Music of the 1950s

Kayla Curlett Period 5 Music of the 1950’s Rock ‘n’ Roll, Pop, R&B, and Swing are some of the popular genres of music during the decade of the 1950’s. Music during this time period had a major influence on the people. It influenced their clothes, hair, fashion, dance moves, and their independence. Many teenagers during this time used the slogan â€Å"Sex, drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll. † Some famous artists included Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Fats Domino and Pat Boone. One of the biggest hits about the decade was Don McLean’s â€Å"The Day the Music Died. †Classic Pop dominated the charts for the first half of the decade. Classic Pop often used orchestras to back up the vocalists. Pop music often included elements from other styles like urban, dance, rock and much more. However these elements defined pop music. These songs had repeated choruses and catchy hooks. Electric guitars, drums and bass were some of the main instruments used in these songs. Despite the racial problems during the time, there was a sense of equality in Rock ‘n’ Roll. Chuck Berry was one of the first black Rock ‘n’ Roll performer that appealed to both audiences.He combined the sound of Rhythm and Blues with Rock ‘n’ Roll. The movie, â€Å"Blackboard Jungle,† gave Rock ‘n’ Roll a huge audience when Bill Haley and the Comets performed â€Å"Rock Around the Clock. † Bill Haley and the Comets practically became famous overnight. Elvis Presley was the king of Rock ‘n’ Roll. He was said to have the greatest impact on early Rock ‘n’ Roll. For Elvis Presley, 1956 was a year like no other. In January he became a regional sensation but by the end of the year he had become a national prodigy.His first two albums were million dollar sellers which included top songs like â€Å"Hound Dog,† â€Å"Love Me Tender,† â€Å"Don’t be Cruelâ⠂¬  and â€Å"Heartbreak Hotel. † He appeared on national television eleven times and appeared in his first movie called â€Å"Love Me Tender. † Elvis Presley had a unique style that was either loved or hated. He became a cultural icon especially to teenagers. In March of 1958, Elvis was inducted into the army for two years; however, the Memphis Draft Board postponed his leaving so he could finish filming his fourth movie, â€Å"King Creole. Elvis’s famous ducktail hair, crazy dance moves, and popular music make him the legacy that he is today. Another popular Rock ‘n’ Roll artist of the 1950’s was Buddy Holly. He was described as â€Å"the single and most influential creative force in early Rock ‘n’ Roll. † His signature style was his wayfarer glasses. Buddy was first inspired by Elvis Presley but as Buddy became famous his popularity rivaled Elvis Presley’s. In 1952 he recorded the song â€Å"I’ll just p retend† with Bob Montgomery.Later on he formed his own band, â€Å"The Crickets. † In 1958, Buddy decided to open up his own recording studio called Prism Records. He earned a huge amount of success in such little time; unfortunately On February 3rd, 1959 he died in a plane crash along with two other Rock ‘n’ Roll legends Ritchie Valens and J. P. â€Å"The Big Bopper† Richardson. This was considered the first and greatest tragedy that rock ‘n’ roll has ever suffered. It later became known as â€Å"The Day the Music Died,† in Don McLean’s song â€Å"American Pie. †The single â€Å"American Pie† was a number one U. S. hit for four weeks. Although the lyrics to this song may be puzzling, they have a significant meaning. Each verse represents important events that took place during the 1950’s. In the lyrics, â€Å"That music used to make me smile,† represents the happiness and optimism of the 1950â⠂¬â„¢s in America. Buddy Holly was McLean’s idol and when Holly died the day the music died became the day innocence and optimism died. American pie and Chevrolet are both references to the 1950’s in America.American pie was a common symbol or an American icon used during that time. A Chevrolet was one of the most common cars during the 50’s. The verses â€Å"If the Bible tells you so, do you believe in rock ‘n’ roll, can music save your mortal soul† represent how America was shifting from faith in God to faith in music. â€Å"And while the King was looking down, the jester stole his thorny crown,† this represents how Bob Dylan stole Elvis Presley’s fame and became the number one musician in the hearts’ of the fans. And the three men I admire the most, the Father Son and Holy Ghost,† McLean is referring to the Father Son and Holy Ghost as Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper. â€Å"They caught the last tra in for the coast, the day the music died,† here McLean is referring to the plane crash that killed three amazing musicians of the 1950’s. Some may say that music has no significance to an era, but it does. It is what shapes a culture and the people during a time period. It changes people’s thoughts, style, and actions. Even music from past decades has a significant impact on our society today.Elvis, Pat Boone, and Ricky Nelson were all popular back in their time, yet they are still widely known in the present. With the downturn of quality of music today, there has been an increase in preservation of keeping old school music popular, in hopes to re-shape the minds of young people in our society. It is widely believed that music is a reflection of society and the people in it, and for that reason, positive and inspirational music of the 50s must be introduced to the young ears of society for decades to come.

Process Proposal Essay

The process that is being analyzed is the payroll process at a firm. The process can be viewed as a series of steps done on a daily basis and then at month end when salaries are to be distributed. Their process flow along with diagrams is given below. Daily: The work of the system starts as soon as an employee enters and checks in for the days work. Every employee owns a magnetic swipe card which is given to him/her upon employment at dollar. The swipe card machine notes and stores the time of entry and exit for every employee along with other necessary information such as employee number, name etc. at the day end, this data is imported to the current system database (running on FoxPro) using a third party software. Issues such as total time worked per day (depending on employee type), overtime, absences and leaves are resolved then and there. Every employee, in case of over time put in, is handed a sheet at the day end called the ‘Overtime Sheet’. Records of it are maintained by respective supervisors as well as the current system. Monthly: At month end, the data that has been accumulated over the whole period along with the overtime sheets that every employee submits is used to calculate total salaries of the employees and then paid to them in the form of payslips. All deductions and additions regarding overtimes, absences, leaves etc. are resolved and then sent to the supervisors for verification. Upon verification, deductions regarding gratuities and additions such as benefits, allowances etc. are verified from the HR system records and then forwarded to the account system for tax deductions. The final process is then to transfer funds to each employee’s personal account and distribute payslips to each one of them. The transfer is carried out by the accounts department in co-ordination with the HR system and the payslips are distributed via supervisors. A diagram that illustrates this process is given below: As it can be seen, the process has various repetitive steps that can easily be eliminated if a computerized system is used. Especially the processes at month end, these can be shortened a lot if redesigned and enabled with IT.

Compare and contrast arguments for and against belief in life after death Essay

) Compare and contrast arguments for and against belief in life after death (20 marks). 26/01/03 One initial problem with studying the belief in life after death is that there are a vast number of theories stating what they believe ‘life after death’ actually is. Therefore in order to effectively ascertain arguments for and against this idea, it is necessary to deal with each individual theory separately. Plato’s theory of dualism1 argues that it is the mind that determines our personality and that the body is an outer shelf for the real self. The body is contingent and therefore destined for decay but the mind is associated with the higher realities such as truth, goodness and justice and is immortal. Plato believed that the soul continues after death. Plato said that there was a perfect idea/form for everything in existence. The idea of the thing is prior to the individual instance of it and so it must be more real. Ideas are not physical things so they must belong to a spiritual realm of reality, which is more real than the material realm. According to Plato the telos2 of the body is to be in the physical world and receive sense-impressions whereas the telos of the soul is to travel into the realm of heavenly ideas and understand them. Before our immortal souls became imprisoned in our bodies they were acquainted with these heavenly ideas and so our soul wants to break free of our bodies and spend eternity in contemplation of the true, the beautiful and the good. In this realm the thinking being would survive without the physical body, the body would not survive death, but the soul – the real essence of the person would continue. Plato terms this ‘soul’ as our personality identity. According to Davies, although the arguments may seem ingenious, in actual fact they are severely misguided. Things may have opposites, but it does not follow that if something comes to be, there is something which is its opposite from which it comes. Nor does it follow that if something ceases to be, something comes to be which is opposite to something existing earlier. Davies adds that Plato’s second argument does not work because it mistakenly assumes that if all who have lived come to be dead, it follows that everyone has come to be dead. It is true that someone who has gone to sleep has not awoken but it is not true that nobody is awake.3 Aristotle developed a similar theory of dualism for life after death, he considered the ‘soul’ to be the part of the body that gives it life. It is what turns the physical form into a living organism of its particular type. Therefore a human will have a human soul. Aristotle defines the body and soul as being inseparable. The soul develops the person’s skills, character or temper, but it cannot survive death. When the body dies, the soul ceases to exist, as they are one. This would appear to be materialistic at first but Aristotle believed that the body and soul were different. Human beings have a soul or self that is capable of intellectual life. Only humans can reflect on feelings and sensations and grasp ‘universals’. In this way we come to understand eternal truths and in doing so we move on to achieve a higher level of existence. It seems evident here that Aristotle’s argument is guilty of confusing spiritual fulfilment that occurs on an entirely physical level, involving emotions and cognitions with life after death and so it seems we must reject his argument. Bernard Williams raised concerns that the separation of body and mind raises questions for discussion. Williams argues that memories are not a good guide to identity. Memories and personality can be fabricated and personal identity cannot be proved through mental activity alone. He believed that identity comes from physical characteristics as well. Personal identity depends on the way in which we recognise each other and without our bodies we cannot be fully identified. However, one could counter this by saying that the recognition of each other is irrelevant as it is more the manner within which we recognise ourselves that is important. Furthermore, Williams speaks of recognition on an entirely materialistic level as it is merely the physical person they are identifying. Given that one might say that we make judgements through the form of our physical selves and not our souls to recognise something non-physical by this means does not seem rational. Williams also highlights the causal affects between body and mind. For example the use of alcohol and drugs affects cognitions and changes personality.4 We can argue against this by distinguishing between the mind – a non-physical entity, and the brain – a physical entity by which the mind operates. Modern science has shown links between the mind and the brain. Surgeons are now capable of splitting the brain and effectively creating two minds. It is possible to argue that dualism was only invented as a philosophy as a means of explaining what, at that time science could not understand. Finally there is the argument that if the mind is a non-physical object how can it cause anything to happen in the purely materialist realm of the world. Arguments have been put forward to counter this – some philosophers for example have highlighted parts of the brain by which they believe the mind connects to the physical realm. However, modern science has once again defeated this argument and shown how they serve other purposes. It seems that the argument was little more than unfounded opinion and guesswork. Rene Descartes is also greatly associated with dualistic arguments for life after death. He states that if human beings are not to be identified with their bodies, then the view that they can survive death seems a plausible one. We normally think of death as the end of a persons bodily life. But if people are distinct from their bodies, then the fact that their bodies die does not entail that they die. Another modern advocate of a distinction between persons and their bodies is Richard Swinburne. According to him it is coherent that a person can exist without a body. Swinburne asserts that if X (the body) can be without Y (the mind), then X and Y are distinct. Since I can be without my body, it follows, says Swinburne, that I am not my body. Through Descartes’ and Swinburne’s arguments it becomes entirely possible to attack the premise of a dualistic interpretation of life after death by attacking the premise of dualism itself. On the other hand, although our language seems to involve subscribing to a distinction between body and mind this does not show that they are separate things. Furthermore we often talk about ourselves as being distinct from our minds also, so it seems this argument does not work. There are a number of arguments, however, which work in favour of this approach. For one thing, there is the fact that we often naturally talk about our real selves as though they were distinct from our bodies. Another factor is that we also have privileged access to many of our thoughts. We can think about something without displaying that fact by our bodily behaviour. However what does the fact that we have privileged access to many of our thoughts actually tell us. It certainly does not mean that only I can know what I am thinking as it is entirely possible for someone else to know what you are thinking by an observational analysis of your physical responses and even for them to be thinking the same thing at the same time. Unfortunately this counter-argument does not work either as although it is entirely possible for someone to work out roughly what you are thinking, they will never be 100% accurate, nor will they ever be able to think with the perceptions, cognitions and interpretations which you do. Another argument put forward by Descartes to uphold dualism is his statement: â€Å"I know I exist†. He also states that he can say that he is essentially a thinking thing. Therefore this perception of the physical seems to imply that there is something else apart from the body with regard to being a human.5 However in this case it is possible to argue that appearance may be deceptive, as sometimes our senses can be mistaken regarding the physical world. Why should we be an exception? For example a drunk man may perceive himself to be sober when actually this is not the case. However, we may point out that this analogy is at fault because if a man is drunk then his perception and mind have been distorted by alcohol and has little to do with appearance as the appearance which has been perceived is not a truthful one. Unfortunately this line of argument seems to fail when we ask why should drunkenness be any different to other distortions of perception which may occur naturally without our awareness. In fairness, it is not. Furthermore, Immanuel Kant would argue with Descartes over this issue stating that – the human mind imposes order on our experiences and in reality we do not know with certainty the source of the sensations that the mind organises. An alternative to dualism is materialism or behaviourism, which is the view that so called mental events are really physical events occurring to physical objects. Emotion for instance is just the interacting of chemicals in our physical body. Gilbert Ryle (1949) dismissed dualism as a theory about ‘a ghost in a machine’. That is the ghost of the mind inside the machine of the body. Ryle called the notion that the body and mind are separate entities calling it a category mistake. He uses the analogy of an overseas visitor who is shown around a collegiate university town and sees the college, libraries, and so forth, only at the end of it to ask â€Å"but where is the university†. Failing to appreciate that the university is not something separate from its constituent parts; failing to see the ‘wood for the trees’ as some may say†¦ Ryle advocated something known as philosophical behaviourism – all mental events are really physical events interpreted in a mental way. Thus our mind is not a separate entity but just a term meaning what we do with our physical bodies. Some critics have suggested that this does not explain all mental behaviour. If we are for example wishing for something, this does not mean we are behaving in a particular way. You could counter this by saying that the number of subconscious thoughts we have are numerous, and they often can manifest themselves through behaviour without our knowledge, who is to say that conscious thoughts are any different. In fact it seems highly likely that they are not. Ryle’s behaviourist theory can be assigned to a mode of thought known as materialism. There are two forms of this – hard materialism and soft materialism. Hard materialism refers to a mode of thought that does not accept that an individuals characteristics are anything more than physical ones. Any idea of consciousness is nothing more than brain activity. The mind cannot be separated from the body. When the body dies, then so does the brain. Soft materialists do not accept that all characteristics are physical ones. Consciousness is more than just a brain process. The mind and body are related to and do not act independently of each other, but the body often displays inner emotions. A physical symptom may be caused by something that is troubling the mind. There is nothing that we can do independent of our bodies and therefore our personal identity must involve our bodies. They believe that when the physical body dies, so does the mind. These views seem particularly strong as to oppose them would be to suggest that there are bodiless people capable of being defined as human beings, when surely having a body is part of the definition of being human. Not all materialists accept that death is the end, instead, some believe that there is life after death. As the physical body cannot be separated from the ‘soul’ (mind), there is only one way this could happen and that is if the whole body continues after death. The survival would have to involve the resurrection of the body. This belief is known as re-creation theory and is held by Christians. One flaw with this theory is that if we survive as both body and mind, then what state is the body in – are we old/young, sick/healthy etc. The question ultimately refers to the identification of the ‘self’ and who we really are. If a person was born with a terminal illness it would not seem just for them to be resurrected as a person with such an astounding deficiency, yet would they not so, it would not be truly them. The only plausible way around this would be to resort to a dualist style of argument separating the body from the soul. Unfortunately however this is not cohesive with creation theory. The theory also does not take into account personal development, if we are resurrected as a younger person of ourselves then it ignores part of what it is to be human – the ability to develop and change in order to achieve self-actualisation. The development of the self is not compatible with the arguments stationary grounding. Therefore it would seem necessary that we be resurrected in the form that we were just before we died. Yet if the person had contracted a painful illness or indeed was in a coma then this would seem non-sensical. The reason for this being that if (as in this world) suffering and pain is random and universal then the whole point of an afterlife (to reward and punish) is negated. Furthermore if a person were to be ‘cured’ as it were, then they would have had a very real aspect of their character and development removed from them (as undoubtedly the ailment would have changed them as a person, however small the change) and so it would not be the actual person that was carried on. John Hick would counter-argue and state that it would be entirely plausible that the dead could exist after death as themselves, if an exact replica of them were to appear. This replica could be identified as being the same person who had died, and therefore, according to Hick, would be the same person. If this replica will be complete with all the characteristics and memories of the individual then it would be the same person re-created. It is possible to counter-argue this point and ask the question: Would this replica not merely be an exact copy of ourselves but not really us. The individual atoms of which we are composed would differ to those of our copy. We are contingent beings and given that there must be some gap in time in between us ceasing to be and our replica coming to be, then surely it cannot be the same person. Hindu and Buddhist traditions hold the view that we have lived many lives before and that on death we will be reborn again. The condition of our present lives are believed to be a direct consequence of our previous lives. According to Verdic tradition, there is an ultimate reality – Brahman. Everything else is maya – a temporary and finite illusion. Within maya there is a limitless number of souls who all seek union with Brahman. The theory of karma and rebirth is concerned with the soul’s journey from illusion to reality6. The soul continues from life to life, being reincarnated, until it finds the eternal truth; after this the soul is not reborn any more and is united with Brahman. Thus when an individual dies, their mental aspects live on and the next birth is determined by how good or bad their karma was in the last life. Evidence frequently cited for this is the fact that many people seem able to remember fragments of their previous lives, sometime under hypnotic regression. However, although evidence for recall can sometimes be damning, why would it seem to suggest evidence for reincarnation, it could be interpreted as a number of things. Possibly, you could argue that we are all merely cells in one great organism and that these people have just happened to find interconnections between cells. If we removed the cultural-related feasibility of reincarnation then this argument would appear no less likely. In addition, it is possible that there is a rational explanation for this apparent ‘recall’. Firstly, the individual might simply be recalling information gained in childhood and attributing it to a past life. Secondly there could be a ‘cultural’ gene that passes down information from our ancestors. Or thirdly, that some memories may result from psychological problems and be manifested as memories of earlier lives when in fact they are suppressed events from this life. These three explanations seem relatively weak and unable to explain the multitude of ‘regressions’ which have taken place. David Hume would call into validity the nature of the people who make and verify these claims, stating that either they are religious and seek to prove their beliefs to be true, or are mentally unbalanced and cannot be relied upon to make accurate claims. Furthermore, hypnosis is a very unreliable source of evidence. Numerous psychologists have conducted studies showing that not only are only 33% of the population susceptible to in-depth hypnosis, with 33% being not at all susceptible, but also that false memory syndrome can occur quite regularly under hypnosis, where the patient wrongly ‘remembers’ an event to have occurred even though it actually has not.7 Although this argument does successfully call into doubt the reliability of hypnosis, the majority of other physical explanations seem relatively weak and fail to affectively account for something – which in all fairness we cannot explain. Yet the fact that we cannot remember why we know something should not provide proof that we have had previous lives, moreover that there are things which we know that transcend our sensory experiences. Philosophically, however, there are problems with this style of argument. Human beings seem to require three things to make up their individuality – body, memory and psychological patterns (personal identity). If we apply these to reincarnation, when we are reborn, continuity is lost. If we cannot remember our previous lives then our memory is lost. With only psychological pattern remaining it would be impossible to determine if one person is the rebirth of another since, unless they displayed identical characteristics, all we could say is that reincarnated people are ‘similar’ to those who went before. Therefore given that reincarnation argues not for life after death, just for life per se, it seems irrelevant to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of its arguments. Another argument for life after death arises through ‘spiritualism’ and communications between the spirit world and the living is regarded as evidence of life after death. Many ‘mediums’ have passed on messages from departed spirits that contain accurate information which was previously unknown to the medium. However, investigations of a number of mediums have proved that they are frauds. Others appear to be genuine and are able to demonstrate that something extraordinary is happening when they pass on messages. This could be communication with departed spirits or some form of telepathic access to the minds of the living. Once again however, the question is introduced as to whether we can trust the testimony of another human being without actually witnessing the occurrence for ourselves. Given the frequency of unexplainable occurrences such as these they do seem be a reasonable argument for life after death. There have been a number of ‘sightings’ of dead people, which also constitute as arguments for life after death. Dr Deepak Chopra stated that bodies are comprised of energy. They may appear to be solid, but the truth is that they are in reality just an impulse of energy. When an individual dies, the energy field may retain his/her image and may be perceived as a ‘ghost’. He considered the ghost to be an individual’s consciousness manifesting itself through the remaining energy. However there are a number of explanations for the phenomenon including hoaxes or elaborate tricks, which could convince people they had seen a ghost whereas in actuality they had not. Secondly there is the ‘stone tape’ theory which suggests that just as a magnetic tape is able to record events and play them back, in certain conditions, stones will record events and ‘play them back’ when the same conditions are present. Finally there is the fact that ghosts could be the result of a case of mistaken identity, or the power of suggestion could lead to the mistaken belief that a ghost had been sighted. The ‘stone tape theory’ is quite ludicrous as it takes upon a scientific argument to prove a theory when the main differentiation between science and philosophy is empirical verification. In this case there is no evidence to support the theory. Aside from this theory, the other two seem quite believable in that they are quite feasible and explain the frequency and variety of times such an occurrence has taken place. Furthermore, the fact that a bundle of energy continues to exist, showing something that once did exist does not mean that life after death exists. Indeed if the energy is little more than a reflection of what once was, it fails as an argument intended to prove what know is. In addition can a bundle of energy really be constituted as ‘living’, if not then once again the argument is invalid. The argument of near-death experiences also puts forward an argument for life after death. Dr. Raymond Moody has studied many cases of people who had, to all intents and purposes died (during a surgical operation) and subsequently been resuscitated. Many claimed similar experiences – floating out of their bodies, travelling down a tunnel where they emerged into a world of light. However, these accounts have problems. Firstly, these accounts may be merely the result of people dreaming or experiencing some subconscious phenomena. Given the clarity of these dreams the first account seems unlikely, the second more plausible yet still is devoid of scientific evidence to support. Some have suggested that a lack of oxygen to the brain resulted in this hallucination. The main problem once again is verification in that it is impossible for us to experience the phenomena ourselves and judge its reliability accordingly. In addition, the types of experiences are often largely dependent on culture and society and so whether or not they are genuine or merely a manifestation of what the person may expect to see, or in the case of non-believers, expects not to see. One can counter-argue this however by saying that God may not actually be a fixed being but more of an interpersonal one varying from person to person and so the culture argument may not be relevant. The arguments discussed here are numerous, but generally do not hold a great deal of weight. The philosophical arguments are flawed and in places not logical, and the empirical arguments are generally unverifiable. However, given the sheer number of empirical arguments and the fact that some of them (near death experiences and regression to previous lives for example) are apparently otherwise unexplainable – we must realise that it is highly plausible if not possible that life after death does occur in some form or another. Bibliography: Religious studies, by Sarah K. Tyler and Gordon Reid. Philosophy of religion for A level by Neil Lockyer, Anne Jordan and Edwin Tate. An introduction to the philosophy of religion, by Brian Davies. The puzzle of God by Peter Vardy Religious Education notes from R.S. conference 1 â€Å"Any view that postulates two kinds of thing in some domain is dualist; contrasting views according to which there is only one kind of thing are monistic† – Simon Blackburn Oxford Dictionary of philosophy pg 248 2 Greek word meaning ‘purpose’ 3 The Puzzle of God – Peter Vardy 4 The puzzle of God – Peter Vardy 5 Religious Education notes from R.S. conference 6 Also known as a state of ‘Nirvana’. 7 The puzzle of God – Peter Vardy

Five Approaches for Qualitative Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Five Approaches for Qualitative Research - Essay Example Thus, the research study critically evaluates the role of theory in qualitative research in relation to leadership styles employed by both directors of nursing and social services in promotion of psychosocial well-being of nursing home residents. The role of the theory in the grounded theory, narrative, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography and case study influence the research study in different ways. First, theory plays significant role of influencing research design such as enabling leaders to make vital decisions about things to research and implementation of research questions. Therefore, theory underpins qualitative research methodologies; hence, it can have an implication on data analysis and interpretation. The main role of theory is to influence the research; thus offering practical guidance to the researchers in order to enable them become aware of what the theory has to perform and the way it affects research design. Keele (2011) argues that the quality of a qualitative research analysis is influenced depending on the way the researcher attends to theoretical concerns at varied research process; the theoretical concerns plays significant role at all stages of research design. Although many nursing practition ers have tended to ignore the theory because they believe that they work on reality, understanding the role that theory play, in both five qualitative research approaches is significant. Grounded theory is an effective method employed by researcher and it utilizes the data obtained for developing or finding a theory in research study process. Grounded theory was developed by Glaser Barney and Strauss Anselm, and it has a particular purpose which moves beyond narrative or description approach (Creswell and Creswell, 2007). Both directors of nursing and social services can use grounded theory in discovering and generating a theory that will enable them to find the impact that their leadership styles can have on the

The Working Poor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Working Poor - Essay Example In a book written by Collins and Yeskel entitled â€Å"Economic Apartheid in America,† attention is focused on the widening gap between a few ultrawealthy individuals and the greater majority of people in the United States. The segregation spawns a culture of haves and have-nots. Those who struggle to attain a decent living wage for their families remain impoverished because the culture is skewed against them and fosters a poverty that is self-propagating. â€Å"This economic inequality comes from a mechanistic view of the world devoid of deep spiritual meaning, soul searching, and egalitarian human connection. It leaves little room for prioritizing fulfilling human relationships, nurturing the environment, or appreciating the sacred.† (Brettschneider, 2001) Despite the nation’s growing prosperity, real wages – that is, the money people can actually use from their paychecks – to stagnate or fall for more than half of the population. Inequality in wages between the highest and lowest paid workers is at its highest. The bottom 95 percent of the U.S. populace has less wealth than the top one percent of households. Seventy-five percent of workers have suffered some loss at work, such as loss of full-time employment, lack of retirement security, lack of health insurance, and loss of other similar benefits. 5. The United Nations Development Program reported in 1999 that the world’s 225 richest people have a combined wealth of $1 trillion, which is equivalent to the combined annual income of the world’s 2.5 billion poorest people. 6. The richest ten per cent of the world’s population receive about half (49.6%) of the total world income, while the bottom sixty percent (more than half) of the world’s population receive little more than one-tenth (13.9%) of the world’s income. In his book â€Å"The Working Poor†, David Shipler gave life

Take Home Exam for Com 100 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Take Home Exam for Com 100 - Essay Example Appiah emphasizes that â€Å"American social distinctions cannot be understood in terms of the concept of race† (Appiah 102). America is a diverse nation; it is composed of different races, and no race should be superior over the other. America is known for its cultural multiplicity. That’s what describes it as a nation. Furthermore, Appiah believes that â€Å"the only human race in the United States, I shall argue, is the human race† (54).He believes that social divisions are merely beliefs that have been drawn from natural historical notion or causal theory. This peculiarity requires a need for change and neutralization. Hence, the central point of this discussion shall focus on how Appiah’s claim on the existence of race would affect the way people think, act, speak and write by understanding the key points specified in Appiah’s article. Appiah claims that â€Å"what we learn when we learn a word like â€Å"race† is a set of rules for app lying the term† (57). ... Appiah argues that race cannot be identified by simply looking at the colour of the skin. The identification of race based on colour is a flawed belief in that even variations in colour are collectively joined together in some applications. For instance, the United States Census Bureau does not classify â€Å"Latino† as a single race but, regardless of the range of colours they find themselves of having, the US Census Bureau classifies them as Hispanic; you do not find a racial classification that says â€Å"Strong Brown Hispanic† or â€Å"Light Brown Hispanic†, in other words, even colour is not recognized as indicative of race; also, if race is only based on the colour of the skin, it is quite obvious that black shades are not only endowed to African-Americans or Blacks. Think about Ghanaians, Indians, or Tanzanians, they have skin colours that are relatively similar to Black Americans but much difference is being to them. Seen this way, there is a much telling reason that hides behind skin colour, which could either be a social or a cultural phenomenon because if all Blacks are regarded uniformly such that Indians are also considered as the same race with Black Americans based on their colour, Indians should have likewise experienced the stern upshots of social distinctions that are prevalent in the United States up until today. So, granting that Appiah is indeed right that there is no human race by arguing that race cannot be indentified by colour, the consequences would be immense: first, it would result into a borderless world in which people could freely intermingle and interrelate with other people without a strong regard of their physical appearance and their cognitive abilities. Second, the manner in which we speak, think, and act

Contemporary management systems research report Assignment

Contemporary management systems research report - Assignment Example The domain of internal and external factors for Virgin Airways would be discussed using the PEST and SWOT analysis respectively so as to give a more explicit insight into the influencing factors for the company. Political – Legal Impacts: In terms of the political scenario, it can be seen that the liberal policy environment along with the airline industry deregulation has served as a major factor boosting competition in the industry and encouraging new entrants in the market. Economic Impacts: The economic turmoil following the events of 9/11 and SARS has put the airline industry in a challenging environment. Along with that, the rising prices of fuel have increased the basic costs of flights while the consumer base on the other hand is reluctant to spend money in times of rising inflation. Socio-Cultural Impacts: In this context, the challenge is to get an adequate labour force for the operations from the tight labour markets especially for operations requiring skilled labour, which is quite essential for the airline industry. Technological Impacts: The rapidly changing advancement in technology has led to the creation of knowledge dependent global industries. The biggest challenge today for all companies is to keep pace with these advancements and talking in context of Virgin Airways; they would have to upgrade their operations and aircrafts to achieve better economies of scale in these testing times. Strengths: The greatest strength that Virgin Airways has is that of a strong supporting structure in form of the Virgin Group. Along with that, the company has well established itself as a well-recognized brand in the market that it serves as a low cost, no-frills travelling service provider capitalizing perfectly on the need of the time. Weaknesses: On the downside, Virgin Airways is faced with strong competition from Qantas Airlines that follows a more or less similar business model. Hence, the

CIBN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIBN - Essay Example Admitting the importance of negotiability, the convention has made a difference between the statuses of holder based on the limitation of his rights. Hence, the rights of a protected holder are freed from claims and defences to a greater extent. The article 45 of the convention gives warranty for an instrument in the case of transfer that it does not bear any unauthorized signature and it has not been materially altered. The convention introduces many beneficial provisions. It permits an instrument to bear an interest at a variable rate in accordance with the provisions mentioned in the instrument and in relation to reference rates published. However, Uniform Commercial Code does not insist payment of interest unless it is an interest-bearing instrument. It also allows reference to a foreign exchange rate such as a bank exchange rate at a certain date in a certain place. The convention also allows payment in installments at successive dates. The convention has a provision to make pay ments in unit of value other than the currency.

Professional Development Plan&Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Professional Development Plan&Review - Essay Example The following description states the goals that I have set, these are the self goal of completing assignments in time, group goal of increased coordination and finally critically evaluating my writing skills. I furthermore explain the manner in which I have gone through the process of developing them and the results obtained. In my education, I have gone through many different problems and trying times. Some hindered me from achieving the best in university and thus I set several goals to ensure that they were eliminated. One of the problems that I had was the inability to complete my assignments in time. This was a major hindrance and in an effort to eliminate it, I set the goal of always preparing for my assignments early. This was effective as it offered me spare time that I went through the work to ensure perfection. There were a number of stages involved in the accomplishment of this. The first stage in this process was to ensure that I had an overview of the whole assignment so that I could divide it to ensure that I finish the parts in place. This was bound to help me break down the work and it made it seem simple. I was also be able to have my own self calendar to keep in mind the deadlines. In case of failure, I was supposed to accept it and work on all my mistakes to avoid them in future. The learning strategies for the perfection of the plan were to ensure that the project I was working on got ready three weeks due. The opportunities that I put into use were practicing on my own to identify my weak areas. Moreover, I was able to set my own study time and work with my friends as they added me knowledge that I did not have before and I offered them new knowledge (Cottrell, 2010, 71). To improve my motivation to start preparing for assignments in one month is important. I also had access to books and the internet as a source of my information and due to my consistency. My plan worked and the evidence that I was

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) - Essay Example In each step of transition, each stakeholder is considered to ensure that each need is addressed at optimum levels. These stakeholders primarily consist of the health care providers and recipient-patients. The medical industry is just one of those industries who capitalize in human resource and invest on meeting human needs. Thus, it is not surprising to find this industry integrating well with its technological advances the human factors -- providers and patients. A particular technological advancement that is taking its slow yet comprehensive steps in the health care industry is the Electronic Medical Record or EMR. Basically, this type of information-capture is the digitized copy of the tangible and printed medical reports traditionally used by the healthcare providers. Pressing needs in the industry’s record-keeping component and the desire for higher operational efficiencies, as well as the great potential of addressing these through the EMR had led to the scrutinizing an d inevitable debate of this technology’s advantages and disadvantages. Disadvantages A primary disadvantage of most technological advancement, and where EMR is not an exception, is its reliance to energy (i.e., electricity). Next in line of these primary drawbacks is the slow system run, as well as hardware issues (Wager, Lee, White, Ward, & Ornstein, 2000). The disadvantages of EMR lie on the delays and possible discrepancies (occurring during delay or information transfer from paper to a computer) that providers have to face on instances of energy disruption, software, or hardware malfunction. Indeed, a physician assistant once remarked, "everything comes to a screeching halt when the system is down. You have to, all of a sudden, remember how to handwrite prescriptions† (Wager et al., 2000, Results section, para. 9). The assistant’s statement presented another learning deficiency that once providers get to rely too much on the EMR, they became less adept to the simple, fundamentals of the manual record keeping. The impact of these disadvantages to the providers maybe a bit similar to the patients. If these disadvantages occur temporarily, then its impact to patients is limited. However, in the long run and in total count, these disadvantages may transform into huge losses in the supposedly saved costs of utilizing EMRs. Advantages The advantages of the EMR evidently lie on the justification of its invention in the first place. Its existence was meant to aid the health care industry in advancing its record-keeping component. Moreover, EMR was envisioned to mobilize a lot of other medical service transactions through the unified integration of transitory information and multiple department access (which have to be granted to make this integration possible). Mitchell and Haroun (2011) enumerated EMR’s advantages: 1) its systems-inclusion capability, which does the ‘coordinating’ function for the different departmental ser vices; and 2) its cautionary and informativity feature, which promote the utilization of a uniform, patient-and-provider reference to medication and treatment protocol. Both of these advantages serve to address the flexible and real-time integration needed to speed the flow of the healthcare service transactions and synchronize with it the organized and useful output of patient data. Consequently, these concerns that used

Ethical and Legal Challenges in Professional Practice Essay Example for Free

Ethical and Legal Challenges in Professional Practice Essay The American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics is available to clarify the ethical responsibilities for professional counselors and future professional counselors. According to the ACA (2005), â€Å"the code serves as an ethical guide designed to assist members in constructing a professional course of action that best serves those utilizing counseling services and best promotes the values of the counseling profession.† As a graduate student striving to achieve a Master’s Degree in Counseling, it is crucial, not only to know and understand the ACA Code of Ethics, but also to understand any challenges that I may have in upholding them as well as ways to address these challenges effectively. In this paper I examine a section of the ACA Code of Ethics that I find personally challenging, risk management strategies used to resolve this potential ethical conflict, and a section of the ACA Code of Ethics that will not present a challenge. Personally Challenging Ethics Code According to the ACA Code of Ethics (2005), section C.2.g Impairment, counselors are alert to the signs of impairment from their own physical, mental, or emotional problems and refrain from offering or providing professional services when such impairment is likely to harm a client or others. The ACA Code of Ethics (2005) section C.2.g Impairment also states that counselors seek assistance for problems that reach the level of professional impairment, and, if necessary, they limit, suspend, or terminate their professional responsibilities until such time it is determined that they may safely resume their work. Personal Relevant History In 2005, during my senior year of undergraduate school at The University of  Arizona, I was on the fast track to law school. I was on a full scholarship, earning a 4.0 grade point average, a resident assistant for the dorms, and a member of a co-ed pre-law fraternity. I had just completed my internship working for senator John McCain and had finished the scary LSAT. This is what my friends and family saw. In the background, I was struggling. During the weekends I was â€Å"hosting† parties, or rather people would just show up and throw their own parties at my residence. I was struggling to get out of bed in the morning and often came back home to take naps and miss my next few classes of the day. My grades were slipping and so was my ambition. I took it upon myself to see a psychiatrist and was prescribed anti-depressants. This medication changed my life for the worst. I did not even notice that things were spinning out of control as I maxed out my credit cards (I would just get new cards later) and making impulsive and risky decisions. I was losing sleep as I was either out socializing or home cleaning like a madwoman, and often had bouts of irritability. My boyfriend at the time (my current husband) called my parents and asked that I come home to Phoenix and receive help. So I had a medical withdrawal from school, returned home, and was provided with psychiatric help. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and informed that by taking antidepressants I was experiencing a manic episode. As stated by Griswold and Pessar (2000, p. 1347) while referring to bipolar disorder, â€Å"the use of tricyclic antidepressants should be avoided because of the possibility of inducing rapid cycling of symptoms.† So with a new diagnosis the process of trial and error with psychotropic and mood stabilizing medications and their unavoidable side effects began. Once I was on a stable medication and dosage, I felt like myself again. I got a job at a residential treatment center to work with adolescents that have mood disorders and had gotten into trouble with the law. I found my passion. It was a few years before I could return to school with a purpose. I was graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Family Studies and Human Development in May 2011 and the future goal of becoming a therapist. Future Considerations and Risk Management  Strategies I believe that under the Impairment ethics code, mood disorders are considered a mental or emotional problem that may impair the counselor affecting the way in which a counselor provides treatment to clients. Bipolar disorder does not disappear once one takes the necessary medication. â€Å"Medication alone is often inadequate to restore and maintain physical health and quality of life† (Rheineck Steinkuller, 2009, p. 339). Rheineck and Steinkuller (2009) recommend that those with bipolar disorder participate in therapy in conjunction with taking their effective medication. It would be myopic of me to assume that bipolar disorder will never affect me as a therapist. If I am not aware of my moods while I am having either a depressive or manic episode I may become irritable with or place my own perceptions onto a client. Ethically, to manage the risks involved with being a therapist who has bipolar disorder, I need to do more than take medication and participate in therapy. According to Biegel, Brown, Shapiro (2007), a therapist should practice self-care, including self-awareness and self-regulation or coping. I think that when I am practicing, it will be self-awareness that will assist me most in terms of risk management. As an unbiased observation of my inner experience and behavior, self-awareness could also serve as an alarm to signal that I need to take appropriate actions whether to notify my supervisor, limit, or suspend my professional responsibilities. When referring to self-awareness Corey, Corey, Callanan (2008, p. 44) state that without it â€Å"mental health professionals are likely to obstruct the progress of their clients as the focus of therapy shifts from meeting the client’s needs to meeting the needs of the therapist.† To assist with my self-awareness, I plan to utilize mindfulness. Mindfulness, as defined by Campbell and Christopher (2012, p. 215), â€Å"refers to a state of being aware, with acceptance, of thoughts, emotions, and sensations as they arise.† I currently practice various mindfulness exercises in therapy to assist with my mood disorder and coping strategies. To be a positive and healthy professional counselor I will continue with mindfulness exercises throughout my career and my life. I plan on practicing this daily, on my own time, so that I will be able to recognize when I am having moods or episodes that need to be addressed.  Mindfulness will be additionally useful, as â€Å"counselors need to be immediately cognizant of signs of stress and burnout and address these immediately to practice counseling ethically† (Bradley, Brogan, Brogan, Hendricks, 2009, p. 358). By being mindful and self-aware I will be able to identify the symptoms of stress and burnout as well as any number of potentially harmful feelings. Ethics Code that Does Not Present a Challenge According to the ACA Code of Ethics (2005), section C.2.f Continuing Education, counselors recognize the need for continuing education to acquire and maintain a reasonable level of awareness of current scientific and professional information in their fields of activity. The ACA Code of Ethics (2005) section C.2.f Continuing Education also states that counselors take steps to maintain competence in the skills they use, are open to new procedures, and keep current with the diverse populations and specific populations with whom they work. Personal Relevant History In my experience while working in behavioral health, training always has been emphasized and mandated yearly. During the four years that I spent working at a residential treatment center, I had accumulated more than 500 hours of training. While working at a group home for a year, I had gone through more than100 hours of training. In the past year while working as a youth and family specialist I have completed an additional 60 hours of training. Although I found many of the training sessions over the years to be fairly repetitive, there were also several trainings providing completely new knowledge to me and therefore effective to assisting me while working with clients. Examples of recent effective trainings include crisis prevention intervention, compassion fatigue, cognitive behavioral therapy for children and adults, and behavioral health documentation. Future Considerations According to the ACA Code of Ethics (2005), Preamble, inherently held values that guide our behaviors or exceed prescribed behaviors are deeply ingrained in the counselor and developed out of personal dedication, rather than the mandatory requirement of an external organization.† To me this statement means that as a professional counselor I will further my education  and knowledge of skills because I want to and not because an agency I work at mandates it. I do not believe that when one finishes school, they have completed learning, especially if they work in behavioral health. There are always new diagnoses, methods, and forms of treatment coming out that I want to be learn to better meet the needs of my future clients. In a mail-in survey study of 1000 licensed professional counselors conducted in 2009 pertaining to counseling grief stricken clients, Granello, Ober, Wheaton (2012) found that the majority of the participants stated they were unprepared when it came to speci fic skills and lacked knowledge to address those with grief. â€Å"Counselors who received training rated themselves as more competent than those who did not, with more training related to higher levels of self-perceived competence† (Granello et al., 2012, p. 158). Another study conducted by Jameson, Poulton, and Stadter (2007), involved 38 therapists and evaluated the effect of a two-year continuing education program on their knowledge, skills, and application. â€Å"The majority (74%) felt the training helped them think clearly and specifically, both about assessment issues and specific interventions† (Jemeson et al., 2007, p. 113). It is clear when reading these findings that further training can only help a professional to work with more specific needs of their clientele. Although all agencies have mandatory trainings, I have observed that there are hundreds of additional trainings offered yearly for any counselors who want to attend voluntarily. I plan to be a counselor who takes the opportunities offered to further educate myself, in order to improve myself and to provide my clients with a better and more knowledgeable version of me. Conclusion In summation, I have examined a potentially personally challenging section of the ACA Code of Ethics, risk management strategies that I plan to utilize, and a section of the ACA Code of Ethics that aligns with my personal beliefs. Examining my personal experiences and traits that may conflict with the ACA Code of Ethics, I am better preparing myself to prevent any effects they may have had toward my future clients. It is important to me that I continue to learn and apply the knowledge I gain in graduate school and additional educational settings to improve myself as a person and as a professional counselor. References American Counseling Association (2005). ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA: Author. Biegel, G.M., Brown, K.W., Shapiro, S.L. (2007). Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 1(2), 105-115. Bradley, L.J., Brogan, W.C., Brogan, C., Hendricks, B. (2009). Shelly: a case study focusing on ethics and counselor wellness. Family Journal, 17(4), 355-359. Campbell, J.C., Christopher, J.C. (2012). Teaching mindfulness to create effective counselors. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 34(3), 213-226. Corey, G., Corey, M.S., Callanan, P. (2008). Issues and ethics in the helping professions ( 8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning Granello, D.H., Ober, A.M., Wheaton, J.E. (2012). Grief counseling: an investigation of counselor’ training, experience, and competencies. Journal of Counseling and Development, 90(2), 150-159. Griswold, K.S., Pessar, L.F. (2000). Management of bipolar disorder. American Family Physician, 62(6), 1343-1353. Jameson, P., Poulton, J., Stadter, M. (2007). Sustained and sustaining continuing education for therapists. Psychotherapy, 44(1), 110-114. Rheineck, J.E., Steinkuller, A. (2009). A review of evidence-based therapeutic interventions of bipolar disorder. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 31(4), 338-350.

Ethics in International Environments Essay Example for Free

Ethics in International Environments Essay The different changes that are happening in the society greatly affect the norms and practices of people, especially those that are involved in the business sector. The existence of globalization has paved the way for business organization to expand their marketing operations outside their local countries and try targeting new consumers that are situated in foreign nations. However, in doing so, business organizations have to take into consideration the differences among nations, especially when it comes to values, beliefs, culture, legal system, and many others. In line with this, respecting and properly addressing the differences among countries also entails properly applying the decisions and business strategy of the company in such a way that it upholds business ethics. Business ethics refers to the applied or professional ethics that is used in order to identify the morality or rightness of a decision or action in ethical issues that arise in business organizations (Crane Matten, 2007). In line with this, the case study of the British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) in marketing their Winfield brand in Asia should carefully consider the ethical implications of their market expansion to the welfare of the consumers in that part of the world and also the overall effects of it in the robustness of the company. Brief Summary of the Case Study The British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) is maker of Winfield, an Australian brand of cigarette. Winfield is available in countries such as: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, UK, and Europe. The main competitive advantage of Winfield as compared with other brands is the reputation that it has wherein it boost quality along with the concept of ‘more for less’, without being regarded as a ‘cheap’ brand. The brand has showed strong financial growth starting from its launch in Australia and other international market place. However, the stricter tobacco advertising restrictions has made it difficult for the organization to market and communicate to the consumers in order to sell Winfield. Due to this, the organization decided to enter the Asian market because their tobacco laws are not as strict as compared with the United States and Australia. BATA wants to maximize the potential of the Asian market before it begins banning cigarette advertising and tobacco smoking. In order to expand in the Asian market, BATA has to practice the multi-domestic marketing strategy. The multi-domestic marketing strategy entails that business organizations have to tailor made a marketing standard that adheres to the culture and personal preference of the target foreign market of the company (Kurtz, 2008). In relation to this, business organizations also have the ability to maintain the standard quality of the product by making sure that despite the differences in the marketing strategy, it still adheres to the core value and objective of the brand (Kitchen Schultz, 2001). Ethical Issues BATA has to address different issues when it comes to entering the Asian market. First, the organization has to identify as to what degree standardize policy on cigarette advertising and promotion has to be applied across borders. Second, BATA needs to find ways in order to establish a balance between ensuring ethical marketing activities and still gaining from the freedom of communication in some international market places. BATA has to reconcile whether a global marketing strategy or multi-domestic marketing strategy is the most effective marketing model that will benefit the organization (Kurtz, 2008). The organization has to face the ethical issue that comes with marketing and selling their cigarettes in the Asian market. BATA has to deal with the ethical dilemma that marketing Winfield in Asia might place the lives of people in danger because of ill effects of tobacco smoking. In addition, the organization also has to take into consideration the exposure of the marketing of Winfield to minors. Moreover, the reputation of the company should also be given utmost consideration because their image of giving quality products with a desire to give satisfaction to customers might be threatened by a wrong marketing move. Formulation of Alternative or Possible Solution In order to properly address the ethical issues that exist and others more that might arise, BATA has to analyze their decisions and actions through the Social Contract Theory (SCT). The Social Contract Theory pertains to a wide range of theories that try to explain the idea of how people willingly give a part of their right in order to form the state with the main purpose of ensuring social order. Every individual has their own respective rights, which they freely surrender a portion of to a higher authority usually the government, in order to prevent chaos and preserve order in the society (Crane Matten, 2007). In the context of international business ethics, the Social Contract Theory allows the establishment of a framework that will help address the ethical issues in relation with Winfield. The Social Contract Theory solves ethical issue by means of the following: (1) establish core principles that are related to the organization; (2) provides recommendations for various communities; (3) examine the appropriateness of marketing practices; (4) enables the theoretical foundation of norms and values (Crane Matten, 2007). Based on the Social Contract Theory, the possible solution entails BATA should identify specific and effective core value system for the organization. In order to properly identify the decisions and actions that the organization recognizes as ethical or unethical an outline of the core value system of the organization is necessary. Another important step is for the organization to implement the multi-domestic marketing strategy that will give importance to the specific preferences of different foreign markets. The organization has to tailor-made their marketing strategy to the needs of respective foreign countries. The appropriateness of the marketing practices of the organization should also be assured by means of establishing a separate department in the organization that will oversee that the marketing of Winfield adheres to the culture, preferences, and law of the foreign market it is being catered. Moreover, the norms and values of the company should be uphold by means of making marketing ads and other promotional materials that targets adults rather than minors. In addition, BATA should place warnings about the ill effects of smoking to the health of people in the very packaging of Winfield and also, in their marketing campaigns even if the law of the foreign country does not require such. BATA has to protect the reputation of the organization and one effective way of doing so is by effectively practicing corporate responsibility (Blownfield Murray, 2008). The organization has to be mindful of their duties and responsibilities to their consumers and the society as a whole. Recommendation The Utilitarian approach to ethics is a kind of normative ethics that assesses the morality or rightness of action based on its outcome. In utilitarianism, a decision or action is ethical when it yields the greatest benefit for the greatest number of people (Crane Matten, 2007). Based on utilitarianism, BATA has to give importance to the welfare of their consumers and not only the organization’s profit in order to make their business processes ethical. By means of establishing the core value system of the organization and also by making sure that the promotion of Winfield is focus on adults together with the corresponding health warning, BATA can be able to give the greatest benefit or happiness to almost all stakeholders that are involve. The organization will gain more profit and further develop their company by means of entering the Asian market. In addition, BATA’s greater corporate responsibility will further boost the reputation of the company. In the side of the consumers, they will have more variation when it comes to cigarette choices. The consumers are also properly informed by the company of the health risks of smoking, which will give them informed-consent on deciding whether they will smoke or not. References Blowfield, M. , Murray A. (2008). Corporate Responsibility: A Critical Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press. Crane, A. Matten, D. (2007). Business Ethics: Managing Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability in the Age of Globalization. New York: Oxford University Press. Kitchen, P. J. , Schultz, D. E. (2001). Raising the Corporate Umbrella: Corporate Communication in the 21st Century. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Kurtz, D. L. (2008). Contemporary Marketing. New York: Cengage Learning.

Introduction To Gay Marriage English Language Essay

Introduction To Gay Marriage English Language Essay The society today tends to stick to what they know and hold on to the familiar. Therefore when something unfamiliar comes along the society resists acceptance, instead they dismiss the issue by denying its existence. Unfortunately, gay marriage is one of the issues that the society has come to refuse to accept and deal with. Maybe, it is because they do not know how to approach it or maybe the issue just took them by surprise and they just need a moment to recover. For whatever reason, the society has chosen to ban gay marriage in Palau. Same sex marriage is new to us all, I completely understand that fact. It was not until recently that we found out that there are certain people that are into liking the same sex. However if we come to think of it, many things regarding marriage, has all, at one point in life, been new to us. In fact when I asked my grandfather, whose name is Kanai Edesomel, what traditional marriage was like back in the old days he said that marriage, traditionally, was mostly arranged. My grandfather went on to say that children back then did not have a say in who they were going to marry. The parents were the ones that chose who their children was going to marry based on a persons character, family background, and how the marriage is going to benefit their own family. Based on what my grandfather told me about marriage in the old days and how marriage is today, I would have to say that Palau has come a long way from arranged marriage. In an article published in the New York Times, William Saletan pointed out how we, members of the society, dont realize how marriage has continuously changed over time, usually in ways so congenial. In the same article William Saletan noted that not only is change part of the tradition but tradition will be part of the change.(Saletan) We, Palauans have slowly broke away from our traditional way in marriage, because whether we realize it or not the world we live in today demands change from us. We are becoming diversely knowledgeable therefore we have to adjust traditions to match the world we live in today and the knowledge we have; and if not adjust traditions we shall make new traditions. In being able to adjust and come up with new traditions we shall become more accepting of same sex marriage. This is all your opinion-not research. We have to stop and consider people in our society who are gay, they are not doing anything wrong; they are just being who they are. Gay cannot help the way they feel. During the 1990s a scientist named Laura S. Allen did an experiment on the human brain. For her experiment, Laura compared the brain of heterosexuals and homosexuals. She came to find that that the hypothalamus, which is the part of the brain that is connected to the sexual drive and function, for homosexuals are bigger that hypothalamus for heterosexual. (Biological Basis for Homosexuality) Therefore, I can say, based on Allens experiment results, that gay people do not choose to be gay; they are born gay. The society should not deny gay people marriage because they think that gay people choose to be this way. I asked a couple of Palauans who are against gay marriag, why they chose to be against it? Most of them said that they think that being gay is not right and people that are gay are sinner. That is why I say that gay people does not choose to be gay, they are born this way. Another study that was done on homosexuals to determine whether they were born gay or not, that is quite similar to Laura Allens experiment also came up with the similar results as Laura Allens experiment. The experiment I am talking about is by Simon LaVay, who also studies both homosexuals and heterosexual brains and compared them.(Biological Basis of Homosexuality) Although, the overall study on whether people are born gay or choose to be gay is inconclusive, there are been evidence shown that gay people were born the way they are, just like experiments I have told you about. We can never know for sure if gay people were born this way or chose the path that they are on. However, if you think about it, no one in their right minds would choose an identity that is descriminated and hated by the society. Now that I have mentioned descrimination let me just tell you that by denying gay people marriage we are descriminating gay people. We are always enforcing equality in our society, and yet we are not treating gay people equally by not allowing them to marry and receive the benefits that any traditional couple will receive when they marry. In the constitution of the Republic of Palau under Article 4, section five it clearly says, Every person shall be equal under the law and shall be entitled to equal protection. The government shall take no action to discriminate against any person on the basis of sex, race, place of origin, language, religion or belief, social status or clan affiliation except for the preferential treatment of citizens, for the protection of minors, elderly, indigent, physically or mentally handicapped, and other similar groups, and in matters concerning intestate succession and domestic relations. No person shall be treated unfairly in legislative or executive inve stigations.(Constitution of the Republic of Palau.1979) By denying gay people marriage we are descriminating against peoples race and believes, if that does not go against the constitution I do not know what does. I all comes down to morality, what do we think is right to do? While deciding we shall consider the changes in marriage throughout the years. At the same time consider that gay people cannot change who they are, just like we cannot change who we are; in changing who we are we are denying ourselves. Also we have to consider the laws that have been set out for our society. Work Cited: Saletan,William The Peculiar Institution.Sunday Book Review(2004):3.The New York Times.Web.26 September 2004. Biological Basis for Homosexuality..Biobasis(2003):7151.Geocities.Web.8 April 2003. The Constitution of the Republic of Palau.Palau Consolidated Lagilation.(1998):Paclii.Web.2 April 1979. Research Evaluation Thoroughness of Research: 4 Extremely thorough, strong thesis supported by research, paper has purpose and not just facts, variety of sources 3 research good overall but some areas need additional research, thesis and research mostly support each other, purpose to research (not just facts) three types of sources 2 Basic research is good, paper has thesis but weak, more facts than purpose, additional research to support thesis needed throughout, two sources used 1 Research is insufficient throughout, very weak or missing thesis, paper mostly facts, insufficient sources Structure and Organization: 4 Information is extremely well organized and easy to understand, correct person used throughout the paper, appropriate transitions used so paragraphs blend together 3 Organization is generally good but some information is misplaced, some error in person, some use of transitions so paragraphs somewhat blend 2 Organization falls apart in several areas but the basic structure of the paper is good, multiple errors in person, few transitions so paper reads fairly choppy 1 Overall structure of the paper is not well thought out causing paper to be unorganized, many errors in person, insufficient or no transitions results in paragraphs not connecting causing choppy reading Development: 4 Excellent introduction with proper thesis placement, each point is clearly identified and explained, strong conclusion which restates purpose, points and has closure 3 Good introduction with proper thesis placement, most points are clearly identified and explained, good conclusion which summarizes and has closure 2 fair introduction which contains thesis, some points are thoroughly explained, while others need development, fair conclusion 1 Weak introduction, most or all points still need a lot of development, poor conclusion causing paper to end abruptly Originality of Voice: 4 Research material has been thoroughly incorporated into the writers own words 3 Most of the paper reflects the tone of the writer 2 A great part of the research material still reflects the tone and style of the original source 1 The research paper reads as if most of it were simply copied from original texts (PLAGIARISM) Citations: 4 Writer has made citations in all areas where they quoted, paraphrased or summarized and effectively sandwiched in 3 Citations were made and sandwiched in effectively for most quotations, paraphrases and summaries, 2 Some citations were made and some attempt to sandwich in 1 No citations were made at all or citations do not fit into original writing Grammar, Mechanics and Spelling: 4 Writer showed care in proofreading; only occasional errors occur 3 Errors are common 2 Paper has multiple errors in every paragraph; sometimes the errors make the paper hard to understand 1 Paper has many errors, making it very difficult to read and understand Works Cited page: title, alphabetized, correct indentation, resources correctly formatted, sufficient number of resources listed, correctly punctuated (4 to 1 points) Format: Format: font size and style correct, 1 inch margins, right side ragged (no justification), title page correctly formatted, paper double spaced, paragraphs indented, reference page correctly titled and formatted, header with last name and page number on top right. (4 to 1 points) Overall Total: *32-29 (A range) Excellent work; well written *28-21 (B range) good; yet additional polish is needed 32=A *20-13 (C range) Fair; effort still needs to be done to finish the 24=B research paper 16=C *12-05 (D range) Poor; all areas of the research paper still need a 8=D lot of work; 4=F *04- 0 (F range) unacceptable; poor attention to rough draft comments, still lacking sufficient research The paper should be mostly written in third person. Only when you discuss personal issues, would you use the first person pronoun. The use of we throughout the paper needs to be changed. Use third person and use nouns more than pronouns. In addition, you have not punctuated the in-text citation properly. Note where the period goes. Your resource page is not correctly formatted either. You also have to be careful not to write your opinion so much. Back up what you say with research.

Four Powerful Women in Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Essay

One of the most important attributes seldom attributed to women is the innate ability to keep the family as a cohesive whole. Women are the rock in the midst of familial turmoil, the solid foundation on which a husband or head of a household can stand firm. Fully assured that womanhood will stand back of the ranks and take care of domestic needs. Women have qualities that keep the family strong, these unique attributes can divided into several standards. One being the physical aspect of â€Å"mother† nature, two virginity representing the religious type of the standard, three is the young bitch who represent the physical state while four is the old bitch who also has a spiritual side of the woman standard. In the Grapes of Wrath by J. Steinbeck these four standards are possessed by the characters which take on responsibility and eventually help the family succeed in achieving the American dream. The rock of the family, Ma Joad is a woman of hope and strength. Ma represents the â€Å"mother† nature archetype and also has the characteristic of staying strong when depended on by her family and also guiding her family that is attributed to this standard. The sentence structure used to describe Ma by Steinbeck proves the importance of Ma’s character. â€Å". " Ma was heavy, but not fat; thick with child-bearing and work...her ankles, and her strong, broad, bare feet moved quickly and deftly over the floor", by Steinbeck using these features to describe her as a mom he shows that Ma has the ability to thrive and survive in hard situations as well as that she has control of her family (95). Steinbeck’s later goes on to describe in detail her feet being one with the earth, showing her â€Å"mother† nature standard. Mother Nature produces, births, sustain... ... of the trials and hardship endured along the road to get to the Promised Land (California), the Joad’s survive as a family. It may not have been the perfect expedition and migration which was intended but when all hope was lost Ma was there to lead and comfort. The need to push on and reassurance that things would be ok was prevalent after the deaths. When one life ended another was started, and when situations were at their worst, there came a helping hand and were saved. These women are the foundation to the Joad family and help them successfully live their dream to make it to California. Without these four women possessing these archetypes they may have never made it as a family, with such hope and dreams as they did. Work Cited Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. Web. 25 September 2014.

Early Computer Education for Students :: Computer technology student teacher

Introduction With the increasing need for technology proficient students, educational computing needs to start at an early age. Computing should be involved in each level of education from K-12 to higher education. This essay will cover the issues, challenges, and conclusions of computing education methods in different educational levels, internet in education, using â€Å"edutainment† within curriculum, and teaching information literacy. Background Literature Learning can be described as a process of interaction of student-to-professor, student-to-student, student-to-material, and student-to-expert/practitioner. Traditionally, a students learning is limited to class lectures, face-to-face discussions, office visits, quizzes, and tests (Wang, 2007, p280). Wang states that student learning quality can be improved by increasing these basic interactions. According to Wang, the Internet can improve the quality of these interactions when integrated into the classroom setting. The Internet improves the interaction of student-to-professor, student-to-student, student-to-material, and student-to-expert/practitioner (Wang, 2007, p 281). According to Wang, traditional classroom learning has extreme limitations. Most information is dispensed in lecture, especially in a college setting, and assessed with a test. Students have very little time to reflect and to express their thoughts and feelings about what is taking place. They have very little time to communicate to the professor what they are learning or having difficulty learning after each class session. Often students misconceive what they read and what they hear in a lecture setting. These misconceptions are carried through into an examination and are seldom resolved (Wang, 2007, p 281). Mary Green and Mary Nell McNeese believe that video games are an untapped resource in education. They refer to games that could be educational as â€Å"edutainment.† The main purpose of edutainment is to promote student learning through exploration, interactivity, trial and error, and repetition in such a way that students get so lost in the fun, that they don’t realize they are learning at the same time. By playing digital games, students exercise various skills such as strategizing, and problem solving to conquer the enemy, save the princess, or find the hidden treasure (Green, 2007, p 6).

I Must Help Others :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

I Must Help Others    I grew up amidst the poverty and deprivation of the Third World, and for the majority of the twenty years that I lived in Jamaica, I lived with a sense of hopelessness. I lived with my mother, one brother, and two sisters in a one-bedroom house without any roof. The day before my final exams, during my first year in high school, we were evicted from the house. I never got another chance to take my exams, and I had to spend the next school year repeating the same classes.    At the age of thirteen, I dropped out of school for about nine months because we were without any resources. During that time out of school I came to realize the value of education. I realized that I could improve the quality of my life and that of the people around me with an education.    While in high school my decision to become a doctor became real. As a member of the Hospital Club I visited the Kingston Public Hospital and saw that there were people there that had been waiting for days to see a doctor because they could not afford to go elsewhere. I had to do something to help.    As I pause to think of the forces that have motivated and influenced me, I remember the harsh experiences that I have endured, and the obstacles I have overcome. But, I would rather focus on the positive experiences that I have had. In doing so, I recall the many times that I was called upon by the headmistress of my high school to teach a mathematics class when the teacher was out ill, including the class in which I was enrolled. I remember the many times that I was voted in as class monitor and I also recall during my senior year being one of the fifteen prefects for the student body, which consisted of approximately 1500 girls. These experiences gave me a sense of pride, dignity, and the will to carry on.    I graduated from high school in 1985, and during that summer I worked as a clerk at the Police Forensic Laboratory. My interest in Physics and Biology blossomed as I watched the ballistics and other experiments being performed in this Laboratory. These were classes that I had never taken before.

How Has the Position of Vice President Changed

How has the position of the vice president changed? (30 MARKS) The position of the vice president has drastically changed in many areas such as the way in which they are voted in, but it is still unchanged in areas like the powers given to the vice president in the constitution. As the role of the federal government and the presidents responsibilities grew presidents began to see the vice-presidency as a source of help in running the executive branch of government.Beginning with the Eisenhower- Nixon administration 1953-61, vice presidents were given more high profile tasks and became in some cases significant presidential advisors in 1977 vice-president Mondale was shown the presidential daily briefing and was given an office in the west wing, Mondale was the first vice-president to receive this but after Mondale this was the normal thing for the vice-presidents.The improved position of the vice-presidency has attracted more significant people to seek the office, over the past 50 ye ars the list of vice-presidents has been a distinguished one, including names such as Lyndon Johnson and Al Gore, of the eleven vice-presidents who held office between 1953 and 2008 four went on to become president, while a further three were selected to run. The election of vice-president Dick Chaney was seen as a bit of a joke not because he was not qualified enough but because he was more qualified than the president George W. Bush, it was said ‘if Dick Chaney were assassinated, Bush would have to become president'.Dick Chaney did not take the roles of a normal vice-president he had lots more power Bush gave Cheney access to ‘every table and every meeting' making his voice heard in whatever area the vice-president feels he wants to be active in. The first two decades of the nations history, the vice-president was the person who came second in the balloting of the electoral college, until the 1804 the 12th amendment changed the vice presidential system, from then on it was elected on a joint ticket with the president so the choice for the potential president Is the choice of the people.Modern day vice-presidents have take on new roles, many have played a role in legislation in congress, this is the role that Dick Chaney who was former member of the house of representatives took for George W. Bush and this is the role that Joe Biden a senator for 36 years plays for president Obama. The vice-president often becomes the party worker, electioneer and fund raiser, Cheney played this role in the run up to the 2002 mid term elections, according to the times Cheney was â€Å"drawing packed crowds and raking in millions of dollars for Republican candidates†.The vice-president may become a major spokesman for the administration, Gore became a regular face at the podium on environmental issues as well as over government efficiency drives. However vice-presidents have always had four powers in the constitution which are still in place today, the vice- president is the presiding officer of the senate, even though this function is rarely performed by the vice-president is usually assigned to junior members of senates chambers, the vice president can also break a tied vote in the senate, which can be very helpful for the president as when there was a tie breaking vote in 2001 on President Bushes $1. trillion tax cut Dick Chaney voted in favour of President Bush, between 1981 and January 2009 vice presidents were called upon to break tied votes on 19 occasions eight of these by Dick Chaney. The vice-president is given the task of counting and then announcing the electoral college results, so in 2001 vice president Al Gore had to announce his defeat in the previous November election.The previous three powers are either of little importance or occur rarely or both, it is the final power that gives the office of vice-president its potential importance. The vice-president becomes president upon death, resignation or removal of the presid ent from office, this has occurred on nine occasions, four times following the assassination of the president, four times following the natural death of the president, and once following the resignation of the president, president Nixon resigned in 1974 after the Watergate scandal.The insignificant powers of the office, coupled with this potential importance led the first vice-president, John Adams to remark of the post ‘in this I am nothing but I may be everything'. More recently the vice president has acquired a fifth power ‘to become acting president if the president is declared, or declares himself disabled, this has been used three times but only for a short time, Dick Chaney was acting president twice but for just over two hours.So there has been some drastic changes in the position of the vice-president, they have taken on a lot more responsibility than they have previously had, gradually getting more and more power, but it depends on the vice president such as Di ck Chaney he was a very powerful vice-president which could be due to his expertise and the lack of experience of Bush in comparison, but some parts of the vice-presidency are still the same as they are still written in the constitution.

Night World : Witchlight Chapter 8

Keller was tempted to check the wards, but she knew it wouldn't do any good. She wasn't sensitive enough to the witch energies to gauge them. They'd been put up by Grandma Harman and checked by Winnie, and she would have to trust to that. The wards were keyed so that only the Dominick family and ordinary humans could come inside. No Night Person could enter except Nissa, Winnie, Keller, and Galen. Which meant, Keller thought with a grim smile, that any lost witch relatives of Iliana's mother who came by were going to get quite a surprise. An invisible wall was going to be blocking them from crossing the threshold. As long as nobody on the inside removed the wards, the house was safer than Fort Knox. Grandma Harman had also taken the limo, Keller found. Sometime during the night, it had been replaced by an inconspicuous Ford sedan parked at the curb. The keys had been in a manila envelope dropped through the mail slot in the front door, along with a map of Lucy Lee Bethea High School. Circle Daybreak was efficient. â€Å"I didn't finish my hair,† Iliana complained as Nissa hustled her to the car. â€Å"It's only half done.† â€Å"It looks terrific,† Winnie said from behind her. And the thing was, it was true. There was nothing that could make that shimmering waterfall of silvery-gold look anything less than beautiful. Whether it was up or down, braided or pinned or falling loose, it was glorious. I don't even think the little nitwit has to brush it, Keller thought. It's so fine that she couldn't make two hairs tangle if she tried. â€Å"And I left my scarf† â€Å"Here it is.† Keller lassoed her. The scarf was ridiculous, crushed velvet in muted metallic colors, with a six-inch fringe. Purely decorative. Iliana choked as Keller wound it around a few times and pulled it tight â€Å"A little aggressive, Boss?† Winfrith asked, extricating Iliana before she could turn blue. â€Å"Worried about being late,† Keller said shortly. But she saw Nissa eyeing her, too. Galen was the last to come out of the house. He was pale and serious-that much Keller saw before she shifted her eyes past him. Iliana's mother actually remained standing at the door with the baby in her arms. â€Å"Say bye-bye to your sister's friends. Bye-bye.† â€Å"Kee-kee,† the baby said. â€Å"Kee-kee!† â€Å"Wave to him,† Winfrith stage-whispered. Keller gritted her teeth. She half-waved, keeping her senses opened for any sound of an impending attack. The baby held out his arms toward her. â€Å"Pui!† â€Å"Let's get out of here.† Keller almost shoved Iliana into the backseat. Nissa took the wheel, and Galen sat up front with her. Winnie ran around to get in the back on the other side of Iliana. As they pulled out, Keller saw the outside of the house for the first time. It was a nice house-white clapboard, two and a half stories, Colonial Revival. The street was nice, too, lined with dogwoods that would be a mass of white when they bloomed. The sort of street where people sat outside on their rockers in spring and somebody was bound to have a stand of bees in the side yard making sourwood honey. Although Keller had been all over the United States, sent from one Circle Daybreak group to another, the hospital where she'd been found had been near a neighborhood like this. I might have grown up someplace like this. If they'd kept me. My parents†¦ Do I hate her? Keller wondered suddenly. I couldn't. It's not her fault. Oh, no, of course not, the voice in her mind said. Not her fault that she's beautiful and perfect and has parents who love her and blue fire in her veins and that she is going to be forced, whether she wants it or not, to marry Galen†¦ Which I don't care about, Keller thought. She was shocked at herself. When had she ever let emotion interfere with her job? She was allowing herself to be distracted-she had allowed herself to be distracted all morning-when there was something vitally important at stake. No more, she told herself fiercely. From now on, I think about nothing but the mission. Years of mental discipline came in handy now; she was able to push everything to the side and focus with icy clarity on what had to be done. â€Å"-stopped a train in its tracks,† Winfrith was saying. â€Å"Really?† There was faint interest in Kiana's voice. At least she'd stopped talking about her hair, Keller thought. â€Å"Really. It was one of those BART trains in San Francisco, Like a subway train, you know. The two girls were on the tracks, and the Wild Power stopped the train dead before it could hit them. That's what the blue fire can do.† â€Å"Well, I know I can't do anything like that,† Iliana said flatly. â€Å"So I can't be a Wild Power. Or whatever.† The last words were tacked on quickly. Nissa raised a cool eyebrow. â€Å"Have you ever tried to stop a train?† While Iliana bit a fingertip and pondered that, Winnie said, â€Å"You have to do it right, you know. First, you have to make blood flow, and then you have to concentrate. It's not something you can expect to do perfectly the very first time.† â€Å"If you want to start practicing,† Nissa added, â€Å"we can help.† Diana shuddered. â€Å"No, thank you. I faint when I see blood. And anyway, I'm not it.† â€Å"Too bad,† Nissa murmured. â€Å"We could use the blue fire on our side today.† They were pulling up to a charming old brown brick high school. Neither Galen nor Keller had said a word throughout the ride. But now Keller leaned forward. â€Å"Nissa, drive past it. I want to check the layout first.† Nissa swung the car into a circular driveway that went past the school's oversized front doors. Keller looked right and left, taking in everything about the surroundings. She could see Winnie doing the same thing-and Galen, too. He was focusing on the same danger spots she was. He had the instinct for strategy. â€Å"Go around the block and circle back,† Keller said. Iliana stirred. â€Å"I thought you were worried about me being late.† â€Å"I'm more worried about you being dead,† Keller interrupted. â€Å"What do you think, Nissa?† â€Å"The side door on the west. Easy to pull up reasonably close, no bushes around it for nasty surprises to hide in.† â€Å"That's my pick, too. Okay, everybody, listen. Nissa's going to slow the car down in the right place. Slow down, not stop. When I give the signal, we're all going to jump out and go directly to that door. We are not going to pause. We are going to move as a group. Iliana, are you paying attention? From now on, you don't go anywhere unless Winnie's in front of you and I'm beside you.† â€Å"And where's Galen?† Iliana said. Keller cursed herself mentally. She wasn't used to working with a fourth team member. â€Å"Hell be behind us-okay, Galen?† She made herself look his way. â€Å"Yes. Whatever you say.† There wasn't the slightest hint of sarcasm in his face. He was dead serious. Absolutely miserable, earnest, and dead serious. â€Å"And Nissa, once you've parked, you join us and take the other side. What room's your first class in, Iliana?† â€Å"Three twenty-six,† Iliana said dismally. â€Å"U.S. History with Mr. Wanamaker. He went to New York to try to be an actor, but all he got was some disease from not eating enough stuff with vitamins. So he came back, and now he's really strict unless you can get him to do his impressions of the presidents-â€Å" â€Å"All right,† Keller broke in. â€Å"We're coming to the door.† â€Å"-and he's actually pretty funny when he does Theodore Roosevelt-or do I mean the other one-â€Å" â€Å"Now,† Keller said, and pushed her as Winnie pulled. They all made it out smoothly, although Iliana yelped a little. Keller kept a good grip on her arm as they hurried to the door. â€Å"I don't think I like this way of coming to school.† â€Å"We can turn right around and go back home,† Keller said. Iliana shut up. Galen kept pace behind them, silent and focused. It was Nissa's usual position when the team wasn't heading for a car, and Keller couldn't help feeling the difference. She didn't like having someone behind her she couldn't trust absolutely. And although the enemies didn't seem to know yet that Galen was important, if they found out, he'd become a target; Face it, she thought. This setup is a disaster, security-wise. This is a horrendous accident waiting to happen. Her nerves were wound so tightly that she jumped at the slightest sound. They shepherded Iliana to her locker, then up a staircase to the third floor. The halls were almost empty, which was exactly as Keller had planned it. But of course that meant they were late for class. Nissa slid in beside them just as they opened the door. They entered as a group, and the teacher stopped talking and looked at them. So did everybody else in the room. Quite a few jaws dropped open. Keller allowed herself a grim inner smile. Yeah, they were probably a bit of a shock for a small town. Four Night People-well, former Night People, anyway. A witch who was almost as small as Iliana, with a mop of vivid strawberry-blond curls and a face like a pixie on holiday. A vampire girl who looked like cool perfection straight out of a magazine, with cropped mink-colored hair and a strangely penetrating gaze. A shapeshifter boy who could have taken the place of any prince in a book of fairy tales, with hair like old gold and classically sculptured features. And, of course, a panther. Which happened to be walking on two feet at the moment, in the guise of a tall girl with a tense, wary expression and black hair that swirled witchlike around her. And, of course, there was Iliana in the midst of them, looking like a ballet dancer who had blundered in from the Nutcracker Suite. There was a silence as the two groups stared at each other. Then the teacher snapped shut his book and advanced on them. Keller held herself ready. He had a neatly trimmed beard and a dangerous expression. It was Iliana who took him on, though. She stepped forward before Keller could draw a breath to speak. â€Å"Mr. Wanamaker! These are my cousins! Well- some of them are my cousins. They're from†¦California. Hollywood! They're here to†¦ do research for . . â€Å".† â€Å"We're really just visiting,† Keller cut in. â€Å"A new show about a high school. Not like that other show. It's more of a reality-based-â€Å" ‘It's just a visit,† Keller said. â€Å"But your dad is a famous producer,† Iliana said. She added in an undertone to Mr. Wanamaker, â€Å"You know, like that other producer.† All eyes, including the teacher's, fixed on Keller. â€Å"Yes-that's right,† Keller said, and smiled while clenching her teeth. â€Å"But we're still just visiting.† She nudged Winnie with her elbow, but it wasn't necessary. Winnie was already staring at the teacher, brainwashing him with witch power. Mr. Wanamaker bunked. He weighed the book he was holding as if he were Hamlet holding Yorick's skull. He looked at it, then he looked at Winnie and blinked again. Then he shrugged and looked at the ceiling. â€Å"Okay. Whatever. Sit down. There are some chairs at the back. And I'm still marking you tardy.† But Keller noticed that as he returned to his desk, his posture was very erect. She did the best she could to glare at Iliana without drawing any further attention to them. â€Å"A famous producer?† she whispered through her teeth. â€Å"I don't know. It was more interesting than just saying you're friends.† You don't need life to get any more interesting, Bubblebrain, Keller thought, but she didn't say anything. She found one thing out that surprised her, though, and she found it out quickly. Her job was made harder by the fact that everyone at the school was in love with Iliana. It was strange. Keller was used to getting attention from guys-and ignoring it. And Nissa and Winnie both were the type that had to beat them off with sticks. But here, although the guys looked at her and Nissa and Winnie, their eyes always seemed to return to Iliana. At break, they crowded around her like bees around a flower. And not just guys, either. Girls, too. Everyone seemed to have something to say to her or just wanted to see her smile. It was a bodyguard's nightmare. What do they see in her? Keller thought, frustrated almost beyond endurance as she tried to edge Iliana away from the crowd. I mean, aside from the obvious. But if all this is about her looks†¦ It wasn't. It didn't seem to be. They weren't all hitting on her for dates. â€Å"Hey, Iliana, my granddaddy loved that get well card you made.† â€Å"Illie, are you going to tie the ribbons this year for the Christmas benefit bears? Nobody else can make those teeny-weeny bows.† â€Å"Oh, Iliana, something awful! Bugsy had five puppies, and Mom says we can't keep them. We've got to find them all homes.† â€Å"Iliana, I need help-† â€Å"Wait, Iliana, I have to ask you-† Okay, but why come to her? Keller thought as she finally managed to detach the girl from her fan club and steer her into the hall. I mean, she can hardly be the best problem solver in this school, can she? There was one guy who seemed to like Iliana for the obvious. Keller disliked him on sight. He was good-looking in a carefully manicured way, with deep chestnut hair, deep blue eyes, and very white teeth. He was wearing expensive clothes, and he smiled a lot, but only at Iliana. â€Å"Brett,† Iliana said as he accosted them in the hall. Brett Ashton-Hughes. One of the rich twins who were having the birthday party on Saturday night Keller disliked him even more, especially when he gave her a coolly appreciative once-over before returning his attention to Iliana. â€Å"Hey, blondie. You still coming Saturday?† Iliana giggled. Keller stifled the urge to hit something. â€Å"Of course, I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it.† â€Å"Because, you know, it would kill Jaime if you didn't come. We're only inviting a few people, and well have the whole west wing to ourselves. We can even dance in the ballroom.† Diana's eyes went dreamy. â€Å"That sounds so romantic. I always wanted to dance in a real old-fashioned ballroom. I'll feel just like Scarlett O'Hara.† No, Keller thought. No, no, no. No way is she going there. She's going to the Solstice Ceremony, where the shapeshifters and the witches are meeting, even if I have to drag her by the hair. She caught Nissa's eye and saw that Nissa was thinking the same. Galen and Winnie were simply watching Brett with troubled looks on their faces. â€Å"Yeah, and I can be Brett Butler,† Brett was saying. â€Å"Plus, the indoor swimming pool will be heated. So if you get tired of being Scarlett, you can be a mermaid for a while.† â€Å"It sounds wonderful! Tell Jaime I said so.† Winnie bit her lip. Keller got a fresh grip on Diana's arm and started guiding her away. â€Å"So it's a promise, right?† Brett called after her. Keller squeezed. â€Å"Yes, but-oh.† Iliana managed to smile and wince at the same time, her arm limp in Keller's grasp. â€Å"Oh, Brett, there's one thing. I've got my cousin and her friends staying with me.† Brett hesitated an instant, giving each girl on Keller's team the appraising look. Then he shrugged and flashed a smile. â€Å"Hey, no problem. Bring them all. Your friends are our friends.† â€Å"That wasn't what I was trying to tell you,† Keller said when they were away from Brett. Iliana was rubbing her arm with an aggrieved expression. â€Å"Then what? I thought it would be fun for you to go.† â€Å"What do you mean, ‘then what'? You're going to the Solstice Ceremony that night, so you shouldn't have promised him.† â€Å"I am not going to the Solstice Ceremony that night, because I'm not the one you're looking for.† It wasn't the time to argue. Keller kept her moving down the hall. Keller wasn't happy. Her nerves were all prickling, and she felt like a cat with its fur standing on end. Very soon, Iliana wasn't happy, either. ‘I always eat lunch in the cafeteria!† â€Å"Not today,† Keller said, knowing she sounded as brusque and tired as she felt. â€Å"We can't risk it You've got to be in a room, alone, someplace where we can control access to you.† â€Å"The music room,† Winnie said helpfully.  "I saw it on the map and asked a girl about it in English class. It's open during lunch, and there's only one door.† â€Å"I don't want to-â€Å" â€Å"You don't have a choice!† Iliana sulked in the music room. The problem was that she wasn't very good at sulking, and you could only tell she was doing it because when she offered her cookies to Nissa, she only insisted once. Keller paced nervously in the hallway in front of the door. She could hear Winnie and Galen inside talking. Even Galen's voice sounded white-faced and strained. Something's wrong†¦ I've had a bad feeling ever since we got to this school†¦ and it isn't any easier having him around. Part of her was worried that he might take this opportunity to come and try to talk to her. And part of her, a very deep inside part, was furious because he wasn't doing it. Goddess! I've got to get my mind clear. Every second that I'm not in control of my emotions means an opportunity for them. She was so absorbed in yelling at herself that she almost missed the girl walking past her. Keller was almost at the end of the hall, and she had to do a double-take to realize that somebody had just calmly slipped by. â€Å"Hey, wait,† she said to the girl's back. The girl was medium-sized and had hair the soft brown of oak leaves, slightly longer than shoulder-length. She was walking fast She didn't stop. â€Å"Wait! I'm talking to you, girl! That door is off limits.† The girl didn't turn, didn't even pause. She was almost at the door to the music room. â€Å"Stop right there! Or you're going to get hurt!† Not even a hesitation in the girl's step. She turned into the door. A thousand red alerts went off in Keller's head.