Anti Hazing Law Essay

The given document regarding the anti-hazing law provides the possible penalties for the liable initiation rites or practice which purpose is to embarrass and humiliate the neophyte forcing him/her to menial, silly and foolish tasks and activities. Hazing, is only allowed for the Military clubs or organizations such as Armed forces of the Philippines, Philippine national Police, Philippine Military Academy or any form of army training in the Philippines that was approved by the agency head and hazing is not allowed for school organizations such as fraternities or sororities that prohibits physical violence. In my opinion, Hazing is the most appropriate prerequisite that had ever existed because it doesnt simply bring a benefit for the applicants/ neophytes and it only creates risks of injuries, discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, ridicule, forced consumption of alcohol, placing the individual into danger and even death and such negative consequences. The main reason why Hazers do hazing is that they need to feel powerful and in control yet hazing motivates no one; it even hinders academic achievements, destroys self-esteem and causes emotional and physical pains. It doesn’t have a purpose; it has nothing to do with trust or respect. Hazing was not even related to Greek letter organizations or athletics. It is just a foolish organization that are continued by foolish hazers traditionally as it turns to become epidemic and plague on campuses. Those members who are being hazed are more likely to haze others in the future and would continue yet it should not be tolerated. The only way to stop Hazing is to simple BREAK THE TRADITION and educate members who are responsible for Hazing to move on with their lives and focus more on academics, make people aware what hazing is and what penalties are and seek help from the government and help students develop to become moral citizens that will help rid our society of the negative consequences of hazing. To combat hazing, we should seek help and report such hazing activities to the Government.

Macroeconomics – Competition with China and India

The phenomenon of rapid economic growth in China and India is often discussed within the frameworks of is possible threat to the global world economy. Recent forums dedicated to financial issues, as well as the major increase of the numbers of papers in the economic press (FT, Business Week etc.) especially since stock markets in China took a major hit end of February, show that â€Å"China has gone from being interesting to being important† (Business Week, March 2007) also for investors and not only for economy. The prospective future seems to be at hand. There is nothing to worry about. However, historical European countries such as Germany and France are not disposed to overoptimistic conclusions – neither historically, nor politically. The general balance of risks and perspectives inclines towards favorable economic situation. However, the situation is not as optimistic as it seems to be. The US Treasury Secretary also considers that the countries should double their efforts. It is necessary to continue the implementation of tax reforms, to favor the development of industries and formation of appropriate labor force market, and to make the heading policy more flexible. These remarks are obviously addressed to China and India. Besides, the U.S. government worries about China’s â€Å"military modernization program, economic dynamism, expanded diplomatic influence across Asia and increased global search for energy resources†. So, what is going on? The answer might be quite simple. Last year the world economic system faced a ‘silent revolution’. For the first time in the history China and India became the subjects of the world economy. Twenty years ago the world had no slightest idea of the Chinese and Indian economies. The China’s share in the worldwide GDP exceeded no 1 per cent. It was actually lost in the categories like ‘mistakes and omissions’. However, in result of rapid economic growth (average 9% per year) China became the sixth largest national economy making the total of about 6% of the world’s GDP. Last year the industrial world could feel the ‘hot breath’ of Chinese economic dragon. According to the absolute majority of analysts, the growth of Chinese domestic and foreign demand became one of the main factors contributing to cost increase for raw materials and semi-manufactured goods all over the world. China and India have strong economy and almost no flexibility. Moreover, it is difficult to define the exact share of China and India in the world economy due to so-called controlled and non-marketable sector. The countries occupy a leading position by such indexes like the most preferable countries for initial investments, the most preferable offshore zones for location of the offshore enterprises and manufactures, and the most preferable zone for IT services attraction and utilization. Compared to other huge markets of the developing countries, the entrepreneurs find China and India more attractive markets both in the short-term and the long-term perspectives, leaving such countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Poland far behind. The countries present two completely different markets. Whereas China is known as the leading manufacturer and the most rapidly growing consumer goods market, India is the largest supplier of IT services and the leader in business processes outsourcing. India’s market is oriented towards the long-term perspective. The investors prefer China because of the market size, access to export opportunities, numerous initiatives countenance by the governments, moderate working expenses, proper infrastructure and favorable macroeconomic climate. The India offers the following: well trained labor force, talented management personnel, the supremacy of the legislative authorities, transparency of business transactions, cultural similarities and favorable business climate. Since 2002, when Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji traveled to India’s political, commercial and tech capitals, China and India started improving ties, not just for trade but for economic cooperation. What are the threats to the global economy?[U1]   China and India became the ‘economic knot’ of the entire Asian region. Therefore, cost reduction of labor force on a global scale is one of the main threats to the global economy. In result, the products, where labor force is one of the main components of expenses will also become cheaper. Another way of putting it is that one shouldn’t think to locate the routine labor intensive manufacture outside the country with hundreds million people satisfied with 1-2 dollars rate per hour. On contrary, the countries assigning a specialization to industry involving high-skill jobs expect to derive benefit from the situation. The additional expenses are also expected by raw material exporters. Last, but not least, expanding ties between India and China would help the latter to benefit from India’s experience in the World Trade Organization to move from mass manufacturing of inexpensive goods to more sophisticated bus inesses. India and China are set to overtake even the strongest market forces in the world.   The rapidly growing manufacturing units and consumer goods markets of China, and the strong IT services and BPO industry of India has seemed to be huge boosts to domestic the economies.   Soon India would lead the IT industry market in the world and China would dominate the manufacturing industry in the World.   Several global giants are actually setting up back-end offices and manufacturing hubs in these two Asian nations. The markets in India are growing at the rate of about 30 % every year, and about 44 % of the global outsourcing business is actually based in India.   India has been able to dominate the global outsourcing business as it has several education institutions producing well-trained professionals.   Besides, they are able to speak English and can effectively communicate with their western counterparts.   On the other hand, China is known for its labor-oriented workforce and infrastructure abilities that would be a suitable plus point for the manufacturing industry.   Earlier, the strong markets of the world were actually ignoring the markets of India and China.   However, considering the rapid growth, these markets cannot henceforth ignore India and China. These two counties still offer huge amount of opportunities, which until now have remained untapped.   Today markets are growing in those areas where a great proportion of the human population exists.   Although, there may be several obstacles in the path of growth and development for the Indian and the Chinese markets, it does seem definite that these two countries would grow further.   There would also be demand in the international market for cost-effective and skilled labor.   Both, India and China have taken a lot risks, and for now at least, these risks are paying huge dividends (Money Week, 2005, ZD Net, 2007, & Schaaf, 2005). References: Schaaf, J. (2005), Outsourcing to India: Crouching tiger set to pounce, [Online], Available: site: http://www.dbresearch.com/PROD/DBR_INTERNET_EN-PROD/PROD0000000000192125.pdf, [Accessed: 2007, September 10]. The Money Week (2005), Underground threats to the global economy, [Online], Available: site: http://www.moneyweek.com/file/25075/underground-threats-to-the-global-economy.html, [Accessed: 2007, September 10]. ZD Net (2007), China and India set to lead global innovation, [Online], Available: site: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/emergingtech/0,1000000183,39287977,00.htm,  [Accessed: 2007, September 10].  [U1] Please do develop this conclusion.

Question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Question - Assignment Example He also said that death is nothing compared to injustice (48b6-7) Socrates perceive the â€Å"Laws† from the point of gratitude that Athens provided him the birthplace, raised and took care of him. He was also educated in Athens and protected him and his fellow citizens. It is therefore incumbent upon him to obey the state as it raised and took care of him. This tacit contract is enforceable for as long as one stays in Athens. If one is not amenable to follow the laws of Athens or state, one is free to leave Athens and go somewhere else. But if they chose to stay, they must submit to the laws of the state. and if they do not like what they see, they are free to take their property and go wherever they please. However, if they choose to stay in Athens, they are actively submitting themselves to the Laws of Athens, and must abide by them no matter what.   Gadfly is a harsh critic of the status quo who is already contented with how things are done even if they are in slumber. The term was used in one of the most inflammatory arguments in the Apology was when Socrates described himself as a gadfly who is stinging a lazy horse which is a state. The personalities I can think of in history that is appropriate to be called a gadfly are Luther Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. Martin Luther King is a gadfly because he went against the status quo of discrimination and removed the injustice against African American. Rosa Parks on the other hand went against the patriarchal society and asserted the equal rights of

RE-WRITE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

RE-WRITE - Essay Example The usual assumption is that ambient noise is isotropic (equal on all directions). This is commonly considered in sonar equations. We therefore attempt to reduce the effective noise level by utilising of the directional capabilities of the hydrophone (NL-DI). However, in deep waters the sea surface is considerably the principal source of ambient noise. It these areas the ambient level is not truly isotropic. Conversely, in shallow waters ambient noise is essentially isotropic due to reflections from the sea floor (Davidson, 2006). The features of the parametric approach are best illustrated on an example taken from a hypothetical sonar application. The approach was to apply time-frequency circumstances for detection. The detection conditions are simply: The second level, in particular, enables signal detection of a very low false alarm rate on narrow-band sonar signals. It acts as a narrow band pass filter at the input of detection algorithm, which efficiently eliminates out-of-band noise. Figure 1 shows a 50 kHz sonar return from shallow water. Simulated water-depth is 3 m. the transmit pulse has a duration of 0.4 Ms. The noise is of uniform distribution restricted to the signal band. Signal to noise ratio (S/N) is 20 dB while the signal’s full waveform was digitised at the rate of 1 MHz. Only the envelope of the signal is shown in Figure 1. Without any further processing, the echo time series, which consists of 1000 sample, is now submitted to the detection algorithm. While the parametric model is calculated for every sample, the spectrum from 48 kHz to 52 kHz is computed for every 10th interval. The 4 kHz band is evaluated at 200 frequencies with a resolution of 20 Hz. A three dimensional view of the sonogram (Figure 2) may illustrate how well the spectral peaks in the sonar return are defined in a time-frequency representation. The algorithm is very fast and real time processing capable. It does not require that the

Military Uniforms and Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Military Uniforms and Standards - Essay Example A distinct uniform and corresponding heraldic sign was one of the most essential factors in the ancient warfare enabling soldiers immediately determine the belonging of combatant   and at the same time maintain the unity of their group on the battlefield (Martin and Ullrich, 1963).However, in the medieval times there was barely a single feudal lord rich enough to maintain a standing army and, therefore, uniforms were extremely diverse. It was not until the end of the 17th century that the growth of commercial trades and development of centralized states led to emergence of large standing armies and typical military uniforms in the modern sense of this word. Those days on the military uniform started to increasingly acquire the meaning of patriotism and pride going beyond its initial purpose of mere identification. As a famous historian of European military costumes wrote, â€Å"The esprit de corps of standing armies on the Continent owed much to the jealously preserved traditions linked with their uniforms† (Martin and Ullrich, 1963, p.139).Eventually, the color of uniforms worn be large national standing armies became traditional. Thus, the British army adopted their famous red uniforms that lasted for more than two centuries until the transformation of warfare methods and strategies required camouflage clothes; the Russian army stuck to green uniforms, the French and Austrian militaries were dressed in white colors, and the Prussian troops wore blue colors. These colors dominated uniforms of all national militaries.... Those days on the military uniform started to increasingly acquire the meaning of patriotism and pride going beyond its initial purpose of mere identification. As a famous historian of European military costumes wrote, "The esprit de corps of standing armies on the Continent owed much to the jealously preserved traditions linked with their uniforms" (Martin and Ullrich, 1963, p.139). Eventually, the color of uniforms worn be large national standing armies became traditional. Thus, the British army adopted their famous red uniforms that lasted for more than two centuries until the transformation of warfare methods and strategies required camouflage clothes; the Russian army stuck to green uniforms, the French and Austrian militaries were dressed in white colors, and the Prussian troops wore blue colors (Keegan, 1993). These colors dominated uniforms of all national militaries while the distinction between various regiments within the army was achieved either through use of different colors of trousers, buttons, cuffs or other accessories. For example, up to now the five regiments of the British Foot Guards differ from each other due to the particular grouping of their uniform buttons (Wright, 1965). However, despite these differences the function of military uniforms worn those days was similar: to demonstrate belonging of the person to the army of a state showing the difference between particular branches or regiments without going beyond one unique style. This remains one of the key functions of the military uniform used nowadays. The importance of military uniforms worn by modern armies also act as a symbol of order and discipline that have traditionally been considered the most essential feature of military organizations. A

Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis - Essay Example Even when the films are seen the second time around, the element of suspense is still there, and such feelings of anxiety get stirred in the audience because â€Å"the viewers feel suspense for the character rather than fright or shock with the character†2. The addition of familiar elements to the viewers such as using well-known places as the story’s settings â€Å"capture the reality†3 for the audience, making the experience seem possible in real life. In this analysis, an extract from Hitchcock’s suspense movie, Sabotage (Alfred Hitchcock, 1936), also released as A Woman Alone would be used to discuss how the different film elements are utilized to show how suspense works wonders in the film. The extract starts after the first 10 minutes of the film’s beginning. After a power failure that aimed originally to terrorize but rather just surprised the citizens of London, the main characters, as well as the secret lives of Karl Verloc (Oskar Homolka) and Ted Spencer (John Loder) were revealed to the audience4. Spencer’s secret life of working as an agent in Scotland Yard was presented first, which shows that he does surveillance on the cinema that Mr. Verloc operates. Meanwhile, Verloc’s secret life as a member of foreign terrorists was revealed in the later part of the film extract. The suspense presented in this part of the film is the idea that two opposing powers live side by side in the same street, not knowing for sure about the true identities of one another. In order to portray this dilemma to the audience, certain aspects were done in order to show drama and conflicts within and among the characters. The term mise-en-scene describes the â€Å"expressive totality†5 of a particular moment that is shown to the viewers. Before and during the reveal of Spencer’s identity, he was shown to have changed his face from a welcoming face of a fruit vendor to a hard face, which was later followed by the c hanges in his clothing and persona to his true self, as a secret agent. Verloc, on the other hand did not change his clothing, but rather his inner self, from a seemingly-harmless cinema owner to a member of a terrorist group plotting to destroy London. In both scenarios, the lighting added to the strong effects of the reveal to the audience, as well as portraying who was in the side of justice. The added lighting in Spencer’s reveal showed how he was the one in the right side of the law, and the almost lack of lighting in Verloc’s reveal showed how he was in the wrong side of justice. The camerawork and the editing also added to the feeling of suspense in the movie’s extract. In the scenes that seem to be happening in real time, the transitions were abrupt cuts, while the scenes that showed excised time used fade, to imply the passage of time in the extract. The framing of shots also added suspense by the use of close-ups when showing the characters during the times when they have to face a dilemma. By limiting what is visible to the audience, the audience would be more focused on the character even more, as well as his or her â€Å"spatial relationship†6 to the world in the movie. The use of familiar elements such as London scenes in the movie made the movie seem even closer to home. This technique is used by Hitchcock in his movies in order to make the audience anxious because they could â€Å"find resonance†7 in the characters’ anxiety. Also, by not fully revealing the plot but just implying events that may happen

Alignment of Academic Standards with ELL Proficiency Standards Essay

Alignment of Academic Standards with ELL Proficiency Standards - Essay Example In addition, the expose investigates the approaches that data from various sources is an essential tool in driving institutions based on the standard. Finally, the expose will investigate the approaches that the standard can be tailor-made to motivate the learner while meeting their needs. The Arizona English Language Proficient (ELP) standards are organized within different strands. These strands are Listening and speaking strand, Writing, Language strand, and reading strands. Conversely, the presentation of information is organized into different stages (grade-bands) that start from ELL 1, at the kindergarten level, to ELL V, that refers to grades 9-12 (ADE, 2012). In addition, the organization includes domains or language strand, the performance indicators, and English proficiency levels. Among the three domains, include the Proficiency Level Descriptors, found in each level that tests proficiency. These levels of proficiency can be pre-emergent, emergent, basic, and intermediate. On the other hand, Performance Indicators guide the process of identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities that a learner should receive in different levels of ELL. In effect, the analysis of the performance indicators requires corrective measures or the movement to the next level of the ELL instructions (AED, 2012). Data regarding a learner’s performance and progress can guide the standard-based instructions. In this regard, it is evident that the various levels in ELL are indicative of the requirement of progress in a learner learning the English language. Hence, data on the learners, which is from their performance and proficient indicators, guide the instructor in identifying the progress made with the learner and provide the desired direction. In addition, the data provides feedback on the knowledge, skills, and experiences acquired by the learner and

Play and pedagogy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Play and pedagogy - Essay Example It is this ability to play such games that such children are able to become great men and women in future. Some of the games for instance prepare great mathematicians in future. They assist such children to develop mentally in terms of the ability to perform some simple arithmetic. Apart from the metal development, games have also played a major role for the social, physical and emotional development in children. In the former category for instance, the children are able to interact with each other developing communication skills. Children who at first may appear shy are able to show confidence after they have interacted in most of these games. In addition to that, games have been imperative in ensuring that children display their different talents and gifts. It is difficult to know the talents that children have unless they are engaged in this kind of activities. To understand the role of play in children, I visited a certain kindergarten and made observation of how the children wer e responding. The following is a record of the observation that I made. The class setting Recently I visited a certain kindergarten with a view of establishing the role of play and pedagogy in children’s development. The kindergarten had one main teacher and three assistants. They had to work together for the purpose of ensuring that each child received maximum attention. The classroom setting provided an environment that fostered mental development of the children. The walls were full of the pictures that the children had drawn in including the alphabets. Each of the letters also had words and pictures drawn against them. This was for the purpose of enabling the children learn easily. For instance, a letter ‘G’ would have a picture of a guitar or a girl. This form of learning enabled the children understand better. The setting of the classroom was also in a way that it could make it easy for children to play. For instance, there was a huge empty area, which was left for the purpose of play. In the cupboard that was used to store all the toys and other materials used by the children for playing. In addition to that, there was tables and chairs that were arranged in a carefully manner to ensure that children were safe. This is in accordance with rules and regulations that demand that safety has to be ensured for such children. It is imperative that they are protected against any physical harm, by creating a harmless environment. The children The class composed of children from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds. The teachers made sure that the needs of each child were met. In addition to that, there were children with physical challenges who also benefited from the class setting that facilitated their learning and movement. The class therefore made it possible for inclusion to take place. The age of the children ranged between 3-5 years. They interacted well and each of them seemed to enjoy what was going on. The morning ses sion activities According to the teacher, all mornings began by ensuring that children sung. However, the types of songs and stories told depended on the themes that the teacher wanted to pass to the children. In this particular class, I was keenly following the response of two main children; in a view to find out how play enabled them develop mentally and emotionally. The two children were Natalie and John. They were both three years old and very jovial. When the teacher entered the classroom, it was mandatory for all the

The Medicare Modernization Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Medicare Modernization Act - Essay Example When it comes to income that means those who are living from hand to mouth are unable to benefit from the Act. In order to analyze whether it is a step forward or backward, let us discuss the significance of MMA in the light of its pros and cons to the U.S citizens: Medicare initially was not considered among the major concerns of American national politics 3. First, there was the targeting of Medicare expenditures, which federal officials regularly forecasted to raise over the 1990s, as a way to reduce the federal budget deficit. That issue momentarily heated up the debate between the Bush and Clinton campaigns when Budget Director Richard Darman claimed in July 1992 that Medicare outlays would have to be drastically reduced if the budget deficit were to be substantially lowered. The other set of political issues involved the emergent politics of universal health insurance in the early 1990s both the realization that an extraordinary consensus had emerged about the need for far-reaching change and the presumption that, if elected, Clinton aimed to act on that consensus 4. The context for the 1997 Medicare changes reflected two long-term forces at work in American politics. One element was the wearing down of the faith in government and ameliorative social programs that had been central to Medicare's birth in the heyday of the Great Society. The second was a form of fiscal politics that emphasized the consequences of the aging of the baby boomers, particularly the budgetary strain they would put on both Medicare and Social Security in the years ahead 5. Medicare - The most costly Program Medicare makes up the largest proportion of income-assistance spending. The cost of medical benefits has risen by more than the cost of other programs since the 1970s. It is said and often considered that certain social insurance and welfare health programs raise the greatest number of people out of scarcity, especially among the elderly and retired. The success of such programs can be determined by the historical acceptance of such Acts like the Food Stamp Act in 1964 and Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, which provided health insurance for the needy and poor 6. In the early 1990s, once again there felt a need to change the existing plans and policies regarding health and medication, so certain health welfare and food stamp programs arrive but at a smaller scale. The main reason for requiring such policies was the dissatisfaction with the then welfare programs and policies. Bill Clinton, who had vowed to "end welfare as we know it" in his 1992 campaign, helped do just that, signing a bipartisan bill in 1996, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) 7. This was a dramatic and controversial measure that brought an end to six decades of federal social policy guaranteeing at least a minimum level of aid to those in poverty. The measure abolished AFDC and replaced it with a system of smaller grants to states, which established rules of eligibility but were required to end welfare to

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been - Essay Example The story describes Connie as a young and beautiful girl who grows up in the Suburbia in the years between 1960. During this period, the author describes there were few beautiful girls who would be determined to expose their beauty to the entire society. Although the young girls were beautiful, most of the parents opted for their daughter to remain indoors. Joyce Carol Oates the author of the story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† illustrates that since Connie was young, she spend most of her time in front of a mirror confirming her beauty. This made Connie’s mother irritates and pissed off since her daughter was wasting time in confirming her beauty instead of concentrating on other life aspects (Oates 1). At some point, the author, Joyce quotes in the story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† that, â€Å"stop wasting time and gawking at yourself, who do you think you are, you think your pretty†. Joyce identifies that the mother was provoked with the number of times her daughter wasted time in confirming and bragging her beauty. Connie also had an elder sister, June but she was not as beautiful as the young and attractive Connie appeared. Although June was the eldest of the two, one would mistake Connie to be the first-born. June was older at the age of twenty-four and still lived with the parents. She worked in a high school as the secretary and saved the maximum money she could to rescue the family (Oates 4). June was innocent and never made any trouble to the family as Connie did to the rest of the family. June always listen to her mother’s words and followed every instruction given. This was totally contrary to the sister, Connie, who decides to listen to the friends. In the story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been†, the author, Joyce identifies that Connie continued with her trends and even started going out with friends. This made the situation even worse after she was introduced to

Risk and Quality Management Essay Example for Free

Risk and Quality Management Essay Executive Summary The following paper will be addressing the Risk and Quality management of one of the leading health care organizations in the world today and an organization whose benefits many of us have had the pleasure of experiencing: Kaiser Permanente, which is one of the most esteemed and flourishing organizations within the health care field. Kaiser Permanente provides and offers leading health care technologies, outstanding doctors, emergency services, laboratory needs, pharmaceuticals, and other hospital services among other things. They also have a very detailed and successful risk and quality management program which they enforce within their various organizations. Purpose of Risk and Quality Management â€Å"Quality assurance, corporate compliance, and risk management have common elements, they all represent processes by which care and services are scrutinized, audited, and generate action plans intended to benefit patients† (Sollins, JD, 2008). So it is no surprise that within the health care field, risk and quality management’s main purpose is to ensure that patients and employees are always safe and receive the best care possible. Ensuring that both patients and employees are always safe reduces the possibility of any undue or unnecessary risks to the organizations which is why quality assurance and/or management go hand in hand with risk management. In health care Risk management is very critical as it covers so many different areas ranging from proper procedures when handling medications, protecting patient information, making sure training is happening for all employees, and so much more. Risk management is so important because it is what makes sure the facility is operating in accordance with regulations. Quality management insures that patients are receiving quality care for a decent market value, which includes good customer service, timely visits and advanced technology. At Kaiser they value both risk and quality management and make it a core focus at all  times. In fact, â€Å"Kaiser Permanentes Care Management Institute (CMI) is one of the first organizations in the United States to earn disease management (DM) certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The 2-year NCQA DM certification was awarded in program design. The program design certification was awarded for four areas: diabetes, asthma, heart failure, and depression. CMI was one of 18 to apply for the NCQA certification/accreditation† (ManagedHealthcare.Info, 2002). Managing the Risks Like all other health care organizations Kaiser Permanente faces many risks on a daily basis, especially since they are dealing with people’s well-being. It is critical that first and foremost a health care organization knows what their risks are and what strategies are in place to address these risks. â€Å"Kaiser Permanente is concerned that too many diverse drug safety programs will impose a burden on the healthcare system and on patients and that this will drive up costs and limit access to therapies. At issue is the growing number of Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies. The FDA has approved nearly 100 in the last three years† (Wechsler, 2010). Suffice it to say any industry that deals with the making or distributing of pharmaceutical or any other type of drugs made for the consumption of the general public has to make sure they have great risk management because there are many risks involved. In drug distribution situations if situations are not handled prope rly, they can lead to not only costly mistakes but can also put people’s well being in danger. Two other typical risks for this type of organization would be patient confidentiality and cleanliness as there are so many germs and diseases that these facilities face daily. These risks could affect the quality because medication may not be correct, confidentiality breaches will have negative results on the organization and the patients, and cleanliness risks will affect the patients, and possibly even the employees’ overall experience and/or health.  Kaiser is always taking steps towards better risk management and trying new policies and training to achieve this. â€Å"Licensing agencies and professional organizations prescribe minimum standards for a health care risk management program. These standards require direct interaction and support between the Risk Management Team, Administration, the Legal Department, Medical Staff, and Quality Management. Mechanisms must be in place for expeditious investigation and reporting of occurrences, prospective and retrospective analysis, and implementing preventive programs. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations published its guidelines for hospitals in its Accreditation Manual for Hospitals. A major part of health care risk management is being knowledgeable of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization guidelines and ensuring that departments comply with them. Valuable safety measures with inherent checks and balances are put into place which increase quality of care and also help to curtail liability claims†. Kaiser believes that a complementary relationship exists between risk and quality management and that this relationship, in part, helps improve quality. It is this belief that created a synergistic approach within their Quality Management and Risk Management Departments. In the mid 90’s The Los Angeles branch of Kaiser Permanente’s Patient Care Management Committee voted on actions to improve their risk management. Those actions were: * Incorporation of collective instructional programs to assist in keeping health care staff updated on new techniques. * Develop deeper understanding of confidentiality practices. * Annual risk management refreshers for health care employees. * Providing courses on how to improve medical record documentation. * Updating protocols on preoperative and post-operative administration. * Educating and establishing centers of excellence for catheter replacement and selection processes. * Upgrade existing incident report forms to ensure more accurate documentation. * Revamp the use of Administration Records * Audit of Critical Care Units * Upgrading the admission policies and procedures. * Introducing policies for patient medication procedures. Managing Quality There are clearly so many factors which can negatively affect the quality of an organization let alone one that is in the health care field. In fact Health Care organizations may face a magnitude of issues which are not seen in other types of organizations. This is mainly due to the nature of having to deal with not only their employees but also with the welfare and  wellbeing of so many different patients. However, as you can imagine some internal factors that this organization or any other health care organization may face would be training, customer services, and services rendered to the patients. In addition, some external factors that can affect the quality of an organization would be third party vendors, budget cuts, and technical issues with electronic medical records or even any other technology system. These factors could be detrimental to any organization if not addressed properly and quickly. However, one of the reasons that Kaiser is considered one of the leading health care organizations is that Kaiser has a very large focus on quality management and wants to makes sure they are always providing the best quality. Their attention to detail is not only evident in how they perform but also in the reputation that they have acquired based on their extreme attention to these details. According to â€Å"Health Span† (n.d). â€Å"The Kaiser Permanente Quality Management program was designed to improve the quality and safety of clinical care and the quality of services provided to our members. The Quality Improvement (QI) program prioritizes quality activities aligned with the region’s strategic plan and provides resources in support of achieving the QI work plan. This complies with applicable regulatory and accrediting body requirements. Kaiser Permanente’s QI work plan must address: * Quality and safety of clinical care * Quality of service * Program scope * Yearly objectives * Yearly planned activities * Timeframe within which each activity is to be achieved * The staff member responsible for each activity * Monitoring of previously identified issues * Evaluation of the Quality Improvement (QI) program Kaiser Permanente’s Goals Kaiser Permanente’s organization has many goals many of which include helping to lower the nation’s obesity rate, promoting wellness care, promoting global health care, educating the public on health and wellness through classes and seminars, offering the best quality health care for a  good price, and much more. According to the organization’s website in 2002, Kaiser Permanente and CAPH/SNI entered into a formal business cooperative effort to broaden their ability to offer quality care as well as work towards improving the type of health care that is available in many communities regardless of their economic standing. This goal is not only one that would benefit the communities in which they are used but also serve to broaden the vision of those involved in the partnership at the state and local levels between community health care providers, organizations and leaders and staff of Kaiser Permanente to cooperate towards mutal objectives which include: * Collaborating on strategies and resources to promote quality care and enhance the efficiency within the systems * Working in association with community partners to improve the health within our neighborhoods In closing, Kaiser Permanente is one of the leading health organizations in the nation and it is no surprise that they also have some of the best risk and quality management practices to go along with their great reputation. In my experience with Kaiser risk and quality management are a focus at all times. One policy that I know is in place, just from visiting them, is that they conduct mailer surveys regarding patient satisfaction. This is important because it gives the patient the opportunity to voice what they think is great or what the organization could improve about the quality of care and services they received. It is also an important point that this industry has and strives to maintain good risk and quality management because they are dealing on a daily basis, every day of the year with the health and wellness of quite a number of people. Based on the facts stated above, Kaiser is always striving for the best quality and risk management possible. It is evident thru the numerous awards that this organization receives, that they are clearly doing a great job and they are example of how an organization should and could properly manage risk and quality management in a way that not only benefits the organization itself but also the people which it serves. References California Health Care Safety Net Institute. (2013). Partnership with Kaiser Permanente. Retrieved from http://safetynetinstitute.org/goals/enhancequalityofcare/kaiserpartnership/ Health Span. (n.d). Kaiser Permanente’s Quality Management program. Retrieved from http://providers.kaiserpermanente.org/html/cpp_oh/quality.html#Kaiser%20Permanente %E2%80%99s%20Quality%20Management%20program ManagedHealthcare.Info, . (2002, November 11). Quality Assurance; Kaiser Permanente institute earns NCQA Disease Management Certification. NewsRx. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/210597878?accountid=458 Sollins, JD, H. L. (2008, May June). Quality Assurance, Corporate Compliance, and Risk Management: Overlapping but Not Identical Tools. Geriatric Nursing, 29(3), 157-159. Wechsler, J. (2010, February). Kaiser Questions Safety Policies. Pharmaceutical Executive, 30(2), 1-18. ProQuest.

Managing and Reducing Cardiovascular Risk in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Essay Example for Free

Managing and Reducing Cardiovascular Risk in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Essay Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder in which the body’s capacity to make use of glucose, fat and protein is disturbed due to insulin deficiency or insulin resistance. It is a hormone secreted from pancreas that helps glucose from food to enter the bodys cells where it is transformed into energy required by muscles and tissues to function. Diabetes is caused either because the pancreas does not secrete adequate insulin, or because cells do not react to the insulin that is produced. Due to this reason, an individual with diabetes does not take up glucose appropriately and glucose continues circulating in the blood (hyperglycaemia) harming tissues over time. This damage leads to acute health complications. The classic symptoms of diabetes mellitus are, Polyuria ,Polydipsia ,Polyphagia ,lethargy and weight loss. There are many causes for high blood glucose levels in the body and so a number of types of diabetes exist. Diabetes mellitus occur throughout the world. Based on the study conducted by IDF, the number of diabetics on earth stands at 365 million nearly 8. 5% of the global population. It is more widespread in the more developed countries. The greatest raise in incidence is, however, expected to happen in Africa and Asia, where majority of the diabetes patients will most likely be found by 2030. Diabetes mellitus is categorised into four broad groups: Type 1, Type 2, Gestational diabetes other specific types. Scientists in US have found a Type 3 diabetes, it is still continuing further study. Type 1 diabetes is absolute insulin deficiency usually affects children and young adults. Type 2 Diabetes is an insidious progressive disease that is often diagnosed late when complication are present. Dunning (2004) described it as a long term complication with neuropathy, cardiovascular disease and retinopathy. It is a universal metabolic disorder affecting more than 2 million people in the United Kingdom and up to 750,000 more are expected to have it without knowing they do. Studies conducted show that 80% of population affected by diabetes live in developing and underdeveloped countries and the majority of people with diabetes is between 40 to 59 years of age. It is also estimated that 183 million people (50%) with diabetes are undiagnosed. It is noticed that Diabetes caused 4. million deaths in 2011 and caused sharp increase in medical expenditure. I am a staff nurse working in the cardiac ward and we often receive patients with cardiac problems as a long term complication of type 2 diabetes. Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of hospital admission and mortality in people with diabetes. Most of them are not diagnosed until they are admitted. During the course of this study the medical history and care and treatment provided to a patient named Mr M Davies who was admitted in my ward is chosen to learn about managing and reducing cardiovascular disease among patients with type 2 diabetes. In 1998 UKPDS pointed out the importance of reducing lipids blood pressure and blood Glucose to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Hypertension leads to thicker, less elastic blood vessel walls and increase the strain on the heart. Studies indicated that there is a linear correlation between the diastolic blood pressure and the eventual outcome of type 2 diabetes. Standl Schnell (2000) pointed out that as a result of ischemia-induced remodelling subtle changes occur in the heart and the effects of hyperglycaemia on the endothelium of large blood vessels that causes heart to failure. Mr M Davies (Mr.  MD) is a 61-year-old pensioner with a 4 years history of type 2 diabetes. He was diagnosed in 2008 and he had symptoms of hyperglycaemia for 2 years before diagnosis. His fasting blood glucose records indicated values of 6–7 mmol/L, which were explained to him as symptomatic of â€Å"borderline diabetes. † During the preliminary diagnosis, he was advised to reduce weight (â€Å"at least 10 lb. †), but no further action was taken. Other medical problems include obesity and hypertension. He was admitted in the ward with recurrent chest pain. (Appendix 1) This assignment is about managing and reducing cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Heart disease is well acknowledged as a chronic problem of diabetes, and is the major reason of morbidity and mortality in patients from middle-age onwards. Type 2 diabetes is associated at the onset with risk factors for heart disease such as hypertension and obesity, raising the question of whether diabetes is the independent risk factor for heart disease. In 2001 Morrish et al pointed out that the majority of cardiovascular deaths are specifically due to heart disease and this is supported by Fisher, Miles, (2008) commenting that heart disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality at young as well as older ages. Butler (1997) said that increased life expectancy has led to an increase in the number of people over 65 years of in both the developed and developing worlds. Marso (2003) pointed out that due to the clear association between age and the development diabetes, this increase in the number of older individuals in the population will inevitably contribute to the increased prevalence of diabetes. Watkins (2008) mentioned that Type 2 diabetes is a disease of relative prosperity, prosperity leads to overweight and physical indolence. Insulin resistance, increasing with obesity, associated with progressive failure of insulin secretion in relation to ageing underlies the development of diabetes. It is anticipated that by 2025 the number of people with type 2 diabetes will be around 380 million and people with impaired glucose tolerance will be around 418 million. Diabetes is the foremost global cause of premature mortality that is broadly underestimated, because only a few among the diabetic patients die from reasons uniquely related to the condition. Nearly one half of type 2 diabetes patients die prematurely of a cardiovascular reason and approximately 10% die of renal failure. Diabetes is a condition that required to be managed every day. The management of Diabetes can refer to dealing with short term measures like high and low blood sugar to regulating it over the long term for instance by attaining to grips with knowing the condition. All patients with Type 2 diabetes require active dietary management throughout their disease. Watkins (2008) pointed out that weight loss in the obese is extremely valuable but is separate from dietary manipulations to control blood glucose. Treatment typically includes diet control, exercise, monitoring blood sugar at home, and in some cases, oral medication and/or taking insulin. Based on the type diabetes medicines are classified into different groups and each category of diabetes pills functions differently. Commonly used medicines to control diabetes are Sulfonylureas, Thiazolidinediones, Biguanides, Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, Meglitinides and, Dipeptidyl peptidase IV. Sulfonylureas reduce blood sugar by stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin. Sulfonylureas medicines like Glimeperide, Gliclazide,. Biguanides improve insulins capacity to transfer sugar into cells particularly into the muscle cells. They also stop the liver from releasing stored sugar. Biguanides are not advised to be used in people who have heart failure or kidney damage. Biguanides medicines such as Metformin. Thiazolidinediones like Pioglitazone and Rosiglitazone enhances effectiveness of insulin in muscle and in fat tissue. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, such as Precose (acarbose) and Glyset (miglitol) prevent enzymes that help digest starches, reducing the rise in blood sugar. These medicines may cause diarrhea or gas. They can decrease hemoglobin A1c by 0. 5%-1%. Meglitinides, like Prandin (repaglinide) and Starlix (nateglinide) reduces blood sugar level by stimulating the pancreas to secreate more insulin. Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors, such as Januvia (sitagliptin), Onglyza (saxagliptin), and Tradjenta (linagliptin) lowers blood sugar level in patients with type 2 diabetes by accelerating insulin secretion from the pancreas and lowering sugar production. The case history of Mr. MD indicated that he was advised to manage blood sugar level by diet control and regular exercise. It was also advised to take metformin 1000mg twice a day when diet and exercise are not enough to manage blood sugar level. The history showed that Mr. MD was non-compliance with any of these. On admission his random blood sugar was 20 mmol/L. As he was unable to tolerate oral intake due to nausea and chest pain, GKI was commenced for a day to control his blood sugar. On second day his blood sugar level was controlled and he started eating and drinking normally. Mr MD was referred to diabetic specialist nurse and dietician . Diabetic specialist nurse advised to stop GKI and advised to start OHA. Mr. MD commenced on metformin 1000mg three times a day (Learning outcome 1). Metformin has long been accepted as a appropriate first-line choice of oral medicine for Type 2 diabetes as it is the only oral hypoglycaemic agent related with no weight gain or even weight reduction. They decrease hepatic gluconeogenesis, boost peripheral glucose uptake and also lower the absorption of carbohydrate from the gut lumen. Because metformin functions on insulin sensitivity and with only endogenous glucose stimulated insulin secretion, it virtually never causes hypoglycaemia on its own and patients using it with diet and exercise do not need routinely to self-monitor blood glucose. The UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS, 2002) demonstrated a significant survival advantage for Type 2 patients started on metformin as first-line therapy, with less cardiovascular mortality, although it should be noted that they only used the drug in obese patients. Obesity is a worldwide problem. Barnett (2009) pointed out that obesity and overweight are independent risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Various studies reveal that obesity is a major cardiovascular disease risk factor across world’s populations. Risk of morbidity and mortality begins to increase at body mass index (BMI) 25 kg/m 2 and the risk raises sharply at BMI 30 kg/m 2. Each kilogram of weight put on from the age of 18 years was linked with 3. 1% higher risk of cardiovascular disease. In 1998 Gunnell observed that over weight in adolescence is a forecaster of these dangers in adulthood . These finding were supported by Must in 1992,who explained that this increased risk extends to overweight children and adolescents, who may be at risk of premature cardiovascular morbidity and death. The mechanism by which obesity causes increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is attributed to associated co-morbidities and risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. The co-occurrence of some or all of these risk factors along with obesity is termed the cardiometabolic syndrome. On examination it was noticed that Mr.  MD has a high BMI (30. 9). West (2007). Suggested that addressing obesity is an essential aspect of managing diabetes, because type2 diabetes and many other health problems coexist. However it is important to consider the individual’s specific nutritional needs rather than just providing them with a ‘weight loss plan,’ ‘diabetic diet,’ a ‘standard meal plan or information about healthy eating. ’ Mr. MD was referred to the dietician. Dietician gave dietary advice and educated about importance of weight management by diet and regular exercise. He was advised to avoid take-away foods, reduce alcohol consumption and taking balanced food to prevent hypo and hyper glycaemia (Learning outcome 1).. Hypertension-Prevention Management is very important in the management of metabolic diseases. In 1985 Modan et al pointed out that there is a strong relationship between high blood pressure and insulin resistance. This findings is supported by Reaven, (1999) . He said that the prevalence of insulin resistance in hypertension has been estimated at 50%. Scheen, (2004) proposed several possible mechanisms for this. Coutinho et al. (1999) said that impaired fasting blood glucose is related with high cardiovascular risk particularly if accompanied by hypertension. Henry et al. , (2002) said that in people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease risk is increased two to fourfold compared with those with normal glucose tolerance. This was supported by the study conducted by Heffner et al. , (1998) who said that diabetic people without past history of myocardial infarction may have as high a risk of myocardial infarction as non-diabetic patients with a history of previous myocardial infarction. Non-pharmacological interventions are cheap than pharmacological interventions and have no known dangerous effects. A range of lifestyle changes reduce blood pressure and the occurrence of hypertension. Non-pharmacological interventions such as weight loss in the overweight, exercise programmes, limiting alcohol intake and a diet with increased fruit and vegetables and limited saturated fat content, minimising dietary sodium consumption and increased dietary potassium intake. From the medical history of Mr MD it is noticed that he was taking Ramipril 5 mg/day and bisoprolol2. mg/daily. It is established that where non-pharmacological interventions are not enough to achieve the objectives then Pharmacological interventions are required. Several drug treatments are of proven value in minimising cardiovascular risk in people with diabetes and hypertension. Low-dose aspirin is suggested in diabetes whether or not there is evidence of large vessel disease. Williams et al. , (2004) noticed that the British Hypertension Society recommends 75 mg of aspirin for all with hypertension and diabetes, unless contraindicated. Antihypertensive therapy diminishes the risk of macrovascular complications by around 20%. Reducing blood pressure reduces progression of retinopathy, albuminuria and progression to nephropathy. Staessen et al. , (1997) observed that clinical trials with ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, diuretics, angiotensin receptor blockers and calcium channel blockers have demonstrated benefit of treatment of hypertension in type 2 diabetes (Learning outcome 1).. On admission blood pressure level of Mr MD was very high. He was recommended treatment with antihypertensive drugs. Consultant prescribed Losartan 100 mg/day and increased ACE inhibitor (ramipril 10 mg/day) and beta-blocker (bisoprolol 5 mg/dayl). Studies show that treatment with ramipril in addition to standard therapy minimised combined myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular death by about 25% and stroke by 33% compared with placebo plus conventional methods. This was supported by Sowers and Haffner, (2002) saying that almost all patients with hypertension and diabetes require combinations of blood pressure reducing drugs to attain the recommended blood pressure targets. During the treatment Mr. MD was advised non-pharmacological methods of blood pressure management and importance of diet control and referred to cardiac rehabilitation for regular exercise. Management of high cholesterol plays an important role in the management of diabetes. Lipid abnormalities are common in type 2 diabetes and can be broadly categorized into two groups: those that are common to the general population, for example elevated total and LDL cholesterol; and additional diabetes-related abnormalities, for example elevated triglycerides and reduced HDL cholesterol. Current US and European guidelines emphasize reducing LDL-C level to less than 100 mg/dL (2. 59 mmol/L). To reduce the cholesterol Mr. MD was undergone intensive lipid-lowering treatment with atorvastatin 80 mg/day. Dietary therapy was also a part of the treatment which was found effective to lower Lipids. Interventions to stabilize lipids in order to decrease the risk of CVD are warranted in people with type 2 diabetes. Both Fibrates and Statins improve lipid profiles in people with diabetes. Many studies have established the safety and effectiveness of the fibrates (gemfibrozil, bezofibrate, fenofibrate) in diabetes. Fibrates stimulate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-a, changing the expression of a number of enzymes that regulate lipid metabolism, including lipoprotein lipase. Statins inhibit hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, which is rate restrictive in cholesterol production. Another major strategy in the management diabetes is lifestyle interventions. Lifestyle interventions can progress lipid levels. Studies conducted on weight loss and lipids in type 2 diabetes have varied greatly as to the study diet, design and duration. A Meta-analysis of 89 studies and 1800 subjects with type 2 diabetes reported that a weight loss of 5% or greater reduced triglyceride levels by 10 ±40% and total cholesterol by 5 ±15%. These effects were greatest with very low-calorie diets, and the effects were seen in studies up to 6 months. A variety of diets can alter the lipid profile in people with type 2 diabetes. The organisation of diabetes care is very important in the long term management of diabetes care. Diabetes is the significant disease confronting the United Kingdoms (UK) health care system. As a result, understanding how best to manage diabetes facilities is an important area if the health system is going to deal with the growth in both the demand for and cost of diabetes treatment. Care should be planed at reducing symptoms and minimizing the danger of long-term problems. It is pointed out that a proper balance of glucose and other cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, inactive lifestyle, dyslipidaemia and obesity is very crucial (UKPDS, 2002) in the organisation care of diabetes.

Analyze The Policies Of Tun Abdul Razak Period History Essay

Analyze The Policies Of Tun Abdul Razak Period History Essay On the other hand, he also established agencies such as the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA), Malayan Industrial Development Finance (MIDF), and Council of Indigenous Peoples Trust (Majlis Amanah Rakyat, MARA). Furthermore, he changed Malaysias socioeconomic landscape through the New Economic Policy (NEP) during his premiership. This New Economic Policy was aiming at eliminating poverty and restructuring society by focusing not only on rural development, but also on education. Tun Abdul Razak played an important role in reestablishing the public identity of Malayan as he was also closely involved in the formation of Malaysia and its reconciliation with Indonesia. Due to his contribution to Malaysia and the public especially in development, he is known as the Father of Development. An Overview of Foreign Policy of Malaysia Since Independence, a variety of geographical, historical, social and political factors contribute to the shaping of Malaysias foreign policy that includes the conduct of the countrys international relations. The various determinants have become increasingly important in line with globalisation and in the advancement of communication and information technology (ICT). Although the nature of the foreign policy of our country is changing by time, the basic objective remains the same, which is to pursue the national interest at the international level and to ensure the continued prosperity and stability of our country. Examining Malaysias foreign policy since 1957, it is obvious that there are evolutionary changes characterised by notable differences in emphasis, which occurs with the change in Malaysias political stewardship and the need for political, economical and social stability. Under Tunku Abdul Rahman, our first Prime Minister, Malaysia is one of the anti-Communist and pro-western countries that also has close links to the Commonwealth due to the close adherence and relationship between British and us. After Tunku Abdul Rahman, we began to approach a foreign policy based on non-alignment, neutralization and peaceful co-existence, marked by it involvement in Non- Alignment Movement (NAM). Under Tun Abdul Razak, Malaysia began to identify itself as a Muslim nation in accordance with its involvement in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Trying to achieve true independence by seeking out friends beside British, Malaysia started to encourage investments from sources other than Br itish. During Tun Hussein Onns premiership, Malaysia played an important role as a member of ASEAN regarding the issue of the collapse of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1975, the withdrawal of the US military presence from Southeast Asia and the invasion of Kampuchea (now Cambodia) by Vietnam. Malaysias foreign policy began to change dramatically when Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohammad took over as the fourth Prime Minister in 1981. It became more economy- oriented than what it had used to be, in line with its focus on building up a strong and nationalistic defense of the rights, interests and aspirations of developing countries. Under Tun Dr. Mahathir, there were a number of new initiatives, including treating Antarctica as the common heritage of mankind, the look east policy (LEP) that encourages Malaysians to learn from the positive values of Japanese and Koreans, reverse investment, East Asia Economic Caucus (EAEC), Group of 15 (G15)   ASEAN Mekong Basin Development Co-operation, Islamic Unity and the championing of the cause of developing countries on major issues like environment, human rights, and democracy. Dato Seri Abdulah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi has served as prime Minister and becomes the chairman of OIC, ASEAN, NAM for a period of time. Different foreign policy that comes under different prime ministers reflects a pragmatic response to the geopolitical and economic changes from time to time. A combination of being static but alterable according to the distinct needs at different moment as the main feature of our countrys foreign policy is a reflection of the development and maturation of our country in the conduct of its international affairs. In fact, in several occasions, Malaysias leadership has been recognised as one of the most influential. Malaysia has proved that it has possessed the quality of independence by depending less on foreign aid and courageous. Gradually, Malaysia has gained its fame as a politically, economically and socially stable country mainly due to its foreign policy. In short, Malaysia seeks to maintain the bilateral relations with almost all countries by upholding the principles of sovereign equality and mutual respect for territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each others internal affairs, peaceful settlement of disputes as well as mutual benefit in relations and peaceful co-existence. Re- Alignment in Foreign Policy The suspension of Parliament after the crisis of May 13th 1969 entailed the administration of the country by an emergency body, the National Operations Council (NOC/ MAGERAN), for a period of four years. Starting from May 1969, Tun Abdul Razak was considered as the Head of Government due to his position as the Director of Operations of NOC. However, he was reluctant to make any changes on the foreign policy as long as Tunku Abdul Rahman was still holding the premiership. Yet, he was convinced that Malaysias foreign policy which was then revolving around the pro- western democracies, could no longer sustain Malaysias needs. Once he took over the premiership, the foreign policy agenda of a politically reconstructed Malaysia was to be put in place then. The new Administration was clearly at pains to regain domestic (both Malaysia and non-Malay) and international confidence in Malaysias viability as a multiethnic state. The serious challenge to governments ability to govern Malaysian society caused a significant review of policies. The introduction of new strategies represented the first observable attempts to employ foreign policy to a domestic political purpose, to increase the stability and balance of economic and political dominance among all races. For example, the development of more extensive contacts with international Islamic activities was part of the post -1696 pattern of UMNO or government movement towards a more Muslim character while maintaining patterns accommodation with other races. Besides, there was also an issue referred by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad as the apron- string complex. There were pressure and arguments on the type of relationship we should maintain between the former colonizers and our country. In addition, there was also an urgent need to take the middle stand between the two major power blocs in the world by then in order to establish significant Third World credentials. The British Military Power, once the major power in Southeast Asia, was facing a gradual rundown that would definitely caused the whole withdrawal of the power from the region. Nevertheless, at the moment, Malaysia still needed the Western allies due to its under- developed defense systems. That is the reason for in April 1970, Tun Abdul Razak who was still the Minister of Defense, subscribed to the Five- Power Defense Pact, signed in London with Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Britain. The turmoil in international and regional affairs was also one of the issues during the Razak administration. Prolonged United States involvement in Vietnam, the a complex geo-political challenge, particularly the rising of the neighborly countries such as Indonesia and India, both culturally and politically, the emergence of China as possessing the nuclear super- power and its re-entry to international diplomacy, the increasing influences of Japan on Asia especially in the fields of commerce, industry and finance, the renewed strength of Muslim states in the Middle East were indirectly shaping Malaysias foreign policy at the time. Moreover, Malaysia also had to deal with some regional security issues such as the Philippines claim over Sabah, the cooperation with Thailand to solve communist guerrillas in border area, the Thai treatment of Malay- Muslims in Southern Thailand and the relationships with Indonesia regarding to the navigation rights in the Melaka straits issue and the pos session of offshore oil resources. Tun Abdul Razak wondered about the strategies that Malaysia could adopt to cope with it. He felt that the emerging new countries in Africa and Asia should be cultivated. Besides, the ways that Malaysia managed these issues were also in the consideration as popular sentiment determined the perception of the outside world about Malaysia. It is important to create an image of Malaysia as an independent and free from foreign dominance country. When he took over his premiership, he began to implement his plans, elevating neutrality and non- alignment as our official foreign policy goals in order to ensure the future security and well- being of Malaysia. One of his goals was to achieve full neutralization of the whole of Southeast Asia while still maintaining a good relationships with the West by acquiring cooperation from the major powers that were concerned with this region, and also by identifying with the Third World of Afro- Asia including Latin American, South Pacific and Middle East . Another goal was to gain alliance with the ASEAN countries and to make sure that the region would be safer and freed from foreign military forces and also to maintain harmonious, peaceful and bilateral relationships with these neighbour countries. The Association of Southeast Asia (ASEAN) During the period of Tun Abdul Razak as the deputy prime Minister of Malaysia, there were only few organizations such as the ASA (Association of Southeast Asia) and the ASPAC (Asian Pacific Council). Tunku Abdul Rahman realized that there was no space for two organizations to work perfectly at the same time. Thus, in 1967, not long after the Confrontation dispute with Indonesia, five main country members including Adam Malik from Indonesia, Narciso Ramos from the Philippines, Tun Abdul Razak from Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam from Singapore and Thanat Khoman from Thailand held a meeting in Bangkok and eventually founded the ASEAN, in response to the failure of MAPHILINDO, for the strategic and security reasons. This is the Bangkok Declaration. Before the forming of ASEAN, Malaysia was facing the issues regarding to the claim made by the Philippines over Sabah as Sabah was once the territory of Sultanate of Sulu. Besides, Malaysia also had to deal with the Confrontation of Indonesia at Southern part of Malaysia. In line with the formation of ASEAN, many conflicts were resolved as the members of ASEAN come to agree that there were better solutions instead of confrontations and conflicts. By 1967, the open dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia was replaced by cooperation through the formation of ASEAN. In fact, the Philippines claim on Sabah was slow down after the formation of ASEAN. Tun Abdul Razak played an important role as he stood firmly in declining the Philippines claim on Sabah. From his point of view, it was a test for the new nation. Malaysian demanded for the withdrawal of the Philippines from Sabah even if they wanted to infiltrate Sabah with a special forces. The Malaysian government lodged a formal protest in September 1968. A meeting was held between Tuan Abdul Razak and Narciso Ramos in Bangkok. It seemed to be fruitless but they agree with a solution by having a cooling off period. Yet, matters went even worse when the Philippines claimed again over Sabah territory and its water. In addition, the Philippines Executive also accused the State Government of Sabah for infringing the Kuala Lumpur Declaration by interfering with its internal affairs such as smuggling arms and explosives in the Sulu Islands and Mindanao. This is an ongoing issue but without Tun Abdul Razak and the government, we may not have Sabah as a state in our country today. In February 1977, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, drafted initiatively by Tun Abdul Razak, to foster peaceful resolutions of disputes between ASEAN member countries was signed at the ASEAN summit conference in Bali. Another issue that had a big impact on Malaysia was the idea of the communism. The formation of ASEAN was mainly for strategic and security reasons and political stability among the ASEAN countries. To prevent ASEAN countries from being colonized, threatened or involving in communism, ASEAN bind all the countries together to have a neutralized stance. The early formation of ASEAN was to prevent all war involving ASEAN countries, to focus in economic growth and also to rebuild and recover after World War II. Federation of Malaya, by the time, had just came out from the confrontation of Indonesian and the state of emergency, without the idea of ASEAN and the co-operation among the ASEAN countries for the economical support, Malaysia would not be able to survive throughout the whole early period before and after the formation of Malaysia. Neutralization and Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality (ZOPFAN) Since Tun Abdul Razak assumed his position as the second prime minister of Malaysia, neutralization had become the key element of Malaysias foreign policy. The proposal of neutralization under Tun Abdul Razak had two levels of implementation. The first level specified that Southeast Asian nation-states adopt and practice non- aggression and non- intervention principles based on mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, besides reaching out to ensure harmony and security among themselves. The second level of implementation involved the major superpowers at the time, the United States, China, and the Soviet Union, were singled out as prospective guarantors for ensuring that the Southeast Asian region would not become an area for conflict among these major countries. In addition, the superpowers were also called on to take the role of supervising to ensure the neutrality of Southeast Asia. The declaration emphasized regional cooperation to strengthen the economic and soc ial stability of the region to ensure peaceful and progressive national developments. Since 1970, Malaysia has been practicing non- interference policy or the exception policy to create a bilateral good relationships with many countries, without involving itself in the complications of super- power such as Russia and United States. ZOPFAN (Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality), originated in a 1970, a proposal by Tun Abdul Razak, was one of the efforts made for the purpose of neutralizing Southeast Asia, to be free from any form of external interference and to create a region that has lasting peace, freedom and prosperity. In October 1971, Tun Abdul Razak proposed his plan for neutralization to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He received a lot of encouragement and acceptance. He managed to arrange a meeting with four other ASEAN countries to hold a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on November 26th and 27th. The result was the Kuala Lumpur Declaration, an issue of a joint communiquà © that included a declaration of all ASEAN countries by the time to cooperate and work together to gain the recognition and respect for Southeast Asia as ZOPFAN. The Malaysian Government under the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministership of Tun Razak and Tun Ismail organized a chain of diplomatic campaigns to have the Malaysian initiative adopted and accepted by the other non- ASEAN Southeast Asia countries for the need of a neutralized Southeast Asia. He called for a greater regional cooperation and warned people about the danger and risk of the existence and intention of super- powers. During the 3rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on 16 December 1969, he stressed the importance of regional cooperation and regional solidarity through self-help and collective efforts. Tun Abdul Razak did not cease his personal effort in implementing the idea of ZOPFAN to a wider area including those countries that were not ASEAN members. In 1974, he made an official visit to Burma to convince President U Ne Win about neutralization. Although Burmese remained skeptical and Indo-China was about to be ruled by communists, Tun believed and was convinced that in the future, these countries would embrace neutralization. However, ZOPFAN had not progressed very much beyond the conceptual beginnings and terms set down during the Bali meeting in 1976. ZOPFAN remains an intra-ASEAN policy, but over the years, the principles of the proposal and the subsequent Treaty of Amity and Concord have been contravened by non-ASEAN states. In 1990s, after reviewing the relevancy of ZOPFAN, some analysts believed that the concept of ZOPFAN seems increasingly irrelevant in the post-Cold War era and it was merely a statement of principle rather than a plan for effective actions. ZOPFAN was extremely limited in the contribution it can make toward the shaping or formulation of security arrangements and other such forms of regional cooperation among the member states of ASEAN. Non- Alignment Movement (NAM) Tun Abdul Razak made a couple of significant changes in Malaysias foreign policy. One of his fundamental moves was the decision to join NAM (Non-Aligned Movement). NAM was considered by the Razak administration as a major discussion for consultations and management of positions on political and economic issues to determine an international order that were of importance among the almost two- thirds of the sovereign developing countries of the world. To understand why Tun Abdul Razak decided to actively be a member of NAM, remember that NAM emerged during the collapse of the colonial system in Asia and Africa and the emergence of independent countries from colonization and imperialism. As the name implies, NAM members follow a strict non-alignment policy, did not favor both democratic bloc and communist bloc. NAM countries promote self-determination, national independence and sovereignty and territorial integrity. NAM countries also focus on strengthening the socioeconomic development as well as reconstituting international economic system. Tun Abdul Razak, practiced a non-alignment policy by establishing ZOFPAN. He believed that the joining of Malaysia into NAM can prove the stance of Malaysia, which chose to be non-aligned with any powers of block. During the period of Tun Abdul Razak as the Foreign Minister, Malaysia was officially brought into the fold of the Movement as a member country with its participation in the Informal Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of NAM at New York on 27th September 1969. Consequently, the Malaysian Delegation, led by Tun Abdul Razak as the new Prime Minister, attended its first ever Summit as a member country at the 3rd NAM Summit in Lusaka, Zambia from 8th until 10th September 1970. To strengthen Malaysias determination and pursuit of disentanglement, Tun Abdul Razak led the delegation of Malaysia to the Fifth Conference of Heads of State of Government of NAM Countries at Colombo in the year of 1976. In the political aspects, NAM members agreed to condemn Zionists violent action against Palestinians. Zionist (Israel) persistently continued his hostile racist and unlimited expansionary policy in Palestine boundaries. As a Muslim, Tun Abdul Razak paid sympathy and condemnation against Israelis actions. NAM also agreed that this situation posed a threat to international security and peace. As the same time, Tun Abdul Razak wanted to create a closer relationship with Muslim countries. This gave Tun Abdul Razak a greater chance and higher reputation, since Muslim countries also disagreed with Zionists brutal action against Palestine. Another issue that helped Tun Abdul Razak to proven his role in Asian is the issues of United States, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic and Vietnam. As a prominent figure in South East Asian, Tun Abdul Razak was working hard to make South East Asian a free-alignment zone, free from any alien powers. By the time the fifth conference was held, Vietnam had a successful birth as Socialist Republic of Vietnam, while Lao Peoples Democratic Republic had freed from United States attack. NAM celebrated the struggle of the country to fight against Imperialism by United States. To make sure that Malaysia stood in the side of Vietnam, joining NAM and agreeing with the resolution was the right actions. This act, therefore, would bring confidence to South East Asian countries to join Tun Abdul Razaks plan to made South East Asian a free and neutral region. In the economic context, Tun Abdul Razak, which at that time had visions to develop Malaysia, has made a right path by joining NAM, which clearly paralleled with his visions and missions. Malaysia, which was going step by step to neutralize from big powers (bloc), would surely suffer in terms of economic if they continued to do so. By far, most underdeveloped and developing countries still depend on big powers for economic support, and these policy had never made them any better; economic discrimination, along with imperialism, colonialism and apartheid would never place a big space for these countries to developed. Malaysia had made the right step to gradually become independence in terms of economic and sovereignty by joining NAM. The Relationship with China The most recent historical perspective of bilateral Malaysia-China relations is relevant for todays situation. This is due to the fact that the relation of China and Malaysia and also with other Southeast Asian countries was complicated by two problems. According to Malaysia, Southeast Asia and the Emerging China: Political, Economic and Cultural Perspectives; one had been the Beijings policy towards Malaysian of Chinese origin and the other is its policy towards the Communist Party of Malaya. Unlike the establishment of diplomatic relations with other countries such as for example African countries whereby communities of Chinese ancestors and African communist parties linked closely to China didnt have any issues that complicated matters so much. Thus, these two factors played a prominent role in playing in the establishment o diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia. In 1949, communism took over China. They, at that time didnt think of a clear policy towards Southeast Asians of Chinese origin. Instead, they continued the previous Kuomintang government which was to consider as Chinese those who had a grandfather who was a Chinese citizen. This caused numerous difficulties with other countries which just obtained their independence from colonial rule. Those new countries did not want to deal with citizens that came from other countries, especially China. However, the Chinese communist were enthusiastic to have diplomatic relations with these new nations especially those that were not seen as Western allies. Most the Chinese in Malaysia had embraced Malaysian citizenship and were already integrated in Malaysian polity by 1974. Again, according to Malaysia, Southeast Asia and the Emerging China: Political, Economic and Cultural Perspectives; it has been suggested that one reason Tun Razak wanted to establish diplomatic relations with China was an attempt on part of Barisan National to win Malaysian Chinese votes for a general election that was expected to be declared after he came back from China. UMNO leaders were confident of their loyalty to use the China card. However, there were still problems regarding the citizenship issue. Many Chinese in Malaysia still could not obtain their Malaysian citizenship and therefore were so-called stateless Chinese. It was feared that they could complicate the negotiations between Malaysia and the Chinese communist authorities. The Chinese communist government couldnt openly abandon them. But both parties really wanted to develop diplomatic ties so in 1974, Tun Razak and Premier Zhou En-lai signed the join communiquà ©. And in that draft, there was no mention of this group of Chinese beyond the usual urging by the Chinese premier that Chinese residents in Malaysia should respect Malaysian laws and customs. Besides that, there were other reasons Malaya wanted to establish diplomatic ties with China was that was due to regional strategic causes and economic reasons as well. According to Malaysia: Fifty Years of Diplomacy, in May 1971 a trade mission went to China at the invitation of the Chinese Governments National Foreign Trade Corporation. The outcome of this initiative was that China agreed to buy an entire stockpile of the Malaysian Rubber Fund Board. Apart from that, China also agreed to purchase an additional150,000 tons of rubber a year at average market prices. After almost a year later, in March 1972, the China National Chemical Export and Import Corporation invited a rubber technical advisory mission from Malaysia to visit China for two weeks. Malaysias recently established national trading corporation, PERNAS sponsored a 60-member trade delegation to the Canton Spring Fair in April 1972. Besides that, Malaya also developed a relationship with China based on other levels such as sports and medical exchanges throughout 1971 and 1972. This clearly shows that Malaysia really wanted to demonstrate its goal to achieve wide understanding with this growing power. Chinas formal membership in the UN and President Nixons visits to China was kind of triggered Malaysias initiative to have diplomatic relations with China. Malaysia then decided to begin a dialogue with China with a view to normalization of relations. The discourse began in June 1973 and the first few meetings showed Malaysias seriousness in the negotioations. Those who represented Malaysia were Zain Azraai (representing Prime Ministers Office), Khor Eng Hee (Wisma Putra) and Ahmad Kamil Jaafar (Deputy Permanent Representative). On the other hand, the person who represented China was their Ambassador, Huang Hua. Even though both sides expectations were opposed, the Malaysians were still able to persuade the Chinese to accept a package deal in which Malaysias main concerns were satisfied. The perception of China as a threat to Malaysia began to change from the mid 1980s onwards. This was a result of many factors. One was due to the increasing acceptance by the Malaysian government and the Malaysian Chinese were well integrated in Malaysian polity. Any further opening towards China such as allowing Malaysians to visit China with the same degree of freedom they were permitted to travel to any other friendly country. Besides that, it was also encouraged for Malaysia to enhance business ties with China. Due to that, it would not have negative domestic political consequences. In conclusion, ties between China and Malaysia have been complicated by the issue of Beijings policy towards Southeast Asian of Chinese descent since 1949, especially by its support by the Communist Party in Malaya. However, these two factors did not prevent both of these countries from having diplomatic relations. But from 1980s onwards, the two factors mentioned began to dissolve when the Chinese were taken consideration into the local polity and when the Communist Party of Malaya decided to surrender back in 1989. Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is an international organization with a permanent delegation with the United Nations. It happened to be an idea of the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1969 and Malaysia has officially joined the organization since then. The succeeding government of Tun Abdul Razak reaped advantage from his leadership role. With more than 25 countries became the members of OIC before 1970, Tun Abdul Razak had become a second man by carrying on the idea made the first Prime Minister. In fact, this capable leader was persisted in the policies of Tunku Abdul Rahman in the organization. Apart of being renowned in Malaysian New Economic Policy (DBP), Tun Abdul Razaks foreign policy had been a great success from his efforts in the OIC. First of all, he was acknowledged with conspicuousness of Muslim Nation. Under Tun Abdul Razak, as a member of the particular organization, Malaysia began to identify itself as a Muslim nation. Even though there were three races in the country, he wanted to establish and recognize Malaysia as one single country. Indeed, it has been one up to the present. More or less, this situation had strengthened the Malaysian support towards the liberation of Palestine at that time. As Islam is the official religion of our country and the actual religion of the Malays, most contemporary leading politicians were Malays; thus, in various Arab- Israeli conflicts, despite Malaysias policy towards neutralization, the government encourage monetary contribution and volunteers from the public to aid the Palestinians during the Arab- Israeli war in October 1 973. Tun Abdul Razak also held responsible for Malaysias agreement for Islamic Charter of OIC in 1972. As a result of this, he had given birth to a clean international Islamic image for a new country like Malaysia at that particular moment. Furthermore, this second Prime Minister had emphasized the pragmatism of OIC. It was his idea to come out with economically supportive Islamic Organization to the members of the OIC. In the 5th Islamic Conference, he used to stress the importance for the OICs members to promote and regard Islam as a religion of steadfast progression and human modernization. In a sense, the idea involved the constitution of economic and technical cooperation, the broadening of trade, investments schemes and its members, better and improved deployment of Islamic Development Bank (IDF) funds within the Islamic world, and the modification on the system of Islamic education. As a result, there was a sharp boost in the volume of bilateral trade between Malaysia and Middle Eastern countries. The increasing volume $172 million in 1969 to $654 million in 1974 in trade is a clear evident for this case. As a matter of fact, Malaysia was considered as one of the top ten countries to be exempted from oil cutbacks during the global energy crisis in 1973. The mission to attract foreign investment through the establishment of foreign policies was also proven successful through the funding of oil-producing Arab countries in the constructions of mosques and religious schools in Malaysia. The Secretariat for the development of Ummah during the 1970s was liable for those kinds of modernizations. In a nutshell, Tun Abdul Razak contributed a lot to Malaysians development in terms of its foreign policy. It was him who initially practiced commercial bond between Malaysia and other Islamic nations, coupled with his ability to serve a respectful image of Malaysias name throughout the world and preserved Malaysias cerebral policies towards a nations freedom. At this point, he had moved Malaysia one step forward to the present Malaysia. Overall influences of the foreign policy on Malaysia Political Effects The existence of ZOPFAN in line with the foreign policy goal to achieve neutralization has contributed to an agreement formed between Malaysia and South East Asia (ASEAN) with other foreign powers, which in turn freed Malaysia and other ASEAN countries from any kind of violation and disturbance from the foreign power that wished to carry out the imperialism policy. In fact, foreign powers had actually promised to acknowledge and recognize the sovereignty and independence of the countries in this area Thus, the forming of ZOPFAN has provided ASEAN countries with an institutional framework and the sinews of future co-operations, emphasizing that ASEAN was free to embark on a journey to prove the viability of the philosophy of building regional resilience based on the respective national resilience of each of its Member Countries, anticipating an era of peace and co-operation. Despite the partial success of the p

The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman -- Literary Analysis

Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote an amazing story in 1892 entitled â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†. The story is full of symbolism and was inspired by Gilman's own life struggles. This analysis of her work will cover some important parts of the author’s life, the characters, the setting of the story, and the plot. Throughout the analysis will be explanations of symbols and how the author tied her personal experiences into the story. Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s work, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a story that the author wrote to depict her own struggle with mental illness. In order to really appreciate this story, it may help to know about the author’s life. Born in 1860, she was the only child of Mary Finch Westcott and Frederick Beecher Perkins, a librarian and writer. It is said that Charlotte’s father abandoned his family, and, on the verge of poverty, they were forced to move around frequently (Merriman). At the age of 24, Charlotte married her first husband, Charles Watson Stetson, with whom she bore a daughter, Katharine Beecher Stetson. Shortly after giving birth, Charlotte began to suffer from severe postpartum depression and had a nervous breakdown. She spent some time at a sanitorium in Pennsylvania, under the care of Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell (Merriman). In 1913, Gilman wrote â€Å"Why I Wrote ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’†; For many years I suffered from a severe and continuous nervous breakdown tending to melancholia – and beyond. During about the third year of this trouble I went, in devout faith and some faint stir of hope, to a noted specialist in nervous diseases, the best known in the country. This wise man put me to bed and applied the rest cure, to which a still good physique responded so promptly that he concluded that there was no... ... the characters in the story, the setting of the story, and the plot of the story. While times have changed drastically since Gilman wrote her story, it is my hope that women everywhere will read â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, recognize the struggles she faced in her life, and be grateful that she chose to not accept the advice of a male physician wanting her to submit to a domestic, docile, stereotypical housewife sort of life. Works Cited Booth, Allison and Kelly Mays. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 10th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010. Merriman, C.D. â€Å"Charlotte Perkins Gilman.† Jalic, Inc. 2006. 27 Feb. 2015. http://www.online-literature.com/charlotte-perkins-gilman/. Voight, Heather â€Å"Symbols in the Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.† 2010. 27 Feb. 2015. http://www.helium.com/items/1753292-symbols-in-the-yellow-wallpaper.

Dantes Inferno Essay -- English Literature Essays

Dante's Inferno In Canto I, Dante has strayed from the True Way into the Dark Wood of Error. He opens his eyes and sees the mount Mount of Joy which is lit up by the sun. He sets out to try to climb the mountain, but his way is blocked by the Three Beasts of Worldliness: The Leopard of Malice and Fraud, The Lion of Violence and Ambition, and The She-Wolf of Incontinence. He then starts to lose all hope when Virgil, Dante’s symbol of Human Reason appears. Dante is very frightened and nervous by Virgil’s presence as you can tell by his response towards Virgil saying â€Å"Have pity on me, whatever thing you are, whether shade or living man† (Dantes Inferno pg. 30). Dante doesn’t know who or what Virgil is and is really scared of him. Virgil then explains to Dante why he is here and reassures h...

Daredevil Stunts at Niagara Falls :: essays research papers

Annie Edson Taylor a widowed school teacher from Michigan made history on October 24, 1901 being the first person to take the daring plunge over the picturesque yet treacherous Niagara Falls. Various people have taken on Niagara Falls and all it’s furry from trapeze artist to barrel jumper all seeking a degree of fulfillment, at what cost? That is the risk these daredevils are willing to take. While there were many daredevil acts before Mrs Taylor’s bold accomplishment, none quite so renowned, for no one had previously endeavored to drive themselves over the falls. Though Carlisle Graham had announced a few months prior he would journey down Horseshoe Falls he did not go forth with his plans. Annie was strapped into a Kentucky oak barrel that was held together by seven steal rings and packed with padding, the barrel was 34 inches in diameter through the middle and four and a half feet long. The lid was screwed shut and Annie was towed out by a small boat to the mainstream and released at 4:05 pm, several news people were on hand, ready to deliver Annie’s fate to the world. The barrel streamed toward the Canadian side and over the Horseshoe Falls. Mrs Taylor was in the barrel for 17 minutes after her frightening tumble down Niagara Falls, until it was close enough to the Canadian shores to be hauled in. The top of the barrel was cut away. Annie emerged s cratched and bruised, very stunned but satisfied, quoted to have said â€Å"No one ought ever do that again.† She did try to cash in on her accomplishment, for it is documented that it was one of her motives for such a precarious act, however she was far from victorious. In lieu of money, for 10 years she held the honor of being the only person to ever go over the falls. She died a pauper twenty years later, at the still disputed age of 83. Not unlike Annie Taylor numerous people tried a variety of different stunts seeking fame and fortune for there dare devilish ways, many paying with their lives. One of the most notorious people to take to the tight rope was Jean Francois Gravelot or better known as â€Å"The Great Blondin†, he was branded as the most bold and entertaining daredevil of all time, he was infatuated with crossing over Niagara Falls. Daredevil Stunts at Niagara Falls :: essays research papers Annie Edson Taylor a widowed school teacher from Michigan made history on October 24, 1901 being the first person to take the daring plunge over the picturesque yet treacherous Niagara Falls. Various people have taken on Niagara Falls and all it’s furry from trapeze artist to barrel jumper all seeking a degree of fulfillment, at what cost? That is the risk these daredevils are willing to take. While there were many daredevil acts before Mrs Taylor’s bold accomplishment, none quite so renowned, for no one had previously endeavored to drive themselves over the falls. Though Carlisle Graham had announced a few months prior he would journey down Horseshoe Falls he did not go forth with his plans. Annie was strapped into a Kentucky oak barrel that was held together by seven steal rings and packed with padding, the barrel was 34 inches in diameter through the middle and four and a half feet long. The lid was screwed shut and Annie was towed out by a small boat to the mainstream and released at 4:05 pm, several news people were on hand, ready to deliver Annie’s fate to the world. The barrel streamed toward the Canadian side and over the Horseshoe Falls. Mrs Taylor was in the barrel for 17 minutes after her frightening tumble down Niagara Falls, until it was close enough to the Canadian shores to be hauled in. The top of the barrel was cut away. Annie emerged s cratched and bruised, very stunned but satisfied, quoted to have said â€Å"No one ought ever do that again.† She did try to cash in on her accomplishment, for it is documented that it was one of her motives for such a precarious act, however she was far from victorious. In lieu of money, for 10 years she held the honor of being the only person to ever go over the falls. She died a pauper twenty years later, at the still disputed age of 83. Not unlike Annie Taylor numerous people tried a variety of different stunts seeking fame and fortune for there dare devilish ways, many paying with their lives. One of the most notorious people to take to the tight rope was Jean Francois Gravelot or better known as â€Å"The Great Blondin†, he was branded as the most bold and entertaining daredevil of all time, he was infatuated with crossing over Niagara Falls.