Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Gender Roles Set in Stone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gender Roles Set in Stone - Essay Example They glorified their nudities not only as a mode of stratification but also as a type of life. Woman of Willendorf is a perfect representation of a woman in the early societies. Just as with any other sculpture at the time, the woman is nude. In her nudity, her fertility features are conspicuous. Such features as her large breasts, developed hips and a large pelvic girdle are visible. Such features portray the vital role the women played in the society. Women embodied reproduction in the society. Her fertility features show this thereby presenting her as an established woman of the time. The sculptor emphasized her fertility and child bearing features owing to the childbearing role that women played. A perfect woman was fertile thus had children. Additionally, the sculpture lacks a definite face. The wears a unique headgear hat covers both her head and parts of her face thus concealing her face. Other primary feature of the sculpture was its lack of legs. The statue does not stand on its own. The lack of legs coupled with the concealed face is two primary features included in the sculpture deliberately in an attempt to portray gender roles. Women relied on their husbands and the rest of the society by extrapolation. As such, they relied on their male counterparts who provided and protected the families. The concealed face has a spiritual connotation. Women in the prehistoric society upheld stringent religious values, which they believed, played significant roles in enhancing their fertility and childbearing role. Additionally, concealing the face of the woman shows the society’s interest in her face among other externalities (Adovasio, Jake and Olga 112). Statue of a kouros on the other hand presents the position and roles of the youth in the society. The youthful nude male stands majestically in perfect symmetry. This portrays the features of the youth in the prehistoric society as captured by

Monday, October 28, 2019

Merchants of Cool Essay Example for Free

Merchants of Cool Essay In watching the film, Merchants of Cool, which was aired in 2001, it is quite concerning how our society is turning to consuming as a means of achieving a satisfying standard of living. The film brought to light how large media companies, especially conglomerates that own all production and distribution of media from start to finish, study and sell to teen youths because of their large quantity of â€Å"guilt money†, disposable income giving to youth by parents to keep them happy. They have become the most marketed group, which in turn turns the youth into adults that continue to seek happiness in consuming. The fear in this standard of living is that we start losing touch with our true values, and instead of looking towards family, community, ethnicity and religion as the creator of cultural forms, we are now being oriented as a society by the world of commodities. And with the advancement of technology, so has marketing research advanced, where we are being specifically being catered to with ads to continue this cycle of finding meaning and happiness through the purchase of goods and services. Advertisers know that they cannot sell meaning and happiness, but they can illicit those feelings by advertising visions of what a â€Å"good life† should be through the selling of products, known as **image-based advertising**. Sut Jhally’s article, Image-Based Culture: Advertising and Popular Culture, explains how image-based advertising has been so integrated into our way of thought and consumption that it is difficult to pinpoint when our most cherished values became tied into consumer culture (p 201). Advertisements have taken up so much of our public space and discourse, and now even our private with the advancement of technology, that we are constantly being shown what the vision of happiness is, and what we must buy to achieve a satisfying standard of living. Juliet Schor’s article, The New Politics of Consumption: Why Americans Want So Much More Than They Need, breaks down the idea that Americans live in a constant state of **dis-ease**: worrying about the preoccupation with getting and spending (p 205). Not only is this disconcerting because it takes away from living in the moment, but it pushes us to live beyond our means. We aren’t happy because we do not emulate what we see as the â€Å"good life† because of the growing aspirational gap because of upscale emulation. We are never at ease where we stand economically and socially, and feel the pressures to keep up. And although this is a problem with the upper and middle class, it is a more dangerous problem for the lower class. The trickle effect of status symbol goods, such as state of the art phones, flat screen televisions, etc. , sets up those with limited resources and aspirations of living the â€Å"good life† by buying those goods for continual financial failure through consumption of expensive goods that is beyond their means. The film, The Merchants of Cool, aired in 2001, and the way that companies acquired information from the consumer was with â€Å"cool hunters†, marketing researchers who would research and interview to see what trends could be capitalized on. The analyzing was apparent, as opposed to now where consumers are being researched and targeted in ways that are more subtle, and now advertisers have the tools to more conspicuously sell us the â€Å"good life†. On the radio interview â€Å"How Companies are ‘Defining Your Worth’ Online†, Joseph Turrow discussed how marketers don’t even have to do much to gather information from us, they can now track our online movements using digital tracking like cookies. This information is gathered and sold to advertisers by data marketers, unbeknownst to us. Market research has evolved so much because of the growing digital world we live in. And advertisers are now able to subtly sell to us in a personally targeted way, instead of the blatant in your face banner ads that we would automatically close without even reading them. Although this is perfectly legal, the downfall falls on the consumer that is being researched and targeted. Our sense of consumption is insatiable when we are constantly being targeted, we lose a sense of privacy when we are constantly being watched, and, as Joseph Turrow also discussed, and we can also be targets of **digital social discrimination**. Digital social discrimination, which is the idea that companies can take digital information and make inferences of what kind of ads are suitable for the individual consumer, they target only certain ads, discounts, and such (2012). Advertisers then think of that individual only in a certain way, and may even target ads that may have negative connotations, such as getting out of debt ads, weight loss, and such. Consumers are being categorized, and because of the categories they are being targeted by certain ads, which perhaps sell a good that is not appropriate, and denied others because of assumptions being made by the online information gathered on that individual. This is why it is important to have some sort of regulatory system overseeing the structure and ownership of media. U. S. government plays only a small role in determining who owns the media, and only regulates it minimally, and the power of the U. S. media that uses the market research to produce products reaches us not just here in the United States, but also has a global impact. Because of the United States’ **cultural imperialism**, where American styles in fashion and food, as well as media far, dominate the global market, our versions of the â€Å"good life† are influenced on parts of the world, as discussed in Richard Campbell’s â€Å"Media Economics and the Global Marketplace†, (p 411). Our ‘cultural dumping’ of exporting U. S. media can influence other countries societal value systems, development of original local products, and abandon their own rituals to adopt American tastes. In reality, the power behind these large media researchers, marketers, producers, and distributors, who are often the owned by the same company, is astounding and influences not only our lives as an individual, but also has the potential to influence on a global level. They are able to gather information about individuals, sell it, and categorize as they see fit, leaving us with no sense of privacy, with the goal of selling us as many goods and services as possible until we reach the unattainable â€Å"good life†, which is a vision that they have carefully created. Until we, as consumers, are more aware of how much consumption has taken over our sense of self-worth and satisfaction and how little privacy we have in the new digital age, we will keep trying to buy the â€Å"good life†. ?

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Age of Renassaince Essay -- essays research papers

The Renaissance, which began in Italy in the fourteenth century, was a period of great change in art, culture, and science. The word Renaissance means rebirth. Many of the greatest artists in history, such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, lived during this period, but did not follow the trends of society. Great artist like Michelangelo and da Vinci began their own trends based on personal experience and beliefs. Renaissance's society was very different from feudal society of the Middle Ages. There are many contrasts in the ideals and values of the Renaissance and of the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages was a time of great suffering, including famine and wide spread disease. The Renaissance, however, was a revival of art, learning, and literature. The purpose of life was viewed differently during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. During "The Age of Faith," or the Middle Ages, man's purpose was to serve God. Life was a journey. The life of highest value was the contemplative life, a life devoted to God. In sharp contrast, man's purpose during the Renaissance was to exercise virtue, or the excellence as a man. During the Renaissance, towns in southern Europe had grown greatly in size. The wealthy people who lived in Renaissance society had more leisure time and money than did those of the Middle Ages. This meant they could spend more time studying new ideas and had could afford to patronize the arts. During the Renaissance, people ...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Effect of Communication Barriers and Overcoming These Barriers

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman for letting me speak. Let me introduce myself before we go to the topic. My name Mrs. Aida as a Public Speaking Trainer. Firstly, I want to explain to all of you what is communication? Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and passes it through some channel to the receiver who decodes the message. Communication is fruitful if and only if the messages sent by the sender is interpreted with same meaning by the receiver. If any kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be destroyed.Due to such disturbances, managers in an organization face severe problems. Thus the managers must locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them. There are several barriers that affects the flow of communication in an organization. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the sender to the reciever, thus making communication ineffective. It is essential for ma nagers to overcome these barriers. The main barriers of communication are summarized below. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen,† Firstly let me explain one of communication barriers is Perceptual and Language Differences.Perception is generally how each individual interprets the world around him. All generally want to receive messages which are significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not accepted. A same event may be taken differently by different individuals. For example : A person is on leave for a month due to personal reasons (family member being critical). The HR Manager might be in confusion whether to retain that employee or not, the immediate manager might think of replacement because his teams productivity is being hampered, the family members might take him as an emotional support.Secondly is Information Overload. Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to control this information flow else the information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is less effective. The next barriers was Time Pressures:  Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified time period, the failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines, the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i. e. , not completely transferred.Thus sufficient time should be given for effective communication. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen,† Distraction/Noise:  Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions. Physical distractions are also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers interferes with communication. Emotions:  Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the information being sent is ver y bad.While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that case the message is interpreted to be good and interesting). Complexity in Organizational Structure:  Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i. e. more the number of managerial levels), more is the chances of communication getting destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at low level just have knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other areas. Poor retention:  Human memory cannot function beyond a limit.One cant always retain what is being told specially if he is not interested or not attentive. This leads to communication breakdown. So, how we as a manager to overcome these barriers of communicate? There are a lot of communication barriers faced these days by all. The message intended by the sender is not understood by the receiver in the same terms and sense and thus communication breakdown occurs. It is essential to deal and cope up with these communication barriers so as to ensure smooth and effective communication. As, in the previous section we have discussed the major barriers of communication.Let’s talk about  how to overcome these barriers of communication. Eliminating differences in perception:  The organization should ensure that it is recruiting right individuals on the job. It’s the responsibility of the interviewer to ensure that the interviewee has command over the written and spoken language. There should be proper Induction program so that the policies of the company are clear to all the employees. There should be proper trainings conducted for required employees (for eg: Voice and Accent training). Use of Simple Language:  Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized.Use of ambiguous words and jargons should be avoided. Reduction and elimination of noise levels:  Noise is the main communication barrier which must be overcome on priority basis. It is essent ial to identify the source of noise and then eliminate that source. Active Listening:  Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference between â€Å"listening† and â€Å"hearing†. Active listening means hearing with proper understanding of the message that is heard. By asking questions the speaker can ensure whether his/her message is understood or not by the receiver in the same terms as intended by the speaker.Emotional State:  During communication one should make effective use of body language. He/she should not show their emotions while communication as the receiver might misinterpret the message being delivered. For example, if the conveyer of the message is in a bad mood then the receiver might think that the information being delivered is not good. Simple Organizational Structure:  The organizational structure should not be complex. The number of hierarchical levels should be optimum. There should be a ideal span of control within the organization. Simpler the organizational structure, more effective will be the communication. Avoid Information Overload:  The managers should know how to prioritize their work. They should not overload themselves with the work. They should spend quality time with their subordinates and should listen to their problems and feedbacks actively. Give Constructive Feedback:  Avoid giving negative feedback. The contents of the feedback might be negative, but it should be delivered constructively. Constructive feedback will lead to effective communication between the superior and subordinate.Proper Media Selection:  The managers should properly select the medium of communication. Simple messages should be conveyed orally, like: face to face interaction or meetings. Use of written means of communication should be encouraged for delivering complex messages. For significant messages reminders can be given by using written means of communication such as : Memos, Notices etc. Flexibility in meeting the targets:  For effective communication in an organization the managers should ensure that the individuals are meeting their targets timely without skipping the formal channels of communication.There should not be much pressure on employees to meet their targets. Conclusion Communication is a process of exchange of information between two or more people. Barriers that affect the process of communication can be reduced if the presenter and receiver of information to understand the role and duties of each in securing an effective communication process. By ensuring that the principles of communication clear, concise, accurate, complete and politely complied with, will allow this communication to achieve the desired goals.Hence all obstacles and weaknesses in achieving effective communication should be addressed and improved to enhance the importance of communication in everyday life. Overcome barriers to communication within the organization to ensure the free flow of information betw een sender and receiver and for effective communication among employees. Effective communication reduce error rates, reduce conflict and an understanding of and increase the profits of the organization. And we as managers must try their best to avoid communication barriers within the organization for effective business communication.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Modelling a Database for a Garment Manufacturing Company Essay

This project will contain information on the processing involved in modelling a database for a Garment Manufacturing company. It will also document how to create letter and fax templates that make the work more efficient. The database will hold details about the suppliers, customers and stock etc. The garment style, size, how many ordered and deadline dates for the garments to be finished will also be data which is stored in the table. The end-user Mr Jordan will be able to recall information on any of his suppliers or customers. He will be able to link what the customer orders to what he has to order from his suppliers or if the customers provides their own supplies he will see the amount needed. Mr Jordan will be able to send letters automatically to his customers and suppliers about work and orders. The database will be developed using Microsoft Access, the supplier and customer letters will be created in Microsoft Word and merged with data from Microsoft Access. Background to Org anisation The Garment Manufacturing Company is called Air Ltd, it is located in Stratford and is owned by Mr Jordan. There are nine workers, which Mr Jordan is in charge of. He takes care of every aspect of the business himself apart from parts of the accounts. All of the other nine workers are arrange in a production line around the work place. Mr Jordan deals with the customer enquiries, orders and suppliers etc. At the moment letters are created from scratch in Microsoft Word. Information Technology is not used much as it could be at the present time. Current procedures Customers get into contact with the company and talk about their order and the type of work required to meet their needs. This would include the design styles, materials and number of garments etc. Either the customer provide their own materials or they set out their order to Mr Jordan so he can go to his supplier. The company then makes a sample garment which is shown to the customer if they are pleased with it then production starts, if not then amendments are made. At the moment if letters need to be sent out to customers or suppliers they are created individually instead of making a template and using mail-merge. From customer orders Mr Jordan notes down how many garments to be made, style of garment and size on paper, all of this documentation is kept in a folder. Image of Mr Jordan’s customers order detail sheet. [image002.jpg] The customer detail sheet is in tabular form where records are filled in about each of the individual garments. For example data such as size, colour and style etc. would be held on the sheet. Mr Jordan takes care of all of these sheets in a folder. When they are out dated and are no, longer of any use they are disposed of. Strengths of the current system The strengths of the following system are: All of the workers are used to the current system this means that nobody has to be trained to use any new equipment. For example none of the workers have to be trained on how to use computers. Most work is carried out by hand, this is a strength because if machines were used and any one of them broke down the production of the garments would have to be stopped. Weaknesses of the current system The weaknesses of the current system are: All documentation is carried out on paper. All letter to customers are created individually. The business does not use e-mail to communicate with its customers or suppliers. The business does not have a web site advertising its service and goods. If vital business documents are lost, there is no backup. There is no form of a factory outlet. Objectives for the new system Store details about the customers permanently. Store details about the suppliers permanently. Easily be able to input data concerning the ordering of materials. For example, style, material, size, colour etc. Be able to print out order details for the worker to use. Check his status with the suppliers. For example, material ordered etc. Send out letters to customers using mail merge for better efficiency. Print out an update of all deadlines to be met. End-user and functional requirements Store details about the customers permanently The database will need to store details of the name of the company, its address and the telephone number. The user will sometimes want to display details of all the customers. It will be useful if the customer company names are in alphabetical order. The user might want to send the customers letters which means that the postcode will have to be stored in a separate field. Store details about the suppliers permanently The database will store details about the suppliers. For example the user will sometimes want to list the names in alphabetical order this means that the first name will have to be stored in a separate field to the middle and last name. If the user wants to send the customers letters to inform them about orders etc he will need to store the post code part of the address in a different field. Store details about the suppliers permanently The database will store details about the suppliers name and address. The suppliers table will be similar to the customer table. But the user will send letters to the suppliers concerning the orderinf of raw materials etc. Easily be able to input data concerning the ordering of materials. For example, style, material, size, colour etc. The user will easily be able to in put the data u sing Microsoft access instead of inputting the data on paper using a hand made table where he could be creating a more efficient table using access. Be able to print out order details for the worker to use. The user will be able to print out details of the customers orders. For example, the number of garments, style, material etc. Check his status with the suppliers. For example, material ordered etc. The user should be able to access details about what he has ordered and what there is to pay at the touch of button Send out letters to customers using mail merge for better efficiency. The user will be able to send out letters to the customers and suppliers quickly and efficiently using mail merge with Microsoft Access and Microsoft Word Print out an update of all deadlines to be met. The user will be able to print out a list of all deadlines to be met of all of the customers so the workers can work efficiently. Working Constraints End-user skill level The end-user(s) have used modern computers before based upon Windows 95. The user has used a modern computer to create letters and do calculations on Microsoft Excel. The user can only do simple calculations and nothing too complicated. The user can create letters for suppliers and customers by using a word processor. Mr Jordan is new to Microsoft Word but is getting the hang of it. He does not know much about the advanced features of the software. Mr Jordan will need some form of support in using the advanced features. Mr Jordan can use any simple software, but will have to apply himself slightly to be able to get the hang of the advanced features. His experience with IT is very limited. The new system must be easy to understand so that the vital functions can be successfully carried out. No errors should occur, everything should be clear. Availability of hardware and software The previous software that Mr Jordan was using is called Lotus Word Pro96 but has recently purchased a new PC with Microsoft Office 2000 on it. This new computer is manufactured by Compaq and has the following specification: 900Mhz processor 64Mb RAM 13Gigabytes HDD 17 inch VDU Cannon Bubble Jet printer BJC4200 Microsoft Office 2000 Mr Jordan has an ideal specification if not too good for the functional requirements. The software in the school will easily correspond with Mr Jordan’s PC since in school Microsoft Office 97 is available. Time constraints The deadline for the project is to be completed for the 30^th March. This gives approximately nine weeks for development, testing and documentation. Documentation will take up a great deal of the time this means that time will be a major co nstraint upon the completed system. Initial time plan Consideration of solutions Data such as company names and address’s will need to be stored along with ordering details etc. this means that a database must be used. A word processor will also be needed because letters have to be created for the customers. Mail merge could be used. There are two choices for the type of database: relational or Flat-file. Flat-file A Flat-file database will not be suitable because it would mean that all of the field would have to be stored in one table. For example, supplier, customer and order fields will all be in the same table. This would then lead to there being data in the table that is not needed. For example, each time a customer made an order their name and address will have to be recorder in that record. If this type were to be used then it would take up a lot of space and hold useless data. It would also make it hard to search in the basic ways that you do. It will be hard to develop it so that the end-user will be ab le search for a certain supplier or customer without all of the other irrelevant details coming up. It would also make it increasingly difficult to use the mail merge facility. Concluding this we now know that a spreadsheet is not suitable for our purpose because it is just like a Flat-file if not nearly enough the same thing. Relational database This form of storage is much more flexible than Flat-file because it allows the data to be split up into separate tables. This is more efficient because each table contains information about a single entity. Now that information is in its individual tables, data redundancy is avoided. By linking all of the tables the whole structure will be able to be searched in a variety of ways. There are a great amount of relational database options in the market but the two main ones are Microsoft Access and Lotus Approach. These are both very suitable choices. Out of the two I will use Microsoft Access because it is more common compared with Lotus Approach and also because I am more familiar with the Microsoft environment. Overall I feel that Microsoft Access is easier to understand the instructions are clearer which makes it easier to follow. The terminology used in Access is better than that used in Lotus Approach. The form will be used to enter record of orders, suppliers and customers etc. This will make the business more organised and thus more efficient. The queries will be used to see who is ordering what and how much is owed to suppliers or owed by customers. To produce the templates for the letter I have chosen Microsoft word because it can easily be linked to Microsoft Access. It will also enable the letter to look professional as you can set any of your own preferences. For example, margin width, header and footer etc. Functions in Microsoft word such as MacroButtons, Date fields can make the end-user develop the letter template for his suitability. Other functions like AutoCorrect and AutoText will give the user an option for creating many types of customised letters for different kinds clients. My other options for word processors were Lotus WordPro, WordPad, Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Paint and Word Perfe ct. These were not as suitable as Microsoft Word because some of them do not allow me carry out the advanced features that I wish to and also because most of them will not be able to link with Microsoft Access.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Definitions of Whats Ungrammatical in English

Definitions of What's 'Ungrammatical' in English In descriptive grammar, the term ungrammatical refers to an irregular word group or sentence structure that makes little apparent sense because it disregards the syntactic conventions of the language. Contrast with grammaticality. In language studies (and on this website), examples of ungrammatical constructions are usually preceded by asterisks (*). Judgments regarding ungrammatical constructions are often subject to gradience. In prescriptive grammar, ungrammatical may refer to a word group or sentence structure that fails to conform to the proper way of speaking or writing, according to the standards set by some authority. Also called grammatical error. Contrast with correctness. Examples and Observations Designating a sentence as ungrammatical simply means that native speakers tend to avoid the sentence, cringe when they hear it, and judge it as sounding odd. . . .Calling a sentence ungrammatical means that it sounds odd all things being equalthat is, in a neutral context, under its conventional meaning, and with no special circumstances in force.(Steven Pinker, The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window Into Human Nature. Viking, 2007)Sentences . . . are simply the highest-level expressions of a language, and an ungrammatical string is a morpheme sequence which fails to constitute a meaningful expression of any kind.(Michael B. Kac, Grammars and Grammaticality. John Benjamins, 1992) Examples of Grammatical and Ungrammatical Sentences With Reflexive Pronouns Grammatical Ungrammatical(Terri L. Wells, L2 Acquisition of English Binding Domains. Morphology and Its Interfaces in Second Language Knowledge, ed. by Maria-Luise Beck. John Benjamins, 1998) The smart student thinks that the teacher likes himself.The very happy mother said that the girl dresses herself.The young child said that the pretty woman hurt herself.The man in the blue jacket said that the dog bit himself.The crying father said that the younger boy cut himself.The woman thinks that the student does not like herself.The doctor said that the old man shot himself in the foot.The lawyers think that the four policemen shot themselves.*The man thinks the boy does not like that stupid himself.*The woman said that the little girl saw yesterdays herself.*The taxi driver said that the man hit that careless himself.*The girl said that the teacher laughed at that funny herself.*The soldiers know that the generals like todays themselves.*The student said that the athlete hurt that stupid himself.*The mother wrote that the child laughed at that slow herself.*The man said that the boy was angry with the lazy himself. Distinguishing Between Descriptive and Prescriptive Grammar The sentence below is a garden-variety English sentence, which is descriptively grammatical to any English speaker . . .. I eat bacon and eggs with ketchup. We can form a question based on this sentence as follows: What do you eat bacon and eggs with? This sentence is descriptively grammatical but violates a prescriptive rule; recall that for some, ending a sentence with a preposition (in this case, with) is prescriptively ungrammatical. But now consider this sentence: I eat bacon and eggs and ketchup. When we try to form a question we get the following: *What do you eat bacon and eggs and? No English speaker would utter this sentence (hence the *), but why not? The source sentences look exactly the same; the only difference is that ketchup follows with in the first sentence, and and in the second. It turns out that with, a preposition, functions quite differently from and, a conjunction, and the distinction between the two is part of our unconscious knowledge of English. Studying this unconscious knowledge, revealed in puzzles like this one, allows us to construct a model, or theory of descriptive grammar, a model that attempts to explain why we quite naturally produce grammatical sentences such as What did you eat your bacon and eggs with? but not ungrammatical ones like What did you eat your bacon and eggs and? (Anne Lobeck and Kristin Denham, Navigating English Grammar: A Guide to Analyzing Real Language. Blackwell, 2014)

Monday, October 21, 2019

Literal Meanings and Pedantic Precision

Literal Meanings and Pedantic Precision Literal Meanings and Pedantic Precision Literal Meanings and Pedantic Precision By Mark Nichol Earlier this year, the Merriam-Webster website, which, along with its paper-and-ink version, is notorious for its laissez-faire approach to word usage, expressed an intriguing argument in one of its Usage Notes: Chill out about preserving the â€Å"original† meaning of words. If one were to insist that words be used only in their initial sense, one would discourage me from writing â€Å"Chill out,† because I am not alluding to temperature, and the literal meaning of the verb chill is not â€Å"calm down,† but â€Å"make colder.† That’s the point of the post, which argues that, for example, aggravate shouldn’t be required to apply only to making something worse- it’s fine to use it when describing mere irritation. The argument goes that if the restriction is to be taken to its logical conclusion, aggravate should mean only â€Å"weigh down,† because that is its original sense. (The grav in aggravate, you see, is the same as the grav in gravity.) By the same token, the lackluster utterance of â€Å"Awesome† in response to, well, virtually any pronouncement- no exclamation point is necessary, because the comment was likely nothing like an exclamation- is acceptable. Apparently, the interest of some in preserving that term to describe something truly remarkable is invalid; after all, the original meaning was â€Å"inspiring awe,† and to employ the word for something merely spectacular demonstrates disloyalty to its etymological origins. (Awful would also have the same restriction, because it literally means â€Å"full of awe.†) I see the point, but I also feel that indiscriminate dilution of a word’s distinct meaning paints writers into a corner. Once awesome, indiscriminately mumbled in response to myriad comments undeserving of such a potentially powerful reply, is devalued, what is left to describe something that is, well, truly awesome? On the one hand, this weakening of a word challenges the writer to find- or even craft- a suitable synonym, but it might not be long before the replacement is in turn drained of its strength. That’s why I never write (or say) anxious when I mean eager; the former term patently alludes to anxiety, not anticipation. But I admit inconsistency- using the last word in the previous sentence reminds me that anticipation literally means not â€Å"the state of looking forward to something† but, rather, â€Å"the act of foreseeing.† (Anticipere, the Latin verb from which it is derived, means â€Å"take before.†) Nevertheless, I try to use precise, unambiguous words and will continue to preserve distinctions when possible, and I encourage careful writers to do so as well. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should Know50 Nautical Terms in General Use20 Movies Based on Shakespeare Plays

Sunday, October 20, 2019

History of Adhesives and Glue

History of Adhesives and Glue Archeologists excavating burial sites from 4000 BC have discovered clay pots repaired with glue made from tree sap. We know that the ancient Greeks developed adhesives for use in carpentry, and created recipes for glue that included the following items as ingredients: egg whites, blood, bones, milk, cheese, vegetables, and grains. Tar and beeswax were used by the Romans for glue. Around 1750, the first glue or adhesive patent was issued in Britain. The glue was made from fish. Patents were then rapidly issued for adhesives using natural rubber, animal bones, fish, starch, milk protein or casein. Superglue - Synthetic Glue Superglue or Krazy Glue is a substance called cyanoacrylate that was discovered by Dr. Harry Coover while working for Kodak Research Laboratories to develop an optically clear plastic for gunsights in 1942. Coover rejected cyanoacrylate because it was too sticky. In 1951, cyanoacrylate was rediscovered by Coover and Dr. Fred Joyner. Coover was now supervising research at the Eastman Company in Tennessee. Coover and Joyner were researching a heat-resistant acrylate polymer for jet canopies when Joyner spread a film of ethyl cyanoacrylate between refractometer prisms and discovered that the prisms were glued together. Coover finally realized that cyanoacrylate was a useful product and in 1958 the Eastman compound #910 was marketed and later packaged as superglue. Hot Glue - Thermoplastic Glue Hot glue or hot melt adhesives are thermoplastics that are applied hot (often using glue guns) and then harden as they cool. Hot glue and glue guns are commonly used for arts and crafts because of the wide range of materials that hot glue can stick together. Procter Gamble chemical and packaging engineer, Paul Cope invented thermoplastic glue around 1940 as an improvement to water-based adhesives that were failing in humid climates. This to That A nifty site that tells you what to use to glue anything to anything else. Read the trivia section for historical information. According to the â€Å"This to That† website, the famous cow used as the trademark on all Elmer’s glue products is actually named Elsie, and she is the spouse of Elmer, the bull (male cow) who the company is named after.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Storage Area Network of Carlson Companies Assignment - 1

Storage Area Network of Carlson Companies - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that the effective way to implement a SAN requires computing different or all the existing servers by deploying multiple servers thereby allowing them to organize automatically by creating unconnected information islands. However, in the case of Carlson SAN approach, each of these created islands will be accessible to only one computer; therefore, if computer B needs to use information created by computer A, then computer B needs to copy such information from computer A. In this case, the computer A and B are not connected to a central server, but to independent servers. However, the current implementation of SAN requires a mode of operation or computation where the sourcing of information is from a central point, but accessing such information must be with a high degree of security. Moreover, the Carlson SAN approach mode of implementation requires backup, inter-process communication, and data transfer between different data source; however, the today’s implementation will not require backup since that data or the computing information will be in the cloud. Cloud computing does not require backup or interruption of systems or the flow of information during such implementations as such data or inhumation will be readily available to both the organization’s management and customers in the cloud. Cloud computing allows server Virtualization that does not require physical servers that reducing the interference of worker at some point of network maintenance or advancement.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Pre-Socratic and Aristotles Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Pre-Socratic and Aristotles Philosophy - Essay Example The philosophers favored a logical or analytical approach in their explanation of occurrences (Sproul, 2000). Consequently, Plato’s philosophy was not based on Greek mythology. In addition, pre-Socratic philosophers were inquisitive about the essence of things. For instance, existence, source, and plurality of things were fundamental pre-Socratic questions. Ideally, Plato’s philosophy attempts or responds to these questions. In conclusions, Plato’s philosophy is a refinement of the pre-Socratic philosophy. Plato’s philosophy supports an ontological dualism, which proposes the existence of two forms of realities/worlds. In this sense, things exist as either ideas or tangibles. Each of this existence represents unique worlds namely intelligible or the sensible world. The intelligible world represents the universals and invisible realities (forms). Under this existence, things cannot change their state or appearance since they are neither material nor tempora l (Sproul, 2000). Thus, the intelligible world preserves eidos and particulars. Indeed, Plato believed that the abstracts are the foundations of the sensible world and that it is only through them that people acquire genuine knowledge. Aristotle’s philosophy was established natural science for thousand years. Key to his science is the nature of change and motion. In his philosophy, Aristotle discovered the fundamental principle of change that direct natural bodies. The principle holds in both the celestial and terrestrial, living and the inanimate. Under the Aristotelian physics, terrestrial objects move towards different part of the universe according to their composition. For instance, earth being the heaviest material, moved towards the center of the universe. On the contrary, ‘fire’ the lightest element tends to move away from the center of the universe.  

Social Networks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Social Networks - Research Paper Example It has by and large bridged the gap between willing buyers and sellers hence distance has proved to be no longer a challenge in transaction because it has enhanced communication between parties involved. Besides, the internet has proved to be man’s greatest innovative achievement and a popular instrument used in the performance of numeric functions and to enhance communication in the banking sector. Far from this, the internet which is synonymous to cyberspace has even dominated the health sector. It facilitates the distribution of power, enforcement of law and even delivers or retains very confidential information. However, since it is a public utility, the internet has caused much havoc to mankind because sometimes it has not been used for purposes for which it was intended. Some cyberspace users have abused the internet and have thus rendered it a vulnerable social, political and economic tool. Cyber threat has remained a top concern in most nations because of security conc erns. Research and study have found out that cyber security has continued to increase in intensity and sophistication with time. Its gravity has been witnessed everywhere hence this calls for great security concern in the entire world. As we can see, the ever-growing need to use internet services in our everyday life places individual users and even the government and organizations into a task of combating risk factors associated with fraud and sabotage of important information and sometimes the security threat to a person (Yar, 2006). Cyber space hackers have more than often hacked and tampered with confidential government and corporate information, which they use to cause security threats targeting not only government officials but also the common man. Cases of terrorism have continued to increase with time. This is alarming since massive loss of people and properties have been witnessed. The terrorists have routinely targeted business hubs and top government institutions. Victims of cyber attacks have reported that they have also lost massive investments in the process of cyber attacks. This is a matter of concern since no measures placed have proved reliable to curb this scam. According to a report by the National Academy of Sciences (2010), it has been noted that not even the renowned tech-savvy individuals and organizations have managed to stay immune to cyber attacks. Victims of cyber attacks have included important service providers like telecommunication companies, Google, travelling industries, defense and even the banking sectors. This shows that nobody is immune to threats caused by cyber attacks. However, some of the experts causing cyber threats have tried to justify their actions as not being in any way related to threat in the cyber. Some of the terms used to refer to these techs savvy that have sometimes used the internet for purposes other than what is intended have tried to create a distinction between themselves and real criminals. For inst ance, terms which have always confused computer users are hackers and crackers. As far as computer security is concerned, programmers have tried to bring out their argument that someone who tries to break into other computers is better termed as cracker because they use it for ill intentions. According to such experts, computer crackers are like criminals because they use the internet to cause security concerns to other internet users hence are sometimes called black hats. They cause security

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Negotiating in a three-dimensional world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Negotiating in a three-dimensional world - Essay Example Haggling is one of the most common types of negotiation in everyday business transactions. The aim of negotiation is mainly to establish a middle-ground with which either party is comfortable and contented. For a long time, people have always seen negotiation as a social theory that requires only skills and tactics during the round table meeting. However, modern day negotiators are using the revolutionary process of negotiation referred to as the 3-dimensional negotiation. This paper seeks to explain the elements of three dimensional negotiations as explained by Lax and Sebenius (2006). According to lax and Sebenius (2006), negotiation is not effective if given the usual one dimension style. They argue that traditionally, negotiations entailed the use of tactics to either gain the advantage under the topic of conflict or have such benefit distributed among the concerned parties. The usual one dimensional approach to negotiations sought either a win-win result or a win-lose outcome. H owever, practically speaking, such outcomes could only create more conflict where the parties to the clash were more than two. Lax and Sebenius (2006) explain that one-dimensional approaches only stimulate more conflict and yield unsatisfactory deals. Much like a gambling game, one-dimensional techniques are not appropriate where the other party is the holder of all the cards. It is for this reason that the two scholars came up with the three dimensional approach. The three dimensional system is a method of handling negotiations from three perspectives. According to the consultants, the three aspects of this approach are, The Tactics Dimension, The Deal Design Dimension and the Set up Dimension. In addition to these dimensions, Lax and Sebenius (2006) explained a final aspect referred to as the three dimensional audit. The three aspects of the strategy are designed in such a way that they cover the period before the negotiations, during the actual discussion and after the deal are s ealed. The set up dimension takes place away from the negotiation grounds. The side concerns itself with the parties to conflict and the subject matter of the conflict. In evaluating this dimension, the planner or the negotiator focuses on the actual parties involved in the conflict as well as the potential participants. In addressing the issue of the parties expected to attend the negotiation proceedings, the negotiator finds information on which to rely when planning the tactics. The set-up dimension is as well concerned with the subject matter of the negotiator. The negotiator seeks to establish ways in which the subject matter can be useful to them and how valuable they can be to the other party. The essence of this aspect then can be said to be the evaluation of the pie to be shared. Being a preliminary stage, the set-up section concerns itself with estimating the possible outcomes and expected maximum costs. Lax and Sebenius (2006) argue that, in every negotiation procedure, t here are unavoidable costs. Either party should make a provision for such costs prior to the actual negotiation process. Among the essential preliminary steps are the arrangements to hold private consultations with the key parties to the actual negotiations. This may involve the process of identifying the correct sequence of events, as well as, the hierarchy to be observed. Lax and Sebenius (2006) summarized this aspect as the process that concerns itself w

Describe and assess the listener's experience of two different Assignment - 1

Describe and assess the listener's experience of two different composition or two performances of the same composition - Assignment Example In this way, each epoch left its aims and values in music. This essay will focus on the art of Beethoven and Satie to show how different music can be in its aims and purposes. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 is a legend in the world of classical music. It represents inner fight of as man who has to choose its further way in life. It is not surprising that the second title of the symphony is Fate. Beethoven’s fate is not the music for relaxation. It is dull of controversies and opposition which cannot leave anybody indifferent. The melody transforms from the nervous passages from the first movement to the calm and moderate moods in the second one. This music shows inner hesitation of people when they need to make their life choices. Gravy full chords in the beginning of the piece quickly transform into the light passages which remind thoughtfulness young people who cannot focus on the most important things in their lives. At the same time, the fate theme interrupts any light process in one’s thinking making everything more complicated. The second movement of the symphony is totally opposite to the first one. It reminds of a place when all people can feel calm. Harmony and calmness are two general values which are recognized by different world cultures and people. In this way, the symphony meets their standards and becomes universal in the context of global community. Overall, the music by Beethoven is never simple. It is full of controversy, hesitation and fear. At the same time, it represents great feeling of optimism, harmony and happiness. Perception of Beethoven depends on one’s mood to the great extent. All people are free to find reflections of their life problems in this complicated, controversial and beautiful music. Music by Erik Satie traces a totally different message for its listeners. For instance, Hypnomedie â„â€" 1 by Erik Satie is music of modernity. It is less certain than

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Negotiating in a three-dimensional world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Negotiating in a three-dimensional world - Essay Example Haggling is one of the most common types of negotiation in everyday business transactions. The aim of negotiation is mainly to establish a middle-ground with which either party is comfortable and contented. For a long time, people have always seen negotiation as a social theory that requires only skills and tactics during the round table meeting. However, modern day negotiators are using the revolutionary process of negotiation referred to as the 3-dimensional negotiation. This paper seeks to explain the elements of three dimensional negotiations as explained by Lax and Sebenius (2006). According to lax and Sebenius (2006), negotiation is not effective if given the usual one dimension style. They argue that traditionally, negotiations entailed the use of tactics to either gain the advantage under the topic of conflict or have such benefit distributed among the concerned parties. The usual one dimensional approach to negotiations sought either a win-win result or a win-lose outcome. H owever, practically speaking, such outcomes could only create more conflict where the parties to the clash were more than two. Lax and Sebenius (2006) explain that one-dimensional approaches only stimulate more conflict and yield unsatisfactory deals. Much like a gambling game, one-dimensional techniques are not appropriate where the other party is the holder of all the cards. It is for this reason that the two scholars came up with the three dimensional approach. The three dimensional system is a method of handling negotiations from three perspectives. According to the consultants, the three aspects of this approach are, The Tactics Dimension, The Deal Design Dimension and the Set up Dimension. In addition to these dimensions, Lax and Sebenius (2006) explained a final aspect referred to as the three dimensional audit. The three aspects of the strategy are designed in such a way that they cover the period before the negotiations, during the actual discussion and after the deal are s ealed. The set up dimension takes place away from the negotiation grounds. The side concerns itself with the parties to conflict and the subject matter of the conflict. In evaluating this dimension, the planner or the negotiator focuses on the actual parties involved in the conflict as well as the potential participants. In addressing the issue of the parties expected to attend the negotiation proceedings, the negotiator finds information on which to rely when planning the tactics. The set-up dimension is as well concerned with the subject matter of the negotiator. The negotiator seeks to establish ways in which the subject matter can be useful to them and how valuable they can be to the other party. The essence of this aspect then can be said to be the evaluation of the pie to be shared. Being a preliminary stage, the set-up section concerns itself with estimating the possible outcomes and expected maximum costs. Lax and Sebenius (2006) argue that, in every negotiation procedure, t here are unavoidable costs. Either party should make a provision for such costs prior to the actual negotiation process. Among the essential preliminary steps are the arrangements to hold private consultations with the key parties to the actual negotiations. This may involve the process of identifying the correct sequence of events, as well as, the hierarchy to be observed. Lax and Sebenius (2006) summarized this aspect as the process that concerns itself w

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Compare and contrast the Right to Remain Silent in the US and the UK Essay

Compare and contrast the Right to Remain Silent in the US and the UK - Essay Example On March 13th 1963 Ernesto Miranda was arrested in Arizona and taken to the Phoenix Police Station where he was then identified by the complaint-filing witness. Without being notified of his rights, Miranda was led into the interrogation room and questioned by police officers. In two hour’s time the officers had succeeded in obtaining a written and signed confession from Miranda. The signed statement claimed he signed it â€Å"with full knowledge of my legal rights, understanding any statement I make may be used against me.† When the case went to trial the prosecution used Miranda’s statement of confession against him and despite objections from the defense, the judge allowed for the confession to be admitted as evidence. Miranda appealed and the Supreme Court of Arizona ruled his rights were not violated because Miranda never requested council to be present during questioning. Miranda’s case went before the Supreme Court who acknowledged Miranda was never informed of his right to council or the right he had not to â€Å"be compelled to incriminate himself.† The Supreme Court ruled since Miranda did not have full knowledge of his rights all statements made by Miranda were inadmissible in court since they were not legally received. Furthermore the Supreme Court justified that since interrogation is intimidating, a suspect must first be given their rights to lessen the intimidation they experience. The Miranda Rights must be read before a suspect is to be questioned or interrogated in any way. The Miranda rights are read as followed: â€Å"You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Do you understand? Anything you do say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand? You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. Do you understand? If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appoint ed for you before any questioning if you wish. Do you understand? If you do decide to answer questions now without an attorney present you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney. Do you understand? Knowing and understanding your rights as I have explained them to you, are you willing to answer my questions without an attorney present?† (essortment.com) The 5th Amendment to the US Constitution’s Bill of Rights is â€Å"No person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself or be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.† The 6th Amendment Right to Counsel Clause coincides with the 5th intricately and was instituted in 1964 from the case of Escobedo vs. Illinois by the Supreme Court’s insistence that police allow council to be present during questioning. â€Å"In all criminal proceedings, the accused shall enjoy the right to have the assistance of counsel for h is defense.† (flexyourrights.org). In historic times, such a notion as the right to silence did not exist. In the 18th century English Criminal procedure made it impossible for a suspect of a crime to protect themselves from self-incrimination. Common law refused a criminal the right to be defended by a lawyer therefore persons suspected of a crime had little choice but to speak for themselves because no one else was going to. Refusal to speak and answer questions was quite the same

Monday, October 14, 2019

Terrorism In Pakistan Essay Example for Free

Terrorism In Pakistan Essay Pakistan has been facing major and destructive phenomenon due to the terrorist. It had been common since 1999, like bomb blast and suicides attacks. This has great impact on our social and moral life. Many lives are gone away due to the terrorism in Pakistan, This is not only in Pakistan but also spread in all over the countries. Terrorism has a destructive impact on the life of human beings. No doubt our country has been progressed by making power full nuclear weapons. And Pakistan also has a nuclear power like the other countries, but in our countries some agents are making their wrong use by bomb blasting. They target the Holy places and historical building without cares of anyone life. And many human beings loss their life in this type of incidents like bomb blasting. It was commonly found in Pakistan during the late 1999. Every channel and newspaper have the same and common news about bomb blasting and suicide attacks. Terrorism in Pakistan just destroy the economy in Pakistan. Accident of Lal Masjid took place 1999 militants and religious flower lost in this incident. There were many other incidents during last years just because of the terrorist. Suicide attacks are also found in many cities. Nobody cares about his life and ready for death due to the illiteracy in our country. Mostly parents don’t prefer their children to give them education from the starting years, the result is that they lost their interest in studying and never like to go to school for getting education. This spread unemployment among the nation, and when they have not any jobs for the satisfaction and fulfillment of their life they choose the wrong way through which they can earn well. Therefore they do not afraid by taking any risk, even some are going to be ready for suicidal attacks the reason is just money, moreover they have lost their interest to live a perfect and normal life. In the last there are some suggestion about the terrorist. It should be completely finished. Our nation and citizen should be given knowledge about the importance of life. People who are living in the Pakistan should be given maximum chances to get the employment, and most important education should be must and equal for every one.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Nhs In England Health And Social Care Essay

The Nhs In England Health And Social Care Essay National Health Service had been created in 1948 and for the last decades it has been facing numerous reforms and structural changes in attempt to raise its effectiveness and competitiveness and to reduce costs. This report focuses on STEP analysis of major external factors and trends that might influence future activity of NHS and shape its structure. Findings of the report are: Social: Population of England has increased by 7% in last 4 decades and with average age of 38.8 years (from 34.1 years in 1971)  [1]  . Overweight/obesity, ethnic differences in health care approach and high treatment costs for immigrants present main social challenges for the NHS. Citizen participation, social inclusion and partnership programs are seen as possible answer to these challenges. Technological: Coalitional government ended National Programme for IT in England and is preparing new Information Revolution. Recent reforms that include abolition of primary-care trusts and establishment of GP commission require new IT solutions. Increasing community and home based health care are based on efficient telehealth and telecare services and require further development of IT technologies. Additional investment in research and development of IT technologies is necessary in order to cope with development of modern health care services. Economical: NHS will receive significantly lower annual budget increase, compared to previous years and it is expected to present  £20bn (GBP) in savings by 2013-14. With the abolition of PCT budget of roughly  £80bn (GBP) will be transferred to management by GP commission. Political: Coalitional government presented new reforms that focus on implementing administrative and structural changes in NHS. Emphasis of the reforms is on giving more power and choice to the consumers, decentralising management and significantly reducing administrative costs. Introduction This management report is a STEP analysis of the NHS in England. The report sets out the key issues within each STEP for the organisation and can be used as the basis for further analysis. A conclusion identifies the key issues arising from the STEP analysis for the NHS in England and also sets out the strengths and weaknesses of the STEP approach and the challenges encountered when undertaking the analysis. STEP 1: Social The majority of the population in England and Wales use the services of the NHS (about 8% of the population use private health care). The NHS needs to be aware of demographics changes as this will have a significant impact on demand for NHS services as a whole and on demand for particular products and services. The key social issues that the NHS in England needs to consider are: Population growth rate and age profile Health of the general population Issues related to ethnicity Issues related to immigration Governance patterns, social inclusion and partnerships building. Population growth rate and age profile The UK population reached 59.8 million in 2004; its highest ever level. It has increased in size by 7 per cent in the three decades since 1971, when the figure was 55.9 million. But this population growth has not occurred at all ages. In fact, some age groups have shrunk and so have become a smaller proportion of the whole population.   The ageing of the population will affect the types of services required and the way in which they are provided. Population health About 46% of men in England and 32% of women are overweight (a body mass index of 25-30 kg/m2), and an additional 17% of men and 21% of women are obese (a body mass index of more than 30 kg/m2 ). Overweight and obesity increase with age. About 28% of men and 27% of women aged 16-24 are overweight or obese but 76% of men and 68% of women aged 55-64 are overweight or obese. Overweight and obesity are increasing. The percentage of adults who are obese has roughly doubled since the mid-1980s. The effect of these trends is increasing requirements for different types of equipment (eg. stronger beds). Ethnicity Pakistani and Bangladeshi men and women in England and Wales reported the highest rates of not good health in 2001. Pakistanis had age-standardised rates of not good health of 13 per cent (men) and 17 per cent (women). The age-standardised rates for Bangladeshis were 14 per cent (men) and 15 per cent (women). These rates, which take account of the difference in age structures between the ethnic groups, were around twice that of their White British counterparts. Chinese men and women were the least likely to report their health as not good. Women were more likely than men to rate their health as not good across all groups, apart from the White Irish and those from Other ethnic groups. Reporting poor health has been shown to be strongly associated with use of health services and mortality. White Irish and Pakistani women in England had higher GP contact rates than women in the general population. Bangladeshi men were three times as likely to visit their GP than men in the general popul ation after standardising for age. Immigration Since 2004, a record 1.8 million foreign workers have come to Britain, including an estimated 700,000 from Eastern Europe. And yes there have been problems. Migrants have put pressure on the NHS by using casualty departments as GP surgeries. TB rates are also up and the cost of translators in hospitals to deal with foreign patients can be crippling for health authorities. Governance patterns, social inclusion and partnerships building Citizens participation becomes more and more important to fill the gaps of governments failure. Many initiatives related to public health issues, for example reducing the incidence of drug misuse, can never be achieved without involving citizens. The UK is a pioneer in deliberative democracy, which is an ideal vehicle for the promotion of health based voluntary / statutory sector partnerships. STEP 2: Technological The increasing efficiency and effectiveness of the NHS in England is dependent upon the appropriate use of technology, and affects both the acute and primary care sectors. The key technological issues currently facing the NHS in England are: The IT impact of the abolition of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and the move to GP Commissioning How to address the results of the UK Governments changing national health IT policy Continuing the development of teleheath and telecare to shift the balance of care from the acute to the community sector In general, continuing to fund and integrate technological developments in service provision that offer improvements in economy, effectiveness and efficiency. The abolition of Primary Care Trusts The abolition of PCTs and the move to GP Commissioning means there is a need to ensure effective IT structures are in place to support the move. PCTs will need support to ensure the data they hold is dealt with appropriately be it destruction or move to other organisations. There may be a need to consider national guidance. GPs and service providers will also need support to ensure their IT systems are able to communicate with each other effectively and have the capacity to deal with increased records. There may be a need to consider national guidance. National health IT policy The new coalition government ended the National Programme for IT in England and has just finished consultation on its new Information Revolution.  [2]  3The previous programme aimed at providing a number of national IT services, such as Choose and Book (the national electronic referral system); PACS (central picture archiving service for eg x-rays); and the national electronic subscriptions service. Some of these programmes were completed under the previous government, however, many are still in development. The coalition government has expressed their desire for local IT solutions, however, many of the programmes are tied to national contracts with the private sector. The NHS in England needs to examine the cost of termination (and the costs of providing alternative local solutions) vs continuing with the existing contracts, contrary to government policy. There is a need for further clarification from the government and continued engagements from the NHS with the coalition. The development of telehealth and telecare Moving care into the community and supporting people to live in their own homes for longer requires increasing use of telehealth and telecare technology. There are numerous benefits for the NHS in England and its users, for example those in rural communities able to access consultant appointments via computer rather than travelling large distances, and more people living longer in their own homes. These developments need continuing support from the centre if health bodies are to continue to develop these. Central funding may also be required to continue research into this area and technological development. Continuing technological developments The NHS in England needs to continue promoting the benefits of new technologies to health bodies and providing support (small scale funding, guidance) to help trusts implement these. The 2009 NHS IMT Investment Survey indicated that capital investment at local level has remained static over the past 5 years, it is only the injection of central funding that has led to increases in this area. Emphasis needs placed on health trusts to continue to fund developments.  [4]   STEP 3: Economic The key economic issues facing the NHS are: The outlook for public sector finances The effect of GP commissioning The impact of staff pay and conditions (cost of labour) The cost of capital/diminishing capital resource and investment Public sector finances As a result of the coalition governments desire to address the effects of the global economic crisis and its attempt to quickly reduce the budget deficit, resources available from central government are projected to increase less quickly than in recent years. The rise for 2011 of just 0.1% represents a significant decrease in funding compared to increases in recent years. This is further compounded by cuts in the levels of cash received by hospitals for treating patients. Commentators suggest that the effect of the cuts will require the identification of  £20bn (GBP) in savings by 2013-14. The NHS in England needs to quickly identify how it will continue to provide care with reduced levels of funding. This may include actions such as reducing staffing levels and increasing out-sourcing of services. Effect of GP Commissioning The abolition of Primary Care Trusts and the move to GP commissioning brings both opportunities and risks associated with the handover of almost  £80bn (GBP) from central to local control. While previous experience would suggest that GP commissioning improves efficient use of resources (efficiency fell by 1.6% after the abolition of internal markets in 1997) (see reference 1) it is possible that individual hospitals, patients and the GPs themselves may lose out. GPs may spend more time involved in administrative tasks and less time with patients; patients may be affected by the level of engagement with commissioning on the part of their GP and some hospitals will fare better than others under the revised arrangements. Retaining control of NHS spending is a significant challenge when accountability for the use of public funds essentially lies in the hands of private contractors. Effective financial controls will be necessary to ensure demand management is not simply left on the shel f and that resources are used both effectively and efficiently. Pay and conditions Staff costs as a proportion of total costs are high within the NHS. The effects of minimum wage and, more recently, the implementation of the European Working Time Directive continue to drive costs up, even as staffing levels remain static or fall. Efforts to ensure trusts comply with the Working Time Directive have backfired by ensuring staff record hours worked more accurately leading to increased overtime payments and identification of additional need. In addition, the effect of cuts in staffing both through voluntary and compulsory redundancies will place additional (albeit relatively short-term) pressure on finances in the form of pay-offs and pensions. Capital assets and investments Many PCTs acknowledge that the current period imposes reductions in capital investment. Short term savings accrued by delaying investment may lead to increased costs in the future. In addition, numerous trusts have sold off capital assets to remain competitive in recent years, thereby reducing asset value now and for the future. The use of PFI/PPP/DBO may offer short-term benefits (by reducing direct capital expenditure) but risks remain with regard to the long-term commitment and associated cost of such contracts. STEP 4: Political The change in government from Labour to Conservative/Liberal Democrat in 2010 resulted in a significant shift in political attitudes towards the NHS in England. The drive to reduce centralised control and increase local responsibility has resulted in a number of key policy initiatives. Coalition programme The coalition programme for healthcare included the following subjects:  [5]   Greater financial autonomy for local bodies Involvement of GPs in tackling health care problems Improved access to preventive healthcare for disadvantaged areas Reduction of long-term costs. The specific programme for the NHS included the following:  [6]   Real term budget increase for next 5 years. Reduction of quasi-non-government-organizations (quangos). Cut administrative costs by 30% and use these resources to support doctors and nurses. Discontinue closure of AE units and of maternity wards. Restructure health system giving more power and freedom of choice to patients and transferring commissioning powers from PCTs to GPs. Development of monitoring system to oversee aspects of access, competition and price-setting in NHS. Establishment external and independent board to allocate resources and provide commissioning guidelines. Introduction of rating system for health care providers that will allow patients contributions and will be accessible online. Reform NICE into value-based pricing, to allow broader access to drugs and treatments for those who need them. Introduction of per-patient funding for hospices and providers of palliative care, and allocation of additional 10 million pounds a year from the budget to support these childrens hospices. Improvement of service quality through involvement of independent and voluntary providers and through giving patients ability to choose provider that suits them most. Reforms Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, introduced plans for NHS reform in August 2010 (White Paper of announced reforms is available here). The main topics were:  [7]  8 Delivering commissioning power to purchase health care for the patients to GPs who are to join consortia by 2013. Abolishment of 10 strategic health authorities and of approximately 150 primary-care trusts and transfer some of their services to external non-for-profit outfits. NHS hospitals are to become foundation trusts and to enjoy greater autonomy in revenues and funding. Patients will be available to choose GPs regardless to their geographical areas, to make shared decisions on their health treatments and to enjoy published data on hospitals and doctors (results, waiting times, rates, etc.). NHS funding will increase in real terms for the following 5 years but it will have to do more for its money: reduction of managerial costs by 45%; efficiency savings of 20 billion pounds, which are to be reinvested to support quality and outcomes. Establishment of an independent NHS Commissioning Board, which will allocate and account for NHS resources and will audit on implementation of quality improvement and patient involvement and choice. Conclusion The NHS in England is currently facing a period of change that will affect all aspects of its operation. Delivering the required political reforms within the constraints of the current financial climate will be challenging. Coupling this with increasing demand for services caused by an ageing population and the associated technological developments that need to be put in place for this to be managed means the NHS in England must be clear on its purpose, its direction and its strategy for achieving these. Recommendations Re-examine the purpose, direction and over-arching strategy of the NHS in England to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose Develop appropriate national strategies for each element of the organisation (eg IMT) to ensure there is clarity about what is required of trusts. Emphasise citizen involvement and partnership programs. Develop appropriate IT and technological infrastructures to support new reforms. Strengths and weaknesses of the STEP approach STEP analysis has strengths and weaknesses. The key issues identified by the group are: Strengths The analysis can help focus an organisation on the key factors in each environment ensuring they think about each step. It is quite a simple process that allows consideration of many variables. It enables the organisation/unit to look outwith their immediate environment to consider important external factors The approach can be linked with other models (typically SWOT) to increase its usefulness It encourages strategic thinking and planning and allows the organisation to anticipate future issues. Weaknesses Assessing the importance of issues can be challenging if appropriate and robust data is not available. Accessing useful data can be time consuming and therefore has a cost attached. The use of the four steps can mean a pigeon-holing of some issues that span across other themes (such as the impact of government policy) It is a task perhaps best done with a group in person rather than in isolation so that ideas can immediately be discussed/challenged and priorities for the issues included are agreed by consensus Considering the factors in isolation makes it difficult to identify linkages between the various elements It may be useful to keep the focus of the analysis specific as then the outputs may be more useful rather than general statements Forecasting leads to multiple possible futures; there is a danger of assuming hypotheses are truth The exercise needs to be repeated to remain useful to account for pace of change/changing realities. Challenges encountered by the group in conducting the analysis The group encountered the following challenges: considering the factors in isolation made it difficult to identify linkages between the various elements. It may have been useful to circulate our lists in advance to encourage cross-fertilisation and consistency across the 4 factors (Delphi approach) undertaking an analysis of an institution with which some members of the group had little familiarity led to increasing reliance on assumptions we ended up with quite a broad target topic, if we had narrowed our focus the results may have been more useful accessing relevant data was difficult in some areas and hence time-consuming. References for STEP: http://rapidbi.com/management/created/the-PESTLE-analysis-tool/ http://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/organisation-management/5b-understanding-ofs/assessing-impact-external-influences http://www.nhsemployers.org/EmploymentPolicyAndPractice/EqualityAndDiversity/e-d-in-practice/get-to/IdentifyingTheObjectivesAndOutcomes/Pages/PEST_Analysis.aspx http://www.herefordhospital.nhs.uk/Portals/0/MembersArea/IBP/Appendix%20X%20-%20PEST%20and%20SWOT.pdf http://newsfan.typepad.co.uk/pestle/2009/03/pestle-summary-united-kingdom.html http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/pest-analysis.php http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/fom2005/04_FOPM_AgeStructure.pdf http://www.annecollins.com/obesity/uk-obesity-statistics.htm http://www.medwaypct.nhs.uk/explore-nhs-medway/news/media-releases/proposed-changes-to-workforce-and-education-in-the-nhs-making-our-views-count/ Does the British media hate the NHS? http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2001/jun/14/NHS.conferences http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2007/10/18/immigration-the-true-cost-to-britain-115875-19969602/

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Christopher Columbus Essay -- Christopher Columbus Essays

Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451. He was named Christofero Columbo, after the patron saint. His father was Donenico Columbo, a weaver and wool dealer. Columbus had two brothers, Diego and Bartolome. Historians are certain that Columbus was not a noble. Columbus's crew on the first voyage were not a bunch of cutthroats. They were mostly hometown boys' from Andalusia, and nearly all experienced seamen. Of the four voyages of Columbus, only the crew of the first voyage is completely known. Alice Bache Gould spent decades combing various archives in Spain, and eventually came up with the list of the 87 crewmen of the Nià ±a, Pinta, and Santa Maria. In 1465 Columbus started accompanying his father when he went to sea to sell his cloth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1465-1475 Columbus learned how to handle a ship and became aware of the risks of navigation. By 1475, Columbus grew up to be a well-spoken young man. Columbus went on an expedition to the island of Chios in 1475, a Genoese possession in the Aegean Sea. Columbus then stayed there for many months defending from Turkish attack, a business that extracted gum mastic from trees, which was used as a painkiller. French pirates attacked Columbus when he was on a ship carrying a shipment of gum mastic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1476 Columbus moved to Lisbon with his brother, Bartholomew who also was a sailor. Between 1476-1479 Columbus sailed out on various sailing expeditions. In 1479 Columbus ma...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Fear and Anxiety

Phobia comes from the Greek word ‘phobos’ meaning morbid fear (wikipedia). But what exactly is a phobia? The direct denotation of a phobia is â€Å"a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it† (dictionary). A phobia falls under the category of an anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder is often â€Å"a harmful chronic condition, which can be present from an early age or begin suddenly after a triggering event.They are prone to flare up at times of high stress and are frequently accompanied by physiological symptoms such as headache, sweating, muscle spasms, palpitations, and hypertension, which in some cases lead to fatigue or even exhaustion† (wikipedia). According to healthline. com, if there is any exposure to the object that is feared, the stimulus may provoke extreme anxiety or a panic attack. † Phobias are mainly and tend to be caused by a traumatic event or experience th at happened prior in a person’s life.Other factors that may increase the likelihood of a phobia developing include cultural factors and possibly even genetics. â€Å"Phobias are actually quite common, affecting more than ten percent of the U. S. population. Phobias are the most common mental disorder in the United States, but far more women than men are affected by phobias† (about. com). Approximately six point three million American adults ages eighteen to fifty four, or about four point four percent of people in this age group in a given year, have some type of specific phobia (Heering).This anxiety disorder affects more than one in ten people in the word and they are usually present as a panic attack or a severe episode of anxiety and start during adolescence or adulthood (Frapwell). The percent of people that are diagnosed of having a phobia tend to be constant year to year; there has not been a dramatic increase or decrease over the years. Phobias can be divided i nto three main categories: social phobias, agoraphobia, and specific phobias. Social phobias deal with fear of social situations. People who have or had social phobia tend to stay in a solitary environment or just stay home alone where they are most comfortable.This does affect a person’s life because it prevents them from functioning in daily life. People do need to interact with others, especially in need of help. These people do not go to social events or outings because then they would feel like they are in danger and it is more likely that they will have a panic attack. A previous negative social experience can be the trigger to having a social phobia perhaps particularly for individuals who have an intrapersonality. Someone with an intrapersonality tend to stay away from groups and would rather stay and work alone.The cultural factors that have been related to social anxiety disorder include a society's attitude towards shyness and avoidance, affecting someone’s ability to form relationships and access employment or education. One study found that the effects of parenting are different depending on the culture – American children appear more likely to develop social anxiety disorder if their parents emphasize the importance of other's opinions and use shame as a disciplinary strategy, but this association was not found for Chinese American children.In China, research has indicated that shy-inhibited children are more accepted than their peers and more likely to be considered for leadership and considered competent, in contrast to the findings in Western countries. There is an increased amount or a decreased amount that social phobia affects depending on where the country is located, showing that cultur does make a difference (wikipedia). Agoraphobia is defined as an abnormal fear of being in crowds, public places, or open areas, sometimes accompanied by anxiety attacks (dictionary).The severity of agoraphobia varies, they can live ab solutely normal lives avoiding potential anxiety-provoking situations or they can stay at home practically all day and be homebound trying to stay away from anything that will cause them to be anxious. People with a less severe version of agoraphobia are more likely to buy a luxuorious automobile because they do not walk to their destination or take public transportation. This does make sense because the person with agoraphobia would be more comfortable in a luxuorious automobile where they can be alone.The causes of agoraphobia are currrently unknown, but the cultural factors that could be related to agoraphobia include the population of where a person lived while growing up. If the person was raised on a farm isolated from the world around them is more likely to develop the fear of public places than someone who lives in the city who is used to that type of environment. A scary experience or event in a person’s life can also be a major tribute to having this phobia. Agoraph obia occurs twice as commonly in women as it does in men.This is not very accurate considering that most men would not report that they have agoraphobia due to there stereotypical image of being strong and having no fear (Heering). Specific phobias deal with fear of a specific objects such as snakes or spiders. There are four major types of specific phobias. The four major types of specific phobias include the fear of natural environment, the fear of animals, medical related fear, and situational fear. The most common specific phobia of the natural environment include the fear of lightning, storms, and water. Fear of spiders, snakes, and mice are the most common specific fear with animals.People with a medical related phobia tend to have a fear of going to the doctor or hospital, fear of getting injured, and an irrational fear of seeing any amount of blood. Situational fear tend to involve a fear of specific situations, such as flying, driving, going over bridges or driving through tunnels, and even being in enclosed places like an elevator. There is a higher percentage of people with a specific type of phobia than agoraphobia and social phobia (nih, National Institute of Mental Health). The first diagnosis of any type of phobia was in the year of nineteen seventy.The diagnosis was related to social phobia and it was discussed as a clinical syndrome distinct from other anxiety disorders. Social phobia was not offically recognized until the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (webMD). Symptoms for acknowledging that someone has a phobia vary depending on the type of phobia, but some symptoms apply to just having some type of phobia. Symptoms regarding all phobias include excessive or irrational fear of a specific object or situation and the avoidance of the object or situation, or enduring it with great distress.Physical symptoms of anxiety or a panic attack, such as a pounding heart, nausea or diarrhea, sweating, trembling or shaking, numbness or tingling, problems with breathing, shortness of breath, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and feeling like you are choking. Anticipatory anxiety is another symptom regarding all phobias. Anticipatory anxiety involves becoming nervous ahead of time about being in certain situations or coming into contact with the object of your phobia. An example of this would be smilar to a person with a fear of dogs and how that person may become anxious about going for a walk because he or she may see a dog along the way.Children react differently with recognition of there phobias, which makes their symptoms of having a phobia different to the adult symptoms. Children with a specific phobia may express their anxiety by crying, clinging to a parent, or throwing a tantrum (webMD). Diagnosis of a phobia is an evaluation of the patient and the symptoms or anxiety they have. There is not really a diagnostic laboratory test for phobias. Diagnosis is based on the patient's account of their experiences. If symptoms of a specific phobia are present, the doctor will begin an evaluation by performing a complete medical history and physical exam.Although there are no laboratory tests to specifically diagnose specific phobias, the doctor may use various tests to make sure that a physical illness isn't the cause of the symptoms. If no physical illness is found, a person may be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist, mental health professionals who are specially trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses. Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview and assessment tools to evaluate a person for a specific phobia. The doctor bases his or her diagnosis of specific phobias on reported symptoms, including any problems with functioning caused by the symptoms.A specific phobia is diagnosed if the person's fear and anxiety are particularly distressing or if they interfere with his or her daily routine, including school, work, social activities, and relationships (webMD). Diagnostic criteria differs between the three main types of phobias. According to the 4th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, â€Å"the most difficult aspect of diagnosing phobias is sorting them out from other psychiatric disorders such as paranoia, schizophrenia, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, in which fear is associated with situations or specific objects. The diagnostic criteria for a specific phobia â€Å"is if the patient experiences excessive or irrational fear of a specific object or situation, has exposure to the object or situation and it causes an immediate anxiety response or a panic attack, the person knows that the fear is excessive and irrational, the object or situation is endured with distress or avoided, and avoidance, anticipatory anxiety, or distress during exposure to the feared object or situation interferes with the person's ability to function in normal daily activities. The person may have distress a bout having the phobia† (American Psychiatric Association).Social phobia has the most criteria for diagnosis compared to agoraphobia and a specific phobia. According to the 4th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the criteria for a social phobia is as follow: â€Å"the person fears or is anxious about experiencing public embarrassment or humiliation in social or performance situations, being in such situations creates intense anxiety and possibly a panic attack, the patient knows that the fear is excessive and irrational, and social or performance situations are avoided or endured with great distress.This condition disrupts the patient’s ability to function at work or school and causes them to withdraw from social activities and/or relationships, or the fact that they have the phobia causes them distress. This condition has been led on for at least 6 months in people over the age of 18 and fear and avoidance are not caused by other mental disorders, a medical condition, or the effects of a drug. † Agoraphobia and its criteria is very basic. If the patient can not stand being trapped in a place or is stuck in a difficult situation which leads to a panic attack is a hint of having agoraphobia.If the patient tries to avoid a difficult situation at all costs and nearly has a panic attack thinking about being in a difficult situation or trapped in a place. Lastly, the avoidance is not caused by any type of drug or other psychotic illness or disorder. (American Psychiatric Association). There are a couple different methods on how to treat and cure phobias. There are different methods of treatment for each main category of phobias: agoraphobia, social phobia, and specific phobia.Any phobia that interferes with daily living and creates extreme disability should be treated. With proper treatment, the vast majority of phobia patients can completely overcome their fears and be symptom-free for years, if not for life. Effe ctive relief can usually be gained through either cognitive behavior therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy regards to all phobias within all the main categories. â€Å"Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, CBT, is highly effective in treating phobias.Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy techniques help people recognize the events or items that trigger the patient’s reactions. The recognition of the events or items that triggers the patient’s reactions is the cognitive piece of the puzzle. The behavioral piece is the teaching of ways of coping with anxious feelings and physical symptoms through exposure and desensitization† (discovery health). Some therapists use virtual reality or imagery exercise to desensitize patients to the feared entity. These are parts of systematic desensitization therapy.Hypnotherapy is another type of treatment for phobias. Hypnotherapy cooperating with neuro-linguistic programming can also be used to help remove t he associations that trigger a phobic reaction. However, lack of research and scientific testing compromises its status as an effective treatment. A different type of treatment is the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, EMDR. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing has been demonstrated in peer-reviewed clinical trials to be effective in treating some phobias.Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing has been demonstrated as effective in easing phobia symptoms following a specific trauma, such as a fear of dogs following a dog bite. Emotional Freedom Technique, a psychotherapeutic alternative medicine tool, also considered to be pseudoscience by the mainstream medicine, is somewhat useful for patients, also. Medications are used to control the panic experienced during a phobic situation, as well as the anxiety caused by anticipation of that situation and are often used to treat social phobia and agoraphobia.According to wikipedia, â€Å"antidepressant medicatio ns such as SSRIs and MAOIs may be helpful in some cases of phobia. Benzodiazepines may be useful in acute treatment of severe symptoms but the risk benefit ratio is against their long-term use in phobic disorders. † Through treatment, you gain more control over an anxiety disorder. By developing good coping skills, you have a better chance of preventing future anxiety attacks. But, treatment always varies from person to person because others may benefit from one type of treatment more than another person. Living with a phobia can be difficult.Even if the feared object or situation does not regularly appear in the patient’s daily life, the patient may find that a lot of their time is spent worrying that it may appear or figuring out how to avoid it. Although you will find primary support from your therapist and closest friends or relatives, you may discover that additional support makes coping easier. Many people find it helpful to read first-person accounts of peopleâ⠂¬â„¢s personal struggles with phobias. Others search for the latest treatment information. Many find that simply speaking with someone who has been there makes things a bit easier to handle.Although many phobia sufferers experience similar concerns despite the type of phobia they have, each type of phobia also brings with it specific concerns (Heering). Telling someone that you have been diagnosed with a phobia could be very emotional for you because you do not want to be made fun of or be judged. It could also be hard because after you tell them what you have been diagnosed with you might be treated differently. You could be treated as a sick patient, which would probably make it worse for you making you think of the phobia more.Phobias do have psychological and emotional effects on you. You could wonder if what you are thinking is normal or not, which can mess with your thoughts (Heering). A phobia affects your life, but does it affect the people around you? This depends on what type of phobia you are diagnosed with. If you are diagnosed with a social phobia, you have most likely lost most or even all of your close relationships. If you are diagnosed with a specific phobia, then you are likely to still have relationships with the people close to you.Yes, there may some limits, such as if a person is afraid of flying and their friend wants them to go on a vacation with them, the person with the phobia is not going to go. Sometimes the question of phobias be prevented comes up and the answer is no a phobia can not be prevented. â€Å"Although many specific phobias cannot be prevented, early intervention and treatment following a traumatic experience, such as an animal attack, may prevent the person from developing severe anxiety† (webMD). There are many types of phobias including some strange and ironic types f phobias. The most common types of phobias mostly fall under the specific phobias category. Some common phobias are â€Å"arachnophobia, ophidi ophobia, acrophobia, agoraphobia, cynophobia, astraphobia, trypanophobia, social phobias, pteromerhanophobia, mysophobia, belonephobia, claustrophobia, odontiatophobia, phasmophobia, phobophobia, trypanophobia, zoophobia† (about). There are many interesting facts of these phobias. Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and is twice as more likely to occur with women having this phobia than men.Ophidiophobia is the fear of snakes and it is often attributed by a traumatic experience or by cultural factors. Acrophobia is the fear of heights and usually leads to panic attacks and avoidance on anything in relation to height. Cynophobia is the fear of dogs and is usually caused by a not so good specific experience with a dog. Astraphobia is the fear of thunder and lightening, which also has three other names: brontophobia, tonitrophobia, and ceraunophobia. Trypanophobia is the fear of injections and this fear goes untreated because people avoid the triggering object and situation.Pter omerhanophobia is the fear of flying and is often treated using exposure therapy, in which the patient is gradually and progressively introduced to flying. Mysophobia is the fear of germs or dirt and could possibly be related to obsessive compulsive disorder. Belonephobia is the fear of pins and needles, claustrophobia is the fear of an enclosed space, odontiatophobia is the fear of dentists, phasmophobia is the fear of seeing a ghost or a phantom, phobophobia is the fear of having a phobia, and zoophobia is the fear of going to a zoo. The latest type of phobia now is a food phobia.There are a few amounts of people that are scared of mayonnaise or ketchup (about). Yes, there are many phobias out there that are strange and scientists are starting to wonder if it really is a phobia or just an excuse. You would never think that celebrities have phobias because we all think that they are just glitz and glam and perfect, but in reality some celebrities do have phobias. Did you know that Nicole Kidman has a fear of butterflies? Jennifer Aniston, Cher, Michael Jackson, and Whoopi Goldberg have a fear of flying. Orlando Bloom has a fear of pigs.Daniel Radcliffe, Johnny Depp, and Sean â€Å"Diddy† Combs have a fear of clowns (about). It is so weird that the people other people look up to and think they are scared of nothing are normal people and fear thing regular people fear. There are three main categories of a phobia: social phobia, which is the fear of any type of a social situation, agoraphobia, which is the fear of being in crowds or public places, and specific phobia which is the fear of a specific object. What it all comes down to be is that fear runs the life of a person with phobia.It affects the person emotionally and psychologically and depending on the severity and what type of phobia the person has, it could affect the people around you and your relationships with them. Not all phobias have a treatment unless if the person is willing to go through with the treatment. A phobia can be a serious anxiety disorder.Works Cited About. com. Web. Craske, Michelle, Martin M. Antony, and David H. Barlow. Mastering Your Fears and Phobias. Madison Avenue, New York, New York: Oxford UP, 2006. Print. Emery, Gary, Ruth Greenberg, and Aaron T. Beck. Anxiety Disorders and Phobias: A Cognitive Perspective. Basic, 1990. Print. Frapwell, Mark, and Grace Tsai, Ph. D. Discoveryhealth. com. Web. Heering, Jan. Phobia-fear-release. com. 23 Nov. 2009. Web. Moore, D. P. â€Å"Phoba- Simple/Specific. † Healthline. com. Web. Nimh. nih. gov. National Institute of Mental Health. Web. â€Å"Phobia†, â€Å"Anxiety Disorder. † Dictionary. com. Web. â€Å"Phobias. † Webmd. com. Healthwise, Incorporated, 1995. Web. Todd, Jr. , Dr. D. B. Mmc. edu. Meharry Medical College. Web. Wikipedia. com. Web. .