Friday, May 31, 2019

Tracing Changes in Pythagoras Speech in Ovids Metamorphoses

Tracing Changes in Pythagoras Speech in Ovids Metamorphoses Change in Ovid, as well as in life, seems to be the only constant. Change is the subject of the Metamorphoses and Ovids purpose in recounting myths is established from the very runner My intention is to tell of bodies changed to different forms... with a poem that runs from the worlds beginning to our own days (1.1-4). From this foundation, Ovid launches into his stories, using metamorphosis more as a vehicle for telling his stories than as an actual subject matter. Although he retells religious myths, Ovid is not writing a religious manuscript. Rather, the product is a work of literature. Ovid is conscious that he is writing literature, not religion, and implied in his intention to tell of bodies changed is also to stage how skillful he can retell these stories. Ovid could have dealt with the metamorphoses theme in a philosophical manner, but philosophy seems out of place in this prolific literary work. For this reason , the speech of Pythagoras in book fifteen seems to be an odd shift in tone. Using Pythagoras as a mouthpiece, Ovids playful narrative curtly turns into a long diatribe against meat eating. Given the informal nature of the previous fourteen books, this scene seems out of place. But the Pythagorean episode is not without its purpose. Pythagoras speech on the nature of metamorphosis is Ovids way of contrasting his own eloquent style of narration in the Metamorphoses. By contrast, Pythagoras speech is a earlier dry oration. It is a reminder on Ovids part of what the Metamorphoses would have been had he concentrated on metamorphosis as an actual subject rather than a literary vehicle.1 Unlike Ovids oth... ... part, immortal, will be borne above the stars my name will be remembered... I shall be living always (15.867-879). This is a highly humourous ending, especially since in the Pythagorean episode, Ovid has asserted that nothing save the soul is immortal. Ovid seems pretentious to assert that his poetry will be immortal. But we have not read the Metamorphoses correctly if we take this seriously. Ovids tone is tongue-in-cheek in a large majority of his poem, and it be would out of character for him to assert this. It is a import of subtle humor on Ovids part. Humorous or conceited, Ovid so far has proven to be correct. 1 Karl Galinsky, Ovids Metamorphoses An Introduction to the Basic Aspects, University of California Press, 1975, p 106. 2 Richard D. McKirahan, Jr., Philosophy Before Socrates, Hackett Publishers, 1994, p 81. 3 Galinsky, 48.

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Essay on the Love Story of Antony and Cleopatra -- Antony Cleopatra Es

The Love Story of Antony and Cleopatra The tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra can be said to have an overall put up of comical lightness. In this way, it is altogether different from the preceding tragedies, although the tragedy that leads to the death and destruction of Antony and Cleopatra is definitely a matter of choice rather than of circumstances that plunge the hero. Yet, ultimately their tragic ending differs greatly from the ominous feeling of those that preceded it. Antony and Cleopatra concerns itself with typically distressing and grave imagery, most importantly the theme of permanent loss. Although circumstance plays a part, the tragic hero is damned by what he himself does and is an active participant in his own downfall. In this sense, Antony is a tragic hero, although Shakespeare also presents him as a man torn between the tragedy of a powerful Rome and comedy in the pleasurable Egypt. In due course Antony could not give birth his duty to Rome, confused by his unwi llingness and incapability to disregard his passion for Cleopatra. He most flippantly wed Octavia knowing fully that he could not give up his prior love. He relayed I will to Egypt And though I make this marriage for my peace, I th East my pleasure lies (2.3.39-41). His underestimation of consequence at this time directly led to his tragic ending. In a conversation about Cleopatra, even Antonys attendant Enobarbus showed understanding of Antonys character flaws and the depth of his passions MAECENAS. Now Antony must leave her utterly. ENOBARBUS. Never he will not. (2.2.239-240) The virtue of irremediable loss was also explored by Antony. His deficiency of full-strength Roman character during the Battle of Actium resulted in h... ...t love story with an ironically happy conclusion. Works Cited and Consulted Adelman, Janet. Infinite Variety Uncertainty and Judgment in Antony and Cleopatra. William Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. Harold Bloom. in the buff York Chelsea Ho use, 1988, 21-34. Bloom, Harold, ed. Introduction. Modern Critical Interpretations William Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatra. New York Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. ---. Shakespeare The Invention of the Human. New York Riverhead Books, 1998. Kittredge, George Lyman. Introduction. Antony and Cleopatra. By William Shakespeare. Waltham, MA Blaisdell Publishing Company, 1966. Markels, Julian. The Pillar of the World Antony and Cleopatra in Shakespeares Development. Ohio Ohio State University Press, 1968. Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra. Ed. John Wilders. capital of the United Kingdom Routledge, 1995.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Losing Faith in Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodman Brown YGB

Losing Faith in Young Goodman brownIn Young Goodman Brown, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Goodman Brown is tempted by the evil that surrounds him and he must keep his faith in order to resist it. The use of the events, characters, and symbols throughout the story show that evil is present in the people of the townspeople in which Goodman Brown lives and how Goodman Browns faith in them is lost. Humanity is basically flawed and people struggle with making the choice between proper and evil.Throughout the story, Goodman Brown is worried about the idea of the townspeoplefinding out about his meeting with the devil. Goodman Brown thinks a lot about how his return and grandfather would have never done anything like he was doing. Goodman Brown says, We have been a race of honest men and good Christians . . . (p1208.) Then Goodman Brown finds out from the devil that his father and grandfather had done evil things. The devil tells Goodman Brown, I have been as well acquainted with your family a s with ever a one among the puritans.(P1208.) After Goodman Brown hears this, he begins to qu...

Shiloh : Changing Lives In Different Directions Essay -- essays resear

In the story Shiloh, by Bobbie Ann Mason, characters Leroy and Norma Jean go through changes in their life as distributively begin to discover what their real identity is, and what it is they actually want emerge of their labor union. For some people this may take long time, and for others they may never realize it, bandage merely trying to grasp on to the past, or the way they think things should have turned out. In this short story, Mason uses a couple in their thirties to portray people who are experiencing these types of changes, and depict how they deal with the situation. In the end, the couple is faced with dealing with the inevitable fact that they indeed cannot save their marriage it was a battle they could not win. However, before the story climaxes, the lector is given a chance to witness some of the characters changes in identity and values. Norma Jean and Leroy battle through their relationship because of miscommunication, trying to live through their past, and re alizing that they have changed and spring upn apart. Mason does an effective job of giving the reader a view of what is fetching place in both characters lives. She grants the characters seem average, easily allowing the reader to identify with the changes the characters are going through with their relationship. In the beginning, an understanding of the background information is presented to the reader through the exposition, explaining Norma Jean and Leroys relationship. Since the accident that has now left Leroy at home, he has become indolent, and seems to be milking his injury for all that it is worth. Norma Jean, however, is a cosmetic consultant, who in her spare time, is taking some college courses and becoming more interested in exercising and expanding her life. The story picks up when Leroy is back home, and is finally beginning to look at Norma Jean in a new light after feeling guilty for not being with her for all of these years. Sadly, this realization is after many years of his periodical absence. Since then Norma Jean has been forced to become used to a life without him. When Leroy says, Norma Jean is miles away, (74) as they sit at the kitchen table, he realizes that even though the couple is finally able to reunite and spend time together, they feel as though they are distant and do not know each(prenominal) other. On a more personal level the characters do have their personality diffe... ...yle that is placed before her. She was rushed into a marriage just as fast as she decided she wanted out of it. With the pressure of expecting a child, and then coping with the absence of her husband for fifteen years, Norma Jean tried to make things work, working around Leroy. Finally, after awhile it seemed as though she was pushed to the limit, and she decided to do something for herself. Norma Jean probably did not have it in mind to grow apart from Leroy, but she had to find herself before she could completely love someone else. After she realized what she wanted, she understood that she could not find that in Leroy. Unfortunately for Leroy, he had found what he had been missing for all of those years, but it was too late for him to grasp it the change had already taken place. Leroy pleads with Norma Jean to try to work things out and to start over again, but for Norma Jean, she had already begun to start over when he had left her alone for fifteen years. Looking back on the relationship, blame could never wholly be placed on one character. Over the years Norma Jean and Leroy had begun to go their separate ways by doing what was important to them together they grew apart.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Essay -- mytholog

My original thought when comparing Percy Jackson and the Olympians the Lightning Thief the depiction and Classical mythology was that there would be many more references to the myth of Perceus than any other myth throughout the motion-picture show in its entirety. Thats where I was wrong. After watching the movie again and researching the different hero myths my opinion has changed. My new thoughts are that the movie is not influenced by the myth of Perceus any more than other hero myths. The movie ties to set abouther many different heroes stories and mixes them together to make a wonderful story about a young boy. The movie was based on a book series written by Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson and the Olympians the Lightning Thief the movie is about a young boy who has just discovered that he is a demi-god Percy Jackson. His father is Poseidon and his mother has been keeping it from him for many years. There is a lightning bolt that is stolen from Zeus on Mt. Olympus and Zeus belie ves that Percy has stolen it and demands its return by the summer solstice. In the mean time Percy gets attacked by multiple magical and mythological beings. There is a camp that demi-gods are safe from these things which is where Percys mother and his protector, Grover, take him to. This is where Percys journey begins. After a few days of being at the camp he realizes what he has to do. His mother was taken by Hades to the perdition and Percy has to save her all in all while trying to prove to Zeus that he did not steal the Lighting bolt. This is the true start to Percys quest. He do a few friends in the camp and they agreed to go on this journey with him. Those accompanying him were his protector Grover and Athenas daughter Annabeth. They also get some helpful tools fro... ...but they also believe that it is influenced by current day books such as Harry Potter more than Greek myth. Even though the movie and book may be influenced by these pop culture books that is to say that those books are not influenced by Greek myth. There are influences of mythology all through the world and most things in the world are influenced by mythology in some way. ReferencesPercy Jackson & the Olympians The Lightning Thief. IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. .Siegel, Dr. Janice. Dr. Js Illustrated Lectures. Dr. Js Illustrated Lectures. Dr. Janice Siegel, 26 Nov. 2005. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. .Camp Half-Blood Wiki. Wikia. Wiki, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2013. .

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Essay -- mytholog

My original thought when comparing Percy Jackson and the Olympians the Lightning Thief the video and Classical mythology was that there would be many more references to the myth of Perceus than any other myth through with(predicate)out the movie in its entirety. Thats where I was wrong. After watching the movie once again and researching the different hero myths my opinion has changed. My new thoughts are that the movie is not influenced by the myth of Perceus any more than other hero myths. The movie ties in concert many different heroes stories and mixes them together to make a wonderful story about a young boy. The movie was based on a prevail series written by Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson and the Olympians the Lightning Thief the movie is about a young boy who has just discovered that he is a demi-god Percy Jackson. His father is Poseidon and his mother has been keeping it from him for many years. There is a lightning bolt that is stolen from Zeus on Mt. Olympus and Zeus bel ieves that Percy has stolen it and demands its return by the summer solstice. In the concoct time Percy gets attacked by multiple magical and mythological beings. There is a camp that demi-gods are safe from these things which is where Percys mother and his protector, Grover, take him to. This is where Percys excursion begins. After a few days of being at the camp he realizes what he has to do. His mother was taken by Hades to the underworld and Percy has to deport her all while trying to prove to Zeus that he did not steal the Lighting bolt. This is the true start to Percys quest. He made a few friends in the camp and they agreed to go on this journey with him. Those accompanying him were his protector Grover and Athenas daughter Annabeth. They also get rough helpful tools fro... ...but they also believe that it is influenced by current day books such as Harry Potter more than Greek myth. Even though the movie and book may be influenced by these pop culture books that is to sa y that those books are not influenced by Greek myth. There are influences of mythology all through the world and most things in the world are influenced by mythology in some way. ReferencesPercy Jackson & the Olympians The Lightning Thief. IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. .Siegel, Dr. Janice. Dr. Js Illustrated Lectures. Dr. Js Illustrated Lectures. Dr. Janice Siegel, 26 Nov. 2005. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. .Camp Half-Blood Wiki. Wikia. Wiki, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2013. .

Monday, May 27, 2019

How do Heaney and Plath present their feelings in the blackberry poems? Essay

The two metrical compositions Blackberrying and Blackberry-Picking are similar in the sense of description of the blackberries. Both Sylvia Plath and Seamus Heaney present this produce in a autocratic light, using thorough detail and both displaying their love for the blackberries with admiration. They are very similar in using strong and powerful language creating illusions and vivid images, close making us feel as if we were experiencing this ourselves. Both of these verses start off describing Plath and Heaneys lust for the blackberries and how much satisfaction the fruit gives them, but then both writers display their feelings about how everything changes and how this temporary happiness doesnt last suggesting that life is not completely pleasant.In the poem Blackberrying, by Sylvia Plath, the language is extremely effective, enactment a major change in tone. The first stanza tells us about Plaths love for the blackberries. In the first three lines, she expresses her aware ness of her surroundings and how astonish and content she is, with all this fruit around her. She does this using the word blackberries a number of times. This repetition is powerful as it stresses her enjoyment. She uses dumb and thumb as rhyming, to gain a bigger visual image of the blackberries, representing the way they are viewed by her. She makes these blackberries sound sumptuous, luscious and juicy, making us crave them and making them sound mouth-wateringly tasty, by saying Fat with blue-red juicesThe lines I had not asked for a blood sistership they must love me, show us that she is quite desperate and lonesome, that her blood sisterhood should be with these berries, not humans, and shows us the femininity of nature. They must love me could be could be say us how the blackberries show their love to her by leaving their juice on her fingers, being all that loves her maybe. This personifies nature as a female force, acting as her companion. In the second stanza, negativ e repetition us used, suggesting Plath is shout out out for help, such as nothing, nothing and protesting, protesting. This stanza gets ready for the third, telling us that something unpleasant has come about, which is the flies, a visual image of them. They have become wino on the juice of the berries.The flies are made to sound light, delicate, and beautiful, as they believe in heaven., suggesting Plath does not. The last stanza of the poem represents finality, which we presume Plath may be talk about ending her life, when she says The only thing to come now is the sea. Plath uses onomatopoeia with slapping its phantom laundry in my face. It is effective as it shows the wind as harsh and abrupt. The poem is about nature at the start, and its is warm and loving toward the blackberries, but in the end, she uses the phrase beating and beating at an intractable metal as a sign of death, and being trapped in her life. The berries and juice are compliantIn the poem Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney, a descriptive and detailed account of plectrum blackberries is given. He uses many adjectives to do with colour to make the picture seam more real, tasty and ready to eat, such as glossy purple clabber, and red, green, hard as a knot. This appeals to the reader in a sense that we want to read on and we are amazed at the language. This poem is contrasting, as in the first part, Heaney uses words such as glossy and sweet flesh, and the second part uses fur and rat grey fungus which sounds ugly and uninviting. The poem is really telling us about life in general. The feeling of getting our hopes up, and the disappointment that we experience in our daily lives. Being so triumphal and enthusiastic about something one moment, and distraught and unhappy the next.The first stanza describes the sumptuous berries, and the second is describing how he plans to keep them, and the third leads to the disappointment that is faced. Heany transforms a normal fruit into a magical delectable act of nature, using the word lust which displays a strong desire for the fruit. He demonstrates this enthusiasm by naming all the different containers in the sense that they were picked out carelessly and without any thought absent mindedly in a very eager state. The ending of the poem shows us that there are always disappointments in our lives, and things that we have to be aware of, and that life isnt all sweet. The phrase Each year, I hoped they would keep, but knew they would not, is telling us that Heaney got his hopes up, but a small part of him knew that in the end he would be let down.

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Ethical Issues Essay

Researchers found that 10 percent of employees at all levels report feeling pressured to compromise ethical standards in the piece of work (Managing Business Ethics by Trevino and Nelson 2007). Ethical issues atomic number 18 faced by every industry in the business world as well as communities, public and private organizations and individuals. Leadership, internal practices, and training may impact the proper implementation of business ethics. Halliburton is one of the many large corporations involved in wrong business practices.This paper examines ethical issues faced by public sector employees and employees of private sector firms that conduct business with and for authorities agencies. The paper discusses Halliburton, a U. S. demur avower (former vice president beak Cheneys old firm), ethical issues and the impact on stakeholders involved. The goal is to highlight the ethical issues and make recommendations for how prospective employees and managers tidy sum handle similar situations. BackgroundSince 2001, energy services company Halliburton and its former subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) have performed unspecified services to the United States forces in Iraq, Kuwait, and several other countries under a no-bid, long-term global logistics agreement, (LOGCAP). In February 2003, Halliburton received a five-year extension, $7 billion no-bid contract for services in Iraq. During the course of awarding and executing these contracts at least two people made the decision to become whistle blowers, a government employee, and a Halliburton/KBR procurance employee.The government employee discover that Halliburton/KBR was involved in closed-door meetings with the Army Corps of Engineers that resulted in the no-bid, multi-year, billion dollar contract awarded exclusively to Halliburton/KBR (Morning Edition October 29, 2004). The procurement employee detectd the specific activities at bottom Halliburton/KBR that resulted in overcharging the government and taxpayers for goods and services while simultaneously eliminating competition among potential vendors.Some allegations include soliciting higher priced products and services because the government pays a fee based on the total of goods/services procured and manipulating purchases orders to maintain a maximum of $2,500 to avoid the bidding process between prospective vendors. Specifically, Halliburtons subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root hired a Kuwaiti company, Altanmia, to supply fuel at about twice the going rate, then added a markup, for an overcharge of at least $61 million, according to a December 2003 Pentagon audit. The only problem is that $61 million is taxpayer money. Perception of Unethical Practices of Dick CheneyFrom the beginning many American citizens raised an eyebrow towards the decision to have Halliburton as a U. S falsifying contractor. This public outrage stemmed from the former vice presidents former employment as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Hallibur ton from 1995 through August 2000. KBR, the companys former subsidiary has been the main government contractor working to restore Iraqs oil industry that was awarded without competitive bidding in 2001. According to Cheneys 2001 financial disclosure report, the vice presidents Halliburton benefits included three batches of stock options comprising 433,333 shares.He also has a 401(k) retirement account valued at between $1,001 and $15,000 dollars. His deferred compensation account was valued at between $500,000 and $1 million, and generated income of $50,000 to $100,000. Halliburton has contracts worth more than $1. 7 billion for its work in Iraq, and it could make hundreds of millions more from a no-bid contract. During Cheneys tenure as the defense secretary, the Pentagon chose Halliburtons subsidiary KBR to study the cost effectiveness of outsourcing some military operations to private contractors.Based on the results of the study, the Pentagon hired KBR to implement an outsourcin g plan (Washington lieu Sep 26, 2003). Many companies like Bechtel, Exxon, Blackwater and Halliburton have profited from the Iraq war. It is no secret that war creates wealth for those companies canny enough to exploit it, and not be killed by it. Is Dick Cheney one of these? After his departure from office former vice president Cheney go away be free to profit in whatever way he feels. The ethical question is, however, has he ever really left it?And by not leaving it, was he in ethical violation of his oath of office, at the very least? Stakeholders The stakeholders in this situation are the client, which is the U. S. government and American taxpayers who are the investors or funders of the government the vendors, who through the bidding process maintain a competitive and profitable business environment and employees who make sure that their employers receive the best value for the services and products they procure. Ethical plights The first ethical dilemmas is if employees sho uld bring erroneousness to the surface and if so, how?Will the decision violate the privacy of vendors or other employees? Is it legal to disclose certain activities touch based to defense contracts? Secondary ethical issues relate directly to the stakeholders. Is the U. S. government unfairly awarding contracts? Is that awarding process facilitating a culture of overcharging, which is absorbed by U. S. taxpayers? Are vendors intentionally overcharging Halliburton/KBR? Are Halliburton/KBRs procurement practices eliminating competition in the marketplace? Analysis The primary issue in this situation is whistle blowing.Whistle blowing means calling attention to wrongdoing that is occurring within an organization. (Nadler and Schulman 2006) Halliburton is still under investigation by the FBI. Perhaps the negative publicity and the case caused the contract to be divided with Halliburton winning one of the parts in a public bid. The underlying secondary issues include exposing potentia lly fraudulent business activities, financial irresponsibility, and illegally profiting from public funding. The government employee wrote and spoke to superiors about the activities.The government employee sought legal counsel upon deciding to go public with their disclosure. Finally, both made their testimonies to the proper investigating bodies including the FBI, the U. S. House of Representatives Committees on Government Reform and muscle and Commerce. For their troubles, the government employee and Halliburton/KBR procurement employee were forced into a whistle-blowers protection program. Conclusion In the public sector, whistle blowers are often faced with the dilemma that their choice to disclose can constitute a criminal act.In both cases these employees called attention to suspected activities within their organizations before going outside or public. Employees faced with this dilemma must identify the stakeholders and ethical issues that concern them, and then make calcul ated decision whether or not to disclose. The facts surrounding whether or not the U. S. government are unfairly awarding contracts will be an ongoing issue. Despite all the measures set forth to regulate the procurement of contracts, greed for money will impart a critical factor for the people that have weak ethical character.Whether you are the employee or employer being the standard bearer in ethical situations will earn the respect of others as well as keeping you out of big trouble.ReferencesAnalysis FBI investigates whether Pentagon officials committed fraud in their handling of a no-bid contract to a subsidiary of Halliburton before the Iraq War. (1000-1100 AM)(Broadcast transcript). (Oct 29, 2004). Morning Edition, p. NA. Retrieved February 08, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale. Donahue, J. (Nov-Dec 2005). Treading on the taxpayer. Multinational Monitor, 26, 11-12.p. 7(2).Retrieved February 08, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale. Nadler, J. & Schulman, M. Whistle Blowing in the Public Sector. Santa Clara University Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Retrieved February 9, 2008, from http//www. scu. edu/ethics/practicing/f ocusareas/government_ethics/introductio n/whistleblowing. html. Profile US Army will allow bidding for contract work in Iraq initially given to Halliburton. (1000-1100 AM)(Broadcast transcript). (Sept 8, 2004). Morning Edition, p. NA. Retrieved February 08, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale.

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Forward Integration or Horizontal Expansion? Essay

In early March 2004, Alejandro Perez, president and CEO of Chilean forestry union, Arauco, was about to present his recommendations to the batting order of directors as to whether the company should invest US$1 billion to construct a new state-of-the-art chemical cornmeal mush endt. The whole kit, part of a multiphase project called Nueva Aldea, would change magnitude Araucos message by near 800,000 scores to 3. 2 cardinal tons, placing the company as the largest producer of market soma, just fore of Aracruz in Brazil.Two years earlier, Araucos batting order approved the first phase of the Nueva Aldea project for US$150 one thousand million, which consisted of building a sawmill, ply woodwindland mill, and verve complex. The second phase involve constructing a treacle mill following the inauguration of the new Valdivia plant on January 30, 2004. The Valdivia plant had a designed labor capacity of 700,000 tons of soma, with an operating life between 30 and 40 y ears and expected sales of USD $350 million per year.1 Perez was concerned about the downward(prenominal) trend in market flesh prices over the last three years. In addition, major paper companies, the sole buyers of market cornmeal mush, were typically backwardintegrated into the action of human body. Perez was confident, however, that the board would trust his judgment given Araucos tremendous success in recent ventures into remanufactured wood products (such as cut stock, blanks, clear rips, and decking balusters), plywood, and fiberboard panels.Perez anticipated the toughest scruple the board would pose would shareholders be better served by a strong-willed forward integration move into paper manufacturing rather than the horizontal reaping plan he was proposing? Further much, was a large resource commitment a good strategic move at this point? History of Arauco and COPEC Arauco was courseed by means of a merger between Industrias Arauco and Celulosa Constitucion in 197 9. Both companies had been created 20 years earlier by the Chilean government to develop forest resources, improve soil feature, and call down employment.In the late 1970s, the Chilean government had initiated an aggressive privatization program, which resulted in the sale of Industrias Arauco in 1977 to Compania de Petroleos de Chile (COPEC), a conglomerate winding in oil and gas, fishing, ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Professors Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Jorge Tarzijan (Universidad Catolica de Chile) and investigate Associate Jordan Mitchell prepared this case. HBS cases are developed solely as the radix for class discussion.Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective management. Copyright 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, ca ll 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http//www. hbsp. harvard. edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, handlingd in a spreadsheet, or patrimonial in any form or by any meanselectronic, machinelike, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the permission of Harvard Business School.705-474 Arauco (A) Forward Integration or level Expansion? forest management, and pulp. Two years later in 1979, COPEC obtaind Celulosa Constitucion, merging the two entities to create Celulosa Arauco y Constitucion SA (referred to as Arauco). Arauco began its expansion plan in the 1980s, which involved purchasing land and plantations and installing new technology equipment to improve efficiencies to compete effectively in the world market pulp arena.The expansion plan pay saturnine as the companys sum up holdings in hectares2 grew from 170,000 in 1980 to 1,200,000 hectares in 2003. 3 Throughout the 1990 s, the company increased its achievement capacity by constructing a second channel at the Arauco mill, introducing new bleaching systems, entering new product lines, and expanding energy generation at its plants. By 1996, Arauco moved across the restrict to genus Argentina to purchase the company countertenor Parana, expanding the companys overall product offerings, land holdings, and production capacity.In 2000, Arauco aggressively increased its capacity unless(prenominal) again by purchasing its third mill in Chile, increasing production in Argentina, and entering into the MDF (medium-density fiberboard) and HB (hardboard) markets through stakes in sawmill PANELS plants such as Cholguan and Trupan. In late 2001, the company commenced a three-year construction project of its new mill, the Valdivia mill, at an estimated speak to of US$600 million. The Valdivia plant had opened in January 2004 with a total construction cost of US$1.2 billion US$900 million was apportioned to the purchase of the plants assets (a pulp plant and other assets), and US$300 million was for the creation of a 100,000 hectare forest. 4 The plant was the worlds fifth-largest played out kraft pulp plant and the largest in Chile. By 2004, Arauco was one of the worlds premier forestry enterprises in terms of plantation areas and yields. It was also involved in the production of market kraft wood pulp, saw timber, and wood panels with forest plantations throughout Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. Arauco had sales offices in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Holland, Japan, and the U.S. , and distributorships in Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and India. (Exhibit 1 shows Araucos corporate structure. ) COPEC was the majority shareholder with 99. 98% self-possession of Araucos shares. COPEC This company was founded after the stock market crash in 1929 with the intention of guaranteeing fuel supplies in Chile. 5 As of the end of 2003, the market capitalization of COP EC was figurely US$9. 3 billion, which equal 12% of the market capitalization of all publicly traded companies in Chile.COPEC was publicly traded with the majority of shares being indirectly held by the Angelini Group (via another company, AntarChile). Anacleto Angelini, part owner of the Angelini Group, was deemed to be one of the 10 richest men in Latin America by Forbes magazine. 6 COPECs coalesced sales were US$2. 7 billion, with operating income at $375 million. Although 35% of COPECs sales7 came from forestry, COPECs profits were tied closely to pulp prices, since 78% of the companys EBITDA originated from Arauco. 8 Other sales were derived from fuels (60. 4%), fishing (1.4%), and other investments (3. 2%). Araucos Strategy Arauco explained its central strategy in a letter to shareholders The central idea behind our global strategy is to strengthence our position as one of the most important forestry companies in Latin America, employing the companys size to achieve the ne cessary economies of scale for positioning ourselves as a company that provides a reasonable return to its shareholders while properly meeting its responsibilities to its employees, the country and the communities where it develops its activities.In the forestry area, Araucos strategy is to increase the value of it forest resources, consisting of radiata and 2 Arauco (A) Forward Integration or plain Expansion? 705-474 taeda pine tree and eucalyptus through get on purchases but especially through making intensive use of the most advanced technologies in transmitted improvement, forest management and pest, weed and fire protection. 9 The company felt that it could achieve its strategy through implementing a capital expenditure plan aimed at increasing capacity, efficiency, and productivity in both pulp and wood products. speckle the companys current strength was in softwood through its radiata and taeda pine forests, Arauco wanted to increase its hardwood pulp production by plantin g eucalyptus trees. By using advanced forest techniques, the company hoped that it would improve product quality and increase margins. An analyst described Araucos cost advantage in comparison with its northern counterparts Arauco has a leading business position in the volatile market pulp manufacturing due to its lowcost production capabilities.Unlike watery softwood market pulp producers in the northeasterlyern Hemisphere, Arauco produces discolor softwood kraft pulp for less than $300 per ton. As a result, Arauco has been able to generate positive cash flows during troughs in the market pulp cycle. Nevertheless, like all producers of market pulp, Arauco is not able to escape the impact of price swings on its financial performance. This is reflected in the companys credit protection measures, which suffer improved over the past two years as prices have risen.10 Perez gave his visible horizon of Araucos performance against its strategy, in light of difficult economic conditio ns in Chile During several years, the company has been concentrated in the pulp business because we had young forests. But while they were maturing, we developed other important businesses like woods and panels that gave a bit more stability to the results. As well, investments make to improve our assets, our operational strength, and economic conditionslike the favorable exchange rate for export industrieshave all helped to reduce operational costs.And, theres a third reason that were different from other large Chilean companies that have a presence in Argentina. Were oriented to exports. The crisis in Argentina has shook us like it has others, but our focus has allowed us to gain access to other markets and weather the storm. 11 An industry observer commented on Araucos decreasing reliance on pulp The firm . . . has been diversifying their business lines to minimize the impact of the volatility of pulp pricesone of their principal sources of income.The search to expand the company s horizons have already had some repercussions to the companys image traditionally, theyve been called Celulosa Arauco y Constitucion (Celarauco) or Celco, but now the company is positioning themselves more oftentimes with the name Arauco. 12 Product Segments Arauco had three main product segments pulp products, such as bleached and innate kraft pulp forestry products like pulpwood and sawlogs and wood products, which included flitches, lumber, remanufactured wood products and panels. (Exhibits 2 and 3 show Araucos overall financials, employee base,and sales by product segment. ) Pulp Pulp was use primarily in the manufacturing of paper and paperboard products, although pulp was also occupied in other products like rayon, photographic films, cellophane and explosives. 13 3 705-474 Arauco (A) Forward Integration or Horizontal Expansion? Ninety percent of the worlds pulp originated from wood and 10% was produced through alternative materials such as straw bamboo, bagasse, kenaf, f lax, hemp, and cotton. 14 Processes and types there were several types of kraft pulp traded throughout the world.Pulp could either be bleached or unbleached and derived from either hardwood or softwood. Two processes existed for producing pulp mechanical (produced by shredding logs or wood chips) and chemical ( do by cooking wood chips in a solution). Chemical pulp was throw out subdivided into two groups sulphite pulp and sulphate pulp (more comm notwithstanding called kraft pulp, meaning strong in German). By 2004, the kraft process was the worlds predominant chemical pulping method chronicle for 95 per cent of all chemical pulp. Kraft pulp was brown in color, and was thus bleached for most applications.For example, in the manufacturing of white paper, pulp was bleached at the end of the pulping process. In contrast, brown paper bags were manufactured from unbleached kraft paper. Arauco elected to produce all of their pulp through the kraft process. a Each region specialized i n a given category for example, northern bleached softwood kraft pulp was produced mainly in Canada, the U. S. , Russia and Scandinavia and bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp was made mostly in Latin America. Araucos production of pulp Over 50% of Araucos revenues were generated by pulp sales.As of early 2004, Arauco had fiver pulp mills in Chile Arauco I, Arauco II, Constitucion, Licancel, and the newly constructed Valdivia. The company also controlled another pulp mill, which was part of the wholly have Argentinean company Alto Parana. (Exhibit 4 provides information about each mill. ) Arauco Mills (both I and II) were located 600 kilometers south of Chiles capital, Santiago, in what was known as the eighth region15 of Chile. The annual capacity of Arauco I was 290,000 metric tons of eucalyptus kraft pulp or 200,000 metric tons of RADIATA kraft pulp.Arauco II produced wholly bleached radiata pine pulp, and its annual production capacity was about 500,000 tons. Both mills were equip ped to produce elementary chlorine-free pulpa pulp that avoided the use of environmentally harmful chlorine gases. Constitucion Mill was located 360 kilometers southwest of Santiago in the seventh region of Chile, and boasted a capacity of 355,000 metric tons of unbleached pulp. Licancel made elementary chlorine-free bleached radiate and eucalyptus kraft wood pulp, which was used primarily in the production of printing, writing, hygienic, and industrial papers.Its production was about 120,000 tons annually. Based in Misiones, Argentina, Alto Parana produced approximately 350,000 tons of bleached softwood kraft wood pulp from tadea pinewood, supplied both from its own plantations and independent sources. The companys pulp mills were not affected by seasonality and generally ran at capacity throughout the year except eight to ten days of livelihood every 12 months. Arauco was the worlds largest single producer of unbleached softwood kraft pulp, holding 15. 8% of the total market.The company actively exported around the world, with Asia as its major destination for export sales. Pulp represented US$709. 8 million or 48. 7% of Araucos sales in 2003. (Exhibit 5 shows Araucos pulp exports. ) Arauco Electricity Generation To combat against rising electricity costs in Chile in the first half of the 2000s, Arauco installed two electricity generating turbines beside its pulp production facilities at an approximate cost of $60 million. Combined, the turbines have a capacity of approximately 250 megawatts (MW) per year. Araucos plants used 120 MW, leaving 130MW superfluous electricity generation capacity.Arauco had decided to install the additional capacity (which cost roughly $20 million of the total $60 million) so that it could sell the excess electricity to the Chilean a The word kraft was derived from the German word strong. 4 Arauco (A) Forward Integration or Horizontal Expansion? 705-474 electricity grid. Arauco was the only Chilean manufacturer who engaged i n energy trading of such magnitude revenues from selling off the additional energy averaged about $100 million per year. Selling market pulp Arauco marketed all bleached pulp under the name Arauco and unbleached pulp under the name Celco. Pulp was a good and was marketed by pulp producers mostly on price and service to nonintegrated paper manufacturers. Arauco aimed to establish long-term relationships with nonintegrated paper manufacturers by providing competitively priced and high-quality pulp. (Araucos cost of producing pulp per ton is shown in Exhibit 6). Besides these costs, there were selling and administrative expenses averaging approximately 9% of yearly revenues. The asset beta of pulp production and sales was 0. 9. Arauco also tightly controlled its inventories, attempting to sell its bleached and unbleached pulp at favorable market prices.(Exhibit 7 shows Araucos Chilean bleached and unbleached pine pulp prices (CIF) per metric ton. ) Forests Araucos forestry products wer e classified as either sawlogs or pulpwood. Arauco was Chiles largest radiata pine owner, with 33% of the countrys total plantations. Radiata pine was a fastgrowing conifer tree and was highly regarded for its quality of wood. Chilean climatic conditions were ideal for the growth of radiata pine, and the country was generally considered to have the richest natural resources of radiata pine in the world.Common uses for the radiata pine were decorative veneer, form work, heavy and light construction, joinery, paneling, pulp/paper products, wainscotings, packing cases, boxes, crates, and building materials. In Chile, the harvesting of pulp logs could take place 16 to 18 years after planting and high-quality saw logs could be harvested in 25 years. In contrast, pulp logs cultivated in the northern hemisphere were harvested only 18 to 45 years after plantation and sawlogs required 50 to 150 years. Radiata pine in Chile had a high yield per hectare due to the quality of soil, making it po ssible to plant a larger number of pines by hectare.The first seven to 12 meters of the radiata pine tree was the highest quality part and was used in sawmills and plywood mills. The next eight to 13 meters was destined to sawmills or pulp mills depending on diam and density of knot distribution. The top section was used for pulp and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) production. (Exhibit 8 shows a diagram of a tree and its multiple uses. ) Forests management Araucos forest holdings were geographically split by farmlands. To control forest fires, the company operated an organization dedicated to the constant identification and extinguishing of potential hazards.(Exhibit 9 summarizes Araucos land and forest holdings in Chile as of year-end 2003. ) In addition to the 900,000 hectares Arauco owned in Chile, it owned 200,000 hectares in Argentina and Uruguay. Bioforest Bioforest was the only forestry attainment and technology research center in Chile. In its laboratories, nurseries, and greenhouses, Bioforest conducted research and evaluated the latest techniques. The company fed innovations into the rest of Araucos trading operations but did not publicise its findings to the broader research community, nor did it offer consulting services to outside companies.The total spend on research and schooling was spread throughout several areas of the company and therefore, exceeded the research and development costs listed in the companys annual financial statements. With advances in genetics and pest controls, Arauco was constantly seeking to improve the quality of its plantations. Bioforest had reached important achievements including the genetic 5 705-474 Arauco (A) Forward Integration or Horizontal Expansion? replication of high-quality radiata pine trees and eucalyptus trees. The company also researched soil fertility and insects aiming to develop strategies for hatred control.Among other techniques to exterminate parasites, the company used natural predators bi ologically designed and reproduced in its own labs. Wood Products From its plantations, Arauco provided logs to sawmills and pulp mills, and to factories for the manufacture of panels. Arauco also sold logs and a variety of wood pieces on the open market. Arauco supplemented its production of pulp logs with purchases in the Chilean market. The plantations owned by Arauco covered approximately two-thirds of the raw material necessitate for production.The remaining one-third was purchased from providers and forest owners. The company hired independent contractors to perform most of its forest operations (planting, maintenance, thinning, pruning, harvesting, transportation, and access road construction). In 2003, the company employed over 10,000 workers through more than 300 subcontracting deals, with many contractors having long-standing relationships with Arauco. One important activity performed by independent contractors was the transportation from the forest plantations and betwee n mills and ports.fifteen years earlier, Arauco had owned a complete fleet of trucks, but by 2003 the company had outsourced the majority of its transportation essentials. In some situations, Arauco provided capital to truck owners in order to expand and improve services. Arauco strove to establish long-term relationships and made renewable agreements of up to three years with truck owners and operators. Sawmills Sawmills cleaned, dried, cut, and chopped logs into sawn timber. Araucos sawmills varied in capacity and capability, with some designed toproduce green sawn timber (wood not dried in a kiln) and others designed to handle kiln-dried wood and remanufactured wood products. Arauco strategically built its sawmills close to its plantations to cut down on transportation costs and reduce time. The company owned 11 sawmills in Chile and two in Argentina that divided their production between sawn timber (green or kiln-dried) and remanufactured wood products, with an annual productio n capacity of 2. 5 million cubic meters of lumber. Arauco also owned five remanufacturing facilities that produced remanufactured wood products from reprocessed sawn timber.Like its forest operations, Arauco employed independent contractors to operate all of the sawmills and remanufacturing facilities. By 2003, Araucos sales of sawmill products represent 27. 5% of total sales. The mills had a total capacity of 5. 4 million cubic meters of sawlogs and 2. 65 million cubic meters of lumber. The Horcones II sawmill in Chile and the Misiones sawmill in Argentina were built in the first quarter of 2000 to increase production capacity by 520,000 cubic meters of sawn timber per year. The investment cost for Arauco was approximately US$52 million.At the same time, Arauco acquired Forestal Cholguan, through which it got the Cholguan sawmill, which further increased production capacity by 300,000 cubic meters of lumber per year. Panels Arauco produced plywood and fiber panels, which represente d 20. 4% of the companys sales in 2003. Arauco had expanded capacity first by building a plywood facility in 1997 at a cost of US$44 million, which increased production capacity by 230,000 cubic meters. In 2000, it built a second production line at a cost of US$30 million, and the total production of the facility reached 340,000 cubic meters.Maderas Prensadas Cholguan S. A. also became part of Arauco when the company bought Cholguan in 2000, increasing the capacity by approximately 300,000 cubic meters of MDF and HB. During 2002, two new mills MDF were set up, one in Chile and another in Argentina at a cost of US$135 million, amounting to a combined production capacity of 500,000 cubic meters. With all of these investments, Araucos current capacity was larger than one million cubic meters per year, making Arauco one of South Americas largest panel producers. 6 Arauco (A) Forward Integration or Horizontal Expansion? 705-474 Log MerchandizingArauco used a process called log merchandiz ing to determine the location of cuts on each log and the order in which each section was sent to different bordering facilities. Log merchandizing involved the use of a computer-driven scanner, which identified the logs diameter, the shape of the knots and the optimal points for the cuts. After a log was cut, it was automatically grouped and then sent to one of three destinations sawmills for timber, panel production or the chip plant (for eventual pulp production). It was estimated that the log merchandizing process saved millions of dollars per year as a 10-centimeter (3.9 inches) error variation for an optimal cut in a major batch could result in $50 million in losses. The investment to install the specific assets related to log merchandizing cost about $30 million. As an Arauco executive stated You have no idea of the quality of the tree and the number of knots until you cut it down. The log merchandizing process ensures that we are using the parts of the tree for the right pu rpose. Alto Parana Arauco acquired Alto Parana in 1996, with the main last of kick-starting profitable businesses in Argentina. The acquisition included a pulp mill and plantations.Alto Parana was located 1,300 kilometers northeast of Buenos Aires, in the Misiones duty of Argentina. The Alto Parana plant was the biggest pulp market producer in Argentina, with a capacity of 350,000 tons per year of bleached softwood kraft pulp. Arauco obtained raw material from Alto Paranas plantations. While the plantations spanned 173,000 hectares, only 86,000 hectares were planted. Since these plantations were not sufficient for Alto Paranas pulp mill capacity, approximately 50% originated from third parties. Alto Parana frequently entered into negotiations with third parties negotiating on thebasis of price, quality, availability, and delivery. Sometimes, price negotiation escalated to local government as the forestry industry was the lifeblood of the Misiones province. The proximity of third- party resources was another vital concern as transportation costs ate into margins. Alto Parana was located far away from the main ports in Argentina. Thus, it was neither plausible nor cost effective to transport raw material from other countries. Argentinas main forestry zones were located in the provinces of Misiones, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Chaco, and Patagonia.Apart from Misiones, where Alto Parana was located, Corrientes was the closest at 300 kilometers from the Alto Parana facility. In 2003, Corrientes had pine and eucalyptus plantations spanning 117,000 and 71,000 hectares, respectively. Exhibit 10 shows the approximate costs of lumber transportation inside Argentina. In addition, there were loading costs associated with moving raw materials from the forest plantations to the plants. Owners of Argentinean plantations had to choose between exporting the wood to foreign nations or selling the wood to local-based enterprises.It was estimated that the following firms would requ ire approximately 50,000 tons of market pulp each. The main Argentinean firms that needed wood as a raw material were Celulosa Argentina S. A. , specializing in the production of bleached pulp, and located in Santa Fe, 900 kilometers from Parana, with a capacity of 95,000 tons per year. Faplac S. A. , manufacturer of PBO (particle boards), located in the province of Buenos Aires about 1,000 kilometers from Alto Parana, with a capacity of 50,000 tons per year. 7 705-474 Arauco (A) Forward Integration or Horizontal Expansion? Ledesma S. A., manufacturer of notebooks and commercial paper, with a production facility in San Luis, 1,400 kilometers from Alto Parana. Ledesma manufactured about 85,000 tons of paper a year, although most of the raw material it needed to produce pulp came from pelf cane. Massuh S. A. , manufacturer of pulp and paper, with a production of 120,000 tons per year. Its pulp and paper plant was located in Quilmes, Buenos Aires province, more than 1,300 kilomete rs from Alto Parana. Papelera Jujuy, paper manufacturer, located in Jujuy, 1,100 kilometers from Alto Parana with a capacity of 50,000 tons per year. Papelera Tucuman, paper manufacturer, located in Tucuman, about 1,000 kilometers from Alto Parana, with a capacity of 50,000 tons per year. Pulp and make-up assiduity The global pulp and paper industry consisted of five main activities forestry, pulp production, paper and board production, distribution, and converting. Most of the larger players in the industry had integrated operations that involved two or more of the above activities. The industry had undergone a number of mergers and acquisitions in the 1990s as pulp and paper manufacturers struggled to enhance efficiencies, increase capacities, and lower costs.Some industry observers felt that the highly fragmented nature of the industry meant that prices were less stable. Several of the larger companies were considered to be fully integrated with the will power and operation o f forests, pulp mills, paper factories, distribution, and converting facilities. Other firms chose to focus on a particular category. The overall paper demand was determined ultimately by consumers willingness to purchase products such as newspapers, magazines, office paper, stationary, and a host of home products such as tissue and toilet paper.Paper and paperboard in packaging was widespread and used across most consumer and industrial applications. The overall usage of converted paper products (newspapers, magazines, tissue paper, diapers, etc. ) created the demand, which determined the prices for pulp and paper. The main consumers of paper were from North America, with an average consumption of 326. 5 kilograms of paper per person per year. Western Europe, Japan, and China consumed approximately 190 kilogram per person per year. Developing countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America were also increasing their usage of paper products.For example, corrugated paper in Chi na was estimated at 13 to 15 billion cubic meters a year, with growth rates projected to be 10% annually for the next 10 years. 16 The possibility of such growth had spurred several pulp, paper, and chemical companies to form joint ventures with Chinese firms. Pulp and paper prices fluctuated as producers lowered prices in times of soft demand, and moved to increase supply by building more capacity when demand was predicted to increase. Suppliers of pulp and paper controlled inventories tightly, releasing products to the marketplace at targeted times.(Exhibit 11 shows the worldwide consumption of paper. ) Environmental ConsiderationsRecycling and Substitutes to Paper Governments had been increasing regulations for pulp and paper companies to avoid clearcutting forests, to reduce chemical by-products such as chlorine, limit gas emissions from the operation of factories, and increase recycling. With greater environmental pressures, the three R guideword (reduce, reuse and recycle) wa s creating alternative industries and increasing global 8 Arauco (A) Forward Integration or Horizontal Expansion? 705-474capabilities to recycle paper. For example, in the U. S. , it was estimated that approximately 42% of paper was recovered for recycling. 17 Recycled fibers from paper replaced the use of pulp in paper manufacturing. Using recycled fibers had several advantages, including lower costs to recycle paper than to produce pulp, the decrement of wood usage, lower residues released into the environment, and an overall drop in the cost of environmental treatment. The major disadvantage of using recycled fibers was that its output per comparable ton was much less than pulp.Recycled fibers could be reused between five to seven times after seven times, the fibers became too short for papermaking. 18 Recycled fibers were experiencing modest growth, with production growing at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 6% moving from 48 million tons annually in 1980 to an es timated 150 million in 2000. Some industry observers felt that the increasing use of computers, handheld devices, and mobile phones would act as a substitute for paper. However, with more information passing through these mediums, other industry observers felt that paper usage would increase.The Paper and Paperboard Industry Over half of the material that went into making paper and paperboard was made using pulp. Other materials included recycled fiber, chemicals, and minerals. By mixing together different variations of softwood or hardwood pulp, the paper manufacturer could produce a product for a specific intent. Paper products ranged from uncoated free sheets (such as regular writing paper) to coated free sheets, tissues, newsprint, and coated and uncoated groundwood. The worldwide paper market was estimated to be greater than 330 million tons at the end of 2003.The paper market had experienced three years of soft demand with no real growth in dollar terms since 2000. As of March 2004, an analyst assessed the worldwide paper market Global paper demand is on the mend. U. S. prices are possible to lead the way into price recovery with a meaningful positive effect on U. S. earnings in the second quarter and should gain further in the second half. The U. S. dollar sets the tone for the sentiment to invest in the paper sector. While a weaker U. S. dollar undoubtedly has negative implications for earnings in the near termthe impact of a weaker U. S. dollar is dwarfed in comparison to the impact of higher prices. . . . European paper prices have bottomed in our view and it appears likely that higher prices should start to impact earnings in some early cycle segments from the third quarter onwards. Later cycle segments, such as newsprint and SC paper, should see a nice price rebound in the early stages of 2005. Prices have been on a downward trajectory since the one-quarter quarter of 2000 but the tide is now turning. 19 Paper and Paperboard CompaniesMost of the large paper companies chose to operate a completely integrated structure that included the ownership of forests, pulp mills, paper manufacturing facilities, distribution arms, and converting capabilities. However, there were a number of smaller local firms that produced paper based on the specific need of their markets. These smaller paper manufacturers typically purchased raw materials such as pulp from suppliers based on the type of pulp (bleached, unbleached, softwood, hardwood, etc.), the cost, and the service details. Some industry insiders felt that maintaining a fully integrated structure allowed for greater negotiation leverage with the main suppliers to the industry, such as chemical providers and paper and pulp machinery manufacturers. 9 705-474 Arauco (A) Forward Integration or Horizontal Expansion? Exhibit 12 shows a list of 25 of the worlds largest paper companies. The top five producers included 1. International Paper Co. (U. S. ) had revenues of $25. 2 billion and pro fits of $302 million in 2003.The company was a fully integrated enterprise producing plywood, paper, pulp, packaging, and chemical by-products from papermaking. It controlled over 10 million acres of forestlands in the U. S. , Brazil, and New Zealand. 20 2. Georgia-Pacific Corp. (U. S. ) had revenues of $20. 2 billion and profits of $254 million in 2003. Like its main rival, International Paper Co, Georgia-Pacific was a vertically integrated competitor in pulp, paper, lumber, plywood, oriented strand board, adhesives, and a number of paper consumer products.The company planned on spinning off its consumer products division but changed plans due to weak equity markets in 2002. However, it did sell majority ownership of its distribution arm, Unisource Worldwide. 21 3. Stora Enso Corp. (Finland) had revenues of $15. 2 billion and profits of $182 million. Stora Enso was involved in the manufacturing of a wide variety of products such as magazine paper, newsprint, fine papers, packaging, graphic products, office papers, wallpaper base, and sawn timber. 22

Friday, May 24, 2019

Public Health in Microbiological Labs in Middle East Essay

The focus of public wellness intervention is to mitigate health and quality of life through the prevention and give-and-take of diseases and other physical and mental health conditions, through surveillance of cases and the promotion of healthy behaviors .and because the field playing challenges and professionals to meet the complex health issues. I conjure to apply for PhD in public health.Because intended to build on the current health-for-all strategy and act as a blueprint for gathering and using reading for health to guide policy-makers and service providers of a future health system. Its main theme is the orientation or reshaping of health services so that improving plentys health and quality of life becomes the primary and unifying focus of the work of health c be policy-makers and providers.The works in microbiological labs faced a jackpot of infectious disease, environmental hazards, and injury. Listeriosis, a serious infection usually caused by eating diet contaminat ed with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, is an important public health business around the world. The disease primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems. However, rarely, persons without these risk factors tummy to a fault be affected. The risk may be trim back by recommendations for safe food preparation, consumption, and storage. and because at that place are no vaccines against the bacteria that cause listeriosis, I want to study this case to understand how go off we improve the public health in different microbiological labs (food and clinical) especially for women .Also, Health systems currently operate within an environment of rapid social, economic and technological change. Health systems are also nowadays under continuous scrutiny by planners, purchasers and users of the services. Inorder to achieve the overall goals of good health, it is important to identify some of the critical health challenges facing heal th development. The critical health challenges are in the areas of strengthening the organization of health services health financing health resources for health and health education Food safety poses a growing public health concern with potentially serious economic consequences.The primary work purpose is to use microbiology to improve the health of populations in collaboration with other public health disciplines especially with epidemiologists. We have to preparedness for responding to new infectious diseases threats requires a sustainable infrastructure of microbiological laboratories which play a central role in detection, monitoring, outbreak response, and providing scientific evidence to prevent and control infectious diseases. A range of expertise is necessary to fulfill these requirements including epidemiology and public health microbiology. microbiologists is required to provide access to experts with expertise/experience of the important communicable diseases at the re gional, national and international train for mounting a rapid response to emerging health threats. Because the organizational laboratory ne 2rk models and provision of expert professionals serving these functions differ widely crossways Middle East.(http//ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/Publications/1012_Methodology of studyThe study will be conducted in microbiological labs (food & medical microbiology labs)inside or outside the university and the parts of research may taken in my country. The methods include library research, lab work, volunteers, survey evaluation and analysis.Search Plan & Project TimelineThe objective of this activity is to acquire the skills necessary to plan, conduct and fail an epidemiological study and to interpret andcommunicate its resultsIt is recommended that fellows participate in all stages of a study. Although this may not always be possible within two years, the fellow should attempt to contribute to as many stages as possible Identify a problem of public health importance appraise books Identify and write study question and the hypothesis to be tested Choose the study design and study population Choose appropriate methodological analysis Develop a plan of analysis Write a detailed protocol (obtain a review of the protocol from the host institute supervisor and EPIET coordinators) test financial support if necessary Conduct a pilot study and, if necessary, make modifications Constitute and brief the study team up Manage a team Obtain ethical approval Collect and analyse data Interpret the results Disseminate and communicate the information Write a scientific report and/or a scientific article4. Expected outcome from proposed researchAfter completion of my research activities by go aboutting information about the condition of microbiological labs in my country. The government could take necessary initiatives for immediate prevention and application of the public health to the buildings and staff working in this field f rom prevention them to disembowel acquired for the diseases that can get from the pathogenic bacteria. After public health application we can get lab accredited. The Government organizations and different non-government organizations will also be benefited by getting such research information. The Government policy maker can be used this study finding in their regulating and planning activities.5. practise of the Expected outputThe proposed research can become a role model in conducting similar research in other communities and countries espicaally if we looking for the sad middle east countries like Pakistan , Somalia, sudan ,,,,,,,,,,,etc.The outcomes of the proposed research can also be used in developing new techniques for sustainable lab management.It can also be used in improving the existing community.The research work can develop awareness among the local people about the diseasesTo take stapes to increase awareness among the local community.To maintain the environment he althy and clean.To fix-up correct type of treatment units and effective measures.To know the operational efficiency of various units of treatment.Review of LiteratureFIELDWORK Since my research question deals partly with what attitudes and information influence individuals diet choices, I will use two types of labs fronts for my field research Food, microbiological labs which based on food born microorganisms and medical microbiological labs which based on in some chronic diseases of humans especially in the woman.It will allow me to learn how if there is any difference between the danger can caused to the woman especially to the pregnant woman by the isolation of food borne bacteria and clinical bacteria (i.e if there is any difference in the affect of the same strains bacteria like listeria monocytogenousus from food or from clinical ) and also understand how toward public health, can impact upon their business.INDUSTRY and ITS CRITICSI will look at a number of public resources p roduced related to food and clinical. Government statistics and food safety/ care programs will be part of my interest. But I will also want to see what kind of argument is going on between food and clinical groups. How do they report information about crises and how do they describe the health and safety issues.BOOKS ON microbiological bacteria POPULAR MEDIAI hope to get a sense of some of the general trends in microbiology bacteria toward what who they deal with the pathogenic bacteria.ACADEMIC and SPECIALIZED JOURNALS ON microbiologyUltimately I hope to get some solid information on safety and risk of various kinds of bacteria, in relation both to food-borne diseases and the clinicalborne diseas, but also to general health. At this point, I have not been able to find a general enough treatment of these issues to be of much help.ReferencesListeria monocytogenes the nature, public health aspects and retrospective situations of an emerging infectious pathogen in NigerianOOC Chukwu, ID Chukwu, OA Olabode, CI Nwosuh, CI NwosuhAnimal Production Research Advances Vol. 2(2) 2006 86-93Public Health Agency of Canada. (2008). Listeria monocytogenes outbreak.http//www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-alerte/listeria/listeria_2008-eng.phpRoberts, A. J., & Wiedmann, M. (2003). Pathogen, host and environmental factors contributing to the pathogenesis of listeriosis. cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 60(5), 904-918

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Imagination

Is Imagination More Important Than Knowledge? The French philosopher Simons Well wrote, Imagination and fiction make up much than three quarters of our real life. The more you think about this quote, the more you realize it is rather accurate. We are surrounded by the creative imaginations of millions of people. They intrude into our habitual lives, from the books we read, to the television we watch, to the design of the last building you saw. These manifestations of imagination deal become a part of not just our lives, but of our culture.This begs the question, how much of our lives and what we know of our lives depends on this capacity to imagine? According to Albert Einstein, Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to completely we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand. I however, disagree with Mr.. Einstein. There Is an Intrinsic relationship between Imagination and knowledge, both relying upon the others existence to bring forth in the altogether Ideas. Once Imagination and knowledge have been defined, their Interrelation can be more easily mute.Without Imagination, humanness would lack the ability to derive new creative thinkers, but without prior knowledge, they would not know how to go about putting the new ideas into action. Every idea that imagination cogitates is based upon knowledge of another idea. The Romans, for example, borrowed the idea for their aqueducts from other ancient civilizations and make betterd upon it. The dependency between knowledge and imagination in determining new ideas is so complex, that neither can be deemed of greater importance than the other.To better comprehend the complex relationship between Imagination and knowledge, one must first understand what they entail Individually. The Oxford Dictionary defines Imagination as the faculty or action of forming new Ideas, or images or concepts of external o bjects not present to the senses. Imagination is the capability to conceive something new, but not completely without precedent. Without this capability, humans would not have the mental capacity to derive anything new and thus would not be able to ameliorate. Humanity without imagination could no endless be considered humanity, as we would essentially descend to the level of animals.Knowledge is described by the Oxford Dictionary as 1 . Facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education the divinatory or practical understanding of a subject. 2. Awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation. Note that both definitions expressly show the requirement of experience as a prior necessity. This suggests that you cant make something out of nothing, there has to be a platform on which to begin and off of which to expand. Existence. To begin, humans need imagination to acquire new knowledge.Without imagination in this respect, humans wouldnt have the understanding that there is in fact more knowledge to be acquired. Even if this were not so, imagination would still be required to develop a method of obtaining the new knowledge. Imagination is also essential in the betrothal of new ideas. Humans need the capacity to imagine the possibility of something other than what they know exists, in order to accept the new knowledge. Now to consider the reversion side of the relationship imaginations dependency on knowledge. New ideas, the products of imagination, are improvements of existing ideas, or previous knowledge.Inventors use their imagination to address a problem that they have happened upon in an attempt to resolve the issue. An article from The New Yorker by Malcolm Caldwell suggests that all inverters are actually attackers. The tweaked inherits things as they are, and has to push and pull them toward some more tight perfect solution. All new ideas are therefore based on a pre-existent notion. Knowledge of that not ion and its flaws as well as how to improve upon its flaws are necessary to come up with a new idea that is in theory, better than the revises one.A relatively well-known example of attackers in human write up is the Romans. The Romans borrowed most of the ideas that most people now give them credit for from other ancient civilizations, notably the Greeks, Egyptians, Assyrian and Babylonians. One such improved upon invention that we use to this solar day would be plumbing. Roman aqueducts are renowned for their efficiency and ingeniousness, yet they were first used in Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. The Romans simply took an idea they coveted and improved upon it, using it to rubbish drought and water their crops.The Romans improvements eventually led to our version of plumbing, something indispensable in modern homes. The complexity of the interactions between imagination and knowledge are better understood after they have both been defined. Imagination is the capability to conceive a notion based upon pre-existent knowledge, whereas knowledge is obtained by imagination being allowed to improve upon existing ideas. The Romans frequently improved upon pre-existing ideas borrowed from other civilizations, the results of which we still use today.Imagination and Knowledge are like two parts to a ricer, but you cant pronounce which part of the circle is which. They are interdependent, each relying upon the others existence to aide our society in thriving.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Code of Hammurabi

The Code of Hammurabi To make justice visible in the land to destroy the evil person and the evil-doer, that the strong might not injure the weak. The Code of Hammurabi was a law code written by King Hammurabi. The code was carved in a black pillar and was placed in a temple. This was so the entire village had knowledge of it. It was written sometime mingled with 1792 to 1750 B. C. E. and was partly found off of the Code of Lipit-Ishtar.People in the 1700s were punished, although punishments werent meant to exceed the hatred, women had less rights and lower social standing past men, and they highly valued family. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, represents a harsh sense of justice based on revenge. King Hammurabi made his laws this way to prevent crimes from happening. Once a person knew penalty of a crime the likelihood of the person committing a crime greatly decreased. Also, he wanted this all people were not viewed as equals.The punishments for the same crime co mmitted by a free man versus a slave were incredibly harsher towards the slave. If a man knocked out the tooth of a man that is equal his tooth shall be knocked out, whereas if a slave had knocked out the tooth of a free man he would vex to pay one third of mina of silver. King Hammurabi may have wanted quality and he did not achieve it through his laws. Woman may have played important roles in the Babylonian society, but they certainty were not treated this way.The Hammurabi Code is extremely gender bias towards women, the laws were meant to control the woman in the society. Women were viewed more as an arranged contract between the womans father and her suitor. If a man has taken a wife and has not executed a marriage contract, that woman is not his wife. If a wife is caught cheating in the act she can be strangled or become her husbands slave, whereas if a husband is caught cheating he has to pay tell wife. Clearly, women were treated unfairly compared to men in this society. These laws were considered family laws. Family was the basic unit of daily life. Laws required deep respect towards parents. If a son struck his father, his hands shall be cut off. Hammurabi Code forbids incest. It states if a man has committed incest with his daughter, that men shall be banished from the city. Babylonian Society was very concerned about gender, class, and family. Women were viewed more as possessions then people. Women didnt get to pick their husband their father chose and made the arrangements with their future husband.A white male had a higher standing in society than a black man. If a white man and a black man committed the same crime, the black man would face worse consequences. You cannot disown your children legally, unless the verbalise child committed a grave misdemeanor. The most concerned problem for Babylonian society was people lying in trial to a Judge. In most cases punishment for this was death, a serious problem that results in a serious punishme nt. The Code of Hammurabi showed the types of crimes they had thousands of years ago.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Birth control essay Essay

arresture instruction has come a long way since the introduction of the deport maneuver pill. There are now more than than a dozen methods to choose from.The most common ones could be safety devices and birth project pills.Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, but none of those methods can be 100% safe,except for abstinence.None having sex with another person is the yet way to be 100%effective of birth control. A condom is a barrier method commonly routined during internal intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy. As a method of birth control, condoms get hold of the advantage of being inexpensive, easy to engross, having a couple of(prenominal) side effects, and oblation protection against sexually transmitted diseases. When used consistently and correctly with e actually act of sexual intercourse, staminate condoms can foil pregnancy and STDs, including HIV/ AIDS.They are safe, and have no hormonal side-effects. They are very easy to fin d and use without seeing a healthcare provider first. Condoms do have some disadvantages too. Latex condoms may cause itching for a few people who are allergic to latex paint and/or lubricants. There is still a small possibility that a condom will err off during sex. rough people are too embarrassed to buy, ask a partner to use, mold on, take off, or throw away condoms.And condoms dresst make u feel obedient. Birth control pills provide highly reliable contraceptive protection, exceeding 99%. Even when imperfect use is addressed, the BCPs are still very effective in checking pregnancy. Birth control pills cause menstrual cycles to spend regularly and predictably.This is especially helpful for women with periods that come too often or too infrequently. Birth control pills can improve acne as well. For moderate to severe acne, which other medications cant cure, birth control pills may be prescribed.But birth control pills have disadvantages. Women taking birth control pills u sually have a small increase in both systolic and diastolic blood military press. Headaches may demoralise in women who have not previously had headaches, or can get worse in those who do. Some women should not take pills if they have specific health conditions, including some types of diabetes, liver disease.Plus, The pill costs more than condoms. People are abstinent for many reasons, including to prevent pregnancy.And it is definitely the easiest,safest and the most convenient way to prevent pregnancy.People can choose abstinence to prevent STDs, wait until theyre ready for a sexual relationship, focuson school, career, or extracurricular activities. Sexual relationships present risks. Abstinence is a very good way to postpone taking those risks until you are better able to handle them. There are few disadvantages to abstinence as well.People may find it difficult to abstain for long periods of time and may end their period of abstinence without being prepared to protect themse lves against pregnancy or infection.And there is often pressure from your partner or friends to have sex.lt is hard to control yourself particularly in the moment. If you really want to prevent pregnancy,the best way is obviously abstinence. lt is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy.Therefore, Its the best protection and the only guarantee. Abstinence is a good way to really get to know your boyfriend or young woman without the complications of sex.After knowing each other really well,if you really want to have sex with your boyfriend.l suggest you to use birth control pills,because they are safer even though they are much more expensive.But l dont think that you want to risk on preventing pregnancy.If you cant even afford the birth control pills,you are absolutely not ready to have a kid.But although birth control pills are 98.7% effective,there is still risk to get pregnant.So no method is completely safe except for abstinence.You have to consider carefully before you become s exually active.Dont do anything that would make yourself regret.We are all prudent for ourselves Shirly Zhou Per.3

Monday, May 20, 2019

Gordon’s Health Assessment Essay

Running Head Assessment of a Family 1Using Gordons 11 operable wellness Patterns in the Assessment of a Family Se La VieGrand C some(prenominal)on University NRS-429V Family-Centered health Promotion 28 August 2013Assessment of a Family 2Health promotion continues to be at the center of wellnessc be today. Through the procedure of Gordons 11 functional health blueprints, a infantry is formed in the gathering of information by the assessing of an individual and family in assign to identify modus vivendi airs and recipes. Through the use of these heart and soulstyle behaviors and patterns, healthcare professionals are able to come up with divers(a) diagnoses and interventions for voltage and actual problems that may interfere with ones health and wellbeing.This paper will go forthline terce questions for apiece pattern that was used to assess a specific family and help to interpret the findings through the use of Gordons 11 functional health patterns. The family intervi ewed consists of a hubby and married woman whom both(prenominal) served in the join States Armed Forces, and their three children. A summary of the findings for each health pattern will be discussed. Also, a wellness and family diagnoses will be positive and presented.When asked questions in relation to the pattern of health perception and health management, the family stated that someone who re exclusivelyy cared about their health would take the necessary steps in lay out to shit sure that their body was well maintained. The family admitted that though they knew the steps in order to determine their online health status, it had been a equate of years since anyone in the family had had a full natural. Further comments emphasized that their lifestyles and behavior was in line to the point of not ca exploitation them any further damage which including no imbibition of any type or even smoking. The save stated that he used to smoke and take up but quit six years ago. The ma rried woman made mention of drinking but had similarly quit the habit. Assessment of a Family 3The husband is a stay-at-home dad and the mom plant. The children (ages 16 and six) attend different schools at different generation of the day, while their two year old corset at home. Due to work and school schedules, breakfast and lunch are not swallowen at the uniform time. This makes it impossible to ensure that everyone is arriveting the necessary types of foods from all the non-homogeneous food groups. Due to this inconsistency, everyone is forced to eat whatever it is that may be fast and convenient in relation to the time and space on hand(predicate) because of various schedules. No one in the family is overweight but the husband and wife expressed that they would akin to lose a couple of pounds. Various weight loss regimens boast been tried but to no avail ascribable to certain ailments both suffered by the husband and wife.In the pattern of elimination, it was expres sed that using the bathroom was a normal function for everyone in the family except for the wife. She states that on that point rich person been times in which she was unable to use the bathroom and sometimes requires the help of an over-the-counter medication. The still some other time in which in that location have been problems is due to some illness that may affect the children create them issues in their pattern of elimination. The family as well stated that their diet may sometimes cause them issues in this department. The husband is lactose bigoted which the intake of any type of dairy product. He still decides to neglect this issue and still consumes various dairy products. Due to this neglect, the husband has been forced to deal with an illness (hemorrhoids) which has caused his many discomforts in the past.The pattern of performance and exercise revealed that the family did not have a hobby in which they consistently participated in. Time and schedule mulish wh at type of activity the Assessment of a Family 4 family was able to participate in. The husband stated that he loved to work out and as well had a membership at a gym. He works out at least four times a week and ensures that some type ofcardiovascular exercise is a part of his regime. The wife stated that she had a membership to a gym also but was unable to attend no more than three days a week. The wife before long suffers from a disease called fibromyalgia which causes pain to radiate throughout her body. This causes her much discomfort and intimately of the time, rules out any attempt of physical activity that would cause an increase in heart rate.Due to both husband and wife serving in the Armed Forces, pains in their bodies have become part of their terrestrial life. They are both receiving treatment for their ailments but need several prescribed medications in order to any function or have a normal day of life. Their pain causes them to limit certain unremarkable activi ties and tailor what it is they can and cant do. Their ailments range from issues with their backs, knees, and ankles, to that of migraine headaches. Recently, the wife of the house was diagnosed with arthritis in both her knees and also in her lower back. This has placed a limitation on various activities in which they are able to perform with their children. As of recent, the wife has had severe pain to the point of being unable to get out of bed and having to visit the ER (emergency room) on various occasions. Their cognitive-perceptual pattern is one that is in unbroken acknowledgment with nothing being able to rid of the issue being faced by both husband and wife.The pattern of recreation and rest is one of an issue to both husband and wife. The husband was developed numerous times to combat zones and now suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He rarely gets enough sleep through the night and is easily startled by various Assessment of a Family 5 sounds/noises. T he only bureau he can actually sleep is by taking certain prescribed medication. On the other hand, the wife has the same issue but does not get enough rest due to having pains in her body. She also has to take prescribed medications in order to be able to unloose and even get some sleep. thither are days when pain subsides and both husband and wife are able to get some sleep, while on other days, they try their dress hat to either go to sleep early or try to take catnaps in between times.Everyone in this family seems to be happy with whom they are. They are a very proud family who believe that God has made them just the way he wanted them to be. When asked if you had a chance to do everything again would they castrate anything? the reply was that they would not change a thing. Their faith and trust in God shows that they were supposed to go through everything that has been experienced in life for it made them be able to come together as a couple and also appreciate each other. They see their current place in life as one of a place of growth. Though they say some parts of life have really been rough, the husband and wife believe everything led to each other to produce what the world views of them today. Husband, wife and even children are all pleased with who they are. They made mention to the fact that if they were to change, it would be because it was something God wanted them to do in order to please him and no one else.Most friends of the family originate from the church which the family attends. Though they do not incessantly hang out with their friends, they do try to attend events or get-togethers with friends in order to break up the monotony within their relationship. The couple sees each other as their own best friend and spends most of their time together with each other. The father sees Assessment of a Family 6 himself as someone who does his best to provide for the family even though he stays at home. He does his best to ensure that everyone s personal needs are taken care of and if unable to be taken care of, there is some type of alternative solution to the issue. Mom is the most ingenuitive in the family. She loves decorating, and coming up with various ideas to design or make things scene better. The 16 year old daughter is relied on to look after her six and two year old siblings. This allows for mom and dad to get back to their purpose as a couple and be able to go out on dates and enjoy each others company.As stated earlier, the couple has three children. Husband and wife both olfactory property turn on is a very important part of their life. Though the couple they have these feelings of intercourse, intercourse had to be put aside due to the fact of the wife being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Even though thisdisease is causing an issue, sex is never ignored. There were some issues in the past in which intimacy was an issue due to the wife being in a former abusive relationship. Over the course of years, this issue has been worked out and the family can actually attest that their intimacy is better than ever.On pattern of coping and stress tolerance, the couple believes that stress is necessary part of life. Though they feel no one should ever be upset out, stress allows a person to push further and provides a drive to accomplish various tasks. There are other times when some people may feel overwhelmed and cannot handle the pressures of life. During times bid these, the husband states that a good support system is necessary which allows people to vent their frustration and also gain good advice in return. Times like these show the usefulness of a good church. The husband states that their belief and values allows them to stay in line and be able to Assessment of a Family 7 handle any type of obstacle in which they may ever face. They do their best never to go against their values and beliefs for they feel it keeps them in line in order to live a life acceptable to God. In everything they do in life, the couple feels that God should always come first, your spouse second, your children third, and hence everything else should follow.Wellness DiagnosisSENSORYPERCEPTUAL PATTERNWellness DiagnosisReadiness for Enhanced hassock LevelCOGNITIVE PATTERNWellness DiagnosisReadiness for Enhanced CognitionSLEEP lie in PATTERNWellness DiagnosisReadiness for Enhanced SleepGordons 11 Functional Health Patterns Questions Pattern of Health Perception and Health Management 1. What do you think a well managed health consists of? 2. Do you drink or smoke (If so, would you like to quit?) 3. When was the last time you had a physical to determine your current health status? Nutritional Metabolic Pattern 1. Of what food groups does the family mainly exact? 2. Is anyone in the family overweight? 3. Has the family ever tried dieting in order to lose unwanted/ inessential weight? Pattern of Elimination 1. How many times do you use the bathroom in a day? 2. Does anyone in the family ha ve any excretory problems/issues? 3. Does the food you eat affect your excretory pattern? Pattern of Activity and Exercise 1. What are your favorite hobbies? 2. Do you exercise regularly (how many times a week)? 3. Do you participate in any outdoor activities that cause an increase in heart rate? Cognitive Perceptual Pattern 1. Are you currently in any pain? 2. Do you experience any pain while performing everyday activities? 3. Have you been diagnosed with any ailments and/or illness?Pattern of Sleep and Rest 1. How many hours of sleep do you get in a day? 2. Would like to get more sleep than you usually have? 3. Are there any other methods you use in trying to relax? Pattern of Self Perception and Self Concept 1. Is there anything you want to improve about yourself? 2. Are you pleased with your current place in life? 3. If you could do things all over again, what would you change/leave the same? Role Relationship Pattern 1. Do you have friends outside your personal relationsh ip? 2. What is your current role in the family? 3. Do you wish you had more or less responsibilities? Sexuality Reproductive Pattern 1. Do you have children (if not do you want children)? 2. Is sex part of your relationship? 3. Where there any traumatic times in life that may be hindering your current sex life? Pattern of Coping and Stress Tolerance 1. Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with the things of life? 2. When things become overwhelming, what do you do to gain back control? 3. Do things have to be stressful in order for you to function? Pattern of Values and Beliefs 1. Does your values and beliefs govern how you make decisions? 2. Are there ever instances where you go against your values and/or beliefs? 4. What are your spiritual beliefs?

Sunday, May 19, 2019

A Commentary on Plath’s The Surgeon at 2am

Fraught with the stress of depression feature with the smart of a recent miscarriage, Plath was preoccupied with the cin one casept of hospitalisation when writing The Surgeon at 2am. winning on the persona of a male operating sawbones, the controlling map to her more passive role as patient, she explores the concept as the operating surgeon as master and alludes to a amplyer power in explaining the unornamented magic and complexity of the human bole. The title of this poem introduces us to its major subject matter, as is typical of Plaths poetry.The firstly two grapevines of the first stanza appear subjective and clinical, introducing us to the idea of the surgeon beingness a man of science. The line hygienic as heaven also alludes to death, a commonplace occurrence in whatsoever hospital. This is followed through by the reference to the death of the microbes. This also gives an air of control to the poem and allows the reader to empathise the controlling role of the surgeon as he performs his work.This stanza also introduces the idea of the surgeon operating as a higher power behind the scenes a snow house, frozen and peaceful explains that he is all alone in his work and that, with the patient being under anaesthetic, he has total control. The metaphor a lump of Chinese white for the mask of the patient dehumanises him somewhat the surgeon is left with a body to play with as fence to a human being. This idea is furthered with the line The soul is another light. the surgeon deals exclusively with the material and, by the humanisation caused by the mask, hygiene and silence, does not come into contact with the ethereal or profound. As such, this causes contradiction in terms with the previous theme of his higher power, and calls into question the role in which he truly plays within his field of the human body. Is he higher power or merely Santas proverbial little helper? This first stanza bes, most importantly, to introduce the message that, though the surgeon may be able to perfect the body, he is incapable of coming across the soul.The consequence stanza further bathetically reduces the surgeon to a craftsman more specifically a gardener, doing Gods dirty work in a human garden. Plath compargons organs to tubers and fruit and their blood to jammy substances, while veins are a mat of roots. The unnamed assistants seem to be undergardeners while the narrator does the finest pruning and operating. Although, evidently, the surgeon is known with the body, from the line Stenches and colours assail me, he exalts in the beauty of the body and the flawlessness of the organs that he must trim and clip.The last three lines of the stanza complete the sentiment of dirty work as opposed to higher interference. The surgeon is acutely aware of his own incompetence (I am so small) and, when set about with the perfection and complexity of the human body, finds his own actions to be clumsy and boorish I worm and hack The body with w hich the surgeon occupies himself becomes not simply a task to be completed, but rather an all-consuming landscape. In the second stanza we are introduced to the garden, perhaps a reference to Eden, while in the third, the surgeon notes sunsets and hot springs.These metaphors also certify the dehumanisation of the body on which he operates. The idea of an all-consuming task also comes through in the line I am up to my elbows in it this gives the blood and body a more active role and gives around the impression of it taking control of the surgeon, particularly in the line Still it seeps me up. The surgeon appears almost reluctant to seal off the mass of veins and leave the garden, perhaps insinuating that he feels more comfortable in his garden than in the real world, where pot are not merely bodies under a mask of white clay. In the second part of the stanza, the surgeon rhapsodises about the skill of the Romans, showing his respect for logic and discipline. Proclaiming the body to be a Roman thing, he places it on the same pedestal as Aqueducts and the Baths of Caracella, extolling its capacity for sensible deed (for example, in the pumping of the heart), while, curiously, paying little attention to its capacity for human emotion. We may perhaps infer from this that Plath mat up dehumanised by her surgeons when hospitalised.The enigmatic last line It has shut its mouth on the stone check of repose refers perhaps to the body being in an anaesthetised state. The surgeon appears to find this more noble than the real unreposed people he might encounter outside of the theatre. This anaesthetised body, statue- ilk, is wheeled off in the fourth stanza, while the surgeon sits back and veritably rubs his hands together with glee. His operating leaves him with the trimmings of the body, perhaps unwanted cuttings and prunings of the aforementioned garden. After the high praise of the Roman body, the set of teeth to rattle in a bottle and take home seem somewhat d esacrelised, indicating that the surgeon considers his work to be in removing the bad to leave only the flawless, hence loss him only with the unnecessary and crude. This furthers our understanding of the surgeon as a man of science who sees things in slow and white terms he deals merely with the necessary and unnecessary. Cannibalism is generally seen as high taboo in most societies, and the phrase a pathological salami seems intent on making the reader wince. This also shows the surgeons curve for everything not involved in his making of perfection.The phrase they will swim in vinegar like saints relics seems also somewhat tongue in cheek, as the surgeon embraces science over religion. By canvass a salami to relics, he demonstrates the importance he considers them to have. By preferring a body to a person and condemnatory both religion and the soul, we are left with the impression that the surgeon is indeed a highly clinical and somewhat cold individual. The last line, clean , pink plastic limb seems totally without feeling, as the surgeons job is done and the patient is finished, as far as he is concerned.The last stanza of the poem reintroduces the underappreciated soul, as the surgeon walks alone through the wards in the middle of the night. By using the words a new soul, we are given the idea that the surgeon has saved them and hence given them a fresh shot at life. Perhaps through the pain that induced surgery, they have undergone a sort of purgatory and hence their soul has been cleansed. Morphia makes reference both to morphine, as in the drug, and Morpheus, the Roman god of sleep and dreams, yet another reference to the Roman age.The surgeon seems bewilder by the after-effects of surgery that under the gauze sarcophagi lie individuals, floating on a morphine high. The come through drafts which Plath refers to further allow the reader to understand that the patients are, under the effect of morphine, floating inches from the ceiling. Making ref erence once again to an ancient society, the gauze sarcophagi give the impression that the patients are, in their present state, neither dead or alive, in this ward where even the night lights reminds the surgeon of human gore.The poem finishes much as it started, with the surgeon, having vie the role of gardener, Historian and scientist, resuming his role of control as a higher being. I am the sun indicates that the surgeon is the life-giving force in the hospital, most important for the continuation of the patients lives. This too may refer to deities in ancient societies such as the Aztecs. The last line further cements everything we believe about the surgeon base hit in his position of power and control, he is happy only when the people around him are being bodies, in a shuttered state, and acknowledging listlessly the power and magic of his work.