Friday, September 6, 2019

Bronchodilator Essay Example for Free

Bronchodilator Essay By definition, a bronchodilator is a drug used for the treatment of chronic breathing complications such as emphysema, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease also known as COPD. Bronchodilators are used to reverse the effect of obstructed airways acting as decompressor and mucus removers that cause breathing complications. There is short term or short acting bronchodilators that act as â€Å"rescue medications† (Webmd. com). These rescue medications are used in more emergency instances as with asthma. Long-acting bronchodilators are used for the maintance of such diseases as COPD which is more chronic. Each bronchodilator type â€Å"opens bronchial tubes so that air can move through†¦. And help clear mucus from lungs (webmd. com). Bronchodilators such as uniphyl and Phyllocontin come in the form of a pill or tablet and are a sustained release formulation of another drug called Theophylline which opens constricted lung passages. These are more long term treatments. Short term or more frequent usage as with advair, symbicort, serevent, Foradil, are inhaled and last between two and four hours while long term tablets use lasts upwards of 12 hours. Although bronchodilators provide control over congested airways, they also act as stimulants and have an array of side effects. These side effects include: nervousness, hyperactivity, heart palpations, upset stomach, trouble sleeping, and muscle aches. Bronchodilators are approved by the FDA and originated in emergency room settings, where the necessity was abundant for chronic asthma attack patients. Albuterol, commonly used for the maintenance of asthma in an inhaler form is often however more effective than most other long acting bronchodilators. Albuterol is considered an anticholinergic bronchodilator. As previously mentioned, theophylline, an inexpensive bronchodilator acts as a stimulant similar to caffeine. Theophylline stimulants the heart and nervous system, relaxing airway muscles. Some side effects of its use include nausea, diarrhea, stomach ache, headache, and irregular heartbeat. Some bronchodilators contain adrenaline so mixing with other stimulating drugs for the treatment of high blood pressure, diabetes; thyroid, hyperactivity, and heart disease are discouraged from the use of bronchodilators. Inhaled bronchodilators â€Å"enable the drug to reach into the lungs for maximum benefits† (medicine. net). It is a possibility to overdose on inhaled bronchodilators. Some signs of overdose include seizures, headaches, fainting and dizziness, and chest pains. If one is experiencing symptoms similar while using inhaled bronchodilators it is advised to visit a local emergency room or primary care physician. Alternate treatment conducive to bronchodilators includes pulmonary rehab and therapy. Excessive use of bronchodilators makes the treatments less effective and increases the probability of side effects. It is uncommon to have allergic reactions to bronchodilators but in the event, rash, itching, swelling and further complications occur, further use is discouraged. Some conditions treatable with bronchodilators are commonly COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD is â€Å"an irreversible disease associated with air flow obstruction†. (purdue. ca/products/products-asthma-asb) COPD umbrellas a category of other conditions such as emphysema, (irreversible lung damage/over inflation/weaking of air sacs) and chronic bronchitis (inflammation and scarring of airways tubes. Common symptoms of these conditions include: chronic chough, wheezing increased mucus, shortness of breath, and tiresome minimal activity. COPD is more predominantly caused by cigarette smoking however; other causes may include genetics, air pollution, cystic fibrosis, and childhood infections. Another condition treatable with bronchodilators is asthma. Asthma is also a chronic lung disease that causes swelling of the airways which creates complications with breathing. Causes of asthma are less solid than those of COPD but implicate being due to an† immune-mediated processing which inflammatory cells and inflammatory mediators enter airway tissues to cause disease† (purdue. ca/products/products-asthma. asp). One who is diagnosed with asthma often becomes sensitive to hair sprays, cosmetics, cleaners, paints, pollens, animals and cock roaches, chemicals, temperature, and even some foods, An asthma attack is experienced with shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightening, persistent coughed and dyspnea. Bronchodilators are most effectively used while avoiding things that further complicate breathing. This is especially true with cigarette smoke which should be avoided first and second hand. Bronchodilators work most when used according to prescription and consistency. One should always educate self when or before exposing the body to such drugs as bronchodilators which are often stimulants and cause brief and sudden body changes.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Influence Of Italy on the English Renaissance

Influence Of Italy on the English Renaissance The Italian renaissance is said to be a phenomenon of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and is explained as an outgrowth of the rise of the independent city-states. It is a cultural phenomenon where the humanist ethos finds expression in culture and the arts, especially in the fields of painting and poetry. Starting from the Italian city-states, the same phenomenon is seen to have spread across Europe in the succeeding centuries, and the English renaissance is located in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. It is only natural that poets and playwrights of the English renaissance be fascinated by the Italian experience, and there are several dimensions to this fascination. The renaissance itself meant a revival of classicism, where the standards of art, thought, and culture in general, are sought in the antiquity of Greece and Rome. Therefore, the gaze towards the Mediterranean shores took into account not only the present situation, but also a distant and glorious past. In fact, the inherent tensions in the comparison between past and present are what principally dictates the direction of the English renaissance, and eventually lends to it its unique character. We will study aspects of Ben Jonsons play Volpone in order to identify some of the key dynamics of the English experience in regard to its relationship with Italy. It is an ideal play to study in this respect. Ben Jonson was the foremost classicist of his age, and in the play Volpone are present many of the tensions that inform the English renaissance. According to R. V. Young, [W]ith the exception of John Milton, there is no English poet more learned than Ben Jonson, and none who makes learning such an integral part of his literary work.  [1]  The principle concern of Jonson is to find the right balance between the old and the new. This is a newly emerging concern, and something that most characterizes the English experience. The renaissance was initially informed by a blind devotion towards antiquity, but in turn produced its own exemplars in the likes of Petrarch, Dante, Aristo and Tasso. Hadfield defines the renaissance as reinterpretation and reusing of what had gone before.  [2]  Jonson believes firmly in rules of art laid down in antiquity by the likes of Aristotle and Horace, whereas the new achievements remain enigmatic to him. There is more freshness and delight in the new, but it is always accompanied by a tendency to corrupt, and Jonson intends to advocate caution in this regard. His advice, in Discoveries, is to absorb the classics before the new: When their judgments are firm and out of danger, let them read both the old and the new; but no less take heed that their new flowers and sweetness do not as much corrupt as others dryness and squalor, if they choose not carefully.  [3]   The ultimate effect of the new is that it transforms the devotional approach to antiquity into a more critical one. The Poetaster is an early play of Jonsons in which the clash between the old and the new takes centre stage. The verdict is firmly in favour of the old, but the dispute has the effect of eliminating blind devotion and putting in its place a more discriminatory approach to the classics. One result of the critical approach is that it reveals that there was criticism among the ancients too, and that the rules laid down does not make for a homogeneous set. Aristotle lays down his rules of poetics from pure considerations, whereas Horace, coming three centuries later, believes that there should be an element of entertainment mixed with strict purposefulness: But he hath every suffrage, can apply / Sweet mixd with sowre, to his Reader, so / As doctrine, and delight together go.  [4]  The above lines are taken from Jonsons own translation of Horaces Ars Poetica, and it des cribes an approach that the Jacobean writer adopts himself. Volpone is introduced as aiming to mix profit with your pleasure.  [5]   The play is essentially a farce, with an abundance of incidence, and with a plethora of unsavoury characters, practicing their wiles on each other and ending up in convoluted situations. There is an explicit and straightforward moral message in the end, because Volpone and all those who covet his wealth end up caught and punished by law. However, there are more subtle readings possible, which concern the conflict between the classical order and the emerging ethos of the times. The setting in Venice is the first significant detail. The city was viewed as the epicentre of the renaissance, and therefore a perfect backdrop in which to present the new fashions. A large number of the Elizabethan and Jacobean plays are set in the prosperous and mercantile cities of Italy, and with the same object of alluding to the emerging trends at home. Jonson is more ambitious, however, and therefore introduces the travelling nobles Sir Politic and Lady Would-be, who exemplify all the abuses of classici sm that Jonson would highlight. They are negative examples, like almost everything else in the play. Their presence is incidental to the plot, and the incessant chattering of Lady Would-be only infuriates Volpone. However, Jonsons purpose is served best through them. Early in the play Sir Politic is asked to elaborate on the purpose of his travels, and he explains that the wise man should not be limited to his native country, or even to Europe, and he essentially conveys the modern wisdom that travelling broadens the mind. In this context it must be remembered that the wisdom is essentially a modern one, and that insularity was the norm in the days when travelling was arduous and expensive. The renaissance itself can be described as a journey, from the old to the new, and to the English it most of all represented a breaking away from insularity. The travellers do indeed represent the renaissance spirit, and the rationale of Sir Politic expresses it perfectly: Yet, I protest, it is no salt desire Of seeing countries, shifting a religion, Nor any disaffection to the state Where I was bred, and unto which I owe My dearest plots, hath brought me out.  [6]   But Jonson is always ready to point out the dangers of picking up fashions in the place of wisdom or knowledge, and this is the particular talent of Lady Would-be. Her husband points out that she is slightly different in her intentions, which are to observe, / To quote, to learn the language, and so forth  [7]   To Lady Would-be it is all fashion. She delights in quoting the classical authors, even though she quotes inaccurately, and is unable to differentiate one from the other. She is particular about her behaviour, and does not want to exchange animated words in public because It comes too near rusticity in a lady, / Which I would shun, by all means (Ibid 77). To this end she quotes Castigliones Courtier, a renaissance manual to proper conduct. At another place she elaborates on her concept of the enlightened lady: I would have A lady, indeed, to have all letters and arts, Be able to discourse, to write, to paint, But principal (as Plato holds) your music (And, so does wise Pythagoras, I take it) Is your true rapture.  [8]   Plato and Pythagoras do indeed advance theories of music, but they are very different from each other, and have very little to do with the actual practice of music. Through Lady Would-bes cavalier quoting Jonson intends to show how classicism can be reduced to mere fashion. The Itinerary of Fynes Moryson provides some support for Jonsons portrayal of Lady Would-be. After observing the feminine traits across the continent he declares the English woman to be the most liberated among them: England is the hell of horses, the purgatory of servants, and the paradise of women; because the English men ride Horses without measure, and use their Servants imperiously, and their Women obsequiously.  [9]  He also lends support to Jonsons portrayal of the English renaissance man as a traveller. [T]hey have worn out all the fashions of France and all the nations of Europe, he says regarding the Englishman, who is so fond of fashion that he borrows from all the nations and settles on a motley composite.  [10]  In a more philosophical vein, this is the attitude of Sir Politic. In conclusion, Jonson satirizes some traits of the English renaissance through the incidental characters of Sir Politic and Lady Would-be in his comedy Volpone. He makes classical allusions throughout the play, generally to highlight the abuses of the classical heritage, and also to impress the importance of it in relation to the English renaissance. In the final analysis, Jonsons accomplishment is to have introduced a critical approach to classicism, which was crucial to the cultural evolution in England.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Murder of Chandra Levy

Murder of Chandra Levy During the summer of 2001, the scandalous murder of twenty-four year old D.C intern, Chandra Levy, had been plastered all over the media. Levys 2001 disappearance formed into a national sensation, after the California native was romantically connected with former congressional representative Gary Condit. The Levy murder, after sixteen years, still remains as Washingtons most famous unsolved crime. There were very few people involved in the proposed scandal. One of the main individuals involved was congressman Gary Condit, a conservative Democrat. He was inconclusively linked to the disappearance of a federal intern, Chandra Levy. It is rumored the two were romantically involved, but Condit stuck heavily with his decision to not verify if this is true. Chandra Levy, native of Modesto, California was an intelligent being, who had a dream to save the world. She was known as a thrill seeker and wanted to become a modern version of Mata Hari, a WWI spy who infiltrated high levels of military commands. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a Masters degree in Public Administration. After interning for a few government members, she learned about the private world of high level politicians who had secret sex lives, Gary Condit for example. She was intrigued by this information, and could easily use her information to her advantage. The scandal between the notable congressman and the intern, was getting a lot of heat, tensions were on the rise. Rumors of Condits tenacious sexual appetite, and how Levy had been done away with, whether it was directly addressed or not by Condit, it is still a mystery. Their relationship could ruin his career and family. However, there are many different theories and versions of what actually happened between the two, although the facts tell the truth. Levy, was secretively an agent of an Israeli spy team called the MOSSAD that sees great importance of their relationships with the U.S, and would be unable to exist, without large amounts of help. The agency is dependent on critical intelligence information that is obtained through cooperation and or secretly. Levy was in the perfect position to gather top secret information, through her position of work and by using her female power of persuasion. Condit, being the senior member of the intelligence committee made him a prime target for such an operation. The seduction of such powerful government officials, provides foreign powers the added advantage of being able to bribe and control the unsuspecting targeted victims to acquire wanted information. After more than 14 months of investigation, Chandra Levys skull had mysteriously been found in Washingtons Rock Creek Park. on May 22st 2002 Although most of the incriminating evidence had been long gone due to the effects of time, it was clear that this was not an accident and had been declared a homicide. Ingmar Guandique, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was pinned as the murderer of Levy, all evidence pointed in his direction. Federal prosecutors could no longer prove a case against Guandique. The U.S. attorneys office of Washington concluded that it can no longer prove the murder case against Mr. Guandique beyond a reasonable doubt. (Hounding Gary Condit). The beginning and end of Condit and Levys scandal, took place from May of 2000 up until her disappearance on May 1st of 2001. All of the focus and attention this scandal received, had soon came crashing down along with the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In March of 2002, Condit lost his bid for re-election, mostly because of his ties to the scandal, making this his first time ever losing an election. While the country was focusing on the scandal, the U.S and British forces had started war with Afghanistan. Lasting over thirteen years. There were enough surrounding events during the time of this case that could become more important to the public. Although Condit was never considered a suspect, rumors had circulated and had never been proven. There was no significant proof that he was involved in the disappearance and murder of Levy, which raised more than a few major red flags. Condit had been subject to a poly graph test at the request of Levys parents Robert and Susan Levy, after sources revealed that Condit admitted to having an affair with the intern. Although he failed to answer key questions it didnt effect the results. There was speculation that his results were tampered with. Andrew Schapiro, New York criminal defense lawyer mentioned that such friendly tests, only requiring three questions, arent considered reliable. Condits refusal to play by the new behavioral rules for public officials. Public officials must go through human ethics training it is an instrument for building integrity in state institutions and making sure there is a noble worth of governance. (What REALLY Happened To Chandra Levy). An online magazine writer, Mikey Kaus suggested that if Condit was normal, smart and aware of the rules of engagement (created in response to the Lewinsky-Clinton scandal) then he would have held a press conference the first week Levy was missing, admitted to having an affair with her, and would say that he was terribly sorry and didnt do anything to harm her. Since this is not what happened, he had been put in the impossible position of trying to establish his own innocence without the media being his ally. The government was not directly affected by this scandal, although small pieces within it were. The complicated and mysterious situation had affected the justice and equity and a sort of closure within Levy and Condits relationship. The laxity of the law enforcement system had been compromised. Since Condit had lost the chance of re-election, all of his campaign money was wasted, but the government did not suffer as much as it could have. Surprisingly, many people were effected by the events, and chilling facts of this case. Chandras parents and family were the most affected, losing a beloved daughter who had such a successful and happy life ahead of her. Soon after Levy had disappeared, her home town of Modesto, California and the Levy family had arranged a memorial for their daughter. A turn-out of twelve-hundred people had shown up to pay their respects to the young intern. Condits career and family life had suffered a large blow, but he was a protected person that could eventually rebuild his life unlike the Levy family, they will never be able to do. There is no perfect outcome from this tragic scandal, there is little justice for Chandra and her family. The conviction of Chandras supposed killer, was clearly made by weak assumptions and deceptive evidence. Ingmar Guandigue had not been convicted for the murder of Levy but had been sentenced for other criminal attacks on women. Condit had preserved his innocence and has been protected from ever being seen as the real villain. The defense attorney who worked on the case, had stated that Condit acted like a guilty man and received special treatment after authorities had ruled him out of being a suspect. Fifteen years following her murder, Condit had published a book called Actual Malice describing the unfortunate events that had occurred during his time knowing and being involved with Levy but also his side of the story. Gary had issued a statement through his lawyer saying that he was disappointed in the dismissal of his involvement in the case. The failure of authorities to bring formal closure to this tragedy after fifteen years is very disappointing but in no way alters the fact that Mr. Condit was long ago exonerated by authorities.Although he has had plenty enough media time to prove his innocence, millions of people whole-heartedly believe that Condit is completely guilty. The national sensation, although unfortunate, had gained millions of questions, and more than enough attention. Government scandals always seem to be covered up somehow, the truth is twisted to preserve ones innocence. Chandra Ann Levy, was someone who could change our world and create a safer place for our future children, her untimely death has made a numerous amount of people open their eyes to much more than what is put in front of them. Levys story, and even her murder has proven that no matter how intelligent, beautiful, and protected people can be manipulated in ways that can end their life.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Internet Users Turn Addicts :: essays research papers

If you're an Internet user, you know who you are. They are among all of us in society, although many may choose to not acknowledge that they too, frequently use the Internet. As I sit here and look across the street, I see a man in front of his own computer; the screen glowing against the window behind him. He does not use his personal computer for work, he is a farmer. He has become what is known as an "Internet Junky".The addiction begins innocently. At the start, you are not even aware of the possibilities that may form from your excessive computer use. You begin to take an avid interest in e-mailing with your friends and family. Once the novelty of keeping in touch with your colleagues wears off, and researching starts to bore you, you may possibly expand your computer usage to chatting. Yes, chatting. It is something that is becoming more acceptable in our lives, but it is still looked down upon by many skeptics. Chatting through the Internet involves choosing an appropriate nickname for yourself (IE: Fisherman), and then finding a room where you feel compelled to spend time in. Once you've entered the room, other fellow chatters may say, "Hello...a/s/l (age/sex/location) please." And so begins the addiction. Once you become involved in meeting people online, it is difficult to break such a habit. You may even make a daily habit of it. People have been found to carry out exactly the same behavior, not only across the nation, but across the globe. In any one room, you may come across people from five different countries of the world. Granted, not everyone who stays online for hours on end, are enveloped in chatting, but it is more often then not, the cause for Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). (Goldberg, MD)The prevalence of Internet Addiction Disorder has been increasing in number, hence a support group, among many, The Internet Addiction Support Group (IASG) has been developed. IAD, a "maladaptive" pattern for Internet use, is leading to impairment and/or distress caused by three (or more) of the following, at any time in a period of one year: "A) A need for markedly increased amounts of time on Internet to achieve satisfaction, B) Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of time on Internet.", C) Reduction in Internet use which has been prolonged. (Goldberg,

Religion and its Impact on the Life of Man of Today :: Religion

Religion and its impact on the life of the man of today Jamalpour believes, It is very difficult to define the religion, each group of people have a specific definition and beliefs about that. But people believe that religion makes a better life and makes the world a better place to live. With the help of religion people will respect to the costumes and traditions, nobody will be disappointed, the life has a meaning. So many kinds of religions until today have found, but it?s impossible to say which one is helpful or has a positive impact on man. From the beginning of life there was a power that keeps human away from darkness, this power in all societies and cultures effect the life of that community, the beliefs that there are always wars between light and darkness, the stories about God and evil, cause people to accept the orders that were brought by some messengers that called religion. Some say that religion cause man to believe in a super power that control their lives and the world, every thing, every action is under the control of this power, who knows what is this power? The next group, who think religion cause people to believe in myth and superstition, are against the religion and religious thoughts. They consider religion as an obstacle to human?s development, as a limitation for free life. Even some of them don?t believe in God, they consider the world as a machine which works according to special rules, they say every thing in this world is mortal, there is no life after death, so they try to seize the days in this world and experience all the pleasures. More than that is mentioned here, there are groups or better to say countries that although they don?t believe in religion, but use it in order to reach to their benefits, the play with people, they deceive people with wrong beliefs, different governments in different eras, killed, destroyed, and punished innocent people just because they don?t heed to their religions.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Kimberle Crenshaw’s “The Intersection of Race and Gender”

Kimberle Crenshaw’s arguments and research in â€Å"The Intersection of Race and Gender† offer an insightful and probing look into the state of women of color in the current racial and gender climate of our culture.   Her main point, that women of color experience both their race and their gender together in a way that is NOT mutually exclusive, as they are so often treated, and are informed one by the other and as they occur simultaneously, is one that almost sparks a flippant attitude of â€Å"No kidding.†When the argument is first introduced, it seems to simple and so self-evident as to be self-explanatory (and taken for granted); at first it almost seems like a waste of time to be delving into something so painfully obvious.   However, through her very thorough research and her carefully pieced argument which clearly shows how â€Å"X† relates to â€Å"Y† relates to â€Å"Z,† Crenshaw is able to take something that does indeed seem li ke it should be plainly obvious and more or less proves, as much as it can be â€Å"proven,† that even still today race and gender are not given the adequate attention the two together deserve.As Crenshaw is painstaking to point out, both issues—issues of race and gender, that is—receive quite a bit of popular attention in our current culture climate.   In fact, the issues have been made so big that they are difficult to contain in any one argument.Nowadays, so many things become either an issue of race or an issue of gender, it is difficult to discern which issues legitimately need to be addressed by these â€Å"isms† and which have simply been lumped into them by sheer popular appeal (i.e., race and gender issues are the new hot-button â€Å"It† topic—if any discussion is going to occur on the large-scale mainstream popular platform of the media, one of the two had better be involved).   However, through all of this seeming social desi re to focus so much on gender and race, the fact that the two can also intersect and create a whole new array of complicated issues for a person and a culture seems to have been totally missed.That last little bit is my own digression, and not part of Crenshaw’s argument; this is simply what struck me as so entirely shocking.   While we’ve been so caught up discussing race and gender, we’ve completely missed the discussion of race with gender.   Crenshaw has a plethora of information and examples to cite which show how race with gender has been entirely neglected by everyone, including the antiracists (who predominantly serve black men) and the feminists (who predominantly serve white women).Here, Crenshaw further contains the overall argument into speaking strictly in terms of violence against women, and how violence against women of color is treated and viewed as being the same as violence against women in general, completely ignoring the deeper-lying comp lications of layers of different of social structures which affect women of color that DO NOT affect white women (something that, if women of color are to be treated in a way that is beneficial and acknowledging of them and their plights, simply cannot be ignored).Again, Crenshaw brings so much â€Å"evidence† to the table that her point rings loud and clear: the separate and distinct plights of women of color are not recognized by any other vocal group as being anything noteworthy.   And this attitude further perpetuates this belief of their own negligible experiences in the minds of those very same women of color.   And so is the vicious cycle.I found Crenshaw’s essay to be extremely culturally important and incredibly relevant.   For as much as antiracist and feminist groups preach about â€Å"Otherness,† they too are guilty of â€Å"Othering† in order to further their own causes (or, worse than â€Å"Othering,† just flat-out ignoring).Any effective kind of identity politic must be informed by all aspects of a person’s identity; not just race, and not just gender (or, for that matter, class, religion, sexual orientation, age, profession, education, employment history, disability, proclivity to heart disease, or anything else), but a combination of all the various intricacies that creates a person’s identity.   To separate one out makes a person no less of the other, and the only way to truly address them is to do so in a way that accommodates how they all come together to form their own separate and unique experience.   Perhaps this is where the postmodernists really got it right: identity is fluid, after all.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Louis Xiv, the Sun King

Louis XIV, the Sun King Historians over three centuries have both defended and criticized Louis XIV’s controversial reign. Many people hailed him as a great king; supreme as the sun he deemed his emblem. A great king is an unselfish one who is able to consider the people’s interest before their own. This is a direct contrast to how Louis XIV ruled France, but he still accomplished a remarkable amount for France. Even with his selfish agenda and lavish spending, it is without question that Louis still remains the most excellent and most powerful absolute monarch in European history.He is the epitome of an absolute monarch. Having so much authority making a few mistakes was inevitable. But in his successes, France was altered for the better, permanently. Louis challenged the status quo by doing what had never been attempted. His bold choices changed the lifestyle and attitude of Europe, by creating one of the most dynamic monarchies in history. Although some may question his effectiveness, under Louis XIV’s reign France achieved political, militarily, and cultural dominance.In regards to politics, Louis’ attitude can be summarized in one infamous statement:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"L'Etat, c'est moi† (I am state). In other words, he possessed total control over his people, as an absolute monarch. He often referred to himself as the Sun King; strategically coming up with such a name because the world revolves around the sun, as he wanted the people to revolve around him. His egotistical thinking earned him a few harsh critics but his dominance remained unquestioned. When in rule, he made it clear that his word was law.This was an effective approach for him. Through his absolute monarchy he was able to accomplish much for France, specifically in the early years of his reign. The Sun King even managed to strip parliament of their traditional power to obstruct legislation. Implementing the idea; once more, that he was absolute ruler of all things. When Louis came to power, France was disheveled nobles were asking for extensions of power, in which they did not need. He put an end to this debacle; in a time of separation, he sought to unify his people and he was able to do so.After centralizing government and gaining total control of reign, his efforts were focused on cutting deficit and promoting industrial growth. With the help of his alter ego, Jean Baptiste Colbert, they brought order out of chaos associated with the royal fiscal administration. Colbert possessed the interest in the people’s ideals that the king lacked; this helped him better advice the king in his political reforms. By enforcing such reforms he pushed France towards a more stable government.Louis XIV made his most substantial impact in the realm of militarism. The foreign policy of prestige was mainly concerned with strengthening the military. The king made such astute claims that needed a strong military to defend his word. During his reign, he to ok the initiative to build a massive army, which grew to be more powerful than ever. Military reforms vastly increased France’s power. By the late 1660’s, France was the most powerful state in Europe. The army’s destructiveness assisted in reaching his main goal: to extend France to its natural borders.His adoration for power led to a series of wars that lasted many years- The four distinct conflicts that characterized his military excursions were: War with Spain, the Dutch war, the war of Palatinate, and the war of Spanish succession. Unfortunately, his desire for expansion gained him a few enemies. The enemies being the countries he was trying to conquer. Even some of his people were underwhelmed with his efforts, having to pay for such reforms in heavy taxes. Overall, his military reforms helped France sustain a stronger army than ever.With such an astute commander, the French military was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Just as Louis’ wars domi nated political history in the late1600’s, his palace at Versailles dominated European culture. The age of Louis saw a flourishing of culture throughout Europe. As an absolute monarch, he assumed total control over everything, and culture was no exception. The state was able to manipulate cultural developments and take them to unprecedented heights. His influence on culture contributed to the prestige of France (). The Sun King also aided in the blossoming of art and architecture.The great king created many programs and institutes to infuse more of the arts into French culture. Louis’ patronage for the arts was concentrated on Versailles, a palace that is an unforgettable symbol of his power and influence on Europe. Versailles was one of the most beautiful achievements of eighteenth-century French art (). There was a shift from articulate paintings to posters, but the idea remained the same, to commemorate his power. The motives in supporting art were simple: to pass t he glamour and glory of his century to the generations to come.Louis XIV served the longest reign in European history. His time in power saw achievements that seemed unattainable for France, in the time before him. The age of Louis XIV was essential to European history for a manifold of reasons. First, his reign saw the triumph of absolutism, not only in France, but also in continental Europe. His creation of Versailles was an extravagant denotation for other European leaders to follow. Second, Louis’ wars proved the system of Balance of power to be an effective method. French aggression was contained and it became the norm.Most importantly, Louis’ reign established France as the dominant power in Europe. However, his legacy was not all positive; his lavish spending habits left his successors a huge debt. While conditions in France were well during his rule, the problems caused by his decisions would help ignite the French Revolution in 1789. With that being said, Loui s’ achievements deemed him one of the greatest monarchs in history. It is unfortunate that so many historians focus only on debt and military failures, and not what he was able to do for France, when they desperately needed change.