The Students Media Board Organization Leadership Model

The Students Media Board Organization Leadership Model The Students Media Board (SMB) is an organization that directs various units important to achieving success of the Washington State University Vancouver media outlets. The organization oversees three student-operated media groups: the KOUG radio, the VanCougar bi-monthly newsletter, and the Salmon Creek Journal (an annual literary arts journal. As an organization, SMB demonstrates various traits in terms of organizational factors.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Students Media Board Organization Leadership Model specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Every organization is characterized by a leadership model. Leadership involves influencing the staff to take part in achieving the organizational objectives. There are different theories explaining leadership styles, which include; first is the trait theory. This theory holds that there are personality characteristics that distinguish leaders from the followers. There is a mental demonstration of the characteristics and mode of conduct shown by the leaders. Looking at SMB, it is led by an Executive Board that is made up of a team of four volunteer students and the Students Involvement Manager. The main function of the leadership board is to coordinate efforts and expand media resources. The second leadership theory is behavioral style. This theory requires that a leader should create mutual respect and trust among followers and also initiate an organizational structure that organizes and defines what team members are expected to do. A leader’s behavior should be systematically molded and improved, since there is no single ultimate leadership style, thus it is important to determine when to exhibit certain traits. Thirdly is the situational theory, which argues that a leader’s style should be consistent with the situation at the moment. It refers to how well the leader is in charge and can manage the work environment at hand. Situation al theory can take three dimensions: leader-member relations where the leader has the support and trust of the team; work structure; and position power of the leader, which includes the extent to which the leader can sanction, compel and reward the work team. Hershey and Blanchard propose that efficient leadership behavior is influenced by the alertness of the followers, the ability to complete a given duty. Another model is the path-goal theory which defines how leader’s effectiveness is impacted by the interaction between directive, supportive, participative and results-oriented styles. There are contingency factors that affect the aptness of a leader’s behavior. The SMB board is in charge of implementing problem solutions from the top authority.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There is transactional leadership which aims to clarify the employeeâ₠¬â„¢s tasks and provide reward according to achievement. This model of leadership can be distinguished from transformational leadership, which focuses on changing employee’s attitudes to pursue the organization’s objectives over self interest. Transformational leadership involves increasing intrinsic motivation and objective pursuit, idealizing influence, individualizing consideration, and by intellectual stimulation. Good leaders are expected to be both transformational and transactional so as to impact on the team dynamics and team-level results, while employees are more transactional than transformational. There is the leader-member exchange model, which assumes that the quality of relations between the leaders and the employees is more vital than the traits of either the leaders or followers. Leaders are encouraged to create high performance expectations of their direct reports but not to enable homogeneous work conditions. Just like any other organization, SMB ha s an objective which is to provide educational opportunities to the campus media teams and their development. Due to its organizational structure created by the leadership, SMB is able to achieve new and lucrative inventions that one cannot be achieved individually. Another role of the leadership team of SMB is to introduce and train new recruits in the organization to achieve success of their goals and pursue a person’s need for affiliation.

Causes, Kinds, And Effect Of Kidney Disease

Causes, Kinds, And Effect Of Kidney Disease Kidney Disease Kidney Disease is a disease affecting the kidneys and its functions. There are many different forms of kidney disease and various outcomes. In order to recognize kidney disease, there are many symptoms that someone would be able to recognize. There are 3 main causes of kidney disease that can be fatal to a person’s body. Kidney Disease effects many aspects of life and can change someone’s life for the worse. The Kidneys are two organs that are located on the left and right of the spine in the middle of the back. They are in a shape of a bean and about the size of a human fist. The main function of the kidneys is to remove waste and excess fluid from the body. They also regulate the body’s salt, potassium, and acid content. The kidneys produce hormones and vitamins that regulate blood pressure and help the metabolism. Without the kidneys, the body would not be able to function successfully. When diagnosed with kidney disease there are many symptoms that come with it. High blood pressure is most common symptom. Most other symptoms deal with urination and swelling of the body. Symptoms coming from urination include burning or difficulty during urination and increase in frequency of urination. Also, the passage of blood in urine is not uncommon. Puffiness around the eyes, swelling of the feet and hands, and pain in the small of the back is also to be expected when diagnosed. There are many kinds of kidney diseases. The 3 main types of disorders are congenital disorder, chronic disorder, and acute disorder. Congenital disorders are either genetic or developed at a very early age. Chronic disorders develop over many years and are long-lasting. Acute disorders occur very suddenly and are very dangerous. An example of how to develop acute kidney disease is from a blockage of the kidney drainage system. Causes of kidney disease can be developed after a long period of time or something that occurs suddenly. All causes are dangerous and lead to death either from the kidneys are the disease itself. Diabetes and High Blood Pressure are the 2 main causes of kidney disease. Immune system conditions such as Lupus and HIV/AIDS are contributing factors of this disease. When a person is diagnosed with Hepatitis B and C, kidney disease is a very likely possibility. The only cause of kidney disease that is under human control is the consumption of alcohol. This can be very dangerous to every part of a human body but the kidneys are greatly affected. Alcohol prevents the kidneys from maintaining a proper balance of body fluids and minerals. It also damages the kidney cells, changing the structure and function of the kidneys. Lastly, drinking alcohol increases the chance of developing high blood pressure, which is the 2nd leading cause of kidney disease. Disorders that affect the kidneys can be diagnosed by a number of methods. Kidney imaging such as MRIs and X-Rays are the most common method. Blood tests, urinalysis, and renal kidney are a few of the others. Renal kidney is a biopsy done on the kidney where samples of the kidney are taken and tested. All of these tests are used to determine the type and degree of the kidney disease. Through my research, I found out a lot about kidney disease. The thing that most impacted me was how alcohol was the only cause of kidney disease that humans have the control over. I also learned a lot about how the kidney actually works and how much the body depends on the kidneys to survive.

The economic effects of intellectual property laws Research Paper

The economic effects of intellectual property laws - Research Paper Example It is worth mentioning that property rights can be owned by a person under the US Intellectual Property Law in three major forms in terms of Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks. Patents are defined as the exclusive rights which are granted for a specific period of time to a particular invention in any kind of technology related fields having the potential of industrial application. In case the technology based inventions have been conducted under the supervision and with the funds of a corporate entity, the patent for such inventions is to be entitled to the corporate entity/entities engaged with the invention process through a contract or agreement where the breach of agreement to sell the patent with the consent of other parties (when there are more than one entity engaged) shall also be termed as infringement of the rights (VoiceFill v. West Interactive Corporation et. al.). Similarly, copyrights are also a kind of exclusive rights which are issued to authorships related to the fi elds of art or literature for a specific period of time. Trademarks deal with the exclusive rights for any kind of specific sign or a particular combination of multiple signs which can distinguish the identity of one good and/or service from the other such as in the case of company logo. Unlike other exclusive IP rights, the trademarks are not effective for only a specified time period, but can be held by the creator(s) (i.e. mostly a corporate entity) until they wish to sell the property right to someone else (Valmont Industries, Inc. v. Lindsay Corporation et. al.). It is in this context that the infringement of either of these rights in order to use the properties without permission is called piracy which is strictly prohibited under the US Intellectual... This paper critically evaluates the American government policy in the sphere of protection of the intellectual property, which directly influence not only the growth of domestic economy, but the economic state of most developing economies, as well. Intellectual property (IP) is often defined as the personalized ideas, inventions, as well as gathered information by an entity that can either be a corporate, a person or even a group of people. These intellectual properties are considered to possess significant commercial value in the local, national as well as global market. It can be stated that the enforcement of intellectual property laws have a considerable impact on the economic structure of a country. For instance, by restricting the unwanted and unpermitted use of the IPs, the law tends to raise the value of the patents, trademarks and encourage innovation. On the contrary, enforcing Intellectual Property Laws can also result in decreased employment, especially in the developing economies where a considerable proportion of the entire labor population is engaged in manufacturing and selling the ideas without permission It is worth mentioning that FDIs and international trade relationships are considered to be quite vital , as major drivers of growth and development along with innovation. It is necessary to identify what implications Intellectual Property Rights have on the international trade relations and the generation of FDIs so as to have a better insight to the economic growth and development

North America Geography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

North America Geography - Research Paper Example The Northern half of North America remains sparingly populated and covered largely by Canada, except by North East part occupied by Alaska. The central and southern sections of the North America continent are represented by Mexico, United States, as well as several states situated in Caribbean and Central America. Canada, Mexico, and the United States constitute most of North America’s land mass and share the continent with 34 other island countries in the Caribbean south of Mexico. The paper explores the physical, economic, cultural, and historical geography of North America. The physical geography of North America Physical features frequently impact on the manner in which people select to settle areas and utilize the land. Physical geography can be categorized into three core areas of emphasis, namely: climatology (weather patterns and climates); geomorphology (physiography and landforms); and, biogeography (fauna and flora). The surface physiography of any region draws huge influences by the underlying rock structure. Geologic evidence demonstrates that, from 200 million years, the continent of North America altered its course and started drifting away from Pangaea. The earliest recorded history of any civilization dates back 5,000 years ago (Meinig, 1989). The physical features of North America entail Northern section of the American Cordillera comprising of the geologically new Rocky Mountains (located in the west) and older Appalachian Mountains to the east. The North features several glacial lakes formed within the last glacial period such as the Great Lakes. North America’s prominent continental divide (the Great Divide) runs north and south via Rocky Mountains. The prominent watershed largely drains to the east including the Mississippi/Missouri, St. Lawrence that drains into the Atlantic, and Rio Grande, which drain into the Gulf of Mexico (Meinig, 1989). North America can be categorized into five major physiographic regions, namely: Can adian Shield; Appalachian Mountains; Atlantic Coastal Plain; North American Cordillera; and, Interior Lowlands. The Coastal Plain and the principal North American Cordillera belts largely extend to the south in Mexico to join the Transverse Volcanic Range (a region comprising of active volcanic peaks south of Mexico City. The biggest portion of North America rests on the North American Plate anchored on the Laurentia craton. Some sections of California and Western Mexico form the partial edge of the Pacific Plate, which meet along the San Andreas Fault while sections in the southern portion of the Caribbean and sections of the Central America constitute relatively small Caribbean Plate (Brescia & Super, 2009). Mexico equally manifests highly varied topography that comprises of rugged mountains with high elevations, high plateaus, low coastal plains, and deserts. Mexico’s climate can also be regarded as variable mainly dominated by tropical or desert climate (Colby, 2011). Nor th America Climate The core factors that impact on climate include continentality, latitude, surface physiography, and air masse possess huge impacts on the climate of North America, which in turn, possess direct influences the bio-geographic distribution of the natural vegetation across the region. The core factors that influence vegetation patterns entail temperature and humidity (precipitation). The climate that manifest in North America is

The Octopus - Review Essays -- essays research papers

At the turn of the century, American readers were interested only in stories with happy endings, where goodness was praised and evil was punished. They did not particularly care if that was a false interpretation of the way life really was. When men such as Frank Norris, the author of The Octopus, wrote angrily of the injustices and poverty to be found in America, readers turned away. The Octopus made them change their minds. The course of the novel and the reality of its characters held the readers’ attention. It is so powerful a book that people had to care about the wheat growers, almost against their wishes. The impact did not end in the early twentieth century, but continues its legacy into the new millenium.The Octopus, depicts the conflict between farmers and the railroad over land and power in California. The conflict between these two is revealed through the perspectives of several different groups, each viewing it their own way and offering differing ways to solve or overcome this problem. Norris uses this story as an example to show what he feels is the most important ethical dilemma of his time. The Pacific and South West railroad (P. and S.W.) was the cause of the crisis, and as the crisis built up, they saw it as an opportunity to make even more money off of the farmers. The company, in their selfish desire for wealth, continually cheated the farmers, first promising to sell them railroad land at a relatively low price, and then after the farmers greatly im... The Octopus - Review Essays -- essays research papers At the turn of the century, American readers were interested only in stories with happy endings, where goodness was praised and evil was punished. They did not particularly care if that was a false interpretation of the way life really was. When men such as Frank Norris, the author of The Octopus, wrote angrily of the injustices and poverty to be found in America, readers turned away. The Octopus made them change their minds. The course of the novel and the reality of its characters held the readers’ attention. It is so powerful a book that people had to care about the wheat growers, almost against their wishes. The impact did not end in the early twentieth century, but continues its legacy into the new millenium.The Octopus, depicts the conflict between farmers and the railroad over land and power in California. The conflict between these two is revealed through the perspectives of several different groups, each viewing it their own way and offering differing ways to solve or overcome this problem. Norris uses this story as an example to show what he feels is the most important ethical dilemma of his time. The Pacific and South West railroad (P. and S.W.) was the cause of the crisis, and as the crisis built up, they saw it as an opportunity to make even more money off of the farmers. The company, in their selfish desire for wealth, continually cheated the farmers, first promising to sell them railroad land at a relatively low price, and then after the farmers greatly im...

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's Disease does not kill instantly; it destroys the individual bit by bit, tearing away at their person-hood and self-identity. Most victims suffer for 9 to 15 years after onset of the illness. It is the most common type of dementia in the United States and Canada and after age 40, the risk of developing it doubles with aging every 5.1 years during adults' life. A form of dementia, the DSM-IV-R's (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) criteria for diagnosing dementia include: impairment in short- and long-term memory, at least one of the following: impairment in abstract thinking, impaired judgement, other disturbances of higher cortical functioning, personality change, significant interference with work, social activities, or relationships, in addition, symptoms do not occur exclusively during the course of delirium; and specific etiologic organic factor is evidenced or can be presumed. For an individual with this terrible disease, living with memory loss and its associated disabilities are very frightening. Alzheimer's includes behavioral characteristics that extend beyond its cognitive explanations. These behaviors require study because of the influence on both the patient and caregiver. Treatment often looks to drugs for relief of symptoms and to slow the course of progressive decline, rather than on assisting the individual with coping mechanisms. It has been termed a â€Å"family disease†, not only because of possible genetic relation between victims, but because family members provide 80 percent or more of the care giving. Chronic and progressive mental and physical deterioration decrease the victim's capacity for independence and increase the need for support from family members caring for the victim at home. The victim attempts to make sense of a seemingly new and hostile world, and this leads to dubious and uncharacteristic changes in behavior, personality, decision-making, function, and mood. Certain symptoms that are often associated with depression may be observed in patients who are cognitively impaired but not depressed. Professionals must be aware of all the symptoms the patient is experiencing, and reports from family members must also be taken into account. The patient usually reports fewer negative feelings or mood problems than are identified by caregivers. Patients often attempt to cover up their disease by modifying the behaviors of others, rather than identifying their own inevitable retrogression. Fears of the unknown, fears of abandonment, lowered frustration tolerance, and loss of impulse control may result in problematic behavior. Also, appropriate behavior may simply be forgotten, and faces of family members and friends unfamiliar. However, the victim of Alzheimer's often denies these symptoms. More obvious, even to themselves are the expression of emotions such as panic and deprivation. Experiences such as early retirement and anticipated changes in the responsibilities of daily life are never realized. The inability to drive a car is especially painful and frustrating for some. Self-esteem and sense of worth plummet. Individuals with Alzheimer's lose their capability to plan, postpone, wait, or predict the outcomes of their actions. Family members very often fail to attribute losses similar to those previously mentioned to a d isease. They tend to deny the existence of the disease. Family members may go through a period of denial in which they make excuses for the patient, attributing the problems they encounter to normal aging, stress, etc. Alzheimer's disease creates new demands on the family, who have to adopt numerous roles. The parent, once the primary caregiver to their children, is now like a child receiving care. Each family member defines the situation differently, but display common management behaviors that will be discussed further. Within these similar stages of management, reflection of individual attitudes is obvious due to unique interpretations of the stages. The spouse is usually the primary caregiver of the patient, but when unable to provide the care necessary, an adult child is the most likely candidate. These adult children fear that the disease terrorizing their family and destroying a loved one will be hereditary. Negative behavior changes that are undergone by the victim have major effects on the caregiver. Mental health and life satisfaction of the caregiver seem to decrease rapidly, but according to Lisa Gwyther (1994), the key to minimizing these effects is to strategically change responses by the human and physical environment. Changing the responses of the outside world, rather than attempting to change the responses of the individual with the disease helps to organize difficult changes. Experienced spouses and wise families learn to distract the patient rather than confront them on their shortcomings. They should learn to enrich the victims' pleasure in each moment, spurring preserved memories and skills to maintain the victims' positive feelings of competence, belonging, productivity, and self-esteem. Consistent reassurance and unconditional love are vital to peace and harmony within the family. The patient experiences degeneration of short-term memory, which often results in misplacement of objects and forgetting the names of familiar people. They have irrational or imaginary fears that make them suspicious of those closest to them, and they may accuse others of theft and/or infidelity. This is a source of increased frustration, confusion, distress, and irritability on the part of both the patient and the family. As a result, those involved may rely on alcohol and drugs to alleviate the stresses of coming to terms with the disease. Many families of victims either fail to seek, or do not receive a correct medical diagnosis. They tend to become over-involved and angry, stages necessary in the process of adjustment. The family members attempt to counterweigh the losses experienced by the patient, because the deterioration is beginning to become obvious. Their anger, not necessarily with the patient, stems from the burden, embarrassment, and frustrations caused by the patient's behavior. Burden is reported to be highest in this phase of mild dementia. When the spouse is the primary caregiver (in comparison with adult children or others), care is more complete, and less stress, conflict, and ambivalence are observed. Spouses tend to look for activities, or ways of interpreting the patients behavior, that allow for a continuing adult relationship, rather than a parent- child one, which may belittle the patient. Psychological stress results from conflict between resentment, anger, ambivalence, and guilt, self-blame, and the pain of watching a loved one deteriorate. Caregivers also report physical fatigue from providing care to their regressing loved one. Of all of these, the most difficult is performing the basic daily activities for the patient, and coping with upsetting behavior. Proactive approaches towards treatment of the disease involve the conscious decision that success is possible, both for the patient and family- unfortunately this is something that most afflicted individuals realize too late. In addition, the victims of Alzheimer's may or may not respond to certain types of intervention. A patient may react to one type of treatment one minute and not the next. Immediate, observable changes in patient and family behavior, function, and mood were noted when caregivers learned to separate the resolution of the problem from the intention of the patient. For example, rather than confronting a patient or assigning blame when an object is lost, the caregiver replaces the item the patient claimed â€Å"stolen†. In this way, unnecessary stress and tension are eliminated for both patient and caregiver. Each family member experiences a similar process of coming to terms with the changes. This process includes three stages: describing how the victim is the same, and/or different, prior to disease onset, rewriting the individuality of the victim, and redefining the relationship with the victim. During the first stage, family members look for behaviors that still represent the victims' â€Å"true† self, and those that the person with Alzheimer's no longer has. In the second stage, the disease and individual with the disease must be seen as two in one. Part of the struggle in this stage is to maintain the adult identity of the victim while managing their child-like needs. Still, in the third stage of the adapting process, major problems continue to present themselves. These may include: family and social disruptions, increased marital conflicts, and employment-related difficulties. Family members are usually not aware of one-another's viewpoints; they do not understand that they are not all seeing the victim the same way. Due to the fact that they are not all having the same type of relationship with the victim, paths towards the common goal of attaining highest level of function for the victim may be divided. As a result, the more effort individual family members put into achieving this goal, the more conflict is created. However, it individuals voice their different perspectives and encourage discussion, this may allow the family to function as a complete whole. Understanding between family members can be coupled with social support groups' ideas about the disease. A social network may be effective in protecting individuals with terminal diseases from some of the negative effects. An active organization, The Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (ADRDA) established a network of individuals and families affected with dementia. The speed at which this network is growing is clear evidence of the need for more groups like it. Information sharing, encouragement, and provision of social support are among the top objectives of such groups. A committee at the St. Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association developed Project Esteem to provide emotional intervention for people with Alzheimer's in the Forgetful phase. Its purpose is to provide opportunities to share thoughts and feelings with peers and professionals, and to have some fun. It came about as two separate groups, one being individuals with Alzheimer's and the other, caregivers. Reported feelings related to dementia from both groups include: anger, anxiety, stress, acceptance, and frustration. The number of individuals who report negative feelings greatly outweigh those of acceptance. At initial meetings, bonding is established through the sharing of early memory experiences. Gradually, comfort comes from knowing that the victims are not alone; there are others with the same limitations. The realization that the victims are ordinary people with a chronic illness, rather than an uncontrollable mental illness, is comforting. Overall, the most effective coping occurs when the individual recognizes their own mental change, realizes the diagnosis, and deals with the unexpected attitudes of others. Benefits of group support in this early stage of Alzheimer's are considerable. Individuals sharing similar situations gain insight and encouragement through verbal exchange; when real world suggestions were needed, and non- verbally; when words were simply not accessible. However, as word comprehension and creation becomes increasingly difficult, the individual enters a new stage of disease development. Short-term memory, orientation, and concentration are now severely impaired. Throughout this stage, remote memory, intellectual functioning, comprehension, and judgement decline steadily. Ability to care for one's self also declines, and sleep patterns are altered; this is a severe blow to the patient's independence and self-esteem. The patient then becomes suspicious and paranoid, even of those closest to them. Likelihood of involvement in accidents at home and abuse of medication increase. Behaviors may include night wandering, night shouting, and nocturnal micturition (night- time urination). Obviously, traditional family behaviors and interactive patterns realize drastic alteration. Family members begin to feel guilty for their impatience and intolerance of the patient, even though many of the demands of the patient are unrealistic and illogical. A major problem for those closest to the patient is readjusting expectations of the patient and themselves. Changes and problematic behavior become a source of stress during this phase, but overall limitation and conflict is reported to decrease, which may simply be the result of institutionalization of the victim. Use of drugs is found to be twice as high in care-givers as in community subjects, and care-givers often let their own health deteriorate. Particularly for the spouse's caregivers, social isolation becomes an issue of psychological well being. Lack of time, energy, and interest in social activities becomes prominent as the deterioration of the patient increases. In one study, spouses of patients exhibited higher levels of stress, in comparison to adult children caregivers; but husbands, in comparison to wives, report fewer burdens, and are more willing to admit the difficulty of the tasks at hand and seek out professional help. Adult male children are as likely as women are to assist their parents, but the men appeared to have the ability to distance themselves from the aging parent. This physical and emotional separation seemed to lower the amount of guilt felt by the men. Possibly because of these differing abilities to deal with the disease, there is often conflict between family members as to how to care for the victim. Two broad coping techniques of family members of Alzheimer victims are: (1) Distancing techniques and (2) Enmeshing techniques. Distancing techniques (as discussed earlier) involve establishing distance between the patient and caregiver both emotionally and physically. Enmeshing techniques involve the intensification of the relationship, and often the exclusion of others. This option is usually observed in cases where the spouse is the primary caregiver. Apparently, it is very difficult for spouses who use the Enmeshing technique to become involved in social support groups. Social support is a proven mediator and alleviator of family stress and patient dejection. Adult day care programs provide respite for family members, and allow the patient to interact with individuals with similar conditions. Generally, the patients see the support group as being most helpful in the areas of information sharing and peer support. This information and assistance may help determine the strength of the individual in last stages of the disease. This phase is the final stage of Alzheimer's disease. Mental deterioration is complete; many patients are completely unaware of, or unable to respond to their surroundings. The patients are totally dependent on others for all aspects of daily living. The patient will, most likely, not identify family and friends, and may not communicate at all. Paranoia, agitation, and combativeness increase significantly, if the patient is able to display these emotions at all. He/she eventually becomes extremely weak, incontinent, non-ambulatory and bedridden. It has been hypothesized that at least some of the premorbid changes in strength and weakness may be predicted from changes observed in the earlier stages. Descriptions by caregivers of premorbid personality traits of the victim are similar to symptoms of depression, hallucinations, and delusions. It is during this stage that most victims are admitted to an institution for professional care. Several behavioral problems such as aggression and wandering appear to increase as individuals are moved from the community to nursing homes. Acceptance of this disturbing disease comes very slowly to the family members. The disease's sly onset and the original appearance by the victim of retention of regular physical vigor make acceptance increasingly difficult. As the disease progresses further and further, the changes that occur for the victim become increasingly obvious and family members tend to define the situation more similarly than in previous, seemingly inconspicuous stages. The grieving process is lengthy, because the death of the person is long before the death of the physical body. Although the loved one is long gone, their shell lives on. At some point during this stage, the spouse must undergo the final challenge of marital evaluation. Because the patient does not recognize anyone, the spouse is totally alone, but not single. Obtaining a divorce often creates many difficult legal issues. Many caregivers need assistance coping with the guilt of â€Å"abandoning† their spouse when placing them in a nursing home. Thus, financial problems come into the picture. Paying for nursing home services is difficult, as all effort in previous years has been put into caring for the patient. Relatives of deceased victims can be compared to those whose family member is still living. Wives and husbands display similar feelings of burden, but the husbands report more social limitations. On the contrary, sons and daughters are different in their descriptions of burden. Sons report less social limitations than daughters do, and less affective limitation when the demented parents had died. The sons of the deceased elderly also report less conflict with others than the daughters do. The need for individual support for the caregiver and family of the deceased is important, especially at this stage of sorrow. There may also be a sense of relief and release, as the extensive suffering of a loved one has finally ended. The empty body, which once contained a loved one, can finally be put to rest. Help and support from the staff at institutions with dealing with the grief of the final loss of a loved one is valuable and most definitely appreciated. Alzheimer's Disease is a ceaseless debilitating disease without known cause or cure. Deterioration of mental and physical processes is inevitable, but varies between individuals- the cause for this variance has only been looked at hypothetically. It is a terrifying disease for the victim, who is constantly aware of the losses that are occurring, but can do nothing to prevent the disease from proceeding on its deadly course. Family members respond to the disease within certain guidelines, but the attitude towards the different stages differs for all involved. Social support systems have proven extremely effective for both the victim and caregiver in the Forgetful phase of the illness. From that point on, influence on patients decreases significantly, but personal gain for caregivers continues. There is an evident need for publicly funded support for Alzheimer's disease victims and their families. The obvious lack of information concerning the symptoms and results of the disease show the necessity for incorporation of education and support into intervention strategies for caregivers. Evaluation of a patient with possible dementia requires a complete medical history, neurologic evaluation, and physical examination. At the present time, no diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's are available in laboratories. It is simply a diagnosis based on elimination of other diseases. There is great need for a biological marker that would confirm the diagnosis of Alzheimer's in a living patient. Rapid progress has been made in identifying a potential genetic marker that could be used to diagnose the disease without autopsy, biopsy, or extended evaluations. Potential disadvantages of this approach would be the reluctance of both patients and physicians to have lumbar punctures done, and the potential overlap of normal patients and Alzheimer sufferers. These potential markers are a glimpse of light at the end of a dark tunnel. Metaphorically, Alzheimer's can be seen as a house that is constantly being eaten by termites, from the inside out. Although the house may look the same on the outside, the very foundation of the house, the part that makes it a home, deteriorates. Attempts to stop the decay are futile and, at best, temporary. Eventually, one will not feel comfortable at home, and will most likely leave the home- possibly for someone else to deal with. This relief is also temporary. The eating away of the house continues, until it eventually topples into an unrecognizable heap of what used to be a home. This feeling was best described by one individual in the middle stages of the disease: â€Å"†¦(J)ust a wild lost world. I'm here but I don't know where I am†. Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer's disease is one of most prevalent medical conditions that affect the older sector of society. More and more people continue to suffer from this disease, but at present, there is still no cure available. So what causes Alzheimer's disease? What are its effects, and are there any possible solutions for this condition? This essay would delve into the aforementioned details of Alzheimer's disease. Before the nature of Alzheimer's disease can be discussed, it is important to first define what dementia is.This is because Alzheimer's disease is identified as the most general cause behind the dementia not only in America but also throughout the world. Dementia refers to a syndrome which generally damages a person's daily functioning. This is because the memory is impaired, as well as other thinking capabilities, such as reasoning and thought organization. Even the capacity for language and sight is also affected. Due to the memory decline, simple activities become difficult and pa tients need assistance from others since they cannot take care of themselves anymore.Consequently, Alzheimer's disease is a medical condition which affects the brain; it is a disease that slowly develops, damaging one's memory and other mental processes. These include â€Å"reasoning, planning, language, and perception. † It is believed that the disease is caused by the overproduction or amassment of the protein called beta-amyloid; this protein is believed to result in the demise of nerve cells. The condition worsens as time goes by and can lead to death.The possibility of acquiring Alzheimer's disease increases as one ages, especially when one reaches the age of 70. Those who are beyond 85 years of age are most likely to be affected. However, it is important to point out that though memory loss is a normal part of aging, something as severe as Alzheimer's disease is not part of it. Alzheimer's disease was first discovered in 1906 by a German doctor named Alois Alzheimer; in 1910, the disease was officially named after him. Five years prior, Dr.Alzheimer had 51-year-old patient named Frau Auguste D. ; the symptoms of her condition include problems of speech, memory and understanding. She even began doubting her husband's loyalty for no reason at all. Her condition became worse and eventually, she died. When Dr. Alzheimer performed an autopsy, he found that the size of the brain had decreased. The most notable finding was that the cortex had significantly shrunk; the cortex is responsible for memory and speech, among other vital mental functions.When her brain was viewed in the microscope, Dr. Alzheimer discovered brain cells which are either dead or in the process of dying. There were also fat and other deposits found in the blood vessels and brain cells. The brain is composed of neurons, which are nerve cells. These neurons produce signals which are chemical and electrical in nature. The signals are transferred from one neuron to another, enabling the person to think and recall. The transmission between neurons is made possible by neurotransmitters.Those who suffer from Alzheimer's disease experience the demise of neurons; eventually, neurotransmitters are also affected, and the brain functions are completely interrupted. The autopsy that Dr. Alzheimer performed on Auguste D. revealed that the brain tissues were characterized by â€Å"clumps† and â€Å"knots† of brain cells. At present, the former is recognized as plaques, while the latter is now identified as tangles. Both are acknowledged markers of Alzheimer's disease. These two are also possible contributors in causing the brain disorder.On one hand, plaques are composed of the aforementioned beta-amyloid protein. There is still no determined reason for the death of neurons, but the said protein is believed to be responsible for it. There are three genetic mutations that are recognized as responsible for a small percentage of the early-onset type of the disease . These three are as follows: â€Å"amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1 protein (PS1) and presenilin 2 (PS2). † The said mutations create plaques of amyloid. All three mutations are known to cause at least ten percent of all cases of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer's Disease does not kill instantly; it destroys the individual bit by bit, tearing away at their person-hood and self-identity. Most victims suffer for 9 to 15 years after onset of the illness. It is the most common type of dementia in the United States and Canada and after age 40, the risk of developing it doubles with aging every 5.1 years during adults' life. A form of dementia, the DSM-IV-R's (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) criteria for diagnosing dementia include: impairment in short- and long-term memory, at least one of the following: impairment in abstract thinking, impaired judgement, other disturbances of higher cortical functioning, personality change, significant interference with work, social activities, or relationships, in addition, symptoms do not occur exclusively during the course of delirium; and specific etiologic organic factor is evidenced or can be presumed. For an individual with this terrible disease, living with memory loss and its associated disabilities are very frightening. Alzheimer's includes behavioral characteristics that extend beyond its cognitive explanations. These behaviors require study because of the influence on both the patient and caregiver. Treatment often looks to drugs for relief of symptoms and to slow the course of progressive decline, rather than on assisting the individual with coping mechanisms. It has been termed a â€Å"family disease†, not only because of possible genetic relation between victims, but because family members provide 80 percent or more of the care giving. Chronic and progressive mental and physical deterioration decrease the victim's capacity for independence and increase the need for support from family members caring for the victim at home. The victim attempts to make sense of a seemingly new and hostile world, and this leads to dubious and uncharacteristic changes in behavior, personality, decision-making, function, and mood. Certain symptoms that are often associated with depression may be observed in patients who are cognitively impaired but not depressed. Professionals must be aware of all the symptoms the patient is experiencing, and reports from family members must also be taken into account. The patient usually reports fewer negative feelings or mood problems than are identified by caregivers. Patients often attempt to cover up their disease by modifying the behaviors of others, rather than identifying their own inevitable retrogression. Fears of the unknown, fears of abandonment, lowered frustration tolerance, and loss of impulse control may result in problematic behavior. Also, appropriate behavior may simply be forgotten, and faces of family members and friends unfamiliar. However, the victim of Alzheimer's often denies these symptoms. More obvious, even to themselves are the expression of emotions such as panic and deprivation. Experiences such as early retirement and anticipated changes in the responsibilities of daily life are never realized. The inability to drive a car is especially painful and frustrating for some. Self-esteem and sense of worth plummet. Individuals with Alzheimer's lose their capability to plan, postpone, wait, or predict the outcomes of their actions. Family members very often fail to attribute losses similar to those previously mentioned to a d isease. They tend to deny the existence of the disease. Family members may go through a period of denial in which they make excuses for the patient, attributing the problems they encounter to normal aging, stress, etc. Alzheimer's disease creates new demands on the family, who have to adopt numerous roles. The parent, once the primary caregiver to their children, is now like a child receiving care. Each family member defines the situation differently, but display common management behaviors that will be discussed further. Within these similar stages of management, reflection of individual attitudes is obvious due to unique interpretations of the stages. The spouse is usually the primary caregiver of the patient, but when unable to provide the care necessary, an adult child is the most likely candidate. These adult children fear that the disease terrorizing their family and destroying a loved one will be hereditary. Negative behavior changes that are undergone by the victim have major effects on the caregiver. Mental health and life satisfaction of the caregiver seem to decrease rapidly, but according to Lisa Gwyther (1994), the key to minimizing these effects is to strategically change responses by the human and physical environment. Changing the responses of the outside world, rather than attempting to change the responses of the individual with the disease helps to organize difficult changes. Experienced spouses and wise families learn to distract the patient rather than confront them on their shortcomings. They should learn to enrich the victims' pleasure in each moment, spurring preserved memories and skills to maintain the victims' positive feelings of competence, belonging, productivity, and self-esteem. Consistent reassurance and unconditional love are vital to peace and harmony within the family. The patient experiences degeneration of short-term memory, which often results in misplacement of objects and forgetting the names of familiar people. They have irrational or imaginary fears that make them suspicious of those closest to them, and they may accuse others of theft and/or infidelity. This is a source of increased frustration, confusion, distress, and irritability on the part of both the patient and the family. As a result, those involved may rely on alcohol and drugs to alleviate the stresses of coming to terms with the disease. Many families of victims either fail to seek, or do not receive a correct medical diagnosis. They tend to become over-involved and angry, stages necessary in the process of adjustment. The family members attempt to counterweigh the losses experienced by the patient, because the deterioration is beginning to become obvious. Their anger, not necessarily with the patient, stems from the burden, embarrassment, and frustrations caused by the patient's behavior. Burden is reported to be highest in this phase of mild dementia. When the spouse is the primary caregiver (in comparison with adult children or others), care is more complete, and less stress, conflict, and ambivalence are observed. Spouses tend to look for activities, or ways of interpreting the patients behavior, that allow for a continuing adult relationship, rather than a parent- child one, which may belittle the patient. Psychological stress results from conflict between resentment, anger, ambivalence, and guilt, self-blame, and the pain of watching a loved one deteriorate. Caregivers also report physical fatigue from providing care to their regressing loved one. Of all of these, the most difficult is performing the basic daily activities for the patient, and coping with upsetting behavior. Proactive approaches towards treatment of the disease involve the conscious decision that success is possible, both for the patient and family- unfortunately this is something that most afflicted individuals realize too late. In addition, the victims of Alzheimer's may or may not respond to certain types of intervention. A patient may react to one type of treatment one minute and not the next. Immediate, observable changes in patient and family behavior, function, and mood were noted when caregivers learned to separate the resolution of the problem from the intention of the patient. For example, rather than confronting a patient or assigning blame when an object is lost, the caregiver replaces the item the patient claimed â€Å"stolen†. In this way, unnecessary stress and tension are eliminated for both patient and caregiver. Each family member experiences a similar process of coming to terms with the changes. This process includes three stages: describing how the victim is the same, and/or different, prior to disease onset, rewriting the individuality of the victim, and redefining the relationship with the victim. During the first stage, family members look for behaviors that still represent the victims' â€Å"true† self, and those that the person with Alzheimer's no longer has. In the second stage, the disease and individual with the disease must be seen as two in one. Part of the struggle in this stage is to maintain the adult identity of the victim while managing their child-like needs. Still, in the third stage of the adapting process, major problems continue to present themselves. These may include: family and social disruptions, increased marital conflicts, and employment-related difficulties. Family members are usually not aware of one-another's viewpoints; they do not understand that they are not all seeing the victim the same way. Due to the fact that they are not all having the same type of relationship with the victim, paths towards the common goal of attaining highest level of function for the victim may be divided. As a result, the more effort individual family members put into achieving this goal, the more conflict is created. However, it individuals voice their different perspectives and encourage discussion, this may allow the family to function as a complete whole. Understanding between family members can be coupled with social support groups' ideas about the disease. A social network may be effective in protecting individuals with terminal diseases from some of the negative effects. An active organization, The Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (ADRDA) established a network of individuals and families affected with dementia. The speed at which this network is growing is clear evidence of the need for more groups like it. Information sharing, encouragement, and provision of social support are among the top objectives of such groups. A committee at the St. Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association developed Project Esteem to provide emotional intervention for people with Alzheimer's in the Forgetful phase. Its purpose is to provide opportunities to share thoughts and feelings with peers and professionals, and to have some fun. It came about as two separate groups, one being individuals with Alzheimer's and the other, caregivers. Reported feelings related to dementia from both groups include: anger, anxiety, stress, acceptance, and frustration. The number of individuals who report negative feelings greatly outweigh those of acceptance. At initial meetings, bonding is established through the sharing of early memory experiences. Gradually, comfort comes from knowing that the victims are not alone; there are others with the same limitations. The realization that the victims are ordinary people with a chronic illness, rather than an uncontrollable mental illness, is comforting. Overall, the most effective coping occurs when the individual recognizes their own mental change, realizes the diagnosis, and deals with the unexpected attitudes of others. Benefits of group support in this early stage of Alzheimer's are considerable. Individuals sharing similar situations gain insight and encouragement through verbal exchange; when real world suggestions were needed, and non- verbally; when words were simply not accessible. However, as word comprehension and creation becomes increasingly difficult, the individual enters a new stage of disease development. Short-term memory, orientation, and concentration are now severely impaired. Throughout this stage, remote memory, intellectual functioning, comprehension, and judgement decline steadily. Ability to care for one's self also declines, and sleep patterns are altered; this is a severe blow to the patient's independence and self-esteem. The patient then becomes suspicious and paranoid, even of those closest to them. Likelihood of involvement in accidents at home and abuse of medication increase. Behaviors may include night wandering, night shouting, and nocturnal micturition (night- time urination). Obviously, traditional family behaviors and interactive patterns realize drastic alteration. Family members begin to feel guilty for their impatience and intolerance of the patient, even though many of the demands of the patient are unrealistic and illogical. A major problem for those closest to the patient is readjusting expectations of the patient and themselves. Changes and problematic behavior become a source of stress during this phase, but overall limitation and conflict is reported to decrease, which may simply be the result of institutionalization of the victim. Use of drugs is found to be twice as high in care-givers as in community subjects, and care-givers often let their own health deteriorate. Particularly for the spouse's caregivers, social isolation becomes an issue of psychological well being. Lack of time, energy, and interest in social activities becomes prominent as the deterioration of the patient increases. In one study, spouses of patients exhibited higher levels of stress, in comparison to adult children caregivers; but husbands, in comparison to wives, report fewer burdens, and are more willing to admit the difficulty of the tasks at hand and seek out professional help. Adult male children are as likely as women are to assist their parents, but the men appeared to have the ability to distance themselves from the aging parent. This physical and emotional separation seemed to lower the amount of guilt felt by the men. Possibly because of these differing abilities to deal with the disease, there is often conflict between family members as to how to care for the victim. Two broad coping techniques of family members of Alzheimer victims are: (1) Distancing techniques and (2) Enmeshing techniques. Distancing techniques (as discussed earlier) involve establishing distance between the patient and caregiver both emotionally and physically. Enmeshing techniques involve the intensification of the relationship, and often the exclusion of others. This option is usually observed in cases where the spouse is the primary caregiver. Apparently, it is very difficult for spouses who use the Enmeshing technique to become involved in social support groups. Social support is a proven mediator and alleviator of family stress and patient dejection. Adult day care programs provide respite for family members, and allow the patient to interact with individuals with similar conditions. Generally, the patients see the support group as being most helpful in the areas of information sharing and peer support. This information and assistance may help determine the strength of the individual in last stages of the disease. This phase is the final stage of Alzheimer's disease. Mental deterioration is complete; many patients are completely unaware of, or unable to respond to their surroundings. The patients are totally dependent on others for all aspects of daily living. The patient will, most likely, not identify family and friends, and may not communicate at all. Paranoia, agitation, and combativeness increase significantly, if the patient is able to display these emotions at all. He/she eventually becomes extremely weak, incontinent, non-ambulatory and bedridden. It has been hypothesized that at least some of the premorbid changes in strength and weakness may be predicted from changes observed in the earlier stages. Descriptions by caregivers of premorbid personality traits of the victim are similar to symptoms of depression, hallucinations, and delusions. It is during this stage that most victims are admitted to an institution for professional care. Several behavioral problems such as aggression and wandering appear to increase as individuals are moved from the community to nursing homes. Acceptance of this disturbing disease comes very slowly to the family members. The disease's sly onset and the original appearance by the victim of retention of regular physical vigor make acceptance increasingly difficult. As the disease progresses further and further, the changes that occur for the victim become increasingly obvious and family members tend to define the situation more similarly than in previous, seemingly inconspicuous stages. The grieving process is lengthy, because the death of the person is long before the death of the physical body. Although the loved one is long gone, their shell lives on. At some point during this stage, the spouse must undergo the final challenge of marital evaluation. Because the patient does not recognize anyone, the spouse is totally alone, but not single. Obtaining a divorce often creates many difficult legal issues. Many caregivers need assistance coping with the guilt of â€Å"abandoning† their spouse when placing them in a nursing home. Thus, financial problems come into the picture. Paying for nursing home services is difficult, as all effort in previous years has been put into caring for the patient. Relatives of deceased victims can be compared to those whose family member is still living. Wives and husbands display similar feelings of burden, but the husbands report more social limitations. On the contrary, sons and daughters are different in their descriptions of burden. Sons report less social limitations than daughters do, and less affective limitation when the demented parents had died. The sons of the deceased elderly also report less conflict with others than the daughters do. The need for individual support for the caregiver and family of the deceased is important, especially at this stage of sorrow. There may also be a sense of relief and release, as the extensive suffering of a loved one has finally ended. The empty body, which once contained a loved one, can finally be put to rest. Help and support from the staff at institutions with dealing with the grief of the final loss of a loved one is valuable and most definitely appreciated. Alzheimer's Disease is a ceaseless debilitating disease without known cause or cure. Deterioration of mental and physical processes is inevitable, but varies between individuals- the cause for this variance has only been looked at hypothetically. It is a terrifying disease for the victim, who is constantly aware of the losses that are occurring, but can do nothing to prevent the disease from proceeding on its deadly course. Family members respond to the disease within certain guidelines, but the attitude towards the different stages differs for all involved. Social support systems have proven extremely effective for both the victim and caregiver in the Forgetful phase of the illness. From that point on, influence on patients decreases significantly, but personal gain for caregivers continues. There is an evident need for publicly funded support for Alzheimer's disease victims and their families. The obvious lack of information concerning the symptoms and results of the disease show the necessity for incorporation of education and support into intervention strategies for caregivers. Evaluation of a patient with possible dementia requires a complete medical history, neurologic evaluation, and physical examination. At the present time, no diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's are available in laboratories. It is simply a diagnosis based on elimination of other diseases. There is great need for a biological marker that would confirm the diagnosis of Alzheimer's in a living patient. Rapid progress has been made in identifying a potential genetic marker that could be used to diagnose the disease without autopsy, biopsy, or extended evaluations. Potential disadvantages of this approach would be the reluctance of both patients and physicians to have lumbar punctures done, and the potential overlap of normal patients and Alzheimer sufferers. These potential markers are a glimpse of light at the end of a dark tunnel. Metaphorically, Alzheimer's can be seen as a house that is constantly being eaten by termites, from the inside out. Although the house may look the same on the outside, the very foundation of the house, the part that makes it a home, deteriorates. Attempts to stop the decay are futile and, at best, temporary. Eventually, one will not feel comfortable at home, and will most likely leave the home- possibly for someone else to deal with. This relief is also temporary. The eating away of the house continues, until it eventually topples into an unrecognizable heap of what used to be a home. This feeling was best described by one individual in the middle stages of the disease: â€Å"†¦(J)ust a wild lost world. I'm here but I don't know where I am†.

Definition and Examples of Adages in English

An adage is an ancient saying or maxim, brief and sometimes mysterious, that has become accepted as conventional wisdom. In classical rhetoric, an adage is also known as a rhetorical proverb or  paroemia. An adage—such as The early bird gets the worm—is a condensed and memorable expression. Often its a type of metaphor.It is sometimes claimed that the  expression old adage  is redundant, say the editors of the American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style,inasmuch as a saying must have a certain tradition behind it to count as an adage in the first place. But the word adage  [from the Latin for I say] is first recorded in the phrase old adage, showing that this redundancy is itself very old. Pronunciation:  AD-ij Examples   Know thyself.Alls well that ends well.Out of nothing, nothing can come.Art lies in concealing the art.From flowers, bees make honey and spiders poison.A stitch in time saves nine.Not quantity, but quality.Make haste slowly.Physician, heal thyself.Respect thyself, if thou wouldst be respected by others.The people reign, the elite rule.Knowledge equals power.Love conquers all.If you want peace, prepare for war.Who will guard the guards?What hurts us instructs us.Whom the gods destroy they first make mad.Give your child to a slave, and instead of one slave you will have two.A great city is a great solitude.Carpe diem. (Seize the day.)Be mindful of dying.Better late than never.The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Adages and Cultural Values [C]onsider the cultural values that adages, or common sayings, express. What is meant by the American saying, Every man for himself? Does it reflect the idea that men, and not women, are the standard? Does it reflect individualism as a value? What is meant by The early bird catches the worm?Distinct values are expressed in adages from other cultures. What values are expressed in the Mexican proverb, He who lives a hurried life will soon die? How is this view of time different from dominant views of time in the United States? In Africa, two popular adages are The child has no owner and It takes a whole village to raise a child, and in China a common saying is No need to know the person, only the family (Samovar Porter, 2000). A Japanese adage states that it is the nail that sticks out that gets hammered down (Gudykunst Lee, 2002). What values are expressed by these sayings? How are they different from mainstream Western values and the language that embodies them?(Julia T. Wood, Inte rpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters, 7th ed. Wadsworth, 2013) Tools of Persuasion As indirect tools of persuasion, adages are understandably attractive to people who judge direct confrontation and criticism inappropriate in many contexts.(Ann Fienup-Riordan, Wise Words of the Yupik People. University of Nebraska Press, 2005) Age as a Part of Adage Dictionaries (with a single exception) affirm in one way or another that an adage is a long-established saying; therefore the old [in the expression old adage] is redundant. Incidentally, an expression that someone thought up yesterday is not an adage. To put it another way--and this is obvious--age is a part of adage. (Theodore M. Bernstein, The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage. Simon Schuster, 1965) Safire on Adages Those of us who enjoy living in synonymy know that an adage is not quite as graven in collective wisdom as a proverb or a maxim; it is not as legalistic as a dictum or as scientific as an axiom or as sentimental as a homily or as corny as a saw, nor as formalized as a motto, but it is more rooted in tradition than an observation. (William Safire, Spread the Word. Times Books, 1999) The Adagia (Adages) of Desiderius Erasmus (1500; rev. 1508 and 1536) Erasmus was an avid collector of proverbs and aphorisms. He compiled all the expressions he could find in the works of the classical Greek and Latin authors he loved, and provided a brief history and explication for each one. When I considered the important contributions made to elegance and richness of style by brilliant aphorisms, apt metaphors, proverbs, and similar figures of speech, I made up my mind to collect the largest possible supply of such things. he wrote. So in addition to Know thyself, readers of Erasmuss Adages are treated to pithy accounts of the origins of such expressions as to leave no stone unturned, to cry crocodile tears, no sooner said than done, clothes make the man, and everyone thinks his own fart smells sweet. Erasmus added to and revised the book throughout his life, and by the time he died in 1536 he had collected and explained 4,151 proverbs. Erasmus intended the book to be a Bartletts Familiar Quotations for 16th-century after-dinner speakers: a resource for writers and public orators who wanted to spice up their speeches with well-placed quotes from the classics. (James Geary, The World in a Phrase: A Brief History of the Aphorism. Bloomsbury USA, 2005) Many hands make light work.Put the cart before the horseWalk the tightropeCall a spade a spadeBetween friends all is common.To die laughingLike father, like sonThe project of the Adages, like many manuals published in the 16th century, was to harvest all possible vestiges of antiquity and put them at the disposal of scholars. In this particular case, Erasmus sought to collect and explain proverbs, aphorisms, ï ¬ gurative expressions, all sorts of more or less enigmatic sayings. . . . An adage is like a bud that contains the latent promise of a flower, an enigmatic expression, a mystery to unravel. The ancients veiled their messages, deposited clues to their culture in their language; they wrote in code. The modern reader breaks the code, opens the coffers, takes out the secrets and publishes them, even at the risk of altering their force. The author of Adages [Erasmus] acted as an intermediary, made a profession of displaying and multiplying. So it was normal that his book, both cornucopia and organ of distribution, would operate with centrifugal dynamics. (Michel Jeanneret, Perpetual Motion: Transforming Shapes in the Renaissance from Da Vinci to Montaigne, 1997. Translated by Nidra Poller. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001) The Lighter Side of Adages: George Burns and Gracie Allen Special Agent Timothy McGee: I think its time you get back on that horse.Special Agent Ziva David: Youre getting a pony?Special Agent Timothy McGee: Its an adage.Special Agent Ziva David: I am not familiar with that breed.(Sean Murray and Cote de Pablo in Identity Crisis. NCIS, 2007)