. Without looking at Tibetan medicine in depth, the Westerner could easily dismiss Tibetan medicine as superstitious and unscientific; however, Tibetan Medicine is often very successful at treating illness, and Tibetan physicians can often cure the root of the problem, rather than merely performing a quick fix to a localized part of the body as in the West. Tibetan doctors do not recommend simply popping a pill. Instead, they see illness as a manifestation of the body†™s imbalance and seek to correct this imbalance. In order to cure a disease, behavior, lifestyle, and one’s individual ‘humoral constitution’ (the three humors and the way in which they function in the body will be fully explained later) are all very important. In order to gain a fuller understanding of the Tibetan approach, as well as appreciate why it has remained so unknown to Westerners despite its lengthy existence, one must consider the Tibetan and Western medical traditions simultaneously. One is also inclined to consider if aspects or methods of diagnoses from the Tibetan tradition could be incorporated into Western medicine since each form of practice has own benefits – Western medicine has highly sophisticated technology and the... ...he Source, 131. [8] John Avedon, In Exile from the Land of Snows, 156. [9] Vaidya Dash, Tibetan Medicine, 86. [10] Vaidya Dash, Tibetan Medicine, 87. [11] Vaidya Dash, Tibetan Medicine, 89. [12] Dr. Yeshi Dhonden. Health Through Balance. (Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 1986), 142. [13] Dr. Dhoden, Health Through Balance, 148. [14] Dr. Dhonden, Healing from the Source, 129. [15] Christopher Hansard, The Tibetan Art of Living, (New York: Atria Books, 2001), 191. [16] Christopher Hansard, The Tibetan Art of Living, 193. [17] Christopher Hansard, The Tibetan Art of Living, 193. [18] Dr. Dhonden, Health Through Balance, 185. [19] Dr. Dhonden, Health Through Balance, 216. [20] Dr. Dhonden, Healing from the Source, 187. [21] Dr. Dhonden, Healing from the Source, 187. [22] John Avedon, In Exile from the Land of Snows, 155.

Free Essays - Importance of the Houses in The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Importance of the Houses in The Awakening In Kate Chopin's novel The Awakening, Edna's two different houses symbolize her life greatly. Her first house, the mansion of which she shared with her husband, symbolized her life before she started to awaken and realize the kind of life she was in. Her second house, the pigeon house of which she lived in alone, shows her life after she starts to awaken and realize what is going on with her life and that she was not happy before. These two houses show very strong meaning of a before and after of her awakening. As the novel starts out Edna is a housewife to her husband, Mr. Pontellier, and is not necessarily unhappy or depressed but knows something is missing. Her husband does not treat her well. "...looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage." She is nothing but a piece of property to him; he has no true feelings for her and wants her for the sole purpose of withholding his reputation. "He reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children. If it was not a mother's place to look after children, whose on earth was it?" Mr. Pontellier constantly brings her down for his own satisfaction not caring at all how if affects Edna. Unfortunately Edna has no clue that she is being treated so poorly in the beginning of this story. With Mr. Pontellier being absent from home so often she finds plenty of time to spend with Robert. Through the whole summer she does not realize the feelings she is developing for Robert and only sees him as a friend. She enjoys spending all of her free time with him and gets along with him much better than her husband. It is not until she is back home and Robert leaves for Mexico that she starts to "awaken" and realize her true feelings not just for Robert but also for life in general. At first Edna only misses Robert greatly and wonders why he never writes her like he promised he would. She does get to read letters in which Robert has sent others instead of her. Free Essays - Importance of the Houses in The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays Importance of the Houses in The Awakening In Kate Chopin's novel The Awakening, Edna's two different houses symbolize her life greatly. Her first house, the mansion of which she shared with her husband, symbolized her life before she started to awaken and realize the kind of life she was in. Her second house, the pigeon house of which she lived in alone, shows her life after she starts to awaken and realize what is going on with her life and that she was not happy before. These two houses show very strong meaning of a before and after of her awakening. As the novel starts out Edna is a housewife to her husband, Mr. Pontellier, and is not necessarily unhappy or depressed but knows something is missing. Her husband does not treat her well. "...looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage." She is nothing but a piece of property to him; he has no true feelings for her and wants her for the sole purpose of withholding his reputation. "He reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children. If it was not a mother's place to look after children, whose on earth was it?" Mr. Pontellier constantly brings her down for his own satisfaction not caring at all how if affects Edna. Unfortunately Edna has no clue that she is being treated so poorly in the beginning of this story. With Mr. Pontellier being absent from home so often she finds plenty of time to spend with Robert. Through the whole summer she does not realize the feelings she is developing for Robert and only sees him as a friend. She enjoys spending all of her free time with him and gets along with him much better than her husband. It is not until she is back home and Robert leaves for Mexico that she starts to "awaken" and realize her true feelings not just for Robert but also for life in general. At first Edna only misses Robert greatly and wonders why he never writes her like he promised he would. She does get to read letters in which Robert has sent others instead of her.

Valentino’s Legacy

Upon walking in to the Gallery of Modern Art, tucked in around the corner from the State Library and well hidden from view, I was astounded by the sudden rush of sight and sound. Despite my sudden sense of claustraphobia, I forced myself inside. The queue to enter the Valentino Retrospective Art Exhibition was beyond massive; curving from the heart of the Gallery, along the back wall, up the side wall, and outside of the door for a good 800 metres. Satisfied with my pre-ordered tickets, I bustled along and entered the exhibition. Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani is more than a well-known Italian Fashion Designer: to most fashion students he is a God. Born on May 11th, 1932, this simple Saint has developed several different fashion labels throughout his 5 decades of work; such as Valentino, Valentino Roma, R.E.D. Valentino and, most popularly, Valentino Garavani. Commonly reffered to as only Valentino, he was the founder of the Valentino Spa Brand. The Valentino Retrospective: Past, Present and Future was developed by Les Arts Dà ©coratifs, Paris; and celebrates the renowned and glamorous designs of Valentino himself. This exhibition houses items from Valentino's first ever collection in 1959 up until his more recent ‘Autumn/Winter 2009-2010 collection' (designs by Valentino's appointed creative directors, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli as of 2008). Upon entering, I discovered that this Exhibition was split into two major sections; each hosting different fragments of Valentino's most successful collections throughtout his career. The First section, entitled Part 1, was composed mainly of Valentino's earlier designs, with the pieces ranging from 1960 up until 2006. The Second Section, entitled Part 2, housed garments from a much more modern era. With a majority of the pieces pulled from Valentino's collections from 1992 through to 2010. European Royalty, celebrites and many other high-status folk have been seen wearing designs by Valentino, including Nicole Kidman, Elizabeth Taylor, Cate Blanchett and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (all of the garments worn by these women can be seen at this exhibition). I was most astounded to come across a dress worn by Julia Roberts to the Academy Awards in 1992 for her hit movie Erin Brockovitch. After viewing the best Valentino Garavani had to offer at this Brisbane Exhibition, I must admit I was fairly disappointed. All up, the exhibition housed approxiamately 100 garments, although it seemed many less to me, and 97 of which I disliked. The designs are timeless; sophisticated. The material used is of the highest quality. But still, I only found 3 dresses that I personally found mildly interesting. Although, to sum up the entire experience, there is only two pieces that could possibly describe the amount of work and timeless culture that has been woven together – despite vintage pieces, the elegant formal attire, and wedding dresses. Firstly; the commonly seen Evening Gown, Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2003, Model 130. Described at GoMA's Exhibition as â€Å"Strapless evening gown with low-set draped pale crimson chiffon sleeves, a train with appliquà © pleated crimson taffeta rosettes and red strass crystals in their centres, and pink and grey taffeta rosettes in its lining.† [Source 2] Made of Buche-Gillaud Fabric and Embroidered by Marabitti. This garment's elegance, formality, timelessness and complexity sums up the entire exhibition in one. The soft Crimson colour supports the mystery; and the flowers seem to support the multi-cultural theme. This piece was rescued from the Valentio Archives to be included in this exhibition. The second signature piece included at this Exhibition was from the Autumn/Winter 2009-2010, collection Although not designed by Valentino Garavani himself, Look 23 stays true to the Nature of Valentino. The extreme amounts of detail included in this piece definitely showcase one of Valentino most intricate pieces; a true piece of artwork. The themes in The Valentino Retrospective have a â€Å"recurrence of geometric patterns and graphic prints, the skilful use of fabric to create dramatic silhouettes and, of course, the distinctive palette of black, white and ‘Valentino red’. The future direction of this most esteemed fashion label is showcased through five creations by the house of Valentino’s new creative directors.† [Source 2] The Valentino Retrospective: Past, Present and Future is a collection of Valentino Garavani's most successful and original designs; located at the Gallery of Modern Art in Southbank, this astonishing exhibition is open to the public from the 7th of August to the 14th of November 2010. Including a lounging area, a cafe, a gift shop and a bar: This is, truly, a fusion of art, fashion and culture that one should not miss. Reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentino_Garavani

Buddhist schools Essay

The earliest and the most basic form of schools were Theravada and Mahayana which have been derived from the basic teachings of Buddha. These are actually same teachings but with different interpretations. Both of them have Dharma which is the basic teaching of Buddha. Both of these schools have some animosity between them. All the southern Asian countries and Vietnam have accepted the principles of Theravada. Any differences between the schools are minor matters are do not hinder in one basic belief of Buddha’s teachings. It is one of the earliest forms of teaching found in the history of Buddhism and is one of the most orthodox also . Theravada school emphasizes on meditation and helps in understanding the psychological nature of a human being. According to Mahayana school of teachings, salvation can only be achieved if we trust Amitabha. Such person longs to be born in the paradise, because he has done good deeds and followed the teachings of Buddha. The philosophy of this school is very unique. According to them in order to gain enlightenment a person should inward and not outward. Intuition is one thing this school emphasizes upon, as intuition is purely inward. Mahayana was previously known as Mahasanghikas and after a few decades of its formation it became so popular that it revolutionized the Buddhist teachings. Sutra and Vinaya were translated according to them, and in the due process they also had to reject some texts. The Mahayana philosophy grew more with the concept that Buddhas are lokottara. This means that they are connected to the world only by some external force and it has no impact internally . Why did Mahayana become more accepted? It is because the Mahayana ritual and imagery attracted the Vietnamese. Its ceremonies were in conformity with original Vietnamese beliefs and rituals. This school of Buddhism also combined folklore with Taoist teachings. The enlightened ones in Buddhism were respected as animist spirits. In 7th century C. E, Mahayana school became a little more developed. It was then called Vajrayana. This had an influence of Hinduism also but had similar teachings as of Mahayana. The aim of Vajrayana is the same as that in Mahayana, that is to attain Buddhahood, but the tantric practices showed a quick way to achieve this end . CONCLUSION From very early period Buddhists are concerned about education. In third century almost 9 Dhamma missionaries were sent to different areas of south East Asia in order to teach people about Buddhism . This is the oldest example telling Buddhists concern about Buddhist studies. These 9 Dhamma missionaries started a wave of missionaries. These were sent to Sri Lanka, Thailand and china etc. Today, due to these missionaries and Buddhist schools, Buddhists are present in very corner of the world. Vietnamese Buddhist education leaders are very much concerned about the global demands and needs of Buddhist education. In 1975, when the country got united, there already was a higher education institution in South; it was named Van Hanh University. This university was popular internationally and had close interaction with many other universities of the world. After 1980s two advanced schools were established in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City. These schools trained monks and nuns at B. A level. Due to growing demand these two higher education schools were later turned in to universities. These now trained monks and nuns at not only undergraduate level but also postgraduate level. In 1997, one more Buddhist university was formed, this time in Hue city. Today, there are almost 40, 000 monks and nuns. There are almost six colleges and 31 high schools teaching Buddhism . Buddhism has made great progress in Vietnam. A national calligraphic system which replaced Chinese was also introduced. This helped everybody get on the same platform and understand each other well. Before that it was difficult to have the entire nation on the same page, as the Vietnamese language lacked its own script. People, who did not understand Chinese, could not read books, as all the books were in Chinese. In Vietnam, the Buddhist studies do not influence just art, philosophy or painting. Theatre also serves as a conveyer of the legends, stories and facts about Buddhism. Buddhism is not only a source which quenches the thirst of the intellectuals. It quenches the thirst of the spirit also. Buddhist studies have changed the past and present of Vietnam. The Vietnamese Buddhists go far and wide in order to give a vent to the knowledge and impart it to the others. Buddhism has prospered leaps and bounds in the country. Though there are many rival religions in the country, Buddhism is by far the most popular one. As mentioned earlier, almost two thirds of the population practices Buddhism. During 968 it was made the state religion. Buddhism in Vietnam is no wonder superior than any other religion there, as it is not only accepted publicly but also helped in the moral and spiritual training of the general public. People believe it and accept it by heart. They call it the religion of compassion. The imprint of Buddhism can be seen in art and literature as well. Music has also been inspired from it. Today there are almost 15,000 worship places in Vietnam as compared to none in the beginning. There are almost ten million Buddhists all over the world. Vietnam alone has some 40,000 nuns. It was only 20,000 twenty years back. The development Buddhist studies have done can be clearly understood from the fact that today there are almost four Buddhist universities as compared to only one in 1981. Van Hanh was the first Buddhist school. Today there are schools all over Hanoi, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho. There are almost six colleges and 31 high schools for Buddhists. There are uncountable numbers of grassroots schools in many other provinces. This clearly shows that Buddhism has made a lot of progress since Buddhism first entered Vietnam . Buddhist monks are now not only studyin Buddhism in monasteries and colleges but are getting higher education all over the world. They are studying various subjects and religion in order to increase their knowledge. Not only have they had attained worldly knowledge, but spiritual knowledge which will lead them to enlightenment. References Anson, Binh. (n. d). Theravada Buddhism in Vietnam. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from: http://www. budsas. org/ebud/vn_thera. htm Brough, John. (n. d). Gandhari Dharmapada. India (n. p). Clark, Laura and Brown, Suzanne. (n. d). Buddhism in Vietnam. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from: http://journals. iranscience. net:800/mcel. pacificu. edu/mcel. pacificu. edu/as/students/vb/INDEX. HTM.