The Kite Runner Essay Example for Free

The Kite Runner Essay Loyalty is an attitude of devotion, faithfulness and affection. In the novel The kite runner Loyalty is a prominent theme throughout. There are signs of loyalty between a few characters but the main ones concerning Hassan and Amir . Hassan comes from a rough social background, lacks education and is the main victim of disloyalty by Amir however he was the character who portrayed loyalty the most. Amir is constantly putting Hassans loyalty to the test. He asks him if he would chew dirt and Hassan answers him in saying that if he was asked to then yes he would but he challenges Amirs loyalty at the same time in saying â€Å" but I wonder, would you ever ask me to do such a thing amir agha† . Hassan shows loyalty to Amir when he admits to stealing his watch and his money. He knew all along that Amir wanted to get rid of him and Ali however being the loyal servant and friend he was he admits to a crime which he did not commit for Amirs sake . he does this To ensure Baba does not see Amir as a liar. The main incident which proves the magnitude of Hassans loyalty towards Amir was when Amir watched Hassan get raped but did nothing to stop it. And although Hassan endured the most traumatic experience of his life he remains loyal to Amir and disregards the fact that he witnessed the entire scenario. He ignores Amirs sinful actions and instead asks if HE had done something wrong. Throughout his life, Amir is haunted by the disloyalty with which he has always treated Hassan, especially since Hassan had always been unquestionably loyal to him. Little things like hand washed and ironed clothes neatly placed on the chair and the wood already burning at breakfast time reminds Amir of Hassans continuous loyalty and causes him extreme guilt Hassan even dies a loyal man by resisting the Taliban when they came to take possession of Babas house. Amir finally gets the opportunity to change his life for the better and for a change demonstrate his faithfulness towards Hassan after his death. By Amir making a dangerous trip back to Afghanistan to rescue and raise Hassans son -Sohrab from the Taliban is a prime example of returning his loyalty to Hassan . Amir flies kites with sorab and tells him how hassan was the best kite flyer. He develops a close relationship with sorab and treats him as if he were his own son. He truly wants the best for Sorab and he is finally given the opportunity to be as loving and loyal as Hassan once was.

The Enigma of Arrival by V.S. Naipaul

The Enigma of Arrival by V.S. Naipaul The Enigma of Arrival by V.S. Naipaul Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul, also more generally know with his abbreviated name of V.S. Naipaul, is an English novelist who also indulged into writing essays throughout this life which he primarily spent in the United Kingdom. Originally, Naipaul comes from Trinidad where he was born on August 17, 1932 while also inhibiting Indian descent. Digging into his personal life, Naipaul was married to an English woman by the name of Patricia Hale for a duration of 41 years before she died with cancer in 1996. During his time with his Patricia, he was spotted numerous times in prostitution centers in London while also having a rather casual affair with Margaret Gooding, an Argentinean woman who was from Angolan descent. Today, he shares his life with his current wife, Nadrina Naipaul, who is a Pakistani journalist. Turning more towards his professional career as a writer, Naipaul has won numerous awards for his great strides in literature. In 1964, he won the Hawthornden Prize, in 1971 he captured the Booker Prize and in 2001, he was honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature. As he drew most of his attention in his writing towards realism and post-colonialism, his most gifted and notable works in his fiction creations were A Bend in the River, The Enigma of Arrival and A House for Mr. Biswas while turning to his non-fiction establishments, he was known for An Area of Darkness, India: A Million Mutinies Now and A Turn in the South. The novel, Enigma of Arrival, indulges us into the lone and calm English town of Wiltshire where the narrator, commonly perceived as Naipaul himself, rents out a small little cottage with rather large fields surrounding it and on the side, a river where the water flows so elegantly. Coming from Trinidad, he is rather unwary and has no idea what there is to expect in these new surrounding of his life. In the first section of the book labeled as â€Å"Jacks Garden,† Naipaul describes a garden full of life and subtleness and greets a man called Jack who is the owner of this property. Throughout the chapter, he realizes that Jack has not always lived there and that Jack has created this beauty with his bare hands which influences the narrator to believe that the surrounding of a home indicates the persons characteristics. As Jack dies in the dampness of his cottage and garden as he gets old, new people move in which indicates a change of guard. The story also takes a rather twist ed turn as the garden turns into a farm under the leadership of the new owners. Naipaul is rather modest and conservative though, living life by himself in this rather rural but arguably, comfortable place while taking in the acceptance of change. In the second chapter, â€Å"The Journey†, he focuses more on his experiences and thoughts when he first set foot in England. He recalls being quite oblivious to the English culture and that he was only this young, immature teenager who received a scholarship to attend Oxford. He indulges into a rather intense autobiography about how he reflects on the English who have changed him in a way that needed him to change his cultural grid. What furthermore comes to his mind is his experiences in a boarding house that he stayed in England and how he lived in Trinidad before occupying this subtle cottage in Wiltshire. He also reflects on his development as a writer and soon he realizes that however badly he wanted to leave England, he couldnt, because his audience and employment were rested in this country. Surely enough, he comes to the point where he summarizes all the great work he has completed to that date and looks deeper into the differences between two gazes – colonial and imperial. He notices that the colonial relates to the book 1984 by Aldous Huxley and how the Big Brother surveillance was something that he couldnt understand while on the other hand, his imperial view led him to control his characters in his stories while also indulging him into his narrative energy which couldnt be interfered with. Next up is the chapter â€Å"Ivy†, where Naipaul makes a vast and first appearance with his landlord who drives by him in his flashy and elegant car. Naipaul views him as a man with high social privileges and compares him to a man with a fringe what he previously sees who is the exact opposite as he writes about how life has begun differently for these two men, how one values something more than the other and how culture has created each man to who he is today. He comes back to talking about â€Å"Jacks Garden† again and how his visual interpretation leads this garden to be a state of art as he compares it to two painters, Constable and Giorgio de Chirico. The gardener, Pitton, is also mentioned as he one of the servants for the house and is someone who cant be bothered to look for another job since he is settling for less than he could possibly achieve in life. This makes Naipaul think and it throws him back to memories of how he has dealt with failure in his writing and as a human being. He relates to how important it is to be accepted by other people and how a true home can lead to someones well being. All in all, he creates a certain amount of hope as he looks into the future and sees time catching up with him. In the last two chapters, â€Å"Rooks† and â€Å"The Ceremony of Farewell†, the narrator talks about Alan, the ‘other writer in this novel who is a native towards this culture and understands the concept of the English. The most important part is the painting of Chirico which is identical to the name of this novel and how habituation is what creates vision and imagination. It also talks about how the journey of getting to a place creates the arrival and the thought of the place as Naipaul states that living in Wiltshire is another surprise in his life, however has gave him the power to accept chance. The story ends with the tragic death of Naipauls sister in Trinidad and the description of the Hindu ceremony that follows to honor her life. In a quote in the first chapter Naipaul states: â€Å"This idea of winter and snow had always excited me; but in England the word had lost some of its romance for me, because the winters I had found in England had seldom been as extreme as I had imagined they would be when I was far away in my tropical island.† (5). The seasons of a country do reflect the setting that it portrays and since England is mostly known for being rainy and gloomy, it might be looked at as a rather disliked place for tourists. However, coming from tropical islands, Naipaul experiences the cold weather as this influences his cultural grid to the change in climates. On the other hand, he expected more of the English winters and somewhat sounds disappointed in the adaption that he has to make. He tends to compare his old home with his new one and talks about the lack of romance that he has with this place. A certain ingredient of a lovely home is missing in England. In the second chapter, Naipaul recalls himself traveling to New York as he takes out his pencil: â€Å"When you licked the pencil the color became bright; dry, the color was dull. I had bought the pad and the pencil because I was traveling to become a write, and I had to start.† (106). Many different people travel for different things such as adventure, business, leisure, etc. That said, Naipaul was on a mission to capture the world with his own two eyes and mark down everything he saw which was new to him. He wanted to expand his cultural views and then felt the need to reflect on how he could relate to it in his own mind. Experience through travel is arguably stronger than the highest possible education as it indulges someone into a visual and emotional first person perspective on how the rush of the city lights can frighten you or how the background music in a bar can remind you of home. Naipaul travels for his own reason, for his profession of creating a diary which will keep memories of life, safe and sound. Soon enough, Naipaul starts to appreciate his surroundings as he recalls: â€Å"Whatever my mood, and how ever long or short my separation from the cottage, whether I had gone on an overseas assignment of many months of had simply done to Salisbury or had done for my afternoon walk, the first sight of the cottage on my return, breaking in upon me at the end of the short, dark lane from the public road, never failed to delight me.† (193). This quote shows a certain increase of maturity and respect over the years that he has been living in the house for. As he comes back to his home, sweet home, which at first sounds rather gloomy, he embraces it as it catches his eyes for being what it is. He appreciates the simplicity and recognizes the beauty of his surroundings as he is always content that nothing has changed, that it has been left untouched. It shows a rather strong character of the author since he doesnt look for tremendous wealth or a preppy public. His peace with the wo rld is calm and collected as he enjoys the way of life, the beautiful creation of mankind. In the other book that was written by Naipaul, An Area of Darkness, he does a rather good job in discriminating the things he doesnt like about a country. I see him doing that in this book too even though it is his country of residency. He complains about a few things, however I like how he appreciates the simple and important things in life. I feel like he has a great insight on what it means to be simplistic and not spoilt as he focuses on the values of a home, the people that surround him and in the meanwhile, he gives us a very passionate descriptive image of the cottage, the people and his life towards all those factors. I adored the fact that he recalled most of his past journeys in life as I could relate to every single one of them well since Ive done some extensive traveling myself, all over the world. I see him as someone to look up to, someone who talks from experience and who has seen the world. His perspective and opinions do get in the way of his narratives and novels a t times and this book was a rather slow and mellow read. However his grace of writing enhances people to expand their knowledge and culture to the world and shows them that traveling can make them brighter people. On another note, he dedicates this book to his loving brother, Shiva Naipaul, who died from a heart attack. His family values are never forgotten which inspires me. References Naipaul, V.S. The Enigma of Arrival. New York: Viking Press. 1987. Print.

Religion and the Media Essay -- Papers

Religion and the Media In the world we live in today people have revolutionized the image of religion, so that it is now regarded as a pastime instead of it solely being about God. In today's world media has evolved to be much more powerful than religion, and therefore some say that media is taken more seriously. After observation of the TV channels broadcasting specific religious programmes, I saw that all terrestrial TV channels had at least one hour a week of religious programmes. The government issues the license enabling TV companies to broadcast, and has a significant role in deciding on what has to be shown. In each TV channels broadcasting charter it is stated that they must "provide an average of at least two hours a week of religious programmes." This means that if a TV channel does not show this minimum amount their license could be evoked. It is very obvious why the government is concerned about religion in the UK since only 48 per cent of UK residents claim to belong to a religion, compared to 89 per cent in the United States and 92 per cent in Italy. Also two-thirds of 18-24 year olds in the UK, say that they have no religious affiliation compared to just a quarter in Spain. Nearly all religious programmes are aired at non-prime time slots, with the exception only being Songs of Praise on Sundays from 17.45-18.15. This suggests that the TV companies see broadcasting religious programmes as something they must to do, and not something they wish to do. We see further evidence of this by Reverend Ernest Rea words, who was the head of religion and ethics at the BBC. Revd Ernest Rea explains that "religion is... ...e put more thought on deciding how to end this moral issue, so there is a fair equilibrium on what the Soap represents. I am not suggesting that they should exalt religion and not take into consideration the moral side of things, but what I am saying is that there has to be a fine balance. Christians believe that life is sacred and that no one has the right to take away this gift that God has given us. The sanctity of life is first described in Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them". From this biblical quote we can conclude that if God has created us in the image of Himself, then therefore each human exists as an expression of God and his character. Then this would surely mean that human beings cannot destroy this sacred image in anyway.

Ethics in Reality TV Shows Essay -- Entertainment Media Television Pap

Ethics in Reality TV Shows â€Å"A man is standing on a swing, holding both metal lines that support it. Tied in chains around his waist and on each leg, he holds the 3 keys that are strapped to his wrist. He is to free himself after being submerged to the water outdoor with biting cold temperature as fast as he can to win the $50,000 prize beating the other contestants.† This is one of the scenes I saw a couple of weeks ago in the Reality TV show, "Fear Factor". Technology has greatly progressed specially in the area of multimedia communications of which television is one of them. From the very first black and white television drama, â€Å"The Queen’s Messenger† up to current full-colored â€Å"reality TV† show â€Å"Joe Millionaire†, a lot has happened. Below is the table of the different eras of TV Programming and their corresponding brief descriptions: Eras of TV Programming TV programming changed constantly to adapt to changing times and viewer preferences. Based on the time-frame, TV programming was divided into seven eras that constituted: †¢ Vaudeo (1948-1957): Era of sitcoms (situational comedy); lots of visual comedy effects; studio-bound technical requirements. †¢ Adult Westerns Era (1957-1960): Era of telefilms; first TV violence took its major participation; research companies could measure the number of TV audience including their ages and income brackets. †¢ Idiot Sitcom Era (early-late 1960s): Era of magic and slapstick comedies;start of James Bond and other action-oriented shows; first soap opera appeared. †¢ Relevance Era (late 1960s-1975): The period of TV renaissance that gave rise to quality TV; black actors were reintroduced to primetime starring roles and portrayal of women changed from housewives ... ...inello, Richard; (Jones & Bartlett Publishers, Incorporated, Sudbury MA 01776; ISBN: 0-76371-2698) p17 4. Media-Mediated Relationships: Straight and Gay, Mainstream and Alternative Perspectives;  ©1996; Fuller, Linda K.; (The Haworth Press, Inc.; ISBN: 1-56024-8769) 5. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present; 6th edition,  ©1995; Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle;(Ballantine Books, New York; ISBN: 0-34539-7363). pp. xv-xxi 6. The Elements of Moral Philosophy; 3rd edition  ©1999; Rachels, James; (McGraw-Hill Companies; ISBN: 0-07052-5609). pp. 20-36, pp.175-193. 7. Voyeur Nation Media, Privacy and Peering in Modern Culture;  ©2000; Calvert, Clay; (Westview Press; ISBN: 0-8133-6627-5) 8. Why we watch: The Attractions of Violent Entertainment;  ©1998; Goldstein, Jeffrey H.; (Oxford University Press; ISBN: 0-19511-8219)

What Drives Someone to Complete the Devastating Acts of Terrorism? Essa

Since the darkest day, September 11, 2001, the citizens of The United States of America are on alert and are weary of acts of terrorism. One can turn on the television and can easily find an act of terrorism. Most recent acts are the Boston bombings or the bombings in Volgograd, and most recently the two bombings in Sochi. What drives someone to complete the devastating acts of terrorism? How can on predict, based off of antisocial behaviors, who is more likely to become a terrorist? Regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or racial background, experts agree terrorists share one common link: their childhood. One tends to be more susceptible to becoming a terrorist because of a traumatic event in their childhood to cause antisocial behavior. In fact one traumatic event, whether real or imagined, during childhood increases the likelihood of a person exhibiting anti-social behavior. Terrorist typically have a path they follow which leads them to a life of violence and antisocial behavior. According to a New York Times’ article on the terrorist mind, terrorist have â€Å"extremist beliefs, which begins early in life; a strong sense of victimization and alienation† (Kershaw). Sarah Kershaw believes, a terrorist fears becoming alienated from society; therefore to prevent this alienation, they draw attention to themselves through acts of terrorism. However, a major trigger that pushes a person beyond the breaking point of a â€Å"normal† person to a terrorist is their own individual past. One can define a â€Å"normal† person as one who goes with the flow of society and does not act out in violence to voice their opinion. Rex Hudson also believes, â€Å"Terrorists are generally people who feel alienated† The event in the person’s past could range from a num... ...ons." American Psychological Association. N.p., Nov. 2009. Web. 20 Dec. 2013. DeAngelis, Tori. "Understanding Terrorism." American Psychological Association. N.p., Nov. 2009. Web. 19 Dec. 2013. Hudson, Rex A. The Sociology and Psychology of Terrorism: Who Becomes a Terrorist and Why? Washington, D.C.: The Library of Congress, Sept. 1999. PDF. Kershaw, Sarah. "The Terrorist Mind: An Update." Nytimes.com. The New York Times, 9 Jan. 2010. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. "Narcissistic." Dictionary.com. Random House, 2013. Web. 09 Jan. 2014. "Osama Bin Laden Fast Facts." CNN.com. Cable News Network, 24 Dec. 2013. Web. 09 Jan. 2014. Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Adolf Hitler." 20th Century HIstory. About.com, n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2014. Speaking of Psychology: Getting into a Terrorist's Mind. American Psychological Association, n.d. American Psychological Association. Web. 28 Dec. 2013.

Debut Albums and Answer

My favorite pet is a fish. Who am l? Hide the answer Ð’Â » A shark. Sharks experience tonic immobility, also known as apparent death, where they appear to have died. Blood does not easily flow through their bodies, forcing sharks to swim continuously to circulate their blood. Lastly, sharks have pet fish called Remote (sometimes called suckering). They feed on parasites on the sharks and leftovers, and they use the shark as transport and protection. A big thanks to Caravans for answering this. Serve Many But They Forget About Me serve many, confirmed by how healthy those I serve are.Yet after they're successful they forget about me. It's true, sometimes I hit them and they're often bloody, but they don't mind. What am l? A doctor (more specifically, an obstetrician) or a midwife. They deliver thousands of healthy babies but they are soon forgotten. Sometimes they smack the baby on the butt to clear the airway, and newborn babies can have blood on them from the placenta being pull ed from the walls of the uterus or from an episiotomy. Travel a Lot Meet Both Rich and Poor travel a lot and meet both the rich and the poor, but nobody knows where am going next.I'm invisible but you can see what I do. Who or what am l? Wind (or anything blown by the wind). It moves all over, reaches the rich and he poor equally and no one knows exactly which way the next gust of wind will blow. You can't see the wind, but you can see what it blows, like leaves or dust. Captain Mark Captain Mark is the captain of the ship. The captain of the ship is Captain Mark. The ship has plenty of space. What is the name of the ship? The Space Shuttle Endeavourer, captained by Mark Kelly. Received this by email from someone who didn't know the answer.Thanks to Devon for helping with this answer. Many are Perplexed While Seeking Me Many get perplexed in life while seeking me. Others put their life in danger and others give up. If you find me you are satisfied. What am l? Hint: It is in every ho use. I'm guessing its something like food, air or some other essential thing. I ran ‘every house' through the anagram server but didn't see anything pop out. Please add your answers in the comments. You'll Never See It Again What day will you never see again? Hide the Ð’Â » Yesterday.What is the center of gravity? V. The letter ‘V is the center Of the word gravity. Up a Drainpipe Down but Not Down a Drainpipe Up What can go up a drainpipe down but not down a drainpipe up? Hide the answer Ð’Â » An umbrella. Sometimes I'm a Sphere Sometimes I'm a sphere, Sometimes I'm a banana, And sometimes I'm not there at all. The moon. A full moon is a sphere, a crescent moon looks like a banana, and sometimes the moon is not visible at all. Look at My Face f you look at my face you won't see 13 in any place. What am l? Hide the A clock face.It only has the numbers 1 through 12. You'll See Me When the Sun is High and Also Late at Night You'll see me when the sun is high and als o late at night, I'm in the songs of holidays, when the snow is white, Kings and Queens and royalty, are all found in me, I'm the largest of them all, with just one you see, Step by step with pounding feet, I'm tribes of angry men, I'm above your hands right now, for help or to go again, You'll use me in the kitchen, or add a little more, I'll be in the years to come, and the days of yore. Twelve (12).Noon and midnight are both 12 o'clock and the Twelve Days Of Christmas is a popular Christmas carol. There are twelve face cards in a standard 52-card deck and twelve is the largest number with one syllable. There are twelve steps in Alcoholics Anonymous, a troy pound is 12 ounces, there were 12 tribes of Israel and a popular movie was called, â€Å"Twelve Angry Men† (12 members of the jury). There are twelve function keys on your keyboard. Fl often shows a help screen and reloads pages in your browser. Many species measure items by the dozen, adding one more for a baker's dozen .There are twelve months in a year. It's surprising how many times the number twelve shows up in our culture. Blow for Blow They Matched Each Other Blow for blow, they matched each other. Neither would fall to the other. In the eyes of the crowd, they were this. Equal. By Kef Destroy Has a Mouth But Cannot Drink Has a mouth, but cannot drink. Has a head, but cannot think. Has a tongue, but not a lung. Some are held and some are hung. A bell. Comes To Bedsides, Icy Bridges He comes to bedsides, icy bridges, battlefronts, and crumbling ridges. When he comes, he comes alone, taps a shoulder, then is gone.Death. Growing Tall But Never Fat This on this. That on that. Growing tall, but never fat. A stack. Sometimes Enter With a Gong I'm a word, six letters long, sometimes enter with a gong. All in order from A to Z, start with the letter B. What is the word? Begins It has six letters, when a meditation begins they sound the gong, and the letters are in alphabetical order. Hear a Lot, Say a Lot hear a lot And I say a lot Few ever look for me And even fewer ever hear me hide in plain sight Whether its day or night To help is all I want But most like to bend meAnd as if they had a wand Never again shall anyone find me They do this to control Without realizing the high price of a soul But when Pm least expected They'd rather be protected For there shall be no place to hide The truth. It Never Lasts Forever You can have it and be at it, but it never lasts forever. Peace. Downward Grows the Root Downward grows the root. Outward grows the skin. Upward grows the shoot. What way blows the wind? Way rd. Posted in Riddles No Thicker Than Your Finger No thicker than your finger when it folds. As thick as what it's holding when it holds. A sack. Posted in Riddles It Is HateIt is hate and has hate in it, but it isn't hate. Hatred. Gain and Lose the Most Some are quick to take it. Others must be coaxed. Those who choose to take it gain and lose the most. Risk. Guide and Scraping A long Guided, I am scraping along, leaving behind my snow white dust against that which I am scraping, for when am scraping, I must. Chalk EXiSt Between TWO Things It can only exist between any two things and men know it well for the hardships it brings. Distance. Always Done On Purpose Of all the things that are broken, this makes the least noise and is always done on purpose. Bread. One Strand Dangles One strand dangles.Two strands twist. Three or more can fashion this. Braids Apples for Leather Apples for leather, leather for silk, silk for tobacco, all to get milk. Bartering. Shorter Than My Four Siblings Shorter than my four siblings, but easily the strongest, sometimes wear a funny hat. A Thumb. So Simple I Only Point I'm so simple I only point, Yet I guide people all over the world. A compass. Tagged with What am l? Celebrate, Hide Their Shame or Commit Crime Some use me to celebrate, Others use me to hide their shame, Others use me to commit crime. Alcohol. People have a drin k to celebrate, but also drink to hide their shame.Lastly, drunk driving is a crime. A mask is also a valid answer. They can be used to celebrate Halloween or at dress-up parties, a mask can hide your shame and masks are used by thieves. 8 July 2014 update: This one has more valid answers than I thought. Money and drugs also work. Posted in Riddles Sounds Nothing Like the Word When pronounced, it sounds nothing like the word. A sentence. Onto Burden For Its Weight Not a burden for its weight and daily carried out, He who takes it wishes it had never come about. Punishment. In Different Ways It's Proudly Shown In different ways, it's proudly shown, though many like it to have been sewn.It's never torn from being worn, but when it's torn, it should be burned. A flag. They are displayed proudly in a variety of ways and are sewn on shirts. They are discarded from being too worn, but if torn or worn, they're burned out of respect. By Kef Destroy What Has Hair and Leaks? What has hair and leaks when something bad happens? Your eye. Your eyelashes are the hair and when something bad happens, your cry. Posted in Riddles What Can You Catch But Not Throw? What can you catch but not throw? Your breath or an illness (a cold, virus, the flu etc). Three Feet But No Head What has three feet but no head?Award stick (its 3 feet long). What Runs Around the Yard What runs around the yard without moving? A fence. Has Teeth taut can't Bite What has teeth but can't bite? A comb. Other inanimate objects with teeth like a saw, zipper or a gear can â€Å"bite† you. Many people can affirm from painful experience in regards to zippers and saws, and the unfortunate factory worker who is missing a finger can attest to gears. It's a rare event that anyone would be injured by a comb. Four Legs and a Foot What has four legs and a foot, but can't walk And a head but can't talk? A bed. The foot of the bed can't walk and the head of the bed can't talk.It's probably a good thing that beds can't walk and talk. Just think of where they'd go and what they'd say†¦ Posted in Riddles Look In My Face Look in my face and I am someone, Look in my back am no one. A mirror. The face of a mirror shows your face, but the back of a mirror shows nothing but dust and cardboard (depending on the type of mirror). Posted in Riddles Word Pronounced Incorrectly What 1 1 -letter word does everyone pronounce incorrectly? The word â€Å"incorrectly'. More Than a Few Nothing specific, but more than a few. This many clustered together will do. Bunch. Its a vague term that means more than a few.And clustered items like bananas, grapes or celery come in bunches. By Kef Destroy Never Goes Airborne It never goes airborne, yet, still, it may land. A punch. Not a Bird Though Feathered It's not a bird, though feathered, and it has a mobile nest. It's quick in flight and, having flown, it always stops to rest. An arrow. It has feathers and its nest (a quiver) is usually carried an archer's bac k. The arrow flies when released, but will always land somewhere to rest. Slayer of Regrets Slayer of regrets old and new, sought by many, found by few. Redemption. It can get rid of regrets, many people seek it but few find it.By Kef Destroy Split Itself What can split itself before splitting something else? Lightning. It looks like it's splitting apart in the sky, and trees are split in half when struck by lightning. By Kef Destroy A Blade of Jagged Cut Has a blade of jagged cut. Keeps the quickest hand out shut.

Evaluation of a multiprofessional community stroke team Essay

The study aims to conclusively evaluate how effective it is to employ a specialist community stroke team for the rehabilitation of stroke victims in a community based setting. This is clearly established at within the opening lines of the article. In the summary at the beginning of the article the author claims that the available evidence is inconclusive and his aim is to provide conclusive proof with regards to evidence based practise for the patient. A research article should state its’ aims clearly and should assume the audience has no previous background knowledge (Greenhalg, 2006). The literature reviewed in this article was from a variety of sources such as the Cochrane database and a selection of journal articles. On this basis the authors were able to deduce that previous research carried out provided contradicting reports. For example Roderick et al (2001) as cited by Lincoln et al (2004) found no significant difference in the effectiveness of rehabilitation which had taken place in the home to that which had occurred in a hospital setting. On the contrary Gladman et al (1993) as cited by Lincoln et al (2004) found a significant difference in a small group of younger patients. It was also suggested that there was a shift of focus from mainly hospital based rehabilitation to community based rehabilitation of stroke patients. According to Polger and Thomas (2008) a literature review should provide appropriate background information. That is, it should show the current knowledge level in that area of study. The author appears to have utilised much of his own previous work in the study and some are more than ten years old. This could possibly be an indication that indeed, there is a large gap in knowledge of this subject area. On the other hand it may indicate that the author has done a selective search of the literature. A quantitative approach was utilised in this study and the method used was a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT). The articles’ methodology was well documented. According to Sim and Wright (2000) an analytic study attempts to quantify the relationship between two factors, that is, the effect of an intervention or exposure on an outcome. A term used to describe the design randomized controlled trial according to Greenhalgh (2006) is Parallel group comparison. This is when each group receives a different treatment and both are entered into the experiment at the same time. By comparing the groups an analysis is provided. In the Lincoln et al (2004) study Participants were divided into two groups, A and B with the former receiving routine care while the latter received the intervention – rehabilitation with the multi-professional community stroke team. The question posed by the authors could have been answered using a qualitative approach. The question could possible state; Evaluation of a multiprofessional community stroke team: a phenomenological study. SAMPLE Altman (1991) states that a study should have enough participants recruited in order to detect a significant effect if one exists. The sample group consisted of patients referred to the Nottingham Community Stroke Team who had suffered a stroke within the last two years, who were over sixteen years old and needed intervention from more than one multidisciplinary team member. Patients who lived outside the geographical area and/or had been treated by the community stroke team in the preceding two years were excluded. Four hundred and twenty eight patients were randomly selected at the start of the trial and randomly allocated to either Group A or Group B. An error resulted in seven people being recruited twice. This error was corrected by including only the outcome of their initial recruitment when the results were being analyzed. The target population of this study is relatively clearly defined (patients who have had a stroke within last two years, over the age of sixteen, etc†¦ ) and lends credence to the external validity of the study (Payton, 1994). According to Sim and Wright (2000) the accessible population is the portion of the target population that is available to the researcher and the sample is then taken from this accessible population. The groups are similar to each other with regards to gender and age distribution; this also increases the validity of the study as this similarity reduces the variables of the study. The overall population was a convenience sample which was then randomized to two groups. Six months after randomization all the patients were sent a letter asking them to consent to being in a study to evaluate the input of a community stroke team. According to Lincoln et al (2004) the consent forms and outcome questionnaires were sent this late so as to reduce bias. It was thought that group A which was receiving routine care would have lower expectations if confronted with the realization that the alternate group may receive superior care. Some would possibly insist on being referred to the specialist community stroke team The Local Research Ethics Committee granted ethical approval for this study to go ahead. This indicates that the value of the research undertaken outweighed any harm that this consenting method may have caused as patients in Group A were still receiving routine care. However, the department of health has issued guidelines which state that participants must be consented and all pertinent information given prior to the start of any study. Data was collected via a questionnaire comprising of the Barthel Index, Extended ADL, General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12) and Euroquol. The participants were also asked to rate their knowledge of the expected extent of recovery from their stroke, and their overall satisfaction with the services they received from the community stroke team. The use of a questionnaire for data collection has both negative and positive aspects. Greenhalgh (2006) states that a questionnaire is an instrument used to measure human psychology, so whilst sending the questionnaire via post proves to be cost effective as the alternative would be to hold face to face interviews with the participants as focus groups or individually, it raises concerns about the reliability of the study. This is because the researcher is not present to interpret facial expressions and body language when the participants answer the questions. The alternative of conducting face to face interviews with such a large number of participants would prove to be costly and time consuming. However, according to Oppenheim (2003) long questionnaires are sometimes off putting and may generate low response rates, conducting these questionnaires via the postal service could possibly increase the likelihood of a low response rate. The results were shown as a table and diagram, the Mann-Whitney U-test which was used to compare the groups showed no significant differences on independence in personal or instrumental activities of daily living or on the patients’ mood. There was also no significant difference between the groups in their knowledge with regards to the resources available to assist them in adjusting to life after a stroke. There was also no difference between the two groups with overall satisfaction or in satisfaction with the practical helped received. However, patients in the Community Stroke Team were significantly more satisfied with the emotional care they received. (Lincoln et al, 2004) According to Wright et al (2009) the Mann-Whitney U-test is used when one group from the sample is larger than the other and when both samples are from the same population, as is the case with this study. There was no significant difference in carers’ mood between the two groups. However, the strain on carers of patients seen by the community stroke team was significantly less than that of carers of patients randomized to the routine care group. The carers of patients in the community stroke team group were significantly more satisfied with their knowledge of stroke and had higher overall satisfaction than the carers of those in the routine group. By utilizing the randomized controlled trial design the author lends credence to its validity as this design allows for the eradication of systematic bias. (Sim et al, 2000) This was done through the sampling process of selecting the participants from the target population and randomly allocating them to Group A which received routine care or Group B those in the care of the community stroke team. The collection of data by using a postal questionnaire helps to â€Å"blind† the researcher as he cannot influence the participants’ response. Although some participants did not respond to the questionnaire, others responded with incomplete forms, some died and a few were recruited twice, the author is cognizant of this and incorporates it into his findings. Crombie (2000) states that if the withdrawals and failures to respond can be seen as being consistent between both comparison groups then the results of the research will not be negatively impacted upon. This is because the results show that these failures are random among both groups and not specific to one. However one major fault is the fact that the services received by Group A were not collected due to impracticalities and unreliable recollections of the patients. Critical appraisal is not just an exercise in fault finding, it is the analysis of these faults and the assessment of their potential impact on the research which allows the reader to come to a decision regarding the strength or usefulness of the article being critiqued. In order for the research results to be utilized in clinical practice its’ reliability and validity are essential aspects which need to be covered. (Polger and Thomas, 2008) This article shows a research that was methodically sound and well designed. The sample was representative of the population being examined and attempts were made to minimize bias. The author was aware of the shortfalls of this research and attempted to incorporate this in his findings however, most of the issues identified did not affect the results of the study. The study if repeated would provide comparable results. However, the author states that the study provides evidence supporting the use of a community based stroke team to assist in the rehabilitation of stroke patients because of the increased emotional support for patients and greater satisfaction and reduced strain on carers. This statement would have been better justified on results from a qualitative study as this type of study aims to interpret people’s emotional and psychological response to the intervention or interventions being employed. The results from such a study would be closer to the patients’ and carers true feelings as the methodology behind that study would be different.