Saturday, March 21, 2020

Abortion Essays (1768 words) - Fertility, Abortion,

Abortion "You wake up in the morning and find yourself back to back in bed with an unconscious violinist. A famous unconscious violinist. He has been found to have a fatal kidney ailment, and the Society of Music Lovers have canvassed all the available medical records and found that you alone have the right blood type to help. They have therefore kidnapped you, and last night the violinist's circulatory system was plugged into yours, so that your kidneys can be used to extract poisons from his blood as well as your own. The director of the hospital now tells you, 'Look, we're sorry the Society of Music Lovers did this to you-we would never have permitted it if we had known. But still, they did it, and the violinist is now plugged into you. To unplug him would be to kill him. But never mind, it's only for nine months. By then he will have recovered from his ailment, and can safely be unplugged from you.' Is it morally incumbent on you to accede to this situation?" (Judith Thompson) Judith Thompson goes on to argue that the fetus, like the violinist, has no right to use your body unless you give it to him. Therefore, abortion, in the case of rape at least, is permissible. Let us grant that one may indeed unplug oneself from the violinist. May one take a gun and shoot him in the head? May one cut him into pieces? May one poison him if by doing so he will disconnect in the process? Of course not, that would be immoral. Possibly, you will ask why, because he will die in both cases. Yes, you are the cause of his death in either case. However, in spite of these similarities there is a difference. The man is sick. If you unplug yourself from him, he will die from his sickness. For if, he was not sick, he would not die from being disconnected. Nevertheless, if you shoot him, then he dies of the bullet you have put in his brain, and not of his sickness. For even if he were well, he would still die of the damage done by the bullet. Moreover, you are not responsible for this man's sickness from his bad kidneys. If you were, you would have to let him use yours. However, you are, of course, responsible for the bullet in his brain, for the damage you caused to his body. Thus, supposing that the violinist does not have a right to be hooked up to you, still the case is that you may do whatever you want to him. Judith Thompson, stated, "The man has a right to his life," She focuses her attention on whether he has a right to what it would take to sustain his life. However, what she fails to notice, is that even if he does not have a right, this does not imply that whatever one does to him is morally permissible. In the same way-that the fetus does not have a right to use the woman's body unless she gives it to him-does not imply that whatever one does to the fetus is morally permissible. Rather, just as one may not stab the violinist in the throat or shoot him in the head, causing such severe damage to his body that death occurs, furthermore, one may not cut the fetus into pieces or poison him to death. Thus, all Judith Thompson can hope to infer from the violinist example is that one may "disconnect" oneself from the fetus providing one does not fatally damage his body in the process. This means that of the six methods of abortion only those cases of prostaglandin chemical abortion (where the woman's uterus is stimulated to contract and expel the fetus whole) in which the fetus is born alive and is not decapitated or fatally damaged by the violence of the contractions, and those cases of cesarean section abortion where the fetus dies of neglect rather than by the knife, that only these cases are possibly morally permissible types of abortion. Only those cases where the fetus is not fatally damaged by the procedure might be permissible (on Judith Thompson's showing), for only such procedures might be cases of "disconnecting" oneself from a person. The other methods of abortion, dilation and curettage, dilation and evacuation, suction or vacuum aspiration, and salt poisoning, cause the death of the fetus by dismembering him or by poisoning him, and therefore are parallel to cutting the

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Julia Laflin on writing The House At Roc Noir

Julia Laflin on writing The House At Roc Noir A Reedsy Success Story - Julia Laflin’s The House At Roc Noir We see so many amazing projects go through our platform that we sometimes feel bad about not bragging more about them. So that’s we’re doing today by letting Julia Laflin share her Reedsy experiences on our blog, and offer some invaluable pieces of advice for other authors out there. Our favourite:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"My working relationship with Lane has been one of the most helpful and productive experiences that I could have wished for, so if you’re about to self-publish, don’t skimp on the editorial process and make sure you find an editor who inspires you to do better.†You can more of our success stories right here!  Otherwise, take it away, Julie.I’m Julia Laflin, writer and author of The House At Roc Noir, an atmospheric novella set in the lonely wilds of Corsica, which has recently been selling very nicely as a self-published ebook. The initial draft of the book was as a long short story, however knowing that traditional publishers have little appetite for publishing single stories, I decided to take the self-publishing route.My first step was to find an editor and cover designer. Having spent some time wondering where to find a professional editor and designer, I eventually met an author at a Byte the Book gathering who told me he’d used Reedsy.   This network of professionals almost rhymes with easy-peasy - and when my turn came, Reedsy really was easy-peasy to use! What I hadn’t anticipated was just how fascinating and enjoyable the editing process would turn out to be.Having scrolled through the CVs and biographies of all the experienced editors vetted by Reedsy, I matched myself with Lane Ashfeldt. I was attracted to Lane because she’s an award-winning author who also teaches creative writing and has experience as an editor of both short fiction and novels. Even better, her published collection of fiction, SaltWater, seemed to have thematic resonances with my project. The target audience for The House At Roc Noir is more likely to be female, so it also seemed sensible to pitch for a female editor (sorry, chaps!). The only thing that was missing was a mention of a cat in her blurb. Never mind, she probably hates them. I’ll have to ask her one day. My Reedsy cover designer, Lizzie Gardiner, mentioned her cat, so that made up for it.I was delighted when Lane and I struck our bargain and started our collaboration. Lane suggested a structural edit and, as it was a short piece at 15,000 words, she offered to do a line by line edit too. She asked for a steer on genre and target audience, as well as a synopsis and some photographs of Corsica from my travels.She read my draft and sent me a detailed editorial assessment with developmental edit suggestions. It was like a school report but in a good way. Overall she called it ‘a very satisfying short read’, praising its ‘psychological suspense’ and ’atmospheric setting’. She then follo wed it with some great practical advice to develop the text even further.The opening of the story introduces Alice and her lawyer husband Nick travelling to a remote bay in the north of the island. Lane suggested strengthening the beginning by turning the holiday location into a birthday surprise for Alice. Her guidance included better ‘ordering and sequencing’ of the journey to keep the reader in the ‘now’ of the narrative. She also made it clear however, that this did not necessitate extensive rewrites. Lane reminded me that it’s important that ‘we get the story and the other characters filtered very much through Alice’s perspective’. I’d slipped on the writer’s equivalent of that bar of soap a couple of times. Also, I needed to allow Nick to do more and develop his character which in turn, after rewrites, led to a more interesting husband and wife dynamic.Then I spotted a margin note: ‘I’ve begun to w onder if there perhaps ought to be more definite indications of a sex life between Alice and Nick†.  Given the genre and the intended readership, this did seem like a missing element. With a big gulp, I went back to the manuscript to insert some subtle steaminess into my couple’s activities! Lane liked Cally, Nick and Alice’s daughter, and the restaurant owner Antoine and she suggested that I expand both of their roles in the story. I threw in a cat too, basically a carbon copy of the tabby that’s lolling on my desk right now. Lane liked the cat but possibly only in her professional capacity as character assessor†¦The end section of my story shifted to reported events, from Nick’s viewpoint. Lane pointed out (spoiler on the horizon) that although this worked it prevented an interpretation ‘that might include Alice and demonstrate her recovery from the events’. So it was back to the keyboard again to reimagine the last section wit h Alice at the heart of the narrative. I liked the changes, which gave the story a much greater sense of resolution.Other points that changed in rewrites were the length and the title of the book. Lane advised that a longer read would hit the KDP pot of gold as an increased royalty rate kicks in at certain price points. The suggested revisions also extended the length significantly. The finished length was 25,000 words – technically a novella rather than a short story. My working title was ‘The Sea House’, however I hadn’t thought to check online. Lane pointed out it had been expended by Esther Freud and others - not necessarily a barrier to usage, but something she wanted to check whether I was aware of, or not. I had a think about this and came up with several possible new titles, which were duly cross-tested on a few potential buyers. Finally I selected the new title, The House At Roc Noir. Fortunately the cover art had not yet been commissioned, so mak ing this change did not incur any additional costs.Lane was really generous with her time and I felt that she was fully involved with the process. She was clear that while she hoped her input and suggestions made it easier for me to finish, she insisted that ‘it is important for you to own and control this story – not me!’I soft-launched ‘The House At Roc Noir’ in mid-May and it made it half-way up the top 100 paid Kindle holiday reads in the first week of publication and the feedback so far has been positive. I’ve plenty more to do to reach out to summer holiday readers, as well as progress my Greek family saga novel. My working relationship with Lane has been one of the most helpful and productive experiences that I could have wished for, so if you’re about to self-publish, don’t skimp on the editorial process and make sure you find an editor who inspires you to do better.Follow Julia, Lane and Reedsy on Twitter:  @Julia_Lafl in,  @Ashfeldt  and @ReedsyHQ.Do you also work with a developmental editor for your stories? What has been your experience with him/her? Leave us your thoughts, or any question for Julia or Lane, in the comments below!

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Personal Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Ethics - Essay Example Values also play a key function in shaping the influencing the behaviour and decision-making among professionals. In nursing practice, the personal, spiritual and cultural values contribute to their philosophy and worldview of nursing. The personal, cultural, and spiritual values that have contributed to my philosophy and worldview of nursing revolve around my experiences, family background and the society I grew up in. I was born and raised in the US and right from an early age, it was drilled into me that I should give my all in everything I laid my hands on. My parents also insisted on the same and this noble value became my inspiration, motivation and source of my nursing philosophy; that is, to uphold a high professional integrity and an ethically competent nursing practice. As a nurse, I have made it a point in my daily practice to give my best when caring for patients and their families. The personal values that have shaped my philosophy and worldview of nursing are responsibi lity and integrity. I have learned to take personal responsibility for everything I do and say and take the blame, however hard it is. Taking responsibility has helped me maintain the hardwork mindset inbuilt in me and has motivated me to be consistent with my actions and principles. From my cultural background, I have learned that honesty and humility are important stepping-stones to success and I have learned to be humble and honest to my patients to the most practicable extend. This has helped me attain a good professional relationship as it encourages them to open up and cooperate. As a Christian, I hold a high regard for respect for all people and in every situation. In my nursing profession, I always ensure that I act respectfully towards my patients and their families in order to show to them that they matter greatly and that they are not just another patient or customers of healthcare. Apart from these, the value of doing unto others as I would love them to do for me has als o been of great importance in shaping my philosophy and worldview of nursing. As a nurse, I always give my patients the same quality of care I would love to be given if I were in the same situation as them. All these values act as the motivators and drivers behind my efforts to attain my nursing philosophy. Just as outlined by Scanlon and Glover (1995), these values have served as my guide for developing an ethically competent nursing practice. In nursing practice, values refer to enduring beliefs held by nurses regarding the worth of their patients, professional ideas and practice whereas morals refer to rightful way of conduct that is expected of nurses as they interact with their patients and their families. Ethics on the other hand refers to the moral principles/values governing personal conduct that is important to the practice of professional nursing (www.scribd.com, 2010). As a nurse, my personal values, philosophy, and worldview may conflict with my obligation to practice wh enever this obligation is guided by a principle that conflicts with my values, philosophy and worldview and requires that I act contrary to or compromise them. The result of this is an ethical dilemma. Some of the important morals that one is likely to face in the nursing field is that of respecting the autonomy of patients, obtaining informed consent before medical procedures, causing them least or no harm and seeking to attain more good for the patient. Some of the expected moral dilemmas include the

Monday, February 3, 2020

DNA Evidence and Procedures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DNA Evidence and Procedures - Essay Example Though DNA is used by the body to create the physical characteristics of hair color, eye color, and height, it can only be used to match a suspect to a sample and can not determine their physical characteristics. Advances in DNA technology have revolutionized forensic science since its introduction in the mid 1980s. It is used to bring evidence against a suspect as well as exonerate innocent people. As investigators, law enforcement is generally concerned with a few key issues with respect to DNA evidence These issue involve maintaining the integrity of the evidence and the credibility of its evidentiary value. These are: The crime scene is the first line of defense in maintaining credible DNA evidence. To minimize the possibility of contamination the incidental activity must be reduced at the crime scene. Only critical personnel should have any initial access until all samples are collected. According to the President's DNA Initiative (2007), "It is important for all law enforcement personnel at the crime scene to make a conscious effort to refrain from smoking, eating, drinking, littering or any other actions which could compromise the crime scene". In addition, it is suggested that all first responders be trained in DNA collection and preservation techniques. Investigators must tediously search for small amounts of DNA evidence available at the scene. This may be small blood spatters, hair, skin tissue evidence found under fingernails, and clothing that contains body fluids. Suspects may be swabbed for saliva or DNA may be obtained from an object they have contacted. In the case of rape or sexual assault, the Department of Justice guidelines dictate that, "...evidence that may be inside or on a victim's body should only be collected by a physician or sexual assault nurse examiner" (Understanding DNA evidence, 2007). Initial contact with an assault victim should stress the importance of not changing clothes or showering before evidence can be collected. Evidence needs to be clearly labeled and identified as to where and when it was collected in a manner that will maintain a proper chain of custody. Samples should be kept dry and need be sealed to prevent contamination and stored at room temperature to prevent degradation (President's DNA Initiative, 2007). The National Institute of Justice mandates that evidence that may contain DNA should not be placed in plastic bags as plastic retains moisture which could damage and degrade the DNA sample (What every law enforcement officer should know about DNA, 1999). Direct sunlight and heat can also damage samples and it is recommended that the sample be transported as quickly as reasonable to an appropriate storage area. It is recommended that long-term storage be maintained only by a qualified facility or laboratory. In the 2003 Summit Report, the National Institute of Justice warned, "If law enforcement officers, medical personnel, and crime lab technicians are not trained to recognize, collect, preserve, transport, and store DNA evidence, then its use may be compromised or even invalidated". Maintaining the integrity of the DNA evidence is vital if it is to have any value in the courtroom. Contamination is the greatest threat to the usability of DNA evidence. DNA evidence runs the risk of being contaminated when DNA from

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Self-Reflection of a Teaching Project

Self-Reflection of a Teaching Project Self-reflection refers to an activity or process in which an experience is recalled, considered, and evaluated, usually in relation to a broader purpose. It is a response to past experience and involves conscious recall and examination of the experience as a basis for evaluation and decision-making and as a source for planning and action. Self reflection is a thinking process in which an individual seriously considers and thoughtfully judges prior experience of the self. The consecutive engagement in reflection commonly leads the self to generate a change in conceptual perspectives My brief experience in the project allows me to understand and appreciate the art of self-reflecting. Recording lessons seems to be pretty much the ultimate method of self-reflection. Reflecting back on ones performance during a lesson is a great way of detecting and investigating the strength and weaknesses of a lesson. From preparing, recording the lesson and finally analyzing the video recording, I have learned a great deal of skills through this project. There are several mistakes that could be avoided in this project. During the recording of the lesson, the classroom should be a proper classroom with no interruptions such as technician and group members moving around. Regarding the attire, the students should have been better dressed as what a formal class should be. The recording of the lesson could have been better if by using one camera only with only one cameraman. That way we could avoid the unnecessary classroom interruptions with too much cameraman moving around the class. I am determined now that self-reflection in teaching involves changes in the way we usually perceive teaching and our role in the process of teaching. Teachers who explore their own teaching through critical reflection develop changes in attitudes and awareness which they believe can benefit their professional growth as teachers, as well as improve the kind of support they provide their students. Self-reflection is a valuable tool for self-evaluation and professional growth. I believe that experience alone is insufficient for professional growth, but that experience coupled with reflection can be a powerful momentum for teacher development. Self-reflection involves moving beyond a primary concern with instructional techniques and â€Å"how to† questions and asking â€Å"what† and â€Å"why† questions that regard instructions and managerial techniques not as ends in themselves, but as part of broader educational purposes. Asking â€Å"what and why† questions give us a certain power over our teaching. We could claim that the degree of autonomy and responsibility we have in our work as teachers is determined by the level of control we can exercise over our actions. In reflecting on the above kind of questions, we begin to exercise control and open up the possibility of transforming our everyday classroom life. The process Ive gone through in completing this project allows me to assess my understanding of what being a reflective teacher really means. Ive learned that the method of recording a lesson for deeper analysis is the best way to uncover information about our own teaching techniques in a lesson, information that is inaccessible through other method of self-reflection. There are several things that could have been avoided or improved regarding this project. I felt that the lesson needs to be more formal, or as similar to how a day-to-day classroom would be. In that sense, the students would be more in the mood of formal learning. I would also recommend the use of only one cameraman, as to avoid any other visual interference of the video recording, such as another cameraman moving around trying to record the lesson. After carrying out and completing this project, I learned that being a teacher is not a simple task that one can just sit back and do their job relaxingly. A good teacher needs to be determined and committed to their work in improving their teaching techniques. Self-reflection is not something to be taken lightly. It is a very important aspect of the step toward improving ones quality as a professional teacher. I understand now that the process of self reflection after teaching practice activities enables student teachers to benefit threefold, firstly, by acquiring contextual knowledge about interpretation of classroom situations; secondly, by discerning essential criteria for substantial self reflection; and lastly, by developing emergency responses for unexpected teaching challenges.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Do You Speak American? Essay

Absolutely, the answer was no. In the past, I thought American English was only a language which pronounced â€Å"r† heavily. Surprisingly, according to the map of dialect, America can be divided by seven parts. They are Eastern New English, NYC,Philadelphia, The North, The Midland, The South and The West. And different regions of America have different dialects. In terms of the dialect of American English, I have a re-understanding of this language. I find it is interesting, even surprising, and I am more curious about that. The dialects of American English is really interesting. Honestly, when I hear a conversation or a speech, I can hardly recognize the accents without special note, although sometimes I can recognize the obvious accents according to the meaning of the sentence. For example, most young California say [? ] to replace [? ], say â€Å"like† as â€Å"lake†. According to my personal experience, when I traveled to Miami, Florida, I heard that most people in there said â€Å"lift† as â€Å"left†. Moreover, Net English used among young people is another part of interest. For example, â€Å"das kool† equals â€Å"that is cool†, â€Å"lol† means â€Å"laugh out loud†, â€Å"How ya doin hun† is â€Å"how are you doing honey? †, â€Å"g2g† means â€Å"got to go†, etc. Maybe they think typing English in this way is more convenient and fashionable, however, I do not think so. Furthermore, experts recommend that TV series is a good way to recognize and learn dialects since the actors of a program are come from different regions. At last, teenagers prefer to use some new words of phrases to express an common meaning, such as â€Å"bling bling† refers to expensive jewelry. This is popular and sometimes I also use that to express myself. Actually, I am surprised about the dialects of American English in the following aspects. Firstly, in North America, people will laugh at lobsterman’s dialect and make fun with the way they speak. As far as I am concerned, we should respect different languages and cultures. Even though we cannot understand the way of communication, every dialect must has its own value to exist. Moreover, although people dislike some dialects, they can always imitate those dialects they hate. It is unbelievable. In addition, I watched these three DVDs without subtitle. So when I watched the CD2 which introduced the dialects in the mid-land, I found it was difficult for me to understand what people said. However, it is easier to understand what the north and west people said. I think it means that the people of mid-land and south have strong accents. Frankly, there are some points that I do not know before I watching this video. First of all, Philadelphia shakes the American speech more than any other city. Secondly, the Black and the White cannot communicate with each other by using English at the beginning. Thirdly, some people who come from the mid-land consider New Yorker speak bad English, since New Yorker say â€Å"water† as â€Å"[w? :d? ]†. To be honest, as for me, I like the dialect of New York. Fourthly, some pronounciation of dialect are totally different from the original pronounciation. For example, in Ohio and Michigan, â€Å"yins† means â€Å"you†, and in north, â€Å"ayuh† is equal to â€Å"yes†, etc. Finally, looking at magazines to find new words is a job, its purpose is to update the dictionary. To sum up, I don’t think I am speaking American even though I am in New York now. The dialects in United States are diverse. In my opinion, dialect is a component of cultural activities. And some dialects are related to history, some are related to the life style of different region. There are a variety of expressions for dialects. Those include the differences of pronounciation, the new words for common meaning, net English, etc. Most important, no matter what kind of language we say, we should respect all of them and admit the existence value of them. At last, I think watching different American TV series is a good way for me to improve my American English.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Get the Scoop on Family Life Writing Service Before Youre Too Late

Get the Scoop on Family Life Writing Service Before You're Too Late The Dirty Facts on Family Life Writing Service Taping the interview will allow you to gather details which you might miss if you're only taking notes. It is possible to also attempt some visualisation methods to lower your nervousness and deliver you confidence for your speech. You don't wish to produce your speech long. Reading your speech out loud will help you to choose whenever you have very long sentences that will need to be shaped again. Life writing has gotten ever more popular and, as a consequence, academic research into the subject has also increased. Maintaining great family life is essential for some people and so rather than neglecting this important area, article writing services manage the content requirements. Based on the scenario, you might also need to mention any related hobbies or additional experience you've got. Include descriptors regarding how usage impacts the person's mental we llbeing and relevant indicators and symptoms and to what extent the person's mental wellness and associated indicators and symptoms impact her or his usage of drugs and alcohol. The net is also full of helpful information, maps and pictorial images you might utilize to illustrate your story (be careful in regards to the copyright on images and if not sure, ask permission from the webmaster if you're going to create your work public). Not all people have the ability to generate fast articles. Today, individuals are busy with their lives and frequently don't have enough time to write content for themselves. When you have talked to other men and women, and thought through some topics by yourself, it's now time to pick a focus. Families play a critical role in the evolution of children and youth. Alternatively, you might say that a few children tend toward bedwetting problems even as they grow older. Some buttons, pretty print fabric and a tiny glitter can create a really unique greeting that will develop into a family keepsake. So, there's ample choice once it comes to writing essays on issues related to each kind of family structure. When you think about the kind of family history you would like to tackle, think about the options as seven genres of genealogical writing. Since you may see, that is lots of formats under one term. It might also be useful to speak to family and friends to find out if they have anything they'd love to add. Yes it may be fun to check on the images you haven't seen in ages but it's still crucial that you make the best choice in picking the most suitable picture for your family reunion invitation. Just how exactly are you going to compose a family reunion invitation and what are a few of the vital pointers you should remember while drafting the invitation. Describe what you will do in order to make certain you will satisfy the challenges of fam ily life. Deliver your speech in a transparent way that nobody will be uncertain of what it is you are attempting to say. You are attempting to present yourself as a professional by creating a robust and lasting impression. The perfect way to start is to begin. It is possible to also create a quick, humorous nod to your mistake and continue on. In the event you wished to dominate the match you definitely needs to use our hackon. Learn a little background history and things start to fall into place. Bear in mind, you don't have to begin writing your family history from the start, you're absolutely free to opt for any starting point. Describe the conditions of that day.