Analysis of Home Safety of the Elderly Living in City and Rural Areas

Analysis of Home Safety of the Elderly Living in City and Rural Areas 1. Absract Physiological changes and chronic diseases arising during aging process increase risk of accident of the elderly, especially the elderly living alone at their homes. Home accidents are the most commonly health problem in the elderly. This study was carried out to describe home safety of the elderly living in a city or rural area using a home safety checklist. 512 living in Turkey (330 in city; 182 in rural area) were evaluated via face-to-face interview using a home safety checklist during a period between December and March in 2007. In addition to sociodemographics, a questionnaire including home characteristics and life style of participants was applied. To describe home safety level, Home Safety Checklist was used. 2-Introduction Aging, which is a part of life and a nonrecoverable process. Developments in the field of tecnology,health and nutrition increasing life expectancy in the general population has led to an increased incidence of elderly population. Especially in industrialized countries, this increase is faster. The increase in elderly population by bringing with it social problems, particularly affecting the family structure of the elderly living alone is cause Depending on the time during the aging process in human organism, physical, physiological and psychological changes are emerging. Decrease with aging occur in the physical abilities, to continue their activities of daily living and home-related poses an obstacle to the execution of work. Physiological changes and the age of progress emerged due to chronic diseases, especially those living alone at home often face with the risk of accidents . An important part of the problems faced by the elderly home accidents constituted. Physiological changes and dementia as well as some chronic diseases, norooftalmalojik findings, progressive hearing loss, posture, balance and gait disturbances and sensory changes, has led to increased risk of accidents. The elderly, the most important preventive safety applications, one of the age-related physiological deficiency in developing corrective to troubleshoot instruments (hearing aid, glasses, etc.. ) Usage as a domestic accident may lead to removal of conditions must be determined. Therefore, in recent years in elderly home safety and home safety inspection and control increased the importance of the list. In this context, is widely used in the field of health inspection and control lists, and application tools are the most important ergonomic evaluation. 3-Explict Statemnet Of The Study Objective Including Operational Definition: This study used a home safety check list and the elderly living at home in our country, the security situation in the house and emerged with aging in terms of accident risks in order to examine the status of housing are planned. Sample Groups: Sample 1:The elderly who is living in the city Sample 2:The elderly who is living in the rural areas Variables: Age This variables;the elderly who is living in the city Gender and the rural areas used to investigate the Education demograhic datas. Marriage Status Occupational Status House type This variables; the elderly who is living in the city Private roomsand the rural areas was used to examine the status of Domestic Availabilitytheir home. Satisfaction: Financial Status: Living Arrengement: This variables;the elderly who is living in the city and the Leisure Activities rural areas was used to examine the their life style. Security Score p: is degree of freedom: In statistics, the number of degrees of freedom is the number of values in the final calculation of a statistic that are free to vary 4-Methodology Section: This descriptive type of study,we selected 512 elder people with random sampling method. 30 of 512 elder person which we select in the city and 182 of 512 which we collect in the rurely areas among december to march 2007 in 7 geographical regions of Turkey in Denizli, Izmir, Ayd? n, Antalya, Mersin, Ankara, Konya, Istanbul, Diyarbakir, Trabzon, Sinop and Zonguldak provinces. In collection of data, as well as demographic information, household status and forms of life questionnaire stating where questions were administered. To determine the level of home security developed by the National Security Council, consisting of 65 questions, Home Security Checklist is used. National Security Council, the score at 1-7 in the perfect home for safety aspects, between 8-14 scores well; 15 and on the scores were assessed as dangerous. A questionnaire containing sociodemographic and National Security Council with the elderly living at home with the method to be verbatim comments will be reviewed their homes Pamukkale University School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation was completed by senior students. Chi-square test was used for evaluating data. 5-Data Analysis Section Pearson's chi-square (? ) test is the best-known of several chi square test – statistical procedures whose results are evaluated by reference to the chi square distrubition. Its properties were first investigated by Karl Pearson. In contexts where it is important to make a distinction between the test statistic and its distribution, names similar to Pearson ? -squared test or statistic are used. It tests a null hypothesis stating that the frequency distrubition of certain events ob served in a sample is consistent with a particular theoretical distribution. The events considered must be mutually exclusive and have total probability 1. A common case for this is where the events each cover an outcome of a categorial variable. A simple example is the hypothesis that an ordinary six-sided dia is â€Å"fair†, i. e. , all six outcomes are equally likely to occur. Pearson's chi-square is the original and most widely-used chi-square test. Definition Pearson's chi-square is used to assess two types of comparison: tests of goodness of fit and tests of independence. A test of goodness of fit establishes whether or not an observed frequency distrubition differs from a theoretical distribution. A test of independence assesses whether paired observations on two variables, expressed in a contingency tables, are independent of each other – for example, whether people from different regions differ in the frequency with which they report that they support a political candidate. The first step in the chi-square test is to calculate the chi-square statistics. In order to avoid ambiguity, the value of the test-statistic is denoted by X2 rather than ? 2: this also serves as a reminder that the distribution of the test statistic is not exactly that of a chi-square random variable. However some authors do use the ? 2 notation for the test statistic. An exact test which does not rely on using the approximate ? 2 distribution is Fisher’s exact test ,this is significantly more accurate in evaluating the significance level of the test, especially with small numbers of observation. The chi-square statistic is calculated by finding the difference between each observed and theoretical frequency for each possible outcome, squaring them, dividing each by the theoretical frequency, and taking the sum of the results. A second important part of determining the test statistic is to define the degrees of freedom of the test: this is essentially the number of observed frequencies adjusted for the effect of using some of those observations to define the â€Å"theoretical frequencies†. Results: 11. 2% of the elderly living in the city , 14. 4% of the elderly living in rural areas whose age is 80 and over age in the range TABLE 1:Examination of demografic data for elderly people living in the city and in rural areas Variables | CITY | RURAL | | | | | |Age | | | |65-69 age | | | |70-79 age | | | |; 80 age | | | | | | | |Gender | | | | | n % | n % | | | | | | |171 51. 8 |78 42. 8 | | |122 36. 9 |78 42. | | |37 11. 2 |26 14. 3 | |Woman | 189 57. 3 |107 58. 8 | |Man |141 42. 7 |45 41. 2 | |EDUCATION | | | |Literacy does not know | 19. 1 19. 1 |61 33. | |Literate | | | |Primary School |37. 3 37. 3 |82 45. 1 | | |10. 3 10. 3 |9 4. 9 | |  Middle School |16. 7 16. 7 |16 8. 8 | | | | | |High school |9. 1 9. 1 |9 4. | |University |7. 6 7. 6 |5 2. 7 | |Marriage Status | | | |Single | 43 13 |18 9. 9 | |Married |249 75. 5 |150 82. 4 | | |38 11. 5 |14 7. | |  Divorced | | | |Occupational Status | | | | | | | |  Works |294 89 |154 84. 6 | | |36 11 |28 15. 4 | |Not working / Retired | | | TABLE 2: An analysis of the homes of elderly living in rural areas and in the city Variables | CITY | RURAL | | | | | | | |House type | | | | | | n % | n % | p | | | | | | |Detached | 128 36. 8 | 157 96. 3 | | | | | | | |  Apartment |202 61. 2 |25 13. 7 |0. 001 | | | | | | |Private rooms | | | | |Yes | 211 63. 9 |98 53. 8 | | |No |41 12. 4 |46 25. 3 | | |Have shared |78 33. 9 |38 20. 9 |0. 001 | |Domestic availability | | | | |Good | 218 66. 1 |106 58. | | |Bad |112 33. 9 |76 42. 7 |0. 05 | |Satisfaction | | | | |Satisfied | 233 71 |107 58. 8 | | | | | | | |  Not satisfied |97 29. 4 |75 41. 2 |0. 07 | | | | | | |Financial Situation | | | | |Self-sufficie nt | 257 77. 9 |109 59. 9 | | | | | | | |  Children looking |56 17 |52 28. 6 |0. 0001 | | |17 5. 1 |1 11. 5 | | |  Relatives looking | | | | Table 3 The examination of the life style of elderly living in rural areas and in the city |Variables | CITY | RURAL | | | | | | | |Living arrangement | | | | | | | | | |  Single | | | | | | | | |  With his wife | | | | | | | | | |  With relatives | | | | |Leisure activities | | | | | | n % | n % | p | | | | | | | | | | | | |59 17. 9 |30 16. 5 | | | | | |0. 5 | | |196 59. 4 |112 61. 5 | | | |75 22. 7 |40 22 | | | | | | | |  Participation is | 130 39. 4 | 48 26. 4 | | | |200 60. 6 |134 73. 4 |0. 03 | |  Accession No | | | | | | | | | |Security score | | | | |Excellent | 7 2. 1 | 0. 5 | | |  Ã‚  Well |76 23. 0 |27 14. 8 |0. 027 | |  Bad |247 74. 9 |154 84. 6 | | The information about situation of old peoples houses are presented in Table 2. About %59,4 percent of old people living in cities, and %61,5 percent of old people living in rural areas stated that they live with their husbands/wifes together. When results of Home Security and Control list are inspected; mean number of old people living in cities is 20. 61 ±8. 18, while mean number of old people living in rural areas is 25,16 ±9,59. About %74,9 percentage of houses of people living in cities are detected bad in security criterion, %23 are considered good and %2,1 are perfect. In rural areas however, %84,6 are detected bad, %14,8 are good and %0,5 are perfect. (Table 3) Debate: Every year, many old people get injured by an accident in their own houses, or near it. Most of injuries are caused by preventable dangers. Using house security and control list with regular periods, gives chance to value condition again, which leads possibility to make those dangers and risks obsolote. In our study, old people living in city and rural areas are found similiar by means of age and gender. This result shows that,HSCL results are not affected this two factors. Educational status of these two groups were examined, the higher the educational level of those living in cities and thus are better home security scores were observed. In our study, 86. 3% of those living in rural areas' reputation continued living in their houses   and 53. 8%of living in rural areas whose have a special room ,we have been identified. Proportion of people living in houses in the city (38. 8%) lower than those living in rural areas, although the cities have the people in the private room rate is higher (69. 9%). We think that it is significant to consider this situation, while arranging house by means of security. According to home safety checklist,reaching domestic usability for both elderly groups have similiar charecteristics,the average score was not effective on. However, a higher proportion of elderly living in rural areas in the (41. 2%) stated that they are not satisfied with our home security-related problems that indicate a large size. 40. 1% of those living in rural areas in need of financial support to someone else, in protection from danger at home to prevent the necessary ergonomic regulations is an important financial problem. In our study, we have control in the city (74. 9%) and of the houses in rural areas (84. %) a large proportion of unsafe and risky as to fall hazard was observed. For those living in the city, to live in the apartment, the financial situation is good to be home and satisfied with the condition are important factors in domestic security. For old people li ving in rural areas however, having poor education, living in a private house and being financially dependent raises the security score, and leads danger for security of people. Our results are also compatible with literature The surver used in our study, includes the different characteristics of house and different activities made in house, which allows to evaluate and be prepared against accident risks under each sub-topic. For old people living in rural areas however, having poor education, living in a private house and being financially dependent raises the security score, and leads danger for security of people. Our results are also compatible with literature . The surver used in our study, includes the different characteristics of house and different activities made in house, which allows to evaluate and be prepared against accident risks under each sub-topic. (1,2) %74. 9 percent of people living in cities and %86 percent of people living in rural areas have bad security score, which shows they are unprotected agains various accidents and falls. Those risks are similiar, both for old people living in apartments and private houses. Of each chapter house in terms of accident risk assessment and risk profile will reveal its relation with problems which occur with aging also are thought to be investigated. Moreover, determining the injury accident record form is important for audit and control systems. In light of all these records and data will be at home with ergonomic regulations reduce the risk of accidents increasing aging, the elderly and more healthy life with a higher level of quality of life can continue to take appropriate measures are required. 6-Ethical Consideration and Limitations: While we are doing a research on the elderly to learn their life,we respect their private life. So, we take care of shouldn’t be revealed their names and other personel information. 7-Research Results and Recommendations: In line with the results of our study, home security, the importance of quality of life is emphasized once again. Ergonomic and architectural creation of suitable habitat many risk eliminating the factors, will reduce the risk of injury. In this context, the health staff by producing a joint project with the architects of the houses in the community who live a healthy life, suitable for all individuals, especially the elderly are thought to be present. Also in this issue of local government, civil society organizations and government to develop policies and strategic plans are required. 8-Reference: www. korhek. org http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Pearson's_chi-square_test

Ethical Perspective on Assisted Suicide Essay

Moral and ethical debates attempted to resolves controversial issues but never seem to end with everyone agreeing. Often these ethical and moral debates are complex and involve opinions persuaded by religion or customs and have legal implications to consider. Physician assisted death is one of these very complex and controversial issues that all people will never agree on. Many questions arise in the debate of physician assisted death such as patients’ rights, physicians controlling the right if someone lives or dies, a patience’s mental state, a family member’s rights, religious beliefs of the parties involved and the law. Philosophers attempt to explain the different theories that people will use to argue their belief systems in terms of logic and reasoning. For example, some people may take the position of a deontologist who would argue that it is our moral duty to support and sustain life therefore assisted suicide should not be allowed. Unfortunately, this very emotional thought provoking debate is not a â€Å"black and white issue,† as most ethical arguments are not. In the situation of physician assisted death I disagree with the deontologist point of view that it is immoral for a physician to assist a patient in suicide. I believe as some relativist due, that as long as the patient is fully capable of making this decision and the patient is in a constant state of agony, then the patient has the right to make the choice to live or die. A relativist believes that morals are only relative to that particular society and if physician assisted death was considered moral in that group then it would be considered a moral act. Neither theory is without flaws as some deontologist even share my point of view and some relativist can be very extreme in what they feel is relative to being morally right or wrong. The bottom line is that people will probably never completely agree on this subject. Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death Physician assisted death is also referred to as PAD. Physician assisted death is the more politically and ethical term versus physician assisted suicide. There is also a difference that should be made known between euthanasia and PAD. In a situation of euthanasia the physician administers the lethal does by injection to the patient ending the patient’s life. In physician assisted death the doctor write a prescription for a pill that the patient oluntarily administers themselves that will end their own life. Physician assisted death is now legal in two states, where Organ passed the law in 1994 and Washington state passed the law in 2008. That means in forty eight states it is against the law to assist the patient either directly or indirectly in ending the patient’s life. If a physician even provides information to the patient that would f acilitate their death the doctor can face criminal charges and lose their medical license. Many people are familiar with the radical doctor Dr. Jack Kevorkian who used the method of euthanasia. Dr. Kevorkian is responsible for euthanatizing over 130 people some of which were either clinically depressed or terminally ill. Dr. Kevorkian created a huge debate across the United States that gave rise to many questions such as to the legality of the constitutional laws and ethical perspectives. Laws that are passed don’t not always represent a societies ethical views and vice versus a, some ethical standards are against the law. If everyone had the perspective of relativists, then the laws would vary from city to city. For example, every other city could be for physician assisted death or against it creating a checkered board effect of laws that very from city to city. This because the relativist believes that morals are only relative to what the society believes. Dr. Kevorkian was tried in a Michigan court on four of assisting suicide and was convicted of one count which has videotaped and released to the popular television show â€Å"60 Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death Minutes. † Another doctor by the name of Derek Humphry’s whose wife died a slow agonizing death by cancer started a foundation in his wife’s memory, called the Hemlock Society to provide information to dying patients on how to take the â€Å"final exit. † (Howard Ball 2012) Medical technology has advanced over the years and has allowed us to live healthier and more active life styles. However, with medical advancement came the ability to prolong life and at times keeping patients alive beyond what I feel God has called them to live. At the point in life when a person is being kept alive by a machine breathing for them and intravenous nutrition being given, one has to ask themselves is this â€Å"has medical treatment gone too far by interfering with a natural part of dying. † It seems medical technology has crossed the line at times because it is no longer a matter of improving the quality of life but prolong a natural death. There is a moral dilemma that is taken place where doctors are making billions of dollars by providing long term health care to patients beyond what nature has called for. During the twenty century medical technology advance to point of creating an epidemic where people could live longer lives but it didn’t always guarantee a quality life. Without being able to take care of oneself or enjoy the life they worked hard to create many people feel they don’t want to live a life of suffering. Many people feel they have lost their dignity and don’t want their friends and family to remember them in a feeble state of being. This brings up the question of what is happiness and considered quality of life. I believe the deontologist perspective takes away a human beings right to choose how a person wants to live. A deontologist will argue that life must be sustained because it is our moral duty but isn’t it our moral duty to end a human beings suffering or to let people die a natural Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death death? In fact some deontologists do believe that morals are obligations based on religious beliefs and they don’t support sustaining life in every situation. For example, if a woman was pregnant and the baby was going to cause the death of the mother then they may believe it is acceptable to terminate the pregnancy to sustain the life of the mother. Yet others could argue â€Å"who is to say what is natural,† and when someone should die. Many people who support legalizing patient assisted suicide believe it is the patient’s right to die with dignity but other would insist that society has a moral obligation to preserve life. The relativist would state if the society believes it is moral to condone patient assisted suicide then for the society it is morally correct. â€Å"The view of ethical relativism regards values as determined by one’s own ethical standards, often those provided by one’s own culture and background. Rather than insisting that there are moral absolutes, moral claims must be interpreted in terms of how they reflect a person’s viewpoint; moral claims are then said to be â€Å"right in a given culture† or â€Å"wrong for a given society. (Mosser, K 2010) Those that argue against physician assisted death will argue it is our duty to protect and preserve all life. People will argue their points of views using logic, reasoning and provide supporting evidence. However, in the case of ethical debates there often is not any evidence to support a claim on either side of the issue. Consequently, as much as people will try to argue their point of view with reasoning an d logic their emotions can get in the way and make it difficult to persuade the other person. Many times the family is involved in the case of physician assisted death and each family member may have different ethical beliefs then the patient. This can make the decision even more painful as we taken into consideration the effects our decisions Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death have on other people. Philosophers attempt to explain how people will argue their point of view by providing different ethical theories as with relativism and deontology. The deontologist believes that it is our moral duty to protect and preserve life and that physician assisted suicide is an immoral act. Rather than looking at the consequences of an act, deontology looks at the reason for which an act is done, and the rule according to which one choose to act. Deontology doesn’t deny that acts have consequences; rather, insists that those consequences should not play a role in our moral evaluation of such acts. †(Mosser K 2010) Under the deontology theory a person would claim that it is wrong for a physician to assist a patient in committing suicide because the result is death and we are to preserve life not assisting in taking their life. Deontology and Ethics 2013) This theory would provide that there is no reason good enough to go against ones moral and civic duty even if it means allowing someone to suffer in pain, which ignores the patients’ rights. The terminally ill patient not only wants to live with having their quality of life and having dignity but they also want to die with dignity. The terminally ill patient has few options such as suicide or living in extreme pain. Some patients are too ill to even get out of bed to be able to commit suicide. Terminally ill patients that are suffering should not be made to feel demoralized for wanting to end their suffering. If the patient has paid into a life insurance fund all their life the company mostly likely will not pay their loved ones death benefits if they commit such an act. The problem is patient assisted death is not recognized as a medically necessary procedure. There is also a great stigma that comes along with committing suicide that the families have to live with after their loved one has died. I belief in the individual autonomy Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death Many family members feel disgraced that their loved one acted against their religious beliefs. (Lois Snyder, JD, and Daniel P. Sulmasy 2001) Family members can find themselves in court fighting again other members of their family to keep their loved ones alive. Going to court can be an emotionally painful process and doing so puts the patient through more emotional agony. Many families will break apartment because their ethical views differ so greatly. Roman Catholic Church has been the one biggest contesters of physician assisted death. Ethical arguments are based on beliefs systems that are learned through culture and religion therefore are only relative to that person or society. The One of the issues with relativism is that is a person’s beliefs can be too extreme and farfetched. Under the law of relativism any belief system relevant to that person would be considered ethical even murdering someone. Many doctors and nurses struggle with their feeling on patient assisted death because their morals and ethical views tell them it is wrong to assist a patient in death but they have great sympathy seeing their patients in pain and they want to help. Also, doctors take the Hippocratic Oath which states that doctors will never harm their patients but I argue the facts that prolonging death is harming the patient and takes away their constitutional right to choose death. Many religions believe as deontologist do in that is against their religion to assist someone in procuring their own death but that is exactly it the issue that it their belief system and not everyone’s. The constitutional represents the Liberty Due process clause that says it is a fundamental right for terminally ill patients to die with dignity by the assistance of a medical professional. Lawyers have argued the fourteenth amendment which allows a doctor to remove life support as the last dying will and testament of the patient yet a physician cannot medically assist a patient in ending the life of a terminally ill person who is verbally requesting it. (Howard Ball 2012) Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death Moral and ethical debates spark heated debates and cause controversial issues and never seem to end with everyone agreeing. These ethical and moral debates are complex and involve opinions persuaded by religion or customs nd have legal implications that must be consider. Physician assisted death a very complex and controversial issues that all people will never agree on. There are a lot questions that arise in the debate over physician assisted death such as patients’ rights, physicians controlling the right if someone lives or dies, a patience’s mental state, a family member’s rights, religious beliefs of the parties involved and th e law. It seems that both theories have their flaws. The relativist can be too extreme in their view points because anything can be considered moral if the society feels it is relative. While the deontologist view point is too constrictive and only takes into consideration that a person’s morals are their obligation and a duty to others. The deontologist would ignore the right of the patients even if they were suffering to conform to their obligations and moral duties. I am partial to believing that the patient has a right to choose if they want to live or die under certain circumstances. I believe that morals and ethics are not built on one theory alone but on many parts of theories that consist of logic and reasoning. People will continue to understand the different ethical theories that explain why certain societies believe the way they do. Some people may take the position of a deontologist who would argue that it is our moral duty to support and sustain life therefore assisted suicide should not be allowed. Unfortunately, this very emotional debate has many dynamics, as most ethical arguments do. In the situation of physician assisted death I disagree with the deontologist point of view and feel it is immoral to take away a patients right to end their own suffering. I believe to a certain extent as some relativist believe, that as long as the patient is fully capable of making Ethical Perspective on Physician Assisted Death this decision and the patient is in a constant state of agony, then the patient has the right to make the choice to live or die. The relativist believes that morals are only relative to that particular society and if physician assisted death was considered moral in that group then it would be considered a moral act. Each theory has flaws. Some deontologist share my point of view and some relativist can be very extreme in what they feel is relative to being morally right or wrong. The bottom line is people will probably never completely agree on this subject. As our society evolves and continues to become more liberal in their ethical views on controversial topics such as gay marriage, abortion and personal liberties more states will continue to pass laws support physician assisted death.

Needs of Various Stakeholders Essay

As we already discuss about the important of the stakeholders. A stakeholder does not exist but makes demand of the organization. The reason why stakeholders are important in strategic analysis is because of they want something from the organization. The demand of different stakeholders may become conflict to each other. For example shareholders of Tesco want maximum returns from the organization whereas the management team may retain profits for long term investment. Also the employees of tesco want higher payment or simply keep employee during the economy crisis, but the management may with to go through the difficult time by cutting posts and costs. Because of the individual needs are various, the conflict exists. And it will change along with times, macro-environment change and organizational changes: The government:- The government has power on influence the daily operations of tesco. Now days the government may give more support to the business because of the global economy downturn. Customers:- The small change of social communications behaviors and the innovation of high promotion may lead more demand on the services and products provided by tesco. This is very important power for the tesco to continue developing to satisfy the customer. Shareholders:- Shareholders may have the less expectation on returns during the crisis in the stock market. However, when the economy blooms again, say after several years, shareholders will expect more returns from the organization. Employees:- Who could be considered as dependent stakeholders. They are willing to retain the same pay level in order to keep employed during the recession period, but when things gets better, the staff will wish to increase their pay and other welfares. Suppliers:- The operation of the business is very difficult and complex with the effects of globalization. Small changes in the country would have direct and indirect impact over the business operations. Local community:- Local community may wish tesco help improving the quality of local environment. They may wish the organization perform better and give the full satisfaction to the customer.

How you worked as a team member Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

How you worked as a team member - Essay Example However, we were all united by one task: to complete the requirements of this module. Due to that that, we had to meet all the task objectives and work extremely hard to adjust and get things to run and attain the results we needed. Armstrongs view that teams are formed for the attainment of specific results (2011) was really applicable and significant here. We had a common goal of using the team as an end to meeting all course requirements. Due to this, the team was a convenient system for cooperation, problem solving, decision making, interpersonal relationships, diagnosis and debating (Armstrong, 2008). In relating our experience in the team and its distinctions from individuality and groups, I think that the team was a convenient platform for the attainment of the results that were specified in the course. In this context, the group involves all the students taking this Masters Degree program. We all have individual goals and are not united by specific goals. However, the formation of the team gave us a specific obligation and responsibilities on how to carry them out. This is what separated us from working as individuals who only study to pass individual assignments and also the wider group which was a loose connection of students. From my experiences with the team, I will define a team in my on words as a collection of people for the attainment of a specific end within a specified period of time. A team is more definite than a group. And the common objective and common goal, makes a team different from a group. And the synergistic results from the team makes it different from individual efforts. Once the team was formed, we were just a group of individuals who sought to get things done and get out of this institution. However, the fact that we needed to work together meant that there were some important elements that needed to work

Relection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Relection Paper - Essay Example In a very interesting study, Hannaford cites examples of the effects of exercise of body on stimulation of mind. The author maintains that exercising the body can enhance learning experience. I loved the book because it was very refreshing and had some original food for thought. Though I was aware of the benefits of exercising the body, I needed to know how it could stimulate learning and brain activity. Now I realize why it is extremely important for children in school setting to be exposed to physical exercise and sports. Because it is healthy thing to do and it also makes exercise a learning experience. The children must be involved in exercise and its benefits so they can discover them for themselves. It has been noted that children and teachers are both delighted by the manner in which exercise stimulates mind. I feel that in our schools we should make exercise mandatory for all students with the objective of making learning a better and more effective experience for them and for the teachers as well. Hannaford makes it clear that senses and emotions play a key role in enhancing the learning process and thus recommends exercise both before and after learning. She starts from a very young age which helped me in understanding how exercise could affect learning. She says that basic early exercise like crawling have a great impact on a child's learning abilities. Crawling "activate[s] both hemispheres in a balanced way" (Hannaford, 92).the author also insists that real learning process "starts with movement in response to a stimulus, then creates a context or experience to understand the sensory input" (99). What was really enlightening came in the form of findings on reading. I learned that children are not very receptive to silent reading till the age of seven. And thus this activity must be postponed till then. They should instead be taught in a way that would acknowledge their natural progression of skills and their bodies' natural development stage. I was happy to see that when applied in classroom, children actually responded very well to these new ways of learning. All the noise they create while laughing, sharing, building and moving around and learning was a healthy indication of their high involvement. Hannaford advocates the use of pictures and painting to enhance learning: "Most people need to discuss, write, or draw a picture of new ideas in order anchor them in the body with movement for memory and clarity of thought" (101). Hannaford also presents her findings on inhibitors that can affect learning. She identifies such factors as television, computers and video games as few inhibitors that may slow down the learning process. Children fully engrossed in sports are less likely to watch television or spend time on video consol. This is beneficial in terms of their health and also facilitates learning. Stress is shown as another major inhibition factor. In short, the book focuses on the finding that: "It is the full activation and balance of all parts of our body/mind system that allow us to become effective, productive thinkers" (106). And this I have found to be a finding worthy of affirming over and over again.

To what extent do we need evidence to support our beliefs in different Essay

To what extent do we need evidence to support our beliefs in different areas of knowledge - Essay Example And the more the evidences are present -- evidences that are not contrary among one another -- in supporting a specific scientific belief, the more such belief becomes truthful or objective. In Bayesianism, evidences from a set of observational results for a particular hypothesis largely increase the â€Å"probability [or validity] of that hypothesis† (Achinstein 4). Furthermore, scientific belief greatly influences the person who holds such belief. Assuming that evidences validate a specific theory, the thought and action of the individual are strongly shaped by his or her belief system. For instance, a person who considers the existence or truthfulness of the so-called global warming will express, one way or the other, his or her belief of promoting and pursuing a kind of clean and green environment. Perhaps he or she will take this action to a much higher level (e.g., mass demonstration) if such person believes that the continued apathy of the government or state concerning global warming will theoretically result an environmental catastrophe. However, evidences do not make the natural science truly objective or free from error. ... But some scientists also claim that global warming does not exist; they contend that climate change or the increasing heat temperature experienced on the planet Earth is merely a natural phenomenon, which dates back to a hundred years. Moreover, the human specie is an evolving creature that has the natural capacity to adapt in the changing environment. Interpretation to particular evidence is far from objective or scientific. A set of data does not translate to a scientific theory or law. Whether the phenomenon of global warming is true or not, interpretation or deciphering the available observable data remains to be problematic. Going away from the much politicized science (i.e., global warming), the scientists in the Middle Ages believed that the Earth was the center of the cosmos, not the sun. Their evidence was that the common-sense perception of what they saw around them. In reply to Wittgenstein’s query, someone said, â€Å"Well, obviously, because it just looks as if t he sun is going around the earth† (qtd. in Dawkins 406). Thus, interpretation matters over a set of evidences. In history as the area of knowledge, evidences or sources are very essential in verifying the truthfulness of the claim or theory made by the historian. Especially historians who study ancient civilizations, sources are necessary in order to prove that their ideas or â€Å"beliefs† are true or accurate. And gathering a number of sources or evidences relevant to the study in question makes the historical record or writing truly comprehensive and objective. Undoubtedly, sources or evidences should be reliable (Child et al. 12). In addition, historical claim or belief influences the person’s mental

Principles of Accounting SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Principles of Accounting SLP - Essay Example At the same time, the consistent communication will enlighten the employees on their effect of choices on the company’s future and on their future. Opportunities for misstatement and fraud exist upon every line item on balance sheet and income statement. Therefore, the finance managers should able to identify the ‘red flags’ and ask the right kind of questions. (Mabry, 2007) The two components of a balance sheet and/or income statement can be used as a â€Å"red flag† to alert of potential fraudulent activity are An in-depth analysis of the ratios of the financial statements can be used to detect the fraudulent activities of the company. A change in ratio over a period of time or over one year should be rational and logical that can be explained properly. Any unusual ratio jump or fluctuations or extreme deviations from the industry average that cannot be explained rationally need to be investigated. This is how the analysis of ratios can be used as a method of fraud detection. (Harrington, 2005) Mabry, B. and Toivonen, S. (2007) "Detecting Financial Statement Fraud: What Every Corporate Manager Needs to Know - Oil & Gas Financial Journal." Oil & Gas Financial Journal- Coverage of Oil and Gas Markets, Companies and Stocks.. Web. 26 Mar. 2011. . Harrington, C. (2005) "Association of Certified Fraud Examiners." Association of Certified Fraud Examiners - Fraud Training & Education. Web. 26 Mar. 2011.

How does Juliet grow and change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How does Juliet grow and change - Essay Example In examining these forms of characterization, this essay traces the way that Juliet grows and changes throughout the work. During the early part of the play Shakespeare depicts Juliet as largely naive to the romantic world around her. In these regards, there is the recognition that surrounding characters have first begun to express interest in Juliet. Notably, Paris speaks with Capulet regarding his desire to marry Juliet. Juliet herself, however, is recognized as largely oblivious to these advances. Juliet’s nurse asks her, â€Å"Tell me, daughter Juliet,/ How stands your disposition to be married?† (1.3.63-64). Juliet responds, â€Å"It is an honor that I dream not of† (1.3.65). Here Juliet is indicating that she has not thought marriage. Additionally, this scene demonstrates Juliet’s relative subservience to her Nurse, further attesting to Juliet’s stage of growth. Ultimately then this stage of Juliet’s characterization demonstrates that s he is naive and has not thought of a suitable romantic suitor. As the text progresses, Juliet correspondingly experiences a greater level of growth and maturity. The next substantial stage of Juliet’s growth and maturation occurs at a costume ball that is thrown. The costume ball is attended by both Romeo and Juliet. While at the beginning of the night they have not met, they will eventually encounter each other and exchange romantic words. Romeo implements symbolism and figurative language in comparing himself to a pilgrim and Juliet to a saint. He then indicates that she must kiss him to rid of his sin. Eventually they kiss. The physical action of this kiss constitutes a significant stage of Juliet’s development as it partially heralds her entrance into womanhood. While before this kiss she indicated she had not thought of marriage, following this kiss there is a significant change in her outlook. Notably, referring to Romeo, Juliet states, â€Å"If he be married,/ My grave is like to be my wedding bed† (1.5.131). In addition to providing a strong foreshadowing of the play’s fateful conclusion, this statement directly opposes Juliet’s earlier statement that she had not even given marriage a thought. Ultimately, Juliet demonstrates rapid development in this scene as she not only enters into a physical show of affection, but she also demonstrates intensity in her lust for Romeo. As the narrative action in the play occurs in a relatively short period of time Juliet’s growth and development occurs rapidly. Following her interaction with Romeo at the costume ball, he comes to visit her window. This window scene has become a seminal aspect of Shakespeare’s writing for its masterful implementation of language. The scene additionally contains significant information regarding Juliet’s growth and development. In these regards, the scene begins to demonstrate Juliet understands the forbidden nature of the romance . While Juliet is a Capulet, Romeo is a Montague; these families are in conflict, such that their romance is not allowed. Juliet states, â€Å"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?/ Deny thy father and refuse thy name;/ Or if, thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,/ And I’ll no longer be a Capulet† (2.1.33-36). Here Juliet is asking why Romeo is a Montague. She then asks him to give up his family name, and if he won’

Analyzing the Movie Avatar Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analyzing the Movie Avatar - Term Paper Example From Alien presentation to the grand military, from racial issues to excessive use of cigarettes, the movie has faced criticism on various topics. In short, Avatar is not only a manifestation but also an influence on the contemporary society. Starring Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, Stephan Lang and Matt Gerald, this movie is a full time entertainment for its viewers for the span of two and a half hours. Synopsis of the Movie Avatar happens in the imaginary world of Pandora, which is created by James Cameron using digital hi-tech methods, which is occupied by incredible living beings and a local race of blue aliens named as Na’vi. The movie has been present in three dimensions which is a relatively new technology but the use of the 3D technology has been done without novelty. Twentieth Century Fox together with James Cameron, have made a movie which is in fa ct an experience, which cannot be pirated. A relatively large number of audiences are paying extra to watch the movie in 3D even numerous times on a monolithic IMAX screen. (Jesser. 152) The imaginary world of Avatar is somewhat evocative of imaginary virtual spaces like the second life, in both situations the people make use of avatars to go to the space, live there and act in an imaginary world. Avatar takes a step forward, and is able to fully transmit his consciousness into his own secondary living being, disposing off his weak and disabled body in the last moments of the movie. The association between the body and the avatar, the real and the imaginary spaces, is depicted in the movie although the avatars and the humans occupy the same planes of existence. Cameron has depicted a variety of styles and genres in the movie. It is no doubt an idea of post-colonialism: it portrays the Na’vi as the harmless and respectful population, while the humans are exposed as the corpora te military that leave their dying planet earth to excavate the precious resources of Pandora. The movie has presented an anti-war concept portraying the soldiers as cruel and brutal people who only aim to chase the company dollar. All soldiers are males except for a female pilot, who rejects the violent actions against the native population of the Na’vi. Many critiques have not mentioned the topic of gender in the movie but it is worth mentioning. Jake Sully is the main character of the movie who is a Marine. Because of his protagonist status, and that of his avatar, he is shown to negotiate between the masculine corporate structure and the feminine sphere of nature and science. The prominent scientist, played by Sigourney Weaver, is a biologist who is interested to have the samples from Pandora. Many critiques have attacked less relevantly on her cigarettes. She interacts with the natives to learn more about them in contrast to Sully, who approaches the world in his own nai ve and playful way. A female Na’vi acts like his guide in the film who guides him through the world. Sully and his avatar are soon introduced to the tribe of the Na’vi and promptly become the most competent of them. This plot is somewhat the reminiscent of the movies like â€Å"The last Samurai† and â€Å"Dances with Wolves†. (Wilhelm. 45) This kind of narrative is also considered to have the â€Å"white savior† theme, in which a dominant race member, often not

The Impact of Capital Structure on the Firms Performance Essay

The Impact of Capital Structure on the Firms Performance - Essay Example The authors of this paper are professors Murray Frank and Vidnan Goyal. Frank is one of the faculties of commerce in the University of British Columbia, Canada. While Goyal is in the department of finance in Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. They empirically tested 39 factors that affect leverage decisions of publicly traded companies in the U.S. One of the major findings is that the bankruptcy risk and profitability are negatively related to leverage. Their findings support tax-bankruptcy trade-off theory and stakeholder co-investment theory. On the other hand, it conflicts with the studies that are based on the pecking order theory and market timing theory. The authors are reliable and present good knowledge of the topic. Although theories are conflicting with some other research this is the good scholarly source. This source contributed more than enough in research work and target audience of the source is financial institutions, professionals, students, and stockhol ders. Bas, T., Muradoglu, G. & Phylaktis, K. (2009). Determinants of Capital Structure in Developing Countries. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from European Financial Management Association: http://efmaefm.org/0EFMSYMPOSIUM/China-2010/papers/determinants%20of%20capital%20structure%20in%20developing%20countries.pdf The authors of this paper are the faculty of Cass Business School in London. ... This paper is different than previous studies since it focuses on the large firms of developing countries. This paper contributed to research to some extent because it helped in understanding the fact that how different markets react differently. The audience of the paper is financial associations and foreign companies. This paper is included because it’s a scholarly and popular work and facts of the paper are well documented. Although my topic I too focused and this research is on a different topic this paper helped me to support my ideas. Titman, S., & Wessels, R. (1988). The Determinants of Capital Structure Choice. The Journal of Finance, 43 (1). The authors of this paper are professors at the University of California, Los Angeles. Both writers presented their research in a well-documented manner and this research is reliable and good to include when someone is working on the topic of capital structure. The study examined capital structure theories that have not tested bef ore based on a factor analytic technique. They analyzed the data using six measures of financial leverage including short-term debt, long-term debt, and convertible debt. The study findings show that the transaction cost is one of the major determinants of capital structure choice. In fact, the results do not support the effect of volatility, collateral value or future growth. This journal is very much related to my topic although it's too broad and not scholarly enough it helped a lot to narrow down my topic. The audience of the paper is students, teachers, and people who are seeking basic knowledge about the determinants of capital structure. Sbeiti, W. (2010).  

The Calling of Saul of Tarsus Essay Example for Free

The Calling of Saul of Tarsus Essay The calling of Saul of Tarsus is in the Books of Acts and Romans in the New Testament. Paul born a Jew in Tarsus, and breathing threats and murder against Christ disciples. Paul works against the church years before his calling he witness the death of the first Christian Martyr. Paul considered himself chief sinner among peers. Paul finally met face to face the one persecuted. 1.Paul questionable calling. a. Born a Jew from Tarsus. b.Paul was commissioned by Jerusalem High priest to pursues any followers of The Way 2. Paul brag of being passionate about his mission. a. Self-proclaim number one sinner b. Paul stood by as a witness to martyrdom 3.Saul on Damascus Road a.Saul see a bright light b.Saul is converted and baptizes 4.Saul of Tarsus as a final point, meet face to face the one persecuted

Why Portugal was the First and the Last Colony Essay Example for Free

Why Portugal was the First and the Last Colony Essay Portugal is one of the many European nations that colonized different parts of the world. Its colonies spread from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Colonization has been defined as domination of a territory by a foreign power where the dominating power subjects the subordinate nation to exploitation, denial of freedom and direct ruling. Colonizing power usually impose their policies and control of most aspects of the local people. Portuguese domination of the foreign nation can be traced way back after the end of the Portuguese recapturing period in the twelfth century. During this time they started moving to the other parts of the world, this is overseas expansion. In 1415 this European power conquered port of Cueta in the Northern part of Africa. In the subsequent years Portuguese continued moving along the coasts of Africa where they established forts, seaports, and trade posts. (Cook, S 1997) There are several reasons why Portugal became the first nation to colonize, firstly the nation has been described as the one which kicked off the age of discovery ,this was way back in the 1400s. Portuguesese were the first to explore and sail through the Atlantic ocean, this enabled them to discover so many islands which they came to colonize. This discovery was propelled by the mobility of the citizens of this country. The information they gathered from these expeditions was very vital as far as conquering other parts of the world were concerned. Explorers such Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias helped in the establishment of ports and forts along the coastal regions of the areas they passed, this spread to as far as India. These explorers were later followed by armed groups who were keen on taking regions that were rich in resources. (Field house, D (1981) Enrique, D (1981) brings out another perspective that gave Portugal an upper hand as far as colonization was concerned, this nation was the first to get important concessions from the church, this concessions recognized the ownership of the Portugal over the territory which had already been discovered and those which had not been discovered. Pope also went ahead to give Portugal the exclusive rights to take over the lands in Africa. According to Sellsrtom, T (1999) Portuguese had a mentality that they were superior to other people and they had the right to live in the tropics and help in the assimilation of people from the entire racial group and make them one big nation. As a nation they clinged to the view of magnificent future through the guidance of an aura of dominance. This partly explains why this nation was clinging to their colonies. They vehemently opposed the United Nations decolonization declaration which was passed in the early 1960s terming the idea as intelligible and can not be applicable to Portugal as a nation. Portugeese dictator Antonio Salazar was firmly opposed to this idea, he moved ahead and changed the constitution to incorporate the colonies as overseas provinces or states. These overseas provinces were taken as part of Portugal process of assimilation; they were part and parcel of this nation. She wanted them to be recognized as part of her, this was strongly opposed by other nations as it was going against the declaration of decolonization. (McQueen 1997) (United Nation 1970) Portugal only came to grant independence to the country it was dominating after much pressure from the international community. Some of the last colonies in Africa Mozambique and Angola later came to be engulfed by the war which can be partly being blamed on this extended domination. Being the first nation to colonize and the last to grant independence places this European country at a unique position as far as colonial history is concerned.

Cubas Transformational Leader Fidel Castro Cultural Studies Essay

Cubas Transformational Leader Fidel Castro Cultural Studies Essay Inspirational Leader During my involvement with issues like leadership and management, I must admit that real leaders are the ones that implement their vision with efficiency and make people feel trusted and inspired. People can be inspired and find their meaning of life by align their needs and desires with the vision of their chosen leader. The history has shown that few individuals can be thought as real leaders. As Ronald Heifetz and Donald Laurie state , the leaders main responsibilities are to direct people by defining the problems of a situation and identify the adaptive challenge. In this way the leader can be considered as protector since he or she can shield people and organizations from external threads. Apart from this an inspirational leader must have self knowledge, must be authentic and devoted to his passion and vision. Great leaders as Goffee and Jones discovered, share unexpected qualities such as they empathize passionately and realistic with people. In addition th ey manage employees with something they call tough empathy. Early Life An important personality and an inspirational leader can be considered Fidel Castro. Fidel was born in Biran and he is connected with the revolution of Cuba for its independence. His father was an immigrant from Spain that succeeded in sugar industry. His mother was a household servant. It is said that Fidel was an intellectual student that was more interested in sports and spent many years of his life in private Catholic schools. He entered the University of Havana and he began his political careers by being a recognized figure in Cuban politics. It is important to mention that Castro was considered to be one of the primary leaders of Cuban Revolution. At that time Castro enrolled with the politics of the country by being the Prime Minister of Cuba in 1959-1976 and then he took over as the President of the Council of State of Cuba until 2008. By being a transformational leader Castro tried and manage to overthrow the dictator Batista, and led the transformation of Cuba into a one party socialist republic. Values Castro tried to pass the message to Cubans of social justice, honest government and political freedom. He believed that freedom and economic independence are two of the most important elements and principles that a person should fight for. His beliefs and his vision were highlighted by the Cuban Revolution, where he managed to make his followers believe in his thoughts and sustain their freedom and equality. He and his followers tried to attack Batistas government. Although this attack proved to be a disaster and caused the death to many people, Castro managed to escape. His people were totally devoted to him and he assured that freedom will arise. It is of great importance to mention that Castro believed that his failure came from the fact that his car encountered serious problems and that the operation was lost. This, tell us that he never gave up the fight and that nothing else could be a fine reason for his failure! Castro went to prison for fifteen years. During his trial he delivered his famous defense speech History will absolve me a speech that can be considered as the expression of the personality of the leader. Leaders Traits and Style According to this speech we can highlight some core concepts from the Rhetorical Tradition. Fidel had the ability to Adjust ideas to people and people to ideas. His speeches had ethos and character along with pathos. His listeners and audience were engaged in his ability for talking for hours, always remaining devoted to his words. He repeatedly made rhetorical questions to its audience making his speeches lively and enthusiastic. Fidel held totally and absolutely incommunicado, in violation of every human and legal right. He states, emotionally, that only one who has been so deeply wounded, who has seen his country so forsaken and its justice trampled so, can speak at a moment like this with words that spring from the blood of his heart and the truth of his very gut. He was very self confident of his competencies where he stated that: taking advantage of my professional rights as a lawyer, I would assume my own defense. In an interview in 1995 he express that Today, I feel I am more a revolutionary than ever because everyday I am more convinced that what we did was right. In an attempt to support his subordinates he said: The rest of the accused, the minority, were brave and determined, ready to proudly confirm their part in the battle for freedom, ready to offer an example of unprecedented self-sacrifice and to wrench from the jails claws those who in deliberate bad faith had been included in the trial. Fidel was proud of himself as we can see from his own word: to inform you that if to save my life I must take part in such deception (of being ill), I would a thousand times prefer to lose it. He seems to be ironic and sarcastic in some part of his speech: What unbelievable crimes this regime must have committed to so fear the voice of one accused man! This in fact tells us that he never lies and he expresses his feelings (negative or positive). A leader is important to have specific traits that will help him in his mission. According to Kirkpatrick and Locke traits alone are not sufficientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Leaders who possess the requisite traits must take certain actions to be successful. Among these traits are certainly drive, leadership motivation, integrity, self confidence, and cognitive ability, traits that can be identified to Fidel Castro personality and leadership characteristics. Fidel Castro can be considered as an effective leader that combines a task-oriented behavior along with relations-oriented behavior. He is task oriented since he has the ability to plan and schedule his people, coordinate his subordinates activities. He tried to overthrow his enemies by setting high but realistic performance goals. In addition he can be though for his relations-oriented features due to the strong supportive and helpful role he maintained through his political career. At a point of his speech he addresses his people: my brave comrades, with unprecedented patriotism, did their duty to the utmost. Yes, we set out to fight for Cubas freedom and we are not ashamed of having done so,. Being a charismatic leader, Fidel was being change-oriented, possessing a compelling vision. According to Bycio behaviors associated with transformational leadership include giving a high degree of attention and support to individual followers and offering followers intellectual stimulation and engendering a high degree of respect from them. Fidel as we can see, was able enough to gain the respect of thousands of Cubans and thousands of people around the word. On the other side he respected them also. As he states: I am grateful for the polite and serious attention they give me. His vision was correlated with his followers needs, beliefs and values, and this was of extreme importance for the achievement of Fidels goals. His vision of freedom was aligned with his followers dreams! This can be seen from his own speech The fact is, when men carry the same ideals in their hearts, nothing can isolate them neither prison walls nor the sod of cemeteries. For a single memory, a single spiri t, a single idea, a single conscience, a single dignity will sustain them all. Fidel employed a range of change management styles. He can be considered an Effective Leader since he was totally committed to his believes and to the goods such as freedom, faith. As he states in an interview identity with the fatherland, with sovereignty, with independence, and with the Revolution save it, help to save it, among all of us. Many, many things can be done. I hope that you are convinced. Moreover he possessed a vigorous pursuit of a clear and compelling vision. In that sense it is important that he managed to stimulate his people with high standards as he tried to pass the message of freedom to its community and its country in general. Moreover we can distinguish in its face a competent manager and leader where he managed to organize people and resources toward its effective objectives. Fidel engaged in intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration and inspirational motivation, making himself being recognized as a transformational leader. He possessed the charisma in order to transform the whole society. It is clear that this variety of leadership styles had been used concurrently. According to trait approach, Fidel was intelligent and confident. Moreover he was sociable and this can be seen from the way that he handled his people in his speeches, his jokes etc. According to R.Duane Ireland and Michael A.Itt, Fidel managed to develop a great group that has accepted their responsibilities, which are fulfilled with involvement and commitment, understand the significance of their duties. As Fidel says: You must know your duty; I certainly know mine. Fidel can be seen as a visionary Leader with many characteristics of a strategic leader as these are described by Glenn Rowe. As a visionary leader Fidel Castro was proactive with shaped ideas. He had the ability to influence attitudes and opinions due to his strong character and personality. Moreover he was concerned about the future of his society and his people and he kept finding ways of ensuring the freedom and justice. He was making decisions based on values, such as freedom, justice, virtue, trust. Moreover we can find characteristics that justify the fact that Fidel is considered to be a strategic leader. He had strong positive expectations of the performance he expected from his subordinates and itself. His choices made a difference in the whole society. Can Fidel be considered as an authentic leader? I believe that Fidel managed to convince his people and his subordinates that he is capable of achieving great things for his country. His words where consistent with his deeds, as his vision of liberation of his society from the injustice and poverty became a reality. He never said that he was an authentic leader! As Goffee and Gareth assumes, authenticity is largely defined by what other people see in you and, as such, can to a great extent be controlled by you. For these reasons he can be considered authentic. Fidel maintained a helicopter view of his society with strategic thinking, strategic management and leadership. He was able of doing the right things for his people. The Alchemist The leaders voyage of development is not an easy one. Some people change little in their lifetimes; some change substantiallyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Few may become Alchemistsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ David Rooke and William R. Torbert In their survey on the Seven Transformations of Leadership, David Rooke and William R. Torbert, demonstrate seven ways of Leading. Fidel can be considered as a strategist since he generates societal and personal transformations. Apart from this we can justify that Fidel combines also characteristic of an Alchemist, where he generates social transformations, integrates material, spiritual and societal transformation, making himself one of his kind. As they state, alchemists are typically charismatic and extremely aware individuals who live by high moral standards, while they focus intensively on the truth. As Fidel says: I had nothing to hide, for the truth was: all this was accomplished through sacrifices without precedent in the history of our Republic. Moreover he as a leader had the ability to speak to peoples hearts and minds. Fidel ´s personality and paradigm could be extremely important in the todays globalizing world. Companies should be recruited with this kind of minds in order to sustain the competitive advantage and be more wealthy and profitable. Strategic alignment, agility and sustainability are the most important values in a business context. A transformational leader like Fidel can maintain the effectiveness of the performance of every business or society.

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect Essay -- Environmental Global

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect, in environmental science, is a popular term for the effect that certain variable constituents of the Earth's lower atmosphere have on surface temperatures. It has been known since 1896 that Earth has been warmed by a blanket of gasses (This is called the "greenhouse effect."). The gases--water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4)--keep ground temperatures at a global average of about 15 degrees C (60 degrees F). Without them the average would be below the freezing point of water. The gases have this effect because as incoming solar radiation strikes the surface, the surface gives off infrared radiation, or heat, that the gases trap and keep near ground level. The effect is comparable to the way in which a greenhouse traps heat, hence the term. Environmental scientists are concerned that changes in the variable contents of the atmosphere--particularly changes caused by human activities--could cause the Earth's surface to warm up to a dangerous de gree. Since 1850 there has been a mean rise in global temperature of approximately 1? C (approximately 1.8? F). Even a limited rise in average surface temperature might lead to at least partial melting of the polar icecaps and hence a major rise in sea level, along with other severe environmental disturbances. An example of a runaway greenhouse effect is Earth's near-twin planetary neighbor Venus. Because of Venus's thick CO2 atmosphere, the planet's clo...

Capital Punishment Essay - Christians and the Death Penalty

Christians and the Death Penalty Almost all societies have dispensed with the principle of "an eye for an eye," and considered it a step toward more enlightened civilization. Christians who cite "an eye for an eye" in their defense of the death penalty are usually unaware of the strict criteria that God imposed before it could be used to take human life. The Old Testament also allowed the death penalty for crimes that today we consider less than misdemeanors -- clearly, the Old Testament law is archaic. Finally, Jesus himself argued against the principle of "an eye for an eye." Most societies dispensed with the "eye for an eye" principle of punishment centuries ago; indeed, it is considered one of the great advances of civilization and criminal justice. We do not punish rapists by raping them, or arsonists by burning their houses down, or sadists by torturing them. Instead they are imprisoned, isolated from society where they can no longer do harm. There are three main reasons for doing so: 1. Any criminal justice system is inherently imperfect, and the human beings within it are inevitably fallible. Courts have a rich history of mistaken convictions; the Stanford Law Review has uncovered 350 cases this century where clearly innocent people were sentenced to death, 75 of them since 1970. Only God or an omniscient being would truly know what another person "deserves." And that would apply not only to questions of guilt, but questions of justness of punishment. Imprisoning people allows us to reverse mistaken convictions with the minimum of damage. For those inmates not sentenced to life, it allows them to re-enter society without being bent on a terrible vengeance. ... ...Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5:17) What Jesus meant by this is the subject of vigorous debate. However, what is obvious is that many laws changed under the New Covenant; Christians were freed from many of the ancient Jewish laws on circumcision, Sabbath-observance and temple sacrifices. So it is not a question of whether the Talmudic laws were changed or dropped; the only question is how many were. If some Christians maintain that at least the civil and criminal laws of the Talmud are still valid in their entirety, then we should expect that they actually subscribe to all of them. This would include the commandment requiring two or three eye-witnesses for a capital conviction, and the initiation of the death penalty in all the above instances. Needless to say, no Christian would ever agree to such a legal code.

Definition Essay †Defining God :: Expository Definition Essays

Definition Essay – Defining God The concept of God can be a difficult one to grasp especially in today's world - a world in which anyone that believes in God is trying to define exactly what God is. To even attempt to grasp such a concept, one must first recognize his own beliefs in respect to the following questions: Is God our creator? Is God omnipotent (all-powerful) or omniscient (all-knowing) or both? Does God care? Is God with us? Does God interfere with life on earth? These questions should be asked and carefully answered if one should truly wish to identify his specific beliefs in God's existence and persistence. One common perception of God is that God is not so much a being, but according to seventeenth century philosopher Benedict Spinoza, that "God is everything, identical to the universe itself." That is to say that God is a part of all humans, all animals, all objects, and all matter in the universe. This particular view is called pantheism, which is literally defined to mean that there is no God, but only the combined forces and laws that are manifested in the existing universe. According to Spinoza, we are each and all an integral part of God, not as individuals or even humanity as a whole but as an integral part of what Spinoza called the "One Substance." He also believed that we are each and all components of some greater being, a being so unimaginably large that we are each nothing more than tiny parcels of matter in that being's blood. Another fairly common perception of God is of relation God's necessity to physics, referred to as Deism and heavily supported by the French philosopher Voltaire. This view is of a God who created the universe and then abandoned it, assuming no control over life, exerting no influence on natural phenomena, and giving no supernatural revelation.

Airline Regulations

AIRLINE REGULATIONS Research Paper AVSC 1220 TREVOR CARTER ID # 10524707 *The airline industry operates like the veins of the United States by pumping precious cargo throughout the country. Most *people don’t realize how different the airlines were a few decades ago. The entire industry was regulated by the government. Regulation is usually considered a more socialistic liberal idea that is opposed by conservative capitalists. Although I personally believe in a government with a small limited *role* in our daily lives, I have come to the conclusion that the airline industry is a rare exception that needs to return to regulation which would benefit the airlines and the consumers in numerous ways. In the days of regulation the government had total control of routes, fares, gates and almost anything necessary to operate an airline. It also created many barriers to entry which would prevent any new start up airline. All the government would have to do is not allow them at any airports or not approve of any route application. Economists complained that regulation was inefficient so in 1978 the Airline Deregulation Act was passed allowing the free market to dictate airline prices and schedules. The following thirty years have proved this to be a terrible mistake. There are a wide range of facts when looking for the change in price of a ticket today compared to the airlines under regulation. Some say the tickets are 15* % cheaper. Others claim there is hardly a difference because one must account for the 10% travel agent fee that is avoided with today’s online booking. So there is clearly no great ticket price benefit due to deregulation. However in the past tickets were fully refundable and you could change your destination without numerous penalties. Today people scour the internet for a discounted ticket which will usually mean a few stops along the way that may not be in the general direction of their destination. Some passengers may have to fly into alternative airports to receive a discount. Southwest airlines now flies into most major airports just as the legacy airlines do, however, in Southwest’s early days they broke into the freshly deregulated industry by basing their operation out of LUV field Dallas (not Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport) and flying to locations such as Burbank, CA. The reason for this was because it is much cheaper to operate out of these airports to avoid paying high prices for gates and other airport fees. Southwest also undercut the pay scales across the board. They were the first low cost carrier. By *saving all this money they would be able to provide cheaper tickets to customers and the free market was beginning its control on the industry. This started the domino effect of airlines entering the market. *With a few major airlines doing most of the long haul flights many commuter airlines have started business with 100 seat type jets. Most people will see US Airways Express and think it is a division of US Airways; however that airplane might be one of 4 or 5 airlines that fly under the US Airways paint scheme. The air is absolutely saturated with all of these small jets. The air traffic control system *needs to be upgraded because of this. Instead of having 737’s make two or three flights a day on a short haul trip say from Philly to Buffalo, they will have these 100 seat regional jets make 5 or 6 flights a day. With fuel prices soaring this does not seem efficient. Safety of the consumer is also being endangered. For the last year or so many small regional airlines were hiring a large amount of pilots due to a shortage. The minimum flight time qualifications were dropped lower than they have ever been before. Some new hires are getting in the cockpit with as little as 300 hours. The average airline pilot has several thousand hours. With flight training declining every year due to the high cost, commercial pilots are becoming scarcer. When you add more airplanes while fewer pilots are being trained it creates a huge shortage. The Federal Aviation Administration pushed the mandatory retirement age to 65 adding 5 more years to a pilots career if he chooses to stay which many aren’t and won’t, due to the terrible state of the industry and conditions they have been working in. This is just a temporary fix that might stave off the shortage for a few years but hiring will start again and there won’t be enough pilots let alone enough experience pilots to fly all of these airplanes. Under regulation when oil quadrupled in the 70’s, the price was passed onto the consumer by raising ticket prices. This is unfortunate but it is a part of the way our economy works. Today with prices rising, the airlines will not raise prices and instead try to run other companies into the ground by lowering prices. This is not healthy competition. The airline industry lost 25 billion dollars from 2000*-2005. During that period a*irfares dropped 10* percent while 20 airlines went bankrupt. US Airways and Northwest Airlines have removed their obligation to their pension funds by pleading in *bankruptcy court that they couldn’t operate *without* do*ing so. This wiped out over 8,5*00 pilots retirement funds between the two of them. Over 7000 Delta pilots have also since lost their retirements. * Pilots have conceded roughly 25-35*% pay cuts along with losing their retirements in order to keep these airlines afloat and ensure the passenger gets a good deal on their ticket. Within the past few weeks Aloha Airlines joined the ranks and went out of business continuing the downward spiral of the airline industry specifically over the last 10 years. Delta and Northwest announced on April 14th a plan to merge which would create the largest airline in the world. There is also speculation of many more mergers and or bankruptcies to come. Mergers are a sign of these companies being better off w orking together than separate. That is certainly not the healthy competition the lawmakers of the 60’s and 70’s envisioned while forming this plan. Deregulation has lent instability to an industry which serves to make the world flatter. Maybe it would be in the broader interest if this industry went back to the era of regulation. Not that the system was flawless but at least with a guaranteed return on capital, airlines wouldn’t be forced to cut corners and compromise safety *. * There has been recent talk of law makers on Capitol Hill revisiting the regulation idea due to the horrible state of the industry. Hopefully they will work quickly and save the sinking ship before it’s too late*. SOURCES L. Smith Jr. , Fred. â€Å"Airline Deregulation. Library of Economics and Liberty 25 Nov 2008 http://www. econlib. org/library/Enc/AirlineDeregulation. html. *Barnum, John. â€Å"What Prompted Airline Deregulation 20 Years Ago? What Were the Objectives of That Deregulation and How Were They Achieved. *† Find Law Library 08/15/1998 25 Nov 2008 http://library. findlaw. com/1988/Sep/1/129304. html. *Bailey, Elizabeth E. â€Å"Airline Deregulation Confronting the Paradoxes. † Regulation: The Cato Review of Business and Government* 15, no. 3. Available online at: *http://www. cato. org/pubs/regulation/regv15n3/reg15n3-bailey. html*. *Transportation Security Administration*

Everything

Name Submittal Date Course Number and Section Week 6 Case Study Questions #1. ) Using the details of the case study, identify the stages – a beginning, middle, end, and an aftermath – of the conflict process that Edward and Elizabeth went through. The beginning was when Laura texted Edward back and he thought she was upset. The middle was when Edward texted her back upset about her response. The end was when they argued at home of dumb stuff even though the argument was for no reason. The aftermath is now they are both mad at each other. 2. ) What is the disinhibition effect and how did it play a role in the case study? The disinhibtion effect is the loss of inhibitions when interacting with someone online that leads to the tendency to escalate the conflict. They weren’t watching how they were emailing so it seemed rude when she emailed it even though she didn’t mean to. #3. ) Discuss at least three strategies to alleviate online conflict, be it from texti ng, IMing, or emailing? How could have Edward and Elizabeth employed these strategies to avoid their conflict?There strategies to alleviate online conflict are too breath, plan your message don’t text real quick cause you might regret what you send. Avoid personal attach, name calling and emotional overstatement. Another would be too be sure you want to express your anger, sometimes it’s not worth the fight. Edward definitely should have breathed and made sure if he wanted to express his anger. #4. ) Often times we hold back our true feelings with a spouse or significant other because we assume the issue is trivial and not turning into a conflict.But how might not sharing your feelings with a spouse or significant other have a long-term effect on your relationship? Use specifics from the case study to support your answer. The long term effect is you start to resent your partner because you never express that he upset you. So when you finally do argue you bring up all t hat pushed back feelings and explode. Thus causing a much worse fight. In the case study I chose for him to confront her so there wasn’t really any held in emotion. #5. ) What are some of the skills and strategies used to maintain and escalate a close relationship?How could Edward and Elizabeth use these skills to overcome the issue they have with their electronically-mediated communication? Some of the skills to maintain a close relationship are to express emotions, provide comfort and social support engage in relationship talk, be tolerant and show restraint, and manage conflict cooperatively. They could express emotion using emoticons. Definitely show restraint and not text immediately when thinking someone is upset. Always see first if they upset before attacking them saying why are they mad and such.

The Case for Multicultural Education

The Case for Multicultural Education Venica Blythe Diversity and Achievement EDU507. 90 Prof. Joseph Paige The Case for Multicultural Education Who am I? I am a Female, I am Black, I am Jamaican, and I speak Patois (Jamaican dialect). All the things I just mentioned are just a fraction of who but these same things have been used on numerous occasions to form a stereotype against me. I am also a mother, wife, and an educator. None of the things that I have listed will by itself adequately tell you who I am, but as I stand before you today I want you to understand fully my purpose for being here.My name is Venica Blythe and I am here to promote multicultural education in all our schools curricula. Being an educator for well over a decade I have come to realization that there is a great need for Multicultural Education (ME) Banks (1994) recommended a multicultural curriculum that would teach minority ethnic groups how to free themselves from psychological captivity, stress social action , acquire humanistic dispositions toward all ethnic groups, realize power and ethnic identity without being chauvinistic and ethnocentric, and acquire the national identity and skills necessary to participate completely in the society.What is Multicultural Education? Multicultural Education (ME) can be defined as developing a curriculum that will incorporate all facets of the varied races and cultures that are found within any classroom. Such content will be taught through instruction designed for the cultures of the several different races in an educational system. Bennett (2011) estimates that â€Å"by the year 2020, children of color will exceed forty-five percent of the school-age population in the united Stated† (p. 16).It is because of such numbers why policy-makers and administrators can no longer pretend as if there is no need for educating both the students and the teachers. An ME will help to foster a reduction of fear and ignorance that exists in many races against people from diverse backgrounds. The Need for ME The case for a multicultural education is even greater as American schools continue to become more culturally diverse. The aim of a ME is to create equal educational opportunities for all students regardless of their race, ethnicity or culture.This can be achieved in such a way that it reflects diverse groups found in the society, schools and even in the classrooms (Banks, 1995, 1996; Gollnick & Chinn, 1998). Sleeter and Grant (2006), Bennett (1990), Banks (1994), assert that the inclusion of ME in the curriculum of schools creates an atmosphere where racial attitudes and academic achievement are improved. Decades ago, the concept of ME emerged out of the civil rights era in the U. S. But I am here to tell you today that presently, in the 21st century the U. S. s not alone in the struggles to build a case for a multicultural education. The European continent, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and even Japan are just a few of the countries that now have to consider the implementation of ME. The effects of immigration and even natural disasters have resulted in these countries attempting to cope with the diversity that now exists in their society. To better prepare our student for the 21st century ME is not only for the primary level, colleges and universities must also play a critical role.A survey done by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), on diversity requirements done in August 2000, involved responses from 543 colleges and universities. In this survey, 62% of the respondents reported either already having a diversity requirement or being the in process of creating one. 83% of those institutions with requirements offer â€Å"one or more courses addressing diversity in the U. S. †, and 65% offer â€Å"one or more courses addressing diversity outside the U. S. †.These numbers are evidence that the issue of ME is being promoted throughout higher education; our colle ge graduates MUST learn how to be effective and competitive in the 21st century by mastering the skills needed to work, live and build positive relationships with people from varying background. Conclusion Take Precious from the same titled 2009 movie, Precious (Daniels, Magness, & Siegel-Magness, 2009) was an overweight, African American, teenage mom struggling to finish high school because of her illiteracy.As I watched the movie I remember thinking that many aspects of it was too crude, but the sad reality is, there are many Precious at the school where I teach. These Precious’s are from Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominica Republic, and Haiti – just to name a few of the different cultures we work with. As I work with these students I found my self often times forcing them to adapt to the American way, especially since as I was making an effort to do the same.Today, I say to you go back to your schools, go back to your jobs or even your communities and make an effort to k now that student, know that person that you have been avoiding or the student that you seemingly find difficult to deal with and seek to understand what their â€Å"Sparks† are – what is it that student loves to do. Multicultural education can help to develop the sparks in all our students; it will help them to learn how to embrace the differences that lies within them and others.According to Gabelko and Michaelis (1981) and Lynch (1987), the reduction-of-prejudice dimension of ME is geared toward helping students acquire more democratic values, behaviors, and attitudes. According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP; 1996), ME should be considered in connection with the school’s curriculum, instructional practices, and staffing. In the end, education ought to equip students for the interdependency life of the 21st century (NASSP, 1996, p. 68). How do you plan to equip yourselves and your students for the 21st century? References: Ba nks, J. A. (1994).An Introduction to Multicultural Education. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Banks, J. A. (1995). Multicultural education: Historical, development, dimensions, and practice. In J. A. Banks and C. A. McGee-Banks (Eds. ), Handbook of research on multicultural education (pp. 3-24). New York: MacMillan. Bennett, C. (2011). Comprehensive Multicultural Education: Theory and Practice. (Seventh Edition) Boston: Pearson. Bennett, C. I. (1990). Comprehensive Multicultural Education: Theory and practice (2nd ed. ). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Daniels, L. , Magness, G. , & Siegel-Magness, Sarah (Producers), & Daniels, L. Director). (2009). Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire [Motion picture]. United States: Lionsgate. Gabelko, N. H. , & Michaelis, J. U. (1981). Reducing adolescent prejudice: A handbook. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Gollnick, D. M. and Chinn, P. C. (1998). Multicultural education in a pluralistic society (fifth edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Lynch, J. (1987). Prejudice reduction and the schools. New York, NY: Nichols. Sleeter, C. E. , & Grant, C. (2006). Making choices for multicultural education: Five approaches to race, class, and gender (5th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 20

â€Å"My apologies for the abrupt transport,† Carter continued. â€Å"Jerome started freaking out that I'd left you alone for so long.† â€Å"I've never ‘freaked out' in my life – er, existence, er whatever,† mused Jerome, strolling into the room. Studying him, I could believe his words. Dressed immaculately as ever, he held a martini in one hand and looked utterly at ease amid the disarray. â€Å"Nice place,† I told him, still aghast at the damage done to such beauty. â€Å"Fixer-upper?† The demon's eyes flashed with amusement at my joke. â€Å"I do so love having you around, Georgie.† He sipped his drink. â€Å"Yes, it is a little rough around the edges right now, but no worries. It'll clean up. Besides, I have other domiciles.† Jerome had always been very tight-lipped about where he lived, and I suspected it was only Carter's intervention that allowed us to even remain here right now. The demon would have never invited us. Walking over to a large bay window, I beheld a magnificent view of Lake Washington, the Seattle skyline glittering beyond it. Based on the angle of my view, I would have wagered money we were in Medina, one of the more elite Eastside suburbs. Only the best for Jerome. â€Å"So what happened?† I finally asked when it became apparent no one else intended to broach the subject. â€Å"Was this a nephilim attack, or did you just throw a party that got out of hand? Because honestly, if it's the last one, I'm going to be really pissed we weren't invited.† â€Å"No such fears,† Carter told me, smiling. â€Å"Our friend the nephilim did a little redecorating, kindly flashing us when it was over. That's why I abandoned you at Erik's. I would have given you some warning, but when I felt it over here†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked meaningfully at Jerome. The demon scoffed in response. â€Å"You what? Thought I was in danger? You know that's not possible.† Carter made a nondescript noise of disagreement. â€Å"Yeah? What do you call that?† He inclined his head toward the spray-painted symbol. â€Å"Graffiti,† responded Jerome disinterestedly. â€Å"It means nothing.† I walked away from the breathtaking window and its pricey view, looking the symbol up and down. I'd never seen anything like it, and I was familiar with a lot of characters and markings from all types of places and times. â€Å"It must mean something,† I countered. â€Å"Seems like a lot of trouble for nothing. Otherwise, he could have just written ‘you suck' or something like that.† â€Å"Maybe that's in one of the other rooms,† suggested Cody. â€Å"A punch line worthy of Georgie. You're learning more than dancing.† Ignoring the demon's attempt to change the subject, I turned to Carter for answers. â€Å"What is it? You must know what it means.† The angel studied me speculatively a moment, and I realized I'd never appealed to him before for serious help. Until our recent roommate stint, most of our interactions had been downright antagonistic. â€Å"It's a warning,† he said slowly, not looking at his demonic counterpart. â€Å"A warning of impending disaster. The real phase of a battle about to begin.† Jerome's finely suppressed control snapped. He slammed the glass down on an off-kilter table, face flushing. â€Å"Christ, Carter! Are you insane?† â€Å"It doesn't matter, and you know it. Everything's going to come out anyway.† â€Å"No,† hissed the demon icily, â€Å"not everything.† â€Å"Then you tell them.† Carter made a grandiose gesture toward the symbol. â€Å"You explain and make sure I don't say too much.† Jerome glared at him, and they locked eyes in their usual way. I'd seen it happen countless times, but upon reflection, I felt pretty sure I'd never actually seen them at such odds with each other before. â€Å"It might have meant those things at one time,† Jerome admitted at last, exhaling in an effort to calm himself. â€Å"But not anymore. As I said, it's meaningless now. An archaic scrawl. A charm which, without anyone to believe in it anymore, holds no power.† â€Å"Then why use it at all?† I wondered aloud. â€Å"More of the nephilim's bizarre sense of humor?† â€Å"Something like that. It's to remind me who we're dealing with – as if there was any possible way I could forget.† Picking up his sloshed martini, Jerome finished it in one gulp. Sighing, suddenly looking tired, he glanced at Carter. â€Å"You can tell them about the other ones if you want.† The angel's face registered mild surprise at the concession. He looked back up at the marred wall. â€Å"This symbol is the second in a set of three. The first is the declaration of battle – a way to sort of psyche out your enemy with what's to come. It looks just like this but with no diagonal. The last symbol marks victory. It has two diagonals and is displayed after the enemy is defeated.† I followed his gaze. â€Å"So, wait†¦ if this is the second, does that mean you've seen the first already?† Jerome walked out of the room and returned a moment later, handing me a piece of paper. â€Å"You're not the only one who gets love notes, Georgie.† I opened it up. The paper was the same kind used for my notes. Displayed on it, in heavy black ink, was a copy of the symbol on Jerome's wall without the diagonal. The first symbol, the declaration, according to Carter. â€Å"When did you get this?† â€Å"Just before Duane died.† I thought back through the weeks. â€Å"That's why you didn't push me too hard when he died. You already had a good idea who was responsible.† The demon shrugged by way of answer. â€Å"Wait a minute then,† exclaimed Cody, coming to look over my shoulder at the note. â€Å"If this is the first warning†¦ are you saying that everything that's happened – Duane, Hugh, Lucinda, Georgina – has been part of the ‘psyching out'?† The vampire grew incredulous when neither of the higher immortals responded. â€Å"What more can there be? What is this ‘real phase'? I mean, he's already attacked or killed, what, four immortals?† â€Å"Four lesser immortals,† I supplied, suddenly catching on. I looked back and forth between Jerome and Carter. â€Å"Right?† The angel gave me a tight-lipped smile. â€Å"Right. You guys have been the practice round before the big hit.† He gave Jerome another pointed look. â€Å"Stop it,† the demon snapped back. â€Å"I'm not a target here.† â€Å"Aren't you? No one spray-painted this on my wall.† â€Å"No one knows where you live.† â€Å"You're not exactly in the yellow pages yourself. You're the mark here.† â€Å"It's a moot point. It can't touch me.† â€Å"You don't know that – â€Å" â€Å"I do know that, and you know it too. There is absolutely no way it can be stronger than me.† â€Å"We need backup after all. Call Nanette – â€Å" â€Å"Oh yes,† laughed Jerome harshly. â€Å"No one would notice if I pulled her from Portland. Do you have any idea what a red flag that would throw up? People would start noticing, start asking questions – â€Å" â€Å"So what if they do? It's no big deal – â€Å" â€Å"Easy for you to say. What would you know about – â€Å" â€Å"Please. I know enough to know that you're being overly paranoid about†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The two went back and forth at each other, Jerome adamantly denying there was any problem, Carter maintaining that they needed to take appropriate precautions. As noted earlier, I had never seen the two of them in such open disagreement. I didn't like it, especially as their voices began to rise in volume. I didn't want to be around if they came to blows or displays of power, having already seen too much of their strength in the last few weeks. Slowly, I backed up out of the living room toward a nearby hallway. Cody, catching my mood, followed. â€Å"I hate it when Mom and Dad fight,† I commented as we retreated away from the divine bickering, seeking a safer locale. Looking in doorways, I saw a bathroom, a bedroom, and a guest room. Somehow I didn't imagine the demon hosted too many overnight guests. â€Å"This looks promising,† observed Cody as we turned in to an entertainment room. More leather seating surrounded a massive, absurdly thin plasma screen hanging on the wall. Sleek, beautiful speakers stood in strategic spots around us, and a substantial glass case displayed hundreds of DVDs. This room, like the others, had been sacked. Sighing, I threw myself on to one of the ripped chairs while Cody checked out the sound system. â€Å"What do you think of all this?† I asked him. â€Å"The new developments, I mean, not the entertainment setup.† â€Å"What's to think? It seems straightforward to me. This nephilim character warms up with lesser immortals and now decides to take on the higher ones. Sick and twisted, but well, that's the way it is. On the bright side, maybe we're out of danger now – no offense to Jerome or Carter.† â€Å"I don't know.† I tipped my head back, thinking. â€Å"Something still isn't right to me. There's something we're missing. Listen to them in there. Why is Jerome being such an idiot about all of this? Why won't he listen to Carter?† The young vampire glanced up from his perusal of the movies and gave me a sly smile. â€Å"I never thought I'd see the day when you advocated for Carter. You must have gotten really chummy this last week.† â€Å"Don't get any romantic delusions,† I warned him. â€Å"God knows I have enough of that on my plate already. It's just that, I don't know. Carter's not as bad as I used to think.† â€Å"He's an angel. He's not bad at all.† â€Å"You know what I mean, and you've got to admit, he has a point. Jerome should be taking appropriate measures. This thing trashed his place and left warnings – even if they're obsolete charms or whatever. Why is Jerome so convinced he's safe?† â€Å"Because he thinks he's stronger than it is.† â€Å"How would he know though? Neither of them have gotten a good feel for it – even Carter didn't the night he saved me.† â€Å"Jerome doesn't seem like the type to dismiss things without a reason. If he says he's stronger, then I'd – holy shit. Check this out.† His serious spiel melted into laughter. Getting up, I walked over and knelt beside him. â€Å"What?† He pointed to the bottom row of DVDs. I read the titles. High Fidelity. Better Off Dead. Say Anything. Grosse Pointe Blank. All John Cusack movies. â€Å"I knew it,† I breathed, thinking of the demon's coincidental resemblance to the actor. â€Å"I knew he was a fan. He's always denied it.† † Wait'll we tell Peter and Hugh,† crowed Cody. He pulled Better Off Dead off the shelf. â€Å"This one's his best.† I pulled out Being John Malkovich, my tense mood momentarily relaxed. â€Å"No way. This one is.† â€Å"That one's too weird.† I glanced up at the plasma screen, a huge gash slashing across its surface. â€Å"Normally I'd suggest we have a showdown to settle the point, but somehow I don't think there'll be any viewings for a while here.† Cody followed my gaze and grimaced at the massacre. â€Å"What a waste. This nephilim's a real bastard.† â€Å"No doubt,† I agreed, standing up. â€Å"It's no wonder – â€Å" I froze. Everything froze. A real bastard. â€Å"Georgina?† asked Cody curiously. â€Å"You all right?† I closed my eyes, reeling. â€Å"Oh my God.† A real bastard. I thought then about the entire trail of nephilim events, how from the very beginning Jerome had been warning us away. Ostensibly, his actions had been to keep us safe, but there had been no reason not to explain nephilim to us, no real danger to us in understanding the nature of our adversary. Yet Jerome had stayed tight-lipped about it, growing irrationally angry when any of us got too close. When Cody had first posited the â€Å"rogue angel† theory, I had written the secrecy off to embarrassment from the other side. Yet, it wasn't their side that had something to hide. It was ours. Click, click. Once started, the dominoes in my head tumbled forward in a rush. I thought about Harrington's book: the corrupted angels taught â€Å"charms and enchantments† to their wives while their offspring ran wild†¦ Charms. Like the obsolete one on Jerome's wall. It's to remind me who we're dealing with – as if there was any possible way I could forget, he had explained offhandedly. Carter had told me demons generally get into hunting down nephilim. Nanette had wanted to come and help with this one, but Jerome wouldn't let her, thus minimizing those involved. Carter he had kept on hand for the kill, however. Wouldn't Jerome want to do it himself? I had wondered, but the angel had evaded answering. Still the dominoes fell. Nephilim inherit a lot more than half their parent's power, though they can never exceed it. Jerome's words to us last week, again spoken casually, just after my attack. Only minutes ago, I had wondered at his confidence at being stronger than the nephilim, questioning how he could be so certain. But of course he could be. Divine genetics had already dictated the parameters. â€Å"Georgina? Where are you going?† Cody exclaimed as I strode out of the room, back toward the still-roaring argument down the hallway. â€Å"Look,† Carter was saying, â€Å"it won't hurt anything to just – â€Å" â€Å"It's yours,† I cried to Jerome, attempting to stare him down – difficult, since he was taller than me. â€Å"The nephilim is yours.† â€Å"My problem?† â€Å"No! You know what I mean. Your child. Your son†¦ or daughter†¦ or whatever.† Silence descended, and Jerome stared at me with those piercing black eyes, boring right into my soul. I expected at any moment to be blasted across the room. Instead, all he asked was, â€Å"So?† Startled at his mild response, I swallowed. â€Å"So†¦ so†¦ why didn't you just tell us? From the beginning? Why such secrecy?† â€Å"As you can perhaps imagine, this is not a topic I enjoy bringing up. And contrary to popular belief, I do feel entitled to some privacy.† â€Å"Yes, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Now that it was out, I didn't know what to say or think or do. â€Å"What will happen? What are you going to do?† â€Å"The same thing I've been planning on doing. We will find this creature and destroy it.† â€Å"But it†¦ he or she†¦ is yours†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I, who had so jealously and longingly watched Paige's growing pregnancy and Seth's bevy of nieces, could not even begin to fathom calmly announcing the murder of one's offspring. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† the demon said simply. â€Å"It's a liability, a danger to the rest of us. My connection to it is irrelevant.† â€Å"You†¦ you keep saying ‘it.' Are you so detached that you can't even†¦ you know, call it by name or gender? What is it anyway? A son or a daughter?† He hesitated a moment, and I detected a faint trace of unease in that cool mask. â€Å"I don't know.† I stared. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I wasn't there when it was born. When I found out she†¦ my wife†¦ was pregnant, I left. I knew what would happen. I was neither the first – nor the last – to take a mortal wife. Plenty of nephilim had been born and destroyed by that point. We all knew what they were capable of. The right thing to do when it was born would have been to destroy it right then.† He paused, once more perfectly expressionless. â€Å"I couldn't do it. I left, so I wouldn't have to deal with it, so I wouldn't have to make that choice. It was a coward's way out.† â€Å"Did you†¦ ever see her again? Your wife?† â€Å"No.† Speechless, I wondered what she must have been like. I barely understood Jerome now as a demon, let alone before he fell. He hardly ever showed any sort of emotion or affection for anyone; I couldn't imagine what kind of a woman would have so overcome him that he would turn his back on all he held sacred. And yet, despite that love, he had still left, never to see her again. She would have been dead for millennia by now. He had left to save their child, only to once again be faced with holding its life in his hands. The whole thing was heartbreaking, and I wanted to do something – hug the demon, maybe – but I knew he wouldn't thank me for my sympathy. He was already too embarrassed at us finding out about all of this. â€Å"So you've never seen it? How do you know for sure this one is yours?† â€Å"The signature. When I feel it, I feel half of my own aura and half of†¦ hers. No other creature could have that combination.† â€Å"And you've felt that every time?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Wow. Yet you know nothing else about it.† â€Å"Correct. As I said, I was gone long before it was born.† â€Å"Then†¦ then it would make sense that you really are a target,† I told him, gesturing to the wall. â€Å"Even independent of all this. The nephilim has especial reason to be pissed off at you.† â€Å"Thanks for the unconditional support.† â€Å"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant†¦ the nephilim already have good cause to be angry. Everybody hates them and tries to kill them. And this one†¦ well, people spend thousands of dollars on therapy to get over bad experiences with their fathers. Imagine what kind of neuroses would develop after several thousand years.† â€Å"Are you suggesting a family counseling session, Georgie ?† â€Å"No†¦ no, of course not. Although†¦ I don't know. Have you tried talking to it? Reasoning with it?† I remembered Erik's comment about nephilim just wanting to be left alone. â€Å"Maybe you could work something out.† â€Å"All right, this conversation is growing more absurd, if that's possible.† Jerome turned to Carter. â€Å"You want to take them home now?† â€Å"I'm staying with you,† the angel stated flatly. â€Å"Oh, for Christ's sake, I thought we settled this – â€Å" â€Å"He's right,† I piped up. â€Å"The warning phase is over. I'm safe now.† â€Å"We don't know – â€Å" â€Å"And besides, this wasn't so much about my safety anyway as having Carter keep me from finding out the truth about your family problems. It's too late now, and I'm tired of having a shadow. You keep him, and we'll all sleep easy, even if it is overkill.† â€Å"Eloquently put,† chuckled Carter. Jerome still protested, and we bickered a bit more about it, but in the end, the decision rested in Carter's hands. Jerome had no power to order him around; indeed, if Carter wanted to follow the demon indefinitely, there was nothing Jerome could do, not really. They weren't going to wage any epic battles with each other, no matter how annoyed they currently seemed. Carter did agree to teleport us back, though I suspected it was more of a kind gesture to make sure Cody and I could never find Jerome's place again. After he'd taken the vampire home, Carter transported me to my living room, hesitating before he disappeared again. â€Å"It is better this way, I think,† he told me. â€Å"Me staying with Jerome. I know the nephilim can't be stronger than him†¦ but there's still something weird going on. I'm not convinced you're out of danger either, but whatever's going on with you is something entirely different.† He shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. There are a lot of hard calls here; I wish Jerome would let us get a little outside help. Not too much, of course. Just something. Anything.† â€Å"Don't worry,† I assured him. â€Å"I'll manage. You can't be everywhere at once.† â€Å"Isn't that the truth. I'll have to ask this nephilim how it does it when this is over.† â€Å"You can't question the dead.† â€Å"No,† he agreed grimly. â€Å"You can't.† He turned as if to depart. â€Å"It's weird†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began slowly. â€Å"The whole idea of Jerome loving someone. And falling because of it.† He gave me one of those canny, creepy smiles. â€Å"Love doesn't make angels fall, Georgina. If anything, love can have quite the opposite effect.† â€Å"So, what? If Jerome fell in love again, he could turn back into an angel?† â€Å"No, no. It's not quite that simple.† Seeing my baffled look, he chuckled and gave my shoulder a quick squeeze. â€Å"Watch out for yourself, Daughter of Lilith. Call if you need help.† â€Å"I will,† I assured him as he blinked out, not that ever actually getting a hold of higher immortals was easy. Jerome could sense if I was hurt, but he was a lot harder to call for a casual chat. I went to bed shortly thereafter, fatigued by everything that had happened, too tired to worry about nephilim attacking me in my sleep. I worked the closing shift tomorrow, and it was my last day before another two days off. I needed the break. I woke up later the next morning, still alive. While walking into the bookstore, I ran into Seth, armed with his laptop, ready for another day of writing. Recalling the dance lesson with him put my nephilim concerns temporarily at bay. â€Å"Got my book?† I asked as he held the door open for me. â€Å"Nope. Got my shirt?† â€Å"Nope. I like the one you're wearing, though.† His themed T-shirt today displayed the logo for the musical Les Miserables. â€Å"My all-time favorite song comes from that.† â€Å"Really?† he asked. â€Å"Which one?† â€Å"‘I Dreamed a Dream.'† â€Å"That's a really depressing song. No wonder you don't want to date.† â€Å"So what's your favorite then?† I had asked Roman my stock question, but not Seth. † ‘Ultraviolet' by U2. You know it?† We approached the espresso counter. Bruce was there, and he started making my mocha before I even ordered. â€Å"I know some of their other stuff, but not that one. What's it about?† â€Å"Love, of course. Like all good songs. The pain of love juxtaposed with its redemptive power. A bit more optimistic than yours.† I remembered Carter's comment from last night. Love doesn't make angels fall. Seth and I sat down to talk, conversation now flowing smoothly between us. Hard to believe there had ever been any awkwardness, I thought. He was so comfortable. Finally, knowing I had to work sometime, I dragged myself away to check on the rest of the staff and then retreat to my office. I only intended to check my e-mail, however; I felt sociable today and wanted to work the floor. Tossing my purse on the desk, I started to sit in my chair when I saw a too-familiar white envelope with my name on it. My breath caught. So much for being off the nephilim's radar. Trembling, I lifted the envelope up, opening it with clumsy fingers. Miss me? I imagine you've been kept pretty busy with your immortal friends, making sure everyone is safe and accounted for. I imagine you've been just as busy with your oh-so-fascinating personal life, barely sparing a thought for me. Cruel, considering all I've done for you. I wonder, though, do you worry just as much about the mortals in your life as you do the immortals? Admittedly, mortal deaths are so much less meaningful. After all, what's fifty less years compared to the centuries of an immortal? Mortals hardly seem worth the fuss, yet you put on a good face of caring for them. But do you really? Or are they just a diversion for the long stretch of your own centuries? What about your boyfriend? Is he another toy, another hobby to pass the time? Does he really mean anything to you? Let's find out. Convince me he does today. You have until the end of your shift to ascertain his safety. You know the rules – keep him in safe places, keep others around him, etc., etc. I'll be with you, watching. Convince me you really care, and I'll spare him. Make me believe. Fail – or involve any of your immortal contacts – and no amount of â€Å"safekeeping† will do him any good. I dropped the note, hands cold. What kind of fucked-up game was this? It made no sense. The nephilim told me in one breath to keep someone safe, yet implied in the next that it didn't matter, that there was no safety. It was stupid, another stirring of the waters, shaking up the status quo just to watch what I'd do. Looking around uneasily, I wondered: Was the nephilim here now? Was Jerome's disgruntled offspring lurking invisibly beside me, smirking at my distress? What should I do? Finally, and perhaps most importantly, just who the hell was my boyfriend anyway?