Health Promotion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health Promotion - Research Paper Example What are the impacts of the changes on families across the nation? What can be done differently? What does the future hold? All these questions are very important given the fact that populations are aging, there is an increase in health care costs, medicines are increasingly becoming costly and the population lacking health coverage are on the rise too. There are several key factors that influence people’s approach to health care delivery. These include cultural values and beliefs, situational and economic factors. Economic realities have the greatest influence on the design of the health care delivery systems (Palley, 1995). The United States health expenditures with reference to the Health Care Financing Administration (1998) were as illustrated in the table below; In a review of the data, Weiss and Lonnquist (2000) came to a conclusion that the United States has the most expensive and demanding health care system as compared to other countries in the world. In comparison to other sectors of the economy, there has been a more rapid growth. Viewed from another angle, an examination of the expenditure on national health care in relation to GDP reveals a rapid increase in expenditure. For the past forty years, Americans have recorded a steady increase in cost in excess of the other sectors of the economy (Braden, Lazenby and Levit, 1998). From 1960 to 1990, the health care took a bigger share of the GDP up from five percent to fourteen percent. Some of the factors that have fueled this increase include; â€Å"ObamaCare† was signed into law on the 23rd day of March 2010 by President Barack Obama. In combination with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act amendment, they represent the most remarkable regulatory sanitation of the United States health care system in the history of the country since the Medicaid and Medicare passage in 1965. The Affordable Care Act was enacted to; increase the affordability and quality of health

Perspectives on Love Essay Example for Free

Perspectives on Love Essay Love and relationships are controversial topics in which people encounter on a daily basis. They are also topics that are viewed by many different people, from different perspectives. Three authors write on the topic of love; Katherine Anne Porter in â€Å"Marriage is Belonging†, June Callwood in â€Å"Forget Prince Charming† and Robertson Davies in â€Å"The Pleasures of Love†. Porter argues that both partners must surrender their freedom and social life in order to obtain a steady relationship. She argues this because one must take time out of their social life in order to put time and effort into a relationship. Whereas, Callwood argues that long term relationships are unlike fairy tales and therefore require balance and compromise. Callwood argues this because individuals need to work at their relationship in order for their love to continue to thrive. Lastly, Davies argues when communication and understanding is abundant in a relationship, love is less likely to die. Davies argues this because communication is crucial in respect to discovering the traits and reasoning that brought them together. Individual’s perspectives on love and how to find a lifelong partner differ greatly. Katherine Anne Porter, the author of â€Å"Marriage is Belonging†, writes that one must sacrifice their independence in order to â€Å"†¦share another life, the life in fact presumably dearest to them† (Porter 56). Being united with someone means that one must always be loyal, honest and generous towards their partner. Porter says that these characteristics as well as reducing the importance of a social life â€Å"are required for two people to go on growing together and in the same direction† (Porter58). She uses this quote to explain that one must give up partial freedom so that time and effort can be put into the beginning of their new, shared life. As a result of surrendering one’s social life for a significant other, in return one will be compensated with a permanent place to belong. Likewise Porter, June Callwood believes that one must give something to get something in return. Callwood writes that building a life-long union requires a lot of work and effort. Balance and compromise from both parties is required for a relationship to survive. To prove her thesis Callwood writes â€Å"†¦Dr. William Blatz was asked the secret of his serene marriage. He replied ‘I make the dressing and she makes the salad. ’† (Callwod 323). Callwood effectively uses this quote to demonstrate thatr elationships are a collaboration. Though balance is not always fifty-fifty, effort comes from both sides. In â€Å"Forget Prince Charming† Callwood shares a realistic perspective of a long-term relationship, in which does not involve ‘Prince Charming’, but two individuals who compromise and work towards learning to live with one another. Lifelong relationships do not come easy and are something that partners need to work at. In agreement with Callwood, Davies believes that relationships require effort. In â€Å"The Pleasures of Love†, Davies claims that the love of individuals that confide in each other continues to thrive. He writes, â€Å"†¦knowing only that they will be happier united than apart, they had better set to work as soon as possible to discover why they married and nourish the feeling which has drawn them together† (Davies 53). Davies uses this quote to express that individuals that are in love must discover what they like about their partner in order to enjoy each other’s company and to have a loved plentiful union. In addition, he states in his essay, communication between lovers leads to a stronger, long lasting relationship. â€Å"People who love each other should talk to each other; they should confide their honest emotions, their deepest wishes† (Davies 54). This quote demonstrates that when one shares emotions and secrets with their significant other results in understanding of feelings as well as trust. Communication between partners is an important part of keeping love alive.

Organizational Structure Article Review Essay -- essays research paper

Review The purpose of this paper is to briefly summarize the article, â€Å"The manager’s role in building an innovative organization†. I will give a brief description of the organizing function of management. I will also relate the concepts to Aearo Company, while including my recommendations based on the article. Summary The article discusses how organizations must change to survive in a competitive market. Companies must change how they gather information, implement the information, and support the employees that acquire the information. Gathering Information Management should use their employee’s ideas as a resource, not only because it is less expensive than outside information, but also it supports employee involvement. Using teams that include people from different divisions can increase communication and perception when pursuing a goal. Implement Information An organization that can make decisions faster, and change direction at the â€Å"drop of a hat†, is more versatile and will most likely survive longer. â€Å"Old time† decisions that were made by top management or a board of directors, could take a while to trickle down the ranks and actually be implemented in the process. Teams that are given the authority to make quick decisions can get things done faster, and are more responsive to the customer. Support the Employees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  &n...

Management Process and Organizational Behavior Essay

Q.1 â€Å"Today managers need to perform various functions†: Elaborate the statement Managers create and maintain an internal environment, commonly called the organization, sothat others can work efficiently in it. A manager’s job consists of planning, organizing, directing,and controlling the resources of the organization. These resources include people, jobs or positions, technology, facilities and equipment, materials and supplies, information, and money.Managers work in a dynamic environment and must anticipate and adapt to challenges.The manager looks after more than one function. Therefore, managerial practices usedsuccessfully in big firms cannot be blindly used in small-scale units. Basic managerial functionsin large and small business are the same. But the manner in which these functions should becarried out can be different.Managing starts with planning. A manager with a definite and well defined plan has morechances of success than another who tries to start an enterprise without planning. According toKillen† planning is the process of deciding in advance what is to be done‚who is to do it‚how it isto be done and when it is to be done’’. Planning involves thinking and decision and is, therefore,called a logical process. Planning is a continuous process as changes in plans have to be madefrom time to time to take care of changing environment. Many a times, a vague approach isadapted to planning in a small firm. There is a false impression that small firms areuncomplicated and do not require planning. The small-scale manager does not want to engagehis employees in the planning process due to the desire to keep the secrets with him. Personalaccountability for results, lack of expert staff and not having planning skills are other major obstacles to planning in small firms. The owner or manager of a small enterprise is too involvedin day-to-day operation to try planning before commencing actual operation. But they need pre-planning most because small firms have limited resources to conquer their upcoming problemand cannot afford to finance losses that can take place while adjusting to unanticipatedhappenings/changes.An manager needs an enterprise which can achieve the business objectives. During thefunction of organizing he leads human resources to successful completion of the project,arranging the functions and activities into different levels in the organization structure, thusfacilitating the assignments of personnel according to their capabilities, skills and motivation.According to Peter F. Drucker the process of organizing consists of three steps – activitiesanalysis, decisions analysis and relation analysis.(i). Activities Analysis: It consists of the following:a) Determining the main functions for achieving the objectives of the firm.b) Various sub-functions in each major function.c) Amount of work in each major function and its sub-function.d) The position required to perform the activities.(ii) Decisions Analysis: It consists of the following:a) Choosing the basis of departmentalization so that functions could be grouped intospecialized units. Generally, functional departmentation is appropriate for small-scaleunits. Customers, Products and territorie s are other important base of departmentalization.b) Choosing the type of organization structure so that departments are incorporated into aformal structure. MBA Sem-IManagement Process and Organizational Behavior Subject code MB0022 (iii) Relations Analysis: The authority, responsibility and accountability of every position and itsrelationship with other positions are clearly defined. Various positions are manned with personshaving the necessary education, training, experience and other qualifications.To obtain best possible benefit from each employee it is necessary to delegate functions as far-down in the organization as possible. Owners of small firms are often reluctant to delegatingauthority to their employees even though they expect them to do all functions allocated to themthat require authority. For effective completion of tasks, it is necessary that responsibilityaccompanies the necessary authority. In directing a manager has to supervise, guide, lead and motivate people so that they canachieve set targets of performance. In the process of directing his subordinates, a manager ensures that the employees fulfill their tasks according to the set plans. Directing is theexecutive function of management because it is concerned with the execution of plan andpolicies. Directing commences organized action and sets the whole organizational machineryinto action. It is, therefore, the life giving function of an organization. This is the area where themastery of the art and science of management is put to test. An manager’s leadership styledetermines the work atmosphere and culture of the organization. Above all, he must motivateemployees by setting a good example, setting practical targets of performance and providingsatisfactory monetary and non- monetary benefits.In directing a manager has to perform the following tasks:(a) Issuing orders and instructions(b) Supervising workers(c) Motivating i.e. inspiring to work efficiently for set objectives(d) Communicating with employees regarding plans and their implementation.(e) Leadership or influencing the actions or employees. Controlling is the process of ensuring that the organization is moving in the desired directionand that progress is being made to wards the achievement of goals.The answer to a profitable organization is the skill of the owner or manager to controloperations. He has to establish standards of performance, procedures, goals and budgets. Withthese guides, he supervises job progress, workers performance and the financial condition of the business. The controlling function of the owner manager includes:Setting of standards: – Control presumes the existence of standards against which actual resultsare to be evaluated. Standards can not control on their own but they are the targets againstwhich actual performance can be measured. Therefore they should be set clearly andaccurately. They should be precise, adequate, and feasible.Measurement of actual performance: – The actual performance is measured and evaluated incomparison with the set standards. Preferably measurement should be such that variation maybe identified in advance of occurrence and prevented by suitable action. Where work involved isof quantitative nature measurement of performance is not difficult. But when the work is notquantifiable measurement becomes difficult. Periodical reports test checks and audits arehelpful in precise measurement of performance. MBA Sem-IManagement Process and Organizational Behavior Subject code MB0022 Analysis of variances: – Comparison of actual performance with standards will reveal variation.Variations are analysed to identify their cause and their impact on the organization. Correctiveaction can be possible only where the causes of the problem spots have been identified.Clarification may be called for sudden variation.Taking corrective action: – Control means action on the basis of measurement and evaluation of results. Wherever possible self- determining device should be used for bringing back actualresults in line with the standards. Standards should be revised wherever necessary. Other stepsto prevent deviations can be re-organization, improvements in staffing and directions etc. Thereal meaning of control lies in the commencement and follow-up of remedial action. At thisstages control unites with planning.

Poem Paraphrase paper Essay

When Richard Cory entered the business district all of the townspeople would stand aside and watch him. He was trim and clean cut. He was very rich and knowledgeable. He was also extremely privileged. The townspeople wanted to be him. They continue to work their lives away. One day Richard Cory killed himself. This brief summary of Edwin Arlington Robinson’s â€Å"Richard Cory† does not capture the true emotion and irony presented in the original poem. It excludes many uses of connotation, which help the reader build a clear mental picture. In the paraphrase it uses far more words to explain what exactly is happening in Richard Cory’s life. The poem â€Å"Richard Cory† is known for its use of irony and word association. Throughout the poem Robinson’s use of phrases such as â€Å"imperially slim†, â€Å"from sole to crown†, and â€Å"schooled in every grace† give you a strong mental image of what Richard Cory looks like and how he presents himself which certainly leaves you feeling as if he is of royalty. There are also many other royal connections such as the use of the line â€Å"He was rich-yes, richer than a king-† and also just by the main characters name alone, which is composed of the word Rich. Richard is also the name of many kings as well. In the paraphrase it fails to present certain word associations that readers would pick up on in the poem. Instead of using words that aid your imagination in the right direction it is very blunt for example by saying â€Å"He is very rich and knowledgeable† doesn’t quite leave the same effect as saying, â€Å"admirably schooled in every grace†. I do feel though that in the paraphrase it is far more shocking when Richard Cory’s suicide is announced because there is no clear foreshadowing presented. Where as in the poem it hinted as if he were only perfect on the surface by entering the line â€Å"In fine, we thought he was everything†. This leaves the lingering impression that something is truly wrong underneath his perfect exterior, which the paraphrase fails to capture. The summary is far less descriptive when it comes to the reveal of Richard Cory’s death. For example when you learn about his suicide in the paraphrase all that you are able to infer is that he took his own life. Where as in the poem it goes into greater detail by telling the reader exactly when and how the suicide was committed by saying â€Å"And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head†. Thepoem leaves much room for the reader to infer certain things by hinting and using vocabulary to portray a certain image. The line announcing his death has many contrasting meanings in itself to exemplify the pure irony of the entire poem. It mentions a calm summer night, where as the night was anything but calm for him. When summer is read it is typically used to portray light and happiness and by saying that it was night eliminates the meaning. It uses the word calm to present the idea that everyone else in the city was relaxed whilst Richard Cory was feeling desperate in the dark night. Without these connotations in the paraphrase it lacks the dramatic effect in the reveal of his Cory’s death. In the beginning of the poem it refers to the townspeople being on the pavement, which is typically lower than the sidewalk, already putting Cory above the working class. Since already reading through this poem many times it becomes clearer and clearer that Richard Cory was attempting to reach out to someone the entire time but everyone was much too intimidated to respond to him. It mentions that he was â€Å"always quietly arrayed† and also that he was â€Å"always human when he talked† which gives us the impression that he still remained a true gentleman in contrary to the amount of money he may posses. The poem states â€Å"but still he fluttered pulses when he said â€Å"Good Morning†Ã¢â‚¬ . But it never suggests that anyone ever responded to Richard Cory even though he seems to be reaching out by always remaining down to earth and easy to talk to. These desperate attempts at communication are defiantly not portrayed in the summary of the poem at all which fails to revel his desperation that also foreshadows his death. The poem begins with the townspeople idealizing Richard Cory to them realizing that they are stuck as workers that must go â€Å"without the meat, and curse the bread† which is most likely where they will remain for their entire lives. In the first line of the poem it refers to Richard Cory going â€Å"downtown† which insinuates that he must of previously of been uptown which leads you to believe that is where he lives, on the richer side of the city. Throughout the poem you get a sense that the townspeople respect Richard regardless of the royal connotations. A paraphrase is good in bad in the sense that it lacks certain word associations that present a clear mental image for the reader and by the way that it sums up a poem in its purest form by eliminating many connotations and examples that help show the bigger picture in the poem. Robinson uses dramatic irony to present the message that not everything is what it seems. These workers spend their lives wishing for everything that they think Richard has when in reality they have no idea the emptiness that his life consists of. The summary of the poem lacks the emotion portrayed in the story as well as eliminating many hidden details that foreshadow the events. The poem develops the story in a mysterious forces the reader to dig deeper into the character as well as the meaning while a summary disconnects you from the characters in the poem. Altogether a paraphrase lacks the emotional intensity as well as depth distilled in original poetry.

Huck Finn essays

Huck Finn essays Huckleberry Finn: The experiences of an endangered child Mark Twain created a character that expresses freedom within American society. Huckleberry Finn lives on the margins of society because he is the son of a town drunk. He sleeps where he pleases and eats where he pleases. No one requires him to attend school or church, bath or dress respectably. Years of having to fend for himself have invested Huck with solid common sense. Huckleberry Finns background is as important as his personality in this novel. He is only thirteen years old when he sets out on his own. He comes from the lowest levels of white society. His father was a drunk and he is often dirty and frequently homeless. Widow Douglass and Miss Watson reform him throughout the novel. The community failed to protect him from his father and he was denied schooling and religious training. He feels society and enters the natural world where he feels most at home. He and a friend, Tom Sawyer cross paths in the wilderness and decide to travel together. Both use a raft to escape the bondage of the land. Through Huck, Twain weighs the costs and benefits of living in society against those of living independently of society. Adult societies disapprove of Huck, but because he appears to be a likeable boy, the adults disapproval of Huck generally separates the readers from them and not from Huck himself. Throughout the novel, Huck becomes skeptical of the world around him and constantly looks to distance him from it. Since he is a child, Huck is always vulnerable; any adult he encounters has power over him. This allows Twain to compare Huck to Jim, who is a slave and also vulnerable to whites, even a poor white child such as Huck. Hucks childhood leads him to often distrust people. That same distrust and his experiences as he travels down the river force him to question the things he has been taught. Hucks sense of logic and fairn...

Noel Gallagher Essays - Oasis, Noel Gallagher, Tony McCarroll

Noel Gallagher Essays - Oasis, Noel Gallagher, Tony McCarroll Noel Gallagher I believe that it is the music of our time that will be remembered long after we are gone, and it is bands like Oasis that led the revolution which took place recently. Oasis, headed by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher was the first band after The Beatles to lash out against what had become the normal way a band should be, and that is why they will be known for years to come as the band who changed rock music. Noel Gallagher was born on May 29, 1967 in Manchester, he was the second son of Thomas and Margaret Gallagher. Thomas, Tommy to the boys at the pub, was a construction worker. He and his wife, known to her pals as Peggy, resided in the working-class Manchester suburb called Burnage with their first boy, Paul. "God was playing a joke when He made me," Noel Gallagher once said. "You know, 'Let's make this guy a writer and a guitar player, but let's make him write with his left hand but play with his right, and let's have him born in the middle of May and give him a Christmas name like Noel. Little did Noel know that when he grew up he was to become the frontman of one of the most influential rock bands in music history at a time when music was the most influential form of speech on the planet. Little Liam arrived in the Gallagher household five years later, on September 21, 1972. He and Noel were forced to share a bedroom, something that always bothered Noel to no end, seeing how Paul, just a year-and-a-half older than him, had his own room. But Liam and Noel made the best of it, and the bedroom saw the beginnings of the somewhat loving, often heated relationship between the brothers. The boys kept a running record of their childhood by scrawling on their wall, later described by Tommy as their "wonderwall", later to become the title of one of their biggest selling singles. Bits of songs, poems, favourite bands, football teams and the like were all immortalised on their bedroom wall. In addition to their love of football, the lads also became engrossed with rock'n'roll. Both Noel and Liam were big fans of tubby '70s glamrocker Alvin Stardust. "When he came on telly they'd mime along and pretend to be Alvin," their father remembers, "and I'd always catch them singing into hairbrushes and playing air guitar." Most important to Noel's musical growth was the North's all-time greatest band, the Beatles. Like many youngsters, the songsmith first fell in love with the Fab Four via their Red and Blue hits collections, and they formed the basis of his musical sensibility for years to come. "I was about six when I started hearing the Red Album " he recalled in an interview "They're songs to grow up with, really...The Red Album documents the Beatles as the greatest pop band ever and The Blue Album documents them as the greatest rock band ever." Noel's school life was problematic at best. While he was plainly a bright young man, he battled with a minor case of dyslexia, which, topped with the poor quality of Manchester's schools, was a dangerous combination. "School didn't really hold anything for me," he explained later. "I knew from a very early age what I wanted to be, I wanted to be a musician." A chronic childhood kidney infection gave Noel his first taste of standing apart from the crowd. Because of his ailment, young Noel was not required to adhere to his primary school's dress code. "I was the only kid allowed to wear long trousers," he remembered. "The others had these little grey shorts and I had these dead cool black skin-tight trousers with little Doc Martens. Everybody hated me." "I was a bit of a rogue when I was young," Noel once said, "I used to wag school and be into... glue sniffing and stuff. Then me and this lad robbed our corner shop, which is a very stupid thing to do, cos everyone knows exactly who you are.? Noel was put on probation and was grounded for six months. He had absolutely nothing to do so he just sat there playing one string on an acoustic guitar. ?I thought I was really good for about a year, until someone tuned it up. Then I thought, 'I can't play the thing at all now. I'm gonna have to start all over again. When Noel was around 13, he ordered his

Stony Corals (Hard Corals) Facts

Stony Corals (Hard Corals) Facts Stony corals, also called hard corals (as opposed to soft corals, like sea fans), are the reef-builders of the coral world. Learn more about stony corals - what they look like, how many species there are, and where they live. Characteristics of Stony Corals Secrete a skeleton made of limestone (calcium carbonate).Have polyps that secrete a cup (calyx, or calice) in which they live, and in which it can withdraw for protection. These polyps usually have smooth, rather than feathery tentacles.Are usually transparent. The brilliant colors associated with coral reefs are not caused by the corals themselves, but by algae called zooxanthellae that live within the coral polyps.Are composed of two groups: the colonial corals, or reef-builders, and the solitary corals. Stony Coral Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: CnidariaClass: AnthozoaOrder: Scleractinia According to the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), there are over 3,000 species of stony corals. Other Names for Stony Corals Stony corals are known by many different names: Hard coralsReef-building coralsHexacoralsHermatypic coralsScleractinian corals Where Stony Corals Live Corals arent always where you think theyd be. Sure, many of the reef-building corals are warm-water corals - restricted to tropical and subtropical areas where the water is salty, warm and clear. The corals actually grow faster when they have more access to the sun. They can build large reefs like the Great Barrier Reef in warmer waters. Then there are corals found in unexpected areas - coral reefs and solitary corals in the deep, dark sea, even as far down as 6,500 feet. These are the deep-water corals, and they can tolerate temperatures as low as 39 degrees F. They can be found around the world. What Stony Corals Eat Most stony corals feed at night, extending their polyps and using their nematocysts to sting passing plankton or small fish, which they pass to their mouth. The prey is ingested, and any waste is expelled out the mouth. Stony Coral Reproduction These corals can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction occurs either when sperm and eggs are released in a mass spawning event, or by brooding, when only sperm are released, and these are captured by female polyps with eggs. One the egg is fertilized, a larva is produced and eventually settles to the bottom. Sexual reproduction allows coral colonies to form in new places. Asexual reproduction occurs through splitting, in which a polyp splits into two, or budding when a new polyp grows out of the side of an existing polyp. Both methods result in the creation of genetically identical polyps - and the growth of a coral reef. Asexual reproduction occurs through splitting, in which a polyp splits into two, or budding when a new polyp grows out of the side of an existing polyp. Both methods result in the creation of genetically identical polyps - and the growth of a coral reef.

Describe labor market trends and globalization as they relate to the Essay - 1

Describe labor market trends and globalization as they relate to the job market. Explain the importance of networking in reaching your career goals - Essay Example There are several pros and cons of informational interviewing. A major advantage of conducting an informational interview is one gets first hand information about working in a particular job or industry (UC Berkeley Career Center, n.d.). It will give an idea of the career paths available for individuals in a particular field. Furthermore, one can get tips from professionals on how to prepare for a certain career. An informational interview enhances one’s communication skills and warms up one for a real job interview. It will be the beginning of establishing professional relationships with people who are in the same industry as one’s career (UC Berkeley Career Center, n.d.). Building of networks like these may later on create job leads in the future. Informational interviewing also has its drawbacks. One must be careful about choosing the professional to interview. If the interviewee is a person who is not happy with his job, then the views that he might share may be biased and will affect the interviewer negatively. Another disadvantage is that some interviewees might misconstrue the informational interview as a request for a job. Some professionals may think that the interviewer is there to gather confidential data about him and his company. The obstacles that will prevent one from conducting an informational interview include not knowing someone whom one can interview. Lack of contacts may make it difficult to get a professional to interview. In addition, there are some professionals who may not be open to the idea of being interviewed about their jobs. Not having the confidence to talk with a professional is another impediment for conducting the interview. Preparing for an informational interview means having to do some research about the person one is going to interview and about his organization (Crosby, 2002). Visiting the company’s website will help a lot in the

The knowledge level and attitudes of pregnant women in passing on Research Paper

The knowledge level and attitudes of pregnant women in passing on sickle cell disease - Research Paper Example The paper tells that sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disease where the body makes sickle-shaped red blood cells containing abnormal hemoglobin. Sickle cells are stiff and sticky and tend to block blood flow in the blood vessels of the limbs and organs. Blocked blood flow causes serious infections, pain, and organ damage. Patients are born with it. People who inherit a normal gene from one of the parent and sickle hemoglobin gene from the other parent exhibit a sickle cell trait. People with a sickle cell trait do not have Sickle cell anemia but have one gene that causes the disease. Approximately 2,500 people have sickle cell anaemia. This disease is now prevalent among pregnant women. A study on sickle cell anaemia in pregnant women is very significant for it will impart knowledge on this condition in relation to the woman’s and the in-born child’s health. However, the study is challenging as people have very little knowledge on this disease. The study seeks t he relevance between the level of knowledge and the attitudes of pregnant women with the sickle cell trait from the Mississippi Delta and the sickle cell disease. To achieve this, the researcher will rely on an interview done in Mississippi Delta on Africa-American pregnant women and other relevant literature. Age, marital status, economic status, occupation, and level of education are some of the demographic variables the researcher used. According to the interview, only 20% of the respondents have enough knowledge about the sickle cell trait. ... This implies that there is very little knowledge on the sickle cell trait hence the increased spread of sickle cell anaemia from pregnant women to their inborn children. Contents Contents 4 Background 6 Problem Statement 7 Purpose 8 Research Questions 8 Philosophical Basis 8 Definitions 10 Summary 11 Introduction 12 Concept Development 14 Major Related Studies 15 Summary 17 Study Design 19 Sample 19 Inclusion criteria 19 Interviews 20 Data Collection Plan 20 Ethical Considerations 21 Data Analysis Plan 22 Stage 1 22 Stage 2 22 Stage 3 22 Stage 4 23 Stage 5 23 Stage 6 23 Stage 7 23 Strategies for Rigor and Validity 24 Summary 25 REFERENCES 26 Introduction 32 Demographics of the Sample 32 Major Themes 33 Summary 35 Introduction 37 Limitations 39 Summary 41 REFERENCES 43 DEMOGRAPHIC TOOL 44 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 46 CONSENT FOR PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH STUDY 47 ASSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH STUDY 49 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Background Sickle cell disease is a disorder of the blood that is genetic in nature. Defective hemoglobin molecules that aggregate to form sickle-shaped, elongated, and inflexible rod-like structures that are unable to pass through small blood vessels (Papadakis et al, 2006) characterize it. As they are unable to pass through these small vessels, these sickle-shaped cells pile up together leading to blockages and starving tissues and organs of oxygenated blood. This results in regular periods of pain and is associated with damage to important body organs and tissues and can cause serious medical problems. Blockage may cause problems such as vaso-occlusive, hemolytic, splenic sequestration, and aplastic crises. Other medical conditions that may result include infections, stroke, priapism,

Teaching Strategies Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Teaching Strategies - Article Example The content knowledge in this strategy is the encouragement of peer to peer communication and interaction. This strategy enables learners to interact with students who speak English as the primary language s that they are enabled to clarify the essential concepts. The instructor uses various activities which helps the learners to go through he guided interaction successfully by grasping key language skills and concepts. This strategy helps learners to practice their pre-reading and also pre-writing skills so that they could have a meta-cognition of English language. This strategy helps the learners to express their thinking processes in verbal and written language. The assessment activities that teachers use in this strategy include think aloud and guides for complete chapter readings (Tissington and LaCour, 2010). Explicit instruction involves teaching the essential language concepts with an aim of building the background knowledge of the learners. At this stage, learners are given tasks which require cognitive skills of English reading. The teacher employs tools and activities which enable learners to classify, analyze, compare, interpret and synthesize the language concepts. This strategy aims at introducing learners to concepts which emanate from familiar themes, prompts and resources. The instructor aims at motivating the learners to link various ideas from their linguistic and social cultural backgrounds so that the interest of the student in learning English is determined. The motivation of the teacher will enable students to overcome the learning challenges (Tissington and LaCour,

Global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global warming - Essay Example The incidence of climatic disasters is becoming more and more frequent. Hurricanes, floods, drought etc are continuously occurring at different parts of the world. It has been Man induced changes in the environment has been causing changes atmosphere and the ecology, which is eventually leading to climate change and global warming. The objective of this easy is to analyse the causes and impacts of global warming. It has been estimated that the average temperature of the air near earth’s surface has risen by 1.3 Fahrenheit (Venkataramanan & Smitha, 2011). However, this does not mean that every corner of the earth experiences an increase in temperature. This increase in the average temperature of earth has given way to systemic changes in the physical systems of the earth. For instance, the rise in temperature is experienced most in the poles. The systemic effect that this causes is that the ice melts in the poles which cause further change in the climatic patterns and ecologica l patterns in other parts of the globe. The warming in the poles along with change in wind pattern would result in colder winters in continental Europe. Similarly, West Africa would receive more rains while central Africa won’t receive enough rain (Venkataramanan & Smitha, 2011). ... The most important source for this is fossil fuel emissions. Whenever a fossil fuel is burnt in form of fuel as in the case of cars, aero plane or industrial units, carbon dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere and it gets accumulated. The chart below represents the sector wise contribution of green house gas emissions. Fig 1: Sector wise contribution of green house gas emission Source(Venkataraman & Smitha, 2011) The natural form of reversal of this accumulation process is the vegetation which absorbs carbon dioxide as a source of energy. However, the indiscriminate human intervention with the green cover of the earth is hindering this natural process. Deforestation limits the scope of carbon emitted into the atmosphere being absorbed by plants. Thus the amount of carbon in the atmosphere keeps increasing causing the globe to be warmer. Moreover, when plants are destroyed and they decay, the carbon stored in them is released back into the atmosphere which aggregates the problem. There are natural systems which are called ‘carbon sinks’ which stores carbon for thousands of years. The chain of activities as explained above results in these carbon sinks to fail. If the carbon stored in these carbon sinks are released, it may result in detrimental effects on earth’s various systems. It has been found that oceans which are carbon sinks are failing in their capacity to store carbon (Venkataramanan & Smitha, 2011). This is resulting in ocean water to turn acidic. This would in turn mean that ocean life will largely be affected. It is the green life within the ocean that helps the ocean to store carbon (Barnett, et al. 2005). Thus this act like a chain reaction where in the ocean turns acidic and the plants

The Usefulness of Motivation Theory for Managers Essay

The Usefulness of Motivation Theory for Managers - Essay Example According to the research findings, managers can use motivation theory to understand and address the training and development needs of an employee. For example, McGregor’s theory can guide managers to provide generic training or facilitate further studies for employees in order to make them feel valued and capable. This way, managers can retain talent or confidently delegate some duties to employees because they can handle them with ease. The knowledge of motivation theory enables managers to set specific achievable goals. Using Herzberg’s theory, for example, managers can establish good communication and allow employees to work with convenience in order to meet their department or unit’s goals. The lack of communication and convenience, which are examples of Herzberg’s hygiene factors, can cause employees to be de-motivated in working towards the set goals. Finally, managers with the knowledge of motivation theory acknowledge the importance of involving employees in the goal-setting process. For example, McClelland’s acquired needs theory will help managers to allow employees contribute to goal setting because this will help craft these goals in a way that appeals to the employees’ need for achievement. It is easy for employees to commit themselves to the goals that they consider achievable.  

Global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global warming - Essay Example The incidence of climatic disasters is becoming more and more frequent. Hurricanes, floods, drought etc are continuously occurring at different parts of the world. It has been Man induced changes in the environment has been causing changes atmosphere and the ecology, which is eventually leading to climate change and global warming. The objective of this easy is to analyse the causes and impacts of global warming. It has been estimated that the average temperature of the air near earth’s surface has risen by 1.3 Fahrenheit (Venkataramanan & Smitha, 2011). However, this does not mean that every corner of the earth experiences an increase in temperature. This increase in the average temperature of earth has given way to systemic changes in the physical systems of the earth. For instance, the rise in temperature is experienced most in the poles. The systemic effect that this causes is that the ice melts in the poles which cause further change in the climatic patterns and ecologica l patterns in other parts of the globe. The warming in the poles along with change in wind pattern would result in colder winters in continental Europe. Similarly, West Africa would receive more rains while central Africa won’t receive enough rain (Venkataramanan & Smitha, 2011). ... The most important source for this is fossil fuel emissions. Whenever a fossil fuel is burnt in form of fuel as in the case of cars, aero plane or industrial units, carbon dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere and it gets accumulated. The chart below represents the sector wise contribution of green house gas emissions. Fig 1: Sector wise contribution of green house gas emission Source(Venkataraman & Smitha, 2011) The natural form of reversal of this accumulation process is the vegetation which absorbs carbon dioxide as a source of energy. However, the indiscriminate human intervention with the green cover of the earth is hindering this natural process. Deforestation limits the scope of carbon emitted into the atmosphere being absorbed by plants. Thus the amount of carbon in the atmosphere keeps increasing causing the globe to be warmer. Moreover, when plants are destroyed and they decay, the carbon stored in them is released back into the atmosphere which aggregates the problem. There are natural systems which are called ‘carbon sinks’ which stores carbon for thousands of years. The chain of activities as explained above results in these carbon sinks to fail. If the carbon stored in these carbon sinks are released, it may result in detrimental effects on earth’s various systems. It has been found that oceans which are carbon sinks are failing in their capacity to store carbon (Venkataramanan & Smitha, 2011). This is resulting in ocean water to turn acidic. This would in turn mean that ocean life will largely be affected. It is the green life within the ocean that helps the ocean to store carbon (Barnett, et al. 2005). Thus this act like a chain reaction where in the ocean turns acidic and the plants

The Benefit of Management Information System Research Paper

The Benefit of Management Information System - Research Paper Example Informational system software’s corresponds to the needs of the end users and promises to be central to all future application systems. It enhances the information’s management to select diverse applications from the market in regard to the needs and cost appropriately while offering the guarantees and capacities to interlock with the global system. Dr S.shajahan (2004). Basing on informational researchers and practitioners; the requirements to curtail emergent technological risks has been a contentious point. Informational accessibility, confidentiality and integrity have been viewed as an integral aspect, nevertheless, the development of protective measures against a potential threat such as viruses, hackers and system failures have been the primary concern. One of the major challenges that management and precisely information technology managers face is keeping track of management information systems and optimizing the benefits of information technology derived from meeting current processing demand and strategic processing demands. Information technology is difficult to determine what systems to invest in. The question that lingers is whether to invest in information technology solutions that are currently needed or invest in information technology solutions that cater to the future needs of the organization. Technology is fast moving and management systems have evolved over the years from performing basic payroll tasks to complex tasks such as providing information regarding sales, inventory and decision making processes.

Naturalism in Theatre in the 19th Century Essay Example for Free

Naturalism in Theatre in the 19th Century Essay Naturalism in theatre in the 19th century, in its utmost simplest form, can be understood as the life like reproduction of life and human drama on stage. However the true understanding of naturalism is far more convoluted than this shallow notion. This essay will look at explaining and defining naturalism as a literature movement in the 19th century according to Emile Zola’s essay, Naturalism in the Theatre and Raymond Williams’ essay on Social Environment and Theatrical Environment. One way in which we may acquire a better understanding of naturalism is by comparing the other forms of theater that were precursors to naturalism. In the beginning of his essay Zola calls for an innovator’s mind to â€Å"†¦overthrow the accepted conventions and finally install the real human drama in place of the ridiculous untruths that are on display today† (Zola 1881; 351). This statement outlines the fundamentals of Romantic drama and Classical drama as being based on a grotesque exaggeration of reality and falsification of human drama. Often set in the Middle Ages (Classicism) or the Greek and Roman times (Romanticism) action was always of excess (Zola 1881; 353). If we compare this to 19th century naturalism the differences are major. Firstly we see that naturalism brought about the life like reproduction of human drama in the, then, present time, it sought realistic human stories, in real human environments. As Zola stated â€Å"Take our present environment, then, and try make men live in it: you will write great works†, here Zola expresses the basis for naturalism, real people in real situations in real environments. As this illustrates Naturalism was not concerned with fantastic untruths of another era as Romanticism and Classicism were, but was rather involved with the expression of the realistic drama of present life in a natural present environment. Williams’s classification of naturalism is divided into three ‘senses’. The first being an accurate reproduction of real life in the literal sense, this was school of thought was inherited from the naturalistic landscape paintings of the mid 1800’s, that sought to reproduce nature as accurately as possible on canvas. The second sense that Williams talks of is the distinction â€Å"between revealed (divine) and observed (human) knowledge† (Williams 1990; 125). This philosophical position viewed man as a biological element of the world as opposed to a divine metaphysical being of the universe. Naturalism in this sense was â€Å"consciously opposed to ‘supernaturalism’† (Williams 1990; 126). In the third sense Williams is more application specific, as he states that with in a play or novel it is the amalgamation of the first two senses that is â€Å"a conscious reliance on observed natural history and on human reason† (Williams 1990: 127). This expresses the urge of naturalism to rigorously investigate human nature and truth, not only in a temporal term but to â€Å"show character and action as determined or profoundly influenced by environment, either natural or social† (Williams 1990; 127). This illustrates how Williams has explained naturalism in three separate senses. [497] Determinism The Oxford Dictionary explains determinism as the belief that all events, and actions are fundamentally controlled by external causes, it suggests that humans have no free will as everything is pre-determined by the environment in which they live. As Williams points out â€Å"the novelty of the naturalist emphasis was its demonstration of the production of character or action by a powerful natural or social environment† (Williams 1990; 127). Here Williams is outlining the factor of influence, of the environment on the character or action. Naturalism as we have discussed, is concerned with the life like reproduction of life itself here Zola discusses the importance of reproduction by stating â€Å"most of all we would need to intensify the illusion in reconstructing environments, less for their picturesque quality than for dramatic utility. The environment must determine the character† (Zola 1881; 369). As this suggests, naturalism, particularly in written plays, will create the belief that the character has a predetermined outcome. As we have discussed in the second sense of Williams definitions of naturalism, the physiological man is preferred over the metaphysical view. This suggests that man is just apart of the environment in which he lives and, as a biological element, has no free will over his actions or environment. As Zola concurs â€Å"the physiological man in our modern works is asking more and more compellingly to be determined by his setting, by the environment that produced him† (Zola 1881; 370). As this illustrates, the notion of determinism in dramatic writing, especially naturalism is a vital one, as it’s study of human behavior, and what influences it in a given environment is crucial to the natural expression and form of a character. [291] The contemporary environment and its physical reproduction on stage The contemporary environment and its physical reproduction on stage is a vital facet in the workings of naturalism. Referring to Williams’ aspects of naturalism, the first being derived from the naturalistic painters of the mid 1800’s where replication of the environment was partially a scientific endeavor. Studying the surroundings and environment in exact detail is vital in understanding the action of a character, therefore in naturalism the lifelike reproduction of the characters environment on stage is essential (Williams 1990; 125). Here Williams states a ‘major feature’ of â€Å"naturalist drama in particular its specific central feature of the stage as a room† (Williams 1990; 129). This refers to the appearance of the stage as a physical extension of real present day life as it were, to supplement the feel of naturalism on stage. Here Zola agrees by stating â€Å"most of all we would need to intensify the illusion in reconstructing environments, less for their picturesque quality than for dramatic utility† (Zola 1881; 369). As this proves the aesthetical reproduction of life on stage is far more than a scenic attraction, it provides the environment in which the characters live and take influence. The second sense of naturalism that Williams describes is that of the physiological man opposed to the metaphysical man. This is an important factor as this philosophical position looks at the man as being apart of his surroundings in a biological sense. As Williams states â€Å"in the social sense that character is determined or profoundly influenced by its social environment, with the later and more penetrating observation that this social environment is itself historically produced, and in the wider sense of natural history, in the evolution of human nature itself within a natural world of which it is an interacting part† (Williams 1990; 127). Here Williams is stating that the character is impacted by his environment, that itself is historically produced. As Zola states that the physiological man in naturalism is requesting to be â€Å"determined by his setting, by the environment that produced him† (Zola 1881; 370). Zola does not take it as far as Williams as he does not state the environment itself as being historically produced, however it is agreed that they both see the physiological man being produced by his environment. This proves that the contemporary setting of a character is vital in naturalism as it illustrates the physiological man in his environment, as opposed to the metaphysical man in a distance time and place that has little relevance to mans contemporary intelligence. By utilizing two of Williams ‘senses’ of naturalism, we have seen the uses of the contemporary environment in which a character is places as well as the importance of the detailed physical reproduction of a characters environment. [458]

I Have a Dream

I Have a Dream Speech of Heart: a personal response to â€Å"I Have a Dream†. America was built by the people who were searching for freedom and equality; they met in a new land and started to build it as a land of freedom. Ironically, over 100 years after the Independence Day of America, freedom and equality were still unattainable luxury for many people, especially people from different races than white. Non-white Americans had to suffer through racial injustice and discrimination. One of the greatest activists who fought against those inequalities was Martin Luther King Jr. In his momentous speech, â€Å"I have a dream†, King called for racial equality and the end of discrimination. The speech consolidates my belief that people from different races have the right to be treated equally. It also reminds me how hard it was to gain freedom and justice, and encourages me to stand up and make dreams come true. With allusions invoked from widely respected sources as Bible, the United States Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the United States Constitution, King described how disappointed his fellow blacks were when the government broke their promises by giving his fellow a â€Å"bad check†. The blacks suffered numerous inequalities; they had to drink â€Å"from the cup of the bitterness and hatred†. The inequality was not even covered up; there were buildings with â€Å"For Whites Only† signs including the voting places. But King still believed in justice, believed in his â€Å"dream†: â€Å"we are free at last†. He was not dreaming for African American only, he dreamed for a world of equality, a world where people from different races are treated equally. The American government also contributed to disappoint their black citizens by breaking their promises, which also disappoints me. After the declaration of the Emancipation Proclamation, the blacks expected that the Government would do what they promised: providing the â€Å"unalienable Rights† of â€Å"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness†. But then, the Government exposed their unreliability giving to their black brothers a â€Å"bad check†, they left their citizens â€Å"lives on a lonely island of poverty†. In my opinion, Government is the organization that supposed to archive what it promised but in this situation, they lured African Americans to join their army with the promise of freedom and wealthy then leave them with poverty after the war. I could barely hold my anger when I know that the American government had treated non-white Americans as they were not official Americans. I feel so depressed when I listen to the first part of Kings speech about the unfairness that the blacks had to struggle with before they gained their civil rights. â€Å"Five score years† after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, the African-Americans still were segregated. Although they were considered American citizens on paper, they were not treated as such. Despite the fact that there was no longer slavery, blacks were still treated as inferior; they were not allowed to vote, they were not allowed to go to places specifically designated as â€Å"For White Only†, and they were even absurdly prohibited from sitting at the front rows on buses. I cannot accept the way that some Americans treated their black brothers and sisters back then, it was racism. It is so bad knowing that black people were treated as even lower than the lowest class in American society. I am impressed and encouraged by Kings strong belief in justice and his disregard for his situation. King said â€Å"we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt†, â€Å"we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal†. They did not just dream, they were ready to fight for what they believed, King described their willing by this say â€Å"to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day†. Those quotes emphasize that despite all the unfairness that they had to suffer through, the bad treatments from their white brothers and the lies from their government, they still believed in justice and wanted to â€Å"make justice a reality†. I admire the blacks; they kept their belief and fought for it no matter what obstacle they might encounter. The speech alarms me that believing and doing must go together in order to archive a goal. Another detail that makes me admire King is that he had led his fellows on a peaceful-war. He suggested that his followers should not use â€Å"physical violence† in their battle because he understood that he was fighting for peace and peace cannot be created by hurting the others. And he also said â€Å"we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force†. Although he was bursting to gain freedom and racial equality for his race, he tried his best to avoid any physical conflict. I am inspired by the dream of King, a world of equality, brotherhood and freedom. In that world, everyone can â€Å"be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood† no matter what color they are, no matter where they are from. People will erase all of the bad memory of slavery and injustice, they will not think about themselves as superior or inferior. In that world, people will be treated equally and â€Å"not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character†. There will be no barriers between religions and races â€Å"black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands†. The world in Kings dream inspires me with its beauty, there is no such thing more beautiful than an equal, happy and peaceful world. Through the speech, I was touched by the great love of King for his nation. That love was first showed in his care for his fellow blacks, an indispensable part of America. Besides that, he had implied his patriotism through his speech â€Å"this nation will rise up†, he wanted to â€Å"transform†¦ our nation in to a beautiful symphony of brotherhood†. He does not just love and care about his followers but also care about and love his white bothers â€Å"Their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom†. It is a great love of a patriot for his country and its citizens. In my opinion, King was willing to fight for his country, which is what makes him unforgettable in hearts of Americans. The speech was delivered from the heart of a man who was willing to exchange anything he had for freedom and civil right for his country. His persistence has inspired me; it makes me want to stand up for my dreams and my rights. It also makes me appreciate the freedom that I have because I know to create it; many people had sacrificed even their lives. Kings works have been continued by many activists, he would love it if he could see that.

Defining the Soul in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Essay -- Song of Mys

Every sentence in Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" tends to either repeat or contradict. He even says of himself, "I contradict myself" (Lauter, p. 2793). This can make Whitman's poetry a little confusing to some. In his many stanzas, definition of the soul is ambiguous and somewhat contradictory. Whitman says, "Clear and sweet is my soul....and clear and sweet is all that is not my soul" (Lauter, p. 2745). What I believe Whitman is saying here is that his soul and everything else that is not his soul, including the souls of others, is clear and sweet. He goes on to say in the lines following, "Lacks one lacks both..." (Lauter, p. 2745). In other words, a soul cannot be clear if it is not sweet and a soul cannot be sweet if it is not clear. If it does not have one of the qualities, then it cannot have the other. By his words, a soul is not a soul unless it has both qualities: clear and sweet. He says many lines down, "I believe in you my soul....the other I must not abase itself to you, And you must not be abased to the other" (Latuer, p. 2746). Whitman ... Defining the Soul in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself Essay -- Song of Mys Every sentence in Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" tends to either repeat or contradict. He even says of himself, "I contradict myself" (Lauter, p. 2793). This can make Whitman's poetry a little confusing to some. In his many stanzas, definition of the soul is ambiguous and somewhat contradictory. Whitman says, "Clear and sweet is my soul....and clear and sweet is all that is not my soul" (Lauter, p. 2745). What I believe Whitman is saying here is that his soul and everything else that is not his soul, including the souls of others, is clear and sweet. He goes on to say in the lines following, "Lacks one lacks both..." (Lauter, p. 2745). In other words, a soul cannot be clear if it is not sweet and a soul cannot be sweet if it is not clear. If it does not have one of the qualities, then it cannot have the other. By his words, a soul is not a soul unless it has both qualities: clear and sweet. He says many lines down, "I believe in you my soul....the other I must not abase itself to you, And you must not be abased to the other" (Latuer, p. 2746). Whitman ...

How to Prepare the Perfect Beef Wellington

To prepare a perfect and truly unforgettable Beef Wellington, there are a few special steps that you have to follow in order for it to become truly and amazingly unforgettable. During the course of this paper, I will walk you through the steps to achieving just that.Together we will uncover the myths that lie beneath the cookbook horror and torture that make so many of us shy away from trying this dish because of failure. Creating an exceptional dish will require you to work with an assortment of utensils and ingredients. You may not be familiar with all of them, but do not be alarmed.They are all easy to master in the end. Let’s start with the grocery list and move you into the process slow and steady. I will list the required measurements beside each item. They are not in any special order. ? One 4-6 pound Beef Tenderloin – (a specific cut of beef) ? ? cup of diced onions ? 5 tbsp + 3 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil ? 10 cloves of garlic – 4 minced completely and 6 peeled – gently smashed (you can do this as you peel them, it is easier to get the peel off the cloves if you lay the flat edge of your chef or butcher knife on the clove and hit the topside of the blade with your fist.) ? 1 cup sliced mushrooms – your choice of type ? 6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature ? 2 tbsp salted butter (melted) ? 1 pkg frozen puff pastry – you will need at least 1 ? of the 2 in the pkg. ? 4 tbsp Kosher or Sea Salt, mainly due to the texture ? 2 tsp plain salt ? 4 tbsp fresh cracked black or multicolored peppercorns ? 1 egg + 1 tbsp water mixed together to make an egg wash ? Cooking spray (such as Pam) ? 2 – 3 tbsp all purpose flour for dusting your work surfaces ? 4 tbsp Red Wine – any kind as long as you enjoy the taste yourself.Do not ever cook with wine that you would not drink yourself. You can substitute this with cooking wine if you like. Now I will list the utensils you will need for the preparation of this dish. You will need to gather the required items and have them in your reach when you begin to prepare the dish. Having all the ingredients and required utensils within easy access helps the process go more smoothly. So take a few minutes to gather everything you need for this adventure, set it up in a clean, spacious area of your kitchen so it will be well organized before you begin. Trust me, this will help so much.? A copy of this recipe in a zip-lock bag to keep it from getting dirty. You can tape it to the wall or prop it up somewhere easy to see at eye level. ? 1 large Chef or Butcher knife that you are comfortable using ? 1 long, bladed Fillet Knife – very sharp ? 1 pair of tongs ? 1 large skillet – one big enough to lay the tenderloin inside to sear the sides ? 1 large roasting pan with a rack in the bottom to keep the roast off the pan surface ? 1 flat baking sheet with at least a ? inch lip – lined with aluminum foil ? 1 Pastry Brush ? 1 Rolling Pin ? 1 large cutting board? 1 Gallon size Zip-lock bag ? Cooking twine ? Scissors ? Measuring Cups ? Measuring Spoons ? 1 medium mixing bowl ? (Optional) Small cookie cutters in leaves, circles or crescent shapes Arrange all of your ingredients and utensils around your work station. Doing this will ensure the most comfortable way that works for you when it comes time to start. Preparation of the various items that need to be chopped, minced, diced, etc. , will speed the process up when you begin to work on the actual dish. When you feel comfortable with your arranged supplies and ingredients, you can begin.Step 1: To get everything started and underway, please preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the skillet on the stove and heat it on a medium high temperature. When the skillet begins to warm you can add the 2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 tbsp butter and a pinch of salt & cracked pepper. As the ingredients begin to melt down, drop in your diced onions, 4 minced cloves of garlic , the entire cup of mushrooms and the 4 tbsp of red wine. Saute them on medium high until the onions are translucent, the wine has reduced in volume and the mushrooms are tender, yet not falling apart.Remove from the skillet and allow to cool while we mix the other ingredients together for the filling. Step 2: To prepare the filling for the tenderloin you will need to mix together the following ingredients: 4 tbsp softened butter, your sauteed onions, mushrooms and garlic mixture after they are cool enough to handle. Mix very well until you form a creamy spreadable butter mixture. Now we are ready to prepare the tenderloin. Step 3: To prepare the tenderloin you will need the cutting board and the fillet knife.. If you have never filleted a piece of tenderloin before, it is not really that hard.I will walk you through the steps. First you need to lay out your tenderloin on the cutting board facing you lengthwise. Place the knife on the left side end of the tenderloin and make an inci sion into the tenderloin about 1 – 1 ? inches thick. Slowly continue to cut along the length of the tenderloin until you reach the other end, trying your best to keep the depth of your cut as even as possible. When you reach the end, you start over again but going the opposite direction making sure to keep the same depth of your cut until you are able to lay the tenderloin out completely flat on your cutting board.You have just filleted a cut of beef. See, it was not that hard. Step 4: Take your butter mixture, place it in spoonfuls onto the flat tenderloin and rub it very generously all over the tenderloin, allowing about ? inch at one end with no mixture — that will be your top sealing flap. After you have rubbed all the mixture into and all over your tenderloin, begin to roll the tenderloin back onto itself lengthwise, forming the round tenderloin as before you cut it, just now with lots of yummy stuffing inside.Wash your hands very well, grab your kitchen twine and cut 5 – 7 equal pieces of twine about 16 – 18 inches long. You will take each piece, wrap it around the diameter of the roll starting at one end and work your way to the other, tying up the tenderloin so it will hold together while you sear it for sealing. Do not worry about the extra string, just cut off the excess after you finish tying up the entire piece of tenderloin. By this time the tenderloin should be at room temperature which is the perfect degree to get a sear on the tenderloin without it becoming tough and chewy.Always let your tenderloin rest at room temperature or close to that before placing it inside a hot pan so you do not have all the tiny tendons and muscles that are woven inside the tenderloin seize up and shrivel. That is what happens when you put a cold piece of beef into a hot skillet, grill or pan, and that is how it becomes very tough. Step 5: Now we are going to sear our tenderloin, but before we do this, we need to heat the remaining butter inside the skillet allowing it to become very hot, but do not burn the butter! It will taste horrible and you will have to wash out the skillet and start all over again.Drizzle the 3 tsp of olive oil onto the tenderloin’s outside surface and rub it all over the tenderloin. Combine the remaining Kosher salt and the 3 tbsp of the cracked peppercorns to sprinkle all over the outer surface of the tenderloin after you coat it with the olive oil, do not forget about the ends of the tenderloin, they need love too. Step 6: With your skillet growing hot on medium high to just above medium high, take your tongs and lift the tenderloin up, placing it into the searing hot pan on the seam side first. Leave it on that side at least 3 – 4 minutes for the proper crust to form on the outside of the tenderloin.Now repeat this all over the entire tenderloin, making sure you do not forget the ends for this step as well. You will have to hold the tenderloin with your tongs as it stands on end to sear the end pieces but trust me it is totally worth it. When you are done with searing the surface of the tenderloin, it should look crispy / crunchy and a deep golden brown, do not let it burn, watch it very closely during the searing process. It is a fine line at this point between searing to the perfect golden crunchy exterior and burning it into a piece of shoe leather.Remove the tenderloin and skillet from the stove top and place the tenderloin aside to rest about 10 – 15 minutes while you prepare for the next step in this process. Allowing the tenderloin to cool somewhat will help when it comes time to wrap it in the pastry. Step 7: We will now start on pastry preparation. The puff pastry usually comes in two folded sheets for each package. You will need both of them to be almost room temperature and pliable but not totally thawed out. The dough would become to flimsy if completely thawed.It will rip and tear when you are try to stretch, move or roll it out. Pas ty dough always works better when cool to cold, so when you are preparing any kind of dough, do not do it near the oven or any source of heat if you can help it. Dust the clean surface of your work area with flour, but reserve some for your rolling pin and hands. Unfold the sheets of pastry out onto the floured surface. Now take your rolling pin, dust it with flour and begin to roll out the creases in the dough so it will seal properly and not crack or break when you are rolling it around the tenderloin.As your are rolling out the dough make sure you do not over work it too much and keep dusting with flour as needed to prevent the dough from becoming tough when baking. Now you can size up the width and length of the pastry either by your eye or you can measure it. Basically it needs to be long enough to wrap around the girth of the tenderloin with a 1 inch edge to overlap when you finish. That is the piece that is used to seal the seam along the bottom of the tenderloin. You also ne ed at least 1 ? to 2 inches left on the width of the pastry to seal the ends of the tenderloin.If it seems that you are going to need extra dough on the width or length, cut sections from the second sheet of dough, brush the adjoining ends with egg was and overlap them. Pinch the dough together to form a seal and roll out the seams until flat. Patch work is easy and sometimes necessary, but do not worry. You can use the seam to roll under the tenderloin and once you have it wrapped around the meat, you can smooth it out with your hand or cover it with decorations. The same goes for the ends, they are supposed to look like the crinkled, crimped ends of a sausage.Creases are supposed to be there. Just make sure you take your time, do not get frustrated and use the egg wash to help with the seal. Step 8: Now that you have sized up your pastry, make your egg wash. Beat 1 egg in a small bowl with 1 tbsp water until the mixture is slightly frothy or bubbly. Step 9: It is now time to remov e the twine from the tenderloin. The tenderloin should be cool enough that you can handle it. Be gentle removing the twine so the tenderloin does not begin to unroll while you are removing the twine.You can either use tongs, the serving fork or your hands to hold it steady while removing the twine. Cut each piece twine with your knife and pull it from around the tenderloin. Place the tenderloin at the top of the pastry dough with both facing you lengthwise. Making sure you will be able to roll it towards you to see that the dough is not tearing. This also helps to make sure that the patches, if you had to make any, do not break apart as you roll them and you can catch it in case repair in needed. Step 10: Begin rolling the pastry and tenderloin towards you.Make sure the entire piece is covered with pastry as you roll. There should be a 1 ? – 2 inch piece of dough hanging over at each end of the rolled tenderloin when complete. With a pastry brush, apply egg wash to the sectio n of pastry at the end of the roll closest to you. Brush egg wash on the dough already around the pastry where the two sections are going to overlap also. This will help secure the seam you are going to create. By pinching the two sections of overlapping dough together that have the egg wash â€Å"glue† on them you will form a seal of dough.Smooth the seam out with your fingers after you are satisfied it is sealed. This side will be on the bottom of the baking pan so if it is still a bit lumpy that is alright. If you need extra dough on the ends to help complete the seal of the tenderloin use some of the excess scrape pieces you have left over. To seal the ends, fold down the edges starting at the top and working your way around, overlapping the dough and crimping the ends together like a roll of sausage. This is where you can use patchwork if you need a little extra dough just to seal it completely.Brush each end with egg wash to help hold the seal here also. Step 11: Now fo r an elegant touch, you can take small cookie cutters in the shape of leaves, crescent moons or circles and cut shapes of the remaining dough to place on top of the finished roll before placing it in the oven. Make sure you brush the top of the tenderloin again with egg wash if you added these. Step 12: Take your cooking spray and spray the baking sheet lined with foil very generously so the pastry will not stick to the foil.Make sure you have brushed the top and sides of the tenderloin pastry with the egg wash very well before placing the tenderloin, seam side down, on the foil lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack in the center of the oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 13 -16 minutes. This step will help keep the puff pastry crunchy all over, while still cooking the tenderloin long enough to have the slow roasted taste. When the top of the crust starts to become a light golden brown, remove the tenderloin from the oven and check the bottom of it.Has the pastry f ormed a good crust on the bottom or is it still soggy looking? It needs to have a good crust started before we can move it to the roasting pan. If there are still a few soggy parts on the bottom, cover the pastry with a piece of aluminum foil so it doesn't start to burn. There needs to be enough foil to fit down both sides and the ends of the tenderloin roll to ensure the pastry does not overcook and begin to burn during this part. Place the baking sheet back in the over for another 8 or so minutes, checking about 5 – 6 minutes in just to make sure it does not burn on the bottom.Step 13: When the pastry wrapped tenderloin becomes crunchy on the bottom, light golden brown on the top and smells like heaven, it is time to add the final touches and allow it to slow roast a little longer to infuse all the wonderful flavors even more. In the bottom of the roasting pan, put the 6 smashed garlic cloves, 2 tsp salt and the 3 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Just scatter them around und er the baking rack. Now place the tenderloin, seam side down, on the rack inside the roaster. Allow the foil â€Å"hat† that we used already to cover the pastry to stay on for the first 20 minutes.If you did not have a foil â€Å"hat† earlier then please make one now so the pastry does not burn during this cooking stage. It needs to cover the sides and all across the top of the pastry. When the 20 minutes is up, remove the roaster from the over and remove the foil â€Å"hat† from the the tenderloin. Check the pastry for any soggy areas underneath or on the ends. Melt the last 2 tbsp of salted butter and with the pastry brush, slather all of the butter on top of the pastry dough, its sides, edges, everywhere you can reach.Don't worry about the bottom it will run down there and help with the final roasting of the garlic cloves as well. Place the tenderloin uncovered back inside the oven for an additional 15 minutes making sure that you get a golden brown crust on the pastry and do not let it burn. Different ovens vary in temperature and cooking times, please watch your crust to make sure it does not burn. You can reduce the cooking time or increase it as you are cooking this to work with your specific oven. Step 14: Remove the roaster from the oven.Allow the tenderloin to sit in the roaster for about 5-7 minutes, then move it to the cutting board to rest for at least 10 – 15 minutes more. This will help with the settling of the juices inside the meat, it will also help when you go to cut it so the pastry does not tear so easily. While your meat is resting, you can be finalizing your side dishes, table arrangements or just sit there and smell how good it smells until you finally get to cut into it. Step 15: The last step in the preparation of this amazing meal centerpiece is the cutting of the tenderloin.The key to cutting a perfect piece is to make sure your knife is extremely sharp. Serrated edged knives are best due to the pastry, h owever, if you prefer a chef's knife, sharpen it very well before you cut into this beautiful masterpiece. I prefer to use the tongs when trying to stabilize the tenderloin for the cut of first slice or two. Poking into the crust with the serving fork right off the bat sometimes allows more juices to run out of the meat while you are trying to cut it and the pastry becomes soggy and tears.So start at the end of your choice and move your knife about 1 to 1 ? inches into the body of the tenderloin. Steady it with your tongs and make one smooth slice from one side of the tenderloin to the other using the full length of the knife, drawing it from the handle down all the way to the tip. Then if you need to go back and slice again, repeat the same step. This will ensure that you are not tearing up the meat or the pastry. This is the conclusion of my special way of cooking Beef Wellington. I hope you will enjoy this dish as much as I have.Preparing it and eating it are both a joy to me. I hope it will be that way for you also. Never let a cookbook scare you into submission. Everything is worth trying to do when it comes to food. You might have to try some things over and over again to get it just the way you like it. The final product regardless of how many times you made it will be worth it. When your family and friends can't stop telling you how wonderful it is, you can tell them it was easy and just smile. Who knows you could have a magic touch

Fiction Essay: A Good Man Is Hard To Find Essay

The choices that we make determine who we truly are. The immense pressure of certain situations in which we are faced will ultimately differentiate the type person that we think we are, from the kind of person that we actually are. In the short story â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find â€Å"Author Flannery O’Connor tells a story about a family that includes a Grandmother and her superficial beliefs. The family ultimately crosses paths with â€Å"The Misfit† that is on the loose, who represents the total opposite of what the grandmother is perceived to be. O’Conner uses the characterization of both the Misfit and the grandmother throughout the plot in order to reveal the theme of this piece which is achieved when the grandmother is finally brought to grace. In the start of the piece O’Conner brings the reader into a conversation that is taking place between the grandmother and her only son Bailey. The family is planning a trip to Florida in which the Grandmother is strongly opposed. She attempts to find every reason that she can possibly come up with to convince her son to change the destination of the trip from Florida to Tennessee. Throughout the story the grandmother gives the impression that she is a figure of grace, dignity and prestige. Although she did not want to attend the trip she is the first person in the car the next morning, ready to go. She is dressed very carefully because she sees herself as lady who is very polite and astute and she must be seen by others in the same manner. She also takes advantage of every opportunity to correct her grandchildren when making remarks that are less than courteous. When the children see the black child sitting on the porch they begin to giggle, she quickly reminds them that â€Å"black children in the country don’t have the things we do†. She tries to teach the children to respect the land in their native state of Georgia when the children try to throw trash out the window of the car and June Star makes the comment that Tennessee is â€Å"a hillbilly dumping ground and Georgia is a lousy state too. †The grandmother again hisses at June Star when she makes the impolite statement that â€Å"I wouldn’t live in a broken down place like this for a million bucks†. One of the ways that O’Conner characterized the grandmother is being manipulative. Knowing what to do and say in order for her to achieve whatever it was that she wanted. An example of this being true is by her sneaking the cat into the car against her son’s wishes. Another is after the family had left The Tower and she manipulated the children into believing that the house she wanted to visit had a secret a panel. After getting the children riled up about the secret panel they nagged until Bailey finally had no choice to but to turn around and go down the deserted dirt road. After traveling down this dirt road a while the grandmother realizes that the house that she remembered was in Tennessee. As she comes to this realization the cat springs out and frightens Bailey and he drives the car over the embankment. The grandmother hopes that she is injured so that her son will have sympathy for her and she would not have to reveal her mistaking the location of the house. O’Conner has used the characterization of the grandmother and her family as well as the plot to this point in order to give an account of what type of person the grandmother is based off her actions. A man with two others arrived in a car and they got out and to help the family. The grandmother reveals that the man is â€Å"The Misfit† that she had seen in the newspaper. It seems as if the misfit’s attention had suddenly reverted from assisting the family to now killing the family based on her recognition of him. The Misfit has Hiram and Bobby Lee to take Bailey and John Wesley out to the woods first because they could be the most troublesome of the bunch. Shortly after, they take the mother and her baby into the woods and June star takes Bobby Lee’s hand and follows. As stated in Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"Spoiled Prophet† written by T. W. Hendricks, â€Å"the family members enter the fatal woods without resisting†. This is said to be because they are accustomed to doing what is expected of them. They are not capable of acting on their own interest because none of them truly know who they are. The only exception to this being the grandmother who is considered to be a round character whose personality has been fully developed throughout the story. While Bobby Lee and Hiram are in the process of murdering the rest of her family she is pleading with the Misfit to spare her life. He rejects all of her attempts to talk him out of his murderous intentions. The story then goes on to the duel, what O’Conner considers to be the theme of the story. This conflict is between the grandmother’s belief that she is morally superior to everyone, and the misfits close examination of his life as well as his self awareness that he is not a good man. This critical part of the story takes place during the dialogue that ensues between the misfit and the grandmother. The grandmother insists that the misfit is too good a man to shoot a lady. With this attempt to save her own life she is appealing the decency of the man. The grandmother tells his that â€Å"I know you must come from nice people. † He says that he does come from the finest people in the world, but the he is not a good man. The grandmother begins to lose her voice as she realizes that her son and grandson were killed and that her daughter in law as well the rest of her grandchildren were about to be killed, and that she would soon follow. The misfit goes on to explain to the grandmother that Jesus has thrown everything off balance. He compared himself to Jesus in the sense that he had been punished but hadn’t committed any crimes. The Fact that Jesus was also able to know what he was being punished for ate at him because he had no idea what he was being punished for. He had come to the conclusion that the punishments that he had gone through did not fit the crime that he was accused of. The grandmother repeatedly urged the Misfit to pray. Praying would not help the misfit because he doesn’t see what he has done as being a sin. The misfit believes that there is no hope for a good life in this world or any hope for bliss in the next life. He says that â€Å"it’s nothing for you to do but enjoy the few minutes you got left the best way you can—by killing somebody or burning down his house or doing some other meanness to him. † This is considered to be the Misfit’s motivation for him committing these murders. The grandmother see’s something in the Misfit that makes him like one of her own children, one of her sheep that have only strayed off course. The grandmother reaches out to touch the misfit both spiritually and physically but instead of breaking down, the misfit jumps back and fire 3 shots into her chest. O’Conner intended for the grandmothers last moments to be led by grace. In the end she was personally connected with the misfit and genuinely concerned about him as a person. It is this connection to being compared to a child that the misfit takes issue with. He mistakes her gesture for a form of belittlement. In the short story â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find† the characters, characterization of the characters, the occurrences throughout the plot as well as the conflict are all literary elements critical to reaching the final â€Å"coming to grace† theme of the story.

Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity Essay

Education and experience in the secular set-up or the what we call here as Athens wisdom believes differently from the biblical standpoint in whatever aspect of life. Psychology in general, though embraces somewhat a neutral position according to some proponents, is not able to do justice to a balanced view of human behavior and most if not all of the individual’s activities. Indeed, Author Dr. Entwistle (2004) argues about the general tendency to dichotomize or what he said as â€Å"to buy into the dichotomy between the ‘sacred’ and the ‘secular’ which is what seeing Jerusalem and Athens as â€Å"mutually exclusive categories. † From the outset I would like to say my piece regarding the point where Dr. Entwistle is coming from without sounding arrogant in the same vein. He has mentioned a lot about presupposition while at the same time sounds like he doesn’t anything about presuppositions. When he separated â€Å"Jerusalem† and the â€Å"Church† in his book, I immediately detected his lack of background in the realm of biblical theology. At the heart of Christianity or the Church that Dr. Entwistle is referring to, there is no such dichotomy. The Church in every dimension of it (or Christianity as we aptly put it) does not do any separation unless what Christ has separated. Meaning, our premise or presupposition starts with the fact that the Church and Christian spirituality or faith if one would put it simply, stands on the Judaeo-Christian context not a choice between â€Å"Jerusalem† or â€Å"Church. † The fundamental difference lies in the great divide between Christianity and Athens or secular wisdom. It is only between the secular wisdom and biblical knowledge does the Bible place a dichotomy. Let me state what led me to this view: it is because, theologically speaking, biblical authors explicitly wrote in their letters from the Old to the New Testament Scriptures that God has His own laws and statutes through which life in general must be regulated. The same knowledge explicitly and implicitly runs through the fabric of the whole Scripture (Old & New), which means that the presuppositions of all of the Biblical authors, all fall into one primary presupposition: that there is one God, and that this One God has revealed Himself through His laws and statutes. Without the laws of God, man alone, with all of his learning, if they are all apart from the revelation of God, is mere natural or secular. This is the reason that every man ought to know these laws or statutes or biblical principles and only then can he apply these into all aspects of his secular life. This could have been what Dr. Entwistle intended to mean. One cannot come from the opposite side as what Dr. Entwistle had done instead as he hinged the argument from secular to the theological; though he tried to get his ideas from the likes of great men like Dr. A. W. Tozer and others. All those people’s arguments come from biblical presupposition: they have thorough knowledge of the Scriptures that they applied to various realms of life which in turn caused them to spur their readers to do the same. Trying to oppose the standpoint of apologist Tertullian, Dr. Entwistle seemingly misunderstands all of their positions, thus complicating what could have been an uncomplicated and unified stream of thought. The main contributing factors that led me to this viewpoint are my personal study of the Bible, and some works (massive) of Biblical scholars. The following discussion of renewing the mind then is a by-product of my own presupposition derived from the influence of these Biblical Scholars which include contemporary theologians like Dr. Vincent Cheung, Dr. Philip Johnson, and the father of Presuppositional apologetics Cornelius Van Til, to name a few. This thorough discussion of counsel of the wicked (representing secular or Athens wisdom) and the discriminative counsel which embraces all of Judaeo- Christian principles (as all contained in the Bible) captures best the essence of faith-spirituality molded from this basic presupposition. The dichotomy is between what the Bible says all throughout as the Wicked or ungodly counsel versus that of Godly wisdom. Dr. Entwistle unintentionally pursued a trichotomous delineation of Judeao-Christian theological thinking from secular. This is not proper. Discussion Christians know that a big portion of God’s work in their lives is concentrated on renewal of the mind. Our born again experience signaled the beginning of a new life for us rather than, as have been used by many figuratively, the end of our life’s quest for truth. It is the start of an individual’s real life in that it is the time when a person experiences the quickening work of God through His Spirit (Ephesians 2:1-7). Let’s think for a while our past life as portrayed to us in the Bible: 1. ) We were once dead spiritually – in trespasses and sins; 2. ) We once walked (lived our lives) according to the course of this world; 3. ) We once lived our lives (knowingly or unknowingly) controlled by Satan; 4. ) We once behaved in a way that in everything we do, we only fulfill our desires and what – in our minds – looked good and pleasant. Now, knowing that we are naturally (without the saving power of God) unresponsive to God and fully responsive to the things that are not of God, we recognize our great need to be renewed or our minds oriented to the things of God – things that really matter to Him and in this life (Romans 12:1-2). I. Discriminative Counsel. 1. ) Biblical/Godly Counsel – Its Necessity. There is a trend being proliferated in the area of guidance or direction in one’s life. The premise, if looked at the surface, seems to be sound and Biblical. It is somehow taken from the Bible. They are from the book of Proverbs. â€Å"Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. † – Proverbs 11:14. â€Å"Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established. †Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Proverbs 15:22. These verses, however, when balanced with other portions of the Scripture, do not say that believers should heed suggestions from others without discrimination. Let’s take for example Psalms 1:1-6. â€Å"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, or sin- ners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. † – It says here that the â€Å"blessed man† is he whose delight is in â€Å"the law of the Lord. † – He meditates on it â€Å"day and night† (v. 2). What the Bible calls as â€Å"blessed† are not those who just swallow every information or trends who happen to be around. The blessed man’s â€Å"delight† is in the law of the Lord, and his pleasure to God’s law/word is made evident in his â€Å"meditating† on it â€Å"day and night. † â€Å"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. † – Psalms 1:1-2. On the other hand, this is also a warning. A warning to those who are not careful and would let down their guard with regards to their upholding the habit of meditating or checking everything with the teachings of the Scriptures. When someone starts to entertain the seemingly harmless conventional â€Å"advices† of the world without allowing the Bible (God’s Word) to filter those opinions/suggestions, the lurking danger sets in and the undiscerning is on his way to the wrong direction for he has already given thought to â€Å"ungodly counsel. † He entertained and has given a benefit of the doubt to counsel other than God’s counsel. This is a classic case of God’s word versus Satan’s lies. The enemy succeeded in tempting the first couple – Adam and Eve. â€Å"Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, â€Å"Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. † – Genesis 2:15-17. Going back to our immediate text in Psalms 1:1, let’s try to divide its wordings in three divisions and see what does it say? It says: â€Å"Blessed is the man who does not (1) walk in the counsel of the wicked (2) stand in the way of sinners (3) sit in the seat of mockers. These three expressions are actually three stages of wickedness, or three steps towards spiritual deterioration. They illustrate the progressive stages of wickedness into which one who strays from God enters. According to the Word of God, this is what will happen to people who stray from the sound teachings of the Scriptures – they will go from bad to worse. And note that, with each stage, the ungodly (anybody who ventures on this path is called â€Å"ungodly†) becomes more resolute and his hostility against the counsel of the inspired scriptures and righteousness intensifies (Cheung, 2007).