American Indians (Native Americans) Drug And Alcohol Use

People who engages in substance abuse like drugs, alcohol and tobacco have their own different reason, some maybe complicated but whets evident is that the society plays a significant role why theses people are involve in substance abuse. The consequence for this abuse is seen in our hospitals and emergency departments through the direct damage to health by substance abuse and its relation to physical trauma. Those who are jailed and go to prison are known to have a strong connection to substance abuse and dependence.A high percentage of this substance abuse is very evident among the American Natives. American Natives are the indigenous people from the region of North Africa now encompassed by the continental United States. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes and ethnic groups, they are also known as American Indians or the first nation’s people. American Indians represent a unique population within the U. S not only because of their oppression suffered from the de velopment of the country but also in gaining recognition. The long history of oppression in the U.S. had a devastating effect on the health and well-being of the natives. The history of these people includes the colonization, outlawing their practices and languages and forced relocation, which created the mistrust on the U. S programs. This event continues to affect the experiences of the natives which are impacted by poverty, ill health, family violence and drug and alcohol abuse. According to the survey made by the National Household survey on Drug Abuse about fifty percent of teenagers nowadays are engage in alcohol drinking.The figures show that 80 percent of these are Natives youth engaging in both alcohol drinking and drug use. This happens because these youths are predisposed to different factors like cultural conflict, post-traumatic stress and low self esteem that increase the risks of these youth to additional hazards in their environment. (Gale 2000) According to the repo rts made by the NSDUH, among the other racial groups, American Indians suffer from substance abuse greatly. The National Drug survey and health examines the rates of substance abuse like drugs and alcohol among the American Indians aged 12 and older.During 2002-2005, American Indians aging 12 and above are already engaged in alcohol drinking. American Indians male shows a high percentage of drinking than those of the other racial groups in the past year. This report also shows that American Indians have high percentage than other racial groups in terms of drug use and disorders. (Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders among American Indians and Alaska Natives 2007) A national Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention task Force was established under the National Congress of American Indians in September 2000.This aim for the leadership involvement and expand the efforts and membership of the National committee to include a wider and more diverse geographically representative group of Tribal leaders throughout Indian Country. This helps prevent the tribes, tribes’ leaders, elders, adults and youth recognize the value of preventing alcohol and substance abuse to preserve the overall well being of the community, the culture and traditions. It developed and established a strong political leverage that will support initiatives for alcohol and substances abuse prevention in Indian country.It also aims to improve the incidence of alcohol and substance neglect for any adult and youth and to recognize that prevention must take place for all our people, not just early life and that it is a long development. Approximately 1. 5% of the U. S is composed of these Native Americans which are American Indians, and with this high percentage is the problem it inflicts as well. Traditional natives’ values when clashed with the values of the domain society, cultural conflict arise. Native youth are mostly affected by this are caught up in confusion about their identity and self image.Conflicts arise in coping up with their adolescence as well as to their identity as an Indian. This may produce a harmful effect in terms of the racial discrimination and oppression that they may get involve with because of their native background, hence this becomes a factor for native youth to engage in alcohol and drug abuse as a form of an escape from the society to which they belong. Because of the pressure and the stress due to the cultural conflict related to the low socio-economic status among the natives this causes a great increase in the risks of those who are engaged in alcohol and substance abuse.Acculturation is one of the many factors why natives engage in substance abuse. This is a stressful and causes a lot of conflict for the natives in order to cope with the stress and pressure alcohol and drug use are often the coping mechanism in this situation. An approach used to prevent substance abuse among the American Indians is called bicultural c ompetence skills. This approach helps American Indian youth to combat the substance use and its related problem. This was first advanced by LaFromboise, wherein its way is to blend the adaptive values and roles of both the culture in which they are raised and by which they are surrounded.Its roles are in the knowledge and practice in communication, coping, and discrimination skills which provide the theoretical foundation in the prevention of substance abuse to the American native’s youth. Knowledge and practice in the bicultural skills can occur through cognitive and behavioral principles drawn from the social learning theory. Directed by learning theory, cognitive values of information, problem solving, and self-instruction can be merged with behavioral principles of nonverbal and verbal communication, coaching, and social network building.(Schinke 2007) This gives the American Indians to individualize themselves for them to for the better coping up abilities and helps mana ge stress related situation. This approach gives them an idea of the things that they are not familiar with and with this adaptation through learning is much easier. DISCUSSION National attention to the health hazards and societal costs attributed to substance abuse use led to sharply decreased tolerance for any use of elicit drugs or abuse of elicit drugs alcohol and tobacco.The percentage of young people reporting substance use has been high although out the United States even those belonging to the ethnic groups like the American Indians. Many factors are to be considered on why these groups of people engage in alcohol and substance abuse. American Natives known as the American Indians are one of the widest ethnic groups that are in the United States. Although consider a minor to many, this group of people have high increase in problems that are associated with drinking and substance abuse like the use of drugs.This Minority like in other people in the state are in the over use o f drugs and excessive drinking. Factors like stress, pressure among the youth especially with teens, coping mechanism for some and most of all the oppression and culture conflict that arises are the contributors to the high percentage of Native Americans misuse of alcohol and drugs. Reports shows that a high percentage of these Native comprises of the most involved racial group in substance abuse and disorders. Even the minors are drawn out from this type of scenarios.Among the racial groups in the United States, 60% of these people are engage in alcohol and drug use including the youth and still continue to rise. This is one of the major problems that are encountered by the Government in the States and the American Indians leaders. Cultural conflict this is one of the predisposing factors why substance abuse and disorders arises. When the culture of the American Indians are collides with the dominant groups, conflicts arises specially to the beliefs and values of these Natives. Dis crimination usually occur creating confusion and loss of self esteem among the natives.The imposed culture is cannot easily be integrated by the natives causing a confusion and dilemma within their part. In order to cope up with this situation this people find drinking and drug use a form of an escape from the pressure of the domain society they are in. It has been very crucial for the Native Americans to adjust to the culture that is imposed to them given to them because of the less support and rights they are getting from the Government. It has caused them a lot of stress to incorporate all the beliefs and values that they have no knowledge about causing a great struggle to the culture they are brought up with.This high incidence of drinking and drug abuse is also very evident among the American Indians youth. At the studies that was conducted in the United States regarding minor drinking and drugs use, a high percentage of this comprises the American Indians youth. Mostly the rea son why youth are engage in these activities is because of the peer pressure they are involved with. This problem of the youth regarding their peers is mostly about the racial issues they are in, in order to identify themselves with the domain society they tend to follow what is done by those people regardless if its beneficial for them or not.Youth of the American Indians are on a very critical situation because of the Native background they have. Due to this culture conflict still arises and it is hard for the teens to identify themselves and tend to loose their own identity because of the presented situation. Due to this pressure arises among other youths and in order for them to identify and belong they are easily influenced to engage in drinking and drug abuses. Another factor why Natives have a high percentage of alcohol and drug abuse is that in terms of their economic status.Most of the natives have a low socio-economic life that is very evident in the type of living they ar e in. Since the natives are given less recognition and support their economic life has not improved since. Due to this as a created pressure is added to the natives causing them to withdraw from the society and engage in drinking. This drinking becomes habitual and eventually becomes an excess or over use causing drinking related disorders. Some after engaging in drinking also use drugs as a form of escape to the reality that is against them.Problems that arise because of this factor is very evident among the Natives now even the yearly surveys regarding the American Natives shows a high and still rising percentage of drugs and alcohol misuse. These Natives are not given much recognition and are oppressed mainly of their rights that it is why it is hard for them to cope up with the environment and imposed culture that they are in. The society plays much of a big role on how these Native Americans are persuaded to engage in alcohol drinking. The society that they are in accepts drink ing in their culture where it is seen to the daily activities of these people.Not ware of the damage it has on them because of the domain society’s involvement in this they tend to engage on it as well hoping that this would help them in coping up with the society. Alcohol has become the primary substance of abuse among American Indians. It has accounted of about 62% of all those who have been admitted of those being treated. The prevalence of this alcohol abuse is high on both men and women. Marijuana is the most elicited drug of choice among American Indians, it was reported that 12% of those being admitted are treated because of this.Drug abuse and excessive alcohol has a great impact on health. Most of those who engage in this are predispose to the different problems regarding their health. Alcohol has a great effect on the body as this cause depression to the central nervous system, as a depressant it has a great effect on the functions of the brain. Most of the people t hat are engage in excessive alcohol drinking have been reported to have brain malfunction causing a slow impulse and movement in the brain. Alcohol causes liver disease and most of the people who are alcoholics die because of the liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis which is fatal.Those that are into drinking are also at risk to cancer and sexually transmitted diseases. Drugs interfere with the brain's ability to take in, sort, and synthesize information. They distort perception, which can lead users to harm themselves or others. Drug use also affects sensation and impairs memory. Many approaches have been used in order to compensate in the high percentage of the Native Americans that are engaged in alcohol and drug abuse. Programs like youth organization have been established for better self actualization and esteem building which provides the framework for the youth.Peer support groups and other programs ranging in traditional cultural practices like dancing, sweat lodge, or oth er ceremonies are initiated to provide a sense of feeling of the individual’s tribal pride and unity would be transmitted. The Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse program was developed by the U. S. government. This has been established by the public law 106-553, which provides the funding and technical assistance to federally recognized government to plan, develop, implement and enhance tribal justice strategies involving alcohol and crime related and substance abuse.The objective of this program is to establish a multidisciplinary advisory team plan, to implement and monitor the propose strategy. It identifies and prosecutes individuals who illegally transport and distribute and used the alcohol and substances to tribal communities. The government also established a National Indian Alcohol and Substance Taskforce which assists the tribe leaders and their youth in the prevention of alcohol and substance abuse and assist to their personal healing, recovery and lifetime wellness .It also helps in the improvement of the life of the American Indians families and communities in enhancing their cultural preservation, the upholding in the dignity and autonomy of the Indian Nations. It also gives focus to leadership and deals with the devastating problem of alcohol and substance abuse of the country. This task force is working with the federal government Agencies in obtaining a consistent funding to support the different programs regarding the alcohol and drug abuse. The U. S. Department of Justice supports tribe groups’ efforts to deal with alcohol and substance abuse in communities where Natives live.This community is composed of the Indian tribes and native villages which they create an appropriate approach to address the alcohol and substance abuse. The Government provides the resources needed by the Indian Countries in order to create the awareness, conduct prevention and intervention that would help control alcohol and drug abuse. The government is a lso giving privilege to the tribal leaders to create policies that would help in eradicating alcohol and drug abuses among the Natives. 90% of arrests that have been reported by the Tribal law enforcement are caused by alcohol related problems.The arrests made were conducted on the small group of individuals in the community comprising of the tribal justice system, health service system and family support system. This law enforcement taskforce often experience high violent crime and offenders that are associated with drug and alcohol abuse which make it hard for the tribal communities to keep peace and order. The drug Court Discretionary Grant program is one the many programs that helps aid and fund assistance to the states, courts and local services that is needed to help the government to lessen the alcohol and drug offenders.This program is aimed on nonviolent offenders and is targeted to implement a drug court based components. It supports the drug court implementation and impro vement of the technical assistance that is directed to the National Dug court Training and Technical Assistance Program in increasing the knowledge of those that are in the drug court practitioners plan to carry on efficient drug programs giving emphasis on the roles and trainings that would develop teams and coordinated study on treatment system. The Nevada Urban Indians, Inc.substance abuse program is dedicated to providing quality outpatient treatment. Efforts are made to help each client become aware of the relationship between substance use and the effects it may have on the individual’s life. The client deals with feelings and behaviors that are a result of substance abuse or dependency. It is a program concerned with the culture and helps attempt to guarantee that the client is treated with respect. In this program the client is to learn the impact of substance abuse to their life.Its goal is to restore the client’s life productively and to help the client to le arn ways on how he/she would be able to adapt to the changes and the different stressors that are present nowadays. The department of education has provided a safe and drug free program on the schools, this provides the support on the school to help assist in the communities in preventing drug and alcohol abuse and violence. This program grants the technical assistance and training for the school.The American Indian Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (AIRRTC) identify the need to address the increase dependency of American Indians to drug and alcohol. Many research findings shows that alcohol and drug abuse among the American Indians are often associated with certain circumstances in their lives which affects the rate of employment opportunities to American Indians because of the myth that is tagged to the American Indians. Employees that are American Indians are in struggle to get a job because of they are faced with employers that stereotypes them.All these programs are m ade available by the Government in the attempt to help improve the increasing percentage of the American Indians that are engaged in alcohol and substance abuse. Aiming to somehow if not totally eradicate but lessen the incidence of the Natives involvement in substance abuse. These programs somehow are trying to aid the level of living and acceptance of the natives regarding their situation and help to somehow uplift the standard of that living. CONCLUSIONAlcohol and drug abuse are known to be a major health problems on American Indians nowadays. Efforts in the treatment and prevention of this may be more effective if the approach that it is going to undergo is if the native’s way and beliefs are also incorporated. It is not enough that programs are established but what is important is that it is implemented and actions are taken among the leaders to actually put into works all the said programs that have been funded by the Government.It is important also to involve the Nativ es in the different programs that the government has for them not only those that are engaged in alcohol and drug abuse but also those that are not in order to prevent them from doing the same thing. It is important that the youth are educated regarding the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol to them and it is important that they are able to identify themselves on the community they belong. It is important that the American Indians youth are given the emphasis because of the developmental stage they are in.Parents should be able to give the support and information needed to their minors in order to reduce the alcohol and drug related problems. It is important when addressing to this situation the culture of the American Natives is not neglected and should be given a more emphasis. The culture that they belong would help improvement in understanding why these natives are engaged in alcohol and drug abuse. Through the Government and other leaders could develop a program not only for the improvement of those under the substance abuse but even those that are risk for it.It is important that the programs that are implemented would coincide with the beliefs or the culture of this people so that it would not be hard for them to integrate the programs they are undergoing. It is important that the Natives are aware of the effects of drugs and alcohol to their body as this is significant in their health. It is important also that the government should somehow recognize the other needs of these Natives that are contributing to the prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse.It is important that every aspect should be examined in order to give a better option for the improvement of the programs that are addressed to these situations. Health care facilities should also be readily available to the Natives; this would aid in the awareness to their health and would somehow improve their knowledge regarding the effects of these abusive substances to their health. The government and the Natives leader should coordinate with each other more often so that the needs and improvements regarding the treatment and other related problems regarding these natives are addressed.Support and recognition should be given to these natives. It is important that they should be given the same privileges and recognition as those of the domain society. They should not discriminated instead the culture and beliefs that they have should be respected so that this would help boost the moral confidence of the Natives and would aid in determining their identity I therefore recommend further studies should be conducted on the Native Americans response regarding the treatment and the program should be further evaluated.The programs are in the right path of addressing to the problem but there is lack of support and people that are engage are not enough to meet the demands of the high percentage of alcohol and drug abuse. References: American Indians and Alaska Natives in Substance Abuse Tre atment: 1999. 2002. The DASIS report:1-4. Gale, Nancy. 2000. Fighting Alcohol and Substance Abuse among American Indian and Alaskan Native Youth. ERIC Digest. . ERIC Digest. Gordon, Jacob U. 2005. Managing Multiculturalism in Substance Abuse Services: Sage Publications Inc. Jeanette Valentine, Judith Ann De Jong, Nancy Jean Kennedy. 1998.Substance Abuse Prevention in Multicultural Communities. 1-12 vols. Vol. 12: Haworth Press. Mario De la Rosa, Richard Bernard Segal, and Lopez. 1999. Conducting Drug Abuse Research with Minority Populations: Advances and Issues. 1-14 vols. Vol. 14: Haworth Press Schinke, Steven P. 2007. Preventing Substance Abuse among American-Indian Adolescents: A Bicultural Competence Skills Approach. Pub Med Central Journal List. Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders among American Indians and Alaska Natives. 2007. The NSHUD Report:1-4. Stimmel, Barry. 1984. Cultural and Sociological Aspects of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse: Haworth Press.

History of Halloween Essay

Close to $7 billion dollars is what consumers spent on Halloween costumes, candy, and decorations in 2011. When the temperature starts to drop, the leaves turn different colors and the sun sets earlier little by little each day, fall is the perfect season to celebrate Halloween. Millions of children dress up and go to strangers doors begging for candy. Have you ever wondered where this strange and unique tradition originated from? — The three most important points of Halloween can be summed up by looking at its origins, how it came to include jack-o-lanterns and bobbing for apples, and how it is celebrated today with trick-or-treating and haunted houses. Halloween, also known as All Hallows’ Eve, has originated from the ancient Celtic festival known as Samahin (â€Å"sow-in†) derived from the Old Irish Samuin meaning â€Å"summer’s end†. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated the end of the harvest season with the festival of Samhain and celebrated the upcoming new Year on November 1. Used by the ancient pagans, Samhain was a time to take stock of supplies and prepare for winter. October 31 was the day the ancient Gaels believed the boundaries overlapped between the worlds of the living and the dead, and the departed souls would come back to life and cause mayhem such as damaged crops and sickness. The Gaels built massive bonfires and summoned the help from gods through animal and possibly human sacrifices to ward of the spirits. It is believed that the fires attracted insects to the area which in turn attracted bats. These are additional features of the history of Halloween. Halloween is also thought to be influenced by the Christian holy days of All Saints’ Day, also known as Hallowmas, and All Souls’ Day falling on November 1 and 2. It was a time for honoring the saints and praying for the deceased who had yet to reach heaven. Traditionally it was believed that the departed souls roamed the earth until All Saints’ Day, and Hallows’ Eve delivered one last chance before moving on to the next world, to gain revenge on their enemies. Christians would  disguise themselves in costumes and masks to avoid being recognized by the wandering souls. Trick or treating is the practice of dressing up in costumes and going door to door begging for candy and resembles the late medieval practice of â€Å"souling† when the poor would proceed door to door on Hallowmas receiving food, or â€Å"soul cakes† which were pastries, and in return would pray for their dead relative’s souls. It was believed at the time the souls of the departed would wait for passage into heaven until enough people prayed for their souls. â€Å"Soul cakes† would be given in exchange for a song, performance, or another sort of â€Å"trick† in some cultures. Eventually, children embraced this practice and were given money, food, and ale. Jack o ‘lanterns are a Halloween staple today, with at least two historical roots. The first is the pagan Celtic people carved turnips and rutabagas to hold hot coal from the bonfire to light their homes and ward off the evil spirits. Another folklore tale gives jack o ‘lanterns their name. An Irish myth portrays a trickster and a drunk known as â€Å"Stingy Jack†, who asked the devil to have a drink with him. Jack persuaded the devil to change himself into a coin so he could pay for his drink, but instead he put the coin in his wallet next to a silver cross, trapping the devil and preventing him to change himself back. Jack said he would free the devil if he did not bother him for another year. The following year Jack tricks the devil into climbing an apple tree for a piece of fruit. He then carved a cross in the bark of the tree preventing the devil from climbing down. In order to get down from the tree, the devil promised Jack he would not seek his soul anymore. Because of his swindling and drunken ways, when Jack died he was not allowed into heaven. He also was not allowed into Hell because the devil kept his word. Taking pity on Jack, the devil gave him an ember to light his way in the dark, putting it into a hollowed out turnip for Jack to carry on his lonely, everlasting roaming’s around the Earth. People from Ireland and Scotland  would make â€Å"Jack o ‘lanterns† during this season to scare away Stingy Jack and other evil spirits wandering about. Over the next several centuries, superstitions about witches and black cats were added to the folklore and legends of Halloween. Cats were thought of as evil, especially black cats, and were killed by the thousands in Medieval times, possibly contributing to the Black Plague, due to the shortage of the rat’s natural enemy, the cat. During this time, the church created the belief that evil witches existed. Apples, which are a seasonal fruit, and the symbol of the Roman goddess Pomona, were thought at the time to retain qualities of knowledge, resurrection, and immorality. Bobbing for apples was thought to predict the future on the night of Samhain. (sow-in) Halloween eventually made its way over the Atlantic in the second half of the nineteenth century when America became flooded with new immigrants. Taking from Irish and English traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that ultimately became today’s â€Å"trick-or-treat† tradition. The 20th century saw an emergence of Halloween as a genuinely North American holiday and one that was becoming an advantage for shopkeepers and manufactures. Costuming became popular for Halloween parties for children and adults as well. The first mass-produced Halloween costumes appeared in stores in the 1930s when trick-or-treating was becoming popular in the United States. Halloween costumes are traditionally modeled after supernatural figures such as monsters, ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils. Over time, the costume selection extended to include popular characters from fiction, celebrities, and generic prototypes such as ninjas and princesses. Haunted attractions are entertainment venues designed to thrill and scare patrons. Most attractions are seasonal Halloween businesses. Origins of these paid scare venues are difficult to pinpoint, but it is generally  accepted that they were first commonly used by the Junior Chamber International (Jaycees), who are a non-political youth service organization between the ages of 18 to 40, for fundraising. They include haunted houses, corn mazes, and hayrides, and the level of sophistication of the effects has risen as the industry has grown. Haunted attractions in the United States bring in an estimate $300-500 million each year, and draw some 400,000 customers. This maturing and growth within the industry has led to more technically-advanced special effects and costuming, comparable with that of Hollywood films. Halloween is currently the second most important party night in North America, and in terms of its retail potential, it is second to Christmas. Personally, Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year. Even as an adult, to dress up and be someone or something else for the night can be fun and exciting. To escape reality into a fantasy-like world where goblins mingle with princesses is definitely a strange site to see, but is well worth the money and time devoted to one of the spookiest nights of the year. So whether you celebrate Halloween or not, you now have an idea of how Halloween originated, how it came to include bobbing for apples and jack-o-lanterns, and how we celebrate it today with haunted houses and trick-or treating. The sources I cited for this information are from: www.cnbc.com www.halloweenhistory.org www.wikipedia.org www.history.com

Business Research Project Essay

Serenity Stay Long Term Care is a Specialty Hospital located in Memphis, Tennessee. The company is a 50 bed facility that caters to patients on ventilators, patients needing physical therapy, and patients needing wound care. The facility has been losing a lot of good Register Nursing (R.N.) personnel and Human Resource thinks that it is because of the long 12 hours days required to work. To provide outstanding care to our patients Serenity Stay must find a way to keep good R.N. personnel. Serenity Stay Long Term Care Hospital and Human Resources should focus on the following research question, is working 12 hours’ worth the risk, because it is overworking the nursing staff? Or should management look at changing the hours to benefit staff needs, which could possibly reduce a drop in loss of staff? The first thing we will look at is to see if o12 hour shift are causing our nursing staff personnel to be overworking nurses at Serenity Stay is causing a drop in employment. Secondly we will look at is if working the 12 hours shift is not the cause of loss of nursing personnel. Team A plans to test weather keeping a 12 hour shift or going back to an 8 hour shift will help keep the nurses happy. We will conduct surveys, talk with other facilities that are experiencing the same issues, and talk with the staff involved. If working 12 hours shifts appear to be the problem, then we could look at going back to 8 hour shifts, Townsend, T. (2013). Are twelve hour shifts safe? Retrieved fromhttp://www.american nurse today

Critically appraisal of the Personalisation Policy in social work of Essay

Critically appraisal of the Personalisation Policy in social work of any local authority in the UK - Essay Example Personalisation of services for the disabled has also enabled service users to receive direct payments in lieu of services. Personalisation also involves independent living, whereby the person with disability is allowed to control their daily activities and the use of equipment. However, reports show that adults with ill mental health have not enjoyed the personalisation of services as much as their counterparts who have other forms of disability. England is one of the local governments within the UK that has had problems implementing the personalisation approach in delivering services to people with mental problems. According to Gardner (2011 pp. 62) a report in 2005 showed that majority of social service providers in England did not give direct payments to mentally ill people. Glasby & Littlechild (2009 pp. 59) attribute this occurrence to professional attitudes among the service providers. For example, taking up of individual budgets for people with mental problems becomes an issue because the professionals do not believe that these service users have the capacity to handle the finances. In order to counter this perception, service users are advised to make prior provisions incase of predictable mental health fluctuations in future. Glasby &Littlechild (2009) also concur with the reports that many people with ill mental health in England are locked out of personalised services. One of the primary reasons for this occurrence is that many users, care providers, and staff are ignorant about the existence of such services as direct payments. Many of these stakeholders do not have access to information regarding which types of personalised services are available for people with mental problems. According to Gould (2010 pp. 58) there is also the problem of determining the eligibility of a service user as well as differentiating between health care and social care

Impact of Discrimination on Productivity Article

Impact of Discrimination on Productivity - Article Example The routine evaluation should also be systematized in such a way that any discriminatory behavior on part of the supervisors is immediately evident. different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, sex or age." [Hobson, pg 131] We all like to believe that we live in progressive times, times when we have left social evils like discrimination far behind us, and that when they rear their ugly heads, we will be protected from them by social laws. We often fail to take into consideration the fact that we, as people, are flawed. On a normal day, each one of us "discriminates" against our fellow man in hundreds of different ways. Choosing to sit next to a friendly looking lady on the morning bus instead of the malodorous homeless man, choosing the coffee shop attendant who gives every customer a friendly smile rather than her sullen colleague who looks like she got off the wrong side of the bed these are small, everyday snippets from our lives that no-one holds against useven though we are making "distinctions" that are "unjust" and "prejudicial". It is said to be indirect if a requirement or condition is applied equally to all, but it has a disproportionately detrimental effect on one sex or racial group, because of their inability to comply with it. Impact Of Discrimination on Productivity in the Workplace 4 It takes the from of harassment when someone is subjected to inappropriate actions, behavior, comments or physical contact that is objectionable or causes offence to the recipient. It may be of a sexual or racial nature or it may be directed towards people because of their age, their sexuality, a disability or some other characteristic.[ Guild, pg 3] As is evident from the information provided above, the most common forms of discrimination encountered in our everyday lives are those based on race, gender and age. On basis of the information provided by Ms. XX, she believes that she was subjected to racial and gender discrimination during her tenure of ten years in this company. In addition to being overlooked for a promotion that she believes she deserved, she also states multiple other minor grievances, in the from of incidents where she felt that she was being subjected to discriminatory treatment. All her complaints will be assessed separately. Her primary complaint is that at the time of promotion, she was overlooked, in-spite of her seniority and greater work experience, and the promotion was given instead to a less qualified colleague

Data Analyses Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Data Analyses - Research Paper Example Almost 95 % a vast majority turned out to be as a full time student with only 5 % studying as part time students. When question was asked regarding their drinking habit on campus 48 respondents out of 58 said that they don’t drink on campus however 9 respondents said they rarely drink on campus where as only 1 respondent said that he/she drink occasionally. When respondents were asked regarding bar on campus and how would it affect the school’s social atmosphere and help in reducing the stress amongst students? The answers were of split nature few endorsing it few going against it and few chose air of finality or stayed neutral. The facts and figures regarding this question are, 17 respondents strongly opposing the idea of campus on bar on the other hand 11 respondents were strongly supporting this idea. Furthermore 6 respondents believe that its impacts would not turn out to be fruitful so they opposed it by demonstrating and marking no in questionnaire however 20.7 % (12 respondents) were unsure so they remained neutral. The final 12 respondents out of 58 were confident that bar on campus will help students to reduce stress and there is no harm in it. 16 students out of 58 were confident about allowing 2 drinks per day which also makes them majority, however 15 respondents believe that only one drink should be allowed per day, 11 respondents have different ideas they believe that this intake should be raise up to 3 drinks per day while 13 respondents were against all restriction claiming that there should be no limit on drinking per day for students. There were quite a few alternatives that come across while performing research. The first and foremost was that the school should focus on promoting sports and other extracurricular activities rather than opening bar on campus as this will shift students focus towards other things, another alternative was regarding

Power Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Power Analysis - Assignment Example The major aim of VSA is to create cultural awareness through organizing various cultural activities and events. The issue The memo analyses the power base for the vice president of public relations VSA who doubles the vice president of the VSA. The memo describes his typical use of this power base, critiques his usage of the power, and formulates a strategy to increase his power base and efficiently utilize it. The vice president’s name is Vu Hoang. Vu plans and conducts public relations programmes to create a good public image for VSA. He plans and designs the communication channel through which VSA informs the public of VSA programmes and events. Vu promotes the good image of the VSA through public initiatives such as speeches, exhibits and through questions and answers sessions. He has special skills in contacting media representatives, and in representing the president of VSA directly both before the American general public and at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. The p urpose The memo assesses and appreciates sources of power that makes Vu Hoang such a powerful public relations vice president. The memo spots how Vu typically uses his power. The memo critiques and makes suggestions on how Vu improves in his usage of power. Interpersonal sources of power Positioned based Vu has legitimate power to change the behaviour of other people. He could use various means such as acting as a role model with good behaviour. He could also influence other people’s behaviour by the use of his authority. Through his authority, he could formulate policies regarding the required code of conduct for members of the association and require that all members of the association adhere to them. He could establish penalties to ensure that all policies are adhered to. He has the legitimate power to ensure that all messages to VSA members and the general public remain in line with VSA’s mission. Vu is directly in charge of all the student members given his positi on as the vice president of VSA. He trains and directs the work of association members. VSA members carry out VSA activities on a voluntary basis. VSA members engage in activities, such as purchase of supplies, maintenance of inventory and maintenance of VSA data base. Vu implements controls to check if activities are on course and makes corrective measures where necessary. Vu has equal reward power. He uses his reward power to encourage and motivate members who exhibit excellence in the execution of VSA’s activities. More members come forward to engage in day to day operations of the VSA. Vu processes coercive power. He uses coercive power to streamline operations of VSA. Each member has a score card which Vu filled to facilitate monthly appraisals though all members work on a voluntary basis. Excellent members are recognised and rewarded from these scorecards. VSA reminded members who portray laxity in their efforts. Vu makes recommendations on every member’s perform ance to the VSA President. VSA gives a probation period to members who fail to advance the good image of VSA. VSA applies disciplinary action on members who fail to advance the objectives of the association after the probation. Person Based Vu has expert power. He has two years’ experience working as a public relations officer in Vietnam. Vu holds a degree in journalism. He is pursuing master degree in communication at the Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. Vu is equally fluent in English and Vietnamese language.

Career development plan part 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Career development plan part 1 - Essay Example It was found that the existing sales force of â€Å"Inerclean† and â€Å"Envirotech† are comparatively different in nature. On one hand where the â€Å"Interclean† sales force are focused more on closing the deal than anything else. The â€Å"Envirotech† sales forces on the other hand, are more customers centric, constantly looking for better relation with customers. The merger between the two organizations has created a need for more sales force under its fold. Thus, after various review and consultation session a decision was taken to recruit four â€Å"outside sales representative† and â€Å"one sales manager†, in addition to the existing combined sales workforce. The purpose of this additional sales force would be to reinforce the existing sales workforce in addition of bringing the much needed innovation in the existing workforce. A recruitment and Selection process has to be undertaken for recruiting the new sales force. However, the first thing needed to be done is - â€Å"Job Analysis and Job Description† so as to help the company select the best fit sales force accordingly. After the whole â€Å"Recruitment and Selection† process is completed, a comprehensive career development plan has to be made so as to motivate the team to achieve its objectives. â€Å"Job Analysis† and consecutive â€Å"Job Description† are necessary before undertaking any â€Å"Recruitment and Selection† process. It is necessary to understand the characteristics of the candidates the organization is looking for and the type of candidates who is best fit for the job. Job Analysis may be defined as a written document of a job/ position and the corresponding duties associated with it. Various elements like Job Title, Job Details and Job Criteria are few of the elements of Job description. Job Analysis helps an organization in determining the key knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics also known as KSAOs, needed for a particular position. Job

Evaluate the reasons for the recent global financial crisis. ( Banking Essay

Evaluate the reasons for the recent global financial crisis. ( Banking and Finance Moudle) - Essay Example The recent global economic crisis has been labelled by economists as the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and the domino effect of the crisis has culminated in the decline of consumer spending, demise of established businesses in key industry sectors and heightened government burden in developed countries (United Nations, 2009 p.1). Indeed, in the United Nations’ â€Å"Global Outlook: Economic Situation and Prospects 2009†, the United Nations comments that â€Å"it was never meant to happen again, but the world economy is now mired in a severe financial crisis since the Great Depression† (United Nations, 2009, p.1). Moreover, the global nature of the economic crisis has not only had a domino impact on national economies, infrastructure and the retail sector; it has also served as a barrier to quick recovery (Shiller, 2008). In evaluating the causal triggers and reasons for the recent economic crisis, this paper will evaluate the concept of financi al crisis with contextual reference to the current global economic crisis with contextual reference to various academic commentary and discourse pertaining to the reasons for the economic meltdown of 2008. ... Academic and media commentary on the crisis has highlighted the point that the immediate trigger was the collapse of the US housing market as a result of the sub prime market disaster upon which the international banking industry had been lending through following trends in the housing market (Ambachtshee et al 2008, p.149). Indeed, the United Nations analysis of the global outlook for 2009 asserted that â€Å"in little over a year, the mid-2007 sub-prime mortgage debacle in the United States of America has developed into a global financial crisis and started to move the global economy into a recession† (United Nations, 2009 p.1). Furthermore, in considering the interrelationship between the sub-prime crisis and the economic crisis, the contagion effects of sub-prime asset backed collateralized debt obligations are reinforced by results of the empirical investigation undertaken by Longstaff in â€Å"The Subprime Credit Crisis and Contagion in financial markets† (2010). Longstaff utilised data for ABX subprime indexes and found evidence of correlation between financial contagion and the subprime liquidity channels (Longstaff, 2010). However, whilst Longstaff acknowledges that the concomitant impact of the subprime crisis clearly had a direct correlation to contagion effects on other markets; Longstaff’s analysis of the data in his investigation suggests that: â€Å"The ABC Index returns forecast stock returns and Treasury and Corporate bond yield changes by as much as three weeks ahead during the subprime crisis† (Longstaff, 2010). To this end, the findings of Longstaff’s analysis undermine the presumption in pre-existing commentary which argued that the subprime assets were intrinsically flawed and unreliable (Longstaff, 2010). Moreover, Longstaff argues that

Pearl Harbor ( history ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pearl Harbor ( history ) - Essay Example Research suggests that the United States had been intercepting coded messages, one of which discussed the plans for the attack. Other information alluded that President Roosevelt wanted to enter the war and finally had a reason. Still others believed that Roosevelt manipulated the United States into the war by withholding information from the American people. This paper will explore if Roosevelt did or did not covertly maneuver the United States into the Second World War and if he had access to information that could have prevented the attack upon Pearl Harbor. In the 1930’s Japan’s aggressive actions were causing concern in the United States. Japan was in control of Manchuria by 1931 (DeAngelis, 13). By September of 1941, Japan had signed an agreement with Germany and Italy. Upon hearing of this pact, Roosevelt instituted an embargo on oil and gasoline shipments to Japan (DeAngelis, 13 -14). Essentially, the United States cut off strategic materials that Japan needed to keep up their war on China. Japan had claimed to represent global Asian interests, the racial beliefs at the time, when in fact they had only Japan’s military/economic interests in mind. As the supplies from the United States dwindled, Japan claimed they were forced to sneak attack the United States in hopes of forcing our economic hand. Japan expected the United States would be so stunned and would sue for peace after a cursory attempt at fighting back. The Japanese thought that the U.S. citizenry was soft and lacked the Japanese fighting spirit, called bushido. The basic argument at this time was Roosevelt attempted to use negotiations to force Japan’s back to the wall. However, the U.S. had a large interest group that eventually were known as the China First Lobby (Post World War II) that felt the Japanese were preying upon Chinese weaknesses at the time. It was politically expedient for Roosevelt to press the Japanese into backing off using the U.S.’s economic card

Charles Dickens Essay Example for Free

Charles Dickens Essay Pips childishness with his extremely lively imagination is later on in chapter 3 It was a rimy morning, and very damp. I had seen the damp lying on the outside of my little window as if some goblin had been crying there all night. And It seemed to my oppressed conscience like a phantom devoting me to the hulks. Both of these quotes show how childishly Pips imagination works. This can be compared to the opening chapter of Cider with Rosie in which Laurie Lees imagination runs away with him in a similarly childish fashion. Each blade tattooed with tiger skins of sunlight. It was knife edged, dark, and a wicked green, thick as a forest and alive with grasshoppers that chirped and chattered and leapt through the air like monkeys. These descriptive metaphors and similes are quite dark and threatening images such as some of Pips were in great expectations. Therefore both authors are showing childhood as quite a scary daunting time as well as a time when you have an active imagination. Laurie Lee has written about childhood in Cider with Rosie as he saw it because it is an autobiographical novel that describes his childhood during the war. Laurie Lee portrays his childhood and growing up with the growing up of the nation. The reason that Laurie Lee portrays this time of his life as scary and daunting is because it is also a scary and daunting time for Great Britain during the Second World War. Charles Dickens portrays childhood as a scary and hard time for his own reasons. Dickens had quite a bad childhood with his dad being in prison and himself living in the Victorian times when children were treated poorly and were worked extremely hard. Dickens wanted other people to understand the hardship that he had been through and was quite self-obsessed with his harsh childhood. He decided to tell people about this through the novels that he wrote and in the example of Great Expectations, Pip was the character that would reflect on Dickens childhood. Dickens shows Pips childhood as a time where you are extremely guilty for the things that you have done and that you are always paranoid that bad things are going to come of you because of it. Pip is almost obsessed with his guilty thoughts and fear of captivity. The theme of guilt and imprisonment often occurs in Great Expectations. These are shown in things that Pip sees and his vivid childish imagination. Part of the reason that Pip feels very guilty and that Laurie Lee does not really recall his guilt is that Pip is very much a person who has feelings and is very much a self obsessed child. Whereas Laurie Lee is more detached from his own thoughts and more interested in the world around him. This is one of the differences in the way that the two authors present childhood. Another difference in the way that the authors portray childhood is that Laurie Lee makes his childhood a beautiful childhood whereas Pips is more dark and gloomy. Lee does this in the style of his writing, which is very poetic and flowing. This is due to the fact that before Laurie Lee was a writer, he was a poet. This means that the way he portrays childhood is poetic and almost beautiful. In great expectations, however, Dickens sets gloomy scenes such as the beginning scene in the graveyard and the scenes in the marshes. Another difference is the way that guilt is portrayed along with childhood in both of the novels. Dickens shows childhood as a time when you were constantly guilty for the things you had done and the paranoia of being caught was immense. He probably had done this because as a child Dickenss father had been taken to a debtors prison because he could not afford to look after his family. This may have made Dickens feel guilty as a child and he decides to show this through Pip. A passage that shows this guilt is, It seemed to my oppressed conscience like a phantom devoting me to the hulks. This shows Pip feels guilty and is paranoid because his mind thinks that a signpost is telling him to go to prison. Laurie Lee however does not see childhood as a time of guilt but more of a carefree time where you dont have to feel guilty. A quote in chapter 3 shows this Cider with Rosie shows this, And exhaled our last guiltless days. However Laurie is not always guiltless, like pip he has a moment in the book where he felt guilty and paranoid of the consequences of his actions. This is shown in chapter 3 also, That the summons to the big room, the policemans hand on shoulder, comes almost always as a complete surprise, and for the crime that one has forgotten. Lee realises that he cannot do things such as hit people because they are of a different race. Lee is scared of the punishment that he will receive and is paranoid about when he will be found out. This is a lot like the character Pip in Great Expectations who spends his whole childhood feeling this way. This means that there is a strong link between childhood and guilt.

Social Contract Theory of John Locke Essay Example for Free

Social Contract Theory of John Locke Essay According to John Locke (1690), â€Å"the people give up some freedoms to the government or other authority in order to receive or maintain social order through the rule of law. † When the people surrender some freedoms and the government agreed to work together towards a common goal, to promote equal protection for both the people and the government. Based on the agreement a government was created. Therefore the government of the United States, has the powers to prosecute and punish individuals for criminal acts, and bears the responsibilities of providing public safety to the people through the police, court systems. We the people agree to obey civil and criminal law enforced by the government, and pays our taxes and the government agrees to treat us fairly and protect us and protects the country and our freedoms by uphold the Constitution. John Locke influenced Thomas Jefferson and our Founding Fathers while writing â€Å"the Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution, Locke’s Social Contract Theory on America’s political and governmental system is undeniable† (Moll, 2006). While writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, drew heavily from the writings of John Locke, and placed them in the Constitution. The social contract theory infuses both these documents. Thomas Jefferson adopted Lockes ideas people had rights to life, liberty, equality, and pursuit of happiness, the responsibility of government must protect those rights, and put them in the Constitution. The government was established from the consent of the people and therefore the power of government should be distributed among different institution. The words â€Å"we the people† in the Preamble to the Constitution, illustrates the people have agreed to work in partnership with government to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity† (Schwartz, n. d. ) illustrates that both the American people and government agree to work together to ensure the rights of the people will be protected at all times. â€Å"The Constitution is a flexible, lawful document of rights and restrictions. The Articles of the Constitution affirm the shape of government, divided into three branches, which are given powers to keep the others in check to balance government. The amendments grant certain civil liberties, but like the articles, also assert specific rules and restrictions on those who are not granted civil rights. The philosophic beliefs of natural rights to life, liberty, and property of John Locke are expanded into the Constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights† (Raborg, 2008). By using the Bill of Rights from the U. S. Constitution as a foundation for police ethics training is better than using state ethics law, because officers have taken an oath to uphold the principles of the Constitution. The major justification for corrective (criminal) law is prevention of harm. The social contract theory explains that law is a contract each individual gives up some liberties and, in return, is protected from others who have their liberties restricted as well. The interference of law in natural liberties kept to a minimum and should step in only when the liberty in question injures or impinges on the interests of another. The â€Å"Social Contract Theory gives legitimacy to the American criminal justice system and the role of police in our society. The authority of police is derived from the people through the social contract, which holds that the purpose of government is to better protect the rights that people already naturally possess: those of life, liberty and property† (Moll, 2006). The social contract theory is the foundation which our criminal justice system is based upon. The government exists to serve the people, and to maintain the political power. Locke’s â€Å"ideas are the fundamentals of American government today, Americans are free and have civil rights but when decisions are made in Congress, majority rules, but minority rights are protected† (Raborg, 2008). The U. S. Constitution establishes the form of government the people have agreed to abide by in turn the government agrees to protect the people, was built on the beliefs of John Locke. When the Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution they left room for the Constitution to be modified to protect the people as society changes to ensure that the rights of the people are still being protected, and the government can provide more protection to the people without violating their given rights. Without the philosophical influence of John Locke on our Founding Fathers, I wonder what our criminal justice system would be like. References Locke, John (1690) â€Å"Two Treatises Government† Project Gutenberg (10th edition)Retrieved February 27, 2010 from http://www. gutenberg. org/dirs/etext05/trgov10h. htm Moll, Monica M (2006) â€Å"Improving American Police Ethics Training: Focusing on Social Contract Theory and Constitutional Principles† Retrieved February 25, 2010 from http://www. forumonpublicpolicy.com Roland, John (1994). â€Å"The Social Contract and Constitutional Republics† Retrieved February 25, 2010 from http://www. federalobserver. com Raborg, Chris (2008) â€Å"The Philosophical Influence of John Locke on the Fundamental Ideas of the United States Constitution† Retrieved February 25, 2010 from http://www. marylandsar. org Schwartz, Ed (n. d. ) â€Å"Social Contract Project† Institute for the Study of Civic Values Retrieved February 27, 2010 from http://207. 245. 99. 38/socialcontract. html.

Economic Man Or Homo Economicus Business Essay

Economic Man Or Homo Economicus Business Essay Job design is a term that is widely used in the management of todays modern organizations structure as a strategy to increase their profitability and productivity. Daft, et al., 2010 It is mainly concerned with the process of planning, setting up and organizing systematic tasks within the organization according to the organizations needs and employees capability. In order for the strategy to be effective and efficient, management put the responsibility to their employees and explains how the implementation process of their organization work arrangement will be in their management system. (DuBrin, 2008) Virtual organization is an association that exists but cannot be physically seen by the naked eye. Its a concept that changed in line with the current vast developments. (Burn, J., et al., 2012) The virtual organization is very flexible and responsive because it does not necessarily require an office to operate but the existence of this virtual organization can be felt and experienced throughout the business process. Thurow (2011) states that business processes refers to the networking system used along the production process which conducted virtually through the way of communicating using electronic devices as the main telecommunication form. According to Parker, Craig and Craig (2008), matrix structured organization has the advantage of giving the opportunity for the top management to develop their skills in conducting and managing project-based strategy as well as gaining experience. It also practices a decentralization decision-making system that encouraging improvements of employees self motivation level as they have the chance to make decisions and act independently. Matrix structure organization also creates the flexibility of cross-communication system in exchanging information and ideas among the team members from different departments which can helps on saving time and cost. ( Gido and Clemens, 2008) Chain of command function as an organization system that showing how the operational and management within the organization works in a systematical manner to ensure efficient flow of work activities. It clarifies the organization reporting system between the subordinates to their superior which resulting as the unity of command. (Madura, 2007) According to Lunenburg and Ornstein (2011), it signifies the continues line of authority from the top managerial position to the lowest levels of an organization that showing the distinctive status, roles, responsibility, and the rights inherit in varies positions of the organization itself. Question 14 Maslows need theory consist of physiology needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs. Each level must be completely fulfilled before moving on to the next level. (Robbins, 2009) Physiology needs refers to our physical needs. Safety needs are needs of safety and security. Both levels are the low-order needs that can be satisfied internally. The high-order needs that can be satisfied internally are the social needs that seek for love and affection, then the esteem needs that refer to the needs of self-esteem and lastly the self actualization which is the needs of becoming fully matured human. (Shajahan, 2007) Question 7 Scientific management mainly focuses on the application of scientific method of study and also analysis into a problem which occur during management. Scientific Management basically referring on understands what one wants his subordinates to do and see it to be done efficiently and effectively. (Sahni and Pardeep, 2010) According to Murugan (2007), among the principles of scientific management are Science not rule of Thumb, scientific training and development of workers, close cooperation between employees and manager, equal division of works and also responsibility, maximum prosperity of employer and employee and mental revolutions. Question 15 Hackman and Oldhams Job Characteristics Model consists of five characteristic such as skill variety which means variety increases when overcome new problems each day and implementing various skills in completing tasks. Secondly, task identity, where employees working performances is acknowledgeable. Third, task significant is where an employee contributes positive result to the company. Fourth, autonomy is where the employees are given the freedom in planning while carrying out tasks. Lastly, the feedback where there will be an evaluation on employees performance in order to improve any deficiency. (Daft and Marcic, 2010) The application of these characteristic may increase the productivity and produces more motivated and productive the employees. Question 13 Montana and Charnov states the Expectancy Theory of motivation was proposed by Victor Vroom, a business school professor. The theory is more on the individual goal which focuses more on outcomes and their expectations while achieving it. (Jex and Britt, 2008) Employees are able to receive rewards according to his or her performance while working. The theorys method will keep the employees motivated at all times as they hold their personal expectations of the rewards. (Montana and Charnov, 2008) The expectancy of increasing effort by the employees will lead to the increment of performance which will increase the productivity and positive result. Question 10 According to Wright (2010), Hawthorne studies were first attempted by Elton Mayo showing how lighting affected the employees working performance. But it shows that the physical conditions of the workplace do not influence the performance or motivation. In his finding, taking interest in all individual was enough to increase their work efficiency and output. Hence, the Hawthorne Experiment continues to show its result from time to time. Companies which value their employees ideas and opinions will result a higher standard of achievement. (Wong, 2010) This will also increase the ability and self esteem of the employees. Thus, increase their performance and productivity while working. Question 12 Montana and Charnov (2008), states the theory of X and Y was proposed by Douglas McGregor. In theory X, managers will assume that their employees are less ambitious, less responsible, dislike their job and prefer to wait for instructions rather than to lead a task. Managers with theory X are stricter and may threaten their employees to motivate them. But manager who holds the theory Y will assume that the employees are more responsible, willing to do work, more creative and self-directed. Thus, in theory Y the managers will not control much on their employees because they believe that employees are capable to perform well. (Shermerhorn, 2011) Question 16 The effectiveness of an organization internal communication can be improved through creating forum site on social websites such as Facebook and Twitter for discussion related to a matter. (Heath, 2005) Furthermore, any perceptions and ideas proposed by the employees should be considered and not being excluded in order to improve good relationship with other teamwork. Next, employers and employees should also instill proactive attitude to ask when in doubts related to a matter in order to avoid conflicts and distorted message. Lastly, employees should be train on communication skills to improve their self-esteem and communicating potential. (Quirke, 2012) Question 5 Public sectors are basically a bureaucratic government-based organization which normally focusing more on providing services to public rather than making profit. (Lienert, 2009) A simple example of a public sector organization is the government hospitals. The organization emphasizes more on accommodating the health service to the community by providing free to low-cost medical aid. However, privates sectors are non-government owned organization and runs on the main motive on making profit. (Rees and Porter, 2008) For example, supermarket such as Tesco and Carrefour in Malaysia are operated by private enterprises and not the government. Question 6 Planning stage is one of the functional approaches involved in the management process. According to Schwalbe (2006), it concerns activities such as setting goals and objectives of the work in an effort to keep it on track throughout the operation process. Next step would be, create and considering relevant strategies to achieve goals effectively. At last, the final step is simulating plans to coordinate and objectify activities in various possible ways it can succeed. (Lewis, et al., 2006) Within this stage, it requires a lot of critically thinking creativity and innovative aspects from that individual to come out with a radical and quantum ideas. Question 9 Fordism is a term that was named after an American entrepreneur; Henry Ford which was the founder of Ford Motor Company. (Schhlosser and Simonson, 2009) Fordism is a philosophy of manufacturing that being conducted based on the Taylorism theory that emphasizes in machine and efficiency of employees working performance. Fordism philosophy aimed to increase the productivity and reduce costs by adjusting output, set the installation process in phases, and dividing the work into small tasks according to employees expertise. (Blyton and Jenkins, 2007) The effectiveness of the philosophy enables an organization to maximize their profit and performance. Question 11 Personality is an influential matter that affecting a persons decision. It is developed through their education, ways of socialization and nurturing since they were a child.

Factors Contributing to the Rebellion of Americans in 1776 :: Revolutionary War British Puritans History Essays

Factors Contributing to the Rebellion of Americans in 1776 Imagine you are an American Colonists just making ends meet as a merchant. There has recently been a war between the French and the British. During the war, you continued to trade with the enemy and smuggle goods, while your colonial assembly repeatedly refused to provide military officials with men and supplies. The war eventually ends, leaving the British with debt and expensive responsibilities to administer newly acquired territory in North America, they received from the French. Believing that the Navigation Acts should be enforced strictly and that the lightly taxed colonists should pay a share of the empire's defense costs, Parliament in March 1765 passes the Stamp Act to raise revenue. Next thing you know Parliament imposes another act on the colonies, the Mutiny Act, stating that the colonists must house and maintain the British troops. Ok, you are a bit mad, but it is maintainable. Out of the blue, you hear about a shooting in Boston, where five people were shoot by th e British troops, there is a lot of propaganda surrounding. Your neighbors, along with yourself are enraged by what you hear. Following this incident there is much propaganda in pamphlets passed out concerning colonial religion and political ideas. These things and others happened to the colonists and impart enthralled and provoked them to rebel and in effect brought about the American Revolution. From the information I have gathered in class and from my own personal reading, I have concurred that Parliament taxation was the parent irritation to the other annoyances. The Seven Years' War Showed the British officials that the Americans had no regard for the Navigation Acts and imperial authority. Example of this were colonial merchants continuing to trade with the enemy and smuggle goods, while colonial assemblies repeatedly refused to provide military officials with men and supplies. The war left Great Britain with a considerable debt and expensive responsibilities to administer newly acquired territory in North America. As a result, Parliament in March 1765 passed the Stamp Act to raise revenue. This act required the colonists to purchase and use specially stamped paper for all official documents, deeds, mortgages, newspapers, and pamphlets. The Stamp Act provoked opposition among the colonists, who saw this as a violation of their rights. To the colonists, the Stamp Act violated the right of English subjects not to be taxed without representation; it also weakened the independence of their colonial assemblies.

Type One Diabetes Essay -- Papers Disease Health Essays

Type One Diabetes Type 1 diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is a long-term disease of the pancreas gland, which is situated within the abdomen. Every cell in the body needs insulin (a hormone released in response to increased levels of sugar in the blood) in order for glucose (blood sugar) to be absorbed into the body's cells. If the body is deficient in insulin, then glucose will build up in the bloodstream. Type 1 diabetes can appear at any age. Every patient affected needs insulin injections to avoid the complications of insulin deficiency. When the glucose level gets sufficiently high, it starts showing up in the urine. Checking your own blood sugar is very important for being able to control diabetes. What are the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes? Increased thirst. Increased urination. Fatigue. Weight loss (although appetite often increases). Itchiness, especially around the genitals. Recurrent infections on the skin and mucous membranes (yeast infections and boils). If another member of the family has diabetes and you are experiencing any of the above symptoms on a consistent basis, it is important to seek medical attention and be tested for diabetes. There is a 5 to 10 per cent risk of a child developing diabetes if either one of the parents or a sibling has Type 1 diabetes. How is Type 1 diabetes treated? Diabetes is treated by: intake of insulin staying physically active and getting plenty of exercise maintaining a steady weight eating a proper diet containing a controlled amount of carbohydrates. The goal of insulin treatment is to control the amount of insulin in ... ...used? Diabetic acidosis is treated in the hospital on an inpatient basis, often in an Intensive Care Unit. Treatment consists of: intravenous fluids, initially with salt-containing, and later glucose-containing fluids intravenous insulin drip-feed (infusion) potassium supplements added to the infusion antibiotics, if an infection is identified. Exercise Some diabetic patients think exercise will take care of high blood glucose levels and ketone bodies in the urine. In fact, this only makes things worse. Diabetic acidosis is caused by a low insulin level and must be treated with insulin. Long-term prospects If the diabetic acidosis is diagnosed and treated early, the patient should recover fully within a few days. If the acidosis is not treated promptly, it will become life-threatening.

Daisy Miller: An Annotated Bibliography Essay -- Annotated Bibliograph

Baylard, Dana Reece. "Daisy Miller." Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. This article analyzes the traditional social expectations implemented in an ancient European setting that conflicted with the more unorthodox ways of Americans who were traveling in Europe. Baylard depicts Daisy Miller’s behavior in the novella as innocent, yet ignorant to the customs of sophisticated Europe. Baylard describes Daisy Miller’s repeated misjudgment from Geneva’s society and reflects on the positive attributes to her personality that unfortunately are consumed by her conformity during her untimely death by the end of the novella. The author, Baylard, discusses how Daisy’s behavior is innocently rash and that her behavior is unintentionally trying to be lewd, but being in an unfamiliar setting to that of modern America has left her unaware of how to act properly. This is what leads to her misjudgment, which is clearly represented in Baylard’s descriptions of how various characters acted in the story. Such as Eugino, who would act shocke d and look at the Millers in a disapproving manner, or that of Mrs. Costello, who Baylard points out as an example of how women were supposed to act. Women of this specific time period, as Baylard says, were defined as delicately feeble as Mrs. Costello is similarly with her constant headaches, but Daisy’s untraditionally improper ways are a breath of fresh air to the typical norms. Brown, Melanie. "Freedom in Daisy Miller." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. The writing discusses the theme of â€Å"Daisy Miller: A Study† being about freedom. Brown bring up the fact that Daisy and the Millers grew up in America where having a sense of in... ...ce and gives an effective analysis on her point of view. Works Cited Baylard, Dana Reece. "Daisy Miller." Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. Brown, Melanie. "Freedom in Daisy Miller." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. Bruccoli, Matthew J., and Judith S. Baugman. "Daisy Miller." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 2 Mar. 2014. Coffin, Tristram P. "Daisy Miller, Western Hero." Western Folklore 17.4 (1958): 273-75. JSTOR. Web. 01 Mar. 2014. Dunbar, Viola R. â€Å"The Revision of Daisy Miller.† Modern Language Notes 65.5 (1950): 311-317. JSTOR. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. Morris, Toni J. "Daisy Miller." Cyclopedia Of Literary Places (2003): 1. Literary Reference Center. Web. 5 Mar. 2014. Werlock, Abby H. P. "Daisy Miller." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.

“A Property Of the Clan” by Nick Enright: Analysis Essay

“A Property of the Clan † unravels the death of a teenage girl at an underage drinking party and explores how the youths handle the situation. â€Å"A Property of the Clan† is not light entertainment, or an easy play to read. It deals with an ugly and disturbing subject, but does so in a thoughtful and sensitive way, acknowledging the brutal reality of violence against women as an unfortunate experience in life. The plot of “A Property of the Clan † is about teenage violence that existed within Australia at the time; an example is that the language and actions teens make are very abusive throughout the play when ever they drink alcohol. The play contains many themes that involved the lifestyle of Australian youth including; Surf culture, mateship, teenage rebellion, peer pressure and partying (Underage Drinking and Drug use). However, A Property of the Clan” centralises on the idea of Mateship, where you are put into a position to do the right thing or betray your friend. Jared is to choose either do the right thing and tell the police who the murderer is or to keep the secret. With supporting themes such as teenage rebellion where the person opposes their parents command, peer pressure is when you are forced to do something because people are basically abusing you to do so otherwise you will be unpopular. Also the theme of partying is quite important to the Australian youth culture, compared to other countries. Australian teens tend to underage drink and abuse drugs more. It also explores the diminished responsibilities of people under the influence of alcohol and the dire consequences of actions linking to the events in “A Property of the Clan”. † A Property of the Clan’s† targeted audience should be about 17 years old and over, whether a less mature person can understand and explore their own ideas and experience or as an adult (or parents) can further understand the surrounding culture their children are in due to the sensitive content. The main characters from “A Property of the Clan † are from the surfing community of Newcastle, Australia. At the beginning of the play you can see the community in the play is quite rough, Ricko, an aggressive boy, is the leader of the group. The other characters always seem to be intimidated by him; the relationship between Ricko and others is interesting because they know that he isn’t a good person, but still ‘hang out’ with him. This links  to the idea of mateship and peer pressure because of Ricko’s violent characteristics. People who watch this play will be influenced by the violence at first, but towards the end of the play, you can see the change of Ricko’s characteristics transform from a â€Å"Hardcore† to week depressed teen when he admitted that he murdered the girl. The language of “A Property of the Clan” contains very Australian typical 1990’s slang, using slang to communicate often, i.e â€Å"Bush pig†, â€Å"Pay out† and â€Å"mate†. Also the swearing is quite intense for a drama play being performed; it contains a lot of swearing and abusive words. Bibiography : Play script ‘ A Property Of The Clan’

Gwen Harwood Relationships Throughout Poems Essay

Gwen Harwood’s poetry endures to engage readers through its poetic treatment of loss and consolation. Gwen Harwood’s seemingly ironic simultaneous examination of the personal and the universal is regarded as holding sufficient textual integrity that it has come to resonate with a broad audience and a number of critical perspectives. This is clearly evident within her poems ‘At Mornington’ and ‘A Valediction’, these specific texts have a main focus on motif that once innocence is lost it cannot be reclaimed, and it is only through appreciating the value of what we have lost that we can experience comfort and achieve growth. Gwen Harwood’s poetry explores the reality of human existence, utilising a number of personal experiences in order to impart meaning onto the responders. The poems, At Mornington and A Valediction, explore countless thematic concerns including the loss of childhood innocence, comprehending mortality and maturation of individuals. Utilising a regular variation of tense, between past and present, and her own personal relationships with others, Harwood’s poetry provokes an appreciation of the past, and reinforce themes, which highlights their universal significance. Within the beginning of the poem At Mornington, Harwood explores a childhood memory, at â€Å"the sea’s edge†, in order to highlight her apparent childhood strength in her naà ¯ve belief that she could defy nature by â€Å"walking on water/it’s only a matter of balance†, only to be saved by her father. This nativity is reinforced in the parable of the pumpkin, which grew upwards in â€Å"airy defiance of nature†. The biblical allusion with the attempt to walk on water reinforces the blind faith and innocence of the child which is contrasted to the personas self-awareness and acceptance of her own mortality, â€Å"at the time of life, when our bones begin to wear†. This childhood recollection can be deemed as the commencement of her acceptance of death; however it is only upon self-reflection on this experience as an adult that the persona can come to a complete acceptance of her own mortality, as portrayed in the simile â€Å"the peace of this day will shine/like the light on the face of the waters†. Similarly encompassing this experience is night owl, in which the child persona is blind to the nature of death, regarding herself â€Å"wisp-haired judge†¦the master of life and death†. Gwen Harwood’s poetry is steeped in romantic traditions and is underpinned by humanist concerns. Throughout Harwood’s poetry there is a continuing theme where human existence is  characterised by loss and consolation. Like At Mornington, A Valediction explores the importance of the balance between physical and spiritual love. Harwood explores the nature of both form of love and how each is needed to develop ultimate love. Harwood suggests that poetry can offer comfort and deepen the human understanding of life and love. This is portrayed through the use of sarcasm, rhetorical questions, direct speech, allusions, metaphors and imagery. This poem presents the basis on which the sorrow of physical separation can be transformed into joy this is evident within â€Å"my lover will come again to me, my body to its true end will give him joy† and depicts the emphatic tone and confidence in which her husband will return and is presented through future tense. This reflects on the interrelation between flesh and spirit in love and the necessary mix of the spiritual if love is to survive physical separation. Harwood’s A Valediction raises the idea that as humans we change and develop over time with a new sense of maturity and contentment with life. In this poem Harwood speaks about a farewell as she alludes to past poem by John Donne. However, she moves from a literal experience and memory to pensive reflection in order to create a contrast between the younger and older character. This is used by writing about movement from the past to the present and including its effect on the future. The varies of tense further highlights the changes over time as she focuses on the dualities of self and the universal emotions. In my thoughts, Harwood’s poetry engages readers through its poetic treatment of loss and consolation throughout relationships as well as its exploration of universal themes about human existence and processes of life. Harwood’s poetry validates the consoling influence of childhood experiences upon adult development evident in both At Mornington and A Valediction where they both explore one sense of loss and consolidation. Harwood cleverly includes personas with their own feelings and anxieties to outlook on the present and future and the power of memories held with past relationships. Relationships link within Harwood’s poetry as throughout life she experiences suffering and includes her personal voice and life within the story of her poem. In conclusion, Gwen Harwood deals with the constant relevant issues of loss and consolation by the enduring power of poetic treatment of age and youth. In my opinion, on the most profound of universal truths, there is no certainty in life and we must deal with events and situations as we encounter them.  Harwood’s poetry distinctly presents a slight difference throughout exploration of the relationship between age and youth, which has greatly shaped my own understanding of these specific effects. Her unique and personal manner allows the responder to not only form a deep empathy with her words, but also to critically consider one’s own life and experiences.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 41

â€Å"Stefan!† Elena screamed and knew that she sounded like a madwoman when she screamed it. There was no answer. She was running. Following the light. â€Å"Stefan! Stefan!† An empty cell. A yellowed mummy. A pyramid of dust. Somehow, subconsciously, she suspected one of these things. And any one would have caused her to run out to fight Bloddeuwedd with her bare hands. Instead, when she reached the right cell, she saw a weary young man, whose face showed that he had given up all hope. He lifted a stick-thin arm, rejecting her utterly. â€Å"They told me the truth. You were exported for aiding a prisoner. I'm not susceptible to dreams anymore.† â€Å"Stefan!† She fell to her knees. â€Å"Do we have to go through this every single time?† â€Å"Do you know how often they re-create you, bitch?† Elena was shocked. More than shocked. But the next moment the hatred had faded from his face. â€Å"At least I get to look at you. I had†¦I had a picture. But they took that, of course. They cut it up, very slowly, making me watch. Sometimes they made me cut it. If I didn't cut it, they would – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, darling! Stefan, darling! Look at me. Listen to the prison. Bloddeuwedd is destroying it. Because I've stolen the other half of your key from her nest, Stefan, and I am not a dream. Do you see this? Did they ever show you this?† She held out the hand with the double fox ring on it. â€Å"Now – now – where do I put it?† â€Å"You are warm. The bars are cold,† Stefan said, clutching her hand and speaking as if reciting out of a children's book. â€Å"Here!† Elena cried triumphantly. She didn't need to take the ring off. Stefan was holding her other hand, and this lock worked like a seal ring. She placed it straight into a circular depression in the wall. Then, when nothing happened, she turned it right. Nothing. Left. The cell bars slowly began to lift into the ceiling. Elena couldn't believe it and for an instant thought she was hallucinating. Then when she turned sharply to look at the ground she saw that the bars were already at least a foot above it. Then she looked at Stefan, who was standing again. Both of them fell back to their knees. They would have both gotten down and wriggled like snakes if necessary, the need to touch was so great. The horizontal struts on the bars made it impossible for them to hold hands as the bars lifted. Then the bars were over the top of Elena's head and she was holding Stefan – she was holding Stefan in her arms! – appalled to feel bones under her hands, but holding him, and no one could tell her he was a hallucination or a dream, and if she and Stefan had to die together, then they would die together. Nothing mattered but that they not be separated again. She covered the unfamiliar, bony face with kisses. Strange, no half-grown, gone-to-the-wild beard, but vampires didn't grow beards unless they had them when they became vampires. And then there were other people in the cell. Good people. People laughing and crying and helping her create a makeshift litter out of stinking blankets and Stefan's pallet and no one screamed when lice jumped on them because everyone knew that Elena would have turned and ripped their throat out like Saber. Or rather, like Saber, but as Ms. Courtland had always said, with feeling. To Saber it was just a job. Then somehow – things had begun to become disconnected – Elena was watching Stefan's beloved face and gripping his litter, and running – he didn't weigh anything – up a different corridor than the one she'd fought and shouldered and pushed and floundered in on her way in. Apparently all the Shi no Shi's salmon had chosen the other corridor to swim up. Undoubtedly there was a safe place for them at the end on that side. And even as Elena wondered how a face could be so pure, and handsome, and perfect, even when it looked almost like a skull, she was thinking, I can run and stoop. And she bent over Stefan and her hair made a shield around them, so that it was just the two of them inside it. The entire outside world was shut out, and they were alone, and she said in his ear: â€Å"Please, we need you to be strong. Please – for me. Please – for Bonnie. Please – for Damon. Plea – â€Å" She would have gone on naming all of them, and probably some over and over, but it was too much already. After his long deprivation, Stefan was in no mood to be contrary. His head darted up and Elena felt more than the usual pain because he was at the wrong angle, and Elena was glad because Stefan had struck a vein down its length and blood was flowing into his mouth in a steady stream. They had to go a little more slowly now, or Elena would have tripped and colored Stefan's face maroon like a demon's, but they were still jogging. Someone else was guiding them. Then, very suddenly they stopped. Elena, eyes shut, mind locked on to Stefan's, would not have looked up for the world. But in a moment they were moving again, and there was a feeling of spaciousness all around Elena and she realized that they were in the lobby and she had to make sure everyone knew. It's on the left side of us now, she sent to Damon. It's close to the front. It's a door with all sorts of symbols above. I believe I'm familiar with the species, Damon sent back dryly, but even he couldn't hide two things from her. One was that he was glad, actually glad to feel Elena's elation, and to know that it was he, in the main part, that had brought it about. The other was simple. That if there was a choice between the life of himself and the life of his brother, he would give his own life. For Elena's sake, for his own pride. For Stefan. Elena didn't dwell on these secret things she had no right to know. She simply embraced them, let Stefan feel them in all their raw vibrancy, and made sure there was no feedback to tell Damon that Stefan knew. Angels were singing in heaven for her. Black Magic rose petals were scattering around her body. There was a release of doves and she felt their wings. She was happy. But she was not safe. She only learned it as she entered the lobby, but they were very lucky that the Dimensional Door was on the side it was. Bloddeuwedd had methodically destroyed the other side until it had collapsed into a mound that was nothing but splintered wood. Elena and Bloddeuwedd's feud might have started out as a quarrel between a hostess who thought her guest had broken the house rules and a guest who just wanted to run away, but it had become a war to the death. And given the way vampires, werewolves, demons, and other folk down here in the Dark Dimension reacted, it had created a sensation. The Guardians had their hands full keeping people out of the building. Dead bodies lay strewn on the street. Oh, God, the people! The poor people! Elena thought, as this at last came into her field of view. As for the Guardians, who were keeping this place clear and fighting Bloddeuwedd on her behalf – God bless you for that, Elena thought, envisioning a standing-room-only lobby as they tried to race with Stefan across the floor. As it was, they were alone. â€Å"Now we need your key again, Elena,† Damon's voice, just above her, said. Elena gently pried Stefan off her throat. â€Å"Just for a moment, my darling. Just for a moment.† Looking at the door, Elena was confounded for several moments. There was a hole, but nothing happened when she put the ring in it and pushed, jammed, or twisted left or right. Out of the corner of her eye she saw some dark shadow above her, dismissed it as irrelevant, and then had it come screaming at her like a dive-bomber, steel talons reaching for her. There was no roof. Bloddeuwedd's talons had methodically ripped it away. Elena knew it. Because somehow Elena suddenly saw the whole of the situation, not just her part in it, but as if she were someone outside her body, who understood many more things than puny little Elena Gilbert did. The Guardians were here to prevent collateral damage. They could or would not stop Bloddeuwedd. Elena knew that, too. All the people running down the other corridor had been doing what an owl's prey normally does. They had been dashing for the bottom of their burrow. There was an enormous safe room there. Somehow, Elena knew it. But now, blurrily but definitely, Bloddeuwedd saw the ones she had been after in the first place, the nest robbers, the ones who had forever put out one of her huge round orange far-seeing eyes, and cut her so deeply that the other eye was filling with blood. Elena could feel it. Bloddeuwedd could see they were the ones who had caused her to smash her beak. The criminals, the savages, the ones she would tear to pieces slowly, slowly, a limb at a time, switching from one to another as she clutched five or six in one set of claws, or as she watched them, unable to run from lack of limbs, writhing beneath her. Elena could sense it. Beneath her. Right now†¦they were directly beneath Bloddeuwedd. Bloddeuwedd dove. â€Å"Saber! Talon!† shouted Sage, but Elena knew that there would be no distraction now. There would be nothing but killing and tearing, slowly, and screams echoing off the single lobby wall. Elena could picture it. â€Å"It won't open, damn it,† shouted Damon. He was manipulating Elena's wrist to move the key in the hole. But no matter how he pulled or pushed, nothing happened. Bloddeuwedd was almost upon them. She accelerated, throwing telepathic images before her. Sinew stretching, joints cracking, bone splintering†¦ Elena knew – NOOOOO! Elena's cup of rage ran over. Suddenly she saw everything she needed to know in one great sweeping epiphany. But it was too late to get Stefan inside the door, so the first thing she shouted was â€Å"Wings of Protection!† Bloddeuwedd, barely six feet away, slammed into a barrier that a nuclear missile could not have harmed. She slammed into it at the speed of a racing car and with the mass of a medium-sized airplane. Horror exploded beak first against Elena's wings. They were clear green at the top, dotted with flashing emeralds, and shading into a dawn pink covered with crystals at the bottom. The wings enwrapped all six humans and two animals – and they did not move by one millimeter when Bloddeuwedd smashed into them. Bloddeuwedd had made herself roadkill. Shutting her eyes, and trying not to think of the maiden who had been made of flowers (and who had killed her husband! Elena told herself desperately) with dry lips, and wetness trickling down her cheeks, Elena turned back to the door. Put the ring in. Made sure it was flush. And said, â€Å"Fell's Church, Virginia, USA, Earth. Near the boardinghouse, please.† It was well after midnight. Matt was sleeping on the bunker's cot, while Mrs. Flowers slept on the couch, when they were suddenly wakened by a thump. â€Å"What on earth?† Mrs. Flowers got up and stared out the window, which should have been dark. â€Å"Be careful, ma'am,† Matt said automatically, but couldn't help adding, â€Å"What is it?† – as always, expecting the worst and making sure the revolver with the blessed bullets was ready. â€Å"It's†¦light,† Mrs. Flowers said helplessly. â€Å"I don't know what else to say about it. It's light.† Matt could see the light, throwing shadows on their bunker floor. There was no sound of thunder, and hadn't been since he woke up. Hastily he ran to join Mrs. Flowers at the window. â€Å"Did you ever†¦?† exclaimed Mrs. Flowers, lifting her hands and dropping them again. â€Å"Whatever could it mean?† â€Å"I don't know, but I remember everybody talking about ley lines. Lines of Power in the ground.† â€Å"Yes, but those run along the surface of the earth. They don't point upward, like – like a fountain!† Mrs. Flowers said. â€Å"But I heard that wherever three ley lines come together – I think Damon said – they can form a Gate. A Gate to where they were going.† â€Å"Dear me,† said Mrs. Flowers. â€Å"You mean you think one of those Gateway things is out there? Maybe it's them, coming back.† â€Å"It couldn't be.† The time Matt had spent with this particular old woman had made him not only respect her, but love her. â€Å"But I don't think we should go outside, anyway.† â€Å"Dear Matt. You are such a comfort to me,† Mrs. Flowers murmured. Matt didn't really see how. It was all her stored food and water they were using. Even the fold-up cot was hers. If he had been on his own he might have investigated this†¦extraordinary thing. Three spotlights shining out of the ground at an angle so that they met just about at the height of a human being. Bright lights. And getting brighter every minute. Matt sucked in his breath. Three ley lines, huh? God, it was probably an invasion of monsters. He didn't even dare to hope. Elena didn't know if she had needed to say USA or Earth, or even if the door could take her to Fell's Church, or if Damon would have to give her the name of some gate that was close to it. But†¦surely†¦with all those ley lines†¦ The door opened, revealing a small room like an elevator. Sage said quietly, â€Å"Can you four carry him if you have to fight, too?† And – after a second to unravel what this meant – three shrieks of protest, in three different feminine tones, came. â€Å"No! Oh, please, no! Oh don't leave us!!† – Bonnie, begging. â€Å"You're not coming home with us?† – Meredith, straight-from-the-shoulder. â€Å"I order you to get in – and make it quick!† – Elena. â€Å"Such a dominant woman,† murmured Sage. â€Å"Ah, well, it seems the Great Pendulum has swung again. I am only a man. I obey.† â€Å"What? Does that mean you're coming?† Bonnie cried. â€Å"It means I am coming, yes.† Gently, Sage took Stefan's wasted body in his arms and stepped into the little cubicle inside the door. Unlike the first keys Elena had used today, this one seemed to work more like a voice-activated elevator†¦she hoped. After all, Shinichi and Misao had each only needed one key for themselves. Here, a number of people might want to go to the same place at once. She hoped. Sage back-kicked Stefan's old bedding away. Something rattled on the ground. â€Å"Oh – † Stefan reached helplessly for it. â€Å"It's my Elena diamond. I found it on the floor after†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Plenty more where that came from,† Meredith said. â€Å"It's important to him,† Damon, who was already inside, said. Instead of crowding farther into the elevator, the little room that might disappear at any second, that might be gone for Fell's Church before he could turn back, he walked out into the lobby, looked closely at the floor, and knelt. Then, quickly, he reached down and then got up and hurried into the little room again. â€Å"Do you want to hold it or shall I?† â€Å"You hold it†¦for me. Take care of it.† Anyone who knew of Damon's track record, especially with regards to Elena or even an old diamond that had belonged to Elena, would have said Stefan had to be a madman. But Stefan wasn't mad. He clasped his hand over his brother's that held the diamond. â€Å"And I'll hold on to you,† he said with a faint, wry smile. â€Å"I don't know if anyone is interested,† Meredith said, â€Å"but there is a single button on the inside of this contraption.† â€Å"Push it!† cried Sage and Bonnie, but Elena cried more loudly, â€Å"No – wait!† She'd spotted something. Across the lobby, the Guardians had been unable to stop a single, apparently unarmed citizen from entering the room and crossing the floor at a high-paced graceful glide. He must have been over six feet tall, wearing an entirely white tunic and breeches, which matched his long white hair, alert foxlike ears, and the long flowing silky tail that waved behind him. â€Å"Shut the door!† bellowed Sage. â€Å"Oh, my!† breathed Bonnie. â€Å"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?† snarled Damon. â€Å"Don't worry. It's only a fellow prisoner. A silent fellow. Hey, you got out, too!† Stefan was smiling and that was enough for Elena. And the intruder was holding out something to him that – well, it couldn't be what it looked like – but it was getting quite close now and it looked like a bouquet of flowers. â€Å"That is a kitsune, is it not?† Meredith asked, as if the world had gone mad around her. â€Å"A prisoner – † said Stefan. â€Å"A THIEF!† shouted Sage. â€Å"Hush!† said Elena. â€Å"He can probably hear even if he can't speak.† By then the kitsune was upon them. He met Stefan's eye, glanced at the others and held out the bouquet, which was heavily sealed in plastic wrap and some kind of long stickers with magical-looking inscriptions on them. â€Å"This is for Stefan,† he said. Everyone, including Stefan, gasped. â€Å"Now I must deal with some tiresome Guardians.† He sighed. â€Å"And you must press the button to make the room go, Beauty,† he said to Elena. Elena, who had momentarily been fascinated by the whisking of a fluffy tail around silken breeches suddenly blushed scarlet. She was remembering certain things. Certain things that had seemed very different†¦in a lonely dungeon†¦in the dark of artificially formed night†¦. Oh, well. Best to put a brave face on it. â€Å"Thank you,† she said, and pushed the button. The doors began to close. â€Å"Thank you again!† she added, bowing slightly to the kitsune. â€Å"I'm Elena.† â€Å"Yoroshiku. I am – â€Å" The door shut between them. â€Å"Is it that you have gone crazy?† Sage cried. â€Å"Taking a bouquet from a fox!† â€Å"You're the one who seems to know him, Monsieur Sage,† Meredith said. â€Å"What's his name?† â€Å"I do not know his name! I do know he stole three-fifths of the Seine Cloister Treasure from me! I know that he is expert, but expert at cheating at the cards! Ahh!† The last was not a cry of rage but an exclamation of alarm, for the little room was moving sideways, plunging downward, almost stopping, before it resumed its former steady motion. â€Å"Will it really take us to Fell's Church?† Bonnie asked timidly, and Damon put an arm around her. â€Å"It'll take us somewhere,† he promised. â€Å"And then we'll see. We're a pretty able set of survivalists.† â€Å"Which reminds me,† Meredith said. â€Å"I think Stefan looks better.† Elena, who had been helping to buffer him from the dimensional elevator's motion, glanced up at her quickly. â€Å"Do you really? Or is it just the light? I think he should be feeding,† she said anxiously. Stefan flushed, and Elena pressed fingers to her lips to stop them trembling. Don't, darling, she said voicelessly. Every one of these people have been willing to give their life for you – or for me – for us. I'm healthy. I'm still bleeding. Please don't waste it. Stefan murmured, â€Å"I'll stop the bleeding.† But when she bent to him, as she had known he would, he drank.