Purpose Of Issuing Currency Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2339 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? In 1907, the Currency Board was established for the purpose of issuing currency and protecting its value. The World Banking Mission which examined economic situation and potential development of a country. It had recommended composing a Centre Bank and eventually the Central Bank of Malaya Ordinance was established in 1959. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Purpose Of Issuing Currency Finance Essay" essay for you Create order However, the currency issuing authority was transferred to Bank Negara Malaysia after 1967 (Institut Bank Malaysia, n.d. ). According to Intitute Bank Malaysia (n.d.), under the Financial Sector Master Plan (FSMP), the financial industry is now undergoing consolidation phase. Commercial banks are merging with their finance companies. This is to increase competitiveness of the financial institutions by providing one-stop financial services. Malaysia has three derivatives exchanges which commodities, fixed income and equity products. Besides, Malaysia is the one who introduce KLCI futures earlier than India, Taiwan and Korea. The first Malaysian derivative exchange was established at 1980 which is KLCE. The initial derivative product was the Crude Palm Oil (CPO) contract. The CPO futures contract was the only product in its category and remained as the main product (Bacha, 2004). Bacha (2004) found in 1995, Malaysia introduced financial derivatives together with introduction o f Kuala Lumpur Options and Financial Futures Exchange (KLOFFE) (which currently known as KLSE CI Stock Index Futures contracts). After two years, the Malaysian Monetary Exchange (MME) was launched and traded the 3 month KLIBOR contract. The three exchanges, KLCE. KLOFFE and MME have now been consolidated into a single exchange, the Malaysian Derivatives Exchange (MDEX). Thus, nowadays we can trade commodity, equity and interest rate derivatives on MDEX (Bacha, 2004). The relationship between the percentage changes in the spot exchange rate over time and differential between comparable interest rates in different national capital markets known as the International Fisher Effect (IFE). International Fisher Effect (IFE) attributes changes in exchange rate to interest rate differentials, rather than inflation rate differentials among countries. The International Fisher Effect, (IFE) or fisher-open, states that spot exchange rate should change in an amount equal to but in the opposite direction of the difference in interest rates between countries. International Fisher Effect (IFE) to estimate the equilibrium future spot exchange rate S*ÂÂ ¥/$ assuming International Fisher Effect (IFE) holds. Justification for the International Fisher Effect (IFE) is that investors must be rewarded or penalized to offset the expected change in exchange rates. The International Fisher Effect (IFE) predicts that with unrestricted capital flows, an investor should be indifferent between investing in dollar or yen bonds, since investors worldwide would see the same opportunity and compete it away (Moffett, 2012; Madura, 2012). The International Fisher Effect (IFE) is unpredictable due to the different short-term factors that influence the exchange rates and the predictions of nominal rates and inflation. However, the long-term International Fisher Effect (IFE) just provides a little better result. Interest rate differentials always offset by exchange rates, but error alwa ys occur when forecast the future spot rate (Shalishali, 2012). Shalishali (2012) stated that exchange rate fluctuation and interest rate difference are affecting consumers and the worldwide economy. Among others, exchange rates fluctuations can cause inefficiency and misrepresent world prices and further capture investors attention to countries inflation. In addition, the long term investment return and international trade are affected by long-term movements in exchange rates. By knowing some short-term foreign exchange movements, international businesses that deal with foreign exchange transactions on daily basis could benefit. Exchange rate movement will create higher risk. Hence, companies may utilize information available to determine how many derivative securities such as options, forwards, and futures to hedge in order to minimize risk arising from exchange rate movements. Moreover, the actual return of investors portfolio with overseas holding will directly affected by ex change rates. The world has experienced at least two financial crises that have strong contagious effects within the decade of 1997/98 and 2007/08. The Asian Financial Crisis 1997/98 began in July 1997 with the devaluation of the Thailand currency. The key financial institutions in South Korea and Japan shut down due to the worries of global fund withdrawal and at last lead to a collapse of financial market and currency depreciation in regional. In those East Asian countries, there was a dramatically increase in interest rate in 1997 since their currencies collapsed. For instance, short-term rates in South Korea rose from 12 to 30 percent within a month (Li Wong, 2011; Cho Kenneth, 2003). Figure 1 (refer to appendix) reports data characterizing the situation in some Asian countries during the 1997/98 Asian crisis. The Asian crisis is the best characterized as triggered by a mixture confidence crisis in a few countries, which then spread- through trade and depending on the co untry, also financial channels to other countries within and outside the region. It shows that, as a result of the crisis, exchange rate depreciate over the second half of 1997. Increase in interest rate move exchange rate in opposite direction. However, Malaysia was an exception. Even with capital control, the exchange rate still depreciating until it re-pegged Ringgit Malaysia against the US dollar (Sanchez, 2005). Literature Review In IMF point of view, the relationship between interest rate (also known as monetary policy) and the exchange rate is that a rise in interest rate will stabilize the exchange rate. This relationship has been frequently discussed by the World Bank, IMF and US Treasury especially during economy crisis since it is important for policy implications. Hnatkovska, Lahiri, and Vegh (2012) conducted a study and the research studies have established the relationship between the exchange rate and short term interest rates is non-monotonic. This study expressed when there is a smaller increase in the nominal interest rate, the currency will be appreciated. On the contrary, larger raise in nominal interest rate lead to the currency depreciated. Besides, some research studies stated that the nominal exchange rate has negative relationship with the nominal interest rate differential and has a positive relationship with expected long run inflation differential (Shah Rehman, n.d.). A short term interest rate is the premium policy instrument that policymakers applied in order to change currency values. There are three effects that will influence the exchange rate by increasing short term interest rate. First, the money demand effect which indicated higher interest rates will increase the demand for domestic-currency denominated assets hence appreciate the currency. On the other hand, higher domestic interest rates reduce domestic output through a credit channel and this effect will depreciate the currency which defined as output effect. In addition, fiscal effect emphasized on a rising in interest rates tends to increase the debt service burden of the fiscal authority and consequently it increases inflationary expectations and weakens the currency. Besides, physical capital can cause both appreciations and depreciations on the effect of temporary increases in interest rates (Hnatkovska et al., 2012). Other factors of no co-integration between real effective exchange rate a nd interest rate differential such as permanent fluctuation in exchange rates as a result of high inflation rate and interest rates, instable monetary policies, unemployment, poor GDP growth rate, poor administrative system, political instability and improper policies (Shah Rehman, n.d.). Shah and Rehmen (n.d) did a research on the relationship between real exchange rate and real interest rate differential on developing country. In this study, they unable found any evidence to shows the relationship between the variables. Theoretically, the relationship between real exchange rate and real interest rate should hold better in long term than in short term. MacDonald and Nagayasu (2000) have conduct a study on 14 developed countries on the similar topic, the empirical result using the single equation method of Johenson shown the existence of long run relationship, the relationship is even clearer when long term interest rate is used. According to the study of (Li Wong, 2011), on e inspiring finding is that the inter-temporal relationship between real interest rate differential and real exchange rates in Iceland, Singapore, Thailand and India is extremely low. The change in their monetary policy did not generate a significant impact on their capital movement. It suggested the interest rate of other countries has efficiently been adjusted, thus there will not be any impact on real exchange rate. Furthermore, many researchers are interested in conducting studies on countries which involved in economic crisis. Researchers had extended the study to Asian countries that other researchers never been done the research using the period Asian economic crisis. He found the relationships pattern different between pre and post economic crisis, where it changes from positive relationship to negative relationship especially for Indonesia. (Bautista, 2006) Economic crisis has strongly aroused the researchers interest to conduct study on Korea as well. Dekle, Hsiao, and Wang (2001) proved that the empirical result are supportive the traditional view. Monetary tightening and the rise in interest rate successfully appreciating Korea won. In fact, it is consistent with the expectation of IMF as they request Korea to raise their short term interest rate after a sustained period of stability depreciated precipitously. An extended study of Meese and Rogoff (1998) with the purpose to find a stable long run relationship between real exchange rate and real interest rate differentials using Korean Won exchange for US Dollar data for period 1991 to 2011, real interest rate did not affect the real exchange rate significantly before crisis (as cited in Park, n.d.). After the crisis, real interest rate differential had a positive significant effect and Korean foreign exchange reserve a negative significant effect on the real interest rate respectively. They also mentioned that the data fitted the interest rate parity theory better after crisis than before crisis , this is reasonable given openness and integration into global market of Korean financial market. The study on ability of interest rate as a defend tool during economic crisis also is a topic concerned by IMF and World Bank (Caporale, Andrea Cipollini, Panicos, 2005). They investigate the monetary tightening policy in defending the exchange rate from speculative pressure during the Asian financial crisis from 1991 to 2001 on Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines, and Thailand. They found that during the crisis period, there was a simultaneously increase in domestic interest rate in respond to exchange rate depreciation. The effects of an increase in the domestic interest rate on domestic currency, owning a higher probability of bankruptcy of highly leverage Corporation. However, during tranquil periods the nominal exchange rate appears to appreciate sharply in response to rise in the domestic interest rate. A similar study been carry out by (Chen, 2007), while the main study is f ocus on interest rate and exchange rate volatility, the empirical result presented supportive view of high interest rate would no help to defend the exchange rate. He suggested that any structural model proposed in this paper suitable to predict the relationship between real interest rate and exchange rate volatility due to all model are consistent with empirical regularity and provide one of cause and effect. Some researchers are interested to identify the pattern of relationship of fixed exchange rate and interest rate during economy crisis. G. Benigno, P. Benigno, and Ghironi (2007) revealed the relation between interest rate rules, exchange rate regimes, and determinacy of the rational expectation equilibrium of the economy. In this paper, follower country is in the exchange rate regime, it means the country that trying to peg the exchange rate, while foreign is the leader. As discussed inÂÂ  Obstfeld and Rogoff (1996), although a fixed exchange rate implies equality bet ween the domestic and foreign interest rates, pegging the domestic interest rate to the foreign one is not sufficient to fix the exchange rate in all periods (as cited in G. Benigno, P. Benigno, and Ghironi, 2007). It results in instability and indeterminacy. This paper proposed a solution to this problem in terms of interest rate feedback rules for the follower countries so that can ensure the determinacy of the fixed exchange rate equilibrium in a rational expectations setting under relatively weak conditions. The class of rules proposed by this paper is differs from other approaches in the literature (such asÂÂ  Taylor, 1994;ÂÂ  Wieland, 1996) because it does not require the specification of any point in the money supply path (as cited in G. Benigno, P. Benigno, and Ghironi, 2007). Recommendations Based on the research studies, we found that the relationship between interest rates is well explained through the International Fisher Effect, however the previous study more focus on the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). According to Alan and Mark (2004), PPP is a disarmingly simple theory that hold the nominal exchange rate between two currencies should be equal to the ratio of aggregate price levels between the two countries, therefore a unit of currency of one country will have the same purchasing power in a foreign country. We suggest that either each of the theory should not be ignored because both also will influence the exchange rate effectively. Furthermore, previous researches more focus on their studies using the economy crisis background. So we suggest that they can do some researches on the relationship between interest rate and exchange rates under stable economy conditions. Will the results have the differences if compare to the crisis economy? In addition, we also identified that most researchers only emphasize on the inflation that will depreciate the exchange rate. We recommend that they can also take the deflation into the considerations. Actually deflation can be considered as a natural phenomenon, as far as hard currency economies are concerned. Besides that, deflation can leads to the escalation in the purchasing power parity of each unit of currency. Conclusion In conclusion, excluding factors like inflation and interest rate, the most important determinant of a countrys relative level of economic health is exchange rate. It plays an important role in a countrys trade level which is vital to most every free market economy in the world. Many research studies showed that there are negative relationship between interest rates and exchange rates. Interest rates, inflation and exchange rate are highly interrelated. The exchange rate of the currency holds the bulk of investments determine that portfolios real return. Actually the exchanges rates are established by frequent difficult reasons that often leave even the most experienced economists confused, financiers should still have some understanding of how the currency values and exchange rates play a main role in their investment.

Different Types Of Street Gangs - 1868 Words

STREET GANGS Abstract This paper explores three different types of street gangs. These gangs are the Black Disciples, the Mongols, and the Bloods and the Crips. The paper talks about the activities that these gangs are involved in, and also covers at least three different topics for each gang. This paper also examines the information that people should know about these certain types of gangs. The paper covers background information of each of these gangs, criminal activities they are involved in, and the rise of them since the gang was created. By reading this paper you will learn of how many people are actually in each of these gangs and also where they can be found or located at around the world. All of the gangs explored in this paper are very dangerous, well organized, and sophisticated which makes them a bigger threat to society. Therefore by reading this paper you will be informed about these gangs and maybe can find a way to stop the violent crimes they commit because gang activity is on the rise a nd will be for a long time. STREET GANGS Street gangs The citizens of America should be informed of the information of the most dangerous gangs in the world, they may be even closer to you then you think. Many of these gangs are very well organized and sophisticated which makes them a huge threat to our society, and people should be more informed about these gangs so they can try to stop their violent activities. In America there is about 33,000 streetShow MoreRelatedThe End Of The American Revolutionary War1595 Words   |  7 PagesThe new immigrants settled in the Northeast region of the United States and as a result, it began to experience street gangs. However, most organized and violent street gangs did not emerge in America until the beginning of the nineteenth century. 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It is paramount that a unified definition of the term ‘gangs’ is understood by the Home Office and Police forcesRead MoreThe Impact o f Gang Violence in Oklahoma Essay1345 Words   |  6 PagesThe Impact of Gang Violence in Oklahoma Gangs have had a huge impact in Oklahoma the many years they have been here. Gangs account for most of the drug trade, as well as most of the homicides in the Oklahoma area. Gangs are being fueled by the fear they have given the citizens, therefore most people are too afraid to do anything about the problem. â€Å"Every city in the world always has a gang, a street gang, or the so-called outcasts†.- Jimi Hendrix. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/gangRead MoreHispanic Gangs: Not Just a California Problem Anymore1475 Words   |  6 PagesGangs are not a new problem to the United States. Gangs have often been romanticized in literature and the media with a classic example being â€Å"West Side Story†. Americans have long been fascinated with the Mafia, and infamous gangsters such as Al Capone and John Gotti have even been elevated in status as cultural icons. Americans have seen an uprising in â€Å"Gangster Rap† since the early 1990’s. Many people tend to think of gangs in America as being made up primarily of young inner-city black males

Hiring Of Employees Free Essays

The school will higher teachers using a structured interview with allowance for questions that may arise. This will be done using qualified private recruiter company but after the establishment of the school the interviews will be undertaken by the administrators and at least three teachers. During the advertisement of the interview people from all academic background will be encouraged to apply especially the young and energetic. We will write a custom essay sample on Hiring Of Employees or any similar topic only for you Order Now A variety of issues will be considered at the time of the interviews. This will include the academic background, spirituality, leadership skills and extra curricula qualifications. After interviewing the candidates a selection will be done that will put into consideration the race, gender and professions. The school will have a head teacher who will be a professional teacher and an administrator who could be a retired teacher. The school will be expected to start on a small scale with only three grades. The initial number of teacher is expected to be at least six. The school will also hire a few other temporary teachers who will step in on special occasions. This could be collage students pursuing their studies in different fields who will open up the children to the mystery of different education a head of them. The special occasions will include when the regular teachers are on training. The professional teachers will be considered such that in every three teacher one should be a professional teacher. Other employees to be recruited will be the secretary, the drivers, cooks, gate keepers and the cleaners. Since the school will be of the lower grades the secretary will be expected to be of the same qualification as some of the teachers with good computer skills. All the other staff are expected to have some basic academic background that can enable them to communicate effectively. They should also be dedicated to their work and should be of good moral standards. Evaluation of the school employees The teachers the administrators and the other employees will be evaluated to find out if they are performing their duties effectively. The evaluation will consist of a list of questions that will give the performance index of the employee when answered. How to cite Hiring Of Employees, Papers

World Trade Business Price Descrimination

Question: Describe about the World Trade for Business Price Descrimination. Answer: 1.(i) Introduction The monopoly uses the price discrimination strategies to charge different prices for the same product to different persons, places, and usage to meet the goal of increased revenue. A monopoly will use the price discrimination to gain the market advantage or capture market position. The conditions that make a single seller to lower the price will be determined by whether lowering the price will; Upsurge the demand for the commodity hence raising the sales revenue of the firm Reduce the price individual are willing to pay when buying a good at the higher price. (ii) Analysis Based on the concept of demand and supply, lowering the price increases demand but reduce supply while increasing the prices decrease the demand but increase supply. This can be illustrated bellow: From the above diagram, it is possible that the single seller can discriminate using the first-degree price discrimination. This is done by splitting the market up into two. Those people with more wealth are charged higher while the poor people are charged low. The aim is to draw from every consumer the amount they can pay for the product. Therefore, where a monopoly wants to increase the demand for a commodity, he will lower the price to discriminatively charge different price say based on individuals, places or use of a product. On the other hand, the monopoly will increase the price by supplying less of the good but still get increased revenue due to the high prices charged (Varian, 2009). A personal price discrimination is used where there are two groups of individuals with different levels of economic (financial) status or wealth. Here, the single seller will lower the price for those who are considered poor to sell more goods but increase the price to the wealthy people but still increase revenue be by selling less at a high price. (iii) Conclusion It is concluded that a single seller can price discriminate based on wealth or economic status of people but still meet the goal of increased revenue. The seller will charge a lower price for poor people but increase demand and charge a high price for the rich by lowering demand, but revenue will still increase due to high price charged. 2. (i) Introduction Specialization increase efficiency in international trade where a country only produce what it can make best and trade to get the other commodities. No single country can produce all goods more efficiently than any other country and hence the need for specialization and trade. Countries have varying natural, capital, human resources besides varying strategies of combining such resources. The bottom line is that countries are not equally efficient at the production of commodities demanded by their citizens. There is always an opportunity attached to any decision to produce a given good. This cost describes the amount of another service or good that could otherwise have been produced (Hummels, Ishii Yi, 2001). (ii) Analysis Presented with a choice of producing one commodity or another, specialization dictates a country that it is more efficient to produce that commodity with the lower opportunity cost. The country should use the increased production of that product to trade for the product with the higher opportunity cost. In case an economy can produce more of product with the same resources which another economy can, it is understood to have an absolute advantage in the production of that particular product (Schott, 2004). One the other, where the second nation has an absolute advantage in the manufacture of a product which the first economy wants, the two countries will both better off specializing and trading. Conclusion Trade is, therefore, beneficial to both economies even where one nation has an absolute advantage in producing both goods to be traded. Presented with any two goods, an economy has a comparative advantage in the good that has a lower opportunity cost. They should make sure that the terms of trade are such that both economies lower the opportunity cost of the products being acquired from a trade. References Hummels, D., Ishii, J., Yi, K. M. (2001). The nature and growth of vertical specialization in world trade. Journal of international Economics, 54(1), 75-96. Schmalensee, R. (2011). Output and welfare implications of monopolistic third-degree price discrimination. The American Economic Review, 71(1), 242-247. Schott, P. K. (2004). Across-product versus within-product specialization in international trade. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 647-678. Varian, H. R. (2009). Price discrimination. Handbook of industrial organization, 1, 597-654.

Africa- a Look from A White mans Binoculars essays

Africa- a Look from A White mans Binoculars essays It is the God given duty of the white men to civilize and christianize the primitive, under privileged and uncivilized population of the rest of the world; this is a very common phrase used in the history books to explain the European intervention into other continents and island nations. The African continent was also a victim of British conquerance but the British called it its protectorate. Did they really perform their duty or were they there to exploit the resources? There have been a lot of explanations about how Africa is perceived by the rest of the world, let alone the western world. To account for the whole world will be unrealistic and unrelated to this assignment so I will just focus on the western world. Africa has always been associated with words such as primitive, barbaric, savage and uncivilized. The negative portrayal has largely been a result of how western media covers the African news. Africa has always been referred to as a Dark Continent. The history of Africa and its people is depicted in the western world as nothing but a self proclaimed tribal owned land, which had a lot of wealth that the primitive people had no idea how to utilize. Similar had been the history of other countries prior to European intervention, for example American Samoa, Fiji Islands, New Zealand and Australia; but the image of these countries is quite favorable. According to ABCs Ted Koppel, half a million Ethiopians dying doesnt provoke the same response as would the deaths of half a million Italians (Hultman). Maybe Americans and Europeans are more concerned with countries where their economic interests lie. The colonists went to Africa, exploited their resources, took slaves and came back to their countries; but for the Africans the history of their country is not so simple. Why is there a separation between blacks and...

The Veterans Health Care System

The Veterans Health Care System Free Online Research Papers In the mid-1990s, the Veterans Healthcare System (VHA) appeared to be in deep crisis. A large number of its hospital beds were vacant. National reviews demonstrated that majority of VHA surgeons had not picked up a scalpel for the whole year. The veteran population was decreasing harshly, as Korean War and World War II veteran soldiers continued to die. All at once, a mass relocation of veterans from the Snowbelt to the Sunbelt hospitals in Tampa, for instance, with new patients, whilst those in cities like Pittsburgh had quarter of vacant beds. Numerous physicians saw that the VHA’s ingrained bureaucracy had to be overturned. A fundamental downsizing and decentralization of administration power was run, pay-for-performance agreements with top managers were put into practice, and ineffectual physicians were allowed to be fired. The VHA also was transformed from an acute care, hospice-based structure into one that placed a lot more supplies into primary care and outpatient examinations for the increasing number of aging vets overwhelmed with chronic diseases. A foremost change in healthcare within the VHA took place in 1996 when Congress approved the Veteran’s Health Care Eligibility Reform Act of 1996, Public Law 104-262. The law established a standard medical-benefits package that became accessible to all registered veteran patients. Once entitled veterans are registered in the system, they are consigned a priority group. Services provided and the amount enclosed can fluctuate among various priority groups. By 1998, Dr. Kenneth Kizer’s (who was at the root of VHA’s transformation) unexpected result of the VHA’s change in functioning structure was already bringing him management expert rank in a time in which management experts were almost demigods. However, the most remarkable changes of the Veterans Healthcare System did not just engross those trendy, 1990s suggestions as downsizing and decentralization. It also entailed a fascination with methodically progressing quality and safety that to till present time is still mostly absent throughout other private healthcare organizations. Improvements in VHA have absolutely affected the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization. One of the benefits of the new system is that physicians are now able to write down their orders into computers. The computerized system instantly verifies any order against the veteran patient’s account. If the physician working with a patient have advised a wrong recipe of drugs or disregarded the patient’s preceding allergic reaction to a medicine, the computer flings a red flag. Afterward, when hospital pharmacists look at those prescriptions, the automatic system produces a bar code that is on the container or intravenous bag and records what the drug is, whom it is prescribed for, when it should be managed, in what dosage, and by which patient. One of the veterans, Jack Robertson, who is enrolled in VHA system, says there are numerous benefits with this new system. He tells that each patient now has got an ID armlet with his own bar code, as well as each nurse. Before providing any medicine, a nurse first examines the patient’s ID armlet, then her one, and then the bar code on the drug prescribed. If she has the wrong patient or the wrong medicine, the computer will tell her. The laptop will also generate a report if the nurse is delayed administering a drug, and telling you were simply too busy is not a justification, says Roberson. In his opinion, this ID armlet system also diminishes the possibility of administering the wrong medicine to the wrong patient, and in the wrong dosage, as it could happen before. Besides these evident benefits in making right diagnoses, it also helps both patients and hospital workers not to spend unbearably long hours coping with paperwork and other formalities. One doctor working at both usual hospital and the VA Medical Center informs that he is able to observe as many patients in a few hours at the VHA hospital as he is able the entire day at the usual hospital. Jack Robertson is especially satisfied with the feature that anyone registered in the VHA will have access to his or her personal entire medical records from a home laptop, or give authorization to others to do so. â€Å"Consider what this means,† tells Robertson. â€Å"Say my son is living on the West Coast, and he calls me, who lives back East. He asks me to tell him what my physician said during at my last appointment and I certainly speak unclearly something about some blue and white pills that were prescribed to me. However, now my son is able to supervise my medical records, and be aware precisely of what medicines I am supposed to take and what my current health conditions is.† The same scheme reminds physicians to stipulate proper care for veterans when they leave the hospital, for example, beta blockers for heart attack patients, or eye examinations for diabetes victims. It also helps to keep track of which patients are in line for a breast cancer monitoring, a flu shot, or other recorded care a job almost impossible to succeed in using paper records. One more benefit of computerized records became evident when the medicine-producer Merck declared a recall of its accepted arthritis drug, Vioxx. The VHA was competent to instantly discover which of the patients used this medicine at the moment, and to change the drug for less hazardous substitutes quite quickly. Likewise, in the center of a countrywide scarcity of flu vaccine, the automatic system has also made possible for the VHA to recognize, almost instantaneously, those patients who are in utmost need of a flu shot and to ensure those veterans to have precedence. Mr. Robertson also said that one veteran friend of his a person with a cancer who had been in and out of nursing homes gladly stated that he became ahead of other 5,000 patients for a flu shot. He was very content that his VHA hospital informed him that he was eligible, and made it possible for him to make necessary procedures on time. Therefore, VHA is a seriously advancing public health system and it guarantees to provide local pharmacies with much more business, since more and more patients are prescribed drugs to control their chronic diseases. However, projections illustrate that, between 2005 and 2009, the proposal cost local hospitals about $8 million in lost revenue, and cut the wages of the county’s physicians by about $1.5 million. An optimistic dedication to superior services in healthcare does not pay the bills. These days, the program survives barely by attracting charitable support, and, lately, a $500,000 endowment from Congress. For medical providers outside the VHA structure, advancing service quality seldom makes economic sense. True, a hospital can have a business case for buying the newest, most costly imaging devices. The equipment will facilitate in attracting a lot of highly-credentialed physicians to the hospital who will take lots of customers with them. The equipment will also encourage stacks of new demand for hospital services by hoisting all kinds of alleged â€Å"pseudo-diseases.† These are numerous ambiguous, symptomless conditions, such as petite, slow-growing cancers, that persons would never have become aware of in another case since they would have long since passed away because of something else. However, funding any machinery that eventually serves to decrease hospital admissions, like an automatic medical records scheme that allows more efficient illness supervision and diminishes medical mistakes, is probable to take money directly from the bottom line. So, why the Veterans Healthcare System is considered the most efficient and effective in the nation? Primarily, because it is such an outlier in its loyalty to quality. To some extent, it’s because of well-timed, compelling leadership. Further, unlike practically all other healthcare organizations in the United States, VHA has a basically lifetime connection with its customers. Veterans do not change one health plan for another every few years. They establish a relationship with the Veterans Healthcare System in their early teen years, and it goes on. Consequently, the VHA in fact has a motivation to put in effort to prevent and more efficiently and effectively manage diseases. In doing so, it leads not only to saving customers’ money but also to getting the most out of its own resources. Furthermore, since VHA is not a profit maximizer, it has no need to be worried about innovative technologies or innovative practices that keep people well. It also does not make sense for VHA to screech for ultra-modern devices that in fact do not develop the system’s quality or efficiency of care. VHA has proven itself to be a well-defined system, and it continues to act like that. It can methodically handle customer safety issues. It can methodically administer data using standard policies and interfaces. It can methodically advance and put into practice evidence-based principles of care. It can methodically identify where its care system requires enhancement and implement corrective actions. In summary, it can accomplish what the majority of our healthcare organizations appear not to, that is to practice quality methodically without risking its own financial stability. While the healthcare crisis gets worse, and while more people discover how unsafe and unscientific majority of the U.S. healthcare organizations are, it’s time to find a way to change something with this strange reality. A lot of US citizens still consider the American healthcare system to be the superior among all other countries, and that the only significant problems it faces are its expensiveness and leaving too many patients uninsured. But the evidence shows that US people live shorter lives and have more disabilities and chronic diseases than people from other countries that spend hardly half as much money on healthcare. Putting more capital into the present healthcare system will not change that. Moreover, making the existing system more disjointed and motivated by short-term earnings will not help either. What will help is getting a lesson presented by the Veterans Health System that could show the way to an all-American healthcare problem solution. Research Papers on The Veterans Health Care SystemArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)The Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Fifth HorsemanThe Project Managment Office SystemAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaTwilight of the UAWInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBringing Democracy to Africa

Strategic Management of Carnival Corporation Coursework

Strategic Management of Carnival Corporation - Coursework Example The clear vision she has nowadays for the company is one that highlights the appeal to people, i.e. the "wow factor", "Wow,' I think that's what today's carnival is all about, the wow effect" (Keefe et al., 2006, p.11). A vision of Carnival's present and future that is also sustained by the company's outlined mission and objectives. As identified by Carnival's management the company mission "is to deliver exceptional vacation experiences through the world's best known cruise-brands that cater to a variety of different lifestyles and budgets, all at an outstanding value unrivaled on land or at sea." (Keefe, 2006, p.8). A statement, which illustrates Carnival's customer- and product -oriented approach with respect to their presence in different markets, where each segment is channeled in a way as to maintain a holistic perspective on the entire company philosophy with respect to future growth and development as shown in the entrepreneurial hue of the message. The company also expresses concern for the way it is viewed by the public in terms of its outstanding positioning amongst other cruising and non-cruising industry competitors. Thus it gives a strong message that it would try and sustain its posi tions as a cruise market leader while simultaneously bolstering and expanding its spot when it comes to the rest of the tourist industry. The cruising indu The cruising industry has been growing at a compound annual growth rate of 9.1% in North America and 8.4% in Europe for the period 1999-2004(10K, p.4). The number of passengers of Carnival was 6,848,386 which amounted to 48.9% of the total number of cruise passengers worldwide (Keefe et al., 2006, p.2). Carnival's 79 ships operate in all three cruise sectors: contemporary, premium and luxury. The contemporary lines are: the Carnival Cruise Lines, which have 21 ships and passenger capacity of 47,820 people. It operates mainly in North and South America and in 2005 carried an industry record of 3.3 million passengers. P&O is another contemporary brand with a capacity of 8,844 targeting mainly the UK market. Representatives of the premium and destination class lines are Princess (14 ships and 29,152 passenger capacity) and Holland America Line (12 ships and 18,930 passengers), both operating in the North and South American regions, the Caribbean. Carnival's luxury Brands include Seaborn Line with 3 luxury yachts and 624 passengers and Windstar Cruises targeting a demographic of 30-50 year old customers. Other regional lines include: Ocean Village (1 ship) based in UK, which sails the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Swan Hellenic operates discovery cruises in the UK, the Mediterranean, North America, South America, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the Far East. Costa Cruises is in Italy and has (10 ships). It sails Europe, South America and the Caribbean. AIDA is in the German market sailing the Mediterranean, the Baltic and the Norwegian Fjords, the Canary Islands and the Caribbean. Of all regions of operations of Carnival the most profitable and the most penetrated market is the North American one with revenues of $6,439, $5,788, and $4,513 in respectively 2005, 2004, 2003 (Note 12,10K, 2006). While the UK is the most developed market in Europe for Carnival with revenues of $1,681, $1,549, $971 respectively for 2005, 2004, 2003, which is still 1/5 of the North American

Legal Right and Ethical Obligation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Right and Ethical Obligation - Essay Example This causes a certain deviation from the law for a judgement to be ethically viable. "When important ethical principles are jeopardized by law, citizens are confronted with an ethical problem." (Loewy, 2000). In a situation where people who have suffered loss of life and property claim for compensation, there is no doubt that all legal possibilities will be explored in order to ensure that the company does not lose heavily. In a case where a passenger (of American origin) tries to sue the cruise line that claims immunity under 'flag of convenience rules', the question is more of an ethical issue than a legal one. It would be quite unjust to argue that by merely flying the flag of another country, the DWI are under no obligation to pay for the loss of life and/or property of a passenger who has boarded their cruise with a fervent hope that he and his belongings will be safe. Third party billing problems occur most of the time either in phone companies or in the medical sector. Most disputes arise when people are oblivious of the declarations and statements made in fine print in most bills and invoices. As in the case of Mr. & Mrs.

Chinese Students Seek Places in US Universities Essay

Chinese Students Seek Places in US Universities - Essay Example The education sector has registered many changes because of the advent of technology and human demands and needs. Many Chinese students seek international education and often find their way into the United States of America. The open policy about education in the United States has promoted the influx of Chinese students into United States institutions. Education policy in the United States of America provides ample ground for international students because it does not restrict the needs of international students. Students look for quality education for their money. Since United States institutions have kept the result in quality education, it attracts many foreign students to apply for education in the United States. The number of Chinese students in the United States has increased showing a gain in international education trends. Research indicates that an increase in enrollment of international student by 3 percent. This figure translates to 690, 923 students. Students wish to grab education opportunities offered by institutions in America for their own benefit. The current world trends dictate the level of education that would usher a person into the job market. Many employers require certification from higher institutions which many Chinese students feel they are unable to attain while in the home country. Reports from the department of international students enrollment indicate that Chinese students are on the lead. Analysis by Open Door research indicates that a number of factors influence the current education trend in China and America. The report indicated that country policy is a major factor in contributing to international education trends (Marklein). For example, students from China find opportunity in United States institutions after the education system in China has locked them out. Stringent education policies in China have contributed to these developments.  

Jacques Cousteau And The Ocean Film Studies Essay

Jacques Cousteau And The Ocean Film Studies Essay Imagine a world without oxygen. A dangerous world few have seen and few will ever see. A world filled with colors as bright as a rainbow and blackness as dark as any cave. A world with strange, never before seen creatures everywhere, waiting to be discovered. This is the Ocean. This is the world of Jacques Cousteau. Cousteau worked hard to make this ocean world more accessible to the world. He created movies, books, and films to allow everyone to see what lies beneath the oceans surface. He even invented new devices to allow people to go there. Making major advances in scuba diving and raising the publics awareness are just two of the ways Jacques Cousteau revolutionized ocean exploration. Jacques Cousteau made major advancements in scuba diving. Of his advances, his greatest was the invention of the Aqua-Lung. Before Cousteaus invention, diving gear consisted of airtight suits with lead boots, steel helmets, and an air hose that was attached to a ship at the surface (King). With this setup, divers had very little freedom of movement. Cousteau wanted to create a new system that would allow divers to move freely and allow divers to stay underwater for longer periods of time. He soon attempted this project and was unsuccessful. He tried using a gas mask, rubber tubes, and bottles of oxygen. Cousteau learned the hard way that pure oxygen becomes toxic to the human body at great depths. Cousteau had a seizure on a dive after breathing the pure oxygen for only four minutes. He decided that compressed air was a better choice, and went to his father for more advice (Cullen). Regular compressed air consists of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gasses (Cullen). His father was an executive for a company that sold gasses, and Cousteau knew his father would be able to help. Cousteaus father said that a self-regulating valve would work best. The valve would allow divers to inhale and exhale through one mouthpiece without exhaling into their fresh air supply (Cullen). After hearing his fathers advice, Cousteau met with an engineer from his fathers gas company named Émile Gagnan in December, 1942. Together, they modified a self-regulating valve. They traveled to the Marne River and tested the valve with compressed air. At first, the valve did not quite work right. The valve only worked when the diver was horizontal. Within a few weeks, the pair finished their project. They called it the Aqua-Lung, and applied for a patent. Their finished Aqua-Lung weighed about 50 lbs., but still allowed divers to move freely in the water (Cullen). This invention changed the sport of diving forever, and Cousteau knew his invention could change the world as well. Soon after his invention of the Aqua-Lung, Jacques Cousteau began to set the limits for safe diving. Cousteaus First dive with his finished Aqua-Lung took him to a depth of about 60 feet (Charton). He knew that his new invention would bring many new dangers with it, so he soon began to set the limits for safe diving. Cousteau also tried using different gas mixtures with different ascension rates to find what worked best (Cullen). Soon, Cousteau began to push the limits of his Aqua-Lung. He wanted to see how deep he could safely dive. In 1947, Cousteau was able to reach a depth of 297 feet (Cullen). Cousteau began to discover new dangers that could threaten divers. Cousteau soon began feeling the symptoms of nitrogen narcosis. Nitrogen narcosis affects divers on deep dives and has many effects on the mind. One of its main effects is not allowing a diver to think clearly and could cause the diver to make mistakes while diving that could be fatal (Cullen). He also learned of decompressi on sickness when a man diving with Cousteau died while he was ascending. Cousteau set the safe diving limit at 300 feet after this event (Cullen). These guidelines for safe diving would protect the lives of thousands of divers for many years to come. Cousteaus invention of the Aqua-Lung in 1942 created many new possibilities for divers. The Aqua-Lung made it possible for divers to explore parts of the ocean that had never before been seen, such as underwater caves. Marine scientists were also able to study ecosystems in deeper parts of the ocean more efficiently. They saw things they could never before see (Cullen). The Aqua-Lung also had many more uses. These include finding and disarming German mines during WWII, clearing debris from ports, underwater photography, exploring caves and shipwrecks, and ocean research (Cullen). Cousteau even thought that the Aqua-Lung could be used as a way for specially trained soldiers to swim into enemy harbors and plant explosives on the hulls of ships (Madsen). The Aqua-Lung gave divers many more possibilities in the underwater world. Jacques Cousteau played a major part in raising public awareness for the ocean. He created many books, films, and T.V. programs throughout his life. All of these were used by Cousteau to make the world more aware of the oceans and showed how important ocean conservation was. Cousteau became interested in moviemaking when he was very young. He was amazed by the way cameras worked and also enjoyed taking them apart and rebuilding them. This interest followed Cousteau throughout his life, and he went on to make many award-winning films and movies (Cullen). Cousteau began to waterproof his cameras and began taking cameras with him on his dives. He soon released his first film, Eighteen Meters Down, which was very popular at the Cannes Film Festival in 1943 (Cullen). Cousteau began to improve his cameras. He built them to withstand the water pressure they would have to take during deeper dives. Using his improved cameras, he created many new films. He also tried color film and artificial light in his films for the first time (Cullen). The later years of Cousteaus life were spent creating film series and television specials. These include The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, Cousteau Odyssey, and Cousteau Amazon. Viewers were amazed by the images in these new films, and Cousteau received over 40 Emmy nominations (Cullen). By publishing The Silent World in 1953, Cousteau continued to educate the public about the ocean. The book was made popular because of its color photos and stories from Cousteaus dives (King). It also included Cousteaus first explorations of shipwrecks and underwater caves. The Silent World was instantly successful and became a best-seller (Cullen). The book was so successful that it was published in 22 languages and sold worldwide (King). A film version of The Silent World was released three years later, in 1956 (Cullen). The year of its release, the film won the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival, the Palme dOr. It was the first document ary to win this award, and only one documentary has won the award since (Collins). The following year, in 1957, the film also won an Oscar award (Cullen). Cousteau knew that in order to continue his research, he needed a research vessel. He soon found what he needed. Cousteau purchased the Calypso, a 400-ton minesweeper. The ship was converted into a floating laboratory filled with modern equipment and underwater television cameras (OLeary and OMeara). The Calypsos first expedition started on November 24, 1951. The mission was to research the Red sea. The Calypso was used to create many of Cousteaus films and documentaries. While researching the Red sea, the Calypsos crew filmed coral reefs, islands, volcanic basins, new plant and animal species, and recorded a new record depth of 16,500 feet. The new films created from the Calypso expedition amazed scientists, naturalists, and most importantly, the National Geographic Society, who agreed to finance one of Cousteaus future expeditions aboard the Calypso (Cullen). While onboard the Calypso, Cousteau created over 70 films and television specials (Cullen). The Calypso was also used as a w ay to document and record pollution and other human caused problems affection the ocean (OLeary and OMeara). At this time, few people were aware of how their pollution was affecting the ocean. Cousteau dedicated a large part of his life to promoting ocean conservation. He knew the importance of the ocean as a source of food, water, and minerals. In 1973 he founded the Cousteau Society. The society was created to teach public the importance of ocean conservation. The mission of the Cousteau Society is to understand, defend, and communicate about the Water Planet, and in doing so, protect the rights of future generations,(Jacques-Yves Cousteau). The Cousteau Society continues its mission, and still teaches ocean conservation today. Jacques Cousteau worked hard and put a lot of effort into raising support for the organization (Cullen). He gave his entire life to speaking out for the ocean, and convinced people around the world to take better care of the ocean. Cousteau achieved this goal through his films, books, and the Cousteau Society (OLeary and OMeara). In an interview for a magazine, Cousteau said, Our way of managing the Earth is wrongà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the oceans are sic k, but theyre not going to die. There is no death possible in the oceans there will always be life but theyre getting sicker every yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ We need to outline what is possible and what is impossible with the nonrenewable resources on Earth, ( ).

Aetna: A Target Market Analysis Essay -- Market Research

Overview: With an evolving market in the various fields marketing, companies needed to readjust their and update their marketing strategies. Centuries ago, a company that needed to market for its products would just post a paper note at the main town street and if people liked the product it would be sold. In the 21st century, marketing became an essential field and necessary branch in any company that plans to succeed. Aetna recognized this necessity and while analyzing the company’s strategies and structure, one can recognize the un-doubtful organization in identifying their target market. Through the creation of different subsidiaries, Aetna, Inc. is able to organize its target market and classify their various services based on the target market’s specific demographics. Primary and Secondary Target Markets Being a giant in the insurance market in the United States, Aetna, Inc’s target market is widely spread and can’t be simply classified in primary and secondary targets. The company’s target market’s however, can be divided into two general markets with each having different classifications. Aetna’s target markets can be divided into an American market and an international one. Within the American market, Aetna divided itself into subsidiaries each concentrating on a specific target market. Outside of the American market, Aetna created Aetna International to specifically target various non-American markets. Within Aetna’s primary target market, there are seven subsidiaries that target the various American markets. Six of these subsidiaries aim at the various markets in the United States while the seventh aim towards improving the collective services offered by Aetna through the delivery of various health ... ... About Medicity. (2011). In Medicity. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://www.medicity.com/about-medicity.html About Us. (2012). In ActiveHealth Management. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://activehealthmanagement.com/ Aenta History. (2012). In Aetna. Retrieved March 9, 2012, from http://www.aetna.com/about-aetna-insurance/aetna-corporate-profile/aetna-history/index.html Aetna Subsidiaries: Standalone Companies Owned by Aetna. (2012). In Aetna. Retrieved March 9, 2012, from http://www.aetna.com/about-aetna-insurance/aetna-corporate-profile/subsidiaries.html Miles, J., & Armstrong, R. (Narrator). (2011). Rivalry: Aetna vs Humana [Online video]. Fox News: Business. Retrieved April 6, 2012, from http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/3893197/rivalry-aetna-vs-humana/ Our Mission. (2012). In SRC. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://www.aetna.com/src/about/index.html

Gerard Egan

An Easy Introduction to Egan’s Skilled Helper Solution Focused Counselling Approach By Patrick JM Nelson Part One What is it? Gerard Egan’s Skilled Helper Model of eclectically based counselling provides a structured and solution focused basis for counsellors, psychotherapists and hypnotherapists. It is a three stage model in which each state consists of specific skills that the therapist uses to help the client move forwards. By mastering the process of using these basic skills in an appropriate manner (often in a cyclical process of stage 1 – 2 – 3 evaluate 1 – 2 – 3 evaluate) the talking therapist may be able to increase their efficiency and structure their work in a more logical way, thus helping clients in a more consistent manner and being less reliant upon their fluctuating ‘therapeutic inspiration’. Theoretical Origins Theoretically the Skilled Helper approach draws on Carkuff's theory of high-level functioning helpers (which explains that helpers with the skills of empathy, respect, concreteness, congruence, self-disclosure, confrontation and immediacy are most effective); Strong's Social influence theory (which explains that helping is a process whereby clients are influenced by others because they perceive therapists as having particular attributes and with this influence being most powerful when the the therapist avoids both laxity and coercion and is instead collaborative, empowering and democratic) and Albert Bandura's Learning theory (in which clients are seen as acquiring skills through coming to understand the processes of learning and developing appropriate self-efficacy expectations – expecting to achieve their goals by learning useful behaviours). Essential Therapeutic Orientations The Egan Skilled Helper approach encourages clients to become active interprete rs of the world, giving meanings to actions, events and situations, facing and overcoming challenges, exploring problem issues, seeking new opportunities and establishing goals. Quite simply, success usually comes when human beings become active in initiating positive behaviours and developing problem-solving strategies. The Skilled Helper aims to help their clients develop the skills and the knowledge necessary to solve both their current problems issues and ones that may arise in the future. To facilitate client development the helper builds a healthy therapeutic alliance with the client based on collaboration, warmth and acceptance. The Skilled Helper facilitates the client by helping them to formulate a plan of action, helping them accept their responsibility for becoming a more effective person and helping them to develop their own inner resources. The Skilled Helper also helps their client to transfer newly acquired skills and knowledge to fresh situations, facilitates them in establishing appropriate and realistic goals (that match their problem-solving skills), encourages them to become selfdirective and develop the skills of problem-solving, helps them to build on their inner strengths and to utilize external resources and support groups, helps them realize their potential and facilitates them in developing goals which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, ethical and reasonable. Furthermore the Skilled Helper remains in a state of external sensory awareness and retains an awareness of their client's non-verbal communications. Effective Listening – SOLER Effective listening is key to being a Skilled Helper. It consists of various skills, which Egan covers with the acronym : S. If it suits them, face the client Squarely (some prefer up to 45 degrees etc) O. Maintain an Open Posture with the client. L. Lean towards the client (as appropriate). E. Maintain appropriate Eye Contact with the client. R. Be a Relaxed helper as by doing so you greatly improve the quality and comfort of the sessions. Active Listening & Empathy Active Listening is a key skill for the Skilled Helper. It consists in concentrating on the client's non-verbal and verbal communications and relating them to the client's story (non-verbal communication includes body language, expressions, reactions etc). Verbal communication articulates the client's experiences, behaviours and feelings. The Skilled Helper encourages the client to stick to the point (what is relevant), they are non-judgemental and they are Empathic rather than sympathetic. Appropriate Empathy is a state of human interaction in which the helper enters and understands the client's perspective, whilst getting in touch with their thoughts and feelings, however, in this the helper remains rational in their understanding of the client's situation and reality. Unlike in some counselling approaches, although the Skilled Helper communicates Empathy to the client as the basis of counselling, when appropriate they may also use challenging skills with the client when particular and clearly harmful irrational statements or destructive patterns etc keep resurfacing, however any challenging must be congruent with the maintenance of therapeutic Rapport and Empathy because Empathy and Rapport provide the client with the warmth, comfort and safety needed to facilitate effective positive change. Exploring Skills (Egan Stage I Introduction) Exploring the client's Existing Situation The stage one skills of the Egan Helping Model are based upon the exploration of the client’s situation and they basically correlate with the Rogerian counselling skills of the Person Centered Approach. The purpose of Stage I is to build a nonthreatening counselling relationship and help the client explore their situation and then focus on chosen issues. In this stage the Skilled Helper helps the client to identify and clarify problems and opportunities and assess their resources. Clients are often reluctant or resistant at this stage, therefore the therapist helps them to explore new perspectives, challenges negative modes of thinking and constructively challenges the client's excuses, evasiveness, distortions and negative self-statements. This stage is based around helping the client in establishing priorities and developing action plans that put into practice productive strategies. Stage I exploring skills include: Open-ended questions Silence Focusing Empathy Paraphrasing & Reflecting Meaning Paraphrasing & Reflecting Feeling Structuring Summarising Understanding Skills (Egan Stage II Introduction) Helping the Client Establish Aims and Goals The purpose of Stage II is to help facilitate the client in developing a more in-depth and objective understanding of their situation. This stage is enacted as the Skilled Helper assists the client in exploring options and possible goals. The Skilled Helper establishes what the client really wants and needs and the client is encouraged to consider new possibilities and perspectives, choosing ones that are realistic, consistent with their values and for which there are adequate incentives. The Skilled Helper facilitates the client in developing rational decision-making based upon healthy data collection, analysis and action planning. In this state brain-storming, divergent thinking, a balance-sheet approach and force-field analysis may be used with the client in order to facilitate choices between different ways of dealing with situations and achieving goals. These techniques help the client to explore various options and strategies as well understand and work around blocking factors with facilitating factors. Stage II understanding skills include: Recognising Patterns & Themes Alternate Frames of Reference Self-disclosure Immediacy Challenging Timing & Pacing Advanced empathy Acting Skills (Egan Stage III Introduction) Help the Client to Develop Strategies Stage III skills are assist clients to take appropriate action by defining goals, changing ways of relating and working through issues using problem solving or decision making methods, while providing support and encouragement. Stage III skills help the client to cope with current problems and assist in the learning of new skills that will enable them to live more effectively in the future. Action is based on exploration and understanding gained by using stage I & II skills. In stage III the Skilled Helper facilitates the client in finding ways of achieving their goals. After helping the client to come up with as many strategies as they can the Skilled Helper then helps them to focus upon those that are viable in terms of client situati on, needs, aspiration and resources. This process is designed to help the client move from the current situation to one that they would prefer. Transition experiences may make the client feel vulnerable therefore the process may often be built upon the taking of small comfortable steps as the client grows in confidence (but this must be based upon the needs of the client – some like big jumps). Realistic achievable planning and time-tabling are key to success and the Skilled Helper is warm and supportive – helping the client look out and overcome obstacles, turning challenges into opportunities and inspiring the client to mobilise their personal, social and material resources (particularly helpful family members, friends and self-help networks etc). Stage III action skills include: Divergent Thinking Goal Setting Decision Making Problem Solving Programme Choice Evaluate Knowledge of Resources Using Knowledge of How Behaviour is Changed Using Knowledge of How Useful Behaviour is Maintained Teaching skills & Promoting Learning skills Evaluation In addition to Explore, Understand & Act skills evaluation of the therapy process is also important. It can take place at the end of each session as a summarization, whenever appropriate. It helps the client understand what ground they have gone over, helps them perceive progress they have made and inspires them with understanding on how they want to move forwards. To learn about this approach in detail see Part II, III & 4 of An Easy Introduction to the Egan’s Skilled Helper Solution Focused Counselling Approach by Patrick JM Nelson. Gerard Egan’s ‘The Skilled Helper’ is available from the FETT Bookshop Article Copyright Patrick JM Nelson 2007

Sailing to Byzantium Essays

Sailing to Byzantium Essays Sailing to Byzantium Paper Sailing to Byzantium Paper Poetry means many things to people all over the world. Poetry is an outlet or artistic and creative way of telling a story or expressing your emotions. It is something that does not require a lot of skill, but imagination and feeling. â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† written by William Butler Yeats is a poem that speaks of the craving for something one cannot have and the immortality of people, art and intellect, and greatness. â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† is a poem based on the theme longing for something one cannot have. In this case the old man in the poem is yearning to be young and live on forever even when his time is up. To escape death and old age the man sails to Byzantium. Byzantium is the opposite of the old man. â€Å"The young in one another’s arms, birds in the trees† and â€Å"The salmon falls, the mackerel crowded seas† are lines from the poem that illustrate the youth and vibrance of Byzantium, the youth and viberance the old man desires. Throughout the poem there are lines that hint about the immortality of people and life. One can continue to live on forever spiritually or by being remembered for having a great achievement or a great impact. In the second stanza Yeats writes, â€Å"An aged man is but a paltry thing. Upon this realisation, he decides to travel to the holy city of Byzantium. Byzantium (which was renamed Constantinople, then Istanbul) was a city in the Eastern Roman Empire. The journey to Byzantium is not a literal one, but a metaphorical one which represents the acceptance of mortality, artistic splendour and a way of immortalising oneself through art. Art is an artificial creation, and is something which can stand the test of time and will remain beautiful from the moment it is first created. The use of symbolism and themes are very prevalent in conveying this message of mortality, which leads me to my guiding questions: How does Yeats use language to distinguish the difference between mortality and immortality for the reader? and How does Yeats use symbolism to convey the theme of immortality versus the transience of life? The first stanza presents an image of life to the reader; the birds in the trees, the fish filled waters, the young people who are preoccupied with their lives and loves. But in amongst the description of life Yeats refers to them as those dying generations. This is a reminder that life is inevitably followed by death, and that we are all moving closer to our deaths, or dying. It is a reminder that everything that lives is doomed. Whatever is begotten, born and dies /Caught in that sensual music all neglect /Monuments of unaging intellect. This is a crude summary of the aspects of life that everyone shares (conception, birth and death) and how all living things get caught up with the sensual music, and neglect the monuments of unaging intellect. The final line has a double meaning. The monuments of unaging intellect represents the elderly and how their minds and intelligence do not age with their bodies, but it also represents the artworks and paintings which Yeats destination, Byzantium, is so famous for. The people in paintings, sculptures and other forms of art are undying, and remain the same as they were the day they were first created for eternity. Yeats is condemning the natural as all things natural are doomed to die, and praising the artificial things as they can stand the test of times. This is paradoxical however, because without the natural, the artificial wouldnt exist. In the second stanza, Yeats likens and aged man to a scarecrow: An aged man is but a paltry thing,/A tattered coat upon a stick. This is a symbol of the elderly. Scarecrows are devices which were created to do just as their name describes to scare crows, but in the poem they represent a device which is to scare the youth. Many people fear death, and as the elderly remind the youth of their own mortality, in looking at the aged, they have a sense of fear as they are seeing what they will become. However, this is followed by unless/Soul clap its hands and sing, louder sing/for every tatter in its mortal dress. By using a personification of soul, Yeats reminds the reader that the soul is what separates each life from the next, and that for every problem it comes by, it becomes stronger. In saying this, Yeats is focusing on the fact that it is possible to avoid becoming an empty, lifeless shell, like the scarecrow, by concentrating on the soul, and therefore overcoming the constrictions of the human body. Since the journey to metaphorical one, Yeats is saying that the only way that the journey to Byzantium is possible is to learn to escape from the constraints of the body. Byzantium represents a desired destination, and in Yeats case, it is a symbol of permanence and intransience through art. During a trip to Ravenna, Yeats saw a painting which portrayed martyrs being burnt because of their faith. In the third stanza, in the line O sages standing in Gods holy fire/As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Yeats has incorporated his interpretation of this painting into the poem. He sees the martyrs as sages and the flames as the Holy Spirit. This is represents the transition between life as a mortal and life as an immortal, as at the time of their deaths the sages gained an immortal existence through being incorporated into art. The mosaic is described as gold, as this colour represents an untarnished and everlasting beauty. Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,/And be the singing-masters of my soul. Here, Yeats is referring to a spinning wheel, and the quick movement of thread through a bobbin and spool. This image of each strand of thread being merged into one constant piece symbolises how human life spawns other lives another and how each life links up with another creating a continuous flow of life. Yeats is asking the sages in the mosaic to free him from his body, which he describes as a dying animal, and guide him to Byzantium so that he too can join the artifice of eternity. The sages in the mosaic have seen many generations of people, without ageing themselves. The fourth and final stanza commences with Yeats pronouncing that once he has escaped him human form, he will never again take the form from anything natural, as from his description in the first stanza, these things are all prone to decay and death. He then proceeds to say that he would wish to take the form of a golden bird like the ones the Grecian goldsmiths used to make. He wishes to make the final transition from the transience of human life, and immortalise himself through an ancient form of art. The final line of the poem Of what is past, or passing, or to come is a reflection of the line Whatever is begotten, born and dies found in the first stanza. Yeats categorises time into past, present and future, which is a suggestion that even after escaping his human body, his mind would still be limited to what he can perceive as a human being. The idea of eternity is a concept almost impossible for a human mind to grasp, so we classify time into past, present and future. In answer to my first guiding question, there is a notable difference in the language Yeats uses depending on whether he the idea of mortality or immortality is being conveyed. For example, in the first stanza when the old country is being described, the words are limited to one or two syllables, and the language is rough and has a staccato style rhythm: The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,/Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long. The quick, often monosyllabic words help to enforce the idea that these things will eventually die, and the f and sh sounds are repeated, creating an alliteration which gives a sharper sound to the line. Yeats uses long, more flowing words in line 7, Caught in that sensual music all neglect, as if to admit that he, too, become preoccupied with this aspect of human life. In the final line of the first stanza, the reader is first introduced to the idea of an everlasting existence: Monuments of unageing intellect. This line rolls over the tongue, and is a contrast from line 5 which describes things that will die. It also displays a use of alliteration, as the letter n is echoed throughout the line. More examples language being used to emphasize the difference between transience and an endless existence can be found in the other stanzas: A tattered coat upon a stick and Monuments of its own magnificence: Consume my heart away; sick with desire/And fastened to a dying animal against Into the artifice of eternity. The lines which are referring to immortality have a much more soothing tone, whereas the lines which are referring to mortality are more staccato-like and harsher sounding. In answer to my second guiding question, Yeats use of symbolism is essential in his portrayal of immortality in opposition to mortality. The symbolism begins in the poems title, Sailing to Byzantium. Sailing symbolises a metaphorical journey, and Byzantium symbolises a desired destination, in this case, the desire to become immortal through art. In the first stanza, the images of the young lovers, fish and birds symbolise mortality and eventual death. By highlighting this component of the world he lives in, it makes it easier for the reader to understand his need for permanence. In the second stanza, the scarecrow signifies the elderly. The image of a solitary scarecrow in a field is seen often through literature and film, and in this case the scarecrow represents the neglected generation. The scarecrow is described as paltry (which means contemptible), and this symbolises how the younger generations have contempt for the older generations because they are a reminder of their own mortality. The scarecrow also represents everything that Yeats wishes to leave behind in departing his mortal existence. Finally, the image of the golden bird symbolises the flight Yeats has taken from his previous body, and the permanence he has found through art. The colour gold his also used several times throughout the poem, and this indicates everlasting beauty. Yeats uses images representing young life through to old life to demonstrate the transience of human life, but uses the constant image of the golden mosaics and the golden bird to show how art has a never-ending beauty. In conclusion, I think the main idea W. B. Yeats was trying to convey in writing this poem was that the artificial is superior to the natural, and that while all things natural are doomed to die, the artificial can exist forever. The way Yeats uses imagery helps to convey the idea that the artificial is an everlasting creation, and whereas the natural, while is beautiful at one time, eventually withers and dies. The fact that the author believes the artificial is superior to the natural becomes apparent in difference in language Yeats uses, depending on which of them he is talking about. The abrupt phrases and monosyllabic words Yeats uses to talk about the natural connote that the lives of these things, like the words, are quickly over. However, the more descriptive and flowing language used to describe things which are man-made, such as art, tells the reader that these things are longer lasting and more beautiful. I think that the way in which Yeats tells the poem complements the message he is conveying and causes the reader to contemplate their own existence.

How to Say Weekend in French

How to Say Weekend in French The expression weekend is definitely an English word. We borrowed it in French, and use it a lot in France. Le Week-end, Le Weekend, La Fin de Semaine In France, two spellings are acceptable: â€Å"le week-end† or â€Å"le weekend†. A lot of books will tell you the French word for it is â€Å"la fin de semaine†. I’ve never heard it used around me, nor have I used it myself. It may be the French official word for â€Å"weekend†, but in France, it’s not very used at all. - Qu’est-ce que tu vas faire ce weekend? What are you going to do this weekend?-  Ce weekend, je vais chez des amis en Bretagne. This weekend, I’m visiting some friends in Brittany. What Days Are the Weekend in France? In France, the weekend usually refers to Saturday (samedi) and Sunday (dimanche) being off. But it’s not always the case. For example, high school students often have classes on Saturday morning. So, their weekend is shorter: Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Many shops and businesses (such as banks) are open on Saturday, closed on Sunday, and they often are closed on Monday to keep a two-day weekend. This is not so much the case in bigger cities or with shops with employees that can take turn, but it’s very common in smaller towns and villages.   Traditionally almost everything was closed on Sunday. This French law was to protect the French lifestyle and the traditional Sunday lunch with family. But things are changing, and more and more businesses are open on Sundays nowadays.   Les Dparts en Weekend On Friday after work, French people migrate. They take their car, and leave the city to go to... a friends house, a romantic getaway, but quite often also their countryside house: la maison de campagne, which maybe in the countryside, by sea, or in the mountain, but the expression refers to a weekend / vacation house outside of the city. They come back on Sunday, usually late afternoon. So, you can expect big(ger) traffic jams on these days and times. Ouvert tous les jours = Open every day... or not! Be very careful when you see that sign†¦ For the French, it means open every day†¦ of the working week! And the shop will still be closed on Sundays. There will usually be a sign with the actual opening hours and days, so always check it. Quels sont vos jours et horaires douverture ?What days and at what time are you open? Faire le Pont = To have a four day weekend Learn more details about this very French expression and concept.

Concert Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Concert Review - Assignment Example The melody of the recital can be described by a short but fast shifting motive. The composer uses about four notes that the shift rapidly from one set to another. At the introduction and throughout the piece the energy and vigor depicted in the melody gives the recital a jovial or celebratory atmosphere and mood. The vigor and strength that is depicted in the piece can be likened to the mood of a carnival or an active musical dance. The harmony of the recital is also varied between an interval and a chord. In the introduction of the piece, the general harmony is an interval sounding at most two notes at a time. In the later stages of the piece, it shifts to a chord but turns back the harmony back to the interval. At the intervals, there is an underlying melody that supports the harmony. In the subsequent groups of chords, the melody is not very clear, and the progression is achieved in the recital. The variation between the interval and chords in the piece creates musical motion in t he presentation. Musically it is expected that where the interval is supported by an underlying melody and thee audience perceives a level of stability, the harmony is referred to as consonance. However, in the case of a turbulent and unstable set of chords, the harmony is referred to as a dissonance. The texture of this presentation can be described as both thick and thin. First, the texture can be described as monophonic. The description of the texture is because the presentation is a solo recital that is not accompanied by any vocals.

The Smartest Kids in the World; Amanda Ripley Essay

The Smartest Kids in the World; Amanda Ripley - Essay Example The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMS) is another education policy that mainly focuses on less work problems and more on the subject specific knowledge and the skills that the school teaches the student during the learning process. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study is a policy that does not concern whether the student can be able to apply their scientific and mathematical knowledge in the real life situation while Program on International Student Assessment has no concern in either measuring the student’s skill needed to succeed in their college education nor to engage in technical professions. Therefore, schools use both policies in their education system as they complement each other and will improve the educational outcome in schools (Ripley, 2013). According to Ripley (2013) Korea, Finland and Poland employ PISE as the education policy in their schools and this kind of system is seen as the reason behind their production of some of the best students in the world. This system brings out the argument that, tracking students, that is placing the kids in gifted classes at an early age so that they can be able to know what exactly their career holds for them, tends to diminish the learning process in schools boosting inequality to places where it was implemented. It is said when this kind of education system is applied, the students who were in the higher performing classes began to think of themselves as less gifted hence lowering their self esteem while surprisingly those in the lower performing classes in this kind of education policy developed a positive mentality about themselves in turn building on their self esteem.

Data Center Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Data Center Design - Research Paper Example Before designing the air cooled system, the amount of heat produced must be quantified. This is either in calories, joules, Tons or BTU. To determine the heat output of the system, the total quantity of heat produced by the hardware and their components when fully functional must be quantified. This hardware components include the Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS), the Information Technology Equipment, lighting and people working in the data center building. As it had been stated earlier, some of the hardware equipment to be used in the data center are NetApp 2050, HP C7000 Blade enclosure, and KVM. Each of this equipment has different minimum ventilation requirements. To install HP C7000 Blade enclosure, there are several minimum requirements. For good efficiency of HP C7000 Blade enclosure, there are different rack requirements. According to HP C7000 Blade enclosure documentation (Hewlett-Packard Development Company, 2010), HP C7000 Blade enclosure is optimized to work with 1000 0 series racks. Thus to facilitate adequate airflow and to allow for servicing, the spatial requirements below are considered. †¢Ã‚  A clearance of approximately 0.635 meters is left at the front part of the rack†¢Ã‚  At the back, a clearance of 0.762 meters is left to facilitate †¢Ã‚  In case of multiple racks, approximately 1.219 meters is left between the back of one rack and the rear of the adjacent racks. The design of HP C7000 Blade enclosure is in such a way that cool air is drawn into the system from the front part to cool the system.... Room ventilation The data center is composed of servers, routers, switches, among other hardware. All this are electronic devices which produces heat. This heat if not well eliminated, can destroy the electronic components in the hardware contained in the data center. Air – cooled systems are mostly used in data centers since most of the equipment are air – cooled. In this project, considering the number of hardware used and the software run on the systems, an air cooled system will be efficient. Before designing the air cooled system, the amount of heat produced must be quantified. This is either in calories, joules, Tons or BTU. To determine the heat output of the system, the total quantity of heat produced by the hardware and their components when fully functional must be quantified. This hardware components include the Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS), the Information Technology Equipment, lighting and people working in the data center building. As it had been s tated earlier, some of the hardware equipment to be used in the data center are NetApp 2050, HP C7000 Blade enclosure, and KVM. Each of this equipment has different minimum ventilation requirements. To install HP C7000 Blade enclosure, there are several minimum requirements. For good efficiency of HP C7000 Blade enclosure, there are different rack requirements. According to HP C7000 Blade enclosure documentation (Hewlett-Packard Development Company, 2010), HP C7000 Blade enclosure is optimized to work with 10000 series racks. Thus to facilitate adequate airflow and to allow for servicing, the spatial requirements below are considered. A clearance of approximately 0.635 meters is left at the front part of the rack At the back, a clearance of 0.762 meters is left to facilitate

African American Religion Essay Example for Free

African American Religion Essay Before Africans were brought to America during the slave trade, they had their own culture and society. They had their own language and dance. They also had their own religion. History tells us that the Europeans justified their abuse toward the Africans as helping them become more civilized because the Africans lifestyle appeared primal to them and not as developed and industrialized as theirs. What is often overlooked is that even though Africans were taken from Africa and Americanized and have been stripped of their religion, culture, language and even their name, the very essence of the African as a people did not go away. Some African American slaves rejected Christianity’s religion because they saw it as the â€Å"white man’s religion†. History tells us American Slave Masters abused the Africans by whipping them like animals and by treating them inhumane. The fact that these slave masters wanted the African American to worship their god was unacceptable for some because they could not fathom why they should worship a god who allowed people to be so badly treated. Some Africans accepted Christianity’s religion and faith by identifying with Jesus Christ, the son of God who according to the Bible was innocent of sin and yet he was beaten, bruised and crucified for the sins of the world. Some African Americans wanted to remain faithful to their heritage yet did not agree with the conjure practices. Seth Holly’s character is a good example of conforming to the economic prosperity of America which was founded by Christians. White Christians enforced Christian beliefs, values, and some practices based on the Euro American Christian interpretation of Christian text. Seth developed a kind of hatred for his own people proving that he has adopted the practices of white America in the early 1900s. â€Å"Niggers coming up here from that old backwoods†¦ coming up here from the country carrying Bibles and guitars looking for freedom. † Seth says. â€Å"They got a rude awakening† (6). Seth signifies the African American who resents assimilation to the white American culture. But, at the same time, he too attempts to connect with his heritage by simply allowing Bynum to live in his home and bless it with his conjures rituals. Seth also participates in an African dance ritual called the Juba. Bynum’s character is introduced by practicing conjure rituals. He cuts open pigeons and spreads its blood onto him as a type of cleansing to communicate with spirits. Bynum represents the African American who chose to remain faithful to the religion of his heritage. Others who have chosen the faith of Christianity view conjure rituals as evil, witchcraft, or demonic. Some African Americans wanted to remain faithful to their heritage yet did not agree with conjure practices anymore. Loomis walks in on the juba dance and goes into a trance after dinner at the boarding house. He had a vision of skeletons emerge from a body of water. â€Å"Loomis: I done seen bones rise up out the water. Rise up and walk across the water. Bones walking on top of the water† (53). Loomis recognizes through the vision, his state of ignorance to the knowledge that will lead him to the new way of thinking. Bynum serves as a supporting character reacting to Loomis’s trance. â€Å"Bynum: They walking around here now. Mens. Just like you and me. Come right up out the water† (56). Loomis’s trance and Bynum’s interpretation of it is a turning point in the story. The skeletons coming from the bottom of the sea in Loomis’s vision represent the slave ships, the disorientation experienced by the slaves during emancipation, and the confusion of his release from Joe Turner. Both Loomis and Bynum have tapped into their ancestral religion. The difference between the two is that Bynum represents the African who never renounced his religion and Loomis is the African-American who turned from conjure religion and converted to the faith of Christianity. After Joe turner took his life away from him, Loomis questioned his Christian faith and his identity. By walking in on the ancestral ritual of the Juba dance, Loomis literally walked into what he had actually been looking for, his religion, consequently, his ancestral identity and this is why he fell into the trance. Throughout the play conjures is encompasses four generations; Bynum’s father, Bynum, Loomis, and the neighbor boy Reuben. Reuben’s vision is of Seth’s mother by the pigeon coop, she encourages Reuben to release the caged pigeons. Wilson writes in a way that leads the reader to believe that Loomis needs to find his missing wife. Martha Pentecost is not the one who was lost; Loomis was the one who was lost, wondering around from town to town, searching. Loomis came into the state of belief when Bynum helped him translate his vision. That vision represented Loomis going back to his ancestral conjure religion. Loomis needed to find Martha Pentecost simply to say good-bye to her and their life former together. Up until this point of the story, I believed that Loomis needed to find his wife so they could live out the rest of their lives as a happy free family with their daughter. However, it is made pretty obvious this was never Loomis’s intentions. â€Å"That goodbye kept me out on the road searching,† Loomis says, â€Å"now that I see your face I can say my goodbye and make my own world† (90). Martha Pentecost, a woman of Christian faith, represents the African who assimilated into white America’s culture and Loomis needed to find her to say good-bye to her and the Christian faith. Martha stands by her Christian faith by accusing Loomis â€Å"you done gone over to the devil† (91). White man’s religion believed that conjure was evil or the way of the devil. Loomis finds it easier to reject her for her Christian beliefs. â€Å"Loomis: Great big old white man†¦your Mr. Jesus Christ. Standing there with a whip in one hand and a tote board in another, them niggers swimming in a sea of cotton† (92). Loomis proves with his statement, his version of a bible story that differed from other African Americans but was similar to that of the white man who believed that they were on a level below God and the African’s were beneath them, African’s were one third of a person. Loomis now believes that if African’s are going to be free then they have to take charge of their own destiny. Martha Pentecost represents the African American’s religion, she identifies that Loomis needs to â€Å"be washed in the blood of the lamb† (92) and â€Å"you done gone over to the devil. (91) Through class lessons I learned that African American slaves compared themselves with stories in the bible to instill hope of a life free from oppression, violence, and bondage. Jesus according to the bible was innocent of sin and yet he was beaten, bruised and crucified for the sins of the world. The hope of reigning in heave with Jesus is considered the ultimate reward for suffering life’s trials and tribulations. It is the faith of the African Americans who accepted Christianity religion. Blacks trusted in the Lord instead of man. America was Egypt in the exodus story and as long as the enslaving and oppressing took place America would face the same wrath as Egypt. â€Å"Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. † The bible was depended on in justifying and motivation rebellion for the blacks and used as a tool to keep blacks enslaved by the whites. African Americans used sermons, song, and prayer to convey and teach their message of travail and triumph of Israel. Some African Americans could not get past the treatment from the white people that called themselves Christians and as a result they rejected Christianity. Selig’s role suggests that the link between characters is the acquisition of material goods. Selig admits that his ancestors have always made their living pursuing African Americas; his great grandfather transported slaves from Africa, his father captured runaway slaves and returned them to their masters for a reward, and Selig locates displaced people for a fee. Selig attains his ecstasy through consumer capitalism, through the selling of material goods. African Americans are objects for exploitation and exchange in the new economy. He binds African Americans to the economic system, demanding payment of his services and products which necessitates subsistence labor by taking them from one construction site or work site to another, similar to a temporary employment agency today. You pay for an employee to work for some time, but Selig is getting paid by the person looking for work or a ride to a chance of freedom. Selig cannot find a person that has not purchased a dustpan from him because he keeps the names of his customers. Seth is determined to achieve material success, he has very little patience for African Americans migrating north looking for the same prosperity that he desires. Seth is very demanding of his patrons, insisting on advance payment in full, and is preoccupied with maintaining a respectable house. â€Å"It’s hard enough now without all that ignorant kind of acting. Ever since slavery got over with there ain’t been nothing but foolish-acting niggers. Word get out they need men to work in the mill and put in these roads†¦ and niggers drop everything and head north looking for freedom. †(5, 6) Seth wants to blend in with the white man’s world; therefore he keeps a link with Selig by negotiating the manufacturing and sale of dustpans. Seth does not have any idea of what it would be like to be a slave, as he was born free in the North and was educated. He demonstrates his education with his math calculation when dealing with the boarding house patrons and the quick notation of him letting Selig know that he is trying to overcharge him for the dust pan materials. Educational differences played a role in tension with Southern blacks, most of who were forbidden from learning to read, saw religion as a matter of oral tradition and immediate experience and emotion. Northerner blacks, stressed that one could not truly be Christian unless they was able to read the Bible and understand it. This play denies individual worth and identity for some of Wilson’s characters. To be defrauded of the products of one’s labor or to see that creation diminished, like with Jeremy and the guitar contest, is to be denied a reflection of individual worth and identity. If people have been separated from this truth of individual worth and identity through oppression their capacity to bond with one another, form friendships, or couples, families are undermined. Social alienation in Wilson’s characters are expressed in their stores of broken relationships, uncertainty, or suspicion that they feel toward one another. â€Å"Seth: Something ain’t setting right with that fellow, Bynum. He’s one of them mean-looking niggers look like he done killed somebody gambling over a quarter. †(20) Connection between oppression, alienation from self and inability to form bonds with others is displayed in the character of Loomis. Joe Turner’s ability to oppress Loomis carried a judgment of non-worth. â€Å"Loomis: He told me I was worthless. Worthless is something you throw away. Something you don’t bother with† (73) Turners judgment of worthlessness forced Loomis to accept the reality of the white man’s power; he was marked as â€Å"one of Joe Turners niggers and forced to forget his song. †(71) Being alienated from himself and displaced with his relation to the world, Loomis is unable to establish bonds with people around him. The oppression encountered by Wilson’s characters is material or economic, that oppression is spiritual as well in the capacity to deprive the individual of a sense of himself or his unique song. The reawakening of Loomis after his encounter with cultural wisdom is not the self discovery of an average African American but creation of a new source of cultural wisdom, a new African holy man. Wilson uses many metaphors throughout the play. The song is a metaphor for Loomis’s identity and the African American cultural identity. Music is a large part of African American identity, so it makes since that in search of one’s identity they are searching for their song. The boarding house serves as an inn for traveling folk, but the tenants actually receive a form of healing during their stay. Tenants get direction and guidance from Bertha and Bynum. The shiny man that Bynum is in search for signifies African American independence. The man that Bynum met on the road was an independent African American, just as Loomis was freed by his past when he cleansed himself in his own blood. â€Å"Bynum: Herald Loomis, you shining! You shining like new money! †(94) Loomis has dismissed that the blood of Christ can wash away his sins and make him the man he used to be, but by washing himself in his own blood he has sacrificed the old life to begin his new journey on his terms. Bynum’s shining man has been found, meaning his work is complete; he has passed his powers on to the next generation, Loomis. â€Å"They tell me Joe Turner’s come and Gone† is a song that is sung by Bynum, when I first read the story I thought that the meaning was came and now he is dead however, the second time I read the play I realized that it meant that Joe Turner has come and snatched the men and now he is now gone. August Wilson uses symbolism in the play as a very important part in conveying the meaning of the story. Wilsons use of symbolism is demonstrated through Mr. Wilsons use of the road, Martha Pentecost, and Herald Loomis. Symbolic importance is give to the word freedom. The word freedom has instilled hope into the lives of African Americans: during slavery, hope for the release from bondage; after emancipation, the right to be educated, employed, and to move about freely; twentieth century, social, political, and economic justice. Freedom has always stood for the absence of any restraint, because God made all men from his image. There are a number of characters that travel around searching for their place in the world. Mattie, mentions that she keeps on looking, seems like she just keeps starting over, I ain’t never found no place for me to fit. † (76) Reuben tells Zonia, when he finds out that she is leaving the boarding house in search of her mom, â€Å"when I get grown, I come looking for you. †(84) Jeremy does not seem to care much when he loses his job because, â€Å"don’t make me no difference. There’s a big road out there, I can always get my guitar and find me a place to stay. I ain’t planning on staying in one place for too long noway. † (64) Martha Reverend Tolliver moved the Church up north because of the trouble the church was having. When the Civil War finally brought freedom to previously enslaved African Americans, the task of organizing religious communities was only one element of the larger need to create new lives, to reunite families, to find jobs, and to figure out what it would mean to live in the United States as citizens rather than property. August Wilson’s play, Joe Turner’s come and Gone, examines African Americans search for their cultural identity following slavery. Bibliography Murphy, L. G. (2000). Down By the Riverside. New York: New Yourk University Press. Wilson, A. (1988). Joe Turner Come and Gone. New York: Penguin Group.