Expansionary Policy

Expansionary policy is a macroeconomic policy that seeks to expand the money supply to encourage economic growth or combat inflation. One form of expansionary policy is fiscal policy, which comes in the form of tax cuts, rebates and increased government spending. Expansionary policies can also come from central banks, which focus on increasing the money supply in the economy. The U. S. Federal Reserve employs expansionary policies whenever it lowers the standard fed funds rate or discount rate or when it buys Treasury bonds on the open market, thereby injecting capital directly into the economy.I will focus this paper?on these policies and theories, and how the federal government would engage them?in an effort to move the economy out of a recession. The Great Depression challenged the classical model with the reality of a long depression and high unemployment. In The General Theory, Keynes attacked the classical model in two important ways. First, he identified some flaws in the mode l. Second, unlike the business cycle theorists, he offered a well-developed alternative model of the macroeconomy.This model was the basis for the Keynesian revolution, the change in macroeconomic theory and policy that occurred when Keynes's ideas displaced the classical explanation of how output and employment are determined. The Keynesian model begins with aggregate demand and works from there to employment, instead of the other way around (Amacher & Pate, 2012). In the 1930s Unemployment was high because planned spending was too low to generate the level of output that would result in full employment. Thus, too little spending was identified as the cause of unemployment.To reduce unemployment, planned spending had to increase. In the language of aggregate supply and aggregate demand (a model developed after Keynes), aggregate demand had to shift to the right. In attempting to identify the cause of employment, Keynes reasoned as follows: EXPANSIONARY POLICY 3 The level of employm ent is directly related to the level of production, or output. In a market economy, planned spending on the output of the business sector will determine the level of production. Firms adjust their levels of production to meet demand for their products. Put simply: Supply adjusts to demand.(In contrast, Say's law said that supply creates its own demand). Because employment depends on production and production responds to spending, the level of employment in a market economy depends on the level of planned spending in the economy (Perry, 2009). Before Keynes balanced budgets were generally accepted by politicians and the public as the responsible thing. Keynesian view challenged the desirability of balanced budgets. Argued that federal budget should be used to promote AD/full employment. Federal Budget influences AD two ways: ?Government spending on goods and services stimulates AD.National defense, highways, education, etc. Tax policy influences AD. Tax cut increases disposable incom e, increases PCE – C goes up. Business tax cut increases business investment on equipment, etc. Keynes argues that fluctuations in AD are the source of economy disturbances and create the bus cycle – â€Å"Animal Spirits. † Policy conclusion; stabilize the economy through fiscal policy (Perry, 2009). If economy is in recession, government should engage in expansionary fiscal policy†¦increase government spending and/or reduce taxes, increase budget deficit.Borrow money (to finance the deficit) from individuals, businesses or foreigners. Economy is in recession at due to animal spirits. Downward pressure on prices. Expansionary fiscal policy (active budget deficit) cut personal income taxes, cut corporate taxes; increase government spending government can pursue restrictive fiscal policy to reduce AD1 to AD2 (Investopedia, 2013). EXPANSIONARY POLICY 4 Keynesian view; government should engage in activist, discretionary, countercyclical policy to stabilize econ omy. Run deficit during recession to stimulate (increase) AD.Run surplus during expansion to restrain (decrease) AD. Since budget deficits are now permanent, restrictive policy now means a smaller deficit, not a surplus. If deficit goes from $200B to $100B, that is restrictive, even though there is still a deficit (Investopedia, 2013). When Keynes attacked the ideas of the classical school in The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (1936), he was attacking the mainstream of 19th-century economic thought. In doing so, he ignored some important work by other economists, such as Henry Simons and Irving Fisher, who were working in the classical tradition.The ideas that Keynes criticized were those that drove the macroeconomic policies of his time. His contributions changed the policy approach to recessions and depressions for decades to follow (Amacher & Pate, 2012). Fiscal policy relies on changes in government spending and taxes (and transfer payments, which can be treat ed as negative taxes). In general, conservative Keynesians prefer tax changes, leaving the level of government spending constant. Liberal Keynesians are more likely to favor changes in government spending or transfer payments.Fiscal policy cannot be considered outside the context of the level and composition of existing government spending†¦ In the United States, a large share of the nation's income is claimed by government, and a substantial share of output is produced by or for government (Amacher & Pate, 2012). There are two kinds of fiscal policy. One kind is put into place and left to respond automatically to changes in the level of economic activity. The second kind, used less frequently, is deliberate action to change tax laws or enact new spending programs so as EXPANSIONARY POLICY 5 to influence the level of output, employment, and prices.Congressional legislation over the years, much of it enacted during the Great Depression, has created a system of tax collections an d transfer payments that change automatically in response to changes in national income. These automatic stabilizers partially offset changes in private spending and tend to reduce fluctuations in output and employment. They primarily include changes in income tax collections, Social Security and welfare benefits, and unemployment compensation claims. Because these automatic stabilizers are triggered by changes in the economy, they do not require further action by Congress (Amacher & Pate, 2012).Transactions involving bonds, reserves, loans to banks, and Federal Reserve notes are the tools of monetary policy. The Fed uses the money supply and interest rates to affect output, employment, and the price level. The Fed has three ways to influence the money supply: open market operations, changes in the discount rate, and changes in the reserve ratio. Open market operations involve buying and selling bonds to affect banks' reserves. The discount rate affects the level of bank borrowing f rom the Fed. Changes in the reserve ratio affect excess reserves (Investopedia, 2013).The Fed's preferred tool is open market operations. Open market operations are purchases and sales of bonds by the Fed on the open market in order to affect bank reserves. Open market operations are a very flexible tool. The impact on reserves can be precisely determined to be as large or as small as desired. Open market operations can be reversed if necessary and can be done without any ordeal. They are done by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Bonds are bought and sold through brokers in New York City. The New York district bank has this responsibility because New York is the financial center of the country.The New York Fed, however, does not buy and sell on EXPANSIONARY POLICY 6 the basis of its own decisions. It carries out the directives of the FOMC. (Amacher & Pate, 2012). These changes are shown on the T-accounts of Banks. If the Fed buys a bond from an individual or a firm, the seller w ill deposit the check from the Fed in a bank. The bank will clear the check through the Fed, and its reserves with the Fed will increase by the amount of the sale. No matter where the Fed buys bonds, bank reserves increase by the amount of the Fed purchase. Banks may also borrow directly from the Fed.Borrowing from the Fed by banks is called â€Å"using the discount window. † The interest rate the Fed charges a bank is called the discount rate. The higher the rate, the less eager banks are to borrow. The discount rate is normally lower than other interest rates at which banks could borrow. When an increase in the reserve ratio leaves banks with too little reserves. Banks have to contract their deposits by selling interest-earning assets or eliminating loans. Such a forced contraction creates a difficult situation for both banks and their loan customers. It takes time to adjust.For this reason, the Fed may cushion the impact of a decline in bank reserves by keeping the discoun t window open (Amacher & Pate, 2012). Each Federal Reserve Bank sets a discount rate for the depository institutions of its district, but the rates are usually the same in all 12 districts. Normally the discount rate is slightly below the market interest rate. The discount rate functions as a signal more than as a direct tool of monetary control. A decrease signifies the Fed's desire to stimulate the economy. Changes in the discount rate also alter the profitability of borrowing from the Fed in order to relend.A lower rate makes borrowing from the Fed more attractive and encourages banks to hold fewer excess reserves. They know they can easily borrow from the Fed if necessary (Amacher & Pate, 2012). EXPANSIONARY POLICY 7 The Fed sets and changes the reserve ratio. There are two kinds of assets that a bank can count toward meeting the required reserve. One is currency and coins, or vault cash. The second, and larger, consists of funds the bank has on deposit with its district Reserve Bank. The Fed requires depository institutions to hold reserves equal to certain fractions of the different kinds of deposits they have.The reserve ratio is higher for banks with deposits over $40 million. One reason why banks collapsed during panics before the Fed was created was that their reserves were too small or not readily available. In practice, reserves now have little to do with the safety of checking and savings account deposits. Their safety is ensured by deposit insurance. However, reserves do ensure that banks will have some ready funds to meet withdrawals. A change in the reserve ratio changes the maximum size of the money supply, not by changing bank reserves, but by changing the deposit multiplier.The deposit multiplier is the reciprocal of the reserve ratio. When the reserve ratio changes from 20% to 10%, the deposit multiplier increases from 5 to 10. A reduction in the reserve ratio has a double impact on the money supply. First, it converts some required reserve s into excess reserves. Second, it increases the size of the deposit multiplier. Decreasing the ratios leaves depositories initially with excess reserves, which can induce an expansion of bank credit and deposit levels and a decline in interest rates (Perry, 2009).A change in the reserve ratio is more complex than open market operations because of this double impact. Because it is such a powerful tool, changes in the reserve ratio are made rarely and in small amounts. Even a change of a fraction of a percent can have a very large (and somewhat uncertain) impact on the economy and can be very unsettling to banks. Both economists and politicians have disagreed over the effectiveness of the EXPANSIONARY POLICY 8 Fed in using its monetary policy tools. The debates of the 19th century over how freely banks should lend are still alive.There is still support for a policy of easy money, unlimited credit, and inflation among those who are in debt and want to be able to borrow more and pay it back with cheaper dollars. There are also groups who support a hard-money policy, ranging from those who simply want monetary growth carefully controlled to those who would like to return to full-bodied money, usually a gold standard (Perry, 2009). Keynesians would advocate an increase in the money supply (expansionary monetary policy), which would decrease interest rates, increase spending, increase AD, increase prices and output, and decrease unemployment.Keynesians believe in more flexibility or â€Å"discretion†, with the Fed adjusting money supply to respond to economic conditions. Expansionary Policy is a useful tool for managing low-growth periods in the business cycle, but it also comes with risks. First and foremost, economists must know when to expand the money supply to avoid causing side effects like high inflation. There is also a time lag between when a policy move is made (whether expansionary or contractionary) and when it works its way through the economy.

The Influence of Globalization and Localization

* Discuss the influence of globalization and localization when it comes to marketing brands. Modern business imperatives dictate that companies adopt a strategy of marketing both locally and globally if they have to compete or capture a significant portion of the market. The concept of global village means that the global market is shrinking and barriers that used to be impenetrable are breaking down allowing for businesses to market their brands out of their traditional market strongholds. The effects of this is that companies will make a global presence but with a local flavor and close attention to the new local communities or markets that they are seeking to acquire. A case in point is the KFC brand. It has the advantage of solid brand name which gives it an instant recognition and market share, but for it to make a significant inroad and capture a majority market shares, it must think locally by tailoring its menu, management and marketing to the local communities. This seems to be the strategy employed by David Novak of the Yum brands in China. He not only realized that a local presence through local management staff and menu makes good business sense, it also ensures the survival of the brand away from its home base. Would the same success be achieved with a less-visible brand? Explain your rationale from the receiver’s perspective. A less visible brand will find it difficult to make an inroad into the market due to the fact that consumers will have a bit of trepidation to accept the brand. The brand will have to work itself up by creating loyalty, employing locals, improved quality and community involvement to gain acceptance. Through advertisement, promotional offers, affordable price and incorporating local delicacies in its menu, a lesser known brand can become a well-known franchise and a visible brand as well. * What steps might you take to achieve the same kind of success with an almost unknown brand? I think the lesser known brand will do well by thinking locally by taking into consideration the sensitivities of the local communities it operates in, employ the locals, be a good local corporate citizen, incorporate the local delicacies on its menu so as to appeal to a wider variety of clients. Also, in its pricing, it must take into consideration the buying power and spending habits of the people to make sure that its products are within local reach. * Discuss the influence of globalization and localization when it comes to marketing brands. Modern business imperatives dictate that companies adopt a strategy of marketing both locally and globally if they have to compete or capture a significant portion of the market. The concept of global village means that the global market is shrinking and barriers that used to be impenetrable are breaking down allowing for businesses to market their brands out of their traditional market strongholds. The effects of this is that companies will make a global presence but with a local flavor and close attention to the new local communities or markets that they are seeking to acquire. A case in point is the KFC brand. It has the advantage of solid brand name which gives it an instant recognition and market share, but for it to make a significant inroad and capture a majority market shares, it must think locally by tailoring its menu, management and marketing to the local communities. This seems to be the strategy employed by David Novak of the Yum brands in China. He not only realized that a local presence through local management staff and menu makes good business sense, it also ensures the survival of the brand away from its home base. Would the same success be achieved with a less-visible brand? Explain your rationale from the receiver’s perspective. A less visible brand will find it difficult to make an inroad into the market due to the fact that consumers will have a bit of trepidation to accept the brand. The brand will have to work itself up by creating loyalty, employing locals, improved quality and community involvement to gain acceptance. Through advertisement, promotional offers, affordable price and incorporating local delicacies in its menu, a lesser known brand can become a well-known franchise and a visible brand as well. What steps might you take to achieve the same kind of success with an almost unknown brand? I think the lesser known brand will do well by thinking locally by taking into consideration the sensitivities of the local communities it operates in, employ the locals, be a good local corporate citizen, incorporate the local delicacies on its menu so as to appeal to a wider variety of clients. Also, in its pricing, it must take into consideration the buying power and spending habits of the people to make sure that its products are within local reach. Numerous theorists discuss cultural concepts. Using this information as a basis, discuss the concepts you would want to analyze and evaluate in order to prepare you and other company executives for the upcoming meeting. * Which of the concepts you discussed would be the hardest to analyze? Why? * Describe a worst case scenario involving the muddling of culture concepts. What steps could you (or your company) take to ensure something similar never happens to you? Numerous theorists discuss cultural concepts. Using this information as a basis, discuss the concepts you would want to analyze and evaluate in order to prepare you and other company executives for the upcoming meeting. There are so many issues that come to mind when preparing for a meeting with a foreign business audience. The first thing would be to know the audience and the cultural, social background to be able to formulate an adequate communication strategy to make the message clear and understandable. There is always the issue of cultural differences that have to be bridged. This translates into what to say and how to say that will not generate any misunderstanding or negative feelings. Understanding the verbal and non-verbal cues that are important in cross cultural exchanges is very important. For example, there is a definite difference between a Japanese or Korean business concept and communication and that of an American. Therefore, advance knowledge and preparation for any meeting between people from these cultures is very critical. What is the gender perception in each culture? Would I send a female to go do a business deal in a culture that has a less favorable view of women in power? What is the most appropriate language to use and what is the distance to maintain when discussing are the issues that would have to deal with. Any company that has a diverse business- be it internal or external must have a policy and procedure manual on how to deal with such diverse base. * Which of the concepts you discussed would be the hardest to analyze? Why? While one may be able to analyze the cultural, socio-graphics and other concepts, being able to nalyze the individual specific reaction in a real situation as personal differences come to play. Certain non-verbal cues may be very hard to analyze and it will be left to he participants to figure out the meaning of each non-verbal gesture to avoid misunderstanding and potential conflict. * Describe a worst case scenario involving the muddling of culture concepts. What steps could you (or your company) take to ensure som ething similar never happens to you? A worst case scenario would be where beliefs and world views are so opposite that communication is impeded. An assumption of superiority by one side over the other may be a recipe for disaster and a deal killer. I had an experience back home in Africa when I received some people from England as I was accustomed to doing. There was always a feeling of being patronized by my European counterpart by not respecting my cultural taboos and on many occasions I had to call them to order and insisted on things being done with mutual respect. I think, preparing my experts on how to behave and respect the cultures of others by not being judgmental and patronizing is definitely one thing to do. Recognizing the non-verbal cues of approval or disapproval is key to avoiding conflict when negotiating. Assignment 1: Communication Process (due by Sunday before midnight). Find a Web site that has an â€Å"About Us† section or a â€Å"Press Release† section. Write a three to four (3-4) page paper addressing the following: 1. Identify the Web site, the sender, and perceived receiver. 2. Analyze the integrated business communication. 3. Assess the media richness of the section. 4. Describe how the message is framed. 5. Identify opinion leaders. 6. Make recommendations for improving word choice.

Original Writing- Jonas Brothers

Although many people don't realise it, music plays a big part in everyday life. If its auditioning for the X-Factor, going to gigs every week, singing hymns at mass, singing to your favourite tunes in the shower or just listening to the radio on the way to work, we all like our music. It gets us though the days and has a big influence on what we do. Music separates the people with the many different genres it offers and some very talented people are behind it all. Considering this I would like to tell you about one of my favourite bands; the Jonas Brothers. Jonas Brothers are a VMA-nominated American boy band. The band consists of three brothers; Kevin, Joe and Nick. They come all the way from Wyckoff, New Jersey and have released three albums; It's About Time (2006), Jonas Brothers (2007) and recently, A Little Bit Longer (2008), and one soundtrack; Camp Rock (2008). The band gained their popularity on the children's television network; Disney Channel, which is where the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock , starring the Jonas Brothers, was first shown. The band star in the movie as a boy band named Connect Three. One of my reasons for liking the Jonas Brothers, is the fact that they are well-known for their wholesome, family image. The brothers are all committed Evangelic Christians, and wear purity rings on their left-hand ring finger as a sign to not have pre-marital sex, of which neither of these things they are ashamed of or afraid of showing. Joe stated that the rings symbolize â€Å"a promise to ourselves and to God that we'll stay pure 'till marriage† and Nick thinks that â€Å"its pretty awesome, and the rings are just one of our ways of kind of like being different to everybody else out there†. They also abstain form alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Another reason for liking the Jonas Brothers is the fact that in 2007 they earned about $12 million dollars and donated 10% of it to their charity, Change for the Children Foundation. The charity is a foundation started by the Jonas Brothers, where the contributors donate to charities such as, Nothing but Nets, American Diabetes Foundation, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Summer Stars: Camp for the Performing Arts. Their reasons for stating the charity is to â€Å"support programs that motivate and inspire children to face adversity with confidence, determination and a will to succeed†¦ kids helping other kids who are a little less fortunate.† Paul Kevin Jonas II, also known as Kevin, is the oldest of the brothers aged 21 and born November 5th 1987. He plays lead guitar (usually a Gibson Les Paul) and backing vocals. Kevin is also a songwriter and helped to write the bands self-titled album Jonas Brothers. Joseph Adam Jonas, was born August 15 1989, making him 19. He sings lead vocals, plays percussion and has played the guitar in the song A Little Bit Longer. Joe originally had no intentions of becoming a singer; he wanted to be a comedian and work on the show All That Nicholas Jerry Jonas, is the youngest of the band at only 16 years of age, born September 16 1992. He plays rhythm guitar (usually a Gibson SG in the original re stain colour), lead vocals with brother Joe, piano in the songs When you Look me in the Eyes and A Little Bit Longer, and drums in the songs, Australia, Can't Have You, Sorry and Video Girl. He can play various other instruments also. On November 16 2005 (aged 13), he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Franklin Nathaniel Jonas, is the baby of all the brothers, of only 8 years of age and was born September 28 2000, and isn't in the Jonas Brothers, but being the bands younger brother he still plays a big part in their lives. He is also known as the Bonus Jonas and Frank the Tank. He will debut with his brothers on J.O.N.A.S!(a Disney Channel Original Series (2009)), and may have a small appearance in Camp Rock 2. Other members of the band are: John Taylor who helps produce for the band, as well as plays guitar. Greg Garbowsky has been with the brothers since they started out. He plays bass guitar and keeps a blog of Life on the Road with the Boys. Jack â€Å"Flawless Lawless† Lawless joined the band in early 2007, and has replaced former drummer Alex Noyes. Ryan Liestman plays the keyboards for the group. The single, A Little Bit Longer, released earlier this year, was written by Nick Jonas himself and is about his fighting battle to carry on pursuing his dreams with his diabetes. He sings alone in this song, about how â€Å"you don't know what it feels like until its gone†. This song is very emotional and on occasions, Nick has been seen to be crying on stage to this particular song. He's said â€Å"Luckily, I've got some really great people around me that really help me manage my diabetes. And it hasn't slowed me down yet, and I'm not planning on letting it do that. So I'm going to continue to do what I love and if I have occasional low or high blood sugar, it will be all right because I've got some really great people surrounding me.† With the Jonas Brothers being so talented and successful at such a young age, I find them so inspiring to listen to and am proud to be a fan of theirs. You could be in any situation, but you're holding on because you don't want to give up on love. Say you're in a terrible situation†¦you can always find the light if you look hard enough.

Annotated Bibliography on Policy Argument Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

On Policy Argument - Annotated Bibliography Example Moreover, the article helps in ensuring that there is enough ground to make a claim on ways in which video games have been detrimental to children and teenagers. Lam, Lawrence, Cheng, ZaoHuo and Liu, XinMin.Violent "Online Games Exposure and Cyberbullying/Victimization Among Adolescents." Ebscohost.com. Web. 20 July 2014. . The authors use exploratory study to establish a connection between exposure to violent online -games and cyber-bullying and victimization among adolescents. A recent survey by national population Health Behavior in School-Age Children found that of those involved or affected by cyber bullying "5.3 percent were victims only, and 4.5 % were both perpetrators as well as the victim" (159). The article is relevant to my study, as it has largely focused on school-aged children most of which are teenagers. As a result, it will be of help in making a claim that video games should not be accessible to teenagers and young children. The article questions whether parents are aware of the effects of video games on children. The author notes of various negative influence it has on children such as violent action, having negative image on children, and social isolation. As the author notes, video games make student not to care about grades or learning and want to stay away from other people (1). The article helps to highlight the rise of antisocial behavior due to prevalence of the games and helps to reinforce my call for banning of games. The rise of antisocial behavior should be controlled in all possible ways including making it illegal to make video games available to children and teenagers. Stephen, Burgess, Paul, Stermer Steven and Melinda, Burgess. "Video

South African Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

South African Economy - Essay Example 4Governor Tito Mboweni signaled repeatedly in the past month that lending rates were set to rise again as underlying inflation become "more generalized", while stricter lending rules had so far failed to dent robust consumer spending and credit demand. 5 For the current business cycle, however, the hikes that were made to the country's interest rates recently are generally being considered to be the last. The causes of high inflation in South Africa primarily are two external causes; "The current price drivers are rising oil and international food prices, simply because demand outstrips supply in the international market for these products. The two are linked because the immediate effect of increased fuel prices is that it becomes more expensive to produce food, but this on its own does not necessarily lead to a general price rise." 6 Besides the policies of the South African government are not above contempt, and in fact these populist policies to appease some sections of the countrymen without concern or acknowledging the external causes in plunging the economy into despair. "Increased interest rates will have a direct effect on tax collections and therefore a direct effect on subsidizing the poor. This will lead to a rapid depletion of budget surplus, and to fill this gap the government has no option but to print money to fill in the gap." 7 This is leading South Africa towards hy perinflation. Impact of high oil prices on South African economy The high oil prices have severely affected oil importing countries like South Africa, whose capacity to generate electricity has been affected and which has "forced them to ration electricity". 8 Adding further, "The high price of oil impacts directly on firms, consumers and the government. First, it increases the domestic price of petroleum products, raises the cost of many immediate inputs, and as a result leads to higher production costs. Consequently firms may reduce their labor demand, investment and output. Second, as the short-run demand for oil is highly inelastic, consumers are forced to reduce their consumption of other goods and services to pay for higher energy bills." 9 Moreover, the rising oil prices will also affect South Africa's balance of payments, as exchange rates will work against them in international trade, this will reduce their level of economic activity since the amount of affordable oil that South Africa will be able to purchase shall be dramatically reduced under present conditions. "Consumers and firms could decide to reduce their oil consumption but since the demand for oil is highly inelastic in the short-term, they may be compelled to reduce their consumption of other imported goods. Doing so could undermine economic growth especially if capital goods imports are affected." 10. Poverty is another issue facing the South African economy, since the current policy will lead to more widespread poverty as lack of adequate fuel will drive up the cost, with the cost of transportation of goods and

The Dominican-American Convention analysis Essay

The Dominican-American Convention analysis - Essay Example In analyzing the situation it is clear that in orchestrating the arrangement the U.S. virtually secured its control over the Dominican Republic. Under the receivership agreement customs income would be distributed in the manner established in the â€Å"Modus Vivendi†: 45% for the Dominican government, 5% for the payment of the employees of the customs administration and 50% for the payment of the loan. ( The American-Dominican Convention 3-6) This â€Å"deal,† as we might call it, seems at first glance a win-win for everyone: the U.S., in that it kept European influences at bay, and the Dominicans financially and politically beholding to the U.S. For President Ramon Caceres, seeking to consolidate his power, had three million dollars to spend internally at his discretion, which certainly helped along with the U.S. guarantee for economic and military support to secure his position within the country. From a political point of view it is not surprising that some American Congressman of â€Å"anti-imperialist sentiment† (Roorda 11) would be against the move based on previous attempts to intervene in Dominican politics, as other Dominicans in the past were wary of such a close association on the basis of a weaker state being subsumed by one more powerful. In assessing the ultimate result from a political standpoint, one must see clearly the basis of their objections, since in the end, and under the agreement’s terms, officials of the U.S. War Department sent to the country to monitor its customs operations had war ships at their disposal â€Å"if local events went counter to his [Ceceres] wishes† (Roorda 15). From the main points of the treaty the results are somewhat mixed. Increased pressure was mounting from several European nations for the Dominican to pay its debt in fear of ongoing political instability. (Roorda 13) The U.S. military

Critical Review Accountability and Data Collection, including Reward Article

Critical Review Accountability and Data Collection, including Reward and Challenge Schools - Article Example The reform rightly undertakes the method of identifying the schools and districts with the maximum progress and recognizing them as Reward schools; this would encourage the functioning of the schools and thereby enhance their performance. Though I agree that the identification of the Challenge School and then helping them in specific ways is an innovative way to solve the problem, as all the schools may not lack in the same sphere, yet I also think that a problem might arise here with respect to correct identification of the challenged schools and the reward schools as no school will have everything bad or good in it, hence the process involved in the collection of data for recognizing and categorizing the schools needs to be clearly mentioned. According to me the reform should specify what benchmarks and parameters would be used for the identification of the categories. School Turn Around Models In my opinion, the method proposed for school remodeling might be criticized on the foll owing grounds. The idea of Challenge schools undergoing a turnaround and transformation model where the governing body of the school gets replaced and strengthened might not ensure better performance always according to me. This is because replacing an experienced authority with a new one might pose new problems as the newcomer might take time to adjust to the ambience before bringing on changes. Rehiring of the 50 percent of the old staff and filling up the rest with new staffs may initiate non-cooperation among the staffs and hence their productivity can go down and this is therefore not a very sound idea. I also think that closing the school and transferring the students into higher performing school may end up being a problem as the students would suddenly find themselves under greater pressure than what they have been exposed to (12). Effective Teachers and Leaders - state and district level data systems and evaluations With respect to the area of ‘Effective Teachers and Leaders-state and district level data systems and evaluations’ I observe that the development and implementation of meaningful educators and principal evaluation system by the State and the District is a positive step in providing quality education (15-16). I agree that the published data at the state and the district level about the performance of the principals and the teachers will put them under a constant pressure of doing well. The grants for the school on their better performance in building up better and effective teachers are also a good idea to work towards encouragement. Yet I find one negative aspect with respect to the transfer of the effective teachers to the high needs schools. Thought this is likely to act as a blessing for the schools in need, yet at the same time it can act adversely against the interest of the students who sometimes become accustomed to a specific way of teaching and might find it a problem to adapt to the change. I would recommend here the inclusion of how these changes would be implemented and what psychological changes the students would need to undergo. English Language Learners The provision of significant formula grants to aid the schools at the district and the state level for implementing elevated quality language instructions in educational programs is definitely a constructive move undertaken by the reforms (20). I also find he language proficiency assessment to determine the eligibility of the learner quite recommendable because it is likely to enhance the quality of the education. However, in that way many learners who wish to study the language will be exempted from doing so. Hence I suggest that by initiating innovative programs in the schools to impart language education the State itself can take a step in coming up with

Criminial justice assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminial justice - Assignment Example When it comes to social disorganization theory, it dwells on the fact that people who live in slums do not follow the law especially because where they come from has social controls that do not work. This theory comes from works of people like McKay and Shaw who made a conclusion that divergent value marking areas that are not in order together with transitional populations bring about criminal activities. Strain theories on the other hand come because of people’s anger when they fail to accomplish the right economic and social success. Strain theories reveal that many people have similar beliefs and values however, whether or not they are able to achieve them depends on their social structure. One of the most renowned strain theories is that of Merton, which shows the consequences that, follow when people do not have enough resources in order to meet their own needs. Lastly in the social structure theories is the cultural deviance theory that brings out the fact that in low class areas there is an emergence of unique value system (Lantolf & Thorne, 2006). Reason being, in areas where people are of lower class they are taught to always be tough and go against authority. According to Ohlin and Cloward people in low class areas commit crimes because they believe they do not have the best channels to succeed in life. The conflict theory puts its emphasis on the political, social inequality of a social group. It makes people understand the power differences existing in society. It goes on to show how the dominant group, which is the people with power, controls those who do not have (minorities). Multiculturalism can be defined as the acceptance or promotion of many different ethnic cultures. This leads to people of diverse cultures accepting each other no matter how different they might be. Most of the cultural activities done by different cultures tend to step on women’s

Responses from DQ1 andDQ@ CC and AAw2d2 1 and 2 Assignment

Responses from DQ1 andDQ@ CC and AAw2d2 1 and 2 - Assignment Example It does also not protect junior employees from manipulation by their seniors. The act is therefore more concerned with accurate financial reporting of corporations to the Securities and Exchange Commission. A spot check on the act shows that it only affects external auditors, boards of directors, corporate roles, and the PCAOB in a move to heighten investor confidence in the organizations (Halbert, 2010). It is exceptionally true that corporate employees fear losing their jobs if they decided to talk about illegal activities in their organizations. However, employees have of late been enlightened of their rights incase of unjustified work termination. According to Cox (2009), the Sarbanes-Oxley act (2002) is exceptionally clear on the responsibilities of senior executives regarding their roles in their respective organizations. Of importance to the executive is giving truthful financial information to the Securities and Exchange Commission and this is his or her duty to loyalty towards the organization, and to some extent, duty to care (Harris, 2003). The Sarbanes-Oxley act also protects the corporations from executive malpractices; therefore, external auditors and PCAOB are mandated to check any irregularities that may arise from senior corporate executives. It is therefore very much agreeable that the Sarbanes-Oxley act has helped streamline corporations that are prone to

Quimica Del Atlantico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Quimica Del Atlantico - Essay Example It opened a plant in Baracaldo in 1955. External environment and internal strategic capabilities The strengths of this company can be analysed through a study of its steady growth. Quimica del Atlantico grew steadily over years and opened two more factories one which was located at Santurce and the other at Portugalete. The company was over the years consistent in allocation of significant resources and efforts to research and development and was thus able to produce a number of products and processes. These include- baked enamel used for refrigerators, pollster fishes used for wood product, use of electro deposition for paint application systems, water soluble baths through immersion used especially in automobiles factories, the powdered paint and lastly the Kolormatik system. The company adopted a number of strategies to maintain its position. Its basic tool was technology and the desire to be on the lead in technology caused the company to sign agreement for transfer of technology with other companies in various states. With the advanced technology the sales of the company increased immensely. In 1985 the company estimated the products that were sold to approximately 12,000 retail outlets in Spain which was a whopping 75 percent increase. In addition to the huge sales turnover the company had varied and numerous buyers for their products. These included home decorating paints and automobile body repair paints both of which represented 50 percent of the company’s sales. The other 50 percent was accounted by sale of paints which were manufactured for industrial customers. The most important industrial customer was automobile OEMs meaning original equipment. These accounted for 30 percent of QA’s total sales. The remaining 20 percent went to other industrial sector which includes automobile components and spare parts, domestic appliance manufacturers, metallographic industry, toys, furniture, railroad stocking etc. The company also grew to be a le ading employer in the industry. Its total work force in the year 1986 amounted to about 575 employees. This huge number of employee’s meant that the company was indeed doing very well. Quimica Del Atlantico was leading in Spain in the refinishing segment since the Spanish civil war ended in three products. These are one white paint and two black paints. This means that in addition to making huge volume of sales the company was also leading in quality product thus widening its markets even more. Towards the end of 1950s QA was able to position itself well when SEAT at that time started manufacturing cars in Spain. The automobile industry was so far the most important customer of QA. Subsequently other paint manufacturers and automobile OEMs established industries in Spain. This was the onset of competition but also the onset of a wider market for its product as more automobile industries came to birth as well as competing paint manufacturers. However until 1985 the customers w ere limited to within the country. There were no exports until 1986. Spain became a member of European communities in 12th June 1986, a political and economical factor which created a new opportunity for the company. This meant a new dawn to the company as Spain had become a part of the regional trade agreement. The company contemplated venturing into the new markets within the European community and also hunting for raw material at a lower cost within the Europe

Mergers And Joint Ventures Essay Example for Free

Mergers And Joint Ventures Essay A company does not plan on merging with another company and although some mergers are voluntary other mergers are not. When a company is struggling, having financial difficulties and has used up all of its resources sometime it is in the best interest to merge. It is important for companies to understand the different mergers and to pick the best solution. Below team D will discuss the differences between a horizontal, vertical, and conglomerate merger and how those mergers differ from joint ventures. Horizontal Mergers Horizontal mergers are the combining of two or more companies in the same industry that are competitors. An example would be Sirius Satellite and XM radio. The benefit of this merger is a decrease in competition for all the companies involved. The disadvantages of this merger is that a horizontal merger is considered hostile due to a larger company â€Å"taking over† the smaller company and it feeling more like an acquisition than a merger (wiseGEEK, 2014). Another drawback is the companies not requiring to disclose or share all trade secrets resulting in jealousy and/or resentment. Vertical Mergers Vertical mergers are more common and the companies involved in this merger do not compete directly in the same market. A vertical merger is a combination of two companies that produce different products or services and come together to produce one specific product. One of the merging companies would be the buyer of products and the other company would be the supplier (Colander, 2013). An advantage of this merger is lower costs due to the  company not having to pay for the materials from the supplier. A disadvantage of this merger is forcing suppliers out of business and anti-trust issues. Conglomerate Merger Unlike horizontal and vertical mergers, a conglomerate merger is less personal and merges two companies in different markets that are unrelated to each other to grow financially and to increase their market share. An advantage of this merger is the advantage to reach a bigger audience. When two companies merge together they have access to the other companies’ market base. The size of the companies can be an advantage or disadvantage. The size can be a disadvantage because of structure changes, i.e. an increase of employees as well as core values being lost due to the merge. Joint Venture Joint venture occurs when commercial enterprise is undertaken jointly by two or more parties and at the same time still maintaining their individual identities. Joint ventures seem a bit more beneficial when compared to mergers. One pro of joint venture is that the companies continue to exist as their own, whereas with mergers the two firms are one and no longer independent (Chron, 2014). An example of a joint venture is a cable and a phone company coming together offering both of their services like a bundle that offers special discounts. Conclusion The three different types of merges team d learned about are horizontal, vertical and conglomerate. We also learned the difference of the three and the advantages and disadvantages of the different mergers and how joint ventures differ from mergers. It is important for firms to knowledgeable about mergers and joint ventures so that they may make the best decisions for their firm. References Chron. (2014) Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/difference-between-mergers-joint-ventures-18578.html Colander, D. C. (2013). Microeconomics (9th Ed.). New York, NY:

My CAS Diary †Mountain bike riding Essay Example for Free

My CAS Diary – Mountain bike riding Essay This rather splendid activity I involved myself in took place in the rural district of Yarramundi. I accompanied ‘the boys’, Ben Irwin, David Wilkinson, Jordan Willis, Jarrod Quigley, Bailey McDougle and John Wright. This group had been forged through a Tabitha elective in which I was not involved with. Despite my absence during the genesis of this group, they warmly welcomed me into their ranks, as one of their own! They went as far to facilitate me a sturdy steed of a mountain bike. The bike and I grew quite close over our two journeys, tumbling though rocks, effortlessly riding through the toughest terrain in the Yarramundi area and, on occasions, tumbling into the think bush, which enclosed our already small and treacherous riding track. I feel as if the previous sentence was not quite quintessential of the relationship I created with my exuberantly wondrous bicycle. The only way I will be able to express such feelings is through poetry, specifically that of John Dunne. The following exert has been taken from ‘A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning’: But we by a love so much refined, That ourselves know not what it is, Inter-assurà ¨d of the mind, Care less, eyes, lips and hands to miss. If they be two, they are two so As stiff twin compasses are two ; Thy soul, the fixd foot, makes no show To move, but doth, if th other do. And though it in the centre sit, Yet, when the other far doth roam, It leans, and hearkens after it, And grows erect, as that comes home. I feel as if you too can now appreciate the bond made between man and machine. A bond, which can only be made when trudging through the harshest conditions. Where life can be taken away in a blink. Where every breath may be your last. The trust needed between myself and my monster was something incomparable to anything I have experienced prior to this day. It has changed my life forever. Although, despite this, I am unsure whether or not I am thankful for this burden of sorts. You see, the bike is not mine! It is a love that I can never fully attain and this harsh reality tortures me in my mundane life; I crave for such a feeling again. My every day life is plagued by the reminded that I will never be able to reach that level of love, trust and respect for anything else in my life. However, on the other hand I am forever thankful and forever in debt of ‘the boys’ for introducing me to my machine, an instrument in which I created art with. What did I learn from this experience? Yet another mundane question I am made to answer through the unspoken covenant that rules my reflective statements. This is my silent protest to the trivialities of such a question, which insult the very memory of Her. The pen is stronger than the sword, good sir! This is my stand against the restricting rules oppressing my reflective creativity! Despite this quarrel, I will answer your question, WITH ANOTHER QUESTION! What have I NOT learnt from this wondrous experience? No answer? That is not a problem my good friend, for I am nurturing the answer in my complex and mysterious brain as I type out, with passion, these very words you’re reading. The answer is: I have learnt everything I need to learn for my journeys through Yarramundi. I have learnt love, compassion and understanding, something conventional activities could never satisfy me with. Although, above all, this glorious, some may even say life changing experience, I have gained a connection. A connection I alluded to in the above text but something that will never be able to be expressed through measly ink stains on paper! No, sir! They are of too high an order, too holy and all encompassing, too paralyzing for a mere mortal to comprehend (Although, Mrs. Menzies, I am sure you’ll be able to wrap your head around it with ease. This being because of your outstanding intelligence and other associated characteristics. Please let this reflective statement suffice for now. I swear I’ll get the rest to you soon!) As concluding words of any great piece of writing leave you speechless, so will my eloquent speech render you into a mental, paralytic state that will leave you with a feeling of contentedness for the rest of your days. Unless I know who I am and why I am here, I can not live Dostoevsky I am now alive.

This Assignment Is About Collaborative Practice Nursing Essay

This Assignment Is About Collaborative Practice Nursing Essay The first part is this one (part A). It includes a practice scenario which I have been exploring in classroom sessions, to be discussed in terms how a policy likeour health our care our say, which influences service user involvement and integration of services; and how this relates to interprofessional working. For the second part (part B), a self-assessment of my level of development is required, using the provided self-assessment document which is related to the Interprofessional Capability Framework through reflections. Our health our care our say is the National Policy that I am going to examine in this assignment, to show how it influences interprofessional working with service users. It was published in January 2006 and it is aiming for more effective health and social care services outside hospital. Its logo is This policy is a new direction for community services. It sets out the governments vision for high quality support meeting peoples aspirations for independence and greater control over their lives, making service flexible and responsive to individual needs. That means that it targets for a person-centred environment in the health and care area. The scenario that I chose concerns Jane, a single young mother of two children, who was diagnosed with locally advanced carcinoma of the cervix. She underwent a radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node sampling and she is currently undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Jane habitually smokes and drinks. In the following part, the consequences of this patients behaviour are going to be analysed, since it seriously influences the results of her health care. ? MAIN PART As it was previously stated, this assignment is about the service user involvement and integration of services. A service user is essentially any individual who receives the impeccable, selfless and person-oriented service from the health and social care policy; if that policy is as perfect and person centred as they claim it to be, is a topic that will be analysed further along in this assignment. The level of the users involvement is heavily fluctuated. People should be encouraged to be involved in health care at levels that they are comfortable with, but at the same time be empowered through information, training and other support to get to the level of involvement to which they may aspire. (session) the service user should be able to make choices from a range of options. They cannot do this if they do not know what is available and whether they are entitled to it. For effectively delivering health and social care services, it is essential that professionals must work collaborative and the service user to be involved in their care. According to Hippocrates in the 5th BC; the role in the patient care is not exclusively part of physicians work, but patients must also participate in order for a smoother and less problematic cure to take place. This argument can be explicitly justified when observing a patient that displays non-compliance behaviour, since it makes the work for the cure of that patient almost impossible. In this case, Jane is the service user since she has been through a variety of services (assessed and treated by a physiotherapist, join a local smoking cessation group which is run by a small team of nurses and physiotherapists to support her in giving up smoking on a permanent basis, begin radiotherapy treatment and chemotherapy with cisplatin). Though, she is not active at all. With her attitude like missing her appointments in t he radiotherapy treatment, stop attending in the local cessation group for giving up smoking, she shows that she doesnt want to understand the importance of her treatment and how much is going to help her the cessation group to become well, in order to raise her children. Through interprofessional and collaborative working, professionals can take on a number of roles to promote this involvement. Collaborative working is about engaging in partnership with other professionals and those we care for (Whittington, 2003). Furthermore it can be argued that no profession by its own can meet all the needs of its service users. Nevertheless, by using the skills and expertise of all members of the multiisciplinary team in an integrated way, it can be ensured that all the needs of those people using the services are met. The significance of mutual respect in a working environment, as well as understanding and co-operation, with the combination of good communication and collaborative working is really important. It inevitably offers a person-centred environment, in which users of services experience high quality care that minimises risk and prohibits as far as possible serious mishaps and service breakdown. Wittington states in his work that, if there is no collaborative working between the health care professionals service isolation and fragmentation can result in lack of co-ordination, poor communication with service users, users spending longer periods away from home and increased service costs. (Wittington, 2003) Subsequently, for the Governments drive to shift the ideology from the requirements of the service to needs of the user, various key policy advancements have been established during the last few years, that altered the structure of the health and social care. Each development has greatly influence the manner that health and social care professionals conduct their service, the way the provision of services is provided and the experience of this service for the service user Our health our care our say is aiming to achieve four main goals. Firstly, it is aiming to provide better prevention services with earlier intervention in the health and social care services. This is going to be achieved by collaborative practice between the GP and Primary and Care Trusts (PCTs) with local government services, by having a personalised service which is going to advice and support the public (Makely, 2005). For example, cancer support services are providing advice and support, not only in the cancer patients but also to their families. In the cancer support services, there should be work specialist who can provide individual support. Secondly, it aims to give to people more choice and a louder voice by providing them the ability to choose and influence social and primary care. Briefly, one of the suggestions is to present a GP practice list to the public, thus giving them the choice to get the information they want and understand what services are available in their ar ea. For the people who are not so confident using this list there are going to be GP practices to offer face to face communication in opening times. According to the NHS website (NHS The National Centre for Involvement, 2008), on April 2008 the LINks (Local Involvement Networks) was set up. These are networks that are run by local people and groups, who inquire peoples opinion, whilst monitoring the delivery of care and using their authority to oblige service to account on their actions. This is helpful in the better understanding of what the community necessitated from the commissioners and the managers of health and care services. The other aim is to try to do more on tackling inequalities and improving access to community services. That means that local health and social care commissioners will work together to understand and address local inequalities. Again, forums, websites and networks like the LINks are going to help these care providers, allow councils to access a wide rang e of views, helping to develop care pathways and with this way is going to improve the services and help people who need specific care and support such as people with particular needs like mothers, ethnic minorities, people at the end of their lives and others to get the service that they require (NHS The National Centre for Involvement, 2008). And the final aim is to support more the people with long-term needs like people with disabilities. Because they need to have a clear understanding of their condition and what they can do, so they are more likely to take control of their lives. This aim is going to be achieved by developing a programme which is going to give the information that the people with longterm health and social care needs and by developing assistive technologies to support these people in their own homes. For this aim, collaborative working will be necessary, since they have to deal with not only with health problems of the people with long-term needs but also with social problems. (Makely, 2005) A variety of professionals like psychologists, physicians, social supporters, counsellors are going to contribute in the best support of these people. Our health our care our say policy explores a variety of aspects on Janes story. It mostly covers general health and social issues. For example, the fact that Jane is a single mum and she does not work, the above policy is aiming to help these kind of people, by supporting them and finding them the appropriate service to help them. Despite the fact that Jane believes that she does not need any help from any support worker, I think a guidance and some financial support, will enable her to trust the system and make her keen in listening the professionals. Moreover, Jane smokes and drinks which aggravates her health problems considerably. It has been suggested to her, to go to local cessation group which was running by small team of nurses and physiotherapists, but she stopped attending to that appointments. Collaborative working between the services is necessary since they inform each other that Jane does not attend to that local group and in the radiotherapy treatment she misses a lot of appointments. The professionals that have worked with Jane, observed that changes mood and she sometimes goes to treatment drunk and she has an non- compliance behaviour. All this information is probably going to be discussed in MDT meetings, so they find some ways to help this mother so that she can realise the importance of her treatment. From Janes story, it is evident that even the radiotherapists want to help her, but they cannot, because as a free-will individual she demonstrates her unwillingness to not follow the instructions of the professionals and not listening at all what the professionals are telling her. It is evident therefore that, for effectively delivering health and social care services, is vital that professionals must work collaboratively and the service users to be actively involved in their own personal care. This position has been empirically accepted as a better method for conducting health and social care. The abovementioned, can be observed in the advancements made during recent years, as a result of carefully driven policies which tend to support public awareness of their medical condition, and encourages patient involvement in the process of their care. These policies also sustain that local inequalities should be eradicated, mainly through giving a stronger voice to patients; in this way enforcing patient involvement in their personal care. Nonetheless, despite the fact that these reform policies have introduced a considerable level of improvement towards a better health and social policy, the idea of a service user receiving the impeccable and ideal health care (ment ioned in the begging of the assignment) is still a long way to go. This is proven by genuine case studies like Janes, which is a great example of the ineffectiveness that some parts of the social and health care currently display. But one must take into account the progress of these policies, and anticipate even more improvement in the health care plan with the introduction of new policies, so that people like Jane can enjoy an effective health care. ? PART B REFLECTION ON MY DEVELOPEMENT NEEDS DOMAIN: Collaborative Working Description: During my placement, I had been asked to take an old lady in the transport services, since the support workers were busy. In the way to the transport services, the old lady said that she was feeling sick, and she threw up. At the same time a radiotherapist came and she asked me to help her with the care of this patient. I brought her some medication from the pharmacy. The radiotherapist then assigned me the responsibility to stay with her and take care of her, because she was needed to work back in the treatment machine. When I was sure that the patient could be left alone for a couple of minutes, I went to the reception and informed them on what happened and made sure that they were going to contact the transport services. The transport services arranged it and when the patient felt better, they took her home. Feelings: I felt proud for myself since I acted responsibly. I used my interpersonal skills and communicated successfully with the reception, so the transport services would be aware of the situation in time and arrange transport for the patient. Evaluation and analysis: Feeling the need to take the responsibility and take care the old lady, shows that I am more confident about myself and my skills. Also, the fact that the radiotherapist assigned me the care of the patient, demonstrates that she knew my skills and she believed in me. By accomplishing successfully this task I showed that I develop my interpersonal skills by communicate reception and make sure that the lady will go home safely without causing any trouble to other patients. Now I am able to say that I met the capability CW2 L1 Recognises the need for effective interpersonal skills to enhance person focused service. In the action plan (appendix) I introduced a series of actions to accomplish the Level 3 of this capability. DOMAIN: Reflection Description Feelings: I was observing, a radiotherapist doing a first day patient chat when the radiotherapist realised that the patient was not well informed about the side effects of the treatment since the doctor never talked about it. I was annoyed , when I realised that the patient signed the consent form but he did not know about the side effects since it is a big impact in patient life during and after radiotherapy, so I asked the radiotherapist after the patient left, why the doctor did not inform the patient and if that was appropriate. The radiotherapist told me that the specific doctor does it, because he knows that the radiotherapists are going to repeat the side effects. But it is still not appropriate since the patient must be well informed and fully aware before signing anything. Evaluation and analysis: I was aware of what the patient should know about his treatment when he is coming for the first day chat, is because I have seen a variety of first day chats and I had been in the clinics for a while with the doctor and the patients will they were signing the consent forms. It is showed that the experience I had help me to critical appraise the situation and ask for explanations why the patient was not aware properly. After this incident, I can prove that I am able to say that I met the capability R2 L1 Is aware of evidence-based practice in service delivery. DOMAIN: Cultural Awareness Ethical Practice Description: A patient needed a translator to communicate with us in the department. It was the first time I was in that situation and I observed what everybody did for that. They were using body language while they were speaking slowly. I was the one who brought the patient in the room. I was not aware of the situation of the patient and when I realised that he did not know any English I was shocked, however I did not show it and I waited to see how that situation would continue and how the staff and doctors would react. I escorted the patient into the room and identified him (Name, date of birth and first line of his address). Feelings: In the beginning, I did not know how to react in this kind of situation. When I was identifying the patient, I did not know where I should look at when I was making the questions, the patient or the translator? So I thought carefully what was more appropriate and I tried to watch both of them while I was identifying the patient, but mostly I was looking the patient since he was the service user. Evaluation and analysis: I found it quite a nice experience, mainly because it was surprised me the whole situation. In clinic room I was observing carefully what is going around me and how everybody was reacting so by the end of the meeting between the patient and the doctor, I would know how to react properly, too. I liked the way I reacted when I realised that the patient was not speaking English. I stayed calm and I reacted the way I was going to react with every other patient. I checked his ID and asked how he was feeling. I just felt a little uncomfortable when I didnt know where to look, the patient or the interpreter, so I was trying to look both of them. From the way that the doctor was reacting I learnt that I should look directly at the patient and talk to him. Nevertheless, there is a need to speak slower with more pauses so that the interpreter can translate correctly. Now I am able to say that I met the capability CAEP2 L1 Recognises examples where participation and inf ormed decision are critical in promoting the well being of people who use services and I have made an action plan for further development. DOMAIN: Organisational Competence Description Feelings: Last year, in the IIP module we worked through some activities. One of the activities was to get a scenario of a patient story and from there to conclude which services the patient should visit. With this activity, every member of the team was identifying his role in the scenario and from there we understand each others role in order to treat the patient. I was surprised by the knowledge that I gained with that activity. I learnt about the other professions role in the health and care community. Evaluation and analysis: It was satisfying gaining knowledge through activities. Now I am able to suggest to a patient which of the services to use to get the appropriate care for his/her problem. In addition for further development of my skills I made an action plan. (appendix). I met the capability OC2 L1 Is aware of team structures within the community of practice. ?

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban :: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Summary and Evaluation Summary: The book â€Å"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban† is the third book in the series about Harry Potter. In this book, Harry is in his third year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Prisoner of Azkaban in this book is Sirius Black, who everyone believes is responsible for killing 13 muggles (non-wizards). They also believe he told Voldemort where Lilly and James Potter were hiding. Azkaban is a prison where evil wizards are jailed. At the beginning of the book, Sirius escapes from Azkaban. At Hogwarts, there is a worry that Sirius will come after Harry. There are guards posted around the school. The guards are called Dementors, which are not human, and they feed off human souls and energy. The Dementors have a strange effect on Harry, which makes him blank out and hear his mother’s dying words. Professor Lupin helps Harry create a Patroness to help fight off the effects of the Dementors. While all this is happening, Harry is training for the Quiddich cup championship at school. Harry sees Crookshanks, the cat, wandering around with a big black dog during the night. It turns out that Sirius is an animongous, disguised as the big black dog. After many twists and turns in the story, Sirius ends up meeting Harry. Sirius is really not bad and it is Peter Pettigrew (the rat) that did all the bad things. Sirius and Harry become friends but Pettigrew gets away. Dumbledore, the head of the school, decides that Dementors will never be at the school again because they tried to attack two students. Of course, Harry’s team also wins the Quiddich championship! †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 'The Worst Birthday' ---  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before you start reading the book (and if you've read the previous book!) get the children to make a list of all the important things that happened in the first book that they think the reader will need to know in order to understand and enjoy the second book. Which information is the most important? Which information could the reader manage without? Make a checklist and tick off the information as you read through the second book and as J.K. Rowling mentions it. (GP)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Get the children to write an 'Introduction to Harry Potter' -> the intended audience is a person who hasn't read the first book and wants to understand what all the fuss is about before reading the second book. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban :: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Summary and Evaluation Summary: The book â€Å"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban† is the third book in the series about Harry Potter. In this book, Harry is in his third year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Prisoner of Azkaban in this book is Sirius Black, who everyone believes is responsible for killing 13 muggles (non-wizards). They also believe he told Voldemort where Lilly and James Potter were hiding. Azkaban is a prison where evil wizards are jailed. At the beginning of the book, Sirius escapes from Azkaban. At Hogwarts, there is a worry that Sirius will come after Harry. There are guards posted around the school. The guards are called Dementors, which are not human, and they feed off human souls and energy. The Dementors have a strange effect on Harry, which makes him blank out and hear his mother’s dying words. Professor Lupin helps Harry create a Patroness to help fight off the effects of the Dementors. While all this is happening, Harry is training for the Quiddich cup championship at school. Harry sees Crookshanks, the cat, wandering around with a big black dog during the night. It turns out that Sirius is an animongous, disguised as the big black dog. After many twists and turns in the story, Sirius ends up meeting Harry. Sirius is really not bad and it is Peter Pettigrew (the rat) that did all the bad things. Sirius and Harry become friends but Pettigrew gets away. Dumbledore, the head of the school, decides that Dementors will never be at the school again because they tried to attack two students. Of course, Harry’s team also wins the Quiddich championship! †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 'The Worst Birthday' ---  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before you start reading the book (and if you've read the previous book!) get the children to make a list of all the important things that happened in the first book that they think the reader will need to know in order to understand and enjoy the second book. Which information is the most important? Which information could the reader manage without? Make a checklist and tick off the information as you read through the second book and as J.K. Rowling mentions it. (GP)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Get the children to write an 'Introduction to Harry Potter' -> the intended audience is a person who hasn't read the first book and wants to understand what all the fuss is about before reading the second book.

What do Thomas Hardys short stories reveal about his society? :: English Literature

What do Thomas Hardy's short stories reveal about his society? Thomas Hardy was born 1840 and died 1924. He composed most of his writings between 1871 and 1912. From 1912 till death he wrote poetry. Hardy enjoyed writing short stories because he had realised that with the pressures and busy lifestyles of modern day life there was little time to sit down and read a novel. One difficulty of a short story is that it can't give in depth character analyses but they can gradually allow someone to make their own analyses judging by Hardy's content in his stories. They are succinct which made them successful. What is a short story? For Hardy a short story wasn't a tale that explained the details in two sentences and left the reader blank looking for clues as to where the story was going, the background of the story and who everyone was. Hardy's short stories gave as much detail as possible and if something was missing, it appeared later on, he consistently made sure the reader would keep up with the story and never rushed his stories, making sure the reader got the full jist of the story. A very simple example of this is in "The Superstitious Mans Story" where during the story Hardy includes a short paragraph which is told by the narrator of the story, it provides both the listener in and out of the story with a piece of missing information which we need to understand it fully, because in "The Superstitious Mans Story" there are two listeners, ourselves and Hardy's metaphorical Alias Mr. Lackland. Hardy's stories have a personal feel to them, when you read them he is talking to you, explaining and saying everything to you. For example "The Superstitious Mans Story" and "Old Andrey's Experience as a Musician" Hardy uses a conversational tone, he writes his stories in the way they would be told person-to-person, face-to-face as maybe travellers stories. Society has changed greatly since the time of Thomas Hardy, we no longer have the closeness and reliability that everyone had then. Hardy lived in a community and describes a community in his short stories where every member of the community knows everyone else, knows past and present members and they are able to tell stories about each of them. In this community everyone can rely on someone else, be it a friend or neighbour. A community like this is not found in cities as Hardy discovers when he moves to London in his early years, London was one of the first megalopolises. He was introduced to the city which he seen as a

The Health Benefits of Yoga Essays -- yoga, health benefits, meditation

Yoga is a practice that anyone of any age can complete anywhere at anytime. It originated in ancient India and is estimated to be nearly five thousand years old. Through yoga, one is able to find his or her path to peaceful bliss within him or her self (Finney 25). The mind and the body become balanced with each other, giving one the sense of enlightenment (The Magic of...Meditation). Depending on the styles and poses a person is to choose, yoga benefits a person not only physically, but mentally as well. Any gender at any age or health level has the capability to do yoga because it has various styles, poses, and tempos at which they are performed. Different yoga postures have specific effects on breaking up obstacles in your body, so that a force called prana is able to penetrate more deeply. Prana is a life force that gives the mind more clarity, so that one is able to think more clearly and thoroughly about things. Through yoga, prana is moved, and it makes the body move and feel better. While in different yoga poses, prana is spread through the body because with each intake of breath, it is pushed deep into the body. Breathing acts as a motor, and it helps prana flow through the body (The Magic of...Meditation). There are thousands of different varieties of yoga, which is how it helps a large sum of people in a diverse number of ways. One style is called Ananda. This yoga gains control over delicate energies in the body. It helps spiritual growth while it releases unwanted tension. The Ananda poses are designed to bring energy upwards to the brain, and through these poses, harmony is brought to the body, mind, and emotions (Cook). A unique style of yoga, called Bikram yoga, focuses on breathing and concentrating, and it re... ... and deeds- let there be perfection. What is a perfect act? One that brings some benefit to somebody and no harm to anybody. The reward of service is the joy of having served. When you have that joy, the mind is always calm and serene" (Finney 35). This quote shows the relationship as a whole between yoga and the benefits it brings into one’s life. Yoga is enjoyable, relaxing, and very beneficial. It eases tension in the body and mind, and helps one to have a more positive outlook on life. No matter which style of yoga one is to choose, there will be some sort of benefit. One should keep in mind to pay attention to their breath to monitor their feelings and try to be as relaxed as possible to comfort the relationship between the mind and body. Depending on the styles and poses a person is to choose, yoga benefits a person not only physically, but mentally as well.

Aloe Vera Barbadensis

The Aloe Vera Barbadensis plant has been used for thousands of years to heal a variety of conditions, including wounds, skin irritations, and constipation. Originally Aloe Vera is native to arid regions of north-eastern and southern parts of Africa and Madagascar. Aloe is a member of the Lily family often referred to as â€Å"the desert Lilly†. The plant stores the limited rainwater it gets in its leaves and forms a gel. The Gel is used both internally and externally on humans, and is claimed to have some medicinal effects. For that reason it is grown commercially in the United States, the Caribbean, and Mexico. There are around two hundred and forty species growing in other dry regions around the world, but only a few are recognized as being of value to humans and animals. Aloe barbadensis is significantly at the top of the aloe species. The earliest reference to its use can be found in the famous Egyptian Ebers Papyrus, which dates back to 1500 BC and is widely regarded as one of the earliest documents, the western Materia Medica. The Egyptians referred to it as â€Å"the plant of immortality†. However, it is more than likely its been commonly used for centuries before it was recorded. There is reference made to it in the New Testament, when Nicodemus comes by night and brings a mixture of Myrrh and Aloe to embalm the body of Jesus. If you believe in Christianity this is the first documented use of Aloe vera. Galen was a physician to a Roman emperor (AD 131-201), he used Aloe vera as a healing agent and authored over 100 books on conventional and herbal medicine. He gained his knowledge from doctoring the Roman gladiators. Galen was a follower of the works of Hippocrates and Aristotle. Also Christopher Colombus had documented the medical use and value of the plant on his ship logs, many believe he introduced it to the â€Å"New World†. World War II military manuals suggested that servicemen could use it as a remedy for burns, insect bites, or other skin ailments. Aloe would lose potency when transported due to oxidation. The pulp was most effective when fresh. Aloes Vera’s reputation as a miracle plant declined in places were the plant could not be grown, until the mid 1900’s. In 1950’s America, many processing techniques were attempted, but they ended in failure. Over heating the Aloe can cause it to loose its medicinal value. By the 1970’s there was a breakthrough in the processing techniques leading to the successful stabilization of the leaf gel. This success was found by using natural ingredients and cold pressing. They also found a way to separate the aloin form the rind. The aloin is a compound found in Aloe that is used internally for digestive health. It worked as a laxative and was found as a main ingredient in most OTC laxative medications until the millennium. These new found processing techniques created a new market for Aloe vera. In modern day America Aloe vera is used for the same reasons it was thousands of years ago in ancient civilizations. Externally used for the treatment of burns, cuts, insect bites, and rashes and it is still rarely internally used as a natural dietary supplement that regulates digestion. Today it can be found in many different forms such as dried powders, capsules, extracts, juices, gels, and lotions. When looking for quality Aloe products to use on your skin you must read labels to ensure that Aloe is the first or second ingredient listed. A lot of the gels and lotions can be extremely diluted with other ingredients. If you are looking for the soothing effects of pure aloe on the shelves of your local drugstore you must see that the product is free of artificial colors and stabilizing ingredients. When looking for a quality Aloe product to apply to your skin, look for a gel that is 98-100% Aloe. There is much debate to whether benefits exist from ingesting the aloin compound. In 2002, the FDA required that all OTC aloe laxative products be removed from the U. S. market or reformulated because the companies that manufactured them did not provide the necessary safety data. Externally Aloe is still a treasured remedy used for osteoarthritis, burns, sunburns, and psoriasis. Because Aloe Vera plants are very succulent and consist of 95% water, they are tender to frost. If they are grown outdoors in warm climates, they should be planted in full sun, or light shade. Aloe vera’s roots like to be crowded so they must be planted clustered or potted. In a temperate American climate they thrive as potted houseplants. Due to their vulnerability to frost most of the year they must be kept inside next to a south or westward facing window to receive sunlight but regulate temperature. They thrive in pots and make great indoor plants. Aloe Vera is a succulent meaning it stores a large quantity of water within its leaves and root system. The plant will become dormant-like in the winter season utilizing very little moisture, watering at this time should be minimal. During the summer months the plant needs to be saturated with water. After watering the plant allow the soil to dry before re-watering. The soil needs to have a sandy base in a way to emulate an arid climates soil. A quality commercial potting mix with extra perlite, granite grit, or coarse sand added will work perfectly. The plant has a very wide root base so a deep pot is not necessary however the width of the pot is very important. When it is time to repot an aloe vera plant look for a wider pot than before, focus on width rather than depth. Aloe Vera plants are propogated by removing the offsets, which are produced around the base of mature plants, it can also be planted by seed. The Aloe Vera plants scientific relevance is debated widely for its different remedies. I believe it is obviously a miracle plant and the human race is blessed to have it for burns, cuts, and infection. It appears people have been using aloe vera since the dawn of humanity and do not appear to be stopping anytime soon.

Andress Bonifacio Life Essay

Name: Andress Bonifacio y de Castro Birth Date: November 30, 1863 Birth Place: Ilaya,Tondo, Manila Mother’s Name: Catalina de Castro Father’s Name: Santiago Bonifacio EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT: Bonifacio’s normal schooling was cut short when he dropped out to support his siblings after both their parents died of illness. He did Not finishing his normal education, Bonifacio was self-educated. He read books about the French Revolution, biographies of the Presidents of the United States, books about contemporary Philippine penal and civil codes, and novels such as Victor Hugo’s Les Misà ©rables, Eugà ¨ne Sue’s Le Juif errant and Josà © Rizal’s Noli Me Tà ¡ngere and El Filibusterismo. NOBLE CHARACTERISTIC 1. The father of Philippine Revolution 2. He was a founder and later Supreme (â€Å"Supreme Leader’) of the katipunan movement which sougth the independence of the Philippines from Spanish Colonial Rule and started the Philippine Revolution. 3. He is considered a de facto national hero of the Philippines. 4. He considered by some Filipino historian to be the first President, but officially he is not recognize a such. ANSALYSIS: ANDRES BONIFACIO (full name: Gat Andres Bonifacio y de Castro) was born in Ilaya, Tondo, Manila and was the oldest child of Santiago Bonifacio and Catalina de Castro. His early education started in Tondo but was forced to drop out because of his parents’ death and that he had to work for his siblings. Despite not finishing formal education, Bonifacio was self-educated. Andres Bonifacio became a passionate Filipino nationalist and when Jose Rizal had established the La Liga Filipina, Andres Bonifacio was a member. When Jose Rizal was deported to Dapitan, he immediately organized the KKK or the â€Å"Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga anak ng bayan†. In Pugad Lawin, Caloocan, Andres Bonifacio together with the thousands of Katipuneros assembled and tore their cedulas.

Filipino Slang Words Essay

Throughout the generation, one can already make a separate dictionary for the great number of Filipino slang terms created. However one term can definitely catch one’s attention, which is exactly what the term’s meaning is. Have you ever been in a situation where a person has been called epal? What exactly is being epal? Urban Dictionary defines it as ‘a person who goes into a situation wherein his presence is not needed or in a place he does not belong’. The term epal has been derived from the word ‘pumapapel’ or ‘mapapel’ which means someone who intervenes with affairs of others or impedes with the concerns of a group with no relation to him with the intention of trying to become the center of attention. It can be inferred that it is an example of salitang kalye or balbal in Filipino language and has an unclear etymology. Although unclear is its roots, epal is similar to other Filipino slang terms and it is certain that there is a catalyst for these words to be created. Hence, it is not only about using epal as either an insult or a label because it is also an element of language variation. Relevantly, slang terms are codes or â€Å"mechanisms† that reflect social awareness or circumstances happening around an individual (Newsome, n.d.) The term can be traced to the culture of the Philippines. Knowing that it is part of our language and culture, it is ought to be elaborated for it allows the discovery of the pattern of formation of words like it and what it has to do with our identity. This one word could even identify the image of Filipino society in the micro-level. The term epal is a proof of the diversity of the Filipino language because of its connotation in the past and present, impact to society and contrasting themes with other similar terms in the Philippines. On account of being a mainstream negative label for someone, the attribute of epal has extended to the usage in the social and political dimension. There are hundreds of situations one can recognize someone as epal. In the social scene, media might use epal as an interesting element in a show. One can imagine a girl with her quickly beating heart, and blushing cheeks that seem like roses blossoming and sparkling eyes hidden and focused on the ground to avert the eyes directed toward her. In an inconspicuous location after school hours, she called this boy full of determination but now it was as though her courage was being drained from her. Presently, she is standing before the man of her dreams and is ready to confess her overflowing emotion. Both are anxious of their presence and what is about to happen. Beginning to explain, she spoke to the boy in a soft-spoken yet determined voice. As soon as she was about to confess her pure and deep love, the whole atmosphere is ruined and the mood is after a teacher appeared. The romance between the princess and the prince is destroyed by the dragon and to what they thought was going to be their happy ending, it ended painfully before it even began. An epal is a person who intervenes with people or thwarts plans. In a political scene, again one can imagine a person walking down the street, and he sees posters everywhere of incompetent politicians declaring their vow to the progress of this country. It was the same vow they made during the previous campaign period where they won, and currently their promises are insubstantial. Completely infuriated by this, he goes home and tries to ease his mind so he turned the television on to watch his favourite show. Giggles and tears were expressed; the person was concentrated veritably on the show for the storyline was reaching its climax. Then, the epal struck once more; a campaign advertisement showed the same shameless politician, who pretended to help the adults and children by giving them goods and smiles at a populated squatter area. At such a premature period, he was already campaigning and promoting his kupal side. An epal is one who schemes and gets as much opportunity as possible to get attention. To distinguish further, an epal is characterized as: first, he is treated like an outcast when he is forcing his way in to a group he does not belong or he is not welcome in. Second, a person who assigns himself with more work so he seems the good guy in the group but actually he receives pity and the work he assigned for himself is given to others so he is left with none. He is a cunning extra character in a movie trying to create his own script in the film, so he can get the credit for the success of the movie and get more attention. Boosting the ego through vexatious ways, it is what an epal does. As is any other term, there must have been a cause as to why slang words are formed. Though epal has a vague etymology, it has motivators for it to be integrated in the Filipino vocabulary. First, according to Zorc (1993), Filipinos establish the idea of a slang terminology â€Å"by borrowing from other languages, by giving new meanings to pre-existing words by coining or creating original forms, or by using numbers as a kind of â€Å"in-group codes† (as cited in Derivation of Slang Words, para. 1) The explanation for the existence of epal can be identified as coinage, or invented words completely or almost varying from the words they had been based on. It has reshaped the term through the process of metathesis and reduction. Metathesis or agglutination is simply the rearrangement of sounds and syllables in a word to produce new terms that may or may not have the same meaning as the original word (Derivation of Slang Words, n.d.). During the 1970s, the process of agglutination become popular and it might be the reason why we have epal (Tan, 2009). Reduction is the truncation or removal of a letter or a group of letters in a word. Example of these are Erap from the word pare (brother or friend), as well as yosi and siga (a brute) from sigarilyo (cigarette). Second, the likely cause of the creation of epal, similar to other salitang kalye at balbal, is being relative to the situation the term epal was formed. The result is a product that suits its social environment. Epal’s locus and period of time of creation has influenced and contextualized the term. Areas of the masa, or the middle and lower class Filipinos and further popularized by the media is the likely origin of epal. It is proven that slang terms are more likely to flourish in the scene of the masa but it is not absolute in all cases for even in college or in other various settings, people create their own slang, jargon and register. As a result, epal is evidence that our language is diversified and made more unique, through its regular usage rather than using foreign language. Epal has observantly contributed to our media and politics. In social context, media has made it famous because celebrities, hosts, and showbiz gossip people use it; it has become a staple label for people regardless whether they deserve it or not. Another effect would be that media has used epal characters frequently in comedy programs and use them for humor in romantic shows or rom-coms in short. They are portrayed as people who are annoying and uncontrollably butts in conversations, break up friendship among people, or someone who likes to brag and present himself to other uninterested people. He is a typical fool or clown. In political context, DSWD has used the term and launched its program after this. The â€Å"Anti-epal† campaign is against the â€Å"epals† in our community. These are politicians and political groups that ‘use the Conditional Cash Transfer Program, also known as PantawidPamilyang Pilipino Program, to threaten beneficiaries and take advantage of their roles in the forthcoming elections (Fernandez, 2013). The epals here have the same essence as the social context but has integrated it into their own conditions. Looking at these instances, epal is a slang term created by and for vendors, pedicab drivers or loiterers in the street. It can symbolize a cry for patriotism and change. These effects show that even a term like epal affects not only our language but also the people themselves. From the unique term epal, other terms have branched out from it such as kupal and kapalmuks. The variety of such creative words in Filipino slang vocabulary is too many to identify; its usage changing through periods of time and its trend fluctuating through succeeding generations. Epal, kupal and kapalmuks have been used interchangeably but in actuality they differ in: representation and degree. The word kupal originated from the language of Cebu. Similar as epal, kupal is also a master in the field of being an irksome pest but it specifically means an obnoxious person. Furthermore, it may be described as a person doing irresponsible actions and being ignorant of its consequences. The degree of the term kupal is greater than epal because it expresses a stronger feeling of frustration when one is called kupal. Hence, it can only be used as an insult. A person being kupal may not actually always be impudent, yet the person will always be considered repugnant. An instance could be whenever a person makes decisions without good discretion and this wrong judgement has caused grave results to him and others as well. First aspect of a kupal is that the person lies frequently and blatantly to get what he wants. The second aspect of a kupal is that the person recklessly does things and insensitively involves people with him. Ultimately, the primary difference between epal from kupal is the depth of both terms’ to denominate an individual’s acrimony to a person. Conversely, kapalmuks is pure shamelessness. It is the contraction of the Filipino phrase â€Å"kapal ng mukha† which exactly means being thick-faced or to be put simply have no sense of modesty in oneself. Both kapalmuk and epal are almost synonymous with each other. Both are vainglorious and egotistic, but epal tends to meddle with people’s businesses while a kapalmuk fixes himself in showing off for the praise. Kapalmuks is the state of shamelessness to the extreme degree, greater than an epal. An epal might self-promote through people, or social channels like giving himself most of the credit for a project that he had negligible collaboration with (Esguerra, 2011). Brazenly stepping into an affair and wanting to help very pretentiously, an epal gains popularity with his non-existent contributions and solutions. Randy David of Inquirer claimed this to be the â€Å"new narcissism† (De Veas Insigne, 2011) Contrariwise, a kapalmuk associate himself with people to seek attention rather he would spotlight himself. In a clearer manner, a kapalmuk is personified and can be seen here in the Philippines where walls of cities are turned into photo albums or scrapbooks by politicians. Everywhere, they put tarpaulins, posters, ads, infograph and other propaganda of politicians about themselves. The affected are just not facades, buildings or electric posts; license plate, permits, etc. are also marked by politicians’ faces. Although an epal can be intolerable, a kapalmuk can be disgraceful to himself and other people. Despite arguments claiming slang words in the language of Filipinos for instance epal, astig, damulag, bulalo, and jologs as detrimental to our culture for it makes our language a lowly, menial and ineffective medium in communication, slang terms are actually one characteristic of language which represents diversity at the same time solidarity. Coinages of Filipino terms prove that the language is ever evolving. It does not matter if it is barbaric or jargon but the important thing is that these words convey some aspect of truth in the world. The term epal then, represents the truth of having an exasperating character whether in real life or in a TV show. A person being epal is characterized as an outcast of in a group or a prideful extra in a movie. Similar as any slang word, it has its origin and during the trend of deriving slang in the 70s, epal took its form from the word ‘pumapapel’. Its effects to the Philippine community are that it is a recurring theme in the entertainment side and has been used to label people from the political arena. Epal may simply describe an attention seeking person but this is just a manifested purpose of the term. Its latent purpose might be to depict people in the country that are damaging this society. The significance of words in our language such as epal is not just to know a description for an enemy you have, it is much more complex than that. According to Gibbs (1994), Slang can be defined as â€Å"dynamic variety of language that is used to show solidarity and claimin-group membership† (as cited in Newsome, para. 2). It is in this light that we can deduce that when one culture creates slang it means that people are comfortable with the people they are mingling with and this strengthens the affiliation between a group either through race, language, belief, etc. Hence, it is right to say that bekimons, gay people in the Philippines, do not just cluster around their sexual orientation but also the language that they speak of. Lodge in his work â€Å"The Pragmatics of Slang† concisely explained it in his first of three features of language variation, that â€Å"a broad and increasing lexicon is essential in order to express the ‘nuances’ of human emotions and personal identity and experiences† We create these slang words because these words embody our troubles and our personality; the whole essence of us. Words mean nothing if these do not help define ideas and thoughts of the people. The word epal entails the idea of the generation when it was made and is being used. Thus, epal may, in the future, disappear in the following generations but the language of Filipinos will still be evolving. References: Arriola, B. So what’s epal (2012, September 03) Retrieved from Beltran, C. Beyond epal†¦it’s kapal (2012, September 12) Retrieved from http://www. De Guzman, L. In the know: ‘Epal’ (2011, November 04) Retrieved from De Veas Insigne, Y. (2011, November 17) Anti-epal bill is ok but how about the kapalmuks? Retrieved from http://www.yodisphere.com/2011/11/anti-epal-bill-is-ok-but-how-about.html DSWD to launch anti-epal campaign (2013, February 03) Retrieved from Epal : Pinoy Slang. (n.d.) Retrieved from Epal : Urban Dictionary (n.d) Retrieved from Esguerra, C. V. (2011, November 04) Sen. Santiago to shame vain politicians thru ‘anti-epal’ bill† Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from