Whole Foods

Whole foods Market is one of the largest and most successful organic natural food retailers in the world. The success of this retail giant did not happen overnight. Whole Foods was the idea of a twenty five year old college dropout named John Mackey and his girlfriend Rene Lawson Hardy. Their mission was to open an all-natural and organic food store with the promise of healthy food for a healthier life. In 1978 the two began their venture with a small health food store named SafeWay.In two year’s time Mackey and Lawson partnered with Craig Weller and Mark Skiles to merge SafeWay and another local natural food store in Austin Texas, employing only 19 people. (â€Å"Whole foods market,† 2012) John Mackey realized his passion was finally coming to fruition when he had said, â€Å"that having had a natural food conversion he wanted to share it with others. † (Patoski, 2006) This vision has now brought Whole Foods to recently celebrate their 30th anniversary.During th ese 30 years Whole Foods has stayed true to their mission of supporting and providing an equitable work environment for their employees, providing superior quality products for their customers, and embracing their commitment to sustainable agriculture. The driving force behind Whole Foods huge success is that they are goal oriented and passionate about their mission. Every employee from CEO’s to the store employee’s function under a set of shared beliefs that are put into practice with the assistance from the business model known as P.L. O. C. P. L. O. C. is made up of four components that are essentially management tools to create a cohesive structured and well planned organization.The first component of P. L. O. C. is planning. Planning is the process of setting performance objectives and determining what actions should be taken to accomplish them. The second is the component organizing. Organizing is the process of setting and assigning tasks and coordinating the ac tivities of individuals or group within an organization. The third P. L. O. C. component is leading.Leading is the process of creating an atmosphere that promotes a strong work ethic through shared enthusiasm, positivity, and productivity. The last component of the P. L. O. C. model is controlling. Controlling involves establishing performance standards based on the company’s objectives and evaluating and reporting job performance. It’s no secret that Whole Foods is a very successful company. It is also quite clear that their success is due in large part to their partnering of both their effective use of P. L. O. C. management and their core values. Whole Foods has a motto which captures their purpose as an organization.Their motto being Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet, along with their use of P. L. O. C. these components has been the foundation to their success. The Whole Foods piece of the model refers to the highest quality, the least processed and the most naturally preserved foods. The Whole People stands for recruiting quality personnel who hold the same belief and passion about food as well as a desire to be a part of a team culture. Whole Planet signifies the company’s social responsibility by actively being committed to supporting organic farming and agriculture, and being aware of and caring for the world around them. (â€Å"Whole foods market,† 1997)Whole Foods has strong core values, among them are offering only the highest quality of natural and organic products available; ensuring customers satisfaction and delight; enhancing the happiness and excellence of the human resources; generating wealth through profit and growth; showing care for the environment and communities; establishing a â€Å"win-win† alliance with suppliers; and teaching stakeholders how to improve their health through proper eating education.(â€Å"Whole foods Market’s,† 2012)Whole Foods is known throughout the entire food industry for being an exceptional company to work for. Promoting happiness and excellence among their employees is one of their core values. In addition, Whole Foods is an organization that successfully utilizes the P. L. O. C model which has allowed them to establish superior recruitment strategies. The company recruits a specific kind of employee, one who wants to be a part of their team and who shares the same core values.Their employees are empowered by and invested in the company by being given decision making capabilities, a respectful work place, and felling that they are supported, valued and that their hard work and commitment to excellence is recognized. Whole Foods has a team motto mentality. Every employee is a part of a team that meets regularly and collaborates, discusses, and decides on issues regarding the work place and employee will being. The belief that every voice is valuable has helped create an atmosphere that is open and positive.Beginning on the highest run g of the company ladder to an individual store employee, decisions are shared by all. This has been an enormous motivator for the employees at Whole Foods because unlike other retail food stores employees actually have a say and are instrumental in ensuring the future of the company. They are held up as being as important as their customers and their opinions are valued. (Kammeyer) Whole Foods has been named one of the top companies to work for by CNN Money.(Walker, 2012)Compared to other retailers who struggle to pay their employees the minimum wage, Whole Foods doubles it paying their employees an average of $15 dollars and hour. CEO Walter Robb, who joined the company in 2010, stated that he â€Å"wishes he could pay his employees even more. † (Blodget, 2012) This is an annual salary that hits just short from being able to supporting a family in most parts of the county. Whole Foods also stands by their vision to be a shared market with their employees, they have set a cap on all salaries company wide.No employee from a team member up to an executive will receive any more than 19 times the company wide annual salary. When the majority CEO’s of large corporations, average a rate of 231 times the regular working person. Whole Foods caps salaries as a way to ensure equity and trust among all. (Kannal, 9 14) Whole Foods is an open book, with nothing to hide. Any financial information from every employee starting from a â€Å"Team Member† to a CEO is disclosed to the public, their job title and wages from each title can be found at the job and anyone can look it up on Glassdoor.com if they wanted to find out. Whole Foods believes in the practice of â€Å"open people, open book, open door. † (Whole Foods Market, 2012) An innovative practice John Mackey believed it would â€Å"stop envy in human nature at work. † (cite)Whole Foods employees allotted affordable to no cost benefits such as medical, dental, vision, personal wellness , healthcare and dependent care reimbursement, life and disability insurance, 401K retirement savings, paid time off, gainsharing, Team Member discounts, Team Member emergency plan,  and stock options that are given and may also be purchased. All employees are encouraged every three years to engage in a companywide vote for the companies â€Å"Team Members† health and benefit package. This allows them to recognize exactly what their needs are and establish a benefit package that supports those needs. Whole Foods doesn’t believe in a one size fits all package. (Blodget, 2012) When it comes to stock ownership of Whole Foods 96 percent of their stock is held by Team Member or non-executive employees.The remaining amount is held by top executives. The philosophy that Whole Foods holds is the customer comes first, then the Team Members, and then the stockholders. (Sacks, 2009) Whole Foods philosophy is that, â€Å"the most important stakeholders are our customers. † The satisfaction of Whole Foods customers is extremely important to everyone in the company. Once again Whole Food combines the tenets of P. L. O. C. and the core values of supporting the health and well-being of all people to stock their stores with the highest quality organic and natural foods.John Mackey refers to the theory of customers being the true lifeline of a business as â€Å"Conscious Capitalism,† (a phrase he has trademarked) instead of only focusing on the gain of the business profit wise, focus on the purpose. (Sacks, 2009) Putting more of the focus on the philosophy of Whole Foods keeps customer happy and returning to experience the main reason why they started shopping there in the first place. Whole Foods has unquestionably changed the way people buy and eat food. In this down turning economy Whole Foods wants to keep their customers loyal and on track to continuing to eat naturally, healthy and organically.They have added coupons directly on their website that can be printed from your own computer, or even picked up from any local Whole Foods store. Once again the Whole Foods organization aims to keep their customers happy by providing affordable, delicious food. Whole Foods takes their commitment to balance their needs of people with their needs of the planet very seriously. They recognize that they as global citizens, they must practice sound environmental stewardship. Whole Foods is known for being a respected company and has been awarded the AchievementAward from the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as being ranked 5th on the top 50 Green Power Partners list. (â€Å"Green mission†) (EPA. gov) Whole Foods does this by emphasizing and upholding the importance of the 3 R’s, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. By following these R’s Whole Foods has reduced their landfill waste by 75 percent. A method Whole Food uses to avoid waste was to put a ban on using plastic bags, only using reusable bags or paper bags that ca n be recycled. To encourage their customers to bring in their own bags a nickel is refunded towards each full purchase.(â€Å"Green mission†)In 2002 Whole Foods became the first retailer to introduce solar energy as their power source, this made them the only Fortune 500 Company to purchase wind power and set off 100 percent of their energy cost. (Kannal, 9 14) Another contribution to the environment was selling organic produce, meats and materials, their vision used to reduce waste by the farmers they are purchasing from. Whole Foods also gives back to the community locally and to other countries by establishing the Whole Foods Foundation, a non for profit established by Whole Foods.Donations are received by online giving, mail, or at the checkout counter. The challenge that Whole Food may face in the future is the completion from other stores looking to grow and hold the same quality natural and organic products as they do. Another factor is the rising cost in produce and n atural foods. Whole Foods must continue to use those core values that they built their empire from to rise above the others, by building strong partnership with local farmers and continuing to stay innovative within their stores management structure. A Whole Food is an incredible organization.Not only do they care about the food they sell, the customers they provide for, and the world in which they live. They are also deeply committed to a future in which not just local communities but the world at large benefits from the practice in healthy eating that has become their trademark for the past 30 years. Whole Foods high quality innovative personnel, careful planning, management strategies and systems, and incredible dedication manage to secure their place in a highly competitive retail world and from the looks of things they are not going anywhere soon.

National Film Registry and Existentialism Reflection Patch Essay

Existentialism Reflection Patch Adams is a movie about a man that is determined to be a doctor. Along the way, he comes across some issues when he won’t conform to the rest of the medical students. He is actually a good example of an existentialist. He is his own person within a larger society, or the other students at the school. He follows what he believes in and his life turns out almost just the way he wanted it to. In the movie, there were some quotes: â€Å"Look beyond the problem.† –Arthur †¢Everyone else stares whatever their problem is right in the face and expect to figure out the solution. Arthur tries to say, look past the problem. Focus on the solution. â€Å"See the world anew each day.† –Arthur †¢In a way, this is a stoic quote. To not let anything previous to this day affect it. Everyday holds a new adventure and if you are worrying about the past, how are you ever going to enjoy it? â€Å"The mental hospital was the best thing that ever happened to me.† –Patch †¢In the hospital, he found out he loved to help people. He wanted to listen to people and make them enjoy life. He really found his passion and without the mental hospital, he maybe never would have. â€Å"Death is not the enemy†¦indifference is.† –Patch †¢When people are dying, showing care is the most important thing. If they don’t know that people care, that makes death so much worse. Everyone is going to die someday. Everyone should just enjoy life. As relating to existentialism, Kirkegaard would have thought that Patch was a good example. He was a part of the group, yet he was his own person within that group.

Being a Good Friend

Mean Girls Friends are very important because your life would be miserable without them. You need people to talk to sometimes. Sometimes when you’re lonely you just need a friend. Friends are there for you, they need you and you need them. Friends make your life enjoyable. Going behind someone’s back is very wrong and happens at Peters Township sometimes. It can ruin friendships if people find out about their friends doing such a thing. You can lose other friends and people may not like you if they found out what you did. When new kids come to school they don’t really fit in. We need to help them fit in and make new friends. New students usually don’t have any friends before they get to a new school. When a new student arrives we should make them feel welcome and have a day to know them. If you’re getting bullied all you have to do is bring a baseball bat to school. Then hit the people bullying you with it. They won’t bully you anymore. You could tell a teacher instead, but I support the baseball bat idea. To maintain a healthy relationship you have to be honest, respectful, and nice. If you’re not honest they can’t trust you. You have to respect them and they will respect you. If you’re not nice they won’t want to be friends with you. You need to do a lot of things to have a healthy relationship, but there easy and simple things.

GBH liability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

GBH liability - Essay Example Section 42 of the OAPA 1861 affirmed that an attack is committed in the case of unlawful violence or violence committed to another person. This statement was revised by the CIA in 1988. The action of violence was clearly stated and under which circumstance this section was relevant. Violence committed to a person under unlawful means is a crime as this will endanger the life of the victim.Sarah’s consent to sexual intercourseDespite Sarah’s approval to sexual relations, she was unaware of Richard’s HIV status. She did not consent to be infected with the HIV. Richard committed offense as he consciously transmitted the HIV to Sarah. This was with the knowledge that it would result to a life threatening condition to Sarah.  Ã‚   According to this case in matters pertaining R v Clarence and R v Dica, while it is appropriate in terms of sexual consent, it does not address the matter of acceptance to the endangerment of grievous body impairment. This may be as a resu lt of sexual relations by modes of sexually transmitted infections.. In both cases, the defendants did not inform their partners that they had the HIV. The partners also were ignorant of the status of their sexual partners. Sarah was ignorant of Richard’s sexual transmitted disease condition. Sarah consented to sexual intercourse, but she did not consent to the risk of the viral infection. For a sexual partner’s consent to the dangers of contracting the HIV to be valid; the approval of the other partner ought to be an informed consent (Card et al, 2012). Hair cutting issue Sarah was not happy that Richard cut her hair; she opted to remain quiet on this topic. She weighted her love emotions for Richard and remained silent. Sarah did not consent to her hair being cut; this is regarded as actual body harm to Sarah.

Were the Nazis modern Would you consider them modernist or modernizers Essay

Were the Nazis modern Would you consider them modernist or modernizers You could argue that they were one of these, both, or neither - Essay Example In the era of high modernist, as from about 1910 to 1930, the main figures of modernist works aided fundamentally to redefine what poetry and narrative might be and do. Figures like Rilke, Woolf, Stevens, Joyce, Pound, Eliot, Mallarme, and Proust are deliberated the initiators of twentieth-century modernist (Inglehart, 1997). On the hand, modernizer or modernization is the change from agrarian, rural, traditional society to an industrial, secular, urban society. Modern society is industrial society. For one to modernize a society, it first starts with industrialize it. Traditionally, the growth of modern society has been intimately linked to the occurrence of industrial society. All such features that are related with modernity can be revealed to be connected to the set of variations that, no more than two centuries ago, brought into existence the industrial form of society. This proposes that the terms industrialism and industrial culture suggest far more than the monetary and technological mechanisms that build up their fundamental. Industrialism is a way of life that incorporates profound monetary, cultural changes, social, and political. It is by experiencing the ample change of industrialization that societies become modern (Armstrong, 2005) Modernization is an uninterrupted and open-ended course. Traditionally, the span of time over which it has happened must be measured in centuries, even if there are instances of enhanced modernization. In such a case, modernization is not a once-and-for-all-time success. There seems to be a vibrant principle built into the very fabric of contemporary societies that does not permit them to settle, or to attain. It is a modernist piece this is because it talks of the artifacts that would be collected not to divulge the twentieth centurys progressive progress, but to trace and exaggerates its curious partnerships, the conspiracies that made the century successful; the diverse histories that it drew upon, the

Critcally appraise the nurse mentors role in the support and Essay

Critcally appraise the nurse mentors role in the support and management of under achieving students - Essay Example Here, nurse mentors are supposed to come up with appropriate strategies for intervening to address the areas where a student portrays weaknesses (Cottrell 2013). By differentiating the treatments to facilitate in addressing the needs of underachievers, it would be possible to start addressing the problem attributed with underachievement in both the society and schools (Duffy 2007). For instance, there are diverse forces that lead to underachievement among students. This creates a need to adopt interventions for reversing the effects of underachievement. Instructional interventions and counselling are among the key strategies that nurse mentors can adopt to deal with the issue (Cooper and Gosnell 2014). Various counselling interventions lay emphasis on altering the family or personal dynamics, which lead to underachievement by a student. These interventions may target family, group, or individual mentoring. In diverse mentoring instances, a nurse mentor should refrain from forcing a student to become a successful. Rather, the mentor should focus on helping the student to determine whether success is a valuable goal, creating room for changing counterproductive behaviour (Brown, et al. 2012). Furthermore, a major instructional intervention that has been noted to play a major role in assisting underachieving students is placing them part-time to special classrooms. In these designated environments, mentors aim at providing the students with an appealing environment by altering the customary classroom environment. Usually, small ration between the student and the mentor prevails where the mentors can offer mentoring services and choice for exercising control and freedom in their environment. Here, the students are encouraged to utilize diverse learning strategies as well as adopt self-directed behaviour (Cooper and Gosnell 2014). Thus, this paper

The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren - Essay Example It should also be highlighted that this book is not only aimed at a particular Christian denomination, say Protestant or Catholic, rather the author tackles a universal theme that most, if not all, churches can relate to. The book is divided into six major portions. The first part provides an overview on how one should perceive his purpose in life. In this chapter, Warren asserts that what is of utmost importance to human beings as God's creation is to know God's purpose in our lives. In this regard, our greatest achievement is to live for God's glory and purpose. With this, it should be realized that it is important to focus on God and in know His purpose for us. Focusing on ourselves, as what other instructional books suggest, would never reveal this purpose. In the five remaining chapters, Warren discusses the five basic purposes of our lives. The first purpose pertains to our glorifying God by worshipping Him. The type of worship that Warren refers is the one which is motivated by our love, gratitude and delight in God. We are able to glorify God by worshipping Him not only out of duty or obligation but wholeheartedly. The second purpose is to glorify God by loving other believers. ... This means that by becoming like Jesus, believers are able to reach spiritual maturity. Warren points out that in order or us to be like Jesus in our thought, emotion and action, change in character is needed. This may be very difficult considering human nature. Nevertheless, we are called to develop our character for the main purpose of glorifying God. The fourth purpose is related to our responsibility towards our fellowmen. According to Warren, we glorify God by utilizing God-given gifts to serve others. He asserts that God has granted us talents, skills and abilities which should be used not only for personal gain but more so for the benefit of others. The author explains that we are able to serve God by serving others. Such is the pathway to real significance and fulfilling one's purpose here on earth. The book ends with the fifth purpose that sends off readers with a mission. This mission entails glorifying God by telling others about Him. In this regard, we have a mission to evangelize others. Such requires the sharing of the Good News and helping others discover their purpose. Warren puts forth that living with a purpose is the only way to truly live. As such, we should be mindful not only of knowing our purpose but aiding others in discovering theirs as well. Personal Reflection Despite the advent of a culture that focuses on man as an independent entity, the substantial sales of Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life indicates how religion continues to play an important role in our lives. In this book, Warren tackles the main concerns in the aspect of religion, i.e. finding the purpose and meaning of life (Macionis). This may be the root of the worldwide commercial success of

Competition Law in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Competition Law in Business - Essay Example Ilovemoneyalot, a telecommunication firm has a bigger market share as compared to other competitors such as Alfa and Beta. The move by the CEO of Ilovemoneyalot telecommunication to lure the other businesses to lower their prices of their products and services is against the competition laws. This is undertaking the dominant position the company enjoys to foreclose the market whereby the growth of other businesses will be limited. In Turkey, Competition Act, it prohibits the abuse by business undertaking of their dominant position. The abuse can take both the vertical and the horizontal form. According to the Act, a vertical agreement is the agreements carried out by business undertaking at different levels of production or distribution chain in order to produce or sell goods and services. Intellectual and Artistic work Act governs the rights of any musical or artwork done by someone from copyright infringements. It is intended to establish and safeguard moral and economic rights of the authors who create these artistic or intellectual works. In this case, Arthur, the songwriter and singer of â€Å"Beautiful Maria of My Life† did presents his song to his lover as present during her birthday. The girlfriend goes ahead to reproduce the song to the shock of Arthur. According to the Act, performing the song at part of the birthday party to Arthur’s girlfriend did not transfer intellectual or artistic rights and hence can sue for the copyright.

Compare and Contrast (Society) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compare and Contrast (Society) - Essay Example She advocates for individual satisfaction in a marriage rather than sticking in a marriage for a lifetime because it is what society requires. Slater on the other hand, analyses the consequence of self esteem and its effects on a human being. She examines the distinctiveness of people with high and low self esteem. Society norms in both cases are predictable and easily determined. As Kipsin says when one is married they are expected to exercise obedience, compromise and stay as a couple for a lifetime. She argues that such an expectation from society in the modern world is somehow unrealistic. She argues that modern love maximizes on submission and minimizes freedom. She feels that a marriage should be build on freedom and wanting more (755). She feels that marriage is like having a soldier watching over someone all the time. To her traditional societies allowed household dictators and petty tyrants in the private sphere of a family. She believes that love should be subjected to othe r forms of emotional life than subjugation. To her, a marriage necessitates a sophisticated working acquaintance of the intricacies of mutuality (752). Mutuality according to Kipsin id to recognize your partners need and strive to fulfill them. She further says one should meet these needs to the satisfaction of your partner such that you become their desire thus attaining intimacy. She argues that mutuality requires communication so that your partner can understand your needs, desires and even sensitivities. She contradicts these with traditional societies where marriage was considered a business enterprise between families. Partners who hardly knew each other get married not because of their mutual interests but because of family interests. Thus, she argues these relationships were not based on love thus expecting them to last a lifetime in unreasonable. She argues that the main thing is for one to be happy and if society if a marriage is not working one should leave. She says that one cannot be tied in an unhappy union when she can be happily on her own. Society tends to judge people who are separated or divorced as ill-behaved, but she says this should not be the case thus should be avoided. In addition, she says that one should not be seen as lacking character because she is alone but be given their space. She beholds individualism something that society is against. Society always works as a collective unit where all are inclusive. That is why if one is not married, they begin to question. According to Slater, self esteem is a challenge to many American people. She uses research works by scientists like Baumeister and Emler to analogize her views. She argues that self admiration is crucial in the pursuit of contentment. She says that self esteem is not the maim reason why people feel good about themselves but how they relate with others. She uses research work done to analyze high and low self-esteem. She adds that low self esteem is not a dangerous aspect of life. Low self esteem is not the cause of poor academic performance since people with low self esteem tend to do well in life like others and even do better because they try harder (859). In discussing her views, Kipsins encounters several challenges that sway from society expectations. Marriage is a respectable institution in society and to gather the courage to argue about it is difficult. Kipsin boldly tackles marriage

Charismatic Leader Essay Example for Free

Charismatic Leader Essay This type of leadership holds a lot of power. In both productive and counterproductive respects. The rhetoric employed to effectively carry out charismatic leadership acts as a double edged sword. While it is true that a message delivered in a charismatic manner inspires the followers to implement it with a lot of fervor, but in this same zest, there are a lot of important issues that are overlooked and lots of questions ignored. This entails problems when the charisma delivers its desired results, but they still leave a sour taste in the mouth. In my professional career, I have not encountered charismatic leadership neither in the top echelons of power nor in the middle management slots. However, most of us have been affected, and even wowed, by the charismatic skills of Barack Obama, while running for the US Presidency in 2008. Inspirational rhetoric, exceptional oratory skills and narcissistic excellence were expertly deployed towards millions of people. Perhaps in our lifetimes, it has proven to be a living, breathing example of pure, unadulterated charisma. It was a need of the time and a result of the disillusionment with the last 8 years. But, the cynicism that perhaps was put in the back seat during this process, made a comeback in the last two years, where more and more people have grown disillusioned by the lack of actual, and perceived, objectives being achieved. The overhyped expectations that are, in effect, created by charismatic leadership, eventually end up hampering its own effects, even though the results achieved might be significant. In the spirit of double edged swords, narcissism fits the bill perfectly. Excessive traits of this personality type have officially been diagnosed as a psychological disorder, whereas a good mix of those same qualities supposedly makes a great leader. From my personal experience, there has been a lot more interaction with unproductive narcissists, as compared to the productive ones. Charismatic leadership is an outward focusing theory, but since being confident and thoughtful requires a thorough understanding of one’s own self, unless it is coupled innately with authenticity, there would continue to be major loopholes in its implementation. As is the case with most leadership theories, the situational context of the company or market matter deeply. Charismatic leadership is the need of the hour during turbulent times and thus ends up being encouraged and nurtured. However, during mature and stable market times, charisma tends to be counter-productive and pointless. Also, since narcissistic leaders tend to believe undoubtedly in their vision, not taking into account the ideas put forward by others, it can become self-destructive for companies. This leadership theory, more than others, needs to be deployed with a lot of care and consideration.

Socrates Nobody Desires Evil Philosophy Essay

Socrates Nobody Desires Evil Philosophy Essay The beliefs of Socrates includes: a) Nobody desires evil, b) Nobody makes a mistake or does wrong willingly or knowingly, c) Virtue all virtue is knowledge, d) Virtue is sufficient for happiness. Of the four beliefs, the most implausible that Socrates established is the point that happiness and excellence is the most important goals in life, made these depend upon the virtues, then made the acquisition of the virtues the unique prerogative of the intellect, of cognition, reason, and argument. The minor Socratics began with a similar evaluation of the importance of happiness and excellence; however, their critical appraisal of the possibility of ones gaining knowledge with the power to deliver these goods led them to form alternative approaches to practical ethics. This shows Socrates commitment to the belief that reason should serve as the ultimate arbitrator of will and goodness. 2. Socrates and Euthyphro discuss the nature of holiness. To understand the significance of their discussion it is fruitful to examine the nature of their discussion and the process by which they manage the terrain of their issue as having an importance greater than the subject itself has. The subject of holiness is interesting and arguably important, but it is a means of arriving at a still greater end. Socrates and Euthyphro approach their conversation with distinct attitudes regarding the health of their epistemic states. Euthyphro feels confident and sure of his mastery of the topic of holiness. In contrast, Socrates professes his ignorance. But his ignorance is not the easy ignorance of a lazy unimaginative man. Rather, his claim of ignorance is the result of careful reflection about the status of his own virtue. His character is one of ceaseless rational inquiry. Socrates worked to use reason to judge truth and bring order to his soul. Second, Socrates demands that any idea worth keeping must withstand careful scrutiny. In contrast, Euthyphro demonstrates the mental habits of a person lacking the persistence to penetrate an idea beyond initial impressions. Socrates is determined to help Euthyphro acknowledge this habit of his character and revise it in favor of the habit of aggressive reasoning. Such a habit, Socrates demonstrates, is crucial for eudaimonia. 3. Socrates explains that he has been pursuing his religious duty to decipher the riddle presented by the oracle at Delphi. Socrates devotes a fair amount of time to this particular matter of his reputation. In his defense, Socrates explains that his friend Chaerephon paid a visit to the oracle at Delphi and asked whether there was anyone wiser than Socrates. In answer to this question, the oracle answered that no one was wiser. Socrates is often portrayed announcing his ignorance on many matters of apparent importance. If there is a link between knowledge and wisdom it seems that Socrates, apparently impoverished in the first virtue, would likely be impoverished in the latter virtue. Socrates understood the attainment of knowledge to involve a sort of personal transformation. For example, insofar as one gains knowledge of goodness then one becomes good and acts in ways that are good. Thus, Socrates had a special conception of knowledge. With regard to the virtues, Socrates did not draw a distinction between knowing-that and knowing-how. The former type of knowledge denotes an understanding of facts while the latter denotes an ability to perform an action. For Socrates, if someone had knowledge of a virtue it meant that she could both define it and consistently acted in harmony with it. 4. The charge of corrupting the youth is ambiguous and vague. Such activity might be perceived to be counter to the proper upbringing of the youth who may be expected to accept and practice the traditions of their culture without scrutiny. Socrates has already revealed that even religious messages from the oracle must be subjected to rational inquiry to be properly understood. To make this point clear he identifies the example of horse training. It seems that if someone became the owner of a horse that she wanted properly trained she would take it to one of the few experts rather than hitch it in the town center where it would enjoy maximum exposure to the greatest amount of people. Yet if most people are benefactors rather than corrupters then one should indeed hitch her new horse in the town square. Yet the foolishness of this conclusion is clear. There is no reason to suspect that most people, even if they are not detrimental to the youth, are beneficial to the youth. It stems likely that genuine benefactors will be in the minority. From these premises Socrates concludes that either be does not corrupt the youth or if he does corrupt the youth it is unintentional. Socrates cannot corrupt the youth intentionally for by doing so he would hurt those with whom he associates and thus ultimately hurt himself. Assuming that Socrates possesses self-mastery, thi s is counter to premise two. This is logically impossible. 5. Socrates was the philosopher who tried to equate goodness, knowledge, and happiness, it is most likely that that was how many others regarded him, and responding to that project was philosophically more important than responding to Socrates the man. Socrates was the philosopher who claimed no certain knowledge, but who nonetheless could live a successful life, then that combination of qualities poses more interesting problems for Hellenistic philosophy than does the issue of whether Socrates really made such a claim. With this, it is unlikely that a democracy will produce qualified and effective leaders because it is difficult, some might say impossible, to know for certain exactly what he thought or said about knowledge, moral values, or happiness. 6. Socrates did not rely exclusively on analogy in his attempts to infer the nature of the virtues, it did constitute a prominent place in his eclectic arsenal and seems undoubtedly to have informed his conclusion that the virtues were technal. It is difficult to assess the implications but if I were in Socrates position, I wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t try to escape from prison. One practical result would be a reluctance to accept the conclusion that a virtue is in fact a techne, since such a characterization relies on a familiarity with types of knowledge and activity whose semblances to justice, bravery, and so on are most readily understood by comparison. As Socrates had pointed out, it is frequently more difficult to escape doing wrong than it is to escape death. A worthy life must include philosophy for it is the appropriate means to conduct the examination of ones life and pursue self-mastery.

The Life of Alan Shapiro and Analysis of “Country Western Singer” Essay

Alan Shapiro is a poet whom uses the sorrowful tragedies that occurred in his lifetime and turns them into beautiful poems in which he greatly expresses through his poetry. Most of his poems symbolize either a type of sorrow or tragic death, and the expressions used throughout his poetry make it noticeable that Alan Shapiro endured a life of hardship and tragedy. While Shapiro was growing up he lost his brother and his sister in which the poem â€Å"Sleet† by Alan Shapiro beautifully encompasses his feeling of grief and sorrow due to the loss of his siblings. Alan Shapiro was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 18th, 1952. He is the son of Harold and Marilyn Shapiro. Growing up Shapiro was a part of a Jewish household. Shapiro received his education at Brandies University. While attending Brandies University he discovered that his one and only passion was for the astounding art of poetry and he found an escape from all the devastating disasters he encountered in his youth (Garbett). Shapiro is also now an educator at Stanford University and he has also worked at Northwestern University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As Shapiro conveys in many of his works after researching Shapiro’s life it is known Shapiro’s brother and sister both died of cancer while Shapiro was very young, and these events highly contribute to Shapiro’s work as a poet. The memoir that Shapiro wrote which was entitled Vigil is about the tragic death of his sister due to the unfortunate events of being diagnosed with bre ast cancer. As it is well known Shapiro’s poems are very tragic and sorrowfully oriented it is no fault to say that different people happen to react and cope with death in different ways and Shapiro expresses his sadnes... ... This line implies that the drinking will never end and that no one can stop him from drinking no matter what you do. This poem is a poem that has beautiful imagery that consistently connects the reader to what’s going on in the actual poem like these lines from â€Å"Country Western Singer†, â€Å"And the blood I taste, the blood I swallow / Is as far away from wine / as 5:10 is for the one who dies at 5:09† (37-40). These lines have to do with the final push of the alcoholic and the fact that they lost the battle against alcoholism and did in fact pass away. In the most recent of years Alan Shapiro has not been as popular as he was some years ago, but no matter what Alan Shapiro poems will forever be engraved in the poetry world as the poems that many people of the world can relate to and I think that this will help him remain a staple in the poetry world for years to come.

J.B. Religion Essay -- essays papers

J.B. Religion At the end of Baldwin's 1952 novel Go Tell It on the Mountain, John Grimes, the young protagonist, has an epiphany or what is more commonly referred to as a visionary conversion experience, a staple of American religious life. He embraces Jesus and endures a state of ecstatic mysticism in which he experiences "his drifting soul ... anchored in the love of God" (204). John's rebirth in Christ, his being "saved," is an affirmation of one of the strongest bulwarks in the African American community during slavery, and especially since its abolition: the black church. (2) Baldwin has said that "everything in Black history comes out of the church." It is "not a redemptive force but a `bridge across troubled water,'" Kalamu ya Salaam interviewing Baldwin responded. "It is how we forged our identity" (Pratt and Stanley 182). The church is the African American's inheritance. Black writers and the characters they create are not so easily divested of it, nor should they be. Though John Gri mes's commitment to Christ is representative of black assimilation into American (white) culture, this adoption of Christian beliefs not only helped the community forge a stronger connection to their country and society, but it also enabled slaves and then emancipated Africans to shore up their sense of self-worth and value. African American literature, according to Abena P. A. Busia, "has therefore become a drive for self-definition and redefinition, and any discussion of this drive must recognize this, its proper context: We are speaking from a state of siege" (2). John Grimes's journey over the course of Go Tell It on the Mountain mirrors this movement from imprisonment to freedom, from a vague sense of self to a greater consciousn... ... dilemma of his protagonist, but also exposing the moral foundations of the institutional pillars in the black community" (Bell 224). While criticism of the church's role in supporting subtle racism is justified, it is also true that John cleverly utilizes the rich resources of the church that were available to him. Would he be better off following Roy into the streets? Or Royal, Gabriel's first son, who also found his way into the streets and the reendured a violent death? John "wanted to be with these boys in the street, heedless and thoughtless, wearing out his treacherous and bewildering body" (30). He recognizes, however, even in the semi-transparent consciousness of a man-child, that he is being forced to make "so cruel a choice" (40) between the ways of the world, which in his community can too often lead to violence and self-destruction, and the ways of God.

Writing For Design :: Personal Narrative Papers

Writing For Design I was born in Salem, Oregon, which is a fantastic place to leave. It’s one of those places that people appreciate more not having ever been there. They may have some vague idea that it’s the capital of the most underrated state in the country, but they are astonished that people actually come from it. Well, we do. Not a lot of writers, though. I think this is the case because to be a writer you can stay where you are, and that contradicts the basic drive of everyone born in Salem. However, before I left, I wrote things for me to say. You see, I shy away from the term â€Å"perform† because, in actuality, it was just me talking for the sake of talking. Which is why my first calling was acting. The first thing I ever wrote was a play about Zorro, with whom I was in the throes of a passionate love affair. It was legitimate, we had been secretly married, after all, but we could not be public about it because of his persona as a romantic super hero. It would have been devastating to his following, you understand. Like a Backstreet Boy. I talked the story out to my babysitter and she transcribed it for me. Every line was mine, every plot twist was mine, including the show stopper where Zorro discovers that the masked man stealing the pies off the window sill is in fact – shock – the obese sheriff. A little bit Scooby Doo, a little bit Bernstein Bears and Brother’s Problem With Kleptomania. I wish I could say that I had some cool Hawking-esque paralysis that prevented me from writing it myself, but the truth is I just couldn’t write. I was three and a half. Later, after my parents seemed utterly bored with Zorro and the Missing Pies after only three hundred performances, I began writing on my own. What, one might ask? Well, I am an only child†¦ I invented siblings. There were four of them: two older, two younger, two boys, two girls. With me in the middle. I like balance and symmetry. We were like the Box Car Child ren or those orphans in Homecoming, but with really cool, undead parents. In addition to my chronicle-writing duties, I had to take care of these characters I had created. I made them soup when they were sick.

Discuss the Relationship Between Dada and Punk

Discuss the Relationship Between Dada and Punk. Within this essay I will be exploring the close relationship between Dada and Punk. Dada and Punk are both movements which were used to express a social change within their time, through art, fashion and music. Although the Dada movement was at its peak in 1916 to 1922 and the Punk movement started in the mid 1970s, both show the same ideologies and techniques towards they work.Throughout the essay I will break down each of the movements into certain groups and analyzes the similarities between both of them. To understand the developments of both movements, you need to understand the environment in which they were formed. Dada started in 1916, two years after World War 1 started. World War 1 was a complicated war, involving many countries taking sides due to the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, the conflict was brought to a head in the battle of the Somme, France, 1916.This was when many artists, writers and others took refu ge in Zurich, Switzerland, which was neutral during the war, many were angry at what was happening to the world, within the book Dadaism, Huelsenbeck (2004, pg 8) stated ‘None of us had any understanding for the courage that is needed to allow oneself to be shot dead for the idea of the nation†¦ ’, they were disgusted by the war and the idea that the nation’s public would support such violence, and they were frustrated with having no control over what was happening, a similar feeling the punks had in the 1970s.Dadaism was about rebelling against the war, they wanted to take the control back and the only way they could was through art, Huelsenbeck (2004 pg 17) quoted ‘DADA means nothing. We want to change the world with nothing’, it is easy to see Dadaist felt the modern world they were now living in was meaningless and so wanted to reject all traditions, especially art tradition, so they decided to create non-art which had no meaning to go with the meaningless world, they took some control back. The Punks had a similar attitude, they wanted to take back control of their future.The Punk movement started in the mid 1970s, a reaction against the recession. A recession which affected most of the working class, due to strikes, three day weeks and lack of opportunity, very different if you compare it to the days of the 1960s, where youth culture exploded on to the scene, free love and England was swinging. Due to the recession the youth of the working class felt failed and disillusioned, a feeling shown in the Sex Pistol’s song ‘God Save The Queen’(1977) ‘Don’t be told what you want, Don’t be told what you need, There’s no future, no future, No Future for you’.The punks felt like they had no voice, no power and no future so they wanted to make a statement, and like Dada, they wanted to take back control and the only way they could do this was through art, music and fashion. I mage 1, ‘Dada’ It seems both movements were angry over the situation they were living in, and people will only live under that strain until an outburst happens, and when society does snap, people will want change. For the two movements they protested, Dada protested against the War and the bourgeois nationalist who they felt was the root of the war, while punks protested against the establishment.The Dadaist, George Grosz once stated that his work was a protest ‘against the world of mutual destruction’, a quote which fits well with the Dadaist but also the Punks, they used destruction of tradition as the protest against the destructive world. It is clear to see that the Punk movement looked up to Dada, just looking at Jamie Reid’s work and you can Dada’s influence by their use of type and the DIY look, same ideologies, there was even a fanzine issue called Dada which compared Punk to Dada, shown in ‘Image 1’ on the right.The Punks were well known for having left winged views, but really like most movements had many different political views. The main ideas of the movement was individual freedom and anti-establishment, Dada also had the same ideas to this affect, they believed in freedom, that’s why they started in Switzerland, a neutral country, they wanted to create art in their own way without using any of the ‘tradition’ rules. Other Punks ideas were anti-authoritarianism, DIY ethics, direct action, non-conformity and not selling out.All relevant to Dada, but I feel the idea of non conformity Image 2,’The Punk Look’ describes the movements best, the ‘Image 2’ best shows how the Punk didn’t conform, they use shock fashion to state who they were and what they stood for, fashion like this in the 1970s scared people, no one had seen fashion like it, the safety pins, ripped edges and bondage like clothes was a very violent looking dress sense, but Punk wasn ’t the only movement which use shock tactics, Dada used shock art, well what would have been shock art in the 1900s, About. om (2012) stated, ‘The Dadaists thrust mild obscenities, scatological Image 3, ‘Fountain’ humour, visual puns and everyday objects (renamed as â€Å"art†) into the public eye. ’, the public still used to ‘traditional’ art found Dadaism disgusting, a example of this is Marcel Duchamp ‘Foundation’, Image 3 on the right, by today standards very normal by the art world but in the 1900s, ready-made art wasn’t hear of, wouldn’t been classed as art, and so Duchamp shocked people by suggesting this is art, begging the question ‘what is art? , something which hadn’t been questioned in such style. Image 4, ‘God Save The Queen’ Within both movements shock art was used to state they ideologies, the best two examples I feel show how the movements are similar are, Jamie Reid’s ‘God Save the Queen’, Image 4, one of my personal favourites, also one of the most iconic images of the punk movement, used for the Sex Pistol’s cover ‘God save the Queen’, and Marcel Duchamp’s L. H. O. O. Q , can been seen under image5.These two image show what the movements are about, Marcel Duchamp took one of the most iconic painting and defaced it, not as a joke or because he disliked the painting but he what to state what the Dadaist believed, that traditional art had been exhausted and it was time for a change. Although Duchamp wasn’t anti-art but he wanted, and I quote Elger (2004, pg 82) ‘to pose new, previously unasked questions about art†¦. While the border regions of art had not been explored. , Duchamp used the’ Mona Lisa’ as a symbol of traditional art and wanted to deface it to show the art world that he has no respects for traditions, not even for ‘ Leonardo’s untouchab le masterpiece. ’, Elger (2004, pg 82). Image 5, ‘Mona Lisa’ The same idea was used in Jamie Reid’s ’God Save the Queen’, (Image 4), Reid took a image of the queen, which acted as a symbol of the establishment and authority, just like the ‘Mona Lisa’ was a symbol for Dada, and Reid deface her by blanking out the eyes and mouth, like a common criminal to make out she, the authority, committing a crime.Just like Dada was anti-art, Punk was anti-design, looking at image 4 you can see the DIY attitude and look allowing amateur designers to create own poster and fanzines, allowing everyone to be free to create what they want, about they own opinions, this is another link to Dada, slightly with the ’Mona Lisa’ with Duchamp taking a ready-made image and pencilling on top, but mostly with other Dadaist work with college.The ransom style lettering gives a threat on the queen, and so the design is acting like a threat to auth ority again showing the Punk anti-establishment ideas and how they want to take down the system, just like the Dadaist wanted to take down the idea of the traditional art system. Within the design Reid uses a union jack for the background, which adds colour to the design but also the single was released the weekend of the Queen’s silver jubilee and so the union jack marks a personal attack at Britain and our tradition, as the Punks saw the queen as the enemy.Dada wasn’t the only one who used the ‘Mona Lisa’, the Punks used her for a gallery opening, again the image was defaced, with smashed glass and spray paint, like a riot had happened. I believed they used this image not because it was a gallery opening but she was a sign of the wealth and tradition of the art world and the rest of the world to show everyone the Punk movement is here and you can’t ignore it, just like Duchamp’s ‘Mona Lisa’. Image 6, ‘Rrose Selavy’ Image 7, ‘Soo Catwoman’ Dada and Punk were not only ahead in their art work and ideas, but socially and with the role of women too.When Dada was at its peak the role of women was changing, women were working, the suffrage movement, the idea of birth control and the decline in the male population, Dada was the perfect time for women to make a stand, seeing as it was a time for change. Even Duchamp appreciated the role of women and their creative role, even to the point where Duchamp dressed as a woman, ‘Rrose Selavy’, as seen on the left. ‘Rrose Selavy’ was used to shock but also show there is no clear boundary between men and women, and when you look to the Punks and the way they dressed, men and women’s style was very similar.Image 7 is a photo of Soo Catwoman, she is very iconic to the Punk movement, she was the ultimate Punk. The Punk movement stated by Hickman (2011),’The women of punk conceived new ways to interact with thei r bodies, gender and punk culture as a whole. ’ the role of women in the movement was very equal for the 1970s, it was a great way to show to the world that women had a right and a voice, so shock fashion like Soo Catwoman really stated what the punk women stood for, and the fact they aren’t these delicate creatures who should be seen and not heard.Image 8, ‘Orgasm Addict’ It was during the Punk movement where female graphic designers were becoming influential. Linder Sterling is a well known punk artist, designing for the ‘Buzzcocks’, one of the designs is image 8, like Reid, Sterling uses college techniques and the DIY look to create the cover, sterling (1977) quoted, ‘It was made in a  Salford  bedroom, I had a sheet of glass, a scalpel and piles of women's mags. ’ This technique would have been used with most of the punk designer because it adds a raw edge to the design.This DIY techniques was also used with Dada, as seen in image 9, ‘The Art Critic’ by Raoul Hausmann, you can see the similarities between the two image, both use college and in image 9, the eyes and mouth have been removed again defacing the person. The idea of college was yet enough rebellion against the art world because it was a new idea and not done before, the technique was developed due to the war because art supplies were low so they used whatever was around them and this meant college.Image 9, ‘The Art Critic’ From image 8 you can the techniques used by many punk artists, within they work they usually focus on one figure in which they deface, like in image 8, although the iron may represent the idea of a woman’s role, as the iron is a symbol of the home and house work, which is a role that has been assigned to women, while the mouths on the nipples suggest a idea of sexuality and this is the only part of the woman which makes people, mainly men, happy.With image 10 Hausmann has removed the eyes and mouth because of this it has removed the humanity of the person like Sterling’s cover. Also with most Punk and Dada work primary colours would be used to make the isolated image stand out and give it more of a contrast and give it more of a harsh, violent look. In summary it is clear to see the relationship between Dada and Punk. The movements had similar backgrounds, similar ideologies and similar techniques when creating their work.The ways they protested against their situation, Dada with anti-art and the Punks with anti-design, shows the two movements linked and for Punks it seems they looked up to Dada, just looking at the similarities between Reid’s college techniques compared to a Dadaism piece like Raoul Hausmann’s ‘The Art Critic’, you can see the influence. Personally I feel the two go hand in hand, both movements hold an important place in art history, and with me, I have always loved the Punk movement and learning about Dada has hel ped me understand the history of art and I feel without Dada we wouldn’t have Punk.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Being an Actuary Essay

Introduction I. Good afternoon to Ms. Parimala and my fellow classmates. II. The topic of my presentation today is Advantages and Disadvantages of Being an Actuary. What is an actuary? Experts in risk management Uses mathematical skills to measure probability and rise of future event Useful information to many industries III. The advantages of being an actuary are  High earning potential Corporate respect received IV. However, the disadvantages are Examination requirements for advancement Stressful and hard work Content A. Advantages a. High earning potential Actuaries makes incomes well above average Entry level work commonly pays between $45000 and $55000 Median annual salary for an actuary was $87600 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics Actuaries are well compensated, which vary significantly according to years of experience, industry and responsibilities Refer to the salary chart, experienced fellows with 10 years experiences have potential to earn from $130000 to $500000 b. Corporate respect Actuaries earns wide respect in the business and financial community Actuaries often command a good degree of respect from fellow co-workers Actuaries are given authority within a company and corporate environment Actuaries deals with high-level strategic decisions which can have a positive impact on legislation and businesses B. Disadvantages c. Examination requirements for advancement It is a long and hard process to be a qualified actuary, on average of 5 to  10 years Besides the degree program they had completed in university, they need to pass all the professionals SOA exam papers Upon graduation, there will still be hundreds of hours of study and revisions all the while still having to go to work d. Stressful and hard work Daily routine of an actuary can be a rather stressful ordeal, being dealt with numerous tasks of analyzing statistical data Presenting reports and explaining their implications to managers and directors within specific deadlines Considering the risk of financial decisions for employers is some level of stress Continuous of stress can rather be tedious, feel meaningless and pretty boring Conclusion I. In conclusion, I would like to end my presentation by saying II. Summary of main points a) Advantages High earning potential Gain in corporate respect b) Disadvantages Examination requirements for advancement Stressful and hard work III. Q & A

Ethnographic Reseacrh

Ethnographic Research Ethnography is a type of social science research that investigates the practices and life of a community, by becoming one of its members. It is based on learning about a context and the people living in it, by understanding their values, needs and vocabulary. It requires faithful reporting of what is experienced or observed, avoiding any interpretation or evaluation as far as possible.Within the field of experience design, ethnography or video ethnography are methods used to capture human ehaviour in the context of the person's natural environment, as a means of gaining insights about people's behaviours and unarticulated motivations, drivers, needs, in order to create innovative solutions. Design ethnography helps answer questions like what is necessary to innovate with success; what are the key social actors and roles to take into account; and which are the limiting factors? Educated observation and participation are the main methods that enable our team to un derstand user requirements and context of use.Two examples of the ethnographic design pproach are shadowing and self-observations. Shadowing is an ethnographic technique to understand a person's real-time interactions with products, services or process and their shifting contexts and needs over the course of a day. Shadowing often focuses on particular events or tasks participants are willing to share. Talk Aloud and closure interviews are used to clarify questions. Self-observations/ Diaries is a method used when it is difficult or impossible to directly access a certain place (like people's homes) or access is too time consuming.It consists of asking eople to provide self-observations about their activities in the form of log reports or diaries, for example. Although this method involves the subjectivity of the participants in the data collected, it can be valuable to get a glimpse of life through the eyes of the people that are being studied. How ethnographic research works Ethno graphic research relies on techniques such as observation, video diaries, photographs, contextual interviews, and analysis of artifacts such as for example devices, tools or paper forms that might be used as part of a person's Job.Observations can be made at home, at work, or in leisure environments. People can be studied with their family, on their own, with work colleagues, or as part of a group of friends. Often one participant may be recruited, but several more may be studied as part of that person's family or friends. Data collection can range from a 4-5 hour contextual interview, through to following a participant for several days, or even a longitudinal study over several weeks or months to investigate, for example, how a particular product or service might be used over time.It doesn't necessarily involve full immersion' in a person's life: it can involve a depth interview in a person's home or it might involve a person simply maintaining their own video diary over a period o f time. Where and how you might use it Ethnographic research can provide extremely rich insight into ‘real life' behavior, and can be used to identify new or currently unmet user needs. This approach is most valuable at the beginning of a project when there is a need to understand real end particular audience. When not to useEthnographic research can provide a significant amount of qualitative data, and analysis can be time consuming. NOTE: The term ‘ethnographic' can be misused; it's currently a bit of a ‘buzzword' with some agencies who may not fully understand the approach. It is recommended that a specialist agency is used, who can demonstrate successful case studies (collecting and analyzing the data). Participants In principle, anyone could participate in this type of research. As with any user research, the recruitment of suitable participants is key.The full implications of the research should be fully explained to potential participants, as some may not fe el comfortable with this level of intrusion in their lives. Timescales Depending on the study needs and the approach, but 6-8 weeks from briefing to results can provide rich insight. It may take time to build trust with participants, and the analysis period needs to be sufficient to be thorough. Ethnographic research can be expensive and time consuming, but this depends on the needs of a particular project. The benefits derived can be extremely valuable.

St. Augustine’s ‘The City of God’

‘The City of God’ is a book written by the 5th century Church Father, St. Augustine. Augustine wrote the treatise as a general defense of Christianity, that is, to admonish the assumption that Christianity was the cause of Rome’s downfall. Augustine also intended the treatise to be an exposition of Christian orthodox beliefs (against the Arians and Schismatics). The historical context in which the book was situated, Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire. Many Christians dominated the politics of Rome (the emperor himself was a Christian). The Roman state persecuted the adherents of pagan religions. A significant portion of the Roman budget went to the construction of elaborate basilicas and churches. Pagan philosophers saw these events as proofs of the evil intent of Christianity. The impending fall of Rome was the work of Christianity. Christianity weakened the Roman state by imposing its own will on Rome’s future. It destroyed traditional Roman virtues. It replaced militant nature of the Roman army by preaching the efficacy of peace and universal love. Christianity, in general, put Rome into a state of anarchy and loss of patriotism. Taking into account these facts, St. Augustine sought to establish a logical, transcendental approach in answering the criticisms of the pagan philosophers. He argued that the existence of the Roman state is first and foremost subject to Divine will. According to him, the destiny of nations and states is determined by God, the source of legitimate political authority. No nation, state, or even community could last for eternity. For Augustine, the existence of the state is temporary, for its elements are temporary, created by the minds of man – whose existence is also material. It was the destiny of Rome to fall under the hands of the barbarians – a fact which cannot be comprehended by the human mind. St. Augustine wrote, â€Å"Whether the same world remains intact throughout or whether it keeps setting into disintegration and rising into newness with each rotation of the wheel of time. Whereas, if one rejects the periodicity of identical patterns, one is left with an infinite diversity of events which no knowledge or pre-knowledge could possibly comprehend† (Curtis, 429). Thinkers such as Smith, Nietzsche, and Gibbons rejected the above-mentioned assumption of Augustine. These thinkers argued that it was clear that the fall of Rome was due to ‘the ineptness of the Christian religion, its impracticality as an imperial religion, and indecency as a political and religious movement’ (Toynbee, 219). One need not determine empirical data to prove Augustine’s thesis. Michael Schmaus argued that the fragile nature of the state is due primarily to its origin. The state is the expression of man – a being whose existence is temporary. Hence, if a state is to last for eternity, according to Schmaus, it must be immune to the weaknesses of man – from outright desire of the flesh, from political conflicts, from the intrigues of the human mind. Schmaus stated: â€Å"The term ‘eternity’, in essence, only refers to the Divine Being. The state, in particular, is not in any way an everlasting entity, for it is wholly man’s creation – a derivation of man’s innate qualities. These qualities, we may describe, as momentary, capricious, and overtly devoid of divine significance. Man, by himself, cannot affect a change in the state of nature, or his predilections capable of uniting the elements of political life† (Schmaus, 57). St. Augustine based his arguments on the notion that the state is a necessary evil. Augustine derived this statement from basic theological truths. The first ‘truth’ attested to the integrity of man before the fall. In traditional Christian theology, the first human beings possessed, besides righteousness and holiness a genuine partnership with God, the so-called preternatural gifts (justitia originalis), gifts of integrity, freedom from suffering and death, from inordinate appetites and ignorance. The sin of Adam greatly weakened these gifts. Man became vulnerable to weakness, to death. Hence, according to Augustine death belongs to the nature of man. But as a result of sin it has the added character of punishment; that is to say, what belongs to the nature of man, his transitories, is now bound up with anxiety, pain and glaring absurdity. Because the state is a necessary evil, then man itself is bound by such necessity. He must live in that necessity, and of course its consequences. A necessary evil man must endure, for it is his temporary refuge. It is a temporary refuge from the ineptness of savagery, from irrationality, and from the affects of nature. The state was created as a temporary refuge of man – an entity which inhibits man’s innate savagery and irrationality – things which were consequential of the fall. The state, according to Augustine, is lead by pride and flesh. The state is the embodiment of worldly desires and passions. Although it inhibits man’s lust for materiality, it is in itself the efficacy of such materiality. The state though is necessary because it enabled man to work in groups, to limit man’s obsession with himself, and to protect man from the dangers of the natural world. The state, however, is not necessarily good. Man must endure the world of politics, deception, and outright political chaos. Hence, the state is a temporary state of nature. Again, Augustine’s argument makes sense because of the assumption that the state is a temporary association. Philosophers like Aristotle, Hobbes, and Locke supported this argument. These philosophers agree that the state is a temporary refuge of man – that is, it was borne out of man’s own innate weakness. However, these philosophers disagreed on the nature of man’s weakness, whether either borne out of lack of faith on a Divine entity or just the condition of the state of nature. Augustine’s arguments were not immune to criticisms. One of the weakness of this argument is provided by Schoonenberg who argued that it is impossible to attach the social origin of the state with the theological origin of man. According to him, a distinction must be made between what is political and what is epistemological (Schoonenberg, 58). Schoonenberg argued that the origin of Christianity is separate from the origin of the state, as far as orthodoxy is concerned. Here, it is possible that Augustine may have committed this particular mistake. Now, Augustine examined the origin of man’s weakness in relation to Divine Providence. St. Augustine argued that the fall of man is caused by man’s desire to make himself an equal of God. The evil which befallen man is neither the work of God or nature; it is the work of man. Here, St. Augustine discussed the nature of evil and free will. According to him, evil comes into the world in a kind of privation. Privation is desire for things which are less real and not good. Evil is love of the world of shadows and allusion – a perversion of Divine will. According to Augustine, the origin of sin is free will, that is, individual freedom. Free will presupposes that man is independent of God, which man, by his own nature, can succeed apart from God (Schoonenberg, 329). For Augustine, the arrogance of man is in itself the rejection of God and the acceptance of the ‘temporary state of nature. Man loves this arrogance because it increases his fidelity to himself; that is, arrogance is the fruit of deception – that man can wander by himself, that he can, apart from God, measure the knowledge and the inertia of God. Augustine wrote: â€Å"The fundamental fallacy of these men, who prefer to walk in round about error rather than to keep to the straight path o f truth, is that they have nothing but their own tiny, changing human minds to measure the divine mind, infinitely capacious and utterly immutable, a mind that can count things without passing from one to the next†¦ Without having a notion of God, they mistake themselves for Him, and, instead of measuring God by God, they compared themselves to themselves† (Curtis, 415). St. Augustine argued that the end to man’s suffering is the establishment of the City of God, a place where Christ reigned. The City of God is synonymous with the Second Coming of Christ, whose authority has no equal. Augustine pointed that the founding of this city is unlike any other city on earth. It is everlasting. It is immune from the intricate weaknesses of man – from his passion, idolatry, and irrational manifestations. The City of God is the manifestation of God’s desire to free humanity from suffering and death. From an orthodox theological point of view, Augustine’s argument is consistent with the notion of a God-saving being, merciful, and full of inertia. Man’s choice is either to accept this promise or reject it. It may be impossible here to prove Augustine’s point, but from a Christian viewpoint, his argument seems to navigate on the ideas of Divine love and justice, which are evident in the doctrinal conjugation of today’s Christian sects. In the Confessions, Augustine proudly asserts, â€Å"What then is my God, what but the Lord God? For who is Lord but the Lord †¦ sustaining and fulfilling and protecting, creating and nourishing †¦ Thou owest nothing yet dost pay as if in debt to Thy creature† (Confessions, 24). Conclusion The ‘City of God’ is both a defense of orthodox Christianity from the attacks of pagan philosophers and a summary of primary Christian beliefs. Augustine dismissed the notion that Christianity was the cause of Rome’s downfall. In addition, Augustine stated that the state is a necessary object of man’s existence. Its origin lies entirely in the facet of individual social constructivism, not in the crucial malivolence of an evil entity.

The fundamental principles of organization and management commonly Essay

The fundamental principles of organization and management commonly involved in the paralegal practice to your trainees - Essay Example Working hours – Now mention of the working hours is only a way to ensure that the paralegal works in the most effective manner, bringing all his or her tasks to completion. Depending on the law firm, the working hours may vary. Then again, the compensatory time, overtime, holidays, absence procedures etc are only a few other ways of providing the complete guideline to the paralegal. 2. Area of work – Legal research, Drafting letters and documents, Preparation of briefing notes, Document Management, proofreading, taking notes from the clients and courtroom, attending the client meeting, court meetings, preparing the billing, pleadings, court applications, instructing the counsel and so on. 3. Employee conduct – Each and every firm has a different code of conduct. The conduct spans an area covering the grooming and the dress code, the ensuring that the procedures are secure, set evaluation procedures, confidentiality and so on. 4. Ethics for work – Confidentiality, fees and funding of the client, non-disclosure, proper court room conduct, proper representation of the client, illegal activities and so on make for the other important aspect for the paralegal. Several of the presets of the management and organization system aiming at the paralegal, such as, time management, the work ethics required on behalf of the paralegal, the area of legislation and work to be handled by the paralegal – these all only make the task at hand clearer, while also enhancing the understanding of the way a paralegal is supposed to work. Secondly, the memo also helps enhance the understanding of the paralegal trainees about the way of functioning of the law firm, providing a clearer view into the legalities, policies and modalities. A trainee paralegal can successfully follow the presets mentioned in the memo and work accordingly. Following a strict routine of filling in the forms (for time management recording the hours worked every day), document management (indexing,

What are the effects if the government implement of Good-and-Services Essay

What are the effects if the government implement of Good-and-Services Tax (GST) in Hong Kong with the aim of broaden the tax base in Hong Kong - Essay Example Usually the problem arises because it is politically difficult to lower the demand for expenditure growth and to raise revenue to match government’s tendency to spend more and more. Almost all political systems, democracies included, have this problem. Fortunately for Hong Kong, the Basic Law provides a kind of constitutional limitation of budget deficits. According to professor William Baumol, â€Å"another reason that the public spending tend to rise faster than revenues stems from the fact that the most important component of public spending is civil service remuneration†(Fiscal Issues) Sometimes, volatility can mask what is essentially a structural issue. In a good year, when revenue increases, so does spending. In a bad year, however spending does not decrease when revenue does. If spending always grew to match growth in revenue, over time, spending would exceed revenue. This volatility is really structural imbalance between spending and revenue. Baumol further sta tes, â€Å"the rising share of public expenditure in GDP and the faster growth of recurrent spending over recurrent revenue are the main structural problems with the Hong Kong budget†(Fiscal Issue) In some countries – as for instance, most of the European countries – the reforms consists of a gradual process of adaptation. As a consequence the tax systems in operation in the 30 OECD member countries today are fundamentally different from those which operated in the mid-1980’s.

Harlem Renaissance poets Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Harlem Renaissance poets - Assignment Example Harlem Renaissance Poets Project Paper Significance of Jean Toomer’s and Langston Hughes’ Roles in the Harlem Renaissance A mere fact will suffice to encompass a man’s life. In Jean Toomer’s case, that fact pertains to P. B. S. Pinchback, Toomer’s maternal grandmother who served as acting governor of Louisiana (Ramsey, 2003). In Langston Hughes’ case, the fact pertains to Hughes’ stint as a bellhop in a Washington, D.C. hotel where he managed to persuade a prominent, literary hotel guest to read three of his’ poems which led to the inauguration of Hughes’ literary career (Lewis, 1994, p. xxv). What can we infer from these facts? The obvious inferences are that Toomer was rich and Hughes was poor. The not so obvious inferences are that their names are remembered, and they are remembered on the strength of the experimental novel Cane, in Toomer’s case; and speaking for myself, in Hughes’ case, for bold pronoun cements such as â€Å"If white people are pleased we are glad†¦If colored people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure doesn’t matter either (Lewis, 1994, p. xxx).† Toomer, who wasn’t as outspoken as Hughes, would’ve applauded Hughes’ for Hughes’ was alluding to artistic freedom which bows to no ideology, political agenda, nor common goal. Alas, artistic freedom will only get you so far, for what is required is talent and, when the going gets tough, genius. It goes without saying that Toomer and Hughes had talent. Let’s see where it took them—artistically.... It goes without saying that Toomer and Hughes had talent. Let’s see where it took them—artistically. ‘Double-consciousness’ in the Poems of Toomer and Hughes In the poem â€Å"Cotton Song,† Jean Toomer introduces a syntactical shift in the third stanza, going from Standard American English to American dialect of the Deep South. This is a manifestation of ‘double-consciousness.’ How do we explain it? We don’t. What we do is read the line â€Å"We ain’t agwine t wait until the Judgment Day (Toomer,1993, p. 9),† and let the words do their magic. I doubt a five hundred page biography, describing the hardscrabble life of an American Negro cotton picker at the turn of the 20th century could do as well and as much in evoking the feel and texture of a time and place, which no longer exists, than this one extraordinary, singular line of verse that flouts all convention of Standard American English, and gets away with it. And Toomer gets away with it because his English is otherwise prim, neat, and familiar. Consider the last four lines of his poem the â€Å"November Cotton Flower:† â€Å"Superstition saw/ Something it had never seen before:/ Brown eyes that loved without a trace of fear,/ Beauty so sudden for that time of year (Toomer, 1993, p. 4). In â€Å"November Cotton Flower,† the ‘double-consciousness’ is semantic, the miraculous transformation of a cold, drought stricken land to a blooming field of cotton. In Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"The Negro speaks of Rivers,† a Negro speaks in the first person while invoking the poem. The ‘double-consciousness’ is evident in the use of the third person in the title. It’s as if the poet has split himself in two and the older, wiser version of

Role & Functions of Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Role & Functions of Law - Research Paper Example The famed writer of Civil Law, Sanchez Roman defined law as a rule of conduct, just, obligatory, laid down by a legitimate power for common observance and benefit. (Nolledo 1978, p. 1) Another requisite is the existence of a sanction or punishment in case of non-observance of the rule of conduct. The sanction may be in the form of either or some of the following: fine, imprisonment, forfeiture of rights and properties, payment of interest or surcharges, liability for damages, expulsion or deportation, and exile. Nolledo (1978) presented following characteristics of business law, to wit: (1) it is universal because it exists in every civilized society; (2) it is progressive because as time passes, business law accumulates new ideas and keeps abreast with modern trends; (3) it is equitable because business transactions involve exchange of values and considerations; (4) it is customary because its rules are followed from time to time or are invoked in every day transactions; and finally (5) it is uniform because within a country, a business act or contract is governed by the same rules. (p. 8) In an article written by Bushman (2007), she recognized the importance of law in the successful operation and existence of business and society. Accordingly, she stipulated that â€Å"laws regulate social behavior, which leads to a society that runs efficiently. Laws also supply ethical standards and expectations, while providing rules of conduct, measures to enforce those rules, and a means for settling disputes. According to Gillies (2004), â€Å"the formal view of law is that it functions to regulate human behavior in obedience to an infinity of different policies. In particular, it aims to regulate relations between persons for in a crowded society, people have to co-exist and occasionally their interests collide†. (p. 4) Other functions of law include: peacekeeping; checking government power and promoting personal freedom; facilitating planning and the

The Flood Myth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Flood Myth - Essay Example Comparative approaches to mythology had great popularity among the 18th-19th century scholars. Majority of the scholars believed that all myths showed signs of having originated from a single mythical theme. Noah’s ark is the vessel in Genesis (chapter 6-9) of the Bible where God saves Noah and his family plus a remnant of all animals in the world from the flood. Noah is given great instructions on how to build an ark by God. He is told to use gopher wood smeared inside and outside with pitch, with 3(three) decks and internal compartments: 300 cubits long, 50 wide and 30 high. The roof will have a ‘finished to a cubit upward’ and the entrance on the side. The myth describes that the ark is afloat throughout the flood before it comes to rest on Mount Ararat. The tale is repeated with variations in the Quran with the ark appearing as Safina Nuh. The Genesis flood myth is similar to many other flood myths from a variety of other different cultures. Noah and the biblical flood story originates from the Mesopotamian version of Epic of Gilgamesh because the Biblical mythology that’s currently found in Christianity, Islam, Mandeanism and Judaism shares overlapping co nsistency with by far older written stories from Mesopotamia of the great flood. Also, the early Hebrew people were known to have lived in the land of Mesopotamia, particularly at the time of the Babylonian captivity. The narrative from Hebrew differs from the Babylonian story in that the floods come as God’s judgment on wicked humans rather than as a result of the caprice of the gods. In the Gilgamesh epic, Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh a secret tale/story that begins in the old city of Shuruppak on the banks of river Euphrates. The great gods (Anu, Ninurta, Ennugi, Ea and Enil) were sworn to secrecy about a plan to cause a flood. However, god Ea (Enki the Sumerian god) repeats the plan to

FINAL REPORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

FINAL REPORT - Essay Example The researcher was appointed as an accounting clerk and placed at Almajal security firm where the individual’s fundamental responsibility was to support accounting operations which mainly involved filling up of documents. In addition to that the researcher was also responsible for settlement of financial statements as well as run a simulation package. This reflective report has primarily been segmented into two sections. The first segment involves an exploration of different learning curves attained during the placement program. Alongside that, a thorough analysis of learning outcomes will be done via a self reflective report with the help of theoretical models that emulate the overall mechanism of learning. Thereafter is the second segment where the research topic will be addressed. In this segment the researcher will basically conduct an in-depth research by means of an investigative study over the implications of automating the process of accounting followed within an organization. This analysis will be presented in context of the organization where the researcher was placed. One of the major issues witnessed in contemporary accounting organizations is accounting error, manipulation or fraud. On one hand where accounting regulators such as the Internal Accounting Standards Board is trying their level best to unify accounting principles in order to enhance the transparency and understandability of financial statements, accounting officials are either committing huge errors or indulging in fraudulent activities which in turn is increasing the cost borne by the company. This is where the relevance of an automated accounting process lies, that strives to minimize the probability of error and in turn enhance efficiency of the organization under concern. This in turn would enable the company to increase its profit margin while bringing down the cost. As conclusion, it was stated that incorporating technologically enabled

Book Report Two Old Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Book Report Two Old Women - Essay Example The author was looking for a very remote and intimidating environment to base the tale of two old women. The environment was very well selected and established. It is the part of the novel that depicted difficulty in the whole book. Apart from the difficult and intimidating environment, the story of survival and perseverance would be of no logic. The timing of the novel was very crucial and the author did an exceptional job in the timing of her book. It is the olden times of the novel that gave the tale logic in terms of few and scattered communities of people. It is also in the olden days that cannibals existed and held so much significant to people (pp. 98). In the novel cannibals were a feared lot. It also with the migrations made by characters in the novel made the timing of the tale exceptional. Apart from the setting of the novel, it is with great appreciation that I would recommend the novel to the modern society. In the novel, there was the depiction of laziness as a weakness. By strength, will and hard work that the two old women managed to survive during winter. This is a challenge to individuals who may use their weaknesses to avoid responsibility and seek attention. In my opinion, this fact created the most significant part of the novel. The choice of the vice by the author was exceptional. The author also focuses on society ties, betrayal and expectations. In the novel, the two old women were betrayed since they could not fulfill the tribe’s expectations of fitness (pp. 76). The authors mind was relating the struggles by the old population and the society reaction to their old age. At the conclusion of the novel the author expresses the apologetic feeling of the tribe when they found out the two women were still alive. This is a depiction of regret when we do not do the right thing. In the modern day society the novel still hold significance since we witness large numbers of old

God silences and comforts Essay Example for Free

God silences and comforts Essay Milton wrote â€Å"When I consider how my light is spent† when he was rapidly losing his eyesight. He contemplates on his life prior to blindness (â€Å"light†) and on his life after –â€Å"dark world and wide. † As a Christian, he questions the current state of his being and laments at how it has rendered him inadequate in serving his Maker. He feels that he now cannot serve God as best as he can due to his handicap. Understandably so, he is bitter, frustrated, and in despair. Often in our lives, we are faced with difficulties of all kinds. We do not like it so we get angry, but we cannot change it so we get cynical. We lash out on God by constantly asking â€Å"Why,† and wallow in self-pity in believing ourselves to be useless. But see, in the poem, this is where God shows Milton that he’s wrong. First and foremost, God in Himself is complete (â€Å"God who doth not need/Either man’s work or His own gifts†). For God, who needs neither man nor man’s abilities to define Him, Milton simply needs to bear his situation and trust in God wholeheartedly. All God requires is for man to serve him as best as he can to the extent that his circumstances allow him to. In Milton’s case, he need not be up to par with the most able and talented people to serve God; His service in light of his condition may in itself, be sufficient. With this, God silences and comforts Milton’s distrusting heart, and Milton yields to Him in unquestioning compliance. Your last name, 2 Reality confronts me with a world where circumstances don’t always go my way. In fact, things can even go so horribly wrong as to leave me feeling completely lost. Like Milton, it takes time for me to fully accept an unfavorable situation beyond my control. I question it, I curse it, and I tell myself that I can be and do better otherwise. In short, I use a bad situation as a convenient excuse to justify my failures and shortcomings. Like many others, I am guilty of humanity’s problem of wanting to control every aspect in life. However, problems constantly remind me that I will always be subject to the unforeseeable and the inevitable. I cannot be so arrogant in that I must always be in control of every situation, but neither can I just let circumstances prevent me from doing my best. Like Milton, I realize that the true test of character is how I act in the most trying times. The best of my ability is seen in how I am able to make the most of what I have. I know that when I do my best, my talents and abilities are never wasted in the eyes of God. Of course, there are still days when I feel that all elements are against my attempts to accomplish something, but that’s all right; I can let go with faith in the fact that I have done my very best. That, perhaps, is all that is really required of me. â€Å"Who best Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best† –Milton, in referring to his troubles as mild, gave me something more to think about: How often have I thought of my problems as unsurpassable? How often have I believed myself to be the unluckiest of the unlucky? Quite often, I’m afraid. But as I look beyond myself and at the problems of people around me, I shamefully realize how my troubles pale in comparison. There is a whole world of people around me who suffer in ways I cannot even comprehend. Compared to them, my problems are small Your last name, 3 and trivial. If they, in their state, can bear and go on with their lives to the best of their abilities, how much more can I? In fact, history tells us that Milton’s best works were written after he became blind! Truly, I have no excuse to validate a contemptuous disposition. So with an acquired sense of humility, I admit that the only real limit to my abilities is myself. Nowadays, I confess that problems still get to me. As much as I tell myself to â€Å"just grin and bear it,† I still find it hard to do so unquestioningly. But as I think of Milton’s poem, I see things clearly and more rationally. Essentially, God’s message to Milton is that it is not the situation that makes a man, rather, it is what man makes of the situation. For as long as I live out my life as best as I can, I define who I am and what I do. And circumstances, no matter how difficult or shattering, will never defeat me. Works cited: 1. http://www. poetry-online. org/milton_when_i_consider_how_my_light_is_spent. htm

Effects of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes (APO)

Effects of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes (APO) Specific Aims Adverse perinatal outcomes (APO) include infants birth defects, maternal pregnant and obstetric complications. Birth defects, including major congenital malformation (MCM) and minor anomaly (MA), become the leading causes of infant morbidity, mortality, and years of potential life lost in the United States.1 Low birth weight (LBW), abnormal condition of new born (ACNB), preterm birth, and Developmental Delay or Disability (DDD) are also birth anomalies that impacts the infants health.2-5 The association of in utero exposure to teratogenic medications with infant birth defects and other anomalies has been widely investigated.6,7 The literature has shown that taking antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) poses an increased risk of having child with congenital malformations in women with epilepsy.79 The most common MCMs caused by in utero exposure to AEDs are orofacial clefts, cardiac abnormalities, neural tube defects, urologic defects, and skeletal abnormalities.80 In utero exposure to valproate, the most teratogenic AED, was associated with elevated risk of impaired cognitive function for children at 3 years of age, and reduced cognitive abilities for children at 6 years old.98,101 However, study results for many medications, such as antidepressants, opioids, antipsychotics, and antibiotics, are inconsistent for fetal safety.[1*-8*] The limited data source and rare incidence of birth defects, ACNBs, and other anomalies restrain the study power, and makes some studies inconclusiv e.8-10 Our long term goal is to determine the association between teratogenic effects of medications that mothers exposed during pregnancy and infants birth defects. The major objective of this study is to build a linked database in Rhode Island (RI) to facilitate the subsequent research on teratogenic effects of medication in RI population. The birth defects and birth certificates data from the Department of Health (DoH) and pharmacy claims from the Medicaid program offer an essential resource to investigate these aims. The availability of hospital diagnoses and birth records offers a significant advantage for investigating birth defects with corresponding clinical conditions in large population with a longitudinal approach. Our team is well suited to conduct this research given extensive expertise in contemporary pharmacoepidemiology, many years of experience on drug safety research, prior drug utilization and birth defects study with the linked data from another state, and clinical expertise from obstetric and gynecologic physicians. Our specific aims are to generate a linked data and investigate the medication utilization and assess the corresponding birth defects with the following efforts: Aim 1: To build a linked database that includes mothers medications prescribed during pregnancy and subsequent adverse perinatal outcomes. We hypothesize that the data from two state departments can be internally linked using identifiers. Mothers medication prescriptions will be extracted from Medicaid claims provided by the RI Executive Office of Health Human Services (EOHHS). The adverse perinatal outcomes include: MCMs, MAs, abnormal conditions of new born, fetal death, and low birth weight, and maternal adverse pregnancy and obstetrical complications. All of these outcomes will be obtained from birth certificates, institutional and professional claims that are collected and managed by RI Department of Health (DoH). These two parts of data will be linked by the deterministic or probabilistic linking strategy using mothers medical record number, name, and date of born. We will apply for IRB approval with a waiver of informed consent by RI DoH, EOHHS, Brown, and URI. Aim 2: To characterize the patterns of medication use in women during pregnancy. We hypothesize that medication use in women during pregnancy changes in recent years. Many medications, such as AEDs, statin, or angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), have been classified as teratogens and categorized as D or X by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, studies have found that these teratogenic drugs still have been prescribed to pregnant women.5-7 Some medications with contradictive results reported from the literature may have increased use in pregnant women. We will examine the prescribing patterns of these medications in pregnant women with varied age, race, comorbidities, co-medications, as well as medication types and doses. The utilization pattern will be delineated in secular trends and mapped geographically, as will facility, provider, and state-level variations. Aim 3: To assess infants birth defects and birth anomalies using advanced statistical model. We will identify all corresponding birth defects, including MCM, MA, LBW, ACNB, DDD, preterm birth, and fetal death and compare the birth defect rates in mothers with varied demographic characteristics and medication exposure. Previous studies have suggested that the LVM can be used to combine four specific birth defects together to create a severity index.16-18 We hypothesize that this LVM can be improved and optimized to combine any number of components with a proper weight on severity and frequency to evaluate the overall health status of infants. B. Significance and Innovation Birth defects occur in 3 5% of children born in the United States and account for 20% of all infant deaths.1,2 During 2010-2012, RI DoH identified 1,390 newborns with at least one birth defect.3 The rate of birth defects in RI increased by 14.2% from 2008 to 2012.3 It was reported that 2-3% of birth defects are due to teratogen-induced malformations, which refer to malformations resulting from environmental or in utero exposure to teratogens.4 In the United States, about 3 million people currently live with teratogen-induced malformations.4 The FDA defined the pregnancy category to enforce the labeling of drugs with respect to their effects on pregnant women. Some medications, such as AEDs, statin, or ACEs, have been classified in FDA pregnant category D or X due to their teratogenic effects. Previous studies reported a two- to three-fold increase in the malformation rate among infants with in utero exposure to AEDs.21,22,81,82 The incidence rates in infants with in utero exposure to AEDs were 3.1% to 9.0% for MCMs, 37% for one MA, and 11% for two MAs.21,80-83 The risk of malformations for infants with in utero exposure to valproate is 7.3-fold higher than that of non-exposed, and 4-fold higher than those exposed to all other AEDs.7 Some widely used medications, such as antidepressants, opioids, antipsychotics, and antibiotics, tend to have increased utilization in pregnant women while the results from teratogenic studies are controversial and inclusive.[1*-8*] It is difficult to distinguish between the real non-inferior results and power deficiency owing to rare outcomes. It has led to an urgent need to determine the fetal safety of these medications and prevent teratogenic medications prescribing to pregnant women. However, the limited data source and rare incidence of birth defect outcomes impact the study power, and makes studies inconclusive.8-10 Traditional claims data (data from Medicaid or private health plans) is not suitable for birth defect research as it only contains medical information for either mother or infant, not both. Birth certificates or birth defects data doesnt include mothers medication information. As such, to investigate utilization patterns and teratogenic effects of medications, we need to link mothers pharmacy claims with infants birth defects assessments. The linkage should be conducted in a secure data server with patients identifiers. The main goal of this proposed one-year pilot study is to collaborate with the RI EOHHS and RI DOH and generate a linked statewide dataset that includes mothers pharmacy claims and infants birth defect outcomes. This linked dataset will facilitate the researchers in Brown and URI to conduct studies regarding drug-induced birth defects in RI and provide a potential for combining RI linked data with the linked data from other states to conducting drug teratogenic studies in large population. Innovation This proposed study will generate a linked data with combining Medicaid pharmacy claims from the RI EOHHS and birth certificates and birth defects from the RI DOH. This would make RI become the fourth state that possesses the linked mother-infant data in the United States, besides California, Texas, and Florida. Our approach will provide a large linked dataset to facilitate the researchers from URI and Brown to conduct drug-induced birth defects studies. This linked dataset will provide a potential for future drug teratogenic research in large population with combining the RI linked data with the linked data from other states. Our approach will employ state of the art, innovative pharmacoepidemiologic study designs and statistical models, to improve the study power and efficiency. A latent variable model will be employed in this study to combine all birth defects outcomes into a continuous severity score to assess the overall infants morbidity and mortality. C. Approach Data Sources This study is based on a statewide, retrospective 11-year data sources: RI birth certificates and birth defects from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2016. In Rhode Island, birth certificates are collected in the hospital within 24 to 48 hours after the baby birth. The RI DoH collects and manages birth certificate data for all infants born in RI. Birth dates and places for infants, and demographic characteristics for infants, mothers, and fathers are all recorded in birth certificates. The RI Birth Defects dataset consists of birth defects registry data prepared and maintained by RI DoH. Infant birth defects, including MCMs and MAs, were identified 0-365 days after live birth from hospital inpatient and outpatient claims. This study includes infants who were born in RI between January 01, 2006 and December 31, 2016. Medication information will be provided by the RI EOHHS. The data is comprised of eligibility, medical, and pharmacy claims for services from inpatient hospitals, outpatient clinics, emergency rooms, and pharmacies from January 01 2005 to December 31 2016. Brief demographics for enrolled members are included in Medicaid claims data, such as age, gender, race, residency, etc. Medicaid claims data do not include claims for managed care or Medicare enrollees. We excluded patients with dual eligibility, and thus restricted the drug exposure cohort to pregnant women who were only in the fee-for-service or primary care case management program. Each data source will be cleaned first, and then linked with other corresponding datasets using a multi-step linkage approach in which three methods of linkage are applied in sequence Deterministic, Fuzzy Matching, and Probabilistic.156 Records will be first matched deterministically, based on exact matches of unique combinations of personal identifiers including Social Security Numbers, Date of Birth, and Mothers Names (used for the linkage of BVS to Medicaid only). Records that cannot be exactly matched due to missing or poor data quality will be linked using Fuzzy Matching.156,157 Fuzzy Matching allows at least one occurrence of Social Security Number digit transpositions, name misspelling, or day or month errors in birth date fields.157 Remaining unmatched records will be linked using probabilistic techniques, based on statistical weighting of combinations of personal identifiers. Probabilistic linkage involved a two-step process. 1) Deterministic matching from the first merging step empirically derived weights to the non-missing fields based on successful linkages. 2) After the unlinked data matched with several records by weights, the matches with the highest statistical probability (indicating by high weights) will be chosen. The record remained unmatched when no high weights could be obtained. Study Cohort This study includes female Rhode Island Medicaid enrollees who were older than 15 years of age, delivered a live singleton infant between January 01, 2006 and December 31, 2016, and are enrolled in the Medicaid program as identified by pregnancy status. The study cohort of mother-infant pairs will be generated by linking the Rhode Island Medicaid claims data and Rhode Island Birth defects data using strategies described above. Many women joined the Medicaid program after becoming pregnant. We excluded the women who were enrolled in Medicaid program after a positive pregnant test. More exclusion criteria for maternal-infant pair include: mothers with less than 6 months of Medicaid eligibility before pregnancy; mothers who lost Medicaid eligibility during pregnancy; mothers with dual enrollment with Medicare, HMO, or other private health plans; mothers giving multiple births; mothers with diabetes mellitus (ICD-9-CM: 249.x, 250.x, 790.29, or used of any antidiabetics during baseline), hypertension (ICD-9-CM: 401.x, 416.x, 796.2, , 997.91, 459.3, or used of any antihypertensive drugs during baseline), or HIV pre-pregnancy (ICD-9-CM: 042, 079.53, V08, V01.79, 795.71, or used of any antiretroviral drugs); Infants who were twins, triplets, quadruplets or more; outliers involving infants with birth weight less than 350 g or above 6000 g; mothers or infants missing critical information, such as infants birth weigh t, mothers demographic information, or perinatal medical information. Only less than 1% of infants are missing birth weight records in the birth certificate, these will be excluded from the study.20 Overall Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study based on linked mothers Medicaid claims and state birth registry data. The infants birth date will be the study index date. The drug exposure window will be defined as the subsequent 9-month pregnancy period after the first day of mothers last menstrual date. We will use a 6-month baseline period prior to the first date of mothers last menstrual date to obtain the baseline demographic and clinical information. Birth defect outcomes will be detected 0-365 days after the live birth. The entire study period lasts from January 01 2005 to December 31 2016. Drug Exposure Pharmacy claims in Medicaid have been approved as an accurate source for the assessment of drug exposure in observational studies.158 Mothers medication exposure during pregnancy will be obtained from Medicaid pharmacy claims using NDC codes for filled prescription medications, and the number of days for which the medication is supplied.160 The birth anomalies are associated with exposure during entire pregnancy, MCM relates to the teratogen exposure during the first trimester, and MA and LBW associates with the maternal medication exposure at the third trimester.161 Maternal medication exposure during entire pregnancy period can affect the occurrence of varied birth defects. The exposure window, thus, will be established as a period of 14 days prior to the first day of the mothers last menstrual period (LMP) to the date when infant is born. The drug exposure will be defined as any one dose of study medications dispensed during the exposure window, including which the medication is d ispensed before the exposure window but its supply days cover at least 1 day of the exposure window. Adding 14 days prior to the pregnancy is to include the conception period and the residual effects of medications. Sensitivity study will be conducted to examine the different definitions of medication exposure windows. The mothers LMP will be obtained from birth certificates. If the dates are not available in birth certificates (about 13% of LMP in birth certificates are missing), then this information will be imputed from clinical estimates.163-165 The literature suggests that LMP from birth certificates and clinical estimates agrees within 2 weeks.166 Outcome Assessment In this study, we will identify all individual adverse infant outcomes: birth defects (involving MCM and MA), ACNB, LBW, DDD, and preterm birth from the DoH birth defects data. MCM is defined as an abnormality of an essential anatomic structure that is present at birth and interferes significantly with function and/or requires major intervention.38,39 MCM includes heart malformations, urological defects, oro-facial defects, neural tube defects, and skeletal abnormalities, etc..38,40,41 Drug-induced MCMs mostly occur between the third and eighth week of gestation.44 Any impairment before three weeks is more likely to result in fatality. The fetus becomes less sensitive to teratogenic effects after the eighth week, when the organs have developed. 2-1 delineates the time window of exposure to teratogens and associated MCMs and MAs.44 MA, also called minor congenital malformations, is the abnormal morphologic feature that does not cause serious medical or cosmetic consequences45. Identification of MA can be difficult due to the definition and the easy-variable occurrence area.46 Approximately 70% of MAs occur on the face or hands.46 The prevalence of MA is less than 4% in the general population, and varies by race, ethnicity, and gender.45,46 In healthy newborns, about 15% to 20% have one MA, 0.8% have two MAs, and 0.5% have three or more MAs.46 MA mostly occurs after the eighth week of gestation, which is so-called fetal period.44 The use of teratogens during this period may induce MAs by disturbing the growth of tissues or organs.44 ACNB includes seven medical conditions for new born infants. Infants birth weight less than 2500g, 1500g, and 1000g are categorized respectively as low birth weight (LBW), very low birth weight (VLBW), and extremely low birth weight (ELBW). Infants with low birth weight are likely to be born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. In 2009, 8.16% of live born infants showed low birth weight.50 The high risk of infant mortality and morbidity associated with low birth weight has been documented.51 Although this positive association has been ameliorated over time with improved perinatal technology and intensive care, low birth weight and prematurity still have been identified as risk factors predisposing to cardiovascular dysfunction, lung disorder, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, renal diseases, autism, and developmental delay.52-56 MCM, MA, DDD, and fetal death will be collected from birth to the first 365 days of life using the ICD-9 CM code (740-759.9, 315, 768.0, 768.1) from inpatient and outpatient claims. ACNB and preterm birth will be identified from Rhode Island birth certificatedata, and one year follow ups in infant hospital discharge data. Infant birth weight is accurately recorded in the birth certificate.19 It was noted in previous studies that these birth defects outcomes are highly related to each other.59,70-75 MCM, MA, VLBW, and ELBW relate to significant morbidity, mortality, and childhood disability or serious pregnancy or obstetric complications. 58,70-75 About 6-42% of evolving cognitive dysfunction, 9-26% of neurosensory disabilities, 1-15% of blindness, and 0-9% of deafness occurred in infants born with VLBW and ELBW.71 A significantly higher risk of DDD was found in infants born with MCM (prevalence rate: 8.3, 95%CI: 7.6-9.0).72 A 44% 86% of mortality rate occurs in infants with ELBW (500-750g).73 Moreover, infants with 1, 2, or 3 MAs had a risk rate of corresponding MCMs at 3%, 10%, or 20%, respectively.46 Some risk factors, such as infant gender, maternal age, race, social-economic status, BMI, smoking, alcohol use, nulliparity, comorbidity, and comedication during pregnancy are risk factors for all of these outcomes.75-78 Latent Variable Model Liu and Roth developed an LVM to incorporate four important BD outcomes into a single measurement, the infant morbidity index, to describe an infants overall tendency to BD.13 We will apply this model to combine all birth defects outcomes defined in this study into a continuous index of overall adverse perinatal outcome (APO) in this study. The combined outcome will be evaluated in terms of validity and reliability to ensure the appropriate use of this new methodology. MCM, MA, ACNB, Fetal Death, and DDD will be categorized as a binary variable, and assumed Bernoulli distributed.21 Four levels of LBW will be modeled as a multinomial variable since the four birth weight categories are mutually exclusive and each has its own probability. The summation of the individual probabilities of birth defects outcomes equals one. The unobserved index score will be assumed log-normally distributed. Based upon the assumption of local independence, responses of individual component outcomes are independent given the latent variable.22,23 Thus, the overall probabilities of component outcomes conditional on the latent variable are equal to the products of conditional probability for each individual component outcome.21 Based on the local independence and Bayes rule, the joint distribution for component outcomes can be expressed as an integral of product of multinomial variable for conditional distribution of each component outcome and marginal distribution of latent variable.22-24 Marginal distribution of the latent variable is described as log normal. Given the observed outcomes, we can obtain the posterior distribution of the latent severity score. Furthermore, we assume that the conditional distribution of each categorical observed outcome is nonlinear function of the latent variable.13 The conditional distribution of observed outcome and the latent variable will be linked by two parameters in the non-linear function.The probability of any specific observed outcome equals to 0 when the value of the latent variable equals to 0 because the latent variable accounts for all variation of the observed component outcomes and the relationship among these component outcomes.13 In the non-linear function, the probability of an infant having an individual birth defect outcome is assumed zero if the latent variable is zero, and every normal level (no birth defect or normal weight) will be treated as a reference. The latent variable positively associates with observed outcomes. The larger the latent variable, the higher the probability of the observed outcome.13 Latent Trait Model will be conducted using SAS Proc IML. The proportion of each outcome combination will be calculated. Then each parameter will be estimated using the iteration function for EGNLS starting from iteration 0 with initialized value until the stepping coefficient is less than 10-9. The final results are the estimates of all parameters. The estimate of latent variable will be obtained by entering the computed parameters into posterior function.13 Sensitivity Studies In order to examine the proper definition of exposure window, sensitive studies will be conducted with the exposure window defined as the period of 3, 7, 21, or 30 days prior to the first day of the mothers LMP to the infants birth date. D. Timeline Table. Study Timeline of the Study. Time Period Study Progress Before 07/01/2017 Obtain IRB approval from URI, Brown, RI DoH, and RI EOHHS. Complete DUA with RI DoH and RI EOHHS. 07/01/2017 08/01/2017 Complete data linkage for specific aim 1 08/01/2017 10/01/2017 Complete data cleaning, manipulating, variable editing, and analyses for demographic and clinical characteristics 10/01/2017 01/31/2018 Complete specific aim 2 02/01/2018 02/28/2018 Submit an abstract to the annual meeting of International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) 03/01/2018 06/30/2018 Complete specific aim 3 and submit a journal article