Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Cons of Mandatory Marital Counseling

â€Å"Until death do us part† does not hold the meaning or weight that it used to in many marriages.   Divorce rates began to soar in the 1980s and by the early 1990s, the average divorce rate was 50%.   That means that every other marriage ended in divorce.   One reason many believe so many divorces occur is due to the fact that they are too easy to obtain. While this may be true, recent movements to require marital counseling prior to allowing couples to apply for a divorce have raised many questions as to the effectiveness of mandatory marital counseling.   While mandatory marital counseling may seem like a good idea, it is bad for many reasons.   Mandating couples to obtain marital counseling prior to a divorce can raise unrealistic outcomes, obstruct schedules that are already constrained, and take away more freedom of the individual. Many states are trying to pass legislation that would require pre marital counseling as well as several years of counseling before granting a divorce to couples seeking to separate legally.   While counseling may help some work out their problems, this can also lead to unrealistic expectations.   Couples who have been together for several years already know what they can and cannot work out with each other.   They may have tried previous counseling and failed at it. Just offering the counseling does not mean that it is going to work.   Counseling and working through problems can only work if both parties are open to it and wish for it to work.   When one partner is not willing to resolve issues, the other partner may be left with unrealistic expectations that the relationship can be salvaged, when in fact, the promise of counseling is only delaying the inevitable. Marital counseling takes time.   With two people on different schedules who may not even live together, time is constrained enough as it is.   Mandating someone’s time who did not commit a crime is a crime in and of itself.   Wanting a divorce is not a crime, and sentencing couples to seek counseling is like treating them like prisoners.   If one parent has restricted access to the children, this obligation could also cut into his or her already limited parenting time. Mandating marital counseling is a violation of personal freedoms.   It takes away an individual’s choice to make decisions regarding whom to be with.   It forces people who do not want to see each other to spend time together talking about their already troubled relationship.   This type of communication can often lead to more hurt and anger as more secrets are revealed during counseling sessions. Things that were not going to be shared to keep the other party from being further hurt or angered often end up being aired.   What once could have been an amiable parting gets drawn out.   There is no choice but to remain legally married until the sessions are over and the court sees fit to grant a petition for divorce. While counseling can help in some situations, mandating counseling never seems to be a good idea for non criminal activity.   When two people decide to end a marriage, they should be allowed to do so without being mandated by the government.   Forced counseling can provide unrealistic expectations and make separation all the more painful.   Already busy schedules become blocked off with mandatory meeting times with counselors and government has more control over people’s personal freedoms and rights.   Even though the divorce rates are high and don’t seem to be getting any lower, mandating marital counseling is not the answer.   

Friday, August 30, 2019

Evidence based practice in antenatal Essay

INTRODUCTION In this globalization world, the nursing career had become more challenges and competence. IOM Report (2003) title â€Å"Health Professions Education; A Bridge to Quality† have recommended evidence based practice (EBP) as one of the integration of core set competencies into health professions education. Now days, EBP is the most popular topic to be talk and written about in nursing, nationally and internationally. Hitherto, nurses at times don’t understand what is EBP and some nurses are even called it buzzword. The latter couldn’t be further from truth. EBP is here to stay and nurses must understand it. Sacket et al (2000) described EBP as the integration of the best research evidence with clinical expertise and patients values. Evidence base practice is the application of the best available empirical evidence, including recent research findings, to clinical practice in order to aid clinical decision making evidence based practice is based on the notion of rational decision making. Higgs and Jones (2000) have purposed that evidence in evidence-based practice should be considered to be knowledge derived from a variety of source that has been subjected to testing and has found to be credible. Here the nurse selects all research that has been done in area. These research results are analyzed together, synthesized, coming up with a through integrate review. Then, the research put into the context of clinical expertise and the value system of the patient, and particular protocols or best practices are developed. In this paper, the important of EBP will be explored in relation to antenatal clinic. The objective of the study is to assess the effect on obstetric practice and pregnancy outcome of routine late pregnancy ultrasound define as greater than 24 weeks gestation, in women with either unselected or low risk pregnancy .The Australasian Genetics Resource Book (2007) highlighted ultrasound is the use of high frequency sound waves to make an image. In pregnancy, an ultrasound gives a picture of the developing baby in the uterus (womb). It is regularly considered part of the routine care for all  pregnant women. The ultrasound is used as both a screening and a diagnostic test either give an indication that the baby is at an increased risk of a problem (a screening test), or it can detect a definite problem in the baby’s physical development for example, in the heart or the kidneys (a diagnostic test). Mostly, a mother will question the nursing staffs working at the antenatal clinic regarding the ultrasound screening whether the process is safety of their unborn baby and themselves. In the rural area of Malaysia, most of the antenatal clinics have no facility such as ultrasound machine. As a result, the pregnant women with medically indicated and get referral letter from medical officer or midwife have to go to government hospital in the city to have an ultrasound. In difference, the private hospital performed routine ultrasound screening for pregnant women in their late pregnancy. The selected evidence are cited by Bricker L and Neilson J (2000) ; Routine ultrasound in late pregnancy ( after 24 weeks gestation) track down from Cochrane Library. Cochrane Database of Systemic Review , 2007, issues 1,published by John Wiley and Sons,Ltd. This research is done by qualified person because one of two reviewers was Dr Leanne Bricker who was the consultant in fetal and maternal medicine of Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. It could be argue that the reviewer is eligible to do this research and this made the research the more reliable. WHO Statistic (1999) mentioned that annually 585 000 women die of pregnancy related complications. It is 99% in developing countries and 1% in developed countries. So, we can summarize that every minute one women dies from a pregnancy related complication. In Malaysia, high rate of prenatal and maternal morbidity and mortality continue to be a major problem in the country. A crucial factor of good obstetrics is the provision of adequate care during the antenatal period. Antenatal care was first introduced to medicine in the first decade of this century. Hence, there no qualm that it has a brought gigantic benefit to women and their children. The main purpose of antenatal care is to ensure an uncomplicated for the mother and the safe delivery of a life and healthy infant. At present, modern technology and  information technology have beyond more complicated. The equipment such as the ultrasound machine also was greatly up to date. The users of ultrasound as one of the obstetrician a rmamentarium have been part of the cause to improved antenatal and intra partum care. An ultrasound scan uses high frequency sound waves in very short pulses. These travel from a transducer, which rests on your skin, and are reflected off different tissues inside you and then received back at the transducer. The transducer passes the signal into a computer that displays an image of your insides on a screen. Usually this image represents a thin 2 dimensional slice of your anatomy. The operator moves the transducer around to get the best views to help diagnosis, whilst watching on the screen for anything abnormal. They will record several images or short video clips to illustrate the scan and these are kept in a computer database that is part of your patient record. The operator will use a small amount of gel on your skin to ensure the transducer contacts your skin effectively. Routine ultrasound can be used in late pregnancy to detect problems which may not otherwise be apparent, such as abnormalities in the placenta in the fluid surrounding the baby, or in the baby’s growth. The process of evidence base practice involved critical appraisal as one of the step. Hill & Spittlehouse (2001) defined critical appraisal as the process of systematically examining research evidence to access its validity, results and relevance before using it to inform a decision. Ahead of implementation of critical appraisal it is essential to understand research process principal and being able to recognize a well conceived designed of conducted study. The Critical Appraisal Skills provide us what is the best evidence in order to understand the methods and result of research besides to access the quality of the research. Oxman et al 1994, mentioned that the piece of evidence will be critically appraise for it validity and quality using and appraisal tool named, Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). The word research means to search again and examine carefully, more specifically, research is a diligent, systematic inquiry or study that validate and refines existing knowledge and develop new knowledge. In fact,  research is determined, hand on, received, understand and accepted by nurse practitioner only, (Brown 1999). Furthermore, the ultimate goal of research is the development of a research body of knowledge for a discipline or profession like nursing. Joppe (2000) highlighted that the reliability of result is the key questions in a research. Brown ,1999;Melnyk & Fineout- Overholt;2005 stated that evidence based practice is the conscientious integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values and need in the delivery of high quality , cost – effective health care. In this research, the reviewer has made the research more reliable by provided data of all research finding plus a clear precise description of the research methodology. BODY This title of the research clearly indicates the focus of the study. Above and beyond, the abstract includes the study problem, objectives, search strategy, selected criteria, data collection and analysis, significant result and implications of the findings for nursing practice. This research is significance to read because all relevant information is presented in a way that captures the attention of the reader. Crosby (1990) point out that a well-written abstract gives readers a good idea of what the study is about, how it was conducted and the findings or recommendations by the author. It is being stated clearly that, the reviewers drew on the search strategy developed for the pregnancy and childbirth as a whole. Relevant of trial were identified in the groups specialized registered of control test. The pilot reviewer assessed trial quality and abstract data under supervision of co-reviewer. Moreover, the trial were not assess blinded as the reviewer have the information about the author identification, source of publication and result when making inclusion criteria. In fact, regarding the disagreement and insufficient data, the reviewer contacted the author personally above and beyond search in all relevant studies in published and unpublished studies. The publication prejudice is less because all of the studies were in English. The neonatal upshot measures of the research also  seek advice from professor of perinatal medicine. By the way, any debarred trial was undoubtedly given a reasonable accused and all the information of follow up was stated in the references. The participants included all women in late pregnancy (after 24 weeks gestation) in both unselected population and the sample size of the trial wide-ranging. The type of intervention used was routine ultrasound examine in late pregnancy (after 24 weeks gestation) to assess one/some/all of the conclusion measure on fetal size; amniotic fluid volumes; placental grading; fetal structural anatomy; fetal presentation. In relation to Crombie (1996), when choosing a study design, many factors must be taken into account because different types of studies are subject to different types of bias. It claimed that in this study there is no mention about consent and participants were kept in murkiness about the study. Almost certainly, it is great to mull over in the ethical aspect. It could be quarrel that the participants have been treated purely as a source of data. Theoretically, the ethical considerations in all research are the same; the safety and protection of human rights. These rights are mainly could be achieved by informed consent. While no inform consent was taken even so confidentially has maintained. On no account mention any involvement of ethical committee it is a poor steps as explaining the study design is the core of understanding the methodology. Olsen (2003) put in plain words that they are three elements of ethical research to firmly practice. In this review, all results were presented clearly and were similar from study to study. The reviewers have assessed the quality of each study and include all RCTs of routine ultrasound in late pregnancy after (24 weeks) in the research. Quasi-randomized trials were regard as for inclusion due to scarcity of RCTs. The study was good in view of the fact that the limitations of the research and the reason for any variation in the result were discussed in particular by reviewers. The ultrasound selection were differed among trials; some offering routine scans to all participant earlier in the pregnancy (before 24 weeks gestation), some offering no routine scan at anytime in pregnancy to the control group and some offering scan at all stages of the trial, but only revealing results of late  pregnancy ultrasound (after 24 weeks gestation) for the study group. Furthermore, the rationale for routine ultrasound scan after 24 weeks gestation differed among trials as it is difficult to assess the effect of scan before 24 weeks gestation on the outcome measures. Although the reviewers has point out that the most effective approach to assess the cause of routine late pregnancy ultrasound would be trials where the intervention in late pregnancy ultrasound alone, but this is not such trials exist. However, the reviewers also have reported on the predictable finding in this study. In the Perth 1993, they were significantly higher intrauterine growth restriction on the Serial ultrasound and Droppler examination group. Even, the author states that it may have a chance finding, it is possible that frequent exposure to ultrasound may have influence fetal growth. On the other hand, none of the addressed long term neurodevelopment results. Exposure of the expectant mother to uncertainty and possible anxiety about the health of her baby has implication of which may be far reaching. The reviewers also have identified the future research on the maternal psychological outcome and long term neurodevelopment outcome. From the time when, it is not mention what type of ultrasound machine was used and which group of personal is performing the procedure. Sometimes this could probably introduce preconceived notion to the results. In some situation, the ending measured effect the result because the quality of ultrasound imaging is not reach the standard regarding the technical capabilities of the ultrasound equipment and also on the skills or expertise of operators. METHODOLOGY There are two type of research method; quantitative research method and qualitative research method. The quantitative research method defined by Burn and Grove (2005), is conducted to test theory by describing variables, examining relationship among variables and determining cause – and – effect interactions between variable. It is a formal, objective, systematic process using numerical data to obtain information about the world. In addition, quantitative method is research method dealing with number and anything that  is measurable agreed by (Smith, 1988) that quantitative research involves counting and measuring of events and performing the statistical analysis of a body of numerical data. Counting and measuring are ordinary structure of the method. More often than not, the outcome or result of the study is presented in tables, graphs or other form of statistic because it is a kind of number or a series of numbers. If truth be told, the quantitative analysis endow with result that is more reliable for statistical approaches. The main concerns of the quantitative paradigm are that measurement is reliable, valid, and generalize in its clear prediction of cause and effect (Cassell & Symon, 1994). The strengths of the quantitative method are it stating the research problem in very specific and set terms as stated by (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 1992). It also clearly and precisely specifies both the independent and the dependent variables under investigation. As well, quantitative method include following firmly the original set of research goals, arriving at more objective conclusions, testing hypothesis, determining the issues of causality. In view of (Balsley, 1970) it’s help achieving high levels of reliability of gathered data due to controlled observations, laboratory experiments, mass surveys, or other form of research manipulations. To boot, this method are also allowing for longitudinal measures of subsequent performance of research subjects. Kealey & Protheroe (1996) indicated that quantitative method rally round eliminating or minimizing subjectivity of judgment. Despite the fact, the weaknesses of the quantitative method are failure to provide the researcher with information on the context of the situation where the studied phenomenon occurs and inability to control the environment where the respondents provide the answers to the questions in the survey. Limited outcomes to only those outlined in the original research proposal due to closed type questions and the structured format. More to the point, not encouraging the evolving and continuous investigation of a research phenomenon are the disadvantages of using quantitative approach. According to Munhall (2001) the qualitative research method is a systematic,  subjective approach used to described life experiences and situation and to give them meaning. The knowledge generated the qualitative research will provide meaning and understand of specific emotions, values and life experiences. As said by Morgan (1980), the qualitative research shares the theoretical assumptions of the interpretative paradigm, which is based on the notion that social reality is created and sustained through the subjective experience of people involved in communication. Some researcher using qualitative method are concerned in their research with attempting to accurately describe, decode, and interpret the meanings of phenomena occurring in their normal social contexts as declared by Fryer (1991). In view of that, qualitative approach in general is more likely to take place in a natural setting acknowledged by Denzin, 1971; Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Marshall & Rossman, 1989. The strengths of the qualitative method as declared by Bogdan & Taylor, 1975; Patton, 1980, it provide a holistic view of the phenomena under investigation. Furthermore, qualitative method is the process of obtaining a more realistic feel of the world that cannot be experienced in the numerical data and statistical analysis used in quantitative research. It also provides the flexible ways to perform data collection, subsequent analysis, and interpretation of collected information. Kirk & Miller, 1986 writes that it gives the ability to interact with the research subjects in their own language and on their own terms. Summarizing, the qualitative approach present descriptive capability based on primary and unstructured data However, the qualitative method coming up with some weaknesses of as point out by Cassell & Symon (1994) that it departing from the original objectives of the research in response to the changing nature of the context. In that case it also arriving to different conclusions based on the same information depending on the personal characteristics of the researcher. The inability to investigate causality between different research phenomena and difficulty in explaining the difference in the quality and quantity of information obtained from different respondents and arriving at different, non-consistent conclusions appeared as the disadvantage of qualitative method. It follows requiring a high level of experience from the researcher  to obtain the targeted information from the respondent. Lastly, it also contributes lacking consistency and reliability because the researcher can employ different probing techniques and the respondent can choose to tell some particular stories and ignore others. In spite of that, the quantitative research method is used in this research. Seven eligible Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) were participated in this survey. The methodology mostly could be summarized as quality and the reporting of reports were good. Yet, the Glasgow 1984 (UK) study was ‘quasi randomized’ with allocation according to the hospitals number and this had probable to engender bias. On the other hand, RCTs for evaluating the effect of intervention in this study, is used even though it is less in effect in answering questions about patient’s personal experience, attitude or psychological outcome. Sequentially, to explore psychological aspect of the pregnant women during the routine ultrasound screening, it could be squabble that it will be more apt to include qualitative research in this study. Review Manager (Revman) software was used to act upon statistical analysis. Meta – analysis was used to analyze and combine the result of the studies and it is an appropriate technique of data analysis. The plus of using this type of analysis is that it increases the sample size so that if the significant differences exist they are more likely to be demonstrated. Sacket (1996) mentioned that evidences from systematic review and Meta – analysis has taken the top place of the hierarchy because it provides misleading about the effect of intervention. In this research, quantitative and qualitative approaches were bringing into being be a foil for each other while the scantiness of each were essentially counterbalance. Conversely, it also point out the time and cost implications, from the time when the volume of data produced was enormous and an tremendously extensive knowledge foot was vital to analyze it. Seeing as the â€Å"method† section is a strength of the study. In this study, the sample size was large (25 036 women) and included variety of subjects. This heterogeneity of the subject has increases the generalizability of the findings as agreed by Burns & Groove (2005). The sampling method, sampling  criteria, and sample characteristics are clearly presented. The study could be considered as ethical because it was approval for conduct by an institutional review board but in state of affairs unethical because no informed consent was obtained from the object or sampling. RESULT In this research seven trial comprising 25,036 women were included ( Alesund 1999 ); Glasgow 1984; Perth 1993; new Zealand 1993;Trondheim 1984;Peterborough 1987 ; Radius 1993) . The attribute of the incorporated test on the whole was acceptable as assess by reviewers. There was no difference in antenatal, obstetric and neonatal intervention or morbidity in screened versus control group. From the result of the studies, routine ultrasound in late pregnancy was not associated with improvement in overall perinatal mortality. However, placental grading as an adjunct to third trimester examination scan was associated with a significant reduction in the stillbirth rate in the one trial that assessed it. There was no data on maternal psychological effect. Data with regard to long term substantive outcome in fetal neurodevelopment is lacking. IMPLICATIONS The study originated that there is thus far no evidence that routine ultrasound improves outcome or increase interventions. The fact, ultrasound could be used in late pregnancy to find the cause of compilation such as bleeding. In some situation, ultrasound screening in late pregnancy appears to be useful in placental grading. In some country, screening all pregnant women for possible problem late in pregnancy is controversial. The ultrasound is seen not demonstrated fetal harm if we use properly followed proper procedure. For the long term side effect, the users of repeated ultrasound are still not fully known regarding the exposure of the fetus. Some problems occur with such screening are increasing major intervention without benefit like caesarian section. Till now, there is no specific epidemiological evidence that ultrasound screening during pregnancy is harmful but no fact conclusion has been reached from available data, for  that reason continue awareness is necessary. In sp ite of that, the policy practice in the antenatal care needs a changeable. So, it is highly recommended that routine ultrasound in late pregnancy only be done for high risk mother such as mother with placental previa. RECOMMENDATIONS In fact, further studies on maternal physiological outcomes and long term neurodevelopment outcome for the fetus is essential to be carried out. In addition, the level of performance of technical operator and equipment should be sporadically audited and governed by a dogmatic body to prevent the mother and unborn child. In our day, nursing care is grant access to be root on the modern best evidence, interventions will be more useful and will effect in superior patient outcomes. So, nurses are motivated to learn how to group and interpret data to implement in their practice on the best evidence available. Evidence based practiced (EBP) has grows to be a critical concept for ethical liable in professionals nursing practice. As said by Mckenna et al (2004), negative beliefs, Krishbaum et al (2004), attitudes and value (Pravikoff et al 2005) have been shown to be powerful barrier to EBP. In order to overcome barriers in EBP, strategies are needed to recover such as awareness, knowledge and skills in evaluating evidences. It is also importance to have administrative support by providing access to EBP or research mentor in practice arena. As indicated by Avis (2006), the Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) are remains one of the best means to make your mind up whether one form of care is better than another. Since RCTs is purely and evaluation technique, the consequence of knowledge cannot be condense to the application of procedure to fabricate evidence. Besides, understand the result as well as the limitation of relevant research study, it also need an awareness of the background theories which influenced particular research studies. CONCLUSION In my view, this research is simply good because it provide complete information include literature review, sampling method, sampling size and etc. Basically the methodology was performed clearly and the result was presented well. All the statistical tools used were shown and the barrier exist were explained particularly. It is the most swollen with pride that the study had achieved the objectives and was helpful in development of nursing practice.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Government and Media in Cuba Essay

In between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean lies the island of Cuba. It is a small island with a total land area of 110,860 square km, yet it is so powerful enough to catch the attention of United States and to strengthen its security measures. The country was first ruled by the Spanish government and its history was marked by revolutions and uprising. Finally, in 1902, through the intervention of the US government, Cuba achieved its independence from the Spanish rule. However, the proclamation of independence did not end the uprising and rebellious activities because the country was not freed from leadership of corruption and military-rule. The real independence, as recognized and celebrated by Cubans, was achieved when Fidel Castro took office. Fidel Castro was the leader of rebel army that has been fighting the corrupt government and established a communist form of government. At present, Cuba is under the rule of Castro and the state remains to be a communist government having three branches namely; the chief of state, legislative and judiciary. General Raul Castro currently holds the chief of state which is comprised of Council of State and Council of Ministers (â€Å"The World Factbook†). On the economic aspect, the embargo that has been imposed upon the country has not yet been lifted. Currently, Venezuela is the main partner of the country and the main source of its petroleum needs. The living standard also remained low as a result of the embargo and discontinuance of foreign aids from several countries (â€Å"The World Factbook†). However, it has agricultural, trading, industrial and manufacturing enterprises where it sources out its economic and financial needs. As of July of the present year, the country is occupied by an estimate of 11,451,652 people having different racial descent including Africans, Spanish, Westerns and Asians (â€Å"The World Factbook†). Despite changes that have been introduced in the country, there are still issues that have been bothering the nation and even its citizens. Through its communist form of government, many activities were hardly exercised by the citizens because of government suppression. The most suppressed and monitored activity is the expression of one’s thoughts and ideas. The right to express one’s self is being curtailed by the government especially when it contains ideas that are against the government. The role of media is to protect the government as it is founded only to voice out words that the government desires to hear. In contrary to the role played by media in many countries, the Cuban media does not serve as the voice and protector of the people from the government but as an ally of the state. The treatment of the media people is also despicable in the eyes of the international community and of the journalists themselves. Hence, this paper will present the relationship of the media and government as well as the role it plays in the country. Concomitant to that is the life of journalists under the communist government of Cuba. Role of Media Media has been recognized as indispensable tool in communication. Mass media, as defined, is â€Å"the technological means of sending information, ideas, opinion, etc. through the mass communication device to a diverse audience† (â€Å"Impact of Media on Culture†). Various means used by mass media in transmitting information effectively and swiftly includes television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and internet. Notably, internet has been the most preferred and ideal means of mass media because of its ability of reaching a wider audience and is laxly monitored. In addition, internet is most preferred because it does not require profession to enable any individual to express his or her ideas. Among other nations, mass media is recognized as the fourth department of the government because of the role it plays in the political and social aspect. The mass media usually fills in the gap between the government and the people. It voices out the sentiments or thoughts of the people to the government while it also brings to the people the sentiments and plans of the government for the country. In some instances, mass media becomes a watchdog against government abuses and activities that are definitely out of reason. Furthermore, mass media has continually become the source of information about things, persons, places, and events, among others. Due to the indispensable role of mass media in the society, it need to be free and not controlled by any person or agency nor can be regulated by the government. Instead, it should be free in order to properly carry out its objective. Apart from that, it should not be controlled to ensure its impartiality and neutral role. Historical Background of Media in Cuba The epoch of mass media in Cuba can be traced back during the Spanish regime. The history also of the country’s press has undergone five periods (Browning). The Colonial period which stated from 1723 to 1868 is recognized as the first period. During that period, the first newspaper entitled Gazeta de la Habana was released in 1782 and become the nation’s publication (Browning). In 1790, the newspaper was followed by the very first magazine entitled Papel Periodico de la Habana (Browning). Both were regulated by the Spanish government but enjoyed less restriction because of the French Revolution affecting the government power of Spain over Cuba. The second period began in 1869 when Independence was first craved for and ended in 1902. The period is also called the Independence Revolution (Browning). During that period, press was given full freedom purposely to win the support of the reformists. Eventually periodicals containing ideas about reform began to evolve which includes El Cubano Libre, Estrella Solitaria, El Mambi, and El Boletin de la Guerra (Browning). Notably, during the second period, more revolutionaries were inspired to fight for their independence through the influence of Jose Marti who writes in several newspapers such as Patria, La Nacion, and New York Sun (Browning). The second period was marked by independent exercise of expression through publications that is direct, immediate and constant (Browning). The third period started when called the Republican period which started from 1902 and ended in 1930. The third period was ruled under the dictatorship of Gerardo Machado (Browning). During his era, freedom of expression was enjoyed by journalists. Newspapers, publications and other dailies thrived in the city of Cuba, Havana. This period was also marked by prosperity because political parties sponsored lots of publications and added to the benefit of the country’s economy. However, the exercise of the freedom was shaken by the plan of Machado to assimilate and provide government subsidies in exchange for support in 1928 (Browning). The following years was marked by economic downturn and political unrest that further led to the end of freedom enjoyed by the Cuban journalists. The fourth period started after Machado was overthrown in 1930 until 1959 (Browning). For 29 years, Batista ruled the nation. During the reign of Batista, the freedom of expression was experiencing threat of extinction. Though, technological innovations in journalism were introduced in the country. Among these includes increased commercial sophistication and steam-powered printing presses (Browning). However, at the latter part of Batista’s reign, the freedom of expression has finally faded because the government took control of the press. The fifth period started when Batista was overthrown by the communist group led by Castro in 1959 and continues at the present era (Browning). Since the beginning of Castro era, the freedom of expression was already curtailed. Eventually, the press and media were finally controlled by the government and journalists were not given freedom to voice out their thoughts against the government. The government’s strict control over media started in 1930. No independent journalists were freed to release publications which have the effect of criticizing the government. During that period, journalists tried to oppose the move of the government but to no avail. Finally, in 1990’s through the introduction of Internet, independent journalists have found new medium to castigate the government’s control of information (Browning). However, the media, private and public, are still under the control of the government. Information dissemination is still suffering strict regulation. Independent journalists also continue to struggle and risk their lives for an independent journalism. It can be observed that since the evolution of media, the government already held control of it. The changes in phases under several governments have made media limited and restricted. Some of the actions that the government had done in curtailing free press and flow of information were censorship and closure of newspapers (Browning). Until now, the freedom of information remains evasive and independence of journalists is still obscure to be enjoyed. Current Status of Media in Cuba In Art. 53 of the 1976 Cuban constitution, freedom of press and expression have been explicitly stated. However, such freedom is subjected to limitations as contained in Art. 62 Art. 5, further, contains that all communication should be controlled by the Communist Party for the benefit of the country (Browning). As an effect, information was regulated and controlled by the government. Journalists were also restrained from publicizing without the knowledge of the state. Apart from that, journalists were arbitrarily imprisoned for exercising their freedom of expression. Mass media in Cuba is definitely not free. In the field of print media, the nation maintains three newspapers which are fully regulated by the government. These nation’s newspapers are Granma, Juventud Rebelde and Trabajadores (Browning). Granma is the official publication of the Communist Party which was founded in 1965 (Browning). Juventud Rebelde usually contains the same youth-oriented stories covered in Granma but in simplified and summarized manner. The Trabajadores, on the other hand, is more politically inclined publication as it contains Marxist principles (Browning). Notably, Granma’s circulation has widened in some other parts of the world through the power of internet. The website is called Digital Granma Internacional (Browning). It is also noteworthy that during the recognition of the press, the Union de Periodistas de Cuba (Union of Cuban Journalists) was founded in July 15, 1963 (Browning). It is a nongovernment organization which engages the membership of professional journalists in order to work in distinguished media in the country. However, such organization has already been controlled by the government and its constitution also dictates that editorial line of journalists must follow that of government. On this era of technological innovations, independent journalists found internet as a means of voicing out their cries and redress against the Cuban government. However, the control of the government in curtailing unwanted information has also reached the World Wide Web and several independent journalists have been imprisoned for such exercise of expression. It is noteworthy that 21 journalists have been recorded to have been imprisoned after a closed-door trial (â€Å"Attacks on the Press in 2008†). Among the journalists that suffered the harshness of the state is Yoani Sanchez, 33-year old blogger (â€Å"Attacks on the Press in 2008†). Sanchez, at first, found freedom through her blog called Generation Y which contained observations about hurricane devastation, politically motivated arrest, and food shortages (â€Å"Attacks on the Press in 2008†). Her blog has been read abroad but has also been made known by the government. Thereafter, her passport was confiscated and was not allowed to leave the country. Today, state authorities has started to regulate internet cafes to track down individuals with the purpose of publishing dissent against the government through internet. Another independent journalist that has experienced the government’s cruelty is Victor Rolando Arroyo (â€Å"Cuban Journalist in Second Week of Hunger Strike†). Arroyo, who writes in Union de Periodistas y Escritores de Cuba, was arrested during the fight for independence press in March 2003 (â€Å"Cuban Journalist in Second Week of Hunger Strike†). He caught the world’s attention when he took hunger strike for almost two weeks because of the maltreatment and indecent treatment of prisoners like him.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Web Based Business Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Web Based Business Models - Essay Example Many of Apples flaws are not in its operating system, Mac OS X, but rather in software like Safari, QuickTime, and iTunes. Music and iPod sales are important factors in Apple’s revenue matrix. The company sold 28 million iPods, 248 percent revenue and 409 percent unit increase year over year. Highlights of the company’s iPod line this year included the introduction of the iPod shuffle and iPod nano — the nano was introduced near the end of Apple’s fiscal 2005. Helping along iPod sales are sales at Apple’s iTunes Music Store, an international operation that operates in more than 20 countries worldwide, totaling $621 million in revenue. Apple opened up 38 new brick and mortar retail stores in 2005, expanding operations internationally into Canada, Japan and the U.K. Retail sales grew almost double, to $2.4 billion during 2005. Apple reports annualized revenue per store of $22.4 million. The retail segment of Apple’s operations reported operating income of $151 million during 2005, compared to $39 during 2004. esearch & Development (R&D) spending increased substantially for 2005 — up 9 percent from 2004 to $534 million. But with Apple having a banner year for Macintosh and iPod sales, the R&D spending as a percentage of total net sales dropped year over year from 6 percent to 4 percent. Apple highlighted lawsuits it’s currently fighting and a few that it’s settled, as well. The company noted its disagreement with Beatles management company Apple Corps. Ltd., which is scheduled to go to court on March 27, 2006, as well as class action suits for Apple’s wireless networking products, allegations of defective memory in PowerBook G4s, sales tax, patent violations, iPod battery life and more. Pending or issued settlements include undisclosed arrangements over a â€Å"music jukebox† patent, a false advertising claim against DVD Studio Pro, and a settlement with

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Christianity--Gospels vs. Old testament Annotated Bibliography

Christianity--Gospels vs. Old testament - Annotated Bibliography Example er, the Bible, which discusses God’s creation of time from around 6,000 years ago from the earlier Testaments to the New Testament is a book that this religion looks to as a text about descendants from Adam on down to Jesus, yet given the denomination each version of the Bible has been translated to their belief of how Christianity and religion works and of what people should believe. The Agape Bible Study web site is a very complex set of occurrences from the Bible where they look at the scriptures and additional resources of Catholics and their own type of Bible Study and how scriptures are stated to read a message in which no two people will look at exactly in the same way. Agape and the Catholic Christians who put this site together created Bible Study, Charts, Maps, quality pieces of writing, contact information and additional links to where people can learn more about their denomination and the importance of the scriptures in the Bible pointing out a statement from St. J erome that â€Å"To be ignorant of Scripture is to be ignorant of Christ.† (Agape Catholic Bible Study). Dennis Hinks posts a very well-described online journal article found at Journal33.org for people to learn the true meaning behind the whole idea of being a Christian and how the Bible is God’s Holy Word that this religion does follow as well as what this religion does and does not recognize, how scripture is one of the biggest parts of learning about this sacred belief, and an abundance of scriptures and how the New Testament is a revision of Christians standpoint today versus a couple thousand years ago before, during, and after the time of God’s only Son, Jesus. While this piece focuses more how Christians should live their lives, it is stating some factual information about being a believer in this creed regardless of the denomination. Christianity, being a 2,000 year old religion revolves around the belief that God, also known as the Lord, is the Creator to these believers and

1903 - Wright Brothers' First Flight Research Paper

1903 - Wright Brothers' First Flight - Research Paper Example Earliest Days; Takeoff! How the Wright Brothers Did What No One Else Could and That First Flight are critically analyzed relating with 1903 Wright Brothers First Flight. What do these sources reveal about the event? Source 1 Earliest Days; Takeoff! How the Wright Brothers Did What No One Else Could Earliest Days; Takeoff! How the Wright Brothers Did What No One Else Could by John Noble Wilford reveals that the first flight attempt was estimated to have lasted12 seconds up the sky covering a distance of 120 feet (Wilford, 2003). The Wright brothers, described as shy and unmarried, made other three attempts and Wilbur broke a further record by making a flight that lasted 59 seconds covering a distance of 852 feet. Their parents were protestant bishops and became interested flight at an early age. They wanted to prove to the world that air transport can be possible. Wilford highlights how Wright brothers chose the beach, Kitty Haw, to be the proving ground of their efforts (Wilford, 200 3). The beach had constant and persisting winds that assisted in adding lift to the craft; hence making it possible for the flight. They had made approximately 700 thriving flights at the beach using their gliders in 1902. At that time, automobile manufactures were unable to design and come up with a suitable engine that was light and powerful enough to lift the craft. Consequently, the brothers opted to deign their engine suitable to their need. During the lunching of the first power-driven airplane, the brothers explained the challenges they faced in controlling the plane. Earliest Days; Takeoff! How the Wright Brothers Did What No One Else Could states that the weather was favorable since it was windy, that assisted in lifting the craft into the sky. Wilbur got into the craft at 10:35 in the morning, after testing and conforming that all the devices were in effective form (Wilford, 2003). Source 2 That First Flight That First Flight by The New York Times talks about the achieveme nt of two bicycles’ manufactures from Dayton. Wilbur and Orville made history by flying a heavy aircraft into the air four consecutive times prolifically. Primarily, they had studied how gliders worked and experimented with them before attempting the self propelled aircraft. That First Flight accepts the fact the Wright brothers’ inventory would have been discovered by another person. But what makes their discovery unique is that it happened at an earlier than expected (The New York Times, 2003). The skill of concocting the right combination of equilibrium, and impulsion of an aircraft up the sky was an exceptional idea that improved the structuring of controllable planes. That First Flight states that the idea behind practicing with gliders years before 1903 was because man did not want to invent a flying machine, but a flying man. Consequently, in their attempt to come with the self propelled air craft, the basic idea was how the machine could be controlled by man. I nterestingly, the flights attempts were affected by man rather than the machine itself. Wright brothers had to learn ways of flying their craft aptly to achieve their goal. The article argues that the principles used initially by the Wright bothers are still important and used currently by the modern airplanes. The act of aircraft flying in the sky is something marvelous despite the fact that it is now exceptionally common. I agree with the author of the article since individuals in the society still wonder how a machine heavier than air flies in the sky comfortably at high speed (The New York Times, 2003). Do they add to or alter what you previously knew about this event from the textbook and lectures? That First Flight

Monday, August 26, 2019

Does ultilitarianism clash with John Stuart Mill's theory of liberty Essay

Does ultilitarianism clash with John Stuart Mill's theory of liberty - Essay Example democracy, skepticism and tradition (this he does at the same time), and liberty but each must avoid dogmatic thinking while operating, and the rights of the individual are sacrosanct. His extraordinary thoughts are difficult to understand, but if grasped as for their correct import, they must provide lots of valuable input for the practicing politicians of the day, as well as to evaluate the works of the thinkers, past and present! It is difficult job for an ordinary reader to try to understand whether his utilitarianism clashes with the theory of liberty; for the intelligent also, it is a tough exercise. Whereas he focuses on the individual and extols freedom, he dubs majority humanity as mediocre. Why the defender of freedom entertains such contradictory ideas? Critics, therefore, dub Mill as one of the most egotistical and arrogant philosophers. J. S. Mill was an English philosopher and economist. He wrote Utilitarianism in 1861. This essay propounds a moral and legal theory, with roots in classical philosophy. Its argument is straightforward. â€Å"Morality consists in bringing about the best state of affairs, and that the best state of affairs is the state with the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. Utilitarianism continues to be an important theory in modern philosophy.† (Spark Notes†¦) Mill had problems later with his own aversions to say that utilitarianism was too unemotional and that it failed to capture or understand the higher pleasures. His struggle to reconcile Utilitarianism is evident in his later writings but he did not reject utilitarianism as a moral theory. He continued to uphold a more complex version of utilitarianism. Mill defines utilitarianism as a theory based on the principle that "actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness."(Spark Notes) Happiness according to Mill is pleasure and the absence of pain. Having said this, he

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Discrimination and Racial Profiling Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discrimination and Racial Profiling - Coursework Example The categorization of people based on their race has resulted in numerous problems starting in the 17th century all the way to the 21st century. It promoted slave trade, especially for Africans. This explains why the African-Americans are the most segregated group in the U.S (Klein, 2012). After being arrested, a black person is 33% more likely to be incarcerated as compared to the whites. An African-American is 30% more likely to drop out of school than the whites and 21% than the Hispanics or Latinos. In the same way, the police are likely to pull over and frisk either blacks or Latinos than whites. In the city of New York, 80% of the police stops made were for African-Americans, 60% for Hispanics, and 12% for whites. In 2013, the U.S Sentencing Commission reported that blacks received 11% longer than whites for similar crimes than whites. In the same way, the black drug offenders were 20% more likely than whites to receive mandatory minimum sentences (Alexander, 2013). To that eff ect, the blacks remain the most discriminated ethnic group. As the most segregated minority groups, the blacks have been forced to give up their culture so as to participate in the mainstream American life. Recent studies have indicated that 75% of the black ethnic minority experience unemployment. Furthermore, their health and education facilities are poorly equipped than the white’s who are considered the majority community and superior (Waters,

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business Case Study

The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business - Case Study Example The cruise issued receipts to passengers that had a clause stating that any claim made by either the employees or the passengers must be made under the country in which the cruise flag. For this case, the cruise flag a Liberia flag hence any claim to be made must be under the Liberia law.  For a ship to operate international, it should have a country of registry for it to operate in the international water. Cruise vessels of countries such as United Kingdom, United States, Netherlands, Panama, Norway, Bahamas, Netherlands, and Liberia are provided with the flag registry. These countries are members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as they provide the vessel owners with the registry services and maritime expertise. In a competitive international shipping industry, flag registration requirement must be met. The first requirement is that the flag state should be a member of International Maritime Organization (IMO) that adopt the IMO's maritime safety Resolutions and C onventions and secondly is that a flag state must have an established maritime organization that is capable of enforcing all international and national regulations.  Since the DWI cruise ship flies Liberian "flag of convenient", they are normally are under a regulatory agency of maritime experts that ensure shipping companies are compliant with the laws of commercial vessels registered in that country in areas of operation procedures and practices. (International Council of Cruise Lines, 2006) DWI issued tickets to Mr. and Mrs. Lowell stating that any claim made by both the passengers and the employees against the shipping company should be made under the law of the country in which the cruise flag. The DWI cruise Minnow happened to fly Liberian flag, therefore, any claim made against the shipping company should be made under the Liberian law.  Under the Liberian law, any property of the wife belongs to the husband and she has no capacity claim for them or even claims for his in juries. When Mrs. Lowell returned to Miami, her attorney faxes a letter to DWI shipping company requesting them to send to the $10 million within 10 business day in regards to Mr. and Mrs. Lowell incident. Indeed the Lowell suffered during the robbery incident in their cabin and they lost valuable items like jewelry. But according to the Liberian law, the wife has no capacity to sue for his husband injuries and even if the jewelry belonged to her, she has no capacity to sue for them since they belong to the husband. However, Mrs. Lowell was also battered and suffered emotional distress during the robbery incident. For this case, her attorney can sue the shipping company for negligence under the law of tort. Her attorney needs to argue that Mrs. Lowell suffered after the robbery incident, therefore, sues the company for damages for breach of contract; infliction of emotional distress; assault and battery. She is entitled to remedies for damages due to negligence on the side of the sh ipping company for there was no clause on the ticket on this and they owed her a duty of care during while on their ship as a passenger. Under the Liberian law, the law of tort protects the individuals' interest in their bodily security and its objective of the remedy is to reinstate a person's initial position.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Week4 discussion 2 . main post plus answer to a peer . total 2 post Essay

Week4 discussion 2 . main post plus answer to a peer . total 2 post - Essay Example One of the principal concerns brought about by this issue is: if time travel is possible, would people be able to change past events and alter the current state of affairs. In Bill Joy’s and Alvin Toffler’s articles, the primary concern is whether rapid and unregulated technology advancement would have a negative impact on future generations. According to Bill Joy, swift development of genetic engineering, robotics and nanotechnology, enables humans to create things capable of self-replication thus laying the foundation for impending doom. Toffler’s presents a closely related argument, suggesting that revolution of society toward super-industrialization may overwhelm people in the future, causing human disconnection and stress. The final reading on Thomas More’s utopia, describes a perfect fictional world free of all negativities. These writers perceive the human brain as being limitless and capable of many discoveries. However, they all seem to support th e commonsense, which requires individuals to acknowledge the nature of life’s order and the need to live in a manner that respects it. Diane Ackerman in her book Alchemy of the Mind explores not only the scientific elements of the brain, but also its social and psychological links to mind development. While the other writers primarily focus on the scientific reasoning of the human brain, Ackerman interlinks the scientific aspects with emotive, social, mechanics of language and other elements. Therefore, Diane Ackerman provides the most comprehensive and effective outlook on human reasoning and better platform for understanding life’s cryptic issues. Travis is right to assert that issues of morality and philosophy usually present complex questions. This is because virtually everyone has their view on what constitutes moral principles. For instance, in the persistent right to life debate, many argue that abortion is wrong, while others present an equally

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Philosophy of Music Education in the Indian Context Essay Example for Free

Philosophy of Music Education in the Indian Context Essay These goals must be the first and foremost reason why we teach music. To instill an even greater understanding and love of the domain thus enabling our students develop a genuine interest and continue a life long journey that’s undertaken in varying degrees and through diverse roles. Phenix (1986) stress on the fact that knowledge of methods makes it possible for a person to continue learning and undertake inquiries on his own (p. 11). Estelle Jorgenson in her book â€Å"Transforming Music Education† eloquently describes the need for music education to be transformed for the very reason that children be able to continue developing their knowledge beyond the classroom. Effective music education is built of a foundation that encompasses discussions, goals, materials and strategies, based on a teacher’s knowledge and experience of music and child development, educational guidelines and â€Å"overarching, and developing philosophy of music education† (Fiske, 2012). Before I elucidate my philosophy about music, I recognize the need to clarify my stand as a music educator who is passionate and determined to elevate the status of music education within classrooms around India. My Musical Experiences Music has always been a part of me for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories of music, especially the performance aspect, goes back to when I was three years old and sang a solo for a Christmas Concert that was organized by the radio station that my father worked at. I have memories of him kneeling on one knee and playing the guitar for me while I sang after which I was delighted to receive a big present from Santa. Ever since, I have enjoyed performing, and have so felt so comfortable on stage. All along I grew up listening to Christian gospel music and many contemporary arrangements of hymns. Supplementary to that my father offered me a rich experience of Indian hindustani devotional music. I learned songs by ear and didn’t realize what I was missing at this point, imagining what I learned in music to be the only way to absorb and internalize it. Performing was something that I enjoyed doing and it came naturally to me, partly because of my early initiation into leading worship at church. My true test of endurance came about when I was introduced to Western Classical Music at the age of 14, through the study of two years of piano. My teacher, like many others around, displayed an extremely formalistic approach and didn’t do much to expand my understanding of music beyond what was on the page and how I was supposed to read it. In response to this method I didn’t enjoy learning from the pages of notated music books, as much as I did learning by ear, and I continued to develop as a musician who played by ear and improvised at will. Studying opera during undergrad was a trying phase for me because of my inability to â€Å"connect the dots† as easily as I should have been able to. My aural skills remained excellent and I sometimes relied on that to carry me through certain phases. Hard work and determination became my motto, and I spent hours to understand and perfect music that was assigned to me, as I wanted to do my very best. Although I had composed songs earlier, without notating them, the study of music theory opened up a whole new world for me. I could now add variety and richness to my music through the concepts I was learning. Music became a new language for me; I was captivated by the way it lent itself to diverse experiences through different musical roles (something that I wasn’t aware of or didn’t pay attention to earlier). As a Music Teacher Although I initially joined a conservatory to study vocal performance, I found myself deeply drawn towards music education, and during my second semester decided to learn more about devising meaningful and persuasive trategies to improve the standard of music education in India. This thought emerged from an understanding that I had felt almost cheated for having lost out on so many years of studying music formally, yet effectively. I didn’t have a choice because structured music instruction simply wasn’t available at all the schools that I studied in, or the quality of instruction didn’t serve the purpose of educating or informing students like me. What gave the impression of a music class/lesson at school was in reality an enthusiastic way of keeping students occupied for forty minutes in simple singing, with a concert for parents every once a year. We learned songs by rote to perform them, year after year. During those years though, I didn’t realize the limitations that this system came with and continued to enjoy the fact that I was in choir and able to sing. This vacuum remains largely visible and unattended to in schools today, although some music educators in the recent past have taken huge steps towards improving the quality and effectiveness of their instruction in classrooms around India. Their efforts however remain predominantly an enthusiastic endeavor. What is urgently required is certainly something much more than sincere teaching. It calls for a transformation of the present system, giving room for every child to receive superior music education that fits into the whole. The need of every student being met in a transformed educational framework that constantly reshapes itself to accommodate new ideas and strategies. After all, as Regelski (2003) rightly points out that music (music education) is for everyone and not just for an elite few. The turning point in my decision to finally teach music myself came about when I enrolled my four-year-old daughter, Tiara, for after-school piano lessons. I hoped to give her a head start, with the understanding that she needn’t have to face the same challenges in learning music, like I had to. However, after a few classes, I realized to my complete dissatisfaction that there was no structure, no thought and imagination, and no clarity in what was being thought to her. Her fingering on the piano was all over the place for the two songs that her teacher worked on â€Å"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. † And â€Å"Baa Baa Black Sheep† Her teacher (I later learned wasn’t introduced to classical notation), taught her these songs by writing letters in a book and instructing her to commit it to heart. Lesson after lesson they would follow the same outline with no emphasis on any other musical aspects whatsoever. I decided I wasn’t going to take this lying down! I had to do all within my capacity to change the face of music education, as the vast majority of people understand it. I began studying about music education as well, to inform and equip myself for the task at hand. Around this period, my voice teacher encouraged me to coach students in voice, and I began shying away from it believing I was under qualified and needed many years of study to begin teaching. However, with a newfound passion and vigor, I accepted to coaching some of his voice students and also began to teach small groups of students on the history of music (because I loved learning about it). Meanwhile, I started training both my young daughters at home constantly developing new ideas and strategies to introduce musical concepts to them. A friend noticed my teaching style and asked if I would teach her daughter too, and thus began my professional journey as a music educator. Four years since then, I find myself accountable for the music instruction I offer to over 250 children across various age groups, who are part of my school. The need is so great within schools, and only a few educators are willing to take the extra effort of educating themselves and being channels of superior music instruction-catalysts of sorts. I am blessed to have a team of ten teachers who share in my vision and work alongside me in imparting music to the children who are part of our music school, â€Å"Harmony†. My long-term vision is to enhance the music programs in India for the betterment of as many children as possible. Individuals don’t realize what they’re missing until they’ve been given a taste of it, a glimpse of the bigger picture (much like my case). Through our school performances I aim on providing a window for the change to take place. A transformation that not only affects my students, but others around them as well through their personal interactions with each other and the community as a whole. My Personal Philosophy â€Å"A field or discipline without philosophical guidance, without critically examined ideals and commitment to their revision in light of the diverse and changing needs of those it seeks to serve, is more akin to an occupation han a profession† (Bowman Frega, 2012, p. 23). For my vision to bear fruit and show evidence of becoming something concrete, I realize the need to develop my philosophy of music to an extent that equips me with the requisite tools to be able to initiate the change that I seek after. In the words of Jorgenson (2008), â€Å"I want to excavate beneath the superficial and demonstrable skills to think about the ideas and principles of music teaching, the things that drive and shapeà ¢â‚¬ . According to Kivy (2002), â€Å"A practice or discipline or body of knowledge, then, seems to become ‘eligible’ (If that is the right word) for philosophy, properly so–called, when it becomes for us a way of life: when it cuts so deeply into our natures as human beings that we are impelled to explore and reveal its innermost workings† (p. 7). It is necessary for me to â€Å"clarify the major dimensions of musical experience† so I can â€Å"effectively offer them to, and nurture them within, â€Å" my students (Reimer, 2003, p. 9), this despite the passion and conviction with which I teach and advocate the need for arts in schools. I have begun to develop a synergistic mindset in my philosophy of music education after my reading and researching the literature, coupled with practical experiences over the last few years. Reimer (2003) points out â€Å" A synergistic mind-set is one open to cooperation as an alternative to contention, to searching for points of agreement or confluence as an alternative to fixating on discord, to recognizing nuances in which seemingly opposed views are capable of some level of contention† (p. 30). I agree with Reimer’s democratic view that musical meaning is meaning that â€Å"individuals choose to give to and take from music, based on their life experiences and their musical orientations. † He further adds that there is to be no â€Å"one right way†, and calls for an adaptation of a synergistic blend in music teaching. Music must involve decision making through discernment and connections within a particular role (Reimer, 2003, p. 213). Eisner (1987) illuminates the need for a curriculum that â€Å"exploits the various forms of representation and that utilizes all of the senses to help students learn what a period of history feels like†(p. 7). Similarly, offering students a basis for understanding music in all contexts involves a thorough exploration of musical meaning within its definitive parameters, along with contemplation or reflection. Introducing students to the music and other art forms of various cultures is a wonderful way to broaden their understanding of the meaning of music. A student does not need to lose his own musical identity in order to study other music. On the contrary, in learning about other music, a student’s life is enriched. Reimer states, â€Å"In the spirit of adding to the self rather than substituting other selves for one’s self, the study of the music of foreign cultures enriches the souls of all who are engaged in it† (p. 191). Music and Meaning As advocates of music, music educators are often expected to express the meaning of music through words, yet words are incapable of truly describing the beauty and emotion felt through experience. â€Å"The concern is not to arrive at a definition and to close the book, but to arrive at an experience† (Ciardi, 1975, p. ). Ciardi states that there â€Å"still lingers belief that a dictionary definition is a satisfactory description of an idea or of an experience† (p. 1). Words may attempt to describe music, yet true meaning must be derived from the actual music experience Reimer (2003) discusses the difference between meanings drawn from words or language and the meanings found through music. He writes, â€Å"Language is created and shared through the processes of conceptualization and communication. Music is created and shared through the process of artistic/aesthetic perceptual structuring, yielding meanings language cannot represent† (p. 133). â€Å"The real power of music lies in the fact that it can be â€Å"true† to the life of feeling in a way that language cannot† (Langer, 1942, p. 197). Phenix (1986) highlights the need to look for aesthetic meaning in music concluding that there has to be a delicate balance between descriptive proposition that serves the purpose of laying out a historical background and allowing for freedom to gain perceptual features. Though music may evoke emotions in my students as they compose or serve as an outlet for their feelings when they perform, the ultimate significance of music lies in its ability to symbolize/portray deeply felt emotions. In the pages of his article, How Does a Poem Mean, John Ciardi (1975) shares with the reader his view that language is not capable of completely conveying the meaning that is discovered through experience. Living through the poetry is more powerful than attempting to interpret it. I believe that language does, however, serve a purpose of enhancing and is required when teaching for musical meaning. Words such as diction, metaphor, rhythm, and counter rhythm describe elements that lead to the understanding of form. Once a student can identify changes in the form through performance, â€Å"he will have identified the poem in action† (p. 95). He will no longer ask what the poem means but will see â€Å"how it means† (p. 95). Ciardi suggests questions such as, â€Å"Why does it build itself into a form out of images, ideas, rhythms? How do these elements become the meaning? † and â€Å"How are they inseparable from the meaning? † (p. 100). These questions are helpful in leading a student to the ultimate meaningful experience. Likewise, music students may use their knowledge of musical elements, such as rhythm and dynamics, to see â€Å"how† a piece of music means. Reimer (2003) says language has the essential function of disclosing and explaining the music. Music elements are inseparable from the performance of the music as they help to explain the musical experience. On their own, however, words and definitions remain dull and lifeless. I believe students should be immersed in the experience, while in a chorus, performing their instruments and listening to those around them. Meaning can be discovered through active participation in music and through the emotion and beauty the music portrays, for â€Å"Music means whatever a person experiences when involved with music† (Reimer, 2003, p. 133). Ciardi’s (1975) statement: â€Å"It is the experience, not the final examination, that counts† (p. 3) is particularly striking. The Indian society places high emphasis on examinations in music as with other subjects, very often overlooking the need for students to value their experience through the process of learning. I sometimes feel pressured by the community to meet high concert performance expectations and good examination results. Although I recognize that performance and the International music exams is a wonderful opportunity in which students can share their music with the community, or understand their level of competency, the true reflection of meaning in the music should be experienced in day-to-day music making within my classroom. I do my best not to focus on the examination repertoire alone but to include other music as well giving them a chance to draw out meanings and experience the music. Ciardi (1975) describes a poem as a â€Å"dynamic and living thing† (p. 10). He continues stating, â€Å"One experiences it as one experiences life. One is never done with it: every time he looks he sees something new, and it changes even as he watches† (p. 10). Similarly, music is capable of revealing something new each time it is experienced. The meanings my students derive from an initial listening of a piece of music may be vastly different than the meanings understood months or years later. The meaning of music constantly changes with personal life experiences and new perspectives. Reimer claims, â€Å"Music education exists to nurture people’s potential to gain deeper, broader, more significant musical meanings† (p. 133). I believe my students should derive their own meanings from the musical experience and without my influence. By explaining meanings to them, I face the fear of casting into oblivion the celebration of their own unique experience with the music, much the same way a language teacher might, in more ways than one, take away from the experience of a students â€Å"feelingful† experience of poetry as she explains the meaning in the verses of the poem. Instead of teaching â€Å"what† music means, I will instruct students on â€Å"how† music means, enabling them to derive meaning from experiences that occur beyond the classroom, and within their own roles. Feeling through Music â€Å"Music does for feeling what language does for thought† (Bowman, 1998, p. 200). As a musician, I understand the power of music to evoke feelings. Listening to or performing a great work of music in a concert hall may bring tears or chills to the musician in a way that only music is capable. Similarly, students’ emotional lives may be heightened by experiences in the classroom. According to Reimer (2003), the â€Å"emotional dimension of music-its power to make us feel, and to â€Å"know† through feeling-is probably its most important defining characteristic† (p. 72). In Western history, emotion has often been regarded less valuable than intellect (Reimer, 2003). Some people do not consider the arts to be as important as other core subjects such as math and reading in education due to the belief that arts are based on emotions and not reasoning or intellect. Recently, however, scientific scholars have begun to recognize that human intelligence, or cognition, is exhibited in a variety of forms, directly related to functions of the body, and tied to feeling. Dimensions of the mind, once thought to be separate and unrelated, are now known to work together, contributing to the things we know and experience. Anthony Damasio, a research neurologist, believes â€Å"feeling is likely to be the key factor in human consciousness itself and an essential ingredient in human cognition† (Reimer, 2003, p. 76). The capacity to feel â€Å"pervades and directs all we undergo as living, aware creatures† (p. 8). â€Å"Direct experiences of feeling are embodied in music and made available to the bodied experience of those engaged with it† (p. 80). The use of descriptive and symbolic language in the classroom, in the teaching of a varied repertoire of expressive music, aids in drawing out these responses of feeling from students. Including music that is heavy and loud or delicate and light will bring out an array of feelings. I believe students should be given an opportunity to articulate these feelings through journaling and in-class discussion.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Two Articles Essay Example for Free

Two Articles Essay For this assignment, you will compose two short critical essays explaining and evaluating arguments by other authors. This assignment allows you to analyze an issue from a variety of perspectives and assess arguments for or against the issue. By focusing your attention on how the original authors use evidence and reasoning to construct and support their positions, you can recognize the value of critical thinking in public discourse. Read the two articles Predictive Probes, and New Test Tells Whom a Crippling Disease Will Hit—and When from the textbook and write two separate analytical summaries. These articles can be found in the chapter titled: Deciding to accept an argument: Compare the evidence. This assignment has two parts. Part 1—First Article Write an analytical summary of the article focusing on the article’s main claims. Include the following: †¢Identify the three ways the author uses evidence to support assertions. †¢Identify the places where evidence is employed as well as how the author uses this evidence. Discuss evidence as the reason vs. the support for the reason. Also discuss evidence as dependent on the issue/context. †¢Analyze how the author signals this usage through elements such as word choices, transitions, or logical connections. Part 2—Second Article Write an analytical summary of the article focusing on the article’s main claims. Include the following: †¢Identify the author’s use of the three elements: experiment, correlation, and speculation to support assertions. †¢Analyze how the author signals the use of these elements through language. For example, word choices, transitions, or logical connections. Write a 4–5-page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M3_A2. doc. 1. What kind of evidence would you expect in the following arguments? †¢a. An argument that people who eat a special diet will have less chance of getting cancer. †¢b. An argument that God exists. †¢c. An argument that human cells secrete some substance under certain conditions. †¢d. An argument that stealing is unethical. †¢e. An argument that owning a pet tends to lower one’s blood pressure. Answers (a) evidence after the fact; (b) philosophical evidence (a general principle, for instance that the universe is orderly); (c) direct scientific experimentation; (d) philosophical evidence; (e) evidence after the fact 2. Underline the language in the following argument that you believe indicates that it does (or does not) admit its limits. It’s an obvious fact that living in the suburbs is better than city life. Everyone knows that cities are far more polluted and dangerous. And of course, people don’t even know their neighbors. On the other hand, suburbs are peaceful havens from the workaday world. READINGS The following two articles show breathtaking advances in the ability to detect whether a person will suffer from a particular genetic disease. The first article contains references to all three types of evidence discussed in this chapter. Compare the language used to depict direct experimentation, after-the-fact evidence, and values questions. Predictive probes by Jerry E. Bishop Several years ago, Nancy Wexler’s mother died of Huntington’s disease, a hereditary and always-fatal affliction that strikes in midlife. Since then, Ms. Wexler, the 38-year-old president of the Hereditary Diseases Foundation in Santa Monica, Calif. , has lived with the uncertainty of whether she, too, inherited the deadly gene. That uncertainty may soon be resolved. A few months ago, scientists announced they were on the verge of completing a new test to detect the gene for Huntington’s disease (formerly called Huntington’s chorea). But deciding whether to submit herself to the test is an anguishing choice for Ms. Wexler. â€Å"If I came out lucky, taking the test would be terrific, of course,† she says. But if I came out unlucky, well †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her dilemma is an extreme example of the kind thousands of Americans will face in the not-too-distant future as scientists learn how to pinpoint genes that cause or predispose a person to a future illness. The test to detect the Huntington’s disease gene should be ready within one to two years. Researchers already have detected some of the gene s that can lead to premature heart attacks and, in the near future, hope to spot those that could predispose a person to breast or colon cancer. Eventually, scientists believe they will be able to detect genes leading to diabetes, depression, schizophrenia and the premature senility called Alzheimer’s disease. New Test Tells Whom a Crippling Disease Will Hit—and When Amy Jo Snider, a college senior, has put her career plans and romantic life on hold until she settles a gnawing question about her genetic legacy. During her Christmas break, the Charleston, SC, student plans to be tested for a gene that causes ataxia, a disease without a cure that destroys the brain cells governing muscle control. The disorder crippled and ultimately killed her father in middle age. Because of a recent breakthrough in genetic research, the 21-year-old Miss Snider will be able to find out whether she inherited the disease, and, if so, how soon and how hard ataxia may strike her. â€Å"I want to be tested before I start to show symptoms,† she says unflinchingly. â€Å"I’m graduating in May, and I have to start planning my life. † As agonizing as the knowledge might be, she says the uncertainty is worse. â€Å"If I’m in limbo, it’s not fair to people around me,† she says. â€Å"I can’t deal with not knowing. †

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Kirkpatricks Four-Level Training Evaluation Model Applied

Kirkpatricks Four-Level Training Evaluation Model Applied Case Scenario Sunshine Supermarket is an upcoming supermarket in Singapore. It first opened its door for business in the year 2014 at Jurong East. Sunshine Supermarkets primary aim is to serve the customer. Keeping existing customers happy is important, as they are more likely to return. This is more cost effective for the business than acquiring new ones. Sunshine Supermarkets original product range of grocery and general merchandise has diversified to include home appliances, electrical goods as well as telephone equipment. In the past two year Sunshine Supermarkets growth has been massive mainly due to its excellent customer service and quality of products. Sunshine Supermarkets market expansion strategy is to penetrate further in the Singapore market by opening the second store in Punggol. Sunshine Supermarket would be recruiting 10 more retails staffs, three for the current branch and seven for the new branch. The new recruits would be foreign nationals with no prior retail experience. They would have to be trained in customer service, merchandising, stock taking and other functions. All employees have a varied style of learning. Three retails staffs who have been exemplary employees in the first branch will be promoted to the role of Store Manager, Purchase Manager and Supervisor respectively. Currently they lack leadership skills which may impede their performance in the new store. Growth Prospects: Sunshine Supermarket is currently pursuing the market development strategy to expand its operations and they are planning to enter into UK market in 2017. Before explaining Kirkpatricks four levels of Training Evaluation it is important to understand why such evaluation is done. There are various types of evaluations techniques to understand and Kirkpatricks for levels of Training Evaluation is just one of the thousand methods of training method that is used by training organizations to determine their training program effectiveness. The reason for a new recruit, promoted employee or anyone who is sincere enough to hold a job position that they are not trained would feel he/she wants to be trained before taking up that particular responsibility that their organization is assigning them. Each person have a different thinking e.g. I want be trained because I want to be accepted by my company, I want to be trained because I want to be trusted by my company, I want my company and my fellow managers to understand that they need me, and etc (Selvaraj, 2016). On the other hand the company will also feel confident that the person who has undergo the training program will be on his/her 100% in performing the job title given, as they are trained professionally on how to handle. There will be lots of changes in the management of the company e.g. senior management listening to whatever advice you might given for the company, the company promoting you faster because of the sincere you might be showing, you will be of course given more control since you are trained, and importantly they know that your quality of work will improve (Selvaraj, 2016). Lastly and most importantlyin order for both parties above, person undergoing the course and company to be satisfied, the training organizations training programmes MUST be easily knowledgeable for anyone taking up the course to understand so that they can perform the right work performance in the companys work environment. And in order for any training organization that wants to meet their objective have to evaluate their training programmes. But there is three main reasons for a training organization to evaluate their training programmes and it is for deciding on whether to continue or discontinue a training program if its too disliked by many, and to gain information on how they can improve their training programmes for their future training programs, and lastly and importantly if the budget and training received contributes to their organizations objective and goals (Selvaraj, 2016). Apart from main reasons but common reasons for training evaluations are often known to determine the effectiveness of a program and ways in which it can be improved, usually the training programmes continue as of how they were going but minor feedbacks are also taken for consideration at times to keep up the standard of their owns training organizations, they are often know to the following below (Selvaraj, 2016): Is the trainer the best one qualified to teach? Are the schedules appropriate for the trainees? Are the facilities beyond satisfactory? Was the coordination of the program up or beyond satisfactory? What can be done to improve the program? Is the trainer providing effective methods for maintaining interest and teach the desired attitudes, knowledge, and skills? In overall training organizations do evaluation for improving future programs and at times this evaluation is the only way they can decide upon to continue or drop a programme if unsatisfied by many (Source, Google: http://www.kirkpatrickpartners.com/portals/0/Images/Optmized%20Photos/chain%20(2).jpg) If you provide training for your team or your organization, then you certainly should know how essential it is to determine its efficiency. Besides, you dont want to waste time or funds on training that does not give a good turnover (Mindtools, 2016). Here is when Kirkpatricks Four-Level Training Evaluation Model can assist you in determining the efficiency and force of your training, so that you can improve it in the future, there is four levels that represent the sequence of ways to evaluate the training program (Mindtools, 2016). Level 1 Reaction Level 2 Learning Level 3 Behaviour Level 4 Results Level 1 Reaction: As the phrase reaction implies, evaluation on this level measures how those who participate in the program respond to it. It can be also known as the measure of customer (stakeholder) satisfaction. Evaluation reaction is known to be the same thing as measuring customer satisfaction (Mindtools, 2016). If training is going to be useful, it is important that trainees respond well to it. Otherwise they will not be motivated to be trained. Also, they will tell others of their reactions. Several trainers call the forms that are used for the evaluation of reaction happiness sheets (Selvaraj, 2016). The importance of Measuring Reaction at Level 1: It gives the training organization important feedback that helps them to evaluate the program with them as well as comments and suggestions for improving future programs (Trainingindustry, 2016). The reason of this is to tell the trainees that the trainers are there to help them do their job better and that they need that feedback from them to conclude the efficiency of the program (Trainingindustry, 2016). Reaction sheets can provide quantitative information that they can give to managers and others concerned with the particular program, furthermore the, Reaction sheets can provide trainers with quantitative information that can be used to establish standards of performance for future programs (Trainingindustry, 2016). Level 2 Learning: At this level the training organization must determine what the trainees have learned. The three things that an instructor can teach the trainees are knowledge, skills, and attitudes so it is important for the training organization to determine on what knowledge was learned? What skills were developed or improved? And what attitudes were changed in them? So it is important that training organizations measure the trainees learning because no change in behaviour can be expected unless one or more of those learning objectives have been accomplished in their training programmers (Mindtools, 2016). Level 3 Behaviour: At this level the training organization have to evaluate their trainees behaviour based on the training they received, in other words this helps trainers understand how their trainees manage to apply that information they learn in the training programme. The training organization must understand this because the behaviour can only change if the conditions are favourable in the programme, for example if the training organization has skipped the first two Kirkpatricks levels, and by looking at the trainees group behaviour, they determine that no behaviour change had taken place. Perhaps they might have assumed that the trainees have not learned anything and the training was ineffective (Mindtools, 2016). On the other hand its not just about evaluating behaviour changes. Its not right to judge just based on behaviour at all times, because the trainees boss might not have let them apply any new knowledge. And maybe the trainees have actually learned everything from the training programme but they have no desire in apply that knowledge themselves, so its hard to judge because we are dealing with human beings not machine (Mindtools, 2016). Level 4 Results: At this level the training organization have to analyze the final results of their training in the programme. This also includes the findings of the trainer, the training organization have determined for good of the business, employees, and for everyone, eventually the training organization can use this result for future reference or etc (Selvaraj, 2016). Thats the end of explanation on Kirkpatricks Four Level of Training Evaluation. There are different types of training evaluation methods that can be used to evaluate any possible outcomes of different scenarios people face e.g. training evaluation, learning, and etc. But Kirkpatricks four level of training evaluation actually covers all expertise of needed data in an evaluation. NTUC Learning Hub was the training organization that trained Sunshine Supermarkets new recruits and promoted employees based on their training needs. They trained their new recruits based on their problems that were initiated by their company, Sunshine Supermarket. They actually had 10 new recruits but they were all of foreign national and with no retail experience. Sunshine Supermarket wanted all of the 10 recruits to be trained upon Basic English even before they attend courses that were related to their job. Sunshine Supermarket wanted all 10 recruits to be trained on merchandising, customer servicing, stock taking, and also with other retail related function. NTUC Learning Hub conducted all needed training on their new recruits based on Sunshine Supermarkets request. On the other hand, Sunshine Supermarket had 3 promoted employees in their first branch who were promoted to be a Store Manager, Purchase Manager, and Supervisor respectively. Sunshine Supermarket planned to deploy this three promoted employees in their new store, but before they actually take up their job position, they felt its a necessity for them to attend leadership trainings before taking up their job roles. NTUC Learning Hub trained all the three promoted employees based on Sunshine Supermarkets request. NTUC Learning Hub (Training Organization) MUST use the Kirkpatricks Four Level of Training Evaluation Model to evaluate their training on Sunshine Supermarkets (Trained Company) new recruits and promoted employees (Companys Personnel Who are Trained). It is important to understand Kirkpatricks Four Levels of Training Evaluation is just a method of evaluate. Identifying how to use will vary case to case basis. This evaluation method is an ART NOT a SCIENCE. As for Sunshine Supermarket, it will be the training organization evaluating the first two levels (level 1 level 2). The other two levels (level 3 level 4) will be evaluated by the trainees company since its them who sponsored the trainees to the training programme which in this case is Sunshine Supermarket. Level 1 of Training Evaluation on New Recruits and Promoted Employees: NTUC Learning Hub has to measure their trainees reaction at the level. But there are a couple of factors that they will have to evaluate at this point and they are known to the following below: They will have to find out if their training was worth the trainees time and was it successful in the end (Mindtools, 2016)? At which point did the new recruits or promoted employees face the most tough and easy time in their training and where was their biggest strength and weakness throughout the programme (Mindtools, 2016)? Was NTUC Learning Hubs venue suitable for learning (Mindtools, 2016)? Did this learning personally created any CHANGE in their personal life style (Mindtools, 2016)?

the story of mel :: essays research papers

"do real programmers program in fortran?" Maybe they do now, in this decadent era of Lite beer, hand calculators and "user-friendly" software but back in the Good Old Days, when the term "software" sounded funny and Real Computers were made out of drums and vacuum tubes, Real Programmers wrote in machine code. Not Fortran. Not RATFOR. Not, even, assembly language. Machine Code.Raw, unadorned, inscrutable hexadecimal numbers. Directly. Lest a whole new generation of programmers grow up in ignorance of this glorious past, I feel duty-bound to describe, as best I can through the generation gap, how a Real Programmer wrote code. I'll call him Mel, because that was his name. I first met Mel when I went to work for Royal McBee Computer Corp., a now-defunct subsidiary of the typewriter company. The firm manufactured the LGP-30, a small, cheap (by the standards of the day) drum-memory computer, and had just started to manufacture the RPC-4000, a much-improved, bigger, better, faster -- drum-memory computer. Cores cost too much, and weren't here to stay, anyway. (That's why you haven't heard of the company, or the computer.) I had been hired to write a Fortran compiler for this new marvel and Mel was my guide to its wonders. Mel didn't approve of compilers. "If a program can't rewrite its own code," he asked, "what good is it?" Mel had written, in hexadecimal, the most popular computer program the company owned. It ran on the LGP-30 and played blackjack with potential customers at computer shows. Its effect was always dramatic. The LGP-30 booth was packed at every show, and the IBM salesmen stood around talking to each other. Whether or not this actually sold computers was a question we never discussed. Mel's job was to re-write the blackjack program for the RPC-4000. (Port? What does that mean?) The new computer had a one-plus-one addressing scheme, in which each machine instruction, in addition to the operation code and the address of the needed operand, had a second address that indicated where, on the revolving drum, the next instruction was located. In modern parlance, every single instruction was followed by a GO TO! Put *that* in Pascal's pipe and smoke it. Mel loved the RPC-4000 because he could optimize his code: that is, locate instructions on the drum so that just as one finished its job, the next would be just arriving at the "read head" and available for immediate execution. the story of mel :: essays research papers "do real programmers program in fortran?" Maybe they do now, in this decadent era of Lite beer, hand calculators and "user-friendly" software but back in the Good Old Days, when the term "software" sounded funny and Real Computers were made out of drums and vacuum tubes, Real Programmers wrote in machine code. Not Fortran. Not RATFOR. Not, even, assembly language. Machine Code.Raw, unadorned, inscrutable hexadecimal numbers. Directly. Lest a whole new generation of programmers grow up in ignorance of this glorious past, I feel duty-bound to describe, as best I can through the generation gap, how a Real Programmer wrote code. I'll call him Mel, because that was his name. I first met Mel when I went to work for Royal McBee Computer Corp., a now-defunct subsidiary of the typewriter company. The firm manufactured the LGP-30, a small, cheap (by the standards of the day) drum-memory computer, and had just started to manufacture the RPC-4000, a much-improved, bigger, better, faster -- drum-memory computer. Cores cost too much, and weren't here to stay, anyway. (That's why you haven't heard of the company, or the computer.) I had been hired to write a Fortran compiler for this new marvel and Mel was my guide to its wonders. Mel didn't approve of compilers. "If a program can't rewrite its own code," he asked, "what good is it?" Mel had written, in hexadecimal, the most popular computer program the company owned. It ran on the LGP-30 and played blackjack with potential customers at computer shows. Its effect was always dramatic. The LGP-30 booth was packed at every show, and the IBM salesmen stood around talking to each other. Whether or not this actually sold computers was a question we never discussed. Mel's job was to re-write the blackjack program for the RPC-4000. (Port? What does that mean?) The new computer had a one-plus-one addressing scheme, in which each machine instruction, in addition to the operation code and the address of the needed operand, had a second address that indicated where, on the revolving drum, the next instruction was located. In modern parlance, every single instruction was followed by a GO TO! Put *that* in Pascal's pipe and smoke it. Mel loved the RPC-4000 because he could optimize his code: that is, locate instructions on the drum so that just as one finished its job, the next would be just arriving at the "read head" and available for immediate execution.