Capital Punishment in the United States Essay Example for Free

Capital Punishment in the United States Essay Have you ever thought about if the person sitting next to you is a murderer? If he is, what would you want from the government if he had killed someone you know? He should receive the death penalty! Murderers and other major offenders should be punished for the crimes they have committed and should pay the price for what they have done. Having the death penalty in our society is humane. It helps with overcrowding and gives relief to the families of the victims, who had to go through an event such as murder. You may not see it as that big of a deal, but the families of the victims of these criminals have to live every day knowing that while their family member is dead, this criminal is still well and living. Usually people just want to look past this problem because they are not in the position of the families of the murder victims, but you need to look at it through the eyes of these families. Until we stop just letting these things slide, they will continue to happen. The death penalty has been around since the time of Jesus Christ. Executions have been recorded from the 1600s to present times. From about 1620, the executions by year increased in the US. It has been a steady increase up until the 1930s; later the death penalty dropped to zero in the 1970s and then again rose steadily. US citizens said that the death penalty was unconstitutional because it was believed that it was cruel and unusual punishment (Amnesty International). In the 1970s, the executions by year dropped between zero and one then started to rise again in the 1980s. In the year 2000, there were nearly one hundred executions in the US. On June 29, 1972, the death penalty was suspended because the existing laws were no longer convincing. However, four years after this occurred, several cases came about in Georgia, Florida, and Texas where lawyers wanted the death penalty. This set new laws in these states and later the Supreme Court decided that the death penalty was constitutional under the Eighth Amendment. There also has been the problem of overcrowding in prisons and jails. Some people say that this is a problem but having more jails built will solve this problem. Having more prisons or jails built may help solve the problem but the death penalty effectively stops draining more money from the taxpayers to give these murderers a home. These murderers get three warm meals a day; they do nothing all day, and have a place to sleep just because the taxpayers fund these facilities. Murderers on death row do not deserve to get a place to stay. They deserve to have their lives taken for the crimes that they have committed.

A critical analysis of my clinical practice and reflection

A critical analysis of my clinical practice and reflection Introduction This assignment will discuss the development of my professional skills, learning opportunities, and activities that have developed and benefited my learning experiences. I will use reflection and referrer back to written work in my portfolio this will link the theory to practice and will show a continuous improvement in the knowledge and understanding that I have gained in previous placements, according to Beskine (2009) practice from clinical placements are fundamental in allowing students to put the theory learned at university into practice under the supervision of an experienced mentor. As registered nurse I must be able to justify any action or decision made, this can be seen throughout my portfolio as I have tried to justify any action or decision I have made through evidence based knowledge and research findings, according to Richards and Edward (2003) who have stated that public trust and confidence in the profession is dependant on its practitioners being seen to exercise their accountability to ensure that the interests of the patient is respected. The Quality Assurance Agency (1997) has defined a portfolio as a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and achievements when planning for their personal educational and career development. As a registered nurse my goals will be to further my life long learning and gain as many skills as possible to enable me to carry out my practice safely and with competence. The evidence of this shall be shown through the ongoing development of my portfolio, which will identify opportunities for growth in my personal and professional life. According to Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) 2004, It is necessary to show motivation and commitment through the development and planning of your own learning. There will also be discussion on the clinical skills laboratories (CLS). Main Body The Students rational for choosing the topic of; compression bandaging for leg ulcers; was the shock, when she realised that the estimated cost to the NHS in managing leg ulcers is  £300-600 million a year. (Simon et al 2004) In the UK alone, it has been estimated that between 80,000 and 100,000 people will have had a leg ulcer at one time or another, with some remaining unhealed for more than 10 years. (Walker Adderly 2007). Managing leg ulcers also places a considerable drain on health resources, with district nursing spending between 25-50% of their time treating patients with leg ulcers (Casey 1999), according to Briggs and Closs (2003), a large part of the nurses workload especially in the community is taken up with this task, as people get older they are at increased risk of developing arterial and venous incompetence, which is the underlying cause of leg ulceration, improved life expectancy means the number of people with ulcers is likely to rise (Franks and Moffatt, 2007). The student noticed this more on her final 14 week management placement with the community nurses; half of her time spent with the nurses was taken up with changing compression bandages. Reflecting back, the student looked at her logs from first year [Appendix 1] and noticed that the treatment of leg ulcers has not changed dramatically in these past three years, but the students perception knowledge and understanding of this condition has. Reflection provides a framework upon which individuals can modify both perception and behaviour based upon experience (Dewey, 1933; Schà ¶n, 1983). It is also considered to be a central part of developing expertise (Sternberg, 1999). When the student first went to a community placement in 2nd year, she along with her mentor attended a patient with leg ulcers, [Appendice2] she assisted the nurse when she washed the patients leg, using tap water, the leg was dried and a mixture of 50%50 w/w cream; (Ointment containing 50% w/w Liquid Paraffin BP and 50% w/w White Soft Paraffin), was applied below the knee of the leg, then watched as the district nurse, applied a modified form of compression bandaging. The student and her classmates had practiced this procedure in CLS labs, week three, Care of the patient with chronic wounds; the labs are designed to ensure flexibility of use in providing an environment where clinical skills learning can be facilitated to support a diversity of clinical learning experiences and environments. Every year the NHS pays out about  £400 million in settlement of clinical negligence claims.   It is increasingly recognised that up to as much as 70 -80% of medical error could be attributed to poor technical skills; those most at risk of committing errors are inexperienced practitioners. Creating simulated scenarios allows us to practice our skills and make mistakes in a safe environment (Engle 2008). The nurse explained that there where different causes for the ulcers and also different dressings and compression therapies. The student also looked up the pathophysiology, and the psychological effects of the condition, linking theory to practice, reading journals and articles the student got an overview of the disease, failing venous valves lead to blood pooling in the veins. This is confirmed by the use of a Doppler ultrasound, which tests the flow of blood in the leg. Cells and fluid, from the blood leak into the surrounding tissue, causing oedema. Red blood cells, leak into the tissue and break down, resulting in brown staining of the skin known as, haemosiderin. Further tissue damage occurs when white blood cells clump together to cause inflammatory reactions. Congestion in the veins results in reduced blood flow. Tissues do not receive adequate nutrition and the skin becomes dry, flaky and itchy. Lipodermatosclerosis can also occur, caused by fibrosis of the fatty tissue, maki ng the leg hard and woody to touch, this makes the skin fragile and scratching or trauma may lead to ulceration of the leg and a chronic wound that could take weeks or months sometimes years to heal (Stud 2009). According to (RCN 2006), (SIGN 26, 1998) compression bandage therapy is the gold standard treatment for venous leg ulcers. The bandage types are classified depending on the degree of sub bandage pressure they exert on the limb, the highest pressure is up to 40mmHg at the ankle (resting pressure), gradually reducing to about 17mmHg just below the knee Anderson (2008). Achieving this healing depends mostly on the patients willingness to accept clinically effective care; many of the patients feel that they cannot carry on with the treatment as the compression bandaging is uncomfortable. The graduated compression starts with the highest pressure at the ankle, this squeezes the lower leg as the calf muscle changes shape on movement, but the muscle movement is constrained by the compression bandage with the effect of increasing the squeeze on the veins in the legs, as the muscle movement is concentrated inward and if the vein is relatively intact it will more likely close with the extra pressure from the compression (Anderson 2008). This movement may prevent the backflow of blood as the calf muscle is strong and the speed of the venous blood is increased it could mean that the white blood cells are less likely to clump together thus reducing inflammation in the blood vessel (Oduncu et al 2004). Using compression this way, will increase flow, reduce venous reflux and ankle oedema, therefore improving the microcirculation and encourage the healing process (Board and Harlow 2002). As the flow improves nutrients reaching the skin again will improve the sensitivity and dryness of the skin. The compression therapy is not a cure it may be a lifelong process where the patient has to be properly supported. The patients psychological wellbeing is also monitored, (Jones et al 2008), studies carried out show that patients with chronic leg ulcers suffer from depression and feel socially isolated, they restrict their social lives because of the exudates and odour leaking through the bandages. In many cases the ulcer will heal with relative ease once the oedema is under control approximately 12 weeks (Moffat et al 1992). Larger ulcers may take months or years to heal, (Palfreyman et al 2007) effective treatment should help reduce the symptoms and quality of life for the patients, this is why a holistic approach is needed to ensure the patients psychological needs are also met; this in turn may encourage compliance on the patients part. The student is now in her final placement which is back in the community, she has her own case load of four patients. One of these patients has a leg ulcer, she wears compression stockings, while this is not a chronic ulcer great care still has to be taken, as the recurrence rate of venous ulcers is high, hosiery helps to reduce the risk and prolongs the time in a healed state (Bradley 2001). The student also went out with the district nurse who is mentoring her, she allowed her, under her direct supervision to wash and apply the dressings to one of her clients who has a chronic leg ulcer, it is recognised that students must be given opportunities to participate in various clinical skills, the NMC (2006) requires mentors to be able to support student nurses develop nursing competencies, while being professionally accountable for the student, and also provide support and assessment while on placement. Prior to undertaking the wound dressing, the student had to demonstrate an appreciation of the theoretical and practical aspects underpinning the procedure of compression bandaging to the mentor. This was done by the student reading journals on wound care, looking up articles on the internet, and then discussing them with her mentor. The clients consent was given, this allowed the student to carry out the procedure. The student read the last entry in the care plan to see what dressings where used previously. Then she gathered all the equipment that she would need, Towels, cream, water, a dressing depending on how bad the leg would depend on what dressing was used. The bandaging comes in kit form and is priced according to size from  £5.65 to  £10.58 (Scottish drug tariff 2007). Reading the care plan the student knew that this patient has had a chronic venous leg ulcer, for about 6 weeks, the measurements were taken at every dressing change to see if the ankle circumference has changed due to the reduction of oedema. The leg was stripped down, it was very wet and smelly, the dirty dressing then went into the bag provided and disposed of in the bin. The leg was washed with Epaderm Cream, this is very effective in moisturising the leg it counteracts the loss of essential oils from the skin. As the student knew that her mentor was going to ask her to perform the task, she looked up her reflective diaries in her portfolio and read back on them to see how she carried out the procedure then, and how she felt about carrying them out. According to Redfern and Hull (1997), portfolios offer an important contribution in the form of a step-by-step method that reflects practice. The student had written an account of her past experience in the first year log, as she had not used a model of reflection it was difficult to remember how she felt carrying out the procedure, she did describe the task well enough but the feeling and evaluation would have been useful, how did she feel about the task, was the wound really odorous, was the patient satisfied with the outcome, would she have carried out the procedure the same way, coming back to the present task the action plan would have been very handy. Gibbs model for reflection (1988), the student has applied this model to most of her work throughout the three years of placements, but at the beginning of her training she did not, she now realises that using models of reflection in essays and practice portfolios gives written evidence that shows critical thinking, and relates theory to practice. Using the six stages of Gibbs reflective model, description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, action plan, by using this model the student can analyse her learning experience, and present this as evidence against NMC standards. The student also looked out and read tissue viability journals and wound supplements and searched the internet for wound care information. Current governmental policies have called for all professional groups to work within a framework of evidence-based practice (EBP) which is underpinned by continuing professional development. The essence of all this is to ensure that all health care professionals operate within a framework of clinical governance that assures clinical competence and provision of quality health care. (Basford and Slevin, 2003). Once the leg was washed and dried a hydrocolloid dressing was applied, this helps absorb some of the exudates, the student then applied the wool padding using a simple spiral technique with a 50% overlap, this helps to protect bony prominences and pads the ankle out. The third step is a light conforming bandage, the foot is flexed to 90 degrees and the bandage is applied from the toes to the knees also using a simple spiral technique with a 50% overlap. The forth step is applying the cohesive bandage, the student made sure the mentor was happy with what was done so far before carrying on she also asked the patient if he was alright, then keeping the foot flexed to a 90 degree angle the bandage was applied with a 50% overlap and a 50% stretch, ensuring the heel was completely covered. The student felt cautious about carrying out the final stage of this procedure because of the implication, for instance if the dressing was too tight it may cause trauma to the leg, but the mentor supervised all the way through the procedure, when the bandaging was finished the student felt that she had carried the task to the best of her ability, there was a feeling of satisfaction the bandage looked neat and secure the patient offered no complaints. When the student had asked his consent he told her that he would say immediately if he felt uncomfortable, because of the exudates the bandage would only be on for two days not a week as is the usual time in between dressing. The patient will be holistically re-assessed each week and his progress recorded, the student filled in the patients care plan and her mentor countersigned, as a student nurse preparing to register with the NMC you have both a legal and professional duty of care. This should be demonstarted in your ability to keep a record and full account of any assessment and care that you have planned for or provided (NMC 2004). The student didnt think she could have done any better, she was pleased that he mentor allowed her to carry out this procedure, a little weary about the 50% overlap and stretching the bandage, but was confident in her practice, the task went smoothly. The student will continue to reflect and study leg ulcers and compression bandaging to further her knowledge. The mentor observed the student performing the task, under direct supervision, she assessed that the student was working to the correct and appropriate standard for her level of training, this will be recorded in the students assessment practice record and signed. While in practice mentors are assessing students against the NMC standards of proficiency, they are not only assessing their practical skills, but their knowledge levels and attitudes which underpin their practice (Richards and Edwards 2003). Conclusion In this assignment I have disscused the learning opportunities and the activities that have helped develope my professional development in the area of compression bandaging for the care of leg ulcers. I have shown that reflection and reference to previous work and teaching materials have developed my skills, confidence, knowledge and intuition in the care of managing leg ulcers and applying the appropriate dressings and therefore linking my theory to practice. I have shown the ability to justify reasoning for any actions or decisions which I make through evidence based practice, knowledge and research findings. For my professional development and future practice I will continue to futher my life-long learning and gain as many skillls as possible to enable me to carry out my practice safely and with competence. The evidence of this shall be shown through the ongoing development of my portfolio which will identify opportunities for growth in my personal and professional life.

Gender Analysis of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein

Gender Analysis of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Gender identity entraps and limits us. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelleys, Frankenstein, or, The modern Prometheus. Shelleys Frankenstein a mix of the gothic and romanticism genre presents gender-related entrapments of the era, from the socially excepted at the time and additionally the representation of the inflexible society in which criticised choice relating to gender and social status. Although the role of the female characters maintains a constant, in the role of nurturer and a place of ensuring care for the patriarchal husband and children. Shelley does not provide a strong female protagonist in Frankenstein the reference made to the women in this novel presents an insight to Frankenstein himself as an obsessive man with a masculinity which differs to the other male characters. Vlasopolos, suggests Men in Frankenstein need less rescuing from obscurity; but they too are scrutinised according to class standards of deportment, attitudes towards money, and language before they are accepted as companions of aristocrats. (Vlasopolos:127). In this essay, Frankensteins rejection of masculinity, his struggle with social demands and his creature as an extension of his manhood will be explored. The reader is introduced to Frankensteins childhood and family structure. He is a talented man who departs for further education soon after the death of his mother, from scarlet fever which she contracted from Frankensteins arranged betrothed, Elizabeth. Frankensteins mother described as much younger than his father and adored by Frankenstein. The reader is witness to the mothers last moments. This moment is reiterated later in the novel concerning Elizabeth herself. As Frankensteins creature is complete, in fear filled dreams of Elizabeth, she died in his arms and resumed the form of his mother, the first love, before waking to the creature, which is desiring the attention of his creator. The reader, witnessing the dream finds confirmation of Frankensteins Oedipus complex. Again, Elizabeths death on the wedding night at the hands of the monster, Frankenstein himself finds comfort in holding the lifeless body of his bride. Veeder goes as far to suggest that Although Frankensteins desire to become Fitz-victor is achieved partially by giving birth to himself as a monster, he remains a son so long as he: has a father. Alphonse must die.'(Veeder:380) By the removal of the father, Frankenstein could, therefore, become the role of father, through self-creation by, the underlying desire of creator and father as achievable. The role of the monster, therefore, becomes an extension of the creator to achieve his desire. The ugliness of the creation and the fear from the creator may represent all that Frankenstein was hiding from himself. As both the creator and the created had a desire to belong as they are; not by a role which society had thrust upon them. The monster appeared for the most part when the creator was in distress suggesting that; Frankenstein himself is the monster. As the creation desired belonging, love and to be accepted not as the monster at a physical level replaced by the rage to which drove the monster to eliminate the relatives of his creator, in the hope that the bond between the creator and the created would blossom as there would be no other. Firstly the death of William the youngest brother, the love of the father. The death at the hands of the monster is the first step to destroying Alphonse. Justines death may represent the lack of choices the monster denied the love of a woman and Victor unable to choose the life companion. The death of Justine, the rage of the monster realisation of not belonging and Victors self-internal guilt for her death extends the grief of William. Followed by the death of Clerval, Frankensteins closest friend, a magnanimous person who gives generously of himself to others, (Badalamenti:430) described as the perfect male form of beauty. The obsession of Frankenstein and the monster of the beautiful made Clerval a target due to the ideal of masculinity both the creator and the created both desired. Clervals death represents the loss of the super-ego and self-consciousness within Frankenstein. Elizabeths death on the wedding night. The monster wanted to have his creator to himself and removed El izabeth as Frankenstein did to the monster after requesting he make a companion, but also making Frankensteins dream a reality. The ultimate death is the one of Alphonse the hierarchical superior, the grief of loss onto the family brought death to this figure. The loss of which Frankenstein knows the actions of his monster resulted in the passing of the father became the turning point in the plot. Instead of a bedridden madness which plagued Frankenstein at times of distress, he becomes the father he desired. To hunt down his creation and destroy the part of himself now all that enforced the male role had no influence. To which Frankenstein before his death finds a companion in Walton who sees him as he wishes to be viewed, consequently the monster himself resides to death as his desire to bond with his creator was denied. Resulting in the passing of the creator and the created, without achieving the social acceptance they desired. Shelley offers a journey of Frankensteins social expectations and avoidance to become the masculine norm of his class. Frankenstein feared the expected role which waited for him. Hence, the history and family structure are essential to understanding Frankenstein. The monster eliminates the woes of Frankensteins life; therefore the creature could represent an extension of self, an unconscious primitive nature expressing unrestricted impulsiveness. Waltons letter to his sister of Frankensteins warnings; Shelley suggests sex and class norms associated with gender should be followed to prosper in life. Frankensteins documented words; Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow. (Shelley:43) Hence, Frankenstein concludes his self-made ambiguity against his expected gender role, became the destroyer of all that he thought he did not desire but ultimately required for survival. Bibliography: Badalamenti, Anthony F. Why Did Mary Shelley Write Frankenstein? Journal of Religion and Health, vol. 45, no. 3, (2006) 419-439. Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein, or, The modern Prometheus. Camberwell, Vic: Penguin, 2006. Print. [Originally published London: Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor Jones, c1818.] Veeder, William. The Negative Oedipus: Father, Frankenstein, and the Shelleys. 12, no. 2, (1986) 365-90. Vlasopolos, Anca. Frankensteins Hidden Skeleton: The Psycho-Politics of Oppression (Le Squelette Cachà © De Frankenstein: La Psycho-politique De Poppression). Science Fiction Studies 10, no. 2. Web. 1983 Additional References: Bissonette, Melissa Bloom. Teaching the Monster: Critical Thinking. College Literature, vol. 37, no. 3, The John Hopkins University Press (2010) 106-120. London, Bette. Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, and the Spectacle of Masculinity. PMLA, vol. 108, no.2, Modern Language Association (1993) 253-267

Alexander Graham Bell Essay -- Biography Biographies Bell Essays

Alexander Graham Bell Works Cited Missing The importance of Alexander Graham Bell on today’s society is visible, or rather audible, every day and everywhere. First and foremost, Alexander Graham Bell was a prolific teacher of the deaf. This is what he considered to be his true life’s work, but only one of the many important things he did. Through his research of speech and sound, and his creative mind, he would become one of the most influential inventors in modern history. His own definition of an inventor, â€Å"A man who looks upon the world and is not contented with things as they are. He wants to improve whatever he sees, he wants to benefit the world.† suits him well. Every thing that he did had an impact on someone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, to a family of speech educators. His father, Melville Bell, had invented Visible Speech, a code of symbols for all spoken sounds that was used in teaching deaf people to speak (Clarke 15). His mother was deaf, this lead Melville and Alexander to exploration in the subject. Alexander Bell studied at Edinburgh University in 1864 and assisted his father at University College, London, from 1868-70. During these years he became deeply interested in the study of sound and the mechanics of speech, inspired in part by the acoustic experiments of German physicist Hermann Von Helmholtz, which gave Bell the idea of telegraphing speech (Paschoff 18).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When young Bell’s two brothers died of tuberculosis, Melville Bell took his remaining family to the healthier climate of Canada in 1870. From there, Aleck Bell journeyed to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1871 and joined the staff of the Boston School for the Deaf. The following year, Bell opened his own school in Boston for training teachers of the deaf. In 1873 he became a professor of vocal physiology at Boston University, and he also tutored private pupils as a side job (Clarke 15, 16).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bell’s interest in speech and communication led him to investigate the transmission of sound over wires. In particular, he experimented with development of the harmonic telegraph a device that could send multiple messages at the same time over a single wire. Bell also worked with the possibility of transmitting the human voice, experimenting with vibrating membranes and an actual human ear. Bell even manipulated his dogs vocal cords so that wh... ...ng beeps and sounds through telephone lines to other computers that decode the beeps and sounds into data. This would not be possible if Bell hadn’t figured out how to transmit these sounds. The same thing goes for radios and cell-phones and televisions. The speakers in these devices are all made possible by the understanding that Bell acquired of sounds and transmitting them through electrical devices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alexander Graham Bell was a man of warmth and human frailty, loved by his wife, children, and grandchildren. His life did seem to demonstrate the oneness of the world. He was cheered at exhibitions, applauded at scientific meetings, and sought out by reporters. He and his wife united two numerous and close-knit families. Children, especially those of his own extended family, loved him. His marriage was a model of devotion throughout its forty-five years. He was nominally a member of more clubs and other organizations than he could recall at any given time, and he was active in a number of them (Allen 70,71). He was much more than one of the most influential inventors of modern history, he was a great Husband, a mentor for youth, a model citizen, and an excellent teacher.

Genetic Manipulation :: Science Scientific Papers

Genetic Manipulation In David Brins science fiction novel called The Uplift War, the reader is presented with a world in which humans have not only become a space faring species and made contact with extraterrestrials, but also made an astounding achievement on their own world; they have made dolphins and chimpanzees into thinking, sentient creatures through a process called uplift. Uplift is a process of elevating animal species to full sapience through methods of breeding and genetic engineering. The uplifted species, known as clients, then serve their patrons, the species who uplifted them, until the patrons release them from indenture. Naturally, this causes many problems. Client species are often looked upon as inferior; this is partly due to strict regulation of activities such as breeding. Although uplift is still just Brins invention, we are rapidly gaining the techniques and knowledge to make uplift a reality. This is why we must carefully examine the ethics of genetic manipulation. First, the m ethods of genetic manipulation must be discussed. In Brins novel, a combination of selective mutation, breeding programs, and education were used to evolve the natural form into a conscious being. These methods, while hardly gentle, were not drastic and took place over hundreds of years, gradually eliminating the unwanted traits and encouraging admirable characteristics (Yep). Today, there are several methods of genetic manipulation, most of which involve various methods of inserting foreign DNA into an animal. They all share the same goal: to integrate and stabilize a desired DNA strand into the genome of an organism (Macer). The most widely used are retroviral infection, pronuclear microinjection, and nuclear transfer. Retroviral infection uses a virus, which contains the desired gene that will be incorporated into the organisms genome, to infect groups of embryos in culture in both prenatal and postnatal life. This method takes a lot of time and effort because the construction of the virus is quite complicated. Another effect of infection is that the information of the viruses may not always be incorporated into all the cultured cells, requiring out breeding of selected organisms to isolate those with the desired gene (Macer). Pronuclear microinjection is another method of genetic manipulation. Linear DNA fragments containing the desired gene are injected into the nucleus of a fertilized egg, where they will be incorporated at random locations. The desired gene will eventually be expressed in a percentage of resulting organisms. While relatively simple, there is still control over the expression rate of the genes or the disruption of genes vital to the organisms survival (Macer).

Community Meeting Review Essay

For my project I visited the City of Hesperia’s Official Website and reviewed the April 1, 2014 City Council Meeting which is available to the public on line. The beginning of the meeting started with a call of order then proceeded to the roll call of the board members. After these steps had taken place an invocation was performed followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. I have never heard of a prayer referred to as an invocation and it prompted me to review the words definition, â€Å"a public request for guidance, good will, good wishes, and good things. (Wikipedia). I was very pleased to see that the council members have chosen prayer as guidance followed by the pledge of allegiance, a leadership respectful of God and Country. The official members present were Mayor Thurston â€Å"Smitty† Smith, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Schmidt, Council Members Russell Blewett, Bill Holland, and Mike Leonard. Agenda revisions and announcements were provided by the city clerk followed by a cl osed sessions report given by the City Attorney. Prior to the main agenda announcements and presentations were provided recognizing public interest groups which included; A certificate of recognition for the Desert Winds Quilt Guild, a proclamation for National Volunteer Week, a proclamation for Fair Housing Week, followed by a presentation of the community events calendar provided by Rachel Molina the city’s community relations and media coordinator. At this time a request for public comments was made and instructions were provided to those present in regards to time limits per individual. This forum provides an interface for the public with the City Council and the Municipality components which do not typically respond or engage with the presenters but collect the information and provide for a method of follow up from city staff. The first person called to speak was Jennifer Mayo, who discussed road conditions related to her residence and its poor state of repair which has affected her and her family. The second person called to speak was Jeff Randall who began his discussion with a quote of â€Å"trust and respect† referring to an issue of code enforcement and fee’s levied against his property in the amount of $3,500.00. Mr. Randall described the issue in detail, in which he could not meet the original deadline of the code violation due to a tenant that needed to be removed from the property and requested an extension to resolve the violation. He was verbally provided an extension and was told to just handle  the situation and no fees would be imposed. He trusted the individual representing the city to stand by his word and not to impose any fees until he had the opportunity to resolve the situation which did not happen. Mr. Randall is requesting the assistance of the council members to resolve the financial burden imposed upon him. The next person called was Jessica Davidson who was accompanied by Veronica Sanders and were from the Cancer Society, representing a fundraiser called Relay for Life. Their purpose for presenting was to invite the City Council and its attendees to an upcoming 24-hour event. The council did respond to these presenters, stating that they will be attending this event as a team and additionally asked the presenters to return to the next council venue where they will be given a proclamation (recognition) for their public efforts. The next person called was Jennifer Shaw a representative from Southern California Edison. The purpose for her presentation was to introduce Julie Gilbert, her replacement who is also employed with Southern California Edison. This seemed to be a professional courtesy provided by the utility firm. Al Vougler was the last presenter to be called and spoke about concerns related to the City of Hesperia’s recent lease of water allocations from the Rancho Water District totaling 1300 acre feet. Mr. Vougler believed that even though the purchase rate of $382.50 per acre foot seemed reasonable that the City’s water district should be approaching residents much like himself that have unused water allocations at a reduced price. Mr. Vougler believed that this would be a combined benefit for the City and its residents. The City Manager did provide a general response to Mr. Vougler in an attempt to define the characteristics of water classifications and there overall values which was followed by the City Attorney who provided further comparisons of water and values. The meeting continued with the Joint Consent Calendar, the consent calendar is a grouping of routine matters to be acted on in one motion. There were six items considered and recommended actions taken anywhere f rom issues related to utilities to professional services. At the end of this presentation it was open to public hearing providing any concerned resident an opportunity to speak. This was followed by consent ordinances which city staff members began to speak about Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and its draft citizen participation plan for years 2015-2019. This was followed by an ordinance for the Civic Plaza which would limit the use of  skateboards, bicycles, and leashed animals during special events held at this location. Following these issues the council would make a decision which would be placed on record for public view. New business was proposed where an approval of long ranged property management was projected, but they motioned to push this event forward to the next meeting due to the absence of a council member who was more familiar with the issue. A final request to those attending to be heard was made leading to the council committee’s reports and comments. Each council member was provided the opportunity to give a final presentation in regards to the events that had taken place. Council member Holland had very nice things to say in reference to Jennifer Mayo and her courage for coming to the meeting and addressing her concerns. Mrs. Mayo had mentioned earlier that she was on a â€Å"fool’s errand† in reference to her attempt to share her road concerns and Mr. Holland reassured her that her attempts were not imprudent. The city staff will diligently look for funds to improve the road conditions for the City of Hesperia. I was very impressed by the comments made by Mr. Holland during the meeting and at its closure. He was less formal and made everyone feel welcome and I would say the same for council member Blewett and Mayor Smith. Mayor Pro Tem Schmidt had some disparaging comments in reference to Mr. Randall’s code enforcement issues and felt he had made erroneous claims to the council. I felt this was a bit unbecoming of Schmidt especially in his role as Pro Tem (vice mayor). I believe he should be more considerate to those that address the council in a fair and reasonable manner. The city attorney seemed very cold and matter of fact which is probably typical of all legal personnel. I was quite pleased with this local government, they were very informal and very endearing. I believe that the city council is very attentive to their local residence and businesses that they are serving and operate in the best interest of everyone. Economically there was concern over budget constraints especially for those related to road improvements, monies were approved for the CDGB plan which is a joint activity between the city and the community development groups. It was interesting that there were a lot of legal concerns related to the councils operation and their decision development and was quoted several times during the proceedings. I would like to make note that the â€Å"city staff† often referred to but never specifically identified have a great behind the scenes responsibility in  researching all the necessary regulatory requirements related to the operation of this committee. This experience has actually peaked my interest in local politics I like the fact that it is approachable compared to national politics which is not interested in personal opinion only those provided by an elected official. I don’t believe local government to be any more efficient than national government, there may be fewer constraints within local government that can be resolved at a much faster pace. I found the public presentation to be very interesting, all of the presenters seemed to be very informative and well spoken. I was drawn to Mr. Vougler’s water concerns which led me to do further research in reference to water rights. I was unaware that residence had water allocations available for re-sale. I went to the Mojave Water agencies website to learn about their responsibilities and for clarification of local water rights. In doing so I learned that they monitor all the water allocations throughout the High Desert including Municipalities and residents. It was true what the City Manager had told Mr. Vougler in regards to the value of his water rights. Due to the waters agricultural component the re-sale of the product to a Municipality is 75% that of a re-sale from another commercial water holder. This is why Mr. Vougler’s water was valued at $275.00 versus $382.00. In a sense it has the equivalent dollar value when purchased by the Municipality such as the City of Hesperia. When the council responded to Mr. Vougler they responded accurately and I felt they were very respectful in doing so. Works Cited â€Å"Agenda.† City of Hesperia. Council Chambers, (01 April 2014). Web. (01 May 2014). http://www.cityofhesperia.us/archive.aspx â€Å"Invocation.† Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., (08 April 2014). Web. (01 May 2014). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invocation â€Å"Water Transfer Types.† Mojave Water Agency, Web. (01 May 2014). http://www.mojavewater.org/water_transfer_forms.html

Business Environment Essay

Introduction: In this assignment I will be explaining how the two businesses that I have chosen from my previous assignment P3, how they present the organisational structure and how strategic planning helps them achieve its purposes and aims. This assignment will include the following * The aims of Coca- Cola and Nike * How the strategic planning helps them both to achieve these aims * How the organisational structure helps to achieve the aims of both organizations The aims and purposes of Coca Cola: The mains aim of Coca cola is to revive the world in mind, body and soul. Coca Cola Company is to provide to ensure this the company ensure that all employees are working to their highest standards test product that they can to the public, and create customer satisfaction. o create the best product, in the quickest possible time to make sure that there is an ability for quick distribution. The main goals and objectives of Coca-Cola are to be the finest beverage sales and customer Service Company. This means being the first or second brand in every group in which then can contest, being the customers most appreciated supplier and establishing a winning and inclusive culture. They also aim to never let their high standards of quality fail. To do this, there are strict evaluations at each stage of the manufacture of all products at Coca Cola production plants, throughout the day. When distributing any products, Coca Cola arrange with the distribution companies what standards Coca Cola expect from them. This means that the customer will always be to create a value and make a difference- everywhere they engage and to inspire moments of optimism through their brands and actions The aims and purposes of Nike: Nikes main objective is to develop products that help athletes of every level of ability reach their potential, to create business opportunities that set Nike apart from the competition and to provide value for its shareholders. As they are in the private sector the main objective would be to make a profit. However with all organisations this would be surrounded with other aims and objectives that their organisation may have set in place at the beginning of their campaign. For example Nike has an aim to be the largest sporting organisation for the foreseeable future, which they are currently achieving. Other aims and objectives that Nike may set out would be to improve the working conditions of the factories in the Less Economically Developed Countries. How strategic planning helps Coca-Cola achieve its aims: Coca-Cola is a household name the company can control soft drink market. Their success can be attributed to their overall strategy to produce and promote their products. Coca-Cola decided to build global brands to bottlers throughout the world. And a portion of the proceeds goes toward advertising to build and maintain brand awareness. Coca-Cola is responsible for producing and distributing to vending machines, supermarkets, restaurants, and other retail outlets. However, the advertising is left up to Coca-Cola. In addition, they must sign an agreement that prohibits them from distributing competing cola brands. Their strategy is simple, yet dynamic. It forces bottlers to enter into exclusive agreements, which creates a high barrier to entry into the industry. Any potential competitor must create their distribution network rather than use the existing one. And the large amounts of money spent on advertising helps to develop a global brand name and differentiate their products. How strategic planning helps Nike achieve its aims: The strategic plan aims to focus Nikes vision and priorities in response to a changing environment and to ensure that members of the Nike are working towards the same goals. Strategic management harnesses the full potential of an Nike by integrating daily operational decisions into the strategic process. Strategic management is a task for the whole company all the time. It is a way of thinking and a guide to action, and should govern the behaviour of everybody concerned. It enables Nike to think through and document what they are doing, for whom they are doing it, and why. How organisational structure helps Coca-Cola to achieve its aims: The Coca-Cola Company, have built flexible structures which, wherever possible, encourage teamwork. For example, at Coca-Cola Great Britain any new product development (e.g. Coca-Cola Vanilla) brings together teams of employees with different specialisms. At such team meetings, marketing specialists clarify the results of their market research and testing, food technologists describe what changes to a product are feasible, financial expert’s reports on the cost implications of change. How organisational structure helps Nike to achieve its aims: The organizational structure of a Nike helps affect a workplace culture, employee motivation, performance and cooperation. Selecting the correct structure that compliments Nike’s goals and objectives can positively affect employee’s behaviours and attitudes, as well as a lead to more effective teamwork and networking opportunities that build stronger worker relationships throughout the Nike industry’s. Planning and implementing an organizational structure will help determine the necessary workforce talent to build a successful business like Nike. Conclusion: What I have learnt is that how they style of organisation helps them to fulfil their purposes through there aims and purposes for example, They have built flexible structures which encourage great team work for both organisations. Also and through their strategic planning for example Strategic management is a task for the whole company all the time so they need to organise the company in order to a achieve the best successful organised business.