Analyzing an argument The True Extremist on Abortion by Tom Trinkon

Partitioning of Africa essays

Partitioning of Africa essays Sub Saharan Africa stayed isolated for a long time while areas around it and in other parts of the world were being colonized and urbanized. This fact is due to a few but important factors: geography, religion/war, and technology. The southern part of Africa is geographically isolated by the largest desert (Sahara) to the north and the Atlantic and Indian oceans to east and west, which also wrap around the southern end of the Cape of Good Hope. If an explorer did make it through the desert he would encounter some of the world's thickest jungles in the Congo region; if he ventured south down the Nile river, he would find the waters become increasingly more treacherous until they become almost impossible to navigate. The only group to have any access to southern Africa, in the beginning, was Muslim merchants and traders. They controlled the only land route to Africa via the present day Suez Canal area. They had already established trade routes and spread Islamic faith through some of the northern areas of Africa also. This also helped keep southern Africa isolated for a while because for any European power to pass through the land route or northern Africa meant to pass through and area controlled by and inhabited by the Muslim empires, who were always at war and odds the Christian European empires. It would be like traveling behind enemy lines. This left only one other route to southern Africa and all her valuable resources: the sea. But the sea route would have to wait on technology. At first, ships could only sail where the wind took them, and to sail to southern Africa and around the tip to the southeast side would mean sailing into the wind. Finally, a triangular sail that allowed ships to sail into the wind was invented, and the race was on. But even this was more daunting a task than originally thought. Voyages would spend months and even years at sea. Crews often came back with less than a third of the men still aliv...

The Effects of rewards on employee motivation Essay

The Effects of rewards on employee motivation - Essay Example As researches at the work level have shown, however, these needs for external rank or status are not the only needs which the worker brings to his work situation. Research has also shown the importance to the worker of the need to belong, to be liked, and to be an accepted member of a group. These member or internal rewards are thus highly prized by the worker (Reed 32). To become an accepted or high-ranking member of a work group, however, exacts its toll or cost: one must abide by its values and norms. But by abiding by its values and norms, the member's needs for association, friendship, approval, and support are satisfied. His standing or rank in the eyes of his fellow workers also goes up (Schuler 78). "The components of the motivation function include motivation theories, appropriate job design, reward and incentive systems, compensation, and benefits" (DeCenzo and Robbins 51). The terms "external" as applied to the concept of needs or rewards refer primarily to the source, organizationally speaking, through which individual needs tend to be satisfied (Schuler 79). The external needs include the need for economic rewards such as pay and job security. Through these economic rewards, of course, the individual satisfies many physical and biological needs which are elementary in human survival and adaptation. The external needs also include the need for status and to be engaged in interesting work; that is, to satisfy the desire to do work that tests competence and expresses some creative ability in individuals. In modern industry most of the needs included in the external category are associated with the larger organization and the management union structure (Reed 33). Management generally decides what and how work is to be done. Armstrong and Murlis (2007) underlines that: "aim is to offer a value proposition and maximize the combined impact of a wide range of reward initiatives on motivation, commitment and job engagement" (12). Through the process of collective bargaining, an organization-wide pay structure is established, setting the level of pay for various tasks. Similarly, other economic policies are established which determine the conditions of work which are external to the individual and the small group of which he is a part. At times, consequently, researchers call the external rewards "reward by management" (Reed 40; Lashaway-Bokina 225). Motivation is defined as a psychological force, analogous to a physical force in that it is a vector quantity possessing both magnitude and direction. Motivation is the amount of effort that one desires to expend in a given direction. The amount of effort one does expend to reach a goal is assumed, in the absence of the imposition of constraints on effort expenditure, to be in direct proportion to the amount of effort one desires to expend (Reed 40). Alternatively stated, and again neglecting constraints, the amount of eff

Health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health care - Essay Example Although the coverage changes will largely take effect after 2014, yet the changes made so far are likely to benefit the rural people by improving their coverage rates. Children in the family plans would be qualifying for coverage up to 26 years of age as dependents. The implementation of changes would develop high-risk pools which would be particularly meant for those whose health conditions have existed for quite a while in the past. Owners of petty businesses as well as their workers would benefit from the subsidies and the addition of tax credits. People in rural frontier and nonadjacent areas conventionally have very low rates of health care insurance as compared to those in the urban regions. Therefore, effects of the provisions of ACA will generally be much more profound in the rural areas as compared to the urban areas. Rural people happily accept to work for little compensation. Volume of business does not matter much for them. It is important to note that the effect of ACA in rural regions will be the aggregate of appreciable advancements in coverage, which would be steadied by the imposed limitations on payments to the health care providers in rural areas particularly through such programs as the Medicare program.

Tort law should not and could not be used to achieve distributive Essay

Tort law should not and could not be used to achieve distributive goals - Essay Example Tort law cannot achieve distributive goals and this attempt would be illegitimate, undesirable, ineffective and non feasible. For instance tort law cannot meet the progressive redistribution of wealth from rich to poor but it is the other way round. Tort law cannot advance the status of groups that are disadvantaged in society since in so many ways it runs short of fairness and that the bottom line is compensation. Social rationality and resource allocation is against the less social valued in society practicing tort law. Tort law cannot achieve distributive goals because it is full of indifference. It is questionable that omissions in tort law are often treated as incurring less liability than acts. Treatment of omission is different from that of acts therefore tort law is law of indifference as in Slovin v Wise (1996) 3 WLR 389. Responsibility for omission is less than that for acts even if damage was identical. It is argued that limiting responsibilities for an individual especially in relation to obligation is the duty of state. In Liability for omission, a distinction is drawn between misfeasance where a party is negligent and nonfeasance where a party does nothing at all. The general rule is that there is no liability for an omission (Slovin v Wise (1996) 3 WLR 389). In justice and rights, morality places an obligation on every individual to save life whenever it is possible. A person wat ching a small child drown in swallow water is morally obliged to save that child. The law of omission in tort gives a leeway. Tort law is a law of monetary compensation and in cases of omission there is no financial claim that results from nonfeasance. In tort, the value of social justice cannot be realized. For instance, Party intervened during an incident that leads to injury is view as less responsible if some third party comes in and causes subsequent harm. Attention is therefore shifted from the negligent act of the defendant toward the immediate wrong inflicted by the third party. It is unjust to say that the original negligent act exemplifies the fact that where injury to property is caused though fault of another party the other party is liable to compensate for the injury caused. It goes without saying that the perpetrator of careless act should be held responsible for injuries caused through there unreasonable behaviour. in Baker v Willoughy (1970) HL the court in the case held that the duty of the motorist and pedestrian with regard to keeping a proper look-out were different; appointment of liability, 25% to pedestrian and 75% to driver. Three years later before a decision on the case was made the claimant was shot during armed robbery in the previously injured led. D still had to make full payment despite the supervening injury because the injury did not rise by accident or lantern condition. The facts of this case demonstrate clearly that tort law cannot achieve distributive goals. For justice to prevail everyone should bear responsibility for their own act. Criminal justice call for a sentence toward the offender in equal measures to the wrong done. If the offender will be a threat to the public, justice and rights of individuals provide for imprisonment. The outcome of tort law can be so unpredictable and economically it may seem difficult to measure permanent damages especially those related to health in monetary terms. In addition, foreseeabl e consequences

Causes for World War One

Causes for World War One Connor Sweeney Q1) The incitement of World War One was the result of different factors set in motion by various political situations with many believing Germany pursued war for aggressive reasons. Additionally, historians illustrate that Germany pursued war as a solution to domestic issues such as the rise of socialism. Many historians believe that Germany pursued war through aggressive means such as policies and diplomatic decisions. Between 1890-1914, Germany adopted a new aggressive foreign policy that focused on territorial expansion called Weltpolitik. The German Foreign Minister, Bernhard von Bà ¼low once said Only a successful foreign policy can help to reconcile, pacify, rally, unite. Germany, as a result of this new policy, required a new larger naval fleet in order to push their expansionist ambitions which in turn threatened Britains status as the worlds colonial power. Consequently, Germanys Navy Laws of 1898 and 1900 upset Britain and sparked the Naval Race, a race to build the largest and most advanced naval fleet which in turn deteriorated Anglo-German relations. As a result, Britain entered into alliances with France in 1904 and Russia in 1907 respectively, creating what was known as the Triple Entente, meaning war with one nation could escalate into a European conflict. Additionall y, Germany pursued foreign interest in Morocco, in what was to be known as the Moroccan Crisis, where he publicly announced Germanys backing of Moroccos independence. This was during the time France was hoping to colonise Morocco with British backing through the Anglo-French Entente and thus Germany hoped to disrupt this relationship, feeling that it posed a threat to Germanys world influence. Towards the end of the 19th century, Germany was undergoing rapid mass industrialisation with coal and steel production increasing. As a result German society was beginning to politically shift as mass urbanisation began with many flocking to cities to work, where there were greater inequalities between the growing working class in the cities and the rural aristocrats in the countryside.   Discontent spread as workers working long hours for poor pay and conditions led changes for greater democracy and rights. This led to a rise in Socialism within German society that challenged the conservative and traditional Kaiser Wilhelm and the German government. This rise in socialist views was exhibited by the rise of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who, representing the growing working class, pursued social and political change. By 1912 the SPD had 110 seats in the Reichstag as opposed to 35 seats in 1890. The German government and the Kaiser saw the SPD as a dangerous threat and would no t let them the opportunity to govern despite their majority in the Reichstag. As the SPD grew, the right-wing parties in the Reichstag on whom the Kaisers government relied were losing support.   Thus the Kaiser introduced Sammlungspolitik, a domestic motion to support Weltpolitik. This was to ensure political and domestic unity in rallying together Germanys social elites (landowners, new industrialists, and the army) and encouraging patriotism and loyalty to the Kaiser and the government whilst encouraging opposition to socialism. Q2) As Europe entered the period of June August 1914 it became a diplomatic hotbed known as the July Crisis. The July Crisis coins the political and diplomatic situations following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a close ally of Germany. The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, was a member of a Serbian terrorist organisation fighting for Slav Independence from Austria-Hungary. Thus Austria saw this as a direct attack from the Serbian government and as a result sent them an uncompromising ultimatum or war. Germany saw this as an opportunity to push their expansionists aims and gave Austria their full backing. This Blank Cheque, as it was known, became a key step into outbreak of the war as with Germanys full backing, Austria could push on into war with Serbia.   Germany with their issue of the Blank Cheque believed Austria was ready to ignite an immediate and rapid war against Serbia despite their wariness of Russias Dual-alliance with Serbia, potentially escalating the war into a European conflict with the Franco-Russian Alliance causing France to support Russia. However, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, the German Chancellor, thought should a European war occur, that it was better to happen in 1914 than years later when Russia would be at a greater military capacity.   Although Serbia agreed to meet some of the demands of Austrias ultimatum, it did not fulfil all the terms and Austria with the blank cheque of Germany behind them, declared war on Serbia on the 28th July.   During these last few days in July, the European political situation heightened to breaking point with Tsar Nicholas signing motions for plans to both partial and general mobilise the Russian troops despite firm warnings from Germany. On the 29th July 1914 there was telegram exchanges between the Tsar and the Kaiser regarding the newly erupted war in the Balkans. Kaiser writing Of course military measures on the part of Russia would be looke d upon by Austria as a calamity we both wish to avoid[i], showing Germanys unrelenting stance. This was followed up by the Tsars reply I hope from all my heart that these measures wont in any way interfere with your part as mediator which I greatly value.[ii]. From these telegrams both the Tsar and the Kaiser conveyed an unwavering stand that illustrates an inevitability between both nations involvement in the Balkan war. As July drew to a close, events accelerated towards war with Austria-Hungary ordering general mobilisation on the 30th July 1914 with Russia doing the same. News spread to Berlin and by the 1st August Germany had declared war on Russia and started general mobilisation, activating the Franco-Russian Alliance which meant that Germany on the 3rd August declared war on France.   Part of Germanys military strategy against France was the Schlieffen Plan that involved marching through Belgium, a neutral country. In order to help protect Belgian neutrality, Britain had n o choice but to declare war on Germany on the 4th August and so Europe was plunged into war. Q3) There are many varying interpretations on who was responsible and culpable for the origins of WW1 with two of the main differing theories being from historians Fritz Fischer and Christopher Clark. Fischer takes the stance that sole responsibility for the war lies with Germany while Clark on the other hand, looks at the origin of the war as a collective responsibility where all nations must take a share of the blame. Fritz, on one hand, believes that Germanys pursuit of war was just a progression of their vast, expansionist aims. He claims that Germany, in the interest of becoming a global great power, was ready to launch WW1 and that once the war had started, its aims were precise and pre-determined especially in areas of territorial gains in Central and Southern Europe. Furthermore, Fischer believed that it was domestic factors that drove Germanys foreign policy as opposed to the orthodox view that it was external factors. At this time Socialism threatened the old, traditional empirical German society while industrialisation/urbanisation had caused growing inequalities between social classes which Fischer believed the Kaiser and the government wanted to resolve this through the pursuit of war. Fritz thought Germany was actively pursuing war to solve their domestic problems at home and fulfil their expansionist aims in one swoop. In this, he believes the blame lies solely at the step of Germany. On the other hand, Clarks thesis believes that a collective responsibility must be placed on all nations There is no smoking gun in this story; or, rather there is one in the hands of every major character[iii]. Clark states that the outbreak of the war was an accumulative result of political situations and diplomatic manoeuvres that metaphorically stumbled into a war. There is significant evidence to support this thesis such as Russias and Germanys unwavering relentlessness to get involved in the Austro-Serbian conflict as exhibited by the Willy-Nicky telegrams. Personally, the Fischer thesis provides the more convincing theory as it is supported by more significant evidence. In my opinion, Germanys adoption of Weltpolitik, an expansionist policy, forced other nations into alliances such as Britain who formed alliances with France following the Naval Race that was subsequently caused by this policy. Additionally, this aggressive foreign policy led to diplomatic manoeuvres such as the blank cheque to Austria Hungary, a promise of full support, that with its absence may have avoided the Austro- Serbian conflict that started the war. It seemed that Germany manoeuvred themselves into a position where war was inevitable in order to progress their expansionist aims and although many nations must take their share of the blame, it is in my opinion that Germany must take sole responsibility for the outbreak of World War 1. [i] The Willy-Nicky Telegrams, July-August 1914, Kaiser to Tsar (29th July 1914), History A: German Foreign Policy 1890-1914, Pg. 40. [ii] The Willy-Nicky Telegrams, July-August 1914, Tsar to Kaiser (30th July 1914) History A: German Foreign Policy 1890-1914, Pg. 40. [iii] Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914(London: Harper Collins,2012). http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kaiser-wilhelm-of-germany-and-czar-nicholas-of-russia-exchange-telegrams http://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/germanys_blank_cheque_to_austria-hungary

British Telecommunications and the Drivers of Globalization

Globalization is a phenomenon most often discussed among economists. Most of us have often heard that business is no longer restrained by political or cultural boundaries. Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) expand with little regards of geographical or cultural distance among their target markets. All decisions within a company are made with the additional consideration of how the international world will affect the results of that decision, a factor that most businesses ignored in some earlier decades.As indicated above, discussions about globalization are mostly about its effects toward the business environment, rather than its causes. Companies are more interested toward how a phenomenon will affect their financial conditions rather than where or what the phenomenon is actually coming form. Within this paper however, I will discuss several drivers of globalization. The drivers will be taken from various perspectives about globalization. To provide more connection to the internationa l business environment, we will use the British Telecom, one of the most successful MNEs in the global communication industry, as a reference to help define and justify the drivers of globalization.Furthermore, this paper will discuss the view of whether MNEs are actually competing globally or only regionally. There are arguments among scholars that the global economy do not actually existed. Globalization has taken us through national boundaries but it stopped in regional limits. In other terms, MNEs are not actually operating with global factors within their considerations, but rather regional factors. This view will be examined as we discuss the development of British Telecom.I. Literature ReviewII.1Corporations as Principle DriversAccording to Ron Blackwell (2002), corporations are the principle drivers of globalization. In the process of increasing their market share, corporations found that they need to expand further that their national boundaries allowed. While rapidly inter nationalizing their operations, most corporations fundamentally altered their structure and strategies, boosting the change of their national economy into a more globalize economy.This phenomena might not be observable in the US or European soil, because the process of corporations breaking through national boundaries have occurred several decades ago. However, the phenomenons are still happening today within the Asian and other developing economies. Economist have long predicted that Asia will be the center of massive economic growth in the near future, and the prophecy is fulfilled as China and India are increasingly integrated to the global economy.II.2Political, Technological and Social ConditionsIII.2.1 Market Oriented-PoliciesBeside the principle factor mentioned above, many arguments brought forward other causes of globalization. One of the popular ones is the influence of market-oriented policies. In China for example, the change of governmental policies regarding foreign in vestment and trade was the greatest factor that supported growth of the economy. Several decades ago, China was a country considered to have a ‘closed economy’. Today, the country is the largest recipient of the world’s Foreign Direct Investment and recognized as the most potential market in Asia (Diaz, 2001).III.2.2 Communication and Transportation TechnologyTechnological changes have also contributed to the process of turning the world into a single global economy. The internet spawned the e-commerce, which displayed a tremendous increase in its role in business and trade. As people in modern countries crave the ease of trade provided by the internet, the growth of e-commerce is predicted to last indefinitely. Furthermore, advanced transportation equipment also has a significant role in accelerating the globalization process.II.2.3  Ã‚   Global PhenomenaSocial conditions that supported globalization process consist of several important phenomena. One of those phenomena is the end of the cold war. The reduction of conflicts causes competitive environment for business development and population growth. It was recorded that the number of people on the planet is more than doubled since the 1960’s (Kohl, 2000). Both the reduction of conflicts and the increasing population created more economic, social and environmental linkages, which in the end, spawned globalization. Further analysis and identification of the drivers of globalization will be performed using the British Telecom plc.II. British TelecommunicationsIII.1  Ã‚  Ã‚   Corporate BackgroundBritish Telecommunication Plc is responsible for approximately 25 million telephone lines in the United Kingdom. The company is an international corporation which own and runs most of the telephone exchanges, trunk network and local loop connections for the vast majority of British fixed line telephones. The company, British Telecom is formed in 1981 and has developed itself into five larg e business divisions today, they are: BT Retail, BT Wholesale, Openreach, BT Global Services, BT Exact/One IT. The divisions provide communication services ranging from retailing telecoms to consumers to research & development and consultancy.There are several reasons why the observation on British Telecom is connected to the study of globalization and considered interesting by many. First, the UK telecommunication market was among the first telecommunication market that was deregulated in the early 1980’s. Several of the most influential regulatory innovations, like the price cap regulation was also developed and first implemented in UK telecommunications. Second, the British telecom was the first communication company in the world that was privatized in the early 1980’s. Third, because the UK telecommunication market was the first to be exposed to public interference, communication within the industry is ten years ahead of other European countries.III.2 Corporate Int ernationalizationIII.2.1 Role of Government PolicyAccording to the theories mentioned in the second chapter, there are several drivers of globalization with different emphasize on their significance. Generally, economists acknowledge that companies are the strongest driver of globalization and its processes. Despite the fact that this statement might be true for most MNE’s, regarding the British Telecom, I found that governmental policies are the most influential factor comparatively.Before its privatization in 1984, the British Telecom was granted the right for a monopoly over the fixed line network operations. This boosted the development of the company long enough to provide itself with strong infrastructure to face competitions. Having a major early start at the game, since its privatization, the company has been known as one of the strongest companies in UK. Government monopoly policies which then followed by the market oriented policies helped brought the company to its current position as a market leader in communication (Summanen, 2002).II.2.2  Ã‚   The Role of Corporate ExpansionThe second largest factor, which I believe was the effort within the corporation itself, came in some time after the company was privatized. In 1993, the company announced a joint global alliance through a new joint venture company. This new company is considered as the bridge which leads British Telecom into leading the global telecommunications operator. In order to expand the business by obtaining multinational clients, BT formed and acquired stakes of several joint venture companies overseas. Some of them were Albacom in Italy, Viag Interkom in Germany, Telenordia in Sweden, Dacom in Korea, etc. All of this was performed after there is a leadership change from Sir George Jefferson to Sir Iain Vallance as chairman of the group. This displayed the tremendous role of managerial decisions in the process of BT’s internationalization (Summanen, 2002).II.2.3  Ã‚   Role of Technology and Social FactorsThe changing culture and the increasingly rapid growth of the economy boosted telecommunication business. The 2001residential fixed telephone volumes were recorded to double as much as it was in 1996. Within the same period, local call volumes decreased and national and international call volumes increased. Furthermore, the role of technology in the development of British Telecom can be observed through the statistics also. From 1997 to 2001, calls to mobiles have been recorder to increase tremendously. This increase continues until today (Summanen, 2002).II.2.4  Ã‚   Competing GloballyIn terms of strategic market share, the British Telecom displayed a global approach throughout its lines of business. BT’s overseas activity targets were set to various markets in the world, divided into three segments: the North America market, the Mainland Europe market and the Asia-Pacific region. In North America, the company partnered with MCI to s upport growth. The largest focus is still in its home market and the mainland Europe using its core brands and the market Asia-Pacific region is still being developed (Sumanen, 2002).BibliographyBlackwell, Ron. 2005. ‘Hearing before the US-China Economi ad Security Review Commission Regarding Corporate Globalization Strategies China and the Future of Globalization’.Diaz-Bonilla, E and S Robinson eds. 2001. ‘Shaping Globalization for Poverty Alleviation and Food Security’. 2020 Vision Focus * Washington, D.CKohl, R and K, Orourke. 2000. ‘Whats new About Globalization: Implications for Income Inequality in Developing Countries’ Paper for Organizations for Economic Cooperation and Development Conference on’ Poverty and Income Inequality in Developing Countries’ Paris.Summanen, Tuamo. 2002. ‘British Telecom: Searching for a Winning Strategy’. Available at: msl1.mit.edu/CMI/furd_2002_a/btcase.pdf

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) remains a pivotal figure in American culture nearly thirty-five years after his death.   In his twenties and thirties, he was one of jazz’s foremost innovators, elevating the instrumental solo to a new and important role and helping invent the jazz style of singing.   Later in life, he became a widely popular entertainer rather than an innovator, a sort of â€Å"living legend† who preserved the music of yesteryear and projected a friendly, comical, widely imitated persona by which he is still remembered. Louis Armstrong was born in a poor section of New Orleans on 4 August 1901 but was unaware of his actual birthdate throughout his life.   He always claimed to be born on 4 July 1900, and this was accepted as fact until researchers found a birth certificate long after Armstrong’s death (Wikipedia). Fatherless and virtually motherless (his mother was a part-time prostitute who left him in his older sister’s care), he received little schooling and worked a series of menial jobs from an early age, including delivering coal and working for a family of Jewish junk merchants.   Despite a harsh, impoverished childhood in one of New Orleans’ most crime-ridden neighborhoods, he developed the optimistic personality that many Americans recognize. His musical training began at New Orleans’ Colored Waifs Home, where Armstrong was sent in early 1913 for firing a pistol in the air during a New Year’s Eve celebration.   During his 17 months at the home, he received instruction on the cornet and later recalled, â€Å"The place was more like a health center or a boarding school than a boys’ jail,† though the home was known for its harsh, militaristic discipline (Bergreen 73). After his release, he joined the city’s fertile musical community by performing in local jazz bands under Fate Marable (who taught him his strong professional ethic) and Kid Ory, as well as on riverboats. After meeting Joseph â€Å"King† Oliver and joining his pioneering jazz band, Armstrong became an exceptionally skilled instrumentalist and traveled to Chicago with Oliver, where he began recording in 1922 and went on his own within a few years. After leaving King Oliver’s band, Armstrong’s career flourished.   Biographer Laurence Bergreen writes, †It was as though Louis had taken [jazz] out of its infancy and given it a powerful breath of new life and independence† (Bergreen 200).   He formed a series of bands, most notably the Hot Five, with whom he had numerous hits (the first being â€Å"Muskrat Ramble† in 1926) and displayed his improvisational and interpretive skills.   Though he began as a trumpeter, he began singing as well during this period, using his unconventional, gravelly voice to develop scat singing, which other jazz artists adopted. He attained especially high standing among other jazz musicians for his virtuosity and ability to translate jazz (formerly the music of New Orleans’ street parades and dives) to records.   Bergreen notes that Armstrong â€Å"was the first important jazz musician to anticipate that his legacy would be actual recordings, not half-forgotten memories† (Bergreen 219), showing a shrewd side of his personality because early jazz artists (like its supposed creator, Buddy Bolden) were never able to reach a wider audience simply through live performance. After World War II, Armstrong was no longer a cutting-edge innovator, since jazz had by now evolved away from its New Orleans roots and transformed into swing and bebop.   However, says Bergreen, Armstrong â€Å"carved himself a unique niche in the music world . . . as a newly minted traditionalist† (Bergreen 433).   He began performing not only the New Orleans â€Å"hot† jazz he helped create but also pop, blues, Tin Pan Alley, and show tunes, winning him great popularity with the public but critical scorn. According to music critic Gary Giddins, â€Å"he was excoriated for playing pop tunes, fronting a swing band, appearing with media starts, sticking to a standardized repertory, engaging in vaudeville routines . . . mugging, entertaining† (Giddins 4).   However, this second phase of his career is as important as the first, since he never lost stature among his peers, produced some vital work (especially his collaborations with Ella Fitzgerald), and won an even wider following late in life. Armstrong was largely apolitical but strongly supported the civil rights movement, having experienced the effects of segregation his entire life.   He harshly criticized Dwight Eisenhower’s perceived inaction during the 1957 Little Rock school integration crisis, called Arkansas’ segregationist governor Orval Faubus â€Å"ignorant,† and snubbed the federal government by refusing to participate in a government-sponsored tour of the Soviet Union in 1958 (Wikipedia).   His warm, effusive, laid-back personality and friendliness toward people regardless of race led some to incorrectly dub him an â€Å"Uncle Tom,† though he generally refused to make race a personal issue. Armstrong essentially left two legacies – as innovator and entertainer.   Before reaching middle age, Armstrong’s accomplishments included his helping define jazz in its earliest years, as well as making the solo an important element of modern music.   In addition, he helped define jazz vocals and popularize scat singing, long a key element of jazz. After age forty, his second legacy was his familiarity to the American public and abroad, and he cared little about how some critics dismissed him for joining the cultural mainstream.   According to Giddins, Armstrong played almost any kind of material because he knew â€Å"that no song could diminish him and that he could lift most songs beyond their earthy calling† (Giddins 4).   According to Bergreen, â€Å"He was not just America’s greatest musical performer, he was also a character of epic proportions† (Bergreen 1).   More than thirty years after his death, Louis Armstrong remains one of the most recognizable Americans, hailed as both a creator and performer more than thirty years after his death. REFERENCES Anonymous.   †Louis Armstrong.†Ã‚   Wikipedia.   4 November 2005.   . Bergreen, Laurence.   Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life.   New York: Broadway Books, 1997. Giddins, Gary.   Satchmo: The Genius of Louis Armstrong.   New York: Da Capo Press, 1988.      

Free Essays on Book Report

A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, illustrates the timeless struggle for the furtherance of family values and morals with extreme clarity. The play follows the life of a small black family’s struggle to keep their dreams from tenants to owners alive. These dreams, and the struggles necessary to reach them, as well as coming to terms with the dreams that are out of reach, are the focus and driving force behind this story of every persons struggle to achieve goals that are not always in tune with societies thoughts or ideas on a persons place in life. The internal difficulties of the family, and the detrimental effects of these problems, are major themes in the play. In the opening scene; a husband, Walter, and wife, Ruth, are seen having a fight over Walter’s dream to become a â€Å"mover and shaker† in the business world by using an incoming insurance check for his mother as a down payment on a potential liquor business. Walter tells his wife, â€Å"Iâ €™m trying to talk to you ‘bout myself and all you can say is eat them eggs and go to work.† This is the first sign of Walter’s recurring feelings, that if someone in the family would just listen to him and put forth their trust, his dreams would come to life. Following this argument, Walter goes off to his job as a chauffeur which is the job he so longs to be done away with. As Walter dreams bigger and bigger he seems to leave the smaller things such as his family behind. This movement away from the family is against the family’s values and morals. (In the past his father would have been happy working for another man and caring for his family, but Walter is more concerned with becoming self-employed or at least in a management position without really thinking about the consequences which may be imposed upon his family by his incessant need to other things.) As seen later in the play, Walter learns that for the overall good of the family he needs to set his dreams aside an... Free Essays on Book Report Free Essays on Book Report A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, illustrates the timeless struggle for the furtherance of family values and morals with extreme clarity. The play follows the life of a small black family’s struggle to keep their dreams from tenants to owners alive. These dreams, and the struggles necessary to reach them, as well as coming to terms with the dreams that are out of reach, are the focus and driving force behind this story of every persons struggle to achieve goals that are not always in tune with societies thoughts or ideas on a persons place in life. The internal difficulties of the family, and the detrimental effects of these problems, are major themes in the play. In the opening scene; a husband, Walter, and wife, Ruth, are seen having a fight over Walter’s dream to become a â€Å"mover and shaker† in the business world by using an incoming insurance check for his mother as a down payment on a potential liquor business. Walter tells his wife, â€Å"Iâ €™m trying to talk to you ‘bout myself and all you can say is eat them eggs and go to work.† This is the first sign of Walter’s recurring feelings, that if someone in the family would just listen to him and put forth their trust, his dreams would come to life. Following this argument, Walter goes off to his job as a chauffeur which is the job he so longs to be done away with. As Walter dreams bigger and bigger he seems to leave the smaller things such as his family behind. This movement away from the family is against the family’s values and morals. (In the past his father would have been happy working for another man and caring for his family, but Walter is more concerned with becoming self-employed or at least in a management position without really thinking about the consequences which may be imposed upon his family by his incessant need to other things.) As seen later in the play, Walter learns that for the overall good of the family he needs to set his dreams aside an...

Free Essays on Les Miserable

Les Miserables Les Miserables is one of the most captivating plays of our lifetime! It grabs the audience and pulls you in head first. You can't take out eyes off of the stage, and even if you can, the music will take your breath away! I have seen the play 3 times and I don't think I enjoy anything in this world more than watching that play! Les Miserables starts off on a chain gang in France. The sheriff comes out and gives one of the convicts his release papers. This convict is the lead role who name is Jeran Valjean, who has served 19 years on the chain gang for stealing a mouthful of bread. Jean Valjean leaves the prison and sets out to find work. But no one will give him work because of his tattoo which reads 24601, his prison ID number. Then in the time when he couldn't be more down a priest invites Valjean to stay with him. Despite the kind priest taking him in and feeding him, Valjean decides to take the silver from the table. In the run he gets captured be the police. But instead of telling the truth about Valjeans thievery, he gives the criminal more silver and sends the police away. He makes Jean Valjean promise that he will become an honest man with this silver. The next scene in 10 years later set in a factory where we meat the other main character, Fantine. As she is reading a letter her perverted boss snatches it up with his hands and reads it aloud. Fantine has a daughter that lives with an innkeeper and his wife who are the only ones in this whole play that give some comedy relief. They treat her daughter horribly and when the boss finds out that she has a daughter he thinks of her as a prostitute and kicks her out of the factory, which is in the town in which the new honest Valjean is the mayor. To support her child Fantine sells her chain and her locks of hair. Then later because she can't find work becomes a prostitute. Later a respected person in the communi... Free Essays on Les Miserable Free Essays on Les Miserable Les Miserables Les Miserables is one of the most captivating plays of our lifetime! It grabs the audience and pulls you in head first. You can't take out eyes off of the stage, and even if you can, the music will take your breath away! I have seen the play 3 times and I don't think I enjoy anything in this world more than watching that play! Les Miserables starts off on a chain gang in France. The sheriff comes out and gives one of the convicts his release papers. This convict is the lead role who name is Jeran Valjean, who has served 19 years on the chain gang for stealing a mouthful of bread. Jean Valjean leaves the prison and sets out to find work. But no one will give him work because of his tattoo which reads 24601, his prison ID number. Then in the time when he couldn't be more down a priest invites Valjean to stay with him. Despite the kind priest taking him in and feeding him, Valjean decides to take the silver from the table. In the run he gets captured be the police. But instead of telling the truth about Valjeans thievery, he gives the criminal more silver and sends the police away. He makes Jean Valjean promise that he will become an honest man with this silver. The next scene in 10 years later set in a factory where we meat the other main character, Fantine. As she is reading a letter her perverted boss snatches it up with his hands and reads it aloud. Fantine has a daughter that lives with an innkeeper and his wife who are the only ones in this whole play that give some comedy relief. They treat her daughter horribly and when the boss finds out that she has a daughter he thinks of her as a prostitute and kicks her out of the factory, which is in the town in which the new honest Valjean is the mayor. To support her child Fantine sells her chain and her locks of hair. Then later because she can't find work becomes a prostitute. Later a respected person in the communi...

Prison Mental Health Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Prison Mental Health Services - Essay Example At mid-year 2005, more than half of all prison and jail inmates in the United States reported symptoms of a mental health problem within the last 12 months (James & Glaze, 2006).Among the state prison inmates nationwide, 43% reported symptoms that met criteria for mania, 23% reported symptoms of major depression, and 15% reported symptoms that met criteria for a psychotic disorder. (James & Glaze, 2006) Contributory factors to the higher prevalence rates of mental illness among individuals in prison include the criminalization of the mentally ill (Aderbigbe, 1977) and communication barriers between the criminal justice and mental health systems of care (Lamberti & Weisman, 2001). In addition, Satriano (2006) has described the social and contextual issues in the 1960's that were contributing factors to the imprisonment of seriously mentally ill persons, including deinstitutionalization of severely mentally ill persons in without adequate follow-up; rising levels of homelessness and substance abuse among mentally ill persons; and an anti-psychiatry movement led by Thomas Szasz and R. D. Lang who believed mental illness to be a myth and viewed psychosis to be a reactive response to a bad situation. Also, the criteria of dangerousness became necessary to involuntarily confine an individual, shifting the idea of commitment from a therapeutic concept to one that is protective of society. (Satriano, 2006) Most experts agree that the incarcerated population's mental health needs are grossly underprovided while they are incarcerated (Roskes et al., 1999). Mentally ill prisoners are more a risk for behavioral disturbances, acts of aggression, and disciplinary problems than non-mentally inmates (Rowen & Hayes, 1995). Untreated psychiatric symptoms are associated with assaults, self-injurious behavior, social withdrawal, and suicides within correctional facilities. (Hayes, 1995) The Supreme Court (Estelle vs. Gamble, 1976) established that it is unconstitutional under the eighth amendment to show indifference to the medical needs of prisoners. In Browning vs. Godwin (1977) it was determined that the right to medical treatment is not distinguishable from the right of mental health treatment. The American Psychiatric Association (2000) and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (1999) recommend mental health screening at the time of prison intake. The efficacy of treatment for the disease of interest should be established before a standardized prison-based screening program is considered. Early treatment with psychotropic medication is critical to the successful treatment of patients with serious psychiatric disorders. In the disease of schizophrenia, for example, the recognition of early phase illness and vigorous treatment aimed at relapse prevention may improve long term prognosis (Keks, Mazumdar, & Shields, 2000). Specifically, early intervention with antipsychotic medications decreases the long term morbidity of schizophrenia (Wyatt, Damiani, & Henter, 1998) and leads to a 2.5 to 10-fold reduction in relapse rates among those given maintenance treatment with anti-psychotic medication (Davis, 1985). Other studies have shown that detection, treatment and symptom control improves rehabilitation outcomes and self-efficacy

Research for Registered Nurses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Research for Registered Nurses - Essay Example Two relevant skills are important for making contribution in the clinical care in such scenarios. These are ability to examine the evidence in support of the proposed course of treatments and the ability to use the evidence in practice. However, extracting evidence from research is not easy so it can be used straightforward for clinical decision making. Although it is a commonly held idea that comprehending the research finding is what is necessary, but those who have tried this in practice know very well that finding a relevant evidence for facilitating decision making is not that easy (McDonnell, 2004). Usable evidence must support a proposed clinical activity and clinical intervention so the course of treatment can be modified. Familiarity with research process and research methods are two important requisites for a healthcare professional, and they should at the baseline be able to search the requisite information through a comprehensive, rigorous, and methodologically valid sear ch ultimately assisting them to select and deliver the most effective care. Stone and Rowles (2007) indicated that as far as nursing is concerned, most research has demonstrated that there are barriers to use research findings in practice, and the main reason is a gap of knowledge in research methods and deficiency in critical appraisal skills. A realistic, problem-based structured approach to find and evaluate research could solve the problem. Along with that, there must be approaches to have academic learning on research methodologies. Although there has been argument that evidence is lacking in all fields of nursing and in many cases review and implementation of evidence is not straightforward, it is clear that nurses most often do research for finding evidence with less than optimal methodological rigour. It has also been complained that the workload prevents the nurses to have adequate time to engage in research activity. Nursing as a profession is nascent, and lack of maturity of the science might have prevented practice guided by robust evidences fro m research (Stone and Rowles (2007). Focus Question Given these different views, it is necessary to find out the truth about nursing research, and consequently, doing a systemic literature review would be the best possible option with the focus question, what are the barriers of evidence based practice in nursing What could be the possible solutions Methodology Based on these focus questions, there were a set of inclusion criteria developed for finding relevant articles for this review. The articles which were included were all on evidence based practice in nursing, which identified the barriers to implement a process of finding relevant literature, evaluating and extracting evidence, categorizing evidence, and applying them in practice. It was expected that there would be certain number of studies in each of these themes along or in combination. The literature available in the University database will only be included which were relatively recent published within the period of last 5 years in English language will be included. It was also expected that many of these studies will also focus on evidence based nursing in different specialities. Since specialty-oriented nursing research evidence may have specific pitfalls or positive points specific