Performance Review Takes a Page from Facebook

As the world moves towards a more microwave way of operating it is no wonder that employers are jumping on the bandwagon as well. Previously, performance evaluations have been time consuming and somewhat monotonous. The hassle of evaluating several employees’ performance for an entire year in only a few months’ time can be quite overwhelming. Not only is the task intimidating for the manager or supervisor but it is quite stressful for the employee also. In previous years, the performance evaluation was a one-sided task and the employee had no input whatsoever in how they were being critiqued. As important as the evaluation is to the employees pay raise it is astonishing that their input would not have been included in the past. So often the employee would only see the final outcome and have to sign whether they agreed with the results or not. This causes much frustration and can bring down the morale of the employee, causing them to feel like they are under appreciated and that their opinion doesn’t matter. With these facts in mind the company Accenture has developed a social networking tool somewhat like Facebook called Performance Multiplier that will aid the employer as well as the employee in the performance evaluation process. Agree or disagree with this statement and provide reasons for your response. â€Å"If you have regular conversations with people, and they know where they stand, then the performance evaluation is maybe unnecessary. † Performance Multiplier is a tool in which employees can post status updates, photos, and two or three weekly goals that can be viewed by fellow staffers. The goal of Accenture was to provide a program that made the performance evaluation more democratic. Not only does the employee get to play a part in the evaluation process but they also gain the chance to get helpful insight year round on how to improve their performance. In a fun and somewhat casual manner the employer and employee get to change a process that once was dreaded into something enjoyable and less stressing. While I do believe that the regular conversations via the website are beneficial to the performance evaluation process I do not believe that it should replace it altogether. In my opinion what the back and forth conversations via sites like Performance Multiplier does is aid the employee and employer in seeing how the employee is progressing. Depending on what goals are set and accomplished at the end of the year all of this information should be compiled and then used as a foundation for grading the overall performance. I see Performance Multiplier as a way to see where you stand and then try to excel from that point. You should still be graded on how well you took the feedback and knowledge and implemented it into your everyday job performance. If all an employer did was talk to the employee back and forth and never evaluated how well the employee utilized the feedback then the entire process was a waste of time. To gain insight into how good of an employee you have you must analyze the steps they take towards improving. Compare and contrast the possible effectiveness of the social network performance review to the following age groups: veterans, baby boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y. While some people enjoy the opportunity to use a social networking tool to interact with their employer and get insight into how well of a job they are doing, there will be those that will resist the change in processes and gripe about having more work to do when they are already working enough. The generational gaps in the workplace will also pose a problem when trying to implement the new interactive performance tool. There is no doubt in my mind that Generations X and Y will adapt to the new system and use it with an open mind. On the other hand the Baby Boomers and Veterans are not going to be so willing to accept the new way of evaluating their job performance. Veterans and Baby Boomers came from an era where the greatest advance in technology came with the printing press so they are not used to using computers and navigating through search engines via the worldwide web. These employees learned how to use modern office equipment like fax machines, multiline telephones, and even computers but they are not interested in sharing their life online. In contrast Generation X and Y have experienced the influx of such technologies as the Internet, Ipod, and gaming systems like the Wii. Those individuals are used to technology and can adapt fairly quickly which is the exact opposite of their counterparts. â€Å"The biggest payoff of these social network style tools may prove to be better performance by the boss. † State whether or not this statement justifies the time and cost of implementing these systems and provide a rationale. Whenever a company wants to implement a new system they must go into a contract with the developer of the system and pay a hefty amount to use the service. Before any contracts are signed or money is exchanged the employer looks into the product and researches the statistics of how well other companies have done with the system. The employer must feel that the ends will justify the means of adopting the new system into the everyday workload. The goal of tools like Performance Multiplier is to provide the employee with feedback from upper management. In this case I would agree that by using the tool the boss will have to do more work than has been done in the past. Both employee and employer will have to work together but the responsibility of making the tool work relies on how well the boss handles the information provided from the employee. He or she will be forced to improve their communication skills when dealing with their employees. O’Toole states: â€Å"It has been said that Americans are increasingly overworked. † Discuss whether social network type evaluations aid or hinder the overworked American. Justify your response. It is true that in today’s economy most companies are working with far less employees than they have had in the past. In some cases one employee is doing the work of two to three employees. This causes the employee to feel a little overwhelmed and sometimes overworked. Though this may be true I don’t feel that using a social networking tool to evaluate performance will add any more stress to the work day than is already being experienced. The time it would take to update a status or post a question takes no more time than most Americans spend in the break room fixing a cup of coffee. Helping yourself become a better employee should be worth the couple minutes weekly that it would take to make the tool work for both parties involved. Conclusion In conclusion, adapting to change is not always the easiest task to accomplish. When dealing with employees who cross over four generations that task becomes even harder. Past generations are used to how they have done things in the past and the new generations are up for any challenge you throw at them if they feel they will benefit from it. It is up to the employer to make the transition as smooth as possible for the employee. At the end of the day both employer and employee should be satisfied with the results.

Cultural Dimensions In Advertising

SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION CMNS 323-4 (W)* (D100) Instructor:Brad KingSpring Semester 2012 Email: [email  protected] ca Burnaby Day Twitter: @btcking ————————————————- CULTURAL DIMENSIONS IN ADVERTISING Prerequisites: 60 units, including two of CMNS 220, 221, 223 or 226. CMNS 362 or 363 is strongly recommended. Overview: Advertising is everywhere in contemporary society. From television and the Internet, to newspapers and magazines, people are exposed to thousands of advertising ‘impressions’ every day.Beyond individual ads, media convergence, and the quest for ‘synergies’, has increasingly transformed all forms of culture into tools of marketing and promotion. What are the social, cultural, and political implications of these developments? How does advertising and ‘promotional culture’ affect the society in which we live, our value str uctures, belief systems, and our ideas about what constitutes ‘the good life’? Our primary objective is to critically explore contemporary advertising, as it connects to larger questions of society and culture.Our focus will NOT be on the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the advertising industry, nor will the course teach you how to create advertising campaigns, or how to design marketing strategies. Instead, we will draw upon different critical theories and empirical research methods, as a means of reflecting upon the broader social and cultural dimensions of advertising. We begin with a discussion of the relationship between advertising, promotional culture, and a social, economic, and cultural environment dominated by commodification.We then examine some of the dominant characteristics of post-modern advertising and promotional culture, using case studies of the representation of capitalism and the emerging phenomena of ‘green marketing’. In the latter h alf of the course, we broaden our focus beyond advertising texts to consider themes such as the marketing and promotion of pharmaceutical drugs, the commercialization of children’s culture, globalization, political advertising, consumer research and new media. _________________ This is a writing-intensive course. Students who began their degrees in Fall 2006 onwards must successfully complete at least two (W) courses, at least one of which must be upper division, preferably within the student’s discipline. It is strongly recommended that students take one (W) course as early as possible, preferably in their first 30 credits hours. Students are required to complete their first (W) course within their first 60 credit hours. †¦. over Course Format: The course is organized around a series of weekly themes that will be explored in lectures, readings and tutorial discussion.While there will be some overlap between the lectures, readings and tutorials, there will also be important material that is only covered in one or the other. In other words, you are expected to do the readings, attend the lectures and the tutorials to cover all the material that you will be tested upon and which you will have to draw upon in your research projects. Given that the course is writing-intensive, substantial tutorial time will be devoted to exercises and discussion designed to improve the writing skills of students.Participation in these exercises is a mandatory component of the course, thus students should be prepared to attend all tutorial meetings. The course is organized around a series of weekly themes that will be explored in lectures, readings and tutorial discussions. Required Readings: All course texts will be available on the course wiki. Grading: Grading is subject to confirmation in class. This is a tentative outline and subject to change. Creative Ad Project30% Final Paper55% Tutorial Participation15%The school expects that the grades awarded in this c ourse will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices with respect to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, The School will follow Policy S10. 01 with respect to Academic Integrity, and Policies S10. 02, S10. 03 and S10. 04 as regards Student Discipline (note: as of May 1, 2009 the previous T10 series of policies covering Intellectual Honesty (T10. 02) and Academic Discipline (T10. 03) have been replaced with the new S10 series of policies). Cultural Dimensions In Advertising SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION CMNS 323-4 (W)* (D100) Instructor:Brad KingSpring Semester 2012 Email: [email  protected] ca Burnaby Day Twitter: @btcking ————————————————- CULTURAL DIMENSIONS IN ADVERTISING Prerequisites: 60 units, including two of CMNS 220, 221, 223 or 226. CMNS 362 or 363 is strongly recommended. Overview: Advertising is everywhere in contemporary society. From television and the Internet, to newspapers and magazines, people are exposed to thousands of advertising ‘impressions’ every day.Beyond individual ads, media convergence, and the quest for ‘synergies’, has increasingly transformed all forms of culture into tools of marketing and promotion. What are the social, cultural, and political implications of these developments? How does advertising and ‘promotional culture’ affect the society in which we live, our value str uctures, belief systems, and our ideas about what constitutes ‘the good life’? Our primary objective is to critically explore contemporary advertising, as it connects to larger questions of society and culture.Our focus will NOT be on the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the advertising industry, nor will the course teach you how to create advertising campaigns, or how to design marketing strategies. Instead, we will draw upon different critical theories and empirical research methods, as a means of reflecting upon the broader social and cultural dimensions of advertising. We begin with a discussion of the relationship between advertising, promotional culture, and a social, economic, and cultural environment dominated by commodification.We then examine some of the dominant characteristics of post-modern advertising and promotional culture, using case studies of the representation of capitalism and the emerging phenomena of ‘green marketing’. In the latter h alf of the course, we broaden our focus beyond advertising texts to consider themes such as the marketing and promotion of pharmaceutical drugs, the commercialization of children’s culture, globalization, political advertising, consumer research and new media. _________________ This is a writing-intensive course. Students who began their degrees in Fall 2006 onwards must successfully complete at least two (W) courses, at least one of which must be upper division, preferably within the student’s discipline. It is strongly recommended that students take one (W) course as early as possible, preferably in their first 30 credits hours. Students are required to complete their first (W) course within their first 60 credit hours. †¦. over Course Format: The course is organized around a series of weekly themes that will be explored in lectures, readings and tutorial discussion.While there will be some overlap between the lectures, readings and tutorials, there will also be important material that is only covered in one or the other. In other words, you are expected to do the readings, attend the lectures and the tutorials to cover all the material that you will be tested upon and which you will have to draw upon in your research projects. Given that the course is writing-intensive, substantial tutorial time will be devoted to exercises and discussion designed to improve the writing skills of students.Participation in these exercises is a mandatory component of the course, thus students should be prepared to attend all tutorial meetings. The course is organized around a series of weekly themes that will be explored in lectures, readings and tutorial discussions. Required Readings: All course texts will be available on the course wiki. Grading: Grading is subject to confirmation in class. This is a tentative outline and subject to change. Creative Ad Project30% Final Paper55% Tutorial Participation15%The school expects that the grades awarded in this c ourse will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices with respect to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, The School will follow Policy S10. 01 with respect to Academic Integrity, and Policies S10. 02, S10. 03 and S10. 04 as regards Student Discipline (note: as of May 1, 2009 the previous T10 series of policies covering Intellectual Honesty (T10. 02) and Academic Discipline (T10. 03) have been replaced with the new S10 series of policies).

A Study on the Framing Effect of People When Decisions Are Made Through Foreign Language and Native Language

A Study on the Framing Effect of People When Decisions Are Made Through Foreign Language and Native Language A study was carried out to test the framing effect of people after a foreign language and a native language are used to make decisions. A number of participants who spoke specific common native and secondary language were used in the study to determine the effect indicating that this was an experiment that sought to determine how native language and a second language affect decision making. Dependent variables in an experiment refer to the variables that can never be operational in the absence of the others while independent variables refer to the variables that are operational in the absence of the others. Independent variables in this experiment were the language used since one could have made a decision using any language while the dependent variables were the experimental outcomes since any outcome depended on the language used. Random samples of different groups of participants who spoke common native and common foreign languages were selected and their fluency in these languages evaluated. Those that never met the standards required were eliminated from the selected participants to encourage uniformity. Different groups were then presented with two cases in which they were supposed to make a decision favoring one of the cases using both the native and foreign language. And the results were collected basing on the extent to which a decision was made in native language and the extent to which it was made in a foreign language It was discovered that bias in decision making can be eliminated when using an alien dialect. The four experiments conducted indicated that the framing effect tends to disappear when a foreign language is used in making a decision after being presented with choices. It was also discovered that people tend to be risk aversive when advantages are considered and and tend to be risk seeking when there exists cases of losses and when there is a presentation of choices in the native language and the framing manipulation had no effect on them (Shiv, et al, 2005). Additional experiments indicated that evading losses undergoes reductionwhere alien dialect is in usewhen making decisions thus the chances of accepting both hypothetical and real bets are high Critique The experiment is not 100% reliable and valid to the extent that very few random samples were taken to represent the whole population in the globe. There are those people who have almost equal command of native and foreign language and using both languages, they can make similar decisions. Such people were never included in the experiment. The experiment was also conducted in a few parts of the globe thus ignoring most of the other parts when coming up with the conclusion. This means that the findings were never correctly interpreted. Further interpretation and research can be made when almost all parts of the globe are covered to minimize generalization. Ethical safeguards were never fully employed since the beliefs of the people were never fully considered especially when dealing with the cases of making choices regarding bets since there are a number of people who do not believe in such issues thus their decisions get jeopardized. A follow-up study can be used to study the exten t of emotions presented when using a native language and a foreign language. According to CaldwellAycicegi (2009),it can be noted that people are more emotionally attached to their native language thus displaying a higher degree of emotions than when alien dialect is used. However, the results presented were strong since the command and decision making as well as emotions are stronger when using the native language than a foreign language. Therefore, the distance in the attachment of the cognitive self with a foreign language results to the presented findings. Such issues tend to be additional implications of using foreign language over the native language. The problem with the research is that only a small group was used in the study to represent the whole globe where people from all walks of life were never involved in order to come up with the correct decision. The method is better in presenting decisions that are reached when making decisions using a foreign language and native language. It can be noted that a more desired decision that is free of bias can be reached at when alien dialect is used. Brief summary Bias when making decisons can be reduced when a foreign dialect is employed and â€Å"framing effect† tends to disappear in cases where decisions the presentation of decisions is made in an alien dialect (Benjamin, Brown, Shapiro, 2006.avding of losses tends to take place when alien dialect is employed due to the huge cognitive and emotional distance caused by a foreign language. This experiment could have been more desirable if a large part of the global population was used in the experiment instead of using a very small sample to make the decision pertaining to the whole globe. The experiment can be used in making decisions where more desirable decisions that are free of bias are made. Trauma-Informed School Social Work Everyone in a school setting is subject to various forms of pressure, scarce resources and demand. Young people and adults both attend school each with an independent history of trauma that is hard to identify. Therefore, a trauma-informed approach is critical when employed in dealing with students in a school setting. This is because if left unattended, it affects the students’ behavioural, social and academic performance. Various other technical means might not work in cases where trauma is involved leading to traumatization of the student. A study conducted within a period of the year yielded results indicating that 60% of children are subject to violence or abuse (Finkelhor et al, 2009). An assumption that at least every student in a school setting has ever experienced a traumatizing event can be made. Trauma originates from an event that threatens a person’s safety thus making him fear, experience horror or even feel hopeless). Trauma can be as a result of domestic violence, sexual or physical abuse, violence, emotional or physical neglect, betrayal, accidents, life-threatening illness among others (National Child, Traumatic Network, 2013). Traumatic incidences may affect the behaviour, social or even academic performance of a student (Steel and Malchiodi, 2012). Trauma-informed responses become a remedy of the misbehaviours and punishments that may affect the involved student (Blaustein and Kinniburgh, 2010) Adults may be faced with unruly behaviours that originate from the traumatized students. At such a time the efforts of the adults to bring to an end the funny behaviour may not bear fruits which leads to frustration and anger among the involved parties. The trauma-informed approach is critical in opening up new possibilities for change where disciplinary methods are employed in such a way that while teaching the child how to regulate his emotions, safety and empathy are employed. These can be done at the same time since firm discipline and empathy are not mutually exclusive. The administrators, workers as well as teachers areon how to identify and retort to trauma cases. Trauma-informed school is concerned about the recovery and resilience of traumatized students through the implementation of organizational practices, policies and culture that help in the reflection of trauma skills and awareness and thus ensuring student’s security comes first (Ryan, Testa and Zai 2008) The school social workers should, therefore, be involved in teaching the students, school staff and the society in general about what trauma is and how it tends to affect the individuals. They should also be involved in the process of creating a collaborative network that links the parents, school personnel, teachers and the community in general which helps in the creation and monitoring of school policies that ensure the safety of the students from traumatizing experiences. The school social workers are the catalysts for ensuring that a trauma-informed school culture is created to ensure the safety of everyone in the school. This can only be done by mediating the parents, the school staff and the teachers to come up with the best ways to deal with the student’s behaviour and fostering academic achievements in a trauma-informed manner. They should also educate the teachers on how to deal with the students without getting angry or using harsh language. School social workers and the staff should always focus on the child’s cognition as well as the sensory processes that require sensory intervention. Social workers should also be involved in sharing with the students a curriculum that helps in teaching the students how to identify their bodily sensations and emotions helping the students to identify the difference between the past and the present occurrences which allows them to handle each situation differently. Social workers should also b e involved in engaging parents and teachers who might as well be traumatized and helping them deal with such situations and educating them on how to handle students as well as their children. Employing a trauma-informed approach in a school is the best thing that one can do since it takes care of the traumatized students and adults in general. It is necessary for school social workers to intervene and ensure that the approach has been employed and that the students, teachers and the parents have been educated on how to handle traumatizing events which foster behavioural academic and social improvements. Marginalization of School’s Social Workers When the practice of social working began, the social workers acted as the mediators for the students who seemed to be at risk thus acting as a linkage between the homes and the schools (Allen, Washington and Welsh, 1996). Various reforms were seen in the education sector due to the widespread changes that took place in the globe due to industrialization include the compulsory law of school attendance(Phillippo and Blosser, 2013). Therefore, the social workers have for a long time been considered the best means through which student’s problems can be solved. The responsibility of the social workers in schools has been assumed where they have not been involved in making the major decisions in schools. Perpetuated by the consequential practices and shift in the philosophical framework that shapes the responsibilities of the workers, it is evident that marginalization of the of the school’s social workers has taken place for a long time. With the shift in the responsibilities of the social workers, their work has currently been seen as handling mental illnesses in schools rather than addressing the attendance of the students in schools and their changes in behaviors as well as informing their families on the educational requirements and as well as the available community resources (Phillippo and Blosser, 2013). Phillippo and Blosser, (2013) states that the reforms made in the education system in the 1970s which promoted learning among the students with cognitive learning issues as well as physical challenges and advocated for the n ecessity of social workers to schools saw them being the reasonable people who can be charged with the responsibility of taking care of this kind of students. However as they provided the necessary services to the mentally and physically challenged students, their contribution and incidence in the general education system gradually faded D’ Agostino, (2013) concurs with Philippo and Blosser by stating that marginalization has also been exacerbated by the financial constraints for special education where the available capital determines and describes the job done by the social workers and their day to day activities within the school thus limiting their involvement and responsibilities in school affairs. As a result, social workers contribution in the general education has been dismissed since they are only known to deal with the disabled students in the society which is known to be their traditional role thus underestimating their value in the school and the society in general. The occupational profile of social workers is created by â€Å"National Association of Social Workers† (NASW, 2010). It defines the responsibility of the social workers within a school such as conducting home visits, developing plans for treatment, student’s advocacy as well as completion of family and students assessment among other similar roles. There lacks the role of curriculum development and development of leadership activities in the school thus the profession seems to devalue the workers in some way. It is, therefore, necessary for the school administrators and the social workers to come together and redefine the roles and responsibility and contribution to schools and students success (Bye et al, 2009). This would help in eliminating the rift that exists between the social workers and the school guidance and counselling workers in all departments especially in leadership (Altshuler and Webb, 2009) which creates a necessity for their collaboration with the sc hool’s leadership. The social workers must also be versed with self-advocacy which allows to speak to the world and explain the essence of their practices in schools. Social workers have largely contributed to the achievement of the scholars in a school. However unrecognized, their work is unimaginably explicit. There should be a change in the system that defines the roles of the social workers in a school in order to endorse them with the responsibilities that they are supposed to carry out in a school. Apart from their contribution in helping the mentally and psychologically challenged students, they should be allowed to interact with the other students and be involved in school matters to transform the lives of the students and the operations of the school for the better.

Social impacts of tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social impacts of tourism - Essay Example But not all of the results of successful tourism are necessarily beneficial. While the economic impact is usually the primary focus, it is the social impacts that tend to be less considered. It is important to understand the side of the people who call these amazing far away destinations their home. Whenever tourism booms in a given location the majority of the time the initial response is wholly positive. The newfound and continuing income that tourism can provide is a particular incentive. (Blasco Peris) Tourism, also, provides more enjoyable activities, better maintenance of streets and popular architecture, finer dining and businesses, new infrastructure, and ideally greater local pride. It can, also, contribute to positive population growth, intercultural communication, and a rise in a locale’s property values.("Tourism Social Indicators" 2) All of these things turn a given location into a very lucrative place. One of the highlights of tourism for a local population is th e fact that to accommodate the demand of visitors it may lead to a huge growth in employment opportunities. The Dambulla Tourism Destination, in Sri Lanka, was determined to make sure that the residents were involved and supportive of the tourism moving into their area. The tourism created an 85% increase in potential employment.(Chandralal 3) However, not all of the social impacts of tourism are good. Sometimes the tourism brings with a slew of side-effects that have negative impacts on the populations that are being visited. The cost of living may increase. There may be an increase in drugs and alcohol related incidents, along with overall greater crime rates. All of these are a consideration. There can be issues of overcrowding and greater use of public resources, like heath, police, and fire services. ("Tourism Social Indicators" 2) But it is the disruption of local traditions and life that can have the greatest negative impact. Tourism is an invasion, of sorts. It may be a peac eful and unintentionally intrusive invasion, but all the same, an invasion.(Blasco Peris) The presence of tourists is disruptive to the day to day life of the local populations. It must be quite overwhelming when large amounts of tourists, with strange languages and attitudes very different from what they may be accustomed to are surrounding them. A community can become so dependent upon the tourism income that they give up traditional tasks to work in the jobs demanded that tourism has created.(Ragsdale) It can change the feel and familiarity of the locals with their home surroundings and cause them to not feel at home in their own homes. This usually occurs when the number of tourist reach a certain point that the local population may start to feel smothered. It is when this happens and the benefits of tourism are not being felt, the local population may become resentful and unpleasant to the tourists; treating the tourists like terrorists.(Blasco Peris) Tourists never intended to become a nuisance to the locales that they visit, but all the same, it can happen. Many of the experts say that tourism will never be successful unless the local people are in agreement, they need that support to make a sustainable tourism industry in their communities a success. (Chandralal 2) That is why many areas that are considering opening themselves up and encouraging tourism are working harder, than in the past, to gain

Personal case study reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal case study reflection - Essay Example Procrastination in decision-making may make the situation or problem worse. Decisions should therefore be made and executed in a timely manner. These should be accepted by the people, in addition to being high-quality decisions. Critical conditions need critical thinking to be applied in order to arrive at a conclusive and well-thought decision. Therefore, one needs to reason and where possible apply the various decision-making and problem-solving models and theories in order to ensure quality of their decisions (Bell, Raiffa, & Tversky, 1998). It is also important for one to be flexible and react promptly to situations. This brings boosts personal confidence. This paper highlights a personal decision-making process, where being the supervisor of my group at my work place, one of the group members challenges my authority by behaving in an indiscipline manner, and shows a poor attitude. Problem Background I got a promotion to become a supervisor for a group of employees at our small o ffice. Roles of a supervisor include monitoring specific employees’ performance and behavior. This is a leadership position that I was presented with. ... Sports day came once every year, and was aimed at encouraging bonding of the employees as they engaged in various sport, competing with each other. My duty on this rehearsal day was to ensure orderliness and active participation of all members of my group, including assigning each of them to a game type they would participate in on the sports day. However, in the course of my coordination, I realized that one member of my group did not follow a single instruction I gave out. He would defy instructions and move in and out of the group’s meeting place. Additionally, he would deliberately refuse to participate in some demonstrations I had asked the group to perform. This infuriated me, considering that I sometimes lose my temper so fast. However, I tried to control my emotions and play cool. Remaining calm did not make this employee comply with the session requirements. This is a disciplinary case where my subordinate challenged my authority as a supervisor and put me in a challe nging situation about the course of actions I was to adopt as a leader. As a leader, I was expected to make the right decisions, which would not be lethal to either the involved employee or me in order to change his attitude toward me, for better coordination and effective execution of tasks. Approaches to Decision-Making and Problem-Solving As a leader, I managed to solve the problem successfully. However, further exposure to leadership and knowledge on the models and approaches to decision-making and problem solving has given me a different way of looking at how I could have addressed this situation in a more favorable way. As a supervisor, I was responsible for planning, and analyzing situations, identifying and solving problems, including

Applied anatomy and physiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Applied anatomy and physiology - Essay Example I obtained the consent before proceeding with any procedure. For a detailed medical record of the patient please refer to the index at the end of this paper. I was in contact with the patient for three weeks as I was monitoring the patient’s recovery and the effect of medication and diet. I had to monitor the diabetic data that the patient was showing so that I could change any medication or diet in the patient’s diet plan. My capacity included direct interaction with the patient where I could talk and advise any recommendations or any guideline that I deemed necessary. I had to go through a detailed discussion about the confidentiality because the privacy of medical records of the patient is always a debatable issue. The patient’s content that they are the sole owners of their medical record and this cannot be shared with anyone. The patients have the right to access their own medical records (Schoenberg  & Safran, 2000). However, the doctor side of this debate argues that the medical records should be accessible to the medical staff and anyone that the doctors deemed worthy and qualified enough to share their opinion for the recovery and better treatment of the patient. The normal anatomy and physiology of the patient with type II diabetes includes normal blood pressure but the patient presented the case of hypotension. This condition can be explained by the use of drug Amlodipine. The normal physiology of a 45 year old male does not include nausea or headaches. At the age of 45 a person is healthy showing no unusual weakness in limbs and no visual disturbance. Endocrine pancreas is present as cell-clusters (islets of Langerhans) comprising four types of cells: alpha, beta, PP and delta cells (Sussel et al., 1998). Type II diabetes mellitus occurs with the interaction of environmental factors and a certain combination of genetic variants (Sladek et al., 2007). A study by Lorenzo et al. (1994) reveals that amylin fibril formation in

The concept of normality in relation to homosexuality Essay

The concept of normality in relation to homosexuality - Essay Example The normality of homosexuality is a debatable issue. During my exploration on this topic, I relied on information from books, scholarly journals, and website sources. Ultimately, the conclusion will establish whether the world is better off without these rigid â€Å"normal† / â€Å"abnormal† labels and why. I base my analysis on an article â€Å"The normality of homosexuality† written by Alicia Mullins and published by The Maine Campus on April 06, 2006. I chose this source because it explains the meaning of heteronormativity in relation to homosexuality. I relied on the article â€Å"Homosexuality: Normality or Abnormality in U.S. Society† written by Nicole Higginbotham and published by Bellevue University on November 21, 2011. This article explains whether homosexuality is normality or an abnormality. I also base my analysis on the article â€Å"Homosexuality is normal so it should not be considered wrong† by Matt Slick and published by CARM. This article addresses the statistics, biology, and evolution of normality in the context of homosexuality. I relied on a 2009 article by Richard Balkin and others in the Journal of Counseling and Development journal. The journal article investigates the relationships between religious identity, sexism, homophobia, and multicultural competence. My analysis also relied on the book â€Å"The Battle for Normality† by G. J. M. van den Aardweg and published by Ignatius Press in 1997. This book offers advice to homosexuality afflicted.

Is Physical Activity More Important in Defining Health Benefits Essay

Is Physical Activity More Important in Defining Health Benefits - Essay Example Regular participation in physical activity is imperative to maintaining and improving good health (Blair, Cheng, and Holder, P. 380). Communities and organizations are usually encouraged to provide support to their members and staff to do physical activities. This can be achieved by offering and supporting programmes that intend to increase such activities. They can install fitness gymnasium among others. As physical fitness educators work in the present with many students, it is vital to make sure that the student’s current physical activity is achieved by encouraging them to continue over a lifetime. Research has noted that transition from childhood physical activity to adult fitness is crucial to improving individual health throughout (Malina, P. 162). The current physical activity guidelines for adults aged between 18 and 64 years consist of minimum one hundred and fifty of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes vigorous-intensity physical activity. These can be combined with muscle-strengthening activities that strengthen all the major muscles. The four areas of the target in doing the exercise are cardiorespiratory exercise, flexibility exercise, neuro-motor exercise and intensity exercise. The intensity of the exercise refers to the rate and extent to which the exercise is performed or the effort required to carry out an activity. The moderate intensity physical activity includes brisk walking, dancing, and domestic chores among others. Vigorous physical activity includes running, fast cycling, aerobics and fast swimming among others (Kyrà ¶là ¤inen et al. P. 912). Lack of performing physical activity has persistently contributed to the escalation of obesity and overweight. Therefore, individuals should always engage in performing daily physical activities to maintain their health fitness by averting diseases related to lack of exercise.

Marketing Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Managment - Essay Example This step of strategic planning process involves strategic thinking i.e. what the firm needs to do ten to fifteen years from now. The mission is followed by analysis, which involves environmental scan this analysis is important because a business strategy should be congruent with the capabilities of the firm and its external environment. This scan involves industry and competitive analysis, company analysis and identification of competitive strategy. For analysing the industry environment porter’s five forces model is used. The rivalry among firms identifies the extent of competiveness, strength of barriers to entry, buyer power, supplier power and the threat of substitute all are analysed and listed as a part of the industry analysis. In the company analysis the present strategy is assessed based on the performance indicator and financial analysis. A SWOT analysis is conducted identifying the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the firm. Also PEST analysis, in volving the political, environmental, social and technological changes affecting the firm, is also conducted. Lastly identifying competitive advantage involves core competency and benchmarking. Core competence is what a firm does best and benchmarking is comparing ones products and services with that of the customer in order to add any improvement to the existing product and services. After the situation analysis is the step of goals and objectives. The goal setting and objectives formation is a crucial part of the strategic process. Goals are broad target of what is to be achieved which are then translated in to more measurable, workable, achievable and specific targets know as objectives. After this step comes the grand strategy... This paper approves that studying the industry through porter’s five forces model gives a good picture of the automotive industry. The rivalry among firms in this industry is high due to the great diversity of rivals culture, slow market growth, high fixed costs and low switching costs for the customer. The threat of substitute to this industry is low because all other transportation vehicles don’t offer the same utility, convenience and independence. The industry has high barriers to entry due to high capital requirements and the specialized nature of the industry. The power of supplier is less as compared to that of the buyer. The buyer of the automotive industry is very high. This essay makes a conclusion that the goal for Volkswagen is to bring diversity and new models to their product line. The objective is to introduce newer models like the hands free driving and bring technological advancement in their product line. The corporate strategy for this company is a combination of growth and stability. The company plans to use concentration strategy and bring new models to the same customers. Also in order to grow they will maintain their sales and grow slowly out of their declining profits. The product marketing strategy for VW is affordable price car for everyone so as to increase it market share from the existing one. The company has carried out focus group researches to identify the needs of customers and develop a price that adds value to the customer purchase as a part of VW’s value proposition.

Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act Research Paper

Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act - Research Paper Example In addition, the team conducted a research of former attempts that have been made in addressing the issue in question (Payne, 2015). The subsequent part of the essay covers the stakeholder analysis where issues related to them have been discussed. The section also provides the stakeholders who are adversely affected by the problem associated with the Act. The stakeholders have different objectives that are with policies that are implemented by the relevant institutions. Conversely, the section discusses how stakeholders are affected by the implementation of the Act. The next section provides alternative solutions that can be used to resolve the issue related to the Indiana Religious Act. In addition, an evaluation of the possible outcomes of the alternatives has been provided. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the alternatives given to mitigating the problem that arise from the application of the policy in the business environment. Lastly, the last section provides the anticipated future trend of the problem (Robertson and Pà ©rez-Peà ±a, 2015). The Act was introduced in Indiana after it was enacted by the Governor of the State. One of the problems that have been widely associated with the Act is that it discriminates certain groups of people in the society. Critics argue that the move to introduce the policy was intended to exclude particular groups such as the gay community in the business sector. In the year 1993, President Bill Clinton signed a law allowing states to have their religious laws. The senators who participated passing the law voted overwhelming in support of the law. However, it was established the Indiana State operated in contrast to the legislation of the federal government. The decision to allow states to come up with their religion created a loophole in the legal system where the state of Indiana legalized gay marriage. The decision to allow gay marriage in State came with negative implications especially to

Ecological Footprint of Clay Brick Essay Example for Free

Ecological Footprint of Clay Brick Essay An ecological footprint highlights human impact on the environment through specific, measurable terms usually relating to a type of material that can be diagramed from manufacturing to use. To understand the impact of a single material, such as clay brick, there must be a cataloguing of the process of excavation, manufacturing, and transportation. In the architectural realm, clay bricks are often used for convenience, but the actual process of creating and transporting clay bricks obviously consumes energy and produces waste affecting the health of the environment and the distribution of resources. Despite the fact forming clay bricks is less harmful than other building materials, such as glass and chemically formed plastics, clay bricks do take a toll on the environment. By examining the life cycle of a clay brick it is possible to make observations that can potentially alter the process of excavation, manufacturing, and transportation, which allows for a cleaner, more efficient means of production. The Life Cycle Analysis or LCA of clay brick categorizes the various environmental impacts, including climate range, stratospheric ozone depletion, human toxicity, eco-toxicity, photo-oxidant formation, acidification and nitrification. It is now a common practice to make the LCA of specific materials accessible on the job site as a reference to monitor how an ecologically-friendly process compares to the more traditional practices of the past. By providing a benchmark, it is easier to track the life cycle and easier implement small changes that will lead to a significant difference in the final ecological footprint of a clay brick. Energy and material use can be categorized in the life cycle of brick in two ways. There is the primary use of materials and energy, such as the clay and stone that physically make up the brick. Then there is secondary energy that is required in the machinery that is used to excavate or to form the brick. Energy for these processes has traditionally been provided through fossil fuels, as a non-renewable resource, some companies have replaced using fossil fuel with more environmentally friendly choices such as, biogas and liquefied rendering fat. From these two types of energy use and consumption comes material and energy waste and emission. To begin, clay and stone, the main material of brick, is excavated from a quarry. Here energy is consumed by the machinery used to retract the rock. Despite the plasticity of clay compared to many other types of excavation, bracing and support may still be needed for the extraction. With the bracing and support more energy and more resources are consumed. Also, with the clay and rock now gone, there is possible destruction of a habitat along with a new likelihood of erosion due to the large hole created by the excavation. This can lead to long term, if not permanent dangers to the habitat and its creatures. The future use of the site for any other building and excavation can also be determined by the extent of excavation. The process continues with delivery to the manufacturer. Energy is consumed through fuel consumption, emissions from the delivery vehicle, and heat radiation of its engine. The manufacturing process can now begin with clay processing, continuing on with the brick formation, brick drying and finally firing the brick. Initially, the clay is crushed, ground and screened to reduce it to a fine consistency. Then, depending on the type of clay being used, water is added or taken out. The stiff mud process, the process most common currently, places clay with 12 percent to 15 percent water into a vacuum to remove any pockets of air. The new bricks are then cut and placed in a kiln to dry for one or two days. During the cutting and drying processes, the cut away parts of the clay are lost, thrown away as waste, the material is no longer used in the clay making process. They then continue on to the firing process in which the bricks are places in an oven as hot as 2400 degrees for 40 to 150 hours. Throughout this part of the steps, co2 is emitted from the burning fuel . Also as a part of the firing there are fuel emissions and energy waste as a result of machinery use that leads to co2 being released into the air and other heat pollution that can affect the ozone. Those same wastes continue with the packaging of the product and the transportation of the bricks to construction sites. Eventually the bricks make it to their destination where they are used. Combined with mortar, the bricks are used to build walls, or in walkways, etc. , and the actually construction of such structures only adds to the extent of clays bricks ecological footprint. Technically, pure clay bricks are completely recyclable. Unfortunately due to the building process the bricks come into contact with common building materials that ultimately compromise the of clay bricks. However, in some cases the bricks are eventually taken down, either to be replaced by new bricks that have followed the same process or just to demolition the structure they inhabit. In this deconstruction step, there is cleaning and crushing that requires labor and that also releases atmospheric emissions. With the crushing process completed, the brick pieces can be reused by taking them back to the initial manufacturer to be reformed into brick. By doing this the bricks formed from the reused pieces are more efficiently produced and in turn the ecological footprint is lessened because the excavation process is skipped entirely. Clay Bricks are usually referred to as a sustainable product. The only real energy consuming aspect of them comes when the raw materials are quarried or the bricks are fired. When just making the bricks, the energy consumption ranges from 1840-2800 kj/kg. However, recently that number is much higher because it is becoming increasingly common for the bricks to be fired in a â€Å"tunnel kiln in which fire remains stationary and bricks are moved on kiln cars through a tunnel divided preheat, firing and cooling zones. † With this added energy use, 800-1250 kj/kg is added to the total energy consumption of bricks. As seen in the last step of a clay bricks LCA, there are ways to decrease the energy usage of clay brick production and use. Other than simply reusing materials, another way to make for more efficient production is to combine the areas of production to a unified space so less energy is consumed by transportation and travel. By housing the excavation area, the manufacturing area, and the packaging area into one facility could save transportation costs and energy consumption and waste Also, buyers and contractors can do more accurate calculation to ensure that they are ordering the correct amount, not more than needed as that would lead to more waste and energy loss. Another method to decrease bricks environmentally impact could lie in the ability to ensure the bricks integrity and recyclability. Many of these ideas are being adapted into construction processes as the LCA of materials make it easier for people to understand the waste that is the consequence of production and use of materials such as clay brick. This proves that awareness is a significant factor in changing human ecological footprints. Essentially clay, as a raw material, is pure. The environmental impact of clay bricks begins with emissions when clay has been fired, not when clay is in its raw state. It is possible to reduce the emissions caused by the various stages by compacting the out going sources into one factory and ultimately condensing the energy consumed and waste produced. Also, to help maintain the sustainability of clay bricks it is possible to recycle the product in its final state rather than generate new bricks for the same purpose. The clay brick itself is not a source of waste, rather, the energy required to create a new brick, therefore it is important to recycle clay bricks. By closely examining the ecological footprint it is possible to observe what steps in the process can be altered or improved to stop overusing materials and harming the earth. In essence, by condensing sources and recycling it is possible to continue maximum productivity while eliminating the ability to create a larger ecological footprint by using clay bricks. Bibliography http://www. scribd. com/doc/8746950/Clay-Brick-LCA http://www. staywithclay. com/downloads/SustainableBuildingConference-Italy. pdf http://linkinghub. elsevier. com/retrieve/pii/S0360132306000795 http://www. ibstock. com/pdfs/technical-support/TIS16Howbricksaremade. pdf Fundamentals of Building Construction, 4th Edition, Allen and Iano

Ap English 1996 Essay Prompt Essay Example for Free

Ap English 1996 Essay Prompt Essay Writers use many tactics to get across to their readers. In order to get the moral of the story or the overall theme of the book, they might write about the main character reaching an epiphany of some sort that reveals the focus of the story. Writers tend to end their story with a happy ending in which the main character experiences a spiritual reassessment or a moral reconciliation. In Margaret Mitchells Gone with the Wind, the main character, Scarlett OHara, undergoes a spiritual reassessment and moral reconciliation. At the start of the novel, Scarlett is a high spirited girl concerned mostly about her looks and holding the attention of everyone. She does not really appreciate the little things in life because she has so much available to her. She feels the need to make herself seen by everyone and heard by everyone. There is one encounter where she is talking with two of the handsome boys in town; however, the boys begin to diverge from the topic of her to the topic of war. This angers Scarlett because the attention is no longer on her. She continues this child like behavior for most of the novel. However, her first encounter with Rhett Butler changes Scarletts life forever. When Rhett first meets Scarlett, he is intrigued by her beauty and the way she carries herself. Contrary, to how Rhett feels; Scarlett sees him a low life nothing that does not deserve her attention. Therefore, their time with each other is very short. However, as the novel progresses, their paths cross again. During this time, the Civil War is at its peak; and being that the characters are Confederates, everything is falling apart for them. Scarlett begins to grow out of her childish ways. Now that she sees the hardships of the Confederate soldiers at the hospital she works in, she begins to realize that life is more than dinner parties and corsets. When she meets Rhett again she is in a terrible condition and is in need of his help. He tells her that in order to receive his help, she needs to marry him. At first Scarlett refuses because she still feels that he is not good enough for her. Eventually, she agrees to marry him but mostly because of his money. Rhett however, is madly in love with Scarlett but is angry at  her lack of loving him. The only thing that keeps them together is their daughter Bonnie. She is their pride and joy is the only reason why they remain together. Tragedy strikes when Bonnie dies while trying to jump a fence while on the back of a horse. This tears Scarlett apart because she feels as if it is her fault that Bonnie dies. Rhett becomes distant from her because he is also devastated. Scarlett punishes herself for allowing her daughter to horseback ride. To make matters worse, her best friend Melanie dies after she has a miscarriage. At this point, the novel is ending and Scarlett is confused, lonely and afraid to feel. However, she starts to feel a strange longing for Rhett. After all this time she finally realizes that she loved Rhett because he is strong, and unscrupulous, passionate and earthy like her. With this sudden epiphany, Scarlett rushes her way home to Rhett. Ironically, Rhett is fed up with Scarlett and does not care about her new found love for him; so he leaves her. Although this does not seem like a happy ending, after Rhett left Scarlett, she does not get discouraged. She knows what she wants from her life now and it is Rhett. She morally reconciles with herself when she forgives herself for the death of her daughter. She spiritually reassesses herself when she realizes that all the time she was young, she did not really appreciate anything. Her father tells her once, that she will come to love all the things she does not think she will. That is exactly what happens to Scarlett. She decides to go to her home at Tara where she feels a special connection to and devises of ways to bring Rhett back into her life. Now that she has come to terms with who she really is, there is no turning back for her.

Hypertension Case Study Nursing

Hypertension Case Study Nursing 1) CASE SUMMARY Mr. MS is a 58-year-old Malay male who was previously diagnosed with hypertension, gout and triple vessel ischemic heart disease. He first presented with chest pain in March 2010 where he was diagnosed with ischemic heart disease. He was unable to complete an exercise stress test and an angiogram done in Hospital Sultanah Aminah found him to have triple vessel disease. He was told angioplasty was not possible due to the severity of the blocks and was counseled for CABG but he was not keen. Meanwhile, he has had angina attacks 2 to 3 times per week every week since his initial diagnosis for the last 3 months, usually relieved by sublingual GTN and was currently admitted for the 4th time for chest pain not relieved by GTN. ECG done 2 hours after onset of chest pain showed ST depression of 2mm at leads I, aVL, V3 V6 and left axis deviation with no Q waves. Trop T was positive (2.75 ng/ml) at 4 hours after onset and other cardiac enzymes were also raised significantly. He was diagnosed with NSTEMI and treated with aspirin 300mg, IV morphine 2.5 mg, sublingual GTN 3 tablets and subcutaneous clexane 60mg BD for 3 days as well as continuing his current medication regime of simvastatin, metoprolol, cardiprin, ISDN, amlodipine and GTN. Following admission, he was well in the ward with no recurrence of chest pain and did not develop any new complaints. He was discharged after 3 days of inpatient treatment with instructions to attend his follow-up appointment at the cardio clinic in HSAJB on the 16th of June 2010 to make an appointment for surgery. Following this episode of chest pain, which he says is the worst so far, he is now quite keen for CABG. PATIENTS DETAILS I/C NUMBER: 510831015263 AGE: 58 SEX: Male DATE OF ADMISSION: 3/6/2010 R/N: 1348445 2) CLINICAL HISTORY Chief Complaint Chest pain for 1 day. History of Present Illness Mr. MS is a 58-year-old Malay male who was previously diagnosed with gout, hypertension and ischemic heart disease with triple vessel disease. He was awoken from sleep at about 10pm due to a central chest pain of sudden onset. He described the character of the pain as crushing in nature and radiated to his neck. This episode of chest pain was the most severe since he was first diagnosed with ischemic heart disease. The pain was associated with profuse sweating, body weakness and was not relieved by rest. However, it was relieved by sublingual GTN, of which he has a supply of. His discomfort was made worst by exertion so he lay in bed to recover. Despite this, he had another episode of chest pain 30 minutes later. He took the sublingual GTN again but this time, the pain did not resolve. He was then brought to the emergency department of Hospital Batu Pahat by his son. This is Mr. MSs fourth admission for chest pain since March 2010. Since his diagnosis of ischemic heart disease in March, he has experience angina attacks two to three times per week, especially on exertion such as when straining while passing motion. During these attacks, he uses sublingual GTN to relieve his symptoms and normally feels much better after that. He only comes to the hospital when GTN does not work to relieve his symptoms. Systemic Review Mr. MS does not experience symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, orthopnoea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea, epigastric pain, shortness of breath, fever, and had no syncopal episodes. He also does not have loss of appetite or loss of weight. Bowel and urinary habits are normal. His sleep has not been affected until this current episode whereby he was awoken by the chest pain. Past Medical History Mr. MS was diagnosed with hypertension 6 years ago when he had an episode of headache. He has been on medication since and was on regular follow-up with KK Rengit. He was diagnosed with gout 5 years ago when he had a left big toe swelling which resolved after some medication. He is not on long term medication for gout. Mr. MS was admitted for the first time 5 years ago in 2005 when he had bilateral renal calculi. He was subsequently referred to Hospital Sultanah Aminah for further management of this problem and it has since resolved and does not have follow-up anymore. Mr. MS was diagnosed with ischemic heart disease in March 2010 when he presented with chest pain for the first time. Following his recovery, he underwent a stress test in Hospital Batu Pahat but according to him, was unable to complete the procedure due to chest discomfort. He was referred to the cardiology unit in Hospital Sultanah Aminah for further management where an angiogram was performed and he was told to have triple vessel disease. He was also told that angioplasty was not possible due to the severity of the blocks. He was recommended to have Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) but as of yet, no appointment has been made as he was still unsure of going through with the procedure. Following this episode of chest pain, Mr. MS has decided that going for the CABG is the only thing that will keep him alive. His current medications include: Tab Simvastatin 20mg OD Tab Metoprolol 75mg BD Tab Cardiprin 100mg OD Tab Isosorbide Dinitrate (ISDN) 5mg TDS Tab Amlodipine 10mg OD Sublingual Glyceryl Trinitrate (GTN) PRN He is compliant to his medication regime. Mr. MS is not known to have diabetes or hyperlipidemia. He also does not have any known food or drug allergies. Family History Mr. MS is the 3rd of 9 siblings. His father had hypertension and passed away a long time ago due to unknown causes. His mother and other siblings are healthy. None of them have hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease or malignancy. Social History He lives in a kampung in Rengit with his wife and 5 children. Mr. MS does not smoke nor consume alcohol. He works in a palm oil plantation. The distance from his house to Hospital Batu Pahat is about half an hour. On further enquiry, Mr. MS says that the cost of the CABG is about RM1000, which he can afford. 3) FINDINGS ON CLINICAL EXAMINATION (Mr. MS was examined by me 9 hours after onset of chest pain) Mr. MS was alert, conscious, and communicative. He was not in obvious pain or respiratory distress. He was lying down comfortably on his bed. There were no tendon xanthomata, xanthelasma, pallor, corneal arcus or pedal edema. His JVP was not raised. His clinical parameters are: Blood Pressure : 158/94 mmHg Heart Rate : 94 beats per minute. Regular rhythm Respiratory Rate : 20 breaths per minute Temperature : 37Â °C SpO2 : 97% under room air On examination of the precordium, the apex beat was located at the 5th intercostal space on the midclavicular line and was normal in character. Parasternal heave was not felt and there were no thrills. First and second heart sounds were heard. There were no murmurs or added heart sounds. On examination of the chest, there was no deformity and chest expansion was equal on both sides. Percussion and tactile vocal fremitus was normal and equal on both sides. On auscultation, vesicular breath sounds were heard throughout all lung fields with good air entry. There was no wheezing or crepitations heard. On examination of the abdomen, it was soft and non-tender. There were no masses felt. Bowel sounds were heard and normal. 4) PROVISIONAL AND DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSES WITH REASONING Provisional Diagnosis Acute myocardial infarction with underlying triple vessel ischemic heart disease and hypertension With a history of diagnosed triple vessel ischemic heart disease with multiple episodes of angina attacks since the initial diagnosis, it is highly likely that Mr. MS is presenting with an acute coronary event and this should be a priority until proven otherwise. This is evidenced by the presentation of central, crushing chest pain of sudden onset that radiated to the neck and associated with profuse sweating and body weakness which is classical of a myocardial infarction. Mr. MS will require immediate investigations such as an electrocardiogram and cardiac enzymes to differentiate the acute coronary syndromes so that the appropriate management may be instituted for him e.g. if he has an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), he will require myocardium-saving thrombolytic therapy to disrupt the ischemic event. As Mr. MS did not present with features such as acute shortness of breath, loss of consciousness and severe palpitations, it seems that he does not have complicati ons of acute myocardial infarction but these developments should be watched out for throughout his admission as complications may arise later. Differential Diagnosis Pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism is a possibility that can be considered when a patient presents with an acute chest pain that is accompanied by shortness of breath, hemoptysis, tachypnea, fever and even cyanosis and collapse in severe cases. Furthermore, the chest pain is of a pleuritic nature, of which it is worsened on breathing, and a pleural rub can be heard on auscultation of the chest. However, Mr. MS did not present in such a way. At the same time, Mr. MS did not have risk factors such as a deep vein thrombosis, prolonged immobilization or recent surgery. It is still highly likely that Mr. MS has suffered an acute myocardial infarction, and an ECG would help to differentiate between the two as pulmonary embolism might show the classic S1Q3T3 pattern of right axis deviation or right bundle branch block. Either way, the diagnosis should be made quickly so treatment may be instituted before his condition becomes worse or complications develop. Aortic dissection Aortic dissection presents as an acute onset chest pain that is tearing in nature, and often radiates to the back. It is often confused with myocardial infarction due to its presentation but differences include the lack of profuse sweating, signs of heart pump dysfunction and a normal ECG. Risk factors are usually uncontrolled hypertension, connective tissue disorders or chest trauma. Mr. MS has hypertension, but is under control, and does not have the other risk factors. A diagnosis of myocardial infarction should be the priority as thrombolytic therapy is vital, but if there is any reason to doubt that diagnosis, then further investigations should be performed. 5) IDENTIFY AND PRIORITISE THE PROBLEMS 1. Acute chest pain Mr. MS has acute chest pain with features very suggestive of a classical picture of myocardial infarction as he presents with crushing central chest pain that radiates to the neck and associated with profuse sweating and weakness. Given that he is known to have triple vessel ischemic heart disease and that he has suffered many angina attacks since his initial diagnosis, it is highly likely that he is having an acute myocardial infarction. Without further a due, he needs an electrocardiogram (ECG) and cardiac enzymes tested to distinguish between the different acute coronary syndromes so that the appropriate treatment protocols may be initiated for him as soon as possible to disrupt the ongoing ischemia. As Mr. MS is having severe chest pain that may overstimulate his sympathetic system and cause further ischemia, he will require immediate supportive therapy such as effective pain medication and oxygen therapy. 2. Triple vessel ischemic heart disease awaiting CABG Mr. MS was diagnosed with triple vessel ischemic heart disease when he first presented with chest pain in March 2010 and has since experienced many episodes of angina. Given his diagnosis and disease pattern, he is at a very high risk of developing a severe acute coronary event that may prove fatal if the infarction is too extensive or if complications develop. As percutaneous revascularization with a stent or balloon was not possible for him, he will require a CABG to both relieve his symptoms and reduce his mortality risks in the long term. He was unsure of going ahead with the operation previously, therefore no appointment date was given for surgery. However, now that he has changed his mind, every effort should be made by both the doctors in charge of him here in Hospital Batu Pahat and in the cardiology unit of Hospital Sultanah Aminah to arrange for his surgery as soon as possible, given the circumstances of his condition. 3. Compliance to medication Mr. MS is on several medications for his triple vessel ischemic heart disease and will require revascularization surgery soon in order to decrease his mortality risks. However, waiting for a CABG in the government setting may take some time, even under dire circumstances due to the nature of the system. Therefore, it is extremely crucial that Mr. MS is compliant to his medication regime while awaiting a CABG to prevent another episode of infarction. He should be counseled to fully understand this and the situation of his ischemic heart disease. It is also the responsibility of his doctors to ensure that he is taking the right combination of medications with the aim to prevent another acute cardiac event. Meanwhile, a sufficient supply of sublingual GTN should be provided for Mr. MS in cases of angina attacks at home. He should come to the hospital immediately if GTN fails to relieve his symptoms. 4. Regular screening for comorbid diseases Mr. MS has not been diagnosed with diabetes or hyperlipidemia previously but these diseases are strong risk factors for the long term implications of his ischemic heart disease. Therefore, Mr. MS should be screened regularly e.g. twice yearly during his follow-up appointments. Early detection of diabetes is necessary so that treatment can start as soon as detected in order to prevent his ischemic heart disease from becoming worst than it already is. As for his lipid control, if his lipid profile is found to be outside the normal limits, the dosage of his medication can be increased as necessary. Following his CABG, he will need to maintain a healthy lifestyle of a good, well-balanced, low-salt and low-fat diet and regular exercise within his limits. 6) PLAN OF INVESTIGATION, JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THE SELECTION OF TESTS OR PROCEDURES, AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS 1. Electrocardiogram (ECG) To look for any changes that may indicate an ongoing ischemic event, such as ST elevation or depression and T wave inversion in order to support the diagnosis of an acute myocardial infarction so appropriate treatment can be started. Differentiation of ST segment elevation or depression is also crucial in initiating treatment as thrombolytic therapy is only indicated for ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Results: ECG on admission (2 hours after onset) shows sinus rhythm with ST depression at leads I, aVL, V3 V6 with left axis deviation. T wave was present and normal. Interpretation: The ST depression in the leads above indicate an ischemic event at the anterolateral sections of the heart. The lack of ST elevation concludes a diagnosis of either unstable angina or NSTEMI, depending on the levels of cardiac enzymes. There is no sign of old infarction. 2. Cardiac Enzymes To look for elevated levels of cardiac enzymes such as troponin T, creatinine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate transaminase (AST) that will indicate myocardium ischemia and necrosis. If elevated, a diagnosis of NSTEMI can be made in accordance with the ECG changes. However, cardiac enzymes when done too early after onset may not show any rise in levels 1. This does not mean that necrosis has not taken place and the test should be repeated once more at 6 hours after onset 1. Results: Troponin T (4 hours after onset) 2.75ng/ml ↑ (12 hours after onset) (60 hours after onset) Normal Range (U/L) CK 997 ↑ 263 ↑

The Handmaids Tale as a Biblical Allusion Essay -- Handmaids Tale Es

The Handmaid's Tale: A Biblical Allusion Imagine a country where choice is not a choice. Â  One is labeled by their age and economical status. Â  The deep red cloaks, the blue embroidered dresses, and the pinstriped attire are all uniforms to define a person's standing in society. Â  To be judged, not by beauty or personality or talents, but by the ability to procreate instead. To not believe in the Puritan religion is certain death. Â  To read or write is to die. Â  This definition is found to be true in the book, The Handmaid's Tale (1986) by Margaret Atwood. Â  It is a heartbreaking story of one young woman and her transformation into the Gilead society, the society described above. In the book, we meet Offred, the narrator of the story. Â  This story is not the first to create a society in which the only two important beliefs in a society are the ability to procreate and a strict belief in God. Â  It is seen several times in the Old Testament, the Bible. Â  The Biblical society is not as rigid as the Republic o f Gilead, which Margaret Atwood has built, but it is very similar. Â  The Handmaid's Tale holds several biblical allusions. The first biblical allusion is that of the Republic of Gilead. Â  Gilead is mentioned several times in the Bible as a place of fertile lands. Â  The Bible states, "To the east [the Israelites] occupied the land. . . , because their livestock had increased in Gilead" (Numbers 32:1, NIV) and "The [tribes], who led very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock" (1 Chronicles 5:9, NIV). Â  The Biblical land of Gilead was a land of prospering livestock. Â  Families and tribes came to Gilead because of the land's lush, green and fertile soil. Â  The Republic of Gilead was also... ...n individual, but each person is noticed only by the clothing that they wear. Imagine a country where the husband is the head of the family, and no other members of the household hold any rights at all. Â  Imagine a country where reading and writing are crimes punishable by death. Â  One can imagine, but no one can comprehend the pain and suffering and emotional death that one must acquire to live in a society such as the Republic of Gilead. This story of the future may very well be a story of the past; a story based upon principles found in the Bible, but taken so literally and enforced so strictly that the country becomes a theocracy to hate. Bibliography Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1986. The NIV Study Bible. Barker, Kenneth: General Editor. Grand Rapids, Michigan: The Zondervan Corporation, 1995

Luther :: essays research papers

The pages 87 – 108 are mainly about righteousness. The heart of Luther’s religion is the justification of faith. Luther writes about the different kinds of righteousness and how they relate to God and Christ. Then Luther talked about Paul wanting to setup a doctrine of Grace. Then he jumps into the kinds of righteousness. Luther says that there is a political, ceremonial, human tradition, law, and faith righteousness.(p.88) In Luther’s own words the most excellent righteousness is faith, because it is not earned but given freely by God. The other kinds of righteousness are active and done by humans not given by God. Luther’s reason for this if we earned grace then God would be in dept to us(97). Next he has 2 paragraphs on the â€Å"Human weakness† which is to do the active righteousness(89). â€Å"Law until Christ† is saying that we had to follow the laws given by Mosses because they were from God until Christ came along and broke away from those laws 2 worlds says that there is an earthly world, one with laws, and a heavenly world, infinite. The earthly world, which has, laws, the active righteousness, and is limited. While the Heavenly world is the ruler of the earthly not the other way around, and the giver of faith, but that faith most be accepted or rejected by us. Then Luther goes on to Jesus who is righteousness, a giver of wisdom and more. He then says that when you fear or conscience is present then grace is gone and God has hidden himself from us. On Page one hundred Luther writes about how if one does good works then God can infuse charity into him. Next he writes about how Christ and God is the thing of our faith and that we are the faith. Q: One of the few things that Luther said that I liked was the last line â€Å"Christ and God is the thing of our faith and that we are the faith. How do you respond to that?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First look at â€Å"we are the faith†, we are not the faith then there is no God or Christ. If you look at â€Å"God is the thing of our faith†, it means to me is that this religion or any other would not be able to survive because it would hold no meaning or sway in their life. This also shows that What ever you chose to worship, like money or people’s thoughts, will run your life for good or evil who knows.

A Womans Role on a Patriarchal Family Farm Essays -- literary Analysi

As the title suggests, I’ve hit a few notable markers in my research. Some of them would definitely be called bumps in the literary road as far as this paper goes, but I feel that a broader view of what I’ve experienced and found has created something original. Let me explain. I started this idea with a simple goal in mind. I wanted to make A Thousand Acres working class. I simply wanted to show how it was working class, but more importantly why, it fit in that category. What that has evolved into, however, is not so simple. Jane Smiley’s novel encompasses a huge array of ideas and could fit in an absurd number of categories. Drama, tragedy, pastoral, family, business and several other one word titles would just as effectively classify this novel as does working class, so I had to look elsewhere. I had close to a dozen sources from JSTOR to Google Scholar saved on my flash drive, and I read them all. Only in about 2 of them were the terms â€Å"working class† even alluded to, and I got a little worried. I had plenty of time to change my topic, but I found a few points of interest. Working class, as it stands in my mind, has the metaphoric likeness of Play-Dough and I would like to be the person to look at A Thousand Acres as the wor king class text that I believe it is, and mold and form a wholly original idea using feminism, education and prosperity (or the lack thereof) as the backbone. Conveniently enough, three texts in particular struck me as particularly useful. Each one is very different from the other in its own right, but each text also solidified Jane Smiley’s work as something useful to my project. Just when I thought I’d move on to something easier and over done (like Steinbeck), these articles renewed my in... ...another crisis that may be insoluble† (590). This crisis is the same problem in some respects that Hall and Leslie note, the same problem that I started my paper with, and the crisis is â€Å"discontent within families, especially among females, within a quintessentially patriarchal institution† (590). These three articles are so very different, but share similar ideas underneath their main ideas in several areas, and on different levels. The main ideas are important, but the underlying connections are what go tme excited about what I was doing. The literature is new, the scholarly community is small, and working with this is challenging, but I think it will be rewarding. With the help of these articles (and a couple more that could prove useful) I hope to find what I’m looking for and be able to produce a product that is at the same time original and insightful. A Woman's Role on a Patriarchal Family Farm Essays -- literary Analysi As the title suggests, I’ve hit a few notable markers in my research. Some of them would definitely be called bumps in the literary road as far as this paper goes, but I feel that a broader view of what I’ve experienced and found has created something original. Let me explain. I started this idea with a simple goal in mind. I wanted to make A Thousand Acres working class. I simply wanted to show how it was working class, but more importantly why, it fit in that category. What that has evolved into, however, is not so simple. Jane Smiley’s novel encompasses a huge array of ideas and could fit in an absurd number of categories. Drama, tragedy, pastoral, family, business and several other one word titles would just as effectively classify this novel as does working class, so I had to look elsewhere. I had close to a dozen sources from JSTOR to Google Scholar saved on my flash drive, and I read them all. Only in about 2 of them were the terms â€Å"working class† even alluded to, and I got a little worried. I had plenty of time to change my topic, but I found a few points of interest. Working class, as it stands in my mind, has the metaphoric likeness of Play-Dough and I would like to be the person to look at A Thousand Acres as the wor king class text that I believe it is, and mold and form a wholly original idea using feminism, education and prosperity (or the lack thereof) as the backbone. Conveniently enough, three texts in particular struck me as particularly useful. Each one is very different from the other in its own right, but each text also solidified Jane Smiley’s work as something useful to my project. Just when I thought I’d move on to something easier and over done (like Steinbeck), these articles renewed my in... ...another crisis that may be insoluble† (590). This crisis is the same problem in some respects that Hall and Leslie note, the same problem that I started my paper with, and the crisis is â€Å"discontent within families, especially among females, within a quintessentially patriarchal institution† (590). These three articles are so very different, but share similar ideas underneath their main ideas in several areas, and on different levels. The main ideas are important, but the underlying connections are what go tme excited about what I was doing. The literature is new, the scholarly community is small, and working with this is challenging, but I think it will be rewarding. With the help of these articles (and a couple more that could prove useful) I hope to find what I’m looking for and be able to produce a product that is at the same time original and insightful.

Why We Should Fight the War on Terrorism

â€Å"Common Sense† A Rationale for the War on Terrorism Preface On September 11, 2001, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. On this day, our nation united, determined to obliterate the evil force of terrorism from the planet Earth. Now, just eight years later, these same people wish to pardon the acts of evil, disregarding the 2,995 deaths that they united to avenge just a few years before. So the question lies before us; do we hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts, or do we ignorantly allow terrorist to revenge the freedoms our founding fathers worked so hard for? Because of the threat caused by terrorist on the United States of America, her citizens should continue to thwart the terrorists’ threats both at home and abroad. Some may wonder why the United States should continue fighting the War on Terror. It must be fought for the safety for our citizens, insurance of our posterity, and preservation of liberty. The ignorance of the American public must not destroy the future of a country that was founded on freedom. The America we live in is a country that has endured much. Ever since the Revolutionary War, our ancestors have defended this country with all their might, so that their descendants may reach the dream we like to call â€Å"The American Dream†. Now it is our turn. The veterans of World War Two fought to defend our country after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Are their sacrifices not made for the same reasons as troops’ today- defending the United States of America? It will take America united to win the war, not just the republicans or democrats. Public Perception of the War In the past century, the American public has become more increasingly active in their government than ever before. In some cases, such as the Watergate Scandal, this is a good thing. In some cases, it isn’t. People never want to admit they are wrong, so therefore they give their opinions on topics they haven’t the slightest knowledge about. The founding fathers foresaw this, and created the Electoral College in attempt to prevent it. The founding fathers did overlook the fact that the peoples’ ignorance could span further than presidential elections. The people of America will never abstain from making a decision, uninformed or not. The people show a lack of understanding of the War on Terror, yet still protest it. They see it as a conspiracy, or an attempt to rejuvenate American Imperialism. They are blind to the fact that every war this country has fought was caused by aggravation of another state. They fail to realize terrorism as the state that can destroy our way of life if not dealt with. The War on Terror is in no way, shape, or form a takeover; it is liberation. It is a liberation years in the making, but starting only now. Foreshadowing the War One thing people tend unable to grasp is that the United States has faced multiple terrorist acts carried out by al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda became active in 1992 with the coordinated bombings of two hotels in Aden, Yemen. Since then it has expanded greatly. It was responsible for the 1993 bombings of the World Trade Center and attacks on U. S. troops in Mogadishu. It was also responsible for the 1995 bombing of the National Guard Training Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia. Al-Qaeda was directly involved in coordinating the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, along with the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen, and the September 11 attacks. Actions were taken to search for Osama bin Laden (the leader of al-Qaeda) during the Clinton presidency, but were never a priority. So why attack the U. S.? Al-Qaeda’s ideology includes â€Å"ridding the Muslim world of any non-Muslim influences. † On February 23, 1998, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, a leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, along with three other Islamist leaders, co-signed and issued a fatwa (binding religious edict) calling on Muslims to kill Americans and their allies where they can, when they can. Neither bin Laden nor al-Zawahiri met the traditional qualifications to issue a fatwa of any kind, but their hatred of the United States led them to do so anyway. Before the launch of the War on Terror, al-Qaeda had already killed 3,036 Americans, injured 11,870+ Americans, and cost the United States over $32. 1 billion. The attacks foreshadowing the War on Terror were clearly costly to the United States, and are motifs for fighting the al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations today. The War Begins The War on Terror began on October 7, 2001. In the words of former president George W. Bush, â€Å"Our war on terror begins with al-Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated. President Bush outlined the following as objectives for the War on Terror: ? Defeat terrorists such as Osama Bin Laden, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and destroy their organizations ? Identify, locate and destroy terrorists along with their organizations ? Deny sponsorship, support and sanctuary to terrorists ? End the state sponsorship of terrorism ? Establish and maintain an international stand ard of accountability with regard to combating terrorism ? Strengthen and sustain the international effort to fight terrorism ? Work with willing and able states ? Enable weak states ? Persuade reluctant states ? Compel unwilling states ? Interdict and disrupt material support for terrorists ? Eliminate terrorist sanctuaries and havens ? Diminish the underlying conditions that terrorists seek to exploit ? Partner with the international community to strengthen weak states and prevent (re)emergence of terrorism ? Win the war of ideals ? Defend US citizens and interests at home and abroad ? Implement the National Strategy for Homeland Security ? Attain domain awareness Enhance measures to ensure the integrity, reliability, and availability of critical physical and information-based infrastructures at home and abroad ? Integrate measures to protect US citizens abroad ? Ensure an integrated incident management capability Campaigns of the War on Terror A common misconception the American public makes is that the War on Terror is only in Iraq. Former President Bush clearly defined that the War on Terror does not end until we destroy all terrorist groups of global reach and prevent their re-emergence. The War on Terror is currently being fought in Iraq, Afghanistan, The Philippines, The Horn of Africa, The Mediterranean, Maghreb, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Thailand, Somalia, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza Strip, Nigeria, and North Caucasus (among others). Every campaign of the War on Terror is vital to achieve the war’s objectives. Operation Enduring Freedom The term â€Å"OEF† typically refers to the war in Afghanistan. Some operations are only loosely or nominally connected to OEF. All the operations, however, have a focus on counterterrorism activities. The operations included in OEF are all crucial to the global uproot of terrorist. These operations also are vital to the accomplishment of the objectives outlined for the War on Terror. OEF comprises several subordinate operations: ? Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan & Iraq (OEF-A) ? The Goals of OEF-A are simply to remove the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, and destroy al-Qaeda’s presence their. On October 7, 2001, American and British forces began aerial bombings campaigns targeting al-Qaeda and Taliban force. After the last Taliban-held city in the north was captured, most of the Taliban of the north retreated to Pakistan. The Taliban regime of Afghanistan was removed on November, 2001. In December, 2001, U. S. , British, and Northern Alliance forces united to further destroy Taliban and al-Qaeda in The Battle of Tora Bora. On March 1, 2002, Operation Anaconda, an operation intended to destroy Taliban and al-Qaeda in the area, began and lasted until March 18th. It was largely successful, with American troops killing over half of the 1,000 fighters. Since then, operations to removing the growing Taliban insurgency have occurred. The Taliban still holds influence in many regions, and needs to be destroyed in order to prevent another regime. OEF-A is probably the most active subordinate operation contained in OEF. People tend to take for granted that without more troops operating here, the insurgency could grow faster than it can be removed. The problem with this is once the insurgency is la rge enough, the Taliban could regain control. Afterwards, the Taliban, angry at the United States, would sponsor al-Qaeda more than ever. Catastrophic events, such as a larger magnitude duplicate of the September 11th attacks, could result. Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines (OEF-P) ? In January, 2002, 1,200 members of United States Special Operations Command, Pacific (SOCPAC) were deployed to the Philippines to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in removing the al-Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf terrorist organizations from the islands. The operations were successful, and OEF-P is expected to end in 2010. ? To some, the correlation between OEF-P and the War on Terror are unclear. This, like OEF-A, helps accomplish several of the objectives for the war. Even if we destroy al-Qaeda in every other part of the world, if we don’t remove it from the Philippines it could reform. Al-Qaeda can be compared to a cancer. If not completely removed, it can regenerate worse than ever. ? Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA) ? Anti piracy operations were undertaken by the coalition throughout 2006 through a battle fought in March that was caused by U. S. ships being attacked by pirates. In January 2007, during the war in Somalia, an airstrike was conducted against al-Qaeda members embedded with forces of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) operating in southern Somalia. US naval forces were positioned off the coast of Somalia to provide support and to prevent any al-Qaeda forces escaping by sea. Actions against pirates also occurred in June and October 2007 with varying amounts of success. ? OEF-HOA may not be as important as the other subordinate operations, but it is still important. Piracy has plagued the world long before the formation of the United States. Following the 2006 piracy events, the United States felt it necessary to fight piracy as a form of terrorism. This was reinforced after the recent Somali piracy attacks. ? Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara (OEF-TS) OEF-TS is an operation conducted by the United States and partner nations in the Sahara/Sahel region of Africa, consisting of counterterrorism efforts and policing of arms and drug trafficking across central Africa. Congress approved $500 million for the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative (TSCTI) over six years to support countries involved in counterterrorism against alleged threats of Al Qaeda operating in African countries, primarily Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Nigeria, and Morocco. ? OEF-TS is fought for all the same reasons as OEF-P. If al-Qaeda reforms after its destruction, the United States would face catastrophic events. ? Operation Enduring Freedom – Kyrgyzstan (completed in 2004) ? Kyrgyzstan was basically an operation to clear out al-Qaeda forces so that Operation Enduring Freedom Allies could use Kyrgyzstan as a base in central Asia. Operation Active Endeavor Operation Active Endeavour is a naval operation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It operates in the Mediterranean Sea and is designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction as well as to enhance the security of shipping in general. Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom is an ongoing military campaign which began on March 20, 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a coalition, led by troops from the United States and the United Kingdom. Prior to the operation, the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom claimed that Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) posed an imminent threat to their security and that of their coalition allies. The invasion of Iraq led to an occupation and the eventual capture of President Hussein, who was later executed by the new Iraqi government. Violence against coalition forces and among various sectarian groups soon led to the Iraqi insurgency, strife between many Sunni and Shia Iraqi groups, and al-Qaeda operations in Iraq. In late February 2009, President Barack Obama announced an 18-month withdrawal window for combat forces, leaving behind 30,000 to 50,000 troops to advise and train Iraqi security forces and to provide intelligence and surveillance. General Ray Odierno, the top US military commander in Iraq, said he believes all US troops will be out of the country by the end of 2012, while British forces ended combat operations on April 30, 2009. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said he supports the accelerated pullout of US forces. Arguments for Fighting the War on Terror After being briefed on the War on Terror, one could assume that the majority of the American public would support the war. Americans, out of ignorance, choose to protest that in which they know nothing about. There are several benefits for continuation of the War on Terror, and many consequences for a sudden withdraw. Homeland Security Following the terrorist attacks of September 11th, protection of the country from further attacks was among the highest priorities. Acts, such as creation of the United States Department of Homeland Security and USA PATRIOT Act, strengthened the nation greatly. To date, no attacks by Islamic terrorists on the US homeland have been successful since September 11, 2001 (although several were attempted). At times we take for granted the fact that our actions against terrorism since September 11th have decreased the likeliness of another attack. If the United States withdraws its armed forces from the War on Terror, organizations such as al-Qaeda can rebuild and prepare a counter-attack. You pose a very important question that will impact future American generations. Sarcastically, I could say that we shouldn't open any new battle fronts against terrorism or terrorists. We should, as the Democrats, appear to invite, tuck our tails and withdraw from every foreign soil where America is trying to thwart terrorism. Then, let's wait until they conduct suicide bombing attacks on our soil killing innocent men, women and babi es, as they attend a movie. But if we wait, it'll be too late to do what we are doing now — take the fight to them, and have it in their backyard, not ours. — DeWane (a FOX News Fan) International Influence The United States of America has only lost two of the nineteen wars/invasions it has fought. This means the U. S. A. ’s military success rate is at 90%. With this high success rate, it can use military force as a threat towards nations/organizations that oppose it. If the United States decides to withdraw from the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, then its success rate will fall to 81%. This leads to other countries thinking that our threats of military action aren’t serious. Conclusion The War on Terrorism is a war needing fought. People, regardless of ethnicity, political party, or even nationality, need to unite once more. The people of the United States of America, nay the people of the planet Earth, need to unite to destroy these terrorist groups that plague the world in which we inhabit. In the words of the current president of the United States, Barrack Obama, â€Å"We are in the early stages of a long struggle. Yet since 9/11, we've heard a lot about what America can't do or shouldn't do or won't even try. We can't reach out to the hundreds of millions of Muslims who reject terror because we worry they hate us. We can't protect the homeland because there are too many targets, or secure our people while staying true to our values. We can't get past the America of Red and Blue, the politics of who's up and who's down. That is not the America that I know. The America I know is the last, best hope for that child looking up at a helicopter. It's the country that put a man on the moon; that defeated fascism and helped rebuild Europe. It's a country whose strength abroad is measured not just by armies, but rather by the power of our ideals, and by our purpose to forge an ever more perfect union at home. That's the America I know. We just have to act like it again to write that next chapter in the American story. If we do, we can keep America safe while extending security and opportunity around the world. We can hold true to our values, and in doing so advance those values abroad. And we can be what that child looking up at a helicopter needs us to be: the relentless opponent of terror and tyranny, and the light of hope to the world. To make this story reality, it's going to take Americans coming together and changing the fundamental direction of this country. It's going to take the service of a new generation of young people. It's going to take facing tragedy head-on and turning it into the next generation's triumph. That is a challenge that I welcome. Because when we do make that change, we'll do more than win a war — we'll live up to that calling to make America, and the world, safer, freer, and more hopeful than we found it. † â€Å"America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand. †-Harry S. Truman