Monday, September 30, 2019

Corporate Tax Act Essay

The resolution stipulated that any overpayment of salary disallowed as a deduction by the IRS would be repaid to the Osprey Corporation. In late 2010 during an audit by the IRS, $200,000 of Patrick’s compensation, and $150,000 of Dan’s compensation were recharacterized as constructive dividends. This was done because the salaries were found to be excessive. Reg  §1. 162-8 states excessive compensation will be disallowed to the corporation and treated as a constructive dividend to the shareholder. Because the agreement to the resolution was in place prior to their salary payments, the repayments were legally enforceable under state law. As stated by Hoffman, Raabe, Smith and Maloney â€Å"the constructive dividend serves as a substitute for actual distributions and is usually intended to accomplish some tax objective not available through the use of direct dividends. Alternatively the shareholders may be seeking benefits for themselves while avoiding the recognition of income†(2012, 5-16). Because the resolution did contain a repayment provision it should reduce the effect of the constructive dividends on Dan and Patrick. b. Issues A corporation cannot take a deduction from the constructive dividend, and the shareholder must report the amount of the constructive dividend on their tax return. The IRS will recharacterize an item that has been deducted on the corporate tax return to a non-deductible dividend. Constructive dividends are double taxed, first on the corporate level and again at the shareholder level. This characterization results in the IRS denial of the deduction on he corporate level. To determine how the repayment by Dan and Patrick should be treated for tax purposes we must determine whether the repayment can, or should be treated as a deduction or as a credit. c. Discussion In  §162, it states compensation is deductible only to the extent that it is reasonable and is in fact payment purely for services. In a case similar to Dan and Patrick’s sit uation involving excessive compensation, Vincent E. Oswald v. Commissioner, 49 T. C. 645 (1968), the court found the repayments to be a deductible expense. In this case the question was whether, â€Å"under section 162 of the Code, the officers are entitled to a business expense deduction for the calendar year 1968 for the salaries repaid by them to the corporation† (Vincent E. Oswald. 49 T. C. 645 (1968)). The Section 1. 162-1 of the Income Tax Regulations â€Å"provides, in part, that ordinary and necessary expenditures directly connected with or pertaining to the taxpayer’s trade or business are deductible from gross income as business expenses† (Rev. Rul. 69-115, 1969-1 CB 50 — IRC Sec(s). 162). According to the case, the court found that a deduction for ordinary and necessary business expenses would be allowed. If Dan and Patrick sought a credit for the repayment of the taxes, the relief provision contained in IRC section 1341 suggest that a taxpayer may reduce its current years tax by the amount of the extra taxes paid by having to include the income in a previous year. The requirement that a taxpayer be entitled to this deduction has two subsets. One, there must be a deduction as the result of the restoration of income, and two, the deduction must occur under a code section other than section 1341. In a federal case Van Cleave v.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Act of Manipulation Is to Control or Influence Someone

The act of manipulation is to control or influence someone or a situation. Throughout all of history there are many examples of manipulation enacted by a person in higher position. George Orwell captures the act of government manipulation in his literary work Nineteen Eighty-Four. The predominant type of manipulation in Nineteen Eighty-Four is psychological. The government uses brainwashing, fear of thought, and fear of the party to control the psychological state of society. George Orwell demonstrated the technique of brainwashing demonstrated throughout the whole novel.George Orwell introduces the reader to the idea of brainwashing when ‘Two Minutes of Hate,† a daily two-minute period is aired on large telescreens throughout the city and in every home. â€Å"Two Minutes of Hate† a strategy for brainwashing used by the party, presents the party’s greatest enemy. A terrible sound accompanies Goldstein’s image in order to trigger people’s feelin gs of frustration, and therefore sight of Goldstein becomes implanted in the brain associating the two senses with a negative concept, therefore allowing the government to control societies psychological feelings.Another example of brainwashing is evident when the party forces Winston, the main character, to face his fear of rats. Rats are used to intensify Winston’s fear forcing him to a point of breaking his spirit of independence. Winston surrenders and lets go of all his personal emotion. George Orwell explains how the use of brainwashing by the government has allowed them to convince society that 2+2=5. Government can psychologically control society by brainwashing the people.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Interview with an Older Adult

Virginia Western Community College Practical Nursing Program Spring 2013 NUR 135-PN Drug Dosage Calculation Review of Problem Areas Reconstitution of Non-injectable Solutions Prepare the following nutritional solutions for the designated time period. 1. Order: 1/2 strength Isomil 6 oz. p. o. q4h for 24 hours. How much formula and water will you use to prepare a 24-hour supply of feeding? 2. Order: 1/2 strength Ensure 8 oz via nasogastric tube to be given over 8 hrs. How much formula and water will you use to prepare this feeding? 3. Order:1/4 strength Jevity 300 mL via G-tube q6h.How much formula and water is needed to prepare enough feeding for your 8-hour shift? 4. Order: 400 mL of 1/4 strength Ensure over 6 hours via nasogastric tube. Supply: Ensure 240 mL cans. How much formula and water is needed to prepare this feeding? 5. Order: Irrigate wound with 50 mL of 1/2 strength hydrogen peroxide and normal saline q4h while awake. How much hydrogen peroxide and NS will you use to prepa re this solution for each treatment? 6. Order: 1/2 strength Ensure 16 ounces by gastrostomy tube over 4 hrs. Add ________mL of Ensure and ______mL of water to make the desired solution. 7. Order: 3/4 strength Sustacal 400 mL p. . q. i. d. Add _________mL of Sustacal and ______mL of water to make the desired solution. IV Calculations 1. Order: 500 mL NS IV to infuse @ 250 mL/hr. The IV tubing has a drop factor of 10 gtt/mL. You do not have an IV pump available. Calculate the drops per min you would set this IV to run. 2. Order: 1 L of O. 9% NaCl IV to infuse over 6 hours. You will use a microdrop set to administer the IV fluid. What is the flow rate in gtts/min? 3. Order: 1000 mL 0. 45% NaCl to infuse over 12 hours. At what flow rate will you set the infusion pump? 4. Order: Kefzol 1. 5 g IV PB diluted in 100 mL D5W to infuse in 20 min.You are using a 10 drop/mL set. What is the flow rate in gtt/min? 5. Order: Ancef 2 g in 100 mL D5W IVPB in 30 min to be administered by infusion pump . At what rate do you set the infusion pump? Pediatric Dosage 1. Order: Phenobarbital 45 mg p. o. b. i. d. Child’s weight 35 lb. Recommended dosage is 6 mg/kg/day q12h Supply dosage: Phenobarbital 50 mg/mL How many milliliters should be given per q12h dose? _________ 2. Gentamicin 45 mg IV q8h is ordered for a child weighing 45 lb. Recommended dosage is 6 to 7. 5 mg/kg/day in three divided dosages. The available supply of gentamicin is 100 mg/mL.How many mL of gentamicin should be given per dose? __________ 3. Order: Penicillin VK 56 mg/kg/day p. o. in 4 divided doses Child’s weight is 55 lbs. Available: Penicillin VK 125 mg/5 mL How many milliliters should be given per dose? _________ 4. Order: Rocephin 200 mg q8h p. o. Supply: Rocephin 500 mg/mL Recommended dosage is 75-150 mg/kg per day Child weighs 15. 4 lb Is this a safe order? If safe, how many milliliters should be given per dose? _________ 5. Order: SoluMedrol 1. 5 mg/kg is ordered for a child weighing 74. 8 lb s. Supply: SoluMedrol 125 mg/2 mL How many milliliters should the nurse administer? ________ Reconstitution of Injectable Solutions 1. Order: Kefurox 0. 75 g IV q12h Available: [pic] a. How many milliliters of diluent will you add to reconstitute the solution? _____ b. How many milliliters will you administer? _____ 2. Order: Ancef 0. 275 g IM q6h (See label below. ) a. Reconstitute with _______mL diluent b. What is the dosage strength of the prepared solution? _________ c. Give: ________ [pic] 3. Order: cefazolin 450 mg IM q. 8h (See label below. ) a. Reconstitute with ________mL diluent. b. What is the dosage strength of the prepared solution? __________ c. Give: _____________ pic] 4. Order: Penicillin G potassium 450,000 units IM at 7am Available: [pic] a. What is the total dosage strength of the vial? _____ b. Which concentration would be appropriate to mix for the ordered dose? _____ c. How much diluents must be added to make the appropriate concentration? _____ d. How many mil liliters will you administer? ________ Conversions 1. gr v = ________mg 2. 15 mg = gr ________ 3. 40 mg = gr ________ 4. gr 1/5 = _______ mg 5. gr 1/150 = _______ mg 6. 50 mg = gr ________ 7. 5 lbs 12 ounces = ______kg 8. 18 lb = ________kg 9. 24. 2 kg = ________ lb 10. 6 lb 4 oz = ________kg

Friday, September 27, 2019

Human Variation in Skin Colour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Variation in Skin Colour - Essay Example One of the reasons why the globe has been facing slow economic growth is as a result of racial discrimination or social exclusion on human capital formation and economic contribution. Skin color has been one of the major obstacles on human capital contribution. The discriminated population having no access to education, economic and political opportunities has largely contributed to their limitation to acquire capacity to develop human capital hence lowering the economic values. Persons across the world should stem racial discrimination based on skin color and inject their time to develop human knowledge and skills that will contribute to economic growth and development. Across the globe schools and institutions face racial discrimination; having standardized testing for instance, has largely contributed to discrimination based on skin color, it being the assessments in a learning institution, it highly favors students from a specific social cultural background, while those students from racial minorities groups score poorly. In addition, the minority groups of students are educated in a low-income society where they cannot afford to purchases books as those schools that are set in middle or high-income areas. As a result of discrimination, the schools are forced to use old text books which further aggravate the extant of socio-economic differential established with skin color racial institutional discrimination. Structural racism also accentuate most institutional provisions that are identified as exceptional to certain group of people who form the majority of the people in the regions, such as the absence of labour unions or weak voices of the labour unions and disorganized... This paper aims to focus on skin color variation and racial discrimination based on economic, institutional and power. Species differ in the degree of their variability; it is believed that the degree of variation is higher in human beings than other species. Skin pigmentation is determined by the presence of melanin in human being skinned, and the color of the skin ranges from black to white. It is not completely certain that evolutions contributes to skin variation, however, the variation of the natural skin color can be determined by genetic processes. According to scientists, the Sub-Saharan Africans have the highest skin color diversity, whereby, their values of skin reflectance range from19 to 46, while the values of Europeans are range within 62 to 69 and the East Asians range from 58 to 59. Schools and institutions face racial discrimination, having standardized testing for instance, has largely contributed to discrimination based on skin color, because it highly favors stude nts from a specific social cultural background, while students from minorities groups score poorly. In conclusion, the question of human pigmentation is one of supreme relevance and one that holds the key to answering fundamental questions about our existence and may hold the key to generating a cure for various human ailments. And with the advent of new technology, scientists are delving deeper into the mystery. With this is the erosion of various racial stereotypes and ingrained social assumptions as what can be categorized as beautiful.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Werewolves Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Werewolves - Essay Example The werewolves (though referred to differently from a place to another) were among such species of living creatures, which roamed the thick forests as well as within the dark of the nights and which, according to many societies, were very dangerous, and thus required to be avoided by human beings (Regel1-5). Communities and social groups developed legends, which would explain the existence of these werewolves, the manners to fight them and ways to kill them as they were seen to kill people. Many cultures in the past had much ascription to beliefs of existence of these beings (traces that are in existent even in the present day era). Despite the continued existence of these figures of werewolves within the fiction fields in the film industry, there is a real concern of the extinction of these werewolves as they were. Nevertheless, the existence of the Bigfoot, the Yeti as well as the Sasquatch in the 19th century raises concerns of whether this would point to the evolution of the trad itional werewolves; and in case, this would be the explanation to the evolution. The theory of natural selection and evolution as described by Charles Darwin has been pointed to be the most influential among other theoretical frameworks explaining the existence and extinction of living species. With cultural beliefs, cultural changes and superstitions being of important in explaining the cessation of the werewolves biological reality, the Darwinian evolution theory centered on natural selection and was thus equally central in this explanation. Nevertheless, the critics of such theories of evolution (as they are used in explaining the disappearance of these species werewolves) would have it that this theory does not hold essence in explaining the emergence of other scientific legitimate monsters as they are. History has it that the existence of werewolves could be traced quite far back though some

Trademark Dilution Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Trademark Dilution - Coursework Example A sobering statistic in as far as avdvertising and dilution are concerned is that ‘according to one estimate around 60 percent of all advertisements are at least indirectly comparative in the sense that it relates to another firm’s product’. This is a baffling statistic. It is easy to resign and say that dilution seems like a necessary part of successful advertising. But several countries are trying to sift through this mess so as to re-define the meaning of dilution even in this challenging context. The E.U seems to have led the way with a demarcation of advertising into misleading advertisisng and comparative advertisisng (Hackner, J. & Muren, A., 2004). There is the economic angle that is challenging to deal with. Without such laws, there will be rampant dilution which shall eventually in the companies that spend the most on product research stopping to do so but insead seeking to improve on their rivals products and therefore abandoning research altogether. One of the commonly agreed issues in this light is that dilution has little welfare goals in mind. Even more surprising however is that dilution offers little benefit to both the company using it and even the company on which it is targeted. This is under Bertrand competition. It even states that the profits and prices for both firms decrease. This might be the case but it might be designed to tame runaway leaders. By bringing their prices lower to the prices of similar products across the board, those using dilution might therefore be seeking to ‘level the playing field’. There has also been a laser like focus on dilution especially the fact that it seeks to bring lower quality goods to the level of higher quality goods. It is worth noting that the converse is also true. Dilution is also designed to lower the quality of the high quality goods. By close association with these ‘pretenders to the throne’, high quality goods can similarly be poorly

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Case And Statute Law. Robert and the Wooly Traders Essay

Case And Statute Law. Robert and the Wooly Traders - Essay Example In the case involving Robert and the Wooly Traders clothing wholesalers, this paper intends to analyze the position of Robert with regard to the contract for purchase of the coats. In the contract, Robert who is a clothing retailer places an order with WT, the clothing wholesaler to have fourteen superior all-weather coats supplied to his premises. The sheepskin coats order was placed in September which upon delivery, the whole bunch sold within a week. Nevertheless, the case states that a fortnight later after the entire sale, customers started returning the coats after a rain which made the coats to have a foul smell due to wetting. It was argued that the sheepskin used in the manufacture of the coats had not been well treated and that resulted to the fouls smell after the coats became wet. This made Robert to ask for a full refund over the business transaction with the Wooly Traders. However, clause 11 of the WT has a different opinion which is the stand of the wholesale traders. It states that unsatisfactory transaction with regard to unsatisfactory goods should be reported promptly within a limit of three days after the delivery, thus stating that the pass of three days without raising the complaint automatically stands as a binding proof of satisfaction. The company therefore refused to consent to the demand of Robert of full refund as a compensation for the faulty coats sold to him. Time inconsistency would be cited as the dominant feature within this case (Anderlini and Felli, 2008, p. 1-34). General reasoning compels Robert to demand for the refund because his merchandise was returned after the sale by the customers as a result of the defects seen. The returned coats would have implied that Robert assumed the responsibility to refund fully the customers over the returned coats. Therefore, Robert was equally entitled to full compensation by the wholesale traders. However, as a contract, the placed order between the WT traders and Robert had binding fram eworks and clauses among which the clause 11 had a time structure in determining the quality of the sold goods. Three days are what the contract is based on and thus any complaint rose after the three days after delivery would not be binding from the side of the wholesaler. Robert stands to lose on the case if the court would rule based on the eleventh clause. This is because as a contract, the two parties involved are entitled to abide with the consented to rules and guidelines. Robert has no defense because it would be assumed that he read and understood to the later the provisions of the clauses binding the contract. The guiding questions of fact to be relied upon by the court would be: Had WT made the contract clauses available to Robert before the consented to the contract and place the order? Had Robert read and comprehended the clauses of the contract before placing the order? After how many days did the complainant report the complaints? What is the proof of the complaints t hat the ship-skin coats were stinky when wet? Under the consideration of these questions, the court would be in a

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Critically assess whether the UK Supreme Court's approach to the use Essay

Critically assess whether the UK Supreme Court's approach to the use of Practice Statement 1966 should be more racial than that - Essay Example Thus, the House of Lords can depart from the previous decisions as well as the precedents that have been set previously, if it wishes to in circumstances where the precedents are either out of date or erroneous. This set a turning point in the judicial history of the United Kingdom. As the process of law development is one which is evolving continuously, scholars have discussed how the practice statement of 1966 can be used more radically. This study critically assesses whether the UK Supreme Court's approach to the use of the Practice Statement 1966 should be more radical than that of the House of Lords, in order to achieve reform of the law. Prior to understanding the various scenarios where the Practice Statement has been used, it is necessary to also understand certain terms that are used commonly with regard to it. The first one is rules of precedent. Precedent is the concept that any rule that has been established in an earlier case should be adhered to in cases that are simila r, so that similar cases should be given similar outcomes (Garner, 2009). It also means that inferior courts should stand by the decisions that have been made in a superior court. The other important terms include ratio decidendi and obiter dictum. Ratio decident translates to reason for the decision and obiter dictum translates to statements made by the way or in passing. These are two parts of a ruling made by the judge (Garner, 2009). Ratio Decidendi explains laws based on which any particular judgment has been made. During the process of judgment delivery, the judge is bound to explain the law and reason based on which he or she arrived at the particular ruling. These are included in the 'law report' and hence, it forms the 'basis of precedent'. Obiter dicta, which are the statements that have been passed by the way and hence they are not binding (Garner, 2009). For example, the discussion or speculations that are made by a judge on how his or her decision would change if the si tuations had been different fall under obiter dictum. While Obiter dictum is not binding, it is often used as a reference or persuasive agent in future cases. Before the Practice Statement was introduced in 1966, there were several instances where the House could not bring about a change from the precedent set because of the rigid stare decisis 'let the previous decision stay'. One such example is that of London Tramway Co Vs. London County Council (1898) (Erp, 2011). Regarding this matter, Lord Halsbury stated that once a decision has been made, it binds the House of Lords and all the other inferior courts. Halsbury said that, "I am therefore of opinion that in this case it is not competent for us to rehear and for counsel to reargue a question which has been recently decided." (Erp, 2011, 12) An important aspect to remember with regard to the Practice Statement of 1966 is that the decisions that have been made by the highest body (earlier the House of Lords and now the Supreme cou rt) are binding to all the other courts that come below it. In addition, the decision that have been made by the Supreme court also are binding on itself - however, the Practice statement has enabled it to depart from the previous decisions depending on the particular situations (McLeod, 2011) Practice Statement of 1966 has been used many times, but there are two main cases through which the use of Practice Statement of 1966 can be illustrated. The first major case is that of Herrington Vs. British Railways Board in 1972. In this case, the house

Monday, September 23, 2019

Participate in work environment (childcare) Essay

Participate in work environment (childcare) - Essay Example This exposure has helped me adjust to different personalities to achieve harmony in my relationships. 2. rapport-building skills – in relation to the first skill, I have learned to build rapport with people when I meet them for the first time. With children, I have also learned of strategies to help them feel at ease with me and new situations. - upon learning of the information, I shall disclose it to the trained child worker right away. If the center’s policy is for Aunty Sue to show proper identification, then it has to be validated by the authorized supervisor What would your response be to these three problems? Use the problem-solving steps from the unit to assist you in answering these problems. Refer to Summerville Children’s Centre policies and procedures. (a) We have had three parents collect their children after closing this month. All have been about 20 mins late. Late shift staff are getting tired of the unpaid overtime and the ramifications for their night when they are now late for their after-work roles. First, I need to consider the facts. There have been instances of parents picking up their children late form the centre, causing some staff to extend their time at work just to watch the children. The children are likewise upset for being the only ones left in the centre. Such a situation is undesirable and needs to be addressed and resolved. Much as I understand that there are times parents will be late, it is unacceptable to make it a habit. I will explain the situation to the tardy parents and recommend that in the next likely event that they will be late, they should inform the centre beforehand so the staff in charge will be able to plan an alternative schedule. The staff worker may agree to wait for a certain period. If the parent will not come on time, then that will be a point against him or her and the centre will warn the parent that enrolment privileges of the child may be revoked due to habitual tardiness

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Dangers in the Environment Essay Example for Free

Dangers in the Environment Essay The Dangers within the Environment are affecting our health to means that we wouldn’t believe. We destroy our planets ozone that affects and causes global warming. The pesticides, mercury and carbon dioxide that we release into the environment cause so many health problems to use and our children. It actually affects our children’s health more than it does to use. How can we do this to our environment knowing that it affects our health more and more. Dangers with in our Environment The dangers within the environment that affect our health are increasing day by day. The first thing that is we are doing to the environment is destroying our ozone layer. We are destroying the ozone layer by greenhouse gases. The way we treat our planet is going to affect our health and maybe even kill us because of the toxins and pollutants that we release into our environment. Certain types of pollutants that we release into the environment can cause us to have several complications with our health. The pesticides, mercury and carbon dioxide that we release into the environment cause so many health problems to use and our children. It is not hard to see what we are doing to our planet on a daily basis. There is so much research that shows how much even low level of air pollution affects our health. Carbon dioxide is what we breathe out of our lungs when exhaling. Carbon dioxide is released while we are driving our motor vehicles, using our lawn mowers, and etc. For the one gallon of gasoline that is used in our machines it causes 19. of carbon dioxide to distribute into our environment. Trees absorb the carbon dioxide from the air but if the tree is cut down, burned, or dies then the carbon dioxide will not be absorbed up. When a tree slowly rots then the carbon dioxide is slowly released back into the environment. The pesticides that are toxic to our health and our environment are chemical pesticides. The chemical pesticides that is more dangerous to be farmers, their family members, and other people who use the chemical pesticides. The pesticides are released into the air that we breathe in. The pesticides are left on the produce that they are sprayed on and then remain on the inside of the produce. The pesticides can be rinsed off, but they also can run off into springs, and large bodies of water. In which the pesticides can contaminate our water supply. In the world today everyone is at risk for simple reason that we are destroying our planet. Our world is at a total disaster at how we treat it and take care of it. Individuals that live in the world are at risk form pollutants and toxins that are in the environment that we breathe on a daily basis. The pesticides, mercury and carbon dioxide that we release into the environment cause so many health problems to use and our children. We need to take better care of our environment and worry about our health. People do not care about their health because if they did then they will not smoke cigarettes that affect their health and our environment. If we would save from driving all over the place in our vehicles when you could ride a bike or walk. It could help save our environment from pollutants being disbursed into the air that we breathe.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Threat Analysis and Risk assessment

Threat Analysis and Risk assessment Case articulation Staysure.co.uk Ltd specialises in insurance and financial services in the UK and Europe. It was formed in 2004 to provide travel insurance and expanded further to provide home, motor, health and life insurance along with some insurance products. In October 2013 Staysure.co.uk faced a security breach wherein over 100,00 live credit card details along with other personal details of the customers were compromised. This security breach affected 7% of the customers who had purchased insurance from Staysure before May 2012. Before May 2012 the firm stored the card numbers of the customers along with the CVV numbers and other personal details like customer name and addresses. The card details were encrypted but the CVV numbers were fed as plain text into the database even though the card security details should not have been stored at all according to the industry rules. The chief executive of the company said that these details were stored in the system to help customers in their renewal process. After May 2012 the company ceased storing these details. The server on which the website server was based had a software vulnerability and even though a software patch was published in 2010 and 2013 the data controller failed to update software both the times due to lack of formal process to review and apply software updates. The failure to update the database software and the security flaws in the IT security system made the company very vulnerable to a cyber-attack. The security flaws in the companys JBoss Application web server were exploited between 14th and 28th October 2013. The attacker used the vulnerability in the application server to inject a malicious JavaScript code called JSPSpy on the firms website. JSPSpy enabled the attackers to remotely view and modify the source code of the website and query the database containing the details of the customers. It also let the attackers open a command shell allowing them to remotely execute privileged operating system commands. The attackers specifically targeted and downloaded the payment card details. Even though the card numbers were encrypted the attackers were able to identify the keys used in the encryption and hence could decrypt the card numbers. At the time of the attack the database contained a total of 110,096 live card details, which were at a risk of being accessed and used in fraudulent transactions. The firm became aware of the attack on 14th November 2013 and immediately hired in dependent forensic data experts and wrote to 93,389 affected customers, to make them aware of the attack. The company also offered the affected customers free access to Data Patrol, which is an identity fraud monitoring service. After the attack Staysure was fined with an amount of  £175,00 by the   ICO since the company did not comply to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) , which is a standard administered by PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) to increase payment card security and decrease the transaction frauds over the internet. References: http://www.itgovernance.co.uk/blog/staysure-fails-to-comply-with-the-pci-dss-and-is-fined-175000-by-the-ico/ http://www.insurancetimes.co.uk/broker-fined-175000-by-information-watchdog-after-cyber-criminals-raid-customer-records/1411917.article http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/21002/cyber-crime/staysure-hacked.html https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/news-and-events/news-and-blogs/2015/02/ico-fines-insurance-firm-after-hacked-card-details-used-for-fraud/ http://www.insuranceage.co.uk/insurance-age/news/2396976/staysure-fined-gbp175k-for-it-security-failings http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2321017/staysure-travel-insurer-admits-to-credit-card-theft http://trainsure.com/news-posts/insurance-times-reports-another-cyber-attack/ http://www.moneywise.co.uk/news/2014-01-06/staysure-insurance-customer-data-stolen-hackers http://www.computerworlduk.com/it-vendors/travel-insurer-reveals-almost-100000-customer-details-in-cyber-attack-3495625/ Threat Analysis and Risk assessment The purpose of threat analysis and risk assessment is to maximize the protection of the three main pillars of security namely confidentiality, Integrity and Accessibility while still providing usability and functionality. A Risk to any organization or an individual is an interactive relationship of threat, asset and vulnerability. The various levels of risk can be represented as the product of the impact and probability (likelihood). Quantitative Measure Qualitattive Measure Description 5 High A high level risk can occur frequently and can have a drastic effect on the organization. Sever measures will be needed in order to mitigate a high level risk. 4 Medium High A medium high risk can occur/recur with high probability but might not persist. If it occurs the organization can have a significant or sever effect. 3 Medium A medium level risk is likely to occur   under many circumstances and if a medium level attack occurs it can have moderate to severe effects on the organization. 2 Low Medium A low medium risk can be considered when the organization will have a minor or moderate impact as a result of an attack. A low medium risk can occur occasionally or might not occur at all and can be mitigated easily. 1 Low The risk is considered to be low when the likelihood of an attack on an entity is low and the impact of the attack on the entity is negligible or minor. Low risks will never or rarely happen and can be mitigated easily. Table 1: Risk Rating Scale Figure1. Figure 1 shows a risk matrix which represents the various levels of risk. A vulnerability is a weakness in the system that can be exploited by an attacker or can be unintentionally triggered by a person within the organization. The likelihood is the possibility that any vulnerability will be taken advantage of or the vulnerability will be triggered by someone unintentionally. The likelihood is related to attackers intent, attackers ability and attackers target. If a certain vulnerability is exploited the impact on an organization can be expressed in terms like Negligible, Minor, Moderate, Significant, Severe. The table below shows a risk assessment architecture for Staysure.co.uk. The Firm had several security flaws in the system, which the attackers exploited to gain access to customer information. Asset Threat Vulnerability Threat Actor Threat vector Consequences Likeli hood Impact Risk Customer Personal details Can be assessed and manipulated The database had no security procedure in place hence the data was highly accessible. Hackers or a person within the organization (insider). Gaining access to the database by getting access to the webserver or SQL injections. Personal   details of the employees like name, address, phone can be accessed and used or even modified. Possible (3/5) Significant (4/5) Medium High Company website Source code of the website can be modified and malicious code can be injected and made to run on the browser (Cross site scripting). Cross site scripting can be performed on the website if security measures are not taken care of while developing the website. Hackers or an insider. Web pages Malicious code can be injected into the web pages thus allowing access to the web server and the database. Very Likely (5/5) Severe   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   (5/5) High Data controllers system No intrusion detection system. A system with no proper security measures can be easily penetrated. Hackers or an insider trying to get unauthorized access. Backdoor created in the web server. Getting access to the data controllers system enables the threat actor to execute Privileged operating system commands Very likely (5/5) Severe (5/5) High Financial card details Storing financial data incorrectly. Unencrypted card details stored in the database Hackers or an insider trying to get unauthorized access. Web site source code can be used to query the database Card details can be used to make fraudulent transaction and cloning. Very likely (5/5) Severe (5/5) High Encryption key Encryption algorithms   can be used to calculate the encryption key Simple encryption algorithm used to form an encryption key. Hackers or an insider. Reverse engineering. If the encryption key is compromised all the encrypted data can be decrypted. Possible (3/5) Severe (5/5) Medium High CVV number Storing CVV numbers in the database is a high risk. CVV numbers if not encrypted can be easily read if the attacker gets access to the database. Hackers or an insider. Web site source code can be used to query the database for CVV numbers. CVV numbers can be used to prove authentication while doing online transactions. Very likely (5/5) Severe (5/5) High JBoss Application Server Unpatched and out of date softwares and no intrusion detection system Scripts can be uploaded to the server which when executed gives remote administration access to the server. Hackers or an unauthorised insider. Backdoors created on the server via malicious script. Once administration access is acquired on the server various admin activities can be initiated and the hosted web servers can be accessed. Likely (4/5) Severe (5/5) High Database Database injections and unmanaged data The data in the database can highly vulnerable to SQL injections and can be highly inconsistent. Hackers SQL injections Data can be erased and stolen from the database and used in a fraudulent manner. Likely (4/5) Severe (5/5) High https://www.towergateinsurance.co.uk/liability-insurance/smes-and-cyber-attacks remove later http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/how-to-prevent-cross-site-scripting-attacks/ remove later Security Architecture Figure: 2 Figure 2 shows security architecture for Staysure during the time of the attack Security Recommendations Staysure.co.uk had no security policies in place which can be sited as the base for the cyber-attack. Being an insurance company and holding personal records of millions of customers the company should have had security procedures in place. It is important that the employees of a company are trained and made aware of the importance of information data security. The fact that the attackers took advantage of the software vulnerability in the JBoss application server even though there were patches available to fix the vulnerabilities shows the ignorance of the data controller towards information security. Table 2 lists security recommendations which would have prevented the attack. Security Recommendations Descriptions Security policies Security policies is an integral part of any organization. Staysure being an insurance company and handling millions of customer records should have had strict company security policies which could have prevented the attack. Security training and awareness The employees of Staysure were clearly not aware of the importance of data security and management. The employees should have been provided good data security and data management training and made aware of information security. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) add appendix When an organization handles personal records of customers it is necessary that the organization follows certain industry standards for data storage. According to PCI DSS the CVV numbers should not have been stored in the database. If the standards were followed the attack would not have a major impact. Data storage and data security Data storage has both physical and logical security aspects.   The logical aspect being data authorization, authentication and encryption. The physical aspects include the place in which the servers are placed, it should be safe from heat-waves, power fluctuations and other physical elements. In case of Staysure the payment card details and the CVV numbers should have been encrypted with a strong encryption algorithm from the very beginning and the database server should have had an intrusion detection and prevention system which would have prevented access to the database. Patch management Unpatched systems and softwares pose a big threat to an organization. The most efficient way to shield from attacks is to have patch management procedure to make sure that all the systems and softwares are patched on regular basis. If Staysure had patched the vulnerabilities in the Jboss application server and software, the attackers would not have been able to exploit the vulnerability. DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) The servers that are faced towards the public should be kept in the DMZ, so that they can be separated from the private network. If a malicious party gains access to the server, he will be isolated in the DMZ and will not be able to attack the private network. If Staysure had a DMZ the attackers would not be able to access data on the private network. Encryption Encrypting any valuable information of customers is necessary in order to protect customer data from being accessible and using a strong encryption key is vital to serve the purpose of encryption. The data controller should have had made sure to encrypt the CVV and the card number and should have used a strong encryption key. IDS Staysure should have had Intrusion detection systems   so that the intrusion by the attacker could have been detected and would alert the authorities thus preventing high impact Firewalls Prevention of human errors http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSTFWG_4.3.1/com.ibm.tivoli.itcm.doc/CMPMmst20.htm patch management policy. High level security diagram to prevent attacks

Friday, September 20, 2019

Improvements In Life Expectancy India Health And Social Care Essay

Improvements In Life Expectancy India Health And Social Care Essay Life expectancy of Indians during the past fifty years has been steadily increasing exponentially matching the trend that took several hundred years shown in Developed countries. 23Some of the possible reasons for such exponential rises gained by Indians in years are controlling deaths caused by epidemics and pandemic infectious diseases, and absence of famines or wars since Indias independence. The high death rates due to infectious diseases were dramatically curtailed due to availability of antibiotics and further with introduction of Universal Immunization program. This was followed by improved living conditions, advances in public health, and availability of advanced medical interventions. Figure.1: Improvements in Life Expectancy-India (1960-2009) Source: The World Bank Group  [4]   Results from estimates of World Bank indicate that India has share of her good and bad news. The good news so far has been that Life expectancy is increasing until now and bad news is whether such rate of increase can be maintained over next few decades. Currently India has excellent health service delivery mechanisms, which are efficient in extending the lives of her people by treating chronic conditions and cancer. However, the question is whether such improvements in technology are addressed only to cure ailing population or can India address preventive programs aimed at decreasing the burden of obesity and chronic conditions. Hence, the next big threat to Life Expectancy improvements appears to be stemming from obesity and chronic diseases in middle and old age, which are directly linked to an increased risk for death and morbidity. Attempts to predict life expectancy of Indian population, in terms of whether it is improving or getting worse becomes even more intricate in the absence of scientific data available for such evaluations. Figure 2. Observed and Projected composition of age-groups for Indians (1960 to 2010). Evidence from studies indicates that obesity and overweight in adulthood are associated with large decreases in life expectancy and increases in early mortality.  [5]  678This paper aims at explaining the intricacies involved in the interplay of obesity and old age in their impact on Life expectancy. Challenges in measuring the effects of Obesity and Old Age on Life expectancy Ice-berg phenomenon The health risks of obesity in the elderly are mostly underestimated due to survivor bias seen in the elderly people (only those who have survived fatal effects of obesity and chronic diseases), inability to separate competing mortalities due to relatively shortened life expectancy in older persons and longitudinal effects of confounding conditions (eg., smoking) are difficult to measure.  [9]   Definition of Obesity in Elderly The appropriateness of definition of obesity in the elderly is a debatable issue. Obesity should be defined as the amount of excess fat storage associated with elevated health risk. For this practical definition, Body Mass Index (BMI) has been largely used in younger adults as well in older ages. BMI gets altered in old age due to age-dependent changes in numerator and denominator in calculation. Several studies have shown that there is age-related decline in height, probably because of spinal deformity with thinning of the inter-vertebral discs as well as loss of vertebral body height due to osteoporosis. Hence, age-dependent height decrease leads to incorrect overestimation of obesity. Body weight in old people reflects a higher amount of total fat because of age-dependent loss of lean body mass. This may lead to underestimation of obesity as a result of increase and redistribution of fat inside the body. Hence, aging influences both numerator and denominator of BMI, in opposite di rections. Further, larger waist and waist-to-hip ratio have found to be significantly associated with mortality in older subjects, whilst BMI was not. The higher the age, the shorter is the remaining lifespan for persons regardless of degree of obesity. Most obesity related consequences take years to develop even among susceptible population; hence, obesity related complications in old age are not seen if susceptible die of non-obesity-related conditions. It is observed that weight change, both weight loss and weight gain, is a strong predictor of mortality. Further, many studies showed lower mortality in subjects with lower BMI, or at least a U-shaped relation between BMI and mortality. The underlying diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer can result in spurious inverse relation between low body weight and increased mortality.  [10]   Interaction of Obesity, Old Age and their toll on Life Expectancy Weight gain or fat redistribution in older age confers adverse health risks in the form of early mortality and co-morbidities amounting to functional decline. Obesity has been recognized to be associated with several disorders that confer morbidity and may also be related to increased mortality. Obesity, and more importantly body fat distribution are associated with metabolic syndrome even in old ages.  [11]  There is higher prevalence of both systemic and pulmonary hypertension and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality in old age, especially among those with pulmonary complications and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).  [12]   Role of Smoking There is stronger evidence that smoking plays an important role in the interaction of obesity and old age. It is well known that smokers are thinner and have an elevated mortality compared with nonsmokers. However, when only people who never smoked were studied, there is an observed linear relation between BMI and mortality among older subjects, suggesting that increased mortality associated with the lowest weights were a function of cigarette smoking, and that, among never-smokers, very low weights were associated with the greatest longevity. Summary The steady rise in life expectancy observed in the modern era may soon come to an end and the youth of today may, on average, live less healthy and possibly even have shorter lives than their parents. There are many challenges to delineate the association between obesity and mortality in the elderly. Since confounding effects by different variables in this association accumulate over the lifetime, it is difficult to accurately measure and account for these factors. Mortality is not the only end point that should be considered in the evaluation of the impact of overweight and obesity on health status in older people. There is increasing evidence that obesity is reduces life expectancy due to direct and indirect causes. Obesity will not only increases the risk of death for most people at most ages, but also consistently leads to a much higher level of disability and disease at all ages. Voluntary weight loss may have beneficial health effects in elderly similar to the effects in young age. Studies on the effect of weight loss in the elderly are scarce, but they suggest that even small amounts of weight loss (between 5 to 10% of initial body weight) may be beneficial. It is well known that increased physical exercise is associated with decreased mortality risk in middle-aged as well as in older people.  [13]   India is surpassing through dual burden of diseases and consequences of obesity might take a greater toll. Hence policy makers should focus on promoting prevention and treatment of obesity related conditions, especially among old age. Based on priorities in public health expenditure, the country can effectively implement population-level interventions to reduce obesity. Health care providers should engage in complete evaluation of co morbidity and weight history, in the elderly obese persons to comprehensively address potential adverse health effects of o obesity.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Genghis Khan Essay -- Biography History Khan Essays

Genghis Khan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Arriving in this world with a blood clot in the palm of his hand , Genghis Khan was destined to be a hero. In 1167, Genghis Khan was born to Yisugei, Chieftain of the Kiyat-Borjigid, and his wife Ho’elun. He was named Temujin (which means blacksmith) after a Tatar Chieftain his father had just captured. As a young boy, Temujin experienced many hardships after his father was poisoned by a group of Tartars. This loss of their leader caused the Kiyat tribe to scatter, leaving Temujin and his family alone. Yet, with much will power and determination Temujin developed into an intelligent, brave warrior at an early age.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1189, when Temujin was 22, he was elected new leader of the Kiyat tribe. His rise to power came when a rival clan, the Merkit, captured his wife, Borte. The Khan of the Kereit tribe, Toghril, helped him by providing him with 20,000 soldiers. Also, Jamuka, a childhood friend provided an army. With their help Temujin destroyed the Merkit tribe. Soon after this victory his allies abandoned him and plundered his property, but he ‘tactfully’ captured them, taking their men and turning them into his soldiers and servants.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This victory laid the foundation for his rise to power. He started taking over other clans one by one. Eventually his alliance with Toghril dissipated and he also took over the powerful Keriet tribe. This event caused him to be in direct competition for ruling power with his former ally Jamuka. Many of Jamuka’s...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Essay -- Ken Kesey Flew Ov

Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Ken Kesey's use of symbolism in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest transforms the novel and the hospital within the novel a microcosm of society, a battle between the sane and insane, the conformist and the non-conformist. Randle McMurphy's arrival influenced the lives of almost every person, whether patient or employee. Whether or not his motives and actions were moral or good-hearted is difficult to conclude, however. On one hand, he undoubtedly saved the patients from losing their souls, so to speak, to Nurse Ratched and her ward. Without him, they would not have been able to stand up for themselves or grow a sense of self-appreciation and competence. On the other hand, there was a price to pay for these freedoms. McMurphy's and Billy Bibbit's deaths showed just how much control The Big Nurse had on her patients. The role each character plays in this showdown symbolizes the realistic confrontations between the mentally unstable and the rest of society that has been going on for centu ries. Randle Patrick McMurphy is a powerful, intelligent man, a true non-conformist. He comes to the mental institution to avoid the tedious work forced upon him at the prison he was assigned to. His playful, jolly attitude towards the patients surprises them since they have not seen such contention since they came to the ward. It is obvious from the beginning of the novel as to McMurphy?s most superficial motives. He is a con man, constantly making bets with naà ¯ve, mentally ill men. The fact that he never tries to outsmart or cheat them, however, makes him respected and admired by the patients. McMurphy?s tattoo, a poker hand with ace?s and eight?s, the ?dead man?s hand?, symbolizes both his obsession with gambling and his eventual death. Despite his consistent attempts to make a profit, McMurphy?s main concern is the welfare of his new friends in the hospital. He sees how they can no longer think for themselves or demand their civil rights. Even beyond that, he cannot fathom the fact that many of the patients voluntarily checked themselves into the ward, and may leave at any time. McMurphy starts out as somewhat conceited and self-absorbed. As the novel progresses, he becomes a role model for the other patients, showing them how to take control of their own destinies and rebelling against the overwhelming power of the ?Combin... ...ever, Ratched seems to accept it and sets out to beat him. In the end, Ratched does win by giving McMurphy a lobotomy. This perhaps symbolizes the thousands of deaths of men and women rebelling against the system, doing whatever it takes to win their freedom. Nurse Ratched symbolizes several different things. First and foremost, she portrays the control of society over what is normal and acceptable. Any resistance to this order will be ?fixed?, using any means necessary to force him to concede. She also represents the views of the author on women. A consistent theme of misogyny exists throughout the novel. Women are seen as either submissive prostitutes or controlling ogres. Whether it be Chief Bromden?s cutthroat mother, the Big Nurse, or Candy, women are never seen as equals to men or even remotely affable. McMurphy and Nurse Ratched go through a finely crafted and strategic battle of good against evil, man against woman, the individual against society. Although it seems that the individual will never beat society, the sacrifices made by brave people like McMurphy are never forgotten. Works Cited: Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. London: Pan, 1973.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Cell Phones in the Hands of Drivers: a Risk or Benefit? Essay

Cell Phones in the Hands of Drivers A Risk or a Benefit Ariana Laguna English 102 Professor Barnes/Walter 10 December 2012 Outline THESIS: Unless the risks of cell phones are shown to outweigh the benefits, we should not restrict their use in moving vehicles: instead, we should educate the public about the dangers of driving while phoning and prosecute irresponsible phone users under laws on negligent and reckless driving. I. Scientific studies haven’t proved a link between use of cell phones and traffic accidents. A. A study by Redelmeier and Tibshirani was not conclusive, as the researchers themselves have admitted. B. Most states do not keep records on accidents caused by driver distractions. C. In a survey of research on cell phones and driving. Cain and Burris report that results so far have been inconclusive. II. The Risks of using cell phones while driving should be weighed against the benefits. A. At the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, researchers found that the risks of driving while phoning were small compared with other driving risks. B. There are safety, business, and personal benefits to using cell phones on the road. III. We need to educate drivers on using cell phone responsibly and enforce laws on negligent and reckless driving. A. Educating drivers can work B. It is possible to enforce laws against negligent and reckless driving; in states that do not do an adequate job of enforcement, the pueblo can lobby for improvement. Cell Phones in the Hands of Drivers: A Risk or Benefit? As of 2000, there were about ninety million cell phone users in the United States, with 85% of them using their phones while on the Road (Sundeen !). Because of evidence that cell phones impair drivers by distraction them, some states have considered laws restricting their use in moving vehicles. Proponents of legislation correctly point out those using phones while driving can be dangerous. The extent of the danger, however, is a matter of debate, and the benefits may outweigh the risks. Unless the risks of cell phones are shown to outweigh the benefits, we should not restrict their use in moving vehicles. Instead, we should educate the public about the dangers of driving while phoning and prosecute irresponsible phone seers under the laws on negligent and reckless driving. Assessing the risks We have all heard horror stories about distracted drivers chatting on their cell phone. For example, in a letter to the editor, Anthony Ambrose describes being passed by another driver â€Å"who was holding a Styrofoam cup and a cigarette in one hand, and a cellular telephone in the other, and who had what appeared to be a newspaper balanced on the steering wheel- all at approximately 70 miles per hour† (128). Another driver, Peter Cohen, says that after he was rear-ended, the guilty party emerged from his vehicle still talking on the phone (127). Admittedly, some drivers do use their cell phones irresponsibly. The dangers are real, but how extensive are they? To date there have been a few scientific reports on the relation between cell phone use and traffic accidents. In 1997, Donald Redelmeier and Robert Tibshirani studied 699 drivers who owned mobile phones and had been in accidents. The drivers, who volunteered for the study, gave the researchers detailed billing records of their phone calls. With these data, the researchers found that â€Å"the risk of a collision when using a cellular telephone was not being used† (433). Although the conclusion sounds dramatic, Redlemeier and Tibshirani caution against reading too much into it: Our study indicates an association but not necessarily a causal relation between the use of cellular telephones while driving and a subsequent motor vehicle collision†¦.In addition, our study did not include serious injuries†¦.Finally, the data do not indicate that drivers were at fault in the collisions; it may be that cellular telephones merely decrease a driver’s ability to avoid a collision caused by someone else. (457) Pointing out that cell phones have benefits as well as risks, the authors do not recommend restrictions on their use while driving. Unfortunately, most states do not keep adequate records on the number of times phones are a factor in accidents. As of December 2000, only ten states were trying to keep such records (Sundeen 2). In addition, currently there is little scientific evidence comparing the use of cell phones with other driver distractions: fiddling with the radio, smoking, eating, putting on makeup, shaving, and so on. Alasdair Cain and Mark Burries of the Center Urban Transportation Research surgery research on the cell phone issue as of 1999 and concluded that there is â€Å"no nationally-accredited document to prove the connection between mobile phone use and traffic accidents.† Because research results have been so inconclusive, it makes sense to wait before passing laws that might well be unnecessary. Weighting risks and benefits In 2000, researchers at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis found that the risk of driving while phoning were small compared with other driving risks. Whereas the cell phone user’s chance of dying are about 6 in a million per year, someone not wearing a seat belt has a risk of 49.3 per million, and someone driving a small car has a risk of 14.5 per million (3). Because of this comparatively small risk regulation of phones may not be worth the coast of the legislation as well as the additional burden such legislation would put on law enforcement officers. In addition to the risks, there are benefits to using phones on the road. Matt Sundeen reports that drivers with cell phones place an estimated 98,000 emergency calls each day and that the phones â€Å"often reduce emergency response times and actually save lives.† (1). The phones have business benefits too. According to transportation engineer Richard Retting, â€Å"Commuter time is no longer just for driving. As the comforts of home and the efficiency of the office creep into the automobile, it is becoming increasingly attractive as a work space† (in Kilgannon A23). Car phones also have personal benefits. A mother coming home late from work can check in with her children, a partygoer lost in a strange neighborhood can call for directions, or a teenager whose car breaks down can phone home. Unless or until there is clear evidence of a direct link between cell phone use and traffic accidents, the government should not regulate use of cell phones while driving. A better approach is to educate the public to the dangers of driving while distracted and to enforce laws on negligent and reckless driving. Educating drivers and enforcing laws Educational efforts can work. In the last twenty years, government and private groups have managed to change the driving habits of Americans. Seat belts are now regularly worn, people commonly appoint designated drivers when a group is drinking, small children are almost always put in safety seats, and most drivers turn on their headlights in rainy weather. Enforcing laws against negligent and reckless driving can also work. Even groups concerned with safety support this view. For instance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises states to enforce their reckless and negligent driving laws and, where necessary, to strengthen those laws; it does not call for restrictions on use of the phones (United States, Dept. of Transportation). The California Highway Patrol opposed, restricting use of phones while driving, claiming that distracted drivers can already be prosecuted (Jacobs). It is possible, of course, that some states do not enforce their laws to the extent necessary. In such instances, citizens should pressure on highway patrols to step up enforcement, for without fear of prosecution many drivers will not change their behavior. The use of cell phones while driving is probable here to stay, despite the risks, unless future studies prove that the risks clearly outweigh the benefits. However, public safety concerns are real. To dares those concerns, we should mount a major educations campaign to educate drivers about that dangers of driving while distracted and insist that laws on negligent and reckless driving be enfaced as vigorously as possible. Works Cited Ambros, Anthony. Letter. New England Journal of Medicine 337.2 (1997): 128. Print. Cain, Alasdair, and Mark Burris. â€Å"Investigation of the Use of Mobile Phones while Driving.† Center for Urban Transportation Research. Coll. of Engineering, U of South Florida, Apr. 1999. Cohen, Peter J. Letter. New England Journal of Medicine 337.2 (1997): 127. Print. Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. â€Å"Cellular Phones and Driving: Weighing the Risks and Benefits. â€Å"Risk Perspective. President and Fellows of Harvard Coll.,July 2000. Web. 15 Mar. 2001. Jacobs, Annette. â€Å"guest Opinion: No News Laws Needed for Driver Distractions. â€Å"Wireless Week. Advantage Business Media, 24 May 1999. Web. 12 Mar. 2001. Kilgannon, Corey. â€Å"Road Warriors with Laptops.† New York Times 15 Aug. 2000: A23. Print. Redelmeier, Donald A., and Robert J. Tibshirani. â€Å"Association between Cellular-Telephone Calls and Motor Vehicle Collisions. â€Å"New England Journal of Medicine 33 6.7 (1997): 453-58. Print. Sundeen, Matt. â€Å"Cell Phones and Highway Safety: 2000 State Legislative Update. â€Å"National Conference of State Legislatures. Natl. Conf. of State Legislatures, Dec. 2000. Web. 11 Mar. 2001. United States of Transportation. Natl. Highway Traffic Safety Administration. â€Å"An Investigation of the Safety Implications of Wireless Communication in Vehicles.† NHTSA. Natl. Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nov. 1997. Web. 12 Mar. 2001.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Reflection

Reflection about the learning modules and simulation Chapter 8 This module was very Informative. The module provided detail Information In regards to the history and the organizations of the courts. Looking back on the primitive days leading up to modern day court system the same elements still exist. The best module I liked was the courtroom rules. In this module, it showed the key player and their roles. Now I have a better understand as to what each duty is. I learned the difference between grand Jury and trial Jury.Grand Jury, may consist of up to 23 Jurors, and serve for a particular period and may serve on multiple Juries at one time. They handle cases that are high-profile. They are able to require testimony and tangible evidences. This juror is used to bring an indictment protects law enforcement from accusation of bias. Trial Juror consists of 6-12 Jurors, serve only for the duration of the trial and decides the facts of the case with very strict and controlled procedures by the Judge. In addition to the module. The video was helpful because It describes a typical day of a judge.The video was like a real life experience working as a judge, prosecutor, and a defense attorney. In the second video, relating to issue 1: The affect of the backlog of cases on the court, she discussed how long it takes to complete one case, approximately 15 hours. She also describes how CO Simpson case moved fairly quickly through the court processes the courts. The activities were very helpful. They were like a refresher at the end of the reading and knowledge check. I enjoy these activities because It a good interaction tool with learning and having fun at the same time. Reflection CHRISTINE N. MONTIAGUE 1MTO1 REFLECTION PAPER â€Å" OUTREACH PROGRAM† Being a part of this outreach program makes me feel very honored and thankful. Honestly, this is the first time in my entire life to be included in this kind of program. At that time, I feel nervous but at the same time excited since it will be a new experience for me. When we already arrived at the location, I felt very happy seeing the â€Å"lolo’s† and lola’s† waiting for us.I can see the happiness and excitement in their faces as soon as we enter the hall. After the program has been started, we have given a chance to talk to them one by one. I found out a lot of things about them like how did they end being there, their everyday lifestyle and so on. They open up stories about their families and past events. I was holding back my tears as they talk about their life. I felt saddened because their family abandoned them and there is no one who visits them daily.For me, even if my grandma or grandpa comes to a point when they don’t recognize me anymore, I’m not going to leave them instead I’m going to give my best to take care of them and give them love and care. There was one â€Å"lola† who I’ve been attached the most. Every time I talk to her, she always ask what grade am I in and I always told her that I’m taking up Med Tech as a first year student. For the record, she repeated this question almost 10 times but still I understand why she does that.Talking to each one of them reminds me of my lola in the province that I haven’t seen for a long time. I felt very emotional since the beginning until the end of the program. I had a lot of fun taking pictures, dancing and playing with them. I want to cherish all of them in my heart. Actually, that day I haven’t taken up my breakfast but after seeing their faces and knowing that their having fun I didn’t feel any hunger even an inch of hunger, there is none.You can never explain the feeling of helping other people because of a lot of emotions building up in you. I want to share all the experiences I had to other people so that as an individual they will realize how it is to help people whole-heartedly. CHRISTINE N. MONTIAGUEMAM AHNIEL 1MTO1 1. Kung bibigyan pa ako ng pagkakataong bumalik bilang pagkabata, nais ko sanang maranasan ulit ang pakiramadam na makarga ulit ng aking mga magulang dahil sa tuwing ginagawa nila ito sa akin noong ako’y bata pa, pakiramdam ko’y mahal na mahal nila ako.Gusto kong balikan ang mga panahong nagagawa ko pa lahat ng mga bagay na walang akong inaalala at saka ang pakikipaglaro sa labas ng aming bahay hanggang sa gumabi na at tawagin na ako ng aking nanay. Mga panahong ang alam mo lamang ay ang paglalaro at hindi sumasagi sa inyong isipan ang mga problema. Sana ay maranasan ko ulit sila. 2. Malaki na ang pinagbago ng mga kabataan ngayon kung ikukumpara mo ito sa mga nagdaang panahon. Unang-una ay ang pagkakalulong ng mga kabataan sa bisyo.Sa panahon ngayon, halos hindi na mabilang ang mga taong lulong sa droga, sigarilyo at alak. Kahit anong bawal sa kanila, sarili pa rin nila ang kanilang sinusunod. Hindi naman nagkulang ang mga magulang natin sa pagpapa alala sa atin kung ano ang tamang Gawain sa hindi. 3. Bilang isang magulang, kinakailangan na ikaw ang magiging â€Å"role model† ng iyong anak. Sa medaling salita, kailangan magsimula muna sa iyo ang lahat dahil ikaw ang tinutularan ng iyong anak kung kaya bilang isang ina dapat maipakita ko sa aking anak na ang mga ginagawa ko ay mabuti at nasa tama.Kapag nahubog ko na ang aking sarli, maari na akong magpalaki ng isang mabuting anak. Bata pa lamang siya, gusto ko ng ipaalam sa kanya ang bagay na hindi dapat niya gawin at mga bagay na dapat niyang gawin. Hindi sa lahat ng panahon, mapagbibigyan ko lahat ng nais niya. Habang siya ay tumatanda, gusto ko nasa tabi niya ako palagi para kung may katanungan m an siya sa mga bagay na naguguluhan siya ay may matatakbuhan siya at makahahanap siya ng tamang sagot. Higit sa lahat, maipakita ko na siya ang buhay ko. Reflection CHRISTINE N. MONTIAGUE 1MTO1 REFLECTION PAPER â€Å" OUTREACH PROGRAM† Being a part of this outreach program makes me feel very honored and thankful. Honestly, this is the first time in my entire life to be included in this kind of program. At that time, I feel nervous but at the same time excited since it will be a new experience for me. When we already arrived at the location, I felt very happy seeing the â€Å"lolo’s† and lola’s† waiting for us.I can see the happiness and excitement in their faces as soon as we enter the hall. After the program has been started, we have given a chance to talk to them one by one. I found out a lot of things about them like how did they end being there, their everyday lifestyle and so on. They open up stories about their families and past events. I was holding back my tears as they talk about their life. I felt saddened because their family abandoned them and there is no one who visits them daily.For me, even if my grandma or grandpa comes to a point when they don’t recognize me anymore, I’m not going to leave them instead I’m going to give my best to take care of them and give them love and care. There was one â€Å"lola† who I’ve been attached the most. Every time I talk to her, she always ask what grade am I in and I always told her that I’m taking up Med Tech as a first year student. For the record, she repeated this question almost 10 times but still I understand why she does that.Talking to each one of them reminds me of my lola in the province that I haven’t seen for a long time. I felt very emotional since the beginning until the end of the program. I had a lot of fun taking pictures, dancing and playing with them. I want to cherish all of them in my heart. Actually, that day I haven’t taken up my breakfast but after seeing their faces and knowing that their having fun I didn’t feel any hunger even an inch of hunger, there is none.You can never explain the feeling of helping other people because of a lot of emotions building up in you. I want to share all the experiences I had to other people so that as an individual they will realize how it is to help people whole-heartedly. CHRISTINE N. MONTIAGUEMAM AHNIEL 1MTO1 1. Kung bibigyan pa ako ng pagkakataong bumalik bilang pagkabata, nais ko sanang maranasan ulit ang pakiramadam na makarga ulit ng aking mga magulang dahil sa tuwing ginagawa nila ito sa akin noong ako’y bata pa, pakiramdam ko’y mahal na mahal nila ako.Gusto kong balikan ang mga panahong nagagawa ko pa lahat ng mga bagay na walang akong inaalala at saka ang pakikipaglaro sa labas ng aming bahay hanggang sa gumabi na at tawagin na ako ng aking nanay. Mga panahong ang alam mo lamang ay ang paglalaro at hindi sumasagi sa inyong isipan ang mga problema. Sana ay maranasan ko ulit sila. 2. Malaki na ang pinagbago ng mga kabataan ngayon kung ikukumpara mo ito sa mga nagdaang panahon. Unang-una ay ang pagkakalulong ng mga kabataan sa bisyo.Sa panahon ngayon, halos hindi na mabilang ang mga taong lulong sa droga, sigarilyo at alak. Kahit anong bawal sa kanila, sarili pa rin nila ang kanilang sinusunod. Hindi naman nagkulang ang mga magulang natin sa pagpapa alala sa atin kung ano ang tamang Gawain sa hindi. 3. Bilang isang magulang, kinakailangan na ikaw ang magiging â€Å"role model† ng iyong anak. Sa medaling salita, kailangan magsimula muna sa iyo ang lahat dahil ikaw ang tinutularan ng iyong anak kung kaya bilang isang ina dapat maipakita ko sa aking anak na ang mga ginagawa ko ay mabuti at nasa tama.Kapag nahubog ko na ang aking sarli, maari na akong magpalaki ng isang mabuting anak. Bata pa lamang siya, gusto ko ng ipaalam sa kanya ang bagay na hindi dapat niya gawin at mga bagay na dapat niyang gawin. Hindi sa lahat ng panahon, mapagbibigyan ko lahat ng nais niya. Habang siya ay tumatanda, gusto ko nasa tabi niya ako palagi para kung may katanungan m an siya sa mga bagay na naguguluhan siya ay may matatakbuhan siya at makahahanap siya ng tamang sagot. Higit sa lahat, maipakita ko na siya ang buhay ko. Reflection Reflection about the learning modules and simulation Chapter 8 This module was very Informative. The module provided detail Information In regards to the history and the organizations of the courts. Looking back on the primitive days leading up to modern day court system the same elements still exist. The best module I liked was the courtroom rules. In this module, it showed the key player and their roles. Now I have a better understand as to what each duty is. I learned the difference between grand Jury and trial Jury.Grand Jury, may consist of up to 23 Jurors, and serve for a particular period and may serve on multiple Juries at one time. They handle cases that are high-profile. They are able to require testimony and tangible evidences. This juror is used to bring an indictment protects law enforcement from accusation of bias. Trial Juror consists of 6-12 Jurors, serve only for the duration of the trial and decides the facts of the case with very strict and controlled procedures by the Judge. In addition to the module. The video was helpful because It describes a typical day of a judge.The video was like a real life experience working as a judge, prosecutor, and a defense attorney. In the second video, relating to issue 1: The affect of the backlog of cases on the court, she discussed how long it takes to complete one case, approximately 15 hours. She also describes how CO Simpson case moved fairly quickly through the court processes the courts. The activities were very helpful. They were like a refresher at the end of the reading and knowledge check. I enjoy these activities because It a good interaction tool with learning and having fun at the same time. Reflection This essay will reflect upon an incident in practice when I administered a drug to a child. I will use Gibbs reflective model (Gibbs 1988)(see appendix 1). This model of reflection will be applied to the essay to facilitate critical thought and relating theory to practice where the model allows. Discussion on the incident will include the knowledge underpinning practice and the evidence base for the administration of the drug. A conclusion to the essay will then be given which will discuss my knowledge and competence of the incidence being reflected upon. The drug that I have chosen to reflect upon is Fragmin (see Drug Profile 1 Appendix 2) which was administered as a parenteral subcutaneous injection to a 14 year old girl, who shall remain anonymous for the purpose of patient confidentiality in accordance with the regulations of the NMC (2008). I have chosen to reflect on this drug as it was the first injection I had given during my training which encouraged me to further develop my knowledge within this area. The first stage of Gibbs model (1988) of reflection requires a description of events (see Appendix 3). The next stage of Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle is related to thoughts and feelings aroused during the event which I can use to reflect upon (see appendix 4). The third stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection encourages exploration of both positive and negative experiences encountered and I have chosen a few that I propose to discuss further within this reflection. Throughout the incident the correct hospital policy was followed by my mentor in relation to preparing and administering an injection. However I was not familiar with this policy which could have negatively affected my practice as Grey (2008) suggests, that when administering medication by the parenteral routes, familiarization with local drug administration policy is essential. The patient’s initial refusal of the injection into the abdomen made me think about the child’s rights in refusing to consent to the administration of a medication as I was aware that the law states that anyone under the age of 18 is a child (Children Act 1989, section 105) and as such there are certain matters with which they are not able to make their own decisions. The patient’s refusal to allow me to use the abdomen as an injection site also made me question my knowledge base on this subject, as I did not know where I would have injected in the abdomen if consent had been given. I also realized at that point that I have no knowledge on why different injection sites are used and for what purpose as studies suggest that the selection of the injection site will vary depending on the size and age of the child (Cocoman, 2008). It was only through my mentor’s guidance that I felt confident on allowing the change of the site. Stage four Gibbs (1988), is the critical analysis. After reflecting on this incident I will now analyse what I feel are the most important aspects by looking at the evidence underpinning it. References Cocoman, A. , & Barron, C. (2008). ‘Administering subcutaneous injections to children: what does the evidence say? ’ Journal of Children’s and Young People’s Nursing, 2 (2), pp: 84-89 Gray, T. , Miller H. (2008) ‘Injection technique’, The Foundation Years, 4 (6), pp: 252-255 Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust: ‘Medicines Policy’ Available at: http://www. rcht. nhs. uk/DocumentsLibrary/RoyalCornwallHospitalsTrust/Clinical/Pharmacy/RulesAndGuidanceOnOrderingStoringAndAdministeringMedicines. df (accessed on 30/05/2011) Appendices Appendix 1 This model of reflection incorporates description, feelings, evaluation analysis, conclusion and an action plan (Gibbs 1988). Appendix 3 I was asked if I would like to administer a subcutaneous fragmin injection under supervision, to a 14 year old gir l. The medication was in a pre-prepared syringe in the clean prep room by following local hospital policy. However, on inspection of the injection, I did question the need for the air bubble within the syringe but was assured by my mentor that it is normal to find an air bubble in a pre-prepared syringe and to leave it there for administration. The medication was checked by another staff nurse in accordance to local policy and my mentor and I approached the patient. The patient was lying in bed with no relatives present and I asked consent before administration. The patient became a little distressed at this point and refused to have the injection in her abdomen saying it was too painful, however she did consent to me using her upper arm for the site and after onfirming this with my mentor I proceeded to administer the medication with no further complications. Appendix 4 My initial feeling after being asked to administer the Fragmin injection was apprehension, as I had not administered an injection before in practice. As I was administering it under the supervision of my mentor this made me feel very nervous and self conscious, however I also acknowledged the fact that I should appear confident and at ease in front of the patient as she was herself showing signs of distress. After the patient’s initial refusal I began to doubt my competence of skills and considered asking my mentor to take over, however my mentor put me at ease by explaining that if the patient consented, then it would be fine to proceed with the injection in the upper arm. After the administration, the patient thanked me for not hurting her which immediately boosted my confidence and left me feeling extremely content with the knowledge that I had performed my first injection correctly. Reflection This essay will reflect upon an incident in practice when I administered a drug to a child. I will use Gibbs reflective model (Gibbs 1988)(see appendix 1). This model of reflection will be applied to the essay to facilitate critical thought and relating theory to practice where the model allows. Discussion on the incident will include the knowledge underpinning practice and the evidence base for the administration of the drug. A conclusion to the essay will then be given which will discuss my knowledge and competence of the incidence being reflected upon. The drug that I have chosen to reflect upon is Fragmin (see Drug Profile 1 Appendix 2) which was administered as a parenteral subcutaneous injection to a 14 year old girl, who shall remain anonymous for the purpose of patient confidentiality in accordance with the regulations of the NMC (2008). I have chosen to reflect on this drug as it was the first injection I had given during my training which encouraged me to further develop my knowledge within this area. The first stage of Gibbs model (1988) of reflection requires a description of events (see Appendix 3). The next stage of Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle is related to thoughts and feelings aroused during the event which I can use to reflect upon (see appendix 4). The third stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection encourages exploration of both positive and negative experiences encountered and I have chosen a few that I propose to discuss further within this reflection. Throughout the incident the correct hospital policy was followed by my mentor in relation to preparing and administering an injection. However I was not familiar with this policy which could have negatively affected my practice as Grey (2008) suggests, that when administering medication by the parenteral routes, familiarization with local drug administration policy is essential. The patient’s initial refusal of the injection into the abdomen made me think about the child’s rights in refusing to consent to the administration of a medication as I was aware that the law states that anyone under the age of 18 is a child (Children Act 1989, section 105) and as such there are certain matters with which they are not able to make their own decisions. The patient’s refusal to allow me to use the abdomen as an injection site also made me question my knowledge base on this subject, as I did not know where I would have injected in the abdomen if consent had been given. I also realized at that point that I have no knowledge on why different injection sites are used and for what purpose as studies suggest that the selection of the injection site will vary depending on the size and age of the child (Cocoman, 2008). It was only through my mentor’s guidance that I felt confident on allowing the change of the site. Stage four Gibbs (1988), is the critical analysis. After reflecting on this incident I will now analyse what I feel are the most important aspects by looking at the evidence underpinning it. References Cocoman, A. , & Barron, C. (2008). ‘Administering subcutaneous injections to children: what does the evidence say? ’ Journal of Children’s and Young People’s Nursing, 2 (2), pp: 84-89 Gray, T. , Miller H. (2008) ‘Injection technique’, The Foundation Years, 4 (6), pp: 252-255 Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust: ‘Medicines Policy’ Available at: http://www. rcht. nhs. uk/DocumentsLibrary/RoyalCornwallHospitalsTrust/Clinical/Pharmacy/RulesAndGuidanceOnOrderingStoringAndAdministeringMedicines. df (accessed on 30/05/2011) Appendices Appendix 1 This model of reflection incorporates description, feelings, evaluation analysis, conclusion and an action plan (Gibbs 1988). Appendix 3 I was asked if I would like to administer a subcutaneous fragmin injection under supervision, to a 14 year old gir l. The medication was in a pre-prepared syringe in the clean prep room by following local hospital policy. However, on inspection of the injection, I did question the need for the air bubble within the syringe but was assured by my mentor that it is normal to find an air bubble in a pre-prepared syringe and to leave it there for administration. The medication was checked by another staff nurse in accordance to local policy and my mentor and I approached the patient. The patient was lying in bed with no relatives present and I asked consent before administration. The patient became a little distressed at this point and refused to have the injection in her abdomen saying it was too painful, however she did consent to me using her upper arm for the site and after onfirming this with my mentor I proceeded to administer the medication with no further complications. Appendix 4 My initial feeling after being asked to administer the Fragmin injection was apprehension, as I had not administered an injection before in practice. As I was administering it under the supervision of my mentor this made me feel very nervous and self conscious, however I also acknowledged the fact that I should appear confident and at ease in front of the patient as she was herself showing signs of distress. After the patient’s initial refusal I began to doubt my competence of skills and considered asking my mentor to take over, however my mentor put me at ease by explaining that if the patient consented, then it would be fine to proceed with the injection in the upper arm. After the administration, the patient thanked me for not hurting her which immediately boosted my confidence and left me feeling extremely content with the knowledge that I had performed my first injection correctly.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Analysis of two stories from Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected Essay

The story is about an old lady, Mrs. Foster, who doesn’t like to be late. Her husband teases her by always being a little bit too late, just to make her suffer. One day, she is going to Paris to see her daughter and her family, but she has to wait for her husband to be done, because he is driving with her, to be dropped off at a club. When he finally out in the car with her, he has forgot his present for her daughter, so he goes back into the house to get it. She goes up to the door of their house, but when she is about to open it, she suddenly hears a strange sound and goes back into the car. She tells the driver to go, even though; Mr. Foster is still in the house. She catches her plane and enjoys her time in Paris, but when she gets back home, after six weeks, there is no lead of Mr. Foster. Then she calls a guy, which can come and fix their lift. You would think that Mrs. Foster is the main character in this story, because we are following her life and the story starts up with an introduction of her. But at the same time, we are also introduced to Mr. Foster right after, and in the end of the story, you wonder if it actually was Mr. Foster, that we were supposed to keep up with, because he is kind of the victim in the end. Almost like we are told about how he died in their lift, because of his lunatic of a wife. And then still Mrs. Foster can be seen as the victim, because she is this sad woman, who is manipulated by her husband, and then finally does what she has always wanted to do, just in a more drastic way. So therefore I see them both as main characters in this story. Mrs. Foster is described in the text as a woman with a pathological fear of missing something, and if she feels that she is about to miss something, she gets into a state of nerves and starts to â€Å"wink† with her left eye, because of a vellicating muscle in the corner of her eye. She lives in a large six-storey house in New York City, on East Sixty-Second Street with her husband and they have four servants. She is also a modest woman, who has served his husband loyally and well, for over thirty years, but she still wonders sometimes, if his husband always is being late on purpose, just to torture her. Her biggest wish is to live in Paris, so she can see her daughter, her son in law and her grandchildren all the time. Mr. Foster is nearly seventy years old and also living with his wife in their large six-storey house. He is described in the text as a man who tortures her wife, by always being late, because he is irritated by her making a fuss about everything. And he smokes cigars. We can tell by their big house, their four servants and their rented car with a chauffeur, that they are a very wealthy couple. They don’t speak to each other like a normal couple; Mr. Foster has disciplined Mrs. Foster to not say, what she wants to say, like she is under his control. Like it says in the text; â€Å"that she would never dare to call out and tell him to hurry. He had disciplined her too well for that.† The Landlady The story is about a young man, Billy Weaver, who has travelled down from London, and now he needs a place to sleep. He was told that he should try â€Å"The bell and dragon†, but on his way down to the hotel, he suddenly catches sight of a printed notice, that says â€Å"BED AND BREAKFAST† on a boarding house. He stares at the notice and feels like the words are a large black eye that is staring at him, like he is forced to go in, so he decides to do it. A middle-aged woman invites him in and shows him where he is going to sleep, and she keeps talking about how she has been waiting for a young boy like him. He later finds out, when he is about to write in her guestbook, that only two other guys has been staying there, and the latest guest is over two years ago. He finds it strange that he feels like he has heard these two guys’ names before. She keeps getting him to drink her tee, and then he suddenly notices that the dog he thought was alive is dead and stuffed. She tells him that she has stuffed them herself. When he sits for a moment, he finds out where he has heard the other guests’ names before, he has read about them being missing, in the newspaper. The main character in this story is definitely Billy Weaver, because we are following his moves and thoughts of the weird lady. Billy Weaver is seventeen years old and he has travelled from London. He is wearing a navy-blue overcoat, a brown trilby hat and a brown suit. He is a young businessman and he is trying to do everything briskly. When he is told that there has only been two guests before him and that the last guest was over two years ago, and that they are even still living there, he is a bit naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve not to see that something is really weird. But you also know that he must be a smart kid, if he is already a businessman and he reads the newspaper. The old lady seems kind and harmless in the beginning, because she is calling him â€Å"my dear† and smiling all the time. And like it says in the text; â€Å"She looked exactly like the mother of one’s best school-friend welcoming one into the house to stay for the Christmas holidays.† But when things get more and more weird, Billy starts to think that she is slightly dotty and off her rocker. We also know that she has a bad memory, because she has a hard time remembering her guests’ names. Billy and the old lady have no relation, the old lady is a total stranger to Billy, but he somehow seems to trust her anyway. And Billy is also a total stranger to the old lady, but she keeps talking like if she knew that exactly he would show up on her doorstep, almost like if she had been watching him. Comparison of the two stories Both stories are written by an omniscient 3rd person. And in both of the stories they are using the language â€Å"dear†; In â€Å"The landlady† the old lady probably uses it, because many British old women spoke like that in the old days, but also to sound extra kind, to Billy. And in â€Å"The way up to heaven, it sounds like they are only using it because the finer families spoke like that in the old days. So both of the stories could be going on in, maybe the 50’s. Mrs. Foster and the landlady are both killers, but really different kinds; Mrs. Foster is feeling trapped in her marriage and she has a â€Å"fair† reason not to save him, when she has the chance. And the landlady is simply a lonely lunatic, who wants fake company, by stuffing her victims. The landlady is killing them herself and Mrs. Foster just didn’t save him, when she could. The main theme in both of the stories is deception, because in both of the stories, the victims have faith in their killers, but are duped by them. The ending of â€Å"The landlady† Then he said â€Å"Are you sure Mulholland and Temple are upstairs?† with a stiff look on his face. â€Å"Of course they are, my dear. I’m sure they are enjoying themselves, you shouldn’t worry that much.† She answered. Billy’s eyes flickered and his legs felt so heavy, when he tried to stand up. â€Å"Sit down, my dear. It will soon be over† she said, with a calm tone in her voice, like nothing was wrong. Billy couldn’t walk, so he sat down again and tried to hold his head still. â€Å"Something is wrong with me! What did you give me?† he yelled with a pathetic voice. She smiled and went over to the windows to draw the curtains, and when she sat down again, she started telling him, that she had been looking forward to having such a young boy in the house, and that she had been waiting for him for such a long time. â€Å"Why do you want me, you crazy woman?† he said. â€Å"You’re just perfect, my dear. So young and handsome!† she said, still witch a nice and calming voice. Billy didn’t get to say much more, before everything turned black. One month later†¦ â€Å"MISSING! A seventeen year old boy named Billy Weaver, last seen in Bath.†

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Is Modern Art Really Art? Essay

Dead animals, elephant dung, unmade beds and rice all seem like everyday objects but should we be calling them art? When we were growing up we were taught that art was a beautiful painting – like Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, or a perfect sculpture of a human – like Michelangelo’s David, but we were never really taught that conceptual and contemporary art were ‘proper’ forms of art, even though it was established in the sixties. It made us think and challenge our own assumptions of what art should really look like. People didn’t understand the idea of cows cut in half (Damien Hirst), wire mesh lockers (Mona Hatoum), rubble (Richard Long) or rubbish (Tomoko Takahashi) being called art unless you could frame it nicely on your living room wall. The fact that this type of art didn’t fit neatly into people’s ideas of what art should be was the reason it was called ‘conceptual’. Conceptual and contemporary art got a huge reaction out of people because they felt conned and marginally embarrassed when, for example, they looked at Martin Creed’s light going on and off and ‘didn’t get it’. They didn’t like the fact that they couldn’t work out the true meaning of what the artist was trying to get across. It also got a reaction for another reason which was the simplicity of some of the ‘art’. I’m sure that when all the people who were working long hours every week looked at the well-paid artist Tracey Emin’s unmade bed they were desperately screaming to themselves, â€Å"BUT I COULD DO THAT!† and thinking whether conceptual art is even worth looking at. Maybe some of us are completely missing the point they are trying to get across. Maybe instead of drowning in the depression of how easy, and perhaps pointless, the art is we should be fresh-eyed and open minded and celebrate the fact that these ideas and possibilites have been opened for us. Maybe that’s the point. This art definitely has originality and shock value. Artists don’t want to  repeat whats been done before in the same way no one wants to hear old jokes. Their use of new technology adds to the quality of some of their work. Using a computer isn’t a cop-out of drawing, it’s just another tool. The originality and shock value go hand-in-hand and afterall, aren’t those the two things we want when we look at art? We as viewers don’t want to stand there looking at something so bland, tasteless and overrated; If we wanted that then we could just as easily stick a slice of bread on the wall and call that art. The artists look for new challenges and ways for us to see their art. This type of art makes us challenge ourselves to find beauty in the everyday things in life. My opinion of Modern Art is a very balanced one because even though some of the examples of conceptual and contemporary art are sometimes ridiculous, they also challenge you to find the true meaning of what it stands for. The shock factor aswell hypnotizes us and keeps our attention locked on the beauty of the art. One thing that fascinates me though is that if artist Chris Ofili paints with elephant dung he is seen as a Turner Prize winning genius, but if I tried to paint with elephant dung would I be seen as an artistic genius? Probably not.