Unit 13

Unit 13 1 Understand what dementia is 1. 1 explain what is meant by the term ‘dementia’ Dementia is a serious loss of global cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal ageing. 1. 2 describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia Dementia is not a single disease, but a non-specific syndrome (i. e. , set of signs and symptoms). Affected cognitive areas can be memory, attention, language, and problem solving. emporal lobe = responsible foe vision, memory, language, hearing, learning frontal lobe = responsible for decision making , problem solving, control behavior and emotions parietal lobe = responsible for sensory information from the body, also where letters are formed, putting things in order and spatial awareness occipital lobe = responsible for processing information related to vision cerebrum lobe = biggest part of the Brain its role is memory, attention, thought, and our consciousness, senses and movement hippocampus = responsible for memory forming, organizing and storing and emotions 1. explain why depression, delirium and age-related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia Delirium and age-related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia because this can be also symptoms for other disease or even diseases. Normally, symptoms must be present for at least six months to support a diagnosis. Cognitive dysfunction of shorter duration is called â€Å"delirium†. Especially in later stages of the condition, subjects may be disoriented in time (not knowing the day, week, or even year), in place (not knowing where they are), and in person (not knowing whom they and/or others around them are). Understand key features of the theoretical models of dementia 2. 1 outline the medical model of dementia Dementia as a clinical syndrome is characterized by global cognitive impairment, which represents a decline from previous level of functioning, and is associated wit h impairment in functional abilities and, in many cases, behavioral and psychiatric disturbances. 2. 2 outline the social model of dementia The social model of care seeks to understand the emotions and behaviors of the person with dementia by placing him or her within the context of his or her social circumstances and biography.By learning about each person with dementia as an individual, with his or her own history and background, care and support can be designed to be more appropriate to individual needs. 2. 3 explain why dementia should be viewed as a disability People who have dementia are not aware of requirements for living. They can forget to do the essential things that are vital. Taking medicines, hygiene and even eating are often forgotten. They can get lost or hurt and not understand what is necessary to correct a situation.Turning on the stove or water and forgetting to turn it off, locking doors, crossing streets etc. can be dangerous even deadly. In the same way you wo uld not think as an infant incapable of self care a person with dementia can not be either. Considering the facts that they cannot act in the manner of a responsible adult makes them disabled. 3 Know the most common types of dementia and their causes 3. 1 list the most common causes of dementia There isn’t one identifiable source for the disease and it is thought that it is a combination of factors that cause the condition.The disease may develop silently for years before the symptoms appear. I can list a few: -Alzheimer’s disease -Dementia with Lewy bodies, -Stroke -Parkinson’s -Degenerative disease -Alcohol related dementia -any disease or event which can create injuries to the brain. 3. 2 describe the likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of dementia †¢ Memory loss, frequently forgetting conversations, appointments, or events †¢ Impaired judgment †¢ Difficulties with abstract thinking †¢ Faulty reasoning †¢ Inappropriate behavior Loss of communication skills, difficulty following the flow of a conversation †¢ Disorientation to time and place †¢ Gait, motor, and balance problems †¢ Neglect of personal care and safety †¢ Hallucinations, paranoia, agitation †¢ Frequently losing or misplacing things 3. 3 outline the risk factors for the most common causes of dementia The most common causes for dementia are: The age, gender and hormonal effects, stress, head trauma, education, chemical exposure, depression, parental age, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, cerebral white-matter lesion, alcohol, 3. identify prevalence rates for different types of Dementia Alzheimer's is the most prevalent. Vascular Dementia is the second most prevalent. After that things convoluted a bit but Dementia with Lewy bodies is probably third. 4 Understand factors relating to an individual’s experience of dementia 4. 1 describe how different individuals may experience living with dementia dep ending on age, type of dementia, and level of ability and disability Depending on the form of dementia people's ability and disability will be different. People with dementia may not necessarily always be forgetful, for xample an individual with Fronto-temporal dementia may be less forgetful than a person suffering from Alzheimer disease. Their memory may remain intact but their personality and behavior could be noticeably changed. Dementia with Lewy bodies interrupts the brain’s normal functioning and affects the person's memory, concentration and speech skills. It has similar symptoms to Parkinson's disease such as tremors, slowness of movement and speech difficulties. People with vascular dementia may suffer from incontinence or seizure where other types of dementia may not affect those.However the level of ability and disability depend on individual's age and condition of dementia, people who are living with dementia in earlier age such as 60's-70's are less likely to be as dependable on others than people living with dementia at the age of over their 70's or 80's. People also have different levels of stamina at different ages, so their ability and disability may vary and the level of support they require will be varied as well. 4. 2 outline the impact that the attitudes and behaviors of others may have on an individual with dementiaA person with dementia in contact with a healthy and normal person can become depressed, introverted, and violent; can refuse any communication or co-operation. All these example of behavioral can appear if the person who gets in touch with the person with dementia has no experience, or doesn’t know about the person’s condition(dementia). If the CA has enough dates about the SU than can provide the necessary care and to adopt the necessary attitude to create a link which allows to get close enough to the SU and to provide the assistance to maintain the quality of SU’s life, promoting good hygiene, so cialization, nutrition, self respect. Unit 13 Unit 13 1 Understand what dementia is 1. 1 explain what is meant by the term ‘dementia’ Dementia is a serious loss of global cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal ageing. 1. 2 describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia Dementia is not a single disease, but a non-specific syndrome (i. e. , set of signs and symptoms). Affected cognitive areas can be memory, attention, language, and problem solving. emporal lobe = responsible foe vision, memory, language, hearing, learning frontal lobe = responsible for decision making , problem solving, control behavior and emotions parietal lobe = responsible for sensory information from the body, also where letters are formed, putting things in order and spatial awareness occipital lobe = responsible for processing information related to vision cerebrum lobe = biggest part of the Brain its role is memory, attention, thought, and our consciousness, senses and movement hippocampus = responsible for memory forming, organizing and storing and emotions 1. explain why depression, delirium and age-related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia Delirium and age-related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia because this can be also symptoms for other disease or even diseases. Normally, symptoms must be present for at least six months to support a diagnosis. Cognitive dysfunction of shorter duration is called â€Å"delirium†. Especially in later stages of the condition, subjects may be disoriented in time (not knowing the day, week, or even year), in place (not knowing where they are), and in person (not knowing whom they and/or others around them are). Understand key features of the theoretical models of dementia 2. 1 outline the medical model of dementia Dementia as a clinical syndrome is characterized by global cognitive impairment, which represents a decline from previous level of functioning, and is associated wit h impairment in functional abilities and, in many cases, behavioral and psychiatric disturbances. 2. 2 outline the social model of dementia The social model of care seeks to understand the emotions and behaviors of the person with dementia by placing him or her within the context of his or her social circumstances and biography.By learning about each person with dementia as an individual, with his or her own history and background, care and support can be designed to be more appropriate to individual needs. 2. 3 explain why dementia should be viewed as a disability People who have dementia are not aware of requirements for living. They can forget to do the essential things that are vital. Taking medicines, hygiene and even eating are often forgotten. They can get lost or hurt and not understand what is necessary to correct a situation.Turning on the stove or water and forgetting to turn it off, locking doors, crossing streets etc. can be dangerous even deadly. In the same way you wo uld not think as an infant incapable of self care a person with dementia can not be either. Considering the facts that they cannot act in the manner of a responsible adult makes them disabled. 3 Know the most common types of dementia and their causes 3. 1 list the most common causes of dementia There isn’t one identifiable source for the disease and it is thought that it is a combination of factors that cause the condition.The disease may develop silently for years before the symptoms appear. I can list a few: -Alzheimer’s disease -Dementia with Lewy bodies, -Stroke -Parkinson’s -Degenerative disease -Alcohol related dementia -any disease or event which can create injuries to the brain. 3. 2 describe the likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of dementia †¢ Memory loss, frequently forgetting conversations, appointments, or events †¢ Impaired judgment †¢ Difficulties with abstract thinking †¢ Faulty reasoning †¢ Inappropriate behavior Loss of communication skills, difficulty following the flow of a conversation †¢ Disorientation to time and place †¢ Gait, motor, and balance problems †¢ Neglect of personal care and safety †¢ Hallucinations, paranoia, agitation †¢ Frequently losing or misplacing things 3. 3 outline the risk factors for the most common causes of dementia The most common causes for dementia are: The age, gender and hormonal effects, stress, head trauma, education, chemical exposure, depression, parental age, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, cerebral white-matter lesion, alcohol, 3. identify prevalence rates for different types of Dementia Alzheimer's is the most prevalent. Vascular Dementia is the second most prevalent. After that things convoluted a bit but Dementia with Lewy bodies is probably third. 4 Understand factors relating to an individual’s experience of dementia 4. 1 describe how different individuals may experience living with dementia dep ending on age, type of dementia, and level of ability and disability Depending on the form of dementia people's ability and disability will be different. People with dementia may not necessarily always be forgetful, for xample an individual with Fronto-temporal dementia may be less forgetful than a person suffering from Alzheimer disease. Their memory may remain intact but their personality and behavior could be noticeably changed. Dementia with Lewy bodies interrupts the brain’s normal functioning and affects the person's memory, concentration and speech skills. It has similar symptoms to Parkinson's disease such as tremors, slowness of movement and speech difficulties. People with vascular dementia may suffer from incontinence or seizure where other types of dementia may not affect those.However the level of ability and disability depend on individual's age and condition of dementia, people who are living with dementia in earlier age such as 60's-70's are less likely to be as dependable on others than people living with dementia at the age of over their 70's or 80's. People also have different levels of stamina at different ages, so their ability and disability may vary and the level of support they require will be varied as well. 4. 2 outline the impact that the attitudes and behaviors of others may have on an individual with dementiaA person with dementia in contact with a healthy and normal person can become depressed, introverted, and violent; can refuse any communication or co-operation. All these example of behavioral can appear if the person who gets in touch with the person with dementia has no experience, or doesn’t know about the person’s condition(dementia). If the CA has enough dates about the SU than can provide the necessary care and to adopt the necessary attitude to create a link which allows to get close enough to the SU and to provide the assistance to maintain the quality of SU’s life, promoting good hygiene, so cialization, nutrition, self respect.

Pastoral Care and Counseling

Introduction Pastoral care and Counseling is one of the important ministries in the Church at any place in the world. Our churches are filled with people who experience crisis, lost, loneliness, anxiety, depression, divorced, and family problems. Pastors have a huge opportunity to help people just by listening and encouraging those in household of faith. In some cases it is just enough to listen and teach biblical principles of living but in the other cases there is the need to be specifically train people for a specialized ministry of counseling with deeper problems.In the context of my Country, Russia, I choose three issues which mostly need response in the churches. These issues are Premarital Counseling, Marriage Counseling and Crisis care and Counseling. Most of the times we do not feel comfortable to talk about these issues on the church but it do not mean that the problems do not exist. To have a healthy church these issues need to be addressed and pastors need to learn how to approach people because the people are not going to approach pastors first and ask for help. Part I: Premarital CounselingPsychologist Carl Rogers once gave a sobering perspective on marriage. â€Å"If 50-75 percent of Ford or General Motors cars completely fell apart within the early part of their lifetimes as automobiles,† Rogers wrote, â€Å"the public outcry would be overwhelming and drastic steps would be taken to correct the situation. † But this happens to many marriages and hardly anyone rises any complain. Divorce is fre ¬quent, fewer than half of the marriages that persist could be considered successful, and often couples seem unable or unwilling to correct the situation.The same situation and attitude to marriage we have in Russian, people usually get marry in age of 20 and mostly marriages fail after first three years. When I was getting my bachelor degree, 90% of my classmates were getting married at ages of 20 – 21 but 95% of them got divorced i n the senior year of College. I am talking about secular world and we may have a different statistics among Christians but the fact is that young people have no clue what marriage is about.There are many reasons for the present instability of marriages, but one of the many causes of failure is built prima ¬rily on sexual attraction, the desire to escape from a difficult home situation, a vague feeling of love, or some equally fleeting motive. Many marriage relationships are too flimsy to survive the pressures, challenges, and storms of daily living. Unprepared for the stresses or for the effort and determination required making mar ¬riage work, many people prefer to give up and bail out. That which was meant to be meaningful and fulfilling thus becomes frustrating and personally devastating.I believe that if the society in Russian would pay more attention on premarital counseling in the church and outside then the family institution would have grow stronger and that would lead t he country to success because the foundation of any country is the family institution. Premarital counseling seeks to help individuals, couples, and groups of couples to prepare for and build happy, fulfilling, Christ-honoring, and successful marriages. There are many values in premarital counseling if it is done carefully and consistently by the pastor. One of these values is the satisfaction that it brings to him personally.One pastor cannot change this societal attitude by himself, but each one can experience the inner reward of knowing he has done his part to change this pre ¬vailing attitude. The values of premarital counseling are first of all to help the couple to approach marriage more realistically because they are aware of only two things that they are in love, and they want to spend their lives together. Another value of premarital counseling is that it affords each partner a better understanding of himself. A value of great importance is the knowledge that each partner gains of the other through the counseling process.The pastor must help the partners to gain a greater understanding of the thought patterns of each other. Another practical value of premarital counseling is that partners can see the value of, and gain experience in the skill of communication. Finally, a great value of premarital counseling is that it helps persons to realistically determine if they are making the right choice regarding marriage. Reasons for premarital guidance Gary Collins outlines seven basic principles of premarital counseling that I found helpful in my context. These are: 1.Unrealistic Expectations That Can Lead to Disillusionment. When they ap ¬proach marriage, perhaps most people assume that they have unique relationships. Perhaps these expectations are changing now that marriage failures are so much taken for granted. Often there is impatience, insensitivity, self-centered, attitudes, inadequate skill in relating, and great disappointment and disillusionmen t when one's expectations for marriage are not met quickly. Premarital counseling lets couples express, discuss, and realistically modify their expectations for marriage. 2.Personal Immaturity That Can Lead to Insensitivity. Most 92% marriages in Russian happened because of pregnancy and this is the normal thing nowadays. It is not surprising that one's attitudes and behavior within a marriage differ little from the characteristics that were brought to the relationship. If one or both of the participants are self-centered, hypercritical, impatient, competitive, or striving for status—that is, immature—before marriage, these traits will put a strain on marital stability later. People who are irresponsible before marriage tend to be irresponsible after the wedding.Premarital counseling should seek to uncover and discuss the self-centered tendencies that put strain on a marriage. The couple must be taught how to resolve differences, and they must develop both sensitivity and a willingness to accept and meet each other's needs. This involves giving freely to one's mate just as Christ gave to us. 3. Changing Roles That Can Lead to Confusion. Confusion and conflict may follow when a man and woman each come to marriage with unclear roles and vague expectations about their own and each other's responsibilities.Differing assumptions and views about who is supposed to do what can lead to tension unless the couple has learned to communicate honestly, not defensively, and in loving way. Premarital counseling provides an opportunity for a couple to begin this type of communication. Together they can learn to discuss their different expectations and decide on areas of responsibility. Such role clarification must not ignore biblical teachings. According to Scrip ¬ture, both the Christian husband and wife must be filled with the Spirit: daily confessing sin, giving thanks, and praying for the Holy Spirit to control each of their lives.There also must be an att itude of mutual submission to each other, but the more stringent requirements are laid on the husband. The husband and wife are equally valuable and equally important in the building of a good marriage, but they have different responsibilities. 5. Loosening Sexual Standards That Can Lead to Immorality. Sex before marriage is not new and neither is it rare, even among Christians. But as a result of these more liberal attitudes, dating for many has become a time for exploring each other's bodies and genitals instead of each other's mind, feelings, beliefs, values, and expectations.Sexual standards are loosening and premarital sex, even among Christians, appears to be more preva ¬lent. Nevertheless the Bible still calls this immorality a violation of God's best for our lives. Issues like this should be discussed honestly, faced compassionately, and examined biblically. 6. Previous Experiences That Can Lead to Overconfidence. Books on premarital counseling often assume that most coupl es are young, inexperienced, and entering their first marriage. This is not always true. Many prospective brides and grooms have been previously married.Some previously married people recognize the need for new adjustments and appreciate the help that can come from a sensitive counselor. More often, it seems, people approaching remarriage resist premarital counseling and assume that it is unnecessary and only for those who have had no prior marital experience. The counselor can challenge unrealistic attitudes, help the couple see potential problems that even previously married people might miss, and guide them to resolve issues that may have been unresolved following the previous marriage. 7. Circumstances That Can Lead to Later Misery.When they come to marriage, some people bring what one counselor calls red-flag situations that need special scrutiny and evaluation. Some of these circumstances were mentioned as pregnant bride, one or both participants on the rebound from a previous marriage or engagement, serious drug involvement, emotional problems or mental instability, serious mental or physical handicaps, no financial security, contrasting cultural backgrounds or religious beliefs, wide gaps in education or age differences, and knowing each other for a very short time. Many marriages do not survive.Premarital counseling should not be viewed as a painful procedure designed to snatch unsuspecting couples from the grips of marital misery. Most premarital counseling is done, not with pathological people, but with relatively healthy indi ¬viduals who can be helped to enhance and enrich a growing relationship. Format It should be obvious that a counselor cannot accomplish all of these purposes in one brief interview. Most writers recommend that there be at least five or six one-hour sessions prior to the wedding. This of course can be demanding.It is easy for time pressures and counselee busyness to combine in convincing the counselor that a briefer period of premarital counseling would suffice. Try to resist that temptation. There is much to be discussed if a marriage is to be built on a solid foundation. The general goals according to Hamilton, include the following: (1) an understand ¬ing of the meaning of marriage within the framework of biblical truth and Christian theology, (2) an understanding of the problems affecting marriage in contemporary culture, and (3) an understanding of the Christian concept of the value of human personality.As the pastor deals with these broad concepts he seeks to expand his counselees' awareness of the importance of marriage in the light of its biblical and historical roots, of the unique pressures being brought upon marriage in our times, and of Christianity's view of the worth of persons. All of these goals are of vital importance in building a sound philosophy of marriage.The specific goals, according to Hamilton, center in the following areas: (1) an understanding of each partner's role-percepti on in the forth ¬coming marriage, (2) an understanding of each partner's role-expectation of the other, (3) an understanding of how each partner evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the other, (4) an understanding of the potential strengths and weaknesses of the proposed marriage, and (5) a careful examination of particular problems likely to arise.The underlying, practical goal of all premarital counsel ¬ing is twofold: (1) to enable the partners to pre-solve some potential marriage problems before they arise; and (2) to give the partners knowledge of, and experience in, the art of com ¬munication, which is so necessary in the building of a rich and rewarding relationship. The pastor who wishes to do a creditable job of premari ¬tal counseling should think in terms of at least three sessions: (1) one with the woman, (2) one with the man, and (3) one with both.In each of the individual sessions the pastor will be engaging in four main functions: (1) listening, (2) quest ion ¬ing, (3) analyzing, and (4) teaching. Listening As in other types of counseling, the pastor needs to hear what is, and is not, being said. Only by careful listening can the pastor come to valid insights regarding the counselee’s real feelings about his personal relationship with the proposed marriage partner. Questioning Skillful use of questions enables the pas ¬tor to gather the type of data he needs to help persons prepare for marriage.Questioning will center in the two broad areas of facts and feelings. The area of facts will have to do with such aspects as how they met, how long they have known each other, how long they have dated, and when they plan to marry. The questioning should then move to the deeper level of feelings. This area has to do with such matters as the counselee’s true feelings about the idea of marriage, the de ¬mands of marriage, his perception of his partner as a marriage mate, and his own feelings regarding his ability to be a suità ‚ ¬able marriage partner.The pastor should not hesitate to question his counselees regarding their feelings about every aspect of the marriage relationship including such matters as where they will live and in what kind of dwelling, how many children they want, where they will attend church, whether the wife will be em ¬ployed outside the home (along with how long, how much, and what kind of work), how they will use their leisure time, where they will find their friends and how they will develop social relationships, how each feels about the husband's job, and if either plans for further education.He should also ex ¬amine their attitudes toward in-laws, money, and sex. As the pastor probes the deeper levels of his parishioners' feelings he gains the type and amount of information he needs as he pro ¬ceeds to analysis. Analyzing After the data is sorted out and analyzed, the pastor is ready for a joint session (or sessions) with the partners. In most cases there will be some di fferences in how each partner perceives certain aspects of the future marriage. These are the areas that will need to be given special and care ¬ful attention during the joint session.It is at this time that the two partners will need to be shown the importance of com ¬munication. It will also provide a rich opportunity for them to begin to develop new and better ways of communicating their feelings to each other. Teaching Lastly, the pastor engages in the function of teaching. The amount and type of teaching that is to be done will be determined by what the pastor has discovered in the individual counseling sessions. The broad areas covered in his teaching will usually include the Christian view of mar ¬riage, the tatus of marriage in contemporary culture, the responsible use of sex, the basic differences in maleness and femaleness (most feel they understand the opposite sex but do not), and the art of communication. As a part of his teach ¬ing function the pastor should be prepared to recommend and loan helpful books and articles in areas where the partners lack understanding. It is also important for the pastor to point out the value of a medical examination for the prospective bride, if not for both partners. Thorough work in premarital counseling may involve more than three counseling sessions, but that is the minimum.While this is both time-consuming and exhausting, it is less so than marriage counseling. If a pastor does his premarital counseling work well he may be saving himself, or some other pastor or counselor, from involvement in more extensive mar ¬riage counseling later on. Of greater significance, of course, is that premarital counseling helps couples to build the kind of relationships that are both solid and satisfying We have high incidences of divorce in the church in Russia particularly among young people because they are often pushed into early marriage by teenage pregnancies.Such people do not have any opportunity for premarital counseling. The church often treat them with disdain and may not be readily open to give them some basic premarital counseling that would help sustain them when they get married. Part II: Marriage Counseling Marriage is not a very stable institution at least in the Western and Eastern worlds. In Russia the average duration of a marriage is only 5 years. More than a million couples are divorced every year. Many who stay together have marriages tolerable but not especially happy.Even though happy marriages like these do exist and are possible, we live in a time when marital unhappiness is more common and where many see divorce as a convenient and ever-present fire escape should marital conflicts get too hot to handle. Marriage, the permanent union created by God, is treated more and more as a temporary arrangement of convenience. Marriage is one of the first topics discussed in the Bible. But what does the Bible say about marital problems and ways to help troubled mar ¬riages? Almo st nothing!It should be remembered that marital conflict often is a symptom of something deeper, such as selfishness, lack of love, unwillingness to forgive, anger, bitterness, communication problems, anxiety, sexual abuse, drunkenness, feelings of inferior ¬ity, sin, and a deliberate rejection of God's will. Each of these can cause marital tension, each can be influenced by husband-wife conflict, and each is discussed in the Bible. The causes of marital problems Some common marital problems as found in Russian culture outline by Collins as follow: 1. Faulty Communication.In the professional literature, this probably is the most commonly mentioned cause of marital discord. Citing James 4:1-3, psychologist Lawrence Crabb notes that communication problems inevitably result when people pursue self-centered goals, but sometimes problems also come because individuals have not learned how to communicate clearly and efficiently. Most of us would agree that occasional miscommunication bet ween spouses is inevitable. When miscommunication is more common than clear communication, however, the marriage begins to have serious problems.Poor communication tends to breed more of the same. Try to remember that communication is a learned interaction. Even when it is not good, people can learn to make it better. 2. Underintegrated or Overintegrated Relationships, Getting close to another person is risky. We open ourselves to criticism and possible rejection when we let another person know us intimately, he become aware of our insecurities, or see our weaknesses. Since most of us have learned the value of fending for ourselves, it is not easy to trust another person—even when that other person is a marriage partner 3 Interpersonal Tension.When two people marry, each comes to the marriage with approximately two or more decades of past experiences and ways of looking at life. Each has perspectives that are not shared by the other and sometimes, even when there is a sincere desire for compromise or synthesis, couples still has diffi ¬culty resolving their differences. What happens if there is unwillingness to change, insensitivity to the other person's viewpoints, or a refusal to acknowledge the differences?Often there is tension that frequently centers on one of the following issues: Sex: At times most couples have sexual problems. These include lack of accu ¬rate knowledge, unrealistic expectations, fear of not being able to perform ade ¬quately, differences in sexual drive, inhibiting attitudes about sex, and insufficient opportunities for privacy. Roles: We live at a time when traditional male-female roles are being reeval ¬uated. This often leads to conflict over what it means to be a husband or wife. The society gives little guidance because opinions seem to be changing so rapidly.Inflexibility: When a man and woman marry, each brings a unique personality to the marriage. Sometimes these personality differences complement each other and blend into a mutually compatible relationship. Often marriages take on personalities of their own, each of which can have strengths and weak points. There can be difficulties, however, if one or both of the partners is rigid, unwilling to give, or strongly resistant to change. Religion: The Bible warns of problems when a believer and an unbeliever try to live together in marriage.Counselors have observed tensions when a husband and wife differ from each other in their denominational preferences, degree of com ¬mitment to spiritual things, interest in religion, or expectations about the religious education of children. Sometimes these differences create tension in other areas such as choice of friends, views of ethics, whether and to whom charitable donations will be given, or the use of time on Sundays. Religion can be a binding, strengthening force in a marriage, but when a husband and wife have different viewpoints, religion can also be a destructive focus for marital tension.Va lues: What is really important in life? How should we spend our time and money? What are our goals? These questions concern values. When a couple has similar values, the marriage is often healthy and growing. When values are in con ¬flict, however, the relationship may be one of tension, power struggles, and mutual criticism. Value conflicts are at the heart of many marital problems. Consider, for example, how some of the following value alternatives could create potential for conflict. Functions of the Marriage Counselor The functions of the Marriage Counselor are: To hear the hurts that the counselees are feeling. In many cases these hurts have been intense, of long duration, and unexpressed to a third party. The reason that the counselor needs to hear the hurts is because the counselee feels his or her partner has not truly heard him or her. Attempts to be heard by his mate have been aborted, and this adds to his anxiety and frustration. When he feels that his counselor is gett ing his message and is feeling with him, he experiences the catharsis he needs in order to approach his problem more realistically. 2. To clarify problems.Most persons who come for counsel are aware of symptoms but they do not understand what is producing those symptoms. Most people are so confused they do not know what their problem is until they visit a counselor. 3. To help in the understanding of roles. Most couples are confused of their roles. Be ¬cause it is difficult for one to see the gap between his per ¬ception of himself and his behavior, he feels that he is misunderstood if his mate points out this discrepancy to him. When both partners are thus criticizing each other, each feels mistreated and frustrated. . To fa ¬cilitate communication. A communication problem happens when partners have unresolved conflict between them. The counselor helps deal with the conflicts then now they have free flow of communication. 5. To encourage change in perception and behavior. It is not enough for the counselor to hear hurts, clarify problems, aid in the understanding of roles, and aid in facilitating communication. He must help motivate the partners both to think themselves into a new way of behaving and to behave themselves into a new way of thinking.Moti ¬vation is usually achieved, at least to a degree, when feelings have been ventilated, the problem is seen in clearer perspec ¬tive, and communication lines have been opened. Some marital problems in Russia are like an inflamed appendix, capable of killing but relatively simple to remove. Other problems will be of such depth and severity that the pastor will not be able to deal with them. This means that he will need to refer them to a professional counselor, a psychologist or a psychiatrist. The pastor need not feel defeated by his inability to help such persons.If it is any comfort to him, he should be aware that some marital problems lie beyond the skill of even the best of professionals. Therefore , while he may be truly sorry that he is not able to help in some cases, he should not be embarrassed by this inability. Such failures should, however, encourage him to continue his study of counseling so that his knowledge will expand and his skills will increase. Part III: Care and Counseling in Crises Situation A crisis happens all the time in all cultures nobody is exempted from crisis: big or small, reach or poor, educated or uneducated.A crisis is a part of our lives it is usually happen when person cannot solve the problems by himself. This is where pastoral service is required. A personal crisis develops in four stages: (1) the problem causes tension to the person. (2) Failure to respond to this need produce feelings of anxiety, confu ¬sion, and guilt. (3) When this continues unsolved it develops into a crisis situation that may require external help. (4) If the problem is not resolved, the inner stress of unmet needs mounts until it reaches another threshold—the br eaking point. This is full blown crisis.Caplan in his book Principle of Preventive Psychiatry distinguishes two categories of crises Developmental and Accidental: Developmental crises are normal in the sense that they happen as an integral part of all or many people's growth. Among these are birth, weaning, toilet training, the oedipal conflict, going to school, adolescence, leaving home, completing school, entering a vocation, engagement, marriage adjustment (or the adjustment of singlehood), pregnancy, parenthood, the middle-age crisis, loss of parents, menopause, retirement, death of spouse, death of friends, and eventually one's own dying.These stressful experiences are the occasions of crises for an individual to the extent that they pose problems for which her or his previous coping abilities are inadequate. Each developmental stage and crisis is the occasion for a variety of caring and counseling opportunities. Accidental crises can occur at any age, precipitated by unexpecte d losses of what one regards as essential sources of need satisfaction.Precipitating experiences include all the life events listed on the Holmes-Rahe scale below, loss of status and respect; an accident or surgical operation; mental illness or alcoholism; a physical handicap; an unwanted pregnancy; a natural disaster such as a flood or earthquake; or a massive social calamity such as a war or economic depression. Crises can be triggered by seemingly positive changes such as a job promotion or graduation from college. All these events produce emotionally hazardous situations. Crises happen in people rather than to them, but they tend to occur in high-stress, emotionally hazardous situations.A crisis is more than simply a time of danger, pain, and stress to be endured. It is important for the counselor to see that it is a turning point, a growth opportunity where persons move toward or away from greater personality strength and wholeness. This makes crisis counseling a strategic help ing opportunity. Informal Crisis Counseling Much of the counseling done by pastors takes place in informal settings without being called counseling. This is what happen most in my context. Pastors meet a need a attend to it immediately without insisting that the person concerned must book an appointment before seeing him to discuss the issue.Some occurs in the minister's office or home when people drop by for a chat, without an appointment. By allowing the sensitivities and skills of counseling to permeate their many informal and chance encounters, ministers can help many times the number of people they could reach through formal counseling alone. While it is important that pastors should have some private time for themselves and family, it also important to have parishioners know that their pastor ordinarily is available when severe crises strike unexpectedly.As ministers learn to recognize and utilize the pastoral care opportunities potentially present in many interpersonal contac ts, this becomes a natural pastoral reflex. They discover frequent opportunities to do informal one-session crisis counseling during the ordinary encounters of parish life. Occasionally these will become formal and multiple-session counseling relationships. Informal counseling is informal in one or more of these ways – the setting may be anywhere—a street corner, a grocery store, a hospital room, the church lounge, a parishioner's office or living room, in meeting, etc.The counseling happens in the context of a relationship not identified as counseling—a chance encounter or a pastoral call, perhaps following a meeting or Sunday service. The person's mind-set reflects this informal atmosphere. He/she probably thinks of what occurs as â€Å"talking over a problem with the pastor† rather than counseling. The structure and sequence of formal counseling interviews—appointments, stated time limits, and an agreed-upon series of sessions—are usually lacking. Such brief informal counseling can be very helpful to some people.Informal crisis counseling opportunities occur frequently during a pastor's home and hospital visits. Much of what is done during such calls is general pastoral care. It becomes a counseling issue when the counselee is aware of his /her problem and the pastor shows his willingness to help with the problem. The counselee is able to overcome his/her fear of disclosing the problem to another person with the hope that he/she is going to be helped in such action. Such confidence to disclose the problem does not normally come automatically. It comes with a lot of struggles.Such persons often are receptive to informal counseling long before they enter formal counseling. Some people have great difficulty making a formal appointment for counseling, even when wrestling with very painful problems. They feel that to do so would be to admit failure, which would increase their feelings of low self-esteem and powerlessness . This is why the ability of pastors to go to people, make themselves emotionally available, offer help, and establish informal counseling relationships is a priceless professional asset, which should be used to the full!How can ministers create opportunities, during their pastoral contacts, for care-giving conversations, informal and formal counseling? First, they know or suspect that such and such is in particular need of pastoral care—the bereaved, the sick, the unemployed, the depressed, the hospitalized, the disgruntled, those in psychotherapy, newlyweds, new parents, the recently retired, the handicapped, alcoholics and their families, the lonely, those with disturbed or handicapped children, and those who face painful crises and perplexing decisions.An alert pastor often senses intuitively that a certain family is under extreme pressure. Such â€Å"pastoral care suspects† should go on the Special Help List. By devoting extra pastoral visitation time to these per sons, ministers can build strong relationship bridges with them. Such relationship can bring pastoral care and informal counseling help to the troubled, and also make it easier for them to seek formal counseling. The building of relationship bridges with those who are likely to need help but are not yet motivated to seek it, are described by Seward Hiltner as precounseling.The many interpersonal contacts of pastors contribute to this objective if people feel they are warm, nonjudgmental, caring, competent, shockproof, not â€Å"too busy,† and human—aware of their own humanity . Clinebell believes that, a pastor's sensitivity to the subtle signs of distress is an asset in spotting potential counseling opportunities. Many ministers walk by on the other side of their parishioners' Jericho Roads simply because they lack awareness. The pastor's emotional radar antennas should be tuned to the wavelength of people in order to pick up subtle cries for help and coded â€Å"may day† signals.Clinebell highlights some basic typical distress signals that can help pastors understand people in need. These are: Embarrassment at the minister's call: A frantic attempt to keep the conversation on the surface, avoiding all depth encounters. Depression: including such symptoms as sleeplessness; loss of interest in one's usual pleasures; anxious agitation or heavy sluggishness; feelings of worthlessness, emptiness/meaninglessness or helplessness; a phony-fixed smile. Veiled antagonism between spouses: sometimes hidden behind saccharine-sweet surface behavior.Emotionally disturbed children: including those with behavior problems, (which often reflect hidden marital unhappiness). Frequent intoxication: particularly at inappropriate times. A radical change in usual behavior: including church attendance. Irrational or frantically compulsive behavior. Guilty avoidance of the pastor. Affiliating with extremist political or religious groups. When such distress signals are identified, pastors should make every effort to be emotionally accessible to the persons and to offer help in a way that respects their right to refuse it.A third way to open up informal and formal counseling opportunities is the judicious use of â€Å"openers†Ã¢â‚¬â€questions or statements designed to interrupt superficial conversation and provide an opening for people to discuss their real feelings and issues if they choose. Here are some samples: â€Å"How are things going for you in this difficult situation? † â€Å"What you're saying feels very heavy. † â€Å"How are things going with you really? † â€Å"You seem to be feeling very discouraged (upset, angry, remorseful). † â€Å"I get the feeling you have a burden on your mind. Although such openers may startle people initially, they express the pastor's concern and by implication, offer help. A well-chosen question, asked with warmth and empathy, can help free people to talk about their burdens. A question about one's spiritual health is as appropriate from a minister as is a question about one's physical health from a family doctor. Conclusion Pastoral Care and Counseling ministry is the most important ministry next to the ministry of preaching of the Gospel. People who are hurting they are not be able to listen the Gospel without a healing balm of their wounds.Only Pastors are caring such methods of healing. The Gospel itself addresses to totality of man: spiritual and body. When one part is addressed to the negligence to the other the total needs of man will not be made. Pastors who are sensitive to the hurts of members of their congregation and unable to address such hurts through the appropriate counseling technique are more likely to be successful in ministry then those who neglect these needs. The course Pastoral Care and Counseling has opened my understanding to these needs in our congregation. I got more focused in this area of ministry.And I wish to purs ue it in the future. Bibliography: Benner, David. Strategic Pastoral counseling. Michigan: Baker Book House,1998; Barister C. W . Pastoral care in the church. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1992; Cavanagh, John. Fundamental Pastoral Counseling. Ireland: The mergier press, 1963; Cobb, John. Theology and Pastoral Care. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1979; Collins, Gary. Christian Counseling . Dallas: Word Publishing, 1988; Clinebell Haward. Basic Types of Pastoral care and Counseling. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992; Hamilton, James. The ministry of Pastoral Counseling. Michigan: Baker Book House 1975.

Should Handguns be Banned in San Francisco Essay

Should Handguns be Banned in San Francisco - Essay Example In a point by point counter argument Guy Smith quotes a wide range of validated research (based on the theories of Florida criminologist Gary Kleck) to point out that ï‚ § the victims of most gun crimes are known felons, ï‚ § that crimes of passion are statistically rare ï‚ § the New England Journal of Medicine research Supervisor Daly relies upon is known to be seriously flawed ï‚ § there is not necessarily a causal relationship between the availability of handguns and suicide rates ï‚ § there is research evidence to suggest that criminals are less likely to target someone they know to be armed ï‚ § the police force are unable to prevent crime effectively and in any event have no legal duty to protect a specific individual One wonders how useful it is to compare and contrast San Francisco with a country like Japan which has developed very differently in terms of defining a criminal and the status of handguns. For example one is aware that there is nothing like the personal honor code of the Japanese in the US. One cannot simply compare suicide rates in the way that Smith has done without examining why the Japanese commit suicide in the first place. All that can be deduced from the research on suicide that Smith quotes is that successful suicides do not require handguns - - they will find other means. The problem with these figures is that they are taken out of context. It is not clear what percentage of crime involves the use of firearms.

Business Skills Evaluation of Sources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Skills Evaluation of Sources - Essay Example The sources serve as a means of backing up whatever conclusion (on the topic at hand) that the researcher has come to in the study they are involved in(Gorard, 2013). This means that if the source for example, contains false information then the argument that had been brought forth in the research will be declared invalid as the support structures used to stand the subject matter can no longer be considered stable. This can be considered to be the most important factor that needs to be determined when attempting to evaluate the value of the sources used. Accuracy has to do with the truthfulness of the information provided from that particular source and how exact it is to the actual reality(Gorard, 2013). It should be noted that in some cases the accuracy of some sources cannot be measured to a tee but a certain level is still required to classify it as accurate information. Within the topic of accuracy come other factors that lie beneath this main subject and determine whether the source is accurate or not. These factors include issues such as how recent the information provided is and issues such as the methods that were used to collect, store and pass on the information. The Accuracy of the sources provided can be considered to be high as a result of the where they come from. The information provided in the books, have been brought about by professionals who are aware of what they are talking about and more importantly, have used established information to put their points across(Gorard, 2013). The sources can also be considered to be accurate via the publication dates of the literature that was used. The more recent the publication, the more recent the information and thus the less likely it is for the information provided in that particular work to have been rendered obsolete or have undergone renovations as a

Ethical Challenges Involved in Engineering Essay

Ethical Challenges Involved in Engineering - Essay Example †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Large systems operated by super-intelligent software packages designed and manipulated by the smartest people can lead to disasters if the smart people fail to be ethical. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because of the rapid rate of advancement of technology, engineering graduates are literally absolute in their level of technological knowledge almost immediately upon graduation from college. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Historically, professional engineering licenses were lifetime approval to practice engineering provided that renewal fees were paid in a timely manner as required by the various licensing and regulatory boards and agencies. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first specialization to occur was to separate civil engineering from military engineering. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of formally recognizing or accrediting certification programs is to provide the engineering profession and the general public with assurance that certification programs do not meet a set of rigorous standards.

The sun also rises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The sun also rises - Essay Example Even though the generation following the war was usually referred to as â€Å"The Lost Generation†, the title of the book and its closing content is quite optimistic. Of course there may be many reasons why Hemingway chose this title and this paper will review his reasons for why he chose it. Jake Barnes, the main character and the narrator of the novel, was a veteran of The World War I, who later worked as a journalist in Paris. This book is a narration of the problems he had faced following the war and how he finally recovered from them. The author probably takes this as the theme behind the title. The initial pages of the book, recounts an injury that had caused many troubles to Jake, one among which included his inability to have sex. This had made Jack feel insecure about his masculinity and that he is less of a man that he was before. The fact that Brett, who was the love of his life, refused to enter into a relationship with Jake because of his impotency had made him feel very unhappy and depressed and had added to his insecurity. In many ways Jake was a typical member of what Gertrude Stein called â€Å"The Lost Generation†, which referred to the generation that experienced the grueling effects of World War 1, and when people had lost their belief in moral ity, faith and justice. The people of the Lost Generation lived an aimless life and spent their time engaged in worthless activities like boozing and dancing. In the early chapters of the book Jake’s character reminds the reader of the people of the Lost Generation, as he spent most of his time in the bar getting drunk. However, in the later chapters of the book and true its title, the sun does begin to shine on Jake. It narrates how Jake learned to find a solution for his problems, and how he no longer considered his impotency as a major issue. One realizes this for the first time when Jake goes out fishing in Burguete with his friend Bill Gorton. There, Jake truly enjoys his

Choose an international organizationand critically evaluate it in IHR Essay

Choose an international organizationand critically evaluate it in IHR as requirement - Essay Example The company stocks are listed in London Stock Exchange and are a major constituent of FTSE 100 index. The company was responsible for UK’s first mobile call on 01 January 1985 and within 15 years it became the Europe’s largest telecom company (Vodafone, 2013a). The Vodafone analogue is the first mobile phone network to be launched in UK. Vodafone Group Plc has a strong presence in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and United States through subsidiary networks, joint ventures and associated investment and undertakings (Vodafone, 2013b). The company offers fixed landline, cellular services, email and fixed network services. Apart from individual customers the company also provides telecom services and solutions to corporate clients. The various brands of Vodafone Group Plc are Vodafone Live, Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Modem and Vodafone Connect to friends, Vodafone Freedom Packs, Vodafone Home Amobee Solutions and Vodafone 710. The company also offers several int ernet plans tailor-made for the customers of specific countries. Apart from telecom services, the company services include the applications for mobile and communication technology in health care service sector. The Vodafone foundation provides charity, undertakes supports initiative and projects which utilize mobile technology to benefit the poor and has also worked with several charitable trusts for the betterment of society. Talent and Management Recruiting the right personnel for the right position is an integral task of the human resource manager. The task should be executed efficiently and then it would have a positive impact on the company. Talent management activities include the holistic approach to business planning and human resources, which improves the efficiency of the company and also the employee potential (Shepherd, n.d.). Talent management activities include the integration of different initiatives of the company. Firstly, it includes the organizational assessment a nd focuses on the vacant positions to be filled. This stage involves conducting interviews, psychometric testing which aligns to the competency model of the company. The potential candidate goes through a series of intensive and rigorous set of interviews. In this process the interaction level of the employer and the employee is smooth and there is an in depth analysis about the candidates potentiality. One of the major objectives of the organization would be to attract potential candidates for the suitable position through appropriate methods. Recruitment and Selection The efficiency of the organization depends upon the human resource and this is one of the prime reasons for selecting the right person for the right position. The systematic process of recruiting personnel from a qualified pool of candidates requires an effective human resource planning and determination of organizational needs (Shepherd, n.d.). The process of hiring candidates is a continuous process and is not conf ined to the formative stages of the organization. Recruitment & Selection in Vodafone The workforce at Vodafone Group Plc are recruited through two modes; internal and external sources. The internal sources of recruitment for Vodafone are as follows: Internal Sources a) Job Posting: One of the traditional methods to notify about the job vacancy is to notify through bulletin road but in contemporary management the notifications are sent through electronic mails and intranet

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 17

History - Essay Example Arab nationalism looked upon the encroachment of Jewish settlers into Palestine, as nothing more than an extension of European Christian interests and influence into Palestine, which needed to be checked. Thus opposition to Zionism and its presence in the Palestine as a part of Palestine interests emerged in the early 1900’s The roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict thus lie in the perception of the Arab’s that the presence of Jews in Palestine is an extension of the Christian Europe attempts to displace the Islamic rule in Palestine and pose a threat to the Islamic influence over Jerusalem (Thornton, 2008). The formation of Israel and the subsequent conflicts have seen the displacement of more than four million Palestinians from their native lands. Israel refuses to accept the return of these refugees and the status of these refugees continues to remain as a stumbling block to a solution to the Arab Israeli conflict (Asser, 2007).The status of Jerusalem and control over it was and still remains a thorny issue for the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Israeli lay claims to an undivided Jerusalem as their capital, while to the Arabs giving up Jerusalem and its holy Muslim sites would be capitulation (Whitaker, 2000). Jewish settlements have come up in the West bank and Gaza, which are proclaimed areas of the limited self rule enjoyed by the Palestinians. These settlements in some cases have grown to be small cities. The encroaching Jewish settlements and the status of these settlements pose a severe problem in any resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict (FAQ on Israeli settlem ents). The first core belief in Islam is that there is only one God and Muhammad as his Prophet. The God in Islam is omnipotent and a unique Being that rules the world. Islam requires its followers to know the will of God and become more subservient to it. The second core belief in Islam is

Ulster Solemn League and Covenant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ulster Solemn League and Covenant - Essay Example The Ulster unionists in 1912 believed that their situation was difficult although not completely lost. The leading Ulster unionists came to the conclusion that the Solemn League and Covenant and then the Ulster Volunteer Force were essential elements of preventing Home Rule leading to an independent Irish Republic dominated by Roman Catholics, their worst nightmare come true.1 The drawing - up of the Solemn League and Covenant amply demonstrated the general fear of the Ulster Protestants towards the Home Rule Act as passed by the British Parliament would be introduced throughout Ireland in 1912. The act was designed to provide Ireland with a high degree of autonomy, the Ulster unionists fearing it would sooner rather than later make Ireland an independent nation.2 The Ulster unionists did not want the granting of home rule for Ulster even if it was given to the rest of Ireland, as they wished to maintain their allegiance to the British crown. On the 28 September 1912, quickly dubbed Ulster Day, the solemn league and covenant was signed by more than 450,000 unionist supporters on the first day. The covenant publicly declared the Ulster unionist determination to stay loyal to the Crown and vehemently opposed the enforcement of home rule for Ireland as a whole.3 The Home Rule Act was primarily intended to give an Irish Parliament control over its internal affairs only' leaving it part of the United Kingdom. It would give the Irish autonomy whilst leaving defence, trade, and foreign to be run from London. The province of Ulster was made up of nine counties in the north-eastern part of Ireland with a Protestant majority. Another major factor was that Ulster had maintained its trade superiority over the rest of the Ireland. The unionists therefore, argued that Ulster needed to maintain its British and Protestant identity and the best way to do so were to remain loyal to the crown (the unionists are also refereed to as Loyalists). The moderate Irish nationalist leader was John Redmond the strongest advocate of Home Rule, and naturally enough argued that Ulster was included in Home Rule so that its heavy industry and generally successful commercial activities particularly in Belfast could be shared with the rest of Ireland. The Roman Catholics, who formed a majority of the Irish peoples, supported the autonomy that Home Rule would have granted them. Only a very small minority of Irish Roman Catholics supported the concept of a united Irish Republic completely free of British control and influence.4 The introduction of the Ulster Covenant, masterminded by Sir James Craig was subsequently signed by the vast majority of unionists they openly proclaimed their loyalty to the crown and were assisted by the Conservatives who worked behind the scenes to block or at least water down Home Rule legislation. The controversy over David Lloyd George's Peoples Budget of 1909 had the unforeseen consequence of inadvertently delaying the legislation for Irish Home Rule whilst the Parliament Act was passed to curb the power of the House of Lords. The crisis over the Peoples Budget gave the opponents of Home Rule in Ulster particular the opportunity as well as the time to organise resistance to its adoption. They were helped considerably by the Conservativ

Employment Resourcing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Employment Resourcing - Coursework Example It is one of the most prestigious awards in the hospitality industry and was awarded to the Taj Group in 2002 for the best practices in employment resourcing found in the hospitality industry. The management formulated the Taj People Philosophy (TPP) which incorporated the strategies implemented in employment resourcing. The key components of employment resourcing The management at the Taj Group recognized that employees were the company’s most important assets. In alignment with this prioritizing, the management formulated the TPP. This philosophy provides a framework in which the strategies in employment resourcing can be aligned to the strategies focus of the company, which is to provide the best customer service in the industry. Unless the employees are motivated to work for the company, they will not be willing to put their best efforts forward in providing the best possible customer service in the industry. Therefore the management has to pay attention to the fact that t he organizational objectives related to customer service are aligned to the employment objectives of providing the best workplace for the employees to work in. ... For example, the employees accumulated points for their acts of kindness and hospitality. Employees who gained the highest points reached the highest level. The STARS program motivated the employees to perform to the highest level possible so that they could gain the points to reach the higher levels of recognition. This program acted as a motivational tool for the employees to go beyond their usual duties and responsibilities and provide extra care in customer service. As a result the company attained enhanced service standards which enabled the company to generate repeat customers. The STARS program serves to illustrate that strategies in employment resourcing can lead to a sustainable competitive advantage from building a loyal customer base. The strategies of employment resourcing motivate the employees to perform to a higher level, thus enhancing the reputation of the company. The Taj Group also implemented the Balanced Scorecard System. This was a performance management system which was implemented even at the lowest levels of the organizational hierarchy. This performance management system enabled the employees to perceive how their work was linked to the strategic focus of the company. As a result the employees were able to take their own initiatives in enhancing the service standards. Because the employees were motivated to improve their own performance, the management could lower spending in formulating training and development programs. This was a positive outcome from employment resourcing because it is difficult to estimate the return on investment in training and development programs. Therefore the management’s objective is to minimize spending in training and development since the return from this spending is difficult to quantify. The

Marijuana Should Not Be Outlawed Essay Example for Free

Marijuana Should Not Be Outlawed Essay Human laws are based on moral and ethical principles. This applies to almost all existing laws aside from the drug laws. Because of this aspect of the drug laws, much clamor is present as many groups are calling for the legalization of drugs like marijuana. Marijuana and other illegal drugs are not evil but it has gained a negative connotation because of numerous misinterpretations. The prohibition of drugs has also brought about negative effects instead of positive effects. In analysis, legalization may even prove to have more benefits. According to Benson Roe, the professor emeritus and chairman of the Cardiothoracic surgery at the University of California, there is no reason why marijuana, cocaine and heroine would be called poison as these substances have not been proven to have any ill effects on the health of a person. Roe narrated an incident when he was removing destroyed heart valves from a drug user and he got curious and consulted the San Francisco coroner to what extent do illegal drugs cause death. Roe was surprised to find out that the only causes of death coming from drugs come from the very rare cases of overdose and the use of infected intravenous injections. According to the coroner, â€Å"clean, reasonable dosages of heroin, cocaine and marijuana are pathologically harmless† (Roe). It is argued that marijuana causes psychological damage but the truth is no scientific evidence has traced mental illness or psychological damage to the use of marijuana. Marijuana users have been found to exhibit psychological distress after intake of the drug. However, it has been proven that these effects are temporary and will pass away after some time. It has also been argued that the harms brought about by marijuana have been scientifically proven but the Lancet, a British Medical Journal, concluded that based on 30 years worth of research, smoking marijuana is not harmful to health even if it is used in the long-term. Likewise, marijuana use has also been related to brain damage. This was thought to be proven in an earlier study when rhesus monkeys were exposed to marijuana smoke, however, a more reliable study wherein monkeys who were forced to inhale a significant amount of marijuana smoke manifested no brain damage. Anti-drug advocates also argue that marijuana has addictive properties even as evidence points to the direction that marijuana is not addictive. Less than one percent of marijuana smokers smoke marijuana on a daily basis. Majority of the people who smoke marijuana only smoke it occasionally. Some people who wish to stop smoking marijuana have no trouble breaking the habit. Even if a person experiences symptoms from marijuana withdrawal, these are usually mild symptoms (Drug Policy). There is also no reason to classify marijuana as illegal when other substances that have proven to be more addictive and harmful to the health, such as tobacco and alcohol, remain legal. In 2005, the number of deaths that has been associated with marijuana in England and in Wales only totals 19 while tobacco has been associated with 86,500 deaths and alcohol with 6,627 deaths. The number of deaths caused by alcohol and tobacco do not compare to the number of deaths caused by marijuana. Even other drugs which have more notoriety still fall short as heroine and morphine account for only 842 deaths, while cocaine (including crack cocaine) is associated with only 176 deaths (Transform). The use of drugs like marijuana does not affect other people aside from the person ingesting the drug. Technically, a person who uses drugs does not violate the rights of any other person. If a person under the influence of drugs violates the rights of another person or commits a crime, this is the time when he/she should be prosecuted by law. Alcohol remains legal even as drunk people commit heinous and even brutal crimes. The substance is not an excuse for committing a crime and drinking alcohol is not a crime in itself but when a person commits a crime under the influence of alcohol, this is when he/she is prosecuted. The same should apply for the use of drugs (Cussen Block, p. 532). Drugs are not evil per se but it has gained a negative image because of negative propaganda. The media always make use of the phrase â€Å"drug-related† in the presence of a drug in a crime even as the drug has not been indicated as a direct cause of the crime. Usually, the crime is not motivated by the drug. It is usually motivated by another external factor. The media has inadvertently played a role in giving drugs a negative image. This practice has been so common that no one even looks to identify if a crime really is related to drugs (Jackson). The anti-drug lobby also makes use of vague and emotive statements to persuade the people to support their cause (Russell). Even politicians make use of these statements and call for tougher drug laws simply to forward their political careers (Jackson). People interpret these vague and emotive statements differently and this may be identified as a basic element of a black propaganda. In a book entitled Hugs not Drugs: A Drug Abuse Prevention Manual published in the Philippines, the author starts by narrating a story of a studious young girl who got mixed with the wrong set of friends who influenced her to use marijuana. As a result, the young girl dropped out from school and had relationships with men that took advantage of her low self-esteem. After realizing what had happened to her, she decided to undergo rehabilitation. And after a tearful reunion with her parents, she vowed to stay away from drugs. This story is very common and immediately suggests that marijuana caused all the negative things failing to look at other factors which might have caused the girl to behave the way that she did. Additionally, the book indicated that drug use has been directly related with juvenile and even violent crime. However, the book does not cite where the information was taken or what study linked drugs with crime. The book also does not have a clear reference page evidencing that it is not a reliable source. Many critics of drug also make use of violent and obscene images in an attempt to prove that drugs are harmful. Drug prohibition results in too many expenses for the government as the drug laws leads to the incarceration of many non-violent offenders. In 2002, it is estimated that prohibition expenses amounted to $18. 22 billion indicating that â€Å"incarceration is an expensive policy option† (Taylor, Trace Stevens, p. 3-4). Prohibition is not good, in fact, it is even the greatest ally of the drug dealers as drugs are priced very high because they are illegal and not regulated (Jackson, 1998). Legalization will even benefit the general public. Marijuana has been related to crime rate by anti-drug groups but all unbiased studies have pointed to the direction that marijuana does not cause people to do criminal acts. The only crime that marijuana users commit is that they possess the drug (Drug Policy). Additionally, legalization will come with regulation which will eliminate the already minimal number of deaths as a result of drug use. Also, crime rate will decrease because drug prices will be regulated and people would no longer need to resort to crime to be able to buy the drugs. It will also be another source of income for the government as the drug trade will be taxed and the costs of prohibition would be avoided (Roe). No scientific evidence has proven that marijuana is harmful to the health and it also has not been identified as a cause of crime. Because of this information, there is no reason to outlaw marijuana. Legalizing marijuana may even be the better option as it will be a source of income for the government, all the while avoiding the high costs of prohibition. It will also reduce crime rate as well as prevent the incarceration of people that are merely caught possessing drugs. The negative image that drugs have gained is mainly because of negative propaganda.

The Alternative Beverage Industry Commerce Essay

The Alternative Beverage Industry Commerce Essay After analyzing the case study, we can conclude that strategically relevant components of the global and U.S beverage industry macro environment are the rapid growth of the product inclusive of high profit margin and premium pricing of alternative beverage. Each group demands for different types of alternative beverages which divide the global market into various types of products such as energy drink, sports drink, relaxation drinks. In the year of 2009, the US drink data was accounted of sport drink at sixty percent, vitamins enriched drinks and energy drinks about twenty three percent and alternative beverage sales at eighteen percent. In the context, when consumers are focusing on reducing the consumption of carbonated soft drink, alternative beverages are the medium of the soft drinks companies to maintain the sales volume growth as well as furnishing to different demographics. The number of sales of the drinks depends on the demand of the group for example children prefer juice drink, adults to energy shots, athletes to the vitamins enhanced drinks. This all demand differs alternative beverages from the usual carbonated soft drinks that people were used to drink. Now, alternative beverages offer variety of products which consumers could consume for different activities. 2. What is the competition like in the alternative beverage industry? Which of the five competitive forces is strongest? Which is the weakest? What competitive forces seem to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness and the potential profitability of new entrants? Innovation is the vital source of creating the competition in the globalised market and alternative beverages are facing competition on the basis of differentiation from the traditional drink or the fruit juices. Alternative beverages are inclusive of vitamin enriched drinks, energy boosting drinks, sport drinks etc. and to develop the brand loyalty it totally relies on the test, properties and ingredients of the drink. To meet with the competing company works on the advertisement, brand name, nutritional properties, packaging and unique flavors. The PepsiCo and the Coco Cola having a big market share and their products have a strong presence on the consumers and the production of alternative beverages is very easy job for them. This action can dominate such channels of the alternative beverages. Therefore, from all the five competitive forces, strongest is the action of the firm which is already providing a variety of drink products. However, the weakest competitive force is the bargaining power which is exercised by the buyers only. At the time when alternative beverages were introduced company use to sell it at the high price and customers pay for it and now if customers are willing to pay a higher price for the product company will have to sell it on the same price. The established companies seem to have a greater effect on the new entrants like PepsiCo and coco cola because they already have a huge number of loyal customers that follows their brand. If they introduce a new product in contradiction to the new entrants, customers more willingly adopt their products more than the new company. 3. How is the market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages changing? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those forces individually or collectively make the industry more or less attractive? Customers are becoming more health conscious and they are aware about the positive and negative effects of the drinks. Therefore they reduced their consumption of the alternative beverages which slow down the demand and sales of the product. Due to recession customers are becoming more money conscious and spending very less in the alternative beverage and it indicates that the market becomes mature and there is no scope for longer growing. Change in the product innovation, long term growth rate and industry consolidation are the driving force of the alternative beverages. The second forces segmented with the alternative beverage industries have consolidated as the market has matured and leaders have been established for example in the year of 2010, Coco Cola controlled the Red Bull GmbH and Henson natural corporation. However, the individually or collective effect of the industry driver of change is likely to make the alternative beverage companies less attractive until and unless such companies gain a first mover advantage. 4. What does your strategic group map of the energy drink, sports drink, and vitamin-enhanced beverage industry look like? Which strategic groups do you think are in the best positions? The worst positions? Strategic group map of the energy drink, sport drink and vitamin-enhanced beverages shows that companies are competing in the scope of brand portfolio favor and geographical distribution. It indicates that the company which is competing globally and having broad brand portfolios is positioned well in the market. However, companies which are working regionally and on national distribution only or having a single brand seems to be the worst position in the industry. As per the case analysis PepsiCo and Coco cola are in the best position due to having a wide range of products and Red Bull considered as being in the worst position as they are having a low variety of products. 5. What key factors determine the success of alternative beverage producers? The following key factors determine the success of alternative beverage producers. The test should be appealing and unique to the customers. Advertising and Promotions in such an effective way that spread awareness about the products and can establish the brand image. Access to the distribution of the product in order to achieve good sales volume and market share. An innovating Product skill which can differentiate the alternative beverage from the traditional drinks. 6. What recommendations would you make to Coca-Cola to improve its competitiveness in the global alternative beverage industry? To PepsiCo? To Red Bull GmbH? According to the case, Coco- Cola should research the country and conclude about the test, customer preference and demand than introduce the product in the market. They should try and introduce new flavors also and should discontinue the non preferable and profitable products. PepsiCo has largest market share in the US as well as in the global market. In the case study it mentioned that PepsiCo had introduced alternative drinks blood shot, charge, defend and rebuild but customers are not aware about this product. Therefore, PepsiCo should enhance their marketing and promotional activities. PepsiCo could also try for more energy drinks. Red Bull GmbH should improve their strategy to increase their market share. As red bull is a very popular flavor therefore they should introduce more flavors instead of focusing on one flavor. They should enhance their water line drinks or sport line drinks. The company can research the market requirement and can develop a new line of products to become competitive in the market.

Theories of How Individuals Interact in Groups in HSC

Theories of How Individuals Interact in Groups in HSC 2.1 Write an assay explaining theories of how individuals interact in groups, particularly applying them to teams that work in your Health and Social Care setting. The relationship between classical Grounded Theory (Glaser, 1978; Glaser Strauss, 1967) and the interpretive tradition of Symbolic Interactionism is strong and historical. Although this relationship has been discussed in previous publications as a given limited literature has explained the connections between their silent assumptions and concepts precisely and thoroughly (Chenitz Swanson, 1986; Crotty, 1998; Speziale Carpenter, 2007). Bruce Tuckman (1965) developed a 4-stage model of group development, this is his theory on how Health and Social Care professionals should be working effectively in managing human resources. The four stages of his theories are; Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing and also added a fifth stage of model to group development after 10 years which is Adjourning. The fifth model is when a professional breaks the knot and leaves the group without informing anyone. Forming: The group comes together and gets to initially know one other and form as a group. Forming is when a new set of Health and Social Care professionals are introducing one another by communicating and interacting in a group. They exchange information and set a target to be met as successful team work. The manager will need to set a clear guild to the Health and Social Care workers and it must be followed effectively so the colleagues avoid any misbehaviours and prevent from problems arising between each other in a team work. Forming is where a big group of Health and Social Care professionals are depending on one particular individual whom is a team leader or their role model, this person will have a huge responsibility in guiding the group of Health and Social Care professional to the right path in their carer to pass their activities. An agreement on team aims other than received from team leader. In this team individuals are not certain of their own role or responsibilities as they are all depending on one person who is the team leader. The team leader has skills and knowledge and must be willing to answer all the questions about the team purpose, activities and external relationships. Individuals test tolerance of system and leader directs to telling mode as he is in charge of the team and tells everyone to do what he wishes. Storming: A chaotic vying for leadership trialling of group processes. Storming is when a group of members dont agree with each others decisions, team members attempt to establish themselves in relation to another member in the team or team leader, who might receive challenging behaviour from a team member in disagreeing with decisions made. At this stage issues are developed over members having their own views rather than a whole team agreeing to one point of view. A team will only have conflict rising when they are not working effectively and the team leader is managing the group following the guild lines.   The improvement guide: a practical approach to enhancing organizational performance (GJ Langley, RD Moen, KM Nolan, TW Nolanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 2009 books.google.com). Norming: Eventually an agreement is reached on how the group operates (norming) The third step, norming, is where the team members fall into agreement over the solutions for their team. In this step, the team members are able to talk openly about their opinions and have the ability to adjust their behaviour to avoid conflict. The team members agree on the teams values, rules, professional behaviour and methods of work (Armstrong, 2006). Performing: The group practices its craft and becomes effective in meeting its objectives. The final step, performing, is where the team fully understands, co-operates and supports one another, thereby working as a single unit rather than individuals. Teams that have reached this step display high levels of motivation, knowledge, competence and autonomy (Armstrong, 2006) Adjourning: The process of without informing the group, that is, letting go of the group structure and moving on. This is the fifth and last step Bruce Tuckman (1965) developed which breaks the team apart without any signals showing. References Aldiabat, Khaldoun M; Le Navenec, Carole-Lynne. The Qualitative Report; Fort Lauderdale16.4 (Jul 2011): 1063-1080. http://search.proquest.com/openview/55df192e1247c417cbc00ba1b141ca1d/1?pq-origsite=gscholarcbl=55152 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01933928808411771?src=recsys

Medicine in the Middle Ages :: essays research papers

Medicine in the Middle Ages We are very lucky today. When we are sick we go and see the doctor, and he or she can usually make us better with the use of medicine. It wasn‘t like this in the medieval era. People didn‘t live very long at all. Two out of every 10 babies died in the first year of life and most people didn‘t live past 40. Wealthy people, who could afford trained doctors might live up to 10 years longer. There weren’t many trained doctors in Europe in the Middle Ages . In Paris in 1274 there were only 8 doctors and about 40 people practising medicine without any official training and they didn’t really understand how the body worked and why people got sick. When making a diagnosis doctors might consult medical books, astrological charts and urine samples. Some doctors believed disease was caused by bad smells or small worms, or the position of the planets or stars. They also charged very high fees, so only the rich could afford them. Although surgical operations were performed, they did not know about sanitisation and there were no anaesthetics. Most patients died from infection or shock. Many people didn’t believe in medicine at all. The most commonly used treatment was prayer. Ordinary people relied on methods their parents and grandparents used, such as lucky charms, magic spells and herbal cures. Some of the herbal cures were quite useful. The monks who looked after sick travellers in the monasteries were very skilled in using herbs. Some modern medicines are based on the herbs used in medieval times. In the 13th century Kings were believed to be able to cure illness, particularly the skin disease scrofula, just by touching the ill person. During the 14th century most of Europe was struck by a devastating disease called the Black Death, or bubonic plague. This disease was carried by flees which lived on rats. When the rats died, the flees jumped onto humans and spread the disease. Even though the Black Death was controlled in Europe by 1351, it came back regularly over the next 150 years. Dr Medi Evil has kindly agreed to come to the school today to help solve some of your medical problems. Hello everyone. Now Rachel, I believe you have the fever. This is because you have too much blood. I will put blood sucking leaches on you and this should fix your problem.

The long and the short and the tall :: English Literature

The long and the short and the tall In 1942, a small British platoon was positioned in the jungle trying to assess the strength of the Japanese invasion. They were 20 miles away from the British frontlines and 15 miles away from base camp. They rest for a while in a deserted hut. Their radio has a flat battery and they are having trouble getting in touch with their base camp. The platoon is led by Sergeant Mitchem, who is in control of 6 ordinary men; hence the title from Britain; Bamforth; a Cockney, Whitaker; Tynesider, Macleish; a Scot, Evan; Welsh, Smith (Smudge) and Johnstone. All had left their jobs back in Britain to fight in the war. All had never been faced with killing a man. A few of the soldiers are family men, leaving their wife, children and friends back in their home towns. They are all from Britain and as they spend time together they find out and understand about each person's personality more. Bamforth: When Bamforth first sees the Japanese soldier, he is prepared to shoot him: 'Bamforth suddenly tenses and raises his rifle. This is followed by: 'Bamforth slowly raises his rifle and takes careful aim. Mitchem swings round and knocks the rifle out of position.' "I had him right between the cheeks! I couldn't miss! He's on his tod!" Bamforth was obviously prepared to kill the lone Japanese soldier and was quite frustrated when his chance is taken from him. He would show this by gritting his teeth or cursing under his breath. Later on when the Japanese soldier enters the hut and is grabbed by Johnstone, and Evans, Smith and Macleish all refuse to kill the soldier, but Bamforth is more than happy to 'Knock him off'. He would be speaking in an aggressive tone of voice. On stage he would be ruthless, grabbing the bayonet, and with a tremendous amount of strength, he would thrust the bayonet towards the prisoner. "Here, give me a hold. It's only the same as carving up a pig. Hold him still" Had Mitchem not intervened then Bamforth would have killed the soldier. Mitchem did so to keep him for any important information which may be needed at base camp. The Japanese soldier would be petrified at this point, being alone and unarmed. Yet Bamforth still persisted in scaring the soldier: "Boo" He also waved a bayonet in front of the prisoners face. Then he decided to mimic the prisoner by imitating a crude Japanese accent: "Flingers on Blonce" and "Tojo" He also used humiliating remarks such as "Short arse". His tone of voice would be quite sarcastic, as if he was talking to a

History Of Coca-cola Essay -- essays research papers

History Of Coca-Cola Coca-Cola was born on may 8th, 1886 at the hands of Dr. John Smith Pemberton. In the laboratory of his house at 107 Marietta Street, Atlanta, Georgia he finally settled on the syrup later to be known as Coca-Cola.1. John Pemberton was born in Knoxville, Georgia in 1831. At the age of 17, he attended the Botanical Medicine School of the State of Georgia.2. After school he owned a drug store in Columbus, Georgia and fought for the confederacy in the Civil War. During the war he became addicted to morphine from an injury.3. After the war ended, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia and kept up his pharmacy business at home. He created such patent medicines as Globe flower Cough Syrup, Extract of Stillingia, Triple Liver Pills, Lemon & Orange Elixer, and French wine of Coca. The latter, being very similar to the "Vin Mariani" created by a private industrialist, Angelo Mariani, was inevitably the biggest seller. The "Vin Mariani" was a cocaine laced Bordeaux wine, popular throughout the world.4. French Wine of coca included cocaine as well as caffeine from the kola nut found in a tree from Africa. It was sold as a cure for nervous disorders, disturbances of internal plumbing and impotency.5. 1.www.goecities.com 2.www.sodafountain.com 3.www.tangaworld.com 4.www.geocities.com 5.www.stanford.com In November 1885, Pemberton decided to remove the wine and offer it as a syrup based medicine or a fountain drink, after Atlanta voted to become a dry city effective July 1886.6. He began experimenting. When he started out the overall taste was very bitter due to the caffeine and cocaine. He added a lot of sugar to cover these flavors, but that proved to make it a very sickening kind of sweet. TO counter-balance that he added various fruit flavors and citric acids. The final products ingredients included: 1 oz. Citric Caffeine, 1oz. Ext. Vanilla, 2 Â ½ oz. Flavoring, 4 oz. F.E. Coco, Caramel Sufficient, 3 oz. Citric Acid, 1 Qt. Lime Juice, 30 lbs. Sugar, & 2 Â ½ gal. Water. The flavoring was made of 80 Oil Orange, 120 Oil Lemon, 40 Oil Nutmeg, 1 Qt. Alcohol, 40 Oil Cinnamon, 20 Oil Coriander, & 40 Oil Neroli. The original directions were quite short and simple. They read as follows: Mix Caffeine Acid and Lime Juice 1 Qt. Boiling water add vanilla and ... ... cola in America.27. Coca-Cola eventually woke up and realized the mistake and threw out he new stuff and reintroduced the former recipe as Coca-Cola Classic.28. Even though this all seemed disastrous at first it was proved that the threat of taking the original recipe away was just what the company 26.www.sodafountin.com 27.www.tangaworld.com 28.www.geocities.com needed to boost it’s sales, and soon enough they flew past competition to regain their #1 spot once again. However, this marketing success can not be attributed to ingenuity, but to very good luck! It was not until after the crisis had passed that the company and the public as a whole realized just how much Coca-Cola was a part of everyone’s history. Children grew up with traditions of hot dogs, apple pie, base ball, and Coca-Cola. On the 18th of October, 1997 Roberto Goizueta died at the age of 65 from a long and hard fight with cancer.28. Currently, an ex-accountant who has been with the company for years has been appointed the new president. The company expects him to be another great success in the history of Coca-Cola.

Tama Speed Cobra Pedals Review

Camco, DW and Ludwig have all produced such beasts, as has Japanese drum giant Tama. Its Iron Cobra pedal is truly a drum world icon, having been relied on by countless big-name artists on the world's biggest stages over many years. But now comes a new pretender in the form of the Speed Cobra, with features borrowed from its well-regarded older sibling and a host of innovative design tweaks to boot. Tama's tagline for the Speed Cobra is ‘Extreme Velocity, Serious Power'. As such the Speed Cobra's new features have two simple goals in common – to increase speed and to increase aggressive response. Tama points out that these two aims have traditionally been mutually exclusive, with fast pedals losing some power, and powerful models reacting slower than some would like. So what solutions do Tama offer? Well to start with, a quick overview of the features which the Speed Cobra shares with the Iron Cobra. Such things include the Oiles bearing hinge (as used in the aerospace industry no less), the patented Cobra Coil spring – which is located beneath the footboard to quickly return it to its default position after each stroke – and the Vari-Pitch beater holder that enables adjustment of the footboard link angle independently of the beater angle. To that already impressive mix, the Japanese company has added several significant new features. The first and most obvious of these is the ‘Fast Foot' footboard. Longer than on the Iron Cobra, the Fast Foot board is designed to increase speed of response but at the same time require less effort than previous designs. In addition, the face of the board is smooth to reduce friction, which Tama reckon will improve control. On top of this there's an impressive new bearing assembly in the shape of the Fastball bearing on the end of the drive shaft, a true round sprocket (which Tama have named, brilliantly, ‘LiteSprocket') that's evidently 40 percent lighter than the Iron Cobra's, and the new Projector Beater. The beater allows the choice of narrow or wide ‘striking surfaces' simply by changing the head angle – go for punchy, defined attack with the former or a fatter, fuller response with the latter. All this talk of new features (and we haven't touched on the chain drive's new Recessed Setting which increases the angle of attack for super speed and light action, nor the new ‘Super Spring', designed to offer less resistance at the beginning of the pedal stroke) has left us little space to discuss the actual build quality of the Speed Cobra. Fortunately, little space is required for this, as it is stunningly good. The Speed Cobra is beautifully engineered and does the Cobra name proud. If your eyebrows headed skyward at the number of clever feature names Tama has bestowed on the Speed Cobra, a word of warning. For sure, it's easy to dismiss ‘Speed Spring' or ‘LiteSprocket' as marketing waffle, but when pressed into action the Speed Cobra does a fantastic job of silencing the cynical. For starters it's an incredibly smooth-rolling pedal. An objective appraisal of the impact of the new bearing mechanisms, for example, is well out of the scope of a review like this, but subjectively it feels wonderful. .For metal drummers dishing out high-bpm double bass battery, the Speed Cobra could be your new best friend. But that's not to say Tama's newbie is a one-trick pony. It's so well-conceived and built – with the kind of near-endless adjustment that high-end pedals offer these days – that it could be pressed into service in any genre with aplomb.