How To Make a Crystal Skull

How To Make a Crystal Skull Learn how to make your own crystal skull, for Halloween, Day of the Dead, or just decorating your space. Its an easy crystal growing project that produces an interesting conversation piece. Crystal Skull Materials I choose borax to grow the crystal skull, but you could use any crystal recipe. One interesting option might be to grow a sugar crystal skull and place it in a punch bowl. boraxboiling watersmall paper skull (I got mine at Michaels craft store)bowl deep enough to hold ​the  skull Crystallize the Skull Make sure the bowl is deep enough to hold the skull.Pour boiling or very hot water into the bowl.Stir in borax until it stops dissolving. This project looks cool with clear crystals, but if you like, you can add food coloring to color the crystals of the skull.Place the skull in the bowl of crystal growing solution. Paper or cardboard skulls take a while to absorb the liquid, so the skull may float for a while. This is fine and usually resolves on its own, but you can weight down the skull with a glass or another bowl if it bobs up to much. Another option is to turn the skull periodically to make sure all surfaces get exposed to the liquid.Check the progress of crystal growth every couple of hours. You should have a nice crop of crystals within an hour to overnight, depending on how saturated your solution was and how quickly it cooled. When you are satisfied with the crystals, remove the skull and place it on a paper towel to dry.If you want even more crystals on the skull, take the crystal skull and place it in fresh solution to get a second layer of crystal growth. Make sure the new solution is saturated (no more borax will dissolve) or youll risk dissolving some crystals rather than growing more.

Tips on Meeting IGCSE and GCSE Equivalent Qualifications in English Literature

Tips on Meeting IGCSE and GCSE Equivalent Qualifications in English Literature Tips on Meeting IGCSE and GCSE Equivalent Qualifications in English Literature If you think (and secretly hope) that reading some novels and poems will be enough to pass the test on IGCSE or GCSE equivalent qualifications in English literature, we have to disappoint you – no, it won’t. This certificate proves that you are a holder of a certain number of skills applicable not only in the sphere of English literature but in everyday life. Let’s find out what those skills are and what they mean. So, to be fully prepared for the IGCSE or GCSE in English literature, you need to be able to: Re-Tell the Narrative or Story This is the basic skill that presupposes you are recalling and narrating the story without difficulties. Summarize You have to be capable of naming the main points of the novel or short story. It is a basic but challenging task because, if you get an assignment to write an essay-summary, sticking purely to summing up will not earn you a good grade. Tell the Story in Your Own Words Paraphrasing is the ability that is necessary not only on the English literature exam (being sometimes even harmful if abused) but in business correspondence, writing, communication, etc. Spot the Best Evidence to Support Your Argument If you don’t enforce your point with an example or important detail from the analyzed text, it will not be counted as a fully-featured argument. The examiner will call it an unsubstantiated assertion and take away some scores. Tell apart the Viewpoints Train to understand the difference of viewpoints of various characters from literature works. Determine and Analyse the Theme What is main characters motivation to behave like this, and not the other way around? What is the main theme? As long as you can detect these two things, you are on the safe side. Speak up Regarding the Plot and Analyse It What do you usually understand after reading a piece of literature writing? How do the events influence the characters’ fates? How does the author build up a plot and does it matter when it comes to the final result? Identify and Discuss the Writer’s Methods Used in Literature Works Try to find out on your own how the author so brightly depicts the scene: is it the language? Or maybe rhetoric devices? Make sure you interpret the methods correctly. Read between the Lines It is very important to be able to dig deeper and make sense of what you find there. You must connect the dots and analyse those connections. Give Your Opinion Learn to form your own, original viewpoint on the basis of what you have read because during the exam you’ll have to state it as well as support it with quotes or relevant material. Pheeeww †¦ That’s quite a list. That’s what they teach you to do during training courses because such kind of skills you can’t just read about and acquire. You have to gain them in practice. So, try hard because English literature GCSE is not the easiest subject to pass (if there is such at all).

Devices and Practices for Sensory Impairments Coursework

Devices and Practices for Sensory Impairments - Coursework Example There are a number of devices and associated teaching practices that may aid students with sensory impairments in the classroom. The devices include: It also gets referred to as closed-circuit television, CCTV. It uses a video camera to display enlarged images or wordings on a monitor or television screen. It gets used by people affected with partial visual impairment. It helps them overcome reading and writing difficulties caused by visual impairment. CCTV gets manufactured in different shapes and sizes to aid any low vision needs. The video magnifier gets used in the classroom by the teacher to assist the partially visually impaired students to be able to see slide displays on the white board in class. By magnifying the images and words in the slide shows, the students are able to see clearly, and follow what becomes taught in class hence realizing their full academic potential (Farrell,2005). This device gets used by visually impaired students with low vision to assist them in their class work. The students are adventitious visually impaired and can access their visual memory to develop conceptual understanding. The video magn ifier gets used by students with sensory impairments who have typical learning processes and learning modes: but whose ability to access information gets restricted in some avenues, or have a varying order of acquiring new skills. With this device, the student grasps more than 50 percent of what gets taught. As with a palm view display, their focus is on details, hence maximum absorption of the taught content. Use of effective teaching practices help in additional benefits as the students focus on the detailed description by the teacher as opposed to vague description by the teacher. Printing the reading materials in alternative formats prior to the classes also assists the student since through the use of the video magnifier, they are able to

Emergency room Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Emergency room - Assignment Example In most cases nurse in the in-patient units do not work during irregular hours (Burgess, 2014). In the ER, documentation focuses on addressing acute symptoms through use of ICD-10-CM codes. This is different from documentation that is used in the in-patient setting since it does not involve coding. In the in-patient unit documentation is done in paper format or electronically but without coding (Burgess, 2014). In the ER, there are several legal issues involved. One of them is determination of how emergent a situation is for the patient since some situations can be deceiving and accurate decisions have to be made. Another common legal issue is ensuring that patients are screened and treated appropriately while keeping them informed of the treatment being given. The legal issues arising from in-patient unit are less compared to the ER. The patients in in-patient unit need to have informed consent of the treatment they receive (Burgess, 2014). Safety and privacy of the patient can be maintained by ensuring that there is always a technician to help the patient at any given time and that there is no displayed information on the patient that other people can see. The client can also be provided privacy through use of curtains to cover his bed area. Through use of curtains around his bed area, only restricted people can intrude his personal space. The protocols related to communication include ensuring protection of the information that the patient gives for purposes of medical records. Such information should be treated with a lot of privacy and should be secured. The technicians should not share a patient’s information by any chance and should ensure that the patient is aware of the results (Burgess, 2014). In such a situation, the nurses and physicians are allowed to carry out the procedure on the patient without any consent to save his or her life. The patient will then be told about the procedures carried out when he is conscious and can

Divine Justice In King Lear Essay Example for Free

Divine Justice In King Lear Essay King Lear inspires many philosophical questions; chief among them is the existence of divine justice. This concept was particularly important during the Elizabethan era, because religion played such a significant role in everyday life. Religious leaders directed people to expect that they would have to answer to a higher authority, expressing some hope that good would triumph and be rewarded over evil. But throughout King Lear, good does not triumph without honorable characters suffering terrible loss. In fact, at the plays conclusion, many of the good characters lie dead on the stageLear, Gloucester, and Cordelia. In addition, the audience hears that Kent will soon die, and the Fool has earlier disappeared, presumably to die. Of course, the evil characters are also dead, but their punishment is to be expected according to the laws of divine justice. But how then does the audience account for the punishment and, finally, the death of the good characters in King Lear? Lear makes several poor choices, most importantly in misjudging the sincerity of his daughters words; but when he flees out into the open heath during a storm, his madness seems a painful and excessive punishment to witness. Parallel to Lears punishment is that which Gloucester suffers. The plucking of Gloucesters eyes can be perceived as another instance in which divine justice is lacking. Gloucester has made several errors in judgment, as has Lear; but the brutal nature of Gloucesters blindingthe plucking out of his eyes and the crushing of them under Cornwalls bootsis surely in excess of any errors he might have made. Both Lear and Gloucester endure terrible physical and mental suffering as punishment for their misjudgment, but before dying, both men are reunited with the child each earlier rejected. This resolution of the child-parent conflict, which earlier tore apart both families, may be seen as an element of divine justice, although it offers little gratification for the audience. Throughout King Lear, the audience has witnessed Edmunds growing success as a reward for his evil machinations. But when Edgar and Edmund meet in Act V, the duel between these two brothers is very different from the traditional match for sport. Christian tradition recalls several biblical battles  between good and evil, as divine justice is an important component of trial by combat. The duel between Edgar and Edmund is really a conflict that replays this ongoing battle between good and evil, with Edgars defeat of Edmund obviously signaling the triumph of righteousness over corruption. Edgars victory, as well as his succession of Lear, as king of Britain, points to an intervention of divine justice. And yet, when Lear enters with Cordelias body, any immediate ideas about divine justice vanish. The deaths of Cornwall, Edmund, Regan, and Goneril have lulled the audience into a belief that the gods would restore order to this chaotic world. But Cordelias death creates new questions about the role of divine justice; a just god could not account for the death of this faithful and loving daughter. In spite of the seemingly senseless death of this young woman, Shakespeare never intended for his audience to escape the painful questions that Cordelias death creates. Instead, the audience is expected to struggle with the question of why such tragedies occur. The deaths of Gloucester and Lear are acceptable. Both have made serious errors in judgment, and although both came to recognize their complicity in the destruction that they caused, the natural resolution of this change was an acceptance of their future, whatever it held. But Cordelia is young and blameless. She is completely good and pure. At the plays conclusion, the stage is littered with bodies, some deserving of death and some the innocent victims of evil. Cornwall has been destroyed by his own honest servant; Edmund is killed by the brother he sought to usurp; both Goneril and Regan are dead, one murdered and the other a suicide; the obedient steward, Oswald, is dead, a victim of his own compulsion to obey. In the end, no easy answer surfaces to the question of divine justice, except that perhaps man must live as if divine justice exists, even if its only a product of rich and wishful imaginations.

Sino-Soviet relations Essays -- Soviet Union Russia History Communism

Sino-Soviet relations Following the Second World War a new political order existed. The world essentially was divided between two dominant and opposed spheres, that of the United States and that under the hegemony of the Soviet Union. This global order heavily influenced the foreign policy decisions of policy makers in both Washington and Moscow. Joseph Stalin, the General Secretary of the Communist party and the absolute dictator of the Soviet Union, sought national security for the Soviet Union above all else in the sphere of foreign relations. Stalin’s dealings with other governments, including other Communist leaders, aimed largely towards serving the needs he perceived to exist in his country. Stalin’s government in dealing with China and Chinese communists, therefore, was more concerned with Soviet national security than with the fulfillment of the international communist revolution. Soviet-Chinese Relations Under Lenin Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the Bolshevik party and the Revolution of 1917 which ushered in communist rule in Russia, believed firmly in the idea of a world revolution and the eventual victory of the International Soviet Republic. Lenin, in making contact with the government in Peking, expressed that â€Å"The Chinese revolution will lead to revolution throughout the entire East, and will bring finally the downfall of world imperialism.† On May 4, 1919 Chinese students and intellectuals demonstrated against what they viewed as pro-Japanese sentiments in the Peking government during what became known as the May Fourth Movement. Moscow began monitoring the situation in China with hopes of fostering a communist movement. In 1921 a meeting was held in Shanghai in which a new party, the Chinese Comm... ...he Soviet Experiment: Russia, the USSR, and the Successor States. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Articles Chen, Jian. â€Å"Working Paper #1: The Sino-Soviet Alliance and China's Entry into the Korean War.† Cold War International History Project Virtual Archive. 1 Jun. 1992. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. 30 March 2003. . Chapters in edited books Jun, Niu. â€Å"The Orgins of the Sino-Soviet Alliance,† in Westad, Odd Arne, ed. Brothers In Arms: The Rise and Fall of the Sino-Soviet Alliance, 1945-1963. Washington D.C.: Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 1998. Westad, Odd Arne. â€Å"Introduction,† in Westad, Odd Arne, ed. Brothers In Arms: The Rise and Fall of the Sino-Soviet Alliance, 1945-1963. Washington D.C.: Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 1998.

Analysis of Two Sonata-Form Piano Movements

Beethoven and Haydn provide several examples of sonatas. Two piano sonatas in particular are Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, and Haydn’s Piano Sonata No. 49 in C-sharp minor. Haydn wrote primarily in the mid to late 1700’s, while Beethoven wrote about a hundred years later.For that reason, it is likely (and, in fact, true in these examples) that Haydn’s style would be more typical of ‘normal’ sonata form. The Beethoven sonata begins with a short A theme (which crashes staccato style between piano and forte), followed by a softer, more lyrical B theme.There is no transitional material between the A and B themes; the A theme simply ends and the B theme begins in the next measure. There is only a brief pause between them. The exposition repeats, and lasts unusually long before the transition and development begin. The transition is very brief, only a few measures, and the development is also fairly brief. The recapitulation begins shor tly afterwards. The sonata form is rather unclear throughout the piece – it is not a standard example by any means. The A theme is solidly in C minor, but the B theme is major.It is not the dominant, which is extremely unusual; it is probably in V/iv. It is difficult to tell what key it is in during the B theme as there is no transition, which is traditional, and it is not in the dominant. The recapitulation of this movement is two simple chords that are struck in staccato fashion, similar to the A theme material. The chords sound like V-I, which is a standard ending. The tonic-dominant relationship in this movement isn’t as strong as it would ordinarily be in a sonata; transitions are unclear or unused; keys are unusual.This is an odd example of sonata form. The Haydn sonata is a much more typical example of sonata form. It begins with an A theme in the exposition in C# minor, and moves, with a brief transition, into a B theme in the dominant. The A theme is a contras t between a forte staccato section, and a piano lyrical section, very similar to the Beethoven piece. The B theme is in general more lyrical and flowing than the A theme although it has staccato moments as well. The motives are very obvious, so it is easy to tell when the themes return, which they do throughout the movement.The exposition repeats. Afterwards, a development begins, with a very brief â€Å"x† section at the beginning as transitional material. The development contains a sequence in the middle of it, and the piece goes through several key changes there, landing on a V7 – I to finish the sequence. This sequence repeats later in the movement as well, just before the beginning of the recapitulation. The sequence is characterized by the emphasis of the bass in half notes with sixteenth notes playing over the top. It moves primarily in major seconds, but not exclusively.The A section repeats most often, more so than the B section. The A theme repeats very defin itely again at the start of the closing. The transitional material is brief and remains in the tonic, and the B theme is in the tonic. There is a short section at the end that is a bit different from the A or B theme that may be considered a coda. All in all, this is a very predictable, typical sonata form movement. These two movements are similar in that they are both sonata form movements, that they both have two distinctive themes, and that these themes vary between legato and staccato styles.However, Haydn, who composed during the classical period, adhered much more strictly to traditional sonata form, including proper transitions and key changes. The sections of the form are extremely easy to pick out and are in typical proportion to one another, with the development lasting the longest. Beethoven, who composed during the Romantic era, obscured the form more than Haydn did, so that it bore resemblance to sonata theme but was unique in several ways. The examples together show a progression in the compositional styles through the musical periods.

Hazard Identification at Work Place

Introduction: With a rapid increase in industries from the last few decades, equally corresponding increase in the hazardous materials in process. The industries became larger and often situated in or close to densely inhabited areas. Therefore it is need of the day to develop comprehensive approach to the prevention of human and economic loss or any occurrence associated to the hazards. In the forthcoming paragraphs we will discuss in detail hazards, risks associated to hazards and how preventive measures can be taken to minimise the risks of any accident with reference to the Restaurants (McDonalds Restaurants Ltd).Before to go further one should know what hazard means and how it can be defined. The most common definition of the word Hazard is, â€Å"A potential source of harm or adverse health effect on a person or persons†. The word hazard has many definitions but most common when talking about workplace health and safety is; â€Å"A hazard is any source of potential dama ge, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone under certain conditions at work†. In concise hazard is any condition, event or circumstances that could be the source of an accident.Therefore hazard is a potential source of harm, for example sharp knife is a hazard while working in a kitchen because it can cut. A cutting board is a hazard as it can produce bacteria. Sometimes the meaning of the hazard is confusing. Often dictionaries do not give specific definitions or combine it with the term â€Å"risk†. Such as, dictionary defines the word hazard as a â€Å"danger or risk†. Hazard is not deemed to be identical with risk although it can be significant determinant of risk. This example will differentiate and explain appropriately the meaning of these two terminologies.If there was a spill of water in a room then that water would present a slipping hazard to persons passing through it. If access to that area was prevented by a physical barrier then the hazard would remain though the risk would be minimised. Under the law it is required that the employers must to any extent identify the hazards in the workplaces under their control and assess the risks presented by these hazards. It is the responsibility of the employers to write down the workplace risks and how to deal with it, which is known as a risk assessment.This means the employers must examine in the workplace that what could cause harm to the employees and other people including customers and members of the public. Moreover it allows the employers to evaluate weather adequate precautions have taken or should do more to avoid harm. Hazard identified: In the process of risk management the most important step is to identify the hazard, the hazard not identified cannot be controlled. Whereas the identification process must be comprehensive and conducted in close consultation with the people performing the activity.Under Section 20 of the Act 2005 it is required by the employe r to prepare a written statement (known as safety statement) based on the identification of hazards and risk assessment. Safety statement must specify the manner in which the safety, health and welfare of employees shall be secured and managed. But still it is difficult to declare a hazard identification process as complete. Therefore it should be periodically reviewed. Moreover the process of hazards identification should be documented in the form of hazard logs. For hazard identification the workplace needs to be examined regularly.It assists in determining exactly where slips, trips and falls or any accident on the same level have happened, or there is a potential of likely to happen. This could be completed through simple three steps to pursue; * Consultation with the employees, this is the legal obligation of employers to consult with employees when going through the steps of this procedure. * Regular inspection of the premises. This may be helpful in identifying the source of usual hazards. * Check records including incidents and injury reports, workers compensation claims, and workplace inspection checklists.Whereas working in McDonald’s Restaurants the hazards we might find in a kitchen or restaurant can be categories as: * Electrical equipment * Spills, trips and falls * Sharp equipment * Lifting and carrying * Cleaning chemicals * Cold areas such as chiller and freezer * Vats and hot oil * Grills * Toasters * Hot drinks machines * Compactor These are obvious or apparent hazards which can cause harm, while in the similar system or operations actual incidents that have occurred in the past can be beneficial for the identification of hazards.Risks associated with hazards and control measures: Hazards and risks associated with them are everywhere. Everything we do exposes us to the hazards, but these can be minimised or eliminated with the known control measures to be taken. It is consist of actions to be taken to decrease the possibility of expos ure to the hazard. It could be to remove the hazard or to reduce the likelihood of the risk to contact to the hazard being realised. When we look at control measures we often refer to the hierarchy of control measures.It includes eliminating the hazard creating the risk, substituting the hazard creating the risk with a hazard that gives rise to a lesser risk, minimising the risk with engineering means, isolating the hazard, use of administrative means or using personal protective equipment. We will determine in detail the hazards and risk associated with it, and what could be possible control measures for it. The best way is simply to get rid of the hazard but this not always possible. For example it would be difficult to have a kitchen with no hot equipment.If the hazard cannot be removed we have to minimise the risks. This in turn reduces the likelihood of an accident. For example wet or dirty floor in the restaurant is a hazard, which can damage the health of both employees and t he visitors or customers by falling on the floor. This can have serious consequences both legal and of moral values. Whereas slips and falls are the most common type of accidents in the work place, therefore we should be extra cautious in this area. But still we can avoid the risk or minimise by adopting the proper procedure.To eliminate or minimise the risk associated with a wet or dirty floor, the appropriate procedure is to prepare the area by putting the warning cones in the place to warn anyone approaching the area. To reduce the risks of slips and falls it is highly recommended to clean up spills immediately with a cleaning agent if required. The other example of hazard while working in the restaurant is the step ladders. These are potential hazard if not used safely. It can be the cause of major accident if appropriate precautions are not adopted.While using these ladders in the time of need, one should make it sure that it is fully open with all four feet on the level, non-s lip surface. And to make it sure that it should be used with dry and clean shoes. Always make sure to climb the steps one at a time, ensuring a safe foot and handhold, with a firm grip. The very nature of McDonald’s restaurants, it has a lot of hot surfaces and hot liquids in the kitchens and front counter areas. While working near hot equipments such as grills, toasters, hot drink machines and fry vats extra care has to be taken; negligence can be very harmful and could result in severe burns.For example the special grills used in McDonald’s consist of a lower hot plate (temperature 218 C) with a moving top hot plate (temperature 177 C) known as platen, which has high risk of burns. Therefore to reduce the risk of burns it is highly recommended when not in use return platens to lower stand by position. This prevents the hot platens from being exposed and reduces the risk of burns. Moreover to reduce the risks we have to: * Check the design and safety of all equipment and chemicals used. * Develop the procedures and training Introduce special protective equipment if the risk is still too high. Such as for vats and hot oil filtering special protective clothing must be worn. This consists of long gauntlets, heavy duty apron and face visor. Work can be fun, but never at the expense of safety. Practical jokes can have tragic results; it can put the safety of employees or customers at risk. Every procedure we learn, or piece of equipment we use, has been designed with safety in mind. That is why it is so important to follow procedure.It is to keep in mind that for the health and safety of ourselves and the people around us we shouldn’t do any tasks which haven’t been shown or we not properly trained of. Conclusion: Safety is no accident. Every employee has a responsibility towards health and safety in their workplace. A lot of health and safety is common sense and nearly all accidents can be avoided if we always follow the correct proced ures and to take reasonable care for health and safety of ourselves and of other people at work. It can be managed just as we manage every other aspect of the business.This requires planning, well trained people, good supervision by managers, and the commitment of every single employee. We must work together to identify hazards and take action to minimise risks. We have to make sure that not to misuse anything provided in the interests of health and safety. Words count: 1729. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Frank P Lees. Loss prevention in the process industries, hazard identification, assessment and control. 2nd Edition 1996. [ 2 ]. http://www. hsa. ie/eng/Topics/Hazards/Hazards_and_Risk. tml? showDoc=1 [ 3 ]. Hazard and risk: http://www. ccohs. ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/hazard_risk. html [ 4 ]. A guide to risk management. http://www. qast. org. au/Portals/0/PDFS/gde40v1. pdf [ 5 ]. Hazar d and risk; http://www. ccohs. ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/hazard_risk. html. [ 6 ]. http://www. hsa. ie/eng/Topics/Hazards/Hazards_and_Risk. html? showDoc=1& [ 7 ]. Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 [ 8 ]. www. hsa. ie. [ 9 ]. Hazard management. http://w3. unisa. edu. au/ohsw/procedures/docs/hazard. df [ 10 ]. Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 [ 11 ]. Ibid. [ 12 ]. Guidance on hazard identification- March 09, http://easa. europa. eu/essi/ecast/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ECASTSMSWG-GuidanceonHazardIdentification1. pdf [ 13 ]. Guidance on hazard identification- March 09, http://easa. europa. eu/essi/ecast/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ECASTSMSWG-GuidanceonHazardIdentification1. pdf [ 14 ]. Preventing slips, trips and falls, Guide 2007. http://www. workcover. nsw. gov. au [ 15 ]. McDonald’s, hygiene and safety handbook 16 ]. Hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control procedure: http://www. bhtafe. edu. au/about/Documents/Policies%2 0and%20Procedures/OHS%20Procedures. pdf [ 17 ]. http://www. dehp-facts. com/CLab/CL_hazard. htm [ 18 ]. www. hsa. ie [ 19 ]. Preventing slips, trips and falls, Guide 2007. http://www. workcover. nsw. gov. au [ 20 ]. McDonalds hygiene and safety handbook. [ 21 ]. McDonald’s hygiene and safety handbook. [ 22 ]. ibid [ 23 ]. Ibid. [ 24 ]. Ibid. [ 25 ]. McDonald’s. Hygiene and safety handbook. [ 26 ]. Ibid.

Analyse a short story by Dorothy Parker in context of controversy surrounding gender roles during 1920s Essays

Analyse a short story by Dorothy Parker in context of controversy surrounding gender roles during 1920s Essays Analyse a short story by Dorothy Parker in context of controversy surrounding gender roles during 1920s Paper Analyse a short story by Dorothy Parker in context of controversy surrounding gender roles during 1920s Paper Essay Topic: Literature This essay within the framework of the Big Blonde will argue that although women in America were given the right to vote during the 1920s, they were still struggling for social and economic equality with men. New York City was a place of male control and power, where a woman was considered a second-class citizen at best. A woman was a source of entertainment for the men; showing that any importance woman might have had relied heavily upon the men they were affiliated with. While many women endorsed the career of a homemaker, there were also the protagonists of the time who made an attempt to expand their equality. In A Big Blonde, Dorothy Parker tells the story of such a woman, Hazel Morse who has the potential of her male counterpart though due her gender is made to feel that her self-worth and ability is just not good enough, and like most women of the time would have to prove herself. An analogy quite common in the 20s, which was enforced with absolute conviction with no room for any doubts that perhaps women might just be better, or able enough to do things that had been traditionally allocated and inherently representative of men. Compelled to represent her in a different way. She resorts to superficiality in presenting herself in a manner that a male dominated society would find attractive. Done so, in the name of acceptance, or being a good sport how Parker would have put it. Women were paying the price of such acceptance dearly for simply the right to fit in and find their marks of equality, as long as such a price was paid, the acceptance would remain. This story clearly illustrates the controversy that surrounded gender roles, and the hardships women had to face to find an equal place in society. How they had been trapped by either domesticity or placed in a society where a corresponding mask was needed for the corresponding occasion. As harsh as it may sound such a situation could only be described as a faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade by both sexes, men to keep women unquestioning and confined to such roles of the wife, the mother, or an entertainer hosting parties and so on. Supposedly depend upon your class affiliation. No matter what the case women to certain an extent brought this upon themselves through their unquestioning posture towards such confinement and striving for no real impetus in changing things. In this particular era merely resorting to making the most of what they did have, giving themselves a certain sense of importance within the confines of their world. Which for most women may have initially been exciting, though certainly must have been difficult to maintain and overtime may have caused an identity crisis amongst large numbers of women, uncertain of where they stand within society, a then male dominated society. Pushing women to either search for stronger means of liberation or dissolve into their created identity. The story continues of how Hazel gets tired of living this lie and when she begins to feel relaxed with the trust and acceptance she has received, she allows herself to release her inhibitions. Her husband Herbie is angered to discover his wifes new personality and behaves as though he has encountered not his wife, but a stranger. Herbie thought he had married his ideal woman a big breasted, fun loving blonde. Never did it occur to him that there could be anything more to Hazel than that.1 By this, we may understand that when the woman displayed their emotions and sadness, they would most certainly be disregarded as unknowns for simply being themselves. Through Hazel Morse, Parker tells the story of many women who are in search of contentment and total liberation but who may never find it. Hopefully this exercise will shed some light on the grey areas and in general the controversy that surrounded gender roles in the 1920s. Principally due to the inequality and double standards of sexes. Where one party is easily accepted while the other must struggle for acceptance when rebelling against conformist conventions. The 1920s America is often considered to be an era of fun and liberation, where women easily entered social circles and enjoyed new freedoms. But inadvertently freedoms that came at a price, which still had not guaranteed a total release from the restraints of the time. Which are picked up by Parker and articulated through the experiences of her protagonist Morse. The title itself draws our attention to her physical appearance and the cultural significance of such attributes that we associate with her attractiveness, especially to men and how they perceive her and through such perceptions create somewhat stereotypical expectations. Hazels blondness interprets a distinct femininity and carries sexual implications. However, she enjoys the attention and popularity amongst men: Popularity seemed to be worth all the work you had to put into its achievement. Men liked you because you were fun, and when they liked you they took you out, and there you were. So, and successfully, she was fun, she was a good sport. Men liked a good sport.2 The city culture is depicted as male dominated and while the men held stable jobs, women were expected to be a source of many things, one of which was entertainment. They were not encouraged to be educated for possible fear that this would give women greater financial independence, thus self reliance and freedom as Darwins theory of womens inferiority would suggest: In The Descent of Man, Darwin wrote that, Man is more powerful in body and mind than woman, and in the savage state he keeps her in a far more abject state of bondage than does the male of any other animal; therefore it is not surprising that he should have gained the power and selection.3 Evolution was in the hands of men, and women were basically passive. As a result, women had evolved less and were more primitive, for which reason women were dominated by instincts and emotions.4 We may understand that although women were given the right to vote and liberated, they were still underestimated and expected to fail due to their alleged primitive disposition. However, the event of World War I had given women an opportunity to gain some financial independence and social freedom, which were further expanded during the 1920s when women made many changes in the social arena introducing bobbed-hair cuts, going without corsets, scantier underwear and knee-length skirts; also enjoying drinking, smoking and sexual freedom. The former taboo was now openly displayed and available, and men readily assisted women in expressing their freedom. Parker shows how men enforced such liberation and how they would indeed benefit from the new standards for socialising and sexuality. Men, who had been at war, now returned to their daily jobs and those in professional occupations could clearly afford a lavish lifestyle. Though true happiness had no price, men had found that every other p leasantry did. Those who supplied these pleasantries did so at the cost of any real freedom to express themselves. Parker portrays the male characters in her story as men who have money and who can afford to take care of the financial welfare of a woman or women in their lives. They are sketched as men of importance, who are hard-working and often due to their professional success are regarded as good men who possess correct moral conduct. But Parker shows how this is not always true, how these men have loose morals and their understanding of a womans worth is to be a source for their benefit and enjoyment. The young male doctor, who lives in Hazels apartment building, is engaged in a vaguely sexual encounter with a prostitute who is there to help him unwind after a hard day. This man of authority is just like the many other men, who use this high stature of influence and power to their advantage, to fully explore and engage themselves in a physical manner without any true interest in trying to discover any real emotions. Although women in its initially enjoyed this attention, they soon realised that they found no contentment in this lifestyle. It also proves exhausting, as Hazel Morses begins to feel. Her duty to find a husband and keep him happy is half fulfilled when she marries Herbie, who wants a wife that is fun and enjoyable. His expectations of married life are different to that of his wifes. For Hazel, who has been a good sport for too long and exhausted of this faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade, gladly receives marriage as an alternative to the life she knew. Feeling relaxed in her settlement, Hazel releases her internal experience, she wants to explain her exhaustion and sadness but does not find any comfort, instead is abandoned because she is no longer fun to be with. The other men Hazel encounters are also strikingly similar to Herbie, who only enjoy her company when she is cheerful and willing. Here we see again how she is not wanted when she is in low spirits: She was instantly unattractive when she was low in spirits. Once, at Jimmys when she couldnt make herself lively, Ed had walked out and left her. Why the hell dont you stay at home and not go spoiling everybodys evening? he had roared.5 Why was it necessary for her to make herself lively? Hazel did not have this expectation of people, this is evident from her relationships; she would devote all her energy and persona to please others, possibly like many women of the time. This was one of the reasons why she was so unhappy and depressed. She needed to feel loved and accepted for who she was; she wanted to be appreciated as an individual and not just in terms of a category. This itself was enough to cause a sense of insecurity and depression in a male dominated world. Where the men are depicted as unstable and not always reliable, who would most certainly lose interest in her? During the 1920s, depression was more common among women than men, and this still remains a fact today. American women are twice as more likely to suffer from depression than men: More than 19 million Americans suffer from depression yearly and women are twice as likely as men to experience a major depressive episode. Depression may occur at any age during a womans life with certain events like puberty, pregnancy, per menopause, trauma, substance abuse and quality of relationships increasing the risk, according to the leading authorities on the etiologies and treatments for depression.6 From this we may understand that our individual history, formed by our own personal experiences is what shapes our state of mind. We may question whether women are more likely to suffer from depression because of some of their own weaknesses, or those in the conditions in which they live? On the other hand, are these weaknesses in their surroundings created through the ones within themselves? We may apply these questions to Parkers women both in the story and in the general, who have a superficial appearance of liberation. This newfound freedom and rebellious lifestyle becomes psychologically strenuous and exhausting. A much-needed escape is required from a situation partially created by the weaknesses in themselves and in the conditions in which they live. The depressed person can barely envisage circumstances that would improve her condition. For the depressed person sees not so much the world, but herself at fault. For her, the way out, the solution is usually seen as death. Dead, she will no longer have to suffer and endure this hopeless: changeless, endless emptiness.7 We can compare this analysis of depression to women like Hazel Morse, who are looking for a way out and with a belief that the fault lies within them, and so the only escape is to escape from oneself. The rewards for being fun and cheerful are no longer enjoyed anymore, instead life has become dull and sad and all sorrows become her sorrows. Hazel realises her sadness, which causes an involuntary recognition of the pain of those around her: As she slowly crossed Sixth Avenue, consciously dragging one foot past the other, a big, scarred horse pulling a rickety express-wagon crashed to its knees before her. The driver swore and screamed and lashed the beast insanely, bringing the whip back over his shoulder for every blow, while the horse struggled to get a footing on the slippery asphalt.8 A metaphorical connection is drawn for Hazel and the horse, how they are both on a journey of someone elses pleasure and purpose. How they are both exhausted by the heavy loads they must carry without appreciation, and they must suffer silently in a world that has no understanding of their emotions or regards for their feelings. The controversy that surrounded gender roles was due to the inequality imposed upon women. They wanted to enjoy the lifestyle that the men enjoyed and with an equal acceptance, they wanted to drink and smoke and have sexual relationships just like men, where the men rebelled against social conventions, the women wanted to rebel too. However, this rebellion was a lot easier for men, at times not even a rebellion but a normal part of their inheritance, habitually bestowed upon them, simply due to their gender. Men perceived women as a source of pleasure or a homemaker at most. A lot of the characterisations of the 20s were stereotyped and based on an opinion that women can be judged by their appearance. For example, a blonde is often perceived to be dumb, dizzy and happy. For reasons, which were quite common, back then, to name a few, weaknesses, depression, over-indulgence in alcohol, and principally obedience by women to such conformist ideas. As women back then knew what was required of them and did what they where told in a male dominated world. Which in all fairness to the 20s in a certain sense can be true even of today though such things are not referenced to as openly, though still exist in more inconspicuous manner. Due to the gender discrimination and equality laws that have been enact and imposed upon both sexes to prevent such categorisations. Though not to say such representations do not exist anymore. Saying that, I would also like to point to the fact that the 20s were considered to be a period dominated by women. Not entirely sure in what context such a statement could be appropriated, though if where to base an opinion on extracts and literature of the time it would suggest that the period did give them social, economic and sexual freedom. Although the women enjoyed these liberties, men equally enjoyed them too. I think sources from that period that point to such liberties are corresponding with the past when womens roles were very much confined even more so than the present. In no way am I saying that the 20s was a model of gender equality as the world has come a long way since then and is still evolving. Though what is interesting is the price women had to pay for the supposed freedoms they did enjoy. Something Parker makes repeated reference to through writing about male representations of women how they held an idea that women were there as a means for their entertainment. But the women who contributed in fulfilling these expectations stretched this idea further. It was these expectations that created the controversy in gender roles.

How to Pronounce Italian American Surnames

How to Pronounce Italian American Surnames Everyone knows how to pronounce their last name, right? Since surnames are obviously a point of pride, its not hard to understand why families would insist on pronouncing them a certain way. But second- and third-generation Italian Americans who have little or no knowledge of Italian are often unaware of how to correctly pronounce their last names, resulting in anglicized versions that bear little aural resemblance to the original, intended form. Thats Not Italian In popular culture, on TV, in movies, and radio, Italian surnames are frequently mispronounced. Endings are truncated, extra syllables are added where none exist, and vowels are barely mouthed. Its no wonder, then, that many Italian Americans cannot pronounce their last names the way their forefathers did. If you cringe when hearing Italian words mispronounced, are interested in how your surname was meant to be pronounced in the original language, or want to recognize your own last name when spoken by a native Italian, there are a few simple rules to follow. When Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel sang, in the 1969 Grammy Awards Record of the Year song Mrs. Robinson, Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? they turned the Yankee Hall of Famers last name into four syllables. In fact, the Italian pronunciation should be dee-MAH-joh. In 2005, amidst the blanket media coverage of the Terri Schiavo case (brain-dead and in a coma, her husband went to court to have her taken off life support) the American media persisted in pronouncing her last name as SHY-vo, which to Italian speakers sounded very wrong. The correct pronunciation is skee-AH-voh. There are many other examples in which no attempt is made for even a close approximation of standard Italian pronunciation, which has lead to the spread of careless sounding out of Italian last names. Ironically, in Italy native Italian speakers struggle with the same dilemma of whether to pronounce surnames on the grounds of nationality (i.e., to italicize a last name) or on the basis of the origin of the surname. The Correct Way If many English speakers cannot seem to pronounce Italian last names correctly, how can you avoid common pronunciation mistakes in Italian? Remember that Italian is a phonetic language, which means words are usually pronounced as they are written. Determine how to break down your surname into syllables and learn how to pronounce Italian consonants and vowels. Ask a native Italian or someone fluent in the language how to pronounce your cognome italiano, or post a message on the forums such as: How to pronounce the surname Lucania correctly (hint: its not loo-KA-nia, or loo-CHA-nia, but loo-KAH-nee-ah). At some point, the linguistic clouds will part, and youll be able to pronounce your Italian last name as it was meant to be. Stumbling, Mumbling Pronunciation There are a few letter combinations in Italian that frequently trip up even the most assiduous speaker, and lead to the mangled pronunciation of last names. For example, Albert Ghiorso was the co-discoverer of a number of chemical elements. But pronouncing the surname Ghiorso shouldnt require a Ph.D. in chemistry. The scientists last name is not enunciated gee-OHR-so but rather ghee-OR-soh. Other potential tongue-twisters include double consonants, ch, gh, and the ever-tricky gli. Master these articulation challenges, and youll sound like a native when pronouncing memorable Italian last names such as: Pandimiglio, Schiaparelli, Squarcialupi, and Tagliaferro.

Quality improvement scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quality improvement scenario - Essay Example However, if my improvement plan works there are several outcomes for patients with CHF patients in my floor. First, there will be a drastic reduction of readmissions of CHF patients. Secondly, CHF patients in my floor will not even be going to the ER or will not stay there for long once the improvement plan is in motion. Finally, this improvement plan will have the ability of preventing CHF to old age patients through teaching them on how to prevent it by living healthier lifestyles. This problem of readmission of CHF patients to the ER was uncovered by the quality improvement department. However, this problem is not unique to my hospital or my unit; it is a broader problem affecting almost every hospital or units (Desai & Stevenson, 2015). Furthermore, this problem is linked to a national quality and safety indicator for healthy people 2010 (Sullivan, 2012). Conversely, the problem of readmission of CHF patients to the ER is not linked to a national nurse-sensitive quality indicator. Data will be analyzed by the volunteering team which consists of the nurse manager for the cardiovascular unit, patient focused care assistant, a pharmacist, the staff nurse, the ER nurse and a physician (Stewart, Blue & Ebrary, 2001). After in depth assessment by all the volunteering staff, data will be compared to the data collected on the last quarters statistics. This will be able to give a clue as to whether the implementation plan is working or not. After comparisons of previous and present data, the volunteering team takes the assessed data to the director of CQI. The director will then asses the data and give a go ahead with the implementation or come up with a new directive on the plan. Data will be presented in a table form. The data will be used to improve performance in that the data collected was found to be impacting on the patient care. There are several ways in which the data can be used to improve performance. First,