Position Argument In Marriage Essay

Marriage is a ceremony or an act completed through contract by which man and woman become husband and wife. It is a loving, caring relationship that provides intimacy and security to all couples. It is entered into because of ensuing political, economic and other advantages and not just of mutual affection. It is viewed legally as civil unions, a legal status and a social institution that simplifies and organizes crucial matters for the partners. Many research studies show that a good marriage is both men’s and women’s bet for living a long and healthy life especially in the area of adult health and well-being.   A leading social scientist name James Q. Wilson explains that persons of the same age who are married have happier life than those who are unmarried. Married people on general are better off and significantly enjoy higher levels of physical and mental health and enjoy greater emotional support and tend to be healthier than those who are either single, divorced or living together. (Wilson 2002) MARRIAGE AND GENDER ISSUES Dr. Robert Coombs of UCLA made a review on recent empirical studies published on how marriage affects adults’ well-being. In his review it shows that there is an intimate link between marital status and personal well-being. On aspect of alcoholism, Coombs review found that there are only fifteen percent of the chronic problems drinkers are married as compared to the fifty five percent who are either divorced or separated. On the other hand, single men are more than three times as likely to die of cirrhosis of the liver. (Coombs 1991) Married people also tend to have long and healthy life. As reported by Erasmus University in Rotterdam married people have lowest morbidity rates, while divorced people show highest morbidity rates. Dr. Coombs’ research review agrees with these findings, as he comments â€Å"virtually every study of mortality and marital status shows that the unmarried of both sexes have higher death rates, whether by accident, disease, or self-inflicted wounds†. (Coombs 1991) Dr. Benjamin Malzberg conducted a research and he concludes that married population in general has much low rates of mental disease than any of the other marital groups. Another research conducted jointly at Yale University and UCLA that supports Dr. Malzbeg findings. Consistent with other researches conducted, result of the joint research also concludes that married persons enjoy better health than the unmarried and founds that the highest rates of mental disorder are among the divorced and separated. The lowest rates are among the married and average rates among the single and widowed. (Malzberg 1996) One the best results of the research conducted of impact of marriage is that it offers general happiness. Married person has significantly higher level of happiness than persons who are not married. What about the homosexuals do they have rights to enter into marriage? Maybe yes or maybe no. Same-sex marriage is a term for a governmentally, socially, or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. However, the legitimacy of marriage depends on the authoritative definition of marriage. ARGUMENTS SUPPORTING GAY AND LESBIAN MARRIAGE Prof. Sally Haslanger in his arguments in support to gay and lesbian marriage has point out two (2) issues to consider. The issues on equality and issues on promoting good values that leads to good life. These issues are supported by arguments of marriage as normative ideal, the potential of gay marriage for undermining traditional gender norms, and the unjust displacement of gays and lesbians. On first argument: Marriage as normative ideal. The state has an obligation to promote â€Å"valued ways of living†; that is why marriage is viewed by the state legally as civil unions, a legal status and a social institution that simplifies and organizes crucial matters for the partners. It is ideal for how sexuality, companionship, affection, personal economics and child rearing are being organized and put to order. Marriage also promotes â€Å"personal and social flourishing† in ways that are indifferent to other sexualities of the couple. Therefore, the state has an obligation to promote homosexual and heterosexual marriage. (Haslanger 2006) However, the groups of conservative and anti same-sex marriage are opposing this idea. A Conservatives objection to Haslanger first argument relates that gay and lesbian sex is not good for the individuals involved on it and it is not good for the society. Second argument: The potential of gay marriage for undermining traditional gender norms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Traditionally and on social norms societies are being dominated by males. It is supported by the strict separation of gender roles and the gendered division of labor. By legalizing same-sex marriage traditional gender norms and male domination are being challenge. Homosexuals have already been accepted during the 19th century that they are essentially different from heterosexuals. The concept as a kind of naturally fixed third sex. On the other hand, same-sex marriage is an effective way to fight against injustice like violence against women. (Haslanger 2006)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The conservatives agrees that our society currently live under male domination but they believe that is was just exaggerated. Conservatives points out that distinct gender roles do not necessarily support that male are more dominant. It’s just that in society genders are separate but does not necessarily mean that they are not equal.   (Haslanger 2006)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another objection to the second argument states that gays and lesbians are stereotypes. That they are dangerously uncontrolled, predatory, insatiable, narcissistic and self-indulgent. Therefore, gays and lesbians are considered unfit for assuming gendered familial roles, producing children and cannot sustain long-term stable relationships. (Haslanger 2006) Third argument: Reversing the unjust displacement of gays and lesbians. Arguments on these issues were structured as a response to DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). This act was understood that marriage should only be between one man and one woman and become as a family that is considered as foundation of the society.   This one man and one woman marriage are considered â€Å"fit† for establishing the foundation of society and are therefore â€Å"essential citizens†. Further, those who enters into marriage that differ from DOMA policies are therefore â€Å"unfit† and inessential citizens. With regards to gays and lesbians in relation to DOMA, gays and lesbian therefore lack the special status of   â€Å"essential citizens† and same-sex relationships are not merely a â€Å"lifestyle choice†. Approving same-sex relationship weakens the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Advocates of same-sex marriage disagree to the arguments stated above they feel that they are being displace and discriminated. Gays and lesbians believe that the state should continue to treat marriage as a pre-political institution but include them as one of the society’s foundation. Moreover, the state to consider marriage as a â€Å"lifestyle† choice and grant them rights similar to heterosexual marriage. SUMMARY Legal and moral case for gay and lesbian equality should be given due account by the state for them to feel that they are given equal treatment by the state and the society as a whole.       Works Cited Coombs, Robert â€Å"Marital Status and Personal Well-Being: A Literature Review,† Family Relations 40 (1991) 97-102. Haslanger, Sally. â€Å"Moral Problems and the Good Life†. (2006) Malzberg, Benjamin. â€Å"Marital Status in Relation to the Prevalence of Mental Disease,† Psychiatric Quarterly 10 (1996): 245-261. Stanton, Glenn T. â€Å"Why Marriage Matters†. Retrieved 9 October 2007 from Wilson, James Q. â€Å"The Marriage Problem: How Our Culture Has Weakened Families† New York: Harper Collins, (2002), p. 16.

Foundation and Empire 22. Death On Neotrantor

NEOTRANTOR The small planet of Delicass, renamed after the Great Sack, was for nearly a century, the seat of the last dynasty of the First Empire. It was a shadow world and a shadow Empire and its existence is only of legalistic importance. Under the first of the Neotrantorian dynasty†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica Neotrantor was the name! New Trantor! And when you have said the name you have exhausted at a stroke all the resemblances of the new Trantor to the great original. Two parsecs away, the sun of Old Trantor still shone and the Galaxy's Imperial Capital of the previous century still cut through space in the silent and eternal repetition of its orbit. Men even inhabited Old Trantor. Not many – a hundred million, perhaps, where fifty years before, forty billions had swarmed. The huge, metal world was in jagged splinters. The towering thrusts of the multi-towers from the single world-girdling base were torn and empty – still bearing the original blastholes and firegut – shards of the Great Sack of forty years earlier. It was strange that a world which had been the center of a Galaxy for two thousand years – that had ruled limitless space and been home to legislators and rulers whose whims spanned the parsecs – could die in a month. It was strange that a world which had been untouched through the vast conquering sweeps and retreats of a millennia, and equally untouched by the civil wars and palace revolutions of other millennia – should lie dead at last. It was strange that the Glory of the Galaxy should be a rotting corpse. And pathetic! For centuries would yet pass before the mighty works of fifty generations of humans would decay past use. Only the declining powers of men, themselves, rendered them useless now. The millions left after the billions had died tore up the gleaming metal base of the planet and exposed soil that had not felt the touch of sun in a thousand years. Surrounded by the mechanical perfections of human efforts, encircled by the industrial marvels of mankind freed of the tyranny of environment – they returned to the land. In the huge traffic clearings, wheat and corn grew. In the shadow of the towers, sheep grazed. But Neotrantor existed – an obscure village of a planet drowned in the shadow of mighty Trantor, until a heart-throttled royal family, racing before the fire and flame of the Great Sack sped to it as its last refuge – and held out there, barely, until the roaring wave of rebellion subsided. There it ruled in ghostly splendor over a cadaverous remnant of Imperium. Twenty agricultural worlds were a Galactic Empire! Dagobert IX, ruler of twenty worlds of refractory squires and sullen peasants, was Emperor of the Galaxy, Lord of the Universe. Dagobert IX had been twenty-five on the bloody day he arrived with his father upon Neotrantor. His eyes and mind were still alive with the glory and the power of the Empire that was. But his son, who might one day be Dagobert X, was born on Neotrantor. Twenty worlds were all he knew. Jord Commason's open air car was the finest vehicle of its type on all Neotrantor – and, after all, justly so. It did not end with the fact that Commason was the largest landowner on Neotrantor. It began there. For in earlier days he had been the companion and evil genius of a young crown prince, restive in the dominating grip of a middle-aged emperor. And now he was the companion and still the evil genius of a middle-aged crown prince who hated and dominated an old emperor. So Jord Commason, in his air car, which in mother-of-pearl finish and gold-and-lumetron ornamentation needed no coat of arms as owner's identification, surveyed the lands that were his, and the miles of rolling wheat that were his, and the huge threshers and harvesters that were his, and the tenant-farmers and machine-tenders that were his – and considered his problems cautiously. Beside him, his bent and withered chauffeur guided the ship gently through the upper winds and smiled. Jord Commason spoke to the wind, the air, and the sky, â€Å"You remember what I told you, Inchney?† Inchney's thin gray hair wisped lightly in the wind. His gap-toothed smile widened in its thin-lipped fashion and the vertical wrinkles of his cheeks deepened as though he were keeping an eternal secret from himself. The whisper of his voice whistled between his teeth. â€Å"I remember, sire, and I have thought.† â€Å"And what have you thought, Inchney?† There was an impatience about the question. Inchney remembered that he had been young and handsome, and a lord on Old Trantor. Inchney remembered that he was a disfigured ancient on Neotrantor, who lived by grace of Squire Jord Commason, and paid for the grace by lending his subtlety on request. He sighed very softly. He whispered again, â€Å"Visitors from the Foundation, sire, are a convenient thing to have. Especially, sire, when they come with but a single ship, and but a single fighting man. How welcome they might be.† â€Å"Welcome?† said Commason, gloomily. â€Å"Perhaps so. But those men are magicians and may be powerful.† â€Å"Pugh,† muttered Inchney, â€Å"the mistiness of distance hides the truth. The Foundation is but a world. Its citizens are but men. If you blast them, they die.† Inchney held the ship on its course – A river was a winding sparkle below. He whispered, â€Å"And is there not a man they speak of now who stirs the worlds of the Periphery?† Commason was suddenly suspicious. â€Å"What do you know of this?† There was no smile on his chauffeur's face. â€Å"Nothing, sire. It was but an idle question.† The squire's hesitation was short. He said, with brutal directness, â€Å"Nothing you ask is idle, and your method of acquiring knowledge will have your scrawny neck in a vise yet. But – I have it! This man is called the Mule, and a subject of his had been here some months ago on a†¦ matter of business. I await another†¦ now†¦ for its conclusion.† â€Å"And these newcomers? They are not the ones you want, perhaps?† â€Å"They lack the identification they should have.† â€Å"It has been reported that the Foundation has been captured-â€Å" â€Å"I did not tell you that.† â€Å"It has been so reported,† continued Inchney, coolly, â€Å"and if that is correct, then these may be refugees from the destruction, and may be held for the Mule's man out of honest friendship.† â€Å"Yes?† Commason was uncertain. â€Å"And, sire, since it is well-known that the friend of a conqueror is but the last victim, it would be but a measure of honest self-defense. For there are such things as psychic probes, and here we have four Foundation brains. There is much about the Foundation it would be useful to know, much even about the Mule. And then the Mule's friendship would be a trifle the less overpowering.† Commason, in the quiet of the upper air, returned with a shiver to his first thought. â€Å"But if the Foundation has not fallen. If the reports are lies. It is said that it has been foretold it can not fall.† â€Å"We are past the age of soothsayers, sire.† â€Å"And yet if it did not fall, Inchney. Think! If it did not fall. The Mule made me promises, indeed-† He had gone too far, and backtracked. â€Å"That is, he made boasts. But boasts are wind and deeds are hard.† Inchney laughed noiselessly. â€Å"Deeds are hard indeed, until begun. One could scarcely find a further fear than a Galaxy-end Foundation.† â€Å"There is still the prince,† murmured Commason, almost to himself. â€Å"He deals with the Mule also, then, sire?† Commason could not quite choke down the complacent shift of features. â€Å"Not entirely. Not as I do. But he grows wilder, more uncontrollable. A demon is upon him. If I seize these people and he takes them away for his own use – for he does not lack a certain shrewdness – I am not yet ready to quarrel with him.† He frowned and his heavy cheeks bent downwards with dislike. â€Å"I saw those strangers for a few moments yesterday,† said the gray chauffeur, irrelevantly, â€Å"and it is a strange woman, that dark one. she walks with the freedom of a man and she is of a startling paleness against the dark luster of hair.† There was almost a warmth in the husky whisper of the withered voice, so that Commason turned toward him in sudden surprise. Inchney continued, â€Å"The prince, I think, would not find his shrewdness proof against a reasonable compromise. You could have the rest, if you left him the girl-â€Å" A light broke upon Commason, â€Å"A thought! Indeed a thought! Inchney, turn back! And Inchney, if all turns well, we will discuss further this matter of your freedom.† It was with an almost superstitious sense of symbolism that Commason found a Personal Capsule waiting for him in his private study when he returned. It had arrived by a wavelength known to few. Commason smiled a fat smile. The Mule's man was coming and the Foundation had indeed fallen. Bayta's misty visions, when she had them, of an Imperial palace, did not jibe with the reality, and inside her, there was a vague sense of disappointment. The room was small, almost plain, almost ordinary. The palace did not even match the mayor's residence back at the Foundation – and Dagobert IX – Bayta had definite ideas of what an emperor ought to look like. He ought not look like somebody's benevolent grandfather. He ought not be thin and white and faded – or serving cups of tea with his own hand in an expressed anxiety for the comfort of his visitors. But so it was. Dagobert IX chuckled as he poured tea into her stiffly outheld cup. â€Å"This is a great pleasure for me, my dear. It is a moment away from ceremony and courtiers. I have not had the opportunity for welcoming visitors from my outer provinces for a time now. My son takes care of these details now that I'm older. You haven't met my son? A fine boy. Headstrong, perhaps. But then he's young. Do you care for a flavor capsule? No?† Toran attempted an interruption, â€Å"Your imperial majesty-â€Å" â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Your imperial majesty, it has not been our intention to intrude upon you-â€Å" â€Å"Nonsense, there is no intrusion. Tonight there will be the official reception, but until then, we are free. Let's see, where did you say you were from? It seems a long time since we had an official reception. You said you were from the Province of Anacreon?† â€Å"From the Foundation, your imperial majesty!† â€Å"Yes, the Foundation. I remember now. I had it located. It is in the Province of Anacreon. I have never been there. My doctor forbids extensive traveling. I don't recall any recent reports from my viceroy at Anacreon. How are conditions there?† he concluded anxiously. â€Å"Sire,† mumbled Toran, â€Å"I bring no complaints.† â€Å"That is gratifying. I will commend my viceroy.† Toran looked helplessly at Ebling Mis, whose brusque voice rose. â€Å"Sire, we have been told that it will require your permission for us to visit the Imperial University Library on Trantor.† â€Å"Trantor?† questioned the emperor, mildly, â€Å"Trantor?† Then a look of puzzled pain crossed his thin face. â€Å"Trantor?† he whispered. â€Å"I remember now. I am making plans now to return there with a flood of ships at my back. You shall come with me. Together we will destroy the rebel, Gilmer. Together we shall restore the empire!† His bent back had straightened. His voice had strengthened. For a moment his eyes were hard. Then, he blinked and said softly, â€Å"But Gilmer is dead. I seem to remember – Yes. Yes! Gilmer is dead! Trantor is dead – For a moment, it seemed – Where was it you said you came from?† Magnifico whispered to Bayta, â€Å"Is this really an emperor? For somehow I thought emperors were greater and wiser than ordinary men.† Bayta motioned him quiet. She said, â€Å"If your imperial majesty would but sign an order permitting us to go to Trantor, it would avail greatly the common cause.† â€Å"To Trantor?† The emperor was blank and uncomprehending. â€Å"Sire, the Viceroy of Anacreon, in whose name we speak, sends word that Gilmer is yet alive-â€Å" â€Å"Alive! Alive!† thundered Dagobert. â€Å"Where? It will be war!† â€Å"Your imperial majesty, it must not yet be known. His whereabouts are uncertain. The viceroy sends us to acquaint you of the fact, and it is only on Trantor that we may find his hiding place. Once discovered-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, yes – He must be found-† The old emperor doddered to the wall and touched the little photocell with a trembling finger. He muttered, after an ineffectual pause, â€Å"My servants do not come. I can not wait for them.† He was scribbling on a blank sheet, and ended with a flourished â€Å"D.† He said, â€Å"Gilmer will yet learn the power of his emperor. Where was it you came from? Anacreon? What are the conditions there? Is the name of the emperor powerful?† Bayta took the paper from his loose fingers, â€Å"Your imperial majesty is beloved by the people. Your love for them is widely known.† â€Å"I shall have to visit my good people of Anacreon, but my doctor says†¦ I don't remember what he says, but-† He looked up, his old gray eyes sharp, â€Å"Were you saying something of Gilmer?† â€Å"No, your imperial majesty.† â€Å"He shall not advance further. Go back and tell your people that. Trantor shall hold! My father leads the fleet now, and the rebel vermin Gilmer shall freeze in space with his regicidal rabble.† He staggered into a seat and his eyes were blank once more. â€Å"What was I saying?† Toran rose and bowed low, â€Å"Your imperial majesty has been kind to us, but the time allotted us for an audience is over. â€Å" For a moment, Dagobert IX looked like an emperor indeed as he rose and stood stiff-backed while, one by one, his visitors retreated backward through the door – to where twenty armed men intervened and locked a circle about them. A hand-weapon flashed- To Bayta, consciousness returned sluggishly, but without the â€Å"Where am I?† sensation. She remembered clearly the odd old man who called himself emperor, and the other men who waited outside. The arthritic tingle in her finger joints meant a stun pistol. She kept her eyes closed, and listened with painful attention to the voices. There were two of them. One was slow and cautious, with a slyness beneath the surface obsequity. The other was hoarse and thick, almost sodden, and blurted out in viscous spurts. Bayta liked neither. The thick voice was predominant. Bayta caught the last words, â€Å"He will live forever, that old madman. It wearies me. It annoys me. Commason, I will have it. I grow older, too.† â€Å"Your highness, let us first see of what use these people are. It may be we shall have sources of strength other than your father still provides.† The thick voice was lost in a bubbling whisper. Bayta caught only the phrase, † -the girl-† but the other, fawning voice was a nasty, low, running chuckle followed by a comradely, near-patronizing, â€Å"Dagobert, you do not age. They lie who say you are not a youth of twenty.† They laughed together, and Bayta's blood was an icy trickle. Dagobert – your highness – The old emperor had spoken of a headstrong son, and the implication of the whispers now beat dully upon her. But such things didn't happen to people in real life- Toran's voice broke upon her in a slow, hard current of cursing. She opened her eyes, and Toran's, which were upon her, showed open relief. He said, fiercely, â€Å"This banditry will be answered by the emperor. Release us.† It dawned upon Bayta that her wrists and ankles were fastened to wall and floor by a tight attraction field. Thick Voice approached Toran. He was paunchy, his lower eyelids puffed darkly, and his hair was thinning out. There was a gay feather in his peaked hat, and the edging of his doublet was embroidered with silvery metal-foam. He sneered with a heavy amusement. â€Å"The emperor? The poor, mad emperor?† â€Å"I have his pass. No subject may hinder our freedom.† â€Å"But I am no subject, space-garbage. I am the regent and crown prince and am to be addressed as such. As for my poor silly father, it amuses him to see visitors occasionally. And we humor him. It tickles his mock-imperial fancy. But, of course, it has no other meaning.† And then he was before Bayta, and she looked up at him contemptuously. He leaned close and his breath was overpoweringly minted. He said, â€Å"Her eyes suit well, Commason – she is even prettier with them open. I think she'll do. It will be an exotic dish for a jaded taste, eh?† There was a futile surge upwards on Toran's part, which the crown prince ignored and Bayta felt the iciness travel outward to the skin. Ebling Mis was still out; head lolling weakly upon his chest, but, with a sensation of surprise, Bayta noted that Magnifico's eyes were open, sharply open, as though awake for many minutes. Those large brown eyes swiveled towards Bayta and stared at her out of a doughy face. He whimpered, and nodded with his head towards the crown prince, â€Å"That one has my Visi-Sonor.† The crown prince turned sharply toward the new voice, â€Å"This is yours, monster?† He swung the instrument from his shoulder where it had hung, suspended by its green strap, unnoticed by Bayta. He fingered it clumsily, tried to sound a chord and got nothing for his pains, â€Å"Can you play it, monster?† Magnifico nodded once. Toran said suddenly, â€Å"You've rifled a ship of the Foundation. If the emperor will not avenge, the Foundation will.† It was the other, Commason, who answered slowly, â€Å"What Foundation? Or is the Mule no longer the Mule?† There was no answer to that. The prince's grin showed large uneven teeth. The clown's binding field was broken and he was nudged ungently to his feet. The Visi-Sonor was thrust into his hand. â€Å"Play for us, monster,† said the prince. â€Å"Play us a serenade of love and beauty for our foreign lady here. Tell her that my father's country prison is no palace, but that I can take her to one where she can swim in rose water – and know what a prince's love is. Sing of a prince's love, monster.† He placed one thick thigh upon a marble table and swung a leg idly, while his fatuous smiling stare swept Bayta into a silent rage. Toran's sinews strained against the field, in painful, perspiring effort. Ebling Mis stirred and moaned. Magnifico gasped, â€Å"My fingers are of useless stiffness-â€Å" â€Å"Play, monster!† roared the prince. The lights dimmed at a gesture to Commason and in the dimness he crossed his arms and waited. Magnifico drew his fingers in rapid, rhythmic jumps from end to end of the multikeyed instrument – and a sharp, gliding rainbow of light jumped across the room. A low, soft tone sounded – throbbing, tearful. It lifted in sad laughter, and underneath it there sounded a dull tolling. The darkness seemed to intensify and grow thick. Music reached Bayta through the muffled folds of invisible blankets. Gleaming light reached her from the depths as though a single candle glowed at the bottom of a pit. Automatically, her eyes strained. The light brightened, but remained blurred. It moved fuzzily, in confused color, and the music was suddenly brassy, evil – flourishing in high crescendo. The light flickered quickly, in swift motion to the wicked rhythm. Something writhed within the light. Something with poisonous metallic scales writhed and yawned. And the music writhed and yawned with it. Bayta struggled with a strange emotion and then caught herself in a mental gasp. Almost, it reminded her of the time in the Time Vault, of those last days on Haven. It was that horrible, cloying, clinging spiderweb of horror and despair. She shrunk beneath it oppressed. The music dinned upon her, laughing horribly, and the writhing terror at the wrong end of the telescope in the small circle of light was lost as she turned feverishly away. Her forehead was wet and cold. The music died. It must have lasted fifteen minutes, and a vast pleasure at its absence flooded Bayta. Light glared, and Magnifico's face was close to hers, sweaty, wild-eyed, lugubrious. â€Å"My lady,† he gasped, â€Å"how fare you?† â€Å"Well enough,† she whispered, â€Å"but why did you play like that?† She became aware of the others in the room. Toran and Mis were limp and helpless against the wall, but her eyes skimmed over them. There was the prince, lying strangely still at the foot of the table. There was Commason, moaning wildly through an open, drooling mouth. Commason flinched, and yelled mindlessly, as Magnifico took a step towards him. Magnifico turned, and with a leap, turned the others loose. Toran lunged upwards and with eager, taut fists seized the landowner by the neck, â€Å"You come with us. We'll want you – to make sure we get to our ship.† Two hours later, in the ship's kitchen, Bayta served a walloping homemade pie, and Magnifico celebrated the return to space by attacking it with a magnificent disregard of table manners. â€Å"Good, Magnifico?† â€Å"Um-m-m-m!† â€Å"Magnifico?† â€Å"Yes, my lady?† â€Å"What was it you played back there?† The clown writhed, â€Å"I†¦ I'd rather not say. I learned it once, and the Visi-Sonor is of an effect upon the nervous system most profound. Surely, it was an evil thing, and not for your sweet innocence, my lady.† â€Å"Oh, now, come, Magnifico. I'm not as innocent as that. Don't flatter so. Did I see anything like what they saw?† â€Å"I hope not. I played it for them only. If you saw, it was but the rim of it – from afar.† â€Å"And that was enough. Do you know you knocked the prince out?† Magnifico spoke grimly through a large, muffling piece of pie. â€Å"I killed him, my lady.† â€Å"What?† She swallowed, painfully. â€Å"He was dead when I stopped, or I would have continued. I cared not for Commason. His greatest threat was death or torture. But, my lady, this prince looked upon you wickedly, and-† he choked in a mixture of indignation and embarrassment. Bayta felt strange thoughts come and repressed them sternly. â€Å"Magnifico, you've got a gallant soul.† â€Å"Oh, my lady.† He bent a red nose into his pie, but, somehow did not eat. Ebling Mis stared out the port. Trantor was near – its metallic shine fearfully bright. Toran was standing there, too. He said with dull bitterness, â€Å"We've come for nothing, Ebling. The Mule's man precedes us.† Ebling Mis rubbed his forehead with a hand that seemed shriveled out of its former plumpness. His voice was an abstracted mutter. Toran was annoyed. â€Å"I say those people know the Foundation has fallen. I say-â€Å" â€Å"Eh?† Mis looked up, puzzled. Then, he placed a gentle hand upon Toran's wrist, in complete oblivion of any previous conversation, â€Å"Toran, I†¦ I've been looking at Trantor. Do you know†¦ I have the queerest feeling†¦ ever since we arrived on Neotrantor. It's an urge, a driving urge that's pushing and pushing inside. Toran, I can do it; I know I can do it. Things are becoming clear in my mind – they have never been so clear.† Toran stared – and shrugged. The words brought him no confidence. He said, tentatively, â€Å"Mis?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"You didn't see a ship come down on Neotrantor as we left?† Consideration was brief. â€Å"No.† â€Å"I did. Imagination, I suppose, but it could have been that Filian ship.† â€Å"The one with Captain Han Pritcher on it?† â€Å"The one with space knows who upon it. Magnifico's information – It followed us here, Mis.† Ebling Mis said nothing, Toran said strenuously, â€Å"is there anything wrong with you? Aren't you well?† Mis's eyes were thoughtful, luminous, and strange. He did not answer.

Methadone Maintenance

Opiate addiction is a chronic disease that affects millions of people in the Unites States. This deadly epidemic is one that in most cases requires some form of medical treatment. There are many treatment options available to those struggling with addiction. The three most well-known options are rapid detect, jukeboxes, and methadone maintenance (Medication-Assisted Treatment for Podia Addiction Facts for Families and Friends).Though each form of treatment has its own advantages and disadvantages, they all have one common goal; drug freedom. Research has shown that those receiving treatment are nearly twice as likely to achieve their goal of drug freedom (Mayo Clinic). Opiates are highly addictive powerful drugs that are derived from the poppy plant and are generally used to relieve pain (mayo clinic). There are two types of opiates, natural and man-made. Though both are prescribed by physicians with the exception of heroin, often times when dealing with someone that has become addic ted they are obtained illegally.Because of the potential for prescribed opiates to end up being sold or traded on the streets, stricter regulations have been put in lace for physicians to prescribe them (samara). Where they were once a little quicker to write a prescription for a schedule II narcotic, they are now telling patients to â€Å"take a Ethylene or Motoring† (Levied). These regulations have become a necessity in the war against opiate addiction. Deciding to enter into treatment for opiate addiction is one that requires much thought. Generally when one decides that it is time for them to enter treatment, they have hit rock bottom (Levied).However, rock bottom is different for every person. For some, treatment may be court ordered and they are in a situation where their form of retirement is being chosen for them. For some, they are on the verge of losing everything that is important to them, or they may have already lost it. Whatever the reason may be, getting the tr eatment needed is a life changing decision. The best form of treatment varies from person to person. For some, the idea of a rapid detect would be the best. It is a quick process that only requires a short stay of usually 2-4 days in a detect facility or a hospital (mayo clinic).In most cases, the person will be given medication to assist them in dealing with the side effects of withdrawing from opiates. During a rapid detect, patients are monitored around the clock for a period of time for signs life-threatening withdrawal symptoms such as cardiac distress and seizures (ASSAM). Those that choose a rapid detect can expect to be sedated to keep them as comfortable as possible during this time period. Prior to sedation, they are generally given Maltreatment, to block the effects of opiates. Other medications may also be given during this time as withdrawal symptoms increase.In many cases medication to help control blood pressure and seizures become necessary. Jukeboxes has become popu lar because it does not require one to report to a clinic lily, but rather are given a prescription to be filled at a pharmacy. Jukeboxes comes in two forms, a tablet and a film, both are administered subliminally (jukeboxes). Though there are regulations governing the prescribing of jukeboxes, they are not nearly as strict as those in place for methadone (FDA). In order for a physician to begin prescribing jukeboxes, they are required to complete online training that is very limited (Manson).For many, that is the only training they have in addiction. Methadone is a synthetic drug that acts in a similar way to narcotics. Methadone moms in the form off tablet, powder, or liquid. The tablet and powder form are dissolved prior to administering the medication. When methadone is taken on a regular schedule, it will build up in the tissues making the effects last longer (samara). Methadone will not provide the same effects of opiates such as sedation or euphoria; it will instead block the se effects if other opiates are used (Catatonia 8). A stable dose will vary from person to person.Generally once someone achieves a stable dose of methadone it will hold them for 24-48 hours without them feeling dope sick (Levied)† Medication-assisted treatment has proven to be the most successful form of treatment for someone wishing to become drug free. However, these forms of treatment face tough criticism. It has been said that treating opiate addiction with medication is simply trading one addiction with another. However for those dealing with the daily struggle of addiction, they depend on these forms of treatment to gain control of their lives.For those people, the daily routines, the counseling, the referrals, the support of others and the consequences is what gives them hope; the pop that they will beat this disease that plagues them (in my own words). Methadone Maintenance treatment is the one form of treatment available that offers all of those things and more. When properly used, I feel that methadone maintenance treatment is the safest and most effective way to treat opiate addiction. There are many reasons that I feel methadone maintenance is the safest form of treatment available to someone battling opiate addiction.Contrary to what some may think, or some of what has been reported, these facilities can have a life changing effect on those who are committed to the program (Methadone Maintenance Treatment Facts). These programs are not only a place for someone to come in, pick up a prescription and leave. Instead these programs require patients to report daily for their medication, at least until they are able to meet all requirements for take home privileges. While there, patients interact with office staff, nursing staff, and clinical staff on a daily basis.Patients are monitored for any changes in their appearance, attitude, alertness, and overall demeanor (Levied). This helps to ensure that if someone is having an issue that staff is th ere to offer assistance right away. For many that battle addiction, Just knowing someone is there to listen and offer as much assistance as possible is enough to get them headed on the right path (In My Own Words). The guidelines set by the federal and state governments are much stricter for methadone maintenance that those set for jukeboxes (samara).For instance, in jukeboxes clients walk into a clinic to sign up and within a matter of a couple of hours they are able to walk out with at the very least medication that should last them a week. When people struggling with addiction first make the choice to enter into a retirement program, they are scared, sick, and in many cases about to lose everything important to them (In My Own Words). These patients are still using illicit drugs daily, and are at this point willing to do whatever it takes to avoid being â€Å"dope sick. Jukeboxes often ends up being sold illegally on the streets because people that have been lying, cheating, and stealing for a long period of time are now given a large amount of medication to take home with them (Levied). Methadone maintenance has a lengthy set of requirements before one is able to obtain the privilege of taking home medication (Blanchard and Crappy). One must be in treatment for 90 days, and produce at least 3 illicit free urine drug screenings before earning the privilege of one dose of medication to take home.In order for someone to have a full week worth of medication to take home with them at one time as they do in jukeboxes treatment after one day, they must be enrolled in the program for a minimum of three years and produce at least 12 illicit free urine drug screenings (SMASH). That is Just one of many requirements for one to earn the privilege of taking home their medication. They also have to participate in regular counseling sessions. The amount of time required for each session varies from patient to patient depending on the amount of time they have been enrolle d in the program as well as their use of illicit substances.Patients are required to sign releases for every physician that they see so that care can be coordinated properly. It is very important that medication that physicians prescribing other medications are aware of the patient being on methadone. By the time patients in methadone maintenance are able to start taking home doses of their medication, they have started on the right path (Levied). They are on a stable dose that effectively holds hem without the use of opiates, and they like the freedom of not having to report to the clinic to be dosed for the day.These take home bottles that are so hard to obtain, are so easy to have revoked as well. If someone produces an illicit urine drug screening, or does not get their required amount of counseling time in for the month among other things, they will have to start earning their take home privileges all over again. Those that receive take home bottles are also subjected to  "call backs (Medication-Assisted Treatment for Podia Addiction. )† This is when the client is allied and given a short notice of when they will have to report to the clinic with all of their used and unused take home bottles.At this time, the bottles are thoroughly inspected to be sure that their medication is in fact being administered the correct way (SAMARA). Because of these guidelines being as strict as they are, less methadone is sold illegally in the streets making it a safer choice. Methadone is also the safest form of treatment for pregnant women who happen to be struggling with opiate addiction (Practical Approach). In fact, it is currently the only FDA approved medication for treating opiate addiction during pregnancy Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MET): A review of Historical and Clinical Issues. When properly prescribed, methadone has proven to provide an environment that is less stressful on a developing fetus (Catatonia, 19). While a proper dose of methadone w ill help to prevent miscarriage and pre-mature labor, other forms of treatment seem to cause these issues. The use of maltreatment has been proven to cause spontaneous abortion, fetal distress, premature labor, and stillbirth Issues. ) Because methadone is a long acting medication, it is able to provide the fetus with an environment that promotes development.Though methadone during pregnancy is considered to be the safest of the options available, it comes with side effects (About Methadone). Babies born to mothers prescribed methadone are at risk for low birth weight. This is a very small risk to take when compared to risks faced with other forms of treatment such as jukeboxes or rapid detect. Some of those risks include fetal distress and miscarriage. During pregnancy, women are monitored very closely by the physician at the clinic and are also required to provide proof of prenatal care from an BOGGY (Levied).Studies have shown no long term effects on babies that are born to mothe rs prescribed methadone during their pregnancy. At birth, these babies will test positive for methadone in their systems, however are able to be weaned in a timely manner (Catatonia, 20). When compared to a rapid detoxification and jukeboxes, methadone maintenance is the safest choice. When a rapid detect lasting 2-4 days in most cases is completed, the patient is left without any aftercare other than what they obtain on their own. They are given a stack of paperwork that in most cases will contain a few referrals for mental health providers and a list of AN meetings.At this time, the patient may be wrought the worst part of the withdrawal process, but they are still unstable (ASSAM). These patients still need the support of clinical and medical personnel, but sadly many will not get that support. Those that do not will most likely find themselves in the same situation they were in previous to the rapid detect. Though patients in jukeboxes treatment have more of a clinical and medic al support than those choosing rapid detect, they still do not have the same support as those in methadone maintenance.Those Just starting out in treatment, whatever option they may choose, are at the lowest points in their lives. It is because of that I feel that they are in need of the most support that is available to them. To me, that support comes from a friendly smile when they walk into the clinic every day that reminds them that they are Just another Junkie, they are a person. They are a person that deserves to be monitored daily, given referrals for housing, food, clothing, medical care, and anything else that they could possibly need. For many addicts, the clinic is the safest place that they are in all day (In My Own Words).The goal of any form of treatment is to improve the patient's health as well as their laity of life (Marion). For many struggling with addiction, their health has come last while obtaining opiates in order to avoid feeling â€Å"dope sick† has c ome first. For many, this low point in their lives will lead them to participate in high risk behaviors. Those that find themselves addicted to opiates will often turn to theft or prostitution in order to fund their habit, while others will share needles used to administer drug such as heroin.These high risk behaviors not only put them at risk for many other infectious diseases such as Hepatitis and HIVE, but for legal troubles as well (Marion). Though the long term results of any treatment lays largely on the person in treatment, studies show methadone maintenance to be the most effective form available at this time (Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opiate Addiction). Drug freedom is a long term commitment that has to first be taken seriously by the person in treatment. If the dedication on their part is not there, the efforts of clinic staff will not be enough to help them (Pogo).Research has shown that that rapid detect treatment has a high rate of relapse (Medication- Assisted Treatment for Podia Addiction). Those that choose a rapid text as a form of treatment often have difficulty transitioning into a lifestyle of recovery. Often times, they are still living in the same places, with the same phone numbers, and associating with the same people making abstinence from opiates even harder to maintain (Mayo Clinic). For most choosing this form of treatment, it only takes one poor decision to be back in the same situation they were before.These poor decisions have devastating effects on their sobriety making this form of treatment the least effective of the three most well-known forms of medication assisted treatment. Psychosocial counseling has proven to be very beneficial to those dealing with addiction. Those enrolled in both Jukeboxes and Methadone Maintenance is required to participate in counseling. However for those that has chosen a rapid detect, this counseling is not a requirement. . Referrals are given to the patients upon discharge from the facili ty, but not everyone follows through with it .For some it is simply because they feel they do not need it, for some it is because they are unable to afford it (Mayo Clinic). Jukeboxes treatment does require some counseling though the guidelines for this is not nearly as strict as those set for ethanol maintenance. For those enrolled in a methadone maintenance treatment program, there are strict rules for clients to obtain this counseling (Pogo). Clients enrolled in a methadone maintenance program are required by state and federal regulation to have a minimum of 2. 5 hours of counseling time per month (ASSAM).Clients will usually meet with their counselors once or twice each week to discuss progress in treatment as well as the goings on in their lives. By discussing issues that the client is dealing with, the counselors are able to teach them skills that will be useful to the client as they continue on the path to drug freedom. During this counseling, clients are taught many ways to recognize triggers that were once their excuse to use illicit substances so that they are able to refrain from using (Pogo). Counselors discuss in depth the things that seem to be holding the clients back from achieving their goal of drug freedom.By doing this, they are able to form treatment plans for the client. These treatment plans list goals as well as steps needed in order to achieve the goals. If needed, clients are given referrals during this time. When referrals are given to a client, the counselor will check in with the client to see if they ere able to get the assistance they were in need of (Pogo). The fact that the counselors take the time to follow-up on things discussed during these sessions hold the client accountable for their treatment. Because they are held accountable, I feel that it helps to make methadone maintenance a more effective form of treatment.The goal of methadone maintenance treatment is to stabilize the patient. A stable dose of methadone with effect ively block the craving for one to use illicitly while avoiding withdrawal symptoms which in turn permits one to function â€Å"normally. † When taken properly, methadone will not create sedation or euphoria. It should have no adverse effects on mental capacity, motor skills, or the ability for one to maintain employment. A stable dose of methadone will hold a person for 24-48 hours which will allow them the time and energy to devote to making improvements in their lives.However, methadone maintenance treatment is a long term commitment. It can take up to a month to achieve a stable dose in order for a patient to get the most benefits out of treatment. A stable dose of methadone varies from person to person (Levied). There are many factors that will affect the dose that one would require to become stable. For many, the tolerance that they have built up over years of illicit use will require them to have a much higher dose of methadone in order to remain stable.For others, hea lth factors and other medications will affect the way their body is able to metabolize the methadone requiring them to have a higher or lower dose. Once a stable dose is achieved, one is usually able to begin the process of getting their lives back on track by dealing legal obligations, following up on medical care that has been pushed to the side, and mending broken relationships with family members (Pogo). The longer one remains committed to treatment; they will have a greater success rate for maintaining their goal of drug freedom.It is recommended that one remain in a methadone maintenance program for a minimum of one year. For many, once they achieve a stable dose and they are able to provide illicit free urine drug screenings, they feel that they will be able to effectively remain drug free on their own. In these cases, the rate of relapse is much higher than those who remain committed to the program for a year or in many cases longer (Methadone Is an Effective Treatment for H eroin Addiction). Those who remain in treatment for at least year are nearly three times as likely to remain drug free than those who are only in treatment for a short period of time.In a methadone maintenance program, the patient along with the influence of clinical and medical staff decide when they have reached a point in their treatment that they are ready to begin decreasing their dose in order to discharge from the treatment program. There is no set time frame to this process. When one decides they are ready to begin decreasing, they have generally been on a stable dose for an extended period of time and have shown that they are able to effectively manage heir new abstinent lifestyle.Patients that decrease their doses slowly have proven to have the most success in remaining drug free. The slow taper allows their bodies time to adjust to the change in medication so that they are able to refrain from having withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms are what will push a pers on into illicit opiate use again. Once a decrease in a person's methadone dose is taken, they are encouraged to remain at that lower dose for a period of at least 2-4 weeks.During this time, the clinical and medical staff is able to monitor the patient o ensure that they are handling the decrease in medication with no adverse effects. This process for tapering will continue until the patient has reached a dose of OMG when they will be able to â€Å"walk off' from the treatment. After the patient has been able to discontinue the use of methadone, they will still receive after care. Clinical staff will make phone calls to check in on the patient and offer them resources that will assist them in remaining drug free.Methadone and Jukeboxes clinics face tough criticism from many. People living in communities where these clinics are located are often unpleased with having a clinic n their neighborhood. Many feel that it will bring drug addicts and crime into their otherwise peaceful neig hborhoods (Swisher). What they fail to realize is that these addicts are a part of their communities regardless of if they are enrolled in a treatment facility or not (In My Own Words). It is a common misconception that it is very easy to â€Å"pick out† an addict (Mayo Clinic).However, that could not be more untrue. There are people everywhere that struggle daily with addiction. Some of these are doctors, lawyers, teachers, actors and actresses, and professional sports figures to name a few (Mayo Clinic). These are people that are clean, well dressed, well groomed and well spoken. Not every addict lacks personal hygiene and an education. There are certain risk factors that may be a factor in opiate addiction. For many who suffer from addiction, the environment that they are in plays a large role in them remaining dependent on illicit substances.There are also inherited traits that will influence one's addiction. Those that have immediate family that suffers with addiction ar e at a higher risk of also having addiction issues themselves. Research has also shown that males are nearly twice as likely to have addiction problems as males (Mayo Clinic). Methadone was approved by the FDA in 1972 for the treatment of opiate addiction. Methadone is considered to be the most effective treatment available to those addicted to opiates (Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MET): A Review of Historical and Clinical Issues).It is estimated that upwards of 170,000 individuals in the United States currently are enrolled in a methadone maintenance program. It has been proven that illicit drug use has decline by over 60% for those that have been enrolled in a methadone maintenance program for a year. For those that main committed to the program for at least two years, the use of illicit opiates declines by nearly 85% (Accreditation Of Methadone Maintenance Treatment: Assuring Quality of Care. ) Furthermore, crimes committed by these individuals are also significantly reduced. After lengthy research, I am confident is saying that methadone maintenance treatment is not only the safest method of medication assisted treatment available to those battling opiate addiction, but it is also the most effective Accreditation of Methadone Maintenance Treatment: Assuring Quality of Care). The regulations overriding methadone maintenance are much stricter than those for other forms of treatment. Methadone maintenance is the only form of medication assisted treatment that is approved by the FDA for pregnant women.It also remains the form of treatment that has the most thorough requirements for admission, and for supplemental and after care. As with any form of treatment, there are pros and cons, however it has been proven that for someone struggling with this disease that the pros far outweigh the cons. This form of medication has assisted thousands of people in getting their lives back. It has made it possible for patients to function successfully in society. These pe ople will be able to maintain employment and be productive. The counseling that they receive will help them to recognize triggers and effectively avoid them. Methadone Maintenance Opiate addiction is a chronic disease that affects millions of people in the Unites States. This deadly epidemic is one that in most cases requires some form of medical treatment. There are many treatment options available to those struggling with addiction. The three most well-known options are rapid detect, jukeboxes, and methadone maintenance (Medication-Assisted Treatment for Podia Addiction Facts for Families and Friends).Though each form of treatment has its own advantages and disadvantages, they all have one common goal; drug freedom. Research has shown that those receiving treatment are nearly twice as likely to achieve their goal of drug freedom (Mayo Clinic). Opiates are highly addictive powerful drugs that are derived from the poppy plant and are generally used to relieve pain (mayo clinic). There are two types of opiates, natural and man-made. Though both are prescribed by physicians with the exception of heroin, often times when dealing with someone that has become addic ted they are obtained illegally.Because of the potential for prescribed opiates to end up being sold or traded on the streets, stricter regulations have been put in lace for physicians to prescribe them (samara). Where they were once a little quicker to write a prescription for a schedule II narcotic, they are now telling patients to â€Å"take a Ethylene or Motoring† (Levied). These regulations have become a necessity in the war against opiate addiction. Deciding to enter into treatment for opiate addiction is one that requires much thought. Generally when one decides that it is time for them to enter treatment, they have hit rock bottom (Levied).However, rock bottom is different for every person. For some, treatment may be court ordered and they are in a situation where their form of retirement is being chosen for them. For some, they are on the verge of losing everything that is important to them, or they may have already lost it. Whatever the reason may be, getting the tr eatment needed is a life changing decision. The best form of treatment varies from person to person. For some, the idea of a rapid detect would be the best. It is a quick process that only requires a short stay of usually 2-4 days in a detect facility or a hospital (mayo clinic).In most cases, the person will be given medication to assist them in dealing with the side effects of withdrawing from opiates. During a rapid detect, patients are monitored around the clock for a period of time for signs life-threatening withdrawal symptoms such as cardiac distress and seizures (ASSAM). Those that choose a rapid detect can expect to be sedated to keep them as comfortable as possible during this time period. Prior to sedation, they are generally given Maltreatment, to block the effects of opiates. Other medications may also be given during this time as withdrawal symptoms increase.In many cases medication to help control blood pressure and seizures become necessary. Jukeboxes has become popu lar because it does not require one to report to a clinic lily, but rather are given a prescription to be filled at a pharmacy. Jukeboxes comes in two forms, a tablet and a film, both are administered subliminally (jukeboxes). Though there are regulations governing the prescribing of jukeboxes, they are not nearly as strict as those in place for methadone (FDA). In order for a physician to begin prescribing jukeboxes, they are required to complete online training that is very limited (Manson).For many, that is the only training they have in addiction. Methadone is a synthetic drug that acts in a similar way to narcotics. Methadone moms in the form off tablet, powder, or liquid. The tablet and powder form are dissolved prior to administering the medication. When methadone is taken on a regular schedule, it will build up in the tissues making the effects last longer (samara). Methadone will not provide the same effects of opiates such as sedation or euphoria; it will instead block the se effects if other opiates are used (Catatonia 8). A stable dose will vary from person to person.Generally once someone achieves a stable dose of methadone it will hold them for 24-48 hours without them feeling dope sick (Levied)† Medication-assisted treatment has proven to be the most successful form of treatment for someone wishing to become drug free. However, these forms of treatment face tough criticism. It has been said that treating opiate addiction with medication is simply trading one addiction with another. However for those dealing with the daily struggle of addiction, they depend on these forms of treatment to gain control of their lives.For those people, the daily routines, the counseling, the referrals, the support of others and the consequences is what gives them hope; the pop that they will beat this disease that plagues them (in my own words). Methadone Maintenance treatment is the one form of treatment available that offers all of those things and more. When properly used, I feel that methadone maintenance treatment is the safest and most effective way to treat opiate addiction. There are many reasons that I feel methadone maintenance is the safest form of treatment available to someone battling opiate addiction.Contrary to what some may think, or some of what has been reported, these facilities can have a life changing effect on those who are committed to the program (Methadone Maintenance Treatment Facts). These programs are not only a place for someone to come in, pick up a prescription and leave. Instead these programs require patients to report daily for their medication, at least until they are able to meet all requirements for take home privileges. While there, patients interact with office staff, nursing staff, and clinical staff on a daily basis.Patients are monitored for any changes in their appearance, attitude, alertness, and overall demeanor (Levied). This helps to ensure that if someone is having an issue that staff is th ere to offer assistance right away. For many that battle addiction, Just knowing someone is there to listen and offer as much assistance as possible is enough to get them headed on the right path (In My Own Words). The guidelines set by the federal and state governments are much stricter for methadone maintenance that those set for jukeboxes (samara).For instance, in jukeboxes clients walk into a clinic to sign up and within a matter of a couple of hours they are able to walk out with at the very least medication that should last them a week. When people struggling with addiction first make the choice to enter into a retirement program, they are scared, sick, and in many cases about to lose everything important to them (In My Own Words). These patients are still using illicit drugs daily, and are at this point willing to do whatever it takes to avoid being â€Å"dope sick. Jukeboxes often ends up being sold illegally on the streets because people that have been lying, cheating, and stealing for a long period of time are now given a large amount of medication to take home with them (Levied). Methadone maintenance has a lengthy set of requirements before one is able to obtain the privilege of taking home medication (Blanchard and Crappy). One must be in treatment for 90 days, and produce at least 3 illicit free urine drug screenings before earning the privilege of one dose of medication to take home.In order for someone to have a full week worth of medication to take home with them at one time as they do in jukeboxes treatment after one day, they must be enrolled in the program for a minimum of three years and produce at least 12 illicit free urine drug screenings (SMASH). That is Just one of many requirements for one to earn the privilege of taking home their medication. They also have to participate in regular counseling sessions. The amount of time required for each session varies from patient to patient depending on the amount of time they have been enrolle d in the program as well as their use of illicit substances.Patients are required to sign releases for every physician that they see so that care can be coordinated properly. It is very important that medication that physicians prescribing other medications are aware of the patient being on methadone. By the time patients in methadone maintenance are able to start taking home doses of their medication, they have started on the right path (Levied). They are on a stable dose that effectively holds hem without the use of opiates, and they like the freedom of not having to report to the clinic to be dosed for the day.These take home bottles that are so hard to obtain, are so easy to have revoked as well. If someone produces an illicit urine drug screening, or does not get their required amount of counseling time in for the month among other things, they will have to start earning their take home privileges all over again. Those that receive take home bottles are also subjected to  "call backs (Medication-Assisted Treatment for Podia Addiction. )† This is when the client is allied and given a short notice of when they will have to report to the clinic with all of their used and unused take home bottles.At this time, the bottles are thoroughly inspected to be sure that their medication is in fact being administered the correct way (SAMARA). Because of these guidelines being as strict as they are, less methadone is sold illegally in the streets making it a safer choice. Methadone is also the safest form of treatment for pregnant women who happen to be struggling with opiate addiction (Practical Approach). In fact, it is currently the only FDA approved medication for treating opiate addiction during pregnancy Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MET): A review of Historical and Clinical Issues. When properly prescribed, methadone has proven to provide an environment that is less stressful on a developing fetus (Catatonia, 19). While a proper dose of methadone w ill help to prevent miscarriage and pre-mature labor, other forms of treatment seem to cause these issues. The use of maltreatment has been proven to cause spontaneous abortion, fetal distress, premature labor, and stillbirth Issues. ) Because methadone is a long acting medication, it is able to provide the fetus with an environment that promotes development.Though methadone during pregnancy is considered to be the safest of the options available, it comes with side effects (About Methadone). Babies born to mothers prescribed methadone are at risk for low birth weight. This is a very small risk to take when compared to risks faced with other forms of treatment such as jukeboxes or rapid detect. Some of those risks include fetal distress and miscarriage. During pregnancy, women are monitored very closely by the physician at the clinic and are also required to provide proof of prenatal care from an BOGGY (Levied).Studies have shown no long term effects on babies that are born to mothe rs prescribed methadone during their pregnancy. At birth, these babies will test positive for methadone in their systems, however are able to be weaned in a timely manner (Catatonia, 20). When compared to a rapid detoxification and jukeboxes, methadone maintenance is the safest choice. When a rapid detect lasting 2-4 days in most cases is completed, the patient is left without any aftercare other than what they obtain on their own. They are given a stack of paperwork that in most cases will contain a few referrals for mental health providers and a list of AN meetings.At this time, the patient may be wrought the worst part of the withdrawal process, but they are still unstable (ASSAM). These patients still need the support of clinical and medical personnel, but sadly many will not get that support. Those that do not will most likely find themselves in the same situation they were in previous to the rapid detect. Though patients in jukeboxes treatment have more of a clinical and medic al support than those choosing rapid detect, they still do not have the same support as those in methadone maintenance.Those Just starting out in treatment, whatever option they may choose, are at the lowest points in their lives. It is because of that I feel that they are in need of the most support that is available to them. To me, that support comes from a friendly smile when they walk into the clinic every day that reminds them that they are Just another Junkie, they are a person. They are a person that deserves to be monitored daily, given referrals for housing, food, clothing, medical care, and anything else that they could possibly need. For many addicts, the clinic is the safest place that they are in all day (In My Own Words).The goal of any form of treatment is to improve the patient's health as well as their laity of life (Marion). For many struggling with addiction, their health has come last while obtaining opiates in order to avoid feeling â€Å"dope sick† has c ome first. For many, this low point in their lives will lead them to participate in high risk behaviors. Those that find themselves addicted to opiates will often turn to theft or prostitution in order to fund their habit, while others will share needles used to administer drug such as heroin.These high risk behaviors not only put them at risk for many other infectious diseases such as Hepatitis and HIVE, but for legal troubles as well (Marion). Though the long term results of any treatment lays largely on the person in treatment, studies show methadone maintenance to be the most effective form available at this time (Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opiate Addiction). Drug freedom is a long term commitment that has to first be taken seriously by the person in treatment. If the dedication on their part is not there, the efforts of clinic staff will not be enough to help them (Pogo).Research has shown that that rapid detect treatment has a high rate of relapse (Medication- Assisted Treatment for Podia Addiction). Those that choose a rapid text as a form of treatment often have difficulty transitioning into a lifestyle of recovery. Often times, they are still living in the same places, with the same phone numbers, and associating with the same people making abstinence from opiates even harder to maintain (Mayo Clinic). For most choosing this form of treatment, it only takes one poor decision to be back in the same situation they were before.These poor decisions have devastating effects on their sobriety making this form of treatment the least effective of the three most well-known forms of medication assisted treatment. Psychosocial counseling has proven to be very beneficial to those dealing with addiction. Those enrolled in both Jukeboxes and Methadone Maintenance is required to participate in counseling. However for those that has chosen a rapid detect, this counseling is not a requirement. . Referrals are given to the patients upon discharge from the facili ty, but not everyone follows through with it .For some it is simply because they feel they do not need it, for some it is because they are unable to afford it (Mayo Clinic). Jukeboxes treatment does require some counseling though the guidelines for this is not nearly as strict as those set for ethanol maintenance. For those enrolled in a methadone maintenance treatment program, there are strict rules for clients to obtain this counseling (Pogo). Clients enrolled in a methadone maintenance program are required by state and federal regulation to have a minimum of 2. 5 hours of counseling time per month (ASSAM).Clients will usually meet with their counselors once or twice each week to discuss progress in treatment as well as the goings on in their lives. By discussing issues that the client is dealing with, the counselors are able to teach them skills that will be useful to the client as they continue on the path to drug freedom. During this counseling, clients are taught many ways to recognize triggers that were once their excuse to use illicit substances so that they are able to refrain from using (Pogo). Counselors discuss in depth the things that seem to be holding the clients back from achieving their goal of drug freedom.By doing this, they are able to form treatment plans for the client. These treatment plans list goals as well as steps needed in order to achieve the goals. If needed, clients are given referrals during this time. When referrals are given to a client, the counselor will check in with the client to see if they ere able to get the assistance they were in need of (Pogo). The fact that the counselors take the time to follow-up on things discussed during these sessions hold the client accountable for their treatment. Because they are held accountable, I feel that it helps to make methadone maintenance a more effective form of treatment.The goal of methadone maintenance treatment is to stabilize the patient. A stable dose of methadone with effect ively block the craving for one to use illicitly while avoiding withdrawal symptoms which in turn permits one to function â€Å"normally. † When taken properly, methadone will not create sedation or euphoria. It should have no adverse effects on mental capacity, motor skills, or the ability for one to maintain employment. A stable dose of methadone will hold a person for 24-48 hours which will allow them the time and energy to devote to making improvements in their lives.However, methadone maintenance treatment is a long term commitment. It can take up to a month to achieve a stable dose in order for a patient to get the most benefits out of treatment. A stable dose of methadone varies from person to person (Levied). There are many factors that will affect the dose that one would require to become stable. For many, the tolerance that they have built up over years of illicit use will require them to have a much higher dose of methadone in order to remain stable.For others, hea lth factors and other medications will affect the way their body is able to metabolize the methadone requiring them to have a higher or lower dose. Once a stable dose is achieved, one is usually able to begin the process of getting their lives back on track by dealing legal obligations, following up on medical care that has been pushed to the side, and mending broken relationships with family members (Pogo). The longer one remains committed to treatment; they will have a greater success rate for maintaining their goal of drug freedom.It is recommended that one remain in a methadone maintenance program for a minimum of one year. For many, once they achieve a stable dose and they are able to provide illicit free urine drug screenings, they feel that they will be able to effectively remain drug free on their own. In these cases, the rate of relapse is much higher than those who remain committed to the program for a year or in many cases longer (Methadone Is an Effective Treatment for H eroin Addiction). Those who remain in treatment for at least year are nearly three times as likely to remain drug free than those who are only in treatment for a short period of time.In a methadone maintenance program, the patient along with the influence of clinical and medical staff decide when they have reached a point in their treatment that they are ready to begin decreasing their dose in order to discharge from the treatment program. There is no set time frame to this process. When one decides they are ready to begin decreasing, they have generally been on a stable dose for an extended period of time and have shown that they are able to effectively manage heir new abstinent lifestyle.Patients that decrease their doses slowly have proven to have the most success in remaining drug free. The slow taper allows their bodies time to adjust to the change in medication so that they are able to refrain from having withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms are what will push a pers on into illicit opiate use again. Once a decrease in a person's methadone dose is taken, they are encouraged to remain at that lower dose for a period of at least 2-4 weeks.During this time, the clinical and medical staff is able to monitor the patient o ensure that they are handling the decrease in medication with no adverse effects. This process for tapering will continue until the patient has reached a dose of OMG when they will be able to â€Å"walk off' from the treatment. After the patient has been able to discontinue the use of methadone, they will still receive after care. Clinical staff will make phone calls to check in on the patient and offer them resources that will assist them in remaining drug free.Methadone and Jukeboxes clinics face tough criticism from many. People living in communities where these clinics are located are often unpleased with having a clinic n their neighborhood. Many feel that it will bring drug addicts and crime into their otherwise peaceful neig hborhoods (Swisher). What they fail to realize is that these addicts are a part of their communities regardless of if they are enrolled in a treatment facility or not (In My Own Words). It is a common misconception that it is very easy to â€Å"pick out† an addict (Mayo Clinic).However, that could not be more untrue. There are people everywhere that struggle daily with addiction. Some of these are doctors, lawyers, teachers, actors and actresses, and professional sports figures to name a few (Mayo Clinic). These are people that are clean, well dressed, well groomed and well spoken. Not every addict lacks personal hygiene and an education. There are certain risk factors that may be a factor in opiate addiction. For many who suffer from addiction, the environment that they are in plays a large role in them remaining dependent on illicit substances.There are also inherited traits that will influence one's addiction. Those that have immediate family that suffers with addiction ar e at a higher risk of also having addiction issues themselves. Research has also shown that males are nearly twice as likely to have addiction problems as males (Mayo Clinic). Methadone was approved by the FDA in 1972 for the treatment of opiate addiction. Methadone is considered to be the most effective treatment available to those addicted to opiates (Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MET): A Review of Historical and Clinical Issues).It is estimated that upwards of 170,000 individuals in the United States currently are enrolled in a methadone maintenance program. It has been proven that illicit drug use has decline by over 60% for those that have been enrolled in a methadone maintenance program for a year. For those that main committed to the program for at least two years, the use of illicit opiates declines by nearly 85% (Accreditation Of Methadone Maintenance Treatment: Assuring Quality of Care. ) Furthermore, crimes committed by these individuals are also significantly reduced. After lengthy research, I am confident is saying that methadone maintenance treatment is not only the safest method of medication assisted treatment available to those battling opiate addiction, but it is also the most effective Accreditation of Methadone Maintenance Treatment: Assuring Quality of Care). The regulations overriding methadone maintenance are much stricter than those for other forms of treatment. Methadone maintenance is the only form of medication assisted treatment that is approved by the FDA for pregnant women.It also remains the form of treatment that has the most thorough requirements for admission, and for supplemental and after care. As with any form of treatment, there are pros and cons, however it has been proven that for someone struggling with this disease that the pros far outweigh the cons. This form of medication has assisted thousands of people in getting their lives back. It has made it possible for patients to function successfully in society. These pe ople will be able to maintain employment and be productive. The counseling that they receive will help them to recognize triggers and effectively avoid them.

Pixar and Disney Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pixar and Disney - Essay Example The success of Pixar and decline of Disney may be traced to how these organizations responded to the changes in their social and technical environments. Upon cursory reading, Pixar appeared to have made a name for itself primarily through the use of digital technology in animation, to which it owes its commercial success, while Disney remained dedicated to the traditional method which no longer found strong following in the market. Closer inspection shows that there was a fundamental difference in the way the organizations functioned that was separate from the technology each used. Organizations may be seen to operate as open systems which interact with their environments in a complex and dynamic way. According to Ingols, Cawsey & Deszca (2011), open systems are called so because they are not isolated from their environment, but freely exchange information, materials, and energy with them. They are comprised of interdependent parts connected by a complex set of interrelationships. They move towards equilibrium, and once in equilibrium, will not change unless some energy is introduced. Individuals within a system would have a different perspective of the system’s function and purpose than those outside of it. Looking at organizations as open systems enables managers to better identify areas of misalignment and risk. The Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model is comprised of inputs that shape the strategy. The strategy drives the transformative processes box which eventually leads to the outputs. Feedback loops flow back to earlier stages to complete the model. The transformative work process includes four categories, namely informal organization, formal organizational arrangements, individual, and task. (people), and task (work). The Congruence Model states that these four categories in the work transformation area should be congruent (i.e., should fit) with each other (Jones, Brazzel, & ITL, 2006, p. 196). Pixar is an example of an open system which takes full advantage of the dynamics within the organization itself, and between the organization and the environment. Within Pixar, the informal organization is as important as, if not more than, the formal structure. Pixar has developed a â€Å"culture of collective creativity† that â€Å"values people above ideas,† and tasks are boldly add ressed because of the empowerment of employees. Feedback is swift because lines of communication are open; everyone feels safe to offer ideas, and innovation is highly prized (Catmull, 2008). Strong long-term friendships are forged, and as a result, the organization feels competent to take risks. This makes the external influences welcome within the company, thus it takes advantage of inputs from the academic community, the technical and artistic fields, and of course the demand from the market. In contrast, Disney is a highly traditionalist organization which emphasized hierarchy and centralization. Eisner insisted on maintaining strict control even over creative processes and roundly criticized ideas not in line with his own, thereby discouraging people from taking initiatives for fear of reproach. Regard for people took a back seat to revenues and stock performance. In other words, corporate Disney did not promote openness among its employees, lacked congruity or â€Å"fit† among its component parts, and discouraged open feedback and communication. It was unreceptive to outside influences, preferring to stick to its â€Å"proven† traditions harking back to early Disney years. It felt it has found its equilibrium, and resisted any risk that may disrupt it. In short, Pixar has taken full advantage of

PLOT and visual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PLOT and visual - Essay Example Tron legacy is a science fiction movie which shows tremendous use of computer visual effects. The movie was shot in 3D and ten companies were involved in the enormous visual effects work. Chroma keying is a film technology for compositing two images or video streams together based on color hues (color range), this technology has been incorporated in this movie hence bringing out an exciting and thrilling 3D effect in the movie. Artificial intelligence is also a technology used in the film. This is a technology where machines are perceived to be autonomous and tend to have human like intelligence. Visual effects is a term used in describing imagery created, altered or enhanced for a film or other motion pictures production That can’t be done during actual shooting of a film. Visual effects can also be incorporated in to live action capture through techniques like mate painting, miniature or forced perspective sets, computer graphic objects, characters and surroundings, compositing of disparate images recorded in any number of ways. These are some visual effects that have been used in the Tron legacy film, and have contributed very much in modern film production and technology (Zwerman, 2010). Computer technology was vastly significant in the production of this film whereby some scenes in the movie were very graphic and could only be achieved through computer graphic techniques (Mitchell, 2004). Love and hamburgers is a short film about two neighbors that leave short messages for each other on each other door steps. Before the first scene a note written question is left on the front door step of the lady. Here the exposition is an apartment scene where neighbors live next door to each other. The rising action occurs where the two neighbors start leaving sweet notes on each other’s door steps trying to court each other by asking interesting questions afterwards the man asks the lady out for a date only to come back home the

Human Resource Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Human Resource Management - Term Paper Example The organization chosen for the study will be IBM. Performance Management performance management can be described as a human resource strategy, which covers non-job precise behaviors such as ‘cooperation’ ‘dedication’ ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘persistence’ and is differentiated from task performance covering job-specific behaviors (Borman and Motowidlo 71-98). As Fletcher (91) mentions, contextual performance is concerned with the attributes which set off further than task proficiency and that encourage behaviors that boost the efficiency of the organization. Hence performance is regarded as behavior, in which the organizations, teams and individuals execute their work. Campbell (690-710) suggests that performance is such a behavior that needs to be differentiated from the results. An additional broader analysis of performance is attained if it is described as taking up both behavior and outcomes. Performance management can be a factor impa cting behaviors and results together. Behaviors originate from the performer and alter performance from idea to action. Performance management can be described as an important practice that concerns with overall attitude of the employees towards the organization. It replicates the perspective one has for performance and it contains secondary procedures like: policy description, plan implementation, training and performance measurement. Consequently performance measurement is a secondary procedure of performance management which is the focal point of classification and communique of performance outcomes determined by performance beacons. Performance management is concerned with the action taken based on the results whilst performance measurement deals with evaluation of results, at the same time as performance management is related with taking action depending on the outcomes of the assessment and making certain that the objective outcomes are accomplished. Performance management can also be characterized as being associated with a â€Å"future orientation† based on the inputs and output exerted an organization or individual. Performance management is becoming an important aspect of the organizations to manage the performance of their employees and keep them motivated for the achievement of their goals resulting in the achievement of overall organizational goals (Brumback 168-170). It can be seen that there is major difference between the performance management practices in private and public sector organizations in most parts of the world but nevertheless it is important for every organization to continuously improve their practices because these practices have a greater influence on the motivation of the employees. These differences in practice are subject to the working and control system being implemented in different sectors. Finally, it is the need of the hour for the organization, to keep their employees motivated intrinsically through the perform ance management practices because in this downturn economic time, it is getting important for the organizations to motivate employees other than extrinsic factors. Critical incident method is used by the current organization for the

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 15

Essay Example However, Varey (2001) postulates that integrated marketing is a paradigm shift towards more personalised, customer-oriented, technology-supported marketing systems. This paper designed a marketing strategy for a new cam-phone type product with new features. The first part of the paper does a market analysis of the cam-phone market, the second part of the paper design a marketing plan to give our new product an easy market penetration and a breakthrough. In business, environmental analysis is an appreciation of an organisations activities vis-Ã  -vis its environment (Lin& Lee 2006). Such analysis has become imperatively necessary in the light of increase competition as present, subsequent operations and strategies direction will be dependent on the result (Lin& Lee 2006). Market environmental influences can better be explain with the Five forces Framework developed by Porter (1985). The market of the Cam-phone products has been dominated in the past by key players such as NOKIA, Sony-Ericsson, Samsung, LG and a host of other players. Here being aware, of the resources, capabilities, and core competence of existing Cam-phone products, in our new Cam-phone product emphasis will be on internal attributes such as staff, quality of the product, defined within cost, time, and quality. We will also make sure, our products are reliable and easily serviceable According to Porter (1985), competitive strategy grows out of an understanding of the rules of competition that set the way of an industry’s attractiveness. He stated that, relations with suppliers; bargaining power of buyers; threats of new entrants; threats of substitute products or services; and rivalry amongst established firms are the forces affecting a company (Porter 1980). For our new product, numerous mobile phone manufacturers are already supplying camera phones, but with our extra features and differentiation strategy this

Business communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Business communication - Essay Example Under the integrating conflict resolution method, the negotiator applies the cultural diversity of the two parties, by selecting the strength that is presented by each culture, and then integrates the strengths to form a formidable neutral ground, that suits the cultural diversity of the different groups (Kelman, 102). Therefore, considering that Prasan is an Indian with a strong preference for making impression, while Andreas is a Swedish with a strong preference for accuracy in information communication and delivery, the two cultural aspects can be blended, to form a single concept that incorporates the strengths. Thus, in combining the two strengths, the US trainer will negotiate with Andreas to adapt impression as a fundamental aspect of winning the hearts of others, considering that other than making a straight forwards response to the effect that it is not possible to provide the documents within a duration of two days, Andreas can adapt the Indian culture of making impression, by giving a response that will express good impression as well as accuracy. Similarly, Prasan can adapt to the accuracy culture of the Swedish, through incorporating the element of accuracy in the response. This can be achieved through Prasan and Andreas adapting the culture of ‘accurate-impression makingâ€℠¢ communication, which would give an answer like; â€Å"I will try to avail the documents in two days, although I am not sure about that, since I have more workload to address’. Such an answer will reflect both impression and accuracy, since Prasan will have made a good impression in indicating the willingness to avail the documents within the required two days, while expressing the accuracy of the difficulty existing in presenting the documents as indicated by Andreas. Therefore, through the combination of these two strengths that emanate

Internet Marketing College Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Internet Marketing College - Article Example The Internet is a global network for many networks connecting millions and millions of computers together. Today, the internet has become an integral part of business, of our environment, and even of our personal life. The article speaks about marketing in the internet environment and ways to improve internet marketing during peak seasons of sales in a world of competitive environment where everybody would want to lead the race. As this is the festive season, most of the shopping for the season has already started and consumers would like to order gifts online due to the ease of shopping and at the same lack of time to go out and do shopping in the real world. In such a scenario, most of the online shopping website owners would start dressing up their web pages in the most attractive way to attract the maximum number of customers. Internet marketing, if properly exploited can be an effective marketing tool. Strategies which suit the e-business environment need to be framed and implemented. As stated in the article, in order to increase web traffic online marketers need to change the presentation of their website on par with other competitors. Instead of using the traditional methods of designing the home page of the website, they need to innovative in their approach. They also need to introduce special offers like free shipping, combo products, bog off sales etc. Such attempts will definitely help increase we traffic. E-business can create value for organizations if they continuously use new technology to improve their marketing system and if customer expectations are continuously met. The Internet can be used to build long-term relationships with customers. With the evolution of the Internet, the customer today has become more knowledgeable. Companies must recognize the fact that most consumers can compare prices of products from various companies within minutes on the Internet. Therefore, the companies can either compete on price or convince the user of superior quality, but under all circumstances, they must aim to deliver what they promise. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of the website is the first thing that is to be done in order to get more traffic to the website. It is not a kind of rocket science to advance search engine optimization. However, it is not something which can be achieved just by repeating key words or key phrases constantly. An optimum balance is required in order to achieve the optimization. A major advantage of free or paid submission of websites to search engines is available these days. Websites or blogs can be submitted to search engines. Marking the presence into as many possible search engines is always better. This helps to get noticed by the maximum number of visitors as possible in various search engines. The higher one gets noticed, the higher is the scope of increased traffic. Taking advantage of the social media websites is another method of attracting customers which in turn may lead to increased sales. With the advent of Information Technology over the recent past, the way online business is developing has drastically changed. Currently, many internet marketers have started using social media as one of their important marketing tools in order to promote their online businesses in competition with other players in the e-market. The efforts of online marketing not only influence the service quality and the quality of the product but

Amazon's Kindle Fire Aspects of Consumer Behavior Research Paper

Amazon's Kindle Fire Aspects of Consumer Behavior - Research Paper Example In this paper, we shall elaborate on these aspects and how they affect the marketing of Amazon’s Kindle products. The very first aspect that those marketing the Kindle product should consider is the fact that the product should be built or created to be more efficient than those of rival companies. This is essential for the marketing of the product because consumers tend to consider efficiency when buying a product. Consumers may prefer to go buy a product which is fast and wastes less time when they are using it even if the product is more expensive than similar products from other companies. The company should work on improving the speed of products if it intends to attract more consumers by promoting the efficiency of its products. Another aspect of marketing which should consider consumer behavior is the frequent changing of how the product is packaged. Consumers tend to believe that the products with a look that is new and different from the previous one is better. Amazon should therefore ensure that the look of its Kindle products is changed frequently to ensure that consumers are kept interested in them. New tools should be incorporated into the new forms of the product to make its use easier and this can be made a basis upon which the product is promoted (Poole, 2011). Consumers tend to prefer portable products which they can use anywhere at their own convenience. The Kindle products should be made more portable than they already are so that its marketers can use it as a strategy for marketing the product. Consumers are more likely to want to buy a portable product because of the ability to use them in any situation. They can read an eBook anywhere at any time and this can be used as a marketing strategy when promoting this product. The best marketing strategy which considers consumer behavior is the promotion of the product as being cheaper than those of rival products. The company should ensure that the prices of its products are lower than