Health and social care Essay Example for Free

Health and social care Essay We are now living in an ageing society and so health and social care will play a part throughout our life course in one way or another. I shall start the main body of my assignment by providing an explanation of what is meant by the life course. I will then move onto my experiences of adulthood and of using health and social care services, showing as I go how block 1 has helped me to critically reflect upon these and the outcome. Critically reflection means that I will analyse, challenge and question within this assignment. I will also show the different methods of reflection to explore my life course and show how important reflection can be in health and social care setting. After reflecting I will discuss other aspects from within the learning guides. I then will come to the end of the assignment with a brief conclusion. The term life course is made up of expected age related events throughout life, that are traditions within a society. These life courses can change in different cultures. These events within a life course can affect how people live which is called life course perspective, by understanding a person’s life course, we can use it to provide appropriate support and provision. In learning guide three, open university, five principles by Bengston et al (2005), occur within the life course perspective; by discussing these we have a better understanding of the life course, ‘It establishes a common field of inquiry by defining a framework that guides research in terms of problem identification and formulation ’, (Bengston et al, 2005, Chapter 1). The first is called linked lives, which is how our lives are affected by others, they have are very influential, especially family. The second is time and place, it discusses how things such as historical events, living in a time of economic decline for example, The Great Depression, can restrict certain opportunities and shape who people are and become. The third is timing, this consists of the timing of specific events within a person’s life that may or may not fit in within society’s norm of when the event should happen such as education and having children. The fourth is make hoices about what to do and have plans, it is about agency, how they plan their life, have influence over it and can continually assess if it is going to plan. However I feel that this can be critiqued as still there are arranged marriages, controlling relationships, forced prostitution, all of these have little agency over their life as well as many other cases. The fifth and final one is life-long, this shows that ageing is not just an older stage of life but is happening to all of us, it is a life-long process and events can determine the outcome of later life. Applying these to health and social care settings can help complete a picture of an individual’s life, I will also apply some of the five aspects to my experience. To critically reflect on my own experiences I had to figure out which parts of my life would be relevant. At the end of my reflection I will show how these examples changed my values and ethics and also now what I expect from health and social care professionals. The three types of reflection by Barker (2010, p. 122) cites (William 2001) within learning guide one, open university, are probably the best method to help reflect on my first experience. The first type of reflection by Barker is content reflection this consists of what happened. What happened is that I had a swift transition from childhood to adulthood as I became a mother at sixteen. The second part of reflection is process reflection which is why it happened. It happened because at the time I felt older than my years and to show my parents and friends how grown up I was, I got pregnant. The third part is called premise or critical reflection which shows why it happened and the judgement for it. As a teenager all I cared about was my feelings and nobody else mattered it was what I wanted and so I made sure it did. I was treated as a social outcast by certain family and was also treated in a very patronising manner by the GP and other health care professionals such as midwives, throughout my pregnancy and early motherhood. By drawing on this as an experience I wanted to show that my values back then were selfish and all about me and becoming a mother this changed my outlook by making my child my priority and I used this as a strength to prove the professionals wrong and that I would make a good mother regardless of my age. I realise now that a lot of judgements were made because this was not classed as society’s norm also shows the second principal of time and place as I was classed as the modern youth culture. I also feel that if the professionals had taken the time to understand my life course as discussed within learning guide three, open university, they would have understood why I had taken this course of action. ‘When people don’t do what seems to be the obvious, sensible, rational thing to promote their own health and wellbeing, it can be tempting to characterise them as ‘awkward’, ‘irrational’, ‘their own worst enemy’ .. (Open University, LG 3. 2). I feel that this sentence sums up how I was treated, and the assumption of me by the health professionals. I chose this to show that I still had the rights to be treated as any other mother to be and not as a social outcast from a modern culture. I wanted also to bring in that this may also be classed as an ethical dilemma for certain members of staff as they may feel uneasy dealing with a teenage mother to be. Ethical dilemmas often arise in health and social care as mentioned in learning guide five. I will be using the three suggested methods of reflection by Rolfe et al (2001), (LG1, open university), for my next experience. The first method is what the situation is, looking into any problems and any feelings about it. This situation is that I was diagnosed with Sero-negative arthritis at 25, I was devastated, I had two children by this point to look after and an abusive partner who was no help. The second method consists of so what, I took this to mean, what was learnt and any thoughts about the situation. At the time I was understandably upset but I had very good family and friends to help, shows the importance of linked lives. I had to very nervous of going back to the judgemental professionals that I’d dealt with earlier, they were not very informative and I was placed on a waiting list to see a specialist. The attitudes of the professionals was that I had been diagnosed, deal with it basically. The third method is now what, what needed to be done, improve my understanding. I researched as much as I could, realised it usually affected people between 40 – 50 so learning this I felt old showing the fifth principle by Bengston et al, that ageing happens to us all, I was suffering from what I thought was an older persons illness. I kept going back to the GP time after time pushing my way up the waiting list, showing them research of what can happen without early treatment to ensure I was seen to as quickly as possible, this caused a little conflict between myself and the GP as I felt I knew more than they did and they did not like that fact. I feel that reflecting back on this again the health professionals and the care I received was poor. I eventually had care by rheumatology staff who looked at my age and would assume that I was not suffering as bad as the others, I was let down by the health service as a whole. I also wanted to show that they were not taking into account my quality of life was going to suffer if I wasn’t treated effectively. Chronic illness is discussed also as a biographical disruption. Biographical disruption is an event outside your expectation of your life course that is unwanted or not expected. Being diagnosed with Sero-negative arthritis definitely fits in with this analogy, in fact a paper was written discussing how chronic illness as biographical disruption, ‘My contention is that illness, and especially chronic illness, is precisely that kind of experience where the structures of everyday life and the forms of knowledge which underpin them are disrupted. , (Bury, Chapter 5, Reader). Using another method of reflection by Schon (1983), (LG1, Open University), I will explore my third and last chosen experience. The first is reflection in action which is how it sounds by using past experience, knowledge to guide you. Although I am now in a happy relationship, I was once in an aggressive and violent relationship for ten years and it affected my every aspect of my life from my confidence to new relationships. By using this type of reflection, although until reading this type of reflection I had not even realised I had done it, I used my previous relationship to ensure that I would be treated like a woman in my new relationship. The second is called reflection on action this is basically thinking back on what actions we took after the event. I had left after an incident which had needed a police visit and so social services had been notified because of the violence to ensure the children had not been involved and I found them very judgemental of the fact I had stayed for so long in an abusive relationship. I showed social services that I had asked for support for me and children by an external organisation as soon as I left and that I was aware we would need it. Social services told me that we would need to work together to ensure that the action I had taken was sufficient and that all the steps necessary to ensure that we were all supported were taken. At first Social Services were quite rude and intrusive by I realised that it was their job to be intrusive and once I let my guard down with them, I actually found that they were there to help. I anted to show this as an experience because I was brought up with strong family values and ethics so I stayed in the relationship because I did not want a broken family for my children even though looking back now I know that it was the wrong thing to do. I also feel it must be hard for social care providers to sometimes understand my reasoning for staying as my family values when their values may have been different causing the initial tension. I realise now that sometimes even though you were raised with certain values and ethics sometimes yours and your families’ welfare takes priority. I also wanted to show that that the fourth principle by Bengston et al is not always possible, throughout this relationship I had no autonomy, in a controlling environment you can only do what you are allowed to do and not everybody has the chance of breaking free. The quality of life, for me and my children was also affected, I have taken an extract to show my point that, ‘There are objective qualities too, and some of these, such as sufficient nutrition, a non-hazardous environment, and a long and healthy life are universally, or virtually universally uncontroversial as components of quality of life. (Phillips, chapter 3, Reader). Within the quote it mentions a non hazardous environment which is the opposite of what we were living in. By reflecting about the above experiences, and others not mentioned, I feel that I have had a difficult life course but because of them I feel I have built up resilience. My experience of adulthood started a lot earlier than was planned, it was not an easy option but I adapted well. Adulthood did not really get easier for me until recently where I found my independence and was safe away from harm. With my experiences of adulthood not being so great, I would say that I feel a lot older than I am, if I bring in positive ageing or successful ageing which was discussed in learning guide two then I would say I definitely do not fit that description the next quote helps explain why. ‘Successful aging is more than the absence of disease, important though that is, and more than the maintenance of functional capacities, important as it is. Both are important components of successful aging, but it is their combination with active engagement with life that represents the concept of successful aging most fully ’, ( Rowe and Kahn, 1997, Open University). I am more aware of my ageing process since being diagnosed at such a young age of sero-negative arthritis but as it is not life threatening I feel I have a long time left yet until the end of my life. I also think that because I made the decision to leave my abusive partner that my quality of life has dramatically improved if I had stayed in that environment I feel that I would not be here now to talk about it. My values and ethics have been influenced by a lot of my experiences over the years and have definitely altered. My values and ethics consist of what is good for me and the children, if I am happy and content then they will benefit it means that I can also now offer a more open, respectful and secure upbringing. I am now going to bring my assignment to an end by summing up my conclusion. With the experiences that I have mentioned within my assignment you can see that my interaction with the world of health and social care has been quite eventful. I have been faced with professionals who have judged me and made assumptions and also who have made me feel inadequate but I was also helped by social services and feel stronger because of that so I am unsure of how to sum up the field of health and social care as it covers such a wide aspect within our life courses. If there was more training provided in understanding life courses and offering person centred care then I feel things would improve but in a time of economic decline I cannot imagine that the funding for this would be available. I do feel that there will always be prejudices within the health and social care profession and that their personal values and ethics may also always play a part in the way they offer support. (

Congestive Cardiac Failure: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment

Congestive Cardiac Failure: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment James Rowe Assessment 2 Mr Wrights admission states that he has heart failure (Congestive Cardiac Failure). Clearly define heart failure. What organs and which body systems are affected by this disorder? CCF is a condition in which the heart doesn’t pump as it should and therefore has an impaired cardiac output. Causes include MI, ischaemic heart disease and cardiomyopathy. Mainly includes heart and lungs due to fluid back up from the left ventricle. However can cause problems throughout the body. (Harris and Nagy et al., 2009) Give a brief overview of the normal function of the body systems affected by this disorder. Digestive à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Aids in the absorption of nutrition. When a person suffers CCF an impaired blood supply is received by the digestive system meaning nutrition imbalance is possible. Also constipation. Circulatory à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   When someone suffers from CCF fluid back up in the ventricle can cause circulation problems. Also the fact that the heart is not pumping as effectively as it should means a poor circulatory system. Repertory à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Fluid back up in the lungs can cause respetory problems. Making it difficult to breath. Also the fluid in the lungs causes impaired gas exchange meaning poor oxygenation of the blood. Renal à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   The renal system is affected because the limited blood supply and poor blood pressure (Before vasoconstriction) mean that there is a poor urine output. This fluid that is normally eliminated from the body builds up as oedema in the limbs. (Hopkins and Cavaiuolo et al., 2008) Define signs and symptoms of heart failure and explain why these signs and symptoms occur. SOB (Dyspnoea) Fluid back up in lungs causing impaired gas exchange Persistent cough/Wheezing (Cough with white or pink sputum) – Due to fluid build up in lungs. Oedema (Back up of fluid) (Legs if right sided/Lung if Left sided) Tiredness/Fatigue (Blood diverted to core so weakness in peripheries caused) Lack of appetite/Nausea (Due to altered blood supply to liver and digestive system) Confusion/Impaired thinking (Lack of oxygenated blood being pumped effectively) Increased heart rate (Heart trying to compensate for low blood flow) Irregular heart beat (Ucsfhealth.org, 2014) Reduced ability to exercise (Due to dyspnoea) Increase need to urinate at night Swelling of the abdomen Hypertension (Blood vessel constrict to increase the BP to increase oxygenation around the body) Chest pain (If caused by heart attack) (Mayoclinic.org, 2014) Orthopnoea (SOB when lying flat) Caused because the heart can’t cope with the excess blood returning to the heart Cardiomegaly – Increased size of the heart muscle due to the compensation of working harder List the information taken on his admission that demonstrates these signs and symptoms. A low SPO ² reading This is because of the decrease of oxygen in the blood. Possibly due to fluid back up in the lungs that is creating impaired gas exchange in the alveoli. Cyanotic – Due to the decrease in oxygen in the blood stream this would make Pt slightly cyanotic Slight confusion – Due to impaired gas exchange there could possibly be a build up of Carbon Dioxide in the blood that would lead to slight confusion in the Pt. Low BP – This could be due to the fact the blood vessels have not yet constricted to increase blood pressure (Blood pressure increase when CCF occurs to increase oxygenation around the body) High pulse The heart is trying to compensate for the low oxygen in the body and is also compensating for the fluid being left in the ventricles. This means it beats faster to try and increase the rate in which the blood travels around the body. Do you think his diabetes is related to his left ulcer and amputated left toe? Explain. The left ulcer may be due to poorly managed diabetes causing neuropathy. This is where the nerve is damaged. People with diabetes have a greatly increased risk of developing neuropathy in the lower extremities. Making the Pt unaware of any trauma or damage to the foot, also because the foot has very little sensation it is often neglected causing ulcers to occur due to the break down in the tissue. (Nfb.org, 2014) Diabetes affects blood supply to the extrematies of the body. This results in the lower portion of the body being deprived of oxygen. In some cases the circulation becomes so bad that the limbs become necrotic and need amputation. Often the first sign of a circulation problem is with the toes. This could be a contributing factor to why the Pt needed a toe amputation. (Netdoctor, 2014) Another possible reason as to why the Pt needed an amputation is because of the high level of uric acid in the blood. Due to the poor circulation the body often does not get blood through the kidneys before a high level of metabolic waste has built up in the blood. This means that high concentration levels of these metabolic waste build up in blood. One of the main metabolic waste is uric acid. This builds up in the blood and crystallises. This then travels to the lowest part of the body. Due to gravity. Often building up in the toes leaving it ischaemic. (Thegoutkiller.com, 2014) One of the medication he is taking is Lasix. What is the action of Lasix? Which body systems are affected by it? Explain why you think Mr Wright is ordered Lasix. (Your answer need only be brief) Lasix (Frusemide) is a drug that helps for fluid and electrolyte balance. The action of Lasix is that it inhibits reabsorption at the loop of Henle in the kidney. This is so that the body is not absorbing the fluid passing through the loop of Henle. The reason why Mr Wright would be ordered an anti-diuretic drug is to prevent his body from absorbing water and thus removing the risk that he will develop an oedema in his legs. (Mckenna, 2010) List three conditions in Mr Wrights medical history that are commonly associated with age. Glaucoma – This is an increased pressure in the optic that can limit blood flow. Therefore the reduced blood flow causes degeneration and vision loss. The pressure also effects the optic nerve so messages from the eye to the brain become impaired. The condition is rare in younger people, but is associated with aging. (Harris and Nagy et al., 2009) Arthritis – Arthritis is an umbrella term used to describe over 100 types of an illness. Arthritis affects the musclo-skeletal system at the point where two joints meet. Symptoms include pain, stiffness and in some cases inflammation. (Arthritisaustralia.com.au, 2014) Constipated – This could be related to the CCF and the body keeping blood supply to the main organs and therefore being a decreased amount of blood going to the digestive tract causing constipation. Using Mr Wrights admission history and assessment, list the factors that may impact his safety whilst in hospital and when he returns home. Confusion Poor Mobility Loss of appetite Poor vision Condition of leg ulcer (On return home) What other health professionals will be involved in his care and what service can they provide for Mr Wright. OT à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Could asses Mr Wright in his mobility and offer him more support than his stick may offer. Such as a 4WW. Social Service à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Could asses Mr Wrights home to see if he needs any more home aids. Could also link Mr Wright into local community through community centres. Asthma Nurse à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Would be used to educate Mr Wright with his asthma condition. Could teach him possible early warning signs of asthma so he knows the early warning signs. Diabetic Nurse à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Education for his diabetes. Could teach Mr Wright ways of managing his diabetic state. Dietician à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Could come up with a diabetic diet plan for Mr Wright therefore reducing the amount of self medication Mr Wright has to do. Cardiologist à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Monitor condition of CCF. List the nursing documentation that you would expect to be used in the care of MR Wright. FBC (Fluid balance chart) à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   For the oedema R/T CCF OBS chart à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Monitor oxygen levels, pulse and resp rate R/T CCF Limb Obs à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Monitor blood flow to lower limbs below the point of trauma to check for blood supply. Medication chart à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Monitor what medication Mr Wright is on R/T CCF and Diabetes. References Arthritisaustralia.com.au. 2014. What is arthritis. [online] Available at: http://www.arthritisaustralia.com.au/index.php/arthritis-information/what-is-arthritis.html [Accessed: 9 Apr 2014]. Diabetes.co.uk. 2014. Diabetes and Amputation. [online] Available at: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-and-amputation.html [Accessed: 9 Apr 2014]. Harris, P., Nagy, S. and Vardaxis, N. J. 2009. Mosbys dictionary of medicine, nursing and health professions. Chatswood, N.S.W.: Elsevier Australia. Hopkins, S., Cavaiuolo, J. and Gotting, M. 2008. Diploma of nursing. Adelaide, S. Aust.: DFEEST. Mayoclinic.org. 2014. Heart failure Symptoms Diseases and Conditions Mayo Clinic. [online] Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-failure/basics/symptoms/con-20029801 [Accessed: 8 Apr 2014]. Mckenna, L. 2010. Australia New Zealand nursing midwifery drug handbook. Broadway, N.S.W.: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Netdoctor. 2014. Amputation of the toe. [online] Available at: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/surgical-procedures/amputation-toe.htm [Accessed: 9 Apr 2014]. Nfb.org. 2014. DIABETIC FOOT PAIN. [online] Available at: https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/vod/vodsum0403.htm [Accessed: 9 Apr 2014]. Thegoutkiller.com. 2014. Diabetes and Gout . . . twins? Where you find one, you see the other?. [online] Available at: http://thegoutkiller.com/blog/uric-acid/diabetes-and-high-uric-acid-levels/ [Accessed: 9 Apr 2014]. Ucsfhealth.org. 2014. Heart Failure Signs and Symptoms | Conditions Treatments | UCSF Medical Center. [online] Available at: http://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/heart_failure/signs_and_symptoms.html [Accessed: 8 Apr 2014].

Valuation of Supersize me Essay examples -- Morgan Spurlock Super Size

Evaluation of Super Size Me   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Americans are fat and growing fatter with each passing day. One does not have to do look far to see how fat we are. Take a stroll to the supermarket, college campuses, offices, playgrounds, fast food restaurants, or malls and see the evidence of fat America. What is causing this epidemic of obesity? There are a plethora of reasons including overeating, lack of exercise, fast food, processed food, dieting, and sedentary lifestyles. Morgan Spurlock of New York City decided to tackle one aspect of this problem with his idea of studying the McDonald’s way by limiting his intake of food for one month to only McDonald’s and filming this adventure. The result is the movie Super Size Me. Spurlock finds that the McDonald’s way is a super highway to fat city.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mr. Spurlock followed three rules as during this journey; he could only eat what was available over the counter, including water, no super sizing unless it was offered, and he had to eat and try every item at least once. But before Spurlock hit the roads throughout the United States interviewing Surgeon Generals to gym teachers, cooks to kids, and lawmakers to legislators, all in 20 cities (including Houston which is known as the â€Å"fattest city† in America) he went to numerous doctors and nutritionists and every one told him that he was in shape and in good health. While making the film, Spurlock consumed in 30 days as much McDonald’s as most nutritionists would advise to have in 8 years. He revealed to the American public the truth about fast food. Something many already knew, but found it easier to avoid the fattening truth. Today 1 in 4 Americans visit a fast food restaurant on a daily basis. About 95% of the commercials that children see are for foods filled with sugars and fats. Children are bombarded with images of fast food by media advertising. Most Americans understand the marketing strategy of McDonald's -- appealing to the young. From an early age children are lured into McDonald’s by promotions of toys, actions figures, yummy food packaged into Happy Meals, and small on site playgrounds. The food is fast, comparatively cheap, and hot. In the film Spurlock interviewed a family in front of the White House and asked them to recite the Pledge of the Allegiance. After they wearily recited it, the family was asked about their memories of McDonald’s. Their faces lit... ...e are those folks that will eat there every day let alone numerous times a week. In 1972, we spent 3 billion a year on fast food - today we spend more than 110 billion. Ironically Americans spend all kinds of money trying to lose weight each year, but need to concentrate on exercise, eating healthy, and cutting out fast food. Overweight Americans need to empower themselves and stop talking about being fat, and get moving on some simple solutions like eating less and moving more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After this movie was shown at a film festival McDonalds stopped super sizing 6 weeks later and introduced the â€Å"Go Active!† meal. The results on Spurlock may have been extraordinary on how quickly he gained weight and how his body and health were slowly deteriorating, but this shows why so many Americans are overweight and the way they are. Everything, even the little â€Å"healthy† options are jam packed with sugars and calories. This might also explain why 60% of the population is overweight or obese. Super Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Perf. Morgan Spurlock. 2004. DVD. Samuel Goldwin Films, 2004. â€Å"Super Size Me by the Pound†. Super Size Me: A Film of Epic Proportions. 8 Mar. 2004. .

Pros And Cons Of Judicial Review :: Government Judicial Review Essays

Pros and Cons of Judicial Review   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Judicial Review is the power given to Supreme court justices in which a judge has the power to reason whether a law is unconstitutional or not. Chief Justice John Marshall initiated the Supreme Court's right to translate the Constitution in 1803 following the case of Marbury Vs. Madison, in which he declared the Supreme Court as the sole interpreters of Constitutional law. This is one of the sole purposes of the Supreme Court of the United States. Many Historical thinkers would find some difficulty in imagining a government set up to limit the power of itself,but others would argue that this form of government best works for the people, and not against them. The treatment of the Constitution by the Supreme Court as a "living" document that is able to be translated differently over time for the good of the people has as many skeptics as it does supporters. But, if we do not allow the Supreme Court to translate the Constitution who then, should the people chose to do such an important job.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If we were to look back at the ideas and thoughts of some of the greatest political thinkers of our time, we would find that individuals such as Plato, Niccolo Machiavelli, and John Locke, would share extremely different views as to whether or not Judicial review, and the Supreme Court as a whole, would be successful in their ideal government situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the earliest political philosophers Plato, would find our present day governmental setup of the Supreme Court to be the ideal group to deal with the United States' situation. Plato felt that government should be run by enlightened philosopher kings, that would rule for the good of the people, and not themselves. We today see the Supreme Court as a collection of the most "enlightened" thinkers of our day. They are chosen to make moral decisions about laws made by others in our society, and decide whether or not the laws we make are in the best interest of our nation as a whole. Plato knew that within any political State their would be corruption, to stop the corruption Plato felt that the philosopher kings would best rule because they would not indulge themselves in a corrupt society. They only believed in the truth, and justice that government is supposed to protect its people with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Plato would not totally agree with the Democratic structure of our government, I believe that he would chose for our society, a state that is ruled by a similar group to that of our Supreme Court because, the members of

hacker crackdown :: essays research papers

THE HACKER CRACKDOWN Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier CONTENTS Preface to the Electronic Release of *The Hacker Crackdown* Chronology of the Hacker Crackdown Introduction Part 1: CRASHING THE SYSTEM A Brief History of Telephony / Bell's Golden Vaporware / Universal Service / Wild Boys and Wire Women / The Electronic Communities / The Ungentle Giant / The Breakup / In Defense of the System / The Crash Post- Mortem / Landslides in Cyberspace Part 2: THE DIGITAL UNDERGROUND Steal This Phone / Phreaking and Hacking / The View >From Under the Floorboards / Boards: Core of the Underground / Phile Phun / The Rake's Progress / Strongholds of the Elite / Sting Boards / Hot Potatoes / War on the Legion / Terminus / Phile 9-1-1 / War Games / Real Cyberpunk Part 3: LAW AND ORDER Crooked Boards / The World's Biggest Hacker Bust / Teach Them a Lesson / The U.S. Secret Service / The Secret Service Battles the Boodlers / A Walk Downtown / FCIC: The Cutting-Edge Mess / Cyberspace Rangers / FLETC: Training the Hacker-Trackers Part 4: THE CIVIL LIBERTARIANS NuPrometheus + FBI = Grateful Dead / Whole Earth + Computer Revolution = WELL / Phiber Runs Underground and Acid Spikes the Well / The Trial of Knight Lightning / Shadowhawk Plummets to Earth / Kyrie in the Confessional / $79,499 / A Scholar Investigates / Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Electronic Afterword to *The Hacker Crackdown,* New Years' Day 1994 Preface to the Electronic Release of *The Hacker Crackdown* January 1, 1994 -- Austin, Texas Hi, I'm Bruce Sterling, the author of this electronic book. Out in the traditional world of print, *The Hacker Crackdown* is ISBN 0-553-08058-X, and is formally catalogued by the Library of Congress as "1. Computer crimes -- United States. 2. Telephone -- United States -- Corrupt practices. 3. Programming (Electronic computers) -- United States -- Corrupt practices." 'Corrupt practices,' I always get a kick out of that description. Librarians are very ingenious people. The paperback is ISBN 0-553-56370-X. If you go and buy a print version of *The Hacker Crackdown,* an action I encourage heartily, you may notice that in the front of the book, beneath the copyright notice -- "Copyright (C) 1992 by Bruce Sterling" -- it has this little block of printed legal boilerplate from the publisher. It says, and I quote: "No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information address: Bantam Books." This is a pretty good disclaimer, as such disclaimers go. I collect intellectual-property disclaimers, and I've seen dozens of them, and this one is at least pretty straightforward.

Book Review: When Genius Failed Essay

Lowenstein’s ability to come up with a concise, coherent story and his experience in financial journalism is strongly evident in this book. Not only can Lowenstein weave together and tell a great story (this author felt he was being led through the history of the fund and its characters by one of its inner partners while reading through this book), he also pays attention to details whenever it is needed – and he succeeds greatly by catching many important subtleties (such as in the beginning of Chapter one when he used one of those â€Å"subtleties† in Meriwether’s early areer to explain the basis of LTCM’s core business model and the subtle, but gradual â€Å"style drift† that brought down the hedge fund afterwards) as well as making many interesting observations along the way (such as the fatal flaw LTCM committed when it started engaging in stocks arbitrage as opposed to sticking to bond arbitrage). 7. Concept: Unsystematic Risk. A specifi c risk is a risk that affects a very small number of assets. This is sometimes referred to as â€Å"unsystematic risk†. In a balanced portfolio of assets there would be a spread between general market risk and risks specific to individual components of that portfolio. Unlike systematic and market risk, specific risk can be diversified away. A diversified portfolio is the realisation of the proverb â€Å"don’t put all your eggs in one basket†. As Irish investors become more sophisticated in their strategies, they look beyond the risks of stock-picking to managing risk through diversified, balanced investment portfolios. Mr. Fitzgerald, portfolio manager for Hibernian Investment Managers said that often the first step in reducing risk is investing in pooled investments like mutual funds, unit trusts and unit-linked funds. It’s a toe-in-the-water position, they begin with cautiously-managed funds, and then as they grow in wealth or experience they may choose a managed fund with higher equity content† Source: Margaret E. Ward, The Irish Times, 2nd July 1999. 10. Concept: The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). William Sharpe the Capital Asset Pricing Model in 1964. Parallel work was also performed by Jack Treynor, John Lintn er and Jan Mossin. CAPM is used in finance to determine a theoretically appropriate required rate of return of an asset. It considers a simplified world where there are no taxes and transaction costs, all investors have identical investment horizons and identical opinions about expected returns, volatilities and correlations of available investments. This model states that the expected return on a specific asset equals the risk-free rate plus a premium that depends on the asset’s beta and the expected risk premium on the market portfolio. CAPM extended Harry Markowitz’s modern portfolio theory and of diversification to introduce the notions of systematic and specified risk. Source: www. google. com 11. Concept: Capital Budgeting. Capital Budgeting or Investment Appraisals are the planning processes used to determine a firm’s long term investments such as new machinery, replacement machinery, new plants, new products and research and development projects. This is the process of identifying which long-lived investment projects a firm should undertake. US entertainment giant Warner Brothers investigated a possible high-tech back office studio development in Belfast. Executives from the group conducted an appraisal of possible investment opportunities on the site. The group planned a high-tech quarter in Belfast, which it hoped would attract multimedia, informatics and telecoms firms to set up in Northern Ireland. Source: Francess McDonnell, The Irish Times, 7th August 2001. 18. Concept: Financial Management. This is managing a firms internal cash flows and its mix of debt and equity financing, both to maximise the value of the debt and equity claims on firms’ and to ensure that companies can pay off their obligations when they come due. This is illustrated through financial reporting; the dream of consistent and uniform systems of financial reporting around the world is a seductive one. It is also elusive. The problem is that, however great the attempts at providing a universally acceptable standard, the differing goals of the world’s reporting regimes get in the way. Europe and about a 100 other countries go for the International Financial Reporting Standards (IRFS) whereas, the US stand alone and stick to their US generally accepted accounting (GAAP) yet seek reconciliation from the IRFS. It is the electronic tagging and analysis system XBRL that will enable the elements of a company’s financial reports to be accessed by users and reconfigured to provide whatever information the user wants. Mr. Cox, the Securities and Exchange Commission chairman said he was â€Å"looking forward to a future in which XBRL, US GAAP and IFRS would be interconnected and hence the problem of global comparability would be solved†. Source: Robert Bruce, Financial Times, 4th January 2007.

Hallucinogen and Music Essay

The era of the 1960’s and early 1970’s were the clear reverberations of both mysticism and altruism. It saw the rise of the American subculture known as the â€Å"hippies,† which professes itself through exotic clothing and erotic slogans that are centered on the subversion of the contemporary Western society into a more liberal one. Nonetheless, the influence of hallucinogenic drugs that largely permeated during the same period catapulted the rise of a music genre that is centered on an intensely esthetic entrancement, known as psychedelic music. Because of this, various artists emerged and gained popularity in the said field, further reinforcing the usage of hallucinogenic drugs through their craft. In this respect, this paper sought to analyze how the music of some groups during 1960’s, specifically The Doors, The Beatles and The Jefferson Airplane were affected by the usage of hallucinogens, and the impact that their music had and still have within the society. Hallucinogens: A Background Hallucinogens are diversified groups of drugs that can alter a person’s perception, thoughts and mood. Because it is a heterogeneous group, hallucinogens are noted for their varying chemical structures and mechanism of actions as well as different adverse effects among its users. While many claim that hallucination is the instantaneous effect of using hallucinogen, which are identified as false perception that have no realistic basis, it was stated that most hallucinogens are more likely to change moods and thoughts rather than the actual hallucinations itself (Richards, 2006). The usage of hallucinogens can be traced from the history of many cultures; notably as a means of religious and mystical experiences. Rig Veda, which is the Hindu’s holy book, mentioned the use of â€Å"soma,† a substance that is capable of inducing higher levels of consciousness among its users. It is believed that Soma is derived from the juice of Amanita Mascaria, a hallucinogenic mushroom. Similarly, in pre-Columbian Mexico , the Aztecs were noted to have used â€Å"teotlaqualli,† a paste that is derived from the hallucinogenic flower known as â€Å"ololiuqui,† during their religious ceremonies. Both the Aztec priests and soldiers rub the substance on their skin, and it was though that the teotlaqualli eliminates the feeling of fear and places its users under a proper mental state of service to the Aztec gods. The aboriginal people of Mexico were also noted to have a long history of using â€Å"peyote,† which is mescaline that contains hallucinogens, during religious ceremonies. Likewise, in Salem, Massachusetts, it was proposed that hallucinogen use is the main cause of unlikely behaviors of alleged witches during witch trials (Richards, 2006). The very first synthetic form of hallucinogen known as Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 25, was discovered in 1938 by Dr. Albert Hoffman in Basel, Switzerland’s Sandoz Laboratories. At that time, Dr. Hoffman was searching for drugs that have medical purposes. He stumbled upon LSD and did not realize that the said drug have mind-altering features. It was in 1943, that Dr. Hoffman accidentally consumed the drug that he realized its mind-altering effects right after he experienced hallucinations. From then on, LSD was widely distributed for medical research. It was also used for psychotherapy; as such the term â€Å"hallucinogenic† is used to describe LSD which implies that it actually causes the symptoms of common mental problems (Levinson, 2002). By 1957, Dr. Humphry Osmond coined the term â€Å"psychedelic† in order to come up with more positive label for drugs that have â€Å"consciousness-expanding† properties, and later on the term LSD emerged. Psychedelic was further used by Timothy Leary and other advocates of LSD during 1960’s in order to market the said drug as a substance of good kind that boost an individual’s inter and intra-personal understanding, gives a heightened feeling of spirituality and increased level of creativity. Leary and his colleagues found their inspiration in promoting LSD in the identity of Aldous Huxley (1954), a British novelist and essayist. Huxley’s book entitled â€Å"The Doors of Inspiration,† was one of the major influences that introduce Leary toward the â€Å"positive† use of LSD. The title of the book was based on William Blake’s (1963) words: â€Å"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is infinite† (Blake, 1963, p. 14 cited in Levinson, 2002, p. 76). Generally, Huxley’s book chronicled the favorable experiences he encountered in account to mescaline, a psychedelic drug that can be derived from peyote mushrooms (Levinson, 2002). Due to Leary’s strong advocacy, many people were swayed to use LSD. His devised motto â€Å"turn on, tune in, drop out† spurred many young individuals to experiment with the said drug in order to exclude themselves from mainstream society. Likewise, movie stars and entertainers alike lauded the mind-altering effects of LSD; many have even incorporated it within their lifestyle that it has become a significant part in the establishment of the â€Å"hippie† counterculture. Hallucinogen and music: Psychedelic rock During the 1960’s the widespread use of hallucinogens was recognized in account to the belief that ingesting the said substances eventually lead to â€Å"mind expansion. † It was even asserted that, why limit oneself with the experience of life on a banal level when one can experience life in a world where places are new and exciting through the usage of the said chemicals? Due to this, many are swayed by such rhetoric that hallucinogen use has become a trend incorporated in the counterculture lifestyle (Levinson, 2002). Young people tried to exist differently from the conventionality of the society; they rather live in large groups instead of small families; avoiding good paying jobs, and generally looking for excitement instead of becoming obedient and dutiful citizens. Nonetheless, the music of the said era reflected the beliefs and attitudes of the said counterculture; becoming the voice to the new generation that cared less for power money and only wanted to live outside the rules set by ordinary society (Grimbly, 2001). The emergence of psychedelic rock has played a profound role in reinforcing the understanding that hallucinogen use is an inviting activity that promotes the sense of intra and inter-spirituality and becoming one with the environment. Many bands jumped into the bandwagon of the psychedelic era, including The Jefferson Airplane, The Beatles and The Doors which were considered as the forerunners of psychedelic sound. Before proceeding to the discussion of the music of the pertained bands, it is first an imperative to define psychedelic music. Popularly known as â€Å"Psychedelic Rock,† psychedelic music or acid rock emerged during the later parts of the 1960’s in California. It was music created under the influence of mind-altering drugs predominantly the LSD. The main features of this form of music are the â€Å"long improvised instrumental passages,† which are deemed as the replication of the mind-altering effects of LSD, in the context of musicality. Likewise, bands who used this form of music clearly shows their willingness to engage in experimentation through â€Å"effect pedals,† that are responsible for notes distortion from guitars, that range from wailing to sustained percussive sounds (Grimbly, 2001). Such feature is a clear manifestation of the musicians’ inclination with hallucinogen characterized by their profound usage of distortion of notes and experimentation, which metaphorically represents the strong effects of hallucinogen use. The Jefferson Airplane Considered as one of the most important bands during the psychedelic era, The Jefferson Airplane from California experienced a huge commercial success because of their hallucinogen induced music. The music of the said band was noted to have epitomized the drug-taking ethos of the hippies. Their interaction with people during their concert mirrored what was going on at that time. The 1967 album known as â€Å"Surrealistic Pillow† contained one of the most notable psychedelic songs of all time which is â€Å"White Rabbit. † As the term surrealistic indicates, having the experience of disoriented and hallucinatory quality of dreams; it was a clear manifestation of the band’s inclination to hallucinogen use and its impact on ones mind (â€Å"Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit,† 2008). â€Å"White Rabbit† has become a full blown cultural phenomenon as it manifested the rampant usage of LSD during the said period. Written by Grace Slick in 1965, â€Å"Whit Rabbit† was influenced by Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. However, instead of maintaining the classic’s original representation of the characters, Slick infused the song with hippie messages, making the characters appear a shade darker, erasing their innocence, as it was centered on the purportedly induced hallucinations of hallucinogens. From the opening lyrics of the song which indicates: â€Å"One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small. And the ones that mother gives you don’t do anything at all. Go ask Alice when she’s ten feet tall†¦Ã¢â‚¬ to the end part that states: â€Å"When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead. And the White Knight is talking backwards, and the Red Queen’s ‘off with her head! ’ Remember what the dormouse said; ‘feed your head! ’ ‘Feed your head! ’ (Slick, 1965) Jefferson Airplane’s â€Å"White Rabbit† is indeed a transitory song that is wholly interpreted in the realms of Carroll’s classic but in a more hallucinatory light. What adds to the depth of this interpretation is the band’s usage of slow building crescendo, snapping snare drum, strong driving electric guitar that creates the hallucinatory experience of its own (â€Å"Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit,† 2008). Because of the vivid representation of hallucinogen used by the Jefferson Airplane, â€Å"White Rabbit’s† influence extended itself in modern music and culture. The song has been covered by more than 100 diverse bands during their acts, and has been featured in popular television shows such as the Simpson’s, the Sopranos. â€Å"White Rabbit† also inspired the creation of the book â€Å"Go Ask Alice† written by an anonymous writer, which chronicled the life of a teenager who died from a drug overdose. Hunter Thompson’s 1972 film â€Å"Fear and loathing in Las Vegas,† featuring a man tripping on bad combination of drugs which are LSD, mescaline, cocaine and alcohol gave rise for the recognition of â€Å"White Rabbit. † Slick’s pharmaceutical prescription advice was also referred to as the definitive rendition of the film â€Å"The Matrix† (1999) during a scene where Morpheus offered Neo a pill and said: â€Å"You take the blue pill—the story ends; you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you believe. You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes† (cited in â€Å"Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit,† 2008, n. p. ). Based from the given perspectives, it is evident that despite Jefferson Airplane’s advocacy for hallucinogen use, they remained as one of the most sought after psychedelic bands that greatly impacted 1960’s and the culture today, as they have become the striking visuals of rebellion that inspired various groups and artists, as well as populace to stand for what they believe. The Doors By far the most influential group to emerge in California is â€Å"The Doors. † Their brief but intensely creative career, where they were able to record some of the greatest masterpieces in music history, has been widely recognized to date. Fronted by self-proclaimed poet Jim Morrison, the Doors was able to establish their name in the field of psychedelic music. From their name â€Å"The Doors,† which is noted to be a tribute for the poetry of William Blake and Aldous Huxley’s psychedelic drug book â€Å"The doors of perception,† the band clearly conveyed their music in the context of â€Å"mind-expansion† accounted to hallucinogen use. In fact, The Doors has been widely recognized for their notoriety in the usage of LSD in most of their performances (Whiteley, 2005). According to Ray Manzarek, the group’s keyboardist, the early days of the band was marked by ingestion of LSD. Due to this, their usage of the said hallucinogen provided them a sense of shared of experiences. Each individual’s tripping specifics developed a sense of bonding for the group, thereby giving them strong emotional feelings for each other, and eventually becoming the symbolic overtone of how they created their music—sexual and inhibition free; which are strong parts of the LSD experience (Mazarek, 1999 cited in Whiteley, 2005). Although, Manzarek and Morrison did not openly discussed the details of their trips with LSD, the shared knowledge that they did have experienced the said drug has become evident within their trance-like music. Their songs reflected LSD use with each members extended solos. Likewise, Morrison’s adaptive character, the â€Å"Lizard King† became the metaphorical representation of the hypnotic powers of the drug that entices the listeners to listen to their music and embrace the wild child within them (Whiteley, 2005). It was also found out that the hallucinogenic experience provided by LSD became the most crucial ingredient for the music of The Doors, as they believe that its use provided access for them to reach the metaphysical. As Manzarek pointed out about the hallucinogenic experience: â€Å"†¦and we were off! Flying on the wings of love†¦ To Nirvana, to the pure land†¦ It was divine. It was expansive and harmonious and beatific in one† (Manzarek, 1999, p. 120 cited in Whiteley, 2005, p. 143). Apparently, they have used their music to express the transcendent moods that can be experienced under the influence of LSD. Songs such as â€Å"Light my fire,† â€Å"People are Strange,† as well as LA woman reflected the way of life The Doors have lived. Nonetheless, â€Å"Riders on the Storm† is said to be the culmination of the earlier hallucinogenic tracks of the band, as it is dark, mystical, and sinister and alienated, further reflecting what it is like to hallucinate (Whiteley, 2005). The music of The Doors continued to fascinate legions of rock fans even after the death of Morrison. During the mid-80’s, the doors’ music was much popular as it has been during 1960’s. Numerous quantities of the band’s original album have been sold, including the reissues and releases of their live materials. By 1991, director Oliver Stone created the movie â€Å"The Doors† which tackled the story of the band. From here, it is easy to point out that the fame of The Doors never ceased despite their inclination to LSD usage (Ruhlmann and Unterberger, 2009). The Beatles The popularity of The Beatles throughout the 1960’s has been well documented. They started out as mainstream band that eventually marked the British invasion in the music industry, and was considered as the reason for the uprising of the women’s sexual revolution. Their ability to popularize trends and the capability of their music to achieve global dissemination, suggested that they are one of the most significant forces in popular music history (Whiteley, 2000). By the year 1967, The Beatles eventually changed pace. From their mainstream music they jumped on to the American psychedelic bandwagon. The release of their album, â€Å"Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club† marked their conversion to the underground music. Such change of pace was considered as a significant factor for the British Psychedelic rock. The Beatles’ change image and emphasis on both love and drugs as expressed in the Sgt. Pepper’s album is said to be in perfect harmony with the 1960’s LSD-influenced mood. The immense popularity of the album notably indicates that the absence of the Beatles during the psychedelic era would have made the British counter culture insignificant. In short, the jump that the Beatles created from mainstream music to psychedelic rock established the British counter culture in the context of cultural themes and music (Whiteley, 2000). â€Å"Lucy in the sky with diamonds,† which was the third track in the album, was considered as the central force behind the British psychedelic rock because it served as the musical metaphor for the hallucinogenic experience. Musically, the song’s gentle beats is working directly towards the pulse rate of the listeners making it slow down, while slow shifting of the harmonies used in the base suggest relaxation that brings the audience into a comfortable dream state. Likewise, the melodic lines of each verse is very trancelike, allowing the audience to become reflective, and also creates a feeling of reassurance. Similarly, the well structured rising and falling phrasing of â€Å"And I love her,† â€Å"For no one,† and â€Å"Yesterday† partnered with exotic timbres and filtered vocal delivery makes the audience a heightened evocative â€Å"good trip. † The Beatles knew the effects of LSD and they have enjoyed the hallucinogenic experience. As such, they use it to their own advantage by inculcating it within their music so as to initiate a heightened sense of awareness. They used psychedelic imagery such as â€Å"tangerine trees† and â€Å"marmalade skies† in order to strongly support the spatial dimension experienced during a hallucinogen trip. Finally, their jump to psychedelic music promised the audience a route where they can have a changed state of consciousness, which is an authentic experience (Whiteley, 2000). Conclusion Based from the data drawn from the study, it is evident that hallucinogen use has become a significant part of the 1960’s history. It affected every aspect of the society which paved way for the development of the counter culture known as the â€Å"hippies. † What further reinforced people to view such drug as an important part of the society was the music that deeply reflects the entrancement that can be attained through the use of hallucinogens. The Jefferson Airplanes, The Doors and The Beatles, were considered as the forerunners of psychedelic music. They reflected the beliefs and attitudes of the counter culture and they became the voice to the new generation that cared less for power money and only wanted to live outside the rules set by ordinary society. In this respect, they were able to establish their own names through their music that has been significant back then, and is still considered as significant to date. References: Grimbly, S (ed. ). (2001). Chapter 3: Rock. The Story of Music Volume 6: From Rock and Pop to Hip-Hop. Danbury , CT : Grolier Educational. â€Å"Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit. † (25 November 2008). Dark Party Review. Retrieved April 24, 2009 from http://darkpartyreview. blogspot. com/2008/11/great-tunes- jefferson-airplanes-white. html. Levinson, M. H. (2002). The drug problem: A new view using the general semantics approach. Westport , CT : Greenwood Publishing Group. Richards, M. E. (17 April 2006). Hallucinogens. Emedicine. 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