General Management Essay

Case on Discomfort in a factory and Management Decision MakingMohan remembered the call from the head office as he puts down the telephone receiver. His boss fromhead office he said, â€Å"I just read your analysis and I want you to go down to our plant in Kollakal near Mysore right away. You know we cannot afford this plant any more – the costs are just too high. So godown there, check out what would be our operational costs would be if we move, and report back to mein a week. â€Å"Mohan knew the challenge quite well as the branch manager of the Good will Specialty Products. Hiscompany is into manufacturing of special apparel for injured and people with other medical conditions. He needs to deal with high-cost labor in a remote village not so sophisticated plant, unionized manufac-turing plant. Although he had done the analysis there were 480 people who made a living at this facilityand if it is closed most of them will find it very difficult to get another job in the small town consisting of about 10 000 people. Instead of the Rs. 20/- per hour paid to the Kollakal workers the wages paid to the migrant workers near Aurangabad will be much cheaper Rs. /- hour working in sub human conditions. This provides a savingof 15 lakhs to the company for a year, which, can now be used to meet the costs for training, transporta-tion and other matters. After two days of talking with Migrant workers association and representatives of other companies usingthe same services in the town, Mohan had enough information to formulate alternative plan for produc-tion and the c ost figures for production and transportation. What was bothering him was only the thoughtthat how is going to handover the termination of service notice to the Kollakal workers. The plant in Kollakal had been in operation since 1930s making special apparel for persons sufferingfrom injuries and other medical conditions. Mohan has often talked to the employees who would recountstories of their fathers and grant fathers working in the company plant-the last of the original manufactur-ing operations in the town. AN ISO 9001 : 2008 CERTIFIED INTERNATIONAL B-SCHOOL But friendship aside competitors had already edged past Good will in terms of price and were dangerous-ly close to overtaking it in product quality. Although Mohan and his Boss had tried to convince the unionto accept the lower wages, union leaders resisted it. In fact, in one occasion when Mohan tried to discussa cell manufacturing approach, which would cross train employees to perform up to three different jobs,local union leaders could barely restrain their anger. Yet probing beyond their anger Mohan sensed their vulnerability, but could not break through. Tomorrow he will discuss his report with the CEO. Mohan does not want to be responsible for disman-tling of the plant at Kollakal, an act, which Mohan believes is personally wrong, but he is helpless. Mo-han said to himself â€Å"The costs are too high, the union’s unwilling to cooperate, and the company needs tomake a better return on its investment if it has to continue at all. It sounds right, but it feels wrong. Whatshould I do? Questions : 1. Assume you want to lead the change to save the Kollkal plant. Describe how you would proceed? 2. What is the primary type of change needed – technology, product, structure or people/culture? 3. What techniques would you use to overcome union resistance and implement change? i need the answers for this case study plz provide me

Lizzie Andrew Borden’s Defense

The Lizzie Borden case has mystified and fascinated those interested in crime forover on hundred years. Very few cases in American history have attracted as much attention as the hatchet murders of Andrew J. Borden and his wife, Abby Borden. The bloodiness of the acts in an otherwise respectable late nineteenth century domestic setting is startling. Along with the gruesome nature of the crimes is the unexpected character of the accused, not a hatchet-wielding maniac, but a church-going, Sunday-school-teaching, respectable, spinster- aughter, charged with parricide, the murder of parents, a crime worthy of Classical Greek tragedy. This is a murder case in which the accused is found not guilty for the violent and bloody murders of two people. There were the unusual circumstances considering that it was an era of swift justice, of vast newspaper coverage, evidence that was almost entirely circumstantial, passionately divided public opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the accused, incompetent prosecution, and acquittal. Not much is described of Lizzie Andrew Borden's childhood. On March 1, 1851, Emma Lenora Borden was born to Andrew and Sarah Borden, and on July 19, 1860, Lizzie had arrived. While Lizzie was at the young age of two, Sarah died of uterine congestion. In 1865, Andrew Borden wed Abby Durfee-a short, shy, obese woman who had been a spinster until the age of 36. Abby's family were not as well off as the Bordens. Lizzie suffered from psychomotor epilepsy, a strange seizure of the temporal lobe that has one distinct symptom: a â€Å"black-out† in which the patients carry out their actions in a dream state, aware of every action without knowing what they are doing. Lizzie Borden seemed to have two entirely different personalities: the good daughter (a member of the Congressional Church, and a brilliant (conversationalist), and the bad daughter (deeply resentful of the patriarchy). These two personalities could be explained by the families' contradiction about their social statuses. She also had a habit of stealing from the local merchants. The Borden family of Fall River, Massachusetts, was well known-not only because of Andrew Borden's wealth, but also because of the New England name. Lizzie was the ninth-generation on her father's side to live in Fall River. Andrew held many positions throughout his life, which included president of Union Savings Bank, director of First National Bank, director of Durfee Safe Deposit & Trust Company, director of Globe Yarn Mill Company, director of Troy Cotton & Woolen Manufacturing Company, and director of Merchants Manufacturing Company. They led a modest life in the south part of town near factories and City Hall. Despite this crowded neighborhood and closeness to the police department, none of the neighbors saw anything helpful on the morning of the murders. What makes the Fall River murders so confusing is that the motive, the weapon, and the opportunity for such a crime are all absent. They found no money or jewelry missing, not even small amounts of change were taken in the daytime break-in at the Borden home a year earlier. The home had been locked up as usual, the maid Bridget Sullivan-an Irish immigrant, 26, that had been working at the household since 1889-was washing windows, and daughter Lizzie was inside the house reading a magazine. Even if both were involved for some reason in this shocking crime, what became of the blood so conspicuously missing from the bludgeoned corpses? Furthermore, the prosecution never proved the weapon was an axe. When Officer Mullaly asked if there were hatchets in the house, Lizzie replied with, â€Å"Yes, they are everywhere. † Bridget and Mullaly went down to the basement and found four hatchets: one rusty claw-headed hatchet, two that were dusty, and one that had dried blood and hair on it (later determined as cow's blood and hair. One of these was without a handle and covered in ashes. The break on the handle appeared to be recent so it was submitted as evidence. Yet microscopic examination of this blade revealed no traces of blood. Mrs. Borden was struck with a â€Å"heavy, sharp-edged candlestick,† yet no axe, hatchet, or even candlestick could be found to uphold these theories in court. The contrarieties of the case caused more than 1,900 divorces (according to a New York Times poll at the time) in which husbands and wives, argued over the innocence or guilt, decided that they were mutually incompatible. By nine thirty August 4, 1892, Abby Borden's head was nearly torn off her shoulders by a blunt instrument as she lay face down in the upstairs guestroom. Forensic experts at the time judge that she had seen her attacker when struck. When examined by Dr. Bowen-a friend, physician, and neighbor-he found her head crushed by 19 axe or hatchet wounds in the back of the scalp. Because of the lack of blood, it has been determined that Abby died from the first blow, and with death her heart had stopped pumping blood. The 200-pound victim lay sprawled out on the knees face down to be discovered two hours later. For 30 years Abby and Lizzie lived together under one roof, yet on the day of the murder Lizzie gave no indication that they ever got along. Deputy Marshal John Fleet testified that on the day Abby died he asked Lizzie â€Å"if she had any idea who could have killed her father and mother. † Lizzie responded with, â€Å"She's not my mother, Sir. She is my stepmother. My mother died when I was a child. † â€Å"I did not regard her as my mother, though she came there when I was young. I decline to say whether my relations between her and myself we those of mother and daughter or not. I called her Mrs. Borden and sometimes Mother. † Edmund Pearson's famous description of the scene where Andrew Borden-70, a tall white-haired grim man, known for his business abilities and wealth in Fall River-was found dead: â€Å"This was a small room, nearly square, with but two windows, both on the south side. The floor was covered with the usual garish, flowered carpet, customary in such houses at that time, and the wallpaper was of a similarly disturbing pattern. The furniture was mahogany or black walnut, upholstered with the invariable black horsehair. On the north side of the room, opposite the windows, was a large sofa, and on this lay the dead body of Mr. Borden with his head and face so hacked as to be unrecognizable even to his friend and physician, Dr. Bowen. Borden's head was slightly bent to the right, but his face was almost unrecognizable as human. † One eye had been cut in half and out of its socket, his nose had been severed, and there were eleven distinct cuts within a fairly small area extending from the eye and nose to the ears, four of them crushing the skull. The wounds were so severe that the first eleven must have killed him. When the police finally arrived after the murders, Lizzie acted more like a concerned citizen rather than a daughter in shock. Many suspects had been eliminated, but it was inevitable that Lizzie would become the prime one, especially that after they learned she had tried to purchase ten cents worth of prussic acid poison the week before from Eli Bence, a clerk at Smith's Drug Store. Adelaide Churchill, the neighbor who stayed with Lizzie until the doctor arrived, testified in court that she did not see any blood on Lizzie's dress when she left at noon. According to Mrs. Churchill, â€Å"I stood in front of her, rubbing both her hands and fanning her, and I did not see any blood on her face, nor any disarrangements of her hair. Such a spotless appearance seems impossible if Lizzie had committed the crime, for she had at best 20 minutes after her father fell asleep to strike him eleven times about the head, hide the murder weapon, and clean all evidence off her clothes and body. At 3:00 p. m. the bodies of Andrew and Abby were carried into the dining room, where Dr. Dolan performed the autopsies. Emma Lenora Borden returned just before seven from visiting friends in Fairhaven after hearing of the occurrence by telegraph. The police continued to investigate for weeks to come, but nothing of significance was found. The morning after the funeral, Miss Russell-a neighbor-witnessed Lizzie burning a dress in the kitchen stove, she claimed that it was stained with paint and was of no use. It was because of this testimony that Judge Blaisdell of the Second District Court charged Lizzie with three counts of murder (oddly, for the murder of her father, the murder of her stepmother, and the murder of the both of them) and if found guilty, faced death by hanging. The trial was set for June 5, 1893. This was the Victorian era, when women were â€Å"certainly not capable of killing anyone. † You must remember that Lizzie was of a wealthy family of high status. After only an hour, the 12 jury members declared Lizzie to be not guilty. It is said that it only took 15 minutes to decide, but out of respect for the prosecution, they waited another 45 to inform the court of their choice. Lizzie was legally free, but in the public's opinion, she was still guilty. After the acquittal, Lizzie legally changed her name to Lizabeth, moved out of the house on 92 Second Street. Emma and Lizzie inherited $200,000. 00 each from their father's death; their first purchase was a lovely home on The Hill at 7 French Street, the most fashionable place in Fall River, in which Lizzie named Maplecroft. Lizzie enjoyed the theatre, and met a stage/silent film actress by the name of Nance O'Neil. It was a party thrown for Nance and her acting members that caused Emma to move from Maplecroft in 1905, she simply could not abide by Lizzie's new rowdy friends. After Emma moved to Newmarket in New Hampshire, Lizzie and her had little or no communication and the two sisters never saw each other again. Lizzie died on June 1, 1927, at the age of 67. Emma did not attend the funeral, because on the day of Lizzie's death, she had fallen and suffered a broken hip. Emma died on June 21, 1927 at the age of 76. Both were buried in the Borden family plot in Oak Grove Cemetery. Andrew Jackson Borden lies between Sarah and Abby, while Lizzie and Emma are at his feet. Lizzie Andrew Borden is forever linked with one of history's greatest unsolved mysteries. And now thanks to Martha McGinn (president of TILBA, The International Lizzie Borden Association) for $150 per night, members of the public will be able to actually sleep in the house where the murders took place. The Lizzie Borden House Bed and Breakfast Museum was to open on, appropriately, August 4. The breakfast includes food eaten the morning of the murders, such as bananas, johnnycakes, sugar cookies, and coffee with the management dressed as and playing the part of the Bordens.

Workplace violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Workplace violence - Essay Example   In the US, Federal and state work safety laws compel employers to take rational and reasonable efforts to make sure that workplace is safe including the duty of reducing violence. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and few other state agencies have in recent years issued guidelines for night retail establishments, health care operations and employees in a normal work setting. OSHA General Duty Clause compels that employers in a worksite provide a healthful and safe workplace for all employees covered by the Act. In accordance with laws, by effectively controlling and preventing workplace violence hazards and related threats; employers are better placed to protect employee and avoid worksite incidents. In addition, both state and Federal job discrimination laws require employers to implement various harassment policies and guidelines including taking speedy action this harassment happens. Sexual, racial, and other kinds of harassment at worksite may l ead to liability for compensatory as well as punitive damages. To start with, one of the preeminent protections the boss can offer to employees is to institute a zero-tolerance policy and attitude toward workplace violence. Such a policy should cover all workers and anybody else who may come in contact with organization personnel. Closely related to this the fact that the employer can provide various safety education for workers related to workplace violence such as informing victims their legal right to prosecute perpetrators.   

Methods of Analysis - Horizontal and Vertical Assignment

Methods of Analysis - Horizontal and Vertical - Assignment Example The horizontal analysis for an income statement is taken out by considering two years data. By taking out the difference between both years, a further calculation is conducted. Similarly, the balance sheet also requires the same technique for conducting the horizontal analysis. Vertical analysis is a relative analysis of the financial data. In this particular case, each category of the financial statement is classified as a percentage of other related items. Basically, all the items are listed according to the percentage value of the total sales. Likewise, in the case of a balance sheet, all the listed items are derived from the percentage value of the total assets. This analysis is very helpful as financial decision-makers are capable of making the decision on the basis of account balances held within the single time span. With the help of ratio analysis, the decision makers take out quantitative analysis regarding the data provided by the firm’s financial statements. There a re certain formulas used to calculate the ratios. The basic motive of analysis is to measure the performance of the firm in comparison to the competitors, the historical data, and even the industry as a whole. In order to take out fundamental results, current year ratios are compared to the timeline results (Sinha, 2009). The main purpose of the analysis of financial statements is to recognize the advantages of the company and take the most out of them and to recognize the weakness of the company and take corrective measures (Cagan, 2005). In the horizontal analysis, the dynamics and the tendency of the position of the financial statements are examined. On the basis of the observed changes, the security and business efficiency is estimated. Whereas in vertical analysis enables insight into the structure of the financial statements. The structure of the financial information is very important in determining the business quality. Ratio analysis is divided into 2 groups; one group cont ains information within a certain period, typically one  year. Group 1 uses data from the cash flow statement and income statement.   Group 2 contains information from a particular moment and relates to data of the balance sheet.   Thus, this measures the quality of the business.

To what extent did women enjoy political religious and social power in Essay

To what extent did women enjoy political religious and social power in archaic Rome - Essay Example Because layer upon layer of building has occurred in the area in and around Rome, it is impossible to form a complete record from the archaeology, but nonetheless there is sufficient evidence to draw some conclusions about the way that people lived in Rome in this very early period. This paper focuses on the extent to which women in particular enjoyed power in archaic Rome, looking at political, religious and social dimensions of power in turn. In each case a distinction is drawn between high status women, and low status women, because the experiences of each group is likely to have been very different. The origins of Rome are to be found in the migrations of the Latini tribe to Northern Italy from a region to the north and East around the river Danube. They settled in the area we now know as Latium. Other tribes in the area include the Etruscans, the Sabines, and various Greek-influenced groups to the south. This legend seems to have been passed down orally and it was recorded much later by the Roman historian Livy in his history of the city, a major work entitled Ab Urbe Condita Libri.1 The way that the early history is depicted, with a female wolf nursing twin baby boys sets up a number of interesting speculations about the role of women in that early society. Livy is very aware of the problematic and clearly mythical content of the founding story when he writes â€Å"The traditions of what happened prior to the foundation of the City or whilst it was being built, are more fitted to adorn the creations of the poet than the authentic records of the historian, and I have no intention of establishing either their truth or their falsehood.† 2 Writing from a time when Roman society appeared to be heading for decline, in the first decade of the new millennium, Livy sees the past as a time of comparative glory, and it is no coincidence that he mentions the early Roman worship of the warlike God Mars as its most iconic feature: â€Å"Now if any nation ought to be allowed to claim a sacred origin and point back to a divine paternity that nation is Rome. For such is her renown in war that when she chooses to represent Mars as her own and her founder’s father, the nations of the world accept the statement with the same equanimity with which they accept her dominion.†3 Livy is an important source in terms of the way that later Romans wanted their past to be remembered, but his account must be read with care, since many of his ideas are shaped by a much later age, and a particular agenda to show the Romans and their past in a positive light. Women appear from time to time in the narrative, but they are usually incidental to the main story, and Livy’s bias against women is only too obvious. An important source of political power, in the origins of Rome, as in all early civilizations, is the network of family allegiances that comes about through marriage. Livy reports that the prehistoric origins of the Roman people came a bout because of an alliance between the Trojan super hero Aeneas, and the king of the Laurentian territory Latinus. This alliance may have come about due to a Latinus being defeated in battle, or due to the deference of Latinus before the supremacy of the Trojan warriors who had arrived in the local area intent on plunder. The key point that Livy stresses is the â€Å"

The iPhone Phenomenon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The iPhone Phenomenon - Research Paper Example This product continues to best itself. These are some factors that make this a remarkable product to not only invest in but endorse for the future. Corresponding Benefits Professionals Ability to keep in touch while on the move Document information while on the move with note taker and recorders Communicating by E-mail, instant messaging, and phone Students Style and individuality through the looks of the phone Complete many tasks without carrying several gadgets Keeps them connected to music, entertainment as well as organize your time with your own personal assistant. It’saniPod, phone, video; TV shows internet, and PDA Personal Better and faster connection to internet. Mobil Navigation Mobil Social connections; Facebook, Twitter, etc. Great multifunctional cameras; HD video and photo cameras. Marketing miX Product: The product has following features 4 inch large screen. High definition camera. iOS 6. Unintentional damage security. Hardware repair coverage. Weight is 112 gm only. LTE wireless technology, A6 chip. Price: Skimming pricing strategy. Premium pricing strategy. The pricing strategy of iPhone 5 by Apple Inc includes the flexibility to lower the prices if consumer response dictates such actions. Place: Apple places the iPhone 5 in worldwide stores by online stores, retails stores, direct sales and through third parties. Apple has divided its global market for iPhone 5 in too many different divisions includes: South America, North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Japan. Apple has more than 350 stores in thirteen countries worldwide. Promotion: In promoting iPhone 5, Apple has focused on offering innovative features and services to gain the customer loyalty. Apple has marketed iPhone 5 with the emotional and rational appeal. It connected iPhone 5 in the advertisements with people life style, imagination, innovation, passion, liberation dreams and ambitions. Environmental scan: (PESTC) Political: Apple’s iPhone 5 is selling all ove r the world so it is facing several issues that are beyond the company control i.e. political uncertainties, war against terrorism and sanctions on different countries. Political instability is affecting badly on the sales of iPhone 5 in different parts of the world. Economical: The inflation in different economies has influenced the sales of iPhone 5.Last year the high unemployment rate in USA and Europe may have affected sales of Apple products. However at the same time the economy was boosted by the sale of the iPhone. It sold over 5 million since its launch. It was predicted in 2012 that the economy would be boosted by .05 in 4th quarter. (Rush, Dominic, theguardian.com; 2012) Social: European countries and some parts of Canada which are large markets of Apple products are actually facing some health concerns because of the excessive use of iPhone 5 by the users. It is reported that improper use of Apple products may lead to hearing power of users. Technological: The advancement s and revolutions in technology are inventing day by day. It is the biggest challenge for Apple to maintain its competitive advantage of innovation. Every year there is the â€Å"next big thing,† (Android), that comes out and each year they look to not only the competitors but also themselves. Even Now there is talk of the newest iPhone (iPhone 5s) being announced in September. This one is not only technically advanced with the new operating system, but it is also going to be affordable phones available. (Stern, Joanna; ABC News, August 11) Competition: The main two

What effects does parental involvement have on low income families or Annotated Bibliography

What effects does parental involvement have on low income families or Does parental involement have an effect on educational achievement - Annotated Bibliography Example including economic demographics, genetic predispositions, overall intelligence, and social factors, like parental involvement. The latter is a fascinating element. A parent’s active involvement in their children’s schooling can have a profound positive impact. There is however, a balance that needs to be achieved; after all too much parental involvement can be detrimental, depending on how that involvement is applied. The articles reviewed for this discussion allow for a thorough and balanced perspective on the topic. These sources, as a whole, were not particularly difficult to obtain. Google search provided a number of online accessible journal sources, simply, by applying the keywords, â€Å"parental involvement and student achievement.† Combined together these sources give a broader area of research and contributes to understanding of the relevant facts and allow for an unbiased viewpoint to answer the applicable questions of this issue. This article intended to determine how relevant parental involvement, or lack of, truly has on elementary school age children in the 1st, 3rd and 5th grades. The authors propose that, although, the immense amount of research has shown that parental involvement is imperative, hugely impactful, and should be encouraged, most research cannot say with absolutely certainty that involvement effects overall academic achievement.(El Nokali, Bachman & Votruba-Drzal, 2010) There is a definite correlation between less â€Å"bad† classroom behavior due to parental involvement and can aid in social development, but not directly on academic achievement. This article is a very interesting source. It is useful in that it approaches the correlation between parental involvement and academic achievement with a skeptical eye. Parental involvement is important and should be recommended, but it may not be a guarantor that it will ensure a

Business Plan Assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Plan Assignment - Coursework Example We believe in creating a long-term value for our clients, employees and the community via an insightful professional program. RABCO Accounting consultant will be a highly visible consulting firm that would be well known for its highly professional duties regarding accounting, taxation and auditing. In the long run, we will be looking on the means to expand our services to include the partnering with the upcoming businesses that requires guidance in their efforts to make profits. The firm will offer the technical services in an effort to ensure that the firms can stand in the highly competitive business environment. The assistance to the growing firms will ensure a long relationship that would result to the profits in our firm. The mission and vision of the company will propel our goals. We target to become the best consulting company in the country in the next five years. This goal will only be enabled by our hard and dedicated work to providing excellent services to our clients. The clients will give as a support by referring their colleagues to us if only there are satisfied beyond reasonable doubt with the services we provide to them. RABCO Consulting Company was mainly motivated to enter into the market by the growing number of clients that want the accounting services nationally (Hovers, n.d.). There are however a growing number of graduates that are qualified and were ready to offer their skills in the accounting firms. The company enters into the field with the intention to offer efficient services to enhance the productivity and to grow their profits, Given that there are some well-known accounting firms in the land, it will not be easy for RABCO LTD to make an impact at the first entry (Wiley, 2008). The company will rely on small companies that do not have adequate finances to hire the services of the giant accounting firms. The firm will have

Virtue ethics Essay Example for Free

Virtue ethics Essay 1. 0 Introduction Different cultures have different way of thinking. With the coming of Christianity, a new set of ideas emerged. The Christians, like the Jews, viewed God as a lawgiver, and so laws will be the key to righteous living. For the Greeks, the life of virtue was in related to the life of reason. But Saint Augustine, the influential fourth-century Christian thinker, distrusted reason and believed that moral goodness depends on subordinating oneself to the will of God. Thus, modern moral philosophers has different subject from ancients by asking What is the right thing to do? Instead of asking What traits of character make someone a good person? This led them in a different direction. Following are theories develop by them: Ethical Egoism: Each person ought to do whatever will best promote his or her own interests. The social Contract Theory: The right thing to do is to follow the rules that rational, self-interested people would agree to follow for their mutual benefit. Utilitarianism: One ought to do whatever will lead to the most happiness. Kant’s theory: Our duty is to follow rules that we could accept as universal laws – that is, rules we would be willing for everyone to follow in all circumstances. (Ruggeiro. V. R. ,2011) 2. 0 What Is a Virtue? The first systematic description of virtue ethics was written down by Aristotle in his famous work Nichomachean Ethics. Aristotle said that a virtue is a trait of character manifested in habitual action. The word â€Å"habitual† here is important. The virtue of honesty, for example, is not possessed by someone who tells the truth only occasionally or only when it benefits her. The honest person is truthful as a matter of course; her actions â€Å"spring from a firm and unchangeable character. † (Ruggeiro. V. R.,2011) When people acquire good habits of character, they are better able to regulate their emotions and their reason. This, in turn, we will reach morally correct decisions during making difficult choices. To apply virtue ethics to a given case first should discuss which character traits (virtues, vices, intermediate states) are relevant and reflect on the kind of actions, attitudes, and feelings go along with them. It is not enough to say This action expresses virtue, you must say which virtue (generosity, appropriate compassion) and the reason. (Dr.Garrett, 2005) 2. 1 What are the Virtues? Virtues are the essence of our character. Almost every character should be fostered in human beings. The more virtues that we can practice on our life, the more our lives open up to new possibilities and to greater joy and fulfillment. Virtues List Fairness| Patience| Prudence| Friendliness| Loyalty| Honesty| Conscientiousness| Helpfulness| Self-discipline| Compassion| Courage| Self- reliance| Civility| Cooperativeness| Tolerance| (World language process, n, d) There are many more beside from the list above. 3. 0 Topic sentence In the virtues list above, I have chosen helpfulness as the greatest ethical ideal that I learned from this subject. According to (Shelly, 2009) helpfulness is teachable by our parent and family members since we are young. For example, we can teach a dog to become seeing-eye dog which can help the blind man in his daily life. The reason that I choose this is because I had experience the important of helpfulness in the hour of need. One day, I went to Giant supermarket to buy a bottle of soft drink that is RM3. 00, when I went to cashier and made payment, I realize that I had no enough money in my purse. I only have RM1 in my purse, and there long queue behind me. I asked the cashier that whether I can make payment by debit card or not. She tried few times but the card machine is not functioning. I feel anxiety and ashamed because there is many people waiting behind me. Suddenly, a Malay girl came beside me and helps to pay another RM2 to the cashier. I feel grateful the Malay girl had helps me in the hour of need although we don’t know each other and when I want to return the money to her but she rejected. In the end, I had return back the money to her and her friend said she was always like that. The helpfulness of the Malay girl is worth to be learned by us. Helping each other is just a very common thing in our life and it is benefit the giver as well as the receiver. But sometimes, there are some people helping others in order to get reward from those who need help. To avoid this, we should help people spontaneously just like the Malay girl. Ethics is asp rational rather than obligations for inducing human nature to be an ideal. According to mental health America (2012), there is a research show that those who often helps other people will live in less depression, greater calm, fewer pains and better health life. In Malaysia, we have three major ethic groups and others minor ethnic groups living together. In order to achieve peaceful coexistence, we should help each other when the hour of need rather than just care for our own. If we can continued foster the virtue of helpfulness, our country will be harmonious. But, unfortunately, our society has gradually become cold and detached. There is a case happened in Air Itam, Penang. A 60-year-old woman, Tan Kin Chuan, was robbed and knocked down by two snatch thieves on a motorcycle in and sadly, no one went to her aid. The disturbing scene was caught by CCTV cameras installed near the motorcycle parking area on the ground floor of the Padang Tembak flats. Based on the footages, the woman, who worked at a kopitiam lay unconscious as several people walked pass before an old man walking with an aid of a cane, finally called an ambulance. She was later taken to the Penang Hospital but succumbed to her injuries eight hours later, due to head injuries. (ntv7 News Portal, 2012) Why that passer-by doesn’t want to help the old woman? If the first passer-by give aid to the old woman and send her on time to the hospital, she might not die at the end? Nowadays, Malaysia public order is getting more and more worse; we can see there is many cases such as frauds, pretending to ask for directions, disguise the identity of the robbery, kidnaps reported in newspaper. In such circumstances, people had to be vigilant, no longer easily trust each others, or even turn a blind eye to help in the immediate event, so as not to fall into the trap of getting himself into trouble. At the end, people’s compassion and mercy has been reducing and replace with the heart of stone and indifferent attitude. There is many ways for us in helping others and it’s doesn’t means that we have to make grand gestures or huge time commitments. It can mean holding the elevator for someone is coming in, helps your co-worker to gets something is beyond their reach, letting a car in front of you on the road and many others. Besides that, we also can involve our self as a volunteer in some organization which having social responsibility project. We can based on our interest to find a right match, for example, if you are interest in reading, you may consider volunteering at a school or tutoring program; if you love animal, you can volunteering in Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 4. 0 Conclusion In conclusion, we should not be hesitate and stingy to give a helping hand for the needy. Although it’s may be only a single small act of kindness but when bound together it can make a big changes. It is because so many people step forward and offer that helping hand that we are able to help those who are in more unfortunate situations. Reference Ruggeiro. V. R. (2011) Thinking Critically about Ethnical issues (8th edition). Boston. Mc Gard- Hill Dr. Garrett, (2005) Virtue Ethics [Online]. Retrieved from: http://www. wku. edu/~jan. garrett/ethics/virtthry. htm [Accessed on 5 Nov 2012] World language process (n,d) List of Virtues [Online]. Retrieved from: http://www. worldlanguageprocess. org/comic%20books/virtues%20list. htm [Accessed on 10 Nov 2012] Shelly. R (2009) Helpfulness [Online]. Retrieved from: http://www. heartlight. org/articles/200906/20090616_helpfulness. html [Accessed on 6 Nov 2012] Mental Health America (2012) Helps Other [Online]. Retrieved from: http://www. liveyourlifewell. org/go/live-your-life-well/others [Accessed on 10 Nov 2012] Ntv7 News Portal, (2012) No immediate assistance: Elderly woman knocked down by snatch thief, ignored by all but an old man [Online]. Retrieved from: http://origin-www. ntv7. com. my/7edition/local-en/NO_IMMEDIATE_ASSISTANCE_ELDERLY_WOMAN_KNOCKED_DOWN_BY_SNATCH_THIEF_IGNORED_BY_ALL_BUT_AN_OLD_MAN. html[Accessed on 16 Nov 2012].

Everything you Need to Know About Human papillomavirus Essay Example for Free

Everything you Need to Know About Human papillomavirus Essay Chances are you have at least came into contact with the human papilliomavirus and had no clue you did. Most adults have whom are sexually active have been exposed to HPV, with as many as 20 million estimated Americans to be infected with the strains that cause genital warts. The good news, most cases have no symptoms of health problems. Now for the bad news, it causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer . In many ways, you can compare HPV to genital herpes. Both are incurable and rarely have symptoms. However, both are capable of causing medical problems and are both widespread in this country. Luckily, HPV only causes cancer in a small percentage of those infected. Besides cervical cancer, which is usually all that ever gets mentioned when discussing this infection, HPV can also cause cancer of the vulva, penis, head, neck, and anus, but these are extremely rare. These viruses are called papillomavirus because they tend to cause warts, or papillomas. Which are benign tumors. Warts caused from HPV can appear in the hands, feet or on/around the genital area. The strains of HPV that cause warts on the hands and feet are rarely the same as the ones that cause genital warts. There are about two hundred different types of HPV. Only about forty strains are caused from some form of sexual contact and only a handful are associated with cervical cancer. More than ninety-five percent of HPV viruses cause no symptoms and problems. The Gardasil vaccine, a serious of three shots over a period of six months, was approved for women between the ages of thirteen and twenty-six. This vaccine was shown to prevent HPV strains sixteen and eighteen, strains causing seventy percent of cervical cancer. Gardisil does not cure or prevent all strains of HPV. Researchers dont know if patients who show no symptoms are as contagious as the ones who are.

History And Importance Of Hydropower

History And Importance Of Hydropower Hydropower is produced by converting the kinetic energy of the moving water to electrical one. The motion of water is part of a continuous natural phenomena called the water cycle. Energy from the sun evaporates water from oceans and rivers and raise it as steam or vapor. When the watervapor reaches a colder atmosphere level, it condenses and forms cloud. The moisture eventually reaches a point at which air cannot keep carrying it, so it falls to the earth as rain or snow, this process is called precipitation. Gravity drives the water, moving it from higher ground level to lower one. The force of moving water can be extremely powerful. Hydropower is a renewable energy source because the water on the earth is in a continuous motion. As long as the water cycle continues, we will not run out of this source. In the old past people used a simple machine called water wheel to produce a specific motion using the movement of the water in the rivers or any other source. The water wheel is located below a source of flowing water. It captures the water in plates that is normal to the wheel, the water hits the plates causes the wheel to turn. Water wheels convert the kinetic energy of the water into another type of motion. That energy can then be used to grind grain, drive sawmills, or pump water. There are several examples of water wheel application in the past. For instance, the Greeks used water wheels to grind wheat into flour more than 2,000 years ago. In the beginning of the 18th century, factories at America and Europe used it also to power machines. In the late 19th century, the potential energy of water was used to generate electricity. The first hydro electric power plant was built at Niagara Falls in 1879 and it started a revolution of Hydro electrical power plants. in the following decades, many plants were built. At the peak in the early 1940s, hydropower occupies 33 percent of USA electricity. But, by the end of 1940s, inexpensive fossil fuel plants also joined the competition. At that time, plants burning coal or oil could make cheaper electrical power than hydro power plants. This fossil fuel plants was burning the fossil fuel and the hydro power plants till the 1970s. In that decade the way was opened for hydro power plants again because of the oil shocks that made people showed an interest in renewable power sources. 1.3 Importance In this part of the report, I am going to relate people and hydropower in a logical chain, that will show how much it is important to change the way that electricity is produced nowadays. People, as we all know, are part of the natural world and the materials they are using in building, clothing, food, etc come from natural resources. What surround us are composed of large numbers of built environment, the facilities built by humans for comfort, security, and well-being. As our built environment grows, we become more reliant on what it is offering to us. To satisfy our demands improvement to our built environment is needed, to do such upgrading we need electricity which can be generated by using the resources of natural fuels. In obtaining these resources, it is necessary to drill oil wells, tap natural gas supplies, or mine coal and uranium. In order to put water to work on a large scale, storage dams are needed. Some human activities have more lasting impacts than others. Techniques to mine resources from below the earth may leave long-lasting impacts on the environment. Oil wells may detract from the beauty of open landscapes. Reservoirs behind dams may cover whole valleys. The usage of energy sources can further impact the land, water, and air in different amounts. People want clean air and water and a pleasing environment. They also want power to heat and light the homes and to run machines. So, what would be the solution? Logically there are two straight forward solutions, but both are hard to be done. One solution is curbing The increasing demand for electrical power. As explained above, this is something that far from the actual trend. The other solution is that more power must be produced in environmentally friendly ways. Conservation can save electricity, but our population is growing. In other words even if we are very conservative in power consumption, our demand is still increasing. So, growth is inevitable. So again, the wisest solution is a careful, planned approach to how to bring a new, efficient ,clean and renewable resource of energy. All choices must be examined, and the most efficient, acceptable methods should be adopted. One alternative is hydro power plants and based on the characteristics of this plants it seems to be a successful choice. These features are many, one is that hydro power plants do not use nonrenewable resources to make electricity. They also do not produce pollution, rarely fail, have low operating costs and they are reliable. WAYS OF HYDROPOWER PRODUCTION I will discuss in this part of the report two methods to produce power using hydro energy that fit with the conditions in Saudi Arabia which are the lack of dams and rivers. These two ways are the sea power plants and power production in water Desalination stations. Using Sea Energy First of all I will discuss tidal energy as one type of the sea energy. The tides rise and fall eternally . Tides are changes in the level of the oceans caused by the rotation of earth and the gravitational force from both the moon and the sun. Nearshore sea level can vary up to 15 meters, depending on different factors. Tidal energy is the most promising source of ocean energy for today and the near future. Tidal energy plants capture the energy in the same manner that happened in dams, but here the dam is the whole coastal line. The water is filling this virtual dam and draining it twice a day. Then, by sitting up a set of turbines that connected to gears to convert the motion of the water into electrical power, and by building specific structures under the sea level which magnify the speed of water during the filling and draining process we will have a perfect tidal power plant. The oldest and largest tidal plant, La Rance in France, has been successfully producing electricity since 1968. Nowadays, the electricity from tidal plants costs a lot compared to other ways. It is expensive and takes time to build up the turbines and the structures, which can be several miles long. On the other hand, the fuel free, always available and green, and the plants are easy to maintain. For example, two operators are needed to run the La Rance plant at night and on weekends. And the plants is durable with little maintenance. Other type of sea energy is current and marine stems. The water in seas are continuously moving. We can use some of the oceanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s energy, but most of it is out of reach. Capturing this energy problem is not a problem, the real problem is transporting it to the land. Generating electricity in the middle of the ocean just doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t make sense since there is no one living in the middle of the sea. We can only use the energy near shore. Using Steam Energy (In W.D.S.) Of course, during the process of desalinating water, steam must be produced. And the moving pressurized steam has tremendous energy in it. Energy in steam is held both in heat and pressure. When heat is applied to a water, the electrons begin to move quickly around molecules. The change of a liquid state to a gas state takes place when the moving molecules take to the air because of its rapidly moving electrons. The water molecules up in the air stay away from each other. When very large number of water molecules are heated, and all repelling each other, pressure builds. When this pressure is released, energy can be generated. When the pressure in steam is released, it transfers its energy to whatever it hits, so by putting a turbine or a piston, this steam energy will be converted to mechanical one. This movement can be used to generate electrical energy, or it can use the steam energy directly in steam machines, like steams trains. COMPARISON BETWEEN HYDRO ENERGY AND OTHER RESOURCES In this section I will come over many aspects about hydro energy like the cost of power generation depending on hydro energy. Then, I am going to mention some up and down sides of this energy source. Cost Hydropower on average is the world cheapest way to generate electricity today. No other energy source, renewable or not, can be compared to it. Today, it costs about a cent per kWh (kilowatt-hour) to produce electricity at a typical hydro plant. Comparing to others, it costs coal plants about 4 cents per kWh and nuclear plants about 2 to generate electricity. Producing electricity from hydropower is cheap because of many reasons. For instance, if a dam has been built and generators installed, the energy source becomes free one. They are cheap also due to their firm structures and simple equipment. Hydro plants are reliable and durable, and their maintenance costs are low compared to coal or nuclear plants. 3.2 Advantage The advantages of hydroelectric power are so many. The power created through the use of dams and turbines is not reliant on coal, oil, uranium, or any polluting nonrenewable resources. Unlike other sources of power, it does not create carbon monoxide smoke, nuclear waste or any other harmful materials. The second advantage is when you construct a dam, it can create power for years and years to come. For example, the Hoover Dam in the US was constructed back in 1936 and it still provides a large amount of power to California, Nevada, and Arizona, three of the most power consuming states. Another advantage is aside from initial construction costs, it is simple and cheap to maintain a turbine. The Hoover Dam again has had only one large renovation done in the 90 years ago since it was created. The last up side I want to mention, is about water, the source of the turbineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s power, is one of the earthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s most abundant resources and it is completely renewabl e. The tides, dams, streams and lakes that hydro electric power sources use to generate power are always moving about, and the turbine simply captures the power, converts it and sends it out to the needed areas. Disadvantage While I spend the majority of report explaining the advantages of hydroelectricity, there are a few disadvantages in terms of cost and wildlife damage. The major disadvantage of hydroelectric power, is its initial cost. Building a dam or marine structures is costless thing to do. Another disadvantage is the need of hiring a professional person who can locate where the dam should be built, as well as a place where the water can build up. In addition to that, redirecting the river for a few months while constructing the dam or evacuating a shore and keeping it dry until building the enormous nuzzles, which is a huge project, and will cost billions. Now, to put things in perspective, once a dam is built, all what is basically needed is a few maintenance workers, so costs become low. Secondly, there is a fact that building a hydroelectric power source is terminating the local wildlife. Whatever done, destroying the surrounding landscapes specially for the dam well happen, whether because of building a whole new lake, or because of adding a large wall into an area where fish used to swim freely back and forth hydroelectric power certainl y takes a toll on the natural habitat. Fortunately engineers started to become a little more conscious of the damage, by building smaller dams, or by providing overflow areas so that fish do not stuck being. While these changes are floating to the surface slowly, at least they are being made. Finally, there is the element of social change that can happen because of a dam being built. By their nature, all sources of hydropower must limit the flow of water in order to make them build up pressure to attain maximum results. As the water is limited, towns and villages downstream can sometimes have their water source drained down to a trickle, particularly after multiple dams, waterwheels and simple use of water can dry riverbeds and render some towns without a water source. Overall, though, considering how much potential energy can be gained by hydroelectric power, the disadvantages of hydroelectric power are probably worth enduring, since they produce so little carbon dioxide, and provide an endless source of electrical power to the area. CONCLUSION In this report, I discussed in detail the Hydro power production trend from the past till now. I gave a brief definition of hydro energy and talked about it importance. In the second part, I explained the types of hydro energy that is available in KSA to use. These types are tidal and marine streams energy and moving pressurized steam in water desalination plants. I introduced the way of each process, and its main up and down sides of them. And finally, I compared Hydro energy with other resources of energy in terms of cost, environmental impact, simplicity and durability. I found out that it is in fact the cheapest way to produce electricity, also it has a simple and firm structure that can last for years with a little care.

Education Today Essay -- essays papers

Education Today A college education is suggested to be the most heavily judged form of qualification to be looked at when looking for career opportunities. But what is a college education? Is it something you go out and buy at the most prestigious of College University's? Do you simply hand over 25,000 dollars a year, and at the end of 4 years, give or take a few, you are handed a diploma that says, 'Educated'? In my opinion, this is today's view on what education is. It is less of a conquest of knowledge then it is just a stepping-stone towards a career. John Newman suggested that all forms of education and knowledge are connected together, and that the subject matter of knowledge is united in itself. Each Science that we break our knowledge in to, complete, correct and balance the others. This is what John Henry Newman wrote in, The Idea of a University. This was written to discuss the idea of a Catholic University, so it has a large influence on how we get our education today. We take specific courses that educate us in our major, and a number of other core courses that help shape our ideas and views into that which we are learning. If an education is confined to only one subject, Newman believes the individual's work in life may favor the advancement of a particular pursuit or viewpoint over another, due to ignorance. This is the approach we take at Seton Hall and most other University's in the world towards an education. But is this the only form of education that is valid? Jon Spayde believed that one could gain education in any way he wants. If biology was an individual's serious interest, he could observe life throughout the year and justifiably educate himself that way. Anything you had int... ...roader the education you get the more knowledgeable you will become in all areas of your study. However, I also think that it isn't necessary to pay for a college degree to be truly educated. The problem is you have nothing to show for or prove your intellect. In today's competitive society everyone wants the best, and if you don't complete a college education and have your own individual flares your going to have a much harder time landing a job then perhaps someone you are smarter then. You can't just be the best, you have to show that you are the best. It seems that if you can throw 100,000 dollars away on a degree today, you probably will have a decent job waiting for you when you graduate. So the individual with the advantage in society is the one who loves what he paid to get educated in. Education in a field that you love is the only true conquest of knowledge.

Binge Drinking on America’s Campuses Essay -- College Alcohol Abuse

Binge drinking is rampant on today’s colleges and university campuses. Binge drinking is defined as, five or more drinks for a man at any one time, four or more drinks for a woman (Thompson, J.J. 63). A recent survey revealed that almost half of college students engage in binge drinking, and half of those who binge drink do so regularly (McCormick, John; Kalb, Claudia 89). It is not the half that drinks responsibly that needs programs targeting them; it is the other half of students that engage in binge drinking. This paper aims to discuss both the scope of binge drinking on the campuses of America’s colleges and universities and techniques used to combat it. At the same time America has managed to keep the same percentage of its students from drinking entirely for the last five years, binge drinking has been on the rise (Thompson, J.J. 63). While 49 percent of college students binge, only 28 percent of their non-college counterparts do (McCormick, John; Kalb, Claudia 89), clearly illustrating the divide that exists between students and non-students. These figures are upsetting in that one would expect universities to be the breeding ground for new leaders and innovative thinkers in society while these figures make today’s college campuses look like nothing more than National Lampoon’s Animal House- a drunken debauchery. Consider these facts: For women, this study found that 80% of sorority house residents had binged during the last 2 weeks prior to this study compared with 58% of non-resident sorority women, and 35% of non-Greek women. As for the men, the study found that during the previous two weeks, 86% of fraternity house residents had binged compared to 71% of non-resident fraternity men and 45% for non-Greek men (Core Institute pars. 1-2). If there has ever been a clearer cut case for reformation of the Greek system, it has never been presented. This problem was tragically brought to light in 1996 with the media attention given to the death of a Louisiana State University student who died in the fraternity house from acute alcohol poisoning. Tragically, the numbers of students dying of alcohol related causes are rising steadily each year. With the ever increasing costs of higher education, one would think that students would be committed to gaining the best education possible; but a 1996 study leaves little doubt that a student’s GPA ... .../collfact.htm Colleges and Drinking. CNN Online. February 23, 1999. http://cnn.com/US/9805/02/campus.crime/index.html New Study Finds Bingeing. Core Institute. September 1, 1999. http://www.alphaomicronpi.org/Article/alcohol02.html Drugs- Indiana University. Indiana University. February 23, 1999. http://www.drugs.indiana.edu/publications/ncadi/primer/binge.htm Iowa State Daily. February 2, 1999. http://www.daily.iastate.edu/volumes/Fall95/Dec-01-95/fr3-hw.html LA Times Website. February 28, 1999. http://peele.sas.nl/lib/latimes030196.html McCormick, John; Kalb, Claudia. â€Å"Bellying Up to the Bar; binge drinking remains a major problem on many college campuses, according to a Harvard University study.† Newsweek 21 September 1998: 89. New UNC Initiave. February 28, 1999.http://www.cspinet.org/new/aluncorn.htm Thompson, J.J. â€Å"Plugging the Kegs: students benefit when colleges limit excessive drinking; alcohol abuse by college students.† US News & World Report January 1998: 63. Internet Sources Consulted Wechsler, Henry PhD. Binge Drinking on America’s College Campuses. Harvard http://archive.sph.harvard.edu/cas/Documents/monograph_2000/cas_mono_2000.pdf

Colombus Day

Justice, pride, and arrogance lie and when they are crossed; however, humane treatment and respect – whether that be self- respect or respect for others – Is black and white. Columbus day Is a holiday In which Americans celebrate a man who Is not even an American, but better yet the Spanish- acclaimed Viceroy and Governor of the Indies and Admiral of the Seas who overpowered and subjected a whole land of natives to succumb to his rule, follow his logon and traditions, and be brutally beat while being forced Into slavery.Although his ability to assume power and Instill fear Into these people so quickly may be admirable, he Is not a figure that deserves the respect of Christian Americans, or let alone any Americans: and only deserves to be â€Å"honored† In a day of mourning. To begin with, Christopher Columbus sailed into this land and was greeted with kindness and peace by the natives, in which he returned with the order of the kidnapping of six natives to be his servants. Columbus simply saw these indigenous people as an obstacle in his pursuit of riches and glory, and treated them as such.The natives did have their practices of violence and brutality in which other humans were sacrificed to their native Gods or means of punishment were rather severe, but this did not beckon or welcome the brutality inculcated by Christopher Columbus and the rest of his team. Even more interestingly, Columbus' writings back to Spain made himself sound very respectful and appreciative of the Indians; however, after rather inspection, Columbus' malice shows through even what appears to be kindness and gratuity.In his log kept about the New World, he writes that these indigenous people are of the kindest, best people, and that he told his men to take nothing from them without giving them something in return. This, at first glance, seems like an exhibit of kindness, yet the Spaniards never gave back anything of equal value to the Indians. Columbus discusses ho w he would receive very gracious, generous gifts from the indigenous people -knowing and acknowledging that they ere very poor people-, and return it with a gift of no more value than that of a penny.In continuation, it is highly hypocritical that Christopher Columbus had viewed their practices of religion as malicious and Inappropriate for a civilization, then forced Christianity upon them with Inhumanity and savagery. This Is baffling because the Spaniards are going Into this foreign world Introducing a concept of a loving and benevolent God as they simultaneously kill these people and cut off their feet all for the glory of this mysterious supposedly-awesome God.As Christians, they are commanded by God to love others as you love yourself and to reflect a level of Jesus' kindness when they Instead they reflected the greed, hatred, and self- righteousness of the devil. So, not only were his actions directly affecting these natives lives, but also the appearance of Charlatanry as a whole. Columbus' take on Christianity and God actually intensifies the inhumanity and violence caused against as an excuse to execute all heathens; indigenous people.However, in reality, he was imply slaughtering thousands of innocent people who did nothing wrong except for having contrasting opinions with that of the intruding Spaniards. In conclusion, from the day that Columbus arrived to the New World, he treated the people with nothing but dignity and self-pride. Although he did â€Å"discover† the land that would later become America, he is only responsible for the deaths, severe mistreatment, and forced enslavement of multiple indigenous people. Columbus Day should be recognized as a day of mourning for the unwarranted brutality suffered by unexciting natives of the land.

Analysis of Phaedo by Plato

Critical Analysis of â€Å"Phaedo† by Plato Much of the Phaedo by Plato is composed of arguments for the nature of the physical world and how it relates to the after life, for example, the way our senses perceive the world and how indulging in those senses has negative consequences in our after lives. These arguments find basis in scientific analysis of the time as well as the mythos of the his age. One of the key talking points within the story is the theory of forms.The aforementioned theory is formed from two beliefs, the first of which is that our senses deceive us and that there's an existential plane where perfect beings exist and the perfect ideas of the physical things in the world are there too. All of these concepts are intricately intertwined through out the story although Plato doesn't explain all of them in great detail. That leaves one to question whether he writes them to justify his life or if perhaps he's figured something out that we as the readers have not.D espite how questionable some of Plato's hypotheses are there are a couple that provide an interesting perspective on our world. The theory of forms spans the entirety of the book and is the most important argument in the Phaedo. This theory is the basis for the classic cave metaphor as well as one of the most referenced beliefs through out the text. The theory of forms comes from the belief that there are two planes of existence consisting of the world we can see and that world that is â€Å"beyond† ours. Within the latter plane there are the perfect forms of all the things that we know.A â€Å"form† in the Phaedo is a perfect representation of the physical objects and ideas of our world they are also â€Å"divine, deathless, intelligible, uniform, indissoluble, always the same as itself. †[1] For example, the form of a table is the perfect idea of what a table should be while an actual table is just the imperfect physical representation of that form. According to Plato it's not possible for us to ever build a table as strong as the form of table because our senses are flawed and they don't allow us to perceive the world perfectly.The last point in the explanation of a form is another part to this argument. Plato makes it well known that he doesn't believe that people should trust their senses because we are naturally prone to deceiving ourselves. Such an idea isn't scientifically possible; but the concept really sticks when you look at it not as a[1] statement for reality but as a statement for the metaphysical. That is to say that when you apply this concept to our human world one could say that there's something beautiful hidden in the notion that we can never achieve perfect beauty.There's no point arguing that which isn't plausible but there's a lot of value in applying it to other aspects of our mortal lives. The second belief that is prevalent through out the Phaedo is the belief that our senses deceive us. The most clear example fr om the text of this comes from a conversation between Simmias and Socrates in which Socrates asks â€Å"What again shall we say of the actual acquirement of knowledge? — is the body, if invited to share in the inquiry, a hinderer or a helper? I mean to say, have sight and hearing any truth in them?Are they not, as the poets are always telling us, inaccurate witnesses? and yet, if even they are inaccurate and indistinc†¦ † This is belief finds scientific basis in things that occur naturally in the world. For example, a very common example for this belief is refraction in water. When this occurs one could argue that it is indisputable proof that our senses deceive us. The evidence presented in the Phaedo for this subject is not debatable. The case could be made though for the belief that we have scientific tools now that allow for us to understand our physical world quite accurately.However, the Theory of Forms spans more than just the physical concepts in our world but it also extends in to the metaphysical such as our emotions and concepts such as beauty and perfection and none of these things are capable of being accurately perceived. Perhaps, despite what Plato has said earlier about our senses deceiving us, with all the technological advances we have to better understand our world there is the possibility that we have further skewed our ability to analyze the world.All the tools scientists use in this day and age come from mathematical calculations and human senses. Plato at times conveniently talks about how the philosopher upon death is destined to live in Hades, a place where all souls go when they die. However, he also makes the claim that a philosopher doesn't just go to Hades but he is destined to spend time among the gods understanding the forms that they live among. â€Å"he who has lived as a true philosopher has reason to be of good cheer when he is about to die, and that after death he may hope to receive the greatest good in the other world. [2] This belief has an ulterior motive, Plato spends a great deal of time arguing that indulging in your senses in any way from eating food that you love to having an intimate relationship is wrong despite the fact he had a wife and kids. He also claims that only the common man fears death because they are obsessed with these physical responses from the things in our world. Thinking realistically as opposed to idealistically there's no reason that an individual can't indulge in the pleasures of the world and continue to gather knowledge.Many philosophers would disagree with Plato's analysis of the human condition. That is to say that, many philosophers look towards expanding our experience in the physical world as an optimistic and healthy endeavor. Plato's belief that our experience in the physical world isn't as important as the afterlife is very dangerous and limited thinking because it encourages individuals to live their life with a very small frame of referenc e. If Plato's belief system was commonly accepted then we wouldn't have the chance to understand the complexities of emotion and our relationships with other people.Nor would individuals understand the impact of drugs on their body and the life experience that comes from using those substances. As mentioned earlier, it's extremely limited thinking and damaging to the quality of life of most individuals in society. However, despite Plato's limited belief system I think a lot of what he said holds a lot of value in his time. It'd be hard in Plato's era for an individual to sort through the obvious mistruths communicated within the Phaedo due to the lack of science as it relates to our biological functions.But what an individual can't take from Plato's Phaedo there's a lot they can. For instance, if one can't believe in Plato's Theory of Forms they can still appreciate the value of knowing that if there was a perfect form of beauty that humans could never understand then at least there 's still things in this world that cause our hearts to stop for a moment in awe of their beauty whether it be a spouse, the ocean, or earth from from more than 12,000 feet in the air. Bibliography Eva, Brann, Kalkavage Peter, and Salem Eric.Plato's Phaedo. Newburyport, MA: Focus Publishing. Roland, Jon. The Constitution, â€Å"Plato's Phaedo. † Last modified 2012. Accessed October 30, 2012. http://www. constitution. org/pla/phaedo. htm. ——————————— [ 1 ]. . Eva, Brann, Kalkavage Peter, and Salem Eric. Plato's Phaedo. Newburyport, MA: Focus Publishing. [ 2 ]. Roland, Jon. The Constitution, â€Å"Plato's Phaedo. † Last modified 2012. Accessed October 30, 2012. http://www. constitution. org/pla/phaedo. htm.

Health care in America Essay

Healthcare in America is seemingly, chronically an issue of finances. Whether or not the hospital has it or the family of an ill patient has it, it becomes prudent to note that without the country’s currency rubbing the right palms, healthcare becomes an issue, especially for the financially strapped family. Lack of finance equals care-giver burden. Purpose of the Analysis In the following pages care-giver burden will be addressed using five peer-reviewed articles. The articles are in design stressing the issue of guilt and depression when a family decides they don’t have the time or the money to keep a loved one at home and must face putting them in a care facility (Sanders article Shouldering the Burden of Care). Other articles address the issue of keeping a family member at home (child) and the upkeep cost that entails such as home health aid cost, medications, or leaving a job (Wilson, Leslie S. et al. The Economic Burden of Home Care for Children with HIV and Other Chronic Illnesses). Also, the review of patient care for nurses and the burden of lack of authority in administration this presents is another form of care-giver burden (Welchman, Jennifer & Glenn G. Griener, Patient Advocacy and Professional Associations: Individual and Collective Responsibilities). There is also the gender role burden between husband and wife when one is sick and has to be taken care of and the other one lives a full active lifestyle and the issue here is burden of responsibility (King, K. M. & PM Koop, The Influence of the Cardiac Surgery Patient’s Sex and Age on Care-Giving). There are many facets to unravel in the primary care system but for this paper, care-giver burden is the primary concept in terms of money, guilt and love. Antecedents Most care-giving authority is given to nurses; both in a hospital setting and during stay at home cases. The preceding concept or the patient is its important to have a strong trusting relationship with the care-giver in order for them to feel more comfortable and also feel their issues and concerns are being heard. If the patient does not feel comfortable then the care-giver burden becomes apparent in scowling-unreceptive-to-therapy patients. However, in Welchman and Griener’s article, Patient Advocacy and Professional Associations, a rising concern over nurses’ burden when taking care of patients begins to be seen, â€Å"†¦nurses are being taught to be patient advocates and both nurses and patients are the worse for it. The nursing profession’s redefinition of the nurse’s role from loyal handmaid to patient advocate in the 1980s was supposed to protect patients by empowering nurses to think and act autonomously in their dealings with other health professionals. Individual nurses have been burdened with a responsibility that most professions assign†¦to their professional associations. It is not a responsibility that individuals can readily fulfill. Unless or until the duty of advocacy is taken off the shoulders of individual nurses and returned to the professional bodies that represent them, nurses and patients will continue to suffer unnecessarily†(2005). The nurses role in patient care involves everything a patient needs or may potentially need (feeding, bathing, bathroom visits, company) and each of these duties cannot be accomplished without proper support from family/administration, and without this support and the lack of performance in a nurse’s duty a patient will lapse in trust. This is the contention in the make-up of care-giver burden; nurses cannot fulfill their role to maximum potential without the backing of the hospital rules. In the area of patient care and the burden of care giving an interesting side note that should be considered is in the study done by King and Koop which involves a closer look at patient care with the influencing variables of sex and/or age. In their study they revealed that female patients relied on their spouse less than the male counterpart. Also, female care-givers were more often employed outside the home than male care-givers giving rise to a staggering believe of job importance and detachment for men in home care situations. As mentioned in the opening statement, the pivotal issue of care-giver burden is that of money. If a household is not sufficiently funded then the burden of caring for loved-ones either by oneself or with the assistance of an aid, the stress and strain is very detrimental. In Wilson et al. ’s study of patient care for ill and HIV children the stats for financing reflects a tremendous burden, â€Å".. in-home care for ill children (ranging from approximately $19,000 to $36000) is higher than that of hiring caregivers for healthy children (approximately $10,000)† (2005). This burden is further emphasized for the family if they are not equipped to pay a professional care-giver and are dependent upon themselves for such care; this issue raises the other issues of job attendance (some families pass up promotions, decline extra working hours, or quit their jobs entirely in order to care for the ill which makes the financial burden that much more potent). Further in Wilson et al. ’s study they reveal the numbers involved in American care-giver homes, â€Å"It is estimated that 10% to 18% of US children (6 to 10. 8 million children) are chronically ill. According to our cost estimates, the total value of care ranges from $155 to $279 billion per year†(2005). This number is daunting and almost in realms of infinite thought with regards to cost analysis. Consquences The burden is twofold for the nurse and the patient. As Welchman and Griener state in a final cul-de-sac, â€Å"Advocacy for improvements in access to and deliver of health care is best viewed as a collective responsibility of health professions owed to society as a whole, not as the sole province of individual practitioners†(2005). In the case of gender roles playing out in the care-giver burden the consequence is this: dependence is a potential burden to the spouse whose in need of not only assistance in daily routines (bathing, eating, etc) but in companionship. The findings of King and Koop suggest that a patient’s gender has relevance to the availability of home-based care (King & Koop, 1999). The potential cost of in home health care is a care-giver burden as well as a patient burden. The weight stressed here is not one that is easily remedied. When put into perspective the cost is much more than money but also wavers on emotional stress to the care-giver and patient when the care-giver’s stresses are known to the patient. Such stresses as highlighted above are job attendance, quitting a job, and the issue of time spent with a patient as opposed to time spent with other members of a family. As Sanders states in Shouldering the Burden of Care, in which one family is analyzed, â€Å"Faced with her mother’s inevitable decline, she wonders whether she should continue to care for her in her home. But the more important question is, can she? † (2005). Defining Attributes This is the main point of care-giver burden: when faced with a choice of sending the patient to a nursing home, or institute where they can possibly be better attended to, should the family send the patient/family member away, or should they endure? The potential for this question to raise a respite for patient care or to give into the burden of home-health care is pertinent in its prospective view of burden. The relationship between care-giver burden and money is inseparable. The high-cost measurement presented in the Wilson study harkens to the reality of facts and numbers involving patients and their estimated cost of care per year in this country, and when a job is lost or sacrificed for the benefit of the patient the new stress becomes where will the money come from for the upkeep of home health care? Empirical Referents In the area of money, and of authority it is to nurses who are the advocates of the patient in the hospital that studies should be turning. If they are allowed to be sufficient leaders then the trust between them and patient is strong. In an at home environment the dangers of lack of funds arise and the emotional stress on family members and spending time with each other (either children, wife, or husband) and the noncompliance from other family members in putting the patient/loved-one in a home can be daunting. The care-giver burden here is clear. When a family member who isn’t equipped physically or professionally to take care of the ill, then an alternative way must be found and is found with nurses, and the high cost of in-home care. Relationship The defining features of care-giver burden, that of cost, and guilt bears a close relationship to euthanasia. In both cases the issue of money, guilt and pain arise and are handled usually with the confidence of a nurse. A nurse aids a family in decision making for both in-home care or euthanasia. In the relationship between the two concepts it is the burden of the patient on the family emotionally and financially that a decision is made: to either keep them at home or send them away, to either keep them on a ventilator or pull the plug.

Case Study Analysis of an employee Essay

This case study for student analysis will look at an employee of ABC, Inc., Carl Robins, the new recruiter of only six months and his struggle to hold orientation for fifteen new hires. There are various factors that play a part of why Carl struggles to meet the promised deadline that is fast approaching. This analysis will focus on time management, job performance, and company organizational issues that are key problems with how Carl is performing his job, but will also look at how ABC, Inc. management team play is playing a part in Carl’s struggle to meet his deadline. This analysis will show alternative solutions, a proposed solution, and a recommendation that will prevent future struggles for Carl and all other employees at ABC, Incorporated. Carl Robins is the new recruiter for ABC, Inc. Carl has been in his new position for six months now. In the six month timeframe, Carl has successfully hired fifteen new trainees. Now that the trainees are hired, Carl’s next obj ective is to hold an orientation on June 15th at one time for all fifteen new hires. The orientation date is to ensure Carl will have all the new hires ready to start working by July for the Operations Manager, Monica Carrolls. On May 15th Carl is contacted by Monica Carrolls to discuss with Carl everything needed for the new hires to begin orientation; the training schedule, manuals, policy booklets, physicals, drug test, and other things. Two weeks later, Carl decides to go over the trainee files and realizes some trainees’ paperwork are incomplete and missing. All of the new hires still need to take a mandatory drug screen test. During this time, Carl becomes aware that he does not have enough copies of the orientation manuals and on top of that, there is not one complete orientation manual to make copies. Lastly, Carl checks out the training room he book earlier in the month and finds Joe, from technology services, is setting up computer terminals for training seminars for the entire month of June. Carl will need to find a new place to hold orientation. Ca rl is panicking and does not know how to proceed at this point. (University of Phoenix, 2014) There are numerous key problems to focus on with Carl as well as with ABC, Inc. Starting with Carl, some of  the key problems Carl is having includes his apparent lack of time management. Carl is also having organizational and communication issues. Carl insufficient knowledge of how to apply these skills are playing a huge factor in Carl’s struggle to be prepared and ready for orientations on June 15th. Carl also appears to have insufficient knowledge about his position and what his responsibilities requires of him daily to meet his scheduled orientation and promised deadline to have all the new hires working by July. Looking at Carl’s timeline, he hires the new trainees in the beginning of April. Carl knows he has a little over two months before orientation is scheduled will be held for the new hires. On May 15th Carl receives a call from Monica, the Operations Manager, to go over the needs for orientation to be successful. It appears that Carl does nothing for over a month in regards to checking on the status of each new hire. What is Carl doing in this timeframe needs to be investigated. Carl waits until two weeks before the scheduled orientation to finally check on the trainees’ files. It seems there is no communication between Carl and Human Resources at all. Carl should be in contact with Human Recourses about the status of each new hires paperwork and on a consistent basis. It would appear that Carl is not doing his job efficiently. ABC, Inc. has some underlying key problems that have contribute a great deal to Carl’s struggle to meet the scheduled orientation date. ABC, Inc. has failed to support Carl in his new position. There is a lack of supervision to help guide Carl. ABC, Inc. also shows there is an apparent breakdown in communication between its employees. Human Resources must not now about the orientation date for the new hires and therefore seems to be taking their time in getting all the paperwork in for each new hire. Another communication breakdown is the situation about Joe and Carl both being able to book the training room to use on June 15th. There are many alternative solutions for Carl to successfully meet his orientation deadline of June 15th and have the new trainees ready to start work for the Operations Manager by July. Carl should contact Monica Carrolls, the Operations Manager, and find out if there is anyone in the company who would be able to help assist him with getting everything in order for orientation. If there is no one in the company available to help Carl at this time, then Carl needs to find out if he has the authority to hire an outside source, if he does not, then wh o does? Time is of the  essence to have everything competed for orientation. This person will help assist Carl in completing the following tasks; contacting each new hire to schedule a drug test, make sure all necessary documents are completed, turned in, find someone in the company who has a complete orientation manual, make copies, and find a new place to have orientation. Carl is new and this his 1st recruitment orientation, he should be held responsible to check in with the Operations Manager or whoever is Carl’s Manager and give them a daily report of what he has accomplished each day and what is left to still be accomplished to meet the orientation date. All of these solutions are a Band-Aid and will aid in Carl successfully holding orientation. However, they are not solutions for the root of the problems facing ABC, Inc. Even though the struggle focuses on Carl Robins and his inability to do his job correctly, the proposed solution is directed towards ABC, Incorporated Management Team. The Management Team should be held responsible. Carl Robins is new to the company. It is apparent that Carl’s lack of experience and work history is not matched up properly for the position of recruiter. Carl clearly does not understand what it takes for him to hold successfully orientation on June 15th. Carl is going blindly about his job responsibilities without a clear understanding of time restraints for each task he needs to perform. There should be supervision over Carl on a daily basis due to this being his 1st recruitment orientation assignment. ABC, Inc. Management Team should put into place a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for each position in the company. Clearly outlining each position and it responsibilities as well as including a flow chart showing who each position reports to. At this time, it is recommended that ABC, Inc. have each and every employee attend a several work seminars. It would be best for the company to start with a seminar that will focus on learning how to communicate well with each other inside the company, how to speak up about company problems and ask for help, and learn how to work together as a team unit. A time management seminar is highly suggested and would be of great help to the company as well. Each employee should learn time management skills, how to manage their time, their workflow, and how to prioritize their job responsibilities. Another recommendation, department mangers take a seminar about being team leaders. They need to understand what exactly their employees are doing in their daily routines. Department  managers are strongly encouraged to meet with each employee and have a one on one meeting. The meeting should target each manager finding out how the employee feels about their position, what they feel the pros and cons are for their position, and if the employee have any struggles in their position that need attention. These seminars and personal one on one attention with the employees will give tools for each employee to use in becoming successful in their positions and the company as a whole. It will also boost employee morale and would be a great gesture on the company’s behalf to show the employees that the company values them, is willing to investing time in each one of them, and you care about them. In return, the company should see significant improvement in time management and communication. References Case Study for Student Analysis, University of Phoenix, 2014

A Thousand Splendid Suns and A Streetcar Named Desire

A Thousand Splendid Suns and A Streetcar Named Desire â€Å"A Thousand Splendid Suns† and â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† are two texts written in different countries: Afghanistan and America which causes their context to be different due to politics and religion but there are similarities such as the roles, expectations and struggles that the women within these societies have. The main female characters in â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† are called Stella and Blanche whereas the main female characters in â€Å"A Thousand Splendid Suns† are called Mariam and Laila. Stella and Mariam have similar expectations such as the providing for their husbands, producing children and being subjected to domestic violence. Mariam manages to relieve some of her pain through the arrival of Laila’s child but one can say she is not completely painless until her death. Stella never manages to escape or relieve any of her pain as she stays with her husband, Stanley and her sister ends up in a mental asylum. Laila and Bla nche are two women which their societies may class as fallen women; Laila has a child out of wedlock and due to deaths in the family as well as the suicide of her husband Blanche turns into a highly sexualized woman who relies on alcohol. Laila struggles throughout her life with the loss of her family members, her abusive marriage and the war raging in Afghanistan but she escapes this pain and ends up with her first love. Blanche does not recover; she is sent to a mental asylum therefore one can say that she is truly one of the only women within the two novels that is in a constant state of despair and as she is a single woman, her struggles as well as expectations differ from the other female characters.    In both texts, one can notice that certain women such as Mariam and Stella have roles; one of these roles is to become a housewife and provide for their husbands and family. Mariam is forced to marry Rasheed when Nana commits suicide; the Taliban encourage girls under the age of 16 to enter marriage especially when they have no one to provide for them and Amnesty International reported that 80 percent of Afghan marriages were by force. Mariam’s role of a housewife develops upon marrying him as Rasheed expects her to cook and clean for her as these are the traditional roles of a wife in Afghanistan due to the Taliban regime not allowing them to go out to have an education and get a job. Mariam always ‘does as she is told’ which suggests that she not in control of herself and instead Rasheed is in control of her. On the other hand, when she does not do what is expected of her such as cooking a tasty meal, Rasheed forces her to chew rocks until her teeth bleed. The i magery provided in the moment she is forced to do this, is shocking and one can presume that even the strongest of women would struggle with the pain. Similarly, Stella is pressurised to act like a perfect housewife by Stanley; he expects her too cook. One night, he states ‘How about my supper, huh? I’m not going to no Galatoires’ for supper!’; he is demanding his supper from Stella the minute he has walked through the door. She seems to be unsurprised by his remark which indicates that she receives these comments from him often and it seems as if it would never occur to him that he can make his own food because his beliefs are that the kitchen is the woman’s work place. One can compare this with the way in which Rasheed treats both Laila and Mariam in respect to the expectations of completing the household chores; he does not want to lift a finger much like Stanley. One can see that a comparison between the two texts is the recurring theme of domestic violence. In ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’, ‘Rasheed was the most disappointing and abusive person in Mariam’s life, as his abuse was sexual, mental and definitely physical’. It is clear to see when Mariam becomes pregnant, has a miscarriage and he goes into a violent fit of rage upon hearing about it. He goes into a fit of rage as he expects Mariam to give him children as he is her wife and that is one of the roles of the wife in the Islamic culture in Afghanistan. Like many women in abusive relationships, she questions and blames herself for the abuse; ‘Had she ever been a deceitful wife? she asked herself. A complacent wife? A dishonorable woman? Discreditable? Vulgar? What harmful thing had she willfully done to this man to warrant his malice, his continual assaults, the relish with which he tormented her?’. The repetition of the questions throughout her thought process shows that she is searching for a reason that would allow Rasheed to beat her but the reader can see that there is never a valid reason to beat a young and vulnerable woman. If it weren’t for her inner strength being ‘as hard and unyielding as a block of limestone’ she would probably have died a lot sooner than she did. Furthermore, one can see that Rasheed causes Laila suffering and she struggles through their relationship so that her baby is safe; in a sense, she puts her child before herself. He is very controlling as he wishes her to wear a burka to cover herself from other men and he openly mocks other ‘afghan men who did not mind that their wives walked among strangers with makeup on their faces and nothing on their heads’. Laila does stand up to him and she can challenge him because she is an intellectual but he becomes violent; he ‘shoved’ the ‘barrel’ of a gun in into her ‘mouth’. Hosseini is portraying the message that women cannot compete with a man’s physical power therefore it is a weapon that they will use in volatile situations with women as they will come out the victor. Comparably, in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ one can see that if Stella fails to do the tasks that she is expected to do or if she is ordered to do something and does not then Stanley becomes violent. Susan Koprince stated that Stella ‘wants to believe that the batterer is truly sorry for his abusive behaviour and that he will never harm her again’ but as readers are witness to Stanley abusing her verbally and physically multiple times therefore he can be classed as a several offender. Stanley orders Stella to be quiet whilst playing poker with her friends, she does not, stands up to him and he rushes towards her in a frenzy. She has nothing to protect herself from him and she states ‘You lay your hands on me and I’ll –‘; the fact that she does not finish her sentence show that she is truly helpless and has no choice but to take the beating from him. The Stage directions say ‘she backs out of sight. He advances and disappears. T here is the sound of a blow. Stella cries out’; these stage directions describe Stanley hitting her and the sound of her crying with pain; this is a rare point in the play in which one see’s Stella struggling with the failing to tasks that are thrusted upon her in a patriarchal society. Unlike in ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ has a single, female character who has a different role and struggles to the other married characters or those with children. Blanche is the one of the main female character in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. On first appearances, she oozes southern elegance and charm as she is dressed in ‘white’ and dripping in ‘pearls’; she grew up on a southern estate known as ‘Belle Reve’ which means beautiful dream and it means that her family once had money. Blanche believes herself to be ‘a woman of intelligence’ as she was educated and took up a position of a school teacher once earning her qualification. Similarly, to Blanche, Laila is provided with an education but then she must give up studying when the Taliban take over. In the late 20th century, prior to the rise of the Taliban, women in Afghanistan were making strides toward equality as they enjoyed the right of education and employment. Kabul was the epicentre for women’s advancement in Afghanistan prior to the Civil War and Taliban Control as 50% of the students and 60% of the teachers at Kabul university were women; Kabul is the city in which Laila grew up. Her father wanted her to study because he believed that ‘society has no chance at success if its women are uneducated’ and due to his motivation to educate her, Laila enjoys going to school to learn. However, this freedom to be study is taken away from her when the Taliban came to power in 1996 as they stated ‘girls are forbidden from attending school. All schools for girls will be closed immediately’. The use of the word ‘immediatel y’ indicates that the Taliban believed young girls, like Laila, were a threat to their strict religious regime therefore their education needed to be stopped quickly. The Feminist Majority Foundation stated ‘under Taliban rule woman have been stripped of their visibility, voice and mobility’; in a sense, they had their freedom taken away from them and Laila was subjected to this as well. Blanche’s role is to oversee Belle Reve when there were no male heirs to take over the property and when Stella moved in with her ‘Pollack’, Stanley. Unexpectedly, her family were plagued with several deaths such as her ‘Father, Mother, and Margaret’ which she describes as ‘the long parade to the graveyard’; the use of the word ‘long’ emphasises the fact that a lot on individuals died in a short amount of time. Furthermore, Blanche married young, to a man known as Allan Grey. He had tenderness ‘which wasn’t like a man’s’ but he ‘wasn’t the least bit effeminate looking’ therefore it came to a shock to her when she found him in bed with another man but the three of them went dancing together afterwards and accidently Blanche blurted out that she was ‘disgusted’ by him, a few minutes later he went out and shot himself therefore Blanche blamed herself for her husbandâ⠂¬â„¢s suicide. After these events occurring one after the other, her faà §ade of a perfect woman starts to fall and she moves in with her sister, Stella. Her struggle with suicide and its consequences can be compared to Mariam as her mother, Nana, commits suicide and her last words are ‘I’ll die if you go, I’ll just die’; it is clear that Nana will end her life if Mariam chooses to leave her. Thus, one can say that she is trying to guilt trip Mariam into staying with her and as Mariam does not, she commits suicide which causes Mariam to feel responsible for her mother’s death throughout her life, much like how Blanche feels about her husband. Blanche struggles to live up to the expectations of a modern woman in American society as she relies on drink to give her confidence. Upon arriving at her sister’s, she seems to be nervous as she is shaking. Therefore, ‘she springs up’ and ‘removes a whiskey bottle’ from a cupboard then ‘she pours a half tumbler of whiskey and tosses it down’. It is obvious that Blanche was actively seeking out alcohol to calm her nerves down and when she finds it she ‘tosses’ a strong alcohol down her throat as if it were nothing. To hide the fact that she has had a drink ‘she carefully replaces the bottle and washes out the tumbler at the sink’ so that her sister does not come home, start asking questions and get angry about her secretive drinking. Blanche argues that ‘one is her limit’ but Stanley argues ‘there’s some people that really touch it, but it touches them often’ and he gives the imp ression that he knows Blanche is an alcoholic and that she is lying about the amount she drinks. After the death of her husband, Blanche seeks male companionship to give her confidence, sooth her loneliness and to occupy her mind from the guilt she feels however she looked for it in the wrong places by selling her body for sex and praying on young boys in the school that she taught at in Laurel. Blanche states ‘the Hotel Flamingo is not the sort of establishment I would dare to be seen in!’; the Hotel Flamingo was a hotel in which men could pay prostitutes to have sex with them and Blanche refuses to admit that she had multiple encounters with men there. It is evident to the reader that Blanche is struggling with the demands of being a woman regarded as ‘proper’ and in her failure to be one, one can say that she has become a fallen woman. Additionally, Stanley states ‘she was kicked out before the spring term ended. And I hate to tell you the reason that step was taken. A seventeen-year-old kid she got mixed up with – and the boy’s dad learned about it and he got in touch with the high-school superintendent. And there was practically a town ordinance passed against her.’ The fact that Blanche gets ‘mixed up with’ a ‘seventeen-year-old kid’ shows the extent of her internal suffering, it is so severe that she preyed on a child to make her feel adequate for herself and society. Conclusively, one can see that all four of these women have expectations to live up to but due to external factors such as death, warfare and children born out of wedlock, sometimes they are unable to fulfil them and the consequences are severe such as being shunned by society or being abused by the male figures in their life. In Afghanistan and in America, even though the countries have different political set ups, there is the common trend that women must live up to higher expectations than men. One may presume that due to the Islamic faith in Afghanistan being dominant, that women in Afghanistan have less freedom but when one looks for the finer details, women in America at the time of the novel is set, have just as little.