Thursday, October 31, 2019

Financial accounting Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial accounting - Math Problem Example You should not provide impairment losses in the financial statement as these will decrease our reported profit and may be misleading for tax authorities and shareholder. We have a responsibility of disclosing fair and accurate information, therefore we should not provide for impairment losses until we want to close our operations. Our business investment buildings will be included at their fair value according to the judgment of auditors in the balance under long-term leases head. This will be done according to IAS 16 principles which calls for fair-value to be include in the balance sheet. Fair value consists of costs less depreciation less impairment losses. Since, we are not charging any depreciation, we can simply state these building at their NRV that according to you come around $2.5 Million. You have also asked me about how to treat grants. You are right about the fact that we can treat it as deferred income. IAS 20 allows us to treat it as deferred income. However, this option may increase will increase our profit and will also result in more tax payments. So, it is better to not treat it as tax income and instead amortize it completely by adjusting it with the purchase of fixed assets.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Summary of a Professional Ethics Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Summary of a Professional Ethics Article - Essay Example This is quite synonymous to the fact that every citizen can avail medical facilities when they require it. In the United States, there are several active private organizations that are providing legal services to the general public on a very low price. Their charges are not dependent on the market price. Government is also taking an active part in providing legal facilities to the citizens where they cannot afford one. In order to determine who provisions these legal services, the author has taken a few assumptions. One such assumption involves that the community has accepted an adversary system. The adversarial system involves having advocates from both parties and then having a judge or a jury decides what is right (Corrin,  2004, p.  3). It is assumed that the citizens will have 4 basic rights: Every citizen is entitled to log a complaint to a judge or a tribunal, once a complaint is logged, the other party has to come in front of the court and explain their actions, they have a right to unanimously agree on the decision the judge has made and if the complaining party wishes, they can have the decision implemented. Since the judge is only involved for the decision making process, it is also assumed that the parties will gather their evidences (Richards & Rathbun,  1999, p.  6). ... This system relies on both parties to unanimously agree with the decision placed by the judge and the judge to be impartial (Glendon, Wright-Carozza, & Picker,  2008, p.  101). Once the judicial system is setup, it is important to understand the need for the community to be well aware of their rights to avoid injustice. The citizens should be well equipped with knowledge to know the legal proceedings and understand what the results will be. In case the trial at hand is completely new and has complications, necessary legal advice needs to be provided to make the citizen aware of the possible outcomes of the legal proceedings. If we look at the other side of the coin, citizens might start exercising their rights for things that they were not aware of or did not care about earlier. To maintain a balance between both situations, community needs to be educated on their rights and should know when they can place an appeal in the court. The major drawback of this system arises due to ig norance of people who cannot effectively present their case (Hale,  2004, p.  31). This way the wrong party may win the case. So adversarial system may end up providing injustice and may be used as a tool to protect a specific group of people who can play around with the ignorance of other people. This may ignite them to try for justice outside the legal bounds. The judiciary that was not ready to protect the ignorant or non participant may now be readily protecting them. However, state is expected to be less biased in an adversarial system as the case is represented through attorneys from each side and are expected to be professional and loyal representatives. They are also given ample time to assess and then reassess all evidences gathered before they give their decision. So this

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Role of carbon credits and carbon footprints in the Middle East

Role of carbon credits and carbon footprints in the Middle East Introduction Many organizations across the world have improved efforts geared towards ensuring social responsibility and business ethics are followed when undertaking organizational activities. Consumers are now aware of the ethical and social responsibility which business organizations have towards society. Due to the effects of environmental destruction, consumers are inclined to associate themselves with firms which manufacture products while following environmental conservation criteria. Recently, adverse effects of environmental destruction such as climate change and global warming has increased demand for green products or firms which observe environmental regulations. In the Middle East and especially the UAE, there is a demand for products which conserve energy and which are reusable or can be recycled (Anderson et. al., 2006). This explains the increased demand in the UAE for products such as hybrid cars, green building materials, recyclable bags and others. Carbon footprints and credits are two common forms of measuring the impacts which organizations have on the environment. Carbon footprints are emissions of greenhouse gases which are attributed to a product or an organization (Wiedmann Minx, 2008). These gases are emitted due to consumption of fuel and fuel products, materials, manufactured goods and fuel sources such as coal and wood. Carbon credit on the other hand represents permits or certificates by business organizations allowing them to emit carbon dioxide or carbon equivalent to one tonne. It is a form of mitigating carbon emissions by international and national markets. Already, Qatar and the UAE implement the carbon credits as a form of reducing carbon emissions. This paper will discuss carbon footprints and emissions as far as the social responsibility and ethical role of business is concerned. The paper will also discuss how carbon footprints and credits work in order to understand their benefits. Their relevance to business planning for sustainability and environment in the Middle East will also be analyzed. The paper will restrict research to the UAE and other countries in the Middle East. The discussed issues will be summarized at the end of the paper. Carbon footprints Carbon footprints have been defined as emissions of greenhouse gases which are attributed to a product or an organization (Wiedmann Minx, 2008). Greenhouse gases arise from consumption of fuel and fuel products, materials, manufactured goods and fuel sources such as coal and wood. The term originated from ecological footprints in environmental studies. In order to measure the carbon footprints of organizations, an assessment on emissions known as the GHG is undertaken. This measurement determines the levels of carbon emitted by businesses in a region. Once this information is known, it is possible to develop a strategy aimed at mitigating carbon footprint levels (Wiedmann Minx, 2008). Such strategies include use of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar or implementation of strategies to conserve the environment such as planting trees. In the Middle East economies, there are certain factors which affect the levels of carbon footprints. These include economic output, population, carbon intensity and energy in the economy (Beaumont et. al., 2008). Businesses and regions which aim at reducing carbon footprints target these factors. Generally, in order to effectively reduce carbon footprints, countries and businesses should either strive to reduce reliance on carbon fuels or reduce energy levels used in production. Carbon credits Carbon credits have been defined as permits or certificates by business organizations allowing them to emit carbon dioxide or carbon equivalent to one tonne (Wiedmann Minx, 2008). It has been recognized that carbon emissions are some of the most harmful gases to the environment and carbon credits aim at mitigating their release into the atmosphere. Carbon trading is form of trading in emissions. In order to implement carbon credits, carbon levels in the atmosphere are measured and capped to determine the most sustainable levels which will lead to minimal damage to the environment. After this is performed, the capped levels are allocated to regulated sources in the various markets. The major objective of carbon credits is to encourage markets to emit less carbon emissions when undertaking commercial and industrial processes. Since the carbon credits are sold, the revenue generated can also be used to fund environmental conservation efforts, including carbon emission reduction indifferent parts of the world. There are many firms which have specialized in selling carbon credits. These credits are sold to businesses voluntarily and these businesses strive to reduce carbon emissions in their activities. Demand for carbon credits in the Middle East has begun to rise and there is an increase in firms selling carbon credits to businesses. This has seen positive impacts as far as reduction of carbon emissions is involved. Further analysis of the effects of carbon credits and carbon footprints in the Middle East will be discussed in the following section of the paper. Kyoto protocol and the Middle East The Kyoto protocol is an agreement amongst some countries which are members of the UN to take measures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. The major goal of this framework is to stabilize greenhouse gases and reduce their effects on the environment. There are over 190 states which have ratified and signed the protocol including Middle East countries such as Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and others (Daya Carr, 2010). Various countries have undertaken to reduce these emissions by more than 5% as at the levels present in 1990. Middle East countries such as UEA, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are some of these countries. Several initiatives are taken to achieve the objectives of climate change by member countries and these include clean development mechanism and emissions trading. Each of the Middle East countries which ratified the Kyoto Protocol has some assigned units of carbon emissions which are entered in individual country registries (Daya Carr, 2010). In line with the protocol, these countries including Qatar and the UAE have assigned the allowed emissions to businesses and organizations and put quotas on the emissions which each business should release into the atmosphere. This is undertaken through the sale of carbon credits where businesses in these Middle East countries are allowed one tonne of carbon emission. Businesses which have not exhausted their quotas near the end of their financial year may sell their remaining quotas to those which are about to exhaust their limits in order to ensure that all businesses observe the allowable limit in emissions. Businesses which have exhausted their quotas are also allowed purchase extra quotas in open markets or private enterprises. Although there is an increased demand for energy from consumers, business organizations and countries such as Qatar and UAE which have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, have to ensure that the carbon emissions do not exceed the allowable limits. Business owners are therefore forced to invest in alternative energy sources in order to meet the demand for limiting emissions. Others prefer purchasing modern machinery which has lower emission rates. This will ensure that adverse effects of climate change are mitigated not only in the Middle East but across the world. Flexible mechanisms The challenges of maintaining the agreed carbon emissions by countries which have ratified the Kyoto Protocol have been recognized by member countries. There are certain countries or businesses which may be unable to retain the allowable limits and achieve their growth and development objectives and goals. There are also countries and businesses which use resources which have high level of carbon emissions and which make it difficult to remain within the allowable levels. For instance, Saudi Arabia is an oil producing country which releases high levels of carbon emissions when processing oil. Due to these challenges, the Kyoto Protocol members have introduced certain flexible mechanisms which may help these countries deal with the challenges. These are tradable credits which may be traded within countries or regions. There are three ways in which such countries may trade their carbon credits regionally (Daya Carr, 2010). The first is the joint implementation strategy where countries which are about to undertake projects which would lead to high level of carbon emissions are allowed to undertake these projects in other countries. Such an agreement allows countries with higher emission to transfer these emissions to countries with lower emission for a consideration. Both countries would mutually benefit and the global environmental conservation efforts are achieved. Few countries in the Middle East have taken advantage of this approach. The second strategy is the clean development mechanism. Under this strategy, developed countries are allowed to fund carbon emission reduction efforts in developing countries at lower costs. Countries such as Saudi Arabia may use this strategy to fund developing countries such as African countries in carbon reduction efforts. This would cost lower amounts compared to the cost of such a strategy in developed countries. However, the benefits of environmental conservation in such cases would not only be enjoyed by the developing countries but by the world at large. The developed countries would benefit from increased credits due to achievement of its emission reduction initiatives while developed countries would benefit from clean technology and capital investment. The UAE currently is developing plans to implement this strategy in developing countries. Finally, the third strategy aimed at meeting the challenges of carbon emission strategies is emission trading between countries. Just as how businesses can trade emission credits, countries are also able to trade these credits. Countries which are about to exhaust their allowable limits may trade credits with those with sufficient allocations and vice verse. In most of these cases, operators are licensed by individual countries to sell such carbon credits as opposed to direct government to government transactions Carbon footprints and credits in Middle East Due to the effects of environmental destruction including carbon emissions, climate change and global warming, consumers in the Middle East have began associating themselves with firms which manufacture products in environmentally friendly ways. There has been an increase in reusable products and energy saving products including hybrid vehicles (Daya Carr, 2010). This move has forced many manufacturers to adapt to the needs of the market in order to maximize sales revenues. Retailers who have not embraced environmentally friendly ways of producing goods have begun experiencing shrinking sales volumes and a decrease in consumer goodwill. Qatar There are many businesses in the Middle East and especially in Qatar and the UAE which have embraced the use of carbon credits to reduce their carbon footprints. One of these businesses is a renewable energy company called Masdar which is based in the UAE. Masdar has plans to acquire carbon credits for waste heat and solar projects from the UN in order to conform to the goals of the Kyoto Protocol of which the UAE is a member. Another firm which is keen on acquiring carbon credits is the Qatar Petroleum which is the national oil firm run by the Qatar government. The UAE and Qatar are the largest carbon emitters in the world per capita and their strive to join the Kyoto Protocol and apply for carbon credits makes them the first countries in the Middle East to take such initiatives. Qatar also has a project at Al-Shaheen, a natural gas manufacturing plant, and it is intending at applying for carbon credits for this plant. Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi has already been granted access to carbon credits by UN in the form of offsets which are initiatives which encourage developed countries to support carbon reduction initiatives in developing countries. This is similar to the clean development mechanism earlier discussed as one of the Kyoto Protocolà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s attempts to deal with challenges facing implementation of the carbon reduction efforts. Already, two projects commissioned in Abu Dhabi will receive 2.5 million credits between the current year and 2018. Currently, the credits which have been advanced to the UAE are valued at over 29 million euro. In addition, Abu Dhabi is in the process of constructing nuclear and solar plants which will meet power demands and by 2015, the Abu Dhabi is targeting its renewable energy sources to form over 7% of its overall energy source. Challenges of acquiring carbon credits in the Middle East Business people in the Middle East are acknowledging that a serious challenge facing many oil firms is justifying the need for carbon credits. Although most firms which manufacture oil and its products in the Middle East have high carbon footprint emissions, it is challenging to prove that oil projects require carbon credits and additional income earned from it. The UAE is among the countries making the greatest efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the Middle East and the development of carbon capture technology is a milestone towards attaining the goals of reducing emissions. Carbon capture technology is technology which captures carbon emissions and directs them underground before they are released into the atmosphere. Another challenge faced by firms in Middle East relating to acquiring carbon credit relates to cost. There is a high cost which is incurred upfront before a firm can register for carbon credits (Hansen, 2000). For small firms in the Middle East, this cost may be prohibited towards registering for carbon credits and reducing the carbon footprints. A solution to this problem lies with the bundling of many small projects to form a larger one. When many small firms bring together their projects and form a larger one, they may jointly incur the cost of carbon credits thereby reducing their overall costs. They will also be able to reduce their carbon emissions. Relevance to business planning for sustainability and environment in Middle East Carbon footprints and credits are very useful to the modern business environment not only in the Middle East but across the world. There is a move towards environmental conservation efforts and businesses which support this cause have been seen to attract goodwill form consumers. Those which do not have recorded lower sales revenues due to their inability to be in touch with causes which the market relates to. In the Middle East, it has been discussed that consumers are moving towards environmental conservation efforts by purchasing energy saving products, reusable products and supporting firms which produce goods in environmentally friendly means. It is therefore clear that for any business to meet its objectives, it has to operate within environmentally friendly ways. It also has to support causes which are similar to those supported by consumers including corporate social responsibility and ethical practices. The relevance which carbon footprints and carbon credit has on the Middl e East business environment regarding sustainability will be briefly discussed below; Consumer behavior It has been discussed that due to the adverse effects of environmental destruction, consumers are aware of the need to carry out environmental conservation. The effects of destruction of the environment including global warming, climate change, shrinking of ice caps and others have become a reality which threatens the survival of mankind (Changnon Bell, 2000). Most consumers have therefore embraced environmental conservation concerns and demand products which are produced through environmentally friendly ways. In the Middle East, there are many environmental groups which lobby for firms to embrace environmental conservation strategies which manufacturing goods. These groups which include the Global Footprint Network encourage consumers to shun products which are developed by firms which pollute the environment. As a result, firms are forced to adopt the use of clean technology and carbon emission reduction strategies such as carbon credits. Manufacturers in the Middle East and other parts of the world have therefore been forced by the changes in consumer behavior and market trends to embrace carbon credits strategy. Consumers have access to a wide variety of products due to technological change and innovation and they therefore have a bargaining power. Middle East firms which do not produce goods in environmentally friendly ways such as through use of carbon credits risk being shunned by consumers who will opt to purchase substitutes from manufacturers who support their cause for environmental conservation. Carbon credit strategies are therefore very relevant to the business environment in the Middle East for firms keen on increasing sales revenues and developing customer goodwill and loyalty. Businesses which are keen on developing long term sustainable practices should therefore develop an environmental conservation plan which may include the carbon credit strategy in order to meet their objectives. Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol is another initiative which makes carbon credit strategy relevant to the business environment in the Middle East. It has been discussed that several Middle East countries have ratified the Kyoto Protocol and these include Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and others. These countries are bound by resolutions made to reduce their carbon emissions by more than 5% of their 1990 emission levels. Since the countries voluntarily ratified the protocol, many are keen to follow it. The most effective way of reducing these emissions is reducing emissions by firms, particularly those in the manufacturing industry. Countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are some of the largest global emitters and the only way they can achieve the goals of the Kyoto Protocol is to ensure that firms and particularly those in the oil industry reduce their emissions. Businesses which operate in the Middle East are therefore forced by the government to reduce their emissions in order to ac hieve the goals of the Kyoto Protocol. The Middle East governments are bound by the ratification of the Protocol and they have begun introducing carbon credits to businesses as strategies aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Countries including Qatar and the UAE have assigned the allowed emissions to businesses and organizations and put quotas on the emissions which each business should release into the atmosphere. Many other countries in the Middle East are likely to follow the trends taken by Qatar and the UAE. Businesses therefore have no choice if they are to operate in the Middle East business environment. They are bound by any international agreements which their countries enter into. Failure to observe carbon reduction strategies such as purchase of carbon credits may be deemed as unethical practices which may be punished by the governments, environmental protection agencies or financial regulators. The Kyoto protocol has therefore made carbon credits an essential part of business operation since firms have been forced to purchase them and be in line with the desired objective of Middle East and global governments of reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Corporate social responsibility Businesses have corporate social responsibility towards communities and the society at large. Any business has a social responsibility of empowering local communities through corporate responsibility programs which use different strategies to achieve this objective. Consumers are also aware of the social responsibility which firms have towards them and their local communities and they have begun associating themselves with firms which play important social roles in the community. In line with this, the business organizations which operate in the Middle East and other countries have a responsibility of socially empowering communities and operating in environmentally friendly ways (Ruddiman, 2005). This duty is not vested in the Kyoto Protocol, it is a duty expected from corporate bodies across the world. Firms are expected to operate in ways which do not pollute the environment and which socially uplift the standards of living of local communities. Due to the importance of corporate social responsibility and operating in environmentally friendly ways, many firms have strived to achieve these objectives. One of the common strategies include funding community projects, research and increasing awareness on social concerns. Other strategies include funding education, training, offering employment, sponsorships and donations. In addition, the goals of environmental conservation are achieved through use of clean technology, reducing energy use and reducing carbon and other harmful emissions to the environment. Carbon credits have gained demand for achieving the environmental conservation goals. The demand for social responsibility by consumers has therefore made carbon credits relevant to the business environment in the Middle East. Firms which do not observe this social responsibility role risk losing customers to competitors who embrace these causes. Reduction in production costs Recent research has shown that the use of clean technology can help reduce the production costs by as much as 20% in firms in the manufacturing industry. Research in developed countries such as China has shown that if used effectively, clean technology reduces the production cost by 20% for capital intensive activities (Lerner Wilmoth, 2006). Reduction of the production cost is a major goal for any business. This is because reduction in production leads to reduction in the overall product price and this attracts consumers to these relatively cheaper products. The benefits of clean technology apply to firms in the manufacturing industry. In the Middle East, there are many firms which operate in this industry and especially due to the presence of oil manufacturing firms. The use of clean technology would offer massive benefits to this industry. Although not many firms in the Middle East have realized the potential benefits of cost reduction due to embracing clean technology, there has been increased demand for this technology over recent months. Firms which have benefited from the clean technology have acted as case studies and more and more Middle East firms have begun embracing clean technology in order to reduce production costs. Such firmsd have embraced carbon credits as some forms of implementing the clean technology strategy. For instance, a renewable energy company called Masdar which is based in the UAE has plans to acquire carbon credits for waste heat and solar projects in order to reduce production costs and gain other benefits. Two projects commissioned in Abu Dhabi will receive 2.5 million credits between the current year and 2018. the potential benefits of production cost reduction will therefore make carbon credits popular clean technology strategies in the Middle East in the near future according to the cur rent trends by Middle East firms. Summary and conclusion The role of carbon credits and carbon footprints in the Middle East business environment has been discussed in detail. Carbon footprints have been defined as emissions of greenhouse gases which are attributed to a product or an organization while carbon credit on the other hand represents permits or certificates by business organizations allowing them to emit carbon dioxide or carbon equivalent to one tonne. Carbon footprints determine the levels of carbon emitted by businesses in a region. Once this information is known, it is possible to develop a strategy aimed at mitigating carbon footprint levels. Such strategies include use of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar or implementation of strategies to conserve the environment such as planting trees. Carbon credits aim at reducing carbon emissions. Carbon trading is form of trading in emissions. In order to implement carbon credits, carbon levels in the atmosphere are measured and capped to determine the most sustainabl e levels which will lead to minimal damage to the environment. After this is performed, the capped levels are allocated to regulated sources in the various markets. The carbon credit strategies are implemented under the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto protocol is an agreement amongst some countries which are members of the UN to take measures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. The major goal of this framework is to stabilize greenhouse gases and reduce their effects on the environment. There are over 190 states which have ratified and signed the protocol including Middle East countries such as Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and others. Each of the Middle East countries which ratified the Kyoto Protocol has some assigned units of carbon emissions which are entered in individual country registries. The challenges of maintaining the agreed carbon emissions by countries which have ratified the Kyoto Protocol have been recognized by member countries. The joint implementation strategy allows countries which are about to undertake projects which would lead to high level of carbon emissions are allowed to undertake these projects in other countries. The clean development mechanism allows developed countries to fund carbon emission reduction efforts in developing countries at lower costs while emission trading allows countries which are about to exhaust their allowable limits to trade credits with those with sufficient allocations and vice verse. Due to the effects of environmental destruction including carbon emissions, climate change and global warming, consumers in the Middle East have began associating themselves with firms which manufacture products in environmentally friendly ways. Other factors which have contributed to the increase of use of carbon credit strategies by UAE firms include the Kyoto Protocol which forces businesses to undertake carbon reduction strategies, corporate social responsibility roles which dictate for operation of firms in environmentally friendly ways and reduction in production costs attributed to use of clean technology. Although not many firms in the Middle East have realized the potential benefits of cost reduction due to embracing clean technology, there has been increased demand for this technology over recent months. It is important for UAE firms to embrace reduction of carbon emission through carbon credit strategies among other environmentally conservation strategies in order to devel op customer loyalty and reduce the global emission of carbon into the atmosphere. This will be beneficial to the businesses as well as to humanity whose survival is threatened by environmental destruction.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Analysis of Semantics and Pragmatics in Two Texts :: Compare Contrast Linguistics

Analysis of Semantics and Pragmatics in Two Texts Linguistics is the science of a language. Linguists depend on the use of certain aspects in order to analyse, describe and explain a human language; these aspects include semantics and pragmatics. Semantics can be defined as the study of "meaning" of lexical words and expressions independently of context. Where pragmatics is the process of recognising the "invisible meaning" of lexical items and expressions; taking into account the speaker's/ addressee's intention, the status of hearer/ receiver and the actual situation. This paper will explain the process we, as humans usually follow to understand a certain text or utterance. This explanation would be achieved through the analysis of two journal articles from semantics and pragmatics perspective, taking into account a range of techniques associated with each of the two concepts including: Semantics Aspects: Synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, prototypes, homophones and homonyms, polysemy and ambiguity. Pragmatics Aspects: Deixis and Distance, reference and inference, conversational implicature, anaphoric and cataphoric reference, presupposition, entailment, direct and indirect speech acts and speech events, cultural context and cross cultural pragmatics, conversational analysis and background knowledge, denotation and connotation meaning, the four maxims and hedges. Analysing Article One We will begin by observing the semantic and pragmatic features in article 1 being "Men are sulks say surveys" .This article is taken from the hot topics section of the popular msn website. The main topic of this article is a medical concept being flu/cold, where the unspecified writer of this article discusses the reaction of men, compared to women when it comes to having flu. The article also lists a number of readers' comments on the subject topic. As a whole, article one is rich with lexical items that belong to the medical lexical field, such as cold, flu, Panadol, tablets, sick, suffer, diseases, chicken pox, depression, doctor, coughs, headache etc. The extensive use of these terms throughout the article was a necessity since the main topic is about a medical condition. Another lexical field was elaborated in this article being the family relationships such as mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, children etc. Antonymy or the use of two lexical items that represent the opposite meaning appear in this article such as men and women, males and females, wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, vent and defend etc. The use of these terms in this article is more likely for the purpose of comparison. Most of these antonyms are relational opposites; these opposites indicate two ends of a relationship between persons.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Formal Features of Remember by Christina Rossetti Essay

â€Å"Remember† is a sonnet by a poetess of Victorian England, Christina Rossetti. The poem was written in 1849 but was first published in 1862 in â€Å"Goblin Market and Other Poems† by Rossetti (Petacovic, 2009). Rossetti suffered from ill health throughout her life (Shanks, 2010); she seemed to be obsessed with her death and therefore wrote several poems (â€Å"Song†, â€Å"The One Certainty†) exploring the theme of death. Christina Rossetti was only 19 when she wrote â€Å"Remember†. Scholars believe that the poem was addressed to her fiance, Charles Cayley, though they later separated due to differing religious views. Written in iambic pentameter, â€Å"Remember† is a sonnet with Italian form. It is divided into an octet and a sestet. The octave (eight lines) rhymes ABBAABBA. As in most sonnets, the octet serves to set the theme of the narrative. The author seems to be informing the reader about her impending death. The sestet (six lines), on the other hand, has a rhyme scheme of CDDECE. This variation in rhyming scheme changes the atmosphere of the poem. The basic theme of the poem is that the narrator is asking to be remembered by her loved one but if her remembrance brings sorrow, she would rather be forgotten. Rossetti has employed simple words throughout the poem (Bennet, 2012). There are no visual details in the 14 lines. The author uses the phrase â€Å"remember me† three times in the first eight lines, almost demanding that she be remembered in certain situations. In the sestet the tone is very temperate. There is no use of imperatives. Instead, she states that it is better that her lover sometimes forget that she is gone and smile, rather than remember and be sad (Petacovic, 2009). Unlike most of Rossetti’s poems, such as â€Å"Winter: My Secret†, figurative language is used sparingly in the sonnet. There are three metaphors in this poem. The first metaphor is in verse 1, â€Å"Remember me when I am gone away†, where the words â€Å"gone away† are used instead of â€Å"dead†. The second metaphor (verse 2), â€Å"silent land†, could possibly allude to a religious land such as heaven, hell or purgatory. This reference reflects Rossetti religious upbringing. The last metaphor is employed in verse 11, â€Å"For if the darkness and corruption leaveâ€Å", where â€Å"darkness and corruption leaveâ€Å" is used as metaphor for her lover’s anger at her death (Petacovic, 2009).

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Macbeth- Appearance vs Reality Essay

‘How does Shakespeare use the idea of deception in his play, Macbeth? Discuss the topic by referring to character, supernatural elements, places and objects not being what they seem William Shakespeare was a very famous playwright and actor who lived over 100 years ago and wrote the many plays including Macbeth. The play Macbeth is a tragedy, which was written in the sixteenth century by Shakespeare. In this play the main character, called Macbeth is a very brave and courageous man whose growing ambition and misfortune takes over his life and leads him to become very evil and threatening. In Macbeth, Shakespeare has used the idea of deception to develop his style of play writing and to make it more interesting to the audience. There are several ways in which he has done this, and I will be focussing on these to explain how he has done this and what kind of an affect it has on people. Throughout the play there is a tense atmosphere that builds on as it goes along and makes the audience more attracted to it. Shakespeare uses the idea of deception to create a lot of strange and superstitious effects in order to enhance the quality of the play and to make it more dramatic. For example, the play starts off with three witches also the setting is very eerie so the audience’s attention is automatically grabbed and they want to carry on further to find out what will happen. Not only does he include witches, the play also consists of cauldrons, spells, ghosts and illusions. Even though it is unusual to see such things today it was very significant in that time period. Characters, acting, stagecraft and language are various ways that Shakespeare has used to exemplify the idea of deception in his play. There are different types of deception, such as, people who are not what they seem, supernatural deceptions and things/places not being what they seem. Macbeth is a play about tragedies and misfortune. There are many ideas or themes, which are portrayed in this drama but the main one that I will be focussing on is appearance and reality. This basically means the general idea of things not being what they seem. This play has a very strong moral, philosophical and social significance, which is displayed throughout the play and is revealed throughout the drama. Because this play was written before the 1914’s we can see that the language, stagecraft and settings used are from the time period the play was written in. It looks at the historical and social significance of the play, and deals with things that were morally and philosophically significant to the people at that time. For example, the people at that time were strong believers of strange and supernatural elements such as witches and ghosts. These are less believable these days because of all the latest science and technology, which Shakespeare may not have had at his time. This tragedy looks at the way people see things and are mislead into thinking their own way. Essentially we understand from the play that ambition is good but if you become way too ambitious and are blinded by it then that can lead to harm. This is what happened to the character of Macbeth. The significance, which is shown in the play, could be that dreams or illusions are not always what they seem, and can often lead you astray. The play is based on the fact that Macbeth changes from a highly valued and respected man to someone who is disliked by the people in his society. The reasons being that he was very fortunate but could not see it, therefore he went ahead and thought he could make his dreams come true. What happens in Shakespeare’s play is ironic and is related to the time period as well which also influences the genre of the play. The play also implicates the historical happenings at the time period it was written because during that time Shakespeare had written a lot of tragedy and bitter plays. Around the same time Shakespeare’s twins died therefore there may be a significant reason as to why he wrote these tragedies. Nevertheless he has used ideas of deception in such ways to deceive the audience and characters throughout. Macbeth is a very interesting character created by Shakespeare because he is very diverse throughout the play. In other words he was known as a very loyal and brave warrior at the beginning of the play, as the King gave him the title of the ‘Thane of Glamis’. We can immediately see that he is liked and respected by the King and the people, because of his position in the King’s army. However, during the play the character of Macbeth changes and he becomes very ambitious which leads him to become evil, which eventually leads to his death. This play battles with the concepts of evil and good, which are shown through acts of deceit and honesty. Mainly it is about deceit, of the audiences as well as the characters. There are also things that Macbeth encounters throughout this play, such as witches, apparitions and illusions that are not what they seem to Macbeth, but he does not know this and in the end he ruins his life and the lives of many others whilst trying to make his dreams come true. He does not understand the concept of reality, which means that you can’t judge by appearances, there is something behind the appearance that you have to look for rather than just looking at the surface of things. Shakespeare uses a variety of different ways to illustrate the deceptions in the play, some of which are, language (e.g. linguistic devices), stagecraft (e.g. settings and special effects), and characters (e.g. the role of Macbeth, or the three witches). In the time period in which this play was written, I expect that there wasn’t much technology because it was in the early sixteenth century when not all the new technology that we have today, had existed. However, there was some technology such as the trapdoors that were built into the stage. This allowed people to appear and disappear in the eyes of the audience. Nevertheless, instead of cinemas, there were theatres where dramas and plays such as Macbeth were performed. This was a major entertainment for people at that time as there weren’t things like computers, Television, games, etc. so people would go to the theatre to watch these plays and they would really enjoy it. People also went to places to see bear beating, this is an event where bears were tied up and beaten by loose packs of dogs. People at that time enjoyed these horrifying scenes and it was a means of entertainment. This shows what the people were like in pre-1914, which links to why Macbeth was written and to whom it was targeted. Shakespeare has written this play in order to entertain and amuse the people at that time therefore he has used ideas of deception to make it more appealing and interesting. Macbeth is also a horrifying play where terrifying scenes like murder takes place. The audience, I should imagine would have been very fascinated and horrified by this play, which would mean that more people would want to watch it. At that time period people were also very superstitious and believed in things like witches because there wasn’t much advanced technology to prove otherwise. Social class divided the people’s status in society, e.g. the lower class people could not wear the same colours as the rich as this was not accepted in society. The rich and poor wore different colours to represent which class they were from. Witchcraft was a major issue at the time and anyone who was suspected would be tortured and executed. Due to this hundreds and thousands of women were executed for being caught doing suspicious acts of witchcraft. This is one of the many ideas Shakespeare has used in his play to deceive the audience and characters. It provides an interesting twist in the beginning of the play when the three witches are doing spells and things. The first ever Macbeth play to be performed was in Hampton’s Court in 1605. There were many superstitions that people believed in such as, in the theatres audience were not allowed to say ‘Macbeth’ or something might happen to the characters on stage. I will now identify and explain the general theme of appearance and reality, which is portrayed throughout the play, Macbeth. There are many people who are not what they seem in reality and can trick the audience into thinking a different way. This deception is shown in the first Act where the former Thane of Cawdor becomes a treacherous man because he has betrayed King Duncan and the army of Scotland when he joins the Norwegian army in the battle. In this act Scots and Norwegians are enemies and there is a battle going on, where Macbeth is a triumph for killing the traitor and then he puts the head on his sword. This is significant because at that time it is seen as brave and courageous to place the head of the victim on the sword, in that way people would know you’ve won and will praise you. We can tell that Macbeth has just been honoured for doing this because in this scene the captain says †For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name – disdaining fortune with hiss brandish’d steel†¦till he unseam’d him from the nave to th’ chaps and fix’d his head upon our battlements.† In this passage the captain is explaining what happened at the battlefields to the King and he is glorifying what Macbeth did, which was to murder a traitor and put the head on the sword. The deception in this scene is that of when the character of the traitor deceives the other characters and betrays his army by fighting against them. The King is just one character who is deceived by this man from the battle. He was just one of the men in the battle was not what he seemed because he was a traitor all along and he betrayed King Duncan, thus was killed later on. This is an example of when deception is illustrated in the play. Macbeth does not realise that the former Thane of Cawdor has been killed, he then goes and has an encounter with the witches, who tell him that he is going to be Thane of Cawdor. This is mentioned in as one of the prophecies. (Scene 3; line 48). †All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor†, this is said by one of the witches and is deceiving to the character Macbeth because he doesn’t know that the former Thane of Cawdor has died. The witches give him the following three prophecies in scene 3: †All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis,† †All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor,† †All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, that shalt be king hereafter.† After that Macbeth is very shocked and confused because at this moment he or the audience are not aware that the Thane of Cawdor has been killed or the fact that he will kill the King in the future to become one. This is deceiving to the characters that are told this (Banquo and Macbeth) because they did not know that the Thane had died. The language shows that Macbeth does not know that he is now the Thane of Cawdor as he sounds very confused in scene 3, †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦By finel’s death I know I am the Thane of Glamis, But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives A prosperous gentleman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the idea of the Thane being dead and Macbeth being the new Thane is something that is not what it seems because the audience do not know this and also because they are being told by strange women. This is a deceiving matter because strange women, also known as the three witches, are telling them these prophecies that have never been heard of before. However, when it does come true t hen it is like another thing that is not what it seemed because no one really expected the prophecies to come true. Macbeth is a character who is deceiving to the audience, because in the beginning of the play we see him as a brave, courageous and good-willed man. However, this changes throughout the play and we find out that Macbeth is not what he seems and is actually a very evil and wicked man. We know this as a fact because he kills King Duncan to fulfil his dreams and ambition. Nevertheless, he was not that keen at first until his wife, Lady Macbeth, encouraged him to do so. She says to him that she is an even better man than he is because he was cowering not to do the murder. She then makes him believe it is the right thing to do so Macbeth thinks that he has got no other chance and this can’t be as bad as long as he hides it well. He says at the end of act 1 scene 7, †I am settled and bend up†¦to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show, false face must hide what the false heart doth know† from this extract we can see that Macbeth has chosen to ‘mock’ the people which means to deceive them and the King by going ahead with this ‘terrible’ plan. It is easy to see how the character of Macbeth is transformed from trustworthy and good-willed to become disloyal and treacherous. We know he was a trustworthy and honourable man because he helped the King’s army in the battle; therefore it was very shocking to find out he committed a murder. Even though he prevails in making his dreams and ambitions come true, at the same time he is deceiving the people for a long while. Shakespeare makes it deceiving to the other characters as well as the audience when he makes out that everybody sees Macbeth as a godlike figure who is respected by many. Conversely Macbeth is not at all like that and we can see how cruel and evil he becomes throughout the play. Shakespeare uses soliloquies in the beginning of act 1 scene 7 to represent how Macbeth is feeling, which is uncomfortable with this plan. It is not like him to do such evil acts so he is very worried about what will happen. † If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well it were done quickly. If th’ assassination could trammel up the consequence and catch with his surcease, success, that but this blow might be the be-all and the end-all-here†¦but only vaulting ambition which o’erlaps itself and falls on th’ other-‘ from this long and interesting soliloquy we can tell that Macbeth is discussing how hard this task is and how his ambition is urging him to go on. It seems as though he has second thoughts which deceive the audience because we think that he will forget doing the murder from act 1 scene 7 where he mentions how respected and praised he is at the moment, †We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honour’d me of late, and have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people, which will be worn now in the newest gloss, not cast aside so soon.† Macbeth wants to enjoy the praises he has earned (†bought†) as though they were new clothes. Shakespeare uses metaphors here to describe the praises given to Macbeth and to make an impact on what he is saying. We, as in the audiences are deceived by this because it makes us think that he will back out but in the end he does not due to his weakness and he continues with the murder. Lady Macbeth as a hostess at the castle is very misleading because she is not what she seems to be. In the beginning of Act 1 scene 6, when King Duncan is welcomed to Macbeth’s castle he meets with Lady Macbeth. In the eyes of Duncan, Lady Macbeth is seen as the ‘honour’d hostess’ because of her appearance and false talk. He does not know what Lady Macbeth is really like and instantly judges her according to her appearance and how she presents herself to him. †See, see our honour’d hostess – the love that follows us sometimes is our trouble, which still we think as love. Herein I teach you how you shall bid god yield us for your pains and thank us for your trouble.† Duncan is being deceived yet again because he thinks that Lady Macbeth is offering kindness, but in reality she is just putting on a show. He says how grateful he is even though it can sometimes be a nuisance to have people offering kindness to him. He also says that this is his way of teaching her to ask God to reward him for the trouble she has to take, and also to thank him for providing the occasion for that trouble. Basically King Duncan is trying to say how grateful he is to be here and is thankful to her, however, in reality he is saying this to the wrong person because she is hiding her true appearance with a false one. Therefore she is tricking him. King Duncan is quite a gullible man who trusts people very easily. He is glad to have come to Macbeth’s castle because he highly values him and has given him the titles, ‘Thane of Cawdor’ and the ‘Thane of Glamis’. As we can see from the Duncan’s speech, he is pleased to have come to this castle, but the one thing he does not realise is that he is actually being deceived by the appearance of the settings and the other characters, like Lady Macbeth. Duncan mentions how kind Lady Macbeth is as a hostess, but he is unaware of what she is really like in the inside, which is evil and cunning because she is plotting to murder him in the following scene. After the murder has taken place, every one is in shock. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth put on false faces and they are not suspected of anything. Duncan’s two sons, Malcolm and Donaldbain also hear of the news and are not really shocked. In this scene it seems as if Malcolm is pretending to be evil, but in reality he is only concerned about saving his life. Even though they do not react that much, they are still worried and they think that they too may be in danger. Therefore they decide that that it would be best to leave the country and go separate ways. We know this from the conversation between Malcolm and Donaldbain in Act 2 scene 3. Malcolm is asking Donaldbain what they should do in order to save their own lives, this is deceiving because we did not expect them to get over their father’s death so easily and also it is deceiving to the other characters. This is because Malcolm says, † what will you do? Let’s not consort with them. To show an unfelt sorrow is an office, which the false man does easy. I’ll to England.† This shows he has already made up his mind and is waiting for Donaldbain’s reply, who then says he will go to Ireland. Malcolm also suggests that they should secretly leave, without letting anyone else know. †And let us not be dainty of leave-taking, but shift away.† This shows that they feel no sorrow for their father and are willing to leave without trying to find out who the murderer is but only worried about they’re own lives. We, as audiences may know that they are not the killers but in the way Malcolm suggests leaving, as soon as he hears of the death seems as though he is evil and he is the murderer. It is deceiving to the other characters when he leaves because they see it as very suspicious that the King’s son’s have decided to secretly leave th e country. This may lead to people thinking that they are the murderers, but in reality this is not what it seems like. The play starts off with the witches appearing and disappearing and throughout the play they appear and disappear, which is a type of supernatural deception because it is not normal to have witches. This is a way of taking the attention of the audience, as they would find it fascinating to watch how the witches appear and disappear. In Shakespeare’s time, he did not have many special effects, so the supernatural deception effects would have had to be done on stage using the old fashioned way, the trapdoor. The trapdoor is one way in which people in Shakespeare’s days, used to perform special acts of appearing and disappearing and it was a good type of special effect used to deceive the audience at the time. The reason being that they did not have as much technology as we have today and were not as advanced so they would not have been able use advanced technology to do any special effects or lighting in order to make it really attractive. If he lived today he would have used things such as lighting and other technological equipment to make this play interesting for people of today so they would enjoy it. One of the special effects that could have been used on the character of Banquo’s ghost is a way of showing the idea of deception because Macbeth is the only one who can see the ghost and so the audience may also not be able to see anything. In the time of Shakespeare the ghost would have most probably been imagined or a pale face of someone with powder all over, who would have come and gone through the trapdoor. There was not as much technology as today and it wasn’t as advanced as today, so you wouldn’t have been able to do special affects like holograms and things on stage. These are ways in which people can see images and effects, which are not solidly there, they see it through computerised programmes. The apparitions are another set of tools of deception that Shakespeare uses to improve the quality of the play. This dramatic irony like the ghost only come and go so they may have not been acted out so the other characters would have used imagination to pretend they were there. Also not all the characters can see the ghost, only Macbeth does. This is shown from the passages in Act 3 Scene 4, when language is used to show that Macbeth can see something that other’s cannot. When Macbeth talks about Banquo’s ghost he is deceiving the other characters. We know this because they are confused therefore they think Macbeth is going mad. Ross is one of the men at the feast and he speaks up saying, â€Å"What sights, my lord?† from this phrase I know that the people there are very confused they do not know what is going on, this is when Lady Macbeth lies to them to cover up the truth. Therefore she is deceiving the other characters and making them think that Macbeth is really ill, â€Å"Good-night; and better health attend his majesty† they leave after Lady Macbeth tells them to do so. Duncan is invited to Macbeth’s castle, which he finds very nice and welcoming. He compliments on how they are all so nice and the castle I so welcoming when he does not even have a clue as to what his fate will bring in the future. In the beginning of Act 1 scene 6, Duncan says †this castle hath a pleasant seat; the air nimbly and sweetly recommends itself unto our gentle senses.† Duncan is saying that the castle is very welcoming just by looking at it and smelling the air. This castle is deceiving to the king because it is not what it seems. It seems like it is a very ‘pleasant’ and wonderful place, however, in reality it is not at all a pleasant setting because this is the place where Duncan gets murdered. He does not know this; therefore he is being deceived by the place. In act 2 scenes 1 Macbeth is preparing to kill King Duncan. Shakespeare uses objects that are like illusion to let the audience know what is going on and to make it more interesting. For example, he uses the image of a dagger, we know this from what Macbeth says, †is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he uses this language to help the audience understand what is going on. This is not a real dagger, but only an ill-illusion telling him to carry on with this grim task. It may have been imaginary in Shakespeare’s stagecraft, because Macbeth only sees it as an imaginary object, which is deceiving him. Therefore it may not have been a real prop in the play when the people performed it. Macbeth also hears voices before and after the murder, which are deceiving because he only hears them in his mind. This shows us that he is getting paranoid and these voices are just in his head, we also know that there were sounds of animals that give a chill of horror. This adds to the horrifying scene of the murder and builds up tension because there are owls and crickets being heard in the background. This is significant to the time period of the play because at that time many people believed in superstitions and strange events. They also believed that the noise of owls and crickets were linked with a bad event such as death. When Macbeth becomes evil, after killing the King he decides it’s time to get rid of his friend, Banquo. In order to do this he has got to plan it first. He has told two murderers that Banquo is their enemy to make them want to kill Banquo in the first place. Shakespeare has included this part of the plot to show deception of the murderers; Macbeth is deceiving them to make them hate Banquo, in order to carry out this murder. It is also deceiving when Lady Macbeth sees things in her sleep and becomes ill. She imagines that her hands were still bloody; from the night the King was murdered. And last, but not least, there is another idea of deception in the play; it is when Great Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. This is deceiving in its own way because in reality the wood is not actually coming to Dunsinane, but the people are carrying the trees and making it seem like the wood is coming towards Macbeth, to fight him. This also relates to the prophecies told in the beginning of the play and it is significant to what happens in the end. This deceives Macbeth’s army as they think that the wood is coming towards them and tell Macbeth this news. As soon as Macbeth hears this, he is reminded of the prophecies, which deceive him yet again because it is not really the wood that is coming to fight him, instead his enemies. Finally I can conclude that Shakespeare has done a great job of representing the theme of deception, appearance vs reality and this is very important when included in the plays. Especially when the play is performed because the main things that needs to be thought about is how the special affects are going to be shown, for e.g. the witches, apparitions and the ghost. These are things that attract people to watch the drama in the first place. I can conclude that the play is all about the battle between good and evil, which also relates to the theme of deception. Deception plays a major part in this play, and I think that it is trying to give the audience a message about deceiving and how things/people are not always what they seem to be. As I have explained in my essay Shakespeare has used language, imagery and stagecraft to illustrate the theme of deception and to show the audience how Shakespeare has made things seem different to what they really are in order to mislead the audience and characters. The language such has as â€Å"fair is foul, and foul is fair† (1.1) is just an example of how Shakespeare uses language to trick people. How can fair be foul and foul be fair? It is not something that you would normally come across therefore the play is very well known and liked by many. The deceptions are just ways in which to get people thinking and to prove that everything is not what it looks like on the outside, there may be things hidden away in the inside. For example, the character of Macbeth was not what he seemed like in the beginning of the play because his character has changed dramatically in the audience’s eyes. He went from being a brave and courageous soldier to an evil and wicked ruler. I think his ambition has deceived him and he was overwhelmed at the thought of becoming king that he didn’t think of the consequences. Overall I think Shakespeare has used the idea of deception very cleverly in the play, Macbeth to get the audience attention and to make it very appealing to the audience. He has done this by using characters, supernatural elements, places and objects, which are not what they seem. It is very similar to the saying, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, because you don’t know what’s inside the story unless you read it. Similarly Shakespeare is giving the impression that characters, stagecraft, and many other things are not exactly what they seem.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Changing Careers Avoid These 5 Biggest Mistakes

Changing Careers Avoid These 5 Biggest Mistakes You think you’re ready to change careers. You’ve got all the right stuff to make a change: you’re extremely good at what you want to do, confident in yourself and your abilities, clear about your expectations and goals, and you have the courage necessary to take the leap. Before you do, however, make sure not to make any of the following mistakes:1. Don’t wait until you’re desperateIt’s never a good idea to make a giant life-changing decision from a place of desperation or despair. If you’ve gotten to the point where you absolutely hate your job and can’t stand going to work, that is- counter-intuitively- the absolute wrong time to change careers.See if you can improve your situation and your day-to-day enjoyment of your work first. When you’ve stabilized a bit, that’s when to take a step back and decide what direction you’d most like to go in. It will save you a lot of backtracking if you quit your corporat e finance job to join the circus on a whim and need to find that middle ground. No need to go through this taxing process twice.2. Don’t forget you need to eat to liveCourage and pluck and a big fat dream are not enough to pay the rent. Before you embark on this crazy life-changing change of course, make sure to lay some solid financial groundwork to support you throughout your transition. Make sure you have enough of a safety net, and that you can make enough to maintain your lifestyle once you make it to the other side of the chasm.3. Don’t lose sight of what you wantIf you’re going to shake things up, make sure to do it right. This will help you avoid going through this process twice. Make sure you really examine- first and foremost- what you want. What values matter to you, what sorts of parameters are deal-breakers for you, what you want to accomplish with your career, etc. Then figure out the kind of actual work that will satisfy those needs. Then, and onl y then, pursue that work. Guesses are not your friend.4. Don’t forget to ask yourself the tough questionsDig deep. Revisit mistake #3. Have you really figured out your motives? Are you looking to make a drastic change for the wrong reasons? Would there be ways to accomplish everything you want and get everything you need within your current field? Even your current position? Figuring out what’s workable about where you are right now is a very useful skill, and it will save you being dissatisfied wherever you end up.5. Don’t give upBig transitions like this don’t come easily. If no one hands you a new career on a silver platter, don’t get too discouraged. Remember to persevere. If you’re not working hard enough to make this happen, it might be because it isn’t really what you want. But if it is? Just keep keeping at it.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Critically appraise the education provision available for people with Diabetes. Education on prevention of Foot Ulcers in Diabetes. The WritePass Journal

Critically appraise the education provision available for people with Diabetes. Education on prevention of Foot Ulcers in Diabetes. Introduction Critically appraise the education provision available for people with Diabetes. Education on prevention of Foot Ulcers in Diabetes. IntroductionCauses of diabetic foot ulcerSigns and symptoms of diabetic foot ulcerMethodsPrevention of diabetic foot ulcerGood foot care Existing education provision Education – best practiceConclusion Related Introduction Currently I am working in a nursing home where the elderly residents have various illnesses including the after effects of strokes and dementia. Due to their age and particular care needs the education for health support workers, senior carers and nurses who are at the centre of this care provision is fundamentally important. The aim of this assignment will therefore be the appraisal of this education, meaning their training and ongoing monitored development, with a specific focus on the prevention of foot ulcers in patients who suffer from diabetes mellitus. This is an important area for consideration because at the moment health care support workers have no formal education in the prevention of foot ulcers in diabetes patients and can be ignorant of its symptoms. As with nurses it is reasonable to expect that they should have attained a certain level of knowledge in this area as the consequences of foot ulcers can be very serious and in cases can lead to amputation. This ultimately has a significant impact on the quality of life of the diabetes sufferer and the carer therefore has a duty of care to protect their patient against this preventable outcome. It should be noted that 85% of cases which end in amputation can avoided (Garay- Sevilla et al., 2002, 81-86). In order to carry out this critical appraisal the first step is to consider the causes of diabetic foot ulcers, it signs and symptoms, treatment and prevention. The assessment of these factors is necessary because it deconstructs the knowledge required by health care workers and subsequently allows the provision of education to be accordingly evaluated for its accuracy and comprehensiveness. The next point to discuss is the current state of education on offer. This will be assessed in terms of how far it provides the level of knowledge needed by people who are in the position of diagnose and treat diabetic foot ulcers. Recommendations for best practice will then be make. Causes of diabetic foot ulcer One of the effects of diabetes is decreased immunity and poor wound healing. In the absence of normal blood flow specific lesions of the arteries, particularly in the extremities, can occur. Diabetic foot syndrome is one such complication and occurs in 15% of all patients with diabetes. These changes are a consequence of the existence of diabetic neuropathy. Motor neuropathy in diabetes leads to muscle atrophy and impaired co-flexors and extensors whilst also effecting deformation rate. Sensory neuropathy, sensory disturbance of pain by temperature and touch, increases the risk of injury which in turn contributes to the formation of ulcers. Autonomic neuropathy results in the formation of arterial venous fistulas and impaired blood oxygenation which leads to disorders affecting the trophic ulcers (Rubin Peyrot, 1998, 81–87). The syndrome occurs in the later stages of the disease and is one of its most severe complications as it can lead to death. It manifests itself in comple x changes in the joints and foot nerves, limb deformation, and deep tissue damage. It is also associated with damage to blood vessels, nerves, skin and bones. The initial abnormality takes the form of a pressure point which can be caused by, for example, ill-fitting shoes which cause blistering, cuts, and bites caused by foreign bodies. Vascular disease, resulting in decreased blood flow, contributes to poor healing and infections can be caused by numerous microorganisms (Manson Spelsberg, 2004, 172–184). Patients who experience sensory disturbances find that pain is suppressed and consequently they might not recognize the seriousness of their situation leading to a delay in treatment. The treatment that is required must be prompt and responsible but it can also be protracted (Lustman et al., 2000, 934–943). Foot problems can affect anyone who has Diabetes regardless of whether they are being treated with insulin, non-insulin, tablets, injections, a controlled diet or physical activity. Signs and symptoms of diabetic foot ulcer In order that treatment is successful it is necessary that health care professionals and care workers can recognize the signs and symptoms of diabetic foot ulcers especially when caring for the elderly who are unable to detect the signs and symptoms. The main features of the disease include explicit sores, prolonged healing sores, changes in the shape of limbs, and, in later stages, gangrene. In the early stages symptoms usually coincide with complaints of fatigue which is accelerated by walking and standing, a sense of gravity, and freezing feet due to the deformation problems with wearing familiar footwear. One of the most pressing reasons for a good standard of education in diabetic foot ulcers is the variety of forms it might take. This means that the health care worker must be able to recognize the condition in different scenarios. The neuropathic foot is the most common form with 70% of cases of diabetic foot falling into this category. It takes the form of a hot pink color with a palpable pulse and impaired deep sensation (Wysocki Buckloh, 2002, 65–99). Another form is known as ischemic. This condition is caused by peripheral vascular occlusive. Diagnosis includes history (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking) and intermittent claudication. The foot assumes a cold bluish tinge and has no palpable pulse. The sufferer experiences a pain in motion and severe pain at rest (Lustman et al., 2000, 934–943). The final form is neuropatyczno-ischemic. This is characterized by the worst prognosis (Morisaki et al., 2004, 142–145). The main course of action is to preserve the integrity of the skin. This is because the main danger lies in the wounds and fractures where if infection takes hold the result will be purulent inflammation and necrosis. Severe pain or numbness, sores, blisters, and peeling require the most urgent medical intervention because these can lead to gangrene and ultimately amputation of the affected limb. As the only quantifiable sign of inflammation, which indicates tissue lesions, is skin temperature it is necessary to used infrared thermometers. These can be used to determine the temperature of the skin in different areas of the foot. Dermal thermometers are also useful in the interpretation of the different phases of Charcot foot and in determining the most appropriate orthopodologic treatment in each phase. However, these are specialised tools and are unsuitable for carers to use nursing homes. Methods There is very particular method which should be implemented for assessing the health of a diabetes suffer’s feet. It is this type of information which should be included in an educative strategy used to train health care workers. Before measuring the temperature of the skin in the feet, the patient should be barefoot for at least five minutes before the examination to avoid a rise in temperature due to footwear or hosiery. The result should then be recorded. The next step is to repeat the measurement in the same area of the contralateral foot and compare the results obtained. This should be done for all the high risk areas. A difference in temperature of less than 2 º c can be considered normal. Once infection has been ruled out, differences greater  Ã‚   than  Ã‚   2 º C in diabetic patients are highly suggestive of Charcot activity. When the examination is done in a patient with Charcot foot and the difference is less than 2 º C it shows that the acute period has c ome to an end. If the patient observes a difference in temperature greater than 2 ºC in self-examination on two consecutive days, he or she should contact a healthcare professional to determine the cause of the difference (www.diabeticfootjornal.net). Unfortunately there is no effective treatment for diabetic ulcers but reducing the load on the feet does offer hope of saving the affected limb. Alternative treatments can involve the use of hydrotherapy and ulcer surgery to remove necrotic tissue. Algorithm for the treatment of infected feet includes glycemic control (insulin), strain rates (shoe inserts, crutches, plaster casts), antibiotics and surgical procedures (drainage, incision, removal of dead tissue). Prevention of diabetic foot ulcer One of the most effective treatments is preventative. All patients with Diabetes Mellitus should be screened when there is a sensation of numbness or pain exists even if there are no visible lesions or ulcers (Morisaki et al., 2004, 142–145). The education of health care workers in foot ulcers therefore needs also to take into account prevention. Inspection of the stop should be performed as often as possible. If the skin of the foot shows sign of a scratch or crack you cannot use adhesive, alcohol or fat-containing ointments as these tools lead to further irritation. Redness or paleness, the presence of edema, blunting of the sensitivity, fungal lesions, and the overall deformation of the foot should be examined for deviations from the norm. If identified treatment should start immediately. In addition, from time to time, it is desirable to perform a neurological examination to determine the tactile, thermal, and vibration sensation of the foot. Angiographic diagnosis of vasc ular leg reveals the presence of thrombus. Basic steps can also be taken to prevent the occurrence of gangrene. These include the maintenance of desired blood sugar levels, the monitoring of the hygiene of the feet, making regular visits to an endocrinologist and follow their recommendations. (Clement, 1995, 1204–1214). Good foot care Education is important because good foot care has lots of pitfalls. Using the wrong cream, overcutting toe nails, walking barefoot, wearing the wrong shoes or socks can increase the chances of foot ulcers. It is necessary that the carer should be able to advise diabetes sufferers in all the dos and don’ts when it comes to looking after their feet in the proper manner to decrease the chances of contracting a foot ulcer in the first place (www.patient.co.uk). Some of these dos and don’ts are as follows; In contrast to what might seem like common sense it is vital to avoid using items such as moisturising oils or cream designed for dry skin and the prevention of cracking. Look out for athletes foot (common minor skin infection) as it can cause flaky and cracked skin The space between toes can become sore and can become infected. It is essential to monitor this. Cut your nails by following the shape of the end of the nail. Do not cut down the sides of the nails as this may cause damage or lead the nails to develop an ingrown nail. It is important to wash feet regularly and dry them carefully, especially between toes. Do not walk barefoot even at home You right treads Always wear sole or shoes or other footwear however don’t wear too tight socks around the ankle as they may affect circulation Shoes, trainers and other foot wear should; Fit well to make into accounts any awkward shapes or deformities Have broad front and plenty of room for toes Heels to avoid pressure on toes. Have good laces, buckles to prevent movement and rubbing of feet in the toes When you buy shoes, wear the type of socks that you usually wear Avoid slip on shoes, shoes with pointed toes, sandals, or flip flops. Always feel inside foot wear before you put footwear on to check for stores, rough edges etc. Tips include avoiding food burns and water burns checking the bath temperature with your hand before stepping in to it It important to avoid using items such as hot water bottles, electric blankets or foot spas. Do not sit too close to fires. Further measures include looking very carefully at the feet each day including between the toes. This involves examining the area for reduced sensation in order to not miss any vital signs of the inset of a foot ulcer. It is also necessary to look for any cuts, abrasions, bruises, blisters, redness or bleeding. If any of these symptoms are spotted carers should immediately inform the nurse who is in charge who should in turn carry contact a podiatrist or similar specialist. Existing education provision To date education in diabetic foot ulcers takes several forms. NICE recommends that all people with diabetes should be offered structured education as an integral part of their diabetes management (www.nice.co.uk). The purpose of this is to raise awareness of the side-effects and complications of diabetes in those who suffer with it. This increases the chance for early identification of foot ulcer symptoms. The XPERT Programme was launched in 2007 to provide education to all health care professionals across Wales so they are able to give structured advice to patients with type2 diabetes. In addition the National Service Framework (NSF) (2001) for diabetes set out a ten year programme for change. It outlined evidence-based standards for the planning, organising, and delivery of diabetes services. This programme represents the Welsh Assembly’s strategy for improving diabetes and through the progressive implementation of the NSF the quality of care and treatment for those living with diabetes (www.wales.gov.uk). However within this long-term plan there is little direct reference to patients in residential or nursing homes. This is also the case with the Desmond, Dafne and Bertie programmes which have little relevance for the care of the elderly. Clearly there is a significant gap within the education of health care professionals. This gap is apparent in the nursing home where I work as none of the staff have received any particular training specifically related to diabetes mellitus. This clearly puts the residents of the home in an at risk category because the chances of their carers recognising the early symptoms of foot ulcers are substantially reduced. Within the nursing home and home care system however there does exist a health care specialist with the expertise to assist in raising awareness about the causes and prevention of foot ulcers; the podiatrist. The work of a podiatrist is overseen by the Chiropody Code Of Conduct which states that chiropodists and podiatrists must be able to work, where appropriate, in partnership with other professional support staff, service users and their relatives and carers. They should also ‘be able to demonstrate effective and appropriate skills in communicating information, advice, instruction and professional opinion to colleagues, service users, their relative s and carers’ (Standards of proficiency, Health Professions Council, 2009). However, in practice this is frequently not the case. The health support workers are not currently included in visits and are not given the opportunity to learn or ask questions when the podiatrists are called to review residents. Neither do they pass on information about their findings to staff on duty. Evidently there is an issue of communication. The podiatrist is not the only person with a professional duty to assist health care workers with their treatment of foot ulcers. The NMC code of conduct states that nurses should work with others to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of those in their care, their families and carers and the wider community. Therefore, the nurse in charge should ensure that learning opportunities are facilitated and that staff have feedback from these specialist visits which help to inform and improve the care delivered to residents. Education – best practice The current provision of education demonstrates that the education of health workers is largely at the discretion of their employers. If individual employers do decide to provide their staff with training there is little in the way of advice to follow and this can result in poorly informed, ill-conceived or simply inadequate education. At the same time it creates a situation whereby health care workers have to rely on experience gained on the job to identify the symptoms of foot ulcers or their own inclination to acquire further knowledge. For new members of the staff who lack experience there might exist a worrying amount of ignorance on the subject. There is however much potential to improve this situation. In best practice education takes a variety of forms. This may include formal study sessions, workplace booklets or posters and online education programmes. Therefore there is potential for foot ulcer education to be flexible and made to suit the particular needs of a workplace. At my workplace none of these options have been made available. Ideally the best situation would be a formal study session where the expert knowledge of a specialist can be imparted and where full training can be given. The information gained should then be reinforced at the workplace through posters or leaflets. Conclusion Conclusively it is very important that diabetic foot ulcers are prevented at all times while treating patients with diabetes, especially in the elderly who might for other reasons associated with dementia and impaired movement find it harder to care for themselves. Education of health care professionals is key in achieving this. They should have the necessary knowledge to help prevent foot ulcers, to recognise the first symptoms of one, and to provide effective treatment. They must also be able to advise the diabetes sufferer on how to care for their feet and how to avoid the contraction of a foot ulcer in the first instance. Despite this clear need for knowledgeable clinicians the situation as it currently stands fails to provide health care workers who look after the elderly with the training they require to the provide the best standard of service possible. Whilst measures are in place for the education of both diabetic sufferers and nurses, more work needs to be done on identifyi ng the educational requirements of those who care for elderly patients. Best practice in education should be drawn upon and formal training sessions organised alongside the better provision of information within the workplace. The expertise of specialists such as podiatrists should also utilised more effectively so that staff within the nursing home are well informed and understand the treatment their patients are undergoing and their specific needs. Communication is at the heart of this.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Battle of Charleroi in World War I

Battle of Charleroi in World War I The Battle of Charleroi was fought August 21-23, 1914, during the opening days of World War I (1914-1918) and was part of a series of engagements collectively known as the Battle of the Frontiers (August 7-September 13, 1914). With the start of World War I, the armies of Europe began mobilizing and moving towards the front. In Germany, the army commenced implementing a modified version of the Schlieffen Plan. The Schlieffen Plan Conceived by Count Alfred von Schlieffen in 1905, the plan was designed for a two-front war against France and Russia. Following their easy victory over the French in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, Germany saw France as less of a threat than its larger neighbor to the east. As a result, Schlieffen sought to mass the bulk of Germanys military might against France with the goal of winning a quick victory before the Russians could fully mobilize their army. With France eliminated, Germany would be able to focus their attention to the east (Map). Predicting that France would attack across the border into Alsace and Lorraine, which had been ceded following the earlier conflict, the Germans intended to violate the neutrality of Luxembourg and Belgium to attack the French from the north in a large-scale battle of encirclement. German troops were to defend along the border while the right wing of the army swept through Belgium and past Paris in an effort to crush the French army.   French Plans In the years prior to the war, General Joseph Joffre, Chief of the French General Staff, moved to update his nations war plans for a conflict with Germany. Though he initially desired to create a plan that had French forces attack through Belgium, he was later unwilling to violate that nations neutrality. Instead, he and his staff designed Plan XVII which called for French troops to mass along the German border and mount attacks through the Ardennes and into Lorraine. Armies Commanders: French General Charles LanrezacFifth Army Germans General Karl von  Bà ¼low  General Max von HausenSecond Third Armies Early Fighting With the beginning of the war, the Germans aligned the First through Seventh Armies, north to south, to execute the Schlieffen Plan. Entering Belgium on August 3, First and Second Armies drove back the small Belgian Army but were slowed by the need to reduce the fortress city of Liege.   Receiving reports of German activity in Belgium, General Charles Lanrezac, commanding the Fifth Army at the northern end of the French line, alerted Joffre that the enemy was advancing in unexpected strength.   Despite Lanrezacs warnings, Joffre moved forward with Plan XVII and an attack into Alsace.   This and a second effort in Alsace and Lorraine were both pushed back by the German defenders (Map).      To the north, Joffre had planned to launch an offensive with the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Armies but these plans were overtaken by events in Belgium. On August 15, after lobbying from Lanrezac, he directed Fifth Army north into the angle formed by the Sambre and Meuse Rivers. Hoping to gain the initiative, Joffre ordered Third and Fourth Armies to attack through the Ardennes against Arlon and Neufchateau.   Advancing on August 21, they encountered the German Fourth and Fifth Armies and were badly defeated. As the situation along the front developed, Field Marshal Sir John Frenchs British Expeditionary Force (BEF) disembarked and began assembling at Le Cateau.   Communicating with the British commander, Joffre requested that French to cooperate with Lanrezac on the left. Along the Sambre Responding to Joffres order to move north, Lanrezac positioned his Fifth Army south of the Sambre extending from the Belgian fortress city of Namur in the east to just past the mid-size industrial town of Charleroi in the west. His I Corps, led by General Franchet dEsperey, extended the right south behind the Meuse. To his left, the cavalry corps of General Jean-Franà §ois Andrà © Sordet linked Fifth Army to Frenchs BEF.   On August 18, Lanrezac received additional instructions from Joffre directing him to attack north or east depending upon the enemys location. Seeking to locate General Karl von  Bà ¼lows Second Army, Lanrezacs cavalry moved north of the Sambre but were unable to penetrate the German cavalry screen.   Early on August 21, Joffre, increasingly aware of the size of German forces in Belgium, directed Lanrezac to attack when opportune and arranged for the BEF to provide support. On the Defensive Though he received this directive, Lanrezac adopted a defensive position behind the Sambre but failed to establish heavily-defended bridgeheads north the river. Additionally, due to poor intelligence regarding the bridges over the river, several were left completely undefended. Attacked later in the day by the lead elements of Bà ¼lows army, the French were pushed back over the river. Though ultimately held, the Germans were able to establish positions on the south bank. Bà ¼low assessed the situation and requested that General Freiherr von Hausens Third Army, operating to east, join in the attack on Lanrezac with the goal of executing a pincer. Hausen agreed to strike west the next day.   On the morning of August 22, Lanrezacs corps commanders, on their own initiative, launched attacks north in an effort to throw the Germans back over the Sambre. These proved unsuccessful as nine French divisions were unable to dislodge three German divisions. The failure of these attacks cost Lanrezac high ground in the area while a gap between his army and Fourth Army began to open on his right (Map).   Responding, Bà ¼low renewed his drive south with three corps without waiting for Hausen to arrive. As the French resisted these assaults, Lanrezac withdrew dEspereys corps from the Meuse with the intent of using it to strike Bà ¼lows left flank on August 23. Holding through the day, the French again came under attack the next morning. While the corps to the west of Charleroi was able to hold, those to the east in the French center, despite mounting an intense resistance, began to fall back.   As I Corps moved into position to strike  Bà ¼lows flank, the lead elements of Hausens army began crossing the Meuse.   A Desperate Situation Recognizing the dire threat this posted, dEsperey counter-marched his men towards their old positions.   Engaging Hausens troops, I Corps checked their advance but could not push them back across the river. As night fell, Lanrezacs position was increasingly desperate as a Belgian division from Namur had retreated into his lines while Sordets cavalry, which had reached a state of exhaustion, needed to be withdrawn. This opened a 10-mile gap between Lanrezacs left and the British. Further west, Frenchs BEF had fought the  Battle of Mons. A tenacious defensive action, the engagement around Mons had seen the British inflict heavy losses on the Germans before being forced to give ground. By late afternoon, French had ordered his men to begin falling back. This exposed Lanrezacs army to greater pressure on both flanks. Seeing little alternative, he began making plans to withdraw south.   These were quickly approved by Joffre. In the fighting around Charleroi, the Germans sustained around 11,000 casualties while the French incurred approximately 30,000. Aftermath: Following the defeats at Charleroi and Mons, French and British forces began a long, fighting retreat south towards Paris. Holding actions or failed counterattacks were conducted at Le Cateau (August 26-27) and St. Quentin (August 29-30), while Mauberge fell September 7 after a brief siege. Creating a line behind the Marne River, Joffre prepared to make a stand to save Paris. Stabilizing the situation, Joffre began the First Battle of the Marne on September 6 when a gap was found between the German First and Second Armies. Exploiting this, both formations were soon threatened with destruction.   In these circumstances, the German Chief of Staff, Helmuth von Moltke, suffered a nervous breakdown. His subordinates assumed command and ordered a general retreat to the Aisne River.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Carbon Trust Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Carbon Trust Company - Essay Example The social factors do not affect the company’s strategies. It will work the same way as it is already even if the pension funds are increasing or decreasing. It will work the same way even if the population is aging. All of these factors are not influencing the company in any major way. Markets have always been developing with the help of advanced technology every day. The basic pioneer of the operations of the Carbon Trust Company is technology as CRM plays a major part. Theagingopment of mutually beneficial longer term relationships between the companies is the basic essence of CRM. And this is what Carbon Trust is flourishing on. First the customer acquisition is the main focus of the company, and once it is over with this stage, it focuses on long term achievement for the operations of its own company and ultimately other organization. Among all the environmental factors, the climate is of major concern as it is the one on which Carbon Trust is working on. To reduce the effects of carbon on our climate and to save it from further destruction is the main aim of this company. This would include how their competitors influence the overall strategies of the company. The list of Carbon Trust competitors includes all those companies which are working for this matter. There are many areas that are enlisted for which the company is working and many small companies are also dealing in the same field. The competition takes place in the fields of wind energy, industrial energy accelerator, marine energy accelerator and biomass heat accelerator. Carbon Trust is producing various technology driven inventions that are needed to fight the competition, for example, they introduced  £8m competition designed to help UK firms secure a chunk of global fuel cell market that new research estimates could be worth $180 billion a year by 2050 (Guardian, 2009).

Friday, October 18, 2019

Reign of Terror in the French Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Reign of Terror in the French Revolution - Essay Example The Reign of Terror was the piece de resistance of the French Revolution (1789-1799) and shook the whole of Europe especially Europe's surrounding monarchies. When the haze of smoke of violence settled down, more than 40,000 Frenchmen were guillotined and more died by brutal means such as drowning i.e. 3,500 were victims of mass drowning termed as noyades in Nantes1 and death by mob lynching. The most celebrated head shown to the jeering, cheering mob belonged to Queen Marie Antoinette, the daughter of Queen Maria Theresa of Austria and the sister of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II. Earlier in that fateful year 1793, her husband, King Louis XVI was butchered via the guillotine for alleged crime of treason together with all those perceived to be "enemies of the revolution". The latter were either guillotined or mass executed by firing squad without due process of law2 . Most of the victims were those from The Reign of Terror was also marked by dechristianization as Christianity was banned temporarily, a result of massive sentiment by the 'enragees' or extremists3 against the clergy for its special privileges such as the the right to tax the feudal estates via the 'dime'or tithe4, its political power (it possessed a third of the voting power of the Estates General) and its possession of untaxed vast landholdings all over France. In its stead, was established the revolutionary religion termed as the Cult of Reason. Hatred against the clergy even caused the Julian calendar to be flung aside in favor of the Republican calendar.5 The Reign of Terror also saw the ascendancy to power of the common people, the peasants, the working class and the disadvantaged who were radicalized by the hunger and famine, the widespread unemployment, the excessive consumption of the royalty in the Versailles palace6, the civic inequality produced by dispensation of special privileges to the aristocracy, the burden of feudal taxation and the surging inflation that went haywire to drive them to bare subsistence. When these sans-culottes' (literally without knee breaches) aspirations were amalgamated with the Mountains' (the radical Jacobins) resolution to abolish monarchy, we had the perfect formula for an explosive group that would ignite and power a radical revolution that would be unparalleled in its cruelty and brutality. This combination jumpstarted the Reign of Terror. By wresting control of the National Convention, which previously abolished the monarchy and convicted King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, they were ab le to engineer an extermination of all the enemies of the republic , particularly the counter-