Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The 2001 MTV VMAs-An Overview essays

The 2001 MTV VMAs-An Overview essays 2001 has been a great year for the music and entertainment channel, MTV. New seasons of The Real Word and Road Rules, various concerts and specials, and the Movie Awards have all been big highlights of this year so far. The channel also celebrated its 20th Anniversary this past August. However, arguably, the biggest event of them all is the Video Music Awards. Known for its tendency to push the envelope when it comes to what can and cant be shown on cable television, the VMAs are more about the show than the awards. This year was no exception. Live from the Metropolitan Opera House, the show opened with host Jamie Foxx performing a very fitting opera rendition of several of this past years most popular songs. Then, he quickly shifted gears into a monologue, insulting several celebrities that were present at the awards, contrary to earlier reports that he wouldnt do so. Thankfully, Will Ferrell of Saturday Night Live fame ran onto the stage in the middle of Foxxs act, climbing up a prop on stage while shouting, Im raging! This was a homage to a similar act performed by the bassist of the band Rage Against the Machine from last years VMAs, and forced MTV to cut to a commercial break. Thus began a constant stream of performances and awards. An interesting theme to the VMAs this year was the jungle. Before the nominees for each award were named, small nature documentary clips were shown, however, in true MTV fashion, most of them were rather provocative. Britney Spears lip-synching performance also featured a zoo-full of caged animals behind her, not to mention a snake around her neck. Another moment of the VMAs that cannot be overlooked is the tribute to Aaliyah. Several artists including Janet Jackson and Missy Elliot said a few words. Aaliyahs brother also made a rather moving speech. The moment wouldve been perfect, had Janet Jackson not read t ...

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Gratitude as a Ritual Expressing Thanks on Thanksgiving

Gratitude as a Ritual Expressing Thanks on Thanksgiving What do you think of when you think of â€Å"rituals†? For me, the word conjures up Shabbat dinners, Passover seders, and lighting the Hannukah menorah. Growing up in a Jewish household, we observed these rituals at the proper time on the calendar, and I always found they were an opportunity to take a step back from the other routines of life and reflect on the theme of the holiday. With Thanksgiving coming, many of us are preparing for a popular ritual: A big dinner, likely comprised of turkey (or Tofurkey), cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, amongst other goodies. In the air is a general sense that the theme is gratitude. But do you actually take time to express your gratitude on Thanksgiving, or do you just stuff yourself silly? And do you find yourself uplifted during this season, or like so many, do sadness and anxiety creep in? Expressing Thanks on Thanksgiving In my family, we usually go around the Thanksgiving table at some point and each say something we’re grateful for. I like this ritual. Expressing gratitude is scientifically proven through positive psychology research to increase happiness. It gives us a sense of our own goodness (it’s sure more self-affirming than complaining!) as well as a recognition of the good things around us. I have noticed that there’s often a level of discomfort in expressing gratitude publicly, even amongst family. But everyone still does it and I always feel more connected with the family after we express our gratitude. People often give thanks for food and health, for something that has happened in the past, or for being safe given specific world events. This year, the sense of gratitude will be very real given that I will be with my sister’s in-laws who have family in Puerto Rico. It occurs to me that there is also a deeper level we can reach: a direct personal expression. I’m inspired this year to bring a deeper aspect of gratitude to our Thanksgiving ritual. A New Gratitude Ritual? There’s a video series on the Science of Happiness that came out in 2013 and that for some reason I just saw for the first time last week. The experiment in the video was based, I believe, on research by Martis E.P. Seligman, who found that people who wrote and delivered letters of gratitude exhibited a huge increase in happiness compared to a control group. In the video, individuals were asked to write a letter to a person who influenced them and then to read it to that person. Before and after the exercise, their happiness was tested. Overall, there was a strong trend toward more happiness after the individuals read their letters to their recipients. This has me thinking, what if we take time this Thanksgiving to appreciate someone in the room who has made a difference in our lives, in addition to the standard things we’re grateful for? To me, that will make for an even more memorable Thanksgiving and will likely start out my holiday season- and the holidays of anyone who participates- with a higher happiness quotient. What’s in Your Gratitude Basket? What are you grateful for this holiday season? Who will be at your Thanksgiving table to whom you want to offer gratitude for the way they’ve influenced your life? Are you willing to go the extra step to express your feelings to them? And if you won’t be with someone who fits that category, would you be willing to write a letter and read it to the recipient? Let’s get the gratitude ball rolling, and bring it into all aspects of our lives. Into our home, our relationships, and our workplaces. The science shows we’ll all have more well-being, motivation, and overall success. In that spirit, thank you for reading my blog week after week, letting me know I make a difference, and inspiring me to bring my thoughts and creativity to life. You give me a weekly boost in my own gratitude and happiness. Thank you and enjoy your Thanksgiving ritual! Did you enjoy this article? Sign up for my Life and Leadership e-list for more inspiring articles like this one.

Friday, February 14, 2020

Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Reflection Paper - Essay Example It is known as industrial organization, and it makes managers have an understanding of how to make strategic decisions. Strategic decisions are those decisions that aim at changing a firm’s condition for which it competes with other firms. This is done to increase profit made by a firm in the long run. Managers must consider the economic cost of resources in order to achieve their profitability. The economic cost of resources is equivalent to the sum of what resource owners pay and the forgone returns of failing to take the resources of the owner to the market. In order for a firm to maximize its profits, the revenue and cost must not be dependent at all times. According to Thomas and Maurice, managers may make mistakes like increasing output to cut down average costs (13; ch.1) In the market, there are two groups of people: price setters and the price takers. The price takers are firms that cannot set prices in the market. To them, prices are set by demand and supply forces i n the market. Price setters, on the other hand, decide on the price for their products. Price setters control the market as they have the power to set prices. Market is where buyers and sellers exchange goods and services under an arrangement. The market helps in reduction of cost as the only cost involved is the product’s price. There are various market structures. ... Thirdly, there is the monopolistic perfect market that comprises many small firms, differentiated products and no barrier to entrance of new firms. The last form of structure is oligopoly; it is whereby firms produce all products, and their profits are not independent. The action of one firm may lead to a consequent effect on other firms. A recent structure is the globalized markets whereby markets in the world have been integrated. The integration has provided firms with a chance to sell and buy their goods and services in the foreign markets. Charles and Christopher presented an alarm on increased competition from other producers (23; ch.1) A review on Is Wal-Mart Good for America This movie gives a provocative scrutiny of the effect Wal-Mart had on America’s economy. This video highlights the transforming relationship between retailers and manufacturers demonstrated by Wal-Mart, which has led to bankruptcy firms in America and increased unemployment rate. As Wall-Mart suppo rters advertise the pros of low cost, others are shocked at what has led to low prices and the effect of large retailers on SMEs. From the Chapter Cne review in the video, it can be noted that this is one of the many mistakes that managers do hoping that they will make more profits. For instance, the global retailers overtake producers in decision making on product price, type and quality. Global retailers are superseding manufacturers in making decisions about product quality, type and price. There is no balanced trade as the Chinese are unable to buy American products while Americans buy theirs. To add to that, Wal-Mart has 6,000 suppliers, and China makes 80% of this. China has emerged

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Dog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dog - Essay Example Another fundamental difference that would be exhibited from the perspective of the dog would be the way in which emotions, speech, and communication is understood. Naturally, due to the limited vocabulary that most dogs understand, the level to which they can make sense out of the hundreds, even thousands of sounds that humans make is also limited. Such a drawback actually compounds the level of confusion that they animals face within the current world. However, one cannot simply focus upon the drawbacks that living within a dog’s body would portend; there are also a great many strengths and abilities that one would gain by having all of the abilities that canines have. For instance, the first of these would be the speed and agility which many breads exhibit as a function of the way they run, jump, and play. Naturally, having four legs would greatly improve the speed, agility, and stability that one would experience as a simple human. Similarly, when one considers the extraordinarily strong sense of hearing and smell that dogs exhibit, one can only begin to imagine the level of advantage that this would give with reference to being able to experience what a highly attuned and accentuated senses would feel like. Sadly, all of the senses that one would experience within the body of a dog would not be accentuated as the fact of the matter is that many scientists have proven that the visual capabilities of dogs are severely limited as compared to that which humans can ultimately boast. Of course thus far this analysis has simply focused upon the key areas of difference and divergence that humans and dogs would have. However, the more important factor is if one were trapped in the body of a dog they would necessarily be highly interested in the way in which humans viewed them as living and worthy of life. Whereas

Friday, January 24, 2020

Media and Physical Appearance Essay -- Advertising Commercials Essays

Media and Physical Appearance I would not say that I am a slave of advertising or consumer culture, but I have always paid relatively close attention to the commercials I see on television and in magazines. Because of this trait, I would say that I am fairly perceptive of the various methods employed by advertisers, and the messages they attempt to convey. The majority of these messages I discard, and very rarely do I allow them to influence what I do and do not buy. There is one ad, however, that I remember to this day, and which I admit has dictated what I buy in one specific area. Even now, I remember the commercial quite vividly, although I was probably in elementary school when I first saw it. The ad featured a handsome teenager talking about his experience in starting a new school. A few days before the first day of classes, he breaks out with a bad case of acne. Terrified, he imagines his social life for the remainder of high school as one dominated by weekend nights watching cheesy movies at home w ith his parents. Miraculously, though, he is saved from this social hell by Oxy facial cleansing products. With a clear face, he is able to start school on the right note, making friends with other attractive adolescents. The commercial closes with him saying, â€Å"keep America beautiful,† as Oxy’s line of skin care products shows up on the screen. For some reason, this ad and its message stuck with me, and I have loyally used Oxy products ever since. While extremely effective, this ad was hardly original in its methods. Instead, it relied on the same techniques perfected nearly a century earlier during the revolution in American advertising. As early as 1923, the Lambert Pharmaceutical Company was ... ...success of each of these campaigns though, there is little wonder as to why advertising has changed so little. As long American ethos embodies the notion that physical appearance, and financial and social success are directly correlated, advertisers will continue to create demand for products that alleviate physical and hygienic ailments by simply manipulating the public’s fear of them. Works Cited http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/dynaweb/adaccess/beauty/hairprep1940s/@Generic __BookTextView/. Marchand, Roland. Advertising the American Dream. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985. Schudson, Michael. Advertising, The Uneasy Persuasion. United States of America: Basic Books, 1986. Special thanks to John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History, and Duke University’s Rare Book, Manuscript and Special Collection Library.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Effective communication for and about individuals Essay

Promote effective communication for and about individualsExercise HSC031A) What are the legal requirements on equality, diversity, discrimination and rights, relating to: individuals language and communication preferences?Equal treatment for language and communication. When completing records?As I work within the NHS, the ICU follows the National Institute for Clinical Excellence Equal Opportunities (2000) policy it states that“It is the policy of the Institute to work towards ensuring that no recipient of its services, present or future employee or job applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of:- age, colour, creed, disability, ethnic origin, marital status, nationality, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, social status, trade union membership” (NICE 2000)This affects communication as it states that we must do everything in our power to provide equal service levels to everyone. For example if a patient speaks a foreign language, there is a communication barrier, so we must provide any information to them in their native language, whether that be through an interpreter or translated leaflets. The trust recognises that promotion and regular communication of the policy is important to ensure that individuals understand their commitment to equal opportunity and are aware of their own responsibility regarding equal opportunities and know how to raise concerns or make complaints and are confident that these will be handled effectively. E) What is the code of practice and standards and guidance relevant to your role, responsibilities and accountability, and duties of others when communicating difficult, complex and sensitive issues and reporting and recording?As a health care assistant the official code of practice and standard that I should follow and understand are laid down by the General Social Care Council in the Codes of practice: for social care workers and employers (2002) this covers most of the core standards which as a care worker I must follow. But I am also under the guidelines set down by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2005). To ensure that I gain the trust of my patients, I should recognise them as equal partners, use language that is familiar to them and make sure that they understand the information you are  giving. As far as record keeping goes, I should make sure that any records I make must be clear, legible and accessible to the patient or client, as outlined by the NMCÂ’s document Standards for Records and Record Keeping (NMC 89346) and under the terms of the Data Protection Act (1984) and the Access to Health Records Act (1990). Both these documents state that all communication about patients whether written or verbal are completely confidential. F) Where can you seek advice from regarding an individuals communication and language needs, wishes and preferences?When a patient has communication and language needs the first person I would ask would be the patient, to access for myself the communication needs. I would then look at the patients notes and finally I would ask the staff nurse looking after the patient or the district nurse if they are in the community. If I still need more advice or there are still communication difficulties, I could refer the patient to the speech and language therapy department. If the difficulty is a language barrier I could try to contact a language and interpretation service. It is vital to understand that wherever possible the patientÂ’s wishes should take priority in the decision taking over communication needs. G) How can you and were can you access information and support to update your knowledge and gain further assistance to meet the individuals communication needs. There are several places that you can access information to update your knowledge both on a personal level and on an individual client basis. You can update your communication knowledge by keeping up to date with all the guidelines surrounding communication, such as the journals on new communication methods and studies or spend time with the speech and language therapy unit to improve your communication skills. On an individual client basis, the first place to look for information on  improving your communication with the client is from the client themselves. By checking for responses and reactions, both verbal and non verbal you can judge whether your communication methods are effective. Then to further gain knowledge and understanding, you can refer them to a specialised service to meet their needs depending on what the communication need is. For example there may be a language barrier, in this instance, first see if there are members of family who could translate (where appropriate with patients understanding) as patients often feel more comfortable with a relative translating for them, if this was not available or inappropriate, I would track down the translators service and refer the case to them. H) What are the theories relevant to the following:-Specific conditions in your area of practice that can affect communication skills, abilities. In Intensive care effective communication can be difficult for a number of reasons, they can be environmental problems, physical or mental problems, like the patients consciousness levels could be effected, either drug induced or pathologically based, there may be visual and hearing problems and environmental problems, such as poor lighting or a noisy situation. The patient may not be able to make sense of the communication, they may use a different language or dialect or may not understand the jargon or professional terms used. Many of the patients on Intensive care are heavily sedated, so effective two way communication with then is almost impossible, also most of the patients that are not sedated are on high levels of medication, which can cause drowsiness and confusion. Of the patients that are lucid enough to communicate coherently, the most common communication problems are the problems of those who have ventilation support, either they have a tracheotomy tube in place, which means that air does not pass through the voice box so they have no voice, or they have a BiPAP mask to assist with breathing, which restricts the ability to speak and be heard. How can communication and language differences affect the identity, self esteem and self image of those you work with?“Self-esteem means  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœappreciating your own worth and importance’ – and it helps you to cope better with the challenges of life” (Tracy Turner BBC)In ICU patients that have a Glasgow coma score (GCS) of 14 or 15 and are on little or no sedation, in other words able to understand where they are and what is happening to them. Communication problems can have a huge influence on identity, self esteem and self image. Especially in ICU as the communication difficulties are usually new problems for the patient due to illness and the treatment. For example a person has a tracheotomy, firstly they loose their voice, which many people feel is part of them, it make who they are, so this detracts from self image and identity. But the main factor is that they loose the ability to express themselves with ease, so they can loose self-esteem. One of the major thing is, as they canÂ’t express themselves in the way they are used to, so a person whose self-esteem is low, will tend to feel that what happens to them is beyond their control. Studies have suggests that self-esteem is likely to have a major effect on their mental and physical health. How can power be used to abuse people when communicating on difficult, sensitive and complex issues?One major thing that people with communication difficulties experience, is loss of power. The person/carer who is looking after someone with communication difficulties, whether they be sensory deficits or other difficulties, is that they ( the carer ) is acting as interpreter and has the power to interpret the patients needs and wishes in their own way, even ignoring the persons wishes and carry out tasks that they want to. This is why training is essential for effective two-way communication. An example of this would be the situation of a stroke patient with paralysis down one side, so was unable to feed themselves and has mild dysphasia. In a lot of cases the care giver thinks they know what is best for the patient, with no consideration for the patients wishes, In many cases all the carer wants to do is feed the patient so they have a full diet but the patient may not like the “mashed carrot” but because time is tight and the carer just wants to get the plate cleared, they pretend not to understand the patients attempts to communicate that they would prefer the  Ã‚“mushy peas”. A lot of abuse is not actually intentional, much of this comes from lack of proper communication skills and the carer not taking the time to listen or try to understand the patient. They have a job to do and a set amount of time to do that job in and in most cases think they know what is best for the patient. Often when patients do try to communicate their unhappiness the are treated to a barrage of patronizing ‘awwsÂ’ and ‘come on dears you need to do thisÂ’, orÂ’ arenÂ’t you being silly todayÂ’ almost treating patients like children, they can even be labelled as trouble makers. It is much different for the patient who can communicate fully, they state their discomfort in a clear and concise way, it is much harder to make somebody do something if they say straight out ‘no I donÂ’t like thatÂ’. On ICU the situation is slightly different as a lot of our patients are on medications which will affect their mental capacity and perception so their communication difficulties are harder to resolve. So to determine if someone is of sound mind we use assessment tools to determine how able a patient is to make there own decisions (GCS & Sedation score). I) What factors can affect communication skills, abilities and development of those you support?In the ward environment there are many factors that can affect communication with the patient, they can be broken down into two main categories, environmental factors and personal factors. Trying to talk to someone in a noisy environment where there are continual interruptions leads to frustration, lack of understanding and poor concentration. Similarly individuals are often disinclined to discuss personal information or express strong emotions if they can be overheard or seen. Other environmental factors may relate to time available to talk. Carers often feel under pressure to ‘get the job done’ and their workloads may either inhibit clients ‘I don’t want to bother the nurses they’re so busy’ or result in the carer communicating poorly because of pressure of work. VanCott (1993), Identified some of the personal factors that can effect patient communicationIndividual Carers may lack the knowledge, experience and skills to promote effective communication. Also in health care medical jargon is common, but can appear as a foreign language to someone receiving care. Use of words that are not within the client’s own vocabulary generally results in misunderstandings and poor communication. There is also a tendency to use vague, ambiguous or unclear questions or statements along with failing to verify their own understanding of the other person’s statements. A communication failure that often occurs is completing tasks with little or no explanation behind purpose behind actionsM) What conflicts and dilemmas may be created by difficulties in communication in your workplace?Moving away from patient/career conflict, one of the main sources of conflict in ICU it that of conflict between families and friends and ICU staff. As with any ward and care situation the next of kin debate comes up regularly and what is best for the patient. The law around patient consent and advocacy is a massive topic and very hazy in some areas as to whether the doctor has the right to decide treatment or whether a next of kin should be involved. Also there is visitation rights who can come in and who canÂ’t and who decides. N) What procedures do you follow when dealing with conflict?In most of the cases where conflict arises there are strict procedures to follow this usually means reporting the problem to a higher level of responsibility. A good example of this it the case of Luke Winston-Jones (BBC 2004) there was direct conflict between the doctors and parents over the best case of action for the child. In the end the problem was passed to the highest responsibility the courts. This would be the same in my workplace so far I have only had to report minor conflict up to my line manager. R) What is the difference between factual, opinionated and judgement? Why is this important when completing records?It is important when completing records to only fill in what actually happened or what your clinical  judgement was, not what your opinion is. An example of this would be when documenting what dressing you applied, you would state that in your clinical judgement what the best dressing would be and a factual account of applying that dressing. It is not good practice to document opinions unless your opinion clashed with that of somebody else, then you would state in the records that that was your opinion. A Factual account is something that is known to have happened or to exist, especially something for which proof exists, or about which there is information. Opinionated means having and expressing very strong feelings and beliefs, and believing that your own ideas are the only correct ones. Whereas an opinion is a person’s ideas and thoughts about something. It is an assessment, judgement or evaluation of something. An opinion is not a fact, because it is not possible to prove (or disprove) an opinionJudgement is the act or process of judging; the formation of an opinion after consideration and deliberation especially a formal or authoritative decision

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Wal-Mart vs. Mom and Pop - 1758 Words

Amber Ellis English 111 Leslie Bolser November 6, 2011 Is Wal-Mart smothering small town America? As of 1994, Wal-Mart had 2,504 stores across the U.S. and was expected to open 125 more that year (Ortega 205). Wal-Mart stores do over $67 billion dollars in annual sales (Norman 207). Everywhere there is evidence of new establishments being built. It seems that cities are now reaching out further and small towns growing up overnight. Some call it progress; others call it sprawl. One of the most recognizable faces popping up in the new development is the brainchild of Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart. New Wal-Marts are being constructed as currently estimated at the rate of one a†¦show more content†¦Are those claims true? In this article, we use rigorous econometric estimation techniques to examine the rate of self-employment and the number of small-employer establishments in communities where Wal-Mart has entered the market. We find that Wal-Mart has no statistically significant impact on the overall size of the small business sector in the United States. When all is said and done, there are just as many small businesses that are just as profitable despite the presence of Wal-Mart. PREVIOUS ESTIMATION PROBLEMS: The oft-cited estimates of Wal-Mart’s alleged negative impact on small businesses, such as the Iowa example, are misleading for several reasons. First, many of those estimates, found in a series of applied policy studies, lack formal econometric estimating procedures. The studies simply compare averages for counties with Wal-Mart stores to those without Wal-Mart stores. Although the studies have attracted considerable media publicity, they are problematic and misleading because of the deficiency of econometric analysis, which makes it impossible to know whether the differences are statistically significant. 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