Tragedy Of Macbeth Essays - Characters In Macbeth,

Tragedy Of Macbeth What is a tragedy? According to Aristotle, a tragedy is a genre aimed to present a heightened and harmonious imitation of nature, and, in particular, those aspects of nature that touch most closely upon human life. He said a tragedy must have six parts: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, and sons (Booth 29). William Shakespeare's Macbeth, attains these distinctive qualities. The witches' prophecies, peer pressure to commit murder and fate are all examples of such qualities. The Tragedy of Macbeth starts with three witches' who tell Macbeth that he will be the Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and King of Scotland. As the play progresses, Macbeth slowly relies on the witches' prophecies. As a result of the prophecies, Macbeth's curiosity of how he could be the King of Scotland arouses. Macbeth's ambition influenced his declining character. However, Macbeth's ambition had not been strong enough to carry the motive to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth's influence also came in to play because if not for Lady Macbeth, his ambition would not have been intensified enough to drive him to obtain and maintain his title of King of Scotland no matter what it took, even if it meant murdering (Sisson 123). At first Macbeth refuses to kill Duncan but, after Lady Macbeth taunts him for his cowardice, he replies, I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none. (1.7.46-47) After Lady Macbeth taunts Macbeth, he considers murdering Duncan. Her taunts made Macbeth feel less of a man, especially, when she considers murdering Duncan herself. After awhile of taunting Macbeth was convinced to murder his friend, his king Duncan. After the murder has been commited, Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to act like the innocent flower, but be a serpent underneath. She overcomes for only awhile the moral scruples and terrible visions of her husband (Campbell 211), A little water clears us of this deed (2.2.66) Macbeth's first murder was a trying experience for him, however after the first murder, killing seemed to be the only solution to maintain his reign of the people of Scotland. Macbeth overflowed in power, but yet he felt remoarse for things he had done, But wherefore could not I pronounce ? AMEN I had most need of blessing, and ?AMEN? stuck in my throat (2.2?) So Macbeth continues-the power of evil feeding on every move he makes-to make for his advancement as prophesied by the witches'. He hires his men to eliminate Banquo, a threat to his cumulative reign. Having Banquo out of his way Macbeth surges with the sense of power (Jorgensen 83). Later on in the play Macbeth returns to the three witches, wanting more information regarding his fate. An apparition appears, of a head with a helmet on. It warns to beware of Macduff. The Second apparition, a bloody child, gives important information. ? None of woman born shall harm Macbeth?, with this information on his hands Macbeth considers himself invisible. The third apparition, a crowned child with a tree, he tells Macbeth tha he will be in no danger until ? Birnam Wood comes to high Dunsinane Hill.? Invisible power! Macbeth forgets two of the three prophecies and locks one in his head ? none of woman born shall harm Macbeth? (Everret 143). The witches' have prophesied again, with an unforeseeable truth. With his sense of immortality high in his head Macbeth leaves the witches', overtaken by his ambition. Fearing nothing Macbeth begins to ask himself questions, How could Macduff, a man of woman born, hurt me? How could the Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane Hill? Having all the confidence in the world, Macbeth continues his harmful ways. At this point his fate acquired complete control over him, he had found security and trust in something he trusted, the witches' words. Later in the play while staying in his castle, Macbeth and his army make plans to attack Macduff and his army. Suddenly, a messenger comes looking for him. The messenger, unsure of how to report what he saw, says Birnam Wood appeared to move. Macbeth realizes that the first prophecy is fulfilled. Macbeth worries that he is stuck fighting by himself after his army is overpowered. He wonders who was not born of a woman. For the first time in awhile Macbeth shows fear. His army who guarded the castle was slaughtered,

Sample Extended Essay -IB Reflections

Sample Extended Essay -IB ReflectionsSample Extended Essay -IB Reflections is the most used online course for IB students. It is ideal to give you extra preparation before the exam and will help you understand different concepts and will help you become an expert.You should write an essay that can prove your ability to stand your exam, getting the maximum marks in the exam. The sample essay will help you evaluate your skills and identify areas of improvement so that you can succeed. The results of the essay will be published on your profile page, and this will help you get acceptance to different courses and colleges, which help you pursue higher education.The sample IB reflection is a great tool for you to get all details about the specific type of essays and teaching style. You can find it on the IB website. You have to pay a fee and you can choose from the variety of essays offered in the class. In fact you can revise and edit it after completion of the IB Exam.The short essay que stions will have four parts and the first part contains the answers to the short questions asked in the essay. The second part comprises the summary of the essay, and then the third part consists of the answers to the pre-set short essay questions.These Sample IB Reflections will help you perfect your essay and work smarter not harder. These essays are tailor made according to the format, tone and focus of the student's essay.The Sample essays are designed by professionals, so you can trust them to write the essay according to your exam content and styles. You will also get the added benefit of review at the end of the examination and this will help you to improve your essay by knowing your strengths and weaknesses.IBI is the only institute to offer free online E-Assessment that will provide you feedback on your performance and it also provides you with study material. It is designed to make your learning experience memorable.

Blackbeard the Pirate Biography for Kids

Blackbeard the Pirate Biography for Kids Kids are often interested in pirates and want to know the history of people such as Blackbeard. They may not be ready for the adult version of the  biography of Blackbeard  but can have their questions answered in this version for young readers. Who was Blackbeard? Blackbeard was a fearsome pirate who attacked other peoples ships a long time ago, in the years 1717–1718. He enjoyed looking scary, making his long black hair and beard smoke while he was fighting. He died while fighting ships sent to catch him and bring him to jail. Here are the answers to all your Blackbeard questions. Was Blackbeard his real name? His real name was Edward Thatch or Edward Teach. Pirates took nicknames to hide their real names. He was called Blackbeard because of his long, black beard. Why was he a pirate? Blackbeard was a pirate because it was a way to make a fortune. Life at sea was hard and risky for sailors in navy or on merchant ships. It was tempting to take what you learned serving on those ships and join a pirate crew where you would earn a share of the treasure. At different times, a government would encourage ships captains to be privateers and raid ships from other countries, but not theirs. These privateers might then begin to prey on any ships and become pirates. What did pirates do? Pirates sailed where they thought other ships would be. Once they found another ship, they would raise their pirate flag and attack. Usually, the other ships just gave up once they saw the flag to avoid a fight and injuries. The pirates would then steal everything the ship was carrying. What sort of stuff did pirates steal? Pirates stole anything that they could use or sell. If a ship had cannons or other good weapons, the pirates would take them. They stole food and alcohol. If there was any gold or silver, they would steal it. The ships they robbed were usually merchants ships carrying cargo such as cocoa, tobacco, cow hides or cloth. If the pirates thought they could sell the cargo, they took it. Did Blackbeard leave behind any buried treasure? Lots of people think so, but probably not. Pirates preferred to spend their gold and silver and not bury it somewhere. Also, most of the treasure he stole was cargo rather than coins and jewels. He would sell the cargo and spend the money. Who were some of Blackbeards friends? Blackbeard learned how to be a pirate from Benjamin Hornigold, who gave him command of one of his pirate ships. Blackbeard helped Major Stede Bonnet, who didnt really know much about being a pirate. Another friend was Charles Vane, who had several chances to stop being a pirate but he never took them. Why was Blackbeard so famous? Blackbeard was famous because he was a very scary pirate. When he knew he was going to attack someone’s ship, he put smoking fuses in his long black hair and beard. He also wore pistols strapped to his body. Some sailors who saw him in battle actually thought he was the devil. Word of him spread and people on both land and sea were scared of him. Did Blackbeard have a family? According to Captain Charles Johnson, who lived at the same time as Blackbeard, he had 14 wives. This probably isn’t true, but it seems likely that Blackbeard did get married sometime in 1718 in North Carolina. There is no record of him ever having any kids. Did Blackbeard have a pirate flag and a pirate ship? Blackbeards pirate flag was black with a white devil skeleton on it. The skeleton was holding a spear pointing at a red heart. He also had a very famous ship called the Queen Annes Revenge. This mighty ship had 40 cannons on it, making it one of the most dangerous pirate ships ever. Did they ever catch Blackbeard? Local leaders often offered a reward for the capture of famous pirates. Many men tried to catch Blackbeard, but he was too smart for them and escaped capture many times. To get him to stop, he was offered a pardon and he accepted it. However, he returned to piracy How did Blackbeard die? Finally, on November 22, 1718, pirate hunters caught up with him near Ocracoke Island, off of North Carolina. Blackbeard and his men put up quite a fight, but in the end, they were all killed or arrested. Blackbeard died in battle and his head was cut off so the pirate hunters could prove they killed him. According to an old story, his headless body swam around his ship three times. This was not possible but added to his fearsome reputation. Sources: Cordingly, David. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1996 Defoe, Daniel (Captain Charles Johnson). A General History of the Pyrates. Edited by Manuel Schonhorn. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1972/1999. Konstam, Angus. The World Atlas of Pirates. Guilford: the Lyons Press, 2009 Woodard, Colin. The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down. Mariner Books, 2008.

Consider the role and influence shop stewards and union activists in Essay

Consider the role and influence shop stewards and union activists in Contemporary UK industrial relations - Essay Example In the large industrial plants, where lots of members of different unions had been employed, there it was found that at least twenty stewards were representing various departments (Glascott, 19710). Salamon’s statement is also vital in this respect. He stated â€Å"The role tended to move away from being a passive guardian of the union’s collective agreements negotiated at the national level to one of direct negotiations with management.† The phrase refers to the British Winter of 1978-79. After 1926, this period has been marked as the largest stoppage of labour due to the widespread strikes. A horrible condition prevailed in the country at that time as there was a shortage of food. It had a great social and political impact. It led to declining influence of the trade union. The membership of trade union was halved. This period caused rise of ‘Militant Tendency’. The manufacturing base of the Britain has been badly affected. During this period, the base of the old labour force had reduced and a new workforce was building up (Conservapedia, n.d.). The origin of the existence of the trade unions can be traced to the eighteenth century. During the period, a rapid expansion took place in the industrial society. Because of such changes, lots of women, rural workers and children had been involved in the workforce. Most of them were un-skilled or semi-skilled labor. This pool of labors spontaneously organized and at the later stage developed and founded trade unions. According to Smith, unions were not legal in most of the countries. For attempting to organize and develop unions, the leaders faced severe penalties. In spite of this, the unions were formed to acquire political powers. It resulted in body of labor law which not only codified the association between the employees and employers but also legalized the organizing effort. In this respect it is necessary to mention that the Universal Declaration of Human

Hopes and fears for the college Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hopes and fears for the college - Essay Example II. The main purpose of students of going to school is for them to succeed in life and they enter the walls of colleges with the hope that they will be able to step up the ladder of success. a. The first point to be discussed is the hope of building a good foundation, especially regarding school grades. Transition sentence: Gaining good grades is essential because it establishes how professors might perceive students and eventually treat them accordingly. b. Secondly, we will explore the hope of having good experiences with professors. Transition sentence: Ultimately, class performances and relationship with professors will determine how well one socializes not only with classmates but also with schoolmates and other people outside the campus. c. Thirdly, the hope of making good friends will be discussed. Transition sentence: it would be interesting to note what could be the opposite of these positive and encouraging characteristics in students. III. Contrary to the positive outlook about college life mentioned earlier, there are also fears that one must face. a. Students fear failures. Transition sentence: Students fears can go beyond their performances and see people around them as threats, too. b. Students fear they will have strict professors who will make their lives miserable. Transition sentence: It is important to consider how professors relate with students because somehow, this will affect how they will be on their way out of the classroom. c. Students fear that they will not get along well with other people in a whole new world that they are entering. Transition sentence: These develop the many faces of students which eventually define them and their responses to the challenges of college life. IV. Conclusion: Hopes are wonderful and necessary but equally important is the presence of fear which, initially may be seen as negative, when balanced with the hopes a person has, there comes a union which propels college students to reach their dreams. Colle ge education is very important nowadays and so it has become the dream of almost every hopeful individual. Many people believe in the anti-apartheid revolutionary, Nelson Mandela who said that â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world†. Only a few may become famous in the challenge to change the world on a large scale however, transforming a life can be assured through education and one reformed life is less one miserable life in this world that ultimately changes the world. As such, many hope and dream to go to college and get a better life. Pursuing college education brings about hopes of young people that their dreams will come true however this is also coupled by the fears of what is beyond their imaginations and expectation. This writing will explore the common hopes and fears of college students and where these could possibly lead them in their endeavor. As one enjoys reading, it is the hope of this writer that readers will be illuminat ed about the optimism and terror that college students face. The main purpose of students going to school is for them to succeed in life and they enter the walls of colleges with the hope that they will be able to step up the ladder of success. Firstly, students hope to get good grades because this surely will help them build a good foundation for

Health Insurance and Medicare Essay Example for Free

Health Insurance and Medicare Essay I. Introduction The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law on March 23, 2010 by President Barack Obama. Along with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (HCERA), it represents the momentous transformation of the U.S. health care system. Its main goal is to decrease the amount of uninsured citizens as well as to reduce the overall costs of health care. It is a vastly complex reform that will affect many people in aspects of their health care, costs, and the country. There are many opinions about how this reform will affect the nation, some saying it will make us better off, others saying we will be worse off, and those who do not think it will make a difference. But regardless of these opinions, what the majority does agree on is that these laws may be difficult to understand and that many are not even aware of these changes. There are many problems that the health care industry is facing. The cost of health care may arguably be the most important factor that people are concerned about. Many think that health care policies and premiums are too expensive. Coupled with the fact that our population is aging, meaning that there will be more elder people with more health problems, health care costs are rapidly growing and take up a huge chunk of the federal budget. There are also many loopholes within the current health care system. Individuals who are looking to buy insurance can be denied based on their pre-existing conditions. Some insurance policies even have a lifetime limit on benefits. What all these examples basically sum up is that the people who are in need of health care the most are those who are also the most unlikely to be insured, or are under insured. In an attempt to address these issues, the PPACA and Reconciliation Act were established. The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act was enacted to amend the PPACA. It is divided into two titles, one addressing the health reform and the other addressing student loan reform. It makes changes to some parts of the PPACA. That is why many people commonly refer to the overall health reform as just the PPACA. The most noted change this brings  is that it requires almost all citizens to have health care insurance, or to pay a penalty. Some examples and cases regarding this issue will be discussed later on. The PPACA also considerably expands public insurance as well as funds private insurance coverage. It will close loopholes such as setting life time limits as well as making it illegal to reject coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. In terms of affordability, the PPACA will expand Medicaid to cover low-income families and individuals across the nation. It also aims to cut down and reconstruct Medicare spending, which will be the main focus of this paper. II. The Impacts of the PPACA and HCERA on Medicare and Health Physicians The PPACA is made up of 10 titles. I will be discussing selected provisions in Titles II, III, IV, and V regarding Medicare. These include program modifications and payment to Medicare’s fee-for-service program, the Medicare Advantage, prescription drug programs, Medicare’s payment process, changes to address, waste, fraud, and abuse, and other miscellaneous Medicare changes. As for the HCERA, the first title has provisions detailing health care and revenues. Subtitle B of Title I involves provisions that change provisions PPACA relevant to those listed above (Medicare Advantage, fee-for-service, and prescription drug programs). Subtitle D has provisions regarding decreasing fraud, abuse, and waste in Medicare. Subtitle E discuses revenue related provisions such as a provision that changes Medicare tax provision in PPACA. A. Impacts on Medicare According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the provisions in PPACA as amended by the HCERA will reduce direct spending by an estimated $390 billion (CRS, 2010). The provisions that are predicted to produce the largest savings include the following: (1) developing an Independent Payment Advisory Board to create changes in Medicare payment rates is presumed to save about $16 billion (2) decreasing Medicare payments to hospitals that aid a vast number of low-income patients, is expected to reduce expenditures by an estimated $22 billion (3) permanent deductions to Medicare’s fee-for-service payment rates (4) changing the high-income adjustment for Part B premiums, and (5) making maximum payment rates in Medicare Advantage closer to spending in fee-for-service Medicare. However, it is critical to  note that these are just estimates. Medicare is made up of four parts that are each accountable for paying for various benefits, dependent on different eligibility criteria. Under traditional Medicare, Part A and Part B services are usually paid by a fee-for-service basis (services supplied to a patient is reimbursed through a separate payment). Part A supplies coverage for skilled nursing facility (SNF) services, inpatient hospital services, hospice care, and home health care, which are subject to some limitations. Provisions that reduce Part A spending make up a large part of the savings related to this legislation through either payment changes or constraining payment updates. PPACA will alter Medicare’s payment updates to Part A hospitals to account for cost savings, which will significantly reduce Medicare spending in the next 10 years. Under PPACA (Title III Subtitle A Section 3001), beginning for discharges on October 1, 2012 hospitals will acquire value-based incentive payments from Medicare. The first year of the value based purchasing (VBP) program will aim at collecting data and assessing performance. Starting in 2013, adjustments to hospital payments will be made based on performance by the VBP program. There will also be VBP standards established (i.e. levels of improvement and accomplishments), as well as a method for assessing how hospitals perform. Hospitals with the highest score will obtain the biggest VBP payments. Those that meet or go beyond the standards are able to receive an increased DRG payment for each discharge within the year. However, to provide for these VBP incentive payments the DRG payments will be reduced by a certain percentage: 1.0% in 2013; 1.25% in 2014; 1.5% in 2015; 1.75% in 2016; and 2.0% in 2017. An alternate choice to receive covered benefits would be Medicare Advantage (MA). Private health plans are paid a per person amount to supply all Medicare-covered benefits to those who enroll in the plan under MA. The payments made to MA plans are decided by comparing the maximum amount Medicare will pay for benefits with a plan’s cost of providing those required benefits. If the plan’s cost is below the maximum, then it is paid  the cost plus a rebate equal to 75% of the difference to the maximum. But if the plan’s cost is above the maximum, then it is paid and must also charge the enrollee the difference between the cost and the maximum. PPACA modifies how the maximum payment is decided. Beginning in 2012, it will implement benchmarks (maximum amount Medicare will pay for benefits) calculated as a percentage of per capita FFS Medicare spending. It will also increase benchmarks depending on the quality of the plan. Those with a high quality rating will get an increase in their benchmark while new plans or those with lesser enrollments may also qualify to get an increase. PPACA will also vary the plan rebates based on quality with new rebates set from 50% to 70%. In regards to changes affecting Medicare’s prescription drug benefits, the health reform makes a few changes to the Medicare Part D program. PPACA increases the premiums held by higher income enrollees. The income standards are set to be at the same manner and level as that in Part B. Beginning in 2011, those enrolled in Part D will have a 50% discount for drugs during the coverage gap. In extension, HCERA will supply a rebate of $250 to those who enter the gap in 2010. Hopefully this phases out the â€Å"donut hole† (coverage gap) by slowly lessening the cost-sharing and coverage gap for generic and brand name drugs. Medicare’s finances are operated through two trust funds, the Hospital Insurance (HI) and the Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) trust fund. The main provider of income to the HI fund, which pays for Medicare Part A, is the payroll taxes paid by employers and employees. Medicare Part B and D are funded by general revenues and monthly premiums. In addition to all the previous provisions addressing Medicare’s financial issues, there is another precautionary step being taken. The PPACA has a provision to establish an Independent Payment Advisory Board with the goal of decreasing Medicare spending. B. Impacts on Physicians The PPACA and HCERA make various changes to the Medicare program, which in turn affects physicians and how they practice. Some of these provisions have clear consequences, such as immediately changing physician reimbursement, while others have indirect influences on how physicians may practice in the  future by modifying the incentives to improve the delivery and quality of care. PPACA broadens the Medicare Physician Quality and Reporting Initiative (PQRI) incentive payments though 2014 and administers a penalty for those who fail to report quality measures starting in 2015. It also supplies for a further bonus to physicians who meet the requirements of an assessment program, such as the Maintenance of Certification Program, while penalizes the physicians who fail to meet those standards in the future. Under Section 3002 of Title III, Medicare claims data will be used to provide reports to physicians that measure resources used to provide care for Medicare beneficiaries. Under Section 3007 of Title III, the Secretary of HHS is obliged to create and administer a separate payment modifier to the Medicare physician fee schedule. This payment should be based on the relative cost and quality of the care provided by physicians. The quality of care should be assessed based on risk-adjusted measure of quality determined by the Secretary. Costs are also assessed based on measures determined by the Secretary. Risk factors such as ethnicity, demographic, socioeconomic characteristics, and health status should be taken into account. By January 1, 2012 these explicit measures of cost and quality, along with implementation dates of the adjusted payments should be published. III. Regulations Implementation With such significant changes and provisions being made, there should be a way to keep track of how each is being regulated and implemented. I will discuss the regulations, time limits, and effective dates on how each are being done so by year. The first changes of 2010 start with Medicare provider rates. This includes reductions in the annual market basket updates for hospital services. Currently, there have been productivity adjustments added to market basket update in 2012. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued these updates for varying provider types starting in August 2010. The  implementation of the Medicare Beneficiary drug rebate, which supplies a $250 rebate to those in the Part D coverage gap, started January 1, 2010. In May 2010, the CMS published a brochure containing information about the coverage gap in Medicare Part D. As of March 22, 2011, about 3.8 million people have received the $250 rebate (HHS, 2011). As for closing the Medicare drug coverage gap, on December 17, 2010 CMS sent a letter to pharmaceutical companies addressing guidelines to the Medicare Coverage Gap Discount Program. This program became effective on January 1, 2011. Moving onto provisions implemented in 2011, Medicare payments for primary care will provide a 10% bonus payment for services. It will also provide the same bonus to general surgeons working in areas with a shortage of health professionals. This is being implemented starting in January 1, 2011 through December 2015. As for the MA payment changes, they will restructure payment to private plans and prohibit higher cost-sharing requirements. This has been in effect since January 1, 2011. The CMS issued a notice to MA plans in April 2010 addressing the freeze in 2011 payment rates at 2010 levels. A Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board made up of 15 individuals to arrange proposals and recommendations to decrease the per capita rate of growth in spending if it exceeds targeted rates was planned to be established. On October 1, 2011, funding was made available and the first proposals are due January 15, 2014. In 2012, the second part of the MA plan payments, which reduce rebates paid and provide bonuses to high quality plans, went into effect on January 1, 2012. On February 28, 2012 the CMS sent out a letter to MA plans addressing the payment rates for 2012. Fraud and abuse prevention was also implemented on January 1, 2012. It establishes procedures for screening and reporting those who participate in Medicare. On March 23, 2011 CMS issued a notice addressing the fee that providers would have to pay to fund the screenings. Later on in the year, on October 1, 2012 Medicare value based purchasing was put into effect. This creates a program to pay hospitals based on their quality of performance. This coming year in 2013, there will be a few provisions to come into effect  starting off the new year. On January 1, 2013 the Medicare tax increase (increases the Medicare Part A tax rate on wages by 0.9% on incomes of $200,000), Medicare bundle payment pilot program (program to create and assess payments for certain services), and the latter part of the prescription drug coverage gap (reducing coinsurance) will be put into effect. As for 2014, the last of the Medicare provisions will be implemented. The Medicare Advantage plan loss ratios are mandated to be no less than 85%; this will begin at the start of the year on January 1, 2014. The second implementation for that year will be Medicare payments for hospital-acquired infections; it will decrease payments to those hospitals for their hospital-aquired conditions by 1% and this process will continue onto 2015. IV. Cases Challenging PPACA When the PPACA and HCERA were signed into law, many people opposed and sued claiming that the reform was unconstitutional for a number of reasons. The most controversial was the mandate that require most citizens to obtain health insurance coverage, and if failing to do so would have to pay a penalty in the form of an individual tax. Another debated provision was the expansion of the Medicaid program to cover even more individuals, such as those with low income. All of these separate cases were then merged into a single case, The National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, 567 U.S. (2012). When ruled, it was a momentous Supreme Court decision in which the Court maintained Congress’s authority to enact the provisions of the Affordable Care Act and the Reconciliation Act. In December 2011, it was announced that there would be a 6 hour oral argumentation heard by the Court over a time span of three days beginning on March 26, 2012 and ending on March 28, 2012 discussing varying debatable topics of these provisions. By a vote of 5 to 4, the Court maintained the Individual Mandate aspect of the PPACA as a binding exercise of Congress’s authority to lay and collect taxes. The critical characterization of this financial penalty as a tax is what passed the mandate as constitutional. Preceding this landmark case there were many previous hearings held, all  having similar conflicting opinions. The Eleventh Circuit was also dealing with arguments in relative cases challenging PPACA. While it was assumed that the Fourth Circuit, which had heard oral arguments before the Eleventh Circuit, would issue a decision on PPACA first, the Eleventh Circuit was actually the second to issue its opinion, on August 12, 2011. In Florida ex rel. Bondi v. U.S. Department of Health Human Services (2011) the plaintiffs of the case were two private individuals, the National Federation of Independent Business, and 26 individual states. The Eleventh Circuit then published a 300-plus page opinion finding by a 2:1 majority that the Individual Mandate (requiring health insurance coverage) is unconstitutional, and thus created a split of authority between the two Circuits. The Eleventh Circuit heard this appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, which saw the Individual Mandate to be an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s authority. The district court also found that the Individual Mandate was not applicable to the rest of the PPACA, meaning that the whole act was invalid. The plaintiffs in the district court case also debated that the PPACA’s expansion of Medicaid was unconstitutional, but the district court granted the government judgment on that issue and the Eleventh Circuit agreed to that court’s decision. These two cases show how divided opinions can be and how difficult it was and is to pass a health reform law. Opinions are still divided, concerning many aspects such as the Medicaid expansion, the Commerce Clause, and the Necessary and Proper Clause. On the issue of Medicaid expansion, no one, single opinion had the support of the majority of the Justices. Also, on the issue of if the Individual Mandate was within the authority of Congress under the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause, again there was no single opinion that was supported by the majority of the Court. Despite all these controversies, and even though the act has passed, there are still those who are continuing to pursue litigation in order to repeal and defeat the PPACA. V. Conclusion Medicare spending has been increasing much more rapidly compared to the general economy, and this definitely raises concerns about Medicare’s  long-term sustainability. The provisions in the Affordable Care Act and the Reconciliation Act were established to decrease Medicare program costs by about $390 billion over the following 10 years through modifications in payments to various providers, by leveling payment rates between fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and by boosting efficiencies of how health services are delivered and paid for. Overall, the PPACA and HCERA are momentous pieces of legislation that will restructure the future of the U.S. health care system. It is still unclear of how well these provisions have been implemented, with some still having yet to be so. The main concern is probably how well costs will be contained or reduced. With all of these new taxes, hopefully the reform will actually reduce the federal deficit over the next ten years that these provisions are being implemented. There is still much work to be done within the next few years, to see how this reform works out. Many people are glad that it has passed and support this reform as well as encourage it to be expanded, while others oppose the reform arguing that it creates too much government involvement in the issue. But since it has passed and is enacted in the present, people should make use of what is being provided. Some are not even aware of the changes in the health care industry and are oblivious to how they are being affected. That is why it is important to stay informed and make decisions, after all this is what directly affects your future. References CRS Analysis of CBO (March 20, 2010). Estimates of the effects of PPACA and the Reconciliation Act combined. Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved October 31, 2012 from: http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/113xx/doc11379/AmendReconProp.pdf Barrett, Paul M. (June 28, 2012). Supreme Court Supports Obamacare, Bolsters Obama. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved November 3, 2012 from: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-28/supreme-court-supports-obamacare-and-bolsters-obama Congressional Budget Office (March 2009). An Analysis of Health Insurance Premiums Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Letter to the Honorable Evan Bayh. Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC. Retrieved November 3, 2012 from: http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10781. Kaizer, J. (2010). Implementation Timeline. Health Reform Source. Retrieved November 5, 2012 from: http://healthreform.kff.org/timeline.aspx Hilgers, David W. (February 2012) Physicians post-PPACA: not going bust at the healthcare buffet. The Health Lawyer, Vol. 24. Retrieved November 4, 2012 from: http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publishing/health_lawyer/health_mo_premium_hl_healthlawyer_v24_2403 Pozgar, George D. (2009). Legal essentials of health care administration. Missisauga, Ontario: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Michael Brown. National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, Secretary of Health Human Services 567 U.S. (2012) No. 11-393 Argued March 26-28, 2012 – Decided June 28, 2012 Florida ex rel. Bondi v. U.S. Department of Health a Human Services, 780 F.Supp. 2d. 1256 (N.D. Fla. 2011), order clarified by 780 F.Supp. 2d. 1307. (N.D. Fla. 2011).

Analysis of Edmund Wallers Poem On a Girdle Essay -- Edmund Waller Gi

Analysis of Edmund Waller's Poem "On a Girdle" At first glance, Edmund Waller’s poem â€Å"On a Girdle† seems to suggest nothing more than praise of one woman’s fair beauty and the speaker’s love for her. After diving deeper into the text, however, it becomes apparent that the speaker does a much better job of praising himself than the woman. His love is more a lust for control and possession than a true declaration of sentiment. Waller uses extreme imagery and exaggeration to seemingly praise this woman. More importantly, however, he subtlety belittles her through tropes and diction. Waller evokes this image of her girdle to express his own desire to restrict this beautiful woman. It cannot be denied that Waller professes love for this woman. He praises her tremendously. He refers to her girdle as â€Å"my heaven’s extremest sphere†. Through this statement he is claiming that for him her girdle was the most expansive point of his universe. This is undoubtedly an extreme statement. He also declares, â€Å"My joy, my grief, my hope, my love / Did all within this circle move!† Waller is profoundly affected by this woman. She instills in him joy, grief, hope and love, all emotions someone enamored with a woman might experience. He loves her so much that if he can have her then, â€Å"Take all the rest the sun goes round!†. In essence Waller is saying he loves this woman more than anything else on earth. Unarguably, Waller holds this woman in extremely high regard. He has placed her on a pedestal. The more interesting idea to consider, however, is why he places her upon this pedestal. This woman is placed upon the pedestal because of her physical beauty. She is described as having a â€Å"slender waist†, a â€Å"na... ... is an object which can be given and then the word â€Å"me† suggests the speaker’s desire for ownership of this object. By using diction that suggests possession and control Waller reveals his true intent for this woman that the loves. This entire poem conjures up an image, that of a man with his arms encircling a woman as her girdle once did. After reflecting upon this image it can be seen as a very controlling one. The man has his arms around the woman but she has no part of the embrace. She is trapped. She is merely the object he has his arms around. She may be beautiful, he may love her, but she plays no role in the relationship. She simply remains in his embrace much like the deer in its pen she was compared to earlier. This is what Waller desires from this woman. He never asks for her love in return. He longs only for possession of her body.