Sentimental plot Essay Example for Free

Sentimental plot Essay During the 19th century many writers began to publish works with sentimental plots. Generally the sentimental plot is written to make the reader feel an excess of unnecessary emotions, by overemphasizing every work. In every sentimental plot there will always be the typical sentimental hereon that fits the stereotype of a young orphan, unmarried women with moral obstacles. In this plot there are only two types of women the ones that are considered good and the ones that are bad. In the sentimental plot the good will get rewarded by marrying a decent man and the bad will always die. Even though this plot was very popular among writers many women were not happy with how the women were being portrayed among men writers so they decided to go against this plot. With women writers some would tend to go against the sentimental romance plot and instead write about actual situations that were happening around them. One example of this would be in Kate Chopin’s story â€Å"The Storm† it featured a married women falling into the seductions of a old flame. Do you remember in Assumption, Calixta? He asked in a low voice broken by passion. Oh! She remembered; for in Assumption he had kissed her and kissed and kissed her; until his senses would well nigh fail, and to save her he would resort to a desperate flight. If she was not an immaculate dove in those days, she was still inviolate; a passionate creature whose very defenselessness had made her defense, against which his honor forbade him to prevail. † Pg. 59 Author Kate Chopin was unable to publish her works because of the featured adultery with no follow up punishment, in order for her to successfully publish she would have to follow the sentimental romance plot and kill Calixta in the end to prove that the decisions she made were wrong and had consequences. Mary E. Wilkins in â€Å"The Revolt of Mother† is another example that goes against the grain of the sentimental plot it deals with a mother that confronts her husband and goes against his say so which in the 19th century was something that was frowned upon. Now father, said she you needn’t be scared. I ain’t crazy. There ain’t nothing to be upset over. But we’ve come here to live, an’ we’re goin’ to live here. We’ve got jest as good as right here as new horses mind I wa’nt fit for us to live in any longer, an I made up my mind I wa’n’t going’ to stay there. I’ve done my duty by you for forty year, an’ I’m goin’ to do it now; but I’m going to live here. † Pg. 672 After this story was published many people thought that it was based on a true story but Mary E. Wilkins explained that no New  England women would ever dare confront her husband it was all just a fantasy. Another example of the reversed sentimental plot would be in Charlotte Perkins Gilman story â€Å"The Yellow Wall-paper† It is based on a women who is said to be having nervous breakdowns and is being taken care of by her husband a physician she later comes to relies that she will no longer be trapped or hide her emotions. â€Å"I’ve got out at last. Said I, in spite of you and Jane! And I’ve pulled off most off the paper, so you can’t put me back! † pg 803. What all of these story’s have in common is that they tried to convey across the situations that the women were in and all of them one way or another expressed how the women felt trapped by the men. When it came to men writers they would always include a sentimental hereon in their stories. Henry James published â€Å"Daisy Miller† in 1978 and it dealt with a young unmarried woman somewhat considered an orphan because her parents were never around, who was seen in society as an outcast cause of the way she would conduct herself around men. Miss Daisy Miller was a flirt – a pretty American flirt. He had never, as yet, had any relations with young ladies of this category. He had known, her in Europe† pg. 427 since Daisy Miller was portrayed as an uneducated flirt Henry James followed the sentimental plot by giving Daisy a terrible case of the fever and later died. Later after the story was published Henry James stated that he believed that Daisy was innocent and that he did not kill her to state a point, it just so happened that she caught fever. So in some sort of way this story can sometimes be said that it was not your typical sentimental plot. Another male writer that followed the sentimental hereon was William Dean Howells â€Å"Editha† this was about a young unmarried woman who practically forces her boyfriend to enter the war in order to show off in front of others. â€Å"I shall always love you, and therefore I shall never marry any one else. But the man I marry must love his country first of all, and be able to say to me, I could not love thee, dear, so much, loved I not honor more. In these two story’s It seems to me as if the men writers are trying to put women down by making them seem selfish and not following the norm of obeying the men’s commands or ways of lifestyle that they want them to follow. In all of these stories we can see that there is a big difference in how men and women respond to the sentimental romance plot. The women write about there own personal experiences and the things that they see happen around them and the men write about what they want the people to read for example the good will get a great husband and get married and the bad will get punished and die.

Ascension Catholic Church Visit

Ascension Catholic Church Visit The Ascension Catholic Church is located in 2950 North Harbor City Blvd Melbourne Florida. The close proximity of the church from my home enabled me make a visit to the church last Sunday for the morning mass at 9.30 am. My neighbor who is a member of the church had earlier invited me to visit the church with him on Wednesday evening. He further informed me of the churchs dressing code and even suggested that I accompany him to the church. However, since I wanted to get more exposure I declined this offer. Instead, we resolved to attend the Sunday service since it had higher attendance from the congregation (Ascension Catholic Community1). The Ascension Catholic Church is a member of the Diocese of Orlando that consists of other churches within Florida. The church is located in a serene environment that makes it an ideal location for worship. The actual church building has a sitting capacity of approximately one thousand two hundred people. On the right at the entrance, I dipped my finger and made a sign of the cross on my forehead in a holy water font. My neighbor friend informed me that the father had blessed the water and this is used as reminder of baptism. It further signifies respect as one enters into the house of God amongst Catholic faithful. The same routine is repeated as faithful exit the church (Ascension Catholic Community1). History of the church and nature of worshippers I was welcomed into the church by members of the welcome team who usher in new parishioners and orient them into the church. This greatly uplifted my spirits and I felt appreciated and recognized by the church. The congregation at Ascension Catholic Church varies widely representing all ethnicities and age groups of the community. The church has therefore created several masses to cater for all groups of the congregation. The church has further created special categories of the congregation ranging from pre- schoolchildren to junior high schools and teenagers. The adult population consists of special interest outreach groups that cater for disadvantaged members of the society such as the deaf (Ascension Catholic Community1). The deaf ministry for instance, holds special meetings with those with hearing impairments to encourage and nurture them spiritually. In addition, the job seeker ministry consoles those who have lost employment while also helping them in searching for other alternative sources of income. The Vietnamese community on the other hand, helps immigrants to settle comfortably in America. There is also a community of Hispanic Americans and a different one for Philippines at the church (Ascension Catholic Community1). The Boy Scout movement however, seeks to develop the physical fitness and moral characters of young men in the congregation. Retirees also have their unique group through which they share ideas and life experiences. Female members of the congregation sponsor days of recollection and other social programs and events that benefit the community. The bereavement ministry helps families cope with death of loved ones while also supporting funeral arrangements. The church also collaborates with the community of hope to provide shelter to the impoverished families to build homes. The church also runs a scholarship fund for bright children and uses volunteers to steer most of its daily activities. This further exemplifies the kind and caring nature of most worshippers at the church. For instance, the transportation ministry transports the sick and elderly to church services and hospital visits (Ascension Catholic Community1). Description of the church and significance of the symbols used At the front of the church at the pulpit, there was the bible. However, my friend corrected me that the pulpit was actually known as a lectern and the lectionary as the Catholics refer to it contains parts of the Bible that the father uses to conduct mass. There were different statues in different positions within the church. These statues represented different saints. Moreover, the saints, believed to be in heaven overlook upon the faithful and guide them in their daily lives. For one to become a saint, they have to live exemplary lives while on earth and present good examples to others. There was also a statue of Mary holding her baby, Jesus Christ (Ascension Catholic Community1). In front of the statue, there were lit candles that are a symbol of prayer. I also noticed 14 pictures all round the walls of the church. These Stations of the Cross tell the story of the suffering and eventual death of Jesus at the hand of Romans. These stations guide Catholic faithful in prayer during the lent period that precedes the Easter festival. At the front of the church, hanging from above there was a cross with a figure on it. This crucifix I was informed represented Jesus crucification on the cross. Some faithful bowed to the crucifix as they entered the church as a sign of respect and adoration for Jesus (Ascension Catholic Community1). At the middle front of the church, an altar covered in cloth with candles around it is the main figure. On the left of the altar, there is a baptismal font where baptismal rites take place on occasional basis. In addition, there was a cabinet containing three vessels of oil. One is for blessing and strengthening those preparing for Baptism, another for the sick and the third is used in giving sacraments to the faithful. The tabernacle is used to keep holy Eucharist used in communion. The lamp hanging above this small place further represents Jesus presence in inside the special house. Therefore, the catholic take the tabernacle to be the holiest place in the church. The Pascal candle is a symbol of Jesus resurrection and is therefore replaced every Easter. Finally, the canopy hanging above the altar represents the time Jewish were wandering in the desert. Moreover, the canopy serves to remind Catholics of their journey with the Lord (Ascension Catholic Community1). The actual service and its significance We all stood up as an introductory song was sung as the priest and ministers entered and proceeded to the altar. The purpose of this opening song was to deepen our unity as the Mass began. After a greeting from the Father in form of a short prayer, we went back to our seats. A group confession of sins followed by singing a hymn before the Father closed the first session with an opening prayer that concludes the introductory rites to every mass(Ascension Catholic Community1). In the liturgy, we celebrated Gods word by listening to his message from the Bible. This celebration is essential to deepen our faith and thank God for the gift of life. A first reading came from the Old Testament to embrace the role of Jesus as a link between the past and present. This was concluded with a reflective psalm that also created an atmosphere of prayer. The second reading came from the book of Mathews to motivate us in facing the challenges of the modern world. The reading reflected our current challenge of electing a new president in the coming weeks and encouraged us to have faith in Gods guidance to make the correct choice (Ascension Catholic Community1). A gospel reading from the book of John formed the gospel reading for the Sunday and marked the climax of the liturgy of the word. The sermon taught us that by proclaiming the gospel, we welcome Christ amongst us. Listening to the Gospel proclaimed further reminded us and identified us with the first faithful who heard these teachings from Jesus himself. At the end of the reading, the father proclaimed the gospel of the lord to which we affirmed. After reciting the Apostles Creed, individuals presented their own prayers to the Lord from the altar (Ascension Catholic Community1). Worshippers then proceeded to give their offerings through a collection basket that went around. All types of gifts were also presented to the altar from a procession that included children. The father blessed these gifts and asked Jesus to accept them on our behalf. The father later conducted a different thanksgiving prayer requesting the Lord through his Holy Spirit to transform the gifts into his body and blood. This epiclesis recalled the last supper when Jesus shared the last meal with his disciples before his eventual betrayal. In a moment of silence, the church remembered the sacrifice of Jesus (Ascension Catholic Community1). The short meditation is crucial to keep his memory by believing in his death, resurrection, and eventual ascension. This memorial further challenges Christians to be ready to make sacrifices as Jesus did while remembering all those who have passed on. Afterwards, church attendants proceed to partake of the holy sacrament that represents Christs body while the wine represents his blood that he spilt to save humanity. Public announcements followed before the priest concluded the service (Ascension Catholic Community1). My experience The service was generally enjoyable except for some of the prayers that I was not accustomed to reciting. The visit was a revelation and I learnt many aspects of the Catholic Church. This has consequently changed my perception on Catholics and the presence of statues in their church. I fully understand the symbolism of these and fully appreciate their beliefs. Furthermore, the priest was lively and used real life experiences in relating the sermon to our daily life experiences. I also found the choir extremely wonderful by the hymns they sung and the dancing by little children from the Sunday school. Moreover, the congregation was friendly and very hospitable to visitors (Ascension Catholic Community1). What needs to be improved The church should expand the sitting capacity to accommodate more faithful. I noticed some worshippers stranded outside because of the limited seats available. The parking lot should also be expanded to accommodate more worshippers cars. However, these seem not to hinder the congregation visiting the church since all masses are always full (Ascension Catholic Community1). Conclusion I really enjoyed my visit to Ascension Catholic Church. Apart from the spiritual nourishment, I gained valuable insight into Catholic history and beliefs. My interaction with the friendly congregation further encouraged me to make regular visits to the church. Finally, I might just make more visits to the church in future to build on this new learning and spiritual experience. This will enable me to break the routine monotony from my church occasionally. Work cited Ascension Catholic Community, 2012. Web. 15th October 2012.

Risk Factors Contributing Children Behavior Problem

Risk Factors Contributing Children Behavior Problem Child behaviors become problematic and these affect not only the family, but also in social and academic functioning. As working in a low-banding secondary school in Hong Kong, I have found a lot of students who are burdened with different behavior problems. These externalizing behaviors affect not only their academic achievement, but also their relationships with teachers, peers, and family, but further disrupt their future. Early intervention is essential to prevent progressive decline in childrens behavior. The principal goal for this review is to investigate different risk factors that contribute in child behavior problem. Child Behavior Problem Childrens behavior problems are divided into two major dimensions, they are internalizing and externalizing expressions (Henricson Rydell, 2006). Externalizing problems are behaviors that being harmful, disruptive, and impulsive. These behaviors are mostly stable and usually associated with long term negative outcomes (Henricson Rydell, 2006). Internalized problems are signified by emotions and moods. These symptoms are usually less consistent and cannot predict outcomes (Henricson Rydell, 2006). According to Achenbachs Child Behavior Checklist, childrens behaviors are identified into different syndromes. Syndromes refers to problems that tend to occur together. The eight syndromes that Achenbach had identified are Withdrawn, Somatic Complaints, Anxious/Depressed, Social Problems, Thought Problems, Attention Problems, Delinquent Behavior, and Aggressive Behavior. Five of the eight syndromes are grouped into Internalized and Externalized Behavior Problems (Achenbach, 1991). Internalizing is also called Personality Problems and Inhibition. Three syndromes, Withdrawn, Somatic Complaints, and Anxious/Depressed, are grouped under this heading. This group reflects childrens emotional problems (Achenbach, 1991). Externalizing is variously called Conduct Problems and Aggression. Two syndromes, Delinquent Behavior and Aggressive Behavior, are grouped under this heading. This group shows childrens behavioral problems (Achenbach, 1991). Aggression is defined as acts that impose harm on others (Aylward, 2003). Aggressive Behavior is under the grouping of Externalizing (Achenbach, 1991). Externalized aggressive behaviors are stable and are associated with long term negative outcomes (Henricson Rydell, 2006). Risk Factors There are different risks factors that lead to children behavior problem, including childrens personal factors, risks from school, parents marital relationship, parent-child relationship, and parenting and discipline style. Childs Personal Factors Stacks (2005) conceptualized risk factors for externalizing behavior by using ecological framework. Childrens temperament, developmental problems, and gender determine the severity of initial behavior problems. Personal factors, such as genetic factors, cognitive deficit, and hyperactive, also plays an important role in affecting childrens behavior. Children who have behavior problems tend to have cognitive deficit, they are lower problem solving skills (Pettit, 2004). Research shows that depressive symptoms predict antisocial behavior (Vieno, Kiesner, Pastore, Santinello, 2008). The correlations between depressed symptoms and behavioral problems were significant. This finding was also consistent with past studies by Patterson et al.(1992) and Beyers Loeber (2003). However the study suggested that the impacts of depressive symptoms to antisocial behavior occur within relatively short period of time (Vieno, Kiesner, Pastore, Santinello, 2008). Risks from School The quality school environment also plays important role in affecting predict behavior because many children spend most of the time at schools (Stacks, 2005). Studies also showed that conflictual teacher-child relationships and teachers negative responses are associated with children behavioral problems (Stacks, 2005). Pettit (2004) highlighted different risk factors for children antisocial behavior, including poor peer relationships and school failure. These factors cumulate to higher the risk of violent behavior, which was brought from early childhood to adolescent (Pettit, 2004). Parents Marital Relationship Children react to marital conflicts more negatively than other forms of family difficulties, and as a result, marital conflict is a predictor of childrens difficulties (Cummings, Goeke-Morey, Graham, 2002). It was said that marital conflict impacts childrens adjustment problems. These conflicts between parents consistently associated with externalized behavioral problems of children. These problems further influence childrens intellectual and academic achievements (Cummings, Goeke-Morey, Graham, 2002). Research also showed that children who experienced parents divorce are at higher risks of behavior problems (Stacks, 2005). Moreover, overt marital conflicts of parents were significantly risk predictors to youth maladjustment problems (Garard Buehler, 1999). Parent-Child relationship The parent-child relationship also plays an important role in influencing child development. The origin and developmental dynamics of antisocial behavior are said to be childrens early insecurity (Kochanska, Barry, Stellern, OBleness, 2009). Parental power assertion and resentful opposition lead to the insecurity of children. Poor parent-child relationship has shown impacts on childrens future antisocial behavior (Kochanska, Barry, Stellern, OBleness, 2009). Parenting Style Discipline Prevatt (2003) claimed that family risk and negative practices are highly predictive to childrens disruptive behavior and emotional adaptation. Negative family factors, such as inadequate parental involvement and poor parenting, primarily accounts for externalizing behavior (Prevatt, 2003). Dishion and Bullock (2002) also suggested that parenting practices plays an important role in childrens problem behavior. Both coercive limit-setting and poor monitoring are having direct influences on child negative behavioral outcome. Externalized behavior, such as outer-directed aggressive behavior, is one of the main indicators of maladjustment (Garard Buehler, 1999). There are three important correlates of youth maladjustment are repeatedly exposure to hostile and poor parenting. The poor parenting environment and the use of hostile are influencing risk factors to youth by showing negative interaction patterns within the family (Garard Buehler, 1999). Research shows that parenting put impacts on the development of disruptive behavior (Stacks, 2005). Parental warmth, responsiveness, and consistent limit setting are important to childrens development. Negative family interactions and functioning bring about aggression and violence to childrens behavior. Children who experienced violence directly are said to be in higher risks for externalizing behavior. These violent experiences include corporal punishment and physical abuse (Stacks, 2005). Childhood and developmental outcomes are associated with mild and harsh parental physical discipline (Lansford et al., 2009). Social context and family system leads to developmental consequences to children. Childrens externalizing behaviors are found to be associated with parents use of physical corporal discipline (Lansford et al., 2009). Lansford et al. (2009) also suggested that the antisocial behavior resulted from negative discipline may continue in later development. Corporal physical discipline in early childhood is related to increase in childrens behavior problems which would more likely to show in later years (Alink et al., 2009). Children learn to be aggressive through social learning theory (Bandura, 1973), they are also reinforced to use negative behavior to get parents attention (Alink et al., 2009) Conclusion Externalizing behaviors have great consequences to childrens eventual developmental pathway in their future. Research over the years has tried to determine how different factors contribute in deviant children behavior. Many factors can be added to the risks for externalizing antisocial behavior. Not only personal factors, risks from school, but also family factors, such as parenting style, parent-child relationship, parents marital relationship are also very influencing factors on child behavior problems. In sum, negative parenting is evitable in enabling poor child behavior, it is worthwhile to go into the family context and study the effect of parenting style to children behavior problem.

Analytical Critique of The Godfather Essay -- Movie Film Review Godfat

Analytical Critique of The Godfather   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe the reason that, 'The Godfather', is such a great film is because it lets audiences decide whether they like the characters or not. Too many movies made about organized crime begin with some seemingly random act of violence. 'The Godfather', however, lets it be known from the start to judge the characters in the film based on what type of person they are instead of the criminal activities they may engage in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The film begins with a wedding, and this setting sets the stage for the basic theme of the movie, which is family. ?The Godfather?, isn?t necessarily about organized crime. Crime is merely the family business, and crime is the way in which the author of the novel in which this film is based on used to set up the interactions and conflicts between the members of the Corleone family. In fact, this film could probably work even without the Mafia themes. At heart it is just a movie about the structure of a family from generation to generation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The themes of the film are timeless, but the historical period in which the film takes place is also very significant. As the movie begins, the family?s youngest son has just recently returned from World War II. As the movie progresses, parallels are made between the Corleone family and the rest of the world. The war between the rival families is much like the conflicts between nations during World War II. After Don Corleone is shot in the streets, it?s a wake up cal...

The Impact of Negro Spirituals on Todays Music Essay -- Exploratory E

The Impact of Negro Spirituals on Today's Music I believe that it would be difficult for someone to make the argument that Negro spirituals have not been influential in the field of music, much less the realm of gospel music today. However, church members often do not make the time to reflect on the heritage of a hymn or song to realize the meaning that the particular piece has carried with it through the decades, even centuries. With this in mind, I am going to look at the history of the Negro spiritual and then at specific hymns in the 1991 Baptist Hymnal, published by Convention Press, to see just what impact the Negro spiritual has had on today's church music. I believe that we will find that these songs have had a significant affect on our music, and that without it, we would not have many of the hymns that are now considered standard church music. An important observation regarding African music comes from Richard Jobson in The Golden Trade or a Discovery of the River Gambra [Gambia] and the Golden Trade of the Aethiopians. Although published in 1623, we learn a lot about the nature of African music when we read: "There is without a doubt, no people on the earth more naturally affected to the sound of musicke than these people; which the principal persons [that is, the kings and chiefs] do hold as an ornament of their state, so as when wee come to see them their musicke will seldome be wanting" (qtd. in Southern 4). By understanding that music was of utmost importance to the original slaves, we understand how the reverence of music was handed down through the many generations of slaves on the plantations. It is apparent that music was the highest form of expression for Africans, as well as... ...ital Schomburg African American Women Writers in the 19th Century Works Consulted Fisher, Miles Mark. Negro Songs in the United States. New York: Russell & Russell, 1968. Forbis, Wesley L. The Baptist Hymnal. Nashville: Convention Press, 1991. "God's gonna trouble the water: The essence of African American spirituality." U.S. Catholic. Nov. 1995. ProQuest. Online. 3 Aug. 1998. Maultsby, Portia K. Afro-American Religious Music: A Study in Musical Diversity. The Papers of the Hymn Society of America. 35. Springfield: The Hymn Society of America, n.d. Southern, Eileen. Readings In Black American Music. New York: WW Norton, 1971. ---. The Music of Black Americans: A History. New York: WW Norton, 1971. Thurman, Howard. Deep River and the Negro Spiritual Speaks of Life and Death. Richmond: Friends United Press, 1975.

“Money and Media dominate modern day politics” – how far do you agree?

It is widely claimed that the media, and the money available to dominate it, has a much wider grasp over the voting public than manifesto or policy. The majority of the worlds media sources hold some sort of partisan alignment, and its hold on the public means this bias is passed on to the electorate. How much it influences the electorate however, is different amongst many theories. The manipulative theory suggests that the media submerges real news in meaningless trivia in order to benefit itself. An example of this is Rupert Murdoch's support of Labour only once they'd dropped clause 4 of the constitution. The Hegemonic theory agrees with the accusation of the biased nature of the media but argues that it is less calculating. Any political stance it holds is the genuine opinion of the papers or broadcasters, and its publicising of these views is not in an attempt to manipulate the electorate. The pluralist theory argues that the customers choose the media, not the other way around, and their political views are reflected by their choice of newspaper or broadcaster, not changed by it. Though these theories have different ideas on the motives of the media, they all essentially say the same thing, the hard truth that the media is biased, and that its opinions are carried by its consumers. Another undeniable fact is that the political groups with the most money have the greatest chance of gaining the favourability of the media. Television has led the nature of elections, but more so in America than Britain due to the differing regulations relating to media, and the different motives that broadcasters have across the Atlantic. Firstly, the US doesn't have a publicly funded broadcaster, and all broadcasting channels have a profit-driven business plan. They will therefore only show the most popular candidates in bite size chunks, not allowing for in depth and democratic coverage. Reports suggest that in the 2008 campaign, Barac Obama's images were larger, more colourful, and positive than the ones of John McCain. This also provokes voting behaviour based on personality as opposed to policy. Secondly, there are no rules governing the democratic spread of coverage regarding candidates. Campaigns can therefore spend extortionate amounts to gain press time, such as the record setting 30 minute political commercial by Barac Obama in 2008. Britain however, has regulations on airtime, sharing it out proportionally to however many people that party has standing at the election. This is made possible through the publicly funded broadcaster, BBC, which is said to have neutral politics stance, though it has been accused of holding a liberal position. There is however, a much heavier influence coming from the press sector of the media in Britain. America's heterogeneous nature means that local press are the standard newspaper to read and these already reflect the views of that state, which unlike Britain votes united in an electoral college. In the 1992 general election, with Kinnock and Labour the favourites, the sun released the headline, â€Å"Will the last person to leave the country turn out the lights†. A few days later, after a shock conservative victory, they released a follow up headline, â€Å"It was the sun what won it†. Just 3 years later they switched allegiance, with â€Å"Sun backs Blair†, something pointed out as one of the factors in Labours landslide 1997 election victory. This, along with the fact the paper has backed the winner in all but 3 elections in the last 50 years, implies that Britain's biggest newspaper holds immense influence over the electorate. However, it can also be argued that with only 3 million papers in circulation, the Sun doesn't have enough readers to change the result of an election. Not only has this but it faced opposition from big papers such as the mail and the telegraph as well. It is not just television and newspapers however, with recent elections being dominated by the internet. Access to watch the debates at any time anywhere around the world and the use of social networking filled the electorate with images and stories of the candidates in every corner of their lives. This also meant however, that the already low levels of genuine political news stories were being drowned out by an obsession with image and personality. Barac Obama spent an unprecedented 300 million on his campaign for election, spending about $10 per vote he gained. This was almost twice the amount his rival spent, and is likely to have been a factor in the outcome. The system in America requires any candidate to gain 5% of the national vote to receive national funding, so minor parties or independents stand a very poor chance of breaking into the system. If they do manage to, they then have to have the ability of raising large sums of money. Billionaires such as Ross Perot (independent 1992) could combat this, but even the third party in 2000 (Ralph Nader – Greens) claimed that he simply could not keep up with the spending of the two major parties and would never be in with a chance. There have been some limitations however, in the form of the Federal Election Campaign Act (1974) limiting individual contributions to $1000 and corporate contributions (from PACs) to $5000. This seems less of a ceiling to expenditures and more of a skyline, considering the spending patterns of the last election. It is a little different in the UK, with a maximum of i7000 allowed to be spent in any one constituency, and candidates that tend to spend less than three quarters of this. The heterogeneous nature of the USA would obviously require more expenditure in a campaign, but the 5, 6, and sometimes 7 figure expenditures in senate races seem slightly out of proportion. In Japan the electoral system was making candidates of the same party campaign against each other, which gradually pushed the price of campaigns up and up until reform was enforced. The influence money was having on elections had created a rift amongst parties as well as losing a sense of democracy. It is clear that money and the media have a huge influence on voting behaviour, but not in the way it may first have been perceived. Where the theories generally carried the view that money could drive the media, and the media in turn influence the electorate, I believe it is changing voting behaviour in a different sense. Money and the media have glorified politics, and particularly in America have given it a Hollywood effect. The public are reacting to this by voting not based the manifesto and ideologies of candidates, but voting for the greatest ‘celebrity'. Money and the media do play too great a role in modern day politics, and have replaced the electorate's voting on policy with its voting on personality.

Psoriasis: Treatment and Management

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder of the skin, which means that the body's defense system has turned on itself. This causes â€Å"angry red lesions to appear on the surface of the skin, multiply, and scale over with silvery patches† (1). Not only do they look hideous, but cause terrible itching and discomfort. â€Å"The word (psoriasis) comes from ancient Greece, and means ‘to itch'† (1). This disease can be present from birth or not show up until a person is well into their adult years. They can also be found anywhere on the body, from the scalp to the elbows. Psoriasis affects about two percent of the population. The severity can range from a few spots to massive outbreaks covering the whole body, requiring hospitalization. Although the disease is genetically inherited, â€Å"it has triggers which can cause the body to go from a very mild case to a severe case within days† (1). Strep throat and spicy foods are examples of triggers that increase the severity. â€Å"There are also other factors, such as sunlight, which help decrease the severity† (1). There are many types of psoriasis including, nail, scalp, plaque, pustular, guttate, inverse, erythrodermic, and psoriatic arthritis. Plaque psoriasis is the most common type. Along with these irritating physical side effects are the emotional factors. This disease can cause its' victims to feel alienated from fellow coworkers and friends. People who have no experience with the disease tend to be distant towards those who do, because they think it is contagious. To compensate, sufferers often wear pants and long sleeves to cover their skin, even in summer heat, or avoid a social life altogether. There is no known cure for psoriasis, only the hope to control its' severity. Each case of psoriasis is different, and may require a certain form of treatment or a combination of treatments to obtain relief. Most of those available now work to lessen the redness and itching, but tend to be pricey and time-consuming. Recently, scientists have developed a new method of treatment. The 308-nm excimer laser is a highly concentrated beam of UVB radiation. During the procedure a patient receives a certain, prescribed dosage of radiation on a large plaque of psoriasis. Unlike other methods of phototherapy, the laser only touches the effected area, leaving normal skin unharmed by unneeded radiation. In a study done in a university dermatology service, the following was reported: Thirteen consecutive patients with at least four large, stable psoriasis plaques were used. Excimer laser-generated 308-nm UV-B radiation was given to each of the four plaques, which received 1, 2, 4, and 20 treatments, respectively. Untreated areas within each plaque served as the control. With 308-nm UV-B radiation generated by an excimer laser, it is possible to clear psoriasis with as little as one treatment with moderately long remission (2). Carcinogenic levels, which measure the amount of cancer-causing radiation, were much lower in patients who use the laser technique, than in those who use total body UV-B radiation treatment. Unwanted side effects with the use of the 308-nm excimer laser include burning sensations and some blistering. The use of topical ointments with hydrocolloid dressings is a more traditional form of treatment. It involves applying a prescribed corticosteriod ointment, like calcipotriol, to a psoriasis plaque and then wrapping the area in a hydrocolloid dressing. In a study done by the Department of Dermatology in the Netherlands, it was reported that: After an average treatment of 3. 6 weeks, each lesion had cleared (apart from some residual erythema). The average remission period was 8 weeks. During this treatment, the number of cycling epidermal cells and the expression of keratin 14 and keratin16 had decreased substantially. It is speculated that a combination therapy of calcipotriol with treatments with a different mode of action, such as photo-therapy, might be worthwhile (3). However, some patients experienced discomfort in the normal skin surrounding the psoriatic patch with this method. Researchers also found that the psoriatic epidermal skin cells proliferated, or reproduced, at a much slower rate than normal, which means that the plaque formation would lessen and be controlled easier. Perhaps the oldest and most popular form of treatment for psoriasis on the market today is coal tar. â€Å"Exorex TM is a new over-the-counter preparation† which contains, â€Å"one percent coal tar† (1). This form doesn't necessarily clear the effected areas, it relieves itching, redness, and scaling to a certain degree. It is probably the cheapest and easiest to use, and does not require a prescription to obtain. Most users have accepted the fact that they have this disease, and that there is no cure for it. Therefore, they use these ointments for personal physical relief, not to try and hide their psoriasis from others. There are few, trivial unwanted side effects of coal tar ointments. Susceptibility to sunburn, messiness, unpleasant odors, and staining of clothing and skin occur frequently. This active ingredient is not only found in ointments but medicated shampoos and bath solutions as well. Agranulocytosis is described as â€Å"a condition caused by a lack of or an insufficient number of white blood cells† (4). Scientists have found that in severe cases of psoriasis, drug-induced agranulocytosis actually helps to clear the affected areas. In a study done on a 45-year-old man by the International Journal of Dermatology, it found that: The patient was treated with intravenous granulocyte monocyte stimulating factor (GMSF). The GMSF was given on five consecutive days. On the sixth day, the psoriatic lesions cleared almost completely. There was 90% clearance of the lesions, with a PASI (Psoriasis Activity and Severity Index) being reduced (from 22) to 2. 2. The patient also had improvement in joint pain. In addition, the generalized lymphadenopathy detected at admission had reduced considerably (5). According to Dr. Kevin Patrick, lymphadenopathy is an inflammation of the lymph nodes, which filter organisms and bacteria out of the bloodstream (4). However astounding these results may be, scientists still claim that â€Å"drug-induced agranulocytosis is a complex phenomenon, it is difficult to comment on its exact role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis† (5). The most promising treatment for psoriasis is hard to prove, since each case is different, and not all treatments work for every victim. However, the 308-nm excimer laser technique seems to be the treatment with the best results. If a patient wants long-lasting clearance and does not mind sacrificing time and a large sum of money, the laser will work for them. However, for those who's main concern is the physical side effects, such as itching, flaking, and redness, then coal tar ointments and similar products may be the choice for them. They are easy to obtain, most drugstores and supermarkets carry them, and fairly inexpensive compared to other treatments. For those who would like clearance of their plaques, but can not access the excimer laser therapy, calcipotriol ointment, and hydrocolloid dressings seem to hold the most promise for them.