Ladies and gentlemen, I stand here before you at a time in which the health care of older Americans has become a critical issue. Or should I say issues' We have more people needing more and more specialized care - this is critical. We have fewer and fewer people being asked to do more and more - that is critical. Current healthcare policy, especially for the aging, seems inadequate to address the challenges of what lies ahead. The situation seems very bleak at times. All signs seem to show that it will get bleaker. Well, I am here to tell you that I am the weatherman. I have weathered this storm with you. And I can tell you that the forecast looks good, if we can just keep our eyes on what is important and understand what tools we have to get through this, and overcome the challenges that the next years hold for us. I like to think of myself, when I think of myself, as the captain of my own ship. And the ship that I am piloting through these new and c

Albert Camus' influential novel, The Stranger, a great work of existentialism, examines the absurdity of life and indifference of the world. This paper provides a summary of the novel, and outlines some of the novel's main themes.

Cuba. This island is known everywhere in the world. Everybody knows such names as Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Also Cuba is associated with Caribbean crisis, which had frightened both the U.S.A. and USSR. That's all that common person knows about this land and nation famous for specific culture and interesting history (especially of the 20th century). Cuba has always been a region of American interests in the Caribbean Sea and its 45- year resistance against capitalism (in fact - American politics) impresses everyone, even person hostile to Cuban regime. Cuban influence on worlds politics during the Cold War and nowadays is important and worth paying attention to. Cuba is still one of the last Communist countries of the world. Many years have past, Communism had a great success but it died after Soviet Union collapsed. Now China and Vietnam try to democratize and capitalize own economics. Only Cuba and North Korea are still devoted to Communism. But eve

Kate Chopin has always been known for her colorful and passionate characters. Many of her stories revolve around men behaving foolishly in the name of love and women behaving quite sensibly while in love. Such is the case with the characters in the short story, "At the Cadian Ball." While the men in this story are depicted as foolish in love and the women are strong and independent when it comes to love, we get the impression that these characteristics are not the ideal. This contrast allows Chopin to illustrate perceptions of men and women of her time. Calixta represents a sexual, independent woman in the story. For Bobinat, she is also symbol of passion and danger. We are told, "There had even been a breath of scandal whispered about her [Calixta] a year ago, when she went to Assumption" (Chopin). Clearly, she has a reputation that is, at best, questionable. In addition, the incident was well worth remembering because we read that "Fronie threw it up to Cal

In order to best explain conflict theory and functionalism in a sociological context, I have chosen world trade as the topic, mainly the way developing and poorer countries and developed economies evolve and act in the world trade arena.

INTRODUCTION It is tempting to believe that a lot has changed since the Rodney King case. In that highly televised case, police in Los Angeles stopped Mr. King after a high-speed car chase on March 3, 1991. In that case, the chase did not cause the problem; the actions of the officers, taped by a citizen after they got King out of his car, caused the problem. Still, the incident might be regarded as a poster child for the liability that can accrue to police departments, in terms of civil and even criminal liability, expense and community ill will when dramatic enforcement maneuvers, such as a high speed chase, are involved in police work. In the aftermath of the King case, G. Patrick Gallagher, director of the Institute for Liability Management in Leesburg, Va., noted that "police departments must have clear, constitutional, updated and consistently enforced policies that provide guidelines for responding to such high-risk tasks as the use of force and vehi

Together, the book of Exodus and the book of Deuteronomy are the Old Testament books that set forth the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments. In both of the listed excerpts, the Decalogue is given early on in almost exactly the same words. After the initial similarities, the content and message of each book deviates into other subjects. The book of Exodus lists the statutes and ordinances by which the Israeli people are to live and abide under. Deuteronomy concerns itself primarily with th

Anita Diamant's fiction, "The Red Tent (1997)," is her interpretation of the activities in the red tent, where the Canaanite wives of the first patriarchs dwelt and celebrated the facets of womanhood, such as menstruation and childbirth. There, they were shielded from their men's outside affairs and cares. These patriarchs were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the wives were Sara, Rebecca, Leah, Rachel and their maids Zilphah and Bilhah. It assumes that these women were priestesses of goddess-worshiping tribes of the Canaan region who practiced and perpetuated rituals, traditions and habits until obliterated by their only daughter, Dinah, because of her violation by an Amorite and the murder of the Amorites by two of her 12 brothers (Diamant). . The novel is told from the first person viewpoint of Dinah, the only daughter and last child of Jacob and Leah and the last in the maternal line that should have sustained her mothers' goddess worship (Day 2003). She narra

Winslow Homer grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he spent many hours outdoors. His early experiences caused him to develop a love for the country, which can be seen in many of his works. In fact, it is said that Homer is "considered to be the greatest pictorial poet of outdoor life in the USA and its greatest watercolourist" (Gale). Homer was a self-taught artist whose experience with art began as an illus

There was a time when parents brought their children to restaurants only when the child had reached a suitable age and had a grasp of proper table manners. However, today, this unspoken code seems to have vanished and one is just as likely to see a week-old infant drooling at the next table or experience a two-year old's tantrum than not. And moreover, it appears that parents not only bring their small infants and children to restaurants regardless or their age or time of night, but the parents are apparently void of any skills of discipline and parental tact, as well as common courtesy to other diners and the restaurant staff. A dining experience at a local favorite will likely include toddlers running through the dining area, weavin

Personal communication skills, as exemplified by talk show host Larry King, are crucial to success in today's interconnected world. King, one of America's most successful communicators, provides a valuable example of successful communication skills that have brought him world renown as a broadcaster, successful book career, and influence in the political arena. It is through the example of individuals like King that we can learn not only the value of personal communication skills, but the specifics of some of the most important of these skills. King himself notes that personal communication skills are based on a number of factors such as honesty, interest, attitude, and openness. Successful adaptation of such skills can help the individual both on a personal and professional level. Larry King is one of America's best known talk show hosts. He hosts the well-known Larry King Live, the world's first phone-in television talk show. Larry King live is the highest-rated program on CNN, and had its start in

Bilingual education should not be required in our nation's schools. This does not mean, it should be noted, that foreign language education should be banned, not that supplemental or resource room help in the English language should not be accorded to students who require such assistance. However, bilingual education programs more often than not require a long period of assimilation for students of immigrant status, or parentage, whereby part of the day is taught in English

Zhu Yuanzhang was founder of the Ming Dynasty, the one dynasty that endured for so long (1368-1644), considering the fact that it was established by a commoner. The reason Ming Dynasty and its first emperor Yuanzhang occupy special place in Chinese history is because this was one of the only lonely two dynasties to have been formed by a landless peasant. It is not everyday that commoner emerges from nowhere, overthrown powerful rulers of the time, establishes his own dynasty that endures for three long centuries. But Yuanzhang managed to achieve this colossal feat and thus his name went down in Chinese history as a competent emperor, second commoner only after Liu Bang of Han Dynasty to rule China. Yuanzhang's rise to fame and power was simply unprecedented in history. Born to a very poor family in Anhui province in 1328, Yuanzhang was orphaned at a very young age. Since he practically lacked a family, he joined Buddhist monastery and became a monk during his teen years

According to most present-day historians that focus on the political and social realms of ancient Greece, the implementation of the concept of citizenship as the basis for the city-state (polis) and the extension of citizen status to all free-born members of the community is most closely related to the Athenians who desired to form a free society in the ancient world with democracy as its foundation. In Athens, citizenship carried certain legal rights, such as access to courts to resolve disputes, protection against enslavement by kidnapping and participation in the religious and cultural life of the polis. It also implied participation in politics, although the degree of participation open to the poorest men varied among different city-states. The ability to hold office, for example, could be limited in some cases to owners of a certain amount of property or wealth. But most importantly, citizen status distinguished free men and women from slaves and foreigners; thu

Spenser's Faerie Queen, although rooted firmly in the Christian religion, nevertheless contains frequent positive references (both explicit and implicit) to the pagan Goddess religions that Christianity worked so hard to replace in the British Isles. This assertion is supported not only by the actual imagery, metaphor, and other poetic devices contained within the six books, but also by Spenser's brilliant conception of time as something nonlinear; a dimension in which past and present mingle to create an imagined reality that, Spenser hints, might not be too far different from the "historical" realities presented as fact. As Brill notes, the words of the poem exist on a temporal continuum in which archaic and current meanings are applicable simultaneously" (9). Therefore, if time exists in this simultaneous, rather than linear, fashion in The Faerie Queen, then the pre-Christian religions of the British Isles, with their beliefs in Goddesses, fairies, magic, a

If media ever managed to convince you that fathers in a dual-wage family are now as involved in child rearing and nurturing as mothers, it is high time you consult some important research findings for a reality check. While fathers have definitely started sharing household and child-rearing responsibilities, the percentage of their involvement is dismally low. As mothers continue to increase their involvement in outside paid employment, fathers are required to share family work equally with women so that both can spend equal amount of time at work and home. Unfortunately, this has not been the case as women's participation in the workforce increased. Fathers spend far less time with children than mothers do. Mothers almost do double the work in a dual-wage family as men's invol

When people think of social inequity, they generally frame this in terms of socio-economic class. People who have accumulated much wealth occupy the top echelons of society and enjoy the most privileges as brought on by their money and social status. On the other end, people who are poor have little or no access to these privileges and are often marginalized in terms of education and social services. However, there are many forms of social inequity and stratification. In the United States, for example, much of social interaction is mitigated by gender and race. For example, statistics show that a wage gap exists between the genders. Despite pay equity laws and a growing awareness of gender discrimination and women's rights, salary disparities continue to exist between men and women across a broad range of occupations. This paper argues that socio-economic inequality is caused by many non- economic factors, such as stratification and racism. After al

In "A Model of Christian Charity," John Winthrop outlines what he believes are the core guidelines for the Puritans in New England. By utilizing scripture from the Bible, Winthrop establishes clear and concise points regarding mercy, justice, and love. His method is effective because he is speaking to a body of Christians that will respond to scripture in teaching. Winthrop demonstrates the significance of justice and mercy by emphasizing conduct, especially toward others who are in distress. He echoes the Biblical golden rule that individuals should treat others as they would want to be treated.

Few people associate narcissism with Narcissus, the mythical character in antiquity who drowned because he was so fond of looking at his image reflected in the water of a pool, fell in and drowned. Fewer still might associate narcissism, which has become a popular term for anyone who is self-involved (the quintessential Valley Girl of a generation ago, and, arguably, Friends on TV of the current one) to an overwhelming extent. And still fewer might associate narcissism with heinous criminal acts. Yet, all of these associations are arguably true, particularly the last. Worse, still, it is resistant to treatment. "Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a common and often disabling syndrome. Although persons with narcissistic personality disorder are often difficult to treat, certain psycho therapeutic strategies have been identified which can lead to effective interventions with these clients," according to Schwartz and Smith (2002). Farrell and Edson,

In the United States it has been observed that on an average about seven to thirteen hundred animals are discarded every year in each county. Animal abandonment is the elementary method of animal cruelty. Such aggressive environment has become a threat to the survival of the animal kingdom that is dependent on the human care. Malnourishment and under- nourishment is a common occurrence that the abandoned animals are forced to and ultimately succumb to death. It is quite surprising to observe the modality that the pets end up abandoned in animal shelters. First the inducement to purchase pets arises for all the wrong reasons: There is because of irresistible desire to have one since the pets are lovable. Really all baby animals are lovable however, only with a short life span since they grow rapidly to turn into tall youngsters. Materialistic characteristics indicate the necessity to care for a puppy so as

Kate Chopin, born Katherine O'Flaherty, grew up in a prominent family on February 8, 1850. Her father, Thomas O'Flaherty, was an immigrant from Ireland who was a merchant. Her mother, Eliza Faris O'Flaherty, was from one of the oldest aristocratic Creole families in the St. Louis area. Kate attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Louis. During this time, Tonette Inge states that Chopin was "exposed to Catholic teachings and a French educational emphasis upon intellectual discipline" (Inge). Her early interests in reading and writing would benefit her later in life. Inge notes that while Chopin appeared to be a social belle on the surface, her writing suggests that she devoted a great deal of time contemplating the independent woman. Chopin married Oscar Chopin in June of 1870. He was from a French- Creole family and operated a cotton plantation. On her honeymoon, she met Victoria Claflin and Victoria Woodhull, two women who would influence her writing

Hinduism is known as the oldest religion in the world; as a polytheistic religion, Hinduism features numerous gods, goddesses, and demi- gods that embody the various personalities of human beings, as well as nature. It is evident that Hinduism is primarily a male-dominated religion, what with the leadership of the gods Shiva and Vishnu. It is only in the wives of these great gods that goddesses figure significantly. Despite this fact, goddesses abound in Hinduism, who function as the embodiment of characteristics, feelings, and features of humans and Nature. However, the functions of goddesses do not end in what was enumerated above: goddesses, in fact, embody almost everything that represents human existence. This means that more than being female representatives of human beings, goddesses may also represent male characteristics, Nature, and the universe in general. The all-encompassing characteristics of Hindu goddesses make them appealing and popular a

Alzheimer's Disorder (AD) is a progressive brain disease which primarily affects older people. The parts of the brain that control memory, language, and even thought gradually decline (ADEAR, date). While AD develops most commonly after the age of sixty, there is a rarer form that can develop at a younger age. Experts estimate that between the ages of 65 and 75, 5% of the population may have AD. By age 85, however, nearly half may have AD (ADEAR, date). In spite of how common the disease is among people who have lived a very long time, AD is not considered a normal consequence of age but a disease process to which one becomes more susceptible the longer one lives. While scientists are just beginning to untangle the mystery of exactly what causes AD, some facts have been established. The disease was first noticed by a German doctor, Alois Alzheimer. Although doctors had noted dementia in elderly people, Dr. Alzheimer examined the brain of a woman who had died

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of race in college admissions. Specifically, it will contain an argumentative paper that lays out three alternative approaches to race as a consideration of college admissions, and weighs the strengths and weakness of each. Affirmative action is a hiring and recruiting practice used in America to ensure that minorities have the same opportunities that others have in work, education, and housing. However, affirmative action is not working, and has not worked for a long time. There are other, more viable alternatives to affirmative action in most areas, including education. Race should not be a major consideration in college admissions; it should simply be one of many factors that add up to "yes" or "no."

The Golden Girls was a television show that depicted four retired women living together in one house at first to save money, but later because they have become good friends and a surrogate family for each other. The central theme of this episode is the problems older people can face as they consider the possibility of a romance in their later years. In the story, Sophia Patrillo, Dorothy's mother and the oldest of the four women, meets an elderly man at the beach. She and he seem to have a lot in common, but as their friendship progresses he seems to be acting somewhat erratically. In one scene, he is outraged because the bus driver has arbitrarily changed the route he drove, causing the man great confusion. One day Rose waits for the man, but his daughter arrives instead and tells him that her new friend has Alzheimer's. Rather than presenting the characters in negative stereotypes related to old age,