Watch the movie Dracula Untold Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Watch the Dracula Untold - Movie Review Example Vlad decides to ask the vampire for assistance and the monster tells him that he could only get temporary power by drinking its blood. The creature warns him that he would become human again if he defies the deep yearning for human blood for three days. Vlad agrees to drink the creature’s blood, and he acquires sharp senses and more strength after few minutes. The creature’s blood also gives Vlad the capacity to change into a flock of bats. Regrettably, Vlad could stay under direct sunlight to avoid burning. McLaren writes that Vlad returns to Transylvania only to meet resistance from the Turkish soldiers. He kills them alone, but his wife dies trying to save their son (2). Vlad saves his city, and he later meets another woman called Mina. The film director leaves the viewers hanging by introducing the vampire that had cursed Vlad earlier. The film ends with the vampire uttering the words â€Å"Let the Games

Democratization in the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Democratization in the Middle East - Essay Example The information revolution is seen as a leading factor of political instability in the region and as a result, it impacts on the democratization process in a negative way. This is owing to the fact that the improved infrastructure from the Persian Gulf to North Africa facilitates the effectiveness of opposition movements and terrorists. For example, Islamists in Tunisia and Saudi Arabia use recent developments in communication to fight against the current regimes. The cumulative effect of this development is a decline in democratization. The second challenge to the process of democratization is the forces of Islam and nationalism. These are known as the two most influential forces in the region. The development of Islamist factions has serious implications on the democratization process in the region as well as the relationship between Islam states and the rest of the world. For example, countries such as Algeria where Islamist regimes exist but are in their early stages may experien ce a long-term struggle that impacts democratization.Thirdly, the concept of democracy is unfamiliar in the foundations of Islam which is the main religion in the region. In other terms, democracy is irreconcilable with the Muslim religion. This can be supported by the fact that among the number of countries with an Islamic majority only twenty-three percent of them have democratically elected regimes. In fact, only one Muslim nation across the world is considered as democratic.

Communications Journal Essay Example for Free

Communications Journal Essay Write a 700- to 1,050-word journal entry in the narrative style. Refer to this week’s readings to inform your responses. Describe the flow of information in your company. In your journal, discuss the following: The intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, organizational, and intercultural levels of communication within your company How information travels up, down, and across your organization and how it relates to the basic communications model The functions of the Y hierarchy of managerial communications. Does it apply to your organization’s communication hierarchy? A comparison of at least three managerial communication approaches you have observed in your organization At least three potential barriers to effective communications that exist in your company Format your journal entry consistent with APA guidelines. Information flow within an organization is just one key element to any organizations success. During this entry I will be describing the communication levels of Cubic, which is currently the organization that I work for. How that information flow from top to bottom, and the communication of the upper level management. I will also be comparing three managerial approaches within the company that I have observed, and three potential barriers to the communication within my organization. The intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, organizational and intercultural levels of communications are all on display within the Cubic organization. There are multiple Taff’s within building 990 on Fort Irwin providing the same product for the government. Each Taff is comprised of six to nine personnel who are continuously communicating to provide a product for the government. Interpersonal communication is continuously conducted within each group so that nothing ever falls between the cracks. Indi viduals are always communicating with themselves due to the constant mission changes and be able to adapt to change quickly. There is a very diverse workforce here also, mostly all retirees but from many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. As mentioned previously we generally work in small groups and communicate like one. It is almost like every Taff is its own little click,  we talk about others and they talk about us. So outside of our Taff we can generally be considered rivals in a matter of speaking. Information travels generally in one direction from our customer (Government) to us. There are occasions when we have a little say so in the actual product but for the most part it is a one-sided show. We have the Government, site manager Paul Zamora, our Taff Lead is Clarence Butler, and then there is the Taff. Generally the government provides Paul with marching orders that are eventually passed to out Taff lead Mr. Butler and we perform the tasks necessary to meet the quota of the government. The channel used is generally internet from the sender (government) to the Taff, via site manager and t aff lead. The feedback would be the product produced by the individuals working in the taff, and as long as the product meets the standards of the sender all is in good working order. The functions of Y Hierarchy of managerial communications do exist within this organization. Our manager is continuously creating and encouraging a wonderful work environment and providing opportunities for employees to take the initiative and self-direction. Management is always looking for new ways for employees to make significant contributions within the organization. Behavioral, empowerment, and contingency are the three managerial communication approaches that I have observed within the organization that I currently work for. Empowerment is the distribution or entrustment of power or authority to his or hers subordinates within an organization. Generally used when upper management is out of work for certain amount of time. Empowerment also encourages the employees to get more involved with the organization. The contingency approach is seen a lot in our Taff, Mr. Butler knows that there is more than one way to skin a cat and whichever way produces the best result is generally the path that is taken. This is probably the approach seen mostly around the Cubic organization because of the results that are produced. Behavioral approach comes with trust and individual character. Managers have been seen trusting and respecting the employees more now than ever due the product that the taffs put out for the military customer. Personality, emotional, and physical are the three potential barriers to effective communication within the Cubic organization. Everyone here has their own personality and that can sometimes create an issue throughout the  business day. Individuals are loaded with many traits that create personal attitudes, approaches, angles, quirks and different views on the world. There are many occasions in which this trait has stalled communication between two individuals and in some case hurt the overall product. Emotional barriers can be the worst. There are many individual at cubic that let things go straight to the head and forget that we are at the workplace. Emotions should not be brought to work with you at all, you should be able to brush things off and move on with the job. Managers are often seen using a softer touch to get through to the individuals with emotional issues. Physical barriers are one of the most common around my work place. There are many occasions that we are working with a wall between co-workers and with communication being the key to our success problem will generally arise on occasions. We have made complaints on many occasions with the same results â€Å"deal with it†.

The National Rural Health Mission Health And Social Care Essay

The National Rural Health Mission Health And Social Care Essay The project as a pilot has been introduced in 9 states of the country including Rajasthan where Prayas has been selected as the nodal agency for the implementation of the program. Currently, the pilot project in the state covers 180 villages from the four districts, namely, Alwar, Chittorgarh, Jodhpur and Udaipur (45 villages per district). Three blocks from each district have been identified and from each block three PHCs have been selected. From each PHC 5 villages have been identified, making it 15 villages per block. There are 5 Levels of monitoring committees: Village health and sanitation committee PHC Health monitoring and planning committee Block Health monitoring and planning committee District Health monitoring and planning committee State Health monitoring and planning committee The Composition of monitoring committees is as follows: One-third PRI representatives, One-third health officials, One-third CBO / NGO representatives including non-official delegates from lower committees , Chairperson from Panchayat Executive chairperson Health official Convener from CBO / NGO The main objective of the program is to develop synergy and partnership between the public health service providers and community for regular communication and coordination between them to enable better delivery and utilization of health services. The role of PRAYAS was to mobilize the communities and prepare them to come together, take responsibility and influence decisions. State Nodal Agency assists in implementing the decisions taken at the Community Monitoring Mentoring Team. Arrange for technical and resource support to district/block level NGOs. Support the process of adaptation, translation and publication state level materials/manuals. Supervise community level documentation processes, Maintain documentation of state level processes. Provide progress, process and financial reports and documents to the National Secretariat on a regular basis. Financial support and disbursement to district level and block level processes. Maintain state level accounts. Supervise progress and s upport processes/activities at the district, block and community levels. The role was challenging because of various reasons. Firstly it involved a decisive change in the balance of power, likely to be resisted at various levels of the public health system. Secondly, health officials had to be an active participant in the process but may not be assumed to be its sole and prime mover. Thirdly, it was important that genuine voices from the community get represented in the process. Fourthly, panchayats are major stakeholders but at the same time they often represent the elites of the village. To bring voices of the disadvantaged and marginalized in the forefront was a challenge. Fifthly, community may be disinterested in the beginning due to continuing disappointments from the status quo. The implementation was carried out in various phases: Preparatory phase : Distributing pamphlets to literate people Putting up poster in the common meeting place (e.g. near temples, wells, market place, etc.) , Informal meeting with key people (leaders of CBOs, women leaders, Pradhan, in the village) to get an idea about General layout of the village Different social groups in the village and where they stay, key health problems of the community , key service providers of the area, expense related to health problems, Communities opinion of the existing services and use of government health facilities and service providers. Village meeting to share findings, share NRHM information and facilitate information of VHSC. Sharing the Village health services profile in the village and informing community of NRHM and community monitoring in NRHM Pamphlets and posters and leaving multiple sets behind in the community. Elicit interest from members of the community about formation of village health and sanitation committee. formation and strengthening of Village Health and Sanitation Committees (VHSCs), primary health centers (PHCs), and district and block committees; community level investigation and monitoring involving village health report cards and facility score cards; and Sharing of reports (through public hearings) and planning at the PHC, village, and block levels. The very act of including a local NGO explains the importance of familiarity and identification for community action. The civil society organizations and NGOs for participation in various committees were selected by examining them on their response to a questionnaire which assessed their experience of monitoring public services, organizing public dialogues or public hearings. The selection could also be facilitated by the mentoring team of the respective level, with guidance from the mentoring team of the higher level. The volunteers working with the NGO are usually locals. They know the people, their aspirations and needs. Villagers identify with them and trust the information they give. To bring people together there should be some incentive. Also, there should be both short term and long term benefits to keep the action alive. In this case the short term benefit was the improvement in infrastructure as the government was pouring in money and the long term benefits were many. Impro ved health of the people, increase in power to influence government policies, platform for discussing other developmental issues and so on. They approached it by making it a non zero sum game wherein there is ample for everyone and one person will benefit from the involvement of other. Also everyone was affected by the concerned issue in one way or the other. May be poorest of poor, women and children were affected more due to vulnerability and discrimination but lack of ample heath services creates disadvantage for everyone. For example, snake bites are quite common in villages and non- availability of the required medicine in the nearest PHC may prove fatal. In this case risk is same for everyone. So, it was tried to communicate the need for community monitoring rapidly through meetings, posters and workshops. PRAYAS attempted to spread awareness in a village by flooding their minds with the goodness of the new program. It was a strategy to keep the time period for mobilization ju st 3 days to avoid slackness in the process. This was done to produce a contagion effect, so that people develop an urge to move out of the current situation and take charge. People were given assurances that their participation will be sought in planning of health services, they should help in solving problems faced by health machinery but, at the same time, the villagers would point out any negligence or mistake made by health employees while providing health service, Villagers should also be given information about what action has been taken to avert mistakes pointed out by the villagers to Medical Officer. Since the monitoring will not be efficient without perspective of women and coming into picture, it has been ensured that two out of four members of Block Community Monitoring Facilitation Team will be women. Women are the ones who are most seriously affected by quality of health care due to their reproductive capacity. Strategy: People were made partners in managing public health institutions. If certain infrastructure or services were not properly functional, community representatives were involved in finding solutions. Community representatives were significant role in the day-today functioning of the health services at the local level. People were given clearly defined rights -People should be able to expect and demand basic services in keeping with their needs and expectations. If these rights are not fulfilled, it should be a matter of concern and concerted action for improvement by the public health system and community members. People were given responsibility to regularize health services provided at the village level. People in the village, were encouraged take up responsibility to support activities for vaccination in the village, etc. Community members were provided training to be able to fulfill their responsibilities and realize their rights. Ostrom claims that all efforts to organize collective action, whether by an external ruler, an entrepreneur, or a set of principals who wish to gain collective benefits, must address a common set of problems. These problems are coping with free-riding, solving commitment problems, arranging for the supply of new institutions, and monitoring individual compliance with sets of rules. So, in this case we see government itself wishes to enthuse people to reflect on the quality of health care making government officials, doctors and ASHA workers more committed to their work. Jan Samwad Mobilization capacity building Encouraged participation of stakeholders to express their experiences and concerns. To sustain a collective action it is important to share the information. This was successfully done under this programme. PHC and block level community monitoring exercises included a public dialogue (Jan Samvad) or public hearing (Jan Sunwai) where individual testimonies and assessments by lo cal CBOs/NGOs were presented. These meetings take place once in six months, here individual cases of denial of services are also addressed. In Jan Samvad Chief Medical Officer of the District or her/his representative , Block Medical Officer Member of District Community Monitoring and Planning Committee Members of PRIs in the block , Members of VHSCs , Member of CBOs in the block are present. The monitoring reports are shared at all levels. Once in every 3 months the village health report card is made in a span of 2 days. One member from the VHSC and one panchayat member is nominated for this purpose. Leadership: leadership plays a very important role in gearing up any community action. Good leaders can not only increase the probability of success but can also attract people to join the movement. People take up leadership responsibilities in the initial process of community action to reap leadership benefits like social and political recognition and so on. This is because in initial phase input costs are higher and the probability of success is quite low. Keeping this in mind, the arrangement was such that CBOs/NGOs and Panchayat representatives who had shown leading initiative in organizing community monitoring activities at any level were given representation in the next high-level committees. The committees were created from village to higher levels in sequential order. This was an innovative way to go about implementation of a program. Being leader at the village level came as an alluring option to the people. Capacity building: to ensure effective monitoring it has to be ensured that people are ready for change. For this a lot of measures were taken. Training and enhancing the capacity of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to own, control and manage public health services, promoting access to improved healthcare at household level through the female health activist (ASHA), Health Plan for each village through Village Health Committee of the Panchayat, Strengthening existing PHCs and CHCs, and provision of 30-50 bedded CHC per lakh population. Strengthening capacities for data collection, assessment and review for evidence based planning, monitoring and supervision, formulation of transparent policies ,developing capacities for preventive health care at all levels for promoting healthy life styles, reduction in consumption of tobacco and alcohol etc , promoting non-profit sector particularly in under served areas. Another important step was to make people realize that access to good health is their constitutional right and they pay for it. It is the responsibility of the government to give a good life to them. Through the VHSCs, communities also have become empowered to voice their concerns and take action. Communities have become aware about their rights and entitlements .In a number of cases, local health departments responded to problems raised at public hearings and made appropriate changes in their functioning. There has been a change in the way people perceive health services. Earlier, they saw it as a zero sum game , now they are beginning to see it as a public good. This change will help in reducing disadvantages faced by certain sections of the community , which would eventually result in improvements in health and nutrition outcomes. Previously excluded and marginalized groups have started coming in front. An affirmative approach was used to ensure that Dalits(scheduled castes), scheduled tribes, and women were involved and headed the VHSCs. Community monitoring has built stronger relationships between communities and health service providers, as well. Communities have become mor e accommodating and have started understanding constraints of health workers. Overall , this program has lead to decentralization of power. Prayas has played a commendable role acting as a liaison between people and government. Sources: http://www.prayas.org http://www.nrhmcommunityaction.org/pages/states/rajasthan.php   http://www.nagahealth.nic.in

The Bald Eagle Community :: essays research papers

The bald eagle was finally adopted as the emblem of the United States in 1787 because "its long life, great strength, and majestic looks, and also because it was then believed to exist only on this continent." The bald eagle has survived for many years. It was almost lost at one point, and finally now is on its way back and the numbers are rising thanks to many efforts by various foundations. The Bald Eagle is more than a just a bird like every other species it too has a special part in keeping the food chain going. While driving On Rte10 through the town of Hamden what seems to be an ordinary ride can become a scenic view of our nation’s bird. On a tall skinny Birch tree over 40 ft in the air is lives a bald eagle in its natural habitat. In this nest lives a male adult and female adult with an Eaglet. The nest is located in a farming open field along a river bank. This field and river provides the eagles with a source of food. The eagles mostly eat fish, the adult eagle will swoop down to the water and grab a fish all in one motion flying the meal back to the nest to feed its family. The field is posted to prevent people from ruining the habitat, since the natural reproduction of this eagle is very important to its recovery from being endangered. I was able to view this community form the road and was able to watch the nest and occasionally watch the adult eagle fly away most likely looking for food to feed his family. The nest form my view was huge at least 3 feet in diameter perch ed up about 40 ft high on a birch tree. The surrounding area of the nest was clear of any branches or trees creating a clear access way for the birds to land. Below the nest was a large open field on the bank of an active river. I visited the site approximately 5 times each visit was a t a different time in hopes of observing a different activity. My first visit was around 10am one of the adults was perched on a branch nearby to the nest patiently staring at the surroundings. The eagle stayed for a while without moving. On my next visit at 12am I observed the whole family active inside the nest.

The Minority Predicament: An Analysis of Asian American Success and the

The Minority Predicament: An Analysis of Asian American Success and the Model Minority Paradigm My grandmother sent me a letter from home, telling the success story of her old Chinese tenants who, through hard work, had become very wealthy in the 9 short years they lived in America. My grandmother embraces the belief that "with hard work, patience and a little help from the model minority stereotype, someday Asians will gain full approval of white America". She believes that Asian Americans are inherently smarter, more diligent and thrifty than other racial minorities of our time. I, on the other hand, am skeptical towards this assumed advantage that other minorities have perceived as "elevators to the ladder of success" in American society. While Asian Americans are able to achieve acculturation by gaining material success, despite this economic advancement, they are unable to assimilate socially into mainstream America because of prejudice and discrimination. Prejudice and oppression by whites underlies the discourse used to describe Asian Americans as the "model minority". According to Eric Liu, Asian Americans have been called the "New Jews," a label "meant to accentuate the many parallels between these two groups of immigrants: Jews started out as outsiders; Asians did too†¦ Jews climbed the barriers and crowded the Ivies; Asians did too. Jews climbed faster than any minority in their time; Asians did too". The difference between these two racial groups asserts Liu, is that in America "the very metaphor of ‘the Jew’ now stands for assimilation", but Asians are unable to blend into white American society as Jews did half a century ago. The model minority paradigm first emerged during 1960’s in response to the civil ... ...r frustration on this Asian American, and "assailed Chin with racial epithets and blamed those ‘like him’ for the unemployment of American auto workers". The American auto industry, they felt, had been threatened by competition with Japan’s prospering automobile industry. This violence again engages the Orientalist stereotyping that all Asians can be classified together as a collective foreign "other". Many minorities like Mukherjee and Divakaruni have expressed that although many traditional obstacles of prejudice have been made obsolete, discrimination still exists, especially in the negative responses of other Americans to their success. The peaking of Anti-Asian sentiment and violence on America’s streets and office buildings has reinforced this theme ten fold. Asians must seek to dissolve the racist love behind the distortions of the model minority paradigm.

Hippocrates and the Four Humors

Balancing the four humors The Greeks and Romans viewed madness and sickness as an affliction from the gods. Greek physicians, most notably Hippocrates, believed these afflictions we from an imbalance of what he called the four humors. These included blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. In many cases many treatments prescribed to balance the humors could be considered precursors to psychotherapy. Hippocrates had his patients’ discuss their dreams to gain insight into their ailments.From these discussions, he would then prescribe such things as rest and relaxation as well as a change of climate, scenery, or diet. Hippocrates believed that removing a mentally ill patient from a tumultuous family life could restore the patient’s mental health. . Most of these theories can be seen later on as suggestive cures for Freud’s patients even though Freud viewed the causes much differently. Physical ailments were treated with a much different approach when compared to mental health problems.To balance the humors, physicians chose a variety of procedures many of which would be considered questionable by today’s standards. If a patient was thought to have an excess amount of blood, the physician would bleed the patient to remove the excess amount. When a patient was thought to have too much phlegm and was lethargic, physicians would prescribe a diet high on citrus fruits. Even today elderly patients who have chronic fatigue are given shots of vitamin B-12 which can be found in citrus fruits and chronically ill people are suggested to increase their vitamin C intake which also can be found in citrus fruits.