Thursday, October 31, 2019
The Use of the Draft by the United States of America Thesis Proposal - 1
The Use of the Draft by the United States of America - Thesis Proposal Example The nation has paid a price for this in terms of the efficacy of its military actions and the results of the military interventions forced on it as the keeper of world peace. It is well past the time when the policy of an all-volunteer army is revisited, and the draft at 18 is reinstated for the peace in the world and satisfaction of achieving responsibilities felt at home. The demise of the Soviet Union has raised the stakes of the U.S. as the sole military and economic superpower in the eyes of the world, with the added responsibility of providing freedom and justice and maintaining peace in the world. Such a pragmatic vision was held out by the Presidential candidate George W. Bush in 1999, â€Å"For America, this is a time of unrivaled military power, economic promise, and cultural influence†(Campbell & O’Hanlon, 2006, p.28). The new millennium was to witness this drive in terms of national security and responsibility to the world. Citizens of the U.S.A have never fought a war on their land for the mere safety of family, home and country, save during the War of Independence to remove the yoke of colonialism. During the War of Independence, there was no requirement for conscription, as men believed it was their obligation, as bravery and valor flowed in their blood. The all-volunteer army is a reflection of the erosion in such values and the belief that military service is an obligation of the men of the nation (Bailey, 2009). Opposing the draft and support for the all-volunteer army reinforces the consideration that the present generation has gone soft with easy living. Do we want our wives to wake up one morning with the realization that her husband sleeping next to her is a coward, unwilling to fight to protect her children, home, and country? Or do we want our children to grow up to the realization that we were yellow-livered chickens? Let’s shed our looking for the easy way of life and demonstrate a willingness to be responsible for family and home, not merely in materialistic things, but also in true values and principles, built on the blood of our forefathers.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Breyer Meat Packing Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Breyer Meat Packing Case Study - Essay Example 14). Awareness of the details surrounding the cumulative trauma disorder would assist in informing the employees and the employer that â€Å"carpal tunnel syndrome is the disorder most commonly reported for this industry and is caused by repeated bending of the wrist combined with gripping, squeezing, and twisting motions. A swelling in the wrist joint causes pressure on a nerve in the wrist. Early symptoms of the disease are tingling sensations in the thumbs and in the index and middle fingers. Experience has shown that if workers ignore these symptoms, sometimes misdiagnosed as arthritis, they could experience permanent weakness and numbness in the hand coupled with severe pain in the hands, elbows, and shoulders†(Occupational Safety and Health Administration, N.D., par. 15). Question #2:  Assume OSHA is applicable. Provide two (2) specific recommendations to address the issue.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Development of Luxury Products: Montblanc
Development of Luxury Products: Montblanc Dissertation subject: a. Montblanc. Its development in the luxury industry OK b. The Montblancs brand extension in the luxury industry OK c. Montblanc brand: from a specialised luxury brand to a global luxury brand 2.             Dissertation issue / key question: a. Did Montblanc, a specialised luxury brand in the writing instrument segment, extend its perception of luxury brand to its other product categories? OK b. Has Montblanc, a specialised luxury brand in the writing instrument segment, been successful in extending this perception to its other product categories? 3.             Literature review: a. Definition of luxury: * Different points of view * Key words/concepts (to be tested in the survey) b. Definition of luxury brand c. Concept of diversification strategy: * Objectives * Types * Drivers to be successful (consumer perception / reaction) * Performance (to which extent) * Montblanc:  strategic diagnosis (SBU) d. Brand extension  Luxury brand perception: * (How to measure it? Consumers reaction) 4.             The research: a. Key question: can a specialised luxury brand extend its perception of luxury brand to other product categories? The case of the Montblanc brand.Today, is Montblanc a global luxury brand (not anymore a specialised luxury brand)? Therefore how was it possible? Well know reputation in its core business (for quality, design, social status) and the choice of neighbouring segments. b. Hypothesis: Montblanc is today an established global luxury brand. Montblanc is a clear example of a successful brand extension. How was it possible? (Reputation, tradition, quality, Montblanc extended its way of doing business based on quality and style next to its outstanding reputation in its historical core business) 5.             The research: a. Objective: To prove that Montblanc has been able, in a relatively short time, to become a global luxury brand. 6.             The research method: a. Which is the information to be collected in order to answer the issue discussed within our work and to verify the hypothesis?  the consumers perception of the Montblanc brand (the only boss) and the point of view of the Montblancs managers (figures on diversification mix, and resources allocated) b. How to collect the data (survey, interviews)? c. Which is the pitch of the research? Luxury sector, Montblanc and its major competitors in jewellery / watches / leather categories, luxury brand current and potential consumers. Becker, Howard S. (1998), Tricks of the trade, How to think about your research while youre doing it, The University of Chicago Press. 7.             Analysis of the research findings: a. Analyse and understand the collected data  as usually it helps identify some factors that may answer our issue, although often these elements are not complete b. Criticise the research method and its limits (limited sample) 8.             Conclusion: a. Buyers of Montblanc products (not only writing instruments): confirm the hypothesis b. Buyers of only Montblanc writing instruments  to gain tradition in watch and jewellery segments requires times although a good quality but not impossible c. Montblancs managers: good results so far. Recommendations: a. Montblanc has to go on investing in its diversification strategy because failing in doing so would be highly risky for its brand perception among the final consumers. Could Montblanc extend its perception to other product categories? Not right now: low resources and need to be definitively established as a luxury brand in key categories such as watches and jewellery. Write: * la probl ©matique involves the key question, the hypothesis of the research and the elements / factors which will help to develop the chosen subject.This first part includes the definition of the subject, the review of the literature (plus bibliography), the question, the hypothesis and the method of the research other than the action plan. * Final dissertation: develop the different topics without any linking parts, add these linking parts, further develop underestimated parts and cut what is useless. Add the table of contents, bibliography, appendix, etc. Executive Summary * The research and its Interest * The key question and the hypothesis * Research method * Major findings * Conclusion * Recommendations The purpose of this research paper is to investigate if and how a specialised luxury brand can extend its perception of luxury brand to other products categories. Being the luxury industry so wide of dimensions, the researcher decided to focus on one specific brand: Montblanc. This choice permitted to closer define the pitch of the analysis in order to carry out a reliable and feasible research that might prove the success of the diversification strategy pursued by the Montblanc brand. Montblanc represents, indeed, an interesting case study to show how the diversification strategy can be an effective tool to increase the luxury brand perception among the final customers. Montblanc, market leader for what concerns the writing instruments, has been striving during the last few years to definitively become a global luxury brand. To do so, Montblanc entered many different segments of the luxury world, such as leather, watches, fragrance and eyewear in the last â‚ ¬Ã‹Å"90s and the silver jewellery at the beginning of the 21st century. Moreover, a couple of years ago, Montblanc stepped forward into the fine jewellery business which is seen as the critical step in its strategic development to attain the full status of global luxury brand. In order to verify how the Montblanc brand is viewed and perceived in its competitive environment, the researcher adopted both a quantitative and a qualitative research method. On one hand, a customer survey consisted of XXX questions was developed. This survey submitted to actual and potential customers had the objective to impartially investigate the customer perception of the Montblanc brand. On the other hand, in-depth interviews with some Montblancs managers were carried out. The interviewed, who represented different levels of the Montblancs management, allowed the researcher to gain a full picture of the Montblanc brand and its strategic movements. Moreover the direct comparison with the Montblancs management was important to identify on which resources and competences the final recommendations could be based. For practical purposes, this study can be divided in five major parts: 1. the first part outlines the theme and the key question of the research paper; 2. the second part concerns the review of the literature as regards the following points: the definition of luxury and of luxury brands, some approaches to measure the brand perception / the reasons why people buy luxury goods (status-laden or conspicuousness-laden), and the diversification strategy. This part will be concluded with an in-depth analysis of the Montblanc brand; 3. the third part gives a fulfilling view of the undertaken research with particular attention to the objective, the hypothesis and the research method; 4. the fourth part covers the relevant findings coming from the analysis of the research results; 5. the last part presents the conclusions of the study and the researchers final recommendations to the brand. The theme of the research paper Luxury and the Montblanc brand gives an important insight of the key constructs at the core of the work. In first position one finds the term luxury whose meaning and definition are almost fuzzy. It is the reason why, this work will examine some important findings coming up from the literature so wide in this respect, at the end of which some major traits of the definition of luxury will be underlined. Especially, the literature review will cover the evolution of the definition of luxury all along the recent history. To be noticed that, the construct of luxury will be also investigated in the survey submitted to the final customers and also in the interviews to the Montblancs management and other practitioners of the luxury industry. This research, carried out by exploring both the customers and the professionals point of view, enriches the research itself and helps to get a good understanding of the major characteristics emerging nowadays about this fascinating concept. To be clarified that this study, focusing on the Montblanc brand, is related to a part of the luxury market such as t he accessories, jewellery and watches segments. The second part of the theme of this study is represented by three words: the Montblanc brand. This recalls two topics. The first one refers to the term brand. By revising the literature, a definition of brand will be proposed. In this respect, there are not important doubts and we will briefly comment the definition of brand recently provided by Jevons (2007). Nevertheless, some issues may arise for the definition of luxury brand which is obviously related to the construct of luxury. The expression the Montblanc brand as a whole, moreover, puts the attention on the leader German brand whose unmistakable star logo is worldwide the icon of quality and excellence. As previously said, the researcher chose a specific brand to be able to concretely study the fundamental question of his research paper that will be clarified in the next lines. To be noticed that the two parts of the theme title luxury and the Montblanc brand are tied up by the conjunction and that underlines the strict link between luxury and the Montblanc brand. Nevertheless, this link requires a further consideration because it can be misleading if not misunderstood. Which is the real mean of this linkage? There are no doubts that Montblanc is a luxury brand; but is it a specialised luxury brand or a global luxury brand? This question is strictly connected to the core issue of this master thesis. More precisely, the driver question is if a specialised luxury brand can extend its perception of luxury brand to other product categories. In order to answer this key issue, the researcher chose to study a well-known brand which has been pursuing a diversification strategy to become a global luxury brand. The construct of diversification strategy will be explained from a literature point of view. Moreover, an in-depth analysis of the Montblanc brand and its strategic business areas will be undertaken by applying some tools learned during the studies at the ESCP Europe especially during the modules of strategy and of strategic diagnostic. This becomes fundamental to better understand in which kind of diversification strategy Montblanc is engaged and to give a wide knowledge to the reader about the brand itself. To conclude, herein the reasons why the student chose this theme for his master thesis. There are three major reasons bringing to this choice. The first one refers to the luxury world. The construct of luxury, albeit widely analysed in the literature, remains somehow mysterious. Today, the definition of luxury is strongly evolving mainly due to the economic uncertainty mostly caused by the financial crisis of 2008. Therefore, although the probability to uniquely define luxury is very low if not nil, the challenge to better understand what luxury is/means/represents/is perceived nowadays represents to the researcher a great topic of interest. His interest in luxury is also nourished by the will to work in this sector in the upcoming future. This surely stems from the professional experiences made by the student as part of his studies within companies (Montblanc and Concord) operating in the jewellery, watches and accessories segments. Indeed, during these experiences, the student was impressed by this world rather mysterious where the care of the smallest detail makes a huge difference. The second reason concerns the Montblanc brand. The researcher had the chance to work for five months at Montblanc International, at the Headquarter in Hamburg within the Jewellery Category Department, and for three months at Montblanc UK, in London within the Retail Department. During this extremely positive experience, the student discovered in-depth this fascinating brand, from its tradition to its vision, from a strategic and more operational point of view. Surely the experience personally gained at Montblanc became highly useful in the development of the research and mainly in the analysis of the brand and of its strategy. Moreover the ongoing meetings/interviews with the Montblancs management had a double advantage. On one hand, it enriched the content of the study and on the other hand helped the student maintain the contacts with a firm that is at the top of his personal ranking of his employment research. The third reason concerns the strategic aspect behind this theme. Indeed, the diversification strategy pursued by Montblanc offered to the student the possibility to develop this construct often used/abused by luxury brands to extend their perception of luxury and, as a consequence, to finally increase their revenues. The diversification strategy has often been the object of strong discussions, mainly for what regards the results of pursuing this strategy and the ways of implementing it. This work has got the objective to rationalise the different types of diversification strategy and to investigate this theoretical concept on a concrete case study, thanks to the study of the Montblanc brand. This research will focus on the key factors of success or failure standing from the analysis of the diversification strategy pursued by Montblanc. Did Montblanc, a specialised luxury brand in the writing instrument segment, extend its perception of luxury brand to its other product categories? This key question gives a stricter view on the content of this research paper. This study will focus on the strategic development of a specialised luxury brand as Montblanc was/is in the writing instrument segment since its origin. In detail, the research has got the purpose to investigate how the Montblanc brand is nowadays perceived from the final customers. The findings coming up from the customer survey will help the researcher evaluate if the Montblanc brand is still perceived as a specialised luxury brand or if its image has developed to the status of a global luxury brand. The customers responses represent indeed the most reliable feedback to assess the degree of success of the diversification strategy pursed by Montblanc in the last years which has brought the brand to operate in relevant luxury segments such as leather, watches, fragrance, eyewear and jewellery next to the historical business area of writing instruments. At a second stage, the customers responses will be compared with the Montblanc managements point of view in order to verify if some discrepancies exist. This step is important to get a full picture of the Montblanc brands standing. Then, after an accurate presentation of the research, the student will point out the major findings in order to draw his conclusions about his study. The conclusions will include the major factors of the diversification strategy pursed by Montblanc to extend its perception of luxury brand to other segments in the luxury industry, in addition to the fields of improvement coming out of the research. Finally this research paper will present the students recommendations which will take into account the strategic objectives standing out from the interviews with the Montblancs management and also the Montblanc brand perception outlined by the customer survey. In the next pages, the student will study, by starting from the literature review, some key concepts at the core of this research paper which include: * the definition of luxury and its evolution; * the definition of luxury goods; * the definition of brand and of luxury brands; * briefly the different approaches to measure the brand perception among the final customers.> the reasons why people buy luxury goods (status or conspicuousness); * and the presentation of the diversification strategy: the objectives, the different types, the advantages and the drawbacks, the risks, and the key success factors. The literature review, as said, will be completed by the contextualisation of these constructs to the Montblanc brand. At this stage the Montblanc brand will be studied in order to give all the required basics to launch the following research. In order to better define the constructs at the core of this research paper that will give the background of the following research, an in-depth literature review will be made. Four major concepts will be discussed thanks to the support of different literature material which includes insights from books, articles, management and fashion websites and personal references in terms of power point presentations, excel documents and excel files. The activity of research consisted mainly in going through the databases accessible from the Intranet at ESCP Europe in order to directly access to a wide range of reference material. The definition of luxury The first part of the literature review regards the construct of luxury. Luxury has always been a central field of research. Indeed its specific characteristics have attracted the interest of the researchers all along the history. However, albeit the meaning of luxury is widely discussed in the literature, researchers did not come up with a commonly accepted definition of this construct. For sure, it is not possible to uniquely define luxury. Simply, the words do not seem to be able to describe what luxury means. In this respect, the literature leaves this concept shrouded in mystery. This research paper will face the definition of luxury by going through different steps. At the beginning some different definitions of luxury will be put forward by touching its literal and economic meaning, and also by exploring some philosophical and social interpretations. Then, an interesting brief explanation of the etymology of the term luxury will be presented. Afterwards, the history of luxury will be outlined before entering in more detailed considerations regarding the notions of old and new luxury. At the end of this first part, the student will show the latest development of the luxury construct by getting important insights from the practitioners point of view founded in articles related to the luxury world. Literal definition of luxury Websters Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913): Anything which pleases the senses, and is also costly, or difficult to obtain; an expensive rarity.'[1] [2] Economic definition of luxury Mason (81): Un produit est consid ©r © comme luxueux si l ©lasticit © de la demande par rapport au revenu est sup ©rieure  1. Philosophers definition of luxury Paul Iribe (1932): Luxe: besoin qui commence o ¹ finit la n ©cessit ©.'[3] Voltaire (1694-1778): Superflu chose tr ¨s n ©cessaire. Jaime le luxe et m ªme la mollesse. Rousseau: Le luxe doit  ªtre rejet © car il est contraire aux exigences de la nature. Sociology researchers definition of luxury Bourdieu (79,84): Comme tout acte de consommation, lachat dune marque de luxe est un moyen daffirmer sa position sociale, de faire croire  un changement de position ou prouver un changement de position sociale. Tout d ©pend du r ´le que lindividu joue ou pense jouer au sein de son groupe de r ©f ©rence. Baudrillard (68): Lacc ¨s au luxe est d ©termin © par une volont © sociale de se distinguer, de se d ©marquer ou bien encore de saffilier  un groupe. Suivant le groupe social auquel la personne se r ©f ¨re, le luxe aura une signification diff ©rente. Maffesoli (96): Lanalyse du luxe par le prisme des classes ne prend pas en compte le resserrement des individus autour de groupes restreints, de tribus. La consommation devient alors un plaisir personnel et intime, sans volont © ostentatoire. Management researchers definition of luxury Gutsatz M. (96): Le luxe comprend deux niveaux de repr ©sentation. Le premier niveau est mat ©riel, il comprend le produit et la marque (son histoire, son identit ©, son savoir faire unique, le talent). Le second niveau est psychologique. Il sagit de repr ©sentations qui nous sont propres, influenc ©s par notre milieu social et les valeurs de la marque. Roux E. (91): La marque de luxe se caract ©rise par une valeur ajout ©e symbolique, imaginaire ou sociale qui la diff ©rencie des autres. La marque de luxe correspond ainsi aux besoins symboliques que le consommateur peut ressentir (par opposition aux besoins fonctionnels ou de vari ©t ©). Laurent G., Dubois B. (95): Le luxe est subjectif, personnel et perceptuel. Si lon cherche  d ©terminer les attributs caract ©risant un produit de luxe, 6 dimensions apparaissent : Une qualit © sup ©rieure et per §ue, un prix  ©lev ©, une s ©lectivit © et une raret © des produits et de la distribution, un pouvoir attractif important un savoir faire certain et la non n ©cessit ©. Practitioners definition of luxury Coco Chanel: Le luxe est le contraire de la vulgarit ©. Boucheron A.: Le luxe est une  « mayonnaise  » constitu ©e de diff ©rents ingr ©dients. Si lun dentre-eux manque ou est mal dos ©, la mayonnaise tourne. Le luxe est un concept et non un produit.[4] Jean-Louis Dumas-Herm ¨s, historic Chairman and CEO of Herm ¨s: [5] Just by analysing these few definitions of luxury, one can notice the absolute subjectivity of this concept. It stands out that luxury has got a close linkage with pleasure, rarity, exclusivity, quality, high price tag. Economists define luxury as something which is unnecessary, statement which would be probably argued by some studies on the consumers reasons to buy luxury. For someone (Rousseau) luxury should even be avoided because it is not a primary need of the human being. Luxury is something that belongs to the inner part of each individual but it can be also highly other-oriented. By wearing or experiencing luxury items, an individual expresses his own personality and can show his social status and position in the community. The fact is that luxury is probably a bit of everything, a perfect trade off of opposite concepts. This makes luxury a kind of mystery. After this round-up, the study will briefly present the etymology of the term luxury before briefing touching the historical evolution of luxury. Etymology of word luxury According to Dubois, Czellar and Laurent (2005) the English term[6] luxury is derived from the Latin luxus, which, according to the Oxford Latin Dictionary, it signifies soft or extravagant living, (over-)indulgence and sumptuousness, luxuriousness, opulence; luxus also means sensuality, splendour and its derivative luxuria is extravagance, riot etc. Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines luxuriance as something characterized by richness and extravagance, often tending to excess. The word luxury is also often semantically associated with lux the Latin word for light; therefore, luxury carries connotations of brightness. It is glittering and, in addition, it is something visible. The evolution of luxury Until the Middle Ages the writings point out that luxury was the reflection of the religious mystery that drives the human being to go beyond himself driven by an offer or a sign. But the heyday of luxury is without any doubt the Renaissance (15th and 16th century), flourishing period for literature, art and science. This period reflects the explosion of luxury, vogue of the ostentatious architecture coming from Italy. At that time, luxuries are exclusive items belonging to the aristocracy and the court. During the Renaissance luxury becomes the prerogative of the bourgeoisie. During the 18th and 19th century luxury remains exclusive of the  ©lite. The 20th century signs an important step in the evolution of luxury. Mainly after the Second World War luxury becomes almost conformist, not extravagant or eccentric. In the â‚ ¬Ã‹Å"80s, the focus is on the luxury consumer; in this time, younger period discover luxury thanks to the accessories. At the end of this decade, there is the boom of luxury for what concerns the distribution channel development. The major players widen their reach by exploiting the markets where they are present and even by entering new markets. At the beginning of the â‚ ¬Ã‹Å"90s, the crisis that hit also the luxury industry, pushed to rethink the concept of luxury that gained a higher spiritual/moral meaning in addition to the impeccable quality.[7] Old-luxury vs New-luxury With the 21st century, new terms about luxury are emerging in the practitioners literature. For the purpose of this research paper, in the next few lines some considerations will be made on the expression of old luxury in opposition to new luxury in order to clarify their meaning. Some practitioners argue that old luxury is about the good itself and is defined by the company, in opposition to This seems to trace a clear line between the two concepts: old luxury is about the material thing, it is about stuff. Instead, new luxury is about experiencing. Nowadays, it seems evident that old luxury cannot anymore survive. The high quality of luxury products is assumed by consumers who are looking forward for something more. In our time, luxury is increasingly defined as those special qualities, features and attributes intrinsic to a product and that go beyond the item itself. According to Ms. Danziger (2008)[9], the product itself does not anymore create personal fulfilment. Today, luxury is in the eye of the beholder and the consumers perceptions are not anymore, exclusively depending on the exceptional quality of luxury products and on the high price tag. This does not mean that the materialism is not important but only that consumers are eager of experiences. Therefore, as a consequence, a shift from product-centric to consumer-centric point of view becomes inevitable to attract luxury consumers. The needed clarification of old luxury and new luxury concepts will become also useful when the study will discuss the definition of luxury brands and in the research of the consumers perception of the Montblanc brand which will lead to the students recommendations at the end of this research paper. At this point, it becomes interesting to see how the todays definition of luxury has evolved in the light of the recent events occurred in autumn 2008 which had an important impact on the entire economy and, therefore, also on the luxury industry. Todays definition of luxury ppt vale, crisis, bling bling, tradition, According to Yeoman and McMahon (2005), luxury is incredibly fluid, and changes dramatically across time and culture'[10]. This opinion becomes very much clear by thinking if the meaning of todays definition of luxury is the same definition of luxury of just eighteen months ago. Today it is even harder to give an accurate definition of luxury. After the financial crisis, culminated with the bankruptcy of some key players in the real estate and banking industry which caused a chain reaction hitting all the other sectors, the perception of luxury has surely changed, at least to a certain extent. This critical point merits further considerations and, therefore, it will be investigated in the following research at the core of this study. In the next lines some leaders opinions in luxury will be presented. Some of these thoughts were collected in a confidential in-depth research carried out at the beginning of 2009, supplied by Montblancs management. They will introduce the students point of view about the sharp evolution of luxury meaning in the last months. Herein, some comments about the change of luxury construct in the last year. S. Toledano, Dior: Compulsive shopping, its over. M. Nieto, Baume Mercier: Price sensitivity is coming back fiercely. C. Binkley, The Wall Street Journal: Its bling over J. Rupert, Richemont: During a recession, Im sure consumers will choose solid values. B. Pavlowski, Chanel: Dont neglect any aspect of the product quality. R. Palti, Le Nouvel Economiste: Many markets are saturated and there is an increasing number of offers proposing the same service. Finding what will best meet the clients expectations is no easy task. And yet, in these days of economic, financial ( lack of confidence) crisis, there is not a single company that can afford not to satisfy its clients, even just to sell. B. Arnault, LVMH[11]: post-recovery customers will not only place a particular emphasis on values like quality and craftsmanship, but also on exclusivity and commitment to social and environmental responsibility. D. Dion, Sorbonne University: Luxury has to return to its exclusive and extraordinary roots. B. Fornas, Cartier: We are witnessing a return to true luxury and high end luxury products, which Cartier symbolises. JC Biver, Hublot: When there is a crisis, it is necessary to get as close as possible to ones clients to better understand them, to reassure them and to make in due time the right decisions. S. Toledano, Dior: There should be both empathy and connivance between the brand and the client. A. Ahrendts, Burberry: Even though the overall market may become difficult, I think that retailers and customers are always open to a new innovative idea or a new exciting concept. Jeffry M. Aronsson, Donna Karan: luxury is attention to detail and quality backed by superior service.'[12] B. Pavlowski, Chanel: One should keep investing in creation. D. Peters, Jewelers of America: Selling in challenging times is not about product and its not about price. Rather, its about people and relationships, and the quality of the customer experience. J. Taylor, Harrison: The definition of living well is changing. There is a desire to not stand out. If youre laying people off, you dont want to buy a Ferrari. S. Geary, Mulberry: In the coming months, the mood will be against that â‚ ¬Ã‹Å"blind consumption. A. Arnault, LVMH: The collection focused on elegance and discretion and used materials that were noble but not too visibly noble. Giorgio Armani: Those who deliver what they promise to their customers, and bear their customers in mind, will survive the current economic climate. After this round-up, some further considerations have to be made. At our time, some relevant trends can be observed in luxury. These trends have an important impact on todays interpretation/ perception of luxury. Increasing of price sensitivity is one of them. In time of crisis, luxury sector is one of the most negatively affected due to the nature itself of luxury products. According to Maslows pyramid, luxury products do not belong to the first steps of the human beings needs (phy
Friday, October 25, 2019
Movie Review of Donnie Darko :: Film Cinema Movies
Donnie Darko: A Review What comes to mind when you think of a modern adolescent coming of age movie? Is it alienation, rebellion, probably first love? In Donnie Darko (2001), writer/director Richard Kelly employs all of these familiar themes; then he adds humor, witty satire, time travel, apocalyptic prophecy, and a bi-pedal, six foot tall nightmare of a rabbit, who instructs the young and confused Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) through haunting visions and an eerie voice that runs through Donnie‘s head. Ok, so maybe this sounds like a plotline lifted straight from the WB's primetime lineup (minus the wit), but Kelly uses these seemingly absurd, unrelated elements to create an amazingly complex and clever story that Buffy could only dream of. Donnie Darko begins with a panoramic, morning shot of a mountain range, setting the stage for a film as wide open as the landscape. The camera pans around, focusing slowly on a distant figure, lying unconscious in the middle of a mountain road. The silence is broken only by soft, sporadic blue notes, echoing from a piano. As the camera draws closer, the figure rises, giving the audience their first glimpse of Donnie Darko. With a chuckling smirk, he picks up his bicycle and heads back home. Immediately, Kelly forces the question, â€Å"Why the hell is this kid lying in the middle of road?†This is the first question that the viewer is forced to ponder and it is definitely not the last. Kelly wastes no time establishing the film’s dark tone. Not even five minutes into the movie, an eerie voice instructs Donnie to â€Å"Wake up.†In a trance, he rises from bed and follows the voice out of his house and to a golf course. He finds the above mentioned rabbit, Frank, who slowly says, â€Å"Twenty-eight days, six hours, forty-two minutes, twelve seconds. That is when the world will end." Donnie's only response is, "Why?" He and the audience will spend the rest of the movie trying to find the answer. And, to make things more complicated, a jet engine (which can’t be accounted for) crashes through Donnie's room while he is asleep on the golf course. When he arrives home, he is faced with yet another question: why did Frank lead him out of his room and save his life? The question you are asking now is, â€Å"How can you possibly call this a coming of age story.†The answer is exactly what makes the film great.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Osce Scenarios
OSCE Scenarios ONE You are a 72 year old lady. This morning you were hanging your freshly laundered curtains, when you suddenly felt dizzy and you remember nothing after that, until your friend was calling your name. You have no idea how you ended up on the floor. You have had a few dizzy spells No SOB or chest pain. You have the odd â€Å"missing heart beat†not too troublesome. Otherwise you are fit and well. You were not incontinent during the attack. TWO You are a 42 year old professional trombone player. You are rehearsing for a tour abroad. Last night you seemed OK just a bit tired and possibly had a bit of a fever. This morning you woke up with severe left sided chest pain aggravated by deep breathing and coughing. You are very frightened because your sister had a pulmonary embolism after the birth of her baby. There is no sputum or haemoptysis. You had slight asthma as a child. You haven’t got much of a cough, but feel SOB and frightened to breathe deeply. Your general health is good and you’ve had no serious illnesses in the past. THREE You are a 35 year old man who came to A&E with pain when passing urine and discomfort for 3-4 days. You think that there was a little blood in your urine once. You are gay and not practice safe sex. (DO NOT VOLUNTEER THIS INFORMATION UNLESS YOU ARE ASKED. ) You are not particularly bothered about HIV. Generally your attitude is rather cavalier and have had several sexual partners in the past. FOUR You are the wife of an 82 year old man and you brought him into A&E because you are frightened and worried about him. For the last 3-4 days he’s been increasingly confused and today he started to get verbally abusive. He has never had psychiatric problems. This is most unlike his normal self. He feels a bit hot to you and his urine has been a bit smelly. He has mild, diet controlled diabetes and â€Å"some prostate problem†otherwise he has been remarkably healthy. FIVE You are the father of a 3 year old girl. Your wife and you separated 2 years ago and she is the main carer for the child. You have her every other weekend. You are rather vague about the child’s health, mainly because she does not live with you. DO NOT VOLUNTEER THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: You have been sexually abusing the girl for some time and obviously don’t want your ex-wife to find out, or anyone else for that matter. Therefore, you want this problem sorted out now. SIX You are a 72 year old heterosexual man. For the last few weeks you have noticed increasing difficulty with passing urine, terminal dribbling and a pressure feeling in your lower abdomen,. Your general health is fairly good but lately you have lost some weight and you’ve become impotent. SEVEN You are the mother of a 3 year old boy. This afternoon he fell off the slide in the park (about 2m high). He was sick once about 5 minutes after the accident, he was NKOD but has complained of headache ever since. He is alert and had something to eat about half an hour ago which stayed down. You are worried about the effects of the injury and have no idea what to look out for. EIGHT You brought your 6 month old baby to A&E as you are very anxious about her. She developed a cold, cough and temperature 3 days ago. She has not been eating well but she has no D&V. This morning you noticed that she is covered in a rash from head to foot. She is up to date with her immunisations (BUT DO NOT VOLUNTEER THIS INFORMATION. ) In a nearby school there are three confirmed cases of measles. You are convinced that your child has meningitis and you know this can be a fatal illness. Therefore, you think she should be admitted to hospital. NINE You are a 30 year old unemployed man. You have been abusing a variety of drugs, including diazepam, dihydrocodeine, amphetamine and cocaine in the past. You have an agreement with your GP that he will prescribe 90 tablets of Diazepam 5mg a month. However, recently you have been quite agitated and been taking more than the prescribed dose. When you are broke for money you also sell some of your tablets on the black market. You came today asking the receptionist to reissue your prescription saying that the previous was stolen from you. You are determined not to leave until you get some more tablets. Anyway, you can’t see what all the fuss is about. A few more tablets are neither here nor there and you are fed up with these dragons, called receptionists. You decided to duff them up a bit! TEN You are the mother of a 12 year old boy. He fell and cut his knee this morning at school. You brought him to A&E and after a long wait one of the junior doctors stitched his knee. The A&E charge nurse checked that your son has not had a tetanus booster since he was 3 years old and informed you that he needs a booster today. You agreed to this. The young doctor proceeded to administer the injection that the nurse gave him. The young doctor was very friendly and nice to your son but appeared nervous with shaky hands. After he gave the jab he seemed very anxious and it transpired that it was the wrong injection. He hasn’t checked the vial before administering the vaccine. You are flabbergasted and furious and threaten to sue the hospital. ELEVEN You are a27 year old man from the Ivory Coast. You have been resident in the UK for 3 years and recently returned to your country for a family visit. As you lived in Africa most of your life you did not think it was important to take malaria precautions. You’ve been feverish and felt rotten for two days with the light hurting your eyes, your neck and back of your head and you have terrible griping pains in your upper abdomen on both sides. DO NOT VOLUNTEER THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE JUST COME BACK FROM AFRICA! TWELVE You are a 29 year old woman who works as a solicitor in a big city law firm. This is a very prestigious job with high pressure and long working hours. Your main way of de-stressing is going to the gym at night. Two days ago your â€Å"back went†for the third time in six months and this morning you could hardly get out of bed and get dressed. The pain is really severe, especially when you bend down and at times like a knife in your back. You are not too bad at rest. The pain does radiate down your buttock to the back of your leg, but you have no pins and needles, loss of motor function or abnormal sensation. You are fed up and worried you might lose your job if you keep taking time off. One of your friends is a doctor and he told you that X rays are useless and you must have an MRI scan to see if you’ve got a slipped disc. You won’t budge unless the A&E doctor agrees to do this. YOU WON’T BE FOBBED OFF! THIRTEEN You are a 58 year old Pakistani man,. You were diagnosed as a diabetic in 1999 and hypertensive in 2001. You take metformin, gliclazide and enalapril. Last week you came to the practice nurse for a blood test and this morning the practice receptionist rang you to say that you must come in to see the doctor to discuss the result of your recent blood test. You are really worried and think there is something horribly wrong. Your mother and aunt were both diabetic and died
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Subtypes of Schizophrenia
Paranoid Type People with paranoid type of schizophrenia suffered from delusions and hallucinations (mostly auditory), but they can speak logically and give appropriate emotional responses since their cognitive skills and affect are intact. These patients may have delusions and hallucinations characterized by themes of grandeur or persecution, i.e. thinking themselves as famous persons or being persecuted, so these usually make them less likely to get social support. Disorganized Type People with disorganized schizophrenia perform disrupted speech and behavior. They may jump from topic to topic suddenly in their speech and this make their conversation illogical. Sometimes they show blunt affected or inappropriate emotional responses, for example, they may cry after listening to a joke. If they also experienced delusions and hallucinations, these false thinking and perception will appear to be fragmented and disorganized. Catatonic Type People with catatonic type of schizophrenia will hold their bodies in specific positions for a long time. If someone tries to change their rigid gestures, they will keep their bodies in the original positions again and this is called waxy flexibility. In contract to waxy flexibility, sometimes they are excessively active. They may also display odd bodily mannerisms and facial expressions and often mimic the words or movements of others. Undifferentiated Type People with undifferentiated type of schizophrenia suffered from the major symptoms of the disorder, but they do not fit neatly into the three subtypes mentioned above. Residual Type People with residual type of schizophrenia have had at least one episode of schizophrenia but they no longer display major schizophrenic symptoms. They may experience residual or ‘leftover’ symptoms, such as negative belief, social withdrawal, bizarre thoughts, inactivity and flat affect. Other Psychotic Disorders People with other psychotic disorders may display similar symptoms as schizophrenia but these symptoms do not fit neatly into the diagnostic criteria of schizophrenia. Other psychotic disorders include the following categories. Schizophreniform Disorder Some people have suffered from the symptom of schizophrenia for a few months, and after treatment, the symptoms disappear for no apparent reason. This type of disorder was classified as schizophreniform disorder. Schizoaffective Disorder The patients with schizophrenic symptoms and also mood disorders are diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder. Delusional Disorder This type of patients suffered from no other symptoms of schizophrenia except delusion, and their delusions are not realistic. These delusions are not due to organic factors such as brain seizures. Brief Psychotic Disorder Patients with brief psychotic disorder suffered from one or more positive symptoms, or disorganized speech or behavior lasting 1 month or less. The patients then regain the ability of functioning in daily living. This disorder can be triggered by severe life stressors suddenly. Shared Psychotic Disorder (Folie a Deux) People suffered from shared psychotic disorder because they are influenced by schizophrenic delusional patients who have very close relationship with them. They experienced delusions which are originated from these delusional individuals with similar themes and nature.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Earl g. graves essays
Earl g. graves essays Earl Graves was a young black boy who grew up in the tough neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyuesant Brooklyn. He was born in the late 1930s his first venture came at the tender age of seven. He was selling Christmas cards door to door. He was inspired by his father who was a salesman who was very good at haggling to make sells. This is the story of Earl G. Graves. Graves life revolved around Brooklyn and his church until he was thirty-two years of age. He was a real estate salesman and involved himself in local politics. In the 1960s this all changed. In 1964, he walked in to the local headquarters of the Democrats. The sight of a well-groomed black man wanting to sign up turned off people, because he got the cold shoulder. He wrote a letter to the National Committee, then was told to report to the New York State Democratic headquarters. He was assigned to be a volunteer on the campaign of Robert Kennedy. Graves eventually became an administrative assistant after impressing Kennedy with his tiptop shape ran parties. June 5th of 1968 was Earl Graves darkest hour. That day he saw the man that gave such a great opportunity to help his community, lying down in a pool of blood just after he was assonated. This left Graves unemployed, but highly employable. He was offered a job at IBM, and at Ford Foundation Fellowship. He wanted no limitation on his earnings so he studied entrepreneurship on a work study program with Ford Foundation Fellowship. He thought about a career as a consultant to African-American businesspeople. Graves studied entrepreneurship and economic development. Graves thought about starting a newsletter to help his consulting practice. His friend from his Kennedy days Howard Samuels, who was at the time head of the Small Business Administration, suggested to start a magazine instead. In 1969, he took a loan of 175,000 SBA backed with the support of his wife. His Black Enterpris...
Monday, October 21, 2019
How to make a good descriptive essay
How to make a good descriptive essay Descriptive essay Along with other sophisticated assignments, description essay writing is a common task assigned in almost all educational institutions. A descriptive essay aims to describe some particular object, idea, emotion, place, situation, person, experience, etc. This genre of academic writing encourages students to apply their descriptive, analytical and writing skills. Students like this task since it assumes some artistic freedom. Indeed, in a descriptive essay, the writer should create a vivid image of some particular object in the reader’s head. Sometimes, it is really difficult to choose the best one from the vast majority of descriptive essay topics. We highly recommend you to choose the topic that will be interesting to you. Enjoying the writing process, you will be able to create a true masterpiece of academic writing. Once the topic is chosen, start the brainstorming process. Think about the key ideas you want to discuss in your essay. Learn all information about your topic carefully, and write down each thought that comes to your mind. We assure you that it will be helpful for building your key arguments. Also, learning the unknown words and applying them to your piece of writing you will definitely impress your professor with a delicate and creative approach. Writing an outline should be the result of your brainstorming process. We assure you that this simple plan will facilitate your writing and enable you to cope with this task rather effortlessly. If you have some doubts or hesitations, be sure to ask your instruct or for assistance. He/she will correct your mistakes and check if you are working in the right direction. Also, he/she can provide you with a perfect descriptive essay example, and you will see what paper he/she expects to see. Writing a descriptive essay, you should use clear and concise language. Forget about using colloquial speech and rhetoric questions. Be sure to make your essay free of grammar and spelling mistakes, and it will become one of the best descriptive essay examples. Also, think carefully about your word choice. Remember that some words can express the different meaning. If you are describing something, your reader should imagine this object as if it is real. Do not hesitate to appeal to the reader`s senses. Tell the audience how this thing is smelled, looked, tasted and sounded. Pay attention to the smallest details. We can assure you that if you leave great impression with your essay, you will achieve the desired result. Remember that your main goal is to evoke a strong sense of familiarity in the reader`s consciousness. If you are writing a descriptive essay about a place, your reader should believe that he or she visited this place along with you. If, after reading your essay about a peculiar concert, your instructor will watch it in the evening you have achieved the desired result. Do not hesitate to use the various literature devices, such as epithets and metaphors. The rich language will ensure the reader that you have excellent writing skills. We assure you that applying professional approach towards academic writing, your essay will get into the collection of the best examples of descriptive essays.Descriptive Essay Topics: Get Ideas for Creative Writing Some of the most popular descriptive essay topics are those about movies, books, and your dreams or plans. Check out the following: My most favorite film. Here you are expected to provide a description of your favorite movie or, if you have chosen a TV series, you need to discuss one of your most favorite series and indicate why you like it most. The most favorite character in a movie. Indicate whom you like most from the movie characters and justify why exactly. My most favorite book or story. Discuss your most favorite book. Please state its genre, topic, and what you like about it most. Describe your dream house. Think for a while where you would like to live in the future. Would you like to have a house, a flat or a maybe even a mansion? Use your imagination as much as you can. Try to paint a vivid picture on what your house looks like and what it is like inside. My best friend. Write about your best friend and discuss some qualities or aspects that make him/ her your best life companion. Tell the story of how you met. My most memorable journey abroad. What was the most memorable experience when you went abroad? Are you fond of going overseas? When did that trip begin? What particular do you remember about your journey? Discuss advantages and disadvantages of it. The most striking memory of my life. Here you may tell either about a happy or sad memory of your life. Make sure you are comfortable reminiscing about that particular event regardless of how sad it was. The first time I fell in love. This is one of the most exciting descriptive essay topics. Writing on this topic is similar to reminiscing about your romantic feelings and other pleasant experiences that happened to you. The most memorable concert of my life. You have probably visited many concerts in your life but try to recollect which one you will remember for the whole life. My first experience using the Internet. If you represent the generation of millennials, this topic is perfect for you. If not, you can just focus on how the Internet helps you in everyday life. My favorite style of music. State what your favorite style of music is and what exactly you like about it. What feelings, emotions, and thoughts does that music arouse in you? How do you feel in moments when you cry? Please think of some experience when you cried out of joy. What feelings did you have? What made you feel that way? The career I dream of. Think of your dream career and why you would like to acquire it. Provide clear reasons and justifications. Your experience of plane flight. Many people are afraid to fly. Do you have the same feelings? What did you feel or what did you think about when you flied for the first time? The longest trip of my life. Not all people are fond of long journeys. When it comes to you, what was the longest trip of your life? A List of Descriptive Essay Topics in Traveling and Geography The most memorable cruise. Write about the most challenging or exciting cruise that you had in your life. What was the greatest about this experience? The most magnificent place in the world. Think of the most wonderful place on earth that you have visited or that you would like to visit. What makes it so special for you? Top 10 European destinations. Provide a list of the best ten destinations in Europe that you find most exciting. Provide examples of the places of sightseeing there. Top 5 attractive places in Asia. Describe five places in Asia that are most appealing to you. Provide the reasons why. Wonderful places of Australia and New Zealand. Have you ever been to Australia and New Zealand? If yes, what places have you made a visit to? If not, what do you know about these places and which of them you would like to see? Traveling in space. Would you ever have courage to travel in space? Do you think such experience are worth living? The beauty of the sky and nature. Can you spend hours sitting outside and looking at the starry sky? What makes you interested in observation of the sky? What are the benefits of becoming an astronaut? Have you ever wondered what are the advantages of being an astronaut? Expeditions. Have you ever wanted to go on an expedition? What about the pros and cons of going on an expedition to the Himalayas? Think of all the possible difficulties and excitements. Adventures in the mountains. How do you view adventures in the mountains? Would you go camping there? Have you ever had such an experience? What made it special? The mystery of Iceland. Do you know many facts about Iceland? Do you agree that this country is full of mysteries? The Northern Lights. Many people dream of seeing the Northern Lights with their own eyes. What about you? Are you mesmerized by them as well? The white nights of Canada. Have you ever been to Canada at the time of white nights? Have you ever heard of this phenomenon? Would you like to see it? Trip to Africa. If you had a chance would you like to visit Africa? Life on a ship. Is a profession of a seaman good for you? Would you be able to be away from home for a long time? Descriptive Essay Topics for College Students on History The legends about Julius Caesar. Do you consider this commander to be a remarkable and legendary man? What is so remarkable about Napoleon? Do you agree that Napoleon was a great achiever and that he managed to get what he wanted? The history of the Mayflower. Do you agree that the Mayflower voyage is one of the greatest in history? Why is it known worldwide as the voyage of hope? America’s War of Independence. How is this war regarded in the world and in the USA as such? The most crucial event in the history of America. What is the most important event in history particularly for you? What consequences does it have now in the present? Pearl Harbor. Do you agree that the tragedy of Pearl Harbor belongs to one of the most devastating battles in the history of the whole world? Great people in history. Who is the greatest person for you in the whole history? What makes him/ her particularly remarkable? Historical museums. Do you like visiting historical museums? Why (not)? Can you describe your own experience? History is repeating. Do you agree that history is repeating because people do not learn from its lessons? Pirates of the Caribbean. Do you think that lives of such pirates were interesting? Descriptive Essay Topics on Associations Recall a fairy tale from your early childhood. What was your most favorite one? Why? Your favorite season. Why? The day at school that you remember. Your favorite teacher. Why did he/ she influence you? Summer is most liked by people. What are the main reasons for it? What are your associations with winter holidays and Christmas? Childhood memories. What is the most memorable event for you from your childhood? Do you remember a day spent in the forest or at the seaside with your family? What did you do? What do you like most about the day? A great day with my relatives. My favorite animal or pet. If you could have a pet now, which one would you choose and why? Free Descriptive Essay to Read
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Scallop Facts
Scallop Facts Found in saltwater environments like the Atlantic Ocean, scallops are bivalved mollusks that can be found around the world. Unlike their relative the oyster, scallops are free-swimming mollusks that live inside a hinged shell. What most people recognize as a scallop is actually the creatures adductor muscle, which it uses to open and close its shell in order to propel itself through the water. There are more than 400 species of scallops; all are members of the Pectinidae family. Fast Facts: Scallops Scientific Name: PectinidaeCommon Name(s): Scallop, escallop, fan shell, or comb shellBasic Animal Group: InvertebrateSize: 1–6 inch valves (width of shell)Weight: Varies depending on speciesLifespan: Up to 20 yearsDiet: OmnivoreHabitat: Shallow marine habitats around the worldConservation Status: Varies depending on species Description Scallops are in the phylum Mollusca, a group of animals that also includes snails, sea slugs, octopuses, squid, clams, mussels, and oysters. Scallops are one of a group of mollusks known as bivalves. These animals have two hinged shells that are formed of calcium carbonate. Scallops have anywhere from 50 to 100 eyes that line their mantle. These eyes may be a brilliant blue color, and they allow the scallop to detect light, dark, and motion. They use their retinas to focus light, a job the cornea does in human eyes. Atlantic sea scallops can have very large shells, up to 9 inches in length. Bay scallops are smaller, growing to about 4 inches. The gender of Atlantic sea scallops can be distinguished. The females reproductive organs are red while the males are white. Bobby Ware/Getty Images Habitat and Range Scallops are found in saltwater environments worldwide, ranging from the intertidal zone to the deep sea. Most prefer beds of seagrass amid shallow sandy bottoms, although some attach themselves to rocks or other substrates. In the United States, two kinds of scallops are sold as food. Atlantic sea scallops, the larger kind, are harvested wild from the Canadian border to the mid-Atlantic and are found in shallow open waters. Smaller bay scallops are found in estuaries and bays from New Jersey to Florida. There are large scallop populations in the Sea of Japan, off the Pacific coast from Peru to Chile, and near Ireland and New Zealand. The majority of farmed scallops are from China. Diet Scallops eat by filtering small organisms such as krill, algae, and larvae from the water they inhabit. As water enters the scallop, mucus traps plankton in the water, and then cilia move the food into the scallops mouth. DEA PICTURE LIBRARY/De Agostini Picture Library/Getty Images Behavior Unlike other bivalves such as mussels and clams, most scallops are free-swimming. They swim by clapping their shells quickly using their highly developed adductor muscle, forcing a jet of water past the shell hinge, propelling the scallop forward. Theyre surprisingly speedy. Scallops swim by opening and closing their shells using their powerful adductor muscle. This muscle is the round, fleshy scallop that anyone who eats seafood will instantly recognize. The adductor muscle varies in color from white to beige. The Atlantic sea scallops adductor muscle may be as big as 2 inches in diameter. Reproduction Many scallops are hermaphrodites, which means that they have both male and female sex organs. Others are only male or female. Scallops reproduce by spawning, which is when organisms release eggs and sperm into the water. Once an egg is fertilized, the young scallop is planktonic before settling to the sea floor, attaching to an object with byssal threads. Most scallop species lose this byssus as they grow and become free-swimming.​ Conservation Status There are hundreds of species of scallops; in general, they are not endangered. In fact, according to NOAA: U.S. wild-caught Atlantic sea scallop is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations. Bivalves such as scallops, however, are threatened by ocean acidification, which affects the ability of these organisms to build strong shells. Species Scallops are marine bivalve mollusks of the family Pectinidae; the best-known are species of the genus Pecten. The family Pectinidae includes about 50 genera and subgenera and more than 400 species which live around the world. Scallop species vary in their habitats; while some prefer coastal areas and intertidal zones, others live deep under the ocean. All scallops are bivalves, and in most species, the two valves of the shell are fan-shaped. The two valves may be ribbed or smooth or even knobbed. Scallop shells vary radically in color; some are white while others are purple, orange, red, or yellow. Scallops and Humans Scallop shells are easily recognized and have been a symbol since ancient times. The fan-shaped shells have deep ridges, and two angular protrusions called auricles, one on either side of the shells hinge. Scallop shells range in color from drab and gray to vivid and multihued. Scallop shells are an emblem of St. James, who was a fisherman in Galilea before becoming an apostle. James is said to be buried at Santiago de Compostela in Spain, which became a shrine and pilgrimage site. Scallop shells mark the road to Santiago, and pilgrims often wear or carry scallop shells. The scallop shell is also the corporate symbol for the petrochemical giant Royal Dutch Shell. Scallops are also a major commercially harvested seafood; certain species (Placopecten magellanicus, Aequipecten irradians, and A. opercularis) are highly prized. The large adductor muscle is the part of the scallop that is typically cooked and eaten. Scallops are harvested around the world; the most productive scallop grounds are off the coast of Massachusetts and in the Bay of Fundy off the coast of Canada. Romona Robbins Photography/Getty Images Sources Foster, Kelli. Whats the Difference Between Bay Scallops and Sea Scallops? TheKitchn.com. 13 May 2016. Goff, Stanley. What Do Sea Scallops Eat Where Do They Live?​ ​Sciencing.com. ​25 April 2017.Madrigal, Alexis C. Did You Know Scallops Have *Eyes*? Me Neither, but Look. TheAtlantic.com. 28 March 2013.Ramos, Juan. What Exactly Are Scallops? ScienceTrends.com. 17 Jan. 2018.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Transformational Leadership Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Transformational Leadership - Dissertation Example          __________________ Date   Dean, School of Advanced Studies University of Phoenix Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Abstract 5 1.0. Introduction 8 Problem Statement 10 Purpose Statement 11 Significance of the Study 12 Nature of the Study 13 1.1.1.Design of the study 13 Justification for the chosen methodology 13 1.5.1 Characteristics of the sample 13 1.5.2. Data collection 14 1.5.3. Data analysis 14 Hypothesis/Research Questions 14 Theoretical Framework 15 1.1.2.Definitions of Terms 17 1.1.3.Assumptions 20 Scope of Study 21 1.1.4.Limitations 21 1.1.5.Delimitations 22 1.2.Summary 22 2.0. Chapter 2: Review of Literature 24 2.1. Historical Overview 24 2.1.1. Empowerment Through leadership 26 2.1.2. Leadership Development 31 2.1.3. Academic Achievement 37 2.2. Summary 47 3.0. CHAPTER 3: METHOD 49 3.1. Research Design 49 3.1.2. Appropriateness of Design 51 3.2. Research Questions 52 3.3. Population 53 3.4. Informed Consent 54 3.5. Sampling Frame 54 3.6. Data collection 54 3.6.1. Confidentiality 56 3.6.2. Geographic Location 56 3.6.3. Instrumentation 56 3.7. Data Analysis 57 3.7.1. Validity 58 3.7.2. Reliability 58 3.8. Summary 58 Reference 60 Abstract This study takes an in-depth look at transformational leadership and how effective this model of leadership is when implemented. The study is conducted in the context of Schools to explore how principals and the management achieve transformational leadership, how it is nurtured and developed and the benefits derived from implementing this model of leadership. The main aim of this study is to identify how transformational leadership has enhanced school teachers and administrators’ effectiveness in managing and improving schools through educational reforms and other improvement practices. The study identified that leadership in a schools is not much different from leadership in private sector companies and is thus very critical to the effectiveness of learning. One of the major problems identified in this study is lack of well developed leadership that could enable leaders to address the challenges that are currently faced at schools. Effective leadership as mentioned in this study is essential for the transformation of the organization and it is fundamental for driving the strategic and cultural plans that are used to enhance improvement in parental involvement, technology and academic achievement. This research has identified that transformational leadership is the most effective leadership model in guiding organizations through significant changes. The study has taken quantitative research approach focusing on public schools in the United States as the
Friday, October 18, 2019
Answer 6 question about deaf culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Answer 6 question about deaf culture - Essay Example Moreover, they recognize the deaf as a minority from a linguistic and a cultural perspective. In addition, they also consider sign language as the first and natural language for application for Deaf people. The pre-lingual deaf is in reference to an individual born Deaf or someone who lost the sense of hearing before they began learning to speak. On the other hand, the post-lingual deaf is in reference to an individual who becomes deaf after acquiring a spoken language. In the book†Train Go Sorry,†the author describes two observations regarding the implications of being deaf before or after acquiring a spoken language. The first observation indicates that there are some educators and parents who believe that children who are prelingualy deaf will never be able to develop speech and language skills in comparison to the children who are postlingually Deaf. This eventually leads to social isolation and minimizes their chance of getting a decent job. For example, when the doctor recommended 17 year old James for a cochlear implant, the consequent evaluation and recommendation was not good for several reasons. The first reason being that James’s deafness was caused by b acterial meningitis when he was at five years of age. Furthermore, after one and half of years of suffering from the illness, the inner ear developed a bony growth which inhibited the insertion of electrodes. The second reason being that James had a significant amount of residual hearing that enable him to benefit from the use of hearing aids. In the regard, the implication drawn was James disqualification as a deserving candidate for cochlear implant surgery. In retrospect, the cochlear implant is not necessarily an appropriate option for everyone. The second observation is that some educators, doctors, and parents believe that cochlear implant will allow the
Traditional Health Care (Culture Care) Practices Research Paper
Traditional Health Care (Culture Care) Practices - Research Paper Example Figures from the 2009 World Religious survey shows that 50.4% of Nigeria's population are Muslims, 48.2% are Christian (15% Protestant, 13.7% Catholic, and 19.6% other Christian), and followers of other religions are 1.4% (BBC News, 2007). These figures notwithstanding, it is evident that Nigerian, Muslims or Christians, have widespread belief in traditional African religious practices (BBC News, 2007). In fact, this belief system has a bearing on the way health and illness is perceived and treated in Nigeria. The richness and variety of Nigeria diet is well known. Different spices and herbs are used in the preparation of soups and sauces and this dominated by meat and/or fish. The use of spices and herbs in food is believed to prevent illnesses such as malaria. With a dysfunctional educational system, only 68% of the population is literate with the rate for men (75.7%) is higher than that for women (60.6%). A country ravaged by poverty and corruption, it has a very low gross domesti c product (GDP); however, it is considered a lower middle income country by the World Bank (World Bank, 2011). The low literacy rate and the very low GDP affect people’s perception of illness and access to medical facilities, respectively. The Nigerian society, like the rest of Africa and in most developing countries has a male-centered and male dominated culture (U.S. Department of State, 2009). This affects the way women are treated and regarded. Most often sick women such as widows and those without children are accused of witchcraft and molested. Definition and Traditional beliefs of Health and Illness in Nigeria Nigerians regards health as multidimensional and not merely the absence of disease. Health is regarded as the attainment of physical, mental, emotional and social well being (WHO, 2005). This definition, which concord with the World Health Organization’s definition, is not a trademark of Nigerian philosophy of good health but the traditional belief of most ancient civilizations. Illness, on the other hand is disharmony either in the physical, mental, emotional and social state of an individual. Thus it is common among Nigerian to view immoral and erratic behavior as a disease. Furthermore, traditional medicine in Nigeria attributes illnesses to spiritual imbalance. Such imbalance could be self-inflicted or the handiwork of the enemies. Thus illnesses, according to traditional medicine in Nigeria, have their origin in the spiritual world Traditional Methods of Maintaining, Protecting and Restoration of Health in Nigeria The traditional method of maintaining, protecting and restoring health in Nigeria is linked with the African Traditional Religion (ATR). This method is the sum total of practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and/or mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises applied singularly or in combination to maintain well-being, as well as to diagnose, prevent an d eliminate of physical, mental, or societal imbalance, and rely exclusively on practical experience and observation handed down from generation to generation, whether verbally or in writing (WHO, 2005). The knowledge and practices form part of ATR. As mentioned above, traditionally, Nigerians linked all
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Human Relations And Health Information Management Research Paper
Human Relations And Health Information Management - Research Paper Example Various studies have indicated that these tests are effective in making career-related decisions and are also accurate in providing correct results (Borgen & Betz, 2008; Capraro & Capraro, 2002; Garis & Niles, 1990). These tests have been taken for the purpose of this research paper and the findings are used to identify personality type and suitable career path in prospective employers. Personality Inventory The findings of SIGI3 inventory and its corroboration with MBTI test helped in understanding that my personality type is ESTJ which is an abbreviation of extroverted, sensing, thinking and judging (â€Å"Jung Test Results†, n.d). According to the output of the test, individuals with this personality type have administrative skills and they remain in touch with the external environment. Furthermore, they are very responsible and are named as the pillar of strength by the test. Findings of the SIGI3 test indicated that my personal values are the contribution to the society, high income, leadership, prestige, leisure, independence, and variety. All these values score above average in the field of health information management (SIGI3, 2013). ... findings related to personal interests, skills, and values with MBTI’s results indicated that my personality type is of figure that would assume responsibilities and is able to work in a team-based work environment effectively. In addition to that, I have strong analytical skills that are essential for health information management. My preferred job-related tasks would be the collection of information and deduce necessary trends out of it along with planning concerning numerical data. When examined with the help of SIGI3 preferred employment in the light of the test’s results and my current majors, it was found that my preferred career path would be in the health information administration.
How to stop data warehousing and mining before they become more Essay - 1
How to stop data warehousing and mining before they become more trouble than they are worth - Essay Example y service, promote efficient business operations and maintain the organizational productivity, avoiding disclosure of sensitive information and fraud and complying with the legislation. It is essential that the organizations understood the major principles of secure information systems implementation. Jeff Angus (2005) clearly demonstrates that the wrong and excessive security practices do nothing but harm the work, causing losses of money, time, and human labor, without providing the security the organization wanted to reach. He explains that very often the complexity of the initiatives overcomes the efforts, while there comes a moment when people and systems simply cannot cope with it, weakening the stability of system and protection. Angus points to the major error that can be committed by an organization concerned with its security: its concentration on â€Å"what might go wrong†instead of on â€Å"how to cope with the inevitable changes to their operations and business model†. While the organization spends money, energy and time overhead, it can be undercut by the changes in the market, so that it may lack the resources as a result. Mark Miller (2005) tries to highlight the reasons of the erroneous practices taking place. To his mind, the major problem is that computer security field is building â€Å"perpetual motion machines†, without distinguishing possible and impossible goals. Permanent frustration caused by such practices leads to the perception that â€Å"true computer security is impossible†, the breeches in protection are inevitable. This, Miller warns, may result in decrease of demand for the security information systems. First of all, Miller explains, it is necessary to understand that the security issue in the pattern of commerce cooperation is â€Å"how to safely obtain the benefits of interacting with the entities you do not trust†. It is also important to realize which of numerous and various models fits the best for achieving the purposes of the
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Encouraging University Freshmen to Perceive Writing Positively Essay
Encouraging University Freshmen to Perceive Writing Positively - Essay Example Though this is expected, hard working students find the subject interesting after attending a few classes. They use the available materials from such sources as Think Tank, WSIP, the library, as well as UITS to develop their skills, thus finding it easy to do the subject. On the other hand, those who do not put in enough effort find the subject tasking, thus developing a negative attitude towards the subject. This hinders the ability of such students to excel in the subject. Consequently, the overall performance of the student gets affected, as other subjects also require them to write assignments as part of their course work. Therefore, I urge you to maintain a positive attitude towards this particular subject as it defines part of your success story at the university. I joined the writing class without much knowledge on how to do good writing. I had problems with constructing logical sentence, and maintaining flow in my work. More to these, I had problems with clarity as most of my points were disorganized, which made it difficult to comprehend my writing. In addition to these, the tenses gave me a load of problems, which gives you enough reasons that I was once a pathetic writer. However, I believe a determined mind conquers any difficulty. Consequent to this belief, I purposed to improve in all these areas. I attended my lectures punctually, and paid attention to the lessons. More to these, I set time to practice my writing skills on a daily basis, leading to an improvement in four weeks.
How to stop data warehousing and mining before they become more Essay - 1
How to stop data warehousing and mining before they become more trouble than they are worth - Essay Example y service, promote efficient business operations and maintain the organizational productivity, avoiding disclosure of sensitive information and fraud and complying with the legislation. It is essential that the organizations understood the major principles of secure information systems implementation. Jeff Angus (2005) clearly demonstrates that the wrong and excessive security practices do nothing but harm the work, causing losses of money, time, and human labor, without providing the security the organization wanted to reach. He explains that very often the complexity of the initiatives overcomes the efforts, while there comes a moment when people and systems simply cannot cope with it, weakening the stability of system and protection. Angus points to the major error that can be committed by an organization concerned with its security: its concentration on â€Å"what might go wrong†instead of on â€Å"how to cope with the inevitable changes to their operations and business model†. While the organization spends money, energy and time overhead, it can be undercut by the changes in the market, so that it may lack the resources as a result. Mark Miller (2005) tries to highlight the reasons of the erroneous practices taking place. To his mind, the major problem is that computer security field is building â€Å"perpetual motion machines†, without distinguishing possible and impossible goals. Permanent frustration caused by such practices leads to the perception that â€Å"true computer security is impossible†, the breeches in protection are inevitable. This, Miller warns, may result in decrease of demand for the security information systems. First of all, Miller explains, it is necessary to understand that the security issue in the pattern of commerce cooperation is â€Å"how to safely obtain the benefits of interacting with the entities you do not trust†. It is also important to realize which of numerous and various models fits the best for achieving the purposes of the
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Public Relations Research Essay Example for Free
Public Relations Research Essay Education is a 501(C) 3 nonprofit corporation that exists to serve the shared interests of public agencies, businesses, teachers, community organization, and individuals disturbing or using environmental education (EE) materials and programs. It is a neutral and objective source of information related to EE in Colorado and a voice for EE’s important role in the balance between societal needs and environmental quality. As a statewide member organization, CAEE has over 850 members from across Colorado including teachers, students, information educators, public agency employers, and retirees. CAEE is a national leader in innovative, state-of-the-art approaches to statewide capacity building for EE resources. More than 500 organizations, engaging thousands of staff and volunteers, are providing EE programs and services. The organization faces two problems: 1) image awareness and 2) funding. The organization faces a lack of image awareness for the following reasons: 1) with the large number of diverse organizations and flexible staff and volunteer participants it is difficult to create a unified brand image; and 2) with a staff of from 2 to 4 members as the only consistent representatives for CAEE, their image tends to define CAEE. Therefore, the organization needs to create and communicate a consistent message for CAEE to enhance its image and increase members and partners with their one of their primary target audiences-K-12 educators. The CAEE has the following image/brand elements, but it needs a wider public and media exposure to generate image awareness. Current Brand Images: †¢ CAEE Logo, which is used on all advertisements and promotions †¢ CAEE is prominently displayed on its website and all e-mail addresses †¢ CAEE has a Facebook page CAEE’s positioning is weak, since many EE providers that are members of CAEE are often very involved, however, there is a major EE provider sector that is unaware of the benefits of CAEE’s services. In addition to the EE community, CAEE has not been effective in reaching those outside the EE community such as funders and legislators. The CAEE’s second problem is funding, since it continually struggles with a precarious financial situation. The major source of CAEE’s funding comes primarily from grants and corporate sponsorships. Therefore with a down turn in the economy CAEE’s funding. There are two cases that relate to the CAEE’s problems of image awareness and consistent corporate funding. They are both Cause Branding cases from Cone, Inc. I selected these case studies from Cone, Inc. , because it is a pioneer and leader in Cause Branding. They utilized extensive research, analysis, and strategy development. In 2010, Cone, Inc. conducted a Cause Evolution Study. In the study, they found that despite the downtown in the economy over the previous two years, nearly 64% of American companies responded well to the social and environmental issues that emerged during the recession. The following is an overview of their research findings: 83% of Americans wish more products, services, and retailers they use would support causes. 88% of consumers have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a cause they care about. 90% of consumers want companies to tell them the ways they are supporting causes. With respect to Cause Branding in specific industries, the study found that consumers are looking beyond the usual candidates, the ones the find on stores shelves to those with recognized environmental footprints such as the following industries.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Poor Nurse Patient Communication In Mental Health Setting Nursing Essay
Poor Nurse Patient Communication In Mental Health Setting Nursing Essay Communication is defined asthe imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions or information by speech, writing or signs. It is the tool which strengthens healthcare provider-patient relationship through which therapeutic goals are achieved (Park et al, 2006). Effective communication occurs when a desired effect is the result of information sharing, while poor communication leads to uncertainty and frustration. There are many situations where poor communication can lead to confusion. It includes not only building rapport but also leading to patients queries unanswered, discussing medical issues at patients bedside while ignoring them, talking harshly to patients etc. This can result in lack of support, disrespect and especially, harm to the patients. During my Mental Health Clinical at a private Hospital, I encountered a patient with diagnosis of Schizophrenia, and his Mental Status Examination (MSE) revealed that he had circumstantial ideas. I asked him a question and he talked irrelevantly about it. The nurse, who was listening to our conversation, scolded the patient saying why was he not answering relevantly. The nurses way of talking was very rebuking and lacked empathy. Upon getting scolded, the patient got aggressive and embarrassed, yet left silently. I visited the patient later, continued the MSE politely, and he answered me well. In my patients scenario, the nurse emotionally abused and demoted my patient rather than encouraging him. I believe this lowered my patients self-esteem and shattered him psychologically as evident by his gesture of leaving the room in silence due to aggression. Gadit (2011) states that verbal abuse can cause significant psychological problems in later years and brain damage. This means that skilled communication of a nurse helps a patient reduce his worries, making him comfortable. Moreover, patients verbalization of feelings and thoughts aids a nurse in correctly identifying his problems and performing interventions. Therapeutic communication holds importance as it contributes to a patients emotional growth or reinforce his or her illness. (Masilani, 2010, p.02). Thus, poor communication shatters the nurse-patients therapeutic relationship and acts as a barrier in expression of patients feelings which may lead to flawed nursing care. Nurses poor communication leaves a negative imag e in a patients mind regarding nurse and the institution, impacting greatly on his treatment. Patient would not express but build on feelings deep inside, which can lead to depression. My patient was not able to answer promptly due to his disease process. Through positive regard, assurance and encouragement, the nurse could have helped the patient. Instead the nurse demoted him and lowered his self-esteem. A model by Shanon and Weaver (1949) explains where the gap was formed. This model has 8 elements: source is an individual or a group that wants a message to be delivered ; encoder is the specified format for later interpretation; message is the idea that is being communicated; channel is the route that the message travels on; noise is any interference in the communication; decoder is the interpretation of the message from its original form into the one that the receiver understands; receiver is the intended recipient who takes in the message that the source has sent and feedback relates to the source whether their message has been received, interpreted correctly or lost in the noise. In the above scenario, I was the source who put the model into action. Encoding was my speech and expressions. I was doing the Mental Status Examination and it was my message. Noise was the nurse who interrupted and distorted my message. When the noise over rode the source, problem in the decoding occurr ed, leading the receiver to get aggressive and embarrassed. This gave the feedback that the message that was sent has got an error and needs to be revised. Building on the feedback, I gave patient sometime, and interacted with him later to continue his examination for his benefit Barriers to effective communication can impede or deform the message. There may be physical barriers that often occur due to the environment. Example of this is the shortage of staff, lack of time, increased workload, improper building etc. In the above scenario, the unit allotted for psychiatry was undersized and less spacious. Nurses and the patients were locked in the small unit, where they could easily listen to each others conversations. Second barrier can be the system fault. It refers to problems with the system in an organization. Examples include a lack of clarity in responsibilities, supervision and training. Keeping the scenario in mind, a nurse has the basic responsibility to practice empathy, as studies link empathy with therapeutic relationship (Reynolds Stewart, 2002; Neumann et al, 2012). Attitudinal barriers occur as a result of problems with staff. Examples include poor management, communication errors, personal attitudes of individual staff due to lack of motivati on and insufficient training etc. The above Private Hospital setup reflected that there was no supervision and the staff did not seem much competent. When looking into the socio cultural context, a news report reveals that mental health is the most neglected field in Pakistan (Qasim, 2012). In such conditions, if the communication flaws persist, a patients mental health is likely to be devastated. Another survey in Pakistan shows that patients satisfaction depends on a healthcare providers communication and behavior with them during their length of hospital stay (Danish, Khan, Chaudhry, Naseer, 2008). As psychiatric patients usually have repeated admissions and prolonged hospitalizations, therefore therapeutic communication can allow a nurse to deliver quality care to the patients, thus satisfying their needs. Moreover, departments of psychiatry in Pakistan are not well equipped specially in terms of psychiatric manpower (Gandit 2006). Literature emphasizes that swift pace and content is required in the field of research. Poor communication can be attributed to a number of factors. Lack of understanding, which includes value to proper communication and empathy in therapeutic relation, is one of the causes . Sometimes patient factors do not allow healthcare practitioner to communicate properly as it has been observed that harming behavior, emotional blocks and other psychotic symptoms do not allow nurses to continue therapeutic communication (Pfeiffer, 1998). It was also evident in my patients case that nurses communication can lower self-esteem and promote distress. Excessive poor communication of the nurses can lead to constant aggression and anxiety of communication, ultimately worsening patients mental health. To sustain a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship I would recommend that institutional management should arrange communication skill workshops for staff, as researches show that workshops help in improving nurses communication skills and their sense of preparedness (Lamiani Furey, 2009). The nursing supervisors should also identify the causes which hinder in communication. Moreover, nurses could reflect daily upon their communication skills, analyze the mistakes and try to work on it, as reflection is a powerful educational tool in nursing that can enhance clinical experience (Bradbury-Jones et al, 2009). They can also take ongoing feedbacks from colleagues and try to improve on their weak points. Since psychiatric patients have problems in communicating and forming relationships (Hem Heggen, 2003, p.102), therefore I would suggest that psychiatric nurses should have profound awareness of when to show empathy during communication. In my opinion medical and nursing students should focus on efficient communication while studying psychiatric course, so they can continue to practice it precisely. Furthermore, as discussed above, a barrier to effective communication is the lack of supervision. For that, ongoing rounds and evaluations should be done by the higher authorities to witness the exact situation and happenings, since it is noticed that in the supervision of the higher authorities, communication is more therapeutic. Thus, I recommend institutions to keep an eye on their staffs communication techniques in order to minimize negligence. In conclusion, nurses may commit errors but practice can make them perfect especially in a skill like communication. Thus, nurses must practice as much as possible and try reducing communication errors. As discussed, there are several causes and effects of poor communication especially in psychiatric nursing. But nurses should use themselves as a therapeutic instrument (Hem Heggen, 2003), so that they can help the psychiatric patients for their early recovery. Word Count: 1,342 Words
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Personal Narrative: Comparing a Relationship to a Fairy Tale :: essays research papers
Almost every little girl grew up on the fantasy stories of true love that lasts forever. I don’t know about true love, but I thought I had finally found the guy who could make me feel complete for a little while. I can still remember how I felt the first time I met him. I thought I had been dreaming, that the man in front of me wasn’t a real person. I thought it would never happen though, because of the absoulute fool I made out of myself the first time we met. As luck would have it though, before I even knew his name, one of his friends was trying to set us up. It was a shock for a girl like me that had never exactly been anyone’s first choice for a prospective girlfriend. The next month was probably the best month I had had in many years as I spent it talking with and spending time with this man that seemed far to perfect. He seemed to be the one I could share anything with, and he cared for me as he would try to cheer me up when he heard that I had been sick a nd injured. I couldn’t have asked for a better person in my life at that moment. At the end of the month he pulled me aside and asked if I would date him, and that’s when what I then thought would be a fantastic relationship started. Unfortunately, fate has a nastly habit of ripping happiness from unsuspecting victims. Not a week or so latter, every thing that could possibly have gone wrong in a relationship stated happening. At first it was just my discovering his old drinking problem that might not have been such ancient history, but that one issue planted doubt in my mind as I started to doubt if he was really as perfect as I thought. The next month was still a great month for our relationship, besides the problems that were arising and the doubt starting to form in my mind. In this time we even shared our first kiss, one of those foot popping moments that happen in movies that usually shows that everything in the relationship will work out. I now had some hope, but there was still doubt. In fairly tales, there is always some evil creature that is trying to sabotage the relationship between the two lovers, and there is an adventure that they both overcome and live happily ever after. Personal Narrative: Comparing a Relationship to a Fairy Tale :: essays research papers Almost every little girl grew up on the fantasy stories of true love that lasts forever. I don’t know about true love, but I thought I had finally found the guy who could make me feel complete for a little while. I can still remember how I felt the first time I met him. I thought I had been dreaming, that the man in front of me wasn’t a real person. I thought it would never happen though, because of the absoulute fool I made out of myself the first time we met. As luck would have it though, before I even knew his name, one of his friends was trying to set us up. It was a shock for a girl like me that had never exactly been anyone’s first choice for a prospective girlfriend. The next month was probably the best month I had had in many years as I spent it talking with and spending time with this man that seemed far to perfect. He seemed to be the one I could share anything with, and he cared for me as he would try to cheer me up when he heard that I had been sick a nd injured. I couldn’t have asked for a better person in my life at that moment. At the end of the month he pulled me aside and asked if I would date him, and that’s when what I then thought would be a fantastic relationship started. Unfortunately, fate has a nastly habit of ripping happiness from unsuspecting victims. Not a week or so latter, every thing that could possibly have gone wrong in a relationship stated happening. At first it was just my discovering his old drinking problem that might not have been such ancient history, but that one issue planted doubt in my mind as I started to doubt if he was really as perfect as I thought. The next month was still a great month for our relationship, besides the problems that were arising and the doubt starting to form in my mind. In this time we even shared our first kiss, one of those foot popping moments that happen in movies that usually shows that everything in the relationship will work out. I now had some hope, but there was still doubt. In fairly tales, there is always some evil creature that is trying to sabotage the relationship between the two lovers, and there is an adventure that they both overcome and live happily ever after.
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