Research Defense Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Defense - Essay Example This self induced greed would also increase our emotional detachment from the world just as the threat of nuclear weapons had done. 2. What ideas and theories did the frames provide that were a basis for your own argument Why did you choose these particular sources Explain each of your frames in detail and explain why they were used. The Ronald Reagan quotes provided a foundation for the theory that excessive spending was a political tactic and was encouraged by the government. The Federation for American Scientists (2007) were the basis for the contention that the Cold War was being pursued with the same sense of avarice and spending that was being taken in the private lives of Americans. Capra tied in the influence that technology has had on our spending habits that resulted in enormous personal desires for technology as well as the scientists' spending on advanced weapons systems. Kotkin (2003) and Reuveny & Prakash (1999) advanced the theory that the Cold War's advancement of Capitalism was affecting the Soviet's standard of living by negatively impacting their own spending patterns. They were spending more and enduring the hardships that came with it. The government exploited these small successes in the Cold War through more government excess and increased technology. 3. What frames provided counterpoints and varying perspectives for your paper Why did you choose those Again, explain in detail. The article titled "Generation X" (2007), which appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat on November 7, 1993, and was reprinted in the Atlanta Constitution, Charlotte Observer, Houston Chronicle, and Miami Herald, contends that the Gen-Xers were opposed to the massive debt left behind by the Cold War years. This generation grew up during, or was born, in the Reagan era. However, even though they were complaining, they were caught in the same trap of excessive greed that their elders had been. Though many would criticize the capitalistic approach and deficit spending, the criticism was often shallow and unfounded. 4. What did you argue in your paper Why did you argue that How did you use your sources to develop and support that argument The paper argued the technology and the threat of nuclear war had isolated the American public both emotionally and physically. In this isolation, self-gratification was allowed to flourish, and may have been the only satisfaction available. The fruits of capitalism could be explored to a great degree and there would be no personal responsibility taken for its outcome. It allowed for no outside moral guidance and values were quickly discarded. The surface rewards of economics were the only satisfaction available in the world of emotional isolation. They only furthered a sense of inadequacy that was brought on by what we could not have, not by what we had. This was evidenced by the envy of the Soviets for Western material goods. 5. If you had to pick one flaw in your work with the research paper, what is it and why did it occur One flaw in the paper is the failure to adequately pursue the aspect of the emotional isolation and its effect on over-consumption through the research of academic psychologists. This isolation that was driven by fear and enabled by

Chapters 1-6 Summary of Forensic Science from the Crime Scene to the Essay

Chapters 1-6 Summary of Forensic Science from the Crime Scene to the Crime Lab - Essay Example These laws are applied so as to control the accomplishments of the forensic community. Forensic science is an enormous field that has a wide history of its appliance. The first documented autopsy belonged to Julius Caesar. This was during the 15th century that he produced his first textbook on forensics. In the book a murder occurred, and the murder weapon was identified by science. Times have developed, and forensic science is used in investigations to find out the causes of crimes. In the United States, a department of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was developed in the 1930s by J. Edgar Hoover, who is considered as the father of FBI. This department is used for investigating crime scenes and until today it mainly uses forensics science to come up with evidences. Edgar founded nation-wide laboratories to offer services in forensics. These crime laboratories delivered quality forensic services to all law implementation organisations in the United States. Thus, they play a significant role in providing proof of crimes by using fingerprints, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and may more. Forensic scientists visit crime scenes to gather and analyse evidence by collaborating with the investigators and define their findings through comprehensive written reports. When investigating a crime scene, one has to know ways on how to secure the scene, take a survey and how to search it in order to find evidence. Therefore, first one should establish the dimensions of the scene and find the potential health and safety risks. This can be done by locating the focal point. At the scene, safety is very vital all through the primary approach to the crime scene. Individuals should be keen on biohazards, weapons, chemical hazards and deliberate traps might be waiting for the responders. Hence, people on the scene including medics, coroners and fire fighters should be given advice on evidentiary

Computer Project # 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Computer Project # 2 - Essay Example Therefore, by utilizing the minimal value of increment constant of 100 millimeters, calculate the maximum value of the force X utilize in this problem and subsequently, find the value of W in this problem. Therefore, to be able to obtain the correct form of a diagram representing the problem above, let us first assume that the force applied to move the rod is approximately X , while the Therefore by using a simple diagram to represent the problem above, a diagram like the one drawn below is thus obtained ; The diagram of the rod is drawn using the FBD application or the drawing can also be done by utilizing the free hand drawing method. The diagram shows all the force X, the value W this includes all the details explained in the problem equations and the values described are also included where appropriate in the drawn diagram. The diagram is as shown below; Based on the diagram above, the point A is shown to be 100 millimeters away from the point B. while also the point B is further assumed to be of at the same point as point D. Thus the point B is considered to be a fixed point and also the point D is considered to be a fixed point in this static problem and is therefore regarded as the pivot point. Where as the distance from the point D to the point where the external force is applied at point P is about 400 millimeters away from the fixed point B and also point D. Therefore to be competent of calculating the problem above, the required calculation procedures must be employed as necessary. These calculations procedures are furthermore included in the results in order to be utilized in the determination of the solution through utilization of the computer software programs. The main equations used are shown with inclusion of brief explanations. The initial X stands for the force applied when moving the rod from

External Auditors and their role in the Corporate Governance Framework

External Auditors and their role in the Corporate Governance Framework External Auditors check companys accounts and report to the company based on the accounts. Basically, the concern is how external auditors conduct these duties effectively. Legislations, such as The Companies Act 1965, have made great efforts to ensure external auditors conduct their duties and obligations effectively. The Code of Corporate Governance in 2001 and the amendment in 2007 have further enhanced the effectiveness of audit in the interests of stockholders and shareholders. In light of the recent scandals involving external auditors in the world, there is a growing concern for corporate governance globally as there is increased reliance by the stockholders and shareholders on external auditors. This study examines the role of external auditors in the corporate governance framework. The study then reviews the financial scandals involving auditors occurred in the world and investigate the role of external auditor in the collapse of the companies. Introduction Corporate governance is a central and dynamic aspect of business. It is very important for corporate success and social welfare. In the wake of Enron, HIH Insurance and other similar cases, countries around the world have reacted quickly by pre-examining similar events domestically. As a speedy response to these corporate failures, the USA issued the Sarbanes-Oxly Act in July 2002, and in UK, the Higgs Report and the Smith Report were published in January 2003 (Solomon, 2007). Nowadays corporate governance is a globally debated topic with many characteristics (Nobel, 1998). However, the concern is whether auditors play an important role in the framework of corporate governance. Corporate Governance Corporate governance is the relationship among various participants in determining the direction and performance of corporations. The main participants are the shareholders, the management and the board of directors. Corporate governance is the process whereby directors of a company are monitored and controlled. There are two areas considered to be fundamental to corporate governance, one is supervision and monitoring of management performance and the other is ensuring accountability of management to shareholders and other stakeholders (Marianne, 2009). Till now, probably the two most important basic elements of good corporate governance have been full disclosure and the presence of independent directors and auditors, who each has their own ways to confirm that the data provided by the corporation are true and fairly stated. The contents of full disclosure are listed out in regulatory demands and professional pronouncements, and companies are expected to fully comply. The independence of the outside director and external auditor means the directors and auditors will have to distance themselves considerably to assure shareholders that they have conducted their tasks (Bavly, 2004). Role of External Auditors in Corporate Governance External auditors play a key role in the corporate governance framework. They conduct one of the most important corporate governance checks that help to monitor managements activities. The audit of financial statement makes disclosures more reliable, thus increasing confidence in the companys transparency. The role of external auditors is to make sure that Board of Directors and the management are acting responsibly towards the shareholders investment interests. By keeping objectivity, the external auditors can add value to shareholders by ensuring that the companys internal controls are strong and effective. And by working with the audit committee and liaising with internal auditors, external auditors can help to facilitate a more effective oversight of the financial reporting process by the Board of Directors (Hassan, 2004). However, the audit expectations gap needs to be acknowledged, as the audit function can only do so much on the fraud. The external auditor can not be expected to find every fraud and error during an audit. In accordance with the Cadbury Report, it is important to know that the external auditors role is not to prepare the financial statements, nor to provide assurance that the data in the financial statements are correct, nor to guarantee that the company will continue as a going concern, but the external auditors have to state in the annual report that the financial statements show a true and fair view. The Cadbury Report highlighted that there was no doubt on whether there should be an audit but rather how the audit could be ensured to conduct effectively and objectively by the external auditors (Solomon, 2007). Auditor Independence External auditors are expected to be independent of the company and report on the company objectively. Actually, auditors can only play their role effectively if they are independent (Peel ODonnell, 1995). They have to conduct their tasks in the most independent and reliable manner to provide investing public with the level of assurance to make their decisions based on the financial statements. According to the Cadbury Report, auditor independence could be affected due to the close relationship between auditors and company managers and due to the auditors intention to develop a constructive relationship with their clients. There are a number of threats to auditor independence, one of which is to provide non-audit services since non-audit services are lucrative. Auditors can obtain the contracts for non-audit services only if they maintain a good relationship with the management. The Cadbury Report stressed that a balance is needed to be achieved in such way that external auditors will work with, not against, company management, but in doing so they need to serve shareholders. This is a difficult path. The easiest way to ensure this balance being attained is suggested to establish audit committees and develop effective accounting standards. The Cadbury Report recommended all companies to establish audit committees. Audit committees serve as representative of shareholder interests. They are not only responsible for monitoring financial reporting process to support good corporate governance, they are also considered to be able to ensure an appropriate relationship exists between the external auditor and the management whose financial statements are being audited (Hassan, 2004). The Smith Report issued in 2003 highlighted that the audit committee needs to be proactive and raise the concern with directors rather than brush them under the carpet. The Report also stressed that all members of audit committee should be independent non-executive directors. Companys annual reports should disclose detailed information on the role and responsibilities of their audit committee. Lessons from Financial Scandals 4.1 Collapse of Enron Enron, the energy trading company based on Texas is the first scandal shaking up the auditing profession. It has led to a crisis to the confidence on auditors and the reliability of financial reporting (Holm Laursen, 2007). The audit quality and the independence of external auditors were questioned. In this case, Enrons audit and accounting function were fraudulent. Arthur Andersen, the auditor of Enron, has been involved in Enrons fraudulent accounting and auditing. Failure of the audit function is one of the key factors contributing to the companys collapse. Enron created The Raptors, four special purpose entities (SPEs). SPEs are established in order that a company can form a joint venture with other interested parties to conduct a specific transaction. This transaction will not subject the other parties to the risks more generally associated with the companys operations. U.S Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAPP) allows companies to record the gains and losses of SPEs without reporting their assets and liabilities in certain instances. In this way, Enron avoided adding more than $1 billion debt to its balance sheet without consolidating certain SPEs (Jenkins, 2003). But the problems are, when the losses of these entities quickly rose into billions of dollars, these entities were brought into the core financial statements. It then became clear that Enron itself had great losses. The corporations stock price dropped sharply, and the company went into bankruptcy in December 2001 (Brown, 2005). Examples of Enrons devious accounting exist widely in the corporation. The company recorded profits, for example, from a joint venture with Blockbuster Video that was never materialized (The Economist, 7 February 2002). In 2002, Enron restated its accounts, which is actually a process that reduced reported profits by $600 million (The Economist, 6 December 2001). In fact, the process resulted in a cumulative profit decrease of $591 million and a rise in debt of $628 million for the financial statements from 1997 to 2000. The difference between the profit figures was mainly attributed to the earlier omission of three off-balance sheet entities. Such profit inflation enabled the company to raise its earnings per share (EPS). The company not only manipulated the accounting figures to inflate the earnings, but it also was found to remove substantial amounts of debt from its accounts by setting up a number of off-balance sheet entities. Such special purpose entities can be used to hide a companys liabilities from the balance sheet, in order to make the financial statements look much better than they really are (The Economist, 2 May 2002). It means substantial number of liabilities did not have to be disclosed on Enrons financial statements, because they were mainly attributed to another legal entity. All these issues raise the question, why did Enrons auditor allow this type of activity? This is because the conflicts of interest exist between the external auditor and the management. Conflicts of Interest Conflicts of interest are a frequent problem in the audit profession. Although independent appointment of external auditors by companys shareholders is regularly replaced by subjective appointment by the company management, the auditor is all too often appreciated to the companys senior management. Further, conflicts of interest arise from interactive functions of audit and consultancy. Arthur Andersen has been blamed to apply loose standards in their audits because of conflict of interest over the subatantial consulting fees collected from Enron. In 2000, Andersen collected $25 million for auditing Enrons books in addition to $27 million for consulting services. In 2001, Arthur Anderson earned US$55 million for provision of non-audit services (Brown, 2005). Although Arthur Andersen reported on the companys accounts, they did not report fraud to the shareholders. This is because the fraud was committed by the management. Kenneth Lay, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from Feb 1986 until Feb 2001, took home US$ 152 million although the company was facing a loss. If Andersen were to report, they probably will not be appointed in the following years or be engaged in non-audit services (Krishnan, L, 2009). Especially, close relationships are established over time between companies and their external auditors. It can again affect independent judgment and impact on the auditing function. In this case, there are regular exchanges of employees within Enron from Arthur Anderson. Such conflicts of interest affect the corporate governance function. Serious conflicts of interest have also arisen among members of Enrons internal audit committee, which causes the internal audit committee did not perform its functions of internal control and of checking the external auditing function. For example, Lord Wakeham, a member of the audit committee, was at the same time having a consulting contract with Enron (The Economist, 7February2002). This shows that people in responsible positions should have detected fraudulent activities if they were independent. Enrons board of directors was composed of a number of members who have been shown to be willing to conduct fraudulent activity. It is also because the non-executive directors were compromised by conflicts of interest. 4.2 Collapse of HIH Insurance In Australia, the collapse of HIH Insurance Ltd was observed as the beginning of the reflection into external auditors role. HIH is one of Australias biggest insurers, comprising several separate government-licensed insurance companies, including HIH Casualty General Insurance Ltd, FAI General Insurance Ltd, CIC Insurance Ltd and World Marine General Insurances Ltd. On 15 March 2001, HIH went into provisional liquidation with losses of A$ 800 million (Peursem, Zhou, Flood Buttimore, 2007). HIH is one of the largest corporate collapses in Australian history. Similar issues arise as in the Enron case. HIH is claimed to mislead investors by providing incorrect financial reports to the market and HIHs auditor, Arthur Andersen, may have played a part in its collapse. Andersen conducted the external audits for HIH from 1971 until its collapse in 2001. Their contribution to the failure of HIH is considered in the following sections: Audit Practices As part of audit process, auditors will conduct a risk assessment to determine the structure and plan of the audit. Andersen assessed the risk of HIH and deemed it a maximum risk client, however, the engagement team of Andersen had not prepared the risk management plan and therefore the senior management team at Anderson did not review and approve the plan (Peursem, Zhou, Flood Buttimore, 2007). At the end, the auditor simply drew the wrong conclusions. Andersen signed off HIHs annual report for the 30th June 2000 and stated that it was a going concern with net assets of $939 million. Nine months later, HIH collapsed with debts of $5.3 billion (Peursem, Zhou, Flood Buttimore, 2007). Andersen used HIH management reports and forecasts and did not obtain sufficient evidence to get the conclusions they did. The liquidator could not find the documentation on the reasons for considering HIH as a going concern. This implies that Anderson failed to produce sufficient working papers to prove that the audit actually is conducted. Auditor Independence Andersen had a close relationship with HIH. By the time of liquidation, three former Anderson partners who had conducted HIH financial audit work held positions on the HIH board of directors. This obvious lack of independence between the board of directors and the auditors indicated that the best interests of HIH may have not always be a priority. Andersons failure in producing adequate working papers or in obtaining adequate evidence to support their findings have serious concerns on the quality of the audit they did. A significant independence issue is also reflected in the form of Andersons payment to HIH Chairman, Geoffrey Cohen for consultancy fees. These fees totaled $190,887 in nine years and included the use of Andersons office and secretary. These fees were not disclosed to the remaining board members in the annual general meetings (Peursem, Zhou, Flood Buttimore, 2007). The close and complicated financial relationship between the auditors and HIH chairman raise further questions in this case. Finally, the threat to auditor independence is that Andersen provided both audit and non-audit services to HIH. It raises a question on how can an auditor provide an independent opinion on the financial statements when he may play a role in guiding the preparation of the statements? The Royal Commission in Australia, which investigates the collapse of HIH, has found that the largest corporate collapse in Australia was not due to fraud but the result of attempting to cover the cracks on the overpriced acquisition. Andersons role in it appeared to be substantial. Modern Approach to External Auditors Role in Corporate Governance External auditors now have to take a much stricter approach to their clients (Bourne, 1995). There is an increasing view to support that external auditors should take on a more proactive role (Baxt, 1970). The Companies Act has set the stipulation on appointment, eligibility, qualification, disqualification and removal of external auditors (Davies Prentice, 2003). The intention is to ensure that auditors are able to carry out audit in an impersonal, objective and professional way. It is also to ensure that auditors are independent of the company. The reason for such emphasis is to ensure the external auditors are not in a position of conflict of interests. When there is conflict of interest, disclosure must be made to shareholders and stakeholders. Alternatively, there should be prohibition to the provision of non-audit services to the company where they act as auditors. To ensure auditors are truly independent and not in a conflict of interest, auditors should be rotated every year. Thereafter there should be a gap of five years before the same auditors are appointed by the company. Conclusion External auditors have an essential role in corporate governance through their involvement and their examination of financial statements. The external auditors role in corporate governance is a fundamental complement to achieve the desired objective of corporate governance. Therefore, the duties and obligations of external auditors must be expanded for the rights and interests of shareholders and stakeholders. There must be a modern approach to the auditors role in the corporate governance framework.

Essay --

The movie Sherrybaby depicts a young woman struggling to pick up her life where it left off after being released from prison. She tries to rebuild her life but encounters many obstacles along the way. She tries to rekindle the relationship with her daughter Alexis, while battling to stay clean from her heroin addiction. She also seems to have a difficult time forming relationships with people in her halfway home and using her sexuality to get her way in the work field. She is in over her head as she tries to jump right into where she left off three years ago. Despite her positive attitude, we witness the challenges she faces with low self-esteem, substance abuse, and the guilt of leaving her daughter Alexis to be raised by her brother and sister in law. In the very beginning of the film when trying establish the fundamental things necessary to get her life back on back, we see how she uses her sexual appeal to get what she wants. When speaking with her parole officer, Sherry tries to use her good looks in persuading him to see her family in New Jersey. After he quickly picks up on this, dissatisfied Sherry sulks using the excuse that she hasn’t seen her daughter in years. â€Å"Indeed family contact was the key motivator stated by participants for maintaining their recovery† (Duffy & Baldwin, 2013). Perhaps her parole having dealt with similar cases to Sherry saw the effects family isolationism had on recovery. It is clear that he is not in on her game but still, he allows her to go see her brother and daughter. Arriving at her new home Sherry is introduced to the director of the halfway home where we find the two of them in the basement sexually involved. Once again, we see Sherry using her good looks when try ing to ge... ...ug use, recovery from use and personal identity† (Brener, Hippel, & Hippel, 2012). Sherry does acknowledge her addiction and does want to get clean. This theory could be useful in predicting future drug use among people who are attempting to quit and who is likely to complete treatment. She soon discovers things are not so easy or as expected. Sherry realizes during her first true parenting experience that she is not quite able to handle life on her own just yet. In order for Sherry to have a chance at rekindling her relationship with daughter Alexis, she must be willing to accept her weaknesses and accept the past. As the film unravels, it is evident she has issues from her past that are kept at bay reflecting on where she is in life. It is Sherry’s desire to change that will ultimately determine whether she gets second chance at life.

Plato and the Concept of Knowledge Essay

Plato’s Theaetetus is a dialogue that discusses and attempts to find a definition of knowledge. The two characters, Socrates and Theaetetus, approach the argument with the initial idea that knowledge is the addition of a true judgment and an account. However, Socrates raises some concerns regarding the fundamental aspects that make the definition true. Ultimately, the two characters find that their original definition of knowledge is not as accurate, nor as simple as they once believed. The article opens with Theaetetus recalling a definition of knowledge he once heard, which stated â€Å"true judgment with an account is knowledge [and is therefore knowable], and the kind without an account falls outside the sphere of knowledge [and is therefore unknowable]† (126). Socrates begins to question one’s ability to determine whether something is or is not knowable, and he demonstrates the concept using the relationship between elements and complexes. In doing so, he explains a recent dream of his, which, in turn, is actually an explanation of Dream Theory. Dream Theory states that â€Å"the primary elements, of which we and everything else are composed, have no account. Each of them itself, by itself, can only be named† (126). In other words, as elements cannot be broken down further, elements cannot have an account because that would require the determining of whether or not the said elements exist. The addition of that information onto the original element itself results in something that is no longer in its simplest form. Therefore, no elements can have accounts, nor can they be knowable; elements can only be perceived. Consequently, this poses the question as to whether or not complexes are knowable given that their elements are not. When complexes are viewed as the sum of all their elements, it is safe to conclude that the complexes are unknowable, as their elements are unknowable. This idea allowed Socrates to then consider whether complexes were mere sums or if they should instead be viewed as wholes that cannot be dissected into parts. However, the problem with this idea is that, when viewed as a whole that cannot be separated, the complex is then no different than an element, and therefore cannot have an account. After failing to determine what does and does not have an account, Socrates decides to turn his attention to determining what constitutes an account. First, he defines it as stating one’s judgment through speech. Immediately, this manifests flaws in the sense that any true statement could then be considered an account. If this were the case, there would be no differentiation between an account and a true judgment. Next, he defines an account as listing the elements of the things known. Again, this must be incorrect because the possibility exists that one could simply memorize the elements without actually understanding them. Without understanding, one cannot have knowledge. Finally, he defines an account as differentiating the known thing from everything else. This would require knowledge of the differences, and ultimately would again be a reiteration of the true judgment. Additionally, one would be defining knowledge as true judgment plus knowledge, which would be considered a fallacy. This marks the final turning point in Socrates’s and Theaetetus’s overall definition of knowledge, where the two characters decide that their initial definition could not be considered correct. Through their attempts to dissect the supposed explanation of knowledge, Socrates and Theaetetus finally reach the conclusion that knowledge is â€Å"neither perception, nor true judgment, nor an account added to true judgment† (133).

An Analysis of Julia Alvarez’s Poem, “Touching Bottom” Essay

In the poem’s first stanza, Alvarez says, â€Å"Sometimes the best advice comes randomly†Ã¢â‚¬â€but without intent, how can it be advice? Perhaps good advice consists simply of one’s own ideas, rendered into words by another and recognized by the self as something true. If we go by this definition, then the random pieces of advice are, indeed, good advice. She is thus saying that some of the best â€Å"advice† is recognized by the self and in the self, and not merely received from others. Such advice is possibly worth more than any intentional directive, because the meaning of the advice is something that one makes for oneself. Alvarez implies that good advice is abundant, but requires some recognizing—which is what she does. To be able to give good advice, a person must think like the recipient of the advice, and who better to think like the recipient than the recipient herself? Alvarez creates remarkable associations in her mind between randomly heard directives and the troubles of her life; she is actually both the giver and the receiver of the random â€Å"advice†, and whoever (or whatever) â€Å"gave† her the advice only has an intermediary role. These random pieces of advice are nothing like what we usually conceive advice to be, but are simply reminders of things that she already knew. Thus these random pieces of advice that she recognizes are essentially advice that she gives to herself. In the second stanza, Alvarez talks of the power of these random bits of wisdom. She realizes that â€Å"a minotaur of your own making†Ã¢â‚¬â€that is, self-imposed limitations—puts the mind into a certain degree of paralysis, and that randomly received advice, in their simplicity, have the power to awaken an awareness of truisms deeply buried in the subconscious. Alvarez in essence, is talking about the â€Å"shock of recognition† that she experiences when she hears these random bits of meaning. It takes these to remind her of her own good ideas that she may have unintentionally discarded into the â€Å"dark labyrinth† of her mind. Additionally, Alvarez implicitly contrasts her random bits of â€Å"advice† with true advice intentionally given by others—too often, such advice is derived from the experiences of the giver and not the receiver. The poem, because of its focus on â€Å"accidental† advice, reminds us of the tendency of people to ignore intentionally given advice, no matter how good, because advice is usually given based on the perceived needs of the recipient; although these needs are often misidentified. This contrasts with her accidental bits of advice, which by their very nature are good and well received. The random advice that Alvarez hears makes her capable of   â€Å"touching bottom.† Although â€Å"touching bottom† in general usage has the negative meaning of reaching the lowest point of something (such as when a company goes bankrupt), what she means by having â€Å"touched bottom in my life† is that she realized and recognized the basic and most important aspects of her life. The examples that she gives of these bits of advice, such as â€Å"Please hold through the silence† (which she is able to connect to her problem of writer’s block) are of secondary importance, serving only to illustrate and strengthen the poem’s main point, which is that one needs only to look into the self to find wisdom.