Thursday, November 28, 2019

Hamlet Revenge Essays (1047 words) - Characters In Hamlet

Hamlet Revenge Revenge causes one to act blindly through anger, rather than through reason. It is based on the principle of an eye for an eye, but this principle is not always a good theory to live by. Young Fortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet were all looking to avenge the deaths of their fathers. They all acted on emotion, and this led to the downfall of two, and the rise to power of one. Since the Heads of the three major families were each murdered, the eldest sons of these families swore vengeance, and two of the three sons died while exacting their acts of vengeance. Revenge is a major theme in the Tragedy of Hamlet. There were three major families in the Tragedy of Hamlet. These were the family of King Fortinbras, the family of Polonius, and the family of King Hamlet. The heads of each of these families are all slaughtered within the play. Fortinbras, King of Norway, was killed by King Hamlet; slain by sword during a man to man battle. "...our valiant Hamlet-for so this side of our known world esteem'd him-did slay this Fortinbras." This entitled King Hamlet to the land that was possessed by Fortinbras because it was written in a seal'd compact. Polonius was an advisor to the King, and father to Laertes and Ophelia. He was nosy and arrogant, and he did not trust his children. He was killed by Young Hamlet while he was eves dropping on a conversation between Hamlet and his mother. "How now! A rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!" King Hamlet was the King of Denmark, and Hamlet's father. He had killed King Fortinbras, only to be killed by his brother, Claudius. "...My offense is rank, it smells to heaven; A brother's murder..." Each of these events effected the sons of the deceased in the same way, it enraged them. Every one of the three eldest sons had one thing in common, they all wanted revenge for a slaughtered father. In the time in which this play is set, avenging the murder of a father was part of one's honor, and had to be done. All of the three sons swore vengeance, and then acted towards getting revenge for the deaths of their fathers. Young Fortinbras was deeply enraged by the death of his father, and he wanted revenge against Denmark because of this occurrence. Fortinbras wanted to, by force, regain the lands that had been lost by his father to Denmark. "...Now sir, young Fortinbras...as it doth well appear unto our state-but to recover of us, by strong hand and terms compulsative, those foresaid lands so by his father lost..." Claudius sends messengers to talk to Fortinbras' uncle, the new King of Norway. He forbid Fortinbras to attack Denmark, and instead convinced him to attack the Poles to vent his anger. "...His nephew's levies, which to him appear'd to be a preparation 'gainst the Polack; But better look'd into, he truly found it was against your highness...On Fortinbras; which he, in brief, obeys, receives rebuke from Norway, and, in fine, makes vow before his uncle never more to give the assay of arms against your majesty." Laertes found out about his father's death, and immediately returned home. He confronted the King and accused him of the murder of his father. Claudius told Laertes that Hamlet was responsible for his father's death. He then decides to kill Hamlet to avenge the death of his father. He and Claudius concoct a plot to kill Hamlet. Hamlet dies of wounds from the poisoned tipped sword Laertes used. "...Hamlet, thou art slain...The treacherous instrument is in thy, unbated and envenom'd..." Hamlet was deeply sorrowed by his father's death. He spoke to a ghost, and this ghost stated that his father's death was a murder, by the hand of his uncle, Claudius. "The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown." Hamlet was astonished, and then swore vengeance for his father's death. He then proceeded to try and prove his uncle's guilt, and then finally kills him while he himself is dying of poisoned wounds inflicted by Laertes during their duel. "The point envenomed too! Then venom, to thy work...Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane, drink off this potion,-is thy union here? Follow my mother." This left the King dead, and his father's death avenged. The lack of thought used in exacting the revenge led to the deaths of both Laertes and Hamlet. Laertes planned with Claudius to kill Hamlet with the poisoned tipped sword, but they

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Why US Public Schools Dont Have a Prayer

Why US Public Schools Dont Have a Prayer   Students at America’s public schools can still under certain specific conditions pray at school, but their opportunities to do so are dwindling fast. In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Union Free School District No. 9 in Hyde Park, New York had violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by directing the districts principals to cause the following prayer to be said aloud by each class in the presence of a teacher at the beginning of each school day: Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country. Since that landmark 1962 case of Engel v. Vitale, the Supreme Court has issued a series of rulings that may result in the elimination of organized observances of any religion from Americas public schools. The latest and perhaps most telling decision came on June 19, 2000 when the Court ruled 6-3, in the case of Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, that pre-kickoff prayers at high school football games violate the First Amendments Establishment Clause, typically known as requiring the separation of church and state.. The decision may also bring an end to the delivery of religious invocations at graduations and other ceremonies. School sponsorship of a religious message is impermissible because it (implies to) members of the audience who are non-adherents that they are outsiders, wrote Justice John Paul Stevens in the Court’s majority opinion. While the Courts decision on football prayers was not unexpected, and was in keeping with past decisions, its direct condemnation of school-sponsored prayer divided the Court and honestly angered the three dissenting Justices. Chief Justice William Rehnquist, along with Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, wrote that the majority opinion bristles with hostility to all things religious in public life. The 1962 Courts interpretation of the Establishment Clause (Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,) in Engle v. Vitale has since been upheld by both liberal and conservative Supreme Courts in six additional cases: 1963 ABINGTON SCHOOL DIST. v. SCHEMPP banned school-directed recital of the Lords Prayer and reading of Bible passages as part of devotional exercises in public schools.1980 STONE v. GRAHAM banned the posting of the the Ten Commandments on public school classroom walls.1985 WALLACE v. JAFFREE banned observance of daily moments of silence from public schools when students were encouraged to pray during the silent periods.1990 WESTSIDE COMMUNITY BOARD. OF EDUCATION. v. MERGENS held that schools must allow student prayer groups to organize and worship if other non-religious clubs are also permitted to meet on school property.1992 LEE v. WEISMAN outlawed prayers led by members of the clergy at public school graduation ceremonies.2000 SANTA FE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT v. DOE banned student-led pre-game prayers at public high school football games. But Students Can Still Pray, Sometimes Through their rulings, the court has also defined some times and conditions under which public school students may pray, or otherwise practice a religion. [A]t any time before, during or after the school-day, as long as your prayers do not interfere with other students.In meetings of organized prayer or worship groups, either informally or as a formal school organization IF other student clubs are also allowed at the school.Before eating a meal at school as long as the prayer does not disturb other students.In some states, student-led prayers or invocations are still delivered at graduations due to lower court rulings. However, the Supreme Courts ruling of June 19, 2000 may bring this practice to an end.Some states provide for a daily moment of silence to be observed as long as students are not encouraged to pray during the silent period. What Does Establishment of Religion Mean? Since 1962, the Supreme Court has consistently ruled that in Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, the Founding Fathers intended that no act of the government (including public schools) should favor any one religion over others. Thats hard to do, because once you mention God, Jesus, or anything even remotely Biblical, you have pushed the constitutional envelope by favoring one practice or form of religion over all others. It may very well be that the only way to not favor one religion over another is to not even mention any religion at all a path now being chosen by many public schools. Is the Supreme Court to Blame? Polls show that a majority of people disagree with the Supreme Courts religion-in-schools rulings. While its fine to disagree with them, it is not really fair to blame the Court for making them. The Supreme Court did not just sit down one day and say, Lets ban religion from public schools. Had the Supreme Court not been asked to interpret the Establishment Clause by private citizens, including some members of the Clergy, they never would have done so. The Lords Prayer would be recited and the Ten Commandments read in American classrooms just as they were before the Supreme Court and Engle v. Vitale changed it all in June 25, 1962. But, in America, you say, the majority rules. Like when the majority ruled that women could not vote or that black people should ride only in the back of the bus? Perhaps the most important job of the Supreme Court is to see to it that will of the majority is never unfairly or hurtfully forced on the minority. And, thats a good thing because you never know when the minority might be you. Where School-Sponsored Prayer is Required In England and Wales, the School Standards and Framework Act of 1998 requires that all students in state-run schools participate in a daily â€Å"act of collective worship,† which must be of â€Å"a broadly Christian character,† unless their parents request that they be excused from taking part. While religious schools are allowed to mold their act of worship to reflect the school’s specific religion, most religious schools in the United Kingdom are Christian. Despite the 1998 law, Her Majestys Chief Inspector of Schools recently reported that about 80% of secondary schools were not providing daily worship for all students. While England’s Department of Education has stressed that all schools must maintain religious prayer in schools in order to reflect the beliefs and traditions of the predominantly Christian country, a recent BBC study found that 64% of students do not take part in daily acts of worship or prayer. In addition, a 2011 BBC survey revealed that 60% of parents believed that the daily worship requirement of the School Standards and Framework Act should not be enforced at all.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Merchants of Cool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Merchants of Cool - Essay Example This film discovers the contemporary teenagers’ culture and their standpoints on themselves and their parents. In order to target the teenagers, companies explore the teenager’s tastes and preferences, perspectives, and their aspirations to identify what they desire. Needless to say, as according to the film â€Å"Merchants of Cool†, companies survey the symbiotic association between the present day teenagers and the media, as they depend on the other for their identity (Merchants of Cool, 2001). Marketing happens to all people at all time, and no individual is invulnerable from its influence and free from its reach (Ewen, 1976, p. 36). The absolute size and purchasing power of the contemporary teenagers creates a windfall of inexorably insistent brand messaging that is both omnipresent and goes to extraordinary lengths to hold on to the most significant canon in convincing this demographic segment. The â€Å"Merchants of Cool† notes that teenagers are the hottest demographic in United States. Marketing to the youth is a challenging task and not as easy as it sounds. Marketers have to seek ways to seem real: authentic to the lives and perspectives of teens and to be cool to themselves (Ewen, 1976, p. 1118). In essence, they seek the next trendy thing and have implemented approximately anthropological strategy to examine the youth and their every move. Ewen (1976, p. 124) notes that the creation of a fancied desire is significant to the contemporary marketer. The youths have the need to experience self-conscious perspective and a marketer should focus on this. A marketer can identify this need through examining the youths’ behavior and ways of life (Ewen, 1976, p. 128). The â€Å"Merchants of Cool† (2001) delineates a response circle in which marketers carry out comprehensive ethnographic studies of teens to identify what’s fashionable, and then augment it and nosh it back to them through media managed by fewer

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Shouldice Hospital case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Shouldice Hospital case - Essay Example However, inclusion of other services may be helpful to the practice financially as well increase its market relevance. Prior to expansion, the institution requires funds that would cater for the expansion effectively. In addition, using the funds it generates from business may be disadvantageous and limit the effectiveness of the transition One major concern of considering extension in this case is the control and management of the new institution. Expansion would require a change in the management system. If not effectively managed, the change may hinder the quality of operation and services rendered to clients. The expansion to weekend has caused a rift in the institution since the issue has not been formally discussed. However, the expansion to weekends should be done only if the institution increases its human resources. The current staff has expressed concerns since they have been required to embrace an organizational culture they are not used to. In addition, the concerns revolve the decision by the facility to embrace change. A global expansion should be a viable option. The institution has been in existent for a long time thus having demand in foreign countries. The organization should consider utilizing this market (Heskett& Hallowell

Monday, November 18, 2019

Soft skills vs. hard skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Soft skills vs. hard skills - Essay Example Over the years in learning, individuals are able to develop the hard skills required for business growth. Language development is achieved during the process leading to success in the acquisition of the hard skills. However, soft skills require the individual to be able to achieve greatness through personal development and growth (Klaus, 2009, p. 23). Soft skills may not be easy to evaluate, but is revealed in the way a business manager or owner make a decision or relate with the customers. Hard skills may be easily rectified through training, but the soft skills take a longer time to be achieved or developed. Therefore, soft skill development is integral in business operations and development. Imperative hard skills are taught in some programs offered by universities and colleges. These hard skills require that the professional must have the prerequisite soft skills making soft skills vital in the business field. Effective language is an integral hard skill, which leads to understanding of the materials and the oral communication process (Rao, 2010, p. 56). For example, if the employee is tasked with dealing with customer issues such as the customer relations department, professional communication skills would be integral in process. The specific role given to the customer would influence the hard and soft skills required in the completion of the specific task. In addition, the speaking skills and presentation of the major points in the process is vital in communication. The ability to understand the basic mathematical concepts are vital in the business is vital for employees in the management level. Therefore, the level and task associated with the employee will influenc e the prerequisite skills. The basic numeracy skills are vital because it allows the understanding of the charts and graphs presented. Computer usage in the world has led to the need for the business professional to have

Friday, November 15, 2019

A Study On Internet Banking In Nepal

A Study On Internet Banking In Nepal This research is the effort for study and analyzing the Internet Banking in Nepal Bank Limited. Internet Banking can be defined as the use of technology to communicate instructions to and receive information from a financial institution where an account is held. Internet Banking includes the systems that enable financial institution customers, individuals or businesses, to access accounts, transact business or obtain information on financial products and services through a public or private network, including the Internet. Since the launch of Internet the large planet has become a smaller one. It has rendered enormous impacts on business sectors. Remarkable development in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has introduced a global revolution in banking industry. The global trend in business arena set some challenge that cannot be fulfilled with the help of the traditional banking system. The survey of current banking system in Nepal reveals the fact that it requires rapid modification and adaptation to keep harmony with the world economy business. It becomes more obvious by observing the increased number of customers in some modern bank while others are losing them. The existing banking system in our country is slow and error-prone. In one hand, fails to meet the customers demand and it causes some significant losses both for the banking authority and traders. E-Banking, on the other hand solves the above problems. Furthermore, it opens up some other salient aspects such as increased foreign trade and foreign investment. Most plan allow customers to perform all routine transactions, such as account transfers, balance inquires, bill payments and stop payment requests everything but its very easy to set up an account. We can access our account information anytime day or night and we can do it from anywhere. A few online banks update information in real time, while others do it daily. 1.2 Introduction of Origin and Growth of Bank in Nepal The growth of banking in Nepal is not so long. In comparison with other developing or developed country, the institutional development in banking system of Nepal is far behind. Nepal had to wait for a long time to come to this present banking position. The origin of bank in Nepal and its beginning of growth is controversial. Even though the specific date of the beginning of money and banking deal in Nepal is not obvious, it is speculated that during the reign of the King Manadev, the coin Manank and Gunank during the reign of the King Gunakamadev were in use. After the establishment of Nepal Bank Limited on 30th Karkik, 1994 (1938), modern banking system started in Nepal. Under the Nepal Rastra Bank Act 2012 (1956), Nepal Rastra Bank was established in 2013(1957) Baisakh 14th in Nepal. But this act has been repealed and the Nepal Rastra Bank Act 2058(2002) has been enacted by the parliament. After its establishment, it issued the Nepali notes on 7th Falgon 2016 for the first time. Gradually, bank develop their services in Nepal according to requirement of customers and to compete market so today we can transact via non cash elements : like Internet Banking, Credit Card, ATM Card and SMS banking etc. 1.3 Nepals ICT Background Nations worldwide have recognized development opportunities and challenges of the emerging information age characterized by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). These technologies are driving national development efforts worldwide and a number of countries in both developing and the developed world are exploring ways of facilitating their development process through development, deployment and the exploitation of ICT within their economies and societies. Nepals journey into the world of information technology began some three decades back with the use of IBM 1401 for the population census, 1971. Royal Nepal Academy for Science and Technology (RONAST), for the first time, used the internet. Mercantile Private Limited started email services for commercial purpose in June 1994. In 1995 government purchased the machine for further data processing in the Bureau of Statistics and established a separate organization called Electronic Data Processing Center (EDPC) and after 6 years it converted to National Computer Center (NCC). Government has formed High Level Commission for Information Technology (HLCIT), which is playing the role of facilitator between private and public sector in the development of ICT in Nepal. 1.4 Introduction of Internet Banking Internet banking refers to systems that enable bank customers to access accounts and general information on bank products and services through a personal computer (PC) or other intelligent device. Internet banking products and services can include wholesale products for corporate customers as well as retail and fiduciary products for consumers. Ultimately, the products and services obtained through Internet banking may mirror products and services offered through other bank delivery channels. Some examples of wholesale products and services include: Cash management. Wire transfer. Automated clearinghouse (ACH) transactions. Bill presentment and payment. Examples of retail and fiduciary products and services include: Balance inquiry. Funds transfer. Downloading transaction information. Bill presentment and payment. Loan applications. Investment activity. Other value-added services. Other Internet banking services may include providing Internet access as an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The OCC has determined that a national bank subsidiary may provide home banking services through an Internet connection to the banks home banking system and, incidental to that service, may also provide Internet access to bank customers using that service. Historically, banks have used information systems technology to process checks (item processing), drive ATM machines (transaction processing), and produce reports (management information systems). In the past, the computer systems that made the information systems operate were rarely noticed by customers. Today, Web sites, electronic mail, and electronic bill presentment and payment systems are an important way for banks to reach their customers. 1.5 Statement of the Problem Establishing Internet Banking infrastructure has been a challenging task for the developing countries like Nepal. In the context of Nepal there are ample of problems in Internet Banking some of them are given below : Computer and Banking Literacy : In aggregate here is low level of IT literacy. Very few people are computer literate in Nepal and very few people understand banking system or banking process even educated people also there. Infrastructure Development : Though banks reach with their services in rural area ISP or NTC services is not available there for internet services and vice versa. Risk Management : In Nepal, Internet Banking is at its infancy right now. However, no Internet Banking frauds have been found yet. Lack of understanding of internet technology may be the reason. But precaution must be taken. In order to mitigate the risks associated with all e-banking businesses, banks should have in place a comprehensive risk management process that assesses risks, control risk exposure and monitors risks. Security : Security of a transaction, authenticity of a deal, identification of a customer etc are important technological and systems issues, which are major sources of concern to e-banking. Customers are afraid from online attack. Various online attacks are also available. 1.6 Objectives of the Study The main objectives of proposed research are to study, analyze and understand the Internet Banking of Nepal Bank Limited. Some of the other objectives are as follows : To identify the problems in existing Internet Banking services of Nepal Are public satisfy or not from Internet banking Services ? If not what will be the effective service delivery mechanism. To identify the prerequisites to get the Internet Banking services The research tell prerequisites to get Internet Banking services (for e.g. Computers, telephones, internet, customer should be account holder of bank) To examine the service delivery of different banks of Nepal The research includes various types of Internet Banking services provided by different banks to general public. 1.7 Scope of the Study The study will be mainly focused on three components of the study area : Social aspects : In social aspect the studied is focus on public participation according to their satisfaction, knowledge, beliefs, values etc. Technical aspects : This aspects is concerned with the technically how to develop system and technology used on projects. Economic aspects : In the economic analysis part, the study will focus on the possible areas of economic development by using this Internet Banking. 1.8 Limitation of the Study This research is the small effort for study and analyzing the Internet Banking services of Nepal which has limited time so it cannot focus on all areas and may not be able to explore many fields. This research work is done within limited time frame during the MBS dissertation. There are so many constraints while doing the work such as inadequate time, load shedding, and resources etc. To understand methodology of Internet Banking service is very difficult because banks only provide surface level of information because of their security concern. In spite of great effort, there are many limitations of this research work. The major limitations are as follows : In the field of E-banking, there are so many arenas like ATM, Tele Banking, Mobile Banking etc. but this research does not focus on all the e-banking services. Research works mainly focus on Internet Banking. Fund transfer is possible within the branch of bank. It means once cannot transfer amount from one bank to another bank. Banks have their own policy but there is no any standard policy for Internet Banking in Nepal. In the field of Internet Banking security is must but this research doe not cover all the aspects of security. General customers and corporate customers of Internet Banking system have same kinds of facilities. 1.9 Organization of the Study This study is organized and decorated in seven chapters. Each chapter and unit will be on a prescribed format of thesis writing to the partial fulfillment of MBS program. Each unit gives the clear picture or roadmap of the study. Chapter One This chapter deals with Introduction of The Study. In this chapter, separated unit for background, significances objective and limitation of the study has mentioned. Chapter Two This chapter focused Review of Literature. In this chapter, various relevant such as different books, journals, article and previous thesis mention has mentioned. Chapter Three Third chapter presented Research Methodology. In this chapter, research design, sources of the data, method of data collection and analysis has mentioned. Chapter Four This chapter deals with Analysis of Internet Banking. This chapter provides the different analysis like strength, weakness, opportunity, threat (SWOT) analysis and feasibility analysis of Internet banking. Chapter Five Fifth chapter deals with Internet Banking Security. Security in Internet Banking comprises both the computer and communication security. Therefore this chapter consist different security principles, cryptographic key management, RAID etc. Chapter Six This chapter focused on System Analysis and design to present the current Internet Banking system. This chapter provides requirement analysis, process modeling, data dictionary, hardware and software requirement to execute program. Chapter Seven Seventh chapter presented with Summary, Conclusions and Recommendation of the Study. 1.10 Research Design There are two types of research approaches qualitative and quantitative. In the quantitative approach results are based on numbers and statistics that are presented in figures, whereas in the qualitative approach where focus lies on describing an event with the use of words. This study is the result of qualitative research using comparative and analytical methods. The comparative research was conducted in two ways : Firstly, the comparison is carried out by investigating the availability of basic services of Internet Banking in different banks of Nepal. Secondly, the comparison is also carried out by investigating the different features offered by banking institutions in Nepal. For that purpose, reviews of website from banks are conducted. Thus to gain practical knowledge of Internet Banking in the Nepali context, this research is conducted as a qualitative study to explore the perception of Internet Banking among Nepali Banks. Hence, the aim is not to make any simplification but instead establish a closer contact with the objectives of prior research which intend to provide us a deeper understanding of the participants attitudes and perceptions. Finally my intention with this research is to understand Internet Banking first describe and explore, find and analysis detailed information about Internet banking services provided by different banks of Nepal so qualitative approach is the most suitable method for my research. 1.11 Source of Data Both primary as well as secondary data have been collected in order to achieve the real and factual result out of this research. All possible and useful data available have been collected. The major sources of data are as follows : a. Primary Source The primary data are collected from primary sources. The primary sources of data are the opinion survey through questionnaire, field visit and information received from the respondents. Some of the information was also collected from interview with the respondents. b. Secondary Data The secondary data are collected from secondary sources. The secondary sources of data are the information received from books, journals and article concerned with the study for example website of the Nepal Bank Limited, thesis and dissertation submitted at Shanker Dev Campus, Central Library T.U.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Females and Technology :: Computers Electronics Learning Essays

With technology rapidly changing as fast as we blink our eyes, it is important for people to learn as much as possible about the computer world if they want to maintain a decent lifestyle because the world we live in revolving around those technologies. As McKee points out, â€Å"most jobs now require intelligence and technical skill† (1). Each year, there is something either added or modified to computers, which forces people to learn computer literacy at a steady pace. While some love computers, others despise them. When comparing people’s attitudes towards computers, statistics show a gender gap that proves most females’ attitudes are drastically different from the attitudes of males. Several studies prove that women not only lack an interest in technology, but they also chose not to enroll in computer classes. Since computers and technology play an enormous role in the world today, more technology professionals are needed. It is extremely important for more w omen to become knowledgeable in these areas. Swain and Harvey argue, â€Å"This technology gender gap is affecting half our population and causing it to be unprepared to contribute to the demands of a high-tech twenty-first century† (17). While this may not seem like a serious issue to some, it is an issue that will ultimately lead to a bigger problem if not handled immediately. So why are there so few women in the technology field? To answer that question, I must first find out why are there so few women in the technology and computer classes, considering that this atmosphere is the most common place where the interest for computers is born. The purpose of my research is to examine the shortage of females in the technology field. I will also research reasons why females chose not to take computer classes. I will support my theory with several examples from various studies. Furthermore, I will give several strategies that can be beneficial to female students and possibly increase the number of females in future computer classes. By the end of my research, the goal of encouraging young women who are interested in the technology field to pursue technology and succeed in the computer classes and world. This research will help me attempt to motivate other female students to at least gain more confidence and enough courage to learn more about the technological world we live in today. REASONS FEMALES MAY AVOID COMPUTERS AND TECH CLASSES

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Great Gatsby and Elizabeth Barrett Browining Essay

The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald and Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning are influenced by their varying context in their portrayal of love in their respective texts. Both authors explore the concept of love using various language features such as metaphors the use of irony. The Great Gatsby explores how the desire for the American Dream has taken prevalence over romantic love during post world war 1. This is contrasted with Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese where we are able to visualise her passion towards her lover through linguistic construct and also through the construction of an intimate sonnet. The Great Gatsby is set in what is commonly known as â€Å"The Roaring Twenties† or â€Å"The Jazz Age.† Given the 20s was about opulence, the nihilist attitude is reflected in romantic needs. Fitzgerald dismisses the idea of idealised love and refers to America’s love with the American Dream. Post World War 1 was a period of hedonism that reflected people’s determination to forget the sufferings and loss of the war. It was also a time of moral confusion. There was a mood of superficial optimism as people tried to hide their disillusionment. Fitzgerald explores the difficulty of individuals maintaining moral integrity in a material society that values wealth above all others. It was a time where there was great importance placed on what people had and not what people were. Fitzgerald’s use of Nick as the unreliable narrator is meant to represent cultural mores of the 20s. He represents the voice, failings and cynicism of the time and acts as a filter through which ideas and characters are reflected and mediated. We gain a pessimistic and fragmented insight into the tragic love story of the novel. The fragmentation and complex structure of the novel builds up Gatsby as the paragon of the Jazz Age and epitome of the American Dream. Ultimately, someone who represents the 20s cannot gain true love in the face of Tom’s wealth and riches. At the end of the play, Nick comes to fear that he is living in a loveless and faithful w orld. The narrative structure shows that time is a representation of love. The exploration of love in The Great Gatsby is treated with great ambiguity as Gatsby who is to be admired for his hope and vision, is sadly tragic and is unworthy in a society in which he loves. Fitzgerald is alluding to the fact that in successful America at the time, many were preoccupied with their social standings and wealth. The American Dream took precedence over romantic relationships. He condemns  love to be distrustful and faithless. This is shown through the numerous relationships throughout the novel. The relationship between Daisy and Mr. Gatsby is a clear example. Before Gatsby went to war, Daisy promised to wait for him but instead, married the very wealthy Tom. It becomes clear that Gatsby loves and wants the idea of Daisy rather than the real version. In order to eligible for Daisy’s love, Gatsby recreates himself to become a successful and wealthy man; hence he shows Daisy all his possessions after their meeting at Nick’s house. When Daisy cries over Gatsby’s â€Å"beautiful shirts† it highlights, the materialistic views she possesses and the relationship between love and money at that time. Part of Gatsby’s yearning for Daisy is her link to an exclusive society that he desperately wants to join. Gatsby’s love for Daisy is clear when he takes the blame for the death of Myrtle. We are positioned to see his devotion to Daisy as being foolish. â€Å"I love you now, isn’t that enough?† Although Daisy is unsatisfied with her marriage and enjoys her relationship with Gatsby, she never intended to leave Tom. In the end, it is not enough as Gatsby is not accepted in society or accepted by Daisy. F.Scott Fitzgerald shows the shallowness of love through the relationship of Myrtle and Tom. Their relationship is a symbol of an exploitative relationship. Myrtle is not content with her marriage and vies for a higher position. Myrtle admires ‘breeding’ and the aristocratic society and sees nothing immoral about her position as Tom’s mistress. She feels more superior when walking around New York with Tom and looks down on people who cannot afford materialistic goods although she normally would not be able to afford these products either. Tom provides Myrtle with presents that she normally would not receive. Ironically, Myrtle condemns her husband, George Wilson, for not owning his wedding suit. However, Tom doesn’t want to sustain the relationship with her. It is purely for his sexual needs. Hence, Fitzgerald depicts love to be superficial and is determined by the amount of wealth and social standing of a person. F.Scott Fitzgerald critiques the American Dream. Gatsby is an apparent self-made man who went from almost nothing to extravagance and wealth. However, Gatsby, Myrtle and George are seeking a better life but only achieve humiliation and death. Myrtle dies in the pursuit of the American Dream. Ironically, she is killed by Daisy who represents the idealised woman of her time in terms of wealth and status. Elizabeth  Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese explores love from the perspective of a 19th century women in order to convey the passion she feels for her lover. Barrett Browning ref lects a society where idealised love is admired and where there is faith in the individual. Barrett Browning presents an optimistic view of love. She manipulates the Petrarchan sonnet form, which is traditionally written from a male perspective, by subverting the writing scheme. She subverts the form by writing as the subject and object of the poem. Elizabeth Barrett Browning writes of her personal experience of love and idealised love. She is challenging how the art form challenges woman and celebrates love as a liberating force. By exploring her emotions, she explores her own identity. Elizabeth Barrett Browning believes her love with Robert has elevated so much that they approach transcended beings, â€Å"Our two souls stand up erect and strong.† Barrett browning is suggesting that if they didn’t have a body they would still move towards each other in passion. She captures the intensity of their love and the depth of their love through the line â€Å"Until their lengthening wings break into fire† This reiterates their passion and connection of love. There is a stark contrast with F.Scott Fitzgerald’s bleak view towards idealised love to Barrett Browning’s optimistic representation of love. In each sonnet, Browning portrays the notion of love has empowered her and made her value herself as an individual, â€Å"I love thee with the love I seemed to lose† (sonnet 43) She reveals to us that before she met Robert, her life was characterised by fragmentation and loss. This reinforces how love has transformed her life. She attempts to measure her love for Robert through the line, â€Å"I love thee to the depth & breath & height.† The use of the half-rhyme unifies Sonnet 1 but fractures it at the same time. Half rhymes show the impact of the love she is feeling and the reassessment she is feeling. The half rhymes are created to show how the predictable known ways of seeing the world have led her to innovation. In conclusion, it can be seen that both authors deal with love in their respective texts. However, F.Scott Fitzgerald takes a pessimistic view towards idealised love and rather, comments on the love for the American Dream in his society. Elizabeth Barrett Browning takes a more optimistic view, suggesting that it is a liberating force.

Friday, November 8, 2019

John Battaglia Killed His Daughters for Revenge Against His Wife

John Battaglia Killed His Daughters for Revenge Against His Wife John David Battaglia shot and killed his two young daughters to get even with his ex-wife for reporting him to his  parole officer on a probation violation. A former Marine and CPA, John Battaglia was well liked by his friends and family. He appeared to be a good guy- fun spirited and charming. That was what MaryJean Pearle thought when she married him, but on their wedding night, Battaglias dark side began to emerge. At first,  he would fly off the handle and throw a few curse words and insults at his new wife. Pearle did not like it, but she put up with it  because they shared more good times together than bad. The following year  their first daughter, Faith, was born and then Liberty, three years later. Now with a family to consider, Pearle tried even harder to make the marriage work. An Idyllic Life With Hidden Secrets Living in an upscale neighborhood in Dallas, the small family seemed to have an idyllic life. But inside the home, Battaglias violent episodes began happening more often. He verbally abused Pearle, screaming obscenities at her and calling her vile names.   As time went on, the verbal attacks lasted longer and in an effort to keep her family together, Pearle endured it. The girls adored their dad, who had always been a gentle and loving father to them, even though his temper tantrums that he unleashed on Pearle continued to increase. Then one night, his anger switched from verbally attacking Pearle to going after her physically. She was able to get away and call 911. Battaglia was placed on probation and although he was allowed to see the girls, he was not allowed to enter their home. The separation gave Pearle a chance to think and it did not take long for her to realize that after seven years of abuse and having her children exposed to a lot of it, that it was time to file for a divorce. Christmas 1999 On Christmas day in 1999, Pearle allowed Battaglia to come into the home so he could visit with the girls. The visit ended in the two of them arguing and Battaglia violently attacking Pearle. He beat her with full force on the back of her head as she tried to protect herself from the blows. Battaglia was arrested and charged with assault. He was put on two years probation and was forbidden to have contact with Pearle. He could also not visit his daughters for 30 days. When the 30 days ended, normal weekly visitation started back up and so did the verbal assaults toward his ex-wife. Rage and Resentment The divorce came through the following August, but that did not deter Battaglia from leaving obscene and often threatening messages on his ex-wifes phone. As the threats progressed, Pearle became more fearful that one day her ex-husband might really act on what he was saying, but the thought that he would ever hurt the girls did not enter her mind. Visitation between the girls and their father continued. After a particularly frightening call from Battaglia in April 2001, Pearle decided it was time to get help. She contacted her ex-husbands probation officer and reported that he had been making threatening calls, which was a violation of his parole.   A few weeks later, on May 2, Battaglia found out that his parole had been revoked and that he was probably going to be arrested for the calls that he made to his ex-wife and for testing positive for marijuana.  He was assured by a police officer that the warrant would not be executed in front of his children and that he could make arrangements with his lawyer to peacefully turn himself in. He was scheduled to have the girls over for dinner that same night and Pearle,  not knowing that Battaglia had any knowledge that she had reported him to his parole officer, dropped off the girls with him at the normal meeting place. A Daughters Cry Later that evening, Pearle received a message from one of her daughters. When she returned the call, Battaglia put the call on speakerphone, and told his daughter Faith to ask her mother, Why do you want Daddy to go to jail? Then Pearle heard her daughter screaming, No, Daddy, please dont, dont do it. Gunshots  followed the childs cry and then Battaglia screamed, Merry (profanity) Christmas, then there were more gunshots. Mary Jean Pearle hung up the phone and frantically called 911. After shooting 9-year-old Faith three times and 6-year-old Liberty five times Battaglia went to his office where he left one more message, but this time to his dead daughters. Goodnight my little babies, he said. I hope youre resting in a different place. I love you, and I wish that you had nothing to do with your mother. She was evil and vicious and stupid. I love you dearly. Then he met up with a girlfriend and went to a bar and then to a tattoo shop and had two red roses tattooed on his left arm in honor of his daughters that he had just murdered. Battaglia was arrested as he left the tattoo shop at 2 a.m. It took four officers to restrain and handcuff him. Officers took a fully loaded revolver from Battaglias truck after his arrest. Inside his apartment, police found several firearms and the automatic pistol used in the shootings laying on the kitchen floor. Autopsy Faith had three gunshot wounds, including a shot to her back which severed her spinal cord and ruptured her aorta, a contact shot to the back of her head which exited her forehead, and a shot to her shoulder. Either of the first two shots would have been rapidly fatal. Six-year-old Liberty had four gunshot wounds and a graze wound to the top of her head. One shot entered her back, severed her spinal cord, went through a lung, and lodged in her chest. After losing about one-third of her blood, she received a contact shot to her head which passed through her brain, exited her face, and was immediately fatal. A History of Abuse is Revealed In less than 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Battaglia guilty of murder.   During the  punishment phase of the  trial, Battaglias first wife,  Michelle Gheddi, testified about the abuse she had suffered during their marriage that lasted from 1985 to 1987, and then after their divorce. Twice  Battaglia was physically violent toward Gheddis son from a previous marriage. Once when Ms. Gheddi was traveling with  Battaglia  in the car, he became angry at some other motorists and tried to reach for a gun he had in the car. They separated after an incident in which Battaglia struck Gheddi while she was holding their daughter Kristy, causing her to drop the child. After the separation, Battaglia stalked Gheddi,  watched her through the windows of her home, followed her in his car and somehow managed to tap her phone line.  He called Gheddis employers and creditors and made false statements about her. He threatened to kill himself and her, and once described to her in detail how he planned to cut her up and kill her with a knife. One night Gheddi woke up sometime after midnight to find her estranged husband standing over her bed and holding her shoulders down. He wanted to have sex, but she refused. Later she filed a police report about the incident. In January of 1987, Battaglia spent several days in jail after throwing a rock at Gheddi through her car window. After his release, things seemed to improve, but for only for a few months. Gheddi again filed charges against Battaglia after two more violent episodes.  Battaglia begged her to drop the charges, but she refused. Later that day, he approached Gheddi outside of her sons school. Smiling as he came toward her, he told her, If Im going back to jail, Im going to make it worth my while. He then beat Gheddi until she lost consciousness, breaking her nose and dislocating her jaw. After she got out of the hospital, he threatened to do the same to her son, so she moved to Louisiana At noon on the day that Faith and Liberty were killed,  Battaglia left a message on Gheddis  answering machine saying that maybe Pearl should lose her kids. He left another message later that evening for Kristy, telling her that he was sending her money for college and to use it wisely. Psychiatric Testimony Four forensic psychiatrists testified about  Battaglias mental state when he murdered his children.  They all agreed that Battaglia suffered from bipolar disorder, and all but one of the doctors thought that with the proper medication and under a controlled environment, he was a low risk for future criminal violence. All of the doctors testified that Battaglia knew what he was doing when he murdered his daughters. Death Sentence On May 1, 2002, after deliberating for close to seven hours, the jury agreed with the prosecutors who felt that the murders were a result of Battaglia seeking revenge because of his ex-wifes actions and that he could pose a possible threat in the future.  Battaglia, who was 46 years old at the time, was sentenced to death  by lethal injection. Best Little Friends Referring to his daughters as his best little friends, Battaglia told The Dallas Morning News that he did not feel like he had killed his daughters and that he was, a little bit in the blank about what happened. During the interview Battaglia showed no remorse for murdering his daughters,  instead placing the blame for his situation on his ex-wife, the prosecutor, the judge and the news media. He said that  Pearle was putting a lot of financial pressure on him and that after the divorce he had to work two jobs to keep up with his obligations.   On the night that he shot and killed his daughters, he said that Faith had told him that  Pearle was trying to have him arrested. Stressed out, exhausted, angered and wanting  Pearle to suffer, he did the one thing he knew would hurt her the most. He killed the children, although he says he has little memory of the actual event. Execution Halted Hours Before Battaglia was Scheduled to Die John Battaglia,  age 60,  was scheduled for lethal injection on Wednesday, March 30, 2016, for the revenge killing of his two young daughters, but the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals  put a halt to it. The court agreed with Battaglias attorney that he has a right to claim that he is too mentally incompetent and delusional to be executed investigated. Battaglia was eventually executed by lethal injection on Feb. 1, 2018, in the  Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, Texas.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Compulsive Hoarding

Compulsive Hoarding Free Online Research Papers As little as 15 years ago, people with extremely cluttered homes were known as pack rats or collectors. There has been a growing problem where homes become so extremely full of possessions that it makes it impossible to use the rooms in the house for the purpose in which they were originally intended. No cooking in the kitchen, no family meals in the dining room, and no entertaining friends and family in the living room because all of these spaces are occupied by the treasures of a hoarder, practically floor to ceiling. â€Å"Compulsive Hoarding is a mental disorder marked by an obsessive need to acquire and keep things, even if the items are worthless, hazardous, or unsanitary. More than 3 million people are compulsive hoarders.† (Flynn, Chan, Severson, 2010) Hoarding can sometimes appear in early adolescence. If not addressed, it will usually get progressively worse. Some of the symptoms may include: -Cluttered living space; -Inability to discard items; -Keeping stacks of newspapers, magazines, or junk mail; -Moving items from one pile to another, without discarding anything; -Acquiring un-needed or useless items sometimes even trash; -Difficulty managing daily activities including procrastinating and trouble making decisions; -Difficulty organizing; -Perfectionism; -Excessive attachments to possessions and difficulty letting anyone touch or borrow them; -Limited or no social interactions. Hoarding can range from a harmless mess, to a life threatening condition. (Scheff, 2010) Triggers and Causes Family and Genetics Hoarding seems to run in families. Obviously, if one was raised by a hoarder, one is much more likely to be a hoarder, as many people often emulate the environment in which they were brought up. However, some research also points to a genetic link. â€Å"People with this problem tend to have a first degree relative who also does, so it might be genetic, or it might be a modeling effect.† Says Randy O. Frost, Ph.D., a psychologist at Smith College, North Hampton, Massachusetts. â€Å"Genetic research suggests that a region on chromosome 14 may be linked to compulsive hoarding in families with OCD. The study, carried out by a team from John Hopkins University School of Medicine in March 2007, analyzed samples from 999 OCD patients from 219 families. Families with 2 or more hoarding relatives showed a unique pattern on chromosome 14 where as other families’ OCD was linked to chromosome 3.† (Collingwood, 2009) Trauma Some people classified as hoarders may just be harmless pack rats until some kind of trauma occurs in their life. Often hoarding spirals out of control after the death of a loved one such as a parent, spouse, or child. Divorce can also trigger hoarding to manifest a previously underlying problem into a disaster. Compulsive Shopping Hoarding also highly correlates with compulsive shopping. Compulsive shopping also correlates with other characteristics of hoarding such as indecisiveness and perfectionism, which also correlates with OCD. Hoarding is not only characterized by the inability to discard items, but also by the obsessive way in which they are acquired. â€Å"It may be the case that compulsive shopping is one manifestation of an underlying pattern of mental activity that is part of a more general tendency towards compulsive acquisition.†(Murray, Close, Frost, 2010) Related Disorders OCD Hoarding has long been considered a symptom of OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. However, in the last 10 years, psychologists have begun to notice a difference. Sometimes there is a person with OCD who has a tendency toward hoarding, and sometimes there are compulsive hoarders without OCD. It is estimated that at least 18 to 30 percent of people with OCD have hoarding tendencies. (Frost, Steketee, 2010) Although hoarding is not considered to be a disease in itself right now, this may all change soon. Experts have been debating if it is a symptom of OCD at all, and it may be recatagorized in the next edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Some of the distinctions between Compulsive Hoarding and OCD may include the following: -Different from most patients suffering from OCD, most hoarders do not want help. This makes then also much more difficult to treat. -Medication seems to work far better for patients with other forms of OCD. -Hoarders have specific cognitive deficits not shared by people with other forms of OCD, such as the inability to categorize and make decisions. -Treatments for hoarding are more tedious and take longer than typical OCD treatments -Hoarding OCD is much more likely to suffer relapse than other types of OCD. (Elliot, 2009) OCPD Besides OCD, compulsive hoarding is also linked to other disorders and is even a diagnostic criteria for OCPD, or Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. One study suggests that almost twice as many hoarders meet the criteria for OCPD rather than OCD. Similarities between OCPD and hoarding include preoccupation with details, organizing and orderliness. Patients suffering from both disorders have very little insight into the severity of their disorder and most often do not recognize the negative impact of their behaviors on their lives. Hoarding may also correlate with disorders such as ADD and ADHD where people also have a great deal of difficulty focusing, making decisions, and organizing. (Wiegartz Carmin, 2010) Effects on Family and Home Living in the home of a hoarder is very stressful. Unlike people with other obsessive compulsive disorders, hoarding compulsions directly affect all other persons living in the house. Although the emotional effects of other OC related disorders can affect the family, it is generally indirect and can be avoided. Often it is just an inconvenience. Hoarding, however, profoundly affects all persons living under one roof. For example, the hoard more often than not, spills out from one room to another until all rooms, including the bathroom, and kitchen become un-useable. This is very unsanitary and unhealthy. Also, very often if something goes wrong with the plumbing or electricity, a hoarder may not hire professionals to come in and fix the problems due to embarrassment or inability to access the area. (Fugen, Slavin, Donelly, 2010) For the family of one who hoards, it is impossible to live in the same house and not experience emotional, or even physical trauma. Not only through the mess, but also because hoarders’ extreme need to control all aspects of the house cause extreme friction and tension. A primary cause of contention is the loss of usable living space in the shared areas of the home including the living room, dining room, bathrooms, hallways, kitchen, entry ways, yard, and even the bedrooms of other family members. The emotional effects of hoarding are very difficult on a marriage, and often end in divorce. (Fugen et al., 2010) Family members are forced to live in utter chaos. The hoarder assumes control of the entire house and does not allow their family members to make and decision about the home in which they live. This results in feelings of bitterness and resentment. Often, family members get so frustrated with the mess that they will attempt to organize, discard, and clean up without the knowledge or permission of the hoarder, resulting in big, blow out fights. The hoarder will become even worse due to this â€Å"deception† because they feel violated and disrespected. This causes them to become even more protective of their possessions. (Fugen et al., 2010) The hoarding behaviors of the parent of a child can severely affect the child’s life. Children are either not allowed or too embarrassed to have friends over which adversely effects their social development, leaving them feeling isolated. Children become withdrawn and depressed and tend to do poorly in school or even drop out. Children of hoarders are prone to become abusers of drugs and alcohol. (Fugen et al., 2010) Hoarding also affects the quality of life in the home from a health aspect. Individuals living in a hoarded house often suffer from headaches and respiratory problems. As clutter develops, it becomes impossible to dust or vacuum for years at a time. In addition, spilled liquids are often not cleaned up causing all manors of mold, fungus, and insect infestation. Also, the home is likely to become infested with rats and other vermin who will deposit feces and urine within the clutter causing a whole range of other health issues. (Fugen et al., 2010) Another safety hazard is the clutter itself which makes it difficult to move about the house. Pathways become blocked by fallen or new clutter and one could trip and fall and be seriously injured. Extreme clutter also puts the home at a significant risk of having a fire. Also because of the clutter, it would be extremely difficult for emergency personnel to rescue individuals trapped inside the house. The home of a hoarder could literally cave in. People often underestimate the weight of their possessions, and the floors and walls could be destroyed under the pressure of an extreme hoard. It is even more dangerous if the home has pets. Cats often not find their litter box, if there even is one, and dogs cannot hold it long enough for their masters to navigate through the mess, leaving the animals to urinate and defecate throughout the house. The result is absolutely toxic. The hoarder becomes accustomed to the smells, and hardly notices a problem. The levels of ammonia make the air in the home unsafe to breathe, both for the animals and humans. Animal feces, mold, and fungus make it very dangerous to inhabit the house, and it may be reported and condemned by the city. (Fugen et al., 2010) Levels of Hoarding An official organizational assessment tool has been developed by a group known as the NSGD, or National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization. This clutter/hoarding scale was developed to give professional organizers and clinical psychologists specializing in chronic disorganization and hoarding definitive parameters. The parameters relate to specific health and safety issues. Five different levels have been established to measure the degree of squalor and severity that professionals may be dealing with. Within each different level, there are four specific categories which define the severity of clutter and hoarding potential. -Structure and zoning; -Pets and rodents; -Household functions: -Sanitation and cleanliness. (Delson, Govinsky, Prince, Shultz, 2003) Level I hoarder Household is considered standard. No special knowledge in working with the chronically disorganized is necessary. Level II hoarder Household requires professional organizers or related professionals to have additional knowledge and understanding of chronic disorganization. Level III hoarder Household may require services in addition to those a professional organizer and related professional can provide. Professional organizers and related professionals working with Level III households should have significant training in chronic disorganization and have developed a helpful community network of resources, especially mental health providers. Level IV hoarder Household needs the help of a professional organizer and a coordinated team of service providers. Psychological, medical issues or financial hardships are generally involved. Resources will be necessary to bring a household to a functioning level. These services may include pest control services, â€Å"crime scene cleaners†, financial counseling and licensed contractors and handy persons. Level V hoarder Professional organizers should not venture directly into working solo with this type of household. The Level V household may be under the care of a conservator or be an inherited estate of a mentally ill individual. Assistance is needed through the use of a multi-tasked team. These members may include social services and psychological/mental health representatives (not applicable if an inherited estate), conservator/trustee, building and zoning, fire and safety, landlord, legal aid and/or legal representatives. A written strategy needs to be outlined and contractual agreements made before proceeding. (Delson et al., 2003) Subtypes of Hoarding Animal Hoarding Animal Hoarding is a complex community health issue. It involves mental health, animal welfare and public safety concerns. In most cases, animal hoarders appear to believe they are helping their animals. They believe that any home is better than letting the animals die in a shelter. They are in denial and are able to convince other people that they are in control of the situation. Usually, animal hoarders are completely blind to the fact that they are not helping the animals, and they do not see the degree of suffering that they cause. Indications for an animal hoarder may be: -Owning many animals without knowing an exact number of how many; -Home is deteriorated and may have dirty windows, broken furniture, and holes in the floors and walls; -Extreme Clutter; -Strong smells of ammonia and the presence of urine, feces and vomit; -Animals are unsocialized, emaciated, and lethargic; -The presence of fleas and vermin; -Individual isolated themselves from the community and appears to also be in neglect themselves; -Individual insists all animals are loved and cared for, even in the presence of extreme distress and illness. (ASPCA 2010) Dr. Stephanie LaFarge, ASPCA Senior Director of Counseling Services says; â€Å"I have worked with many animal hoarders in their homes. Their mental illness allows them to maintain an absolute denial of the filth and suffering of the animals. They simply cannot see, smell, or react to the situation as a normal person would.† (ASPCA, 2010) Garbage Hoarding Some people suffering from compulsive hoarding are obsessed with collecting garbage. The term for this is syllogomania. These people will go as far as climbing into dumpster and removing trash to bring home with little to no insight as to how unsanitary their actions are. Often they believe that they are doing good for the world by saving what they consider to be useful items from going to the dump. In their minds, they plan to find use for these items at a later time, but instead just manage to turn their own home into a dump. Collectors Some compulsive hoarders do not just simply collect junk, but focus their attention on one or more type of useful items in copious amounts. Often these homes are not as unsanitary as the homes of garbage or animal hoarders. However, what starts out as a harmless collection may soon turn into an obsession. Collector/Hoarders are known to collect some of the following items; clothing, newspapers, magazines, books, toy trains, cameras, and personal items, just to name a few. These types of hoarders most likely also have a problem with compulsive shopping and may spend many hours and lots of money frequenting flea markets, thrift stores, and garage sales, and may also be hooked on home shopping channels and eBay. Case Studies Animal Hoarder â€Å"On Tuesday, November 9, 40 cats were seized from a mobile home in Tampa, Florida, that authorities called a â€Å"liter box without litter,† according to the St. Petersburg Times. After an anonymous tip led them to the property, officials entered the residence wearing protective gear to shield them from the smells of the unsanitary home. All of the cats were kept on one side of the mobile home where the windows were sealed and there was no ventilation. Many of the animals had conditions such as respiratory infections, open wounds and urine burns. The news source reports that ammonia levels begin to become unsafe at 25, and this home reached 38. Kevin Lamar Addison, who lived with the animals, was charged with five felony counts of animal cruelty and 40 counts of unlawful containment of an animal. (ASPCA, 2010) Garbage Hoarder Lloyd is an elderly man from California. He was told by his mother, during the Great Depression, â€Å"Don’t put anything on your plate that you can’t eat, and don’t waste anything.† Lloyd collects garbage from dumpsters and has a giant outdoor hoard of miscellaneous debris. Five years ago, it was so bad that the county came in and cleaned it up. They also fined him 50,000 dollars. This made him feel violated, and he began hoarding worse than ever. He ignored the huge fine, on continued to hoard his property. Now he is facing another fine of the same magnitude. Lloyd hoards everything including, but not limited to broken fans, construction garbage and debris, pieces of worthless broken furniture, paper, and empty boxes. Lloyd was originally a successful insurance salesman, but buckled under the pressure and began drinking. His family fell apart as he became controlling, violent, and abusive. Even after being sober for 35 years, his abusive and obsessive behaviors persist, and his family finds him difficult to love. Even when he is out with his grown daughter, he cannot resist removing items from garbage cans. Facing 100,000 dollars in fines, he agrees to get help. He could possibly lose everything. Lloyd’s situation is desperate. He sleeps in a trailer on his property that is also hoarded. He climbs in through a window to sleep, because all entry ways are blocked. He has no electricity, no running water, and no ventilation. He has not been inside his house for over a year. After seeing the grotesque situation in which Lloyd lives, Dr. Liz Moore, the clinical psychologist working on his case, has no choice but to get Adult protective services involved. During the clean up, Lloyd has problems parting with any garbage. He is hostile and agitated and is lamenting over every piece of trash. He has very little insight into his situation and is erratic, and could possibly be suffering from dementia. Lloyd is removed from the property for the last part of the cleanup to get as much done as possible. There is very little hope for Lloyd because of his negative mind set, age, and possibly his dementia. He will most likely be removed from his home by Adult Protective Services. It is not humane to continue to let him live alone. Sixty dumpsters were filled on his property, and only 25 percent of the hoard was removed. His property will most likely be surrendered to the county. (Flynn et al., 2010) Collector Theresa is a retired state worker, and a mother of six grown children. She raised her family in California and kept a clean home. All of the children had chores. Ten years after her kids were grown and gone; Theresa moved to Alabama and bought a house to be closer to her side of the family. Her husband stayed behind in California to continue to work. Three years ago, tragedy struck, and Theresa lost three family members in a short period of time. Alone and devastated, Theresa turned to shopping to ease her pain. Theresa frequented the thrift store two times per day. Her husband sent her $5,000 at a time. Her shopping got so out of control that she went through their entire life savings totaling $112,000 in one and a half years. Theresa believes the 3,000 designed purses that she owns will bring in a small fortune. She is counting on the sale of these items to save her from bankruptcy. Her husband worked two jobs his entire life to support the family. He retired two months ago, and moved to Alabama to be with Theresa. He was shocked by what he found. The house is hoarded floor to ceiling with clothes, purses, and shoes. Nobody is allowed to touch her possessions, she is controlling and possessive. Extremely in debt, and facing financial ruin, Theresa agrees to get help. Dr. Susan Chabaud, licensed clinical psychologist, specializing in OCD and hoarding comes on to help Theresa. She breaks down soon into the session, realizing what she has done. In addition to the pressure of her financial burden, Theresa is afraid her husband will leave her. She has tested his loyalty to the limit. Professional organizers arrive with dumpsters. The team begins removing items from the house. At first, things are going smoothly, but Theresa unravels when she notices things being thrown out. She breaks down, and the cleanup comes to a halt. Her family is afraid of her temper. When the crew leaves for the day, Theresa climbs into the dumpster and removes items. The next day, consignment experts arrive to assess the value of Theresa’s 3,000 purses. It is disappointing when they discover that most of her bags are designer imitations, and 95% are worthless. She is upset that she cannot get top dollar for her bags, and only walks away with $300. This will not prevent her from bankruptcy. Theresa is humbled by her situation, and the rest of the cleanup goes smoothly. Her husband is pleased with the progress and sticks by her side. Theresa is provided with after care funds, and uses them to get counseling. Her daughter steps in and intervenes financially to save them from ruin. (Flynn et al., 2010) Treatment Initial Assessment The first step in helping one who hoards overcome their affliction must be through a thorough psychiatric evaluation to rule out primary psychotic disorders such as, dementia, and major depression as a cause to the problem, since apathy, fatigue, or hopelessness could lead to failure to discard, clean, or organize possessions. The initial session should include an assessment of the amount of clutter, types of items acquired, usability of the space, health and safety hazards, beliefs about possessions, information processing deficits, avoidance behaviors, insight, motivation for treatment, social and occupational functioning, and activities of daily living. (Saxena 2008) Pharmacotherapy Hoarding symptoms may be treated with Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SRIs. A few studies of OCD patients have found that hoarding symptoms were not easily treated with these drugs, and responded poorly to them. Another study, however, found that compulsive hoarders responded equally well to SRIs as non-hoarding OCD patients, with signifigant improvements in shared symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and overall functioning. Similar proportions of hoarding and non-hoarding OCD patients responder strongly and partially. The proportions of people dropping out of the study were also similar. Compulsive hoarders who completed treatment showed a mean 31% decline in symptom severity. Hoarding symptoms improved as much as other OCD symptoms. (Saxena 2008) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Hartl, Frost, Steketee, and colleagues developed a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or, CBT treatment strategy based on their Cognitive/Behavioral model of compulsive hoarding. They are the leading researchers on the subject. They conceptualize hoarding as involving four main problem areas; -Information processing deficits; -Problems in forming emotional attachments; -Behavioral avoidance; -Erroneous beliefs about the nature of possessions. Treatment involves cognitive restructuring, decision making training and exposure and response prevention involving the discarding of clutter. After 20 weeks of treatment, five in seven patients had noticeable improvement in acquiring of new possessions, awareness of irrational reasons for saving possessions and organizational skill. The ability to discard possessions also improved, but more slowly. This study also demonstrated the need to address patient motivation and involve family members in treatment. (Saxena 2010) Conclusion A growing awareness has shed some light on the deeply rooted problems of compulsive hoarding. Hoarding is a serious condition that not only affects the individual with the problem, but also has a serious impact on the lives of all persons living in the home, as well as loved ones living outside the home who want to help, but do not know how. The issues of a hoarder are deeply seeded and not easily treated. In order to provide adequate treatment, several different levels of therapy are recommended, including; therapy with a clinical psychologist specializing in hoarding, professional organizers, and perhaps even drug therapy to reduce anxiety. Strong family support is also very important, as relapse is almost inevitable. Hoarding has long classified as a symptom of OCD, but research has shown strong evidence that it is its own entity with a unique profile of core symptoms, genetic markers, and neurobiology abnormalities that differ from those of OCD. Perhaps in the near future, compulsive hoarding will be classified as a separate disorder entirely. More research is recommended. References ASPCA (2010) www.aspca.org 11/12/2010 Collingwood, J., (2009) the Genetics of Compulsive Hoarding. www.psychcentral.com 11/06/2010 Delson, S., Glovinsky, C., Prince, T., Schultz, H. (2003) the NSGD Clutter Hoarding Scale Official Hoarding Assessment Tool. www.nsgcd.org 11/12/2010 Elliot, C., (2009) Hoarding OCD. www.psychcentral.com 11/17/2010 Flynn, N., Chan, M., Severson, D., (2010) AE Hoarders Fugen, N., Slavin, J., Donnelly, M. (2010) How Compulsive Hoarding Effects Families. www.ocfoundation.org 11/6/2010 Frost, R., Steketee, G., (2010) Hoarding: Clinical Aspects and Treatment Strategies. www.childrenofhoarders.com 11/03/2010 Murray-Close, M., Frost, R. (2010) the Nature of Compulsive Buying and Acquisition. www.sophiasmith.edu 11/15/2010 Saxena, S. (2008) Neurobiology and Treatment of Compulsive Hoarding. www.childrenofhoarders.com 11/12/2010 Scheff, S. (2010) Hoarding: It Usually Starts in Early Adolescence, Around Age 12, and it Tends to get Worse with Age. www.examiner.com 11/6/2010 Wiegartz, P. Carmin, C. (2010) Hoarding and OCPD. www.academyofct.org 11/17/2010 Research Papers on Compulsive Hoarding19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraStandardized TestingGenetic EngineeringThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseResearch Process Part OneRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Monday, November 4, 2019

Health Disparitiy among the Mentally Ill Research Paper

Health Disparitiy among the Mentally Ill - Research Paper Example Within every population, there are varying individual characteristics and mental health needs. Research on suicide cases among minority population is a clear depiction of mental health disparity. AIAN’s population records the highest cases of suicide representing fifty percent of the national average. The quality of health care provision to all American citizens for all ethnic groups is ideal. There is a remarkable gap between the health care recommended and the services delivered. Statistics nationally show medical patients receiving only 54.9 percent (Data shown in the table) of the recommended medical care (Safran et al., 2009). Studies comparing mental health care across ethnic groups depict disparities in accessing, usage and quality of care. Subgroups in the U.S. are more probable comparing to white population to delay or miss completely to get quality mental health treatment. Mental health status disparities exhibit definitely different patterns compared to other health disparities. Comparing national representation sample of the U.S. population, American Indians have high risks of posttraumatic stress and alcohol dependence but are lower risks of depression. Minorities have less psychiatric disorders comparing to white Americans. The black and Hispanic Americans have the highest tendency of persistently being ill. United States policy makers have designed federal laws that address discrimination of mentally ill individuals resulting from public stigma (Corrigan, Roe & Tsang, 2011). The federal laws provide an important basis for refining disparities in health care services, education, employment opportunities and outcomes for the mental illness that results from the humiliation process (Cummings, Lucas & Druss, 2013). Education for all handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EAHCA), is a piece of legislation addressing the issue of discrimination on

Friday, November 1, 2019

BMW Group Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

BMW Group - Case Study Example The limited profits earned by the company were due to the "model life-cycle factors" which significantly enhanced the car sales volumes. During this period, the BMW group sold less than 350,000 automobile units, which includes BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce. The figure of the units sold was less than 5percent against the units sold in the previous year. During the contemporary year, more than 1,200,000 units were sold in the market which is approximately 2percent greater than previous year's figure. The financial performance of the group is severely restricted by the "market conditions for the motorcycle business"; the conditions are regarded as severe and crucial for the market. The sales of the motorcycles produced by BMW have shown similar trend, during the third quarter of the running year the sales volume is almost equivalent to the sales of the previous year. The units of motorcycles sold in the market were less than 3percent of the figures sold in the previous year. The financial c risis has been responsible for the negative impact of the BMW group. In the wake of international economic crisis, the customers have practiced reluctance in procurement of the automobiles unit, "the third-quarter revenues reported by the company, decreased by 8.6 % to euro 12,588 million". During the running economic recession, the company was able to collect revenues of euro 40,425 million, which was highest than the figures of than the figures of the previous year. The variation in the foreign exchange rates was also responsible for the improvement in the revenue generation, "the BMW Group revenues for the nine-month period were up by 5.1percent". The BMW group was controlled its expenses, and residual expenses have been eliminated, "the company increased the cumulative amount of expense recognised for additional risk provision for residual value and bad debt risks to a total of euro 1,037 million". The brief financial outlook for the BMW group for the third quarter of the runnin g year is reduction in the earnings by euro 258 million, profit dropped by 60percent to euro 387 million. The pre-tax earnings of the BMW group were truncated by the external factors, "pre-tax profit stood at euro 279 million for the third quarter, the amount is 63percent lower than one year earlier, while that for the nine-month period fell to euro 1,522 million" (Citigroup, 2008). The net profit earned by the company stood at euro 298 million for the third quarter. The running economic recession has severely dampened the financial outlook of the company for the years to come (Bilgen, 2004). The business conditions are not encouraging, the market is volatile, and this has "deteriorated further for the BMW Group over the past months". The financial crisis has escalated, and there is strong possibility of this recession will cause "noticeable reduction in consumer spending in numerous markets" (Citigroup, 2008). The BMW group is yet to experience the environmental challenges; the growing understanding of the consumers about green house gases emission has developed reluctance among the customer to acquire goods which shall be detrimental for the environment. The BMW group is trapped by "significant level of volatility on the financial and commodity markets, this poses the risk of even greater uncertainty". The purchasing power of the consumer has depleted, "private consumption and consumer confidence have dipped perceptibly, particularly in the USA and Europe".