Dance as an Art Form

The history of dance as an art can be traced with the emergence of cultures around the world and with the evolution of mankind. In early civilizations, dance has been a very essential part of their primitive cultures. When people asked for rain, they danced for the gods of rain. Or when they want to have a good catch, they would move as if they were pulling a net full of fishes. In essence, man expressed himself through movement when oral and spoken language was still on their nascent stage. Together with the visual arts, dance was the first mode of expression and communication.With the progress of different societies, dance has also evolved and adapted to the changes. From religious activities to public performances, dance and other similar movements were popularized as a means of easily understanding the message. Facial expressions, activities familiar to the audience were also characteristic of this art form. As the society advanced to a more sophisticated and more interactive com munity of cultures, dance has also evolved and surpassed its role in the religious activities and courts of rulers. Social dancing as we know it today traces its origins in three possible foundations.Ballroom dancing for example became popular with courtesans in the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe and not much participated by the commoners. Such exclusivity of dance to the aristocracy distanced ballroom dancing from being patronized by the greater public. It was only after the political and social reforms in the 18th and 19th centuries that the dances of the aristocracy also became popular with the masses. Thus, from being confined to a wealthy few, dance has also benefited from the economic and political victories of the lower and middle classes.Somehow, dance became an integral part of the politicization of culture. The most popular of these ballroom dances is the waltz which originated from the Austrian courts. The dance itself represented the political trend. As the society de viated from dogmatism and rigidity so was the spirit they found in waltz. Due to its popularity, waltz as an art form began to deteriorate and was eclipsed by other dances now unconfined to the elite. The 20th century found the convergence of South American and Caribbean music and rhythm which had more primitive origins.Social dancing evolved from its origins in Europe to a concoction of various cultures. Tap dance and folk dances also influenced the development of social dancing that through time, artistic components were added and invented or revived to produce a more vibrant variety of dances. In the course of the evolution of human societies, culture has adapted to the changes brought about by the modifications in the economic foundations of the era. Culture, as a part of the superstructure, changed through time.The early models of human production system were a very nature-dependent system and as a result they also had a nature-themed dance or dances which depicted movements, p henomenon and mysteries in nature. Come the slave societies, dance depicted the state of the society. Though there was a lineated domain of dance. The ruling slave owners appreciated dances which exemplified their dominion over their slaves, depicted their power while slave communities dance as they intend to be liberated and break free from the bonds of slavery.That is how society and culture works in dynamic and co-relational interactions. Different societies have different levels of appreciation for dance. Aesthetics can not only be solely responsible for the development of dance, utilitarian values are also of prime consideration. The emergence of a ruling class made it possible for dance to attain its position as an art in the courts of the kings and emperors. Utilized as a form of entertainment for the ruler and visiting dignitaries, dance has been appreciated more ever since for the aesthetic qualities that it had than message that it conveyed.What was pleasant for the audien ce became a prime reason for the development of dances. What the ruling class appreciated as art were also the same for their subjects. Historical accounts suggest how dance reached such point beginning as early as the Egyptian civilization. Egyptian society witnessed the evolution of dance from simple hunting rituals during the ancient times. Connected with the religious aspect of their economic activities, dance was used to summon goodwill from the gods and assure bountiful keep.As the Egyptian society progressed, dance was separated from its ritualistic character and was focused in the formal religious necessities. Evident in their movements were the daily activities of the Egyptian people. Greek culture draws its ancestry from Egypt and similarly started out as part of the religious exercises. Dance was seen incorporated to drama and dance festivities. Similarly, Greek dance expressed the activities of the people and each dance corresponds to a certain activity and character of the audience.In Europe, the complete evolution of dance from its utilitarian concepts to an aesthetic value started to surface as early as 364 BC. Though the main purpose was really to honor the gods, dance was also used to entertain the population in times of plagues or any catastrophic events. Since then, dance has been viewed as an art to be appreciated by the population and not only by the gods. Therefore, historically speaking, dance has served its purpose of contextualizing of human thoughts. Expression of these thoughts provided the reason for evolution.

Obasan Essay

Megumi Naomi Nakane, an innocent Child Essay In Joy Kogawa’s Obasan, Naomi is an innocent child who suffers a great deal throughout the novel. The adults of the Nakane family go through a lot of trouble to protect Naomi’s innocence just so Naomi could have a childhood like any other child. However much the adults tried, Naomi still sees the dark side of the world at an early age. Naomi does not understand some things that take place in her life and therefore, she finds toys and stories as a vent to express her emotions.In this novel, Naomi’s innocence is crucial seeing that throughout the novel she is baffled and unsure about the incidents that occur in her life in addition to that she has to suffer for incidents she does not comprehend. To begin, the elders in Naomi’s family endure a lot of pain at the hands of the Canadian government to shield Naomi as best they can. Everybody in Naomi’s house is looking out for her. As Naomi narrates, â€Å"What ever [uncle] was intending to tell me ‘someday’ has not yet been told† which clarifies that uncle has been keeping something from her to shield her from all the wrongs in the world (Kogawa 3).Later on in the novel, it is read that similar to everyone in the family uncle has been concealing the fact that Naomi’s mother had been brutally injured from the bombing at Nagasaki and also that following the injuries Naomi’s mother had died after a while. Uncle believes that if he were to tell all the details about Naomi’s mother’s death, then Naomi would be heartbroken. This is because afterwards in the novel, it is discovered that Naomi and her mother had a very close mother and daughter relationship.Another similar incident is when Obasan remains silent while Naomi asks questions â€Å"‘Please tell me about mother’ [Naomi] would say as a child to Obasan†¦ but she gave [Naomi] no answer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (26). This quotation dem onstrates that Obasan did not give Naomi any answers about her mother because Naomi would be grief-stricken upon learning the truth. Naomi’s mother is the one person she felt safe with and if she were to realize that her ultimate protector is no longer alive, she would feel threatened and alone in the world.It also illustrates that Obasan kept her word as Naomi’s â€Å"[mother] had requested that Stephen and [Naomi] be spared the truth† (259). This quotation illustrates Naomi’s mother’s love and guardianship towards her children. Also from this quotation it is understood that Naomi and her mother’s bond is so powerful that her mother being overseas still knows that the truth must be kept from Naomi in order for her to continue living her childhood without trouble. All the adults in the Nakane family were completely determined to keep Naomi’s innocence intact, which made them to keep the truth from her. Stephen and I are unconcerned wi th such worries and life for us is a quiet and pleasant holiday† this illustrates that Naomi is frequently left in the dark because the adults believe that she is too young to handle the upsetting truth (149). Consequently, Naomi lacks key facts and whenever she tries to comprehend an incident she gets tangled up by her lack of understanding and thus remains an innocent child. To proceed, Naomi as a young child believes in fairy tales and plays with dolls which advocate her feelings when she cannot find a way to express them on her own.As Naomi states in the novel, â€Å"Clearly we are the bear family in this strange house in the middle of the woods. I am the baby bear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  it reveals that Naomi as a child is confused about the issues that upset her family as she tries to understand their problems using characters from stories that she has read (136). It is shown that Naomi channels her own feeling into her toys as she says â€Å"†¦the doll is quite happy and e xcited about the train trip† (124).In this excerpt, it is obvious that Naomi is talking about herself rather than the doll. It shows that Naomi is innocent as she does not know the complete truth and believes that she is just going for a ride on the train which excites her. Following that, after getting off the train, Naomi proclaims that her doll is lost as she asks Obasan â€Å"where is my doll? † (128). Since Naomi’s mother gave her that doll, its absence can be associated with the separation she feels between herself and her mother, the ideal defender of her innocence.It is vivid that Naomi is an innocent child which is exemplified through her thoughts about fairies helping her â€Å"I am in a grade two reader full of fairies, sitting in the forest very still and waiting for one fairy†¦ to come flying†¦ and lead me down to the moss-covered door on the forest that opens to the tunnel leading to the place where my mother and father are hiding† (164). This quotation illustrates Naomi’s distress about the disturbing thoughts that come into her mind when she thinks about her parents also, she feels helpless at the hands of other powerful figures like the RCMP in Canada.Therefore, Naomi as a young child believes that her only hope is a mythical creature like a fairy that might help her locate her parents much like a child who believes in Santa Clause’s existence. Naomi is too young to interpret the reality and the difficulties of her and her family’s lives as they do not affect her much, proving that she is undoubtedly an innocent child. Lastly, Naomi is a helpless child who had to see the different side of the world too soon for her age.In the novel, Naomi declares that â€Å"Again and again the hen’s beak strikes and the chick lies on its side on the floor, its neck twisted back, its wings, outstretched fingers. The hen lifts a scaly leg, the claws collapsing and clutching as it struts around th e cage, bayoneting the chicks darting past Naomi’s feet, their wings outspread. † (63). Naomi’s fate is represented by the chicks as she is a defenseless being, practically powerless against the Canadian government’s attacks on her family. She is a guiltless child being punished by the government for no legitimate reason.Later on in the Novel, Naomi’s neighbor Old Man Gower who â€Å"carries her away, he tells [her] she must not tell [her] mother. † as she puts it (65). Exhibiting the fact that Naomi is a vulnerable subject of Old Man Gower’s sexual attacks. Also, Naomi was devastated as she could not seek the protection of her mother for she was ashamed of herself and also that Old Man Gower had asked her not to talk about anything to her mother. Therefore, she is an innocent child suffering in her own grief and confusion at a very young age.Subsequently, the reoccurring nightmare that Naomi has about the â€Å"three oriental woman t hat lay naked in the muddy road†¦ and several soldiers†¦ [Who] appeared to be guarding those women†¦ prisoners †¦Ã¢â‚¬  is crucial to understand the abuse she suffered at the hands of Old Man Gower (66). The women in her dream are defenseless against the armed men reflecting upon her own experience as a victim of her neighbor. In the novel, it is portrayed that Naomi is unprotected and vulnerable when exposed to matters that only adults should be aware of.All in all, Naomi’s innocence is a significant feature in her childhood as the adults in the Nakane family shield Naomi with their resolute endurance. An examination of the adults’ role in Naomi’s life reveals that they are essential because they try their best to protect her from the unlighted side of the world. After analyzing Naomi’s involvement with her toys or fairy tales it is revealed that she is unclear with the events occurring around her and henceforth turns to her dolls or fairy tales for an explanation or a solution for her questions.Naomi’s discovery about abuse highlights that Naomi is a young child being exposed to something inappropriate as she has yet to develop a sense of right or wrong in the world. In Joy Kogawa’s Novel, Obasan, Naomi is a naive child who is bewildered and agitated throughout the novel considering that she does not have experience of the life outside the protection of her parents. **** Works Cited Kogawa, Joy. Obasan. 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 2Y3: Penguin Group, 1981. Print.

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 50

Reflection - Essay Example I still remember when my boss Mr. Simbiel drafted a memo and gave me the mandate to spread to staff member offices and put them on the notice board. The memo never achieved purpose intended for because in had no date printed on it. I learnt the importance of scrutinizing a business document right from the plain paper to posting and even after. No detail should be left unattended to. In business field, establishing a professional relationship with clients through available meals like letters, emails and fax are key to consider. In additions, contracts are importantly documented in order to avoid disagreements from brewing. Throughout the session, I was an intern I have applied this key writing issues I learn from class and my mentors in the field and have sure achieved great results from it. Sending letters electronically and learning email etiquette came in handy because it is my area I was not well exposed to in class but had the chance to implement. Most companies have pitched tent on social platforms and it is essential as a business hopeful and intern to master the effective communication of the business in order to attract customers, maintain and meet social media terms and conditions. This includes blogging for the company and replying to customer requests on the internet via either emails, social platforms or the fax system. Using the right word during communication is important to relay a message intended across. Without which causes a false alarm. I became pray to this when an episode crept up because of wrong word use. I emailed a customer about the debt owed to the company without putting into mind the effect of the words I used. The client complained bitterly to our manager who explained soberly to the client about me and the purpose of the message and rested the case amicably. Internship in a learning session that students should take time to grasp concepts particularly the practical aspects so

Interaction and Memory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interaction and Memory - Essay Example An excellent case is the New Cooper Union Building at 41 Cooper Square. Designed and completed back in 2009 by Thom Mayne, it promises to be one of the more popular landmarks of New York with its striking design and well-thought concept. Seen from afar, say from the Cooper Triangle Park, the New Cooper Union Academic Building poses a stark contrast to the old buildings and some forgettable edifices within the vicinity. One will be immediately arrested with its modern design, characterized by sleek and shiny glass materials that declare "contemporary" and the "future" in bold letters while depicting a seemingly humungous art element straight out of a Picasso canvas. The overall impression is a forward-looking, solid and imposing structure that is also a point of convergence and a mecca for creative thinking – all at the same time. Indeed, Mayne emphasized that "the building is conceived as a vehicle to foster collaboration and cross-disciplinary dialogue among the collegeâ€⠄¢s three schools, previously housed in separate buildings." (p. 96) In this respect, it appears that the building designer achieved his objective triumphantly, at least in the battle for perceptions. As an academic structure it successfully integrated the crucial functional elements with the aesthetic and most things in between in order to establish a conducive environment for learning with the limited resources (i.e. space) it has in its disposal. A fundamental characteristic of the building is the breaking of the hierarchy of circulation into a burst of open spaces that serve different purposes. There is the vertical circulation concept in addition to the spaces for different functions designed so that people can move through and interact with lectures and perform other social/learning activity that could change into a different experience once one transfers into another space or meet another or hold a different conversation. The key concept in the design is space. This is the el ement that holds all the other design considerations together such as the desire to enhance learning, the attempt at achieving freedom, collaboration and interaction. From the outside the view is welcoming because it communicates a degree of openness that comes with the visual transparencies and the accessibility of the building to visitors or those outside. A passerby, for instance, will have no difficulty or reservations entering since the entrance and the entire ground floor is seemingly connected to the external environs such as the street and the community it is in. â€Å"The facade registers the iconic, curving profile of the central atrium as a glazed figure that appears to the carved out of the 3rd Avenue facade, connecting the creative and social heart of the building to the street. â€Å"[Architecture and Urbanism 2010 page 96] Then the glass materials allow the exposure of the activities inside to those from without especially in the ground level Once inside, there is t hen the vertical 20-foot grand staircase that connects all the four stories, functioning as the central atrium at the same time. Those students streaming out of their classrooms, their lectures, the library, and from wherever else within, converge at this atrium/staircase. This is fundamental why

Respond to the following questions from the perspective of a Qing Essay

Respond to the following questions from the perspective of a Qing Beaurocrat, circa 1900 - Essay Example If this process is met with resistance from China, conflict often arises. The emperor has sought to avoid conflict, and accept the treaties of Europe, as a means for strengthening China. China must become a modern nation. In our nation, European powers such as England know their colonization paradigm when they conquer our population, and use it to their advantage by taking the high ground of cultural superiority, even while some of their methods of conquering are very inhumane and not fair and even-handed, even by their own standards of social meaning. Therefore, I support the emperor’s position that European nations are welcome in China, and the treaties will be held, but we will also not be conquered, or treated by the Europeans like slaves, just because of their military might. -How would you characterize China’s relationship with the European nations†¦? Over the last seventy years, our great nation has made concessions with European nations, and as a result, th ey have walked all over us. Initially, we sought to take advantage of trade and increased revenue that would benefit everyone. However, the European powers kept taking and taking, and giving nothing. Of course, this is somewhat of an exaggeration; they did give us the giant social problem of opium addiction. In general, the emperor has tried to avoid conflict and advocate peace with the European nations. ... However, I will say that since China has experienced European colonialism, the country faced basically the same internal economy, which does not match the modern world. This has led to interest China has developed in getting aid from the international community to help repair what years of political economic and social setbacks have done to the country’s public sector. In recent history, China has been affected by political turmoil, and internal strife to a great extent, which in many cases drives the foreign policy of the nation inwards rather than outwards. This is no fault of the emperor, who has often been deceived by traitorous advisors. The insecurity of the situation has also driven many people into poverty, both in metropolitan areas of the country and in more rural areas, where the people are quite angry. -Do the reforms in Japan have any relevance to the direction China should take? Of course, in the Qing court, we would never presume to follow Japan as any sort of e xample. The Japanese are barbarians, and in some ways, their barbarism exceeds that of the Europeans. However, when looking at the reforms of Japan, we also see that these reforms have been very extreme. It seems that Japan wants to convert itself into a more Western form of barbarity overnight, and this is both foolish and unrealistic. China needs to become more modern, but it will not be accomplished by changing its system overnight, and simply copying and adopting Western European ways. So, the reforms of Japan can guide China in their general spirit of modernization, but not in actual real-world application. -Why is the Boxer Rebellion happening? Should the Chinese government respond? Here in the Qing court, we are educated and civilized people. In the

Questions for Consideration (4-6) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Questions for Consideration (4-6) - Assignment Example Therefore, the proxy statement would provide information on the salaries, bonuses and other compensations of the top level management. This information can be used by investors to determine how reliable the executives are with the hefty amounts of assets to manage. In my opinion, the most basic and important section of the proxy statement is section on accountants and the payment extended to the external auditors. The disclosure of the additional fees paid to auditors would be used to detect any cases of fraud and bribery. This is because auditors have the ability to unearth existing fraud of funds in a company at the expense of shareholders (Palmiter 175). Cash flows can be used to gauge a company’s performance. This is because cash flows show the money used in all aspects of an organization’s operations and transactions. This includes the cash used to buy assets, money raised by investors and financing from loans. Since these aspects help a company to generate earnings, then cash flows can be used to measure performance. The EBITDA can be used to gauge a company’s performance. It entails earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The basis of its use is that it reflects the happenings in all core operations of a company while disregarding expenses that are considered irrelevant. Net income can also be used to measure a company’s performance. This is because income indicates the earnings made in surplus of the least expected income on the operating assets. Income also shows the value added after an organization’s operations. Both EBITDA and pro forma earnings are both intended to reveal the true operating earnings of a company. The methods also portray how companies’ main operations have performed. In both methods, the management decides what expenses are relevant to the ongoing company’s

Questions 3 and 4 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Questions 3 and 4 - Coursework Example One partner suggests that the business should be moved to a vacant office in downtown Boston. She argues that the additional business gained will exceed the charges for rent and moving the office. The other partner at Progressive Business Solutions does not want to buy that idea. He argues that cost of office stationery and business cards is covered and that moving will prove to be costly. In the case of the partnership business, a lot of factors can be considered. The factors can originate from the evaluation of the costs and benefits. Every business entity will always want to make the most possible benefits .Reduction of costs is another target of the business. In this case, a partner’s decision is considered as optimal if it leads to the best outcome at a particular time. The outcome will make the participants in the business to gauge whether it is optimum or not. The partner needs to estimate how altering the business can affect both the benefits and the costs that the business incurs from carrying out that particular activity. If altering the activity makes the benefits to increase more than the costs, or the costs reduce more than the benefits, the partnership will grow. A security analyst specializing in the stocks of the motion picture industry wants to determine the relationship between the number of Movie Theater tickets sold in December and the annual level of earnings in the motion picture industry. Time-series data for the last 15 years are used to estimate the regression model. E = a + bN where E is total earnings of the motion picture industry measured in dollars per year and N is the number of tickets sold in December. The regression output is as follows: How well do movie ticket sales in December explain the level of earnings for the entire year? Present statistical evidence to support your answer. Also, sales of movie tickets in December are expected to be approximately 950,000. According to

Talent Acquisition within Aviation Industry Essay

Talent Acquisition within Aviation Industry - Essay Example The present research has identified that an effective talent acquisition model should focus on identification of recruitment gaps, suggest means of overcoming recruitment gaps, analyse talent acquisition strategy adopted by a company, determine the cost of talent acquisition, and analyse the impact of talent acquisition in a company. Talent acquisition model should also determine the flexibility of talent acquisition in a company. This should occur along with change management and execution of various strategies adopted in the company. This provides room for human resource management of the company to make the necessary adjustments in their talent acquisition strategies. The analysis of Talent Acquisition Model will aid in answering research questions. The model will be applied in the selected aviation industry companies. Talent Acquisition Model aids in identification of challenges and needs of talent acquisition in a company. The model identifies recruitment gaps, as well as identi fying means of addressing the recruitment gaps. According to Sluis, talent management in an organization is crucial in order to ensure that the organization has the potential to accomplish its anticipated goals and objectives. Organization talent management focuses on utilization of skills effectively. Most of multinational organizations focus on talent recruitment at a global scene. However, this recruitment strategy has been impacted by liberalizations policies.

International marketing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International marketing strategy - Essay Example Now, this effective communication is done by our super-creative marketers. Therefore, it is important that marketers and engineers work hand in hand to effectively deliver what customers want. Marketers know their customers and their goal is to create customer value whereas engineers know their product and their goal is to create producer value. Therefore, when marketers and engineers work together, they yield innovative products that are customer-oriented. In an investigation, it was found that those firms are more successful at innovative product development in which the employees are well equipped with the required skills to strategize marketing as a whole. Recently, a product-development process called Quality Function Deployment (QFD) has been adopted by U.S. and Japanese firms who promotes communication within the core team (marketing, engineering and manufacturing) and changes communication patterns from â€Å"top-to-bottom† management to focus more on horizontal routes where core team members communicate directly with each other and come up with better results. One of the greatest examples of integrating innovation with marketing is of Apple Inc., a multinational corporation which is ranked as the world’s most innovative company and who markets its designs and products as the customer’s need. Thus given, the importance of innovation in today’s business world, this paper focuses on how the MSC for innovation can be implemented and applied in other countries in the light of present marketing concepts and theories. Current Home Position of the Market: MSc innovation and enterprise is a relatively new program offered. It is not being offered at any other university in the UK. The scope of this program is very different and unique. However, there are some competitor courses being offered. A search undertaken in this regard unveiled that at the moment there are some 571 PG courses with â€Å"innovation† in the title. Most of these courses tend to cover everything related to innovation and have little relevance to the current job market. Many believe that number of courses offered with any relevance tend to be lower than 300. The search results were obtained using all of the following subject areas: Accounting and Finance Art and Design Business and Management Studies Economics Environmental science and Ecology Food Sciences Information Sciences and Librarianship Manufacturing Management Marketing and Advertising Studies Social Sciences Sports Science Tourism and Travel Industries Most if not all are concentrating on single aspects of innovation, whereas the projected MSc Innovation & entrepreneurship course at UWBS aims to cover multiple strands of â€Å"innovation† including skills development. The offerings in the West Midlands are more limited and do not include any â€Å"business skills † oriented innovation courses. From this point of view it would appear that there is a gap in the m arket. Thus there is a dearth of courses being offered in the market that are promoting this particular concept or mode of teaching. They don’t take into consideration the skill requisite requirement by SMEs and neither

Myth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Myth - Essay Example According to Campbell, myths are not lies or tall-tales. They are however imaginative, symbolic stories that people of virtually all times have told as a means of expressing their deepest feelings and insights of the ultimate reality1 . Therefore it is not possible to suggest that a myth means only one thing. With time, it is easy for a story to loose its concrete localization, or even become associated with a different story or hero altogether. This implies that a myth can go into a number of directions with time, acquiring new associations or losing the old ones. In many performances, mythical stories that are familiar to certain people were used to catch the attention of the audience. Self conscious collection in a body becomes very important when it is found that the common body of knowledge within a certain culture has started to fade away. However, some people perceived myths to be for those people who are weak and had undergone psychoanalysis and thus needed only to see through their superficial covering of the past incidents2. Myth is so enduring that it does not easily vanish with the increased complexities of life. The changing global economic and political situation has had little effect in causing the myth to wither. Myths appear at all levels of social life although it has been felt that it is important at the primitive social life. Therefore, a myth can be taken to be a sacred form that can explain how for instance the world and mankind came to be. A myth can be used to give an explanation of something that extends beyond human mortal beliefs but has certain meanings. This can be based on what many people refer to as sacred beliefs/life. However, some scientists have argued that a myth is not based on sacred traditions or collective rituals. In this perspective it is also a fact that modern human beings are products of non-mythological world's way of thinking. It is however true to claim that myths have been highly coiled around many sacred socio-historical settings, which might seem to be more of t raditional and less technologically oriented modern people. However, putting the myth stories from one society with another that are related can make a person to understand more of what happens and why such things happens. It also helps people to live harmoniously in the society. According to Billias, myths helps to human beings to know their true selves by creating a world that all the people can live in with the surrounding community3. Literal Vs Metaphorical Interpretation of myths In interpreting mythical stories, they can be taken to be literally or metaphorical. When talking about literal interpretation, it is assumed to represent factually true statements or false, depending on the case. Metaphorical interpretation is taken to mean merely poetical language or existentially significant. Therefore, literal language is simply cognitively meaning while the metaphorical language expresses attitude and commitment4. The literal and metaphorical interpretation can be applied in the case of incarnation of Jesus. As Gill explains, "that Jesus was God the son incarnate is not literally true since it has no literal meaning, but it is an application to Jesus of a mythical concept whose function is analogous to that of the notion of divine sonship ascribed in the ancient world to a king", (Para 11)5. Literal and metaphorical meaning depends on the authors or narrators implicit

Marx and Weber’s Analyses of the Development of Capitalism Essay Example for Free

Marx and Weber’s Analyses of the Development of Capitalism Essay Capitalism is defined as ‘An economic and political system in which a countrys trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit.’ It is based on the division between two classes, one of which owns the labour of the other. Not only do the upper classes, or the bourgeoisie, own the means of physical production but also the means of ‘mental production’. They control and manipulate society through the rule of education, religion and the media. Althusser distinguishes between repressive state apparatuses and ideological state apparatuses and argues about how the bourgeoisie manages to maintain its rule. He argues that the repressive includes the police and the army in which use physical force to control the working class as opposed to the ideological apparatuses such as the media and religion which control the development of ideas. A key component of capitalism is that the working class are forced to sell their labour in exchange for wages in order to survive. However, they do not receive an equal exchange for the labour they produce, but only the cost of subsistence. The difference of what the bourgeoisie receive from the labourers and the amount they pay back is called the surplus value, meaning the profit they make. Max Weber was one of the founding fathers of sociology and contributed highly to our knowledge of how society works. Weber’s work can be highlighted by referring to his study The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, first published in 1905 (22 years after the death of Karl Marx in 1883). Weber argues that the Protestant Reformation introduced a new belief system of Calvinism (a form of Protestantism founded by John Calvin during the reformation) which promoted a high work ethic and which eventually led to the rise in capitalism. Calvinists believed that God preordains the ‘elect’ meaning of who would be saved after death and go onto heaven and who would not. This could not be changed through hard work or leading a good life as the decision had already been decided. This made Calvinists strive for success, with which they would reinvest into making more money, hence the development of capitalism. Weber distinguishes the differences between the capitalism of greed and wealth in past societies to those of present. Modern day people are pursing profit for its own sake rather than for consumption, hence why the Calvinists reinvested their wealth. Weber calls this the spirit of capitalism. He further argues that this was the reason capitalism was stronger in places like Europe and America and not in other places where Protestantism wasnt so established. Weber also distinguishes between many different existing forms of capitalism including ‘traditional capitalism’ and ‘booty capitalism’; however the crucial ideal type is the one named modern capitalism, or rational capitalism meaning the repetitive, ongoing economic activity on the basis of rational calculation. Understanding what needs to happen and what the best way of achieving it is, allows for reinvestment and the growth of economic enterprises. He argues that it is the rational side of modern capitalism that distinguishes it from other advanced economic areas such as China and India, both of which had higher and more advanced infrastructures in the 17th century compared to Europe and America. However, Weber is hugely criticised for his understanding of the rise in capitalism due to others believing that it was the peoples relationship with the material forces and there means of subsidence which drove the change. Weber takes a key focus on religion and the impact that had on the rest of society as well as capitalism, whereas Marx focuses on class conflict. Marx argues that through industrialisation capitalism had been forced to increase due to growing separation of the two contrasting classes. One class is the exploiting bourgeoisie who own the means of production and the other class being the proletariat who own nothing but their own labour. Marx predicted that the working class would eventually become conscious of their alienation and exploitation and unite to overthrow capitalism. This would slowly bring in a system of socialism which would gradually evolve into a pure classless communist society lacking in exploitation. He argued that capitalism would disintegrate due to interior tensions, just like every other social system. He believed that communism was inevitably the next stage in the line of historical changes to class systems. Just as feudalism was replaced by capitalism, so capital ism would be replaced by communism. Marx argues that religion performs a different function than that of what Weber argues. Instead it operates as an ‘ideological weapon’ used by the bourgeoisie to justify the suffering of the poor as something unchangeable and ‘god-given’. Religion persuades the working class that their suffering is honourable and moral and will be favoured in the afterlife. This is evident in the Christianity teaching of it is ‘easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven’. This manipulates and oppresses the proletariat as it renders them blind to capitalistic trends; ensuing and maintaining false class consciousness. However, Marx can be criticised for ignoring the positive functions that religions perform, made apparent by the psychological adjustment to misfortune that it offers. Abercrombie and Turner (1978) argue that ‘in pre capitalist society, while Christianity was a major element of ruling-class ideology, it had only limited impact on the peasantry’ (A2 Sociology AQA Specification, 2009, pg 13) However, although Marx does argue that religion helps to control the manipulation of ideas of the working class he also believes that it is ‘the heart of the heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions’, as it can act as an distraction to dull the pain of exploitation. When comparing and contrasting two very highly influential historians such as Karl Marx and Max Weber, some would argue that it is highly important to look at their overall impact on society as well as humanity. Karl Marx focused highly on philosophy and his work is still influential in many cultures worldwide today. This contrasts to Max Weber who is considered ‘one of the fathers of modern thought’ and could be considered one of the world’s most intellectual and influential persons. Although both historians share clear similarities, for example both coming from a European Protestant background they also contrast and have distinct differences. Weber criticises Marx’s theory as he believes that his view is too one dimensional and simplistic when looking at inequality. Weber argues that this is due to Marx seeing class as the only important division. Weber argues that status and power also have high impact on the volume of inequality. He points towards the ‘power elite’ for evidence and argues that they can rule without actually owning the means of production. Currently there are many independent companies that can control and rule particular labourers without being a part of the bourgeoisie, it is not as simple as Marx likes to preach. A great amount of people are in other situations than the time when Marx was writing, for example ‘dealers in information, managers and civil servants’, meaning that the relative importance of the struggle between owners and workers has relatively declined. Although Marx and Weber have severe differences in their evaluation of modern capitalism their augments also share many similarities. They both believe that the economic system is a place where â€Å"individuals are directed by abstractions† (Marx). We must also take into account the times of which both sociologists were writing. Weber is writing nearly half a century later and focuses highly on the impact of power, wealth and prestige. He argues that these were the three main factors contributing to capitalism and the distinction of classes. This contrasts to Marx who focuses singularly on the impact of class and how the contrast of bourgeoisie and proletariat impacted on the rise of capitalism. However, both of their summaries of overthrowing capitalism share many similarities. Both sociologists argue that in order for capitalism to be overthrown the working class must unite together to overthrow the ruling class and free themselves from capitalist oppression. Bibliography Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1932). The German Ideology . Moscow: David Riazanov. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1848). Manifesto of the communist party. London. Max Weber (1978). Economy and Society. California: University of California Press. Thomas Hobbes (1988). The Leviathan. London : Penguin . Phil Bartle. (2007). Marx vs Weber. Available: http://cec.vcn.bc.ca/cmp/modules/cla-mweb.htm. Last accessed 10th October 2012. Louis Althusser. (1970). Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses. Available: http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/althusser/1970/ideology.htm 970. Last accessed 10th October 2012 Michael Lowy. (2006). Marx, Weber and the Critique of Capitalism . Available: http://internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article1106 . Last accessed 10th October 2012. No Author. (1999). Max Weber. Available: http://uregina.ca/~gingrich/s30f99.htm. Last accessed 10th October 2012. D. Sayer, Capitalism and Modernity: An Excurses on Marx and Weber, pg. 4, London: Routledge, 1991. Cuff, E. C., W. W. Sharrock and D. W. Francis, Perspectives in Sociology, third edition, London, Routledge, 1992.

Bus Company JMB: Fare Increase Causes

Bus Company JMB: Fare Increase Causes JMB TRAVEL GRADED UNIT 2 REPORT DEVELOPMENT STAGE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is about primary and secondary research that was carried out on the bus company JMB. Increase in fares within the company JMB. Looking at the reasons for the increase in fares and the economic implications of this and the advantages that the improvements that the company has been able to make due to the increase in fares and the external factors that have also determined the price increase. The impact this has had on the passengers and exactly what they think about the increase and how it has affected their daily life commuting back and forth to their destinations and to find out what effect this has had on demand for this service. Evaluating the impact this has had on the company and its employees and how this has effected employee motivation within the company and what external factors have affected the company. Looking at the government subsidies that are available to the bus companies and what rules they have in place for a transport company to receive this grant. 1.1 REASONS FOR PRICE INCREASE Investigations have found that when the company first started operating they used an introductory price so customer would use the services, so customer would be able to see what a reliable and flexible bus service they provided. As there was only one other bus competitor running in that area First Buses that only run services to and from Glasgow but didnt have the direct routes that JMB were providing and the reliability that the service would run every 15 minutes from Lanark to Hamilton and returning which made the demand for their service greater than the other bus service run by First Buses. This would be known as price elasticity where the price of fares had risen but demand for the bus services stays the same as there is no direct competitive competition to stop them from implementing there 40% fare increase as they seem to have the biggest percentage of market share in this area. Other reasons for the increase is so they can could run a reliable service for customers in the Lanark to Hamilton route which allowed them to employ more staff to make the company run efficiently as possible. The company spoke of the expansion that is being planned which would allow more child friendly buses to be available for buggy and pram access, wider bus aisles and ramps that can be moved up and down for easy manoeuvring for wheelchairs and prams. School contract service available which would be run on a large scale to help build up their customer base and the company would be able to operate services to a lot of schools within south and north Lanarkshire. Due to the expansion of the company had decided to run bus services in other areas to expand their space in the travel network so that this would bring in more revenue for the company although the company would not allow any revenue figures to be published and management were very specific on this. Luxury coaches have also been introduced that are available for coach trips, private functions and other outings which brings in a great deal of revenue which could lead to further expansion within the Travel network. Revenue figures or any other figures relating to the company was not available. It was seen the actual number of passengers on the gov.scot website published these figures over the past three years seen in (appendix 1) has increased which would allow JMB to consider branching into other areas in Scotland as demand for bus services is on the rise and would enable them to expand their market share in the travel network, which would allow customer to have a preference on who they would want to travel with every day. 1.2 External Factors External factors affecting this price increase is due to the price increase this year because The Scottish Governments flagship concessionary travel scheme for the over 60s and disabled people has run out of money to fund this The Confederation of Passenger Transport UK which is representing 1000 bus and coach firms said fare hikes and cuts in services were on the cards as members could no longer afford the losses (Herald, 2016) which means that the bus companies are going to have to make their contribution towards the concessionary fares for the over 60s and disabled customers. 1.2.1 Congestion Congestion on the roads is a big factor as drivers are not able to reach punctuality targets which could mean Higher operating costs and higher fares Higher in Vehicle times Deteriorating reliability and being punctual to fit with scheduled time tables 1.3 Conclusion Investigations found that the company started with an introductory price of  £2.50 for return tickets from Lanark to Hamilton but in order the company to flourish and extend their market share in the travel industry they had to increase their fares to  £3.50, although the company is flourishing it did need to overcome external factors concerning concessionary fares for over 60s and disabled customers as they now pay into this scheme which also triggered the price increase. Studies also showed that congestion is on the roads is a huge issue on the price increase as this causes higher operating which results in higher fares and cause problems with the service being provided which would cause the company to lose revenue. 2.0 IMPACT ON PASSENGERS A Social Media Survey was carried out with 30 customers in the Lanark to Hamilton area to find out what they felt about the increase in fares and if they still used the services provided by JMB due to increase in price. It was found that a large percentage of customer that used the bus service were not impressed by the increase in fares but still used the services regardless as it was their only reliable means of transport to travel back and forward to their desired destination as mostly every customer commented that rail services are not reliable in these areas so they used the bus services as more of a necessity, where as a small percentage said they used the bus services because it was reliable and friendly. (Appendix 2) illustrates these results. Customer stated that the service that JMB provided was very reliable and the staff were always friendly and on hand to helpful, while other customer said that they pay this amount for fares as it was the only bus service available to them to commute back and forth to work on a day to day basis where as other people used this service for leisure use. As porters five forces suggests see (appendix 3) customers have no other means of getting to their destination as there is no competitive choice in this area. JMB can put prices up as this is their only means of getting to their desired destination because theyre very little choice customers cannot change to another bus company and it seems that now there is not any new entrants in this area in the travel industry. This would suggest that customer that use the JMB services are more than happy to pay the fares as it is there only means of getting to and from their destination with the minimum of time and fuss and because this is a reliable, friendly and well known Travel provider. Although if there was any other means of transport in this area they would consider using it. 2.1 Other factors that determine if customers are receiving good service (1) Public transport needs to be clean and tidy at during operations as it could be a danger to the public health if Health and Safety rules are not adhered to. (2) Making sure that customers perceptions of the service meet their expectations to make sure that the customers completely satisfied with the service being provided. (3) Making sure that bus stops are accessible for customers as you dont want customer having to walk a long distance to the nearest bus stop, the perceived distance that is accessible is a 10 to15 minute walk away from the customers residency or location that the customer might be in at that time. 2.2 Conclusions Conclusions raised were that customer will pay the fare because the train services are not available in this area as it is a necessity to use them but if any other services were to be provided in this area they would probably consider trying a different bus service to commute also other factors such as cleanliness, accessibility and reliability are the key elements that customer look for in a transport services. 3.0 IMPACT ON THE COMPANY A Swot analysis was carried out on JMB to see what its strengths, weaknesses opportunities and threats were to the company. It was found that JMB had a lot of strengths as they were a well- known company with a well-known service provided to the public. JMB also have an advantage over their competitors as the journey routes that they operate are different from their competitors as they over a varied selection of bus routes and over a friendly helpful service to their customer. In the two years the company has been operating they have managed to secure different school contracts and have run a luxury coach service for the public for functions and other private events. The introduction of the Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 bus that was introduced in 2016 is this is fuel efficient and has great manoeuvrability that gives customers a luxury driving experience which makes them miles ahead of their competitors. The weaknesses that they have are being able to keep their services running smoothly day to day basis to keep their customers happy as customers are their customers are everything to the company. Being able to keep their fares to a minimum so that customers are not paying too much for the customers will not be able to afford their fares. Opportunities that the company has is they will be able to expand into new areas with the business such as providing services for different areas out with south and north Lanarkshire for example rural areas as they dont have a lot of transport operating in these areas by offering competitive prices so they can phase out their competitors. Threats that may affect them are If new competitors were to run a new bus service in their areas which would affect their business over a better price and service for the public. If the government cut funding that would enable them to run a reliable transport service. 3.1 Employee Motivation As staff are important to JMBs business morale is a big issue in their business because happy workers mean happy customers. Maslow motivational theory as executed in this company as Maslow talks about the five stages of hierarchy of needs these stages include see (appendix 4) for illustration. JMB has implemented this theory because they have provided their staff with good working conditions and a satisfactory salary for all. JMB have also employed more driver to deal with the demand for their bus services and has enough staff to delegate to different journeys and on different services everyday which allows their workers to get the time off for holidays or appointment or any other time they may need off without the minimum of fuss. The company also has good safety elements implemented as the drivers have direct contact with the depot in Wishaw in case there is any emergencies such as buses breaking down or if there was a medical issue with customer or a customer attacking another commuting on the bus or worst case scenario attacking one of the company bus drivers. Staff that work for the company also have works night out on a regular basis where they can bring their partner along to join in and they also have a Christmas party every year at different venues across Scotland. Mostly all the job vacancies within the company are all internal which means if people have the right credentials to apply for jobs they are urged to do so they are promoted for a job well done as one of the staff in the company was recently promoted to inspector for his outstanding contribution and commitment as a bus driver. 3.2 External factors affecting the business 3.2.1 CO2 Emissions A PESTLE analysis was done on the issue of CO2 emissions which outlined Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental impact on the need to reduce CO2 emissions Political The government have set out clear guidelines for these CO2 emissions to be cut which could affect the company as these guidelines put in place need to be adhered to. Economic In 2010 there was an initiative put in place for all bus services called carbon reduction commitment which meant that bus companies had to buy carbon credits which would permit JMB to generate specific qualities of carbon emissions. In 2010 the company had to put in place a budget and set out very clear plans to measure how much CO2 emissions will be produced going forward. Which could affect the company as if they were to produce more emissions than stated in their plan then this could be an expense for the company which means it may lead to an increase in fares for customers. Sociological If the company does not abide by the guide lines, then the public could lose all expectations of the company at what it stands for. Technological The company may have to get another system built into the buses so they can monitor the CO2 emissions so they know what is being used every day. Legal If the company do not commit to the initiative to reduce emission they may find themselves with a hefty fine or worst case scenario they could lose grant which means they wouldnt be able to operate their business to its full potential. Environmental CO2 emissions are dangerous to the environment and the planet and is one of the biggest problems causing greenhouse gas that is destroying our planet today. 3.3 Steps JMB are taking to comply with the emissions initiative As CO2 emissions are a short and long term problem for JMB and have put in place a plan to reduce these emissions by 2020 from 25% to 20% and the introduction of the envir0 200 bus which would give them a clearer advantage over the competition. 3.4 Conclusion Although a SWOT was performed the results were positive on the company as the company has grown from strength to strength over the last 2 years as it is now able to provide transport to other areas in the North and South Lanarkshire area which has created more jobs for the population of North and South Lanarkshire which has made them able to strengthen the economy by creating jobs such as bus drivers, school escorts and other depot staff. The way the company is fair to their staff and give them the motivation to perform their jobs daily to a high standard that benefits their customers. Other aspects JMB are how user friendly the buses are to the environment because of fuel emission that could be a danger to the environment and could have legal implications if this was not rectified and the guidelines for emissions set by the government followed in the best interests of the company. 4.0 GOVERNMENT SUBSIDES Government subsidies are the main source of funding for JMB Travels business as they receive a (BSOG) Bus Services Operators Grant Scheme this is a discretionary grant paid under section 38 of The Transport Scotland Act 2001 which is regulated by the (DFT) Department for Transport to get this you need to adhere to certain terms and conditions. These conditions include the company needs to maintain adequate records of the mileage and distances that the bus service runs on a day to day basis. Checks are also performed by Transport Scotland to see that all the necessary requirements under the Transport Scotland Act have been fulfilled. DFT provide these grants to keep customers fares to a minimum and the distances the bus services to travel. This (BSOG) is applied for every year and consists of 4 quarterly payments that are paid directly into the company bank account. JMB also receive money from the government for their school contracts which has a great impact on their business and brings in a great deal of revenue. 4.1 Reforms to the (BSOG) Reforming the (BSOG) will create better incentives for local authorities and bus operators to work with one another to provide a better service for commuters and help with keeping the environment safe to provide value. Investing in fuel efficient buses to improve services for customers and to minimise regulatory burdens and reduce the cost of administration. Although these reforms to this policy are in place it will impact in different ways as no measure will completely deliver the objectives highlighted in this reform. Even though the objectives highlighted in this reform will ensure improvement in the value from the bus subsidy thats paid to the company every year. 4.2 Conclusion Investigations show that government subsidies are the main source of funding and keeping to the terms and conditions set for the public transport sector are followed then they will be able to continue receiving this grant and can provide the best service expected of them by their customers. Reforms that have been put in place by (BSOG) are going to benefit the operation of the service because as well as providing a good service to customers they will be able to see that JMB cares about what happens to our planet. APPENDIX Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Porters 5 Forces   Ã‚   BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13052185.Bus_fares_going_up_to_pay_for_free_OAP_travel/ http://www.transport.gov.scot/report/j415388-05.htm Arline, Katherine (2015) Porters five forces analysing the competition. Available at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5446-porters-five-forces.html (Accessed: 19 January 2017). Boddy, D. and Paton, R. (2002) Management: An introduction. New York: Prentice Hall Europe. begg, prof david (2016) Congestion. Available at: http://www.greenerjourneys.com//2016//Prof-David-Begg-The-Impact-of- (Accessed: 20 January 2017). abstracts.aetransport.org/paper/download/id/3735 http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/first-group/managing-external-influences http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads//impact-assessment.pdf Activity Log DATE DURATION ACTIVITY RESOURCES USED 2ND November 2016 20 mins Phoned to arrange interview with manager from JMB Mobile, Paper, Pen 9th November 2016 2 hours Compiled questionnaire to ask manager from JMB Pen, paper, computer, printer 11th November 2016 3 hours Travelled to JMB depot to interview Martin Bell a manager from JMB asked him question to help with primary research for report Money, pen, paper 18th November 2016 2 hours Looked at the results from questionnaires on face book and recorded the information Face book page, computer, pen, paper 22nd November 2016 1 hour Went to college library to get reference books on economics and business strategy for secondary research for my report Library, books, student card 27th December 2016 3 hours Compiled information and put this into some sort of order and used planning stage to see aims and objectives Planning stage of report, reference books, notes, pen, paper, computer 6th December 2016 2 hours Started typing up my findings for 1st aim and objective relating to price Notes, paper, computer, pen, printer, reference books 13th November 2016 3 hours Compiled information on my 1st aim and objective. Notes, paper, computer, pen, printer, reference books 20th December 2016 3 hours Started compiling information for my 2nd aim of how customer feel about the increase Notes, paper, computer, pen, printer, reference books 17th January 20177 3 hours Typed up my findings for 1st aim and objective started to put this into report format Notes, paper, computer reference books, hard drive to save 18th January 2017 2 hours 30 mins Typed findings for first aim and objective Notes, paper, computer reference books, hard drive to save 19th January 2017 4 hours Collated all my information and started typing up 2nd aim into report format Notes, paper, pen, computer reference books, hard drive to save 20th January 2017 7 hours Typed up data for 2nd aim of report. Started collating information for my 3rd aim of my report Notes, paper, computer reference books, hard drive to save 21st January 2017 6 hours Typed up 3rd aim of my report. Started working on data for my 4th aim of report Notes, paper, computer reference books, hard drive to save 22nd January 2017 6 hours Typed up findings for 4th sim of report Notes, paper, computer reference books, hard drive to save 23rd January 2017 5 hours Wrote my acknowledgements, Executive summary and contents page and Activity log for report Notes, paper, computer reference books, hard drive to save, planning stage of report 24th January 2017 1 hour Checked over my report, sent report through turn tin Computer, report, college email and access to turn tin

Ultrasound-guided Interscalene Block for Dislocated Shoulder

Ultrasound-guided Interscalene Block for Dislocated Shoulder Preliminary results of ultrasound-guided interscalene block for dislocated shoulder: Abstract Background Traditionally, patients with a dislocated shoulder joint will be subjected to general anesthesia for closed reduction, if this procedure cannot be managed with light intravenous sedation and opioid analgesia. Successful interscalene blockade of the brachial plexus allows painfree reduction of the dislocated shoulder. However, the interscalene blockade for a dislocated shoulder is usually performed in the emergency room and to optimize patient safety it is desirable to minimize the dose of local anesthetic using ultrasound-guidance. The objective of this cohort study was to determine the clinical feasibility of ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus blockade using a safe dose of just 10 mL of lidocaine 1% in producing sufficient and effective muscle relaxation, allowing painfree reduction of a dislocated glenohumeral joint. Methods We performed ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus blockade with 10 mL of lidocaine 1% in a cohort of 10 patients with dislocated glenohumeral joints presenting in the emergency room, where the shoulder could not be reduced following intravenous sedation and analgesia. Results The success rate of closed reduction of the dislocated shoulders was 100% with complete pain control and muscle relaxation during the reducting procedure. Median patient satisfaction (VAS, Visual Analogue Scale 0-10) after completion of the procedure was 10 (range 8-10). Conclusion Ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus blockade using merely 10 mL of lidocaine 1% effectively produces muscle relaxation allowing pain free reduction of the dislocated glenohumeral joint with a success rate of 100% and high patient satisfaction. Keywords dislocation, shoulder, glenohumeral joint, ultrasound Introduction Dislocation of the gleno-humeral joint is associated with severe pain and is frequently presented in the emergency room (ER). Reduction of a shoulderdislocationrequiresalleviation of the pain and musclerelaxation. Traditionally, this is obtained using general anesthesia (GA) with rapid sequence induction, when initial attempts of reduction using light oral and/or intravenous sedation and opioid analgesia are not successful. However, GA is associated with the risk of aspiration and requires an anesthetist, access to the operating theatre and postoperative observation in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). Interscalene blockade (ISB) of the brachial plexus (BP) will achieve the desired effect of muscle relaxation and pain alleviation and eliminates the risks of GA cost-effectively. ISB of the BP usingelicitation of paresthesia to locate the target nerves wasemployedalready in 1973 to obtainanalgesia and musclerelaxationallowingreduction of a dislocatedshoulder joint 1. ISB of the BP using electrical nerve stimulation to allow reduction of a dislocated shoulder joint was later reported 2, 3. However, the motor response due to the electrical stimulation can be very painful in patients with dislocated shoulder joints. Some authors have reported location of the BP using ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia instead of electrical nerve stimulation 4, 5. Blaivas and Lyon (2006) used in-plane (IP) approach and 30 mL of either lidocaine 1% or bupivacaine 0.25%. The success rate of pain free joint reduction was 100% in four patients. Bhoi et al. (2010) used out-of-plane approach and 6-15 mLlidocaine 2% and had a success rate of a 100% in three patients. The current report describes an ultrasound-guided approach to ISB of the BP using IP approach and 10 mL of lidocaine 1% for reduction of the gleno-humeral joint in a preliminary cohort of patients with dislocated shoulder where reduction in the ER had been attempted with light sedation and analgesia without success. Methods The requirement for approval of the protocol and for written informed consent, was waived by the Central Denmark Regional Committees on Biomedical Research Ethics,due to the fact that the ultrasound-guided ISB of the BP for reduction of dislocated shoulders is an established method in our departments. Following informed consent 10 consecutive patients scheduled for reduction of dislocated gleno-humeral joint were included in the study (Table 1). We have only included patients with dislocation of the gleno-humeral joint where reduction has been attempted in the ER without success. Following establishment of venous access, the patient was placed in the supine position with the head turned contralateral to the side to be blocked. Vital signs monitoring was opted out during the procedure in the ER provided that all of the following criteria were fulfilled: (1) the block was performed by a consultant anesthetist who performs ultrasound guided peripheral nerve blocks on a daily basis and ( 2) the block was performed with uninterrupted, direct real time visualization of the needle tip during the entire procedure and (3) using parasagittal from-posterior-to-anterior IP approach and (4) with visualization of the spread of a 1 mL test dose of saline alongside the nerve roots of C5-C6 prior to injection of lidocaine and (5) real time visualization of the spread of lidocaine during the entire injection and (6) no supplementary lidocaine in addition to 100 mg was injected (7) in a fully awake and alert patient. If the above criteria 1-7 were not fulfilled, then the procedure was aborted immediately and not resumed until full vital signs monitorering had been applied. . Needle path and injection of local anesthetics Using an aseptic technique the needle was inserted from the posterior end of the ultrasound transducer and thereafter advanced IP in an anterior direction until the needle tip was seen in close proximity to the C5 and C6 nerve roots (Fig. 1). Hydrolocation was per formed with 1 mL of saline confirming the appropriate location of the needle tip and the spread of the injectate prior to injection of local anesthetic (10 mL of lidocaine 1%). The endpoint of the injection manoeuvre was to observe that the local anesthetic spread alongside the C5 and C6 nerve roots as assessed by real-time ultrasound. The dose of lidocaine was injected incrementally with intermittent aspiration. If the spread of local anesthetic was deemed inadequate the needle tip was repositioned as necessary with direct real time visualization using solely ultrasonographic guidance. Equipment The ultrasound scanning was performed with an M-Turbo ultrasound machine (Sonosite, Bothell, WA) using a 6-13 MHz linear transducer (HFL38, Sonosite ®, Bothell, WA, USA) covered by a sterile sleeve. Definition of successful ISB Successful ISB was defined as reduction of the dislocated shoulder joint with no need for conversion to general anesthesia. Study design and data collection The study was planned as a prospective cohort study to determine the clinical feasibility of the low-dose IP ISB to allow reduction of a dislocated shoulder joint . Thus, no formal power analysis or statistical test analysis was performed. Results A total of 10 patients were enrolled. Nine patients had an anterior dislocation of the gleno-humeral joint and one had a posterior dislocation. Demographic data are presented in table 1. The success rate of reduction of the dislocated shoulders was 100% with complete pain control and muscle relaxation during the reducting procedure. Median patient satisfaction (VAS, Visual Analogue Scale 0-10) after completion of the procedure was 10 (range 8-10). Median time from completed block performance to shoulder reduction was five minutes (range 3-10 minutes). The median pain VAS score immediately prior to the performance of the interscalene block was 10 (range 7-10), and all patients were awake and fully alert during the procedure. All procedures were completed in accordance with the criteria 1-7 (see Methods). Outcome data are presented in table 2. Discussion Our preliminary data demonstrate that a dislocated shoulder can be reduced effectively without pain, and with good muscle relaxation using ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus blockade with a small dose of lidocaine. By application of this technique, deep sedation and opioids and/or general anesthesia with fast track induction is avoided in a population of typically non-fasting patients. Ultrasound-guided ISB of the BP is applicable also in patients with severe cardiac co-morbidity, where GA would not be attractive. Ultrasound-guided ISB of the BP is also a simple and low-cost technique compared to general anesthesia and does not occupy the capacity of the surgical ward or the PACU. Application of a safe and innocuous dose of a local anesthetic with a broad therapeutic range is critically important, when peripheral nerve blocks are performed in the ER outside the primary venue of anesthesia. The standard dose of 100 mg lidocaine optimizes patient safety, as accidental intra venous injection of this magnitude of lidocaine would be virtually harmless. However, intravenous injection using ultrasound-guidance is practically impossible when appropriately performed in accordance with the criteria listed in the Methods section. The theoretical risk of an accidental intraarterial or intraspinal injection is considered non-existent obeying the above mentioned criteria 1-7. Resuscitation equipment is readily accessible in the settings of the ER. However, any dose of any local anesthetic employed for peripheral nerve blocks without full vital signs monitoring remains a controversial issue. If the reader cannot honour all the criteria 1-7, the advice of the authors is to apply full vital signs monitoring during and after the performance of the nerve block even when using a small dose of a local anesthetic with a broad therapeutic range. Our preliminary data suggest that the patients experience maximum satisfaction with this technique (median VAS score 10). We hav e no data to compare patient satisfaction to nerve stimulation guidance for interscalene blockade or general anesthesia. There are some important limitations to our study. First, the study is non-randomized, un-blinded and it does not include a control group. Second, the sensory and motor quality of the interscalene blocks was not tested and the effect was just documented by clinical success. Third, lidocaine pharmacokinetics was not calculated and serum-lidocaine was not measured. Fourth, the choice of dose of local anesthetic was arbitrary and not based on titration. Fifth, the study included only a small sample of patients. However, the clinical success rate of reduction was 100% and the patient satisfaction very high despite the fact that our data were sampled in a population of patients where the primary attempt for a closed reduction of the dislocated shoulder supported by sedatives and opioids failed. This strongly indicates the feasibility of the described technique and reduced dosing of local anesthetic. Future randomized controlled trials have to clarify the usefulness of a broader indication for ultrasound guided interscalene nerve blockade for patients with dislocated shoulders. Conclusion This preliminary cohort study demonstrates that ultrasound guided interscalene BP blockade using merely 10 mL of lidocaine 1% effectively produces muscle relaxation allowing pain free reduction of the dislocated glenohumeral joint with a success rate of 100% and maximum patient satisfaction.

Poverty on the Rise Essay -- Poverty Essays

Poverty on the Rise There is a very wide range of income for individuals and families. This is why we have people that are very wealthy which are referred to as the upper class and there is the middle class that makes an average income, and the bottom of the income bracket lies the people in poverty. Poverty is a condition in which a person or family does not have the means to satisfy basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Your race does not matter, every race has people that are in poverty. But as it is statistically shown, different races have a different number of people in poverty. In 1996, the federal government established a minimum income level below which a person or family is declared in "poverty." If a single person makes less than $7,995 then they are living in poverty, and a family has to exceed $16,036 or are also in poverty. From 1996 to 1997 the poverty rate has decreased by .4% In 1996, there was 36.5 million people at the poverty level and in 1997 the number of people in poverty decreased to 35.6 million people. Since a decade ago the poverty level has increased from 32.4 million people to as high as 39.3 million in 1993, but since 1993 the number of people living in poverty has decreased to 35.6 million people. The percent of the population a decade ago below the poverty was 13.1%, which has increases up to 15.1% but here recently the poverty rate is back down to 13.3% Gen...

Free Essays On Shakespeares Sonnet 65 :: Sonnet essays

Analysis of Sonnet 65 Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea, But sad mortality o'ersways their power, How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, Whose action is no stronger than a flower? Oh how shall summer's honey breath hold out Against the wrackful siege of battering days, When rocks impregnable are not so stout Nor gates of steel so strong but time decays? Oh fearful meditation! where, alack, Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid? Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back? Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid? Oh none, unless this miracle have might- That in black ink my love may still shine bright. This sonnet shares several similarities in imagery as sonnets 63 and 66, and also to the theme of time and Rome as seen in Spencer's translatory sonnet sequence, _Ruins of Rome by: Bellay_. To best understand this sonnet we must realize to what or whom the pronouns refer to. My explication relies on "their" in line 2 referring to both time and ruin, a theme sustained from sonnet 64. 1-2: 'Only depressing mortality can overturn the tyranny of time and ruin, considering that brass, stone, earth or sea cannot prevent it'. Thus, death is an escape from time and the ruin which it imposes. The second quatrain is reminiscent of the thematic imagery of Rome's susception to time in sonnet 9 of _Ruines of Rome_: "Why were not these Romane palaces / Made of some matter no lesse fime and strong? . . . All things which beneath the Moone haue being / Are temporall, and subject to decay." Echoing the elements in the first line of the sonnet, Shakespeare is iterating the inability to avoid and preve nt time. "Battering days" also shares this imagery as "Time's injurious hand crush'd"; which, to note further, appears as "iniurious time" in Spencer's work. Knowing this, he appeals to dreadful and injurious knowledge in line 9: 'where should we hide time's most precious jewel [our youth] from the vault it is held in'. the reason I believe the jewel to be a symbol of youth stems from sonnet 63, in which time steals "away the treasure of his spring." Spring here, and in many other sonnets of Shakespeare, refers to youth and sexual prime.

Julius Caesar - Mark Antony Essay -- essays research papers

Mark Antony   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is human nature to change one’s personality to fit the situation. People behave differently when speaking to a dignitary that when talking to a friend. Over time one can change due to a loss or gain of power, sometimes for the better or worse. In Julius Caesar, for example, Mark Antony goes through several changes. Mark Antony loved Julius Caesar, yet when he passed away Mark Antony swears vengeance, and ultimately is corrupted by the power of running a country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of the play Antony is harmless and extremely loyal to Julius Caesar. Mark Antony is about to run a race, but â€Å"When Caesar says ‘Do this,’ it is performed.† It is almost as if Mark Antony is only a puppet to Julius Caesar. He is being respectful of his leader, yet it seems as if he is fearful of him. While Caesar does not realize Mark Antony’s potential, Brutus underestimates him. Brutus refers to Rome as a body and Caesar as the head, yet â€Å"To cut the head off and then hack the limbs† would be killing Mark Antony. If the head of something was shot, there is no need to try to shoot the heart. Julius Caesar is concerned about his well-being, for good reason. Casca has been speaking in low tones and Caesar would â€Å"Have men about me that are fat† because he feels that they can be trusted easier. Caesar trusts Mark Antony as his closest confidant due to the fact that they have been like brothers all their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  &... Julius Caesar - Mark Antony Essay -- essays research papers Mark Antony   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is human nature to change one’s personality to fit the situation. People behave differently when speaking to a dignitary that when talking to a friend. Over time one can change due to a loss or gain of power, sometimes for the better or worse. In Julius Caesar, for example, Mark Antony goes through several changes. Mark Antony loved Julius Caesar, yet when he passed away Mark Antony swears vengeance, and ultimately is corrupted by the power of running a country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of the play Antony is harmless and extremely loyal to Julius Caesar. Mark Antony is about to run a race, but â€Å"When Caesar says ‘Do this,’ it is performed.† It is almost as if Mark Antony is only a puppet to Julius Caesar. He is being respectful of his leader, yet it seems as if he is fearful of him. While Caesar does not realize Mark Antony’s potential, Brutus underestimates him. Brutus refers to Rome as a body and Caesar as the head, yet â€Å"To cut the head off and then hack the limbs† would be killing Mark Antony. If the head of something was shot, there is no need to try to shoot the heart. Julius Caesar is concerned about his well-being, for good reason. Casca has been speaking in low tones and Caesar would â€Å"Have men about me that are fat† because he feels that they can be trusted easier. Caesar trusts Mark Antony as his closest confidant due to the fact that they have been like brothers all their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  &...

Great Gatsby Chapter 9 notes

Fitzgerald draws his novel to its conclusion. This chapter allows him to make his final comment on the corrupt and destructive side of the American Dream. On one level it could be said that Gatsby represents the success story of the American Dream – the epitome of the stereotypical ascent from ‘rags to riches'. He drives his own fortune and prosperity acquiring great wealth and material possessions; but , ultimately, his dream fails anyway. Fitzgerald makes it abundantly clear just how distorted the collective vision of society had become with regard to the accumulation of wealth and the influence of mass media – represented by the eyes of T J Eckleburg. Such materialistic goals had overtaken the more altruistic and virtuous pursuits inherent in the original interpretation of the American Dream. In this chapter the reader senses Nick's great sense of despair, disillusionment and disgust. He is appalled by the behaviour he encounters in his preparation for Gatsby's funeral: ‘I found myself on Gatsby's side and alone.' After all the parties he had thrown for a countless trail of guests who paraded through his house ‘Nobody came.' The reader has now experienced Nick's journey, his voyage – note the sea imagery to which he refers in the final lines of the novel. It is interesting to note just how much Nick has matured as a result of his experiences: ‘†¦as he lay in his house and didn't move or breathe or speak, hour upon hour, it grew upon me that I was responsible, because no one else was interested – interested, I mean, with that intense personal interest to which everyone has some vague right at the end.' So, it is Nick who shoulders the final responsibility for Gatsby. Nick begins the chapter commenting on the impact of these events – remember he is writing from a retrospective stance two years later: ‘After two years I remember the rest of that day, and that night and the next day, only as an endless drill of police and photographers and newspaper men in and out of Gatsby's front door.' These seem to be the only people interested – the media. They are not interested in the man Gatsby, but rather the fabrication of the man, the lies and the gossip which go hand in hand with his own self-constructed image. Essentially the media contributes to the corruption of the American Dream. Nick ‘wanted to get somebody for him'. He feels loyal and protective towards Gatsby and so begins an avid search to do just this. But he tells us ‘no one arrived except more police and photographers and newspaper men.' Perhaps, one need look no further than at the history of the original image fabricators, the dream creators of Hollywood to learn of the pitiful and lonely existences of their more fragile stars. Strip away the veneer of glamour and wealth and all that really prevails is the very stark and harsh Valley of Ashes. All of this reinforces Nick's loyalty: ‘I began to have a feeling of defiance, of scornful solidarity between Gatsby and me against them all.' Nick begins to catalogue the callousness of the people who cannot hide their indifference to Gatsby's death. Wolfsheim declares ‘I cannot come down now as I am tied up in some very important business and cannot get mixed up in this thing now.' A pathetic euphemism for really saying he cannot be bothered – it's not that important. Next, there is Klipspringer who claims ‘Well, I certainly try†¦' when asked to attend the funeral but may be unable to because of ‘a sort of picnic'. However, he does get to the heart of the matter, ‘What I called about was a pair of shoes I left there†¦' Nick ‘felt a certain shame for Gatsby.' Fitzgerald now chooses this moment to reveal another aspect of Gatsby's past – his estranged father: ‘He came out to see me two years ago and bought me the house I live in now.' Gatsby has been generous with his money. It is Gatsby's father who reveals the sense of purpose and indeed the dreamer in Gatsby from his diary: ‘Rise from bed 6.00 AM Dumbbell exercise and wall-scaling†¦' He even had a list of endearing ‘General Resolves' which do imbue him with an innocence and a sincerity that enhances the reader's opinion of him, sadly after his death: ‘No more smokeing or chewing Read one improving book or magazine per week Save $5.00 (crossed out) $3.00 per week Be better to parents' The misspelling of ‘smoking' is deliberate by the way. Three people attend the funeral – Mr Gatz, Nick and Owl Eyes. Owl eyes is the only party guest who shows up. He is shocked to witness the absence of so many; ‘Why, my God! They used to go there by the hundreds.' It is interesting to note, bearing in mind the references to blindness that we encounter throughout the novel, that Owl eyes removes his spectacles before declaring the reality and moral truth of Gatsby's situation: ‘The poor son- of -a-bitch.' The blindness comes from within as can be seen from most of Fitzgerald's characters. Nick comments, ‘I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all – Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life.' You will remember from ‘Death of a Salesman' that there is a similar East – West divide. Biff favours the freedom and happiness in the West whereas Willy relentlessly pursues the capitalist Eastern way of life – again exposing the corrupt nature of the American Dream. Nick has matured enough to see through the ‘racy, adventurous ffeel' of the East and its ‘enchanted metropolitan twilight' – he realises that beneath all the glamorous, glittering veneer there are ‘spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it†¦' just like the ‘fowl dust' which ‘floated in the wake of his (Gatsby's) dreams'. The East represents capitalism and consumerism and indeed corruption of American society. The West was presumably still relatively innocent rating homespun values and the happiness of the individual. Nick is able to see this – but he is the only character in the novel who does. The East has ‘a quality of distortion'. Again, Fitzgerald juxtaposes the recurring adjectives, ‘grotesque' and ‘fantastic', once more alluding to the impossible dream with reality: ‘West Egg, especially, still figures in my more fantastic dreams†¦a hundred houses, at once conventional and grotesque, crouching under a sullen, over-hanging sky and lustreless moon.' There is no romantic presentation of this location for Nick – the place is given an eerie, dismal atmosphere, where the houses are personified as shrinking away from this depressing, all-consuming locale. Notably it is here Nick talks about the anonymous woman in white whom I have pointed out before: ‘†¦four solemn men in dress suits are walking along the sidewalk with a stretcher on which lies a drunken woman in a white evening dress. Her hand, which dangles over the side, sparkles cold with jewels. Gravely the men turn in at a house – the wrong house. But no one knows the woman's name, and no one cares.' This is a very sinister dream in which Nick envisions a woman in white – this woman could represent Daisy or Jordan or even one of the female guests at Gatsby's party. It does not really matter, for Fitzgerald she represents the anonymity and lack of substance of the typical 1920s female. She is suppressed by the superiority of her male counterpart who uses her to satisfy and fulfil sexual desire. The fact that the woman is drunk and therefore lacks control reinforces the status of women is such a society which has itself lost sight and control of any kind of moral fibre. Her hand ‘sparkles cold with jewels' suggesting the empty, shallow pursuit of such material possessions. The fact that the men drop her off at the wrong house and ‘no one cares' really captures the essence of something Daisy says earlier in reference to her daughter – ‘I hope she'll be a fool – that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.' On first reading this seems like another very whimsical, even stupid and callous statement from Daisy but it is this very passage about Nick's nightmare that gives her comment weight and meaning and, perhaps, it's the most insightful thing she says in the entire novel. ‘They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made†¦' This really contains the essence of Nick's loathing of such people. This triggers the memory of something he says at the beginning of the novel when he is about to relate his story to the reader: ‘When I came back from the East last autumn I felt that I wanted to be in uniform and at a sort of moral attention for ever; I wanted no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart.' We remember him talking about ‘the distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged.' A society which had such a callous disregard for human life; this can be seen by their reactions to the deaths of Gatsby and Myrtle – both of which are really perpetuated by Tom and Daisy respectively. They disappear – drifting off leaving chaos behind undoubtedly to begin a life elsewhere. The drifting which permeates the novel points towards the loss of moral and spiritual stability which must come from the core of the individual. Tom and Daisy can do this because they never really become attached to anything or anyone – they are indeed ‘careless' and their wealth allows them a certain freedom, an escape from reality. Finally Nick sums up the essence of the original American Dream: ‘And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors' eyes – a fresh, green breast of the new world. Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby's house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.' This is a brilliant piece of description from Fitzgerald and quite poignantly encapsulates the real essence of the American Dream. Yet, it could not be sustained. The land became manipulated and exploited for human profit. But for the 17th century Dutch sailors it was, in those first moments, the ultimate land of growth, beauty and enchantment – ‘fresh, green breast of the new world'. It is clear that this is why Nick refers to Gatsby as ‘great' – †¦I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock.' This was what Nick admired – ‘his capacity for wonder' ‘He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.' This is again referring to Gatsby's refusal to admit that his past could not be relived, or recaptured, just like his tenacious belief in the dream. The image of darkness and the attendant image of blindness is often used to foreshadow the inevitable failure of Gatsby's dream. Yet ‘Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by yea recedes before us.' The green light here symbolises the dreams and hopes of society ‘It eluded us then, but that's no matter – tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther†¦And one fine morning -‘ Nick refers here to the dreamer in all of us. He conveys the human need to dream, to be inspired, to be challenged. Yet, he knows it's important to be able to draw a line between the dream and reality – something Gatsby could never do. ‘So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.' We are all inextricably linked with our pasts – the past shapes the future. We know this obviously from history. Gatsby insisted on living in the past – his past with Daisy. Daisy could not isolate him from his past; he remained socially unworthy of her. Can any of us really escape the past. America itself struggled to shake off her more rigid European connections before the declaration of independence. Furthermore, the American Dream has become part of its past – a part of American history which no longer exists in the same way as it did then. The dream is impossible and this is what makes Gatsby's plight so tragic.

Are Steroids Worth the Risk

Are Steroids Worth the Risk? One of the most controversial issues with all athletes are steroids. How harmful are they? Is it worth the risk to get a competitive edge on the game? Should it be banned from sports? Steroids are not the answer; not only are there physical bad side effects, there are also psychological effects short and long term. The history of steroids dates back to the 1930s, the were taking from male testosterone originally. They were used to treat HIV-AIDS and cancer. They also helped stimulate bone growth and appetite, in order to help those who had trouble with weight gain. An example of this was a man named Barry Tyson who was suffering from HIV and took steroids in order to help build more mass in order to fight off infections from the disease. He noted that, within the first dosage he had taking at night he woke up the next day feeling like a new man and had abundant sources of energy. Some were along theses lines of using it for good medical use and healing it was lost for the benefit of athletes. The effects of steroids are tremendous in both genders. Yes even girls have been caught on steroids to help give them an advantage in sports. The risk that effect boys in the long run are; Testicular shrinkage, blood clotting, breast development, impotence (inability to get an erection), sterility, jaundice (liver damage), shortening of height, heart disease, cancer, and even tumors. Now why would someone want to risk all those long term effects just to get a little stronger. Some would say, â€Å"well I'm just going to use it for a little then I will get off of it. Well steroids is just like any other drug, it is addicting. People try to get off, but once off they realize they cannot get gains as quickly as Palcsik 2 they were before and go back on the steroids thinking just one more time will be fine. After time has passed they never get off and become addicted just like any other drug. Even if you are still skeptic here are some short term effects on boys from steroids: Premature balding or hair loss, dizziness, trembling, seizures, pain when urinating, and even aching joints. Not only are boys effected, but some girls try to get a competitive edge over the fellow athletes. Steroids are not meant to be taken by woman, because a woman's genetics are not meant for male testosterone. Some of the effects on girls are; increased facial hair, development of masculine traits such as deepening of the voice, loss of feminine characteristics, shrinking of breast, and even extreme increased sex drive. These risks are not worth having just so they can become better or close to their competition. Most woman's effects of steroids are irreversible and once one cannot be changed. Another trend found in woman is that when they take steroids they tend to drink more often than usual. This leads to even more liver problems and possible shut down of this organ may be a long term effect. Not only are there physical effects, but there are some psychological effects also. One of the most major factors is â€Å"roid rage. † Roid rage is a result of steroids that cause drastic moods swings and aggression. No just little mood swings, they are extreme uncontrolled bouts of anger caused by steroid use. The longer use of the steroids the more so called rages are experienced and to a greater extent. Back a few years ago there was an entertainment wrestler that used steroids excessively. As the years went on he never noticed any rages or irritability. Suddenly one day he snapped in a violent rage killing his wife and strangling his little seven year old son. Other psychological effects are depression, becoming delusional, paranoia, and even problems sleeping. So not only are there all these mental aspects of steroids that can destroy you, but also physical effects too. Many people believe that taking steroids to get the competitive edge is worth it. Look at all these negative effects. The short term results are not worth the extreme damaged caused to athletes body. People also say well steroids shouldn't be illegal in sports, if you choose to take the risk then it is Palcsik 3 that persons responsibility. The answer is no steroids are not okay in sports or at all in daily life. It was initially banned not because it was considered cheating in sports, but because of the unhealthy effects of steroids and the addictions caused by it. Also it is cheating it is not a persons natural ability, it is fake and additives to the body that are naturally there. People might say well people use it when they are sick so it can't be that bad. Steroids should only be used in medicine to help patients that need it because it is controlled by doctors so u cant exceed the amount you are supposed to have. It is a controlled prescription that the doctors understand. Steroids are not the answer for athletes. If you have the raw natural talent then you have what it takes to be a superb athlete, if not then keep trying till it is no longer possible. If it is not meant to be then it isn't meant to be, there is no point in sacrificing your body just for a few years of possible fame or glamor. Also its not even guaranteed that a person will succeed in the what the reason is that they are taking steroids. The question is are you willing to go throw pain and suffering for the rest of your life just for a advantage over the competition for a temporary time?